Repent Let The Lord Make You Good Dirt...Luke 8 4 15

Sexagesima                                        8-February-2026
Sermon Text: Luke 8:4-15
Sermon Theme: ‘Repent! Let The Lord Make You Good Dirt!” I. Lord, Teach Me Your Word In It’s Truth and Purity! (Vs.4-8) II. Lord, Give Me Your Holy Grace Giving Spirit! (Vs.9-10) III. Lord, Let Your Good and Gracious Will Strengthen And Keep Us In Your Word and Faith Until We Return To Dirt!(Vs.11-15).  by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. What is life’s origin? Modern day materialists tell the myth of life arising over billions of years by random chance processes. Life according to their imagination sprang up from nothing and is all a cosmic accident. They label their view “scientific” and claim their myth of “evolution” is an established fact. Still they can produce no experiment that is measurable, repeatable, to uphold their fantastic fantasy.  
    Biologists and geneticists unraveling the mysteries of life on the DNA level testify that life’s information systems are too complex to be accidents. Hearing this verifiable truth, the mythologists of evolution search the cosmos for the origin of life. If it couldn’t happen here on earth over billions of years, perhaps it came here on a comet after cooking itself up on another planet. Modern day materialists have said in their hearts, “There is no God.” They have become foolish in their thinking and their understanding is darkened. Instead of protecting human life from conception to natural death, they choose murder and death as compassionate care. The infants in the womb they abort. The incapacitated, the terminally ill, the elderly they mercifully murder claiming that it is a good death. They cannot truly explain life’s origin, but they love to promote death and dying.
      What is life’s origin? David sings, Psa 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. The Lord’s Word is living and powerful. It does what it says. The sun shone this morning because on first day of the existence of all things the Triune God spoke, “Let there be light - and there was light!” You could breathe this morning because on the second day the Lord God spoke our atmosphere into existence. You woke on solid ground, for the third day the Lord spoke calling forth dry land and separating it from the waters. His word spoken calls forth plants from the ground to this day. God’s Word never returns unto Him void - it accomplishes what He purposes. It is the source of life, joy, and peace in this world.
       Life isn’t an accident - it is the gift of the only loving and living God through His Word. The Spirit of Truth testifies, Joh 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (4) In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. All life flows from Jesus. He is the eternal only begotten Word of the Father made flesh to save us from Satan’s lies dressed up in human mythology.
     Humble yourself before Him! He is the reckless Sower casting the living Seed of His Word into your ears this morning! ‘Repent! Let The Lord Make You Good Dirt!” I. Lord, Teach Me Your Word In It’s Truth and Purity! (Vs.4-8) II. Lord, Give Me Your Holy Grace Giving Spirit! (Vs.9-10) III. Lord, Let Your Good and Gracious Will Strengthen And Keep Us In Your Word and Faith Until We Return To Dirt!(Vs.11-15).

I.   Jesus is the only True Man. He lived as God created us to be in Adam. A perfect life trusting in God the Father’s Word. A perfect life without sin. He humbled Himself to bear your sin and mine to suffer our just hellish punishment upon Calvary. He laid down His life into the dust of death claiming the wages our sins acquired. Then three days later He physically rose for you - bringing life, hope, and peace to our fallen creation. He tells Mary Magdalene, Joh 20:17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'
       We are now reconciled to God our Father by the sacrifice and resurrection of His only begotten Son by the grace of the Holy Spirit. God is now our God. He is our Father! We cry out to Him in Jesus’ Name, “Our Father, Teach Me Your Word in it’s truth and purity.”
Don’t despise Jesus’ preaching! (Vs.4-8) A great multitude gathers to hear Jesus, some are curious following the crowd, some cherish what He preaches, some think the sermon is too long the big game starts soon, others let His Word alone be the life in them. All alike have ears. Gifts from God - Pro 20:12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made them both.
        Can we really trust what we see and hear? That was the first deception that the devil whispered to our first mother, while her husband Adam stood silent. Technology for all its blessings, now showers us with deep fakes - lies, deceptions. You may see a video on-line that appears real, but is it? You begin to question everything. So-called breaking news might just be a fake so the creator can generate more money. We live in the land of lies with screens full of lies. We cry out with Pontius Pilate? “What is truth?”
          Jesus is The Truth. Listen only to Him! Joh 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Before Pilate He testified, Joh 18:37 .... "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." In this age of deep fakes. Shut off your screens. Open up the Holy Bible and pray, ‘Father, make your Name holy among us also!’ Preach your Word within Your Church in its Truth and purity! Help us dear Father in Heaven to order our footsteps by Your Word alone!’ Protect us from profaning your Name by spiritual sounding lies that cement us in our sinful pride!”
         Matthew’s gospel adds in the additional information that Jesus preached this parable from the pulpit of a boat upon the waters to the crowds upon the shore. Today you are sitting in the nave - the ship of Christ’s Church - and He preaches His Word through the mouth of His called and ordained servant. Always open your Holy Bible to ensure that all that is preached from this pulpit is only the pure and true Word of Christ!
II. “What was the sermon about?” a father often asked his children at Sunday dinner. A pastor’s humorous son answered, “About twenty minutes.” Is that all you get from the sermon? For 75 years our Lord Jesus has graciously preached His Word from the ship of Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Our congregation isn’t old enough to have had the days when the men sat in front on the pulpit side, the children sat up front on the lectern side with their mothers behind them. German Lutheran congregations practiced this to emphasize that we were one family. The children during the Scripture lessons for the day were quizzed on Luther’s Small Catechism - they recited their memory work before the entire congregation - as their pastor quizzed them and the elders kept them in order. Fathers listened intensely to the sermon with their Bibles open taking notes. During the rest of the week fathers and mothers would teach their children what the sermon was about. Mothers would teach their children to sing the hymns they had heard. They rejoiced that God’s Kingdom came among them in their congregation flowing into their homes and out into their community.
     Jesus returned to dry land. (Vs.9-10). They ask Jesus...”What was the sermon about?” “What does this picture story mean?” We love story tellers, but a preacher who just tells us entertaining stories or jokes - isn’t following Jesus. The Word of Jesus is sent forth to gather us into the Kingdom of God. How can we know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom - His work among us?
     Never by our own reason or strength. We are dead in our trespasses and sin. We hate the True God and flee from His Word. We pray, “Father, give us your Holy Spirit so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.” The apostle Paul was graciously called from persecutor to preacher of the Gospel. He saw glorious things of God’s eternal Kingdom. Still he was beset by a thorn in his flesh. He prayed three times for it to be removed. Paul, like all of us want a theology of glory, come to Jesus and all your aliments will be healed. Come to Jesus and you’ll never struggle with your sins again. Don’t fall prey to Satan’s perversion of God’s kingdom.
        God’s Kingdom comes under the cross. His grace is sufficient as we struggle against our weaknesses and failing bodies. He gives us His Holy Spirit that we believe His Word. We are forgiven. He is by our side. We live holy lives of faith in Jesus - as the Holy Spirit daily and richly forgives us all our sins - here - in His Church. The mysteries of Christ’s Kingdom seal you with the cross in Holy Baptism, free you through His nail scared hands speaking you forgiven in absolution, feed you with His crucified yet living flesh at His table - as you remember the Lord’s death until He comes again. God the Holy Spirit daily keeps you in Jesus’ Word and faith in Him. What is the sermon about? Jesus - only Jesus FOR YOU!
III. God the Father’s will is always good and gracious. His will - will be done. Pharaoh hardened his heart against God’s will as Moses preached God’s Word. He refused to listen. He refused to free the Hebrew slaves. He refused to grant them the freedom of worship. Finally the Lord God moved to judge Pharaoh. He hardened his heart, so that He might destroy man’s kingdom of power and bring forth His people by His grace alone through His Word alone.
     Remember dust you are and to dust you shall return! In ten days these words will echo in our ears at our Ash Wednesday service. It is a humbling moment to hear those words applied personally - whether you receive an ash cross on your forehead or not - they are words FOR YOU! The stark reality of God’s Holy Law. We are nothing but dirt - dead dirt - we need to be renewed as new living soil.
       How? Not by our own reason or strength. Only by God’s Holy Spirit working through Jesus preaching His Word that by grace the Father’s will be done among us. Pray daily, “Father Let Your Good and Gracious Will Strengthen And Keep Us In Your Word and Faith Until We Return To Dirt!” How is God’s will done among us? God's will is done when he breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God's name or let His kingdom come; “
      Dirt! Beware of the unholy three. (Vs.11-12) The devil comes to church every Sunday. He is here as Jesus’ Word is preached. He distracts. Hardens your heart to hear God’s Word. He whispers - that’s only pastor’s opinion - you don’t need to listen. Look at that bug...sleep you’ve heard this before. Don’t allow him to steal Jesus’ Word from your ears. He still lies, “Has God indeed said...”
      Dirt! Beware of the world. (Vs.13) Rejoicing to hear Jesus preaching God’s Word. We are filled with joy. Then we go home - get angry. At school we are mocked for being a Christian. The world blames all its ills on Bible believing congregations - labeling them as Christian nationalists - intolerant of the latest perverse societal fades. Jesus preaches to you to take up your cross daily and follow Him. Don’t love the world, or the things in this dying world - love God the Father in His Son by the Holy Spirit!
        Dirt! Beware of your flesh - your old sinful adam dwelling in your heart! (Vs.14) Sitting in a pew it is easy to be pious. How about when start on your way home and another driver pulls out in front of you? Do you speak a blessing or begin cursing him? We want to sit in church, but to give sacrificially of our own money to support preaching here and throughout the world - no, I have bills to pay - toys to buy - bets to make.
Beware, out of the heart - your heart and mine - proceed evil thoughts, covetousness, murder, slander, lust, adultery, and all wickedness!
       Dirt! Repent! Be honest! Confess your sins daily struggling with your old sinful adam. Let Jesus alone make you new soil. (Vs.15). Soil cannot make itself good. It must be broken up. Rocks picked. Weeds pulled. The dirt itself cannot do any of this - it must come from without - from the eternal Gardener. He draws near to you - with the marks of your redemption in His hands. You are redeemed in Him. No longer do you live - He lives in you. His will is done! James 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. He preserves you in His Word and Faith - making you fruitful where He has planted you by His sufficient grace alone! He makes you redeemed dirt - until He brings you through the dirt of death to the resurrection! Amen