December 20-22, 2014 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Luke 1:26-38 “HAVE YOURSELF A MARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS!’

ADVENT 4

December 20-22, 2014

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Luke 1:26-38

“HAVE YOURSELF A MARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS!’

1.     Listen to what God says.

2.     Accept what it means for you.

Luke 1:26-38 (NIV 1984) "In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, {27} to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. {28} The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." {29} Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. {30} But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. {31} You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. {32} He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, {33} and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." {34} "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" {35} The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. {36} Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. {37} For nothing is impossible with God." {38} "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her."

          As our country grows increasingly irreligious and with the retail world’s never ceasing struggle to never offend any potential customer many Christians have found themselves to be the ones offended and irritated to continually hear and see this time of year the uber inclusive greeting, “Happy Holidays!” “It’s Christmas!” we say with a not so merry smile on our faces. We should say Merry Christmas. Great to say but will we have one? That depends where our focus is. There are so many things that can give joy this time of year but have you noticed how they can all be a source of angst or hurt at the same time? There are Christmas parties that should be fun but what if a co-worker gets drunk and makes it uncomfortable for everyone? There are Christmas presents maybe a gift or bonus from work. But what if you wanted something else or it’s just not enough? Family might come to visit but then family might come to visit. We can demand the Merry Christmas greeting but will we ourselves have one? We can. Join me today in learning from the master of the merry Christmas. Mary.

          Our text of course takes place before the first Christmas, like we are still before Christmas. One of God’s named angels, Gabriel, is sent by God to deliver a message to a young woman named Mary. She had a relative named Elizabeth who was 6 months pregnant.  Mary lived in Nazareth and was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. Suddenly Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." {29} Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.” Now there is something that has to strike us here about Mary. Something important. She listened. She could have said, “Not now, Gabriel. I’m busy. Don’t you know I have a wedding to plan? So many things to do. Invitations to get out. I’ve got to make my dress. Plan my honeymoon.” Of course I’m being just a little facetious. I think if an angel appeared to any of us we would listen. But there is something to learn here as we get ready to have a Merry Christmas. We need to take time to listen. In this last week before Christmas we can all find ourselves with too many things to do. Cards to get out, presents to wrap, baking and buying and who knows what else. If we get too far behind we might start looking for things to drop out of our busy schedules. I know what the devil will try to get us to drop. You know too. God’s Word. You and I may not have an angel come to us with a Christmas message but we do have someone else. God Himself. In His Word. He comes to us and speaks to us in the Bible. He wishes us a Merry Christmas and it starts with listening. Listening to what God says to you.

And then accepting what that means. What did it mean for Mary? "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. {31} You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. {32} He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, {33} and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."  How these words must have surprised Mary! She had found favor with God! From what we know of Mary later she was a believer who knew God’s truth in spite of the false teaching many of the rabbis and teachers of the law were spouting. Later when she went to visit her relative, Elizabeth, she addressed her song of praise to God her Savior. She knew. She knew she was a sinner in need of saving and yet God had showed her favor. That’s grace undeserved love. He had picked her to be the mother of the Savior. That’s what Jesus means.

And there was more. "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" This wasn’t a question of doubt. It was a question of humility. She was basically asking, “What should I do?” Should she go ahead and have sex with Joseph before they were married even though God said that was wrong? How was she going to have a child? Gabriel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God} For nothing is impossible with God.".  God would do it. He would take care of everything. And Mary’s response? "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." She humbly accepted what God meant for her life. She would be the mother of God’s Son.

Have you ever thought about how hard that must have been for Mary? She would have to tell Joseph and would he believe her? She would have to have all village ladies whispering behind her back, the young men snickering when she began to show. Accepting what God intended for her was not easy.  But she did it. That’s a Mary Christmas.

For us to have a Mary Christmas, like her we need to accept what God says about us even if others are telling us different. That starts with accepting what God says about sin. Oh it’s easy to bemoan the sins of society that we see out there with the sexual perversion of same sex activity accepted as normal, with child abuse and whatever else we can group among the obvious sins. But Christian families are no strangers to drug abuse, pornography, drunkenness and living in sin. Even if we manage to avoid those God also addresses selfishness, greed and our bitterness toward those who hurt us. It’s only those who know they need a Savior that appreciate the gift of one. It’s only those who acknowledge their sins as sins. Do you? Now let’s accept what else God says about us. He says we are forgiven so that guilt you feel over past sin is fake. He says we are His dearly loved children for who He will work all things for the good! He says that our real home is heaven and we are co-heirs with His Son Jesus. Look forward to that and be happy for those who already have it. We may have struggles and hard things to deal with but we can deal with them because He says we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength and nothing is impossible with God.

In these last few days before Christmas we know Satan’s going to try real hard to tear away our Christmas joy. He’s going to try to frazzle us with deadlines, razzle and dazzle us with presents and cards and light and trees and Santas and elves and Christmas specials. All these things kept in perspective can add to the joy of Christmas. None of them are the reason for Christmas. Jesus is. Christ is. Listen to what God says. Accept what it means for you and have yourself a Mary little Christmas time! Amen.

December 10, 2014 - Second Wednesday Advent Service
Sermon by Pastor emeritus Paul Eckert
Text - Jeremiah 23:1-6

    This Wednesday’s sermon theme is THE ADVENT OF OUR
RIGHTEOUSNESS BRANCH.  I would like to lead up to that by
talking about the advent or coming of another branch.  This one goes
back to Bemidji, Minnesota.  Quite a few years ago a seed  was in the
ground there.  After a while, from that seed that had become a root,
something started poking out of the ground.  It was a little branch.
That little branch kept on growing and growing and growing until it
had become an 80 foot tall tree.
    Then came the year 2014.  That tree was cut down and loaded on a
trailer and started on a 2000 mile journey which included two stops in
Wisconsin - November 10 in Madison and  November 11 in
Milwaukee.  It finally reached its destination in Washington D.C. on
November 20 to be the 2014 United States Capitol Christmas Tree.
    Then what?  I am sure this branch that had become a tree is being
enjoyed now, and that’s great.  But then what?  It will be disposed of.
It will have no benefit for you or me.
    Now let’s move on with our sermon theme which talks about a
special branch, a branch that grew up to give us eternal benefit and joy.
THE ADVENT OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS BRANCH 
I    HE WAS NEEDED  (1-2)
    1. The problem and need started at a tree.
        a) In God’s creation there was a special tree in the Garden of
            Eden.  With regard to that tree God, as recorded in the book of
            Genesis, had told Adam and Eve, “You must not eat from the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will
surely die.”  You know what happened.  Sin and death came into
            the world.  We all are sinners.  We all are dying.
        b) But God’s love right away promised a solution.  We could say
            that He immediately planted His seed of love with His promise
            that someone would be born of a woman and for us would
            overcome the devil and our eternally fatal problem of sin.
    2. The consequences of sin continued.  (1)
“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the
sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. 
        a) More and more there were false religious leaders misleading
            people away from the one and only true God and His will. 
            More and more sin took over.  And doesn’t that increasing evil
            make you think of what is happening in our world today?
        b) This brought God’s judgments, like the flood, but not yet the
            final judgment.  False prophets and sinners continued.    
    3. The need for God’s plan of salvation continued.  (1)
“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the
sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. 
        a) Jeremiah, whom God inspired to write the words of our text,
            was a good shepherd or prophet.  He preached and taught
            God’s will correctly.  For that he was terribly persecuted.
        b) But false preachers and teachers kept misleading, until finally
            the nation of Israel was taken into the Babylonian captivity.
    4. And judgment kept on coming.  (1-2)
“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the
sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD.  Therefore this is what
the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my
people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them
away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow
punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the
LORD. 
        a) Evil and those who went along with it called for punishment.
        b) The rejection of God and His will called for judgment.   
        c) Was the answer another universal flood?  Would the seed, the
            branch of God’s love, the promise of a Savior He had made to
            Adam and Eve, never grow into a tree, but instead be pulled up
            by its roots and like the Capitol Christmas Tree be destroyed?
II  HE WAS PROMISED  (3-5)
    1. God kept history going.  (3)
“I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the
countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to
their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.” 
        a) God’s promise was carried through the generations of His
            chosen people, going from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Isaac
            to Jacob to King David and on down the line.
        b) And its fulfillment would happen in a promised land where
            there would be a Bethlehem and a descendant of David, a
            young woman named Mary, who would bear a Son who would
            be recognized as the promised Son or seed of David.
    2. This message kept on being proclaimed.  (4)       
“I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they
will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,”
declares the LORD.
        a) Jeremiah did that proclaiming in spite of adversity.
        b) God’s Jeremiahs today, faithful pastors and teachers, do that.
    3. But God had promised a specific person.  (5)
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to
David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do
what is just and right in the land.” 
        a) This person would be “a righteous Branch”, someone in
            whom no sin could be found, who lived a righteous, a holy life.
        b) He would be a King with a kingdom who could promise you
            and me and a thief next to Him on a cross that he would that
            day be with Him, with Jesus, in His kingdom, in paradise.
    4. That promise fulfilled we celebrate.  (5)
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to
David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do
what is just and right in the land.” 
        a) The days came.  Jesus was born, Jesus lived a righteous life,
            Jesus died without any guilt of His own.  Jesus is the righteous
            branch foretold, a totally innocent sacrifice.
        b) We celebrate not just a great person in history.
        c) We celebrate God’s Son, the righteous Branch, our Savior.
III HE IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS  (5-6)
    1. Yes, He Himself is a righteous Branch.  (5)
“---  a righteous Branch, a King  ---”
        a) Born of Mary, He was the sinless, the righteous Son of God.
        b) And He now is our victorious King on His heavenly throne.
    2. But notice the big word “our”!  (6)
“In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety.  This
is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our
Righteousness.”
        a) “Our Righteousness” - how beautiful that word “Our”!  We
            have no righteousness of our own.  But we have been given
            Jesus’ righteousness.  He is “Our Righteousness”.
        b) Listen to the description of this in the letter to the Romans
            (3:21-24): But now a righteousness from God, apart from
law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets
testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus
Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God, and are  justified freely by his
grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  That
             means, as Scripture also says, “Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”   Why not?
              Because Christ Jesus is “Our Righteousness”.
    3. This reminds me of a hymn stanza.  (CW 401:5)
                Your righteousness, O Christ,
                Alone can cover me;
                No other righteousness
                Can set a sinner free.  
    4. Rejoice in this precious truth!  (5-6)
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to
David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do
what is just and right in the land.  In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel will live in safety.  This is the name by which he will be
called: The Lord Our Righteousness.”
        a) People may enjoy the Bemidji branch that grew to become the
            United States Capitol Christmas tree.
        b) You may be happy sitting with your family around the branch
            that became your own Christmas tree.
        c) But we, God’s family of believers, can rejoice now and
            eternally because of Jesus, God’s Son, a righteous Branch,
            who came to be The Lord Our Righteousness.        


         






PRAYER OF THE DAY
    Heavenly Father, we thank You for the assurance You have just
given us that our sins are forgiven because of Your Son’s atoning work
for us.  We praise You for that message, and for Your Spirit’s working
through Your Word to give us faith in Your promises and to strengthen
our faith.  We ask You to continue doing that in this church service as
we are gathered with our family of fellow believers here to bring You
our worship and praise.  We ask this in the name of Jesus, whose
advent we are again celebrating.  Amen.


PRAYERS AND LORD’S PRAYER
    Gracious Lord God Almighty, thank You for the precious truth that
tells us why and how we sinners can look forward to heaven as our
perfect home.  While we are on this earth as an imperfect home, while
we ourselves honestly need to acknowledge how imperfect we are,
each and every one of us, what joy has to fill our hearts when we hear
that Jesus’ righteousness has been credited to us so that our perfect
home in heaven can be a reality for us.  Move us more and more to
rejoice that Jesus was planted on this earth as a righteous branch,
sinless to grow up and suffer and die in our place to pay the wages of
our sin in our place, then to arise victorious from the dead.  And move
us to rejoice in Your revelation to us that we as Your people can call
Him “The LORD Our Righteousness.”  And then tonight, as we speak
our private prayers before going to sleep, help us individually also to
say “My.”  “Thank You, Jesus, for being My righteousness, My
Savior.”  Yes, “Jesus, Your blood and righteousness my beauty are, my
glorious dress.”  Thank You from the bottom of our hearts.
    Now we gather up any other items, any other requests we wish to
bring before You, by joining in the prayer Jesus, Our Righteousness,
gave us.

    The Lord’s Prayer

November 22-24, 2014 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Ezekiel 34:11-24 “YOUR KINGDOM COME!”

CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY

November 22-24, 2014

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Ezekiel 34:11-24

“YOUR KINGDOM COME!”

For in God’s Kingdom the King…

1.     Rescues

2.     Tends

3.     Brings Back

4.     Strengthens

5.     Keeps Order

6.     Is Jesus!

Ezekiel 34:11-24 (NIV 1984) " 'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. 17 " 'As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? 20 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, 22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24 I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken.

          So what do you think the best form of government is? Well since we are Americans the sentimental favorite has to be our form, a democracy. Considering all the freedoms we have it’s pretty good but those in the know of government will tell you that our form of democracy is inefficient. It’s wasteful of resources. Good ideas can get shot down and blocked by our bulky legislative process. Actually if you talk to a political science person the best and most efficient type of government if it could exist is to be ruled by a benevolent dictator. That’s a setup where one person has total power but always has the best interest of the people at heart. You can guess why no one really lobbies for that form of government. You see benevolent dictators don’t exist. Or do they? Today we celebrate Christ the King Sunday and God’s words remind us that Jesus Christ is our King and we Christians live first and foremost in His kingdom and a kinder ruler you cannot find. Let’s see what that means for us as we look at God’s words through Ezekiel that have God’s people praying “Your Kingdom Come!”

          A little background first. God had Ezekiel speak these words when God’s people were stuck in Babylon. Not exactly a benevolent dictator there, not a fun kingdom to be in. They were there as conquered people. Now the kingdom they had left in Judah hadn’t been fun either. Actually many of the people God had appointed to rule and shepherd his people, the kings and priests were schnooks, just looking out for themselves. God came with his comforting words announcing a new kingdom. Look again at the whole text. Underline perhaps all the times God says “I will…”

God’s people back then and now looked forward to God’s Kingdom because in that Kingdom the King rescues his people. “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.” Throughout this section God pictures the kingdom like a flock of sheep. This isn’t the precursor to George Orwell’s Animal Farm but God’s picture. A thunderstorm has scattered the sheep. The shepherd rescues them from where they ran to. This is great comfort for the storms of life. God’s Old Testament people had the long lasting storm of exile to Babylon. The King would come for them. We have our own storms. The diagnosis of  a serious illness. The death of a loved one. A job loss. A serious accident. Or one of those relationship problems. When those happen like sheep in a thunderstorm we can panic and run, maybe away from the Lord, maybe to a bottle for relief. Does that describe you or a loved one? In God’s Kingdom the King will go after you and rescue you in just the right way and just the right time.

In God’s Kingdom the King will tend his people. “I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD.” How good this must have sounded to God’s people that Ezekiel wrote to. Their minds must have thought immediately, “Yay! We get to go back home.” Now that’s understandable but missing the point. The point was that in this Kingdom the King Himself does the tending, the caring and the providing for and always with good in mind. What good news for us when we live in normal times. How often we can let our eyes gaze to other people’s lives and what they have and we don’t. You’re being tended by the King Himself. He’s providing what is good for you.

And this King will go after you if you need it. “I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.” In our Christian Parenting Course we are going through on Thursday mornings we regularly talk about the number one goal of a Christian parent. It’s to see their children with them in heaven someday. You can easily then guess what a Christian parent’s worst fear is: that their child will fall away from faith. Sometimes it happens when the little birdies leave the nest and deal with freedom that they leave their Lord and His word behind. Parents did you hear some really good news if that happens to your child? In God’s kingdom, the King Himself searches and brings back the straying. Don’t give up. Take your fears to the King who brings back the straying.

And the King who strengthens those who need it. “I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak.” It can happen in the workplace. It can happen in the home. The weak get pushed to the side. Those easily hurt are manipulated. In the Kingdom of God things are different. The King strengthens the weak. He heals the injured. This is good news for Christians living in a sin sick world. We’re not called the Church Militant for nothing. There’s a war going on out there and there’s a war going on in our hearts. Trying to do what’s right when others continue to do wrong, fighting against temptation, often leads to getting hurt. Your faith can hurt. Your trust hurts. Your feelings hurt. Guilt hurts. The King strengthens. He heals guilt with forgiveness and doubt with trust. And the weak? Actually we are all weak. If we had faith the size of a mustard seed we could move mountains but we don’t. The King takes care of us anyway.

Even when we are the problem. “The sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. 17 " 'As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? 20 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, 22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another.” There is a lot of meat there and I am not just talking about the fat sheep. Ezekiel uses a picture of sheep beating up on sheep, pushing away, eating and drinking their fill and ruining the water and grass for the rest. Here’s the deal. If you are one of those people who makes others walk on eggshells, if you walk in a room and leave it in mayhem, if people see you and try to avoid you, if you are a bully in your family, your classroom, your workplace, your church, always pushing for it to be your way and about you, you are in trouble with the King. It’s natural for wolves to tear apart sheep but not for sheep to tear apart each other. Those that think they are sleek and strong the King says He will destroy. Might be a good time, while you still have a chance, to change your ways. And those who are getting pushed aside, rest assured the King will keep order. He’ll take care of it. He said so.

We know this because the King is really Jesus! “I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24 I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken.” Now since this was written about 400 years after King David died we know this doesn’t refer to him but to the second David, the descendant of David whose rule would last forever. That’s Jesus. You couldn’t ask for a better King. Instead of asking us to give our lives for Him, He gave His life for us. Instead of punishing our many wrongs, He offered Himself to be punished in our place. Instead of ruling us with force and threats He rules us with love.

It’s no wonder God’s people pray, “Your kingdom come!” It’s already here. Jesus is ruling in the hearts of believers. He is controlling events of the world even if it doesn’t seem that way. But the best is truly yet to come when Jesus returns in glory and every eye shall see Him and every knee bow before the King of kings. So do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. We have the best ruler, Jesus, our King and His kingdom comes! Amen.

November 1-3, 2014 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: 2 Kings 22:1-11 WE ARE COMMITTED TO ONGOING REFORM

REFORMATION SERVICE

November 1-3, 2014

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: 2 Kings 22:1-11

WE ARE COMMITTED TO ONGOING REFORM

2 Kings 22:1-11 (NIV 1984) “Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. ²He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. ³In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the LORD. He said: ⁴”Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the LORD, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. ⁵Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the LORD—⁶the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple. ⁷But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are acting faithfully.” ⁸Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. ⁹Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.” ¹⁰Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. ¹¹When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.”

          Brothers and sisters, why do we continue to observe and celebrate the Lutheran Reformation? I mean it’s something that happened almost 500 years ago. It’s not an event in the life of Christ that the Church year calendar follows. I suppose we could say the reason is because we are a Lutheran church and that is what Lutherans do. Historians would say that even thinking about not observing the Lutheran reformation would foolish because of its historic significance to the world. Google, if you will, like I did, the most important events in history of the second millennium and see how many lists include the posting of 95 Theses on the church door on October 31, 1517 as the most influential event of the last millennium and if not the  top always in the top 5. Sometimes we Lutherans can feel a little uneasy celebrating the Reformation. We don’t want to give the impression that we are deifying Martin Luther, making him anything more than he was a claimed to be, a simply German monk that God used to help his people. We also don’t want our celebration or observance to come across to our Catholic neighbors and friends as another round of Catholic bashing. So why do we celebrate it?

          To answer that question I want to take you back to the time and words of our text in 2 Kings 22. It’s about 600 BC. Josiah is often known as the “boy king” because he became king at age 8. He’s described as a king who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord which is surprising because the two kings before him were evil. Somehow God worked in faith in him. When Josiah was 26 an important event took place. He set about to do some repairs to the Temple. No doubt it had been sadly neglected when the evil kings were in place. Something happened during that renovation that should have caused your ears to perk up. ”Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD.” What do you mean he found the Book of the Law, the Old Testament Bible to that point? This was the Temple, the place where God’s people were supposed to gather to hear God’s words. Where else would it be? Well it was there but not used, set aside. Probably under old records in some store room. That would be like coming here to church but neither seeing or using any Bible. I wonder what they talked about instead of what God said.  In any case this found book was brought to King Josiah. “And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. ¹¹When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.” He tore his robes and then Reformation began. The Reformation of the people of Judah as Josiah led them to a renewed commitment to God’s word and actually living it in their lives.

          Brothers and sisters this is why we continue to celebrate the Reformation. It’s because we need the reminder to have ongoing reformation in our own lives and our own church. I could have started back much earlier than with King Josiah to the time of the Judges when instead of following God everyone did what was right in their own eyes and God’s words were ignored. Reformation was needed. God did it through Samuel. Things go well for a while. The people get a king who is supposed to help God’s people stay close to God. But some kings and God’s people ignored God’s words and Reformation was needed again! Read the books of the kings! How about at Jesus time. They had the Old Testament Bible complete but the chief priests and teachers of the law were not teaching the people to repent and to see their sin and need for a Savior. Reformation was needed so God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus. The church goes on. God preserves His word but over time it is ignored and replaced with the teachings of popes and councils. Reformation is needed. So God used Martin Luther to bring the focus back to what God said. Salvation by grace alone and through faith alone, not by works.

Are we starting to see a pattern yet, my friends? A pattern where God blesses His people with His words and gradually they stray from it and so Reformation is needed. This is why we continue to celebrate the Reformation. Things are a little different than with God’s people of centuries past. We have His words, the Bible easily accessible. Bibles are everywhere, even at our fingertips with our smartphones and tablets and yes if I see you on your phone during church I will assume you have your Bible app going. We can read God’s words in our own language. But are we? Or is Reformation needed?

It’s so important. God’s words are given to bless us. God’s word gives life. It gives life eternal by proclaiming Jesus the Christ as Savior of all. Whoever believes in Him will be saved. God made it that simple. It gives life now when guilt of sin overwhelms it God’s word and Sacraments proclaim forgiveness to us, they take us to the cross to see our every sin on Jesus laid. The word gives life by proclaiming we are righteous, perfect in God’s sight right now through the perfect life of Jesus. That  frees us to live lives of loving obedience to God rather than out of fear of punishment or the burden of earning God’s grace which can’t be earned. It frees us from having man made laws bind our consciences. Only God’s word does that. It proclaims Jesus. No wonder the Devil keeps trying so hard to hide the Bible even when it’s in plain sight.

Besides being known as the “singing church” Lutherans used to be known as people of the Word. Ask them what they believe and they tell you. When Lutheran pastors or church bodies have strayed from God’s Word it was the people in the pew who said, “Now wait a minute. That’s not what God’s Word says.” At the end of this service we’ll sing about God’s word as our great heritage that shall be ours forever. That’s only going to happen with ongoing reform. When King Josiah realized reform was needed he tore his clothes. Now you can do that if you want. I’m not going to because I’m too cheap to buy new ones. Better that we recommit ourselves to opening our Bibles so that God’s word s reform us on a daily basis. There’s a good reason to celebrate the Reformation. Amen.