Tuesday, January 24, 2012

EPIPHANY 3
January 22/23, 2012
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Numbers 25:1-13

“ZEALOUS FOR THE HONOR OF THE LORD!”
1. Because there is sin among God’s people.
2. Because there is a Savior among God’s people.

Numbers 25:1-13 (NIV 1984) “While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. 3 So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them. 4 The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.” 5 So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.” 6 Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand 8 and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and into the woman’s body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; 9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.
10 The LORD said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. 12 Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. 13 He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”

This is not the most appealing portion of God’s Word to deal with, is it? It’s X rated content is sadly PG 13 today. We have mass fornication, deadly plague and a graphically described double death of the two caught in the act. Yuck! And yet even this word of God is covered by the Holy Spirit’s promise that all Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. In the midst of the filth a man named Phineas, son of Eleazer, is called out by God as a light shining in a dark place, a man zealous for the honor of God. Let’s see how and why and what it means for us today.
We join what should be a spiritually matured people of God. This is after God rescued them from Egypt. After the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai, after water from the rock, 40 years of wandering and much more. These people have witnessed all kinds of demonstrations of God’s power and God’s mercy. They are now moving along the road to taking possession of the Promised Land. God gives their army victory after victory. The kings and kingdoms next in line are worried. The king of Moab had hired the mercenary prophet Balaam to curse God’s people but God would only let him bless. It seems that later Balaam must have given the Moabites an insider tip.”I can’t curse God’s people but they can curse themselves. Here’s what you do. Have your flirty women invite their men to a party. We’ll turn it into an idol worshipping fornicating party. That will get God’s attention.”
Boy did it ever! “So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them. 4 The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.” There was sin among God’s people, shameful sin as they did what everybody else was doing and followed their society’s immorality and idolatry. All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching and this certainly teaches us that God gets angry over sin, so angry He invoked the death penalty. But it got worse. After Moses delivered God’s death decree to the judges to carry out, this happened. “Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” Did he have no shame, flaunting this sin in front of God and His people? Soon he had no life for there was someone zealous for the honor of God. Phineas who took a spear and ended the offending of God. He was zealous for the honor of God because there was sin among God’s people.
That’s why there is still a need for someone to be zealous for the honor of God because there is still sin among God’s people today. We are the people of God. We don’t have exclusive right to that honor but we are the people of God. Wicked people like the Moabites surround us too, people who don’t have or want God’s morals. We can decry the porn industry and prostitution and drug dealing and political corruption and we should. But we must also admit that the Devil still sends seducers to try to get us to dishonor God’s name by joining ourselves to the idolatry and immorality of our society. Jesus lives in you. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. What have you been making Jesus watch on your TV’s and computers? What words do you make Him listen to? Drug use, drunkenness and fornication is happening in “good” WELS families. Why should God ever have to settle for second place in your weekly planner? But He does. There is sin among God’s people and a need for someone to be zealous for the honor of God. I am certainly not suggesting that any of us ought to pull out a spear and go hunting sinners down. I am certainly saying that we need to use the spear of God’s law and let it pierce through our hearts to expose sins we need to be ashamed of that do not honor God. We need to kill those attitudes that say certain sins are acceptable to us. Sin is never acceptable to those who are zealous for the honor of God.
Phineas was zealous for the honor of God and it was noticed. “Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; 9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. 10 The LORD said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them.” Israel’s sins had brought God’s righteous wrath. Thankfully there was a Savior among God’s people. In a certain sense Phineas was a savior. His refusal to tolerate gross sin among God’s people blunted God’s anger. And yet that anger of God could only be turned away because there was the real Savior among God’s people. Do you remember why the physical nation of Israel was so important to God? It wasn’t because they were such great obedient people. Their history shows they were just like everybody else. They were important because God had promised to send a Savior for everyone’s sins and in God’s wisdom that real Savior would be born an Israelite. They were literally carrying the Savior with them in the bodies of Jesus’ ancestors. God’s righteous anger over the sin of people then and now was taken out in full on Jesus. He was punished for fornication, idolatry, drug use, drunkenness, porn peeking, potty mouths, using God’s name in vain, selfishness, giving God leftovers instead of firstfruits in time and money,…Shall I go on and on?
For every sin among God’s people there is the Savior Jesus. The Scriptures tell us, “With (God) there is forgiveness, therefore you are feared (Psalm 130:4). Here is our reason to be zealous for the honor of God. We have Savior! Phineas was zealous for the honor of God. He cared about the reputation the Savior God had and he did something about it. Will you? Is there a Phineas amongst us? Could we possibly have a church full of Phineas’s or is that Phineai? It is our prayer that we do. In coordination with the Elders and other leaders of our congregation your pastors will be directing a program for our congregation. At this time we don’t have a building program of brick and mortar. Rather we will direct a program that seeks to build the honor for God among us. We are going to focus on our attitudes with the hope it will affect actions. For this first year we will be emphasizing honoring God with word and worship. We pray that all of you will join us as willing participants to examine our attitudes and use of God’s Word personally and corporately. We pray that this zealousness for the honor of God will be seen. We look for God to be pleased and to bless us.
Phineas was zealous for the honor of God in attitude and action and God was pleased. He said, “Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. 13 He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.” Wow! What an honor Phineas received. Wouldn’t it be nice to be honored by God as well? Wouldn’t it be nice to hear God say, “St. Jacobi, now those are people who are zealous for the honor of God?” Will you be? Amen.

Monday, January 16, 2012

January 15th, 2012 Worship Service

Pastor Waldschmidt Grace, mercy, and peace are yours from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. I Samuel 3:1-10 In our the name of Jesus, our guide and shield, dear fellow redeemed; On this Packer weekend, Packer fans may think of Bart Starr. But the former Packer quarterback was not the first Bart. There was another Bart. His full name was Bartimaeus. You might remember him. This Bart could not pick out Max McGee for a touchdown pass. He was a blind man. He spent his days begging by the side of the road. One day Bartimaeus could hear a crowd of people coming down the road. He asked what the commotion was all about and he found out that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Bartimaeus must have heard of him because he called out, “Son of David, Have mercy on me!” Some people shushed him, but he only called out louder. Jesus stopped and called for him and Bartimaeus was told the good news. Some folks told him, “Cheer up! Get on your feet he is calling for you!” Today in God’s Word, we hear about another time when God called. Instead of calling a blind beggar, this time God wanted to talk to a young boy named Samuel. He was serving at the temple in Shiloh not far from Jericho where Bartimaeus lived. Shiloh was just down the road from Jericho on the ridge of hills that runs through central Israel. As we listen today to God calling in His word, may we hear also hear the Lord’s voicein His Word. The Lord wants to talk to you. His voice pierces the darkness. II. His voice gives direction to his servants. The Bible tells us that when Samuel served him, the High Priest Eli was growing old and could barely see. Eli had trouble seeing but he had two sons named Hophni and Phinehas who could see just fine. They could see just fine to do all kinds of wicked things. The Bible tells us that Hophni and Phinehas "were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord.” Eli’s sons were in charge of much of the worship life of Israel. Hophni and Phinehas often robbed and cheated the people out of the offerings which they were bringing for the Lord. They would even sleep with the young women who served the Lord at the temple. Eli, the father of these boys and the high priest of Israel, did nothing about his sons' wickedness except to say, "Why do you do such things?" and "No, my sons, it is not a good report that I hear about you.” Perhaps Eli's laxity and the wickedness of his sons explains why God's word tells us, "In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions." Israel had moved so far away from God and prayer was such a rare thing, that when Samuel's mother came to the temple to offer a true prayer to God for a son, the high priest Eli thought she was drunk. Even in that spiritual blindness gripping Israel God was working out His plan. God was preparing a young man named Samuel, who would serve as God's prophet to His people. God's Word says, "And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men." This portion of God’s Word begins with talk of Samuel's service to the Lord, "The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli.” Soon the Lord’s voice would pierce through the darkness. There is no job description for Samuel but it would seem that he spent his day and some of his night helping Eli. One gets the impression that Samuel’s ears were tuned to listen for Eli calling for his help, even in the night. "One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place." It was the still of the night probably just before dawn because the oil in the lamp in the temple is burning down. God’s voice pierced the darkness. Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call you; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down. Again the Lord called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." "My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." Samuel did not realize that the Lord wanted to talk to him when God’s voice pierced the darkness. He did not yet know what the Lord sounded like when he talked to His prophets like He did with Moses. "Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, you called me." God’s voice pierced the spiritual darkness back in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord. God called “Adam, where are you?” and went looking for Adam and Eve confronting them, “What is this you have done?” God’s voice pierced the darkness as he promised to send a Savior for Adam and Eve and for the world. Years later God sent angels whose voices who voices pierced the darkness and announced the birth of the Savior. God’s voice continues to pierce the darkness in the world we live in. For example, so many people-we-so often have a mixed up idea of what God’s gift of sex is all about. God’s word pierces the darkness, as we heard in the New Testament lesson, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” If we have given ourselves the idea that we are getting away with some sin or that nobody else knows God’s Word pierces the darkness and says to us just like God said to our first parents, “What is this you have done?” God’s voice pierces the darkness as He talks with us about His grace and mercy too. God says, "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” when we are troubled by our sins. Yes, God is talking to you when he says that Jesus has washed all your sins away! Jesus was pierced in darkness on Good Friday to pay for all the things we have done wrong. When bad things happen in our lives and it’s hard for us to see through dark days, God’s voice pierces the darkness. "In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose," According to World Health Organization recommendations, noise in hospital rooms generally shouldn't get above 30 to 40 decibels. But a recent study found that the average noise level in patient rooms was close to 50 decibels, and sometimes spiked to as high as 80 decibels -- almost as loud as a chainsaw. So often the interruptions and the distractions or this world seem to be even louder than a chainsaw. Let’s take the time to quietly read and listen to our Lord’s word. In His Word the Lord gives direction to His servant. After Samuel had heard God's voice call him and after he had gone into Eli's room three different times, Eli realized what was happening. It took him a while but Eli finally figured out what was going on. To his credit, he recognized that God was calling Samuel. He didn't get his nose out of joint that God was calling the boy Samuel and not him, the high priest of Israel. "Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, `Speak Lord, your servant is listening.' So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times,`Samuel, Samuel!' Then Samuel said, `Speak, for your servant is listening.' Did you hear that? He said, “Your servant.” Being a servant at the temple was probably not the most glamorous of jobs. Especially when you consider that Samuel was probably eating cold food after he had helped Eli eat his dinner while wicked Hophni and Phineas were eating high off the hog stealing food from the offerings of the people. Or think of Samuel getting up when Eli called at all hours of the night while wicked Hophni and Phineas were out at all hours of the night sinfully flirting and worse with the women who came up to the temple. Do you find yourself eating cold food at home after everyone has been fed? Are you taking care of the little details at work while it seems everybody is getting away with everything. The world might say, “Don’t put up with that garbage. Put yourself first!” God wants to talk to you. He gives directions to his servants. He says in his word, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” As His servants, the Lord brings direction to our lives when it seems the world is in confusion, we can hear the voice of the one who says in His word, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you." We’re servants of the King. What a comfort it is for us to hear God say in his Word, "God is our refuge and strength, an everpresent help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea." God’s word reminds us who we serve, "God sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.... The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom." God gives direction through his word when he reminds us why we serve. “Christ’s love compels us….And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” How great it is to look to God's word in our life and recognize the voice of our God and Savior talking! When there are so many things in the world and our lives to trouble us and worry us, how comforting it is to say “Speak Lord your servant is listening. We thrill to recognize our Savior say, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. When we lay on our death beds, let's say speak Lord your servant is listening. How comforting it is to hear the voice of Jesus say,"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." Bartimaeus jumped up to go to see Jesus and be healed. Samuel jumped up to help Eli. May we perk up our ears to hear the Lord who wants to talk to us. Amen.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

EPIPHANY
January 8/9, 2012
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Matthew 2:1-12

“LOOK WHAT ELSE GOD DID!”
1. He made sure others knew about their Savior.
2. He protected the Savior we need.
3. He provided for the needs of the Savior.

Matthew 2:1-12 (NIV 1984) “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”

This past summer for the first time since we have been here my family took in the lakefront fireworks on the 3rd of July. We don’t really like crowds. Don’t like getting stuck in traffic. Finally we decided to at least try. We are glad we did. The fireworks display was great. You kept wondering what would come next. It was exciting all the way to the grand finale. We find a similar thing happening as we follow along the history of God’s delivery of the Christmas gift of a Savior to the world. We hear the prophecies. Ooh, what’s next? Then the birth, the angels, the shepherds. What will God do next? Epiphany. That’s the festival we celebrate today. As the wise men come from the East we look at what else God did with our Savior.
First we see how God made sure others knew they had a Savior. Jesus, according to His human nature, was born a Jew. The news that the world’s Savior was born was given fittingly, first to Jewish people, the shepherds and all they told. But they weren’t the only ones to find out. “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.” We will probably have more questions here than answers. We don’t know for sure who these magi, these wise men, were, or where east of Jerusalem that they came from. Our best guess based off their title and the Bible history we do know is that these were wise men from the area of Babylon. Remember how God’s people were carried off into captivity to Babylon? Remember how God worked it out that a Jewish believer named Daniel was raised to be the head of all the magi and had influence over two separate empires? Remember what God’s people take with them wherever they go? The word. The promise. A Savior. Whether our guess is right or not really makes no difference. What does make a difference is what else God did. He made sure non Jews knew that a Savior was born. He put people into different places so that non Jews would know they needed a Savior and He was coming. God broke the laws of nature using a special star to alert these diligent watchers and to lead them to Jerusalem where they found the Bible prophecy that would lead them to Bethlehem and their Savior. And then these people would go back to the East and take a message with them. The Savior is born!
But that’s not all, look what else God did! He protected the Savior we need. “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” Jesus had an enemy. No surprise. He has always had an enemy. The Devil who has been fighting God from the beginning. Ever since Jesus came into the world the attacks are against Him. We see it today. This whole Tim Tebow thing is so far out of proportion. Why is he such a lightning rod for criticism? He talks about Jesus. Herod was an enemy of Jesus. He did not understand that the newborn King had no desire for a puny earthly kingdom. He was after true treasure. He had come to win the hearts and souls of people. Herod couldn’t grasp that and so he made plans to kill Jesus. All Jerusalem was disturbed because they knew what Herod did when he felt threatened. Killings were coming. But look what else God did. He protected the Savior that we needed. If Jesus does not live a perfect life as our substitute and sacrifice Is life to pay for sin we are doomed to Hell. Salvation was at stake. God went into action. “ And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” While Herod thought to use the wise men as unwitting spies, God used them as willing messengers. He warned them against Herod’s misuse. He protected the Savior we need.
But that’s not all. Look what else God did. He provided for the needs of the Savior. Joseph and Mary would have to flee from Bethlehem. They would have to live as ex-patriots in Egypt for a while. Herod in his rage would later kill all the baby boys of Bethlehem. Moving to a new country. Living in a new country. That’s going to take some money. Where would Mary and Joseph get that? After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.” Gold, costly incense and myrrh. Joseph and Mary, no worries. God provided for the needs of the Savior.
Now of course you know that this is not where the story ends. For the same God who worked wisely and powerfully before Jesus completed His mission as Savior continues to work wisely and powerfully today. He still makes sure people know they have a Savior. Look at us. How is it that you know and I know we need Savior from our sins and Jesus is that Savior? God did that. It may not have been wise men or a miraculous star. It may have been mom, dad or both and the miracle of Baptism. But God made sure we knew we needed a Savior and He does that for others too. He still protects the Savior too. You know your Bible history and world history. You know how Satan has tried to stamp out the message of what Jesus has done. The Bible still is the most banned book in the world. You know how the Devil tried to corrupt the message through constant introduction of false teaching in the church. The anti-Christian sentiments we see in our country may be new to us but they are nothing new. And still the simple pure message of salvation in Jesus Christ continues. And the earthly needs of the Savior are provided for as well. He does not need food and clothing and shelter, but wise men and women and children who desire to make Christ known continue to bring Him gifts through the church. All this is God’s doing.
But did you notice something? Something really neat that involves you and me? God used people to do His work. You know there’s this phrase today. It might sound a little elitist. “I’ve got people for that.” Whether it’s the lawn or detailing the car. I’ve got people for that. Did you notice how God works? How He gives meaning to the lives of people. When it’s something important, He’s got people for that. He’s got you. When others need to know about the Savior, God has people for that. When the truth of the Savior are there. God has people for that. Whether you realize it or not God has been using you to tell others of the Savior they need. God has been using you to man the walls, stand in the breach of the Devil’s attacks against Jesus and His word. God has been using you to provide for the Savior’s earthly needs. There will be more opportunities in the future because God’s got people for that and we are His. You just have to wonder what God will do next for us and with us. Amen.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

January 1, 2012 sermon by Pastor Paul G. Eckert on Luke 2:25-40

January 1, 2012 - Christmas 1
Sermon by Pastor Paul G. Eckert
Sermon text - Luke 2:25-40
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,
28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.
40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We know that the year 2011 has ended and that 2012 is beginning. We know what we did see in 2011 and don’t know what we will see in 2012. That’s a bit like Wisconsin playing in the Rose Bowl. We know how Wisconsin did during its past season. But what about the Rose Bowl game this Monday? As of now we don’t know what will be.
But let’s move on to something far more important than a football game. Let’s make "DIDWEDOWEWILLWE?" the question we ask about something eternally important, namely peace.
PEACE - DIDWEDOWEWILLWE?
I DID WE SEE PEACE? (25-29)
1. Simeon said he saw it. (25-29)
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace."
a) Simeon had been given a special revelation that he would not die until he had seen what would give Israel consolation, what would comfort it. And what was that? It was the fulfillment of God’s promise to send the offspring of a woman to be the world’s Savior.
b) When Simeon saw Jesus, he knew he was seeing God’s promise fulfilled. Here was the Anointed One, the Christ, the Prince of Peace, peace because of the forgiveness the Savior would win for him.
2. What did the world see in Christmas?
a) By the world I mean those who don’t yet know Jesus as God’s Son and the world’s Savior. If they heard the Christmas angels singing "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." they might have said that the angels were wrong, that there are wars and rebellions around the world, that we have riots and violence in the United States, that there is no peace.
b) So, if not peace, what did the world see in Christmas? It saw
increased store hours, it saw gifts, it saw decorations, it saw parties, it
saw hecticness, it saw what often led to frustration and not to peace.
3. What did we see?
a) Children and others, I hope you saw gifts under the tree, could gather with your families, even enjoy shopping if you like that.
b) But if that was the emphasis of Christmas for us, then we did not see the peace of God that comes from knowing the Savior who has paid for our sins. And that makes us ask something.
4. Is it really possible to see peace? (29)
"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace."
a) Could there be peace on this earth? Jesus Himself said that to the end there will be wars and rumors of wars. Was Simeon wrong?
b) No. He was talking about peace needed when it comes to sin, to falling short of God’s holy will, to what we deserve because of sin.
c) Now when Simeon saw Jesus as his Savior from sin, he did see peace. And we did too if in our Christmas we saw Jesus as our Savior.
II DO WE HAVE PEACE? (29-35)
1. Simeon did. (29-32)
"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
a) Simeon was ready to die in peace, not afraid of what came after death. That was because w--hen he saw Jesus he saw God’s salvation. Salvation from what? Arthritis, cancer, old age? That too eventually. But first of all salvation from sins that could no longer condemn him because Jesus had come to pay for his sins for him.
b) And not just for him. What Jesus would do was planned through Israel for all people. Though many Israelites did not see that and rejected Jesus, the fact remains that Jesus is the true glory of Israel, a glory that is to be revealed to the Gentiles, to all nations. It is the glory of the forgiveness of our sins and the peace that brings.
2. Many would not have this peace. (33-35a)
The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed."
a) Instead of believing and having peace, as Simeon did, many
would speak against Jesus. He was constantly attacked by the church
leaders of Israel. Many people would shout out, "Crucify Him."
b) And that hasn’t stopped. If we speak of Jesus as the only way of salvation, the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. They’ll say, "You can’t say that, be that bigoted. Jesus only? Bah, humbug."
3. We may not have outward peace. (35b)
" --- the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
a) Can we even imagine how Mary must have felt when she saw the Son to whom she gave birth hanging tortured on a cross?
b) We don’t have to face that. But often health and family and other problems can easily deprive us of outward peace too.
4. But we do have true peace. (29-32)
"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
a) What happened on the cross is the reason. There Jesus took on Himself our sins. Because of taking our place, paying the wages of our sins, He could cry out, "Father, forgive them."
b) That forgiveness includes you and me and all. How sad that many speak against Jesus, don’t want to have Christ in Christmas at all, aren’t interested in the peace that the Christchild came to bring.
c) From the bottom of our hearts let us thank God the Holy Spirit for the gift of faith in Jesus that rejoices in forgiveness and has peace.
III WILL WE ENJOY PEACE? (36-40,27,29-32)
1. Anna also saw and had peace. (36-38)
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
a) Like Simeon, Anna knew the truth and worshiped.
b) And as Simeon knew the truth was for all, not only the glory of Israel, so Anna spoke to others about the Savior, as we should too.
2. Both knew that death would not stop their peace. (27b,39-40)
a) Both Simeon and Anna were at an age when they could expect to die soon. But they had peace, knowing death would not end that peace nor lead to a deserved hell. Why? Because of Jesus. Listen.
When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, --- When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
b) Jesus perfectly obeyed all of the laws of God without sinning. Had He failed, He could not have died an innocent death on the cross. But He did go to the cross as the spotless Lamb of God in the place of all of us guilty sinners. His sinless death paid the wages of our sins.
3. Let us enjoy peace now. (29-32)
"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
a) Be happy, enjoy the peace that forgiveness gives right now.
b) Like Simeon and Anna, come to church regularly and enjoy that peace proclaimed in God’s Word, in the Lord’s Supper when Jesus tells us that His sacrificed body and blood mean our forgiveness and peace, that we can move on with peace in our daily lives.
4. And know that we will enjoy peace eternally.
a) The Rose Bowl game - will we win? We don’t yet know.
b) But we do know for sure the answer to our theme question,
PEACE - DIDWEDOWEWILLWE? : DID WE SEE PEACE? -
the answer is yes. - DO WE HAVE PEACE? - the answer is yes. -
WILL WE ENJOY PEACE? - the answer is yes.
c) Like Simeon, hold Jesus tightly in your arms of faith. Like Anna do the same, and also be ready to share with others the news of Jesus’ redemption. Like both of them, know and have and enjoy peace, true peace that will never end the way 2011 did end.
In Christ our Savior, the source of our peace, we wish all a blessed new year of 2012, and hearts filled with true peace now and as we look forward to a glorious future.