“God said ‘No.’ That’s why.” She could eat from any other tree in the garden. Any one! Any time! Yet, this one specific tree is off limits. No, it does not possess magical powers. No, you would not become a god and then rival the true God. Rather, this one specific tree stands off limits because God said, ‘Do not eat.’
Quite frankly, Eve loved that command. She knew God loved her. She knew God’s Word is good; that Word kept her close to him. In fact, God’s love for her fueled her love for God. That love revealed itself by respectfully obeying the good Word of a good God. He could not deny that. God’s Word is good. In fact, God’s Word is perfect. It accomplishes what God desires. Since he could not attack the Word, he attacked the person. “Eve, what do you think about the forbidden tree? Yes, we know what God says, but for just one moment, put the Bible down and tell me, do you want to eat?” And Eve fell right into the trap. Oh, you would never fall for the same tricks, right?! If you were in the Garden of Eden, you would have resisted temptation, outwitted the devil, and life would still be perfect! Ever think that? Believing you (and I) can withstand the devil on our own falls into the devil’s trap. If you want to resist, withstand, and overcome the devil’s lies, you must Be Strong in the Lord! Identify your enemy, Put on the armor of God, and then you can March forward in victory. It’s no secret that Christian living is challenging. Friends might slap you with the word: ‘bigoted,’ ‘narrow-minded,’ ‘old-fashioned’ because you follow God’s definition of marriage. You feel this tug-of-war inside; either brush off what God calls ‘right,’ or live with tension between friends. National laws may endorse behavior God does not condone. So, you struggle: stand up for the life of the elderly or condone the relatives who want to end life with medicine. You see, you (and I) face this constant struggle between obeying God’s Word or ignoring it. You feel this tension because you want to obey God out of love, but you also want to be loved by all. In verse 12, the apostle Paul makes that clear: You will have this struggle. Yet, remember this: You struggle because you are a Christian; you follow Christ. Pay attention those verbs; you are, you follow. You do not switch Christian beliefs on and off, just like a light-switch controls a light bulb. The desire to trust God does not exist only here in worship (and then when you get home, you hate trusting God). We do not forgive people here only (and then you “flip the switch” and hold grudges later this week). No, through faith you follow Christ and continue following Christ. God has made you a citizen who belongs to him. Just like a king governs behavior with his word, so Christ governs your decisions, actions, and thinking with his Word. Still, because you live on God’s side, it means you will stand against those who oppose God. Quite simply, those who hate God also hate those who follow God. Who stirs up that conflict inside of you? [O]ur struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Did you catch that? Who is your enemy? Not: flesh and blood; believers do not attack people. Your enemy are not atheists (people who deny God’s existence), nor do you argue and insult nonbelievers. God does not ask you to disengage from the world and never talk to a nonbelieving neighbor, or to only have Christian friends, or to quit your job because you deal with nonbelievers. Your struggle is not ungodly influences, like the teaching of evolution (which denies the existence of a Creator) or progressive social ideas on marriage, abortion, and euthanasia. Your fight is against the unseen spirits who love what is wrong Your enemy is the devil (1 Peter 5:8). If you wish to resist temptation; if you wish to remain strong with the Lord, you must identify your enemy. Know who you stand up against. Recognize his powerful might. Then, Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Because the devil is crafty. He is clever. He prowls around like a lion— hiding, stalking, waiting patiently for the right moment to lunge, collide, and drive you into the ground. Ponder that. The devil recycles his timeless temptation and it sounds so innocent, as though no harm can come out of it. He plainly asks, “What do you think?” Do you realize that is the anthem ruling our present-day society? “Don’t force your beliefs on me!” the world cries! That’s the fancy way of saying, “I will tell you what I feel is fair and not what God says is right.” An early rally cry for same-sex marriage was: “If you don’t like it, that’s fine. Just don’t tell me I’m wrong.” That sounds fair. Yet, Jesus teaches, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). You speak what God teaches on marriage so that others have a chance to hear. The devil wants you to lay aside God’s Word so that you can create manmade rules. So, if you feel it fair that your teenage child (who still lives at home) wants to skip worship, then let him! It feels fair to you; never mind God puts you in charge over the spiritual life of your house (Ephesians 6:4). If you believe you are entitled to hold a grudge, then do so! You think it is fair; never mind God forgives you (Ephesians 4:32). If you do not want to commit to marriage, then don’t! Follow the world; stare at computer images, daydream, do not work toward getting married! Never mind God’s command to honor the marriage bed (Hebrews 13:4). Do we need to go on? The scheming, conniving devil employs the most innocent of looking strategies: Put down the Bible and follow the flawed thinking of a sinful heart (Mark 7:20-23). On our own, you (and I) can never stand against the devil and win. And he knows that; he knows you are no match for him. He knows he will conquer you without Christ. Fail to put on the armor of God and you (and I) will fall. Only God makes you strong to stand your ground. Did you catch that? [B]e strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Right away our minds like to change those words to say, “I am strong. I can be strong. All I have to do is…” No! You do not make yourself strong; it’s an action God does. God makes you strong. God’s Word—a word, which (by the way) you did not create— makes you strong. Your words are not more powerful than the devil. Your opinions are not what is needed. It deflates the ego to know that God’s Word drives away the devil— and God gets credit for those words. But that’s the point! God’s Word exposes the hollowness of our self-trust. God’s Word leads you to the cross, where Jesus crushes the serpent’s head. There you hear powerful words: “It is finished!” (John 19:30). On Easter morning he says, “Peace be with you!” (John 20:19) Jesus reveals your future: “Come you blessed by my Father” (Matthew 25:34). God has brought you into his kingdom; you are his (Isaiah 43:1). Then, he dresses you in his armor so that you may stand your ground and never fail into unbelief. You are Strong in the Lord as you put on the armor of God because with God on your side, nothing stands against you. You march forward into victory. That’s the reason for the battle call: Stand firm then… Stand and fight with courageous confidence. Stand with the belt of truth buckled around your waist. Roman soldiers wore a thick leather apron around their midsection and upper legs. It kept very vulnerable parts protected. The devil will lunge at your (and my) weaknesses. He will lie: It does not matter what you believe. Follow what you feel right and fair.” If that lie penetrates your heart and you believe it you can die. Yet, God’s truth protects you. The Bible identifies the devil as he truly is: the father of lies (John 8:44). When temptation seizes you, call the devil by his name: ‘Liar!’ [Stand firm] with the breastplate of righteousness in place. Protect your heart with body armor. The devil never stops his assault. If he cannot get you to believe his lies, he will point to history. He will dredge up your regrets. Just when guilt pierces into your heart, he drives you into despair. Because when you feel so terribly guilty, you feel that God could never love you. If you feel God could never love you, you may actually believe it to be true. But Jesus died for you. And he placed his righteous life over you. Jesus’ righteousness, his perfection, keeps your heart safe. The devil’s lies bounce off because Jesus tells you what really happened: You are forgiven! [Stand firm] with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Feet carry good news. Soldiers covered the tops of their feet, just like you wear shoes. Shoes prevent thorns and sticks from piercing your feet. Just like a messenger runs to share good news, be ready to remind the devil the good news of Jesus’ victory. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith… and not just a little trashcan lid-sized shield. We’re talking about the shield covering you from head to toe. The devil shoots little flaming temptations at you so that they burn into great fires. Lust turns into action which turns into a lifestyle. One beer becomes two which evolves into constant heavy drinking. Anger burns into rage burns into hate. With the shield you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Faith clings to Jesus as Savior. Faith clings to the Word of God. When temptations poke you, remember who you follow and those flames snuff out. Take the helmet of salvation… At your baptism, the sign of the cross was made over your head and your heart to mark you as God’s child. That cross reminds you of Jesus dying for you. That cross reminds you that Jesus’ death is your possession; you carry it. You carry Jesus’ perfection. You are saved; you will enter heaven. His perfect life protects you. Finally, take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Do you see the only weapon you carry? The Word of God. The Word reminds the devil of what God has done. This is that truth, and the devil cannot deny the truth. Nothing and no one has more authority that God. God has already explained what will happen, you win and the devil loses forever— and the devil can do nothing to stop him. When tempted wield God’s Word. Tell the devil:“God says” and he will flee. And you get to March forward in victory. Eve put down the sword and tried to fight the devil with her cleverness. That is exactly what the devil wanted and he won the battle… but Jesus wins the war. As a Christian, remember that you have an enemy. Someone who hates God. Someone who wants to take believers away from God. Someone who attacks you. Yet, you can stand because God dresses you in his armor. He sets the sword of the Word into your hand. Remind the devil of Jesus’ victory on the cross. Remind the devil of your eternal home. Remind the devil his promises are nothing but empty lies. He will flee; you will march forward in victory. This is all yours— not because you are morally tough and strong. Rather, God makes you Strong in the Lord! He Identifies your enemy. He puts the armor of God on you. And you get to March forward in victory. What is your ‘escape?’ You know, that sanctuary where you drown all your anxieties, fears, and stress? … that haven which helps soothe stinging memories? …that refuge you enter when hopes and dreams crumble away? Do you have an ‘escape?’
My garden is my escape. When my attention fixates on problems that cannot be solved, the garden redirects my attention onto the things that can be solved, like weeds that must be pulled and branches that need pruning. When my eyes replay the pictures of dear friends now gone, the garden pulls my eyes to search for cucumbers and tomatoes hiding under leaves. When the mental work calendar demands more hours than there are in a day, the garden rolls out the transplanting and the landscaping that can be planned now and done later. Anxiety and stress, sadness and frustration melts away in my garden-escape. Yet, my ‘escape’ has one major shortcoming: it cannot end trouble. My ‘escape’ cannot erase [delete] painful heartache. It cannot free up a busy schedule. At best, an ‘escape’ distracts you from life’s troubles, but you must return to those overwhelming challenges. How can you ever do that? You need a better escape. Some place that ends anxiety and stress, that wipes away tears rolling down your cheeks, that builds you up when frustration leaves you mangled. And you have that rock-solid place of rest. When troubles press into you and you do not know where to turn, remember this: God’s Word Strengthens Weary Hearts. When you feel pressed down, feast on God’s promises. Picture it. Elijah stands high on a mountain, looking down on a city he loves so dearly, on a people wandering from their God. Most of those citizens now flock around this scene on the mountain. Four-hundred-fifty priests are piecing together an altar to this god called: ‘Baal.’ A god considered active in nature; he sends the rain and allows crops to grow and produce. A god so many trust. Elijah watches priests dance circles around the altar, arms stretched out to the heavens, heads thrown back, howling at their god to receive their sacrifice. Someone pulls out a sword, another brings out a spear, and they begin slicing into each other, hoping the sight of blood would move Baal to have compassion and take action. From sunrise until sunset they shout, plead, beg: “Baal, answer! Baal, act!”—and nothing happens. While the priests ramble on, Elijah constructs an altar out of twelve stones. He digs out a trench around it. Then, he lays kindling on top and arranges his sacrifice. He commands: Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood (1 Kings 18:33). He does that again… and again… and again— four times total! His sacrifice is sopping wet. Kindling, stones drip. Water pools in the trench. Standing before the altar, Elijah prays: O LORD… let it be known today that you are God in Israel… (18:36-37). Fire instantly spills from heaven, devouring the meat, incinerating stone and wood, vaporizing the water. Elijah turns from the smoldering altar. “This is your God, Israel! Follow him!” points Elijah. Masses chant: “Yes, the Lord— he is God! We will leave Baal! The Lord—he is God!” (18:39). This is it! God proves his existence in the most spectacular of ways! Everyone knows God is real! In fact, God’s blazing fire should ripple throughout the country, toppling down idol worship once for all. Everyone would worship him! In the greatest of successes comes the lowest of threats from the king’s wicked wife: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of [the slaughtered priests of Baal]” (1 Kings 19:2). Just like that Elijah’s confidence deflates. [He] was afraid and ran for his life, scrambling out to a desolate area. There, he finds his ‘escape:’ a scraggly broom tree and [he] sat down… No servant pesters him. Queen Jezebel’s threat is a distant thought. Now he can unload his thoughts, his burdens, his deep-seated emotion. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Prophet after prophet after prophet pointed to God, and Israel only plunges ever deeper into unbelief! You live as God’s light in the world, but the world chews up your Christian living and spits it right out. As Elijah wallows in the dust, he’s confronted with an undeniable truth: He controls very little. And that absolutely crushes him. Know the feeling? You love God oh so dearly. People see you as a ‘Christ-follower.’ You imitate Christ in your living— not to be better than others, but to shine Christ to others. Still, the world chews up your Christian living and spits it right out. It leaves you questioning the value of a Christian life in an increasingly Christ-less society. “The world is changing! I cannot stand against it! I must change my social beliefs to blend with it!”… “No one cares to listen anymore! I must change the “offensive” parts of the Bible so that others may listen!”…“Oh, so few worship now. Why am I here? I don’t want to be one of the last ones! I don’t want to be stamped: ‘Failure.’” And it’s not always the world that afflicts, is it? Personal suffering threatens to overwhelm you. You feel crushed and weighed down because you have no answers for cancer. You feel lost after an untimely [early] death. Questions surge after a painful accident. You missed the life-goals of: having a good job, earning enough money, having the perfect family. Friends hurt you and you feel so sad. All these troubles pile up and leave you struggling with your own faith, wondering: “Does God really cares about you?” Just like Elijah, you (and I) feel pressed down. Why? Because you are trying to fix things that you cannot fix and to control that which you cannot control. When you realize how little control you have, you get angry with God because you (and I) think we can order him to fulfill all our demands. Self-reliance pushes the head right into the heart. You stare at yourself. You trust yourself. Yet, the greater your self-reliance, the harder you fall. The harder you fall, the greater opportunity you have to look up to Jesus. As Elijah sinks to his lowest low, God’s angel knelt beside his head. He touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” Shaking himself alert, Elijah looks around and sees a cake of bread over a little fire and a jar of water. Yes, the angel feeds him, but how does bread and water help? His troubles had not gone away; he’s still a wanted man! Spiritual decay still ravages the hearts of so many Israelites. The angel of the Lord came back a second time This time he does not just feed Elijah with bread and water, he feeds him with the Word. “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” Can you see the gears grinding in Elijah’s mind? He relied so heavily on himself, imagining that he is the crucial mechanism to solving Israel’s spiritual decay! Yet, God puts his ministry in its only correct perspective: “Elijah, that’s more than you’re capable of handling on your own.” The angel of the Lord is a special person. You see, that angel is not from the Lord; he is the Lord. That Lord reminds you: “The journey of life is too hard for you to handle on your own, but it is not too hard for me to handle.” When you feel pressed down, look up to heaven! Jesus speaks—and does everything he promises! No one stands in his way. Even when it appears the Jewish leaders succeed, Roman soldiers crucify, and the cross kills, Jesus still triumphs. He loads your (and my) self-reliance onto his back and removes it. Jesus plants his heel into Satan’s head. His unblemished blood spills before God and shows his innocence. His empty grave reveals the Father is pleased with Jesus. Then, the Word reaches your ears: “Peace be with you!” And what peace you have! Dear friends, when you are tempted to rely on yourself, look up to Jesus. There you see the One who has crushed Satan’s head so that you will never, ever fear death in hell. See Jesus, who rises into heaven so that he can return to [his] Father and your Father, to [his] God and your God (John 20:17). See your God, the One enthroned in heaven, reigning from his high throne, keeping his watchful eye on you, making sure to work all things for your good (Romans 8:28). Weary hearts receive strength from God’s Word—because in the Word, God promises your forgiveness. He promises to handle your burdens. He promises to remain with you always. Yes, God’s Word Strengthens Weary Hearts. Feast on his promises! The promises of Jesus speak in such a way to the human heart that only Jesus could bring real peace. Eyes fill up with tears at funerals when you hear the Bible read. No, not out of sorrow or sadness. Rather, tears flow because God reveals the sight of blissful paradise— the paradise Jesus gave to that loved one, the paradise your loved one enjoys now. Anxiety melts away when you hear Jesus promise to provide all things better than he already does the birds of the air and the flowers of the field (Matthew 6:25-34). Hearts flutter when they see the Holy One enthroned in heaven scoffing on the trivial works of man (Psalm 2). You grasp peace because God the Holy Spirit is working in your heart. He wraps your heart’s fingers around God’s promises tighter and tighter. He increases your confidence of knowing God remains in control no matter what. When the storms of life may gather, you may run into God’s promises, your rock of refuge. God’s Word Strengthens Weary Hearts. Sometimes, it makes you stronger by removing that which makes you weak. The Holy Spirit cuts away the frightful clutter of your (and my) human heart. Yes, the clutter. God’s Word purges pride— and reminds you (and me) that you are not in control; God is. It clears out self-reliance and returns you to Jesus, the Good Shepherd. God’s Word clears out Elijah’s self-reliance. He prays, weeping that he is the only believer left. And God answers his prayer. No, not by taking Elijah’s life. He answers it better. In fact, he increases Elijah’s trust over time. Do you realize it takes 40 days and 40 nights for God answer Elijah? At Mount Sinai [Horeb] he says: I reserve seven thousand in Israel— all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him (1 Kings 19:18). “Elijah, you’re not the last Christian.” The time in responding allowed Elijah to reflect on God’s Word. Do you think, that after day 10, he realizes he had not eaten for some time? Do you think after day 20 he realized God has some strength? Do you think after day 37 he realized God has control to carry out his plans? For forty days and forty nights God re-centered Elijah’s attention and heart back onto his promises. God’s unbreakable, unchanging Word strengthened Elijah for life in an ever-changing, always breaking world. Little by little, God re-centers your (and my) heart back onto his promises. He teaches us patience as we wait for his answers. Some answers have come. Others are coming. Still others will continue to come. God’s Word Strengthens Weary Hearts as you feast on God’s promises. Elijah’s death threat never disappears. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel always stew in anger, but Elijah has strength to stand up to them. How? The Almighty King of the universe is on his side— and no one can stand against Him. And that’s the perfect ‘escape’ the world will ever have. In fact, it is better than an ‘escape.’ God does not distract you from troubles; he deals with troubles. Feast on his promises and satisfy your anxious mind, you stressed out heart, and confused-twisted emotions. When you feel pressed down remember this: God’s Word Strengthens Weary Hearts. (from Easter Sunrise service...)
The warm, bright sun was melting the snow into a slushy, sloppy mess. His feet burrowed into a firm spot in the fresh, soft earth. A few feet away from him opened a hole measuring four-feet wide, eight-feet long, and six-feet deep. Above this pit was suspended a casket. Off to the side several young girls sobbed, heaving, gasping for little shots of air. Tears dripped down their cheeks. Lips bent into trembling frowns. This is grandma— someone who impacted their lives. She cradled them as babies and watched them at night. She taught them how to ride horses. Helped with homework. Smiled and laughed, told jokes and fabulous stories. Now she’s gone. Closed in a casket. Lowered into the earth. Never again to step foot into their homes. Never again to step into their lives. As the creaky crank carefully lowered the casket into its vault, a sharp rebuke cut through the air: “Be happy! Come on, this is a celebration!” Those words may have cut deeper than the sight of death itself. Demanding that people be happy at a funeral does not automatically bring happiness. Call it a celebration if you will. Tell jokes. Drink beer. Blast rock ballads. Relive memories. Yet, those human efforts do not stop the source of tears. Paint death as this beautiful escape from life, but it still leaves an empty hollowness inside. You see, human solutions offer very little comfort when confronting death. Your Jesus does not skirt around the cause of death; he confronts death head-on. Because Jesus lives, you also may boast in the face of death: I Know My Redeemer Lives! This is our reality. This is our confidence. Listen to our reading from Job 19:25-27. I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! What a marvelous truth to hear— because we can so easily overlook it! Tucked right in the middle of those words is a reality we are all too familiar with: “My skin is destroyed.” That is not a pleasant thought. Yet, it is a reality every single person faces— whether you want to admit it or not. Babies are born. They enter this world without blemishes, healthy, have all these years ahead of them. Yet, the minute that baby arrives, the clock of life keeps ticking down. Babies get older. Teeth come in and fall out. Bones grow longer and then grow brittle. The mind learns and later forgets. Eventually that young, healthy baby grows into his own aches and pains, sore joints, cancer and disease, and watches death approach ever closer. That’s why our Bible reading says: After my skin has been destroyed. It’s not a matter of “if” you get older; it’s a matter of “as” you get older. That is a reality the entire world faces. That is not much to celebrate. Yes, shake a fist at death. Say: “Ha-ha, Death! I still have a smile plastered to my face!” Drink beer and blast rock ballads. Yet, none of those human solutions address the real issue of death. Paint death as this beautiful escape from life. But it will not stop the tears from flowing at the graveside. In order to solve the problem of death you must deal with the cause of death. The cause, God explains, is sin. “Sin” is breaking God’s law (1 John 3:4). This stubborn arrogance refuses to bow down to God’s instructions. Instead, this puffed-up-pride wanders off after the rash foolishness of a faulty heart. That is “sin,” disobedience. “The wages of sin is death,” the Bible says (Romans 6:23). That’s the punishment; the soul who sins is the soul who will die (Ezekiel 18:4). Death came to all people because all sinned (Romans 5:12). But that sounds so harsh, doesn’t it? Who wants to hear that? It just drags you down. It is not popular to say or admit. In fact, you may believe (or genuinely feel inside) that God loves you just as you are. That he chuckles when you lose self-control at the bar. That he leans in with balled up fists propping up his chin, nodding in agreement as you explain that you will use your body outside of marriage, how you will reject the parts of his spoken word you don’t agree with, how you have the right to lambast your elected leaders. With great big smug smile you can act this way and God has no right to hand down consequences. And still, remember, the wages of sin is death. Not just the end of time on earth, but the end of time with God. Those who rebelled against God are thrown into hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched (Isaiah 66:24; Mark 9:48). That’s not really much to celebrate. Yet, that is the reality sin brings. Here is another reality: My Redeemer Lives! Mary Magdalene races to the tomb, arrives, puzzled. The stone is rolled away. The tomb is vacant. It takes two angels to piece the puzzle together: Jesus is not here! because He has risen! (Luke 24:6) My Redeemer Lives! To “redeem” means to “buy back.” In the Old Testament, if a widow was on the verge of losing property or found herself in dire financial straits, a close-relative would buy back the property for her. He would buy her back from financial calamity. The debt owed to buy back your life from death in hell is perfection— a price you (and I) could never offer God. Yet, Jesus, your Redeemer buys you back from spiritual calamity. The Son of God submits to God’s Word. Did you catch that? “Submits.” He obeys his leaders— like Pilate, who sentences him to death. Like Herod, who is a Jew drunk on power and greed. Like Caiaphas the high priest who calls the Son of God a liar! Never does Jesus cut himself off from the Word. Yes, Jesus knows everything in the Bible, but still worships every single week. His heart thrives listening to God’s commandments. Delights in obeying them. He hands over his perfect life as the price needed to buy you back from hell’s dungeon. And God accepts the payment. He raises Jesus back to life, declaring him to be without sin, without the punishment of death. My Redeemer Lives! This is true! This is seen in a tomb that is empty! This is our reality! My Redeemer Lives! This is our confidence! You can be absolutely sure that you will live forever in heaven. Jesus is your Redeemer, the One who rose Easter day in order to say: Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:40). Even after my skin has been destroyed… Yes, bodies laid into the ground decay. Flesh and skin rot away. Bones dry out into dusty remains. Scoop a handful of sandy dust and you do not see life. The pile is so dry, lifeless, unable to be reassembled. Yet, because your Redeemer lives, in my flesh I will see God. In your flesh. In your body, with your legs standing you up, your neck turning your head, your hands reaching out, your mind comprehending who you see. The God who created Adam from a pile of dust in the Garden of Eden will use his same power to recreate you— and everyone else who died. Yes, everyone. That includes Adam and Eve. That includes their son, Abel, the one murdered by his brother Cain. That includes those killed in wars fighting for the Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, English, French, and Americans. That includes those lying in marked graves and those lying in unknown locations. That includes those cremated. That includes your mother or father who died. That includes your spouse, your son, your daughter, your Christian friend. Because Jesus lives and declares you guilt-free, it means death cannot hold you. He will raise you from the dead—body re-created, body made immortal. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:51-53). Job (the author of our reading) understood that reality. If you have no sin, then you should not die; you should live forever. Since death races towards each of us, it means you are sinful. Since you are sinful, it means you (and I) have turned away from God. The reason to celebrate this morning is not because we ignore what causes death. The reason we celebrate is because Jesus Christ removed the cause of death. Jesus Christ has removed sin from you (and me). And so, I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me. This is our confidence. I remember standing a few feet away from a hole measuring four-feet wide, eight-feet long, and six-feet deep. Above this pit was suspended a casket. Off to the side several young girls sobbed, heaving, gasping for little shots of air. Tears dripped down their cheeks. Lips bent into trembling frowns. This is grandma— someone who impacted their lives. She cradled them as babies and watched them at night. She taught them how to ride horses. Helped with homework. Smiled and laughed, told jokes and fabulous stories. Now she’s gone. Closed in a casket. Lowered into the earth. In the end, on the Last Day, the trumpet will sound. Jesus Christ will send his angels to gather the living and the dead. That grave on that hillside will open up. Grandma will sit up, body perfectly restored; flesh and bones immortal. She will open her eyes and see Jesus. Yes, the next person grandma will see is Jesus. This is the reality for a believer. This is the confidence we carry because Jesus rises from the dead. So yes, blast the music. Relive fantastic memories. Smile—if you wish. But understand the real reason for your celebration. Jesus Christ has removed sin and therefore swallowed up death forever. Jesus, My Redeemer Lives to give me life! (from our midweek Lenten service)
A thick, solid oak door stares back, locked and shut. Two security guards stand stationed at each doorpost. Behind that door is the Oval Office. The President of the United States sits at his intricately carved, but imposing Resolute Desk. Red phone sits on desktop off to one side; the pen signing any bill into law rests on the other side. Here sits arguably the most powerful man in the world. Able to consider your concerns. Able to react appropriately to them. Able to make your wants happen. Yet, on the door hangs a sign: RESTRICTED. DO NOT ENTER. AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. Try to barge into the room and you will be stopped by security. Flash your driver’s license, show your birth certificate, prove your United States citizenship, but those documents do not authorize you to enter. Even if you could break into that room someway, somehow, the President would have no idea as to why he should consider your requests; he does not know you. You simply do not have the qualifications, the privilege, or the right to enter. That door and that sign stand as a barrier, a reminder of your inability to approach the President freely and confidently. It leaves you feeling inadequate. That same feeling can flare up when you approach God. You pray, but it appears he does not listen. You worship, but he feels distant. You trust his eternal presence, but you question if he tends to more pressing matters. It leaves you wondering: Can you really approach the Almighty God freely and confidently? Feelings of inadequacy disappear as you focus on the work of Jesus Christ your Great High Priest. Jesus Our Great High Priest Makes Us Priests! Now, We approach God through Jesus and We approach God with confidence. That is a radical new truth for these Jewish Christians. You see, these Hebrews are familiar with Old Testament worship practices. Their relatives painted visual portraits of the [Old Testament] Tabernacle. The Tabernacle is the ornate tent that served as a house of worship. It could be packed up and moved as Israel traveled through the desert. When set up, it was about 45-feet long by 15-feet wide (about the size of our present-day worship space). Inside, a large, thick curtain divides the space into two sections. One section is the Holy Place, where any priest would offer incense, keep the lampstand lit, and the sacred bread stocked. The other section is the Most Holy Place. The Ark of the Covenant rests there. To approach the Ark is to approach God Almighty. Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place. Yet, he could not enter whenever he liked; he could only approach one day each year (see Leviticus 16). Before he entered, he had to offer a sacrifice as payment for his own disobedience first. Stand in the Tabernacle facing the Most Holy Place and listen to the imposing curtain preach: sinners cannot enter. On Good Friday, Jesus split that curtain in two. You can now look into the Most Holy Place; you could walk through the curtain and into the presence of God! [W]e have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… Jesus has sprinkled his blood as a sacrifice, a payment, that removes the stain of sin. He has dressed you in the robes of perfection. His life, death, and resurrection has made you right and blameless before God. Jesus Christ our Great High Priest Makes You a Priest. Because Jesus died and rose again, We can approach God through Jesus. Jesus is a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body. You know this; more than that, you believe this. Your baptism has brought this truth into your heart and life. And so, why that nervousness in approaching God? Why the worry that God does not pay attention to your prayers, that he might not be listening? Why the fearful dread that you are all alone to confront life’s challenges? Why the lingering doubts that even after you pray, even after worship, God might not answer you? Why does the question still appear in our minds: Can I really approach the Almighty God freely and confidently? That is a fear that often flares up, does it not? Sometimes it feels as though you stand before God only to see the sign hanging on heaven’s gate: RESTRICTED. DO NOT ENTER. AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. Do you want to know why that feeling rises up? Because you are not seeing Jesus, the only and living way to the Father. You are trying to approach God on your own merits, as though God must listen to you because of who you are and what you are able to accomplish. It is as though you (and I) approach God thumping your chest, flashing your self-worth:“But God, it’s me! I go to church! I give money! Pay attention!” If think God only cares about you because of your behavior or your merits, then you will always be nervous in approaching him. You will never be confident that God will listen and respond. When you stare at yourself, you realize how inadequate you truly are. And you feel so unworthy to approach him. And you feel that God will not listen to someone who has done the things you have done. And you fear that the lack of an answer means God is angry with you and is either (1) ignoring you or (2) handing you trouble. And you tremble as though you walk through this life blind and alone. Remember, the high priest could not enter the Most Holy Place by himself. He needed a sacrifice for his own sins first. Without Jesus, you can never approach God with confidence. The thick curtain of sin separates you from him. Listen again as to why you can approach God at all. [W]e have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus. That little word “by” points to the tool (or instrument) used to approach Jesus. Just like you cross a river by means of a bridge, so also you approach God by the work Jesus completed for you on the cross. That means your confidence is not found in your efforts, but rather on what Jesus did for you. As you look at the cross, watch Jesus use his body to rip down the curtain of our sin. Just like the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place after offering a sacrifice for sin, so also you (and I) can approach God because Jesus is our sacrifice for sin. Jesus Our Great High Priest Makes Us Priests! We approach God through Jesus. Since Jesus is our way to the Father, We approach God with confidence. [L]et us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith… You approach God with confidence, without fear or apprehension or nervousness. Rather, you approach him in prayer trusting that he hears. You gather in worship, confessing your sins and trusting those sins have been removed as far as the east is from the west. You approach not doubting, but firmly confident that you now stand before God. This is bold, but it is Jesus who makes you bold to approach God at all. He points you to two great acts he has accomplished once and for all time. (1) [H]aving our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience… Look to the cross. Remember he did die as a sacrifice for your sin. His life has been applied to yours. His innocence wiped out your debt. (2) [H]aving our bodies washed with pure water… Remember your baptism. Why? You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). You are God’s child, people who have God’s ear. A good father pays attention the needs of his child. He considers your concerns. He can react appropriately to them. He can make your wants happen. And yes, sometimes earthly fathers fail us. So, how much more confident can you be in approaching God! Just like a child asks her father, knowing that he will pay attention to her needs, Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. When life’s challenges press you down, when failing health makes it feel as though God is distant, when life feels as though God has turned his back and plugged his ears, remember that God is faithful. The devil will always tempt us to despair and question God’s care. Yet, God is not a man that he would lie (Numbers 23:19). Access to him is open because he says it is open. You may approach him now on earth and live confident that you will walk before him in heaven. As if that is not enough reason to approach God with confidence, God hands you more encouragement. [L]et us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. As you gather for worship, you will grow closer to God. You will memorize his promises. You will continue squashing doubts. God will fill you with confidence to persevere in your Christian life. You will grow closer to God as you grow closer together. You join a group of people in worship public who confess the same faith you have. You receive spiritual encouragement from those who may struggle with the same feelings of inadequacy. You are energized to continue pressing on to your heavenly hope. All this because Jesus Our Great High Priest Makes Us Priests! We approach God with confidence. Jesus has ripped down the sign: RESTRICTED. DO NOT ENTER. AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. By his death on the cross Jesus is the new and ever-present way to approach God. Jesus, your Great High Priest, ministers to your great spiritual needs by making you a priest. Sins removed. Access granted. Confidence to approach God any time, any place, for anything granted. Feelings of inadequacy disappear as you focus your attention on the work of Jesus Christ your Great High Priest. Jesus Our Great High Priest Makes Us Priests! We approach God through Jesus and We approach God with confidence. (from our midweek Lenten service)
Jesus needs to work on motivational speaking. Now, he does not appear to have much difficulty gaining disciples. He finds Peter and Andrew, James and John in their fishing boats, and simply says: “Come, follow me,” and they follow him! (John 1:39-41) He travels throughout Galilee, preaching and teaching, and large crowds listen to him! (Matthew 4:23) But then, he reveals what believers can expect from the world because they put his teachings to work in their lives:
You feel this pressure inside, almost like a tug-of-war raging inside of you. On the one hand, you feel this desire to follow Jesus without shame. You prepare to endure insults and name-calling and ridicule and any other unfavorable things that could come your way. After all, you do love Jesus; he has called you to faith. Still, as much as you love him, you wish your confidence could be a little stronger. You do not know if you would stand up in a hostile room and openly admit that your life reflects the teachings of Jesus. You are not so sure if you would confess your faith if it meant losing your life. So, how can you possibly cling to your faith in the face of ridicule? Remember this: Jesus Our Great High Priest Serves at a Great Altar He bore our disgrace so that We may offer sacrifices of praise. These Hebrew [Jewish] Christians needed the same reminder. Remember, they face intense pressure to give up their Christian faith. Many who share their flesh and blood [their ethnicity] practice Judaism. That means mom and dad still worship in the synagogue and read only the Torah (first five-books of the Bible). Their neighbors elevate the teachings of Moses and Elijah the prophet, treasuring these words more than the words of Jesus. Friends and co-workers do not share the belief that Jesus is the Savior of the world. Instead, they’re still looking for the coming Messiah. To further complicate matters, these Jews live in the Roman Empire during a time when Christianity is not embraced. The Roman Emperors are ramping up persecutions against Christians. Some lose their property because they worship Jesus. Others get arrested. Still others stare down the sword. There’s immense pressure to give up on Christianity and to return to Christ-less beliefs. Do you know that feeling? The United States government will not arrest you because you are here tonight. They will not confiscate your property. They will not beat you, imprison you, or kill you. Yet, your government has passed laws that contradict your Christian beliefs and politicians may pressure you to change your beliefs to fit their wants. You no longer can expect to call same-sex marriage “wrong,” without hearing insults flung back at you. Pro-choicers will accuse you of standing against healthcare if you label abortion as “murder.” Un-Christian ideas may not only be introduced into schools, but forced upon children to memorize. You know such worldly teachings are wrong— but when actually confronted with the reality to stand up against it, you may opt to tolerate un-Christian ideas so that you do not face trouble (or punishment). Or, following Jesus can put you at odds with those nearest to you. You explain to your friend: Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16).Yet, she argues that all people will be saved— regardless of what people believe or if they believe. She even calls you “narrow-minded” and “elitist” for saying such things. God’s Word is in your heart, and so you remind your [grand]child to honor the marriage bed (Hebrews 13:4). Yet, your [grand]child rejects you. He calls the Bible “outdated.” She points to her friends with the excuses: “Well, no one gets married anymore.” “We’re just trying things out.” “Yes, we have a child together (and are legally bound to that child for 18-years), but we just don’t want to commit quite yet.” You tell the grocery-store clerk that you go to church— and she just stares at you as if something is wrong with you. And you feel ashamed. People will treat you differently because of your connection to Jesus. Family may hate you because God’s Word exposes their behavior as “wrong.” You may face prosecution, jail time, or death— because you obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). It is difficult to live this way because it means you will not always feel happy. You may lose friends. You may lose popularity. You may lose your life. Do you know how to make all the shame go away? Ignore Jesus’ teachings. Change Jesus’ teachings. Ask the world what you should believe. And you will be happy— at least, for a while. You will have success, fame, and popularity on earth, but one day life will reach its end. Then you will stand before a perfect Judge and he will see that you loved this world more than you loved obeying him. We need encouragement to persevere in our life of faith, just like these Jewish Christians did. So, the writer of Hebrews reminds you: We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. (The tabernacle is temporary place of worship before the temple is built). In the Old Testament the High Priest carrie[d] the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering… Life is found in the blood; without blood you cannot live (Leviticus 17:11). Once a year the high priest slaughtered, not a sinner, but a goat. He sprinkled the blood on the Ark of the Covenant, handing over a life as payment for the lives of people (see Leviticus 16). Then the bodies are burned outside the camp, symbolizing the removal of sin. Yet, this great Day of Atonement pointed Old Testament worshippers to the work of Jesus Christ. We have a new altar— and this altar is a cross. On the altar of the cross, Jesus also suffered… Think about that! Jesus also suffered— for what? He has done nothing wrong! Instead, the Jewish nation to whom a Savior is promised, rejects their Savior. Religious leaders call the teachings of Jesus, “Wrong.” They arrest the Son of God, put him on trial, and falsely accuse [God!] of evil. The disciples are so ashamed of him they flee. Even a dying thief scoffs at him! Then, the government, established by God himself, abuse innocent life. Whips rip his back open. Roman soldiers nail Jesus to a cross and then taunt him: “Come down if you are the Son of God!” Do you realize Jesus could have avoided the cross? The moment he sees Judas the betrayer coming, he could have ran away. He could have given the answers the high priests expected. He could have called down legions upon legions of angels to fight for his freedom. Yet, if Jesus abandoned the cross, then how would you be saved? So, Jesus, our perfect sacrifice, also suffered outside the city gate. He carried our sins on his back. Our feelings of embarrassment for following him. Our desire to tolerate Christ-less beliefs. Our pursuit for worldly pleasure. Our thoughts of quitting our faith. He carries them outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. That is what you are now. Holy. Innocent. Without fault or guilt. Forgiven. Jesus Our Great High Priest Serves at a Great Altar. He bore our disgrace so that We may offer sacrifices of praise. As you look at the cross of Jesus, you are confronted with this inescapable truth: (1) Cling to Jesus, expect the world to ridicule and insult you, endure some trouble in this life, but gain heaven. Or, (2) Ignore Jesus’ teachings, condone the world’s god-less ways, feel content that you blend into a Christ-less society, but spend eternity in hell. You see, Jesus endures disgrace, but gloriously rises above disgrace forever and ever! He has made the same promise to you. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. You will stand out in this world because you put Jesus first in your life. But you will stand out in this world because you love Jesus— the One who gives you eternal life. Faith focuses you attention on what you are living for. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. So, what more is there for a Christian to have? You already have it all! You have heaven! So, what value does money have? You spend it today, but it does not follow you into heaven! What value does popularity have? It’s here today for jobs, relationships, and friendships, but popularity leaves when you leave this earth. What value is health? We preserve it as we remain stewards of God’s gift of bodies, but we will have perfect health in heaven! You realize there is nothing more valuable, nothing more important than the perfect life given for you on the cross. Everything else in this world pales in comparison. There is nothing more to gain. We already have it all! So, you are free to give all! Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. You give God sacrifices of praise. You already do that! You sing songs which retell God’s promises and hymns which express your confidence that God will keep his promises. You may not sing, but you openly give God credit. You confess to the world around you, “Thank God!” “I prayed to God!” “God is good!” You give God credit for what his power in your life. The words out of your mouth leads others to respect God, or at least notice what God has done. You offer sacrifices of praise. Following Jesus in faith sounds daunting— at first. Persecution? Hatred? Family rejecting and opposing your beliefs? Yes, all those things may happen, and they may hurt. Yet, you are following Jesus by the way of the cross. Those little pains you feel, remind you to lift up your eyes and remember why you suffer: because Jesus suffered for you. Jesus suffered to set you free from sins. You believe this. You hold it dear in your heart. You make sure nothing rips it out of your life. Yes, when the cross presses into you, lift your eyes up to Jesus, and gladly follow him because you are traveling to your enduring city and your Almighty God. So, how can you possibly cling to your faith in the face of ridicule? Remember this: Jesus Our Great High Priest Serves at a Great Altar He bore our disgrace. We offer sacrifices of praise. |
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