“Angels—God’s Messengers & Servants” Rev. 12.7-12, St. Michael & All Angels, Sept. ‘14

1.                   Please pray with me.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock, and our Redeemer.  Amen.  The message from God’s Word for us this morning as we observe the Feast of St. Michael & All Angels comes to us from Rev. 12:7-12 and it’s entitled, “Angels—God’s Messengers & Servants,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                  Now you may be wondering, “Why does the church observe this festival of St. Michael and All Angels, or what are angels and why should I care?”  Well, angels are important to know for us as Christians.  Sometime during the six days of creation, the Lord God created these beings we call angels. They are unseen spirits, doing the will of God–“ministering spirits,” the Bible calls them.  The Bible is clear that there’s an unseen spirit world, with lots going on that we mere mortals aren’t aware of. We may see the results of this unseen spiritual activity in our world–in human history, in the rise and fall of nations, in the protection and safety of the church, or even of individual believers. We may see the results, but we don’t see the angelic activity itself.

3.                  As we survey the Sacred Scriptures, we can briefly say that angels are God’s messengers and servants. Angels are messengers. In fact, the word “angel” means “messenger.” The Greek word “angelos” can be translated as that, “messenger.” God sent angels to deliver messages to man, particularly at critical moments in God’s dealings with mankind.  For example, the angel Gabriel was sent, first to Zechariah, to announce the coming birth of John, the forerunner of the Lord, and then to the virgin Mary, to announce that she was to give birth to our Savior Jesus. And when she did, on that Christmas night, an angel appeared to some shepherds out in a field, to let them know that that night a Savior had been born to them, which is Christ the Lord. Then, fast forward, and we come to the resurrection and ascension of our Lord. Again, angels are sent to deliver the message. The two young men at Jesus’ tomb–they tell the women, “He is not here. He is risen, just as he said.” And forty days later, at Jesus’ ascension, they tell the disciples: “Why do you stand staring up into the heavens? This Jesus will come again in the same way you saw him go up into the heavens.” Key moments in the life and work of our Savior Jesus Christ, and you find angels coming to deliver a message, explaining the moment to the persons who witness it.

4.                  It’s mysterious to us that early in the Book of Genesis after God created the heavens and the earth an astounding event occurred: a number of the angels turned evil! 2 Peter 2 speaks of the fact that God did not spare the angels when they fell from their original place; they were eternally condemned! These angels, headed up by Satan, were extracted from heaven. How can this be?  Evil in heaven?  Then we find the evil angels and the good angels throughout the Old and New Testaments. We see demons abundant in the New Testament. These are fallen angels working their evil power against the Church. And that brings us down to Revelation 12, today’s text.

5.                  This text presents to us a mysterious “war in heaven.” This war took place at the ascension of our Lord, as the context indicates. Just before v 7, we find the “the child (Jesus) caught up to heaven.” In the direct context of the ascension of Jesus, this war takes place. Satan and all his angels storm heaven in one last attempt, as if it were possible, to destroy Christ and his kingdom. But Michael and his angels fight against the dragon and his angels and repel the attack.

6.                  And then, there is that last amazing verse: “Rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you,O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” (ESV).  And work among us the devil and his angels do! For they know that they will be eternally judged on the Day of Judgment. Among us they strive to destroy, as if it were possible, our salvation!  Satan is the master of a thousand arts. He’s the author of clever temptations, designed for our weakest points and our most powerful passions. All he has to do is flash one temptation before our eyes, and we take over. As sinners, we’re experts at converting temptation into sin. The temptation isn’t the problem. It’s we who are the problem, as we entertain the temptation. Before we know it, we’ve sinned. Temptations come through all kinds of media—like television, our smartphones, and on our computers, you name it! And we fall. Indeed, out of our hearts proceed thoughts of murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, and slander!

7.                  And to make matters worse, Satan, in addition to his temptations, accuses us before God the Father, day and night. And so as those who have committed these sins before God our Heavenly Father, we can only appear before God and say, “Lord, it’s true. I have indeed sinned much. What Satan accuses me of is correct. I have sinned against all your commandments! I often wonder if my victory is certain. It looks at times like my condemnation is certain. Lord, have mercy!”

8.                  But our heavenly Father doesn’t listen to the accusing voice of this fallen angel! He listens to another voice. He listens to the voice of the “Uncreated Angel,” who speaks for us.  God’s ears are closed to the dragon and open to the Angel of the Lord, as Jesus is often revealed in the Old Testament. Our Lord Jesus, who was cradled in the arms of Mary! Jesus, who lived his perfect life for us. And suffered in our stead. Jesus, who hung dead on his cross in profound sacrifice for us. This Son of Man was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father to give us victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil, and it is the job of angels as God’s messengers and servants to let us know this Good News of salvation we have in Jesus.

9.                  To this voice, and this voice alone, our Father listens! Listen to this voice: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” And our Father hears and always answers, “For your sake, my Son, and for the sake of your cross and resurrection, I forgive this child of mine!”

10.              We do stand forgiven. All accusations have been transferred to the Son of God on his cross. “There is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!” No condemnation! You stand pure and holy in the blood of the Lamb. For we have conquered in this blood, as the text assures us. We are covered in Jesus’ blood. Your names are written in heaven, and nothing shall hurt you!

11.              All this was given you in your Baptism. You know what happened in your Baptism, right? “There is great joy in heaven among the angels over one sinner who repents!” That one sinner was you, in Baptism! The angels rejoiced over you! And, when you come to the Lord’s Supper, you worship with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, as “we laud and magnify your glorious name, evermore praising thee and saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!”

12.              Now, with our deliverance certain in the work of our Lord Jesus, we worship with lives surrounded by angels, living more and more in holy obedience to the Lord. We find ourselves saying, “Get behind me, Satan! I’m no longer your child. I’m a child of my God, ready to inherit salvation and to worship forever with the holy angels. I want nothing to do with you and your temptations.” When we’re tempted, God equips us to resist with His Word. We begin to take more seriously such biblical gems as these: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” and “Be sober, be watchful, your adversary the devil prowls . . .” And we relish these words: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood . . .”

13.              And so, on this Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, we rejoice in the invisible world of St. Michael, the angel Gabriel, and the entire company of the world beyond our present sight. We remember: “Angels are ministering spirits sent out to serve” (Heb 1:14 ESV). We love to hear, “Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word” (Ps 103:20 ESV). And,: “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Mt 18:10). And yes, the angels, when we pass from this body, will, indeed, accompany us to the realms of the mansions above. It’s all because of the love of the Father for us in our Savior Jesus. In Jesus Christ, in his saving ministry of his Word and Sacraments, and in his mysterious work among us in his angels, our victory is certain!  Amen.

 

 

 

“As You Do God’s Work, Think God’s Way!” Matt. 20.1-16 Proper 20, Pentecost 15A,

“As You Do God’s Work, Think God’s Way!” Matt. 20.1-16 Pentecost 15A, Sept. 21, 2014 

1.                   Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  The message from God’s Word this morning comes to us from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the 20^th chapter.  Today Jesus reminds us in a parable that, “As You Do God’s Work, Think God’s Way!”  As Christians, we may think we’re earning God’s blessings (vv. 1, 2, 10–12).  But, God wants to give us what we haven’t earned through His grace and mercy given to us through His Son Jesus Christ (vv. 3–9, 13–16).  Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                  There was once a class of school children who loved to go outside and have recess. Their teacher was very generous. If the class had been good and finished their work, the teacher would let them go outside for a few extra minutes. Usually the class was very good. They always finished their homework, always tried to be good, and always looked forward to their reward. But one day the class was a bit rowdy. Paper airplanes were flying. Hair was being pulled. Talking was nonstop, and homework was simply not getting done. All of a sudden, the teacher called everyone to attention and said, “Time to go out.” All of a sudden the students’ eyes fixed on their teacher, their mouths dropped a bit, and almost in unison said, “But why? We don’t deserve to go out. We’ve been terrible. We haven’t listened. We haven’t finished our homework. We don’t deserve to go out.” “I know,” said the teacher, “but I want to show you that sometimes in this world things are given to you even when you don’t deserve them. Sometimes things are given to us especially when we haven’t earned them.” And with that, the students slowly stood up and walked outside, still a bit confused and unsure about the new world they had just stepped into. For the first time, some of these students experienced what grace, what a gift, truly was. They were given something that wasn’t earned or deserved.

3.                  Listen to this what Jesus says here in Matthew 20! They all got the same! Did you hear that? They all got the same! It’s a scandal. Is this any way to celebrate human achievement? It goes against everything we hold dear. It goes against all our notions of what’s right and fair. One of the first rules of economics is that people get what’s coming to them. If you’ve worked harder, longer, and more faithfully than others, you get more. It’s what our whole economic system is based on. The more you do, the more you get. If not cash at the end of the day, then influence, power, and position.

4.                  That’s why one of the great inventions of modern Western society is the trade union. For far too long those with money, land and privilege shamelessly exploited those who had none. When, after a long struggle, workers with no power except their own labor managed to stand together and force the issue with the rich and strong, it was a great day for freedom and justice.  But, over the course of the 20^th century things changed. Exploitation and injustice often continued, and the unions often did a fine job in checking or reversing it. But other issues came into the picture, and made life more complicated, more morally ambiguous. In many Western countries now, the role of the unions has become quite different from what their founders imagined. In some cases this has been for the better; in others, for the worse.

5.                  One of the ways in which some unions have changed from their original purpose is that they’ve often set workers against one another. They’ve insisted on different pay for different jobs, even if the employers had other ideas. Such unions would have been horrified at the story Jesus told about this employer and the workers who labored, some for the whole day, others for part, and others again for only the last hour. That’s why we’re not surprised when, in the story, the workers themselves grumbled. Where’s the sense of fairness, of justice, in paying the last workers the same as the first.  That’s why Jesus teaches us this parable to remind us, ““As You Do God’s Work, Think God’s Way!”  “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”   

6.                  But, the problem for us is that even in the church, where we talk about living by grace alone, we still like to think that we will receive based on what we give. Grace is for sinners. But folks in the parable are workers. There’s no sin in an honest day’s work. We go to church.  We attend meetings.  We give generously.  We “bear the heat of the day.” We labor long and hard, and do you mean to say that it all adds up to nothing? We believe that it should count for something, if not here and now then in the grand scheme of things at the end of days when the Owner returns. But did you hear what the Owner said? “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what belongs to me?” 

7.                  It’s a terrifying thought—God does what he wants with what is his!  God our OWNER speaks to us saying in Psalm 24:1, “¹The earth is the Lord’s and the full- | ness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”  And God says in Psalm 50:10, “¹⁰For every beast of the for- | est is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.  And last week from Romans 14:8 St. Paul reminds us, “⁸If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”  And God says to us in Exodus 19:5, “⁵Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine.”

8.                  Jesus reminds us here in Matthew 20 that as hard as it is for our old Adam to accept, our strivings count for nothing.  Some workers do labor from dawn to dusk; they really do bear the heat of the day (vv 1–2).  Many of us know what it means to work for the Lord all day.  We’ve been Christians since infant Baptism. We’ve been Sunday School teachers, board members, faithful givers, regular in attendance all our lives.  And, of course, we don’t mind at all when the Master goes out and hires others later in the day (vv 3–7).  We like to look around in the pews this morning and see folks who’ve joined us through adult instruction, at the invitation of friends, by coming to be our guest one day and liking what they’ve heard.  We even give thanks to God for those occasional deathbed conversions we hear about.

9.                  But, then look what the master does (vv 8–15a).  He gives the last as much as he gives the first.  Wait a second! I’m glad these last minute converts scrape by and get into heaven—I think—but they’re not quite the same as I am.  In the parable the only reason that some came last and others came first is that the master chose to call them in that order.  But listen again: “Do you begrudge my generosity?” (v 15b).  That’s why Jesus teaches us this parable to remind us, ““As You Do God’s Work, Think God’s Way!”  “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”     

10.              God does what he wants instead of treating us as we deserve!  Even our best work is soiled with sin.  My heart hasn’t always been pure as I’ve been laboring all my life.  I’ve been proud of myself, resented others.  The wages of sin is death—this is the payment we deserve. But, above all else God is generous!  God’s ways are not our ways (Is 55:8).  He will freely pardon (Is 55:7).  In Jesus, God shows his utter generosity.  We remember how Jesus at different times fed 4,000 people and then 5,000 people (Mk 6:35–44; 8:1–9).  Jesus reminds us of God’s amazing grace shown to the wayward/prodigal son (Lk 15:20–24) And, of the forgiveness offered to those who crucified him when Jesus cried out, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Lk 23:34)  Jesus even promised the gift of heaven to the repentant thief on the cross (Lk 23:39–43), Christ is generosity incarnate!

11.              In Jesus, God does what he wants with what is his!  In Holy Baptism he pours out his generous forgiveness upon you.  In his Word he speaks his abundant forgiveness upon your sins.  In his Supper he feeds you as generously as he fed the multitudes—not just a bit of bread and a sip of wine—but his very body and his blood generously and freely given for you.

12.              Listen to this! They all got the same! Did you hear that? They all got the same! It’s a blessed scandal. It goes against everything we hold dear, against all our notions of what’s right and fair. And praise God for that! He doesn’t operate according to our standards of what’s right and fair. Instead, he does what he wants with what is his! And what he wants above all else is to be generous!  So don’t cast an “evil eye” or a “stink eye” on that generosity. Instead, rejoice in it. When you go back to your work, know and believe that in the end it won’t depend on your efforts or your labors. Instead, we live in his generous grace, in Christ, now and always.  Remember, ““As You Do God’s Work, Think God’s Way!”  “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”   Let us pray:  Keep me ever mindful, Lord, that it is only by grace that I have been included in Your kingdom and am privileged to serve in it. Amen.

 

“There’s a Welcome Here” (Romans 14:1-12) Calvary Lutheran Waupaca Sept. 14th 2014

 

 

1.                  Please pray with me.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.  Amen. The new life into which we’ve been baptized into Christ is a life that’s sensitive to the consciences of our neighbor without passing judgment on him.  In Paul’s day the big problem with meat from the marketplace was that it had all been offered in sacrifice to false gods.  Some honestly believed that to eat that meat was to participate in idol worship in some way. Others knew that idols are nothing and that anything could be received as a gift from God.  Some early Christians held tight to the Jewish holy days and observed them in honor of the Lord Jesus; others were convinced that was just a shadow of the reality that had come in Christ and firmly believed that every day was now holy in the Lord.  The message today is entitled, “There’s a Welcome Here,” and it’s taken from Romans 14:1-12, dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                  The Apostle doesn’t tell the Romans “these ones are right and these ones are wrong.”  Instead, he takes a new approach: in the Lord both can be received and welcomed, and without passing judgment on each other.  When the Lord Jesus comes between two people, He joins them together in a brand new way of relating.  Paul says in Romans 14, “None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.  If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord.  So whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s!”

3.                  Since we are the Lord’s then, we have no business judging one another.  We’re His Servants, and every last one of us, standing before the judgment seat of God, will have to plead for mercy.  None of us has the right to stand in the Judge’s seat against our neighbor.  That’s part of the old way of living we get to leave behind in our baptisms.

4.                  Here’s an illustration of passing judgment on one’s neighbor without knowing fully about them.  Christian theologian Donald Grey Barnhouse once told of being at a luncheon with a group of pastors where someone spoke critically about the clergy in another denomination. These pastors weren’t seeming to accomplish anything, but cut down the ministers in the denomination that wasn’t their own. Barnhouse entered the conversation by telling about one of those ministers whom he had known personally. The man had gone through seminary and had been ordained as a pastor. But he seldom preached, never went to prayer meetings, and often failed to attend church for weeks at a time. Worse than that, he spent all his time in his library and indulged in habits that others felt were un-Christian. He lived this way for more than 20 years. The ministers concluded that a man like that was no credit to the ministry and maybe wasn’t even a Christian.  But, later in the luncheon Barnhouse turned the conversation to the subject of Bible study helps and asked what the others thought was the best Bible concordance. They said that the best was Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, which contains Hebrew and Greek word lists and comparative helps. Barnhouse then pointed out that the minister he had described earlier, of whom they had all disapproved, was James Strong, the author of this invaluable volume.

5.                  Pastor Barnhouse’s point is obvious. God has given his servants diverse talents, and he uses them in ways that please him. How we feel about them is irrelevant, since they answer to God rather than to us. Our part is to accept these others as fellow believers and support them and pray for their work.  That’s why in the church of Christ we as Christians are ready to welcome people into our midst as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

6.                  Notice how Paul speaks about STRONG and WEAK Christians in this chapter.  By a STRONG Christian Paul means those Christians who are mature on things that may be disputable according to Scripture as to whether or not certain actions are considered a sin.  The weak are those who don’t have a mature or accurate grasp on these issues.  The striking thing is that Paul doesn’t take sides with the strong or the weak.  Instead he modeled exactly what we’re called to do as Christians.  Without looking down on one another, Paul tells us to value one another as the body of Christ. 

7.                  I can think of several behavioral issues that years ago caused Christians to look down on other Christians and judge them and their conduct unfavorably, these have been and still are matters of dispute for Christians as to whether something is a sin or not.  This includes drinking, smoking, dancing, and going to movies. Many unbelievers might have gotten the impression that being a Christian essentially meant giving up these so-called worldly vices, rather than trusting Jesus Christ as one’s Savior and Lord.  That Christianity is all about morality and speaks very little of the need for the grace and mercy of God in our Lord Jesus through His cross and empty tomb.

8.                  We all can make our own list of disputable matters.  First, we can start with Paul’s two cases, eating meat vs. vegetarianism and strict vs. lax observance of holy days.  Add to your list everything you can think of that are like these two.  Then look at how disputes over such matters affect relationships. Some people start judging others based on their own list.  Others ridicule.  For instance, in our society if you don’t have the right set of clothes and fashion, you’re considered to be “sinful” or an outcast, or if you listen to a certain kind of music that isn’t considered to be “cool” by a certain group of people.  But, before we start judging others based on the lists that we make we must remember that since God has welcomed them into His Church, we’re called to welcome them too.

9.                  Let’s stop dumping on one another, and let’s allow God to deal with each of his servants how, when, and as kindly as he will. And while we are at it, let’s be thankful that he has dealt as kindly as he has with us. If he had not, we would all be in deep trouble.

10.              The test of everything for St. Paul then is “am I walking in love?”  It’s not very loving if I know a brother or sister has scruples over eating meat offered to idols for me to make a display of my freedom by eating in their presence.  Such behavior simply misses the boat.  The Kingdom isn’t about eating and drinking—but it’s about righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  By the Spirit’s power I’m set free to forego my freedom for the sake of love: that’s being truly free.  Paul is clear that scruples about unclean foods are unfounded; it if the person doubts and etas anyway, he is actually sinning against His own conscience.  “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

11.              So the heart of the issue in Romans 14 is accepting one another as Christians, regardless of the disputable convictions we may make.  The Greek word that’s translated as “accept” is one of the most powerful relational terms in the New Testament.  It means to “actively welcome.”  It’s a glad smile, a hug, a hand on a shoulder welcoming a newcomer into a circle of close friends.  Psychologists tell us how important acceptance is.  If a child fails to feel acceptance from his parents, he’s likely to grow up ridden with doubt and a sense of unworthiness.  If an adult fails to feel acceptance from others, she’ll be always uncertain, isolated, fearful and alone. 

12.              Paul is reminding us here in Romans 14 that the church is the family of Jesus Christ.  Here every child of God is to experience welcome.  After all, every one of us is deserving of God’s wrath and punishment because of our sins that we’ve done against Him.  Yet, God in His great love for us has sent Jesus to this earth to die in our place through His death on the cross.  Because of Christ’s obedience to His heavenly Father all of us are accepted in God’s sight.  Just as God has accepted us in Christ, so too in our personal relationships acceptance is one of the most important gifts we can give to another person.

13.              The final matter that we should consider when we may have matters of dispute with another Christian is to consider Jesus’ Lordship over us.  When approaching conflict we should realize that both people who are arguing are accountable to Jesus for their actions.  We should also realize that our Christian brothers and sisters aren’t finally responsible to us, but to the Lord.  If Jesus is Lord, then judging is His job and we’re free from the burden of determining what’s right and wrong for others.  In other words, we as Christians are called not to play God.  We’re called to love our Christian brothers or sisters and to serve them in all that we do.  May God enable us to live in harmony with one another and settle disputes under the Lordship of Christ.  Amen.

 

 

"The Christian: Patience in Difficulty” (Romans 12:9-21), farewell sermon, St. John Baldwin, Pentecost 12A Aug. ‘

"The Christian:  Patience in Difficulty” (Romans 12:9-21), farewell sermon, St. John Baldwin, Pentecost 12A Aug. ‘14

1.                  Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  What do you preach as a pastor in your last sermon to the congregation you have served the last 7 years?  I thought about that this past week and my conclusion was this… to preach once again Christ & Him crucified for the forgiveness of your sins.  For that is the ONLY message that saves us and gives us eternal life!!!  So, in the message from God’s Word this morning we’re going to turn to Romans chapter 12. Here the Apostle Paul describes to us what the life of a Christian looks like when we as Christians are led through the power of the Holy Spirit to follow God’s Word.  It’s not easy to have patience in this life.  The person who cuts you off while you’re driving in the car to work.  Waiting for your parents to pick you up from school.  Trying to be patient while waiting for those test results to come back from the doctor.  Let’s face it, patience isn’t easy, especially in difficulty.  For this reason we’re going to look at Romans 12:12, which says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”  The message is entitled, “The Christian:  Patience in Difficulty.”  Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.    

2.                  A golfer on a driving range slices another ball and says, “I’m losing my patience.”  With that, he quits and walks away.  Or the gofer walks up to the ball, forgets about his stance, grip and swing and just whacks the ball as hard as he can, only to hit it a couple of feet.  When we lose patience, we’re on the edge of giving up.  We’ve tried too hard for way too long, we’re beginning to think that it doesn’t matter anymore, so we do one of two things:  we walk away from a situation, or we do whatever we want.  Patience is easy to lose.

3.                  That’s why Paul’s words here in Romans 12 are a blessing to us.  He says in Romans 12:12, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”  Paul reveals to us that patience is a gift from God.  Patience is a gift that’s given to us through the power of the Holy Spirit.  In Romans, Paul reveals the blessings of God’s mercies.  Once we were enemies of God, but now through Jesus we have been made the people of God.  God’s mercy not only forgives your sins, but it also transforms your lives.  God’s mercy renews your patience in tribulation.

4.                  The Apostle Paul knows that when we undergo tribulation, it’s hard not to lose patience.  After all, he’s not talking about the trials of learning to play golf.  Paul is speaking of the devil, the world and our sinful flesh fighting against us, seeking to take away the comfort of our salvation.  These are the enemies of our Christian lives.  Being a Christian is difficult.  Confessing Gods Word to a world that doesn’t want to hear is hard.  Showing love to one’s enemies, holding fast to what is good, practicing mercy, fighting for justice, living in peace with others.  These things are hard to do.  We may be tempted to give up, walk away from Christianity, or to do as we please.  If you’ve ever found yourself falling into either of those errors, then listen to Paul, because he has a word of encouragement for us as Christians.  God renews our patience in his mercy.  Standing firm in his grace, we neither walk away nor do what we want.  Instead, we’re patient in the midst of difficulty.

5.                  The Christian having patience in difficulty doesn’t walk away, but remains constant in prayer as Paul says in Romans 12:12.  One challenge to patience is the temptation to give up.  We’re tempted to lay down our arms in battle, to believe that nothing is worth this suffering, to feel that no one cares and then to just walk away.  This temptation could have overcome the prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament.  In Jeremiah 15 the prophet says, “¹⁵O Lord, you know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors.  In your forbearance take me not away; know that for your sake I bear reproach.  ¹⁷I did not sit in the company of revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for you had filled me with indignation.  ¹⁸Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?  Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? 

 

6.                  Here in Jeremiah 15 we see that because of God’s Word, Jeremiah is a laughingstock.  Jeremiah prophesies destruction to God’s people, but nothing seems to happen.  His loneliness leads to a complaint and accusation against God.  Jeremiah even questions God’s promises.  But, in the midst of difficulty—Jeremiah doesn’t walk away.  He comes before God in prayer and in mercy God answers.  In fact, God responds to Jeremiah’s suffering with a promise of his steadfast mercy when he says in Jeremiah 15:20-21, “ ²⁰And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord.  ²¹I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”

7.                  Just like what happened to Jeremiah the prophet, God in Jesus His Son, has come and endured our trials, suffering for our sins on the cross and opening the way of salvation to us.  God’s great Good News to us is that because of Jesus, he’s in relationship to us, invites our prayers, listens to our cries and our anger when we’re in the midst of suffering and even gives us His Spirit to intercede for us.  Rom 8:26-27 says, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”  In the midst of difficulty, we don’t walk way but trust in God’s mercy and call out to God in prayer.  We’re patient in tribulation by being constant in prayer.

8.                  Patience in tribulation doesn’t take control but rejoices in hope.  Another challenge to patience is the temptation to take control.  We want to impose our will on a situation.  We rely on our effort to bring an end to the suffering.  Yet, earlier in his Letter to the Romans, Paul reveals that suffering difficulty in God’s hands is part of our growth.  Through the endurance of suffering, we’re formed in hope; our eyes are turned from this world to the future glory made certain for us in Christ.

9.                  And where can we as Christians go when we are enduring the trials of life?  Where can we receive the patience that we need from God to get through the ups and downs of life?  As Christians we can find refuge and a sanctuary in God’s Church in the worship service.   Today, the holy Name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit has been spoken. Through the confession of your sins, you have been forgiven. The very words of Jesus are being heard. And, I as your pastor preach the comfort of captives freed.  How must all of this look to the devil who is trying to hurl all sorts of difficulty at you in order to get you to lose heart and give up the Christian life?  It looks like this.  All the devil’s plans are destroyed. All the doubt and despair he tries to create in you is brushed aside. His desire to ruin lives and bind consciences is left unfulfilled. Here, in the Divine Service, the same Lord Jesus who descended into hell to declare His victory, once again strides into the midst of sinners to declare to the devil that he can’t have you.

10.              And, this is why Sunday after Sunday, for over 7 years now, there has really only been one topic preached from this pulpit. Though there have been many themes and many texts. Though some sermons have lacked the energy and freshness of others. Though some have been downright boring and much too long.  Through it all, there’s really been only one thing the Lord has given me to preach here.  One person, one favorite topic, Sunday after Sunday, and that’s Jesus Christ, crucified & risen for you.  This is the message that gives you patience in the midst of difficulty, that gives you hope in face of despair.

11.              Patience in difficulty is like walking a tightrope and not falling.  In the midst of suffering, we don’t walk away and we don’t take control of the situation by trying to rely on ourselves.  Instead, we trust in God’s mercy shown to us in Jesus given to us through God’s Word & Sacraments.  Jesus is our lifeline in the midst of difficulty.  We stand firm in him, speaking to God in prayer and rejoicing in the hope that he works all things together for our good.  When Paul encourages us to be patient in tribulation, he puts that encouragement between two other exhortations:  rejoice in hope and be constant in prayer.  For Paul, these three things belong together:  patience, hope and prayer.  In the midst of difficulty, we remember God’s mercies and remain as Romans 12:12 says, joyful in hope, patient in tribulation and constant in prayer.  Amen.

 

“Stop, Look & Listen!” Isaiah 51.1-6 Pentecost 11A, Aug. ‘14

 

 

1.                   Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The message from God’s Word this 11^th Sunday after Pentecost is taken from Isaiah 51:1-6, it’s entitled, “Stop, Look, & Listen,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                  These days skimming through the news is wearing down our spirits.  The death of Robin Williams, looting & violence in St. Louis, Islamic terrorists, civil war in Ukraine, Nigerians girls still kidnapped, the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel…  Wave after wave of bad news, so much that we can’t ignore it.  What’s going on?  It’s bad news like this that gets us to want to: Stop, Look, & Listen to what God is doing around us.

3.                  So, as we stop, look, & listen to what’s going on around us what is it that we see?  We see original sin having a field day.  “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5)  Original sin means that all human beings are born with sin, born with evil lusts and inclinations, born without true faith or fear in God.  Like a tree that produces its own kind of fruit, sinners produce sin.  “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” (John 3:6)  Many people have a more positive view of human nature but look at the evidence.  After thousands of years, the world is still a terrible mess:  violence, war, & bloodshed.  The evidence is in and it supports original sin.

4.                  So how can we keep from becoming hopeless and full of despair in a world full of this sin, full of bad news, and death?  The prophet Isaiah was writing to God’s people in the Old Testament in a time of great difficulty.  This is what he wrote, ““Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.” (Isa. 51:1).

5.                  One of the greatest temptations we as Christians face when they go through hard times is to think that God can’t or won’t save them, I’m sure that Christians facing persecution in Iraq and across the globe may have feelings like this as well right now. The few true believers left in Isaiah’s day certainly were reduced to this kind of doubt. They had remained faithful to God through all their trials, and yet they wondered whether He really could free them from their bondage.

6.                  Isaiah prophesies to a people who will be in exile. To them, it would be easy to look back upon their history and see how their sin had destroyed God’s promises. A glorious city, lively worship, God’s calling and blessing of them as his people, all now are in ruins.  But, Isaiah enters this scene of devastation and lifts up his voice. He calls for people to close their eyes, to stop, look, and listen as he tells them of God’s work in their history (Isaiah 56:1).  Isaiah says, “¹“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord:  look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.”   Through Isaiah God calls the people to look back to Abraham and Sarah, wandering and barren. Out of these two strangers in a strange land, God brought about a nation. The voice reveals the power of God to bring many out of one (Isaiah 56:2) and, ultimately, to work all things to restore his creation (Isaiah 56:3).  Again Isaiah says, “²Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. ³For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.” 

7.                  Today we live in a culture that speaks to us of what we want for the future and what we think is possible to achieve. But, because of these voices, we can easily forget our creation and calling by God. In a land of plenty, we can be exiled from God. Our efforts to establish a comfortable life blind us to God’s vision and leave us in sin. Isaiah’s call to listen comes to us as well. 

8.                  Isaiah tells us that when Israel looked to the rock, they saw Abraham and the power of God to make many from one. Today, we look to the rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ.  In our Gospel lesson today from Matthew 16 Peter makes the bold confession that’s the rock and foundation of the Christian Church and the confession is this, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  In Jesus, God has fulfilled his work begun in Abraham. From our Lord Jesus the one who died on the cross for us and rose from the dead, God has forgiven us our sin and raised us up.  We are the Christian church built on the rock and foundation of Jesus Christ our chief cornerstone.  The community of the faithful that listens to him. 

9.                  Maybe you can remember the emptiness and hopelessness you had before you became a believer in Jesus. But, God brought you out of that and filled you with His Holy Spirit when you heard the Word of the Gospel of Jesus as your Savior and were baptized into God’s family by water and the power of the Word of God. He sanctified you and showed you His abundant grace. Though we sometimes don’t realize it, we have come a long way from those days when we had no hope. God did that for us, and though we might be facing hard times, God will continue to sustain us and give us the grace to live according to His righteousness. We need only take our eyes off the circumstances in which we find ourselves and put them on Jesus. He’s redeemed us from the pit and has crowned us with love and compassion. Let us not toss that aside when we run into a few bumps in the road. Let’s stop, look, & listen to God’s work for us in the past and trust that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion.

10.              If you’re going through hard times right now and doubt whether you can get through them, spend some time to stop, look, & listen to God’s Word and remember the things he has done to save your through His Son Jesus Christ. When the media asks us to look at the world around us (the heavens and the earth of v 6a), we see change and decay. Stories of natural disasters, sectarian violence, and so on, raise fears about the future.  But, Isaiah offers us a vision of hope.  As we look to the heavens and the earth and confess that because of our sin this world won’t last, Isaiah asks us to listen to God. God speaks of his salvation, which will be forever (v 6b).  The work that God has done in Christ, the righteousness that he has given to you, will never fade or perish or be taken away.  Isaiah 51 begins with the people seeking the Lord (v 1). But, by the end of Isaiah 51, the Lord is revealed. Such is the power of God’s voice. Whatever burdens you carry this day take a moment to stop, look, & listen to the voice of God from Isaiah. It opens your eyes to see God’s salvation at work, in the past, in the present, and in the future.  Amen.

11.              Please pray with me:  Lord, security exists only in You.  I so readily trust in everything else and take it for granted that my life is dependent on things I can put my hands on.  I like to trust in myself, thinking I can get by with what I can do and what I have.  And yet everything is dependent upon You.  I thank You for the new day You have given me today.  I thank you that my body and brain work, that my heart beats, and for all the mysterious functions of my body I can’t control or understand.  I know you are in command of all this.  But most of all, I thank you because You hold your hand over the whole world and guide everything toward the goal you have set.  It’s assuring to know that everything is in Your hands, everything I can do nothing about.  It’s enough for me to know that You have a plan and purpose for my life and my days.  Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Amen.