As for Me and My Household, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:14-15)

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

September 2, 2012

Dear friends in Christ.

On October 11, 1987, my Grandfather, Edwin Breiling, died.  Only a few days before he had been working in his yard, hanging storm windows in preparation for the coming winter, when he collapsed.  He collapsed because an aortal aneurism had ruptured while he was doing his work.  I remember when we got the news that Grandpa had collapsed and that he had been moved to the Hospital in La Crosse.  I remember my parents traveling to La Crosse to help Grandma, and I remember them coming back on Sunday afternoon and giving us the news that Grandpa had gone home to be with the Lord.  I was 15 that day.  I was a freshman in high school and even though I had been to a number of funerals in my young life, this was the first time I had felt the sharp sting of death so personally.  I can still remember the trip to Wisconsin, gathering in the funeral home with the family, sitting and listening to the words of comfort that the Pastor gave before everyone came to pay their respects. 

But out of all of these things, the clearest memory I have is sitting in church and hearing the very words of our lesson today being used as my Grandfather’s funeral sermon.  You see, Edwin Breiling was a Pastor who had served the Lord faithfully for over 40 years, and his final words to his congregation were the very words of our lesson today, “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”" (Joshua 24:14–15, NIV84)  Through the pastor who conducted his funeral service, Pastor Edwin Breiling stood before his congregation one last time.  He stood before his congregation as Joshua stood before the Israelites in Shechem.  Grandpa stood before his congregation and told them, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  As Christians, these words are very important to us.  Many of us have them prominently displayed in our homes in one form or another.  My son has these words on a sticker which he has attached to the inside of one of his school folders, and I have a framed copy of these words hanging on the wall in my office. These words are very important to us as Christians because they so clearly convey our desire to be like Joshua.  They clearly convey our desire to stand firm in the teachings of the Lord.  They clearly convey our desire to stand against idolatry and unbelief, and to choose to serve the Lord with our lives.  Even if everybody around us should forsake the Lord, as Christians we long to cry out with Joshua, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Now, the interesting thing about these words is the situation in which they were given.  You see, when Joshua spoke the words of our lesson today, he was very near the end of his life.  He had led the Israelites for many years, and under his leadership the Lord had subdued the nations before them, and they had conquered the majority of the Promised Land.  Though there were still areas of Canaan to be conquered, by the time that Joshua spoke these words, the land had already been divided among the tribes.  The people were living in cities and homes that they had not built.  They were eating the fruit of vineyards that they had not planted.  They were enjoying the blessings of the good land that the Lord had given them, and they and the land were at rest.

So, Joshua gathered all the people of Israel at Shechem, which was the perfect place to cast out idolatry and renew the Lord’s Covenant.  It was the perfect place because Shechem was the place where Abraham essentially got rid of all the gods his forefathers had served and served the Lord.  It was there at Shechem that Abraham built an altar to the Lord, which was the first altar to the Lord in the heathen land of Canaan, and worshiped the Lord who had chosen him by grace and promised him that his descendants would one day possess the Land of Canaan.  (Genesis 12:1-9).  It was there at Shechem, where all the Israelites had gathered, that each Israelite could look around and they could see the reality of that promise come to fruition.  Not only that, but Shechem was the place where Jacob settled after returning from his 20 years of service to his Uncle Laban (Genesis 33:18-20).  It was at Shechem that he bought the plot of ground where he pitched his tent.  It was at Shechem that Jacob called on all his family to get rid of any foreign gods and idols that they had with them, and they buried them under an Oak tree. (Genesis 35:1-5)  It was also from Shechem where Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers, thus beginning the movement of Israel to Egypt and ultimately their own years of slavery.  So, as Joshua gathered the people at Shechem, in many ways it marked for them a home coming.  It marked for them the ending of the chapters of slavery and wandering in the desert, as well as the beginning of a new nation under the blessing of the Lord.  So, there at Shechem, a place filled with so much history for the Israelites, that Joshua reminded them of the Lord’s great blessings to them and then challenged them, saying: “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”" (Joshua 24:14–15, NIV84)

“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  For Joshua it was very clear what his choice was.  No matter what any other Israelite would choose, Joshua’s choice for himself and for his family was that they would serve the Lord.  This was the same choice that my Grandfather made!  As for him and for his household, they would serve the Lord!  But this was not a choice made hastily or declared as an ultimatum at his funeral.  No, this was something that he displayed with his life.  Because he was the spiritual leader of his house, he taught his three daughters the truths of God’s Word, and to this day his daughters serve the Lord with their lives.  Those three daughters sought for themselves men who loved the Lord and men who served the Lord with every aspect of their lives, and together, with these men, they each started families that serve the Lord.  In each of these families the children were taught the precious truths of God’s Word.  Each family grew together in faith by gathering in church and worshiping the Lord on a weekly basis.  Each family lived their faith in word and actions.  Whether it was stated or not, each one of those families adopted Joshua’s declaration as their own, demonstrating by their words and actions that regardless of what others did, they would serve the Lord.  From those three daughters came eight grandchildren, and I know for sure that seven of the eight of those grandchildren live to serve the Lord. And even though I’ve personally lost contact with one of them I believe that she too lives her life in service to the Lord.  From those eight grandchildren, four are married and have brought five great-grandchildren into the world so far.  These five great-grandchildren are already being taught the faith of their great-grandfather.  They are already being taught the faith-walk of a Christian’s life, the importance of growing in the Word of God, and the strengthening of faith that comes from gathering for worship on a weekly basis.  All because a man named Edwin Breiling faithfully served the Lord and taught his household to do the same, nearly 25 years after the Lord called him home to heaven, it can still be said that he and his household are serving the Lord.

“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  Can these words be said about you?  Absolutely!  It doesn’t matter what your family history might be.  It doesn’t matter if you are the first in your family to come to faith in the Lord or you are one in a longer line than I have displayed today.  It doesn’t matter because today, as we have gathered in worship, we have gathered before the Lord at Shechem with Joshua and the Israelites.  Today, we have Joshua calling on each and every one of us to throw away the false gods that our forefathers worshiped, and that we too have worshiped, and serve the Lord.  Today, the Lord is calling on each and every one of us to cast out whatever false gods and idols we’ve been carrying around in our hearts; false gods that have sought to replace the true god and who have, at times, succeeded at replacing him.  But what gods are you still carrying with you today?  Has greed become a god that rules your life?  Have you sat at the altar of selfishness and worshiped there for long periods of time?  Has pleasure filled your heat with the joys of this world and crowded out the joy of the True God.  Has obstinacy become your god as you refuse to heed the Word of the Lord that you learned as little children?  Have you given over to sexual indulgence, worldly wisdom, secularism, hedonism, consumerism, instant gratification, addiction, anger, frustration, or any other gods to claim your heart?  Have you allowed anyone or anything to take over God’s place in your heart?  We all have, this is why Joshua is calling each and every one of us to, “Fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14, NIV84)

So, dear friends, let us all throw away these gods which seek to claim our heats by confessing them to the Lord in our hearts.  Take time during the offering to confess them to the Lord.  Take time during the silent prayer to confess them.  Take time after worship when you are at home and alone to write them down and confess them to the Lord. Then, when you have confessed them crumble up the sheet of paper, send it through the paper shredder, burn it on the grill before cooking your favorite meal, and live in the Lord’s forgiveness, and serve the Lord with your lives.  For you know that it is Jesus, your Savior who forgives all your sins.  You know it is Jesus, your Savior, who purifies your hearts so that you can grow in your faith and so that you can serve the Lord with your lives.  It is Jesus, your Savior, who moves your heart to action so that you begin to live your faith in the things you say and the things that you do. 

So, today, heed the words of Joshua and fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness.  No matter what age you might be, no matter what your family situation might be, no matter how well you might have served the Lord to this point, serve the Lord by growing in your faith.  Make the Lord and his Word the highest priority of your life.  Grow in your faith through worship and Bible study, and as you do, you will be seen as someone who does indeed serve the Lord with your life.  Your children will see your example, and no matter what age they might be, they will see the importance of serving the Lord with their lives as you are serving the Lord with your life.  It may happen quickly, and it may happen slowly.  It may even happen so slowly that you cannot perceive it, and in some cases it might take your funeral until your children understand the importance of serving the Lord with their lives.  But regardless of the time it takes, today is the day for you to make the choice to continue serving the Lord with your lives, and making that choice you can say with Joshua, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  Since 1987 these words have resonated with me in a way that I never expected.  I can only thank God for the faithfulness of a man named Edwin Breiling who faithfully lived for the Lord and taught his family to do the say.  I pray that the Lord would continue to allow me to do the same so that my family might continue to learn as his family did.  I pray also that the Lord would bless you through his Word that each of you might live faithfully for the Lord as well, teaching your families to do the same, so that we might all grow in God’s Grace declaring with Joshua, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

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

Series: What I'd Like to Know Is…

August 19, 2012

Dear friends in Christ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

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

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

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

August 12, 2012

Dear friends in Christ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7)    Dwell on positive qualities as much as possible. 

8)    Never allow children to talk disrespectfully to her. 

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

10) Attribute the best possible motives to her actions. 

 The last three come from me. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Silence for personal confession.

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

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

C:      Amen.

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

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

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

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

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

Jesus is our High Priest (Hebrews 9:24-28)

November 6, 2011 

 

Dear friends in Christ.

Believe it or not, the Letter to the Hebrews is one of the few books of the Bible to which we do not know the author.  Though there are many people who believe that it must have been the Apostle Paul who wrote it, there is more than enough evidence to support the idea that it was written by Apollos or even Barnabus.  But whoever wrote this letter was one who had both the solid conviction of salvation through Jesus Christ alone, and knowledge of how Jesus completely fulfilled all foreshadowing of the Jewish religion.  In fact, as the author writes in our lesson this morning, he shows us in no uncertain terms how Jesus is, in fact, our High Priest. 

Now, in order to understand just how Jesus is our High Priest, we have to look back into the Old Testament so that we might see what the duties of the High Priest were.  In those days the High Priest was the one who acted as a representative between the people of Israel and the Lord God, as he was the one who presided over the worship lives of the people.  Though there were quite a number of priests who took care of the temple courts and offered the daily sacrifices, it was the High Priest who took care of the inner sanctuary and offered the sacrifices required for the great Day of Atonement.  On that special day, the High Priest made atonement for the sins of the people as he carried the blood of the sacrifice into the most holy place and sprinkled it on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant.  On that special day, all sins from the previous year were purged away by an offering that foreshadowed the sacrifice that would be made by our Savior.  For on that day the High Priest was to take a bull and two goats for the sin offering.  He would take the bull, sacrifice it on the altar for his own sins.  Then he would cast lots for the goats, and sacrifice the one that had been chosen by lot.  He would then take the blood of the sacrifice and carry it into the most holy place where he would sprinkle it on he Ark to atone for the sins of the Israelites.  After this had been done, he would come back out, place his hands on the remaining goat, confess all the sins of the people over the goat, and when this was completed, someone would lead that goat out into the wilderness where it would be left to die, symbolizing the departure of Israel's sin and their right relationship with the Lord.

In such a vivid way the Lord foreshadowed exactly what Jesus would do for his people as our High Priest.  For the writer to the Hebrews tells us: "For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people;" (Hebrews 9:24-28)

In the same way that the High Priest sacrificed the Sin offering for the sins of the people, so also Jesus, our High Priest, sacrificed himself for our sins. In the same way that the High Priest would offer the blood of animals sacrificed on the altar for the sins of the Israelites, Jesus, our High Priest offered his blood which he poured out for us on the altar of the cross.  And, as we discovered in Bible Class this past Wednesday, it is very possible that in the same way that the High Priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice on the Ark of the Covenant, so also Jesus sprinkled his own blood on the Ark of the Covenant in payment of our sins.  Though I cannot prove what I just said, as we learned in Bible Study on Wednesday, it is possible that the Ark of the Covenant was hidden in a cave that was directly under where Jesus was crucified.  It is possible that the blood that Jesus shed and that poured out from him when the soldiers pierced his side flowed down through the crack that opened when the earth quaked at Jesus’ death and dripped down on to the ark below.  Though I cannot prove that things happened this way other than to the testimony of a man named Ron Wyatt, whose discoveries we looked at in Bible Study, considering how God the Father orchestrated the perfect time in history for his Son to be born, die and rise again so that Jesus could completely fulfilled all of God’s law, it becomes completely plausible that the Lord could have made certain that our High Priest’s blood fell on the Mercy Seat of the Ark for our atonement.

Though I realize that this is conjecture and there is nothing in Scripture that clearly says this is the way it happened, we can take comfort in the fact that Scripture does tell us that through his offering, Jesus, our High Priest, made us perfect in the eyes of the Lord our God. Through his atonement, Jesus, our High Priest brought to an end the daily sacrifice.  For even though the Lord had commanded the slaughter of animals for the forgiveness of sins, by the simple fact that those offerings had to be repeated show us that the blood of animals could never take away sins once and for all.  But when Jesus, our High Priest appeared, he sacrificed himself once for all!  When Jesus cried out, "It is finished!" we knew that our salvation was complete!  We knew then that through Jesus' sacrifice our sins have been forgiven and our guilt has been washed away! 

This is the beautiful truth that the writer to the Hebrews is proclaiming in our text today.  For when he wrote these words the Christian Church was feeling the pressure of persecution and the hardships of suffering for the name of Jesus.  Because of this, there were many Jewish Christians who were simply lapsing back into Judaism rather than remaining true to the Christian faith.  Though there was undoubtedly some comfort and assurance that the Jews found in all the rituals and sacrifices that they had grown up with, those who lapsed back into Judaism were giving up so much more than they ever realized.  For those Christians who gave up Christianity for the safety of Judaism were actually giving up and letting go of their eternal Salvation.  This, in fact is what the writer to the Hebrews tells them as he writes: "For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself."  (Hebrews 9:24-27).

You see, it was with these words that the writer was telling the people that Jesus was their High Priest who had not only sacrificed himself for their sins, but that he was now sitting at the right hand of God interceding on their behalf.  As we know, after Jesus rose from the dead, he stayed around on the earth appearing to his disciples and many of the faithful believers during a period of forty days.  But after that time, Jesus returned to his Fathers throne in heaven where he now sits at the Father's right hand interceding for us.  But he does not do it as the High Priests of the Old Testament did.  For when they interceded for the people, they came before the throne of God only one time each year and then only with the blood of the sacrifice.  When they did so, they sprinkled that blood on the cover of the Ark of the Covenant where the two cherubim stood.  It was there, at the mercy seat of God, that the priest who carried the sins of the Israelites before the Lord interceded for the people with the blood of the sacrifice.  But, because that blood could not do away with sin once for all, the High Priest had to offer that same sacrifice annually and approach the throne of God to make intercession for the people of Israel.

Jesus, however, did not need to do this.  For when he had sacrificed himself, once for all, Jesus entered heaven once for all so that he might sit at the Father's right hand and make intercession for us.  Now, whenever God the Father looks down on the earth and sees our sins, Jesus does not need to offer his blood again and again to intercede for us.  He does not need to sacrifice himself again and again, as some churches believe, to cover our iniquity.  Rather, Jesus simply points to that single moment in time.  He turns to God our Father and says, "Yes, they are sinners.  They do deserve your wrath and punishment.  But remember the sacrifice you sent me to make.  Remember how I willingly gave my live and shed my blood for their sins.  Remember how I earned the forgiveness that they could not, and made them right in your sight."  It is then, that through Jesus intercession on our behalf, that God the Father turns away from his anger and sees our sins no more.  For through the intercession of Jesus, our High Priest, our God is continually reminded of Jesus' sacrifice made one time for all people, and we are credited with his righteousness and look forward to life forever with him in heaven.

Yes, this is what we as Christians are looking forward to even today.  Though there are times that our sinful natures get the better of us and make us fearful of death, death is something we never need to fear!  We never need to fear it because we have been made right through faith in Jesus Christ our High Priest.  He is the one who sacrificed himself on the cross in order to save us from our sins.  He is the one who sits at the Father's right hand and intercedes on our behalf, and he is the one for whom we are waiting.  For one day, not long from now, Jesus our High Priest will return proclaiming our salvation.  This, in fact, is what the writer to the Hebrews assures us of when he writes: "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." (Hebrews 9:27-28).

This is the day that we are waiting for!  For on that day when the last trumpet sounds, if we are still living on the earth, we will look up to heaven and see our Savior and High Priest returning in the clouds.  We will watch as the bodies of all who died before us are raised from the earth, their souls are reunited with their bodies, and all are gathered before Jesus Christ for Judgment.  For in the same way that the Old Testament High Priest was often called on to decide guilt or innocence in criminal trials, Jesus will decide the guilt or innocence of all who have ever lived on the earth.  For on that day, Jesus will separate the believers from the unbelievers as easily as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats.  Those who did not believe in Jesus will be sent away to eternal punishment, but he will gather those who believed in him to himself and take them to his heavenly kingdom where we will live with him forever.

But even if we don't live to see that day from the earth, we do not need to worry.  For when we finally do close our eyes in death, Jesus will send his angels to carry our souls to his side in his heavenly kingdom.  There will live with the Lord forever, returning to the earth only briefly on the Last Day to collect our bodies from the earth.  For on that day when they are raised from the ground Christ will transform them into the glories bodies that we will have in heaven from that time on and forever.  Though on that day we will be gathered before the Lord with all people we will have nothing to fear, because we will be among the believers on his right hand to whom our High Priest will say, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the beginning of the world."

This is the super sufficiency of Jesus Christ our High Priest.  Though all who served as High Priest in the Old Testament fulfilled the roles the Lord would have them play, they were only shadows of what was to come in Jesus Christ our Lord.  For Jesus is our High Priest.  He is the one who sacrificed himself for our sins.  He is the one who entered heaven as our intercessor, and he is the one who will return to give salvation to all who are waiting for him.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN