Tuesday, April 23, 2013

The Shepherding Lamb (A sermon based on Revelation 7:9-17)

Ever notice how Jesus is described in so many paradoxes? After all, who would try to get clothes clean by using blood? How would a lamb become a shepherd? But in John's vision he sees the Risen Redeemer as a Shepherding Lamb who cleans his people's robes with his blood. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Revelation 7:9-17 and rejoice in our Good Shepherd...

The Risen Redeemer Revealed
The Shepherding Lamb
A sermon based on Revelation 7:9-17
Sunday, April 21, 2013 – Easter 4C 
Have you ever noticed how the Bible often describes Jesus with a few paradoxes? He's 100% God and 100% man, called the Son of God and the Son of Man. He came to keep and fulfill the old and to make all things new. By his death, he brings life. By his life, he destroys death. He's the King of kings and the suffering servant. He's both a powerful Lion and a gentle Lamb.
This morning, on Good Shepherd Sunday, we hear another of these apparent contradiction of terms. This morning we hear how Jesus is both the Lamb and the Shepherd. And what comfort we find in this beautiful paradox. Because of the Lamb who is our Shepherd and because of his resurrection at Easter we know without a doubt that heaven is ours.
Easter means that heaven is ours because of these two great paradoxes: we are bleached in his blood and we are led by the Lamb. Listen now to the glimpse of heaven God gave the apostle John and the comfort we find in our Shepherding Lamb as he's revealed 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." 
As John writes the visions revealed to him by God, the overall theme of the book of remains: in spite of all the problems and suffering we may face, in spite of the best efforts of satan and those in league with him, our victory in Jesus is certain. Luther put it this way: "We can rest assured that neither force nor lies, neither wisdom nor holiness, neither tribulation nor suffering shall suppress Christendom, but it will gain the victory and conquer at last."
In the verses of our text this morning then God reveals to the apostle exactly how that victory is gained—bleached by his blood—and what it will be like—being led by the Lamb. Let's take a look… 
I.              Bleached by His Blood 
First John writes, "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."
God's giving John a glimpse of heaven. He's showing him the saints standing around the very throne of God, before Jesus himself—the same image we saw last week. This time we get more: they're dressed in white (a symbol of purity) and holding palm branches (a symbol of victory).
But pure, victorious saints? How can this be said of sinners? How can those who once sinned dare to stand before a Holy God? And make no mistake, these saints had sinned. Paul makes in clear in Romans 3(:10-12, 22b-23) "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one… There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…" So how could they possibly be pictured as pure and holy?
The Greek of the verse explains it. Where the NIV translates "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 put these robes on them. Someone made them pure and holy. And obviously, you know who that someone is. It's God through Jesus. "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb," they proclaim. It's not something they did. It's not something they earned.
In God, in Christ, the saints in heaven have their victory. That's why they wave their palm branches. The victory is theirs. They have peace. That's why they sing their praises to God and to the Lamb! For their salvation! 
So what does this have to do with us? So what if they are victorious. We're still struggling down here on earth, right? Wrong! You and I are victorious too. We're victorious right now! We are included in this number of saints "from every nation, tribe, people and language." No one in the world is excluded… except those who choose to be. We are victorious—right now. We too, like the saints in heaven, are perfect and holy.
But how? Certainly not on our own. On our own we're all covered in the filth of our sin. Isaiah wrote, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…" and Moses wrote, "Every inclination of [man's] heart is evil from childhood." (Genesis 8:21) So how can we dare to call ourselves holy? How can we have any hope to stand before God's throne?
Not because of anything we've done or because of how holy we might become. Not because of anything we might do! We can never remove the stain of our sin! Like Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's play, we can wash our hands again and again wringing them together to try to remove the bloody stains of our guilt.  But we can never be rid of our guilt. We can never cover it up or hide it. We must confess our gnawing guilt with the Lady Macbeth, "Here's the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand."
And while we can never remove our sin or our guilt, God can. That's why "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." Jesus has the best stain remover there is—his own blood. The elder told John, "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." John earlier wrote to those who weren't yet in glory, to you and to me, "The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin… He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:7-9) Peter wrote, "You were redeemed… with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (1 Peter 1:18-19)
Cleansed by blood? Can you think of a worse detergent? Blood stains, not cleans!
But you and I are pure, holy and victorious because of the blood of the Lamb; because of what Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, has done for us. He has washed our robes and made them clean and white. He has bleached them by his blood. He has dressed us in the white robes of his righteousness. And he has given us the victory—the victory over sin by his sacrifice and victory over death by his resurrection! Now heaven itself is ours!
Even though right now we must go through many hardships, or "tribulations" as Luke literally calls them in Acts 14(:22), you can be absolutely certain that one day soon you will leave this world of tribulation—of suffering and trouble, of problems and pain. One day soon you too will stand "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 [you]." And this confidence that heaven is ours moves us to follow our Shepherd while we're led by the Lamb, even now here on earth… 
II.            Led by the Lamb 
Those saints who had been made clean by the blood of the Lamb enjoyed heaven. The elder described that heavenly joy to the apostle with these words…
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."
Those who think of heaven as a boring place where all we do is sing and play our harps while we float on our clouds couldn't be more wrong! While the description we have of heaven is limited, you can be sure that it won't be boring. For starters, we'll have work to do. Did you catch that? John wrote, "They are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple."
But the work of heaven won't be like the work we do on this earth because there will be no sin. We might have to have a career change there since there will be no need for doctors (with no sickness), or lawyers or law enforcement (with no crime), no need for pastors or counselors! But "no sin" also means there will be no trouble in our work, no frustrations, no sweat or pain, no hunger or thirst. We will never grow tired or be too hot. We will never be sad. There will only be pure joy in all we do. And honestly, I don't think we can even begin to imagine how great it will really be!
But even better than an exciting job where nothing ever goes wrong and you never get tired, far more exciting than what we'll do, is who we'll be with. "He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them… The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water." There's that paradox. After he made his sacrifice on the cross that's made us holy, Jesus didn't stay dead. He rose! He lives! And that Lamb of God will shepherd us forever in glory. 
And dear friends we don't have to wait until then. He shepherds us now. He gives us living water right now! In John 4:14 Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, "whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
We have that living water—the gospel, the message of the Lamb who's made us clean by his blood. The shepherd has led us to that living water. He's caused us to believe the gospel. And so we have eternal life… right now! Eternal life is not something reserved just for heaven. It's yours. You're life is not just 80 or 90 or 100 years. It's millions and trillions and zillions of years! It's eternal. Heaven is yours.
So live your life in view of that eternity! Ask yourself, "Does what happens today or tomorrow really matter? Will it matter 100 years from now?" If not, let it go. "Heaven and earth will pass away." (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31 or Luke 21:33). But you won't. You will stand "before the throne and in front of the Lamb" for all eternity. "Never again will [you] hunger; never again will [you] thirst… For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be [your] shepherd… And God will wipe away every tear from [your] eyes."
So instead of focusing on what won't really matter, focus on what will matter 100 years from now. Serve God faithfully in thanks to him for the heaven he's given you in all that you do. Follow him in the living water of his Word where he guides you today. And share with others what will matter to them: the Lamb of God who's bleached them in his blood, the Good Shepherd who leads them to living water. That they too might sing to the Lamb:
Who so happy as I am, Even now the shepherd's lamb?And when my short life is ended, By his angel hosts attended,He shall fold me to his breast, There within his arms to rest. 
In the name of Jesus, our risen Redeemer revealed as the shepherding Lamb, amen.
In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611
pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 690-1660

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

The Lamb Who Was Slain (A sermon based on Revelation 5:11-14)

Do you ever feel like you're not worthy of anything good? Well, to be honest, on your own, you're not. For failing to give Jesus the glory due him you and I are worthy of nothing but hell. But because of his great grace to us, the Lamb who was slain, has made us worthy of heaven. And that makes him truly worthy of our praise -- both now and forever in heaven. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Revelation 5:11-14 and be encouraged again to give your praise to our Risen Redeemer who is revealed as the worthy Lamb who was slain...

The Risen Redeemer Revealed as…
The Lamb Who Was Slain
A sermon based on Revelation 5:11-14
Sunday, April 14, 2013 – Easter 3C 

76,468 people. That's how many can fit into the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, where Superbowl XLVII (47) was held this past February 3rd. 76,468 people. 71,024 people were in attendance. (Though I'm not sure if that counts the electricians they brought in to restore power.) J That's still a lot of people.

But the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is small in comparison to the largest stadium in the United States. Any guesses where it is? It's Michigan Stadium at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a seating capacity of 109, 901. And U of M can boast that every home game since 1975 has drawn over 100,000 people – for over 200 consecutive contests played at home! That's a lot of people.

Sacred Mosque of Mecca, which houses the Kabaa (pretty much a huge idol) holds 4 million people. They all circle around the black cube and bow down facing it. If you've ever seen pictures, you've seen a very distorted and perverted picture of what takes place in our text this morning.

In John's vision he sees literally millions of angels encircle a throne in heaven. The Greek says "many angels, the arithmetic of them was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands." If we take "thousands" to mean only two thousand and do the arithmetic, (2,000 x 2,000) we get the modest number of 4 million. Or if we translate "myriads" to be ten thousand and do the arithmetic, (10,000 x 10,000) we get 100 million angels. That's a lot of angels. The point is clear: There were so many angels that John couldn't count them all. And they were all singing. Now that's a big choir!

After writing the seven letters to the seven churches that Jesus dictated to John, he was invited in to view God's throne room. And this is what he saw… A throne in the center with 24 thrones around it, four six-winged angels flying around continually praising God, a glassy sea with an emerald rainbow, and he heard the most magnificent song! But when he looked at the throne, he saw the lamb and the song changed. And this is what John heard… 

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"

13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

14 The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped. 

What understatement! Jesus is worthy "…to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise…" Literally worthy is just that: What is it worth? What value? What value can you give the Son of God? What can you give that would ever equal the worth of what Jesus has done—for the guilt and the shame and the hell he endured? But what else can you say? What words can describe the glory due to Jesus?!

He does deserve power over all things, the wealth of the world, he deserves honor and glory and praise. He deserves everything! But how can the Omnipotent receive power or strength? He already has all power! How can the Omniscient receive wisdom? He already knows all things! What wealth can the God of the Universe who made all things possibly receive?

Well, he deserves my power and my strength—to be used for him, put into service for him all that I do. He deserves my wealth to be used for his glory, spending what he's given me to bring honor to him. He deserves my wisdom to be put into service for his Kingdom—not for my selfish purposes! He deserves my adoration and attention and praise. He deserves my everything!

And he deserves it all right now. He is alive. He is still the Living One, the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. And so, the Risen Redeemer still deserves these things. We should give him our strength, wisdom, wealth, and honor every moment of every day. For he is worthy of all that we can give for what he's done. These are what we should give him.

But we don't. Instead we give him whining and complaining—that he hasn't done enough for us. That he doesn't care for us the way we want. We give him rebellion, worshiping created things instead of the Creator. (cf. Romans 1:25) We worship paper, in pursuit of more money. We worship metal loving our boats or cars more than God. We worship plastic, always seeking to be entertained by our gadgets.

Worthy is the Lamb. But are we worthy of him?

Because we withhold our love, we aren't worthy of his love. Because we fail to give him his due, we aren't worthy of his blessings. Because we fail to serve him, we aren't worthy of his protection. French philosopher, Voltaire, understood that when he said, "Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do." And in our guilt, we certainly aren't worthy to enter his heaven. We aren't worthy to sing in that choir. That choir ought to consist of just holy and sinless angels who have never rebelled against God or broken his commands like we have.

But ask God if we are worthy. Ask God what we're worth to him. And he says we're worth everything to him. We're worth more than his own sinless Son. Ask Jesus what value he places on us and he says, "I value your life more than my own." And that's why the Lamb was slain.

That title, the Lamb (which is used more than 20 times in Book of Revelation), draws our attention back to John the Baptist's proclamation in John 1(:29): "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" And it draws us back to the Exodus and the Passover—to the flawless lamb that was slain, whose blood was painted on the door frame so God's wrath would pass over that house. Jesus is the Lamb of God who was slain on the cross, slaughtered for us, as a sacrifice for sin, to take away the sin of the world, so that God's wrath might pass over us.

The heavenly choir sang a new song to that Lamb. These are the lyrics to that new song that come right before our text: "You are worthy… because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." (5:9)

He has purchased us to be his own. With his blood, he's taken away our sin. Now we who have so often sided with satan, belong to God as his dearly loved children! We are his own. And we can't help but sing his praise! It wasn't just angels that were in that heavenly choir…

13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

John saw everyone and everything join in the heavenly choir! What comfort for us who endure persecution and problems and pain in this life—with lost jobs and broken relationships, with financial problems and failing health, with the daily grind wearing us down. We may not know what God has in store for us in this life, but we do know what's in store for the future—that one day very soon we will join that heavenly choir and sing our praise to the Lamb who was slain, who purchased us to be his own, who is worthy of all honor and praise.

And even right now, though we may seem to be a small number of remnant faithful,  we are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. We are a part of the myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. We are a part of that choir! And while things may continue to be hard in these end times, just like Jesus said they would be, in the end Jesus wins! And so do you, who by God's grace, are on his team!

Ever see the Back to the Future movies? You know where Marty McFly is jumping back and forth between the past and the future seeing past or future versions of himself or his siblings or parents. I wonder if it was like that for John. As he looked at the twenty four thrones around the Lamb—symbolic of the twelve Old Testament tribes and the twelve New Testament apostles—did he see Moses on the throne of Levi? Did he see David on the throne of Judah? If he weren't in heaven would he be tempted to throw a pebble at the back of Peter's head? Or like Marty McFly in Back to the Future did John get a glimpse of himself sitting in one of those thrones?

I don't know what John saw. But I hope when you see those 24 thrones, you see yourself. You are forgiven by the Lamb who was slain. You will be sitting next to him in heaven! And you are a part of the choir singing your praise to him—even now!

So praise the Lamb who was slain! Give him your strength and power as you live for him. Give him your wisdom as you use your mind and all your gifts to his glory. Give him your wealth, managing it all to serve your Savior and share the Good News of the Lamb. Give him your everything as you live boldly and worship him until you join that glorious choir in heaven and sing along with them:

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! …To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"  Amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
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Sunday, April 7, 2013

The First and Last (A sermon based on Revelation 1:9-19)

Ever feel all alone like you're a castaway on a deserted island? Take heart. You're not alone. You're never alone! Jesus, you're risen Redeemer, the Living One, the First and the Last is always with you. And he holds the keys of death and Hades and sets you free from both! Rejoice that your risen Redeemer is revealed as the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last as you read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Revelation 1:9-19...

The Risen Redeemer Revealed
The First and Last
A sermon based on Revelation 1:9-19
Sunday, April 7, 2013 – Easter 2C 

 "Wilson! Wilsooooon!" The slightly deranged man played by Tom Hanks shouted as his best friend—a Wison brand volleyball with a face painted in blood—floats away, out of reach, out of his life. Tom Hanks played the part of a castaway in a movie by that name; a man who barely survived a plane crash and lived alone on an island struggling to survive for several years.

Ten miles by six miles. That was the size of the island… Not the island in Castaway, but the island of Patmos, where the apostle John lived, not in retirement, but in exile. Not a survivor of a plane crash, but banished from society by Emperor Domition because he wouldn't stop talking about Jesus. There he sat, all alone, legend has it, living in a cave, struggling to survive when he had a vision—not of a living volleyball, but of a living Savior—not of a deranged delusion, but in the Spirit of God. We call it "The Book of Revelation."

Many people are intimidated by that book. It's full of some pretty weird visions. It's been interpreted in countless different ways. And it seems to be a pretty difficult book to understand; not exactly a 101 course.

But the book isn't as complicated as it seems. The major story is pretty simple actually: In the end times, things will bad. They'll be really bad. satan will seem to have the upper hand. But satan won't win. Jesus is victorious. He'll kick the devil's… tail. Jesus wins! Hands down! And by extension, so do we, who, by God's grace, are on his side. Our ringer, our Savior, our Redeemer is victorious and so are we.

Over the next six weeks, starting today, we're going to take a look at portions of that vision that John saw. And we will see the risen Redeemer revealed for who he is. I say "is" and not "was," because he is the Living One. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the eternal Savior who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Redeemer that John saw is the same Redeemer you and I have today.

So as we study the Book of Revelation, we see the risen Redeemer revealed  to us. Today, we see that he is the eternal, never changing, First and Last. Listen to Revelation 1:9-19… 

9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

19 "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later."


I.              Revealed in His Word 

It wasn't a storm that caused the apostle John to be a castaway. Well, not a literally storm. It was a storm of fury by the Emperor Domition who longed to dominate Christianity. He banished John to the island of Patmos in an attempt to rid the empire of what he thought was a rebellious cult. He gave himself the title of Dominus et Deus, Latin for Lord and God. And for those Jews and Christians who refused to acknowledge him as such, he had little tolerance.

So John was exiled to the tiny island, "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." And there he sat, suffering in his lonely little cave.

And thank God for it! You see, had John been free to come and go as he pleased, he may very well have just told the Galatian churches about the vision he received from God face to face. But because of his exile he was forced to write his congregations a letter—a letter that's been preserved for you and me. And what comfort we get in the Book of Revelation.

But before we look at what John wrote, let's consider again the source. John said, "On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: 'Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches'"

Notice carefully what John said: "…I was in the Spirit…"

He didn't say, "I came up with a great idea for a book!" or "I came up with some neat illustrations for what I wanted to say." No! The Book of Revelation was not John's idea. As the title implies, it was revealed to him by God. John was "in the Spirit…" That is, he was inspired. (That's what in/spired means: in Spirit.) God the Holy Spirit told John what to write. Jesus told John, "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later."

And so we can believe what we read and hear in the book of Revelation as the Word of God himself. And as added assurance we have Thomas' doubts: he didn't make up the story of Jesus' resurrection out of some expectant longing, but in spite of himself. We have John's terror at the sight of Jesus: He didn't make up the story of Jesus' resurrection, but saw Jesus shining brighter than the time he saw him on the Mount of Transfiguration and was terrified all over again.

 That's comforting for us too because we too will suffer, "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus."

And everything that follows in the Book of Revelation is meant to give us comfort in the face of that suffering. But it's only comforting if you know it comes from God, and not just John's deranged and lonely mind. No, what John saw was not just a delusion, like Tom Hanks' character thinking his volleyball was actually talking to him. This was the real deal. This was the Risen Redeemer, "the First and the Last… the Living One," giving comfort to John and giving comfort to us, revealing in picture language and illustration, his comfort for believers in the difficult end times in which we live.

So what did Jesus want John to know? Let's read it again… 

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

19 "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later."


II.            Revealed in His Glory 

John saw Jesus standing in the middle of lamp stands (which Jesus would explain in verse 20 were representative of the seven churches mentioned in verse 11). And Jesus' appearance must have caused John to have flashbacks to the Mount of Transfiguration! He was glowing white, like snow.  His face was shining as bright as the sun, just like it did on that mountain so many years ago!

But there was more this time. His eyes were burning like a fire that could burn right into your soul, seeing every sin, knowing every wicked thought and deed. His feet were burning like bronze in a furnace, ready to trample and melt all who stood against him. Out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword, ready to cut down any who dared to oppose him.

No wonder John was terrified.

He knew that in his selfishness he had stood against Jesus. In his arrogance he had opposed God's will. He who was privileged to stand at the foot of the cross had since rebelled against his dearest Friend. And now that Risen Redeemer stood before him, shining in all of his glory!

Would he finally rebuke John for abandoning him on Maundy Thursday? Would he chastise him for the poor way he'd taken care of Mary? Would he punish him for the selfishness that continued to consume him even after Jesus had done so much for him?

And John practically fainted in the presence of the Resurrected Redeemer. "When I saw him," he wrote, "I fell at his feet as though dead."

 

But Jesus' greater glory isn't revealed in his glowing presence. It isn't revealed in the way that he would crush his enemies. His real glory is revealed in the Gospel—in that he comforts, not rebukes.

When John heard Jesus voice like the sound of many waters, many have seen in that the symbolism that his words give life like cool, refreshing, life giving water. "[Jesus] placed his right hand on [John] and said: "Do not be afraid."

Don't be afraid?! Why not? Jesus explained: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."

"Don't be afraid, John, because Jesus lives! Don't be afraid because Jesus is victorious! He has defeated even death and hell! Don't be afraid, John, because Jesus is on your side and you are victorious through him."

And the same is true for you, dear friends in Christ. 

The same Jesus that appeared to John when he was a castaway on that little island is the exact same Jesus today. He is the Alpha and Omega. (That's the first letter of the Greek alphabet and the last.) He is the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, there before the world began and there long after the world's destroyed. He is "the Living One… alive for ever and ever!"

And he does not change. He is still in the midst of his Church, still the same glorious Jesus. He still has eyes that burn though our souls and see our deepest, darkest secrets. He still judges all people with the sharp sword of his Word that comes out of his mouth. And we still deserve to be cut down for our sin, to be cast away from God's presence, to fall down dead at the feet of the One we've seen crucified and come to life, yet, still choose to daily rebel against. 

But Jesus' greater glory is still revealed in the Gospel—in that he comforts, not rebukes.

He still brings the cool, refreshing, life giving water of the Gospel to us. The Living One still, "hold[s] the keys of death and Hades." And his, "Do not be afraid," still applies to you.

You don't need to be afraid of death. You will die exactly when Jesus wants you to—no sooner; no later. If he wants you dead, nothing will keep you alive (no matter what your diet, no matter how much you exercise). If he wants you alive, no one and nothing can kill you (no matter what happens, no matter who tries to end you). Your life (and your death) are entirely in his hands.

But that's comforting because you don't need be afraid of hell. Jesus rose from the dead. He was dead. But death couldn't contain him! And now he is alive forever and ever! And this is the proof that your sin is forgiven! "[Jesus] loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood." (Revelation 1:5)

And that means you can have no fear of pain. Make no mistake. Pain will still come. Persecution will still happen. You too will suffer. "Suffering… [is yours] in Jesus." But you can handle it. "Patient endurance," is also yours, "in Jesus."

So live boldly. He is victorious and so are you. He still stands in the midst of his church saying, "Do not be afraid." Take heart. And live for the Living One. Even if you're castaway to a deserted island and left all alone (either literally or figuratively), be assured that you're not really alone. You're safe. You're secure. The One who holds the keys of death and hell has conquered both for you. Jesus wins! Hands down! And by extension, so do you, who, by God's grace, are on his side. Your ringer, your Savior, your Alpha and Omega, your First and your Last, your risen Redeemer is revealed. He is victorious. And so are you. 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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Thursday, April 4, 2013

Alleluia! Jesus Lives! (A sermon based on Psalm 30)

What amazing changes have you seen? Have you seen someone go from rags to riches? Or deathly ill to perfectly healthy? Have you ever heard of anyone going from dead to alive? Of course you have! You've heard of Jesus. And... you've heard of you! You were once spiritually dead, but are now alive in Jesus! And because of that great change, your sorrow is turned to joy and your silence to praise! Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Psalm 30 and rejoice! Shout, "Alleluia!" because Jesus lives!

Alleluia! Jesus Lives!
A sermon based on Psalm 30Sunday, March 31, 2013 – Easter Day

Amazing changes take place every day, don't they? Perhaps you've heard stories of people who have gone from poverty to riches, who have been ill and suddenly recovered, or perhaps you yourself have undergone such a change. But do you know anyone who's status has changed from being dead to being alive? Well, hopefully you all said, "yes." You know Jesus. Jesus was dead, but now he lives. And you know yourself. You too were once dead, but now you're alive.
Maybe you've seen this piece of art before… Here an artist cleverly turned death into life by simply turning it upside down.

This morning we rejoice, shouting, "Alleluia!" Jesus lives. And we'll see how he changes death into life. And by doing so, we'll see how he turns our sorrow into joy and our silence into praise. Listen now as we read Psalm 30, a psalm of David… 
1 I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. 2 O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. 3 O Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit. 4 Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name. 5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. 6 When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken." 7 O Lord, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. 8 To you, O Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: 9 "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me; O Lord, be my help." 11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever. 

I.              To Change Death into Life (v.1-3) 

"I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me." You can almost hear Jesus speaking these words Easter morning, can't you? He was lifted out of the depths, out of the suffering of Good Friday, out of the tomb in which his body lay, back to life—forever! His enemies couldn't gloat over Jesus' death because they couldn't silence the report of Jesus' resurrection.
Jesus' enemies today can't gloat either—though they want to deny the resurrection, they still can't explain the absence of Jesus' body. It would have been all too easy to end the resurrection "myths" by simply producing Jesus' dead, lifeless body. That would put an end to the Romans' and the Jews' problem of these pesky disciples and their growing sect quickly and easily. But of course, they couldn't find his dead body—Jesus was no longer dead.
We can be certain of Jesus' bodily resurrection, that God lifted him from the depths of death. And because of his resurrection, we can be certain of our own resurrection too. Jesus said, "Because I live, you too will live." His resurrection is our proof or guarantee that our forgiveness has been approved by God the Father. His words become ours, so we too can say, "I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me... O Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit." The word translated "lifted up out of the depths" is literally "hoisted up." Like you hoist water up from a well, God hoisted Jesus out of the grave, and he hoists us out too.
Imagine for a moment that you're stuck in the bottom of a well with no possible way to climb out—the walls are too steep, too slippery and too far apart to climb out, and no matter how loud you shout, no one hears your cry. You're out there for days with no food or water, with death drawing ever closer and closer. Finally, someone does hear your cry, they throw down a rope and hoist you up, saving you from your hopeless predicament. That person has changed your situation from imminent death to life.
That's exactly what God has done for us. Though we deserve to go to the grave for our sins—for the wages of sin is death—though we deserve to go down to the pit—namely the pit of hell, that's not what we get. In grace, God sent his own Son to that pit for us. Jesus went down to the grave when he died on our behalf. And in doing so, he removed our sin and saved us from death to life.
But if that's how the story ended, we might be left wondering if God really did accept that payment Jesus made on our behalf. But that's not how the story ends. God hoisted Jesus out of the grave on Easter morning. He raised him from death to life. Now we can be certain that we too are lifted up out of our eternal death in hell, to eternal life in heaven. For though it's a death we deserve all too well, our sins were paid for on Good Friday. Our forgiveness guaranteed Easter morning. "Because I live, you too will live."
So dear friends, take comfort. Jesus turned death into life! Death is not the final answer, but only leads us to eternal life. And just as the man rescued from the pit of the well that would have been his grave, is no longer terrified or full of despair, so too, our sorrow is turned to joy. That's why David says…

II.            To Change Sorrow into Joy (v.5-7, 11) 

"Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name. 5For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning... You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy…" 
God's anger and wrath lasted against Jesus for a moment—a few dark hours on Good Friday. But now, his favor rests on Jesus for the rest of his life—for all of eternity. Though Jesus wept for a night on Maundy Thursday, he rejoiced Easter morning. And because he was restored by God, exalted by him to rejoice, his followers can't help but rejoice too.
Mary Magdalene was full of tears and sorrow when she went to the tomb Easter morning. Her Lord, her Master, her Savior, was dead. All hope was lost. And now his body was missing too! But when Jesus appeared to her and showed him that he was no longer dead, how everything changed! By changing death into life, he also changed sorrow into joy.
And he does the same for us. He turns our wailing into dancing—literally twirling about. So full of joy that we can't contain it! As we illustrate in historic liturgical colors, we change the dark colors of mourning and sack cloth that we display for Lent and Good Friday, for the bright, joyful colors of Easter morn!
While we suffer now—and we may suffer brutal pain—thanks to our Savior's suffering on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter morning, we'll soon be in heaven. Our suffering will soon be over forever. We've already been brought from death to life, from the despair of certain hell to unimaginable glory. Now the eternal day of our joy can't compare with the brief moment of our suffering.
Mother Theresa put it well when she said, "Our worst suffering in this life will be like a night of inconvenience at a bad motel." The apostle Paul put it like this: "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17)
We learn from this Psalm that trouble will come and hurt, even deeply—that's assumed in this Psalm—for Christian's aren't exempt from pain in this life. But, in sorrow, suffering or pain, we can still be full of joy and rejoice. Not to trivialize our problems, but to bring them into perspective, they're light compared to the burden of hell we've been rescued from, their miniscule compared to the joy of heaven, like a drop of blood dissolved in the ocean. And so we do rejoice. We can't help but sing our praise to our living Savior who changes our silence into praise…

III.           To Change Silence into Praise 

With his death turned to life and his sorrow turned to joy, David couldn't help but sing his praise to God. His silence was turned into praise. That's why he wrote… "I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths… Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name… You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.
And again our response to our gracious God changing our death into life is the same as King David's. We will exalt the Lord, sing his praises and give him our unending thanks, literally forever.
Just think, if someone did pull you out of a well you'd been stuck in for a week, would you complain that he pulled you too hard causing you to scrape your elbow and bruise your knee on the way up? Not likely. Would you simply say, "Hey thanks, man, I appreciate it"? No! You wouldn't be able to contain your thanks and joy! You'd offer to do whatever you could to thank your rescuer.
Or imagine if you were in financial ruin and on a whim decided to play the lottery and won a million dollars. Would you say, "Boy, I'd better jot down a note so I remember to tell my spouse tonight"? Of course not! You would be overwhelmed with joy so you couldn't keep quiet.
Well, dear friends, you and I were saved from a fate far worse than death by starvation in the bottom of a well. We were saved from far more than mere financial ruin. We were saved from hell itself. Our death has been turned into life! What an amazing change! And what did we have to do to bring that change about? Nothing! Christ did it all for us. He made us saints by taking away our sins. He gives us life by his death. He guarantees our resurrection by his own! And we can't contain our joy! Our silence must be turned into shouts of praise to God!
Dear friends, some of you may not be the best singers in the world, in fact you may be shy about letting the person in the pew next to you hear you sing, but don't let that stop you from singing for joy—if not with your voice, with your heart! Praise him in the way you live to serve your spouse and your kids, your co-workers and friends. Praise him in the way you faithfully spend your dollars and your minutes to his glory. Don't complain about the skinned elbow or bruised knee God may still send you from time to time, but rejoice in the salvation you have. You have eternal life! Praise God! And give him your thanks forever, because you do know someone who's had an amazing change—from death to life. You know your Savior who rose again Easter morning! And by that knowledge you know that you too are now alive with him and will live with him forever and never die! In the name of Jesus—our risen Savior—amen!

In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611
pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 690-1660

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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Expect the Unexpected (A sermon based on Isaiah 52:13–53:12)

How would you expect someone to act toward one who had only been loving and kind? You might expect they'd be kind in return. How do you expect someone would act toward one who was only rude and rebellious? You might expect they'd retaliate, right? But we do the unexpected. We act rude and rebellious toward a God who's only loved us. And he acts unexpectedly too. Read or listen (download or stream) this sermon based on Isaiah 53 (and especially vs. 6) and come to expect the unexpected...

Expect the Unexpected
A sermon based on Isaiah 52:13–53:12
Friday, March 29, 2013 – Good Friday 

You know the Boy Scouts' motto: "Always be prepared." You know, "Hope for the best, but plan for the worst," because as Murphy's law states: "If anything can go wrong, it will." So expect things to be abnormal. Then you'll never be caught off guard. Or another way of putting it, is the wonderful oxymoron: "Expect the unexpected."

That last phrase could really be said of religious truth. For the unexpected often happens. One might expect that one would gladly love, serve, and obey a God who loves and protects and provides for them. But in our lives, the unexpected happens: We rebel against such a loving God. In fact, we wander from his ways so often, you might even say it's expected.

And we'd expect that while such rebels should be punished and the innocent and sinless should be set free, on Good Friday the unexpected happened. And we've heard that message so often that we've come to expect it. And so we take it for granted. But listen again to this awesome surprise as if you were hearing it for the very first time. We already heard how Isaiah so beautifully and poetically described the events of Good Friday in Isaiah 53. Now we focus especially on verse 6... 

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 

I. We All Like Sheep Have Gone Astray 

You're familiar with the picture of a loving shepherd tenderly taking care of his sheep, each one of which he knows by name. He provides for all their needs leading them to fresh water and pasture land full of food. He protects them from the predators fighting off wolves and lions to keep them safe. He carries the little lambs in his arms when they're too weak or tired to go on. He loves the sheep and dedicates his life to caring for them.

Now one might expect a sheep to love such a loving shepherd back. You might expect that a sheep would stick close to a shepherd like that and not wander off. Or you might know just a little about the nature of sheep and know that you cannot expect them to act so wise. So often sheep do what's least expected. They wander away from the shepherd. They get hopelessly lost. They seem to look for dangerous places where they will get hurt. They seem to hunt the lion and the wolf and try to get eaten. In short, you know that with sheep you pretty much have to expect the unexpected.

And of course, you also know that all of that is a picture of our relationship with God. The Lord is our shepherd—the Good Shepherd—who takes such good care of us that we shall not be in want, who protects us so well that even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we should fear no evil. And while you might expect people to love such a loving God back, we so often do the opposite. Isaiah describes us in this way: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way..."

You see God has clearly marked out the way that he wants us to walk and behave. And he's practically put runway lights on either side, with our own consciences blinking "Do not cross this line!" on the one side, and God's clear commands blinking "You  shall not!" on the other. And yet, what have we done? We've decided we can find a better path of our own. We each choose our own way.

We choose to flee from the Good Shepherd as the disciples did at his arrest. We choose to ignore his authority like the Sanhedrin and the teachers of the law. We have been annoyed when Jesus hasn't given us everything we feel he owes us like the mob in Pilate's courtyard did. We have been afraid to stand up for the truth as Pilate was.

We've wandered off the path of what's right and chosen our own way so often that you might come to expect that we will do the unexpected thing of rebelling against a holy God. And in choosing to sin, we choose for ourselves the punishment pictured in Isaiah's Words: We deserve to be despised and rejected by God. We deserve to take up our own infirmities and carry our own sorrows. We deserve to be stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. We deserve to be pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities. We deserve to be punished and wounded forever in hell.

And that's what you might expect. After all, if you ignore the assembly directions, you shouldn't be surprised if you have extra pieces. If you ignore the lesson, you shouldn't be surprised if you fail the test. If you ignore the directions the GPS gives, you shouldn't be surprised when you get lost. And not only do our consciences leave us with this expectation of punishment from God, but his own Word does. In Ezekiel 18:4 God warned that "The soul who sins is the one who will die."

Yes, we might well expect punishment for wandering away from a loving Shepherd who's done nothing but love us. And yet, we won't get the punishment we might expect because on Good Friday the unexpected happened...

II. But the Lord Has Laid on Him the Iniquity of Us All 

Do you remember all the supernatural phenomena that took place on that day? Every day we take for granted that the sun will shine. Yeah, it may be cloudy and overcast, but I mean that there will be an end to nighttime and the sun will come up. But on Good Friday we're told that the sun stopped shining. And make no mistake. It wasn't just a storm. It wasn't an eclipse. (A solar eclipse can only take place at a new moon at the beginning of a month of the Jewish lunar calendar, not at Passover which is celebrated in the middle of the month on the 14th of Nissan.) Luke makes it very clear that the darkness came because the sun itself unexpectedly stopped shining. (Luke 23:35)

And if that weren't strange enough, something even more unexpected happened. Matthew reports, "The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people." (Matthew 27:52-53)

In the back of the December 2009 issue of Consumer Reports there's an ad from a woodworker in North Carolina that reads, "The Woodworker's Shop. We restore, repair, and refinish,"—now get this! They restore…—"caskets!" How odd! You see, caskets aren't normally reused. Once you're in, you're usually there for good. You don't stop using it, and sell it on Craigslist or EBay. But on Good Friday, the dead came back to life.

And as extraordinary as that even was it was not the most unexpected thing to happen that day. You see, we usually expect criminals to pay for their crimes, but we don't expect innocent men to get the death sentence. And when they do, we don't expect that they will readily forgive their accusers. We expect that a just and holy God would punish sinners, but we don't expect the sinless Son of God to be punished for anything. And we certainly don't expect, the immortal Son of God to die. But the sinless Son of God should reign eternally in glory!

That's what we'd expect.

But on Good Friday, the unexpected happened. And far more unexpected still, is why: The innocent and immortal Son of God was punished and killed for you and me, for us sheep who so love to wander.

Marvel again at the unexpected beauty of what Isaiah wrote: "he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows... he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed... We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all... he was led like a lamb to the slaughter... he was taken away... he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken... though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth... the LORD makes his life a guilt offering... my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities... he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

And so, while we might have expected to be punished for wandering away from a loving Shepherd who's done nothing but love and care for us, we are forgiven. We won't get the punishment we might expect because on Good Friday the unexpected happened. And now, we can expect the unexpected, that sinful, wandering sheep like us will enjoy a perfect paradise of glory with our Savior because of what he's done for us. Yes, dear friends, you can expect the unexpected! In the name of Jesus—the Lamb who was crushed that we might have peace—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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Drink the Cup of Salvation (A sermon based on Psalm 116)

Can you imagine if there were a drink that would give eternal life and youth? There is such a drink: the cup of salvation, the Gospel from which we drink deeply and live forever. Rejoice that you and I don't need to search the globe for the Fountain of Youth. We have the cup of salvation. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Psalm 116 and drink the cup of salvation...

God's Gift of ForgivenessDrink the Cup of Salvation
A sermon based on Psalm 116Thursday, March 28, 2013 – Maundy Thursday

 Legend has it that in 1513 the famous explorer and friend of Christopher Columbus, Ponce de Leon, discovered Florida while searching for the Fountain of Youth—those life-giving waters of which one drink would restore a person to youthful health and perfect healing.
Can you imagine if this Fountain of Youth was discovered today? Can you imagine the press coverage, the documentaries, the scientific studies, the lines of people waiting to get a drink?
This evening, as we draw closer to Good Friday, thoughts of death are on the mind. Alluding to his death, Jesus told his disciples he wouldn't be with them much longer and that he wouldn't drink a cup of wine again until he did in heaven. But right before his death, he gave his disciples another cup. He gave them a cup that saved them from death.
And we still have this cup today. Tonight, you and I will drink from the cup of salvation, a cup that literally saves from death and gives eternal life. Talk about a Fountain of Youth! We have it right here, right now!
Listen to the first half of Psalm 116 that describes how God has given us the gift of forgiveness in giving us the cup of salvation. Listen to how he's saved us from death and given us eternal life…  
1 I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. 2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. 3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the Lord: "O Lord, save me!" 5 The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. 6 The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. 7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. 8 For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
I don't know what brought the psalmist to death's door or how God delivered him from it. In his Psalm he seems more preoccupied with praising God than giving us the specific details. But we do know that this Psalm is more than a well-composed dissertation on the subject of death in the realm of theory.
The author has had a close brush with the grim reaper. He narrowly escaped death. And now he rejoices in the cup of salvation that God had given him, in saving not just his physical life, but even more in saving him from eternal death in hell. Having gone through that suffering he comes through it closer to God, rejoicing in what he has done. 

I.      It Saves Us From Death 

Whatever the problem the psalmist faced we do know his trouble was self-made. He knew he didn't deserve deliverance. He cried out for "mercy," for God's undeserved love. He said he had been simplehearted or foolish. That's why he was entangled in the cords of death. That's why the grave almost overtook him. That's why trouble and sorrow did overcome him—because of his own sin.
Have you ever been tied up so you couldn't move? Even if you're not claustrophobic, it's a terrible feeling. It's a helpless, panicky feeling. What terror he must have felt, tied up, entangled in the cords of death. And what's worse, he knew the situation he was in was no one's fault but his own.
What could he do, all tied up? He knew what to do. He cried out for help. When he couldn't save himself, he cried out to God to save him. And God didn't disappoint. "…he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy …he turned his ear to me …The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. 6 The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. 7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. 8 For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling…" 
Now as we read of how God saved this man from physical death, we can't help but think of the greater miracle: "For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death…"  We can't help but recall how he's saved all people from spiritual death. In fact, the word translated "grave" in verse three is "Sheol" and could be translated "hell." "The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the [hell] came upon me." The psalmist may have been speaking of spiritual death the whole time.
And we know without a doubt that we are saved from that death when we cry out to God in our great need. How can we be so certain? In Christ. He cuts us free from the cords of that death. He frees us from the anguish of hell." How? By facing that anguish for us.
The story is told of two young men who shared a set of parents and a birthday, but it seems that that was about all that they shared. Considering they were identical twins, they had very little in common. The one man was a Christian, well-behaved for the most part, obedient to his parents, a faithful employee, kind and loyal to his friends… His brother on the other hand, was, well, a loser. He was addicted to drugs, couldn't keep job, used others in whatever way he could and so had no true friends…
One day, the second brother got in a drunken fight at the bar and landing a crushing blow, killed the other man. His fear sobered him quickly. With his blood-soaked clothes and dozens of witnesses he knew he was in a whole lot of trouble. He fled the scene and called his brother, sobbing, "Brother, help me. I don't know what to do! I just killed a man and the police will be here any minute."
The good brother loved his evil twin, as evil as he was, and drove to his brother's as quickly as he could. "Quick, let's change clothes." And just as the good brother finished putting on the blood stained clothes, the police arrived and his evil twin slipped out the back. The good brother was arrested, the trial was eventually held, and he was condemned and executed for his brother's crimes. His evil brother went free. 
Dear friends, we are the evil twin. We were once had an eternal death penalty hanging over our heads because of our sin. We weren't handcuffed, but the cords of death entangled us and the anguish of hell was upon us. We were to be sentenced to hell—a living death for all of eternity for the crimes we've committed. And if anyone who calls another an unkind name is guilty of committing murder, as Jesus clearly taught, then who of us here isn't a murderer? The sentence was just. There was nothing we could do to escape, but cry out for help. And our brother, Jesus, heard our cry for mercy. He is gracious, righteous, and full of compassion, and in his great love for us, he cut the cords of death that entangled us and freed us from the anguish of hell that nearly overtook us. And Jesus, our brother, put on our blood-stained clothes and took our place in the execution.
On Calvary's cross, Jesus drank the cup of God's wrath, that same cup he prayed about on Maundy Thursday in the Garden of Gethsemane. "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me." (Luke 22:42) "If there's any other way, God…" But there was no other way. And so he suffered death, he suffered hell, to save us from it.
This Gospel message is the cup of salvation from which we drink! And by it we have God's gift of forgiveness. We have eternal life. And by the cup of his blood in with and under the wine in the Lord's Supper, he gives us the gift of forgiveness again and assures us that we are saved from eternal death.
And so we rejoice right along with the psalmist: "…he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy …he turned his ear to me …The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. 6 The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. 7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. 8 For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling…" 

II.    It Gives Us Real Life 

And though that is far more than we deserve, God gives us even more. Having delivered our souls from death, he gives us real life. We no longer live for ourselves, but for the one who saved us. Giving our unending thanks and praise to him. The psalmist continues, rereading verse 8 and continuing to the end of the Psalm… 
8 For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, 9 that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. 10 I believed; therefore I said, "I am greatly afflicted." 11 And in my dismay I said, "All men are liars." 12 How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? 13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. 14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. 16 O Lord, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains. 17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord. 18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, 19 in the courts of the house of the Lord— in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord. 
What kind of life does the Psalmist experience now? One that is completely free. Some people suggest that religion doesn't release a person, but binds them—that it binds them to the obligation to serve God, it binds them to keep his rules and laws. While it's true that many religions do bind one to greater obligations, not the gospel of Jesus! It frees us.
As the Psalmist writes, God has freed us from our chains. There is no obligation to do anything to do anything to earn our salvation—we're no longer obligated to be perfect as God's law demands, since Christ was perfect in our place. We're not even obligated to try our best since the salvation Christ won for us on the cross is complete! The cup of salvation is ours—given to us as a free gift from God, won for us by our brother Jesus. And it sets us free!
But free to do what? To live lives of sin, pleasing our sinful nature? No! That's not freedom. That's going back to slavery again. We're free to serve God—For God has delivered our souls from death, that we may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. And that doesn't mean we walk the so-called "straight and narrow" watching every step lest we stray and displease God. No! Then we would still be bound too. We walk in the freedom of the gospel, with no obligation. We walk a relaxed route, literally, "going to and fro," before the Lord.
You see, we're free to do whatever we want, but now because of the cup of salvation given to us as a free gift, because of Jesus body and blood given for us for the forgiveness of sins, what every Christian wants is to serve God in thanks. That's why the psalmist wrote, "1 I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. 2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live." Or as John wrote, "We love because he first loved us." A heart that trusts in Christ and the cup of salvation he won for us can't help but live a life of thanks. Our gratitude wells up within us and expresses itself in acts of service to God and to our neighbor. And the gospel frees us to do just that. 
Let's go back to the brother whose good twin was executed in his place. Do you think that after the execution of his brother the evil twin said, "Great! My brother took the death penalty I deserved! Now I'm free to go back to the bar and continue my wicked ways!"? No! He didn't! He was free from the law, free to do whatever he wanted. The cops no longer hunted him for the murder he committed, since as far as they were concerned, justice had been served, the killer had been caught.
But while the evil twin was free to do as he pleased, what pleased him was now different. From the time that his brother took his blood stained clothes and his guilt on himself, that man no longer lived the way he once did. Instead, he lived to honor the memory of his brother who died for him. Since his brother took his place as the murderer, he would take his brothers place as the good man. He would live just like his brother who set him free from death lived his life. Because now he was free to live. 
So too, we live, not for ourselves, but for our brother Jesus, who died to set us free from our death sentence of hell. We live, free from fear, even fear of death—for through Christ and his death on the cross, our death takes us to heaven. For "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." 
And now, we are truly free to live in this life—free to live to serve him. We ask, "How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?" And while we can never fully repay him, we strive to do the things that are pleasing to him. Because we believe in what he's done for us, we can't help but speak and share the life-giving news that we have with others. We "will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord," in regular public worship, in the presence of all his people.
We will lift up the cup of communion with thanks to God as we drink the very blood that he poured out on the cross to pay for our sins to set us free. We call on God's name in prayer and in song. And we do both as often as we can just as he told us to. We will say to God, "O Lord, truly I am your servant; I am your servant… you have freed me from my chains." And we will live to serve him and each other, as Jesus new command on Maundy Thursday tells us, "Love one another." (John 13:34) We will sacrifice our thank offerings to God, giving not just our dollars or our time in service, but giving our very selves.
Why do we do all this? Not because we must, but because we want to. For we have drunk from the cup of salvation, that our gracious, righteous, and compassionate God has given to us. We've drunk from the Fountain of Youth that gives us eternal life! He has saved us from death. He has given us real life. So we too can't help but praise the Lord in all we do. In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen. 

In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611
pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 690-1660

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
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