Make the Most of Your Time of Grace! (Philippians 1;18-27)

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost 

September 23, 2012

Dear friends in Christ.

For the past week, the book of Philippians has been on my mind.  On numerous occasions I was reminded of how the Apostle Paul so boldly declared, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21, NIV84)  I was reminded of the joy that Paul conveyed to the Christians in the city of Philippi, even as he, himself, was locked away in a Roman cell, awaiting his trial before Caesar.  But out of all the things that came to my mind this week was how Paul was defiantly one who made the most of his time of grace while he lived on the earth.  These were the thoughts that kept permeating my heart and my mind even as I sought to study the lessons assigned for this day and compose a sermon to strengthen and uplift you with the Word of God.  But no matter how hard I worked, I kept thinking about Philippians and the lesson before us this morning from Philippians 1:18-27.  Though I didn’t understand it at first, I know now that this was the hand of the Lord guiding me and preparing me so that I would be ready to serve you with words of comfort and encouragement!  So, what I am doing today is something that I have done only on a couple of other occasions.  I’m bringing to you a sermon that I preached to you only a couple of years ago.  Though some of you may remember it or even portions of it, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I needed to preach this to you today, especially after the Lord, in his wisdom unexpectedly called Calissa home to his side.  I realized I needed to preach this sermon to you one more time, because in our lesson today, the Apostle Paul is calling on each and every one of us to make the most of the time of grace that the Lord gives us here in this world.

Now, if there was ever a man who made the most of his time of grace here on earth, I would say that it would have to be the Apostle Paul.  Even though he had started out as a Pharisee and a persecutor of the Church, when the Lord called him to faith, Paul made the most of his time of grace by investing everything he had into his life for Christ.  Wherever he went, he preached the gospel and told people about their Savior.  Whenever he we shipped, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, arre3sted, imprisoned, and otherwise abused, he continued to tell others about Jesus, the Messiah, who had come into the world to free all people from their sins by his death and resurrection from the dead.  Even now, as Paul was preparing to stand before Caesar and his court, he was looking forward to giving glory and honor to Christ his Savior through his proclamation of the Gospel, even if that meant he would be found guilty and put to death.  In this way, Paul made the most of his time of grace, for as he invested his life in Jesus Christ his Savior, he was looking forward to the return on his investment, the reward, the profit, the gain of eternal life in heaven.  In fact, take a look at what Paul writes in our lesson today, in Philippians 1 beginning with verse 18:

But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me. 27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel" (Philippians 1:18–27, NIV84)

As Paul wrote from prison, he was both looking forward to the reward of eternal life with his Savior, and looking back at how he had spent his time of grace, investing his life in the service of preaching the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ his Savior.  Though he longed to cash in that investment and finally gain the return of eternal life, he knew that his time of grace had not yet come to an end.  He knew that the lord had more investments for him to make, more labor for him to perform, more time that needed to be spent in this life serving those brothers and sisters who had come to faith, as well as seeking out those who still did not know Jesus as their Savior.  Thus, as Paul calls on the Philippians to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, he is essentially calling on them, and each and every one of us to follow his example and make the most of the time of grace that our Savior has given us.  Paul is calling on each one of us to put our faith into action and invest our lives in Christ our Savior as we share our faith with our friends, with our family, with acquaintances, and even strangers—people who already know Jesus as their Savior, as well as those who do not yet know that Jesus has freed them from their sins. 

But the question that naturally follows is, “How do we do that?”  “How do we make the most of our time of grace?”  “How do we invest our lives in Christ our Savior and live in a way that is worthy of the Gospel of Christ?”  Simple, we become managers, Christian Stewards of the Gospel which the Lord has given us.  We take the time, as so many of us have done, to read, to listen to, and to study our Bibles so that our faith can continue to grow stronger.  We commit ourselves to gathering regularly for worship so that as we give glory to our God we are also built up in our knowledge and understanding of the Lord.  We recognize the importance of bringing our children to Sunday School and using that as an opportunity for us to gather with other believers in studying the Bible together, so that we can build each other up and strengthen each other in our faith.  Then, when we have filled ourselves with the gospel, we take it with us into the world.  We take it with us as we open our mouths to tell others about the faith that we have.  We take it with us as we open our mouths to answer questions that others ask us about our faith and the hope of eternal life to which we constantly cling.  We take it with us and we bring glory go our God as we take time to bow our heads and give thanks for the food we are about to eat, even in the midst of a crowded restaurant.  WE take it with us and we show that we are God’s children by the words and the actions we use while working, playing, laughing or crying, and it this way we make the most of our time of grace here on earth even as we bring glory to Christ our Savior.

It is in this way that we serve as Christian stewards, investing our lives in Christ, looking forward to the eternal rewards of heaven, and making the most of our time of grace here in this world.  Yet, there are times in our lives when things simply do not go as well as we would like.  There are times when it seems that the economy of our lives changes from good to bad as troubles and hardships enter into the picture.  But even though there may be times when we seem to face a down-turn in our investments as sickness and sufferings enter into the picture, these are nothing less than blessings that the Lord our God uses to draw us closer to himself.  Though there may be times when we feel that we are receiving negative-returns, such as chronic illness, debilitating pain, or seemingly endless medical attention is needed, these are nothing less than the lenses that the Lord our God uses to refocus our faith on him so that we might bring glory and honor to him with our life and even, if he should require it, our death! 

This is why the Lord has allowed the most intelligent of his followers to succumb to Alzheimer’s.  This is why the Lord has allowed the strongest of his people to face Arthritis, Cancer, Dementia, and Parkinson’s.  This is why the Lord has suddenly and unexpectedly taken the lives of babies, young children, teens, and even young adults.  Though this is always terribly painful, and we are still reeling from the Lord’s decision to take Calissa home to himself, he is using even this as an opportunity to draw each and every one of us closer to himself.  He is using this as an opportunity to remind us just how precious our lives on this earth truly are.  He is using this as an opportunity to remind us of how important it is to make the most of the time of grace that the Lord has given us.  Though any hardship that the Lord gives us can feel like a struggle and even though the separation of death cuts us to the heart, the Lord allows us to endure these things for his glory and so that we might be a light to others, that they might see our faith and our trust in the Lord even in times like this, and they might be strengthened in their faith or moved to learn about the faith that we have and learn to love Jesus as their personal Savior as well.  In short, the Lord allows these things to come into our lives so that no matter what his name will be glorified by our life or by our death, just as Paul wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21, NIV84)

What greater comfort could there be for us today, than the comfort of knowing that if we should live, we have every opportunity to glorify the Lord our Savior with our lives!  But, if we should die, we would gain all the blessings of eternal life at our Savior’s side forever more!  How comforting it is to know that no matter what we should face, whether it be life or it be death, we are victorious through faith in Christ Jesus our Savior.

This is the comfort that the Lord our God has for us today!  Through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, we have been washed clean of every sin.  We are the Lord’s children, and heirs of eternal life.  We know that we are but a step way from our eternal homes and all times.  Even though we are separated from all our friends and loved ones who have been called home to heaven before us, today the Lord our God calls on us to make the most of our time of grace here in this world.  Make the most of the time of grace that the Lord has given us, because we do not know when he will call us home.  We do not know if it will be today, tomorrow, or many years from now. 

So, dear friends, as you go from here today, go with God’s richest blessings and make the most of the time of grace that he has given you.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

Marvel at the Lord's Work in your Life! (Gensis 37, 39-50)

July 10, 2011

Dear friends in Christ.

Have you ever just sat back and marveled at how the Lord works in the lives of his people?  Have you ever considered just how the Lord has orchestrates the events of history so that all things do, indeed, work out for the good of those who love the Lord their God?  Though we may not always see it or understand exactly how the Lord does these things, we know that he is the one who is constantly working in the lives of his people.  He is the one who led the Israelites to the Promised Land and carried them on Eagles wings as he brought them to himself. (Exodus 19:3)  He is the one who saw to it that at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly so that we might be justified and declared not guilty by our God from whom we received reconciliation.  (Romans 5:6-11)  He is the one who provided the Apostles as his messengers and sent them out to proclaim the message of salvation (Matthew 10:1-8) Because they went preaching and teaching wherever Jesus sent them, that message of salvation was passed on from generation to generation until finally it came to you and you came to faith in the Lord your God who is constantly at work in your lives.

But the question still stands.  Have you ever just sat back and marveled at how the Lord works in your lives?  Though it is not always easy to see what the Lord is doing or what he is seeking to accomplish on a day to day basis, when we look back at our lives we can more easily see all that work that the Lord has done in our lives, and we can marvel at what he has done.  Take for example Joseph.  Though Joseph wasn’t able to see exactly how the Lord was working in his life until he hit certain milestones and looked back, from the Scriptures, we can see exactly how the Lord worked in Joseph’s life.  We can see just how the Lord orchestrated different events in his life that were designed to prepare him to be the second in command of all Egypt, the reigning super power of the day.  As Moses tells us in Genesis 41:44-44, “41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. 44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” (Genesis 41:41–44, NIV84)  But before we get too far ahead of ourselves this morning, lets take a few steps back and start at the beginning of the story, so to speak, so that we might more fully marvel at how the Lord was at work in Joseph’s life.

Now, you may or may not remember Joseph’s birth, but he was the first born son of Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel. Of course he was born as the 11th of 12 sons.  Though Benjamin was born to Rachel as number 12 not long after Joseph, Joseph was his father’s favorite son, as Moses tells us in Genesis 37:3-4, “3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. (Genesis 37:3–4, NIV84)

Not only did they hate him because he was the favorite son of their father, they hated him for his dreams.  They hated him for his dreams of sheaves of grain; even the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing down to him.  They hated him for his dreams.  They hated him for his robe. They hated him because he was the favored son. They hated him so much that when Joseph was 17 years old his brothers were willing to kill him, just to be rid of him.  I’m sure you remember how it was.  The brothers had taken the sheep up to Shechem and then up to Dothan (roughly 60 miles from home) for grazing and during the time they were away Joseph’s father decided to send Josef to check on them.  But, as Moses tells us verse 18, “18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” 21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father…25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed. 28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. (Genesis 37:18-22, 25–28, NIV84)

Though the brothers intended to harm Joseph and take his life, the Lord worked in his life to spare him.  The Lord worked in his life through his brother Ruben and his brother Judah, to set in motion the events that would take place during the next 13 years; the events that would culminate in his becoming the second in command of all Egypt.  Jump with me to Genesis 39 where Moses tells us, “1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. 2 The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.” (Genesis 39:1–6, NIV84)

Though the Lord had given Joseph success in everything that he did, sadly, his position in Potiphar’s house was not to last, for we all remember the accusation that Potiphar’s wife made against him.  We remember how Potiphar burned with anger when he heard the story his wife had told him of how Joseph was supposed to have tried to seduce her.  Yet, here again we marvel at how the Lord worked in Joseph’s life.  Though we know that Potiphar was angry, we are not told exactly why.  It is possible that he was angry because he suspected that his wife was not telling him the truth and her lie was going to cost him an amazingly gifted, competent and conscientious business manager.  A clue to this is the fact that in the ancient world for a slave to make such advances toward his master’s wife that slave would almost certainly find himself facing the death penalty.  Yet this is not where Joseph found himself.  It seems that because Potiphar could not publically humiliate his wife by ignoring her accusation, Potiphar led Joseph off to the King’s prison.  Not a cell where he would await death nor a dungeon where he would simply be forgotten.  Rather he was led off to the King’s prison—a prison where the king’s prisoners were confined; prisoners such as the chief baker and the chief cup bearer.  Yet even in prison, the Lord was working in Joseph’s life.  Take a look at the middle of verse 20: “But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. (Genesis 39:20–23, NIV84)

Instead of being in solitary confinement, Joseph was put in charge of the other prisoners, he had access to all the prisoners, and when the time was right the Lord introduced Joseph to the prisoner who would change his life as the Lord allowed Joseph to correctly interpret the dreams of the chief baker and the chief cup bearer.  Though Joseph would have to wait in prison for two more years, when the time was right, the Lord brought Joseph before Pharaoh, the Lord allowed Joseph to correctly interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, and when Pharaoh heard Joseph’s solution to the coming famine, the Lord placed Joseph in charge of all Egypt as Pharaoh’s vizier; Pharaoh’s right hand man.  Though the brothers intended to harm Joseph when they sold him into slavery, “it was to save lives that God sent [Joseph] ahead of [his brothers]” (Genesis 45:5, NIV 84)

Now, just think about this for a moment.  Just think about how the Lord worked in the life of his servant Joseph.  For 13 years Joseph dealt with all sorts of situations that were designed to prepare him for what the Lord had in store for him to do.  But while Joseph was living it, he wasn’t able to see how the Lord was working in his life to prepare him for the future.  He wasn’t able to see it until after he had passed through it.  Only then was he able to look back and marvel at how the Lord had worked in his life.  Sound familiar?  How often hasn’t it happened that you have passed through some frustrating hardship, only to discover after it was over just how the Lord was at work in your life even in the midst of that hardship?  How often haven’t you looked back on your life and recognized just how the Lord was working in your life as he moved you through one struggle or another, helping you to grow and stretch, as he prepared you for the next phase of your life?  

Just think back to those days when you were teenagers.  Do you remember that feeling that your life would never start?  Do you remember that feeling that you would never get your shot?  Do you remember wondering what the future would hold for you and how the Lord would work in your life?  Though you really didn’t know exactly what the Lord had in store for you then, you can look back now and see just how the Lord was at work in your life.  Even if you are currently a teenager or a young child, the same thing is as true for you.  Though you may be wondering what the Lord has in store for your future, you can still look back and see just how the Lord has been at work in your life up to this very day.  You can see how the Lord has led you through your lives so that you arrived at this very point at this very time.  No matter what age you are at, you can do that very thing.  You can look backward and marvel at how the Lord has been at work in your life leading you to this very point.  Though you may even now be at a sort of cross roads in your life, or may find yourself facing struggles or hardships, you can take comfort in the fact that the Lord your God is at work in your life even now. 

Though we may find ourselves like Joseph did, unable to understand why all these things were happening to him, we know that through the Lord’s work in our lives he is drawing us closer to himself, he is strengthening our faith, and he is preparing us for what is next to come.  Just think about the work he has already accomplished in your life.  He is the one who called you to faith through the waters of baptism.  He is the one who taught you the precious truths of salvation through your parents, through your Pastor, through your Sunday School Teachers, and if you had the privilege, through your Lutheran Elementary School teachers.  He is the one who has sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts who constantly reminds us of all that Jesus did for us and how he freed us from our sins by his death and resurrection from the dead.  He is the one who shaped every single experience of our lives as he molded us and prepared us for the situation in which we find ourselves. Though we may not be able to see exactly how the Lord is using our present situation, be it the sluggish economy, the scarcity of the job market, the constantly changing gas prices, debts, payments, or whatever it is. Though we may not be able to see exactly how the Lord is using our present situation for our good, soon we will be able to sit back and marvel at what the Lord has accomplished in our lives, just as Joseph was able to do.

Though it is always difficult to see what the Lord is working to accomplish in our lives on a day to day basis, whenever we look backwards we are able to marvel at all that he has done.  After all, he is the one who led the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land carrying them on wings like an eagle.  He is the one who went to work while we were still powerless and brought us to faith in the one who saved us.  He is the one who prepared the Apostles and sent them out proclaiming the message of salvation.  He is the one who orchestrated the events of Joseph’s life, preparing him for his position of power, and he is the one who causes us to marvel every time we consider just how the Lord has been at work in our lives.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church -Le Sueur, MN

Marvel at the Lord's Mercy (Genesis 6:1 - 8:22)

July 3, 2011

Dear friends in Christ.

The story has been told about a mother who once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. When she asked, the emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death. To which she responded, "But I don't ask for justice, I plead for mercy." "But your son does not deserve mercy," Napoleon replied. "Sir," the woman cried, "it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for." "Well, then," the emperor said, "I will have mercy." And he spared the woman's son.[1]  In so many ways stories like this cause us to recognize and marvel at the mercy the Lord has bestowed upon us.  Though we’ve done nothing to deserve it, the Lord has acted in his mercy in our lives, time and time again.  In his mercy he sent his Son to free us from our sins.  In his mercy he works things out for the good of those who love him.  In his mercy he has called us to faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  In his mercy he continues to guard and protect us each and every day of our lives.  In his mercy he has recorded in his word all that he has done for us so that we might grow in our faith and knowledge, as we marvel at the mercy the Lord our God continues to pour out on us and all his faithful people.

Take for example the account of the flood.  The year was roughly 1536.  1536 years since the beginning of creation.  Mankind had increased in number, filling the earth and subduing it.  In those years since the beginning of creation, the sons of God—the believers—had begun to intermarry with the daughters of men—the unbelievers—and before long the light of faith in the hearts of the believers had begun to dwindle, flicker, and finally go out.  As the faith of those believers who had intermarried with unbelievers began to faith, so also the world began to grow darker, more evil, more violent, and much more and more wicked.  So when 1536 years passed after the Lord had created the heavens and the earth, Moses tells us: “Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” 5 The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:3, 5–8, NIV84)

Now, just think about what the Lord is telling us.  Nearly the enter world, not just a nation, nearly the entire world had stopped believing in the Lord God.  They had refused to listen to him, saw no reason to worship him, and were completely disregarding his existence.  Yet, even though the majority of the world had turned against the Lord, mercifully the Lord granted the entire world 120 years as their time of grace.  120 years for them to turn from their evil ways!  120 years for them to turn back to the Lord.  120 years to listen to Noah, a preacher of Righteousness (2 peter 2:5).  120 years to listen to Noah’s father Lamech and Noah’s grandfather Methuselah—two men who were born before Adam died; two men who may well have known Adam personally as Lemech was born 56 years before Adam died and Methuselah was born 243 years before Adam died.  120 years to let the message of the coming destruction sink in as they saw Noah and his family building the biggest barge anyone had probably ever seen; according to the Lord’s command.  120 years of the Lord’s marvelous mercy delivered to probably millions, if not billions of people in the world who had turned their backs on the Lord their God. Yet only 8 people benefitted from the Lord’s marvelous mercy.  Only 8 people believed the Lord, listened to the Lord, followed the Lord and were saved by the Lord in the ark he commanded them to build.  Only 8 because the Lord had called both Lamech and Methuselah, and probably any other believers, home to heaven before the flood destroyed the earth.

But before we go any further, let me ask you an obvious question, “Is our world any different today than it was in Noah’s day?”  Oh sure we have faster cars, bigger boats, better technology, more incredible industries and yes, smellier air, but if you really think about it our world isn’t that much different.  We have all seen the sons of God intermarry with the daughters of men.  We have watched as the light of faith in the hearts of believers has begun to dwindle, flicker, and even go out; sometimes because of an unbelieving spouse or spouse of another faith, other times because even believers can be sucked into the non-religious, secular, scientific world in which we live today. Though the word of God has had a great deal of free reign over the centuries since our Savior walked the earth, it seems that the gospel is being hindered or ignored all the more in our day and age.  Yet, in his great mercy, the Lord has called each and every one of us to faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior.  The Lord has given us this time of grace for us to grow in our faith and our trust.  He has given us this time of grace to share our faith, like Noah did, with those who do not yet know their Savior. In his mercy, the Lord has given us this time as we draw near the Day of Judgment as Noah did.  And in his mercy, the Lord has given us this account of the flood to help us to prepare ourselves for his coming, just as Jesus tells us, “37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; (Matthew 24:37–38, NIV84)

Well, this is the same mercy that the Lord poured out on Noah and his family as Moses tells us in Genesis 6:  “9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. (Genesis 6:9–15, NIV84)

Now, for a moment, let’s talk about the dimensions of the ark, because even though we know it was big, it is very seldom that we are able to conceive of scope of its size. Now, if the wall to my right, your left, was one side of the ark, the width of the ark would stretch from that wall over the top of the stairwell, by my office, in the fellowship hall.  That top step over by my office is roughly 75 feet away from this wall to my right.  If the back of the ark were lined up with the back wall of the narthex, the outside wall of our church with the windows; if that were the back of the ark then the ark would stretch from that wall to, at the very least, the other side of 112, if not all the way to the back yards of the houses on the other side of 112.  Finally, if we were sitting inside the ark right now, we would, of course, be on the lowest deck.  By the time we climbed to the top deck and looked out the window we would find that we would be about even with the bell tower, only about five feet lower than the roof of the tower where the base of the spire which holds up the cross, is anchored. 

Why do I tell you this?  Because it was in this enormous barge that the Lord displayed his mercy as he provided for the continuation of the line of the Savior.  It was in this big boat that the Lord mercifully spared 8 people and all the kinds of the animals from the destruction of the unbelieving, wicked, and evil world.  The ark is an amazing picture of God’s marvelous mercy in the face of his just judgment for as we know, after all the animals had entered the ark, Noah and his family went in and the Lord closed the door behind them.  There in that ark they were saved as the floodwaters of the earth burst forth from the earth and the floodgates of the heavens were opened and the rains fell for forty days and nights.  There in the ark Moses and his family were safe during the 375 days that passed from the time they entered the ark until the time that the Lord said to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it.” 18 So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. 19 All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on the earth—came out of the ark, one kind after another. 20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. 22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” (Genesis 8:16–22, NIV84)

In so many ways the Lord displayed his mercy in the lives of Noah and his family, and this is what the Lord continues to do for each and every one of us today.  In his mercy he has placed the rainbow in the sky to remind us of how he provided not only for Noah, but for the entire human race.  In his mercy he chose us to be his children.  He called us to faith in Jesus Christ our Savior.  He assured us that Jesus has indeed freed us from our sins by his death and resurrection, and he now calls us to proclaim the message of salvation with those who do not yet know him.  This is the mercy that the Lord has bestowed upon us. Though we did not deserve it he has made us his own.  Though we had committed the same offence not merely two times but, in reality, millions of times, the Lord bestowed upon us his mercy when he forgave us and spared us from the eternal death we deserved.  Now, just as Noah did, we live in that mercy.  We live in that time of grace that he has given us.  We grow in the faith that the Lord has bestowed in our hearts.  We grow in our knowledge of our Savior who loved us, and we are always ready to share our faith with those who do not yet know.  This is the marvelous mercy of the Lord our God.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

<a href=http://www.grace-lesueur.org>Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church</a> -Le Sueur, MN

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[1] Originally from: Luis Palau, Experiencing God's Forgiveness, Multnomah Press, 1984.  Copied from: http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/m/mercy.htm Accessed July 1, 2011

Make the Most of Your Time of Grace (Philippians 1:18-27)

November 14, 2010

Dear friends in Christ.

What would you want to do if you knew that you only had 6 more months to live? Now, I know, I asked you a very similar question about 3 weeks ago, and yet once again, this question here it is. What would you want to do if you knew you only had 6 months left to live? Would you want to travel and see sights that you had never seen before? Would you immerse yourself in projects and activities, volunteering your time and your energy to help others who were worse off than you? Would you wake up each and every morning thankful for one more day in which you could make the most of your remaining time, or would you simply roll over, pull the covers over your head, and wait for the end? I think it’s safe to say that if it every happened that we received the news of a severely limited life-span, each and every one of us would be moved to make the most of our remaining months on the earth. Well, in many ways, this is exactly what the Apostle Paul is calling on each and every one of us to do today. Though he may not be calling on us to make the most of our remaining time here on earth, he is clearly calling on us to make the most of our time of grace. In fact, I invite you to open your Bibles with me to Philippians 1:18. Now, when Paul wrote these verses in Philippians 1, he was sitting in prison. He was, as he said, in chains for the gospel, yet even as he wrote he expressed his great joy because he was making the most of his time of grace. He had invested his life in Jesus Christ his Savior, and through his witness, some of the guards who were guarding him had come to faith in Jesus as their Savior. Take a look at what Paul writes beginning with verse 18: “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (Philippians 1:18–20, NIV)

Now, if there were ever a man who made the most of his time of grace here on earth, I would say that it would have to be the Apostle Paul. Even though he had started out as a Pharisee and a persecutor of the Church, when the Lord called him to faith, he made the most of his time of grace by investing everything he had into his life for Christ. Wherever he went, he preached the gospel and told about the Savior. Whenever he was whipped, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, arrested, imprisoned, and otherwise abused, he continued to tell others about Jesus, the Messiah, who had come into the world to free all people from their sins, by his death and resurrection from the dead. Even now, as Paul was preparing to stand before Caesar and his court, he was looking forward to giving glory and honor to Christ his Savior through his proclamation of the Gospel, even if it should end up that he was found guilty and condemned to death. In this way, Paul made the most of his time of grace, for as he invested his life in Jesus Christ his Savior, he was looking forward to the return on his investment, the reward, the profit, the gain of eternal life in heaven. Take a look again at what Paul write in verses 18-26: “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.” (Philippians 1:18–26, NIV)

As Paul writes from prison, he is both looking forward to the reward of eternal life with his Savior, and looking back at how he has spent his time of grace investing his life in the service of preaching the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ his Savior. Though he longed cash in that investment and finally gain the return of eternal life, he knew that his time of grace had not yet come to an end. He knew that the Lord had more investments for him to make, more labor to perform, more time that needed to be spent in this life serving those brothers and sisters who had come to faith and seeking out those who still did not know their Savior. And now, as Paul closes this section of our text, he calls on you and me to do the same and make the most of our time of grace, as he writes in verse 27: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27, NIV)

In such a simple way, Paul calls on each and every one of us to follow his example, and make the most of the time of grace our Savior has given us. He calls on each and every one of us to put our faith into action, investing our lives in Christ our Savior, as we share our faith with friends, family, acquaintances, and strangers—people who already know Jesus as their Savior as well as people who do not yet know of what he did to free them from their sins. In short he is calling on us to preach Christ with our lives so that people may see those good deeds that naturally flow out of our faith and give praise and glory to God, our Father, in heaven.

But how do we do that? How do we make the most of our time of grace? How do we invest our lives in Christ our Savior and live in a way that is worthy of the Gospel? Simple, we become managers, Christian Stewards of the Gospel which the Lord has given us. We take the time, as so many of us have done, to read, to listen, and to study our Bibles so that our faith continues to grow stronger. We commit ourselves to gathering regularly for worship so that as we give glory to our God we are also built up in our knowledge and understanding of our Lord. We recognize the importance of bringing our children to Sunday school and using that opportunity to gather with fellow believers and study the Bible together, and in this way strengthen and build each other up as we contend as one for the faith of the gospel. Then, when we have filled ourselves with the gospel, we take it with us into the world. We take it with us as we open our mouths to tell others about the faith that we have. We take it with us, as we open our mouths to answer the questions that others ask about our faith and the hope of eternal life that we have. We take it with us and we bring glory to God as we take time to bow our heads and give thanks for the food we are about to eat, even in the midst of a crowded restaurant. We take it with us and show that we are God’s children by the words and the actions we use while working, playing, laughing or crying, and in this way we make the most of our time of grace here on earth as we bring glory to our Savior and our God.

It is in this way that we serve as Christian stewards, investing our lives in Christ, looking forward to the eternal rewards of heaven, and making the most of our time of grace here in this world. Yet, there are times in our lives, when things simply do not go as well as we would like. There are times when it seems that the economy of our lives changes from good to bad as troubles and hardships enter into the picture. But even though there may be times when we seem to face a down-turn in our investment as sickness and sufferings enter into the picture; these are nothing less than blessings God uses to draw us closer to him. Though there may be times when we feel we are receiving negative-returns as chronic illness, debilitating pain, or seemingly endless medical attention is needed, these are nothing less than the lenses our God uses to refocus our faith on him so that we might bring him glory and honor and praise through our life and even, if he should require it, through our death! This is why the Lord has allowed the most intelligent of his followers to succumb to Alzheimer’s. This is why the Lord has allowed the strongest of his people to face Arthritis, Cancer, Dementia, and Parkinson’s. This is why the Lord has suddenly taken the life of babies, young children, teens and even young adults. He does it to remind us that our time of grace on earth is short, and we need to make the most of it now, as we serve him. He does it so that the rest of his people might see the faith and the life of his followers as they endure these hardships, sufferings, and diseases, and be strengthened by the faith of those who have been afflicted. He does it to give us the opportunity to approach his throne of heavenly grace for our friends, our loved ones, and even ourselves when we face afflictions like these. He does it so that no matter what, his name will be glorified by our life or by our death. Just as Paul wrote in verse 21: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

What greater comfort could there be than the comfort of knowing that if we should live, we would be living to glorify our Savior and if we should die it would be great gain as we gained eternal life! How comforting it is to know that no matter what we face, be it life or death, we will be the victors! So then, since it is true that we will be the victors whether we live or whether we die, let us make the most of our time of grace by serving the Lord our God. Let us be managers, Christian Stewards, of God’s gift of his Word. Let us go out from here and proclaim the message of salvation with all those around us so that they also might look forward to the great return on a life invested in Christ. Let us not grow weary or complacent, pulling the covers over our heads to wait for the end to come. But let us always be like those who make the most of every day they have left as we make the most of the time of grace our Lord has given us.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church -Le Sueur, MN