ADVENT 2
December 6, 2009
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Luke 3:1-6

REPENTANCE: IT DOES A BODY GOOD!"
1. Repentance gets us ready to celebrate Christmas.
2. Repentance gets us ready to enjoy eternal life.

Luke 3:1-6 "In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar--when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene-- {2} during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. {3} He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. {4} As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. {5} Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. {6} And all mankind will see God's salvation.'"

Over a hundred years ago a famous theologian wrote. "Take away the aroused conscience and you might as well turn churches into dance halls." What he meant was this: If people aren't aware or don't care about their failure to keep God's commands and if people don't understand that even one sin brings condemnation and makes a person deserving of the punishment of Hell then the message of Christian churches faithful to Jesus will no longer seem relevant. Christian churches will no longer be used and so you might as well turn them into something people will use like a dance hall.
What that theologian said many years ago about Christian churches we could also say about Christmas, couldn't we? Take away the aroused conscience and you might as well turn the celebration of Christmas into a beer bash. For if people aren't bothered by their failure to obey God perfectly and aren't troubled by the knowledge that sin brings God's punishment how can the birth of God's Son in Bethlehem have any significance? Jesus was born to save people from their sins, but if people no longer want saving from their sins the birth of Jesus is meaningless. What about you? How’s your Christmas shaping up? Are you getting excited to celebrate the birth of your Savior? Or do you just see a lot more work? There’s a way that we can be ready and stay excited for Christmas. While as Wisconsinites we know that milk does a body good, as Christians we know that repentance does a body good.
When God wanted to prepare His people to welcome Jesus the first time He came, He sent a man named John the Baptist. “He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” John’s message was one of repentance. What does that word mean to you? I think even the youngest ones here know repentance is more than saying, “Sorry,” when you are forced to.
Luke quoted us from the prophet Isaiah who foretold John’s message of repentance. “A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. {5} Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. {6} And all mankind will see God's salvation.'" Isaiah pictured repentance like a road building project. Now we just happened to have one of those in front of Jacobi this summer. Most of you got to see it happen in bits and pieces. Because of where we live my family and I got to see a lot of it. Actually it was kind of an interesting process. First they used a machine that scraped up and chewed up the old asphalt throwing it into a dump truck to be taken away. Then a machine came and pounded the concrete underlay, smashing the bad parts that were then scooped up and taken away. Then those low parts were filled in with good concrete and finally the overlay of asphalt making everything smooth and level for our cars.
That’s a good picture of what repentance is like for believers. First comes the machine of God’s law. When we actually listen to it and apply it to ourselves instead of other people, it scrapes away sins we have become calloused to, sins that are acceptable to society but not to God. Sins like trashing God’s name with the phrase “Oh my…” Sins like murdering others with hurtful words. Sins like drunkenness and underage drinking. Sins like neglecting God’s word and worship. When those are scraped away God’s law pounds away at the real problem, our rotten hearts filled with that dominant attitude of “It’s all about me. What’s in it for me. I only care if it affects me.” When believers experience this they scoop all that bad away with contrition, that attitude of sorrow, humility and shame over disappointing our God…again. Then in comes the Gospel, God’s good news that fills in our hearts with God’s love and forgiveness and puts on us the overlay of Jesus’ righteousness. It turns us into people who want to do their best, look their best, talk their best for Jesus.
That’s what repentance is and it does a body good! It gets us ready to celebrate Christmas. If there is one overriding emotion that is supposed to mark the Christmas season it is joy, right? Think of the carols! “Joy to the World.” “Now Sing we now Rejoice.” Even the secular carols, “Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la.” Do you have joy looking forward to and preparing for Christmas? If not, why not? When God sent John the Baptist his job was to prepare people to greet their Savior. His message to those people was repent, to prepare the way for the Savior through repentance. This takes place in the heart. What’s your heart set on this Christmas? Looking good? Best dressed? Impressing the neighbors with your display? Fulfilling your children’s wants? Getting what you want? Staying out of debt? That’s a lot of work and a lot of stress. Repent. Prepare the way for your Lord in your heart. Admit to your sinfulness then focus your eyes on your Savior. We can pass along all the e-mails we want about keeping Christ in Christmas and saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays but that’s awfully meaningless if we the people of God don’t actually keep Christ in Christmas. And that won’t happen unless Christ is in our hearts. Then the activities we choose to do or not do, the plans we make, the priorities we establish will declare that Christmas is about Christ. Repent. Admit to the many times you willing went down the path of sin. See that if God really treated you as your sins deserve you would be jobless, penniless, homeless, and hopeless. Then see why that’s not true. See why you have physical blessings and hope for every problem in life. A Savior was born. Christ the Lord. Repentance it does a body good. It gets us ready to celebrate true Christmas.
And it gets us ready to enjoy eternity. Eternity is why we have a Christmas. God could not bear the thought of people, His beloved Creation, separated from Him in Hell so He sent a Savior. The work of the Savior was not to fix all the problems on earth but to provide the way to heaven. Jesus did that with His perfect live and His sacrifice to pay for sin. He did that for everyone. Those who believe in Jesus as their Savior receive the blessing of forgiveness applied to them. Now maybe we see why the Devil works so hard to get consciences calloused. Now we see why he doesn’t want people aware of their sins. If I have no sins, I need no Savior. If sin can be explained away as normal and no big deal, if I can earn my presents by being nice, not naughty, why do I need a Savior? Of what importance is Jesus to me?
Brothers and sisters, when we start to let sins that are acceptable and no big deal to society become acceptable and no big deal to us we are playing into the Devil’s hands. We need aroused consciences that are painfully aware of sin so we constantly see our need for Jesus as Savior and value Him. Repentance. It does a body good. So repentance is ongoing, we teach ourselves the 10 Commandments and their meaning so we can see our sin and need for a Savior. That order for personal preparation for Communion is another way to help us see our need for a Savior. Then Jesus means everything to us. We see He is our only way to heaven. We are ready to enjoy eternity. For whoever believes will be saved.
In our Children’s lesson I asked the kids about some things that were important enough to do daily. You heard their answers. Now add to theirs, God’s. Repentance for it does a body good. Practice it daily and you will be ready to celebrate Christ with Christ as the focus. Practice it daily and you’ll always be ready for heaven. Amen.