Sermons From My Heart

What is the one thing many of you do at least once a year, especially in the spring? I bet most of you did some spring cleaning. Spring is a good time to give your house a good going over and clean everything up and get rid of a lot of junk that you don’t need.

Today I want to tell you about a time when Jesus did some spring cleaning. It was time for the annual Passover celebration, so Jesus traveled to Jerusalem. When He arrived, He went to the temple. He couldn’t believe his eyes. There in the temple area he saw people who were selling cattle, sheep, and doves for the people to use as sacrifices in the temple. There were tables set up for money changers so that people could change their money to pay their temple taxes. It looked more like a carnival than a house of worship.

Jesus did not like what he saw. He was so angry that he made a whip from some rope and he drove the cattle and sheep and those who were selling them from the temple. He went to the tables of the money changers and turned them over, scattering coins all over the temple floor. To the ones who were selling the doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market.” Yes, I would say that Jesus did some spring cleaning in the temple that day!

Jesus had a high regard for pure worship of His Father. He wanted to rid the temple of the abuses that had crept into that worship. The moneychangers and sellers obeyed Jesus for several reasons:

1. They were punished by their consciences
2. They thought Jesus was a prophet, and the Jews had respect for prophets.
3. Jesus had a wide reputation among the people, and many of them thought He was the long-promised Messiah.
4. He made people tremble in His presence.

God approves of anger at sin and wants His servants to take appropriate action against it. Jesus revealed the righteous anger God feels when what is good and intended to help people is infiltrated by human greed. Mercy is always available to those who seek it, but we can’t forget that Jesus gets angry when He meets injustice and any restrictions on those seeking God. Jesus acted as He did because of the moneychangers’ dishonesty and their disregard for the purpose of the temple-worship. Jesus would clean out the temple again near the end of His public ministry. Why? There are several possible reasons:

1. The moneychangers and sellers forgot Jesus’ rebuke.
2. Nothing that was sacred could guard them from their sin.
3. Their love of money was stronger than their sin.

Jesus believed that the temple was a place that should be set aside for people to draw closer to God. It was not meant to be a place where a person’s sincere desire to worship God should be exploited for profit. He ended a way of life and thought. The normal practice of sacrificing animals for the sins of the people would not be needed now that He had come. He would be the new house in which God’s glory will break forth.

We are now in the season of Lent. It is the time in the church year when we focus on setting priorities in our spiritual lives, gaining some clarity and perspective on what really matters in our Christian faith. Just as driving while distracted can lead us into trouble, distracted discipleship can lead us into dangerous territory. We can be so busy and preoccupied with the church that what our faith and worship are about can become impossible for people to distinguish.

Today, Jesus is still challenged by the darkness in our lives. When we gather to worship, pray and listen to His Word, our minds are filled with earthly concerns. The light of Christ shines in the darkness and draws our thoughts back to Jesus.

Christ enters our lives, forgives our sins and cleanses us so that we can worship properly. We become a cleansed temple. Through Jesus, we have been given forgiveness and freedom. We don’t receive them because we follow detailed and perfect rituals, but through Christ’s gift to us.

As we think about Jesus cleansing the temple, we should also think about some other cleaning that needs to be done. Lent is a time to look inside ourselves and see if there is anything in us that needs to be changed. Are there some areas of your life where Jesus needs to do some ‘spring cleaning’?

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1444-1445)
2. “Spring Cleaning.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com
3. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
4. Fredrikson, R.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985; pp. 69-74)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Pastor Bob Coy, “Principle Power.” Retrieved from www.activeword.org
7. The Rev. Dr. J. Bennett Guess, “Driven from Distraction.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
8. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 3^rd Sunday in Lent (B).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
9. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for John 2:13-22.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
10. Rev. Wayne Palmer, “The Light Blazes in Fury.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org

“Hi, Mom!” Jared said as he slid the door of the minivan shut.

“How was your day? Anything interesting happen today?” Mom asked as she pulled away from the school.

“There’s a new kid in our class. His name is Tamim. He doesn’t speak English very well, and he had some weird food in his lunch. I kind of wanted to talk to him, but I thought Marcus and Tony would make fun of me.”

“Hmm . . . Tamim. Is his last name Youssef?” Mom asked.

“Yeah, it is,” Jared said. “How’d you know?”

“Well, I met his family today when I volunteered for the refugee outreach program at church. His parents are very nice, and he has a cute little baby sister. His dad told me their son was starting school today.”

“Oh. What’s a refugee again?” Jared asked.

“The Youssef family had to leave their country because their lives were in danger. Refugees come to other countries for many reasons–sometimes because of war, or famine, or natural disasters–but in their case, it was because they are Christians and most of their country is not.”

Jared looked at his mom in surprise. “Their lives are in danger just because they believe in Jesus?”

“Yes,” Mom answered. “Tamim and his family have chosen to follow Christ, just as you and I have. But for them, it has meant giving up their home and jobs and friends and even their country to keep their family safe. Tamim and his family have endured serious hardships. He’s a pretty brave kid!”

“Wow,” Jared said. “I didn’t know his family went through all that.”

Mom nodded. “Having the same faith makes us brothers and sisters in Christ. In fact, the Bible tells us that one day, when Jesus returns, we will worship God for all eternity along with people from every tribe and language and nation in the world! It’s possible we’ll be standing right next to the Youssef family in front of God’s throne. Isn’t that exciting?”

“It sure is!” Jared agreed. “I think Tamim is someone I’d like to get to know better. Could we invite his family over for dinner sometime?”

Mom smiled. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”

In Psalm 22, God has saved the sufferer who in return tells others about it. The sufferer foresaw more than his own good fortune. He foresaw deliverance spilling over into the whole world. He predicted that the story of God’s help would be told to future generations. The entire world will worship God.

Jesus had this psalm on His lips when He was dying on the cross. When the disciples wanted to explain Jesus’ life and sufferings, they turned to this psalm and others like it. The disciples saw a pattern and a foreshadowing. The pattern is one of redemptive suffering. This suffering led to victory and power and the salvation of the world. This pattern helps Christians appreciate why Jesus and His followers had to suffer.

The basis for the psalmist’s worship is that God answers prayer. God’s silence was over. God does not turn away from the psalmist. The psalmist’s enemies were silenced by God’s actions. God hears the cries of the poor, the oppressed and the forgotten. He gives us hope in responding to the evils of our day. How do we think about all our relations (past, present and future) when making daily decisions to ensure that we are answering the pleas of the afflicted? How do we fashion our lives to reflect God’s plan to satisfy the poor? As we proclaim God’s deliverance to the people, we are also delivered. As we bless people with God’s abundance, we are also blessed.

The theme of the resurrection is present even though the doctrine of the resurrection is not revealed. God heals, restores and answers. In His resurrection,  Jesus declared God’s mighty works to His people. As the word of God’s deeds spreads, everyone will bow down and worship Him.

The application of the psalm to the world can only be fulfilled in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. It points to Jesus and His heart as He hung on the cross. He endured God’s silence knowing that His cry would be answered and that His suffering would bless the world.

Jesus was forsaken on the cross so we would never be forsaken. He was alone on the cross so we would never have to be alone. He was judged guilty on the cross so we could be declared innocent in heaven. He stood in the gap for us. It was all about His love for us.

We tend to be swept away by problems we should have avoided. We have no defense against the devil. We get lost. We need a shepherd to care for us and to guide us. We have one who knows us by name. His name is Jesus. One of the tools He gives us to fight Satan is praise. Praise drives the enemy away. It ushers God’s authority into any situation. If we want to maintain our praise, we must begin our prayers with praise. First, we must praise Him for who He is. Then we must praise Him for something He has done for us.

As we praise God, we should consider His names and how each one applies to our lives. Understanding His names will have a major impact on our worship and devotion. Some of His names are:

• Majestic Lord
• Our banner
• Our healer
• Our shepherd
• Our provider
• Our master

God’s names reflect His attributes and nature.

The psalm gives us permission and the words to cry when we experience persecution. It also becomes our words of thanksgiving and praise when God saves us from anything that could destroy us. Our lives are filled with both dangerous moments and times when life is good and God is holding our hands. God is yearning for us to seek Him out. We may have called out with the psalmist for God’s help and thought that God was away, but He is always at hand. Where are we?

When we feast on the goodness of Jesus, we find our happiness in Him. We find that happiness in God’s Word. When we feed on His Word, it will become so precious to us that we will pity people who seek satisfaction in evil. We will have something so wonderful in Jesus.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New Kings James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 721)
2. Karen McMillan, “Every Nation.” Retrieved from info@keysforkids.org
3. “The Song of the Cross.” Retrieved from BibleGateway@e.BibleGateway.com
4. Jamieson-Fawcett-Brown Commentary. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
5. Williams, D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 13; Psalms 1-72 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1986; pp. 187-190)
6. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
7. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
8. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
9. Anne Graham Lotz, “Praise Defeats the Enemy.” Retrieved from info@angelministries.org
10. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “In the Name of God.” Retrieved from web@ltw.org
11. Pastor David McGee, “Ps. 22:30-31.” Retrieved from theword@aboutthebridge.com
12. Franklin Lee, “Psalm 22:25-31.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu.
13. Kristen D. Anderson, “Psalm 22:19-28.” Retrieved from communic@lutehrsem.edu
14. Arian Rogers, “Are You Hanging Out with the Devil’s Billy Goat?” Retrieved from devotions@lwf.org
15. Bruce Epperly, “The Adventurous Lectionary, 2^nd Sunday of Lent.” Retrieved from www.patheos.com
16. David Scherer, “Psalm 22:22-30.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu.

The scene in Mark 8:27-38 is the climax of the first half of Mark’s Gospel. This first half focuses on miracles and gradually reveals Jesus as the Messiah. The second half explains the nature of that Messiahship and has far more teaching and far fewer miracles.

Caesarea Philippi was located well into the heart of Gentile territory. Why would Jesus choose this location instead of Jerusalem to reveal himself as Israel’s Messiah? The most likely reason was to state that his followers were not to remain in Jerusalem but were to go to the ends of the earth and proclaim the Good News of the Gospel.

Jesus did not want the disciples to reveal his identity right away because they did not completely understand what that meant, as Peter demonstrated when he rebuked Jesus. Peter’s reasoning was demonic. He was influenced by Satan, hence Jesus’ demand to “Get behind me, Satan.”

Three times Jesus mentioned that his death and resurrection were part of God’s plan, and each time the disciples misunderstood his meaning. They thought that the kingdom meant Israel’s return to power and the end of Roman rule. Christ’s way meant suffering and sacrifice, not political maneuvering. Jesus knew that the freedom people need the most is spiritual freedom from sin and God’s wrath, not freedom from political oppression.

Christ’s death represents atonement for sin, and the beginning of God’s eternal, messianic rule. Nothing can make up for the loss of our soul, but there are many times when we exchange our souls and our lives for worldly things instead of spiritual things. Worldly things do not lead to eternal life. Those who give up their lives for the sake of Christ and the Gospel will find eternal life. This concept was very evident to the readers of Mark’s Gospel because they faced persecution and conflict. They saw this as a challenge to be faithful. We have the same challenge today. The world is still hateful to both Christians and the Good News of the Gospel.  

I read a news story some time ago about a group of young people who were arrested for trespassing and attempted burglary. They drove to a car lot late at night and removed a set of tires from one of the cars on the lot. Unfortunately for them, the lot’s owner saw them on closed-circuit television. While they were busy trying to steal his tires, he picked up their vehicle with his forklift and hid it inside a building. When they finished their dirty work and were ready to leave, they had no transportation.

Many people today are the same. They spend all of their time trying to get material goods that they think will make them happy, when what they really need for happiness is a personal relationship with God. That relationship will provide us with the transportation we need to get to heaven when we die.

We must not let anything or anyone worldly take control of our lives. Self-control is the fruit of the Spirit that the apostle Paul refers to in Galatians 5:22-23. When we have self-control, we can stand up to people and things who try to tell us what we should be and what we should do.

Jesus taught that being great in God’s kingdom means self-denial and sacrificial service. These values are opposite to the world’s values. Self-denial means letting go of self-determination and becoming obedient to and depending on Jesus. Happiness comes from service, and we need to practice service and generosity today. These two things will bring more happiness to our lives than anything else, and they also define what it means to be a Christian. Jesus is calling us to carry the cross of sacrificial living. Words come easy and living the life is more of a challenge, but in today’s world people need to see that sacrificial living leads to fulfillment and real life.

Sacrifice does not necessarily mean martyrdom. It also means doing small tasks such as giving food to a hungry person or a cup of cold water to someone who is thirsty. It also means doing things in the church such as teaching a Sunday school class or singing in the choir. Our willingness to do the small tasks as they are needed is more important than our willingness to die for Christ when that is not needed.

We do not have to do this alone, and we can’t do this alone. We need strength, and Jesus will give us that strength. This strength will allow us to live a life that will bring us blessing and fulfillment beyond our wildest dreams.

If we become suffering servants like Christ was, there is a danger that we might assume that the saving work of Christ is automatic. Mark’s Gospel reminds us that this assumption is false. Christ’s suffering servanthood teaches us about the Incarnation, but the passion of his suffering teaches us about his redemption. Too much emphasis today is placed on the healing of human hurts, which reflects Christ loving care for us when we hurt. More emphasis needs to be placed on righting of human wrongs, also known as sin.

This might makes us uncomfortable in the short term. We like our worship to be comforting and uplifting, and while this is a necessary part of worship, it must not be the most important part. The main emphasis must be on redirecting our lives, our values and our priorities. This disruption in our lives is necessary if we truly believe that the heart of Jesus’s message is change or repentance. If we accept this, we have to let go of the lives we have now, no matter how painful the process will be.

Jesus’ message of self-sacrifice won’t always fit neatly into our earthly lives. Words like “Come die with us,” or “Follow Jesus no matter what the cost,” or “Called to sacrifice for the world” aren’t heard very often in churches today. These words are the heart of what Jesus taught. He wants us to follow him by giving of ourselves so that others may know his grace. Believers have resisted this call since it was first made over 2,000 years ago, so it isn’t surprising that the same call is resisted today. How do we as Christians see it?

Our attitude as children of God must centre on a life that is lived in him. In return for his sacrifice we need to make good use of the opportunities Christ sends our way. God wants to be an active presence in our lives, and it is because God has been an active part of the lives of men and women throughout history that the church has survived and thrived. If the church is to survive today, God needs to be active in our lives today. If more people made God an active part of their lives, the world would be a better place (and our churches and offering plates would be full to overflowing every Sunday!).

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
3. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006
6. Paul Estabrooks, “The Cross-Choosing to Follow Jesus.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
7. Rick Warren, “You’re Happiest when You Give Your Life Away.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
8. Exegesis for Mark 8:24-38. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
9. Pastor Ken Klaus, “Let Us Follow Jesus.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
10. Steve Arterburn, “Will You Have a Ride?” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
11. Pastor Dave Risendal, “What does it mean to be a Christian?” Retrieved from donotreply@wordpress.com

In Romans chapters 2 and three, Paul argued that through the Gospel, it is faith that brings humans into harmony with God. In Romans 4, Paul considers Abraham as an example. Abraham was blessed because he believed, had faith, that he would be father of a nation and a source of blessing for everyone. Abraham received the promises of God through faith, and not through the law.

The basis of Abraham’s relationship with God was faith, and faith is the primary basis of our relationship with God. Abraham’s faith was confidence in a person-God. The object of faith matters more than anything else. Abraham’s faith was exemplary, because his faith was in God. Abraham’s faith was related to his knowledge of God, the object of his faith. He had faith in the God who could breathe life into deadness, especially since God breathed life into Abraham and Sarah so they could have a child.

Abraham’s faith was conversant with the problems he faced. His faith was consistent in its progress. When he was faced with delay and discouragement with God’s plan, his faith didn’t waver. It was strengthened. He was also convinced that God’s promises would be fulfilled. Abraham knew that God never promises anything He can’t deliver. Do we believe that? If we do, then it only makes sense to put our complete trust in Him, regardless of how dark our circumstances might appear. All believers become heirs with Abraham of the promise. Abraham’s faith is a good example of the faith we as Christians should have. It led to Abraham’s justification. He had faith in a God what could provide the divine answer to the human problem.

When God’s people look to the law for justification instead of to God, failure to keep the law makes them guilty and they face death instead of life. God’s promise of the law is uncertain. His promise of faith is certain. The promise given to Abraham has not expired nor become the private possession of any one race. It permeates the entire world.

Abraham’s faith conquered impossibility, improbability, inadequacy, inconsistency, insecurity and infidelity. Abraham believed in the God of creation, who “calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” This is the essence of faith. The same God of Genesis 1-2 who brought forth life and the earth and sky out of nothing also brought forth Isaac, the son of promise, from the deadness of Sarah’s womb. Later, at the altar, standing over that same son with a knife in obedience to the Lord, Abraham again believed that God could give life to the dead. Hope that is centered in God is contrary to the world’s hope.

Abraham did not waver in his faith at the time of testing. God’s ability to perform His promises was the foundation of Abraham’s faith’s stability. Faith looks past the gift to the Giver and past the promise to the One who promises. Abraham’s faith was linked to God’s power and faithfulness. Abraham didn’t have great cause to expect God to fulfill His promise because of the circumstances Abraham was in. In spite of this, he believed God’s Word and looked forward to the time when his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.

God can declare people who believe in Him to be righteous even though they aren’t. He can do this by giving His righteousness to them, just like He declared Jesus’ “Sin” and punished Him even though Jesus was not a sinner. If Abraham was justified by faith, then all of us are justified on the same basis. The proof is God’s acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice. God would be able to be just and yet justify the ungodly.

God considered Abraham a righteous man because Abraham looked beyond the limitations of his age. God considered Abraham to be someone who could accomplish His goals. Abraham accepted God by faith. Similarly, if we accept God by faith, God’s grace will be available to us. When we act in faith, we give God the glory for the outcome, like Abraham did. Abraham didn’t parade greatness or look for praise from others.

When his hope died, Abraham went on hoping in faith. Similarly, when we are at a dead end in our lives, we need faith, and we need to read and study the Bible. It gives us encouragement because even if something is out of our control, it isn’t out of God’s control. As we spend time reading and studying the Bible, God will show us how to live by faith. We do this by preparing well, speaking in a Christlike manner, sharing God’s love and understanding that God wants to change our lives.

Faith is something that is strengthened over time. Abraham and Sarah waited for years for God to fulfill His promise. Abraham considered and thought about God’s strength and ability. He thought about God’s faithfulness and gave praise and glory to God. Abraham’s faith allowed God to do mighty things in and through him.

God gives us great promises-the same promises made to Abraham-and invites us to come by faith and receive the grace of those promises and the fullness of life with God. God invites us to join Him in a bond of peace that nothing that can overthrow and that is richer, fuller and more durable than anything the world can offer.

Paul understands Jesus’ death as representative of all humanity. Jesus entered the death into which all humanity condemned by its sinfulness and then rose from the dead. His resurrection is representative of what can be true for all who accept what God has declared in the story of Jesus. There can be no discrimination based on race and religious tradition. All human beings need to enter a relationship of faith with God, and all human beings can enter that relationship. Paul argues that we shouldn’t think of Abraham in terms of being the patriarch of Israel, but rather as the model and mentor of all who believe.

So how do we lay hold of these promises so that we may enjoy the full and abundant life He plans for us?

1. We need to make sure we understand the promises of God and that we see them as precious and great as they are.
2. We must give glory to God for His promises-praising and thanking Him daily, taking the promises back to Him and exalting Him for such grace and mercy, rehearsing our plans and visions before Him with gratitude and praise.
3. We must remember that we are called to be people of faith who are not misled by denominational traditions. The law has always been a means of pointing the way to God. It is an instrument that helps us know and do the divine will. As such the law is meant to free us, but when the law is mistaken for an end, the consequence can be a state of spiritual confusion in which all hope is obscured. The law can’t set us right with God and therefore give us access to God’s promised blessings. Any relationship with God that is grounded in and lives out of the law is not a right relationship.

When we praise God, we’re putting our faith in action. Just as putting our physical bodies into action so they will grow strong, putting our faith in action through prayer, worship and thanksgiving will make it grow strong too.

Faith is the determination to keep on walking with God no matter what happens, and that faith results in commitment. Faith demands dependence and we resist depending on God because of our stubborn independence. It’s hard for us to trust God more fully because of our willful pride and our sinful nature.

The world judges us by how much we can gather for ourselves, but there are no wages in heaven. In faith, God sets us free of needing to earn our way. We are freely showered with God’s mercy. When we see our lives from God’s viewpoint, we no longer have to worry about comparing ourselves to others. No one has to be worthy. God’s grace overturns all our economies. Abraham and Sarah trusted God, though His promise seemed to good to be true, and they received a son whom they nicknamed “Laughter.” We trust that the same God whose promise is good and true and receive abundant, eternal life in Jesus.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1291-1292)
2. Briscoe, D.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 29: Romans (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 101-107)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Os Hillman, “Being Fully Persuaded.” Retrieved from tgif@marketplaceleaders.org
6. connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com

• Pastor Rick Warren, “At Hope’s End? Rely on God’s Word.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
• T.M. Moore, “Covenant Promises (6).” Retrieved from www.ailbe,org
• T.M. Moore, “Failing to Take the Next Step.” Retrieved from www.ailbe.org
• Bruce Pinter, “Bible Study: 2 Lent (A).” Retrieve from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com
• Joel Osteen, “Consider Your God.” Retrieved from www.joelosteen.com
• Joel Osteen, “Growing Strong through Praise.” Retrieved from www.joelosteen.com
• Joel Osteen, “Keep Faith Alive.” Retrieved from www.joelosteen.com
• Jessica Christy, “Romans 4:1-5,13-17.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu.
• Dr. Harold Sala, “The Testing of Faith.” Retrieved from info@guidelines.org
• Arland J. Hultgren, “Commentary on Romans 4:13-25.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
• Daniel G. Deffenbaugh, “Commentary on Romans 4:13-25.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
• Richard Carlson, “Commentary on Romans 4:13-25.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
• Katherine Schifferdecker, “Romans 4:13-25.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu

Come and see.

Think for a moment about the effect those words might have on you if you were to hear them in an everyday context. Would they generate a sense of excitement about whatever it might be you were being invited to witness? Perhaps they might ignite your curiosity. Perhaps you might be thankful that someone thought to include you.

Come and see.

The words are both simple and warm, issuing an invitation not only to see something, but also to join a community. To come along and be part of something.

Come and see.

Have you ever used those words to invite friends to come to church with you? Have you ever talked to your friends about Jesus and what He has done in your life? If some laugh and say you’re foolish to believe as you do, don’t argue with them. Be friendly and accept them as Jesus does. After a while, your friends may be curious and willing to “come and see” what church is all about. Best of all, they may come to know Jesus.

We see a good example of this in the passage we heard from John’s Gospel. Philip invited Nathaniel to come and see the long-promised Messiah. The law and the prophets were the two most important parts of the Hebrew Scriptures. Philip told Nathaniel that he found the one that the Scriptures had been telling them to anticipate. The Messiah was now in their midst, but He went beyond the prophets of the Old Testament. He was the Word-the one who most perfectly revealed God and God’s will.

Nathaniel couldn’t believe that the Messiah came from Nazareth. Nathaniel was prejudiced. He came from Cana, which was another town in Galilee. Galileans were hated by the Judaeans, and Galileans hated people who came from Nazareth. The reason might be because Nazareth was an insignificant village that didn’t have prophetic importance. Today, many people allow their minds to be filled with prejudice against religion, and they pronounce their prejudice without examining the subject. The invitation to come and see is an invitation to join Jesus as He walks in the footsteps of the poor and stands in solidarity with those who suffer from systems of injustice and prejudice.

The darkness of the sin called prejudice allows us to sit and judge everyone and everything around us. It allows us to jump to conclusions about people without knowing their full story. It’s too bad for the people who don’t fit into our nice, neat categories. It doesn’t matter if it’s a nerdy kid at school who doesn’t dress like we do or that estranged family member, the strange neighbour or a congregation full of hypocrites. We even do the same with God. We judge His holiness and faithfulness by the circumstance of our lives. We don’t give God the right to be God.

The world is prejudiced against Christianity today. The world asks if any good can come from the One who calls us to stake our whole existence on Himself, and who calls us out of our individual worlds to follow Him to His cross. Our culture finds that offensive and labels it as a need to bring punishment on ourselves. The person of Jesus is the great cleaving sword of humanity. He divides those who come to faith in Him from those who reject Him. He separates the sheep from the goats as written in Matthew 25.

People do not need to be argued into the kingdom of God. Philip simply told Nathaniel, “Come and see.” The role of believers is to introduce people to Jesus, share His story and their stories of what He has done. Philip didn’t try to reason with Nathaniel. He asked Nathaniel to go and examine things for himself, to see Jesus, to hear Him speak, to lay aside his prejudices and to judge after he made a fair and candid personal inquiry.

Similarly, we should encourage people to lay aside their prejudices against religion and Christianity. If people want to know what God is like, they can look to Jesus. If they want to know what Jesus is like, they should be able to look at His followers. Can people see Christ in us? Seeing Jesus is the most compelling argument that exists for Christianity.

The heart of Christian evangelism is inviting people to come and see Jesus, God’s gracious Word and flesh for themselves. To come and see those who are inspired by Jesus enough to follow Him. To come and see how God continues to work in the world and in our lives. The invitation to “come and see” is the only appropriate response to having seen the grace and mercy of God taking shape among us.

Despite the setbacks of being from Nazareth, Jesus had insight and intuition that the best family, geography and education can’t give. He knew people, their nature, their motivation and their desires. That’s what drew him to Nathaniel as He saw him sitting under the fig tree.

Jesus sought out Philip and went after Him. Philip was an ordinary man, but Jesus invited Philip not just to stand out, but to keep on following Him. This encourages those of us who are shy and feel that we have so little to offer, just like the little boy in the Christmas Carol, “The Little Drummer Boy.” These are the type of people He looks for most eagerly. Similarly, Philip sought out Nathaniel and invited him to come and follow Jesus.

Jesus saw Nathaniel for who he really was. Nathaniel lived up to everything he saw and did. He was sincere and upright. Jesus knows who people really are. He sees their hearts. He sees their true motives. Jesus is divine, so He sees what we do when we think we’re doing it in secret. He sees us even when we don’t think He sees us. He sees us in our private devotions, hears our prayers and sees our meditations. He judges our character chiefly by our private devotions. If we have faith in Jesus, it will always be strengthened. If we believe His Word, we will see proof that it is true. Jesus was under God’s protection, and His friends will also be protected. God will defend us and save us if we put our trust in Him.

When he addressed Jesus as the Son of God, Nathaniel didn’t understand the full meaning of that title, but he knew that Jesus had an unusual relationship with God. Nathaniel called Jesus the King of Israel, but since Jesus referred to Nathaniel as an Israelite, Nathaniel surrendered to Jesus as his own king. This should encourage all of us to surrender to Jesus as our own king.

Nathaniel will be given far deeper grounds for belief than Jesus’ perception of who he is. As Jesus’ ministry unfolds, Nathaniel will see mighty works, great and wondrous surprises that will reveal God. We will see the same things when we surrender our lives to Jesus. It’s only as we get real and courageously honest with ourselves and God that He can help us become the people He wants us to be. If we live up to all we know, we will know more. If we are all we can be, we will become more.

Nathaniel went on to become a disciple and friend of Jesus. He traveled across India, Armenia, Ethiopia and Southern Arabia, sharing the gospel and drawing people to Jesus. When he encountered Jesus, he stood under a fig tree minding his own business. As he trusted that Jesus knew him inside and out, it changed the direction of his life.

What gifts are inside of you? They may seem ordinary to you, but not to Jesus, He sees our gifts of hospitality, deep compassion, music or writing. He is happy that you are good with kids or a good planner, or that you have a natural ability to lead others. Jesus sees those gifts because He gave them to us. Are we using them to their fullest potential? Are we using them to do God’s work in the world?

What does it take for us to believe? God doesn’t need to prove He is God as much as we need to prove we believe He is God. Despite how we feel, what we see or how we think, in the words of Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” Faith goes beyond the senses to a deep understanding and knowing that He is God in the midst of a hassled day and the hurts from life’s circumstances. Faith is believing without seeing, as Jesus told the apostle Thomas.

The essence of discipleship is to follow Jesus. It’s what most of us want for ourselves, our family members and our friends. Life is much better for people when they follow Christ. To be a Christian is to realize that we have been called by God. Called to grace, called to life, called to move. Our proper response is to follow Jesus-slowly, perhaps not perfectly, but to try and follow nonetheless.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1443)
2. “Come and See.” Retrieved from www.KeysforKids.org
3. Barnes, Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package
4. Fredrikson, R.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985; pp. 56-60)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010, pp. 1451-1453)
7. Suzie Eller, “He Sees the Gift in You.” Retrieved from devotions@proverbs31.org
8. Richard Innes, “Authenticity.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
9. Pastor Dick Woodward, “A Fig Tree Fellowship.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
10. “Just Believe.” Retrieved from www.dailydisciples.org
11. Rev. Wayne Palmer, “The Darkness of Rash Judgment.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
12. Matthew A. Maus, “John 1:43-51.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu
13. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for John 1:43-51.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
14. David Lose, “Come and See.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org.
15. Pastor Edward Markquart, “Come and See Gospel Analysis.” Retrieved from www.sermonsfromseattle.com

If the passage from Mark’s Gospel sounds familiar, it’s because we heard part of the same reading a few weeks ago on the Second Sunday of Advent. On that Sunday, we heard John the Baptist talk about the coming of Jesus and the baptism that he would provide-the baptism of the Holy Spirit. John saw Jesus as both mightier than him and more worthy than him, and Jesus said that no one greater than John had ever lived. John saw himself as not being worthy enough to untie the sandals on Jesus’ feet, and that was a task that was dirty and not very appealing according to the culture of that time.

Today, we heard about Jesus’ baptism and the coming of the Holy Spirit on him.  John proclaimed Christ’s superiority by distinguishing between his own baptism with water and the baptism that Christ would provide with the Holy Spirit. Several Old Testament passages speak of the Holy Spirit being poured out like water. Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit supplies us with supernatural power just like the Holy Spirit revealed its supernatural power at Jesus’ baptism.

All three members of the Trinity-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-were present at Jesus’ baptism. The parting of heaven was a foretaste of both Jesus’ statement in Mark 1:15 that the kingdom of heaven was near and the tearing of the veil of the temple when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus’ birth ended the separation of God and man that was created when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.

The Holy Spirit changes things. It works through Jesus to bridge the gap between us and God. Reconciliation with God was possible because of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death and resurrection. Not only was this gap first bridged at Jesus’ baptism when the Holy Spirit descended from heaven like a dove, it was also bridged at his death when the veil in the temple was torn in two. The Temple was divided into several sections, including the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the temple by a curtain. The only person who could enter this particular part of the temple was the High Priest, and even then he could only enter on the Day of Atonement. No one else could enter, so a rope was tied to the high priest’s waist so that if anything happened to him he could be removed without anyone else having to enter. A bell was attached to the high priest so that people on the outside could hear him move. If the bell stopped ringing for any length of time, the people would know that something happened to the high priest and that they needed to pull him out of there immediately.

God claims us through baptism. In the waters of our baptism, God speaks our name, unites us to Christ and grants us the promise of new life. He says that he loves us, he claims us and he is proud of us. Nothing else is needed. No one can take our new identity in Christ away from us. No matter what other names we are called by others or even by ourselves, we are now beloved children of God. In the Baptism Service in the Anglican Church of Canada’s Book of Alternative Services, there is a line that is read when a person is baptized-“I sign you with the sign of the cross, and I mark you as Christ’s own forever.” We have been adopted into God’s family. God’s love for us can’t be changed. It guides our behaviour. Because of God’s love, there are certain things we won’t do and there are certain things we will do-things that we must do. Through Jesus, we have a love that will take risks and a family identity that can’t be broken.

Baptism tells us that we are deeply rooted in the possibility toward goodness. That is a revelation to us. It goes against the stain of original sin which I mentioned earlier. It encourages us to take a risk by going into this unknown territory. God offers harmony, intensity, peace, compassion and justice-things that are alien to our world.

Why did Jesus have to be baptized? After all, he was sinless. Jesus said in Mathew 3:15 that he needed to be baptized “to fulfill all righteousness.” It was God’s counsel in Luke 7:29-30 that people be baptized of John. In other words, God tells us to repent. Jesus asked John to baptize him as an act of obedience to God’s purposes. Jesus wanted to set a good example for us by doing the Father’s will. His baptism also served to introduce him to John and the people of Israel as the long-promised Messiah.

Jesus’ baptism was necessary in order to fulfill the requirements of the Old Testament law, which required repentance from sins and hence John the Baptist’s baptism of repentance. Jesus had to be baptized because he was born and died under the law to deliver us from the law (which was so strict that it could not be obeyed perfectly). The Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus at his baptism commissioned Jesus for a unique service. Jesus carried the Holy Spirit wherever he went and gave it to those who were receptive to his message. When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we are empowered to do God’s work in our world.

Jesus was God’s answer to Isaiah’s prayer that God would come down to earth and be fully present with humanity. He was and is God’s son in a way that others created in God’s image are not. Jesus was the Son of God, but his baptism gave him the verbal assurance that he was indeed God’s son. He was born of the Holy Spirit, but his baptism gave him the visible assurance that the Spirit was certainly present with him. Jesus’ baptism gave him the positive assurances that he would need during his temptation, his time of ministry, his sufferings and death.

We long for someone to tell us the truth even if it will hurt us. God created this longing in our hearts. We long to have someone who can help us understand what is going on in the world and what we need to do. That person may or may not be a prophet as long as he or she speaks the truth of God’s word. Take me, for example. I don’t consider myself to be a prophet, but each and every message I preach is based on the truth of God’s word as written in the Bible.

Jesus and John the Baptist also spoke the truth. They spoke of the need for repentance, and repentance is the first step in a journey that leads us to baptism by the Holy Spirit. It requires us to change our direction. In other words, we have to “turn or burn.” Baptism is the second step in the journey. It means a burial with Jesus and resurrection to a new life in Christ. Baptism with water is a symbol of the washing away of the dirt of our old, sinful life. Forgiveness of sins is the third step. It is ushered in by our baptism and our repentance. When God forgives us, he wipes our record clean. He takes his big bottle of Liquid Paper or his big roll of correction tape and crosses out the mistakes of our lives, just like the father forgave his wayward son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Jesus’ baptism ushered in a new way of dealing with sin. People did not have to go to the temple in Jerusalem because Jesus became the new temple. Repentance is not something we can do only once in our lives and then forget about it. Repentance must be done each and every day because each and every day Satan will try to get us to move in a different direction. When we come together in worship, God tells us that he loves us, and in return we tell him that we love him too.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit allows us to see ourselves as gospel peacemakers in our world. It allows us to be merciful to those who ask for forgiveness. It allows us to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves-the poor, the hungry, the oppressed, prisoners and so on. It allows us to spread God’s love to everyone.

A few years ago, I read a story about a mother who was at home with her two young daughters one lazy afternoon. Everything seemed to be just fine until the mother realized something strange. The house was quiet. And as every parent knows, a quiet house in the daytime can only mean one thing: the kids are up to no good.

Quietly walking into each of the girls’ rooms and not finding them there, she began to get worried. Then she heard it: the sound of whispering followed by the flushing of a toilet. Following the sound, she soon realized where it was coming from. It was coming from her bathroom. Whispers, flush. Whispers, flush. Whispers, flush. Poking her head into the room, she was able to see both of her daughters standing over the commode. Whispers, flush. One of them was holding a dripping Barbie doll by the ankles and the other one had her finger on the handle. Whispers, flush. Wanting to hear what her daughter was saying, she slipped quietly into the room. Whispers, flush. And this is what she heard: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and in the hole you go.” Flush.

We know what it feels like to have life grab us by the ankles and dangle us over the waters of chaos. And we know that this happens in spite of our faith. We even know that, at times, it happens precisely because of our faith. When this happens, we can take comfort in the knowledge that because we have been baptized with the Holy Spirit, we have the strength we need to face life’s challenges.

Baptism means that God has broken through the barrier between him and us. In return, we are to break through the challenges and problems of the world with everything we have been given by the Holy Spirit. Saying yes to our baptism means saying yes to facing the challenges of our world and yes to a life torn open by God’s love. Saying yes to our baptism means that our sins have been forgiven and we have been given a new start in life through Jesus Christ.

As soon as he was baptized, Jesus was on the move, and that fits in with the urgency of Mark’s Gospel. We have a similar calling. We are baptized for action. We are baptized to go out into the world and be the hands, voice and presence of Christ. We are baptized for the sake of others and for the sake of the world. For example, I publish all of my sermons on my blog-www.sermonsfrommyheart.com-and they have been viewed many times by people from all over the world.  Regardless of what we do, say or think, we must be bold in our actions and faithful to our calling. That way, when we get to the Pearly Gates, we can hear God say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
3. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
4. Exegesis for Mark 1:4-11. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
5. Kristopher J. Hewitt, “I Love You Too.” Retrieved from dailydevotional@ucc.org
6. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, Baptism of the Lord, (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
7. The Rev. David Lewicki, “As It Was in the Beginning.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
8. The Rev. Timothy T. Boggess, “In the Hole He Goes.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
9. Rick Morley, “Handling Sin: A Reflection on Mark 1:4-11.” Retrieved from www.rickmorley.com/archives
10. Brian P. Stoffregen, “Mark 1:4-11, 1^st Sunday after the Epiphany/Baptism of Our Lord-Year B.” Retrieved from http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/mark1x4.htm
11. The Rev. Maxwell Grant, “Torn Open, By God.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
12. Pastor Dave Risendal, “Baptism: the Heart of our Faith.” Retrieved from http://onelittleword.org/?p=6765

Well, Christmas is almost over for another year. For most of us the holidays are over, and our lives get back to normal this coming week. Children will be going back to school, people will be going back to work, family and friends will be going home (if they haven’t gone home already), and we will be settling back into our normal routines.

There is one more part of Christmas to come, and that’s why I said that Christmas is almost over. There is one more gift for all of us, and on the Feast of the Epiphany we receive that gift. That gift is the fact that Jesus came for all of us-both Jews and Gentiles. This concept is represented in the visit of the Magi, which we read about in Matthew 2:1-12, but it is also represented in the legendary story of the fourth wise man-a man named Artaban.

As he journeyed with his friends, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, he became separated from them. He never made it to Bethlehem. For many years he sought the Christ Child and in the process had many adventures and assisted many people, including dying beggars and frightened mothers, to whom he gave two of the three great jewels he had originally planned to give to Jesus. He even traveled to Egypt, hearing that Jesus and his parents had gone there, but was again frustrated in his quest. Now, after 33 years of searching he arrived in Jerusalem, hoping at last that he might find the child.

 At Passover time, Artaban, now an old man, noted an unusual commotion and inquired about its cause. People answered him, “We are going to the place called Golgotha, just outside the walls of the city, to see two robbers and a man named Jesus of Nazareth, who are being crucified on crosses. The man Jesus calls himself the Son of God, and Pontius Pilate has sent him to be crucified because he claims to be the king of the Jews.”

 Artaban knew instinctively that this is the king he had been searching for his whole life. Thus, he rushed to the scene. On the way he encountered a young girl being sold into slavery. She saw his royal robes and fell at his feet pleading with him to rescue her. His heart was moved and he gave away the last jewel for her ransom. Just then, darkness fell over the land and the earth shook, and great stones fell into the streets. One of them fell upon Artaban, crushing his head.

As he lay dying in the arms of the girl he had just ransomed, he cried out in a weak voice, “Three and thirty years I looked for thee, Lord, but I have never seen thy face nor ministered to thee!” Then a voice came from heaven, strong and kind, which said, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of my brothers or sisters, you did it to me.” Artaban’s face grew calm and peaceful. His long journey was ended. He had found his king!

This popular story powerfully presents the Epiphany message. The three magi of whom Saint Matthew speaks in his gospel brought their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, recognizing Jesus as priest, prophet, and king. Additionally, their presence in Bethlehem demonstrated how Christ was manifest to the nations. In a similar way, Artaban’s adventure showed that Christ calls us to manifest his glory to all nations. Artaban’s goodness and openness to all, even those he did not know, brought the face of Christ, namely the one he sought, to him. Additionally, those to whom he came, the poor and destitute, became Christ to him. Without realizing it, all his life he had been achieving his goal, to see the Christ Child. We, in turn, are challenged to be Christ to others; we must be ambassadors of the Lord.

God came to us in the form of Jesus so that we could come back to him. When we come to Christ, we are adopted into his family. We are also freed from the bondage of sin. That freedom has a purpose, which is being part of God’s plan for our lives. Our lives and the paths we take in life matter to God. We are to remember this when our lives seem aimless and without direction.

The church was unknown in the Old Testament and the Gospels. It wasn’t fully revealed until the events in Acts 2 occurred, especially the events that happened on the Day of Pentecost. It was not fully explained until Paul began his mission. The heart and soul of the mystery of the church is that Jews and Gentiles are joined into one body. The Gentiles are fellow heirs with the Jews, fellow members of God’s household, and fellow partakers of the promise of salvation for everyone. This process started with the visit of the Magi, but it was not fully realized until Peter preached to and baptized the Roman centurion Cornelius and his family.

Paul was the apostle, teacher and preacher to the Gentiles. The sufferings he experienced during his ministry were on their behalf, just like Jesus’ suffering and death were for everyone-both Jews and Gentiles. There are times when we as Christians will suffer for our faith like Paul, Christ and the disciples did. When we praise God, especially when we suffer, it forces us to keep our eyes on him and lifts us out of the pain of our suffering. It allows us to see clearly how God works in and through all believers to change something that is evil into something that is good. That does not mean that God causes pain and suffering. It means that God is with us and that he can use our suffering for his purposes.

Paul’s calling to preach to the Gentiles was the disposition of God’s grace. God not only appointed Paul a minister of the Gospel to the Gentiles through grace but anointed him with power. This verified Paul’s apostleship-an amazing thing considering that Paul so violently persecuted the church previously.

Christ came to unite Jews and Gentiles into one body of believers through the Gospel. Christ revealed the mystery to Paul on the road to Damascus and at other times during his ministry. The purpose of his ministry was of interest to angels, especially since they rejoice when a sinner repents.

The mystery is made known to us through both God’s direct intervention in our lives and through Scripture. This revelation is a gift for everyone, whereas until Christ was born it was seen only as a gift to the people of Israel. We are to share the promise with everyone.

If we enlarge our horizons, our theology will not be restricted to a denominational understanding but will affirm the ecumenical affirmations of the Christian faith centered in Jesus Christ. To be sure, we ought to preserve the best in our own theological tradition, but admittedly we do not possess the whole truth. We can learn from one another, and as we dialogue we sharpen our basic convictions. I’m speaking from experience. I have learned from preaching and leading worship at other non-Anglican churches, and in return I have been able to share parts of the Anglican Church traditions.

In order to share the gift, we have to use the gifts God has given us. Some of us have the gift of preaching and teaching. Some of us have the gift of singing. Others have the gift of leadership, and still others have the gift of just being able to talk to other people and share what God has done for them in their lives. We know what our gifts are, but we also know our limitations. We don’t have to worry, because God will make up for our limitations.

God created the church to be a public testimony to his grace-a place where anyone (both Jews and Gentiles) can go to receive a constant flow of mercy, and a place to hear the message of the Gospel. Yet the church not only declares the truth to humanity; God also designed the church to display the truth to angels.

The church is called to be a house of prayer. God’s people don’t need a priest to be a mediator to approach him, as was required in the Old Testament. Jews and Gentiles both have full access to God through Jesus.

Within the church there are to be no divisions due to race, spiritual or social reasons. Faith gives us free and unlimited access to God. When we place our trust in God, it opens the way for us to communicate with and have fellowship with him at any time and in any place. Anyone and everyone can come to him. We can do so because of God’s grace.

God wants everyone to see and share his wisdom. It’s up to us to make certain that this happens. Sometimes we can’t see that Christ came for everyone and can use everyone. We need to share our gifts and burdens just like Christ shared himself with everyone-both Jews and Gentiles. We are to spread the Good News to a world that desperately needs to hear it. When we spread the Good News, we are to share it with everyone, because Christ came for everyone-and that is the greatest gift that everyone can give and receive.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 1642-1643)
2. Preaching Magazine, November/December 2015 (Nashville, TN: Salem Publishing Inc.; p. 65)
3. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
4. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pgs. 175-182)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Don Ruhl, “Our Job: Make People See the Manifold Wisdom of God.” Retrieved from comment-reply@wordpress.com
7. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Moments of Weakness.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
8. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Let Me Not Shrink.” Retrieved from communications@joniandfriends.org
9. Dr. R.C. Sproul, “Answering the Ultimate Question.” Retrieved from Corsswalk@crosswalkmail.com
10. Pastor Bob Coy, “Access-able.” Retrieved from www.activeword.org
11. Don Ruhl, “The Privilege of Sharing the Preaching of Christ.” Retrieved from comment-reply@wordpress.com
12. Richard Hasler, “Enlarge Your Horizons.” Retrieved from http://sermons.com/sermon/enlarge-your-horizons/14228
13. Richard Gribble, “Ambassadors of the Lord.” Retrieved from http://sermons.com/sermons/ambassadors-of-the-lord/1467337

Good morning boys and girls!

Did you have a good Christmas? Did you get lots of gifts?

Did any of you go on a trip over Christmas?  How did you get there? Did you have to get directions? How did you get them? Did you ask someone? Did you go online and get directions? Did your parents use a GPS system or a map?

A long time ago there were some people who went on a journey. Can anyone guess who they were? They were the Three Wise Men. Let me tell you the story.

The Wise Men didn’t have a map or the Internet or a GPS system. They had something even better to guide them. They had a star.

Bibliography

1. “Seeking the Saviour.” Retrieved from www.sermons4kids.com

Thatcher and Mae had given up trying to eat the dry mints at their table at Jessica’s wedding. They had waited a long time already for their cousin and her new husband, Matt, to arrive so the reception could start.

As her tummy growled, Mae said, “Food sounds good, but I’m really excited to see Jessica’s wedding dress again!”

Thatcher didn’t respond. He was still thinking about Mom’s earlier comments about Jesus’ return being like the good wedding food they were waiting for. “Mom, you said that when Jesus comes back, He’s going to make all sin go away, right?” Mom nodded. “How is He going to do that exactly?” Thatcher asked. “If doing wrong things is the problem and Jesus fixes it, what if someone sins again after that? I mean, I still sin even though I’m a Christian.”

“You’re not alone, Thatcher,” said Mom. “All Christians do things that are wrong. We’ll struggle with sin as long as we’re still living in a sinful world, but we can live knowing Jesus has saved us and has promised us something better. And you know what? Wedding dresses can help us understand that.”

Thatcher looked surprised, and Mae squealed with excitement.

Mom continued. “The Bible uses wedding outfits to show how God saves us from sin by clothing those who trust Jesus with His righteousness, or sinlessness. That means even though we still do wrong things, God sees us as righteous because Jesus already took the punishment for our sins. It’s also a reminder of God’s promise that one day, when Jesus returns and makes everything new, He’ll give us new bodies so we’ll never sin again!”

“Kind of like Jessica knew she and Matt would get married when she put on her wedding dress this morning, even though it hadn’t happened yet?” Mae asked.

“Exactly,” said Mom. “The day Jesus returns will be a big day of celebration–just like today! And until then, we can go to Him whenever we do something wrong and confess it, knowing He’ll forgive us because we’re already wearing His righteousness.”

Suddenly, Mae jumped up from her seat, “They’re here! It’s time to celebrate!”

Thatcher laughed. “That’s probably what we’ll say when Jesus comes back, huh?”

“Yes,” Mom replied. “On that day, all of creation will celebrate!”

One of life’s happiest occasions is a wedding. It is the union of two separate individuals into one new entity. It involves lots of planning and preparation, including obtaining a wedding gown, bridesmaids dresses, and tuxedos for the groom, his attendants and ushers. These garments, although very stunning, pale in comparison to the garments that will be issued when Christ returns for his bride-the church and all Christians. This is what the prophet Isaiah refers to in Isaiah 61:10-62:3.

Isaiah speaks of a new age in which the people are clothed with garments of salvation. It will usher in an order in which hope abounds and shouts of joy are the order of the day. The old order is passing and a new age of beauty and justice is upon us. Isaiah proclaims that humanity is on the verge of a giant leap in awareness. Humanity has matured ethically in many ways, but we still have a long way to go.

Isaiah begins his message as a prophet released to enjoy God’s promises to restore the people, but it is not the joy that comes from overthrowing oppressors. It is the joy that arises from both God’s deliverance of His people and in the bringing forth of righteousness. Isaiah understands that God has taken His people in a covenant like a marriage. His faithfulness is predictable and reliable as the natural cycle of life. His people are to exhibit God’s righteousness in their own restored lives, and that includes us as Christians today.

Isaiah uses the image of a wedding to tell what it means for us to celebrate our freedom from sin. Clothed as His bride in the garments of righteousness, adorned with the jewels of servanthood and radiant with the glow of His glory, righteousness and praise will spring forth. The prophet proclaims salvation and forecasts redemption.

When she is restored, Israel will be clothed with garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness. These are wedding garments, with the metaphor of the bridegroom and the bride emphasizing the joy and delight shared mutually by God and His redeeming people. While Israel was guilty of being unfaithful to God, she will be restored to a relationship with its husband. The church is also portrayed as a bride, with Christ being the bridegroom. The same thing will happen to us when we accept Christ as our Saviour. When God redeems His people, there will be joy among the people.

The robe of righteousness is a robe of protection and an ornament. This is a metaphor of the church defended and ornamented by God. When the Messiah comes, truth and righteousness will spring forth like grass and fruit when it rains.

Because of His great love for His people, God sent a Saviour to comfort, heal and set His people free. God planned to deliver His people and He would not stop until the work was accomplished. God’s church and His people would be the object of His unceasing watchfulness and care until His glory filled the earth. He would clothe His people with goodness and salvation. God tells us that He holds Himself accountable for the promises He has made. From this perspective, His people will find new hope for the future, not just because He clears our vision once again but because He backs up the vision by holding Himself accountable for His own word, Isaiah’s words, His own oath, His own command, and His own purpose for the world.

When a sinner realizes that he can’t achieve his own righteousness by deeds and repents and asks God for mercy, God covers the sinner with His own divine righteousness by grace through faith. So what does God do? Exactly what He did for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He sheds innocent blood. He offers the life of His Son. From the scene of the sacrifice God takes a robe of righteousness. Does He throw it in our direction and tell us to shape up? No, He dresses us Himself with Himself. The robing is His work, not ours. This is why He came to earth as a tiny baby on that first Christmas over 2,000 years ago.

Jesus began the process of redemption through his life, death and resurrection. He proclaimed God’s rule, and therefore we can rejoice in the knowledge that He has set us free and made the world right. On the other hand, we are works in progress, and there is much in our world that needs to be fixed. The job won’t be complete until Christ returns and establishes His Kingdom here on earth.

How often and how easily do we forget our value? How often do we believe the lies of the world instead of the words from God about us? We set aside the truth that Jesus came and lived and died to prove to us we are of great value to the God of the heavens. How we minimize Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice when we insist that more must be done to redeem our messy lives. We forget what God says about our identity in Him. We get wrapped up in things around us. Our families and jobs require so much of us we can lose ourselves and turn into people we never thought we’d become.

When you sin, do you worry that you’re no longer saved or that Jesus will stop loving you? If you know Jesus, you don’t have to worry because He has clothed you in His righteousness. He promises to forgive you when you do something wrong, and one day, when He returns, He’ll make you completely new so you’ll never sin again! You can trust Him to free you from sin forever.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New Kings James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 952-953)
2. Kandi Zeller, “Wedding Waiting (Part 2).” Retrieved from info@keysforkids.org
3. Barnes’ Notes on the Old Testament. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
4. McKenna, D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 18: Isaiah 40-66 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 242-246)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2006)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1009-1013)
7. Logan Wolfram,” Where You Sit is How You Stand.” Retrieved form Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
8. Patricia Tull, “Commentary on Isaiah 61:10-62:3.” Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org.
9. J. Clinton McCann, Jr., “Commentary on Isaiah 61:10-62:3.” Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org.
10. Howard Wallace, “Year B Christmas 1 Isaiah 61-62.” Retrieved from https://hwallace.unitingchurch.org.au/WebOTcomments/ChristmasB/Christmas1.html
11. Bruce Epperly, “The Adventurous Lectionary-The First Sunday of Christmas-December 27, 2020.” Retrieved from http://www.patheos.com/blogs/livingahealthyadventure/2020/12/the-adventurous-lectionary-the-first-sunday-of-christmas-december-27-2020

Have you ever heard of the old saying, “Good things come to those who wait”? If so, the story of Simeon, Anna and the baby Jesus in the temple in Luke 2:22-40 is a good example. The coming of Christ involved all manner of waiting on God. A young maiden, a dying man and an old widow all model hearts yielded to God.

The tale of Simeon and Anna is a tale of grace. Anna’s name means “grace”, an early reminder by Luke that his gospel is a story of God’s free gift of self to us through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Simeon and Anna are recognized and graced by God. That is why the aged Simeon, over a long period of waiting and from the numerous children brought to the temple, recognized God’s salvation in Christ.

Simeon and Anna waited for years for the coming of the Messiah. In Simeon’s case, the centre of his joy was the privilege of being God’s servant, and in return, God let him see the salvation of the world as it dawned. Simeon saw the baby Jesus as the fulfillment of all the hopes and dreams of the Jewish people throughout the years. In the Old Testament, God promised Moses that a prophet would come who would be unlike any other prophet. God promised David a son who would reign forever. God told Isaiah that a son would be born of a virgin and he would be called Emmanuel-God with us. The prophet Micah predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

Anna was an eighty-four year-old widow who stayed close to the temple and served God through fasting and praying. In return, God blessed her by allowing her to see the Saviour of the world as a tiny, newborn baby. God fulfilled the promise he made to Simeon that he would not die before he saw the Messiah. When God fulfilled that promise, Simeon uttered the words that are part of the funeral liturgy in the Anglican Church-the Song of Simeon, also known as the Nunc Dimittis- “O Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which hath been since the world began”.

Simeon and Anna are symbolic and representative figures. The world has never been without people like them, people with a forward look in whom there burned a great hope, people on tiptoe, the flame of freedom in their souls, the light of knowledge in their eyes, living in hope and expectation that a great day was coming when wrong would be righted, when justice would be done, when God would reveal his arm and bring salvation to mankind. One night over two thousand years ago, the Word became flesh in a baby born in Bethlehem. One day, it will become flesh again when Christ returns to set up his kingdom here on earth.

Simeon also told Mary of the suffering and death Jesus would have to endure for all of his people. Most people thought of the redemption of Jerusalem and God’s people in terms of freedom from Roman rule, but some had a vision of an even greater redemption-a vision of spiritual renewal. God’s salvation is for all of us, but not all of us will accept it, just like some people did not accept Christ and his teachings and salvation. Those who reject Christ are already condemned.

God’s salvation doesn’t mean that we will never suffer troubles, illness, rejection or death. It happened to Jesus. It happened to Mary. It will happen to us, but if we endure hardships with faith, we will have a great future. It takes faith to know a blessing from God. It is the joy of celebrating God’s goodness in the midst of our chaotic, suffering world.

As life passes us by, how do we grow old in such a way to end well and finish awaiting Christ’s message, “Well done, good and faithful servant?” Since many of us will end our earthly pilgrimage alone with our spouse preceding us, how will we finish when we will be alone and old for some of those years? We are never too old, weak or sick to make a difference. Our attitude and behaviour will make a difference. Like Anna, God will guide us to share the story of Jesus with everyone we meet.

We have also been told of the coming Christ. Like Simeon and Anna, we are heirs of a promise. We are prompted by the same Spirit. We long to see the same face. To do so successfully, we must wait forwardly, patiently and vigilantly. When we look at Jesus’ face, we will know that it is time for us to repent and come home to our heavenly Father, just like Simeon knew it was time for him to go to his heavenly home when he saw the face of the baby Jesus.

We have just come through the season of Advent and Christmas, and during those seasons we, like Simeon and Anna, had to wait and prepare for the coming of the Messiah. God works in a time zone where a day is as a thousand years. For those who have walked the long road of faith, who have held the long cord of life in their hands and felt all of its frays and burrs, but also found it very sturdy, for those who have waited on the Lord while holding on for their lives, they have received the reward of joy

When our dreams don’t come true in a day, we, like Simeon and Anna, need to keep in mind that God is still at work. He is still wrapping the package. He is still preparing the gift to fit our needs. We need to pray, not just for the gift, but also for patience to wait for God’s unveiling. As we practice faith, hope, attentiveness, submission and patience, we see the Christ child.

Like Simeon, our eyes have seen God’s salvation. When we receive the bread and wine during Holy Communion, we are holding Christ’s very body and blood, which was nailed to the cross and poured out for our forgiveness. We have seen it with our own eyes and felt it with our own hands and on our tongues. Having been saved, we glorify God and depart in peace to share Christ’s salvation throughout the world.

Bibliography

1. Stanley, Charles F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers: 2009)
2. “Jesus: The Consolation of Israel”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
3. Pastor Bob Coy, “Anna”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
4. Exegesis for Luke 2:22-40. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
5. Pastor John Barnett, “Simeon and Anna: Single-Hearted Devotion”. Retrieved from www.dtbm.org
6. Phil Ware, “Heartlight Daily Verse”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
7. Max Lucado, “Waiting Forwardly”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
8. Jill Carattini, “Remember Me”. Retrieved from www.rzim.org/Slice
9. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions: Feast of the Holy Family”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org.
10. David Timms, “Sacred Waiting”. Retrieved from www.ChristianityToday.com/global/printer.html?/moi/2011/006.december/22.22.html
11. Jamieson-Fawcett-Brown Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.
12. Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.
13. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.
14. ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.
15. MacArthur, John: MacArthur Study Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006;2008)
16. Larson, Bruce; Ogilvie, Lloyd J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 26: Luke(Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1983)
17. The Rev. Dr. Ozzie E. Smith. Jr. “A Sight for Certain Eyes”. Retrieved from www.day1.org/1125-sight_for_certain_eyes.print
18. The Rev. Beth Quick, Sermon 12-29-02. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon12-29-02.htm
19. The Rev. Dr. William K. Quick, “Seeing and Believing”. Retrieved from www.day1.org/702-seeing_and_believing.print.