Jesus - Name Above All Names - Jan 5, 2014

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SERMON:

Luke 2:21

When eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Dear fellow Christians:

January 1^st, was a noteworthy day. It was noteworthy not only because it was New Year's Day according to our calendars, but also because it was the eighth day of the twelve days of the Christmas season. When we look at what happened on the eighth day of that first Christmas, we find an important event. Now, Scripture doesn't tell us much about the Lord's childhood, but we are told about that particular day. An important day in the life of Jesus, it was the day of His circumcision.

Circumcision was the outward sign God had given to the Jews that they were children of the promise. It was similar in significance to the New Testament sacrament of Baptism. It reminded the Israelites that they had been set apart as the people from whom the Savior of the world would be born—that they were the people of the covenant.

The eighth day was also significant in the life of Jewish boys because it was the day they were officially given their names. In the case of Jesus, there was no suspense or surprise about the name He would have. Before He was born, even in an age without ultrasound machines, Mary already knew she was having a boy, and she knew what He would be called. Nine months earlier she had been visited by the angel Gabriel who had told her “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus” (Luke 1:31 NIV).

I.

Notice when Jesus’ name was chosen. Luke recorded for us in our text that this was “the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.” See the timing of the choosing of Jesus' name. The name was chosen before Jesus had ever been conceived. It was picked out beforehand. Can this tell us something about God? Does it mean something for us?

This tells us that God was sure this was going to happen. Imagine a mother saying to her friends, “Yes, and the name of my next child will be...” when she doesn't even know if she will even have a child in the future. There was no such trouble in the case of Jesus. God knew this was going to happen, because He had been planning this birth for a long time. He had been getting ready for it in many ways. He was sure of it.

Down to the last detail everything had been made ready. For hundreds of years the prophets had been announcing that the Savior would be born. They had been telling the people to get ready. The wheels of history had been turning in this direction—turning faithfully toward the manger and the swaddling clothes and the shepherds in the field.

Mary, the mother, and stepfather, Joseph, were in place. They were descendants of King David as had been prophesied. The family had been brought to Bethlehem by royal decree, so that too had been worked out and fulfilled prophecy.

God knew what He was doing, and this birth was no accident. It was planned and carried out in the mind and by the power of God. It was specially engineered by the Father in Heaven—specially engineered for you. It is because of you that God got everything ready like this. Because you needed someone to save you from yourself. You’re not perfect. You never have been and you never will be, so someone needed to come for you and live a life that really could please God. This Jesus came to do.

God was sure about all this. He didn’t change His mind back and forth even when He saw mankind on earth sinning against Him and straying away from Him like foolish sheep. That isn’t the kind of God you have. You don’t have a God who one minute determines to help you and the next minute decides to withdraw that help. That’s how we are sometimes, and so we tend to think of God in those terms too. We think sometimes that God gives things to us and takes them away on a whim without any thought for our feelings and needs. But God isn’t fickle that way. You can count on the fact that He is absolutely unchanging with regard to His decisions and judgment. That’s a great blessing for it means also that His love toward you does not change and you need never doubt it.

Jesus was named before He had been conceived. This tells us too that God was excited and anxious to send this child.

When you see a husband and wife paging through a baby name book before a child is officially “on the way,” it means they are very anxious to have a baby. How much more does it mean when God chooses a name for His Son even before the child has been conceived! It means God was eager for this Child to come into the world! God was not only sure He was going to save you, but He was eager to do so! God couldn't wait to send Him to you!

That’s how the Lord is with you. He can’t wait to share with you His greatest gifts. When you sometimes think that He is slow and forgetful with His blessings, He perhaps has them named already in preparation for sharing them with you. Have you ever thought of that?

It does not give our Heavenly Father any joy when He sees His children depressed and sorrowing any more than we earthly parents are joyful when a child of ours is hurting. So it did not give God joy to see the world fall under condemnation for its sin, so He sent His only begotten Son—not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Indeed, God wanted with all His heart to do this for you.

II.

The name “Jesus” also fit this Child perfectly. We have something of an interest in names “fitting” people too. My sister and I had a game we would play sometimes. We would see people in a mall or in a grocery store and we would try to guess what their names were. Sometimes we were able to find a sneaky way to tell if we were right. For example, by getting behind them in a checkout line and overhearing a conversation. During this game wee would ask each other things like, “Does she look like an Amy or a Nancy? I don’t know, what do you think? With that color of hair she has to be an Amy!”

Did you know people have certain stereotypes in their minds when it comes to names? Many hear a name and they make some kind of association, sometimes without even thinking about it. I found a survey on the computer about name stereotypes. I discovered that 45% of people think the name Alfred suggests a grumpy old guy. 63% think Brad suggests a high school athlete. Ashley is a cheerleader. Mary is a Sunday School teacher. Shelly is a hairdresser. Mario is a drug dealer, and so on.

What do you think the Lord’s mother thought when the angel said to her, “Jesus”? Would she have thought: Shepherd? Businessman? Farmer? No, none of these. For there was a clear association with that name. Jesus is the same name as the Hebrew Joshua. They mean, “Jehovah saves.” Jesus’ name suggested that through Him God would save all people. It was a name that fit Him perfectly!

It is the name the Apostle Paul proclaimed to the Philippians when he said of the Lord: “... being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:8-10 NIV).

At the name of Jesus we bow down—for He is our Savior. At the name of Jesus we rejoice, we enjoy forgiveness, we find peace, we have hope for all time. Bless His holy name! Amen.

— Pastor David P. Schaller

The Flight Into Egypt - Dec 29, 2013

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SERMON:

We’re going to begin our message today by talking a little about prophets and prophecy.

The job of a prophet is to announce God’s Word. Sometimes that Word has to do with things that have already taken place. Sometimes that Word deals with things that are currently happening. And sometimes a prophet speak of things yet to come.

When most people think of prophecy, they think of Predictive Prophesy. Prophecy that foretells events that haven’t yet taken place. The Greek word for “prophecy” is made from two words smooshed together—“before” and “saying”. It literally means, “a before saying.”

THE PURPOSE OF PROPHESY

Predictive Prophecy serves both the people who live before, and people who live after, its fulfillment.

For those living before, Predictive Prophecy engenders hope. When Adam and Eve heard that the Lord would crush the power of Satan through one of Eve’s descendants, they were given hope through that first Gospel prophecy.

Those living after a Predictive Prophesy is fulfilled receive reassurance of God’s faithfulness as well as validation that God’s wisdom and power transcend space and time.

TYPICAL AND DIRECT PROPHESY

There are two basic types of Predictive Prophecy: Direct Prophecy and Typical Prophesy. A Direct Prophecy is fulfilled by ONE person or event. Typical Prophecy is fulfilled by more than one individual at different times in history.  However, even though Typical Prophesy may be fulfilled by more than one individual, it finds its ultimate fulfillment in One person or event. For example, in our Old Testament reading for today a Typical Prophesy was announced to king David. We read…

“Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house.

¹² “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. ¹⁵ But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.”” (2 Samuel 7:11-16 NKJV).

When king David wanted to build a temple for the Lord to replace the worship-tent they had been using, God told him “no”. Instead God prophesied the coming of one of David’s sons who would…

·         Have a kingdom

·         Build a house for the Lord’s name

·         Have the throne of his kingdom established forever

·         Be the Lord’s son

·         Be chastened if he sinned

·         Not have the Lord’s mercy fully removed because of sin

The question is, does this prophecy refer to David’s son Solomon, or does it refer to David’s later son, Jesus Christ? The answer is both. Solomon built a physical Temple for the Lord, but Christ builds the eternal house of God in people’s hearts, through the Gospel message. Solomon was a “son” of the Lord by faith, but Jesus Christ is the Son of God by substance, from eternity. Solomon and his descendents were indeed chastened by the Lord for their sinful departures from God’s Word. And yet their line was not extinguished because the promised Savior had to come from David’s family tree. Jesus Christ was also chastened, even punished fully for sins—though they were not his own sins. Christ experienced hell on the cross when he stood in the place of all sinners. And yet, when this payment was complete, three days later, the Lord raised his Son from the dead. Even though the Lord punished Christ on the cross, he was not abandoned forever.

Solomon is called a “type” of Christ because he fulfilled this Christ-prophecy in a small way. Jesus Christ later fulfilled this prophecy in the most complete way. This is how Typical Prophecy works. Smaller “types” fulfill the prophecy before the most complete fulfiller comes.

PROPHETIC FORESHADOWING IN ACTUAL HISTORY

Sometimes Predictive Prophecy is made so that the hearers will be able to act when an event is about to take place. For example, Christ told his disciples about certain signs that would precede the destruction of Jerusalem so that they might recognize these signs and escape before the Roman army surrounded the city. But more often, Predictive Prophecy is simply God calling his shots so that afterward people will know this was no chance happening—this was the Lord’s hand in action.

The Bible tells us the Old Testament is full of “shadows of the good things to come”. What that means is, God used the actual events of Old Testament history, to foreshadow more significant events to come. These foreshadowings served to give hope to God’s people as they waited for the promised Savior. And these foreshadowings still serve us today by verifying that God’s hand has been preparing our salvation—and has now finished that work in Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament way of worship, with all its animal sacrifices foreshadowed the great sacrifice God’s Son would offer on the cross.

In Colossians it says…

“¹⁶ So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17 NKJV).

Even the Old Testament days of rest and worship were shadows of things to come. The religious festivals and Sabbaths, on which the people rested and worshipped foreshadowed the peace that each believer finds in Christ.

UNDERSTANDING THE PROPHESIES IN MATTHEW 2:13-23

Now, we’ve been reviewing all this stuff about Predictive Prophecy, and Typical vs. Direct Prophecy in order to help us understand our sermon reading for today. Our sermon reading speaks of the flight into Egypt. As we read, listen for the different kinds of prophesy we just talked about.

Matthew 2:13-23 (NKJV)

¹³ Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

¹⁴ When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, ¹⁵ and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

¹⁶ Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. ¹⁷ Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

¹⁸    “A voice was heard in Ramah,

      Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,

      Rachel weeping for her children,

      Refusing to be comforted,

      Because they are no more.”

¹⁹ Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰ saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” ²¹ Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. ²³ And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

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In the account of the flight to Egypt, we find a number of prophesies, some of them Typical Prophecies.

First off, after the wise men visited the Christ Child and presented their gifts in reverent worship, they were warned by God not to return to King Herod. Herod wanted to use the wise men to find the newborn King so that he could kill him. Simple minded Herod saw the Christ Child as a threat to his reign.

So, an angel was sent to Joseph, and away they fled to Egypt. Matthew notes that this event was guided by the very hand of the Lord so that what had been foretold in the past would come true in its greatest sense. Through the Old Testament prophet Hosea God had said…

“11 “When Israel was a child, I loved him,

And out of Egypt I called My son” (Hosea 11:1 NKJV).

At the time when this prophecy was originally spoken, this had already happened. God had called Israel out of Egypt. Moses had gone down to the enslaved Israelites and had led them out of Egypt to the Promised Land. But in Christ’s time this Typical Prophecy was fulfilled in a greater sense. It wasn’t just God’s figurative “son” that was called out of Egypt, but his actual Son, the eternal Son whose human name is Jesus.

This example of prophecy and fulfillment serves to strengthen our faith in God’s promise keeping ability. First God called Israel out of Egyptian slavery to a new and bountiful land. Then God called his only-begotten-Son out of Egypt to return to Judea. And now, God has called us through the Gospel to live no longer in the land of sin, and condemnation, but to live in the land of forgiveness and justification through Christ. And this prophesy will be fulfilled one more time on the Last Day when God calls all his faithful followers to live beside him in the promised land of heaven.

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When Herod found out that the wise men weren’t coming back to him, he was enraged, and tried to carry out his plan to extinguish the Christ’s life. He ordered the execution of any child that had been born around the same time. Matthew notes that another Typical Prophesy was fulfilled in this tragic event. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah had said,

“A voice was heard in Ramah,

Lamentation and bitter weeping,

Rachel weeping for her children,

Refusing to be comforted for her children,

Because they are no more” (Jeremiah 31:15 NKJV).

Ramah was a town about five miles north of Jerusalem. In the Old Testament, when Jerusalem was conquered and the Israelites led captive to Babylon, they passed through this town on the way. There must have been much weeping and sorrow, for before Jerusalem was finally conquered, many had died at the hands of the Babylonian armies.

At the time of Christ, this “weeping prophesy” was again fulfilled. Herod’s rampage left the unspeakable carnage of many dead children. Once again, there was much weeping in Ramah.

And yet, this dark prophesy has a light of hope along its edge. The Babylonian Captivity, which caused the first weeping, did not last forever. A remnant of the people returned to Israel, after a time, and from that remnant the Savior of the world was eventually born.

Furthermore, we are given hope today. Just as Herod was not able to extinguish the life of our Savior before his time had come, so also we are assured by God’s Word that a remnant of faithful followers will remain in this world until the Last Day. The light of the Gospel will continue to call sinners to forgiveness and life in Christ. And finally, the remnant of God’s followers will be called to eternal peace and glory at God’s side in heaven where there will be no more weeping  and sorrow among God’s redeemed children.

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The final prophesy that Matthew relates is a little different than the first two we’ve addressed. When Herod was dead, God sent an angel to tell Joseph to return to Palestine with his family. Upon returning, Joseph learned that Herod’s son Archelaus was ruling in Judea. So, instead of returning to Bethlehem, Joseph took his family north to a little back-water village called Nazareth. Matthew tells us that yet another prophesy was fulfilled here. A prophesy that had been spoken by a number of different prophets.

If you search the Old Testament for a specific prophecy that says, “He shall be called a Nazarene” you won’t find one. The statement that the Christ would grow up in Nazareth simply wasn’t made in the Old Testament. However, if we look a little closer, we can see what Matthew was talking about.

Over and over in the Old Testament it was predicted that the Savior would be despised by the people. In Psalm 22 the Savior himself says…

“⁶ But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people” (Psalm 22:6 NKJV).

In Isaiah 49, the Redeemer of Israel is called…

“…Him whom man despises…Whom the nation abhors…” (Isaiah 49:7 NKJV).

Isaiah again describes the Savior in chapter 53, saying…

“³ He is despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” (Isaiah 53:3 NKJV).

When Jesus began to reveal himself as the promised Christ during his ministry, his enemies seized on the opportunity to remind everyone where he came from. That he was a mere Nazarene. Nothing good came from Nazareth. It was a piddly back-water city not noted in the Old Testament even a single time. The title “Jesus of Nazareth” served to simply indicate which Jesus this was, the one who came from Nazareth. But, to those who hated Jesus it also served as a title of insult and disgrace, “Jesus—OF NAZARETH.” Thus was fulfilled every Old Testament prophecy that proclaimed that the Christ would be despised by the people.

When Joseph made the decision to turn aside and settle his family in Nazareth, he just wanted to put them in a safe, easily overlooked location. But the Lord of Heaven was working behind the scenes, even in this. And this fact should also strengthen our faith in the power of God. In the Old Testament, God guided the actual events of history to foreshadow the work of salvation which his Son would do. And in the life of Jesus, God was continually working so that each Direct Prophecy, and every Typical Prophecy was fulfilled. Through these foreshadowings and fulfillments God draws our attention to his great work of saving us through Christ.

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So, how has the Lord guided your life to this day? What has he caused to happen so that you have been led to just the right place, at just the right time, to see your sin and your Savior from sin? And how has the Lord guided your life to help bring others the knowledge of salvation through Christ?

Some people wonder what we’ll fill our days with in heaven. Perhaps God will take some time to show us just how he worked in the lives of each redeemed sinner to carry out his master plan of bringing salvation to the world. What a feature presentation that would be.

But for now, lets just take comfort in the lessons God has given us here in the simple story of the flight into Egypt. God’s plan of salvation was predicted and foreshadowed in so many ways. And his every promise and prediction was fulfilled. The Christ Child, though hated and despised, was not allowed to die until he had suffered on the cross for each and every sin we have ever committed. Only after our debt was fully paid did he speak those precious words…

“…It is finished…” (John 19:30 NKJV).

It was then that Satan’s power was shattered. With our sins forgiven, Satan no longer has any charge to make against us that can stick. Praise be to our gracious, and all powerful God who has painted prophecy and fulfillment right into events of human history. May his skilful and beautiful craftsmanship serve to give us hope, and strengthen our faith in our great Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus Our Brother, Kind and Good - Dec 25, 2013

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SERMON:

This year, during the Sundays of Advent we prepared to celebrate Christmas by taking a look at the miracles that happened in the days and months before Jesus was born. We heard how an elderly couple was miraculously blessed with a child, a child who would one day prepare the people for the Messiah. A young girl conceived a Son while she was yet still a virgin. Later, it was revealed to that young girl’s husband that her Child had been conceived by the Holy Spirit’s power. Still later, it was revealed to a group of shepherds, in the fields outside of Bethlehem,  that a Savior had indeed been born. A Savior who was God’s gift to the world. Each of these events was marked by the appearance of one or more of God’s angel messengers.

And yet, in the actual place where the Savior was born there was no bright light. No miraculous messenger. When the world’s Savior was born, it was a remarkably natural occurrence.  

Though we’ve probably heard the account of our Savior’s birth hundreds of times, perhaps we’ve missed this fact. As we read the story again this year, try to hear it with different ears. Try, if you can, to listen to the details of this account like someone who isn’t familiar with the story. Like someone who doesn’t yet know the significance of this Child’s life.

Luke 2:1-7 (NKJV)

 

2         And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

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When Caesar Augustus, also known as Gaius Octavius, had the decree published that his empire should undergo a census, he was not thinking of the Savior that God had promised to send the world. Rather, his decree was just one more governmental exercise. If you’re going to tax people, it helps to know how many people are going to need to pay.

This wasn’t the first census ever taken. So, Luke notes that this census was the the first that took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

Instead of sending counters out to the people, in Judea the people were required to travel to certain cities. Cities that matched up with their family’s origin where they would then be registered. Around Christmas time today, the roads are packed with people on their way to buy gifts, or groceries. But at the time of the first Christmas the roads were packed for a different reason. The people had to comply with the emperor’s decree.

When Joseph and Mary left Nazareth, bound for Bethlehem, they probably weren’t thinking about the prophesy that said the Savior would be born in Bethlehem. They were descendants of King David, and so their census city was the one where David had been born—Bethlehem. Like everyone else, they too had to comply with the emperor’s demand.

No flashy miracles here. Just the Governmental red-tape, and the everyday taxation of a nation.

And then the time came for Mary to give birth. The contractions came slowly at first, and gradually increased in intensity and frequency. And with one final push, the little Child that the world had waited so long to see, let out his first cry into the cool air of the Judean night.

There was no lightning. No flash of heavenly glory. Just a tired young Mary, and a beautiful new Child, wriggling and kicking in the dark.

And what did they do with this Child? They did what parents do with newborn children. They wrapped him up tightly to keep him warm and calm. And because poor Mary needed to rest, they laid him down in his first crib. Sure it was a manger, usually used to hold food for animals, but even this detail, though now famous, was not miraculous. They simply used what they had at hand. What else could they do?

No miracle here. Just a poor Judean couple doing their best to care for their newborn Child.

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You see, the miracle had happened nine months before, when Mary had conceived this Child without the help of Joseph. When Mary had been overshadowed by the Spirit of God and had received the spark of life that would grow into the very Son of God in her womb. That’s when the miracle happened. At the actual time of Christ’s birth it was all a very common natural occurrence. A child was born.

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And there are reasons why the birth of God’s own Son happened in this ordinary way. First of all, back in the Garden of Eden, God had promised that one of Eve’s descendants would crush the power of the devil. And so the Savior had to be HUMAN. God had told Satan…

“¹⁵        And I will put enmity

            Between you and the woman,

            And between your seed and her Seed;

            He shall bruise your head,

            And you shall bruise His heel”(Genesis 3:15 NKJV).

And so the Seed of Eve was born to Mary, in the same way that every other Child has been born since the beginning of the world.

And though this human Child was also the very Son of God, he would not use his divine power to ease his way in this world. For if he was to be the great stand-in-sacrifice for all sinners, he would have to struggle along like everyone else. And so even in his birth, the Christ refrained from the miraculous, and was born in the ordinary way of physical exertion and pain.

It was necessary for this Child to be truly human for another reason. He had to be able to die. The great redemption of the world could only be accomplished by a great sacrifice. The Messiah must not only live a life of sinless perfection, he must also die a humble death in accordance with prophesy. And so he was born in the same way as every other human child.

One of our lesser known Christmas carols reads like this…

Jesus our brother, kind and good,

Was humbly born in a stable rude.

The friendly beasts around Him stood,

Jesus, our brother, kind and good.

  

This Christmas carol points out one last reason why our Savior was born in this common, ordinary way. He was born to be our brother. That phrase, “Jesus our brother” simply means that Jesus was truly one of us, though without sin. Truly human. And that’s the whole reason why he was born like he was. The eternal Son of God became a HUMAN BEING so that he could rescue sinners like you and me from hell.

Jesus became our brother. What a comfort that fact is. He didn’t just APPEAR human like the angels sometimes do when delivering God’s messages. He actually BECAME human.

And so he knows. He knows what our lives are like. He’s experienced it. And even after all the abuse he received in his life, he was still willing to give his life to save mankind. To save you, and me, from all our ugly sins. Jesus our brother, kind and good.

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Artists often portray the little Christ Child with beams of light shining from his face as he lays there in Mary’s arms, or in Joseph’s arms, or in the manger. They paint him like this to illustrate the fact that he is true God, the eternal Son.

But today, as we look into the manger, let’s see the OTHER great truth. He was born a human child, that he might save the human race. He was born a human child, that we might believe that he really gets it, he knows our thoughts and dreams, he knows our struggles and problems, and he cares. Jesus our brother, kind and good.

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, thank you for sending your precious Son to be our brother. The fact that this has happened is mind-boggling and awe-inspiring. Strengthen our faith that we may always hold this truth dear, and look to the Christ Child as our only Savior, and our great King. Fill us with peace at the birth of your Son. And along with your forgiveness, fill our hearts, minds, and mouths with praise for your astounding grace. Amen.

God Wants You - Dec 30, 2012

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This sermon was originally written by pastor Vance A. Fossum and provided by "Ministry by Mail". Audio read by pastor Caleb J. Schaller. For more go to http://clclutheran.org/ministrybymail/.

SERMON:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

In the name of Jesus—who came into the flesh of man in order to serve us all—dear fellow-redeemed:

As the telemarketer have reminded us with their continual invasion of our homes, it’s not always good thing to be “wanted.”

The fugitive from justice is not at all pleased that his “wanted” poster hangs on the Post Office wall. We were not always happy as children when our mothers would call out to us that they “wanted” us. How often didn’t we holler back, “What for?”

Whether or not we are pleased at being wanted by someone depends upon what it is for which we are wanted.

Many will compete for our attention during the coming year. Some will lie and cheat to get something from us for themselves.

The Devil wants you too! But do we recognize his approach through others who want us for this or that purpose? Eve did not recognize that it was really Satan who wanted her for himself when she heeded the invitation of the serpent. Joseph, on the other hand, fled from Satan when Potiphar’s wife wanted him!

What others may want of us in the coming year may be in direct conflict with what our Savior God wants of us. Everybody wants you, some for evil purposes, some for good, but God wants you and me for our highest good—here, now, and forever!

I.

You who have been elected to the Church Council have been chosen by the Lord Himself to serve His congregation of believers. You are wanted for this service by your God. But you are also going to be wanted by many others in the months ahead. The same is true of each of us in our various callings—parents, children, teachers, laborers, business men, public servants, or whatever.

When there is a conflict and choice to be made, on what shall we base our decision? May we remember that first we belong to the Lord our Redeemer-God, who has purchased us!

In the words of our text Paul is warning against the immoral use of the body. He wanted to emphasize God’s dwelling in us, and how we should make use of our bodies which have become the temple of God’s Holy Spirit.

The entire life of the Christian is compressed into these two short verses. That life was made possible when the Son of God poured out His life’s blood as payment for the sins of the world.

Today we remember the circumcision of our Lord. Through the Law of Moses, God commanded this cutting off of the foreskin of eight-day-old male child. So began our Lord’s keeping of the Law perfectly for us and the first shedding of His blood for our sins.

All people were “brought with a price”—the life of God’s own Son! His life became our possession when the Holy Spirit worked repentance and faith in the Gospel of Christ in our hearts. At that time the Holy Spirit Himself took up residence in our bodies.

But the mysterious indwelling of the Spirit of God and the life He brings is such a gift of God that the believer is no longer his own master. All the other gifts from God to us are possessed by us, but this gift of the Spirit possesses us!

Being possessed by the Spirit through faith in Christ changes people. As a young boy I read a biography of Ty Cobb, Hall of Fame baseball player. If any man ever felt that he was his own master, it was Ty Cobb. Cobb was filled with himself and the desire to win at all costs. He was well known for his “dirty” play on and off the baseball field. His own teammates hated him. But near the end of his life, Ty Cobb was brought to faith in Jesus, and on his death-bed he talked of nothing but his Savior! Ty Cobb had learned the truth of Paul’s words: “...you are not your own; therefore, glorify God in (all the acts of) your body and your spirit (will) for they belong to God!”

In the coming year the unbelieving world will continue to go its own way, disregarding the commandments and teachings of God in order to maintain its unrestricted pursuit of whatever pleases the flesh. But let us remember that, through His blood, Christ “has purchased and won us from all sins, from death, and from the power of the Devil,” so that we “should be Christ’s very own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness” (Small Catechism, 2nd Article). Surely none of us owes anyone more than we owe Him who gave Himself into the most horrible sufferings and death for our sins, so that we might have life eternal! (cf. Romans 12:1 ff.)

II.

There is another and most wonderful reason that our Lord wants you and me in His service!

Most of those who want you in this life want you for their own benefit. This is human nature; and the Devil surely does not intend any good thing for you as he attempts to gain you into his service. But your gracious Lord wants to bless you through your service to Him!

The Bible teaches that the good works of the Christian receive a reward from God because they are the fruits of a living faith that loves God for His free gift of salvation in Christ.

In speaking of the preachers of the Gospel, Paul wrote earlier in this same letter: “each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” (1 Corinthians 3:8)

In writing to Timothy about disciplining himself for the purpose of godly living, Paul wrote: “Bodily exercise is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

Luther points out that the 4th commandment, as recorded in Exodus 20, contains a promise of reward to the believer. Children are commanded to “honor Father and Mother, that their days may be long upon the earth” (Exodus 20:12).

These are rewards of grace, not rewards of merit. For every true Christian knows that no one in the Kingdom of God may present God with a bill for works of service as if God owes him a reward. “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). We ought to rejoice that our Lord so possesses us unto life eternal that He moves us to perform the works of faith’s love so that He may also reward us with both earthly and heavenly blessings!

This wonderful truth applies to us as we serve in the offices of the church, or as organist, or faithful church cleaner, grounds keeper, or choir member, teacher, janitor, pastor, or whatever.

It applies when we do good unto all people, love our enemies, and give to others without a concern for our own loss; when we witness to our neighbors concerning their Savior from sin, and when we as members of a family serve one another with self-sacrificing love and faithfulness.

In summary: All that we do in love and faith for our God and our fellow man works both heavenly and earthly reward for us. Therefore the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian Christians: “Let us not grow weary in doing good: for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).

Yes, dear friends in Christ, everybody wants you for this or that. As we begin a new year, many are squaring off in competition for our attention, our money, our time; and the Devil will continue to make use of all and everything in this life to turn us away from glorifying God in our bodies and spirits and to turn us back to being our own gods as it once was with us.

But you were purchased—heart, hands, feet, mind, ears, body, and will—by the Lord God because He wanted to possess you and bless you in Heaven and on earth through Christ our Savior!

Your Lord wants you more completely in His service in the coming months and years. May He strengthen His grip on us all as He grants us grace through His message of forgiveness. May we resolve with Joshua once again in the new year: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” (Joshua 24:15) Amen.

— Pastor Vance A. Fossum

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.”
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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.
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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!
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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).

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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.

The Call of the Magi - Jan 2, 2011

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Sermon:

Our events of our sermon reading take place sometime in the first 24 months after Jesus was born. For reasons unknown to us, Mary and Joseph have remained in Bethlehem. Joseph has moved his small family out of the stable, and into a house.

Things have settled down from all the excitement of that first Christmas night. There haven’t been any visits from angels lately. No shepherds knocking on doors in the wee hours of the morning. Joseph works. Mary cares for baby Jesus. Life as usual has set in.

But then, an unexpected group of travelers arrives on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Matthew 2:1-12 (NIV)

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”
7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
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The theme of our message today is “The Call of the Magi”. This isn’t just another nice Christmas story. It’s not just a historical event. The Spirit of God caused Matthew to write these words down so that the Magi could speak to us even today. These mysterious worshippers have a message for us. But first we need to ask a few questions.

WHO are these guys? WHY did they travel all the way to Jerusalem and to Bethlehem? WHAT were these gifts all about?

In drawings and paintings the Magi appear as three kings. But the Bible doesn’t tell us how many there were, just that there were THREE GIFTS. The Bible also doesn’t tell us that they were kings, just that they were Magi.

Okay, what does that mean? Well, if you add a “c” to the end of the word “Magi” you get “Magic”. And that’s what many of the ancient Magi were all about. Tapping into mystical magic powers. Being a Magi implied that you knew things that most mortal men know nothing about. Supernatural things.

Apparently, the Magi in our story were astrologers who studied the movements of stars and planets. They weren’t just astronomers studying the night sky for the sake of science and learning. They attached earthly significance to what they saw in the heavens above. When unique things happened in the sky, they believed something significant was happening down on earth.

But these men were also followers of Jehovah God. They knew about the great King that had been promised to David and the Jewish people. And they believed the prophecy. They believed it enough to make a long journey west in search of this King.

The Magi probably came into contact with the Old Testament of the Bible through the deported Jews. When the Israelite nation was defeated by the Babylonian empire in 586 BC, most of them were deported. They remained in exile for 70 years. When the Jews were finally allowed to return to their homeland, many chose to stay in the lands they had been deported to.

Some of these Jews were still waiting for the promised Messiah. Perhaps they shared their hope with the Magi. Perhaps they pointed them to the Bible, and to prophecies like the one found in 2 Samuel 7, verse 12. Here God is speaking to king David. God tells David…

“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son...”(2 Samuel 7:12-14 NKJV).

Somehow, when a bright, new star appeared in the sky, the Magi knew that the promised King had been born. So, they packed up and went. They had to see this thing that the Lord was doing.
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And here’s where the first call of the Magi hits us. Their journey calls us to re-center Christ as our own life’s core.

I think we’ve all come across interesting places and things we’d like to see before we die. Maybe in a magazine, or on Television. I’d like to camping in Hawaii. I’d like to go rock climbing in Oregon. I’d like to see the Redwoods. But I can’t just up and go to these places. It’s not so much the money or responsibility that keeps me from just going to see these places. What it really comes down to is these are just desires. Whims. Things that I’d LIKE to do, but they’re not what my life is all about.

When the Magi packed up and left the East, they weren’t going on vacation. This was a major undertaking. There would be dangerous roads and unknown places that they would have to travel through. But they were wealthy, right? Their gifts show it. Well, that just made them more of a target on the roads.

This wasn’t a hobby for the Magi, it was their life. There was no division between their lives, and their religion. Their faith in the God of the Bible defined their life choices - at least in this one instance.

And their example calls us back. Calls us to rededicate ourselves to the same God. The God who first called the Magi to Christ through the Scriptures, and then called them to the Christ Child by a star.
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The Magi also call us to experience great joy. The joy of approaching God to worship Him.

Verse 10 says,

“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed” (Matthew 2:10 NIV).

“Overjoyed” is kinda a lame translation of what the Magi felt when they saw the star reappear over Bethlehem. The Greek says it more like this…

“And seeing the star they rejoiced a great joy greatly” (Matthew 2:10 personal translation).

The Greek kinda piles up words in order to emphasize how excited the Magi were. The star that started this journey had reappeared. And it had MOVED ahead of them to stand over Bethlehem. This meant they were going in the right direction. They were nearly there. They were approaching the palace of the TRUE King. The ETERNAL King.

Their rejoicing calls us to the same joy. When we come here to worship, or open our Bibles at home, we’re approaching the holy and divine. We’re approaching the God who has shown us our sinfulness and our desperate need for redemption. And we’re approaching the God who has shown us our Savior. The Child who grew into a Man and went to the cross to take our sins away and make us His forgiven children forever.

We don’t even have to make a long journey to find the Christ! God has plopped this message of sins forgiven down right into our laps. He’s given us numerous copies of His message, and He’s given us this place in which to study and share and celebrate it in.
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Now, when the Magi finally reached the humble palace of the Christ Child, they came prepared. Verse 11 says…

“11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh” (Matthew 2:11 NIV).

Here the Magi call us one more time. They call us to express our faith outwardly. That’s what these gifts were all about.

The gold, the frankincense and the myrrh were expensive gifts. But, if you think about it, these men were approaching the Son of God through whom the whole universe had been created. All this was His anyway.

It’s a bit like really little kids giving gifts to their parents. I think all my children have gone through a phase were they wrap up normal items from around the house so they can give them as gives.

Maybe you’d get your car-keys one day and a pair of your own socks right from your drawer the next.

And what’s the value in those gifts? Obviously it isn’t the dollar sign value that makes those gifts precious, it’s what they express. The love of a child for a parent. The heart and mind of a child growing more mature. That’s what made the gifts of the Magi special. There at the foot of the baby Savior, they laid down expressions of their faith in Him.

A few days ago I talked with my kids about the Magi. And in our little devotion time we asked each other, “What would you have brought to the Christ Child?” Carmen (age 2) said she’d have brought Him a Care Bear toothbrush (she had just got one that morning as a Christmas gift). My wife said she would have brought a Moby wrap for Mary to carry Jesus around in.

How would you answer that question? What if we were going with the Magi, and each of us had one chance to give a gift to the Christ Child. One simple, little expression of our thanks and love and trust. What would YOU have brought your infant Savior?
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At this time of year, it’s impossible not to look forward. Just yesterday we got a fresh year to work with. A fresh set of unmarked days, weeks and months. So, what are we going to bring our Savior this year? What expression of our trust in His forgiveness? What expression of our dependence on His grace? What expression of the joy He offers by His life lived and given in our place?

The start of the year is a great time to reset. To re-dedicate. To re-center our lives on Christ. And the place to start is where the Magi started – with the WORD of God.

Without the prophecy of the King, these men would never have made that famous journey. So that’s where we need to return. To a life of prayer appointments kept. To a life where the Word of God is touched in an ongoing, deliberate basis. To a life where we first fill up our hearts with the joy of salvation through Christ, and then we let the Holy Spirit lead us to thoughtful expression of that joy.
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Here’s what I’d suggest. You might already have a whole bunch of New Year’s resolutions to keep, so we’ll keep this simple. Why not build ONE better habit that connects you to God this year?

Maybe it’ll be getting to church every Sunday you’re in town.

Maybe it’ll be starting to attend Bible Class when you haven’t for a long time.

Maybe it’ll be buying an audio Bible for your iPod so you can listen to the Bible on your way to work.

Maybe it’ll be settling back into a solid prayer habit. A time during your day when everything else can wait, because you’ve got a meeting with your Creator.

Why not build ONE better habit THIS WEEK. Just one habit that helps keep your heart centered in Christ.

Have you ever been to a meeting where you talked about things that got forgotten later? You know, you talked it all over, but when everyone left the room nothing actually got done? Don’t let that happen today. The Magi have met with us today. They’ve called out to us over millennia to build up our faith in the Savior King.
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The final verse of our sermon text says…

“12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route” (Matthew 2:12 NIV).

It had been a wild ride for the Magi. But then they returned home. And life as usual set in once more. When all the holiday celebrations associated with this time of year have come to an end, we too will find life as usual settling in once more.

May God bless our lives this year so that “life as usual” for us, is a life that’s all about our Savior from sin. A life full of renewed joy as we continually approach God to worship. And may God help us along so that our faith in Christ grows, and overflows in MANY outward expressions.

Amen.