Dear Christian friends:

The theme of our sermon today is: When Good Is Bad. "Can good be bad?" you ask. No, not really. But often people think they are doing good when they are doing evil. They have good intentions, but do much harm to Jesus and His Church.

In our text today Jesus tells us about this. He shows that people with good intentions often do great evil to Him and His Church. So let us attend to our text, God's Holy Word, and see

The Jews, Jesus says, thought they were serving God when they persecuted Jesus' disciples, "They shall put you out of their synagogues. Yes, the time will, when whoever kills you will think he is serving god." (John 16:2)

They thought they were doing good when they condemned and crucified Jesus. So Paul later who helped to kill Stephen and other Christians says, "that He thought he ought to do many things against Jesus of Nazareth and His disciples."

Now today we find many evil and sinful teachings and practices in the Roman Catholic Church. These false and evil teachings were begun by priests who thought these ideas would improve and help the Christians.

Also in many liberal Protestant Churches we find ideas and teachings that hurt and destroy true faith and works, but they think their ideas are good and right. Many today want all protestants to forget their different teachings and unite in one large church, regardless of God's Word.

They say, "this will be good. United we can better fight communism and heathenism. Lets not argue about God's Word. Unite and go to work. They don't realize that this leads to carelessness and indifference about learning God's Word and teaching it correctly; and then finally loss of all truth.

Their good intentions will lead people to false hope and hurt the true Church of Jesus. Of course, we must not go too far the other way and refuse to meet and talk about God's Word with other denominations. Some Lutherans are too narrow minded and refuse to meet and talk with other churches and don't try to establish true unity. They think they are doing right in that narrow minded way. But they, too, hurt the true Church of Jesus.

Then we think about church members who think that sales and bazaars are good for the church and help the church. They don't realize that such activities give people misunderstanding about the true faith and true work of the church. Sales and bazaars lead people to forget about true church work as lay witnessing, missions, stewardship and Christian Education. These members have good intentions but help to destroy true faith and true good works.

So also are parents who spoil their children. They have good intentions: "I love my children, I don't want to force them or spank them. I will not force my children to go to Sunday School and Church. When they grow up they can choose their own faith. I'll keep my hands off. That's freedom. That's right. That's good."

But God says that's foolish and wicked and commands parents to teach and correct and influence their children in His Holy Way and Word. But these parents while doing terrible evil think they do good.

Now these people think they are doing good. They do good because of ignorance. Does God excuse them therefore? No! In our text Jesus shows that their good intentions do not excuse them. He says, "And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. (John 16:3)

They are unbelievers and Jesus says: "He that believeth not shall be damned." They don't believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the one and only Savior for lost and condemned man.

The Jews had plenty of God's Word and preaching but they proudly and stubbornly refused to accept that Word of God. They resisted the urging and pleading of God's Holy Spirit. Jesus said of them: "Ye do always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did, so do ye." Romans the same. Plenty of God's Word. God sent Martin Luther and others to correct them 400 years ago. But resist that truth.

But what about the people who have never heard God's Word. They have a conscience. But they do not listen and obey their conscience and seek God's mercy.

What about the Christians who have and believe God's Word and nevertheless sometimes do wrong with good intentions. They also are not excused because of their good intentions. Two reasons why: 1. They do not let God's Word guide them in all things. God demands that His Word only ought to be our guide and that we must not go to the right or the left.

But often Christians fail to study and search God's Word. When Bible Class is here in Church they stand outside and visit. No excuse for such ignorance. Or when they should read and study God's Word at home they sit and gaze at the TV or read Life and Look etc.

Secondly God clearly warns about following your own ideas or heart: "The imagination of man's heart is evil." (Genesis 8:21) "He that trusted his own heart is a fool." (Proverbs 28:6) "Take heed to your spirit" (Malachi 2:15) God does not forgive because of good intentions but because of Jesus crucified!

Let us guard ourselves and not follow our own ideas in church work and faith. No matter how good and wise our ways may seem, they may be very sinful and do much harm and destruction in God's Church. Let us more and more attend to God's Word. Let that be a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. Then we will not make bad mistakes or go astray; or if we do go astray because of weakness, this Bible lamp will always quickly correct us and lead us back again.

We will be sorry for our sins and look to Jesus for mercy and forgiveness and the right ways to walk. Let us do like Samuel who said: "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." (1 Samuel 3:9)

Amen.