Tuesday, August 27, 2013

A Tale of Two Mountains (A sermon based on Hebrews 12:18-24)

How would you rather live--in constant fear, terrified by God's impending wrath? Or in peace and in joy, serving God in thanksgiving? Today's sermon compares and contrasts the two mountains of Sinai and Zion. At Mt. Sinai, God terrified his people threatening them with his wrath. At Mt. Zion, God comforted his people, assuring them of their forgiveness in Christ. How would you rather live--in terror at threatenings of God's law? Or in peace and in joy, serving God in thanksgiving for his grace given in Christ? Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Hebrews 12:18-24 and rejoice that we've been brought to Mt. Zion...

A Tale of Two Mountains
A sermon based on Hebrews 12:18-24
Sunday, August 25, 2013 – Pentecost 14C 

Do you like to be scared? I like movies a lot. And I enjoy pretty much all genres: Action, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Western, even the occasional chick flick. But one genre I've never gotten into is Horror. I don't like the disturbing thoughts or images. I enjoy being entertained, but I don't like being scared.

But to be honest, Hollywood, has nothing on God. Because nothing is more disturbing or horrifying than the wrath of God. Nothing is more terrible or terrifying than hell. And that's a real horror, not just some fictional terror made up by a script writer. Yes, hell is very real. And it's a fate that we all deserve for the many times we've crossed the line and rebelled against God's clear commands. And that truth brings a real and valid fear.

But today, the author to the Hebrews reminds us that even though we once used to live in fear and terror under the threats of God's law, we don't live there anymore. We live in the joyful assembly of God's grace. Listen now to the contrast between two mountains—Mt. Sinai, the mountain of terror, and Mt. Zion, the mountain of joy—described for us in Hebrews 12:18-24… 

18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."

22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

 

I.      The Mountain of Terror 

Mount Sinai was horrifying. Just imagine the scene. Having just left Egypt by God's miraculous rescue, you are on your way to the Promised Land, a glorious paradise where you can live in peace and prosperity. But you have to make a pit stop first. You have to head south to Sinai. So there you are camping at the base of the mountain.

One day Moses comes before the assembly and announces to you that in three days God is going to appear before all the people. So you get ready. You clean up your tent. You bathe. You put on your finest clothes. And when you're as ready as you can be to meet the Creator of the Universe, the morning of the third day arrives. And you are utterly terrified as all of your senses are affected…

A storm quickly rolls in and a thick cloud covers the mountain. Thunder echoes through the valley and shakes your very bones. The lightning flashes and fire consumes the mountain. Thick smoke fills your nostrils and your mouth. It stings your eyes. And the whole mountain shakes in a violent earthquake, rocking the earth beneath your feet.

Then you hear an even more terrifying sound: A trumpet blast calling out from the top of the mountain, steadily growing louder and louder—more terrifying than the storm because you know this is not a natural disaster. This is from the hand of the Lord. Then, you hear the most terrifying sound of all: The voice of God himself speaking from the cloud. A sound so terrible that you beg Moses, "Please, don't ever let us go through something so terrifying again. From now on you speak to God for us. You come and tell us what he says. But don't make us listen to his terrifying voice again." And, Moses, your leader, disappears into the cloud on his way up the mountain.

How terrifying! Now fast forward a little more than a month. Forty days later, Moses, comes down the mountain. And you thought he was dead! You thought God destroyed him in the storm on the mountain! So you moved on. You thought God had abandoned you, so you came up with your own. You worshiped a cow—not a real cow, but one that your new leader, Aaron, had made at your insistence. And Moses tells you what God told him on the top of the mountain. He starts, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me."

Can you imagine the sheer terror you must feel? God has displayed for you his power and his wrath on Mount Sinai that shook you to the core. Now you've forsaken him and broken his commands. You've trespassed against him. And if God demanded that stupid animal who didn't know any better were to be stoned to death for breaking the law and stepping across the line that God said, "Do not cross!" then how much more would his wrath pour out against you, who should have known better than to trespass against God's commands!

Of course you can imagine that sheer terror! For you too have rebelled against God and crossed the line that he said, "Do not cross!" You too have had other gods—maybe not a golden calf, but other gods of your own making. You've served your selfishness, your entertainment, your comfort instead of God. You've taken his name in vain by your apathy toward it and toward his Word. You've rebelled against those God has put in authority over you. You've mistreated your own bodies and hurt others, failing to help those in need. You've ruined reputations, even God's. And you've refused to be content with God's blessings, but sought more riches, not to be used to God's glory, but for your own indulgence. In short, you've broken all of God's commandments too.

And you know that God is still the judge of all men. And you know that hell is a very real place that you rightly deserve. Though you never experienced in quite the same way as those Israelites did, you too know the terror of Mount Sinai.

Do you like to be scared? Then think on your failure to keep God's commands. And consider the hell that should be yours.

What terror is there if we stay there at the foot of that mountain and try to live only under the law. But there is a better mountain—one that brings, not terror, but peace and joy. So, come on, let's quickly move on. Mt. Sinai is just a rest stop on our journey, on our way to Mt. Zion…

 

II.    The Mountain of Joy 

So, where's Mount Zion? Well, it's in Jerusalem. Zion was one of the hills on which the city of Jerusalem was originally built. In 2 Samuel 5(:7,9) we're told, "David captured the fortress of Zion…David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David." It was the ancient fortress of the city.

As such an important historical feature, the name "Zion" became associated with many things. First, Zion became a name that could be used for all of Jerusalem. Then, it became used as a name for the center of worship the temple. It was where God descended and condescended to be with his people. It was where God made himself accessible to them.

But the author to the Hebrews isn't talking about some geographical location. He makes it clear that it's not some tangible place: "You have not come to a mountain that can be touched… But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God."

Zion is used as a name for the Church where God himself still dwells, where God condescends to be with his people. You hear that reminder often in our liturgy before we confess our sins: "God invites us to come into his presence and worship him with humble and penitent hearts…" or "We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children…" But how can we sinners who "[are] by nature sinful, and [who] have disobeyed [God] in [our] thoughts, words, and actions," and who "have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment…" come into his presence? How can sinful people dwell with a holy, sinless God and not be destroyed?!

Through the Mediator. Through Jesus.

Once a year in ancient Israel, they would celebrate the festival of Yom Kippur, that is, the Day of Atonement. And the high priest would serve as the mediator between God and man. He would slaughter one goat and sprinkle the blood all over the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place where God himself dwelled, all over the temple, and all over the altar. Then he would take a second goat, and place his hands on the goat's head symbolically laying the sins of the people on that scapegoat. Then it would be sent off into the wilderness to die.

This was, of course, all pointing ahead to the Day of Atonement that we call Good Friday. On Mount Calvary, which sits right next to Mount Zion, Jesus became the perfect Mediator. Having lived a sinless life in our place, his blood was shed on the cross that it might sprinkle us and make us clean. He became our scapegoat, taking our sin on himself and being sent away from God's loving presence, forsaken by him on the cross, that our sins might be sent off with him. Now we are clean. Now we are holy.

And now we are full of joy that in spite of our failure to keep God's commands, in spite of deserving the terrors of hell, we have peace with God and will dwell with him in the heavenly Zion forever. There we will, "come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven… to God, the judge of all men," of whose judgment we no longer need to be afraid.

For we're forgiven. We have peace with God. Our names are already written in the Book of Life. We have reservations there. We have our papers of citizenship in heaven. And now we live on this mountain—Mt. Zion—with the Gospel of God's forgiveness in Christ.

Eventually, Mt. Sinai will be destroyed—on the Last Day. But Mt. Zion will remain for all of eternity. Mt. Sinai was terrifying as the people stood in the presence of God for a day. But on Mt. Zion, believers will dwell with God in peace forever. On the penalty of death only a few could touch Mt. Sinai. But everyone in the whole world is invited to live on Mt. Zion.

So which mountain do you prefer? God has brought you through Mt. Sinai to Mt. Zion. Now don't leave it and go back to living life under threats of the Law. Don't go back to living in fear and guilt and shame. But stand firm in your faith. Let no one rob you of your Gospel joy! Let no one move you off Mt. Zion ever! Keep listening to God's Word and then serve him faithfully, striving to keep his commands, not in fear, because you must, but in love for him because of the peace and joy he gives in Christ on Mt. Zion.

Do you like to be scared? Then go ahead and watch your horror movies if you must. But the real terror of hell? No thank you! None of us ever want to feel that fear. So leave Mt. Sinai behind. Rejoice that you've come to a better mountain. And stay at Mt. Zion, where you find peace and joy, where you find Jesus. In his name, dear friends, 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, August 20, 2013

No Pain; No Gain (A sermon based on Hebrews 12:1-13)

Why does God let it hurt so much? Why doesn't he take the pain away? Because he loves you. That's why. He knows that no pain; no gain. He knew that without Christ's pain on the cross, you wouldn't gain heaven. But he endured that pain gladly for you. Now he also let's you endure hardships and pain in this life that your faith in him might increase as it's stretched to grow. And he let's you endure pain that others who see how you accept it with praise to God might come to faith too. No pain; no gain. It's not always easy to take the pain, but read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Hebrews 12:1-13 and be encouraged to endure and keep running the race of the Christian life...


No Pain; No Gain

A sermon based on Hebrews 12:1-13

August 18, 2013 – Pentecost 13C

 

So a few weeks ago, I know that some of you ran a 5K. And I find that pretty impressive. While I've had many good intentions of getting on a Couch to 5K program, they've never really advanced beyond intentions. Some of you, I know have even run a half marathon—13 miles! And that impresses me even more. And I can't even begin to imagine running a whole marathon! More than 26 miles up and down various hills. That kind of running takes endurance—and I get winded after running more than a block.

This morning we hear the author to the Hebrews describe our Christian lives as a marathon of sorts. Life is not just a sprint where you give it your all for a short time and it's quickly over. No, it's a long distance run. It's easy to get worn out and want to throw in the towel long before the race is done. It takes stamina. It takes patience. It takes endurance.

But how do we keep running when the hills seem far too steep? How do we keep from losing our faith when the problems and challenges of life seem insurmountable? How do we run to the end when we're exhausted and hurting? This morning we're encouraged to remember the old maxim, "No pain; No gain."

When we remember that maxim, "No pain; No gain," we keep our focus where it ought to be. We remember the pain that Christ suffered for our gain and that the victory is already ours through him. We remember that the pain God allows us to endure now is not without its reward; It's for our own good—we gain strength in this life, and we gain a crown of glory that will never be taken away. And finally, we remember that God can use the pain we suffer not only for our gain, but for the encouragement of others as well.

Listen again to this word of encouragement recorded for us in Hebrews 12:1-13… 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. 

I.              Christ's Pain on the Cross For Us (v1-3) 

It can be disturbing when the doctor says to you, "Whoa! I've never seen this before." When times are rough, it's nice to know that you're not the only one who's had this problem before. For this reason the author begins his encouragement to the Hebrews, who were going through some very difficult times of persecution, by reminding them of the example of those who had gone before them. He said, "we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses." Last week we looked at Abram's example of faith—believing that God would consider him righteous through the Savior descended from him even though he had no son. In fact, Hebrews 11, the Hall of Faith, is full of examples of others who have been there and done that. Read that chapter again sometime and recall how God strengthened those believers in their difficult times.

The author goes on to encourage these suffering Christians to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Back in high school soccer practice, I remember how Coach Kurbis would make us run up a steep hill he liked to call "The Motivator." I remember how I once ran up that hill wearing warm-up pants that were a bit too big for me (being hand-me-downs from my big brother). As I ran up the hill, I stepped on my own pant leg, tripped up and fell, getting cut on the rocky path.

In the first Olympics they would run naked because their clothes would only slow them down and trip them up. Today they run in spandex suits. No one would run wearing a robe like this one. It would trip them up. That's the picture the author is making. It's the same way with our sins. They trip us up in the race of our Christian life. If we let them get in our way, they will make us fall and lose the race. They will lead us to hell. So the author encourages the Hebrews and us, "Throw them off! Get rid of them all!"

But easier said than done, right? How do we get rid of sins? It seems impossible! Well… Good news! Though it is impossible for us, it's not for God. The author encourages us to look at Christ who already took care of our problem of sin! He says, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

These verses are really the heart and core of our text. What gives us the strength to run the race all the way to the finish line? The fact that Christ already won the victory for us. We fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and pefecter of our faith. He is the beginning and the end of all we believe. He has completed our salvation for us. How did he do that? By enduring the cross. He suffered in this life, but he ran with perseverance. Burdened with the weight of our sin, he died on a cross. He took the punishment we deserve. He took our shame. He took our guilt. And there, being tortured to death, he said, "What of it?! I endure it all gladly for you and your glory." What stamina he had! To endure Hell itself! He went through the worst pain imaginable for our gain.

Now we can focus on our goal. We can keep our eyes on the finish line. Christ's pain, his death on the cross, won for us life eternal. Olympians train for years, giving up their social lives, putting in hours and hours of hard work every day, hopeful, yet uncertain if they will ever even place! We on the other hand, run the race of life already knowing the outcome. We already have the gold! We know that because of what Christ has already accomplished for us, we win. We have heaven itself as our certain finish line.

Now, motivated by his love for us and what he's already done for us on the cross, we find new resolve to keep running. We consider what he did for us and our certain reward and we don't grow weary and lose heart, but gladly endure all things with patience for the joy set before us.

II.            Our Pain in Discipline For Us (v.4-11) 

But if Christ already won the race for us, why not just take us to be with him in glory, with that great cloud of witnesses who already won? Or why doesn't he just make this life an easy one without so much pain and sorrow? Why does God allow us to suffer such hardships?

The answer may surprise you. The author to the Hebrews told them, "God allows you to suffer because he loves you." When God allowed suffering to enter the lives of the Hebrews, he was demonstrating his love, because he was strengthening them in their faith. Running "The Motivator" in soccer practice again and again felt like punishment while we were running it, but when it came time for the game, we were stronger, able to run faster and longer. When God allowed the Hebrews to endure hardships, it was his loving hand allowing them to suffer for their own good.

But it's sometimes hard to believe when the one giving the discipline says, "This is harder on me, than it is on you. Trust me son, this is for your own good." How could they be sure their sufferings were caused by God's love and not by his anger?

He writes, " …you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons."

He reminds them of God's Word. In Proverbs chapter 3 God had told them that he would discipline his sons. They knew the promises of Scripture, they had just forgotten. They needed a reminder that God disciplines and punishes those he loves and those he accepts as sons. In Christ and the forgiveness he won for us on the cross, we become God's sons and daughters. He no longer plans to punish us for our sin. He already punished Christ for them. Now he lovingly disciplines us so we grow stronger. The author reminded the Hebrews of this "word of encouragement."

He goes on, "For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness."

The Hebrews knew, not just from God's Word, but also from experience that discipline is done out of love and not out of anger. When I see my three year old try to run in front of a car, I say, "NO, Judah!" pull him back and gently slap his hand, because I love him. In fact, no one would believe that I really loved my son if I let him get hit by a car. If I let Judah get run over, you would consider me cruel and unloving. Love disciplines.

And we've all been disciplined before. We may have thought our parents were cruel for grounding us. We may not have enjoyed it when the officer wrote out the speeding ticket. But in hindsight, our parents were only trying to keep us out of trouble. If everyone drove however fast they wanted, I'd be afraid to drive. The officer was trying to keep the streets safe and me alive. The discipline that came our way was for our benefit.

Here the author uses another of those "from the lesser to the greater" arguments. If our sinful parents and sinful leaders discipline us for our own good, how much more won't God, the Father of our spirits, the one who gave us spiritual life in Christ, who had us baptized, buried with Christ and washed away our sins, how much more won't he do what's best for us! Our fathers and our leaders can goof up when they discipline. But God our heavenly Father is perfect in knowing what's best and he's perfect in his love for us.

Finally, the writer to the Hebrews reminds them of the blessed results of their discipline. He wrote, "…How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

When God disciplines us, he draws us closer to himself. It's been said that when you're lying on your back in the hospital bed the only way to look is up. Through our difficult times, God keeps us relying on him. He strengthens our faith in him, so that in the end we will live. We will receive the eternal life in heaven that is ours now. We will share in God's holiness, being perfect just like he is. We will receive that harvest of perfect righteousness and eternal peace because we've been trained by God's discipline.

III.           Our Pain in Discipline For Us (v.12-13) 

Finally, the author to the Hebrews reminds them that the suffering and the discipline God sent them wasn't only for their own good, as God's spiritual therapy made them stronger. But their pain was also for the gain of those around them. By the way they reacted to the discipline God sent their way, they could encourage one another. He wrote, "Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed."


A young woman once came to her father with complaints about the persecution and trials that she faced as a Christian. Her father, a famous chef, took her into the kitchen, filled a pot with water and put it on the stove bringing the water to a boil. He then put a crisp carrot in the water. After letting it boil for a while, he pulled it out and said, "Some people react to hardships like this carrot. They're strong and hard until they're put in boiling water. Then they grow weak and soft." He then put an egg in the water and let it boil. After awhile he pulled it out and cracked it open and said, "Others are like this egg. They go in the boiling water ready to crack and run all over the place, but come out hardened and strong." Finally, the chef put some coffee grounds in the water, let them sit for a while and poured two cups of coffee, one for himself and one for his daughter. "But still others," he said, "are like this coffee. They go into the boiling water and change it."


When people see how you react to your problems in life… When they see how you keep your focus on Christ and on the pain he suffered to take away your sins… When they hear you thank God for the discipline and hardships you suffer, knowing that God is working for your good… They will want to know what makes you strong enough to handle the pressure and you too can change the water. You can tell them how you keep your focus on Christ, who's already won the race for you. That's what keeps you running. In his name, dear friends, 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

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Wait For It… (A sermon based on Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16)

I don't like to wait. I admit it. I'm an impatient person. I'm working on it. But as I work on being patient in general, I want to try all the harder to be patient with God. My impatience leads me into even more sin. And it's all because I don't trust in God's promises to me. But thankfully he's promised me forgiveness in Christ. And of that grace I can be absolutely certain. And because of that grace I can patiently wait for God to deliver on all of his gracious promises while I put my faith in him. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on select verses of Hebrews 11 and find the faith and patience to wait for God to fulfill his promises to you...

Wait For It…
A sermon based on Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Sunday, August 11, 2013 – Pentecost 12C 

A certain pastor took his family on vacation several hundred miles away. After an hour or so had gone by his young son asked the inevitable question, "Daddy, are we almost there?!" "No, son," he replied, "we still have over 300 miles to go." The little boy sat quietly for another hour and burst out again, "Daddy, are we almost there yet?!" "No, son," he replied again, "we still have 250 miles to go." "Daddy, will I still be three when we get there?" he asked.

"Yes, son, you'll still be three. And tell you what, if you can be patient for a few more hours, you can have an ice cream sundae when we get there." The little boy sounded alarmed: "We won't get there until Sunday?!" "Just be patient, son. We'll get there today."

He waited as patiently as he could, then one hour later, "Dad, are we there yet?!" "No, son. We still have 200 miles to go." "How long will that take?" The pastor replied, "Probably 3 or 4 more hours." The boy was quiet for a bit, obviously pondering how long that meant. Finally, he asked, with a nervous tone, "Daddy, is that as long as one of your sermons?"

The truth is, impatience isn't just limited to young kids, is it? Especially in today's society where no one ever has to wait for anything! We don't wait to make dinner. It takes too long. We pick up some fast food. We don't wait for letters. They take too long. We have email—and not with dial-up. That's too slow. We need high speed. We don't save up to make a major purchase. It would take too long. We buy it today and put it on the credit card.

When we're impatient, we can make unwise and hasty decisions that might later ruin our health or cause financial problems. But when we're impatient with God, the results can be far more devastating. We can lose our trust in him and we can lose out on heaven. When it comes to matters of faith, you and I need patience. God gives us some amazing promises! But he doesn't fulfill them for us instantly. We may have to wait for some time trusting in the promise of heaven sight unseen.

But God gives us faith in his promises. And by that faith he gives us the patience we need while we wait for the unseen fulfillment. This morning, through the author to the Hebrews, God encourages us by Abraham's example to persevere in this life. He strengthens our faith to trust in things unseen. He strengthens our faith that waits patiently for them to come. Listen now to God's encouragement that's recorded for us in Hebrews 11, verses 1-3 and 8-16…

 

1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for. 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible…  8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he[a]considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

 

I.              Faith Trusts in Things Unseen 

Now before we discuss how faith gives us patience we need define what faith is. Actually, we don't. The author to the Hebrews does that for us. What is faith? It's not following some hunch. It's not some blind leap in the dark. It's not hoping for the best while disregarding the facts, assuming all will be well. No. "Faith is being sure of what we hope for…" Faith brings the future into the present, making things hoped for as real as if we had them. "Faith is being… certain of what we do not see." It means having solid confidence. 

This is the faith that Abraham demonstrated in the things God promised to him—things that he didn't see right away. God told Abraham, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go…" (Genesis 12:1) "Get up, pack all your stuff and move away from all you hold dear." And before Abraham could ask, "Where to?" God told him: "…to the land I will show you." "Go to some unknown place that I'll show you. But for now, just get moving."

And Abraham believed in God's promise of protection. (cf. Genesis 12:3) By faith he moved to a new place, sight unseen. He began the long, hard journey to move thousands of miles away "even though he did not know where he was going."

And God gave him another great promise that Abraham was sure of. We heard it in our first lesson this morning. Even though Abraham was 75 years old, his 65 year-old wife barren, and he as good as dead reproductively speaking, God promised, "a son coming from your own body will be your heir…" In fact, Abraham would have so many descendants, they would be as many as the stars! But Abraham had only eight kids. That's all he ever saw. He never saw a great nation. He never saw multitudes as numerous as the stars. But he believed what he would never see.

And what's more, God promised him, "…all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:3) namely, that one of those descendants would be the Christ. But Abraham never saw Jesus—at least not the way we see him. That's why the author to the Hebrews writes of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance."

But Abraham believed in Jesus and in his saving work, without seeing him, or understanding the details of how he would accomplish his mission, like we do. Jesus once said to the Jews, "Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad." (John 8:56) And "Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)

Finally, God promised him heaven. That's why Abraham didn't settle in the land and build some huge mansion. That's why he refused the gifts of the King of Sodom. He knew all his wealth in this life was only temporary. "He was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." All these things Abraham believed thought he didn't see many fulfilled in his lifetime. He was "still living by faith when [he] died."

 

What an example this hero of faith gives to us! …How his example shames us. Have we always had a faith like this—one that is "sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see"? Do we always obey and go, when God calls us to action? I don't think so.

Someone once asked me in a Bible Class, "Does the Bible allow for aliens, that is extra-terrestrials, intelligent life not from this planet?" And I answered, "Yes! Of course!" and went to these verses.

The heroes of faith, "admitted that they were aliens… on earth." If they were, "looking for a country of their own…  longing for a better country—a heavenly one," they understood that they didn't really belong here on earth. They were strangers here. Heaven was their home.

And the same is true of us! Does the Bible allow for aliens? Okay, maybe not in the sense of little green men, but in another sense, yes. Absolutely! We are aliens. You could even say that we're extra-terrestrials. We are not from around here. We don't belong to the earth. We belong to heaven. We confess that in one of my favorite hymns: "I'm but a stranger here. Heaven is my home." Maybe you've seen the clothing line or window stickers that look like this? 


 The "notw" stands for "Not of this world." And it describes you and me.

But we don't always act like it, do we? We don't always "[look] forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God"—that is, heaven—more than anything else. We heard Jesus say in our gospel lesson, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Luke 12:34) So where's our treasure? When you compare your income to your offerings, does the ratio reflect the fact that you belong to heaven? When you look at the goals you've set for yourself, do they show that you've "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things"? (Colossians 3:2) When you consider your most valued possessions—your treasures—are they spiritual things? Or material things?

How sinful we are! How weak is our faith!  So how can we possibly be sure of the heaven we hope for?! How can we be certain of peace with God when we can't see it? By faith. By a faith that trusts in things unseen.

You and I didn't see Jesus walk the earth and live a sinless life any more than we saw the creation of the universe. But we believe in both, sight unseen. You and I didn't see Jesus' crucifixion or the hell that God poured out on him on that cross. But we can be certain that it happened and that our sins were forgiven by it. And this faith is credited to us as righteousness. We're perfect and holy before God.

You and I didn't witness the resurrection, put our hands in his side or our fingers in his hands. But we are sure not only of his resurrection, but of our own resurrection, which we hope for. We can be confident of these things because God has promised them, just as he did to Abraham. Jesus said to his disciples (and to all of us), "Because I live, you also will live." (John 14:19) And we know it's true even if we can't see it.

And so Abraham's example of faith doesn't just shame us, it encourages us. It reminds us to hang in there because God keeps his promises. He kept them for Abraham. And he'll keep them for us. So hold on to his promises with a faith that waits patiently for them to be fulfilled…

 

II.            Faith Waits Patiently for Them to Come 

Consider how patient Abraham had to be. Remember how old he was when God promised him a son? He was 75 years old. Remember how old he was when God fulfilled that promise? He was 100 years old. Man! Talk about a long time to wait!

Imagine if your boss promised you a promotion and a raise, but you had to wait 25 years for him to fulfill it! How long do you think you'd believe his promise? How long would you keep your faith in him?

But Abraham kept his faith in God. Though he wavered at times and was disciplined by God, though he needed regular reminders of God's promises he hung in there with a faith that waited patiently for God to deliver for twenty-five years!

And if you think about it, Abraham waited a lot longer than 25 years to see God fulfill all his promises. "All these people were still living by faith when they died," the book of Hebrews says. And Abraham lived to be 175 years old. After waiting 25 years for Isaac, Abraham waited another seventy-five years for God to fulfill his promise of heaven. And it wasn't for another 2000 years until he'd fulfill the promise of a Savior.

But in every case, Abraham's patience—brought by faith—paid off. God did deliver. God did remain true to every promise.

Did you know that in the Hebrew language there's a special tense called the prophetic perfect? What that means is when there's a future event that God told one of his prophets about they wrote about it in the past tense. To them it was as good as done because God promised it.

God kept every one of his promises to Abraham. God kept every one of his promises to Isaac and to Jacob. God kept every one of the promises he made to and through his prophets. And God will keep every promise that he's made to us.

You might not have a promise from God that he'll give you a kid or a spouse or a better job or perfect health. But you do have the promises that he's forgiven you, that he'll take you to heaven, that he cares for you, that he'll hear and answer your prayer.

So Romans 8:28 says, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…" 2 Corinthians 4:14 says, "We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence." 1 John 3:2 says, "We know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." 1 John 5:15 says, "We know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him."

And this knowing—not guessing, not hoping, but not really sure, but this absolute certainty we have because God has promised it and so it will come true—this faith and surety in what we hope for and this certainty of what we don't see, these keep us patient while we wait for him to fulfill those promises.

Even if you must endure trials and problems and pain for many more years to come, even if that promise of heaven takes another 20, 40 or 80 more years to find fulfillment for you, don't grow impatient. But look up to heaven and wait for it. And do as Jesus says in our gospel lesson…

 35"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

And when he does come to fulfill his final promise to us, what an awesome role reversal there will be! The master will serve the servants! I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them…

And confident that God will deliver on this promise too, we don't need to ask God, "Are we there yet?" We don't need to whine, "How much longer till we get there?" But with a faith that knows God will deliver we patiently serve him in thanks day after day. We patiently remain ready for his return. We patiently live not for ourselves, but for him who gives us these great promises—for him who gives us this faith that trusts in things unseen, a faith that patiently waits for them to come. In Jesus name, dear friends, wait for it… Amen.

In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
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Tuesday, August 6, 2013

To God Be the Glory Forever and Ever! Amen! (A Sermon based on 1 Chronicles 29:10-13)

"To me be the glory!" Okay, so I may not always put it that way exactly. But by my behavior and by my attitudes I do sometimes scream, "To me be the glory!" Okay... so it's more than sometimes. All too often I rob God of the glory due him and try to bring glory to myself. In fact, every time I sin, I really say that God's glory is not as important as my own. Thank God that he sent Jesus to pay for my sin and rise from the dead to guarantee my salvation! That's where God's true glory is! And that moves me to want to live my life for him in thanks and bring my gifts of thanks to him and serve him and others in thanks. In other words, it leads me to pray, "To God be the glory, forever and ever!" Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 and be encouraged to give God the glory! 

To God Be the Glory Forever and Ever! Amen!
A Sermon based on 1 Chronicles 29:10-13
Sunday, August 4, 2013 

John Jacobs, a defense lawyer in New York City, recieves numerous calls on his cell phone every day. While that doesn't seem all that unusual at first, it does when you consider the fact  that John's been dead for over six years. You see, his family buried him with his cell phone. And his widow continues to pay his monthly phone bill so she and her two sons can still call and leave him messages. His widow who regularly calls John to update her husband with sports news and how their sons are doing says, "Some people talk to God. I talk to my deceased husband." The problem is, John can't return the call. He can't even check his messages. You see, his phone is… if you'll pardon the pun...  in a dead zone.

Now a lot of people view prayer as Mr. Jacob's wife does—a conversation with no one really listening and no one ever responding. It's really no conversation at all. Just one-way talk into a phone with no one on the other end. How do we know their wrong? How do we know that God really does hear our prayers? And if he does hear, how do we know he'll answer? After all, it seems that so many of our prayers do go unanswered. Are we just wasting our time? King David has an answer for us. Listen to him as he prays to God in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13...

10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, "Praise be to you, O Lord, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 12 Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. 13 Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

What if it was your turn to count the offerings this morning and after you took the plates into the counting room and counted, and then recounted, you still found that $6 billion dollars had been given to support the ministry here at Grace? How would you respond?

King David was an old man by now, growing weak and tired. He knew the end of his life was near. And he wanted to build a temple for God, one so magnificent and beautiful that it would testify to the goodness God had shown him. But... God said, "No. Your hands are too bloody You're a warrior. You are not going to get to build the temple. Your son will after you're gone." So David, not allowed to build the temple himself, did all the prep work he could to make it an easy task for his son. He got the blueprints and temple designs. He started gathering materials. And he began the fund raising with a special offering for the building project.

And boy, did the gifts pour in! When David had the offerings counted, there was almost $6 billion worth of gold, silver, bronze and iron at today's precious metal prices. And this offering prompted David's doxology—his prayer of praise. David rejoiced, not in the wealthy people he had living in his kingdom, not in the great amounts that he'd been able to raise, not in how awesome the temple was going to be, but in God's great power and glory that have accomplished all these things.

Just think of all the awesome things God's power has done. King David piled on the nouns describing God's power in his prayer. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor... Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom... wealth and honor ...strength and power... God has the power to create the universe with its billions of stars, most of which shine far brighter than our sun. He created the intricacies of our human bodies, knitting us together in the womb. He is the true and only king maker giving wealth and power to those he wishes and ending the lives of others.

It's been estimated that our nation has 28,000 nuclear warheads. Compared to the power of God, 28,000 nuclear warheads is like a BB gun. He turned a stuttering Moses into the leader of a great nation and defeated the Egyptian army for Israel without a single spear, sword or arrow. He turned Gideon, least among the weakest tribe, into a conquering hero with torches, trumpets and jars. He turned David from a lowly shepherd into a giant slayer with a single stone and then into a powerful King.

He brought down the Empires of those who considered themselves the Great.  Assyria fell, Babylon fell, Persia fell, Greece fell, Rome fell, Napoleon fell, Hitler fell, the Iron Curtain rusted almost over night. But God's power never ceases! No wonder we confess, "thine is the power!"

But... do you believe it? Do you really? Does your prayer life demonstrate that you trust in God's power? Or are you more like the one James, the brother of Jesus, chides: "6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." (James 1:6-8)

Or maybe we do trust in his power, but then get angry when he doesn't use it as we wish! "God does have the power to make strong and wealthy," we confess. But then we gripe, "So why doesn't he do those things for me?! Why doesn't he make me strong and take away my physical, financial, emotional weakness?! Why doesn't he make me wealthy?" We get frustrated and upset when God doesn't answer our prayers in our way or on our timetables.

And really we act like the kid who gets fifty birthday presents but complains that he didn't get the game he wanted. Or he complains that the brand new bike he got is green instead of blue! That spoiled brat would deserve to lose the gifts that he received, wouldn't he? Just like we deserve to lose God's blessings for presuming to pray to God only in an advisory capacity and then complaining that he doesn't do things our way. We deserve hell. And in contrast to God's awesome power, you and I are powerless to do a thing about it.

We ought to confess as King David did right after this hymn of praise... "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you." (1 Chronicles 29:14-16)

We would do well to remember that next time we complain about our lot in life: that it's God who put us there. It's God who chose to bless us the way he has. When we complain we really complain against him. When Job lost everything and his wife counseled him to curse God and die, he wisely replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10)

Thank God that he doesn't hold it against us and give us what our sins deserve. You see, God doesn't just use his power to create and preserve creation. And his kingdom isn't just his rule over the universe. He also uses his power to save and rules in our hearts through the Word...

When King David offered his prayer of praise he called God "LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting." Those titles would call to mind the gracious promises of the LORD (which you know in all capital letters is Jehovah or Yahweh) who revealed himself as "the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin." (Exodus 34:6-7)—the God who promised to Jacob, aka Israel, "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring." (Genesis 28:14)—the God who promised to send the Messiah, their Savior from sin, in the person of Jesus. And these promises last to this day. They are "from everlasting to everlasting."

Do you want to see God's power in your life? Do you want to see him reign in his kingdom? Then look to the cross. By the power of the cross he utterly defeated satan. He destroyed the gates of hell! He overcame our sin, taking away all of our complaints to God for the way he uses his power, removing our weak and wavering prayers that don't trust his promises to use his power for our good, to rule all things for our good. You and I are forgiven! We are heaven bound! Talk about power! No wonder we confess "thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever!"

David saw all that God had done for him and couldn't help but pray to him and praise him in thanks. And neither can we. Pray boldly to him, for his is the power—there is no problem he can't handle. Pray confidently to him, for his is the Kingdom—as he rules all things for the good of his people. Recognizing the forgiveness he brings leads us to pray not just before meals as we offer our heartfelt thanks to God all the time.

And praise him with all your heart, not just by your words and prayers, but by your actions—by the way you live your life for him and by the generous gifts you bring. Recognizing the forgiveness he brings leads us to gladly offer your time back to God in study and service and worship. Let it lead you to write a generous check or place cash in an envelope so his work can go on here and elsewhere. Maybe he hasn't blessed you with $6 million to give. But you can give back in proportion to how he's blessed you. It's all from him and we only give back only what he's given us first. It is not ours to keep anyway since we're just passing through this life. Our real treasure still awaits us when his kingdom and his glory become ours forever and ever.

C.S. Lewis once argued that praying was like advising God how to run the world. "Wouldn't it be wiser," he argued, "to assume that he knows best?" But when a friend heard this argument he replied, "On the same principle, I suppose you never ask a man next to you to pass the salt, because God knows best whether you ought to have salt or not. And I suppose you never take an umbrella, because God knows best whether you ought to be wet or dry... The  odd thing is that He should let us influence the course of events at all. But since He let us do it in one way, I don't see why He shouldn't let us do it in the other."

God does know what's best for you. But he urges you to pray anyway, trusting that he has the power to do all things, trusting that he rules his kingdom for the good of those who love him. So to him be the glory forever and ever! Amen! So shall it be! 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