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

The Lord Our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:1-6)

Series: What I'd Like to Know Is… (1/6)

July 29, 2012

This series was created by requests from our congregation.  The six most requested topics were chosen and made into a six week sermon series.

Dear friends in Christ.

“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. 2 Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 23:1–2, NIV84)

We don’t know exactly when the Prophet Jeremiah spoke the words of our lesson today, because the book of Jeremiah was not written in a chronological order so much as it was laid down topically.  It was laid down topically according to the prophecies that the Lord gave to Jeremiah throughout the many years that he served as prophet proclaiming the truth of God’s Word to all those living in Jerusalem and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.  But even though we don’t know exactly when Jeremiah spoke these words, our best guess is that this all took place about 2,600 years ago, somewhere around 597 BC. 

This would mean that when Jeremiah spoke the words of our lesson today, roughly 125 years had passed since the Assyrian Empire had conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and taken them off into captivity—a captivity from which the nation never returned.  Roughly 80 years had passed since the Prophet Isaiah had been martyred, as tradition suggests, at the hand of evil King Manasseh.  Less than 25 years had passed since King Josiah, the grandson of evil king Manasseh found the book of God’s Law and begun a religious renewal in the Kingdom of Judah.  A renewal unlike any that had ever been seen before!  However, when Josiah died fighting against Pharaoh Neco at the battle of Megiddo, about 15 years before our lesson takes place, things began to go downhill quickly.  Things began to go downhill quickly because the next two kings that followed faithful Josiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord just as their predecessors had done.  Though Josiah turned to the Lord unlike any other king in the history of Judah, and though he worked very hard to bring about religious renewal and lead the people back to the Lord their God, the kings that served after him did the very opposite.  They did evil in the eyes of the Lord.  They worshiped false gods.  They bowed down to idols and by their example they led the people of Judah away from the worship of the true God.  Thus they were destroying and scattering the sheep of the Lord’s pasture.

So, by the time that Jeremiah spoke the words of our lesson today, it was the 11th hour.  King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had either sent, or would very soon be sending Babyloniah, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against the land of Judah to devastate the land and punish the nation because their king had tried to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar.  Then, as history shows us, not long after those raiders were sent, Nebuchadnezzar himself would advance on Jerusalem, lay siege to it, and carry its people off into 70 years captivity in Babylon.  So this was the political situation in Judah.  There were maybe 11 years left until King Nebuchadnezzar would march in and completely destroy Jerusalem and its temple before the captivity would begin. There was not much time left until the Righteous Lord would fulfill the words he had proclaimed to the people for centuries, the words that Jeremiah so recently spoke to them, saying: “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. 2 Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 23:1–2, NIV84)

This was the political situation in Judah during the days of Jeremiah!  But is the political situation in America all that different today?  Are our leaders leading us by example, and encouraging us as a nation to live in our faith?  If you look back in history it seems that some did and some did not.  Take a look at Mr. Jimmy Carter.  He is a man known for his faith and his trust in God.  No matter how you felt about him as president or what kind of job you believe that he did, it seems that he sought to lead this nation based on his faith in God.  The same thing seems true about the years that Mr. Ronald Reagan was president.  His words in speeches seem to convey a personal faith in God his creator, and it seems that he sought to rule our Nation from that perspective.  Again I’m merely bringing these men up as examples.  You may or may not have liked them as leaders or how they led, but their words and actions often show them as leaders who either sought to lead based on a faith in God or without a faith in God.  The same thing can be said about Mr. George Bush Sr. and Jr.  By their words and their actions they seemed to seek to lead the nation based on their faith.  However it seems that the exact opposite can be said about Mr. Bill Clinton and Mr. Barack Obama.  With their words and actions they demonstrated themselves to be men who do not hold to the same faith to which we hold.  They have demonstrated themselves to be men who have more of a secular attitude to the leadership of this country and by their examples, Americans have felt justified to emulate the actions and the beliefs of these presidents and turn away from the truth of God’s Word. 

Please understand what I am saying here.  Under every president countless people have come to trust in the Lord and countless others have fallen away from the Lord.  However, in the same way that the leaders of God’s people greatly influenced the faith of God’s people in Jeremiah’s, so also the leaders of America greatly influence the spirituality and the faith of Americans.  For example, in the last 20 years or so, Christians have grown more and more silent.  Christians are finding that they are facing much more mocking and ridicule than they once did.  Christian children are growing tired of following the faith of their parents because more and more of their friends do not see the need for worship or God’s word.  On top of this, the President of our nation stated in a number of different speeches, “Whatever we once were, we’re no longer a Christian nation. At least not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, and a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation and a nation of nonbelievers”[1]   Add to that the surge in faith that took place after September 11, 2001, which has since dissipated, and even though we have been struggling through an economic down turn for the past six or seven years, how many people in our world and in our Nation have stopped putting their faith in the Lord for help, but have turned their faith toward themselves, or the banks, or even the government to provide for them.  This is the political situation in which we find ourselves today!  This is the reason why Jeremiah’s words are so relevant for us today: “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. 2 Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 23:1–2, NIV84)

Perhaps the economic situation in our country is the beginning of God’s punishment against our Nation for turning away from him.  Perhaps the financial ruin, which is predicted to be worse than the Great Depression, is this generation’s Babylonian Captivity designed to destroy the power of the false gods of our society and world and lead people back to the Lord.  Perhaps just the idea of what is coming our way, according to many economists, will be just enough to turn many back to the Lord to trust in him as it was with the Israelites!  Though it is true that Jeremiah’s message to the people of Judah was indeed a message of harsh judgment, because there were still many who were faithful to the Lord, the Lord filled their hearts with comfort even as Jeremiah spoke.  In the midst of harsh judgment and woe, the Lord also gave great comfort, saying: “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD. 5 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness." (Jeremiah 23:3–6, NIV84)

Even in the midst of looming destruction and captivity, the Lord still comforted his faithful people with the promise of the Messiah.  Though the tree of Jesse would be cut down and left as a dead stump through the coming captivity, the Lord would cause a new branch to sprout when he sent Jesus as the Messiah.  He would be the king who preached the message of salvation to all his people.  He would be the king who would lead his people to the green pastures and quiet waters of his word.  He would be the king who would fight head to head with satan and his evil angels.  He would be the king who granted victory to his people through his death and resurrection.  He would be the king who led his people to the complete safety of his heavenly kingdom when their time on earth was done.  Though it was clear that all of Judah and Jerusalem would face some terrible times at the hands of the Babylonians, those who trusted in the Lord had his comfort and assurance.  They knew that the Lord was their Righteousness.  They knew that the Lord was their Savior.  They knew that no matter what evil they faced by trusting in the Lord they would be delivered to their kings side where they would live with their Righteous Savior.

The same thing is true for you and me today.  Even though we are living in a world that daily grows darker and more evil, we are looking forward to the day when we will be gathered with the remnant of the Lord’s believers.  Even though we are facing ridicule and persecution we know that through faith in the Lord our Righteousness, we will never be missing from his side.  We know that even though we may be facing some financial dark days in the next years, by trusting in the Lord he will provide for us all that we need.  We are looking forward to the day when we will see the Righteous Branch of Jesse, our King, the Lord our Righteousness, gathering us before his throne where we will live with him forever in safety and security.  No matter what we face in this life, we know that heaven is our home.  No matter what temptations come our way, we know that the Lord Jesus has forgiven us.  No matter hardships we face, we know that the Lord is with us, just as he was with his people even when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem. 

So now, as God’s children, continue to grow in your faith by reading and studying his Word.  Teach your children and your grandchildren the precious truths of salvation.  Bring them with you as you worship the Lord so that they learn the habit of taking time out for God.  Schedule extra time each Sunday for Sunday School and Bible study so that you and your family may grow in your faith and your love of the Lord.  Though the days are growing darker, the days are coming when the Lord our Righteousness will raise up the righteous Branch of Jesse.  This will be the day when our Savior returns in glory and judgment. This will be the day when we see the Lord our Righteousness face to face and he welcomes us into his heavenly kingdom forever.  Until that day, grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Encourage each other in the faith, and know that no matter what you might face in this life, we have the Lord’s promise:  “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD. 5 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness." (Jeremiah 23:3–6, NIV84)

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

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[1] From a speech on June 7, 2007 referenced at: http://www.christianwebsite.com/obama-america-no-longer-a-christian-nation/  also from a speech on March 9, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmC3IevZiik  also a speech on April 9, 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIVd7YT0oWA  All sites accessed July 28, 2012.

Remember God's grace in troubled times (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

July 22, 2012

Dear friends in Christ.

Memory is a funny thing!  It never seems to be nearly as reliable as we think it should be.  For example, two hours from now, what I remember about what happened in church may be completely different than what you remember.  In fact, if you and your husband, or your wife, or your children should decide to discuss the sermon as you are eating lunch today, I guarantee that each and every one of you would remember the sermon differently.  You would remember it differently because each one of you would remember the things that specifically spoke to you, or moved you in one way or another.  You may even find that while you remember a specific sentence, your husband, your wife, or even your children may not remember that sentence, but will remember the sentence spoken immediately before it or after it, while you, yourself will have no memory of either of those sentences!  What is it about our memory that makes it so easy for us to remember some things and not others?  What is it about our memory that allows us to forget almost all of the bad things that happened in our lives when we are enjoying good times, but at the same time does not allow us to remember many of the good times when we are living in troubled times?   Though I could easily spend a whole sermon simply trying to answer those questions, you have not come here to learn about your memory!  Rather, you have gathered here today to be reminded of God’s grace and how he lavishes it on you, especially in troubled times.

Now, if there was one person who was intimately familiar with God’s grace, it was the Apostle Paul.  After all, through the pages of the Scriptures, we have been privileged to see exactly how the hand of the Lord was at work in Paul’s life.  Though we met him as Saul, the man who stood watching over the cloaks of the men who were murdering Stephen, and giving approval to their actions, not much later, we saw the Lord Jesus at work in Saul’s life, granting him grace, calling him to faith, and sending him out into the world to preach the Gospel to all nations.  Though there were many times and many ways that Paul saw the Lord at work revealing his grace even in times of trouble, Paul relates a very unexpected way in which he was reminded of the Lord’s grace as the Lord’s hand was at work in Paul’s life.  Paul writes, “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:7–10, NIV84)

To keep Paul from becoming conceited because of the incredible visions the Lord had given him, the Lord’s hand was at work in Paul’s life, sending Paul a messenger of satan to torment him.  Though Paul prayed to the Lord and pleaded with the Lord that the Lord would remove this thorn from his side, the Lord’s answer was simple, “My grace is sufficient for you.”  Though it may seem strange that the Lord our God would work in this manner, by giving this thorn, the Lord was causing Paul to continue looking to the Lord for help so that the Lord might continue to remind Paul of the grace he lavishes on his people, especially in times of trouble like we are facing today!

After all, what hardships aren’t we facing today?  Well, we are living in a world where sin has become the accepted norm.  Christian values have been set aside as old fashioned and out dated, just like Amos faced when no one wanted to hear the message of God’s judgment upon Israel.  Sadly, like it was in the days of Amos the prophet, God’s Word has become an inconvenient truth that must be changed into a message of soft platitudes that will serve as salve to many an itching ear.  Not only that, but it is becoming acceptable and even expected that children as young as fourth and fifth grade will begin to explore their own sexuality, and begin to discover if their attractions lie with the similar or the opposite sex.  It has become expected that teens and college students will have multiple partners until they finally settle down by moving in with someone, bring children into the relationship, and then maybe after a long, drawn out trial period, they might finally decide that they should get married.  Even though, in many cases they, have taught that this is not pleasing to the Lord.

We are living in a nation where over 38 million unborn children were legally murdered in our country between 1973 and 2005 , not to mention the millions that were legally murdered in countries all around the world.  Add to that the children whose lives are being terminated because pre-natal screening has determined that there is a good chance that they will be born with Down’s syndrome or some other birth defect.  Not only is that, but assisted suicide, which has been accepted in many other nations around the world, beginning to be accepted here in America, as both Washington State and Oregon have laws allowing assisted suicide.  From this it is easy to wonder how long it will be until assisted suicide becomes mandatory for those with certain injuries, diseases, defects, or even for those who have reached a certain age.  All the while God’s Word goes unheeded and those who speak out against these things are simply disregarded.

Not only that, but we are facing a global recession that some say is shortly coming to an end, others say has a way to go before it is over, and still others are predicting will become a world wide depression in the next year or two.  We are living in a country that is no longer united like it used to be, but is divided over so many issues—the war, the economy, governmental spending, political ideology, even religion and sexuality—as God and same sex rights have been the subject of many court battles.  Add to that the politically charged topic of same sex marriage, which is on the ballot this November, and all the advertisement seeking to make Christians feel that they cannot and should not stand up for the truth of God’s Word.

Yet, besides all this, what other thorn do you have poking in your side?  Do you have a difficult time controlling your temper?  Do you struggle to control your alcohol intake?  Do you suffer from depression?  Are you dealing with a medical condition?  Do you feel alienated from all your friends or your family?  Are you unemployed?  Are you struggling financially?  Are you experiencing a major change in your life right now?  Are you enduring something else, something unusual, something unexpected, something out of the ordinary?  Then listen again to what Paul has to tell you, “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:7–10, NIV84)

Though dealing with a thorn in the flesh is never a fun experience, it is something which the Lord places in our lives to remind us of his all sufficient grace.  It is something that the Lord does to force us to take our eyes off ourselves, point them heaven ward, fall to our knees and open our mouths in prayer.  It is in this way that the Lord seeks to draw us closer to himself even as he reminds us of the grace that he has lavished upon us.  For the grace our Lord has lavished upon us is the full measure of grace in Christ Jesus our Savior!  It is the grace that has been made perfect even in our weaknesses!  For, before we were even weak, when we were nothing more than road kill on the highway to hell, it was our Savior who found us and enlivened us with his love.  It was our Savior who healed us with his grace.  It was our Savior who restored us with the salve of his forgiveness and then led us of the highway of destruction to the path of eternal life.  It was our Savior who continues to remind us of his grace and his love for us as he walks beside us on the path to heaven.  It is our Savior who even assures us that no matter what we face in this life, though we may feel weak, though we may even be weak, his power is made perfect in our weakness, because his grace is sufficient for us!

So, even though we are living in a world that has accepted sin as normal, disregarded Christian values, seeks to ignore God’s Word, and simply refuses to listen to those who proclaim the truth, we will continue to live in the grace of Christ our Savior.  Though we are living in a world where we seem weak when our children and others fail to heed parental and pastoral admonition against sexual sins and living together before marriage, our strength to continue proclaiming God’s truth comes to us from the grace he bestows upon us by faith.  Though very few people heed what we have to say make known what the Lord has to say about abortion, and suicide, God’s strength is made complete in our weakness as we follow his will and speak his judgment against those who refuse to listen and his forgiveness to those who turn to him in repentance.  Though there are many who are trying as hard as they can to eliminate God from every aspect of our lives and even seeking to do away with those who clearly speak God’s Word, we are still strong.  We are strong in the grace that our Savior has lavished upon us, the grace of the forgiveness of sins; the grace, which assures us that our Savior will never leave us nor forsake us; the grace that assures us that no matter what we face, we belong to the Lord our God.

What greater reminder could the Lord give us today than the reminder of his grace and his love for us!  Though our memories might be selective at times and our personal memories may not always agree with our husband’s memory, our wife’s memory, or even our children’s, today we have been reminded and assured of the Lord’s grace.  For it is through his grace that we are strong through faith in our Lord Jesus.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

Stand Firm in Your Freedom (Galatians 5:1, 13-25)

July 1, 2012

Dear friends in Christ.

What I’m about to tell you, I’ve told you before.  What I mean is that four or five years ago I began a sermon with the exact same introduction about the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  Yet, even though I’ve already used this introduction, as the celebration of Independence day draws near, I thought it was perfectly fitting to tell you again that back on July 4, 1776, when fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence, they knew that they would need to stand firm in their convictions for freedom, because their signatures would cause untold sufferings for themselves and their families. Of the 56 men, five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army. Another had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the war. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships sunk by the British navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in poverty. At the battle of Yorktown, the British General Cornwallis had taken over Thomas Nelson's home for his headquarters. Nelson quietly ordered General George Washington to open fire on the Nelson home. The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and mill were destroyed. For over a year, he lived in forest and caves, returning home only to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion.  Though most of these men who signed the declaration of Independence never lived to see the freedom which they had declared for themselves, they never the less stood firm in that freedom for which they were fighting, and finally won the day, giving us the freedoms which we enjoy today.

Well, as Christians, we need to stand firm in our freedom, just as they did.  We need to stand firm in the freedom of the forgiveness of sins which we now have through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior.  We need to stand firm in that freedom so that through faith in our Savior, we might continue to live in the freedom of service to which the Lord our God has called us.  Just as the Apostle Paul tells us in the first verse of our lesson today, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1, NIV84)

Though freedom is something that we, as Americans, have loved and cherished since we were little children, the freedom we have through the forgiveness of sins is something we love and cherish even more.  For just as many of the signers of the Declaration paid for our freedom with their very lives, Christ our Savior paid for our freedom by giving his life in our place.  Though we had been slaves of sin, captives of satan, and bound for nothing more than eternal death and damnation, in his great love for us, Christ Jesus took our place and paid the full price our sins deserved.  Christ our Savior willingly took our sins upon himself, and placed his righteousness as he willingly gave his body to the whip, the scourge, the crown of thorns, the nails, and death.  It was Christ our Savior who dissolved the chains of our slavery with the acid of his blood, which he willingly poured out for the forgiveness of all of our sins.  Though we had once been destined for eternal damnation, unable to pay the price our sins demanded, barter for our freedom, or even get time off for good behavior, It was Christ our Savior who set us free from our sins, so through faith we might continue to stand firm in the freedom of the forgiveness of sins as we serve the Lord with our lives.

This is what Paul is talking about as he writes in our text:  “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." …13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:13–25, NIV84)

As Paul writes these words to you and me, he is calling on us to stand firm in the freedom we now have—the freedom of the forgiveness of sins.  He is calling on us to stand firm in that freedom, to live in it, and to use it not as a license for sin, but as an opportunity to serve the Lord with our lives.  In short, Paul is calling on us to live in the Spirit of God.  He is calling on us to live according to our new self—the spiritual nature—which the Holy Spirit created in us when we came to faith.  He is calling on us to live love, in joy, in peace, in patience, in kindness, in goodness, in faithfulness, in gentleness, and in self control.

The problem, however, is that each and every one of us has two natures inside of us that are constantly in conflict with each other.  Each of us has two wild dogs living inside of us, and they are constantly growling at each other, snapping at each other, and trying to completely devour the other.  Inside of us, we have two rival political parties that are always trying to get their own agenda moved to the front so that one of them might have control of it all.  In many ways we are like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde who was never able to do what he wanted.  Though Dr. Jekyll was always seeking knowledge and enlightenment, Mr. Hyde was always seeking murder and mayhem. This is what Paul is telling us as he writes beginning in verse 17: “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." …19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19–21, NIV84)

Though we are Christians, who have been freed from our slavery to sin, so often our sinful nature works to lead us right back into those sins with which we are so familiar and comfortable.  Though we are Christians who have been freed from our sins to serve the Lord our God with our lives, so often our sinful nature seeks to lead us into the false delusion that our freedom from sin means that we are free to sin, without any real reprisals form our God.  It is in this way that our sinful nature seeks to win the day by convincing us that we are actually living according to God’s will, when we are actually allowing ourselves to be burdened once again by a yoke of slavery, and are allowing ourselves to be chained, once again, in the prison of eternal death and damnation.

But it is then, in that moment of hopeless despair that our spiritual nature once again asserts itself.  It is then that our spiritual nature condemns for the things that we’ve done.  It is then that our spiritual nature slaps us upside the head, rebuking us for returning to our sins—a place from which we can never escape on our own.  Then, when we have collapsed in sorrow over our sins, and we cry out to the Lord in repentances for the things we have done, our spiritual nature grows in strength as it calms our hearts and assures us of the forgiveness of sins.  Our Spiritual nature, created in our hearts by Christ himself, rejoices in the freedom of forgiveness that is once again restored to us.  Our spiritual nature, moved by Christ’s love for us, leads us to once again stand firm in the freedom we have through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior.  It leads us to live according to the Spirit of God, seeking to live according to God’s will for our lives.  For each time we are brought back to the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, it is our spiritual nature that seeks to stand firm in that freedom as we live our lives in service to the Lord our God.  As Paul tells us:

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." …22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:22–25, NIV84)

So now, as you go from here today, stand firm in the freedom that you now have.  Stand firm in your freedom, just as the signers of the Declaration of Independence did.  Stand firm in the freedom you have through faith in Jesus Christ living your lives in service to him.  Service, not because you have to, but service out of love for the one who freed you from the slavery in which you once lived.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

Guard the Holy Sabbath Day! (Deuteronomy 5:12-15)

June 10, 2012

Dear friends in Christ.

I don’t know about you, but in the past few years, I’ve started receiving quite a few “Save the Date” postcards.  These postcards most often come to me as an announcement of a wedding to be held on a certain date six to even nine months in the future.  I don’t know if “Save the Date” postcards are just the new and popular thing to do for weddings these days, or if it’s become necessary because we are all so busy.  After all, if you are like me, then you have any number of activities going on during any given day.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you often find yourself double and triple booked when it comes to family, children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren.  So it seems that the idea of sending out a “Save the Date” postcard months before a wedding would be a great idea; especially if one couple is looking to guard against another couple snatching up their special day.  Yet, even though we often times receive those special postcards designed to guard the date of a wedding, so often we are not able to guard that date for a wedding because we are already guarding that date for another event to which we are already committed.  Or, if we have the date open, we put the card in a special place to remind us of when the event will be, but we do not necessarily enter it on our calendars until we know for certain that nothing else is going on that day and we can guard it for a wedding. 

Sadly, this is how so many people treat the idea of coming to church.  Though Sunday is the day when so many congregations gather to worship the Lord how often doesn’t it happen that people only come if they have nothing better to do?  How often doesn’t it seem that fewer and fewer people in our congregation, in congregations throughout our fair city, even congregations throughout the world are finding it of any value to Guard the Holy Sabbath Day!

Yet, what does our God have to say about this?  Well, let’s take a look at it together.  I invite you to open your Bibles to our lesson today in Deuteronomy 5:12-15.  Now, as you are turning to Deuteronomy 12, let me set the stage for you.  Israel was camped on the Eastern Side of the Jordan River.  They were most likely somewhere around Mt. Nebo with the city of Jericho basically due west of them.  It was the spring of the year, forty years and eleven months had passed since the Lord had led Israel out of the slavery of Egypt, and now Moses was giving his farewell address because the Lord would not allow him to enter the Promised Land with them.  (See Deuteronomy 1:1-5; 3:21-29; 34:1 and Joshua 3:15-17; 4:23-24; 5:10-12)  It was there, on the east side of the Jordan River that Moses began teaching the Israelites the Law of God, giving it to them a second time, which essentially what the word Deuteronomy means.  Our lesson begins with verse 12 where Moses says, “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”  (Deuteronomy 5:12a, NIV84)

Now, does anything strike you about that?  Does that wording seem right?  Or are you thinking to yourself, “I learned, ‘Remember the Sabbath Day!’  I didn’t learn, ‘Observe the Sabbath Day.’ What’s going on here?”  Why is it different in Deuteronomy 5:12 than it is in Exodus 20:8?  Well, quite simply the wording is different because the situation is different.  In Exodus 20, when the Lord spoke to the people Israel from the Mountain, they had just come out of the land of Egypt.  They were being led by the Lord, and after they left Mt. Sinai, they would continue to be led by the Lord through the wilderness.  In that time, and indeed for the past forty years of their wandering, it was the Lord who led the people and made sure that they were able to rest on the Sabbath.  It was the Lord who saw to it that the people would rest on the Sabbath so that they might be refreshed physically by taking a break from their travels, and so that they might be refreshed spiritually as they had the opportunity to worship the Lord and remember his great blessings to them. However, now, as Israel was on the eastern side of the Jordan preparing to cross and conquer the Promised Land, things would soon be different.  Soon they would be living in houses and cities that they had not built.  Soon they would be prospering in the Land the Lord had given them.  Soon their way of life would be changing and the Lord inspires Moses to tell them, “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”  (Deuteronomy 5:12a, NIV84)

The funny thing is that one could argue that the word “observe” isn’t really the best translation of the Hebrew word.  Yet, it seems to be the most popular translation as 7 of the 8 Bibles I looked began this verse with “observe”.  In fact, it was only the King James Version that was different using the word “keep” instead of “observe”.  While this could be said to be a better translation than “observe” I would argue that an even better translation would be “guard”.  Guard the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.  The reason I say this is because the Hebrew word that the NIV and 6 other Bibles translate as “observe” is actually the very same word that describes the job of the Seraphim and the flaming sword in the Garden of Eden.  They were placed there not to “observe” the entrance to the Garden, but to guard it, to keep a close watch on it, to make sure that Adam and Even nor anyone else entered the Garden and ate from the Tree of Life. (Genesis 3:24)  Thus I would argue that from the context of our lesson today, though the word “observe” does fit, and does convey God’s will for his people that they remember and observe and keep the Sabbath, the context suggests more.  Take a look at what the Lord is saying in verses 13 and following, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath [a day of rest] to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. 15 Remember [same word as exodus 20:8] that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe [same word as verse 12] the Sabbath day." (Deuteronomy 5:12–15, NIV84)

Now, did you hear the importance of what the Lord is proclaiming to his people?  They are about to enter the Land and conquer it.  Their whole lives will soon be changing from wanderers to city dwellers.  They are about to get just as busy, if not more busy than you and me.  So the Lord is calling on them to guard the Sabbath Day.  Guard the day of rest so that they will not miss it, so that they will be refreshed both physically and spiritually on a regular basis.  The Lord is calling on them to block that day off in their calendars, to set it aside as a day for the Lord, to guard it as the most important day of their week, because on that day they will have yet one more opportunity to hear the Word of the Lord proclaimed to them.  They will have yet one more opportunity to worship the Lord their God.  They will have one more opportunity to offer their sacrifices to the Lord.  They will have one more opportunity to grow in their faith in the Lord their God and find their eternal rest in the promises of the Savior who will come to free them from their sins.

So why have I taken so much time to teach you about the Sabbath Day and how the Lord was calling on his people to guard it and keep it as holy?  Because this is exactly what the Lord is calling on each and every one of us to do today!  He is calling on us to not merely remember it, not merely observe it; rather he is calling on each and every one of us to guard the Holy Sabbath Day.  He is calling on us to mark it off on our calendars and set it aside as the most important day of our week, because it is on that day that we have one more opportunity to gather with other believers.  We have one more opportunity to hear the Word of God.  We have one more opportunity to worship the Lord our God, grow our faith and our trust in Jesus as our Savior, and be strengthened and built up before we walk out those doors and go back in to the spiritual war-zone of this sin-filled world!

Now, please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying when I’m talking about the Sabbath Day.  I am in no way saying that we ought to go back to holding to Saturday as the Sabbath and keeping that particular day holy by calling it the only day that we can ever worship.  Not at all!  After all, the Bible clearly teaches that when Jesus went to the cross and freed us from our sins by his death and resurrection, he also completely fulfilled God’s Law for us.  So, by his death and resurrection, Jesus completely fulfilled the Sabbath, and its rules and regulations no longer apply to us.  In fact, even the Apostle Paul assures us that the Sabbath Laws have been fulfilled as he writes to the Colossians saying, “Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." (Colossians 2:16–17, NIV84)  Rather, what the Lord wants us to do is to guard the Sabbath Day and keep it holy so that we do not “despise preaching and the Word, but regard it as holy and gladly hear it and learn it.” 

But how do we do that?  We guard the holy Sabbath day, when we set aside the day of worship as the most important day of the week.  Whatever day that might be, when we set it aside and make gathering with other believer a priority for our lives, we guard that day as the day when we will grow in our faith.  We guard the Sabbath when we take time out of our busy schedules to sit down and read God’s Word for ourselves, whether that be from the Bible, from Meditations, Portals of Prayer, or other devotional books.  We guard God’s Holy Sabbath when we teach our children the precious truths of salvation; when we bring them to worship with us and teach them that worship is what we do each week.  We guard God’s Holy Sabbath when we bring our children to Sunday School and bring ourselves to Bible Study.  We guard God’s Holy Sabbath when we sacrifice our self-love and stop lazily sleeping in on Sunday mornings, or skip out on worship because of vacation plans.  We guard God’s holy Sabbath when we take the time to rest in him, grow in our salvation, and find in him the spiritual rest that he longs to give us in the assurance of the forgiveness of sins and the salvation that is ours through faith in Jesus. 

What greater encouragement could the Lord our God give us today than the encouragement to guard his holy Sabbath Day.  Though there are many things in this world that seek to keep us from gathering in worship of the Lord our God, I pray that you would heed the encouragement of your Savior.  I pray that you would continue to make this day and this time of spiritual rest the most important time of your week. I pray that you would continue to guard your time with the Lord in worship and in personal Bible readings.  May the Lord continue to bless you as you worship him, grow in your faith in him, live in the forgiveness of sins with which he has blessed you, and especially as you seek to guard his holy Sabbath Day.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN