Christ Lutheran Church
Cleveland, Ohio
September 23, 2024
by: Rev. Dean Kavouras

St. Michael and all the Angels
Christ Lutheran Church 135th Anniversary

Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels conducted war against the dragon; and the dragon with his angels, engaged them. But they could not prevail! Nor was there yet a place for them in heaven! And he … the Great Dragon, the Ancient Serpent who is known as the Devil and Satan, that Deceiver of the whole world … he was thrown down to the earth, his angels ejected as well!

And I heard a Great Voice in heaven saying: Now the Salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ is come! Because the Prosecutor of our Brothers, who indicts them before the face of our God day and night, has been expelled. They were victorious over him because of the Lamb's blood, and by the Word of their witness, for they did not love their lives even to the point of death! Therefore rejoice! O Heavens, and all who dwell therein – but woe for the earth and the sea because the devil has come down to you with great unquenchable anger, knowing that his time is short. Revelation 12:7-12

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As the Lord’s people, enter the Lord’s house, on the Lord’s day, to feast at the Lord’s Supper we do well to acclaim with Isaiah and heaven’s angels,

“Holy Holy Holy LORD God of Sabaoth.
Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.”

Now we have two worthy and wonderful tasks before us today. To offer Holy Thanks to our God

First that he created Angels to serve us. In the words of Hebrews 1:14 – To serve all those who are to inherit salvation” – we are those people! Secondly for the gift of Christ Lutheran Church which has served as a portal from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth for 135 years! Here the Ancient Serpent is handily crushed by the Blood of the Lamb, and sent closer and closer to his “place” which is hell, to which he does not want to go! That is the power that Christ our Lord has bestowed on his church!

“He knows that he lost his former Place
He knows that his time is short.” (12:12)

And so like a Tasmanian Tiger forced into an ever smaller corner, he keeps swinging his death-dealing tail. The tail by which he swept one third of the angels out of their Place (Apoc. 12:3-4) to join in his frightful judgment. And by which same tale he intends to snatch you out of the Father’s Hand. But don’t be afraid! Because Jesus says of us:

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:28-30)

And so we stand here today with all boldness and confidence, before the Incarnate Lord Jesus, who graces our altar with his Body and Blood, and before his Heavenly Father, and his Holy Spirit … and it is here, from our earthly outpost we give our testimony of the Blood of the Lamb that liberated us from all of our sins, and from dismal bondage to the evil Totalitarian or all Totalitarians.

Now like Israel leaving Egypt we breathe the glorious air of freedom, perfumed with the aromatic incense of Christ – to whom we pray, praise and give thanks in this liturgy – by which we become a “sweet aroma” before God in Christ. (Eph. 5:1)

Now the remission of our sins is not a one-off event! But it occurs over and over again as “flee from the devil,” “deny ourselves,” and “take up our cross and follow Jesus.” We must not, and cannot give in to cultural or fleshly temptation even for a moment. Because the devil is never satisfied with an inch, but always wants a mile. And you will find yourself caught in the web of the Black Widow. No! A Christian must not engage in fleshly thoughts or demonic words and deeds! But hear Saint Paul’s warning instead: Let him who stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Cor 10:12)

But even when we do soil ourselves with sin, we have soap that can make us whiter than any fuller on earth. Like Jesus at his Transfiguration. And we have the Holy Spirit who resides in us, and among us, so that we can forsake the un-holy, the evil, and the common, and serve our Lord now, and in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness.

Yes, this day at Christ Lutheran Church we fall down and give thanks and humble praise to our God for providing his holy angels for us – who have preserved our lives, our sanity, souls and safety more than we will ever know now – but will know in heaven – and O what a thrill it will be to see THAT list.

And we glorify him, too this day, for forming Christ Lutheran Church in the year of our Lord 1889, some 19 centuries after the Lord’s suffering, death and resurrection for our sins, so that even here, even now we can be the children of the Heavenly Father.

Could our fathers in the faith have ever known what their blood, sweat and tears would accomplish 135 years later?

No more than we can predict the next 135.

But suffice it to say that they gave us a place where the True grace of the True God is imparted to sinners. And where the Pure worship of the Pure Savior is rendered in return for our own consecration and for the benediction of all – of which the world is not worthy (Heb. 11:38) because it is as insensate to its Lord and God as the 120,000 people of the Great City of Nineveh who did not know their left hand from their right, or as its plenteous cattle. That is the state of man apart from the Light of Christ. End of sentence!

Because the world believes nothing, hopes nothing, and loves nothing except its creature comforts day and night. Because it stands rightfully accused “day and night” by the master of “opposition research” before the Judgment seat of God.

But it is not the 9th inning. There may yet be hope! Hope for all men lost in the darkness and foggy-mindedness of sin. Only let us see that we remain diligent in our religion, so that we do not return to our old ways.

Remember that the “deceiver of the world” is furious with us and will exploit any opening as a chance to get into our heads, as he did Woman’s in the Garden.

This is where Christ Lutheran Church comes in. It is, if you like, the Office of the Great Physician where he cleanses us daily, refreshes us, gives us new resolve, new understanding, new wisdom, clear reasoning, where he teaches us to pray, praise and give thanks so that we walk in his ways all the days of our lives.

So we again praise God twice today. Once for His archangel who emptied the heavens of Satan and his angels, and who defends us from him on earth as well.

Until the job is done!

And we take our rightful place shining like the stars forever. (Dan. 12:3)