FollowingOurFathersFootstepsLuke6 36 42

The Fourth Sunday After Trinity                               28-June-2026
Sermon Text: Luke 6:36-42
Sermon Theme: “Following Our Father’s Footsteps!” I. Merciful! (Vs.36) II. Forgiving! (Vs.37) III. Giving! (Vs.38) IV. Enlightened By Our Teacher! (Vs.39-40) V. Honest! (Vs.41,42) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. Joh 21:18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." Our risen Lord Jesus still bearing the marks of His crucifixion spoke these words to the disciple who three times denied knowing Him. On the shores to the Sea of Galilee Simon the son of Jonah was tempted to return to his former calling of being a fisherman. That night he caught nothing, until Jesus came and spoke His Word blessing them with 153 large fish. Jesus had prepared a meal for Peter and the other disciples. Three times Jesus asks Simon, “Do you love me?” Peter answers, “You are my Friend!” Jesus calls this sinner back to his apostolic office, “Feed My lambs,” “Tend My sheep,” “Feed My sheep.” Restoring Peter’s calling to pastor the flock entrusted to his care as an apostle. History records, Joh 21:19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
     About two years later our risen Lord Jesus calls Ananias, a disciple at Damascus, to go lay hands on a blood thirsty murderous man to open his eyes. Ananias was reluctant for Saul of Tarsus persecuted the Church in Jerusalem and had traveled to Damascus authorized by the high priest to arrest followers of The Way and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial, imprisonment, and execution. History records, Act 9:15-16 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. (16) For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."
    Tomorrow, June 29th, the Church joyfully celebrates the festival of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles - one of the very oldest saint’s day in the Church’s calendar. For 1,776 years Christians have remembered the martyrdom of these two apostles on the day when according to ancient tradition both apostles were executed in 68AD under orders from Emperor Nero.
    Peter was bond and let to where he didn’t want to go. His arms would be stretched out upon a cross on the hills of Rome. According to tradition Peter asked one favor of his executioners - to be crucified upside down - he was unworthy to die as Jesus had died for his sins. Paul, being a Roman citizen, after suffering many shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonments, chains - was executed by the sword - beheaded on the hills of Rome. They followed Jesus’ footsteps to death, just as their Lord followed His Father’s will to suffering and death upon the cross.
    The calling of men into the pastoral office - is a call for them to die - to follow the Father’s footsteps trusting only in His good and gracious will. Your baptismal calling marked you with the sign of the cross upon your head and heart. Your renounced the devil and all his works and ways. Reborn of water and the Holy Spirit you pledged to forsake all others and suffer death rather than fall away from The Faith!
    Repent! Remember Your Baptism! We are the children of God: “Following Our Father’s Footsteps!” I. Merciful! (Vs.36) II. Forgiving! (Vs.37) III. Giving! (Vs.38) IV. Enlightened By Our Teacher! (Vs.39-40) V. Honest! (Vs.41,42) I. Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. David learned to pray these words only after being reborn through the forgiveness of his sins of lust, adultery, lying, and murdering. The prophet/pastor Nathan called the king to face his sin. David confessed his sin for which he deserved death - immediately his pastor applied the healing balm of absolution. History records:2Sa 12:13 So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
     David beheld the compassion and merciful heart of God our Father. He sang, Psa 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
      The Pharisees accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath laws by harvesting grain and restoring a man with a withered hand in the synagogue. A great multitude follows Jesus for healing and to be freed from demonic possession. He healed them all, then He opens His mouth to preach to them on the plain. He repeats much of what He had preached in the sermon on the Mount. The doctrine and Word of God doesn’t change. That is why seasoned pastors tell younger pastors not to be afraid to repeat themselves - we learn by repetition. Doctrine doesn’t change.
      Listen! God speaks to you! (Vs.36) “Be merciful” - don’t try to be merciful - be what your heavenly Father birthed you to be as an infant in holy baptism. God is Love! He doesn’t try to love - He is! You too are born again from above in your baptism and given the heart of your heavenly Father. Learn to know Him in His Word and works. In mercy He created our world and still sustains it by His Word. When we were taken captive by the fallen angel satan’s lie - He didn’t abandon us all to the hell fire we deserved. He had compassion. A compassion so deep that from before the foundation of the world - He planned to save us through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son become our Brother on the cross. Confess His compassion every morning and evening as you speak out loud The Apostles’ Creed in your homes.
      Follow our Father’s compassionate merciful footsteps - care for fellow sinners as He cares for you! Live your baptismal rebirth daily -.. the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
II.  Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven...forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer of the baptized. God the Father has declared us to be His own beloved children through the life, suffering, cross, death, and resurrection of His only begotten Son Jesus. He breathes us alive in baptism by the Holy Spirit declaring us that we are His own forgiven children daily washed clean in the blood flowing from Jesus’ cross.
      Jesus preaches, (vs.37) A pastor wrote, “These important, warning, and threatening words are frequently used to reprimand those who earnestly judge false doctrine and dare to judge those who are unbelievers or sinners. It is quite a general reproach that is made especially over against those preachers who earnestly cling t the pure doctrine and emphatically reject all heresy. They are accused of being loveless men with a mania for condemning, not heeding the Word of the Savior....this accusation rests upon a false explanation of these words. “ Were these words just posted on X by a faithful pastor speaking out against the murder of abortion, right to die, the perversion of marriage, human sexuality - paraded through our streets as pride? No, there were preached 150 years ago by the Rev. C.F.W. Walther in St. Louis, MO.
     When the Law rightfully accuses us - we cannot scream to our Compassionate Father - “Stop judging me!” The Ten Commandments - the Law for all human morality from the beginning of Creation - reflect the compassionate heart of our Father. Just as our Father created our world with physical laws - so He reveals His love for us in His Commandments. It is lunacy to say, “Don’t judge me - that I can’t fly - I identify as a bird - leave me alone while I leap off of this skyscraper - I’m free to be me!” The Father’s mercy calls me to tell you , ‘Stop!” - to restrain you and prevent your leap to death.
     It is not judging you to speak to you the reality of the Law - Luk 10:27 ... "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND,' and 'YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'" Love protects - it doesn’t allow you to leap - either from a skyscraper or to rebel against God’s Holy Ten Commandments - to choose the way of death. Your old Adam may rebel - don’t judge me! The Father’s Footsteps are to speak the Truth of the Holy Ten Commandments - not to damn you - but to lead you to the healing fount of forgiveness found in Jesus alone!
      The Law judges and condemns you - your consciences knows and feels it - you may call it depression - blame others for not approving your perversion - be honest - you have sinned. You cannot save yourself - our Father has saved us sinners in the sacrifice of Jesus alone! He raises Jesus physically from death announcing absolution to the world - He forgives you!
     Follow our Father’s footsteps - speak His Law honestly one on one to those who are captive to sin - they are fellow sinners - that you may lead them to know Jesus! We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment. So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.
    The Father’s forgives others through you - it isn’t your forgiveness it is Jesus’ cross paid in full and resurrection certified forgiveness flowing through you by the Holy Spirit to comfort fellow sinners - with new baptismal life!
III. The goodness of God leads us to repentance. Behold our Father gives you day by day all your need for your body and life! He gives His creation away to us sinners! Follow His footsteps! (Vs.38) Give! Cast your bread upon many waters! You cannot out give your heavenly Father. Trust wisdom’s promise, Pro 11:24 There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. And again, Pro 19:17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given.
    Stop trusting in false idols that moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. Give to those in need - see Jesus in them - and they will see Jesus in you as you reflect the face of our Father!
IV. A seasoned warrior sang,”  Psa 27:1-2 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? (2) When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.” King David learned in battling his own sinful flesh and failings - to look only to Jesus - the Author and Finisher of his faith! David’s Son and David’s Lord echos the Spirit’s Song! (Vs.39-40)
    A pastor wrote, “It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, "Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of his children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus." All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: he tells us that we are nothing, but that "Christ is all in all." Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument-it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by "looking unto Jesus." Keep thine eye simply on him; let his death, his sufferings, his merits, his glories, his intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to him; when thou liest down at night look to him. Oh! let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after him, and he will never fail thee.” (Rev. Charles Spurgeon) Don’t follow the blind world, your feelings, your works leading you from Jesus to fall into the ditch of unbelief sin and death. Let the Holy Spirit enlighten you with His gifts within Christ’s Church - baptism, absolution, the Lord’s Supper. Fix your eyes only upon Jesus - as the Holy Spirit transforms you in to the image of the Father’s Son leading you from glory to glory - walking by the light of faith not by blind sight.
V. An eyelash on our eyeball can cause extreme pain - imagine a sliver - worse a plank. Following your Father’s Footsteps calls for honesty! (Vs.41-42) Look daily into the mirror of God’s Holy Ten Commandments - 1Jn 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” Be honest - you are a sinner - saved only by the Father’s grace through Holy Spirit given and word sustained faith in Jesus! You can’t take even a speck from your own eye - someone else needs to help you - the Father through the Son by the Spirit does. He restores your sight to see clearly. Follow our Father’s Footsteps. Amen.