Tuesday, December 31, 2013

We’re Saved by Our Good Looks (A sermon based on Isaiah 45:22)

You're good looking! Well, at least you are to God! :) Even though you once looked disgusting in the filth of your sin, when you look to God through faith in Christ, you look perfect and sinless to God! Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Isaiah 45:22 and be encouraged to keep looking to God and to help others do the same...


We're Saved by Our Good Looks

A sermon based on Isaiah 45:22

Sunday, December 29, 2013 – Christmas 1A

 

The Mormons were going door to door one afternoon and came across one strapping young gentleman, in his mid-30's, very handsome, though slightly balding. They asked this young man if he was saved. "Yup," the man replied, "I sure am." "Well, how do you know?" the missionaries prodded, "What makes you so sure that you're saved?" "Well," the man replied, "I know I'm saved because of my good looks." The missionaries were taken aback. "What? Because of your good looks?! You expect to get to heaven because of your good looks? No offense, pal, but you're not that good looking."


"I know it sounds arrogant," the man replied, "But let me explain. You see, I used to be concerned with only how I looked. I would look only to my own interests and looked at other people to see how I could use them. Those were all bad looks. But then, with the help of a friend, I took a look into the Bible. That was a good look! There by the work of the Holy Spirit, I learned what Jesus has done for me. Now I look to him in faith (another good look) and I know that I'm saved. So you see, I'm saved because of my good looks."


Dear friends, as we continue our Christmas celebration this morning, we take a look at a beautiful verse in the middle of Isaiah. Here we're reminded that we, and the whole world, are saved by our good looks. Even though on our own we once looked hideous to God in the filth of our sin, when we look to our Savior, Jesus and look to him in faith, we look perfect and holy to God. And we look for opportunities to share this good news with others. Listen to Isaiah 45:22:


"Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other." (NKJV)



I.              How We Look to God - Disgusting in Our Sin 

Now, if you were following along in your bulletin, you noticed that what I read was different than what's printed there. There it reads, "Turn to me, and be saved…" That's how the NIV translates the verse. But what I read is from the New King James Version. It's translated exactly the same except for the first word. There they translate the Hebrew, panah, literally "turn," with the word "look." "Look to Me and be saved." This, is how someone is saved. Not by what they do, but how they look.

Now don't get me wrong. No one is saved by their appearance. That could never be because on our own, we don't look very attractive to God. As a matter of fact, covered in the filth of our sins, the way we look to God, we're not just ugly, we were disgusting to him. We were hideous to a holy and sinless God because of the way we look.

You see, when we look at something which God forbids and simply entertain the idea of serving ourselves instead of him, we sin just like Eve did. "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it." (Genesis 3:6a)

When we desire things that God has told us we can't have, we ruin everything with just one look, just like Lot's wife did. The angel said to Lot and his family, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! …But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt." (Genesis 19:17,26)

When we let our eyes wander like King David's did we fall into sin. "One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her." (2 Samuel 11:2-3) And you know the rest of the story.

Jesus points out that because of the way we look with our eyes, we look like the worst of sinners to God. He said, "anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28) Because of the way we look with our eyes, we are covered in sin, and we look disgusting to God.

And if we look to our own will-power to improve, it won't work. How well did last year's New Year's resolutions go? If we look to self-help books or programs, they won't work. If we look to our deeds to try to seem attractive to God, they can't improve our appearance before him.

No matter where we look there's no solution to our dilemma… but one. That's why God said through Isaiah, "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other."



II.            How We Look to God - Through Faith in Jesus

Look to ourselves and our efforts and we're doomed to spend an eternity in hell. But look to God and he tells us what the result will be. "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth!" No one is excluded. This promise is made to the farthest limits, the very ends, of the earth.

And what do we have to do to be saved? Nothing. Look to God. That's why I prefer the New King James Version to the New International Version on this particular verse. "Turn to me," could be misunderstood that there's something we have to do. But he doesn't say do, but look. And what could be simpler than looking? Looking requires no effort.

Think of the Old Testament Israelites wandering in the wilderness. When they grumbled and complained against God, he sent venomous snakes to bite and kill them. But when they cried out to God in repentance, remember what God did? "The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived." (Numbers 21:8-9)

What did they have to do to be saved? They didn't have to do anything. With one good look at the bronze snake they were saved. That's how we are saved from our impure eyes and our disgusting looks because of our sin. We don't do anything. We look to Jesus.

When the Jailer at Philippi asked Paul and Silas what he had to do to be saved, they didn't tell him to do anything. They told him to, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31) In other words, they relayed the same message God gave the Israelites through Isaiah, "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth!"

What a loving and gracious God we have! Even though we deserve an eternity in hell for the way we look at ourselves, at God, and at the people around us, he hasn't given us what we deserve. Instead he offers his Son, Jesus, who was born as a baby to take the penalty our sins earned so that we don't have to do anything to get to heaven. He did it all. We just look to him. We look to the cross to see our sins forgiven. We look to the empty tomb as the guarantee.

So dear friends, let's continue to take a good look at Jesus every day and as the author to the Hebrews put it, "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2) And when we do, we look differently to God. We look goooood. J


III.           How We Look to God - Sinless and Holy 

When we look to Jesus in faith, our every sin is removed and we look perfect and sinless and holy. Paul says in Ephesians 5(:25-27), "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." In other words, we look good. We look better than most attractive supermodel to God. We look perfect.

And now, since we are sinless and perfect in his sight, God even entrusts this message of his grace, namely, that "everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life…" (John 6:40), to us. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:20, "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us."

And with the forgiveness of every one of our sins with no effort on our part, with the heaven that's ours, free of charge, that no once can ever take away from us, with the confidence that if God is on our side nothing can stop us, we are eager to boldly accept the challenge to reach the whole world one soul at a time.

After all, Jesus is the only way for them to be saved. God says, "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other." So our attitudes become the same as our Savior, who, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36) and we "open [our] eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." (Luke 4:35)

We reach out to the lost around us and look for those who need a good look at Jesus. We hold him up to be clearly seen by the way we speak about him and in the way we live for him. We support the work of our church and our synod with our financial gifts so that others can take the gospel to places where we aren't able to. We support these missionaries even more with our prayers. And we pray that more and more might look to Jesus and be saved, from all the ends of the earth.

In spite of the way we once looked to God, by grace he's taken that sin away when we did nothing but look to God, so that now the way we look to God is sinless and holy and perfect in every way. We really are saved by our good looks. Filled with gratitude and thanks to him for it, let's get to work to reach the whole world one soul at a time. Maybe you can start by telling a friend, a family member, a co-worker, or a neighbor all about how you are saved by your good looks. In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
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Saturday, December 28, 2013

Joy to the World, the Lord is Come (A sermon based on Psalm 98)

Merry Christmas! The Good News of great joy that is for all people fills us with so much joy that we can't help but sing our praise to God along with fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains. We repeat the sounding joy! Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Psalm 98 and sing for joy! Our Savior has been born! 

Joy to the World, the Lord is Come

A sermon based on Psalm 98

December 25, 2013 – Christmas Day C

 

7… 14… 8… 52…. 9… "Wait a second!" Tim thought, "those are the exact same numbers printed on the lottery ticket in his hand—the numbers they just announced!" He won! And it was no small amount. He won so much money that his mind couldn't even grasp how much it really was. It was more then he had ever seen. He was instantly wealthy, even after you took out the taxes. And Tim couldn't help it! He jumped up and down! He shouted out loud! He starting singing, "I'm in the money! I'm in the money!" That's how excited he was.

Have you ever been that excited? Ever been so enthused that you couldn't help but shout out loud? Ever been so full of joy that you can't help but sing? The psalmist that we hear from this morning is so full of joy that he simply can't contain himself. He's just got to sing! What got him so excited? Did he win the lottery? No. He was excited about the great things God had done for him.

And this morning, dear friends, this Christmas Day, I hope that you too are excited, not because of the presents you've received, or the family you're with, but because on that first Christmas Day God brought joy to the world, when the LORD came down as a baby. Listen now to the overwhelming joy expressed by the psalmist in Psalm 98…

 

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. 2 The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, 6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn— shout for joy before the Lord, the King. 7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

 

Wow! The psalmist sure is excited! Over what? Over the marvelous things the LORD had done. Perhaps he thought of the plagues God sent to release the Israelites from Egypt or the miracles he performed to preserve them in their wilderness wanderings! Maybe he thought of the battles God helped win and even fought for them! Time and time again God had worked salvation for his people by doing some pretty marvelous things.

But why did God do any of it? Why would God deliver that rebellious rabble who instantly began complaining against him the second they were rescued? Why would God bother saving them again and again? Well, it certainly wasn't because they were so great, but because God is. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel… God couldn't go back on his Word. He promised to deliver them and he promised to preserve them until the Messiah came. So that's exactly what he did.

And far more exciting still than saving them from physical death is what God did for his people spiritually. He worked salvation from sin for his people through that coming Messiah. He made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness through the prophets—the righteousness that he gave sinners through the coming Messiah.

Surely the psalmist must have been thinking about the promises God had made concerning the Messiah: "Eve's offspring would crush Satan's head." (Genesis 3:15) "All people on earth would be blessed through one of Abram's descendants." (Genesis 12:3) "One of David's descendants would establish God's house and would sit his throne forever." (1 Samuel 7:12-16) Perhaps he'd even heard the very vivid prophecy that, "God's servant would be stricken by God, pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, so that the punishment placed upon him might bring mankind peace." (Isaiah 53:4-5).

The salvation the LORD made known was greater than being saved from the Egyptians, greater than being saved out of the wilderness, greater than any military victory the Israelites achieved. It was a salvation from sin, from iniquity, from transgression and the punishment of hell these deserved. And this salvation was meant for all people. "The LORD… revealed his righteousness to the nations… All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." No one was excluded from this salvation! It was certainly meant even for them!

No wonder the psalmist had reason to rejoice! No wonder he tells God's people to sing! No wonder he tells the earth and inanimate creation to shout for joy and make music! His sins were forgiven! He had been saved! And not by his strength or effort, by the LORD's right hand and by His mighty arm.

 

And no wonder we rejoice today as well!

Psalm 98 ends with the reminder that "he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity." When you stop to consider that verse though, what joy is found there? How can we sing? If God is coming to judge in righteousness (that is, justice according to his standard of perfection), if he's going to judge in equity (giving each person what's fair, what he or she deserves) we ought to cower in fear!

We aren't righteous. We don't meet God's standard of perfection. In fact, we prove that in the way we break the 3rd Commandment. Remember how it goes in the Catechism? "Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. What does this mean? We should fear and love God that we do not despise preaching and the Word, but gladly hear and learn it." When we don't rejoice over the truth of God's Word, but view Bible class and worship as one more thing we have to do, like going to the dentist, we prove how sinful we are. When we don't sing for joy in our hearts if not out loud, we show how little we appreciate the forgiveness God gives. We don't want the Lord to judge us in equity. We don't want what's fair. It would be fair to send us to an eternity of torment in hell.

But instead of hell, we get heaven. Why? Because, "[the Lord] has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.  The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to [us! We] have seen the salvation of our God!"

We have been saved by that marvelous act of God himself, the King of the universe, becoming a human child! God has worked salvation for us, not by anything we do, but by his right hand and holy arm in sending that baby, his own Son, to be born in a manger, to live a perfect life in our place, to suffer hell on a cross in our place, to rise again in glory! He has made this salvation known to us in the Scriptures and has clearly revealed to us how he gives his righteousness to the nations; to the whole world—even to you and to me!

Joy to the world! The Lord has come to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. And we can't help but respond to this message! The psalmist writes these imperatives—these commands—in his song, "Sing to the Lord a new song… Shout for joy to the Lord… burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn— shout for joy before the Lord, the King.


But he hardly needs to give us a command. When we understand all that God has done for us, we can't help it! We're inspired by the salvation that God has worked for us! We are inspired by the salvation that he's made known to us! For we know that when "[the Lord] comes to judge the earth; [to] judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity," we know that he will judge us according to his righteousness that he's given to us and then he will give us what's fair! And that news is far more exciting than winning millions in the lottery! You've won salvation for eternity! That money can't buy. And you didn't have to do a thing for it! God did it all! And we are inspired. We're inspired to sing! To shout for joy! To burst into jubilant song and make music to the LORD!

And what do we sing? A new song! The same ol' song and dance of trying to earn our way into heaven is done away with. The new song of his salvation is played for us every day in the pages of our Bibles! And we can't help but sing along, in our music, in our actions, in our lives.

Even if you don't win the lottery, even if none of your Christmas wishes come true, even if you're otherwise miserable, you can still be like the tea kettle—which, when it's up to its neck in hot water, sings all the more loudly and clearly. For even then we are still inspired to sing: "Joy to the world! The Lord is come! Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare him room and heav'n and nature sing, and heav'n and nature sing, and heav'n and nature sing!" Amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
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God Does the Impossible (A sermon based on Luke 1:26-38)

Nothing is impossible with God! What comfort we find in that truth! God did the impossible in the person of Jesus when God became man so he could do the impossible job of rescuing us from our sin! He became man to be under the law and as God kept it perfectly in our place. He became man that the immortal God could die for our sins. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Luke 1:26-38 and rejoice that God does the impossible!

God Does the Impossible

A sermon based on Luke 1:26-38

Tuesday, December 24, 2013 – Christmas Eve

 

"That's impossible!" must have been a phrase Jesus grew accustomed to hearing. It's not possible for deadly diseases to disappear, for the lame to leap, for the blind to see. It's not possible for a human to walk on water or for five loaves of bread and two fish to satisfy five thousand people. It's not possible for the dead to come back to life.

But Jesus life was one characterized by the impossible. In fact, the very person of Jesus is the impossible. The fullness of the Deity—all of God—embodied in a human being seems as impossible as putting an elephant in a paper bag! Yet, God does the impossible. Nothing is impossible for him.

How do we know? Consider the news given to Mary. It seems unlikely, even impossible. But listen to what God promised as we read Luke 1:26-38…

 

26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 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." 34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God." 38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.



I.              The Lord Saves His People from Their Sin

 

Stand in Mary's sandals. Imagine you're at home minding your own business, when suddenly the room is filled with a light so bright that it makes a thousand spotlights seem dim. You're blinded by the brilliance! And before you have time to wonder if this is some alien abduction the brilliant light speaks… and you know exactly what it is standing before you. It's an angel—a messenger of the Most High, the Holy God! And he says to you, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Can you imagine standing there—sinner that you are— in the presence of the holy—a perfect sinless messenger of the perfect sinless God? No wonder Mary was greatly troubled! She wasn't worthy of a special visit from God. She wasn't holy or sinless in her thoughts and actions. She admitted as much in her song when she cried out, "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior." (Luke 1:47) She was a sinner who needed a Savior.

So can you imagine how exposed you would feel standing before the holy? Wondering how much the angel knows. Wondering what God has told him about you. Does he know what I said to my spouse this morning? Does he know that vindictive thought I had about my co-worker? Or about the seductive thought I had about my neighbor? Does he know where my every dollar has been wasted or how I've squandered the precious hours God has given me?

If an angel were to appear to you or me tonight we'd be just as troubled as Mary, just as terrified as the shepherds, because God's law has exposed our sin. Because we know that we don't deserve to be highly favored by God.

But the amazing thing is that instead of fearing, the news Gabriel brought gives us reason to be cheering…  "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High…"

Why don't we have to be afraid of a holy God? Because of Jesus, whose name means, "The Lord saves." And not just from not just from political enemies  or physical suffering, but from even more. An angel explained to Joseph. We heard it on Sunday: "You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) Seem impossible? Mary thought so, but the angel told her, "Nothing is impossible with God."

Only through her Son, the virgin-born, God-man, could this be possible. Born of God, not of man, he is true God. Born of Mary, true human, he is human. These are the necessary ingredients for our Savior. He had to be true man, that he who wrote the law, could be under the law. He had to be true God that he could do the otherwise impossible task of keeping it perfectly in our place, as "the holy one to be born." He had to be true man, so the immortal God who cannot die could do the impossible and die. And as true God, his death would be worth enough to pay for the sins of all mankind of all time.

It seems impossible that God would do all this, doesn't it? There's no reason for him to do it all! God didn't have to do any of it. He didn't need a Savior. When Gabriel told Mary, "Do not be afraid… you have found favor with God," the word translated "favor" is charis, the word we usually translate as "grace." Why did God save his people from their sins? Not because they're worthy, but because his grace is so bottomless it seems impossible.

But perhaps what seems most impossible of this whole account is that God did these things for you and for me. He not only did the seemingly impossible work of saving his people from their sins, but he did the seemingly impossible work of establishing his kingdom forever. A kingdom that continues 2000 years later. A kingdom that you and I are a part of!


II.            The Lord Establishes His Kingdom Forever 

I recently read that Italy has had more than fifty different governments in the last one hundred years. The great Kingdom of Rome, the likes of which the world has never seen, only lasted for 244 years. The US is doing remarkably well and getting close to Rome's record with the same government for 237 years! Kingdoms don't generally last that long. They rise and they fall. But not Jesus' kingdom. Of the increase of his government, his ruling, his kingdom, there is no end! The New Testament Church has been around for not 200 years, but for 2000 years. And will last, not just 2000 more, not just to the end of the world, but to eternity.

How do we know? Listen to the angels words… "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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

Jesus' Kingdom is not something that can fall like a government or a nation because Jesus Kingdom—his ruling—takes place in the hearts of believers. And this Kingdom—as impossible as it may seem—is established in you, 2000 years after it began, in the same way it did for Mary. God created faith in your heart through the Gospel. And that will last forever.

When Mary heard the good news she asked, "How will this be?" not as a question of unbelief, as if to say, "No way!" but in awe, mystified by God's grace and his plan for her. She expressed her faith and quiet trust in God's promises when she confessed, "I am the Lord's servant… May it be to me as you have said."

And you, friends, can have the same quiet trust in God and his ruling over all things as Mary…

Have you ever wondered, "Who am I that God should do all this for me? Who am I that he promises to work all things—even the struggles and problems of my life, the hurting relationships, the financial struggles, the failing health—He works it all for my good?!" It seems impossible, doesn't it? Almost too good to be true!

But nothing is impossible for God! If God can create life in the womb of a virgin, he can create life in your heart. He has been born of a virgin. He has saved you from your sin. And he has established his Kingdom in you. He has established his Kingdom for you. Nothing has stopped him for 2000 years and his Kingdom and his good purposes for you will continue to last forever!

You and I may not always understand "How will this be?" We may at times be mystified by God's ways in our lives. But we can put our trust in him as Mary did.

He's already done the impossible of saving you from your sins and he's done the impossible task of working faith in your heart to believe in these impossible promises. You are highly-favored! You have found favor and grace with God. You are forgiven! The Lord is with you! And he will work all things for your good just as he promised.

And one day soon God will do the impossible again. He will raise all the dead. And he'll take those in his Kingdom into eternal glory. And "He will reign… forever; his kingdom will never end." "When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we'd first begun." And so, trusting in our God, who does the impossible, we too say to him with confidence, "I am the Lord's servant… May it be to me as you have said."


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
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There is Hope! God Is With Us! (A sermon based on Isaiah 7:10-14)

Do some situations in life just seem hopeless? No situation truly is because in everything God is with us. He's with us whether we want him to be or not. And he's with us whether we deserve him or not. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Isaiah 7:10-14 and rejoice in the promised Savior, Immanuel, God with us.

There is Hope! God Is With Us!

A sermon based on Isaiah 7:10-14

December 22, 2013 – Advent 4A

 

Our team is down—by a lot!—and there are only two minutes left in the game. The bills are piling up and there's no end to this debt in sight—not unless I win the lottery and since I don't buy ticket's there's no hope of that. The addiction has been a problem for years, and just when I think we're done, here comes another slip up again. The doctors say there is no cure. The pain will continue until this kills me.


Sometimes it seems that our situation is hopeless.


That's how it seemed to King Ahaz, one of the kings of Judah. He was in a bad situation. His enemies, Israel and Aram, were at his doorstep. The destruction of Judah seemed inevitable. The situation seemed hopeless. And even though Ahaz had ignored the Lord for years, God spoke to him anyway. And God gave him a reason to hope.


Today, we finish our Advent preparation. And we see God give a beautiful promise of hope to King Azah and to the whole country of Judah… and to us. He tells us there is hope because God is with us. God is with us whether we want him or not. And God is with us whether we deserve him or not. In Isaiah 7:10-14 he writes…

 

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 "Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." 12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test." 13 Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.



I.              Whether We Want Him or Not 

King Ahaz wasn't exactly one of the good kings. He was a disaster both politically and spiritually. He worshiped false gods, setting up altars to them not just in the streets, but even in the Lord's temple. He even sacrificed his own children on an altar to one of these false gods. What a wicked man!

And now he was in trouble. King Pekah, who assassinated the king of Israel to take his throne, now allied himself with Rezin, the pagan king of the Arameans. They formed an alliance to fight off the Assyrians and wanted Ahaz to join them. When Ahaz refused they turned their sights on Judah. They would attack Ahaz to teach him a lesson—and it seemed obvious that they could easily win.

With things as hopeless as they seemed to Ahaz, he should have turned to God. But he didn't know God, he didn't want God's help, and he turned to the King of Assyria for help. But even when God's people try hard to forget God, God will not forget his people. He sent Isaiah to Ahaz to comfort him anyway: "Be careful," he said, "keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood… 5 Aram…" (that's Rezin's country), "and Remaliah's son," (that's Pekah, king of Israel), "have plotted your ruin… 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "'It will not take place, it will not happen… (Isaiah 7:4-5,7)

And yet Ahaz refused to believe God! He still didn't want God's help. He'd rather trust in Assyria. So God wiped him out, right? No! Listen to what God does next! 10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 "Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." In other words, God signs a blank check. "Let me help you believe. Ask for anything, a shooting star, an eclipse, or an earthquake, let me make a piece of wool wet but keep the ground dry, or make the ground wet and keep some fleece dry. Ask to walk across the sea on dry land or ask me to rain fire or hail on your enemies. Ask for a sign—any sign. I'll show you how you can trust in me."

But Ahaz, pretending to be God-fearing, refused to take the blank check. "I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test." Come on, Ahaz! If you don't want to put the Lord to the test, why do you kill your own kids on an altar to a false God? Why do you desecrate the Lord's temple with your disgusting worship? Why do you encourage your people to rebel against the Lord?

To demand a sign from God to prove his love is presumptuous at best, but when God insists you ask him for one, what sinful folly to refuse! Think of it this way: If I demand you give me $100, you'd think I was incredibly rude at best. But if you insisted I take a $100 gift from you and I said, "No. I won't take it. I don't believe you," and then complained how little you cared about me you'd think I was just as rude—likely worse!

Isaiah called Ahaz on his mock piety. Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? "You weary me by rejecting the messages I bring you time and time again, Ahaz. But even worse, you weary God by your unbelief." And yet, in spite of the fact that Ahaz didn't want God to be with him, Isaiah continued, "the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (which means, God-with-us).

Now before you join the I-think-Ahaz-is-a-loser Fan Club, let's examine our own lives. Do we ever act like Ahaz and refuse to believe God's gracious promises? Do we ever refuse to accept what he offers? Do we ever try the patience of God?

How well do we trust God when he promises "call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me" (Psalm 50:15)? Well, how often you pray, really answers that question. Or when he promises, "in all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Romans 8:28)? Don't we sometimes say, "No, God. You can't really help me with this one. This one's too big for even you. I don't trust your Word. And don't ask to strengthen my faith through that Word. I wouldn't presume to test you…"

How well do we take advantage of the rich blessings God promises in his Word? God promises to bless us if we study it, learn it, and memorize it. But don't we say, "No, God. I wouldn't presume to ask too much of you. I don't want to try God's patience demanding answers to life's questions. I'll just go watch TV or read a magazine, or take a nap." And we reject the million dollar check that God offers us! And then don't we sometimes even complain that he doesn't care for us when things don't go our way?! How we too must try the patience of God! How we must weary him with our unbelief!

And so it can be a frightening thought that Immanuel—God is with us. That means God is with us when we're sinning against him. It means he's right there in the room when we choose to ignore him and his Word reaching instead for the remote. It means there's no place we can go, no place we can hide, no place we can escape his noticing our sin. We are just as bad as Ahaz, friends. Often, we don't want God's help. We don't want him with us. But thank God that even when it seems we're trying to forget God, he won't ever forget us. Thank God that just as he was with Ahaz, he's with us too, carrying out his plan to save us, whether we want him here or not. And thank God he's with us whether we deserve him or not…


II.            Whether We Deserve Him or Not 

Can you think of anyone less worthy of God's promise of salvation than Ahaz? Not only did he rebel against God in every way, setting up false prophets in every street, slaughtering his own children, rejecting God's promise when he sent it to his doorstep? When God did promise deliverance he rejected the promise. When he offered a sign, he belligerently refused!

And yet, God delivered him anyway. God didn't let Rezin or Pekah win that fight. 2 Kings 16:5 tells us: "Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him."

And what's more, is that when Ahaz had only one thing on his Christmas list: Deliverance from Rezin and Pekah, God promised him even more. He promised deliverance from sin in the Savior: "Hear now, you house of David! …the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."

I don't know if Ahaz understood what this promise meant. But it doesn't matter. It was intended for a much broader audience than that one king anyway. The "you" of "I will give you a sign" is plural. This sign was given to the entire house of David—that is, to the line of kings, the ones through whom the promised Messiah would come. (Remember, God told David one of his offspring would sit on the throne forever? – cf. 2 Samuel 7:13ff.)

And Matthew makes the meaning of this prophecy crystal clear. He writes of Jesus' conception by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary in Matthew 1(:22-23), "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel'—which means, 'God with us.'"


What comfort we find in this promise—a promise given to such a wicked, undeserving king. It's so comforting because we know that we don't deserve God to be with us any more than Ahaz did. A minute ago I asked, "Can you think of anyone less worthy of God's promise of salvation than Ahaz?" If we're honest, every one of us will say, "Yes. I can think of someone less worthy—me."

By nature we are spiritually dead (cf. Ephesians 2). We are hostile to God. (cf. Romans 8:7) And even after he brings us to faith, even after we have a clear understanding of this prophecy proclaimed to Ahaz, even though we see clearly God's plan of salvation, we still act like Ahaz. We're just as bad as he; worse even. We are totally undeserving to have God be with us.


Imagine if the President of the United States were going to visit the Peninsula. Would you be a little surprised if he called you up and asked if he could stay at your place? You'd probably be shocked, right? "Why me? What makes me so special?" Especially if you haven't always had the kindest things to say about him or the way he's running the country.


Well, this is Jesus—true God—coming to be with us! A little surprised? We might be taken aback because we're not worthy. We haven't always said the nicest things about Jesus, or done the nicest things to him. After all, he said that whatever we do to someone else, a brother or sister of his, we do to him. The only thing we're worthy of is having him be against us, not with us.


And yet, God delivers us anyway. At that first Christmas, God became flesh to be with us. He was born of a virgin and became human; became a weak and helpless little baby born in a smelly stable. And as he grew up God was with us on the earth, living the perfect life that we couldn't so he could give that perfection to us. God was with us so he could die for us and save us not just from an enemy nation, but from our sins, from death, from the eternity of hell that we deserve. That's what Isaiah promised in this little child in the manger, Immanuel, God with us.


And now, God is still with us today. He promised, "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) Whether we deserve to have God with us or not is beside the point. He is with us. He sent his Son to be with us on the cross. He promised to be with us now. And God will be with us for all eternity when he takes us to glory to see him face to face!


So, no matter how hopeless things may seem, we have hope. It doesn't matter if the bills are piling up and the money's used up. It doesn't matter if the family's broken up because you've goofed up. It doesn't matter if you've slipped up and feel like giving up.

God didn't give up. He carried out his plan of salvation for you, whether you wanted him to or not. He sent his Son to become a baby—Immanuel; God with us. See God with us in the manger. See God with us on the cross. See God with us in every struggle of life. And one day soon see God with us—face to face in the glory of heaven, whether you deserve it or not. Rejoice, dear friends. There is hope! God is with us. Amen.

 

In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast
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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Crown Him with Many Crowns (A sermon based on Hebrews 2:7,9)

Jesus humbled himself, literally, "came close to the earth or dirt," so that he might be crowned with thorns, that he might suffer and die, that he might rescue us. Now, by his humility, we are exalted. We are given the victor's crown and lifted up to heaven even! So we crown him with honor and glory and give our praise, even our very lives to him who rescued us from hell by his humility. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Hebrews 2:7,9 and rejoice in our Savior's work for you! 

Crown Him with Many Crowns

A sermon based on Hebrews 2:7,9

Sunday, December 15, 2013 – Advent 3

From Everlasting to Everlasting – Children's Christmas Program

 

You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor. . . We see Jesus, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.



I.              Lower Than the Angels to Be Crowned with Thorns

 

For fun, I've been reading a book on the origin of words, called, oddly enough, "Word Origins." (And, yes, I do know, that I'm a big nerd for reading such a book "for fun." Thanks.) But I find the book very interesting and I'm learning a lot. For example, I've learned that the word naughty which means "to misbehave" today is from the Old English "No wit"-y. It was used to describe someone acting as if they had no wits, as if there were nothing (naught) in their head. I've also learned that the word crouch literally means to "make a hook." When you bend your body down you take on the shape of a hook. That's why crouch and crochet sound so similar. They're from the same root.

And I've learned that the words humble and humility come from the Latin word, humus (pronounced HYOO-mus). That's the Latin word for compost, soil, or dirt. So one who is humble is literally one who is near the dirt, one who is grounded, one who is close to the earth.

Jesus humbled himself. He literally came close to the earth. That's what we celebrate this and every Christmas season. We celebrate how Jesus left the paradise of heaven, to become an earth-bound human. He became lower than the angels who got to stay in heaven, who filled the skies, when he was quite literally grounded. He became lower than the angels as he gave up the full use of his divine power to walk the dirty, dusty roads as he humbled himself near the dirt.

But why'd he do it? Would you ever volunteer to give up the full use of your humanity to become a salmon? You'd have no TV or computer, no cell phone or car or truck, no arms or legs for that matter! Who in their right mind would do that?

Why would God give up the full use of his divinity to become a human? He humbled himself and became a man because he had a dirty job to do. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in order to suffer. He became human so he could be crowned… with thorns… so he could be taunted and tortured, battered and bruised. He became a man because immortal God cannot die, and he had to die. Talk about humble! Close to the earth? He was buried under it! You can't get more humble than that!

And why did he have to die? You know the answer: to pay for our sins. The author to the Hebrews put it this way: "He suffered death… by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."

Ever find a present under the Christmas tree with no label on it? You're left wondering who is this gift for? Well God wanted to leave no room for doubt who his Christmas gift was for. He has it clearly labeled, "For: Everyone!"

Martin Luther, the great church reformer from whom we Lutherans take our name, famously said that if God should have written that he paid for the sins of Martin Luther, he would assume that God surely must have meant some other "Martin Luther." But that's not what had has written. Jesus said, "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son." And God wrote, "By the grace of God [Jesus] [tasted] death for everyone." This gift is not just for some, but for all. That means that this gift is for you and me.

By Jesus humility and by his taking on the dirty job of taking every one of our dirty sins on himself… by his crown of thorns and by all that it entailed… by his being buried, not just in the dirt, but under a mountain of our guilt, and by the wrath of God the father… you, and I, and everyone's sins have been paid for! Let there be no doubt in your mind! Your sins are forgiven!

His suffering brings us glory! His humility in coming down to earth, lifts us up to heaven! His crown of thorns, wins for us a crown of life! We have the victor's crown; the equivalent of the gold medal! We have heaven itself! And this is, by far, the best present that we could ever receive. And it's ours "by the grace of God." So now, we offer our hearty and heartfelt thanks to Jesus for humbling himself lower than the angels to be crowned with thorns. Now we crown him with glory because he suffered such a death for us…



II.            Crowned with Glory and Honor Because He Suffered Death

 

Now, Hebrews 2:7 is a quote of Psalm 8:5. And the NIV translates it, "You made him a little lower than the angels." But a more literal translation of both the Hebrew and the Greek would be, "You made him lower than the angels—a little." You see, it could mean he was a little bit lower than the angels. Or, it could mean he was lower than the angels for a little bit or a for little while. I prefer the latter because we know that Jesus didn't stay humble.

He didn't stay buried in the dirt. His humility ended when he rose from the dead. He didn't stay grounded. Quite literally, he didn't stay "close to the earth" when he ascended into heaven to sit at God's right hand. He was crowned with glory by God the Father who put everything under his feet. (v.9)

And one day soon, "at the name of Jesus every knee [will] bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11)

So let's crown him with glory right now! Let's sing our praises to him every week with the same enthusiasm with which the children sing this morning. Let's worship him often… and not just at church! Let's live our lives every day in such a way that says, "Thank You!" to Jesus for his humble sacrifice for us!

Give generously, not just to your friends, but to those in need, not just at Christmas, but all year round! Resist your natural urge to be selfish and only care about your needs and wants. Fight that temptation and humble yourself to serve others. Because in doing these things, you really give to Jesus. You really serve him. That's the only thing on his wish list, the only thing he asks for from us: that we use the gifts he's given to us to serve others in love to express our gratitude for his service to us.

This is our gift to him for Christmas—that is, this is our gift to him in thanks for his gift to us, of humbling himself at Christmas to become a little lower than the angels, that he might be crowned with thorns, to suffer and die, to win forgiveness for all of our sins, that we might get a crown of glory. So we crown him, "with glory and honor because he suffered death… [because he] [tasted] death for everyone."

He was humbled for a little while to be crowned with thorns. But he was crowned with glory and honor for the victory he won. He crowned us with glory and honor by the victory he won for us. Now we treat him as our king and give him glory and honor in all we do, until we join him in his glory forever. May God help us to do this, this Christmas season, and always. In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.

 


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast
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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

The Axe is at the Root (A sermon based on Daniel 4:19-37)

Ever feel like you're going crazy? You've got nothing on King Nebuchadnezzar. He literally went insane as an act of judgment by God. But God used his insanity to humble the haughty king and bring him to repentance. That insanity saved his soul! Don't go crazy! Let God bring you to repentance first! And once he's humbled you in repentance, then, and only then, can he exalt you by his grace. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Daniel 4:19-37 and be encouraged to be humbled in repentance that you might be exalted by God's grace...

The Axe is at the Root

A sermon based on Daniel 4:19-37

Sunday, December 8, 2013 – Advent 2A

 

One of my college roommates was a dreamer. Not in the sense that he had big plans to change the world. And not in the sense that he was a space cadet, daydreaming when he should have been focusing. I mean he had a lot of big dreams while he slept. And apparently they were very vivid dreams. He would talk in his sleep. He would walk in his sleep. He would wake me up asking where the VCR was because we would fail Greek if we didn't get it back to Professor Deutschlander by 3am. Sometimes it would take some effort in the morning to convince him that what he dreamed wasn't real. And I admit, we'd often have some fun at his expense because of his dreaming.

Are you a dreamer? Have you ever had a dream that was so vivid, so real, that when you woke up, you weren't really sure if it had actually happened or not? Have you ever had to call someone to verify that it was just a dream? If so, you might understand how King Nebuchadnezzar may have felt one morning. He had a dream that left him terrified. While he slept he saw a massive tree touching the sky, visible to the whole world, full of fruit and shade caring for all the animals beneath its branches. But then an angel came from heaven and ordered that the massive tree be cut down. And Nebuchadnezzar woke up.

"What did the dream mean?" he wondered. Surely, it had to mean something. It was too vivid, too real to be the product of late night snacks. It had to be a message from God. But what did it mean? So he called one of his advisors, a man named Belteshazzar, who had a track record for interpreting dreams with insight and precision that could only come from God. (You know this man as the prophet, Daniel.) And Daniel interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. We read about it in Daniel 4…

 

19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you."

Belteshazzar answered, "My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! 20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the beasts of the field, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds of the air— 22 you, O king, are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.

23 "You, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.'

24 "This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue."


I.              Be Humbled in Repentance

 

Interpreting dreams for a king can be risky business. If the king didn't particularly care for your interpretation, well, let's just say, the life expectancy of an interpreter of dreams was usually pretty short. Understandably, Daniel was terrified at the thought of breaking the news to the king and a bit perplexed at how he was going to do it. He would certainly have no fun at the expense of his dreaming king. But Daniel answered to another King, a King of even greater authority than Nebuchadnezzar. He answered to the Most High. He answered to God. So Daniel faithfully reported the message of warning to the king of Babylon.

And he offered this sound advice: Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue."

 Does that advice sound familiar? Sounds a lot like what John the Baptist said to the Israelites, doesn't it?  "The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:10) So, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 3:2) It sounds a lot like the advice that God gives to us. Jesus said in Revelation 3:19 "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent."

So what happened with Nebuchadnezzar? The story continues…

 

28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"

31 The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes."

33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.


Sadly, Nebuchadnezzar didn't follow Daniel's advice. Oh he may have toned it down a bit in his wickedness. He may have been a bit kinder to the oppressed. But he didn't get at the root of the problem: the pride and arrogance that consumed his heart. And he suffered the consequences. Insania zoanthropica is a mental illness that still happens today sometimes. It's where a persons is convinced he or she is an animal. For seven years Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity. He believed he was an animal. With hair grown long and wild, mangy like dirty feathers, his nails grew long and curled like claws. He slept on the ground, ate grass in the wild. He literally went insane because of his pride.

But you know, all of us by nature are Nebuchadnezzars. We too like to have our backs patted, our wonderful qualities praised, our good deeds recorded and reported. Pride is still a very big problem for a lot of us. "Thank you God, that I'm not like those other people," we may think. "Look at all I've done! Look at all I've built for the glory of my majesty!" Pride is the poison in the root that kills the whole tree. And you know that the Proverb is true today that "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) You know that "every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:10)

The greatest virtue before God is not courage, bravery, intelligence, or even purity, but humility. Without humility, no true repentance. Without true repentance, well… "His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor… burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:12)

So what do we do? How do we humble ourselves before our God? Well, we start with an honest self-evaluation. Take a perosnal inventory. See how well you're doing. Have a hymnal handy? Turn to page 156. There you get a pretty good tool for self-assessment. Ask yourself, "How well [have I] carried out my responsibilities as… 

·         A husband or wife or single person, as a parent or child, an employer or employee, a teacher or student?

·         Have I loved God with all my heart, gladly heard his Word, and patiently endured affliction?

·         Have I been disobedient, proud, or unforgiving?

·         Have I been selfish, lazy, envious, or quarrelsome?

·         Have I lied or deceived, taken something not mine, or given anyone a bad name?

·         Have I abused my body or permitted indecent thoughts to linger in my mind?

·         Have I failed to do what is right and good?"

 

This self-assessment is one that no honest person can walk away from thinking, "How wonderful am I!" It will bring about a change of mind—and that's what repentance really is: a change of mind—about who we are, how good we are, and well we're doing before God. It will humble us, and strip us of our ungodly pride. Then, when we "realize [we] have sinned against God and deserve his punishment… [we] confess before God all [our] sins, those which [we] remember as well as those of which [we are] unaware. [We] pray to God for his mercy and forgiveness." (CW, pg. 156)

Don't wait for God to take away your sanity. Don't wait until you're forced to live like an animal. Don't wait until the Reaper comes with the winnowing fork in his hands. For then it will be too late. No! Today! Right now! "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus." (Acts 3:19-20)


II.            Be Exalted by Grace

 

Okay, pop quiz: Who wrote the book of Isaiah? Right. Isaiah. Who wrote the book of Micah? Micah. Good. You're two for two. Who wrote the book of Matthew? Did you guess Matthew? Right again! Now, who wrote the book of Daniel? Daniel… and…? King Nebuchadnezzar. He wrote a part of the book of Daniel. He wrote a portion of the inspired Scriptures. He wrote God's Word. That's significant, I think. I think it gives us a pretty good indication of where Nebuchadnezzar is right now.

You see, Nebuchadnezzar didn't stay crazy. By the humility that God brought about by his insania zoanthropica God also humbled Nebuchadnezzar's heart. He humbled him to lead him to a godly repentance that not only repented of his sin, but that also turned him toward heaven, toward the true God, toward the Most High. This is what Nebuchadnezzar wrote:

 

34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"

36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

 

Seven years later, the wild homeless man, with nails and hair grown obscenely long, with seven years of dirt caking his body, finally humbled himself, surrendered himself toward God and "raised [his] eyes toward heaven," as if seeking God's mercy.

And God showed mercy. He restored Nebuchadnezzar's sanity. He restored his honor and his kingdom. He restored his friends and his throne so that Nebuchadnezzar "became even greater than before." What mercy! What grace God showed to exalt Nebuchadnezzar and lift him up after he had humbled him for a while.

And if Nebuchadnezzar could turn toward God and surrender himself to God's grace, how much more confident can we, who have seen the work of the Savior, be as we surrender ourselves to God's mercy!

Nebuchadnezzar lived in the wild eating the grass like an ox to become humble. God sent preachers like John who lived in the wilderness eating locusts to lead us to humble ourselves. Nebuchadnezzar lived like a beast to learn humility. Our humble Savior was born among beasts to save us from our pride. The road to heaven is narrow and big heads just can't fit through its gates. But thank God that our Savior's head was pierced with thorns, not just to take us down a notch, but to lift us up to heaven.

Go back to page 156 in Christian Worship: "How do [you] receive his gracious forgiveness? His Word assures [you] that Jesus led a pure and holy life for [you] and died on the cross for [you] to pay the full price for all [your] sins. Through faith in Jesus, [you] have been clothed in [your] Savior's perfect righteousness and holiness." And today he gives you the added assurance by his very body and blood to forgive your sins and sweep away any doubts about his love for you.

So trust in Jesus' forgiveness won for you! And you'll be able to humble yourself without fear! Of course you're a sinner! One who's forgiven in Christ! Trust in Jesus' forgiveness won for you and then you will have true repentance. For true repentance isn't just turning from sin in sorry and humility. It's also turning toward heaven, toward the Most High, toward God's grace given to you in Christ. That's the difference between the repentance of Judas Iscariot and the repentance of Simon Peter.

And that kind of repentance isn't really our work. It's God's. He humbles, just as Nebuchadnezzar said: "Those who walk in pride he is able to humble." He exalts, just as Peter said: "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus." (Acts 3:19-20)

So let him do his work! Be humbled in repentance. Be exalted by God's grace. And then respond! Produce fruits in keeping with repentance. Do as Nebuchadnezzar did: "[Praise] the Most High… [honor] and [glorify] him who lives forever… praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just." "Daily thank and praise him for his love to [you]. With his help… fight temptation, do [your] best to correct whatever wrongs [you] have done, and serve him and those around [you] with love and good works." (CW, pg. 156)

And as you do, he will continue to humble you as needed. He will continue to exalt you by his grace. And that's not just a dream. It's a promise. 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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