Behold! The Plans of our Enemy, Revealed! (Revelation 12:1-17)

August 26, 2012

Series: What I'd Like to Know Is…(5/6)

 

Dear friends in Christ.

During World War II, one of the greatest weapons that the allies had was their ability to understand the plans of their enemies.  Because they had broken the enemy’s code, there were many times that they knew what their enemy’s next move was and they were able to counter it.  Well, for us as Christians, the same thing is true.  We have been blessed by the Lord, because today the plans of our enemy have been revealed to us! Though satan had sought to keep his plans from us and to lead us astray without even our knowing what he was up to, it is the Lord Jesus who reveals satan’s plans to us in our lesson today. 

Now, if you haven’t already done so, I invite you to turn with me to our lesson in Revelation 12, and we’ll take a look at the plans that satan has utilized in an effort to win the victory over us.  As John writes, he begins by taking us back in time, in a symbolic way, to the birth of Christ.  We see a woman, clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and with twelve stars encircling her brow as a crown of victory.  She is pregnant and ready to give birth, and from the context of the chapter, we quickly realize that this woman represents the Church—the gathering of God’s believer on earth.  It is through this Church, specifically the line of David and the House of Israel through which the Savior came.  He is the child with which the Old Testament Church was pregnant with expectation for millennia, and as Chapter 12 begins, John reveals satan’s plan to do away with the Christ.  John writes, “A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days." (Revelation 12:1–6, NIV84)

This was satan’s plan from the beginning!  Ever since the Lord had promised Adam and Eve that he would send a Savior, satan had been standing in readiness, seeking to destroy the child so that we would have no Savior.  He sought to destroy the Israelites by leading them away from the worship of the true God, but the Lord always retained many faithful people in Israel.  He tried to destroy the line of David when Queen Athaliah killed off all of the royal family in Judah.  Thus satan hoped that he might do away with the line of the Savior and thus destroy the Christ before he was even born!  But the Lord intervened and spared the life of Joash, the next king in David’s line and the next ancestor in the line of the Savior. (2 Kings 11).  Satan tried to destroy the line of the Savior by turning the religion of the Israelites into Pharisaical rules and regulations which ultimately kept people from learning about or understanding the promise of the Messiah.  Yet, the Lord again kept the message of salvation alive in the hearts of many of his people.  Even when the Savior was born, satan sought to destroy him when Herod ordered all the babies 2 years and younger to be executed.  But again the Lord intervened and his son was swept away to Egypt.  Satan sought to destroy Jesus by tempting him, in the wilderness, but Jesus did not succumb to his temptations.  Satan sought to destroy Jesus through the Pharisees, Sadducees, Teachers of the Law, and other critics who constantly sought to trap in falsehood, but they never succeeded.  Satan tried to destroy Jesus by tempting Jesus to water down his message or become simply a bread king as we’ve heard in our Gospel lessons from John 6 for the past few weeks, but Jesus kept on teaching the truth of God’s Word wherever he went, and never once watered down the message.  Finally satan tried to destroy Jesus by raising up such a hatred of him that his own people chose to crucify him.  Yet, Jesus used this very event to complete his mission.  He willingly gave up his life on the cross so that he could forgive the sins of the world.  He endured the very punishment of hell in our place giving his life over to death, and thus destroy satan, stifling and completely running his plan to destroy the source of our salvation.

Even though satan sought to destroy Jesus and his ability to be our Savior, Jesus completed his mission.  He saved his people.  He destroyed the power of the devil, and at his ascension, Jesus was snatched up to God and to his throne where he now lives and reigns over us.  Though for a short time the Church on earth enjoyed the physical presence of her Lord and Savior, today, the Church is left to sojourn in the desert of this world.  But even though we are living in the desert of this sin-filled world, we are still being fed and nourished by the Lord and his Word.  We have the comfort of congregations like this one, where we have the opportunity to hear the Word of God on a regular basis; where we are cared for by our Lord and be built up in our faith until the time when our Savior comes again on the Last Day!  This is the 1,260 days that John writes about here!  Whether it is written as 1,260 days, 42 months, 3 ½ years, or time, times and half a time, it all means the same thing.  It is the symbolic time of the New Testament Era—the complete amount of time that must pass from the day of Jesus’ ascension until the day of his return on the Last Day.

But taking out Jesus was only part of satan’s plan!  Not only did he want to destroy Jesus’ ability to be our Savior so that we would be trapped in our sins with no hope of salvation, satan also wanted to take over heaven itself and become the new god!  Take a look at what John writes beginning with verse 7: “And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”" (Revelation 12:7–12, NIV84)

Though it is very possible that John here receives a flash back to the day when satan originally rebelled against the Lord, from the context, it seems more likely that John sees a picture of the war that took place when Jesus was going to the cross.  It seems that even as Jesus is arrested (Luke 22:52-53) and is led to the cross; even as Jesus is enduring the pains of hell and damnation; even as God the Father seems to be distracted by the plight of his Son and he rejects him for the sin that he has become on the cross, it seems that satan takes the opportunity to storm the halls of heaven itself so that he might once and for all overthrow the Lord, and become the new ruler of creation.  Why does it seem this way?  Because the only battle in which satan lost the ability to accuse is the battle that ended with Jesus’ death on the cross.  It was after this battle, before Jesus rose from the dead that he victoriously marched through hell itself declaring total victory over our enemy, the devil.  It is through this battle that the salvation and the power of our God and the authority of his Christ came because satan, the accuser of our brothers had been hurled down.

This is what John saw in our lesson today.  He saw satan, as his plans come to ruin as he lost the battle when he was defeated by Jesus’ death and resurrection.  He saw satan as his plans come to ruin when he went up against the angels of heaven and learned that he was not strong enough to defeat the angels of God who fought against him and all his demons with the power of the Lord God himself.  He saw satan defeated, losing his ability to accuse us of our sins because through faith in Jesus our sins have been washed away.  Our dirty, stinking, filthy, sin-filled garments have been removed by Jesus and replaced by a robe of his righteousness and holiness.  No longer can satan accuse us, because through faith in Jesus our Savior, we are at peace with God and members of his household! 

But even though satan has been defeated, he has not given up.  He is still fighting against the Lord to this very day.  Though the first two plans that the Lord revealed to us today may have failed, satan is very resilient.  Even though satan is not able to defeat the Lord of Hosts, and even though he is not able to defeat Christ’s bride, the Church because the Lord has promised that the gates of hell will never overcome her, satan has implemented a new plan—a plan that has been working since the beginning of time!  Take a look at verse 13-17: “When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus." (Revelation 12:13–17, NIV84)

Even though satan is not able to defeat the Lord, or completely destroy the Lord’s Church, he still seeks to do everything he can to separate the Church, and her offspring from the Lord.  He spews out false doctrine in an effort to overtake, dilute, and utterly destroy the truth of salvation.  He slowly infuses thoughts of social justice, social change and other social agendas into the messages that congregations teach in an effort to change their focus from a message of salvation through faith in Jesus to a message of making this world better for the benefit of all society.  He takes the message of God’s great love that moved him to send Jesus to be our Savior to free us from our sins so that we could be forgiven and live with him forever in heaven, and begins to corrupt it into thoughts of God being nothing more than love.  Thus the thoughts naturally follow that if God is love he must love me no matter what, and if God loves me no matter what it doesn’t matter how I live because God loves me for who I am.  So, because God loves me for who I am, I can then live in God’s love by loving others in whatever way seems best to me, whether they be men or women.  Thus, through satan’s deception, the God who is love has been replaced by Love, which has become, to many, a god.  Just think, how many congregations hasn’t satan infiltrated, diluting and even stealing the message of salvation from God’s children, separating them from him and him from them?  How many times hasn’t satan’s war against those who hold to the testimony of Jesus been effective enough to make them turn from their faith and walk away from the Lord?  How often hasn’t satan worked in our congregation and been successful in separating some from their Lord and Savior here at Grace?

Though I wish we were immune to satan’s plans, how often hasn’t he sent anger and frustration rippling through our congregation in an effort to separate us from the love of our God?  How often hasn’t he sought to make even the strongest Christians question their faith in God?  How often hasn’t he sought to fill our hearts with a lukewarm attitude toward worship and Bible study?  How often hasn’t he sought to fill us with the attitude that it is more important for us to be spiritual than it is for us to be religious?  How often hasn’t he set parents and children against each other, pushing and pushing until children simply refuse to come to church because the message is out dated or it simply doesn’t speak to them anyway?  How often hasn’t he set husbands and wives against each other in arguments that are only meant to drive a wedge between them and their God?

These are but a few of the ways that satan is seeking even now to destroy us and separate us from the Lord Jesus, our Savior.  But even though he is seeking to separate us, we have the benefit of knowing his plans, and as GI Joe would say, “Knowing is half the battle!”  The other half is equipping and going on the offensive.  So, do just that!  Equip yourselves against satan’s schemes.  Build yourselves up in the Word of God through regular worship and regular Bible study.  Review the battle plans with which the Lord has equipped you in his Word.  Put on the full armor of salvation and speak to the Lord with Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs on a regular basis.  Live in the love that Jesus has lavished upon you—the forgiveness of sins.  Remind yourselves daily of your baptisms, and seek to drown, your enemy every day through sorrow over your sins and repentance.  Thus, strengthened by the Lord, you will be built up in your faith, strengthened in your knowledge of forgiveness and ready to stand against your enemy, because today the Lord has revealed his plans to you, and drawn you closer to the Lord, your Savior, who has separated you from satan and made you his own through faith in Christ Jesus. 

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

Wives, Willingly Submit yourselves to your Husband. (Ephesians 5:22-24)

Series: What I'd Like to Know Is…

August 19, 2012

Dear friends in Christ.

Fourteen years ago today, at this very moment, my wife and I were probably packing our last suitcases and getting ready to head out to the airport to catch our flight back to Milwaukee.  The adventure that was our honeymoon was coming to a close, but the adventure that is our marriage was just beginning.  In just a few short weeks, I would be returning for my final year at the Seminary as a married man, and Miss Hatter’s classroom would now be taken over by Mrs. Shilling.  Before we knew it, we would begin learning things about each other that we hadn’t known before.  We would grow in our love and caring for each other.  Laura would bask in the love with which I cherished her then and continue to cherish her today, and I would begin to learn just what it meant to have a wonderful and loving wife, willingly submitting herself to me.  It was during that year that we both began to understand what the Lord is speaking about when he calls on wives to willingly submit themselves to their husbands, as Paul writes in our lesson this morning.  “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." (Ephesians 5:22–24, NIV84)

Wow!  These are some very powerful words.  Not only are these some very powerful words, but these are words that very few people want to hear.  These are words that very few people want to hear because they are some of the most misunderstood words in the Bible. They are so misunderstood because ever since the first sin entered the world, these words have been understood in the context of value rather than in the context of function.  Though as Paul was speaking specifically of the function, or the roll of a wife in marriage when he calls on wives to willingly submit themselves to their husbands, so often women of all ages have perceived the very act of submission as something that will devalue them as a person in marriage and even in society.  In fact, it is very easy for women of all ages to feel that the simple act of submission will devalue them in some way or another simply because society keeps telling them that if they submit themselves to someone or something their value as a person will be diminished. On top of that, there are many women who have felt devalued by men who have used the words of Ephesians 5 to keep them down, to keep them in their place, and to simply exert the idea that as men, they have, in some way, a greater value than a woman or a wife.

However, Ladies, as Paul writes these words calling on wives to willingly submit themselves to their husbands, he is assuring you of your great value as a daughter of your heavenly Father and as a sister of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  As Paul writes these words he is assuring each and every one of you, Ladies, that you are a child of God, and that your value is exactly the same as any man.  Whether you are a young girl, a young woman, a woman in the prime of your life, an honored woman distinguished by age, a wife or a mother, you are God’s dearly loved child through faith in Christ Jesus.  You are a woman of great value to your Father in heaven, and now as a woman of great value, your heavenly father is asking you to fulfill a very specific function.  What I mean is this: take a look at our lesson again and see what the Lord is asking of you.  Paul writes, “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." (Ephesians 5:22–24, NIV84)

Now, before you get too hung up on that word, “submit” pages with me back to Ephesians chapter 1, and let’s look, together, at the great value that the Lord places on both men and women as his children.  As Paul opens this letter he writes, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—" (Ephesians 1:1–5, NIV84)

Now, some of you might be thinking, “If God places such value on both men and women, why is he talking only about sons?  Why not ‘children’?”  The reason for this is that in Paul’s day, in Greek culture, Roman culture, and Jewish culture, sons were the heirs of the family.  In other words Paul’s point is that we have all been adopted as heirs of God, and as the Bible tells us in other places, “We are co-heirs with Jesus Christ.”  So, whether we are men or women, boys or girls, we are all heirs of God because he valued us so highly that we were all adopted as heirs.  Back to verse 5:  “In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. 11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:4b–14, NIV84 emphasis added)

This, ladies, is your value as daughters of your heavenly Father and sisters of your Savior Jesus Christ!  This, Ladies, is the value that Paul continues to convey to both men and women in the next few chapters of his Letter to the Ephesians.  In fact, follow with me Paul’s train of thought by taking a look at the headings in your Bibles.  Verse 15-23 Paul gives thanks for the believers in Ephesus and prays for them.  Chapter 2:1-10 he reminds us that we have all been made alive in Christ through his death and resurrection.  Now, through faith in him we are all one in Christ as Ephesians 2:11-22 assures us.  In Chapter 3, Paul the preacher to the gentiles prays for the Ephesian Christians, praying in verse 16 that Christ would strengthen them.  Verse 17, that Christ would dwell in them and that they be rooted and established in love.  Verse 18 and following that they might grasp the all surpassing love of God in Christ Jesus their Savior.  Then, from Chapter 4 on Paul urges the believers in Christ, men and women who are co-equal in value before God the Father; he urges them to do something that to my knowledge, has never caused anyone in our congregation to get bent out of shape.  In these verses Paul calls on them to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Chapter 4:  As these believers have reached a unity in the body of Christ through faith in Jesus, Paul urges them to live a life worthy of the calling they have received, to be humble, gentle, and patient with each other.  He calls on them to understand the different functions that the Lord gave to these believers who had the same value as each other.  Yet, “It was [the Lord] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11–13, NIV84)  Again, these believers who all had the same value in Christ had different functions in Christ’s kingdom.  Thus Paul tells these as men and women, these believers who all had the same value but different functions, Paul tells them in verse 17 to live as children of the light.  In Chapter 5:1 to be imitators of God as dearly loved children of God; in verse 15 to be wise; in verse 18 to be filled with the spirit.  Then, in verse 21 Paul so simply sums up everything he’s been telling us from chapter 4:1–5:20 by saying, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." (Ephesians 5:21, NIV84)

Following all this talk about our equal value in Christ as men and women, and our function to submit ourselves to one another out of reverence for Christ, Paul applies the principle all the further as he essentially says, “Wives, you who are so valuable as daughters of your heavenly Father and sisters of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Show your love for the Lord your God and for your husband by performing this simple, God pleasing function.  Willingly submit yourselves to your husband, as to the Lord, because according to the order of creation, the man was created first, and his function is to be the head of the wife; just as Christ is the head of the church of which he is the Savior.  And in the same way that Christ’s bride, the church willingly submits herself to him, and Christ’s function was to submit himself to the will of his heavenly father, even though he is co-equal in majesty and glory with him, so also wives, your function, in Christ, is to willingly submit yourselves to your husbands.  Oh, and just in case you are worried that your husband might take advantage of this, just look at his function.  His function is to lovingly cherish you as his wife.”  Which is exactly what we discussed for nearly 40 minutes last week.

But what does Paul mean by asking wives to willingly submit themselves to their husbands?  Well, as one commentator tells us, “The word submit is from the Greek word hupotasso (hupo, “under”; tasso, “to line up,” “to get in order,” “to arrange”), which, in a military sense, means “to rank beneath or under.” As Christians, we are to rank ourselves under one another, not over one another. The whole mentality of the Christian life as we relate to each other is one of humility and submissiveness.”^[1]  Or as another has said, “Ladies, submission simply means that we keep our heads just low enough so that when God strikes someone our husbands are the ones who get clobbered.”  But probably the best example of submission comes from the example of Jesus recorded in Philippians 2 where Paul writes, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:3–8, NIV84)

This is what I see so regularly in you ladies.  Whether you are young or old, married, widowed, or single, so often I see a loving and respectful heart that willingly submits itself to each other and to a husband.  So often I see your beauty revealed in your willingness to undergird your husbands, your families, your friends, your relatives, your church, and each other.  So often I see God’s grace revealed through you as you so willingly serve in so many different ways.  You so willingly give of yourselves, cooperating and communicating with your husband so that your values and goals are aligned together.  You grow together in your marriage adapting yourselves to the needs of your relationship.  You lovingly encourage your husband to be the head and spiritual leader of your home.  You grow in your own faith and encourage your husband with your reverent life. 

These are but a few of the ways that you willingly submit yourselves to your husband as to the Lord.  May the Lord continue to bless you in this valuable roll which he has bestowed upon you!  May he increase your faith as you serve him in whatever way is pleasing in his sight!  Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

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^[1] John F. MacArthur, Jr., The Fulfilled Family (Chicago: Moody Press, 1981).

Gentlemen, Lovingly Cherish Your Wives! (Ephesians 5:25-33)

Series:   What I'd Like to Know Is… (3/6)

August 12, 2012

Dear friends in Christ.

Fourteen years ago today, at this very moment, (roughly 9:30 AM)  my wife and I were probably beginning our descent into Charlotte, NC, which was where we would catch the connecting flight to Ft. Lauderdale, which is where we would continue the joyful adventure that was our honeymoon.  Though it had only been a few days since I had promised my love and my faithfulness to her, I had lovingly cherished her for the four years that we dated before we were married.  Though fourteen years have passed for us, my love for her has only grown.  I have continued to lovingly cherish my wife as the precious gift which my heavenly Father gave to me.  And yet, even though I can honestly say all of this to you, I cannot tell you that I have done any of it perfectly.  For as I studied the words of our lesson and the expectations that the Lord has placed on me as a man, and a husband and a father, I was cut to the heart to realize that though I have lovingly cherished my wife for the past fourteen years, I have nowhere near lovingly cherished my wife in the way that the Lord would have me. 

Take a look at what I mean, turn with me to our lesson in Ephesians and take a look at the responsibilities with which the Lord is charging us as men and husbands.  Paul writes, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." (Ephesians 5:25–33, NIV84)

Wow!  These are some very powerful words.  These are some very serious responsibilities with which the Lord God, our heavenly Father is charging us as men.  And these responsibilities, though they are being proclaimed to husbands, do not only apply to husbands!  These responsibilities with which the Lord is charging husbands today are responsibilities with which he is charging every single male person; whether he is a young boy, a teen-ager, a young man, a middle-aged man, an elderly man, a husband, or a father.  If you are male, whether you are married or not, whether you are young or whether you are old, the Lord your God, your heavenly Father, is charging you to lovingly cherish your wife!  Lovingly cherish your wife through your words and actions in marriage, outside of marriage, before you are married, and especially after you have been married.

But how do I do that?  Take a look again at verse 25 and following: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." (Ephesians 5:25–27, NIV84)

With just a few simple words, the Lord lays out exactly what he wants us, as men, to do for women, and especially for our wives.  He wants us to love them.  But the love talked about here is not the love of some gushy emotion that moves us into fleshly lusts of passion like we see on TV where couples who barely know each other are jumping into bed for thrills and giggles.  No.  The Lord wants us to love our wives with the same type of self-sacrificing love with which Christ loved the church.  This is agape love; self-sacrificing love.  This is love that has nothing to do with whether that loved is deserved or not.  This is the love that moved the Lord, our God, to write our names in the Lamb’s Book of Life, even though there is not single one of us who did anything to deserve it!  This is the love that Christ bestowed upon his church, his people, each and every one of us when he loved us so deeply and so strongly that he gave up his life for us on the cross, to wash us clean of our sins, so that we could be presented to himself as a radiant, stain-free bride.  This is the kind of love that moved mothers to cover their children and moved husbands, fiancées, and even boy-friends to step between the shooter and the women who were with them, when shots rang out in that Colorado theater last month.  This is the kind of love that in some cases caused men and women to give up their lives so that others might live.

This is the self-sacrificing love with which the Lord calls husbands to cherish their wives.  This is the self-sacrificing love with which the Lord charges young men and teen-boys to cherish their girl-friends and fiancées so that they do not, in any way steal the gift of virginity which is a woman’s gift to give only to her husband on her wedding night.  This is the self-sacrificing love with which the Lord wants us to cherish our wives and the women in our lives, so that we do not give into the temptation of pornography, whether it be the soft pornography that we see on a daily basis on magazine covers in the checkout lines of stores everywhere, or it be the hard-core pornography that so many men seek out in magazines and on the internet.  This is the self-sacrificing love with which the Lord wants us to crucify ourselves and our own evil desires so that we turn to him in repentance for our sins.  This is the self-sacrificing love that moves us to no longer look for what we can get out of a relationship and moves us to no longer see our wives as nothing more than a cook, a baby-sitter, a clothes washer, and a sex partner.  Rather this is the type of love that moves us to see her as the God given treasure that she is!  A woman to be cherished, to be nurtured, and to be loved with the same self-sacrificing love with which Christ loved his church and even handed over his very life unto death for her.

Gentlemen, as sons of our heavenly Father, the Lord our God wants us to lovingly cherish our wives in the same way that Christ lovingly cherished his church, just as Paul tells us in verses 28 and following, “In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body." (Ephesians 5:28–30, NIV84)

Now, can I get a show of hands?  How many of you hate your own body?  How many of you, if given the chance, would do everything you can to purposefully hurt or harm your own body?  None of us here!  Good grief, we stub our toes and suddenly we are hopping around the living room like neurotic bunnies or collapsed in a chair weeping like little children.  We get a paper cut, and suddenly we can’t mow the lawn because the vibrations are causing too much pain for us to bear.  If our head begins to ache, or our muscles tense, it’s off to the medicine cupboard for a couple of aspirin.  If we are tired, we sit down to rest in our favorite chair.  If we’re bored, we flip on the TV to see what’s on.  If we’re thirsty we get something to drink.  If we’re hungry we get something to eat.  None of us hates our own bodies, but we take care of them, we feed them and nourish them because we love our bodies.  In truth, some of us like our bodies a whole lot more than we should, which is why the diet and nutrition industry is so huge in our country. 

But all joking aside, Gentlemen, it is very clear what the Lord is saying to us!  He is calling on us to lovingly cherish our wives.  He is calling on us to love our wives, to care for our wives, and to nurture our wives in the same way that we love, and care for, and nurture our own bodies.  He is calling on us to take the role of nurturer in our homes by feeding our families with the word of God.  That means, men, that your heavenly Father is calling on you to recognize your role as spiritual leader in your family.  It is your responsibility, men, to live as an example for your children.  It is your responsibility, men to teach your children about Jesus, to bring them to Sunday School so that they can learn about their Savior, and bring your wife to Bible Study so that the two of you can grow together in God’s Word.  It is your responsibility, men to change your habits and to teach your family that Sunday is the most important day of the week; that Sunday is not a day for sleeping in.  You can take a nap after church!  You can go to bed early on Sunday night, but Sunday is not a day for sleeping in!  It is your responsibility, men, to teach your children and your family what my father taught me, and I quote, “I don’t care how late you stay up on Saturday, you will be awake and attentive in church on Sunday morning even if I have to sit next to you and keep poking you all the way through the service.”  I know it might sound legalistic, but by my father’s example, I learned just how important it was for me to be in worship.  It is because of my Father’s example that my children are always in church.  Even if I wasn’t the Pastor, my children would be in church with me every week.  They would be in Sunday School while my wife and I attended Bible Study, and even if I wasn’t a Pastor, we would still be sending our children to the nearest WELS school we could find.  We would be doing this because my job as husband and father is to nurture my family in the word of God through my teaching, through my example, through my words, and through my actions. 

But why is this our responsibility?  Why is it important for us to lovingly cherish our wives like this?  Take a look at what Paul tells us in verses 32-33: “This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." (Ephesians 5:32–33, NIV84) 

It is so important for us to lovingly cherish our wives, because marriage is the sacred gift that the Lord God instituted between one man and one woman.  No matter what society might say, marriage is the gift that the Lord instituted between one man and one woman.  It is important for us to lovingly cherish our wives like this because just as our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, so also our marriages are a picture of Christ and his Church.  In the same way that Christ lovingly cherished his bride, the church, so also we, as husbands are called on to lovingly cherish our brides, the women whom the Lord has given to stand by our sides; the mothers of our children; the women who have agreed to marry us, the girls and women who have entered into a relationship with us as our girl-friends. 

So then, how do we do it?  How do we lovingly cherish our wives as God would have us do?  Let me give you 10 practical ways to lovingly cherish your wives as God would have you.  These come an audio CD by Pastor Paul Tsika.  Those of you who have gone through my pre-marriage course will recognize them: 

1)    Refuse to use harsh and condescending words when talking to her.

2)    Praise her before others, especially in front of your children. 

3)    Be attentive to her and what she is saying: Stop what you are doing, look into her eyes, and really listen, with your heart, to what she is saying to you. 

4)    Ask for and consider her counsel; she is your life partner. 

5)    Provide her with resources that she needs to fulfill her responsibilities. 

6)    Never embarrass her in front of others by exposing her weaknesses. 

7)    Dwell on positive qualities as much as possible. 

8)    Never allow children to talk disrespectfully to her. 

9)    Use kindness and gentleness in all your dealings with her. 

10) Attribute the best possible motives to her actions. 

 The last three come from me. 

1)     Get yourself a copy of The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman. 

2)     Read it and discover what your wife’s primary love language is. 

3)     Speak to her in her primary love language every single day. 

Laura’s primary love language is quality time, and every day, I make sure that I am in the kitchen with her while she is cooking supper.  I’m usually doing the dishes at that time so that we can have more quality time later.

The final thing that I have for you today on how to lovingly cherish your wife is really the first thing, and we will close with it.  Turn to the Lord in repentance for all your failings and has for his forgiveness.  Though it is not our normal practice, we will close our sermon today with our confession and God’s forgiveness.  Gentlemen, take out of your bulletins the ½ sheet insert and join me in repentant confession and forgiveness.  In this confession we will be confessing some very specific sins, like pornography.  Though we all struggle with different sins, let us all boldly confess each of these sins so that our joint confession might be a blessing and a source of strength for our brothers and even our sisters who are dealing with these specific sins.

P:        Let us confess our sins to the Lord God, our heaven Father,

P/C:           Almighty God, merciful Father, I, a troubled and repentant sinner, confess that I have sinned against you in my thoughts, my words, and my actions.  I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved others as I should; I have not lovingly cherished my wife as you would have me.  I have not selflessly loved her, nor have I loved her with self-sacrificing love.  I have committed adultery by lusting after others.  I have been tempted by pornography and allowed it to inspire other lusts in my mind.  I have not loved my wife as I love myself, nor have I always recognized or seized my position as the spiritual leader of my family.

Silence for personal confession.

P/C: I am troubled by my sins, and I renounce them before you.  I renounce my sins to you and seek to go and leave my life of sin.  Lord Jesus, I ask your forgiveness on each and every one of my sins; those I remember and those I do not.  I ask you to cleanse me of my sins, my body, my soul, and my spirit; my heart, my mind, and my will.  Send your Holy Spirit into my heart to assure me of your forgiveness and to help me receive the forgiveness that you so willingly pour out on me.  Help me amend my life and live as your dearly loved son, lovingly cherishing my wife as you lovingly cherished me and gave yourself up for me.

P:        Jesus says to his people; “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven.”  His death has paid for the guilt of your sins, and indeed the sins of the entire world.  Go now and live in this forgiveness to the glory of our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

C:      Amen.

P:        And the peace of God, which comes through the forgiveness of sins, the peace that goes beyond all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds through faith in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

What's So Special About Marriage? (Genesis 2:18-25)

Series:      What I'd Like to Know Is… (2/6)
August 5, 2012

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…

How often haven’t these words flooded your living rooms as the main characters of your favorite TV show were joined together in marriage?  Though these are very familiar words, they seem to have been made special by their specific use in weddings.  They are special because they are used to mark the special day when a man and a woman are joined together as husband and wife.  Yet, even though a wedding day is indeed a very special day, sadly marriage itself is no longer treated as specially as it once was.  But even though marriage may not be regarded to be as special as it used to be, we know that marriage is indeed something that is very special.  In fact, as we continue this series of things that you would like to know, the question that we want to answer this morning is, “What is so special about marriage?” 

To find out “What is so special about marriage?” I invite you to turn with me to Genesis 2:18-25.  Now, as you are turning there, let me remind you of what the Lord had accomplished up to this point.  It was day six.  The Lord had already created light, separated the water from the water and the land from the water.  He had produced vegetation on the land.  He had created the sun, moon and stars.  He had filled the seas with fish and the skies with birds.  Now, on day 6 the Lord called forth and created all the land animals from the land by his word.  He had formed Adam out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and Adam became a living being; a living being who had been created in the perfect, holy, and sinless image of God.  He took Adam and put him in the garden to tend it, giving him every seed bearing plant and tree for food except for the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil at the center of the garden.  Then the Lord brought to Adam all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air so that Adam could name them, and in doing so, Adam would have discovered that there was no one like him in all creation.  Thus, the Lord prepared Adam for the great thing that he was about to do.  Take a look with me at our lesson in Genesis 2 beginning with verse 18:

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." (Genesis 2:18–25, NIV84)

This was God’s plan for Adam from the beginning.  However, it was not the Lord’s intention to simply foist a helper and companion upon the man.  Rather, before extending his gift, the Lord took steps to make the man keenly aware of the fact that he was alone.  The Lord followed a course of action that would awaken a deep longing in the man’s heart for a companion who would be like him.  Thus, the Lord placed Adam into a deep sleep and took one of his ribs.  But it was not just the rib as we so easily remember, rather, from the Hebrew we get the picture of the Lord taking the rib and all that was attached to it; both the flesh and the bone.  From that rib, taken from the man’s body, the Lord fashioned the strong and beautiful, the tender and delicate form of the woman.  In the same way that an able and resourceful builder constructs elegant and graceful buildings from the raw materials of stone, wood, and metal, so also the Almighty God fashioned the most beautiful of his creatures from a rib and the flesh attached to it.  With loving care the Lord fashioned and built the woman who was to be the companion that the man so sorely needed.  With loving care the Lord formed the woman from the side of the man; from the man’s rib and attached flesh and from no other part of his body.  Thus the Lord demonstrated that the woman was meant to stand beside the man as a helper and a companion.  She was meant to stand by his side as a dearly loved and cherished helper, companion, lover, and friend.  In his great wisdom, the Lord built the woman from the man so that the human race might be built up through the woman by the man.

Can’t you just imagine the look on Adam’s face when the Lord brought Eve to him and he saw her for the first time?  Of course you can! Whether you’re married or not we have all seen that look on the faces of men and boys whenever they are stunned and overwhelmed by the beauty of a woman.  In fact, my sister has a picture of me with that very look on my face.  It was taken at the very moment when I first saw my bride standing at the back of the church, preparing to walk down the aisle on our wedding day.  For Adam, that same photo is revealed in his words, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” (Genesis 2:23, NIV84)  As Adam named all the animals in verse 20 he found no suitable helper, no creature that was like him; no one with whom he could form a lasting fellowship or companionship.  But now, this time, as the Lord presented Eve to Adam, he saw the companion who was like him.  He saw the woman who was indeed of the same bones as he was; who was of the same flesh as he was, for she had been taken out of him, and formed by his loving creator.  As Adam stood in the church of God’s creation, down the aisle walked the Lord, escorting his daughter Eve so that he might give his daughter, in marriage, to his son.  There, before God and his creation the first man and the first woman were united in marriage before the Lord their creator, becoming one flesh as husband and wife. 

In this way, at the beginning of time, the Lord established marriage as a special bond between a man and a woman.  The Lord established marriage as the time when a man leaves his father and mother; when a woman leaves her mother and father.  It is a special time when the two of them are united by God as one; becoming one flesh through the promises they make to each other.  They are united to each other as one flesh through their promise to commit themselves to each other and forsake all others until death shall separate them.  Though it is true that a man and a woman become one body through sexual union, it is only in marriage, under the promises made before God, that the two of them become one flesh together through their sexual union.

In this special way, as the Lord united the first man and the first woman together as husband and wife he blessed them with the special companionship that grows between husbands and wives as their love for each other increases and deepens.  In this way the Lord blessed them with children, as he gave them the privilege to be the ones to fill the earth and subdue it.  He gave them the opportunity to tell their children the precious truths of salvation; the message that even though they were the ones who messed up, the Lord had promised that one day he would send a Savior who would free them from their sins so that they could live with him forever in his heavenly kingdom.  He even provided for Eve the safety and security that spoke so deeply to the heart of the woman, and he provided the avenue for Adam to provide strength for his wife, which is something that speaks directly to the heart of the man.

Though roughly 6,000 to 7,000 years have passed since that first marriage, marriage is still just as special today as it was then.  In the same way that the Lord specifically made Adam and Eve for each other, so also the Lord still specifically brings a certain man together with a certain woman and unites them together as husband and wife in marriage.  Marriage today is still a gift through which the Lord bestows a very special companionship and friendship between a man and a woman.  Marriage is still the only way that the Lord makes a man and a woman into one flesh and provides them with God pleasing joy in their sexual union. 

The problem, however, is that it wasn’t all that long after Adam and Eve were married in God’s perfection that they sinned and ruined the perfection with which the Lord had blessed them in marriage.  Now, because of sin, there are problems in marriage.  If you are married, then you will know many of them first hand.  If you are looking to get married then you will one day experience many of them first hand.  If you are not yet married or have not married, though you may not have experienced them first hand, you will have seen them in others.  Though it was through marriage that the Lord provided the safety and security that so many women seek, because of sin, it is not always there.  Though it was through marriage that the Lord provided an avenue for a man to provide strength for his wife, because of sin, so often a man’s strength is either missing, or misused.  Though it was through marriage that the Lord provided a special companionship and friendship for a man and a woman, because of sin, that companionship can be riddled with arguments, frustrations, hurt feelings, anger, and even resentment.  Though marriage was designed to be a life-long union of one man and one woman, because of sin, many marriages have fallen apart, dissolved, or ended in divorce.  Because of sin, there are so many marriages that have come to an end because one or both was looking for a way out; because one or both began finding, or even seeking pleasure in another’s company.  Because of sin, so many marriages have come to an end because one or both entered the marriage on a trial basis.  Because of sin, so many marriages have fallen apart because husband and wife lost that loving spark.  They didn’t know what to do after the feeling of love faded, and after too many years of not feeling love or feeling loved, one or both of them has simply called it quits.  Some of you have seen these things happen to your closest friends, and it has broken your heart.  Some of you have seen these things happen to your children, and it has crushed you.  Some of you may have even gone through things like this yourself, and you have felt the effects of sin first hand.

So what is the solution?  How can I work at keeping God’s gift of marriage special?  Simple!  Turn to the Lord, and confess your sins.  Take time today, find a quiet place, a place where you can be alone, and confess to the Lord all your sins and all the ways you have failed to keep God’s gift of marriage special.  Ask Jesus to help you remember your sins, to confess them, and to renounce them.  Then, when you have confessed and received the forgiveness that Jesus longs to lavish on you, ask Jesus to send the Holy Spirit into your heart so that you can live in his forgiveness and begin to heal. Begin to live in Jesus’ forgiveness and grow in God’s Word.  Begin to recognize God’s precious gift of marriage and God’s design for marriage.  If you feel that you need help, you can always seek it from your Pastor.  Or you can seek it from a professional Christian counselor; someone who can help you to wade through hurts and live in God’s love.  And grow; grow in your faith through worship and personal Bible reading, and learn how to love by reading about how to love and respect each other inside and outside of marriage.

This, in fact, is the assignment I have for each and every one of you today.  In your bulletin you will find a half sheet insert with a pair of highly recommended books.  On one side is the book, The Five Love Languages, by Dr. Gary Chapman.  In this book he talks about the ways we show love and the ways that we feel loved.  Sometimes the biggest problem that couples face is that one or both are working very hard to show love but one or both are not feeling loved because the way that they feel loved is not the way the other shows love.  They are in essence speaking two different languages when it comes to love.  The other book is, Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.  In this book he talks about the cycle that many couples go through when love or respect is lacking.  For, as he says, if a man does not feel respected by his wife, he will not show her love, and if she does not feel loved by her husband, she will not show him respect.  As he explains this he teaches husbands and wives how to change their lives and get off the crazy cycle.  Now, I put these in your bulletin because the assignment I’m giving each and every one of you is to procure a copy of each of these books and take time to read them.  Whether you are married or not, they will be a help to you in all your relationships.  If you are struggling in a relationship or in a marriage, it will help you to change for the better.  If you have a wonderful relationship or marriage, it will only get that much better.  I have read both of them many times, and they have helped me to grow and improve personally in relationships, as well as made my marriage that much better. 

Though marriage may not be viewed as all that special in our world today, as God’s children, we know just how special it is.  As God’s children, whether we are married or not, we seek to keep God’s gift of marriage special through our words and actions, as well as with the way that we live our lives.  As you do this, take up the assignment I have given you.  Confess your sins to the Lord!  Receive his forgiveness!  Grow in your faith, and read the books that I have told you about.  In this way you will grow in your relationship with the Lord, with your spouse, and with others as you give glory to your God by keeping his gift of marriage special.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN