Christmas 1 - December 29, 2019 - Luke 2:25-35

Theme: The True Spirit, Blessing, and Destiny of Christmas

We read our text from Luke 2:25-35:

25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27  So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28  he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29  "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30  For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31  Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32  A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel." 33  And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34  Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35  (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." 

One of the best parts of the Christmas season is tuning into Christmas TV and movie specials. Everyone has their own favorites. You can hardly make it through the season without, at the very least, seeing advertisements for these memorable shows. Hopefully you were able to watch your favorite this year.

We were able to enjoy a few. The thing is with Christmas movies, the theme is usually the same. It involves bringing the viewer back to a deeper meaning of Christmas, as a time of joy and believing, not cynicism. The three main thoughts of our text today, Spirit, blessing, and destiny are abundant themes in just about every Christmas movie. This year, we watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The Polar Express, and Elf. Each of those movies ultimately comes down to the same thing – keeping the spirit of Christmas alive in your heart and having optimism in your outlook.

There is certainly a secular way to view these aspects of Christmas. The “spirit” of Christmas is often portrayed as believing in Santa Claus or the goodness of the world. The “blessings” of Christmas are often wrapped up in the things of the world and whether you’ve been good enough to be found worthy. And the idea of “destiny” in Christmas is often viewed as having a renewed hope and joy for the year ahead.

These are not necessarily bad things to think about around Christmas, but the true meaning of each involves much more. Here we see what these themes are really about as it concerns the birth of Jesus. And the reminder is welcome for our lives this morning because spirit, blessing, and destiny have deeper meanings through our Savior. We ask God’s blessing on our study today.

It’s fitting that Simeon would be the one to lead us through these unique Christmas gifts, for he himself was a unique person. We’re not told much about who he was, but rather this special purpose for which the Lord used him. First, we see that the true spirit of Christmas is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gave Simeon a special message that he would not die before seeing the Messiah. Again, we’re not told why specifically this was given to Simeon because it doesn’t matter. God had a plan and executed that plan through His servant, Simeon.

The spirit of Christmas that many people speak about this time of year is more about human emotion than God’s will. There could be the literal Christmas spirits of the Christmas Carol or the metaphorical kind of human desires or emotions. Either way, Simeon reminds us that Christmas is ultimately about the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who led Simeon. It was the Holy Spirit who revealed the truth to Simeon. And it was the Holy Spirit who kept Simeon’s attention and hope on Jesus. That hope is found in the phrase, “Consolation of Israel,” what we’re told Simeon was waiting for. The word “consolation” is just a synonym for comfort, a blessing from Jesus that we saw emphasized through Isaiah last weekend. Simeon, like the rest of the Old Testament believers, was waiting for this by faith. Their hope and comfort was not in some generic human spirit or feeling, but in the verifiable promise of a Savior that was given by the Holy Spirit.

It was also the Holy Spirit that led Simeon to the second gift of Christmas – blessing. One of the reasons that God led Simeon to find Jesus, Mary, and Joseph was for blessing. Verse 34 tells us that Simeon blessed them. In connection with faith, a blessing indicates happiness. Think of the Beatitudes as an example. The word that Jesus uses at the beginning of each of the Beatitudes means “happy.” But it’s not the cheap, vain brand of happiness we see so often in human behavior. Godly happiness means finding meaning and fulfillment through what God has done for you. Notice the emphasis of blessing in this sense is on God’s actions for us.

Simeon’s blessing was not about his achievement, or about Mary and Joseph’s abilities. It was about God’s accomplishment. This is further shown not only in the fact that Simeon was led by the Holy Spirit to extend this blessing, but also because Simeon blessed God. Before his blessing to Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, Simeon took Jesus up in his arms and blessed God (v.28). This was Simeon’s way of thanking God for keeping His promise, but it also showed the source of Simeon’s faith – it was squarely on what God had done for him, and there was no better example that than the very Child that Simeon held in his arms.

Likewise, the greatest blessing of Christmas for us is in Jesus – who He is and what He has done. Christmas blessings are not about packages or possessions. But, they’re also not about human favor and goodwill. If our focus is on the blessings we extend to others in the name of charity, we greatly minimize the true impact of Christmas. There is certainly much that we can and should do in the name of blessing, but our gifts of mind and action fall drastically short of what God offers. And the beauty of God’s blessings to us in Christ is that it allows us to serve one another with greater clarity, purpose, and effect. Blessings derived from faith in Jesus receive their power from Jesus Himself. That goes above and beyond what we are able to offer apart from Him.

It’s not difficult to see the profound effect that God’s blessing had on Simeon, granting him gifts that he could not attain on his own. Simeon’s song says it best: "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30  For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31  Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32  A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel." If God has given us such a gift through His Son, why wouldn’t we want all the world to hear about it and believe it? Christ’s blessing by faith is so much more powerful than human wishes of goodwill.

The final aspect of Simeon’s Christmas proclamation helps us see why the blessing of Christ is so powerful. It comes back to destiny. Destiny is a big theme around Christmas, in part because of its close connection to the New Year. Christmas offers a time for self-reflection of the past year and a gaze toward the future. That view puts the theme of destiny directly before us. Our hymns reflect this reality also. Verse 1 of “O little town of Bethlehem” speaks of destiny.       

1. O little town of Bethlehem,

How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by;

Yet in thy darkness shineth

The everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight.

And so Simeon also brings destiny to mind, speaking to Mary: "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35  (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." 

The idea of destiny is perhaps the most manipulated concept of Christmas. Destiny, in human terms, around Christmas focuses on our dreams, aspirations, goals, and accomplishments. Again, much like Christmas spirit, these are not bad things, but we set up a dangerous scenario for ourselves when we think only of destiny as an earthly pursuit. That’s because the idea of destiny is ultimately about meaning and purpose. The word itself reaches beyond the present time and space which we occupy. In theory it’s about more than just what we’re doing today and ultimately what our lives are focused on in this life. It can be dangerous to lasso the idea of destiny and pull it back down to the world.

God wants you to have goals and dreams. He wants you to find fulfillment and accomplishment in these things and to attain that by working hard. But God also wants you to look heavenward. He wants you to have more than your dreams and hopes for this life, because there is so much more through Him. Tying up destiny to our lives is foolish because what we experience and do in this world is but a mere vapor compared to eternity.

And so, when Simeon speaks of Christmas destiny – once again we shouldn’t be surprised that it’s completely focused on what Jesus did. The idea for “destined” in Simeon’s proclamation is to be appointed or set in a position for a certain purpose. Christ’s destiny was to suffer and die for the sins of the world. It was an appointment that caught many people off-guard because they never guessed that God’s Son would subject Himself to such a fate.

Christ’s humble and unique destiny was the reason why Simeon warned Mary that a sword would pierce her heart and why the sign of Jesus would be spoken against in the world. Mary would witness the rejection of her Son. She would watch Him die on the cross. She was there when darkness covered the noon-day sky and the earth heaved and shook when atonement for sins was offered. That would cut to her soul like a sword. But this unique destiny of Jesus would also reveal the hearts of all people. Ultimately, all mankind finds themselves on one side of the sharp division that pierced Mary’s soul. This destiny of Jesus which occurred in time and space, shapes the eternal destinies of all people.

Simeon proclaimed the path to comfort amidst such a prospect that no one can escape. The path of the Old Testament believer is the path of your faith today. We listen to the Holy Spirit as He imparts truth through His Word. We trust that God’s blessing as found in the good news of who His Son is and what His Son did. And we believe that our destiny as believers is not about what we desire or achieve, but rather about where God calls us to be through Jesus – in heaven. Amen.

Christ Comes to His Own - December 25, 2019 - John 1:1-5, 11-14

A Christ Who Comes to His Own

1. As God and Word

2. As Light and Life

The Word of God that guides our way this morning reminds us that Christ is present with us as we read from John 1:1-5, & 11-14:

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. 3 All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. 11 He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. 12 But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. 14 The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

The two biggest days in Christianity are Christmas and Easter. On one day, our Lord Jesus entered this world through His birth. On the other day, He entered once again, yet this time in a way that no other had before – by taking back life from death. It’s no surprise that these are the two most important days to the Church. For one thing, their meaning is unparalleled. But, they’re also significant because of exactly what happened on each. Birth and Resurrection.

In our lives, there is no more amazing event than the birth of a child. For those who have witnessed a birth firsthand it is no doubt a memorable event. There is nothing else in life that can compare to seeing a living human child enter the world for the first time. Truly, the only other event that could compare is a resurrection from the dead, a sight that few human eyes have witnessed, but which we have the certain promise of seeing one day.

What we have before us in the Gospel of John is the birth and work of Christ in words. This account may not be the direct narrative of the Gospel of Luke. It doesn’t paint the details of Christmas night. What John tells us is what it meant that Jesus was born – what was going on behind the scenery that human eyes beheld. And in that sense this text is almost as grand and magnificent as being in the stable of Bethlehem.

What John, through the Holy Spirit, wants you to know and believe, is that this Christ-child came to His own. First, as God and Word.

The two astounding revelations of these passage are that Jesus is God and Word. Many people tend to think that if Jesus became human so that He could live, suffer, and die, there was no way He could also be God. The first people to believe this were the very people that Jesus came to. John tells us that Jesus came to His own and His own people did not receive Him. That group includes many of the Pharisees and Sadducees, a great number of the Jewish people, and at times, even those closest to Jesus. The chief reason why people did not receive Him was because they couldn’t comprehend that He was the Son of God.

But hand-in-hand with this rejection of Jesus’ divinity was a rejection of His preaching. If Jesus was not God, then He did not speak for God. Oftentimes, the events that aggravated Jesus’ opponents the most were the times He claimed to speak for God. “Who is this that forgives sins?” Who is this that claims to be David’s Lord?” “Who is this who teaches us to repent of our sins and follow Him?”

As God and Word, Jesus comes to more than just the Jewish people. As we celebrate each Christmas, He is the Savior of all. John reminds us what bearing Jesus has over all creation as God. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. Jesus may have come to Israel first, but He comes to you and me also. And that’s why today we see the same unwillingness to believe that Jesus came as God and Word. People would rather see Jesus as a good human teacher, not as God almighty. The same messages that Jesus spoke first continue to be offensive to many today. Submission, obedience, repentance, and even faith are grotesque words to many in the world. Even we shirk at those thoughts when our sinful flesh tugs on our hearts. And so this Christmas we humbly remember that even we, who know the Christmas story and the folly of the people who rejected Jesus so well, are guilty of the same – that He came to His own as God and Word, and His own did not receive Him.

But Jesus also came to His own as Light and Life. Here we see not how the world reacted to Jesus as God and Word, but what Jesus did for the world as God and Word. He came to bring Light and Life. John writes: 4 Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. He goes on to tell us what the Light and Life of Jesus means in our lives: But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

This is why we have hope on Christmas, despite our rebellion from God because of sin. Jesus brought Light and Life and it changed the entire world, even down to your heart today. Light is used throughout the Bible as a symbol for purity. It is set in contrast to the darkness of sin. And the message for our lives is clear. We do not follow and trust in Jesus as we should because our hearts are darkened. There is nothing darker, from a moral perspective, to God than disobedience to His divine will. That is the very essence of sin and our lives are surrounded by it, engulfed and suffocated by it. But, Jesus is the Light of the world.

Even though we, on our own, cannot comprehend Jesus as Light, He came to His own and gave us the ability to believe in Him through the gospel message. As John says, we were born this way, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. There truly is no more amazing birth than a sinner coming to faith. Jesus came to you, as God and Word, through the good news of forgiveness and brought Light into your dark heart. Therefore, as you celebrate His birth – let it remind of you of your own. Not of the flesh, and not from your own will, but of faith in the Son of God.

What results from the Light of faith in Jesus, is the gift of Life, and more than just breathing air today. You have the gift of eternal life in heaven. Remember the two major days of Christianity? Christmas and Easter. It would be natural for us to connect life with Christmas, since that was the day Jesus was born. But more important to Him is the day of your birth into His kingdom. Therefore, Life from Jesus is ultimately about His resurrection – because that event is the guarantee from God that you will live forever – even after your own death.

John says of those who followed Christ - We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. What a time it must have been to see the living Christ on earth! How we would long to be one of the chosen few. But, much greater is to observe His glory in heaven, a right and gift that is granted to all who believe in Him – a Christmas gift that is yours today! There you will see Jesus is even greater majesty and glory than the Shepherds and the Wise Men saw Him.

This Christmas Day, the Holy Spirit through John’s writing reminds us that Jesus came to His own. He came as God and Word – in two ways that still baffle human minds today. As God, He is the Creator of all – you included. As Word – He speaks truth to all. Jesus’ birth on Christmas marked the first step in His mission to give you a rebirth. So, as God and Word, in human flesh, Jesus also came as Light and Life – to gift you faith and to win heaven for you. Jesus still comes to His own in the same ways – each time you gather around His gospel.

But as we close, there is a humbling point that must be considered. Jesus didn’t do all this as a theoretical exercise. Every time that God acts, it is done with purpose and effect. So the final thought I would lay on your heart is that Jesus came to His own so that they could come to Him. In verse 12 John tells us that Jesus is received by faith. John would repeat that same word – believe – over 100 times in His Gospel, far more than any other book of the Bible. Heed the truth that God is sharing with you - His purpose and effect for your life, through the work of His Son, is clear – Jesus comes to you so that you may be with Him. Believe that. Trust Him. As God and Word – As Light and Life. Amen.

Clear the Path to Christ - December 22, 2019 - Isaiah 40:1-6

The Clear Path to Comfort

1. In John’s task as Forerunner

2. In Jesus’ accomplishment as Savior

Last weekend we talked about time and its inevitable march forward. When it comes to the passage of time, especially when there’s a big build-up, there’s plenty of waiting involved. The thing is when waiting is paired with expectation, it often results in disappointment. We have a way of building things up in our minds to the point of unrealistic expectations.

Think about it, when is the last time you waited for something and were disappointed? It probably happens so often that you tend not to remember it in the long run. Sometimes, we’re disappointed because what we were expecting never happened or didn’t happen the way we thought it would. I remember a few months ago we went out for pizza at a fancier place – submitted our order and paid for it, only to come back an hour later and hear that they had forgotten to start making it. We’d have to wait another 45 minutes because they wouldn’t even put our order ahead of the others. Waiting. Expectation. Disappointment. But that’s only for a mere pizza.

At other times, we’re disappointed because whatever we were expecting just wasn’t what it was made out to be. Ever been hyped for a movie only to fall asleep out of boredom? Our read a book that was recommended by someone and you just couldn’t make it all the way through? Another way this plays out often today is in the latest internet fad. Something becomes an instant sensation out of nowhere and by the time you actually see it or experience it the build-up has been so monumental that your only outcome is to be disappointed.

This happens a lot as we wait for things. It happened as people waiting for Jesus to come also. But many of the disappointments we face are so trivial compared to the birth of the Messiah. We get upset about a pizza order or some trend on social media, whereas faithful OT believers waited generations for their Savior to come.

The question we consider today is why did the same result happen. Why were so many people disappointed in Jesus? Was He all just hype and build-up? Was He not what the people needed? We see our answer today in God’s Word as we study a prophecy about the very one that God would send to prepare the way for His Son. God wanted people to be ready for Jesus – but part of that work would involve shattering their false expectations. That was John the Baptist’s job as the forerunner of the Messiah, and we thank the Lord for it today. We also ask the Holy Spirit to bless us and strengthen our faith through this Word today that we may be prepared to receive Jesus in our hearts. We read from Isaiah 40:1-6: 

Isaiah 40:1-6 "Comfort, O comfort My people," says your God. 2 "Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the LORD's hand Double for all her sins." 3 A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. 4 "Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; 5 Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (NASB)

In the first verse of Genesis chapter 4, we’re told that Eve gave birth to the first child of the world – Cain. The verse goes on to tell us what Eve said, “I have gotten a man from the LORD.” Some believe that Eve was indicating that she thought this child was the promised one, that literally she had given birth to the LORD incarnate. That’s possible, but Eve could also have been speaking about the promise that God gave in which she would be the mother of all the living – that the LORD made good on that promise.

Either way, in that moment, at the birth of the first child, the promise of God was clearly on Adam and Eve’s minds. Obviously, Cain wasn’t the Messiah, even if that was Eve’s initial reaction. It would take many more children, and thousands of years, for God to send His Son. And when He did, the promise had died down to a mere smoldering wick.

We have a reading today from one of God’s prophets. They were charged with the solemn task of keeping the peoples’ focus on the coming Messiah. They preached the Word. They called the people to repent of sin. They received and gave special promises about the Savior – what He would do, how He would come, how He would die, even the very town He would be born in. Although the light of gospel grew quite dim in the Old Testament, Isaiah was one who encouraged His people to remember the promise. In chapter 60 he wrote, Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. In chapter 61, he gave the very words that Christ would quote in the synagogue of Nazareth to confirm His Messiahship. All throughout the books of the prophets, these special references to Jesus are sprinkled in. They were meant to keep the people ready – even more ready than Eve was.

But it didn’t seem to work very well. We have one of the more famous prophecies this morning – not exactly about Jesus, but about His coming. This is the foremost prophecy of John the Baptist. In each of the four Gospel accounts, Isaiah 40 is quoted to confirm that John the Baptist was the Forerunner of Jesus. You see, not only did God prepare His people throughout the ages with recorded promises given by His servants, He sent a special prophet whose only task was to get people ready for Christ’s birth. John the Baptist was a Messenger within a group of messengers, and He was the final prophet before Jesus’ birth.

And so, Isaiah tells us what John needed to do. "Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. 4 "Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; Essentially, the obstacles to Jesus needed to be removed. What were those barriers? Well, many spiritual mountains and sin-laden terrain had formed in the nation of Israel. People were more concerned about political power and control and how to wrestle it back from the Romans. Religious purists were more intent on proving themselves worthy through how they keep the commands of God, rather than showing the same mercy and love that God does. The people wanted a Messiah to fill their stomachs with food and their homes with riches, rather than giving them the Bread and Water of life in God’s Word.

John’s job was not to overcome these barriers on his own, indeed he would not. Even up to the point of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, mankind still tried to coerce Him into being the type of Savior they wanted. Truly, in many ways these mountains, valleys, and rough terrain continue to be obstacles today. Look at the list of spiritual blind spots that people had at the time of Christ, and really ask yourself if it’s any different today. How many people focus too much on civil leaders and political powers, either trusting those in office too much or raging against them in disdain? That inner spiritual desire to prove myself worthy before God and more righteous than my neighbor is not going anywhere while this world remains. It is the oldest lie and the single most common source of all sin and wickedness in the history of mankind. And you certainly don’t have to look far around Christmas to see the growing blindness of materialism and earthly attachment in our world and, sadly in our hearts. We are all too eager to pin our fulfillment of joy and purpose in life to something made by human hands or someone offering fleeting and temporary promises for today.

No, the obstacles John faced haven’t really gone anywhere. And yet, at the same time, this prophecy has been fulfilled in Jesus. The mountains have been leveled, the valleys filled, and rough terrain smoothed away. But perhaps the way Christ did it wasn’t what you expected. Perhaps many people today don’t believe in Jesus because He’s not the Savior they want.

John was a unique prophet for a unique Messiah. As Isaiah said, John preached in the wilderness. The New Testament tells us that John wore camel’s hair and ate strange things. He seemed like a crazy hermit, not the personal envoy of the King of heaven and earth. And yet, wasn’t that part of the point? John was counter-cultural before it was popular. John faced scorn, punishment, and even death for holding fast to the faithful word. And indeed, in a world racing toward sin, evil, and hell – all who walk John’s path today experience the same. The early believers summarized their life and John’s, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

Those who believe in the true Messiah will seem different and weird to the world. We have an example of that is John’s life as he was imprisoned by King Herod for preaching the 6^th commandment – that even a king should not commit sexual immorality. That single episode was part of the preparing and clearing process for the Messiah – breaking the people out of their self-conformed molds of twisting and manipulating the Word of God. And the purpose was not judgment only, but that they would see more clearly the Savior who was present – for exactly who He is and what He does. But who among us doesn’t try to do the same thing Herod did, cutting corners on commandments as quickly as we can? Lust, unfaithfulness, porn, looking but not touching, encouraging and supporting infidelity and homosexuality. The birth of Jesus is not just about sins against the 6^th commandment. We take that example from something John endured in his life which is parallel to what we experience today. We could talk at length about many other sins against other commandments. The list goes on. We aren’t innocent either. We build up barriers that keep us from really seeing who Jesus is so that we can live more comfortably in sin.

So, what kind of Savior is Jesus? What are the proper expectations? We must be careful about allowing ourselves, or the world around us, to turn Jesus into something that He’s not. Because ultimately, it strikes at the truly unique gift He gives. Isaiah declares, "Comfort, O comfort My people," says your God. 2 "Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the LORD's hand Double for all her sins."

That’s truly a Savior who is different – who was proclaimed by a different type of prophet. Jesus does not overlook sin, but removes it. That’s the beauty of faith. Even while the obstacles remain in this world of sin, for the believer they are removed. Their effect and condemnation is null for the one who has Christ. Though all outward sight tells us we deserve damnation, Jesus wants us to be comforted in the hope of forgiveness. The uniqueness of Jesus is built into that word, comfort. Comfort is not something you wear or that can be seen with eyes. Comfort is in the heart. Though the mountains of sin and the thorns of thistles of evil seem to be ever present in our lives and even growing at times, there is always comfort in Jesus because He can keep you safe from those barriers. And that’s why we must be different like John and Jesus – to share and protect the treasure that is our faith.

It is God’s will that you know and believe that you have comfort against sin through Jesus – so much so that He placed a double emphasis on it. It’s akin to what Paul said to the Romans, Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Romans 5:20). And also to the Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

A different prophet, for a different Savior, who offers a different blessing. Against every human assumption, even seeming impossible to us, Jesus comforts. Amen.

The Inevitability of Jesus - December 15, 2019 - Malachi 3:1-6

The Inexpressible Inevitability of the Son of God

1. He does not change – therefore you are not consumed

2. His Word is faithful – therefore you can believe it

3. He makes you clean – therefore you are accepted

Well, this past week we reached that point we cross each year around this time. It’s not anything to do with Christmas – nothing having to do with presents, or lights, or trees. No what we did this past week involved another holiday – the throwing out of old Halloween candy. Yep, much to the dismay of Micah and Allie, it was just time.

How quickly things change in life. One day, you’re carving pumpkins, tweaking costumes, and gathering free candy. A month or so later and it’s all gone. The pumpkins are rotted, the costumes donated or stored away, and the candy discarded. It’s the inevitability of time. As soon as a season arrives, it’s gone just as quickly.

No matter how hard we try, or the many ways we numb ourselves to the reality through celebration, excess enjoyment, and misplaced priorities, no one can avoid that which is inevitable. Instead, we should be preparing for the change that we know to be coming. Right now, we’re in the thick of Christmas preparations. We’re busy hustling about town and on the internet to get our gifts and to make our plans. We extend a great deal of energy and effort. We feel pressing guilt and stress if things aren’t the way we want them to be. For what? Christmas will come and go.

As elusive and uncompromising as the change of time is, the Bible tells us exactly what we need to hear. Since sin came into the world, it has always been linked with the passage of time. The inevitability of change also means the inevitability of decay and corruption. Things wear out. New Christmas toys break or fall apart. Christmas feasts expire and are consumed. Happy times with friends and relatives subside back to the daily grind. Scripture tells us that the change we witness is a result of the overall decay of this world we are in. The clock is ticking upon this material universe. The harshest reality of all is that it includes our bodies. We are subject to the most devastating change ever – death. For both of these reasons our hope as Christians is not in this material world, and what a welcome reminder that is especially around this time of year.

God does not avoid this topic in His Word. Hebrews 1:10-12 says, "In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end."

Even our cherished hymns express this reality in song.

123:6. Time, like an ever-rolling stream,

Bears all its sons away;

They fly forgotten as a dream

Dies at the opening day.

552:2. Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;

Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;

Change and decay in all around I see.

O Thou, who changest not, abide with me!

This morning, we read another section of Scripture on the topic of change, especially as it relates to that Savior, Jesus, who came in our place. We read from Malachi 3:1-6:

Malachi 3:1-6 "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the LORD of hosts. 2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire And like launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness. 4 "Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem Will be pleasant to the LORD, As in the days of old, As in former years. 5 And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien-- Because they do not fear Me," Says the LORD of hosts. 6 "For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” 

The lead up to the birth of the Savior was very much like life today – constant change. In fact, one of the reasons why so many people were caught off guard when Jesus came is because, in their minds, it took too long. God had given the first gospel promise of a Messiah to Adam and Eve. The impatient human mind thinks that if someone so important and necessary as a Savior must come, it had better be right away. But God had a different plan. God sent His Son in the “fullness of time” as Paul wrote to the Galatians. And many things changed along the way.

The words of God’s messenger, Malachi, about the coming of another messenger, John the Baptist, are filled with thoughts of change. Before we get to all of these inevitabilities of the Messiah’s birth and work on earth, we jump ahead to the last verse of our text, where we see the exact opposite of change. The LORD God almighty says, “For I am the LORD, I do not change, therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”

Amidst all the inevitable change in the world around us – there is one constant – God. He does not change. Hebrews 13:5 says likewise, “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.” This is the first inexpressible inevitability about the Son of God, and it’s about consistency, not change. This is the most important point to get clear from the onset. God does not change. He is someone you can rely on. He promises you that despite the chaos and uncertainty of life around you, He will always be the same. He is an unending source of stability for your life.

The blessed result is that you are not consumed. How does change consume? Well, consider that this word indicates the completion or expiration of something. It is the result of something having lived out its value. We might say that it’s the impact of change on our lives. We eventually reach a point when we are done. We, too, at least in our physical properties, are just like the earth around us – a garment that will wear out. James expressed this truth by saying, Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (James 4:13)

We hate hearing that message. We don’t want to be consumed. We want our lives to continue forever. Sometimes, we want these things for selfish reasons. We want to continue on in order to have more pleasure and happiness of an earthly quality. But we also want to live on because God has created us to value life. Death is a foreign agent. The change and decay of a sinful world is a twisted reality on what life should be, and we know it. But, inevitable time moves on. The first great truth is that God does not change. He does not succumb to the decay of the world. He is above it. And He doesn’t just sit there idle, He helps you. He promises that because He does not change, you will not be consumed. You, too, will triumph over even death itself.

We’ll have more on that in a moment, but for now we move to our second point. Since God does not change, His Word is faithful. The first truth is about who God is – His nature we might call it. This is a good truth and something we need to know, but in reality, God is far from us. He is unapproachable to sinful humans. (John 1:11,5) The Word is how God steps into our world. The Word is God in our lives. It is every bit His nature as He is in reality, but it’s the version of God that we can endure right now. Therefore, the link between God in His nature, and God in His word, is inseparable. He does not change, therefore what He says is faithful.

This is such a blessed truth, and every bit as important as God Himself being holy. For if God’s Word cannot be trusted, He might as well be an immoral tyrant and a sinner just like us. Without a faithful Word from God, we have nothing. The faithfulness of that Word is highlighted in the trustworthiness of this prophecy from Malachi. Malachi speaks of the special forerunner of the Messiah – John the Baptist. Malachi also prophecies of the direct work of Jesus in cleansing us from sin. The launder’s soap was used to wash wool, in order that it might be white again. A passage like Isaiah 1:18 comes to mind, "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. The fulfilled work of Jesus as our Savior makes this a reality. Our filthy sin is washed away in His blood. Our disgusting acts of corruption and perversion against God’s holy will are wiped away in the tide of mercy. This is the heart of Jesus’ work for us as a Savior from sin. And it’s faithful. The second inexpressible inevitability of the Son of God is that His Word is true, and therefore it is foundation of every believer’s faith.

The last point is really where we get the “inexpressible” part of our theme. It’s not hard to understand that God is unchangeable and that His Word is true. Those are regular themes for the Christian. The truly mysterious truth before us today involves HOW the Son of God made all this possible. HOW He cleansed us from sin. Here’s what makes it tough. This unchangeable God. This holy God. He chose to come down to earth and be born like us. He chose, as contradictory as it sounds, to be changed. Malachi says that He would “come suddenly to His temple.” That meant coming to earth – that was a prophecy of Christ’s incarnation – the technical term for Him becoming human.

God should not have had to do that. God does not change in that way – at least in theory. But Jesus did, for you! He walked on the same legs. He held with the same hands. He thought with the same brain. He felt with the same heart. The same blood flowed through His veins. But God does not change. The truly inexpressible part of all this is that Jesus did all this for us, yet did not violate the immutable nature of God. The most amazing miracle happened – He was both true man and true God at the same time in a most perfect union. Human nature cannot conceive of that ideal or even understand it. It tries to in the religions of the world. All over the place, mankind interacts with the divine but never in this way. Never in the perfect union of the Messiah as fully Man and fully God.

Yet, Jesus is also inevitable – even more than time, and change, and decay, and even death. God should not have changed as He did – we though we don’t know how it was possible. But, what we can say is that Jesus wouldn’t let sin or death have the final word. The simple act of mercifully offering His own life for yours was far more powerful than any evil of this present age.

This is truly inexpressible yet also inevitable. We teach is clearly from Scripture yet it’s a thought, like so many others from the Bible, that far transcends our reason. And yet, even the littlest among us knows who that baby in the manger really is. The result is that we have the hope of a perfect union with God. The ugliness of sin, the inescapable change and decay of the world, everything wicked that we can’t do away with on our own – is covered in Christ. Therefore, we are not consumed.    

Balance by Faith - December 8, 2019 - Luke 1:46-55

Theme: Balance by Faith

Luke 1:46-55: And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. ⁴⁸ For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. ⁴⁹ For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. ⁵⁰ And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. ⁵¹ He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. ⁵² He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. ⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. ⁵⁴ He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, ⁵⁵ As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever." 

How do you stay balanced in life? One of the features of maturing into adulthood is having the ability to cope with the ups and downs of life and stay balanced, or keeping an even keel. Even that phrase, “even keel” gives us a picture of what it means to stay balanced. It comes from the picture of a boat staying afloat on the waters. To be “even keel” means that despite the tossing of the waves, the ship remains right side up and functioning.

So how do you successfully stay balanced? Much ink has been spilled by people to answer that question. In order to stay balanced you must first know what puts you out of balance. Some major contributors to an unbalanced life are: stress, anger, negativity, and evil. It’s a difficult, life-long task in keeping these threats at bay. And no matter what one believes, all people know the difficulty in staying balanced.

As believers, it’s entirely appropriate that we look first and foremost to God in helping us stay balanced. But what exactly does God tell us?

First, God’s Word clearly tells why there are so many options out there. The reason is the natural knowledge of God’s Law that all people have in their hearts. The Spirit tells us in Romans 2: For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them (Romans 2:14-15 – ESV). In this context the word “Gentiles” means those who do not believe in God and do not have His Word. Even unbelievers have a basic knowledge of right and wrong because God has put that in their heart. Therefore, it’s only natural that people would seek principles and teachings for doing good and keeping that inward law in their hearts. And so, by nature we seek many different ways to satisfy that inner feeling of God’s law. We gravitate toward self-help methods, counseling techniques, and moral philosophies. These are not bad things but they cannot keep up perfectly balanced. Because there’s an ever greater problem that we face than evil, anger, hostility, and stress. It’s our own personal sin and unrighteousness before God. We can’t keep ourselves perfectly balanced because we’re at the core of the problem.

This is precisely the point that we enter with the thoughts of our text for today. We need help from outside of ourselves, and it comes through Jesus – the child born of Mary. As we talk about keeping balance, think of all that was going on in Mary’s life at the point of our text! An angel has recently appeared to her announcing that she would give birth to the Savior of all people. We’re familiar with the happiness and joy of this scenario because we have portray it that way. But this message was highly scandalous to Mary. It meant she would be judged as an adulteress by her culture, even though she wasn’t. It meant that her relationship with Joseph, her husband by all intents and purposes under Jewish law, was now in serious jeopardy. She was confronted with a situation that would cause great pain for her life – both physically and mentally. Talk about losing balance in life; Mary had plenty of reasons to be stressed! Yet in this song of praise the main theme she speaks about is balance and the peace that comes from it.  

The key thought from Mary’s song comes in verse 48: “For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.” The question that naturally comes forth is what it means that Mary is “blessed,” particularly when it says that all generations will know this and acknowledge it. The phrase “all generations” conveys both chronological aspect of generations and the topical aspect of nations. Mary’s blessedness is known by the entire world and throughout all of history. We certainly can see the fulfillment of this thought today. Mary is highly regarded by all Christians and the Christian faith has indeed spread throughout the entire world. So, given the fact that this statement has come true, how should be understand Mary’s blessedness? We know well that many Christians take this blessedness beyond the rest of Scripture, going so far as to say that Mary has become a greater person than others and that she is even to be worshipped and prayed to. 

But a simple reading of Mary’s song takes those false beliefs away. Not only does Mary categorize herself as “lowly” she also goes above and beyond to emphasize the power of God. Nine times she uses the phrase “God has…” And each of these statements helps explain why the blessedness of Mary was a gift, not something she earned. Mary confesses that:

1) God has regarded her lowly state

2) God has done great things for her.

3) God has shown strength with His arm.

4) God has scattered the proud.

5) God has put down the mighty from their thrones.

6) God has exalted the lowly.

7) God has filled the hungry.

8) God has sent the rich away empty.

9) God has helped Israel by showing His mercy.

There was nothing special in Mary that she should be chosen by the Lord to give birth to Jesus. But equally important, there was nothing she would face or be subjected to that God could not overcome for her. And so, Mary “rejoiced in God, her Savior, the very child who would be born through her. The child that received his flesh and blood from Mary, would use His very body to rescue her, and us, from our sins. And restore balance. How did this awesome miracle take place? Well, the easy response is by God’s power. After all, all things are possible with God, not just those things that we can understand and compartmentalize in our minds.

The tougher question is how did Mary believe this. Because, her faith was the most fragile aspect of this story. It’s not that the birth of Jesus hung upon Mary’s intuition or spiritual insight. Rather, it was the same way it is with all of God’s promises – did Mary believe it? The same pattern plays out over and over again in our lives. God speaks – we hear – but do we listen and believe? God makes His Word clear as it can possibly be – despite the many arguments to the contrary in our culture. It’s not a problem with the Word, or with God who speaks it, but with our unwillingness to believe it.

To see how great the difference can be, consider another situation that was similar to Mary’s. Another woman in Scripture, confronted by an angel, albeit in a different way to a much different result. It was Eve, when tempted by Satan, who made the decision not to believe what God had said. Instead of heeding God’s warning not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Eve believed the lie and made a piece fruit more important than God. She chose to worship and serve the creature, rather than the Creator because she didn’t believe God’s Words to her.

It might not seem like it, but the same temptation was present for Mary that day when Gabriel called. The power to make the virgin birth possible was not in Mary’s faith – the word of God was already in effect. Faith simply receives God’s power. But Mary had the opportunity to trust more in her thoughts, in her concerns, in her worries, in her power, than God’s. She was at the same crossroads as Eve, the mother of all the living and the first one to allow death into world. And as hard as it was, as unbelievable as it was, as uncertain as it was, Mary believed God. Verse 38 records her reply, And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

Faith is not a complicated thing. It’s a simple as that one passage. Mary believed – and all the power, all the work, all the sacrifice, all the glory – was God’s. Mary’s faith simple received the salvation that Jesus won for her. But the other special part of this story, and the reason why we remember it at Advent, it because Mary’s faith impacted yours as well. When she relied on God even though her life was being tipped upside down, it meant that your Savior and Lord would be born as God had said. It was one more step along God’s fulfilled promises of sending a Redeemer for the whole world.

So, take time to be thankful for Mary and her faith. Appreciate it, learn from it, keep telling the story. As God said, so it is, All generations will call her blessed. But more important, find your balance in life in the same place Mary found it – in Jesus. He is God, your Savior, too. He is able to take whatever you’re going through and turn it into a blessing for you. He can repair any heartache. He can heal any wound. He has covered all sin.

When Jesus calls to your life through His Word, it probably won’t be through an angel, and it definitely won’t be as a serpent in disguise. But when He calls, and He will often, whenever your Bible is opened in fact – listen and believe. Faith is not complicated. It is simple trust in God’s Words and His Words are clear and plain to us. Mary was a humble and lowly teenager who had just been confronted with the greatest biological impossibility that mankind has ever witnessed. Instead of fleeing to lesser idols of human imagination, wisdom, or intellect – the low-hanging fruit – she responded in faith and trust in her Savior – “Let it be done according to Your Word.” That’s what staying balanced looks like and it’s a gift from God’s power and mercy in His Son, Jesus. Amen.   

The Advent of Faith - Revelation 2:20-22

Beware of Attempts to Discredit Christ’s Advent

1. From blatant notions that He isn’t God

2. To subtle threats against His grace

Now may the God of hope fill you with complete joy and peace as you continue to believe, so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13, EHV)

Revelation 3:20-22 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."'"

This October at the Pacific Coast Pastoral Conference we enjoyed an escape room as part of our R&R activity. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, an escape room is series of rooms in a building that contain various mind games and puzzles. In order to successful “break out” of the room, you have to work with your group to solve the puzzles.

There are several different themes you can choose from as well and we chose a wild west theme. Part of the intrigue is having some unexpected twists and turns along the way. One such twist came immediately at the beginning as two our team members, one being myself, were handcuffed, taken into the “town jail,” and locked behind a barred door. Obviously, my incarcerated partner and I knew right away that our freedom would be subject to our teammates’ ability to solve the puzzle that would unlock the jail.

As it turned out, things didn’t get off to a great start. When the rest of the pastors joined us, they immediately had access to all the other rooms while we stayed locked away. There was a sheriff’s office, a saloon, a billiard room, and even a room with a hangman’s gallows – along with the town jail. Unbeknownst to one of the pastor’s, the key to our jail cell was in plain sight. In fact, he picked it up within the first 30 seconds (it was on bar in the saloon). He assumed that we would find a way to break ourselves out and never thought to see if the key fit the jail door’s lock. It wasn’t until about 15 minutes later, and after several pleas for help, that we tried to key and finally got out.

While we were in jail, there wasn’t much we could do except communicate with the other pastors on the outside. The key was not within our reach. We could not break down the door on our own, and there were no other exits. We had to talk and listen in order to open the door. (summarize this quicker)

As strange as it sounds, that very situation is a good metaphor for faith in Jesus – specifically how a believer comes to faith. The analogy of a door is before us today as we consider the famous scene from Revelation 3. The picture of Jesus at the door knocking is memorialized for many of us in the famous painting by Warner Sallman, which you can find in the bulletin. Sallman’s inspiration for this painting was Revelation 3:20. But what does it mean when Jesus knocks at the door, and more importantly, how do we open it and gain access to Him? The key to those answers is in communication. Much like being locked in a jail cell, we can’t open the door on our own. We need help. But, we do have communication with God – through His Word, which is the very source of our freedom.     

We study this on the first Sunday of Advent because the theme and focus of this season is the arrival of Jesus. There are three important arrivals of Jesus in the Scripture. The first is often the most obvious, His birth on Christmas. This is the primary focus of the Advent season. The second is a theme we have been looking at in the past month – the second coming of Jesus on Judgment Day. The third is one we rarely connect with the official Advent season, but it’s equal in importance to the others – Jesus’s arrival in your heart. As a believer, Jesus lives in you. Faith is the kingdom of God in a person’s heart. Jesus is part of your life. Jesus described this aspect of faith in John 14: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

The difficulty is that we have an inward tendency to discredit the validity of each of these three Advents. There are certainly many things we could study and discuss about all three today, but for our purposes, as we anticipate Christmas, we will focus on the first arrival of Jesus and how it pertains to the direct arrival of Him in our hearts – that is, faith.

You are probably familiar with some of the ways that people discredited Jesus’ first Advent. The most well-known example is King Herod, who in a fit panic over the thought of losing earthly power issued the murderous command to annihilate all the baby boys in the kingdom who were two years old or younger. His folly is best summarized in the famous line from hymn 131: “The star proclaims the King is here; But Herod, why this senseless fear? He takes no realms of earth away, Who gives the realms of heavenly day.”

You might also remember that the crowds of people wanted to make Jesus their own earthly king after He performed the miracle of feeding 5,000 people. They figured that their lives would be pretty good if Jesus could do this for them on a regular basis. Another group that discredited Christ’s first Advent was the religious leaders – the Pharisees and Sadducees. They wanted Jesus to be more critical of the Roman occupation of Israel, rather than the religious legalism they endorsed. And they absolutely hated that Jesus continually claimed to be God. Even Jesus’ own disciples had a difficult time understanding and trusting that His work was focused on heavenly rewards, and not earthly. Each of the misconceptions about Jesus’ first Advent ultimately stemmed from an unwillingness to believe that He was the Son of God. It was an attack on the divinity of Jesus as God, which was essential to His work of salvation.

But as Jesus gives us this picture of standing at the door and knocking, indicating His arrival – His status as God is undeniable. For one thing, Jesus likens His arrival to that of a feast, where He will enter and dine with the individual. Then in the very next verse that unity is portrayed as sharing in the authority of God in heaven – that the believer sits with Jesus on His throne, just as Jesus sits with the Father on His throne.

The fact that Jesus has the right to extend this blessing, and the fact that the very blessing itself is to share in power with God – proves without a doubt that Jesus is the Son of God. If He was not, He couldn’t offer such a gift. But this is the conclusion of our faith – unity with God in heaven.

What we also see here is Jesus at the center of God’s work. Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the argument from someone at some time that the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, and therefore, is not a true depiction of God. Again, those waging such arguments are the ones who deny that Jesus is God and therefore attempt to discredit His first Advent. But instead of looking for the word Trinity, look for the teaching. You will see it here. In these verses we see a reference to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and how they operate as one true God. The fact that Jesus claims to be part of the true Godhead, and that the center of God’s work is on what He has accomplished, shows that He is God.     

And if you look close enough, you’ll see that throughout Scripture all over the place. Jesus weaves His work in and throughout the overall work of the Trinity. This is one such section. Those who hear Jesus’ voice, as it is given by the Holy Spirit, have the right to reign in victory with the Father. Christ’s first Advent, as humble as it was, does not discredit His status as God, rather it helps us understand His divinity even more. One of the greatest proofs for the power of God is the mercy He is willing to show sinners. That was at the heart of Jesus’ decision to come and be born here on earth.

Similarly, to the way that Jesus came to be born on earth, many today attempt to discredit the way he comes to a person’s heart today. This arrival of Jesus is so crucial because it’s the way our faith is established, which gives us the blessings that Jesus won for us. We need to be correct and accurate in what we believe and teach about how a person comes to faith – essentially, how that is opened.

This is where the familiar image of the text comes into your life and becomes part of your faith. When you think about Jesus knocking on the door to your heart, the logical response is that you open it. That would indeed work for a perfect person, but we’re trapped in that jail cell of sin. We can’t free ourselves, and we can’t open the door for Jesus, but we can listen to His voice. As Christians, we’re not liberated by what makes sense in our heads, but instead from what we receive from the Word of God. The first truth that communication with Jesus tells us is that we don’t have the key on our own. Romans 8:7 says, For the mind-set of the sinful flesh is hostile to God, since it does not submit to God’s law, and in fact, it cannot. Romans 3:20 likewise reiterates: For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

The effect of a flesh and mind that is hostile to God is not just that I can’t reach my way to heaven with my hands. My heart and mind are corrupted too. It’s equally futile for me to build my trust around mentally uncloaking my heart to Jesus, by choosing Him or deciding that He is my Savior. I can’t do this because I’m limited: intellectually, morally, and physically. In fact, the very premise of salvation dictates that we need to be saved. Someone who can come to God on their own, or even with a bit of their own strength mixed with His, doesn’t really need to be saved. There is absolutely no point to believing in Jesus as the Savior from sin, if we can reach Him by our own efforts.

And yet, at the very same time – the door to your heart does need to open and Jesus is calling you to believe. At some point, a Christian does intellectually accept what Jesus has done and who He, and they are renewed morally to be righteous as Jesus is. So, from one perspective, these details discredit the Advent of faith, and from another perspective they are the very products of faith.

The difference between each side is God’s grace. Anytime you take control, in any phase of faith – whether it be conversion, renewal, or sanctification – you are denying God’s grace in Jesus. Grace is underserved and unconditional. Grace in Christ makes no greater or lesser impact in your life based on your efforts, or your will. And you should thank God every day for that because it means that everything Jesus has done for you, the very merits of achieving life in heaven, are completely outside of what you can or cannot do on your own. It all depends on Jesus.

It's there in our text. Before Jesus even mentions opening the door, He says, “If anyone hears My voice…” Likewise, Jesus concludes, “If anyone has ears to hear, let Him hear what the Spirit says.” The power to open the door to your heart– to believe, to trust, to accept, to be born again – however you want to describe it, is found in Christ’s Word alone. And why is that? Because the Word proclaims in a clear and unmistakable way – God’s grace in Christ. So also, Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” 2 Timothy 3:15 reads, “from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Even Isaiah in the OT wrote, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” And Jesus Himself said to His disciples, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.”

So, yes, the door is opened for the believer. Jesus enters and He makes His home in the heart. He is accepted. He is believed. His Word is taught and understood and proclaimed and rejoiced in. The sinner is forgiven – born again. But it did not happen by your hand turning the knob, your mind making the choice, or your righteousness providing the opportunity. The only difference is your Savior’s tender and persistent call by the gospel, in His unshakable promises delivered by the Spirit, in His wounded body and pierced hands, in His holy and divine blood shed on your behalf. In short, His Grace for you.

That’s what it looks like, when Grace is kept in an equal setting with Faith. And that’s what it took for the door of your heart to be opened and to stay open. God keeps us from discrediting this arrival of our Savior by faith – this Advent. (bring it back to intro) – How easily we can go from blatant attack against Jesus to subtle discrediting of His grace. Both are connected with in the spectrum of doubting the Word.

Advent is a season of rejoicing upon the arrival of our Savior. There is no greater way to do that than by remembering and honoring His grace as that which opened your heart and that which keeps Jesus there. Amen.