Tuesday, December 28, 2010

December 26/27, 2010 sermon on Matthew 2:13-23 by Pastor Paul G. Eckert

December 26/27, 2010 - Christmas 1 Sermon by Pastor Paul G. Eckert
Text - Matthew 2:13-23
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." 19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead." 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."
AFTER THE BIRTH OF THE SAVIOR, THEN WHAT?
I THERE WAS AND IS DANGER
II THERE WAS AND IS GOD’S GUIDING CARE
III THERE WAS, IS AND WILL BE FULFILLMENT
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After celebrating the birth of our Savior, then what? I suppose today, with this service coming right after Christmas Eve and Day, some of the "what" could be what we refer to as "preaching to the choir." The "choir" would refer to the people who today are present in the church service and thus are the ones who are doing the singing. So if I would rant and rave today about the many who attended our special Christmas services but then do not show up for our regular services, resulting in a lower church attendance, I would be ranting and raving to you who are present, but not to those who are not here. I could also give the wrong impression about people who are not here, as though nobody has a valid reason for not being here. So, instead of "preaching to the choir," I’ll just ask you to keep on encouraging fellow family and church members to be faithful in their worship lives, to be a regular part of those who sing in our worship services, who hear God’s Word in church and come to His Supper here.
But now let’s get to our sermon text and go back to the time after the birth of the Savior. It wasn’t the day after, but a small amount of time had passed. The Magi, Wise Men, were now on their way back home. Mary and Joseph and Jesus were no longer in a stable but in a house, and were no longer using a manger as a crib for baby Jesus. So those inconveniences were behind them. But quite a bit was ahead for them, even as the new year of 2011 lies ahead for us. So we ask:
AFTER THE BIRTH OF THE SAVIOR, THEN WHAT?
I THERE WAS AND IS DANGER (13,16)
1. Danger confronted Jesus (13)
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." a) with a special star God had alerted the Magi that His promised
King had been born; so they had headed to Israel’s capital city,
Jerusalem, where they assumed that this King would be found
b) their intention was to worship Him and bring Him offerings;
but unwittingly they in fact put Him into danger because King
Herod saw only a threat to his government throne when he
heard about another potential king - if you recall, Pontius Pilate
33 years later mocked Jesus as a king, but Herod at this time
tried to use the Magi to get rid of this new king
2. Danger confronted the children of Bethlehem (16)
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
a) the Magi did not report back to Herod; so, knowing only the
location, he determined to kill all the baby boys in an age range
he felt sure would include Jesus
b) the number may have been small, but the killing was murder
3. Danger is also present today
a) we may not have a Herod, but we have a government that
has made it legal to murder countless number of babies in the
womb; we have loud voices that demand the right to choose
to get rid of babies by what actually is murder
b) the devil still is behind that as he still is as anxious to get rid of
Jesus as Herod was, as he also is after each and every one of us
with his temptations to turn us away from God’s truth, to turn
us away from Jesus, our promised Savior and King
4. So our walk after Christmas is a walk in danger
a) 2011 will not be without danger, as little as 2010 has been
b) daily we’ll need to continue to pray "Deliver us from evil"
and trustingly also to pray "Your will be done"
c) because we know the reality that there was and still is danger
II THERE WAS AND IS GOD’S GUIDING CARE (13-14,19-22)
1. The need for this may seem strange
a) our Jesus is the Word made flesh, the one of whom Scripture
says, "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
b) why did He through whom all things were made need guiding
care? it is because He had humbled Himself for us, taken on
Himself our flesh and blood and weaknesses so that He could
take on Himself our sins and die for our sins as our Substitute
2. God’s guiding and protecting care was evident (13-14,19-22)
a) He warned of the danger from Herod
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in
a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and
escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to
search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and
his mother during the night and left for Egypt, ---. b) He directed the path for Him to travel
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead." So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee ---.
3. That guiding care is also with us
a) we may not always understand how God guides us - in our
past lives have we always understood why God permitted some
things to happen? will we always know in the coming year what
God has in mind if something comes that we would choose not
to have happen? maybe Mary and Joseph didn’t understand
right away either why with a new child they had to do the
traveling they had to do
b) but when we don’t understand, be encouraged by what God
said through the prophet Isaiah: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
4. Be confident of that guiding care
a) we cannot say we’ll walk without danger after Christmas
b) we cannot say we’ll have a perfect year 2011, no problems
c) but we can say we walk in God’s guiding care all of the way,
confident in the assurance of Scripture: "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"
III THERE WAS, IS AND WILL BE FULFILLMENT (15,17-18,23)
1. Old Testament promises were fulfilled (15b,17-18,23)
a) in our text we have just three of many OT references
- Jeremiah 31:15 - Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to
be comforted, because they are no more."
- Hosea 11:1 - And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said
through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
b) in the third reference our text says - And he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene." - Scripture had also
foretold that Jesus would be mocked, seen as a nobody who
came from a small place like Nazareth instead of from an
important city like Jerusalem, and that too happened
2. So also the promise of salvation was fulfilled
a) the prophecies mentioned weren’t the only ones fulfilled; think
also of the promise of a virgin birth, of Bethlehem as the
birthplace, about being pierced for our transgressions and
crushed for our iniquities which were all placed on God’s Son,
about the punishment He endured to bring us peace
b) saving was promised and fulfilled - not saving from all physical
dangers, but from sin and its deserved eternal consequences
3. And life is what also will be fulfilled
a) God has promised to be with us in this life, but not that we will
continue forever in this life - who would want that in this vale
of tears?
b) what Jesus has promised is that we will not perish but have
eternal life, that there are mansions above and that He will
come back and take us to be with Him where He is in His glory
- in other words, that heaven is our home, a promise that will
be fulfilled as surely as the prophecies in our text were fulfilled,
as surely as Jesus after His crucifixion arose from the dead to
be our Resurrection and our Life
4. For God will fulfill what He has promised us
a) how sad if all we knew was that we were heading into another
year of time with a totally unknown future
b) how sad if we knew that all we could anticipate was danger
and problems and aging and dying and death and hell
c) because of Christmas and everything it really means, because
of the truth of God’s love and of His promises, we know
more: we head into another year knowing there will be dangers,
but also confident that we have God’s guiding care, and that
our Savior God will fulfill His promises to us of glory to come
A Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year Indeed!

Monday, December 27, 2010

CHRISTMAS DAY
December 25, 2010
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Word of Christian Worship Hymn #54 (Luke 2:8-20)

“WHERE SHEPHERDS LATELY KNELT…
WE KNEEL TOO!
1. In half belief.
2. Finding room and welcome for me.
3. Finding a voice to cry for me.
4. Surprised to find Isaiah?
5. Can I, will I?

Pretty much everybody loves Christmas Carols. Oh, we might quibble about whether the radio stations should start with “all carols all the time” before Thanksgiving. We might debate on how long they should go after Christmas. We can even have differences of opinions on which ones we like or don’t like. Still, pretty much everybody likes Christmas carols. Mostly old ones. Sometimes new. From the feedback I get one of new favorites is the one we just sang, “Where Shepherds Lately Knelt.” It was published in 1987, not that long ago. And yet the combination of the right tune with some meaningful words provides a great Christmas carol. So I’m going to step outside my box just a little bit and preach on the text of a this carol that helps us revisit the events of Christmas. Where shepherds lately knelt, we kneel too.
We kneel in half belief. Can you imagine being those shepherds that first Christmas night? An angel. The angel hosts. Did we really see that? Let us go to Bethlehem and see if it’s true. And it is. We find everything just as the angel said. And yet still it’s hard to believe it’s all true. He looks like an ordinary baby. Is He really my Savior? Half belief. Honesty is so refreshing isn’t it? So many people wear masks. They hide their true intentions behind syrupy smiles. Sometimes those who proclaim their Christianity the loudest really aren’t. Half belief in the wonderful truths God proclaims. Honestly that’s a good description of me. Is it of you too? That well turned phrase makes me think of the man we are told about in the Gospels who begged Jesus to heal his son who was demon possessed. Jesus told him everything is possible for those who believe. The man honestly replied, “I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.” I think of Jesus’ sweeping statement that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can tell a mountain to go and throw itself into the sea and it will. I haven’t tossed any mountains into the sea lately. Neither have you. Half belief. It’s the best we can do with the promises of God.
And you know what the neat thing is? My half belief doesn’t affect God’s truth! God’s truths are true even if no one believes them. God’s truths stand true when my faith is smaller than a mustard seed. Our half belief in the God man in the manger doesn’t change who He is. As we kneel where the shepherds lately knelt we are so glad that our weakness of faith does not diminish God’s greatness or what He will do for us.
We are glad of that because as our carol goes on to exclaim, “There is room and welcome there for me!” One of the more uncomfortable situations life presents is when you find yourself in a place that you are not really welcome. Now you’ve probably never had one of those made for Hollywood moments when you walk into a room and all the talk and music go silent as every head turns to look at you. But you have probably found yourself, maybe even at a family gathering, where people were uncomfortable around you. Sometimes that hurts. It hurts to know you are not wanted. On the other hand it sure feels good to be where you are wanted. When we kneel with the shepherds at the manger of Jesus we find there is room for us and welcome for us and this is a surprise. It’s a surprise because of who we are and what we have done. I remember a Seminary professor once reminding us, his students, to remember that there are generally more broken hearts sitting in church pews that hardened ones. I would suspect that on Christmas Day when many don’t really do church, that this is doubly so. We want to be here because we are broken hearted. We know our sinfulness. We know we don’t belong in God’s presence. Once again this past year we can see our betrayals of Jesus and our denials in our own ways. I know for myself and you know for yourself why all the music should stop and the heads turn and someone should be saying, “What’s he doing here?” But that’s not what happens. Jesus welcomes us and wants us. That’s why He came.
And it’s what we find as continue to kneel where the shepherds lately knelt, we find a still small voice to cry for us. At first that voice belonged to a baby. What do you think of baby’s crying? Do you like to hear them or not? It really depends on context, doesn’t it? For instance when a baby is just born you want to hear it cry. That’s a beautiful noise. Later when it’s the middle of the night and mom is hoping to get a little sleep it isn’t so nice. I don’t mind hearing babies crying in church, as long as it doesn’t go on too long. Babies crying in church means parents are bringing their little ones to hear God’s Word. That’s a good thing. At other times babies crying can simply be annoying. There is nothing annoying and there is only good at the baby in the manger who is going to cry for me, for you. He won’t stay a baby. He will grow to be the perfect God man who did His job, sacrificed Himself for us, was exalted by God and is at His right hand. Now His voice cries out to defend us. When Satan, the accuser comes and points out all our sins, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense, Jesus His Son. Remember that. Do you have a broken heart? Some sins bothering you? Jesus is speaking up for you. He is committed to having you in heaven.
Now we should know that and believe that because God said so. And yet how often don’t we find ourselves surprised when God comes through for us? Our carol writer puts it this way, “How should I not have known Isaiah would be there?” I probably would have said, “Duh!” The Scriptures tell us that often the prophets did not know exactly what their prophecies pointed to. They knew Who but not all the details and they searched the Scriptures to gain understanding. Yet they could only know what the Holy Spirit revealed. And still God’s people are slow to believe. It makes me think of the many times before He died that Jesus spoke plainly with His disciples telling them that He would die and rise again three days later. Yet they still were expecting to find a dead Jesus. How could they not have known? All the prophecies that the Lord revealed to His people through Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, they all have the purpose of giving God’s people confidence that Jesus is the true Messiah, the Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of peace. We’re no different. How often don’t we find ourselves surprised when God came through for us—again? Next time you catch God again keeping His promises to you for help, provision, working all things for good, remember this carol and say, “How should I not have known?” or “Duh!” if you prefer!
Now can I, will I forget? That’s the penetrating question in the last verse of “Where Shepherds lately knelt.” It makes you stop and think and do something with the Christmas message. “Can I, will I forget how Love was born and burned its way into my heart unasked, unforced, unearned? That’s God’s way. The Gospel way. Not the law way of force and fear and manipulation. The way of love, unasked, unforced, unearned. It makes you ask, “Why me Lord?” Why do you put me into a family that believed your promises of Baptism, and brought me to the font where You did your work? I didn’t ask for that. I certainly didn’t earn it. And you came in love? Why me, Lord? You can ask the same question. The carol writer chose to focus our attention on another question. Can I, will I forget what has happened here? “Can,” am I able to. “Will,” do I want to? Will I really live the rest of today as a grump and a grouch? Will I live burdened by guilt? Will I leave to live like the people who don’t know Christ, wallowing in self seeking and self serving and never finding peace joy and happiness in Jesus? Yes, I can, but No I won’t. I will remember the one came to die and live for me and I will seek to serve Him with joy. I hope you will too.
For, this Christmas morning where shepherds lately knelt, we have knelt too. Not on our knees physically, but in our hearts with humility and reverence for our God has done great things for us. May His name be praised! Amen.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Worship Service December 19th, 2010

Dec 19, 2010 from Richard Waldschmidt on Vimeo.



Matthew 1:18-25 Pastor Waldschmidt
God Can Do Anything!
I. When It Seems Nothing Can Be Done.
II. He Did Everything He Promised.

Matthew 1:18-25 THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.


In the name of Jesus, the Savior, dear fellow redeemed children of God,
Last week the roof of the Metrodome in Minneapolis tore open and poured tons of ice and snow onto the field below. After playing a game the Ford Field Dome in Detroit, the Vikings made plans to shovel out the Minnesota Golden Gophers stadium in Minneapolis and play their final home game there. This past week, many players expressed their concern about playing on the frozen field. I don’t mean to make light of their concerns but it did make me think back to the days when we would shovel off the frozen tundra of our backyard for a Christmas vacation football game. We didn’t have heater coils under the field. There weren’t even heaters on the sideline. But in a young football player’s imagination anything could happen out there. There could be a record setting game winning field goal or a touchdown pass calmly delivered before an imaginary cheering crowd. Anything could happen out there in the backyard. The Bible says, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” Today in God’s Word, we see God do something that goes far beyond what anyone could have imagined. He did something so real that it s effects reach down through the ages to benefit you and me. This was no imaginary event because God can do anything. I. When it seemed nothing could be done. II. God did everything He promised.
On Monday Night Football, they use 30 cameras for their production. We had no cameras at Waldschmidt Field. Today God’s Word uses a different camera angle to record the Christmas story. It is a special “camera” angle because it showsus things from two views at once. It records things from the view of the God who can do anything and from Joseph’s point of view at a time when maybe it seemed like nothing could be done. “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph.” Joseph is a man we really know very little. He was a carpenter-that isn’t mentioned here, it’s mentioned later in Jesus’ life by the doubting citizens of Nazareth at the synagogue. Joseph was pledged to be married to Mary. He was a descendant of King David. Being in that family tree brought him to Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Jesus. “But before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.” At first that must have seemed like a terrible situation. Joseph knew he wasn’t the father of the child. He must have assumed that Mary had been unfaithful to him. We can imagine the pain and disappointment Joseph suffered during these days. He had been committed to Mary. He loved her. They had plans. But she obviously had been in the arms of another man. “Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” Joseph didn’t want to heap public disgrace on Mary but he didn’t feel like he could go ahead with the plans either. It seemed like nothing could be done. But God can do anything.
“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife.” God can do anything. He sent an angel to announce his plan. He came up with that plan when it seemed nothing could be done. Remember the God who can do anything had created this beautiful world- stars in the sky, fish in the sea and dry land filled with beautiful plants and animals. God created a beautiful world for his people to live in. But Adam and Eve disobeyed God. That sin disease was passed down to you and me. Take a look at your heart and mind. Do the things in them measure up to God’s holy standards? The God who can do anything could not do nothing about that disobedience. He is holy and just. He could not let sin go unpunished. So the God who can do anything decided to do something. He would come himself to save His people. The angel told some of the details of that plan, “ because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." By a miracle of His grace God would come Himself. He took on flesh and blood to be the substitute. Mary would give birth to a Son. Joseph’s job, as legal father, was to see to it that the child would be named Jesus. This was a common name in Israel. Normally when a child was given this name it was a reminder that God promised to send a Savior. This is what the name Jesus means. But this Jesus would be no ordinary Child. He is the Son of God. He is the Savior of the world God promised. God can do anything.
That’s comforting because we sometimes find ourselves in situations where it seems nothing can be done. Doctors sometimes say, “nothing more can be done.” Sometimes it seems like our economy is so big and the problems so huge that nothing can be done. At times family problems seem like quicksand and it feels like nothing can be done. If we do this it makes things worse, if we do that it makes things worse. It seems like nothing can be done. This week even though those problems may swirl around us, while have a chance to peer into the manger again with Joseph and see that God can do anything. He helped us with our greatest problem. He will not leave us alone to face our other problems.
Isn’t it interesting that the angel gives no long explanation of the incarnation of the Son of God. He simply says that Mary’s conception is from the Holy Spirit – that’s it. He doesn’t give any detail beyond that. God doesn’t always give us all of the details of what He is planning in our lives. At times we won’t understand how he could take the bad things that happen and “work them together for good.” We can’t see how God could do what he did in the life of Joseph- how he could take the harm others intended and accomplish good things like the saving of our lives and the lives of others. We don’t need to know the details. We just need to know His loves us and does what he says. God can do anything even when it seems nothing can be done.
There is no long explanation we are told about. There is also no bright miraculous sign. Joseph is simply pointed by the angel back to the promises of God in that name Jesus. “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” God can do anything! He did everything He promised.
As God waited for the time to be right to send the Savior, He gave His people picture promises of the Savior. Joseph was reminded of one of them. It was in the Scripture lesson we heard today. "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." Joseph took God at His Word. Mary was a virgin and yet conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Son born from her was to be called Jesus because He would save His people from their sins. Joseph believed the angel. History gives the proof. He took Mary as His wife. He provided a home for her and her son, Jesus.
Those promises of God in His word feed our faith. They make us strong to do what Joseph did - to cling to our God who can do anything. We cling to the God who has saved us and who can do anything when we sit at the kitchen table with our pile of bills. We cling to our God when we sit in the surgical waiting room at the hospital and when we follow the casket of our loved ones out of church. God can do anything.
Frozen turf might not be much fun for football to land on but the rock solid promises of God are comfortable to stand on. They give us peace and comfort and confidence. Let’s come again this week to hear about what our God who can do anything really did. God came to be with us. Amen.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

December 15, 1010 midweek Advent sermon by Pastor Paul Eckert

Midweek Advent 3
December 15, 1010
Pastor Paul G. Eckert
Theme: FREEDOM
I JESUS PROCLAIMED IT
II ISRAEL'S HISTORY PICTURED IT
III GOD'S PEOPLE GREATLY REJOICE IN IT
Text - Isaiah 61:1-11
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6 And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. 7 Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. 8 "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed." 10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
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For what are we waiting? Turning to what the Prophet Isaiah recorded, the answer the last two Wednesdays was "a righteous ruler" and "something to sing about." This Wednesday’s answer is a single word: "Freedom."
Do you remember hearing quite a bit last month about someone who had been waiting for freedom? That someone was Laurencia "Bambi" Bembenek. She had been convicted of murder, but always maintained her innocence. After being jailed, she wanted her freedom so badly that she managed to escape. But eventually she was found and faced justice again. After some plea dealing it was determined that she had served enough time and could be free.
But, if you remember the story, she never felt free. She wanted to be exonerated. She wanted to be pardoned to set her really free. She did not live to hear a pardon. She died without having the freedom she really wanted.
For what are we waiting? For a freedom or a pardon that may never come? Definitely not! Turning to the entire chapter 61 of the Prophet Isaiah let’s talk about FREEDOM and see how JESUS PROCLAIMED IT, how ISRAEL’S HISTORY PICTURED IT, and how GOD’S PEOPLE GREATLY REJOICE IN IT.
FREEDOM
I JESUS PROCLAIMED IT (1-3)
1. Someone here is proclaiming freedom (1-3) The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
a) the one speaking these words claims the Spirit’s backing
b) He says He has been anointed, given an assignment
2. This is none other than Jesus
a) over 700 years before Christmas! - how could this be?
b) it is because of who Jesus is, God’s eternal Son
3. He Himself claimed this
a) in Luke chapter 4 Jesus quoted these words from Isaiah
b) then, addressing the people in the synagogue, He said, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
4. Listen again to what He had come to proclaim (1-3)
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
a) to the poor, the good news of eternal wealth
b) to the broken hearted and captives, comfort and freedom
c) to those who mourn, gladness
II ISRAEL’S HISTORY PICTURED IT (4-9)
1. The picture had not been good
a) at Isaiah’s time it was reasonably good for North and South
b) but then the northern kingdom was captured, taken away,
and never came back; later the southern kingdom was taken
away into exile for what we know as the Babylonian captivity
2. But the picture would improve (4)
They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
a) as God promised, Judah after 70 years returned from its exile
b) then rebuilding took place, and there was a Bethlehem again
3. And the picture was enlarged (5-6)
Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth
of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
a) what happened in Bethlehem, the promised birth of the
Savior, was the glory of Israel, but not just the glory of Israel
b) it was also light for the Gentiles, to gather together all
peoples and nations for the freedom Jesus had come to win
4. And it promised everlasting joy (7-9) Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed."
a) because of the sin God hates, all deserve judgment, shame
b) but instead of disowning and disgrace, there would be
forgiveness for sin and there would be an inheritance
c) for the Lord would bless all of His people with everlasting
joy, joy to the world, for His wonderful freedom
III GOD’S PEOPLE GREATLY REJOICE IN IT (10-11) 1. Who is talking here? (10-11)
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
a) to this point we have heard the promised Savior talking
b) now we hear the response of the people whom the Lord has
blessed so richly because of the promised Savior
2. What joy because of what the Lord has done! (10)
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
a) think of the familiar words of Ephesians 5:25b-27 - "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless."
b) so here; we are clothed with a garment of salvation that
covers all of our sins, and we have jewels that sparkle with our
great delight
3. Remember again that this is for all (11) For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. a) what God did was not just for Old Testament people, or just
for descendants of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob
b) God so loved the world, all nations, you and me
4. May we greatly rejoice in God’s freedom! (10a)
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. a) what we could never do - namely get rid of the condemning
power of our sins or set ourselves free from death and the
grave and hell, all of this our Savior has done exactly as He
over 700 years before the first Christmas promised and
proclaimed in the inspired words of the Prophet Isaiah we
have considered in this sermon
b) in this we rejoice now, knowing His victory is our freedom
c) and we look forward to enjoying that freedom in everlasting
glory with Him
Laurencia Bembenek heard no pardon of freedom from the government. But you and I, we have heard God’s pardon for our sins. We know our Savior, born to be the glory of Israel and the light for all nations.
Jesus has indeed given us true freedom. Please don’t forget that this freedom is what we really are celebrating in Christmas.
So we ask again, "For what are we waiting? Freedom?" We have it! It has come! And everlasting freedom and joy will be ours!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Monday, December 13, 2010

Our Advent song service urges us to anticipate the joy of Christmas. Anticipation. It’s a look forward to something. Some things we look forward to with excitement and happiness. Some things with dread. You see the emotions you attach to anticipation are directly tied to what the event you are waiting for means to you. For instance, not too long ago you may have anticipated your Thanksgiving feast and your emotions about that might have gotten greater and greater as the smells wafted through the house and you became hungrier. Music minded people anticipate the next concert they will attend or be a part of because of the happiness music brings to them. Sports minded people anticipate the next game because of the thrill of competition or what it will mean for their beloved team. Packer fans, joy. Viking fans, dread! How about Christians and Christmas. What’s your anticipation like? We know what the right answers should be. But we have an enemy, the Devil. He works very hard in each or our lives to keep our eyes off of Jesus. To keep us distracted and harried so Christmas is just something to get over. Our service today in word and extra songs from our choirs seeks to help you anticipate Christmas with joy. Let’s listen as our Ladies Choir gives us an overview of what we celebrate.


FOCUS ON THE NEED

One of the events of the past year that grabbed the world’s attention was the rescue of the Chilean miners. You can probably still remember the details. On August 5, 33 miners were trapped after a tunnel collapse. They were stuck 2300 feet underground. That’s almost 2 Empire State buildings stacked on top of each other. Can you imagine what they felt like when they realized their predicament? Stuck in the darkness. Limited food. Nothing they could do to save themselves. What do you think was on their minds? “We are doomed. Well there’s still time left. Shall we wait it out?” Their only hope was rescue. How do you think they felt when that first borehole reached them? The one used to communicate and send supplies? Hopeful. Joyful. They needed to be rescued and now there was hope.
Now the thought of being trapped underground or underwater just gives me the creeps. If I even try to imagine it terror is not far behind. But there is a worse darkness that you and I need to be rescued from. Jesus alluded to it in His parable of the talents when He said, Matthew 25:30 (NIV) “And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” That’s one description of Hell. Here’s some more. First from Isaiah 66:24 (NIV) “And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” Now from Luke 16:22-24 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.” Hell is not a pretty place. It is where God is not. And where God is not there is no joy, no hope, no good. Only pain, despair and torment. And I belong there. So do you. We have sinned against our Creator. We have done, said, thought wrong things. But God sent a borehole down to us. It came in the form of the promise of a Savior. Rescue was on the way. To help you anticipate the joy of Christmas, focus on your need for a Savior. Our Mixed Choir sings of just that with their anthem “God, My Savior.”


FOCUS ON THE VIP

For some people seeing a celebrity provides the highlight of the year. They will wait for hours to catch a glimpse of a singer, an actor or actress, a sports star or a world leader. When they get that glimpse they are filled with joy. They saw a VIP. For the Chilean miners the VIP wasn’t a person at all. It was Phoenix 1, the rescue capsule. If you have seen pictures of it, it really doesn’t look very special at all. Kind of looks like something you might find on a cheap carnival ride. But when the Chilean miners saw that capsule they were filled with joy. It meant a safe ride to the surface. It meant rescue. Eventually they would each get their turn and they would be rescued from the darkness. Things were looking up!
From all reports people were not really impressed by the sight of Jesus. We’re told He looked very ordinary. There were no throngs of people waiting in line for a glimpse of Him when He was born. But we know better. We know who He is, the VIP! We are reminded of Jesus’ special nature in Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” At Christmas we get to celebrate the fact that God came to be with us. He may have looked like an ordinary human being but He wasn’t. In Hebrews 1:3 we are told that Jesus…”is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” By focusing on Jesus, who He is, what He has done, we see the very nature of God. More than that. He’s our ride out of the darkness. By taking on human flesh He made it so He could cover us with His righteousness and take us safely to our heavenly home. To help you anticipate the joy of Christmas focus on the VIP. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Our Mixed Choir helps us do just that as they sing “Carol for Advent.”


FOCUS ON WHAT IS COMING

You are 2300 feet underground. You have lived the rollercoaster of realizing you were trapped with no way out to resigning yourself to your fate to hearing the drill come closer and closer to seeing the camera pop through the borehole to the first time the Phoenix 1 capsule came through. How are you feeling now? Excited or do you focus on all the things that could possibly yet go wrong. Now if you kind of felt yourself drawn to the latter it may be because you are pessimistic by nature. Or perhaps in your realism you recognize that when sinful people are involved there is always a chance for something to go wrong.
Not so with Christmas. The doer is God Himself. He cannot fail. His plans do not go wrong. God’s desire is to save us all. He does not save us from every earthly problem or trial, pain or disease. He does not save us from death. He saves us from sin and for heaven. So that you can anticipate the joy of what Christmas means focus on what is yet to come. That time when God will dwell with us and we with Him. God let the Apostle John see a glimpse what that is going to be like. He tells us about it in Revelation 21:1-5. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Our Ladies Choir will now sing “Chill of the Nightfall”

FOCUS ON PREPARATION

68 days. That’s how long it was from the time the tunnel collapsed until the first miner saw the surface. 68 days. Two months and a week. By most standards that is not a long time. How long do you think it felt? Darkness. Confinement. The stress. The concern that you or somebody else could snap and then what do you do? Quite soon after contact was made with the trapped miners a plan was put in place to keep them healthy and sane. High quality and nutritious food was sent down for them to eat. Exercise programs were put in place. Each was given a job to do that was important for the welfare of all. A purpose. It kept them prepared for when the time would come.
On a grander scale our great God has done something for us so that we don’t lose it as we wait for Him to take us home, as we wait for Jesus to come the second time. He’s provided us with high quality and nutritious faith build food. His Word. Are you using it daily? He’s given us an exercise program with jobs to do that are important for the welfare of all and keep us prepared. Paul describes them to us when he wrote to Titus.

Titus 2:11-14 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

68 days from doom to rescue for the miners. How many from the fall in the Garden of Eden until Jesus was born? We honestly don’t know. How many from Jesus’ Ascension until He returns? We do not know. How many until He comes for you personally before He returns? We don’t know. We do know what to do while we wait for the glorious appearing. Focus on the preparation. Say no to ungodliness, worldly passions like drunkenness and nastiness. Refuse to stoop to the wicked ways many people treat others. Jesus redeemed us from that. Live those controlled godly lives. Serve with joy and show others that Jesus did redeem a people that are eager to do good. Last week Pastor Mattek told us about a man who understood Christmas for the first time, a man who was so chomping at the bit he couldn’t wait for the pastor’s announcements to be done so he walked out during just to do something nice. How many years have you known what it’s all about? You can stay for all the announcements. But in thankfulness and joy let’s leave here to do something nice! Hymn #5 summarizes what we’ve talked about today. Let’s sing it together.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

MIDWEEK ADVENT 1
December 1, 2010
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Isaiah 9:1-7

“WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?”—A RIGHTEOUS RULER!

Isaiah 9:1-7 (NIV) “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan— 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. 3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”

What are you waiting for? Grammatically that’s a very simple question. It asks a person what they are waiting for. But it’s not really used that way in America, is it? In American idiom, it’s kind of a taunt or jibe, used to push someone or manipulate them into moving faster. What are you waiting for? You see in America, we don’t like to wait—for anything. The spiritual irony there is that a major part of our lives as Christians is waiting. There are some things we can’t hurry up or make God move faster. We have to wait. Our midweek Advent series this year uses the question, “What are you waiting for?” grammatically. It connects us New Testament believers with Old Testament believers by looking at what they were waiting for with the Messiah to come the first time and what we continue to wait for as we wait for Jesus to come the second time. What are you waiting for?
To help us we turn to prophecies spoken about Jesus by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah served God’s people as prophet for sixty years starting around 740 BC. He served God’s people as they transitioned from a relatively good king named Uzziah to some bad kings that would take their country to new spiritual and moral lows. You can imagine being a believer back then, watching your nation decline. Struggling, knowing God wanted you to honor your king but seeing him live immorally and worship idols. You can imagine the Jewish grandpas and grandmas shaking their heads as they watched the gradual moral decline.
Hold on, we don’t have to imagine, do we? We know what it’s like to live at times when we have a hard time giving the respect and honor we owe to our government leaders. We see graft, corruption and waste. We see lives that are not examples of morality. We live at a time when the one true God is cast aside in favor of idols of all shapes and sizes. We live at a time when grandpas and grandmas shake their heads at the decline in morality, the immodest way many dress, the forceful march toward sexual deviance, the language and pictures shown on TV. I can imagine that the dying off generation of WWII survivors known as the “Greatest Generation” must shake their heads. Was this what we fought for?
What do we want? What are you waiting for? A righteous ruler. Someone we can respect. Someone who will lead us down a God pleasing rode. That’s what Old Testament Israel was waiting for too. God said it would come. “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan— 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” God encouraged His people through Isaiah. Gloom and doom would not last forever. There would be a light. Hope. “You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.” There was something to look forward too. There would be joy for God’s people as a yoke of oppression would be removed. A reference was made to Midian’s defeat. If you recall, that was a victory God brought through Gideon defeating the hordes of Midian with the tiny force of Gideon and his 300 soldiers.
You can’t help but think ahead to Jesus, that tiny looking baby, who would defeat the Devil and his hordes for us. God had Isaiah think about that too. “ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” God had Isaiah to look forward to the time when the child would come. He would be a ruler for God’s people, wonderful, mighty. He would rule with justice. He would be a righteous ruler. Exactly what the people wanted. It was what they were waiting for, longing for.
It’s what we are waiting for too. The Child was born as Isaiah foretold. When He came some people, perhaps many people were disappointed because He didn’t set up an earthly government and an earthly rule. They forgot that God had said this would be an everlasting ruler who rule would go forever. Not everyone was disappointed though. Some believed what God said and saw that Jesus was the ruler they needed and they now had Him no matter who their earthly ruler was. So they could submit to their government even if it was the Romans, they could pray for their kings and others in authority. They could do this because their real ruler was Jesus, a righteous ruler, who ruled them with His love and would continue to rule all things until the He ended this age and ushered in eternity.
We can too. What are you waiting for? If you are waiting for our nation or any nation to look and act righteously in the eyes of God and man you will never be satisfied. You will be disappointed and discontent. You will forfeit the joy God wants you to have right now. While we have had and may have government leaders who are more moral than others none of them are nor can be Jesus. Historically every effort that has been made to set up a Christian government over a nation has failed. But Jesus didn’t. He is your righteous ruler. He rules you right now. He has lifted the oppression of sin off of you. He is currently ruling all things for the good of the church and that means you. Take comfort in that as you deal with your government. Pray for your leaders. And look forward to that time when we will live with Jesus in every way imaginable and then some, the kingdom of heaven, where we will serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness. This is most certainly true. Amen.