Monday, December 21, 2015

Making Sacrifices for God (A sermon based on Hebrews 10:5-10)

What will you sacrifice for those you love this Christmas season? Will you sacrifice your time to spend it with them? Will you sacrifice your dollars to give a gift? What will you sacrifice for God? Thank God that we don't have to sacrifice anything to him to earn his favor. Jesus' perfect, once-for-all, sacrifice has already made us sinless and holy in his sight. But now we long to sacrifice everything to show our thanks to God. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Hebrews 10:5-10 and rejoice in Jesus' sacrifice for you! 

Making Sacrifices for God

A sermon based on Hebrews 10:5-10

Sunday, December 20, 2015 – Advent 4C

 

Have you had to make any sacrifices this season? Maybe you've sacrificed a few days of vacation to visit relatives? Perhaps you've sacrificed a few hard earned dollars to buy presents for friends and family. Maybe you've sacrificed hours of your time to try and find that perfect gift. Maybe you will sacrifice more free time to God to attend extra worship services this weekend.

But I'm pretty sure that no one in this room has sacrificed a bull to God as a part of their Christmas worship.

There's a striking scene in the movie, The Nativity Story, where King Herod takes a bull by the horns, and places his head on the bull's head eye to eye as a symbolic way of showing that his sins were placed on that bull. Then the camera tastefully cuts away right before the bull's throat is slit as it's sacrificed to God. It was a vivid (and accurate) portrayal of the Old Testament sacrifices that Herod and the other Jews did so often because God commanded them to.

But today we don't sacrifice any animals to God in our worship because we don't have to. In fact we don't have to make any sacrifices to God. Any sacrifice we could make would be just like those Old Testament animals–they cannot take away sin. But there is a sacrifice that can: Jesus' perfect once-for-all-time sacrifice. That sacrifice has made us holy and perfect in God's sight. So that now, we long to sacrifice our very lives to Jesus in thanksgiving to him for making that sacrifice to God. The author to the Hebrews discusses all of these sacrifices for God in Hebrews 10:5-10…

 

5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God.'" a 8 First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). 9 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

I.     Our Sacrifices Cannot Save

 

Check out the books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy sometime. Just flip through them and read the headers to see the countless animal sacrifices the people were told to make. Thousands of animals were slaughtered They were sacrificed every day. But does it seem odd that the law—God's law—required them to be made when God didn't desire them? When he wasn't pleased with them?

At first, it does seem senseless to slaughter all those animals. Why would God command something that he didn't even want? Well, that's not the point of the verse. God did want the sacrifices made. Otherwise he wouldn't have commanded them. But that's not all he wanted. After all, what use did God, who created all things, have for an animal carcass? You see, these sacrifices were not given for God's benefit, but for the peoples' benefit. God didn't just want a slaughtered animal. He wanted obedience to him. Herod's sacrifice portrayed in the movie was not pleasing to God. He only went through the motions while he relentlessly pursued the death of the Christ child. And no amount of sacrifice could ever replace obedience.

That's why David wrote in Psalm 40, "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire… I desire to do your will." (v.6 & 8) Their sacrifices weren't sincere. But there was another problem with the Old Testament sacrifices. They could never do what the people were trying to accomplish. Hebrews 10:4, the verse right before our text, says, "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin." So what good were they? Back up one more verse. Hebrews 10:3 says, "Those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sin." And not just of sin, but of the consequences of sin: Sin had to be paid for with blood; with a death. But if these sacrifices couldn't do that, there must be something more.

And indeed there was. These sacrifices pointed ahead to Christ. They were a shadow of how God would pay for sin—not with the blood of animals, but, as Peter put it, "with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (1 Peter 1:19)

And friends, though we don't slaughter animals on an altar in a temple, the same principle applies to us. We may sacrifice our hard-earned dollars to church or a charity around Christmastime or even throughout the year. We may sacrifice our time to help at a charity or do a good deed for a stranger. We may sacrifice our comfort and convenience to be friendly toward someone who really gets on our nerves. But as great as these things might are, God is not pleased with our sacrifices. Not when such sacrifices are made to earn God's favor; to make him love us in spite of our sin.

You see these sacrifices are just like the blood of those Old Testament animals: they can never take away our sin. No matter how much I sacrifice for God, no matter how much time or money, these cannot make me right with God because what God really wants is obedience—perfect obedience all of the time. And yet, none of us are perfect—not even some of the time.  And the consequences? Devastating!

"The soul who sins is the one who will die," God says in Ezekiel 18:20. In Romans 6:23 he says, "The wages of sin is death." (And he means eternal death in hell.) In Galatians 3:10 he warns, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the book of the law." And God in his grace reminds us of our sin, our disobedience to him, and the consequences of our thoughts and words and actions. He reminds us that no sacrifice we make, no matter how great, can ever take away sin. He reminds us of these things in order to show us our need for Christ's perfect obedience; to show us our need for Christ's perfect sacrifice…

 

II.            Christ's Sacrifice was Once for All

 

The author to the Hebrews describes that sacrifice of Jesus with these words…

5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me… 7 Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God.'" …10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

If what God really wants is obedient hearts, then only Christ is pleasing to God. "Here I am," he said, "I have come to do your will, O God." And how well Jesus kept God's will! He never broke a single commandment! He never had a single thought of greed or lust! He never spoke a single word that was not perfectly in line with what God the Father wanted said! He said, "I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me." (John 8:28) He never did a single act that God didn't want him to do. He said, "I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." (John 6:38)

He followed his Father's will so perfectly, that he was even willing to take on the guilt of the world's sins, die on a cross, and endure hell there being forsaken by his Father there! Before his crucifixion he prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

And he could only make that sacrifice if he had a body. "Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me…" That's what makes Christmas so special. Jesus was born a human. God became man. He took on flesh—the body God prepared for him. He took on that human body so he could be under the law to keep it perfectly in our place. He took on that human body so he could be killed on the cross—sacrificed—to take away sin. Christmas is really all about the cross and the perfect sacrifice Christ came to make.

So what did that sacrifice mean for the Hebrews? It meant that their animal sacrifices were no longer needed. If the main purpose of those sacrifices was to remind the people of the promise of the Messiah and to teach them how he would pay for their sins, then once "Christ came into the world," those sacrifices were no longer needed.

 

And what does that sacrifice mean for us? It means everything! It means, "we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."  We've been made holy—that is sinless and set apart for God, perfect in his sight! Now note the tense: "we have been made holy…" This describes the finished work of Christ. There's nothing left to do. We are in a permanent, continuous state of perfection in God's sight, having "been made holy." It's done—"once for all"—with nothing left to do!

No more animals need to be killed for us, since they pointed ahead to Jesus and he already came. No more sacrifices need to be made on our behalf. No good works need to be done by us. No more efforts need to be made on our part. Jesus did it all. His sacrifice is perfect and complete with nothing left to do and nothing left undone. Believe it dear friends, and rejoice in your Savior who became man to sacrifice his body for you. Rejoice that even though your sacrifices can never save you, no matter how great they might be, no more sacrifice needs to be made than the perfect sacrifice of Christ.

And finally, friends, let his sacrifice for you move you to make sacrifices for him with thankful and grateful hearts! Gladly sacrifice your hard earned dollars to help others who don't have as many material blessings as you do. Gladly sacrifice your money to share the news of Jesus' sacrifice with others who don't know how spiritually blessed they are. Gladly sacrifice your time to serve your Savior and your neighbor as you tell them of his grace! As Paul wrote in Romans 12(:1), "Therefore, I urge you… in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God." Sacrifice, dear friends, your all to thank that baby in the manger, that God-man on the cross, that Savior who has made you holy once and for all! In his name, dear friends, amen.



 a  cf. the Septuagint version (i.e. the Greek translation) of Psalm 40:6-8, which the author to the Hebrews quotes, rather than the Hebrew itself.


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

Have you been blessed by our ministry at Grace? Consider supporting us with your generous gifts. Give securely online with a check or credit or debit card here: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Give

Monday, December 14, 2015

What Mary Did Know… (A sermon based on Luke 1:46-55)

"Mary Did You Know?" is a popular Christmas song. What did Mary know? Did she realize all that her firstborn son would do? Well, we know some of what Mary knew from another Christmas song: The Song of Mary. She proclaimed what she new: that she needed a Savior, that she had a Savior, and that she wanted to glorify him for what he would do for her. We are wise to be like Mary and recognize our need for a Savior, to trust that we have a Savior, and to live our lives as his servants to show our thanks. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Luke 1:46-55 and rejoice in what you know...

What Mary Did Know…

A sermon based on Luke 1:46-55

Sunday, December 13, 2015

 

One of the things I love about the Christmas season is all the Christmas music. Even as our nation seems to be getting more secular and more politically correct, I love that I still hear songs about my Savior being played at Safeway, Walmart, and Fred Meyer.

How about you? Do you like the Christmas music? Do you have a favorite Christmas song? One where it just wouldn't be Christmas without hearing it? Many people like the song "Mary Did You Know?" It will be sung for us by a soloist in a minute. In that song the author speculated, "How much did Mary understand about what her Son would do?" Did she know he would walk on water? Did she know that he would heal the sick and raise the dead?"

I don't know all that Mary knew, I do know a few things that she knew for sure. I know because she tells us in another Christmas song.

And in Mary's song, sung before her cousin, Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, while Jesus was in her own womb, Mary sang of God's great grace to her and to everyone in sending a Savior from sin.

It's been called the Magnificat from the first word of the song when it's translated in Latin. She most likely sang it in Aramaic or Greek, which is how it's recorded for us. Here it is translated in English from Luke 1:46-55…

 

46 And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."

 

I.        Mary Knew She Needed A Savior 

What did Mary know as she stood before her cousin? What did she know as Jesus—true God in fetus form—kicked insider her? Well, one thing I know for sure, is that Mary knew she needed a Savior. Her opening line of her song was "My soul glorifies the Lord  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."

She humbly recognized her need for forgiveness from God. She knew that those who were proud in their inmost thoughts—who thought they deserved God's love and favor because of all the "wonderful" things they'd done for God—well those were the ones God would scatter. She knew that those were haughty in their rule of others, always thinking themselves better, those were the ones God brought down. She knew that those who considered themselves rich in this life as if they needed nothing from God—well, those were the ones were sent away empty.

Mary knew this had to be the case because God is holy—"holy is his name." And Mary knew that a holy God could not stand to have sinners in his presence.

So Mary was humble. Recognizing her own sin, Mary was humble in genuine repentance before God. She was humble in recognizing her need for mercy from God, for help from him. What Mary knew was that she desperately needed a Savior if she were to stand before a holy God.

How about you? Are you as wise as Mary? Do you recognize that nothing you could ever do could ever earn God's favor—because even if you were perfect and selfless, always putting the needs of others above your own every single day of your life, you would still only be doing what God expects and demands of you?

Do you recognize that in your selfishness you have sinned against God and stand before him empty handed, spiritually poor, with nothing to offer him? Are you humble in genuine repentance over your sin, in recognizing your need for mercy? Be as wise as Mary and know how much you need a Savior. 


II.      Mary Knew She Had A Savior 

But that's not all Mary knew. Mary knew she needed a Savior. But she also knew that she had a Savior—in the very Son that was inside her. "My soul glorifies the Lord  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,  for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant."

Mary knew that God would lift up those who humbled themselves in repentance by giving them forgiveness—a forgiveness won by the coming Messiah, her own Son. Mary knew this because Mary knew that God always keeps his promises and so he would remember the promise he made to Abraham and to his descendants—the promise to send a Savior from sin. Mary knew God had kept his promise in sending her son whom the angel said should be named Jesus because he would save his people from their sins.

Mary knew that God had sent a Savior to Mary through Mary—that she was the mother of her Savior from sin. And Mary knew that her Son would be, not just her Savior, but the Savior of all people of all time, that, "[God's] mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation." Mary knew that Jesus would be our Savior.

So let's be as wise as Mary and humble ourselves in genuine repentance, recognizing our need for a Savior, but also in recognizing how God has sent a Savior to us in Jesus.

Jesus came to this earth, not to rule nations or give earthly peace and prosperity, but he became a fetus, then a baby, then a man to rescue us, to live a perfect life in our place, to die an innocent death, to endure the hell that we deserve on that cross for us, to rise from the dead to prove to us that we are forgiven.

Mary said that her soul rejoiced in God her Savior. Well, we too can echo her words and say,

"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of [my] humble state… From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me… His mercy [still] extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation."


 

III.    Mary Knew She Wanted to Glorify Her Savior 

Mary knew she needed a Savior. Mary knew she had a Savior. And for that reason, Mary also knew that she wanted to praise him and thank him and serve him and obey him for all that he had done for her.

"My soul glorifies the Lord,"  she said. And she called herself, "his servant," because Mary knew that it wasn't about Mary. So her song wasn't really about her. It was about God and his grace. And she was eager to glorify him, to sing his praise, to tell everyone of her God's faithful love! She was eager to serve him, by carrying him, by birthing him, by feeding him, by raising him, by doing whatever she could to show her thanks to God, her Savior. That's what Mary knew.

So too, we who know our great need for a Savior, we who know that God has given us a Savior, we know that what we want most in life is to glorify the Lord and live to thank our Savior! We are eager to glorify him, to sing his praise, to tell everyone of our God's faithful love. And in a sense then, God sends a Savior to us, and also through us as we share the good news of what he has done.

Who do you know who needs to hear about their Savior? Who do you know who's struggling this Christmas season? Take them a copy of the video, "My Son, My Savior." They're free for you to take tonight. Invite them to join you at church on Christmas Eve. Share with them the hope that you have—that you know that you need a Savior, that you know that you have a Savior, that you know that they have one too. And together we will glorify the Lord! 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

Have you been blessed by our ministry at Grace? Consider supporting us with your generous gifts. Give securely online with a check or credit or debit card here: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Give

Monday, December 7, 2015

Faithful Servants Prepare People for Christ's Return (A sermon based on 1 Corinthians 4:1-5)

Are you ready? Christmas is only a few weeks away now. Time to get ready! Are you ready? Judgment Day could come first. Let's stay ready for that event! We stay ready when we stay in the Word of God that reminds us of our sin and his grace to us in Christ. We help others get ready when we faithfully share that message to prepare them too. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 and be encouraged to stay ready!

Faithful Servants Prepare People for Christ's Return
A sermon based on 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Sunday, December 6, 2015 - Advent 2C 

The shopping has begun! Reports show that early Christmas sales are up from last year. $1.6 Billion were spent in the US on Black Friday, which is up from 1.5 Billion from last year. Were you bold enough to venture out on the busiest shopping weekend of the year? Or maybe you're like me and do all your shopping online to avoid the crowds?  Do you know just what your wife or husband or kids want this year? Do you know just the right gift that will make them happy? Maybe they helped you out and made you a list of suggestions—things they want and would really like.

Now, what if you were shopping, not for a gift to give, but for a pastor for your church? What would you look for? What characteristics and qualities would you put on your list? What would you want and really like? A dynamic preacher who keeps you sitting on the edge of your seats? An organized neat freak so he doesn't goof up the calendar? A well-read bookworm who knows lots of counseling tips and tricks? An energetic man who has a burning desire for youth ministry? Just someone who's around in his office when you need him?

All of these are good qualities to have in a pastor, right? But what's most important? What's at the top of the list?

Well, that was one of the debates at the church in Corinth. Some liked Paul best. Perhaps it was because he was such an excellent theologian who had been instructed by God himself. Others preferred Peter. He was one of the Twelve and a close friend of none other than Jesus. Others put Apollos at the top of their list. He was a regular guy like one of them. But Paul pointed out what quality they should shop for in a pastor: Faithful servants of Christ prepare God's people for Jesus' return by proclaiming the  truths of God's Word that have been entrusted to them. Regardless of other qualities, that one should top the list. Here's how Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 4:1-5... 

1So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. 

The church in Corinth was exceedingly blessed.  Paul wrote to them in chapter one (v. 17), "You do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed." But not everything was perfect. They had their fair share of problems too. And one of those problems was their criteria for a pastor. You see, the Greeks praised wisdom and philosophy. They loved eloquent speech and flowery language. They loved the guys who could rally a crowd and whip them into a frenzy with the power of their words.

But Paul didn't have those qualities. In chapter 2 (cf. v. 1-5) Paul said that he didn't come to them with eloquent speech or persuasive words, but in weakness and fear and with much trembling. But those weren't the important qualities. And Paul didn't care if they judged him based on that criteria. No. The most important quality in a pastor was that they prove faithful with the trust that has been given them, namely, the "secret things" of God.

But what are those? What secrets had God given to Paul? Was it a secret handshake? A secret knock on the door of heaven? A secret code to interpret the Bible converting the letters into numbers then back again? No. The secret things of God are the truths about the Gospel.

"Wait a second!" you object. "How can the Gospel be secret? It's gone around the globe and back!" True. But literally "secret things" is the Greek word mysterion; a mystery, or that which is not known by nature. By nature, mankind is blind to the truths of God's Word, hostile to God (cf. Romans 8:5-8), dead in sin (cf. Ephesians 2), and is incapable of discovering the truth on its own. You cannot discover the good news of Jesus' mission completed by sitting in a corner and meditating. It's a mystery that some faithful messenger has revealed to you.

But that means that it's not just pastors who are called to be faithful messengers. You too have now been entrusted with the secret things of God. Maybe you thought this sermon was just going to be about pastors, but it's really about every one of us. We have all been called to be messengers of the gospel to prepare people for Jesus' return.

So what's required of you as such a messenger? You must prove faithful! So, let me ask you: How well have you handled the secret things of God? Have you boldly shared the message of God's law with its impossible demands, "Be perfect"? Have you been eager to share the gospel in all it's beauty? Have you taken a bold stand on God's teachings on election, on close communion, on the roles of men and women? Or have you kept the secret things of God, well, secret?

If you have shared your faith, what were your motives for doing so? Was it out of thanks to Jesus for what he's done for you and you're so excited about it that you just can't keep quiet? Or was it because, well, it was the right thing to do and even though you didn't want to, you knew you'd better. Or maybe because when you did you felt like you were a better Christian than those cowards who are scared to? Unfortunately, even our motives for doing the right actions are exposed by the one who knows men's hearts and will bring to light what is hidden in darkness. What eternal terror we deserve for the way we've all handled the secret things of God. And even if your conscience is clear, so what?! That doesn't make you innocent!

But thankfully it's not our consciences that judge us. We're not answerable to other people who may or may not like the qualities we possess or who wouldn't choose to put us on their list. We're not even answerable to our own consciences! "My conscience is clear," Paul writes, "but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me." And what a comfort that is! In Romans 8:33-34 Paul wrote, "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."

God—and God alone—judges us. And thank God that he judges us in Christ. You see Jesus was the perfect pastor. He did prove faithful where you and I have not. He always handled the secret things of God as he should and revealed them to people to prepare them for the day of his judgment. He always spoke the truth in love even when it meant he wouldn't be popular, even when it meant they'd try to kill him for what he said, even when they would succeed in that endeavor! And what's more exciting is that Jesus gave us the credit for his perfect faithfulness!

And that's not all! Jesus who was perfect and did prove faithful, took our place in the judgment. He was put on trail and judged in a human court. But it was a mock trial. They knew before a word was spoken that they would condemn an innocent man to die. And die he did, enduring the shame, the pain, the torture, the hell of the cross... in our place. And he took every time we've judged a pastor with bad criteria, every time we've had bad motives in our right actions, and every time we've kept the secret things of God secret, all on himself. And he took every one of our sins away.

Now as we stand trial before God's court, when we die or when Jesus returns, we don't need to be afraid. Because we know we will receive a favorable judgment from God who's chosen us, who's justified us by Jesus' sacrifice, declaring every one of our actions to be right and good and blameless so it's just-as-if-I'd never sinned. Now, when the Lord comes at the appointed time and brings to light what is hidden in darkness, even exposing the motives of men's heart, you will receive praise, not condemnation, from God. For you'll have nothing to hide! Even every sinful motive is removed by faith in Christ and every impurity is burned up in the refiners fire!

And now we can't help but say, "Jesus, how can I ever thank you for what you've done for me, making me, as unfaithful as I am, faithful in God's sight, for judging me innocent when I've been so guilty, for giving me praise when I deserve hell?" And he tells us how. We who have been entrusted with these secret things of God can prove faithful. Share the truths of God's Word that you have learned. Share them boldly. Who cares if you're judged in a human court by human standards? You're judged innocent by God!

You know the word translated as "servant" in verse 1 is literally an "under-rower." Picture the slaves who were chained to their oars in the belly of the Roman galley. They rowed to the beat of the master's drum and followed his instructions exactly. It wasn't a "glorious" position, by any means. But it was an important one. It helped people get to their destination.

Likewise, as you and I follow our Master's instructions, it may not always be glorious, in fact, it may be painful as we're judged by other and rejected by some. But for others, we'll help them reach their destination. For faithful servants prepare people for Jesus' return by proclaiming the truths of God's Word—both Law and Gospel—that have been entrusted to them. Keep rowing to the beat of that drum, dear friends, and when he comes at the appointed time, what praise you'll receive from God! In Jesus' name, 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

Have you been blessed by our ministry at Grace? Consider supporting us with your generous gifts. Give securely online with a check or credit or debit card here: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Give

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Thanks for Nothing! (A sermon based on Habakkuk 3:17-19)

"Thanks for nothing!" That's not usually a very polite thing to say. But in our Thanksgiving Eve worship service, we were encouraged to thank God for nothing. Even if we had nothing in this world, none of the blessings God showers down on us every day, we would still have every reason to give thanks to him! For he became nothing for us, did nothing wrong in our place, and takes our sin away so the punishment we receive from God for our ingratitude is nothing. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Habakkuk 3:17-19 and thank God for those nothings this Thanksgiving and every day! 

Thanks for Nothing!

A sermon based on Habakkuk 3:17-19

Wednesday, November 25, 2015 – Thanksgiving Eve

 

At the annual Christmas party, the man opened the gift with eager expectation. And to his surprise, disappointment, and disgust, the gift was another man's used retainer. "Thanks... for nothing!"

While our moms all taught us that it's proper to say, "Thank you," when we receive a gift, "Thanks for nothing!" isn't usually a very polite way of talking. But tonight we realize that even though we don't usually talk very polite to God—at least we don't thank him nearly as much as we ought, nevertheless, we are encouraged to say to God, "Thanks… for nothing!"

While we're certainly thankful for all the blessings God showers down on us—the food, the clothes, the homes, the vehicles, the toys, and so much more! Even if we had nothing, we would still have every reason to thank him.

Our text for consideration this Thanksgiving Eve is taken from Habakkuk 3:17-19…

 

17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

 

Tonight we set aside time from our regular schedules to offer thanks to God for all that he's blessed us with. And that's good and proper that we do so! He has blessed us with so much! A quick glance at any of our garages will give indisputable evidence to that truth. A peek inside of any of our refrigerators and pantries will give proof to how well God provides. Logging in to any of our bank accounts will show that the poorest among us have way more than most in the world dream of having. And for all these gifts, we are thankful.

It's easy to thank God for all that we have when PFDs help pay off the bills, when our pantries are full, when we have so many toys! But what if you didn't have all that? Would you still be thankful to God? What if you had no spouse? What if you had no job? What if you had no house? No health? No friends? Would you still thank God even if you had nothing?

Habakkuk looked around and saw the results of God's discipline against his nation. The economy was in ruins. The farmers had no crops. The ranchers had no animals. "The fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls…" These blessings had all been stripped away at the hands of their enemies as a punishment from God.

And yet, Habakkuk still said, "yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." What a wonderful attitude he had!

Is yours the same?

Sadly, all too often we gripe and complain if we're missing just one of those blessings. Take away just my health and I whine like a baby. Take away the warm temperatures for a few days and we gripe about the cold. Offer some nutritious food that doesn't look that appealing and we gripe, "Do I have to eat that?" When the PFD—the free money that I did nothing to earn or deserve—is smaller than I'd hoped it might be, I complain that I don't have enough!

And over and over again we say to God, "Thanks for nothing!" "Sure, God, you took my sins away, but won't take away this constant pain in my body. Thanks for nothing." "Sure, you broke the bonds of hell, but I still have a broken family. Thanks for nothing." "Sure you saved me from Satan, but you won't save me from these bills. Thanks for nothing."

And whether we verbalize it or only think such thoughts in our heads, what ingratitude we show to God whenever we whine about the lack of blessings that God has given us, ignoring all that he has given! In essence, we say to God by the attitude of our hearts, "Thanks for nothing, God! Why don't you give me what I really want?"

And you know what we deserve. What we deserve is far worse than a used retainer. We deserve to have every blessing stripped from us. We deserve to be given nothing! No crops in the field and no food in our pantries. No Savior from sin, no grace of God. We deserve an eternity of regret in hell with none of God's blessings. And you know what we could do to change that situation? Absolutely nothing.

 

But you also know that we don't get the hell that we deserve.

Habakkuk said, "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Even with all earthly blessings gone, he could rejoice that he had a Savior, not just from a bad economy or an empty pantry, from a pile of bills or a broken family, but from his own sin and the punishment he rightly deserved.

And so can we! You know what punishment we get for our sin? Absolutely nothing! There is no punishment for our sin because Christ was punished in our place. And even if we lost all of our earthly blessings, we would still have every reason to thank God because our punishment for our ingratitude, our covetousness, and our greed, is… nothing! And we thank God for that nothing

When we rebelled, what did God have to do about it? Nothing. But in his love, he did everything. Jesus, who is "in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (Philippians 2:6-7) Thank God for that nothing that he became. And as a human he lived a perfect life in our place. The thief on the cross confessed, "We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." (Luke 23:41) Thank God for that nothing he did wrong! And taking our place, he took our sin away and gave us his perfection. So when God looks at us, he sees nothing wrong! Thank God for that nothing! And since we are perfect, sinless saints through Jesus' life and death for us, our punishment from God will be… nothing! Thank God for that nothing!

And even now, even if we lost all of our earthly blessings, even if we lost our families and our friends, even if we lost our jobs, our health, our minds, "The fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls…"  "Yet [we] will rejoice in the Lord, [we] will be joyful in God [our] Savior."

For we know that nothing can separate us from the love of God. (cf. Romans 8:39) And we say to God, "Thanks for nothing!" We know that nothing is impossible with God. (cf. Luke 1:37) And we say to God, "Thanks for nothing!"

And we don't just say, "Thanks," we live our lives for him in thanks for all he's given us knowing that our lives are worth nothing to us, if we might only finish the race and join God in heaven. (cf. Acts 20:24) We resolve to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:2) and to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit (cf. Philippians 2:3), but to serve God by serving others.

In thanks to God we will echo the praise of Job, who having lost everything—his wealth and his health, his children and his wife and his friends, still understood that "we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it," (1 Timothy 6:7) and declared, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." (Job 1:21)

Mar

​t​
in Rinkart was a Lutheran pastor in Eilenberg, Germany in the 1600's right as the Thirty Years' War broke out. In the middle of the war, a severe plague also broke out. And Rinkart conducted funeral services for as many as 40 to 50 people a day. He buried 4,480 people, in a single year including his own wife. And having lost everything, he still declared, "yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." And in that same year he penned these beautiful words:

 

Now thank we all our God With hearts and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things has done, In whom his world rejoices,

Who from our mother's arms Has blessed us on our way

With countless gifts of love And still is ours today.

 

Oh, may this bounteous God Through all our life be near us,

With ever-joyful hearts And blessed peace to cheer us

And keep us in his grace And guide us when perplexed

And free us from all ills In this world and the next.

 

Yes, even if we lost everything and were left with nothing, "Yet [we] will rejoice in the Lord, [we] will be joyful in God [our] Savior." And we will say to God with hearts full of gratitude, "Thanks, God, for nothing!" 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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