THE LORD STANDS BY YOUR SIDE
Hymns of the Reformation
We have already sung three hymns this morning. And before we’re done we’re going to sing four more. Seven different hymns are interspersed throughout this worship service, which is fitting on a day like today since the Lutheran Church in the centuries following the Reformation was oftentimes referred to as the “singing church.” And it was given that name not only because it promoted congregation participation in the songs of worship but also because this body of believers produced many great hymn writers over the years as well. Martin Luther himself is credited with writing around 40 hymns, many of which we still sing today. Songs based on the cross of Christ, the grace of God, and the power of the Word. Songs pleading for the Lord’s mercy. Songs relying on his protection.
The first hymn that Luther ever wrote was entitled “A New Song Now Shall be Begun” - a 12 stanza, 108 line anthem commemorating two young men who were martyred for the faith at that time in Brussels. It is a story-hymn, depicting the final moments of their lives as they stood boldly on the truth - and how the Lord stood with them. The first hymn that we sung this morning, “If God Had Not been on Our Side,” champions that same theme: “If God had not been on our side and had not come to aid us, our foes with all their power and pride would surely have dismayed us.” Another one of Luther’s hymns that we rarely sing anymore: “In the Midst of Earthly Life,” is along those same lines. In fact, not so long ago it was a favorite hymn for Christian funerals. And here’s why: “In the midst of earthly life snares of death surround us. Who shall help us in the strife lest the foe confound us? You only, Lord, you only!... In the midst of death’s dark vale powers of hell overtake us. Who will help when they assail, who secure will make us? You only, Lord, you only!” There are many hymns like this written by the writers of the Reformation, especially Luther. And it’s understandable why Luther would write this way in so many of his hymns: he was always under attack! His life was in danger! His friends deserted him! And the only one he could truly rely on was his Lord. His God was the only one who was always there for him. His Savior was the only one who always stood by his side. And not just by Martin Luther’s side; but by the side of all those faithful Christians at that time who had to undergo persecution of the sort that most of us, Lord willing, will never have to see.
Standing by Paul’s Side
The hardships that those believers had to endure during the 1500s in Germany should remind us of what the apostle Paul experienced in the decades after Christ lived and died and rose. Because Paul too was always under attack; his life was in danger; his friends deserted him. He even wrote to his young friend Timothy that a former co-worker named Demas had left him for selfish reasons, Crescens had gone away and so had Titus. Mark wasn’t with him at that time and no longer was Tychicus. A man named Alexander was causing him a tremendous amount of harm and at Paul’s first trial in front of a judge in Rome, not one person came to his defense in support. “But,” Paul wrote, “the Lord stood by my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might fully be proclaimed.” “The Lord stood by my side. The Lord gave me strength. The Lord was the one who was right there with me; and the Lord was all I needed.” Even though Paul was essentially abandoned by those he had served and even by those he had worked with when he needed their help the most, the apostle was still filled with hope and comfort and encouragement because his God had never left his side. And no matter what he had to go through and no matter what the future would bring, he knew that his powerful Savior promised to be with him every step of the way.
The Lord Stands by Your Side
The Lord stands by your side just as he stood by Paul’s. There may be times when you are lonely; there may be times when you are overwhelmed; there may be times when no one seems to be supporting you or helping you or even caring about you. But at those times - especially at those times - your Lord is right there. He is there when there is no other shoulder to lean on. He is there when there is no other hand to hold. He is there when no one else is. And that is never going to change. Even if you don’t want him there - he’ll be there! Even if you don’t know he is there - he’ll be there! Even if you don’t remember that he’s promised to never leave - he’ll be right there by your side.
When you were born, at that moment you were delivered into this world by a doctor or a nurse or your own parents, who was right there? Who was right there making sure you breathed your first breath of fresh air? Who was right there making sure that your heart continued to beat? Who was right there making sure that your first day in this world would lead to another? When you were baptized, who was right there making sure that the water combined with the Word of God did powerful things to your heart? Who was right there making sure you were adopted into his family? Who was right there making sure that the faith you were given would continue to grow? When you stood up at the Lord’s altar for the very first time and participated in the Lord’s Supper, who was right there making sure that the bread and the wine that touched your lips was also his own body and blood? Who was right there forgiving your sins once again? Who was right there cleansing your heart? When you struggle, when you fail, when you are lost, when you are weak, when you are sick, when you are confused, when you are hurting, who is right there? When you go to sleep tonight, who’ll be there? When you wake up tomorrow morning, who’ll be there? When your loved ones die around you as the years go by, who’ll be there? When you are on your own deathbed and you give up that last breath on this earth, who will be right there by your side to take you home?
The Lord Doesn’t Have to be There
Of course, the Lord doesn’t have to be there. He is not obligated to be there because of anything we have done for him. In fact, he probably shouldn’t be there right by our sides after some of the things we have done! Because how many times have you ignored the advice he has given you in his Word? How many times have you done something that has not made him happy? How many times have you let thoughts linger in your mind that would make him shake his head in disgust? How many times have you pretended your Lord is not right there by your side because you wanted to say something that would be unacceptable to him? How many times have you stood by the Lord’s side? How many times have you defended him, stood up for him, boldly and unashamedly talked well to others about him? How many times have you been a faithful servant of his Word? How many times have you acted like a faithful child of his love? The Lord doesn’t have to be there standing by your side. I know he shouldn’t be standing by me.
I have let him down so many times that it’s embarrassing. I have failed to be the Christian he has called me to be. I have given in to my selfishness far more times than I have been won over by his love. He shouldn’t be standing by my side. Why would he to? Why would he bother being there for me when I am rarely there for him? He shouldn’t be standing there, but he is. He shouldn’t bother wasting his time on me, but he does. Just like he did for a former Catholic monk named Martin Luther. Just like he did for a former Christian killer named Paul. Just like he does for you.
The Lord Does More than Just Stand There
The Lord stands by your side. And when your Lord stands by your side, he doesn’t just stand there, of course! He isn’t there to merely observe what is happening in your life and to give you nothing more than moral support. Your Lord is standing there by your side to actually do something! He is there to pick you up when you fall down. He is there to turn you back when you turn away. He is there to guard you from the attacks of the devil, to lead you on the Way to eternal life, to bolster your faith with his penetrating Word. Your Lord is standing there to tap you on the shoulder and make you take notice of your sins. Your Lord is standing there to lift up your chin so that you can see once again the silhouette of his cross. Your Lord is standing there by your side to show you his side where the spear struck, to place around your shoulders a hand that was driven through with nails, to bend close to your ear a head that was crowned with a wreath of thorns. Your Lord is standing right by your side so that you do not forget what he did for you, what he sacrificed for you, what he gave up to get you. Your Lord is standing there to remind you not only that he died, but that he is dead no longer.
Your Lord is not passive in your life. He does not just sit back and wait and watch. No, he is intricately involved with every aspect of your life because he has already done so much for your eternal life. And so he is not going to let you wander off by yourself when he paid so much for your soul! He is not going to leave you standing all alone, vulnerable to the dangers of this world and of Satan himself when Jesus has already gone through all of that for you! You can be assured: He’s going to be right there - and nowhere else! He’s not going to let you out of his sight! He cares too much about you to do otherwise.
You are Never Alone
In one of Martin Luther’s most famous hymns, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” a song that we will end our worship with this morning, he writes in the fourth stanza, “The Word they still shall let remain nor any thanks have for it; He’s by our side upon the plain with His good gifts and Spirit.” There is that reoccurring theme again: He’s by our side. The Lord is always right there by our side. Luther clung to this Truth of God’s Word throughout his life. His writings and his confession of faith, and his hymns reflect that. And so did Paul. After the apostle reminded Timothy that the Lord did stand by his side and gave him strength during his trial, he even displayed his confidence in what was to come, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.” You can confidently make the same confession as Paul once did. And you can boldly sing the same words as Luther once wrote. Because the Lord is by your side; you are not on your own. The Lord will always be by your side; you will never be alone.
Amen.
“May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us.” - 1 Kings 8:57
Hymns of the Reformation
We have already sung three hymns this morning. And before we’re done we’re going to sing four more. Seven different hymns are interspersed throughout this worship service, which is fitting on a day like today since the Lutheran Church in the centuries following the Reformation was oftentimes referred to as the “singing church.” And it was given that name not only because it promoted congregation participation in the songs of worship but also because this body of believers produced many great hymn writers over the years as well. Martin Luther himself is credited with writing around 40 hymns, many of which we still sing today. Songs based on the cross of Christ, the grace of God, and the power of the Word. Songs pleading for the Lord’s mercy. Songs relying on his protection.
The first hymn that Luther ever wrote was entitled “A New Song Now Shall be Begun” - a 12 stanza, 108 line anthem commemorating two young men who were martyred for the faith at that time in Brussels. It is a story-hymn, depicting the final moments of their lives as they stood boldly on the truth - and how the Lord stood with them. The first hymn that we sung this morning, “If God Had Not been on Our Side,” champions that same theme: “If God had not been on our side and had not come to aid us, our foes with all their power and pride would surely have dismayed us.” Another one of Luther’s hymns that we rarely sing anymore: “In the Midst of Earthly Life,” is along those same lines. In fact, not so long ago it was a favorite hymn for Christian funerals. And here’s why: “In the midst of earthly life snares of death surround us. Who shall help us in the strife lest the foe confound us? You only, Lord, you only!... In the midst of death’s dark vale powers of hell overtake us. Who will help when they assail, who secure will make us? You only, Lord, you only!” There are many hymns like this written by the writers of the Reformation, especially Luther. And it’s understandable why Luther would write this way in so many of his hymns: he was always under attack! His life was in danger! His friends deserted him! And the only one he could truly rely on was his Lord. His God was the only one who was always there for him. His Savior was the only one who always stood by his side. And not just by Martin Luther’s side; but by the side of all those faithful Christians at that time who had to undergo persecution of the sort that most of us, Lord willing, will never have to see.
Standing by Paul’s Side
The hardships that those believers had to endure during the 1500s in Germany should remind us of what the apostle Paul experienced in the decades after Christ lived and died and rose. Because Paul too was always under attack; his life was in danger; his friends deserted him. He even wrote to his young friend Timothy that a former co-worker named Demas had left him for selfish reasons, Crescens had gone away and so had Titus. Mark wasn’t with him at that time and no longer was Tychicus. A man named Alexander was causing him a tremendous amount of harm and at Paul’s first trial in front of a judge in Rome, not one person came to his defense in support. “But,” Paul wrote, “the Lord stood by my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might fully be proclaimed.” “The Lord stood by my side. The Lord gave me strength. The Lord was the one who was right there with me; and the Lord was all I needed.” Even though Paul was essentially abandoned by those he had served and even by those he had worked with when he needed their help the most, the apostle was still filled with hope and comfort and encouragement because his God had never left his side. And no matter what he had to go through and no matter what the future would bring, he knew that his powerful Savior promised to be with him every step of the way.
The Lord Stands by Your Side
The Lord stands by your side just as he stood by Paul’s. There may be times when you are lonely; there may be times when you are overwhelmed; there may be times when no one seems to be supporting you or helping you or even caring about you. But at those times - especially at those times - your Lord is right there. He is there when there is no other shoulder to lean on. He is there when there is no other hand to hold. He is there when no one else is. And that is never going to change. Even if you don’t want him there - he’ll be there! Even if you don’t know he is there - he’ll be there! Even if you don’t remember that he’s promised to never leave - he’ll be right there by your side.
When you were born, at that moment you were delivered into this world by a doctor or a nurse or your own parents, who was right there? Who was right there making sure you breathed your first breath of fresh air? Who was right there making sure that your heart continued to beat? Who was right there making sure that your first day in this world would lead to another? When you were baptized, who was right there making sure that the water combined with the Word of God did powerful things to your heart? Who was right there making sure you were adopted into his family? Who was right there making sure that the faith you were given would continue to grow? When you stood up at the Lord’s altar for the very first time and participated in the Lord’s Supper, who was right there making sure that the bread and the wine that touched your lips was also his own body and blood? Who was right there forgiving your sins once again? Who was right there cleansing your heart? When you struggle, when you fail, when you are lost, when you are weak, when you are sick, when you are confused, when you are hurting, who is right there? When you go to sleep tonight, who’ll be there? When you wake up tomorrow morning, who’ll be there? When your loved ones die around you as the years go by, who’ll be there? When you are on your own deathbed and you give up that last breath on this earth, who will be right there by your side to take you home?
The Lord Doesn’t Have to be There
Of course, the Lord doesn’t have to be there. He is not obligated to be there because of anything we have done for him. In fact, he probably shouldn’t be there right by our sides after some of the things we have done! Because how many times have you ignored the advice he has given you in his Word? How many times have you done something that has not made him happy? How many times have you let thoughts linger in your mind that would make him shake his head in disgust? How many times have you pretended your Lord is not right there by your side because you wanted to say something that would be unacceptable to him? How many times have you stood by the Lord’s side? How many times have you defended him, stood up for him, boldly and unashamedly talked well to others about him? How many times have you been a faithful servant of his Word? How many times have you acted like a faithful child of his love? The Lord doesn’t have to be there standing by your side. I know he shouldn’t be standing by me.
I have let him down so many times that it’s embarrassing. I have failed to be the Christian he has called me to be. I have given in to my selfishness far more times than I have been won over by his love. He shouldn’t be standing by my side. Why would he to? Why would he bother being there for me when I am rarely there for him? He shouldn’t be standing there, but he is. He shouldn’t bother wasting his time on me, but he does. Just like he did for a former Catholic monk named Martin Luther. Just like he did for a former Christian killer named Paul. Just like he does for you.
The Lord Does More than Just Stand There
The Lord stands by your side. And when your Lord stands by your side, he doesn’t just stand there, of course! He isn’t there to merely observe what is happening in your life and to give you nothing more than moral support. Your Lord is standing there by your side to actually do something! He is there to pick you up when you fall down. He is there to turn you back when you turn away. He is there to guard you from the attacks of the devil, to lead you on the Way to eternal life, to bolster your faith with his penetrating Word. Your Lord is standing there to tap you on the shoulder and make you take notice of your sins. Your Lord is standing there to lift up your chin so that you can see once again the silhouette of his cross. Your Lord is standing there by your side to show you his side where the spear struck, to place around your shoulders a hand that was driven through with nails, to bend close to your ear a head that was crowned with a wreath of thorns. Your Lord is standing right by your side so that you do not forget what he did for you, what he sacrificed for you, what he gave up to get you. Your Lord is standing there to remind you not only that he died, but that he is dead no longer.
Your Lord is not passive in your life. He does not just sit back and wait and watch. No, he is intricately involved with every aspect of your life because he has already done so much for your eternal life. And so he is not going to let you wander off by yourself when he paid so much for your soul! He is not going to leave you standing all alone, vulnerable to the dangers of this world and of Satan himself when Jesus has already gone through all of that for you! You can be assured: He’s going to be right there - and nowhere else! He’s not going to let you out of his sight! He cares too much about you to do otherwise.
You are Never Alone
In one of Martin Luther’s most famous hymns, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” a song that we will end our worship with this morning, he writes in the fourth stanza, “The Word they still shall let remain nor any thanks have for it; He’s by our side upon the plain with His good gifts and Spirit.” There is that reoccurring theme again: He’s by our side. The Lord is always right there by our side. Luther clung to this Truth of God’s Word throughout his life. His writings and his confession of faith, and his hymns reflect that. And so did Paul. After the apostle reminded Timothy that the Lord did stand by his side and gave him strength during his trial, he even displayed his confidence in what was to come, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.” You can confidently make the same confession as Paul once did. And you can boldly sing the same words as Luther once wrote. Because the Lord is by your side; you are not on your own. The Lord will always be by your side; you will never be alone.
Amen.
“May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us.” - 1 Kings 8:57
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