Every Memorial Day weekend, I drive out to Elm Creek, buy seedlings, and plant my garden. And every year the garden thrives. Vines stretch out. Plants grow thick and lush. I collect half-a-dozen cucumbers each day and pick cherry tomatoes and beans by the bucket full. This year was not like every other year.
A few days after putting the seedlings into the ground, the leaves turned yellow— like Post-It-Note yellow. But, the plants did not wilt; they did not shrivel up or die, they just stayed yellow— which was also strange. These yellow seedlings never grew; they never pushed out new branches and vines and leaves. For three weeks, I saw small rows of miniature yellow tomato, cucumber, and bean plants. Now, usually yellow leaves signal something wrong with growing conditions. The soil could be too acidic. The plants may not be receiving enough sunlight. Overwatering and severed roots can stunt plant growth. If you boil all the symptoms down, the causes for poor growth come from poor soil. Plants need good soil to live, grow, and produce fruit. For you to grow, thrive, and flourish in Christian living, you need good soil. You need a reliable source of comfort when feeling crushed. You need clear answers when confused. You need ever-constant strength when feeling exhausted. Where are you looking for direction? Better yet, does your source produce good results? Drink deeply from this truth: Gospel-Fed Hearts Grow. God has transplanted you into light. His Word grows knowledge. His Word produces fruitful living. The congregation in Colossae needed this reminder. (Now, Colossae sits in the southwest corner of present-day Turkey. So, picture Phoenix lying a little bit off the southwest American border.) An evangelist named ‘Epaphras’ preached and the Holy Spirit planted faith in each listener. Yet, this young congregation gets sick very quickly. They feed on a strange mixture of Jewish and Pagan teachings. Jewish— like: forbidding the eating of certain meats, making Old Testament religious ceremonies mandatory, and creating rules in order to win God’s favor. Then pagan— like: worshipping angels (who are God’s servants [Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 19:10]) and creating strange ideas of who God is, what he does, and how he lives. Those false beliefs poison souls. It seizes attention away from the clear answers God wrote down in the Bible and sets personal beliefs on human opinion. Epaphras and Paul see stunted, shriveling faith, and grow terribly concerned. So, they start right at the roots. After all, when my plants turned yellow, I did not treat the leaves; I started with what caused the leaves to turn yellow. I started with the soil. In the same way, when we drink in guidance for life, we need to make sure that this guidance comes from a healthy source. We want to remain spiritually healthy. Verses 13-14 say: [God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. We all entered this world rooted in this stinking soil, this domain of darkness. We were not just yellowed sick, we were spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-3). That is how we started life. Enemies of God (Romans 8:7). Not going to heaven (Isaiah 53:5). Unable to do anything to change that dreadful status. Yet, God did something: he ‘transferred us.’ With the pure life of Jesus in hand, he scooped you out of hell. He washed away the moral filth that soaks our minds. He clipped away our shameful regrets. He healed us from the disease called ‘sin’— a disease that would kill us. He transferred us into his kingdom. We have been moved from the column: ‘Enemy to be destroyed by God’ to ‘Child Loved by God.’ God’s Word, the Bible, tells you this comforting truth. That is the ‘gospel,’ the ‘good-news’ that Jesus rescued you. That ‘good news’ enters your heart individually. Because the Word of God has the power to change hearts (Romans 1:16). That Word, which was spoken at your baptism, has transplanted you into light. Paul takes us right to the soil. He reminds you that (1) God has bought you and (2) transplanted you so that you may draw strength from God and his Word. When it comes to guidance and strength for life, look down and see where you stand planted. God has transplanted you into light. Rooted in good soil comes good growth. My plants— well, the leaves remained yellow for several weeks. So, I treated the soil. I carefully dug up each seedling, filled the hole with black dirt, mixed in a little lime, and replanted each plant. A few days later those little plants began improving. Leaves changed from yellow to green and new growth appeared. When you have good soil, you have good growth. You (and I), planted into faith, grow. Paul continues in verse 9: [We] ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of [God’s] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding… So, you, as a Christian, are planted in Christ, but you do not remain stagnant. You grow spiritually. You grow by learning God’s ‘will’— and that ‘will’ (God’s desires) are only found in the Bible. This is why your congregation presents and emphasizes opportunities to be in God’s Word. To be in Bible Class. To be in Sunday School. To be in Catechism class. To have personal, daily devotions. These are all opportunities to see God’s demands, hear God’s forgiveness, memorize promises of rescue, and find God-pleasing answers. Maybe right now, your mind is already fabricating excuses as to why you just cannot possibly be in the Word like that. I mean, we still battle a sinful nature. A sinful nature that thinks it can handle every problem in life. A sinful nature that does not want to rely on the Bible verses memorized in Sunday School and in Catechism class. A sinful nature that defends its ungodly decisions. A sinful nature that only seeks its own interests. We may create every excuse as to why it’s impossible to grow in our knowledge of God, but we only hurt ourselves. The devil loves the excuses you (and I) make because they separate us God’s Word— the only weapon we have against temptation. The further we stay from the Word, the further we can drift from God! That is why Paul prays: [We] ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of [God’s] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding… The more you read your Bible, the more you learn— and not just that, but the more you remember about who God is and what God does. The information gained from the Bible allows you to apply it to the many different situations of life. This is where you find guidance. You know: Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16). Apply that truth when frightened about death. Can you really know that you will be in heaven? Yes. Because God used baptism to save you (1 Peter 3:21). You know that God is with you to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Apply that truth when at a loss for answers. You do not know the future. You might worry the future will be bad, not pleasant. Yet, God has heaven in store for you. God uses even unpleasant things to increase your reliance on him. You also use your knowledge to determine what is false and what is true. Someone might tell you: God will not give you more than you can bear. You would know that this is not entirely accurate. The Bible says: God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear and that when pressed down, his Word gives you strength not to fall into sin (1 Corinthians 10:13). A friend might say: I don’t need to be in a church to be a Christian. While that sounds a little true, you also know the Bible says: Let us not give up meeting together (Hebrews 10:25). The more you spend in your Bible, the more you know. The more you know, the more you apply. That is how you grow. A Gospel-Fed Heart Grows. God has transplanted you into light; he provides good soil. As a follower of Christ, you will grow in Christian living; His Word grows knowledge. Right now my garden is growing. The soil is balanced. Plants draw nutrients from that soil. Yet, something else happens: those plants produce fruit— good, beneficial, pleasing fruit. Paul points to the fruits that come from putting God’s Word into practice. Verses 3-5 say: We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. God loves the Colossians. He loves them so much that he still keeps the Word in their life. He uses the Word to correct their false beliefs. He does not hold their wrongs against them, but he cleanses them. He keeps them planted in this soil of faith. He keeps feeding them with his Word. That love has an effect: loved much, they love much. Paul notes that in verses 5-6: Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing— as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth… The Word produces ‘fruits of faith.’ ‘Fruits of faith’ are the results that come from putting God’s Word into practice. See what fruits it produces in you. God encourages us: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said: ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5). We see that God has given house and home, possessions and vehicles, money saved and money spent— and does this all without our constant asking. The Word sinks in; the fruit of contentment grows. God teaches: If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord (Romans 14:8). If we come through surgery, we thank God for another day. If we do not make it through surgery, we thank God for heaven. We will not leave this life a day sooner or a day later than God already knows. So, the Word sinks in; the fruit of trust grows. God instructs: Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord… Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:22, 25). Husbands put the needs of your wife ahead of your own, just like Christ put your life ahead of his and died for you. Wives, listen to your husbands, just like you know God loves you and wants only the best. The Word sinks in; the fruit of stronger relationships grow. Gospel-Fed Hearts Grow. God’s Word does something; God’s Word produces fruitful living. For you to grow, thrive, and flourish in Christian living, you need good soil. You need a reliable source of comfort when feeling crushed. You need clear answers when confused. You need ever-constant strength when feeling exhausted. Where are you looking for direction? Drink deeply from this truth: Gospel-Fed Hearts Grow. Turn here. God has transplanted you into light. His Word grows knowledge. His Word produces fruitful living. It started off so easy. A father and his young son strolled down a flat, sandy nature trail. The further the two hiked, the more rugged the trail grew. Boulders littered the path, forcing both hikers to squeeze around them. Thigh-deep creeks sliced the trail in two, making them wade through churning currents. Trees had fallen on the path, leaving them no choice but to hop up and over the slimy, mossy bark. Finally, after hours of climbing and shuffling, reaching and grabbing, they saw the trail’s end. It meant no more obstacles, no more exhausting effort, no more struggles. All that separated them from reaching the goal was a deep chasm.
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 it stretched both ways for miles. The only way over this challenge was over a fallen oak tree that bridged this great divide. Father went first. His eyes locked onto the end of the trail. He carefully placed one foot on the log, and then heaved his entire weight onto the tree. One foot slid ahead of the other foot. He crept forward inch-by-inch, safely reaching the other side. Turning around, he called out for his son to cross. Yet, the son sees so many things around him— so many dangers, curiosities, fears. He questions the sturdiness of the tree. He wonders what joys might lie on his side of the divide. He fears the raging waters could drown him. So many distractions pull on him, but the father calls, ‘Keep your eyes on me.’ Keep your eyes on me. Last Thursday marked the ascension of Jesus Christ; Jesus crossed from earth into heaven. You (and I) still stand on the other side— in a world that puts a constant strain on your faith. Still, Jesus says: ‘Keep your eyes on me!’ He prepares you for the Final Day. So, Live prepared for the Day. In his final Revelation, Jesus reveals earthly strength and eternal comfort with these words: “Behold, I am coming soon!” He makes that promise not just once, but three times in one single chapter. Three times! …and twice in our selected verses! (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20): “Behold, I am coming soon!” That is true. That is a fact. The entire Bible confirms that. On the chosen day, at the precise second, [t]he Son of Man [will come] on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other… And so we will be with the Lord forever (Matthew 24:30-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). You stand so certain of Jesus’ return that you confess it to be true [in the Apostle’s Creed]: I believe that… Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. Yes, Jesus is Coming Soon. How many times did that phrase cross your mind this morning? “Today could be the day! Today I might step foot into my heavenly home! Today I could see Jesus with my eyes! Today Jesus could come!” Honestly? I did not— apart from prepping for this sermon. Jesus has been gone 2,000 years. That is not our definition of ‘soon.’ In fact, the Twelve disciples said Jesus would return ‘soon’ (Romans 13:11; James 5:8). I imagine Christians 500-years ago waited for Jesus. My grandparents believed Jesus would return. Yet, nothing! Jesus did not return on a predicted date. He did not return when one group waited for him. He has not returned in my lifetime. Jesus promises to come ‘soon,’ but millennia have passed. So, honestly, that is why this thought never enters my mind. If Jesus has not returned by now, it appears the likelihood of his return is still far off. That, dear friends, leads to a very dangerous temptation. If we feel Jesus will not return in 10-years …10-months …10-days …10-minutes, we can let our faith-life slip. We figure there will always be time to address sin later. To grow in our faith later. To repent of a pleasurable wrong later. Jesus’ response to that is: Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. Jesus will examine every single heart. He will find hearts that stubbornly boast: “Jesus, I refuse to match my relationship to your commands. I do not want to obey you.” Jesus will find hearts that arrogantly sneer: “Jesus, I doubt that you created the world. I doubt that you actually did miracles. I doubt you really saved me. I doubt your life changed mine” Jesus will find hearts boldly bragging: “Jesus, I will not love my neighbor as myself. I don’t need to.” Jesus can even find those hearts sitting here, in a church, for decades. Hearts almost daring him: “You are not here yet. You will not return. I still have time.” Jesus will give that heart hell. That’s why he says it not just once, but three times in one single chapter: “Behold, I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20) Yes, Jesus will give to everyone according to what he has done— including you (and me)! Ah! We are by no means perfect! And sometimes we even deliberately do what is wrong! What will he give us? A ‘life’-sentence. Life! God levied against Jesus a punishment that corresponds to all we have done. Yes, he slaps Jesus for stubborn boasting. He pulverizes Jesus for our arrogant sneering. He gives Jesus hell. The innocent blood of Jesus spills from his veins, and God takes you (and me), dips us in that innocent blood, and washes us. He scrubs away boasting. He purifies foolish arrogance. He lifts off death. Plug yourself into verse 14. ‘Blessed are you who have washed your robes, so that you may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates of the city.’ Jesus describes what he has done for you! Jesus prepares you for life! Then he ascends into heaven to prepare a room for you. If he has gone to prepare a room for you, he will then come back so that you also may be where he is(John 14:2-3). Right now, we have the right to the tree of life— the tree found in the Garden of Eden, the tree that brings unending life (Genesis 2:9; 3:22-24). You have life reserved in heaven. You will feast on that tree in perfection forever! Jesus guarantees it. “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” “I am showing you what will happen. I am showing you the future.” One day the future will be your present. Yes, we stand on the earthly side of the divide. Jesus has crossed into heaven, but has not left you orphaned (John 14:18). He turns to say: I am Coming Soon! I have prepared you for the Day. Now, Live prepared for the Day. How? Keep focused on your eternal home. You have help. The [Holy] Spirit says: “Come!” You, come! Approach these words. The Holy Spirit compels us to rejoice in what God prepares for you. He deepens our appreciation that God prepares heaven for you. He tightens your fingers around the splendid truth that God has made you his special child— that you live shaped by his Word because you are his child. You are the bride of Christ. The bride, that is, every believer married to Jesus by faith, says, “Come!” You carry those words to each other. You say them to yourself. “Come! Come and see Jesus rule. Come and see Jesus watch you. Come and see Jesus strengthen you. Come to these words. As the bride of Christ, each day you take another step down the wedding aisle towards your groom. Live with a heart filled with love for the One who loved you. That is how you live prepared for the Day. There’s more! [L]et him who hears say, “Come!” The ‘one who hears’ is you. ‘ You’ tell the world: ‘Come!’ Because the world needs to hear that message. Your children may be wandering spiritually. What do you say to them? After all, they are adults. They are exposed to a world that creates the beliefs it wants to believe. They make their own decisions. What do you say when a child who once knew Jesus now no longer worships him? What do you say when your son leaves what you taught him for a church that satisfies his ideas? What do you say to a daughter that always has an excuse to stay out of worship? It’s easy to say nothing .It’s easy to shrug off the false things your child hears about Jesus. It’s easy to surrender parental responsibilities. Yes, your child may be an adult. Yes, your child may make their own decisions. Yet, you have God’s truth. You have a message of God freely, completely washing you in the blood of Jesus— a message very few churches openly embrace, a message a nonbelieving world will never understand without hearing (Romans 10:17). So, how do you respond? [L]et him who hears say, “Come!” “Come, son, and listen to the Bible.” “Come, Daughter, and see your Savior.” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. Nothing satisfies more on a hot, humid day than ice-cold, refreshing water. Nothing satisfies both conscience and heart, more than knowing a Jesus who is coming soon! Coming not in terror, but with healing in his wings. You know Jesus is Coming Soon! Live prepared for the Day. Jesus is Coming Soon! He can, because everything needed to save you is complete. He does not need to battle Satan again. He does not need to die again. He does need to offer new payment for sin. All is done! All has been accepted for your benefit! Jesus crossed from earth into heaven. You (and I) still stand on the other side— in a world that puts a constant strain on your faith. Still, Jesus says: ‘Keep your eyes on me!’ He prepares you for the Day. So, Live prepared for the Day. Keep turning for what is wrong. Keep clinging to my forgiveness. Keep coming to the Word and drinking that refreshing revelation. Life has an end— and you will walk across the divide into life eternal. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The Prisoner-of-War camp sucked the life out of Louis Zamperini. His daily meal consisted of a cup of seaweed and fist-sized ball of rice. Japanese officers made him heave hundreds of pounds of mined granite 16-hours each day, seven-days-a-week. At any time of day, for any reason, prison guards could pummel his face, kick his ribs, beat him with sticks and belt buckles without mercy. That went on for 27 months! Eight-hundred-twenty-days of starving, slaving, striking.
Then it all ended. September 2, 1945: the Allied Forces force Japan into unconditional surrender. The War was over— and the American Prisoners-of-War remained in their death-camp two more months. Yes! Even though the War was over, the Americans did not immediately hop back to base. They were not instantly released into the arms of their families. The prison camp is not burned down. The men remained there— but! but… the power of the enemy was snapped. The prisoners became the conquerors and the once-conquerors became the prisoners. The PoWs now barked orders at their former captors: “Get us more food.” “Schedule the train for us.” “Bring us medicine.” The Japanese had to obey. Although surrounded by the sight of captivity, the captives actually lived free. That’s a strange thought: to live free among the sight of captivity. As strange as it sounds, that statement is true! You (and I) live under the effects of Jesus’ victorious resurrection. The devil lost. Hell is broken. Christ wins! Christ reigns! Never lose sight of that. The Lamb Once Slain has Begun His Reign! Complete supremacy belongs to him. This stands true forever. Do you think that’s true? Complete supremacy belongs to Jesus? That his intentions trump the actions of world governments? That he protects life against those who wish to destroy it? It does not seem like it, does it? I mean, killing the unborn remains legal; lawmakers even fight against any restrictions to abortion. Young children are indoctrinated to accept ungodly definitions of sexuality, gender, marriage. Fathers are absent, mothers neglect, and couples refuse marriage. World leaders taunt God and God does not shoot down lightning. Many deliberately mock what is right and nothing happens. Do you think Christ really controls what happens in society? What about matters of church? ‘Church’ deals directly with the things of God! You would assume that Jesus would defend his teachings. You expect Jesus to silence false teachers. Then, you watch some churches label what God calls ‘right,’ ‘wrong,’ and in turn, they parade what is ‘wrong’ as ‘right.’ You call ‘wrong,’ wrong and ‘right,’ right and people reject you! Your congregation stands on the Word, and (1) your friend does not want to hear it, (2) your community dismisses it, (3) many live unconcerned about eternal life! Christ controls his Church? What about your life? You ask God to heal rifts, but family division still runs deep. You pray for mobility, but lose ability. You still mourn and the pain never really goes away. Your issues may seem small compared to greater issues spanning the globe. So you think that at least God should be able to help one single ‘you.’ Then nothing happens! Life never gets better! The Lamb Once Slain has Begun His Reign and evil still runs rampant? It just does not feel like Complete supremacy belongs to Jesus. That’s the problem: You feel. You expect. You assume. You base truth on your ever-changing feelings. You take only what you see and wrongly conclude that Jesus loses. Think back to those American captives. What did they see after the War? Japanese military. Slummy conditions. A foreign land. Based on what is seen, the Americans look enslaved. It took one word to shatter what was seen. One word called them to look beyond the uniforms, the enemy, the territory. One word told them to see their life as it truly is: ‘Victorious!’ God gives you not just one word, but many. The Lamb Once Slain has Begun His Reign and Complete supremacy belongs to him. How can you be sure? Look to God’s Word. Hear it. Take to heart what it tells you. The Apostle John knows exactly what it feels like to wonder if Jesus has control. Revelation 1:9 says: I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos… Why? Well, John does what Jesus commands him to do: preach! Roman Emperor Domitian did not like that. He exiles John! Dumps him off on an island. Alone. Kept away from family, friends, people. All because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Do you think John questions the control Jesus claims to have? Good government? Moral people? Less persecution against your church? Even though suffering, where do you find John looking? To God. Revelation starts: The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place (1:1). Yes, Jesus reveals a difficult life for you, the Christian, but that is not the main focus. Jesus points you past the chaos to see him as he truly is: The Lamb Once Slain who has Begun His Reign. [John] looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. Every square inch teems with angels who blend together in one, thunderous song: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” John sees this now. The victory party has already started. The angels still sing and will sing forever! Jesus wins! He snaps the power of the devil. Jesus never stumbles into temptation. He never shakes a fist at God and demands: “God! Where are you?! Give me instant success!” No. Jesus lives unblemished. On Good Friday—a day where Jesus looks absolutely powerless—he lays down his life (John 10:17-18). Understand, the devil did not kill Jesus. The cross did not kill him. People did not kill him. Jesus willingly died. He chose to deal with your greatest fear: Unending misery. That is what we dread. Death that goes on forever. Jesus stands in front of God the Father, pulls out his perfect record, and gives it to him to use for you. Then, in your place, Jesus tastes unending misery. He dies forsaken, abandoned, alone— and no one helps him. Jesus chooses to deal with this. Then, on Easter, he comes back to life. He does not ask the devil for permission. He does not ask a doctor for help. Nope. He rises from death and walks out of the tomb. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a victorious exclamation point on the truth that your fears have been completely wiped out. You are forgiven. Christ says so. Heaven (not hell) is your home. Christ says so. Christ remains with you. He says so. This vision from Revelation shows these words are not empty wishes, but a reality of what is really going on behind the scenes. The Lamb Once Slain has Begun His Reign! Complete supremacy belongs to him. This stands true forever. Nothing will ever change the effects of Easter. John heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” This loud chorus tells you what happened. Give praise, honor, and respect to Jesus because he has taken the throne! He deserves praise, honor, and respect because he is already sitting in authority. The four living creatures [literally: kept saying], “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. You say ‘Amen.’ You say ‘Amen’ at the end of prayers. You say ‘Amen’ at the close of service. I say ‘Amen’ at the end of each sermon. Remember what ‘Amen’ means? ‘So let it be.’ ‘Yes, everything said about God’s abilities, personality, and character is true. Let everything we ask for happen.’ So, God shows you what definitely happens. First, Jesus holds final say on every single thing that happens in this universe and everything that happens on your globe. Nothing happens without his notice. No one overrules him. So, when the devil whispers: ‘Jesus wins? Then why is Christian living so difficult?’ point him to the cross. Remind him that the cross means you, the Christian, will spend life in paradise. Remind him that the cross means God’s Word will forever remain in the world for you to hear and read. Remind him that Jesus has locked him to hell. When nonbelieving leaders change morality or change Scripture, remember: God will send every rebel to hell (Mark 16:16). They reject his Word. They do not want him. So, they will get the hell they ask for. As for you, regardless of how the world might treat you, God will treat you well forever. Also, remember the final sentence in verse 11: [The angels] encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. Angels are God’s messengers (Hebrews 1:14). The living creatures picture Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the men who put Jesus’ teachings into writing. The elders? That pictures every believer in the Old Testament and New Testament. And they stand in heaven! God shows you where Christians are. Now. Your spouse. Your mother, your father, your child. My grandparents—all those who believed and were baptized are saved (Mark 16:16). They stand in heaven now. With other believers! With angels! With John the Apostle! One day, you will take your place next to them and the Lamb. Finally, The Lamb Once Slain has Begun His Reign. If this stands true forever, then why is life still difficult now? Why face ungodly governments or grueling decisions or limitations? Does Jesus really have control? Yes. Yes, he does. Government pressure urges you to stand on and stand up for God’s truth. Family division only increases your patient forgiveness. Personal struggles teach you to depend on God even more. There is nothing that will not draw you closer to your God (Romans 8:28). You can be sure of that. Your Jesus wins! He unveils heaven, your home. He points out your spot. He is walking you there. The devil, the world, and our hearts try to block this vision from our eyes. Yet, behold the vision glorious and wrap yourself in the comfort of the powerful Christ. The Lamb Once Slain has Begun His Reign! This stands true forever. It can be difficult to see victory— especially when every sight around you is unwanted. Then again, what is seen is not always true. The American Prisoners-of-War remained in their death-camp two months after the War ended. They did not immediately hop back to base. They were not instantly released into the arms of their families. The prison camp is not burned down. The men remain there— but! but… the power of the enemy was snapped. The prisoners became the conquerors and the once-conquerors became the prisoners. Although surrounded by the sight of captivity, the captives actually lived free. You (and I) live under the effects of Jesus’ victorious resurrection. The devil lost. Hell is broken. Christ wins! Christ reigns! Never lose sight of that. The Lamb Once Slain has Begun His Reign! Complete supremacy belongs to him. This stands true forever. This is what division does. Thirty-four days of a government partially shutdown. Now, let’s be clear about one thing: we are not discussing politics this morning. We are not debating who we think is ‘right’ and who is ‘wrong.’ For just a moment, ponder what you see. One political party proposes a budget-bill only to have it rejected. The other political party proposes a budget-bill only to have it ignored. Each body of government seems to only function among itself and not with its counterparts. That division has an effect. About 800,000 employees still wait for a paycheck; some have gone one month without pay. That means, rent and mortgages go unpaid. That means, spending is watched at grocery stores. That means, trips in the car are limited. An increasing amount of Transportation Security agents refuse to work. So that means longer security lines in which to stand. That means longer wait times for flights. That means some agents work longer hours and spend less time with family. Division stirs up anger. Division tarnishes respect. Division damages relationships. Division benefits no one.
So, if division helps nothing, why does it still occur? Boil it down. Form one concrete answer. Why does this happen? God knows the reason. That is why he gives us these words today. God does not want our differences morphing into painful division. He reminds us: One Body has Many Parts. God makes each member uniquely different, So that each member is uniquely united. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts… Different-sized parts like hands and arms, feet and legs. Different-shaped parts like bones. Different-textured parts like internal organs. Different-functioning parts like eyes and ears, nose, and mouth. [A]nd though all its parts are many, they form one body. You do not hold one single part— like a heart— and say: “This is a body.” No! We identify the heart as a part of a larger object. So, just like many individual parts come together and form the body, So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body— whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free— and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Each one of us here have one thing in common. One thing— regardless of your age. Regardless if you are a man or woman. Regardless of your job or how much you make. Regardless of your personality or interests or hobbies. Regardless of where you were born, where you grew up, and where you live now. You (and I) might be completely, absolutely different in every possible way, but we still have one thing in common: We are here today because of Jesus. [W]e were all baptized by one Spirit into one body… You are just one person, but at your baptism, God adopted you. God took you [individually] by choice into his family. And God adopted the person next to you at her baptism. God used baptism to adopt the guy sitting in front of you. The person across the aisle is adopted through baptism. One-by-one God joins each single believer into one spiritual family that has one common belief: Only Jesus saves. [T]he body is not made up of one part but of many. Forget this and you start sounding like a foot. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. Do you catch the problem? It’s jealousy! After all, hands get more attention than feet. You lotion hands, you wash them often, people see your hands, I shake your hands. Honestly, I forget that you have feet; it’s the farthest thought from my mind! And how often I pout because no one sees my contributions. “I keep clean the church. I water plants and shovel the walks. I reached out to that fellow member who has not worshipped in over a year. No one saw me do that. No one thanks me for this.” Jealousy demands credit for a God-given gift. It is absolutely selfish to fold your arms, pout, and gripe: “Well, since I receive no praise, then I will stop helping this body.” Division hurts others. Division limits you. Division benefits no one. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. Eyes and ears constantly work. When we are awake, we are always seeing and hearing. Both get credit… but maybe the ear thinks sight is a more important function than hearing. Really, the ear demands to perform in a way it cannot! That, too, is jealousy. Jealousy ranks gifts. Jealousy says: “It is unfair that I have to listen and not preach.” Jealousy says: “I want to lead, not follow.” Jealousy says: “I want to be known as outgoing and personable, not quiet.” Jealousy refuses to use the unique gifts God gave you. Catch that? Look at verse 18. God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. Who gave you the gifts you have? Who opens opportunities for you to use those gifts? Who equips you for service? God. So what does jealousy say about God’s arrangement? “God, you do not let me be praised. God, you do not let me be seen. God, you got it all wrong.” You tell God how to function. God would have every right and reason to amputate us from his body, but he does not. Instead, he amputates Jesus. Yes, Jesus, the Son of God is made lower than the angels. His twelve fishermen constantly squabble about the most important rank in their group. Still, it is Jesus who has our jealousy written all over him. It is Jesus who is cut off from the body of God. It is Jesus who dies to join you (and me) into the body of Christ. Jesus strips away jealousy by dying for you and then living again to tell you about it. You are a part— yes, just one part of a larger body— but you are a special part because Jesus spent his life to join you to him. God makes each member uniquely different for a reason; God makes you different for a reason. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? If you all had the same flamboyant gifts, who would benefit? Picture it: an eyeball laying on the ground. This is a body? It can see me talking, but cannot decipher my words. It can see dinner, but cannot smell or eat. It can see friends, but it cannot wave and say ‘Hi!’ An eyeball does a great job of seeing, but it fails miserably to do anything else! The body has other needs, so it needs other parts. Each part uses its unique ability in its role at the appropriate time. One Body has Many Parts. God makes each member uniquely different, So that each member is uniquely united. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” What would happen if the eye got its way? You have no hands. How would you pick things up? If you tripped, you could never catch yourself. You would get hurt. You need hands. Each of you have an ability that is valuable. Maybe not noticed. Maybe never credited. But still valuable. Think about that. You have value. You do not have the right to throw a pity-party, neglect your gifts, and say, “Well, they don’t need me… I’m too old… I’ve put in my time serving… I’m too busy… I don’t want to…” If you are a hand, then serve as a hand would. If you enjoy people, then encourage like a people-person would— because others may not be people-persons. Or, if you are a not-so-noticed-foot, then serve as a not-so-noticed-foot. If you enjoy completing tasks, then keep clean your worship space and help clear sidewalks. No one may notice your contribution, but it is noticed when it is missing. If you are a powerful eye, then serve as a powerful eye. You may have knowledge of Bible stories. Use that knowledge to teach. You may have that strong faith. Then use that faith to focus others on Jesus. God does not distribute gifts so that you compare yourself to others. God makes you unique so that you can serve unique needs. Your uniqueness might feel unnecessary. Friendliness? Really? Well, what an awesome feeling to be greeted by a warm face! Supporting, not leading? You do not need to all be Pastors; Pastors need helpers too. Helpers who have those relationships in the community, relationships that help remove barriers. Helpers who have building knowledge, who can design and decorate, who can use their body for work. Feel too elderly to contribute? Physically, maybe; spiritually, never! Experience is a treasure trove of wisdom! And you, dear Christian, may have the wisdom to approach the youth, identify temptation, and connect Jesus to life-situations. One Body has Many Parts so that each member is uniquely united. That is the reason you are different from others. Differences actually unite us! Think back to the beginning (of our message). Our government has separate bodies that each have a unique set of responsibilities. When all work together, the economy runs strong, employment rises, and people receive physical needs. People are brought together. Division stirs up anger. Division tarnishes respect. Division damages relationships. Division benefits no one. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it… Ever stub a toe? Such a little part of the body makes the entire body stop and floods the mind with pain. When a fellow believer suffers, the entire body of believers pays attention. Again, each part in its own way. A fellow believer loses a spouse. You hurt too. Some of you pray, others encourage, still others offer affectionate hugs. A fellow Christian stays away from worship. You hurt because you know faith can be lost; unbelief results in hell. So, friends encourage. Parents speak up. Believers pray. Your different roles actually bring us closer together. [Y]ou are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. Faith in Jesus as Savior makes you part of the body of believers. Even though you stand in one big group, God makes each member uniquely different. You are the only one with the life experience you had. You each have different priorities. You each have different abilities. You each are unique, but still in the one body of Christ. That uniqueness is put to work So that each member is uniquely united. Focus on the one Savior who joins us all together and see how God uses you (and me) to only strengthen bonds. To encourage others to remain strong in Jesus. To strengthen bonds of friendships here. One Body has Many Parts. God makes each member uniquely different, So that each member is uniquely united. Have you ever done this before [balancing a pole on the palm of your hand]? If you have, then you know there’s a tactic to keeping the pole upright; you must keep your eyes on the pole. Your eyes will see the pole’s movements, your mind will comprehend what adjustments must be made, and your brain will tell your hand where to move. Take your eyes off of the object— maybe fixate on your bulging muscles or beautiful hands or check out how good you look— and the pole falls. Your attention is misplaced. And you know what? It does not matter how good you look, it does not matter how strong you are, it does not matter if you have the most beautiful hands in the world. Take your eyes off of the object and the balancing act fails. We could say it this way: the act of balancing this pole only succeeds when your attention is centered on the object.
For the next three weeks, we will explore the spiritual gifts God gives and how you put those gifts into action in your congregation. Before we explore using those spiritual gifts, we must start by seeing from where those gifts come. We get to set our attention on an Object. Only then do we gain the ability to keep our gifts in proper balance. So, let’s set our sights on this: One God Gives Various Gifts. Your Christian life starts from him and Your Christian service is for him. Did you catch the word repeated? For ‘him,’ for ‘God.’ Spiritual things deal with God. So, if we want to explore spiritual gifts, we must set our attentions first on God. That is why our reading starts the way it does; it resets our attention. Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. ‘Ignorant,’— that is, ‘misinformed’ or ‘lacking correct knowledge.’ Maybe you do not quite know what a spiritual gift is. You might be unaware that you do have unique abilities. Perhaps we are misinformed about the purpose of having spiritual gifts. Ignorance can lead to chaos, hurt, division, disunity within a congregation. Yet, the most significant misunderstanding we can have about spiritual gifts is thinking “It is all about me.” Do you find yourself saying that? “I have a gift!” I am friendly. I am creative. I am caring. I am wise. I am knowledgeable. I am dedicated. Do you see what’s happening? You take credit for your abilities, as though somehow you chose to be gifted in those areas. You want people to praise you for the various abilities that you have. If you want people to praise you for your superiority, then soon you will determine (1) who you will help, (2) when you might help, and (3) in what ways you will help. Do you realize that spiritual gifts are just that? Gifts! God makes that point pretty clear in verse 2. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. God shows us what we once were. Pagans. Nonbelievers. Not followers of Christ. You (and I) were conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5). You (and I) entered this world spiritually dead, spiritually lifeless (Ephesians 2:1). Without faith in God as Savior. Without the ability to choose God as Savior. Unable to invite God into our hearts. God clearly says: “At one time you wanted nothing to do with spiritual matters.” But that has all changed. Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed…” To ‘curse Jesus’ is to say, “God, destroy Jesus.” No Christian would ever want to say that. After all, we love Jesus! How could we wish such evil? We would not— because the Holy Spirit puts love for God in our hearts. [N]o one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. The only way you (and I) come to faith is when the Holy Spirit works on our hearts. Remember, Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). What is in that “word of Christ?” Jesus reveals his divine power. He changes water in wine (John 2:1-11). He cheers hearts crushed by guilt (John 4:5-26). He wisely knows God demands complete obedience for eternal life in heaven (Matthew 4:1-11). The Word tells us that (1) Jesus is divine and (2) he uses his abilities to serve us. Look at Jesus and you see him serve you. The Father abandon Jesus for our ignorance about spiritual gifts. He raises Jesus from death and declares you ‘Forgiven.’ Then, he sets that assurance on you at baptism. 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). The Holy Spirit has worked in your heart the ability to say: Jesus is Lord. You admit that only Jesus paid the penalty for sin. You confess that only Jesus wiped away your guilt. You believe that only Jesus has saved you. He is the Master, the Chief Leader in whom to trust. He is your Lord. This is where we start when exploring spiritual gifts. Only God makes it possible for you to receive spiritual gifts. Jesus removes the penalty for sin. The Holy Spirit applies that payment to your spiritual account. The Father declares that payment, “Accepted for you!” Your Christian life starts from God. So, what now? Well, Your Christian service is for him. Pay attention to how that service appears. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. You will see different kinds of abilities, you will see different areas to apply those abilities, you will see different results from those abilities. And regardless of what gifts you have, what areas you might serve, what results might appear, there is still one God. One God Gives Various Gifts. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. God will reveal himself through you. That means, sometimes God makes you the answer to someone’s prayer. A grieving widow receives God’s encouragement from you. A frightened child receives God’s protection through you. A stressed-out son receives God’s financial providing through you. God blesses the world by the abilities he has handed you. Sometimes it means serving even when you receive no direct benefits. Your healthy body shovels out the driveway of the elderly lady, even though your driveway is still covered in snow. Yet, you have health to serve! You lend advice to an undisciplined daughter, even though she ignores half of it. Yet, you have the ability to advise. Our attention is not set on ourselves; our attention is set on our heavenly Father who has so freely, so lovingly made us his children that we want to serve him with what he has given us! Look at all the gifts listed, and maybe you realize that you have one (or two). Yes, even if you are 4, 24, 44, 64, or 84-years old. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom… Real wisdom understands the reality of sin and sees its solution in God. So, wisdom takes in the teachings of God and applies them to every aspect of life. [T]o another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit… Knowledge is what you have learned in the Bible. It includes even teaching Bible stories about Jesus or sharing your faith. [T]o another faith by the same Spirit… That ‘faith’ does not mean coming to faith. No, it describes a strong faith that clings to the promises of God. The wife remains courageous in the face of cancer. The college student prays when finances grow tight. You pick up the phone, get bad news, but you still remember God works all things for our good. Maybe you know someone with rock-solid faith. Or, maybe you are that person with rock-solid faith. That benefits your fellow Christians. Strong faith encourages us to grow stronger in our faith. When we see strong faith, we are reminded to trust in God too. [T]o another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers… We might remember how the apostles drove out demons and healed cripples. This demonstrated that their Christian teaching dealt with the one true God (and not the devil). [T]o another prophecy… We think about Pastors who preach and explain God’s Word so that it makes a little more sense to us. [T]o another distinguishing between spirits… that is, applying Bible teachings to certain Christian questions. You can identify if a preacher on television is telling the truth or if he is over-exaggerating portions of the Bible. [T]o another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. Again, we think about Pentecost. The twelve disciples could speak in different languages. More important than that was that others could understand what Jesus had done in their own language. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. The reason we have a particular gift is because God graciously handed us such a gift. Notice, these spiritual gifts are never uses to bring praise to you. You never find God saying, “Yes! You are the greatest!” Nor does he pressure you: “You better figure out what you’re good at.” No! God lists gifts. You can look them over. You might say, “Hey, I have the gift of remembering Bible stories. I will tell my children these stories.” Maybe, “Oh! My faith does not shake under pressure. I will keep feeding it and encourage others to do the same.” Perhaps: “I understand Bible teachings. I will warn my family to stay away from false teachers who …deny infants baptism ...think all people enter heaven …that God wants us to earn his love.” One God Gives Various Gifts. Various, because we all have different needs. You use your unique abilities to serve the unique abilities of each other. This pleases God, you serve one God. Next week we will focus on individual gifts and how each of us work together in a Christian congregation—but first, let’s end with this topic: Where do we get our gifts from? God, as he always does, puts our attention on him. Kind of like balancing this pole. If I take my eyes off of the pole and focus on me—how beautiful I am, how great I am—then the pole falls. The power to keep pole upright comes from setting my attention on what the pole’s doing. When I set my attention on God, I am able to carry out my spiritual gifts for the good of others. I am able to use those spiritual gifts so that others might benefit. Set your attentions on God. Your Christian life comes from him. Your Christian life is for him. One God Gives Various Gifts. |
Details
Archives
December 2019
Categories
All
|