January 30, 2011
Dear friends in Christ.
Roughly twenty years ago, a man named Michael Buffer introduced a phrase that has become known as the “clarion call to the pure integrity of the competitive spirit.” (from: http://letsgetreadytorumble.com/main.html) It is a phrase that captures all the excitement and anticipation that the crowds feel as they are about to watch two men step into a ring, or two teams enter an arena. It’s a phrase that many sports teams, both professional and colligate have used to create a higher level of excitement before play begins. This phrase is Michael Buffer’s trademarked phrase: “Let’s get ready to rumble!”
Now, even though I am simply speaking these words to you with my normal voice and am not using them in any way to introduce the start of any type of competition, I’m sure that many of you immediately heard Michael’s distinctive voice echoing in your minds and calling out those words, as he does, at the start of so many competitions. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that as soon as I spoke those words, some of you felt a twinge of anticipation and excitement flow through you. After all, these words have become embedded in our American culture as the beginning of some of the most exciting events!
But even though Michael Buffer’s introduction has been preparing fans for the start boxing matches and countless other sporting events, what is it that prepares us to contend with our Lord, so to speak, in prayer? How is it that we approach our God with our prayers? Do we use our prayer time as an opportunity to speak to the Lord on a regular basis? Or do we use our prayers as a last resort, when nothing else has worked? Do we think of them as time to speak to our Lord with praise and thanksgiving as we pour out the hurts and the desires of our hearts to him? Or do we view prayer as a battlefield, a contest, a struggle, a rumble, if you will, with our God?
Well, that is exactly what it was for Jacob in our lesson today. Jacob’s prayer was nothing short of an all night rumble with the Lord! So before we turn to our lesson this morning, let me ask you a question: “Are you ready for a rumble?” If you are, if you are ready for a rumble with the Lord your God, then I invite you to turn to our lesson today. I invite you to turn to Genesis 32:22. Now, in Genesis 32:22, Moses records a rumble that is so much bigger than the Rumble in the Jungle of 1974. For this rumble that Moses records for us took place between the Angel of the Lord—the pre-incarnate Christ—and Jacob, the Forefather of all the Israelites. Take a look at what Moses is telling us with the beginning of verse 22: “That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. 28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” 29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” (Genesis 32:22–30, NIV84)
Now, put yourself in Jacobs shoes for a moment and just think about how this patriarch was feeling! Here he was, getting ready to cross the Jabbok River, on his way to his Father’s house after 20 years with his Uncle Laban. Though Jacob had every reason to be joyful for his homecoming, he was still filled with fear because one question had not been answered; had Esau’s anger faded? Had Esau forgotten what Jacob had done which caused Esau to hate him and plan how he would kill Jacob after his father had died, thus causing Jacob’s mother to send him to Laban? After all, it was Jacob’s actions that had ignited the flame of Esau’s fury. Not only had Jacob tricked Esau into selling his birthright for a bowl of soup, Jacob had also disguised himself as Esau, tricking Isaac into thinking that Jacob was Esau and thus stealing the blessing that Isaac had intended to give to Esau. Though Rebecca had sent Jacob away with the promise that she would send word when Esau’s anger had cooled, no word had come, and Jacob was on his way home; fearing the worst. Though he had sent messengers to Esau hoping to gain Esau’s favor, all that Jacob received in return was the message that Esau was coming to meet Jacob with 400 men. So that night, Jacob prepared himself for a rumble. But the rumble he got was not the one he expected. Take a look again at verses 24-26: “Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (Genesis 32:24–26, NIV84)
In fact, just listen to how the Prophet Hosea describes Jacob’s rumble with the Lord: “4 He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor. He found him at Bethel and talked with him there— 5 the LORD God Almighty, the LORD is his name of renown! (Hosea 12:4–5, NIV84) Jacob was so worried and fearful of Esau’s coming that the longed for the Lord’s blessing. So badly did he want that blessing that Hosea tells us he wept and begged and Moses tells us that he wrestled with the Lord all night long. Even when the Lord wrenched Jacob’s hip so that he could do nothing more, Jacob threw his arms around the Lord’s neck and would not let him go unless the Lord blessed him. This was Jacob’s Rumble with the Lord!
So, are you ready for a rumble like that? Are you ready to wrestle with the Lord all night in prayer if that is what it takes to gain his blessing? Or are you content to simply step into the ring for a few minutes, voice your petitions, and then jump out again before the Lord has the opportunity to leave his corner? Though there are times when the Lord answers our prayers just as quickly as we speak them, there are other times when the Lord wants us to rumble with him. There are times when the Lord is pleased to let us wrestle fervently and vigorously with him in prayer. In his amazing love, the Lord longs for us to approach him as Jacob did and “wrestle away” if you will, from God’s hands the very blessings he desires to give us. He wants us to approach his throne of grace with confidence so that we might win the victory over the Lord on the basis of our humble faith expressing itself through prayer.
When Jacob did this, he received the Lord’s blessings. He understood that his real strength came from the Lord’s gracious hand and not his own schemes or devices. Yet Jacob was not free from the terror that had gripped him when he learned that Esau was coming with 400 men. Yet after this Rumble with the Lord, Jacob was prepared to meet his brother because his ears were still ringing with the Savior’s promises and blessing. For when Jacob met Esau, he would no longer be the heel grabber, but he would be known as Israel. He was the one who struggled with God and overcame. Jacob’s new name became a constant reminder of the blessings he had received from the hand of the Lord—blessings that were his, only by grace, especially the blessing that the Savior would come from his line.
This is what the Lord wants for each and every one of us. He wants us to be Israels also. He wants us to be people who struggle; who rumble with God and over come, and through faith that is what we are! Through faith in Jesus be are God’s children and we rumble with the Lord God as Jacob did. We rumble with the Lord when we come to him with our sins and beg their forgiveness and our Savior pours out on us all the grace and blessing of his forgiveness. We rumble with the Lord when we are troubled in Spirit, and our Savior comforts us with his peace. We rumble with the Lord when we approach his throne boldly and confidently with our hardships, our frustrations, our heartaches, our annoyances, and pray for his strength, his courage, and his blessing. In fact, it is through this account of Jacob’s rumble with the Lord that the Lord teaches us that we can come to him and wrestle with him and win! Though the Lord may not always answer our prayers exactly as we might want or expect, when he blesses us with his peace we are ready to face any situation in this life with confidence and peace.
So, are you ready for a rumble? Are you ready to approach God’s throne of grace with confidence that he will hear you and answer you? Of course you are! You are ready to take everything to the Lord your God in prayer. Though there are times when the answers will come quickly, we also know that there will be times when the Lord is ready for a rumble. These are the best times, because every time we walk away from a rumble with the Lord we are better for is. We walk with his confidence, knowing that we have once again earned the name Israel, and we walk in his forgiveness. We walk in his forgiveness, knowing that we are at peace with him, that he has blessed us, and no matter what we might face he will give us the strength we need and carry us through.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Why does the Lord allow such suffering to come into the lives of his faithful people? (Job 1-42)
January 23, 2011
Dear friends in Christ.
How many of you have faced suffering, frustration, or hardship in your lives? If you have, you’re not alone, because in this sin-filled world we are constantly facing hardships, frustrations, and even suffering. We are constantly struggling against some form of temptation, some hardship that has come into our life, even some form of suffering that is causing us pain or anguish in some way or another. There are times that we wonder why we have to deal with these things. There are times when we’ve raised our heads to heaven and asked, “What have I done to deserve this?” There are even times, when we see all the pain and sorrow, disasters and destruction around us that we begin to ask the question, “Why does the Lord allow such suffering to come into the lives of his faithful people?”
To answer a question like that we need to take a look at the life of a man named Job. So, I invite you to open your Bibles to the book of Job and we’ll begin our look at his life in chapter 1. Now, if you’ve been following the chronological schedule for our Bible reading challenge, then you have not only already read from Job 1, but you have spent the last couple of weeks reading through the entire book. Now, if you’ve spent the last two weeks reading through the book of Job, you may have been amazed to find that the majority of the book is a conversation between Job, his friends, and finally God. You may have been amazed to see just how greatly the Lord allowed Job to suffer. You may even have been amazed to hear Job cry out, as he did, in his anguish and suffering, essentially asking the question, “Why does the Lord allow suffering to enter the lives of his faithful people?”
Take a look at Job 1:1, “In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East. 4 His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom. 6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.” 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. (Job 1:1–12, NIV84)
Why satan was there, presenting himself before the Lord along with the Lord’s angels, we don’t know. We don’t know because this is one of the things the Lord simply doesn’t tell us. However, as we read, it was the Lord who brought Job up as the subject of conversation. Take a look again at verse 8: “The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” When the Lord held up Job as an example of faithfulness and righteousness, satan immediately sought an opportunity to get back at God and he essentially bet God that Job would reject the Lord if the Lord took everything away from Job, which is exactly what the Lord allowed satan to do. Verse 15: the Sabeans attacked carrying off all of Job’s oxen and donkeys and killing his servants. Verse 16: The Fire of God fell and burned up the sheep and the servants. Verse 17: the Chaldeans stole all his camels and killed his servants. Verse 18: Job’s sons and daughters were killed with the house collapsed after being struck by a mighty wind. But what did Job do? Verse 20: “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. (Job 1:20–22, NIV84)
Again satan appeared before the Lord. (Job 2:1-2) Again the Lord held Job up as a great example of faithfulness and righteousness. (Job 2:3) Again satan bet the Lord that he could make Job lose his faith by striking his health, so the Lord allowed it. (Job 2:4-7) He gave Job over to satan to do to him whatever satan pleased. However, satan was not allowed to take his life. Satan afflicted Job with such painful sores that even his wife urged him to curse God and die. Yet Job remained faithful as he accepted even this suffering that the Lord had bestowed upon him. (Job 2:8-10) Though the Lord had allowed satan to inflict great suffering upon Job, he did not sin in the things that he said or the things that he did.
Yet, out of all the suffering that Job endured, what took place in the next 34 chapters was undoubtedly the most frustrating! Though his friends had come to comfort him, all they had done was sit with Job on the ground for 7 days and 7 nights. They hadn’t spoken a word to Job because they could see that Job was in such agony. Then, when Job finally spoke, he spoke with such anguish and pain in his voice that he cursed the day of his birth and wished he had never been born. In that moment his friends seized upon that anguish and began accusing him of hidden sins. They told Job that he was not nearly as righteous as he thought he was, that he was harboring some hidden sin in his heart, and it was because of that sin that the Lord was punishing him. Job responded that he was not harboring any secret sins, that his life was an open book, and that his righteousness was clear by his faith expressing itself in action in all he did. This was how the conversation went for 34 chapters; Job’s friends accusing him of secret sins while Job maintained his righteousness. They accused him of secret sins so vehemently that Job passionately defended his righteousness. In fact he so passionately defended his righteousness that he essentially began trusting in his own righteousness and began accusing God for acting unjustly in causing Job’s anguish and suffering. Though he may not have uttered the words of our theme today, if you read through what Job says, there are times that you can honestly hear him lifting his voice toward heaven and crying out, “Why, O God, am I being made to suffer?” “Why, O Lord, have you forsaken your servant?” “Why, O Lord, are you allowing such suffering to come into the life of your faithful servant?”
Yet, before we join the ranks of Job’s friends and condemn him in the midst of his anguished suffering, we need to take a step back and ask ourselves, how often haven’t those very words escaped our mouths? How often haven’t we raised our voices to heaven and cried out, “Why, O God, am I being made to suffer?” “What have I done to deserve this?” “Why, O Lord, are you allowing such suffering to come into the life of your faithful servant?” How often haven’t these very thoughts and words escaped our lips as we felt pain coursing through our bodies because of illness, disease, or even because of age? How often haven’t we grown angry with the Lord, because the Lord in his mercy and wisdom took our husband, our wife, even one or more of our children from this life to his heavenly kingdom. How often haven’t we cried out, “What have I done to deserve this?” when we were faced with insurmountable odds, when we or a loved one was diagnosed with a terminal illness, when we were facing financial troubles? How often haven’t we said, with tears flowing freely, “Why, O Lord, are you allowing such suffering to come into the life of your faithful people?”—Especially when we’ve seen the destruction caused by storms and earthquakes. How often haven’t we wondered why the Lord has allowed suffering to come into our lives when we face persecution or mockery for what we believe; when we face rising food prices, rising gas prices, and bills that just don’t stop coming?
For the truth is, we have all been filled with anguish and faced suffering in one way or another in our lives. We have all grown just as angry and impatient with our situation as Job has. And we have all cried out to the Lord in one way or another demanding an answer as to why the Lord has allowed suffering to enter into our lives. Yet, like Job, the answer to our question never comes. In fact, turn with me to Chapter 38 and we’ll take a look at the answer that Job got. Though the Lord answered Job, it was not the answer he expected or hoped for. Take a look at Job 38:1 and following. “Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: 2 “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? (Job 38:1–7, NIV84) And again in 39: “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? 2 Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? 3 They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. 4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return. 5 “Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes? 6 I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat. 7 He laughs at the commotion in the town; he does not hear a driver’s shout. 8 He ranges the hills for his pasture and searches for any green thing. (Job 39:1–8, NIV84) and Again in chapter 40: “The LORD said to Job: 2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” 3 Then Job answered the LORD: 4 “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. 5 I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.” (Job 40:1–5, NIV84)
When Job received his answer form the Lord, it was not the answer he expected. Rather, Job saw the Lord’s righteousness and recognized his own sins of blaming God and accusing God and demanding answers from God. He recognized his sins, he repented of them, and the Lord forgave him. Though Job was never given an answer as to why the Lord allowed suffering to come into his life, Job saw how the Lord worked even that out for good, because today we have the example of Job and we are strengthened in our faith and better prepared to face suffering in our life because of what Job endured.
The same thing is true today. Though there are times when the Lord may allow or even send hardship and suffering into our lives, we may never receive the answer as to why he does it, because the truth is our God does not need to give us an answer for why he does the things he does. As his children, we do not know or fully understand the plans that he has for us, and just like parents do not always need to explain things to their children so also the Lord does not need to give us a reason for why we face certain situations in our lives. Yet, having said that, we are reminded of what the Lord says in Romans 8: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28, NIV84) We are reminded of what Jesus tells us in John 15, how his father is the one who prunes us to make us more fruitful for him, and we know how the Lord used this suffering brought upon Job to give Job the opportunity to see his faithfulness to the Lord. Though Job did sin against the Lord with some of his words and complaints, he never lost his faith. He never rejected the Lord, and the Lord used this suffering as an opportunity to show Job just how faithful the Lord is, and how faithful Job was to the Lord. For it has been said, we never really know just how faithful we are until we have the opportunity to be unfaithful. Though we many never know why the Lord allows a particular form of suffering to enter our lives, we can take comfort in the fact that he will use it for our good, so that we might grow in our faith in him, that we might remain faithful to our Savior, that we might even be given the honor to lose our lives in this world so that we might gain them forever in heaven.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Dear friends in Christ.
How many of you have faced suffering, frustration, or hardship in your lives? If you have, you’re not alone, because in this sin-filled world we are constantly facing hardships, frustrations, and even suffering. We are constantly struggling against some form of temptation, some hardship that has come into our life, even some form of suffering that is causing us pain or anguish in some way or another. There are times that we wonder why we have to deal with these things. There are times when we’ve raised our heads to heaven and asked, “What have I done to deserve this?” There are even times, when we see all the pain and sorrow, disasters and destruction around us that we begin to ask the question, “Why does the Lord allow such suffering to come into the lives of his faithful people?”
To answer a question like that we need to take a look at the life of a man named Job. So, I invite you to open your Bibles to the book of Job and we’ll begin our look at his life in chapter 1. Now, if you’ve been following the chronological schedule for our Bible reading challenge, then you have not only already read from Job 1, but you have spent the last couple of weeks reading through the entire book. Now, if you’ve spent the last two weeks reading through the book of Job, you may have been amazed to find that the majority of the book is a conversation between Job, his friends, and finally God. You may have been amazed to see just how greatly the Lord allowed Job to suffer. You may even have been amazed to hear Job cry out, as he did, in his anguish and suffering, essentially asking the question, “Why does the Lord allow suffering to enter the lives of his faithful people?”
Take a look at Job 1:1, “In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East. 4 His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom. 6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.” 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. (Job 1:1–12, NIV84)
Why satan was there, presenting himself before the Lord along with the Lord’s angels, we don’t know. We don’t know because this is one of the things the Lord simply doesn’t tell us. However, as we read, it was the Lord who brought Job up as the subject of conversation. Take a look again at verse 8: “The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” When the Lord held up Job as an example of faithfulness and righteousness, satan immediately sought an opportunity to get back at God and he essentially bet God that Job would reject the Lord if the Lord took everything away from Job, which is exactly what the Lord allowed satan to do. Verse 15: the Sabeans attacked carrying off all of Job’s oxen and donkeys and killing his servants. Verse 16: The Fire of God fell and burned up the sheep and the servants. Verse 17: the Chaldeans stole all his camels and killed his servants. Verse 18: Job’s sons and daughters were killed with the house collapsed after being struck by a mighty wind. But what did Job do? Verse 20: “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. (Job 1:20–22, NIV84)
Again satan appeared before the Lord. (Job 2:1-2) Again the Lord held Job up as a great example of faithfulness and righteousness. (Job 2:3) Again satan bet the Lord that he could make Job lose his faith by striking his health, so the Lord allowed it. (Job 2:4-7) He gave Job over to satan to do to him whatever satan pleased. However, satan was not allowed to take his life. Satan afflicted Job with such painful sores that even his wife urged him to curse God and die. Yet Job remained faithful as he accepted even this suffering that the Lord had bestowed upon him. (Job 2:8-10) Though the Lord had allowed satan to inflict great suffering upon Job, he did not sin in the things that he said or the things that he did.
Yet, out of all the suffering that Job endured, what took place in the next 34 chapters was undoubtedly the most frustrating! Though his friends had come to comfort him, all they had done was sit with Job on the ground for 7 days and 7 nights. They hadn’t spoken a word to Job because they could see that Job was in such agony. Then, when Job finally spoke, he spoke with such anguish and pain in his voice that he cursed the day of his birth and wished he had never been born. In that moment his friends seized upon that anguish and began accusing him of hidden sins. They told Job that he was not nearly as righteous as he thought he was, that he was harboring some hidden sin in his heart, and it was because of that sin that the Lord was punishing him. Job responded that he was not harboring any secret sins, that his life was an open book, and that his righteousness was clear by his faith expressing itself in action in all he did. This was how the conversation went for 34 chapters; Job’s friends accusing him of secret sins while Job maintained his righteousness. They accused him of secret sins so vehemently that Job passionately defended his righteousness. In fact he so passionately defended his righteousness that he essentially began trusting in his own righteousness and began accusing God for acting unjustly in causing Job’s anguish and suffering. Though he may not have uttered the words of our theme today, if you read through what Job says, there are times that you can honestly hear him lifting his voice toward heaven and crying out, “Why, O God, am I being made to suffer?” “Why, O Lord, have you forsaken your servant?” “Why, O Lord, are you allowing such suffering to come into the life of your faithful servant?”
Yet, before we join the ranks of Job’s friends and condemn him in the midst of his anguished suffering, we need to take a step back and ask ourselves, how often haven’t those very words escaped our mouths? How often haven’t we raised our voices to heaven and cried out, “Why, O God, am I being made to suffer?” “What have I done to deserve this?” “Why, O Lord, are you allowing such suffering to come into the life of your faithful servant?” How often haven’t these very thoughts and words escaped our lips as we felt pain coursing through our bodies because of illness, disease, or even because of age? How often haven’t we grown angry with the Lord, because the Lord in his mercy and wisdom took our husband, our wife, even one or more of our children from this life to his heavenly kingdom. How often haven’t we cried out, “What have I done to deserve this?” when we were faced with insurmountable odds, when we or a loved one was diagnosed with a terminal illness, when we were facing financial troubles? How often haven’t we said, with tears flowing freely, “Why, O Lord, are you allowing such suffering to come into the life of your faithful people?”—Especially when we’ve seen the destruction caused by storms and earthquakes. How often haven’t we wondered why the Lord has allowed suffering to come into our lives when we face persecution or mockery for what we believe; when we face rising food prices, rising gas prices, and bills that just don’t stop coming?
For the truth is, we have all been filled with anguish and faced suffering in one way or another in our lives. We have all grown just as angry and impatient with our situation as Job has. And we have all cried out to the Lord in one way or another demanding an answer as to why the Lord has allowed suffering to enter into our lives. Yet, like Job, the answer to our question never comes. In fact, turn with me to Chapter 38 and we’ll take a look at the answer that Job got. Though the Lord answered Job, it was not the answer he expected or hoped for. Take a look at Job 38:1 and following. “Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: 2 “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? (Job 38:1–7, NIV84) And again in 39: “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? 2 Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? 3 They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. 4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return. 5 “Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes? 6 I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat. 7 He laughs at the commotion in the town; he does not hear a driver’s shout. 8 He ranges the hills for his pasture and searches for any green thing. (Job 39:1–8, NIV84) and Again in chapter 40: “The LORD said to Job: 2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” 3 Then Job answered the LORD: 4 “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. 5 I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.” (Job 40:1–5, NIV84)
When Job received his answer form the Lord, it was not the answer he expected. Rather, Job saw the Lord’s righteousness and recognized his own sins of blaming God and accusing God and demanding answers from God. He recognized his sins, he repented of them, and the Lord forgave him. Though Job was never given an answer as to why the Lord allowed suffering to come into his life, Job saw how the Lord worked even that out for good, because today we have the example of Job and we are strengthened in our faith and better prepared to face suffering in our life because of what Job endured.
The same thing is true today. Though there are times when the Lord may allow or even send hardship and suffering into our lives, we may never receive the answer as to why he does it, because the truth is our God does not need to give us an answer for why he does the things he does. As his children, we do not know or fully understand the plans that he has for us, and just like parents do not always need to explain things to their children so also the Lord does not need to give us a reason for why we face certain situations in our lives. Yet, having said that, we are reminded of what the Lord says in Romans 8: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28, NIV84) We are reminded of what Jesus tells us in John 15, how his father is the one who prunes us to make us more fruitful for him, and we know how the Lord used this suffering brought upon Job to give Job the opportunity to see his faithfulness to the Lord. Though Job did sin against the Lord with some of his words and complaints, he never lost his faith. He never rejected the Lord, and the Lord used this suffering as an opportunity to show Job just how faithful the Lord is, and how faithful Job was to the Lord. For it has been said, we never really know just how faithful we are until we have the opportunity to be unfaithful. Though we many never know why the Lord allows a particular form of suffering to enter our lives, we can take comfort in the fact that he will use it for our good, so that we might grow in our faith in him, that we might remain faithful to our Savior, that we might even be given the honor to lose our lives in this world so that we might gain them forever in heaven.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Praise Your Savior for His Appearing (Job 19:23-27; Isaiah 42:1-7; Matthew 3:13-17)
January 16, 2011
Dear friends in Christ.
So how have you enjoyed this first week of Exploring God’s Islands of Adventure? Have you jumped right in and read or listened to the Word of God as you planned? Did you face any time thieves this week and find that you hadn’t accomplished all the reading you planned on? Or are you still undecided as to which plan you are going to follow? Well, if you are still undecided as to which plan to follow, I hope I’ve made it easier by including in the bulletin the chronological schedule that I’m using for our weekly Bible Study and worship. If you’ve faced time thieves this week, you’re not alone, the same thing happened to me on Tuesday! Suddenly it was Wednesday and I realized I had not read my Bible the day before. If you’ve accomplished your reading exactly as you planed this week, then good for you! In fact, my congratulations to all of you who read or listened to even the slightest little bit this week, and my encouragement to those of you who haven’t yet begun! I say this because the truth is whenever you make a decision to change and grow in any way; you suddenly have a struggle on your hands—especially when you make the decision to read the word and grow in your faith.
Yet, as I said last week, I so badly want each and every one of you to be reading or listening to the Bible this year, because when you do, you will grow in your faith and your knowledge of Jesus Christ as your Savior. As you grow in your faith and your knowledge we will grow together as an even more closely knit family of believers. In fact, just think about how your faith would grow if you were in the word for an entire week. Just think about how your life would change for the better, how your faith would grow, and how you would walk with confidence in your salvation if you were in the word of God for an entire month. Just think about how your live would change for the better, how your faith would grow and be as strong as steel, how you would walk with absolute confidence in the knowledge of your salvation through faith in Jesus, and how you would be constantly, passionately ready to share the comfort of God’s Word with those who were hurting, and share your faith with those who do not yet know the Lord Jesus as their Savior if you just spent the next year reading or listening to God’s Word for yourselves.
This is the growth that I long for, for you. As I said last week, I’ve spent the last six months reading this schedule so that I could stay ahead of you and share with you the beautiful truths I’ve found. Yet, while I keep reading to stay ahead of you, I’m also starting over at the beginning so that I can read with you and share with you the beautiful truths and amazing connections that I’ve discovered, while at the same time learning from you through the insights you will be placing on the navigation board in this next year. In fact, today, I want to share with you an amazing connection that I discovered. It is a connection between some of the words that Job speaks in chapter 19, which is part of the scheduled reading for today, and two of the lessons that I’ve already read as part of our worship today. It is a connection that will lead us to Praise the Lord our Savior as we celebrate his appearing at his baptism today.
I invite you to open your Bibles to Job 19:23-27. As you are turning to Job 19, let me give you a little background. Though we’re not exactly certain when Job lived, our best guess is that he lived around the time of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). This is why we read only the first 11 chapters of Genesis and then jumped right into Job. Now, the book of Job is an interesting book. In fact, it has been said that without the first two chapters none of the book would make sense, and yet, as we read through it, we see a believer dealing with some of the most horrendous hardships, frustration, sickness, and accusations that friends could bring against him. As we read through the book of Job, we see Job proclaiming the same frustration and anger that we all have directed at God or others when we’ve faced difficulties, hospital stays, life threatening illnesses, financial ruin or any other hardship. Though there are times that Job blames God for all his troubles and God confronts him at the end of the book, Job never lost his faith and the Lord always counted Job as his child. Even in the midst of his pain and anguish the Lord allowed Job to praise the Lord his Savior because Job knew that one day his Savior would appear. Take a look at Job 19:23: “Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, 24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever! 25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:23–27, NIV84)
In the midst of struggle and hardship, pain and anguish, Job utters such beautiful words of praise for the Lord his Savior whom he knows will one day appear. He utters words of praise that Christians have sung since they were written in hymn form by Samuel Medley in 1775. He utters words of praise that I have used as the closing of my grave side service since the day I heard the pastor under whom I served as a bishop speak them as the close of his grave side service. Thus, we these words, Job reminds us and assures us that no matter what we face in this life, no matter what struggles or hardships we might have, even if we should lose our health or our ability to work, even if gas should make it to $4.00 a gallon as is being predicted; no matter what might come our way, we can still give praise and thanks to the Lord Jesus, our Savior, as we celebrate his appearing today. We can praise our Lord and Savior because we know that when he appeared here on earth, he came as the Lord’s servant, just as Isaiah told us in our first lesson today.
Turn with me now, if you would, to Isaiah 42 and we’ll see how verses 1-7 connect with what we just heard from Job. Now, as you are turning to Isaiah 42, let me give you the setting. At least 2000 years have passed since the days of Job. Israel has been living in the Promised Land for roughly 700 years and there were roughly 700 years remaining before the Savior would be born. Now, as Isaiah speaks the words in chapter 42, the complete destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel is close at hand. Yet, even in the midst of pending destruction on the Northern Kingdom and rampant unbelief that Isaiah faced in the Southern Kingdom, the Lord gave Isaiah a beautiful message for those who still believed. The Lord gave Isaiah a message that would lead believers to praise the Lord their Savior for the promise of his appearing. Take a look at what Isaiah writes in chapter 42 beginning with verse 1: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.” 5 This is what God the LORD says— he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6 “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. (Isaiah 42:1–7, NIV84)
As Isaiah speaks these words, he gives us, and the faithful Israelites of his day every reason to praise the Lord Jesus at his appearing, because from these words we learn exactly what our Savior will do and has done for us. As Isaiah said in verse 3-4: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.” (Isaiah 42:3-4, NIV84) In other words, when the Savior appears, if someone is dealing with the bruises of doubt in their faith, or if someone is so weak that the flame of their faith is but a smoldering wick, Jesus will build them up and strengthen that faith through his comforting word. As he preaches he will proclaim the truth of salvation to his people and through that message he will establish his justice and his forgiveness. In fact, it will be in that message of salvation that the Islands—the gentiles like you and me—will put our hope.
Well, just as Isaiah prophesied, Jesus appeared and did all these things and even more. Jesus appeared to proclaim the message of salvation to us. Jesus appeared to be our Savior and free us from the curse of our sins. Jesus appeared to give his life in our place so that we might live eternally with him in his heavenly kingdom. Jesus appeared just as was promised throughout the ages and that is why we have gathered to give praise to the Lord our Savior as we celebrate his appearing today. We have gathered to give praise to our Savior because he appeared just as Job hoped and just as Isaiah prophesied. He appeared as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, just as Matthew records for us in our gospel lesson for today.
Turn with me, if you would, to our final lesson for today. Turn to Matthew 3:13-17, and we’ll take a look at how our lesson from Job and Isaiah connect to our Savior’s appearing at his baptism today. Now, as you are turning to Matthew 3 the stage has already been set for Jesus appearing at the beginning of his earthly ministry. In fact, if you take a look at the first three chapters of Matthew you can see just how he set the stage for us. He told us about the genealogy of Christ, showing that he was a descendant of David as the Lord promised. He told us about Jesus birth in Bethlehem and the visit of the Magi. He told us how Jesus escaped to Egypt and then returned to Nazareth in fulfillment of the Lord’s promise that he would call his Son out of Egypt, and now at the beginning of Chapter 3, Matthew tells us about John and how John was preparing the way for the Savior, proclaiming the Word of God and baptizing people in the Jordan River. Now, on one day while John was baptizing, Jesus appeared there at the river, coming to be baptized. Take a look at Matthew 3:13: 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13–17, NIV84)
As hoped for by Job, as prophesied by Isaiah, Jesus appeared to his people Israel when the time was right. He appeared at the Jordan river and was baptized by John to mark him, anoint him, if you will, as one of us. Thus, his baptism was the beginning of his earthly ministry and the time when Jesus actively began his work of living a perfect life in our place even as he preached God’s Word. It was on that day that the Father gave approval to his Son so that all present would know that this Jesus who had suddenly appeared among them was the Lord and Savior for whom they had waited. He was the one whom John had spoken about, whom Isaiah prophesied, and for whom Job had hoped.
This is our Lord and Savior whom we praise today! We praise him that he appeared for us just as he promised. We praise him because he freed us from our sins by his death and resurrection. We praise him because we know that through faith in him eternal life is ours. We praise him because we know that one day he will return again. Just as Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25–27, NIV84)
What an amazing reason for us to praise the Lord our Savior as we celebrate his appearing today! What an amazing connection between the words of Job, Isaiah, and Matthew! What an amazing thing that we have discovered them simply because we are exploring God’s Islands of Adventure together! May the Lord bless you in the coming week as you continue your reading of his Word for the strengthening of your faith and our growth together as a family of believers.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Dear friends in Christ.
So how have you enjoyed this first week of Exploring God’s Islands of Adventure? Have you jumped right in and read or listened to the Word of God as you planned? Did you face any time thieves this week and find that you hadn’t accomplished all the reading you planned on? Or are you still undecided as to which plan you are going to follow? Well, if you are still undecided as to which plan to follow, I hope I’ve made it easier by including in the bulletin the chronological schedule that I’m using for our weekly Bible Study and worship. If you’ve faced time thieves this week, you’re not alone, the same thing happened to me on Tuesday! Suddenly it was Wednesday and I realized I had not read my Bible the day before. If you’ve accomplished your reading exactly as you planed this week, then good for you! In fact, my congratulations to all of you who read or listened to even the slightest little bit this week, and my encouragement to those of you who haven’t yet begun! I say this because the truth is whenever you make a decision to change and grow in any way; you suddenly have a struggle on your hands—especially when you make the decision to read the word and grow in your faith.
Yet, as I said last week, I so badly want each and every one of you to be reading or listening to the Bible this year, because when you do, you will grow in your faith and your knowledge of Jesus Christ as your Savior. As you grow in your faith and your knowledge we will grow together as an even more closely knit family of believers. In fact, just think about how your faith would grow if you were in the word for an entire week. Just think about how your life would change for the better, how your faith would grow, and how you would walk with confidence in your salvation if you were in the word of God for an entire month. Just think about how your live would change for the better, how your faith would grow and be as strong as steel, how you would walk with absolute confidence in the knowledge of your salvation through faith in Jesus, and how you would be constantly, passionately ready to share the comfort of God’s Word with those who were hurting, and share your faith with those who do not yet know the Lord Jesus as their Savior if you just spent the next year reading or listening to God’s Word for yourselves.
This is the growth that I long for, for you. As I said last week, I’ve spent the last six months reading this schedule so that I could stay ahead of you and share with you the beautiful truths I’ve found. Yet, while I keep reading to stay ahead of you, I’m also starting over at the beginning so that I can read with you and share with you the beautiful truths and amazing connections that I’ve discovered, while at the same time learning from you through the insights you will be placing on the navigation board in this next year. In fact, today, I want to share with you an amazing connection that I discovered. It is a connection between some of the words that Job speaks in chapter 19, which is part of the scheduled reading for today, and two of the lessons that I’ve already read as part of our worship today. It is a connection that will lead us to Praise the Lord our Savior as we celebrate his appearing at his baptism today.
I invite you to open your Bibles to Job 19:23-27. As you are turning to Job 19, let me give you a little background. Though we’re not exactly certain when Job lived, our best guess is that he lived around the time of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). This is why we read only the first 11 chapters of Genesis and then jumped right into Job. Now, the book of Job is an interesting book. In fact, it has been said that without the first two chapters none of the book would make sense, and yet, as we read through it, we see a believer dealing with some of the most horrendous hardships, frustration, sickness, and accusations that friends could bring against him. As we read through the book of Job, we see Job proclaiming the same frustration and anger that we all have directed at God or others when we’ve faced difficulties, hospital stays, life threatening illnesses, financial ruin or any other hardship. Though there are times that Job blames God for all his troubles and God confronts him at the end of the book, Job never lost his faith and the Lord always counted Job as his child. Even in the midst of his pain and anguish the Lord allowed Job to praise the Lord his Savior because Job knew that one day his Savior would appear. Take a look at Job 19:23: “Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, 24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever! 25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:23–27, NIV84)
In the midst of struggle and hardship, pain and anguish, Job utters such beautiful words of praise for the Lord his Savior whom he knows will one day appear. He utters words of praise that Christians have sung since they were written in hymn form by Samuel Medley in 1775. He utters words of praise that I have used as the closing of my grave side service since the day I heard the pastor under whom I served as a bishop speak them as the close of his grave side service. Thus, we these words, Job reminds us and assures us that no matter what we face in this life, no matter what struggles or hardships we might have, even if we should lose our health or our ability to work, even if gas should make it to $4.00 a gallon as is being predicted; no matter what might come our way, we can still give praise and thanks to the Lord Jesus, our Savior, as we celebrate his appearing today. We can praise our Lord and Savior because we know that when he appeared here on earth, he came as the Lord’s servant, just as Isaiah told us in our first lesson today.
Turn with me now, if you would, to Isaiah 42 and we’ll see how verses 1-7 connect with what we just heard from Job. Now, as you are turning to Isaiah 42, let me give you the setting. At least 2000 years have passed since the days of Job. Israel has been living in the Promised Land for roughly 700 years and there were roughly 700 years remaining before the Savior would be born. Now, as Isaiah speaks the words in chapter 42, the complete destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel is close at hand. Yet, even in the midst of pending destruction on the Northern Kingdom and rampant unbelief that Isaiah faced in the Southern Kingdom, the Lord gave Isaiah a beautiful message for those who still believed. The Lord gave Isaiah a message that would lead believers to praise the Lord their Savior for the promise of his appearing. Take a look at what Isaiah writes in chapter 42 beginning with verse 1: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.” 5 This is what God the LORD says— he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6 “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. (Isaiah 42:1–7, NIV84)
As Isaiah speaks these words, he gives us, and the faithful Israelites of his day every reason to praise the Lord Jesus at his appearing, because from these words we learn exactly what our Savior will do and has done for us. As Isaiah said in verse 3-4: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.” (Isaiah 42:3-4, NIV84) In other words, when the Savior appears, if someone is dealing with the bruises of doubt in their faith, or if someone is so weak that the flame of their faith is but a smoldering wick, Jesus will build them up and strengthen that faith through his comforting word. As he preaches he will proclaim the truth of salvation to his people and through that message he will establish his justice and his forgiveness. In fact, it will be in that message of salvation that the Islands—the gentiles like you and me—will put our hope.
Well, just as Isaiah prophesied, Jesus appeared and did all these things and even more. Jesus appeared to proclaim the message of salvation to us. Jesus appeared to be our Savior and free us from the curse of our sins. Jesus appeared to give his life in our place so that we might live eternally with him in his heavenly kingdom. Jesus appeared just as was promised throughout the ages and that is why we have gathered to give praise to the Lord our Savior as we celebrate his appearing today. We have gathered to give praise to our Savior because he appeared just as Job hoped and just as Isaiah prophesied. He appeared as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, just as Matthew records for us in our gospel lesson for today.
Turn with me, if you would, to our final lesson for today. Turn to Matthew 3:13-17, and we’ll take a look at how our lesson from Job and Isaiah connect to our Savior’s appearing at his baptism today. Now, as you are turning to Matthew 3 the stage has already been set for Jesus appearing at the beginning of his earthly ministry. In fact, if you take a look at the first three chapters of Matthew you can see just how he set the stage for us. He told us about the genealogy of Christ, showing that he was a descendant of David as the Lord promised. He told us about Jesus birth in Bethlehem and the visit of the Magi. He told us how Jesus escaped to Egypt and then returned to Nazareth in fulfillment of the Lord’s promise that he would call his Son out of Egypt, and now at the beginning of Chapter 3, Matthew tells us about John and how John was preparing the way for the Savior, proclaiming the Word of God and baptizing people in the Jordan River. Now, on one day while John was baptizing, Jesus appeared there at the river, coming to be baptized. Take a look at Matthew 3:13: 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13–17, NIV84)
As hoped for by Job, as prophesied by Isaiah, Jesus appeared to his people Israel when the time was right. He appeared at the Jordan river and was baptized by John to mark him, anoint him, if you will, as one of us. Thus, his baptism was the beginning of his earthly ministry and the time when Jesus actively began his work of living a perfect life in our place even as he preached God’s Word. It was on that day that the Father gave approval to his Son so that all present would know that this Jesus who had suddenly appeared among them was the Lord and Savior for whom they had waited. He was the one whom John had spoken about, whom Isaiah prophesied, and for whom Job had hoped.
This is our Lord and Savior whom we praise today! We praise him that he appeared for us just as he promised. We praise him because he freed us from our sins by his death and resurrection. We praise him because we know that through faith in him eternal life is ours. We praise him because we know that one day he will return again. Just as Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25–27, NIV84)
What an amazing reason for us to praise the Lord our Savior as we celebrate his appearing today! What an amazing connection between the words of Job, Isaiah, and Matthew! What an amazing thing that we have discovered them simply because we are exploring God’s Islands of Adventure together! May the Lord bless you in the coming week as you continue your reading of his Word for the strengthening of your faith and our growth together as a family of believers.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Come, Worship the God of our Salvation (Genesis 1 - 3; Matthew 2:1-12)
Sunday January 9, 2011
Dear friends in Christ.
Here we are! We’ve finally arrived! We’ve come to the day that I’ve been talking about for the past few months! Today, we are beginning our Exploration of God’s Islands of Adventure! Now you all should have received a letter from me this past week detailing exactly how things are going to be working. If you didn’t receive a letter, then it is most likely that I have the wrong address for you and you will need to double check the address info that I placed in your boxes this morning. Also, please be sure to put the corrected sheets in my box before you leave today. Now, back to the letter; as I wrote it I knew it was too long and most of you would not read much more than the first paragraph. Thus, I planned to explain our challenge more clearly today.
During the next year, we will be reading or listening through the Bible so that we might grow together in our faith and knowledge of God’s Word. I have prepared a schedule that will take you through the entire Bible between today and December 31. I have placed these on the back table for you to pick up and take home. The cool thing about this schedule is that we are reading the Bible Chronologically. This means that we will read sections from 1 & 2 Samuel together with Sections from 1 & 2 Chronicles and avoid being bogged down in those books. We will also read psalms in connection with the events during which they were written. This is the schedule that I will follow for preaching and Bible Study, however, if you prefer a more relaxed schedule, such as a schedule that you have followed in the past, or the listing of readings that are printed in the bulletin each week, feel free to use whatever works for you. As I said in the letter, I want each and every one of our members to be in the Word on a regular basis during this next year. Now, that does not mean that I want you to become a slave to a schedule or feel guilty if you fall behind. No! What I want you to be doing is reading or listening to the Word of God on a regular basis as it fits in your life. For me, that means I take time in the mornings Monday – Friday to read or listen to God’s Word. I don’t read on Saturday or Sunday because my schedule on those days is too unpredictable.
Now, as you are reading I have set aside different ways to record your progress. When you find something that strikes you, you, a Navigation Notes sheet, write it down, and we will post it on the Navigation Notes bulletin board so that we can learn from each other. As you complete each book you will take a ship, add your name and the book and it will be anchored at the Island of God’s Word. Finally, as you complete certain books, you will also discover that treasure chests will be posted next to your name on our treasure wall. So, as I said before, this is something that I want each and every one of you to participate in during the next year. It doesn’t matter to me if you read or listen to the entire Bible in the next year or just part of it. I simply want you to be in the Word of God on a regular basis so that we can grow together in our faith as we worship the God of our Salvation.
So, with that explanation, let’s jump right into it. Open you Bibles to Genesis 1:1 and well take a closer look at why we have come together to worship the God of our salvation. As you’re opening to Genesis 1:1, let me give you some interesting statistics. When it comes to learning, we retain only about 5 % of what we hear, 10% of what we read, 20% of Audiovisual, 30% of Demonstrations, 50% of discussions, 75% of things we practice doing and 90% of what we teach others. So, if you think about it, being taught to sit still and listen to the Pastor during the sermon has really set us up for failure because we will only retain about 5% of what we hear. But, if we open our Bibles, read along, answer the personal study questions, even take notes, we will retain quite a bit more!
Genesis as you know is the first book of the Bible. The Word Genesis comes to us from the Latin language and simply means beginning, or origin. Interestingly the very first word of Genesis in the Hebrew is Biresheet, which also means, beginning. Take a look at verses 1-5: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” (Genesis 1:1–5, NIV)
Here are some things to take note of; on day 1 our Triune God was busy. He called the heavens and the earth into existence out of nothing, and when he created them they were formless, empty, and dark. The Holy Spirit was hovering over the waters and the Son was present in the Words that God the Father spoke. The only reason we know this is because John tells us in the first 3 verses of chapter 1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1–3, NIV) But not only did the Lord create the heavens and the earth on that day, he also created light. This is my favorite part of the whole creation account, on day 1 before he even created the source of light, God created light. This is why scientists believe that the earth is billions of years old. Light takes a certain amount of time to travel through space, so they calculate the time it takes light to travel from the farthest stars to the earth and that is one of the ways they figure out how old the earth is. However, God takes care of that problem by creating light before he creates the source of light. Thus, by the time he is finished creating, everything is working the way it should, the brand new earth is created with age, and Adam and Eve are ready to go about with the jobs assigned to them by the Lord. Thus on day 1 God created 4 things: the heavens, the earth, light, and time. As he says in Genesis 5: “And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”
From there Moses goes on to tell us how the Lord built on the foundation of the formless, empty world that he had created on day one. On Day 2 (Genesis 1:6-8) he created the expanse of the sky separating waters from water. On day 3 (Genesis 1:9-13) He gathered the water to one place so that dry ground appeared and he caused all sorts of plants and vegetation to grow. On day 4 (Genesis 1:14-19) God created the lights in the sky: the sun, moon, and stars. Three days after light was created God created the source of light. That just blows my mind! I love it! On day 5 (Genesis 1:20-23) God created the fish and the fowl—all the creatures of the waters—the birds to rule the waters of the sky and the fish to rule the waters of the sea. On day 6 (Genesis 1:24-2:1, Genesis 2:4-25) God created all the living creatures of the land, he formed Adam out of the dust of the ground, he had Adam name all the animals so that he might discover that he, Adam, did not have the same companionship that the animals had, God said that it was not good for Adam to be alone, he put Adam into a deep sleep, took a rib from his body, formed a woman from that rib, brought Eve to Adam and the two of them were married by God at the beginning of time establishing God’s blessing of marriage for his people.
Not only did God establish Adam and Eve as husband and wife, he also blessed them, telling them to be fruitful and increase on the earth. He made them rulers over the earth and caretakers of his world. He blessed them by giving them every seed-bearing plant for food and every tree that bears fruit with seed for food. The only two trees that they could not eat from were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which were in the center of the garden. Then, at the end of day 6 (Genesis 1:31-2:2) God declared that everything he had made was very good and then he rested or ceased his creating work.
Now, one of the questions that naturally follow is: “When were the angels created?” To which I can only say that they must have been created at some point during the first six days of creation. Other than that we simply cannot say because the Bible does not tell us. The other question that follows is when did satan rebel against God and lose his position in heaven? Again the only answer I can give is that it must have been at some point after day 6 when God declared that everything was very good and sometime before satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin, which is what happened in chapter 3. Take a look at Chapter 3:1, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1, NIV)
If you think about it, the fact that the serpent spoke to Eve should have been Adam’s first clue that this was no ordinary snake. It should have been his cue to grab Eve and walk away rather than stand there and listen. But rather than fight for his wife and fight for the truth, Adam stood there and caved, and we know that Adam was standing right there because the last part of verse 6 tells us, “She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Genesis 3:6, NIV) We know how it happened, they stood there and listened to satan and they gave into temptation. They booth ate the fruit and instantly realized what they had lost by sinning. We know how the Lord came to them and spoke the consequences of their actions. The serpent was cursed to crawl on its belly (Genesis 3:14) Eve’s pain in childbearing was greatly increased (Genesis 3:16), and Adam, because he had not stood up for what was right, because he had listened to his wife, creation itself was cursed. (Genesis 3:17-19 and Romans 8:20-22). The ground would now produce thorns and thistles making plowing, reaping and every other aspect of life difficult. Yet, in the mists of all this bad news, the Lord gave an incredible promise of his grace. Take a look at Genesis 3:15: As the Lord concludes his judgment upon the snake he turns to satan who had undoubtedly, recently tried to take over heaven and tells him, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15, NIV)
With such beautiful words, the Lord God revealed himself as the God of our Salvation by promising to send a Savior who would free his people from their sins. With such beautiful words the Lord put into motion the events that led to Jesus’ birth, which we celebrated only a couple of weeks ago. With such beautiful words, the Lord set the stage for the events of Matthew 2. Turn with me, if you would to Matthew 2:1 and we’ll take a look at how the appearing of the Wise Men also assures us of God’s salvation for us. Now, as you are turning to Matthew, let me just remind you that today we are celebrating the Epiphany, which has also been called Christmas of the Gentiles. It has been called this because with the arrival of and the worship by the Gentile Magi from the east, we are certain that the Savior promised by the God of our salvation is the Savior of all people; Jew and Gentile alike. Take a look at Matthew 2:1, “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:1–12, NIV)
Though the prophecy within this reading from Matthew tells of how the Savior would be the shepherd of Israel, as Simeon said at the temple, Jesus would be the light to enlighten the gentiles. Today, as we hear about the gentile kings who came from such a distance to worship the God of their Salvation, we are assured that this Jesus, who was born in fulfillment of God’s promise to Adam and Eve, is our Savior as well. He is our Savior who came to free us from our sins by his death and resurrection from the dead. So, with all this in mind, let us worship the God of our Salvation who has called us to faith in him and freed us from our sins. Let us begin, together, our Exploration of God’s Islands of Adventure so that through this coming year we might grow together in our faith and as brothers and sisters in the Lord God who saved us.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Dear friends in Christ.
Here we are! We’ve finally arrived! We’ve come to the day that I’ve been talking about for the past few months! Today, we are beginning our Exploration of God’s Islands of Adventure! Now you all should have received a letter from me this past week detailing exactly how things are going to be working. If you didn’t receive a letter, then it is most likely that I have the wrong address for you and you will need to double check the address info that I placed in your boxes this morning. Also, please be sure to put the corrected sheets in my box before you leave today. Now, back to the letter; as I wrote it I knew it was too long and most of you would not read much more than the first paragraph. Thus, I planned to explain our challenge more clearly today.
During the next year, we will be reading or listening through the Bible so that we might grow together in our faith and knowledge of God’s Word. I have prepared a schedule that will take you through the entire Bible between today and December 31. I have placed these on the back table for you to pick up and take home. The cool thing about this schedule is that we are reading the Bible Chronologically. This means that we will read sections from 1 & 2 Samuel together with Sections from 1 & 2 Chronicles and avoid being bogged down in those books. We will also read psalms in connection with the events during which they were written. This is the schedule that I will follow for preaching and Bible Study, however, if you prefer a more relaxed schedule, such as a schedule that you have followed in the past, or the listing of readings that are printed in the bulletin each week, feel free to use whatever works for you. As I said in the letter, I want each and every one of our members to be in the Word on a regular basis during this next year. Now, that does not mean that I want you to become a slave to a schedule or feel guilty if you fall behind. No! What I want you to be doing is reading or listening to the Word of God on a regular basis as it fits in your life. For me, that means I take time in the mornings Monday – Friday to read or listen to God’s Word. I don’t read on Saturday or Sunday because my schedule on those days is too unpredictable.
Now, as you are reading I have set aside different ways to record your progress. When you find something that strikes you, you, a Navigation Notes sheet, write it down, and we will post it on the Navigation Notes bulletin board so that we can learn from each other. As you complete each book you will take a ship, add your name and the book and it will be anchored at the Island of God’s Word. Finally, as you complete certain books, you will also discover that treasure chests will be posted next to your name on our treasure wall. So, as I said before, this is something that I want each and every one of you to participate in during the next year. It doesn’t matter to me if you read or listen to the entire Bible in the next year or just part of it. I simply want you to be in the Word of God on a regular basis so that we can grow together in our faith as we worship the God of our Salvation.
So, with that explanation, let’s jump right into it. Open you Bibles to Genesis 1:1 and well take a closer look at why we have come together to worship the God of our salvation. As you’re opening to Genesis 1:1, let me give you some interesting statistics. When it comes to learning, we retain only about 5 % of what we hear, 10% of what we read, 20% of Audiovisual, 30% of Demonstrations, 50% of discussions, 75% of things we practice doing and 90% of what we teach others. So, if you think about it, being taught to sit still and listen to the Pastor during the sermon has really set us up for failure because we will only retain about 5% of what we hear. But, if we open our Bibles, read along, answer the personal study questions, even take notes, we will retain quite a bit more!
Genesis as you know is the first book of the Bible. The Word Genesis comes to us from the Latin language and simply means beginning, or origin. Interestingly the very first word of Genesis in the Hebrew is Biresheet, which also means, beginning. Take a look at verses 1-5: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” (Genesis 1:1–5, NIV)
Here are some things to take note of; on day 1 our Triune God was busy. He called the heavens and the earth into existence out of nothing, and when he created them they were formless, empty, and dark. The Holy Spirit was hovering over the waters and the Son was present in the Words that God the Father spoke. The only reason we know this is because John tells us in the first 3 verses of chapter 1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1–3, NIV) But not only did the Lord create the heavens and the earth on that day, he also created light. This is my favorite part of the whole creation account, on day 1 before he even created the source of light, God created light. This is why scientists believe that the earth is billions of years old. Light takes a certain amount of time to travel through space, so they calculate the time it takes light to travel from the farthest stars to the earth and that is one of the ways they figure out how old the earth is. However, God takes care of that problem by creating light before he creates the source of light. Thus, by the time he is finished creating, everything is working the way it should, the brand new earth is created with age, and Adam and Eve are ready to go about with the jobs assigned to them by the Lord. Thus on day 1 God created 4 things: the heavens, the earth, light, and time. As he says in Genesis 5: “And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”
From there Moses goes on to tell us how the Lord built on the foundation of the formless, empty world that he had created on day one. On Day 2 (Genesis 1:6-8) he created the expanse of the sky separating waters from water. On day 3 (Genesis 1:9-13) He gathered the water to one place so that dry ground appeared and he caused all sorts of plants and vegetation to grow. On day 4 (Genesis 1:14-19) God created the lights in the sky: the sun, moon, and stars. Three days after light was created God created the source of light. That just blows my mind! I love it! On day 5 (Genesis 1:20-23) God created the fish and the fowl—all the creatures of the waters—the birds to rule the waters of the sky and the fish to rule the waters of the sea. On day 6 (Genesis 1:24-2:1, Genesis 2:4-25) God created all the living creatures of the land, he formed Adam out of the dust of the ground, he had Adam name all the animals so that he might discover that he, Adam, did not have the same companionship that the animals had, God said that it was not good for Adam to be alone, he put Adam into a deep sleep, took a rib from his body, formed a woman from that rib, brought Eve to Adam and the two of them were married by God at the beginning of time establishing God’s blessing of marriage for his people.
Not only did God establish Adam and Eve as husband and wife, he also blessed them, telling them to be fruitful and increase on the earth. He made them rulers over the earth and caretakers of his world. He blessed them by giving them every seed-bearing plant for food and every tree that bears fruit with seed for food. The only two trees that they could not eat from were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which were in the center of the garden. Then, at the end of day 6 (Genesis 1:31-2:2) God declared that everything he had made was very good and then he rested or ceased his creating work.
Now, one of the questions that naturally follow is: “When were the angels created?” To which I can only say that they must have been created at some point during the first six days of creation. Other than that we simply cannot say because the Bible does not tell us. The other question that follows is when did satan rebel against God and lose his position in heaven? Again the only answer I can give is that it must have been at some point after day 6 when God declared that everything was very good and sometime before satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin, which is what happened in chapter 3. Take a look at Chapter 3:1, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1, NIV)
If you think about it, the fact that the serpent spoke to Eve should have been Adam’s first clue that this was no ordinary snake. It should have been his cue to grab Eve and walk away rather than stand there and listen. But rather than fight for his wife and fight for the truth, Adam stood there and caved, and we know that Adam was standing right there because the last part of verse 6 tells us, “She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Genesis 3:6, NIV) We know how it happened, they stood there and listened to satan and they gave into temptation. They booth ate the fruit and instantly realized what they had lost by sinning. We know how the Lord came to them and spoke the consequences of their actions. The serpent was cursed to crawl on its belly (Genesis 3:14) Eve’s pain in childbearing was greatly increased (Genesis 3:16), and Adam, because he had not stood up for what was right, because he had listened to his wife, creation itself was cursed. (Genesis 3:17-19 and Romans 8:20-22). The ground would now produce thorns and thistles making plowing, reaping and every other aspect of life difficult. Yet, in the mists of all this bad news, the Lord gave an incredible promise of his grace. Take a look at Genesis 3:15: As the Lord concludes his judgment upon the snake he turns to satan who had undoubtedly, recently tried to take over heaven and tells him, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15, NIV)
With such beautiful words, the Lord God revealed himself as the God of our Salvation by promising to send a Savior who would free his people from their sins. With such beautiful words the Lord put into motion the events that led to Jesus’ birth, which we celebrated only a couple of weeks ago. With such beautiful words, the Lord set the stage for the events of Matthew 2. Turn with me, if you would to Matthew 2:1 and we’ll take a look at how the appearing of the Wise Men also assures us of God’s salvation for us. Now, as you are turning to Matthew, let me just remind you that today we are celebrating the Epiphany, which has also been called Christmas of the Gentiles. It has been called this because with the arrival of and the worship by the Gentile Magi from the east, we are certain that the Savior promised by the God of our salvation is the Savior of all people; Jew and Gentile alike. Take a look at Matthew 2:1, “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:1–12, NIV)
Though the prophecy within this reading from Matthew tells of how the Savior would be the shepherd of Israel, as Simeon said at the temple, Jesus would be the light to enlighten the gentiles. Today, as we hear about the gentile kings who came from such a distance to worship the God of their Salvation, we are assured that this Jesus, who was born in fulfillment of God’s promise to Adam and Eve, is our Savior as well. He is our Savior who came to free us from our sins by his death and resurrection from the dead. So, with all this in mind, let us worship the God of our Salvation who has called us to faith in him and freed us from our sins. Let us begin, together, our Exploration of God’s Islands of Adventure so that through this coming year we might grow together in our faith and as brothers and sisters in the Lord God who saved us.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Sunday, December 26, 2010
1 + God = The Majority (Acts 6:8-7:2, 51-60
December 26, 2010
This sermon was preached from the perspective of Stephen
Dear friends in Christ.
I want to thank you for the opportunity of being with you this morning to tell you my story. Though I’m sure that many of you already know my story quite well from your days in Sunday school, my story is a story that bears repeating. I don’t say that because it is a story about me, and I have the opportunity of relating it to you today. But I say this because it is a story that will teach you the all important truth that 1 + God = The Majority!
You see, my story begins back in the days after Pentecost. I’m sure you remember how it was, the sound of rushing wind came to the place where the Apostles were and then tongues of fire separated and came to rest on their heads. The Apostles began speaking in all sorts of different languages and some from the crowd mocked them saying that they had too much wine. That was when Peter stood up and preached to the people telling them exactly what was happening; how the Lord had poured out the Holy Spirit on his people in fulfillment of his promise. He told the people about Jesus and what his life, his death, and his resurrection had meant for them. He called on the people to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins and on that day roughly 3000 people were added to the number of believers!
Well, it didn’t stop there. The believers continued to meet together and the Apostles continued proclaiming the gospel message of salvation, performing the miraculous signs and wonders that the Lord enabled them to do, and the Lord continued to bless them! Day after day he continued to add to their numbers until the number of believers was up, well over, 5000. So many had been added, that a complaint arose, stating that some of the widows were being over looked in the daily distribution of food. So, when the complaint came forward, the Apostles suggested that 7 men be chosen from among the believers to help out in the daily distribution of food. Thus, when the church acted and chose us, I was one of the men who was chosen to do just that, as it says in our lesson today: “Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, 10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. (Acts 6:8–10, NIV)
Though I had been chosen to help in the ministry of distributing food, it was the Lord who allowed me to also perform miraculous signs like the Apostles, and it was the Lord who led me out to proclaim his Word. As I proclaimed his Word, there were some who began to oppose me and the message I was bringing. Yet, this was not the first time opposition had arisen against the preaching of the gospel, for if you really think about it, Jesus’ ministry on earth was filled with opposition by the Pharisees, the Teachers of the Law, in fact the entire Sanhedrin—the ruling body of religious leaders in Israel—was essentially opposed to the message that Jesus brought. So, it really was no wonder that the Apostles faced opposition as they preached. Take for example Peter and John. Early on in the days after Pentecost, they had healed a crippled beggar in the Temple Courts and then used the opportunity to proclaim the gospel of salvation to the people who had gathered around. But shortly after they had finished, some form the Priests and Sadducees took them off to the Sanhedrin for trial, because the Priests and the Sadducees were greatly disturbed that these Apostles were preaching the resurrection. At the close of the trial, just before they were released, the Sanhedrin ordered them no longer to preach the Name of Jesus, to which they declared their plan to follow the will of God rather than the will of men. When they gathered with the other believers and reported what had happened, they prayed and praised God, the Lord shook the place where they were praying and the disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit continued proclaiming the message of salvation through faith in Jesus. Thus, God himself demonstrated that 1 + God = the Majority!
Again opposition arose because the High Priest and the Sadducees were filled with jealousy against the Apostles and they arrested them, once again, for preaching about Jesus. Again they were put on trial before the whole Sanhedrin and ordered no longer to preach about Jesus. Again their response was that they must obey God rather than men because they knew that 1 + God = the Majority. This time, however, the Apostles were whipped! Yet, as they left, they left rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering for the Lord Jesus, their Savior and even though they suffered they were confirmed in their knowledge that they were the Majority because they were partnered with God.
Again the leadership grew jealous of what was happening in the camp of the Lord because the number of disciples was increasing daily and because quite a number of priests were coming to faith in Jesus as their Savior. Because of this, the Sanhedrin, the religious leadership of the Israelites, undoubtedly felt as they did when Jesus walked the earth; they felt that they were losing their positions of power and control over the people. It was at this time that opposition arose against me from the Synagogue of the Freedmen, as it was called. They began to argue with me and against the Word of God which I was proclaiming. But they could not stand up against the Holy Spirit by whom I was speaking, and in that moment it became clear that 1 + God = the Majority. It was not by my power that they could not stand up, but by the power of God himself who was on my side and who was proclaiming his eternal power of salvation through his Word, which I was privileged to speak. So, because they could not stand up against the Lord, they did what all stubborn unbelievers do; they lied. Just like they paid false witnesses to testify against Jesus, “they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” 15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. 1 Then the high priest asked him, “Are these charges true?” (Acts 6:11–7:1, NIV)
In their zeal to be rid of me, they accused me of blasphemy—profane or sacrilegious speech—against Moses, against God, and against the Temple. But even though I stood alone against those 70 elders of Israel made up of the High Priest together with the Pharisees and Sadducees, I knew I was the Majority that day, because I stood with the Lord beside me. In that day the Lord Jesus fulfilled his promise and gave me the words to speak through the Holy Spirit! For as it came time for me to speak in my defense, suddenly my face began to shine like an angel and the Holy Spirit enabled me to defend myself through the power of God’s Word.
Though they accused me of blasphemy against God, through the Holy Spirit I proclaimed to them the history of God’s gracious dealing with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the Israelites and in doing so the Holy Spirit revealed how I was actually exalting the God of the covenant and his gracious promises, while the Sanhedrin had forsaken the covenant God. Though they accused me of blasphemy against Moses, through the Holy Spirit I reminded them of the Israelites history of rejecting Moses as God’s given leader and their breaking of God’s covenant with them by turning to idolatry. Thus, the Holy Spirit revealed that I was honoring Moses as God intended by following the Lord’s Word while the Sanhedrin had blinded themselves to the meaning of the law given by Moses as well as the promise of the Savior that Moses prophesied. Though they accused me of blasphemy against the temple, through the Holy Spirit I proclaimed to them the history of the tabernacle and the temple as a place to go and worship the Lord through the sacrifices he gave, while the Israelites had changed the temple into an idol by merely going through the motions of worship. Thus the Holy Spirit revealed that the message I proclaimed gave the temple the place the Lord wanted it to have while the Sanhedrin had perverted both the right view of the temple and the God-pleasing use of it.
Even as I was speaking they began to grow antsy. Like little children they covered their ears so they wouldn’t have to listen to what I was telling them. They ground their teeth in anger because they could not fact the Lord’s judgment on them when I said, “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.” 54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:51–60, NIV)
Even though they thought they had won by killing me, I was the victor that day, because 1 + God = The Majority! Even in death I was allied with the Lord and through faith in him, I was given a seat of honor in his heavenly kingdom. I was honored as the first of God’s martyrs in the New Testament, and I was honored to be the one whose story gives strength to all of God’s people who face hardships, trials, frustrations, persecution, and even martyrdom. I was given this honor so that God might be glorified when people see from my story the absolute fact that 1 + God = the Majority!
Now, why do I tell you all this? Because you need to know and be certain that 1 + God = the Majority! You need to know this because whether you realize it or not, you are already being persecuted for being a Christian. More and more people are complaining against Christianity and more and more court cases are coming up about Christian symbols, prayer, and many other Christian freedoms that have begun to offend others. In fact, take a look at this clip from October 2008 in which Paul Washer speaks about persecution in our day. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7UyZYpeReY)
I do not tell you these things or show you this clip to scare you, but to encourage you. Though we have enjoyed an unprecedented time without persecution, it has begun. It is continuing and it is growing. But no matter what kind of persecution we may face, remember my story and remember that no matter what 1 + God = the Majority! Through faith in Jesus you are God’s redeemed child! Through faith in Jesus all your sins have been forgiven. Through faith in Jesus, your place in heaven has already been prepared for you. Through faith in Jesus you are already victorious. Through faith in Jesus you are the Majority because you are aligned with God. Through faith in Jesus, no matter what happens in this world you are victorious, as the Apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21, NIV) So no matter what happens, you are the majority with God. If you live out your days and fall asleep in the Lord at a good old age, you are blessed. If your life should be cut short by an accident or even a sickness, you are still blessed because you will be at home with the Lord all the sooner. If you should face what I faced, and be murdered for what you believe in, you will be blessed because the Lord will reward you with eternal life! This is our comfort whether we live or whether we die we belong to the Lord, because 1 + the Lord = the Majority. There is no one who can snatch us out of his hand. There is no one who can take away our salvation.
Though the days will eventually grow even more evil than the days I faced, the Lord is on your side. When you face frustration, hardship, trouble, persecution, suffering, or even death, take my story with you. Hide it in your heart so that no matter what you face you always remember that 1 + God = the Majority!
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church -Le Sueur, MN
This sermon was preached from the perspective of Stephen
Dear friends in Christ.
I want to thank you for the opportunity of being with you this morning to tell you my story. Though I’m sure that many of you already know my story quite well from your days in Sunday school, my story is a story that bears repeating. I don’t say that because it is a story about me, and I have the opportunity of relating it to you today. But I say this because it is a story that will teach you the all important truth that 1 + God = The Majority!
You see, my story begins back in the days after Pentecost. I’m sure you remember how it was, the sound of rushing wind came to the place where the Apostles were and then tongues of fire separated and came to rest on their heads. The Apostles began speaking in all sorts of different languages and some from the crowd mocked them saying that they had too much wine. That was when Peter stood up and preached to the people telling them exactly what was happening; how the Lord had poured out the Holy Spirit on his people in fulfillment of his promise. He told the people about Jesus and what his life, his death, and his resurrection had meant for them. He called on the people to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins and on that day roughly 3000 people were added to the number of believers!
Well, it didn’t stop there. The believers continued to meet together and the Apostles continued proclaiming the gospel message of salvation, performing the miraculous signs and wonders that the Lord enabled them to do, and the Lord continued to bless them! Day after day he continued to add to their numbers until the number of believers was up, well over, 5000. So many had been added, that a complaint arose, stating that some of the widows were being over looked in the daily distribution of food. So, when the complaint came forward, the Apostles suggested that 7 men be chosen from among the believers to help out in the daily distribution of food. Thus, when the church acted and chose us, I was one of the men who was chosen to do just that, as it says in our lesson today: “Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, 10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. (Acts 6:8–10, NIV)
Though I had been chosen to help in the ministry of distributing food, it was the Lord who allowed me to also perform miraculous signs like the Apostles, and it was the Lord who led me out to proclaim his Word. As I proclaimed his Word, there were some who began to oppose me and the message I was bringing. Yet, this was not the first time opposition had arisen against the preaching of the gospel, for if you really think about it, Jesus’ ministry on earth was filled with opposition by the Pharisees, the Teachers of the Law, in fact the entire Sanhedrin—the ruling body of religious leaders in Israel—was essentially opposed to the message that Jesus brought. So, it really was no wonder that the Apostles faced opposition as they preached. Take for example Peter and John. Early on in the days after Pentecost, they had healed a crippled beggar in the Temple Courts and then used the opportunity to proclaim the gospel of salvation to the people who had gathered around. But shortly after they had finished, some form the Priests and Sadducees took them off to the Sanhedrin for trial, because the Priests and the Sadducees were greatly disturbed that these Apostles were preaching the resurrection. At the close of the trial, just before they were released, the Sanhedrin ordered them no longer to preach the Name of Jesus, to which they declared their plan to follow the will of God rather than the will of men. When they gathered with the other believers and reported what had happened, they prayed and praised God, the Lord shook the place where they were praying and the disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit continued proclaiming the message of salvation through faith in Jesus. Thus, God himself demonstrated that 1 + God = the Majority!
Again opposition arose because the High Priest and the Sadducees were filled with jealousy against the Apostles and they arrested them, once again, for preaching about Jesus. Again they were put on trial before the whole Sanhedrin and ordered no longer to preach about Jesus. Again their response was that they must obey God rather than men because they knew that 1 + God = the Majority. This time, however, the Apostles were whipped! Yet, as they left, they left rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering for the Lord Jesus, their Savior and even though they suffered they were confirmed in their knowledge that they were the Majority because they were partnered with God.
Again the leadership grew jealous of what was happening in the camp of the Lord because the number of disciples was increasing daily and because quite a number of priests were coming to faith in Jesus as their Savior. Because of this, the Sanhedrin, the religious leadership of the Israelites, undoubtedly felt as they did when Jesus walked the earth; they felt that they were losing their positions of power and control over the people. It was at this time that opposition arose against me from the Synagogue of the Freedmen, as it was called. They began to argue with me and against the Word of God which I was proclaiming. But they could not stand up against the Holy Spirit by whom I was speaking, and in that moment it became clear that 1 + God = the Majority. It was not by my power that they could not stand up, but by the power of God himself who was on my side and who was proclaiming his eternal power of salvation through his Word, which I was privileged to speak. So, because they could not stand up against the Lord, they did what all stubborn unbelievers do; they lied. Just like they paid false witnesses to testify against Jesus, “they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” 15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. 1 Then the high priest asked him, “Are these charges true?” (Acts 6:11–7:1, NIV)
In their zeal to be rid of me, they accused me of blasphemy—profane or sacrilegious speech—against Moses, against God, and against the Temple. But even though I stood alone against those 70 elders of Israel made up of the High Priest together with the Pharisees and Sadducees, I knew I was the Majority that day, because I stood with the Lord beside me. In that day the Lord Jesus fulfilled his promise and gave me the words to speak through the Holy Spirit! For as it came time for me to speak in my defense, suddenly my face began to shine like an angel and the Holy Spirit enabled me to defend myself through the power of God’s Word.
Though they accused me of blasphemy against God, through the Holy Spirit I proclaimed to them the history of God’s gracious dealing with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the Israelites and in doing so the Holy Spirit revealed how I was actually exalting the God of the covenant and his gracious promises, while the Sanhedrin had forsaken the covenant God. Though they accused me of blasphemy against Moses, through the Holy Spirit I reminded them of the Israelites history of rejecting Moses as God’s given leader and their breaking of God’s covenant with them by turning to idolatry. Thus, the Holy Spirit revealed that I was honoring Moses as God intended by following the Lord’s Word while the Sanhedrin had blinded themselves to the meaning of the law given by Moses as well as the promise of the Savior that Moses prophesied. Though they accused me of blasphemy against the temple, through the Holy Spirit I proclaimed to them the history of the tabernacle and the temple as a place to go and worship the Lord through the sacrifices he gave, while the Israelites had changed the temple into an idol by merely going through the motions of worship. Thus the Holy Spirit revealed that the message I proclaimed gave the temple the place the Lord wanted it to have while the Sanhedrin had perverted both the right view of the temple and the God-pleasing use of it.
Even as I was speaking they began to grow antsy. Like little children they covered their ears so they wouldn’t have to listen to what I was telling them. They ground their teeth in anger because they could not fact the Lord’s judgment on them when I said, “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.” 54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:51–60, NIV)
Even though they thought they had won by killing me, I was the victor that day, because 1 + God = The Majority! Even in death I was allied with the Lord and through faith in him, I was given a seat of honor in his heavenly kingdom. I was honored as the first of God’s martyrs in the New Testament, and I was honored to be the one whose story gives strength to all of God’s people who face hardships, trials, frustrations, persecution, and even martyrdom. I was given this honor so that God might be glorified when people see from my story the absolute fact that 1 + God = the Majority!
Now, why do I tell you all this? Because you need to know and be certain that 1 + God = the Majority! You need to know this because whether you realize it or not, you are already being persecuted for being a Christian. More and more people are complaining against Christianity and more and more court cases are coming up about Christian symbols, prayer, and many other Christian freedoms that have begun to offend others. In fact, take a look at this clip from October 2008 in which Paul Washer speaks about persecution in our day. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7UyZYpeReY)
I do not tell you these things or show you this clip to scare you, but to encourage you. Though we have enjoyed an unprecedented time without persecution, it has begun. It is continuing and it is growing. But no matter what kind of persecution we may face, remember my story and remember that no matter what 1 + God = the Majority! Through faith in Jesus you are God’s redeemed child! Through faith in Jesus all your sins have been forgiven. Through faith in Jesus, your place in heaven has already been prepared for you. Through faith in Jesus you are already victorious. Through faith in Jesus you are the Majority because you are aligned with God. Through faith in Jesus, no matter what happens in this world you are victorious, as the Apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21, NIV) So no matter what happens, you are the majority with God. If you live out your days and fall asleep in the Lord at a good old age, you are blessed. If your life should be cut short by an accident or even a sickness, you are still blessed because you will be at home with the Lord all the sooner. If you should face what I faced, and be murdered for what you believe in, you will be blessed because the Lord will reward you with eternal life! This is our comfort whether we live or whether we die we belong to the Lord, because 1 + the Lord = the Majority. There is no one who can snatch us out of his hand. There is no one who can take away our salvation.
Though the days will eventually grow even more evil than the days I faced, the Lord is on your side. When you face frustration, hardship, trouble, persecution, suffering, or even death, take my story with you. Hide it in your heart so that no matter what you face you always remember that 1 + God = the Majority!
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church -Le Sueur, MN
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Are you the One who was to come? (Matthew 11:2-11)
December 12, 2010
Dear friends in Christ.
It has been said that God sometimes baffles us and disappoints us in order to make us succeed. In many ways, that is exactly what the Lord did to Philips Brooks. Born in 1835, Philips Brooks is best remembered today as the author of O Little Town of Bethlehem. However, former generations accounted him as the greatest American Preacher of the 19th Century. Yet, if Philips Brooks would have succeeded in his position as a school master, he never would have stood in the pulpit to move men with his mighty ministry. This is also what the Lord did to an English Man named Frederick Robertson. Born in 1816, Frederick Robertson long dreamed of being a military officer, like his Father, and his dream was to serve the Empire in India. Yet, at the wish of his Father, just two weeks before he would have received his military commission, Frederick left school and went on to become an amazing preacher. You see, if Frederick had succeeded in his goal and received his military commission in the British Army, never would have written the sermons which still throb with his great and yearning spirit; sermons which are still read and studied today! For these two men, if God had not disappointed them they may never have received the great blessings that he longed to pour into their lives.
In many ways, the very same thing could be said for the life of John the Baptist. Turn with me, if you would, to our lesson for this morning from Matthew 11 and we’ll take a look at the disappointment and the perplexity that John was facing. Now, as you are turning to Matthew 11, let tell you about some of the events leading up to our lesson today. Though John had served well as the forerunner to the Messiah, preaching in the spirit of Elijah of old, calling Israel to repentance and pointing them to place their faith in Jesus as their Savior, John had come upon some disappointing and troubling times, as he was now locked away in Herod’s prison. He was locked away in Herod’s prison because he had forcefully preached that it was wrong for Herod to have married his brother Philip’s wife. When John was put in prison, Jesus left the region of Judah and Jerusalem and headed up to Galilee where he preached the gospel of salvation, he healed the sick, he restored sight to the blind, he cleansed lepers, he even raised the dead, but he did not bring any kind of judgment upon the people as John had said that he would. It was because of this that John was confused and perplexed; he may even been a little disappointed. That is why Matthew writes as he does in Chapter 11 beginning with verse 2: “When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” 7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:2–11, NIV)
Are you the one who was to come, or should we be expecting someone else? This was John’s question, born out of his disappointment and his frustration at being locked away in prison for preaching the truth of God’s Word. Though it is sometimes difficult for us to conceive of any type of doubt ever crossing the lips of such a great Prophet as John the Baptist, as we study the Scriptures, there are many examples of God’s prophets facing disappointment, frustration, perplexity, and even doubt. Take for example the Prophet Elijah. Immediately after his great victory for the Lord over the 950 false prophets on Mt. Carmel, we see Elijah fearing for his life. We see him running away to the Mountain of God, doubting his effectiveness, and even despairing of his life. We see Jeremiah weeping and complaining to the Lord because all the people of Israel were against him and no one seemed to listen to the message that the Lord gave him to preach. We see Jonah running away from the Lord so that he wouldn’t have to go to Nineveh, doubting that his message would be affective, and then growing angry and sullen when it caused the people to return to the Lord. Even Moses doubted that he would be able to lead the people Israel, when the Lord called him to be his prophet.
Yet, in the same way that the Lord answered each one of his prophet’s concerns, removing their doubts and fears and building them up in his Word, so also the Lord Jesus does the same thing for John today. For as Jesus replies, he doesn’t simply say, “Go back and tell John, ‘Yes, I am the one who was to come! You don’t need to look forward to anyone else!’” Rather, Jesus basically tells John, “Judge for yourself, based on what you have heard and seen.” “Judge for yourself, based on the things I am doing, things which Isaiah said I would do.” “Judge for yourself, and you will see that there is no doubt that I am the one who was to come! You do not need to be looking forward to someone else!” Take a look with me again at Chapter 11 beginning with verse 4: “Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” 7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:2–11, NIV)
What a comfort these words must have been to John as he sat in prison! What a great assurance for him to hear his cousin and his Savior assure him not only that he, Jesus, was the one who was to come into the world as the Messiah, but that he, John, the forerunner, had done his job of preparing the way for the Lord, extremely well. As Jesus stood before the crowd of people there, he told them, in no uncertain terms, that even though John was currently sitting in prison, he had done his job to prepare the way for the Savior! John was the messenger whom the Lord God had revealed ahead of the Savior to prepare his way. John was the one who pointed Jesus out as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the Word. John was the one who had so eloquently proclaimed the Law of God, cutting the people to the heart, moving them to repentances, and preparing them to receive Jesus as their Savior. Thus, in pointing to his actions as the Messiah, and pointing to John’s actions as the forerunner to the Messiah, Jesus reveals two witnesses that proclaim him as the one who was to come to be the Savior of the world! He is the one who was to come not simply because he said so, but because he was the one who accomplished what the Scriptures said he would. He was the one who was to come not simply because he said so, but because John, the forerunner whom the Scriptures foretold, prepared the way before him and pointed him out to the people.
Though the Lord had, in some ways, disappointed John and even frustrated him by locking him away in prison, John’s ministry was that much more successful because through his imprisonment, even more people came to place their faith in Jesus as their Savior. Even we, because of the ministry of John, have been blessed by the Lord our God, because we too have come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah who has freed us from our sins. In fact, we too, can take the same comfort that John, his disciples, and the crowd of people took that day as Jesus revealed that he was the one who came as the Messiah! In fact, today, as we look forward to the celebration of our Savior’s birth, we can be certain that he is the one who came into the world to save us from our sins. He is the one who came into this to give his life as the Lamb of Atonement so that his payment for our sins might wipe God’s slate clean. He is the one who came into this world to preach the Gospel so that his word would be carried to the people of every nation, tribe, and language. He is the one who came into the world so that you and I might be made his own and live under him in his kingdom!
Though there may be times that the Lord does baffle us and even disappoint us, we know that he is doing it to make us successful in him. Just as he made John the Baptist successful in his ministry of preparing the way for the Savior, so also he will make us successful in our faith. What a comfort it is to have our Savior’s assurance that we don’t need to look for anyone else! He is the one who was to come into the world! Jesus was the one who was to come into the world to free us from our sins. Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Dear friends in Christ.
It has been said that God sometimes baffles us and disappoints us in order to make us succeed. In many ways, that is exactly what the Lord did to Philips Brooks. Born in 1835, Philips Brooks is best remembered today as the author of O Little Town of Bethlehem. However, former generations accounted him as the greatest American Preacher of the 19th Century. Yet, if Philips Brooks would have succeeded in his position as a school master, he never would have stood in the pulpit to move men with his mighty ministry. This is also what the Lord did to an English Man named Frederick Robertson. Born in 1816, Frederick Robertson long dreamed of being a military officer, like his Father, and his dream was to serve the Empire in India. Yet, at the wish of his Father, just two weeks before he would have received his military commission, Frederick left school and went on to become an amazing preacher. You see, if Frederick had succeeded in his goal and received his military commission in the British Army, never would have written the sermons which still throb with his great and yearning spirit; sermons which are still read and studied today! For these two men, if God had not disappointed them they may never have received the great blessings that he longed to pour into their lives.
In many ways, the very same thing could be said for the life of John the Baptist. Turn with me, if you would, to our lesson for this morning from Matthew 11 and we’ll take a look at the disappointment and the perplexity that John was facing. Now, as you are turning to Matthew 11, let tell you about some of the events leading up to our lesson today. Though John had served well as the forerunner to the Messiah, preaching in the spirit of Elijah of old, calling Israel to repentance and pointing them to place their faith in Jesus as their Savior, John had come upon some disappointing and troubling times, as he was now locked away in Herod’s prison. He was locked away in Herod’s prison because he had forcefully preached that it was wrong for Herod to have married his brother Philip’s wife. When John was put in prison, Jesus left the region of Judah and Jerusalem and headed up to Galilee where he preached the gospel of salvation, he healed the sick, he restored sight to the blind, he cleansed lepers, he even raised the dead, but he did not bring any kind of judgment upon the people as John had said that he would. It was because of this that John was confused and perplexed; he may even been a little disappointed. That is why Matthew writes as he does in Chapter 11 beginning with verse 2: “When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” 7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:2–11, NIV)
Are you the one who was to come, or should we be expecting someone else? This was John’s question, born out of his disappointment and his frustration at being locked away in prison for preaching the truth of God’s Word. Though it is sometimes difficult for us to conceive of any type of doubt ever crossing the lips of such a great Prophet as John the Baptist, as we study the Scriptures, there are many examples of God’s prophets facing disappointment, frustration, perplexity, and even doubt. Take for example the Prophet Elijah. Immediately after his great victory for the Lord over the 950 false prophets on Mt. Carmel, we see Elijah fearing for his life. We see him running away to the Mountain of God, doubting his effectiveness, and even despairing of his life. We see Jeremiah weeping and complaining to the Lord because all the people of Israel were against him and no one seemed to listen to the message that the Lord gave him to preach. We see Jonah running away from the Lord so that he wouldn’t have to go to Nineveh, doubting that his message would be affective, and then growing angry and sullen when it caused the people to return to the Lord. Even Moses doubted that he would be able to lead the people Israel, when the Lord called him to be his prophet.
Yet, in the same way that the Lord answered each one of his prophet’s concerns, removing their doubts and fears and building them up in his Word, so also the Lord Jesus does the same thing for John today. For as Jesus replies, he doesn’t simply say, “Go back and tell John, ‘Yes, I am the one who was to come! You don’t need to look forward to anyone else!’” Rather, Jesus basically tells John, “Judge for yourself, based on what you have heard and seen.” “Judge for yourself, based on the things I am doing, things which Isaiah said I would do.” “Judge for yourself, and you will see that there is no doubt that I am the one who was to come! You do not need to be looking forward to someone else!” Take a look with me again at Chapter 11 beginning with verse 4: “Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” 7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:2–11, NIV)
What a comfort these words must have been to John as he sat in prison! What a great assurance for him to hear his cousin and his Savior assure him not only that he, Jesus, was the one who was to come into the world as the Messiah, but that he, John, the forerunner, had done his job of preparing the way for the Lord, extremely well. As Jesus stood before the crowd of people there, he told them, in no uncertain terms, that even though John was currently sitting in prison, he had done his job to prepare the way for the Savior! John was the messenger whom the Lord God had revealed ahead of the Savior to prepare his way. John was the one who pointed Jesus out as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the Word. John was the one who had so eloquently proclaimed the Law of God, cutting the people to the heart, moving them to repentances, and preparing them to receive Jesus as their Savior. Thus, in pointing to his actions as the Messiah, and pointing to John’s actions as the forerunner to the Messiah, Jesus reveals two witnesses that proclaim him as the one who was to come to be the Savior of the world! He is the one who was to come not simply because he said so, but because he was the one who accomplished what the Scriptures said he would. He was the one who was to come not simply because he said so, but because John, the forerunner whom the Scriptures foretold, prepared the way before him and pointed him out to the people.
Though the Lord had, in some ways, disappointed John and even frustrated him by locking him away in prison, John’s ministry was that much more successful because through his imprisonment, even more people came to place their faith in Jesus as their Savior. Even we, because of the ministry of John, have been blessed by the Lord our God, because we too have come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah who has freed us from our sins. In fact, we too, can take the same comfort that John, his disciples, and the crowd of people took that day as Jesus revealed that he was the one who came as the Messiah! In fact, today, as we look forward to the celebration of our Savior’s birth, we can be certain that he is the one who came into the world to save us from our sins. He is the one who came into this to give his life as the Lamb of Atonement so that his payment for our sins might wipe God’s slate clean. He is the one who came into this world to preach the Gospel so that his word would be carried to the people of every nation, tribe, and language. He is the one who came into the world so that you and I might be made his own and live under him in his kingdom!
Though there may be times that the Lord does baffle us and even disappoint us, we know that he is doing it to make us successful in him. Just as he made John the Baptist successful in his ministry of preparing the way for the Savior, so also he will make us successful in our faith. What a comfort it is to have our Savior’s assurance that we don’t need to look for anyone else! He is the one who was to come into the world! Jesus was the one who was to come into the world to free us from our sins. Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Prepare the Way of the Lord (Luke 3:1-6)
December 5, 2010
Dear friends in Christ.
Before the days of Interstate Highways, US Highways, even before paved country roads; back even before the days of the prophets, there was custom practiced by the Kings of the Orient. Whenever a king wished to make a journey he would first send out his officials to prepare the area through which he intended to travel. The officials would go to the people living in the region and order them, in the name of the King, to prepare the highway for their lord. The people would then have the task of making sure the roadway was ready for their king. They would clear away any brush or dead branches, they would fill in any ruts or potholes, and they would even level the surface so that everything would be ready for their king; so that he would have the smoothest journey on the flattest road possible. This is the very picture that Luke is painting for us through the ministry of John the Baptist. In essence, the Lord is pictured as coming through the vast and impassable Arabian desert which lay between Babylon and the land of Judea. Thus, the preaching voice of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Savior and the official of the Lord, came to the Judean wilderness. He came summoning the people to clear the way of all obstacles so that Israel’s Lord and Savior could have a smooth road to their hearts as he came to set his people free from their sins.
This mission, to prepare the way for the Lord, was the very mission that John had been given even before he had been born. For when the Angel Gabriel visited Zechariah in the temple as Zechariah was burning incense, Gabriel told Zechariah that the child that would be born would be great in the sight of the Lord. He would be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from birth. By his preaching he would bring many in Israel back to the Lord their God, and in the spirit of the Prophet Elijah he would make ready a people prepared for the Lord, which is exactly what John was doing when we meet him in our lesson today. Luke writes: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 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. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’ ”(Luke 3:1–6, NIV)
Though John may had gone out to live in the dessert at an early age, he did not begin his ministry until the Lord came to him and authorized it. But when that day finally came, he began with a fury. He went around the area of the Jordan preparing the way of the Lord by calling the people to repentance through the Law of God. He baptized the repentant in the waters of the Jordan, assuring them of the forgiveness of sins, and he pointed people ever forward, to look for the Lamb of God, the Messiah who would soon be coming into the world. In fact, he did this so effectively that people began to flock to him from Jerusalem, the region surrounding Judea, and even from places as far away as Capernaum in Galilee. Many people who would never have considered going to the dusty desolate region of the Jordan where John was now left their comfortable homes just so they could come out and hear what he had to say.
Well, in the same way that John prepared the way of the Lord in his day, he is doing the same thing for you and me today! Though we don’t have him standing in front of us preaching against our sins, through Luke’s account we have the next best thing. For as we look back at the account of John’s preaching, we hear just how forceful of a speaker he must have been. We hear him preparing the Messiah’s Highway into the hearts of his people by calling them to repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We hear him going up against the Pharisees and other religious leader telling them flat out that their self-righteous ways will get them nowhere near their eternal goal. And we hear him, as he turns to us and condemns us for our sins. For we too have been right there with the Pharisees, thinking that we can get into heaven with our good looks and good works. We too have been right there with the tax collectors taking more than our fair share. We too have been right there with the soldiers accusing people falsely and slandering their names to our friends. We too have let the fire of our anger rise against those who have wronged us and sworn that we would get even with them. We too have let our tongues run wild, gossiping about anyone and anything in any place at any time of day. We too have let the rage of our jealousy cloud our minds so that we have resented even our closest friends.
In truth, we are no different than the Israelites who came out to hear John in the wilderness. We, too, need John to prepare the way for our Lord, because the road to our hearts is also covered with many obstacles of sin, and doubt, and disbelief. But when we hear John speaking to us with the full measure of God’s Law we find ourselves looking directly into the mirror of that Law. We see our reflections covered with the debris of our sins. We feel the weight of our sins pressing down upon our shoulders. We see the shame and the guilt of those sins reflected in our eyes, and before we know it, we are down on our knees in sorrow over our sins, repenting, and praying to the Lord our Savior for forgiveness. It is in this way that our hearts are prepared for the coming of the Lord and the way to our hearts made smooth and ready for him! For it is the crushing blow of the hammer of God’s Law that leads us to repentance, and it is through that repentance that the way is prepared for Jesus to enter into our hearts and lives.
When Jesus enters into our hearts and lives, he enters in with the soothing Gospel, filling in those trenches of heartache and despair. Though the Law shows our reflections covered with sins, Jesus uses his gospel to remove each and every spot and satin of our sins. He uses the gospel to cover over every one of our iniquities so that all that is reflected is the Salvation of our God. He shows us that the true and only way to our homes in heaven is through faith in him. He assures us that though we may have taken more than our fair share, let our anger rise and worked to get even, let our tongues run wild, and even let rage and jealousy cloud our minds, these things have all been forgiven. But not only have they been forgiven, by the way that was prepared in our hearts through the law, our Savior now brings the healing of the gospel which not only assures us that we have been completely forgiven, but it also moves us to live our lives according to God’s will out of love for our Savior.
This is why John’s work as forerunner to the Messiah was such important work. For as forerunner, it was his mission to prepare the way of the Lord. Though John may not have gone out and commanded the people of the region to prepare the roads so that their king could travel on them, he did prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of their Savior. Through his use of Law and Gospel, John was able to prepare the way of the Lord, so that the nations would be ready for the coming of their Savior. Thus we can be sure that John came in fulfillment of the prophecy that Isaiah had uttered so many years before, for through his proclamation of Law and Gospel John has prepared the way for the Lord for countless generations of believers who have come to faith through the work that he did.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
Dear friends in Christ.
Before the days of Interstate Highways, US Highways, even before paved country roads; back even before the days of the prophets, there was custom practiced by the Kings of the Orient. Whenever a king wished to make a journey he would first send out his officials to prepare the area through which he intended to travel. The officials would go to the people living in the region and order them, in the name of the King, to prepare the highway for their lord. The people would then have the task of making sure the roadway was ready for their king. They would clear away any brush or dead branches, they would fill in any ruts or potholes, and they would even level the surface so that everything would be ready for their king; so that he would have the smoothest journey on the flattest road possible. This is the very picture that Luke is painting for us through the ministry of John the Baptist. In essence, the Lord is pictured as coming through the vast and impassable Arabian desert which lay between Babylon and the land of Judea. Thus, the preaching voice of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Savior and the official of the Lord, came to the Judean wilderness. He came summoning the people to clear the way of all obstacles so that Israel’s Lord and Savior could have a smooth road to their hearts as he came to set his people free from their sins.
This mission, to prepare the way for the Lord, was the very mission that John had been given even before he had been born. For when the Angel Gabriel visited Zechariah in the temple as Zechariah was burning incense, Gabriel told Zechariah that the child that would be born would be great in the sight of the Lord. He would be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from birth. By his preaching he would bring many in Israel back to the Lord their God, and in the spirit of the Prophet Elijah he would make ready a people prepared for the Lord, which is exactly what John was doing when we meet him in our lesson today. Luke writes: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 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. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’ ”(Luke 3:1–6, NIV)
Though John may had gone out to live in the dessert at an early age, he did not begin his ministry until the Lord came to him and authorized it. But when that day finally came, he began with a fury. He went around the area of the Jordan preparing the way of the Lord by calling the people to repentance through the Law of God. He baptized the repentant in the waters of the Jordan, assuring them of the forgiveness of sins, and he pointed people ever forward, to look for the Lamb of God, the Messiah who would soon be coming into the world. In fact, he did this so effectively that people began to flock to him from Jerusalem, the region surrounding Judea, and even from places as far away as Capernaum in Galilee. Many people who would never have considered going to the dusty desolate region of the Jordan where John was now left their comfortable homes just so they could come out and hear what he had to say.
Well, in the same way that John prepared the way of the Lord in his day, he is doing the same thing for you and me today! Though we don’t have him standing in front of us preaching against our sins, through Luke’s account we have the next best thing. For as we look back at the account of John’s preaching, we hear just how forceful of a speaker he must have been. We hear him preparing the Messiah’s Highway into the hearts of his people by calling them to repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We hear him going up against the Pharisees and other religious leader telling them flat out that their self-righteous ways will get them nowhere near their eternal goal. And we hear him, as he turns to us and condemns us for our sins. For we too have been right there with the Pharisees, thinking that we can get into heaven with our good looks and good works. We too have been right there with the tax collectors taking more than our fair share. We too have been right there with the soldiers accusing people falsely and slandering their names to our friends. We too have let the fire of our anger rise against those who have wronged us and sworn that we would get even with them. We too have let our tongues run wild, gossiping about anyone and anything in any place at any time of day. We too have let the rage of our jealousy cloud our minds so that we have resented even our closest friends.
In truth, we are no different than the Israelites who came out to hear John in the wilderness. We, too, need John to prepare the way for our Lord, because the road to our hearts is also covered with many obstacles of sin, and doubt, and disbelief. But when we hear John speaking to us with the full measure of God’s Law we find ourselves looking directly into the mirror of that Law. We see our reflections covered with the debris of our sins. We feel the weight of our sins pressing down upon our shoulders. We see the shame and the guilt of those sins reflected in our eyes, and before we know it, we are down on our knees in sorrow over our sins, repenting, and praying to the Lord our Savior for forgiveness. It is in this way that our hearts are prepared for the coming of the Lord and the way to our hearts made smooth and ready for him! For it is the crushing blow of the hammer of God’s Law that leads us to repentance, and it is through that repentance that the way is prepared for Jesus to enter into our hearts and lives.
When Jesus enters into our hearts and lives, he enters in with the soothing Gospel, filling in those trenches of heartache and despair. Though the Law shows our reflections covered with sins, Jesus uses his gospel to remove each and every spot and satin of our sins. He uses the gospel to cover over every one of our iniquities so that all that is reflected is the Salvation of our God. He shows us that the true and only way to our homes in heaven is through faith in him. He assures us that though we may have taken more than our fair share, let our anger rise and worked to get even, let our tongues run wild, and even let rage and jealousy cloud our minds, these things have all been forgiven. But not only have they been forgiven, by the way that was prepared in our hearts through the law, our Savior now brings the healing of the gospel which not only assures us that we have been completely forgiven, but it also moves us to live our lives according to God’s will out of love for our Savior.
This is why John’s work as forerunner to the Messiah was such important work. For as forerunner, it was his mission to prepare the way of the Lord. Though John may not have gone out and commanded the people of the region to prepare the roads so that their king could travel on them, he did prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of their Savior. Through his use of Law and Gospel, John was able to prepare the way of the Lord, so that the nations would be ready for the coming of their Savior. Thus we can be sure that John came in fulfillment of the prophecy that Isaiah had uttered so many years before, for through his proclamation of Law and Gospel John has prepared the way for the Lord for countless generations of believers who have come to faith through the work that he did.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN
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