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July 28, 2002
10th Sunday after Pentecost
Matthew 13:47-52
Pastor Ben Berger

Why Are You Here?

(Matthew 13:47-52) "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. "Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied. He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."

Why are you here? Why do you come to church? What's the point? If you read my bio in last week's bulletin, you read that I like to ask questions. It's true, but before I ask any more questions, you need to answer this one: why do you come to church? I suppose you came today expecting to hear why I'm here, what my role will be as your pastor. We'll talk about that too, but first I'm going to turn the question around to you. Why are YOU here? There is more than one right answer, but our text for today summarizes well with two answers. 1) to learn about God's kingdom 2) to teach about God's kingdom.

Before we can discuss either of those possible answers, we need to settle what God's kingdom is. First, God's kingdom is not just a place. It's not heaven; it's not earth. It is in heaven and it's on earth, but it's not just a place. When we talk about God's kingdom, we're really talking about God's rule. We're talking about the way God rules over his people, the way he rules in our hearts. So, God's kingdom is what God does to rule his people wherever they may be.

In Matthew Jesus gives different pictures of God's kingdom. Today we're looking at the last of seven pictures. Jesus describes God's kingdom this way: The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.

This verse gives us a picture of how God's kingdom looks now. The net is the kingdom, or we could say the church, and the fish are the people in the kingdom or the church. Are you with me? We have the net that is the church and the fish that are the people in the church. This net was not some small hand net. It wasn't a net to catch one fish at a time. It was a huge net that caught all kinds of fish. In the same way the church attracts all kinds of people. Churches across America are full of all kinds of people: short and tall, male and female, young and old, black and white and red and yellow and purple.

All those different people come to church for different reasons. Some people come because they think they are supposed to. Others come because they think they have to. Some come because they have friends there; others come searching for the missing pieces of their lives. The question is: Why do you come? Why are YOU here? Right now the kingdom is full of people with different answers to that question. That won't always be the case.

The kingdom will look different in eternity. Listen to the rest of the story: When the net was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. The full net represents the end of time; it's the end of the kingdom or the church on earth. The net is full of all kinds of fish, but when the fishermen pull in the net, they separate the fish into only two groups: good or bad. So, at the end of time the church will be full of all kinds of people, but the angels will separate the people into only two groups: the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous. Just as the rotten, useless fish were thrown away, so the wicked will be thrown into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. In eternity there will only be two kinds of people. The wicked will be sent to the fiery furnace, and the righteous will stay in God's kingdom. What kind of fish are you? And where will you belong?

When we look in our hearts, we have to admit that we're bad fish, don't we? We are rotten, spoiled, putrid, worthless fish. We don't always come to church for the right reasons. That sinful flesh inside of us will only come by force, will only come out of obligation, will only come to keep people off of our backs. Because of that sinful flesh inside of us, we deserve to be thrown away. When the angels come they should rightly throw us to the fiery furnace, which will not be a tolerable place. Those there will not weep out of grief or disappointment but out of pure agony. It won't be a gentle whimper, but a piercing wail. And the gnashing of teeth? Not a good feeling. Bite down as hard as you can right now. You can't do it for long because it doesn't feel good. The pain in the furnace will be so bad that those there will bite so hard that their teeth will rub together until they crumble. That's the pain we deserve.

By ourselves we are bad fish, but Jesus makes us all good fish. He turns the wicked into the righteous. Remember when Jesus was a little boy. His family went to Jerusalem for the festival. When they left, they left Jesus behind. When they went back to find him, where was he? He was in the Temple. Why was he there? He wanted to learn about his Father's kingdom. Jesus went to church for the right reason. Now God says that what Jesus did, he did for us. When God sees us through Jesus, he sees people who do come to church for the right reason. And, in fact, he even gives us a new spirit that does want to come to learn about God's kingdom.

Please, come here to learn. Come to learn again and again that by ourselves we deserve absolutely nothing but the worst God has to offer - a fiery furnace. Come again and again to learn that God gives us his Son, Jesus, and with him the best he has to offer - a place in his eternal kingdom. Really, that's how God's kingdom works: because we have nothing, God gives us everything. Why are you here? I hope you are here to learn about God's kingdom, and I hope you're here often.

Have you understood all these things? Then permit me just a few more minutes to share with you what Jesus shared with his disciples. Remember Jesus gave them seven pictures of God's kingdom. When he was finished, he asked if they understood. They said yes. Then, because they understood, he said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.

You have declared to me that you understand what we have discussed today concerning God's kingdom. That makes you a teacher who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven. Why are you here? Yes, you are here to learn about God's kingdom, but after learning, you are also here to teach about God's kingdom.

Before we talk about teaching, please understand that we are all students. Pastors, teachers, council members, board members, lay members, adults, and children we are all students. We will always be students of God's word. Not a one of us could ever know and understand all of God's Word. Even if we could study, study, study, and finally know all of the Word, we wouldn't be able to fully understand it or apply it to our lives. As a member of God's kingdom we will all gladly continue to be students learning about that kingdom.

At the same time, we are all teachers. There's no rule that a student can't also be a teacher. In this case a teacher is anyone who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven. That's you. Maybe you were instructed in confirmation class or adult Bible class. Maybe you were instructed in Lutheran day school or high school. Maybe you went to Sunday school, or maybe you received most of your instruction from the pew. In any case you know about the kingdom of God. Whatever you know, those are the old treasures you can bring out. Maybe it's the basics: the Lord's prayer, the Ten commandments, or the Apostle's Creed. That creed is a gem, full of teaching. At the very least you know that you're a sinner; you know that Jesus is your Savior. You learned that just a few minutes ago. That's enough to start teaching. What you don't know, never knew, or have forgotten you can learn. Those things will be the new treasures you can bring out of your storeroom. Why are you here? I hope you are here to build up your storeroom, to learn about God's kingdom, but then also to bring out those treasures and teach about God's kingdom.

I guess since I asked you why you're here, I should answer the question too. Why am I here? It's really the same answer: I'm here to learn about God's kingdom and to teach about God's kingdom. I hope that we can learn and teach together.

I've been working hard at filling up my storeroom with treasures. I will thank you for every opportunity I have to bring out my old treasures and share them with you. Realize, though, that every treasure I have to share will always, always be a constant reminder that we are all sinners and that we all have a Savior.

Of course, I still have plenty of room for more treasures. I hope and know that you will teach me as much if not more than I am able to give to you. I will give you as many opportunities as I can to fill up my storeroom with new treasures.

We are all here to learn about God's kingdom and to teach about God's kingdom. We can learn and teach together so that at the end of time, when the net is full, we can all go to God's eternal kingdom together. May God grant it. Amen.