December 31, 2014 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Exodus 14:13-15 “IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON!”

NEW YEAR’S EVE

December 31, 2014

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Exodus 14:13-15

“IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON!”

1.     With appreciation of the past.

2.     With confidence for the future.

Exodus 14:13-15 (NIV 1984) “Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." 15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.”

          The beginning of a new year is a natural threshold for people, a time to look back and look ahead at the same time. The words of God I just read to you occurred when God’s people, the Israelites, were on a threshold of sorts, looking back and looking ahead. When they looked back they saw Egypt, the place that had been theirs and their ancestors’ home for about 400 years. When they looked ahead they saw a desert land that they knew nothing about. A little more urgently when they looked back they saw an angry Pharaoh with all his chariots and horses and soldiers in hot pursuit. The last plague, the tenth plague that killed the firstborn in every house of Egypt, had finally broken Pharaoh’s spirit and he had agreed to let the Israelites go. But now with his hardened heart changed once again Pharaoh was determined to get his slaves back and take a little revenge. When the Israelites looked ahead they saw the Red Sea, unable to be crossed without the aid of boats. Can you imagine being there? What would be going through your mind? What’s going through your mind as you get ready for a new year? Anything you’d like to leave behind? Any potential dilemmas for you to face in the year ahead? Tonight let’s use the words God told the Israelites as we close out one year and enter another. It’s time to move on!

Actually we don’t have to guess what was going through the minds of the Israelites as they stood at their threshold. God tells us what they said. “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" Now while we might have hoped for a little more faith from people who had just seen the miracles of the 10 plagues I think if we had horses and chariots bearing down on us we would be afraid as well. In an indirect way, however they showed some appreciation for the past. There had been blessings from God for them in Egypt. Some a little easier to see than others. They had homes. They had food. They had work to do. God had fought for them with the plagues and had freed them from slavery just as he promised. Then there were the blessings that didn’t look or feel like blessings. Pharaoh making their life hard which God used to make the people want to leave. The overseers making them work harder and harder which God used to strengthen the people for their journey. Now it was time for that journey. Moses encouraged the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." But God said, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” The time for looking back was over. It was time to move on.

          Tonight as God’s people gathered in God’s house we do take the opportunity to look back. Only we will very deliberately appreciate the past. Like the Israelites we too can see some obvious blessings to be thankful for. Most of us have had relatively good health. Some of us went through surgeries that successfully improved our quality of life. We all had more food than we needed and were blessed by God to be able to do more than just survive. We had another year of grace. We were not treated as the sinners we are but instead were treated by God to His goodness and love and a far higher standard of living than most of the people on the planet. Now let’s move on to appreciate those blessings that did not look or feel like blessings. Some of us had loved ones die. There’s no getting around it. That hurts. But those who die in in the Lord are blessed. God says that. They get heaven. Some of us had family or work problems to deal with. Some lost jobs. Some had relationship problems. Some had health problems that didn’t go away. Surely those aren’t blessings are they? While Satan sends things and causes sin problems to harm us, God turns them for good. He gives us a chance to show our faith in Him, to practice what it means to follow Christ in forgiving. He cuts off from us people and things that harm our relationship with Him and strengthens us so we can be more useful and a blessing to others who are also stuck living in this sin messed world. We are grateful for that but it’s time to move on. We don’t live in the past. It’s time behind last year’s hurts and disappointments. God has and will use them for good. It’s time to leave behind last year’s grudges and pet sins. They have no place in our hearts. It’s time to leave behind last year’s blessings. They were for last year.

It’s time to move on and as the Israelites found it’s time to move with confidence for the future. Remember the setting. Furious Pharaoh and blood thirsty soldiers with the ancient tanks called chariots rushing at them from behind. Uncrossable Red Sea in front of them. The choices are bleak. Remain where they were and absorb the wrath of Pharaoh with most of them returning to slavery. Make a run for the Red Sea. I don’t think slave children were allowed to take swimming lessons so you know what that option meant. But there was a third option. "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on,” God had said. Their third option was to listen to the word of the Lord and move on to an unknown future with confidence, confidence because the LORD was with them, that’s the all powerful God of grace and mercy who comes to save His people.

          You know how it turned out. That is if you read your Bibles instead of watching bad Hollywood movies that inaccurately try to portray Bible truth. The Israelites moved on. The angel of God as a pillar of cloud moved between the Israelites and the Egyptians protecting them. The all powerful God of grace and mercy came to save His people by having a miraculous wind part the Red Sea and dry up the ground so the Israelites walked across in safety. Once the Israelites had crossed God let the Egyptians pursue and when they were in the middle of the Red Sea, He threw them into confusion. He made the wheels of the chariots fall off and the Red Sea return to its place and all the Egyptians who had pursued them died in the place where the Israelites had followed on dry ground. Wow! Amazing. Now I’d like to be able to tell you that the next time these Israelites ran into a rough spot that they reacted by saying, “Hey let’s see how God gets us out of this one. We know he will.” But I can’t. They often grumbled and complained instead. Pretty pathetic, right?

          And not what we want to do. We want to move on into 2015 with confidence and we can. We can because the same Lord, the all powerful God of grace and mercy who loves to save His people is with us. We may not have seen the parting of the Red Sea but we know what He did there and in so many more places. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that what God will place before us in 2015 will not be nearly has hard or as challenging as what the Israelites were asked to do but we will have our own challenges. If trends continue it will be harder to live as a Bible confessing Christian. Carrying out the work of the Lord will probably get harder not easier. Some will face cancers or other health problems. Some will face deaths. Some will struggle financially. But you know what?  It’s time to move on and move one with confidence for our future. God is with us.

And when like the Israelites we face another problem and doubt or complain instead of trust remember you live with the LORD, the all powerful God who loves to come and save His people and think back to another miraculous parting He did. When He put His Son between you and the Devil and parted your sins from you through His death on the cross. Confess your sin. Hear His forgiveness. Let go of the guilt. Step forward with confidence because it’s time to move on and we move on with the LORD! Amen.

December 28th, 2014

Luke 2:25-38  Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." 33 The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." 36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

In the name of Jesus the newborn King, dear fellow redeemed Children of God,

I must have been full of questions for my grandparents.  “Grandma, what is this?”, I would ask as I stayed at her house over summer vacation.   “That’s the potato ricer,” she would patiently reply.  “ I use that to make the riced potatoes we have for our Christmas dinner.  “  “Grandma, what is this?”, I would ask as I rummaged around in the garage.  “that’s the soldier’s helmet your grandpa wore when he was in France in WWI.”  “Grandma why is there so much loose skin under your arms?”  I don’t recall her answer to that one.  Maybe it was that it was something that happened with old age. 

Today in God’s Word we hear from two people who had the answer to old age.  When they held Jesus in their arms in the temple they talked about the cure for old age.  It wasn’t a cream or an ointment.  It didn’t cost any money.  The cure for old age was and is Jesus.

The temple was a busy place.  Priests were hustling here and there as they carried out the sacrifices for the people.  Merchants were setting up their booths for those who traveled from long distances.  Devout children of God, like Simeon and Anna, spent time there in the temple praying and talking about God’s Word with others.  Now into this busy bustling place steps a young couple with a little child.  This little child is the one all this hustling and bustling is about.  He is the one old Simeon and Anna had been waiting for.  He is the cure for old age.

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.”  Since God the Father and God the Son are so much in the forefront during Christmas we might get the idea sometimes that God the Holy Spirit was just sort of cooling His Holy heels waiting for Pentecost.  But that’s not true at all.  Here we see the three persons of the one true God working together as He works out the plan of salvation.   The Holy Spirit was the one who had created faith in Simeon making him a righteous and devout man.  The Holy Spirit was the one who had carried him along as the days stretched into years as he went up to the temple  early in the morning waiting for God’s promise to be fulfilled and returned home at the end of the day still waiting to see the promised Savior.  The Holy Spirit moved Simeon to come up the temple courts on that day.  The Holy Spirit inspired Simeon’s song which talked about who this child was-the long promised Savior.

Finally the day of fulfillment arrived.  “When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God.” 

In God’s word today we see several shining examples of faith.  We see Simeon and Anna waiting there in the temple.  We see Mary and Joseph faithfully carrying out what the Lord had asked them to do.  We could talk all day about them yet the focus is not on them but on the good Lord.  That’s where Simeon put the focus of his song.  “"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."  Simeon was now ready to face even death with the assurance which the Christ child brings.  The assurance of the Christchild is yours and mine as we wait for the day when the Lord will take us home to heaven.  Whether that day is 90 minutes from now or 90 years  we can echo the words of Simeon, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.”

     When I was little we received a candy bag after the Christmas program.  I remember I took that bag home and hid it in a dark corner away from brothers and sisters and my dad who liked the snickers.  Simeon knew His Old Testament Scriptures.  He knew that they Savior would not be a treat just for the people of Israel- hidden away from the world.  He would be a Savior for all people to enjoy.   He remembered wha6 God had said through His prophet Isaiah, “The Lord will make bare His holy arm in the sight of all of the nations and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

How wonderful it is to hold a child.  There must have been joy and wonder in Simeon and Anna’s hearts when they held the baby Jesus.  This was the child they had been waiting for since God promised to send him in the Garden of Eden.  Think of the wonder in Simeon’s heart as he held thye King of Creation in His arms.  The Mighty God who had given Simeon his arms and his heart now lay in the arms of Simeon as a little baby.

We hear of another dear child of God who had been waiting for the promised Savior, “There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. “    Anna was a prophetess.  Often , when the New Testament uses the  word prophet  or prophetess it is talking about someone who has a good understanding of God’s Word and is able to share it with others for mutual uplifting.   During the many years the Lord granted Anna on earth, She made the Lord’s house her home in a very real way.  Now when the baby Jesus comes into the temple she has to tell someone who this baby is. “Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”   Like a grandmother showing off a grandchild Anna tells who this child is.

When NFL teams draft players they are looking for  “impact players” who are going to make a difference on every play they are on the field.  There are only a few impact players on every team.  Of all of the babies born in human history Jesus is the only impact player on the human race.  HE truly makes a difference.  Simeon points that out.  “Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."  Jesus would stir things up.  The religious leader of the day thought their relationship with God  was pretty cozy because they self- righteously thought they had done a very good job of working their way into God’s favor.  They looked down their noses at those people they thought were worse sinners than they were.  Jesus message ripped into their  self-righteousness thoughts and actions.   Jesus made clear that no one could work their way into God’s favor because  God says, “Be holy as I the Lord your God am holy.”  Jesus the God man offers full and free forgiveness to all through his suffering and death.  That message did not sit well with the religious leaders of the day.  They hissed  when Jesus  received tax collectors and prostitutes, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  The anger and resentment against Jesus’ message would also touch Mary’s heart as she would later hear the Pharisees  call for her Son to be killed and she would see him nailed to a cross.

Simeon and Anna did not get magically younger as they stood in the temple that day.  Their hips and knees did not stop aching.  But Jesus is still the cure for old age.  This child in the temple meant that God had kept his promise about restoring the relationship between God and His creatures.  This child would be the one who would undo the work of Satan on that day when God said, “Dust you are and to dust you shall return” by opening the door to heaven when this life is over.  In heaven there will be no more sore knees-no more bad hearts.  Jesus not only for old age but young age too.  He is the Savior for all.  Amen

December 25, 2014 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Hebrews 1:1-9 “TAKE A GOOD HARD LOOK AT CHRISTMAS!”

CHRISTMAS DAY

December 25, 2014

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Hebrews 1:1-9

“TAKE A GOOD HARD LOOK AT CHRISTMAS!”

Hebrews 1:1-9 (NIV 1984) “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father " ? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son" ? 6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him." 7 In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire." 8 But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."

          “It’s better to give than to receive!” Do any of you know where that paraphrase of the words of Jesus is found in the Bible? It’s actually found not in the Gospels as you would expect but in Acts 20:35 where the Apostle Paul quotes Jesus saying “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Certainly we recognize the truth of that saying in many areas of Christian life but when it comes to the real reason for Christmas we actually need to switch it—for us. It’s better for us to receive than to give when the gift we received is God’s Son Jesus Christ. With that in mind I want you to ponder the question, “What did you get for Christmas?” That’s a common question this time of year. It’s heard in post  Christmas phone calls to friends and family. Teens have probably already texted it to each other. Younger children will talk about it when they get back to school. So what did you get for Christmas? Then the comparison games begin with some feeling they get more and some less. Those comparison games are nothing new. Our text today was written to some Christians who were comparing  what life had been like as they lived as Old Testament believers without persecution to their lives as New Testament believers who were now facing persecution. They wondered if maybe with the gift of Jesus they had gotten the short end of the stick. To help them the Holy Spirit jumped into action and had the unidentified writer to the Hebrews set things straight. His words give us the chance to take a good hard look at Christmas. Good because of what we find out about our Christmas gift. Hard because of the way the writer writes. What do we find out? What did we get?

          “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” Before Jesus came God did speak to His people in various ways.  He came to Adam and Eve in the garden. He spoke to Moses from a burning bush. But mostly He inspired the prophets to write down and tell to God’s people what they need to hear. Once Jesus became human and physically walked the earth we received the gift of God speaking to us through His Son. This doesn’t diminish the Old Testament but points us to the completing of God’s Word in the New Testament. Old Testament believers did not have everything God wanted revealed. We do! There’s a reason we find it easier to read and understand the New Testament rather than the old. And think of those sayings of Jesus that sink deep into our hearts. Like “It’s more blessed to give than to receive. Surely I will be with you always even to the end of the age. Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son.” How good it is that God gave us His Son so we could have His words so plain and clear.

          There’s more.  “In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” We are familiar with small things being powerful. The atomic bomb sure helped people understand the power that can be contained in small packages. But that kind of power is limited. The writer to the Hebrews next focuses our attention on something that’s hard to grasp. That little baby lying in the manger is the one through whom God made the entire universe. Jesus is God in human flesh and that baby who needed to be fed and changed and held was actually keeping the world going, sustaining all things. Now I can’t really remember anything I did as a baby but I have seen other babies grab for the items on the mobile hanging over them. I’ve seen them push and struggle to roll or crawl for the first time. The baby in the manger could have grabbed a star to play with or danced a jig right out of the womb. Instead He kept things going that we take for granted like sunlight giving us warmth and gravity holding us to the earth and photosynthesis to keep the food chain going. Even though it’s hard to understand how the baby in the manger was responsible for all this how good to know Jesus is looking out for us.

          And what he did for us.  “After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” These are hard words for us to think about on Christmas morning. They fast forward our focus to the mission Jesus was on, to purify us from our sins. The peace between God and men that the angels sang about came at an awful price. It was brokered on a cross of pain and anguish for this baby grown up. As hard as it is for us to think about what Jesus suffered for us it’s good for us to know what He accomplished and why He ascended to heaven to the right hand of God. He provided purification for sins. In each of our pasts and probably not all that distant past there are sins we are ashamed of where we deliberately went against conscience and stained our soul. People have come up with all sorts of sin cleaning techniques. I’ll look at everyone else’s sins and get bothered by them. Then my stains don’t look so bad. But my sin stains remain to be seen by others and myself when honesty returns. Even if I’ve forgotten my shameful sins, daily I’m failing to give God his due. I should be quaking in my boots at the judgment of God. But I’m not. Neither are you and even if my subconscious accuses me I’m clean and stain free from sin. So are you. Because God gave us a gift. Jesus whose blood has cleansed us from every sin. How good that is.

          Now it’s a little hard to know exactly what was going on when the letter to the Hebrews was written. You kind of think they had an angel craze going like we had a decade ago with seminars in hotel meeting rooms to help you get in touch with your own personal angel and the angel shows on prime time TV. I say that because of the next hard words from the letter that are good for us to hear. “So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father " ? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son" ? 6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him." 7 In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire." While angels were part of the Christmas story and it’s nice to know God has his angels watching over us it’s better to know that at Christmas God gave us His Son. Why? Hallmark cards puts it this way, “When you care enough to send the very best.” That’s for a greeting card. God did send the very best. Doing that proves how very much He loves you. Remember that when you have some hard things to deal with. Maybe you are dealing with some right now in health, or finances or relationships. Take those worries and cast them on God. He cares for you.

          And will continue to. “But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." More hard to understand everything God is saying words. But good for us to know the bottom line. Jesus rules in righteousness forever. We don’t need a movie to tell us heaven is for real. God Himself tells us. And because of God’s gift we get to be a part of it. It may be hard for us to try to imagine what life in heaven will be like. We are so stuck to what we know. Because of that it is hard to deal with the news that a loved one is dying. It will be hard when you get the news you will be dying soon. But it’s good to know that  when that happens we will see Jesus and be a part of His reign of righteousness. It’s good to know that our loved ones who have died in the Lord are there right now.

          Now back to our question. What did you get for Christmas? Under the tree were some nice things from nice people who love you. The real lasting value is seen when I ask you to remember just one gift you got 4 years ago. Can you do it? What did you really get for Christmas? In our heart of hearts we Christians know we got God’s Son, Jesus, my Savior. And while we can spend the rest of the year working on being generous for today we can say, “It’s better to receive than give!” Thank you Father. Amen.

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

ADVENT 4

December 20-22, 2014

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Luke 1:26-38

“HAVE YOURSELF A MARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS!’

1.     Listen to what God says.

2.     Accept what it means for you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


         






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


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

    The Lord’s Prayer