Tag: LCMS

Jesus allows us to be set apart for holiness

Posted on by nfuller

As we continue through the season of repentance that is Lent we hear in our gospel lesson an important reform that Jesus arranges in the temple as he drives out the money changers. When the temple was first built the presence of God was clear and the people of Israel followed as carefully as possible the instructions for how to operate in the temple.

Over time people were now using the temple itself as a place to sell animals for sacrifice. Human convenience had somehow become more important than treating the temple with the respect as the place where God choses to dwell and be there for his people.

Jesus does not hesitate in his actions. There is no use of “I” statements or assertive communications.  “It makes me feel uncomfortable when you trade in the temple here, could you please find a better place so that we can all worship God as a nation and enjoy the Lord’s favor and blessing toward us?”

Instead Jesus confronted this sin and idolatry with force and zeal. He used a whip of cords and he personally overturned each money table. Jesus was cleaning house and he did not hesitate.

Jesus alone was able to do something like this without sin. As God, his righteous anger against sin is justified and good. He fulfilled the words of Psalm 69 “For Zeal for your house has consumed me.” 

There is an American fiction novel written in the mid 20th century by a popular author by the name of JD Sallinger in which a teenage girl tells someone in her family how offended and disillusioned she was to read in the Bible about Jesus cleansing the temple.  This character had idealized Jesus as the one nice person in history, and what nice person would upset people like that and use violence to get his way as Jesus did in cleansing the temple?

It is a good thing for us to see the full picture of everything Jesus did in his earthly ministry, to see that Jesus did not come to make friends and accumulate admirers, but to win our salvation on the cross. It is important that we ourselves see and understand the Christian life of following Jesus is not defined above all else through being nice.

This view of Christian life as about being nice is a byproduct of our culture where we are pressured as Christians to think that being nice is how we will endear ourselves to the world. As if our niceness will prove that God is good and we are good because of God and you will be good too if you act like us.

This view of Christian life of not upsetting the waters, of killing people with kindness so to speak, prevents us from having the voice to speak about what is wrong and what is sin in the world. If we are caught up with being nice we will struggle to have a zeal for protecting the holiness of God’s church.  If we hold onto an identity of niceness we are so much more likely to make concessions in our faith so that we can get along in the world without conflict. Too easily we forget about the holiness of God’s presence among us.

The cleansing of the temple helps to highlight that we are not called to be pleasant and nice in the world’s view, but to be holy and set apart for God.  In our Old testament reading we see in the Ten Commandments instructions for how to be set apart for God. 

When the people of Israel first heard these words they were given a gift in seeing how to live in relationship with God. However, these words given at Mt. Sinai were cause for trembling and fear- for who could live up to all of these commandments and not break them?  Israel was destined to fail to live lives set apart in holiness.

The very tablets of stone these commandments were written on were placed in the arc of the covenant and kept in the Tabernacle first and then eventually in the Temple. The Commandments were there in the temple, God’s presence, Holy and perfect.

As Jesus was asked for a sign there in the temple on that Passover, he spoke in such a way that helps us to see the connection that he is now the temple in which God dwells. “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”  He is the fulfillment of the Commandments, he is the gift of God’s perfect love dwelling with us.

The Jews in authority at the temple questioned Jesus because they did not believe He had the authority to make such changes on the temple grounds. They wanted a sign that would show the power of Jesus without threatening them too much either.

“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”  This sign Jesus gave would only be evident after his crucifixion and resurrection.   I the gospel of Matthew Jesus told those who questioned him that because of their hardness of hearts he would give no sign other than the sign of the prophet Jonah: “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Jonah’s time in the belly of the great fish was not something that earned him distinction as the greatest and most regal of prophets. Jesus was highlighting the folly of the cross in the world’s eyes in this way.

As Jesus spoke about this sign of his destruction it was not what the disciples would expect. It is only the wisdom of God that could arrange that His death on the cross would be the way in which the commandments could be perfectly fulfilled and the way in which we could ourselves become holy before God.

In our Epistle reading we heard about the contrast between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. We would like to appeal to the world with eloquent words and lofty speech that will convince others of the cause for truth and justice in God’s kingdom. 

However, this approach is only another way of trying to be nice and fit in with the standards of the world. Instead, we are called to speak the word of the cross which is folly to the world. The word of the cross is that the most foolish of all signs, Jesus dying on the cross is the answer to any issue we may address in our relationship with unbelievers in the world.

No matter how much we try and find common ground with unbelievers, it is only through preaching that Jesus died on the cross that we can ever achieve true unity with others. Those who do not believe that Jesus’ death on the cross saves them- we do a disservice to agree to disagree and no longer pay attention to our differences as relates to our faith beliefs.

The elephant in the room is that without a living faith in Christ we see the life of the unbeliever as hollow and fragile and tragic. We struggle to talk about this elephant in the room, we often prefer to leave the money tables unturned and to allow the animals still in the temple because we feel sorry for the money changers because that this is how they make a living. 

It is also significant to note that when Jesus was put on trial false evidence was brought forward by twisting Jesus’ words. Instead of repeating how Jesus said, “if you destroy this temple, I will raise it up in three days”, they claimed he said he would destroy the temple. 

This sounds very similar to what happen in today’s world when quotes are taken out of context in order to take down your enemy. Human wisdom did not understand that Jesus was talking about his body as the true temple where God dwells that he would restore after three days once destroyed. 

Jesus has come to bring the holiness of God before us in a way where we can stand in God’s presence.  Christ has made us holy in a way that we could never achieve on our own before God.  Where we profaned the temple, He took on our sin and achieved by his resurrection a temple that cannot be destroyed ever again.  Christ has made us holy.  As the collect prayer celebrates it is God’s glory to always have mercy.  His mercy in making us as His holy people is His greatest glory- greater than even the splendor of creation.  God’s glory is that in Jesus we have access to God without fear. As Psalm 19 celebrates:

Psalm 19: 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.

May we have zeal for this presence of God among us through His Word. May we taste His Word, sweeter than honey. Amen.

“Earth has no pleasure I would share…”

Posted on by nfuller

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul. For what can a man give in return for his soul?”   Mark 8:36-37

Gaining the world and forfeiting your soul. This sounds like the kind of trade that Satan tries to make with us. The riches of the world now, for your soul later.  The theme of pursuing undisputed acceptance in the world, riches or power in exchange for your soul has been used countless times in movies and stories. It makes for a good plot to see what lengths people will go for power or control, even to the point of turning to evil.

Classic adventure movies like Star Wars, Aladdin, and Lion King all involve characters who are all consumed with a quest for power.  Watching these movies, we see clearly that the quest for power is not worth it- an action that destroys the soul.  However, you do not need to be a super villain in order to fall into the trap of trading your soul for worldly pursuits.

In reality it is not the whole world that Satan needs to offer, a tiny slice of the world is often enough to tempt us to depart from following God’s Word.  After all, the smaller the sin, the less significant it sounds.

Satan tempts us to believe that what we can seize for ourselves at the right opportunity is greater than what God can provide for us. Satan tempts us to believe that God is holding back good and desirable things from us. Satan wants us to think that following Jesus does not provide enough for us- that we need to provide for ourselves.

This is the same approach Satan used to tempt Eve: ‘isn’t there more for you for the taking?’  “Did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree of the garden?”  You will not surely die – ‘you will not forfeit your soul’ Satan argued.

Satan offered to Eve the promise that eating the fruit would open her eyes to be like God, knowing good and evil. This knowledge Satan offered would put Adam and Eve at the same level as God- as a law unto themselves. 

And it worked all to well-  we experience for ourselves on a daily basis that we want to be a law unto ourselves, we want to decide what is good and what is evil and we wish we no longer had to face reality of our limitations each day. We wish we could be like God so that we would not need to deal with suffering and loss.

Jesus has come to deliver us from this short sighted reach for worldly power. After Peter’s attempt to rebuke Jesus from the way of the cross, Jesus spoke about what it means to deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Him. The temptations of the world mean very little when our chief desire is to take up our cross and follow Jesus.

Peter saw a reward in knowing Jesus as the Christ, but he was not ready for the reality of why the Christ was there on earth with him- to die on the cross.  He rebuked Jesus about all this talk about suffering and rejection and dying and rising.  Peter had a better plan for how their lives together could go. Perhaps it had something to do with avoiding all those who opposed them and only spending time in an insulated community of believers.

 Jesus answered Peter as He addressed the disciples:  “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Often a central focus of our lives is to find safety and security, and freedom from danger. Following Jesus promises no such safety.  If you worry above all else about protecting your own life, saving yourself- you need not bother following Jesus. 

As we see more signs of persecution and outrage against God’s Word in our world today, we could try and play it safe by keeping a low profile.  Perhaps if we stay away from the controversial topics or scrub a few things from our doctrine, perhaps then we can avoid all of the persecution.

But if we care more about getting along in the world and not offending anyone than we care about the words of Jesus, if we are ashamed of the gospel- then we are forfeiting our soul for the sake of possessing favor in the world. 

Jesus describes the contrast of the choice we face- whether to be ashamed of the adulterous and sinful generation we live in or to be ashamed of His words.  When He comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels- of what worth is favor from the adulterous and sinful generation we find in our word today?

Our Hymn of the day Lord, Thee I love with All My Heart, captures this faithfulness Jesus calls us to in picking up our cross and following Him:

  “Earth has no pleasure I would share. Yea heaven itself were void and bare if Thou, Lord, wert not near me.”  We realize as followers of Jesus that all the good gifts we have in life are from Him, and these good things would mean nothing to us if we were to forsake Him to have more earthly treasures. 

Although Satan may tempt us to have more things apart from Him, we trust the promises of God’s Word.  The first stanza closes with the passionate prayer- “Forsake me not, I trust Thy Word.”

When we start to feel ungrateful and covet what we do not have, God’s Word reminds us of the riches that we have received. Stanza 2 begins: “Yea Lord ‘twas Thy rich bounty gave, My body soul and all I have in this poor life of labor.” Instead of coveting what we do not have faith moves us to gratefulness, and to a life of praise: “Lord grant that I in every place May glorify Thy lavish grace And help and serve my neighbor.”

Foundational to resisting the attacks of Satan is that we are not led astray by false teaching “The have your cake and eat it too” approach to interpreting God’s Word that comes from Satan. False doctrine always provides shortcuts to the teaching of God’s Word where people have more choice and power to save themselves, where the teaching of who is Christ is changed to make the gospel sound more appealing or easy to swallow to this adulterous and sinful generation.  Accordingly the hymn continues:

“Let no false doctrine me beguile, Let Satan not my soul defile, give strength and patience unto me to bear my cross  and follow thee.”   

All three of the stanzas of the hymn close with a passionate ‘I trust in thee above all else’  plea to our Lord Jesus. Stanza 2 closes with a trust in Jesus unto death “Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord, In death Thy comfort still afford.”

Stanza 3 celebrates the hope we have in Christ as we approach death: Lord, let at last Thine angels come, to Abraham’s bosom bear me home, that I may die unfearing.” This stanza reminds us of reward and blessing that God has established with us, going back to the promise to Abraham that a multitude should have this blessing of salvation.

At the hour of death the riches of the world mean nothing and we rest in faith in Jesus that we have not forfeited our soul but have trusted in Him. “And in its narrow chamber keep my body safe in peaceful sleep until Thy reappearing.”

This is the teaching that after death our bodies await the resurrection on the last day and the judgement of the living and the dead. Modern Christian praise songs have some value in our world today, but you won’t find a praise song on the radio that reminds us of death and a coffin, the narrow chamber that keeps our body safe until Jesus returns.

If there was ever a time to have a large choir at hand for a hymn to blow the roof off so to speak, it would be for this final part of stanza 3  “And then from death awaken me, that these mine eyes with joy may see, O Son of God, Thy glorious face, My Savior and my fount of grace. Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend, And I will praise Thee without end.”

We are included in the promise made to Abraham: Ephesians chapter 1 celebrates, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”

Just like Abraham did not earn this great honor to be the father of all nations, we did not earn the title of holy and blameless before God.  This has been a gift given to us by our gracious and gift giving God. This gift is what we remember in times of temptation, this gift is our hope in the hour of death. Amen.

The Transfiguration: Christ’s glory for us the church

Posted on by nfuller

We are finishing the Epiphany season today. In a difficult time for the church, this Epiphany has been a timely season as we have looked at the ways in which Jesus makes himself known to us and reveals Himself to us in the church today. His baptism in the Jordan River, His calling of first disciples and teaching God’s people about life in the kingdom. 

The Transfiguration is a great close to the season with its exciting mountaintop earth shaking revelation of the full glory of Jesus as the Son of God.  The vision of Jesus shining as bright as the sun transcends the worries of yesterday and today and tells us something about ourselves- that we are destined for a share in His glory.  

We sang a few moments ago: “O Father with the eternal Son and Holy Spirit ever one, We pray Thee bring us by Thy grace to see Thy glory face to face.” 

The glory of the transfiguration of Jesus is for us the church to share. He showed His glory to us so that we could know that our God is here for us, He has not left us alone, as the Epistle reading describes, with the coming of Jesus into the world, the veil that covered the face of Moses and concealed the glory of God has been uncovered. 

In Christ we now can see the glory of God completely uncovered, shining as bright as the sun.  2Corinthians 3:18 celebrates this change: “and we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”  

What does it mean to say that we have unveiled faces? The most common example of the veil is the wedding veil a bride can use where her full beauty is concealed until she walks down the aisle and when she is standing face to face with her future husband the veil is removed, the barrier no longer present, her beauty is there for all to see.

But in what way are we as Christians unveiled to shine?  Sin is the covering that keeps us from seeing Jesus.  On account of the fallen nature of humanity the flesh cannot see the glory of God. It is only through the Spirit that we can behold this glory.  We are unveiled as we look on the glory of Jesus without barrier- as we look at Jesus and see the full extent of His glory, just like the three saw him on the mount of Transfiguration. 

Sadly, a veil remains for many in this world on account of their sin.  Many people in the church in recent years have asked me how can people persist in unbelief with the countless ways that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of the scripture and countless ways in which God’s Word has proven to be true?

 How could people hold onto a stubborn belief in evolution despite all of the evidence for an intelligent design in creation and none of Darwin’s theories fitting the facts of what we can observe by scientific means? And how can people not see the fruits of Darwin’s teaching leading to the awful genocide and wars of the 20th century?   In 1 Corinthians 2:14 we have an answer to these questions:

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

The things of the Spirit of God are folly to the unbeliever. Each and every one of us came into this world turned from God, and even an enemy of God.  This is why the gospel of John says : “He came to his own , and his own people did not receive him.”  But God in His infinite love and mercy called us as his own through the waters of Holy Baptism.  

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

The waters of baptism washed away the covering of sin so that we could actually see the glory of God.  Often people who have struggled with addiction and learned how to obtain sobriety will talk about how difficult it was to think or do anything with clarity while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

Our church has hosted a weekly AA meeting for many years and the group has been most respectful of our church. Society may look down on those who have struggled with addiction, but we as the church can learn from their experiences of how thick and dark the veil of sin can be on our vision.

Even when Peter James and John first saw Jesus transfigured before them, the covering of sin shaped their reaction.  Just prior to the events of the Transfiguration Jesus begins to tell the disciples about the cross.  Peter tries to rebuke Jesus in regards to this fate. “Far be it from you Lord! This shall never happen to you.”

What Peter saw and wanted for Jesus was different than what was his purpose.  Peter needed a realignment of focus.  Jesus told him “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind son the things of God, but on the things of man.”  

And as they made their way up a high mountain six days earlier Jesus was transfigured before them.  They recognized Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.  Instead of simply marveling at how amazing it was to be able to recognize Moses and Elijah without ever seeing a painting or sculpture of either prophet, instead of marveling at the meaning of these great prophets of the past now talking with Jesus- Peter interrupts this magnificent meeting with his own agenda. He was reacting from the covering of sin. “Rabbi it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah. For he did not know what to say , for they were terrified.

Under the veil of sin we are terrified before the presence of God. And at that moment the veil was lifted away by the message of the Son’s identity from the Father: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

In listening to the Son, the Lord Jesus- there is no need for fear.  As the scripture teaches in 1John  “Perfect love casts out all fear.”  In listening to Jesus there is no uncertainty in our life of who we are in this world and what is our purpose.  Contrary to what secular religion scholars want us to believe, there is no mystery as to what Jesus was teaching the disciples. 

Secular historians often want to teach that the church embellished and added to its teaching over time about who Jesus is and over a few centuries time started to see him as God.  As we study the scripture we see it is all there already, the glory of the Son was as clear as day.

Through the power of the Spirit we know as clear as day that the Transfiguration was a real event, that the Son of God shined as bright as the sun right in the midst of the three disciples.          2 Peter chapter 1 records:

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye witnesses of His majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was born to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.”  

There was no doubt for the disciples what all of this meant, that the veil that was the law was fading away.  Moses and Elijah as great as they were, they were only meant to point to Jesus. They faded away on the mountain and there was only Jesus. The majesty of Jesus, confirmed by the voice of the Father was something they could put their hope and faith in, something that they knew with complete certainty.

And we have this same certainty because we have God’s Word which shows us the glory of Jesus.  In the Old testament times people only had the law playing a role as a teacher and a guardian until Jesus came. Yes, they were shown the glory of God in Old Testament times, but it was always a reflected glory. 

When Moses came down from Sinai, “The Israelites could not gaze at Moses face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end.”  Now as the church we see the full picture of the glory of God in our Lord Jesus Christ.

As the prologue to the gospel of John records: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father full of grace and truth.”  This glory of Jesus- grace, truth, and perfect love.

After the disciples heard and saw all they did on this mountain the scripture records: 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

This revelation was only for their eyes and ears until after the crucifixion and resurrection. They were given a glimpse of the glory for a few moments to prepare them for the trials to come in the days leading up to their master’s betrayal and crucifixion. 

We know from church history that all of the disciples faced persecution in one way or another after Jesus ascended into heaven.  The Transfiguration gave them a foretaste of the eternal joys of heaven that awaited them. As we are gathered hear this morning may we also feel joy at the clear revelation that the Son of God has revealed his glory to us, he has forever lifted the veil of sin.  No matter the difficulties we face in the coming days- Lord help us to look to the glory of the Son.  Amen.

Jesus is the ladder who bridges Heaven and Earth

Posted on by nfuller

In recent weeks I have heard more than a few people tell me how boring life can be with it being winter and many Covid restrictions limiting which activities are still going on. 

And not just boring, but also discouraging.  Political events in recent weeks that have been nothing to feel good or hopeful about.  Alcohol and drug use, Crime rates and domestic abuse rates are all skyrocketing since the time that so much has changed in our world over a virus. The consequences of sin in the world have not made for the best of times in recent weeks.  It just seems like there is nothing good to be hopeful about in our world as of late.

Yet still many of us continue to look at the news, hoping to see something different.  Would we even know what it looks like if there was actually good news to report? What is good news?  Can we even recognize good things when they are present in our lives? I am not sure what I would even be watching for.

In our gospel lesson from John chapter 1, the account of Jesus calling of Phillip and Nathanael, Jesus tells them exactly what to watch for.  By extension Jesus is also telling us that, we are to watch for the coming of God’s kingdom in our midst.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” That is what we are to watch for.  This Sunday in particular our worship contains themes of the mysteries of God’s kingdom revealed. 

Sometimes the body language and facial expressions seen in church by people of various ages can give the impression that worship, like our everyday life, is at times boring.  But how could it possibly be boring if we see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man? Perhaps we are not always seeing the full picture!

Our church does not have a special effects department- sound, lighting and video. External bells and whistles, entertainment- that is not what is needed to make sure worship is not boring.   We rely on God’s Word and the gift of faith to show this amazing thing that Jesus promises to Nathanael- heaven opened as Jesus himself is Jacob’s ladder.

Genesis chapter 28, Jacob is on a journey from Beersheeba to Haran, sent by his family to find a wife for himself of their people. That night as he is dreaming the LORD appeared to him with a vision of a ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven.  Jacob saw a ladder bridging the gap between heaven and earth.

How amazing that there could be something like a ladder that could bridge the divide that which was broken since the Fall into sin!  This is such a different picture than the cherubim and flaming sword set up to bar Adam and Eve from returning to the garden of Eden.

The scripture in Genesis chapter 28 records: “And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!”   This ladder was bringing the messengers of God’s kingdom, the angels up and down. What a change was present in this dream in relation to our standing before God. What could this ladder possibly represent? Some magic item that makes everything better? 

But no it was not a thing that the ladder represented, but a person. A God and a man, Jesus the Christ.  The ladder had to do with the promise made to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, a promise that the LORD would be with them and their descendants and would make them great, the fathers of a holy people set apart for the LORD. 

“Behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I promised.”

That promise sounds familiar, Jesus told the disciples, “All authority on heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  

Nathanael was impressed that Jesus knew his name and saw him under the tree.  But Jesus was only just beginning, any prophet can see extra things and know extra things as revealed by the LORD. But to die on the cross for the sin of the world, to rise again as the first fruits of our resurrection, to hold all authority on heaven and earth and to give it to His people to make disciples of all nations- that is the ladder that connects us on earth to heaven! 

And Jesus is the only ladder that connects us to the Father.  Many in the world want to believe that their own efforts and diligent life disciplines connect them to God.  People believe in countless gods of their own making and believe that these gods will give them all things desirable.

Yet the scripture is clear that Jesus alone is the Way the Truth and the life and that no one comes to know the Father except through Him.  Jesus is, as 1 Timothy declares, the only ladder that connects us to the Father:  “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.”

Like Nathanael we do not always see the full meaning of who Jesus is for us, of what it means to us that through the cross the gates of heaven are opened to us.  We would like to see heaven opened in the form of a company of radiant angels surrounded by a big flourish of colors and sounds that would amaze us and bring us joy.

But instead we see the gates of heaven opened through the ordinary activities of hearing God’s Word and receiving His gifts to us in worship, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper and the preaching of forgiveness in Christ. Just ordinary church activities many of us have seen since we were children.

But they are not ordinary at all.  These things we encounter in worship have the power to change our lives.  Every time we hear God’s Word we are participating in the putting away of our old sinful nature and the welcoming of new life in Christ. 

The results are that we are always in the position of overcoming the expectations others have of us in the world.  The world expects us to often be self centered and easily jump to conclusions of despair when things are not going well. The world expects us to be hypocrites who make decisions in our lives as if we do not believe God’s Word.

We may even put limitations on our own expectations of how well we can handle a situation in life that is challenging. We know what habits we often fall back on when we are distressed.  Often, we do not need the world to expect us to fail, when we have seen ourselves fail so often in the past and when we doubt how we can overcome challenges before us.

Whether it is the expectations of the world or our own expectations, God’s Word changes the script for us. Jesus changes the script. Where we have fallen he brings forgiveness and in that forgiveness we are freed from the temptations that have such a tight snare over us. 

Jesus knows us inside and out and sees far more potential in our lives than we ourselves can.  “O LORD you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.  You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold O LORD you know it all together.”  That is the psalm appointed for today. A psalm that helps us to see that our own bodies have been fearfully and wonderfully made.   Our own bodies are made for the Lord. 

And as our Epistle reading from 1 Corinthians emphasizes our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit.  Whether it is issues of sexual purity or other ways we need to be careful in respecting our bodies- the message is the same, our bodies belong to the Lord, and it is through our bodies that we serve in God’s kingdom.

Often people in our culture today talk about spiritual matters in a way in which our bodies are inconvenient vessels to our soul that get in the way of our enjoying a certain communion with God.  If we do not value our bodies we are losing sight of the fact that Jesus is not only the Son of God, but also true man.  Jesus connects heaven and earth because he is both man and God. 

Jesus connects us with heaven through Water and the Word.  The ordinary activities for our bodies of hearing God’s Word and eating and drinking the Lord’s Supper, is actually the way that we see heaven opened to us. In seeing our Savior crucified for us and risen from the dead, we know we are beholding something more amazing than any of the disciples first saw in Jesus. 

The events and circumstances of our lives may be difficult and unlike previous times, yet God’s Word is the same. Jesus is the same yesterday today and tomorrow.  In Jesus we see day by day through the course of our everyday walk of faith that the gates of heaven are opened to us.

And as the gates are open, we are united with a God who transcends all of the difficulties of today and tomorrow.  A God who will one day return to us in glory so that all things in heaven and earth will be united forever in the joys of eternal life. Amen.

The Baptism of our Lord: His gift to us!

Posted on by nfuller

The Old Testament Lesson for This Sunday,January 10, 2021:The Baptism of our LordGenesis1:1–5The Creation of the World1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

The Psalm for This Sunday:The Baptism of our Lord Ascribe to the Lord Glory; A Psalm of David.29:1Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,[ a ]ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.2Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.[ b ]3The voice of the Lord is over the waters;the God of glory thunders,the Lord, over many waters.4The voice of the Lord is powerful;the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.5The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.6He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,and Sirion like a young wild ox.7The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.8The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth[ c ]and strips the forests bare,and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.11May the Lord give strength to his people!May the Lord bless[ d ] his people with peace!

The Epistle Lesson Romans6:1–11, for This Sunday:The Baptism of our Lord Dead to Sin, Alive to God6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self[ a ] was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free[ b ] from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Sermon delivered by: Rev. Channing Kearney at Christ Lutheran Church LCMS, Indianapolis In the Name of Jesus +The Gospel Lesson Mark 1:4-11 for This Sunday:The Baptism of our Lord Theme: The Baptism of Our Lord…His Gift to us!!!Mark 1:4–114John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son;[a] with you I am well pleased.”

Who is John the Baptist? Is John call the Baptist because he believes the teachings of the Baptist. No. He is called the Baptist because he came not just prophesying and proclaiming God’s Word, but used water to wash people clean of their unrighteousness. To really know this John, we turn to Luke 1:39-45and see that he is the cousin of Jesus. His mother being Elizabeth,was able to recognize the savior even before he was born. Johns father was High Priest at the time and he was unable to speak until John was born. See Luke 1:63-64.So,Mary, Jesus’ mother went to visit her sister Elizabeth. Luke 1:39-45: “39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”Back to the Gospel lesson for today vs 4: “4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”Prophet Isaiah prophesied about John in Isaiah 40:3-5 around 700 B.C.He writes about John as follows: “3 A voice cries:“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;make straight in the desert a highway for our God.4 Every valley shall be lifted up,and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level,and the rough places a plain.5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,and all flesh shall see it together,for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”Prophet Malachi also wrote about John in Malachi 3:1. Prophesied about John around 430 B.C. twice. The first: “3:1“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.”Again,Malachi prophecies about John in Malachi 4:5: “5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”

So,John fulfills the Word of God by being born before Jesus, starting his ministry just like Elijah and as you can see in the Gospel text vs. 5: “5And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.”It would take you ten hours to walk from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to the Jordan river. Thus 2 days total time just to see a wild crazing looking man as described in vs 6: “6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.”Typical clothing and look for a prophet.Completely opposite of those who were the “teachers and priest of the temple”who were well dressed and well adorned.However, unlike the prophets years before him, his preaching wasn’t the prophecy of the destruction of Israel but the proclamation of theirs and our Savior. Vs 7 is his proclamation, note the word “preached:”“7And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.”Historically, prophets were sent by God to proclaim to His people their need to repent before some great calamity would occur, and when the people did repent the destruction would stop. Like Jonah to Nineveh, when the Ninevites repented, Nineveh was spared. John continues with his “preaching”with vs 8: “8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”Today Christ speaks through faithful pastors who “preaches”His word to strengthen and preserve His people. They are preserved not because of wisdom of the world but through His Word, through Jesus who is the Word God which became flesh at the time of John the Baptist.The Baptism of Jesus, our Lord…His gift to us.“9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”As Jesus is in His human body as true man,receives from the Father upon receiving the water of Baptism from His cousin John, Elijah returned, the Holy Spirit;so do we receive From God the Father the Holy Spirit when we receive the water of Holy Baptism under and with the Word of God our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We to become the Children of God through Jesus with the water and His Words.Then later upon our confession of faith, we receive His forgiveness in and through the Body and Blood of our Savior,Jesus the Christ,as the propitiation of our sins.

The Baptism of Our Lord…His Gift to us.All our readings today point to one main theme. The Word of God, and its proclamation through the preaching of the Word of God.The Old Testament lesson Genesis 1:1-5 is the beginning of creation with the first day,establishing for us, all matter and time. Psalms 29 points to the power of God Word as David proclaims the voice of the Lord is powerful and majestic. Paul’s words point to our dying and rising with Christ, with the assurance of eternal life through Jesus the Word of God.Mark gives us John the Baptist, the second Elijah who is the forerunner of Christ who declares for us through his preaching that He, Jesus the True Man is the One. And now we hear God the Father finally Preaching to us that Jesus is His son “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”None of this would have any meaning for us if God did not have has Word preached to us and finally,provide us with the written Words of God. Mark shows that John the Baptist preached God’s Word stated in vs7: “7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”The preaching of the word is very important for it is by preach that we receive faith through the hearing of God’s word which is Jesus the Christ. Stated for us by St. Paul in Romans10:14-15. When John Baptized Jesus,who is the Word made flesh, and the Father Sent the Holy Spirit, Jesus established through His body the Means of Grace through our baptism by water in, with, and under the Word of God. We receive the Holy Spirit and as Paul stated clearly,we are dead in sin with Christ’s death and raised with Him to eternal life.Can you just imagine the experience what John and others who were watching heard and saw when the heavens were torn open and the Spirit descending like a dove upon Jesus?Wow, what an awesome sight.We will experience that and more because of our Baptism with Him, in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.+ in His Name, Amen!!!

A Christmas Letdown?

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Why are we here again? Weren’t we just here a few days ago? Didn’t we cover every gospel reading about the birth of Jesus and sing all of the classic Christmas hymns between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?  What more is there to say? How can you top the celebration of Christmas?

 On those years where Sunday follows Christmas fairly closely, there is perhaps an unspoken assumption that we are all going to be tired of each other, like an out of town family visit that lasts a little bit too long. 

It is normal to feel a sense of a letdown after Christmas, just like after Easter Sunday.  The larger crowd of Christmas Eve thinned out, nobody is video recording this service, the Poinsettias are gradually making their way to people’s homes.  And the radio stations, you can’t count on them to play Christmas music anymore.

The winter is only just starting and short sleep or lapses to our routine from Christmas can start to catch up with us, and we can be more irritable than usual toward people in our lives. How quickly things can go from a high to a low! How easily we can end up putting peace and goodwill toward man on a shelf, stored away in a big box with the Christmas decorations.

But as we know, Christmas is not over. We heard God’s Word celebrating the power of Christmas in the world at the start of our worship service: “The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things!”

Considering that God’s Word is the balm for all our ills and troubles, it is a good thing that Sunday is already here, and we are gathered for worship, and we can experience not a post Christmas let down, but an extension of the celebration of Christmas into our daily faith life.

“Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things!”  Although we already know the story of Christmas, when we live out the promises of our faith in the world we are singing a new song, we are alive in Him through faith. The Christmas story continues with our response of faith to the news of the birth of the Savior. We might even say it is the fulfillment of the story.

Our Epistle reading from Galatians begins with a message about fulfillment.  “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.”

The fullness of time refers to God’s plan reaching its moment of ultimate ripeness for our salvation.  This fullness was achieved through the work of God’s Word over thousands of years in the messages of all the prophets, preparing Israel for the coming of her Savior.

And the time had also reached its fullness in the form of the growth and development of the world population. Events in history provided the rise and fall of empires to the point where the people of Israel were dispersed throughout the ancient world, connected by common languages and roads.

But this was not a spiritually prosperous time, but a time of great darkness as people throughout the ancient world looked to false gods instead of the one true God.  The fullness of time included the world’s readiness and need to hear the good news of the birth of Jesus.

It was the right time for us to hear the message.  At worship on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we heard about the events of Jesus’ birth, God’s loving action in our world- The Word becoming flesh.  Now we hear about the birth of Jesus in scripture verses that include pronouns like ‘us’ and ‘you’ , and those.  Listen in our Old Testament reading from Isaiah how often God’s people are the subject of the scripture.

“The nations shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.”

What a magnificent image, we are compared to as a crown in the hand of our God. A Diadem, a band of jewels that kings and queens wear.  Fashion accessories are intended to highlight the beauty of the person wearing them.  The jewels add something to the appearance of the wearer and confirm something of importance.

We are jewels in the hand of our God because Jesus has saved us without any of our own contribution.  Our existence in the family of God is a testament to God’s greatness. It is the second part of the Christmas story- our adoption as Sons and daughters of our God.

There is so much in the short reading from Galatians.  It may not be as picturesque and descriptive as the gospel of Luke, but Paul tells all of the important details of the Christmas story, the Word becoming flesh, and includes one more purpose clause  “to redeem those under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons.  “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts.”

Through the Holy Spirit we have been born into a living faith and adopted into God’s kingdom. When Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary it was the greatest miracle in history, God became man.  This is something only the Holy Spirit could accomplish. 

This same Holy Spirit performed a miracle of much lower profile in each of our lives, giving us the gift of New life in Christ. For only through the miracle of God’s work in the waters of Holy Baptism could we have spiritual life.

It is only through this miracle of our Sonship in Christ that our lives can break out of the cycle of repetition that all of creation is destined for. The type of repetition that makes us feel periods of let down or discouragement.

  As Solomon declared in Ecclesiastes: “The sun rises and the sun goes down , and then goes back to the place where it rises.”  Inspired by the Holy Spirit Solomon wrote about how everything in life comes and goes and does not last: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”   

In Christ our lives have more than a predictable cycle of beginnings and endings. In Christ we sing a new song, our lives are entirely different than other lives in history because we have the Spirit of the God who has entered into our history, and who is living in our hearts.

We see this difference to our lives in the close of our Epistle lesson: “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying Abba Father!” Because we are sons we call on God as Abba Father.  This is the same address as Jesus uses in the Lord’s Prayer. 

We only can say “Our Father” because we have been made sons through the Holy Spirit.  Only because of the miracle of Christmas can we have the sonship with our God that we can address God as Father in our prayers and in our worship.   

We began reflecting on how easy it can be to have a post Christmas let down where we wonder what is next and feel the weight of life responsibilities outside of celebrating Christmas.  As we have looked to God’s Word in faith we see the fulfillment of the birth of Jesus on that first Christmas connects with our lives in our own birth by the Holy Spirit, our adoption as God’s children. 

This birth from above gives us a purpose in life that does not know let downs.  Because in Jesus we have everything we need, and He does not disappear from our lives as a letdown.  Like Simeon in the temple we may find in the gift of salvation a fulfillment that nothing else in the world can match.

And like Simeon we can confess “Lord now you let your servant depart in peace, according to your word, for my own eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples.”  We confess that in looking upon Jesus in faith our life is without question complete and fulfilled. Amen.

The House the Lord Builds

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We have all heard of the honey do list.  Home projects a wife may have for her husband to catch up on- big projects, little projects, usually more than a husband has the energy to visualize or conceptualize doing them all.  We all in our own way have the list of projects we want to get done in the month of December. 

Earlier this week it was refreshing to finish up the Christmas decoration in the Atrium, something we just did not get to several weeks earlier when we decorated. It is, after all a shame to leave the Christmas ornaments in a box and not get to them. Whether it is decorating or looking for gifts for others, or sending Christmas cards, there is much potential for unfinished business in the month of December.

When we went caroling last weekend it was exciting to see neighbors face to face and share the joy of Christmas carols. But it also reminded me of other things on the ministry to do list, that street sign that would tell people driving on highway 40 that the church is around the corner, or the postcards I think it would be worthwhile to send as a mass mailing to our local zip code. 

Perhaps you have your own to do list in your faith, what you would like to do for the church, or even scripture reading schedules you would like to put into practice.

 If you feel like you have some significant things on your list that you are failing to get to, consider what King David had on his list: building the temple for God to dwell in.

King David, once settled on his throne had thoughts about doing something good for God.  David had accomplished so much already in terms of conquests of enemies, building projects throughout Israel- even moving the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem.  But there was something missing. 

As we heard in our reading from 2Samuel chapter 7: Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all of his surrounding enemies, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.”

David had the desire to serve God, yet on account of sin he unfortunately prioritized over the years building something for himself and others rather than building for God. 

David’s family would be racked by problems in the coming years as a result of his own sins of murder and adultery, incest among his children, rebellion from a son. David would die and be buried and his earthly accomplishments turning to dust.

David wanted to build the temple to hold the ark of the covenant, but he would not be the one to build it.  This was not the Lord’s plan for him, but instead the plan for his son Solomon to build the temple.

As is the case with all of the best laid plans in life, “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.   When it comes to the “To do lists” we have for our life and our church’s ministry, we are encouraged to look to the Lord for support.  But what is most important is not what we can do, but what he has done for us in the past and continues to do for us.

The house that God builds is what demands the most attention- especially in a busy month of December.  It is always our gracious God who constructs what is perfect and lasting.  God reminded David that it was he, the LORD who in the past had done everything for him and for all people. 

The LORD delivered them from slavery in Egypt. The LORD shepherded them through the journey to the promised land. The LORD gave them rest from their enemies.  The LORD had already provided a place for the ark in the portable tent that was the tabernacle. 

God has built the same house for us.  Like David we can look at our lives and see the same sinful insufficiency David saw in his life.  Our priorities have been displaced by God’s priorities.  Our family is marred by sin, as we break the LORD’s commandments. Like David, we will die and be buried, as everything we build will turn to dust.

But God has done everything we need.  He has delivered us from sin and it’s slavery; we have come through baptism’s water out of Egypt.  Like David, the LORD has built our house by shepherding us with his Word and Sacraments.  He has conquered Satan and all that would threaten us his lambs.  And most important of all he has built for us the ultimate temple- Jesus!

Jesus, the Word became flesh, who dwelt among us full of grace and truth, is the only one in whom the fullness of God can dwell.

Jesus fulfills all of the accomplishments that we cannot fulfill.  He does it all for us.  In verse 11 of our Old Testament reading we hear how God reverses things for David instead of laying out the plans for David constructing the temple, he promises to build David a house!

The house God promised was Jesus and the kingdom of God that he brings. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

The reading continues, verses not in our bulletin selected reading:  “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up for your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

We see what this house looked like several generations later when the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph of the house of David.  This house worthy of the name of the LORD was not found in the appearance of a famous dynasty of kings living in a palace of great wealth, but instead in the form of a young family just getting started in a small back woods town of little significance called Nazareth.

God’s ways are higher and greater than our ways. Instead of building a great temple, the house of David reached its ultimate power in the birth of a baby named Jesus.  He would be the temple that all the glory of God is contained within.

In John chapter 2 Jesus even called himself the temple, predicting that he would take the ultimate destruction, your eternal damnation, on the cross and rise victorious as your eternal king.  And Jesus spoke about how we continue in receiving the great promises of the house of David through Him, as we have been grafted into the line of David by faith.

John 14:2  “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”

Revelation 21:3  “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be there as their God.

You now have David’s hope that “God builds the king’s house for you.” God builds the house when you hear his Word guiding you in His grace. You are commissioned to like David was told, “Do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”

The Tabernacle and the temple of the Old Testament did not endure. The cloth tent was never intended by God to be a permanent structure. The temple built by David’s Son Solomon was eventually destroyed  after 400 years.  It’s replacements were also destroyed not all that long after they were built. God wanted His people to have lasting hope, not in earthly things or in their own accomplishments , but in His eternal king , Jesus and in His eternal kingdom. 

God’s ways are higher than our ways.  We hear this often as we read through the scriptures, and it is reflected perhaps no clearer than in the promise to the house of David.

David’s reaction to all of this news of a house being built for him is recorded in verse 18 of chapter 7  “Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I O LORD God and what is my house that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes O LORD God.  In verse 26 we hear: “Your name will be magnified forever, saying, “The Lord of hosts is God over Israel, and the house of your servant David will be established before you.”

Does this sound similar to our gospel reading? Listen as Mary hears about the same promise made to the house of David through the angel Gabriel. “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant, For behold from now on all generations will call me blessed.”

And we also are called blessed, as we receive the inheritance of our faith. We began focusing on those TO DO lists in our life. As we have considered how ‘Unless the LORD builds the house those who build it, labor in vain’,  Our blessing is not in what we can accomplish, but in the House that The Lord builds for us, the kingdom He has prepared for us. Amen.  

Restoration for God’s people

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Have you ever tried to restore something? Restoration is to bring things back to their original beauty and place of belonging in the world.  I am not the most skilled builder, but I have restored many items with sufficient sentimental value with super glue, including those items that were a causality of young children’s activity.  Some of the items you would never even know that they were ever dropped- or run through the spin cycle of the dryer.

To bring something back to its original state. There is something very appealing about restoration in our time today.  Many homes in Irvington have gone through restoration to make them closer to the original beauty and style that they were built with. 

Restoration also tends to include some modern infrastructure for improved heating and cooling efficiency.  Often an older building has more character and beauty and enjoyment than newer buildings that are more concerned with saving money or cutting corners. And there is a spirit of joy in restoring what was almost lost, not giving up on it, putting blood sweat and tears into the project.

Here in the second Sunday of Advent, Restoration is illustrated as God’s plan from the beginning. We heard in the Introit: “Restore us O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!  We know this restoration involves more than what superglue can fix. It’s more than a face lift or a new finish of paint. 

But just like the beloved home that is painstakingly preserved, just like teddy bear whose arm is carefully stitched back on- the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  God looked in love at the vine that came out of Egypt and once filled the land with deep root and blossom, the vine that turned bad and lost all its glory and beauty – and God sought to restore His people. 

Even though the vine failed to produce good fruit, even though the people sinned and sought after false idols God set forth a righteous branch from the stump of Jesse.  The righteousness of Jesus, the Lion of Judah was sufficient to make up for the unrighteousness of all people. 

The Father set forth a master plan whereby the sin that runs as deep as every cell in our body could be cleansed. The plan was executed through His Son sent to die on the cross for us, so that we could be completely restored into the image of God as Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden before the Fall.

We who have been born of water and the Spirit, Jesus looks at us in love and says: “behold I make all things new.” Without doubt we were worth restoring. There never was any question, from the beginning the Father was willing to pay the price in blood for our restoration. 

Because of this great restoration, we have the promise of comfort, hope, and consolation.  These are the messages from God the prophet Isaiah brings to us.  Isaiah is proclaiming a redemption after destruction.  As bad as things are or have been, something has changed in a wonderful way.  “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfareis ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” 

The gospel is a double blessing, it is not just that our sins are forgiven and we are spared condemnation, but because of God’s Word, we are also brought beyond the limitations of our lives to the glory of God.  “And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

We are restored and brought back to our original state and then some.

We know who was the voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord- it is a particular person in history, John.  John the Baptist is a figure of great importance. He is a figure of prophetic fulfillment.  Jesus says Elijah has come, and he means John.  Jesus described John as in a category above all other prophets: I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

Nobody born of woman is greater than John, and what does John say: “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.”

John, who is greater than all who are born of woman was born to point to the one who was born of the Spirit.  His purpose was to stir up our hearts to repentance, to prepare the way for Jesus.

And although his message of repentance is stern and urgent, although elsewhere in the gospels he calls the Pharisees a brood of vipers and talks about the coming separation of the chaff and wheat where the chaff is burnt up with unquenchable fire, although John calls us to repent, his message is indeed one of hope as he is speaking tenderly about the restoration we have in Jesus. 

John brings a message of sweet comfort, just as the prophet Isaiah foretold.  Isaiah spoke words of comfort in chapter 40 after many chapters of warnings of destruction because of sin.  The destruction was still to come for Jerusalem, in fact it was over 100 hundred years away. But even before the destruction happened in history, Isaiah already pronounced God’s Words of comfort.  Their warfare has ended, their sin has been paid for.

 God’s Word speaks comfort to us weary sinners troubled by the coming afflictions in our lives.  We know the time will come when the warfare is over, when we will rejoice in our part in the blessing of God’s kingdom. When the warfare seems to fierce, we do well to stir up our hearts toward repentance to see that no affliction is greater than God’s love.  To hear the sweeping truth about all of creation:  “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever.”

The result of this comfort from our God is that we have peace.  “Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”

We are waiting for the restoration of God’s Word to reach its completion. Right now many in our community and many in our congregation are troubled by the hardship current life circumstances bring.  Many are not in a position where attending worship works for the health interest of themselves or family members. 

Sometimes this can even be out of a matter of conscience of not wanting to bring illness to others. It is not just in this congregation, all of our sister congregations in this area report attendance is down considerably because of the virus. 

People without spiritual backgrounds are likely to be even more afraid, as it is only for this life that they have hope, and the slightest hint of danger to life is hard to bear for those who do not know Christ as Savior. 

Such people are in need of the comfort of God’s Word.  That is why, even with public concern higher right now, we are still meeting for worship, still offering comfort to our community with a grief share opportunity starting today, and now also Christmas caroling in our church’s neighborhood.

When Isaiah was called into his prophetic role as recorded in chapter 6, he asked how long he was to continue preaching God’s Word. “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people and the land is a desolate waste.”

All through the stage of trials and tribulations this side of eternity the church will continue to point people to Jesus.  Indeed we may face diseases and other trials in coming days more trying than what we face today.

Our task as God’s people is clear, to live as those who have received the perfect comfort and consolation of the good news.  As we wait in faith and behold that our God comes to us in might.   

Why should we give thanks this year?

Posted on by nfuller

With voices united our praises we offer and gladly our songs of thanksgiving we raise.  With You, Lord, beside us, Your strong arm will guide us. To You our great Redeemer forever we praise.  Why are we here this evening? Why have we come to join praises and songs of thanksgiving? There are a lot of reason why people could not come to such a service as tonight. Driving in the dark is a barrier for many. There are ongoing fears about infection rates of Covid 19.  Why should we gather for thanksgiving when the fallen world we live in has been a bit trying as of late? Perhaps it would have been practical to not meet and give thanks.

A new strain of virus has changed the course of many aspects of our everyday lives. Some people have lost loved ones.  We are praying for the health of one of our members who is now hospitalized because of this virus. Coinciding with this virus we have seen significant efforts in our land to use the virus as an opportunity to seize power and control, whether within families where domestic abuse and child abuse rates have soared. Not much to give thanks about.

In our media and news industry which has sought to increase fear of the virus and has sought to undermine those in leadership in our land in order to advance their social agendas.  Without getting lost in a conspiracy theory direction we are observing that many in positions of government themselves appear to have taken the opportunity of the virus to condemn and limit religious gatherings or exercise new levels of control over people beyond what is necessary for our protection. We are seeing spiritual warfare in growing intensity in our land, where the truth is obscured and can be bought with a price, whether in elections or in other contexts.

In our own lives hardships of the virus have often impacted our ability to maintain our health through limits to recreation opportunities, gyms, or even gatherings such as occasions for fellowship at our church. And let’s not forget the realistic fear of how we might inadvertently spread a virus to friends or loved ones without intending.  Our quality of sleep and quality of life and our peace of mind has been tested in this past year.

So again I ask why should we gather for thanksgiving this year? 

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.  9 God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places  Habakkuk chapter 3.

Our cause for Thanksgiving is not conditional on how our year has gone. Because we know that in this fallen world there will be times of draught, the crops may fail and our very livelihood may appear to be in ruin.  We know from God’s Word that although things around us may fail, God’s Love is unconditional, His grace is sufficient for all of our needs- including many difficult events of 2020. 

This is the essence of faith, that regardless of appearances we know that our Redeemer lives. Listen to the complaints Job lists and how he responds: I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer;  I must plead with him with my mouth for mercy. 17 My breath is strange to my wife,  and I am a stench to the children of my own mother.
18 Even young children despise me; when I rise they talk against me.
19 All my intimate friends abhor me,  and those whom I loved have turned against me.
20 My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh,  and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth. 21 Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me! 22 Why do you, like God, pursue me?  Why are you not satisfied with my flesh?

Like Job, we can look at suffering and difficulties we have faced, cancer diagnoses that have separated us from loved ones, times when we have been humiliated and hurt by this fallen world and we can conclude “the hand of God has touched me! We are scorched by the trials of this world and there is a large scar.  And yet Job looked in faith to the promise of the Savior:

23 “Oh that my words were written!  Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
24 Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth,
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed,  yet inmy flesh I shall see God,
27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
    My heart faints within me!

When we look to the cross we see that despite appearances of betrayal, and scourging, whipping and mocking and humiliation and untold suffering, God’s love shines through unbounded. The love Jesus gives us in willingly laying his life on the cross is always there for us. We do not look to the world around us for evidence that God is good or for reasons to be thankful , and yes there are many reasons, but we look to the cross and there without doubt is the evidence, Jesus loves us.

And even as I describe the hardships of this fallen world we know the good and plenty the lord provides for us. We have been training ourselves to notice these things every Thanksgiving season, the imagery of the horn of plenty is familiar to us. The blessing pour out abundantly.

Our gospel lesson helps us to see that it is good to ask for these blessings.., and these blessings are especially known to us in the form of the good things of the kingdom, and the gifts of the church.  If we ask in faith to hear more of God’s Word, and be comforted and guided by God’s Word, the Lord will grant this prayer. The Holy Spirit will fill us with abundance.  Though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,3 though its waters roar and foam,  though the mountains tremble at its swelling.  No matter what hardship we face, even the very earth itself shaking, God is in our midst.

 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

No matter the obstacle, when we pray for the good things of the kingdom God is in our midst, present with us.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Our Heavenly Father indeed gives good things to us as we ask.  We can give thanks that as we seek to grow in our faith, we will be rewarded with this end. As we cry out as beggars for Jesus to fill us and carry us through the hour of trial- we know Jesus is there granting us our greatest need, his presence. Amen.

Jesus makes all things new

Posted on by nfuller

The Last Sunday of the Church Year. As we observe the end it is a time to prepare for a new beginning.  We are ending a church year this morning.  For those who are looking forward to the year 2020 being over with the superstitious hope of relief from a difficult year, perhaps there is some comfort in ending a church year. It may not be 2021 yet, but it is a new start for Christ’s church, it is a new start for Christ Lutheran church as well.

We are also celebrating a new start in music in our congregation.  Jessica Brandt, Music Director of Christ Lutheran Church, to be installed in a short while.  Jessica you are starting a calling of service as a commissioned church worker in a church body with a tradition of music that goes back hundreds of years, the Lutheran heritage of music is rich and full of hope. Full of hope because of our faith in God’s Word.  For many generations music has served the purpose of communicating God’s Word in our church. 

Music is often the way in which people can most easily relate to the law and gospel message of hope in our worship service.  I took a poll of our confirmation youth about the favorite part of worship and for all four the answer had to do with our hymns and songs of the liturgy. 

One of my earliest memories of applying worship and church to my life at home as child was playing with toys in what was called the toy room in my parents home, and finding myself drawn to rehearse in my mind the chorus of the Hymn “This is the Feast”. 

And I remember thinking at this age it is a good thing that people gather for worship and sing these hymns, and thinking that everybody should be a part of this, how sad if people are not attending worship, and not hearing these words about  ‘The Lamb who was slain who has begun His reign. Alleluia.’ 

God’s kingdom is all about new beginnings.  When we struggle with the weight of our sin. When our failures are so heavy and weigh us down almost more than we can bear. Jesus tells us, “Behold I make all things new.” Each and every one of us here can use a new beginning.  And what is new in God’s kingdom is not new or strange, but instead a continuation of what God has promised all along: “They shall be my people and I shall be their God.”

Our Epistle reading from 1 Corinthians provides us with an in depth survey of what is marvelously new in God’s kingdom because of what Jesus has done.  Because he is risen from the dead, we too shall rise. His resurrection as the first fruits of all who believe.

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”  Here in the late fall, we celebrate first fruits. When the leaves are dying, when the death of sin appears all around us, we see in God’s Word there is life through Jesus’ resurrection.  His resurrection is just the beginning, the first fruits.

“But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”

We are looking forward. A lot of self help books talk about the merit of living in the present moment, so that you do not worry too much about the future or fret about the past.  These books are half right. 

It is good to live in the moment, because in the moment Jesus is in control and reigns at the Right hand of the Father.  In the present Jesus is with us, now is the time of salvation, Jesus has won the victory already. We know this joy, we live in these fruits of his victory on the cross.

And we also look to the future where our joy will be complete, when the New Heaven and Earth is here. It is always important as God’s people that we are forward looking, because God’s Word speaks so often of the future, of the great Day of the LORD.

Our gospel reading also provides a look into this future.  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.” From this throne we hear an imagery of a shepherd separating sheep and goats.  Sheep and goats are both useful animals and very important to those people who depend on animals for milk and meat. Sheep are not intrinsically good, and goats are not in any way associated as wicked or evil.   They are similar in the size they are and similar in value to people.  And yet there is no difficulty telling them apart.

Those who are sheep are those who God has called to be His people.  They are in many ways the same as those who are called goats, except for the difference of their faith and the works their faith produces. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, that the sheep may inherit the kingdom prepared for them since the foundation of the world. 

From God’s perspective the works of the sheep look very different than the goats. This is because the works of the sheep are a response to God’s love.   In the compassion toward those in need the sheep have embodied God’s love. 

The sheep had no way of knowing that as they were helping those in need- it was as if they were taking in Jesus in a time of need and caring for Him.  This is the work of faith that great things are accomplished through the work of God’s Word. 

Works of faith have an appearance and a quality that touches many in the world and draws them to want to know more about life in God’s kingdom.  This is the same as how sacred music works, it is inspired by faith and love, and not hate or anger.  The presence of God’s love and truth in our hymns and instrumental tunes shows through as a fruit of faith.

Jesus designed His church with a purpose.  All of these works of faith are for a purpose, our worship services, the rhythms of the church year have the purpose of pointing us to the Last Day when Jesus returns as judge. When Jesus returns, he will raise all believers, he will come to collect the rest of the fruits of his resurrection, our resurrection.   

The heritage of the past of Lutheran music is not the only reason why we sing these hymns and maintain our organ and choirs and other instrumental contributions. We are not Installing Jessica as music Director because it is what Lutheran congregations have always done. Instead we are valuing music because it points us to the joy we will know when Jesus returns.  Everything we do in church is for a reason, and that reason is so that we see Jesus.

Our congregation is installing Jessica as music Director because we know that God’s Word does not return without result, and we will connect with people in our community with music, whether those who visit worship, an organ concert, a community gospel song festival or Christmas caroling. 

We ourselves , the congregation need to hear the music, so that whatever we are going through in life, whatever the strife or hardship, that music can help draw out our emotions, let go of our tensions and bring us to a focus and contemplation on eternal things, so that we may follow the lesson of Psalm 46, “Be Still and Know that I am God.”  And as we are still, we are ready to hear God’s Word proclaimed to us that Jesus’ love transcends all things.  

My first hope is that it will be a short stay here at Christ Lutheran, as in something far more important will come up- the return of Jesus.  But my second hope is that the music ministry of Christ Lutheran Church will be a great blessing for you Jessica and your family and the family of Christ Lutheran for countless years. Amen.