S-1029 2/10/08 1SIL/3A. Hymns: (O)#359; (S)#135 ; (C) #126
Texts: Genesis 3:1-21; Epistle Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4-1-11
Theme: “The Warrior Son and Eve’s Savior” (Gen. 3:15)
Armour, SD. SOLI DEO GLORIA
Faithful followers of the Savior, ‘Christ is Risen!’ “He is Risen! Indeed!” The text for this First Sunday In Lent is from the O.T. lesson: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise His heel” (Gen. 3:15).
Introduction
Saints in Christ, we know tragedy. We saw the images of this Thursday night. Cookie Thornton, crazed with perceived injustice, took the law into his own hands and murdered 6 people. The image of this kind of carnage that brought such death to our sight is nothing short of a tragedy.
But this tragedy Thursday night is nothing compared to the greatest tragedy of all time. We read of it in the Old Testament lesson today. It is the story that took place between the children of God and the fallen angel—the devil, who seduced them and brought upon them God’s wrath and anger. This story is so tragic that the results are still being felt today. Death, evil and hatred are the fruits of that fall; all because Adam and Eve obeyed the devil instead of taking God at His Word.
Since that tragic day in the garden there has been war between the sons of Adam and the evil forces of the devil. The war is so severe that there are casualties all along. Look at the war in Iraq and you will know what I mean by casualties—death, destruction and disaster of both life and property. Homes demolished, limbs torn, trees uprooted and death played out on the streets. These are the signs of war.
But unlike the war that is going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, the war I am talking about is war for the souls of humanity—yours and mine and every child of God. A war that is not fought on the streets, but in the hearts of people; a war that is not fought by bullets, and bombs, missiles and planes, tanks and torpedoes, but with words of deception and sleazy ideas. This war, while we freely admit that it is closer to home than we care to admit, it comes even closer. The war is waged in our own flesh. The first battle was fought and lost in the Garden when Eve was deceived by the serpent. It raged at Babel. It was a pitch battle there in the wilderness when Jesus faced down that age old accuser. And it continues in us. The battle still rages. Every time you sin, you, like “Cookie” Thornton, go to war against authority. You go to war against the authority of the Word of God and the very Lord who spoke that Word into existence. Think about that! You go to war with God when you sin? Do you think for a moment that you can win that war? No! That war will end in your utter, total and complete annihilation! But the Father would not sit still for this!
The war began, when Adam and Eve broke the Commandment of God of eating from the tree of good and evil. Yet, while they were hiding in the bushes from fear of the God who created them; God gave them a life-giving promise—a Covenant that will last forever. To Adam and Eve the Author of Life spoke of a coming Warrior an everlasting Messenger, and a Messiah. This Warrior would take on the fallen angel who had seduced Adam and Eve into rebellion.
To our first parents, in the presence of the evil, wicked, slimy enemy of man—the DEVIL, who had tricked them into grasping at God-hood; God gave this precious and life-giving promise
I Am declaring war between you Serpent and the woman, between your offspring and Her Descendant. He will crush your heard and you will bruise His heel. (Gen. 3:15)
The Warrior Son and Savior of Eve would in the fullness of time come from the seed of Abraham. He would have to come in a most unlikely manner and crush the head of the evil foe in a most unusual way.
And so it was, the Warrior Son came. He came from heaven to fulfill the promise of God. He came to redeem the fallen children of Adam and Eve. He came to bring salvation and healing and to restore the broken relationship with the Father of all grace. He came to undo what the fallen angel had done. He came to give His life as the payment for all mankind.
While He was on earth, we are told of the battle that ensued between the Warrior Son, and evil foe. We saw it play out in the Wilderness in the heat of the day and the coolness of the night. The war was severe and lasted for forty nights. For forty nights the war roared and raged.
On one side of the mountain stood the Warrior Son, and the other side the enemies of man—all of the evil forces of darkness and wickedness. While the Warrior Son was hungry and thirty, the wicked One sent His full artilleries to destroy Him from completing His Mission. Every arsenal weapon at his disposal the devil unleashed, but with the Shield of the Word, the Warrior Son stopped every bullet and bomb, every missile and weapon. For forty nights and days, the Devil tried again and again to lure the Warrior Son from saving fallen man, but he didn’t succeed. Finally, he left from the presence of the Warrior Son, until the opportune time.
The opportune time finally arrived during the Holy Week of the Jewish celebration of the Passover. The evil, wicked, slimy enemy of man—the DEVIL, lured another son of Adam to join his forces to defeat the Warrior Son. Judas took the bait and followed the deceptive words of the devil in betraying the One who had come to save him.
And the war raged the battle was fierce when all of the rulers, authorities, powers and spiritual forces of this dark evil world. The venom came upon the Warrior Son in full force. They grabbed Him, beat Him, made fun of Him and finally crucified Him on a tree, and laughed and mocked Him as they saw Him struggle for every breath. The war continued not with bombs and bullets, but with His blood. The carnage of His death, His savage suffering, His hanging in humility are the marks of the battle. They continued to send the artilleries until at last the Warrior Son, with every ounce of energy, lifted His bleeding and bruised body enough to scream the shout of victory. IT IS FINISHED! (Jh. 19:30). What was finished was the suffering. What was finished was the carnage. What was finished was the humility. What was finished was His life. The Victory was marked by His death.
The Warrior Son and the Savior of Eve rose victoriously on the third day. And with that glorious resurrection, the victory had been proclaimed in the streets of Jerusalem and every street ever since. The enemy had been defeated, destroyed and demolished. The Warrior Son and the Savior of Eve had won the battle, had given us the sons of Eve the spoils of war—freedom and peace, Light and Life, Forgiveness and Faith.
The Warrior Son and the Savior of Eve has fulfilled the demand of the Father. The Warrior Son and the Savior of Eve, Jesus Christ and our second Adam had accomplished the undoing of the first Adam, by restoring us to life again with the Father of all grace once more.
The thought of losing you was unthinkable to the Father. He wanted to go to war to save you. So He gives Eve and You this Warrior Son. He has armed Himself for the fight. His weapons are not bombs and bullets or guns and grenades. Rather, the secret weapon that this Warrior Son brings to bear in this War for your soul is His life.
That war, while the battle still rages, is already over. Even though we struggle in the flesh with the weapons of war of the evil one, the outcome of the War is decided. That is the reason we observe the season of Lent. We don’t walk with Jesus to Jerusalem with the outcome in doubt. No, we KNOW that Jesus has already won for us the only thing we need.
Today, we receive the spoils of this war. You heard the words of Absolution. You hear the words of the Message of this Warrior Son proclaimed week in and week out. You will receive into your mouths the very body and very blood that this Warrior spent on the battlefield for you. This Victory is yours. This Warrior fights for you. This Warrior has won for you. Thank God that our Champion is alive again. AMEN.
Now the peace…
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
“There Is No Place Like Home” (Ps. 137:4)
S-1028 2/06/08 1SMIL/3A. Hymns: (O)#359; (S)#135 ; (C) #126
Texts: Psalm 51:1-12; Psalm 137:1-6; Matthew 26:14-30
Theme: “There Is No Place Like Home” (Ps. 137:4)
Armour, SD. SOLI DEO GLORIA (1st sermon in series on “Singing the Songs of Zion”
Psalm 137:4 – “How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?”
HOME! The very word evokes feelings of love and laughter. Home brings to mind your childhood—mom and dad. Home allows you to dream about the days of sumptuous food mom had prepared; it is the place where you can take your shoes off and relax and sleep for a long time. Home is where the heart is. In the movie The Wizard of Oz, says it best, “there’s no place like home! Ask any military person what do they want most? And they will tell you “TO GO HOME!”
Home doesn’t mean much to you, unless you have moved away from home. I have moved from home a long time ago. But Last October I was privileged to go home again. I saw my sister before she went home for good to be with her Savior and Lord. I saw friends and loved ones; and it was a wonderful time.
But now Israel is a fading memory. I’m in SD in the heart of the winter. And it will not be long before the heat, humidity and wind return to the prairie. All that was familiar to me, Mount Carmel, Nazareth, and Jerusalem have been replaced by the wide open spaces, the Corn Palace and Mount Rushmore; permanently exiled in a foreign land. “There’s no place like home!”
For Israel in our text, Zion is a distant, fading memory. They’re stuck in Babylon, with its heathen gods and lustful living. Judah, Jerusalem and the Jordan have been replaced by being salves in Babylon. Israel now has no king, no temple, no royal city, no land, no liturgy, no sacrifice, no hope, no future and no HOME.
By the rivers of Babylon they sit and weep, reminiscing about the good ol’ days when they worshipped in the splendor of Solomon’s temple – when they worked and shopped in the city of David and saw the Mount of Olives from a distance; permanently exiled in a foreign land. O God – “there’s no place like … HOME!” But where is home? Home is not were we are, it is far, far away from here.
“There’s no place like Zion, there’s no place like home.” On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? (Ps. 137:2-4).
It’s a sad song, and their captor’s rubbed their noses in it. “Sing us one of your songs of Zion, now.” Like the western bad-guy firing bullets at your feet saying, “Dance, dance.” “Welcome to the Hotel Babylonia, - you can check out any time you like but you can never leave.” That is a terrible feeling. That is the same feeling the People of Bethlehem are feeling today. They can drive all over the territory, but can’t leave the compound of the wall that separates the occupied territory from Israel’s proper.
Israel’s problem isn’t just one of location; it’s also one of the heart. They weren’t just far away from they Land; they were far away from God, the Father. God warned them what would happen if they began to worship other god’s at home. But Baal worship was too enticing. The pagan fertility gods were too sexy to resist. They wasted all that God had given them in the Promised Land. God sent someone to shut it all down. Jerusalem was destroyed in 586BC. As far as the Israelites were concerned it was the day the music died.
Some of us are far from home, but all of us are far from the Father. We have no one to blame but ourselves. Right now, right here, we are exiled in our own Babylon. It’s a Babylon we’ve made for ourselves. The god of culture is too enticing. What’s going on around us is just too sexy to resist. The god of this world is just so seductive and so
very deadly. When we live as we are told to live by the world our lives are left in tatters, our relationships are broken and bloody, our lives are empty. Satan whispers in our ear “Sing me one of the songs of Zion! Welcome to Hotel Satania – you can check out any time you like but you will never leave.” What’s worse we believe his lie. We think we have to live the way everyone else lives. We think we have to agree with their values. And we sacrifice our children, our friends, our neighbors and even ourselves on the altar. There is no song to sing.
How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? (Ps. 137:4). There’s something very unique about Psalm 137. It’s not in your hymnal but 136 is. Open your hymnal on page 154. 137 follows 136 for a reason. Twenty-Six times Psalm 136 says the same thing. His mercy endureth forever. Over and over again it is sung. And although it is a good translation the word love doesn’t carry the weight of the language the Psalm was written in. The Hebrew word is hessed. It’s more than love. It’s a promise made by someone who doesn’t need to make it. It’s a promise to never break the promise. That’s why Psalm 136 repeats it over and over again, like driving a nail into a very hard wood. God’s mercy endures forever, He never breaks His promises, His hessed, His mercy and promise will last forever and ever and ever.
At first that might seem like an unrelated side track, but remember I said that 137 our psalm follows 136. The folks who cataloged these psalms and placed them in order wanted you to read 137 after you read 136. The songs of the Lord go on and on, in spite of how we feel about it.
God promised that the exiled of His people in Babylon wouldn’t last for ever, His mercy endures for ever. He would send someone to deliver them, His mercy endures forever. They would return to Zion, His mercy endures forever. A few short weeks ago, we celebrated God’s promised hessed. God Himself took on flesh and blood. Jesus described Himself in exile from His home, And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Mt. 8:20).
But Jesus was exiled not only from His Father’s home, but finally from the Father.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:46) His mouth is dry, His lips are cracked, His voice is hoarse, He can barley speak, let alone sing. His captors torment Him, “sing us one of those songs of Zion, now! He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He’s the true king of Israel. Let Him come down from the cross and we’ll believe!” He wouldn’t do that. That was the day the music died.
But, the song goes on. Jesus was raised, physically, bodily, really, from the grave on the third day. Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I Am you may be also” (Jh. 14:1-3) And
For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Cor. 5:1).
In the 1994 movie titled Forrest Gump, the simple but good-hearted Forrest falls in love with his childhood sweetheart. But she breaks his heart again and again by using him, taking him for granted, abandoning him, and repaying his loyalty with unfaithfulness. At the end of the movie, they meet up again after years of separation. She tells Forrest that she is sick and that the doctors can do nothing to help her. Forrest doesn’t hesitate, but immediately says, “You could come home with me, to my house, Jenny.”
That is what our loving Savior does for us, as He bids us to come and stay with Him in His HOME that He built by His own hands which were stretched on the cross of Calvary. And this home is NOT just any hotel. Our Zion is not the Ritz, it’s much better. The reservation is made and the price is paid in full. We have an eternal home in the Hotel
Heaven.
How can we sing the songs of Zion while in a foreign land – while still in this body of death – while still in the midst of a life that is marked by the words, “Ashes to ashes and dust to dust”?
John Newton, who composed the hymn “Amazing Grace,” also wrote a song of Zion that ends with these words. “Savior since of Zion’s city I through grace a member am. Let the world deride or pity, I will glory in your name. Fading are the world’s vain pleasures, all their boasted pomp and show. Solid joys and lasting treasures none but Zion’s children know” (TLH # 469.4).
We sing with John Newton and all of the baptized a grand symphony of celebration because we’re going HOME! HOME TO BE WITH OUR FATHER AND GOD FOREVER AND EVER AMEN.
Now the peace…
Texts: Psalm 51:1-12; Psalm 137:1-6; Matthew 26:14-30
Theme: “There Is No Place Like Home” (Ps. 137:4)
Armour, SD. SOLI DEO GLORIA (1st sermon in series on “Singing the Songs of Zion”
Psalm 137:4 – “How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?”
HOME! The very word evokes feelings of love and laughter. Home brings to mind your childhood—mom and dad. Home allows you to dream about the days of sumptuous food mom had prepared; it is the place where you can take your shoes off and relax and sleep for a long time. Home is where the heart is. In the movie The Wizard of Oz, says it best, “there’s no place like home! Ask any military person what do they want most? And they will tell you “TO GO HOME!”
Home doesn’t mean much to you, unless you have moved away from home. I have moved from home a long time ago. But Last October I was privileged to go home again. I saw my sister before she went home for good to be with her Savior and Lord. I saw friends and loved ones; and it was a wonderful time.
But now Israel is a fading memory. I’m in SD in the heart of the winter. And it will not be long before the heat, humidity and wind return to the prairie. All that was familiar to me, Mount Carmel, Nazareth, and Jerusalem have been replaced by the wide open spaces, the Corn Palace and Mount Rushmore; permanently exiled in a foreign land. “There’s no place like home!”
For Israel in our text, Zion is a distant, fading memory. They’re stuck in Babylon, with its heathen gods and lustful living. Judah, Jerusalem and the Jordan have been replaced by being salves in Babylon. Israel now has no king, no temple, no royal city, no land, no liturgy, no sacrifice, no hope, no future and no HOME.
By the rivers of Babylon they sit and weep, reminiscing about the good ol’ days when they worshipped in the splendor of Solomon’s temple – when they worked and shopped in the city of David and saw the Mount of Olives from a distance; permanently exiled in a foreign land. O God – “there’s no place like … HOME!” But where is home? Home is not were we are, it is far, far away from here.
“There’s no place like Zion, there’s no place like home.” On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? (Ps. 137:2-4).
It’s a sad song, and their captor’s rubbed their noses in it. “Sing us one of your songs of Zion, now.” Like the western bad-guy firing bullets at your feet saying, “Dance, dance.” “Welcome to the Hotel Babylonia, - you can check out any time you like but you can never leave.” That is a terrible feeling. That is the same feeling the People of Bethlehem are feeling today. They can drive all over the territory, but can’t leave the compound of the wall that separates the occupied territory from Israel’s proper.
Israel’s problem isn’t just one of location; it’s also one of the heart. They weren’t just far away from they Land; they were far away from God, the Father. God warned them what would happen if they began to worship other god’s at home. But Baal worship was too enticing. The pagan fertility gods were too sexy to resist. They wasted all that God had given them in the Promised Land. God sent someone to shut it all down. Jerusalem was destroyed in 586BC. As far as the Israelites were concerned it was the day the music died.
Some of us are far from home, but all of us are far from the Father. We have no one to blame but ourselves. Right now, right here, we are exiled in our own Babylon. It’s a Babylon we’ve made for ourselves. The god of culture is too enticing. What’s going on around us is just too sexy to resist. The god of this world is just so seductive and so
very deadly. When we live as we are told to live by the world our lives are left in tatters, our relationships are broken and bloody, our lives are empty. Satan whispers in our ear “Sing me one of the songs of Zion! Welcome to Hotel Satania – you can check out any time you like but you will never leave.” What’s worse we believe his lie. We think we have to live the way everyone else lives. We think we have to agree with their values. And we sacrifice our children, our friends, our neighbors and even ourselves on the altar. There is no song to sing.
How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? (Ps. 137:4). There’s something very unique about Psalm 137. It’s not in your hymnal but 136 is. Open your hymnal on page 154. 137 follows 136 for a reason. Twenty-Six times Psalm 136 says the same thing. His mercy endureth forever. Over and over again it is sung. And although it is a good translation the word love doesn’t carry the weight of the language the Psalm was written in. The Hebrew word is hessed. It’s more than love. It’s a promise made by someone who doesn’t need to make it. It’s a promise to never break the promise. That’s why Psalm 136 repeats it over and over again, like driving a nail into a very hard wood. God’s mercy endures forever, He never breaks His promises, His hessed, His mercy and promise will last forever and ever and ever.
At first that might seem like an unrelated side track, but remember I said that 137 our psalm follows 136. The folks who cataloged these psalms and placed them in order wanted you to read 137 after you read 136. The songs of the Lord go on and on, in spite of how we feel about it.
God promised that the exiled of His people in Babylon wouldn’t last for ever, His mercy endures for ever. He would send someone to deliver them, His mercy endures forever. They would return to Zion, His mercy endures forever. A few short weeks ago, we celebrated God’s promised hessed. God Himself took on flesh and blood. Jesus described Himself in exile from His home, And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Mt. 8:20).
But Jesus was exiled not only from His Father’s home, but finally from the Father.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:46) His mouth is dry, His lips are cracked, His voice is hoarse, He can barley speak, let alone sing. His captors torment Him, “sing us one of those songs of Zion, now! He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He’s the true king of Israel. Let Him come down from the cross and we’ll believe!” He wouldn’t do that. That was the day the music died.
But, the song goes on. Jesus was raised, physically, bodily, really, from the grave on the third day. Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I Am you may be also” (Jh. 14:1-3) And
For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Cor. 5:1).
In the 1994 movie titled Forrest Gump, the simple but good-hearted Forrest falls in love with his childhood sweetheart. But she breaks his heart again and again by using him, taking him for granted, abandoning him, and repaying his loyalty with unfaithfulness. At the end of the movie, they meet up again after years of separation. She tells Forrest that she is sick and that the doctors can do nothing to help her. Forrest doesn’t hesitate, but immediately says, “You could come home with me, to my house, Jenny.”
That is what our loving Savior does for us, as He bids us to come and stay with Him in His HOME that He built by His own hands which were stretched on the cross of Calvary. And this home is NOT just any hotel. Our Zion is not the Ritz, it’s much better. The reservation is made and the price is paid in full. We have an eternal home in the Hotel
Heaven.
How can we sing the songs of Zion while in a foreign land – while still in this body of death – while still in the midst of a life that is marked by the words, “Ashes to ashes and dust to dust”?
John Newton, who composed the hymn “Amazing Grace,” also wrote a song of Zion that ends with these words. “Savior since of Zion’s city I through grace a member am. Let the world deride or pity, I will glory in your name. Fading are the world’s vain pleasures, all their boasted pomp and show. Solid joys and lasting treasures none but Zion’s children know” (TLH # 469.4).
We sing with John Newton and all of the baptized a grand symphony of celebration because we’re going HOME! HOME TO BE WITH OUR FATHER AND GOD FOREVER AND EVER AMEN.
Now the peace…
Saturday, January 19, 2008
“See No Evil”, Isaiah. 42:17
S-1024 3/02/08 4SIL 3/A. Hymns: (O)#; (S)#; (C) #
Texts: Isaiah 42:14-21; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41
Theme: “See No Evil” (Is. 42:17).
Armour, SD. SOLI DEO GLORIA
Faithful followers of the Savior, the text for this 4th Sunday in Lent is from the O.T. Prophet Isaiah “They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, ‘You are our gods’” (Isaiah 42:17).
Introduction
Saints in Christ perhaps you have seen this picture, three little monkeys, sitting in a row. One has his hands over his eyes, so he cannot see. One has his hands over his ears, so he cannot hear. And the third has his hands over his mouth, so he cannot speak. And they are sitting on a battlefield.
There is a war going on around us every day – a war for our souls and the souls of our children and grandchildren. It is not a war that is fought with bombs and bullets, but a war fought with weapons of the spirit. It is a war between good and evil, and God and Satan. As in any war, there are casualties, soldiers who die for their cause and soldiers who live to tell about it
Yet this war is unlike any other:
Scripture is clear regarding this war. There are no neutral forces – you are either on the side of JESUS CHRIST AS LORD. Or you belong to Satan and the forces of darkness. All of the other “gods and powers” of this world are simply masks for a single enemy – the Devil. No one “chooses” sides – you begin life as an enemy of God, and by His grace and power He converts you to His side. By the Holy Spirit we have been changed from the hated enemy to the beloved allies.
And now the enemies of Jesus Christ come seeking to claim us and win us over to the other side again. They want to steal back our souls. The war is real – it rages around us every day. Yet all too often we sit around in lines like those three monkeys, waiting to be destroyed and fooling ourselves into thinking that if we “see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil” then the evil isn’t real. It doesn’t affect us at all, and we bury our heads in the sand. The three monkeys remind us of the text for today from the prophet Isaiah.
They shall be turned back, They shall be greatly ashamed, Who trust in carved images, Who say to the molded images, ‘You are our gods.’ “Hear, you deaf; And look, you blind, that you may see. Who is blind but My servant, Or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, And blind as the LORD’s servant? Seeing many things, but you do not observe; Opening the ears, but he does not hear.”
“See no evil…”
What a tragic fate awaits this monkey. He covers his eyes so that he will not see, and so he remains in darkness. By doing so, he blinds himself to the evil of this world and protects himself from fear. But at the same, he also blinds himself to the saving light of Christ, and in the end will be destroyed.
Many in our world are blinded by the deceptive light of the devil. There are so many who refuse to see the evil going on in the world and shut their hearts to the goodness of God. Many don’t see the decline into destruction. Blind to the evils of our culture – not seeing the decline in truth and morality for the evil that it is–ignoring and even denying the danger that it poses to our immortal souls. They say, Get with the program, we are living in the 21st century.
The Good News is that Jesus gives sight to the blind. This is demonstrated in the Gospel reading today. Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man physically and spiritually. However, if they cover their eyes they will not see their course of destruction. As Jesus said to His disciples that night in the Garden, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38)
“Hear no evil…”
This monkey too is in terrible danger. His eyes can see the evil around him, but he allows himself to be caught up in the illusions and trickery of the Devil. He covers his ears to the truth of evil, and therefore is unable to properly understand the visions that dance before his eyes. He sees it coming, but cannot understand the danger. There are so many people in our world like this monkey. They allow themselves to see the evils of the world but fail to hear the Word of God and come to understanding. They abstain from God’s house where the Word is spoken and become entangled in the seductive words of the devil.
Only the truth of God’s Word as taught by the Holy Spirit can help us to see and hear and know the will of the devil—to destroy us. In this world, people call evil good and good evil. They are theologians of glory. In this, they seek their own glory at the expense of God and their own souls.
How sad that in our world, the devil has blinded us to the truth. For many see it as evil to call sin a sin, and to call sinners to repentance, and it is called good to be tolerant of sin and evil and not to intrude upon another person’s business. Yet, ONLY the Word of God can truly define what is good and evil. And if we choose to close our ears to that Word we become deaf to the truth and fall prey to the devil and his cohorts.
“Speak no evil…”
This is the saddest monkey of all. This is the monkey we are most tempted to be. For speaking evil, he says nothing. Mouth covered, he remains silent. He can see and hear the truth—he knows right from wrong yet afraid and ashamed to speak up. Afraid to open his mouth and tell others of the danger they are living in.
Many Christians struggle with this temptation. We choose to remain silent so that we might be included in the popular crowd—as if popularity matter. We keep our mouth shut so that we don’t offend someone. We remain silent as not to reveal the truth that leads to eternal life. Wide is the road that leads to destruction. On it there will be many “friends.”
Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are at war—souls are at stake. The Lord has called us in the faith to be an example to others and share the hope we have in Christ our Savior who showed us what is precious about our lives. He paid the price of our redemption on the cross of Calvary so that we may see, speak and hear of His love that oozes out of the throne of Grace and carried out on the cross of Calvary.
Indeed we are at war and the only weapon we posses to fight the enemy is the Living Word of God. Through the Word we are able to speak and live and be a light to those who don’t know the love of Jesus. In the battle filed we need to know the tools and power we have to use. What good are we if we don’t use the gifts the Lord has given us to speak of His love? “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 10:32-33).
Do not close your eyes to the truth of the Godless culture that surrounds you – Do not close your ears to the Word of God that provides true understanding – Do not close your mouth in fear and be counted for nothing – Do not be a monkey for the devil.
Faithful followers of the Savior Jesus – you have all been blessed by God. When our Lord Jesus came to earth to suffer and die, He did it for you. When He bore all your sins on His shoulders, He did it for you. When He rose from the grave He rose for you. When He returns in glory, He will return for you. He did all of these things for you and me. And because of sacrifice for us, we are to have our eyes opened, our ears unplugged and our tongues loosed to speak.
Saints in Christ, the battle line has been drawn in the war for our souls and our children’s. But by God’s grace you and I are privileged to know and to share and show the love of Jesus. What a gift God has given us as His children to speak of His love, show He selfless sacrifice; and point them to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel that reveals the gift of the Savior through the cross and the empty tomb. Through this Gospel we are victorious in the war and receive the blessings of—eternal life, forgiveness, joy, and peace. Praise be to Jesus for what Has accomplished for us. Amen.
Now the peace…
Texts: Isaiah 42:14-21; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41
Theme: “See No Evil” (Is. 42:17).
Armour, SD. SOLI DEO GLORIA
Faithful followers of the Savior, the text for this 4th Sunday in Lent is from the O.T. Prophet Isaiah “They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, ‘You are our gods’” (Isaiah 42:17).
Introduction
Saints in Christ perhaps you have seen this picture, three little monkeys, sitting in a row. One has his hands over his eyes, so he cannot see. One has his hands over his ears, so he cannot hear. And the third has his hands over his mouth, so he cannot speak. And they are sitting on a battlefield.
There is a war going on around us every day – a war for our souls and the souls of our children and grandchildren. It is not a war that is fought with bombs and bullets, but a war fought with weapons of the spirit. It is a war between good and evil, and God and Satan. As in any war, there are casualties, soldiers who die for their cause and soldiers who live to tell about it
Yet this war is unlike any other:
Scripture is clear regarding this war. There are no neutral forces – you are either on the side of JESUS CHRIST AS LORD. Or you belong to Satan and the forces of darkness. All of the other “gods and powers” of this world are simply masks for a single enemy – the Devil. No one “chooses” sides – you begin life as an enemy of God, and by His grace and power He converts you to His side. By the Holy Spirit we have been changed from the hated enemy to the beloved allies.
And now the enemies of Jesus Christ come seeking to claim us and win us over to the other side again. They want to steal back our souls. The war is real – it rages around us every day. Yet all too often we sit around in lines like those three monkeys, waiting to be destroyed and fooling ourselves into thinking that if we “see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil” then the evil isn’t real. It doesn’t affect us at all, and we bury our heads in the sand. The three monkeys remind us of the text for today from the prophet Isaiah.
They shall be turned back, They shall be greatly ashamed, Who trust in carved images, Who say to the molded images, ‘You are our gods.’ “Hear, you deaf; And look, you blind, that you may see. Who is blind but My servant, Or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, And blind as the LORD’s servant? Seeing many things, but you do not observe; Opening the ears, but he does not hear.”
“See no evil…”
What a tragic fate awaits this monkey. He covers his eyes so that he will not see, and so he remains in darkness. By doing so, he blinds himself to the evil of this world and protects himself from fear. But at the same, he also blinds himself to the saving light of Christ, and in the end will be destroyed.
Many in our world are blinded by the deceptive light of the devil. There are so many who refuse to see the evil going on in the world and shut their hearts to the goodness of God. Many don’t see the decline into destruction. Blind to the evils of our culture – not seeing the decline in truth and morality for the evil that it is–ignoring and even denying the danger that it poses to our immortal souls. They say, Get with the program, we are living in the 21st century.
The Good News is that Jesus gives sight to the blind. This is demonstrated in the Gospel reading today. Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man physically and spiritually. However, if they cover their eyes they will not see their course of destruction. As Jesus said to His disciples that night in the Garden, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38)
“Hear no evil…”
This monkey too is in terrible danger. His eyes can see the evil around him, but he allows himself to be caught up in the illusions and trickery of the Devil. He covers his ears to the truth of evil, and therefore is unable to properly understand the visions that dance before his eyes. He sees it coming, but cannot understand the danger. There are so many people in our world like this monkey. They allow themselves to see the evils of the world but fail to hear the Word of God and come to understanding. They abstain from God’s house where the Word is spoken and become entangled in the seductive words of the devil.
Only the truth of God’s Word as taught by the Holy Spirit can help us to see and hear and know the will of the devil—to destroy us. In this world, people call evil good and good evil. They are theologians of glory. In this, they seek their own glory at the expense of God and their own souls.
How sad that in our world, the devil has blinded us to the truth. For many see it as evil to call sin a sin, and to call sinners to repentance, and it is called good to be tolerant of sin and evil and not to intrude upon another person’s business. Yet, ONLY the Word of God can truly define what is good and evil. And if we choose to close our ears to that Word we become deaf to the truth and fall prey to the devil and his cohorts.
“Speak no evil…”
This is the saddest monkey of all. This is the monkey we are most tempted to be. For speaking evil, he says nothing. Mouth covered, he remains silent. He can see and hear the truth—he knows right from wrong yet afraid and ashamed to speak up. Afraid to open his mouth and tell others of the danger they are living in.
Many Christians struggle with this temptation. We choose to remain silent so that we might be included in the popular crowd—as if popularity matter. We keep our mouth shut so that we don’t offend someone. We remain silent as not to reveal the truth that leads to eternal life. Wide is the road that leads to destruction. On it there will be many “friends.”
Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are at war—souls are at stake. The Lord has called us in the faith to be an example to others and share the hope we have in Christ our Savior who showed us what is precious about our lives. He paid the price of our redemption on the cross of Calvary so that we may see, speak and hear of His love that oozes out of the throne of Grace and carried out on the cross of Calvary.
Indeed we are at war and the only weapon we posses to fight the enemy is the Living Word of God. Through the Word we are able to speak and live and be a light to those who don’t know the love of Jesus. In the battle filed we need to know the tools and power we have to use. What good are we if we don’t use the gifts the Lord has given us to speak of His love? “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 10:32-33).
Do not close your eyes to the truth of the Godless culture that surrounds you – Do not close your ears to the Word of God that provides true understanding – Do not close your mouth in fear and be counted for nothing – Do not be a monkey for the devil.
Faithful followers of the Savior Jesus – you have all been blessed by God. When our Lord Jesus came to earth to suffer and die, He did it for you. When He bore all your sins on His shoulders, He did it for you. When He rose from the grave He rose for you. When He returns in glory, He will return for you. He did all of these things for you and me. And because of sacrifice for us, we are to have our eyes opened, our ears unplugged and our tongues loosed to speak.
Saints in Christ, the battle line has been drawn in the war for our souls and our children’s. But by God’s grace you and I are privileged to know and to share and show the love of Jesus. What a gift God has given us as His children to speak of His love, show He selfless sacrifice; and point them to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel that reveals the gift of the Savior through the cross and the empty tomb. Through this Gospel we are victorious in the war and receive the blessings of—eternal life, forgiveness, joy, and peace. Praise be to Jesus for what Has accomplished for us. Amen.
Now the peace…
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Heard the Voice Lately? Matthew 13:17
S-1023 1/13/08 Baptism of Jesus 3/A. Hymns: (O)#5; (S)#600 LSB; L.S. #301; 298; #302; (C) #47
Texts: Isaiah 42:1-9; Romans 6:1-11; Matthew 3:13-17
Theme: “Heard the Voice Lately?” (Mt. 13:17).
Armour, SD. SOLI DEO GLORIA
Faithful followers of the Savior, ‘Christ is Risen!’ “He is Risen! Indeed! Alleluia!” The text for this Baptismal day of Jesus, is from the Gospel lesson, “and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’” (Mt. 3:17).
Introduction
Saints in Christ, how many different voices do we hear in the course of the day? We hear the alarm clock waking us up. The voice of the coffee maker brewing sounds heavenly in our ears. The voice of water running over our sleepy bodies, the heater kicking in; and the voice of the cereal box being opened; the cell phone turned on and the TV announcer blaring. We hear children driving to school. There are many voices.
This is the way our world is today. There are so many voices out there. There are the voices of the candidates on the campaign trail that shout their message. The voices of fear-mongers who scream about terrorism, nuclear destruction, pandemics of disease, financial doom and global warming and any of a thousand more. There are voices of the preachers who preach a message of impending doom if Israel is not defended. The voice of some churches that chant you can have your best life—have it all, grab it all, do it all, and ignore it all. Then we have the voice of the world that screams borrow, spend, desire, covet and never be content. It almost seems impossible to distinguish any of the voices, let alone listen to just one.
But today, I ask you to clean-up your ears, get the wax out of them, and pay attention—careful attention as we turn our eyes from the glories of Christmas and Epiphany to the coming glories called Lent and Easter, we make the turn at the sound of A VOICE. This voice is not muddled, muddied or muffled. But a sound as clear and commanding as a Church bell on a calm quiet Sunday morning. The voice we hear that turns us from Epiphany toward Easter is no other voice than the voice of the Heavenly Father Himself. ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’”
As this voice burst from the clouds, ears were opened, eyes looked up and hearts were moved at the sound. The voice from heaven struck a cord with those listening at the edge of the Jordan. And if we were privileged to be standing at the bank of the Jordan, we would do the same—look up and wonder what voice is this. Our eyes would be turned to the man standing in the muddied water. We would see more than a human, but the holy Son of God, with whom the Father’s joy is bubbling to the point of speaking the words of the Text. ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’” In this action of a Son seeking to fulfill all righteousness, we see the Father rejoicing at His Son’s activities. Jesus is the One who will do everything needful to please His Father and save sinners.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could hear a voice like that this morning? What a wonderful place our world would be if God’s voice were as clear today as it was there in Jesus’ day. If only all those other voices that would seek to pull us away from our well-pleased Father could be so easily drowned out! I just wonder how our existence would be different.
Well, we do still hear the voice today. You heard that voice in this service where the Lord speaks in His word. The Eternal Father still speaks to us in the Words of Holy Scripture. It is in these words that we are reminded again just how crucial this baptism of Jesus is. Jesus’ baptism wasn’t necessary. But He did it to take our mud, our filth and our guilt upon Himself. Our baptism was for the forgiveness of our sins; but Jesus was baptized to wash us away from all filth. We heard about this back in Advent. John preached in the wilderness. His preaching was not like the prosperity driven preaching of Joel Osteen that never speaks about sin, or Pat Robertson who claims to hear God telling him things. No, John pointed the people to their sin. By submitting to baptism, they were confessing that they were in need of a savior, the very savior who is greater than John and promised from of old.
Unlike Jesus’ baptism ours was necessary so that we might receive the righteousness of God. Behold in Jesus the work of cleansing us and making us His dearly beloved. This Jesus here now presents Himself to John for the very same baptism that those awful Jewish sinners were coming out for. Why? Jesus’ own voice confirms the reason. “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus doesn’t need this baptism. We do. However, in order to be under the Law, just like us, He willingly undergoes a process that He doesn’t need. This baptism isn’t for Jesus, it is for you! He comes to walk in our place, to wear our sin, to bear our guilt, die our death and live our life. Why? To fulfill all righteousness!
The fact that Jesus is at the Jordan at all is a clear sign of God’s goodness and grace. He is there to begin the process that brings our heavenly Father the greatest joy. We are told in the Bible that God does not desire the death of sinners. We are told that He wants nothing else than all men to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. The one thing that Jesus comes to do to please His Father is to offer Himself in our place! This Jesus has come for you! The voice confirms it. As we follow this Jesus from the Jordan to the wilderness, from the wilderness to Galilee, from Galilee to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem to Calvary and the cross, we see what pleases the Father. This entire journey will lead to the Father, from the cross to the tomb, and from the tomb to the ascension we see God being pleased in our salvation!
We hear this voice in the Scriptures. But there are so many along the way that refused to listen. Pharaoh would not listen to the voice of the Lord through Moses, and it cost him his army and kingdom. Abihu and Nadab didn’t listen to the command of God and they got smoked (Lev. 10). Herod would not listen and he died a miserable death. Judas’ wouldn’t listen to the Savior’s bidding, and he betrayed Him. And there are millions through history and even now that will not listen to the voice of the Lord. The Lord’s voice calls us today to listen to the Son and repent of our sins. But do we? Do we listen to the Son, or do we listen to the world? Do we listen to the Son or do we listen to satan and his schemes that would lead us not to please God but to please ourselves. Do we listen to the Son or do we listen to our own sinful desires that are still reaching for that forbidden fruit of being the god of our own life? The truth is, every time we sin we are not listening. We are plugging our ears and doing what pleases us, and God is displeased in the process. When we do, we are choosing to join our names with the likes of Pharaoh, Abihu, Nadab, Herod and Judas.
It is not that we don’t hear God. We do hear Him. It is just that we selective hearing. We love to hear that the Lord forgives us, and loves us and wants to care for us; but we hate to hear that we are sinners who need to turn away from sin. We love to hear that the Lord has prepared a place in eternity for us, but we hate to hear that it means to live a life of obedience and of service to Him. We love to hear that which makes us sound good, look good and feel good. Anything else, we select not to hear. THIS IS BLATENT SINNING AGAINST GOD AND HIS WORD.
And what does the Father do? He sends Jesus. It is for that purpose that Jesus is at the Jordan in our text. Remember, He is there to fulfill all righteousness. That was not to make Himself look good or to receive forgiveness. No, He is there to fulfill a righteousness that we could never fulfill on our own. Jesus takes our place at the Jordan so that we can take His place with the Father. Jesus takes our place at Calvary so that we can take His place in eternity. Any righteousness that we have comes from Christ. We are not good enough. We never have been and never will be. This is the very reason why Jesus does what He does FOR YOU.
That same voice is speaking to you today. The very same voice that commended Jesus for His work to fulfill all righteousness speaks to you. For we have been baptized, not in the Jordan, but in the life giving flood of Holy Baptism. In the waters that washed over us we are given righteousness as a gift. That gift is the gift of a voice, the voice of the Father who says to you what He says to Jesus. You are my son/daughter with you I am well pleased. You didn’t fulfill all righteousness, Jesus did. But you get all the credit.
Have you heard this voice lately? Yes you have! You heard it when the Absolution was pronounced over you. You heard it as the Scriptures were read. You will hear it again as you receive the invitation to come to the Table and receive the Father-pleasing Son’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sin. This voice is clear. It can’t be drowned out. It can only be ignored. But by the grace of God we hear. We hear and believe. Have you heard the voice lately? In the name of Christ you have! Then place your name in front of this sentence and say it out loud “Nabil, you are my beloved son, with you I am well pleased. AMEN
Now the peace of God….
Texts: Isaiah 42:1-9; Romans 6:1-11; Matthew 3:13-17
Theme: “Heard the Voice Lately?” (Mt. 13:17).
Armour, SD. SOLI DEO GLORIA
Faithful followers of the Savior, ‘Christ is Risen!’ “He is Risen! Indeed! Alleluia!” The text for this Baptismal day of Jesus, is from the Gospel lesson, “and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’” (Mt. 3:17).
Introduction
Saints in Christ, how many different voices do we hear in the course of the day? We hear the alarm clock waking us up. The voice of the coffee maker brewing sounds heavenly in our ears. The voice of water running over our sleepy bodies, the heater kicking in; and the voice of the cereal box being opened; the cell phone turned on and the TV announcer blaring. We hear children driving to school. There are many voices.
This is the way our world is today. There are so many voices out there. There are the voices of the candidates on the campaign trail that shout their message. The voices of fear-mongers who scream about terrorism, nuclear destruction, pandemics of disease, financial doom and global warming and any of a thousand more. There are voices of the preachers who preach a message of impending doom if Israel is not defended. The voice of some churches that chant you can have your best life—have it all, grab it all, do it all, and ignore it all. Then we have the voice of the world that screams borrow, spend, desire, covet and never be content. It almost seems impossible to distinguish any of the voices, let alone listen to just one.
But today, I ask you to clean-up your ears, get the wax out of them, and pay attention—careful attention as we turn our eyes from the glories of Christmas and Epiphany to the coming glories called Lent and Easter, we make the turn at the sound of A VOICE. This voice is not muddled, muddied or muffled. But a sound as clear and commanding as a Church bell on a calm quiet Sunday morning. The voice we hear that turns us from Epiphany toward Easter is no other voice than the voice of the Heavenly Father Himself. ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’”
As this voice burst from the clouds, ears were opened, eyes looked up and hearts were moved at the sound. The voice from heaven struck a cord with those listening at the edge of the Jordan. And if we were privileged to be standing at the bank of the Jordan, we would do the same—look up and wonder what voice is this. Our eyes would be turned to the man standing in the muddied water. We would see more than a human, but the holy Son of God, with whom the Father’s joy is bubbling to the point of speaking the words of the Text. ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’” In this action of a Son seeking to fulfill all righteousness, we see the Father rejoicing at His Son’s activities. Jesus is the One who will do everything needful to please His Father and save sinners.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could hear a voice like that this morning? What a wonderful place our world would be if God’s voice were as clear today as it was there in Jesus’ day. If only all those other voices that would seek to pull us away from our well-pleased Father could be so easily drowned out! I just wonder how our existence would be different.
Well, we do still hear the voice today. You heard that voice in this service where the Lord speaks in His word. The Eternal Father still speaks to us in the Words of Holy Scripture. It is in these words that we are reminded again just how crucial this baptism of Jesus is. Jesus’ baptism wasn’t necessary. But He did it to take our mud, our filth and our guilt upon Himself. Our baptism was for the forgiveness of our sins; but Jesus was baptized to wash us away from all filth. We heard about this back in Advent. John preached in the wilderness. His preaching was not like the prosperity driven preaching of Joel Osteen that never speaks about sin, or Pat Robertson who claims to hear God telling him things. No, John pointed the people to their sin. By submitting to baptism, they were confessing that they were in need of a savior, the very savior who is greater than John and promised from of old.
Unlike Jesus’ baptism ours was necessary so that we might receive the righteousness of God. Behold in Jesus the work of cleansing us and making us His dearly beloved. This Jesus here now presents Himself to John for the very same baptism that those awful Jewish sinners were coming out for. Why? Jesus’ own voice confirms the reason. “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus doesn’t need this baptism. We do. However, in order to be under the Law, just like us, He willingly undergoes a process that He doesn’t need. This baptism isn’t for Jesus, it is for you! He comes to walk in our place, to wear our sin, to bear our guilt, die our death and live our life. Why? To fulfill all righteousness!
The fact that Jesus is at the Jordan at all is a clear sign of God’s goodness and grace. He is there to begin the process that brings our heavenly Father the greatest joy. We are told in the Bible that God does not desire the death of sinners. We are told that He wants nothing else than all men to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. The one thing that Jesus comes to do to please His Father is to offer Himself in our place! This Jesus has come for you! The voice confirms it. As we follow this Jesus from the Jordan to the wilderness, from the wilderness to Galilee, from Galilee to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem to Calvary and the cross, we see what pleases the Father. This entire journey will lead to the Father, from the cross to the tomb, and from the tomb to the ascension we see God being pleased in our salvation!
We hear this voice in the Scriptures. But there are so many along the way that refused to listen. Pharaoh would not listen to the voice of the Lord through Moses, and it cost him his army and kingdom. Abihu and Nadab didn’t listen to the command of God and they got smoked (Lev. 10). Herod would not listen and he died a miserable death. Judas’ wouldn’t listen to the Savior’s bidding, and he betrayed Him. And there are millions through history and even now that will not listen to the voice of the Lord. The Lord’s voice calls us today to listen to the Son and repent of our sins. But do we? Do we listen to the Son, or do we listen to the world? Do we listen to the Son or do we listen to satan and his schemes that would lead us not to please God but to please ourselves. Do we listen to the Son or do we listen to our own sinful desires that are still reaching for that forbidden fruit of being the god of our own life? The truth is, every time we sin we are not listening. We are plugging our ears and doing what pleases us, and God is displeased in the process. When we do, we are choosing to join our names with the likes of Pharaoh, Abihu, Nadab, Herod and Judas.
It is not that we don’t hear God. We do hear Him. It is just that we selective hearing. We love to hear that the Lord forgives us, and loves us and wants to care for us; but we hate to hear that we are sinners who need to turn away from sin. We love to hear that the Lord has prepared a place in eternity for us, but we hate to hear that it means to live a life of obedience and of service to Him. We love to hear that which makes us sound good, look good and feel good. Anything else, we select not to hear. THIS IS BLATENT SINNING AGAINST GOD AND HIS WORD.
And what does the Father do? He sends Jesus. It is for that purpose that Jesus is at the Jordan in our text. Remember, He is there to fulfill all righteousness. That was not to make Himself look good or to receive forgiveness. No, He is there to fulfill a righteousness that we could never fulfill on our own. Jesus takes our place at the Jordan so that we can take His place with the Father. Jesus takes our place at Calvary so that we can take His place in eternity. Any righteousness that we have comes from Christ. We are not good enough. We never have been and never will be. This is the very reason why Jesus does what He does FOR YOU.
That same voice is speaking to you today. The very same voice that commended Jesus for His work to fulfill all righteousness speaks to you. For we have been baptized, not in the Jordan, but in the life giving flood of Holy Baptism. In the waters that washed over us we are given righteousness as a gift. That gift is the gift of a voice, the voice of the Father who says to you what He says to Jesus. You are my son/daughter with you I am well pleased. You didn’t fulfill all righteousness, Jesus did. But you get all the credit.
Have you heard this voice lately? Yes you have! You heard it when the Absolution was pronounced over you. You heard it as the Scriptures were read. You will hear it again as you receive the invitation to come to the Table and receive the Father-pleasing Son’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sin. This voice is clear. It can’t be drowned out. It can only be ignored. But by the grace of God we hear. We hear and believe. Have you heard the voice lately? In the name of Christ you have! Then place your name in front of this sentence and say it out loud “Nabil, you are my beloved son, with you I am well pleased. AMEN
Now the peace of God….
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Nour Tour of the Holy Land for 2008.
You are invited to join me on the Holy Land Nour Tour" We will leave from MN on Thursday May the 15th for an 11 day tour. The price is $3200.00 per person. If you are interested please contact Pastor Nour via e-mail.
redeemarmour@unitelsd.com
nabilsnour@hotmail.com
or phone:
(605)724-2489 (O)
(605)724-2722 (H)
http://afootwasher.org
In Christ's love and in His service,
Rev. Nabil S. Nour Pastor and foot washer Phil. 1:6
Redeemer Lutheran Church
P. O. Box 158
Armour, SD. 57313-0158
(605)724-2489 (O)
(605)724-2722 (H)
http://afootwasher.org
redeemarmour@unitelsd.com
redeemarmour@unitelsd.com
nabilsnour@hotmail.com
or phone:
(605)724-2489 (O)
(605)724-2722 (H)
http://afootwasher.org
In Christ's love and in His service,
Rev. Nabil S. Nour Pastor and foot washer Phil. 1:6
Redeemer Lutheran Church
P. O. Box 158
Armour, SD. 57313-0158
(605)724-2489 (O)
(605)724-2722 (H)
http://afootwasher.org
redeemarmour@unitelsd.com
"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" Philippians 1:6
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Contact Pastor Nabil Nour
Rev. Nabil S. Nour
P. O. Box 158
Armour, SD 57313-0158
Church: (605)724-2489
Home: (605)724-2722
eMail: nabilsnour@hotmail.com
Pastor Nour is Available to Speak at Your Event.
Speaking Engagements
Pastor Nour is available for speaking engagements:
He has spoken on these topics:
- 1. How to witness to Muslims?
- 2. Who are the Muslims?
- 3. How do we as Christians live on Temptation's Island?
- 4. The true meaning of Evangelism.
- 5. Will the Real Son of Abraham Please Stand Up?
- 6. Sharing the Good News.
- 7. What is Love?
- 8. Living the Happy Married Life.
Rev. Nabil S. Nour
P. O. Box 158
Armour, SD 57313-0158
Church: (605)724-2489
Home: (605)724-2722
eMail: nabilsnour@hotmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)