12/30/12 - Year in Review - Luke 2:49

WHERE SHOULD YOU BE?

Jesus Had to Be in His Father’s House

            They had lost Jesus.  Mary and Joseph, the parents of the Son of God, had just lost the 12-year-old Son of God in the biggest city in the country!  They had been in the capital city of Israel for the annual Passover Feast and, after the week-long celebration was over, Mary and Joseph began the journey north with a crowd of friends and family members who were also going back to their hometown of Nazareth.  They thought that Jesus was still among the large group they had come up with, but when they stopped for the night and looked for Jesus, he was nowhere to be found.  They had lost the Savior of the world!  Panicked, they rushed back into Jerusalem and for three days they frantically searched for God’s Son that he had entrusted to their care, checking and double checking all of the places where they stayed, the roads where they walked, the areas where they ate, and the government authorities.  But it was only after three days of searching when they finally checked the place where they had worshiped.  And there Jesus was: sitting among the teachers of the law in the temple, asking them questions and giving answers that were so insightful that all who were there marveled at his wisdom.  Completely stunned by this discover and certainly exhausted from three long days and three sleepless nights, Mary asked, “Son, why have you treated us like this?  Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”

            It must have been an interesting walk back home!  In twelve years Jesus had never been wrong before.  He had never been unloving, never been unkind.  He had never lied to his parents, never deceived his parents, never tried to slip anything behind their backs.  He had always been right, but he had also always been humble.  He was filled with the Holy Spirit more than anyone else had ever been before, but he was also filled with more modesty than anyone else had ever seen.  He had never once disobeyed his parents, and so it must have been hard for his parents to be angry at him.  Worried and confused and completely terrified for three days?  Sure.  But that’s why Mary asked the kind of question she asked: “Son, why would you do such a thing?  This seems to be completely out of character for you!  Why would you do something that would cause your father and me so much pain?”

            But Jesus’ answer implied that they should have known better.  They were the parents of the Son of God, after all!  And so as the Son of God, Jesus had to be in his true Father’s house.  He had to be in the temple where the Word of God was read and taught and learned and preached.  He had to be in and around the prophecies of Scripture that spoke about him and the truths of those Old Testament books that he had come to fulfill.  Jesus even had to learn some of those things as a real human being.  At the end of this story it says that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”  Jesus was certainly taught God’s Word by his parents at home, but there was no substitute for being in his Father’s house and delving deep into the scriptural truths of the gospel with the Word of God right in front him.  Because remember: they didn’t have their own Bibles - the Bible was at the temple or the local synagogue.  This is where Jesus had to be.  Not permanently.  Not for the full 33 years of his life on this earth.  But Jesus did have to be in his Father’s house on a regular basis throughout his life because that is where the Word of God was.

                        Consider that fact for a second: Jesus, the Son of God, the Word of God in the flesh, the fulfiller of all prophecy, the author of all Scripture, this Jesus had to be in his Father’s house.  Jesus had to be reading in his Father’s house, studying in his Father’s house, discussing in his Father’s house, and immersing himself with the Word in his Father’s house.  If this is where even Jesus had to be, where do you think you should be?

We Think We “Have to” Be Anywhere Else

            Like many people in this country, my life is very scheduled.  I look at my upcoming week or month and I map out where I have to be and when.  I have to be here at this time and there at that time.  I have to be at church by this hour for that worship service, at this hour for that Bible class, and at this hour for that meeting.  I have to be at that person’s house on that evening but then I have to be home in time for supper.  I have to drop my kids off at school at a certain time in the morning and pick them up within a few minute window in the afternoon.  I have to be at conferences in different cities, I have to be at meetings in different states, and I have to be present at other congregations for planning purposes - and that’s just next month.  There are plenty of places where I have to be on any given day and those commitments and time constraints largely drive what I do and when I do it.

            But I’m not always so regimented when it comes to where I have to be for the good of my faith.  I know where I ‘need’ to be of course, but I don’t always force myself to be there.  I know I should be reading and studying Scripture on my own on a daily basis, for example.  But there are times when it just doesn’t happen.  Maybe because there’s no one checking up on me.  Maybe because there’s no one there that I would let down if I didn’t show up.  Maybe because it’s not a public thing and no one would ever know if I just didn’t get to it on a particular day.  I am certainly intent on carrying out my responsibilities in this world and building the relationships I have with other people, but when it comes to the responsibility of the faith that I have been given and the relationship I have with my Lord, I’m not always where I need to be.  I’m not always in “my Father’s house,” which is anywhere the Word of God can be read, heard, studied, or sung.

            If I were to hand out a piece of paper to all of you with the question: “How important would you consider your faith in Jesus that God has given you?  A) Very Important.  B) Somewhat Important.  C) Not Important At All.”  I’d assume that most of you, if not all of you, would pick ‘A’: your faith is very important to you, isn’t it?  And if it really is, that means you always make sure that you are exactly where you have to be for the good of your faith, right?  You are consistently in a worship service as often as you can be, right?  You are taking advantage of every Bible study that is available, right?  You are daily reading your own Bible at home, right?  You are faithfully sharing a scriptural devotion every evening with your spouse or your children or your grandchildren, right?  You are always digging deep into the teachings of the Bible, comparing passages, looking up answers, asking questions, and never resting until you search out the clear truth of God’s Word, right?  Right?

            We may all say that we consider our faith “very important” to us, but sometimes we treat our faith “somewhat important” at best and “not important at all” more often than not.  Because we don’t put ourselves where we have to be.  We don’t put ourselves where we have to be so that our Lord can feed our faith with his Word.  We don’t put ourselves where we have to be so that our Lord can nurture our faith with his gospel.  We don’t put ourselves where we have to be so that our Lord can strengthen and bolster and support our faith with his truth.  But if we aren’t where we have to be, if our faith is not getting the sustenance it needs, how can you expect it to last?  How can you expect it to fend off the attacks that the devil throws at it every day?  How can you expect it to hold up under the internal battle with your own sinful nature?  If you are not where you have to be, how can you expect your faith to survive?

Jesus Had to Be Where We Needed Him

            After Mary and Joseph found Jesus where they didn’t expect him to be, the Bible says that “He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.”  And Jesus probably didn’t go back to Jerusalem again until the next Jewish festival came around.  But you can be sure Jesus did go back eventually.  And you can be sure that when he did go back, he went back to his Father’s house and picked up where he left off.  Because that’s where he had to be.  Of course, that wasn’t only where he had to be; that’s where we needed him to be.

            Jesus has always been where we needed him.  First and foremost, we needed him here, didn’t we?  We needed him to be a human being on this earth.  We just got done with a three day Christmas weekend last week concentrating on the necessity of Jesus being a perfect human being in this world.  And because we needed him to be here, that’s where he went.  We needed him to be in his Father’s house too - not only to learn the Word of God but to keep all of the commands that the Word of God demands, so that’s where he went.  We needed Jesus in the waters of the Jordan River for his baptism because he was carrying our sins, so that is where he went.  We needed Jesus to go into the desert and face off with the devil himself, so that is where he went.  We needed Jesus to be among the tax collectors and prostitutes and lepers and “sinners” in this life because that’s who needed saving, so that’s where he went.  We needed Jesus to be there in the Garden of Gethsemane that infamous Thursday night.  Judas expected him to be there; the mob wanted him to be there; but Jesus knew that had to be there because that’s where we needed him to be.  We needed him to stand on trial in our place.  The Jewish leaders thought they had forced him to be there; the Roman government assumed he had no choice to be there; but Jesus knew that had to be there because we needed him to be.  We needed Jesus to be on that cross.  We needed him to be in hell to suffer in our place.  We needed him to be in that tomb.  And because we needed him there, that’s where he went.  Jesus didn’t like it!  As a real human being it wasn’t pleasant for Jesus to go through all of those things.  But he was willing to be wherever we needed him to be, even if that meant torture and pain and death.

            And of course we needed him not to be in the tomb anymore, didn’t we?  We needed him not to be on this earth anymore either.  We needed him to be on his throne in heaven, once again ruling all things with the full power he always had as true God.  And that’s exactly where he is.  But we also need him working through the words of the Bible in our hearts right now.  And so that’s where he is.  We need him guiding and guarding and protecting us throughout life’s difficulties and problems.  And that’s where he is.  We need him to be here for our comfort, we need him to be here for our joy, we need him to be right here by our sides every step of the way.  And because we need him here, “here” is exactly where he has to be.  Jesus is always where we need him.  Because without him where we always need him to be, we’d end up where we don’t want to be.  And he is not going to let that happen.  He is always where we need him to be so that we will end up where is already is.

We Have to Be Where Jesus Wants Us

            But not yet.  Right now we are just on the brink of yet another calendar year.  A time when schedules are set and vacations are dreamed up and new plans are drawn out.  But as you go through this process once again, take into serious consideration where you have to be this coming year.  Where do you have to be to learn about where your Savior has been?  Where do you have to be so that you better trust where your Savior is?  Where do you have to be to grow in your faith about where your Savior will always be waiting for you?  Where do you have to be?  Not where do you want to be all the time.  Not where do you think you’d like to be.  But where do you have to be for the good of your faith in your Savior?  Make it your plan to be in the Word in 2013 more than you have ever been before.  At home in your Bible; with your family around a Bible-based devotion book; in a study based on Scripture here at church; in a worship service founded on God’s Word once a week.  Make it your number one New Year’s resolution to be in your Father’s house.  Because only in his Word will your faith be preserved, will your forgiveness be refreshed, will your assurance of heaven be solidified.  And you can be certain that wherever you have to be, your Lord will have to be right there with you.  Amen.

“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” - 2 Thess. 3:5

12/25/12 - Christmas Day - Luke 2:29-32

R.I.P.

Simeon Had No Regrets

            In the middle of all of the people coming in and out of the temple that day, masked by the smoke from the burnt offerings, surrounded by the smells of incense and the sounds of Old Testament worship life echoing off the walls, there was Jesus.  Finally, at long last, there was Jesus: an infant held in his mother’s arms as his father, Joseph, gave two pigeons to the priest for the appropriate sacrifice.  There he was: the Savior of the world in the Lord’s own temple while people passed him by that day without a second thought.  But not Simeon.  Not this old man who had been waiting for this moment.  Not this seasoned Christian who had been told that he would see the Savior with his own eyes before he was taken from this earth.  And there the Savior finally was, in the flesh, in a real human body.  And so Simeon ran up to Mary and Joseph, took the baby from her arms, are praised his God: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

            That was it.  That was all Simeon had ever wanted: to see his Savior.  And now that he had seen his salvation in human form, he was ready to go.  “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, now dismiss your servant in peace.”  Simeon didn’t want to do anything else in this life.  Simeon didn’t want to experience anything else in this life.  He was completely content.  He had no regrets.  And all he wanted to do now was rest in peace.

What’s Keeps You Up at Night?

            “Rest in peace” -  R.I.P. - placed on old tombstones or written on drawings of tombstones nowadays.  And although every body does “rest in peace” in a way when a person dies, I can’t think of anyone who personifies the mindset of “resting in peace” better than Simeon.  He truly rested in peace!  Because he had left nothing undone.  There were no loose ends he wanted to try and tie up.  By the end of his life, Simeon rested in peace because he had no regrets. 

            If your life ended today, would you have that same attitude?  I ask that only because I look back at my life and I have plenty of regrets!  There are a whole bunch of things that I would like to take back!  I’ve done plenty of things that were absolutely unbecoming of a Christian.  I’ve said hundreds of things to people that should have never come out of my mouth.  I’ve thought thousands of thoughts that I would be absolutely embarrassed about if anyone else found out about them.   Forget about resting in peace at the end of my life!  There are things that keep me up on plenty of night while I’m still here!  Aren’t there things that keep you up at night?

            You lie down in your bed and you look back on the day that has now gone by and you think to yourself: “I shouldn’t have done that.  What was I thinking?...  Why did I have to say that in that way to that person?  I really messed up!...  My mind has been in the gutter all day long.  What is my problem?”  As sinful people with a sinful nature living in a sinful world, our lives are full of regrets, aren’t they?  One after another!  A whole bunch on top of a whole bunch more!  And so if your life really ended today, could you really look your God in the face and say, “You know what, Lord?  I’m OK with it.  I’m satisfied with the way I’ve lived my life.  I don’t take any of it back.  My conscience is completely clear.  I wouldn’t do anything different.  I don’t’ have any regrets at all.  Now dismiss your servant in peace.”  That would be a pretty bold statement, wouldn’t it?  That kind of attitude could really only come from someone without any regrets at all.

Jesus Wipes Away All Regrets

            So why did Simeon say it?  As a regular human being Simeon undoubtedly had plenty of words and actions and thoughts that he would have liked to take back too - just like we do.  He was a sinful, imperfect human being.  He wasn’t any different than we are today.  And so why does it seem in this story as if Simeon wasn’t bothered by those things?  Why wasn’t he troubled by what he had done?  Why didn’t he have any regrets?  Simeon didn’t have any regrets because of the baby that he was holding that day.  Simeon was cradling his salvation in his arms.  At that moment Simeon was actually holding in his hand the child that would one day have his hands pierced through.  At that moment Simeon was holding this child in the temple in which this child would one day be condemned to die.  At that moment Simeon was holding this child in the city outside of which this child would one day be murdered.  At that moment Simeon was holding this child standing right next to the altar of sacrifice that had always pointed to this child who would one day make the ultimate sacrifice for all people.  At that moment Simeon was holding this child and looking God in the face.  He was touching the body that would bleed for his forgiveness.  He was holding the hero of heaven in his human hands.  No, Simeon didn’t have any regrets because he knew that this little child was about to take them all away.

            And that’s exactly what happened.  Jesus soon took Simeon’s regrets away; he covered over all of his faults; he forgave Simeon every one of his sins.  And Simeon knew that was going to happen.  And so when Simeon’s time did come to be taken away from this earth, you can be sure: Simeon truly rested in peace.

We Can Rest In Peace

            There is no reason why we can’t have that same attitude.  Because here we sit in God’s house just like Simeon once did, here we are celebrating our Savior’s birth just like Simeon once did, and here Christ’s cross is our backdrop just like it always has been.  That baby, that Savior, has taken your regrets away, he has wiped out your faults, he has forgiven your sins.  You never have to look back on your life again and feel guilty.  Jesus was the guilty one.  You are innocent.  Jesus went through with the death sentence.  You are free.  Your conscience can be clean from here on out and you can truly rest in peace when your time comes.

            In fact, you can rest in peace tonight.  Tonight as you lie down on your beds after a hectic Christmas season, sleep well.  Don’t worry about what has happened in the past.  Don’t bother yourself with the difficulties that still may be ongoing in your life.  Don’t dwell on all of the possible problems that you will have to deal with in the days and the weeks and the months to come.  Because along with Simeon your eyes have just seen God’s salvation which has been prepared in the sight of all people.  A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of God’s people Israel.  What more could you want to do in this life than to praise your Lord for your salvation?  What more could you want to experience in this life than the forgiveness you’ve just received?  What more could you possibly say in this life than what Simeon said at the end of his?  “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, now dismiss your servant in peace.”  That’s exactly what he did for Simeon.  And that’s exactly what he will do for you.

            Amen.

12/24/12 - Christmas Eve - Luke 2:13-14

ON WHOM DOES GOD'S FAVOR REST?

The Armies of Angels

            There the shepherds were, in the middle of the night, out in the fields near Bethlehem.  They were minding their own business, looking after the flocks of sheep sleeping under their care, when the stillness and the quietness of the evening was suddenly broken by an angel from heaven.  “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  And if that wasn’t enough: “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests’” (Luke 2:10-14).  Can you imagine how startled those shepherds must have been?  Not only did they actually see an angel with their own eyes, but an entire army of angels appeared in the sky.  That’s what a “heavenly host” is: it’s simply another way of referring to an army from heaven.  An entire army of angels praising God in thunderous unison!  What an impressive sight that must have been!  What an impressive sound that army of angels must have made!

            But what those angels looked like and what they sounded like wasn’t the most impressive thing about that scene above the hills around Bethlehem that night.  It was what those angels sang about that made the biggest impression on the hearts of those shepherds.  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?  “Peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  Not a worldly kind of peace, of course.  But a peace of mind.  A peace from spiritual enemies.  A peace lasting for eternity.  A peace of the heart that would only come through the One that had just been born.  But of course that begs the question: If this was a peace for those on whom his favor rests, on whom does God’s favor rest?

What Prompts God’s Favor?

            Does God look with favor on you?  I’m sure that you would hope so, but can you be sure?  Is there any reason God would look with favor on you?  Because normally in this world if you look with favor on another person - if you like a person or accept a person or are comfortable with a person - it is because the person has proved themselves to be likeable or acceptable or comfortable to be around.  So is there any reason why God would look with favor on you?  Have you done anything to earn his favor?  Maybe he looks with favor on you because you try hard and do your best.  Unfortunately, that’s not going to cut it because God makes it clear in the Bible that you aren’t good enough and you don’t try hard enough.  Maybe God looks with favor on you because you are here in church this evening and a lot of other people aren’t.  But that doesn’t matter either; God doesn’t hand out brownie points for church attendance.  Maybe God looks with favor on you because you are a relatively nice person and you try to be kind and you try to be caring.  But trying to be kind and trying to be caring don’t earn God’s favor either because he doesn’t give out an “A” for effort.  Unless, of course, you are perfectly kind and perfectly nice and perfectly caring in every single way every single day to every single person you meet.  Do you fit into that category?  I know I don’t.

            Well maybe the Lord looks with favor on you because of what you have given him.  Maybe because of your generosity and your sacrifice he is pleased with you.  But that won’t do it either.  God doesn’t need anything from you that he doesn’t already have.  What about who you are at your very core: maybe if you are a person of integrity and honesty and truthfulness, then maybe that’s a reason for God to look with favor on you.  If he knows who you really are deep down inside that has to make a difference, right?  But that’s not who you really are deep down inside.  And that’s not who I am either.  According to God himself in his Word, this is who we are deep down inside: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Rom. 3:9-12).  That’s who we are at our very core: imperfect, impure, spiritually worthless people by nature.  And so let me ask this again: why would God ever look with favor on people like us?  Why would God like us, accept us, or be comfortable with us if we aren’t the kind of people he has commanded us to be?

Jesus Won God's Favor

            The answer to that question lies in a manger.  The truth is, God wouldn’t have ever looked with favor on us if it weren’t for the event we are celebrating tonight!  Because of Jesus’ birth, and his subsequent life, death, and resurrection, God now does look with favor on us!  And this is why: the one lying in a manger took our place.  Jesus was the person we were all supposed to be!  He was perfect when we were not.  He was loyal and faithful and dedicated to his Father when we refused to be.  He took the pain that we could not.  He took the torture that we could not.  He took the punishment that we could not.  And he had to do that for us because there are consequences for sin.  Consequences of death - physical and eternal.  And those consequences were exactly what we had to look forward to.  But then the Son of God was born into this world as a real human being.  Which meant that Jesus basically stood up and said, “I’ll take it, Father.  I’ll bear the consequences of death and hell.  Put them on me.  I’ll be their substitute.  I’ll be their sacrifice.  My life will be the ransom for theirs.”  And so that’s exactly what happened.  This child whose birth was announced to shepherds outside of Bethlehem one evening would one day be crucified by soldiers outside of Jerusalem one afternoon.  This baby lying in a manger would one day end up lying in a tomb.  This infant wrapped in strips of cloth in a countryside barnyard would one day remove his own burial cloths when he broke free from the grave.  And this all happened because God’s anger had been redirected: from us to the Son.  Jesus was treated like the sinner.  Jesus was punished like a criminal.  Jesus was sentenced as if he were the guilty one.  And on the other hand the perfection and the purity and the innocence that Jesus himself had achieved, he gave to you.  Everything that Jesus earned, he gave to you.  Now you are the one who is credited with perfection and purity and innocence.  You are the one whose record is clean.  You are the one without anything held against you.

We Are Favored by God

            You are the one that God looks with favor on.  Not because you’ve been so good or have tried so hard.  Not because you came to church tonight or because you try to be such a nice person.  Not because you give back to him or because you think that you really are decent at the core.  Your God looks with favor on you because of Jesus: what he did, what he took, what he gave.  God looks with favor on you only because of the cradle and the cross.  Only because he was a true human being in the womb and true God out of the tomb.  Only because of Jesus’ life and his death… and his life again.  You are one on whom God’s favor rests.  But only because of Jesus.  Only because of Jesus.

             That first Christmas evening must have been an incredible experience for the shepherds: an announcement from an actual angel, a choir of heavenly beings, Jesus himself lying in a manger, and the chance to tell other people about it.  I wish I had been there!  Don’t you?  But even though we missed out on that first heavenly choir made up of angel armies, we won’t miss the second.  Although we weren’t there to physically see Jesus lying in a manger, we will see him sitting on his throne.  Although we didn’t hear the majestic “Glory to God in the highest!” we will sing those words right along with those same angels one day soon.  Because God’s favor rests on us.  God’s favor rests on you.  Through faith in Jesus as your Savior, God’s favor rests on you.  And because his favor rests on you, he gives you peace.  Peace of mind, peace from every spiritual enemy.  Peace that lasts forever.  What a comforting thought to take home with you tonight.  What a joy to wake up with tomorrow on Christmas morning.  What a promise to carry with you for the rest of your life.  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

Amen.

12/23/12 - Advent 4 - Luke 1:46-55

THE LUCKIEST MOST BLESSED PERSON ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH

Lou Gehrig’s Statement

            On July 4^th, 1939, a baseball player for the New York Yankees delivered one of the most famous farewell speeches that has ever been given.  His name was Lou Gehrig.  And after 17 years in the game of baseball he was diagnosed with a rare disease that would become known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.”  It’s a degenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, inevitably leading to death.  And so Lou Gehrig had no choice but to retire from baseball when he was just 35 years old because his body could no longer function properly.  A little over two years later he died.  But on that one afternoon at Yankee Stadium, when he officially said goodbye to his team and to his fans, he famously said, “Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”

            But why would he say something like that?  He was going to die at such a young age!  He was a well-conditioned athlete whose body was mysteriously failing!  He was going to leave behind a young wife and he didn’t any children to carry on his name!  Why would he consider himself the luckiest person on the face of this earth?  Well, in his speech he said that everyone had been so nice to him, he had enjoyed many years with a lot of great people, and his family members were “the finest” he knew.  That’s why he considered himself the luckiest person on the face of the earth: He had enjoyed so much for so many years that he couldn’t complain.

Mary’s Statement

            Many, many centuries before Lou Gehrig ever gave that speech, a young woman said something very similar.  But it wasn’t said in front of a large crowd, it was spoken in the privacy of a home.  And the occasion wasn’t a life ending, but a life that had just begun.  The young woman’s name was Mary, her audience was no one else but her older cousin Elizabeth, and this is what Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.  From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me.”  Mary didn’t consider herself to be the “luckiest” person on the face of this earth because what had happened to her had nothing to do with luck.  But she did know that she was one of the “most blessed” people ever to live because of the great things the Mighty One had done for her.  And what had he done?  He had chosen her to be the mother of the Savior!  She was to bear the Messiah whom she and her people had been waiting for for thousands of years!  Out of all the Christian women ever to live, this young unmarried virgin girl from Galilee had been picked to give birth to God himself!  No wonder her soul glorified the Lord and rejoiced in God her Savior!  No wonder she felt like the most blessed person on the face of this earth!  She had been given a responsibility and a privilege that no one else had ever been given before or ever would after her.  The son that she was now carrying in her womb would be none other than the Son of God.  And that didn’t have anything to do with luck.  It had everything to do with the love of her Lord.

The Lord Didn’t Have To

            We would agree with Mary, wouldn’t we?  I’m sure all of us would say that she was one of the most blessed people in this world because of the incredible role she had been given to carry out in this life.  But might I submit that Mary was not the only one who could consider herself the most blessed person on the face of this earth.  So can we.  Because although the Lord chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus, she was not the only one for whom Jesus was sent.  Jesus was sent for us too, wasn’t he?  He was sent to this earth as a real human being for our sakes, for our forgiveness, for our salvation.  If that doesn’t make us the most blessed people on the face of this earth, I don’t know what does!  And what’s more: he didn’t have to do it!  Other than keeping the promise he made to us, he wasn’t obligated to do anything for us.  He didn’t owe us in any way.  He didn’t have to give us a chance.  In fact, he had every right to throw us out.

            Think of the history of humanity in this world: God gave us a perfect place in which to live forever; but Adam and Eve threw it all away by disobeying his command and eating from that tree.  God then gave humanity another chance and allowed people to procreate instead of wiping us out.  But over the years we threw it away again and by the time of Noah there were only eight people left who believed in the Lord.  After the flood God gave us the entire world to inhabit again, but we threw it away at the tower of Babel.  God gave his chosen Old Testament people a covenant - they threw it away.  God gave his chosen Old Testament people the Promised Land - they threw it away.  God gave his chosen Old Testament people priests and prophets and kings - they threw them away. 

            And God knew what was going to happen later on too.  He knew that when he would give us his commands in the Bible today that we would regularly throw them away.  He knew that when he would give us advice and encouragement in the Bible we would routinely throw that away too.  He knew that when he would show us his love and demonstrate his power and graciously give us his mercy through his Word, we would throw those things away just like everything else.  It would have made sense if the Lord had thrown us away.  It would have been entirely appropriate for him if the Lord had given up on us and moved on.  But instead he threw everything on the table; he threw himself at the problem to fix it; he threw his own Son into the bowels of hell to save us.  That’s why we are the most blessed people on the face of this earth: because the Son of God became the Son of man, the Creator became a corpse, and the One who shouldn’t have died in the first place became alive once again.  And he did it for us.  He did it for a world that throws him away on a regular basis.  He did it for a people who don’t fully appreciate him and never will.  We truly are the most blessed people on the face of this earth because everything he has given us we don’t deserve.

“I’ve Got An Awful Lot To Live For”

            At the end of Lou Gehrig’s famous speech he finished with, “I may have had a tough break, but I’ve got an awful lot to live for.”  And that may have been true.  He may have had a lot of good things to look forward to after baseball.  Of course, what he had to live for in this life wasn’t going to last and neither would he much longer.  But those same words can resound with a much more profound meaning when said in a spiritual context.  “I’ve got an awful lot to live for!”  Isn’t that true?  We have everything to live for!  We’ve got a spot booked in heaven, a loving Lord waiting for us there, and a guarantee based on Jesus’ blood that can never be nullified.  We have everything to live for!  And not for just another couple years.  We have everything to look forward to for the rest of eternity.

            And so “From now on, all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me.”  These aren’t just the words of Mary.  They are the words of every Christian.  We are the most blessed people on this face of this earth.  Because Jesus came here for us - and by the grace of our God and the power of the Holy Spirit through his Word, we believe it.  And that wasn’t because of luck, it was because of the love of our Lord.  A love so deep that he would send his Son here.  A love so strong that he will one day take us there.

            Amen.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”  - Psalm 33:12

12/16/12 - Children's Christmas Service - Isaiah 7:14

GOD IS WITH US!

Old Testament Names Meant Something

            Why were you given the name that you now have?  I’m sure some of you were named after a relative or two.  Others of you were probably given names that your parents found in the Bible.  And others of you were given the first names you still have today simply because your parents liked the name and nothing more.  But no matter what name you have, you probably weren’t given it because the name meant something special.  There are exceptions, of course, but names in our culture usually just identify who we are - they don’t mean anything beyond that.

            That wasn’t the case among God’s people in the centuries before Jesus was born.  Many of the names that were given to children in those cultures actually meant something back then.  For example, Adam was given the name “Adam” because it means “man” - and he, of course, was the first man ever to be created.  Eve was given the name “Eve” because it comes from the word that means to “live” - and she was the mother of every person that has ever lived on this earth after her.  Isaac means “laugh” because his mother Sarah laughed when she heard that she was supposed to have a baby in her old age.  Esau means “hairy” because he was hairy.  Jacob means “deceives” because he deceived people in more ways than one.  Names actually meant something back then.  But the most interesting names in Old Testament times were those that ended (or began) with “el.”  Because that ending (pronounced ‘ale’) was a name for God in the Hebrew language.  So Samuel means “God listens” because God listened to the prayer of his mother Hannah when she asked for a son.  Daniel means “God is my Judge.”  And Israel means “Struggles with God” because Jacob, to whom that name Israel was given, once struggled with God himself on the night that the Lord blessed him.  Any name back then that ended with an “el” had a very significant meaning that had to do with God.

            And so you can imagine the excitement when the name given to the coming Savior also ended with an “el.”  But there was something different about this name.  There was something special.  Over 700 years before the promised Savior came into this world, the Lord predicted what name the Messiah would be given.  “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Immanuel Means “God With Us”

            “Immanuel.”  It means “God is with Us.”  What a telling name for the coming Savior!  There had really never been another name like it!  There may have been names given to men about what God had done for them.  There may have been names given to men about what God would do.  But there had never been a name given to a man about who the man would be: God is with Us.  And so it wasn’t just a little baby lying in that manger; God was with us.  It wasn’t just a regular man walking around performing miracles and healing the sick; God was with us.  It wasn’t just a teacher instructing the crowds, it wasn’t just a preacher proclaiming the good news, it wasn’t just another prophet speaking the words of God; God himself was actually with us!  In the flesh!  Someone you could visibly see!  Someone you could physically touch!  God was with us!  Immanuel!

            What an exciting prospect for those people who received this message for the very first time!  Because after Adam and Eve, no one had been allowed to see God.  People had seen clouds and smoke and fire that shielded God’s glory from human eyes; people had been given visions in which they could see a representation of who God was; Moses had even been given a glimpse of God’s back for a brief moment; but no human being had ever looked God in the face.  Because “You cannot see my face,” God told Moses.  “For no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20).  No sinful human being could ever stand in the presence of a perfect God and survive.  No one outside the gates of heaven could ever be able to experience the full glory and power and majesty of the almighty Lord and live to tell about it.  No one on this earth could see God.  For 4000 plus years no one had laid eyes on him.  Until Immanuel.

            Until the one named “God with Us” came to be with us.  Until that one evening in a barn in Bethlehem when God wrapped himself in the skin and the flesh and the bones and the hair of a real human being.  And Mary saw God himself.  Joseph saw God himself.  The shepherds and the wise men and many more people saw God himself because God was with them!  And he still is!  Jesus certainly lived and died, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, but remember at the end of Jesus’ time on this earth before he went up into heaven, he told his disciples and all of us: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).  God is with us right now.  We might not be able to see him, but he is with us nonetheless.  He’s not simply far above us, unattached and unaware of what is happening here.  God is with us now just like he was on that first Christmas evening almost 2000 years ago.

If God is With Us, We’re in Trouble

            Parents, I want ask you a question.  And whether you still have kids in the house or not, you’ll know the answer.  In fact, kids, you’ll know the answer too: Are children more likely to misbehave when a parent is standing right there in the room with them or when the parent is someplace else?  Usually a child is more likely to do what he/she shouldn’t do when the parent is not there.  Why?  Because the parent can’t see them, the parent can’t hear them, the parent can’t catch them in the act and stop them.  When the parent is right there with the child however, that child thinks twice before doing something wrong because it’s no fun getting in trouble.

            I bring this up because God himself is with us.  And not just in an abstract, warm fuzzy feeling kind of way.  God is actually with us.  He is standing right by our side at all times.  He’s never in the other room.  He’s never looking the other way.  He’s never distracted by something else.  God is with us.  Constantly.  Continually.  Whether we want him to be or not!  You have no privacy when it comes to your God.  But if God is with us that means he sees everything that you do.  If God is with us he hears everything that you say.  If God is with us he knows everything that you think.  Isn’t that a little bit unnerving?  You can’t hide anything from him.  You can’t get away with anything with him.  You can’t pretend or talk your way out of or slip anything by him.  You might tell yourself that no one else will see - but God is standing right in front of you.  You might convince yourself that no one else will hear - but God has his ear right next to your mouth.  You might think that no one else will ever know what goes on inside your mind - but God knew what you were going to think before you ever thought it.  You are caught red-headed every time.  And there is nothing you can say or do to get out of it.

            And you know the penalty, don’t you?  It’s not just a slap on the wrist.  God has made himself very clear in the Bible: for just one ill-advised action, heaven is closed off.  For just one mean-spirited word, heaven is closed off.  For just one inappropriate thought, heaven is closed off.  And we have committed thousands upon thousands of those offenses, haven’t we?  How can we expect to get to heaven and live with a perfect God when he doesn’t allow imperfect people in his presence?  How can we expect to convince God that we’re OK when God has been with us from the very beginning and has seen and heard everything we have ever done?  God is with us.  He knows how bad we are in every way.

If God is With Us, We Are Saved

            Two days ago on Friday morning, a 24 year old entered an elementary school with a couple guns.  He shot and killed 28 people - 20 of which were little children.  And as the news spread throughout the community, the parents who had children at the school came rushing in from all directions.  Of course, they weren’t allowed inside right away, they had to wait until their children were brought out to them.  But why were these parents so eager to be with their children on that Friday morning?  So that they could catch them doing bad things?  So that they could monitor their behavior?  So that they could punish them if they stepped out of line?  Of course not!  These parents wanted to be with their children so desperately at that moment to make sure that they were alright, to protect them, to comfort them, to hold them close.

            That is exactly why God is with us.  He isn’t with us to catch us doing bad things or to monitor our behavior or to punish us when we step out of line.  Our God, Immanuel, is with us to protect us, to comfort us, and to hold us close.  Our God came down to be with us in the form of a human being not just to check up on us to see if we’re OK, but to actually do something about it.  Because we weren’t OK!  We were in a far worse situation than those children were in two days ago in Connecticut.  We needed Jesus to be with us.  We needed our God to intervene.  We needed Immanuel: the God-Man who could do what we could not.  The God-Man who could keep the commandments that we don’t even come close to obeying.  The God-Man who could die in our place and take the penalty we deserved.  The God-Man who could lie in a tomb but then rise from the dead.  The God-Man who could win our forgiveness, who could secure our salvation, who could earn our eternal life.  The God-Man who would give it to us free of charge.  So that now the Father doesn’t look at us as imperfect sinful human beings, but perfect and pure children of the Lord. 

            But we needed God to be with us for that to happen.  There was no other way.  There was no other solution.  God himself had to come down and fix the problem.  God himself had to open heaven for us once again.  Now make no mistake: God still sees and hears and knows about everything we have ever done and said and thought.  But because he knows it all, he was able to pay for it all by the holes in his head and his hands and his feet and his side.  He didn’t ignore what we had done.  But he isn’t going to punish us for what we have done either.  Because he has already taken the punishment himself.  And through faith in him, we never have to worry about it again.  There won’t be a penalty for those who believe in him.  There will only be Paradise.

We Will Always Be With God

            In just over a week is Christmas Day.  The day every year when we celebrate the birth of Christ, the coming of Immanuel.  And it will be a day filled with presents and cookies, music and food.  And that’s just fine.  But don’t overlook the gravity of that event and the eternal implications of the birth you will be celebrating.  Because it is no regular birthday; it is no regular baby; and it is no regular name.  It is Immanuel, God with us.  And that day of his birth is the start of his climb to the cross.  It is the beginning of the battle for our souls.  It is the point at which the perfect God came down to an imperfect world for the very first time and put into motion the plan of our salvation.  What a momentous occasion!  What an incredible occurrence!  What a comforting name!  Immanuel.  The God who came to be with us so that one day we could be with him.

            Amen.

“Amen!  Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our god forever and ever.  Amen!”  - Rev. 7:12

12/9/12 - Advent 2 - Luke 3:1-6

CLEAR THE WAY

John the Baptists’ Work

            Would you like to know the prayer I pray right before I look up at you and begin each sermon?  It varies from week to week but it usually goes something like this: “Lord, please let my words be your words and your words be mine.  Work in the hearts of your people despite the obstacles I throw in the way.  May your will be done.  Amen.”  And I pray that kind of prayer before every sermon because if the Lord works through his Word then I want to get out of the way.  I don’t want my mannerisms or my delivery or my poorly constructed outline to hinder the gospel in any way.  And so I try not to entertain you up here either.  I try not to make it into a performance or a standup comedy routine.  I just try to get out of the way.  That’s the reason for the robe: it covers me up and removes any extra distractions from the Word of God about your Savior.  That’s why there are no flashing lights up here or concert-type special effects: I wouldn’t want to inadvertently create any diversions from the Word of God about your Savior.  And everything that is up here: the banners, the cross, the Advent candles… they are all meant to direct your attention back to the Word of God about your Savior.  The Lord works through his Word.  And so it is important to get everything else out of the way. 

            That was John the Baptist’s entire ministry.  He had been called on by the Lord to get everything out of the way so that this world would be prepared for the arrival of Jesus.  Do you remember when the US Pro Cycling Challenge came through Montrose this past summer?  The second stage of the race started over at the Pavilion and there were a number of turns the course took through the city before getting on Hwy 50 out to Gunnison.  And for those of you who watched some of it or were actually involved, you know how big of a production it was.  Every street on the course had to be completely cleared: cars off the side of the streets, the roads swept - especially the little pebbles on the corners of each turn, all trash had to be discarded, and someone was posted at every one of the sidewalks, streets, and driveways that intersected with the route.  Nothing could get in the way.  It was important that the riders had the clearest possible avenue through each of the city streets so that the flow of the race would not be disrupted.

            That sums up John the Baptist’s ministry.  He had to clear the way for the coming Savior.  He had to make sure that the pebbles and the rocks and the trash and the obstacles in the hearts of the people were cleared out so that Christ could have an unobstructed avenue to offer his forgiveness.  Here’s how Luke describes John’s job: “The word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.  He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.  Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low.  The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.  And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’”

            “Prepare the way for the Lord,” John had been ordered hundreds of years before he was born.  “Make straight paths for him,” his divine job description read.  And so John prepared people’s hearts and he straightened their attitudes through the only way possible: repentance.  Repentance has two parts: 1) sorrow over sin and 2) faith that those sins are forgiven.  Preparing people with this repentance was John’s sole task.   And he was good at what he did.

The Obstacles We Throw in the Way

            It’d probably be good for us sometimes if John were still around.  At least it’d be good for me!  I could probably use someone who would call me out every once in a while; someone who would not hesitate to point out my sins; someone who would be relentless in his pursuit to drive me to repentance and back to Christ; someone who would help me get my sins out of the way.  Because there are a lot of obstacles I throw in front of my Savior!  And those obstacles all have to do with unrepentance: not admitting, not acknowledging, not being sorry for my sin. 

            Think about all of the obstacles that you throw in his way: You might tell a little white lie, for example.  But you certainly aren’t going to admit to yourself right away that there was anything wrong with it!  We like to justify our words and actions.  And so we’ll say something to ourselves like, “Well, he didn’t need to know the truth, so that’s why I said what I said.”  “I said it for their best interests, so it’s no big deal.”  “I didn’t have bad intentions, I just wanted to avoid any embarrassment the truth would cause them.  I can’t be faulted for that!”  We don’t like to admit that we are in the wrong; we like to justify every word we say.

            And even when we do admit that something probably was a sin, we aren’t always sorry for it!  “Yeah, well that person deserved it.”  Or “It might have been wrong, but I’d do it again.”  Or “It probably wasn’t the best way for me to handle the situation but I don’t care; that’s what needed to happen.”  And so instead of an attitude of sorrow and regret over sin, we carry around an attitude of rebellious self-righteousness, a pompous air of having the authority to do whatever we think is right.  Those are not only pebbles and rocks, those are huge obstacles that we throw in the way of our Savior!  Because as our Savior comes to us with that forgiveness in his blood and we meet him with that kind of unrepentant attitude, we are basically saying, “I didn’t sin there, I don’t need your forgiveness for that.”  Or “I might have sinned there, but I don’t want your forgiveness because I don’t regret it at all.  You should talk to that person, Jesus.  Or maybe that person over there.  They are the ones that need forgiveness.  Not me.  At least not for these things that I won’t admit and these other things that I don’t regret.” 

            Now I know that we might not verbalize our claims of innocence so boldly.  But any unrepentant sin - any sin that we are not sorry about and do not trust that it is forgiven by Jesus - that kind of sin carries that kind of attitude just described.  And when we throw unrepentant sins in God’s way, we do not receive forgiveness for those sins.  That’s a dangerous game to play!  That’s a game you aren’t going to win.  Because when a sin is not forgiven, neither are you.  That sin is counted against you and you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus Clears the Way

            “Merciful Father, I am altogether sinful from birth.  In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child.  But trusting in Jesus my Savior I pray: Lord, have mercy on me according to your unfailing love.  Cleanse me from my sin and take away my guilt.”  Those words should sound familiar since we said them earlier this morning.  In almost every worship service we confess our sins together in some way.  And we do that not just because it is what we normally do, but because it’s that important!  To repent of our sins on a regular basis is a vital thing for a Christian to do and so it is proper for us to do it together.  “I am altogether sinful from birth… In countless ways I have sinned against you…”  We don’t enumerate every one of our sins, do we?  Because first of all that isn’t necessary and second of all it isn’t possible.  We simply admit that we are completely sinful and ask that the Lord to forgive every one of our sins: those we remember, those we don’t, and those we didn’t even know were sins at the time.  Just like King David said in Psalm 19, “Who can discern his errors?  Forgive my hidden faults.”  We come before our Lord every Sunday - and I would hope that you go before your Lord every day - and repent of your sins.  And what does your Lord do every time?  He forgives you.

            Our Lord loves to forgive.  He lives to forgive!  He wants nothing more than to take the blood and the sacrifice and the ransom that he earned on that cross and cover over all of these sins that we keep producing every day.  He truly enjoys doing that.  He looks forward to clearing the way for us to go to heaven.  Just as we are to clear the way for him, he clears the way for us.  And so when we throw our unrepentant sins in his way from time to time, he doesn’t let that stop him.  He confronts us with his law; he convicts us of our sins; and the he convinces us that he is our Savior.  He breaks down our stubborn attitudes; he pierces through our calloused hearts; he breaks up our self-aggrandizing image of ourselves; and he makes us aware of our need of forgiveness.  And then he forgives.  Every time.  Whether in baptism - as it was John’s job to do, in the Lord’s Supper, or in the spoken Word, Jesus forgives.  He forgives you without qualification, without stipulation, without limitation.  Your Lord’s forgiveness is complete.  Once he forgives a sin, it’s gone.  You never have to bring it to your mind again because your Lord never will.  As far as he is concerned, that sin has been paid for by his death and you don’t ever have to bother with it for the rest of eternity.

            Because Jesus doesn’t forgive you because of repentance.  Jesus forgives you because of his grace.  Repentance is simply the acknowledgment of a Christian that Jesus has already forgiven that sin.  And although that truth is demonstrated throughout Scripture, it is also supported by the words here in Luke 3.  Remember that John was told to “Prepare the way for the Lord” and “Make straight paths for him”?  But right after that command the prophecy switches gears a little bit.  Instead of a command it turns into a fact: “Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low.  The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.  And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’”  This is what our Lord will accomplish.  He will clear the way for himself!  Through his powerful Word the Black Canyon of our souls will be filled in; through his powerful Word the Red Mountain pass of our hearts will be leveled; through his powerful Word the winding mountain trails of our minds will be made straight; through his powerful Word the wash-board roads of our sinful attitudes will all be smoothed out.  “And all mankind will see God’s salvation.”  His forgiveness will flow freely.  It will wash over your hearts and souls and minds and attitudes with a peace and a joy and a refreshment that is unparalleled.  Because he does not wait for us to get our hearts ready for him.  No, if that were the case, he’d still be waiting.  He gets our hearts ready for himself by himself.  Through the law and then the gospel.  By revealing the consequences for our sin and then by revealing the crucifixion for our sin.  He does the work.  He clears the way.  Even when it comes to repentance.  Even something like repentance is worked through you by God’s Word.  Even repentance is not left up to your own work and effort.  Even repentance is part of God’s grace.  And thankfully the Lord is good at what he does.

            And so I will continue to pray the sermon prayer I do every week: that his words be my words and that mine be his, and that he would work on the hearts of those who hear him despite the obstacles I throw in his way.  And I hope that you pray that same kind of prayer too: that he would work in your hearts despite the obstacles that you throw in his way, that he would break through and move you to repent, and that he would then comfort you with the peace of his forgiveness.  And there is no doubt that the Lord always says “yes” to those prayers.  Because he loves those prayers.  He loves clearing the way.  He loves to forgive.  Which is why we hear the announcement of forgiveness after we confess our sins together every Sunday.  And what we hear in this building is what you can cling to every day of your life.  For any sin at any time know that these words that we heard earlier this morning will always be true: “God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins.  By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever.  You are his own dear child.  May God give you strength to live according to his will.  Amen.”

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Thess. 5:23