Following Faith to the End - Job 14:1-6

You Can Follow Faith to its Conclusion (Judgment)

1. In matters of mortality: See the total corruption of sin

2. In matters of salvation: Trust God’s complete forgiveness in Christ

Job 14:1-6 Man born of woman has a few short days, and they are full of anxiety. 2 He blossoms like a flower, but soon withers. He recedes like a shadow and does not remain. 3 You keep your eye on such a man. You bring me into judgment in your presence. 4 Who can produce something pure from something that is impure? No one. 5 Certainly his days are determined. The number of his months has been set by you. A limit is set, which he cannot exceed. 6 Turn your gaze away from him, and let him be, until he finishes his day’s work as a hired man.

Are you a judgmental person? That’s quite a loaded question. I think most of us would probably say no. Judgment has a negative inuendo in our culture. It’s not considered valuable or good to be judgmental. However, that word itself simply means someone who comes to judgments. When you break it down, we are all “judgmental” in different ways. You have to be in order to make decisions in life. You make judgments in what kind of food to eat, what kind of work to do, who you consider to be your friends, what to teach your children and so on. Obviously, you can’t be a Christian without being judgmental, either. If you aren’t, you won’t stand for God.

Chances are, this isn’t quite what you were thinking of when I posed my original question. As soon as you heard “judgmental” you probably thought of looking down on others in a condescending, self-righteous way, rather than merely making decisions in life. It’s a good example of how our culture’s use of a word can really shape its meaning.

We can talk about our use of the word judgment all we want, but for the purpose of our faith we should also consider what God says. We know that God’s judgment is a common topic across the Bible. We often think of God’s judgment in a negative way because we view it in light of our sins. You certainly get that sense as we see Job’s thoughts today. Job was able to depict God’s judgment in very personal and specific ways, probably because of everything Job endured living in this sinful world. Job’s outlook appears quite bleak. He speaks of human mortality, anxiety, death, struggle and toil under temptation and test, and more. It’s hard to think that any of us have been through more than Job but surely, we’ve felt the same way at times. Are these difficult thoughts all there is to God’s judgment? If so, there hardly can be any hope for our lives here on earth or for our faith.  

We need to take back the proper, Biblical understanding of judgment because its so critical to our faith. Every belief system makes judgments just as every individual does. Christians need to be on guard against giving up our beliefs simply because they are labeled as judgmental by the world. You cannot forfeit judgments entirely, there is simply exchanging one set for another.

Another way of thinking about judgment is the conclusion to something. Think about any good story in a book or a movie. It has a conclusion. In the simplest way possible, that means it comes to an end. No matter how much we enjoy a story, we want it to come to an end. No story is going to make any sense if it simply rambles on forever.

A judgment is similar to a conclusion. It indicates the termination of something. We could apply to this to actual events and individuals, such as when God speaks of judging the world on the last Day. However, judgment also applies to ideas and beliefs. We reach decisions and conclusions about the simplest and deepest matters of our hearts and minds.

The point of today’s message is that any valuable belief should be able to be followed to its conclusion, or judgment. Many non-Christians criticize our faith because of the judgments it makes without considering the conclusion of their own beliefs. The result is that we are tempted to buy a false bill of goods when it comes to how we view God, the Scriptures, and our faith. If we do, we are led to distrust what God has actually said and done.

Consider atheism as an example – the belief that God does not exist. This belief system is probably the source of the greatest criticisms of Christianity. Most of the arguments you will find against the Bible go back to principles espoused by the atheistic worldview, even if they are held by Christians. Most atheists do not follow their belief system to its end. They make judgments but not the truly scary prospects that come along with promoting the idea that God does not exist.

Follow the atheistic belief to its conclusion. There is no God. Religion is a man-made invention with slight cultural value only. Therefore, no religion is superior to another, except the religious views expressed by atheists. God did not create us, since He does not exist. Jesus, if even a historical figure, was certainly not divine or a Savior, since there is nothing of a divine nature in the world. Sin is merely a product of guilt and shame – and it is not dictated by unchangeable commandments. There is no heaven or hell. Your life ends when you die. Oh, and by the way, while you’re living here on earth, the principles of law that govern and protect life and society, and that define morality, are simply dictated by the majority, and they are subject to change at any point in history – so buckle up and have a fun ride.

These are the principles of atheism, and if followed to their logical conclusion, they present a drastic picture of life and eternity. If there are no absolute laws or immutable standards about how we are to treat one another, what purpose is there in maintaining order – furthermore, how can we? If we are nothing more than highly developed animals that, for the time being, are on the top of the food chain, why should be act kindly to others? Where does compassion fit in if you’re just an animal? Furthermore, where did the immaterial realms of logic, wisdom, morality, and faithfulness come from if life as came from random chaos? When you follow this belief system to its conclusion, you end up in a terrifying place, and thankfully many atheists do not actually do this. Instead, they borrow from the Christian worldview, which gives us a foundation for moral principles and value to life. 

The same applies to other religions in the world, all of which will eventually teach the individual to achieve God’s favor by what they do, feel, or think. Again, follow those beliefs to their conclusion and there is no hope. They offer no fulfillment or comfort.

How is the Christian perspective any better? What does Job have to do with all this?

The point is that you can follow faith in Christ to its end. You don’t have to be like atheists or those who believe other false paths, stating high and grand ideas but borrowing from the Christian worldview to fill in the blanks. You can be confident of following the Christian faith to its conclusion, even though judgment most certainly awaits. Job fits into this because he understood the same thing about as well as anyone who ever lived. Job experienced some of the deepest and most intense possible. But, all while still trusting in redemption and salvation from his Savior. How?

First, Job followed the true teaching regarding sin and condemnation to its conclusion, and what a picture that paints. This is where we see the gloom and doom of Job’s life. These are where the themes of death, Satan, and suffering are unmistakable realities. Most belief systems will never approach these things because they’re too painful and they have no answer for them. If you have no solution to a pressing trouble, what good does it do to dwell on it? When we see the true nature of sin and unrighteousness it is truly a catastrophic scene. But we can follow that path to its conclusion because there is a judgment. There is a judgment over sin and we should rejoice in that fact. God came to a decision about it and because He did our sorrowful look into it is not for eternity.

The finality of Job’s understanding of God’s righteous judgment over sin is expressed in verse 4: Who can produce something pure from something that is impure? No one. Any hope we have of justifying ourselves, or escaping God’s judgment, is dashed to pieces on the rock of this single truth. No one can produce clean from unclean. This is what we find when we follow the law to its end. The judgment is that we are guilty, and no one can escape it.

But it’s also in this verse that we see a tiny seed planted that grows in the gospel. The futility Job expressed was from man’s perspective. Hope is found when we see that there was someone who made the unclean clean. From the perspective of Jesus, the righteous Man, the firstborn over all creation, we see comfort in this verse. I don’t have to try to manufacture purity on my own – Jesus did. I don’t need to justify myself before God – Jesus did. I don’t have to try to foolishly conceal the reality of sin’s effect in my heart and in my life – Jesus is able to cleanse me. For the one who hears and receives the gospel message, there is an implied hope in this verse – because that person knows Jesus – the one Man who accomplished salvation for the world, while still retaining his divine right as God.  

Job knew this. Job believed in his Savior. Many doubt that assertion because of the frustration that Job directed toward God. While we don’t condone that, we do recognize that the believer who faces trial, test, and persecution will struggle inwardly with understanding how those things align with the grace of God. The very fact that Job expressed such a deep struggle indicates that he knew and believed in God. If he hadn’t, these topics would not have been so frustrating for him. He was one who desperately longed for deliverance from God.  

We know Job would eventually, in chapter 19, confess the wondrous comfort that His Redeemer would resurrect and restore Job’s fallen body one day, and that Job would see Jesus in heaven. But even here in this chapter, amidst such desperation, we see the same hope. Job talks about man’s life as a flower that withers and perishes. It is temporary and fleeting and we’ve seen why in the earlier parts of our message today. But within that imagery is also the fragile seed and growth of the gospel’s work in a sinner’s heart. Because of the One who has cleansed us of our sin, faith grows when Jesus is trusted by faith. Sure, it’s fragile, just like man’s mortality. But faith endures. Even Jesus likened it to a mustard seed, which is one of the smallest seeds, but can grow into a large, vibrant plant that bears fruit. (Matthew 13:31ff)

So, too, is the conclusion of faith in Jesus. We are blessed to follow the good news to its end. And yes, it concludes with a judgment too. The judgment is similar to that of the law – given by Jesus, written and confirmed in His word, unchangeable, and applicable to all people. But it differs in its effect. The judgment of faith pronounces the sinner as redeemed and forgiven, not condemned. And because we follow the law to its end, we better appreciate the beauty and purity of faith’s conclusion in the merits of Jesus Christ.

Likewise, Job would express this hope in verses 16-17:16 For now You number my steps, But do not watch over my sin. 17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You cover my iniquity.

Many who reject Christ, who taunt believers, and who mock God’s Word seem to have an unshakable foundation of personal conviction and belief. On the other hand, the Christian faith seems too fragile and insecure to be of any real value. Very often, we imitate Job’s struggle in our own lives. Things seem too far out of our control. Deliverance from God feels like a distant dream that will never be realized.

And yet, there’s more to each than meets the eye. You can follow faith to its conclusion. The unbelievers personal beliefs will wither and fade like their own mortality. You can follow through pain, bitterness, heartache, and guilt. You can embrace God’s judgment, because there’s more to it than just a message about your sins. There’s a irrefutable declaration of grace for you in Jesus. God chose that. He decided it in eternity. It’s His conclusion. Therefore, you have a faith that can be followed to the end. It will not disappoint, and it will not leave you forsaken. The reality of sin and the pain through the law can be unbearable – but that’s the point. You can’t cleanse yourself – so stop trying.

Rather, believe in the only One who can and has cleansed you from sin. When you see the dirtiness, the hurt, the terror, and every other just reason for God to condemn you because of sin, it sets the perfect stage for Jesus and all that He alone accomplished. As deep as the condemnation of the law’s judgment goes, the gospel’s conclusion in Christ reaches even further to give you meaning, hope, and renewal. Sometimes that doesn’t seem to be the case, because you can find sin in just about anything in this world, while the gospel is only in God’s Word and sacraments. But continue to believe, because Christ is unchangeable, and He awaits at the end of your faith in heaven. God grant you all strength and perseverance in His name. Amen.

Reformation Sunday - Ezekiel 13:17-23

Theme:Idolatry Hits Close to Home through Identity

1. Man tries to identify with God by idolatry

2. God defeats idolatry by changing man’s identity

It’s an interesting coincidence that Reformation Day and Halloween happen to fall on the same day each year. I don’t think anyone planned this, but the events of Halloween, especially as it’s portrayed in our culture, are always a good reminder of the significance of the Reformation. For Christians at the time of Luther and other Reformers, the devil was a very real threat and temptation was depicted as a life or death consequence. If you’ve ever seen any Reformation-era artwork, you’ll understand what I mean. It’s common to see images of skeletons, demons, and depictions of death in graphic detail. There was no censorship of these things at that time because Christians wanted people to fear these things.

Today, it’s common to see the devil, demons, witches, and sorcerers portrayed in a much lighter way. Even this last week I saw one of the popular, lovable characters from the Peanuts cartoon illustrated as a fictitious Satan in costumes with horns and pitchfork. I’m not trying to be overly zealous about cartoonish depictions at Halloween and act like they are the fast track to hell. But, these characterizations of Satan, who is a very real threat, can have the unintended effect of desensitizing us to his ploys and plots. 

This is why a passage like 1 Peter 5:8 is a good reminder around Halloween and Reformation time. It fits with the meaning of both days: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. This describes the true nature of Satan. This is why he continues to be a very real threat to us today. The Lord’s call to be alert has not ceased to apply to your life. Today, as we think of the events of the Reformation, we consider a real-life case example of how Satan stalks and prowls as a lion. The image itself is abstract in many ways, to learn from it we also need to apply it to the ways that it fits our lives. We see it today from the prophet Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 13:17-23 "Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them, 18  "and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive? 19  "And will you profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?" 20  ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls there like birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds. 21  "I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. 22  "Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life. 23  "Therefore you shall no longer envision futility nor practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD."’

We see in these verses just how seriously the LORD God takes false teaching. We’re not told the specific teachings of these false prophetesses, but we are given some details. Ezekiel describes the use of some type of ornamental charm that had some spiritual significance. The Hebrew term used in verses 18 and 20 indicates a bracelet that was worn. The prophetesses had taught the people that these bracelets had some type of magical or spiritual power. God says they were using these bracelets to hunt and trap souls. His message of deliverance was that He would free the trapped souls and expose the false teachers for what they were.

It’s common to read a portion of the Old Testament like this and forget to apply it to our lives. It seems strange to our ears that God’s people could fall for such a foolish trick. Enchanted trinkets are quickly exposed by our highly educated and trained Christian minds. But the deeper you dig into the background of this type of idolatry, the more you can see how it affects our lives.

Anyone who knows the basics of Reformation history can see the parallel to this text. At the time of Luther and well before, the Roman Catholic Church had led people astray from God’s truth through magical charms like relics, rosaries, and indulgences. Though far distant from Ezekiel’s age, the time of the Reformation was shrouded in mysticism and spiritual ritual. Church leaders regularly connected the divine to material things, and led church members to believe that these ordinary items had some significant purpose.

In substance, both examples are the same – they are times when Satan, the roaring lion, hunted peoples’ souls and led them away from Christ. The details were different to be sure, but the motives and factors were very much the same. Every scenario involving idolatry also reveals something about identity. What we mean by identity is how we view ourselves, especially in relation to God, or what many non-believers would refer to as the divine realm. No matter what a person’s religious belief is, we all have some type of identity in relation to the divine. The major question is how that identity is formed and understood.

Ezekiel depicts the common example of idolatry and its bearing on identity. Mankind, in an attempt to associate or be identified with God, attaches a significant meaning to something worldly. This is done in an attempt to reach up to God and find our identity with Him. The most common worldly objects are correctly called idols. We might think of statues made of wood, stone, or precious metal. Indeed, that type of idolatry still is practiced in many parts of the world today.

But in those cultures which have exposed the futility of such common idols, other more nuanced and complicated types take the same place. So, we see in the Reformation how the Roman Catholic Church began to attach spiritual significance to the saints, or objects from the saints. Simple items like a necklace of beads or even a piece of paper became the most sought after and necessary relics in the Christian’s life, all because of what they could supposedly do for their identity before God. Even the most sacred of the Lord’s own worship institutions – His Holy Supper – was denigrated into an idolatrous feast that shifted the focus from Jesus’ one sacrifice on the cross to mankind’s ability to conjure up divine miracles on the spot. It was the same as the charm bracelets that the LORD so vehemently condemned in our text – common worldly objects meant to displace God’s true Word.

How does this fit into our lives? That answer is perhaps the most difficult because idols today have shifted and changed even more than in Luther’s day. It’s also challenging because it takes an honest Christian to identity. You have to be open with the cavities in your heart that are leading you away from God. You have to be willing to be brutally honest with your thoughts, words, and actions and take the road less traveled in your assessment of your life. That road means blocking out the natural reaction of justifying what you have done and what false beliefs you have allowed in your heart. No one does this naturally. The people of Israel didn’t. Medieval Christians resisted too. That’s why they fell into traps that seem so easily avoidable to us. To understand how idolatry affects you today, you have to listen to God and block out your sinful flesh’s natural reaction. And if you open your ears to listen, as Jesus so often pleaded with the crowds to do, you will see answers in God’s Word that help your life.

Notice from Ezekiel, the root cause behind the various idolatrous symptoms. From the first verse of our text: Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart… This wasn’t the only place, either. At the beginning of chapter 13, when Ezekiel was condemning the false male prophets, he said the same: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart,`Hear the word of the LORD!'" 3 Thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!”

There we see the core rot of the sinner’s heart. This is what false teaching delights in and what it feeds upon. This is the singular sign that Satan has devoured and conquered – that a person trusts their own heart over God. False teachers are evil because they lead hearers to this kind of attitude. Simple, obedient faith that follows God at every Word He speaks is supplanted by subjective feeling and desire. This is the true indication of idolatry and it’s the common thread in all false teaching from the beginning of time.

In what ways does this strike your life? It could be anything that becomes more important than God. Money, power, popularity, tradition, anger, pride, your job, a house or a car, and so on. You have help in recognizing what it may be in your life by heeding the same lesson God is giving here. Idolatry causes us to establish our identity in ourselves, and then force that into God’s plan. Conversely, faith humbly trusts the identity that Jesus bestows upon us as His children. And God defeats idolatry by changing our identity to be more like His.

God described this to Ezekiel as liberating believers from the snares and traps of the Devil. ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls there like birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds. 21  "I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.

We are free from false spiritual charms because of Jesus Christ. We are released from the captivity of false teachings and vain messages of deliverance. By faith, God reassures and strengthens believers with the one true gospel message of salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ. This has freed you from slavery under the constraints of God’s law that you couldn’t keep on your own. This is the good news that brings joy and comfort to even the most hardened sinner who repents. This is how Jesus changes our identity to be like His. It’s the only way to accomplish this great quest of the divine that all people seek. It’s not about reaching up to God by our rudimentary efforts, but Him coming down to us in tender love and forgiveness.

This is our identity, and it’s the only one that contains no idolatry – for it trusts in Jesus Christ alone.

Romans 10:6 But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, "Who will go up to heaven?" that is, to bring Christ down 7 or, "Who will go down into the abyss?" that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. 8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.   

When you are on the lookout for signs of idolatry in your life – think of your identity. Is it in the many charms of our affluent culture – money, possessions, status, power and the like? Is your identity in the charms of sophistication and wisdom – do you feel attached to God because of how much you know, or how well you can rationally reconcile your faith in your mind? If these things describe the identity you have as a believer – beware – because that means you’re being hunted by the lion.

Rather than having that sad and desperate end to your faith – take comfort in the reality of the gospel of Christ. This is not something you chose. This does not come to you on your terms. This is not magic or superstition. The gospel begins and ends with Jesus – it’s all about what He has done for you by the most committed and unconditional love ever. And that means your identity comes from Jesus, not yourself. That means it’s delivered by His Word – not some mystical charm of body or mind. And that means you have the gift of everlasting life in heaven.   

Galatians 2:16 "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. 20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  

That’s quite an identity indeed, and it’s yours only through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Pentecost 20 - Genesis 28:10-17

The Two Ways that God Touches Your Emotion

1. Fear that Leads to Respect

2. Faithfulness that Leads to Hope

Genesis 28:10-17 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 "Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." 17 And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!"

We speak of things that touch our emotions. In every circumstance of that kind, there is a catalyst and an effect. The catalyst is that which initiates the action and which evokes the emotion. The effect is the response that we display. If you are touched emotionally, you are not the catalyst. When you feel something because of God – remember that He is the one who is leading the way. He generates the response.

We have to be careful about this because there are also other catalysts that evoke responses – especially when paired with our emotions. Satan can be a catalyst. Our sinful flesh and natural mind outside of faith can cause a reaction. Even those nearest and dearest to us in life can be catalysts that create an effect.

But, how do we truly know we have been touched by God? We stay grounded in His Word. That means we won’t always get the reactions we anticipate. The catalyst determines that. That means not every feeling or intuition (reaction) we have is proper. If you are not the sole arbiter or righteousness and purity in life, then you follow someone who is – that’s where God comes in. Jacob struggled for a long time trying to forge his own path – trying to be his own religious catalyst. He wanted to taste heaven. He wanted to be touched by God – but he was forcing the issue.

·       Being swayed by his mother to steal the birthright from Esau.

·       Lying to his father, Isaac.

·       Running away in shame.

·       Even after this account Jacob continued doing the same thing – had children with servants of both Rachel and Leah.

As Jacob ran away from home, he truly had nothing. The stone he took as a pillow that evening was indicative of his loneliness and desperateness. Part of the LORD’s plan in coming down from heaven to Jacob was to touch him emotionally in a way that would reveal the hollowness of Jacob relying on his own to move forward. Jacob needed a humbling reminder that without the LORD he had nothing of significance in life. And God’s plan worked. Jacob’s first reaction to seeing the stairway with angels was fear. He was afraid of God because God had confronted Jacob directly and revealed the futility of the ways in which Jacob had tried to circumnavigate God’s will and purpose for his life.

God’s magnificent display of power that evening was the catalyst that led to Jacob’s reaction of fear. And hard as it was to endure, Jacob needed that. We do well to wonder in what ways does God act as a catalyst in our lives to wake us up out of the slumber of unbelief and futile living? We’re conditioned to resist change or shame. We can speculate how – it probably differs for each of us. Media, technology, affluence, power and control – they all drive us to ignore the confrontation of reality that exposes our weaknesses and limitations. The world and your own sinful flesh will never run short of ways to suppress the catalyst of God’s righteous law and judgment. We’ve become so accustomed to disregarding inconvenience in life that it even leads us to reject the truth when we don’t like it. Like Jacob, we want to run and hide from the will of God in our lives and seek our own paths instead. We want to make excuses for our infractions against God’s law and portray our lives in a much cheerier way than we deserve.

We need the same humbling reminder that Jacob received that evening. We need to be touched by God in this way. Correction and discipline from God are blessings. We need them in our lives, lest we run away from Him. Fearing God in this way is not a bad thing either. It’s part of every believer’s healthy walk of faith in this world. We should recognize the awesomeness of God in the settings where we see Him in His Word. We should not resist calling Him “Lord” and “Master” and we should not hesitate to believe that His Word alone is the way to life and fulfillment. God touches our emotions in these ways and it’s a necessary part of faith. Beware of ignoring those moments or resisting them because it means the difference between true faith and vain idolatry of the self.

Yet, God tells us that there is so much more to faith than fear – at least the terrifying kind of fear. God also works as a catalyst of mercy to bring us forgiveness to assure us that we have a home in heaven with Him. God exposed Jacob’s futility to present a clearer picture of His grace. So, He does the very same thing with us when the Law exposes our sins – God uses that to help us see even more clearly what Jesus alone could accomplish for us.

In the text, we see this in God’s promise to Jacob. This was no ordinary promise. It carried Messianic implications. This promise was the same one that God first gave to Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham. There are essentially three parts. 1. God would bless Jacob and his descendants with the Promised Land. 2. God would make Jacob’s descendants numerous. 3. and God would bless all nations of the world through Jacob’s seed. This last aspect of the promise is most directly pointed at Jesus, because He was the Seed. This also helps us appreciate the significance of this promise because it even predates Abraham. It was first given to Adam and Eve just moments after they rebelled against God. He assured them as He did to Jacob – the Seed of the Woman would crush the serpent’s head.

Other parts of this promise would have a fulfillment in Jacob’s own life. His children would indeed become the 12 tribes of Israel that settled in the land of Canaan. He would have an extremely large family – one could even say as numerous as the dust. But, ultimately, God was pointing to His own Son with these words too. The greater fulfillment of this promise was that in Jesus, people have a place in God’s land. Even the most wicked sinners find grace, healing, and life through Jesus when they follow in repentance and faith. Every individual that believes in Jesus increases the innumerable family of God – the Holy Christian Church. Through Christ’s own fulfillment of God’s promises we too are privileged to count Abraham and Jacob as our family members by faith. We are son’s and daughters of those whom God first delivered these words and we receive an equal share in heaven by the same Mediator of our sins.

Just as Jacob had nothing in himself to claim these blessings, so we have no credit of which to boast in ourselves. This is a product of God’s free and unconditional love.

Jacob rightly felt the effect of fear when God confronted Jacob with His almighty power. Each time we rightly view God’s law in our lives it serves as a catalyst to the same effect – and God uses that as a necessary function of our faith. But He doesn’t leave us in a state of fear. A much greater catalyst is His faithfulness – the completely trustworthy words of promise that He has given to each generation and that remain as strong today as they first were. This work of God doesn’t not produce terror, but comfort. It leads us to respect and worship God. It causes us to come back to His Word often to receive the same good news. In short, it gives us hope.

Jacob did not know in that moment what his life would amount to. He barely knew what the next day would hold. And yet, he was touched in such a way by God that he humbled himself in repentance, but also rejoiced in God’s grace. Jacob took what little he had – that stone which supported his head overnight, and he made an altar of praise to God. He honored God with his words – dedicated that lowly plot of God as “Bethel” – in Hebrew – the house of God. For the first time in his life, as far as we know from Scripture – Jacob didn’t try to figure everything out by himself. His joy and hope in life did not come from what he did. Jacob stopped trying to run from the emotional pain of knowing he had disobeyed God and that he had mistreated those whom God had put in his life to guide his way. For the first time Jacob stopped making these same mistakes, because God touched him with the sting of the Law and the healing of the Gospel. And it woke Jacob up.

You and I walk the same path as Jacob. You don’t have to waste time trying to climb the ladder to heaven yourself. God comes down to you. He connects with you in His Word. He confronts you with the same stark law that exposes your situation. He delivers the very same promises of hope to you in the same words that He gave Adam, Abraham, and Jacob. Don’t discount these treasures and blessings. This is the way of faith. It’s going to be portrayed as an odd and unpleasant way by the world. Your flesh is going to plant seeds of doubt in your mind as to the necessity and effectiveness of your faith. Remember Jacob’s lesson and Jacob’s hope. Trust not in what you carry along the way – for you may find yourself one day with nothing but a stone under your head.

Rather, trust in Jesus as your catalyst. That means He is almighty Lord – standing in full justice and righteousness – condoning no sin. But it also means He is Your Friend and Savior – extending unlimited forgiveness and mercy. Emotionally speaking, God will touch you in different ways. You will feel different effects depending on the circumstance of your life and the status of your faith. But as long as He is in control, you are safe and blessed. Amen.

Mission Festival 2019 - 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

Working with the True Gospel

1. The narrow focus of God’s love

2. The wide reach of God’s reconciliation  

2 Corinthians 5:14-21 For the love of Christ compels us, because we came to this conclusion: One died for all; therefore, all died. 15 And he died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves but for him, who died in their place and was raised again.

16 As a result, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we knew Christ according to the flesh, we no longer know him that way. 17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. The new has come! 18 And all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 That is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. And he has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, inasmuch as God is making an appeal through us. We urge you, on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Dear friends in Christ and fellow ambassadors of His love and reconciliation.

This past week I was watching a show on television about a team of archaeologists who were exploring some ancient Mayan ruins deep in the jungle. Through some new technology they were able to discover sites that had been previously unknown to explorers and researchers. One of these areas that they came across was a cave. Many of these cave systems are linked through underground tunnels and passages which sometimes flooded by underground rivers. But from the outside as you enter the cave through the jungle, it doesn't seem like a very spectacular thing. In fact, to the outward observer it might appear that there's really nothing of significance there. Many of these cave entrances look like a small crack in the rock or a divot in the landscape. The thing is with many of these cave systems you have to crawl through a very narrow entrance and sometimes a very narrow passageway before it opens up underneath. In the cave that these researchers were exploring there were parts at the very beginning that they could barely fit through there were times where they were uncertain if they would be able to go any farther. But once they made it through it opened up into a giant cavern which no one from the surface would have known existed.

The Christian faith works in a very similar way and out mission work reflects that at times. You've heard the arguments before against the narrowness of the Bible. Jesus makes the claim that He is the way the truth and the life that no one will come to the Father except through Him. The book of Acts tells us that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we can be saved.” One of the biggest criticisms of Christianity today is that it’s too narrow. People don't like to listen to the law of God because it puts restrictions and boundaries on their lives. People look at a church like ours and consider us strict or old fashioned when we use the word of God as it's written. What people want today out of religion seems to be something that they can use to express themselves. Perhaps they want to retain the old framework of some of the things of the past such as the Christian name or the church building, or the practice of using the Bible in some way or another. But sadly, for many people a faith that trusts completely in the Bible is simply too narrow.

What do we do when we come across the parts of the Bible where God restricts us and we're even tempted to look on those things in a negative light? Today we focus on mission work and sharing the gospel with the world and the Bible depicts the gospel as a free and liberating thing. The freedom of the gospel is that it breaks the bondage of sin and the weight of the law that bears down upon our consciences. But the gospel gets narrow too. That's why this message is such a crucial reminder for us today as the Apostle Paul wrote about the ministry of reconciliation in 2 Corinthians chapter 5. In this section Paul brings out the constraining quality of the gospel; that yes although it does free us from sin and the deserved condemnation that we have under the law, the gospel also controls, directs, and compels us to follow Christ in a very specific way. We are liberated from sin so that we can obey and serve God – not so that we can follow our own brand of religion.

Like those cave systems in the jungle, we realize that even though the gospel has a narrow entrance, it opens up a truly endless possibility to all people in Jesus Christ. It’s precisely because we go through the narrow gate of God's deliverance that we have hope for an even bigger reality of what He has done for us, greater than what we can imagine or think of on our own.

The narrowness of the gospel is seen in the opening verse of our text where Paul writes “for the love of Christ compels us because we came to this conclusion:: one died for all therefore all died.” We're not used to hearing that the gospel compels us to a certain direction – that’s usually something we think of in connection with God’s commands. Another way to understand “compel” is that it urges us or moves us on to something by keeping us hemmed in. There’s an element of pressure to it. Usually we think of the law in that way; that the law is the defense around us or the curb that keeps us on the direction that God wants us to go. But here Paul tells us that the gospel works like that too. When somebody truly comes to know and believe the true gospel in Jesus Christ it changes their life it points them in a different direction; it dictates in a good way in a way that which God desires in their life.

The narrowness comes in as well in the way that Paul describes the product or the essence of the gospel, namely that one died for all. Jesus is the only Savior and that is a restricts salvation to one path. Typically, as Christians we don't fight against this sentiment although some are starting to. But you have to recognize also that as Jesus is the Word Incarnate, anytime we take a position contrary God's word – in any teaching – it also stands against Jesus and what he has come to do. Only one died, but he died for all. Similarly, Jesus said in John chapter 10 that He is the only door to the sheepfold, that all who trie to enter by a different way are “thieves and robbers.” There are fewer sections more comforting in the Bible than John chapter 10 where Jesus tells us that he is the Good Shepherd and that He knows His sheep and will protect them, and nothing can snatch them out of His hand. These comforting sentiments are the great cavern of peace that exists when faith is entered by the narrow gate of only one Savior – who delivers us the truth in His Word.

And so, the gospel compels us in the love of Jesus. And that leads us to change the way we treat others. Paul goes on to say Jesus died for all “that those who live would live no longer for themselves but for Him who died in their place and was raised again.” We live in a world where helping others is still a high for many people, even by many non-Christians. From the world’s perspective, this is why they see mission works as an archaic, outdated thing. It’s believed that you don’t have to be a Christian to be a good person or to help others. In fact, many today see religion as a stumbling block to these very things. The Bible makes the case that only through Christ can we serve others in the way that God intends. This doesn't mean you can't be good or virtuous person in some way without Christ, but the Bible says that Christ makes a difference. Christ opens up a greater love that we can't show on our own; a love based on the unconditional grace He has shown us. And God says that kind of love changes the way we look at others and treat, in a way that we can’t do outside of Jesus. So we no longer treat someone according to the flash but according to how Christ sees them as redeemed soul.

This sentiment makes a huge difference in how we approach the gospel and mission work. It’s all too commonplace and easy for us to back away from telling others about the direct gospel and how it compels our lives by the love of Christ, and instead speak more of a generic, non-religious love. You need to look at your heart and see if you trust what God says here, that He offers a gift and blessing that no one else can. Do you believe that Jesus makes the difference and therefore every person in the world needs Jesus? Or have you fallen for the trap of thinking that all faiths can reach the level of love displayed and given by Christ? I don't think I have to dig into how that makes a difference in the way that we work as a church and in the way that we pursue mission work.

Now that Paul is introduced the narrow entrance of the gospel in Jesus Christ the last half of our text opens the wide breadth of what that reconciliation accomplishes. What we essentially have here are 3 parallel verses that say the same thing. Just like the way we use our language today, when God repeats something in the Bible, especially in an immediate context, it's a pretty good indicator of how important it is. 3 times in verses 18,19, and 20 reconciliation comes up; and 3 times it is governed by Jesus Christ. As a reminder, reconciliation is a word that focuses on the salvation; it's a gospel word and specifically it means to be friendly again. reconciliation is really a word that speaks to relationships. And it describes a relationship that was once positive, and fell apart, but now has been brought back together again - that's what Jesus Christ does for us as the Mediator between God and mankind, Jesus restores, reunites, and reconciles that relationship.

So 3 times as Paul speaks of reconciliation it is governed by the work of Jesus and it naturally moves into our mission work. Verse 18: God reconciled himself to us through Christ - there's the governing aspect, and then He gave us a ministry of reconciliation. Verse 19 - God reconciled the world to himself (in Christ) there's the governing term; and then God entrusts to us the message of reconciliation. Verse 20 is simply flipped around and talks about the ministry first - we are ambassadors for Christ, we represent him because God has reconciled us (on Christ behalf). There's a lot here in this section and a lot of familiar comforting gospel passages but remember they all focus on these same principles - God reconciles us – in, through, on behalf of what Christ has done; and that leads us to proclaim this message to others.

Here's where the gospel now opens up, but we have to walk through that narrow gate first by faith. Once we truly recognize what the gospel is and that it's only through Jesus Christ, it opens up a ministry to the entire world. We can go out and proclaim that anyone we talk to has been forgiven and redeemed by Jesus Christ. We have God’s assurance and certain promise that He has reconciled the whole world to Himself. These are absolute necessities when it comes to mission work.

Too many people go out and make their determination of what Christ has done based on the response they get from the person. Does the person fit what I envision in my mind of how a Christian should act how or how a Christian should talk? Are they worthy of this message of reconciliation? Has the individual done enough good things in their life or is the person socially conscious of how they treat others? Is the person just a stodgy old Christian who's kind of a hypocrite and isn't really developed enough in their wisdom, intellect, or self-awareness to be worthy of the gospel? If people don’t fit our narrow parameters, we often exclude them from the message of reconciliation. Or it becomes personal - we think that someone who has really hurt us personally needs to show something to really earn my forgiveness - they can't just be given for free they need to show themselves that they have learned their lesson that they're not going to do what they did again that they recognize how deeply they hurt me and then I can extend reconciliation to them.

See how easily we play games with what God alone has done for us in Christ? See how easily we make the work of missions more complicated than God does? See how quickly we can detract from the one Savior who brought us all this and focus more on ourselves? True mission work means working with the true gospel – that involves centered around Christ, not us. We have comfort and peace in knowing and believing the one Savior who died for all; the fact that there is one way to heaven is a joy, and we know that one way through Jesus Christ. That will change the way we then recognize the height and the breadth and the width of the gospel namely, that God has reconciled the world to Himself and no matter who we talk to we can bring this message of Jesus to them and it applies to their life just as much as it applies to ours. And by faith in Jesus they too can have peace and joy in their Savior.

Amen. 

Speaking Before the King - Proverbs 25:6-13

Speaking Acceptably in the King’s Presence

1. Debate and Disclose Wisely

2. Give the Fit Word that Refreshes Souls

Proverbs 25:6-13 Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great, 7 for it is better to be told, "Come up here," than to be put lower in the presence of a noble. What your eyes have seen 8 do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? 9 Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another's secret, 10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end. 11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. 12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. 13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters. (ESV).

Recently I've been seeing a lot of ads on the Internet for a software service called Grammarly. Apparently, this program is a way to check your spelling and grammar as you’re working on your computer. The technology itself is really nothing new, I suppose. Microsoft Word and other word processing programs have had various spell checkers and grammar checkers. You’re probably familiar, as I am, with the red squiggly line or the blue squiggly line underneath the text. But as communication becomes more digital there is certainly a great necessity for programs like these that can work well and can be fluid.

Grammar and spelling mistakes have always been a pet peeve of mine. It's difficult for me to read something or to take something seriously if it's filled with errors. It bothers some people more than others, but it certainly can become an issue when you're trying to convey something that is very important.

Today we talk about a portion of the Bible that deals with communication. In these verses that were recorded by King Solomon in the book of Proverbs under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit God is telling us how to speak in the presence of the king. These words applied to Solomon’s experiences, but we’re not before Solomon or any other earthly king today. We’re before the King of heaven and earth – and the ruler of all righteousness. Now wouldn't it be something if God could help our communication out the way that a word processor works. Could you imagine if God would put a template around the false things we say or the times we take something out of context. That's probably the type of communication checker that most people don't want to have in life because we would simply be awestruck at the amount of problems with the way that we talk.

It seems like this wisdom from God in His word today from the book of Proverbs probably applies to our culture more than any other. We're familiar with the old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Now sticks and stones certainly can do a lot of damage to our bodies but very often it is words themselves that hurt more. It's words that cause deep emotional pain. It's words that cause people to feel like they're unloved. It's words that can cast doubt in a person's heart and mind and can grow into a devastating terror from which they feel helpless.

We get the point of that saying but words certainly hurt a lot. And in a day and age when we’re protected from most bodily dangers, we're really not protected all that well from hurtful words. Communication has always been an important thing for God because it's the very process through which He delivers to us the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. Words before the King carry and eternal impact. In Romans chapter 10 Paul talks about how the Gospel message is delivered through one who preaches and if someone doesn't step up and use words and preach Christ no one is going to come to faith. So, God, as both King and Savior, takes our use of words very seriously.

Few people today practice what God talks about here. Just this week in the sports world alone I can think of 3 separate controversies that developed, that became news headlines, revolving around something someone said or the way in which they said it that was either wrong or caused hurt to someone else.

Even outside of mere sports, our culture elevates the freedom of speech to one of the highest freedoms – even portraying it as a moral right. Yet, do we consider whether God gives us the right to say something as much as we consider our national rights. There are consequences that come along with saying whatever we want. And as much as we promote freedom of speech, Christian values and truth are regularly suppressed, and individual Christians are often strongly encouraged to keep quiet about their faith.

Learning how to properly speak before God is a necessary skill – but it’s also life-giving; just as Solomon writes, God’s wisdom is like the cooling effect of snow on a sweltering hot day. And in this way God’s guidance can be summarized from this section of Proverbs in two categories:   

1. Debate and Disclose Wisely

2. Give the Fit Word that Refreshes Souls

Most of the time words hurt when they’re paired with deep emotion, and there are few emotions deeper than anger. Words of anger can be extremely damaging. When words cause great riffs in relationships or when they cause people to feel ways about their lives that God does not feel about them - as if their worthless or insignificant - it's often because those words are accompanied by anger. For this reason our culture has often taken the stance of using our words in a non-judgmental way or a non-criticizing way. There are good reasons for this approach, yet even we selectively choose when to judge and when not to. Some contexts are treated differently than others. Even the most non-judgmental people have times when their language is filled with anger.

God makes clear that the proper way to speak before the King is determined in His word. We see in verse 9 that there is a time to argue your case with your neighbor. But to so by not reveal another person’s secrets. God tells us that there is a proper time to bring emotion into our words - even the emotion of anger when we argue and debate something. There are plenty of checks and balances as well. God says don't go hastily to court. Don't let your words of emotion be given without thinking. Don't trample on somebody else's reputation, or air their dirty laundry out in the public just because you're upset about something.

Being a Christian doesn’t mean you have to concede every matter of importance in your life. The world doesn’t even follow it’s own argument of never making judgments or criticisms. If we follow that we’ll never stand for Christ – we’ll never speak of our heavenly King. There is a time and a place to debate but it is to be done in Christian love and respect for God and for our neighbor. As King Solomon certainly would have heard many complaints from the people that he ruled, of which we have an example with the two women contending that the same child was their own. Solomon exercised wisdom and discernment to figure out who the real mother was. What Solomon warns about in coming to the King with your case is in not having your argument come from the truth. Don’t let emotion rule your heart. If someone simply brings an argument of anger out of emotion they're going to be proven wrong and they're going to be shown to be foolish. No one wants to be in that situation, especially before the King.  

The lesson for us is that in God’s presence, we cannot speak truth without using His Word. This is a welcome piece of advice from God in our day and age when communication can be something as simple as a tapping your phone or clicking on your computer. You tend to lose the element of shame of being wrong when you anonymously offer your opinion to the world. It’s easy to ride emotion when you’re looking at a screen and not a person. These verses remind us that we are always before God, the King, and we should speak appropriately.

Another form of speech that leads to sin is when we feel like we need to win the argument or get the last word. That attitude alone shows that we’re not invested in standing for the truth or building up our neighbor. It even shows a glaring inconsistency of being willing to sacrifice the truth in order to get our argument across in any circumstance. Rather than contend with just our own opinions God offers the advice of seeking the “word fitly spoken.” This word of verse 11 talks about not only the fit context but also the fit approach. The proper word that truly glorifies God and serves our neighbor is going to be spoken at the right time but it's also going to say the right thing.

This word fitly spoken is portrayed as a beautiful thing in the text, as an ornamental apple in settings of silver and as a gold ring that is used for decoration and beauty. Notice how the word fitly spoken is not about just saying things that are positive to our ears. The individual who delivers this beautiful message is called the “wise reprover” in our text. It's concerning a word of rebuke - a message of repentance and a call to discard the evil and vileness of the human heart because of sin. The beauty of a Word to God is not about what the culture has to say about it or what sounds reassuring and positive to our ears but it's a word that builds up and sustains God’s message. This is acceptable to our King and it’s the true path to communication that can refresh the soul. That message can be one of repentance or it can be one of promise.

The message of repentance and forgiveness is focused on the Savior – the Prince of Peace who was sent by the King. There is no better word to share than one that speaks Christ. It doesn't just have to be a recitation of a gospel passage or a part of a confession that speaks the good news of salvation. Speaking Christ can be part of our everyday speech. Christ can be in the various and different topics that we discuss from day to day. Speaking Christ influences the way that you talk to others even when you have a disagreement with them. Speaking Christ is always invested in an individual’s eternal soul care and it's not just about what they want to hear in this world. There is no better word.

It was during that tumultuous time in Jesus ministry when he was tested in this very regard. In John chapter 6 the Holy Spirit tells us that many people, even among His own followers, were offended that Jesus declared Himself to be the only Savior. Because of that message from Jesus which we know today as the gospel, John recorded that many of Jesus’ disciples went back and walked with Him no more. And Jesus said to the 12, “Do you also want to go away?” Simon Peter responded “Lord to whom shall we go, You have the words of eternal life? also we have come to know and believe that you are the Christ the son of the living God.”

Jesus’ 12 disciples were living examples of the power of God's communication in His word. Peter recognized that they were in the presence of the Savior King. Believers are always a testament to the confidence and certainty that a word fitly spoken about Jesus can have. But the disciples who fell away also a reminder to us of how sharp that division is in connection with God’s Word and how we use and receive it.

We face many trials today when it comes to the way that we talk with others. It's hard enough to wrestle with an inborn sinful human nature that wants to tear others apart with the way that we speak in think. As James writes, the tongue is indeed an awful enemy that cannot be tamed by human effort. We also live in a world that distorts communication values under the guise of freedom of speech. It’s a tough ground to navigate as a child of God. What a comfort that God does not abandon us to these fates. He offers us real advice on how to speak to one another. He makes the standards of communication and the difference between right and wrong clear.

And most important of all, He is able to refresh our souls with the most fit word of life and forgiveness in His Son, Jesus. May we recognize that we speak in the presence of the King, and the responsibility and privilege that comes along with that. God grant you faithfulness and grace to use the word fitly spoken about your Savior, to lead your way and to refresh your soul. Amen.  

God's Abiding Protection - 2 Kings 6:8-17

Please Lord, Open our Eyes

1. That we may see Your protection and plan

2. That we may trust your grace for our lives

Dear friends in Christ. A couple of weeks ago I was heading out on a visit and traveling south on I5. Traffic was picking up as the trip went along and at a certain point on the Interstate I found myself coming up alongside a semi to pass it. Unbeknownst to me, though, on the other side a car was coming up behind me. When that driver reached essentially the same point as my vehicle she started to pull into my lane. She obviously hadn't checked her blind spot to see if a car was there, but I saw it out of the corner of my eye. Obviously in that moment I was caught in a difficult spot because there was only so far that I could go to the right without hitting the semi, but I certainly didn't want to be impacted on my left side either.

It all happened so fast that it seemed more like a moment of instinct rather than reaction. I swerved as much as I could without hitting the semi and thankfully also avoided a collision with the other car. And thankfully, before I ran out of room, the other drive saw me and corrected. Shortly after that moment as my heartbeat went down a bit I said a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for watching over me.

We’ve all had those moments in life. Moments where serious injury or even death could have occurred within the blink of an eye – and yet we were protected. As Christians we know in the Bible that God talks about using His divine Angels to protect us from evil. We pray in the Lord’s prayer that He would deliver us from evil. In those moments that we reflect back upon where we see the Lord’s hand at work it really doesn't matter what God's role might have been; we still know that He was there. I know that the Lord was watching over me that day, even if I don't know if he had an actual angel there to protect me. I don't know if it was one of those moments where the Lord directly intervened in some way or if it just happened to play out the way that it did.

But what I do know is that the Lord wants us to take courage that He will protect us and that He is watching over us in every circumstance. And He wants us to believe in His word that Angels are certainly real not imagined and that they do play an important part in our lives. We've seen example of that from the Bible in our lesson from God's word today.

2 Kings 6:8-17 When the king of Aram was waging war against Israel, he conferred with his servants, "My camp will be at such and such a place." 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Be careful passing by this place, for the Arameans are going down there." 10 Consequently, the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had told him about. The man of God repeatedly warned the king, so the king would be on his guard. 11 The king of Aram was enraged because of this matter, and he called his servants and demanded of them, "Tell me, which one of us is for the king of Israel?" 12 One of his servants said, "No one, my lord the king. Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in your bedroom." 13 So the king said, "Go and see where he is, so I can send men to capture him." When he was told, "Elisha is in Dothan," 14 he sent horses, chariots, and a massive army there. They went by night and surrounded the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God got up early and went out, he discovered an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So he asked Elisha, "Oh, my master, what are we to do?" 16 Elisha said, "Don't be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them." 17 Then Elisha prayed, "LORD, please open his eyes and let him see." So the LORD opened the servant's eyes. He looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (CSB)

The Kingdom of Aram was north of Israel in what is known as Syria today. At the time of our story Aram and Israel were at war with one another. During this conflict the Lord allowed Elisha to know the plans of the king of Aram before they were put into motion. When the king of Aram would send his army out to attack Israel, Elisha would give the king of Israel a warning ahead of time and Israel would move to a different spot. They were always one step ahead of Aram.

At first the king of Aram thought there was a trader in his midst that was feeding information to the Israelites. But eventually he came to find out that God was revealing this directly to Elisha. So, the king of Aram sent a war party to the tiny village of Dothan where Elisha was at. His intention was to capture the Prophet of God so that he can no longer feed information to the Israelites. The scene of our text is set as Elisha and servant are in the tiny valley and they see the hosts of Aram all around the hills.

It's no surprise that Elisha’s servant was afraid. From their perspective there appeared to be no help. But Elisha knew better. And frankly the king of Aram should have known better too. If God was giving Elisha information to protect Israel in a miraculous way couldn't God also protect him in the same manner? I for one would not want to go up against somebody whom God is clearly helping.

But it shows just how easily we can have our eyes open without actually seeing. Elisha tells his servant “Do not be afraid for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.” I'm sure the servant, upon hearing those words, must have thought that Elisha had lost his mind. Even if the Israelite army had been there to help them, they were no match against the chariots and horses of the king of Aram. But they was surely no one there to come to their aid that day and it made no sense to believe that there would be deliverance.

But as we know Elisha was not talking about Israel, or some other band of soldiers from some nation, he was talking about The Lord’s Angels. The Lord had given Elisha the ability to see His divine invisible army all around the city. And Elisha’s simple prayer to the Lord was that He would open his servant’s eyes, that he would also see. What an amazing thing it must have been to see the Lord’s Angel armies surrounding the army of Aram. Must have been quite a magnificent sight to see the great number but, even one angel would have sufficed. It wasn't about weapons, armor, or the numbers of soldiers that day but it was about the power of God. Elisha and his servant certainly would be safe because the king of Aram didn't even possess weapons that could affect God's almighty angels.

In times of danger or trouble, we can take confidence of the very same thing. And we can pray the same prayer as Elisha – that the LORD would open our eyes that we may see. Certainly, it would be nice to see a taste of the supernatural from time to time. It would be nice to witness with our eyes the majesty and power of God here on earth. Sometimes we envy the apostles and early Christians who were able to see Jesus, and His power, directly. We're tempted to think that somehow their faith must have been of greater use than ours because of that experience.

And many Christians today are trying to replicate the same thing. Instead of using the same word of God that we've had from generation to generation many Christians today focus more on what they can experience from God in their senses; how they can feel God or how they can witness God's actions here on earth. There's certainly would be no problem with seeing those types of things sharing those experiences, but we don't have to wait for them to know that God is with us – and they do not have to take precedent over the solid Word we have from God.

Elisha’s prayer was answered that day not just in God allowing his servant to see the angels but also in giving him the faith to trust that God would protect His own no matter what.

And by faith in the same Son of God who came down to earth to pay for our sins we are blessed to be able to see in that same way. We see not with our physical eyes but with eyes of faith. We witness the Lord’s power and control not only when we experience it in our lives but when we trust what He has promised.

The same thing has been true for believers from the beginning of time. The book of Proverbs says that “a man's heart plans his way but the Lord directs his steps.” Psalm 119 tells us that God's “word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.” Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said “we walk by faith not by sight.” Peter declared the timeless truth that we “have the prophetic word of God fulfilled which works as a light that shines in a dark place.” The basis of the believer’s trust in times of danger or uncertainty has been the same from the very beginning - that God would open our eyes by faith so that we would see more clearly the work of our Savior Jesus.

The lesson for the us today from the story of Elisha and his servant is not about victory over an army but about conquering sin, death, and Satan through believing in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Like those two believers in that Valley that day we too are overcome with many situations in our lives when we feel as if there is no help left. In those moments remember that simple prayer “Lord open my eyes that I may see.” It could be that God would open your eyes to the divine, as he did for Elisha’s servant. It’s certainly possible. But more often, God opens your eyes to His Word of promise – the good news that says “Be of good cheer, for your sins are forgiven.”

When you face financial difficulties and it seems like your budget is in a hole from which you cannot escape, pray: Lord open my eyes that I may see what are you asking me to do differently in my life; what should I prioritize better; what kind of decisions are responsible versus immature.

When you face health difficulties that turn life into a miserable experience, pray: Lord open my eyes that I may see what is Your plan by leading me through these trials, help give me humility to better trust in Jesus as my great physician of both body and soul; preserve my life as best as you can but ultimately,, Oh Lord, in Your will and in Your mercy lead me to eternal life in heaven.

When you face relationships that breakdown pray: Lord, open my eyes that I may see. What wrongdoings should I confess and bring to Your throne that You may cast them into the depths of the sea in total forgiveness? How have I wronged and hurt those around me even my most dearly loved ones? Help me to learn from those lessons to repair and renew in the future.

There's no end to the troubles that we face here on this earth and although we live in relative peace and protection as compared to God's people at this point in their history, the devil is always on the prowl and is fighting more violently today against God’s church than ever before in history. We need protection from the Lord. We need mercy and grace for the times when we fall in unbelief. We desperately need help as we’re caught in our pitiful condition of regularly disobeying God's law and His expectations for our lives both in how we respond to Him and also how we treat one another.

There is no shortage of enemies on our doorsteps and sometimes we feel greatly outnumbered. So this pray becomes the refrain of our faith, Lord open my eyes that I may see. Open my eyes that I may see Your mercy and grace; not just for moments in life, but to trust it in every circumstance. Open my eyes that I may see not more of the burdens that I must bear but the perfect work of my Savior. Open my eyes that I may live and rejoice in the love that you show me. Open my eyes that I may be led to confess the thoughts, words, and actions that do not align with Your Word.

Being with Jesus does not mean that every evil and disaster will magically evaporate from your life. Experience teaches us otherwise and we know that walking by faith will come with its trials and tribulations. But what it does mean is that no matter what happens God is always with you and because of that you can trust that He will protect you and that He has a plan for your life. And it also means exactly what Elisha himself said, you don’t have to be afraid, because “those who are with us are greater for those who are with them.” So we read from our lesson today and so we believe; that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Oh Lord keep our eyes open that we may continue to see you in your word Amen  

Pentecost 16 - 1 Kings 17:17-24