Jan 23, 2011 from Richard Waldschmidt on Vimeo.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
January 16th, 2011 Worship Service
Jan 16, 2011 from Richard Waldschmidt on Vimeo.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).
TWO LOOKS, ONE LAMB
I. One Look Telling Everyone Who Jesus Is
II. One Look shows Jesus Beginning His Work
In the name of Jesus the Lamb of God, dear fellow redeemed children of God,
“To Be Continued”. In the old Batman show just when Batman and Robin were being daggled by an arch super criminal over a bubbling cauldron that would surely bring an “end to the “caped crusaders” the words “to be continued” would scroll across the screen and you would hear the words encouraging everyone to join us next time “same bat time same bat channel.” The Bible has a number of very real ‘to be continued’ episodes. Think of the episode where the “ark of the covenant” was captured by the Philistine army and paraded like a trophy into the temple of their idol god. Things looked bleak. But the next morning idol knocked to the floor on its face. That episode was repeated several times until God brought the Philistines to see that it would be in their best interest to return the ark to the place it belonged. Or think of the ultimate “to be continued” episode at the Tomb on Good Friday. Today we hear of another “to be continued” episode that happened right at the beginning of Jesus ministry. It doesn’t have the high drama of some of the other accounts in the Bible but it gives comfort and peace none the less. It’s just covering the first two days of Jesus’ public ministry. In it we see two days, two looks, one Lamb. The first look tells everyone who Jesus is. The second look shows Jesus beginning His work.
The first look at the Lamb starts off with the religious establishment’s questioning the plan God was now revealing more and more. It had been almost 30 years since Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The religious leaders were awakened ount of their self righteous spiritual sleep by a voice calling in the wilderness. Near the Jordan River, John, the son of Zachariah and Elizabeth was preaching and baptizing. The temple leaders sent some of the low level priests and Levites and then some middle management Pharisees to find out about this guy. “Who are you?” they asked.” They wondered if he was the Christ or maybe Elijah come back to earth after being taken to heaven in a whirlwind of made by horses and a chariot of fire. John make it clear that he was not the Christ. But soon they would get a look at the one who was the promised Messiah.
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb have of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” My mom and dad have a picture on the wall of their home where a second picture is hidden within the most obvious picture. The most obvious picture is of a stream and forest but hidden in the picture is a picture of Jesus. Once someone points that out to you it is easy to see, in fact it seems it’s all you see when you look at the picture. The Lamb of God was easy to see, too, once God pointed Him out to hearts. Jesus looked like any other human being. He didn’t have a tattoo on his arm that told everyone that he was THE Lamb of God sent to take away the sins of the world. God had a different way of making him known. The fact that Jesus was the promised lamb had to be revealed even to John the Baptist himself, who was sent to reveal the Lamb of God to the world! John later explained, “I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” John was Jesus’ cousin, but without the Holy Spirit making things clear to him, he could not have understand the full scope and significance of Jesus’ work for the world. The Lord would reveal that to John when Jesus came to be baptized as our Substitute.
John had been watching for this one on whom he would see “the Spirit come down and remain.” Now the moment was here. You can hear the excitement in John’s voice. “This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” Epiphany is a word that means that Jesus was “made known” as the Savior. That’s the word John uses as he talks about his job of making Jesus known as the Messiah. In this age where so many people ache for their 15 minutes of fame in reality shows, isn’t it neat to hear about one who humbly recognized where he fit into the picture. John could have tried to hold the center stage and ridden the fame train until it was out of steam. John recognized that he was only an arrow pointing people to their Savior. Right from the opening frames, John says “a man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” With the God given glasses of faith, John recognized Jesus as the God who made the heavens and earth who took on flesh and blood. When John looked at Jesus he saw “Immanuel-God with us.”
God used John to let everyone know that Jesus was the Messiah. You can see the thoroughness of God as John goes over again what the ells us again how the Spirit made it clear, “Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” Recently we had a new governor take the oath of office in Madison. That oath of office is a part of the inauguration process we use to let everyone know who has the power of that office. In the Old Testament God had a different way of letting everyone know who was in the office of priest or king. Kings like David and prophets like Elisha were anointed with a special anointing oil. That ceremony let everyone know who the king was or who God’s spokesman was. Jesus would not be anointed with a special oil. Instead the Holy Spirit “came down in the form of a dove and remained” on him. John lets everyone know that Jesus is the Messiah. “I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”
Sometimes we know things with our heads, but our hearts have trouble with it. We know in our head that God says that if he takes care of the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, he surely is going to take care of us. We know that with our heads. But our hearts have trouble with that. We know in our heads that God says, “as far as the east is from the west so far has he removed our transgressions from us” yet sometimes guilt still terrorizes our hearts. We know that Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life…whoever believeth in me will live even though he dies” yet our hearts tremble a little at the thought of our death. That weakness shows our sinfulness. It also shows how our sin has left us powerless to know and believe the truths of what God has done to save us. How comforting for us to see God work in John’s heart and take the knowledge John had in his head about what his mom and dad had said about his relative Jesus and plant as faith inside his heart that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah. If you feel that struggle of head and heart, take comfort. Isaiah points us to the Lamb of God whose punishment brought us peace- whose wounds heal us. Isaiah wrote about the Messiah John was pointing to “a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”
With John’s testimony the words flash across the screen “to be continued.” Don’t worry we get another look at Jesus the Lamb of God the next day- a look that shows the Messiah beginning His work.
“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” As Americans we are happy to see our newly elected government officials get right to work after their inauguration doing the work we elected them to do. We don’t want to see them go on vacation for a couple of weeks. Jesus gets right to the work of being our Messiah. After God made it clear to everyone that Jesus was the promised Lamb he begins gathering his twelve disciples. Jesus first 6 disciples were from the area around the Sea of Galilee. That core group included two sets of brothers, Andrew and Peter and James and John, and two of their friends.
Two of Jesus disciples were followers of John. Andrew is named here and we assume that the disciple not named is John, since John in humility doesn’t name himself the Gospel he wrote. Rather than try to hold those disciples in his ring of followers, John pointed them to the Lamb. “When the two disciples heard him his, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
Jesus knew why they were following him, even better than Peter and John knew. Yet again we see the Messiah going about his work of being our perfect substitute. Remember as part of God’s plan Jesus set aside the full use of his knowledge as true God and took on a human brain and a human body who would ask questions that he as true God already knew the answers to. That makes our heads hurt but it makes our hearts glow with gratitude toward the one who did all that for us.
You can see faith and gratitude growing in the hearts of these disciples. “They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).” The look at the Lamb made a difference in Andrew’s life. The Lamb was here and had begun His work. Andrew had to tell his brother!
A new year lies before us for us to do what Andrew and John did- to search the Scriptures to learn more about the Lamb of God we see in God’s Word. To keep on asking him to be our guest at our dinner tables and watch over us as we sleep at night. In thankfulness, let’s stay away from places and situations where Jesus teaches us not to stay in. Like Andrew, let’s not let other things crowd Jesus out of our conversations with our loved ones and friends. Like Andrew may it be said of us, that we just cannot keep this news about the Lamb to ourselves.
Batman and Robin had high drama in their lives every episode. The truth is that most of our lives do not have high drama. There are very few “to be continued” kind of moments. When those moments come, so often they throw us for a loop. We rarely find ourselves being dangled over a giant cup of steaming hot coffee by a super arch criminal villain. But we have a Savior, Jesus. He began His work of being the Messiah and in love and faithfulness he finished it for us. Amen.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
EPIPHANY
January 9/10, 2011
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Isaiah 60:1-6
“RISE AND SHINE, BELIEVERS!”
1. It may look a little dark.
2. But the Glory of the Lord has appeared.
3. And look at all the gifts they are bringing!
Isaiah 60:1-6 (NIV) “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. 5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. 6 Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD.”
Rise and shine! If you are not a morning person those are words you do not want to hear. If you are a morning person those are words you love to hear because you get to go at it again. If you are a “mourning” person and a believer in the one true God they are words you definitely want to hear Him speak. Such was the case for the believers in the Old Testament at the time of the prophet Isaiah. They were in mourning and so how good it was to hear God say, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” Let’s find out why and what this means to us.
When Isaiah wrote these words the people of Israel were a spiritual mess. They thought that outward mechanical bringing of offerings was good enough and pleasing to God. They honored God with their lips but their hearts were far from Him. They were in dire straits as a nation. Someone had a great idea. Let’s hold a fast and that will impress God. But it didn’t. Their hearts were not in it and they were relying on themselves. They became despondent. It’s like they were flopped on the ground in despair. Things looked a little dark.
And they were going to get a little darker. See, God had announced a consequence for the nation. Conquest. Exile for the people. Signs were all around. Things were not going well for the nation. They were in decline. You can understand why the people were a down, despondent, depressed. Things were looking a little dark. God acknowledged it. “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples.” It was the darkness caused by sin and unbelief.
I think we can relate a little, can’t we? For the people of God living in the United States of America things can look a little dark. While we are still a big boy on the block we are not the dominant player on the world scene that we used to be. Some would call us a nation in decline. There is darkness over our nation too. The darkness of unbelief and sin. If you can believe what the polls say fewer and fewer identify themselves as Christian year after year and of those who do the concept of Christianity has been so watered down by false teaching it’s really hard to know how many truly are believers in Jesus as the Christ. As a nation we are getting more and more immoral. We legally murder millions of babies. Sexual sinning gets more and more blatant and more and more acceptable each year. Hey, even our great city of Milwaukee gets in on the action. Did you see it? We won the award for the drunkest city in America! Yeah! But it’s not just the unbelievers getting in on that action is it? Even the people of God.“See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples.”
But what does God say? Rise and shine, people! Why? Listen again.“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” God told the Old Testament believers that they could rise and shine even though things looked a little dark because they had the glory of the Lord. Now that’s an interesting phrase in the Hebrew language. It even sounds cool. In Hebrew the glory of the LORD is pronounced CAVOD ADONAI. Say it with me, CAVOD ADONAI. But even cooler is what it means. The CAVOD ADONAI, the Glory of the Lord, referred for instance the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night that led the Israelites out of Egypt. It covered Mt. Sinai when the law was being given. It filled the Temple when it was dedicated. It was a bright light picture, a visible presentation of God’s grace. God graciously comes the help of His people. God graciously comes to live with them. And now you know what the CAVOD ADONAI here refers to. It’s Jesus. God’s Old Testament people could rise above their circumstances and shine for their Lord because Messiah, Jesus was coming.
Now remember we live on the other side of this prophecy. We live in fulfillment. We have the glory of the Lord. We have Immanuel, God with us. Jesus has promised to be with us always, so He is. Jesus promised that where two or three come together in His name, He is there with them. Good morning, Jesus! And remember that the Glory of the Lord, the CAVOD ADONAI, is to be gracious. He picks up the fallen and mourning. Rise and Shine! He forgives those who don’t deserve it. Have you got some sins bothering you? Have you been a part of the darkness? Rise and shine! We have the glory of the Lord, Jesus. He forgives you.
Now, look at all the gifts they are bringing to Him! “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. 5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. 6 Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD.” That’s quite a picture, isn’t it? All these people coming bringing all these gifts. It may not have looked like it at the time to the Old Testament people of God but the Messiah and His Church is glorious. What a treasure they had in their Savior that would be treasured by so many more people. When the Wise Men came from the east bring their gold, frankincense and myrrh, it was just the start of people bringing gifts to Jesus.
Since that time the wealth of the world has been brought as gifts to Jesus, billions and billions to honor Him and carry out the mission given to the church. We’ve also been a part of that. How many millions have been brought by the people of St. Jacobi in its 137 years? Think about that! But some even more impressive gifts have been brought to Jesus. People have brought to Him that broken and contrite heart that He does not despise. They have brought Him grateful hearts for blessings. They have brought to Him trusting hearts in time of trial. And they have brought to Him willing obedience to His commands. That’s what He loves. Remember what the Lord said? If you love me, obey my commandments.
Now, rise and shine, believers. It does not matter if things look a little dark, if Jesus is not valued in our country or by our fellow Americans. It does not matter if people like living in sinful ways rather than God pleasing ones. It does not matter if our past contains those shameful sins of darkness. It does not matter if the church struggles or isn’t perceived to be glorious. We have the glory of the Lord. We have Jesus so we have forgiveness. We have God with us and God for us! No more living sad, pessimistic down and dreary lives. Rise and shine for Jesus. Let’s bring to Him the gifts of willing obedience. Your shining will attract others to the glory of the Lord. Live with a happy heart. Serve with joy at whatever you do. Milwaukee may be the drunkest city in the nation but that doesn’t mean that we have to be a part of it. We can be different, lights shining in a dark place, shining for Jesus.
Children, think of how you can do that too. If God lets this world continue you will be that next generation. Practice now with careful obedience to God commands. Let the words you choose to use and refuse to use show everyone who hears what it means to have the glory of the Lord and what a privilege and honor it is. Adults, remember what the children taught us. You can’t shine without power. God has put His power in the Word. Use it and you will rise and shine to His glory. Amen.
January 9/10, 2011
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Isaiah 60:1-6
“RISE AND SHINE, BELIEVERS!”
1. It may look a little dark.
2. But the Glory of the Lord has appeared.
3. And look at all the gifts they are bringing!
Isaiah 60:1-6 (NIV) “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. 5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. 6 Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD.”
Rise and shine! If you are not a morning person those are words you do not want to hear. If you are a morning person those are words you love to hear because you get to go at it again. If you are a “mourning” person and a believer in the one true God they are words you definitely want to hear Him speak. Such was the case for the believers in the Old Testament at the time of the prophet Isaiah. They were in mourning and so how good it was to hear God say, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” Let’s find out why and what this means to us.
When Isaiah wrote these words the people of Israel were a spiritual mess. They thought that outward mechanical bringing of offerings was good enough and pleasing to God. They honored God with their lips but their hearts were far from Him. They were in dire straits as a nation. Someone had a great idea. Let’s hold a fast and that will impress God. But it didn’t. Their hearts were not in it and they were relying on themselves. They became despondent. It’s like they were flopped on the ground in despair. Things looked a little dark.
And they were going to get a little darker. See, God had announced a consequence for the nation. Conquest. Exile for the people. Signs were all around. Things were not going well for the nation. They were in decline. You can understand why the people were a down, despondent, depressed. Things were looking a little dark. God acknowledged it. “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples.” It was the darkness caused by sin and unbelief.
I think we can relate a little, can’t we? For the people of God living in the United States of America things can look a little dark. While we are still a big boy on the block we are not the dominant player on the world scene that we used to be. Some would call us a nation in decline. There is darkness over our nation too. The darkness of unbelief and sin. If you can believe what the polls say fewer and fewer identify themselves as Christian year after year and of those who do the concept of Christianity has been so watered down by false teaching it’s really hard to know how many truly are believers in Jesus as the Christ. As a nation we are getting more and more immoral. We legally murder millions of babies. Sexual sinning gets more and more blatant and more and more acceptable each year. Hey, even our great city of Milwaukee gets in on the action. Did you see it? We won the award for the drunkest city in America! Yeah! But it’s not just the unbelievers getting in on that action is it? Even the people of God.“See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples.”
But what does God say? Rise and shine, people! Why? Listen again.“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” God told the Old Testament believers that they could rise and shine even though things looked a little dark because they had the glory of the Lord. Now that’s an interesting phrase in the Hebrew language. It even sounds cool. In Hebrew the glory of the LORD is pronounced CAVOD ADONAI. Say it with me, CAVOD ADONAI. But even cooler is what it means. The CAVOD ADONAI, the Glory of the Lord, referred for instance the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night that led the Israelites out of Egypt. It covered Mt. Sinai when the law was being given. It filled the Temple when it was dedicated. It was a bright light picture, a visible presentation of God’s grace. God graciously comes the help of His people. God graciously comes to live with them. And now you know what the CAVOD ADONAI here refers to. It’s Jesus. God’s Old Testament people could rise above their circumstances and shine for their Lord because Messiah, Jesus was coming.
Now remember we live on the other side of this prophecy. We live in fulfillment. We have the glory of the Lord. We have Immanuel, God with us. Jesus has promised to be with us always, so He is. Jesus promised that where two or three come together in His name, He is there with them. Good morning, Jesus! And remember that the Glory of the Lord, the CAVOD ADONAI, is to be gracious. He picks up the fallen and mourning. Rise and Shine! He forgives those who don’t deserve it. Have you got some sins bothering you? Have you been a part of the darkness? Rise and shine! We have the glory of the Lord, Jesus. He forgives you.
Now, look at all the gifts they are bringing to Him! “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. 5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. 6 Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD.” That’s quite a picture, isn’t it? All these people coming bringing all these gifts. It may not have looked like it at the time to the Old Testament people of God but the Messiah and His Church is glorious. What a treasure they had in their Savior that would be treasured by so many more people. When the Wise Men came from the east bring their gold, frankincense and myrrh, it was just the start of people bringing gifts to Jesus.
Since that time the wealth of the world has been brought as gifts to Jesus, billions and billions to honor Him and carry out the mission given to the church. We’ve also been a part of that. How many millions have been brought by the people of St. Jacobi in its 137 years? Think about that! But some even more impressive gifts have been brought to Jesus. People have brought to Him that broken and contrite heart that He does not despise. They have brought Him grateful hearts for blessings. They have brought to Him trusting hearts in time of trial. And they have brought to Him willing obedience to His commands. That’s what He loves. Remember what the Lord said? If you love me, obey my commandments.
Now, rise and shine, believers. It does not matter if things look a little dark, if Jesus is not valued in our country or by our fellow Americans. It does not matter if people like living in sinful ways rather than God pleasing ones. It does not matter if our past contains those shameful sins of darkness. It does not matter if the church struggles or isn’t perceived to be glorious. We have the glory of the Lord. We have Jesus so we have forgiveness. We have God with us and God for us! No more living sad, pessimistic down and dreary lives. Rise and shine for Jesus. Let’s bring to Him the gifts of willing obedience. Your shining will attract others to the glory of the Lord. Live with a happy heart. Serve with joy at whatever you do. Milwaukee may be the drunkest city in the nation but that doesn’t mean that we have to be a part of it. We can be different, lights shining in a dark place, shining for Jesus.
Children, think of how you can do that too. If God lets this world continue you will be that next generation. Practice now with careful obedience to God commands. Let the words you choose to use and refuse to use show everyone who hears what it means to have the glory of the Lord and what a privilege and honor it is. Adults, remember what the children taught us. You can’t shine without power. God has put His power in the Word. Use it and you will rise and shine to His glory. Amen.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
January 2nd 2011
Jan 2, 2011 from Richard Waldschmidt on Vimeo.
Isaiah 61:10-62:3 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
In the name of Jesus, the newborn King and Savior,
Snooping around at gifts can really get a kid or a husband or wife in hot water even on Christmas or your birthday. You see, moms can tell if the wrapping paper has been lifted up even just a little bit on the corner. It seems moms have an internal GPS for packages not being in the exact positions they left them in before Christmas. Today in God’s Word, the Lord gives you a look at the gift he gave you at Christmas. He gave this look to his people and to us over 700 years before that first Christmas took place. But no one has to be afraid of getting in trouble because God invites you to look. Look what you got for Christmas! There is quite a list. I. A robe II. A plant. III. A light and IV. A new name.
It is a “gift opening” atmosphere as Isaiah looked forward to the gift God would give. Isaiah beams, “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. “ Isaiah took delight in the Lord because of something the Lord would send that would be in all of his gift packages- righteousness. In a conversation the other day I wondered out loud if all of the corruption in government and the embezzlement in business is happening more and more or if we are just getting better at catching it. Once it is caught the media trumpets it for all to hear. Now we watch the news and it is so easy to think to ourselves that only other people sin. But the Scriptures say that righteousness is needed by everyone. “There is no one who is righteous, no one who pleases God. there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” I know that the reason Christmas presents are given is not to get a present in return. But we do go to great pains to be sure that we would have a present to give to someone who gives us a present. Sometimes we even call it a Christmas gift exchange. But we have nothing to give to God. We have not kept the commands he demands that we keep.
Parts of Isaiah read like the script of a play. One actor speaks then another. At times we hear the coming Messiah speaking by a miracle in that the coming of the Messiah on earth was still years in the future. At times we hear God talking and then other times we hear his prophet talk. Chapter 61 starts off with the Savior saying, “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.” We know that’s the Messiah talking because Jesus reads these words at the synagogue at Nazareth and says plainly that they are talking about him. Then the Lord goes on to talk about what the gifts he has in mind for His people. “Everlasting joy will be theirs,“ God says.
Like a child opening a gift the prophet then responds with some “look what I got for Christmas” kind of words. “For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” When Isaiah was commissioned and stood in God’s holy presence he was struck with terror wit the fact that he was “a man of unclean lips and he lived among a people of unclean lips.” The prophet rejoices because he doesn’t have to worry about standing before God in the filthy rags of his own righteousness. In a way the Lord’s gift is righteousness that is packaged in four different ways. The first way the gift of righteousness is pictured is a robe. The Lord gave us a robe of righteousness. One of the gifts my sister received years ago was a potholder making kit. The package came with a square loom and many stretchy pieces of fabric that would be stretched on the loom and then a child could weave them together to make a potholder. My mom still might have some of those potholders in the drawer. A pastor wrote in the People’s Bible Commentary on Isaiah that God wove your robe of righteousness on a loom shaped as a cross. Jesus was stretched out on the cross. The sins we pile up were placed on Him. God doesn’t see the things that you have done wrong- Jesus robe of righteousness covers you.
Poinsettias grow outdoors in Mexico as much as 10 feet in height. Most of us, however, are lucky to make it to the New Year with most of the flowers intact. There’s a great deal of care involved to get them to bloom at just the right time. God took a great deal of care in the gift he gave for you. Even if you didn’t get a Poinsettia for Christmas you still received a plant. “For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.” Just like God makes seeds grow into hearty plants in the ordinary soil of the garden, so the Lord would bring from this ordinary nation of Israel the Savior of the whole world. God would also work another miracle. He would plant faith in that Savior in your hearts through God’s Word. In the Scripture lesson today, Paul prays that that would continue even more. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Paul’s prayer is also your pastors’ prayer for you- that he would make the plant of your faith grow more and more. We give thanks for the wonderful ways the Holy Spirit has made your faith grow in 2010 We also ask that the Holy Spirit would continue to work in your hearts in 2011 and beyond--that the great love of Jesus would spur all of us on to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly.
If you were here the children’s Christmas programs, you know the joy on the children’s faces as they told of the gift gave at Christmas. The joy just seems to bubble over for the little ones. We hear that bubbly joy in Isaiah’s voice as he unwrapped the light God would give. “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.” Have you ever been in a totally dark room and tried to feel your way to the door. You know it’s pretty easy to stumble and fall. What you need is a light. The Savior would be a warm camp fire beckoning people to come near and bask in the warmth of forgiveness and peace. Through the miracle of faith God has brought you out of darkness to see things clearly in the light of his word. By faith you know that this world is not all there is. Our real home is home in heaven. By faith you know that we get to heaven not by the good things we do but through the merits of what Jesus did for us. God’s Word lights up your path with the good news that Jesus is always with you. Maybe this year you might think about someone you would like to share that light with.
Have there ever been times when you have heard your mom or dad call you in that tone of voice that you just knew that you were in trouble? Maybe you wished for a new name. That’s what God gives you in Jesus- a new name. “The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.”
Maybe you’ve received a gift you treasure. God’s gift is something to be treasured too but it is also something to be shared. Look what you got for Christmas. Let treasure it and share it. Amen.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
NEW YEAR’S EVE
December 31, 2010
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: 1 Samuel 13:13-14
“LORD, MAKE ME A (WO)MAN AFTER YOUR HEART!”
1 Samuel 13:13-14 (NIV) “You acted foolishly,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”
Now there’s a man after my own heart! It’s a phrase we have. It shows our approval when someone likes what we like. So if someone likes the same food as I do, pizza, loaded with all the toppings, I would say, “Now there’s a man after my own heart.” The phrase expresses endearment and approval. David is called a man after the Lord’s own heart. You heard it in the Scripture reading. When Saul disobeyed God by offering the sacrifices Samuel was supposed to make, he showed his lack of trust in God’s promises. God had Samuel announce, “But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart.” That man was David. A man after the Lord’s heart. “How can it be?” we ask. And then as the children of God who desire His endearment and approval we further ask, “How can that be me?” As we stand at the transition point from one year to another and do that New Year’s thing we do of looking back and looking ahead, I offer this to you as a New Year’s prayer, “Lord make me, a man—or woman—after your own heart.
Let’s go back now through our readings and see what it means to be after the Lord’s heart. What is it that has God’s approval? What is that endears His people to Him? First we see that a man after the Lord’s own heart is zealous for God’s honor and trusts Him to act. That’s what we saw in the young David, right? It started when he was a boy, tending his father’s sheep. He trusted the Lord to help him against bears and lions. Then came the showdown with Goliath. Look again at David’s words. “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” Then he goes up against a 9 foot tall armored giant with only a sling and some stream bed stones. He trusted the Lord to save and he was zealous that God get the honor.
There’s more we can learn from David. Did you notice how he handled a problem with his authority? That event occurred when Saul was unjustly pursuing David to try to kill him even though David had been a faithful servant to Saul. An opportunity arose to take Saul out when Abishai and David sneaked into Saul’s camp when all were asleep. What would David do? The world’s way would be to take Saul out. Notice again David’s response. But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless? 10 As surely as the LORD lives,” he said, “the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed.” Once again David showed trust in the Lord to take care of things and obedience to God’s commands.
As you look back to 2010 I’m sure you can identify battles you had to fight. Perhaps there were problems at work or in a relationship. Maybe it was with health. How did you handle them? Did you rely on your own wise ways? Did you fight fire with fire? And why did you want those battles won? For your peace and honor or so that the Lord would get the glory? How are you dealing with authorities God has placed over you in government, work, home? Have you been giving less than faithful service, maybe trying to take someone out? Or like David, do you see that you can never obey the 4th Commandment too well or trust God too much to take care of things at the right time and in His way? If you see too much me when you look back, rejoice that we have a repentance service tonight and pray, “Lord make me a man after your own heart in 2011.”
Understand then that being a man or woman after the Lord’s own heart does not mean that you are going to be perfect but it does mean that you will be repentant. That’s what the next period of David’s life shows us. We can struggle a bit with thinking of David as a man after the Lord’s own heart because we know what happened after Goliath. Adultery, deceit, murder. What happened? Did David get complacent in his mid life? Did he forget how God dependent he was? We don’t know. We do know he was where he wasn’t supposed to be. In spring when kings go to war David sent out his army and stayed behind. He peeked at a woman and instead of turning away he lusted after her. Then more. Adultery. Then more. He tried to cover up his sin. Murder. Doesn’t seem like much of a man after the Lord’s heart. He was not perfect. He sinned against God.
But the story of David’s life doesn’t end with the cover up. God loved David and sent Nathan the prophet to him. He exposed David’s sin and rebuked him. Now let’s look at David’s response. Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” David repented. He received God’s forgiveness. He humbly accepted the consequence that the son born to him and Bathsheba would not live. David could do that because of great David’s greater Son. You know who that is, don’t you? It’s Jesus. David only knew him as the Messiah who would come. Faith in that Messiah, Jesus, which is part of repentance, enabled David to believe that God had forgiven him and the effects of the earthly consequence for his sin would not last into eternity. David would get to see his son again because of Jesus.
As you look back at 2010 you see that you were not perfect. You fell into sins that you knew were wrong. Perhaps like David you tried to cover them up. Hopefully you are not still playing that game. There’s only one thing that really covers over sin and that’s the blood of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness He has won. God loves you. Did He send you a Nathan to rebuke you, some knock aside the head with a 2 X 4 to lead you to repentance? If so, thank the Lord for that. For a man or a woman after the Lord’s own heart is not someone who is perfect by themselves. They are perfect in Christ and they are repentant. Taking ownership for our sin, in sorrow turning to Jesus for forgiveness and then in gratefulness, turning away from sin and trying to make things right.
As we look again at the life of David, the man after the Lord’s own heart, we see that a man or woman after the Lord’s own heart strives to do better. David’s great fall seemed to come at a time when he became complacent with his role as leader of God’s people, perhaps thinking he was too strong to fall. He learned and as we follow the rest of David’s life which had many hardships we don’t see a perfect man but one who stays God dependent and tried to make things better, not for himself but for others. Listen again to his charge to his son Solomon. “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, show yourself a man, 3 and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.” Walk in the ways of the Lord. Keep His decrees and commands. That’s good advice isn’t it? What an awesome country we would have if this kingly advice was followed. Is it good enough to be followed by you? Remember how David fell? Spiritual complacency and self dependence. As you look back at 2010 did you put your faith life on auto pilot? Did you go places you shouldn’t have trusting in your own strength? Are there some decrees or commands of God you feel free to ignore? Lord, make me a man after your own heart. Help me strive to do better.
And as people who know that it is God who must work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure we are making a good start. We are gathered in His house to express our repentance and get His strength. Let’s follow through when we leave. And may that great God who gave us His Son Jesus make you and me a man or woman after His heart. Amen.
December 31, 2010
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: 1 Samuel 13:13-14
“LORD, MAKE ME A (WO)MAN AFTER YOUR HEART!”
1 Samuel 13:13-14 (NIV) “You acted foolishly,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”
Now there’s a man after my own heart! It’s a phrase we have. It shows our approval when someone likes what we like. So if someone likes the same food as I do, pizza, loaded with all the toppings, I would say, “Now there’s a man after my own heart.” The phrase expresses endearment and approval. David is called a man after the Lord’s own heart. You heard it in the Scripture reading. When Saul disobeyed God by offering the sacrifices Samuel was supposed to make, he showed his lack of trust in God’s promises. God had Samuel announce, “But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart.” That man was David. A man after the Lord’s heart. “How can it be?” we ask. And then as the children of God who desire His endearment and approval we further ask, “How can that be me?” As we stand at the transition point from one year to another and do that New Year’s thing we do of looking back and looking ahead, I offer this to you as a New Year’s prayer, “Lord make me, a man—or woman—after your own heart.
Let’s go back now through our readings and see what it means to be after the Lord’s heart. What is it that has God’s approval? What is that endears His people to Him? First we see that a man after the Lord’s own heart is zealous for God’s honor and trusts Him to act. That’s what we saw in the young David, right? It started when he was a boy, tending his father’s sheep. He trusted the Lord to help him against bears and lions. Then came the showdown with Goliath. Look again at David’s words. “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” Then he goes up against a 9 foot tall armored giant with only a sling and some stream bed stones. He trusted the Lord to save and he was zealous that God get the honor.
There’s more we can learn from David. Did you notice how he handled a problem with his authority? That event occurred when Saul was unjustly pursuing David to try to kill him even though David had been a faithful servant to Saul. An opportunity arose to take Saul out when Abishai and David sneaked into Saul’s camp when all were asleep. What would David do? The world’s way would be to take Saul out. Notice again David’s response. But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless? 10 As surely as the LORD lives,” he said, “the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed.” Once again David showed trust in the Lord to take care of things and obedience to God’s commands.
As you look back to 2010 I’m sure you can identify battles you had to fight. Perhaps there were problems at work or in a relationship. Maybe it was with health. How did you handle them? Did you rely on your own wise ways? Did you fight fire with fire? And why did you want those battles won? For your peace and honor or so that the Lord would get the glory? How are you dealing with authorities God has placed over you in government, work, home? Have you been giving less than faithful service, maybe trying to take someone out? Or like David, do you see that you can never obey the 4th Commandment too well or trust God too much to take care of things at the right time and in His way? If you see too much me when you look back, rejoice that we have a repentance service tonight and pray, “Lord make me a man after your own heart in 2011.”
Understand then that being a man or woman after the Lord’s own heart does not mean that you are going to be perfect but it does mean that you will be repentant. That’s what the next period of David’s life shows us. We can struggle a bit with thinking of David as a man after the Lord’s own heart because we know what happened after Goliath. Adultery, deceit, murder. What happened? Did David get complacent in his mid life? Did he forget how God dependent he was? We don’t know. We do know he was where he wasn’t supposed to be. In spring when kings go to war David sent out his army and stayed behind. He peeked at a woman and instead of turning away he lusted after her. Then more. Adultery. Then more. He tried to cover up his sin. Murder. Doesn’t seem like much of a man after the Lord’s heart. He was not perfect. He sinned against God.
But the story of David’s life doesn’t end with the cover up. God loved David and sent Nathan the prophet to him. He exposed David’s sin and rebuked him. Now let’s look at David’s response. Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” David repented. He received God’s forgiveness. He humbly accepted the consequence that the son born to him and Bathsheba would not live. David could do that because of great David’s greater Son. You know who that is, don’t you? It’s Jesus. David only knew him as the Messiah who would come. Faith in that Messiah, Jesus, which is part of repentance, enabled David to believe that God had forgiven him and the effects of the earthly consequence for his sin would not last into eternity. David would get to see his son again because of Jesus.
As you look back at 2010 you see that you were not perfect. You fell into sins that you knew were wrong. Perhaps like David you tried to cover them up. Hopefully you are not still playing that game. There’s only one thing that really covers over sin and that’s the blood of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness He has won. God loves you. Did He send you a Nathan to rebuke you, some knock aside the head with a 2 X 4 to lead you to repentance? If so, thank the Lord for that. For a man or a woman after the Lord’s own heart is not someone who is perfect by themselves. They are perfect in Christ and they are repentant. Taking ownership for our sin, in sorrow turning to Jesus for forgiveness and then in gratefulness, turning away from sin and trying to make things right.
As we look again at the life of David, the man after the Lord’s own heart, we see that a man or woman after the Lord’s own heart strives to do better. David’s great fall seemed to come at a time when he became complacent with his role as leader of God’s people, perhaps thinking he was too strong to fall. He learned and as we follow the rest of David’s life which had many hardships we don’t see a perfect man but one who stays God dependent and tried to make things better, not for himself but for others. Listen again to his charge to his son Solomon. “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, show yourself a man, 3 and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.” Walk in the ways of the Lord. Keep His decrees and commands. That’s good advice isn’t it? What an awesome country we would have if this kingly advice was followed. Is it good enough to be followed by you? Remember how David fell? Spiritual complacency and self dependence. As you look back at 2010 did you put your faith life on auto pilot? Did you go places you shouldn’t have trusting in your own strength? Are there some decrees or commands of God you feel free to ignore? Lord, make me a man after your own heart. Help me strive to do better.
And as people who know that it is God who must work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure we are making a good start. We are gathered in His house to express our repentance and get His strength. Let’s follow through when we leave. And may that great God who gave us His Son Jesus make you and me a man or woman after His heart. Amen.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
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