Tuesday, November 20, 2012

It’s All About Us! (A sermon based on Romans 15:4-6)

How easy it can be for us selfish sinners to start to think that life is all about me and what I can get and take from others. "It's all about me," too quickly becomes our rally cry. So thank God that Jesus didn't say, "It's all about me," but thought it was all about us. For us he lived a perfect life. For us he sacrificed himself on the cross. For us he lives again. Now, in thanks to him, we don't live to serve ourselves, but him and one another. We recognize the blessings God has given us in fellow believers to encourage us in the Word and to help carry out the work entrusted to our care. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Romans 15:4-6 and be encouraged that it's not all about me, it's all about us!

It's All About Us!
A sermon based on Romans 15:4-6
Sunday, November 18, 2012 - Walking Together Sunday 

Men versus Women. Packers versus Lions. Kenai versus Soldotna. KJV versus NIV. Or now, ESV versus NIV. Democrat versus Republican. We have lots of different ways in which we like to divide ourselves, don't we? And while some divisions are certainly necessary, even mandatory, as we separate from those who teach contrary to God's Word, many of our divisions are over personal preferences.

This week I read in the news that over 800,000 people have signed petitions trying to get their state to secede from the union and leave the United States of America. They don't like which candidate won the election and say that the US is heading down the toilet. And while that may or may not be true, is succession really the best bet? Did you know that Alaskans receive more federal aid per resident than any other state in the union? Would we really be better off as our own nation? But what's really behind such secessionist thinking? It's really an attitude that says, "I have to take care of myself. And after all, it is all about me."

Thos same kind of thoughts were creeping into the church at Rome. Some thought, "I'm a good Jew! And I won't so quickly abandon the traditions of our fathers, and the commands of God, tossing out our rituals and dietary restrictions for some new leader! I will eat what God wants me to eat!" Others thought, "I'm a good Christian!" I know that the restrictions of the past have given way to the freedoms of the present with Christ fulfilling the Old Testament law. I will eat what I want! And no one will stop me." But both sides, dead set in their ways, were looking out for themselves and no one else. "It's all about me," they thought, as their unity was being destroyed.

So, Paul set pen to paper and wrote to the Roman Christians in an effort to restore unity in their church. He told them that to secede from others who didn't see to eye to eye with them, looking out for just themselves, wasn't just foolish, but was sinful. And in a sense he reminded them of that ancient motto, first attributed to Aesop, of Aesop's Fables, popularized by the American colonists and founding fathers, that expression that's just as applicable today as some in our nation consider seceding  from the union: "United we stand; divided we fall." And it's true of us [you] as a congregation and [us] as a synod: "United we stand, divided we fall."

That's what Paul was saying in Romans 15:4-6, our sermon text for this morning, this Walking Together Sunday… 

4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I.              Divided We Fall 

It wasn't about political parties or sports teams in ancient Rome. It wasn't about gender issues or Bible translations. It wasn't even about hymnals or worship styles. It was their potlucks that divided them. Some ate only kosher foods following the commands of God in the Old Testament, scorning those who so readily threw out their sacred traditions. Others ate their bacon with great enjoyment and flaunted their freedom from such restrictions. All thought only about themselves with an attitude that screamed, "It's all about me!"

But that's not the way it should be. Paul reminded them all that, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." (Romans 15:1-2) much like he told the Philippians, "3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4) Instead of worrying so much about themselves, they ought to have been trying to please God. It's all about him. And they knew what God wanted: That each live to serve his neighbor, putting to death that selfishness that said, "It's all about me."

Still today, two thousand years later, the favorite radio call sign of many is WIIFM. They'll only tune in when they hear "What's In It For Me?" "This is the kind of worship I like. Who cares if you prefer something else?! My way is the right way!" "We have to do what's best for our family! Who cares if other members need us here?!" It's all about us. "We've done it this way for decades! Who cares what visitors to our church think?" It's all about us. "Who cares about the church in Anchorage?! We have our own problems to worry about." It's all about us. "Who cares what's going on in Wisconsin? Alaska's got enough to deal with." It's all about us.

But who can blame us, right? After all, it's such a burden to constantly be worrying about everyone else when I have enough problems of my own! It's hard work to look after others! I can't carry my burdens and theirs! …That word translated endurance in our text literally means, "to remain under," as if to be carrying a heavy weight over your head. It is hard work to put up with others. Unity doesn't come easily. But that's no excuse to give in to selfishness, to view others as burdens, and to drop them to be free of it all.

And for our lack of patience with others who don't always see things our way, for our lack of endurance when the unity is hard to keep, for our selfish attitudes that scream, "It's all about me!" and the lack of unity among us, we deserve to fall. We deserve to fall like Rome—and I don't mean as a nation, but as individuals. We deserve to have Christ secede from our lives. We deserve to have Christ separate himself from us for all of eternity. Divided from each other by our petty squabbles that show our selfish concern for our own welfare and for no one else, we deserve to be divided from God and to fall into hell…

But we're not divided. We're held together. Not by some civil war that forces us to stay in the union, but by the Word of God that brings us encouragement in the face of hell…

II.            United We Stand 

When we consider how we deserve to be separated from God for our sinful pride and self-centeredness, we're prompted to cry out to God in repentance. And when we do, God gives us the encouragement that we need. "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

Through the Scriptures, written in the past, God speaks to us words of comfort, encouragement, and hope. Through the prophecies of the Old Testament God revealed to the 1st century Christians how Jesus' rescue from their selfishness and the hell it deserved was foretold. Through Paul and through the Evangelists God has revealed the fulfillment of every prophecy about Christ to us.

That's why we love that Word so dearly! In it we see that Jesus didn't ask, "What's in it for me?" Jesus didn't act as if it were all about him. Instead, he said it's all about us. That's what we confess in the Nicene Creed: "For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven…" Jesus said, "It's not about me and how I can be served. It's all about you and how I can serve you. Let me take your sin on myself. Let me take your pride on myself. Let me take your self-serving attitude on myself. And let me pay for all of it, so that you won't be divided from God, but united with me and with him in the perfection that I give. It's all about us.

And through Jesus we are united with God. And we have the sure hope of salvation. And this truth gives us encouragement in the face of Judgment Day and it gives us encouragement to live for Jesus in thanks to him. And what does he ask of us? "3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4) "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." (Romans 15:1-2)

And through faith in Jesus, we can say, "It's not all about me. It's all about us." We can live for each other, bearing with each other in our weaknesses, carrying each other's burdens, serving one another in love.

And with such attitudes, our unity will grow and we will stand together. It will really be all about us. Paul says, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves…" But the Greek literally says "may God grant you to think the same in yourselves." That's where we find true unity. It comes from God that we all think the same of our sin, that we are no better than anyone else. It comes from God that we think the same of our Savior, that we are all forgiven in him. It comes from God that we all think the same in our desire to live for him in thanks. It comes from God that we all think the same that our greatest need is to stay ready for his return. It comes from God that we all think the same that our greatest mission is to help others to do the same. It comes from God that we all think the same in our doctrine holding to every teaching of the truth together.

This unity comes from God through his Word. So stay in the Word, dear friends! Encourage one another in the Word! That's not just the job of the pastor or the elders. But, "Let us encourage one another… all the more as [we] see [Judgment] Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24b) Call a brother or sister you haven't seen in worship in a while. Call someone you know could use a word of encouragement from the Word of Encouragement. After all, that's what walking together is all about. And some day you may need them to return the favor.

And as we do this more and more, together we'll stand. Or maybe better still, together we walk, because we don't just stand idly by. We don't just assume a defensive position. But just as we confess the same truth with one mouth, so too we proclaim the truth with one mouth and take the Gospel to the ends of the earth! And how much easier that task is when we're walking together!

How much better it is when we join together as WELS churches in Alaska with pastors encouraging pastors! How much better it is when Evergreen Lutheran thrives, providing more lay leaders to our congregations grounded in the Word of God! How much better it is when our pastors and teachers are thoroughly equipped by our synodical schools to do the great work entrusted to them! How much better it is when we can pool our resources to open missions around the world! For united, we stand. And united we march around the globe with the hope and encouragement God's given to us in his Word.

Yes, divided from each other, divided from Christ, we're sure to fall. But united to Christ, we stand even in the face of Judgment Day. And united in Christ, we march, working together to do the task he's entrusted to us, not because we must, but because we recognize it's not about me. It's all about him. It's all about each other. It's all about us.

Now, "5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." In his name, dear friends, amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast

Monday, November 12, 2012

This is the Day the Lord Has Made! (A sermon based on Psalm 118)

This is the Day the Lord Has Made!
A sermon based on Psalm 118
Sunday, November 11, 2012

 

Psalm 118 was Luther's favorite Psalm. He wrote of it, "This is my own beloved psalm. Although the entire Psalter and all of Holy Scripture are dear to me as my only comfort and source of life, I fell in love with this psalm especially. Therefore I call it my own. When emperors and kings, the wise and the learned, and even saints could not aid me, this psalm proved a friend and helped me out of many great troubles. As a result, it is clearer to me than all the wealth, honor, and power of the pope, the Turk, and the emperor. I would be most unwilling to trade this psalm for all of it."

Psalm 118 is the last of what are called the six hallel psalms sung during the Feast of the Tabernacles. Psalm 118 was the last of the psalms sung at the conclusion of the Passover meal. (And therefore likely the last Psalm Jesus sung before his crucifixion.) Jesus quoted part of this psalm, pointing out that he was the fulfillment of it. And on that first Palm Sunday, they sang part of this Psalm to Jesus praising him as he rode in to Jerusalem.

This morning as we look at this widely used Psalm, we see Jesus, proclaiming "This is the Day the Lord Has Made!" As the Israelites celebrated the day of their deliverance from Egypt at the Passover, as the people of Jerusalem celebrated the arrival of the Savior on Palm Sunday, so we too rejoice in the deliverance our Savior brings by his suffering and death, by his resurrection, and by his Word! We give thanks to God that he has opened the gates of heaven through Jesus' work for us and that we will soon be the saints triumphant in paradise. This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118 begins…

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let Israel say: "His love endures forever." 3 Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever." 4 Let those who fear the Lord say: "His love endures forever."

The Psalmist invites all who will listen to give thanks to God. Why? For God's love; his free and faithful grace that embraces undeserving people; his mercy and love that will never change. How did he display such love? The Psalmist continues…

5 In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free. 6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? 7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies. 8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. 10 All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off. 11 They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off. 12 They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off. 13 I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. 14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

 

I.              A Day Won by the Savior's Sacrifice

 

When you read through this Psalm it's easy to see why the Israelites would sing this particular Psalm as they celebrated God's deliverance from Egypt at the Passover. When God's people were captive to Egyptian kings, forced to hard labor as slaves, oppressed and beaten, with their freedoms stripped away, they recognized that they could never be free by their own might or strength, but only by divine intervention. So they finally did what they should have done all along. They cried out to God.

And God answered demonstrating that he was clearly the one was really in charge! God sent his angel of death to kill every firstborn son in Egypt. And when God's people put their trust in him and slaughtered the Passover lamb, painting its blood on the frames of their doors, the angel passed over that house, sparing the firstborn (thus the name "Passover"). When the angel of death reached the palace of Pharaoh and killed his eldest son, Pharaoh commanded that the Israelites leave Egypt immediately taking their deadly God with them.

And since God was with them, the Israelites didn't need to fear Pharaoh or his army. They would look in triumph on their enemies. When Pharaoh changed his mind and chased after them with his army, when they were pushed back and about to fall, God rescued his people again. He brought them safely through the Red Sea cutting off their enemies as quickly as dry weeds burn in the fire. No wonder the Israelites sang this Psalm when they commemorated the Passover and God's deliverance from Egypt throughout the centuries to follow. No wonder they sang, "The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."

Now, 1400 years later, as Jesus entered Jerusalem, those pilgrims who had come to celebrate the Passover in the Holy City sang that familiar hymn once more. The Passover was only four days away and this time they not only sang in celebration of God's deliverance out of Egypt in the past, but they rejoiced at God's present deliverance through Jesus the Messiah.

The children of Israel were enslaved once more, at least in a certain sense. They weren't forced to make bricks without straw, but they were subject to Roman rule. It was obvious to many that this Jesus was the promised Messiah. Who else could raise a man back to life like he did Lazarus so recently? Hopeful that the Messiah would deliver them from the Romans and bring them political peace and prosperity, they sang this Psalm of praise to their conquering hero. But they misunderstood why the Messiah had come…

While Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah, the one the Passover lamb had pointed to, he was not the political ruler they had hoped for. He would not end the burdensome taxes they were forced to pay. He would not give the wealth and prosperity they hoped to have. He would not provide physical health care that would prolong their earthly lives. He would bring about a spiritual deliverance. He cared less about the people being slaves to Rome than about them being slaves to sin. Jesus was the Passover Lamb; the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world; to take their anguish of hell on himself. And that deliverance would come through a cross…

Christ, unlike the Israelites, had a perfect trust in God. He had perfect confidence in God's deliverance even as he rode into Jerusalem to be captured, tortured and crucified. He took refuge in the Lord and not in man, not in soldiers, not in princes, for there was no one but God to help him. Even his own disciples—his own party—betrayed him, denied him, and deserted him when he needed them the most.  Surrounded by only enemies he was condemned to die.

In verse 10 the Psalmist wrote, "All the nations surrounded me." But what was hyperbole to the author was reality to Christ. Literally all the nations surrounded Jesus. The sin and the guilt and the punishment due all people of every nation for their pride, for their greed, for their laziness, for their rebellion, disrespect, and slander, every sin of every person of every time was all dumped on Jesus as he suffered on the cross.

Yet, in spite of the hell he had to face, he continued to trust in God! And in the name of the Lord his enemies were cut off! In his death on the cross, what looked like defeat became a great victory! For there he defeated Satan. He defeated sin and the hell it deserves. He cut off our enemies for us.

You see, we were once enslaved to sin and helpless to save ourselves, for we were included in that "all nations" who surrounded Christ, who were his enemies, who hated him. "Not me," you say, "I never hated Christ." But what else do you call it when we know something is a sin (like whining and complaining, like showing disrespect to the government that God has not just allowed, but established, or failing to put our trust in him in all things), but do those sins anyway, knowing full well that Christ suffered hell for that sin? What else do you call it when in sinful pride we think we know better than God and that what we really need is more money, or more earthly security, and not a Savior from sin?

We were hopeless. Deliverance could only come through divine intervention, because man's best ideas are to work to earn God's favor when he demands perfection, or to ignore the problem all together as if God would ignore our sin. But in the end those schemes will only lead to death. How true it is then, that "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man." Trust in Christ and his suffering and death and be confident—not in yourself, but in the Lord's deliverance. Then, no matter what takes place in our nation or in our lives, we can say with conviction, "The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" And we'll be moved to give thanks for what he's done in Easter, conquering our final enemy of death. The Psalmist continues…

 

15 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The Lord's right hand has done mighty things! 16 The Lord's right hand is lifted high; the Lord's right hand has done mighty things!" 17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. 18 The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. 21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. 22 The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. 27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. 29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

 

II.            A Day Won by the Savior's Victory

 

When God miraculously delivered the Israelites out of Egypt and destroyed Pharaoh's army after they had crossed through the Red Sea in safety, God's people couldn't help but sing for joy in thanksgiving to God for rescuing them from being captive for 400 years. This afternoon, go home and read Exodus 15 and see how similar the song they sang there is to Psalm 118. They rejoiced because though they were chastened by God for a while in Egypt, they would not die at the hand of the Egyptians. They would live to proclaim what the Lord had done for them. He had delivered his people and he had preserved the line of the Savior.

And year after year God's people continued to proclaim what he had done as they celebrated that Passover meal; as they sang Psalm 118. They sang their songs of thanks to God who had delivered them in the past, hopeful that he would deliver them once again. As they entered the gates of Jerusalem, sometimes referred to as the gates of the righteous, they sang their praise to Jesus, the Messiah. They said, "Hosanna!" which is a transliteration of the beginning of verse 25, "Save us!" They sang verse 26, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Some have even suggested that they were prompted by verse 27 to wave the Palm branches and lay them at Jesus' feet: "With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar." And how fitting it was to rejoice! Though they were only thinking of political freedom he had come to bring so much more! He set them free from all of their sins! Free from the hell they rightfully deserved! Free from death itself!

And Christ himself would rejoice in the victory! Though he died on the cross for our sins, death could not contain him. He could declare, "I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done." And Easter morning Christ was exalted and rose from the dead! Later he ascended into heaven and received full glory and honor there.

Though he was the stone the people rejected, now, by his resurrection, he established himself as the capstone. Christ pointed that out himself in Matthew 21(:42), Mark 12(:10–11), and Luke 20(:17). But what exactly does that mean, that he's the capstone? What is a capstone? When an arch is built there are supports in place holding up all of the stones until the last stone can be placed at the top center. The stones on either side of the arch lean in toward the center stone and the supports below can be removed; the arch stands complete. But if you pull that center stone, that capstone, out of place, the entire arch will topple to the ground.

Without Christ, God's whole plan of salvation would topple. It's all about Jesus, because on our own we are doomed to hell. But thank God that he did come. Thank God that he can never be pulled out of place. Easter morning establishes him firmly. Death cannot undo what he did—neither his death, nor ours. No matter what the next four year—or the next four centuries!—bring, our salvation stands sure. Of that we can be certain. And for that we can give him our endless thanks, because Christ's words become our own. We can echo what he said and apply those words to ourselves…

Though we might be chastened at times, though we may be confronted by suffering and trials and pain, though we might at times wonder "Where is God when it hurts?" he has not given us over to death. Death itself has been defeated. We can declare with Jesus, "I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done." And we can join in the festal procession, right now, today, shouting "This is the day the Lord has made!" We can rejoice and be glad in it! The gates of righteousness are now open to us! In Christ the gates of heaven are open! Though only the righteous can expect to enter there, we sinners have been made righteous through him and heaven itself is ours! He is our strength and our song; he has become our salvation!

In thanksgiving, proclaim what he has done! Give him thanks and exalt him! "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." Amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Teach Us to Number Our Days (A sermon based on Psalm 90)

Wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes, false teachers and open persecutions; all the signs of the end times have been fulfilled for a very long time now. How much longer until the end of the world is here? It may not matter to me. I may not live that long. Either way, my day of judgment--whether it's with all the living on the earth, or at my personal death--is getting closer. So how do I stay ready? I number my days aright and look to the gracious promises of my eternal God. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Psalm 90 and be better prepared for Judgment Day...

Teach Us to Number Our Days
A sermon based on Psalm 90
Sunday, November 4, 2012 – Last Judgment Sunday 

Two things are certain in life: Death and taxes. No matter who wins the election, it may well be a question of how much in taxes, but you can be sure we'll still pay taxes either way. And no matter who wins the elections, you can be sure that people will still die. No matter what promises the candidates have made, they can't save us all from death.

As Moses climbed Mt. Nebo and saw the breathtaking view of the land of Canaan spread out below him, the land God promised to give his people, it must have been bitter-sweet. God kept his promise in bringing his people here to the Promised Land! But Moses wouldn't go in. He would die there on the other side of the river. God had promised that too as a result of Moses sin. Perhaps it was there at Mt. Neb, with his mind occupied by thoughts of his own death, that Moses prayed the prayer of Psalm 90 to God.

Surely it's the oldest of the 150 Psalms, the only one we know was written by Moses. And in it he reminds us all of that sobering truth that our time on this earth is pretty short. We live, we die, and then we go to meet our Maker. But he also gives us wonderful comfort by the awesome contrast that God is outside of this time, that God is eternal, and that God and his promises and his grace never change.

This morning, as we examine Psalm 90, we ask God to teach us to number our days aright, to remind us that we are but dust in his sight, but that he is eternal, and by his grace, now we are too. Psalm 90… 

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men." 4 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. 5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning—6 though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered.

7 We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9 All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. 10 The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

11 Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

13 Relent, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. 16 May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children.

17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.

I.              We Are But Dust 

In the prayer of the church after the sermon, the pastor said, "Lord, you know that we are but dust in your sight. But in your mercy hear our prayers." And suddenly from the back of the church, a not so quiet little voice said, "Mommy, what is butt dust?" Aaaand the prayer of the day was pretty much done. No one was really listening after that.

But the truth is we are but dust in God's sight. Moses admitted it when he said, "You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men." In fact, the Hebrew literally says, "You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return… O sons of [Adam]."

As God was giving Adam the consequences of his rebellion he told him in Genesis 3:19: "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." And King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 12:7, "…the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."

Take out the water that comprises most of our physical makeup and what do you have left? Not much. We quickly rot and decay and turn back to the dust from which we are made. And let's face it. Life is short. "The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength…" In fact, in 2010 they figured out that the average life expectancy of the average U.S. citizen is 78.2 years. Like a bird landing on your lawn, it's not likely to stay very long. It will soon fly away. And the older we get, the more we think about it. Someone once said that life is like a roll of toilet paper: the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes. Someone a little more poetic put it like this: "Time, like an ever-rolling stream, Soon bears us all away; We fly, forgotten, as a dream Dies at the op'ning day."

But why is life so short? What happens? Is death just a natural part of the circle of life? No! Life is cut short because, "[God] sweep[s] men away in the sleep of death…"  Literally, God floods men away, like the Great Flood of Genesis 6, like Hurricane Sandy that's left over a hundred dead… so far. God mops the floor of the earth of its human filth. And what do you do with the mop water when you're done? You throw it away because it's worthless! Death happens every day. But ultimately come Judgment Day, God will scrub the earth of its evil once and for all.

But why does God end life on this earth? Why will he destroy this earth once and for all someday soon? Well, we die, not because of weakness or sickness or violence. Those may all be a secondary cause of death. But the primary cause is because of sin.

7 We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9 All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.

Or as God put it so succinctly through Paul in Romans 6:23, "the wages of sin is death…" Our secret sins are seen by God who knows our hearts and our minds. Our rebellion against a changeless God, as we change our hearts from serving him to serving ourselves so often, deserves death. Our poor priorities in chasing after things that won't outlast us, deserve death. Our focus on the things of this life at the expense of the things of the life to come, deserves death—and not just physical death, but hell. And the punishment totally fits the crime. "For [God's] wrath is as great as the fear that is due [him]." As the eternal Creator he is worthy of all honor and glory, the same honor and glory we often ascribe to ourselves.

That point must have been very real for Moses who watched an entire generation die off because of their sinful rebellion. That point must have been very real for Moses who was about to die himself without ever entering the Promised Land because of his own sin. And that point is very real for us who deserve to die without the Promised Land of heaven because of our sin. Because by nature we are under God's wrath and have every reason to be terrified by God's indignation, knowing we deserve to be consumed by his anger in hell. Someone once said that the real reason that religion is a taboo subject in the work place is because people know that hell is real. And they know that we all deserve to go there.

But, that's only if we are left on our own or put our trust in our own strength. Then the span of our days "is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away." But in reality, we're not on our own. We don't trust in our own strength, but in our eternal God…

II.            But God is Eternal 

And God is the only one who is really trustworthy. After all, consider his track record. He hasn't changed his mind in many millennia, because he is timeless. God is eternal. Before the mountains were formed, before the earth was made, God was. We can grasp an eternal future without end, where everything is like the Energizer Bunny and keeps going and going and going, but we have a much harder time grasping eternal past—that God had no beginning. But he didn't. He's always been. And what's more, God hasn't just existed in endless time, but God is timeless, outside of time altogether. To him, "a thousand years in [his] sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night."

Or, as the poet put it, "Before the hills in order stood Or earth received its frame, From everlasting you are God, To endless years the same. A thousand ages in your sight Are like an evening gone, Short as the watch that ends the night Before the rising sun."

And what's more, God's eternity isn't just a philosophical truth, but has practical application for our daily lives. God's eternity isn't just the opposite of our morality, but is the answer to it! God's eternity, as it's applied to our heads, to our hearts, and to our hands, offers us great comfort.

First, let's apply it to our heads. "Teach us to number our days aright…" God's eternity does teach us to number our days aright. We see death all around us, filling the headlines each day. There are more than a hundred dead on the east coast due to Hurricane Sandy. And that's nothing compared to the 153,000 deaths that statisticians estimate happen every day around the globe. When will your time come? This week? Tomorrow? Tonight? We only have one life to live to live and that life is short. So let's use it wisely. Let's get our priorities straight and figure out what will matter 100 years from now and into eternity.

100 years from now you won't care what car you drove. You won't care how nice your home was. You won't care how much fun you had. You won't care who you spent your time with. The only thing that will matter is where you're spending your eternity. So, God urges us to apply that eternity to our hearts… "that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

If the only thing that really matters is where we spend eternity, then we ought to gain wisdom from God's Word. Literally God says in verse 3, "You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return… O sons of men." "To dust" isn't repeated in the Hebrew. God may be calling mankind to return in the sense of "Return to me! Repent! And the opportunity is limited because you won't live that long!"

 So to gain a heart of wisdom, we begin by admitting our sins to God and crying out to him for help. We cry out to him just as Moses did, praying, "Relent, O LORD! … Have compassion on your servants. 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."

And again, literally the Hebrew doesn't say, "Relent, O LORD!" but, "Return, O LORD!" – likely as a pun to verse 3. Return to the LORD in repentance and he is sure to return to us with compassion and with unfailing love. And the Hebrew also uses a different name for God than it does in verse 1. In verse 1 Moses calls God "Adonai," or "My master." But in verse 13 he uses the title "Jehovah" or "Yahweh" that God always attached to his promise of grace.

And God does answer that cry for mercy and forgiveness every time!  Without a doubt God does, "Satisfy us in the morning with [his] unfailing love…" He does, "Make us glad for as many days as [he has]  afflicted us…" He does show his deeds to his servants.  That our God is a timeless God, not bound by the ordinary rules of time, he sees Good Friday as if it were taking place right now… and all the time of every day. Because our God is a timeless God he sees Good Friday on Judgment Day too. And so God is not just our fortress, a cold stone palace where we're safe from the enemy, but it's also a home: "Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations." Or, to put it another way, O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Still be our guard while troubles last And our eternal home!

And he accomplishes that in Christ. Jesus took the blame for all of our misplaced priorities, for our striving after earthly things that will not last, for every sin we've ever committed. He paid for all of our sin, and so, now we are eternal too.

We will not only survive Judgment Day, but we will thrive. We will leap like calves released from the stall for the first time, that bright sunny spring day!  Because we will know the verdict passed down from the Judge: "Not Guilty! Christ has taken the blame. Christ has paid for your sin. Christ has given you credit for his perfect life. Christ has set you free! Welcome to heaven!" Apply this truth to your heart and believe it.

And then, having learned to number your days aright and gaining hearts of wisdom, apply the truth of our timeless God, not just to your head, and not just to your heart, but to your hands. Moses prayed, "Establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands." In view of the eternity God gives us we put aside our pursuit of the meaningless—of pleasure, of financial security, of needing to be right, and we do meaningful work that will last. We first invest in our own eternity, growing in our faith that clings to God's promises by using the Word and the Sacrament  as often as we can, ensuring that we're ready for Judgment Day. And we invest in the eternity of others, sharing the message of God's unfailing love with all who will hear it.  And when Judgment Day comes, we and they will stand side by side in perfect peace.

And we get to work. We number our days rightly, and, seeing how limited our opportunity is, we eagerly share what our God has done for us with others. We give them the comfort of the Gospel that they too might be ready for Judgment Day.  

How long will we have to keep at it? When will we see the Lord? Will he return this afternoon? Will he bring about Judgment Day this month? Or will that great day come many years from now? I don't know. But I do know that God tells us to take one day at a time. He doesn't say "Teach us to number our years aright," or "Teach us to number our months aright," but, "Teach us to number our days aright…" So we do take one day at a time, trusting in God to provide our daily bread, trusting in God to answer our daily prayer, showing our thanks to God by our daily service to him.

And when each day ends, we can all pray with confidence, "Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord, my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." But we can also add to that familiar prayer, "And of I live for many days, I pray the Lord to guide my ways."

For even though we are but dust in God's sight on our own, through Christ and the promises of our eternal, changeless God, we too are eternal. We will live forever. We will live forever with him.  We will live right now for him. And, "May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands." In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.

In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

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