Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Always Thank God for His Grace (A sermon based on 1 Corinthians 1:3-9)

Well, Thanksgiving is over. Or is it? Let's not stop thanking God for his grace to us just because the holiday is over. But let's always give thanks for the way he's blessed us in the past, and for the way he promises to keep us in the future, as we use the gifts he's given us to serve him in the present. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 and be encouraged to always thank God for his grace...

Always Thank God for His Grace

A sermon based on 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Sunday, November 27, 2005 – Advent 1B

         

Well, the leftovers are in the fridge. The mad dash to the stores Friday morning are done. I'm a few pounds heaver than I was when we met last. And another Thanksgiving has come and gone and now it's all over. But, like we heard on Wednesday night, thanksgiving isn't just a one-day event, but something we continue to do throughout the year. We constantly give thanks to God throughout our lives.

This morning, as we begin a new church year, as we begin the season of Advent, how fitting it is that we continue to give thanks to God. As we look forward to the coming of our Savior, we thank God for the grace that lets us anticipate his coming, rather than dread it. We're reminded to always thank God for his grace, thank him for the way he has blessed us already, and thank him for the promise that he will continue to bless us by keeping us strong until Christ comes again in glory where we will receive his ultimate blessings. Listen now to Paul's comforting greeting in 1 Corinthians 1:3-9…

 

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

 

I.        For the Way He Has Blessed Us (v3-7) 

The Corinthian congregation was a mess. They were split into factions, caught in sexual sins, they were suing each other in court, getting drunk at the Lord's Supper, denied the resurrection, and used the gospel message to justify their actions saying that in Christ, "Everything is permissible!"

Paul had his work cut out for him. He spent the better part of 16 chapters addressing the problems the Corinthian congregation faced. But before he began addressing the issues they needed to deal with he reminded them who they were. They were, "sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy." And in spite of their problems they were still Christians. Therefore Paul had every reason to give thanks to God for his grace.

He began with that familiar phrase you hear in one form or another almost every Sunday… 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that familiar verse is more than just a sermon opener. It's actually an entire sermon in itself. Now while some of you are thinking, "We wish Pastor Guenther's sermons were that short," you're out of luck. I'm going to elaborate, just so we don't miss something…

In spite of their problems Paul and the Corinthians could give thanks to God. They could thank him for the incredible way he had blessed them. God gave them his grace and a real peace that resulted from it. Though they deserved to be damned for their factions, their sexual sins, their abuse of the Lord's Supper, and their abuse of the gospel itself, they didn't get what they deserved. Instead of God's anger, he gave them his grace.

4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. God sent his own son to take their place and suffer the punishment they deserved. Jesus loved them so much he went to hell to pay for their sins. And By this sacrifice of grace they were God's own children and at peace with him. God was not angry with them in spite of all their sin.

And God's grace to the Corinthians didn't stop there. He not only rescued them from hell, but he equipped them for a life of service to him. He gave them all they needed to serve him, enriching them in every way. Paul writes, 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift…"

The Corinthians had spiritual knowledge and the conviction to speak about it to each other and to those outside the church. They had been given all sorts of spiritual gifts. In chapter twelve Paul lists a sampling of what God had given them… "wisdom… knowledge… faith… gifts of healing… miraculous powers… prophecy… speaking in [and interpreting] different [languages]."

They lacked no spiritual gift and these gifts confirmed the fact that the gospel was active in their lives in spite of all their problems. God had certainly blessed the Corinthians in the past and gave them every reason to give thanks to God by offering their lives to him in service.

And dear friends, God in his grace has blessed us just as richly….

God has certainly given us his grace, his undeserved love. We don't deserve God's love any more than the Corinthians did because our lives are just as much of a mess as theirs, just as ravaged by sin. Though our sin, may or may not come in the same varieties as the Corinthians, we too are ungrateful for the gifts we've received. We too misuse our gifts. We too choose to serve ourselves above God. We too try to justify our sinful actions and explain why we're not really all that bad. And we too deserve to have God be angry with us and to act on that anger.

But that's not what we get. Instead we get his grace. Billy Graham once explained God's grace like this. He tells the story of how he was caught speeding through a small town he would be preaching at the next morning. The officer pulled him over and explained that he was going ten miles over the limit and had to pay the fine. But when the officer realized who it was, he pulled out his own checkbook and said, "Rev. Graham, the law was violated and the penalty must be paid. But, sir, I'd like to pay it for you." He then wrote out a check to pay the fine and took Billy Graham out to dinner. "That," said Rev. Graham, "is exactly how God treats us sinners in his grace."

And we, like the Corinthians have a wonderful peace as a result of that grace. There's no more fine to pay. It's already been paid by Christ on the cross. There's no more fear of God's anger. He already vented it all on his own Son. And in Christ, we too have every reason to thank God for the grace given us in Christ Jesus.

And what's more, God has given us every blessing we need to serve him in thanksgiving in this life. We too have been enriched in every way. Some people speak without knowledge. They talk all day, but never really say a thing, at least nothing worth listening to. Others have great knowledge, even about things that really matter, but they're afraid to speak up and share those things. But we have been enriched in every way—in all our speaking and in all our knowledge. We know the only message that really matters. We know what Christ has done for us on the cross. We know that heaven itself is ours by God's grace. And God gives us the courage to speak of these things with one another and with those outside the church. And he gives us countless other blessings as well…

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:6-8)

We, like the Corinthians lack no spiritual gifts. The Holy Spirit has given us blessings as he sees fit. And he gives them to us, that we might use them as we "eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed."

 

II.      For the Way He Will Keep Us (7-9) 

Now, Paul pointed out to the Corinthians that he and they could be thankful to God not only for the way he had blessed them in the past, or for the gifts he'd given them to use in the present, but also for the way he promised he would keep them in the future. He said… 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

With their sins forgiven, the Corinthians no longer lived in fear of Christ's return, but in eager anticipation of that great and glorious day. And they could use the spiritual gifts they'd been given to express their thanksgiving to God, for not only taking their sins away and giving them their spiritual gifts, but for promising to keep them strong in the future.

And we can do the same. With our sins forgiven, the thought of Christ's advent, that is, his coming, is no longer full of terror. He already came to earth once before. And he came to suffer in our place to take away our sin and our dread of facing God's judgment. Now we look forward to that great day with eager anticipation, sitting on the edge of our seats.

My three-, almost four-year old, Joel, is starting to get a better idea of time. But it's still a bit confused. When we told him early last week that it was a special week because he had a thanksgiving feast at school and another one at church. But every day he kept asking, "Is today the celebration?" "No. That's on Wednesday." "Is today the celebration?" "No. Tomorrow." And after Wednesday morning's meal he knew there was another at church. "Is today the celebration?" "No. That one's tomorrow."  "Is today the celebration?" "Yes. Today." "Is the celebration now?" "No. It's only 7am. It's later today." You could say that Joel eagerly awaited the celebration.

In the same way, we eagerly await the celebration to come in heaven. Because we know Christ's grace, because we feel his peace, we can't wait for his advent. We know that he's coming again. We know it will happen soon. And we know what the blessed results will be when he does—an eternal celebration! — an eternity of sin-free, pain-free, sorrow-free joy forever with our Savior!

That thought fills our hearts and occupies our minds so we say over and over again, "Is today the celebration?" "Is today the celebration?" And that eager anticipation, that excitement, moves us to use our gifts faithfully until he comes.

But what about when we fail to use those gifts? What about when the problems and the hurt and the pain of this life draw our attention away from Jesus' impending advent? What about when we fail to keep our focus on the grace and peace we have in Christ and fail to give thanks to God? Should we be worried we miss out on God's grace? No.

We can remain thankful; thankful that staying in the faith doesn't depend on us. What Paul writes to the Corinthians applies to us just as well, 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Go home this afternoon and take a look at some of the processed foods in your pantry. Read the list of ingredients and notice how many preservatives you find. Now, I'm not going to talk about whether that's healthy or not, but can you imagine if these companies would mass produce these foods and send them out without preservatives? I don't know about you, but I don't think I'd eat any of. By the time it made it into Alaska, let alone into my house, the food would be rotten—fit for nothing but the trash. Thank God, that we're not like that! God gives us his preservatives.

God brought us to faith and he will keep us strong in that faith to the very end. In his love he'll continue to remind us of our sin. And he'll continue to remind us of his grace—that we're forgiven for our every failure, for every time we've lost our eagerness for his return, for every time we've failed to use our gifts to thank him.

He will continue to strengthen our faith through his Word and through the Sacrament—where he comes to us today. Even if we are faithless, he will continue to remain faithful. Though we can turn our backs on him, he'll never turn his back on us.

He who called us into fellowship, a most intimate union, with Jesus, will do all he needs to do to keep us in that relationship with his Son until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ—his final advent, when he comes again in glory. And on that day, we will be found blameless in God's sight, not only acquitted of all the charges brought against us, but blameless. No one will be able to bring any charge against us at all, because in God's grace we are covered in Christ's blood and appear sinless, innocent, perfect, blameless.

How do we know God will keep that promise? How do we know he'll keep us faithful to the end? Because of who God is. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. God will not, can not ever back down from a promise he makes in his love. He will remain faithful. He will keep us strong to the end—until we join in him in that eternal celebration.

Thank God that our salvation doesn't depend on us in any way! We are saved by his grace from first to last! He sent his Son to die in our place. He brought us to faith in that gospel message. He brought us peace through that faith. And he will keep us faithful to him until Christ Jesus, our Savior, comes. Now, serve him faithfully with all the gifts he's given you as you eagerly await that glorious day! And always thank God for his amazing grace! In Jesus' 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

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

"I'll Shepherd Them Myself" (A sermon based on Ezekiel 34:11-16, 23-24)

"I'll do it myself." Have you ever said that as you took back a project you gave to someone else because you knew they wouldn't be able to do it quite as wellas you could? "If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself." That's sort of what God said as he saw what kind of a job the shepherds he had placed over his people were doing. They weren't doing a very good job (to put it mildly), so God would do it himself. "I'll shepherd them myself," he said as he took over the job. And how thankful we are! We have Christ as our perfect Shepherd and King, who fought our battles for us and did a perfect job. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Ezekiel 34:11-16, 23-24 and rejoice that God did it himself...

"I'll Shepherd Them Myself"

A sermon based on Ezekiel 34:11-16, 23-24

Sunday, November 20, 2016 – Christ the King A

 

"I'll do it myself." That's what the perfectionist boss said as he took the project he had delegated back. It wasn't done to his standards. And he came to the conclusion that if the project was going to be done right, then, well, he would have to do it. No one could do it as well as he could.

That's sort of what's going on in our text for this morning. Jesus is a perfectionist. Literally! He demands nothing but perfection. But the people that he had delegated the job to weren't just doing a less than perfect job, they were doing a horrible job.

And Jesus, knowing that no one could do it as well as he could, that no one could do the job at all, except for him, stepped in and said, "I'll do it myself."

 

11 "'For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd.

24 I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken. 

 

I.              Out with the Old 

The leaders God had appointed to shepherd his people weren't just crying wolf and abandoning the flock when real danger came. No. They were far worse shepherds than that. They fleeced the flock.

Imagine a shepherd hired to watch the sheep, who regularly sheared one or two without the owner's knowledge, taking the fleece home for himself. Or on occasion when he had something to celebrate, he would slaughter one of the sheep without the owner's knowledge, and enjoy a nice mutton dinner.

This is situation God found himself in. He had called shepherds—prophets, priests, and kings—to guard his flock—his people Israel—keeping them safe, feeding them with the promises of his Word, caring for them with the utmost care remember that they were serving God.

But these despicable shepherds were fleecing the flock. Rather than caring for the people, they were just using them to fill their bellies and their purses, to pad their couches and their bank accounts.

And God had had enough. He loved his people too much to let the abuse continue. In the opening words of Ezekiel 34 this is what God had to say: 

"The word of the Lord came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally…  

7 "'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord…  

10 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them." (Ezekiel 34:1-4, 7, 10)

The shepherds were doing a pretty bad job—to put it mildly. They weren't meeting God's standards. And God loved his people too much to let the abuse go on. So God would fix the problem. He would remove these wicked leaders from their positions of leadership and God would do the job himself.

What a strong warning for me, who's title, Pastor, means "Shepherd," who has been called to shepherd you! What a strong warning for our councilmen and elders who have been called to assist with that task!

What a strong warning for the leaders of our nation who have been called by God (for it's he, not just some election, who has established them in their position. See Romans 13.). What a stern warning for the pastors of our nation who often abuse that position of shepherd to line their pockets and fill their bank accounts, who tell their flocks that God wants them to have their best lives now if only they'd give enough, who fleece their flocks and butcher their souls as they lead them to look at their efforts and not to Christ.

What will be the result for our nation? Will God let us be taken captive as a way to discipline us? Will he strip us of our blessings and punish us by some foreign nation? I don't know. But seeing the way that leaders abuse their power can sure be frustrating, can't it?

Are you frustrated with the leaders of our nation? Are you frustrated with the clergy of the United States? Are you frustrated with… yourself?

"Wait? What? Where did that come from?" you might object. "I'm no leader!" No? Who is a leader? Anyone who leads others. "Well, that's not me!" you say? Well, if that's true, then that's to your shame! We are all called to lead others. In a leadership book I once read it says this: "Anytime you influence the thinking, beliefs, or development of another person, you're engaging in leadership."[1] That's absolutely true. And that means that you can (and should) lead whether you're the CEO or manager, or the bookkeeper or janitor.

"Are you your brother's keeper?" Yes! You are! You are responsible for those in your life. You are responsible to lead others to Jesus: your own family, your friends and co-workers, complete strangers by the way you support the church at large. You are responsible to lead by the example that you set in the way you live your life. You are responsible to lead by the words you say. You are responsible by the way you not only behave, but in your attitudes.

Are you a good leader? Always? … Me neither. And for our selfish abuse of the positions that God has put us in, we deserve to have God say of us, "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against [you] and will hold [you] accountable for my flock. I will remove [you] from [your position] so that [you] no longer feed [your]selves. I will rescue my flock from [your] mouths, and it will no longer be food for [you]." (Ezekiel 34:10, paraphrased)

In fact, we deserve to have God not just fire us, but punish us severely for our failure to lead others, just as he had once warned Ezekiel: "When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood." (Ezekiel 3:18)

That's what we deserve. But instead, God stepped in to care for his people. He would shepherd them himself… 

II.            In with the New 

Hey, did you guys hear about the man who ran over himself? He asked his wife to run over to the store to get him some snacks to eat during the football game. But she refused, saying she was too busy. So he grabbed his keys, got in the car, and ran over himself. J

But seriously, you've heard the maxim that if you want something done right, you'd better just do it yourself. That's how God felt in dealing with his people. He had appointed shepherds to care for his flock. But they weren't doing a very good job. And God cared too much for his flock to let them all die a slow, spiritual death, so God would take care of this himself.

11 "'For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them… I [will] look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered… I will bring them out… I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them… I will tend them in a good pasture… I myself will tend my sheep… I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak… I will shepherd the flock…  

23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd.

24 I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.

But wait a second! If God would shepherd his people himself—which he said he'd do 10 times in 6 verses!—then why does he end saying that he'd have David shepherd them? Why does he call David their prince when he would rule?

And remember your Old Testament History? When did David live? About 1000 BC. When did Ezekiel live and write? About 400 years later, around 600 BC! So how could Ezekiel say that David, who had been dead for 4 centuries by now, could be their Shepherd and their prince?!

We only need to look at the promise that God made to David in 1 Chronicles 17(:10-14) to find the answer to the riddle. There he said to David, "I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom… I will establish his throne forever… I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.' "

You know the fulfillment wasn't just in Solomon—for his reign didn't last forever, which God promised David 3 times! But you know who's reign does last forever. You know that this promise really referred to Jesus just as it's explained in Luke 1(:31-33) when Gabriel said to Mary, "31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

So when God told Ezekiel that David would shepherd his people he was really referring to Jesus. And all the things Ezekiel described, Jesus has done and still does for us! What a perfect Shepherd-King he is!

Jesus, the King of Love, my Shepherd is because he perfectly cared for his flock, even laying down his life for his sheep See John 10:11 and, really, all of John 10, the "Good Shepherd" chapter.

And that payment the God-man made with his life on the cross still counts for us. We are forgiven for our failure to lead others, for our selfishness in using others, and for every sin. And we are forgiven because Jesus went after the lost sheep with a passion that left 99 others behind to save that one. See Luke 15:4-7, and really, all of Luke 15, the "Love for the Lost" chapter. He came after us.

But his work as Shepherd-King still isn't done. Now Jesus rules all things for the good of his Church and for us who are in it. See Romans 8:28 and Ephesians 1:22. He still leads us to the quiet waters of his Word where he gives us peace. See Psalm 23. And one day soon he will lead us into his heavenly pasture as he's promised in Revelation 7(:15-17): He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

So we praise our perfect Shepherd-King. We live, no longer for ourselves only taking more for us, but we live for him. And that means we live for others, doing all we can to lead them to our Good Shepherd.

In other words, we strive to be the leaders he's made us to be! We strive to be faithful shepherds for our King! After all, the King has made us not only his sheep, but his sons and daughters—princes and princesses! He's given us the authority to speak on his behalf. He's given us a mission to carry out for him. So it's time to step up and lead!

No more "crying wolf" with our excuses! No more fleecing the flock by using others for our selfish ends. No! Now we do all we all we can to "influence the thinking, beliefs, or development of [others]… and [engage] in leadership." We lead, not because we must, or because we're afraid the King will punish us if we don't, but because we long to thank him for the way he has served us himself as the perfect Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep, who rules all things for our good, who promises to take us to be with him soon. In Jesus' name dear friends, go lead! Amen.

 



[1] Great Leaders Grow: Becoming a Leader for Life by Ken Blanchard & Mark Miller.


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

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

You’re Being So Unreasonable! (A sermon based on Isaiah 1:10-18)

Do you ever stop before you eat dinner to ask, "Did we already pray?" Then the answer is obvious that you didn't. Have you ever recited the liturgy from memory or said the Lord's Prayer without actually thinking about the words you were saying? Prayer is more than mouthing the words. And worship is more than just showing up and sitting in the pew Sunday morning. In this week's sermon text God takes his people to task for their empty and hollow worship that they thought was earning God's favor. But after scolding them he gave the wonderful promise that though their sins were like scarlet they would be as white as snow. We too are guilty of empty worship of God. But it's not our sacrifices for him that matter. It's his sacrifice for us. And so, because of Jesus, though our sins were like scarlet they are now as white as snow. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Isaiah 1:10-18 and rejoice that God is so unreasonable to us in his grace...

You're Being So Unreasonable!

A sermon based on Isaiah 1:10-18

Sunday, November 13, 2016 – Pentecost 26A

 

"Arrrgghhhh! You're being so unreasonable! Would you just listen to what I'm saying?!" I'm sure that that or something similar has been said a lot in the last couple of weeks leading up to Tuesday's elections as party supporters tried to convince their opponents to leave the dark side and come over to the light. "You're being so unreasonable!" may have been said in a fight between husband and wife as they kept talking past each other and not finding middle ground. "You're being so unreasonable!" the teen shouts at her parent when she doesn't like the "stupid rules" arbitrarily imposed upon her.

And this morning, "You're being so unreasonable!" is what God tells his people in an argument he was having with them. "Be reasonable," he says through Isaiah. "Listen to what I have to say! Your hollow, empty worship—just going through the motions and mouthing the words—isn't working." "But let's reason together," he pleads, "Listen to my solution."

Our text for consideration for this morning is taken from Isaiah 1:10-18…

 

10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11 "The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?" says the Lord. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your evil assemblies. 14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; 16 wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, 17 learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

 

I.        Be Reasonable: Empty Motions Don't Work 

"Fine. I'm sorry. There! Now are you happy?!" Of course he knew the answer to the question before he asked it with such sarcasm. Of course his wife wasn't happy with an apology like that. Who would be? He obviously wasn't sorry. He was glad about what he did and he would gladly do it again. He just knew that she would remain cold until he said the words, "I'm sorry." So he said it, not meaning a word of it, just to get her off his back.

That's sort of what the Israelites were doing. They had been disciplined by God for their rebellion against him as he let enemy after enemy attack and hurt his people. He did it to try to lead them to repent—to see their sin, to feel the remorse over what they'd done, and to turn to him confessing it all so he could make things right. But they didn't really feel sorry at all. They were sorry they were caught. They were sorry they were being punished. But they were planning to commit the same sins tomorrow as they confessed them that afternoon. "Fine. I'm sorry. Now are you happy, God?"

But come on! Be reasonable! That kind of apology doesn't work. Reciting the words, but meaning none of them, doesn't work with your spouse! How foolish to think it would work with an omniscient God who can read your thoughts and your heart.

So God called them, "rulers of Sodom… people of Gomorrah," because that's what they were acting like—people who didn't know God or care to know him, who only wanted to serve their own sinful appetites. Then later, they would go through the motions and sacrifice an animal or two (like the remorseless husband bringing home some flowers). "There. Now are you happy, God?"

But God called such worship a "trampling of [his] court… meaningless offerings… detestable to him." Their worship services he called, "evil assemblies." He said his soul hated them! "They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them." In fact, he said he would stop listening to their prayers, so hollow were the words without any sincerity.

"Be reasonable!" God cried, "Quit acting like this. Or you know what the consequences will be." But would they listen?

 

Will we? Let's face it, don't we sometimes mouth the words? We go through the motions and recite the words of the liturgy from memory without thinking about them at all. Don't we sometimes nod off during the sermon? Or read a page of our Bibles and get to the end without having actually read any of it. "What did I just read?" Don't we sometimes pause before we eat and ask, "Did we already pray?" Of course, if you have to ask the answer is that you didn't—not if you didn't think about what you were reciting.

And we too trample God's courts. We give meaningless offerings, detestable to God. When we think we worship God by going through the motions, or thinking we're somehow earning his favor by it, well, those are evil assemblies, a burden to God, and they weary him.

But it gets worse. "Hear the word of the Lord," Isaiah cries. And what does the Word of the Lord say? "Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong! "In other words, don't sin any more, ever again, or simply, "Be perfect." And, of course, you know that we can't do that. And even if we could tomorrow it wouldn't undo the sins of yesterday.

We deserve to be called, "rulers of Sodom… people of Gomorrah." We deserve to have God stop listening to our prayers. And we deserve the same destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with burning sulfur falling from the sky on our heads. We deserve the fire of hell. In fact hell is when God can't bear to have you in his presence any more. It's separation from him, when he, "hide[s his] eyes from you… [when he] will not listen."

And to think that there's anything that you or I could ever do—any sacrifice that we could ever make—that would change that fact… well, I'd say, "You're being so unreasonable!"

But… Thank God…  that even though there's nothing you or I could ever do, there is something that he did. And, to be honest, it's completely unreasonable! Literally, there is no reason for it, but that he is a gracious God.

 

II.      Be Reasonable: Trust in My Cleansing 

The truth is that on your own you are stained. You are scarlet, crimson, the color of blood shed. While you may not have ever actually killed someone, your souls are stained red with the blood of Jesus because it was for your sin that the Godman had to die. You are responsible for his death!

So am I.

But your souls are NOT stained red with the blood of Jesus, because by his sacrifice, by his blood shed, he has made you white as snow.

Every day the Israelites brought their sacrifices to the temple. Every day they brought more and more animals to be butchered and to die. But what were those sacrifices all about? They were NOT to earn God's favor. They were not to bring gifts to God that would make him like them again. No! They were not about the gifts people gave to God, but were all pointing ahead to the Gift that God would give to all people. They were all to point ahead to the perfect sacrifice that Jesus, the Great High Priest, would make on behalf of all mankind.

And so, after scolding the people with harsh law, the tone suddenly changes in verse 18: "Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

Like a dad scolding his child, then immediately inviting him to come sit in his lap so he could comfort that child, God, after scolding his children, invited them to come to him now for comfort.

There is snow in the forecast for Tuesday. And I, for one, hope it does snow. I think it looks absolutely beautiful outside when all of the dead, brown grass, the gravel, the dirt, are all covered with a pure, pristine blanket of snow.

And that's what God has done for us. He's covered our filthy, dirty sins with a blanket of his righteousness. So we look perfect, pure, and holy before God, in spite of all the times we've made a mockery of worship by just going through the motions, in spite of the times we've thought that our gifts somehow earned God's love, in spite of every one of our sins. Perfect. Sinless. Holy. White as snow. And this, not by any effort or sacrifice on our part, but entirely by his sacrifice for us.

And why did he do it? For no reason at all! We could rightly say to God, "You're being so unreasonable!" And add, "Thank you! So, so much!!"

So be reasonable, friends, stop trying to earn God's favor. I promise it won't work. But instead put your trust in him and in his unreasonable love for you—a love that covers you in a blanket of righteousness that covers your every sin like a blanket of snow covers the dirty ground.

And then, stop doing wrong! Learn to do right!

 

III.    Be Reasonable: Learn to Do Right to Show Thanks 

If someone were to free you from prison—from death row—then pay for all of your medical bills, every liposuction and cosmetic surgery so you were healthy and fit and great looking, then not only provide you with a mansion, but completely pay for it and give you a $50,000 monthly stipend for the rest of your life… would anyone need to remind you to say "Thank you" to that benefactor? Of course not! To someone who remained ungrateful for such wonderful gifts, you and I would rightly say, "You're being so unreasonable!"

Likewise, friends, we know that Jesus has freed us from hell—from an eternal death—and he made us spiritually fit and promised that our glorified bodies will be perfect—healthy and fit and great looking! Then he not only won a place for us in heaven, but promised that he's preparing a room for us in that glorious mansion, and he promises that we will have all that we need to be happy and fulfilled in the glory that awaits us! Now, do we need to be told to say, "Thank you"? Don't be so unreasonable!

No. We're eager to thank our Savior for making our scarlet sins as white as snow, for taking our crimson sins and making them like wool. We don't need to be told to thank him for his forgiveness and for the many blessings that it brings. No! We're eager to do it.

And how do we thank him? Well, we, "Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow."

We encourage our family members and co-workers who are oppressed by their sin and we comfort them with the Gospel of Jesus' forgiveness. We defend the fatherless and look after the kids who have no dad. We plead the case of the widow and show hospitality and love to those who feel alone in the world, sharing especially our Savior's love with them.

In other words, "in view of God's mercy… [we] offer [our] bodies as living sacrifices." (Romans 12:1) We use our different gifts to serve the body of believers. We invest the talents that our Master has given us to serve his ends and to share God's grace with others. We do as we so often pray and give, "all that we have, our bodies and minds, our time and skills, our ministries and offerings, and use them to [his] glory. We give ourselves to [him] that we [might] serve [him] in whatever way is pleasing in [his] sight."

And we do it all, not to earn God's favor. Come on! Be reasonable! That's never going to happen! But we give our very lives to show our gratitude that we already have his favor—by his totally unreasonable grace to us! We offer ourselves to him in thanks that, "The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7), that "Though [our] sins [were] like scarlet, they [are] as white as snow; though they [were] red as crimson, they [are] like wool." In the name of Jesus, our Savior from sin, amen, 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

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Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Made Pure by the Lamb (A sermon based on Revelation 7:9-17)

It's time to do laundry again. There's nothing clean left to wear! Doesn't it often seem the same in our lives of sin? We get our souls dirty again and again by our sins. And with the filth of our sin, we could never enter heaven. Thank God then that he sent Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and gives us pure, clean white robes of his righteousness that make us clean! As we observe All Saints Day this week, we rejoice that in Christ and by his blood, we are made pure. And so we are all saints today and will join all the saints in heaven one day soon! Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Revelation 7:9-17 and rejoice that we are made pure by the Lamb!

Made Pure by the Lamb

A sermon based on Revelation 7:9-17

Sunday, November 6, 2016 – All Saints Day Observed

 

After the worship service this morning, we're starting a new Bible Study on the book of Revelation. And I hope you can all stick around for it. But in this morning's lesson we'll see how the big picture message of the last book of the Bible is that God's people will suffer in this life, but how through Christ they will overcome and win the ultimate victory, if they will remain patient and endure the struggles they face without losing their faith.

This past Tuesday was All Saints Day. A day set we set aside in the church year to rejoice over those saints who have gone before us, who have endured the struggles of this life without losing their faith and have won the ultimate victory!

And this morning as we take a look at a portion of the last book of Bible, and observe All Saints Day, we rejoice that we are all saints through faith in Jesus, the Lamb of God, and by his blood that cleanses us of all our sin and makes us pure. And we are encouraged to remain patient then as we endure the struggles of this life without losing our faith. Then, one day soon, we will join all the saints in heaven.

Our text for consideration this morning is found in Revelation 7:9-17…

 

9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?"

14 I answered, "Sir, you know."

And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." 

I.     Saints in Heaven 

The Book of Revelation can be a frightening book. There are lots of warnings that describe how bad things will get in the end times (in which we now live), how much persecution God's people will face, and how hard God's enemies will fight to destroy our souls. But the Book of Revelation also contains some of the most comforting pictures and promises. This morning we get the latter…

What a sight John saw in this vision of heaven. He saw "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne [of God] and in front of the Lamb" that is, Jesus. John got a glimpse of the saints in heaven, "who have come out of the great tribulation," who won "and were holding palm branches"—a symbol of victory! And now they dwell with God himself in a place without hunger or thirst, discomfort or tears.

This vision was meant to encourage John and to encourage us. See the saints in heaven and how they won the victory and be encouraged to press on toward that victory yourself!

But how did they win? How were they victorious? Because they were so well behaved on this earth? No! They weren't saints by their own virtue. "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

This past week my Latin II students learned a few new words—words that have to do with chores around the house. One of those words is purgo, which means "I clean." It's the same root from which the word purgatory comes—that fictional place in the afterlife where Roman Catholics teach that one must be cleansed of their sins before they can enter heaven.

But no such place exists. These saints didn't have to be purged of their sins before they went to heaven. No! They were already clean by the blood of the Lamb. The Apostle John wrote in John 1:29 how John the Baptist saw Jesus and declared, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" He described in John 19 how Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross and how, "one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood…" And in his first epistle, in 1 John 1:7, he wrote, "the blood of Jesus, [God's] Son, purifies us from all sin." No more purging was needed. The saints in heaven are sinless, spotless, and holy, made clean by the blood of the Lamb—that is through faith in Jesus' sacrifice for them.

Now, some of you have had to celebrate your anniversary without your spouse, because they've died. Others of you have had to bury your own child or endure the pain of a miscarriage. Almost all of us have lost grandparents, or parents, or friends, or all three, to death.

But for our loved ones who died trusting in Jesus' sacrifice for them… the day of their death was not a sad day for them, but the very best they'd ever had prior to that day by far! For on that day they got to stand, "before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple…" Jesus came and, "spread his tent over them." And from that day on, and for forever and ever, "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst… And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Rejoice in the ultimate victory of the saints in heaven, dear friends! And while it's certainly okay for us to weep for our loss, rejoice in their victory.

But don't stop there. Now keep growing in your faith. Keep studying God's Word. Cling to the promises you find there. And there, find the strength to endure without losing your faith until you win the ultimate victory too! 

II.    Saints on Earth 

The reality is that we have not yet come out of the great tribulation. We're still in it right now. Tribulation, by the way, is just a fancy word for suffering, pain, and trouble. And that's what we have in this life, for now… but we too will overcome and we too will join the saints in heaven… if we're dressed right for it.

It was a five-star restaurant—you know the kind, where a shirt and tie are required. No tie, no food! And it was obvious to everyone at the restaurant that there was something off with the man who staggered into the establishment. For starters, he wasn't wearing a tie. In fact, he was a mess. His clothes were stained and he had a strong odor about him—of B.O., of booze, and of vomit. When he was told he had to have a tie to dine in that place, he started to throw a fit. And it wasn't long before security came to escort him out. He would not—he could not—enter that place the way he was.

That's the way that it is with God's heaven. If we're not dressed right, we can't get in. And friends, you know that we are not dressed right in our own filthy rags. Because every sin we commit leaves a stain on our souls. Every time we forget about the life to come and live only for this life, we put another disgusting stain on our rags. And so Isaiah rightly declared that, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…" (Isaiah 64:6)

I once ruined a perfectly good white dress shirt for the sake of a children's message. I asked the children if they knew why I wore a white robe every Sunday. And one of the kids gave a good answer when he said, "Because that's the uniform of a pastor." But I replied, "Yes, but I also wear it to cover myself up. Then I pulled back the corner of the robe to reveal my white dress shirt with a big stain of baby food—strained carrots, I think it was—that a 1-year-old Josiah eagerly helped me smear on my shirt before I came to church that morning.

Well, that's sort of what it's like for us. You may not have intentionally stained your clothes like I did that morning, but you have sinned, both accidentally and intentionally—knowing what God wants, but choosing something else. And those sins stain our souls and make us unacceptable before God. There's no way that we deserve to join all the saints in glory where everything is perfect and wonderful. No. We deserve to be kicked out of his heaven like that filthy drunk was kicked out of the five-star restaurant.

But… just as I'm wearing this white robe this morning, so that you have no idea what stains I might have on my dress shirt, so too, we all have been given a white robe in Christ that covers over all of the stains of our sins. And that robe is the robe of his righteousness. And that robe is a gift given to us, and nothing we have earned.

In fact, where the NIV says, "They were wearing white robes," the Greek literally says "They had been clothed in white robes." You see, the action is passive. They didn't put on these clothes themselves. Someone else put these robes on them. Someone else made them pure and holy. It's not something they did. It's not something they earned.

And obviously, you know who that someone else is: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb," the saints proclaimed. God, through Jesus, purged them and us—cleansed us!—of all of our sin. And it's not something we did or something we earned.

But now we are sinless, spotless, holy, and clean—already right now! We are perfect, sinless, saints through Jesus—washed clean by the blood of the Lamb! And so, as we celebrate All Saints Day, we rejoice that we are all saints today!

And since we know we are saints (even now), we know that one day soon, we will join all the saint in heaven and we too will be, "before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over [us]. 16 Never again will [we] hunger; never again will [we] thirst. The sun will not beat upon [us], nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be [our] shepherd; he will lead [us] to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes."

And so, we are encouraged to remain patient as we endure the struggles of this life—in whatever form they may take—without losing our faith. And one day soon, we will join all the saints in heaven in that perfect paradise. So serve God in thanks, remain patient in your struggles, and rejoice in the victory that is already yours! In Jesus' 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

Friday, November 4, 2016

Lord, Keep Us Steadfast In Your Word (A sermon based on Daniel 6:10-12, 16-23)

What would you do if you were faced with the option of being eaten by lions or denying your faith? Daniel remained steadfast and chose the lions. In a similar way Martin Luther expected to be branded a heretic and burned at the stake for daring to stand against the Roman Catholic church. Nevertheless, he remained steadfast and chose to take a stand for the truth. How did they find such courage? They were strengthened by the promises of God. They remained steadfast by the Word. So too, when we are faced with difficult decisions -- to serve God or save ourselves -- we pray, "Lord, keep us steadfast in your Word." And God promises he will. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Daniel 6:10-12, 16-23 and be encouraged by the Word to stay steadfast in your faith...

Lord, Keep Us Steadfast In Your Word
A sermon based on Daniel 6:10-12, 16-23
Reformation Sunday – October 30, 2016 

He heard the low growl getting closer. But he couldn't see clearly in the dark. He smelled the rancid meat on the breath of the beast. And he knew it was close. He wondered when the animal would attack. He anticipated the sharp fangs cutting into his neck and wondered if it would last long, if it would hurt for hours if he lived through the initial attack, or if it would all be over quickly. But soon he wondered if the animal would attack. And a while later he knew that it wouldn't. Nor would any of the beasts in that dark pit. He would live through the night. 

I wonder if Daniel had any second thoughts as he sat in the dark in that den full of hungry lion overnight. But even if he did, I'll bet he quickly came around and put his trust in God again. After all, there were only three outcomes: 1) he would be eaten and would go to be with his Savior, 2) he would be badly maimed, but would live on to serve his Lord another day, or 3) he would be rescued from the lions as his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had

But what gave Daniel such courage to defy the king's edict and refuse to bow to a statue? What gave Daniel such conviction to be willing to die for his God? What made Daniel so steadfast in the face of such a terrifying execution? It was the Word of God.

This morning as we celebrate the Reformation of the church, we rejoice that God kept such men as Daniel and Martin Luther steadfast as they faced death for taking a bold stand for the truth. But at the same time, recognizing that we too might face death for taking a bold stand for the truth, we pray to God, "Lord, keep us steadfast in your Word." 

Now Daniel was a prophet who lived in a time of trouble and turmoil for Israel. God had sent his prophets to Israel again and again to warn them to repent, to turn from their wicked ways and return to God. But they refused. So God sent a foreign nation, the Babylonians, to discipline them and make them reconsider.

Starting in about 605 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar led the Babylonians in a series of attacks against the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Three times they carried off the Israelites as prisoners of war, as exiles, into Babylon (that is, modern Iraq). And young Daniel, a teenager at the time, was one of the first to go.

The captives' life was rough, but not unbearable. They were allowed a certain amount of freedom. Some were even allowed to serve in the government. And Daniel quickly entered the king's service when he noticed how God had blessed him physically and intellectually. And Daniel served under several kings, continuing to serve even the Mede and Persian kings who conquered the Babylonians. This is where we find him in our familiar account for this morning. 

Now 80 years old he had been in exile for more than six decades, serving as a leader in a foreign land. But as a foreigner, a captive Israelite, there was certainly some jealousy from the Mede and Persian leaders under him. They desired his position of power and longed to remove him from his position. So they plotted against him. Not unlike politicians of today, they tried to dig up some dirt from his past; something, anything, with which they could accuse him of misconduct in office. But, because Daniel was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent, they found nothing. They had to trap him into breaking the law. They said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."

So here's their plan: "We know Daniel's habits. He prays to his God every day at set times. Let's use our king's vanity to get him to pass a law forbidding prayer. Daniel will surely keep praying. Then we've got him!" They said, "O King Darius, live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den. 8 Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." And King Darius bit. He put the decree in writing.

The trap was set. Now all they had to do was wait. What was Daniel to do? He knew that he was the target of this edict, even if the king didn't see it. And if he took a stand and disobeyed the king's edict, he could be thrown into a den of hungry lions and eaten alive! What a horrible way to go!

How tempting it must have been for him to stop praying for just thirty days. Or maybe to keep praying, but to do it in another room or at a different time of day when everyone else was asleep. Maybe he could just pray silently to God. God would hear him. God would understand.

But Daniel knew that any of these options would dishonor God as he tried to hide his faith to save his life. That was the worst that could happen to him, not the lions. If he went to the lions he might die—a horrible, grisly death. But then he would go to heaven! The victory would be his. But, on the other hand, if he denied his faith in God he would be compromising that faith and the results might last for eternity. The real danger was not the lions, but the temptation to deny God.

10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: "Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or man except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions' den?" The king answered, "The decree stands—in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." …

16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed.

What courage! What strength of faith! To ignore the plot! To deny the king! In the face of persecution Daniel didn't hide his faith or cower in an inner room, but boldly took his stand—even if it meant a horrible death!

 

In a similar way, about two thousand years later, a monk by the name of Martin Luther, had a plot out on his life. He didn't face a den of hungry lions, but instead risked being burned alive once he was labeled a heretic for going against the religious teaching of the Roman Catholic church. How tempting it must have been to back down, to take back some of what he said, to recant.

But he, like Daniel, couldn't hide his faith. Too much was at stake! At a time when the truth of the Gospel was all but lost, he had to proclaim the truth! He could not cower, but would continue to boldly preach and teach, proclaim and write the truth about the Gospel! That we are saved by God's grace alone, not by our merits in any way! We are saved through faith alone and not by our works or deeds! So he took his stand and was branded a heretic so that any who found him could legally take his life.

 

Now… What about us? Do we ever face opposition in our lives? I'm willing to bet that no one here has ever been thrown into a den of hungry lions for daring to pray to God. I'll bet no one here is a wanted criminal for sharing the gospel. Yet, we do face opposition of our own in other forms. We face ridicule and insults, considered intellectually inferior because we dare to believe that Jesus rose from the dead, that he is who he said he was, that he accomplished our salvation. We face lions of our own, don't we? Peter reminded the early church, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith."

But in the middle of the lions' den, it can be hard to stay faithful, can't it? And too often we cower. We stand down because we love ourselves more than we love our God. But thank God, then, that he sent his Son to fight against that roaring lion, to conquer the devil by being devoured by God's wrath in our place on the cross. Thank God that he did raise Jesus from the dead for our justification, so that now, by God's grace alone, through faith alone, we are rescued—from satan, from our own sin, from death, and from eternal death in hell. Through Christ alone, the victory is ours!

And now, for the way that he took a stand for us, we are moved to want to take a stand for him. So how do we stand tall in those times when extra courage is called for? How do we stay steadfast and faithful to our God like Daniel, like Luther? In short, we don't. Not on our own. It's God who keeps us faithful, just as he kept Daniel and Luther faithful to him… through his Word. So pray to him, "Lord, keep us steadfast, in your Word…"

How did God keep Daniel faithful? Well, at the time of the Babylonian captivity, the children of Israel had the books of the Bible from Genesis thru Jeremiah and a few of the other prophets. In Daniel chapter 9 he wrote, "I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years." He knew God's promises. And so he prayed to God holding him to those promises. In chapter 9 he went on…

"The curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you…  We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy." And he held God to the promise he read in those Scriptures.

Daniel even alluded to some of the things King Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple in his prayer in chapter 9: "When they sin against you and you give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far away, if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and pray toward the temple, then forgive your people, who have sinned against you." Daniel relied on the Scriptures and the promises they contained. He studied them. He knew them well. He drew his strength from the mercy of God that he found promised in them and in them he found courage to be steadfast and faithful in the face of fierce opposition and in the den of the lions.

 

In the same way, Martin Luther found his strength in God's written word. Assigned to teach the Bible at the University of Wittenberg, he found the gospel. He discovered the truth that we are saved by God's grace and mercy, not by anything we might do. Like Daniel, he relied on the Scriptures and the promises they contained. He studied them. He knew them well. He drew his strength from the mercy of God that he found promised in them and in them he found courage to be steadfast and faithful in the face of fierce opposition and in his trial before the emperor.

And friends, you know that we find our strength in the same place. We trust the Scriptures as the divinely inspired Word of God; the inerrant Word of God which tells us that we are sinful. Like Daniel we fall to our knees in repentance. And like Luther we cling to that Word which tells us by God's grace alone, through faith, and not by works, but as a gift from God we are made righteous through Christ's perfect life, innocent death, and victorious resurrection. We cling to that Word which reminds us that Christ will keep us faithful, even in the lion's den, even before emperors and kings.

And as we do, God will work through our faithful witness just like he did through Daniel's and Luther's.

18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.

19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?"

21 Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king."

23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Through Daniel's persecution, King Darius now knew without a doubt who the true God was. In Daniel 6:25-27 we read: 25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land: "May you prosper greatly! 26 "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. 27 He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."

In fact, Daniel wrote the account down so that we're still learning from it today, some twenty-six hundred years later, and through these events, the Lord is keeping us steadfast in his Word!

Likewise, God kept Martin Luther faithful so he could reform the church, restore the gospel to the people and put into writing most of his works to benefit future generations after him. And through Martin Luther, God put the Bible into the hands of the people, not just a small number of privileged few. So that now today, some five hundred years later, the Lord is keeping us steadfast in his Word!

And why does God keep us keep us steadfast? Why not just whisk us out of this life the moment we come to faith and spare us from any opposition and remove any chance that we might fall away? Well, he keeps us faithful in times of fierce opposition, through his Word, in order that we might share that Word with others. We can share with others that God in his grace and mercy has forgiven all our sins through Christ. Think of someone that you can share that message with this week. Let's celebrate this Reformation Day by telling others what God has done for them. And the Lord will keep us steadfast in his Word. Amen!

 

And now may our Gracious God continue to keep you steadfast in his Word until life's end. Amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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