(920) 733-1307 church.office@stjohn-appleton.org Worship Services: Sundays - 8:00, 10:30 am  Mondays - 6:30 pm

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. 2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will make music to my God as long as I exist. 3 Do not trust in human helpers, in a mortal man who cannot save you. 4 His spirit departs. He returns to the ground he came from. On that day, his plans have perished. 5 Blessed is everyone who has the God of Jacob as his help. His hope is in the Lord his God, 6  the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything which is in them. He is the one who stays faithful forever. Psalm 146:1-6

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28 –EHV)
 
Like many of you, I grew up watching Looney Tunes (or any other reiteration of the classic cartoons). One of the lesser known, yet still memorable, series involved two main characters: Sam the Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf (who looks exactly like Wile E. Coyote but with a red nose). After the two clock in, Sam the Sheepdog takes his spot on top of a hill or cliff watching over the sheep in the valley below. Ralph Wolf tries everything in his arsenal just to get a sheep, who are defenseless against him. Like Wile E. Coyote, he tries a variety of Acme products to no avail. He often reverts to disguises—other sheep dogs, a bush, or even dressing up like sheep. Sometimes it seems as if he is actually going to get a sheep—but he never does. Sam the Sheepdog always catches him in time and saves his sheep. And you know that no matter how grave the situation may seem, there really is no chance that Ralph the Wolf is ever going to get a sheep when he is up against Sam the Sheepdog.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to give you peace, not disaster, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

What parent has not experienced this scenario in some form or fashion? Children testing their parents' patience. Kids almost seem to have an inborn trait that knows exactly how to push their parents' buttons.

Everyone must submit to the governing authorities. For no authority exists except by God, and the authorities that do exist have been established by God. Therefore the one who rebels against the authority is opposing God’s institution, and those who oppose will bring judgment on themselves. (Romans 13:1-2—EHV)

It seems as if most people lately are feeling one of two ways: fear or frustration. There are a good amount of people who are afraid right now—afraid of the coronavirus and what it might to do them and/or the economy. We have recently discussed the confidence and peace that Christ’s victory over death gives us.

“Death is swallowed up in victory.  Death, where is your sting?  Grave, where is your victory?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”    (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

 Around 200 years ago, while the young country of America was involved in the War of 1812 with Britain, the commander of Fort McHenry in Baltimore asked Mary Pickersgill to sew a flag that was so big that the British would have no trouble seeing it from a great distance.  The result was a flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes that measured an outstanding 30 feet by 42 feet.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the undeserved gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23)

Pastor Frey reminded us very well in today’s Good Friday sermon that Jesus won the battle over sin, death and the power of the devil by his death on the cross. Why did Jesus come?

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