Tag Archive for: advent

https://vimeo.com/305770741

Prepare to Be Purified

40 Comments/in /by

Pastor Jeremy Husby delivers a sermon entitled “Prepare to be Purified” based on Malachi 3:1-4 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered on Sunday, December 9, 2018

Advent can be a difficult season of the Church Year to celebrate.  You may have your Christmas tree already up.  The stores have been advertising their Christmas specials for weeks already.  The music you listen to, whether in the car on the way to work or at home as you decorate for the season and wrap gifts, is all about the baby boy born in Bethlehem.  For much of this season, you find yourself looking forward to celebrating something that already happened two thousand years ago.  That paradox, in and of itself, can make this season somewhat confusing to celebrate.  But it even goes deeper than that, doesn’t it?

It can be a healthy, faith-focused journey to the Christ’ cradle when you put yourself in the sandals of God’s Old Testament people.  It can be soul-searching to discover the hope and anticipation that those people experienced when they considered and prayed about the coming Messiah. But, ultimately, your journey is different.  You already know that he did come, when he came, and what he did when he came.  It’s like watching a movie to which you already know the ending.  It can be good and worthwhile, but it is different and, therefore, a little difficult.

See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.  Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the LORD Almighty.

With the eyes of faith, and two thousand years of history, it is clear to see that the promised messenger, who would prepare the way before God, is John the Baptist.  No need to look any further than the Gospel appointed for today.  He is the voice calling in the desert, who prepared the way.

And then, of course, it isn’t surprising to discover that the messenger of the covenant, the Lord they were seeking, who came so suddenly after John the Baptist, is the Messiah, himself, Jesus Christ.

God’s Old Testament people were waiting for those two men to arrive.  It consumed their thoughts and prayers.  The simple idea and promise of their impending arrival gave comfort to their sorrows and peace to their troubled hearts.  And, yet, their arrival didn’t actually happen for another four centuries after these words were written.

It may not have been lesson one in Peace through Jesus or your Sunday School lessons, but you didn’t have to wait years, let alone centuries, to have Jesus and John the Baptist revealed to you.

So, in this Advent season, how do you celebrate a prophecy like this?  How are you, in the words of the prophet, prepared for John and Jesus’ arrival?

To be sure, it is good and beneficial to study again and remind yourself of just how John and Jesus fulfilled these prophecies.  It’s good because, well, sometimes you just forget.  But, it’s also good because whenever you spend time in God’s Word, meditating and searching and growing in your spiritual knowledge, it will strengthen your faith.

It is good to be reminded that Jesus is indeed the messenger of the covenant.  He came not only to tell you of the deal and agreement that your God has made with his people, but to be the basis of it.  Rather than simply blessing the people who do good, in and because of Jesus’ perfect life and sacrificial death of substitution, God gives you everything that is his without expecting anything from you.

It is good to remember that Jesus accomplished that covenant by refining and purifying you, again, without any action from you.  He took on himself the impurities of your sin, removing them from you, and experienced, in his suffering and death, the pain and price for them that you deserved.

But, brothers and sisters, as you look at that analogy, that metaphorical explanation of how Jesus washed and cleansed you, do you see how it limps a little?

When silver is refined and clothes are laundered, does the refiner or the launderer feel any pain?  Not if they are doing their job properly!  The silver and the soiled linens, if they had feelings, would most assuredly feel the pain of the fire and the lye.  They are what get burned.  They are on the receiving end of the chemical reaction.  And, yet, when Jesus is described as refining and purifying you, he is not only the refiner and the purifier, who should feel no pain, but the fire and the soap, himself, as well and, therefore, should be the one inflicting the pain, not experiencing it.

Yes, taking this illustration in that way does indeed remind you of what the baby boy born in Bethlehem came here on earth to do for you.  That is good and beneficial for you as you prepare to celebrate Christmas.

But here, friends, is the beauty of the Advent season.  You are not only looking forward to the cradle of Christ, but, also, to when he arrives on the earth again.  And, in clear prophecy, Malachi portrays what needs to be done to prepare you for that coming, as well.

You are purified.  You are washed and cleansed by the blood of Jesus and you are going to heaven.  And, yet, like a three year old who sees a puddle, the temptations of this world continue to seem so alluring and, so often, the robe of righteousness that you wear is covered again and again with the filth offered by the Devil, this world, and your own sinful nature and you need to be kept clean.

That is why Advent can be not just a difficult, but even a painful, season of the Church Year to celebrate.  Advent reminds you that, like the silver and the soiled linens, you have, indeed, felt the fire in your life.

What has been burned off of you?  What stain, that was so deeply rooted in your fibers, has been scrubbed away from you?

Was it that job that you thought you would not be able to survive without?  Was it a relationship in which you found so much fulfillment?  Did you lose that loved one that was your rock?  Did your lungs, your heart, or your central nervous system; those basic fundamental functioning facets of your life fail you?

Your God, through the prophet, is not minimalizing the pain you experienced in losing those things.  In fact, for many reasons, those may have even been beneficial for you in your life and blessings bestowed upon you by your God.  But, in all truth, you did not and you do not need them.

In working what is best for you and keeping you and your faith pure and primarily focused on him, your God has allowed the fire and the lye to burn, but, as in all things, he did so for your good.

And, almost as if to put salt in your wound, the prophet explains how you are to react to that pain of purifying preparation that you experience.  After you see it, recognize it, and remember it, you ought to offer him a sacrifice because of it.

You may be familiar with some of the offerings that were to be sacrificed in the Old Testament.  The Passover Lamb, slaughtered and eaten.  The beasts of burden that were butchered.  The goats and lambs whose blood was sprinkled in the holy of holies and showered over the people with the hyssop plant.  Those sacrifices, in many ways, were sacrifices of substitution.  Their death was to remind God’s people of the death they deserved because of their sin.

However, that is not the type of offering that the prophet is preaching about in these verses.  Rather, looking at the purification you have gone through; what has been done to you and what has been removed from you, you then ought to offer sacrifices of thanksgiving.  A joyful response, coming from a happy heart, because of that purification.

That happiness and joy in this Advent season comes not because you are a masochist who enjoys the pain, but because you know from where and why that pain has come.  Your God loves you and wants you to be with him, forever.  He wants you to be refined, pure, clean, and holy.  Celebrate this Advent season by preparing for Jesus’ arrival.  Prepare yourselves, then, to be purified and offer your sacrificial hymns and prayers in thanksgiving because of it.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Story of Sodom Gives Us Advent Hope

42 Comments/in /by

Pastor Aaron Steinbrenner delivers a sermon entitled “The Story of Sodom Gives Us Advent Hope” based on Genesis 19 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered on Sunday, December 2, 2018

Some cities are so well known they get their own nickname…like Milwaukee – sometimes called Brew City because of the major breweries that were located there or Cream City because of the light colored bricks used on so many of the buildings.  If I gave you a few seconds you could come up with list of other nicknames for different cities: The City with Big Shoulders, Steel City, Mile High City, The City that Never Sleeps.  All those nicknames highlight some kind of characteristic or quality that city is known for and many times is kind of proud about too.

What is Sodom known for?  It certainly is known.  It was wiped out about 4000 years ago, yet just about everyone recognizes the name Sodom and its twin city Gomorrah.  Historians agree that Sodom was an advanced city…a wealthy city…a sophisticated city.  At one time the land was lush and rich (remember, Lot went to live there for just that reason).  But Sodom isn’t known for any of that; it’s known for perverse sin and extreme unbelief.  Whenever Sodom is referred to in the Bible it is being held up as an abomination…an embarrassing model of immorality.

  • In Genesis Moses tells us about their perverted views of sex and their abusive and violent behaviors.
  • In the book of Ezekiel we learn that the people of Sodom were well-to-do and they used their wealth to over eat and over drink and over indulge in whatever they pleased, meanwhile, neglecting the poor and needy.
  • In his second epistle, Peter talks about the filthy lives and the lawless men in Sodom.

This was Lot’s home.  This believing man, nephew of Abraham, lived smack dab in the middle of this godless and immoral city.  And yet, The Story of Sodom Gives Us Advent Hope.

Sometimes it’s not always so easy for me to relate to some of the believers in the Bible.  It’s hard for me to put myself in the shoes of the shepherds who were in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night, and all of a sudden – surrounded by a great company of angels.  That just doesn’t happen to me every day…or ever.  But I can relate to Lot.  He was surrounded by people

  • who were comfortable taking advantage of others
  • who over indulged in food and drink and desires of the flesh
  • who hoarded their wealth and stepped on and over the less fortunate
  • who had a perverted and ungodly view of marriage and family and sex.

 

You’d think Lot was living in America in the year 2018.  So pervasive the sin and wickedness, I wonder if sin started to feel kind of normal.  Do you ever feel that way?  Do you ever feel like you are so surrounded by wickedness, it starts to seem normal?

  • Is it normal that there are 40-50 million abortions each year, worldwide?
  • Is it normal that 12% of websites on the internet are dedicated to pornography?
  • It is normal that about $5billion is spent on pornography each year?…Americans spend over half that. Just imagine what that is doing to our marriages and the development of our youth.
  • Is it normal to have same sex marriages?….to have sex outside of marriage?…to have debates about whether or not homosexuality is a sin or whether or not there are only two genders?
  • Is it normal to allow our society and our media and our entertainment industry to shout in our ears, telling what is right and wrong and telling us what relationships should look like and telling us how we ought to view human life and human sexuality?…and if we’re not careful, the more we listen to them, the less we are listening to our God…and the duller our conscience becomes.

Unfortunately, I can relate to Lot.  He was a believer, a sinner himself and surrounded by sin.  How could he survive without getting gobbled up?  God rescued him.  When [Lot] hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. It wasn’t the strength and virtue of Lot that delivered him.  It was the mercy and the love of God.  In fact, the angels needed to grab hold of Lot and his family and pull them away.  Again, I can identify.  I was a product of this sinful, evil, wicked, ungodly place….weren’t you too?  Weren’t we all conceived and born in this filth?  And yet God, in mercy, grabbed hold of us and pulled us away…he pulled us into his family of believers.  It wasn’t our virtue that saved us, but his mercy and grace.  Today, a burning Sodom reminds us – that’s what could have been…should have been our fate…fire and brimstone.

Fire and brimstone.  Lot ran away from that.  I would too.  Who would run into the fire?  Who would purposely go to great lengths are run smack dab into the middle of God’s fire of judgment?  Jesus would.  Jesus did.  Evil.  Wickedness.  Over-the-top, pushing-the-boundaries, perversions – that’s what Jesus was accused of…those were the offenses, along with so many others, that were nailed to the cross. Every bad decision, every bad thought, every bad word, every bad example….those were nailed to the cross with Jesus too…and the fire and brimstone of God the Father rained down on the Son, so we could receive the smile and favor of the Lord.  Today, a burning Sodom reminds us – God is serious about sin…he’s also serious about providing a payment for that sin.

You know, archeologists have some minor disagreements on where exactly Sodom and Gomorrah were located so many years ago.  Some say the remnants are now buried under the southern half of the Dead Sea.  Others, based on some fairly recent findings, believe the ancient cities were a little further west.  In fact, one of the excavation sites unearthed shards of pottery, buried under 3 feet of ash.  The pottery, they say, is covered in a frothy, glassy substance, suggesting that the temperatures may have been as high as 2000 degrees Fahrenheit.  Again, disagreement by historians.  Some say a meteor hit Sodom.  Some say it was an earthquake that caused some kind of unusual volcanic eruption.  Some say, we’ll never know how Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.

And we say, Oh yes we do know.  The Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah.  When we are tempted to think lightly of our sin, let the burning Sodom serve as a reminder of God’s law and judgment.  God is God and he will not be mocked.  When you are tempted to feel overwhelmed at the wickedness that surrounds you and to worry about your kids and grandkids and how will they ever make it through this cesspool, let the burning Sodom serve as a reminder of God’s hand of grace.  In 2 Peter, we are reminded:  the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 

The Lord gave Lot and his family a safe haven in a place called Zoar.  What safe haven has he given you?  What is your Zoar?  Hasn’t the Lord given you safe haven within this family…this gathering of believers?

  • Here you are surrounded by not perfect people, but sinners like yourself…but they are seeking to help one another in our faith walk, not sabotage each other’s faith.
  • Here you have God’s law which identifies sin – it may make you feel uncomfortable but that’s far better than celebrating sin and thinking it is normal and ok.
  • Here you have God’s gospel which assures you that those sins have been washed away.
  • Here you have the Lord Jesus himself who says, Have no fear, little flock, for the Father has chosen to give you the kingdom. And he knows how to rescue his own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joseph, Guardian of our Lord

41 Comments/in /by

Pastor Jeremy Husby delivers a sermon entitled “Joseph Guardian of our Lord” based on Matthew 1:18-25 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered: Sunday,  December 24, 2017

It’s a love story. That is what this whole season of Advent has been building up toward. The angel, the Baptizer, and the prophetess Anna. The songs of Mary, Zechariah, and Simeon. They all set the stage, before and after, leading up to the peak of this narrative and back down again, for this greatest story ever told.

Now, tonight and tomorrow morning, you will most certainly hear the climax of this account. But, like any great Hollywood blockbuster, this tale can’t all take place on that peak of the mountain of joy. There has to be tension. There has to be struggle. The audience has to be lead to relate to the characters and, once they do, to feel the pain and the heartache of some adversity
that stands in the way of the star of the show.

Though you have followed along over some bumps and hurdles on the way, today’s gospel account relates an example of what might be the most heart-wrenching hindrance to love that human beings experience.

It is important to remember, though, as you watch this film unravel in the theater of your mind that, unlike big budget movies, this tale is not fiction. It isn’t simply
“based” on a true story with some literary liberties taken. This is actual and factual.

Mary and Joseph were real people. They weren’t simply forced together in some sort of arranged
marriage. They caught each other’s eyes from across the room. Joseph felt butterflies when Mary entered a room. Mary blushed when Joseph whispered sweet nothings into her ear. They felt nervous about saying “I love you” for the first time.

Now, to be fair, things were a little different back then. It was a different culture, so some things need a little further explanation. After Joseph popped the question, they did become engaged, but engagement meant a little more than it does today.

In the eyes of their family and friends, their community, and even their God, their engagement meant that they were husband and wife. The difference was that, throughout their engagement, they would remain living in their parents’ homes until plans could be made for a great wedding banquet, likely about a year later. And, most important to remember for today, that meant that the physical part of their husband and wife relationship would also be reserved for after the marriage feast and festival.

But, during that betrothal, their dramatic romance became a crushing tragedy. After spending 3 months away at Elizabeth’s, her elder relative’s, house, Mary started showing. She was pregnant. And, because
Joseph was a righteous man, there was no chance the baby could be his.

As deep as his love for Mary burned in his heart, so devastatingly did he feel this apparent betrayal. Did all of the stolen glances mean nothing? Was he not enough of a man for her? Did he mean so little to her
that she could ruin not only their relationship, but their lives in the community as well? Would anybody now buy a table built by a man who couldn’t keep his wife? Would anyone be able to ignore his shame and hire him solely on his carpentry skills?

With redeeming quality, Joseph decided to take the high road. Rather than suggesting her name for
stoning, his love for her won out against his hurt. He decided his only solution was to cut his losses and
divorce her quietly. That was the only answer that he could find on his own. But, thankfully, he wasn’t the
only one working toward a resolution.

After he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of
David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”-which means, “God with us.”

Cue the dramatic music and an Oscar-worthy look of understanding on Joseph’s face. All the pieces of the
story arc were now falling into place. In a gripping twist, along with Joseph, the audience begins to realize that this love story doesn’t center on him or his relationship with Mary. He isn’t the star of the show. Instead, it is all about lmmanuel. The love story is God
with us.

Like a superhero movie paying homage to the whole comic book universe, the angel’s message to Joseph
brings in the rest of the characters of the story. His words call to mind volume 1, issue number 1-the one with Adam and Eve in the Garden, along with the rest, like Abraham and Isaac, Moses and Pharaoh, Kings David and Solomon, and, most importantly, you and me.

You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

Joseph did not divorce Mary, but, instead, did exactly what the angel told him to do. Even though, by all
appearances, she did not deserve it, he loved her anyway. Does that sound familiar?
Joseph, in this Gospel today, serves as a shadow of his step-son, showing a small glimpse, in his character, of a true characteristic of Jesus. His name is Immanuel, and Joseph was to give him the name Jesus, because he is so faithful to you that he became God with us to save you, his people, from your sins.

But, in Joseph’s character, you don’t only find a glimpse of Jesus’ true characteristic, but your own as well. The reason why Joseph jumped to his first conclusion wasn’t simply because he lived in a sinful world where it wasn’t out of the ordinary for a woman to cheat on her husband. He came to that conclusion because of his deep-seated character flaw-the true malady of this love story-he was sinful and needed to be saved.

Thankfully, messenger from God came and made him understand by sharing with him the Word of his God.

When the tragedies of your life strike, when the adversities that you face are more than just perceived betrayals by a loved one, but actual and factual sufferings and pains, remember that while they may hurt you deeply, they are not the main malady of the story.

Listen to a messenger called by God who shares his Word with you. It’s a love story where Jesus is the star of the show and he made himself Immanuel, which doesn’t mean God with Joseph or God with Mary or God with any of them. The love story is God with us.

Jesus became a human being to demonstrate his great faithfulness to you. At the creation of the world, he announced his love to you and to all of humanity and expressed his desire to share his life with you for all of eternity. But, because a marriage to Jesus is a little different than the weddings of this world, your engagement to him lasts as long as time lasts on this earth.

During your engagement, you were unfaithful to him, but, because he is the righteous man, he took the high road. Rather than suggesting your name for stoning or the eternal flames of hell, he took the high road. His love for you won out.
Unlike his shadow, though, your Jesus didn’t seek to divorce you quietly. He kept his betrothal despite your betrayal. And, even more, he made it so that you would not experience the painful effects and consequences of your unfaithfulness.

Because he united himself to you when he took on human flesh, his faithfulness to you and to the Law of
God was substituted in place of your unfaithfulness and the times when you have broken God’s Law.

And because he has kept his vow to you, your engagement, still stands. And because of his great faithfulness, you can endure this Advent anticipation with certain hope, knowing that your husband is coming soon to take you to a wedding feast that is, quite literally, out of this world. And, afterward, you will live with him, in his home, forever-where you will, in truth, live happily ever after. Amen.

 

Anna-A Fixture in God’s House, Jesus-A Fixture in our Hearts

41 Comments/in /by

Pastor Paul Waldschmidt delivers a sermon entitled “Anna-A Fixture in God’s House, Jesus-A Fixture in our Hearts” based on Luke 2:36-38 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered: Sunday,  December 17, 2017

 

Even in retirement, Faye Polhemus still gets up at 4 a.m. every day. She can’t help it. Old habits die hard. You see, Faye retired last year at age of 82. But for the previous 66 years, she’d worked as the breakfast shift waitress and also part time cook at Miller’s Family Restaurant in Adrian, Michigan. Think about that for a second. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Polhemus of had been giving customers coffee refills since Harry Truman was president. She had served eggs and pancakes for hungry diners while they read the day’s headlines about the Korean War…and then the Vietnam War and the Cold War and the Gulf War, the War of Terrorism, the War in Iraq. For 66 years, she was what you might call a fixture. When you went into Miller’s Family Restaurant for breakfast, you knew Faye Polhemus was going to be there.

You know anyone like that in your life? The teacher who has been at a school so long that she has taught 2 or maybe even 3 generations of the same family!  Or the mail carrier who has walked the same route for decades.  Some of you are fixtures, too, by the way. You’re sitting right now, in the exact same church pew that you’ve sat every (Thursday) since I’ve been here and probably long, long before.

I mention it because our character for this week’s Advent Characters and Songs was a bit of fixture herself. If you went into the temple courts of Jerusalem, around the time of Jesus’ birth, you knew that Anna was going to be there. Our text says that Anna “never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”

You might wonder how that practically worked…I mean, did she actually sleep at the temple? There were living quarters on the temple grounds that were set aside for the priests who would come into to serve their two week stints on duty in the temple proper. Maybe Anna was such a fixture there that the powers that be gave her a place to call her own.

The real question is not so much about where she was there, but about why she was there. We know she was very old, that she was widowed as a young woman and never remarried, if she had any children or grandchildren, they are not spoken of. Was she there in the temple, possibly, because she had no other place to be? That she was all alone in life. That God’s house was her happy place, the place she felt at home, the place she belonged.

Pray with me, dear friends, that he that the Lord would work the same in us. That he would give us the dedication and devotion to be fixtures in his house, regardless of our circumstances. Whether we are all alone or surrounded by multitudes of branches in our family tree, whether we have no other place to be or feel like we have a thousand different things on our to do list, how blessed it is for a person to call God’s house our happy place, a place we feel at home, a place where we belong.  Understand that it’s not really about the church building itself—that can change over the years. It’s not primarily about the people who are at church—some times they can mess up, let us down and hurt us real bad. This is the place where we belong because of the God to whom we belong. Here we sing his praises, here we gather around his Word and Sacrament, here we are asked to ponder the depths of our sin and the heights of His mercy. Here we see Jesus.

Actually, that’s what Anna saw, too. She saw Jesus, live and in the flesh. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph were there at the temple with their young baby to offer a sacrifice and consecrate their little one to the Lord (v. 22-23), as faithful Jewish couples regularly did. That was not extraordinary. But Anna knew that this child was. She gave thanks and told everybody was

I know, it doesn’t sound particularly exciting compared to angels appearing announcing that “a virgin will be with child” and a woman “way past child bearing years” would also soon find herself in the delivery room. Anna’s story seems rather pedestrian in comparison to the stories of Jesus’ birth and John the Baptist’s birth. Anna was just a lady who saw a baby and was happy about that baby.

On the other hand, maybe that makes Anna a character we can relate to more than the other major players in the story of Advent and Christmas.  She had no angels appear to her, no miracle announced to her. She simply saw Jesus and rejoiced.  Just like us.

Most of our days are pretty simple, pedestrian, unspectacular, consumed by the routine of the day to day.  They seamlessly flow one into another, to the point where we might find ourselves stopping and asking on occasion, “It’s Wednesday already? Where did this week go?” “It’s December 14th already, where did this month go?” Most days aren’t Christmas. Most days are go to work, come home, go to bed. Do it all again tomorrow.

But in the midst of the pedestrian, the unspectacular, the routine—we see Jesus, like Anna did and we have reason to rejoice. Had he not appeared, the devil would hold all the cards, our sins would be our own to carry all alone, death would be our destiny and the end to our pathetic story of misery. Because sin is a fixture in our world, and sadly a fixture in our hearts.

But in the midst of our shame, our bleak hopelessness all of sudden—we see Jesus. He says, “Place your speeding and your stealing, your lusting and your lying, your discontent and your disrespect, all of them, all of them, place them on my back. We’ll switch. I’ll be the sinner, you’ll be the sinless child of God. I’ll be punished. You’ll go to heaven.” Who does that? Who says stuff like that? Jesus, that’s who.

So he becomes a fixture, too—in our hearts. And we pray…Heavenly Father, when you look at my heart, see Jesus and his perfection there, too. Never, ever look upon me, O Lord, without seeing him, too.  Even more steadfast than Anna in the temple or Faye Pohlemus at the restaurant, become our fixture in our hearts, Lord Jesus, and never ever leave.

Do you think his presence there, might change the way your life looks when you leave here? Seeing Jesus moved Anna to give thanks to God and speak with all around her concerning the Christ-child. What will seeing Jesus inspire in you and me today? Will it be a closer rein on our tongues or a more avid commitment to serve and help spouse, children, parents, or neighbor? Will seeing Jesus move you to give thanks by doubling down on your commitment to stomp a particular sin out of your life or doubling up on the prayers you offer for those in need? I can only suggest, of course. It’s your heart. And God’s the one who makes it happen. All I know, is that when Jesus is a fixture there, there’s less room for sin to be a fixture there. And there’s more room for rejoicing. Rejoicing in sin’s demolished, rejoicing in conscience clear, rejoicing in strength for the trials and comfort for the troubled. Rejoicing in the promise of and the prospect of life eternal. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Amen.

 

John the Baptist – Unique Preacher

41 Comments/in /by

Pastor Aaron Steinbrenner delivers a sermon entitled “John the Baptist – Unique Preacher” based on Mark 1:1-8 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered: Sunday,  December 10, 2017

In America the first printed ad appeared in the 1700’s.  As you would imagine, the ad was basic.  Wordy.  Visually blah.  Over the course of time that changed.  In the 1900’s Ford Motor Company started to use flashy images and flashy slogans.  Ever since ad campaigns have been trying to engage the senses and ignite the imaginations of the consumers.  Now focus groups and surveys and demographic studies have turned advertising into not just an art, but also a science.  Big business too.  In 1941 TV ad would have cost $9; today a 30 second TV ad run during prime time goes for over $300,000.  Run that same ad during the Super Bowl and you’ll pay $4M.

Cutting edge.  Innovative.  Eye-catching and thought-provoking.  That’s what advertisers are shooting for.  With one goal in mind.  To draw attention to the product.

Is it too much to say that God’s prophets in the Old Testament were living, walking, talking advertisements for the Lord?  Is it too much to say that we are too?  We’re not selling anything; but our main goal is to draw attention to Jesus. And we don’t have to be flashy.  Just take a look at one of the best, most effective walking, talking advertisements in the Bible, John the Baptist.  He was unique, one-of-a-kind.

He broke just about every rule.  Fancy packaging?  No.  He wore camel’s hair and a leather belt.  Publicity stunts or celebrity appearances to attract attention?  No.  He preached the word, straightforward.  He used the sacrament of Holy Baptism.

His pulpit was even unique.  He didn’t preach in synagogues or even the local street corner.  He was a “voice of one calling in the desert.”  The desert.  That seems a strange place for John the preach.  Maybe so, but God taught many a lesson to his people in the desert.  The children of Israel learned how to look to God for their daily bread – do you remember the manna and the quail?  They did their share of grumbling and complaining too, and when chastised by the Lord, they learned to repent and turn to him for healing and salvation – do you remember the bronze serpent on a pole?  In the desert, which is stark and lifeless, the people were stripped bare.   They realized it was them and God and the only way they could survive is if God were to be gracious to them and bless them.

Come on out to the desert, John says to you and me.  Come on.  Leave behind your life for a moment.  Step away from your neighborhoods.  Take a short leave of absence from your jobs – the 9-5’s or the shift work or the overtime.  Come sit in the sand just for a bit.  Forget about the shopping and the decorating.  Turn off the phones and the TV’s and the computer screens.  Leave behind that world where possessions and money seem to matter most…where people are admired and almost idolized for having successful and full lives (and yet those same people may never have been baptized and may never have knelt at the manger – how full could their lives be?).  Leave behind that world where people are elbowing each other as they try to get ahead, striving to be the better student, the better athlete, the better employee.  Come, John says, join me in the desert.  Strip everything else away and just sit here in the sand.

See how everything else in life, even the good stuff, is just clutter?  See how the “full life” has nothing to do with money and possessions?  See how often we have chased after treasures in this world that will one day deteriorate, while the real treasures are between Genesis and Revelation and on this altar and in the font?  See how the sand of the desert is a reminder of the dust and the ashes and the dirt that we will one day return to?  See how the dry, fruitless desert is a picture of our human hearts…what they once were before Jesus came to dwell within us?  See how we are no different than those children of Israel?…the only way we can survive here in this place and the only way we can be rescued from this place is if God is gracious to us and blesses us?  O Lord, be gracious to us and bless us!

John wasn’t afraid to call people on the carpet.  Do you remember when the Pharisees came to hear him in the desert?  He called them a brood of vipers and he warned them of being self-righteous and spiritually unprepared.  Do you remember how John spoke the truth of God’s Word to King Herod…and it landed him in jail…and eventually cost him his life?  Yes, John preached the law, but the main goal was to draw attention to Jesus.  So “John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

Forgiveness of sins.  That’s what Jesus has for our thirsty souls.  Wouldn’t it be tragic if that weren’t the case?  Can you imagine if the Bible said it differently.  What is Psalm 32 read:  “I confessed my sins to the Lord; but he refused to forgive me”  Or if you opened up to Psalm 103 and it read:  “The LORD is not compassionate or gracious…he is not slow to anger…instead he treats me as my sins deserve.”  Or what if the thief on the cross, after he said, “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom,” heard Jesus say, “No.  I won’t forgive you.”

O dear Christian, see how amazing it is that our Lord reaches out to us even while we are in the desert of our sins, and he assures us again and again that he is faithful.

  • David did write in Psalm 32: Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  When I kept silent, my bones wasted away…For day and night your hand was heavy on me…Then I acknowledged my sin to you…And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
  • And Psalm 103 so beautifully proclaims: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love…he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
  • And the thief…that repentant, dying thief heard the best reply: Today you will be with me in paradise.

In the year 430, in the region of Hippo North Africa, church father St. Augustine was nearing the end of his life.  He begged one of his friends to paint the words of Psalm 32 on the wall opposite his bed.  So as he lay there…dying…and his mind remembering all the sins of his youth and all the times he fell short in his Christian living and every time he brought dishonor to his Lord by his faulty words and deeds…he would see the words:  Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Can you think of more important and more meaningful words to cling to while dying?  Can you think of more important and more meaningful words to cling to while living?

John the Baptist draws our attention to Jesus.  And as we leave the desert sand and go back to our lives, it will be our challenge to keep the attention on Jesus.  Not only that, but that the Lord might use us as living, walking, talking advertisements for Jesus.  Not flashy.  Not drawing attention to self.  But through the course of our days – good times and bad – we see the passage painted on the wall: Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Living, walking, talking, FORGIVEN advertisements for Jesus.  Amen.

 

 

God is My Hero

154 Comments/in /by

Pastor Paul Waldschmidt delivers a sermon entitled “God is My Hero” based on Luke 1:26-38 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered: Sunday,  December 3, 2017

Advent is the time of year when we talk a lot about name meanings. Because knowing that, for example, the name Jesus, literally means “Savior” or Immanuel means “God with us”, knowing that adds supplemental wonder to the already wonderful Christmas story, God becoming man to save man. You probably knew the meaning of those names already. But you might not know the meaning of the name Gabriel, the angel who plays a prominent role in our text for this morning on the First Sunday of the Advent season. Gabriel is the combination of two Hebrew words–gibor which means mighty warrior or hero and el which means God.  So Gabriel’s name literally means “God is my hero.”

The Biblical moniker doesn’t always fit the Biblical personality, of course. King Zedekiah, for example, whose name means “The Lord is my righteousness” was one of the smarmiest fellas to ever sit on the throne as king of Israel, and that’s saying a lot.  But in the case of Gabriel, the name fits. God is my hero. Today we’ll say the same.

Even though Gabriel is technically the focus of our Sunday service, we should be clear right off the bat. He’s not the hero. God is the hero. God is my hero.  How Gabriel fits in becomes evident right off the bat in our text. “ In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth.”  He’s the messenger. Just like the angels in the sky outside of Bethlehem that first Christmas, just like the angels at the tomb on Easter Sunday morning, Gabriel was the messenger, not the hero. He came to tell someone what the hero was doing.

The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Think about that for a second. The one who stands in the presence of God comes and tells Mary that she’s the one who is highly favored! Isn’t that what God’s messengers say to us every Sunday? They’re like Gabriel in this regard—they’re messengers, sent to us to point us to what the hero is doing now. So they stand before God’s people and they say, “Greetings, you who are highly favored, the Lord is with you.”

Only problem is, we might come here wondering if either one of those statements is actually true. We might come here wondering if we are truly highly favored and if the Lord truly is with us. Because honestly, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Why should he favor me, we might ask? Why should he favor us when he sees all that goes on in our homes, in our minds and in our lives? Why should he favor us when he knows the cringeworthy words that have come from our mouth, the stomach turning sights our eyes have seen, the unseemly places our feet have stood?  We might well ask, “Why would he favor me when he should be repulsed by me? Why would the Lord be with me….shouldn’t he be running to get as far away from me as possible?”

But that’s the thing about heroes. Being a hero isn’t about doing an extensive evaluation and then saving people who are most likable, deserving or somehow worthy of saving. Being a hero is about saving people who need you, people who would be lost with you, people who absolutely cannot save themselves.

Just like Gabriel did long ago, just like Pastor Steinbrenner did last week and Pastor Husby will do next week, today I have the privilege to stand up here and say to you, though world weary and weighed down by sin, Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Not because of something you have done, but because of something God has done. Remember, God’s the star of this show. A hero comes not to the people who deserve it, but to the people who need saving. People like you and me. That’s why God is my hero.

Showing up is half the battle. But it is only half the battle. But a hero doesn’t just show up on the scene. A hero also does the things necessary to save people. That was part of Gabriel’s message, too. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

You might think, “That all sounds very royal, and impressive, but it ain’t particularly heroic, per se.” Fair enough, but think about what Jesus did so that we call him great. Think about how he ascended to the throne of his father David, to his kingdom that will never end. How did he become king? Remember what the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians?

He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This king became king by wearing robes most unroyal, the filthy rags of our wickedness. This king became king by wearing a crown not of gold, but of our shame. Our hero shed his blood and gave up his life, so that our sins would be erased and our eternities spared. A hero sacrifices his own well being to save people. That’s what Jesus did for us. That’s why God is my hero.

Mary didn’t totally understand how it could be that she would become a mother at all, much less the mother of God’s Son. Gabriel’s message continued. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”

Nothing is impossible with God. Now don’t take the wrong way. It doesn’t mean that we should expect to do the impossible. It means that God can do anything he sets his mind to. You might look at your life and see impossibility. It’s impossible for God to love me and save me after I’ve done so much wrong and done it so long. Nothing is impossible with God. It might seem an impossibility that faith can come through water and the word or the forgiveness can come through eating and drinking. It might seem impossible that he will raise the dead, impossible that he will come back to judge, impossible that there is indeed waiting for God’s faithful children a much better life than this one in a much better place than this one. Nothing is impossible with God. This hero can actually do the impossible. That’s why God is my hero.

The hero who came once to save us, will come again to take his people home. So here is a serious question that demands a serious answer. When our hero returns, on the blessed day of his second advent, what will he find in our hearts and in our lives?  May he find hearts that shun sin in humble contrition. Hearts that cling to him in humble faith. Hearts that serve our neighbor in humble love. People that know their name is Christian and are personify what it means. That will be the reception Jesus deserves. That will truly be a hero’s welcome. Amen.