tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-112448872024-03-07T16:37:10.125-10:00The Joshua Victor TheoryJoshua Victor is my first and middle name. I was named after Joshua in the Old Testament, who was a Victor in his own right, leading the Children of Israel into the promised Land. But this Joshua was a foreshadowing of the New and Greater Joshua, who would be the Victor over sin, death, and the devil, and would lead the New Children of Israel into the Promised Land of Heaven. This is none other than Jesus Christ, who by His death and resurrection is the True Victor.The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.comBlogger801125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-12016270846811573762021-10-19T14:19:00.001-10:002021-10-19T14:19:11.492-10:00Sermon on Mark 10:23-31, for the 21st Sunday after Pentecost 2021 (B), "Uncommon Thinking"<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Today’s
Gospel, Mark 10, follows from last week where Jesus met the rich young man, who
wouldn’t part with his great possessions to come follow Jesus. Jesus sadly
reflects on that situation and contrasts His own “uncommon thinking” with our common
ways of thinking. With all the details to comment on here, I’m going to walk
through this passage verse by verse, so you may want to have Mark 10:23-31 available
in front of you. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">23Jesus looked around and said to his
disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the
kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were amazed at his words. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The disciples show continued astonishment at
Jesus’ words. Like they’re saying, “Jesus, you’re too much! We just can’t
believe all the things you say!” Isn’t that how we often react to Jesus’ words?
Like an old satirical song says, we just want some “Easy Listening.” Or like
Paul wrote to Timothy, we want easy, soothing sounds to tell us what our
“itching ears” want to hear. But Jesus didn’t deliver easy truths. He
challenges and startles us with hard truths. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">So why are the disciples so surprised? Common
thinking then and now, is that wealth shows God’s blessing, and poverty shows
God’s displeasure. It’s a hard idea to shake. It seems to make sense. A whole
multi-million-dollar raft of TV preachers sell this idea, what we call a
“prosperity gospel” or the “Word of Faith” movement. Prosperity preachers claim
God has promised wealth to believers and when Jesus says God wants us to have
life and have it abundantly (John 10:10), they interpret that in terms of
financial gain. But that’s not at all what Jesus promises. Beware of these TV
preachers with their false prosperity gospel and their showy boasting of
wealth. Jesus’ uncommon thinking that surprised the disciples, was that wealth
was not proof of God’s favor, but could actually be an obstacle to God’s
kingdom.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how
difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Notice here that Jesus generalizes that it’s difficult to enter the
kingdom of God, period! They seem to get it, and ask shortly, “<i>Who then can
be saved</i>?” Difficulty in entering the kingdom of God also runs against
common thinking. Common thinking says that most people are naturally good, and
that most people deserve to go to heaven, if they are sincere in whatever they
do, and aren’t Nazi war criminals or otherwise universally hated by men. Common
thinking is that it’s easy to enter the kingdom of God, and practically no one
goes to hell. Jesus’ uncommon thinking is that it’s difficult for <i><u>anyone</u></i>
to enter the kingdom of God! Heaven is not the default destination for mankind
after death. Narrow is the path to heaven, broad is the path to destruction. After
this warning about the difficulty of entering the kingdom, He returns to the
rich man. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">25It is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Before further comment, we must dispel another
myth. Another common way of thinking about this passage, is that someone said
there used to be this tiny little gate in the walls of Jerusalem, where a rider
would have to dismount his camel, unload his bags, and the camel would have to
stoop down and squeeze through this tiny gate. Supposedly, this was called the
“eye of the needle gate.” It’s a clever story, but there’s no evidence that any
such gate existed in the time of Jesus, and it completely undercuts Jesus’
point about impossibility. The first reference in writing to any such gate was
more than 9 centuries after Jesus, and long after the city was destroyed. This
myth is simply busted and doesn’t have anything to do with the interpretation
of this verse. Rather, in a straightforward way, Jesus is illustrating the
absurd impossibility of a hulking camel fitting through the tiny eye of an
actual needle. He is making His point clear about what man cannot do, and what
God <i><u>can</u></i> do. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">26And they were exceedingly astonished, and
said to him, “Then who can be saved?” </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The disciples recognized this difficulty, this impossibility, included
the rich, but reached far wider than that. Seeing Jesus’ point, they wonder if
anyone can be saved! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">27Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it
is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> This verse is speaking about the
impossibility of salvation, by man’s powers, and the complete possibility of
salvation by God’s power. We should be careful to keep the context of the verse
in mind before we use it for all kinds of unrelated things. It’s not about the
seeming impossibility of climbing a mountain, or some seemingly impossible
space voyage, or athletic feat. The Bible never calls any of these things
impossible. Of course, it is completely common thinking to want to overthrow
“the impossible.” Absolutely nothing against the great impulse for exploration,
discovery, creativity, and an unwillingness to give up. That’s all great stuff,
but it’s not what this verse is talking about. But the idea is borrowed for all
sorts of marketing slogans, songs, etc. Kid’s songs enthusiastically proclaim:
“Nothing is impossible!” and Adidas has an ad campaign highlighting great
athletes and overcomers, with the slogan “Impossible is nothing!” Napoleon
Bonaparte, the infamous French emperor and invader, said that “Impossible is a
word to be found only in the dictionary of fools”. How the mighty have fallen!
But the verse isn’t talking about overcoming hardship or obstacles. What is
uncommon thinking is to bank all our trust in God, not our own strength. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">There is plenty to be said for determination
and overcoming hardship. But that’s not what Jesus is speaking about. He’s not
giving self-help advice or promoting self-confidence. He’s drawing a sharp line
between what God and man can do. Getting into the kingdom of God isn’t man’s
doing. Can’t be done. Not <i>seemingly impossible.</i> Jesus says, “<i>with
man, this is impossible.” </i>But God does truly do the impossible. As the
angel Gabriel told Mary, “<i>Nothing will be impossible with God.”</i> This
verse is not about anything we can do, but everything God can do, and does, for
our salvation! It’s the good news that Jesus has overcome the impossible
barrier of our sins between us and God. Manly might can’t save, but Godly might
does!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>28Peter
began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Peter sees how Jesus had asked the rich young
man last week, to leave everything and come follow Him. Peter wants Jesus to
notice: We did it! We did what you asked! “<i>We left everything and followed
you</i>.” <i>29Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left
house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my
sake and for the gospel, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time,
houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with
persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first
will be last, and the last first.”</i> Jesus promises that the Cost of
Discipleship is worth it. Whatever we may lose, whether wealth, earthly
security, home, family, or anything else—it will be worth it to follow Jesus
and receive what He gives in return. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Faced with that choice last week, the rich young
man chose his great possessions rather than following Jesus. Had he followed
Jesus, he would have gained much in exchange for what he left behind. Jesus
says anyone who has left these things behind <i>for my sake and for the gospel</i>.
That means things lost for following Jesus. Not losing something by our own
fault or negligence. But if we follow Jesus and it costs us our house, or it meant
family members turned their backs on us because we are disciples of Jesus, or
if we left behind comfort of home and loved ones, God will bless us abundantly
in return. And Jesus says they will <i>“receive a hundredfold <u>now in this
time.</u></i>” Already in this life, we can experience a hundredfold blessing.
Where? In the church! In the fellowship of God’s family, we find a hundred
times the Christian brothers and sisters and mothers and children, than our own
biological family. We find a faith family that is stronger than blood. This is
a blessing often ignored. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">But notice that among all the blessings of
increased family and lands, He adds “<i>with persecutions</i>, <i>and in the
age to come, eternal life.”</i> So, there will be a spiritual richness of
belonging to God’s family with fellow believers. But persecution comes with the
territory. Discipleship <i>costs</i> us. It includes sacrifice and loss. But
loss is already baked into the equation. No one goes through life without loss.
Death is the unavoidable loss everyone faces. So, when Jesus offers us the loss
of things temporary, earthly things that won’t last anyhow, and offers us <i>in
the age to come, eternal life</i>…isn’t that a great trade off, all things
considered? It’s uncommon thinking but Jesus’ kingdom far outweighs anything that
earth offers….<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
last verse again is </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">31But many
who are first will be last, and the last first.”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> This is one of Jesus’ favorite sayings and is
the reverse of common human thinking. We think about how to get ahead, how to
be first in line, to get what we think we deserve. Common thinking says take
care of “<i>numero uno”</i> and who will take care of you, if you don’t put
yourself first? Again, Jesus challenges and startles us with uncommon thinking,
and shows the last will be first. Earthly gains become heavenly losses, while
earthly losses become earthly and heavenly gains! When we say “we’ve got too
much to lose”, we discount how much there is to be gained in following Jesus!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">With God, all things are possible. Jesus came
so we would have salvation. He laid down His life, so that heaven would not
remain an out of reach impossibility, but Jesus descended from heaven to us, bringing
us up to Him. Jesus did the impossible, rising from His grave in eternal
victory, never to be chained by death again. Jesus did the impossible,
separating our sins as far as the East is from the West, so that God would
forget them, and count us as righteous for Jesus’ sake. Jesus did the
impossible, giving us a hundredfold in this life, and in the life to come. He
restores even more than we lose through the persecution of this world, with
relationships, possessions, and eternal security. It’s uncommon to think like
Jesus, but in Him, all things are possible and we are most greatly blessed!
Amen. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-11694662770321817122021-10-12T07:56:00.003-10:002021-10-12T07:56:18.561-10:00Sermon on Mark 10:17-22, for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost 2021 (B), "Single-minded Obedience"<p> </p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Amen. Today in Mark 10, a rich young man asks Jesus how he can enter
eternal life. He focuses on what must <i><u>I do</u></i> and Jesus answers with
obedience to the 10 Commandments. The rich young man confidently examines his
life, and finds obedience everywhere he looks, and asks, “<i>what more?”</i>
Jesus then gives the most decisive call to obedience. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
called it “<i>single-minded obedience.”</i> That is, no questioning, no if’s,
and’s, or but’s, nothing standing in your way—just give up everything, obey
this one command: “<i>Come, follow me.”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">For
all the details and nuances here, the bottom line was that the rich young man,
thought he was an obedient follower of God’s commands, but proved he did not have
single-minded obedience. He could not obey the simple command: “<i>Come, follow
me.”</i> His wealth. He couldn’t obey Jesus’ command to part with his wealth,
give it to the poor, and come follow Jesus. For all the details and nuances of
our lives, what objections are in the way of our single-minded obedience to
Christ? We may think of ourselves as obedient followers of God’s commands, but can
we commit to this decisive call to single-minded obedience? To come follow
Jesus? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus
really is calling us to <i>come, follow me.</i> He calls throughout the
Gospels. Many respond with single-minded obedience. Peter, Andrew, James and
John drop their fishing nets then and there and come follow Jesus. Matthew, the
tax collector walks away from his tax booth. Others protest and delay and say
they have family business to wrap up first, or someone to bury, or this or
that. But Jesus pushes for a simple black and white, yes or no, are you in or
out. Come follow me or don’t. That’s why Dietrich Bonhoeffer calls it
“single-minded obedience.” Jesus demands our unconditional attention, against
all competing interests. He knows it’s a tall order. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Notice
the tender detail recorded by Mark. In vs. 20-21, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">when the rich young man said to him, <i>“Teacher,
all these I have kept from my youth.”…Jesus, <u>looking at him, loved him</u>,
and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”</i> It says
Jesus looked at him and loved him. He saw how this young man was yearning for
the kingdom, and Jesus wanted him to have it! If Jesus loves him and us so
much, then why the tall order, for unconditional, single-minded obedience?
Because worldly things and worldly objections can’t stand in the way. No matter
what they are. Your wealth, your responsibilities, your prior commitments, your
activities, whatever we use as a plausible reason to hold off, postpone, delay,
or give Jesus anything less than our 100%. Jesus’ love won’t allow us to be
double-minded. To split priority or split commitment with Him. We can only have
one master, one Lord, and it’s Him or its not. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Now this word “obedience” might trip us up as
Lutherans. And for good reason. After all, how does it relate to his big
question: “<i>What must I do, to inherit eternal life?”</i> Well-trained
Lutherans will recognize that our own obedience doesn’t inherit eternal life. “<i>What
must I do</i>” doesn’t fit together with “<i>inherit”</i>. We can’t ordinarily
merit or qualify ourselves for an inheritance. We are never “owed” an
inheritance, even from our own family! It’s rather a blessing and an undeserved
gift. It’s like he really meant to ask, “What must I do to MERIT eternal life.”
He’s so confident of his obedience to the law and his ability to go above and
beyond, but Jesus shows him the yawning gap in his obedience. Wealth became his
god and prevented his single-minded obedience to Jesus. If we could merit or
earn an inheritance by what we did, I’d sure like to get in line for Bill
Gates’ or Jeff Bezos’ inheritance! But obviously a person <i>chooses</i> their
heirs, because they love those people, or because they are their children, etc.
We didn’t become our parent’s children by earning it, or by our obedience. Even
that is grace!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">So again, what does single-minded obedience
have to do with eternal life? It’s really not about OUR obedience, but CHRIST’S
obedience. The young man’s attention was all on his doing. Jesus’ love showed
the inadequacy of all that and called him toward what does count for eternal
life. CHRIST’S obedience. <i>“Come follow me”</i>, is a tall order, because it
means single-minded obedience to Christ. Don’t be afraid or hesitate to take
the leap, because Jesus supplies <i>everything we need</i> to come follow Him!
He doesn’t call us on a journey without providing for us. He doesn’t challenge
us to do something but not give us the strength to do it. He doesn’t give us a
responsibility and sit back to watch us flounder, without offering us the
support and resources to grow into a new challenge. He does call us to do hard
things! To follow Him is to take up our cross! He is all we need. We can follow
Him without reservation or qualification because His single-minded obedience to
God’s law gives us eternal life. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Jesus supplies everything, including our very
obedience to follow His call. He gives the tall order but supplies the faith
and strength to obey. Our job is not to look at our obedience and our actions.
Our job is to look at Jesus’ single-minded obedience, and His actions that led
Him to the cross. Our job is to receive all He has done and follow in the
willing obedience that He supplies! He creates single-minded obedience in us
when we come after Him. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Think of it like this. Look at the cross He’s
carrying. We stare up at the tall order He lays down. Gulp! He looks upon us
with love, and says, leave it all, come follow me. Wait, wait, wait! Where,
when, why, how? What about this, what about that? I just don’t know…I’ve gotta,
I’ve gotta…and so on and so on. You want me to follow you, like NOW? Yes. It’s
that simple. Just come, follow me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">It echoes Jesus’ conversation about
discipleship in Mark 8. I preached on it back in March. Jesus says <i>if anyone
would come after me, let him take up his cross, deny himself, and follow me</i>
(Mark 8:34). Are we going to engineer an escape plan or escape hatch to get out
of the trouble of following Jesus? No, I want to follow Jesus…but wait…<i>deny
myself</i>…what does that mean? Say “No” to my will, my ways? Let Christ lead,
and I follow. That’s so open ended! Where is Jesus going to lead <i>me?</i> What’s
my personalized discipleship plan? He’ll show you. Day by day, following His
call, listening to His voice. Knowing His voice by reading His Word and
following His call. None of us have the exact same path. But it’s in the same
direction. Always following Him. The same Lord of all. Same yesterday, today,
and forever. He knows where He’s leading you. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">That cross is intimidating. How can I take up
my cross and follow you Jesus? It’s all so open-ended! But it’s all
front-loaded in those words: “<i>Come, follow me</i>.” If we single-mindedly
obey Jesus’ call to follow Him, we’re accepting His promise: “<i>I’ve got you!
I’ve got this. Just trust me.”</i> Everything else follows from that. Don’t worry
about all that comes before or after, simply answer His invitation, “<i>Come,
follow me”</i>. We let Him supply us, let Him lead us, and simply trust that
He’s got it. Your obedience is lacking, even like the rich young man? Jesus has
got it. It’s His single-minded obedience has got you covered. Follow Him, and
He’ll create that single-minded obedience in you. Your worried that you might
have to let go? Jesus has got it. He’s all you’ll ever need. Your worried how
you will provide? Jesus has got it. The Father knows your every need before you
ask. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">When Jesus looks on us with love, knowing all
our frantic anxieties, knowing our bag of insecurities, knowing our braggery
and over-confidence, or knowing our fierce independence and unwillingness to
accept help from anyone—whatever and whoever we are, when Jesus looks on us
with love, He knows us. He knows what will free us from all that. He knows all
our protestations and excuses, our delay tactics and waffling. He knows what
will free us from all that. He looks on us with love and says: <i>“Come, follow
me”</i> He calls. He is the Way. He is the Truth. He is the Life. He’ll pry our
worries out of our tight little fingers. He’ll turn a heart that is possessed
by our possessions, into a generous and willing heart that says, “Lord, this is
all yours to begin with. Help me use it in the way that best glorifies You.” He’ll
turn a heart that is over-confident into a humble heart, that sees our need. He’ll
turn our fierce independence into a realization that we’re not in control, and
that He will be good to us. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">All the little things we clutch and hold on
to, He can help us let go. I can’t spell out where your journey for
discipleship will lead, all I can tell you is come, follow Jesus. His Word
still speaks to us today, His single-minded obedience to the Father is all we
need to inherit eternal life, and He rules in your life today as always. Simply
follow Him, and all these other things will be added to you as well. When He
looks on us in love and gives His gracious call, He knows all we need, and He
knows He will supply it, so by His single-minded obedience, we can inherit
eternal life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-69477816060145331452021-10-05T08:23:00.007-10:002021-10-05T08:23:51.915-10:00Sermon on Mark 10:6-8, 19th Sunday after Pentecost 2021 (B), "Wonderfully Made: Male and Female" <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Amen. Today, our readings from Genesis 2 and Mark 10, tell us about God
creating man and woman. God made us as creatures with a body. We are not like
the angels, spiritual beings with no body. God made Adam and Eve in flesh and
blood, with bones, muscle, organs, skin, fingers, and toes. Today I want to
talk about the special blessing that God gave you a human body that is
wonderfully made, male or female. The focus of our consideration is Mark
10:6-8, “<i>But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and
female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to
his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but
one flesh</i>”. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
won’t focus primarily on marriage today, but rather the simpler fact that God
blesses us with bodies as males and females. It’s too easy to take for granted.
Like a fish taking the water for granted, or us taking the air we breathe for
granted. Astronomers search high and low, but still can’t determine if there’s another
planet in the universe that has air we can breathe. The air we breathe is no
accident. This place is uniquely made for us and suited for us. We live in a
“Goldilocks universe” and on a “Goldilocks planet” where the conditions are
“just right” for us to live. And if we take the clean air we breathe for
granted, so we also take our lungs and the body they supply for granted. Our
lungs that breathe are no accident. They are uniquely made to breathe in the
breath of life, perfectly suited for our bodies. God blessed us with bodies.
Male and female bodies. Wonderfully made and uniquely beautiful in different
ways. Bodies that require special care and a healthy and safe environment. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
entered this world in our bodies. That’s too obvious. But from our conception
in our mother’s womb, we were given a body. A body is necessary to our
existence. Our parents <i>procreated</i>. That is, they joined with God in
bringing new life into the world. When we use the word <i>procreation</i> to
describe the parent’s work in creating new life, we’re describing how the
creating, self-giving love of God is shared and expressed through the human
love of parents. Not, of course, that all lives were conceived under those
circumstances, but that this is the fullness of meaning that God allows us to participate
in. It’s not merely the mechanical reproduction like any other animal species,
but family love is meant to image God’s love in flesh and blood reality. In
human bodies, we may see echoes of God’s love, however imperfectly. Only His
love conforms us to the true pattern and image of Christ Jesus. But even in the
most broken examples of human love, God still grants the precious gift of life;
a precious body. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">These
bodies, wonderfully created, are knit together in the secret, in the quiet
place of our mother’s womb. The human body is a work of art, an engineering
marvel. Dr. Werner Gitt, a Christian and an information scientist, describes
the amount of information our brains process every single day. As a massively
powerful supercomputer, our human brain processes a million times more
information every day than the total sum of knowledge stored in all the world’s
libraries. That includes all the information for the things you consciously
think about and do, like listening to and understanding human language, walking
and balancing, to the things that are subconscious, like your brain’s
management of all your organs. And the human brain capacity exceeds 4 terabytes
of information, sends electric signals at a speed of 170 mph through your body,
and a single human brain produces more electrical signals in one day than all
the cell phones in the world combined. What other manmade supercomputer can
rewire itself?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What
about the rest of our body? Our lungs alone have enough tiny blood vessels,
that if laid end to end, they would measure 1,500 miles. The total length of
blood vessels in our bodies is 62 thousand miles. Our bodies renew about 25
million cells every second. Our hearts pump 48 million gallons of blood in a
lifetime. Our bodies have over 700 enzymes that work in them, and 4-year-old
children ask on average 450 questions per day. There are 26 different medical
specialties for doctors who treat all aspects of the human body. In whichever
field they work, general medicine, endocrinology or dermatology or cardiology,
they spend years of their life studying the biology of human life, and barely
scratch the surface. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">All
this marvel, wrapped up in a body several feet tall and weighing a hundred or
two pounds. In flesh and blood. In a body, male or female. And the only way any
of us exist, any living human on the planet, is by the union of a sperm and an
egg. A male and a female. No other combination can continue the existence of
the human race. No team of genius engineers or surgeons or mad scientists could
create your equal. God, by His creative power and genius and love, set this
flesh and blood engineering marvel into motion, and despite our rebellion and
fall into sin, He preserves our ability to procreate and continue the human
species, making new lives made in His image. Deeply affected by the Fall, but
still very much bearing the marks of our Creator and the beauty of His
handiwork. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There
is so much confusion in the world. Even Christians fall prey to the ideas that
devalue the human body, or demean, degrade, or devalue one or the other of the
sexes. I don’t need to describe the confusions for you, you know them. But
whenever we are tempted to loathe or hate our bodies, for whatever reason, we
are rejecting the goodness of God’s gift. This is difficult because in a world
of sin, our bodies experience weakness, illness, aging, injury, and a host of
other considerations, mentally, emotionally, and physically. But we should
never despise our bodies, as some in the early centuries did. Right as Christianity
was beginning to grow, some groups known as the “gnostics” thought the body was
a prison, a detestable shell that we had a duty to escape from. They had no
love for the body or the material world. Christians boldly responded by
affirming the value and goodness of the body and the material world. It’s
embedded in our Apostle’s Creed, when we confess that we believe in the
resurrection <i>of the body</i>. We place our hope, not in staying young or
staying beautiful or staying healthy forever—all that escapes our powers.
Instead, we hope in the resurrection of the body and the future renewal of the
body that we will have in Jesus Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">And
other attacks on the body come from men and women who tear down what is to be
masculine, and men and women who tear down what it means to be feminine. We
rebel against the distinctness in which God made us. We battle each other for superiority
and we both lose. God did not make us for this warfare! He made us to
complement and complete each other! We have equal value in the sight of God. Equal
value doesn’t mean sameness. It doesn’t mean that we are interchangeable and no
different from each other. It means that our value is equally great <u>with our
uniqueness</u> and differing gifts and qualities. Scripture says again and
again that God shows no partiality or favoritism. Sink that in for a moment and
consider how it relates to us as male and female. God doesn’t show favoritism
among male or female. If He wanted us identical, He could have done that. But
He didn’t! He made us different for a reason, with gifts and abilities that are
not identical, but interlock and fit together physically, emotionally, and
spiritual, so that “the two will become one flesh”. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Ultimately,
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">any attack on a human body is an attack on the
image of God. Disparaging words and devaluing the body, or also self-injury or
harm to anyone’s body. We have a duty of care, not only to all human beings
made in the image of God, but also of self-care. Our duty of care, and
self-care, means that we are responsible for bodily wellbeing. Ourselves and
others. If someone struggles with their body, we need to approach them in love,
compassion, and in the affirmation of the goodness of God’s gift of your body.
Our body is not an empty picture frame, or a blank outline or body shape; it’s
not a whiteboard for us to erase and redraw as we like, but it is a good gift
from God. Don’t let anyone flatten out, reduce, or distort our humanity into
anything smaller or lesser than the whole picture of our humanity. Objectifying
the body is another form of dehumanization. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Our bodies are wonderfully made, male and
female. Your body matters to God, so much that He entered human life in a body
of His own, when Jesus was born on earth. And your body matters so much to God
that Jesus paid the price on the cross for all the sin and aching weakness and
failure that afflicts our bodies and souls. But He redeemed our bodies,
purchasing them back from the slavery of sin, and securing for us the
resurrection of our bodies, to be glorified as His body is glorified. And in
baptism He sanctifies us, washing us clean, so that we can use our bodies to
honor Him in all we do. For all these reasons, we can have a wonderfully
positive view of our bodies as good gifts from God. Wonderfully made, male and female.
To God be the glory, in Jesus’ Name, Amen. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-62597737901554797532021-09-28T08:32:00.002-10:002021-09-28T08:32:19.218-10:00Sermon on Acts 2:21, for Children's Sunday, "Call Upon the Lord"<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Amen. The Bible verse for our focus today will be Acts 2:21, “<i>And it
shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved</i>.” When you are in trouble or need help, who helps you? Who can you
trust? Who are your phone contacts? Your parents or older sibling for advice. Your
trusted mechanic for when the car breaks down. Your plumber for leaks, your
pastor for spiritual guidance, your doctor for your health. Or in a life-or-death
emergency, or when a crime is underway, you call 9-1-1 because they respond
24/7 to emergencies. Anything beyond our own wisdom, expertise, ability to care
for ourselves, or above our emotional threshold—we reach out to others for help.
We call upon our “helpers.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
take cell phones for granted and calling anyone in the world. It’s astonishing,
when you remember that just 200 years ago, there was no such thing as a telephone,
and the fastest your message could travel around the world was speed of a
human, a horse, train, or a ship, to hand deliver your letter. Instant
communication is a blessing and a curse. A blessing to stay in touch almost
anywhere. A curse to have our phones filled up with so much information and
news that needlessly worries us, distracts us, complicates our lives, and wastes
our precious time. We don’t often reflect on the downsides of technology before
we have fully bought into all the upsides. We are slow to learn moderation and
wise use.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
how do we call upon the Name of the Lord? No letters, no cell phones, no Pony
Express, no electronics for your hands or ears. Only folding your hands and lifting
your prayers to God. Having ears that listen to His Word and understanding that
God doesn’t send us “text messages” on our phone but gave a special “text
message” for all people and all time, in His Word, the Bible. When you read the
Bible, when you memorize a bible verse, like this one, that’s a text message for
you. God speaks into your life. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
can call upon the Lord anywhere, any time. We don’t need cell-coverage or WIFI,
we don’t have to wait on hold, or get a call back. God is not too busy to hear
our prayers, nor do we have to wait to “get on his calendar.” The Lord hears
our prayers, from your mouth to His ears, without interruption, fail or delay. Silently
in our heart, or openly with a loud cry of “Lord, have mercy on me!”—He hears
us, and He invites our prayers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Not
just any name will do. We’ve all had letdowns before. We trusted in someone or
put our hopes in something that failed us. Not usually on purpose, but we </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">get invested in things that cannot help, or we
rely on someone, and they let us down. We too have let people down. But God is our
refuge, fortress, deliverer, shield, as we heard in Psalm 18. He will not fail.
There is one name, only One: the Name of Jesus. Not just any name will do. He’s
got a track record. We call on His Name to be saved, because He can help, as no
one else can. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Confident Jesus can help since God raised
Jesus from the dead, you can depend on Him. He can save! But save from what? Peter’s
describing in Acts 2, our reading, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">the end of times, the coming
“<i>great and awesome day of the Lord</i>”. He’s saying those who call upon the
Name of the Lord will be saved from the final day of God’s judgment. Peter
talks about the “<i>The last days”</i> as though the end of the world was
already coming. The days when Jesus’ return is near. St. Peter spoke this 2,000
years ago, after Jesus rose from the dead, so we have been in “the last days”
for a long time. But they are still filled with urgency. He’s warning us to pay
attention to the signs of the end, and to act, by calling on the Name of the
Lord to be saved. Signs, wonders, and troublesome events in heaven and earth
will happen before Jesus’ return. And he says, “<i>it shall come to pass…”</i>.
While all these things are going on, while the world is confused and uncertain,
<i>whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Again,
saved from what—the answer is saved from God’s judgment against our sin. No one
likes to talk about God’s judgment, but a God without judgement is a God who
doesn’t care about evildoing and wickedness and won’t do anything about it. Basically,
a God who doesn’t judge wrongdoing isn’t good, and doesn’t care about right and
wrong. But that’s not the God of the Bible, or Jesus Christ, His Son. God
reveals Himself as Holy and Good, and holds people accountable for sin, but He
also compassionate and merciful to forgive those who repent. And He saves all
who call upon His Name. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
we struggle to see and recognize our sin. Think about some parallels. When hazards
are physical, we don’t need much persuasion to avoid it or clean it up. Broken
glass on the floor. We clean it up to prevent injury. A fire on our stove. Chemical
or nuclear waste is spills onto land or waterways, and people jump into action
to try to clean it up. No one wants toxic chemicals in our land or water. People
take concerted efforts to clean up the air we breathe, the water and the land.
When there’s pollution or waste, people generally focus first on stopping the
source of the pollution, and then cleaning up or repairing the damage that has
already been done. We respond to these things for good health and living
conditions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The moral and spiritual hazards of sin</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> are
not much different</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">. Our spiritual
health is at stake, and we must address the source and damage of sin. But we
don’t want to hear it or see it. It’s too close to home. When malice, bad
thoughts, and hatred brew in our hearts and minds and communities, like a
seeping toxic waste spill, we are slow to respond. When resentment and
bitterness sink poisonous roots into our heart, we find it easy to turn a blind
eye. When jealousy, selfishness, and judgment pollute our minds, we stamp approval
on our own thoughts, instead of curbing them with humility and repentance. Sin
hides out a lot more easily in our hearts and minds and actions, because we cover
it with our own selfishness and jealousy. We turn our eyes from the mirror that
shows our lives need spiritual attention. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">God
wants to stop the source of pollution and to repair the damage in our lives
from sin, to use that metaphor. Crusading for clean waterways, oceans, and
healthy reefs and forests is great. But crusading for our own hearts and minds
to be clean? To call on the Lord to inspect our soul to the very bottom, know
if there is any wicked way in us, and to lead us in the way of life
everlasting? That puts it all on the line. But what greater payoff! Calling on
the Lord for help is asking Him to change us. To work in us. To cut off the
source of pollution and repair the damage in us. This is why God sent His Son
Jesus to save us. So, when we “call on the Name of the Lord” to be saved, we’re
saying: “God rescue us from the pollution and damage of our sins!” Stop the
hazardous source of sin and detoxify its damage in our lives. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
hazards and damage look different for everyone. We can look great on the
outside, or it might be really obvious we struggle with sin. Some can hide
better than others, but we all struggle with sin—we might not even know it ourselves.
But that doesn’t matter, because Jesus doesn’t need a “clean slate” to begin.
He helps us wherever we are at. He sees the heart of the matter, whether we do
or not. He knows what part of our lives needs spiritual attention. Like an
expert doctor, He reads the signs of sin and He has a treatment plan. It starts
with repentance and His forgiveness. Like “de-toxing” or getting clean. All
along the way, Jesus has got you. Remember your friends on speed dial? Have you
ever been in trouble and heard the reassuring words: “I’ve got you!” because they
knew how to help you through? To know that Jesus is with you and is powerful to
save, is comfort. To hear Jesus say, “I’ve got you!” is peace. Those hazards
and damage of sin are His expertise. It’s right up His alley. He has been
taking care of patients like us all along, and all who call upon the Name of
the Lord will be saved. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Most
importantly, the Lord saves us from sin and the just judgment of God. Jesus
paid that price for us. But Jesus is there for us to call on for every need, big
or small. Like our children beautifully sang, “His Name brings strength if you
are afraid, His Name brings helps if you’ve lost your way, His Name brings
healing when you pray, so that is why we say, Call upon His Name…” He’ll always
be our most important contact and Helper, He’ll always be ready to listen and
to help. We’ve got His trusty text message here in His Word, the Bible. Praise
Him for His salvation, in Jesus’ Name, Amen. <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-61193018641221144882021-09-21T15:54:00.002-10:002021-09-21T15:54:17.299-10:00Sermon on Psalm 37:4-7, for the 17th Sunday after Pentecost 2021 (B)<p> </p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
Amen. What do you think of when you hear the word <i>delight?</i> Where does <i>delight</i>
happen? What do we take delight in? We could give many different answers. A
toddler delights in the cool sensations of splashing or running water. An older
child delights in the colors and booms of a firework display. Young lovers
delight in the warm emotions and tingling excitement of finding a person that
shows mutual interest. A cowboy delights in the strength and speed of a horse.
A race enthusiast delights in the roar and muscle of a stock car. An artist
delights in a natural scene of beauty they can translate to the canvas. We can
delight in people, relationships, sensations, beauty, power, wisdom, and a host
of other things. God’s creation is full of wonders, knowledge and mysteries
that spark our curiosity with delights both forbidden and blessed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Delight
happens in our heart and our eyes. We might describe it as warmth, pleasure,
joy, and satisfaction. Psalm 37:4-7 for today, begins with: “<i>Delight
yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”</i>
Almost every delight described above is earthly. Here we are told to <i>delight
ourselves in the LORD</i>. How? How do we find the LORD to be our delight and
our source of pleasure, joy, and satisfaction? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Psalms list many different delights. The delights of believers, the delights of
the wicked, and even what God delights in! The believer delights in the law of
the Lord (1:2), righteousness (35:27), abundant peace (37:11), God’s will (40:8),
the works of the Lord (111:2), the way of His testimonies, statutes, and the
path of His commandments (all of Psalm 119). These things delight the believer
in God. What of the wicked? They delight in our hurt (40:14; 70:2), in war (68:30),
and speaking curses, not blessings (109:17). Lastly, what does God delight in,
according to the Psalms? He delights in the saints (16:3); that’s us (!) (41:11);
He delights in truth (51:6) and right sacrifices (51:19). So, from the Psalms,
we see that God intends for a mutual delight between Himself and believers! <i>Delight
yourself in the LORD!</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Delight
can’t be forced. It unfolds naturally when we discover something genuinely
good. Delight in the LORD unfolds as we discover He is good and gracious. The
depth of His love, His mastery of creation, His wisdom to guide us along unseen
paths. It all inspires delight for the heart that turns to Him. Delight can’t
be forced in a person’s heart. On the flip side from delight, a heart can be
full of disgust, anger, distrust, or fear. The evildoer does not delight in the
LORD. Whenever someone hates God, blames God for everything, or distorts God—they
aren’t seeing the true God, and attacking a false image of their own creation.
We have to see and know the true God to delight in the LORD. Delight unfolds
naturally only when we “<i>taste and see that the LORD is good,”</i> and know
the real God. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Delight
yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
St. Augustine, the great early teacher of the faith, wrote about this verse: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“Distinguish the ‘desires of your heart’ from
the desires of your flesh; distinguish as much as you can”. Both St. Augustine
and King David, when they speak of the “<i>desires of the heart”</i>, are not
talking about that old sin-laden heart of flesh we know all too well. Which
heart are they talking about? The new heart that desires and seeks after the
Lord. We must distinguish as much as we can between the sinful flesh and the
new heart. God doesn’t promise to satisfy our sinful appetites of the flesh.
He’s saying that when our heart delights in the LORD, and seeks after His ways,
His righteousness, His laws or instruction, etc—when we delight in all that is
spiritually good, God will supply those good desires of our (new) heart. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">C.S. Lewis talked about our desires this way.
He used to think they were too strong. We desire sex, or money, or power, or possessions,
or praise, or whatever the flesh desires. Lewis thought we had to tamp down on
desires that were too strong. Until he started to realize that the problem is
not that our desires are too strong, but that they are in fact too weak! He
described it this way—we are like children who are content making mud pies when
don’t know what a glorious picnic we could have at the beach! It’s not that the
things we desire are bad in themselves, but we get them by crooked or greedy
ways. When we pursue fleshly desires, we spoil the good things by getting them
badly or dishonestly. When we delight in the LORD, God will give the desires of
our (new) heart. He makes our weak passions stronger, to strive after the good
in a way that is honorable and pleasing to God. By putting God first, seeking
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be added
to us as well. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">God isn’t a killjoy who doesn’t want us to
have the wonderful things He made. Rather, He wants us to pursue Him above all
else, so in His time He will bless and give us His blessings in good measure!
He will give us the good desires of our heart when it pleases Him, and when it
is for our good and not our harm. The story of God’s people is a broken record
of pursuing things the wrong way, and getting them to our own harm, but God
patiently reteaching our hearts to yearn for Him, to delight in Him, to seek
good things in a good and upright way, rather than in low, dishonest, or greedy
ways. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
if we step back from this Psalm and examine it from another angle, we may ask:
“How can I ever properly delight myself in the Lord? When could I commit my way
to the LORD (not half-heartedly, but wholeheartedly), so that I trust in Him
and He will act? When will God bring forth my righteousness as the light and my
justice as noonday?” A lofty description if we suppose it fits us. With our
muddled desires, our half-hearted commitment, our wavering trust. As we said
last week, “<i>LORD, I believe, help my unbelief</i>!” We don’t want to look the
way we look in the mirror—sometimes shaky, uncertain, uncommitted! So stepping
back from the Psalm and asking “How can we properly delight in the Lord?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
true answer is, as you may already know, Jesus Christ. Psalm 1 mirrors this
delight, when it talks about the blessed man who delights in the Law of the
LORD and meditates on it day and night. A perfect description of Jesus. Listen
again to these verses, picturing Jesus as the subject: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Delight
yourself in the Lord,<b> </b>and he will give you the desires of your heart.<br />
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.<br />
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,<b> </b>and your justice as
the noonday.<br />
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the
one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Jesus is the perfect emblem of delight in the
Lord, and having His way fully committed to Him. Jesus waited for the LORD and
saw God act in might. He did not fret or worry over evildoers, even as He was
betrayed into a horrendous death on the cross. He did not abandon the way of
the LORD, He remained fully committed and trusting in Him, so God would act. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
in God’s good timing, the Father brought forth Jesus’ righteousness as the
light, and His justice as noonday. Easter morning arrived and God vindicated
Jesus’ patient waiting, His stillness, His delight in the Lord. God shows forth
Jesus’ righteousness and justice. Because God did this for Jesus, because Jesus
is the One who perfectly delights in the LORD and receives the desires of His
heart, we are wrapped up into Him. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Because
God has made us for mutual delight, He to delight in us, and we to delight in
Him, we are drawn into Jesus’ delight, His heart seeking God. This new heart in
us, these new, stronger desires and passions are born of God, not of the will
of man or the will of flesh (John 1:13). With the new heart of Christ beating
in us, we soar to the stronger, purer, richer existence in the delight of the
LORD. We no longer settle for the pale and earthly pleasures that can’t match
up to the goodness and fullness of God. The desire of our heart is to “delight
in His will and walk in His ways to the glory of His holy name” as we say in
the confession each week. The desire of our heart is to grow in mutual delight
with the LORD, deepening in our knowledge of who He is, and reveling in the
truth that He delights in His saints! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It is all for Jesus
that we are given the purer desires of the new heart and a deeper delight in
the Lord. It is all for Jesus that God delights in His saints. Since Jesus
displayed His righteousness and justice in the sacrificial death on the cross, all
our sin is forgiven. He cleanses us and purifies us from any weak desires and
passions. He makes us whole, worthy, and new again. He forgives us our sins,
and He makes us His saints, the object of His delight! It’s all for Jesus that
we’re filled with mutual delight between us and God, and our desires are steered
toward all that is good, right, and true. Pray the Psalms with all courage and conviction,
to know that these words become true of us as they are first true in the life
of Jesus Christ our Savior. In His precious Name we pray, Amen!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-30937586853807080022021-09-14T16:22:00.002-10:002021-09-14T16:22:20.111-10:00Sermon on Mark 9:14-29, for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost 2021 (B), "From Faltering to Faith"<p> </p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Last week in Psalm 28 we prayed with King David and felt the emotional tug of
war waiting for God’s answer to prayers. Today Mark 9 is a lesson on mature
discipleship, faith and prayer. A nameless father has a boy who is suffering
terribly with epileptic seizures caused by a demon. The father’s faith is faltering;
this has happened since childhood. The disciples’ faith appears absent, as
Jesus rebukes them and the rest as a “faithless generation,” when they fail to
heal him by failing to pray. Jesus seems harsh, as in several places in Mark. But
the nameless father persists and his prayer is answered! Jesus lifts the
nameless father and us, from faltering to faith. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How
do we get from faltering to faith? God will always strengthen faith when we ask
for it. When it came to the power of prayer, Jesus shows the disciples failed
to even use it! Before the disciples had success in casting out demons and even
healing the sick! But here they fail. The crowd and disciples don’t get it.
Jesus tells them this kind only comes out by prayer. Had they become
overconfident? Or were they too doubtful? Either way they didn’t use one of their
most powerful spiritual weapons—prayer. Later in Mark, Jesus says this about prayer
and faith: “<i>Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that
you have received it, and it will be yours</i>” (Mark 11:24).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Don’t
go unarmed! You need faith and prayer for daily life. Prayer is one of our most
overlooked and underused weapons. We can go out with all confidence and energy
but fail when we don’t pray. In obstacles big and small, with illness or spiritual
battle, life struggles or personal sins, we often try to tackle it on our own.
And don’t get me wrong, we need to move and act and do our things, but prayer
is essential. Prayer acknowledges that whatever the obstacle, God moves, resolves,
and gives power to the situation. Not us. Not our meager and often confused
efforts. God is all knowing. We aren’t. Prayer knows the real work is in God’s
hands, and in God’s power. With these weapons of faith and prayer, we’re well
armed for battle.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">My
sister shared a great insight on prayer and faith. She reminded me how Jesus
taught us to pray for our daily bread. Trust every day that God will provide.
But in our worrying minds, we demand to have God’s 30-day lunch menu, so we
know how far in advance God will provide for us! But Jesus urges us to pray for
our <i>daily</i> bread. Have faith God will provide for <i>today</i>. We all
get caught up in the future, which is beyond our control. Prayer also commits
the outcome to God, not imagining we’re in control.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
father and son in our Gospel carried a heavy burden. Can you imagine the exhausting
concern and fear of this family, constantly rescuing their son from fire and
water, year after year? How malicious is the evil work of the devil, harming
this child? The devil is always bent on destruction, harm, death, and fear. You
can hear the weight of years of torment and a feeling of futility in the father’s
words. Nothing was working, and yet they loved their child as anyone with half
a heart would. Almost drained of any hope he pleads: “<i>If you can do
anything, have compassion and help us</i>!” The end of his rope, the end of his
hope. Choked with desperation and grief. Jesus’ disciples had tried but had
been no help. He pleads with Jesus, “<i>If you can do anything, have compassion
on us and help us!”</i> Perhaps it’s our own emotional place where faith is a
smoldering wick, a barely glowing ember shot out from the fire that is getting
colder and darker away from the warmth and life of the fire. What burdens and
fears weigh down our faith? Drained of hope, do we ever utter such words to
God, “If you can?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Weak
and small words, they’re still a prayer, and God does not despise the dimly
burning wick or crush the bruised reed. With all His mercy and compassion,
Jesus will not leave us stuck feeling weak and small, or like the cold dying
ember, or the wick burning out. Jesus wants to fan our faith into flame! He
wants to lift our prayer from faltering to faith! Give us boldness to ask
confidently! Skip the “<i>if you can</i>!” and get right to the “<i>have
compassion and help us</i>!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If
our prayers are still coming from that weak place, if our faith is faltering,
that’s right up Jesus’ alley! The very heart of what He wants us to ask and to
learn! Pray to Him, however weak and small, and He’ll give you faith! Just
listen to His answer: “<i>If you can! All things are possible for one who
believes!” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe!
Help my unbelief!”</i> See how fast his prayer improved! Jesus urges him to
reach higher and more confidently than a weak “<i>If you can”</i>, and he does!
He believes Jesus can help, or he wouldn’t be asking. But Jesus, can you give
me more faith?! Yes! Absolutely, unconditionally yes! Right up Jesus’ alley,
the very thing He wants to do is give you more faith. A prayer aimed right at
the heart of Jesus. Ask and you shall receive faith. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Many
Christians find themselves in this navel-gazing place, where we examine our
emotions and feelings. We feel troubled. We feel doubtful. We feel unsure of whether
our faith can handle. We measure our faith and it’s small. So, our grip on God
seems to weaken and slip. We think, “If I can’t hang on tight, I’ll fall!!”
When all along God holds us safely in His hands. Instead of focusing on our
emotions, our doubt or strength of faith, Jesus turns our attention to Him.
Faith is never strengthened by navel-gazing and demanding of ourselves more
confidence, more assurance, more strength. Faith is strengthened by looking to
Jesus. It’s strengthened by the prayer: “<i>Lord, I believe, help my unbelief</i>!”
In other words, “Jesus, I’m counting on you, to banish all my unbelief! To
drive out my doubt, and to trust unfailing in you!” Stop trying to take your
own “faith temperature” and just look at Jesus, for Jesus’ sake!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Faith
stands on the object of its trust. Faith doesn’t stand upon itself. It needs
the object or person to trust in. God. Jesus. That’s why faith and prayer are
hand in hand. Prayer admits God is in control, and leaves outcomes to God; so
also faith is founded and grounded on Jesus. So, to rise from faltering to
faith, is all God’s work! Ask and receive!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Now
the matter of healing comes. Jesus heals the boy, with full authority over the
evil spirits. He’s restored in physical and spiritual health to his grateful
father, and no doubt an exciting new journey of discipleship began for that
family, knowing the works of God in their lives. Whenever I preach on a healing
such as this, I remember the obvious fact that many people go through their whole
lives without such dramatic and immediate miracles. Even in Bible times, the peoples’
surprise betrays the fact that such miracles were uncommon. So, what of those
who have a child who suffers from a chronic affliction, or what of your own
chronic illnesses, struggles, or spiritual battles. What if they aren’t healed
in this life?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One
book I read this year talked about second-guessing God. Sad that we would ever
second guess God, but from our weakness, we do. The author suggests the word “perseverance
miracles” to describe God at work even in situations that seem unchanged. But
from the long view, we can indeed recognize God at work in those situations as
well. In a “perseverance miracle”, believers take up their cross and follow
Jesus, and through their compassion, patience, duty, loyalty, care, trust, joy,
and other fruits of the Spirit, other people are touched and see God’s love at
work. It’s far more likely that God is at work in a “perseverance miracle” in
your life, than by a sudden, immediate miracle. That’s not to discount the
possibility of healings, but to say that they can come in more ways than one.
One thing is clear, that God is not against using hardships, crosses, and
afflictions for good in our lives. He has promised He will! And so do not
despair or lose hope if your prayers are not answered by the dramatic. In
prayer and faith, accept that God can still work and does still work under the
cross of hardship. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Prayer
puts it in God’s hands, and we know He’ll strengthen our faith when we ask for
it. In His compassion He doesn’t leave us in the faltering and weak place of an
“<i>if you can</i>” prayer. He wants us to transform our prayers and faith, so we
ask with all boldness and confidence and accept His answers, trusting as boldly
as ever. He accepts our weak and small prayers but urges us to grow in confidence
and trust. He lifts our chin from our navel-gazing and self-pity, and gazes
into our eyes. <i>“Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” </i>Yes! Always yes, you
will be given more faith. From faltering to faith. Faith is ready for the
asking. He’s merciful and good. No question. He loves us. No question. Our “amen”
says “I believe it! Yes, yes, it shall be so!”. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">From
faltering to faith, God is ready to strengthen our faith and our prayers. When we
pray: “<i>Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” </i>we’re in position for Jesus
to embolden us. To drive out our doubts. To pour faith into us, up to Him and
away from ourselves. Armed with prayer and faith, we have His strength to face
our afflictions, our troubles, and our opportunities, with boldness and
confidence that rests knowing God is in control and He is good. In Him our
faith is more firmly founded, in Jesus’ Name, Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-34797847866671942012021-09-07T08:04:00.000-10:002021-09-07T08:04:03.560-10:00Psalm 28, for the 15th Sunday after Pentecost 2021 (B), "Does the Bible read you?"<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Amen. These are ordinary questions: “Do you read the Bible?” “How do
you interpret that passage?” Now flip them around. What if I asked you: “Do you
let the Bible read you?” “Are you letting this passage interpret you?” God’s
living and active Word reads and interprets our lives. Sharper than any
two-edged sword, God’s Word searches our hearts and minds (Heb. 4:12). The real
question is how God’s Word is reading and interpreting our lives. How is God’s
Word at work in us? So instead of us acting on God’s Word, God’s Word is acting
on us. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Let’s
try this with Psalm 28, our Introit. On the one hand we could read the Psalms
like a Bible study of the prayers and hymns and laments of Old Testament
believers. But that wouldn’t let God’s Word “read us.” It keeps God’s Word at
arm’s length. For God’s Word to “read and interpret us”, we must find
ourselves, our unnamed fears and emotions in the Psalms. Identify with the prayers
and hear our emotions echoing in their words. While God’s Word reads and searches
our hearts and minds, we’re also learning to pray. Not learning a method to pray,
but the words and example to repeat, inspired by God. Just like a child learns
to speak, first by imitating their parents’ speech, imperfectly, so we imitate
these God-inspired prayers, so our heart is taught to pray, and we learn to
pray more freely. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Psalm
28:1-2, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">To you, O
Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me,<br />
lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.<br />
Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help,<br />
when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Hear yourselves in this prayer? Identify with
David, insisting that God pay attention, and listen to us? What does it feel to
<i>become like those who go down to the pit?</i> It’s saying, “God, if you are
deaf to me, if you don’t answer, I’m like a person stuck in a hole, a dark pit.”
Like Joseph thrown in the bottom of the dry well, while his brothers plotted to
sell him and pretend he was dead. Or like Jeremiah sinking in the mud of a
cistern because he dared to warn the king that the nation was going to be
conquered and go into exile, and resistance would be futile. Or like you, fill
in the blank. Sunk in a pit is to be at our lowest, our rock-bottom, or maybe mud-bottom.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s
almost a demand—“<i>O Lord…be not deaf to me.”</i> To call on the Lord in faith
doesn’t leave a question mark whether God will listen or not. We feel God is
deaf, or experience may make us think so. God doesn’t give us text messages in
answer to our prayers…or wait…isn’t God’s Word a “text message?” In writing? On
the page? Yeah, God speaks to us, He answers, but not individual text messages
for you and me. His Word, the Bible, is <u>the</u> text message that applies to
all people in all times and places. So, David demands: “God, pay attention to
me!” It’s like a toddler in their parents’ lap grabbing them by the chin and to
turn their face and say, “you’re not listening to me! Look at me!” God is
delighted to listen to us, which is why Luther explains in the Lord’s Prayer:
“God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and we are His
true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear
children ask their dear Father who is in heaven.” God turns His face to us when
we pray to Him!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Praying
with David that God would listen to our prayers and our plea for help, David
says his hands are stretched out to God’s most holy sanctuary. That was in the tabernacle
or tent of worship, and later the Temple. The Holiest place on earth, where God’s
presence touched down, connecting Himself to our worship, and answering our
pleas for mercy. The most holy sanctuary contained the ark of the covenant, on
which was found the “mercy seat.” So David’s prayer is <i>directional</i>. He’s
focused on where God has located Himself to be found. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
with no more Temple in Jerusalem, where do we direct our prayers? Where has God
located Himself to be found? Jesus discloses this in John 4 to the Samaritan
woman who asks the same question. Not in Samaria or Jerusalem, that’s not where
God will be worshipped or found, but true believers will worship God in spirit
and in truth. Jesus also taught that He was God’s new temple, that would be
destroyed and raised back up in three days. In Jesus, God’s presence touched
down in human flesh on earth, God-in-the-flesh, connecting Himself to our
worship and answering our pleas for mercy. Outstretched hands in prayer, reach to
Jesus, our mercy seat, our mediator with God. Jesus is where God is to be found
and accessed. Prayer is directional to Him. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Psalm continues, 28:6-7, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Blessed be
the Lord! for he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.<br />
The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;<br />
my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
is an emotional turning point in the Psalm. We find this in almost all of the
Psalms. So how does God’s Word read our lives here? It’s the movement from
frustration and despair that God seems deaf or unaware, to hope and confidence,
knowing God does hear and answer. How do we get this emotional turning point? Did
God already answer his prayer? Or is it more likely, as another pastor explains:
maybe it’s the new voice of faith that is rising up within David? Even when we
don’t yet see God’s answer, God’s saving deeds in the past are evidence enough
to know that God is not deaf. To reassert the confidence that God listens,
answers, cares. Even though “outward circumstances do not presently seem to
support that conclusion”, he believes God hears (Saleska, 469). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">God’s
Word brings us to this same turning point as we it reads our lives and supplies
the faith we’re lacking. Your voice of faith rises over the noise and clamor of
worries, fears, and seemingly unanswered prayers, to say: </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Blessed be the Lord! for he has heard the
voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my
heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks
to him.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Bless the Lord; call
Him good. He is our strength and shield; we are protected. In Him my heart
trusts, and I am helped. Faith voices these words, not from our own strength or
confidence, but from God’s Spirit of courage and strength in us. God pouring
His gifts down into us, creates this turning point to confidently face whatever
is in our way. We sing with a thankful heart.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Psalm
28:8, the antiphon or refrain of our Introit, ends like this, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The Lord
is the strength of his people; <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">he is the
saving refuge of his anointed.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">What do we need strength for? What do we need
a saving refuge for? I hear strength for battle and a secure place of refuge; a
launching point. Some pastors say the hymn “A Mighty Fortress is our God”
sounds too much like retreating into a castle and hiding from the enemy. But
what if God gives us strength and courage not to <i>hide</i>, but to reenter
spiritual battle with <i>His strength?</i> <i>The Lord is the strength of his
people</i>. Doesn’t that sound more like it? Yes, the wounded, the suffering,
the weary take refuge in God, but renewed in strength, do we hide? Or do we take
the battle to the evil one? Remember what else “A Mighty Fortress” says about
the evil one? <i>One little word can fell him!</i> That’s the name of Jesus!
The one word that drives fear into the heart of the devil! God is the strength
and saving refuge of His anointed, and in the Name of Jesus we destroy the
strongholds and power of the evil one! By prayer we wage war against the devil.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
began with the thought that praying the Psalms will let God’s Word “read and
interpret us”. Let’s listen to it again, and allow God’s Word to work on us: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><sup><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">1</span></sup></i><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf
to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the
pit. </span></i><i><sup><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">2</span></sup></i><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Hear the
voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my
hands toward your most holy sanctuary. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><sup><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">6</span></sup></i><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the
voice of my pleas for mercy. </span></i><i><sup><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">7</span></sup></i><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him
my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give
thanks to him. </span></i><i><sup><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">8</span></sup></i><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his
anointed. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">We
see the emotions of our heart when we feel like prayers go unanswered. How do
we face that fear and anxiety? The direction of our prayers is aimed at Jesus,
God’s mediator in the flesh. We hear the emotional turning point, as faith
rises to proclaim that yes, God does hear and answer. In Him there is strength
and protection. He is our strength and refuge, our secure home. But it’s not
for hiding, He gives strength to go and face the spiritual battle!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Prayer
exercises our heart, lining up and marching behind God. Following His will, and
not our own. We let out our fears, worries, and concerns. But God supplies the
rising voice of faith to answer with confidence. Faith looks back at all His
faithfulness and deliverance before and trusts Him to guide our future. Prayer
is directed to Jesus, and keeps us connected to God’s presence, where He acts
for and with us in mercy. Even now, gathered in His Name, we’re connected to
His presence and mercy! Exercising our heart gives new strength. The strength
of the Lord for spiritual battle. This is the good result of God’s Word reading
and interpreting our lives! Let faith arise to trust and praise Him, in Jesus’
Name, Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-69967591746888129192021-08-31T12:15:00.003-10:002021-08-31T12:15:36.179-10:00Sermon on Mark 7:14-23, for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost, "The Heart is the Matter!" <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Amen. Today we’re in Mark 7, where last week we heard about the
Pharisees trying to go “above and beyond” God’s Law, in a way that hurt instead
of helped. Jesus showed them that God’s heart is not found in the regulations.
God’s heart is found in the Gospel, the Good News that Jesus Himself went “above
and beyond” the Law by doing all it required and far more, by dying on the
cross for our sins. God’s heart comes to us in the Gospel. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus
concludes the conversation today about clean and unclean. In this whole
discussion, what is the matter? In effect, Jesus answers: “The Heart is the
Matter.” Let’s open our hearts to God’s Word. Jesus gives a heavy diagnosis about
our heart. But if you read carefully, Mark 7:1-23, last week and this week,
Jesus never prescribes the solution. He only diagnoses what cannot make us
clean, and what makes us unclean. He never says how we become clean or get a right
heart beating in rhythm with God’s heart. But we’ll sure get there because we
need the Gospel! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When
talking about the human heart, we often say things like: “He or she has such a
good heart…” If there is some good in a person, we attribute it to their heart.
Even an imperfect person…we’re inclined to give the benefit of the doubt and
say they have a good heart. But what does Jesus say about the heart? What does
the rest of God’s Word say about the heart? Mark 7 gives huge insight.
Ultimately Jesus says that when sin makes a person unclean, the heart is the
matter. Opposite from our normal talk about the heart. Granted, the Bible doesn’t
say <i><u>only</u></i> negative things about the heart, but we’ll get to the good
and the bad in just a minute. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">First,
Jesus says here: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“<i>What
comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of
man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting,
wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these
evil things come from within, and they defile a person</i>.” In other words, if
you want to know where sin comes from, Jesus essentially says the heart is the
matter! Second, going back to the days of Noah, God had this to say about man’s
heart: Genesis 6:5 <i>The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the
earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually</i>. God follows up on this after the Flood, and God says in His
own heart: “<i>I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the
intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth</i>” (Genesis 8:21). In the
book of Deuteronomy God warns that the heart can speak to us falsely, proudly,
or deceptively (8:17; 9:4-5; 11:16). Finally, echoing Jesus’ own dark view of
the human heart, we have Jeremiah 17:9, “<i>The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?</i>” We really should think
twice before casually saying “Just follow your heart.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
heart can be <i>deceitful above all things and desperately sick</i>? The intention
of man’s heart is evil from his youth? Last week Jesus said that they were far
away from God’s heart by putting their commandments above God’s. Today He says
evil thoughts and every sin flows from the heart! It’s depressing! But who
knows our hearts better than God who made them? Who reads and searches everyone’s
hearts? If someone really knows the heart of the matter, it’s Jesus—our great Physician
of body and soul. And He says <u>the heart is the matter</u>!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Now
the Bible does speak positively about the heart on occasion. Once in Genesis, a
man named Abimelech says he acted in the “<i>integrity of my heart and the innocence
of my hands,</i>” when he unknowingly did wrong because Abraham lied to him (Genesis
20:5-6). Perhaps, it’s a surprise that God tells Abimelech he’s right! He did
act in the integrity of his heart because the truth was hidden from him. God
does call on His people to love Him with “<i>all their heart” </i>(Deut. 6:5).
Hannah sings about her heart uplifted in worship of God (1 Sam. 2:1). God
sought David as a “<i>man after his own heart</i>” to be prince over God’s
people (1 Sam. 13:14). The Psalms describe the heart as both a place where lies
and flattery begin, as well as the place for truth, love, joy, and instruction.
What gives? What is the matter? The heart is the matter! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
recall a familiar Lutheran concept: Law and Gospel. All the effects of sin and how
it’s rooted in our heart, is covered by the Law. The Law diagnoses it, the Law condemns
it as the heart of the matter. The root of the problem, Jesus shows. Jesus
effectively speaks the Law, and pretty much only the Law, all through Mark
7:1-23. But we already know the Law can’t save us. Jesus shows all these dead
ends, that leave us unclean with hearts defiled in God’s sight. We really need
some Gospel, some good news!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">By
no coincidence, our Introit today gives a Gospel theme to our Law-oriented reading.
It’s Psalm 51, David’s amazing prayer of confession. He wrote it at a time when
he was involved in lies, adultery, and murder. He pours his guilt out to God,
and then in the heart of his prayer, says: “<i>Create in me a clean heart, O
God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and
take not your Holy Spirit from me.” </i>David appeals for a clean heart. He’s
channeling our own need and prayer in this reading! “Jesus, I need a clean
heart—how do I get it? You tell me that evil thoughts, sexual sin, murder,
deceit, greed and all the rest come out from my heart and make me unclean. But
how do I get clean?” David answers with his prayer for a clean heart and a
renewed, right spirit. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">God’s
gotta do it! That’s always the way of the Gospel! Say it this way: the Law is
about what we do (and fail) …the Gospel is all about what God does <i>for us!</i>
The Gospel is not about what we do, but what God does. Only God’s doing brings
a clean heart. David knows his heart is soiled with many of the sins Jesus
mentions, and sorrowing over his sin, he asks for forgiveness and God’s gift of
a clean heart. Our hearts soiled with the same sins, and our hearts are the
matter. Since we cannot make change them ourselves, we cry out: “<i>Create in
me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away
from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.”</i> Asked and
answered! The very thing Jesus wants to do! He delights to give you a new
heart. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">And
it all fulfills Old Testament prophecy. Listen to this beautiful Old Testament
Gospel…Good News about God’s solution to our heart, from Ezekiel 36:25-27<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">25 </span></sup></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I will sprinkle
clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and
from all your idols I will cleanse you. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>26 </sup></b>And
I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will
remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>27 </sup></b>And I will put my
Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey
my rules.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Ezekiel
anticipates the cleansing water of baptism. The washing of our uncleanness from
the heart. Jesus listed everything that makes a heart and a person unclean—all sin
and evil thoughts. Ezekiel points to the baptismal washing and heart transplant
Jesus gives, a new heart and a new spirit. The answer to David’s prayer, our
prayer. Create in me a clean heart! A heart of stone is removed—that heart is
the matter. But the new living, beating heart of flesh, powered by the Holy
Spirit guides us in the path of true obedience. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
story of our heart is not over. Yes, the heart is the matter when we look for
the source and cause of sin. The Law makes that clear. We’re still not completely
rid of this old stone heart that fights against the new heart of flesh. The
heart is deceitful and desperately sick, that old heart of sin and stone. But
the new heart given by Christ, by the Holy Spirit, pulses with new life, and it’s
the place for new works of the Gospel. New works of God’s life, created in you.
In Gospel language, the Bible says you are no longer slaves to sin, but “<i>obedient
from the heart” </i>to God (Rom. 6:17). Instead of stone-hard unbelief, the
heart becomes where we believe and are justified (Rom. 10:9-10).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">New
in Christ, the heart is open to God’s work, the seat of generosity; the source
of a glad melody sung to the Lord, the root of sincerity and integrity. New in
Christ, the heart becomes the source of true brotherly affection for each
other, a hidden place of beauty, and a launchpad of God’s good work in us! This
living heart of flesh, created in us by God, a renewed spirit, is how we are
drawn near into God’s presence. If we were far away from God in our hearts and only
giving lip-service, driven by sinful hearts of stone…now we have been brought
near through the heart blood of Christ, who poured out His life for us on the
cross. Purging our sin and cleansing us in the sprinkling waters of baptism.
New in Christ, we’re no longer defined by the broken works of our old broken heart
but gifted with new life pumping from Him. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">You
know our heart will beat an estimated 35 million times a year, and 2.5 billion
times in our lifetime? Imagine how God’s heart beats perpetually for us. Far
beyond the 2.5 billion times in the span of 70-80 years, God’s heart eternally
beats with the steadfast love, unfathomable mercy, sacrificing passion, profound
joy, and heartfelt service that defines and creates the very life of our new
heart. God’s own heart pulsed in Jesus’ body until He hung dead on the cross.
But that heartbeat throbbed back in power and victory on the day of Jesus’
resurrection! His heart pounds with love for you, and when you call on Him “Create
in me a clean heart O God!” He gives it unreservedly. Washing and cleansing you
from all uncleanness in Jesus Christ. Spiritually removing your stone heart and
emplacing His new, living heart of flesh. New in Christ, your heart is joined to
Him! The very life and heart of Jesus is alive in you! Thanks be to God in
Jesus’ Name, Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-16066797880034149952021-08-24T10:20:00.002-10:002021-08-24T10:20:27.109-10:00Sermon on Mark 7:1-13, for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost 2021 (B), "Above and Beyond"<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Amen. No one I know argues against handwashing, especially nowadays.
You’ve probably never been so conscious of hygiene as you have in the past
year. But of all people, <i>Jesus</i> defends His disciple’s unwashed hands in
our reading! But no, it wasn’t really about hygiene, and yes mom, I will still
wash my hands before I eat; and yes kids, you still need to take a shower.
Jesus shows the real issue at stake is the flood of extra traditions and
manmade commandments that the Pharisees and scribes tacked on to obedience to
God. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It's
not just that the disciples didn’t wash their hands, it’s that they didn’t
follow the handy hand-washing procedure handed down by the elders. The word
“tradition” used several times here, just means “handed down.” The hand-washing
protocol was alongside other ceremonies for washing (baptizing) cups, pots,
vessels, and dining couches. There was a “proper way” for washing everything,
and the disciples weren’t paying attention! (Those of you who have wars about
the proper way to load a dishwasher probably know the feeling!) They’re
demanding: “Get your disciples in line Jesus!” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">You
could say the Pharisees wanted to go “above and beyond” God’s law. But in this
case, going “above and beyond” was actually a bad thing. They would talk about
“building a fence around God’s law.” For example, God’s law says “You shall not
misuse the name of the Lord your God”—so the Pharisees would avoid any risk of
misusing God’s Name by not pronouncing the word out loud. It was
well-intentioned, but by trying to go “above and beyond” the Law, they hindered
the good and proper use of God’s Name for worship, prayer, and thanksgiving. However
well-intentioned, human ingenuity doesn’t improve God’s Law. Instead of being
“extra safe” not to break it, we unintentionally stray from the heart of God’s
Law. In other words we should be more concerned about keeping God’s actual Law
than our human-devised “safeguards”. A legalism “above and beyond” gets things
the other way around.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So,
Jesus blasts them: “<i>Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is
written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from
me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of
men.’ 8You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”</i> “Above
and beyond” looked impressive on the outside, but Jesus saw through to the
heart. And what He saw was empty worship—lip service—but hearts far away from
God’s heart. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus’
example of when “above and beyond” hurts instead of helps is the Corban rule. A
pious Jewish son vows a gift; some of their wealth or income to the Temple or
to God. That was “corban”—an offering. Then, elderly parents, with no Social
Security or pensions to live on, asl their children for support. The son says
in effect, “Sorry mom and dad, I promised that to God and/or the Temple. I
can’t help. You’re on your own. You wouldn’t want me to take away from my gift
to God, would you?” Yikes! Jesus says with biting sarcasm: “</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">You have a fine way of rejecting the
commandment of God in order to establish your tradition” … “thus making void
the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such
things you do</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">.” This wasn’t
an isolated example. It was a pattern of going “above and beyond” in ways that
hurt, rather than helped. They were emptying or voiding God’s Word and God’s
commands, to validate their own! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We’re
not immune. In the military they joke about the “good idea fairy” with
brilliant sounding ideas that sound look good on the outside but create
unnecessary work or difficulty. The danger is thinking we’re “above and beyond”
as a super-disciple or extra obedient to God, finding righteousness in our good
works—when in fact we’ve wandered from God’s heart and added obscuring layers
of human invention to God’s Word. One form of this is substituting a man-made
version of something Biblical God has already designed and commanded. A baby
dedication ceremony, in place of baptism, for example. It’s just a man-made
tradition, that might come from a good intention, but substitutes for God’s
real gift of baptism. Another form is when we try to go “above and beyond” God’s
commands. God’s Word commands sexual purity, and we have a good idea of what
that means, but we build a fence around the law with “safety rules” like no
kissing, no holding hands, no dancing. Again, it might come from a place of
good intention or human wisdom, but do we enforce human safeguards as though
they were God’s? Instead of trying to figure out “how far can I go?” we might
ask, “is what I am doing bringing glory to God?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus
wasn’t surrendering God’s Law or opening up a free for all. His opponents might
have liked to stick Him with that accusation—but instead of a free for all, here
He upholds the fourth commandment: “<i>Honor your father and your mother”</i>. Next
week He validates more of the Ten Commandments. But Jesus seeks God’s heart in
everything. Jesus raised the Law to its maximum effect. The Law is not just
outward obedience but starts in our heart and intentions. What looks good and
obedient on the outside isn’t enough if our heart and intentions aren’t in the
right place. “Above and beyond” legalism or additions and substitutions for God’s
commands gets us nowhere. It hurts not helps. Jesus dove deeper into the Law. Not
by addition or substitution but getting to the heart of God’s Law. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When
Jesus calls us out for being far from God in our hearts, paying lip service or
worshipping in vain, those are all startling wake-up calls. Manmade traditions
like the Corban rule or our own similar inventions hurt rather than help. Why?
Because they place burdens on people that are not from God. Placing false guilt
on people; that’s not from God. There is however, true guilt: guilt on our
conscience when we’ve sinned against God’s Law. God intends for us to feel true
guilt, not false guilt. We should feel no guilt for violating man’s traditions.
But dishonoring father and mother; when we have not worshipped God alone as we
ought to; or when our hearts have grown distant and unfeeling toward God—God gave
our conscience to feel this burden of sin and guilt. Our God-given alarm system
sounds for our own safety and good, so we can recognize sin and repent of it. Therefore,
we must guard against the fine-sounding commands of men that try to hijack
God’s alarm system and make us feel a false guilt. Or even those who try to
disconnect the alarm system! This takes a true knowledge of God’s Word. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">God,
keep our hearts aimed at your heart! Jesus is the key because He went above and
beyond! Wait, didn’t I just finish saying going “above and beyond” can be
harmful? Without God’s heart and outside His commands, yes it can! But Jesus’
heart was always aimed true to the Father’s will. He sorted the question traps
and hypotheticals with ease, aiming steadily at the Father’s will. Some said He
was too radical; others would say He was too conservative. But there’s no
better picture of the heart of God and of His commandments than Jesus’ life.
He’s our True North, our orientation to God’s heart. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus
went above and beyond by living God’s Law fully and completely. No additions or
substitutions but living the spirit of the Law and caring for all people. Love
our neighbor as ourselves! The Law can’t spell out all the ways you can “<i>Honor
your father and your mother</i>”. Neither can man-made traditions. But Jesus,
in the spirit of the law and with God’s heart knew how. By His life and the
life of the Spirit in us we also can be creative and God-honoring in how we
honor father and mother. Or love our neighbor as ourselves, and all the other
commandments. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus
went above and beyond the law by laying down His innocent life in our place. Our
sin and guilt burdens—true burdens of wrongdoing and failing God’s commands—Jesus
nails them to His cross. When we have offered God nothing but lip-service,
Jesus touches our lips with His body and blood and purges the guilty stain from
our mouth. With cleansed lips, Jesus to leads us in God-honoring worship with
the song of a heart, soul, and mind united to God’s will. When our hearts have
fallen far from God, Jesus unites our thankful heart to Him. Jesus ever pulls
us back into His orbit, circling Him, passionate with His calling and His will.
Jesus went above and beyond to the cross, where He laid down His life for us.
In passionate love for us, above and beyond what the law could require of Him,
He gave it all. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus’
Gospel is the real “above and beyond”, that helps and heals humankind. Not measured
or quantified by the law. Not improved by human traditions. Matching our own
works to human traditions, with all their apparent wisdom, will take our eyes
off Jesus. God’s approval doesn’t from traditions, but from Christ. He’s the
center of gravity for our worship and a right heart. Orbiting Him we find the
right orientation to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love
our neighbor as ourselves. He’s begun this work already in your life. By faith
He works in you, steering your orbit around Him. He takes you above and beyond,
toward God, in His heart; not orbiting man made distractions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus’s
Gospel brings us above and beyond to the new life and a new creation. All we’ve
been talking about these past weeks. New clothes for our new walk and walking
worthily in the Lord. Christ makes us new and walking in Him. Our worship can
be Christ-centered, not me-centered. He fills our hearts with His will and concern
for people, instead of checking the boxes of rules and manmade traditions. Life
“above and beyond” is where we experience the true freedom and joy of the
Gospel. Where we live as the best kind of humans. No boasting of ourselves, no
jumping in front of others, no putting others down, but genuine eyes of
compassion seeing the needs of others, and helping with a cheerful heart, as
Christ so helped us. His heart never strayed from God, His lips always sang God’s
praises, His worship was purposeful, genuine, and true. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus’
life above and beyond is ours in the Gospel. It’s only through Him, not through
our good works. We can’t substitute for it by our works or traditions or get
God’s approval thereby. His life is freely given, a living gift inside you. How
blessed to live this life, above and beyond, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-8189369281467315732021-08-16T11:46:00.001-10:002021-08-16T11:46:12.261-10:00Sermon on Luke 1:46-55, for the Festival of St. Mary, Mother of our Lord, "Magnifiers!"<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Today,
August 15<sup>th</sup>,<sup> </sup>we commemorate the Virgin Mary, mother of
our Lord Jesus. Some Lutherans and other Protestants don’t know how to
recognize St. Mary or are worried about seeming “too Catholic.” The Roman
Catholic church encourages prayers to Mary (“Hail Mary’s), as an additional
mediator between us and God. 1 Timothy 2:5 says there is only one Mediator
between God and man, and that is Jesus Christ. So, we believe our prayers go
direct to God through Jesus, with no other middleman or middle woman is between
us. Pastors, priests, and even Mary, the mother of our Lord have no special
“inside channel” to God. But every person may bow their heads in prayer and call
upon the Name of the Lord. So, we don’t elevate Mary in that way, but Lutherans
go a middle way to honor the saints, not by worshipping them or praying to
them, but by remembering their example of faith, and imitating their trust in
the Lord. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">St.
Mary shines for her obedient trust in the Lord and yielding herself to God’s
purposes. A great woman of faith for our youth to look up to; and today she
sings of her faith in her beautiful <i>Magnificat</i>, for all generations to
hear<i>.</i> The first word of her song is “<i>Magnifies.”</i> What does it
mean to “magnify”? It means to make larger or greater, or to acknowledge the
greatness of something or someone. Mary says: “<i>My soul magnifies the Lord.</i>”
We don’t <i><u>make</u> </i>God greater as though we were improving who He is.
But we praise and acknowledge Him for His greatness. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Think
about a magnifying glass. How does it magnify an object? It doesn’t change the
size, but shows it more closely, more clearly. It enlarges the detail of something
we would not have seen at a distance. The transparent glass doesn’t add to or
change the object but helps view it larger than life. Do we really make God
larger than life? No, but if you follow where I am going with this, the
simplicity and beauty of Mary’s obedience made her a lens to enlarge our view
of God, to see Him more closely, more clearly. She didn’t add to God—God is
already God—but her life and this beautiful song of reflection on God, gives a
transparent lens in her life, to enlarge the detail of what God had done for
her and all humankind. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
praise for God welled up from deep within her soul. Her spirit rejoiced in God <i>our</i>
Savior. God made us spiritual beings. He breathed into our bodies His Spirit,
His breath of life. And from our very creation as body, soul and spirit—from
the ground of our existence, we’re made for profound, mysterious, joyful union
with God. Mary found that union in praising God her Savior. God’s greatest gift
to us is Himself, and that was her joy! We often stand in awe of God’s
salvation, His blessings, His provision for us—all precious things deserving
our thanks—but our joy should first and foremost be in God, just like Mary
rejoiced first in Him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Think
about how we receive gifts. Maybe children on their birthday or Christmas. When
grandparents or auntie or uncle just happened to pick the <i>perfect</i> gift
and the child is over-the-top with enthusiasm; how easy to love the gift and
forget the giver. How much more awesome is it to <i>have</i> a family member
who loves us so much, and thinks and cares about us, than just to get the gift
they gave? Translate this to our relationship to God. How often do we crave and
celebrate the gifts but ignore the Giver? How much better, like Mary, to
delight in God the Giver, our Savior, with joy welling in our hearts, songs of
praise on our lips to Him?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Her
song goes on: <i>“</i></span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">for he has
looked on the humble estate of his servant”.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Luther pointed out that she’s not celebrating her own humility here,
which would be self-contradictory…a relative I never met supposedly used to joke:
“<i>Humble?!? I’m the humblest man in the world!”</i> Mary isn’t doing anything
like that here but acknowledging that she was a person of low position. She was
not famous or powerful. She expected no personal glory. Just a peasant girl
from a small town, whom God favored and chose for an unparalleled honor—to be
the mother of our Lord. God’s miracle of entering human flesh would take place
in her body. God did not choose someone high-born and entitled to receive this
honorable calling, but an ordinary country girl with nothing remarkable to her
name. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">C.S. Lewis wrote about the miracle of the
Virgin birth, that God miraculously created the sperm or the other half of the
DNA, that combined with Mary’s egg, formed a human zygote and embryo, there to
grow and develop according to all the established laws and timelines of nature.
God inserted a new, miraculous event into the regulated world of nature, and
this does not proceed to break any new laws. “Nature is ready. Pregnancy
follows, according to all the normal laws, and nine months later a child is
born…[so also] miraculous wine will intoxicate, miraculous conception with lead
to pregnancy…miraculous bread will be digested.” The miracle is in the
conception, but the laws of nature aren’t bent or broken in any other way. They
aid and assist the miracle. His work continues within the world of laws and
order that everyone, even peasants 2,000 years ago plainly knew and understood.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“<i>For behold, from now on all generations
will call me blessed</i> <i>for He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.” </i>Her life became a beautiful magnifier of God’s
mighty deeds for her and all people. Jesus’ birth is God entering human flesh
for us and our salvation. He could have just created Jesus as a full-formed
human adult, sent direct to earth, like He made Adam or Eve. But instead He
worked inside His amazing creation and chose Mary, a willing servant, to do His
will. Her life became a magnifier for God’s mighty deeds, a lens to see God’s
hand at work. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Our lives can be the same. We can be “soul
magnifiers” to show God’s hand at work. God may not work as dramatically in
your lives, as with Mary. Being Jesus’ mother was a one-time honor. But even
Jesus said, the greater blessing than being His mother would be to “<i>hear the
Word of God and keep it”</i> (Luke 11:28). So even for Mary, to hear and keep
God’s Word—to be Jesus’ disciple—was a greater blessing to her than being His
parent. You hear the Word of God and keep it, and your life will be a lens to
magnify the Lord. You will become <i>magnifiers</i> as you witness to what God
does in your life! Being transparent and bringing focus to what God has done
for you, you help others see and know God’s power. It doesn’t need to be
miracles and dramatic changes in your life, but simply God’s grace and daily
provision. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">We jumped over the phrase, Mary sang: <i>“all
generations will call me blessed, for He who is mighty has done great things…”</i>.
She confessed by faith, that future generations would know her, little, lowly
Mary—and call her blessed. We’re doing that now! Blessed Mary, because of what
God has done. One of the greatest responsibilities for every generation of
believers, is to faithfully pass the torch of faith to the next generation. To
tell the mighty deeds of the Lord so they know and magnify His name. She knows her
fame from generation to generation wouldn’t stem from herself. She wasn’t rich,
mighty, or powerful. Not entitled, nor had she deserved or earned anything. God
looked on her low estate and blessed her. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">She wants future generations to know <i>Him.</i>
She will be remembered <i>for what God has done</i>. By God’s great mercy Mary played
her prominent role in the story of salvation. God’s great mercy is for all who
humbly submit themselves to His will and purposes. Her life testified to God’s
work. How does the next generation, the young, know us? Will they remember us
for our faith and God’s work in our lives? Do we talk about God’s work in our
lives? I need the reminder to talk to my children about God’s work in my life.
Remember, she was not exalted for her wealth, power, prestige, or flashy
service. She was a small-town peasant girl who merely trusted in God, obeyed,
and followed. It was huge, not by her own work, but God’s work in her. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">You don’t need to be grandiose or famous, but simply
follow Christ. He will use your gifts and talents, however humble and modest.
He gave them! He made you! Whether you are a great, bold leader like Peter or
Deborah or Samson; or a quiet disciple with an unwritten story, like so many of
those “behind the scenes” disciples. Or perhaps you are a quiet faithful mother
like Hannah or Mary, or simply one of countless saints who brought friends and
family round the table to hear and reflect on God’s Word together. To pray in
time of need. To lend helping hands where you saw a need. To be the shoulder to
lean on. Countless faithful grandmothers and grandfathers are remembered by
their children and grandchildren. I’ve heard many stories about the different faith-influencers
in their lives. They passed on the faith from generation to generation, and we
remember them for God’s merciful work in their lives. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Again, passing on the faith to the next
generation doesn’t require dramatic stories or exaggerated events to show God has
done great things for us. You are one of a kind to God. You don’t have Mary’s
role or mine, or your next-door neighbor’s. Follow God faithfully in <i>your</i>
calling, as a member of His united body in Christ. Part of a bigger whole but
fulfilling your unique place and function. God’s work in your life may be as
simple as seeing all your children baptized, brought up in the faith, and kept
safe and healthy into adulthood, so they can pass the torch of faith along. Maybe
God carried you through a crisis or health challenge. A tragedy or a loss, a
divorce, or the death of loved ones. It could be your ongoing struggle with
sin, and how God daily dresses you for a new and better walk, rather than the
old worldly way. Identify and share the mighty things God has done for you. But
always point back to Jesus. His life and record of mighty deeds is ultimately
the blessing for all of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Be soul magnifiers! We magnify the work of the
Lord. Hold it up, enlarge it, peer at it through a magnifying glass. Study what
God has done for you in Jesus Christ. He came low to earth, He was born for us,
lived, taught, died, and was raised for us. Magnify the Lord for the
strengthening of our faith. We need to continually zoom in, take a closer look,
pause, and celebrate God’s work in our lives. Magnify, glorify, lift, and praise
His work. We don’t add to His greatness, but we notice it: transparent lives to
let His light through, focusing attention on our God and Savior. We were made
for rejoicing, and spiritual joy in Him! And with eyes fixed on Jesus, the
Author and Perfector of our faith, we rejoice that through crisis and blessing,
through famine or feast, He continues to do great things for us! Only when this
chapter of life on earth is over, and the new chapter in heaven is beginning,
will we fully begin to see how true it was, from generation to generation, that
God has done great things for us! Until then, we have an awesome record of His
saving might in the life and story of Jesus, and all whose lives He touched. In
His Name, Amen. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-15510304243117639882021-08-08T09:24:00.003-10:002021-08-08T09:24:31.766-10:00Sermon on Ephesians 4:17-5:2, 11th Sunday after Pentecost 2021 (B), "New Clothes for our new walk" <p> </p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Amen. Last week in Ephesians 4 we talked about the worthy walk vs. the unworthy
walk. God made us for new life in Christ Jesus. We walk together as the body of
Christ, not isolated individuals. Today, Paul exposes the harm of the unworthy
walk, the old walk, or the walk of the unbelieving Gentiles. It’s bad for your health.
Paul urges us to shed the old self like a dirty old clothes and put on clean,
new clothes in Christ Jesus. New clothes for our new walk! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When
a doctor sees a sick patient with a chronic but correctible health condition, they
can’t accept the status quo and let the patient continue to suffer while they can
help. If heavy drinking is destroying your liver, you’ve got to cut it out! If
your diet is causing your diabetes, we’ve got to work on changing that! If you’re
accustomed to old, unhealthy habits, we have to address that! Paul adds, if you’ve
been a liar, you’ve got to stop lying and start speaking the truth to your
neighbor (live not by lies!). If you’ve got a temper and anger issues, don’t
let the sun go down on your anger. If you were a thief and got used to
stealing, you’ve got to give it up. Learn to work for your own living and do
good! Like a good doctor, Paul names our sins and calls us to strip them away
by repentance. Off with old dirty clothes! Put on new clothes for our new walk!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">He
continues: if you’ve got a dirty mouth, full of “<i>corrupting talk</i>…” well
what is that? It could be a lot of things…whatever is foul and tears people
down, whatever is dirty-minded, etc. I remember the first and maybe only time I
ever walked out of a movie theater. I was watching a comedy with my college
buddies, and the crude humor and story was SO demeaning to women that I felt
sick. It was totally insulting to women, and I had to walk out. Paul contrasts
old corrupting talk to new clothes and good speech that encourages and builds
people up. That kind of speech is always welcome. As the Proverb (25:11) says, “<i>A
word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver</i>.” Good
words that fit the occasion are beautiful and welcome! We can’t control what
other people say, but we do ask the Spirit’s power to tame our tongue and fill
it with blessings, encouragement, and truth. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It’s
all old walk vs. new walk, old clothes vs. new clothes. Deeply formed habits of
sin, are hard to ditch. They’re the comfortable old clothes we must shed in
repentance. Strip off the dirty rags and corruption of sin, and put on the new
self, the new clothes in Jesus Christ. Paul names other old dirty clothes that
cling to us: bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. These are all
toxic. We need to ditch these vices if they are present in our lives. It’s spiritually
unhealthy to be consumed by bitterness, wrath, and hatred. Shed the vices and
embrace the new clothes, the new self that you are given in Christ Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">New
clothes for our new walk reminds me of the Marvel superhero movies popular in the
last ten years or so. Paul says “<i><u>put off</u> your old self, which belongs
to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to
be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to <u>put on the new self</u>,
created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness</i>.” Put
off, put on. A renewing power, a new creation in these new clothes we put on.
It’s like Iron Man, the superhero, who steps into this high-powered rocket suit
that transforms a man of ordinary strength into superhuman. What he “puts on”
transforms him and gives him abilities his normal human body didn’t have. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Similarly,
the new clothes Jesus transform us into a new creation in Christ Jesus. The new
clothes are made for our new worthy walk in Him. Clothed in Christ Himself, He lives
and moves in us! We are united with Him in baptism, so it’s truly to His credit
and His new creation, that we’re newly clothed and newly walking. Wearing these
new clothes, we are transformed with new abilities to walk in true righteousness
and holiness, that we didn’t have before. The big difference from the fictional
Marvel movies, is that the superheroes become <i>less human</i> (non-human??) or
<i>superhuman</i> by the suits they wear. They do things humans aren’t built
for or made to do. But for Christians, the new clothes we wear in Christ Jesus
make us <i>more human</i>, or <i>fully human</i> in the best sense. The life of
Christ brings us closer and closer our true humanity designed by God. What we <i>are
</i>made to do. This new clothes-new life in Christ Jesus, creates the best
kind of human. He calls it “<i>created after the likeness of God in true righteousness
and holiness.”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">God
clothing us with Christ, is restoration work. God first made Adam and Eve in His
image and likeness. Sin ruined and corrupted that image and likeness in us. But
now in Christ Jesus we are <i>created after the likeness of God in true
righteousness and holiness. </i>These transformative clothes, this “active wear”
or Spirit-powered suit, is our daily wear in Christ Jesus. It’s the new
clothing of our new walk. Not to “strut our stuff” like a runway model, but to
model the righteousness and holiness of God in all humility, gentleness,
patience, and love. God’s new work in us emerges as we live these qualities. We
don’t take credit, but to God be all the glory! This new life is to be fully
human in the best way. To embrace the goodness, wholeness, health, and action God
intended for us. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Looking
at the health of our body, as individual believers and as the body of Christ, where
are the injuries, the “locked joints”, sprained ankles, ulcers or other effects
of sin and the old way of life clinging to us? What needs the curing ointment
of God’s Word, or the healing power of Christ’s forgiveness? What needs the rebuke
of the Law to drive out the stubborn old ways of our sin? What needs the
healing and transformation of those new clothes in Christ?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
skipped over some of the first verses that I want to look at more closely now. So
far we looked at the outer evidence in our actions and attitudes, of old clothes
vs. new clothes. But Paul begins by talking about the effect on our inner life
and our relationship with God. Listen: <i>“Now this I say and testify in the
Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their
minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God
because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They
have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to
practice every kind of impurity.” </i>Key words jump out: <i>futility of their
minds, darkened understanding, ignorance, hardness of heart, callous, etc</i>.
And how about the relationship with God? Those who walk in the old way, old
clothes are “<i>alienated from the life of God.”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">That’s
frightening! He jolts them to attention: <i>“But that is not the way you
learned Christ!”</i> He’s calling, “Wake up! Don’t slouch back into sensual,
greedy, and impure living! That’s not how you were taught Christ!” This speaks
to the powerful, intoxicating attraction of worldliness. Guard against your
flesh! What about those words: futility, darkened understanding, ignorance, and
so on? It’s saying we can’t think, reason, or even feel clearly in our hearts,
when we are drugged under the influence of the world. If we’re indulging our
sinful appetites, feeding greed by all the impure things we think we can
stomach, we’re polluting our bodies and minds. We’re fueling an empty, futile,
pointless way of life. We’re choosing the downhill stumble of the world rather
than the strenuous uphill new walk of humility, gentleness, patience, and love.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Just
like “new clothes” transforms us for good—the old self, the old “stinker” of
our flesh, with its corrupt desires, transforms us for bad. A soiled uniform
that seeps poison into our heart. Greed and dark passions of anger and bitterness
seep into our flesh. And muddled dark thinking hazes our minds. These old
clothes sap our strength, deplete our joy, or toxify our relationships. It
might come with the heady thrill of sin and pleasure, but it wears off leaving
us with the aftertaste of guilt, a stained conscience, and a heart that is
thick and calloused to wrongdoing. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
that is not the way you learned Christ! Assuming that you have heard about Him
and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus!</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> Then
he goes back into the “put off”… “put on” part we discussed before. Baptism
first “put off” your old clothes, spiritually stripping you of your old sinful flesh,
and clothing you as you “put on” Christ. Ancient Christian churches used to
symbolize this by literally having you undress completely before entering the
water and rising up to be clothed in a clean robe to symbolize the forgiveness
of sins. We keep some of that imagery without the nudity, by giving a baptismal
cloth to symbolize the real gift of forgiveness in baptism, and by the pastor’s
wear of the white robe, symbolizing the reality that our sins have been washed “whiter
than snow.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">More
than this, baptism is not a symbolic, one-time washing for beginner disciples,
but it’s an ongoing daily wash of renewal that is yours as you are in Christ! It’s
your gift-wrapped, personally delivered union with Christ Jesus! In the same
way that a marriage is not the one time ceremony on day 1, but the continuing
relationship with all its effort, till death do us part! Even more so, baptism
is our continuing relationship to Jesus Christ, it’s our new walk in His new
clothes. Following Him is job one! So baptism doesn’t stop washing you and
stripping off old sin clothes, but as often as we return by repentance, we are
renewed in that baptismal grace. We daily shed the old rags of sin and God
daily clothes us with Christ for the new walk. Baptism is our “detox” to
continually shed the darkening, hardening, alienating power of sin in our
lives, from the inside out. From our hearts and minds to our actions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">That’s
because God has not forgotten that you still daily wrestle with this reality of
your old self vs. new self. He has not left you to resource yourself for your
own fight, but daily He clothes you anew in Christ. Supplies you with powerfully
transformative clothes, new clothes in Jesus Christ for the new walk. Delight
in that walk, becoming the best kind of human, one restored in His image! All glory
to Him alone, in Jesus’ Name, Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-71101223756221706822021-08-03T09:23:00.004-10:002021-08-03T09:23:51.627-10:00Sermon on Ephesians 4:1-16, for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost 2021 (B) "Walking Worthily"<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from the Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. Amen. Walk, walk, walk. The Bible talks a good bit about walking. Not
the walking your dog type of walking, but how you conduct your life. A good
walk vs. a bad walk. Walking in the way of righteousness vs. the way of
wickedness. God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, while
darkness and pitfalls surround the pathways of disobedience and lawlessness. In
Exodus today God tests the Israelites: whether they will walk in His law or not
(Exodus 16:4). Then Paul urges us: “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to
which you have been called.” Walk worthily or walk unworthily. The Scripture is
full of this contrast. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">To
walk worthily, you must know the difference between a good and bad walk. Just
like to seek health, you must know the difference between health and sickness.
You can’t be doing destructive things to the body. To seek justice, you must
know the difference between righteousness and wickedness, and so on. You can’t
be corrupting the system and muddling the line. So it is with the body of
Christ, this one body and one Spirit, that Paul describes. Complicating this,
our world is busy blurring every distinction between right and wrong, male and
female, healthy and unhealthy, truth and error, and so on. In that blurry and
confused place, no one can identify what it means to “walk in a manner worthy
of the calling to which you have been called.” We need the clarity God’s Word
provides, to see the difference. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Vs.
2, Paul outlines the difference between a worthy and unworthy walk. We walk “<i>with
all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>3 </sup></b>eager to maintain the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”</i> The difference is as simple as
seeing the opposites. Worthy walking is shaped by humility, gentleness,
patience, and love. Unworthy walking is shaped by arrogance, pushiness, pride,
irritability and impatience, not being able to put up with anything (the
opposite of bearing with one another in love); and being divisive. It’s easy
enough to identify the two but walking it out is where the rubber meets the
road. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When
daily irritations hit us—the old familiar sore spots with a family member or
co-worker—is our mindset <i>humility</i>, yielding our own demands and control to
find a better solution or better way of functioning? Or is the reflex
impatience and irritability; shooting our mouths at each other, adding fuel to
the fire, and hindering growth and healing? Walking worthily is no stroll in
the park. It’s more like climbing a mountain. But like everything that takes
effort and is aimed at health and strength, it leads to great satisfaction,
enjoyment, and peace in the long run. Besides, the view is much better up
there. Treating each other with gentleness, patience, and love, and working at
unity, is a reward all in itself. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A
worthy walk and an unworthy walk both have their origins. The unworthy walk is
born in our selfish flesh. The world drives and encourages it. The world
rewards us for mirroring it’s unworthy walk. It sells pleasure, easy-gain,
short-cuts and dishonesty, and getting ahead at someone else’s expense. An
unworthy walk asks minimal or no effort. It’s the downstream drift, the
downhill roll of gravity. The stumbling path it walks hides in the darkness all
the things that injure, wound, and leave us broken in health and in soul. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
the worthy walk has a different origin. A different direction. The worthy walk
begins in our calling to “<i>one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one
faith, one baptism”</i>. The origin of our worthy walk is our one baptism into
Christ Jesus. We are united to Jesus Christ. There are not many baptisms, many
lords or many faiths; there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Baptized into
Christ we have new life, new purpose, and direction. His Spirit unites the
whole body in action. A worthy walk. The worthy walk originates and takes shape
around Christ’s life. Humility, gentleness, patience, and love are the life of
Christ taking shape around you! He shapes your life to His, so your walk is
worthy. This worthy walk is upstream, uphill, against the grain. It takes
effort and sets us against the world. It opens our eyes to the wounds and
hidden dangers of sin, so we seek a better, a healthier walk. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
think one of our persistent fears as Christians is whether we can actually
“walk the walk.” As Lutherans we intentionally look in that mirror of God’s
law, and it’s not always a pretty sight. We examine ourselves and see our sin,
our unworthy walking. Knowing this, how do we react to the call to walk
worthily? If we focus on our strength, our achievements, our good works and
abilities, discouragement is sure to follow. Or if not discouragement, then
maybe hypocrisy. We are right to see our weakness and sin in the mirror. The
mirror of the law is an SOS: it “Shows our Sin”. <i><u>But</u></i> the Gospel
mirror has another SOS: it “Shows our Savior”. We see our identity with Christ
in the Gospel: one Lord, one faith, one baptism. We can’t “walk the walk”
because “we’re all that”…we walk the walk because Christ lives and moves in us,
and His Holy Spirit is the soul of the church! Our identity is with Him! That’s
the good news mirror!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Everything
God gives to conform us to the life of Christ is entirely and freely given in
our baptism! A healthy walk comes from a healthy body. Paul describes this
healthy body linked together by joints and members. This healthy, living body,
this organism is the church! You here are the parts and members connected to
make one functioning whole. A body is not disconnected fingers and toes, but
individual believers joined into something bigger than ourselves. When our walk
becomes unworthy, we’ve taken our eyes off Christ; it’s like having a sprained
ankle or a weak knee, where the joints aren’t strong and working together smoothly.
We need adversity, resistance, and effort to strengthen the body and get it
into shape, just like hitting the gym or taking a walk keeps your body healthy.
Apathy, indifference, and disconnection leave the body weak, ill, and poorly
functioning. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How
does Christ supply, shape, and sustain your worthy walk? <i>“But grace was
given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”</i> Every
Christian receives a different measure of Christ’s grace. Some have gifts for
teaching, as we celebrate today with our teacher rededication, as we return to
school. God enriches our teachers with His grace, to care for the young, for
the untrained and unready, and to bring them up in knowledge, maturity, and
love for the Lord. It requires all the humility, gentleness, patience and love
we described above. Not everyone is called to be a teacher. Others have gifts
in stewardship, administration and management. They run businesses and
supervise organizations. They see that bills are paid on time and that planning
happens. Still others have gifts of service, of practicing medicine, of music,
of art and creativity, of working with their hands or building things. We all
have different gifts according to Christ’s measure, but we work together to
honor Him and serve others. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">He
also calls pastors or shepherds, men to “<i>equip the saints for the work of
ministry, for the building up the body of Christ”</i> Pastors are called to
preach God’s Word, feed and protect Christ’s sheep, and be stewards of His
gifts. These are just a few of the gifts that Christ measures out. Our different
gifts are not grounds for jealousy or envy, but for rejoicing in the uniqueness
of how God made us, and how differing gifts compliment and serve the whole
body. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As
you walk worthily of the Lord, you may wonder what your gifts are. Maybe you
don’t see them. Maybe they’re undiscovered or unpracticed. Sit with a fellow
Christian or with me and explore what your gifts might be. What are the
callings you feel led to? Don’t assume your limitations are an obstacle to
Christ pouring out His gifts in you. At the same time, we should not think of
ourselves more highly than we ought to think, but with sober judgment and
humility. In this way we are most receptive to God working in us and shaping
our worthy walk to His glory. How will God use your gifts in your worthy walk
in Him?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
body of Christ, here in our church and across the world, is still growing.
Christ adds new members to His body by Holy Baptism. In His body there we grow
and mature in hardship, testing, and by faith. Yet more members will grow into
the body. Paul says that as we are “<i>speaking the truth in love, we are to
grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole
body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when
each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up
in love.”</i> Christ, the head of the body, supplies its life, direction, and growth.
His eyes and mind steer His church to move and walk worthily according to His will.
His body, the church, grows, moves, and builds itself up in love. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There
are counterfeits and fakes, but there is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism.
One God and Father of all. Accept no counterfeits. The true body of Christ, the
true life of Christ walks with His purpose, with His humility, gentleness,
patience, and love. The true body of Christ speaks the truth in love and
forsakes “<i>every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in
deceitful schemes</i>.” We don’t fall for clever fakes and human schemes. We’re
on the lookout for fakes that don’t match Christ’s Word. In God’s Word we study
and learn the genuine article. God’s Word is truth, and by it we know our head,
Jesus Christ. By His Word we know His voice and follow Him, so we aren’t tossed
to and fro by the waves and every wind of doctrine. A worthy walk in Him is
strong and grounded on His Word, not blindly stumbling off the path into danger
and injury. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Let’s
review this walk we’ve been talking. You’ve got to know right from wrong, healthy
from unhealthy, truth from error, to find the worthy walk. That worthy walk is
shaped by Jesus’ humility, gentleness, patience, and love. It begins in our
baptism into Christ, and it’s headed uphill toward what is good and
God-pleasing. We pause to look in the law mirror and see that our walk is not
always worthy. We have sins to confess and need Christ’s forgiveness, so we can
correct course and get back on the right path. The gospel mirror shows our
Savior and our new identity in His forgiveness, and His grace puts our steps
back on solid ground. Only by Jesus and His Spirit do we walk worthily
according to our calling. All our unique gifts as individuals, flow from His
grace, but those same unique gifts unite us into a growing body directed by
Christ, our Head. Grounded in who He is, we walk clear of any counterfeits and
fakes. This is our worthy walk in our Lord Jesus! In His Name, Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-88860577330652286782021-07-27T07:40:00.004-10:002021-07-27T07:40:31.509-10:00Sermon on Mark 6:45-56, 9th Sunday after Pentecost 2021 (B)<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Amen. Back in January I compared the size of the “Sea” of Galilee to
our island of Maui. I estimate it would stretch roughly lengthwise from the
base of West Maui mountains up to Makawao, and from Kahului Harbor to Maalaea
Harbor—13 miles by 8 miles. Small, but big enough to get caught in a storm.
Especially if you imagine crossing that distance on a small fishing boat
against a driving wind, when you’re exhausted after rowing till 3-4 AM in the
darkness. It was no joke. Today in the Gospel, we’re back at the Sea of Galilee
for another of Jesus’ miracles, showing that He is God who rules over the
storms. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">You
know how weathermen describe the “eye” of a hurricane? In the center of a
massive spinning storm with high-speed winds circling for hundreds of miles,
there’s a small pocket of calm. The “eye” of the storm. While no hurricanes hit
the tiny Sea of Galilee, sudden windstorms from the surrounding landscape do
make it treacherous to a small fishing boat. And in our Gospel, Jesus becomes
but the calm “I AM” in the midst of the storm. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Crossing
the Sea of Galilee was routine. They were experienced fishermen and Jesus had
purposely sent them on their way. He knew of course that a storm would hit. We
sometimes wish to believe that God wants to chart our life only through calm,
tranquil waters, and that we should never face hardship. But that wishful
thinking is not grounded in the Bible. God makes no such promises to keep us
from hardship. Rather, we can count on hardship and danger in all walks of life.
But God does always remain our calm “I AM” in the storm. He sends us into
storms, but never alone, and never without His peace close at hand.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
was just after the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. They saw Jesus’ miraculous
powers. A confidence booster that Jesus was master of creation, right? No need
to fear a storm like this. But Mark records that “</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">they did not understand about the loaves, but
their hearts were hardened</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">”.
Hard hearts couldn’t let the message sink in, that the Lord of all creation was
with them, and cared even for their hunger, their weariness, their safety. Last
week Jesus provided for their rest, food, and gave time for His Word and prayer.
But life piles on and we bounce from crisis to crisis, demand to demand, and we
are harried and tossed like the waves of the sea in a storm. And our hardened
hearts don’t understand or perceive that Jesus is always there for us, and He
always cares. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Even when we are worn out from heavy
straining, overtired from lack of sleep, afraid in the darkness and the stormy
chaos around us, with no safe landing in sight—Jesus is the calm “I AM” in the
midst of the storm. In ordinary and extraordinary circumstances, when life’s
routines have worn us down without rest, or when life throws curveballs and
sucker punches at us, and our hearts harden and blame God…Jesus is still the
calm “I AM” in the midst of the storm. When we are not seeking Him, He still seeks
us, walking out in the midst of our storm. What harries you? What keeps you
from the physical and spiritual rest the Lord so earnestly gives you in worship
and a weekly break from your labors? What dangerous crossing are you making
that puts fear in your heart, so that your eyes see darkness and ominous
phantoms, instead of the friendly and familiar face of your Lord Jesus? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">He walks to you in the storm. He walks to you
in the storm He knew was coming your way. Hardened hearts fear and doubt. Frightened
eyes see ghosts. But He calls out steady and calm, over the howling winds: “<i>Take
heart, I AM, do not be afraid.”</i> You notice I translate His words as “I AM”,
instead of “it is I”, because Jesus is using the Divine Title to identify Himself.
Back in the Old Testament, when God met Moses in the burning bush, Moses asked
who God was. God’s answer was: “<i>I AM Who I AM.” </i>Throughout the Gospels,
when Jesus calls Himself “I AM”, He’s identifying as God. The same God who
spoke to Moses from the bush all those years ago. The same God who controls the
winds and the storms and led Israel safely through the Red Sea to escape the
Egyptian armies. In short, Jesus walks on the water as God in the flesh. When
He says “I AM”, it’s not just: “Hey guys, It’s me, Jesus of Nazareth”—He’s
saying, “It’s me, the God of your forefathers, the God of Moses!” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The Great I AM commands awesome power over
nature. Job describes God as the only one who “<i>tramples the waves of the
sea” </i>(Job 9:8). This Great I AM tramples the waves of Galilee and stands
before the frightened disciples declaring: <i>I AM</i>, and creating calm in
the midst of the storm. He stands before you and I, in our fears, struggles, or
hardships. He invites us the same: <i>“Take heart, I AM, do not be afraid.” </i>Zero
in on that invitation: <i>“Take heart; do not be afraid.”</i> The Great I AM has
courage for the taking. He knows our weakness, our weariness, our fears, and
hardness of heart. He knew we’d be in the storm, and He knows we aren’t watching
for Him. But He shows up, the calm “<i>I AM”</i> in the midst of the storm, and
He gives courage for the taking. Take heart. Drink in His courage.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Psalm 27:14, a beloved verse in times of
trouble, says: “<i>Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord</i>!” Our heart is reaching for courage, it’s reaching for
the Lord. Our hardened heart that quavers with exhaustion, fear, doubt, or
uncertainty…it’s reaching out for One Whom we can trust without fail, Who walks
with us in the storm, Who gives us rest when we’re on our last legs, needing
renewal. Who invites us to drink deeply, not only of His courage, His strength,
but even His blood shed for the forgiveness of sins. And He’s there. When our
heart reaches for Him, He’s there, our calm “I AM” in the midst of the storm.
Where can we find Him? In the Lord’s Supper we receive rest, we are refreshed,
we are nourished and filled by His body and blood given on the cross for us.
His very life fills us; our heart takes courage, we find new strength! Our
heart reaches out for the One who can fill all our longing and need, and Jesus
the Great I AM gives us exactly this. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">What changes when we take Jesus’ words to
heart? When we take courage and are not afraid? Our eyes open to see Jesus, the
Great I AM, is with us. Jesus enters our boat, the calm in our storm. Our heart
drinks in His courage and strength, and our weary soul is refreshed and
renewed. Jesus’ calm and peace surrounds us as we trade fear for confident
trust that Jesus is literally in the boat with us. We trade doubt for
strengthened faith to face the new day. Whenever we’re focused on our own
resources and our own strength, or at the fear or storm itself, we’ll continue
in discouragement and fear. Whether 5 loaves seem too little, or a long night
of rowing feels futile and exhausting, and danger is growing—it’s easy to lose
heart. But to <i>take</i> heart is to look to Him, the Great I AM, and know
that He is our continuing strength and supply. Only He who tramples the waves
and calms the storm. Who makes His path on the sea and enters our storms
without fear. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Think
again about the source of exhaustion or fear or chaos in your life. Recenter
your eyes on Jesus, your calm “I AM” in the midst of the storm. He’s not left
your side. He’s not left you to flounder helplessly. Surrender your weariness
to Him, and rest with His light and easy yoke. Surrender your fears to Him and
walk with Him as you face them. Surrender your doubts to Him and receive His
confidence that the One who rules the storms and all creation is in the boat
with you. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">To
take heart, know Jesus as our Great “I AM” and not fear, is not to say that
life becomes a cakewalk. It’s not to trivialize our storms, as many can be so
intense and prolonged that we are ready to give up. But to take heart and know
Jesus is real help in time of trouble. As verse two of “Why Should Cross and
Trial Grieve Me” sings: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When life’s
troubles rise to meet me,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Though their
weight, may be great, <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">They will not
defeat me. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">God, my loving
Savior sends them;<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He who knows, all
my woes,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Knows how best to
end them. (LSB 756:2)</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So,
to believe in the Great I AM, we confess that He who sends our troubles and
woes also knows how best to end them. They will not defeat us. Pure and simple.
Our Savior who has risen from His death and the grave, is proof that even death
and our grave is not the end, and Jesus will raise us up from death one day.
So, life on this earth is filled with storms that come and that pass, with
fears that harass and then fade, with doubts and worries that come and go—but
our Lord is ever constant. Ever that calm “I AM” who speaks to us in the storm,
quieting the chaos, inviting our eyes and our heart to Him, where we find our
peace. Where we find our courage. Where we take heart and find our rest. Lord,
in your mercy, <i>hear our prayer</i>. Hear our cry for help in time of need.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-80408251963077533012021-07-06T08:01:00.003-10:002021-07-06T08:01:20.549-10:00Sermon on Galatians 5:1, 13-26, for the 4th of July, "Three Kinds of Freedom"<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Amen. Happy Fourth of July! I want to preach this Independence Day on the
meaning of freedom. But definitions always matter, as words are constantly
redefined or changed, and you can’t take for granted that your words mean what someone
else thinks, without clarification. You need common meaning to really
communicate. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So,
what is freedom? What freedom does St. Paul mean in Galatians 5, when He says: <i>“For
freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again
to a yoke of slavery… For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use
your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one
another.”</i> Freedom gets many definitions. Do we mean the same thing? Martin
Luther describes three kinds of freedom. Spiritual freedom; political or civil
freedom; and freedom of the flesh. Let’s consider these three freedoms and what
they mean for our nation’s Independence and for our faith and life as
Christians. Paul doesn’t want us to lose our freedom. We do well to listen how
to keep it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Luther
focuses on our spiritual freedom in Galatians 5. It’s where true freedom begins
and ends. Spiritual freedom from God’s wrath against our sin, freedom from the
judgement, death, and hell that our sins deserve. Costly freedom purchased by
Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Ours by faith in Christ Jesus. Our salvation. This
freedom sits in our heart and conscience. It knows God is merciful to us in
Christ Jesus. It’s freedom from the slavery of fear, guilt, shame, and death,
were it not for the grace and mercy of Christ Jesus. This spiritual freedom exceeds
all others because it is eternal freedom, not just for this life. Christ said,
“<i>If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!”</i> That’s worth
celebrating! It fills our thankfulness to God every Sunday, where we are
renewed in His gifts through Word and Sacrament. It fills our thankfulness
every day of our life!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How
little we prize this freedom. Luther glories in it. I quote him here at length:
</span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">For who can express what a great
gift it is for someone to be able to declare for certain that God neither is
nor ever will be wrathful but will forever be a gracious and merciful Father
for the sake of Christ? It is surely a great and incomprehensible freedom to
have this Supreme Majesty kindly disposed toward us, protecting and helping us,
and finally even setting us free physically in such a way that our body, which
is sown in perishability, in dishonor, and in weakness, is raised in
imperishability, in honor, and in power (1 Cor. 15:42–43). Therefore the
freedom by which we are free of the wrath of God forever is greater than heaven
and earth and all creation. The words “freedom from the wrath of God, from the
Law, sin, death, etc.,” are easy to say; but to feel the greatness of this
freedom and to apply its results to oneself in a struggle, in the agony of
conscience, and in practice—this is more difficult than anyone can say. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">He goes on to say that our spirit must be
trained to banish the fearful accusation of the law, the terrors of sin, death,
and God’s wrath, and instead set our sights on the<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span>freedom
of Christ, the forgiveness of sins, righteousness, life, and God’s eternal
mercy.<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span>It’s truly hard to hold onto that
freedom and live in the face of great struggles in life. It’s like fighting to
go upstream in a river. Freedom is upstream. Bondage and death are downstream. But
we stake our trust on God’s merciful promises in Christ Jesus. We hang on and
we fight and struggle for that freedom, and it’s Christ who sets us free and
pulls us upstream. The devil always wants to steal, kill, and destroy that peace
and spiritual freedom in our hearts and conscience. He wants us eternally
plagued by fear, guilt, shame, and death. Enslaved to sin and our selfish
appetites. Headed in the easy drift downstream to slavery. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">This spiritual freedom, greatest of the three
freedoms I mention today, is why we gather. Our reason for existence as a
Christian congregation. Without this freedom, our soul is lost. What
alternatives does anyone have to this joyful, peaceful knowledge in our hearts,
that God is good, merciful, and loving, and forgives us our sins in Christ
Jesus? Here are some possibilities: Live in anger and bitterness towards God?
That’s soul-shriveling. Live blissfully ignorant or careless toward God, and
gamble at death whether you guessed right or wrong for all eternity? Assume
that no God exists, ignore His fingerprints all over the world, and say you’re
the mere result of chance and no purpose? Nature has no plan or purpose but to
pass on your genes before death? Some find that fulfilling and “freeing” but
most find it despairing and hopeless, and it’s still a gamble with your soul. Decide
that we know the rules better than God, and are more loving and compassionate?
This is to make ourselves gods and assume we are wiser and more knowing than
God. No, none of these alternatives are better than our spiritual freedom to
know that God is merciful in Christ Jesus. It’s the greatest peace to face all
life’s challenges with God’s love and Christ’s victory over my sin and death. Precious
freedom to treasure and preserve! Never to be forgotten, bartered, or given
away! Renew your joy in this freedom in Christ Jesus. It’s where all the rest
starts and ends!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The second freedom is not really in focus in
these readings, and that’s civil freedom. But that’s the freedom this 4<sup>th</sup>
of July celebrates. The uniqueness of the American experiment is found in these
momentous words of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator
with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, <u>liberty</u> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">(i.e.
freedom!!), and the pursuit of happiness.” What was so unique is that the
Founding Fathers admitted that these rights come from God and not the
government! That’s huge! Otherwise, government gives and takes away rights, acting
as the highest authority. But here they rightly bowed the knee to God and
declared human governments <i>must</i> honor the rights and freedoms that God
gives every person! Men in power don’t naturally want to do that! So the
Declaration and the Constitution together set a boundary against the
power-hungry tendencies of human nature. Now, working out and reconciling that
truth of God-given freedom into the American republic, ironing out all the
inconsistencies, goes well beyond this sermon. But the essential thing is that on
its birthday, they sewed that truth into the very fabric of our country! Liberty
comes from God and government must respect it. That’s the powerful basis of our
civil freedom. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Later,
the Bill of Rights to the Constitution started to spell out some of those
freedoms. The first amendment freedoms are freedom of religion, speech, press,
petition, and assembly. These are first freedoms because government must
respect them in its citizens. They’re the power of the people against
government overreach into your conscience, your speech, your free access to
information and criticism of the government. Sadly, all these freedoms are
under attack today, and many think the 1<sup>st</sup> Amendment might no longer
be relevant or necessary! Nothing could be further from the truth!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">At
the same time, Christians must confess that civil freedoms are secondary to our
spiritual freedom, our greatest treasure. While spiritual freedom cannot be
stolen or taken away by any man, government, or even the devil, civil freedoms
can be stolen, taken away, restricted, or denied. Indeed, through most of human
history, believers only had the spiritual freedom of our conscience, and had
few or no civil freedoms. So, it is troubling, not only in America, but in
other “free” countries to see civil freedoms under attack. For example, pastors
have been jailed for even the most compassionate preaching on the Bible’s
teaching on homosexuality or other Biblical truths; bakers and florists have
been viciously targeted for not using their artwork to celebrate things they
find objectionable, doctors and nurses have been pressured to use their medical
training to do procedures that go against the Hippocratic Oath or lose their
jobs. All this while our media, entertainment culture, and education system are
relentlessly pushing a total redefinition of sex and gender on people, labeling
anyone who disagrees as hateful or bigoted, even if your ideas were entirely ordinary
even 20 years ago, and have been standard for thousands of years of human
history. Where is the freedom of thought, speech, and disagreement in all this?
It all sounds like the future George Orwell feared when people were obsessed
with “wrong-think” and demanded everyone hold one socially acceptable way of
thinking. Sometimes the boiling anger and demand for uniformity of thought
seems to come right out of the hated era of heresy hunting and witch trials and
the Inquisitions of the past. It’s a new secular religion. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">All
this flows into the third freedom we mentioned before. The freedom of the
flesh. Paul wrote: <i>For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use
your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one
another. </i>Freedom of the flesh is really no freedom at all. It’s degeneracy.
It’s the surrender of freedom to our selfishness and appetites. It’s to flow
downstream to the bad instead of heading upstream toward the good. It’s to
define ourselves by me, myself, and I, and what I want. Paul lists examples. It
can be sexual selfishness, financial selfishness or greed, it can be a
selfishness of anger, jealousy, or worship of anything but God. Freedom of the
flesh is no true freedom at all, because it yields completely to sin, and holds
us in the gritty and unlovely darkness of slavery. True freedom, that Paul
wants us to keep, requires self-control and love, to restrain our selfish
appetites and look externally in love, compassion, and goodness to our neighbor.
True freedom does not turn downward to slavery and wrongdoing, aspires upward
to the freedom of goodness and life and love. True freedom is upstream and
takes effort to keep it. It’s an upstream struggle against our flesh.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
we begin and end with spiritual freedom in Christ Jesus. We all have been
enslaved in various ways to our sinful desires. We’ve all been swept downstream
by our sins and passions. Enslaved in our emotions, our hearts, minds, and
actions. But Christ sets us free by His death on the cross. He broke the
slavery and the Son set us free. We are free indeed! Stand firm in that
freedom! Don’t trade it for a yoke of legalism, a life of fear and shame, or the
slavery of sin. Aspire upward to the freedom of walking in the good. Only
Christ in you makes this possible. Only His spiritual freedom enables you to
walk in newness of life, stepping free of the snares, traps, and dangers the
devil and the world set all around you. Heading upstream against the tide of
the world and our sinful flesh. It is truly possible to love all those who are
trapped in the false freedom of the flesh, and caringly bring them to Christ
who is all freedom. It doesn’t require judgmentalism, cruelty, or
self-righteousness. But we abide in His Truth as our guide, His compassion as
our example. His life in you is the only way we keep this precious spiritual
freedom, freely given to us by faith in Jesus’ Name, Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-8847979775804520102021-06-06T08:20:00.010-10:002021-07-06T08:24:02.337-10:00Sermon on Mark 3:20-35, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost 2021 (B), "Warring Kingdoms" <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Amen. God’s and the devil’s kingdom are at war in this world. We pray
in the Lord’s Prayer: “<i>Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is
in heaven.”</i> God, send your kingdom here on earth! God’s Kingdom has intense
opposition. The devil is deeply entrenched and fights his losing battle to the
bitter end. The devil’s kingdom and God’s are as different as darkness and
light, evil and good, death and life. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
the devil is a powerful Liar and Deceiver, ever since the beginning. The devil
lies so well, that in Isaiah, God rebuked His people for getting things totally
backwards. He says: <i>“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put
darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet
for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)</i>. It’s deep trouble when we can’t tell right from
wrong or good from evil. The devil is expert at keeping us confused! The devil
is an expert liar and murderer from the beginning. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
fog of confusion and war occurs in Mark 3. Jesus attacks Satan’s kingdom, liberating
demon oppressed people. We don’t often encounter demon oppression, or so we
think. But it’s all over the Gospels. Jesus met tormented people, begging for
freedom from evil spirits. Others weren’t begging at all; they were just terrorizing
everybody! Into this chaos, Jesus speaks peace, and visibly frees numerous
people. And while they’re being freed from evil, onlookers say Jesus is doing
this by the power of Beelzebul! He does good and they call it evil. Beelzebul
was another name for the devil, meaning “lord of the house”. The subtle twist “Beelzebub”
meant “lord of flies.” The devil lies so powerfully and convincingly that when his
kingdom was being attacked, onlookers couldn’t tell friend from enemy. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus’
battle plan takes that into account: “<i>while we were still enemies, Christ
died for us.”</i> Jesus attacks the devil’s kingdom to “plunder” it. For the
confused prisoners of war in enemy camps, who couldn’t tell friend from foe,
Jesus explains: </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“How can
Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom
cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be
able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he
cannot stand, but is coming to an end.”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> No kingdom or nation, no household or home, can remain divided and effectively
continue to stand. Division weakens and ultimately if continued, will be the
fall of a kingdom or nation, a church or congregation, or a family. The devil
cannot war against himself, Jesus says, or his power will quickly end. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It's
a simple truth often repeated through history. A house divided cannot stand. Famously,
young Abraham Lincoln said it when he was running for senator. USA was divided
over the slavery issue, and he quoted Jesus, that a house divided cannot stand.
Lincoln said the country must become all one thing or all the other. Slave or
free. He lost his run for Senate after this speech, but later became president.
The rest, as they say, is history. Over 600,000 Americans died in the Civil War
for us to become free. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Divisions
will undo any kingdom, nation, church, or family. Jesus prophesied it, Lincoln
saw it, and many others sing and write about it. Division and unity. Slogans
like “United we stand, divided we fall.” One can’t help but see that the world
is bitterly divided. Politically. Religiously. Morally. Economically. Racially.
In families. In schools and churches. The devil masterfully turns us against
each other and sows division. Using lies, deception, and appealing to our
selfish natures and appetites, he divides and conquers us. Prince of demons, or
“Beelzebul”, “lord of the house”, Jesus describes him as the “strong man.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
the strong man’s house are many captives. Divided and conquered, confused and
calling good evil and evil good, many are under the devil’s thumb. So how do
you rescue prisoners from the strong man’s house? Jesus’ simple answer is: bind
the strong man. </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">27But no
one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds
the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> Tie
him up. Tie up the strong man, and then enter his house and plunder him. This
is just what Jesus does. If the devil is the strong man, Jesus is the <i>Stronger
Man</i> who ties up the devil and deprives him of his power. When Jesus cast
out demons, they were forced to obey. They had to yield control to Jesus, the
Stronger Man. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus’
death on the cross looked like a clear win for the devil, the strong man and
his gang. After years of setbacks, they had Jesus surrounded and cornered at
last. Jesus was bound and handed over for death. Nailed to the cross,
exhausted, dying, dead. Had the devil’s kingdom won? Far from it, Jesus took death’s
blow, the deadliest shot the devil could deliver—died, and then rose to life
again. When Jesus rose, He clearly turned the tables on the devil, so now it
was the devil who was bound and stripped of power. The devil, big brute that he
is, intimidator and jailer of captives, is attacked and overcome by Jesus
Christ, the STRONGER ONE, who ties him up, disarms him, and the winner takes
the spoils!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So,
Jesus establishes that the two warring kingdoms, the devil and God’s
kingdom—they are not equal. God wins. But the devil doesn’t stop fighting and
wreaking havoc. He’s bound on a heavy chain, but he still has reach and power
on earth. He still assaults God’s people, abuses, sows division, and lies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus
goes on to describe the devil’s deadliest trap: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“<i>Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of
man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the
Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin”—for they had
said, “He has an unclean spirit</i>.” Here is both an astonishing Gospel
promise, the beauty of complete and merciful forgiveness, and a grim Law
warning, about the one unforgivable sin. Of all the sins that one may commit,
Jesus describes only one unforgivable sin. By no means does that mean we should
go freely commit any sin we want to; that would be foolish. God’s forgiveness
should never be treated as an incentive to sin. That’s abusing grace. But the
question is often asked here: “What is the unforgivable sin, and how do I know
if I have committed it?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Blasphemy
is essentially speaking outrageously toward someone to dishonor and devalue
them. Especially towards God. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is to call
God’s good work something evil. To call a wonderful act of healing and freeing
a person from Satan’s power wicked and evil; to call the Holy Spirit’s work the
devil’s work. A flagrant rejection and insult of God’s work. It should be
unmistakable when someone is freed from Satan’s chains, that this is the work
of the Holy Spirit. So why is this the unforgivable sin? To blaspheme the Holy
Spirit in this way, there is no forgiveness, FOREVER, Jesus says. You harden
your heart so much against God, that you utterly reject the work of the Holy
Spirit, drive out faith, and viciously attack God’s work as evil. Jesus severe
warning to the scribes was a huge, bold billboard warning those about to hurtle
off a cliff into never-ending guilt (Piper). Had they gone over already? Had
they already committed this sin? This was a shocking jolt to rescue any who had
not yet sealed their fate in their rejection of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus’
redeeming work. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
passage has caused a lot of fear and anxiety for many dear Christians, who do
not reject God’s work, are grieved by their sin, and who eagerly hope to enter
God’s kingdom but from a tender conscience fear that at some point they
might’ve committed the unforgivable sin. Perhaps in a period of rebellion when
they said they hated God, or because of angry and abusive words that they spoke
against God during a difficult time in life. Or perhaps in their thoughts, they
fear that somehow they may have sinned against the Holy Spirit, and worry that
they might be excluded from forgiveness and eternal salvation. However, if you
agonize over such thoughts or fears, it shows the Holy Spirit is alive in you
and you have an earnestly repentant heart. If you have such unresolved spiritual
wrestling, talk to me. No one who’s actually committed this sin, and blasphemed
the Holy Spirit, would be overcome with remorse or doubt. The opposite. They
could care less about God or repentance. The fact that you earnestly desire to
be included in Christ’s redemption, and are sorry for any foolish rebellion, is
proof the Holy Spirit is alive and well within you, and you are a believer. The
sin against the Holy Spirit is not simply the sin of unbelief or of
unrepentance. Nor is it rejecting God through foolishness or spiritual
blindness, both of which are recoverable. What many faithful pastors and
theologians have said through the ages, is that <i>what makes the sin
unforgivable, is precisely the fact that the person who commits the sin against
the Holy Spirit never wants forgiveness</i>! They not only refuse to repent,
but also permanently reject the work of the Holy Spirit. But if you are seeking
forgiveness, the Spirit lives in you, and you are forgiven.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So
that’s the unforgivable sin, but don’t pass by the incredible flip side of the
statement, that </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">all sins
will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but
whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is guilty
of an eternal sin.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> God is
incredibly forgiving. Humanity is terribly sinful and continues to grieve God
with all manner of sins. To our own harm and the harm of others. God convicts
us by the work of the Holy Spirit; Jesus barnstorms the devil’s house and
rescues us captives. He ties up the strong man, the devil, and Jesus plunders
his house of prisoners. You and I were saved by this rescue operation. Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, wars against the kingdom of the evil one and wins. Our
sins are forgiven; we know it by faith. We celebrate and give thanks whenever
Jesus’ mighty name, declares victory over sin in someone’s life, declares
victory over fear, over death, over the sin-slavery that once held us in
bondage. Christ, the Stronger One, opens the way to everlasting life. He opens
the way to freedom from the devil’s destructive and blasphemous kingdom. He
opens the way to our refuge in His eternal, indestructible kingdom. Oh Lord,
Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven! Amen.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-36425128751859836062021-05-31T10:56:00.001-10:002021-05-31T10:56:09.104-10:00Sermon on John 3:1-17, Holy Trinity Sunday 2021 (B), "Seeing and Entering the Kingdom of God"<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Amen. In John 3 we meet Nicodemus. Who is he? A moral, religious man.
Serious about spiritual matters; curious about Jesus’ teachings. A Pharisee,
devoted to purity, good living, and obedience to the Law. He also was an upper-class
member of society on the prestigious Sanhedrin, a council of 70 ruling elders,
who eventually judged Jesus guilty of blasphemy (though he and his friend
Joseph of Arimathea did not consent to their decision). He comes at night to
speak to Jesus, hiding his interest from his fellow Pharisees or the Sanhedrin.
At the end of the Gospel of John, however, he openly comes out as a disciple of
Jesus, honors Jesus’ body in burial in Joseph’s tomb. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Early
in the story here, his faith is beginning. He sees Jesus is from God. He says:
“<i>Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do
these signs that you do unless God is with him”. </i>Jesus’ miracles and likely
even Jesus’ teachings convince Him that Jesus is from God. Last week we talked
about conviction of the Holy Spirit. See Him convicting Nicodemus’ heart? Faith
is coming alive but he’s still not seeing the kingdom of God. Something is
still missing. Conviction is at work, but not complete.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus
says, “<i>Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see
the kingdom of God.” </i>Then He adds in v. 5, “<i>Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the Spirit, He cannot enter the kingdom of
God.” </i>Jesus was calling Nicodemus to a radical change. He calls us to the
same! To see or enter the kingdom of God, you must become something beyond what
you already see or understand. External morality, spirituality, and good living
is not enough! We must become totally different people than who we already are in
the flesh. We can’t see or enter “as is”. Our sinful flesh is a barrier to
seeing or entering the kingdom of God. We must each be born again of water and
the Spirit. External changes, morality, and spiritual behaviors aren’t the same
as the total inner and outer work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. You can’t
get from first birth to second birth by the flesh. Not by our own effort or
anything we do.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Have
you ever tried being born? How did you do that? Are you ready to try it again? It’s
a weird question, but maybe it gets you to think like Nicodemus about the
difference between something happening to you, and something you do yourself. At
the risk of stating the obvious, being born isn’t something you can do to
yourself. You can put yourself through school. You can get yourself a job. Teach
yourself how to cook, build furniture, or a million other things. But you can’t
give birth to yourself. Not the first time around. Not the second time. It just
doesn’t work that way. It requires outside agents—for your first birth it was
your parents. For your second birth from above, it is God the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">You
all were born of the flesh—you were there on your birthday; it happened to you.
You’re living proof of that. But you didn’t have any say in the matter. Sadly,
many people resent it, and wish they weren’t born into this world. God must be heartbroken
when a precious child, whom He knitted together in their mother’s womb, wishes
they weren’t alive. Job and other believers in the Old Testament wished such
things when they were at their lowest, but God never made a mistake in creating
us. Anyone who feels that way about themselves needs our special love and
compassion, to help them see and know why God made them. Never fall for the
devil’s lie that you don’t matter to anyone or that your life doesn’t have
purpose, value, and meaning. God sent His Son to die for you, so that you would
know just how precious you are to Him! But back to the point, we didn’t choose
our birth or make it happen. It happened to us. And we’re all blessed by every
one of you here, in person or online! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
same is true at our second birth. We don’t do it to ourselves; it is done to
us. True, its different in that you are already alive before your second birth
takes place, but Jesus is showing there’s no connection between the birth of
the flesh and new birth of the Spirit. You can’t cross from flesh to spirit on
your own gifts or effort. We must be born again, or “born from above.” It
happens to us. God doesn’t make a mistake, and He lovingly forms us to be His
children in a whole new way. Disciples, followers, children of the kingdom. Without
this second birth from above, we’re still outside the kingdom in our sins. Being
a good person on the outside, or outwardly spiritual doesn’t make the change—it
must be an internal work of the Spirit. A God-given new birth from above. We
can’t do it on our own.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So
how does this birth from above happen? Water and the Spirit. Baptism. Our old
sinful nature drowned in the waters of Holy Baptism so God raises us up to new
life! It happens when we were washed in the waters and made alive again. But
notice what Jesus says about this new birth: “<i>unless one is born again he
cannot <u>see</u> the kingdom of God”</i>. Nicodemus <u>saw</u> a fair bit
outwardly. He saw that Jesus was a teacher from God. He saw miracles. But he
still hadn’t <u>seen</u> the kingdom of God. Gradually Jesus would reveal this
to him. Fully the Spirit would give him new birth to see the kingdom. Certainly,
by Jesus’ resurrection, Nicodemus fully saw and believed in the kingdom of God.
But our flesh is blindfolded. When we look for the kingdom of God with the eyes
of our flesh, we won’t see it happening. Won’t notice it. Even if we have been
born from above, we often fall back into looking for the kingdom of God with
eyes of flesh and see nothing. God’s kingdom doesn’t aim to impress worldly
eyes. It isn’t seen by them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus
spoke a lot about how the kingdom of God couldn’t be seen. In Luke 17, for
example, Jesus says that <i>“the kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can
be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For behold, the
kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:20-21). </i>He’s essentially
saying it’s right under your nose and you don’t see it! Jesus IS the arrival of
the kingdom of God, but eyes of flesh can’t see. He said the kingdom of God
belonged to little children (Luke 18:16), even as His own disciples were trying
to keep the kids away. Don’t look for the kingdom of God with eyes of flesh. Earthly
eyes looking for value, success, glory, and power in the ways of the world just
won’t see God’s kingdom. Jesus’ kingdom came invisibly, yet powerfully among
the people. Like the blowing of the wind or a seed growing underneath the soil.
Its invisible, but you hear it and see its effects. Invisible doesn’t mean “not
there.” Doesn’t mean “nothing’s happening.” It means the spiritual cause of
these works, the Holy Spirit’s operation, is hidden from our eyes. However, born
from above we can see it with spiritual eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How
do we see the kingdom of God? Jesus hides it under such ordinary things like
Word and water in baptism. Or bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper. Or
Christians gathered to worship together and pray together. But it’s more than
what we see on the outside. You can be here on the outside and not see what’s
happening <i>inside</i>. The growth of new life by water and the Spirit is
something invisibly happening inside us. “<i>So it is with everyone who is born
of the Spirit</i>.” Do we see and recognize how faith is given and created by
the Holy Spirit when an infant is baptized? No, we don’t see or understand; but
it is still happening, just as surely as the child grows for their first birth
in their mother’s womb, without us seeing or analyzing the process. Do we see
and understand how Christ’s words cause His body and blood to be present for us
to eat and drink in the Supper? It’s a mystery. We don’t see or understand. But
the Spirit doesn’t need our understanding to be powerfully at work. Thank God
that the Holy Spirit doesn’t stop working just because we don’t see the kingdom
of God with fleshly eyes!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">That’s
exciting and mysterious. It’s exciting and freeing to know that the Spirit is
blowing where He wishes (always in full agreement and unity with the Father and
Son, as we confess this Trinity Sunday!!). Spiritual eyes see the kingdom of
God happening. It’s freeing to know that we don’t control God’s Spirit, who is
filling the world with conviction, bringing us to the Truth, bringing us to
life. We’re not in the driver’s seat, we’re recipients of His new birth. We’re
baptized into the new life of the Spirit, to become someone altogether new and
different from our flesh. Don’t see or understand how it all works? The Spirit
does! His work is real, and His work continually brings us to Jesus Christ,
God’s Son sent to save the world. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Not
only does new birth by the Spirit help us “see” the kingdom of God. It also is
the condition by which we “enter” the kingdom of God. Jesus puts these in parallel
in John 3:3 and 5. Without the new birth of water and the Spirit, we can’t enter
the kingdom of God. Our sinful flesh blocks our sight and our entry into the
kingdom. Which is why we must be born of water and the spirit. It’s a major
condition Jesus puts on entry into God’s kingdom. But then do we fill that
condition? By grace, God provides <u>everything</u> we need to meet that
condition of entry! The Spirit creates our faith. The Spirit washes us with
holy water and joins us to Jesus in baptism. The Spirit convicts our hearts to
turn from sin, drowns us in baptism, and pulls us up breathing new life into
our lungs, raised in faith to praise our Lord and God! The Spirit opens our
eyes to see the kingdom of God and enter by the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. In other words, all we need for new life, our admission to the kingdom
of God, is given us freely by God! That is grace. God’s Riches At Christ’s
Expense. It’s all over the Gospels. Admission is a gift, not a right or
anything we earned or deserved. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Between
the now of our faith walk in the kingdom of God, and the not yet of our future
entry into God’s kingdom, we live in that new life, that new birth of the
Spirit. We look past the surface, the exterior. Spiritual eyes look deeper for
the work of the Holy Spirit, for the evidence of the kingdom of God in the
faith of a child, the humble working of God in the common forms of the Word and
Sacraments. The unseen work of a seed of God’s Word, planted in someone’s heart
by the Gospel. While we’re still in the flesh, our eyes will get heavy and be
blinded from the kingdom of God at work around us. But stirred up by the Spirit
and awakened to our new birth of water and the Spirit, we’re alive to see and
participate in the kingdom of God. Praying for its growth, walking in new life,
spreading the news that God so loved the world, so that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal
life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen! <o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-89688948426732137212021-05-25T08:15:00.002-10:002021-05-25T08:15:34.320-10:00Sermon on John 16:8-11, for Pentecost Sunday 2021 (B), "Convicted for Life" <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Amen. A blessed Pentecost! Or should we say, Happy Birthday, Christian
church? In a way, Pentecost is the birthday of the Christian church, the day when
Jesus poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit, so the church would begin to grow
and spread around the world. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What
does the word “conviction” mean to you? Do you think of a “man or woman of
conviction”, taking a courageous stand on the truth? Or a court room
conviction, like someone sentenced to jail? A convict has been convicted of a
crime. An ex-convict has “done the time” and is out of prison. Conviction…has
someone ever hauled you into court? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Today
Jesus uses the word “convict” to describe the work of the Holy Spirit. Before He
left, Jesus explained to the disciples that He was sending the Holy Spirit to “<i>convict
the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment”.</i> The Holy Spirit hauls
us into court. Are you “convicted” by the Holy Spirit? Do you carry His
conviction in your heart? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Convictions
can be either good or bad. Usually when we think of a person having strong convictions,
we mean that positively. People with convictions “stick to their guns”; they
don’t fold under pressure to abandon the truth. But tyrants and authoritarians can
also have the huge power of wrong convictions pushing them into great evil. It’s
not enough just to “have convictions”—they need to be true, Godly, and just. What’s
the power of good convictions—knowing the truth and sticking to it? It is having
a powerful impulse for love, goodness, compassion, self-sacrifice, and service—the
stuff of everyday heroes! No capes or superpowers required! Being convicted and
motivated to do good is a powerful thing. Being convicted to repent; to come to
God for life. These are the good convictions we pray the Holy Spirit stir in
us. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So
back to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. To convict the world of sin,
righteousness, and judgment. Jesus elaborates: “</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">concerning sin, because they do not believe in
me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me
no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">.” Courtroom language again. Conviction; sin
(i.e. the charge against us); righteousness (a standard by which we’re
measured); and judgment (the Judge’s decision). Last week and this week we hear
about God and the Spirit testifying. Today we read about the Holy Spirit at
work in this Divine Courtroom, convicting the world!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">How do we handle being hauled into court by
the Holy Spirit? Feels like we’re under the microscope. We’re on trial. We’re
the accused. Charges are coming our way. This is the charge of the Holy Spirit:
He convicts the world of <i>sin</i> because<i> they do not believe in [Jesus]</i>.
Interesting that Jesus sums all sin under one heading: unbelief. The first
commandment: <i>“You shall have no other gods</i>”. Really, all other sin stems
from breaking that first commandment….<i> they do not believe in me. </i>Believe
in God, we’ll take His commands seriously. When we are convicted of sin by the
Holy Spirit, we’ll repent of those broken commands. But don’t believe in God, break
the commands, and actions speak louder than words. Our actions communicate: “Did
God <i><u>really say</u></i>…?” If we do not believe in Jesus, we will neither
take the commands nor repentance seriously. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">So instead of thinking of sin as the sum of
our individual wrong actions, the Holy Spirit gets at the root of all sin. Our unbelief.
He exposes the “other gods” we put in His place. Sex. Power. Influence.
Control. Pride. Love of Money. Pull the weed up by the root, instead of cutting
off the leafy greens while the root still grows. In God’s courtroom, the Holy Spirit
lays bare our heart. He convicts us of unbelief; we have all sinned and fallen
short of the glory of God. We should all feel the Holy Spirit’s conviction of
our sin, as He roots it out of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Perhaps,
convicted by the Holy Spirit of sin, righteousness, and judgment—feels adversarial.
In the Divine courtroom, God the Father is Judge, and Jesus Christ is our Defense
Attorney. He does the unheard of and stands in as our substitute. He takes the punishment
and our guilty conviction we deserved and trades us His righteousness and
forgiveness. But if the Holy Spirit is convicting us, it sounds like a Prosecutor,
doesn’t it? Why would God be adversarial to us? In the prophet Isaiah, God talks
about His work of judgment as something unpleasant or unnatural to Him. He
calls it His “strange” or “alien” task—bringing us to repentance (Is. 28:21). He
lays the heavy weight of the law on us, so we admit our sin and flee from it. God
is adversarial to our <i><u>sin</u></i>. He must be so because He is holy. That’s
His strange work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Holy Spirit doesn’t “convict” us to leave us burdened or crushed by the Law and
our guilt. Rather, the Holy Spirit blocks our path or sets up warning signs to destruction
and self-harm, to corral us toward the narrow gate to life! His “strange” or “alien”
task is done so He can lead us to the Gospel, to forgiveness, and life! The “strange”
or “alien” task is in service to the Good News, the Gospel task—which is
natural, pleasing, and desirable to God. That is, to give life! Unbelief and
sin bring death. So, the Spirit aims to stop us! Block our way so we turn
around! Road closed! Bridge out ahead!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">That
relates to the second kind of conviction the Holy Spirit creates. Jesus says He
will convict the world of righteousness, “</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer.”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Why does the Holy Spirit need to convict us
of righteousness because we don’t see Jesus any longer? When Jesus was on
earth, He was a walking, flesh and blood reminder and example of righteousness.
He walked in God’s righteousness always. Once Jesus applied the word “conviction”,
to Himself in John 8:46, “<i>Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the
truth, why do you not believe me?”</i> So, if conviction is “to show someone
their sin and call them to repentance,” Jesus says it doesn’t apply to Him because
He can’t be convicted of sin. He has no need to repent because He walked in God’s
righteousness all the way. But <i><u>we</u></i> need that conviction concerning
righteousness. We don’t have Jesus visibly walking by our side to see righteousness
in action. But Jesus assured the disciples and us it was better that He go and
send us the Holy Spirit. The Spirit brings everything Jesus did and taught to
our memory. He teaches us, convicts us, shows us our sin so we turn to Him in
repentance. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Again, as with conviction about sin, the goal
of the Holy Spirit is to drive us to the Gospel, to hang on to Christ! Convicted
of His righteousness, we’re in awe of the Gospel, that God has transferred our
guilt to Jesus, and His innocence to us! In this sense, we are <i>convicted for
life</i>! Brought to the knowledge of our sin and Jesus’ righteousness, those
who believe in Jesus, who love God’s justice and mercy, are sentenced to life
in heaven! We are <i>convicts for life, </i>having been rescued from the
penalty of sin and death by Christ our substitute. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Finally, the Holy Spirit convicts the world <i>concerning
judgment, because the</i> <i>ruler of this world is judged</i>. The Holy Spirit
makes the truth evident to our hearts. First about sin, then about righteousness,
and finally about judgment. The sinful world, and its ruler, the devil, are
going to lose in the end. The failing regime of the devil’s kingdom is
powerful, but doomed. It’s got numbers, it’s got influence, it’s got supporters
aplenty. But Jesus judged the ruler of the world and cast him out. Hasn’t
stopped the devil from trying to recruit us and to steal, kill, and destroy.
The devil is still wreaking havoc. But there’s no scenario where sin and unbelief
win in the end. And the Holy Spirit is witness. His courtroom testimony is to spotlight
Jesus, and to spotlight His victory over the Evil One. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Convicted by the Holy Spirit of the judgment,
we don’t give the devil any more power than he’s already lost. We are not blind
to his schemes, but have eyes opened by the Holy Spirit. Believe in Jesus and
His victory over the Evil One, and you’re on God’s side. You stand in victory
with Jesus. On this Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the church, we welcome
the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Thank God that He stirs in our hearts the
true knowledge of our sin, that we may confess it and be cleansed of it. Thank
God that His Spirit shows us righteousness, in the life of Christ, and as His
gift by faith to us. And thank God that we are convicted of judgement. We don’t
naively walk through life with the idea that there’s no accounting to be made
for sin and unbelief, but rather we see the judgment of the devil and His kingdom
and want no part of that. We want to be <i>convicted for life.</i> We accept the
just sentence of God’s Court, that we have sinned and fallen short of the glory
of God, but are justified freely by faith in Christ Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">And if we are so convicted for life by the
Holy Spirit, we can truly live as men and women of conviction. People filled
with a strong passion for love, compassion, goodness and justice. And we can put
that conviction to good work serving others and being a light to show the
gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, let’s be convicted for life, by the Holy Spirit,
our Comforter! In Jesus’ Name, Amen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-47689748528530236382021-05-18T08:09:00.006-10:002021-05-18T08:09:47.387-10:00Sermon on 1 John 5:9-15, 7th Sunday of Easter 2021 (B), "The Testimony of God" <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Christ
is Risen! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia! This is the end of 1 John. A letter of
faith and love. Re-read the whole letter once or twice this week and reflect on
its resurrection messages and the new life we’re given. There’s always more there
than we can unpack. Mine the Bible for those precious jewels. God’s Word is a
treasure trove for your life! Today we’re mining the word “testimony.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
chapter 5, John compares the testimony of God to the testimony of man.
Testimony is a borrowed word from the courtrooms. Witnesses give their
testimony to what they’ve seen or heard. “Martyr” is Greek for “witness” and
later came to mean someone who died for their testimony, because so many early
Christians were put to death because they wouldn’t deny, change, or surrender
their testimony to Jesus Christ and His resurrection. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A
“testimony” or “witness” has a certain “weight” to it. A court weighs whether
they can trust the witnesses. That takes discernment. We talked two weeks ago
about John’s call for discernment. Live not by lies but live by the Truth. Recognize
truth from error. True prophets from false prophets and liars. So how is the
number of witnesses weighed? The Bible’s ancient rule, still influencing law
thousands of years later, is a minimum of 2 or 3 witnesses. That’s the minimum
to establish a matter in court or proceed with a criminal case. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
is for human testimony. We accept human testimony regularly in daily life. But
John is calling us today to consider the Testimony of God. Hear again 1 John
5:6-12: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">6 </span></sup></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">This is he who came by water and
blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And
the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>7 </sup></b>For there are three
that testify: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>8 </sup></b>the
Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>9 </sup></b>If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony
of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne
concerning his Son. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>10 </sup></b>Whoever
believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not
believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony
that God has borne concerning his Son. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>11 </sup></b>And
this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his
Son. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>12 </sup></b>Whoever has
the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. <sup><o:p></o:p></sup></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Who
arrives in the courtroom to testify, and what about? God shows up to testify! Testifying
about His Son! Also, the Spirit of Truth testifies, together with the water and
the blood! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Some
interesting stuff is going on here! First, God testifying about His Son. How
does God “take the stand?” In various ways. If we’re looking for some verbal
testimony, there’s Jesus’ baptism. God the Father spoke from heaven, as Jesus
was baptized in the presence of many human witnesses: “<i>This is my beloved
Son, with whom I am well pleased.”</i> God ID’s His Son and gives His approval.
Again, at His Transfiguration on the mountaintop, God adds: <i>“This is my
beloved Son; with whom I am well pleased; <u>Listen to Him</u>!”</i> Finally,
one more verbal testimony of God about Jesus is found in John 12. Jesus,
preparing for His cross, prays aloud: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">27 </span></sup></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“Now is my soul troubled. And what
shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come
to this hour. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>28 </sup></b>Father,
glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “<u>I have glorified it, and
I will glorify it again</u>.” <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>29 </sup></b>The
crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said,
“An angel has spoken to him.” <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>30 </sup></b>Jesus
answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>31 </sup></b>Now is the judgment of this world; now will the
ruler of this world be cast out.</span></i><sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></sup></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></sup></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Three times God spoke aloud from heaven for human
witnesses to hear. But this is not the limit of God’s testimony concerning His
Son. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Certainly, the earthquake, the tearing of the Temple
curtain, and Jesus’ resurrection from the dead spoke loudly that He was True
God! And the water and the blood also testified without words, that He was also
True Man with a beating heart, and His lifeblood poured out in death, for the
forgiveness of your sins. Finally, the whole of God’s Word is written testimony
to us. God speaks in all these ways if humans only have ears to hear. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So when John tells us “<i>if we receive the
testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater”</i> …He’s not kidding! But
does God’s message boil down to? John zeroes in so there is no mistaking, this
is the testimony: <i>“that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his
Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does
not have life.”</i> God’s testimony is aimed at giving us eternal life in
Jesus. God takes the stand on the most important issue of our lives: the
eternal fate of our souls. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">But 1 John 5 acknowledges that plenty of people
straight up don’t believe God exists. They dismiss God out of hand. How will
they listen if they admit no witness from God? John puts it bluntly: “<i>Whoever
does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the
testimony that God has borne concerning His Son…</i>and…<i>whoever does not
have the Son of God does not have life.”</i> To reject God is to call Him a
liar. One does that at their own peril. And believing who Jesus is—is the crux
of the issue. It’s no trivial thing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">God’s not just speaking to the choir, He calls to
all humanity, especially those who do not yet believe His testimony. God’s
testimony captured humanity’s attention when Jesus walked the earth, was
baptized, taught, died, and rose again. Through miraculous words and deeds;
Jesus’ death and resurrection; the truth He spoke so powerfully and
disruptively into our lives; through all this God witnesses that Jesus is His
Son, and we have life in Him. God shakes the whole world through Jesus, so we
see and take notice. His Truth is still powerful and disruptive; the world
reacts passionately against it. And many make God to be a liar when they
disbelieve His testimony about His Son. God stirs us up for life in His Son! No
one should be complacent or apathetic about their life and soul.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The testimony of God is greater than the testimony
of man. I assume I’m not convincing you of that, because you’re here; you
profess to worship and love Jesus. But outside our doors are the people you
know, who do not yet believe the testimony of God. More and more people don’t
believe in God and Jesus. At the same time this is happening in the West, the
Gospel is growing rapidly in the Global South, where people are coming to faith
in Christ in large numbers. But at home, more than ever, we need God’s testimony
to ring out for people to hear and believe it. We need to carry the testimony
of God out to others, speaking the truth in love. God’s testimony will do the
work; we just bring it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It's also significant that he contrasts the
testimony of God to the testimony of man. Many Christians are coached into
producing a personal “testimony” or sharing your personal faith story. But
that’s not how this passage is talking about testimony. Based on this verse, I
don’t believe our personal spiritual biography is the key to someone else
coming to faith. Rather it’s Jesus’ biography; His story that brings faith. God’s
testimony. I’m not saying our stories aren’t interesting, significant, or
useful. They might help in relating to a friend’s struggle or something like
that. But my spiritual biography can’t create faith for anyone. Only God’s greater
testimony, that He gives eternal life in His Son—only that creates faith. Getting
to know Jesus is far more important than our biographies or stories.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The problem with our stories, is our lives are inconsistent.
We’re weak and we struggle. We strive for our ideals, but fall short. It’s no surprise
we don’t have almost any biography from Jesus’ 12 apostles. It just wasn’t
important enough to record for posterity. John the Baptist said about Jesus: “<i>He
must increase; I must decrease.” </i>In other words: “I’ll spotlight Jesus and
get out of the way.” St. Paul provides us the most autobiography in the New
Testament. But whenever he highlights it, just like John, Paul is decreasing,
so Christ can increase. Paul shows he was the chief of sinners, but Christ is a
bigger Savior. And anyways, biography is not testimony, because testimony isn’t
about us, but what we witness others doing. So, rely on the testimony of God.
We must decrease, Christ must increase. Once again, there’s a time or place to
be vulnerable, to open up, and to share your life’s journey with someone. But don’t
confuse that with the testimony of God. God shows the world who Jesus is;
that’s the greater testimony. Pointing the world to Christ for eternal life. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Pray passionately for those who do not believe or
who struggle with God, that they would come to believe God’s testimony. Speak
the Word of Christ and let the Holy Spirit do His work. We plant seeds when we
share God’s testimony about His Son. When we call on Jesus as the Son of God,
and declare eternal life in His Name, we echo God’s testimony, so the courtroom
of all Creation echoes with the confession: “<i>Jesus Christ is Lord!”</i> We
can’t force seeds to grow. We can’t control the process of someone else hearing,
considering, and believing in God’s testimony. But we can speak the truth in
love. We can put God’s love into action in our lives. Being ready to answer for
the hope that we have. Being ready to pray for someone who is seeking God’s guidance
and will for their life. Being ready to love our neighbor as ourselves,
unconditionally, whether they believe or not. We love because He first loved
us. But no matter what, God’s Spirit does the work and makes seeds of faith to
grow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">God’s testimony rings down through the ages, changing
the lives of billions of Christians down through the ages. Life-changing, largely
because our death is not the end and this life is filled with meaning. We have hope
and a future. Those who have gone before us in faith, have the eternal life God
promises in His Son. God’s greater testimony is still working in our lives and
those of countless believers on earth. It has restored hope where hope was
gone. It has produced new lives in the forgotten and forsaken. God’s greater
testimony turns hatred into love, turns darkness into light, and drives away
the lie and brings in the Truth. The testimony of God is true; it’s greater
than man’s testimony; and it’s the testimony about His Son! In Jesus’ Name,
Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-39786327744835327742021-05-10T05:04:00.003-10:002021-05-10T05:04:48.892-10:00Sermon on 1 John 5:1-8, 6th Sunday of Easter 2021 (B), "Children of New Life" <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
Amen. In 1 John 5 let’s consider how you’re “Children of New Life.” We’re
familiar with our old life under sin and the condemnation of the law. Our daily
experience in a broken world. Old life is as familiar as worn-out shoes. But
Christ calls us to a new life. Learning, growth, and a new identity. Children
of God are born for a new life. 1 John teaches our new life centers around
simple things: faith, love, and the true confession of Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">First,
in v. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">1, John writes:<i> “Everyone who believes that
Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father
loves whoever has been born of him.”</i> Believing in Jesus as the Christ and
loving God the Father are marks of the children of God. Believing and loving.
We don’t become children of God by doing those things, but because Christ first
loved us, and by His own will, we were born of God (John 1:12-13). We become
who we are by being born of God. Believing Jesus and loving God are marks of
our New Life as Children of God. The product of knowing who we are in God’s
family and loving Him and trusting His plan. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">It’s really simple. Picture the best earthly
family, where a child doesn’t struggle with who they are or knowing they are
loved. Secure in the love they’re given, they freely return it to everyone in
the family. Things are as they should be. How much more so, born as children of
God. Our true Heavenly Father loves us with a perfection that we only begin to
discover in this life. We love Him because we’re born of Him. Our new life is
shaped and filled by His love. Secure in God’s love, protection, and guidance, we
freely return that love to God and all God’s family with us. In His family there’s
patience and room for growth into who He made us to be! And we trust Jesus
because we’re children of God. God sent our brother, our Savior, to defeat sin’s
power, that would lead us away from God’s family and love. We believe in Jesus
because we know and trust God’s good plan, and His love is the cornerstone of
our family’s love.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">When were we born into the family of God? Back
to John 3:5, Jesus says “<i>Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of
water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”</i> Our birth as
children of God is different from the natural birth that happened to all of us.
Our birth from above is by water and the Spirit. Our baptism. Water poured on
our body, with Jesus’ Words: “<i>I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”</i> Water, the Spirit, and new birth. We
are Children of New Life because God washed us, gave us His Spirit, and put His
Name on us. This New Life is ours by His gracious washing with the Spirit. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Vs. 2-3, “<i>By this we know that we love the
children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the
love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not
burdensome.”</i> As Children of New Life, we love each other in God’s family. Remember
your old life, old shoes? Sibling rivalry, fighting, and <i>not</i> loving each
other? That may all be part of my sinful nature, my earthly family; but that’s
what Jesus has overcome for us! Children of <i>New Life</i> are born to love
each other. Look around at your family in Christ Jesus. You all are member of
Christ to each other. You are to love each other as yourself. Love doesn’t end
with this circle gathered here, we are to love all our brothers and sisters in
Christ, and to love our neighbor’s as ourselves. Love is written into our DNA
as Children of New Life. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Yes, even Christians deal with conflict, with
troubled relationships, disagreements, resentments, arguments, etc. No church
of humans doesn’t have some level of that. We’re no exception. Our old sin
nature needs to daily be sent back to its grave in baptism, in repentance, in
owning our responsibility in sorrow and returning to our gracious, forgiving
Father through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. We are committed to each other
by the call to be Children of New Life. John describes New Life, not Old Life.
He’s describing what should be, what can be, and what will be when we live in
our New Life identity, and not clinging to our selfish, controlling, or
impatient selves. New Life is for here and now. Walking in Christ’s
forgiveness, reconciliation, and love. This Christian family of believers at
Emmanuel grows simply by practicing the love of Christ with each other in all
our interactions. Patience, listening, lowering our guard, loving, sharing,
acts of kindness. Loving each other and obeying God’s commandments is an
identifying mark that we’re Children of God. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">What are those commandments again? John
helpfully reminds us in 1 John 3:23, “<i>And this is his commandment, that we
believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he
has commanded us.”</i> Pretty much the same as verse 1! God’s commandment is to
believe in Jesus and love each other! <i>And His commandments are not
burdensome</i>. Again, are we listening with our old ears, our sinful nature,
or with our new ears, as Children of New Life? To the child of God, believing
in Jesus and loving each other is joyful and satisfying! We’re living for what
we’re made for! New life! Not back-biting, not excluding, not tearing down or
squabbling; none of that old way of life. New life! Helping, serving, walking together,
finding the one who needs your love. God’s commandments are not burdensome. God
gives you strength to carry burdens; but loving each other is not a weight
around your neck. It doesn’t steal your joy; it gives you joy! Try it! See how
loving your neighbor, loving your brother and sister in Christ, fills you with
peace and joy. Evidence you’re a child of God! Live in the New Life, not as a
burden, but receive it as a gift of the Holy Spirit. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Because the real burdens of the Ten
Commandments and all the guilt at our feet for every broken command—all that
heavy burden was taken up to Jesus’ cross. How do we know that? By the
witnesses of the water and blood that poured out of His side, we know that He
died for our sins, and the payment was completed. By His breathing out His
Spirit, and His cry of completion: “It is finished”, we know that sin’s power
over us is defeated. And by the witnesses of eyes, hands, and ears, that saw
the Living Jesus raised up from death, we know that His payment was accepted,
and His payment was victory for us because He lives! The burden of sin, the
burden of the guilt at our feet, has been taken from us at Jesus’ cross! So,
what remains is the joyful calling to continue loving our neighbor as Christ
first loved us! Believing in Jesus and loving each other is not a burden, but a
joy to be part of the family!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Vs. 4-5, <i>“For everyone who has been born of
God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the
world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God?”</i> Children of New Life live in Jesus’ victory.
We’re born of God, so we overcome the world by our faith. “The world” here
especially means the sinful world. Worldliness. Everything against the kingdom
of God. Idols, frauds, antichrists and false prophets—anything that tries to
take the place of God. Frauds can never win, no matter how much they are loved
and praised and propped up by the world. All frauds, idols, and everything
false will be defeated by God and the Truth. They are hollow, empty, and
lifeless, however many people are deceived and won over by them. And “the
world” includes all evil-doing, all fear, despair, hopelessness, deception,
pride, and all other worldly fruits of evil-doing opposed to God’s kingdom and
His children. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">We need this news of our victory over the
world because we’re in the thick of the spiritual battle. A contest for the
souls of men and women. Often we feel discouraged or defeated, like the enemy
has the upper hand. But take heart, it’s nothing new! Even the Psalmists felt
at times like they were surrounded by enemies, or that enemies are winning and experiencing
favor, while the righteous suffered and struggled. You’re in familiar waters! Children
of New Life don’t “have it easy.” New Life doesn’t mean it won’t be hard. It
will be hard! But we’re not about to take the easy old life back to slavery,
defeat, and despair! We have God’s reliable intelligence that victory is
already determined. We win in Christ Jesus, and like Him, we’ll have the battle
scars to prove it!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">This is the victory that has overcome the
world, our faith. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Faith is our
victory because Children of New Life don’t live just by what their senses in
the world tell them, which might speak of defeat, or losing ground, or fear or
hopelessness. Children of New Life live by faith, with eyes to see the unseen.
With trust in God’s promises of victory, and the gifts of new life to face the
battle. Faith gives courage over fear and struggle because faith looks to
Jesus. He is the power of faith: <i>Who is it that overcomes the world except
the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?</i> The power of faith is
that it is directed to Jesus, who wins the victory. Faith knows Jesus lives,
and faith knows Jesus wins. It’s that simple! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">God birthed us in the waters of baptism. Born
Children of New Life. Born into His family, with Jesus as our brother, and we
are brothers and sisters in Christ. Bound together in love, that reflects back
to Him and out to each other and beyond. Faith and love mark us as children of
God. Faith and love show who we are, and that we really are born for this new
life, not to be trapped in the old dead powers of sin. And knowing who the true
Jesus is, the promised Savior, we live in His victory. Victory over our sin,
our guilt, our death. Victory over the world and all its dying, desperate
raging against the kingdom of God. Do not fear the dying gasps of the Evil One,
but live confidently and courageously as Children of New Life, living in Jesus’
victory! In Jesus’ Name, Amen. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-68883871115344210172021-05-03T08:36:00.002-10:002021-05-03T08:36:20.151-10:00Sermon on 1 John 4:1-6, for the 5th Sunday of Easter 2021 (B), "Live by the Truth"<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Christ
is Risen! He is Risen indeed, Alleluia! So far in 1 John we’ve discussed how we
are “Raised for Fellowship,” how “We Shall Be Like Him”, and what “Resurrection
Love” looks like. Today is not so much of a “resurrection theme”, but John
calls us to distinguish truth and lies. This week I shared an essay in the Midweek
Encouragement by the Nobel prize winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn, titled “Live
Not by Lies.” He was exiled in 1974 from his homeland in Russia, for criticizing
the communist regime, and paid for it by serving a sentence in the gulags—prison
labor camps for political prisoners, dissidents, and common criminals. His
crime was to think different and to speak out. He witnessed firsthand the
horrific power of lies to subjugate a nation and spoke against it at great
personal cost. A Christian who chose not to live by lies, he chose to live by
the truth. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">From
the Garden of Eden to today, the deadliness of the devil’s countless lies
remains the same. The devil is always reinventing, repackaging, and reselling
the same old lies. Jesus calls the devil a <i>murderer from the beginning</i>
and <i>the father of lies.</i> His first lie was to sow distrust in God’s Word.
Feeding Adam and Eve’s fateful choice to learn to know evil, thinking they
could control it to their own benefit. We always need to guard against the
devil’s repackaged lies and hold fast to God’s Truth. Lies will run from God’s
truth as darkness runs from the light. For that to happen, we need to shine God’s
Truth. On the other hand, when lies are believed, they deceive, murder, kill
and oppress.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It’s
said that a lie runs halfway around the world before the truth gets its pants
on. Lies spread like wildfire, and usually they’ve done their damage and gone
away long before the truth can catch up, or it’s already too late. As
Christians, we need to hear all those who call us to return to the truth:
Jesus, John, and even men like Solzhenitsyn, who called us to “live not by lies.”
He said we should never participate in or strengthen anything false. In other
words, we should be inflammable, resistant to the fires of lies, renouncing them,
not fueling them. Soaked in the waters of baptism, we should always be ready to
extinguish a lie. John’s way of saying it is that we must be wise and on guard,
and <i>do not believe every spirit.</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Beloved,
do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from
God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> Picture
the false spirits, false prophets and lies spreading like wildfire in the
world, and John calls us to skepticism and disbelief of those lies. This is one
of those key verses that show us the other side of faith. Wisdom, discernment, and
testing are expected of mature faith. Faith should never be an “easy-believism”
or naivete that swallows whatever we are told. Cross-examine, double-check,
don’t take things at face value. That’s true in many areas of daily life, but
John is especially talking here about faith and the teachers in the church. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
are to test, challenge, and dispute with “the spirits” to see whether they are
from God. That is, we are to test what we hear—including every message from myself
or other preachers. We don’t get a special imprimatur or official stamp of
approval that “anything he says goes!” Rather God’s Word, the Bible, measures
and rules every teaching. To test the spirits is to hold every teaching, every
idea, up to God’s Light, and examine it as true or false. And if it is God’s
Truth, it is to be believed!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How
will we know the Spirit of God from the spirit of error? First and foremost by
their confession of Jesus Christ. John lays it out black and white—<i>every
spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every
spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God</i>. Do they uphold the true
confession of Jesus? Many claim Jesus but are false prophets or antichrists.
Jesus called them wolves in sheepskins, because they prey on the flock and hide
in lamb’s disguises. To “out” those wolves, we need to know the true confession
of Jesus, to spot the fake. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">You
may know that treasury agents are trained to identify fake money primarily by
spending a lot of time studying, handling, and feeling the genuine article. By
holding, touching, and examining the genuine dollar bills, they become so
familiarized with the “real deal” that it’s easy to spot and identify a fake. Similarly,
there are too many fakes, frauds, and imitations of the truth to study and
debunk them all. Many religious fakes are obvious and fall at first inspection,
but some are powerfully deceptive frauds. Lincoln said: “You can fool all the
people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot
fool all the people all the time.” It’s the power of a lie, and the devil’s
repackaging a million different ways. In the same way, when we know the Truth, are
so familiarized with the “real deal” of God’s Word—if we study and know Jesus as
Lord—we will be far less likely to fall for a fake. By instinct we’ll sniff out
an antichrist or false prophet. A wolf preaching some “other Jesus” than Jesus
of Nazareth, the Christ of the Bible. All fakes will finally fall to the Light
of the Truth. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">John
traces the outline of the True Jesus. To confess the Father, we must confess
the Son. You can’t have the Father without the Son (1 John 2:22-23). We must
confess Him as the Christ—the anointed or Chosen Savior. Peter got it right by
God’s help, when he confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living
God (Matthew 16:16). John adds the true confession of Jesus confesses He came
in the flesh. Not an angel or spirit, not a look-alike, but a real human born
of His virgin mother Mary, and who died in the flesh and rose in the flesh,
touched, and handled by the eyewitnesses. Jesus is true Man, in the flesh, and
also truly Son of God (1 John 4:3-4, 14-15).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">All
this and more, the genuine Biblical confession of Jesus, makes up the Apostle’s
and Nicene Creeds that we confess each Sunday. Obviously, the devil doesn’t
attack only these main points of Jesus’ identity, but any and every teaching of
Scripture. The devil lies endlessly about God’s Word. But with the Bible as our
measuring stick, and the Creeds as a faithful summary of Scripture used for
nearly 2,000 years, we can quickly sort out the vast majority of frauds, false
prophets, and antichrists, from the true Christ of the Bible.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">John
wrote in vs. 3, <i>every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.
This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in
the world already. </i>Remember how many of God’s promises are “now, but not
yet”? The “now, but not yet” applies to the spiritual battle between truth and
error also. The spirit of antichrist is now present. Since the time of John.
There will always be enemies of Christ. But the spirit of antichrist is growing
till the devil’s final push at the end of times, to deceive as many as
possible. 1 John 2:18-20 says, “<i>Children, it is the last hour, and as you
have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come.
Therefore, we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they
were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.
But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.”</i>
We will face growing tension, spiritual warfare, and division among Christians
as we approach the end of times, the last hour. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Notice
the origin of many false prophets? John warns: “<i>they</i> <i>went out from
us, but they were not of us</i>.” The antichrist comes out of the church, in
religious clothing. Wolves in sheepskins. 2 Thessalonians 2 calls the
Antichrist the “Man of Lawlessness” and says he “<i>opposes and exalts himself
against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in
the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”</i> While pushing over gods
and objects of worship, the antichrist remains religious in character. He tries
to usurp and replace all gods and objects of worship, proclaiming himself to be
God. Many Christians expect a political figure, more than a religious one, but
these passages show a distinctly religious flavor to the work of the
antichrist. Hundreds of individuals have been identified as Antichrist in
recent history. Again, there will be many, John warns, but the main thing is
that we steer clear of them and stay on guard. Counterfeits go out, but are not
“of us”, not the true church. When we commit to “live not by lies”, we must
help the world not see the counterfeits, but the true Christ, true prophets,
and His true church. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">V.
4-5 <i>Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is
in you is greater than he who is in the world. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup>5 </sup></b>They are from the world; therefore they speak
from the world, and the world listens to them. </i>Little children of God are
mighty. We are weak but He is strong because the God who is in us has overcome
the world. God overcomes the false prophets, the antichrists, and the spirit of
error that runs the world. <i>He who is in you is greater than he who is in the
world</i>. So, God is obviously the Greater One in us, but who is the lesser “<i><u>he</u>
who is in the world</i>?” Firstly, that’s the devil. When Jesus went to His
death, He announced that “<i>now is the judgment of this world; now will the
ruler of this world be cast out” (</i>John 12:31) and that the ruler of this
world “<i>has no claim on me” </i>(John 14:30). Jesus judged and cast out the
devil when He died on the cross. The devil has no claim, no power, no authority
on Jesus. He’s a lingering, defeated, dethroned enemy who prowls around like a
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). But little children,
you are from God, and have overcome him, because Greater is God is in you, than
he who is in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">And
there are those who “<i>are in the world</i>” who follow the devil. False
prophets, wolves, antichrists, any that are captive to error. God,<i> “who is
in you is greater than he who is in the world</i>,” applies to them also. God is
greater than all who lie and slander those who are of the truth. Our victory is
in God, so we need not fear the power of lies and worldliness. Solzhenitsyn,
who resolved to “live not by lies” was never martyred, but he paid a price for
his stand. Many Christian martyrs and men and women of courage also have paid a
personal cost to refuse to live by lies. We need not fear to pay an earthly
price because Christ is the victory over the world. There is still time in this
last hour, for people to be won over to God’s truth, to pray for and seek their
salvation from the failing, defeated, and doomed kingdom of the devil. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">V.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6</b>: “<i>We are from God. Whoever
knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this
we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”</i> The world will always
accept the lies and worldliness it wants to hear. All that promotes sin and
ungodliness, self-centered living, denial of sin and responsibility, walking in
darkness. The world is all for that. The spirit of error. Pandering to the
spirit of error makes one popular, but speaking the truth gets the scorn and
abuse of the world. We are from God. The boast is not in ourselves, poor
sinners rescued by grace, but in our mighty God who overcomes. We must always
distinguish the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error. Live not by lies, but
by the Truth. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to
the Father except by Him (John 14:6). The True Christ of the Bible, is our true
victory over sin, lies, and evil, as Jesus delivers one day the final defeat of
all the powers of darkness. Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!
Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-33607362273309534452021-04-27T07:44:00.001-10:002021-04-27T07:44:24.251-10:00Sermon on 1 John 3:16-24, for the 4th Sunday of Easter 2021 (B), "Resurrection Love"<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Christ
is Risen! He is Risen indeed, Alleluia! This Easter season we’re looking at
resurrection themes in 1 John. Today John shows us what resurrection love looks
like in the life of a believer. Resurrection love is sacrificial, open hearted,
and generous to those who are in need. Resurrection love is for action and
deeds not just word or speech. Our heart is the battleground between this
resurrection love of Jesus Christ and the way of darkness, sin, and death. This
“worldliness” tries to squeeze Christ’s resurrection love and truth from our
hearts. Jesus’ death and resurrection stirs resurrection love in our hearts, to
love as God first loved us. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">V.
16 </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">By this we know love, that he laid down his
life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">. Resurrection loves knows Jesus, and how He lived
and died for us. He laid down His life for us because He loves us. His love is <i>resurrection</i>
love because He confidently laid down His life in the knowledge that He would take
it up again. This is the miracle and drama of His death for our sins and resurrection.
Christ creates resurrection love in our hearts, to boldly love the same way, as
we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Don’t miss the difference—you can’t lay your
lives down for anyone’s sin. Jesus has already completed that. We’ve no authority
to take up our lives again either. So, what are we doing? How can we love sacrificially,
to the point of laying down our lives for our brothers? Isn’t that reckless?
How can we afford to live sacrificially? Isn’t there too much to lose? Because we
live in the confidence that death is <i>not</i> the end, this life is <i>not</i>
all there is, and when we lay down our lives, <i><u>Jesus</u></i> does have the
authority to take our lives up again…and will! The resurrection love of Jesus
empowers us to live sacrificially because we don’t operate by what we’ve got to
lose, but how we can live sacrificially so others might gain from our love. Resurrection
love is bigger than death because it lives in Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">By contrast, without the resurrection, we’re
trapped by worldliness and living only for self. If this life is all there is
and all I have, I better not risk it on anyone else. Just me, myself, and I;
you’re not my concern. Hearts without the resurrection of Jesus can be ruled by
dread of death or a self-preservation instinct that closes our hearts our neighbor’s
need. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">That’s where John goes next, in v. 17, <i>But
if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his
heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?</i> Resurrection love is
open-hearted and generous. God’s resurrection love dwells in our hearts, warming
us to the needs of our neighbor, living sacrificially for the needy. Without
resurrection love, our hearts are cold and closed to our neighbor’s need. God’s
love gets squeezed out. What closes our hearts against our neighbor? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Being cynical about poverty is one big squeeze
against God’s love. You might think poverty can never change, or the poor will
never change. So why help? But objectively, measurably, this isn’t true! Yes,
there will always be some measure of poverty, but that doesn’t mean it can’t
change! Do you think the problem of poverty has gotten better or worse in the
last 30 years? How about the last 200? Atheist Steven Pinker gives some
interesting facts for us to consider. Today, 10% of the world’s population
lives in extreme poverty. Obviously, more in some countries than others. But 1
in 10 people live in extreme poverty today. What percent do you think lived in
extreme poverty 30 years ago? 37%! Almost four times as many, just 30 years
ago! What about 200 years ago? Have a guess? 90%, or 9 in 10 people lived in
extreme poverty 200 years ago! Factually, we shouldn’t be pessimistic about the
opportunity to lift people out of poverty. It’s been happening dramatically
over the last 200 years!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">But even if the facts were not so dramatically
optimistic—even if things got dramatically worse—Christians with the
resurrection love of Jesus in our hearts cannot help but be open-hearted and generous
to those in need. To live sacrificially to uplift of others, and not selfishly only
for our own needs. Even if there were no evidence that poverty was changing or
could change, we would still love our neighbor as ourselves. Because Jesus’ resurrection
love battles sin and darkness and the despair and hopelessness that threaten to
swallow the needy. We would still bring them Christ’s light and love
regardless. His resurrection love can transform every situation, even when earthly
needs remain. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">John’s
next description of resurrection love is v. 18, </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Little children, let us not love in word or
talk but in deed and in truth.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Resurrection love is not empty words, but concrete action. With Jesus’
resurrection in our hearts, we can’t stop at mouthing words, but have to help
our neighbor in action. It can’t end with a sermon and an “Amen!” Giving to the
poor, supporting charities, contributing to the work of the church, lending a
helping hand when we don’t have money to help, or volunteering for a good cause.
There are many ways for good intentions to turn into good actions. But they all
need action, not just talk. There’s plenty of room for creativity, and it doesn’t
have to be a solo effort! Great organizations are already doing good work in
the community, and Emmanuel has many great charitable ministry friends in our
community like Malama Pregnancy Center, Wailuku Union Food Pantry, Maui Rescue
Mission, Women Helping Women, and others. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">A few more facts about charity. A worldwide
study of 126 nations over ten-years found that the USA was consistently the
most charitable country in the world. But charitable giving is also on a
downward trend in the US since 2014. Other studies have shown that the poorest
people tend to give the biggest portion of their income to help others, mirroring
what Jesus saw with the widow giving her mites. Those closest to the need often
respond most compassionately. Most importantly, however, is not how well we
show up in statistics or public opinion, but the actual flesh and blood,
concrete ways we show resurrection love however we can. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">After describing resurrection love as
sacrificial, open-hearted and generous, and being a matter of actions and not
mere words, John shows us that the heart is the battleground for God’s truth. Worldliness
squeezes us into narrow, selfish, closed thinking that only sees this life’s
horizons and how to protect me, myself, and my worldly goods. Resurrection life
propels us into the bold and risky business of loving our neighbor
sacrificially. Our heart is the battleground of this contest. Are we rooted in
God’s love, forgiveness, and His resurrection for us? Does that fill us with enough
richness to take a risk? Or have we become close-hearted, selfish, guilty, or
condemned by our own heart, seeing how we have failed to love our neighbor as
ourselves? Have my material needs squeezed me into seeing only my goods, not God’s
riches? The heart has a lot to sort out when we contemplate the working out of
resurrection love in our own lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">So, let’s look at how the heart cries for this
reassurance before God, the reassurance of a clean conscience. Listen again to
the last chunk of the reading: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">By this we
shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for
whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows
everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence
before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments
and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name
of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever
keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that
he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Notice a few things. There is a knowledge that
reassures our heart and a guilt that condemns it. But God is greater than our
heart and we confidently approach Him in prayer through Jesus. Our heart is the
battleground between God’s truth and worldliness. Will our heart and actions be
ruled by resurrection love? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">God
gets the final say. The truth that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows
everything, overrules even the messages our heart tells us. Our heart can speak
truthfully, when we live in the truth and when the Spirit is speaking in our hearts.
Our heart speaks truthfully when it calls out our sin and calls us to repent
before God. On the other hand, our heart can be plain deceptive, fearful, angry,
anxious, defensive, or false in many ways, when worldliness rules our heart and
actions. But God overrules all that our heart may say, because He is greater
than our hearts—only in agreement with Him can our heart speak genuine
reassurance. When our heart speaks falsely, or in disagreement with God, then
it is unreliable and supplies false and deadly reassurances. When our heart is
humble, repentant, and faithful, it is reassured by His forgiveness. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So
how can we align our heart’s speech with God’s truth? If we have been following
John’s message so far, in chapter 1 and 2 we understand we have to be truthful
about our own sin and confess it to God. Wage war on your sin; don’t aid and abet
it. Repent daily. Secondly, John invites us to a boldness and confidence to
approach God’s throne of grace through Jesus Christ, who paid for all of our
sins. John says, </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Beloved,
if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we
ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases
him…</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">if that seems too daring or bold, we remember
that it’s Jesus’ sacrificial resurrection love that gives this bold access to
God’s throne of grace. A heart aligned to God’s truth—knowing our sin,
confessing it and being cleansed by Jesus’ blood—such a heart is free to
approach God boldly in prayer. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Jesus’ resurrection love gives us our new
heart, already directing us to keep God’s commandments and please Him. Probably
our steps are stumbling and halting. Probably our heart must overcome its guilt
and fear by turning again and again to Jesus’ forgiving blood. Probably we need
to reexamine how much worldliness we have absorbed consciously and unconsciously
from our education, entertainment, media, and culture. Where have I let worldliness
edge out God’s commandments? Where have I redefined God’s love to worldly love,
to suit my convenience or my sinful behaviors. We’re in the battle to keep our heart
and conscience clean, where Christ’s resurrection love reigns. This is the
heart that pumps to get us into action. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Once more, resurrection love is sacrificial,
it’s open-hearted and generous. It gets going in concrete action. And that
resurrection love is pumping from a new heart given to us by Jesus. His death
for our sins and victory over death give us the freedom to live boldly for Him
and compassionately for others. Having a closed, compassionless heart is not an
option. Putting our old sinful nature daily to death is the way forward, and God
answers our confession and prayer with the gift of a clean conscience; a forgiven,
clean heart, that is ready to love others as He has first loved, and always
loves us, in Jesus’ Name. Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-58464926489130922982021-04-20T08:13:00.008-10:002021-04-20T08:13:59.154-10:00Sermon on 1 John 3:1-7, for the 3rd Sunday of Easter 2021 (B), "We Shall be Like Him"<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!
Hear this great resurrection truth: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">1
John 3:2, </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will
be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears <u>we shall be like
him</u>, because we shall see him as he is. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus has risen
from the grave and will return one day. Also, we are God’s children now, and
will become fully like Jesus when He returns. These two points in our spiritual
timeline are the “now” and the “not yet.” The gap is growing ever closer, as we
move closer to our Risen Lord’s return. So, the great resurrection truth of 1
John 3, is that we are already God’s children now, and that we shall be like
Jesus when He returns. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How
big is Jesus’ Easter glory? How big a deal to be called children of God, aimed
on a trajectory that ends in becoming fully like Jesus, our Risen Lord? Don’t
take it for granted! 1 John 3:1 cries out in wonder<i>: “</i></span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">See what kind of love the Father has given to
us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Take notice! Pay attention! Compare! What
kind of love does God give, to make us children of God? God’s love is
incomparable. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Sadly, not all earthly children are born from
a committed, enduring love. Many are, but not all. It happens that some
children are conceived and born without earthly love to make them thrive and grow
into who they are. But God’s love is infinitely better than even the best that
human parents can give. God’s love is committed and enduring, and it succeeds
in keeping us our whole life through, so we can thrive and grow into who we are
meant to be as God’s children. His love rains down from heaven more abundantly
than we can measure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Look
at the West Maui mountains. Beautiful, green, rugged. High above in the West
Maui watershed is Pu’u Kukui, one of the wettest places on earth. Clouds drench
the mountaintops with rain, which courses down the mountain slopes in
waterfalls and rivulets and sinks into porous volcanic rock on its journey
downhill from the mountaintops to our streams and rivers and groundwater below.
Water, continuously pouring down from the heavens above, renews and supplies
daily life to countless green plants and trees, farms, fish, birds, humans and
their homes across the island. From the tops of the mountains to their bottoms,
the abundant rain and sunlight carpet the earth with green, vibrant life. You
can literally see the green life stretching down from the heavens to the ocean
below. See what kind of water is pouring down from above! See what kind of
generous, life-giving abundance is given! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Now
think about God’s love that way. In the waters of baptism, God pours down grace
on us continually, from heaven, grace upon grace. God’s love flows down like
waterfalls and rivulets, permeating deep into our human “bedrock” and becoming <i>springs
of living water that well up to everlasting life</i> (John 4:14; 7:38). In
baptismal waters, we are created as children of God, and so we are! And
everywhere God’s love and grace pours down, there is a rich carpet of green
growth, of lives touched, healed, and made living children of God. Get to know
your fellow Christians and you can see the love of God working in each of us,
giving life!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">To
be called children of God is such a beautiful testimony to God’s love, because without
Jesus we’re outsiders, aliens to God’s covenant, even enemies and rebels to God
in our sin! We didn’t belong in the household. Had no legal standing as God’s
sons and daughters. But for the salvation of Jesus, we are now called God’s
children! Adopted into the family, baptized into the covenant, drenched under
the waters with God’s love and new identity, pouring down from heaven to us. In
Jesus we belong to this household, to this church, by grace. We have legal
standing as God’s children, and a promised inheritance by faith in Him! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Who
calls us children of God? Most importantly, God does! As Christians, we call
each other children of God too. Does it matter when the world scoffs at your name?
Does it matter the names people may call you when you are a child of God? Isn’t
your identity in Him far more important than what anyone may think of you? May
we never be ashamed of that name but wear it and sing it with grateful joy— “I
am a child of God!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
is all we already are <i>now</i>. I opened with the great resurrection truth of
verse 2: <i>Beloved, we are God’s children <u>now</u>, and what we will be has
not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears <u>we shall be like him</u>,
because we shall see him as he is.</i> It points to what we are <i>not yet</i>.
The future in store for us. Where we are headed. What God has underway for us.
As God’s great love has <i>already</i> made us His children, it is also
continually making us <i>more like our Risen Lord</i>. Jesus, risen from the
dead, is coming again one day, and <i>when He appears, we shall be like Him,
because we shall see Him as He is</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
already imagined God’s love like rain and sun pouring down from above. Now
picture it as a powerful goodness drawing us up to Him. As though pulled
irresistibly to Jesus by the power of His magnetism or the invisible force of
gravity, God’s great love is drawing us ever closer into likeness with Jesus.
His return completes the transformation, and we shall be like Him. How will we
become like our Risen Lord Jesus? First of all, this glorious resurrection
truth is that we will have a resurrection body like the Lord Jesus’. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">He
appeared to His disciples in flesh and bones, ate a meal of fish, allowed His
hands, feet, and side to be touched and handled by curious hands and eyes, so eyewitnesses
could proclaim this message to us. He rose from the dead with living flesh and
bones, and we shall be like Him. Our resurrection body will still be the same
me and you, but without the weakness of sin, death, or aging. All illness,
genetic defect, pain, weakness, and infirmities will be gone. The perfect form,
in the flesh, of who God made us to be. Recognizably ourselves, God-made-unique;
but all the perishable faults, flaws, and evidence of sin and its work will be
gone forever. A new, deathless body, ready for eternal life to the fullest with
Jesus!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Can
we pause again in thanksgiving to celebrate <i>what kind of love</i> the Father
has given to us, that <i>we should be called children of God</i>! Thank you
Jesus! Not only will we be like Him in the resurrected body, but we will also
be like Him in perfect holiness. Last week we talked about John’s theme of
walking in darkness or walking in light. It carries over into today’s reading: <i>Everyone
who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness…</i></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></sup></b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Little
children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous,
as he is righteous.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> Children of God don’t “go to practice” to
train in sinning, keep up a life of wickedness, or to live for our sin.
Children of God “go to practice” to train in righteousness, to keep up a life
of struggling against sin, growing toward His light, like plants thriving from
the rain and sun reach up towards the heavens. We become like Jesus in perfect
holiness. Children of God practice righteousness as God continually shapes us
to be like Him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">God
remakes His image that was lost in us at the Garden of Eden. Before sin entered
the world, Adam and Eve once walked with God as children of God. No sin divided
them from God. No rebellion, no disobedience or contrary spirit against His
good Fatherly love. Made in the image of God, perfectly reflecting the Creator.
Sin destroyed that. So, to become God’s children again now, and grow fully like
Jesus, we will one day see Him as He is, and be finally transformed into His
image. Hear vs. 2 again: “<i>Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we
will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like
him, because we shall see him as he is.</i><sup>”</sup> 2 Corinthians 3:18
echoes that by saying: <i>“we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of
the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to
another.”</i> Both verses tell us how we are transformed into Jesus’ image. By
seeing Jesus as He is, eyes fixed on the glory of the Lord. Eyes on Jesus,
that’s our return to holiness, to the perfect, childlike innocence of the
Garden, a relationship with God that is not severed by walking in darkness, but
freely joined to Him, walking in light. Eyes on Jesus, we become more and more
like Him by the work of God’s grace and Spirit. God dismantles the rebellion,
disobedience, and contrary spirit, and magnetically draws us up into the
likeness of Christ, eyes on Him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Once
again, this resurrection truth is a “now, but not yet” thing. Started, but not
complete. God’s love has already poured down and made us children of God. God’s
powerful love is making us become like Jesus. We’re on our way and headed
there. We don’t skip past “the now” to get to the “not yet.” There’s still
plenty to live for and do here and now. We’re on earth to be His children and
reflect Christ’s love to others. We’re not twiddling our thumbs waiting for the
end result before we can enjoy the fruit of this resurrection truth. As plants
continue to grow and thrive under the rain and light of the sun, so also
children of God are growing and increasing in strength and rootedness our whole
life long. His new life is already in us now, and it’s made for living outward
in love toward others. That new life matters here and now, for you and for
others, even as we are headed for the fullness of joy awaiting us in the “not
yet” of Jesus’ return. Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-1868856243749466422021-04-13T12:54:00.001-10:002021-04-13T12:54:05.694-10:00Sermon on 1 John 1:1-2:2, 2nd Sunday of Easter 2021 (B), "Raised for Fellowship"<p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Christ
is Risen! He is Risen indeed, Alleluia! Easter called us to trust Jesus’
reliable Word, and witness how our Risen Good Shepherd comes to His beloved
sheep. These next six weeks of the Easter season we’ll study 1<sup>st</sup>
John to explore Jesus’ resurrection gifts and blessings to His church. In 1
John 1, I want to zero in on verses 3-7. They tell the effect of the resurrection
message: “<i>that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that
you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the
Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that
our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from him and
proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say
we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not
practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from
all sin.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus’
resurrection creates fellowship—fellowship with the Father and the Son, and
fellowship with each other. And that there is a fellowship-breaking walk, and a
fellowship-keeping walk. To walk in darkness or walk in light. So today let’s
consider <i>what</i> fellowship is, <i>why</i> Jesus’ resurrection creates it,
and <i>how</i> we stay in it. The “what”, “why”, and “how” of fellowship.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">First,
what is fellowship? <i>Koinonia</i> in Greek. Translations include
“fellowship”, “communion”, “participation”. <i>Koinonia</i> can also be
expressed as “shared in common”, or as Dietrich Bonhoeffer liked to call it, “life
together.” What do we share in common? What is our Christian “life together?” The
foundation is our confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Paul writes: Ephesians 4:4–6 “<i>There is one body and one Spirit—just as you
were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.</i>”
One body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. That’s the stuff of our
fellowship, our “life together” in Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Our
life together makes us a common body, the body of Christ. We have each other in
common—we’re not disconnected fingers, toes, and ears. We’re a whole. We belong
to each other. The body of Christ is community and togetherness, not
fragmentation, isolation, or disconnectedness. We share joys and blessings,
sorrows and struggles together. We stand by each other, not just for the good
times, but the bad times also, because we need each other. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Fellowship,
or life together is not made for the abstract, but in the flesh. In our words,
actions, and interactions with each other. It looks like Christians together in
worship, hearing God’s Word together, studying the Bible together, praying for
each other, recognizing and listening to each other when someone is struggling.
It looks like reaching out to the disconnected, the homebound, and the lonely,
and taking care of each other. It looks like the vulnerability and trust of opening
yourself up to let someone else pray for you and know that you’re having a
tough time. And for that trust to be met with Christian prayer and concern. The
early Christians lived their fellowship by helping the needy and sharing each
other’s burdens. What does life together in the flesh look like? It’s
Christians circled around what we have in common: Christ, His love and His
resurrection life, His body and blood given us in the fellowship meal, and
caring for each other as His body, His community. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">On
to the “why?” Why does Jesus’ resurrection create this fellowship? John and the
other eyewitnesses relate Jesus’ resurrection, so we have life together with
them, each other, and with God. Jesus’ resurrection creates fellowship because
God wants to be reunited to His children! Sin tears us apart from God, Jesus
brings us back together. Jesus died for our sin so He can raise us to
fellowship with God in His resurrection! We are created for, meant for life
together with God. To raise us to fellowship with Him was worth the price of
the cross to God. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Why
is our life together important to God? Because we’re not meant for “life apart”
from Him. Sadly, people are always drifting away from God. Some people stridently
march as far away from God as they think they can get, looking for personal
fulfillment and happiness apart from God. Or Christians slowly, aimlessly drift
from God, as if it didn’t matter, and perhaps not caring that their connection
is slowly weakening and dying. Perhaps they feel they’ve found substitutes for
God. But whether on the fast train away from God or the slow drift, the point
is we’re not meant for “life apart” from God. We’re meant for life together
with God. Our soul yearns for it, even when we can’t correctly name or identify
that desire. Our “God-shaped hole” can only be filled by God. God is irreplaceable;
has no substitutes. They may deny it, but Scripture says it’s true. And if God
made us for fellowship with Him, it must be true.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Indeed
our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And we are
writing these things so that our joy may be complete. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Not
only is God’s desire for fellowship with us true, but it also is for our joy! Jesus
raises us to life together with God and each other for joy! What are these joys
of life together? Being known and loved by God is joy. He’s our Maker, our
Savior. He completes our joy. In a world of sin, trouble, and distress, He
raises us to life together in His gifts of eternal life, forgiveness, hope,
joy, and peace. The joy in knowing who I am: a beloved child of God. Knowing
what I have: the promise of forgiveness and eternal life. Knowing how I can
survive the crosses and trials of this life: Jesus is my Shepherd every step of
the way. Knowing who my family is: I have brothers and sisters in Christ here
at my church, who are in the same fight, the same struggle, and walking in the
same grace of God as me. When we remain in life together, we can mutually
encourage each other in our walk. These are just some of the joys of fellowship,
why Christ has raised us for life together. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So,
fellowship is what we share, our Christian life together in Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection
raises us for fellowship. John also writes that this fellowship can be threatened
and broken by walking in darkness, or it can be strengthened and sustained by
walking in the light. Now that we’ve heard the “what” and the “why” of
fellowship, let’s talk about the “how.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">v.
5-7, This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God
is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with
him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we
walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
So, the biggest threat to our life together with God and each other is to walk
in the darkness. God is light, and we want to walk as a child of the light,
with Him. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So,
what does it mean to walk in darkness or walk in light? 1 John 1 shows that
even a person walking in light needs Jesus’ blood to cleanse us from all our
sins. Walking in the light doesn’t mean you have no sin. Instead, it means <i>admitting
we have sinned and do sin</i>. <i>“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.</i>” Walking
in the light is a continual surrender of our sin to God by confessing it,
repenting of it, striving to turn away from it. Walking in the light says my
sin is my enemy; I belong to the light. Jesus is my Lord and Savior, and His
blood cleanses me from sin. His light drives out all darkness, and His light
must shine in me to cleanse me from my sin. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Walking
in darkness is to be cozy with our sin. Embrace or indulge it. Friendly with
our sin, yielding to it; having no wish to fight it. To walk in darkness is to
have no light for our path. No way to see where we are going, or the dangers all
around us. It’s to stumble and fall in the darkness, and to forsake Christ as
our light. To walk in the darkness is fellowship-breaking with God, because <i>If
we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not
practice the truth. </i>We choose the stumbling walk of darkness over His light
and truth, so we can’t have life together with Him. We’ve chosen life apart. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">John’s
solemn warning is not to walk in the darkness, and so lie about having
fellowship with God. How do we know whether we are breaking our fellowship with
God by walking in darkness, or are keeping life together with God by walking in
light, and having Jesus’ blood purify us from all sin? Ask yourself some of
these questions: Am I a sinner in need of Christ’s forgiveness? Do I seek His
light, His truth, and His forgiveness? Or would I rather hide in the darkness
and deny His truth? Also, do I think: I’ll make no apologies to God or anyone,
and don’t need anyone’s forgiveness for my sins? These questions should help us
answer whether we are pointed toward Christ’s light, or running from it. It’s
not a question of whether we are sinners or not. We’re all sinners, John clearly
teaches. Paul confessed the struggle with sin is lifelong. Struggling with sin
or knowing you are a sinner, doesn’t mean you are walking in darkness. If you
confess your sins to God and want His strength to push back against your sins,
you are walking in light, and His blood cleanses you from all sins. You are
surrendering yourself and your sin over to Him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We’ve
seen the “what”, “why”, and “how” of fellowship. Fellowship with God is Jesus’
resurrection blessing for His church. Raised to life together with God by Jesus’
blood cleansing from sin, and His raising us to new life. Our Maker and Savior
desires life together with us which brings us joy. We are warned not to fall
out of that life together by walking in darkness and surrendering to sin and
death. On the other hand, walking in the light is surrendering ourselves, our
sin and weakness, to Jesus, who is light, and whose blood cleanses us from all
sin. Surrendered to Jesus, He raises us out of darkness into fellowship with
God—life together with other believers growing in His love and care for each
other as He loves and cares for us. Life together circled around faith in
Jesus, our one Lord, one faith, one baptism; which brings us to our highest celebration
of life together, the <i>koinonia</i> of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus’ body and
blood for the forgiveness of our sins. When we walk in the light, He feeds and
sustains our fellowship with God and with each other through this Sacrament we
share, in Jesus’ Name, Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-727108600026873352021-04-13T12:24:00.006-10:002021-04-13T12:24:54.375-10:00Sermon on Mark 16:1-8, Easter Sunday 2021 (B), "Just as He told you"<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Christ
is Risen! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia! We’ve been spending this year in the
Gospel of Mark, which builds up to the final chapter, Jesus’ resurrection here
in chapter 16. Mark 16 describes day one of Jesus’ Resurrection. He’d planned it;
He’ described it in advance on at least three times. His entire ministry up to
this point had been proof that His Word was absolutely reliable—everything He
said came true. Jesus never says something and doesn’t follow through, like
we’re sadly so used to seeing or doing. Therefore, they should have been ready
for His Word to come true, “just as He said.” Instead, on day one of the
resurrection, everything is chaos, surprise, and fear. Because they didn’t
believe what Jesus had told them. Fear and disbelief controlled their thinking.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Thankfully,
we know things didn’t stay like they were at the start of day one. They
eventually saw Jesus face to face, in the flesh, touched Him, ate with Him,
conversed with Him. They got their composure back, Jesus settled their fears,
and confirmed their faith against all doubts. The plain evidence of their
hands, ears, and eyes, showed that their Lord Jesus crucified on Friday was
alive again that Sunday. The coming weeks and years would be an amazing
transformation for all of them as that truth embraced their lives. Jesus’ victory
brought them new courage and strength of faith and love for all the days and
years to come. Life was changed forever after day one of Jesus’ resurrection.
Christians would never look at death the same.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">No
mistake that this was the same Jesus. The young man at the empty tomb confirmed
they were in the right place: “<i>You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who
was crucified. He has risen. He is not here. See the place where they laid Him</i>.”
They hadn’t stumbled into the wrong tomb. The women witnessed the sealing of
the grave and came back to the same place. The angel confirmed that they were
at the right spot, but no dead body was here. Jesus was alive! When they would
see Jesus face to face, they would see the scars on His hands, feet, and side,
confirmation that this was their same Lord who died on the cross. It is THE
biggest miracle!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
day one had an awful lot of unnecessary fear and alarm. All because they didn’t
believe Jesus’ trustworthy Word, what He had said. But the angel’s message wasn’t
rubbing it in their face—“I told you so!”—but confirming that Jesus’ Word, as
always, had proven dependable. Remember what He said; go to Galilee where He
promised to meet you! Far from rubbing it in their faces, the rest of the
angel’s message showed that however much they had struggled to “get it” so far,
God was patiently waiting to “rehabilitate” their faith and leadership. Lord,
don’t we need the same! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
ending of Mark’s Gospel puts our crisis of trust in center focus. All along,
Jesus patiently and consistently shows His disciples that they can absolutely
depend on His Word. But just like the crowds that followed Jesus, opponents
among them, we so often demand proof first, and say <i>then </i>we’ll believe.
Jesus’ opponents watched an ever-growing list of miracles and signs but
continued to beg for more proof before they would believe. Mark’s Gospel flips
that on its head and shows first that we should believe Jesus’ word, and <i>then</i>
we will see. For those who will not be convinced, no amount of proof will do,
as Jesus plainly said: “<i>Neither will they be convinced if someone should
rise from the dead</i>” (Luke 16:31). Jesus’ point was if they refused to
believe after everything He had done up to then, they would still disbelieve, after
He rose from the dead. Embarrassingly though, even His own disciples didn’t
believe it at first!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
want to be really clear what I’m <i>not saying. </i>Neither Jesus nor the rest
of the Bible ever calls for gullibility or “easy-believism”, as though just
anyone could make the claims He did and should be believed. Jesus wasn’t just
anyone claiming to be God. He showed in spades, over and over, His reliability
and power. He demonstrated His authority in Word and deed. Miracles, powerful
teaching, and compassion like they’d never seen before. No one could find
anything false or hypocritical in Him. No one could show He had anything but the
highest respect and obedience to God’s Word and Law, no matter how hard they
tried. All the evidence that Jesus is who He said, the Son of God and Savior, is
there for those who are willing to hear it. He doesn’t call for blind leaps of
faith, but to follow His dependable record and reliable Word. His life and
works point in the right direction—we are simply called to walk by faith in the
same direction as the evidence. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
we trip and stumble over our doubts and fears also. In their shoes at the empty
tomb, we’d have been just as scared out of our wits. But Jesus messages them by
the angel: “<i>But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you
to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you</i>.” “<i>Just as He
told you</i>” points back to an earlier episode. We go there next.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
Mark 14:26-31, Jesus speaks to the disciples, and especially Peter. Right
before His betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane. He solemnly warns they all will
fall away from Him, but after He is raised up, He would go ahead of them to
Galilee. Peter and the others argue that Jesus is wrong, and they would never
deny Him, but we know the rest of the story. They didn’t courageously stand by
Jesus, but just as He warned—they tucked tail and ran in His time of greatest
need. “<i>Just as He told you</i>” echoes that forgotten conversation before
everything “got real.” Proving again, most dramatically, what He was teaching all
along—His Word is reliable; trust it! Hindsight again showed how reliable and
true He is, worthy of all our trust. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
careful mention of the disciples <i>and Peter</i> recalled how Jesus was right
that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed. Peter wept
bitterly at his guilt and betrayal. The emotional and psychological burden of
his failed loyalty to Jesus must have tormented him over those 3 days. The others
weren’t much better off, having all fallen away from Jesus. From the faithful
but fearful women to the surviving disciples, their faith was badly in need of
repair. Hiding in fear in their houses, the angel’s glorious word came to them:
“<i>Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has
risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><sup> </sup></b>But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is
going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you</i>.”
Jesus returns to them. To them! Who had denied Him, disbelieved, fallen away!
He was returning to them, in Galilee, just as He had said!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Does
your faith need repair? Have we doubted Jesus’ Word? Pledged to believe only with
enough proof—but there was never enough to satisfy us? Or pledged to stick by
Jesus through thick and thin, but our courage proved a shallow boast? Have we
trembled before the mysteries of God and worried that it could not be true? Have
we thought that because we can’t understand God, then maybe He can’t exist, as
if that made sense? Has death ever shaken our faith in God? I dare say we can
all admit, yes it has. Yes, my faith does need repair. So hear the angel: “<i>Go
tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee. There you
will see Him, just as He told you.”</i> The Good Shepherd doesn’t abandon His
dear sheep in their trouble, when they run away, or hide in fear. When we don’t
know any better, when we’ve forgotten His warnings, trusted our own
self-confidence or wisdom, and fallen away. He goes to them. He comes to us. He
calls us out of our fear and doubt and reaffirms His Word is trustworthy and
true, just as He told us. Truth be told, our faith is always in need of repair
and maintenance. God gives faith to trust His reliable Word. Come to Him for
repair and healing!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Easter
is good news for all of us, because Jesus of Nazareth was crucified for sinners
just like us. You can’t know the incredible joy and lifting they experienced on
day one of Jesus’ resurrection, if you don’t know the burden He lifts and the
death He rises from. The awful agony of the cross, the nails in His hands and
feet, the crown of thorns. God nailed every accusation of sin, ever act of
hatred, violence, idolatry, theft, pride, weakness, betrayal, selfishness,
unfaithfulness; any and all sins, nailed to the cross. Jesus’ cross is God’s
total answer to the sin of the world. Large and small, you and me, every
rebellious or faithless act we’ve ever done or will do. Easter is good news for
us because Jesus finished that awful job victorious.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">You’ve
felt or known that burden of sin every time your conscience signaled your
guilt. Every time you were ashamed of what you did wrong. We continually attempt
to dodge or escape our guilt, cover up our sin, lie, deny, or excuse. Never
makes the situation better. Never lifts the burden. Only disguises or hides it.
But not from God. The only real lifting, the only real and permanent freedom
from the burden is when Jesus of Nazareth, crucified and Risen lifts those
awful burdens on His cross, and permanently puts them to rest. This is the
lifting and the joy those women and disciples experienced when they first saw
Jesus alive again! His victorious exit from His grave, alive and in the flesh,
is God’s proof, God’s stamp of approval, that Jesus’ Word is undeniably
trustworthy and true, and that His cross is in power for us. When you repent of
your sins, and believe in Jesus, you can depend on His Word that you are
forgiven. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When
we need spiritual repair, the Good Shepherd comes to His beloved sheep! However
we have struggled and failed and gotten lost, He finds us and brings us home. Learn
to depend on Him. Learn to give over the burdens of your sin to Him. He is
faithful and He is willing. He’s paid your price in full, and His resurrection
proves the cross is a victory, not defeat!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Day
one of Jesus’ resurrection began in fear and confusion but led to a transformed
life for all who believed in Jesus’ reliable word. Whatever soul repair or
faith repair we need; wherever we are on our journey—whether day one in fear
and confusion, or year 15 or 50 where we’ve gotten lost and stuck in a dead
end, or wherever we are—Jesus is our Risen Good Shepherd. His dependable Word
and promises steer us back in the right direction, following Him. He reaches
out for our rescue, our help, and our healing wherever we’re lost along the
way. With His gift of faith, He will work transformation in you all your life
long, till His resurrection fully becomes yours and we die and rise again to
join Him in eternal life. Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia! <o:p></o:p></span></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11244887.post-29872969284436353942021-04-13T12:17:00.005-10:002021-04-13T12:17:40.038-10:00Sermon on Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Good Friday, "All!" <p> Sermon on <a name="_Hlk67659351" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Isaiah 52:13-53:12 for </i></b></a><span style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Good
Friday</i> by Rev. Reed Lessing, the "Singing with the Exiles" series.</span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“See, my servant will act wisely;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.”</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Isaiah 52:13.<b> </b></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kol</i> in Hebrew. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pas</i> in Greek. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Omnis</i> in
Latin. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alles</i> in German. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Todos</i> in Spanish. <i>Visi</i> in
Latvian. It’s the most superlative word in any language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A-L-L all. Total, complete, entire,
everything. ALL. The most superlative word for the most climactic section of
the Old Testament, chapters 52-53, called the Fourth Servant Song of Isaiah.
The Lord’s Servant, described here, had it all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Isaiah
52:13, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and
highly exalted.”</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>These words
“raised” and “lifted up” describe only one other person in Isaiah, who gets
that royal treatment. In Isaiah 6:1 the prophet sees the Lord God sitting
exalted on His heavenly throne: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw
the Lord seated on a throne high and lifted up.” </i></b>The same “high and
lifted up” reserved for God, is promised to the Lord’s Servant, the crucified
Messiah, in chapter 52. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">The Lord on the
throne in Isaiah 6:3, receives angelic praise: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Holy, holy, holy.”</i></b> In
6:5 Isaiah calls him, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“the King, the Lord of Hosts (or Angel
Armies).”</i></b> Hints of a holy mystery—that the Servant and Yahweh, the
Lord, are one and the same—a mystery not fully articulated until Jesus says in
John 10:30, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I and the Father are one.”</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus clued in His hearers that the promised Messiah is true God. When I
say this Servant had it all, I mean it! Ruling all creation as the coequal Son
of God!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">He would need it
all, because Isaiah 52-53 was a prophetic song sung to Jewish exiles, who were
singing their own dirge, lamenting their exile. Psalm 137, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“How can we sing the songs of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Zion</st1:place></st1:city> while in a foreign
land?”</i> </b>Their song was mournful because they had chosen to go their own
way, and believed the siren songs of culture, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad.” </i>Addicting themselves
to sin, there was no way out of Babylon. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">A few years ago a
scientist did an addiction experiment offering cocaine to monkeys. They would
pull a lever and the feeding tray would give them a hit of cocaine. Soon the
monkeys got addicted to the coke; these were happy monkeys! But then the
scientist began to withhold the next fix. How many consecutive times do you
think the average monkey would pull that lever with no luck, trying to get the
next fix? 12,800 times. Over and over and over and over again. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Gotta have it gotta have it!”<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">Sin has just such
an addictive power. Gossip, anger, abuse, unfaithfulness, worry, laziness,
excuses, and selfishness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exiled, in
bondage, stuck. Over and over and over again. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Gotta have it gotta have it!”</i> The result? Far away from the Father
in a foreign land, we sing our depressing, deadly dirge, <a name="_Hlk67660136"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“My
soul is full of troubles, my life draws near to the grave…your wrath lies heavy
upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves.”</i></b> </a>(Ps. 88)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To
such captives Isaiah sings a different song, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“See, my servant will act wisely;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.”</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">In
His wisdom He always turned away from evil. So He was exalted. </span>He had it
all. The NT echoes this: (Colossians 2:9), <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity
lives in bodily form.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(</span>Hebrews
1:3), <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of
his being.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b>Mary exclaims, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I
have seen the Lord.”</i></b> Peter gasps, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“We were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” </i></b>Climactically
Thomas cries out, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“My Lord and my God!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b>These
disciples and apostles sing to the radiant Son of God. They see Him high and
lifted up. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">Jesus isn’t an
assistant to the Father. He isn’t the vice-president of the universe. Jesus
isn’t a junior partner to the Father. No. He is a full-fledged member of the
godhead, equal with the Father in every way, from eternity past. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All things were made through Him, and
without Him not anything was made that has been made.” </i>This Servant had it
all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">Isaiah 53
continues with these words. “<i>He was stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted
. . . pierced . . . crushed . . . punished . . .
led like a lamb to the slaughter . . . cut off from the land of the
living . . . assigned a grave with the wicked</i>.” That’s why in 52:14 the
prophet writes, “<i>Many were appalled at Him, His appearance was disfigured
beyond that of any man</i>.” This Servant gave it all; every last drop of
blood. It exacted an awful price.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">This Servant
delivers it all. Isaiah 53:11 states, “<i>By His knowledge My righteous servant
will justify many</i>.” The Servant delivers what captives need
most—forgiveness. Forgiveness is at the heart of Isaiah’s own experience. He
writes in 6:6–7, “<i>Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his
hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth
and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your
sin atoned for.</i>’”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">From the altar
called Calvary, our God touches us with blood-bought forgiveness. The
absolution declares it. The font seals it. The table celebrates it. Paul
maintains this in Philippians 4:19 when he writes, “<i>And my God will meet all
your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus</i>.” All, total,
complete, everything, the whole enchilada, the whole ball of wax. He had it. He
gave it. He delivers it, because it’s part of the plan.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">Isaiah 53:10
states that it was God’s will. Good Friday isn’t just a moving tragedy. It
wasn’t a stopgap measure, needing shoring up later. Nor was it the Father’s
unexpected knee-jerk response to a world plummeting towards destruction. It was
God’s will. The cross was drawn into the original blueprint, written into the
first script. Golgotha is the decisive plan of the Father before the creation
of the world.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">What does it mean?
It means Jesus intentionally planted the tree from which His cross would be
carved. It means He voluntarily placed Judas into the womb of a woman. It means
He was the One who set in motion the political machinery that sent Pilate to
Judea and Herod to Jerusalem. And it means He didn’t have to do it, but He did
it all for you, for me! He didn’t steer history away from His suffering, but
toward that climactic moment when He was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">raised and lifted up and highly exalted.</i></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">Our depressing,
deadly dirge knows only bondage, captivity, and addiction. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“My soul is full of troubles, my
life draws near to the grave…your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm
me with all your waves.”</i></b> Isaiah’s song trumps that with forgiveness,
freedom, and divine mercy. When the words of the Fourth Servant Song enter our
ears and strike our hearts, we can’t help but respond with the words of one
more song, written not by Isaiah but by Isaac Watts: “Were the whole realm of
nature mine, That were a tribute far too small; Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all!” (<i>LSB</i> 425:4). Amen.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>The Joshua Victor Theoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684296967627057287noreply@blogger.com0