CHRISTMAS EVE
December 24, 2011
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Luke 2:11
“THE BEST DEAL!”
Luke 2:11 (NIV 1984) “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”
It doesn’t happen often, in fact I can’t remember it happening any other time but on this particular morning I woke up mad. Let me tell you why. My alarm went off. Normally that’s not a problem. They are supposed to do that. It’s what I heard when my alarm went off. Some people have alarms that are bells. Some have buzzers. Some wake you up with your favorite music. Mine is set to a radio station. Light music. But when the alarm went off it was commercial time and this was the first thing I heard. “Everybody knows that that the holidays are all about getting the best deals.” I processed that and started fuming. Are you kidding me? This was before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is not about getting a deal for yourself. It’s about being thankful! And Christmas. Christmas about getting a deal! It’s about Jesus birth! Then I stopped fuming as a lay there and I started thinking. Maybe there was some truth proclaimed in this commercial. Is it really wrong to think about Christmas as getting the best deal?
Bargain hunters will tell you that a good deal is when you pay the least amount of money for something you really need. Bargain hunters will tell you that a good deal is when both parties in the transaction walk away happy. My favorite bargain hunter is a man named Clark Howard. He’s a radio, TV and internet personality that bills himself as the world’s cheapest man. He’s always looking for the best deal. Do you know what his definition of a good deal is? Free!
Let’s return now to what the Christmas message proclaims to us. It is summarized in the angel’s message to the shepherds. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Let’s look at that truth from the standpoint of getting a good deal. One of the definitions of a “good deal” was that it was for something you really need. I don’t think I’m the only adult who watches some of the older shows from simpler days. Shows like “Little House on the Prairie.” Classics, like Dickens “A Christmas Carol.” You see how the people appreciated simple gifts that they needed. You flash forward to our abundantly blessed times when needed gifts like socks and shirts aren’t appreciated as much as wants like games and toys. We pray for more grateful hearts. And still the best deal is when you get it on something you need—like a car repair or a new furnace.
At Christmas we did receive the best deal because we received something we needed. We needed a Savior from sin. Sin is one of life’s little inconvenient truths, isn’t it? It’s not hard to talk about other people’s sins. It is easy to be appalled at the gross and flagrant sins we hear about in the news like murders, sex crimes, child abuse, theft and embezzlement. It’s harder when we have to talk about our own sins, like murdering people with words that hurt worse than sticks and stones and you have to own up to having said that. Or how about sex crimes against God and others through pornography or lusting. Then there is the child abuse of causing little ones to sin by using God’s name in vain so that they repeat it later. Or when we embezzle from our employers by wasting time on the clock. Those and many more are our sins. The inconvenient truth is that you can’t fix sin. What’s done is done. Saying, “I’m sorry,” is the right thing to do but it doesn’t undo the sin or fix the damage done. It doesn’t pay the debt owed to God or the person we sinned against. Jesus does, though. A Savior. A Rescuer. That’s who He is. That’s what we needed and received from God at Christmas. Good News! A Savior has been born. Whatever sins you remember tonight, the ghost of sins past that still haunt you, today a Savior has been born. Jesus rescues you from those sins and gives you the right to leave them behind and will be your help in dealing with any earthly consequences. That’s a great deal!
Another mark of a great deal is when both sides in the transaction walk away happy. You know how it goes. Maybe you stop at a rummage sale and you find something you want and it’s only $5. So you scoop it up before anyone else does and after you pay, you go to the car, call your friend or mom and crow about what a great deal you got. And the person holding the rummage sale is thinking or saying, “I can’t believe all these people are paying me to take away my junk! This is great! What a scam!” Everybody’s happy! Our Christmas deal is like that. People, God loves you to death, to the death of His Son. He knows that by having His Son born as one of us, born as God and man at the same time, that Jesus is going to be the only one who can fix sin and it will take His suffering and death. But God loves you. Just like imperfect parents often find joy in making sacrifices for their children our perfect Father in heaven is happy to give His Son for us. He’s pleased by the deal. We get to be happy too. You know, I don’t know what your life is like right now. I don’t know what you are going through. You do. God does. You have the right to be happy even if some temporary earthly things aren’t going so well for you. Relationships with spouse, family, friends. It will pass. Financial strain, job issues. It will pass. Health problems. One way or another, this too shall pass. Jesus. You have Him forever. Because of Christmas you have a Savior for now and forever. Both sides get to walk away happy.
And how about Clark Howard? I’ve been thinking about calling into his program some day. If I’m honest about what I am going to say I know I won’t get past his screeners. But I want to tell him about the best deal ever. One that is free! Real gifts are like that, aren’t they? They don’t cost the getter anything. They do cost the giver however. We know that by giving us Jesus as a Savior it would cost God the pain of forsaking His Son. We know that it would cost Jesus His suffering and death on the cross. But the cost to us is nothing. God’s gift is free. The shepherds didn’t have to pay to hear the Angels’ Concert even though the message they proclaimed is worth everything. Neither do you. God’s gift to you in Jesus is free. You have a Savior. Forgiveness is free. We got the best deal ever!
There are all kinds of things you can do when you get a great deal. You can tell your friends, maybe help them get that great deal too. But that’s for another time. What you can also do when you get a great deal, is enjoy it, feel good, be happy. Tonight, this week, do that. Enjoy for yourself what God has given to you. You have the best deal ever. For “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Amen.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
MIDWEEK ADVENT 3
December 14, 2011
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Psalm 71:1-18
“PSALM-THING TO THINK ABOUT: HOPE FOR FOREVER!”
Psalm 7:1-14 (NIV 1984) “In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me. 3 Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men. 5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. 6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. 7 I have become like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. 8 My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.
9 Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. 10 For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. 11 They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.” 12 Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me. 13 May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace. 14 But as for me, I will always have hope.”
Over the summer my family had a chance to visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. It is a moving, heart wrenching display. Of the many things that made no sense in that horror was one that stood out to me, the reaction of many of the death camp prisoners. We saw videos where one hundred or more prisoners were guarded by just 5 soldiers who would march them to a ditch, line them all up and they simply stood there waiting to get shot. Why? Why not at least try to resist? It didn’t make sense. We heard eyewitness accounts of prison escapes where some would overpower their guards, get the gates open and run for freedom while the majority simply stayed where they were. Why? The gates were open! The guards unable to respond! Why just sit down? Hopelessness. That’s the reason given. They had lost all hope so they didn’t even try. Having no hope is a horrible place to be. In all probability none of us will have to endure the horrors of a death camp. And yet because we live in a sin messed world and we ourselves are sinners we are likely to face all kinds of difficult situations. At each one our ancient enemy the Devil is there trying to lead us to despair, despondency, giving up. His tool is hopelessness. How thankful we are for the word of God, the truth that defeats Satan’s lies. As we conclude our Advent focus of Psalm thing to think about Psalm 71 proclaims God’s truth that with Jesus we have hope for forever.
We don’t know for sure whom God used to write Psalm 71. Likely it was King David. The psalmist prayed “In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me. 3 Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men. 5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. 6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.” Here we find a truth proclaimed. With the Lord there is hope for when you are young. Young people have problems. We can think of young David. Sounds like he was the runt of the litter, the forgotten child in the family. He could have been hopeless. Things will never change. He had to defend sheep from lions and bears. Pretty scary, a chance to feel hopeless. But he wasn’t . He had the Lord. The Lord would protect him and see him through. He had hope when he was young because he had the Lord.
We young people here today, we have problems we face. You young ones younger than I, have hard things to face. What is it that the Devil is trying to make you feel hopeless about? Is school work a struggle? Do you think it will never change, never end? Is it hard for you with the other kids? Having trouble fitting in? Are there problems at home? Do you have a broken heart that you feel will never end? It’s OK. This too will pass. You have Jesus. He is on your side. That means you have hope. Just wait and you will see how He rescues you for He will. Don’t give up. Don’t despair. With Jesus you have hope for when you are young.
But it’s not just us young people who to have hope. You old people do too! Listen to the Psalmist. “Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. 10 For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. 11 They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.” 12 Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me. 13 May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace. 14 But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.” Young people problems can seem pretty big and they are for those at that age. As we get older problems get bigger. Now we are talking jobs and family income and expenses. Now we are talking marriage relationships. Now we are talking major medical and end of life issues as the plumbing and electrical start to degrade. Then there’s the kids and the grandkids too. What situation is the Devil trying to use to make you feel hopeless? But you are not hopeless. You have the Lord. Just like the Psalmist you can say, “As for me I will always have hope.” You can say that because you know and have seen how the Lord has worked your past. He does work all things for good. He does refine and chasten those He loves. He does come to that aid of His people when they cry to Him. He never has left you nor forsaken you and He never will. Jesus lives. He is ruling all things for your good. With the Lord we have hope for when we are young and for when we are old.
And forever. Let’s go back to the first verse of the Psalm. Often times with Psalms the first verse will be a summary of what you need to learn through the whole Psalm. Verse one says, “In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.” Never is a strong word. It is a controlling word. Never means not ever under any circumstance. The Psalmist prayed for no shame ever under any circumstances. Shame is an interesting word, isn’t it? Children who misbehave might hear their parents say, “Shame on you!” People who do or say things that go beyond what is commonly accepted as decent might here the phrase, “Have you no shame?” What if God gave me a camera where if I shined it on you all your thoughts about others would be revealed on a screen. What you thought about me, your pastors, your teachers, your students, your spouse, that actor or actress. Is there anyone who wouldn’t be ashamed?
And yet the Psalmist prayed for no shame. Because his trust was in the Lord. We will never be put to shame trusting in Jesus, that means regret it because with Jesus we have no shame. Instead with Jesus we have hope for forever. All those things you thought of when I talked about the camera revealing that would embarrass you to death. Those sins that we are ashamed of and shame on us for committing them, everyone gone because of Jesus. Washed away by His blood. No shame. Hope for forever. We have heaven to look forward to. We have Jesus. At the day of our death, on Judgment Day we will have no shame because with Jesus we have hope that lasts forever.
Hope for forever. Hopelessness can lead people to do things that are hard to understand. Like doing nothing. Like ending their own lives. Like giving up or pushing people away. If the Devil whispers in your ears that your situation is hopeless, resist him, rebuke him, tell him to go away. For you belong to Jesus and that means you have hope for forever. Amen.
December 14, 2011
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Psalm 71:1-18
“PSALM-THING TO THINK ABOUT: HOPE FOR FOREVER!”
Psalm 7:1-14 (NIV 1984) “In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me. 3 Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men. 5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. 6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. 7 I have become like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. 8 My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.
9 Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. 10 For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. 11 They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.” 12 Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me. 13 May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace. 14 But as for me, I will always have hope.”
Over the summer my family had a chance to visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. It is a moving, heart wrenching display. Of the many things that made no sense in that horror was one that stood out to me, the reaction of many of the death camp prisoners. We saw videos where one hundred or more prisoners were guarded by just 5 soldiers who would march them to a ditch, line them all up and they simply stood there waiting to get shot. Why? Why not at least try to resist? It didn’t make sense. We heard eyewitness accounts of prison escapes where some would overpower their guards, get the gates open and run for freedom while the majority simply stayed where they were. Why? The gates were open! The guards unable to respond! Why just sit down? Hopelessness. That’s the reason given. They had lost all hope so they didn’t even try. Having no hope is a horrible place to be. In all probability none of us will have to endure the horrors of a death camp. And yet because we live in a sin messed world and we ourselves are sinners we are likely to face all kinds of difficult situations. At each one our ancient enemy the Devil is there trying to lead us to despair, despondency, giving up. His tool is hopelessness. How thankful we are for the word of God, the truth that defeats Satan’s lies. As we conclude our Advent focus of Psalm thing to think about Psalm 71 proclaims God’s truth that with Jesus we have hope for forever.
We don’t know for sure whom God used to write Psalm 71. Likely it was King David. The psalmist prayed “In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me. 3 Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men. 5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. 6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.” Here we find a truth proclaimed. With the Lord there is hope for when you are young. Young people have problems. We can think of young David. Sounds like he was the runt of the litter, the forgotten child in the family. He could have been hopeless. Things will never change. He had to defend sheep from lions and bears. Pretty scary, a chance to feel hopeless. But he wasn’t . He had the Lord. The Lord would protect him and see him through. He had hope when he was young because he had the Lord.
We young people here today, we have problems we face. You young ones younger than I, have hard things to face. What is it that the Devil is trying to make you feel hopeless about? Is school work a struggle? Do you think it will never change, never end? Is it hard for you with the other kids? Having trouble fitting in? Are there problems at home? Do you have a broken heart that you feel will never end? It’s OK. This too will pass. You have Jesus. He is on your side. That means you have hope. Just wait and you will see how He rescues you for He will. Don’t give up. Don’t despair. With Jesus you have hope for when you are young.
But it’s not just us young people who to have hope. You old people do too! Listen to the Psalmist. “Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. 10 For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. 11 They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.” 12 Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me. 13 May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace. 14 But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.” Young people problems can seem pretty big and they are for those at that age. As we get older problems get bigger. Now we are talking jobs and family income and expenses. Now we are talking marriage relationships. Now we are talking major medical and end of life issues as the plumbing and electrical start to degrade. Then there’s the kids and the grandkids too. What situation is the Devil trying to use to make you feel hopeless? But you are not hopeless. You have the Lord. Just like the Psalmist you can say, “As for me I will always have hope.” You can say that because you know and have seen how the Lord has worked your past. He does work all things for good. He does refine and chasten those He loves. He does come to that aid of His people when they cry to Him. He never has left you nor forsaken you and He never will. Jesus lives. He is ruling all things for your good. With the Lord we have hope for when we are young and for when we are old.
And forever. Let’s go back to the first verse of the Psalm. Often times with Psalms the first verse will be a summary of what you need to learn through the whole Psalm. Verse one says, “In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.” Never is a strong word. It is a controlling word. Never means not ever under any circumstance. The Psalmist prayed for no shame ever under any circumstances. Shame is an interesting word, isn’t it? Children who misbehave might hear their parents say, “Shame on you!” People who do or say things that go beyond what is commonly accepted as decent might here the phrase, “Have you no shame?” What if God gave me a camera where if I shined it on you all your thoughts about others would be revealed on a screen. What you thought about me, your pastors, your teachers, your students, your spouse, that actor or actress. Is there anyone who wouldn’t be ashamed?
And yet the Psalmist prayed for no shame. Because his trust was in the Lord. We will never be put to shame trusting in Jesus, that means regret it because with Jesus we have no shame. Instead with Jesus we have hope for forever. All those things you thought of when I talked about the camera revealing that would embarrass you to death. Those sins that we are ashamed of and shame on us for committing them, everyone gone because of Jesus. Washed away by His blood. No shame. Hope for forever. We have heaven to look forward to. We have Jesus. At the day of our death, on Judgment Day we will have no shame because with Jesus we have hope that lasts forever.
Hope for forever. Hopelessness can lead people to do things that are hard to understand. Like doing nothing. Like ending their own lives. Like giving up or pushing people away. If the Devil whispers in your ears that your situation is hopeless, resist him, rebuke him, tell him to go away. For you belong to Jesus and that means you have hope for forever. Amen.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
December 11/12, 2011 Advent Song Service
December 11/12, 2011 - Advent 3 - by Pastor Paul G. Eckert
December 11/12, 2011
SONG SERVICE
BASED ON PROPHETIC STATEMENTS
FROM THE BOOK OF ISAIAH
WELCOME
Hymn 30:1-3 (Sunday) --- “Rise, Arise”
Hymn 30:1-2 (Monday) --- “Rise, Arise”
P: Come, let us worship in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: ♫ Amen.
P: Prayer
C: ♫ Amen.
From the lips of children (Sunday)
Jr. Choir (8:15 service) - “Emmanuel Will Come”
Cherub Choir (10:45 service) - “Advent Canon”
Hymn 30:3 (Monday) --- “Crown Him King!”
1. Sing To The Lord A New Song, For He Has Done Glorious Things.
Isaiah 12:1-6 - In that day you will say: “I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
Psalm 31, page 77 --- “Surely, it is God who saves me”
2. Acknowledge That We Have Done Other Things.
Isaiah 1:2-6 - Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness— only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with oil.
P: Confession
Hymn 27:1-3 --- “O Jesus, Lamb of God”
3. Marvel At God's Response To Our Sin.
Isaiah 1:18 - “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
P: Absolution
Hymn 27:4 --- “Help me to change my ways, O Lord”
4. Marvel At The Future He Holds Before Us.
Isaiah 2:2-5 - This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Isaiah 25:6-8 - On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.
Ladies' Choir --- “Lift Up Your Heads”
5. Consider How Specific God's Promises Were.
Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah 9:6-7 - 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. 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.
Mixed Choir --- “He Shall Be Called”
Isaiah 4:2 - In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.
Isaiah 11:1-3 - A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD - and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
Hymn 47:1-2 --- “Behold, a Branch Is Growing”
6. See How God Prepared The Way.
Isaiah 40:1-3 - Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”
Mixed Choir --- “Prepare The Way”
P: Prayer
All: The Lord's Prayer
Hymn 43:1 and 4 --- “To Thee My Heart I Offer”
We Bring Our Offerings --- (during this time please fill in the Friendship Register)
7. Shudder And Rejoice At What Took Place.
Isaiah 53:1-7 - Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Mixed Choir --- “You Are My All In All / Fairest Lord Jesus”
8. Now The Glory Of The Lord Still Rises Upon Us.
Isaiah 60:1-2 - “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”
Ladies' Choir --- “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
P: Closing Prayer and Blessing
C: ♫ Amen, Amen, Amen.
Hymn 21:1-4 --- “Hosanna to the Coming Lord”
>>>>>>><<<<<<<
December 11/12, 2011
SONG SERVICE
BASED ON PROPHETIC STATEMENTS
FROM THE BOOK OF ISAIAH
WELCOME
Hymn 30:1-3 (Sunday) --- “Rise, Arise”
Hymn 30:1-2 (Monday) --- “Rise, Arise”
P: Come, let us worship in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: ♫ Amen.
P: Prayer
C: ♫ Amen.
From the lips of children (Sunday)
Jr. Choir (8:15 service) - “Emmanuel Will Come”
Cherub Choir (10:45 service) - “Advent Canon”
Hymn 30:3 (Monday) --- “Crown Him King!”
1. Sing To The Lord A New Song, For He Has Done Glorious Things.
Isaiah 12:1-6 - In that day you will say: “I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
Psalm 31, page 77 --- “Surely, it is God who saves me”
2. Acknowledge That We Have Done Other Things.
Isaiah 1:2-6 - Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness— only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with oil.
P: Confession
Hymn 27:1-3 --- “O Jesus, Lamb of God”
3. Marvel At God's Response To Our Sin.
Isaiah 1:18 - “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
P: Absolution
Hymn 27:4 --- “Help me to change my ways, O Lord”
4. Marvel At The Future He Holds Before Us.
Isaiah 2:2-5 - This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Isaiah 25:6-8 - On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.
Ladies' Choir --- “Lift Up Your Heads”
5. Consider How Specific God's Promises Were.
Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah 9:6-7 - 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. 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.
Mixed Choir --- “He Shall Be Called”
Isaiah 4:2 - In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.
Isaiah 11:1-3 - A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD - and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
Hymn 47:1-2 --- “Behold, a Branch Is Growing”
6. See How God Prepared The Way.
Isaiah 40:1-3 - Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”
Mixed Choir --- “Prepare The Way”
P: Prayer
All: The Lord's Prayer
Hymn 43:1 and 4 --- “To Thee My Heart I Offer”
We Bring Our Offerings --- (during this time please fill in the Friendship Register)
7. Shudder And Rejoice At What Took Place.
Isaiah 53:1-7 - Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Mixed Choir --- “You Are My All In All / Fairest Lord Jesus”
8. Now The Glory Of The Lord Still Rises Upon Us.
Isaiah 60:1-2 - “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”
Ladies' Choir --- “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
P: Closing Prayer and Blessing
C: ♫ Amen, Amen, Amen.
Hymn 21:1-4 --- “Hosanna to the Coming Lord”
>>>>>>><<<<<<<
Monday, December 5, 2011
ADVENT 2
December 4/5, 2011
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: 2 Peter 3:8-14
WHAT GOD WANTS!
1. Everyone’s Repentance.
2. A New Heaven and a New Earth.
3. Our Every Effort.
2 Peter 3:8-14 (NIV 1984) “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”
It was about 65 AD. The young Christian church was barely 30 years old. The people filling the pews those days were first generation Christians. The Apostles still walked the earth. They took the word of God, the promise that Jesus would come again very seriously. Some, many, were getting tired of waiting. They were getting discouraged. The Holy Spirit sent Peter into action. His second epistle encouraged waiting Christians. In the first part of chapter 3 Peter had talked about scoffers coming and saying “Where is this end of the world?” You wonder if Peter didn’t know that the biggest scoffer lives inside of each one of us too. We are waiting Christians. We know and believe Jesus’ promise to come again. Yet life goes on. We all have things to do and people to see. We easily settle into the routines of life celebrating the proper observances at the proper time. Today this word of God serves us by encouraging us to focus on what God wants in view of Jesus’ coming.
The first thing He wants is everyone’s repentance. “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” OK. It’s three weeks, 21 days until Christmas. Is that a long time or a short time? Well that depends on your perspective right? Children you have to wait 21 days to open presents. That seems like forever doesn’t it? I remember when a week was like a year. Parents 21 days until Christmas and we say, “Oh no! Are you kidding? It’s already here! I’ll never get everything done.” The end of the world is like that. The people in Peter’s time thought it was taking so long. That was their perception of time. Maybe we do too, if we even think about it. But look what God has in mind. The perception of time is meaningless.
What God wants is not. He wants everyone to repent. That’s what He is waiting for. Everyone gets their chance. God is patient. He doesn’t want anyone to perish. He wants repentance. Now I can’t give Him everyone’s repentance. Neither can you. What can we do? Well we can get the word out. We can do that personally with those we know. We can give money to support those who proclaim God’s Word here and elsewhere. We can pray for the repentance of all people. But we can also give to God our own personal repentance. That’s what He wants. Does He have it from you? If Jesus came today is there something on your cell phone you wouldn’t want Him to see? Anything hiding on your computer, in your house? Sin comes to all of us but repentant Christians will strive to make sure that it never finds a home with us. How about the home of your heart? Are you letting bitterness and jealousy dwell rent free? Who or what sits on the throne of your heart? If it is anything or anyone but Jesus, repent. That’s what God wants.
What God wants is a new heaven and new earth. We can relate. It’s nice when clothes have worn out to get something new. The world we live in is wearing out. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned it’s been fighting against itself, never functioning exactly like it is supposed to. Species become extinct. Fault lines slip with ensuing destruction of earthquakes and tsunamis. Try as hard as we want to be green we continue to pollute. It is inevitable. The world is getting worn out. God wants a new heaven and a new earth and he’s going to get it! “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”
When the last day comes and it will this world as we know it will be destroyed. Some people like to argue back and forth over whether or not God will just create everything new or rework the refined created matter into a new heaven and new earth that is the way it was supposed to be in the beginning. Not me! I hear new heaven and new earth and my eyes light up. On the Price is Right when they win the brand new car they don’t look to see how many parts were made out of recycled material. They whoop and holler and jump and scream because it’s new. That’s the attitude we get to have to as we wait for the Day of the Lord. And it’s what motivates us as Paul said “to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”
That’s also what God wants. Our every effort in living as Christians.“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” Spotless. Blameless. At peace with God. Brothers and sisters, these are not things that are going to happen by our doing. You and I know very well that our best efforts at holy living will fall short. We need to work hard at living holy and godly lives but guys even when we keep our computers clean they are still going to focus on the exposed cheerleaders during the football games. We will see that. And sisters you know very well how your heart or mouth is going to respond to some other woman’s words or actions. Probably not always taking them in the kindest possible way. Children when you look at why you are doing the things you are doing, how you act at school and at home there is a lot of selfishness there, isn’t there? Spotless. Blameless. How do we make every effort to be found that way?
By clinging to the only one who can and does make us spotless and blameless, Jesus Christ. That’s what God wants. Are you making every effort to do that? This past Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving worship my family traveled to La Crosse to be with family for Thanksgiving. Caused a little problem for me. See church gets over at about 10:30. Packer game starts at 11:30. WTMJ’s radio signal usually lasts until somewhere between Madison and the Dells. So I got online to find other stations that might broadcast. I asked phone people if there was a way to listen on the phone. I made every effort to hear that broadcast. Are you making every effort to hear the broadcast that tells you about Jesus? For the past few years your pastors have been concerned about worship attendance. We see a gradual decrease in our people coming to worship Jesus. Has that happened with you? Has every week changed into 3 out of 4? Has 3 out 4 then become every other? Now sure you can read the Bible on your own each day but are you? Are you practicing daily repentance, examining your heart and life so when you take the Lord’s Supper it is the blessing God intends and not the judgment that happens when one tires to play games with God who knows all and sees all. Is God getting your every effort? That’s what He wants as you wait.
Christmas is coming. We know that. We are waiting for it to happen. Will you get what you want? We’ll see. And why do you want those things? Probably for yourself. The Last Day, when Jesus returns, that’s coming too. Will God get what He wants? And did you notice that what He wants is for the good of others, not Himself? What He wants is everyone’s repentance, a new heaven and new earth for people to live in and our every effort to hold on to Jesus so we will be found spotless and blameless in that Day. Let’s strive to give it to Him. Amen.
December 4/5, 2011
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: 2 Peter 3:8-14
WHAT GOD WANTS!
1. Everyone’s Repentance.
2. A New Heaven and a New Earth.
3. Our Every Effort.
2 Peter 3:8-14 (NIV 1984) “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”
It was about 65 AD. The young Christian church was barely 30 years old. The people filling the pews those days were first generation Christians. The Apostles still walked the earth. They took the word of God, the promise that Jesus would come again very seriously. Some, many, were getting tired of waiting. They were getting discouraged. The Holy Spirit sent Peter into action. His second epistle encouraged waiting Christians. In the first part of chapter 3 Peter had talked about scoffers coming and saying “Where is this end of the world?” You wonder if Peter didn’t know that the biggest scoffer lives inside of each one of us too. We are waiting Christians. We know and believe Jesus’ promise to come again. Yet life goes on. We all have things to do and people to see. We easily settle into the routines of life celebrating the proper observances at the proper time. Today this word of God serves us by encouraging us to focus on what God wants in view of Jesus’ coming.
The first thing He wants is everyone’s repentance. “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” OK. It’s three weeks, 21 days until Christmas. Is that a long time or a short time? Well that depends on your perspective right? Children you have to wait 21 days to open presents. That seems like forever doesn’t it? I remember when a week was like a year. Parents 21 days until Christmas and we say, “Oh no! Are you kidding? It’s already here! I’ll never get everything done.” The end of the world is like that. The people in Peter’s time thought it was taking so long. That was their perception of time. Maybe we do too, if we even think about it. But look what God has in mind. The perception of time is meaningless.
What God wants is not. He wants everyone to repent. That’s what He is waiting for. Everyone gets their chance. God is patient. He doesn’t want anyone to perish. He wants repentance. Now I can’t give Him everyone’s repentance. Neither can you. What can we do? Well we can get the word out. We can do that personally with those we know. We can give money to support those who proclaim God’s Word here and elsewhere. We can pray for the repentance of all people. But we can also give to God our own personal repentance. That’s what He wants. Does He have it from you? If Jesus came today is there something on your cell phone you wouldn’t want Him to see? Anything hiding on your computer, in your house? Sin comes to all of us but repentant Christians will strive to make sure that it never finds a home with us. How about the home of your heart? Are you letting bitterness and jealousy dwell rent free? Who or what sits on the throne of your heart? If it is anything or anyone but Jesus, repent. That’s what God wants.
What God wants is a new heaven and new earth. We can relate. It’s nice when clothes have worn out to get something new. The world we live in is wearing out. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned it’s been fighting against itself, never functioning exactly like it is supposed to. Species become extinct. Fault lines slip with ensuing destruction of earthquakes and tsunamis. Try as hard as we want to be green we continue to pollute. It is inevitable. The world is getting worn out. God wants a new heaven and a new earth and he’s going to get it! “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”
When the last day comes and it will this world as we know it will be destroyed. Some people like to argue back and forth over whether or not God will just create everything new or rework the refined created matter into a new heaven and new earth that is the way it was supposed to be in the beginning. Not me! I hear new heaven and new earth and my eyes light up. On the Price is Right when they win the brand new car they don’t look to see how many parts were made out of recycled material. They whoop and holler and jump and scream because it’s new. That’s the attitude we get to have to as we wait for the Day of the Lord. And it’s what motivates us as Paul said “to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”
That’s also what God wants. Our every effort in living as Christians.“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” Spotless. Blameless. At peace with God. Brothers and sisters, these are not things that are going to happen by our doing. You and I know very well that our best efforts at holy living will fall short. We need to work hard at living holy and godly lives but guys even when we keep our computers clean they are still going to focus on the exposed cheerleaders during the football games. We will see that. And sisters you know very well how your heart or mouth is going to respond to some other woman’s words or actions. Probably not always taking them in the kindest possible way. Children when you look at why you are doing the things you are doing, how you act at school and at home there is a lot of selfishness there, isn’t there? Spotless. Blameless. How do we make every effort to be found that way?
By clinging to the only one who can and does make us spotless and blameless, Jesus Christ. That’s what God wants. Are you making every effort to do that? This past Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving worship my family traveled to La Crosse to be with family for Thanksgiving. Caused a little problem for me. See church gets over at about 10:30. Packer game starts at 11:30. WTMJ’s radio signal usually lasts until somewhere between Madison and the Dells. So I got online to find other stations that might broadcast. I asked phone people if there was a way to listen on the phone. I made every effort to hear that broadcast. Are you making every effort to hear the broadcast that tells you about Jesus? For the past few years your pastors have been concerned about worship attendance. We see a gradual decrease in our people coming to worship Jesus. Has that happened with you? Has every week changed into 3 out of 4? Has 3 out 4 then become every other? Now sure you can read the Bible on your own each day but are you? Are you practicing daily repentance, examining your heart and life so when you take the Lord’s Supper it is the blessing God intends and not the judgment that happens when one tires to play games with God who knows all and sees all. Is God getting your every effort? That’s what He wants as you wait.
Christmas is coming. We know that. We are waiting for it to happen. Will you get what you want? We’ll see. And why do you want those things? Probably for yourself. The Last Day, when Jesus returns, that’s coming too. Will God get what He wants? And did you notice that what He wants is for the good of others, not Himself? What He wants is everyone’s repentance, a new heaven and new earth for people to live in and our every effort to hold on to Jesus so we will be found spotless and blameless in that Day. Let’s strive to give it to Him. Amen.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
November 30, 2011 Wednesday Advent sermon on Psalm 24 by Pastor Paul G. Eckert
Wednesday Advent - November 30, 2011 - by Pastor Paul G. Eckert
Psalm 24
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty - he is the King of glory.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ancient Jerusalem was a walled city with a number of gates. The gates were there to keep out some people, soldiers, armies the city did not want. They were there to welcome others by opening them up. The reference in our Psalm to gates lifting up their heads is what we call an anthropomorphism. The gates are pictured to be like people who lift up their heads, look up with happiness when they see someone coming whom they like, who is important to them.
While I can tell you what an anthropomorphism is - applying human terms to something not human, I don’t think I can tell you exactly how they opened the gates of Jerusalem that had to be very heavy. But I do know something about opening garage doors. You see, I’ve had a number of experiences with garage door springs breaking. Those garage doors are heavy. Trying to lift them alone is asking for trouble for your back.
But let’s move now from the picture of opening a garage door for a car to come in to the picture in our Psalm of gates lifting up their heads, or opening up, to welcome the King of glory in. Let’s look at
THE GLORY OF A KING
I A KING WHO IS ALMIGHTY (1-2,8,10)
1. That almightiness is seen in creation. (1-2)
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
a) What a world we have! It has dry land and seas. It has vegetation - all kinds of trees, fruits, vegetables. It has the tiniest creatures that are so complex, and animals, from little to big, that roam the land. It has water life in the oceans and lakes, from minnows to the largest whales. It has birds of all sizes flying in the air. And it has people, male and female, to populate and manage the earth.
b) We know what the world says about this. It says that all of this came by itself, that the intricate designs of nature and creatures are by evolution from nothing, that there is no god, no supreme being. But we believe what God has revealed and what our Psalm says:
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
2. That almightiness is seen also in the Lord’s control. (8)
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
a) God has not stepped out of the world He created.
b) Whether people accept it or not or believe it or not, the fact is that history is under God’s control. We often may not understand why God controls the world as He does. Yet we believe He is strong and mighty and in control.
3. Could this apply to Jesus?
a) It’s Advent. We’re celebrating Jesus’ coming. When He came in Bethlehem He was seen as a helpless baby needing His mother’s attention. Lift a garage door? He couldn’t even walk yet.
b) Then how can we say He is the almighty King of glory? At Christmas time many see a baby. But do they lift their heads and see a King who is almighty to whom belongs the glory of creation?
4. Yes, Jesus is the King of glory. (1-2,10)
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. --- Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty - he is the King of glory.
a) Does this describe Jesus? Is He the almighty Creator?
b) Listen to what John in the opening words of His Gospel says about Jesus, the Word made flesh for us: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
c), Yes, Jesus - with the Father and the Holy Spirit - is
the LORD Almighty - he is the King of glory.
II A KING TO BE WELCOMED (7-9)
1. He was welcomed on Palm Sunday. (7-8)
a) Psalm 24 is regularly used in our Palm Sunday services.
Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
b) You can easily see why, thinking of Jesus nearing the gates of Jerusalem, remembering the people lifting their heads in welcome.
2. But then what?
a) Yes, Jesus was acknowledged as coming in the Lord’s name.
b) But by the end of the week He was totally rejected.
3. Can we, like on Palm Sunday, welcome only outwardly?
a) Children, can you hear about Jesus, say that you believe in Him, but then forget about Him? Can you come to church but then pay no attention to His Word, not ask what you can learn about your Savior today - or maybe not even want to come to church at all?
b) All of us, can our church membership be outward only? Is it easy to call ourselves Christians, outwardly acknowledge Jesus, but find all kinds of reasons to open the gates or doors of our cars and drive elsewhere instead of opening the gates of our church to hear God’s Word and praise our Savior?
4. Please remember: the King of Glory is worth welcoming. (9)
Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
a) I wonder how many have had trouble lifting a garage door.
b) I hope not too many. But there is a problem we all have, and that is opening the gates of our hearts the way we should.
c) Remember that the King of Glory is a King to be welcomed.
III A KING WHO WELCOMES US (3-6,10)
1. Why would He welcome us? (3-4)
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.
a) Clean hands and a pure heart, not putting anything ahead of the true God - who of us qualifies for that? None of us.
b) Sinners that we are, why would the Lord welcome us? An accurate description of us would be that our heart springs are broken, that because of our sin we can’t and don’t lift up the garage doors of our hearts the way we should to let the King of Glory come in. Welcome us? We deserve to be rejected by the Lord.
2. But we are welcomed because He is our Savior. (5)
He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.
a) To welcome us the helpless Baby born in Bethlehem became our Savior. Our sins were like a garage door too heavy by far for us to lift. But Jesus lifted that load, lifted it up on the cross with Him.
b) And there, with His innocent death for us the guilty, He vindicated us, justified us, exonerated us, set us free from the punishment we deserve for our sin. That is the message of salvation the Holy Spirit uses to give us faith in the Lord of glory, our Savior.
3. What glory He thus gives us. (3-5)
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.
a) Because we are vindicated, forgiven, we are clean and pure in the eyes of God.
b) Because of our Savior we receive blessings from our Lord.
4. May we always seek him. (6,10)
Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
a) Seek Him who invites, "Come unto Me."
b) Fellow sinners, no matter how bad we are, how heavy our sins, there is a Savior who welcomes us, who came to this earth to lift our load of sins from us, to forgive us, to vindicate us.
Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty - he is the King of glory.
c) And that glory He welcomes us to share with Him.
As the first Christmas came, so the time of sharing glory with our Savior is daily drawing closer. Whenever our last hour or the last day comes, Jesus will not tell us to lift up our garage doors. But He will say what He said to His early disciples, "Lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Yes indeed, heed these words:
Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty - he is the King of glory.
Psalm 24
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty - he is the King of glory.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ancient Jerusalem was a walled city with a number of gates. The gates were there to keep out some people, soldiers, armies the city did not want. They were there to welcome others by opening them up. The reference in our Psalm to gates lifting up their heads is what we call an anthropomorphism. The gates are pictured to be like people who lift up their heads, look up with happiness when they see someone coming whom they like, who is important to them.
While I can tell you what an anthropomorphism is - applying human terms to something not human, I don’t think I can tell you exactly how they opened the gates of Jerusalem that had to be very heavy. But I do know something about opening garage doors. You see, I’ve had a number of experiences with garage door springs breaking. Those garage doors are heavy. Trying to lift them alone is asking for trouble for your back.
But let’s move now from the picture of opening a garage door for a car to come in to the picture in our Psalm of gates lifting up their heads, or opening up, to welcome the King of glory in. Let’s look at
THE GLORY OF A KING
I A KING WHO IS ALMIGHTY (1-2,8,10)
1. That almightiness is seen in creation. (1-2)
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
a) What a world we have! It has dry land and seas. It has vegetation - all kinds of trees, fruits, vegetables. It has the tiniest creatures that are so complex, and animals, from little to big, that roam the land. It has water life in the oceans and lakes, from minnows to the largest whales. It has birds of all sizes flying in the air. And it has people, male and female, to populate and manage the earth.
b) We know what the world says about this. It says that all of this came by itself, that the intricate designs of nature and creatures are by evolution from nothing, that there is no god, no supreme being. But we believe what God has revealed and what our Psalm says:
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
2. That almightiness is seen also in the Lord’s control. (8)
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
a) God has not stepped out of the world He created.
b) Whether people accept it or not or believe it or not, the fact is that history is under God’s control. We often may not understand why God controls the world as He does. Yet we believe He is strong and mighty and in control.
3. Could this apply to Jesus?
a) It’s Advent. We’re celebrating Jesus’ coming. When He came in Bethlehem He was seen as a helpless baby needing His mother’s attention. Lift a garage door? He couldn’t even walk yet.
b) Then how can we say He is the almighty King of glory? At Christmas time many see a baby. But do they lift their heads and see a King who is almighty to whom belongs the glory of creation?
4. Yes, Jesus is the King of glory. (1-2,10)
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. --- Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty - he is the King of glory.
a) Does this describe Jesus? Is He the almighty Creator?
b) Listen to what John in the opening words of His Gospel says about Jesus, the Word made flesh for us: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
c), Yes, Jesus - with the Father and the Holy Spirit - is
the LORD Almighty - he is the King of glory.
II A KING TO BE WELCOMED (7-9)
1. He was welcomed on Palm Sunday. (7-8)
a) Psalm 24 is regularly used in our Palm Sunday services.
Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
b) You can easily see why, thinking of Jesus nearing the gates of Jerusalem, remembering the people lifting their heads in welcome.
2. But then what?
a) Yes, Jesus was acknowledged as coming in the Lord’s name.
b) But by the end of the week He was totally rejected.
3. Can we, like on Palm Sunday, welcome only outwardly?
a) Children, can you hear about Jesus, say that you believe in Him, but then forget about Him? Can you come to church but then pay no attention to His Word, not ask what you can learn about your Savior today - or maybe not even want to come to church at all?
b) All of us, can our church membership be outward only? Is it easy to call ourselves Christians, outwardly acknowledge Jesus, but find all kinds of reasons to open the gates or doors of our cars and drive elsewhere instead of opening the gates of our church to hear God’s Word and praise our Savior?
4. Please remember: the King of Glory is worth welcoming. (9)
Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
a) I wonder how many have had trouble lifting a garage door.
b) I hope not too many. But there is a problem we all have, and that is opening the gates of our hearts the way we should.
c) Remember that the King of Glory is a King to be welcomed.
III A KING WHO WELCOMES US (3-6,10)
1. Why would He welcome us? (3-4)
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.
a) Clean hands and a pure heart, not putting anything ahead of the true God - who of us qualifies for that? None of us.
b) Sinners that we are, why would the Lord welcome us? An accurate description of us would be that our heart springs are broken, that because of our sin we can’t and don’t lift up the garage doors of our hearts the way we should to let the King of Glory come in. Welcome us? We deserve to be rejected by the Lord.
2. But we are welcomed because He is our Savior. (5)
He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.
a) To welcome us the helpless Baby born in Bethlehem became our Savior. Our sins were like a garage door too heavy by far for us to lift. But Jesus lifted that load, lifted it up on the cross with Him.
b) And there, with His innocent death for us the guilty, He vindicated us, justified us, exonerated us, set us free from the punishment we deserve for our sin. That is the message of salvation the Holy Spirit uses to give us faith in the Lord of glory, our Savior.
3. What glory He thus gives us. (3-5)
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.
a) Because we are vindicated, forgiven, we are clean and pure in the eyes of God.
b) Because of our Savior we receive blessings from our Lord.
4. May we always seek him. (6,10)
Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
a) Seek Him who invites, "Come unto Me."
b) Fellow sinners, no matter how bad we are, how heavy our sins, there is a Savior who welcomes us, who came to this earth to lift our load of sins from us, to forgive us, to vindicate us.
Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty - he is the King of glory.
c) And that glory He welcomes us to share with Him.
As the first Christmas came, so the time of sharing glory with our Savior is daily drawing closer. Whenever our last hour or the last day comes, Jesus will not tell us to lift up our garage doors. But He will say what He said to His early disciples, "Lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Yes indeed, heed these words:
Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty - he is the King of glory.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
THANKSGIVING
November 23, 24, 2011
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Daniel 4: 4-5, 24-25, 29-31, 33-37
“THANKSGIVING TIPS FROM NEBUCHADNEZZAR”
1. Don’t be a turkey.
2. Do thank the LORD for turkey.
Daniel 4:4-5, 24-25, 29-31, 33-37 (NIV1984) “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. 5 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. 24 “This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. 34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” 36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”
Nobody knows it all. Everybody needs help. Those who are wise regularly listen to others to find better ways of doing things. That’s why you have longstanding newspaper columns like “Hints from Heloise.” If you run into trouble making that Thanksgiving Turkey or just want some ideas on how to make it the best you can call the Butterball Turkey Talk Line. How about Christians for thanksgiving? Who could we turn to for Thanksgiving tips? I’m sure there are several obvious ones you could think of but today we turn to a not so obvious tipster. King Nebuchadnezzar.
You probably know him as the Babylonian king who conquered Jerusalem around 600 BC. He’s the one who carried off the brightest and best of the Jewish people to Babylon. If you haven’t connected the dots yet he is also the one who built the 90 foot tall and 9 feet wide image of gold and commanded all the people in Babylon to bow down to it. He’s the one who then had Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego thrown into the fiery furnace. That’s all in Daniel chapters 1-3. Then you get to chapter 4. It reads like a signed confession from Nebuchadnezzar. He had had a dream, a very terrifying dream. No one could tell him what it meant. No one, that is, except the prophet Daniel who had also been carried off to Babylon. He said, “This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.”
Now why was this all going to happen? Well as it turns out Nebuchadnezzar was acting like a turkey. We have that phrase. If someone is being, well a jerk, proud, just kind of strutting around not thinking of anyone else, he’s a turkey. Here it was the Lord who had raised up Babylon and given the empire to Nebuchadnezzar for the purpose of chastening Judah and Jerusalem and Nebuchadnezzar was acting like he had done it all. He was proud and boastful, a turkey.
That leads to our first Thanksgiving tip from Nebuchadnezzar. Don’t be a turkey. On Thanksgiving Day, yes all year long, don’t be a turkey. Don’t become boastful and proud about your accomplishments, the things you have, the job you hold, your place in society. On Thanksgiving and always recognize God as the giver. Don’t be a turkey spiritually. We all have to fight that aspect of our sinful nature that really does think we are better than other people, that it’s just a little understandable why God would love and save people like us rather than other sinners. Don’t be a turkey.
Nebuchadnezzar was and so the Lord treated him that way. “Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.” Hair like feathers? Nails like claws of a bird? The turkey looked like a turkey. God was humbling him.
Now listen to how Nebuchadnezzar responded. “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” 36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” Nebuchadnezzar thanked the Lord for turkey, for humbling him.
That’s our second tip from him. On Thanksgiving Day and always thank the Lord for turkey. Obviously it is an easy and natural thing to thank the Lord for your Thanksgiving turkey just like it is an easy and natural thing to thank the Lord for other good things in life. It’s good for us to do that. If you have good health, more than you need, loving family and friends, good things happening in your life, thank the Lord for that. Those are blessings. They come from Him. But thank the Lord for turkey too.
Nebuchadnezzar’s kind of turkey. God’s humblings in life. We need them. Just like Nebuchadnezzar when God fills our lives with good things we can tend to take them for granted. We want to take credit for them or at least share the credit with God. If you read Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving proclamation made during the Civil War you see that the nature of man has not changed. We don’t want to admit to our complete dependence on God. But we are completely dependent and need to live that way. Lincoln looked at the Civil War as a humbling chastisement from God. Nebuchadnezzar saw his turkey episode as a humbling chastisement from God. We can and should do the same. Thank the Lord for turkey, for any humblings. They are for our good. They keep us reliant on Him for our earthly needs. They keep us trusting in Jesus for our salvation. That’s the worst form of arrogance, isn’t it? When we think we merit heaven on our own or help Jesus in some way. So much better to be humbled by having our sins exposed by God’s righteous laws so we know how much we need Jesus, believe in Him and are saved eternally.
That becomes the bottom line. We have learned some Thanksgiving tips from an unlikely source. Nebuchadnezzar. What we don’t know is if we will see him again in heaven. His confession isn’t clear. Did he simply acknowledge God’s sovereignty or know Him as the Lord who showed mercy and would send a Savior? We don’t know. Don’t do that to the people who will follow you. Let them know by what you say and do that Jesus is your Savior and have a blessed Thanksgiving. Amen.
November 23, 24, 2011
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Daniel 4: 4-5, 24-25, 29-31, 33-37
“THANKSGIVING TIPS FROM NEBUCHADNEZZAR”
1. Don’t be a turkey.
2. Do thank the LORD for turkey.
Daniel 4:4-5, 24-25, 29-31, 33-37 (NIV1984) “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. 5 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. 24 “This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. 34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” 36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”
Nobody knows it all. Everybody needs help. Those who are wise regularly listen to others to find better ways of doing things. That’s why you have longstanding newspaper columns like “Hints from Heloise.” If you run into trouble making that Thanksgiving Turkey or just want some ideas on how to make it the best you can call the Butterball Turkey Talk Line. How about Christians for thanksgiving? Who could we turn to for Thanksgiving tips? I’m sure there are several obvious ones you could think of but today we turn to a not so obvious tipster. King Nebuchadnezzar.
You probably know him as the Babylonian king who conquered Jerusalem around 600 BC. He’s the one who carried off the brightest and best of the Jewish people to Babylon. If you haven’t connected the dots yet he is also the one who built the 90 foot tall and 9 feet wide image of gold and commanded all the people in Babylon to bow down to it. He’s the one who then had Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego thrown into the fiery furnace. That’s all in Daniel chapters 1-3. Then you get to chapter 4. It reads like a signed confession from Nebuchadnezzar. He had had a dream, a very terrifying dream. No one could tell him what it meant. No one, that is, except the prophet Daniel who had also been carried off to Babylon. He said, “This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.”
Now why was this all going to happen? Well as it turns out Nebuchadnezzar was acting like a turkey. We have that phrase. If someone is being, well a jerk, proud, just kind of strutting around not thinking of anyone else, he’s a turkey. Here it was the Lord who had raised up Babylon and given the empire to Nebuchadnezzar for the purpose of chastening Judah and Jerusalem and Nebuchadnezzar was acting like he had done it all. He was proud and boastful, a turkey.
That leads to our first Thanksgiving tip from Nebuchadnezzar. Don’t be a turkey. On Thanksgiving Day, yes all year long, don’t be a turkey. Don’t become boastful and proud about your accomplishments, the things you have, the job you hold, your place in society. On Thanksgiving and always recognize God as the giver. Don’t be a turkey spiritually. We all have to fight that aspect of our sinful nature that really does think we are better than other people, that it’s just a little understandable why God would love and save people like us rather than other sinners. Don’t be a turkey.
Nebuchadnezzar was and so the Lord treated him that way. “Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.” Hair like feathers? Nails like claws of a bird? The turkey looked like a turkey. God was humbling him.
Now listen to how Nebuchadnezzar responded. “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” 36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” Nebuchadnezzar thanked the Lord for turkey, for humbling him.
That’s our second tip from him. On Thanksgiving Day and always thank the Lord for turkey. Obviously it is an easy and natural thing to thank the Lord for your Thanksgiving turkey just like it is an easy and natural thing to thank the Lord for other good things in life. It’s good for us to do that. If you have good health, more than you need, loving family and friends, good things happening in your life, thank the Lord for that. Those are blessings. They come from Him. But thank the Lord for turkey too.
Nebuchadnezzar’s kind of turkey. God’s humblings in life. We need them. Just like Nebuchadnezzar when God fills our lives with good things we can tend to take them for granted. We want to take credit for them or at least share the credit with God. If you read Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving proclamation made during the Civil War you see that the nature of man has not changed. We don’t want to admit to our complete dependence on God. But we are completely dependent and need to live that way. Lincoln looked at the Civil War as a humbling chastisement from God. Nebuchadnezzar saw his turkey episode as a humbling chastisement from God. We can and should do the same. Thank the Lord for turkey, for any humblings. They are for our good. They keep us reliant on Him for our earthly needs. They keep us trusting in Jesus for our salvation. That’s the worst form of arrogance, isn’t it? When we think we merit heaven on our own or help Jesus in some way. So much better to be humbled by having our sins exposed by God’s righteous laws so we know how much we need Jesus, believe in Him and are saved eternally.
That becomes the bottom line. We have learned some Thanksgiving tips from an unlikely source. Nebuchadnezzar. What we don’t know is if we will see him again in heaven. His confession isn’t clear. Did he simply acknowledge God’s sovereignty or know Him as the Lord who showed mercy and would send a Savior? We don’t know. Don’t do that to the people who will follow you. Let them know by what you say and do that Jesus is your Savior and have a blessed Thanksgiving. Amen.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
November 20/21, 2011
November 20/21, 2011, Christ the King, sermon by Pastor Paul Eckert
Sermon text - Ezekiel 34:1-2, 10-26, 30-31
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?" 10 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them." 11 "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." 25 "I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild beasts so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the forests in safety. 26 I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing." 30 "Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Sovereign LORD. 31 You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Picture this. You are living in your comfortable home. Bad guys come, yank you out of your home, march you to a location a long distance away. After being there for a while, a report comes to you that the bad guys went back to your home area, leveled to the ground St. Jacobi church, the church you used to go to, burned down and completely destroyed the house where you had lived and had all your memories. But then you also hear that in the future your area and home would be rebuilt, and that you would end up with what would be better than anything you ever had or could dream of.
Yes, picture that. If that were you, do you think you would have reason to be thankful for that end result, and thankful not only one day, like a one day Thanksgiving Day this week? I think that I sure would be thankful. With that in mind let’s turn to our text and to our theme.
GIVE THANKS FOR OUR SHEPHERD KING
I THE NEED (1-2,10,17-22)
1. There were bad shepherds. (1-2)
The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?"
a) Picture Israel like a flock of sheep. Israel had shepherds, or leaders, that included judges and kings. Reading their history you have to conclude that most of their shepherding kings were bad guys.
b) The flock also had spiritual leaders. You know the good guys, like Isaiah and Jeremiah. But there also were bad spiritual shepherds who went along with the paganism that was all around them.
2. There was a problem also with bad sheep. (17-19)
"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. 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? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?"
a) Definitely yes, there were good sheep, true followers of the true God. The clear water of the truth was there.
b) But that clear water of truth was muddied up, mixed with false teaching. Some sheep liked that more than they liked God’s truth.
3. God would not overlook this. (20, 10a)
"Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep."
a) God would judge between the true and the false sheep.
b) And He would also judge the false shepherds who were more interested in serving themselves than in serving the sheep.
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves."
4. And God would not forget His true flock. (21-22,10b)
"Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another."
a) There weren’t only human sheep and shepherds. There also was the over-Shepherd, God, who saw everything that was happening.
b) He knew His flock then as He knows His true believers today.
"I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them."
c) Yes, the good Shepherd would take care of His flock in its difficulties. That was His promise then as it is His Promise today.
II THE PROMISE (11-16)
1. God had made a promise about the land of Israel.
a) All of history started with Adam and Eve. That was in the area where the Prophet Ezekiel now was, Babylon, or present day Iraq.
b) But the Prophet Micah pin-pointed a spot way east of there, near Jerusalem, where something of importance for the whole world would happen. He prophesied: "But you, Bethlehem Ephratha, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."
2. At Ezekiel’s time that promise seemed to have failed.
a) The church he had gone to, the temple in Jerusalem, had been destroyed. His house he would never see again.
b) You see, Ezekiel had been carried away into exile by the bad guys, and the nation of Israel no longer had any authority or power.
3. But God reminded him that God was still in charge. (11-16a)
"For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 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. 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. 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. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays."
a) Do you know what? This happened! God brought Israel back from the Babylonian exile to the land where Bethlehem was. b) But why? Could this picture have anything to do with God’s promise of a birth in Bethlehem, of an earthly descendant of the great King David, of a ruler who would be Immanuel?
4. Could God be pointing to the Shepherd King? (16b)
"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."
a) There were so many bad kings and shepherds in the past.
b) Would there really be a good Shepherd King for God’s flock?
c) That question God answered with fulfillment.
III THE FULFILLMENT (23-26, 30-31)
1. Was David the fulfillment? (23-24)
"I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken."
a) David was a shepherd king. But that was way back, many years ago. David had been dead about 400 years already.
b) Then who is pictured here by David? Listen to what the Apostle Peter once said, "I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ ---." (Acts 2:29-31)
2. Yes, God’s Son, Jesus, is the promised Shepherd King.
a) David stayed dead and buried; Jesus, his descendant, did not.
b) Scripture records David’s family line that headed straight to Bethlehem, to the one who would be acknowledged as the Son of David, the one who was to sit on a throne that would be eternal, as an angel had announced to Mary about Jesus, saying, "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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
3. From this Shepherd King come showers of blessing. (25-26)
"I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild beasts so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the forests in safety. I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing."
a) Think of how the blessing of the forgiveness of our sins was showered on us with the waters of Baptism. Think of how, when we so easily fall into sin, our Good Shepherd comes to His penitent people and showers on us in His Word and in the Lord’s Supper His forgiving peace that transcends all understanding. Think of how at our last hour He will assure us that we can depart in peace, showered with His forgiveness and grace, knowing heaven is our home.
b) That is what Ezekiel pictures for us when in our text he speaks of showers of blessings in a perfect land, even as John also did in the last book of the Bible when he pictured Jerusalem the Golden as the fulfillment of God’s promise when showers of blessings will be eternal.
4. All of this is because of our Shepherd King. (30-31)
"Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Sovereign LORD. You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD."
a) Israel would experience that God would do what He promised.
b) Jesus, Immanuel, the Son of God and Son of David, our Shepherd King, would carry out His mission. He said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." Jesus did that. He died for us. He arose for us. He lives for us. He showers His blessings of grace and forgiveness on us every day.
c) And one day He will take us from the exile of our earthly existence and shower blessings eternal on us in the real promised land of glory with Him.
Picture this? Yes! Enjoy the picture. It will be a reality. On Thanksgiving Day, and every day, don’t forget to GIVE THANKS FOR OUR SHEPHERD KING. Because of Him we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
