You are currently browsing the Sermons, etc. weblog archives for January, 2008.
January 28, 2008 by admin.
1 Corinthians 1:10-17
In Christ Jesus, the Church’s One Foundation, Dear Fellow Messengers of Our Lord,
Did any of you grow up in a small town? Perhaps that depends on what I mean by “small town.” Here’s one definition I found: A small town is one which is divided by railroad tracks, has one main street, two churches, and lots of opinions! Someone once said that when it comes to arguments, it’s not that people in small towns don’t know how to meet halfway. It’s just that they’re poor judges of distance!
But small towns aren’t the only places where you’ll be exposed to differences of opinion and disagreements. You can even find the same in churches. That’s what the apostle Paul saw when he took a look at the congregation of believers in Corinth. The unity they shared as members of God’s kingdom was starting to crumble. Satan was intent on breaking the common bond that held them together by getting them to choose sides and take each other on. And his plan was working. The Corinthians were in danger of losing their church, their faith, and, ultimately, their salvation.
Does the same temptation work today? The devil knows it does. He still strives to destroy unity in God’s church whenever and wherever he can. That’s why it’s good for us this morning to take Paul’s words to heart as he encourages us as believers to:
“Be Perfectly United!”
I. Serving one Master
II. Sharing one message
When Paul would write to a congregation, he would normally explain a doctrinal point first, and then admonish those who were living contrary to that doctrine. But here Paul addresses the problem right away, recognizing the danger that confronted the Corinthian congregation (vv 11,12), “My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’” Factions were developing within the church, leading to some rather unhealthy haggling. The Corinthians were choosing up sides. Some claimed to be followers of Paul himself, no doubt taking pride in the fact that Paul was the one who had started the church in Corinth and had actually stayed their for a year and a half. There were some who claimed allegiance to Apollos, a very gifted and eloquent teacher from Alexandria in Egypt. Others expressed their loyalty to Cephas, the Aramaic name for the one we know better as Peter, the primary spokesman for the early church. And then there were those who went straight to the top and proclaimed, “I follow Christ.” It may have sounded good on the surface, but even this group may have had a bit of an attitude problem, perhaps looking down on the others and elevating themselves to some kind of special status. Things were a mess. The Corinthians were turning God’s church into a battlefield, threatening the very unity that had been holding them together.
Paul’s solution? Remind them that they’re all serving the same Master (v 10), “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” Paul appeals to the Corinthians and to us today “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He is the one we serve. He is our Master, our Lord, our Savior. Jesus Christ is the head of his church. To squabble and argue over allegiances to different masters just didn’t make sense (vv 13-16), “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.)” If the church truly is the body of Christ, splitting it up will only do damage to our Savior. No one can take the place of Jesus. He’s the head of the church. Paul wasn’t on that cross! People weren’t baptized into Paul’s name! Paul even admits that he purposefully left most of the baptizing to others, most likely to avoid the problem of having people boast about being baptized by him. His calling was not to draw attention to himself, but to Christ. He wanted the Corinthians to be of one mind. He wanted them to serve Jesus as their one and only Master.
Division always disrupts. A team of athletes that doesn’t have good chemistry in the clubhouse usually doesn’t win too many games. An office full of workers with their own agendas won’t be very productive. And a church without unity will only die a slow and painful death. In a National Geographic magazine there was a photo of the fossil remains of two saber-toothed tigers locked in combat. Quoting the accompanying article, this explanation was offered: “One had bitten deep into the leg bone of the other, a thrust that trapped both in common fate.” In this battle, both were losers. The same can be said when Christians battle each other. In Galatians Paul tells us (Gal 5:15), “If you keep biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”
That’s why Paul tells us to strive to be “perfectly united in mind and thought.” That’s the basis for our unity — to agree on what we practice and believe. There’s no room here for doctrinal variety, for the ever-popular “salad bar religion” where you can pick and choose what you want to believe. When people seek unity by simply “agreeing to disagree,” then their bond has fatal flaws. Then their unity is nothing but a facade. It may look good on the outside, but on the inside there’s no true foundation. They have different beliefs. They follow different doctrines. No matter what they may proclaim, without true unity based on God’s Word, they cannot possibly be of one mind.
We serve one Master. If that isn’t clear in how we conduct ourselves as a congregation, others will notice, and they’ll stay away. You don’t like to be in the company of people who argue all the time, and neither do people who are looking for a church home. It’s important for us to realize how vital it is for us to be of one mind. After all, we’re all sharing one message — a message the world needs to hear!
Our purpose as a church is simple: preach the good news of Jesus Christ to all creation. Paul wasn’t about to let the squabbles in Corinth disrupt his main mission (v 17), “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel — not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” The number of people Paul baptized was not important to him. His ministry, first and foremost, was to preach the gospel. His calling was not to build himself up, but to build up his Savior. In Ephesians Paul proclaims (Eph 3:8), “Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” And Paul wasn’t about to follow the example of the Greeks and the other philosophers of his day who based their message on “words of human wisdom.” No, to do that would only take the spotlight off of Christ, emptying the cross of its power. He kept the focus on the Savior. That was his message, the one message he was intent on sharing with the world.
As we strive to share that same message as a congregation in today’s world, remember that we too are to be of one mind. That means that we are to be faithful to the message we’re proclaiming. Our Lord commanded us to teach people “to obey everything” he has commanded (Mt 28:20). Again he tells us that the test of true discipleship is when we “hold to [his] teaching” (Jn 8:31). So it makes sense that when we share that message with others, we do so in order that we can all be of one mind. That’s why we insist on complete agreement, across the board, when it comes to God’s Word and membership here in his church. That’s why we take our stand on doctrines such as close communion, even when the world around us will call us closed-minded and arrogant. We know we are following God’s Word and treating his sacrament as he commands. When people wish to join our congregation, we want them to be sure that they are of one mind with us. That’s why we take them through the Bible Information Class, so they can see whether or not they’re in agreement with us before they take the step of joining our congregation. And we don’t apologize for the length of the class, either. In a day and age when churches are offering crash courses to attain membership, we take our time. Sharing the message is important stuff, and we want to get it right. We want people to see that we take our Lord’s command seriously. Ultimately, we want to share with them what we have as Christians united by our common belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
Sharing the message of our Savior with others is something we can do only if we’re all on the same page as a congregation. We have to understand that everything we do as a church centers around the getting the word out about Jesus and what he’s done for our salvation. That’s why we exist as a church. That’s what our mission is. So when we jump into another building project, it’s important that we all understand why — to open up more opportunities to spread the gospel. Sure, we may have differences of opinion at times, but we shouldn’t let those differences cause divisions. It’s so important that we be straightforward with each other, that we discuss our differences openly, that in everything we do, we ask ourselves, “How is this going to further the kingdom of my Savior?” If we all have that goal in mind behind whatever opinions we may have, then we’ll be O.K. Then we’ll truly be of one mind. Then we can truly share the one message needed by all.
How important it is that we remain united in our work here at Messiah. We’re expanding our ministry, and at least for the immediate future, funds will be tight. The year 2008 will be a tough one for us financially, and there’s a danger here. While we certainly trust that God will continue to bless us, still the devil loves to use financial struggles to divide God’s people. No doubt, he’ll try and use this temptation on us. So we have two choices: 1) to let the devil divide us as to our mission and our goals as a congregation, or 2) to accept the challenge the Lord has placed before us with confidence and the assurance that he will bless whatever we undertake in his name. To me, the choice is simple. Be perfectly united! Be of one mind! Trust in the Lord, and watch how he works all things for his good purposes!
Remember what we share together as God’s children. We have the gospel, “the power of God” (Ro 1:16)! If we’re divided in our purpose and our mission, we’ll fail. But united, we’ll prosper. Think of a snowflake, one of nature’s most fragile things. But just look at what snowflakes can do when they stick together! I’m reminded of one of the cartoons in the Peanuts comic strip. Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn’t. Linus asked her, “What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?”, to which Lucy replied, “These five fingers. Individually they’re nothing, but when I curl them together into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold.”
You and I, if we’re united in Christ, can really “pack a punch” as we do battle against the devil and the evil world around us. We serve one Master. We share one message. What a blessing it is to be of one mind! As David proclaims in the psalms (Ps 133:1,3), “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! . . . For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”
Amen
–Rev Jonathan Rockhoff
Posted in Sermons | Print | No Comments »
January 21, 2008 by admin.
I Corinthians 1:1-9
“See What God Has Made You”
I. A Believer…
II. Who Serves….
III. On His Way to Heaven
During his years as a missionary, the Apostle Paul visited many different cities. Perhaps none, though, was more of a challenge to him than the city of Corinth. Prominent in the city was the temple to the goddess Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Secular writings indicate that worship services in this temple routinely involved over 1000 temple priestesses, which was a nice word for prostitutes. And that was just the tip of the moral iceberg that greeted Paul on his arrival. Descriptions of what was happening in Corinth would put it on a moral level with the Old Testament cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. One historian nicely put it, “The boat ride to Corinth is not everybody’s boat ride.”
I bet you didn’t get that indication from the introduction to the first letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthians, the words that serve as our text. It doesn’t sound like words written by a minister to a morally bankrupt group of people. In fact, it is pretty glowing and complimentary. But before we send out too many words of congratulations, let’s take a close look at these verses to see where Paul is directing his praise.
Reading these verses more closely, we note that Paul is not complimenting the Corinthians at all. In fact, he will later tear into them pretty good for a number of sins and activities that they were involved in. If we look more closely, we will note that Paul is not praising the Corinthians, but that he is praising God. He praises God for what he had done for the Corinthians in spite of their sinfulness and moral decay. Paul still saw the power of God at work, even under the sinful blanket that the Corinthians had thrown over themselves.
Today we will see that we really fall into the same boat as the Corinthians. Our daily sins bring no reason for compliments. But after closer review, we see that that there are many reasons to thank and praise God for what he has done in our lives. Today we want to
“See What God Has Made You”
I. A Believer…
II. Who Serves….
III. On His Way to Heaven
Paul wrote, Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother, Sosthenes, to the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” In his greeting, Paul twice credited God for what he had done for the Corinthians. He called them the “church of God,” and said that they had been “sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy….” Without God, the Corinthians would be no different from the rest of the heathen people living in their town. But God had “called” them to “be holy,” making them the “church of God.”
There is such an overwhelming opinion in the world today that you make yourself who you are. To a certain extent that is true. Those who apply themselves and make use of their talents can improve their lot in life and their standing in social circles. But spiritually that just is not the case. Scripture points out all to clearly that we were born sinful, we are inclined to be sinful, and that we would remain sinful if it were up to us. In fact, the Bible tells us that we enjoy being sinful, that “every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only sinful all the time.” (Gen. 6:5)
As Paul walked the streets of Corinth, there were reminders all around him of the sinfulness of the people there. But the longer he stayed, the more he began to see the power of God in Corinth. On his arrival he met a fine Christian couple, Acquila and Priscilla, who gave him a place to stay. Later he met a man named Titius Justus who offered his house as a place for Paul to hold worship services. And one by one, Paul met people who had been “called to be holy,” people whom God had made a part of his Holy Christian Church. A congregation grew, and Paul thanked God for what he had done.
I wonder what Paul would think if he were to walk the streets of Wichita on a Friday or Saturday night! He wouldn’t find a temple to Aphrodite, but he would find plenty that would make him shake his head and wring his hands. Sin does not hide here, or in any other city in the world for that matter. Sin is more visible than ever before and flaunts itself in God’s face an a regular basis.
But God still “call [people] to be holy,” to be a part of the “church of God.” He would see you and me, people who do not have reason to boast or brag, but people who have every reason to thank God for making us a part of his church here on earth and, one day, in heaven. And Paul would thank God for the Christians that he would find here and around the world too.
We will also thank God for calling us into his church through faith. And, like the Corinthian Christians, Paul would urge us to thank God by serving him.
Who Serve
Paul wrote in the middle verses of our text, “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way – in all your speaking and in all your knowledge – because our testimony about Christ was sanctified in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift.” Paul wrote about some of the individuals that he met in Corinth. He co-authored this letter with Sosthenes, who was likely a member of the church in Corinth who had gone on along with Paul. We’ve already mentioned Acquila and Priscilla and Titius Justus. There are many more who were not specifically mentioned who also assisted Paul and worked within the congregation to bring God’s word to the people of Corinth.
Paul spoke of these people as being “enriched in every way” and said that was a result of the “grace given you in Christ Jesus.” The faith-inspired works of the Corinthians did not go unnoticed, not by Paul and certainly not by God. God had given the Corinthians the abilities and the motivation to serve him. In the middle of the challenging heathenism that surrounded them, the Corinthians were living in faith. Granted, they had some issues, issues that Paul would later address quite frankly. But their faith was still evident, and Paul meant to feed that faith with God’s word and sacraments.
Paul would see the same thing here today. All of us have been “enriched in every way” because of “the grace given you in Christ Jesus.” And moved by that undeserved love of God we are serving him in many ways. Everything that we do as a congregation is a result of God’s grace, grace that moves us to serve him. God willing, we will continue to serve him, making use of every opportunity that he gives to us. And, God willing, we will all find a place within this church to serve God and one another. We do so because we realize that our time to thank God for what he has done for us is short.
III. On Our Way to Heaven
Paul closed his greeting with these words, “…–as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” Paul would later remind the Corinthians that “this world in its present form is passing away.” (I Cor, 7:31) Too many people live their lives only for this world. They live with the belief that this world is all that there is. They try to milk all of the joy and happiness that they can out of it, often turning to sinful devices to do so.
The Christian lives with a different focus. We “eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.” When Jesus returns on Judgment Day, there won’t be any mistaking who he is. Gone will be the humble appearance of Bethlehem’s manger and the lowly form that Jesus took upon himself when he lived on the earth. He will be revealed in his true glory as he comes as the Judge of the living and the dead. On that day we will be found “blameless” because our sins will have been washed away in the blood of our Lord.
God has made it his responsibility to “keep [us] strong” until that day. He has given us his word and sacraments to do that. He encourages us to make use of them regularly, to call on him daily, and to rely on him to overcome our daily struggles and lifetime temptations. It’s no secret that the struggle to live as God’s children is getting more difficult every day. Jesus warned his disciples that this would happen. And he was right. Satan will not concede, nor will he be content with the souls he now possesses.
But we will persevere, and, in Christ, we will win. Do you see what God has made you? You are a believer who serves him on your way to heaven. Live each day with that assurance, and praise God for the rich future that he is preparing for you in his kingdom.
Amen.
“The peace of God….”
–Rev. Roger Rockhoff
Posted in Sermons | Print | No Comments »
January 14, 2008 by admin.
Revelation 7:9-17
Dear future members of the heavenly host arrayed in white,
I have to admit that even though I don’t consider myself to be a big follower of the political scene, lately I’ve found myself paying closer attention to the presidential caucuses and primaries. On occasion I’ve even strayed from the usual ESPN and Sci-Fi channels over to CNN to catch what the latest polls are saying! Regardless of whom I’m pulling for, I have to admit that I’m impressed with the time and effort all the candidates are putting into their campaigns. Whereas I think it’s a bit silly and even a tad wasteful for so many dollars to be spent on such efforts, I’m amazed at the schedules the candidates keep as they jet from state to state, often getting very little if any sleep. More than once I’ve heard many of them make comments about how, in the end, if the voters turn out to vote for them, it will all be worth it. These candidates are willing to sacrifice so much of their time and energy now in the hope that the end result will prove to be worth their efforts.
Today we’re celebrating Evangelism Sunday, a day in which we emphasize the work our Lord has given us to do. And what is that work? Take another look at the theme for today: “Declare His Praises: Everyday, Everywhere, to Everyone!” It’s certainly a privilege to tell the good news of our salvation, won for us by our Savior Jesus. But we also know it’s hard work. Our best efforts are often met with challenges and obstacles that prove to be discouraging. Too often we’re discouraged to the point of giving up. As a result we end up feeling guilty whenever the topic of evangelism is brought up, knowing that we should do better. Then we’re reminded of the times when our efforts seemed to be in vain, and the vicious cycle begins all over again.
This morning our Lord’s going to help us break that cycle by giving us a picture of what the result of all evangelism work will be. If you wonder if your efforts to tell people about Jesus are ever going to do any good, then join with the apostle John and . . .
“Look at the End Result of Evangelism!”
I. People standing gloriously in the presence of the Lamb
II. People dwelling eternally under the providence of God
John was given a vision of God’s throne room in heaven. He saw the Lord surrounded by 24 elders representing the Church of all believers from both the Old and New Testaments. There were four living creatures close to the throne, often interpreted as representing special angels called “cherubim.” But there were more angels – more than John could possibly count! All these angels joined together in a glorious song of praise to the Lamb of God who had been slain for the world’s salvation (v 12), “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” They sang the praises of him who deserves all praise! They praised Jesus – once humbled for our salvation, but now exalted over all the universe with power and glory!
A multitude of angels was not all that John saw in his vision (v 9), “I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.” Another countless mass, but this one was made up of people. These were all the spiritual children of Abraham, the fulfillment of God’s promise to this Old Testament patriarch that his descendants would be as countless as the stars in the sky. John was seeing the end result of the gospel proclamation throughout history – all the people that the Lord had brought to faith and preserved in faith by the power of his Word! Try and imagine the sight: people from everywhere, of every time and culture, of all languages and nations, gathered before the Lamb!
John describes this impressive mass of people as “wearing white robes” (v 9). Later we’re told why they were dressed the way they were (vv 13,14), “Then one of the elders asked me, ‘These in white robes – who are they, and where did they come from?’ I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’”
John saw those who had come “out of the great tribulation.” That tribulation represents the many sufferings which Christians endure in this life before they reach heaven. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to us, for in Scripture we’re told (Ac 14:22), “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” So suffering and trouble in the form of illness, pain, stress, losses, persecution, and the like can be expected. But someday they’ll all end! And we’ll be in that group of people whom John saw, those who had come out of that great tribulation and now would experience nothing but uninterrupted happiness. Since there’s no sin in heaven, there are no effects of sin. Here on this earth the curse of sin makes our lives miserable and difficult. That’s why it’s hard for us to imagine what life would be like without it. So God describes it for us (v 16), “Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat.” No more discomforts or difficulties of any kind! In heaven we’ll have everything we need for a perfect life!
That’s because we’ll all be “wearing white robes.” This represents complete sinlessness, because only perfect people are allowed into heaven. So how can we picture ourselves as part of this group? Even our best efforts don’t measure up, because in God’s sight “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isa 64:6). But you will be perfect when you enter heaven. As a matter of fact, in God’s eyes you already are, because you and I and all believers have been washed clean in the blood of the Lamb! The stains of sin that marred us have all been dissolved in the pure, holy blood shed on Calvary’s cross. Our Savior’s blood – and only his blood – has such power, because only “the blood of Jesus, [God’s] Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 Jn 1:7). Only in Christ are we made fit to live with God in heaven. So, yes, we too will be wearing white robes in heaven. We too will be there standing gloriously in the presence of the Lamb!
John noted one more thing about this glorious group (v 9), “They . . . were holding palm branches in their hands.” This makes us think of the people welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Waving palm branches was an ancient sign of victory. Years ago Christians were known to bury their dead with palm branches in their hands to express the belief that people who die in Christ die victoriously. That’s what Paul proclaims in 1 Corinthians (15:54-57), “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
So get those palm branches out to celebrate the blessing received by those who have gone before us into heaven! We may shed tears when they leave, but don’t weep for them — they don’t need them! Weep for your temporary loss but rejoice that your loved ones are free from this world of sin and suffering and are now abiding in perfect bliss and glory!
See why evangelism work is so important? Don’t we want so many more people to know what we know, to have the hope that we have? That’s why we declare his praises everywhere, everyday, to everyone. We want more people to stand gloriously with us in the presence of the Lamb!
But there’s more to the vision John saw that day. The end result of evangelism also includes people dwelling eternally under the providence of God.
When we’re born into this world we’re totally dependent on the care of our parents and others who are there to attend to our needs. As little children we could not survive without them. But even when parents try their best to serve the needs of their children, still they make mistakes. They’re often inconsistent. They often let their children down.
Not so with God! One of the heavenly elders who was telling John about the multitude of believers standing there before God’s throne went on to give this comforting picture (v 15), “He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.” God’s care for his children is consistently perfect. He protects them. He lives right there among them. Like a tent covering them, the Lord wards off anything that would threaten them or cause them to be afraid.
And the Lord provides for them (v 17), “The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.” As Christians we cherish this picture of Jesus as our Good Shepherd, as the one who leads us to the waters of salvation. No matter what other joys we might experience in heaven, the greatest of all our joys will be simply being with Jesus, singing his praises, safe in his care!
And just like Johnson’s Baby Shampoo . . . no more tears! “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (v 17). A hurt child is comforted by a loving parent who gently wipes away those tears of pain and sadness. God promises to do the same for us in heaven. In fact, he promises to take away the cause of our tears – everything which now causes us pain and sorrow. Heaven is pure joy. It’s the total absence of evil and the complete fulfillment of good! All those in heaven are under the perfect providence of God forever.
That’s why we want to be there someday. Sometimes it’s hard for us to wait, just thinking about what joys await us. But that’s why God wants us to pass our time waiting by working! He wants us to occupy ourselves by declaring his praises: everyday, everywhere, to everyone!
That’s what we hope to continue to do here at Messiah. We share John’s vision of the end result of evangelism, and we want to do everything we can to add more people to that glorious multitude of white-robed saints. So we’re aggressively moving forward with another building project which will allow us to continue to reach out to children and their families with the gospel. This means a dramatic increase in our budget for 2008 – an increase of 33% from 2007 – an increase which I believe is the greatest one-year jump in the history of Messiah. Our new building project will put our congregation over $1 million in debt – a debt which many of us may never live to see eliminated.
Challenging? Sure. But, oh, so necessary for us to continue to do what we’ve been called to do. With the Lord’s continued blessing, we know that our work is not in vain. He blesses the gospel whenever it’s proclaimed so that more and more people might stand gloriously before the Lamb who was sacrificed to save them and dwell eternally under the providence of a God who loves them.
So the next time you’re discouraged because of your evangelism efforts (or the lack thereof), just take a look for yourselves again at what John saw and you’ll see the end result. You’ll see people with God, rejoicing for all eternity in heaven. You’ll see why the work of evangelism is well worth it!
Amen
–Rev Jonathan Rockhoff
Posted in Sermons | Print | No Comments »
January 9, 2008 by admin.
There is a motto in medical circles that encourages, “Where there is life, there is hope.” More than one family has had the conversation with a doctor who reported that “there wasn‘t anything more that they could do“ to help that families loved one. Quite often that conversation is closed with the words, “We’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed,“ or “We‘ll just have to wait and see.” Hence the motto, “Where there is life, there is hope.“ Somebody suggested that perhaps that motto should be reversed to “Where there is hope, there is life.” The University of Duke psychology department did an experiment to test that slogan. They put a mouse into a large bowl of water with no possible way of escape. They watched as the rat quickly gave up its struggle and resigned itself to drowning. They took him out of that bowl and placed him in another that had several sticks extending out over the bowl. They watched as the rat now did everything he could to pull himself out of the water. As long as there was hope, there was life.
I admit that this was a pretty simplistic experiment. But it makes a point that I believe can be applied to many situations. The story of Epiphany is a story of hope. It is a story of hope that produces a desire to live, to live, in this case, as people who have been pulled from the teeth of death by the Savior God sent in Bethlehem. Let’s take the prophecy of Isaiah this morning to see what God says about
“The Light of the World”
I. Shining in a Dark World
II. Attracting Multitudes to the Savior
Chapter 60 of the book of Isaiah begins the conclusion to the message that God sent Isaiah to deliver. The Children of Israel had turned from the Lord and needed a heavy dose of the Law. Chapters 1-40 administer the harsh message of God‘s anger against the sins of Israel and the impending captivity in Babylon that would result. But then in chapters 41-66, God used Isaiah to bring hope to his people. That message came in three parts–the first spoke of deliverance from the captivity, the second, God‘s deliverance of people from sin, and the third (where our text is found), God‘s final deliverance of his people from this world to eternal life in heaven.
Isaiah wrote, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples…” Biblical scholar and church patriarch August Pieper describes this darkness as “a symbol of ignorance, sin, grief, woe, damnation…lies, death, wailing and gnashing of teeth.“
What Isaiah spoke against, and what August Pieper wrote about, we see all around us. You don‘t have to search for the darkness. More often than not, it finds us. That darkness has such a hold on the world that some have given up. They have resigned themselves to live in that darkness and have lost all hope of escaping it. Others have tried to reach a compromise with the darkness. They won‘t accept it in their lives, but they aren‘t willing to make the effort to overcome it. Instead, they want to find a peaceful co-existence with it. Still others are struggling against the darkness, but unable to overcome it. They despise it, but have not figured out how to escape it.
Let me tell you a little bit more about these three types of people. First is the person who has given up in his struggle with darkness. The devil has beaten this person into submission. He doesn‘t want to admit to himself that what he does is wrong. He blames others for his weaknesses, and he expects them to accept his excuses. He is convinced that he is not in the darkness and that he should be allowed to go on doing what he is doing. The Bible describes this type of person as one whose heart has been hardened.
The second type of person affected by sins darkness is the person who try to reach a compromise or agreement with it. He is willing to admit that what he does isn‘t always right. He will agree that he is sinful. But he doesn‘t believe that there is any hope for him to rise above his level of sinfulness. He has resigned himself to the misgiven belief that he will always be controlled by sinful urges and desires, and no matter how hard he tries, he will never free himself from the grip of sin. To soothe his conscience he compares himself with others he deems to be “worse“ sinners, and he finds consolation in the low degree to which he falls into sin. He can be heard to say, “I may do such and such a sin, but at least I don‘t do such and such.”
Thirdly is the person who is tormented by sin, but unable to find a solution to it. This person searches in many corners, tries many things, and goes to bed each night feeling unfulfilled. Martin Luther would have fit into this category before the gospel message opened his eyes to the love and mercy of God.
This is what Isaiah describes as “darkness“ that “covers the earth…thick darkness is over the peoples.” This is what Isaiah saw when he looked at the people of Israel, and it is what we see when we look at our world today. The darkness is there, and in some places it is still very thick. Our text does not call on us to ignore it or deny it, but rather to “Arise” and “shine” in order to dispel the darkness. Our text says that we can escape and overcome the darkness because “your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you….the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”
A light always seems to have an attracting quality to it. People want to be near the light, they want to benefit from its brightness. Ship captains search eagerly for the light from the lighthouse, the young child longs for a nightlight, and God‘s people desire the light that Jesus brought into the sin-darkened world. In our text, our Lord explained through Isaiah that his light would have that affect.
II. Multitudes Are Drawn to It
Isaiah was led to write, “Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 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.” When Jesus came to the earth, shepherds came from their fields to see him. Later Wise Men “from the East“ brought their gifts to him. Throughout his life Jesus gained followers from among the rich and the poor, from the famous and the lesser known. Today, people of all walks of life from the four corners of the earth kneel before the throne of God to praise and honor the Savior.
The power of God to break through the darkness of sin and its consequences is evident in every heart that turns to Jesus. The gospel message that was powerful enough to convert a persecutor into a missionary, that called a condemned criminal to eternal safety while he hung on a cross, that offered forgiveness to a denyer and comfort to 11 terrified followers, continues to draw nations to the light and kings to the brightness.
And as they come, they bring glory to the one who sent the light. Isaiah describes the glory saying, “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. 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.“
To Israel at the time this was written, this may have seemed like a dream. Darkness was covering the people because of their sin and unbelief. To us today, this picture might seem like an exaggeration. Sin keeps us from seeing the light in all of its glory and majesty.
But that does not change what God promises in these two verses. The light of salvation is cutting through the sin that threatens to destroy the world. Lost souls are being brought to faith that will save them. People of all walks of life are praising God for what he has done.
And that is why we gather together to sing our praises and worship the Lord. That is why we bring our offerings and give of our time to serve the Lord. That is why we move ahead in spite of the efforts of the devil to stop us. Where there is hope, there is life, and we have hope based on the promises of God and his power to fulfill them. Filled with hope, we will “Arise“ and “shine“ because our “light has come.“ God bless us as we live in the hope that he has given to us.
Amen
AThe peace of God….
–Rev. Roger Rockhoff
Posted in Sermons | Print | No Comments »
January 1, 2008 by admin.
1 Peter 1:22-25
In Christ Jesus, Dear Fellow-Redeemed,
Would you do it all over again? If you had the chance, would you repeat the year 2007? Boy, that’s a tough one. Sure, God’s blessings continued to be evident this past year, but there were so many things that happened that we didn’t expect, things that caught us by surprise. There were so many changes to deal with. As individuals we’ve all experienced changes this past year. It may have been a change in jobs, with your health or the health of a loved one, maybe the loss of a loved one — fill in your own life-altering event. Even as a church we’ve undergone change. We’ve undertaken the bold step of another building addition to reach out into our community. It’s another challenge for us, a change that will affect our ministry here at Messiah for years to come. It’s one of many changes that took place as we made our way through the year 2007.
We don’t have to repeat 2007, but we do have to prepare for 2008. A few more hours will find us in the new year, and with the next 365 days will come some changes. Change is inevitable, so let’s be ready. Tonight let’s talk about:
“Change in the New Year”
I. What has changed
II. What needs to change
III. What never changes
The greatest and most necessary change has already taken place in each of us as Christians (v 23), “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” Our first birth wasn’t enough. David tells us why (Ps 51:5), “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” We came into this world sinful, children of the devil, doomed to die and spend an eternity in hell. Someone had to change things. God stepped in and through the simple act of baptism, “he saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Tit 3:5). This rebirth with water was empowered by “the living and enduring word of God,” the word that brought about a change in each of us. It changed us from sinners to saints, from God’s enemies to God’s children, from slaves of the devil to servants of our Lord.
The change enacted by God’s imperishable Word makes all the difference in the world for us. Compare what we would be without being “reborn” to what we were by nature. Lost and condemned creatures, burdened with guilt, destined to a life of misery without God here on this earth and an eternity of suffering without him in hell. But look at us now! Now we have peace with our God. Now we have the sure hope of heaven, eternal security knowing that our salvation has been won for us by our Savior. Now we’ve got answers to all of life’s questions. We know why we’re here and we know where we’re going. We’re no longer in the dark. We’re no longer alone. We’re born again through the imperishable, living and enduring word of God!
Now we know what has changed for us — our status before God. That change brings about a chain reaction in us. As children of God, we now are empowered by the Holy Spirit to make changes in our lives. Now let’s see what needs to change.
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart” (v 22). “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth” is just another way of describing how faith works. By God’s miracle of faith we are able to “obey the truth,” to accept what he has done for us in Christ. This is where we find our forgiveness, our “purification.” With God’s love so evident to us, we then are called upon to reflect that love to others. Jesus tells us (Jn 13:34,35), “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Christian love is our spiritual ID card. It proves our membership in God’s kingdom. It’s something we do as a result of our faith, but it’s something that we can never do perfectly. We have to work at it. Listen to what Paul says to the Thessalonians (1 Th 4:9,10), “Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.”
What needs to change in 2008 is our love for others. Not that this love isn’t already in us. It’s just that we all have room for improvement. Paul tells us (Php 2:4), “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” We live in a “me-first” world, and it’s so easy for us to adopt this self-centered philosophy for ourselves. But Peter tells us to “love one another deeply, from the heart,” to set aside our own needs and concerns and to truly care for those around us. And I will continue to proclaim to you that the greatest act of love you can show toward anyone is to share with them the message of God’s love. I’m convinced that if you truly love someone, you can’t help but be concerned about where they’re going to spend eternity. To sit idly by and do nothing — that isn’t love. To ignore the whole matter of a person’s eternal welfare isn’t love. Together we all need to pray, “Lord, forgive me for missed opportunities in the past year for when I’ve failed to share your Word.” But the good news is that in 2008 there will be more opportunities for us. We already have a building with a big tower attached to our church which gives us a number of chances to share our Savior, not only with children, but with parents as well. And now we’re going to get bigger, providing even more opportunities. As individuals, keep your eyes open! God has someone in mind for you, someone who needs what you have, someone who needs to hear about Jesus. Our love for others needs to change. It needs to grow more and more!
We’ve been changed from sinners to saints. We need to change by growing in our love for others. Now let’s see one last thing — what never changes no matter what the year may be — the Word of our God!
Peter reminds us (vv 24,25), “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” You and I eventually will fade away. We’ll leave this earth. Perhaps this will happen in 2008 — we don’t know. And yet the unknown day of our death should not strike fear in our hearts, because “the word of the Lord stands forever”! I find it extremely comforting to know that the same God I read about in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible is the same God watching over me today. The same God who made so many promises of a Messiah to the Old Testament believers, the same God who kept those promises by sending Jesus to this world, that same God has made some promises to me. He’s promised to be with me always, to never give me more than I can handle, to work all things out for my good, and to some day send Jesus back for me to take me home to him. No matter what changes from year to year in this ever-changing world, the one thing that never changes is the “imperishable, . . . living and enduring word of God”!
In a little more than four hours, we will be welcoming in another new year. As we do so, there always seems to be a little bit of apprehension. That’s because with all our planning, with all our preparation, we still don’t know for sure what the new year will bring. We know changes will come, but we don’t know if they’ll necessarily be changes for the better. But as Christians we have no reason to worry. We have no reason to fear the unknown. We can face the arrival of another new year with confidence. No, we may not know what the future holds. But we do know who holds the future — our all-loving, never-changing Lord and Savior! And Scripture tells us (Heb 13:8), “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
When it comes to ringing in another new year, bring it on! With Jesus at our side, we’re ready for whatever may come — here and hereafter!
Amen
–Rev Jonathan Rockhoff
Posted in Sermons | Print | No Comments »