"WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?"
- The Truth needs to be spoken
- The Truth is what saves
As the capital city of the nation of Israel, Jerusalem was always filled with people. There was constant traffic in and out of its walls and any number of activities happening throughout the city on any given day. But this day was different. On this day there were thousands more people in Jerusalem than usual because this day was the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of Weeks was one of the three annual Jewish festivals during which believers were required to make the trip to Jerusalem no matter where they lived. This event was set at the beginning of the planting season and worshipers were supposed to offer prescribed sacrifices only at the temple in Jerusalem. And so, just like every year at this time, Jerusalem was being overrun with visitors from every part of the Mediterranean world. Most of them had been there before. And so they knew where to go. They knew what to do. They understood enough Hebrew or Aramaic to get around - even though they had their own native languages back at home. And because of this influx of visitors, the vendors and merchants of Jerusalem were lining the streets, selling their wares. The Levites and the priests were all called on to work that day, keeping order and directing traffic at the temple itself. It was a little bit hectic and a little bit crowded, but the day was progressing more or less as it normally did every year.
But it wouldn’t be “normal” for long. Because at this particular Feast of Weeks, the 12 apostles were all gathered together there in Jerusalem and all in the same place. And Acts chapter two says that, “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” This certainly wasn’t a planned event for the celebration of the Feast of Weeks! This had never been seen before in any place! In fact, it was so incredible that from this day on the Feast of Weeks would no longer be called “the Feast of Weeks.” It would forever become known as Pentecost.
On this very first Pentecost, all of those foreigners who had traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks heard that supernatural wind-like sound coming from heaven. And when the crowds gathered to see what it was all about, they heard these disciples speaking in their own languages! But these men were Galileans! There was Peter and his brother Andrew! There was John and his brother James! These men were the followers of that man, Jesus! How are they able to speak in dialects they have not yet learned? It doesn’t make sense! “What does this mean?”
“What does this mean?” Scripture tells us that these words were spoken by the crowds of visitors when they heard “the wonders of God” being fluently spoken in their native tongues by these disciples. “What does this mean?” The crowds wanted to know. They knew it must be a miracle from God himself, they knew something special was happening there in Jerusalem right before their eyes, but they didn’t yet know what it was all about. They didn’t know why it was happening. They didn’t know how it was happening. And they wondered out of curiosity and amazement, “What does this mean?”
And so Peter told them. The apostle Peter immediately stood up with the other eleven disciples and he told the crowds exactly what this phenomenon meant. He quoted the prophet Joel. He made it clear that this event was predicted centuries ago. He spoke about Jesus suffering, dying, and rising from the dead. He explained that Jesus was the one who had sent this Holy Spirit on the disciples. Peter even called the crowds of people sinners. Peter then urged them to repent. And Peter encouraged them to be baptized. In short: Peter spoke to them the Truth.
And that was a monumental thing for Peter to do! Remember that Peter hadn’t always been so brave to speak the Truth of Christ to those around him. Just a couple months before in the courtyard of the high priest during Jesus’ trial, Peter was intimidated by a servant girl and vehemently refused to speak about Christ… But here, in the vicinity of that same temple, Peter does not hesitate to address these massive crowds with his faith in Christ. He knew that he possessed the Truth and he was not ashamed to share it. He knew most of those people did not believe in the Truth, and he was not afraid to tell them so. Peter knew that their spiritual well-being depended on his proclamation and so he jumped at the chance to explain to them the clear words of God. The crowds were trying to figure out “What does this mean?” And Peter was the one who confidently told them.
Would you call Peter arrogant here? Was he haughty and condescending for claiming to know the only Truth and telling all those people in Jerusalem that day that what they believed was wrong? Of course not! Peter was not arrogant or haughty or condescending. He was simply repeating the simple facts of Scripture so that all of those people around him could also believe in the true words of the Lord. Peter did not speak out of arrogance, but out of love.
But you might be called arrogant or haughty or condescending for doing the same thing today, wouldn’t you? If you claimed that you knew the Truth of Scripture and that someone else was wrong about any particular teaching, you might not be treated very kindly! You might be called close-minded! You might be labeled as a bigot! You might be accused of trying to force your beliefs on someone else. “How dare you tell me that I’m wrong! I can believe whatever I want to believe! That’s very presumptuous of you to think that your interpretation of Scripture is the only right way!” If someone hasn’t conveyed those thoughts to you before in so many words, you know that’s what many people would say if the situation arose because that’s the prevailing thought about religion in this country - even among many Christians: “The truth is whatever you personally believe. You can’t tell someone that they are wrong - we can agree to disagree. There is room for multiple interpretations of the Bible depending on how you look at it...” And because that’s such a wide-spread mindset in our culture today, we in turn become intimidated when the real and only Truth needs to be spoken.
Don’t you find it hard sometimes to speak the Truth when you know someone is off base? Isn’t it difficult to stand up boldly and confidently like Peter did and firmly stand on the clear words of Scripture that you know so well? It is a hard thing to do! It is difficult to stand up for the Truth at times because we don’t want to be thought of as unloving or stuck in our ways or egotistical. We don’t want to deal with the arguments and the objections and so we oftentimes end up keeping our mouths shut. We let the error slide. We avoid the confrontation. We try not to say anything that might indicate that we think we know what’s right and this person in front of us has got it all wrong. We don’t stand up boldly like Peter in most situations. We rather try to slink back into the crowd and hope nobody knows what you know.
How pitiful. How pitiful when we are sometimes scared off by the possibility of an uncomfortable situation. How pitiful when we don’t seem to think that the Truth is worth the trouble. The Holy Spirit has worked in our hearts through this same Word of God and has convinced us that his words are true. He has made his words clear. He has solidified the truths of Scripture in different passages in different contexts in different ways so that we can be absolutely sure about what he is saying. But when it comes to conveying these clear simple truths to others, we can’t seem to get ourselves to tell others that this is the Truth - and nothing else, that there is a right and a wrong, not just a difference of opinion. Christ calls us his ambassadors. He says that we are the light of the world. He asks us to preach and teach and share the message with every nation. But what kind of preachers and teachers and lights and ambassadors are we if we are afraid to speak the Truth that we know is right? We are, in fact, a pitiful kind of Christian. We are sadly timid keepers of the Truth. And that’s the saddest thing of all: We are keepers of the Truth instead of also being sharers of the Truth.
And yet although that is true, the Lord still doesn’t stop giving us Truth. Look at the crowds in Jerusalem on that first day of Pentecost for a wonderful example of that. They didn’t know about Jesus. They were ignorant of the fact that they were sinners and that the Lord had already died on the cross to save them. God did not have to speak the Word of Truth to them. He was under no obligation to bring them to faith. But that is what the entire event of Pentecost is all about! The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in that specific city on that specific day for the expressed purpose of spreading the Word of Truth to those who needed to hear it! The Holy Spirit wanted those people to hear about Christ. He wanted them to repent of their sins. He wanted them to trust in their forgiveness and be saved. And he wants the same for us.
Even though we do not always convey the Truth to others like we should, the Holy Spirit keeps giving it to us. He speaks the Truth to us in our worship services, in our Bible studies, in our daily devotional readings, and through the encouragements of our Christian brothers and sisters. The Holy Spirit does not pull the Truth away. He doesn’t give you a certain number of chances to get it right before he stops offering it. No! The Holy Spirit wants you to know your Savior as well as possible. He wants you to know that what Jesus did on the cross for you is true. He wants you to know that every sin you’ve ever committed and every sin that you will commit in the future is already completely forgiven. He wants you to know that you are Christ’s brother and sister, God the Father’s child, and a temple of the Holy Spirit himself. These are some of the clear and simple Truths of Scripture that the Holy Spirit is delighted to share with you. Even though you are a sinner. Because you are a sinner. The Holy Spirit presents you with these Truths of God’s Word because you are a sinner and you are the one who needs to hear them. I am the one who needs to hear them.
And others need to hear them too. And many of them genuinely want to know what God says. Think of how many people in this world ask the same question as the crowds on Pentecost did: “What does this mean?” So many people on this earth wonder: “What does life mean? What does the Bible mean? What does this passage mean? What does forgiveness and salvation and redemption and eternal life all mean?” The Lord has placed a natural knowledge of God in the heart of every person from birth, and so most people will always been searching for the answer to the question: “What does this all mean?”
And you know. You know what it all means. You have the Truth that God has written down himself. You have the clear and unchanging words of the Almighty! Don’t be embarrassed about that! Don’t be ashamed that you stand on the firm foundation of the Scriptures! Boldly and willingly share that Truth with others. They may not like it. They may not agree with it at first. But that is not your job. It is not your job to convince others. That falls under the job description of the Holy Spirit. It is your job to confidently speak the Truths you know and let the Holy Spirit do his work. It is your job to share with others that glorious gospel. It is your job to let them know what all of this means. Thank the Spirit that he has brought you to such a wonderful knowledge of these Truths. And thank him that he gives you so many opportunities to share them with others. Because although you may never experience a Pentecost like those original disciples did, you are still in a very similar situation: you are surrounded by thousands of people who are searching for the answer to the question: what does this mean? Stand up with Peter. Raise your voice. And with the power of the Spirit tell them the Truth.
Amen.
“You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” - 1 Cor. 6:11
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
5/24/09 - Ascension - Ephesians 1:16-23
FOR THE GOOD OF THE BODY
- Christ sacrificed himself
- Christ rules over all things
We live in a country at a time when the health of one’s body is big business. There are diets of every shape and size. There is a surge in organic foods and an almost frenzied stress on meals low in calories, low in salt, low in sugar, low in trans fat. There are exercise videos you can do on your own, exercise classes you can take with others, and workout schedules that are tailor-made to fit your specific needs in your unique life-style. Entire companies are dedicated to health supplements apart from food and medicine, there are magazines that thrive on this one topic, and almost any bookstore has a separate section on “health and well-being.” If something is advertised as “good for the body,” it will sell. And that’s a good thing! It is a Christian endeavor to take care of your body as well as you can. After all, “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?” Scripture says. “Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Cor. 6:19,20). And so it is natural for us to take care of our own bodies. It is normal to want to feel healthy and to look healthy at least to some extent. Because our bodies are precious gifts from the Lord and they are one of the most important gifts he has given us.
Scripture itself focuses in on the importance of the body as well, but in a spiritual sense. Many times in the Bible, the relationship between Christ and his people is compared to a head and its body. This is the picture that the apostle Paul gives us today at the end of Ephesians chapter one. And it is also the picture that gives us great comfort as we celebrate the ascension of our Lord into heaven. Listen to Paul’s words about our Savior and what his ascension means to us - the body of Christ. “God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body.” Christ died. Christ rose. Christ ascended into heaven. And he now sits on his heavenly throne ruling all people and all things for one reason and one reason alone: for the good of his body - the Church. And this Church is not one particular organization or one specific denomination. The Church with a capital “C” refers to all those who believe that Jesus is their Savior. A Church whose membership is only known to the Lord because only the Lord can look at the heart and see if someone truly does believe in him. But those who do believe in Jesus as their Savior are honorary members of this exclusive group without doing anything to get in. And Christ cares for them. Christ looks after them. Christ treats them as if they were members of his own body and he were the Head.
And this special kind of love that Christ shows his people is evident by just scanning through the pages of Scripture. Everything that is recorded in the Bible about Christ’s work indicates that whatever Christ did was always for the good of his body. Every action he took, every word he spoke, every desire and want and longing that entered his mind was carried out for your benefit and for the benefit of everyone who believes in him. Christ did nothing for himself. He did everything for his body.
Think of what he went through in this world. Jesus, our Almighty Lord, certainly did not hide his divine majesty in human skin and flesh and bones for his own benefit! He certainly didn’t decide to be born in a sinful world to an unmarried girl for the fun of it! Jesus’ life wasn’t pleasant at all! Immediately after he was born, King Herod tried to murder him by ordering all of the boys two years old and younger to be killed. And it really didn’t get any better for Jesus from there on out! He was thrown out of multiple towns, he was constantly threatened by the Jewish leaders, and his life was continually in danger from both Jews and Gentiles. Some of his own brothers and sisters didn’t believe in him, his own disciples doubted who he was and what he said at times, and one of those disciples, of course, became the traitor who sent him to his death. Jesus had no money, he had no home, and he had no one to stand up for him as he suffered alone. This was not a good life! This is not the life I would have chosen if I were God and could do whatever I wanted! But Jesus wasn’t living for himself. He didn’t die for himself. He didn’t rise or ascend into heaven for himself. Everything Christ did he did for the good of his body. Everything he did he did for you.
Doesn’t that make you fell a little guilty? Usually, when someone is extra nice to me, when someone keeps on doing good things for me without my asking and above and beyond the normal things people do, I start to feel a little bit guilty. Especially when I don’t deserve it! Especially when I’ve done nothing to receive that treatment and I have done nothing in return! “Why is this person being so nice to me?” I think. “Why are they treating me like I’m something special? Why don’t I have the same zeal and Christian love to do these things for others?” I’m obviously grateful for their generosity and kindness, but I feel guilty at the same time.
And so I feel a little bit guilty when I read how much the Lord has done for me, how much he has showered me with blessings and how he promises that he will never stop. Especially because I don’t deserve it. Especially because I’ve done nothing to receive it and because I have really done nothing in return. In fact, instead of doing something for the love he has shown to me, I usually do just the opposite. Christ has made me a member of his own body. And as the Head of this body he has done everything for my good. But I know, I know I don’t treat him in the same way! I don’t do everything in my life for the good of the Head! Many of the actions that I undertake, many of the words that I speak, and most of the thoughts that come to my mind are not for the benefit of the Head, but only for the benefit of myself. I think only about me all the time! I do things only for me all the time without any regard for what the Head of body might want, without ever consulting the one who knows it all and controls it all and preserves it all. I am really not a very useful part of his body most days. I do my own thing. I chase after my own inclinations. I don’t pay attention to the needs of the other members of the body. And I definitely do not pay attention to the will of the Head - because I have my own problems and my own difficulties to deal with...
Many people have all four wisdom teeth taken out because there is no room in their mouth and they don’t need them anyway. When a person’s tonsils get infected, they are simply removed from the body. An inflamed appendix is often times surgically removed as well because doctors cannot yet find what function it serves if they would keep it in. Many of you have had knee or hip or shoulder replacements because those parts of your body no longer worked like they were supposed to. In extreme cases, when a limb is infected to such a degree that gangrene sets in, the entire appendage is cut off and the person learns to live without it. In this sin-infected world, it is not uncommon for a part of the body to be completely removed if it begins to harm the rest of the body, if it is not needed, if it ceases to function like it should, or if it poses a threat to the person’s life.
We should be cut off. We should be permanently removed from the body of Christ for the way we act and who we are. Because we sometimes cause harm to the other members of the body, we sometimes fail to use our talents for the good of the body, we sometimes cease to function because of laziness and selfishness, and sometimes we even blatantly go against the Head because we have our own agenda to carry out. We should be cut off! And the thing is: Christ could get along just fine without us! He could cut us off and his body would still function. He would manage to do everything he wanted to whether we were there or not.
So why are we still here? Why hasn’t the Lord cut us off and moved on? He hasn’t removed us from his body because he is the Head and he doesn’t want anything to happen to any one of his members. He doesn’t want to get along without us. He doesn’t want to see us separated from the other parts of the body. He wants to take care of us. He wants to mend us. He wants to nurture us. He wants to feed us. He wants to forgive us. And so he does. He forgives us for everything we’ve ever done against him because as a member of his body, you are not something he takes lightly! As a member of his body, he does not consider you as some expendable part that can either be kept or thrown away without a second thought. You are precious to him! So precious, in fact, that Christ sacrificed his own physical body so that you could be part of his spiritual body. You are now a significant part of him because he has made you to be! And he will do whatever it takes to make sure you stay connected to him - the Head.
That is what he is doing right now. That is what his ascension is all about. As he sits on his throne, over all rulers and authorities, above all powers and kings, and with everything lying under his feet, he is ruling all things just for you. Everything that you observe in this life is being worked out just for you. And so that means: as a member of his body you may be attacked, but he will not let you be touched beyond what you can bear. As a member of his body you may suffer pain and persecution, but only if he will turn it out for your good. As a member of his body you will have to put up with the sinful actions and the sinful attitudes of those that do not belong to the body of Christ, but he will make sure you will receive the glories of heaven in the end. Your Head, the Lord himself, sits on the throne. And from there he can see it all, he can plan for it all, he can deal with it all. And he will make sure that we, the members of his body, are always protected and comforted and guided and guarded and loved in every way. The health of his body is Christ’s number one priority. And since you are an integral part of that body, you are his number one priority.
And realize that if the Head of the body sits on the throne, if the Head of the body rose from the dead and then ascended into heaven, the body itself cannot be far behind. The two cannot be separated. The two cannot have anything come in between them. And so neither Satan nor death nor sin nor anything else in this world will be able to keep you from joining your Lord in Paradise. Understand what a great privilege it is to be a member of Christ’s body. And understand that your acceptance into this union is not based on your performance or your dedication or your usefulness. It is based on God’s love and his forgiveness. Live as joyful and thankful members of the body of Christ, doing everything you’ve been given to do to his glory. And know that because the Lord is glorified, because the Head is crowned, his body will be honored.
Amen.
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ.” - Rev. 12:10
- Christ sacrificed himself
- Christ rules over all things
We live in a country at a time when the health of one’s body is big business. There are diets of every shape and size. There is a surge in organic foods and an almost frenzied stress on meals low in calories, low in salt, low in sugar, low in trans fat. There are exercise videos you can do on your own, exercise classes you can take with others, and workout schedules that are tailor-made to fit your specific needs in your unique life-style. Entire companies are dedicated to health supplements apart from food and medicine, there are magazines that thrive on this one topic, and almost any bookstore has a separate section on “health and well-being.” If something is advertised as “good for the body,” it will sell. And that’s a good thing! It is a Christian endeavor to take care of your body as well as you can. After all, “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?” Scripture says. “Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Cor. 6:19,20). And so it is natural for us to take care of our own bodies. It is normal to want to feel healthy and to look healthy at least to some extent. Because our bodies are precious gifts from the Lord and they are one of the most important gifts he has given us.
Scripture itself focuses in on the importance of the body as well, but in a spiritual sense. Many times in the Bible, the relationship between Christ and his people is compared to a head and its body. This is the picture that the apostle Paul gives us today at the end of Ephesians chapter one. And it is also the picture that gives us great comfort as we celebrate the ascension of our Lord into heaven. Listen to Paul’s words about our Savior and what his ascension means to us - the body of Christ. “God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body.” Christ died. Christ rose. Christ ascended into heaven. And he now sits on his heavenly throne ruling all people and all things for one reason and one reason alone: for the good of his body - the Church. And this Church is not one particular organization or one specific denomination. The Church with a capital “C” refers to all those who believe that Jesus is their Savior. A Church whose membership is only known to the Lord because only the Lord can look at the heart and see if someone truly does believe in him. But those who do believe in Jesus as their Savior are honorary members of this exclusive group without doing anything to get in. And Christ cares for them. Christ looks after them. Christ treats them as if they were members of his own body and he were the Head.
And this special kind of love that Christ shows his people is evident by just scanning through the pages of Scripture. Everything that is recorded in the Bible about Christ’s work indicates that whatever Christ did was always for the good of his body. Every action he took, every word he spoke, every desire and want and longing that entered his mind was carried out for your benefit and for the benefit of everyone who believes in him. Christ did nothing for himself. He did everything for his body.
Think of what he went through in this world. Jesus, our Almighty Lord, certainly did not hide his divine majesty in human skin and flesh and bones for his own benefit! He certainly didn’t decide to be born in a sinful world to an unmarried girl for the fun of it! Jesus’ life wasn’t pleasant at all! Immediately after he was born, King Herod tried to murder him by ordering all of the boys two years old and younger to be killed. And it really didn’t get any better for Jesus from there on out! He was thrown out of multiple towns, he was constantly threatened by the Jewish leaders, and his life was continually in danger from both Jews and Gentiles. Some of his own brothers and sisters didn’t believe in him, his own disciples doubted who he was and what he said at times, and one of those disciples, of course, became the traitor who sent him to his death. Jesus had no money, he had no home, and he had no one to stand up for him as he suffered alone. This was not a good life! This is not the life I would have chosen if I were God and could do whatever I wanted! But Jesus wasn’t living for himself. He didn’t die for himself. He didn’t rise or ascend into heaven for himself. Everything Christ did he did for the good of his body. Everything he did he did for you.
Doesn’t that make you fell a little guilty? Usually, when someone is extra nice to me, when someone keeps on doing good things for me without my asking and above and beyond the normal things people do, I start to feel a little bit guilty. Especially when I don’t deserve it! Especially when I’ve done nothing to receive that treatment and I have done nothing in return! “Why is this person being so nice to me?” I think. “Why are they treating me like I’m something special? Why don’t I have the same zeal and Christian love to do these things for others?” I’m obviously grateful for their generosity and kindness, but I feel guilty at the same time.
And so I feel a little bit guilty when I read how much the Lord has done for me, how much he has showered me with blessings and how he promises that he will never stop. Especially because I don’t deserve it. Especially because I’ve done nothing to receive it and because I have really done nothing in return. In fact, instead of doing something for the love he has shown to me, I usually do just the opposite. Christ has made me a member of his own body. And as the Head of this body he has done everything for my good. But I know, I know I don’t treat him in the same way! I don’t do everything in my life for the good of the Head! Many of the actions that I undertake, many of the words that I speak, and most of the thoughts that come to my mind are not for the benefit of the Head, but only for the benefit of myself. I think only about me all the time! I do things only for me all the time without any regard for what the Head of body might want, without ever consulting the one who knows it all and controls it all and preserves it all. I am really not a very useful part of his body most days. I do my own thing. I chase after my own inclinations. I don’t pay attention to the needs of the other members of the body. And I definitely do not pay attention to the will of the Head - because I have my own problems and my own difficulties to deal with...
Many people have all four wisdom teeth taken out because there is no room in their mouth and they don’t need them anyway. When a person’s tonsils get infected, they are simply removed from the body. An inflamed appendix is often times surgically removed as well because doctors cannot yet find what function it serves if they would keep it in. Many of you have had knee or hip or shoulder replacements because those parts of your body no longer worked like they were supposed to. In extreme cases, when a limb is infected to such a degree that gangrene sets in, the entire appendage is cut off and the person learns to live without it. In this sin-infected world, it is not uncommon for a part of the body to be completely removed if it begins to harm the rest of the body, if it is not needed, if it ceases to function like it should, or if it poses a threat to the person’s life.
We should be cut off. We should be permanently removed from the body of Christ for the way we act and who we are. Because we sometimes cause harm to the other members of the body, we sometimes fail to use our talents for the good of the body, we sometimes cease to function because of laziness and selfishness, and sometimes we even blatantly go against the Head because we have our own agenda to carry out. We should be cut off! And the thing is: Christ could get along just fine without us! He could cut us off and his body would still function. He would manage to do everything he wanted to whether we were there or not.
So why are we still here? Why hasn’t the Lord cut us off and moved on? He hasn’t removed us from his body because he is the Head and he doesn’t want anything to happen to any one of his members. He doesn’t want to get along without us. He doesn’t want to see us separated from the other parts of the body. He wants to take care of us. He wants to mend us. He wants to nurture us. He wants to feed us. He wants to forgive us. And so he does. He forgives us for everything we’ve ever done against him because as a member of his body, you are not something he takes lightly! As a member of his body, he does not consider you as some expendable part that can either be kept or thrown away without a second thought. You are precious to him! So precious, in fact, that Christ sacrificed his own physical body so that you could be part of his spiritual body. You are now a significant part of him because he has made you to be! And he will do whatever it takes to make sure you stay connected to him - the Head.
That is what he is doing right now. That is what his ascension is all about. As he sits on his throne, over all rulers and authorities, above all powers and kings, and with everything lying under his feet, he is ruling all things just for you. Everything that you observe in this life is being worked out just for you. And so that means: as a member of his body you may be attacked, but he will not let you be touched beyond what you can bear. As a member of his body you may suffer pain and persecution, but only if he will turn it out for your good. As a member of his body you will have to put up with the sinful actions and the sinful attitudes of those that do not belong to the body of Christ, but he will make sure you will receive the glories of heaven in the end. Your Head, the Lord himself, sits on the throne. And from there he can see it all, he can plan for it all, he can deal with it all. And he will make sure that we, the members of his body, are always protected and comforted and guided and guarded and loved in every way. The health of his body is Christ’s number one priority. And since you are an integral part of that body, you are his number one priority.
And realize that if the Head of the body sits on the throne, if the Head of the body rose from the dead and then ascended into heaven, the body itself cannot be far behind. The two cannot be separated. The two cannot have anything come in between them. And so neither Satan nor death nor sin nor anything else in this world will be able to keep you from joining your Lord in Paradise. Understand what a great privilege it is to be a member of Christ’s body. And understand that your acceptance into this union is not based on your performance or your dedication or your usefulness. It is based on God’s love and his forgiveness. Live as joyful and thankful members of the body of Christ, doing everything you’ve been given to do to his glory. And know that because the Lord is glorified, because the Head is crowned, his body will be honored.
Amen.
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ.” - Rev. 12:10
Sunday, May 17, 2009
5/17/09 - Mission Festival - Acts 8:26-40
GO! LOOK! LISTEN! SPEAK!
We can learn a lot from those who do things well. If there is an expert in a certain line of work, if there is someone who has had years of experience doing a particular thing, we seek those kinds of people out. We ask them questions, we listen to them very carefully, we observe what they do, and we try to copy their exact approach and emulate their proven methods because they have been so successful when doing it that way in the past. This happens in our every day lives with any number of different things, but it also happens with our spiritual lives as well. We seek out those Christians who lead exemplary lives. And as Christians, it is no surprise that many of the people we look to as examples are found in Scripture.
Paul, Peter, Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Esther, and Jesus himself are all people in the Bible that demonstrate different Christian virtues that we can also put into practice. But on a day like today, one in which we are focusing on the mission of spreading the Good News to others, it might be beneficial for us to take a closer look at a lesser known missionary of the early Christian Church: Philip. Not the disciple Philip, but “Philip the Evangelist” as Scripture calls him. He was one of the seven men chosen by the apostles - along with Stephen - to help distribute food to the widows in Jerusalem. But, like Stephen, he also played a large role in spreading the gospel as well. Philip is probably most famous for meeting the Ethiopian eunuch on his way from Jerusalem, explaining Scripture to him, and baptizing him on the side of the road. This is the incident that we’ll concentrate on today. Because in this story from Acts 8, Philip demonstrates for us a method of mission work that we can also utilize in our own mission fields: Go, look, listen, and speak.
“26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." 30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. 31"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: ‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.’ 34The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.”
Go. Look. Listen. Speak. A nice simple method for us to use in our own missions in our own lives. But now come the excuses. I know they are already coming to your mind: excuses not to do the mission work that Christians are supposed to do. Excuses to make yourself feel better when you do not follow Philip’s example. And there are hundreds of them, aren’t there? There are countless kinds of excuses that you can come up with - and I know them all! And I know them all because I have used them all myself! “Well, I’m just not good at that kind of thing.” “I’m sure other people will eventually do it if I don’t.” “That person won’t listen to me anyway.” “I don’t know what to say.” “I’ve tried it before and it just doesn’t work for me.” “I get too nervous in those situations.” “I don’t really have the time.” “It’s really someone else’s job.” “That person won’t talk to me again if I bring religion up.” “It’s going to be too awkward.” “Maybe I’ll get around to it some other day.” “Now’s just not the right time.” “I’m pretty sure they believe anyway, so I won’t bring it up.” “They have already made it pretty clear that they don’t want to talk about that kind of thing.” “I’m tired of trying with this person.” “That person is too far gone to even bother.” “Things just aren’t as easy for me as the Lord made them for Philip.”
The list could go on and on, couldn’t it? Excuses for every occasion in any situation. It’s easy to convince yourself not talk to others or encourage others or invite others to hear the Word of God. It’s easy to just not do that kind of work because there are so many obstacles involved and so many hazards that are unavoidable if you were to carry out that mission. But, in the end, are any of those excuses are acceptable? In the end, are any of those excuses motivated by loving hearts or God-pleasing Christian intentions? In the end, do any of these excuses overrule the directive from our Lord that we are to preach the Good News to all creation?
But don’t you think Philip had access to the same excuses? He was a regular human being just like we are. And so he certainly had the same doubts and fears and apprehensions about spreading the gospel just like we do. But in Acts 8 we don’t hear him say anything like we say to ourselves. Philip did not say, “Lord, why should I go to the road that leads away from Jerusalem? That doesn’t make sense!” “Lord, I don’t even now this guy in that chariot. I’ve never met him before!” “Lord, I was called on to distribute food to widows, I’m not qualified for this!” “Lord, what if I don’t know what to say if he asks me a tough question!” “Lord, I don’t want to intrude on his travels; I’m sure he’s a busy man!” “Lord, can’t you send someone else to speak to him because I’ve got a full-time job that I’ve got to get back to!” Philip undoubtedly had these excuses at his finger tips - and many more. There could have been hundreds of reasons why he shouldn’t have gone up to that chariot in the middle of the road on its way out of the county. But Philip didn’t use any of them. He simply went, he looked, he listened, and he spoke. And he did those things not because he was somehow a greater Christian than you are at all! He did those things because he remembered how great his Lord was.
Do you recall what the Ethiopian was reading while riding in the chariot? The section of Scripture he was reading was the very thing that motivated Philip to do mission work. Because the eunuch was reading the gospel. He was reading about Christ and the cross, about salvation and forgiveness. It was the beautiful prophecy of our Savior in Isaiah 53. “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” A sad yet beautiful section of Scripture that shows us how great the Lord really is.
Because Jesus didn’t make any excuses. And he could have, couldn’t he? He didn’t have to be there. He wasn’t required to suffer as he did. There was no one there forcing him to do anything. And yet he remained silent. He let his hands be tied. He allowed his body to be beaten and battered and crucified. He let his life be taken from him by those whom he had given life. There were no excuses on the cross. There were no fears or apprehensions about doing what needed to be done. There was only love. Love for you. Love for me. And love for the rest of this sinful world that didn’t deserve it. Jesus didn’t make any excuses - even though his excuses would have been perfectly acceptable. Instead of making excuses Jesus made forgiveness free; he made salvation sure; he made our eternal life guaranteed. This is what the Ethiopian was reading that day in the chariot. This is what Philip used to show him the glories of the cross and the joy of the forgiveness won there. This is what moved Philip to be right there at that right time for that right reason. And this is what moves us to do the same. Christ’s suffering and his sacrificial death and his never-ending love motivate us to share that love with others. It is really the only thing that can convince us to go, look, listen, and speak.
Philip didn’t hesitate to go. The Lord told him to go to a road leading away from Jerusalem and Philip didn’t give it a second thought: he just went. He went out with confidence knowing that the Lord would supply him the opportunities - as well as the words to say when those opportunities arrived. And he will do the same for you. And so go. Not necessarily down a road, but at least go out of your way! Take your Lord’s directives and go with confidence to those around you, knowing that the Lord will provide you with open doors and eager hearts. Go, not worrying about where you’ll end up. Go, not thinking about how long it’ll be. And make a conscious effort to look for the people and the moments that the Lord puts in front of you.
There were surely a number of people on that road the Ethiopian happened to be traveling down. There were any number of travelers that Philip could have talked to. But the Lord had his eye on a specific person for a specific reason. And the Lord led Philip to him. And so keep looking. Everywhere you go, every place you’re in, every person you see… look for those chances to share with them the Word of God. Look for those moments in which you can offer them the only thing that they really need. Because you may be their only connection to Christ. You may be the only one who cares enough to say anything about it. And once you find these open doors, listen first.
Notice that Philip didn’t run up to the chariot and instantly start telling the Ethiopian everything he knew and everything he should believe. He asked a simple question and then he listened. He listened to the Ethiopian speak, he listened to the situation the Ethiopian was in, and he listened to the dilemma the Ethiopian faced. Take that procedure to heart. When it comes to the mission of spreading the Word, your ears are more important than your mouth. You cannot give them what they need unless you listen to what they need. And they will not care about what you have to say unless you have shown them that you care about what they have to say. And so listen closely. Listen intently. Listen lovingly. And then you can speak like Philip spoke.
After Philip listened, he spoke the beautiful truths of the gospel starting with the very passage of Scripture the Ethiopian eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to repeat the entire scope of Scripture to everyone you meet! Speaking to others about the Word of God could include that wonderful gospel message about Christ and his cross, but it doesn’t have to. Speaking to others can also be inviting them to a Bible study or a worship service. Encouraging them with a simple comfort of Scripture. Leading them to see a problem from the Lord’s perspective. Offering to get them in touch with your pastor who can help. Lending them a book or a magazine or a devotion or a sermon that would be beneficial for their situation. Reminding them again and again about what is really important in this life and those other things that are really inconsequential. There are many different ways to speak to others about the Word of God. But they all require you to open your mouth. You must give them a chance. You cannot let silence reign when the sweet sounding gospel is the only thing that person needs to hear.
Go. Look. Listen. Speak. Methods of Philip the Evangelist. Methods of any evangelist. A pattern that does not have to be followed in every instance, but basic truths that are good to keep in mind. Because there will never be a shortage of work for us to do. There will never be a lack of unbelievers to whom we can go. There will never be a moment where the gospel doesn’t apply. Share it. Spread it. Give it. Offer it. Hold it out and don’t bring it back in. This is your mission! This is Christ’s mission. And he is pleased to carry it out through you.
Amen.
We can learn a lot from those who do things well. If there is an expert in a certain line of work, if there is someone who has had years of experience doing a particular thing, we seek those kinds of people out. We ask them questions, we listen to them very carefully, we observe what they do, and we try to copy their exact approach and emulate their proven methods because they have been so successful when doing it that way in the past. This happens in our every day lives with any number of different things, but it also happens with our spiritual lives as well. We seek out those Christians who lead exemplary lives. And as Christians, it is no surprise that many of the people we look to as examples are found in Scripture.
Paul, Peter, Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Esther, and Jesus himself are all people in the Bible that demonstrate different Christian virtues that we can also put into practice. But on a day like today, one in which we are focusing on the mission of spreading the Good News to others, it might be beneficial for us to take a closer look at a lesser known missionary of the early Christian Church: Philip. Not the disciple Philip, but “Philip the Evangelist” as Scripture calls him. He was one of the seven men chosen by the apostles - along with Stephen - to help distribute food to the widows in Jerusalem. But, like Stephen, he also played a large role in spreading the gospel as well. Philip is probably most famous for meeting the Ethiopian eunuch on his way from Jerusalem, explaining Scripture to him, and baptizing him on the side of the road. This is the incident that we’ll concentrate on today. Because in this story from Acts 8, Philip demonstrates for us a method of mission work that we can also utilize in our own mission fields: Go, look, listen, and speak.
“26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." 30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. 31"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: ‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.’ 34The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.”
Go. Look. Listen. Speak. A nice simple method for us to use in our own missions in our own lives. But now come the excuses. I know they are already coming to your mind: excuses not to do the mission work that Christians are supposed to do. Excuses to make yourself feel better when you do not follow Philip’s example. And there are hundreds of them, aren’t there? There are countless kinds of excuses that you can come up with - and I know them all! And I know them all because I have used them all myself! “Well, I’m just not good at that kind of thing.” “I’m sure other people will eventually do it if I don’t.” “That person won’t listen to me anyway.” “I don’t know what to say.” “I’ve tried it before and it just doesn’t work for me.” “I get too nervous in those situations.” “I don’t really have the time.” “It’s really someone else’s job.” “That person won’t talk to me again if I bring religion up.” “It’s going to be too awkward.” “Maybe I’ll get around to it some other day.” “Now’s just not the right time.” “I’m pretty sure they believe anyway, so I won’t bring it up.” “They have already made it pretty clear that they don’t want to talk about that kind of thing.” “I’m tired of trying with this person.” “That person is too far gone to even bother.” “Things just aren’t as easy for me as the Lord made them for Philip.”
The list could go on and on, couldn’t it? Excuses for every occasion in any situation. It’s easy to convince yourself not talk to others or encourage others or invite others to hear the Word of God. It’s easy to just not do that kind of work because there are so many obstacles involved and so many hazards that are unavoidable if you were to carry out that mission. But, in the end, are any of those excuses are acceptable? In the end, are any of those excuses motivated by loving hearts or God-pleasing Christian intentions? In the end, do any of these excuses overrule the directive from our Lord that we are to preach the Good News to all creation?
But don’t you think Philip had access to the same excuses? He was a regular human being just like we are. And so he certainly had the same doubts and fears and apprehensions about spreading the gospel just like we do. But in Acts 8 we don’t hear him say anything like we say to ourselves. Philip did not say, “Lord, why should I go to the road that leads away from Jerusalem? That doesn’t make sense!” “Lord, I don’t even now this guy in that chariot. I’ve never met him before!” “Lord, I was called on to distribute food to widows, I’m not qualified for this!” “Lord, what if I don’t know what to say if he asks me a tough question!” “Lord, I don’t want to intrude on his travels; I’m sure he’s a busy man!” “Lord, can’t you send someone else to speak to him because I’ve got a full-time job that I’ve got to get back to!” Philip undoubtedly had these excuses at his finger tips - and many more. There could have been hundreds of reasons why he shouldn’t have gone up to that chariot in the middle of the road on its way out of the county. But Philip didn’t use any of them. He simply went, he looked, he listened, and he spoke. And he did those things not because he was somehow a greater Christian than you are at all! He did those things because he remembered how great his Lord was.
Do you recall what the Ethiopian was reading while riding in the chariot? The section of Scripture he was reading was the very thing that motivated Philip to do mission work. Because the eunuch was reading the gospel. He was reading about Christ and the cross, about salvation and forgiveness. It was the beautiful prophecy of our Savior in Isaiah 53. “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” A sad yet beautiful section of Scripture that shows us how great the Lord really is.
Because Jesus didn’t make any excuses. And he could have, couldn’t he? He didn’t have to be there. He wasn’t required to suffer as he did. There was no one there forcing him to do anything. And yet he remained silent. He let his hands be tied. He allowed his body to be beaten and battered and crucified. He let his life be taken from him by those whom he had given life. There were no excuses on the cross. There were no fears or apprehensions about doing what needed to be done. There was only love. Love for you. Love for me. And love for the rest of this sinful world that didn’t deserve it. Jesus didn’t make any excuses - even though his excuses would have been perfectly acceptable. Instead of making excuses Jesus made forgiveness free; he made salvation sure; he made our eternal life guaranteed. This is what the Ethiopian was reading that day in the chariot. This is what Philip used to show him the glories of the cross and the joy of the forgiveness won there. This is what moved Philip to be right there at that right time for that right reason. And this is what moves us to do the same. Christ’s suffering and his sacrificial death and his never-ending love motivate us to share that love with others. It is really the only thing that can convince us to go, look, listen, and speak.
Philip didn’t hesitate to go. The Lord told him to go to a road leading away from Jerusalem and Philip didn’t give it a second thought: he just went. He went out with confidence knowing that the Lord would supply him the opportunities - as well as the words to say when those opportunities arrived. And he will do the same for you. And so go. Not necessarily down a road, but at least go out of your way! Take your Lord’s directives and go with confidence to those around you, knowing that the Lord will provide you with open doors and eager hearts. Go, not worrying about where you’ll end up. Go, not thinking about how long it’ll be. And make a conscious effort to look for the people and the moments that the Lord puts in front of you.
There were surely a number of people on that road the Ethiopian happened to be traveling down. There were any number of travelers that Philip could have talked to. But the Lord had his eye on a specific person for a specific reason. And the Lord led Philip to him. And so keep looking. Everywhere you go, every place you’re in, every person you see… look for those chances to share with them the Word of God. Look for those moments in which you can offer them the only thing that they really need. Because you may be their only connection to Christ. You may be the only one who cares enough to say anything about it. And once you find these open doors, listen first.
Notice that Philip didn’t run up to the chariot and instantly start telling the Ethiopian everything he knew and everything he should believe. He asked a simple question and then he listened. He listened to the Ethiopian speak, he listened to the situation the Ethiopian was in, and he listened to the dilemma the Ethiopian faced. Take that procedure to heart. When it comes to the mission of spreading the Word, your ears are more important than your mouth. You cannot give them what they need unless you listen to what they need. And they will not care about what you have to say unless you have shown them that you care about what they have to say. And so listen closely. Listen intently. Listen lovingly. And then you can speak like Philip spoke.
After Philip listened, he spoke the beautiful truths of the gospel starting with the very passage of Scripture the Ethiopian eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to repeat the entire scope of Scripture to everyone you meet! Speaking to others about the Word of God could include that wonderful gospel message about Christ and his cross, but it doesn’t have to. Speaking to others can also be inviting them to a Bible study or a worship service. Encouraging them with a simple comfort of Scripture. Leading them to see a problem from the Lord’s perspective. Offering to get them in touch with your pastor who can help. Lending them a book or a magazine or a devotion or a sermon that would be beneficial for their situation. Reminding them again and again about what is really important in this life and those other things that are really inconsequential. There are many different ways to speak to others about the Word of God. But they all require you to open your mouth. You must give them a chance. You cannot let silence reign when the sweet sounding gospel is the only thing that person needs to hear.
Go. Look. Listen. Speak. Methods of Philip the Evangelist. Methods of any evangelist. A pattern that does not have to be followed in every instance, but basic truths that are good to keep in mind. Because there will never be a shortage of work for us to do. There will never be a lack of unbelievers to whom we can go. There will never be a moment where the gospel doesn’t apply. Share it. Spread it. Give it. Offer it. Hold it out and don’t bring it back in. This is your mission! This is Christ’s mission. And he is pleased to carry it out through you.
Amen.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
5/10/09 - Easter 5 - John 15:9-17
THE LORD CHOSE US
- Because of his love
- So that we would love others
Life is filled with choices. And of course some of those choices end up being good and some end up being bad depending on the outcome. What stock you chose to invest in has now determined the amount of your retirement savings. What line at the grocery store you choose to stand in affects when you’ll be able to get home. The college you choose to attend, the house you decide to buy, the job you decide to take, the car you decide to get, the friends you choose to keep all result in things that either turn out well for you or things that you may have done a little differently if given another chance. Making the right choice is a very important thing, no matter how big the decision is that has to be made.
But when it comes to the most important decision of your life, the choice isn’t even yours. The choice to be a believer in Jesus as your Savior isn’t up to you. It was the Lord’s choice from the beginning. “You did not choose me,” Jesus says, “but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last.” You did not choose to believe in Jesus. Jesus chose you to believe in him. He didn’t need your approval. He didn’t wait for your agreement or consent. The choice had already been made before you knew it happened. You are his. There is nothing left for you to decide. He chose you simply because of his love. And he chose you so that you would love others in return. This is the most important decision ever made in your life. And thank the Lord that he made the choice for you.
In my grade school years, I attended a one room school. Children in kindergarten all the way through eighth grade were in that same room and we usually had only 25-30 students total in any given year. In my later grade school years when I was one of the oldest kids there, all of the grades played plenty of team games at recess together. And, of course, with team games come team captains. And any of the captains that happened to be designated by our teacher for a particular game almost always picked the oldest kids first - for obvious reasons. Whenever I happened to be chosen as a captain’s first pick, no matter how young that captain may have been compared to me, I felt a tremendous amount of pressure. This person picked me first because he/she expected me to be the best and to lead the rest of the team to victory. And so whenever I didn’t live up to those expectations, or whenever we lost, or whenever I felt that I had let my team down, I truly felt bad. I felt inadequate to be the number one pick. I felt terrible that the captain who had chosen me had apparently made the wrong choice.
And the only reason I bring this rather trivial detail of my life up this morning is because I still feel that way sometimes. Not because of some game I am playing or because I let a captain down, but because I let the Lord down. Out of all the sinners in this world, Jesus chose me. Jesus chose me along with every other believer to be his own. He chose me because of his love so that I would love others in return. And I do not feel adequate to be his pick! I don’t live up to what he has chosen me for! I do not love others with the same kind of love he has shown me. I do not care for others before I care about myself. I do not treat others with the same respect that I expect from them. I do not serve others as they should be served. I do not talk about others or think about others in a way that would make God proud of me. God chose me to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last! But the fruit that I produce is many times so rotten and spoiled that I wouldn’t want it to last. It cannot last.
Do you ever feel inadequate as one of God’s chosen people? And maybe you’ve never thought about it before like that. And so let me ask you this question: Do you bear the fruit that he has chosen you to produce? Do you love others as he has loved you? Do you care for others as he has cared for you? Do you serve others as he has served you? The reality is: we do not even come close to being worthy of the Lord’s choice. The quality of our love for others is a far cry from that we are supposed to show as Christians. And if we even show any sort of love, it is usually a love that is not a godly kind of love at all, but rather a fickle feeling of affection that can change in an instant if that person does something we don’t like. That is not Christ’s love. In fact, that is not love at all. By all outward appearances, the Lord did not make a good decision by choosing us because we have let him down in so many different ways at so many different times.
So why did the Lord choose us if he knew we wouldn’t measure up? Why did the Lord decide to pick us if we cannot love others as he has called us to do? Jesus chose us because he didn’t base his decision on us. Jesus chose us because his decision didn’t depend on who we were or what we could do. He based his decision on his love. Jesus chose us not because of anything in us, but because of the love that lives in him. That makes his choice unique out of any other choice that is made in this life. His decision to choose you was not motivated by what he would gain from it. His decision to choose you was not influenced by your past behavior or your future potential. His decision to choose you was not contingent on you holding up your end of the bargain. His decision to choose you was solely founded on his eternal love. On his eternal love. It does not change. His love has always been the same and it always will be. And so he will never change his mind about the choice he has made. He will never decide to get rid of you now that he has chosen you. Because the love that he based his decision on does not waver. His love is not swayed by the ups and downs of your life. It is a constant love. It is an unrelenting love.
Think of how unrelenting that love was when Jesus sacrificed himself for our sins. Jesus didn’t change his mind about giving up his life for us when his enemies unnecessarily abused him and scourged him and mocked him. Because his love was unrelenting. Jesus didn’t decide that “enough was enough” when those he came to die for were cruelly pounding the nails into his hands and making fun of him at the same time. Because his love for them was unrelenting. And when his own people shouted at him as he was bleeding to death, when the criminals on either side were insulting him, when his own heavenly Father turned his back on him, Jesus did not finally determine that we just weren’t worth all of the pain and suffering that he was going through - even though that would have been true. He received all of the pain and punishment willingly and made sure that he was taken down from that cross as a corpse because his love for us was unrelenting. Mockery nor beatings nor cruelty nor hell nor death itself could change his love for us in the slightest degree. And his love is still just as strong for us now as it was for us while he was dying on top of that hill outside of Jerusalem’s walls.
This is, in fact, the same love that motivated him to choose you. And so this love is not only our salvation, it is also our motivation. Because once we realize that we don’t have to earn Christ’s love, once we realize that we don’t have to do anything to prove to God that he made the right choice, once we realize that he will not throw us out if we do not live up to expectations, then we can joyfully live the life of love that he has called us to live! We can be happy and excited to produce “fruit that will last” instead of being fearful if we don’t. We can be honored and privileged to have such a responsibility given to us by God himself instead of feeling forced or obligated to somehow fulfill our duty to him. And we can gladly carry out the will of our Lord with gratitude in our hearts. Most importantly the command he gives us here in John 15: “My command is this:” Jesus said, “Love each other as I have loved you.”
“Love each other as I have loved you.” If Jesus’ love simply remains for us a standard that we are required to reach for our salvation, then that will inevitably drive us to despair. But when Jesus’ love becomes for us the ultimate model and example of how we can love others, that will give us the joy and motivation to do so out of thanks. We know that we will never be able to love as fully as Jesus loved us, but it is something we can enthusiastically strive for because we know that makes our Lord happy and please with his children. Not that it is simple to do, of course! To love others with Jesus’ love is hard work. To love others with Jesus’ love takes time and effort and patience and sacrifice. And it’s not the same kind of love with witch you love your spouse or your parents or your children. Because that’s a reciprocal kind of love. That is a mutual love in many respects. When those people love you in return, then it is much more natural to show that love back. But that’s not the kind of love the Lord is talking about. The kind of love the Lord means is the love he showed to the Jewish leaders who mocked him, the kind of love he showed to the soldiers who crucified him, the kind of love he shows to every unbeliever in this world who refuses to trust in him. This kind of love Jesus demonstrated throughout his life was not molded or shaped by his feelings or his reactions or how other people treated him. His love was based on a choice to love.
And our love is to be modeled on the love of Christ. So choose to love. Choose to love others. Don’t wait to see if they deserve it. Do not pull it away if they do or say something unacceptable. Do not give your love in degrees depending on how well you like that person at the moment. Choose to love. Choose to love them no matter what the situation, despite their faults, regardless of their sinful attitudes and actions. Choose to love others because the Lord has chosen to love you.
It probably goes without saying: loving others with that kind of love is usually not all that rewarding. It’s a lot of sacrifice with little thanks. It’s a lot of long hours without hardly any recognition. But as Christians, we don’t love to get something back anyway. We love because of what we’ve already been given. It is a love of response. It is a love of praise, a love of thanksgiving. It is a love we gladly offer to anyone and everyone because it is a love the Lord has already given to us. Rejoice that the Lord gives you the opportunity to thank him in a very real and very important way. And take pride in the fact that he has not only chosen to love you, but that he has also chosen you to show his love to others.
Amen.
“May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” - 2 Cor. 13:14
Monday, May 04, 2009
5/3/09 - Easter 4 - 1 John 3:1-2
HOW GREAT THE LOVE OF THE FATHER!
- He loved us even as his enemies
- He loves us now as his children
There in the middle of the Garden, Adam and Eve did the one thing that they were told not to do. The blatantly and defiantly went against God’s clear command so that they could do what they wanted to do. But instead of immediately destroying them along with the world which they also subjected to sin, the Lord prolonged their life and promised them a Savior to deliver them from their self-inflicted punishment. How great the love of the Father! Adam and Eve’s firstborn son, Cain, killed his brother Abel out of jealousy and hate. But instead of repaying Cain for the evil that he had done, the Lord spared his life as well, protected him from others, and gave him multiple chances to repent. How great the love of the Father! Centuries later the human race became so bad and so evil that there were only eight people left who believed in the Lord. And so the Lord decided to save those eight believers inside an ark as he wiped the earth clean with a flood and started all over again. How great the love of the Father! As the earth re-populated, the Lord chose Abraham to fulfill his promise to the world. But this famous man Abraham was actually born of an unbelieving father who worshiped false gods. But the Lord chose Abraham anyway and made him the father of his very own people in his very own land for a very specific purpose. How great the love of the Father!
But Abraham had his faults as well. He lost trust in the Lord and passed his wife off as his sister on two separate occasions in order to spare his own life. And Abraham’s son Isaac wasn’t much better. Not only did he do the same thing his father had done, but Isaac also tried to thwart God’s plan and promise by attempting to give the blessing to the son whom the Lord didn’t choose. And Jacob, the son of Isaac who did end up receiving the rightful blessing, was deceitful and cunning and conniving in his own right. And these were the three great patriarchs of God’s own people! But despite these sinful actions of these sinful men, the Lord never went back on his promise to these patriarchs. He blessed them, he talked to them personally, and he protected them from the evils of this world. How great the love of the Father!
And as the years went by when Jacob’s people, the Israelites, constantly rebelled against the Lord, complained to the Lord, turned their backs on the Lord, and even refused to believe in the Lord, God stayed right there by their side - guarding them, protecting them, leading them, and loving them. How great the love of the Father! And throughout the entire Old Testament era, the Lord continued to preserve the line of the Savior through wicked and defiant generations, until one day he sent an angel named Gabriel to a virgin named Mary. And to this unsuspecting and unassuming Israelite girl, the announcement was made that she would give birth to the Son of God himself. How great the love of the Father! And this Son, God’s one and only Son, was to be born into a world that would hate him. God’s one and only Son was to be raised in a city that would refuse to believe in him. God’s one and only Son was to be harassed and abused and even crucified by a people that God had at one time called his own. God’s one and only Son was to be sacrificed for the sake of the enemy. But God sent his Son anyway! God handed over his Son anyway for that very purpose! God rejected his own dear Son on the cross anyway! How great the love of the Father! How great the love the Father had for a world as sinful as this. And how great the love the Father has for a people as sinful as we are.
We too have received that same everlasting kind of love of the Father. In fact, we receive that same kind of love every day. And if I could, I would like to read for you some words that describe the scope of the Father’s daily love. Words that most of you probably remember well. Words that many of you had to memorize as students in catechism instruction and that a couple of you are memorizing right now. They are the words of the explanation to the 1st article of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.”
The explanation of that first part of the confession reads, “I believe that God made me and every creature and that he gave me my body and soul, eyes, ears and all my members, my mind and all my abilities. And I believe that God still preserves me by richly and daily providing clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, cattle and all I own, and all that I need to keep my body and life, and by defending me against all danger and guarding and protecting me from all evil. All this God does only because he is my good and merciful Father in heaven, and not because I have earned or deserved it. For all this I ought to thank and praise, to serve and obey him. This is most certainly true.” From these words, which are really words that summarize what Scripture says, we know and believe that God has given us every good thing. God has supplied us with everything we need. God has protected and guarded us from all evil. And all of these things he does for us every day only because he is our good and merciful Father. And if he is our Father, that means we must be his children. And that is exactly what we are.
Think of how amazing that is. The love of the Father is so great that we are actually called his children! We are called his children! Out of all the people in this world we are privileged enough to be labeled with that incredibly endearing and astounding title: “children.” Not just friends, not just acquaintances or coworkers or even people that he kind of cares about, but actual children of God! The Almighty calls us children! We who are sometimes just as heartless as Christ’s crucifiers. We who are sometimes just as ignorant as Jesus’ accusers. We who are just as rebellious as the Israelites, just as deceitful as the patriarchs, just as selfish as Cain, and just as disobedient as Adam and Eve! And we are called God’s children? We don’t deserve that honor! We haven’t done anything to gain that title. We are God’s creatures and his servants at the very best. And we are God’s vehement opponents at the very worst. We were actually all born in direct opposition to God because we were conceived with the sin that Adam and Even passed down from generation to generation. Sin that is all too real. Sin that God hates. Sin that separated us from his love. We were not born good. We weren’t even born neutral. We were born bad. “We were God’s enemies” (Romans 5:10) Paul tells us in the book of Romans. “Like the rest, we were by nature objects of God’s wrath” and “we were dead in our sins” (Ephesians 2:3,5) he says in Ephesians. We were not automatically God’s children just because of who we are. In fact, we were just the opposite! We were sin-saturated creatures who hated the Creator and he was a Creator who hated those creatures that sinned against him.
And so how great the love of the Father! Before we were even born his enemies, before we were even conceived as objects of his wrath, before we were even in the state of spiritual death because of our sins, he sent his Son to pay for our sins. He sent his Son to carry our sins and to bear the punishment for our sins and to experience the sentence of hell for our sins. The Father sent his Son to die - for the enemy! The Father sent his Son to die for us.
And let’s try to put that in some sort of perspective. You hear every week that God sent his Son to die for sinners, but we sometimes forget how big of a sacrifice that really was. I have a son, of course, whom I love with a father’s kind of love. I would do anything for him and I will always do whatever it takes to keep him safe. I have another son on the way and a daughter that you also know well. And I don’t plan on giving any of them up anytime soon! I don’t intend to offer any of my children up as some kind of ransom price for anyone in this world, especially for someone I don’t like! Especially for someone who doesn’t like me! Especially for a non-Christian! Especially for someone who is vehemently opposed to the gospel! I do not love others as much as I love my children. And I will certainly never love those opposed to God as much as those children I call my own. But that’s just it: the Lord does. The Lord loved you and me and all of his enemies just as much as he loved his only Son. He had to love us that much if he actually went through with the sacrifice and the offering of his Son on the cross! He cared for your salvation that much so as to give up his Son to the grave. And I would not imagine for a second that it was easy for the Father to give up his Son. I would not imagine that the Father was in some way heartless or calloused to rejecting his own Son and sending him to suffer the punishment of sinners. The Father loved his Son and still loves his Son with a perfect kind of fatherly love. And if that is the love he has for his Son whom he sacrificed, you can be sure that it is the same kind of love he has for the ones he sacrificed his Son for.
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” We have finally come to the portion of Scripture that is our sermon text for today. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” God’s love that he lavished on us is a love that sacrificed his own Son for us. It is a love that laid our sins and our guilt and our punishment on Jesus’ shoulders so we could live guilt-free. It is a love that raised his Son from the dead so that we could be raised as well. It is a love that brought us into his family through the water and Word of baptism. It is a love that preserved this world, his chosen people, the Savior’s line, and his holy Scriptures throughout the millennia and still preserves us today. It is a love that never faltered. A love that never let up. A love that never let down. And a love that will never leave. It is a love that adopts us, cares for us, and calls us his “children.”
Doesn’t that make you proud? You are God’s own children! You are able to call the Maker of the Universe your Father! That is a dear relationship. That is an intimately close and unbreakable bond. And so don’t be afraid to brag about your Father to others! Think about the way little children talk to their friends about their fathers. “My dad knows everything.” “My dad is the best fixer ever!” “My dad is stronger than your dad.” “My dad isn’t scared of anything…” Young children talk about their fathers that way because they do not yet recognize the faults of the one they love. And so they do not hesitate to brag about who he is or what he can do. They enjoy telling stories about him to all who will listen. They are proud to be their father’s child.
My brothers and sisters of our heavenly Father, we have a Father who has loved us with a love that results in salvation. We have a Father who sacrificed his only Son for our sakes. We have a Father who is on constant watch for our protection and continually provides us with all that we need in this life and even more. Be proud to be your Father’s child! Do not hesitate to brag about who he is and what he has done. Take joy in telling stories about him to anyone who will listen. Because your Father does not only want to be your Father, he wants to be the Father of every person in this world. He wants to adopt them through faith in his Son. He wants to bring them into his family through the washing with water and the Word in baptism. He wants to solidify them in the faith by the precious promises of Scripture. And so invite them in. Encourage them to see and hear and believe. Tell them about how great the love of the Father is and that his love extends even to them. Because it has even extended to us - the worst of sinners.
Tell them what John tells us in 1 John 3: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” That is what we are. And that is what we’ll always be until we see our Father face to face in the glories of his heaven. That day will be the best day of your life as children of God. And it will be the only day for the rest of your life in eternity because that glorious day will never end. But until you do one day see your Father face to face in Paradise, know that he sees you here. And he cares for you and he watches out for your and he supplies and provides for you. And, most importantly, he loves you. Your Father loves you with a love that… a love that I cannot describe because it’s a love that I cannot comprehend. But although we can never fully understand the depth of our Father’s love, we can say this: his love is so powerful and so merciful and so compassionate that even we - even we! - are called his children. How great the love of the Father must be!
Amen.
“May the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” - 2 Thess. 2:16-17
- He loved us even as his enemies
- He loves us now as his children
There in the middle of the Garden, Adam and Eve did the one thing that they were told not to do. The blatantly and defiantly went against God’s clear command so that they could do what they wanted to do. But instead of immediately destroying them along with the world which they also subjected to sin, the Lord prolonged their life and promised them a Savior to deliver them from their self-inflicted punishment. How great the love of the Father! Adam and Eve’s firstborn son, Cain, killed his brother Abel out of jealousy and hate. But instead of repaying Cain for the evil that he had done, the Lord spared his life as well, protected him from others, and gave him multiple chances to repent. How great the love of the Father! Centuries later the human race became so bad and so evil that there were only eight people left who believed in the Lord. And so the Lord decided to save those eight believers inside an ark as he wiped the earth clean with a flood and started all over again. How great the love of the Father! As the earth re-populated, the Lord chose Abraham to fulfill his promise to the world. But this famous man Abraham was actually born of an unbelieving father who worshiped false gods. But the Lord chose Abraham anyway and made him the father of his very own people in his very own land for a very specific purpose. How great the love of the Father!
But Abraham had his faults as well. He lost trust in the Lord and passed his wife off as his sister on two separate occasions in order to spare his own life. And Abraham’s son Isaac wasn’t much better. Not only did he do the same thing his father had done, but Isaac also tried to thwart God’s plan and promise by attempting to give the blessing to the son whom the Lord didn’t choose. And Jacob, the son of Isaac who did end up receiving the rightful blessing, was deceitful and cunning and conniving in his own right. And these were the three great patriarchs of God’s own people! But despite these sinful actions of these sinful men, the Lord never went back on his promise to these patriarchs. He blessed them, he talked to them personally, and he protected them from the evils of this world. How great the love of the Father!
And as the years went by when Jacob’s people, the Israelites, constantly rebelled against the Lord, complained to the Lord, turned their backs on the Lord, and even refused to believe in the Lord, God stayed right there by their side - guarding them, protecting them, leading them, and loving them. How great the love of the Father! And throughout the entire Old Testament era, the Lord continued to preserve the line of the Savior through wicked and defiant generations, until one day he sent an angel named Gabriel to a virgin named Mary. And to this unsuspecting and unassuming Israelite girl, the announcement was made that she would give birth to the Son of God himself. How great the love of the Father! And this Son, God’s one and only Son, was to be born into a world that would hate him. God’s one and only Son was to be raised in a city that would refuse to believe in him. God’s one and only Son was to be harassed and abused and even crucified by a people that God had at one time called his own. God’s one and only Son was to be sacrificed for the sake of the enemy. But God sent his Son anyway! God handed over his Son anyway for that very purpose! God rejected his own dear Son on the cross anyway! How great the love of the Father! How great the love the Father had for a world as sinful as this. And how great the love the Father has for a people as sinful as we are.
We too have received that same everlasting kind of love of the Father. In fact, we receive that same kind of love every day. And if I could, I would like to read for you some words that describe the scope of the Father’s daily love. Words that most of you probably remember well. Words that many of you had to memorize as students in catechism instruction and that a couple of you are memorizing right now. They are the words of the explanation to the 1st article of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.”
The explanation of that first part of the confession reads, “I believe that God made me and every creature and that he gave me my body and soul, eyes, ears and all my members, my mind and all my abilities. And I believe that God still preserves me by richly and daily providing clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, cattle and all I own, and all that I need to keep my body and life, and by defending me against all danger and guarding and protecting me from all evil. All this God does only because he is my good and merciful Father in heaven, and not because I have earned or deserved it. For all this I ought to thank and praise, to serve and obey him. This is most certainly true.” From these words, which are really words that summarize what Scripture says, we know and believe that God has given us every good thing. God has supplied us with everything we need. God has protected and guarded us from all evil. And all of these things he does for us every day only because he is our good and merciful Father. And if he is our Father, that means we must be his children. And that is exactly what we are.
Think of how amazing that is. The love of the Father is so great that we are actually called his children! We are called his children! Out of all the people in this world we are privileged enough to be labeled with that incredibly endearing and astounding title: “children.” Not just friends, not just acquaintances or coworkers or even people that he kind of cares about, but actual children of God! The Almighty calls us children! We who are sometimes just as heartless as Christ’s crucifiers. We who are sometimes just as ignorant as Jesus’ accusers. We who are just as rebellious as the Israelites, just as deceitful as the patriarchs, just as selfish as Cain, and just as disobedient as Adam and Eve! And we are called God’s children? We don’t deserve that honor! We haven’t done anything to gain that title. We are God’s creatures and his servants at the very best. And we are God’s vehement opponents at the very worst. We were actually all born in direct opposition to God because we were conceived with the sin that Adam and Even passed down from generation to generation. Sin that is all too real. Sin that God hates. Sin that separated us from his love. We were not born good. We weren’t even born neutral. We were born bad. “We were God’s enemies” (Romans 5:10) Paul tells us in the book of Romans. “Like the rest, we were by nature objects of God’s wrath” and “we were dead in our sins” (Ephesians 2:3,5) he says in Ephesians. We were not automatically God’s children just because of who we are. In fact, we were just the opposite! We were sin-saturated creatures who hated the Creator and he was a Creator who hated those creatures that sinned against him.
And so how great the love of the Father! Before we were even born his enemies, before we were even conceived as objects of his wrath, before we were even in the state of spiritual death because of our sins, he sent his Son to pay for our sins. He sent his Son to carry our sins and to bear the punishment for our sins and to experience the sentence of hell for our sins. The Father sent his Son to die - for the enemy! The Father sent his Son to die for us.
And let’s try to put that in some sort of perspective. You hear every week that God sent his Son to die for sinners, but we sometimes forget how big of a sacrifice that really was. I have a son, of course, whom I love with a father’s kind of love. I would do anything for him and I will always do whatever it takes to keep him safe. I have another son on the way and a daughter that you also know well. And I don’t plan on giving any of them up anytime soon! I don’t intend to offer any of my children up as some kind of ransom price for anyone in this world, especially for someone I don’t like! Especially for someone who doesn’t like me! Especially for a non-Christian! Especially for someone who is vehemently opposed to the gospel! I do not love others as much as I love my children. And I will certainly never love those opposed to God as much as those children I call my own. But that’s just it: the Lord does. The Lord loved you and me and all of his enemies just as much as he loved his only Son. He had to love us that much if he actually went through with the sacrifice and the offering of his Son on the cross! He cared for your salvation that much so as to give up his Son to the grave. And I would not imagine for a second that it was easy for the Father to give up his Son. I would not imagine that the Father was in some way heartless or calloused to rejecting his own Son and sending him to suffer the punishment of sinners. The Father loved his Son and still loves his Son with a perfect kind of fatherly love. And if that is the love he has for his Son whom he sacrificed, you can be sure that it is the same kind of love he has for the ones he sacrificed his Son for.
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” We have finally come to the portion of Scripture that is our sermon text for today. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” God’s love that he lavished on us is a love that sacrificed his own Son for us. It is a love that laid our sins and our guilt and our punishment on Jesus’ shoulders so we could live guilt-free. It is a love that raised his Son from the dead so that we could be raised as well. It is a love that brought us into his family through the water and Word of baptism. It is a love that preserved this world, his chosen people, the Savior’s line, and his holy Scriptures throughout the millennia and still preserves us today. It is a love that never faltered. A love that never let up. A love that never let down. And a love that will never leave. It is a love that adopts us, cares for us, and calls us his “children.”
Doesn’t that make you proud? You are God’s own children! You are able to call the Maker of the Universe your Father! That is a dear relationship. That is an intimately close and unbreakable bond. And so don’t be afraid to brag about your Father to others! Think about the way little children talk to their friends about their fathers. “My dad knows everything.” “My dad is the best fixer ever!” “My dad is stronger than your dad.” “My dad isn’t scared of anything…” Young children talk about their fathers that way because they do not yet recognize the faults of the one they love. And so they do not hesitate to brag about who he is or what he can do. They enjoy telling stories about him to all who will listen. They are proud to be their father’s child.
My brothers and sisters of our heavenly Father, we have a Father who has loved us with a love that results in salvation. We have a Father who sacrificed his only Son for our sakes. We have a Father who is on constant watch for our protection and continually provides us with all that we need in this life and even more. Be proud to be your Father’s child! Do not hesitate to brag about who he is and what he has done. Take joy in telling stories about him to anyone who will listen. Because your Father does not only want to be your Father, he wants to be the Father of every person in this world. He wants to adopt them through faith in his Son. He wants to bring them into his family through the washing with water and the Word in baptism. He wants to solidify them in the faith by the precious promises of Scripture. And so invite them in. Encourage them to see and hear and believe. Tell them about how great the love of the Father is and that his love extends even to them. Because it has even extended to us - the worst of sinners.
Tell them what John tells us in 1 John 3: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” That is what we are. And that is what we’ll always be until we see our Father face to face in the glories of his heaven. That day will be the best day of your life as children of God. And it will be the only day for the rest of your life in eternity because that glorious day will never end. But until you do one day see your Father face to face in Paradise, know that he sees you here. And he cares for you and he watches out for your and he supplies and provides for you. And, most importantly, he loves you. Your Father loves you with a love that… a love that I cannot describe because it’s a love that I cannot comprehend. But although we can never fully understand the depth of our Father’s love, we can say this: his love is so powerful and so merciful and so compassionate that even we - even we! - are called his children. How great the love of the Father must be!
Amen.
“May the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” - 2 Thess. 2:16-17
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