Monday, April 25, 2011

Easter Has a Big Mouth (A Sermon based on 1 Corinthians 15:51-57)

Is it spiders and snakes? Bears and moose? Sickness or unemployment? What strikes fear into your heart? For many it's the thought of their own death. But for believers in Christ, death need not frighten us. We can be bold even in the face of death because of Easter. Easter means no fear of death because Easter has a big mouth. It eats big, swallowing up death whole. And it talks big, making big boasts. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 and have no fear of death...

Easter Means No Fear… of Death!
Easter Has a Big Mouth
A Sermon based on 1 Corinthians 15:51-57
Sunday, April 24, 2011-- Easter Day 

"Man, what a big mouth!" That phrase, "big mouth," which I'm sure has been said of me once or twice before, can mean several things. Usually it's a reference to one who talks too much or especially to one who makes big boasts. But "big mouth" is also a reference to a variety of fish, like the bigmouth goby and the bigmouth buffalo fish, who, as their name implies, have big mouths and swallow their prey whole.

This morning, as we gather together to celebrate the victory that Jesus won for us on Easter, we rejoice that that Easter has a big mouth in both senses of the phrase. Easterhas a big mouth and eats big. It swallows its prey—Death—whole, in one gulp. And Easter has a big mouth and talks big, making great boasts and letting us do the same.

Listen again to Paul's description of this big-mouthed Easter as it's recorded for us in 1 Corinthians 15:51-57... 

51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

I. It Eats Big 

 Did you  like the word the apostle used to describe the way you are right now? You are perishable. Like the eggs that get rotten or the milk that sours, our bodies, our very selves are in a state of decay. In fact, we need to bathe regularly to keep the smell of decay from offending others around us. Cut off the circulation for only a short time and gangrene sets in. This body is born to die.

Why are our bodies so subject to death? Is this how God planned it? No. It's because of sin. "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law." God's perfect law lays down the standard for which we are to live. Summarized briefly, it says "Love God perfectly above all else and love your neighbor, that is, everyone else around you, as much as you love yourself."

The problem is that though we see the bulls-eye we're aiming for, we miss the mark. In fact, all too often we miss the target altogether. That's what sin is. Even if you try to be loving to everyone else all the time, selfishness creeps in, and you choose to serve yourselves rather than God. So do I. And for one failure to keep God's law, for one missed opportunity to proclaim God's love to others by word or by deed, for one good thing left undone, for one sin no matter how small it may seem, we are less than perfect. And the many sins we commit daily give death its sting.

Play with a scorpion and you're bound to get stung. Play with sin and selfishness and the stinger is a lot bigger than a scorpions. Death hits hard. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, he followed though on his promise: that because they ate from the tree which he had forbidden, they would surely die. From dust we've all been made and to dust we will return. Death is chasing all of us, eager to devour us and swallow us whole. And its appetite is never satisfied. Like a sniper it will pick us off one by one. For our sin we are perishable, mortal, dying. And if left to ourselves, that physical death ends in eternal death in hell where the living dead cannot die.

In a popular movie from a few years ago the heroes of the story were in a submarine of sorts fleeing a giant sea monster, right on their tail, ready to devour them in one quick gulp. But just as it grabs their sub in its teeth, an even bigger sea monster grabs it and they make their escape. Likewise, as powerful and consuming as death is, our risen Savior wants us to know that there's something even bigger than death that has the final word. Death itself is swallowed whole by Easter.

Like the Giant African Python swallowing a whole deer, Jesus' victory swallows up death whole. The Psalmist wrote, "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him." (Psalm 32:1-2) When Jesus went to the cross, he took every one of your sins on himself. He swallowed them whole into himself. And as he endured hell itself on that cross in payment for your sins, he took every one of those sins away. They are all forgiven and covered. Not a one of them will be counted against you.

And so, even though you and I will still die a physical death, we won't die forever in hell like we deserve. Because of Easter, Death has lost its sting. It's been swallowed up in victory.

A young family was taking a road trip to visit family in the Midwest. When the sun was shining, the windows were down, but as the sprinkles started to hit, the windows went up. Seconds later chaos broke out in the back seat. A bee that had been pinned in the back window by the wind, was now free to terrorize the kids. While still driving, dad quickly reached back and grabbed the bee with his hand. But soon he let go and the bee flied out of his hands into the backseat again. The kids panic resumed until dad explained that the bee couldn't hurt them anymore. He had no more stinger. The stinger was stuck in the palm of dad's hand. The stinger didn't just vanish, but was spent on someone else. 

Death's sting didn't just disappear, but was spent on Jesus. You know Jesus could have left the cross if he wanted. But he didn't because his hand was clamped down on the fury of hell to rob Death of its stinger. Now Death can buzz and annoy, but it can't really hurt us. The stinger's gone. And so the victory that Jesus gives can be a big mouth and talk big! Listen to how it taunts Death... 

II. It Talks Big 

"Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" Bold words, aren't they? When you're in a fight with someone bigger than you and stronger than you, it's usually best to just keep your mouth shut, right? Why taunt one that you know can easily beat you up? Was Paul just being foolish when he taunted death? No. He was actually paraphrasing the Old Testament. In Hosea 13:14 God himself promised, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?"

You see with the confidence of Easter, of sins forgiven, of a certain resurrection, Death which was sure to overtake Paul had lost its stinger. Paul knew the mystery of what would happen after this short life was over. And he revealed that mystery to the Corinthians and to us: "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality."

Though we deserve to perish in hell, "thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." So we don't need to be afraid—not even of death!

And because of Easter, you and I can boast just as Paul did. The victory that we have talks big! Physical death will still come, but it won't destroy us. It will transform us. We'll transform, not like vehicles becoming robots, but much better. It will be a complete transformation. And it won't take hours of surgery with weeks of recovery. It will take place instantly. In a flash! In the twinkling of an eye! Jesus will return and we who were once perishable and subject to decay will be clothed with the imperishable. We who were once mortal and subject to death will be clothed with immortality. And though we die, we will live! Forever and ever!

And so, we too can talk big. We can boast over death! Have you lost a love one to that sniper, Death, recently? Are you looking over your shoulder for that Grim Reaper more often as you get older and the decay we're all subject to seems to win more and more battles? Then remember the victory that God gives through our Lord Jesus Christ! And laugh at Death in its weak and pitiful state! "Ha! You may take my life, but you can't really hurt me! I will live forever! I have found the fountain of youth that makes me immortal! Or rather, he found me. I may die, but you've lost your sting! I will live again! And how glorious it will be! So bring it on, Death!"

And when you've sufficiently boasted in your Savior and taunted Death to your satisfaction, then get a big mouth that can't stop talking about what your Savior has done for you! Share the Good News with those who are being swallowed up in their sin and in the hopelessness of this life. Share with them how "Death has been swallowed up in victory." For when it's about Easter, you can never talk too much! May God bless you and your big mouths as you boast in the victory your Savior won! Easter means no fear! Not even of death! For he is risen! He is risen indeed! Amen.

In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

See, Your King Comes to You! (A sermon based on Zechariah 9:9-10)

Sometimes it may seem like there's not much joy in life, but this Palm Sunday, God reminds us that we can always rejoice in our King who came to bring us salvation! We really do have something to shout about and share with everyone: That our sins are forgiven by Jesus' work in Jerusalem that first Holy Week. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Zechariah 9:9-10 and rejoice in, then shout about, the salvation we have in Jesus!

See, Your King Comes to You!

A sermon based on Zechariah 9:9-10

Sunday, April 17, 2011 – Palm Sunday A

 

Rejoice! When's the last time you used that word outside of church? It's not really a word we use every day, is it? But the concept is something we're familiar with. Our baby was born healthy and well! And we rejoice! Grandma made it into town, so mom and dad get a night out. And we rejoice! I got the job! I got the promotion! And we rejoice!

But at times it might not be so easy to rejoice. I lost the job. The marriage is in ruins. The baby didn't make it. And we might give Zechariah a questioning look when he tells us to rejoice. Rejoice, huh? Zechariah, you obviously know nothing about the way life usually works. So many things rob us of our joy and make it hard to rejoice.

But this morning as we look at one more Old Testament prophecy describing the coming Messiah this Lenten season, we're reminded that no matter how bad things may seem, no matter how bad things may be, we can still rejoice. We can rejoice in our King, Jesus, who comes to win our salvation. And once we rejoice in what he's done for us, we can shout and proclaim his peace to the ends of the earth. Listen again to Zechariah's Palm Sunday prophecy recorded for us in Zechariah 9:9-10…

 

9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

 

I.              Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion! 


Zechariah has been called "The Holy Week Prophet." He prophesied that Jesus would be sold for thirty pieces of silver. He prophesied that when the Shepherd  would be struck, the sheep would all scatter. And here, he prophesied how Jesus would ride into Jerusalem to being his conquering mission…

And oh, how God's people needed a Messiah to come to the rescue!

Few things deflate your spirit quicker than looking in your rearview mirror to see a cop or trooper flashing red and blue to signal you to pull over, especially when you know you're guilty of breaking a law. But nothing deflates your spirit quicker than looking in the rearview mirror of God's holy Law only to see the coming wrath of God.

God's people were back home in their promised land just like we heard Ezekiel prophesy would happen last week. But their city was in ruins. The temple was demolished. Their lives were in shambles. And when they looked over their shoulders, they knew that it was all because of their rebellion against God.

So how could they possibly rejoice?!

Because their King was coming. Of course, under the governor Zerubbabel they had no king. But this was a prophecy of the coming Messiah—the one who would rule over all nations! The one who would bring salvation from their sin—the very sin that brought them to ruins!

 

And this is made clear to us who see the fulfillment of verse 9 on Palm Sunday. In Jesus' day God's people looked at their situation, subject to Rome and Roman rules, paying taxes way higher than they could afford, suffering misery and frustration, and they looked to God's promises for hope. And they found the hope they were looking for in Jesus.

Here was one they thought would right the wrongs, rid them of the Romans, bring in perfect peace on earth and help them to rule the nations. But that's not the salvation Jesus would bring. Riding in to Jerusalem on a donkey demonstrated that. Oh, he was the Messiah, to be sure. That's why he came "and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

But he wasn't the type of Messiah they were looking for. He wouldn't ride in chariots. He wouldn't ride on war-horses. He would ride on a donkey—an animal of peace. He would take away the chariots and war-horses and destroy the weapons because his peace was not a physical, political, earthly peace. That's not the kind of salvation he would bring.

But, "See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation…" The King was not only righteous himself, but came bringing salvation, by giving his righteousness to his people. As the inspired apostle wrote in Romans 3: "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." He came to bring them salvation from hell and peace with God. And so, even in the midst of the ruined city of Jerusalem, or even while subject to Roman rule, they could rejoice!

And so can we!

 

Friends, when you look back into the rear view mirror of life and see the consequences of your actions following you, when you see the wrath of God like the flashing red and blue lights chasing you, what kind of King do you look for? One who will save you from your problems or pain? One who will save you from trouble or hardship? Well, thank God you that you don't have that kind of King. You have one that wins the battle for you in a surprising way. He still doesn't mount war horses or chariots. He doesn't make you win the lotto every time. He doesn't end all opposition for you. And he doesn't take away your every pain.

But in a great battle, he made a sacrifice that looked like it spelled his defeat. Gentle and humble, he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey that he might ride to his death. Palm Sunday was Jesus death march. But he did it for you so he could take away your sin. On the cross, as he filled your shoes when the wrath of God poured out against every sin, he rescued you! He rescued you from hell!

And so, now, no matter what satan and your fellow sinners throw your way, no matter what mistakes you've made, no matter what problems you face, you can still rejoice! Because your sins are forgiven! Heaven is yours! "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! …See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation!"

 

II.            Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!


Now Zechariah didn't just focus the people's attention on what the coming King would do for them, but he pointed out that his salvation would be for everyone! And he encouraged God's people to keep working to build up God's temple so they could be instrumental in letting the world know it.

Here he told them, "Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! …He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth."

You may or may not have had reason to rejoice lately, but when was the last time you were so excited about something that you shouted out loud? The picture Zechariah paints here is like that of one winning the lottery. If someone handed you a lottery ticket this afternoon and tomorrow you discovered that you were the winner of half a million dollars, would you rejoice quietly? Of course not! You'd shout about it, at least after you'd cashed it in!

Or maybe this one's more realistic: Imagine sitting in the stadium watching the Super Bowl surrounded by thousands of fans cheering for your team to win. (Okay, for some of you—Lions fans—it's maybe less realistic than winning the lottery, but just try to imagine it, okay?) Finally, after a grueling game, your team scores the tie-breaking touchdown with seconds left on the clock. They win the Superbowl! Would you rejoice quietly?

No, of course not! You'd jump up and shout! You'd holler to everyone around you! You'd maybe even call up your friends, whether they were cheering for your team or the opposing team, and start screaming into the phone. Your excitement would be too much to contain!

Zechariah told God's people that they didn't need to rejoice quietly, but they could shout! Tell the ends of the earth what God had promised! Their King would come! He would bring them salvation! He would take away their sin! He would bring them peace! And this wasn't just for a few, but for everyone! "To the nations!" "From sea to sea!" "To the ends of the earth!"

 

Dear friends, far more exciting than any Super Bowl, worth more than any lottery could ever offer, you have something better: You have a King who's brought you salvation with his righteousness! Your sins are forgiven! Heaven is yours! So no matter what this life has to offer, you have paradise to look forward to! And he brought it not just for you, but "To the nations!" "From sea to sea!" "To the ends of the earth!" Don't keep quiet about it, but shout! How could you possibly keep quiet about it?! It's the most exciting thing the world has ever seen!

And if you're an introvert, that's okay. You can shout about your King in other ways! By your offerings that support the mission of Grace and of our synod, you help others shout about the King! By forwarding an email of a sermon or a link to our Easter series page, you shout about what Jesus means to you! By taking a few business cards inviting someone to hear about the Easter message that we don't need to be afraid of anything and simply leaving a card at the table in the restaurant or at the gas pump, you're helping to shout about what our King means to us!

So, "Rejoice greatly," dear friends, because "your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation!" Then, "Shout," dear friends! "…Proclaim peace to the nations…" And do your part, small as it may seem, to extend his Kingdom "from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth," in Jesus' name, and by the peace that he's brought you. Amen.

 

In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

God Hurts Us to Heal Us (A sermon based on Hosea 5:15-6:3)

Why does God sometimes allow pain to come into our lives? How can a loving God even send pain into our lives? Sometimes God allows it to strengthen our faith or to help us witness to others. But sometimes God sends pain to into our lives as loving discipline, to draw us back to himself and his promises of grace. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Hosea 5:15-6:3 and learn how God will sometimes hurt us in his love to heal us by his grace...

God Hurts Us to Heal Us

A sermon based on Hosea 5:15-6:3

Sunday, April 3, 2011 - Lent 4A

 

Last week Jesus answered the difficult question "Why does God allow bad things to happen?" He said, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened," namely, that a man was born blind, "so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." God allowed a man to be born blind not to punish him for a particular sin, but to give him opportunity to receive spiritual sight. This week we ask a similar question, "Why does God not only allow bad things happen, but even cause bad things to happen?" And again we see God sending pain and suffering for his glorious purposes. He sends his discipline in love…

The prophet Hosea prophesied during the tragic final days of the Northern Kingdom when they were about to be viciously destroyed by the Assyrian army from the north. But why would God allow, even cause, such suffering to come to his people? Here's why: God had warned his people again and again to worship him alone; to abandon their idols and put their trust in him. But again and again, they forsook God and cheated on him, turning to Baal worship, pagan sacrifice, "worshipping" with the sacred prostitutes, and even forming a golden calf in the capitol city of Samaria.

But they had ignored God long enough. He didn't want them to lose the promise of the Messiah as they had begun to do, so he would spank them. He would send an enemy nation from the north to bring them them misery, suffering and pain; to bring them to repentance; to bring them back to him and his promises of grace.

And at times, God does the same with us today. He sends suffering into our lives to bring us to repentance. He sends misery to bring us back to him. Sometimes God tears us apart in order to restore us. He hurts us in his love so he can heal us with his grace. Listen again to Hosea 5:15-6:3…

 

15 Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me." 6:1 "Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. 3 Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

 

I.              He Hurts Us in His Love (5:15-6:1)

 

God was vicious with his people. In the verse right before our text for this morning God describes himself as a lion who would tear them apart with no one to save them. By sending the brutal Assyrian army against them God tore his people apart and injured them, like a lion tearing apart his prey. The Assyrians tortured their captured enemies who resisted them. They would maim and impale and skin alive their enemies who dared to fight against them. Those who did surrender were chained, and with a hook in their nose were hauled away from their family and friends into captivity in a foreign land. The punishment was severe.

But it got even worse. More frightening than the violence of God's judgment was the abandonment that followed. If God's presence like a lion to tear them apart was frightening, his absence was terrifying. Like a lion retreating to the den leaving the carcass of his prey behind, God withdrew from his people. Like a hurt husband leaving the house and his unfaithful wife behind, God departed from his people. It couldn't get any worse than that.

But why would God cause so much suffering for his chosen people? For the nation that he said he loved? That doesn't seem like a very loving God to hurt his people in such a vicious way! And then to abandon them once he did! But God was practicing what parents today call "tough love."

The pain God sent was not without cause. God hurt them not in spite of his love, but because of his love. God abandoned his people to draw them back to him. He said, "15 Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me."

The end goal of the punishment God sent was to restore his people. He left them alone for a while so they might admit their guilt. In his love he added misery to their sinful rebellion to turn them from their sin. He wanted them to see that their real problem was not their enemies, but their sinful hearts. God was striving to break them; to bring them to their knees in repentance; to make them see that they were not better off without God; to make them say, "Come, let us return to the Lord."

 

Dear friends, does it ever seem like God is punishing you? Or worse yet, does it ever seem like God has left you? At those times it can seem like God doesn't care; that he wants to see you suffer. But God is just practicing tough love.

Maybe he is giving you opportunity to share your faith. Maybe he is giving you spiritual exercise, pushing you to the limit, throwing on bigger and heavier weights, so that your faith might grow stronger. Or maybe he's hurting to heal you; to lead you to repentance; to lead you back to him…

When a young woman's three year-old son was playing with his ball in the driveway, it bounced too high and got away from him and rolled into the street. Though his mother had warned him not to time and time again, he ran out into the street to get his ball. Mom saw the whole thing. And even though she didn't want to scold him and she didn't want to be the "bad guy," she loved her son too much not to punish him. She knew that if she didn't punish him today, tomorrow he could be hit by a car and killed. So she hurt her son to save him.

In the same way, the surgeon knew that the surgery wouldn't be easy. The tumor was on the spine in an area hard to reach. There were good odds that his patient would never walk again. But if the tumor weren't removed, there were better odds the patient would die. So he hurt the patient to heal him.

That's how it is with God. He doesn't enjoy punishing his children. He doesn't want to watch them suffer. But he knows that a little bit of suffering today might save you from an eternity of suffering tomorrow.

If you break a law, you may pay a fine or go to jail. If you damage a relationship you may lose someone you love. If you abandon God, he may send you illness, suffering, or pain. God gives us consequences for our sins to show us how serious they are and to lead us to repent. He would rather watch you hurt than lose you to hell.

Dear friends, don't ignore God's discipline. "Come, let us return to the Lord."  Let's return to the Lord, not by just going through the motions or in empty lip service, but in sincere repentance, recognizing that our real problem is not the pain we suffer, the financial woes, or the broken relationship, but the sin that's caused it. Let's admit our guilt and our disease of sin. Let's repent of our sin of a lack of zeal for hearing God's Word. Let's confess our sins of laziness, of self-centeredness, of loving ourselves and our comfort more than we love our God. Let's return to the Lord and let the Master Surgeon do his work. For when we do, he will heal us with his grace…

 

II.            He Heals Us with Grace (6:2,3)

 

As Hosea pleads with God's people to return to the Lord, he encourages them with God's motivating promises. He writes, "Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. 3 Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

Why should God's people repent? Because they could be confident with absolute certainty that God would heal them. Hosea leaves no room for doubt. He doesn't say, "If we go back to God and beg him, he might heal us." No! He says, "God will heal us." There is no uncertainty! Listen to the verbs he uses… he will heal us… he will bind up our wounds… he will revive us… he will restore us… he will appear… he will come to us like the winter and spring rains. Hosea was certain of God's restoration if the people would sincerely repent.

But in the middle of suffering, even confident of God's deliverance, one nagging question remains… "When, God? How long will it take?" Hosea offered assurance that if they would repent, God would restore his people quickly. "After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence." God would quickly revive and restore his people and bring them back into his presence. Of that they could be certain; as certain as the sun rises and the seasons change.

 

And we can be just as confident. We can be certain that when we sincerely repent of our sins God will come and heal us. We can be confident that he won't stay away for long…

Do you ever doubt that spring and summer will arrive? When the winter seems to drag on and the ice doesn't melt as quickly as it has this year, you may wonder when spring will arive, but you can be certain that it will eventually come. When you go to bed at night, do you ever doubt that the sun will rise in the morning? Do you ever think to yourself, "Well, it will probably be dark all day tomorrow because the sun won't come up." Maybe for you slopers when you're north of the Arctic Circle, but everywhere else, every day of every year since the sun has been created it has set in the evening and risen again the very next morning.

In the same way, when we confess our sins to God we can be certain he will give us the comfort and restoration that is found in the gospel. Why can we be so certain that he will bring healing and restoration? Because of Christ. In him we have perfect healing…

Instead of injuring us, God injured Christ. He was mocked and ridiculed, beaten with a staff, with a crown of thorns pressed deep into his head. Instead of tearing us to pieces, God tore up Christ. He was scourged with pieces of his flesh literally torn to pieces. He was nailed to a cross, tortured and crucified for us. Instead of abandoning us and leaving us, God abandoned Jesus on the cross as he suffered hell in our place to pay for our every sin. During this season of Lent, we look to that cross where God punished Christ in our place so we can  be certain that by his wounds we are healed (cf. Isaiah 53), that we are restored to God.

So brothers and sisters, when God hurts you, when he sends you misery and suffering and pain, return to the Lord. Sincerely repent of your sin. Seek his grace. And be confident that your suffering will end. Remember Easter Day; that after two days Christ was revived. On the third day his life was restored. And because he lives, we too will live. Press on to know God and remain faithful to him. Strive to be ready for his return, because as surely as the sun rises, he will return soon to take us to be forever healed in the glories of his heaven. In his name, dear friends, amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Look, You Blind, and See! (A sermon based on Isaiah 42:14-21)

Can you imagine being both blind and deaf? How hard would it be to communicate! Can you imagine being the parent of a child that's both blind and deaf? How would you discipline? The truth is that by nature, and too often still, we are blind to see what God has done for us in his grace. We're dear to hear his Word. So what does God do? In love he opens our eyes and gives us new, spiritual, sight and opens our ears to hear his Word. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Isaiah 42:14-21 and be encouraged to look and see, listen and hear!

Look, You Blind, and See!
A sermon based on Isaiah 42:14-21
Sunday, March 3, 2002 – Lent 3A

 

Most of you are probably familiar with the story of Helen Keller. When Helen was only a few months old a disease left her both blind and deaf. And isolated from everything that was going on around her, she became a little brat. She would eat food off of anyone's plate, she would scream and shout, smash dishes and lamps, and in short be a little terror. Relatives thought she was a monster and encouraged her parents to put her in an institution.

Can you imagine being both deaf and blind? Could you imagine being the parents of a kid both deaf and blind? After all, what could you do to discipline? Punish her and calmly explain what she'd done wrong? Yell at her at the top of your lungs? It wouldn't do any good, right? She couldn't hear? What would be the point?

In our sermon text for this morning, God speaks of his nation Israel, who was about to go into captivity in Babylon for their rebellion against God, as if they were just like Helen Keller. They too were blind and deaf. They were blind to all of God's loving acts he had done for them. They were deaf to hear his Word. And what could God do if they didn't listen?

Maybe the little monster should be locked away in a mental institution. But that's not what God did. He came up with another solution. And he pleaded with them not to be blind and deaf to his solution, but to hear his Word, to look and see what he would do!

Listen again to Isaiah 42:14-21 and be encouraged to look and see God's grace for you…

 

"For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant. 15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools. 

16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. 17 But those who trust in idols, who say to images, 'You are our gods,' will be turned back in utter shame.

18 "Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see! 19 Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD? 20 You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing." 21 It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious.

 

I.              The Reason for Blindness

 

Just like Helen Keller: Blind and deaf. That's the way God described the Israelites in today's text by referring to them as "God's servant." "Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD?" "No one is as blind as the Israelites!" But what made them so blind and deaf? "You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing." It wasn't the fact that they couldn't hear or see, but that they wouldn't see or hear. They had selective hearing.

President Franklin Roosevelt, felt that many of his advisors had selective hearing. So one day he tested them. Whenever they asked how he was, he responded with a smile, "I'm great thanks! I just killed my grandmother this morning!" And wasn't that surprised when most responded with things like, "That's wonderful, Mr. President! Now if you could take a look at this…" or "Keep up the great work, Mr. President! Here's the report you asked for." If fact, all day, only one person actually listened. And he replied, "Mr. President, I'm sure she had it coming. Now, let's prep for your meeting…"

The truth is that none of us are as good at listening as we ought to be. We all have selective hearing. Just ask my wife. It's true not just of the kids when she says it's time for bed, or time to do their chores, but it's also true of me, when I'm reading the paper or watching TV. And we have selective seeing too! The boys can find anything in their "Eye Spy" books, but ask them to pick up the toys and they ask, "Where? What toys?" And when my wife asks me to fetch something from the pantry or fridge, it usually takes me fractions of a second to declare, "It's not in here. I can't find it," before she pulls it from the front shelf that's right at my eye-level.

But this selective hearing and seeing becomes a really serious problem when it's between us and God. The Israelites chose to ignore God.

They chose not to see his loving hand in rescuing them from Egypt, in providing for them in the wilderness, in bringing them safely to the Promised Land, in driving out their enemies, in blessing them in their new homes. Instead of thanking him, they grumbled and complained against him. They focused their sights on what they didn't have: "We had onions in Egypt!" they whined! "This water in the desert is too bitter!" they grumbled! "We're sick of this manna and quail, manna and quail!" they complained!

They choose not to hear God's law and to ignore his commands not to worship other so-called gods, and worshiped a cow made out of gold that they themselves formed! And instead of rejoicing in the blessings God had given—especially in the promise of the Savior—they chose to remain blind and deaf. Ah, those foolish Israelites!

 

But don't we often do the same?

We choose not to see the blessings God showers on us each day, the health, the wealth, the peace, the stuff, but instead we focus our sights on what he hasn't given. He didn't give me a spouse who does what I want. He didn't give me the job I wish I had. He didn't give me the health that ought to be mine.

And we choose not to hear his law when he tells us that drunkenness is a sin, that premarital sex is NOT okay, that lust and bitterness and little white lies are all sin and rebellion against him. I don't want to hear that. So I close my ears. I shut my eyes. And continue to do things my way instead of God's way. And I do just like the Israelites did and practice selective hearing and see only what I want to see. I choose to be blind and deaf.

And what do I deserve? What do we all deserve for too often choosing to be deaf and blind? "Those who trust in idols, who say to images, 'You are our gods,' will be turned back in utter shame." We deserve to be turned back away from God. We deserve to live in eternal shame for choosing to be deaf and blind. That's what we deserve. And what's God to do? Yell at us? It'll do no good if we choose to be deaf? But instead God chooses to cure us of our blindness and heal us of our deafness. Instead of punishing us he says, "Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see!"

 

II.            The Cure for Blindness

 

For Helen Keller, the cure came in a peculiar way. For the first seven years of her life Helen continued in her blindness and refused to learn anything from anyone. But, when the patient young teacher, Anne Sullivan, led her to the water pump, all of that was about to change. While Ms. Sullivan pumped the water over Helen's one hand, she spelled out the word "water" in the other. For the first time, Helen understood that there were words that carried meaning. She later said:

"As the cool stream gushed over one hand [Ms. Sullivan] spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten, a thrill of returning thought, and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me." 

Helen immediately asked Anne for the name of everything she touched. She asked for Anne's name and she spelled the name "Teacher" on Helen's hand. Within the next few hours Helen learned the spelling of thirty new words and from then on, her progress was astonishing. Soon Helen learned to read, first with raised letters and then with Braille. And though her sight could never be restored, Helen was given a different kind of sight and a new ability to hear what others wanted to say to her. 

In a more miraculous way God gave the Israelites a different kind of sight—spiritual sight—and a new ability to hear him and listen to his voice. He wouldn't let them remain blind and deaf, so he let them suffer in captivity to turn them back to him. But God didn't want them to suffer long. It pained him to see them under his discipline and he was eager to deliver them from their suffering like a woman in labor is eager to deliver her child and deliver herself from the pain of childbirth. "For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant." It hurt God to see his people hurt—even if it was from the selective blindness and selective hearing they chose for themselves—and so, God would act:

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

God would not forsake his people. He would bring them back to the light by rekindling their faith in him and his promises and by leading a remnant back to the Promised Land. Why would God do this? Because "It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness…" It had nothing to do with the worthiness of the Israelites or because they were more righteous than the Babylonian. God did it for the sake of his righteousness—simply because he was and is a righteous and gracious God. That's just who he is. 

 

And what comfort you and I find in this truth! No matter how much we've ignored God's Word in our past, he still begs us to come back. No matter where our eyes have strayed, he continues to make us see the cross and the forgiveness it brings! Because Jesus always listened to the Father and obeyed him, because Jesus always looked to him with a perfect trust and love… and because Jesus took our sin on himself and endured the hell it deserved in our place, our sins are forgiven.

And why? Because "It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness…" It has nothing to do with our worthiness or how righteous we are, but is simply because God was and is a righteous and gracious God. That's just who he is. 

And now, deaf as we seem to be, as blind as we are by nature, God has given us new spiritual senses. He's given us a new way to see things: through the eyes of faith and with the perspective of sins forgiven and heaven given to us in spite of our sin. He gives us a new ability to hear and believe what he says when he says to you and me, "Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see!"

And enabled to hear God's Word, we no longer choose to ignore it. Enabled to see what he has done, we take our self-made blindfolds off! See clearly what he has done. And listen carefully to what he calls you to do. Don't ignore him anymore! But look for opportunities to serve him—at home, at work, and wherever you are! Listen to others to hear their cries for help. And serve them to serve God in thanks for the amazing grace he's given to you—that though you once were lost, you now are found; though blind, you now can see!

Rejoice, dear friends, that you can see with the eyes of faith! Rejoice that you can hear the Word of God! Now, hear, look, and see! In Jesus' name, amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

“Go West, Old Man, Go West!” (A sermon based on Genesis 12:1-8)

God sometimes calls us to do some pretty big things; things we may not enjoy or like to do. But we can still do them gladly, out of thanks to him for the blessings he's given to us. Motivated by his gracious promises to us, especially in the promises of sins forgiven and heaven itself through the work of Jesus, the Offspring of Abraham, we can do the big things God has called us to do. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on the account of God calling Abraham in Genesis 12:1-8 and be encouraged by God's gracious promises to you...

"Go West, Old Man, Go West!"

A sermon based on Genesis 12:1-8

Sunday, March 20, 2011 – Lent 2A

 

In the mid-1800's Horace Greeley, an American politician and newspaper editor, spurred on expansion to the West dubbed, "Manifest Destiny," when he advised, "Washington is not a place to live in. The rents are high, the food is bad, the dust is disgusting and the morals are deplorable. Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country."

In our text for this morning, God told Abram, whom he would later rename "Abraham," that Ur of Chaldeans was not a place to live in. The gods were many, the dust disgusting, and the morals were deplorable. So God told Abram, "Go West, old man, go West, to the land I will show you. Go west, old man, strengthened by my promises."

Listen now to the account of Abram's call from God. And learn how God calls us to do big things, just like he called Abram to do, and learn how God motivates us by big promises, just like he did for Abram. Genesis 12:1-8…

 

The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

4 So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.

 

I. God Calls Us to Do Big Things

 

"Pack up your stuff. Load it all up. It's time to leave behind all your family and friends. Time to leave behind all that is familiar and comfortable. Time to head West. We're moving… from Raleigh, North Carolina to a new home, about 4,500 miles away. We're going to Kenai, Alaska."

"Where's that, dad?" my son asked.

"Well, look here on this map. Here's where we are. Here's where we're going."

"Okay. Cool."

 

I still wonder how much my kids understood what I was telling them when I explained that dad had accepted a call to Kenai, Alaska. Did they really understand all that this big news I was telling them meant? Or did they just go along with it, trusting that mom and dad got it, mom and dad would still take care of them, so they'd be okay?

They might have a good idea of how Abraham must have felt when God broke the big news to him: "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go..." And before he could even ask, "Where's that, God?" God told him: "None of your business! Enough questions! Don't worry about all that!" Just, "Go  to the land I will show you."

And how does Abram respond? "No way, God, not until I get a little more explanation as to what this is all about. At least, not until you tell me where I'm heading. Ungh, uh! I'm not going anywhere!" No! Verse 4 says, "So Abram left, as the Lord had told him…" That's it! No arguments. No questions. No hesitation. He just packed up his stuff and got moving.

And he was no spring chicken, either! Did you catch how hold he was? "Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran."  I imagine that at seventy-five Abram was getting ready to settle down and enjoy his retirement, not relocate. And remember he couldn't just hop on a plane or even sit in a car. Most of his 800 to 900 mile move would be on foot! That's almost like walking the Iditarod Trail from Willow to Nome. And the environment could sometimes be just as harsh crossing the waterless desert on the way.

No wonder the author to the Hebrews sang Abraham's praise in Hebrews 11:8: "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." A hero of faith indeed!

 

Now you know that God calls us to do some pretty big things too, doesn't he? He might call you to pack up and move away from family and friends and move outside of Alaska or head off to college. Or he may not. He may not say "Go West!" or "Go South!" Maybe God's calling you to stay put and do some pretty big things right here. "Go home!" he may say. Or "Go to work!" Or "Go serve right where you are in life."

God has called you to be patient and loving, kind, and forgiving to the people in your life. And at times that might seem more difficult to do than moving a few hundred miles on foot. God has called you to work on your marriage and serve your spouse, to love your kids by training and instructing them, to forgive those who hurt you, to obey and honor your parents, and to work diligently and faithfully at your jobs. God has called you to do as Abraham did and to call on the name of the Lord, to worship him, to proclaim what he's done with others.

And often the routine, day to day tasks, the so-called "little" things of life that God calls us to do each day, are the more difficult challenges. We can't argue, "If God appeared to me and told me to move like he told Abraham, if God asked me to surrender my body to the flames, if God asked me to make some big and great sacrifice for him, I would surely obey him," and then ignore the "smaller" things he does call us to do for spouse, neighbour, child, parent, co-worker, and friend.

So when we compare our lives to Abraham and the great faith he had to blindly follow God's command, we clearly see how we've failed to sacrifice much smaller things than he did. We've failed to love God like Abraham did: more than country, more than family, more than nice homes… more than our comfort, more than our happiness, more than ourselves. We fail. And for such failures, we deserve no blessings, but only God's curses in our live and in the life to come.

And to be honest, so did Abraham. Bold as his faith was here, he didn't always show such an exemplary faith. And even those times that he did, it wasn't something he worked up in himself. So, how could Abraham have such a bold faith to go West even as an old man? How can we have such a bold faith to do the things God calls us to do? The answer is one and the same: Because of God's gracious promises…

 

II. God Motivates Us by Big Promises

 

The Lord had said to Abram… "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse…"

Wow! Pretty cool promises, huh? I'm going to make you prosperous, famous, and rich. Anyone on your side will be share in your blessings and anyone who opposes you, (which literally in the Hebrew says, "whoever belittles you") will be cursed by God! In other words, Abraham would have God on his side and would be untouchable. How these promises must have strengthened Abraham as we ventured off into the unknown to follow God's call!

But that's not all God promised. God gave him so much more in the last phrase of his promises: "and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." But what did that mean? How would every person who would ever live be blessed through Abraham? God clarified the promise in Genesis 22:18 when he told Abraham, "through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed." The descendant of Eve that God promised would crush satan's head would come from Abraham's family tree. And Abraham understood that this is what the promise was really all about.

Jesus said in John 8:56, "Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad." And God said through Paul in our epistle lesson (cf. Romans 4:3), "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (Romans 4:3) Abraham understood that he had God's protection and blessing, his love and favor, not because he was so good, but because God was so good to him. He relied on God's grace and he received God's blessings by faith in the promise.

Abraham could act with bold faith because of God's gracious promises to him—and especially because of the promise of the Savior. The author to the Hebrews explained why Abraham was so bold to act in Hebrews 11:9, "For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Through the Savior that would come from his family tree, his sins were forgiven, and heaven was his. What big promises God made!

 

And you know that God has made promises that are just as big to you. God promises to bless you! Romans 8:28 says, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…" God promises that those who curse you will be cursed. Jesus said in Luke 10:16, "He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me." And God promises the blessings of Abraham's offspring, the Savior of all nations, to you too. God said in Galatians 3:8-9, "The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.' So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." The promise is for Gentiles, that is, non-Jews; for Gentiles like the Samaritan woman at well, for Gentiles… like us!

You see, God the Father told Jesus, "Go South, Young Man, Go South… to Jerusalem, to the cross, to suffer hell for these lost sinners!" And Jesus went south from Capernaum and Nazareth, through Samaria, to Jerusalem, to Golgotha, to the cross. Was it convenient to be mocked and ridiculed? Was it fun to be tortured and crucified? Was it easy to endure the hell of separation from the Father? Of course not!

But Jesus knew what was at stake: the salvation of every soul! The salvation of your soul! And as hard and difficult and painful as it was, God kept his promise out of love for you. Jesus took on the sins of the world with all of our guilt. He paid the penalty of hell that they earned.

And now, by faith, God credits all of Jesus' work—his perfect life, his innocent death—to us as our righteousness. We are forgiven for every time we've doubted God's promises or his love for us. We're forgiven for every time we've hesitated to follow his commands. We're forgiven for every disobedience and sin! And now we too look forward to "the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Through the Savior that came from Abraham's family tree, our sins are forgiven, and heaven is ours. What big promises God has made to us!

Now, these promises that God has given, the kindness he's already shown, the heaven that is ours right now, that we'll experience one day very soon… these all move us to love God above all else, more than country, more than family, more than nice homes… more than our comfort, more than our happiness, more than ourselves.

And God's gracious promises move us to eagerly serve him in thanks… in the big things and the small, to be patient and loving, kind, and forgiving to the people around us, to work on our marriages and serve our spouses, to love our kids and to forgive those who hurt us, to obey and honor our parents, and to work diligently and faithfully at our jobs, to do as Abraham did and to call on the name of the Lord, to worship him, to proclaim what he's done with others. For these are the things God has called us to do and strengthened and motivated by his gospel promises, we can do them. We will do them, for Jesus' sake, amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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Thursday, March 17, 2011

They Lost It All… Because of a Tree (A sermon based on Genesis 3:1-15)

Frustrated by problems and pain in this life? Suffering and sorrow, broken relationships, hurt and pain sometimes seem to dominate this life. And we endure it all because of a tree. Adam and Eve lost everything because of a tree. They lost paradise. They lost the image of God. They lost the ability to think like God, and talk like God, and act like God all because of a tree. But God promised to fix it all through one of their offspring who would undo what satan brought about in the Garden of Eden. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Genesis 3:1-15 and rejoice in the work of that Offspring!

They Lost It All… Because of a Tree

A sermon based on Genesis 3:1-15

Sunday, March 13, 2011 – Lent 1A

 

Earlier this year, two men in South Carolina, brothers-in-law, were both hospitalized due to gunshot wounds received by each other. The one man's father, the other's father-in-law, was imprisoned for attempted murder for pitting his son against his son-in-law. And the dispute all started over the refusal of one man to remove a tree from his father-in-law's property.[1] That's a lot of trouble over one tree.

Back in August of last year Lebanese and Israeli troops exchanged gunfire when an Israeli soldier tried to remove a tree on the border to improve lines of sight. But that tree, said the Lebanese, wasn't the Israelis'. They said it was really in Lebanese territory. Now four men are dead.[2] That's a lot of trouble over one tree.

And events like these are nothing new. In fact, all the trouble that you've ever experienced in life, every sickness or disease, every heartache or pain, every frustration or annoyance, is all because of one tree. Ever since Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden and ate the fruit of the one tree God told them never to eat from, sin and its effects have plagued mankind. That's a lot of trouble because of one tree.

Adam and Eve enjoyed paradise, a perfect relationship with God, and perfect peace with him. But they lost it all because of a tree. That's a lot of trouble over one tree. Listen again to the account of the fall into sin, recorded for us in Genesis 3:1-15…

 

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

6 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. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?"

10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."

11 And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"

12 The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"

The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

 

I.          They Lost Paradise Because of a Tree

 

Paradise lost! And all because of a tree! God didn't give Adam and Eve ten commandments; only one: "the LORD God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'" (Genesis 2:16-17) But that one proved too difficult to keep. In a single act of rebellion against a kind, loving, and doting God, they lost it all.

And they had no excuse. Oh, they tried to pass the blame. Adam's excuse was that was that it was all Eve's fault. Eve's excuse was that she was deceived by the serpent. And worse, they blamed God! Did you catch that in Adam's response? He didn't just blame Eve, but said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." In other words, "God this is your fault! You said it was not good for me to be alone. But you were wrong!" What nerve! Try as they may to make excuses, they were still responsible for their actions. They rebelled against God.

And as a result they lost.

They lost paradise and were kicked out of the garden. And lest they try to reenter, God put angels with a flaming sword to guard the entrance. (cf. Genesis 3:24) But they lost more than just paradise. They lost the image of God. They lost the ability to think like God and talk like God and act like God. They lost their innocence and gained shame and fear and foolishness. They lost lost their love for each other and looked at each other differently than before. They lost everything… and all because of a tree.

 

You know, satan's not that creative. He doesn't have too any new tricks to tempt us that are any different than what he used with Adam and Eve. But the sad thing is that he doesn't need new tricks. We keep falling for the same old ones.

satan still deceives us with the same old tactics: "Does God really say…?" he still asks, getting us to doubt God's Word. "Does he really say, 'Love your enemies'? Come on! They deserve your unkind treatment." "Does he really say, 'Lust is as bad as adultery?' Who are you really hurting by your thoughts?" "Does he really say, 'Worship is necessary to grow in your faith'? You can stay close to God all by yourself. You don't need the encouragement of others."

"God isn't looking out for you," he still lies, getting us to doubt God's love. "God's just trying to withhold his blessing from you. He knows if you live a selfish life you'll really be happy. But God doesn't want that. He wants to hold you back. He wants life to be boring. So live it up! Serve yourself! Forget about God!"

And before we blame Adam and Eve for ruining everything, we'd better consider how we behave. Remember: Adam and Eve no reason to be suspicious. They may have been naïve, but remember that prior to this event, there was no such thing as a lie. But we, on the other hand, know better. We've been fairly warned. We know that satan is looking to destroy our bodies and souls in hell, we've seen how he operates, but we still fall for the same old tricks.

And make all the excuses you want: "It's not my fault! If my spouse were nicer to me, then I wouldn't be so rude back." "It's not my fault! If my kids were more obedient, then I'd be more patient." "It's not my fault! If my boss were more fair, then I'd work harder." But you know that there is no excuse for our sinful rebellion against God. It's not Adam and Eve's fault that you sin. It's not satan's fault that you sin. And it's certainly not God's fault that you sin. It is your fault that you sin. It's my fault that I sin.

And because of our rebellion against God, doing the things that are forbidden to us, we lose! We lose out on happy families. We lose out on peace in our lives. We lose out on clear consciences. And we lose out on the image of God. We deserve the curse of the snake: to crawl on our bellies and eat the dust all the days of our lives, then to return to dust in death. We deserve to lose out on paradise forever and to forever be separated from God.

And all this because of a tree.

 

II.            They Lost Sin Because of a Tree

 

You know, when I'm looking for a good Children's Bible to read to my kids, I always look at this story first. The not-so-good Children's Bibles end the account with, "… Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden."  I say they're not-so-good, because they miss the highlight of this account. They never get to verse 15. You see, "Adam and Eve lost image of God and lost the paradise they once enjoyed," is NOT the final answer. In a sense, God saw Adam and Eve's loss and cried, "Rematch!" That's what he said to satan in verse 15:

15 And I will put enmity [or hatred] between you [satan] and the woman [Eve], and between your offspring and hers; he [an individual, one of Eve's offspring] will crush your head, and you [satan] will strike his heel."

Adam and Eve lost. But another would come to resume the fight in their place. Enter the sub! One of Eve's offspring… Jesus.

Satan would strike the first blow. Tempting Jesus to rebel against God just as Adam and Eve did. "Can you really trust God's Word when he says he'll provide for you?" "God doesn't really love you! Test his love by jumping!" "God's holding out on you. He doesn't want you to have any fun. But worship me. I'll give you everything." But Jesus struck back. He resisted every temptation and lived a perfect life free from sin! He had no need for excuses since he perfectly obeyed God in all things!

Then satan struck a vicious blow on Good Friday. Manipulating Judas and Caiaphas, Herod and Pilate, he succeeded in killing his Adversary, in having the very Son of God mocked… and beaten… scourged… and humiliated… crucified, tortured to death… covered in nothing but shame. satan crushed Jesus' heel and it looked like he won. But…

The Offspring of the Woman struck back! And by his very death on the cross, he undid satan's foul work in the Garden of Eden! And when he rose from the dead, he crushed satan's head! He proved his total domination over all satan had worked so hard for. By the empty tomb he proved his total victory!

And by Jesus' work, Adam and Eve lost… their sin. They lost it all because of a tree; because of Jesus' cross. Their rebellion against God's one commandment… gone! Their excuses for their open rebellion… gone! The way they looked at each other naked, thinking how they could use—instead of love—each another… gone! They lost it all because of a tree: Paul wrote in Galatians 3:13: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.'"

Yes, their consequences still remained. Thorns and thistles, sweat and pain, troubled relationships, and death would be the result of their rebellion. But peace with God would endure. And by clinging to the promise of their coming Savior, paradise would be restored to Adam and Eve about 900 years later. When their bodies returned to the dust from which they came, their souls went to the paradise of heaven. And all because of a tree!

 

And dear friends, it is no different for us. The Offspring of the woman came to serve as not only the substitute for Adam and Eve, but for you and me too! He came to resist satan's attacks in our place. He came to live the perfect life for you and me. He came to die—on a tree—for you and me!

And now, you know what happens to our sin because of the way he crushed satan's head: we lose it all! Our rebellion against God's Ten Commandments… all gone! Our excuses for our open rebellion against God's will… all gone! The way we try to use and manipulate others… all gone. All of our sin! We lost it all because of a tree. "Christ redeemed US from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for US, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.'"

And yes, our consequences will still remain. Our thorns and thistles, our sweat and pain, our troubled relationships, and finally death will still be the result of our rebellion. But we can even thank God for those consequences because they serve as a reminder of our rebellion. They lead us to repent of our sin and turn again to the Offspring of the woman and look to him in faith.

And through our Savior, peace with God will endure for us. And by clinging to the promise of our returning Savior, paradise will be restored to us. When our Savior returns, or when our bodies return to the dust from which they came, our souls will go to the paradise of heaven. And all because of a tree!

Now, dear friends, we stop making excuses for our sin, and we strive with all of our might to serve the One who won for us, and gave us everything… because of a tree. In Jesus' name, amen.





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