December 25, 2011

What Child is This - Dec 25, 2011

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SERMON:

What’d you get for Christmas? Who’s coming to visit? What can I bring to the meal? Where are we going for New Year’s?

There are a lot of questions we might ask this Christmas Day. But one question outweighs them all: “What Child is this?” You know how the song goes…

What child is this who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?

For the answer to this question, we look to God’s Word...

Hebrews 1:1-9 (ESV)

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?
6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”
7 Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”
8 But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

It’s not in the Bible, but I would bet that the first communication that came from the Christ Child was a cry of shock as He was born into the cool air of the Judean night. It wasn’t a very complex communication. That little infant cry meant, “I’m here, now feed me and wrap me up, it’s cold out in this place.”

He looked so ordinary, and yet to his parents, he was so special. For Mary and Joseph, the awe and love connected with this Child was more than parental infant infatuation. Joseph knew this Child was not his. Mary knew that she was still a virgin. The little infant who was now exercising His lungs was nothing less than a miracle. This Child was God Himself impressed into human flesh and bone.

The writer to the Hebrews says that Jesus is…
“…the radiance of the glory of God and the exact representation of his nature…” (Hebrews 1:3 ESV).
This Child was sent to communicate to the world. We can tell that God exists from the complex and ordered creation around us. Every house has a builder, right? We can tell that the builder of our universe is powerful and wise, but the creation does not show us what God’s heart is like.

This Child came to express everything about God that the created universe could never say. Jesus once said…
“…Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9 NIV).
With His whole life, Jesus shows us God’s personality. This is why we continue to read about the life of this Child more than 2,000 years after His birth. To truly know God, we must know His Son.

We’re told very little about where this Child was born. It was in Bethlehem of course. But apart from that, we only have the note that He was laid to rest in a feed trough for animals. Yes, His first crib was a dirty manger.

Even more than dust and grit and the smell of animals, this Child was surrounded by the filth of sin. No sin was on HIS soul, but it certainly surrounded Him. His mother Mary was a sinner. His stepfather Joseph too. The shepherds who visited Him that first night, well, back then shepherds were so notorious untrustworthy that they weren’t allowed to testify in court. And the filth of sin doesn’t end there. if you look back in Jesus’ family tree (which you can do by reading Matthew 1) you’ll find a whole parade of sinners guilty of all kinds of wickedness - thievery, prostitution, incest, adultery, murder and flat out hatred of God.

This Child was surrounded by sin when He came into this world. But this was actually the perfect place for Him to be born. For this little Child was not destined to be a mere visual aid to show us the nature of God. Nor was he sent to be a just another moral teacher, pointing out the way to a better life. He was sent to void the record of our sins, to cleanse mankind of guilt and to open the doors of heaven so all could follow Him to the Father’s side.

The writer to the Hebrews wrote…
“After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than their” (Hebrews 1:3b-4 ESV).
Through the Old Testament prophets God had said that the promised Savior would be His own Son. During the ministry of Jesus God actually spoke from the sky on a number of occasions saying, “This is my Son”. But most powerfully, after Jesus was crucified and buried in a tomb, God declared to the whole world that this was indeed His only begotten Son by raising Jesus from the dead. Romans 1, verse 3 says…
“…His Son Jesus Christ our Lord… …was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:3-4 NKJV).
This Child came not only to reveal God’s character, but to save Mankind from hell. And through the resurrection, God the Father declared powerfully one more time – THIS IS MY SON! YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN!

God made a big set of clues which would help people identify the promised Savior when He finally arrived on Earth. He would be born during the reign of the Roman Empire. He would be born in Bethlehem. He would be a Jew. He would be from the Tribe of Judah. He would be a descendant of King David. His mother would be a virgin.

And on the night of Jesus’ birth, God continued to describe the Child so that He could be identified without a doubt. The angels told that gang of shepherds that they would find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.

All this detail was necessary because this Child would look like any other child. But nothing could be further from the truth. This was the only begotten Son of God.

Angels and people are sometimes called, “Sons of God” but only because they were created by God, or because they are followers of God who resemble Him by imitation. But the Child that the shepherds went to see was one of a kind. He had always been the Son of God in eternity, but now He had become the God-Man, in time.

In verse five, the writer to the Hebrews wrote…
“5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?
6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”
What is this Child? Well, He’s certainly no angel! He’s not a mere messenger of God, mighty and powerful though angels are. God doesn’t command that angels be worshipped, nor does God put angels on thrones. This Child is higher than the angels, He is God enthroned by God on an eternal throne.

John wrote the following so we’d know beyond a doubt what this child is…
“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning” (John 1:1-2 NIV).

But I’d like to zoom you in to one final detail about this Child before we close our mediation for today. Look at verse 8. There it says…
“…of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions” (Hebrews 1:8-9 ESV)
In Bible times oil was used for different things. It was used to anoint kings and priest to show that they were chosen for their work. It was used to sooth and heal a wound (like ointment). And it was also used to “dress up” your face for a celebration (like lotion or makeup).

It appears that the “oil of gladness” from verse nine is the “celebration oil”. The picture is this: the Son of God is on His way to the victory party. God has anointed Him with the “oil of gladness” so that He will shine with the most glory in Heaven, as He is surrounded by those He has Saved from their sins.

What Child is This? This Child is the one who is our invitation to forgiveness and heavenly glory. He has begun to teach us to know the Father’s heart. He has washed us clean of our guilt and sin. He outshines the angels as the Firstborn who will sits on the throne with His Father. And He invites us to trust in Him, and rejoice.

So, let us celebrate this Christmas Day for He was born to save us from our sins. And this He has done. Trust in Him, for He will not let you down. May the Christ Child live in your hearts today and forever, filling you with peace and joy.

Amen.

December 18, 2011

Behold - Dec 18, 2011

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SERMON:

Some things are designed to get our attention. There’s that annoyingly high pitched warbling sound that precedes every test of the emergency broadcasting system. There’s those black and yellow striped signs that say things like, “Caution” or “Warning”. Or if you want to keep it simple, you can just write “Attention” in bright red letters above whatever you want people to see.

In our reading for today a different word is used to get our attention. The word is “Behold”. This word is used often in the Bible, and it means, “Look over here”, “Listen up”, “Pay attention”, “Mark my words” because something important is about to be communicated.

Throughout this Advent season we’ve talked about how we are watching, and preparing and rejoicing in connection with the Savior who was born into this world on the first Christmas, and the Savior who will come again with power and glory on Judgment Day. In a sense, the word “Behold” is simply repeating the word, “Watch” with more intensity. Open your eyes, your minds and your hearts. Watch carefully so you may understand what you are seeing.

Luke 1:26-38 (ESV)

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

The first character in this story is Gabriel. He is an angel. Powerful. Mysterious. A messenger for God. Five hundred years previous to this he had delivered another message to the Old Testament prophet Daniel. Here we find him once again traveling through the world of men, to a city called Nazareth.

It must be noted that this would have seemed like quite the mix up to anyone who actually lived back then. Gabriel? Going to the backwater hick-ville that was Nazareth? What possible business could one of God’s mighty angels have there?

Our reading tells us that Gabriel was going to deliver a message to a young girl named Mary. Again, a Jew from that time would ask, “What possible business could one of God’s mighty angels have with a little Nazarene girl?

And indeed, there is nothing outwardly impressive about Mary. She was a descendant of King David, but so were a lot of people back then. It was a bit like being obscurely related to some movie star, or some historically important person. Sure, the relation is true, but it doesn’t make you famous.

Mary was betrothed to a carpenter named Joseph. Details from the Bible indicate that they were not a wealthy couple. In fact, Joseph’s job could pretty much tell you that. He was, after all, a carpenter. Just one more member of Nazareth’s blue-collar workforce.

Years later, after Joseph’s death, there would be no inheritance for Jesus to claim. No land. No house. No wealth. During His ministry, Jesus himself said that he had no place to lay His head. As He traveled from place to place preaching and teaching, Jesus was supported, not by funds inherited, but by gifts given by His followers.

No, Mary and Joseph were not an impressive couple when it comes to wealth and influence. In fact, when they arrived in Bethlehem for the great census, they ended up taking shelter wherever they could, laying their newborn Son in a feed trough for animals because nothing else was available.

But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. The point I’m trying to make is, Mary wasn’t the type of person you might expect God to send Gabriel to. Mary herself certainly wasn’t expecting this interview when it happened. You can tell that much from her thoughts after Gabriel’s greeting hits her ears. He appears and says…

“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” (Luke 1:28 ESV).

Mary’s response was fear. She didn’t understand what this greeting meant. If an angel of God appeared to one of us, might our first response be fear as well? As sinners we know that we deserve death and hell for our sins against God. If an angel suddenly appeared to us, what would prevent us from thinking the worst – that God had finally come to extract payment from us?

But Gabriel quickly tries to set Mary’s mind at ease by repeating himself. He says, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God”.

Now, that phrase “found favor” means that God is extending undeserved kindness to Mary. The Greek word at that point is related to the word “grace”. It isn’t that Mary had somehow earned this blessing from God. Not at all. She’s a sinner just like all of us. But God favored her. He gave her the astounding privilege of carrying His Son and birthing Him into the world.

And that’s just what Gabriel moves on to communicate. What reason is there for Mary to rejoice and have no fear? Gabriel tells her in verse 31…

“31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33 ESV).

Now, the first reason that God had for sending Mary this message is simple. She’s going to be pregnant soon! She needs to know this so she can be ready for all the physical changes that will take place inside her body over the next nine months.

But even more important than that, Mary needs to be prepared so that she can grasp the full spiritual implications of this baby boy she’s going to have. So, Gabriel takes mary through a little summary of Old Testament prophesies concerning this child. That’s really what verses 31-33 are. Gabriel is just gathering up prophecies and handing them to Mary like an armful of gifts.

After Adam and Eve sinned, God promised that a male descendant of Eve would crush the power of the Devil and save them from their sins. (Genesis 3:15)

Centuries later, God promised King David that one of his descendants would rule on an eternal throne. (2 Samuel 7:12-13)

Still centuries later, Isaiah wrote that this same king who would rule on David’s throne forever, would be called, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

So, Gabriel wraps up all these prophesies and ties them together with a bow. Oh, yeah, and name Him Jesus, because that name means, “Jehovah Saves”.

Poor Mary. This was a lot to drop on a young girl. Throughout all this exchange she’s always a step behind. Gabriel appears and says, “Rejoice, you’re blessed!” Mary responds with fear. Gabriel repeats himself, “Have no fear, you’re blessed! You’re going to have a baby boy who is the Son of the Highest!” Mary doesn't get it. She says, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:34 ESV).

I can just imagine Luke interviewing Mary for this part of his gospel.

Luke: So, the angel Gabriel appeared to you to announce you were going to have God’s Son. How did you receive that news?

Mary: Well, to be honest, I heard what he said about my child being called the “Son of the Highest” but, I just couldn’t get my mind around the fact that I had never been with a man before. How was this pregnancy going to happen unless that happened first? But Gabriel explained so patiently.

He told me that the Holy Spirit of God would overshadow me and cause that life to grow in my belly. And then Gabriel kindly gave me something to help my mind understand. He said that old barren Elizabeth was already six months pregnant because with God nothing is impossible.

Well, that helped me to see how silly my questions were. God was at work here, and honestly, could I have understand this miracle even if Gabriel had tried to explain it to me? Thankfully, I didn’t have to understand it all to believe it.

I’ll tell you, I thought I had a lot to prepare for with the big wedding celebration that was coming up and moving into our new home. Now I had a few more things to ponder. A baby, but also the eternal Savior King. What an unexpected privilege. It was all so far beyond me.

Gabriel has been sent to us today also. Through the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Gabriel’s voice has been heard here today. He has spoken to remind us what this little Child of Bethlehem is all about. Why this Child is so significant. Imagine that you didn’t know the Gospel of Jesus at all, and you saw a bunch of pictures of Mary and Joseph in the stable, with Jesus in the manger. You wouldn’t have a clue what the big deal was. It’s a little baby, in a weird kind of nursery.

But Gabriel’s Words remind us of all the promises that God had made in connection with this Baby Boy. He is Jesus, “Jehovah Saves”. He is the Son of God so that His sacrifice would be valuable enough to pay for the sins of the whole world. He is Mary’s Son so that He is truly human, and able to take our place on the cross. He will rule on David’s throne forever in heaven, over all who trust in Him.

We’re just like Mary – no worthy of God’s favor. But God has extended His kindness to us through Christ. But we can only see how great the gift of the Christ Child is if we know the promises that were made concerning Him. That He would live without sinning, die willingly for sinners, and that He would rise in triumph on the third day so all would know He had succeeded in taking the punishment for sin away.

May God bless us so that this Christmas, we worship with our hearts. May God bless us through His Word so that we see the Baby of Bethlehem for all that He is…

…the Son of Mary
…the Son of God
…the promised Savior
…the King who will reign eternally on David’s Throne
…Our great God and Savior.

Amen.

December 11, 2011

Rejoice Always! - Dec 11, 2011

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SERMON:

On Paul’s second missionary journey, he and a man named Silas were arrested. This happened in the city of Philippi. After being arrested they were stripped, severely beaten and thrown in jail.

The jailor who was put in charge of them was told to guard them carefully. So, he put them in the innermost cell of the prison and fastened their feet in stocks. (Stocks were wooden beams which were clamped around the ankles of a prisoner to make escape impossible.)

At this point, the book of Acts records the following…
“25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25 NIV).
What could possibly make Paul and Silas praise God in a situation like this? I mean, they had been wrongfully accused, stripped and beaten, thrown into jail without a trial, and they had no idea what was going to happen to them in the morning. Why in the world would they be singing songs to God?!

I’ll tell you why. They were followers of Jesus. They believed that Jesus is the Son of God, and that because He lived a sinless life and died a sacrificial death in the place of all sinners, their sins had been forgiven. Paul and Silas believed that because of Jesus, they were no longer doomed to hell. When they died heaven would receive them into eternal perfection, peace and happiness.

Ultimately it didn’t matter to Paul and Silas what might happen to them today or tomorrow. They knew their final destination was heavenly glory. They had peace with God through faith in His Son. So, come what may, they would pray, praise and give thanks.

In our sermon reading for today, Paul tells his fellow Christians to rejoice always. Not just when things are going good. Not just when you’re on an emotional high.

Paul says, Christians…

Rejoice ALWAYS, because you are in Christ, your sins are forgiven!

Rejoice ALWAYS, because the Spirit of God lives in you, and is leading you to keep trusting in Jesus all the way through this life and into heaven.

Rejoice ALWAYS, because God the Father is the one who called you to believe, and He finishes what He starts.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I’ve got four daughters, so I know a little something about princesses and beautiful dresses. When you put on a beautiful flowing gown, you twirl. That’s just what you do. You do a little pirouette and you make that dress sparkle and shimmer. Most little girls understand this. Put a sparkly little number on them and they spin.

The Bible compares saving faith to a garment. Isaiah says…
“10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,” (Isaiah 61:10 NIV).
Sinners who trust that Jesus is their savior, are wrapped with the robe of Christ’s sinless perfection. And when you’re wearing sinless perfection, you rejoice. That’s just what you do. All the dark blotchy sins which embarrass you are covered. Forgiven. All the sins which would bar you from heaven eternally, are covered. Forgiven.

And in the pocket of this “robe of righteousness” is a cell phone. The battery never runs out, and the line goes straight to God’s throne room. Paul says, “pray continually”. Through Christ Jesus you and I have an open line to communicate with our God. And He never ignores our calls. God doesn’t take the calls of the wicked, but in Christ, we’re not considered wicked anymore. We’re sinless to God because Jesus absorbed our punishment on the cross.

When you have an open line to God, you pray. That’s just what you do.

And one of the things that you say to God when he picks up, is thank you. Paul says, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.

Imagine that you woke up one morning to find a brand new car in the driveway. On top of the car was a big red bow and a huge tag with your name on it. In the cup holder inside was a phone and a note that said, “From God. Just thought you’d like this car. By the way, my number is on speed dial.”

What would you do? You’d call God up and thank him right? Well, God’s given us way more than a new car. In Christ we have a vehicle that brings us to heaven. When you’re given a gift like that, you say thanks. That’s just what you do.

Let me read those three verses one more time…

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

“16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Note that Paul isn’t just saying, “Don’t worry, be happy”. He’s telling us why we can rejoice, and pray and give thanks in all circumstances – God has connected us to Jesus Christ through faith.

In verses 19-22. Paul moves on to give more reasons for Christians to rejoice.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 (NIV)

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.

At first, this section seems a little negative. Paul is telling us what not to do. Don’t quench the Spirit. Don’t do things that get in the way of the changes that the Holy Spirits is trying to make in our hearts and lives.

But the positive side to this is the fact that we can do things that sadden the Spirit of God and hinder His remodeling our hearts and minds. That may not seem like a positive thing, but look at it this way: even when we do get in the Spirit’s way, He refuses to leave us. He is determined to guide Christ followers through their lives all the way to heaven.

In Ephesians 4 it says…
“…do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:30-32 NIV).
When we stumble around in sinful behavior, the Holy Spirit shows us our sin through His Word and through the correction that our fellow Christians give us. He leads us away from our sinful habits, and back to Christ to be reminded of the forgiveness we have in Him.

In the Bible, the Holy Spirit also teaches us how to avoid sins in the future. Paul says…
“20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22 NIV).
The Holy Spirit teaches us how to avoid sins because sins war against our faith. The Apostle Peter wrote…
“11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:11-12 NIV).
The Holy Spirit leads us to reject sin and embrace our Savior. The Devil tempts us to reject our Savior and embrace our sins. That’s why the Spirit is so determined to lead us into good Christian living. Not because we have to somehow be “good enough” to get into heaven. Christ was already perfect for us. The reason the Spirit is so determined to lead us into godly living is because sinful living damages and endangers our faith in Jesus, and so puts our souls in danger.

If there ever was a reason to rejoice, it’s this – that God’s Spirit lives in our hearts, and is determined to keep us trusting in Christ.

In our last few verses, Paul gives Christians one more reason to rejoice always.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NIV)

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Paul calls God, “the God of peace”. He is the God of peace because He made peace between Himself and sinners through Jesus’ sinless suffering and death. Remember what the angels said to the shepherds when Jesus was born?
“’Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 ‘Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” (Luke 2:10-14 NKJV).
God wasn’t just wishing the earth “peace”, like some hippy. He was saying, “This is my Son! The Savior I promised! Through Him you sinners will be forgiven, and find peace with Me once more”.

Through Jesus, we are saved completely – spirit, soul and body. In Him we are considered blameless.

This is going to be the most frustrating thing ever for the devil to take. On the last day he’ll want to rail against us sinners because he knows we sin each and every day. But Christ will calmly reply, “Well yes they’re sinners, but I’m not. I’m blameless and holy, and through faith they are in Me – blameless and holy.”

Just like Jesus said in John 5
“24 ‘Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life’” (John 5:24 NIV).

You see, the Father finishes what He starts. He keeps the promises that He makes.

In the beginning when Adam and Eve plunged the world into pain and sorrow and death through their sin, God promised that one day a descendant of Eve would crush the Devil’s power over us. On the first Christmas, that promise began to be unwrapped. Later, the cross and the empty tomb of Jesus revealed completely how God kept that promise.

At the end of our reading Paul points to the faithfulness of God. He says, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” This reminds us that no matter how much time stretches between God’s promise and His keeping of it, it always gets kept. He has called us to believe through the Good News of Jesus. He’s not about to let us fall through the cracks. He’s not like that.

You know, being “faithful” has two meanings. Being “faithful” can mean that you have faith. You trust in something. But it can also mean you are worthy of being trusted. That’s God all the way. He’s worthy of being trusted. He calls us to Christ, keeps us in the faith by the Holy Spirit and His Word, and He will bring us all the way home on the last day.

Like Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1
8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:7-9 NIV).
Christians, rejoice!

By faith, you are connected to Christ.

Christians, rejoice!

The Spirit of God lives within you, and guides you to stronger faith through His Word in the Bible.

Christians, rejoice!

God the Father is the one who called you to faith, and the Father always finishes what He started.

Amen.

December 4, 2011

Company is Coming - Dec 4, 2011

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This sermon was written by Pastor Michael M. Eichstadt and provided through ”Ministry by Mail”. For the text of this sermon, click here. For more “Ministry by Mail” sermons, go to lutheransermons.org)