I did put a shiny bow on top, marking this package as something different from the packages I receive in the mail, but the bow is not what makes this gift special. I did put something new inside, something they do not yet own, something that I know will put smiles on their faces and bring delight to their hearts. You could say what lies inside is important, but there is something else that makes this gift special. Do you see what it is? It’s this [the nametag] right here. On the nametag are two simple words: To you.
That’s it; that is what makes this gift so special. After all, there are other presents under the tree. They are not all for my kids. Some have my name written on them. They belong to me; I will enjoy those gifts, not my kids. Others have my wife’s name on them. Those presents belong to her; she will own and control them. Still others are for family members we will see later this week. Yet, on this particular gift, those two little words: “To you,” tell my kids: “You alone get to benefit from whatever joys this present will give you.” This Christmas morning you gather to praise God for keeping his promise to send his one and only Son. Yet, do not overlook what makes Jesus so special. Hear God’s special words meant to fill you with true lasting joy: To You a Savior is Born! Do not be afraid because This is good news for life! You heard some very good news just last night. After centuries of promises repeated, after years of waiting for God’s promised Son, after years of standing alert for the Savior, God sends him! He wraps up Jesus, this very important Gift, and places him under a stable roof and into a manger. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7). Jesus has entered the world. That is God’s Christmas gift. Yet, what would happen if I took this gift and removed nametag? How would you feel? If you saw it lying under the tree without a nametag, how would you react? What emotions would you experience? Would you feel uncertain? …timid? …hesitant? Not too sure if this gift is meant for you? Our reading introduces you to some shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Remember, Jesus is born; the Prince of Peace has arrived! Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. What happens? What is the immediate reaction of shepherds on the first Christmas night? They were terrified. The glory of the Lord shines around them. That “glory” is the brilliantly blinding white light radiating off of a perfect God! Heaven’s door cracks open just a smidgen. The shepherds can peer just into the entryway of heaven— and they know God dwells somewhere deeper in there. If those shepherds were to see God face-to-face, they could never live. Imperfect, faulty creatures cannot stand in the presence of the One who demands perfection. If God saw them, he would instantly cast them from him forever. How terrifying! Now, an angel stands in front of them— I mean, an angel! This is God’s messenger! Meaning, God has sent this angel out with a specific message to this specific shepherd-audience. What is that message? Punishment? Anger? Judgment? How could they not be terrified? They have no assurance that God comes to them in patient, forgiving love. At that moment, those shepherds feel the great divide between their status and the status of the all-powerful, all-perfect God. Do you know what that feels like? I think you do. You also know Jesus is present in the world. After all, that is why you are here this morning; you have come to worship him. And you openly admit: “I believe in Jesus Christ, my Savior.” You know this— but is it always easy to remember? A loved one lies in the hospital. Tubes run into his arms. Heart monitors beep. Oxygen hisses. You sit in a chair opposite the bed paralyzed in fear. You pray— but why isn’t he better? Why isn’t he healed? Is it because of you? Is God refusing health because of the ways you abuse your body? Has God turned away from you— because you are faulty? Your life was going to so well, so easy, and then— horrible news rears its ugly head. Your child struggles. Your daughter drifts away. Your siblings are fighting. Is this trouble in your life because of you? Is God letting bad things happen because you chose to ignore God’s clear commands? Is God letting you, a sinner, taste his anger? Your life goals fall off track. You wanted the vacation, but now cannot afford it. You wanted to travel, but your health will not let you. You want people to rejoice in a Savior, but they are not here today. You grow frustrated. You get sad. You feel depressed. This is not the kind of life you imagined. Are these things happening because you know too little of the Bible? …Because you are not a “good-enough” Christian for God? If you remove the nametag from the present, then you will never know if the present belongs to you. If you are unsure if the present belongs to you, then you will not experience the joys, the bliss, the comfort that gift brings. And if you choose to ignore the nametag so clearly written on the gift, then you will forfeit the joy freely given. You see, when troubles rise up, when fear grips your life, it is so tempting to fixate on you— how good you are, what you have done, how you think God should respond to your behavior. A little part of us wants to make God’s love conditional. If you do good, then God will act good towards you. If you do bad, then God will act bad to you. If that is the God we have, then you (and I) have every reason to be terrified— because you (and I) can never be the good God expects. That’s why God sends his angel with a special message: “Do not be afraid.” Just think about that for a minute. God knows how often you (and I) are tempted to believe that you must earn his love in order for him to treat with you in love. And so God explicitly says: “Do not be afraid.” Stop thinking that God will help you only when you are nice first. Do not believe that your current struggles have come because you made God mad. This is why. The angel said to them… I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. Do not be afraid because God does not deliver bad news on Christmas Day. Do not be afraid because God gives a gift to you: a “Savior.” A Savior! Someone who rescues you! Someone who does what you cannot! Someone who chooses to come and save you! Jesus is proof that God’s love is not conditional. It is one-sided. In love, God sends a Savior—regardless of how you (or I) behave. In love, that Savior wipes away your guilt, and declares it: “Gone.” That means, God sees you as innocent and without fault. Can you be sure of this? Yes. Because that Christmas-Day-Gift marches into the world, marches through life, and up Calvary’s mountain all in order to rescue you. God punishes Jesus for your (and my) wrongs. With your sins punished, there is no punishment remaining. If no punishment remains, it means you are without a need to be punished. Put another way, you are forgiven! This is the reason you do not need to be afraid. Look into the manger and see God’s Son lying there. Do not be afraid! Because To You a Savior is Born! This is good news for life! Sometimes our hearts can still doubt that God could be this loving. So, God makes sure to wipe away any doubt that his love for you is too good to be true. Did you notice how many times the angels repeat the nametag on Jesus? The angelic-messenger appears to shepherds (to them). The angel said to them, “I bring good news to you… to you a Savior is born!” To you is repeated over and over again as if to say: “Yes, this is all really for you! Believe it!” This repetition pounds away any doubt that God is distant from you. And this news not just meant for the best shepherd or for powerful kings and queens or your pastor— but for all the people. All people, including a virgin no one knows. Including shepherds forgotten in the fields. Including you and me who sometimes make a mess of life. To You a Savior Is Born. To you, yes, you—even when you struggle to get by each day—a Savior is born. This is good news for your life. So, when the devil shows up in your life and awakens past shame, point to the cross and say, “Go away! Jesus killed that shame for me. It defines me no more!” When your loved one lies in the hospital and you are afraid that God is choosing not to answer your prayers, point to the manger and say: “Jesus came to open communication between me and God.” When your hopes and dreams are put on hold, point to the manger and say: “Even as life changes, my Savior’s love to meet my every need will never change.” To You a Savior is Born! This is good news for life! Even when you stand beside the casket of a loved one, remember, To You a Savior is Born! Jesus has reversed death. Those who believe he removed their sins will live with him in heaven. Not in hell. Not in the ground. But in heaven’s pure perfect bliss. The Savior comforts a weary heart with his good news of eternal life. You can be sure of that. That’s the point of a nametag. This nametag tells my kids that this present belongs to them. They will play with it, keep, hold, and have it. There is no doubt, no uncertain about it. So, God puts a nametag of Jesus so that there is no mistake as to who he is for: To You a Savior is Born! Not just for the best Christians. Not for the lifelong Christian. But for you. He has wiped away sin. Live confidently knowing that all is well between you and God! Live confidently even in the face of trouble, knowing that God has not come afflict. Rather, you know God stands with you. Do not be afraid because To You a Savior is Born! This is good news for life!
rip open watch your children and learn how their toys work (after you slog through the instructions). And since today is not Christmas Day, it means those events, those plans are still in the future. You anticipate what you have yet to do.
Are you ready for Christmas? Stores remain open for a only few more hours. If you still have shopping to do, time is running out. Christmas dinner is a little over 24-hours away. Do you have the ham defrosted? …the crackers, cheese, and sausage cut? …cookies baked? …how about frosted? There is even less time until Christmas morning. Are the presents wrapped? …stockings stuffed? Do you have your plans set? …who you will see at what time for what reason with what kids? How are you feeling? How are you doing? There is still much preparation left to do, isn’t there? Perhaps that realization is starting to sink in. Maybe it weighs a little heavy on your mind right now. Or, maybe you can feel a smidgen of that lingering, unsettling stress. Are you at the point where you just wish Christmas was all over? Presents opened? Food gone? That you just get to sit with your toys and finally relax? In the closing hours of the Advent season, unwind. Let the stress of deadlines melt away. Put aside your anxious “to-do” lists. Prepare your hearts one last time for the King who will soon arrive. Get ready by considering this question: What are You Getting for Christmas? (If you so desire, follow the reading printed on the back of your bulletin— and receive God’s encouragement as you make your final Christmas preparations). You read from Romans 16:25: Now to him who is able to strengthen you… That “him” is none other than God. God— the Creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1). The One who laid the earth’s foundation. The God who marks the boundaries of the oceans and orders: “This far you may come and no farther” (Job 38:1-40:2). The One who stands in the future, grasping the throat of Satan and damning him into the lake of burning fire (Revelation 20:10). God is not bound by time or space; he has no beginning and no end, and no one is greater or more powerful than he is. This Almighty God is able to do... what? Strengthen you. Of all things that his might has already accomplished, of all things he could do, he uses his ability to constantly strengthen you. And no, God is not promising to build your muscles or to give you perfect health. That’s not the kind of “strengthening” he speaks of. Rather, this “strengthening” describes increasing your grip on what Jesus accomplished for you. Put another way, God strengthens your faith. How? Well, look at what he says: [God strengthens you] according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ. Do you see how your faith grows? According to my gospel… Now, the apostle Paul writes these words. He does not confess writing a new bible with a new message. Rather, God hands Paul the good news of a Savior from sin, and Paul simply retells what God taught him. That good news, that gospel, is the preaching of Jesus Christ. If you want your faith to grow, then be in God’s Word. As you hear the Word, you learn new things that Jesus said and did—things you might have never known before. As you hear the Word, you better understand his teachings. As you hear his Word, you see how what Jesus teaches applies to what you experience in life. You grow stronger, more confident, more certain as you focus on Jesus Christ. If exhaustion is making you wish that Christmas is all done and over, maybe a good question to ask yourself is: Is your attention set on What You are Getting for Christmas? God points you to Jesus. He makes it quite clear: Jesus comes to lift the burden of guilt off from you so that you can live without fear. No more fear that you could go to hell. No more worry that God gives you bad days because have done bad things. No more anxiety that you are all alone when troubles appear. As you continue hearing the Word of God in worship, in your Bible reading, in your home devotions, your trust in God grows. Yet, when you take your attention off from the Word, you will grow exhausted, tired, and weak. That is why so many would Christmas to be over. December is spent trying to win the affection of children with the latest and greatest presents. House parties are not entirely carefree affairs, but rather competitions— who can make the best treats, have the best atmosphere, be the best host? Who will be respected for what they have done? Money, time, energy is poured into making Christmas perfect, only to realize that as hard as you may try, loved ones still get sick and do not come home, a sibling may choose to stay away, and that all the decorations cannot make you feel happy. If you wish Christmas is all done and over, it is because you are losing sight on the Savior coming to you. Your attention is drifting away from his promises, his guidance, his assurance. And instead, you feel exhausted and tired because you are realizing the things you hoped would give you joy and security, do not. The worldly stuff You Get for Christmas can never strengthen your soul. Rather, it leads you further away from the joy Jesus comes to bring. My friends, over the next day and a half, you have the opportunity to hear the greatest message the world has ever heard. A message that did not come from the mind of man, but came from the mouth of God. You get hear the soul-strengthen message of Jesus living a perfect life for you. Yes, think about that for just a moment. The Son of God lays aside heaven’s splendid crown. He steps on earth and refuses to wear a real kingly crown— because the riches of the world can never take the place of God. They cannot buy eternal happiness. The Son of God lives in the backwater town of Nazareth. He is born to carpenter, not a king; he is born young virgin, not a well-established married couple. Yet, he never chases after status and pride, seeking to become popular. Personal pride in achievements only lead to self-worship. You get to see Jesus Christ live for you! His heart always finds pure, perfect delight in listening to God’s commands, obeying them, and trusting him! See him hang high on a cross and see him suffering in your place. Hear him cry out: “My God, why have you forsaken me?” and know that you will never be separated from God forever (Psalm 22:1) Watch him rise from the dead and know that you will follow in those same steps. What are You Getting for Christmas? A soul-strengthening message. The Almighty God again brings delight and joy to your heart with his Word. Not only that, he is strengthening you so that you never lose out on the kingdom he hands to you! What a privilege you (and I) have to praise God. The good news of Jesus was a mystery that was kept secret for long ages… A mystery is something once unknown— and the mystery here? Very few ever heard the name “Jesus,” “Messiah,” “Savior,” “Son of God.” Old Testament-believer Abraham did. God promised the Savior of the world to him, and Abraham passed this good news down his family line. That family line? The Jewish nation. The Jews who left Egypt lifted their eyes up to the great Prophet who was to come (Deuteronomy 18:15). David, King of Israel, looked forward to a great Descendant who would reign with might and power forever (2 Samuel 7:16). Mary, a Jewish virgin, is promised: You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus (Luke 1:31). All there was were promises— words which pointed to the future. Now that mystery has been disclosed (that is, made public knowledge) and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations. The prophets pointed to what God would do; you and I see that God has done what he promised. Each fulfilled prophecy prove that God’s Words are not empty well-wishes. They are evidences that when God says he will do something, he intends to do it. You (and I) have this tremendous privilege to see each promise kept. What happened in Bethlehem spread to Jerusalem. People shared Jesus throughout northern Israel and southern Israel. The disciples carried Jesus to India, north Africa, into parts of Spain and France. The good news of Jesus took root in Europe and blossomed for centuries. When millions swarmed into the New World, they brought their faith with them. They built churches— like the one here in Clare. They worshipped here, in St. John— and some of them are your great-great-grandparents. The all-wise God has seen to it that the message of Jesus has crossed centuries and oceans for you to hear it. His purpose in sending this good news is to bring about the obedience of faith. Remember what “faith” is: trust. That trust is believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God—the only Person who can make you perfect— not you, not your efforts, not a personal decision you made— but that Jesus and by his death and resurrection has done everything necessary to give you eternal life (John 20:31). So, just What Are You Getting for Christmas? God has filled you with good news, giving you the privilege to praise God. You gather in worship now. You get to hear the Christmas story tonight. Tomorrow morning, you get to (re-)discover how Jesus benefits you now and always. Yes, there will be a part of you (and a part of me) that says: “That’s too much church.” “I’m hearing the same thing over and over.” “I already know all of this.” You know that’s not true. You know I am not here to repeat the same thing three separate times. Like you, I get to grow and grasp just how soul-satisfying the Savior is. In the busy-ness of the season, make time to hear the Word. Honestly evaluate your opportunities to hear God speak to you. As you hear that Word, you get the privilege to praise God. That is the reason our reading ends the way it does. As you remain in the Word of God, stress and anxiety melt away. You will enjoy many family traditions tomorrow—but those traditions are just that: traditions. Joys made for this life. Joys that may change over time. Yet, your self-worth is not found in what you accomplish. It is found in the perfect life Jesus has draped over you. When you recognize how God does not hold your self-centered choices against you, when you recognize that God does not search for only the greatest and the best people, when you recognize that Jesus willingly sets aside his life for you, when you focus on What You Get for Christmas, your heart cannot help but shout: To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
He grabs the present. Fingers rip off the bow, pry away the ribbons, shred the wrapping paper— revealing a brand new Samsung 75" Class 4K Smart QLED TV. Yes, that’s a 75-inch screen size— six feet, three inches (and longer than I am tall)! The Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode (QLED for short) generates over a billion shades of color. 4K technology delivers magnificent contrasts, allowing light and dark scenes to appear with crystal clear quality! Its 240-hertz refresh rate brings NASCAR, baseball, football— any fast moving action— to life all without a blur. This is 75-glorious-inches of sheer bliss.
You watch as he sits there in a pile of wrappings, ribbons, and bows, gazing at this enormous box. Almost instantly he pushes it away, reaches down, grabs the shiny green paper, cocks his head, mystified: “Where did you get this amazing paper?” He grabs the red ribbon: “How beautiful!” He lifts the poufy red bow: “This is best gift anyone can give!” Expect that?... Probably not. After all, what is the real gift given? The television, right? This man pushes the real gift away and instead fixate on the objects that are not presents. Yet, that happens. Christmastime for many reaches its high point in cookies and candies, trees and lights, carols and programs, presents and family. Many overlook the real joy unwrapped in the Christmas-day manger— without a second thought— and instead fixate on gifts that provide only short-lived joy. God does not want you getting lost in the Christmas chaos and losing focus on what joy Christmas really brings. So, he sends John to Testify about the Light! For you to Hear it and for you to Share it. That is the purpose of John the Baptist’s ministry. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light. That “Light” is a person. That person reveals something important; he reveals the only way you can stand acceptable before God. That person, that “Light,” is the Christ. So, John stands in the desert, in a region just north of the Dead Sea, announcing: “The Christ is here!” “Christ” is a special name. In the New Testament, you hear [the name]: “Jesus Christ;” in the Old Testament, you hear [the name]: “Messiah.” [The name] “Messiah” is the Old Testament way of saying “Christ.” (“Messiah” is a Hebrew word, and when you bring it into the Greek language, you get “Christ.” Now, remember, names have meanings. For example, my name, “Andrew,” comes from a Greek word meaning: “strong, manly;” my name describes manliness. Maybe you know the meaning of your name (or at least have visited one of those novelty shops which sell cards with your name printed on top and its meaning underneath). The name “Christ” (and “Messiah”) means “Anointed One.” To “be anointed” means to “be set apart for a specific mission.” Our Old Testament reading (this morning) tells you what Christ is set apart to do: He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from [spiritual] darkness for the prisoners … to comfort all who mourn… to bestow on them a crown of beauty… They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord (Isaiah 61:1-3). So, when John cries out: “The Christ is here!” it is a message meant to grab people’s attention. God has kept his promise; he sent a Savior. Jesus clears away uncertainty as to how you stand before God; he lights up the fact that he alone lifts off your burden of sin. John Testifies about the Light for all people to hear. Many hear it— at least, the message enters their ears. Priests and Levites rush out to John not so interested in what Christ brings. Rather, they search for someone they want. “Are you Elijah?” they ask. Many of the Jews created a belief that Elijah would return heaven and free them from their Roman oppressors. “Are you the Prophet?” they wonder. After all, Moses promised a great prophet was coming (Deuteronomy 18:15). The [capital-P]rophet would be God’s Son, but the Jews just wanted another great teacher. John repeatedly points at Jesus and says: “Ask about him!” And yet, so many are fixated on the shiny green wrapping paper, the red ribbons, the poufy bows of John, instead of worshipping the Christ. Has anything changed? Many still push aside the need for a Savior and embrace pleasures and treasures of this world. Department stores T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and Homegoods is currently airing a commercial with families and friends gathered around Christmas presents and feasts. It is heart-warming to watch loved ones come together to celebrate Christmas. Except, it’s not Christmas they are celebrating. The commercial ends with the tagline: Family is the greatest gift (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vXVbwfJlpA&index=1&list=PLtyMkMtSY__Ht5ielBr7DeKPXwXFaE6aQ). Is that really the greatest gift you have ever received? Family? …They never disappoint you? …Never frustrate you? …Never let you down or irritate you? …Fill you absolutely complete and lasting joy? This is just one example of how the heart searches for something of lasting value. The heart craves happiness. It seeks security. It wants certainty in an uncertain world. Yet, by ignoring John’s message about the Christ, that heart will only remain in spiritual darkness. During Christmastime, it is easy to shove aside the good news of a Savior born for you. You may grab the wrapping paper of presents, considering your stuff to be more important than worshipping the newborn King on Christmas Day. You may tug and hug the red ribbons of family, making time for them, but no time to sigh a prayer of thanks that God has kept an ancient promise. You may hold up that red poufy bow of self-worship, claiming that you only need Jesus when life gets tough. Pushing aside John’s message of “Christ is here!” pushes aside the Savior God gives you! And so, God sends John to Testify about the Light for you to hear it. Hear again the life-changing news of a Savior born for you! Yes, even if you have the Christmas account memorized, appreciate just how majestic your Jesus is. Even if you were a slave kneeling in the dust, removing Jesus’ grimy shoes, that would be far too high of a position! He does not come to enslave you, but to lift you up from servant-hood and to make you a citizen of his kingdom! Remember, that is what “Christ” comes to do. And this is what “Christ” has done. He binds up your guilt-broken heart with his healing words: “Forgiven. Removed. Done.” He proclaims freedom from sin and death by rising from the dead and saying: Because I live, you also will live (John 14:19). He comforts all those mourning by saying: Those who believe in me will never die, but live forever in heaven (Revelation 7:13-17). Christ has accomplished what he has been set aside to do. He has set you free from sin forever—and plainly tells you this. Hear John to Testify about the Light. This is the purpose of his ministry. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. This good news that Jesus has rescued you (and me) from our self-centered choices is the only message that will bring life. Since you hear it, it means you are equipped to share it. Yes, you. God equips you to share the good news of Jesus with others. I would imagine that you are quite aware that many still need to hear about the Savior. After all, every Christmas you hear the slogans: “Keep Christ in Christmas” and “Jesus is the reason for the season.” That is true, Christmas is about Jesus. Yet, I also wonder how often those slogans are lobbed out to shame people for not worshipping Christ, instead of being slogans meant to invite people to worship Christ. Or, many Christians watch the national news and mourn the decline of respect and the increase of materialism. Those issues are disheartening— but do remember, you do not currently live in New York City or Seattle or Houston or St. Louis; you live in central Michigan. My point is this: You can mourn that many are losing focus on Christ, but by worrying about events in a place thousands of miles away, you may overlook what is happening in your community, your neighborhood, or among your friends and family. If it is really an issue that so many lose sight on the real joy found in Christmas, then identify ways to correct that misguided focus. So, instead of shaking your head at a Marshall’s commercial which claims “Family is the best gift,” reflect on your own heart, and see what it considers to be the best gift. Is your heart misguided? Do the hearts of your children lose sight on Jesus? If so, correct it by pointing at Jesus! If you mourn that the world loves stuff, ask yourself: “Am I materialistic?” “Does my neighbor love stuff more than God?” And if you see yourself, your family, your friends, your neighborhood lose sight on the gift of Savior, then like John the Baptist, point to Jesus! Share God’s gift of a Son. Are you a parent?... grandparent? If so, God has handed you the special privilege of teaching a child. You are the one who will teach your child how to eat and get dressed. You will help them with homework, buying a car, and setting up savings for the future. Even as they become adults, they still call you “mom” or “dad.” God has seen fit to make you their caretaker. Remember the most important thing you will ever teach: the Savior. God uses your parent-child relationship for you may share Jesus. Regardless if your child is age 4 or 40, you can still bring up the fact that only Jesus comforts a heart burdened with sin. Only Jesus gives the crown of eternal life. Are you a friend or neighbor? You build special relationships with people. That relationship is a bridge (if you will) to carry the love of Jesus into someone else’s life. If you know of someone who will spend this Christmas wrapped up in their house and unsure of a Savior, then invite them to join you in Christmas Eve & Day worship. And if you’re thinking to yourself: “Boy, this all sounds so scary. I can’t possibly just talk about Jesus to random people,” then remember, God does not tell you to knock on the doors of strangers and suddenly blurt out what you believe. Simply reflect on the relationships you hold, the opportunities you get to speak, and the message you get to share with the world. God uses you to Testify about Jesus, the Light. And yes, you do not currently live in New York City or Seattle or Houston or St. Louis; you live in central Michigan. Yet, you can still share Jesus around the world. How? Through your offerings. Recognize that God uses your offerings here—to staff a pastor, to provide Christ-centered resources, to maintain a house of worship. Your ministry is to bring Jesus to others! Some of your offerings goes towards staffing Pastors at churches (just starting out). Your Wisconsin Synod has churches in all 50 states and all over the world. Through your prayers and support, those congregations carry the bright light of Jesus to many lost in spiritual darkness. You may not see the results of your offering this side of eternity, but one day you will. Recognize how God has blessed you and recognize the opportunity you have to Testify about Jesus, the Light. Because many are getting ready for Christmas. For many Christmastime reaches its high point in cookies and candies, trees and lights, carols and programs, presents and family. Many overlook the real joy unwrapped in the Christmas-day manger—without a second thought— and instead fixate on gifts that provide only short-lived joy. So, God sends out John with wonderful news: The Christ has come! This Christ binds up your sin-broken heart. He comforts you with his promises. He releases you from hell. He is a gift that will never grow old or outdated. He is the Gift who will last forever. Hear this message. Remain focused on the real joy Christmas brings. With that joy burning in your heart, share this tremendous message. John Testifies about the Light for you to Hear it and for you to Share it.
responsible for the safety and security of the members of congress, any visiting dignitaries, and tourists. He’s in charge of ceremonial duties involving funeral processions and presidential inaugurations. He restores order if a congressmen gets disruptive. Perhaps he is best known for announcing the arrival of the President to give his State of the Union speech.
If you have ever watched a State of the Union speech, you understand how important of a job he has. All the members of congress and senators stand in their little cliques scattered around the chamber, chattering and laughing, (head-)nodding and waving. No one pays attention to the time on the clock or who is entering or who is leaving the chamber. Everyone is focused on their conversation. Then, suddenly, Paul D. Irving enters the chamber and shouts: “Mister Speaker, the President of the United States!” and everyone snaps to attention. That’s a pretty important job, isn’t it? Mr. Irving prepares people for this great speaker. He announces who is coming so that people are prepared to listen and take the President’s words to heart. During this Advent season, God prepares you to meet Jesus, your Savior. He wants you ready to listen and take Jesus’ words to heart. And so, God sends out messengers with his simple message: The Savior is Coming! Prepare your heart and Prepare to meet him. That is an important message— and a message meant for everyone’s attention. So, God promises: I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way… The “you” (in this prophecy) refers to Jesus; people will benefit from someone announcing his coming. Why? Well, remember, Jesus does not start his ministry immediately. He is born Christmas Day. Angels announce his birth. Shepherds rush to worship him. Wise men come a few months later with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Elderly-believer Simeon praises God for allowing him to meet Jesus. A prophetess named Anna thanks God for the gift of a Savior from sin— but that’s it. For 29 years Jesus remains in his hometown of Nazareth, being a respectful son and working as a carpenter. Twenty-nine long years pass between Christmas Day and the time Jesus starts preaching and teaching. So, can you imagine the reaction if Jesus suddenly appeared in the in the synagogue one day, stood up, and started preaching? People there would ask: “Who is this man?” “What gives this man the right to preach?” “Which priest gave him authority to teach?” Most of all, “Should I listen to him?” No one knows if this man Jesus is God’s long-promised Son. And if no one knows Jesus is God’s Son, then they have no pressing reason to listen and take his words to heart. So, God sends a messenger to prepare hearts for Jesus. He sends John the Baptist, the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ In ancient times, before a king traveled down a desert road and into a new region, he would send servants ahead to fix the road. Those servants would fill in potholes and places where the road washed out. They would remove boulders and level cliffs and steep hills. They made the road straight so that the king could arrive. Yet, John the Baptist is not sent to fix roads; God sends him to prepare hearts because the Savior is Coming. Have you ever received a gift for which you saw no need? (For example), when I was a kid, someone always gave me a keychain as a gift— which a kind thought, but I had no use for a keychain. Unless you have a house key or car key, it’s a pretty useless gift. If you consider a gift useless, eventually you toss it away and forget about it. If a heart sees no reason for a Savior, then the heart will have no reason to listen to the Savior. And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. That’s the message for all people of all time— you and me included— “Repent!” “Repent” means to turn around or change. It has this picture of making a U-Turn (a 180-degree change of direction). If you are heading north on US-127 and make a U-Turn, then you have completely changed direction; you are now heading south. If you behave one way in life and “repent,” you are behaving in an entirely different way. Repenting, that is, living a life shaped by God’s Word prepares hearts for the Coming Savior. Yet, how often our hearts fall into thinking that repentance is not necessary. Instead of comparing your heart to God’s Word, it feels so much easier to justify and defend the way you (and I) behave. God makes it clear: Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul (Matthew 22:37), but greed feels good. So, make excuses as to why you cannot give an honest offering to God. Defend and justify your expenses so that you can cover up your love for the things money can buy. Trust yourself when you are scared, worried, or anxious. Believe the reasons that you cannot pray to God: “I just don’t have time.” “I’ll try to fix it one last time, then I’ll pray.” Make excuses as to why you cannot trust God to keep his promises: “I’ve been waiting a while and haven’t seen my health change.” “I don’t think God is overly concerned about my feelings of depression.” How the heart defends and justifies its actions! Justify the reasons as to why your relationships do not need to match up to God’s directions for relationships. “I know God wants sex in marriage, but that just doesn’t work in this world anymore.” I know God wants me to forgive and let go of grudges, but that other person would just walk around all smug if I forgive him.” “My friends do not deserve my kindness; they hurt me too much.” God gives clear commands as to how you (and I) are to live. When we fail to measure up, it’s called “sin” or “transgression.” You (and I) have not done what God demands. The trouble is, so often our hearts want to make sin “small,” meaning, thinking our transgressions are no big deal, thinking our failure to be perfect holds no eternal consequence. Yet, if you make sin “small,” then you make Jesus “small.” If you (and I) think sin is not serious, then you have just said, “Jesus’ death on the cross was unnecessary. He did not need to suffer and die for you because you did nothing wrong. If you consider a gift useless, eventually you toss it away and forget about it. If a heart sees no reason for a Savior, then the heart will have no reason to listen to the Savior. And that heart will be completely unprepared to meet the Savior when he comes. That is why God sends out messengers with his message: to prepare hearts to (1) listen to Jesus’ teachings and (2) take them to heart. And so John comes—not with words that he thinks you need to hear, not with a message he wrote down, but with a message God himself put into John’s mouth: “The Savior is Coming!” John points you to the Savior who has come once already for your benefit! Jesus lives prepared to stand before his God and Father. His life always matches what God expects. So, he loves his God with all heart, mind, and soul. Never once does he try to hold a grudge. Never once does he try to excuse himself out of worship. Never does his heart need to repent and change its behavior. Instead, his heart is perfect! Jesus marches on ahead of you—to prepare you to stand before his God and Father. His innocent blood fills in our spiritual potholes. His perfect life levels our self-trust and arrogance. His perfect heart makes our hearts perfect. Jesus prepares your heart for his second coming. Yes, the Savior is Coming again. This time not as a little baby born on Christmas Day, but rather to come and bring every believer home to heaven. The Savior is Coming! and your heart is prepared for that great day! Live now prepared to meet him! Prepare to meet your Savior by taking the words of God’s messengers to heart. Yes, those Pastors God has given you. These messengers do not create message of their own. Rather, they bring the life-saving Word to you. Listen to the Word of God read Sunday mornings. Listen to the Word of God applied to your life. Take those Words to heart, letting it expose error and redirecting you on a God-pleasing path. As you make it your habit to connect yourself to God’s Word in worship and personal reading, you increase your knowledge of what God calls “right” and “wrong.” When you recognize when you have done wrong, like those of years past, confess your sins. Recognize the loveless words, the careless actions, the self-centered thoughts. Do not defend them. Rather, acknowledge them as the wrong they truly are. Hear God’s gracious forgiveness—that he does not rush against you in anger. Rather, he declares you “Forgiven” because Jesus has lifted off those wrongs. Now forgiven, live a life which continually turns from evil and delights in God’s commands. You can— and you already do that— because God has filled you with the Holy Spirit. At your baptism, plain water ran down your head. Yet, God attached a promise with that water-- You are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That “in” means God has put his name on you. And if God has put his name on you, then it means your identity is: “Child of God.” And if you are a child of God, then it means you are different from a “child of the world.” You will stand out in this world. How can you not? Your heart delights in living in a way pleasing to God! So, you set aside an honest offering for your God—not because you must, but because God set aside the life of Jesus for you. You seek to forgive others—not because you fear being punished, but because God, in Christ, forgives you! Your friends, neighbors, and family may think marriage is not necessary or feel it is acceptable to abuse their bodies. Yet, you shape your relationships around the Word— because God has made your body his temple. You live a life of repentance— that is, acknowledging the wrong and delighting in God’s good. Through God’s Word and God’s sacraments, the way into your heart has been prepared. The King of the universe sits in your heart reigning and ruling. You are prepared to meet the Savior. What an important message that is! During this Advent season, God prepares you to meet Jesus, your Savior. He wants you ready to listen and take Jesus’ words to heart. And so, God sends out messengers with his simple message: The Savior is Coming! Prepare your heart and Prepare to meet him.
according to those percentages, it would mean three out of every four you feel Jesus is not returning anytime soon, which sounds odd as you listen our reading from Mark 13:32-37:
[Jesus says:] “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, and yet, seventy-three percent of Christians apparently have pinpointed when Jesus will return. They have done what Jesus says no one can do. I know, that 73% of Christians did not determine the precise day and hour of his arrival. Yet, by feeling Jesus will not return until after [the year] 2050, three out of every four Christians have just claimed: “Jesus is not coming soon. There is still time.” Feeling there is still time between your life “now” and Jesus’ return may sound like you still have an opportunity to deal with spiritual matters at a more convenient time. Yet, feeling there still time between your life “now” and Jesus’ return can actually leave you unprepared to meet him. That’s why Jesus sounds the warning: Keep Watch for the Savior’s Coming! Remain alert and Remain active. You have every reason to remain alert. Before Jesus enters heaven, he tells you what to expect before he returns to earth. He gives signs that point to the end of this world (Matthew 24:3). “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars… Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places… [Y]ou will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold…” (24:6-12). You see those signs happening, don’t you? The media reports wars erupting in the Middle East. Civil wars break out in Libya, Syria, and Zimbabwe. You constantly hear rumors of war with North Korea. Famines rip through Africa. Earthquakes level cities in Mexico, Haiti, Indonesia, India— all over the world. Cold-hearted murderers show no love for life; they barge into churches, gun down concert-goers, and transform schools from a place of safety to a place of concern. False prophets still exist; pastors (that is, people who look and appear honest) stand up in church buildings (places that look like your church— with Bibles and songs and seats) and [they] openly announce that the Bible is full of errors. They share teachings on forgiveness, sexuality, or money that openly contradict what God so clearly says. Wickedness is increasing. What was once considered “wrong” is now praised as “right,” and what was once considered “right” is now condemned as “wrong.” Children disrespect parents, teachers, and authority-figures. Parents neglect children, argue with police officers and teachers, and refuse to care for those in need. Masses are not just leaving worship, but are leaving their faith in Jesus as Savior behind. Are you paying attention to these signs? These “signs of the end” are not just entertaining fun-facts meant to settle your curiosity; each individual sign powerfully preaches: Jesus is coming soon! (Luke 21:28) These signs are the reason why you Keep Watch for Your Savior’s Coming. You have the ability to remain alert because as you watch the signs unfold, you know Jesus will follow them! Or, does this all sound like something you have heard before? After all, these signs are nothing new, right? Wars and earthquakes and famines and persecution and hate and violence and unbelief have been going on ever since Jesus walked on the earth. (Maybe you can remember connecting these signs with other wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes, acts of lovelessness, and people staying away from worship.) When you hear the same warning repeated so often, you begin doubting the seriousness of the warning. At first, you expect something significant to happen soon, but if nothing happens, then you start believing that the warning is not really all that serious. That’s why 73% of Christians do not feel Jesus will return anytime soon. Many watch these signs of the end, but do not see Jesus coming down from heaven. And if Jesus is not coming down from heaven, then his arrival must not be too serious. And if he is all too serious about returning, then you do not need to seriously consider how you stand before God. “There’s still time,” is the thought. And if there is still time between your life “now” and Jesus’ arrival, then it feels that you still have an opportunity to deal with spiritual matters at a more convenient time. The Master leaves and stays away for a while; the servants realize he’s not returning soon and so they ignore the command to work. (1) You feel there will always be a later time to turn from sin and so (2) the sins God hates no longer bother you. You fall into spiritual slumber. You start drifting from what you were taught: you cannot remember the Bible stories of creation, the Flood, or Jesus’ Passion; you have forgotten those accounts and are content to have a gap in knowledge. Yet, that gap does not stop there. Soon, you stop listening to the other parts of Scripture. You disrespect your God-appointed authorities; you argue with your parents (because you don’t get your way). You challenge your God-given Pastor/Shepherd because you do not want to hear God’s instructions expose your wrong behavior. The more you stay out of the Word, the more you focus on yourself; you live in ways that serve you, that make you feel happy, that will benefit you most. And so, your love grows cold. You gossip and cut down. You no longer offer to help others; instead you make excuses as to how other are taking advantage of you. You accuse and criticize. No longer do you check what your heart believes. Rather, you grow content behaving in whatever way makes you feel happy at the moment. You become perfectly content to let your heart fall into a deep spiritual sleep. My friends, If [Jesus] comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping-- because when Jesus arrives, it will be too late to wake up. That’s why Jesus sounds the warning. He wants you to prepare for his coming. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. Who does not know when that time will come? You. You do not have the privilege to put off spiritual matters for another day because you do not know if you will have another day to deal with them. So, Keep Watching for the Savior’s Coming! Remain alert because Jesus has given you the ability to remain alert. When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, born for you (Galatians 4:4-5). For you— that is, Jesus lives constantly aware and alert that earth is not your forever-home. He lives constantly aware and alert of making heaven your eternal home. His alertness means that he keeps God’s Word central in his life. He worships. His words and actions fall in line with what God calls “right.” When the time had come, he allows himself to be betrayed, arrested, sentenced, and crucified. And on the cross, he makes heaven a reality. His life is used to open heaven. He leaves the tomb to show you that there is life after death. He enters heaven to prepare a place for you. Then he makes a final promise: I will come back for you (John 14:3). Keep Watch for Your Coming Savior! Remain alert because Jesus has done everything necessary to set up eternal life for you. Through his Word, he focuses your heart to see him reign as your forgiving King. Since you know what is coming, you can Remain active. If you live in Florida and hear reports of a hurricane barreling towards your house within the next three days, what would you do? Sleep?... Sit around?... Wait until day three to finally prepare your house for the hurricane? No! You breathe a sigh of relief that you still have three days to get everything done that you needs to get done. In the same way, God tells you want is coming so that you may remain active now and prepare for his arrival now! In verse 35 Jesus says: Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. You do not know when Jesus will return, but there is something you do know: Jesus will come back. Instead of using that knowledge as an excuse to grow spiritually lazy, use that knowledge to remain active. Put another way, instead of saying: “Great! Another day to not care about how I live my life!” Let your thinking be: “Great! Another day for me to let the love of God dwell in me and through me!” Remain active in your watching by making God’s Word a priority in your life. It will always feel like you do not have enough time to worship Sunday mornings or read your devotions at home or even pray. During the Christmas season, there’s parties, activities, friends, family, Christmas lights and presents—all good things that you get to enjoy during the season. Yet, remember that on Christmas Day, you get to say “Thank you” to God for giving the gift of eternal life through Jesus. What a reason to make God a priority during a busy season. When you set aside time and make sure nothing steals that time away, you will find that you do have opportunities to worship, have devotions, and pray. When you set aside ten minutes in the morning or before bed, you will discover that you suddenly have time to read a chapter of the Bible or a devotion from the Meditations booklet. When you keep Sunday worship times open in your schedule, you will discover that you have time to worship (and still have time for other family activities). Remain active in Watching for Your Coming Savior! Do not merely make hearing the Word a priority, but keep its teachings a priority in your life. As you hear the Word, consider what areas of your life to which it applies. Let the Word set your heart at rest as you trust God. Let the Word shape the words that come out of your mouth. Let the selfless love of Jesus transform your thoughts into selfless giving. Remain active in Watching for Your Coming Savior as you let the Word sink into your head and heart Because No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son. Since you do not know when Jesus will return, it means that today is the day to get your heart ready to meet him. Today is the day to remain spiritually alert and active! Today is the day to Keep Watch for the Savior’s Coming! Remain alert and Remain active.
This kind of art is called a “holusion.” To see the garden, you have to look behind the chaos, behind the swirling mess, behind all the confusion. Stop concentrating on each individual blob and color and pattern. Let your eyes un-focus. Concentrate (or stare) off into the distance (http://www.vision3d.com/sgphoto.html) and then you can see the real picture. Can you see the garden now?
It’s not easy, is it? It takes concentration. It takes patience. It takes discipline to focus on the “big-picture” instead of fixating on all these individual images. Maybe you find it just as difficult to always remain focused on the “big-picture” of your Christian life. It’s as though this holusion constantly hangs in front of your eyes. You watch a society sinking into a swirling mess of rejecting what is right and embracing what is wrong. You’re left without answers when streaks of tragedy rip into your life. Role models disappoint you; your best-laid plans fail, and you’re left frustrated to see God still remaining in control. That’s why God gives you these words from Ezekiel. He gives you a long-term focus on life by looking at life through his eyes. See The Lord Is Your Shepherd, who rescued you from gloom, who leads you to good pastures, and who will tend you forever. It can be difficult to see at first. Just consider Ezekiel’s audience: the nation of Judah. The Lord does not look much like a shepherd. There is no protection, no safety, no life filled with good-feeling blessings. Look around Judah and watch nothing but utter chaos unfold. Massive siege towers lean against city walls, their bridges unrolled and soldiers streaming out. Babylonian soldiers march through their beloved city streets, sword in hand, seizing Jewish politicians, shoving them into wagons and carts, and whisking them away and out of sight. Over there, troops unwrap the gold from inside God’s church; some pick away at the fine cedar paneling and others pull down the glistening white-stone walls with ropes. Dust blows down the empty streets in the once-bustling marketplace. Jerusalem has fallen— and there is nothing anyone can do to change it (Ezekiel 33:21). Life suddenly feels so dark; the future feels so uncertain, as if a thick cloud drops down and crushes out any remaining light of hope that God is still with believers. This is not the way life is meant to be; this is not the kind of life anyone wants. God creates a perfect Eden (Genesis 1:1-2:4). No tears, no sadness, not even a reason to be sad. No death, no mourning, no heart-wrenching sorrow that comes from losing loved ones. No pain, no hurt, no single ache from getting older. Life is filled with non-stop, constant happiness! Most of all, God himself is their God (Revelation 21:3-4). This is the “big-picture” behind the swirling mess of Babylonian captivity; God desires life lived with him and his commands! Yet, that “big-picture” shatters into pieces the minute God’s creation finds no happiness with him. Yes, God did not remove himself from the nation; it is the nation which chose to scatter from him! It is those in Jerusalem who ran to foreign kings for help instead of God their King! It is those in Jerusalem who favored prostitutes instead of God’s gift of marriage. It is those in Jerusalem who turned worship into nothing more than a empty-minded habit (Ezekiel 22). God is not the problem; the fault lies with the nation. They are the ones who made the “big-picture” into a blurry mess. They are the ones who scattered into the darkness. Darkness is not God’s intentions for his creation—and not just for those of long ago, but also you who live today.Even though about 2,500 years separate you from Ezekiel’s audience, God still created the Garden of Eden for you. God still desires that you find perfect joy in obeying his Word, praising him, and trusting him. Yet, relationships crumble when you find little contentment in God’s instructions for you as a wife … as a husband (Ephesians 5:21-27). Fear over health, worry about money, apprehension over the future flares up when you begin questioning God’s control over his world. That feeling of abandonment swells up when you run away from the Bible for comfort and instead search for answers in godless friends, family, and leaders. The reason the “big-picture” becomes blurry, unfocused, confusing, and frustrating comes, not because of God, but because we scatter from him—and we have scattered from him the very moment we are conceived. By nature, I am sinful (Psalm 51:5). By nature, I do not choose to do what is good. By nature, God would have every right to leave me in eternal darkness. Yet, God himself steps into this confusing picture, rolls up his sleeves, and makes something clear: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. Those lost in the uncertain darkness of sin, God finds. Yes, God himself. He does not demand that you find him (John 15:16). He does not hand you a new set of Ten Commandments to follow (John 14:6). God himself makes a promise to you: I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. The Lord, your Shepherd, kept his promise. Under Good Friday’s clouds and thick darkness, the Lord rescues you from gloom. On the cross, Jesus pries open the jaws of death to free you and he lets those jaws close around his own life. Thick darkness blacks out his life as he dies for your willful wandering. He dies to remove eternal darkness from you forever. On Easter Sunday, he rises from the dead. In fact, he is the first to rise and remain alive! He intends to lead you out of your grave as well (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). He enters heaven, sitting on his throne, getting ready to gather you around him forever! The Lord Is Your Shepherd and he rescued you from gloom. Now, you get to live in the light of the knowing peace with God! That means, the best is still yet to come because The Lord Is Your Shepherd who leads you to good pastures. Yes, right now, in this life, as you live; the Lord presently, currently remains active! Six times he stresses what he will do. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. And God did! After seventy years of living in the nation of Babylon, God led the nation of Judah back to their old homeland. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. And they did! They farmed the land and led their cattle to rivers. Kings ruled the nation again. Homes dotted the countryside; businesses opened shop; an economy and government started again. Yet, this promise does not stop with Judah’s return from exile. God points ahead to the day when Jesus would be the Shepherd among many people. Jesus is born in that nation of Judah. He ministers to those living in the land of Judah. He enters heaven after his earthly ministry is over. And he still tends to you, his sheep. How? With the Word of God [the Bible]. Look to the Bible; see what he promises to do: I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. When you are crushed by guilt, when you feel that God cannot possibly love you, listen to Jesus say: “I have found you, healed you from sin, and brought you into my believing flock.” When life appears to be this blurry picture, listen to Jesus say: “I strengthen you with my promises.” When violence rips through society, trust that I send my angels to protect you (Psalm 91:10-11). When friends take advantage of you, do not take revenge because I will take revenge (Romans 12:19). When you feel sad or depressed, see that I am with you always as I bless you with friends and family, and I provide for you, as I lift you spirits by remaining in your life (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). The Lord Is Your Shepherd who leads you to good pastures of his Word, so that you may be fed, strengthened, and nourished. Not just that, The Lord Is Your Shepherd who leads you to good pastures as he defends you from your spiritual enemies. [B]ut the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice... God has not lost control of his world. With that same powerful Word he strikes down the devil. The devil has lost; you will not go to hell. With that same powerful Word God strikes down a godless society. No one can change the fact that you are heading towards the eternal pastures of heaven. No one can fluster the spread of God’s Word. In fact, the Word of God is spreading like wildfire in countries that still stand so opposed to its teachings. With that same powerful Word God will forever damn the devil, the evil angels, and those who rejected him. This is the “big-picture.” It may appear blurry at times, but soon it will become perfectly clear. The Lord Is Your Shepherd, who leads you to good pastures of his Word and who will tend you forever. Perhaps a better way of saying that is: The Lord Is Your Shepherd, who tends you forever, That means right now and he continue to do so. Through Ezekiel God promised: I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. When Ezekiel first says these words, King David has been dead for over 400 years. God is not promising to raise David from the dead. Rather, he draws your attention to that great descendant of David’s line: Jesus Christ. Ezekiel points ahead to what will happen (Jesus will come); you (and I) get to look back and see what has happened. God has already raised up his servant David. He has already sent his Son to the cross. He has already raised his Son from the grave. He has already taken his Son into heaven. He has already placed a crown on his Son’s head. He has already entrusted all authority to Jesus. What’s left? I the Lord will be their God…He is now, but soon you will see him face-to-face. [A]nd my servant David will be prince among them. He is now, but soon you will stand around the golden throne of the triumphant Lamb. Where God gets to be with his people and live among them. Just as the way God has made it to be. No one will get in his way. I the Lord have spoken. Can you see the “big-picture” now? Look behind the chaos, behind the mess, behind the confusion— and see what God is doing now. Look into the Bible and see what God has done behind the scenes of this life. The One born Christmas day has lived for you, died for you, rose again for you, and entered heaven to prepare your eternal home. God still rules all things so that you may lift your eyes up to him and trust his ever-present, guiding care. With his Word he makes one final guarantee: “Yes, I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20). Gain a long-term focus on life by looking at life through God’s eyes. See The Lord Is Your Shepherd, who rescued you from gloom, who leads you to good pastures, and who will tend you forever.
So, she hopped out of the lifeboat. She dashed across the deck which was already slanting at a dangerous angle. She scurried through the gambling rooms— where all the money had spilled out and rolled alongside the wall in an ankle-deep pile. She rushed into her room, swatted away her pearl necklaces, brushed aside her diamond rings, and tossed her golden bracelets to the floor. Her eyes found what she was looking for: a little wooden crate resting on a little wooden shelf over her dresser. Her fingers reached up and grabbed three small oranges from that crate. She shoved them into her coat pocket, stepped over her fine jewels, dashed through the piles of casino-cash, and hopped back into the lifeboat.
Three small oranges. That’s all she wanted; that’s what she risked her life for. As the Titanic was sinking into icy waters, three small oranges became far more valuable than any amount of money, gold, or jewel. I am sure if you would have asked her the night before what she considered most valuable in life, she would have pointed at her fine wealth. Now faced with life-threatening disaster, her perspective on wealth had changed. What her eyes once considered priceless was now discovered not to be as valuable as first thought. What her eyes once considered worthless had now become a real treasure. Can your eyes distinguish between what is worthless and what is truly valuable? Jesus says in our gospel reading: The eye is the lamp of the body. Your eyes take in light; they process what is happening all around you. Depending on what your eye perceives as valuable, You will find your treasure and You will serve it whole-heartedly. What your eyes consider priceless may not be as valuable as first thought. What your eyes consider worthless may carry more treasure than ever imagined. So, How Good are Your Eyes? If your eyes are good, [then] your whole body will be full of light-- and Jesus is asking something more than just: “Do your eyes work?” “If your eyes are good,” he says, that is, if your eyes recognize what holds real value in this earthly life, then your whole body will be full of light. If you identify the one Treasure that will never wear out, then you will unlock real contentment. Most of all, you will have a clear vision on what you really need and what you aim/live for in life. Yet, [i]f your eyes are bad, [then] your whole body will be full of darkness. Again, Jesus is not asking if your eyes are faulty or diseased or if you are blind. He literally says: “If your eye is evil,” that is, if your eye does not understand what is truly necessary in life, then your whole body will be full of darkness. If your eye considers storing up earthly treasures as life’s ultimate goal, then your life can become aimless; you will have never discover lasting satisfaction. Eyes become bad when they see earthly treasures as life’s truest riches. It happens when you search for a secure future in your bank accounts. It happens when you buy big Black Friday gifts all to reap praise from your [grand]children. It happens when you look to your new car or big house to determine your status among friends. Storing up earthly treasures never fills the heart with lasting contentment because earthly treasures change. Rust destroys the once-new car— and the car you once prided in, does not really seem all that important now. Your [grand]child’s changing age changes how they praise your gifts; you can never hold their affection with the same present for all their life. Bank accounts are emptied by hackers and scammers, by unexpected bills and poor choices. Placing your heart, your joy, on the things you own can toss you into spiritual darkness because they always change, because they go away, because they cannot bring the real security your heart craves. Jesus makes that point clear: No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Money wants your entire heart. God wants your entire heart. So, if your eyes love Money, then you will not want to give any money in worship. If your eyes love the boats and the cars your money can buy, then you will make sure nothing interrupts your time with those things—be it your kids, your friends, or your God. Your priorities will shift; you will devote more time to getting more money—whether that means you work more hours or you stop paying for the needs of your household. In fact, anything that gets in the way of accomplishing this goal, you will hate— and that means despise. You will want nothing to do with God because he demands too much from you. Yes, you may still worship him, but your heart will not delight in him. You will no longer see him as a loving Provider, but rather as another Person with hand out, asking for what you own. That is why it is important to ask yourself: How Good are Your Eyes? Because with your eyes, you will find your treasure. You will discover what your heart loves. The thing your heart loves most, there your treasure will be. What you consider a treasure, that will be the object you worship. The object you worship can toss you into eternal emptiness. What your eyes consider priceless may not be as valuable as first thought. What your eyes consider worthless may carry more treasure than ever imagined. So, How Good are Your Eyes? It’s difficult, is it not? It’s difficult to love God with a single-minded heart. It gets frustrating when you want to love God, but instead find more coziness in your wealth. It gets irritating when you desire to serve God whole-heartedly, but again find yourself proud over your purchases. You may despair when once again, you realize your eyes still are not the “good” eyes God desires. Yet, having “good” eyes does not start with you; it’s Jesus who gives you good eyes. During his 33 years on this earth, he [S]tored up […] treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal, that is, Jesus’ eyes never consider earth to be life’s truest treasure, rather he sets his sights on opening heaven for you. The Jews offer him a crown and throne, but Jesus willingly wears a crown of thorns and sits on a cross. People shout: “Rule us! Be our earthly King! Drive away our Roman overlords!” Yet, Jesus chooses instead to hear the people later shout: Crucify him! The poor, the sick, the helpless hold out their hands for money and for healing—and he not only gives these things, but strives to fill those hearts and bodies with his saving love. Your Jesus comes not to make earth into heaven, but rather to make heaven your new home. His heart is completely devoted to serving his God and Father—and he has placed that heart into your life. Do your eyes see this? Look to the cross and see what money cannot buy: your freedom from hell. Set your sights on things above— literally looking up at the sky, if you must. Look up to the heavens and see the eternal inheritance that Jesus has won for you. Setting your eyes on Jesus means that your eyes will find your treasure. With your “good” eyes locked on Jesus, your treasure, you will serve your treasure whole-heartedly. No longer will you feel this pull to find self-worth in what you own. No longer will you try to muster up ways to be grateful for what you have. With “good” eyes, your body will be full of light; you will delight every day not in what you have, but rather in the One who gave it to you. Look at the many, many blessings you have in your life, but do not just stop and stare at what you have; consider how you got it. You have money because you have a job. You have a job because you have a talent. You have a talent because God blessed you with that talent. Remember, I cannot do everything you can; you cannot do everything I can. God has given us each special gifts and skills. With those talents, you are able to help others, serve others, and earn a living for yourself. Your earthly treasures come because of a God-given talent which lands you a job which gives you a paycheck. And please remember, that you receive a paycheck because God blesses you with a government that manages the economy. The United States of America works to ensure you have a job. If the economy does well, you will have a job in (or near) your hometown. Having a job nearby gives you an opportunity to work. Having an opportunity to work means you get to earn money which means you can buy clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, land, cattle, and all you own, and all that you need to keep you body and life (Luther’s Explanation to the First Article). Tracing the path of your earthly blessings will lead you to the One who gave them to you in the first place. More than that, tracing your earthly blessings back to God will fill you with joy every single day because you will delight in a loving God who never changes. The more your eyes focus on God the Giver, the more you live content knowing that God will always fill your life with everything you need— just has he has done and just as he still promises to do. No longer will you needlessly fret, asking: “Will I have enough?” Rather, you will bow your head in prayer and say, “Lord, give me my daily bread.” Like that young lady scrambling through the sinking Titanic, your perspective on wealth will change. The earthly wealth the world considers valuable pales in comparison to the immense wealth of calling God “your God.” Good eyes means You will serve your treasure whole-heartedly. So, How Good are Your Eyes? Your eyes are good because Jesus has made them good. This Thanksgiving, focus your attention on Jesus, your Savior. See the priceless gift of forgiveness he freely hands to you. Look up at the heaven stored up for you— a heaven that never fades or perishes. God for you is the real reason you can give thanks. Setting your sights on Jesus fills you with lasting contentment. Why? Because your eyes have found your treasure! Your eyes lead you to serve it whole-heartedly!
liftetime. So, you can live however you want and prepare for eternity later. You could fight with your kids and complain about your grandkids. You could stop helping others and blow your money on the lavish gifts you always wanted. You could live so self-centered because Jesus will not surprise you with a sudden return. Since you know the exact date, you could make things right with God on your deathbed. Or, if you determine that you do have enough years to reach 2042, then you can live any way you want now: stay out of worship, stop reading the Bible, do not help others out of love, stop being polite and kind, stop lending a hand to your parents or the elderly. Live in whatever way makes you feel good. Then, when [the year] 2041 comes around, well, then return to God. Say you’re sorry for your arrogance; worship, read your Bible, be kind and loving; straighten things out with God right before the end. Wouldn’t it just be great if Jesus told you when this world would end? You wouldn’t have to guess anymore; you may better prepared for Jesus’ arrival.
For reasons known only to God and for the reason to continue working all things for your eternal good, God the Father does not reveal the final date of this world’s existence. Even if you knew the exact day and precise hour of Jesus’ return, you are still not guaranteed to reach it. Old and young alike get sick and die. Old and young perish in accidents. Old and young both fall asleep in death. Knowing when this world will end does not prepare you to meet your God. And believing that your life will continue in the same way as it always has can leave you foolishly unprepared to for that Last Day. Gain real wisdom for your life by taking Jesus’ warning to heart. Be Ready with a Heart Full of Faith to meet the Bridegroom and to enter the wedding feast. Jesus makes the future abundantly clear: the Son of Man will come on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30). All the nations will be gathered before him. He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (25:32). I’m not sure how much clearer Jesus needs to make it: He will return and bring this earthly life to an end. He provides crucial information so that you may know what to expect. He says in our parable: At that time… that is, on the final day of this world’s existence. If you want to know what will happen, then continue listening. The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. The Jewish wedding tradition was for the groom to run off to his in-law’s house and get his bride. Then he would lead his wife back to their new house, and the feast would begin. These virgins? Well, their responsibility is to wait outside the groom’s house, with lamps burning bright, so that when the new couple arrives, they could light the way into the house. So, they wait, and they wait, and they wait. Hours tick by. Light becomes dark. Eyelids get heavy; they fall asleep. Suddenly, right at midnight, someone shouts: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ [A]ll the virgins woke up, grabbed their lamps, and hopped to their feet. After hours of waiting, those lamps are now running on empty. The bright flames had licked up much of the oil. They’re now nothing but faint little flickers of light. This is it! The groom is arriving! The feast is about to begin! And five of those young ladies whisk out extra oil and strengthen the flame. Yet, the other five had no choice but to race out to the markets, hoping to buy more oil. [W]hile they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they pleaded, ‘Open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ Jesus makes a pretty clear point: Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. The kingdom of heaven… that is, the day when you find yourself standing before God Almighty, the events of that majestic day will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five are prepared for that feast because they have the one thing necessary: the oil. Five are forever locked outside. What makes five virgins foolish is their actions. They had information that the groom was coming, but they chose not to react to it. They chose to disregard its significance. And it was not until the door was shut that they realized time had run out. It’s a very stern warning—that this kind of foolishness still exists in this world today. It happens when you think Jesus cannot possibly show up in your life. When you think there’s still more time to straighten yourself out with God later. That you have time to skip worship. That you can stop reading and better knowing your Bible. That you can embrace the God-less desires and pleasures of this life and give it all up when you’re old and near death. It’s foolish to think that you can run off to buy more oil later, that there will always be more time to prepare for eternity later. It’s foolish to point at some human achievement and to rely that for entering the feast. To point at your church membership and say, “Well, my name’s in the book. That’s good enough, right?” It’s foolish to point out at your baptism, marriage, and [intentions to] burial— and consider them as some sort of trophy of what you have done for God. It’s foolish to think that the “oil” God is looking for is not faith in him, but rather believing all God wants you to do is fulfill some sort of “religious-action-checklist.” It’s foolish to change Jesus’ warning into something less than a warning (as though Jesus is not really serious about locking the five virgins out of the feast). It’s foolish to say: “I already believe in God. I don’t need to be in church.” It’s foolish to be a Christian who declares an undying love for Jesus, but does not feel a compulsion to pour out that love in word and song. Jesus makes it so clear: he will return. If you feel there is more time to change your heart, to worship more frequently, to start reading devotions later, to chase out all selfish love, then be ready to hear the most awful sentence ever spoken: I do not know you. My friends, Jesus gives this warning, not to scare you, not to leave you terrified about standing before him; he gives this warning so that you may Be Ready with Hearts Full of Faith to meet the Bridegroom. Your Jesus, your Bridegroom, has already prepared this wedding feast. He has already marched off to the cross because he knows this world has an end. In fact, for that reason he marches to the cross for you. His heart remains perfectly wise each day for your Last Day. Never once does Jesus shrug off the command to worship God. Never does Jesus rest on his knowledge, claiming he knows the Bible “good enough.” Never once does he take his eyes off of his heavenly home. Instead, each step taken is another step taken to make you his bride. By his death on the cross he opens heaven’s doors. He leaves the grave and into heaven in order to prepare heaven’s great feast. I’m not sure how much clearer Jesus needs to make it: He will come again. He makes this abundantly clears so that you may Be Ready with a Heart Full of Faith to meet the Bridegroom. Be Ready with a Heart Full of Faith you will enter the wedding feast. With a heart trusting in the saving work of Jesus, this is what you get to live for: you get to live expecting to enter that heavenly feast. Through baptism he wrote your name on the party-list. Every single time you sin, he points you back to your baptism: “Remember how I washed away your sins? It means you’re forgiven.” In Holy Communion, Jesus lays a hand on your shoulder, saying: “My body and blood was shed for your eternal benefit. I have removed and lifted off what you have done. Do not worry that you will be locked out. You will enter through heaven’s door.” Remember God’s forgiveness attached to your baptism. Remember Jesus’ assurance of forgiveness in the Lord’s Supper. He sets your sights on entering the feast. Continue growing in the Word of God. Those wise virgins were not content to have enough oil; they brought more than enough so that no shortage would rip away their faith. Never be content to know “just enough” of the Bible; strengthen your understanding of the Bible’s teachings so that doubts, worries, fears, and unanswered questions do not rip away your faith. Learn God’s answers to challenges, to sickness, to modern-day lifestyles, to marriage. Make worship a priority and share what you hear in this place among your family and friends throughout the week. Be Ready with a Heart Full of Faith to enter the wedding feast. Be Ready with a Heart Full of Faith to enter the wedding feast as believers who lived before you have done. Your spouse. Your child. Your dear friend. Your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles— those who believed that Jesus came for them—are gathered in that wedding feast. Their faith continued burning bright as they heard again and again: Jesus removes guilt and has removed it all! They nestled in the arms of God, who through baptismal waters said, “I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). Their faith continued burning bright as they looked forward to entering that great wedding feast. Finally, when their life drew to a close, they saw the door opened and followed their Bridegroom in. Be Ready with a Heart Full of Faith to meet the Bridegroom. For reasons known only to God and for reasons to continue working all things for your eternal good, God the Father does not reveal the final date of this world’s existence. Even if you knew the exact day and precise hour of Jesus’ return, you are still not guaranteed to reach it. You do not know how many years are given to you. You do not know how many more days this world has. What you do know is: (1) Jesus will come again. (2) All people will stand before him. (3) He will judge the living and the dead. Clinging to the saving work of Jesus makes you ready to enter the wedding feast. Gain real wisdom for your life by taking Jesus’ warning to heart. Be Ready with a Heart Full of Faith to meet the Bridegroom and to enter the wedding feast.
trail in two, making them wade through churning currents. Trees had fallen on the path, leaving them no choice but to step up and over the slimy, mossy bark. Finally, after hours of climbing, shuffling, reaching, grabbing, and leaping, they saw the end of the trail. It meant no more obstacles, no more exhausting effort, no more struggles. All that separated them from reaching the goal was a deep chasm.
Both father and son scoured the area for a bridge, but found nothing. They searched for the start of this chasm with the hope of walking around it, but the chasm stretched on both ways for miles. The only way over this challenge was over an oak tree that had fallen across this great divide. Father went first. He stared at the end of the trail, never once taking his eyes off of his goal. He carefully placed one foot on the log, and then heaved his entire weight onto the tree. One foot crept slowly ahead of the other foot. Little by little he toed forward, safely reaching the other side. Turning around, he called out for his son to cross. The boy was nervous. As he put one foot on the log, his eyes glanced at the river raging some 100 feet below him. His eyes darted from side to side in the hopes of discovering another way across, but there was nothing. The only way to reach his goal was to cross this fallen tree. How do you do it? It’s frightening to stand with so much danger surrounding you: sudden drop-offs, raging rivers, the fear of heights. Paralyzed by fear, how can he march on? How can you march on? You may not be facing sudden drop-offs, but you live in a world filled with sudden events of violence. You may not confront a raging river, but you experience those who rage against your God and everything he teaches. Thinking about the future can leave you paralyzed in fear. So many dangers surround you— dangers found in society, health, life. How do you march on? Losing focus in the face of trouble can lead to devastating results. Knowing where to look means that you get to March On, Super-Conqueror! God is for you. No one can stand against you. [W]e know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). God works for your good because he has called you to faith. The Word of God has hit your ears. God, with his words, reveals that little Bethlehem baby as your Savior. He lifts your eyes to the cross where you see his Son pay to save your life. Then he speaks a promise: whoever believes that only Jesus makes you right in the sight of God will enter eternal life (John 3:16). You have heard those words. You have heard them in your home devotions; you have heard them in Sunday worship. You heard them spoken as water was poured over your head and God made you his disciple (Matthew 28:19). God has called you to faith. He has called you to be his child. God is pleased to be your God who works all things with you and your eternal wellbeing in mind. So, then What shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? What’s the answer? Who can be against you if God is for you? And do remember who this God is. This is the God who brought the universe into existence by the powerful word of his mouth (Genesis 1:1-2:4). When this God speaks, the earth has no choice but to listen to what God will do (Psalm 46:6). This is the One enthroned in heaven who scoffs at those who shake their tiny fists in defiance against his eternal teachings (Psalm 2:4-6). This is the God who threw Satan out of heaven and locked him in the prison of hell (2 Peter 2:4). This is the God who is for you. If all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to God Almighty, if every nation, every government, every king cannot possibly overrule his actions, if Satan is forever damned, then who can be against you? Who can rip you away from God’s loving embrace? Who can strip away the fact that God still hears your prayers, still blesses you, and that he will bring you safely to your heavenly home? Who can interfere and stop God from keeping his promises to you? Who can change the reality that God is for you? No one. You know that. That’s why those verses are cherished by so many. And yet, those verses can be so easily forgotten when hardships circle you. Senseless violence forever changes lives. Walking into a church or to grocery or a school can feel like God no longer sends his protecting angels, that God suddenly forgets where you are. Division seems to describe politics anymore. The hurt and the anger can leave you forgetting to pray and ask God to bless those leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2). An increasing number of people are staying out of worship; masses are turning their backs on God. You worry how much longer your congregation will exist in this location to share God’s saving Word. You wonder how many believers will be left while you’re still alive. These complex, massive problems circle you, leaving you feeling abandoned, cut off, and hopeless. And if you feel that God has left you, then you begin distancing your heart from God. If you stop trusting God, you will start trusting your own guidance and decisions—decisions that will only lead you into the pits of eternal despair. My friends, your God has and will never leave you. That’s a promise. That’s a promise you see kept by focusing on the cross. Yes, whenever you feel crushed, overwhelmed, abandoned, look at the cross. He[…] did not spare his own Son… God did not keep Jesus locked up in heaven and away from the world’s troubles. Instead, your Jesus entered a world filled with Roman violence and divisive religious leaders. He calls twelve fishermen to be his disciples— fishermen who are scared that they could die for following him. Yet, your Jesus trusted his Father’s authority over all things— even when Roman soldiers arrest him. He never worries— even when those religious leaders spew out lies in the hopes of harming his future. Look at the cross, and see God give up his beloved Son for those scared fishermen. Look at the cross, and see God give him up for us all. Jesus dies your (and my) death—the death you (and I) deserve for all the needless fear and despair. For all those times you (and I) used our words and actions to bark out: “God, where are you?” Jesus is abandoned, cut off, left dead. All for you—to pay the price demanded for our sin so that eternal death in hell will never separate you from God. God even gives you five reasons that he must be for you. God must watch over you. God must hear your prayers. It’s because Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Jesus continually tells his Father: “Watch over them because I have done what you have required. I have lived a perfect life with perfect trust in order to save them from eternal fear.” God must watch over you, not because you or I demand this. Not because you and I are here in church, just like he commands. Not because you live a good life. God must watch over you because Jesus says: “I died for them. Look at them. They are innocent, blameless; they are clothed with my life.” If you ever fear that God has left you, focus on the cross. See Jesus win for you the title: “Child of God.” Just like a parent never forgets their child, God never forgets about you. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Do you see your identity now? Did you look in the mirror morning and smile? You are a super-conqueror! You do not merely conquer life’s hardships, you overwhelm them. Why? Because you hold Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the devil. Society may hate God. More may be against God than for him, but no number, no hatred will keep you out of heaven. Health may give you every reason to despair God’s care. Fear for the future may tug on you to leave God. Yet, nothing in the present or the future will rip you from the path that leads to eternal life. I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What worries are on your mind? What keeps you tossing and turning all night? Are you worried that your congregation may not remain here as long as you thought? Are you torn because your child is leaving the faith you have taught them to know, a faith you yourself modeled? Do you ache watching a broken world still looking for comfort in human achievement? Does it feel like it’s up to you to solve every trouble in life? Focus on the cross. Let your ears listen to his words of promise. Let your mind be at ease because all-powerful God is with you. Which means, no one can stand against you. That boy put one foot on the log. His eyes glanced at the river raging some 100 feet below him. His eyes darted from side to side in the hopes of discovering another way across, but there was nothing. The only way to reach his goal was to cross this fallen tree. So, that young boy fixed his attention on his father. His ears listened to his father’s guidance. His eyes locked onto his father’s outstretched arms. His mind found comfort in his father’s calm voice. Step after step he moved forward, pressing further down the tree, lifting foot after foot until that foot touched solid ground. Father crossed the challenge first. Your Jesus crossed the challenges of this life first. He died, but reversed death. He lived, but then rose into heaven. He rose, but now sits in power in authority. He has not abandoned you. He remains to guide your feet with his Word and calm your fears with his promises. Set your eyes and your attention on him. March On, Super-Conqueror! March on, despite the struggles which follow you for God remains to strengthen and help. March on, remaining focused on sharing the life-saving Word of God. March on, knowing that no one will rip away your heavenly inheritance. March On, Super-Conqueror! God is for you. No one can stand against you.
for any sign of her slim, smooth cellphone. She finds it. Grabs it. Looks down. No service. Head slowly twists over her right shoulder and catches a glimpse of her grey SUV. Her other hand clenches the key. One last breath. Go! Sprint! Hurry! Crashes into the car door. Opens it. Slams it shut. Key thrust into the ignition. Turns. Nothing. Turns again. *Click.* Nothing. Her eyes immediately lock onto the cabin. That’s her escape. Open the car door. Left foot out. Go! Hurry! Out of the car. Dashing towards the front door— when, suddenly, behind her, leaves rustle. He’s here! He’s moving faster. Faster. Faster— after you! She scrambles onto the porch. Kicks open the door. Turns. Slams it shut. Clicks the deadbolt. Leans against it. Silence. Nothing. Quiet. No, wait! The window! He’s at the window staring right at her!
A bell rings. The director shouts: “Cut!” The terrifying creep at the window relaxes. He pops out from behind the Hollywood set and high-fives the girl, who is now smiling at the door. It’s just a movie. That means, this terrifying scene of killer chasing girl is not real. That means, the girl is not really scared; she’s just pretending. That means, the creep is not really a murderer; he’s just acting. Have you ever considered that? You watch those previews of horror movies on television. Maybe they even frighten you (and you do not want to watch that movie). Yet, the terrifying figures are just actors. The villain wears makeup. He has a family, wife, and kids. At the end of his filming session, he will hop into a car, drive to the suburbs, enter his one-story ranch house, and sleep in a warm, cozy bed. He celebrates Christmas and hands out presents to his loved ones. He has friends, dinner parties, and plays games. Look behind the Hollywood sets and you see an entirely different life. You see what is real. But do you see what is real about this life? So often, it appears God has lost all control over his creation. Violence strips away safety. Natural disasters destroy life. Oppression and injustice stokes anger. Is this really what life is all about— forever sitting under the veil of misery? God pulls back the curtain so that you can Look Behind Life’s Scenes and see what’s really going on. See the Ancient of Days come. Watch the Ancient of Days judge. You get to Look Behind Life’s Scenes through the eyes of Daniel. Daniel, before he’s ever thrown in the lion’s den, lies on his bed one night, relaxing in his upstairs room— a room that is not his own. Not his own because he’s a captured man. The stronger, more powerful nation of Babylon had come and choked off his home nation’s food supply. Its army marched through the city walls and raided God’s temple, stealing the offerings of gold, the candle-stands, the furniture— everything. Then they turned on the people. Wise men, politicians, teachers, educators are arrested. Ropes bind their wrists, chains shackle their feet, and soldiers shove them towards a new land, with a new culture, with a new religion, with a new government, and into an entirely new way of life. Daniel has no other choice but to live under orders of another king. This Babylonian captivity feels real, as in: God cannot help Daniel now. This is the way life will be: a new king, new oppression, new persecution against his beliefs. What a future to look forward to! Yet, Daniel falls asleep and falls into a dream. Through that dream God pulls back the veil, showing Daniel what is going on behind the scenes. It is as though God pushes ‘PLAY’ on the movie of world history. Daniel watches oceans, enormous bodies of water churned up by powerful winds, massive waves slap into each other. Suddenly, four beasts rise up from the raging torrents, reaching into the heavens like skyscrapers. One beast, like a ferocious lion with four wings. Another, an enormous bear gnawing on three meaty ribs. Still another, a leopard dashing around the world with four wings and four heads. Terrifying unsettling images playing before him, but images that reveal what will soon happen. Ferocious nation after nation will rise in power. Mighty armies swiftly devour empire after empire. Multiple heads of state rise to power, governing, ruling. Harsh laws oppress innocent people. And just when it doesn’t seem like it could get any worse, a final beast rises up, a beast with iron teeth, ten horns, and a little horn with human eyes and a boastful mouth. That boastful horn tries to shout over God’s voice. That horn pretends to be a leader in God’s church, but shouts lies and leads many people into false teaching and false beliefs. What a sight Daniel sees! It looks like his world is spinning chaotically out of control—and God has no power to intervene. Like life now? You and I live in this world— a world you can see and touch. You and I live in this nation, with a government you can see and touch. You and I live with people— people you can see and touch. And maybe your world appears frightening, like a beast with iron teeth seeking to devour you. You see a world that praises sexual immorality, calling once-shameful-behaviors “normal,” “acceptable,” and “tolerable.” Some within your government consider your personal beliefs on sexuality and pro-life matters to be an infringement on the First Amendment. The nightly news replays a rented Home Depot truck plowing over streams of innocent people strolling through a park; it speaks of a maniac raining down bullets on tens of thousands of Las Vegas concert-goers. You hear reports of powerful people who violate people’s personal boundaries. False teachers stream out into your neighborhoods, sharing teachings that do not come from Scripture. You see real tragedy. You see violence spreading. You see anger and hatred march through city streets. How is God possibly in control? Or, do you not worry about that anymore? Has your conscience been lulled to sleep by the shouts: “Peace and safety!” (1 Thessalonians 5:3) After all, trouble has existed in this world ever since Adam and Eve brought sin into this world. After a while, tragedy, heartache, evil can just seem normal. People live together outside of marriage and so you shrug off God’s desire for marriage. Your friends get drunk, and it doesn’t really look too bad. Society grows increasingly God-less. They like God, but do not want to hear God’s guidance on life issues, and so you try to keep God in church and out of your home life. It may feel like that terrifying beast with iron teeth and God-less horn is not really that dangerous. It will not hurt you spiritually. But thrones were set in place. Yes, just when it that it appears life will continue on with heartache and sorrow, thrones were set in place. Just when it feels like God is not going to show up during your lifetime, thrones were set in place. God suddenly rips back the curtain before your eyes and shows you what is going on behind life’s scenes. God is still in control. God is still watching. He always has been because God is the Ancient of Days. “Ancient” because God the Father has been around before time began. “Days” because he will remain well after your final breath. The Ancient of Days will come. Understand this is not a wish, but rather God telling you what will happen. Thrones were set in place. The Ancient of Days took his seat. Past tense verbs. God speaks as though the world’s last day has already happened. Look Behind Life’s Scenes. See the Ancient of Days come and bring life to a sudden halt. And continue Looking Behind Life’s Scenes because the Ancient of Days will judge. Yes, judge. You confess every Sunday: Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. Everyone who has ever lived, those who live now, those who will live will be brought before his flaming throne of fire. You, who live now, will one day stand before the Ancient of Days. The Ancient One who kept record of the times you shrugged off your faith for the sake of convenience. He sees the times you, as a child, couldn’t wait to get out of this church and away from this [so-called] boring worship. He sees the times you, as a parent, turned a blind eye to your child in your house who willfully skip time with God. He sees the times you, as a spouse, threw a tantrum to get your way. He sees the times you, as a single person, acted as if God has no bearing in your life. The Ancient of Days has seen it all. He is perfectly pure— his white clothes and hair reveal that he is without fault. He holds the standard of his holy Ten Commands and measures your life against them. Fire rips out from his throne—a fire not to destroy you, but to devour every excuse you (and I) want to make for our actions. With every excuse burned away, there’s nothing left but to stand loaded with our guilt. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him— those angels serving the God you (and I) are expected to serve with undivided heart. The court was seated, and the books were opened. Are you still Looking Behind Life’s Scenes? Do you understand what God is showing you here in Daniel? Life as you know it will reach an end. You may live out your years— living until you fall asleep in death. Life may end suddenly unexpected— in a car crash, a heart attack, cancer, accident. As you stand before the Ancient of Days, as you watch him judge, as you watch him open up the book on your life, what will he find? He will see your every single failure wiped away with the blood of Jesus. Jesus carries your (and my) book of sin to the cross. The Holy One of God cancels out each crime with his own blameless life. With his own blood as ink Jesus writes your name into God’s book of life. When the court was seated, and the books were opened, what will the Ancient of Days see? Your name in the book of life. How will he judge? He will declare the sentence Jesus has won for you: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34) My dear friends, pay attention to the words you speak in the Nicene and Apostles’ Creed. Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. God is telling you what will happen. God is pulling back the curtain of this life so that you may Look Behind Life’s Scenes and prepare yourselves for that Final Day. Notice where you stand in world history. Beasts have come and gone; kingdoms have risen and fallen. Kings have reigned, only to lose their kingdom. Jesus has been born, suffered, died, buried, and risen again. What’s left? This. Here. The Ancient of Days coming. The Ancient of Days judging. Look Behind Life’s Scenes and see what’s really going on. See the Ancient of Days come. Watch the Ancient of Days judge.
By “persecution,” I am talking about someone beating you up for faith, throwing you in jail, torturing you, burning down your church, passing laws against the public worship of Jesus, passing laws against owning a Bible, or even coming out to kill you (https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/)
So, at what time in world history have Christians suffered the greatest persecution? It is not the Roman era, when emperors outlawed Christianity, locked Christians in the Coliseum with lions, crucified them, and beheaded them. It is not the Middle ages, when pastors like Jan Hus and John Wycliffe were burned alive at the stake because they stood on Scripture instead of conforming to manmade teachings in the Catholic church. It is not during the 1400s, when Muslim nations spread throughout the Middle East, pushing Christians out of their homeland, even killing Christians as “infidels.” Nor was persecution at its greatest during the Great Migrations of the 1800s, when hundreds of thousands of Europeans crossed the Atlantic to enter the New World— desiring not only economic wealth, but also religious freedom. The greatest time of Christian persecution is now. It is estimated that 100,000 to 150,000 Christians are murdered each year because they confess Jesus as Savior. Each month about 214 Christian churches are targeted and destroyed by non-Christian enemies. Each month about 772 acts of violence are committed against Christians. In fact, more Christians have been killed in the past 100 years than the previous 2,000 years combined. Surprised? (https://listosaur.com/miscellaneous/10-shocking-facts-about-christian-persecution-today/) From the moment angry Cain murdered his God-fearing brother Abel, believers have faced opposition because they cling to Jesus as Savior (Genesis 4:3-8). It means, the pressure to abandon your grip on God’s clear teachings will always be there. On some days, in some occasions, you may even feel those against you are more powerful than the One who is for you. Yet, remember this: You are Triumphant in Christ! Even when you suffer, Jesus is still in control. Does it feel like that? That you are triumphant--now? Probably not. Usually it’s the opposite, right? You see almost on a daily basis this growing hostility to Christian teachings. Scientists declare: “We know beyond any doubt that God does not exist!” but in the same breath say: “But aliens might exist, we just haven’t found them yet.” You see more people staying outside of worship than coming to worship. Television shows, movies, and late night hosts use the name “Jesus” as more of a term of excitement instead of honor. Society appears to respect your God very little and wants you to be aware of that. For Daniel, the nation in which he lives— Babylon— not only respects God very little, but even passes laws against worship. (read also Daniel, chapters 3-5) The law was simple: For the next thirty days, pray to the king of Babylon alone or be thrown into the lions’ den (Daniel 6:7). Yes, the law is unfair. Yes, the law singles out those who believe in the one true God of Israel. Yes, the law singles out a man like Daniel, someone rising through the ranks of the Babylonian government. And yes, the law is set as a trap. Daniel’s enemies knew he would break this command. If they catch Daniel, then he dies. If he dies, then they rise in power. And Daniel? Well, when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Daniel did not have to publicly demonstrate his faith. After all, the decree stands in effect for only thirty days! Daniel (1) could have not prayed. He (2) could have prayed at the king’s feet, but really addressed his prayer to God. He (3) could have shut his windows, turned off his lights, locked his doors, and prayed in secret. Yet, he does not do any of that. He walks up the stairs to his room, flings open the window shutters, bends down on his knees, extends his arms, lifts his hands up, bows his head, and prays! To change his prayer habits would have been the same as giving in to the demands of the decree. He would allow a law to change the way he worships. [But] these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or man except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions’ den?” They’re right; the king did command every single person in the kingdom to pray to him and to him alone. And the king cannot take back his order. So the king had no other choice, but to give the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Do you know how Daniel could have stayed out of the lion’s den? Cover up your faith. Don’t mention what you believe. Change what you believe to fit what the majority considers appropriate. I’m not too sure what is more surprising. Either the fact that 100,000 Christians are still murdered each year for their faith or that about 45% of Christians in America— a land in which you are free to worship wherever you please— actually worship every Sunday morning. That’s less than half of all Christians (not citizens, but Christians) in America make use of their freedom to worship publicly, without fear of any imprisonment, violence, or death. And yes, I know, some are out of town or must work Sundays or are homebound. Still, only 43% of Christians read their Bibles at least once every week (something that can be done at any time, in any place). Thirty percent attend Bible class. Even less have family devotions at home (http://www.pewforum.org/2015/11/03/u-s-public-becoming-less-religious/) What about you? You get to worship without the threat of imprisonment. You get to pray without worrying that someone will throw you into a lion’s den. You get to own a Bible without fearing that someone will kill you. So, do you pray before dinner? Do you say “thank you” to God for the food set before you? Do you pray before taking a test, asking God to bless your memory, or do you fear what your friend might say if he catches you with eyes closed, mouthing words? Do you openly admit to your doctor that you will listen to both (1) the doctor and (2) take your condition to God in prayer? When same-sex marriage was passed, do you mope around like Jesus lost, or did you pray that God use you to share his Word? Abortion still remains legal. Do you only see victory by protesting, or do you also pray for the unborn and your leaders to change such a horrible law? You may be aware of the personal beliefs of your children, or your parents, spouse, friends, and co-workers. Are you praying that God use you to share your light of faith? Or, have you given up all hope that they will see the Light of life in Jesus? My dear friends, the devil strives to throw opposition in your face as proof that you are on the losing side. That if your children reject Jesus, there is no more hope for them. That if your doctor scoffs at your beliefs, then you are the weird one. That if laws are passed, nothing can possibly change those orders. That if (1) you are a Christian and (2) life has not become perfect, then it never will. It will only get worse. You are Triumphant in Christ even when you suffer. Even when you are called names, mocked, ridiculed, hurt, or killed, You are Triumphant in Christ! How? Because Christ also suffered. A law did not command Jesus to pray to a king. Rather, powerful men rejected that Jesus is the King of heaven and earth. They did not throw him into the lions’ den. They nailed him to the cross. You and I should have suffered and died instead because of the occasions we hide trust in God. And yet it is Jesus who dies instead. Dying because you (and I) have hidden our belief in God. Suffering because you (and I) have denied knowing him. Paying our price so that you (and I) can stand forgiven! Yes, Jesus suffers and dies—but then rises again! Bursts out of the ground. Stands on the earth. Rises off of the planet. And sits over the entire universe in power! You are Triumphant in Christ even when you suffer because your Christ reigns triumphant now! Daniel knew his God stood in control over kings, governments, and nations. Yet, I’m not sure if Daniel expected to live through the night. Yet, it did not matter because Daniel was already Triumphant in Christ. If lived, he would still worship his saving God. If he died, he would still worship his saving God. Whether he lived or died, his trust for deliverance from eternal death would still rest in God. [And] at the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. [… H]e called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel answered, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.” The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. The wicked mob had plans, but God overruled their plan. He was not ready for Daniel to enter heaven. Instead, he sent his angel to keep Daniel safe. Even though humanity makes their plans, Jesus is still in control. He still sends his angels to protect you. The Bible teaches that angels are created by God to serve you (Hebrews 1:14). Yes, angels serve you! (Psalm 91:11-12) A missionary once shared his story of pastoring a group of Christians in a hostile, Muslim-backed region of Pakistan. This community of believers had built a church, even though their area was well-known for burning down churches. One day the missionary was tipped off by a local that a small mob was heading their way to destroy their church. The missionary and congregation could have fled, but decided to remain behind in the church. There, they prayed all night. They sang hymns. They read Scripture readings. Then the sun rose. The church still stood. More than that, they were still alive. A few days later, a local met up with the missionary. He had overheard that the mob marched towards the church, but when they arrived, they saw heavily-armed soldiers guarding the perimeter. They fled, thinking they had fallen into an ambush. Yet, the missionary did not station armed guards on the perimeter. Instead, God had sent his angels. So, does that mean no one will ever insult you, that no one will ever threaten you because of your faith? No. Nowhere does God promise to defend you with angels until the ripe old age of 100 years old. The Bible shares numerous accounts of men like Stephen, Zechariah, and Isaiah—men who are killed for not changing God’s message at the demands of kings. Only one of Jesus’ twelve disciples died of natural causes; the others died for their faith. What God does promise is: (1) to hear your cries for help, (2) to send his angels to protect you, and (3) to declare you forever innocent. Daniel rejoices that he is found innocent before God. Not only did he obey God rather than man, but Daniel trusted in the coming Savior who would wipe away his guilt. The same Savior who also declares you “not guilty.” Sin will never devour your soul. Jesus’ death has shut the devilish lion’s mouth forever. And Jesus reigns to bring your through this earthly night, and he will deliver you into heaven’s eternal morning. On this Reformation Day, dust off this prized jewel of Scripture. Make use of it in your home, your family, and worship life. God has seen fit to defend his Word over thousands of years so that you too may hear, come to faith, remain in faith, and enter eternal life. He raised up a servant like Martin Luther who stared death in the face because he would not take back his Bible-based convictions. Someone like that stood on Scripture to make sure that 500 years later you could still hear the only Way to heaven. That’s the purpose of Scripture: to point you to Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the reason you hold firm in the face of opposition. You are Triumphant in Christ! Even when you suffer, Jesus is still in control.
bulletin and hymnal in lap, and not just mulling around with smartphone in hand? Why? Because you trust the promises made. A majority agreed to worship on Sunday mornings at 9:00am [at Harrison; 11:00am, Clare]. You asked your Pastor to prepare a Bible-based message and lead worship. So, you arrived at the right time at the right place for the purpose of praising God.
That takes faith, does it not? You trust that these events are going to happen. You expect to arrive on site and find a church building at this address. You expect to walk up to the front door, reach out, tug the handle, and the door will open (and not remain locked). You expect to sit down— not in an empty building, but gathered with your fellow Christians. You trust Pastor will be here to lead worship and share a carefully prepared (and thoughtful) message. You trust the promise made. That takes faith. But… you could doubt those promises. Then what would happen? What if you did not believe we worship on Sunday mornings? What if you doubted that we gather at 9:00am [or 11:00am]? What if you did not think your Pastor would lead worship? What would happen? You would rely only on your thoughts and feelings! You could only find assurance in you— and what you felt would happen! Faith trusts promises. Faith even trusts the promises of God— trusting that he will accomplish what he says he will do. Placing your faith on anything other than the Word of God will leave you floundering in the heaving waves of emotional despair. Faith Anchors You to the completed work of Jesus and to the certain promises of God. Because that’s what anchors do; anchors keep objects in place. Anchors keep boats from drifting across the ocean. Anchors keep your balloon from floating into the sky. Anchors keep your tent from tumbling away in the wind. Anchors keep your emotions, your fears, your worries fastened to the unchanging, guaranteed promises of God. Just look at our reading, and recognize what God uses to anchor faith. After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” What could ever make Abraham afraid? Just consider everything he has! Sheep, goats, steer swarm as far as the eye can see (and, not to mention, Abraham owns every single acre of this land). Maids rush in with dinner and out with dishes; in with clothing and out with laundry; servants feed cattle, pay bills, stand guard, tend to any need you might possibly have. Gunnysacks jingle with gold and jewels. Abraham even has an army— 318 fierce fighters. Kings respect him (Genesis 14:21-24). God’s priest blesses him (14:18-20). What could Abraham possibly worry about? Something out of his control. “O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” But God promised! Everything moving around Abraham would belong to his child! (12:7; 13:14-17). No, not his head servant— but his own flesh and blood! Abraham must have a son! But God made that promise 10 years ago. And nine months had turned into twelve months, one year becomes two years, two grows to five, five to ten… and he’s still waiting; he’s still waiting for God to place that baby into the crook of his arm. And it’s not the waiting that’s the difficult part. Each passing year means Abraham is another year older. Abraham is 85-years-old. And his wife? She’s 75-years-old. “God, I’m waiting. God, I’m not getting any younger. God, human biology rules out having children. God, where’s this promised child?” Because you do not see God keeping his promise, do you? That’s the difficult thing about faith, is it not? Faith trusts something not seen. Faith considers the unseen promise as already having been kept. Faith is certain your Pastor will lead worship that takes place on Sunday mornings at 9:00am [11:00am]. Faith considers promises as good as done. And yet, when you see real problems with your own eyes, it often feels that those problems are the real thing— and the promise is just an empty wish. God promises to send angels to protect you (Psalm 91:11), but you get hurt, you’re sick, you have cancer. You see pain; you do not see protection. God promises to forgive you (Matthew 18:18), but you still feel guilt, shame, fear that you’re going to hell. You feel guilty; you do not feel forgiven. God promises to work things for your good, but you don’t see “good” (Romans 8:28). Loved ones die too soon. Living as a Christian in 2017 is not exactly popular. You’re still sad, depressed; you feel empty— and you really don’t know why. God makes promises, but you do not see answers. And if you do not see answers, then who can you trust? Yourself, right? Abraham wants a child. He waits. No child. So, he has a child with his maidservant— and rejoices; he has an heir! (Genesis 16:1-4) You want safety, so trust your medical choices without praying at all. You feel guilty, so you try to feel saved by relying on how good of a person you are. If you consider God untrustworthy, you will place faith in yourself. That means, you rely on your own decisions. You trust you abilities to get healthier. You trust that you made some decision to accept Jesus as Savior. You trust that God does not make things work for your good. You doubt God. You trust yourself. If you trust yourself, then you will push God away. Do you see how God strengthens faith? It shows up twice in our reading: [T]he word of the Lord came to him. That’s it! God does not snap his fingers, and *poof* a child drops from the sky. No thunderous guarantee: “Abraham, this will happen on November 18th!” God simply speaks; God reveals what will happen. Eliezer will not be your heir. You will have a son coming from your own body. God places Abraham’s attention on his unchanging Word. Abraham believed the Lord. It’s more than Abraham believing that God exists. Faith is not that God is “somewhere out there.” No, faith grasped God’s promise. Abraham would have a Son. That Son would be great. That Son would be the Savior of the world. Yes, Abram never saw Jesus with his very own eyes. Yet, his faith had eyes. With the eyes of faith, Abraham watched Mary’s Son stretched out on a cross because he [Abraham] doubted God. Abraham raised his eyes to the heavens, certain that God’s Son would come down and bring him home. He trusted God’s promise was as good as done. Faith Anchors You to the completed work of Jesus. There may be times you are tossed about by your emotions. There may be times you do not feel saved. There may be times you want certainty that God is for you. In those troubling times, God speaks to you. Look to God’s Word and see your Savior. See the One who died to remove your doubts. See the One whose blood covers over fears. See the One crucified for you and etches your name into heaven’s book. Faith Anchors You to the completed work of Jesus. That’s why God could bolster Abraham’s faith with his Word: “Do not be afraid, Abram, I haven’t forgotten about you. Don’t be afraid Abraham, you will have a son. Don’t be afraid Abraham, your son will lead to Jesus. Don’t be afraid Abraham, I am your shield, your very great reward.” You can plug your name in here too. “Don’t be afraid, Andy… Bob… Sue… Tom… Don’t be afraid because that Christmas-day baby is still your Savior.” You may not have seen Jesus with your own eyes, but your faith clings to him. When you’re terrified over sins, look to the cross; hear Jesus say “I paid for them.” When you feel that you can never be forgiven, that God cannot possibly love someone like you, look to Jesus who says: “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven” (John 20:23). If you feel that God has abandoned you, listen to the God who says: “I have called you by name. You are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). God is your shield—and notice the verb. Present tense means he remains your defense today. That bronze shield wards off the devil’s temptations to doubt that you are anything less than a possession of God. Your God still comes to you with his Word and Sacraments to strengthen and grow faith. After all, your faith is a living thing— just like a houseplant. What happens if you stop watering a plant? It dies, right? What happens if you do water it? It lives—and more than that, plants grow and spread and flower. Plants are living things; they are not static, they do not remain one size forever. Your faith is not static; it does not remain one size forever. It either grows or it shrivels. God doesn’t water you, he feeds you with his Word. That’s why it is important to be in worship and hear his Word. That’s why it is important to remember your baptism. That’s why it is important to receive the Lord’s Supper. God is strengthening your faith with these tools. God is teaching you more about what he has done for you. God is combating the fears in your life. He is answering questions you may have. The more you stay away from the Word, the more you forget. The more you stay away from the Word, the more you will rely on your own decisions. The more you remain in the Word the more you know who your God is— and what he has done. The more you remember your baptism, the more you realize that you have done nothing to save yourself. If you want to feel saved, then stop probing your emotions. See how God used water and a promise to adopt you as his child (Titus 3:4-7). The more you receive the Lord’s Supper, you again hear him say: “Forgiven! Forgiven! Forgiven! I have given you the strength to say “No” to sin. You no longer live to gratify whatever feels pleasurable to you. You live to serve me. Imitate my patience, kindness, and love.” God remains your shield who uses Word and sacrament to defend you against the devil’s accusations. God is your very great reward.” Notice the verb: “Is.” Present tense. God constantly remains your priceless possession. Abraham has all this stuff— 318 fighting men, a large family, many servants, thousands of cattle, and a pile of wealth —and yet none of it compares to an ounce of what God gives him. All the stuff you have cannot even bring you one step closer to God, but the blood of Jesus can. And by faith you have that blood purifying and cleansing you (1 John 1:9). God is your very great reward. He is the only thing you get to take out of this life and into the life to come. He’s the one who fills you with real comfort in a world with lots of trouble in it. He’s the only thing that assures you: “Everything is ok,” even when there’s hurricanes, earthquakes, and shootings. Jesus has already won. Faith Anchors You to the certain promises of God. Over these past two weeks we have looked at “What it means to be a Lutheran.” Martin Luther lived in a time where pastors taught him: “The more you do, the more you will be saved.” Yet, he stood on Scripture— where God tells you himself: You are saved by grace. Jesus makes the payment God demands for sin. This payment is made for your benefit— without you asking, seeking, or deserving it. God hands you eternal life as a gift— a free present! As you stand on Scripture, you see that you are saved by grace, and that grace enters your heart through. Place your trust in what God has done for you and not on how you feel. Take God at his Word. Faith Anchors You to the completed work of Jesus and to the certain promises of God.
Didn’t fill it out? Didn’t scratch off your sweepstakes ticket, reveal the matching magic numbers, tuck it into the self-addressed envelope, and send it back? To be honest, I think I received the letter, and filed it away in the paper shredder. Maybe you shrugged off the news too.
That’s an interesting thing, isn’t it? Junk mail and television ads use big, bright red print: “FREE!”— and that magnificent word is almost automatically tossed aside. In America we have this saying: “Nothing is free.” You expect some catch, some condition that you must meet in order to get something— which then, in reality, no longer makes something truly “free.” Even television infomercials offer to double your purchase for “free.” Yet, you still have to pay an additional $10.00 for shipping and handling— hardly what I would call “free.” So, when you hear: [I]t is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, there may be a part of you that leans forward, intently waiting: “and… what’s the catch? What do you expect me to do?” God’s gift of complete forgiveness, wiping away every single guilty stain, may sound too good to be true. Standing on Scripture teaches you to Rely on Grace! Because grace is God’s saving gift and grace unleashes life to the fullest. Look at our reading from Ephesians, chapter 2. Verses 4-5 define what “grace” means and how it looks. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. So, what does “grace” mean? God says it: his great love for us. In English we have only one word for love. You can say you “love” a hamburger, “love” your friend, and “love” your spouse. The way you are using the word “love” in each of those statements is a little different. So, you have to understand the context in order to know what type of “love” is being shown to a hamburger, your friend, and your spouse. The Greek language uses three different words for “love”— and this part of the Bible in written in Greek. One word for “love” is (1) eros [ἔρως]— a romantic love between husband and wife. Another word is (2) phileo [φιλέω]— a friendship love. The other word is (3) agape [ἀγάπη]— which describes loving someone even when they do not deserve it. So, when God says: “[I have] great love for you,” he is not describing a physical romantic attraction to you. He does not merely call himself your “friend.” He says: “You did not— and never did— deserve my affection. It was I who chose to love you first.” (1 John 4:19). That is grace. God chooses to love you, even when you (and I) gave him absolutely no reason to do so. Sound too good be true? In America, nothing is “free;” you always expect some condition to good news. In our lives, love is never “free;” you always expect some condition for love. If you are nice to me, then I will be nice to you. If you give me some money, then I will consider you generous. If you are not nice to me, then I will be rude to you. If you are not generous, then I consider you stingy and greedy. So often we expect this condition for love: If you give me a reason, then I will love you. How easily we can act as though God deals with us in this very same way! That God is looking for something from you in order for him to love you. Your mind cannot shake off the shame from years ago when you made yourself a fool in front of friends. Your secret was so well hidden, but then someone found out what you really daydream about— and you feel so horrible. Regret fills your heart— you could have been a father who was there for his kids, or a mother who showed more love, or a child who could have been more respectful. That guilt can absolutely crush you, and it can spontaneously haunt you— and, boy, how you want to make it go away. So, you try to find a reason God should want to love you; you make love conditional. If you change your habits, then God will remove the rest of your guilt. If you convince yourself that you are not really all that shamefully bad, then God must think of you as good too! If you are an absent father or a overbearing mother, then make it up— be there for your adult children, love your grandchildren— and that must undo your past. If you give God a reason to love you, then he must love you! A part of you may feel that grace is too good to be true— that God must love you because of something you have done. But that’s not true. God says: “You were dead in transgressions.” All people are born spiritually dead. Dead people cannot move. Spiritually dead people cannot earn or choose God’s love. They are lifeless. You and I are born without the ability or power to earn or choose God’s love. And so, God chooses to deal with you in grace— love which you (and I) do not deserve! Verses 8-9 make that explicitly clear: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. God chooses to have mercy on you. God has compassion and chooses to send his one and only Son into the world. God chooses to hang his perfect Son on the cross. God chooses to heap on Jesus the punishment for your shame, your foolish past, your failure to live up to your calling as father, mother, or child. Jesus is the One is not loved. He is the One forsaken by God. He is the One seized with physical pain— aching joints, nails piercing his hands, blood gushing out, lightheadedness, life draining out. Jesus is the proof of God’s undeserved love for you. Jesus takes what you (and I) deserve and removes your guilt from the sight of God. Sound too good to be true? Yes, it does— but that’s why God calls it “grace.” He does not give you (and me) what we expect. In fact, God calls grace a gift! And you know what a gift is, right? After all, why do you receive presents for your birthday? Because you didn’t really do anything to deserve presents, right? You did not get a new dirt bike because you chose to be conceived (as though your family celebrates your decision to enter their life). A friend did not give you a new tablet because you picked the day you would enter this world. You did not receive a new Barbie doll because you behaved so well over the past year. So then, why do you get presents for your birthday? Because, in reality, you didn’t do anything to earn them. That’s the point, right?! For something to truly be a “gift” it means you receive something without conditions attached. God hands you the perfect life of Jesus as a gift— no conditions, no strings attached! When you worry about how you stand before God, Rely on Grace! God deals with you in love which you (and I) do not deserve. That is called “grace,” and It is God’s gift to you. And It unleashes life to the fullest. Look at verses 6 and 7; see your past, your present, and your future. God raised [you] up with Christ. In the past— God raised Jesus from the dead, and Jesus lives anew— exalted above any earthly leader and any devilish enemy (Ephesians 1:20-21). In the past— God raised you up out the waters of baptism— creating spiritual life in your heart, creating a new way of life for you. When you came to faith, God applies the saving work of Jesus to you specifically. You own it, you possess it, and you keep holding onto it. It’s similar to a high school diploma. You received it once. You still have it. You will always carry the title: “High-School-Graduate.” You came to faith. You still have faith. With faith in your heart, you will carry the title: “Believer.” What was started so long ago has given you this new life as a child belonging to God. And as if that’s not enough, God seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. Notice that verb: He seated you. Past tense, the action’s already done. Isn’t that amazing? In God’s eyes you living with him in heaven is already a completed fact; it’s as good as done. God already looks to the future and sees you seated around banquet table in heaven! You have this privilege because of God’s grace. And as if that’s enough, verse 7 says: in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. In the coming ages-- that can refer to two different time-eras, but the understanding remains the same. (1) It can refer to the very moment Jesus burst out of the Easter-day-tomb. Everyone from Easter day to the end of time are able to see how high and deep and wide and long God’s love is. Isn’t that true? You and I living in 2017 still recognize just how powerful God’s grace is. Even though Jesus rose from the dead 2,000 years ago, he still wipes clean your slate against him. Nowhere does he say: “I’m done with you. You have sinned too much. Stop coming to church. Stop bringing your confession to me. I don’t want it.” He does not treat you in this way. God says: “My grace hasn’t worn out over the past 2,000 years.” God continually puts a hand on your shoulder and says, “I can do more than you have ever done against me.” No matter how horrific your act, no matter how shameful your secret, no matter what pet sin you keep stumbling into, God still showers you with the incomparable riches of forgiveness. Those coming ages (2) could refer to the moment you come to faith— from that point to the ages to come, to the years ahead in your life— you still see God’s grace. God does not treat you and me as our sins deserve. If you and I received what we deserved, then life would literally be hell on earth. Yet, God still forgives you— every single day. You do not have to fear that your hospital stay came as a result of something you did. Your car did not break down because God is angry at you. He does not seek revenge for your foolishness. God allows you to sit and stand in his presence today and hear of his love for you. He is not an adversary, he’s not a mean foe, he’s your heavenly Father. Grace unleashes a new way of life—a life without fear or distress, a life confident of how God sees you! Being “Lutheran” means you Rely on Grace. Nowhere does God teach that you must earn his love. Nowhere does God teach that you must choose to bring his love in your heart. You and I contribute nothing because Jesus has done all of it. God chooses to give you Jesus. God chooses to use Jesus to wipe your heart clean from guilt. God chooses to give you eternal life as a free gift— no conditions attached! The more you recognize that you cannot save yourself, the more you treasure just how much God has loved you. Sound too good to be true? Yes! Yes, it does! …But that is why God calls it “grace.” God deals with you in undeserved love. Rely on Grace! Because grace is God’s saving gift and grace unleashes life to the fullest.
those pages or that book entirely. In some cases, nothing is left in a book but footnotes— footnotes that no one really reads. Eventually books are tossed out altogether, thrown into piles and left for firemen to arrive and burn.
You can’t read a book like that and not find a hidden message. For many the book serves as a warning against government censorship. Many fear the government may begin limiting freedom of speech until society can no longer freely address so-called controversial topics. Eventually, the government controls not only your words, but also your thoughts on certain issues. Except that’s not what Fahrenheit 451 is about. The author, Ray Bradbury, went on record to say that his book is “a story about how television destroys interest in reading literature.” (http://www.laweekly.com/news/ray-bradbury-fahrenheit-451-misinterpreted-2149125) Already in 1953, Bradbury feared people would grow so addicted to television that they would stop reading books. When Bradbury shared this interpretation at a lecture at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), students protested. They insisted that he was wrong. They told him, the author, that his book only references government censorship. Can you imagine what it must feel like when someone tells you, the author of your own book, that you have it all wrong? More than that, if you reject the author’s interpretation, it means that you have injected a new message into that book—a message never there to begin with. You are believing a message that does not come from the author. You are believing a message that you created. And if you believe a message you created, then you will receive an entirely different outcome than what the author ever intended. When it comes to what you believe about your status before God, look to what God, the divine Author, so clearly reveals. Stand on Scripture. Find God’s heart revealed. Gain certain confidence. You have heard me say it before: You and I live in a postmodern society. That means society teaches there is no absolute truth; there is no set standard of what is universally “right” and what is universally “wrong.” So, if I choose to wear a dress today, you cannot tell me that my clothing style is wrong. By you insisting that I change, you have now created a fixed truth that there is certain clothing reserved only for men and certain clothing reserved only for women. Yet, to me and my thinking, I may feel that dresses are not exclusive only to women or men. If I believe one thing about dresses, then that becomes a truth by which I will live. If you believe dresses do not belong on men, then that is a truth by which you live. We have two differing truths, but two differing truths that are both valid and equal because we feel strongly about our beliefs. Your society feels truth is constantly changing and truth changes based on a person’s individual beliefs. If you feel something is true, then it must be true— and no one can tell you that you are wrong. So, if you feel God will let you into heaven because you are a good, moral person, then this must be true. God must let you into heaven because you think this is correct. Or you may feel that God will give you eternal life because you are sincere in your beliefs— you sit in a church building, you listen to the Pastor, you are dedicated to behaving like a churchy-person. If you feel this is what God looks for in a person, then you must be right; sincerity in religious practice will give you eternal life. Or, you may cling to a tightly-held belief— even if it contradicts what God says. If you do not want to be judged for your lifestyle, then simply say, “I do not think God would judge me.” Therefore, you would believe that God accepts the way you live. If you want God to bring all people to heaven, then say: “I feel God will save everyone.” Your feeling, then, is considered true. If you want to skip worship, then simply state: “I think God knows why I’m sleeping in and he doesn’t care.” You can feel better about your life because you just said God doesn’t care. This is how postmodern thinking not only shapes your civilian life, but also how it can affect our views towards Scripture. We begin telling God, the divine Author, that he has it all wrong! Yet, here’s the question: How do you know if your personal beliefs are right? A roomful of students told Ray Bradbury that his interpretation of his own book was wrong! Yet, Bradbury revealed an undeniable truth: He is the author. As the author, he put down his intentions in writing. Students may believe what they want, but their beliefs cannot change the purpose of his book. When it comes to Scripture, and to its teachings, God reveals an undeniable: He is the Author. You may want God to condone your lifestyle, but God has still said: “Be perfect like me” (Matthew 5:48). You may feel that God loves you because you are a good person and because you are here today, but God still says: “All have sinned and all fall short of reaching heaven with me” (Romans 3:23). If you try to make up reasons as to why God forgives you, you may feel they are right, but God will still call them “wrong.” Clinging to your own personal belief— no matter how much you want to believe it is true— can still leave you standing apart from God forever. A monk named Martin Luther dreaded that. He was terrified that God hated him— because he knew the Bible clearly teaches: God punishes sin— and he was a sinner. Luther never knew how to remove that guilt. His priest told him to confess his sins, to pray, to beat himself, to stare at bones of dead church leaders, to pay money, to do good things, to give up money— do all these things and his guilt would diminish. It did not. Luther never knew how to remove that guilt. Making up solutions never fills you with peace. Trying to do more good than bad does not erase the bad you did do. How do you remove guilt? How can you be sure you can go to heaven? Stand on Scripture and find God’s heart revealed. Our reading says: For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last. How do you remove feelings of guilt? How can you fill your heart with peace? How can you know for sure that you will enter heaven? God says, “Look in the gospel.” The word “gospel” means “good news.” The “good news” is that Jesus rescues you from the consequences of your actions. You will never discover this truth by digging into your emotions. You will never recognize this truth by trying to live as a perfect person. You will only find this truth in Scripture because only in the Bible is a righteousness from God revealed. God reveals to you this one chief truth: Jesus lives a “right” life. Jesus never calls the Bible a book of lies. Every time someone asks him to “prove” his teachings, he points to Scripture. When he needs comfort or guidance, he embraces what God clearly says. Jesus lives a “right” life. Even though Jesus lives the “right” life God demands, Jesus still dies on the cross. He steps into your place, is treated harshly by God, and suffers so that you never will. When it comes to understanding why God forgives you, Stand on Scripture and you find God say: “I forgive you because Jesus paid your punishment. Stand on Scripture and you will find God’s heart revealed. As you see what God so clearly says, you will gain certain confidence. Look again to our verse: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes… This gospel, this good news that Jesus rescued you from the hellish effects of sin, is not just a happy message that you read in a newspaper and then throw away. This news is powerfully life-changing— literally. In the Greek, the word for “power” (δύναμις) is where we get our word “dynamite. That little phrase: “it is the power of God” says Scripture works like dynamite. You read and hear Scripture, and Scripture blasts open your heart to trust that only Jesus makes you “right” before God. When it comes to understanding what you believe, Stand on Scripture. Point to what God, the divine Author, has so clearly said. Point to his clear words which tell that Jesus lived, died, and rose for you! When you Stand on Scripture you will always be certain of how God sees you. You will always know that Jesus has done enough to bring you into heaven. For a man like Martin Luther, he Stood on Scripture for his confidence of eternal life. He did not try to do things to earn God’s forgiveness. He did not try to feel forgiven. He pointed at God’s unbreakable truth. This is what it means to be a Lutheran. Like Luther, when wonder how you stand before God, you Stand on Scripture. Stand on Scripture when you are crushed by guilt and gain certain confidence. In Scripture God says: “I forgive you” (1 John 4:19). He does not say that you must “feel” forgiven— as though your emotions must convince you that all is well between you and God. He does not say that you must earn his forgiveness— that you must do more good than bad. Rather, God points you to the cross and asks: What happened there? Jesus died. That’s a fact, a historical event. Why did Jesus die? Scripture says that he dies as you Substitute, stepping into the punishment you deserved (Isaiah 53). Since Jesus died in your place, it means you do not die forever. You are forgiven— not because you feel this to be true, but because God says it is true (2 Corinthians 5:21) Scripture has that dynamite power to blast away doubts and fears about eternity. Stand on Scripture and gain certain confidence when you confront various ideas about God. Human beings always have and always will create new thoughts about how God should act. Someone may think all religions lead to the same God. Yet, those beliefs, as sincere as they are, are not capable of making people right with God. Someone may feel good works are enough to enter heaven, but that person cannot force God to agree with him. Only Scripture has the ability to free your soul from the pits of despair and to fill you with peace. Scripture has that dynamite power to blast away lies about God. Stand on Scripture and gain certain confidence forever. As you get older, you may ask yourself: “Will God really forgive me?” You may feel that God is lying to you. You may think God wants something more from you. Point to Scripture, stand on what God has so clearly said. God made a specific promise to you— and God will never break that promise. Scripture has that dynamite power to blast away fears that God has hidden something from you. When you Stand on Scripture you will never be wrong. Yes, a postmodern world may disagree with God’s truth. Yet, the fact remains: God is the divine Author. He has revealed his intentions about sin and forgiveness, heaven and hell in Scripture. Scripture reveals God’s heart— the heart which moved him to send a Savior from sin. Scripture reveals the completed action: Jesus died for your benefit. Scripture reveals God’s feelings towards you so that you may have certain confidence in an ever-changing world. When it comes to matters of what you believe about your status before God, look to what God, the divine Author, so clearly reveals. Stand on Scripture. Find God’s heart revealed. Gain certain confidence.
heater fired on, the adhesive ignited, and the house exploded. The two men claimed the warning label: “flammable” and “keep away from heat” did not prepare them for the explosion. They filed suit against the adhesive manufacturers and the jury awarded them $8 million. (https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/top-ten-frivolous-lawsuits)
The city council of San Francisco, California prohibited McDonald’s from handing out free toys in Happy Meals. Litigation director Stephen Gardner concluded that children will pick greasy, obese-causing food for the sake of receiving a toy. “It's a creepy and predatory practice that warrants an injunction” he claimed. Some Californian cities now ban McDonald’s from including toys in Happy Meals. (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mcdonalds-hit-by-happy-meal-toy-ban/) Last Sunday, a 23-year-old Traverse City man flipped his car into a ditch. He claims another last-minute heart-wrenching Detroit Lions loss made him take the right hand turn too fast, thereby rolling his car. Deputies later determined the man was legally drunk. (http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/09/drunk_fan_rolls_car_blames_lio.html) A chemical company pays out $8 million because two men carelessly place a flammable substance beside a flame-producing object. No more Happy Meal toys because parents will not tell the child “No”- Happy Meal, “No”-deep-fried foods, no McDonald’s. A car crash blamed on the results of a football game. Those are all examples of a common occurrence, are they not? Shift the blame. Defend the action. Declare innocence. Is that the way God views accountability? This stubbornness is really nothing new. From the beginning of time, human beings have refused to take accountability for their actions. Adam blames Eve for him eating the forbidden fruit. Eve blames the devilish serpent for her touching the forbidden tree. Cain defends, “I’m not in charge of my brother’s whereabouts!” King David kills a man because he slept with his wife and impregnated her. When the heart is confronted with its evil, it scurries away from its guilt. Or, consider the accusations spewing out from the Israelites. “The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” What do they mean with that? Well, their fathers ate the grapes, and they, the children, suffer the effects of crooked and dull teeth; the sourness still makes them pucker. Their fathers committed the action; they suffer. “God, my father bribed the corrupt judges, not me.” “God, grandpa shacked up with the temple prostitutes; I did not.” “God, your kings are the ones who cheated widows out of restitution! We did not.” “God, you punish us for the wrongs we did not commit.” It’s true— sort of. Yes, the sons did not bribe judges, but they showed no remorse after trampling down God’s commandments. Yes, the sons did not sleep with prostitutes, but they tolerated the seductive lies of false prophets. Yes, the kings cheated widows, but the sons worshipped little statues— cheating God out of the respect and praise owed him. That is why these Israelites, who accuse God of injustice, suffer! They committed crimes against God, and God punished them. He allowed the Babylonian army to swarm over the city walls, seize the upper class, rip them from their homes, from their families, from their land, and drag them away to Babylon! God is not at fault. They are. And if I am honest with myself, that’s not too easy to admit. How often does your heart point its finger at your spouse as the reason for your marriage woes? “He’s too demanding.” “She’s too selfish.” ‘He sits around doing nothing.” “She spends all of your money!” Or, do you blame your teacher your failing grades? She assigns too much homework and you have band, sports, and clubs after school. She should not reprimand you for homework you chose not to complete; you didn’t have time to finish it! She should not hold you in detention because she deserve every word you mouthed off to her. How often are you the supposed innocent victim of budget troubles? (I am not talking about those times when expenses do rise over income). Rather, you can’t afford gas because it’s the fault of gas companies! Your accuse the landlord of being greedy. It’s the government’s fault you can’t give more of an offering! It’s all someone else’s fault! They are the reason you suffer! Is it really? Could it be, that even when you argue, that maybe it is you who is selfishly defending your wants to the exclusion of the other’s requests? Could it be, that your teacher is demanding because you first fail to respect her authority as a teacher? Could it be, that budget woes come because of your misplaced priorities? The truth is, regardless of how you feel about your actions, God sees it differently: You are accountable for the things you do. For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die. God does not excuse the overbearing, manipulative wife because her mother was just as conniving. God does not ignore your fist to the face because the other guy “started it.” You cannot blame your parent’s poor marriage as to why you refuse to marry your boy/girlfriend. God holds each individual life to the standard of his Ten Commandments—yours included. The soul who sins, the person who does not perfectly obey them, is the one who will die—and not the “someone else” you want to blame. If that sounds unsettling, it’s because it is. Really, when you read these words, what does your heart immediately want to scream? “No! God’s saying something else here.” “No! God is not serious. He’ll overlook some things.” “No! God doesn’t understand every single reason for every single action!” Or, does your heart even scream what Israel did? “The way of the Lord is not just!” My friends, your (and my) heart will try to defend its wicked actions to the very end. Your (and my) heart will try to remove the hellish penalty you deserve. Your (and my) heart will try to cram a new message into the mouth of God. It will deny accountability for your actions. It will deny that you are responsible. It will deny that you ever committed any wrong! The heart will even stand up to God and say: “I don’t see how I sinned. If I haven’t sinned, then I don’t need Jesus.” That is not the answer to removing rebellious transgressions. The truth is, it is fair that if God etches Ten Commandments into your heart, that he enforces those commandments. It is fair that your Maker holds you, the person he knit together in the womb, to his standard of perfect obedience. What is not just, what is not fair, is that God would place Jesus onto the cross to be held accountable for my actions. It is not fair that Jesus is accused of being “guilty” for the crimes I have committed. It is not right that God holds Jesus accountable for my self-righteous pride which refuses to believe that I am wrong. But God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone. And so he delights to declare you “Forgiven!” It is Jesus who lifts up your earned consequences and removes them forever! Jesus is the reason God still cries out: Repent! Turn away from all your offenses. To “repent” means to turn away, like taking a U-turn, turning 180degrees in a different direction. If you drive a car north and take a U-turn, you are now heading south. If you behave one way, you will turn and do the opposite action. If you repent of gossiping, you will encourage. If you turn from drunkenness, you will be sober. If you repent from manipulating others, you will live as an honest spouse. Why would you do this? So that sin will not be your downfall! Literally, God says: So that iniquity is not your downfall. “Iniquity” pictures rebellion against authority or rioting against established leaders. To say “I’m sorry,” but continue in a willful habit, addiction, or behavior, really says that you are not sorry. To know drunkenness is a sin, but gladly going too far—really says that drunkenness is not as bad as God makes it out to be. Or, God desires you to make worship your number one priority each week. Yet, making up excuses as to why Sunday mornings do not fit into your schedule is to defend your act of staying out of worship. You are rebelling against God’s command. If you find fault with the commands God gives, you will try to change them. Yet, God asks you: “Where do you draw the line?” Sin will be your downfall because you will always find a new excuse to defend disobedient behavior. If you defend disobedience, you will very little reason to listen to God at all. You will eventually stand over God and tell him what you will and will not follow. What a reason to examine your heart’s beliefs! What a reason to do what is just and right! How do you know what is just and right? Compare your life according to God’s commands. Have you been the loving spouse God calls you to be—always giving love instead of waiting to receive love? Have you been the helpful neighbor—standing up for the oppressed, helping the poor, defending reputations? Have you honored God’s gift of your body? When you realize that your actions have bent away, turn! repent! and live! Run to Jesus and remember that he dies to purify us from all sin. Be assured that God has removed those wrongs as far as the east is from the west. Live a new life—with a new heart and a new spirit. This new heart and new spirit never comes for you trying hard to be a better person. It does not come by shaming yourself into being a better Christian. The only way you receive a new heart and new spirit comes from listening to the Word of God. As you hear, read, and learn, the Holy Spirit plants those teachings into your heart. That is why we sing after some sermons: ‘Create in me in me a new heart.’ You are asking that God the Holy Spirit take the message you just heard and bury it into your heart. You are praying that he shape your thoughts, words, and actions to match up to God’s perfect will. You pray that he put to death every evil desire and impulse and give you a new desire, a new heart, a new spirit to live according to his commands. Do You Want to Live? Then, turn from evil and receive a new heart. Examine your life according to God’s commands. Remember that God holds you accountable for your actions. He will not punish another for the things your hands have done. Sin is that serious. It is so serious that Jesus steps into life to cleanse your heart from all evil. He wipes your heart clean—and that is what God, your Father now sees. A new heart. A new spirit. A new desire within you. A new life bent on obeying him. A new life—not heading for death, but for life. And God makes that clear. Do You Want to Live? Then, turn from evil and receive a new heart.
agonizing minutes. By the end, five young girls lay dead and another five lay critically injured.
Maybe you remember hearing about this school shooting; schools now lock their doors during operating hours because of it. Maybe you remember something almost more shocking than the shooting itself: the Amish community forgave the shooter. They consoled the shooter’s devastated father. They comforted his grieving wife and set up a fund for her family. They even attended the shooter’s funeral. A father of one of the victims even said: “[Roberts] had a mother and a wife and a soul and now he’s standing before a just God.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Nickel_Mines_School_shooting) Could you forgive something like that? It would be difficult, wouldn’t it? It’s difficult enough to forgive the driver who has cost you thousands of dollars in damage to your car because he was texting while driving. It’s difficult to pick up the phone and call your brother who accused you of being love-less. It’s difficult to even look at the teacher who disrespects your efforts in school. It can be difficult to let this debt against you go. It leaves you wrestling with so many emotions. On the one hand you understand the need to forgive, but on the other hand the drive, the passion to forgive is missing— and you’re left with this seething, pent-up anger inside. You want to leave this prison of hatred, but how can you do so while still properly dealing with the wrong committed against you? How Can I Forgive? How could Joseph ever forgive his brothers? He has eleven of them! And they unleashed horrors in his life! They alter the future of his life because they hate him. And Joseph has done nothing wrong! His father, Jacob, favors Joseph more than any other child. He hands him a fine coat crafted out of exotic colors and the finest of linens. He keeps Joseph home and out of the fields so that no harm comes to him. And Joseph’s brothers watch this! Why doesn’t their father love them all the same? Why is Joseph treated differently? Because this treatment is not fair. They hate it. They hate him. They hate Joseph so much that they plot out ways to kill him— literally: kill him. Have you ever reached the point when all you daydream about are ways to kill your brother or sister or mom or dad? That you actually devise a plot to lure him out to a desolate location? That you craft an elaborate story of how a wild lion jumped out of the brush and ripped him to pieces? That you point to a dried out cistern as the perfect hiding place for the body? (37:18-20). The brothers do! When their plan goes into motion and Joseph arrives at the desolate location, they don’t kill him. They do not kill him because there is no money in that. Instead, they sell him to a group of slave-traders for 20 shekels of silver. They place Joseph into a life of slavery for $252.72. How can you ever forgive someone who sells your personal freedom and any hope of a future for just a day’s wage? That’s not all there is; it gets worse. Because his brothers sell him into slavery, Joseph becomes a slave for the supreme commander of the Egyptian army. Joseph does well; his owner respects him. Yet, when his master’s wife lies about Joseph’s seductive ways, he’s thrown into prison. He’s forgotten; no one remembers an innocent man remains locked up. His brothers are the reason he rots in jail. How can you ever forgive that? How can you ever put such hatred behind you? How can you ever talk to them, let alone look at them ever again? Because that’s what happens. In our reading, Joseph finally stands in front of his brothers. He’s no longer a slave; he’s second-in-command over all of Egypt. Pharaoh had pardoned him and promoted him to the position of overseeing food distribution during a seven-year-long famine. The brothers now stand in front of him, begging for food. They do not recognize him, but he recognizes them. This is it, right? This is where you get your revenge. Your adversary cowers in front of you and you hold their future in your hand! You can make their life more miserable than the pain they inflicted on you! That’s what feels fair! That feels right! And that’s what our hearts may wrestle with doing. Make them slaves to you! The sibling who ripped into your reputation and your character— well, let her know you didn’t appreciate it. Hold a grudge! Stop calling her so she feels a hole in her life. Stop sending birthday cards so that she has a miserable day knowing that her sibling does not like her. Fasten her to the chains of guilt so that she must approach you first, bow down, weep and beg for your mercy and your favor! The one who costs you money, hold his guilt over his head! Don’t forgive him, but always mention the accident so that he feels compelled to sing his apologizes! That woman who hurt your family, well, give her the cold shoulder so that she realizes she cannot be friends with everyone. That she’s not as popular as she thinks she is. That you control her happiness. That’s what makes sense, right? That’s what our heart can lunge at! When someone hurts you, get even— no, inflict worse pain on anyone who crosses you— because, after all, you did nothing for them to start treating you poorly. They hurt you first and you had to suffer. So, make them suffer longer, feel more miserable, and hurt even more. That feels right and fair. That feeling of revenge makes it difficult to forgive. Even Joseph’s brothers expect revenge. They themselves admit it! “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” They make up a letter from dad saying: “I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.” They even try to punish themselves: “We are your slaves!” They know they deserve terrible punishment for their actions. Joseph stands in front of them, the second-most powerful man in the ancient world. Fingers lifting off his headdress. Index finger and thumb sliding off his signet ring. Chin rising so that his eyes look down at his brothers. This is it; this is where you get even. He opens his mouth, sighs, and announces: “Don’t be afraid. I forgive you.” How do you forgive something like that so quickly? He lost years because he was a slave! He is kept away from his family! He lives in another land! Yet, no grudge! No resentment! No anger! Just ““Don’t be afraid. I forgive you.” How Can I Forgive like that? Well, look at the words of Joseph. In verse 19 he says: Am I in the place of God? Joseph puts the motivation of our forgiveness into its proper perspective. If forgiveness is tied to what you feel is fair, then God should treat you fairly. That means, there is no reason for God to forgive the broken promises to be a more patient person. There is no reason for God to look past the times we locked his Word away so that it could not reach our ears, mind, and hearts. There is no reason for God to cancel out the many times we hated hearing his promises that we trusted in our own efforts and decisions. God would have every right to lock us up as eternal slaves in hell! That is what disobedience deserves. That would be fair. Yet, God, in mercy, cancels out our incredible debt. He allows his Son to suffer because evil men lied about his reputation. He allows his Son to be imprisoned to the cross because the Jewish nation hates him, the non-Jews reject his authority, and his disciples are too afraid to stand up for him. God forgets his Son on the cross, leaving him to cry out alone. God sends Jesus to pay your debt of millions owed him. God sends Jesus so that you are set free from hell’s bondage, set free from guilt, set free for eternal life! This is where forgiveness starts. How Can I Forgive? Do not start by looking at the person who hurt you. Start by looking at the God you and I hurt first. God would have every right to damn us to hell, but in mercy, he forgives. The first thing he says on Easter Sunday is: Peace be with you! Do not fear divine revenge. Do not be afraid that God will remember your wrongs and hold them against you. Live in the peace of knowing that God has taken your sins and has removed them from you as far as the east is from the west! See how much God has cancelled out! See that you stand before him a debt-free servant! You have been forgiven eternal death. Be compelled to forgive those whose actions against you do not result in you damning them to hell. To “forgive” means releasing someone from a personal grudge. The picture behind “forgiveness” is that of “lifting up and carrying away.” When Joseph reads the letter: “Forgive your brothers…” he is asked to lift up the baggage of hurt feelings, take them away, and leave resentment and bitterness behind. If you forgive someone, it means you do not seek revenge; you are not fighting to get even or to make someone’s life miserable for the sake of making their life miserable. If you forgive, you are announcing that person is set free from owing you repayment. So, does that mean you should shrug off and not pursue justice against those who wrong you? No, it doesn’t. Sin has consequences. Consequences may result in punishment. A change in that person’s life may come as a result of their actions. The son who takes advantage of your generosity may have to go without. No, not because you want him to become homeless and beg for food; rather, he you are teaching him how to better manage his money. The friend who lies, may lose your trust. It is not that you treat them poorly. Rather, the result of their lies means that you cannot expect him to be completely honest with you. The one who commits a crime, you forgive—meaning that you will not repeat that crime against them. You are announcing that they do not need to fear your wrath and anger. Yet, their actions may result in them repaying with time behind jail or restitution. How Can I Forgive? Announce that you hold no ill will against that person. Maybe you still feel angry. Maybe you really don’t want to see the person who wronged you—yet. What do you do? You pray. You pray because forgiveness is not a natural feeling. What is natural is to feel revenge and to get even with those who harm you. The power to forgive others may not come overnight. So, pray, ask God to put words in your mouth, patience in your heart, and kindness in your life. Even our Prayer of the Day addresses the need to pray over this. Lord, let your mercy and grace always lead us, let it motivate us in life and let it be our closing words. Let us show your mercy; let us reflect your undeserved love to others. And so we pray, “Father, forgive us our trespasses and move us to forgive those who trespass against us. It can be difficult to forgive. It’s difficult to forgive someone who has wreaked such havoc in your life. Yet, before anger takes a foothold in your heart, remember the havoc God has removed from your personal account. God, in mercy, releases you from an eternal prison in hell. He restores to you the rights of children! Set free from sin, you are motivated to forgive others. Set free from sin, you ask for the ongoing strength to forgive. Look to your Savior and find strength in How You Can Forgive.
of Houston, situated literally in the Gulf of Mexico. It looks like a little sandbar and lies just nine feet above sea level. When Isaac Cline arrived in Galveston, he was so sure that no hurricane would ever touch this booming city that he publicly spoke against the need for constructing a seawall.
Well, a few years after his confident assumption, a ship began sending reports of a tropical depression pushing west across the Caribbean islands. A few days later, the island of Antigua warned of a strong tropical thunderstorm. Soon, meteorologists stationed on Cuba warned of a category-4 hurricane (with winds whipping up to 145 miles-per-hour) heading westward towards San Antonio. Isaac Cline received these reports; Isaac Cline disregarded the reports. He believed the storm would boomerang to the northeast. But it did not. When the hurricane warning flags were finally raised in Galveston, it was too late. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 remains the deadliest natural disaster in United States history. About 12,000 people lost their lives because Isaac Cline failed to warn the people of the approaching danger. When you are the watchman who has news for life, you become responsible for the lives of others. Isaac Cline had information that could have saved lives, but did not share that information until it was too late and too much life was lost. On this Christian Education Sunday, God asks you: How dedicated have you been at being my watchman? Much of our society remains comfortably uninterested in eternity. It can happen that even you and I grow unconcerned about what beliefs have entered our hearts. God gives you his Word and God Makes You His Watchman so that you may warn against sin and share God’s grace. In verse 7 God says: Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. There it is; you see whom God addresses: Son of man. In this setting God speaks to his prophet Ezekiel— a man, someone’s son. Yet, these words are not only meant for him; our gospel reading connects these words to you. Matthew 18:15 reads: If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault. God no longer talks to Ezekiel; he speaks directly to you. You are “sons” and “daughters” of man. That is saying more than: “You have a mom and a dad.” Being a “son of man” reminds you that you are different from a “son of God.” You are mortal. Your life has a beginning and an end. People who are mortal have a job: you are watchman. In ancient times, a watchman marched along the towering city walls, scanning the region for any sign of danger. The very instant he caught a glimpse of the enemy marching towards the city, he blasted the trumpet, warning the military to take up arms and alerting citizens to take cover. (1) The watchman recognizes danger. (2) He sounds the alarm. (3) He does everything in his power to keep people safe— because he holds people’s lives in his hands. Yet, God does not instruct you to climb a wall, march around, and scan the horizon for invaders. He explains what you, as a watchman, do. Hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. The ‘Word’ God has spoken are the Words that make up the Bible. The Bible teaches this one reality: one day you will stand before God Almighty. It can happen at any moment. You may close your eyes in death today and meet your Maker. Or your Jesus could rip the heavens open, slam his golden throne down on this earth, and send out hundreds of thousands of angels across the entire world to gather all people before him. Only those who cling to the saving work of Jesus are able to stand before him without fear. You know this message, right? You learned it in Sunday School, in catechism class, in Sunday sermons, and in Bible class. And if you heard this message, then it means God has spoken his Word to you. And if God has spoken his Word to you, then it means God has Made You a Watchman for the special task of warning against sin. Yet, why you? Out of all the people on earth, why are you made a watchman? I mean, you didn’t sign up for this, did you? After all, that’s Pastor’s job. You pay him to talk about Jesus and heaven and hell with people. No one’s paying you to approach a friend about their lifestyle. In the end, it’s really none of your business, right? If someone wishes to be an alcoholic and dabble with drugs, then that’s their right. If your son wants to live with his girlfriend outside of marriage, then he should be free to do so! If your child doesn’t want to worship, but still believes there is a God, then that’s good enough. If your friend thinks worshipping God out in nature is enough to enter heaven, then who are you to say otherwise? Why meddle? Why warn against sin? Do you want to know why? Because God has Made You His Watchman. He makes you responsible for the spiritual lives of others because he has put his Word into your life. You have the knowledge of what is going to happen on the Last Day. Not everyone knows. Not everyone is overly concerned about eternity. When [God] says to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and [God] will hold you accountable for his blood. The devil has led much of present-day society to label exposing sin as “judgmental.” Quite frankly, the devil just wants no one to point out sin so that more will join him in hell. And if he can get you and me to say nothing, then he has won. My friends, the reason to warn against sin is not to look morally better than someone else. The reason to warn against sin is not to shame others. The reason to warn against sin is not to pat yourself on the back for not struggling with the same addiction and habit as someone else. The reason to warn against sin is to warn against the eternal consequences of sin! To warn against eternal death separated from God in hell. God Makes You his Watchman so that you can warn against sin. God is serious about punishing sin. Yet, as serious as he is about removing sin, God Makes You his Watchman so that you can share his grace. “Grace” means “undeserved love.” God hands youa message of warning so that people may avoid judgment. Yet, for all those times you did not want to sound judgmental, all those times you turned a blind eye to a lifestyle you know was wrong, God would have every right to judge you. Yet, your Sovereign Lord [declares], “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” You God wants all people saved (1 Timothy 2:4) and so he sends Jesus. Jesus does not ignore your failures; he suffers for them. He dies for the times you are too ashamed to warn anyone of God’s judgment. He suffers your judgment in order to stand you before God his Father forgiven! The reason God has Made You His Watchman is for you to share his grace. Yes, you! You may be an elderly watchman—70, 80, 90-years-old or older! If you ever ask yourself: “Why am I still alive? What does God want me to do?” then find a purpose for life in our verses. God makes You His Watchman! Just think of it—you have worshipped God for 70, 80, or 90 years—and you still come here! Why? Don’t you know everything already? Don’t you already believe in God? Don’t you know the Christmas and Easter stories forwards and backwards? Don’t you know all about heaven and hell? Of course you do! And yet, you realize that trouble does not go away as you get older. You still need to hear that God will not send you to hell because of the foolish choices of your youth. You still need to hear that God is in control of the world— including wars and natural disasters. You still need to cling tighter to grace— to be sure that God forgives you free of charge! You have worshipped here for years because you want to be reminded against and again just how much God loves you. So, what can you do at your age and at your stage in life? There are those who think they already know everything the Bible has to teach. God uses you (and your life experience) to encourage those younger than you to remain in worship. God is using you as his watchman to share his grace with your fellow believers. Maybe you are an empty-nester watchman. The kids are no longer kids; they are adults. Your son grew up, got married, lives right around the corner, and has a family of his own—with children who have yet been baptized! Your sister once worshipped with you. She lives five miles away, but doesn’t make Sunday a priority anymore. She travels around Michigan on the weekends. She stays up late Saturday night and sleeps in Sunday mornings. She worships with you only when the family is in town. Perhaps you ask your child: “Where’s God in your life?” As his mother, you want to see him in heaven. You’re afraid by the things he has said and the way that he lives that he considers forgiveness to be “fluff” and “unnecessary.” Tears well up in your eyes because you did not raise your child this way. What do you do? Sound the warning as the Watchman God has Made You. God instructs: If you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. Do you see the job God gives you? God does not say: “You must turn him from his ways.” He simply says: “You warn.” God assures you: If you warn and they ignore you, you are not guilty for their unbelief. As long as that child or sibling or friend is in your life, God uses you as his watchman to share his grace. Your kids may be growing up right now. If God has made you a parent, then it means God has made you responsible for the wellbeing of that child. So, you take care of them. You feed them, take them to school, enroll them in events; you shower them with so many blessings. Yet, as parents, you want your child to want to come to worship. You want child to spontaneously wake up early Sunday morning and come here. And sometimes they do— and what a blessing it is to see the Holy Spirit move their hearts in this way! Sometimes they don’t— and what a responsibility you have to crush the devil’s temptation raging in their heart to despise worship. As parents, sometimes you may have to make children come to worship with you. I would love for Clara to want to get shots because they keep her healthy. But she’s five-years-old. She does not want shots. I know shots are best for her wellbeing— and while she may not like me for bringing her to the doctor, I bring her to a person who will help her life. You bring your child to worship so that they can know Jesus better. If you desire for your child to want to worship, then talk about worship. What did you hear in the sermon that stuck out? How does it apply to what your family faces now? How does it give you comfort? Share it! Explain why you are here (when their friends are sleeping at home). Why do you worship in this church (and not somewhere else)? Explain to your child how God’s Word lights up the path to eternal life. Be the Watchman God makes You as you share the love of Jesus with your child. Isaac Cline had information that could have saved lives, but did not share that information until it was too late and too much life was lost. You have information that leads to eternal life. While this world continues, it means you have time to warn against sin. Sin is rebellion against God. It tries to remove you from him; it seeks to throw you in unbelief. It is that serious. Yet, as serious as God is about punishing sin, he more serious to forgive sin. He uses the Bible to tell you: “You are forgiven.” Forgiven by his grace, his undeserved love alone. Use the time you have now to share his grace with young and old and family and friends. Be the watchman God makes you. Someone to warn that unbelief results in hell. Someone to warn against sinful lifestyles. Someone to share God’s forgiveness. Someone to share the joy of growing closer to God. God Makes You His Watchman to warn against sin and to share God’s grace.
Augustine, the more the settlers of St. Augustine stood open to invasion. After 107 years of being attacked by the English, French, and Portuguese (and various pirates), the Spanish military constructed this fort [Castillo de San Marcos].
The fort still stands— and if you ever visit, its walls remain in pristine condition. You see, the Spanish used a special kind of rock for the walls called coquina. Coquina is a natural, hard, dense rock formed almost entirely out of crushed (and compacted) sea-shells. The Spanish discovered this hard rock would not erode from the ocean’s salty breeze. The walls did not dry out and crumble under the hot Florida sun. The best part about this hard wall? It resisted enemy cannonballs. Whenever enemy ships fired at the fort, those cannonballs would bounce off the walls—literally. No matter how long or how many cannons fired, nothing could demolish the fortress. At the end of the day, when darkness covered the water and the enemy ships stopped firing, Spanish soldiers would go out and patch up any wall damage. The next day, when the sun rose, the enemy had no idea where they had attacked the previous day. Three hundred-fifty years later, Castillo de San Marcos still stands because no one could destroy its walls. Isn’t it interesting to consider the reasons for constructing a fort at all? You build a fort because you have enemies. Someone will attack you. Someone does not care about your overall welfare. Someone hopes to destroy you. If you expect enemies, then you make every effort to protect yourself. God tells you quite plainly: Enemies will fight against you (Jeremiah 15:20)— enemies who stand opposed to Jesus, and therefore lived opposed to the teachings of Jesus you carry in your heart and practice in your life. The pressure to leave the family of God is intense. It’s tiring. It may even feel worthwhile to lay God aside. Yet, God barks out the encouragement: March On, Christian Soldier! Flesh will fight against you, but No one will overcome you. Did you expect that? Flesh will fight against you? But you’re a Christian! People are supposed to like you! You have God’s Word in your life. It means that you imitate Jesus by being kind and forgiving, patient and generous. Why would anyone ever fight against you? Not to mention, you have God on your side. Isn’t he there to make sure you always feel happy, that you always have money, that nothing bad ever happens to you? Why should anyone ever fight against you? You have done everything God expects of you! Just like Jeremiah. You see, God appoints Jeremiah to be his prophet. As God’s prophet, Jeremiah is sent to the nation of Judah (located in present-day southern Israel). He walks among his fellow Jews— people who knew God. People familiar with God’s miraculous Ten Plagues—plagues which pushed Pharaoh to let their ancestors leave Egypt. People who heard how God gave the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. People who held the promise of a Savior from sin. So, Jeremiah traveled in a familiar location among people who shared much in common with him, and he preaches this message: If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray… As surely of the Lord lives,’ then the nations will be blessed by him (4:1-2). It’s a simple message: You will not die if you turn to God in faith. How do people respond? You understand, O Lord[…] think of how I suffer reproach for your sake. When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, […] I never sat in the company of revelers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation. Jeremiah’s neighbors point a finger in his face, ordering: ‘Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord or you will die by our hands’ (11:21). A high-ranking priest in God’s temple who heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, [and] had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the […] Lord’s temple (20:1-2). Prophets shout: “You must die! Why do you prophesy in the Lord’s name that […] this city will be desolate and deserted?” (26:8-9). A captain of the guard had [Jeremiah] beaten and imprisoned (37:15). Government officials plead: “This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people” (38:2,4). And a King answers: He is in your hands (38:5). What has Jeremiah done wrong? The nation of Judah rejected God. God threatened destruction for their unbelief. God had Jeremiah share his message of judgment. Jeremiah did what God said— and he suffers for it! People hate him because spread the Word of God! And God tells you—a Christian--flesh will fight against you. This idea that the life of a Christian will be easy and filled with nothing but happiness and pleasure and friendship does not pair with what God tells you to expect. Flesh will fight against you. Flesh, that is, those who reject Jesus will reject what you have to say. You invite your son to worship so that he might find the real purpose of life in this world. Yet, he laughs at you and gives some excuse as to why he doesn’t need God now. You teach that God’s view of relationships: one man and one woman, who do not simply live together, but are bound together in marriage. Yet, your daughter replies, “Yes, mom, but this is 2017. Get with the times!” You repeat: Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16). That’s what makes Jesus so important. Yet, your friend’s daughter says: “Don’t be so judgmental. There’s more than one right religion.” It hurts, does it not? It hurts when someone attacks your character and reputation. It hurts when someone avoids you— even though you are a pretty kind person. It hurts when you are called names, hung up on, shrugged off, and rejected. It feels like an unending pain or an incurable wound. Your ego stings because you repeat God’s Word— and people hate you for sharing it. Can you imagine how easy Jeremiah’s life would have been if he just said what people wanted to hear? He could have ignored Judah’s idolatry. He could have changed God’s message from: “Destruction!” to “Peace and safety!” He could have said nothing at all. Then he would have more friends and the temple priests would not say bad things about him and the king would not threaten his life. And if you keep your beliefs here in this church building or keep them bottled up inside of you, then your friends would not put you in that awkward spot of sharing beliefs they consider “weird.” Your co-workers would not call you judgmental. You could fit into the lifestyle of this world a little bit more. Yes, your life could be so much better if you just do not have God in it! Don’t agree with that? Want Jesus and pleasure in this world? That’s the paradox of which Jesus speaks. You can share God’s teachings on worship, money, sex and marriage, heaven and hell. You may lose respect because others do not want to hear God’s teachings. You may lose popularity because you serve God with your life. Or…, you can change God’s standards of morality to fit the popular thinking of this world and you will win many friends, but you will not have God on your side (see Matthew 16:25-26). You will either love God so much you would rather lose the world than to lose him, or you will love the stuff in this life so much that you would rather lay aside God than to lose wealth, status, or pleasure. God tells you what you can expect: Flesh will fight against you. People who have rejected God will reject the words of God you share. Nonbelievers are not the only ones who fight against your allegiance to Jesus, but the flesh of your own heart kicks against his teachings too. Look at your heart; examine what it loves most. See a dead end at the end of worldly wealth and success. Listen to the Lord [who] says: “If you repent, I will restore you.” Turn away from thoughts that seek worldly wealth; find real value in Jesus. On the cross, Jesus reveals what a heart wrapped up in worldly pleasure deserves: Separation from God. Jesus cries out: “God, why have you forsaken me? Where are you? (Psalm 22:1). No one pulls the nails out of his hands and feet. No one silences the smug soldiers taunting him. No one gives Jesus the glory owed him as God. No one gives him pleasure because he carries our disobedience. Jesus must endure shame and insult because by nature, everyone hates the perfect God stands for. Jesus must endure shame and insult because his life matches the perfect God demands. Even though many fight him, he offers the perfect life God demands. The perfect life no other human being has ever held in this life. All those times our hearts fight God and seek pleasure in this world, those are heaped on Jesus. He suffers, he dies, he is cut off from the sight of God, so that you never will be. He rises from the dead to show that God removed the sting of death. He appears to you in his Word and whispers: “Peace be with you; you are forgiven” (John 20:21-23). Flesh will fight against you because you are connected to Jesus. Yet, March On, Christian Solider. March on past the name-calling. March against the pulls and tugs to find real value in the amount of money you have or your popularity or the pleasure of homes and success. March On, Christian Solider, because you are marching to the real rest Jesus holds for you. March On, Christian Solider, because nothing will overcome you You will stand out in this world; God tells you to expect this much. You stand out— not because you (yourself) look different. You will stand out because you are a representative of God to this world. Frightening? It can be. Explaining that marriage is between one man and one woman for life may not make you too popular. Your child may not want to hear the reality that only Jesus makes people right before God. Your friends may laugh at you when you do not indulge with them. You may feel pressured to cave in, to place God off to the side, and share a worldly view on life. Yet, God promises: I will make you a wall[…] a fortified wall of bronze— something better than the coquina walls of St. Augustine’s fort. Imagine standing at the base of a towering wall made entirely of hazy-golden bronze. Strike it with a sledgehammer, but you cannot dent the wall. Shoot arrows; watch them ricochet off. Ram it with a tank, but the wall still holds. No one and nothing will penetrate such a defense. God makes you a bronze wall— made strong to withstand attacks on your faith. No, not because you are so strong, courageous, and mighty. It’s because God has given you his Word upon which to stand. In verse 19, God says: Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. If you are insulted for the Bible’s teachings, then know this: they are rejecting God’s teachings, not your opinions. If your heart questions why you worship as often as you can, your heart needs to listen to God’s Third Commandment closer. If you are the last believer left on earth and you feel all alone, then know every single person left on earth must bend to you, not you to them. God’s message of forgiveness in Jesus will never change. People must change to hear the message. You who hold to this message will never be overcome. The God who conquered death will raise you to life on the Last Day of this world’s existence. The God who makes the devil’s accusations against you fall flat, assures you: “You are forgiven.” The God who removes the consequences of your sin (and mine), will bring you into heaven. No one will stop him from doing this. His Word stands. His Word is that bronze wall. You stand behind that wall. So, March On, Christian Soldier! Flesh will fight against you. Do not be alarmed at that. Flesh will fight against you, but No one will overcome you because God has enclosed you behind his wall. March On, to heaven Christian Soldier! No one will overcome you.
catches the villain; it never fails! Bond may be chained up and dangling upside down over a pool of man-eating sharks, but you know he will escape. He may be strapped to a wall with a laser beam aiming to slice him in half, but he will get out. Someone poisons Bond at a poker game, but you know he will somehow live. James Bond is the good guy! He must win! The villain must lose!
That old adage goes for just about any movie. The hobbits (from the Lord of the Rings series) will always make it to Mordor, toss one powerful ring into its fires, and rescue Middle-Earth from the clutches of goblins, evil wizards, and orcs. Spiderman will always defeat Green Goblin, Doc Oct[opus], and Venom. The American Allies will always crush the evil Axis Powers. John Wayne will always bring rustlers to justice. The nice guy will always beat out the jerk to win the girl’s love. Even in those tense moments when our hero faces some insurmountable challenge, you know that he will succeed some way, somehow. You know that you will leave the movie feeling happy because the good guy always wins. But is that always true? Does he always win? Consider the presence of Christianity in America; do you see victory? A recent [Pew Research] study concluded that 67% of those born between 1925 and 1945 say religion is important in their life. Fifty-one percent of those born between 1925 and 1945 worship every week. So, half of those age 72 to 92 years old sit in a pew every Sunday! Compare that with the Millennial generation. Of those born between 1980 and 1995 only 38% feel religion is important, and only 28% actually worship every Sunday. So, three out of every four people under age 35 find little reason to worship God. Does it look like Jesus is winning? Or, consider that since 1969, the Reformed Church in America has lost 62% of its membership. The Episcopal Church has lost 49%. The Methodist Church is down 33%. The same study reveals that the members of congregations are getting older and the number of young individuals in worship is decreasing. Does this look like victory? Maybe you don’t need those studies to tell you what you already know: your society is growing increasingly God-less. You try to share Jesus. You invite friends to worship— and they come— maybe for one or two services (and then they stop coming). You share events on Facebook, you advertise Christmas Eve service in the newspaper, you send out postcards, but no one responds. Your fellow believers get older and move out of the area and you fight to regain lost volunteers and supporters. Look around at this Christian landscape; does it look like things are getting better? Does it look like Jesus is winning? Or, Are you on the losing side? Jesus holds the answer to that question. The answer is found by him asking you a question: Who Do You Say Jesus Is? That question searches for the (1) identity, (2) characteristics, and (3) actions of Jesus. The disciples share what many concluded about the Son of Man. “Some say [you are] John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” All four of these characters have one thing in common: they point people to God. Their preaching exposes the smug arrogance of the human heart. They announce how no one can live such a good life that God is compelled to love them. They only declare: “You are separated from God!” And still, John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, and the prophets point the world to the Lamb God sends to remove sin (John 1:29). They point people to Jesus. So, when Jesus comes on the scene, many think he is just another great prophet. The Jewish nation waits for a political Savior. They expect a “Christ,” but a “Christ” who would free them from Roman captivity! They expect “Christ” to become their earthly king and restore independence and wealth to the Jewish nation. They expect “Christ” to make life perfect— with food and security and guidance! (John 6:14-15) Since the masses do not see Jesus filling this role, they conclude: he [Jesus] is not the Savior. Is it really any different today? What do so-called scholars claim about the identity of Jesus? History Channel labels Jesus as just another great rabbi who rallied the Jewish nation together, but died before he made any sweeping changes. The Smithsonian Channel questions if Jesus actually existed; maybe he was nothing more than a mythological fairytale. You go on Facebook, and what kind of God do your friends share? A God who promises perfect health and immense wealth to Christians only (even though this thought is found nowhere in the Bible). A God who loves everything everyone does— regardless of their sexuality or the way they treat authority or the way they worship their money (even though God has a few words on those issues). Part of the reason your society stays out of worship is because they see Jesus as just another great teacher. If Jesus is just another great teacher, then it means he is just a human being. If Jesus is only a human being, then you can (1) accept his teaching or (2) reject his teaching—and face no divine punishment. If there is no divine punishment behind Jesus’ teachings, then you have the freedom to change his teachings. You can make Jesus into whoever you want him to be. If you fail to see Jesus as God, then you find very little reason to trust Jesus as God. So, Who Do You Say Jesus Is? We can easily fail to see Jesus as the God he is. When that happens, you try to make him fit your worldly expectations. So, you start by wanting more people in worship so that you can feel successful and popular. Yet, when worship attendance decreases, then you wonder what’s wrong with Jesus… or, what you have to do to win in the eyes of the world. You may expect your society to praise your beliefs and pass laws in your favor. What you have then done is made Jesus an earthly king who is to give you pleasure in this life alone! When you expect something God has not promised, then you change what Jesus actually does. You have changed the person of God. Then you will feel like you are on the losing side. In reality, you have this wrong perception of Who Jesus Is. Peter pushes to the front of the disciples, looks at Jesus, and announces: “You are the Christ! “You”—that is, finger pointed right at Jesus. “Are”— present tense verb— right here, right now, something is uniquely special about Jesus. “The Christ.” “Christ” is a special name. “Christ” is the Greek word for the Old Testament Hebrew name: “Messiah.” So, both “Christ” and “Messiah” mean “Anointed One.” To “anoint” someone means to “set them aside” for a special mission. Jesus is set aside for the special mission of rescuing the world from the consequences of sin. Look at Jesus and what do you see? Someone greater than an earthly king. You see the Savior God promised Adam and Eve. You see Jesus, the child promised to Abraham and Sarah, focused on serving God with his entire life. You see Jesus born on Christmas Day for the sole purpose of opening the kingdom of heaven to you! Who Do You Say Jesus Is? He is the Christ! He is set aside to suffer for your needless despair and self-pity. His mission is to cleanse the selfish arrogance of our human hearts. He comes to make complete payment on your behalf. Jesus, the Christ, has completed his mission of rescuing you from the hell you deserved. Who Do You Say Jesus Is? In the midst of an increasing God-less society, you confess: Jesus is the Christ. As God’s appointed Son, he continues doing what God expects of him. Jesus lives as the Protector of his Church. “Church”— not a protector of your church building. This is the [big-C] “C”hurch you heard about last week. The [big-C] “C”hurch (or the Holy Christian Church) is the total number of believers. Jesus lives to Protect his Church, to protect you— a believer! Peter himself confesses: “You are the Son of the living God!” Jesus still lives today! Since he lives, it means he functions! He pays attention to the troubles in this world. He hears your cries of distress and gives you relief. He still protects you, guides you, and leads you through this life and into heaven. This is what Jesus is sent to do. You can be sure Jesus still remains with you because he himself says so. “[…] on this rock I will build my church.” What’s this rock? It’s not Peter— as though Peter is the leader of all believers on earth. (Both the Greek grammar and much of Scripture does not support this point.) The “rock” is Peter’s rock-solid confession of faith. Peter confesses that Jesus comes to save him. You have made this same rock-solid confession of faith. You admit that Jesus is greater than John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or another prophet. You confess he is the Son of the Living God! This God makes sure [T]he gates of Hades will not overcome you. The “gates of Hades” refers to the attacks the devil makes on your faith. He tries every day to discourage you. He will point your eyes to statistics and say, “Look, more are staying out of church. Jesus is losing; he is worthless!” He will point at your emotions. “If you feel sad that more people do not love God, then quit!” He will point at your society. “Look, so many people live happier lives than you. They have more money, better health, and tighter families. Why bother with Jesus?” But remember this: Christ has already won. When he died on the cross, he broke you out of the gates of hell. When Jesus rose from the dead, he announced that you will live with him (John 14:19). Nothing will ever take that away! The devil can never undo Easter. He cannot declare more power than God. You who cling to Jesus by faith live on the winning side. You have won for all eternity. And so Jesus replies, “Blessed are you!” Not: “Blessed are you, now go get more numbers.” Not: “Blessed are you, now earthly life will be perfect.” Not: “Blessed are you, you will never be discouraged again.” Rather, “Blessed are you, because your faith relies on me. I will never fail to bring you into heaven.” Blessed are you, even when people say horrible things about your faith. Blessed are you, even though society separates itself from the Word. Blessed are you because your faith rests on the work Jesus did to save you. No matter what happens in your world or in your congregation, nothing will remove the royal reign of your Jesus. Our grim statistics may only increase. In fact, 50% of the American population could be God-less in the next 20 years. Worship attendance could drop even more. Perhaps the United States will even outlaw public worship. Does it look like Jesus wins? Yes. The government cannot lock Jesus in heaven. An unbelieving generation cannot change the fact that Jesus will come again. No one will topple Jesus off from his throne of authority. The living God is on your side. That means, the good guy always wins. You already know how this movie will end. Your Christ will continue gathering believers into the mansions of heaven. Nothing will stop that. Your Christ will always remain in the Word and sacraments to strengthen your faith and protect you from every evil assault. Who Do You Say Jesus Is? He is the Christ. He is the Protector of his Church.
But what does that mean? … the Holy Christian Church? …the communion of saints? You do notice that “Holy Christian Church” is capitalized, right? (And just in case you’re wondering, that’s not a typo in the hymnal.) Why is this “C”hurch capitalized? What is meant by the expression “Holy Christian Church?” And what is this “communion of saints?” More importantly, what do these words have to do with you?
After all, you are in Isaiah’s prophecy. Isaiah is not describing some random group of people in some random land in some random era. Even though Isaiah lives 700 years before the birth of Christ, he sees you, gathered here, in Clare & Harrison, Michigan, worshipping your God, serving him, and praising his name. Dig into our reading again. See where you fit in. Rediscover what you, as God’s child, are equipped to do. God Reveals His Salvation to make foreigners his citizens and to motivate service for him. It starts with that order. Before you can ever begin reflecting on what you can do to serve God, you must start by recognizing why you can serve God at all. Your service all starts with the Lord. Literally— verse 1 begins: This is what the Lord says[.] Notice who speaks. Yes, the Lord is God, but he uses a special name here. Isaiah does not say: “This is what God says.” It’s: This is what the Lord says[.] That title: the “Lord” (in all capitals) is not a typo; it’s intentional. The “Lord” (in all capitals) tells you two things about your God (Exodus 34:6-7). (1) God expects all of humanity to live a holy life— to be as perfect as he is; to love what is morally good and to hate evil (Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 5:48). So, The Lord says: Maintain justice and do what is right[.] This is how people of God are to act every day. If you wish to know if the way you live is “right,” then compare your behavior to God’s every single commandment (Exodus 20:1-17). Love everyone as much as you care for yourself. If you do not enjoy someone hating you, then do not hate anyone. If you do not want your friends gossiping about you, then do not gossip about your friends. If you want the car salesman to treat you honestly, then be honest, kind, patient, compassionate to everyone. Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). Do not stop there, but love your God with every fiber of your being. Do not consider worship boring, but rejoice that you get to worship God. Do not feel home devotions and prayer rob you of time. Rather, fight for time to spend with God in prayer and devotion. Treat God’s name better than a curse Word. Recognize what the name “God” means and trust that “God” is powerful enough, wise enough, and available to be in your life. In case you’re wondering, the Lord is not giving a suggestion; he commands. You are to maintain this morality, this justice, today, tomorrow— always. Do this and you will live; fail and be forever cut off from God (Luke 10:25-28). How do you measure up? Would you be proud if God saw everything you did last week? The God who is everywhere, dwelling in your home, standing beside you, would he be pleased with your internet search or what you post to Facebook or what you watch on television? Would he be pleased with your thoughts on your way to worship this morning or where your mind was from the start of worship to this moment? Could God say that you loved your family with perfect compassion, that you humbly built up others, that you never complained about the way your congregation functions, but that you always supported decisions and offered your time to help? Have you maintained the justice God expects? Did you always do what is right? You trust in Jesus as Savior; you love God. Yet, you recognize there’s still a part of you that finds discontentment in being a member of God’s family. Instead of being a citizen of Christ, that sinful nature wants to live as a foreigner— someone God does not recognize as belonging to him! That is why, when you consider how you serve your God, it can never start by looking at you. Either you will find God’s commands to be a new form of slavery or you will be crushed by the fact you can never be perfect enough. That is why, when you consider your service to God, it must start with the “Lord” (in all capitals). Your “Lord” (in all capitals) threatens to punish every sinner, but he does something else: (2) the Lord is patient, loving, and forgiving. How do you know? Well, Isaiah says, “[The] salvation [of God] is close at hand and [his] righteousness will soon be revealed.” The word “salvation” simply means “to deliver” or “rescue.” When Isaiah is alive, God has made a promise to Jesus to blot out the transgressions of the world. Even though Jesus had not yet been born, his arrival comes closer with each passing day. Everyone who lives before the first Christmas could prepare their hearts for the coming Savior. For all of us who live after the first Christmas, you realize that deliverance and rescue from the wages of sin is found in the forgiveness of Jesus has already won. God’s salvation is always close at hand. You have the privilege to run to the cross again and again and be assured: You are forgiven. God Reveals His Salvation to make foreigners his citizens, to bring forgiven sinners into the family of God. Not just that, God Reveals His Salvation to make foreigners his citizens— literally. Jesus comes through the bloodlines of the Jews. Yet, the Jews do not keep this message only to themselves. The good news of Jesus has reached all people—Jews and non-Jews included. If you look around today, you can see that Isaiah’s prophecy has come true. You are the ones who have been gathered into the family of God. God has come to you in the form of his Word. In this Bible he tells you: God so loved the world that he gave his Son for you— for your eternal benefit— to step into your death sentence and die instead of you. He takes this truth, packages it up, and delivers it to you in baptism. You see, baptism is not just plain water. The water is not supernatural holy water. God takes plain, ordinary water, and attaches a promise to it. When the words are said, “You are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit,” God says that you enter his family. God has put his name on you. Jesus has signed citizenship papers: “Heir of heaven.” “Child belonging to God.” “God is your Father.” And he thrusts those papers into your hand. God has joined you to his family— just like Isaiah said he would. To connect it to what I said earlier, you are therefore brought into the [big-C] “C”hurch. A church is a gathering of worshippers. You see these churches. You see how many there are. Some who enter believe; others do not. So, we call those [little-c] “c”hurches. Yet, the [big-C] “C”hurch refers to the gathering of all believers. All who have faith in Jesus as Savior stand in this gathering. That means, you do not enter heaven just because you sit in a church building. You are not loved by God because your name is in the church membership rolls. You do not earn heaven because you sat for two or three years in catechism class or in adult instruction class. That is how you become part of a visible congregation. You study Bible teachings so that you can confess what you believe. As for entering God’s family, God reveals Jesus, His Salvation, as your Savior from sin. God Reveals His Salvation to make you, once foreigners cut off from God in unbelief, his citizens. God joins you into this [big-C] “C”hurch. The Holy Christian Church? What is that? That’s you! You are those believers who gather around God and God is your Good Shepherd. Since you belong to this [big-C] “C”hurch, you are called the communion of saints? A “saint” because Jesus washes away your sins and makes you a holy person. A “communion” meaning, a fellowship, or a gathering. As God Reveals His Salvation he motivates you to serve him. Isaiah describes three things that people brought into the family of God do: (1) serve him, (2) love his name, and (3) worship him. You serve him by living as the priests you are. No, God is not telling you to enter the seminary and become a Pastor. Neither does he expect you to return to Old Testament worship practices of animal sacrifice. Rather, by faith, God gives you the privilege of coming directly to him just like the Old Testament priests were the only ones able to stand in the presence of God. Old Testament priests would pray for the people, offer sacrifices for their sins, and share the Word. Now, you are the priest who walks right up to God. You can unload your burdens and frustrations. You can ask God to help your loved ones; you can plead for him to deliver you from trouble. You do not need to ask a Pastor to bring your prayers to God; you get to pray directly to God. You can preach the Word to yourself. You have Bibles in your home; you get to read devotions. So, when anxiety fills your mind, you remember: Cast your anxiety on God (1 Peter 5:7). When you have a terrible day, you recall: Come to me—all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). When you have no idea where to turn for answers, you hear: Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you (Psalm 50:15). You love the name of the LORD. God’s “Name” is his reputation. Just think about everything the Name “God” makes you feel. He forgives you—freely, fully, repeatedly. He is patient. He does not afflict you with trouble because you make him angry. He does not make life hell because you missed worship last week. Your God is loving— filling your life with tremendous blessings. Feeding you. Allowing income to flow in. Blessing you through your children, your parents, your grandparents, your friends, and Pastor. You love finding peace and rest in this Name: “God.” So, you worship him. How? By keep[ing] the Sabbath. Now, remember, in the New Testament, God gives you freedom in selecting your day of worship (Colossians 2:16). In fact, that’s what the Word Sabbath means: “day of rest” (and not “Saturday”). You have selected the first hours of the first day of the week to be devoted to God. As citizens belonging to God, you get to worship him. You get to sing praises thanking him for all he does. You get to hear his Word so that you have confidence in life. You get to hear a message shared with you so that you can learn applications; you get to see how God fits into every aspect of your life. Those who love God love worshipping God. Do you see where you fit in? Isaiah paints this gorgeous picture of where you stand. God has brought you to his holy mountain. He has brought you into this the Holy Christian Church. Holy—because Jesus makes you holy from sin. Christian because you follow Christ. Church—because you gather with believers around God. When you confess your faith, you admit that God has made you a citizen. Now, you spend your days serving him. Loving him. Worshipping him. No, not because you must. Rather, as someone touched by God, you are motivated to serve him with your offerings, talents, and time. God Reveals His Salvation to make foreigners his citizens and to motivate service for him.
are made entirely of glass. If you step into this box, you can look out for 50 miles and across four states.You can experience all of this for only $23.00 and a trip to downtown Chicago.
Maybe there’s one more thing you would like to know about “The Ledge.” It’s attached to the outside wall on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower. That’s right. If you wish to look out for 50 miles and across four states you must step into this glass box that stands 1,353 feet over Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago. And yes, in case you were wondering, the floor beneath your feet is made entirely of glass; you can see everything below you. Can you do it? Would you zip up 103 stories and walk into a little box made entirely out of glass and stand 1,353 feet over the ground? Would you place your entire weight into this box, lean against its walls, and (maybe even) take a hop in it? It might be difficult. You know gravity still pulls on you even if you step into something outside the Tower. Your senses tell you to stand on firm ground. Everything you see tells you not to enter the box. In order to step onto “The Ledge,” you must trust the assurance of the engineers. So often we trust what is seen— even if it means trusting our senses and thinking instead of the promises of Jesus. That is why Jesus gives you word of confidence this morning: Take Courage! Jesus is with you! Do not be afraid. He does more than just say these words; powerful miracles trumpet his message. Just last week, you watched Jesus take five loaves of bread and two fish— really a meal best suited for a mother and child— and [he takes them and] he feeds over 5,000 people with these little scraps! The disciples run around, panic over dinner preparations, but Jesus not only feeds this crowd, but gives them more than enough to eat! That miracle demonstrates a crystal-clear truth: Your Jesus uses his power as God to provide for you. Your Jesus— not you! Jesus provides for you, either (1) by using miracles to give you what you need for life or (2) by using your abilities and your talents and your friends to fill your life with blessings. He does this so that you and I, like the disciples, no longer scramble around, fretting about the things you need! He does this so that you may place your complete trust in him and in his Word and in his power. So, how is your trust? Did you leave worship last week and all your fears floated away? Did you live worry-free? …anxiety-free? …stress-free? At each meal, did you, like Jesus, give thanks to God for the food you have? Did you look at your [grand]child and recognize your financial limitations, but then found comfort in God’s unlimited power to provide a secure future? Did you sit in the waiting room and place your health squarely in Jesus’ hands? At very instant stress appeared, did you immediately run to Jesus? If you are like me, it’s a lesson slowly learned. And it’s no different for the disciples either. As soon as the disciples finish picking up the leftover bread and fish, Jesus made the[m] get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side[…] So, these lifelong fishermen hop into a 30-foot boat, drop the sails, and take off— but, they don’t make it far. About 3 ½ miles out, the winds start picking up. These are not little gusts, but winds blasting up to 70 miles per hour. Waves heave, repeatedly lifting this little boat three, six, eight feet into the air, and drop it right into the pit of the sea. They fight this storm for hours— from dinner time to the fourth watch (which is around 3:00am). Just when it seems that this struggle cannot get much worse, it does. Off in the darkness stands a shadowy silhouette— watching, walking, coming right to them! It has a torso, arms, head— a face! “It’s a ghost!” they said, and [they] cr[y] out in fear. What are they going to do? Is this an omen of death? Are they going to die? Can they fight this ghost and chase him away? A few of them thrust their arms into the water, feverishly paddling— but they get nowhere. Hearts pound; stomachs drop; fear paralyzes them. For twelve people who just witnessed the Son of God feed thousands, all they can manage to do in this trouble is hopelessly, desperately weep. Have they forgotten what they just saw? Did it even enter their mind that they could immediately find rescue in a God who does miracles? It is a lesson slowly learned. It is a lesson that needs to hear the voice of Jesus say again and again: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Those words penetrate Peter’s heart. In the midst of whipping winds and heaving waves, Peter sees Jesus for who he truly is: the Son of the Almighty God. The moment Jesus says: “Come!” Peter [gets] down out of the boat, walk[s] on the water and c[o]me[s] toward Jesus. This is not a sleight-of-hand trick. Matthew, the author of these words, is not making these events up. Peter walks on waves and through winds— and he does not sink! Why? Because Jesus has the power to keep him afloat. Peter sees trouble. He hears howling wind. He sees terrifying waves. Our brains would sense danger; water can claim life. Yet, Jesus made a promise: “Come! Come, you will be safe. Come, I will keep you from drowning. Come, it is I—Jesus.” Faith grasps the promises of Jesus and considers them true even when our minds do not see how. But when [Peter] saw the wind… and waves taller than himself… and the billions of gallons of water… he was afraid. For just a moment, he took his faith off the promise of Jesus and placed it onto his human thinking. His brain says: “Human beings sink in water”. His mind screams: “This cannot be! People drown! Not even Jesus can keep you safe!” And he begin[s] to sink. Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” What answer could Peter give? What could he say? What could you or I possibly say? Yes, you probably did not attempt walking on a lake last week, but you still carry the promises of God. Did you trust them even when it felt difficult to take God at his Word? Jesus himself says: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Matthew 28:18). Yet, your eyes see new threats from North Korea. Your mind compares American military against Korean missiles. Maybe you doubt that Jesus has authority in this missile crisis—because your eyes see the missiles, but do not see the deliverance. Your God promises: The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer (1 Peter 3:12). Yet, your son still battles cancer. You see the tumors spreading. Your mind recalls the years of praying. You feel that God is not listening to you; you doubt that his ears are open to someone like you— and if he’s not listening, then it’s up to you to care for the future of your child. Your God says: Call on me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you (Psalm 50:15). Yet, you’re still behind on bills. You’re still in rehab. Your spouse still died relatively young. Your family still argues. You’re still not happy. You feel as though God is not present. You do not see him helping you. You do not hear improvements. Your mind wonders what is truly real: (1) does God really love you or (2) is he lying to you? So often, the troubles we see overwhelm any trust in God’s promises. So, the answer behind: “Why did you doubt [my Word]?” “Because I trusted myself more than I could trust you, Jesus. I reasoned what you are and are not capable of handling. I concluded that you have limitations, Jesus. Therefore, I could not trust you. I consider you untrustworthy, an exaggerator, a liar.” If that is what our doubt says about him, then Jesus would have every reason to let us wallow in our problems. Yet, he does not. Instead, your God keeps his Word. The moment Adam and Eve ran away from him, God saved them immediately. In fact, he made a promise: You will have a Savior (Genesis 3:15). Century after century God repeated this promise—and believers who lived before Jesus trusted those words. Faith is sure of what we hope for--even when we do not yet see its fulfillment (Hebrews 11:1). You see God keep his Word. You watched a Savior whose life is filled with perfect trust in his Father. You grasp his dying breath: It is finished (John 19:30). With those few words Jesus declares you forgiven. Every single time you doubted God’s ability to keep his Word, Jesus wipes clear. Like he did Peter, Jesus saves you from drowning in hell forever because you (and I) dared to doubt his unbreakable Word. My friends, let Jesus’ words sink in. Let them enter your ears, flow through your mind, and penetrate your heart. “Take courage!” Jesus says to you. Just look at the verb. This present tense verb tells you the action keeps happening. To the disciples: “Take courage now!” …in the storm …as you row to the other side …after you reach the other side … next week as you travel throughout cities. The month after, the year after, the decade later— Take courage! Have no fear. This is not a suggestion; it is a command: Take courage! This is why: “It is I.” This “I” is none other than the Son of God. This is the One through whom heaven and earth is knit together. This is the One who takes bread and fish in his hands, and with no effort, provides a feast! This is the One who has the authority to stand on choppy water and walk through waves! This is the One who has inscribed his promises on the pages of Scripture so that you may read them, grasp them, and live trusting in them. This is the One who has bound himself to his promises— telling you that it is impossible for him to lie (Numbers 23:19). This is the One who fills your heart with confidence and courage as you step out into the world. You may not always see the answer to every trouble. You may wonder how God will rescue you when it seems every option is gone. Yet, you lay aside your feelings and your thinking—and instead trust the unbreakable, always-kept-for-you-Word of God. I’m not sure if I would zip up 103 stories and walk into a little box made entirely out of glass and stand 1,353 feet over the ground. I probably would not place my entire weight into this box, lean against its walls, and (maybe even) take a hop in it. Everything you see tells you not to enter the box. Yet, you are able to run to the Word in every trouble. Why? Because in the Word Jesus reveals his power, his control, his authority, his victory. On the cross he demonstrates his infinite love for you. In a final glimpse, you watch him enter into a heaven that he prepares for you. Focus on Jesus’ unseen, but perfectly-reliable promises. Take Courage! Jesus is with you! Do not be afraid.
A farmer planting two hundred acres spends about $10,000 on seed alone (and that’s a smaller farm!) Ten-thousand dollars! A single American makes on average $53,889 (before taxes). https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?q=average+income&search.x=0&search.y=0&page=1&stateGeo=none&searchtype=web&cssp=SERP). (So, imagine taking 20% of your annual income and using it on this one time purchase.)
Now, of course, the farmer carefully prepares his fields. He clears away trees and pulls out stumps and rocks. He drags his discs through the soil, turning over the fields. He watches the water content in each field. Then, when field conditions are just right, he sinks his tens-of-thousands of dollars worth of seed into the ground. Do you know what he does next? He waits. That’s it! He waits! He puts tens-of-thousands of dollars into ground and can do nothing but wait. Yes, he can provide water by irrigating his fields. He can drain the fields and ensure nothing blocks out sunlight. He can spend $15,000 more to spray pesticide and herbicide. He can do everything in his power to make the seed grow and get his money back— but that’s just it: in his power. He may have the best soil conditions, but he does not possess the power to make seeds grow. He simply trusts that God will provide his income. Could you do that? Can you patiently wait and trust that God will provide your livelihood at the right time— even when you see no answer in sight? The temptation is for you to rely on the little control you have in life instead of God’s unlimited control over everything. Jesus gives you a reason to trust him most. Using a mighty miracle, he teaches you to Bring Every Need to Jesus because He deals with you in compassion. Since he deals with you in this way, Trust his power to provide. Five thousand men swarm the shoreline— and this is just men! There may be an additional 10,000-15,000 women and children blanketing the hillside! And the disciples— well, all they see is a problem. [E]vening approache[s, and] the disciples c[o]me to [Jesus] and sa[y], “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away[!]”If the crowds leave now, then they won’t be hungry all night. Yet, Jesus fires back: “They do not need to go away.” Is Jesus looking at the same thing they are? Doesn’t he see the same problem? “Jesus, there’s zero food and yet you’re telling us they can stay. Who’s going to feed them all?” The answer? “You! You give them something to eat.” The truth is: they already tried that. Before they ever Bring Their Need To Jesus, they search for an answer. They scour the area for restaurants. They empty their pockets and see just how much money they have for dinner (Mark 6:37; John 6:7). All they could find is only five loaves of bread and two fish--which, in their estimation, amounts to nothing. “Jesus, we have exhausted all of our options; we have no other solutions. There is no one left to help us. We have tried everything.” Sound familiar? It’s easy to read an account like this and wonder how the disciples could miss asking the Son of God for help. I mean, Jesus is literally right there, watching the disciples rush around in such needless panic. All they have to do is Bring Every Need to Jesus! But they do not because the disciples trust only themselves. Do you think the disciples would shake their heads in disbelief if they saw how you deal with trouble? If your marriage is not going so well, are you Bringing Every Need to Jesus? Or, are you sifting through your feelings and taking advice from non-Christian sources in the hope of fixing things? If you want the best for your children, are you Bringing your wish to Jesus? Or, are you mapping the future and scrambling to save up for all the schooling and all the camps and all the programs; are you exhausted from acting that you must provide for your child? If your health bothers you, are you Bringing Every Need to Jesus? Or, are you trusting that you— and only you— hold the key to recovery? If you experience fear in life, it is because you are trusting yourself. You feel that God is unreliable and will not provide you with the kind of life you want. So, you turn to someone you consider even more trustworthy than God Almighty: You! You understand you! You recognize your problems and the necessary solution! You know how your challenge must be solved! You feel more reliable than God! Does that make your fear go away? No. Why? Fear erupts because of the realization that you do not have the power to instantly bring about what you need for life. Fear teaches you: You are not God. But Jesus is God and Jesus has the power God has. He uses that power for you. Just look at how Jesus deals with the crowds. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them[.]They are like sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34). Hordes of people have no idea what happens when they die. They do not know God as a kind Father who loves them. No one has pointed them to a Savior who removes guilt with his forgiveness. No one fills their heart with peace. So, Jesus’ heart literally goes out to them. This “compassion” refers to deep emotions pouring out from deep down inside. Imagine hosting a house party. Guests grip their punch in one hand, hors d’oeuvres in the other, and chat away in little groups. Off in the background, an infant cries. Tears stream down her cheeks. Her little arms and legs are flailing. All this little baby wants is for someone to hold her, calm her, cradle and coddle her. Yet, no one runs off to comfort; everyone is consumed with satisfying their wants. If your heart hurts [right now] and all you want to do pick up this little baby and hug her, you are feeling “compassion.” Jesus deals with you in compassion. Not only does his heart go out to you, but his blood pours out for you. It hurts him to see you and me run away from him and rely on our own problem-solving. It hurts him as he endures our death-sentence for such selfish self-reliance. On the cross Jesus deals with your only real need: peace between God and you. Is Jesus trustworthy enough that you can Bring Every Need to Jesus? Look at the cross. Jesus cares about what you need. He deals with you in compassion. He dies to give you eternal life. And if he does the impossible by removing your consequences for sin, then will he not also tend to the matters of everyday life? Bring Every Need to Jesus because He deals in compassion. When you Bring Every Need to Jesus, Trust his power to provide. I can’t help but wonder what must have went through the disciple’s minds as they handed out food. Jesus could have chosen to have the crowds form a line and receive food from him. Instead, [Jesus] directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. Then the disciples returned to get more and then handed more out. And then they came back for more and handed even more out. And then they got more and distributed more. And they came back again and again and again until everyone was satisfied— completely full, filled up, loosening their belts. Do you think the disciples learned the lesson? Jesus took the bread and fish they considered worthless and proved he had the power to provide. You know that. Jesus has the power to provide for you. Yet, there’s more to this account than just that. What’s Jesus concerned about here? He’s concerned about what you eat. You could skip supper and still live. Jesus could have snapped his fingers and rained down manna and quail again (Exodus 16). He could have sent the crowds away. Yet, he takes the time to remind you: There is nothing too insignificant for him to handle— even if it is one single meal. So, what’s on your mind? What’s gnawing at you that makes you afraid? Bring Every Need to Jesus and trust his power to provide. Do you worry about money? Are you afraid to increase your offering because you might go without? Do you dread getting a letter in the mail announcing a slash to your pension or a reduction in your social security? Are you anxious that you will lose your job? Bring Every financial fear to Jesus and trust his power to provide. He fills your life with financial blessings; not you. Yes, God has not promised to miraculously put money into your bank account, but how do you get money? Through jobs. How does the company get money? Through an economy. How does the economy thrive? Through leaders God has given you and by God blessing the effort of those leaders. God gives you personal abilities and God provides leaders so that you are able to receive an income. Do you wonder if God really cares about your anxiety? After all, God has so many other things in the universe to worry about (and probably bigger things than health). Does he really care about your aches and pains or what you will have for dinner or how your day at work or school will go? Bring Every anxiety—big or small— to Jesus and trust his power to provide. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus finds it necessary for you to ask: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Jesus wants you to pray: “Ask God to satisfy your needs.” Yes, God has not promised to miraculously fill your cabinets, but that does not mean you must rely on yourself. Where does your food come from? The grocery store. Where does the store get it? The farmer. How does the farmer receive it? The field. Try as farmers might, they cannot control the weather, ground temperature, seasons, or the product. God makes the seed grow. God uses people and their talents to bless you. God uses the kind words of family, friends, and strangers to encourage you. Bring Every Need to Jesus and trust his power to provide. Trust. It means that instead of relying on our own power, we trust that God will do what he says he will do. A farmer sinks $10,000-plus into the ground. There is no guarantee the seed will grow. The farmer does not have the power to make the seed grow. But God does—and the farmer trusts God to provide. God provides for you. You will have trouble in this life. Your heart will try to direct you to trust your own decisions. Your heart will doubt God’s care for you and his power to help. So, Jesus says that he cares for you so that you may not doubt his compassion for you. So, Jesus demonstrates his miraculous power to show he cares so that you trust his power to provide. Jesus does everything necessary for you to run to him first and only in every trouble. Live in peace. Be at rest. Jesus is for you. Bring Every Need to Jesus because He deals with you in compassion. Since he deals with you in this way, Trust his power to provide.
When you build a pyramid, you must lay the wide base on the ground and work your way up to a point. Just like when you build a house, you don’t start with building the roof; you start by laying a foundation. When you start by putting the important pieces in their correct place, everything else falls in line. If you start building at the wrong point, everything else gets messed up as well.
The same can said when you are building your life. You constantly face this longing to improve life and make it more pleasant. You encounter questions like: How can I be a better parent? … grandparent? How can I be a happier individual? How can I be more forgiving? How can I be a better steward of my wealth? In reality, you are searching for wisdom. You are searching for guidance so that you can avoid unpleasant pitfalls and frustrations, failure and disappointment. The problem is, so many times we start by looking for wisdom in the wrong place, and when we start at the wrong place, we end up with an answer that falls apart. So, God brings you (and me) to the very heart and foundation of true wisdom. He urges you: Humbly Recognize Life’s Truest Treasure, by starting at the Source of wisdom and by discerning true joy in God’s blessings. And what better place to start than by looking at the life of the wisest man the world has ever known? Our reading tells us (1) how Solomon receives his incredible wisdom and (2) how that wisdom is displayed. Now (just for a little bit of background), Solomon is the third king ancient Israel ever had. Israel’s first king is King Saul and when he dies, his family tree leaves the throne. A new dynasty rises, and its king is King David (an ancestor to Jesus). Eventually David dies and his son Solomon ascends the throne. So at the time of our reading, Solomon’s just a few years into his reign. You read that the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream. Stop and think about that for a moment. How do you picture young Solomon? Can you imagine what his palace looks like? …how his subjects treat him … what advice his advisers give? Do you envision Solomon as stressed out? …nervous? …a little timid? Solomon was probably in a good position to start ruling right where his father left off. The royal treasury holds over a centuries’ worth of tax revenue. His father was king, and if people respected David, then they would already respect him. His army marches at his order to any place, any time, for any cause. Solomon would seem to have everything necessary for a successful reign. Money, authority, military. So, it may sound out of place for God to say: “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” What could Solomon ask for? “God, I’m king. So, my word stands. I have money; I can buy my way out of problems. I have respect, so people will listen to me. No thanks. I’ve got my kingdom under control.” That’s what you might expect to hear, but he doesn’t say that, does he? Instead he answers: [G]ive your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. Hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children want him to lead the nation. An economy needs his assistance for trade and income. Military must know whether to attack or defend. Solomon recognizes that he will need guidance, but he cannot rely on his own personal decision-making. He humbly admits this. He Humbly Recognizes Life’s Truest Treasure by starting at the Source of wisdom. He turns to God and following his Word. That humility is not natural. That is not something we are born with. The Bible says our sinful nature is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so (Romans 8:7). The sinful nature inside of us treasures our word more than God’s Word. It means, you will be constantly tempted to follow the guidance of whatever your heart feels is good and right. When God says: “Set aside in your heart an offering to give me,” (1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:7), the heart shouts: “No! That’s mine! I don’t want to give you anything! You’re not worth my money!” When Jesus says, “Forgive, each other as I have forgiven you” (Matthew 18:21-35; Ephesians 4:32) our heart screeches: “No! She hurt me! I’m not going to forgive until she hurts more than me!” When God says: “Trust me. Even as the world’s morality rapidly decays, I am with you always” (John 16:33), our heart cries: “No! I don’t believe that! There are more people who do not believe what I believe. Life’s not pleasant! I need to take over, God!” That sinful heart arrogantly claims your word is more valuable than God’s Word. That your thoughts are more important than the thoughts of God. The way you act must line up with how you feel, instead of what God calls “right.” Simply put, that sinful heart wants to rely on your decisions and to your decisions alone. And if God will not lead you to what you heart demands, then your heart will look for joy outside of God. If you look for lasting happiness anywhere else, you will only find eternal misery. Humbly Recognize Life’s Truest Treasure. It does take humility. It takes humility to put someone else’s word ahead of your own word. It takes humility to follow someone else’s guidance even when it means you are not in control. It takes humility to find priceless value in the wisdom God gives you. Solomon could not help but approach God in humility. After God asks Solomon to request anything, Solomon replies: “[God], you have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart… you kept your promise and [gave] him a son to sit on his throne.” Solomon does not brag about how his military cleverness won the throne. He does not thump his chest, boasting how his intelligence will govern the nation. It’s quite the opposite. Solomon humbly admits: The only reason he reigns is because God put him on the throne. The only reason you can stand before God today is because he gave you the most priceless treasure of all: his Son. For thirty-three years, the devil tries to persuade Jesus in finding value in the treasures of the world. He begs Jesus to challenge God’s promises. “Hey Jesus, look, you’re hungry. You’re a smart guy. You’re pretty powerful. Why don’t you make bread since it doesn’t look like your Father’s going to feed you today?” (Matthew 4:1-3) He pleads with Jesus to place his desires ahead of God’s wants. “Jesus. Hop off of the temple. Just do it. You know the Bible—and in the Bible your Father promises to protect you. You’re wise enough to know that” (Matthew 4:5-6). He even urges Jesus to find real joy in what the world offers. “Hey, Jesus. Look at all these kingdoms and their thrones and their banks filled with gold and their armies and their people—and see? See, look, they can all be yours. Just worship me and then you’ll be rich” (Matthew 4:8-9). Jesus is tempted just like you are—to follow your decisions and find real happiness in this fading world. And Jesus— he finds true wisdom in knowing the kingdom of heaven is his real home—and not just his home, but a home created just for you. He Recognizes Life’s Truest Treasure by starting at the Source of wisdom: The Word of God. Every time the devil tempts him, Jesus points back to the Word and says: “This brings real life” (Matthew 4:10). As he starts walking up Mount Calvary, he prays: “God, if it is your will, spare this pain, but let it be your will” (Matthew 26:36-46). God’s Word proves to be packed with wisdom as Jesus follows it to death for you. He sheds his innocent blood to unlock the gates of heaven. He hands over his life so that you can wear his perfection. He enters heaven in your sight so that you can know for sure: heaven holds your real inheritance! This truth does not come naturally. You must learn it. You must hear it. So, Jesus gives you his Word, the Bible. My friends, Humbly Recognize Life’s Truest Treasure, by starting at the Source of wisdom and then, you will discern true joy in God’s blessings. That’s what Solomon finds. He starts at the foundation of all the decisions that needed to be made in life. He did not construct an upside-down-pyramid. He did not start building a house roof-first. He asks God for the wisdom to start with the Word of God first, and then make a decision. God gave him a wise and discerning heart. “To discern” means to “pay attention to” or “listen with interest.” Solomon understood his real joy would not be found in money because you can never have enough money and because money always leaves you. He knows real joy is not found in long life because life ends and then you meet your Maker. He knows real joy is not found in the death of his enemies because that does not prevent danger forever. True joy is found in a life lived with God. When God is at the head of your heart, everything else falls into line. Do you wish to be a more trusting person? Where do you look to start the change? Well, do you notice where many look for comfort? Politicians. The media. The military. Group A protests that Group B lay aside their strongly-held-belief and embrace Group A’s strongly-held-belief. Yes, politicians and military are beneficial and necessary, but they are not the source of your joy. Neither will they fill your heart with gladness. They will fail you and let you down because they are sinners like you and me— imperfect and frustrating. True joy comes from knowing that whatever the future holds, God holds you tight forever. You may worry how long you will wait for a new Pastor (or if you receive a new Pastor). I cannot peer into the future and bring back an answer. I will tell you this: God has put his Word in your life. Your former Pastor did not retire and take all whispers of the Word with him. God has not closed down your building so that you can no longer hear the Word interpreted correctly and Jesus proclaimed clearly. You still have these things! Even if your surroundings change, you still possess the peace which comes from having eternal life. How do you become a better parent and grandparent? Not by looking at outward things to change about yourself. Like trying to become more patient or more caring or more flexible. Start at the Source. See how God has been a perfect Father to you. See his unconditional love poured out in your life and imitate it! When you Humbly Recognize Life’s Truest Treasure as the Word of God, you will discern true joy in God’s blessings. Solomon didn’t have all the answers as king—but he knew where to turn. The Word of God gave him guidance and wisdom for much of his life. You may search for guidance so that you can avoid unpleasant pitfalls and frustrations, failure and disappointment. Problems come when we start looking for wisdom in the wrong place. So, God starts you at the Source of wisdom: The Word of God. As you grow in the Word, you begin discerning true joy in God’s blessings. Then you Humbly Recognize Life’s Truest Treasure.
Sounds good, right? …that is, until you realize Happy Meals come with either a hamburger, cheeseburger, or chicken nuggets. You can select either (1) more French fries or (2) apple slices. Some toys are geared towards boys and others for girls. You understand Clara’s requesting dinner for a kid, but Clara is not sure (1) what the order-taker expects her to say or (2) how the order-taker needs to hear the order.
So, enter me: the helper. Clara knows I understand what she wants. She knows the request I make will result in receiving what she requested. So, I take Clara’s request and put it into words the order-taker needs. A chicken nugget happy meal with ranch dipping sauce, apple slices, and chocolate milk. This morning God reminds you about the helper you have in life. No, not someone to help you order McDonald’s. Rather, a helper who brings your requests and petitions to the throne of God. Forgetting that you have such a helper can leave you frustrated that your prayers are not being heard. You may even grow discouraged in praying— and may stop praying altogether. So, God reassures you: You Never Pray Alone! The Holy Spirit helps you and The Holy Spirit intercedes for you. Romans, chapter 8, yanks your attention right to the work of God the Holy Spirit. Reading through the chapter, you’ll discover the word [Holy] “Spirit” appears nineteen times! And each reference describes how the Holy Spirit works in you. He kills the sinful impulses flaring up inside of you (v.13). So, you know your limits when you’re out with friends. Your sentences do not contain a minimum usage of four-letter words. You give up some of your personal time to help your [grand]kids with homework. The Holy Spirit is always changing your attitude from serving yourself to serving the needs of others. Even when you fail to live as God expects, the Holy Spirit wraps his arm around you and testifies before God: “This one belongs to you! Forgive them! Remember, this is your child!” (v.16). That is who you are: God’s child— because by faith in Jesus as Savior, the Holy Spirit lives in you. You know that now, but when the world reaches its end, you will see it more clearly by the way you look and the way you act and where you live (v.23). Our reading adds another responsibility of God the Holy Spirit. You read: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. Just think about that. God the Holy Spirit is one of the persons of the Triune God. This is the One who powerfully changed your unbelieving heart into a heart beating full of faith. This is the One who lives inside of you and strengthens your reliance on God. This is no mere angel; this is the God of the universe. And who is he helping? You! He does not only help your Pastor who spent decades studying the Word of God. He does not pay special treatment only to Christians you consider stronger [in faith] than you. Out of the billions of people in the world, the Holy Spirit directs his full attention on you— regardless of your Bible knowledge or your weaknesses or your struggles. He cares about you because through faith, you are God’s child— and that is who he sees now. Since you are God’s child, he does something. He helps you— always, now, in the next hour, later today, tomorrow, throughout the week. That is why the verb is present tense. He always holds your hand. He always stands beside you in prayer. He always brings your petitions to the throne of God— even when [you] do not know what [you] ought to pray for[.] This is his responsibility: The Holy Spirit helps you— meaning, You Never Pray Alone! He was always there when you poured out your heart to God. Yes, even when you heard new reports about violence, drugs, and murder popping up in your city. You may have felt all alone—unsure of what your city will soon look like, not sure if your neighbor is going to bring something dangerous right next door. Yes, you may doubt God cares about your concerns and still, the Holy Spirit is right there, unloading your fears of danger and violence at the throne of God. You see decreasing worship attendance in every church across America. You may even remember the days when everyone stopped what they were doing on Sunday and came to worship. Now, those days feel long gone— and you feel all alone— as though you are one of the last Christians remaining. You wonder if anyone cares about eternity in heaven or hell anymore. You wonder if God still remains to bless you in life, in your family, in your church. Even when you felt that it is not worthwhile to pray anymore, the Holy Spirit placed your every emotion into the hands of God. The doctor called again. The cancer’s spreading. The medicine list is growing. The side-effects intensify. “Where is God?” you cry out— and God the Holy Spirit was there and is there—understanding your frustrations, your fears, and your sadness and notifying God of those concerns. Sometimes you may feel that prayer is worthless because you feel no one is going to answer. No one cares. No one really knows what you are really enduring. Many times those calls to God stop simply because you believe the devil’s lie: God does not care. The truth is: he does care. And he shows his care for you on the cross. There hung Jesus—shouting out: “God, where are you?!” (Psalm 22:1). This Jesus had done nothing to deserve this God-forsakenness. He never questioned God’s care and concern for his wellbeing. He never doubted God’s assurance that he listens. He never relied on himself to make life better. It was us that did that! And it is Jesus who suffers for it! And he suffers and he dies so that you will not live apart from God forever. This is how much God cares for you: He gives you Jesus, who lived a perfect life in your place and has laid his perfect life on you so that you can live as a dearly loved child of God. God hears your prayers. He has filled you with The Holy Spirit who helps you. Your prayers are being delivered. Yet, it does not stop there. Be sure: You Never Pray Alone! because The Holy Spirit intercedes for you. It cannot be said any clearer: the Spirit himself intercedes for [you]… This “interceding” is putting your petitions into the right, exact words. The Holy Spirit does not change your message. If you pray for healing, he is not asking God to give you patience. Rather, he presents your requests to God as they stand. (Just like I present Clara’s Happy-Meal-request to the order-taker in the right words.) When the Holy Spirit approaches God the Father, he presents your petitions with groans that words cannot express. No, the Holy Spirit does not growl and groan and mumble. Neither is he speaking in fantastic tongues you can’t understand. Rather, the Holy Spirit stands before God the Father and shares your deepest inner feelings with unspoken words. God the Father knows exactly how you feel because he [… ]searches[y]our heart [and] knows the mind of the Spirit[.] It means God never makes mistakes. It means God knows you (and me) better than we know ourselves! Even when we are unsure of the solution to ask for, God gives the perfect answer because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. Did you catch where you are in this verse? You are a saint! Understand what the Bible teaches about ‘saints.’ It does not teach that some people are holier and more moral than others and therefore there exists different levels of Christians (as though a saint is loved by God more than a Christian). The Greek word: “Saint” means “holy person.” Christians are “holy” because Jesus places his holiness on them. You are “holy” because Jesus has placed his holy life on you. God sees you as: ‘Saint Bob,’ ‘Saint Sue,’ ‘Saint Roger,’ ‘Saint Betty,’ ‘Saint (fill in your name).’ Since you are “holy” (and therefore a “saint”), it means God cares about you! When you don’t know what to ask for, the Father’s reply will be what is best and perfect for you. Sometimes that involves God leading your heart to accept his will. Someone’s “will” is their desire. My “will” (or “desire”) might be that my spouse fully recovers from surgery, runs around like she is young again, and lives until the ripe age of 98[years old]. Yet, while she lies in the hospital bed, I may not be so sure my “will” is going to be fulfilled. Instead, God’s “will” (his “desire”) might be that my spouse leaves this earthly life so that she may live in her heavenly home. While I might not always understand God’s timing or reasoning, the Holy Spirit teaches me rely on God’s perfect decision. My “will” might be that this congregation grows to be the largest in the area. I do truly desire that everyone comes to know (1) Jesus as their Savior, (2) learn that eternal life comes because of Jesus and not because of their self working, and (3) that many find joy in serving God by living according to his Word. This is a good desire; after all, God desires that all people be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Yet, God’s “will” may not be that we become the largest congregation around. He knows how tempting it would be for us to brag about our efforts. He may take his Word away from this area because so many rejected hearing it for so long. Most of all, God may be teaching us that success is not found in numbers; success is found in trusting Jesus as our Savior. The Holy Spirit constantly intercedes for you. He brings our petitions right up to God—and God answers. Sometimes giving us exactly what we asked for because it lined up with his will. At other times, he teaches us to trust his will more than ours. You Never Pray Alone! You know that because God says that. You trust this because God gives you the Holy Spirit as your helper. Forgetting that you have such a helper can leave you frustrated that your prayers are not being heard. You may even grow discouraged in praying— and may stop praying altogether. Knowing that God always stands beside you, is always serious about listening to you, is always present to answer means you can pray with confidence.
Can you do what you say? Probably.
That’s right: probably. Not: ‘Yes;’ not: ‘No,’ but: ‘Probably.’ You know milk is in the grocery store. Your mind remembers how to find the store. Your healthy body is capable of traveling to the store. You have resources (like a car or bike or county bus) to reach the store. Chances are highly likely that you will accomplish the desire of your words. You will enter the store and buy milk. But, just how effective are your words? You may intend leaving, but your car’s dead battery prevents you from leaving the driveway. Your brain understands the necessity of your trip, but it cannot convince a sick body to get up and run your errand. You may have one foot out the door, but then your child grabs your attention. Your words reveal your intentions, but your intentions do not always come true. You do not have the power to fulfill everything you say or want to do. It reveals an eye-opening truth: your words have limits. That is why our Old Testament reading does not center on the power of your words. Instead, the prophet Isaiah focuses your attention on the fact that God’s Word Works Results. It belongs to God Almighty. It works for God Almighty. Listen again to our reading. [T]he rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater[.]Don’t rush through these words; God is not teaching another science lesson. Our eyes may be tempted to look only at the results. (1) The earth bud[s] and flourish[es]. (2) Thousands of seeds burst out for next year’s planting. (3) Fields of grain produce bread for the eater. But the results are not the main point. Rather, the chief point is this: What makes the results? What causes the earth to bud and flourish? What produces thousands of seeds for the sower? What brings bread to the eater? The rain! One little seed cannot spontaneously sprout. The soil lacks the power to crack the plant out of its little shell. A farmer does not pry open the seed, take out little roots and stretch out a stem, leaves, and flowers. Plants thrive and flourish from the powerful effect of the rain. The rain produces results! Here’s the comparison:[S]o is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. What produces results in your life? The Word— and not just any “Word.” Look at the pronoun attached to “the Word.” “My Word.” That “My” does not refer to you or to me or to the President of the United States or to the Supreme Court of the United States. That “My” refers to God Almighty. The Almighty God who spoke: “Let there be”— and heaven and earth and land and waters and animals and people instantly come into existence (Genesis 1). The Almighty God who stood in a boat and commanded brilliant flashes of lightning and booming thunder and heaving seas: “Be still!”—and immediately the waters become like glass, the winds gently blow, and the skies unlock the sun (Matthew 8:23-27). The Almighty God who seizes the hand of a dead child and whispers: “Get up”—and she opens her eyes, sits up, and begins walking! (Mark 5:21-43) God’s Word Works Results because It belongs to God Almighty. That means you have a source to silence every fear! When money gets tight and gas prices rise, grab onto the assurance that God daily provides for you. When you are frightened about the future, remember that your Almighty God governs the future. When death takes a loved one and you hurt inside, believe Jesus has welcomed them into heaven. You can live without fear because God’s Word Works Results! Is that how you live… fear-less? Maybe you wake up each day wishing to carry less worry in life. Yet, you feel like marriage cannot and will never offer you the security, the happiness, and the love you truly want. Your mind is consumed with questions about North Korea and their nuclear capabilities. You can even leave worship fretting over the future of your church. Every day we battle fear. Any worry you carry does not come because God somehow did not help you enough. God’s Word Works Results because it comes from the mouth of the Almighty. The reason we feel alarmed is that we think our word can work results. It happens when you push aside the Bible’s blueprint for marriage and listen to your own thoughts— feeling as though your answers are going to make marriage happier and better. Fear creeps up when you doubt God is really in control— that God makes a promise to certain people in the Bible, but those promises are not meant for you. You may treat God’s Word like it is powerless— that you expect God to provide food, but you don’t expect him to pay bills. You trust God can heal your cut, but you don’t know if he’s going to heal your stomach. You see God miraculously control winds and waves, but doubt he does those anymore. That sinful nature inside of each of us strives to push God’s Word off to the side. That sinful nature tries to convince you that God cannot be trusted. If you cannot trust God, then you will look for another object to trust—even if that means you take the place of God. My friends, remember this truth in our reading: God’s Word Works Results. It works because only God has the power to do everything he intends. The instant sin enters the world, God gives his Word: You will have a Savior (Genesis 3:15). He keeps adding Words to this promise. He will be born in a little town called Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). His mother will be a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). People will marvel at his message (Deuteronomy 18:15). He will bring comfort to the world (Isaiah 40) because the weight of the world will be draped across his back (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53). How effective are God’s words? He fulfills them all—including the words that have changed your life forever: “It is finished” (John 19:30). At your baptism, God’s powerful Word brought you into a relationship with him. It is by his command you are made his child. It is by his promise that the consequences of self-trust are washed off from you. It is by his Word you are made his child. God’s Word Works Results. It belongs to God Almighty and It works for God Almighty. Look again at verse 11. [S]o is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty[.] Let me ask you: When it rains, where does the water go? Into the ground. For what purpose? For plants to take in the water, use it, and grow. In the same way, God’s Word always works a result. Some hardened hearts reject the Word. Others listen, but cave into the pressure to deny their faith. Still others hear, but love for worldly wealth chokes the Word out of life. For you, every time you hear the Word, you are growing in your faith (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23). God’s Word works for God Almighty. [It] accomplish[es] what [he]I desire and achieve[s] the purpose for which [he] sent it. If you have ever cared for a plant, you know there is one thing that plant above all else: water. When you water a plant, sometimes you see results. You see new vines, new leaves, new flowers, new tomatoes and peppers and beans. In the same way, God’s Word Works Results. Yes, you can marvel at the many ways in which God has led the most confused soul to faith. You can stand amazed at the comfort it gives to the brokenhearted. You might delight in hearing testimonials how changed a person’s life entirely. Yes, many times we look for the Word to leave spectacular results that we can see! Yet, sometimes when you water a plant, you do not see the results. The plant is still alive, but you don’t know if anything about it has changed. Yet, God’s Word still Works Results--even when we cannot see the results. Those results may not always be what you expect. You may have in mind the perfect marriage with your spouse having perfect conversations and your every need being met in the perfect way. You feel your spouse is the one who needs to pay close attention to God. In reality, it just might be you who needs the Word to refocus your attitude. It is the Word that teaches you to put the needs of your spouse ahead of your own—even if it feels inconvenient. Those results may not always be seen now. You have worshipped here for weeks, months, years, decades— and it might feel like you get little out of worship. But then, one day someone close to you tragically dies. All of your friends and family mourn; grief rips into them. They have no idea where to find comfort. They reveal they have no idea what brings the greatest fulfillment to life. But you know. Because of all your years hearing and studying and learning about a Savior, you can share God’s love. You did not look like you grew, but in reality, you had been growing all along. Those results may not always look successful. God does not promise your congregation will always grow. He does not promise that your world will grow more godly. He does not promise that you will have lots of money and perfect health. It can feel like either (1) God did not keep his Word or (2) something is missing from the Word. Remember this: God sends out his Word to strengthen you. Faith grabs hold of God’s promises—even when you do not see the outcome of those promises. Even if money leaves you, trust God still cares for you more than the birds of the air or the grass in your yard. Even if health fails, understand God the Great Physician holds your wellbeing under his careful eye. Even if it looks as though Satan’s godless agenda is succeeding in this world, remember that Jesus won the war on Calvary. What happens is that your trust, your reliance on Jesus increases. The results may not be something the world praises, but you do not need the world’s praise. The result of the Word is to strengthen your trust in Jesus. Plants are living things; they either grow or they shrivel. To make a plant shrivel up, keep the water away. To make the plant grow, water daily. A plant cannot live without water. Christians cannot live without the water of God’s Word. To make a Christian rely more on himself, stay away from the Word. To make a Christian grow in faith, daily remain in the Word because God’s Word Works Results. So, just how effective are your words? Do you have the power to fulfill everything you say or want to do? No—but you don’t need to have that power. God’s Word has the real power to change hearts and to instill comfort. God’s Word equips you for whatever lies ahead this week. God’s Word tells you that the Almighty is in control. God’s Word tells you that God is powerful enough to make his Word bear results. That is why our Old Testament reading does not center on the power of your words. Instead, the prophet Isaiah focuses your attention on the fact that God’s Word Works Results. It belongs to God Almighty. It works for God Almighty. |
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