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We’ve been in the middle of our MIRACLE sermon series. In the course of this study, we’ve seen Jesus miraculously help people before it’s too late.
He met a man with incurable leprosy and cured him before it became fatal. He’s heard about a man sick in bed and healed him before it became his deathbed. He met a man with thousands of demons coursing through his body and drove out those demons before any permanent damage was done. But… What happens when the damage has already been done? This morning, we continue our series, by examining an interaction Jesus had with a man who was paralyzed. His legs had already stopped working. He had no hope of walking again. Could Jesus help? Before we do that, a prayer: O Lord, strengthen us by the truth, your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see, our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen. I. The Story The account we’re looking is found in three different parts of Scripture. It’s found in Matthew 9, Mark 2, & Luke 5. Each writer adds different aspects to our understanding of this incredible miracle, so we’ll be looking at all of them. Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own town. (Mt. 9:1) This would be Nazareth. The place Jesus grew up. It’s where he learned carpentry from his dad, where he went to Hebrew school with his buddies, where he played a game of baseball out at the local sandlot. The people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door… That means people were doing everything possible to fit into this room. The three-person couch had become a five person couch. The kids had to sit crisscross applesauce on the floor. There were probably even a few people doing wall sits over in the corner. It was like one of our hallways during a Christmas or Easter service – it was jam-packed full. And he preached the word to them. (Mk. 2:1-2) But there was one group of people that weren’t quite there yet. Walking through the streets… Huffing, puffing, sweating… And taking a quick break to catch their breath… Were a group of five friends. One of them was laying down on a stretcher. The other four were carrying him on that stretcher. The man on the cot was paralyzed. In fact, that’s all the Bible tells us about him. Not his first name. Not his last. Not his favorite drink at Starbucks. Not any characteristic of his personality. Just that he was paralyzed. He couldn’t walk. He couldn’t run. He could hop. He couldn’t skip. He couldn’t jump. He couldn’t even stand up. But his friends had a hunch. They had heard about Jesus. They had about his miraculous power. They had heard about his compassion. They thought that if they could get their friend to Jesus, he could help. So, they took a swig of “Passover Power” Gatorade and lifted the cot once more. “I think the house is just ahead. Don’t worry. We’ll see Jesus soon enough.” The problem was that many other people had that same idea. And, since they weren’t carrying anyone on a cot, they had already gotten there. In fact, when they found the house it was so full of people that some were crowding around the outside windows just to get a glimpse of the Savior. “Guys, I don’t think we can make it in.” “Especially not with this stretcher.” “What a waste of a morning. All this – for nothing!” “Hey, paralyzed friend. I’m sorry. But I think you’ll have to remain paralyzed. Things just aren’t looking up.” “Wait. Did you say, “looking up?” “That’s it.” In 1st century Israel, roofing was a bit different than now. Rather than solid rain deterrent shingles made of fiberglass and asphalt granules that can withstand wind forces of up to 60mph from fine shingle companies like Owens Corning, GAF and CertainTeed that you nail gun into a wooden roofing frames, roofs at the time of Jesus were thatched of straw and mud. The higher-class citizens could afford pieces of tile that would be placed them into the mud concoction on top. Still… It wasn’t common practice for people to come into a house through a roof. But in order to see Jesus… The men took turns climbing up to the roof. With two on top, the two on the bottom hoisted up the cot containing their friend, grabbed a nearby rope and they climbed up themselves. Then, they began praying off the tiles, digging with their hands, and making a hole right in the middle of the roof. On the underside, Jesus was in the middle of teaching. People were so interested in what he had to say that they had ignored the little kid crying. They had ignored the man with the cough in the corner. But they couldn’t ignore this. Because right above Jesus’ head, dirt started to fall. Pieces of tile started to crack. Light suddenly streamed in. And then… …a cot… …lowered by ropes… …with a man on it… “Ummm….. Hiya Jesus!?!” The room was silent. What would Jesus do? What would Jesus say? How dare anyone interrupt him! But Jesus smiled. “Take heart Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Matthew 9:2) Do you remember how the room was filled with people? The Gospel of Luke makes note that some of those people were the Pharisees. These were the religious leaders of the time that didn’t like Jesus very much. After all, these crowds of people that were there to see him, used to be crowds of people that came to see them. And upon hearing what Jesus said, they started muttering. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Lk. 5:17-21) Then some of the experts in the law said among themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming! (Mt. 9:3) Blasphemy means saying you are God, when you aren’t. That terrible sin in ancient Israelite society. And with good reason. If you tell people you are God (and you aren’t) and some of them believe (even though you aren’t), you’ll will be personally responsible for leading them to hell. And since Jesus was telling this man that his sins were forgiven. And only God can forgive sins. Jesus was setting himself up as God! Which would be blasphemy! Unless… Jesus responded to their question with another question: “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? (Mt. 9:4) To understand what Jesus is getting at, think of yourself in a conversation with a relative who can no longer walk. Which is easier to write on a greeting card to that person: “Your sins are forgiven” or “Get up and walk.” I’ve visited a lot of hospitals. I’ve visited a lot who are sick. At Elmcroft retirement home, I run into people who can’t walk. It’s not hard to tell them, “Your sins are forgiven.” But… Not once… Have I ever said to one of these people, ‘Get up and walk.” Why the difference? If I tell someone their sins are forgiven, no one has any idea if that’s true or not. Sins don’t go flying into the area. A halo doesn’t appear on their head. There isn’t a loud chorus of “Hallelujah.” But if you tell someone who can’t walk to get up and walk… If they don’t do that immediately? You’re a fraud. You’re a liar. It didn’t work. TRUTH: It is harder to claim a VISUAL miracle than an INVISIBLE one. So, follow Jesus’ logic: It’s harder to claim the visual miracle than the invisible one. But… …so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. (Mt. 9:6) Allow me to claim the hard one. Jesus turned to the paralyzed man. Looked up right in the eye. And said, “Get up. Take your stretcher. Go home.” And the man…. Looked at Jesus. Looked at his friends Wiggled his toes…and… Got up. Took his stretcher. And went home. II. The Truth about Jesus TRUTH: Jesus’ miracles are VISUAL proof of the INVISIBLE truth. Remember: There was a room full of people in that room. And since this was a local miracle involving a local man, they probably knew him. And their responses: This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Mk. 2:12) They were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. (Mt. 9:8) Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” (Lk. 5:26) The point? Jesus speaks the truth. Even when the truth is invisible. That’s really important. Because most of you here today aren’t physically paralyzed. You can stand. You can walk. You can job. You can run (just maybe not for all that long) You may be able to walk, but you might still understand what it’s like to be paralyzed. Paralyzed with guilt from that one sin you did last week. Paralyzed with shame from the way you’ve been acting in front of your spouse. Paralyzed with fear that God has abandoned you completely. Paralyzed with sadness that God could never forgive you. Again… What’s easier to say? “Your sins are forgiven” or “Kill me and three days later I’ll come back to life.” But to prove that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins…. Jesus was said he would rise from the dead – and he did. And this is proof that when Jesus tells you that your sins are forgiven – they are. And does this throughout Scripture: Your sins have been forgiven on account of Jesus’ name. (1 Jn. 2:12) If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.” (1 John 1:9) Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life.” (Jn. 3:16) Jesus’ power is real. Forgiveness is real. Your forgiveness is real. TRUTH: Not trusting Jesus’ power to FORGIVE is EVIL. Look back at what Jesus said about the people who didn’t trust his power to forgive. He said, “Why are you thinking EVIL in your hearts?” (Mt. 9:4) They were thinking that it was evil for someone who wasn’t God to claim to be God by forgiving sins. But what if that person who is claiming to be God is God. Then, the evil isn’t coming from God who is claiming to be God. The evil is come from the one claiming that God isn’t God. And granted – you might not actually say that Jesus isn’t God. But you might say, “I’ve sinned too much, Jesus.” “I should have to do something.” “God needs me to help myself.” Which is another way of saying: Jesus, you don’t have authority to forgive sins. I do. Friends, that’s evil. If that’s you, turn to Jesus. And ask him forgiveness. And trust that he grants it. Because… Jesus has all AUTHORITY to forgive. It’s like a set of church keys: If you asked me to unlock the front door of church for you, I could because I have the key & authority to do so. If you asked me to unlock the janitor’s closet, I could because I have the key and the authority to do so. If you asked me to unlock the door to Precious Lambs, I could because I have the key and the authority to do so. If you asked Jesus to unlock you from the guilt of your sins, He could… …and he would… …and he did…because he has the key and authority to do so. And the key was his blood. Jesus lived perfectly. Jesus died innocently. Jesus rose triumphantly for the forgiveness of your sins. When he tells you that he unlocked guilt, he means it. III. What Now? (1) Do Whatever It Takes to Get to Jesus Do a quick case study of this man’s friends: They were willing to carry him great distances. They were willing to climb a roof. They were willing to cut a hole in that roof… They were doing whatever it took to get to Jesus… …all because they trusted Jesus’ power to heal. Do the same. Because it’s so easy in this life to feel paralyzed. Things happen during the weak that can paralyze you with shame, guilt, sadness, and fear. Jesus heals that paralysis. So, do whatever you can to get to him. That means making worship a can’t-miss for the week. It means Group Study is something that you don’t let a little traffic deter you from. It means that you reach over to your bedside table – and open the Bible. (2) Do Whatever it Takes to Get Your Friends to Jesus Because these men didn’t get to Jesus for themselves. They did whatever it took to get their friend to Jesus. Do you know someone in need of the forgiveness Jesus brings? Could be a friend. A family member. Or coworker. Someone paralyzed by fear, guilt, and shame. Do whatever it takes to get them to Jesus. Because Jesus has power over paralysis. Power to free from any paralysis. Power to free so that you can walk. Through life. With Jesus. Amen.
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This morning, we continue our miracle series, by examining Jesus’ power over demons. But before we do that, a prayer: O Lord, strengthen us by the truth, your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see, our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen.
I. A House Divided The lesson for this this morning comes from Matthew 8. It occurs at a time in Jesus’ ministry when he has already done plenty of miracles and healed multitudes of people. Word about him is spreading and people are flocking to see him. A common question among the people is, “How can Jesus do miracles?” There was a variety of answers: “Those ‘sick’ people weren’t really sick to begin with.” “Maybe, there was some kind of medicine involved?” “He just got lucky.” Or… Mark 3:22 “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He drives out demons by the ruler of demons.” It’s similar to getting onto your spouse’s phone. Have you ever done that? When you are in control of the account, you can send text messages in your spouse’s name. “My husband is the greatest!” You can send out an email: “We should plan a surprise party for my spouse.” You can go onto Facebook and post a status update: “I have the best spouse ever! I am so lucky to have them as my spouse because they are the best ever.” The contention is that Jesus can control demonic work because he’s working on the devil’s behalf. He sold his soul to the devil. Look at Jesus’ response: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished.” (v.25-26) The NFL Championships are today. I wonder how many defense coordinators are coaching their players to wait for the ball to snap and then tackle their teammates next to them. Or how many times the head coach will tell his running back to “knock over the Quarterback already.” Or how many times Aaron Rodgers will decide to “throw the ball as hard as possible into the back of his center’s kneecaps.” They probably won’t coach them that way. Because a house divided against itself cannot stand. And a football team divided against itself cannot stand. And if the devil was driving out his demonic warriors? His house wouldn’t stand. This means that if Jesus is driving out demons and destroying their work, then… TRUTH: Jesus and the Devil are NOT on the same side. Because Jesus is good. And the devil is not. Good doesn’t work on behalf of evil. Evil doesn’t work on behalf of good. The two are dynamically opposed to one another. Which… Gives me pause. Because we are on God’s side, right? We are on the side of good, right? Yet… Was everything you did this week on behalf of good? That porn you’re looking at? Was that for good? Those racist things you said? Was that for good? That gossip you were sharing at church? Was that really for good? Those complaints about that person across the aisle? Was that really for good? TRUTH: If you’re on GOD’S side; you can’t do the DEVIL’S work. Because if you do, then you’re working for the devil. And if you’re working for the devil, then you’re working against Jesus’ kingdom. And if you’re working against Jesus’ kingdom, then… A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. This is truth. About your family. About your friends. About this church. Understand - The devil wants nothing more than to destroy those things. In fact, he’s all about destruction. He loves destroying families. Destroying friendships. Destroying churches. Destroying souls forever in hell. When you do evil, you work for him. II. The Most Terrifying Thing Jesus was definitely not working for the devil. There might not be a Bible story in which this is clearer than Matthew 8. When Jesus arrived…in the region of the Gergesenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him there. They were very dangerous, so that nobody could pass that way. (v.28) Possession is a simple word. If a dollar bill is in your possession, you own it and you control what it does. If you’re team is in possession of the football, they own it and controls what it does. If a remote control is in your possession, you own it and control what it does. In demon possession, the demon is in control of the body and it controls what the body does. If you are demon possessed, then… You no longer have control of your body. You no longer have control of your words. You no longer have control of your life, because the devil and his demons are in control. For these men, that’s exactly what happened! Demons took control. And remember the goal of demons is destruction. They destroyed their family life. They destroyed their friendships. They destroyed their lives. In fact, Mark’s version of this account, adds that at least one of these men had caused so much trouble that local law enforcement had tried taking him outside the city and chaining him to a wall in an above ground tomb. But… None could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones (Mark 5:4) Sounds like a horror movie And… When Jesus approaches…. It was just like a horror movie, Just… Not for Jesus. The demons cried out “What do you want with us Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” (Mt. 8:29) You are more powerful than us! You are more miraculous than us. Eventually, one day, we know that at “the time” you will seal us forever in the fires of hell. We might bust out of these chains, but… We’ll never bust out of your grip. Please…Go away! TRUTH: Demons are TERRIFIED of Jesus. There are a lot of different phobias in the world. Arachnophobiacs are afraid of spiders. Agoraphobiacs are afraid of crowds. Coulrophobiacs are afraid of clowns. Mysophobiacsa are afraid of germs. Phobophobiacs are afraid of being afraid. What kind of fear do demons have? They have Son-of-God-o-phobia. Fear of God’s own Son. And with good reason. Because while demons are bent on destruction of God’s people, Jesus is bent on the destruction of the destroyer. Way back in the garden of Eden. That was God’s promise. He told Satan, who had just destroyed God’s work of a perfect world, that a day would come when one of Eve’s children would Crush his head.” (Gen. 3:15) That somebody? Jesus. Which means… TRUTH: Jesus is on your SIDE. The devil wants nothing more than your forever destruction in hell. Jesus wants nothing more than your forever existence in heaven. It’s why he came to earth. It’s why he came to fight the devil. It’s why he continues to fight for you against the devil. (In fact, that’s what he’s doing with these very words in this very sermon at this very time.) Jesus is fighting on your side. III. The Confrontation But can Jesus really defeat demons? When Jesus approached the demon possessed men, he asked, “What is your name?” (Mark 5:9) One of the men responded, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” (v.9) A legion is a Roman concept. A Roman legion could be filled with a population of almost 500,000 soldiers. Jesus wasn’t just dealing with one demon. He wasn’t just dealing with two demons. He was dealing with a legion of demons. And it wasn’t just something the demon was saying… Because… In the field, next to this graveyard was a herd of pigs. Eating some slop. Sitting in the mud. Being generally disgusting. Jesus looked at the pigs. He looked back at the demon-possessed men. He looked past the demons and saw the two human souls trapped within. And said, “Go!” So the demons came out of the men and went into the pigs. Immediately the whole herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water. (Mt. 8:30) Now, when I first read this story, I thought, “That’s mean Jesus. What did the pigs do to you?” First, Jesus is the ruler of all. He invented pigs. He gave the pigs life. He could that away as he pleased. Second, think about what Jesus accomplished by allowing this. Granted, the demons just wanted to destroy something. But by allowing this, think of what Jesus accomplished. Because at the exact instant, he told the legion of demons to leave the two men – an entire herd of pigs rushed into the river and drowned. Do you get it? This event was proof that the demon possession was no joke. It was proof that demons were real. TRUTH: Demons are absolutely REAL. I think this is important to remember. Because it’s common to talk about “demons.” Could be “anxiety” that paralyzes our interactions with others. Could be “guilt” that never seems to go away. Could be “a temptation for addiction” that we just can’t seem to conquer. We call it our “demons” but usually we mean “not demons.” But… The reality is that when we call it “our demons” but we really mean “not demons,” - It’s usually “real demons.” Demons are real. They were real at Jesus’ time. They are real today. But… As real as demons are… TRUTH: So is Jesus’ VICTORY. Because the end result is that the two men who had been demon possessed were set free. They were restored. They had a Savior, Jesus. That same Jesus went on to defeat the devil himself. Even when the devil thought he won. When he got the Pharisees to concoct a conspiracy… When he got Judas to betray his teacher… When he got a crowd to chant, “Crucify! Crucify!”… When he got Pontius Pilate to be afraid, “Go ahead, just take him.” When he caused those soldiers to nail Jesus hand and foot to the cross. The devil probably thought he won. But… Three days later. His head was crushed. Jesus defeated sin. Jesus defeated guilt. Jesus defeated death. Jesus defeated the devil himself. IV. What Now? (1) Be Wary The Bible tells us, “Your enemy the devil prowls around you like a roaring lion waiting for someone to devour, resist him. Standing firm in the faith.” (1 Peter 5:8) Because if you are on an African safari, you’d be wary of lions. You’d put something on camouflage you. You’d carry a weapon for protection. You’d probably put some kind of anti-lion repellent deodorant on to repel it. And if you saw a lion – you’d get out of there! Do the same thing with the devil. Be wary. We identify the areas of temptation that we fall. We avoid those places. When temptation comes, we flee as if our lives depended on it. (Because spiritually speaking, we do.) Friends, be wary of the devil. Be wary of demons. But also… (2) Be Confident Because it’s easy to feel dejected when facing temptation. Because we’ve lost to the devil so many times. We’ve fallen to BIG temptations. We’ve fallen to LITTLE temptations. We’ve fallen to the SAME temptations again and again. What could possibly make us believe that this time will be different? Because…. Jesus is on our side. He wins the victory every time. Be confident. Be confident because of Jesus. Amen. This morning, we will begin our miracle series, by examining God’s incredible power of sickness. But before we do that, a prayer: O Lord, strengthen us by the truth, your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see, our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen.
I. Defining Miracle I think it’s important to start a study on miracles by defining the word “miracle.” So, here it is: A miracle is an occurrence outside the NATURAL laws of the Universe. Because miracle can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. Over time, I think we’ve “dumbed down” the phrase. For instance, we use it at childbirth. A baby is born and people post on Instagram: “Check out my child! #Miracle” Is childbirth amazing? Yes. Is it a miracle though? Not really. That’s how God set up the universe. We even use it in sports. “I can’t believe my favorite football team made the playoffs. It’s a miracle!” Might it have been impressive? Sure. But is it a miracle? Not so much. But when the New Testament uses the word miracle it actually is talking about events that occur outside the natural order of things. Seawater standing up like drywall? That’s not how water usually works. A heavy rock wall tumbling because of trumpet noise? Not normal. Three men being thrown into a fiery furnace and coming out unsinged? Let’s not test it. A virgin giving birth to a child? Miracle. In the New Testament, the number one miracle doer is Jesus. But did you know that Jesus miracles aren’t often called miracles as much as they are called signs. That’s interesting. Because a sign functions by pointing you in the right direction. We have signs in our hallways that say “Restrooms” with a little arrow putting in a certain direction. The point of the sign? To direct you to the restrooms. Even a traffic light. GREEN means “GO”, red means “STOP, and yellow means, “hurry up it’s about to turn red.” Jesus’ miracles were SIGNS pointing people to his DIVINITY. Think about it: If God’s the one that set the laws of the universe into motion, then he is the only one able to act outside of those laws. It’s like STAYING UP LATE. If the rule of your house is that kids need to be in bed by 9 pm, the kids need to go to bed, but the adult can stay up. (Granted, they might not. They might be in bed on the couch around 7:15 pm, but you get the point.) Your kids can’t. You can. You set up the law; you can act outside of it. Jesus acts outside of the laws of the universe set up by God, in all of his miracles. Why? Because he is God himself. II. The Man with Leprosy But it enough talking about it. Let me show you. When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. Just then, a leper came to him and bowed down to him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” (Mt. 8:1-2) Notice. There are large crowds of people with Jesus. They had just heard Jesus give the Sermon on the Mount, a very famous sermon. They were all drawn in by Jesus’ speech and his ideas. But someone that hadn’t made it up to the mountain was waiting as they came down. He was a leper which means that he had the disease known as leprosy. It was a flesh-eating disease that slow dried out your cartilage and cause the tips of your fingers, your toes, your nose, and your ears to (brace yourself) fall off. Leprosy was awful. Still is! If you want to know how awful, do a Google image search. (But not if you’re faint of heart.) Besides being awful… Leprosy was INCURABLE. This isn’t true anymore. There is a cure. But at the time, there weren’t any medicines, any acupuncture, any essential oil, any healthy diet, or any operation that anyone knew about in order to cure it. That means that if you were diagnosed with leprosy you had to quickly resign yourself to the fact that you would not be healed. Leprosy was CONTAGIOUS. It was so contagious that if you were diagnosed with leprosy, you were sent into quarantine. Only the quarantine wasn’t a room in your house. You were sent outside the city walls, into the desert to live in what they called “leper colonies”. Leprosy was FATAL. The end result, 100 percent of the time was death. All these truths about leprosy left this man was without hope. He had heard doctor after doctor tell him there was no cure. He was alone, banished outside the city. He knew what had happened to other friends – they died. This meant - He wouldn’t get to see his family again. He wouldn’t get to hold his children again. He wouldn’t get to kiss his wife again. He wouldn’t feel better. He wouldn’t regain strength. He wouldn’t go back to his job. He’d be by himself. Outside the city walls. Slowly dying. Yet… Did you notice something about this man? He approached Jesus with confidence. He didn’t say: “If you are able…” Or, “If you have the strength…” Or, “If you have the right medicine…” He said, “If you are willing…” And… Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean.” And after Jesus says that, there aren’t months of radiation. There aren’t weeks of chemo. There aren’t even 15 minutes to allow the medicine to take effect. Jesus simply speaks and… IMMEDIATELY he was healed of his leprosy. And if you’re thinking, “That’s impossible.” Remember – there’s a crowd of people present. It wasn’t Jesus by himself. There were hundreds of witnesses to this miracle. Many who had undoubtedly seen that man sitting around outside the city gates day after day after day. In fact, Jesus has professionals corroborate the healing. He tells him to “Go, show (himself) to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” (v.4) The priests at this time were similar to doctors. They were able to pronounce people as diseased or not. They were probably the same people who once told the man, “You are diseased, away from us!” Now? They were saying to him, “You’re healed! Celebrate with us.” And remember – while this is 2000 years after the fact, this book is not. These words that we are reading right now were written down at a time when the majority of the people who witnessed this would have still been alive. TRUTH: Jesus is able to CURE the INCURABLE. Here’s where this is important: You might know someone who has been diagnosed with disease. You may have been diagnosed with disease. AIDS. Cancer. Leukemia. And internet articles might not give you a chance. Social media anecdotes might not give you a chance. Doctors might not give you a chance. But… You have Jesus. And Jesus can cure the incurable. Do you want a second instance of this? How about sin!?! It’s CONTAGIOUS – passed down from parents to children. It’s INCURABLE – nothing we can do will ever remove it. It’s FATAL – “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) But Jesus cured the incurable! He lived perfectly when we couldn’t. He died innocently on the cross. He rose triumphantly and cured you of all sin, guilt and shame! By faith in Jesus, you are forgiven. Incurable guilt – CURED! This means that whatever you’re dealing with, as long as you have Jesus, you have hope. Because Jesus provides HOPE in any ILLNESS. He cured the incurable disease of leprosy with his hand. He cured the incurable disease of sin with his death. There is nothing that Jesus can’t do. There is no disease too incurable. There is no disease too contagious. There is no disease too fatal for Jesus. III. The Centurion’s Servant Word of this miracle got around. In fact, it made its way outside the Jewish community to a Roman centurion whose servant was deathly ill. He must have heard stories of Jesus. Yet he had a lot working against him. In fact, I’m sure his advisors gave him a host of reasons not to waste his time: “Jesus is Jewish. You’re Roman. There’s too big a racial divide. He won’t help you.” “You’re a high ranking official. What will it look like for a Roman elite to go looking for help from a homeless carpenter?” “You’re a sinner. From what I’ve heard, this man is a holy man. He won’t give you the time of day.” But… For some reason… He trusted Jesus. And as he looked at his servant growing pale, soaked in sweat, and approaching death. [the] centurion came to [Jesus] and pleaded with him, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed and suffering terribly.” (v.5) And… Despite the racial difference… Despite the social difference... Despite the man’s sin… Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” (v.6) But the man, thought this was too much. He was a high ranking official and he didn’t make house visits. And Jesus was higher ranking than him. He didn’t need to do a house visit. And so, the high-ranking government official said, “Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof.” I’m a sinful man. You’re holy. I don’t deserve anything from you. But only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am also a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (v. 8-9) You have authority too. You tell diseases to leave and they do. You tell health to return and it does. You tell bodies to be healed and they listen, because you have authority over them. When Jesus heard this, he marveled. He said to those who were following him, “Truly, I tell you: I have not found such great faith in anyone in Israel… Go. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” (v.10) Here’s where it gets extra amazing. Because when the man turned to leave, he made note of the position of the sun. Maybe just to the right of the west of the cloud. And when he returned home, he found the servant well. But that’s not the amazing part. After rejoicing. After giving him a hug. After doing the “happy dance.” He asked one of the other servants. When did this happen? “At the time the sun was right to the west of the clouds! I remember. Because I was so excited, I ran outside to tell the others.” Make no mistake. Again. This was a miracle. This was Jesus. TRUTH: Jesus provides HOPE even when he’s not VISIBLY PRESENT. Because you won’t be able to see Jesus. Go ahead. Google search. Look for Dr. Jesus. He doesn’t work at Duke. He doesn’t work at UNC. He doesn’t work at Rex. He doesn’t work at Wake Med. And yet… He grants healing to those within those walls. You can’t see Jesus. But that doesn’t he isn’t with you. And it doesn’t mean he won’t provide healing. He’s all powerful. ‘ His power goes beyond physical, tangible presence. Again – just like sin. You and I weren’t physically there when Jesus died on the cross. And yet Jesus didn’t have to come to 2020 in order to die in our physical presence. His death and resurrection cross physical, temporal boundaries to bring healing and forgiveness. His same healing power gives us hope in the face of illness. IV. When Healing Doesn’t Happen And yet…? People die all the time from disease. Some are even believers. What’s the deal? To answer that question – I want you to remember two significant things that these the two men in today’s accounts said. (1) Lesson from the Centurion Remember what the centurion said to Jesus? “I’m not worthy…” That’s a strange statement, because this centurion was a high ranking, Roman official. He oversaw hundreds of soldiers. (Hence the name “Century-on”) He had a good career. Plenty of people who looked up to him. And yet he didn’t say, “Jesus. I demand this, because I deserve it.” Nope. He knew he was a sinner. He knew he only deserved death. He knew that any healing Jesus could grant was out of his mercy. We need to remember the same thing. I remember that I got sick for one of my birthday’s awhile back. And I thought…. “This isn’t fair! I work hard. I serve God. I serve God’s people. And now I get a day off to celebrate my birthday and I’m sick? God I deserve to be healed.” Is that actually true? Did I deserve healing? Remember – the Bible says, “The wages of sin is death.” It’s easy to think: I deserve healing. I’ve done nice things. I’ve been a good parent. I’m worthy of being healed. Honestly? None of us are. If God heals us physically, it’s not because we deserve it. It’s because of his mercy. But in God’s mercy is real hope. Because unlike human ‘goodness’ which isn’t nearly as good as we think it is. God’s mercy? Is a mercy that caused him to die on a cross for our sins. Mercy that saved us to eternal life – where there won’t be any sickness. And mercy that sometimes heals us from sickness. (2) Lesson from the Leper Remember what the leper said to Jesus? “If you are willing…” It wasn’t a question of whether healing was possible, But whether it was God’s will. In this man’s instance? It was. But sometimes God’s will is that the sickness won’t be cured. Why? Is it because he loved that person less? If you are suffering a sickness and you haven’t been healed yet, is it because God loves you less than the healthy? Nope. He died on the cross for you. He doesn’t love you less. He loves you the same as those who are health. In fact, it’s because of his LOVE combined with his incredible wisdom, that God sometimes allows a disease to run its course. Why? Because… Sickness has a way of driving people towards Jesus. Meaning… Sickness can be God’s way of Bringing you to faith… Or strengthening your faith… Or working through you to be a witness to our friends and family of our faith in Jesus. Or … Simply… Bringing you ultimate healing in heaven. In heaven, there isn’t any leprosy. In heaven, there isn’t any cancer. In heaven, there isn’t any sickness. In heaven, there is only health. Perfect health. Forever. Amen.
It is 2020 and perhaps you’ve submitted your New Year’s Resolutions.
Exercise 3x per week. Read more books. Watch less Netflix. Drink less coffee. Which… I just resolved to drink MORE coffee. I’m telling you so that you can hold me accountable. Sometimes people have spiritual resolutions. Connect more with God. Find inner peace. Pray more often. But… How many have BE MORE ACTIVE IN CHURCH as part of their resolutions? According to a 2017 PEW Research poll, (www.perform.org/religious-landscape-study): 71% of Americans claim to believe in God. 56% think that religion is important. 58% pray daily. That doesn’t sound horrible. About half. But… When it comes to religious service attendance…. Only 36% attend on a weekly basis. And when you remove the non-Christian versions of those… The number is even lower. Maybe 15% of Americans in ‘church’ on a weekly basis. Why so low? Why such a low view of “the church?” A big part of the answer lies in misconceptions about church. This morning out goal is use the Bible to answer the question WHY CHURCH. Because, church is a GIFT from God. But before we do that, a prayer: O Lord, strengthen us by the truth, your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see, our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen. I. WHY Church Before we get going, it’s important to define church, because the word “church” has at least three definitions: 1. A building (brick and mortar) 2. A corporation (See: “Church, Inc.” or “Gethsemane Church”) 3. A group of believers. It’s that third definition that is the Biblical definition of church, because it is that third definition that brings about definitions 1 and 2. And one of the greatest Biblical texts on church is found in Hebrews 10. Hebrews is a letter written shortly after the time of Jesus that connected Jesus to the Old Testament. And in chapter 10, it begins with a comparison of Old Testament and New Testament “priests.” Look at verse 11 (In the case of Old Testament worship), every priest stood ministering day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which are never able to remove sin. (v.11) The priest, an old testament version of pastor, attended a religious ceremony each day. He’d wake up, dress up in priestly garments, walk to the local temple, and begin his daily religious ceremonies. One key ceremony was sacrifice. People would bring with them whatever animals they could afford: a ram, a goat, a bird, 0r a lamb. The priest would then take that lamb and sacrifice it on the altar to “atone for the sin of whoever brought.” But here’s the thing. People sinned a lot. Sometimes on the way home from the temple. “Hi Jehoiachin, what did you bring me today?” “Hello priest. I brought a small dove to pay for my sin of lust. The next-door neighbor is very beautiful, and I couldn’t help myself.” “Very well. I’ll take this dove and sacrifice it for your sins.” “Thanks.” 2 minutes later. “Umm…priest?” “Yes, Jehoiachin why are you back so soon?” “Yes, um. Sorry. Here’s another dove. I was on the way out and – another beautiful woman. My apologies.” 1 minute later. Umm…priest?” “Jehoiachin!?! Another woman?” “No. This time I just stubbed my toe on the corner rock and said some words I shouldn’t. Anyways…I’m out of birds. Do you take VISA?” These priests offered the same sacrifices again and again. But here’s the kicker: These sacrifices can never take away sin. All that sacrifice. All that time. All that repetition and religious ceremony. None of it did anything. It never took away any sin. It never removed guilt. It never removed actual shame before God. TRUTH: Church isn’t FOR SACRIFICE That’s important. Sometimes we can be tempted to look at church like that. I need to sacrifice some time this Sunday to make up for the time I spent overdrinking during the holidays. I need to sacrifice some money this Sunday to make up for the money I spent on materialism this Christmas. I need to sacrifice some energy this Sunday to make up for the energy I spent arguing with my spouse over New Year’s. These “sacrifices” can NEVER take away sin. These “sacrifices” can NEVER take away guilt. These “sacrifices” can NEVER take away shame. You can never sacrifice anything to pay for your sins. But if sacrificing in the Old Testament didn’t take away sins, why did God command it? Check out verse 12: (A different) priest, after he offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God. Do you get it? Old Testament sacrifice never took away sin. They simply pointed forward to the priest who would. TRUTH: Church exists because GOD SACRIFICED for us. That one priest is Jesus! He made a sacrifice for us – for our sins… For you – for your sins. But if you remember the story of Jesus, there isn’t ever a story about him putting on priestly garments and entering the temple to sacrifice an animal. He did things much differently than your common priest. (1) He Sacrificed HIMSELF This is truly different than any other priest. Because there was never a priest that ever went up to the altar and said, “OK. Today, I think I’ll take my own life for the sake of Joe Schmo.” Nope. But Jesus did. In fact, the Bible calls Jesus the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He is priest and Lamb. The one who demands payment and the one who pays. Sacrifice-er and sacrifce-ee. But that’s why it worked! It wasn’t just the blood of some random animals, but the blood of God himself. (2) He Sacrificed ONCE. The Old Testament priest went home at the end of the day. They took off their bloody clothes, placed them in the wash, and went to bed only to do the same thing the very next day. When Jesus was done with his sacrifice, he sat down at God’s right hand. (v.12) He never sacrificed again. This means the payment was complete. You sin has been paid for. Whatever you did wrong in 2019. No matter how many times you did it. No matter how big it was. No matter how guilty you still feel about it. Jesus paid for all your sins in 2019. And for all your sins in 2018. And for 2000—however many years you’ve been alive before that. He paid for all your past sins and… He has paid for all your coming sins. (3) He Sacrificed FOR ALL TIME Because look at what it says next; Since then he has been waiting until his enemies are made a footstool under his feet. By only one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being sanctified. (v.13-14) Notice Jesus isn’t up and ready to be a sacrifice for your 2020 sins. Because Jesus’ one sacrifice has eternal value. You don’t need to go into 2020 with absolute terror of sinning again. Newsflash – you will. Not that it is our goal to sin, it isn’t. God love empowers us to love others and fight sin. But… When you do sin… Do not despair. When you do sin… Simply look to the same Savior you looked to in 2019. In Jesus, you have forgiveness. And in Jesus, you will always have forgiveness. Friends, this is the reason we are the church. Church is not something that you need to FEAR. Nor it is something that you need to do out of FEAR. Rather it’s something Christ made us so we wouldn’t FEAR. And something we participate in because we have no reason to FEAR. II. Blessings of Church But it doesn’t stop there. Because God gives us blessings through his gift of church. (1) Access to God Check out verse 19, “Brothers, we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place through the blood of Jesus. It is a new and living way he opened for us through the curtain, that is, his flesh.” In the Old Testament, worship the temple area was separated into various parts. There was the courtyard where people could enter with sacrifices. There was a special area called the Holy Place where only priests could enter on behalf of the people. And there was the Most Holy Place that only one High Priest could enter once a year. To emphasize this, the Most Holy Place was even separated from the rest of the temple by thick heavy curtains. The point? God’s is MOST HOLY. As a result, we sinful people could never commune with Him. But… Do you know what happened when Jesus died on the cross? The Bible says this: The curtain of the temple was torn in two. (Matthew 15:38) God’s holy requirements were gone. The sin that separates unholy humans from Holy God has been removed. And… Church is one of the ways God does that. Because church is where we hear his Word. Church is where we gather around sacraments. Church is where God communes with us, whether it’s here in our worship space or around a round table for Growth Group at Starbucks. We have access to God thanks to Jesus and that’s an amazing reason to be a part of church. Because can you imagine if you were given high clearance, top secret government clearance to walk into a top-secret government agency? Like FBI Headquarters or maybe Area 51. Wouldn’t you love to go? The same thing has happened with God. God has given you an all access pass to Him. You don’t need a secret code. You don’t need to put your fingerprints on file. There isn’t a retina scanner out front. (Mostly because we can’t pay for it) You have access to this group where God speaks to his people. (2) A Clean Conscience Verse 22 continues, “Let us approach with a sincere heart, in the full confidence of faith, because our hearts have been sprinkled to take away a bad conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.” Because it is so easy for the devil to get into our heads. To tell us, “You used to be able to be near God, but you sinned this past week.” “You did bad.” “You did wrong.” “You’re too guilty to be a part of church.” But do you know why the devil wants you to believe that? Because church is a place where God removes that guilt. Where a pastor preaches a sermon with the conclusion, “Thanks to Jesus! We have forgiveness.” Where a song points out: “Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Where a friend quietly listens to your confession, grabs you by the hand, looks you in the eye and says, “Jesus died. Jesus rose. In him, you are forgiven.” (3) A Strengthened Grip on Hope Verse 23 says this, “Let us hold on firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.” Because life is like driving a go-kart on a bumpy road. Have you ever tried that? The bumps, the divots, the gravel can make for a rough ride so much that you aren’t able to keep a steady, straight line as you travel. If you want to keep on course, you have to grip the steering wheel very tightly to make sure that you stay straight. It’s the same way in life. Bumps come in many forms. Financial bumps. Relationship bumps. Health bumps. And all of these bumps threaten to throw you off course. And lose your grip on your hope. But in the church, God gives you others who can help you steer for a bit. Who can give you hope. Who can say things like: “I know this is tough, but God is still the victor. Stay faithful.” “God has your back brother. Can I pray for you?” “As hard as it is now, God promises he will take you home to heaven and I know that’s what he’s going to do.” (4) Spurring Buddies I’ve got a new workout group that I’m a part of and the current trainer has developed all kinds of ways to keep me active. She spurs me on with emails: “Here’s the workouts for the week. Can’t wait to see you there!” She spurs me on with Facebook group messages: “Workout tomorrow. Better be there.” She spurs me on with text messages: “Hey Phil! Haven’t seen you for a while. Did you trade your dumbbells in for a bag of Doritos?” She spurs me on with text messages from other trainers: “Hey Phil! Your trainer said I should message you to get you back in the gym. You in?” At some point, I go back to the gym. Sometimes because I’m encouraged. Other times because I’m annoyed. Both times? The result is a good thing. In church, we do the same thing for each other spiritually. The exact phrase from Scripture is found in verse 24. It says, “Let us also consider carefully how to spur each other on to love and good works.” Because on the one hand, you might be having a hard time being nice to a particular coworker. But then you hear a sermon on “Kindness,” someone mentions being kind to coworkers as an answer in Growth Group, and another church friend keeps putting “being a light” photographs on Instagram. You’re spurred on to good works. And vice versa! Church isn’t just a place for you to be spurred on to good works, but a place where you spur others on to good works. It happened not that long ago. Someone was super excited to say they had just invited a friend to Christmas worship. And, feeling proud and sinfully vain, I thought: “Oh, they listened to my sermon…Hmmm.” But this person said: “It wasn’t even your sermon. I just heard another church member talking about doing it and it spurred me on to try it myself.” But do you get it? Prayerfully, I might give some encouragement in a sermon. But prayerfully, you’re giving encouragement too. (5) Preparation for the Day God’s Word says, “Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have the habit of doing. Rather, let us encourage each other, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (v.25) Because it’s easier to prepare for something with others. It’s always easier to prepare a New Year’s celebration with others helping you. Together you can put up streamer decorations, turn on the live broadcast of the Acorn, cook some of those little hot dogs, and spending hours cutting out little pieces of construction paper to throw as confetti (and about 10 seconds actually tossing it). It’s the same things for the Day! Except… Here’s the thing about The Day. And by The Day, I mean, Judgment Day. And by Judgment Day, I mean, when Jesus either ends your life on this earth or when Jesus returns to end all life on earth. It’s easier to stay prepared for Jesus with others surrounding you. In fact, it’s almost necessary! That’s why God tells us to “not neglect meeting together, as some have the habit of doing. But to encourage each other, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Don’t think you’re the one person in the history of the world that’s going to be able to hold onto faith by yourself. That’s foolish and in direct contradiction to what God is telling you here today. And it may very well result in you not be prepared—at all. Let us not give up meeting together. Let us encourage one another. And all the more as the day approaches! It’s why CHURCH needs to be on your New Year’s Resolution. Because church is a lot like charcoal. There’s the story of a man who used to be a part of a church but had stopped coming for months on end. He wouldn’t answer phone calls. He wouldn’t answer email. He wouldn’t answer text messages. Finally, the pastor got into his car and went to see him. The man saw the pastor as he approached the house, so he went to the front door to greet him. “It’s fine pastor. You can come in, but I know why you’re here. And let me tell ya – it won’t work. I’m not coming back to church.” The pastor simply nodded and listened as he sat next to the man’s fireplace. “I won’t come back because someone was mean to me.” The pastor grabbed the fire poker. “He didn’t apologize, and no one came to get me.” The pastor stirred the coals. “Besides, I don’t think staying home hurts me…” The pastor moved a single coal away from the other coals. The man stopped talking. Together they watched as that single coal started to fade. To grow dim. To stop burning. “I’ll be there this Sunday,” the man said. This is the gift of church. A place where God lights a fire of faith in our hearts. A place where we help each other keep that faith burning. Amen.
Introduction
Presents are exciting. Even as a grown man of nearly *cough* years old, it would be hard for me to say that the pile of gifts under our tree doesn’t get me excited, that one of the best parts of the holiday for me is finding out what’s in all those brightly colored packages that have been sitting there taunting me for weeks. Of course, presents are awesome, but we all know they’re not the reason we celebrate, we talked about that last night as God gave us his Son. We’ll look at that gift again today of course, it’s Christmas! But there’s more to unwrap from God, that’s why we’re all here this morning instead of playing with the new toys we unwrapped. (And I hope you got some proper toys. You’re never too old for toys.) So, this morning, we’re going to take some time and unwrap a few more presents, presents from God himself, presents that truly give us reason to celebrate. I. Our Gift to God We all know the expression, it gets repeated year-round, just more often at Christmas: “’Tis better to give than to receive.” So, with that in mind I thought maybe we’d start off at looking not at what God has given us but what we got God this year. So? What did you get the big guy? Maybe an extra donation in the offering plate? Spend some extra time volunteering for the special services or in the community? Maybe you tried to reach out and make peace with that one family member. Except… didn’t God give you that money to start with? Isn’t he the one that gave you the time and the strength and the ability to contribute here and out there? And if we’re being honest, wasn’t it partly your stubbornness and pride that caused the family rift to begin with? I’m just shooting in the dark here with these but we could go on and on. The fact is, we can’t GIVE God anything he doesn’t already have. Everything we have came from him first. And on top of that, we daily ignore him, defy him, and act contrary to him. Our gift to him this year has been nothing…plus grief. Let’s humbly remember this as we consider God’s gifts to us. We have given him nothing. He owes us nothing. In fact, we ought to be punished for our behavior. Our reading from Romans 3 reminds us of our default state: Just as it is written: There is no one who is righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands. There is no one who searches for God. They all turned away; together they became useless. There is no one who does what is good; there is not even one. Their throat is an open grave. They kept deceiving with their tongues. The poison of asps is on their lips. Their mouth is filled with cursing and bitterness. Their feet are quick to shed blood. They leave a trail of destruction and suffering wherever they go. The way of peace they did not know. There is no fear of God in front of their eyes. II. God's Gift: Himself Between what little we have done for God and the grief we have given him, it’s shocking enough that he would offer us a way out of our situation at all. We committed the crime, we earned the punishment. He should refuse to ever come near us again. And even if God were to offer a way out, you would expect some kind of bargain, right? Rather than the jail time we could pay the fine as it were. We’d expect that since we made the mess between us and God, his solution would be for us to clean it up. Some herculean effort, some list of labors that we had to perform to get back into his good graces. And that would be utterly fair. But instead of sending a list of demands to us, God does what he usually does, he takes what would make perfectly normal human sense...and then does the opposite. He does not send a list of demands. He does not send some cruel taskmaster to get us back on track. Instead he sends...his Son. He sends, himself. The all-powerful, limitless God of creation, becomes part of his creation, joins us as a helpless baby and sets in motion the chain of events that will lead to our rescue and freedom from the mess we made. Because he is human, he goes in our place. Because he is God, everything he does can count for everyone. God’s first gift is, quite plainly, himself. In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governing Syria. And everyone went to register, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the town of Nazareth, into Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family line of David. He went to be registered with Mary, his wife, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child. And so it was that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. There were in the same country shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified! But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude from the heavenly army, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.” III. God's Gift: A Perfect Life Of course, God did not come here to walk around, take in the sights, and see what all was going on planet-side. He came here on a mission. You see, God, as a holy being, has two major requirements for anyone to be part of him or in his presence. It’s not arbitrary, it’s sort of like the laws of physics. Because he’s holy, certain requirements have to be met. And the first one is a perfect, obedient, life. This makes sense. To be in God’s holy presence, you need to be holy yourself. And it’s not like his demands are unreasonable or cruel. In fact, the core of his command is love! Love God first and love each other equally. All his other commands flow from these. And yet as we confessed, we haven’t. We have been selfish and cruel, ignoring God and hurting each other. We could not live a perfect life, so Jesus did. His entire lifespan as a human was carried out in perfect obedience to his Father. From birth to his march to the cross, he kept God’s will perfectly and when he was finished, he handed that life over to you to wear as a white robe that covers you completely. Your life is perfect in God’s eyes through Jesus’ gift. We see just one example of Jesus’ obedience during his temptation in Matthew 4: Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The Tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” But Jesus answered, “It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.” Then the Devil took him into the holy city. He placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, and he said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you. And they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written: You shall not test the Lord your God.” Again the Devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will bow down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Then the Devil left him, and just then angels came and served him. IV. God's Gift: Forgiveness I said before that God has two major requirements to be in his presence. One is the perfect life he lived for us and gave to us, the life that covers us now and makes us holy in his eyes. The other is that we be totally free of sin. Well, wait, you might say, isn't that just the other side of the same coin? If we have a holy life, aren’t we automatically free from sin? Sure, we would be, if you had actually lived a holy life. But as we’ve established, you didn’t. The holy life you have is a gift, it covers you, it shows you as holy to God, but there’s still the problem of your debt. You see, God has a justice system. It’s utterly perfect, utterly fair. Every sin is a crime against that system and like any other system of justice, every crime must be paid for. Whether that payment is community service, a fine, or jail time—reparation must be made. In this case, the payment that needs to be made for crimes against God himself… well it’s eternal death. It’s the agony of hell. That is… a stern penalty. It is not a debt we could easily pay. And so the next gift God gives us through Jesus is full payment for our crimes. On the cross, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” You see, hell is nothing less than to be completely abandoned by God. And that is what happened to Jesus on the cross. It was there that God abandoned him, that he suffered hell itself in your place. And when it was done, knowing that your payment was made, he uttered that famous word “tetelestai”. “It is finished” in our reading. Also translated as “paid in full”. Jesus’ work was complete, the debt was paid, and God’s gift of forgiveness is entirely yours. From John 19: After this, knowing that everything had now been finished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine was sitting there. So they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished!” Then, bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. V. God's Gift: Eternal Life God’s gifts: giving himself through Jesus, the perfect life lived on your behalf, the sacrifice on the cross to pay the debt for your sins are all leading up to this final gift that we now look forward to. Because of the baby we celebrate today, we have the confidence and peace of knowing our end. This section from Revelation 7 stands on its own. Know that this is what belongs to you as a gift from God. Without further introduction: After these things I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. They called out with a loud voice and said: Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb. All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying: Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen. One of the elders spoke to me and said, “These people dressed in white robes, who are they and where did they come from?” And I answered him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me: These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Because of this they are in front of the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never be hungry or thirsty ever again. The sun will never beat upon them, nor will any scorching heat, for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Did you buy any good gifts this year?
I think that the best way to know what someone wants would be to hack into their Facebook feed. Here’s why – Facebook tracks the things that you do on their platform and (maybe you’ve noticed this) over the holiday season they send advertisements that are specifically tailored to what you. So – in case you hadn’t gotten me anything yet – here’s a list of some gifts that Facebook thinks a pastor may like: A mug (because Facebook knows I like coffee). It says: “May suddenly start talking about theology” Because Facebook must know I’m a pastor. Also, because I’m a pastor: A T-shirt that reads: “Pastor, because devil stomping ninja isn’t a real title.” A Kevin Malone broccoli clock. Which is probably on there because I’m a big fan of the Office. Socks with my face on them. I’m not sure what that says about me. Tonight, I want to talk to you about the BEST gift ever… A gift that just so happens to be for you. Before we begin unwrapping it, a prayer: O Lord, strengthen us by the truth, your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see, our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen. I. The Giver First, let’s examine who the giver is. Look in John 3:16, “For GOD so loved the world that he gave…” When you’re younger, isn’t it true that sometimes the excitement you have for a gift is based entirely on whose name is on the giving tag? From Aunt Matilda, who always sends a box of chocolate covered peanut butter Bon-bons? Excited. From Aunt Zelda, who always sends a box of quinoa covered carrot cakes? Less excited. From Uncle Carl, who sends items from his world travels? Very excited. From Uncle Merle, who always sends Werther’s caramel candies? Not so much. From the grandma who always gets you all the Lego toys, and actions figures and video games you ever wanted? Jackpot! From the grandma who always gets you money for your school trust fund? Not so much. Who is this gift from? It’s not an aunt. It’s not an uncle. It’s not any kind of measly, old human. It’s God. Almighty. Invisible. All powerful. Divine. He holds up the planets. He rotates the earth around the sun. He has store house after store house filled with beautiful snowflakes – no two are alike! He knows exactly what you truly, deeply want and need. TRUTH: There is no better giver than GOD. You can put anyone up against him. Rich Uncle Joe. Grandma. Grandpa. Even Santa! Cause from what I hear – he’s a good toy maker. But if you put him up against God? Santa is pretty good at making toy blocks that you can use to build towers. God? He put together the literal mountains out in Ashville. Santa has perfected how to make a model train go by plugging it into electricity. God has perfected how to make the coal that makes the real 18,000-ton trains go across country. Santa, if he works hard enough on it, he can produce a lifelike baby doll. God? He knits together real babies and gives them real life. This gift is from God, so you already know It’s the best gift ever! II. The Recipient Right next to the giver’s name on a gift tag is usually the recipient’s name. It’s no different with God’s BEST EVER gift. For God so loved THE WORLD that he gave… Did you catch that? Do you see the recipient? It’s a quite unique name tag. God is giving his gift to the world. TRUTH: God gave to the ENTIRE WORLD. Did you know that there are currently an estimated 7.7 billion people in the world today? From Raleigh to Durham. From the U.S. to Mexico. From North America to South America. From Ethiopia to Sweden. From Russia to China. From Iraq to Iran. Even to the scientists down in Antarctica! God got a gift for the whole world! Can you imagine doing shopping for that many people? I don’t want to even guess what Amazon would charge for shipping. But at the same time this gift is for the whole world, you need to pay special attention. Because it isn’t just talking about all the people on the other side of the world. It isn’t just talking about all the other people in Raleigh. it isn’t just talking about all the other people in this church right now. This gift is given FOR YOU. Because while God’s big enough to make a gift for the whole world. He’s knows you intimately enough to tailor his gift for you. Especially for you. Specifically, for you. Uniquely for you. Understand: This isn’t like a plate of cookies that is given to your whole family. It’s OK. It’s good. But you don’t get all of it. You must share. You must give some to your sister. And she gets to keep the green sprinkled Christmas tree that you wanted! But not this gift. It’s a gift that is fully and completely for the world. At the same time, it’s a gift that’s fully and completely for you. Only God can do that. And he did. It’s his gift. III. The Why But hold on one more time… We’ll have a better appreciation for the gift if we understand the WHY behind the gift. Why did God get us a gift? Check out John 3:16 again: For God so loved the world that he gave… Did you catch that? God gave because he SO LOVED. Notice. This is much different than human reasoning for gifts: “I bought you this new type of coffee, because I know you love coffee.” “I got you this beautiful ornament, because it reminds me how beautiful you are.” “I got you a new toothbrush, because…you need to brush your teeth.” “I got you this five-dollar gift card, because the office Christmas party gift exchange said that I have to.” God gave because he loved. Yet… you might get a gift from someone that says, “Because I love you.” That’s why we need to examine the word even more closely. Because the word for love here is agape. It means, “Unconditional.” And we’ve got to understand that love is UNCONDITIONAL. That’s good news. Because if someone has been a jerk to you throughout the year, how much do you want to get them a present? Quick question – how many of you are getting lovely Christmas gifts for someone that has been awful to you? I’m guessing – not many. Here’s the truth – We’ve been awful to God. All he asked this past year is that we follow him. That we love others. That we stop being selfish. That we stop being jerks. That we worship him. That we pray to him. That we spend time with him. And… Well… How well did you do with that? And yet… God gave. God GAVE because he LOVED UNCONDITIONALLY. Doesn’t matter if you’ve lied. Doesn’t matter if you’ve stolen. Doesn’t matter if you’ve lost friends. Doesn’t matter if your marriage is ruined. Doesn’t matter if you yelled at your kids. Doesn’t matter if you’ve struggled with addiction. Doesn’t matter if you’ve been in prison. God’s gift is for you, because God loved you. And God loves you. So… Are you excited to check out the gift? IV. The GIFT To find out the gift, we need to go backwards… About 2000 years ago… A virgin became pregnant. Miraculously. Mysteriously. Divinely. Then, she travelled. To a town. A small town. A town called Bethlehem. They travelled. Across the desert. Across hundreds of miles. While she as 8 months pregnant… To Bethlehem. Only to find there was no room. Not in the Days Inn. Not in the Holiday Inn. Not even in the Motel Six. Until finally… “I don’t have a room. But I do have a stable.” And into the stable… And they hold their noses from the animal’s smells. And cover their ears from the animal noises. And Mary sets herself up on some hay. And she sweats. And she groans. And… “While they were there the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son, she wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger...” (Luke 2:6) And there… Was God’s gift. God’s gift. TRUTH: God’s gift is a baby. And you might think: A baby? That’s God’s gift for me. I’ve had my fill of babies. I’m not fit to be a daddy. How can I take care of a baby, if I’m not even old enough to take care of myself? But look deeper: Because there in the manger. Wrapped up in hay. Wrapped up in swaddling clothes. Wrapped up in flesh. Is something more… For God so loved the world that he gave HIS ONE AND ONLY Son… Notice the phrase there. One and only Son. That’s important. Because, in one sense, we’re all God’s children. He created all of us. He gave each of us life. God doesn’t have just one child. But… The word for Son here. References one who is begotten. Some translations even clarify that… Only BEGOTTEN son. Meaning: Just like humans birth humans. And reindeer birth reindeer. And elves birth elves. God births God. Do you get it? This is God’s Son. And since God begets God. This is God himself! TRUTH: God’s gift is Himself! God knew your sin. God knew your struggles. God knew your failures. God knew your pain. So… God send Jesus to do something about it. And when that baby grew up? He’d live perfectly. He’d die innocently. He’d rise triumphantly for the forgiveness of all your sins. Such that John 3:16 remains true: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that WHOEVER believes in him will not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE. Do you see why this is the greatest gift ever? Because in Jesus, we have eternal life. That’s key. Because there’s nothing that will ruin any gift more than death. Like my grandma Jan. She was one of the best gift givers in my family. She always knew what I wanted. Always got me the toy that I wanted. Stood in line for hours at Toys ‘R Us. Stayed up late making sure to get the best Christmas goodies ready for our visit. But… …There aren’t any packages in the mail from her this year. There won’t be any goodies. There won’t be any visit. Grandma died. But… God gave Grandma the gift of a Savior. Grandma believed God. Grandma now enjoys the gift of eternal life. That same gift is wrapped up in Jesus for you. Amen.
We’re on the final lesson in our three-part PEACE series. Back on December 1st, Pastor Robin reminded us that, as believers, we have PEACE with God because of what Jesus did for us. Two weeks ago, we talked about how that PEACE with God leads us towards PEACE with our family and friends.
But if we stopped the series there, it wouldn’t be complete. It’d be like an unfinished Dot-to-Dot puzzle. Ever you seen one of those in a coloring book? You connected dot 1 to dot 2, dot 2 to dot 3, —all the way to dot 57 until there is a completed picture. But what if you leave 58 to 79 unfinished? The picture isn’t complete. What was supposed to be a cookie ends up looking like the letter “c”. The same thing is true with our sermon series. If we forget to connect the final dot in God’s plan for PEACE, the picture ends up being completely different. Because God’s declaration of PEACE to us and guidance in PEACE with family and friends isn’t just so that YOU have a peaceful Christmas. God brings us to PEACE with him and guides us to live in PEACE with others so that we can deliver HIS PEACE to them. Our goal for today is to: (1) identify the BEST gift you can give anyone this Christmas (2) understand WHAT MAKES this gift the best gift ever (3) make a game plan for bringing this gift to people in your life Before we begin: O Lord, strengthen us by the truth, your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see, our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen. I. The Best Gift The lesson for today comes from the book of Isaiah. It was written 700 years before the very first Christmas, at a time when the people of Judah didn’t have a lot to feel peaceful about. Recently, the Assyrian army had been conquering countries, devastating cities, and violently tearing apart armies. Now, the army had gotten very close to the country of Judah -- even completely destroying and devastating their sister country of Israel – where many of their relatives and friends resided. It was a time of war. People were anxious. People were concerned. People lived in fear. Young men were afraid to walk outside by themselves at night. Fathers were nervous that a letter may contain news of another relative killed in battle. Mothers cuddled their children closely, afraid they might not have many days left. It was to that kind of atmosphere that God brought this message: Rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck… For this is what the Lord says; “You were sold for nothing, And without money you will be redeemed… (Isaiah 52:2-4) Did you catch it? God’s message to the people of Judah was that Assyrian would not defeat them. God would free them from their oppression. Soon, they would be redeemed. But here’s what I want you to do. Put yourself in Isaiah’s shoes. He just heard from God’s mouth the very good news that the war would end soon and there would be PEACE. This is where there’s a shift in chapter 52. Because to this point, Isaiah has been recording what God has told him to tell others. Now, Isaiah comments on the job that God just gave him: How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (v.7) Feet aren’t normally that beautiful. They can be stinky. They can be smelly. They can have ingrown toenails. They can have thick pieces of black hair on the big toe. If you want beautiful feet, you’ve usually got to work hard at it. You need to scrub off the calluses. You need to clip your toenails. You need to rub essential oils on them to keep them smelling good. Even at Christmas, if you’re opening up present on your living room floor, you might want to throw on a pair of elf slippers or maybe some socks with jingle bells on them. Feet aren’t normally very beautiful. Yet… How beautiful on the feet of those who bring good news. Isaiah’s feet? They got to walk to tell the young men; they were safe. They got to deliver the message to the dad; that their relatives would come home. They got to tell the mother’s; it’s ok to send your children outside now. TRUTH: There is no greater GIFT than the gift of GOOD NEWS. Think about it: How awesome when a friend text message you, “There’s a 50% off sale down at Kohl’s.” How wonderful when you get the email: “Your Amazon Prime order has shipped.” How excited do your kids get when you say: “There’s only 2 more days until Christmas!” The message of Jesus is also good news. In fact, the word commonly used to describe the message of Jesus is “the Gospel.” Did you know that the word “Gospel” literally means, “Good news.” It’s the “good news” that we have a Savior. Friends, there’s no greater gift than good news. And there’s is no greater GOOD NEWS than the GOSPEL. II. The Beauty of the Gospel If you believe the Gospel, then perhaps you understand the incredible effect the Gospel has had on you. But for a moment, I don’t want you to apply the Gospel to yourself. I want you to apply it to someone you know that doesn’t’ believe it. Think about it: What kind of an effect would the Gospel have on them? A few things: (1) It brings PEACE Christmas is a time that a lack of peace becomes very evident. Kids proclaim STRESS: “You didn’t get me what I wanted.” Parents proclaim STRESS: “You didn’t get your child what you should.” Friends proclaim STRESS: “I can’t believe you aren’t spending more time with me.” Spouses proclaim STRESS: “Christmas reminds me of how terrible of a spouse you are.” People proclaim stress to each other. But with the message of Jesus you get to proclaim PEACE. That out of all their relationships that they have…spouse, friend, coworker, parent, child, sibling, 2nd cousin twice remove, there is ONE relationship that they are guaranteed to have peace with and it just so happens to be the one being that they have sinned against the most: GOD! (2) It brings GLAD TIDINGS from God One thing that has been popular in Christmases past is the Christmas letter. People used to write down all the good things that happened over the past year and update friends and relatives on it. I remember receiving a letter from a nice elderly couple up from North Minnesota that only included the latest updates to their garden: “The colerabi came in good this year.” Even the millennial version of it – no letter; just a picture from Shutterfly – announces some kind of good news; “We’re still a family.” When you tell your neighbors about Jesus, it’s really like you’re delivering God’s Christmas letter to them. And it’s one of the only Christmas letters with good news for the recipients: “Dear friend, Things are going well in heaven. My Son Jesus is still the Savior. His death and resurrection 2000 some years ago still paid for all of your sins. You are still forgiven. You are still at peace with me. You are saved.” (3) It brings SALVATION Particularly verse 7 says that when you proclaim the message of Jesus, you proclaim salvation. (v.7) It’s kind of like participating in a giving (or angel) tree. We’ve got one in our hallway. If you happen to be the one that delivers the presents, you’ll be deliving to some people who didn’t have enough money to buy gifts for their kids. You’ll be “saving” Christmas. But how much greater when it comes to the message of Jesus. They owe a debt that they could never pay. Sin. But when you tell them the message of Jesus? That big guilt that they feel? They’re saved from it. That big sin that they did? They’re saved form it. That terrible death that they’re facing? They’re saved from it. (4) It says, “GOD REIGNS” Which is another layer to the Gospel message. Because if the God who saved them, has good tidings for them, and is at peace with them is also the KING of the universe… Then, whatever they’re going through… …financial hardship. …job loss. …relationship struggle. …estrangement from family. …health scares. …their loving God is in control. …and all will work out for their good. III. Game Plan Friends, it is eternally important to share the message of Jesus this Christmas. So…here’s what we’re going to do next. We’re going to game plan. Because if you are one of the College Football teams you are currently game-planning for their upcoming Bowl game. If you’re UNC, you’re game planning for Temple. If you’re Wake Forest, you’re game planning for Michigan State. If you’re Duke or NC State, you’re game planning for whoever you play in the opening game next year. If you’re a believer listening to this today, you’ve got to game plan for how you’re going to share the Peace of Jesus this Christmas. (1) Share TOGETHER Because look at what Isaiah writes next: “Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy.” (v.8) Notice it’s a plural. You have more than one watchman so that you can get the message out to the entire city, quickly and efficiently. It’s the same for us. We share the message of Jesus TOGETHER. TOGETHER we pool our funds for social media ads inviting people to Christmas Eve. TOGETHER we work together to put on the best Gospel proclamation service Tuesday night. TOGETHER we sharpen our skills in sharing faith through Bible study. TOGETHER we challenge each other to share our faith. TOGETHER we pray for each others’ efforts. TOGETHER we plan to follow up on those who join us and connect them with the message of peace. And it has to be TOGETHER. Because the effect is larger when it’s TOGETHER. It’s like going in with your siblings on a gift for mom and dad. If you pool you’re money, you can get the next HD TV. But on your own? You never will. It’s the same thing. TOGETHER, we reach North Raleigh. But only TOGETHER. On our own, we NEVER will. (2) Identify your End of the Earth Verse 10 says, “All the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.” (v.10) It’s a promise of our God. He died for ALL and he wants ALL to know about their Savior. But… It’s kind of hard to invite someone who lives in Australia to worship in Raleigh. Remember though – Christianity is a team sport. God isn’t calling you personally to go to the ends of the earth. He’s just calling you to go to the ends of YOUR earth. To the ends of your block. To the end of your cubicle. To the end of your couch. Who are the people you know who don’t know Jesus? Look at the bottom of your note sheet. There’s a spot for writing some of those people down. Take a moment, write them down. Plan to share Jesus with them. (3) Include ALL Nations Because its’ really, really, really, really, really easy to say, “I can’t think of anyone who looks like me to share the Gospel of jesus with, so I don’t know if there is any one for me to share the message of Jesus with.” But… Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” All nations. That includes the people who look like you. And the people who don’t. The people who have the same culture as you. And who don’t. The people who have the same religion as you. And who don’t. Do you know someone like that? Don’t be too nervous to write them down. God’s peace is for them too! (4) Rejoice TOGETHER The final thing that I want to include is found in verse 9: “Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.” (v.9) And this is where I think we could do better. Because, we all agree that many need to hear about Jesus. And we agree that sharing Jesus is challenging to do. So… Let’s celebrate when it happens. Let’s rejoice when someone invites someone to Christmas via text message. Let’s rejoice when someone shares a scripture on Facebook. Let’s rejoice when someone brings someone along to worship. Let’s rejoice together, because we share Jesus together. Celebrating these accomplishments, pumps us up. Gives glory to God. And motivates us to keep sharing Jesus. Friends, there is no better gift than the message of Jesus. May God be with you as you share the message of Jesus. Amen.
I love a peace-filled holiday evening.
The gentle glow of the Christmas lights on the tree. A cup of cocoa warming your hands. The potpourri filling the air with the soothing aroma of balsam and pine. A pair of fuzzy Rudolph slippers cozying your feet. The quiet melodies of Bing Crosby crooning in the background. And then… The voice coming from your child’s bedroom down the hall, “Mommy! Bobby’s looking at me funny.” The shrill reply coming right back, “Nu-uh! He’s lying.” The eye-rolling gaze from your spouse, “You’re turn to deal with it. I’m really into this episode of “The Great Christmas Bake-off.” Your sharp response, “You never do any of the work around here.” Your spouse’s reply, “I always do all the work!” An interrupting DING to reveal a text from your coworker: “Hey loser! I can’t believe you said that about me at work today.” And the Facebook reply from Uncle Marvin: “I vehemently disagree with your political stance, snowflake!” All while Bing Crosby’s crooning is interrupted by Alexa: “Phone call from your monster-in-law. Shall I answer?” Today we’re continuing our sermon series on PEACE and we’re going to talk about the one of the big things that can ruin a peace filled holiday evening: people. Our goal is to identify types of peace that actually lead to unrest, determine how Jesus’ peace affects our relationship with others, and get guidance from God’s Word for a peace-filled Christmas with people. Before we begin: O Lord, strengthen us by the truth, your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see, our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen. I. False Peace The text we’re studying for this morning comes from the book of Colossians. Colossians is a letter written to the church in Colosse. Even though it was a church that existed 2000 some years ago, thousands of miles across the ocean from North Carolina, in a language very different from us, it shared one very important similarity: People. People who had arguments with their parents. People who were estranged from their children. People who were separated from their spouses. People who were gossiped about at work. People who sat on one side of the church because they didn’t want to fight with someone on the other side of the church. Since they were people, we know the Colossian church didn’t have perfect peace. Yet… In spite of all the sin… In spite of all the anger… In spite of all the reasons that people gave other people not to have peace, Look at what God calls them to do: “Let Peace…rule in your hearts.” (v.15) It’s written down for us too, so today the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and says: “Let Peace…rule in your hearts.” (v.15) But there’s a lot of different types of peace in the world. Which type rules your heart? (1) Avoidance Peace The person with this type of peace does what it describes… Avoids. They avoid talking about difficult issues with his wife. They avoid that one person at work. They avoid one person on Facebook The theory is that if this person causes me unrest, I’ll avoid them so that things are peaceful. And to be fair, that’s not a terrible idea in some situations. Especially if you’re amped up and emotionally charged, But… What happens when you can’t quite avoid that person? For example, I saw two kids on the playground the other day. One of them thought it was hilarious to follow the other one while making goose sounds in the ear of the other child. The other child didn’t like it. But instead of telling her friend to stop, she simply ran to the other side of the playground. It worked. Until the other kid caught up. “HONK!” Then, she went to the sandbox. Again, “HONK!” Finally, she went underneath the slide – the secret lair of the 4 year old playground. And it was peaceful for a bit, Until: “HONK!” And suddenly, she stopped trying to hide and shouted, screamed, and generally had a full-fledged meltdown because of her friend. The same thing happens to adults. When the avoider can no longer avoid, the peace is disturbed. And there’s one epic explosion. Because avoidance peace, isn’t really peace at all. It just aims to manage the tension. (2) Substance-Induced Peace Holiday parties mean that we may have to interact with people that are difficult. That causes anxiety. In anticipation, what can happen is that we self-medicate: A shot of whiskey. A six pack of beer. An entire bag of Doritos. Anything to distract us from our anxieties and give us peace. But do substances really lead to lasting peace? A shot of whiskey can loosen up your tension, and it can loosen your tongue as argue with your friend. A six pack of beers leads to a calmness on your body – which leads to you calmly calling your coworker names – something they’ll remember on Monday. A bag of chips can help you feel content when you feel discontent about a conversation with your spouse, but come 7 am? Sluggish and cranky. (And sluggish and cranky aren’t good for fostering peace in a marriage.) Substances don’t give lasting peace. They simply numb us to the anxiety in our bodies. Now, understand what I’m saying: It’s not wrong to have a beer. And it’s not wrong to eat a cookie. But it is wrong to try to find peace in those things rather than your God. (3) “Sneaky” Peace This kind of peace LOOKS peaceful. It LOOKS like you get along with others. it LOOKS like you’re doing fine with your family. It LOOKS like you enjoy your friends even when they’re planning something that you don’t like at all. But… Instead of talking about it with them. You talk about them with others. Did you hear that coworker’s idea? It’s awful… Here’s a funny meme about my brother eating a snack with the words “PIG” plastered over it. Text, text, text. Everyone thinks I’m having a good time, but really, I hope that the tinsel suffocates them. Sneaky peace isn’t peace. Because when the gossip catches up to you, how do you think that goes over? (4) Exhausted from Yelling Really, Really, Loudly Peace This type of peace is also known as ‘Professional Wrestling” peace. Because to these people, the answer to disagreement is simply to fight people! They scream. They yell. They let people have it. They write an angry email. They blog incessantly – typing as loudly as their fingers can type. And they get all their anger out and… …They feel better. Because they’re exhausted. But this peace is not peace. Because while you might feel ok for a moment. The people you yelled at? Not so much. This isn’t what people called to peace do. (5) Selfish Peace The selfish peace can be one of the trickiest of all. It’s a type of peace that exists, as long as, people agree with you. Gingerbreads are the best kind of cookie, right? I’ll fight you if you disagree. I think we should hold the work party on Friday night…, RIGHT EVERYONE!?!! We should spend exactly $20 on each kid for Christmas. $20 is the right amount. We can peacefully get these presents, if you buy them for only $20. But it’s even worse if someone disagrees with this type of person. Because instead of entertaining the idea that maybe, they, a sinful, imperfect human being, could possibly be incorrect, they blame all the discord on the other person. It’s like the Grinch! He hated Christmas. He hated toys. He hated carols. He hated the Christmas feast and the roast beast. And he hated it because the Whos liked it. And he was convinced the Whos down in Whoville were all jerks. And the disagreement was all their fault. And it had nothing to do with the fact that he went and hid up on a mountain and was generally unpleasant to people all the time. And so, the night he steals Christmas, he’s at peace, because it was all their fault anyway! Stealing the toys? They deserve it. Breaking the ornament? This is on them. Losing the Roast Beast? Cindy Lou Who is the One to blame! This type of thinking doesn’t lead to peace. It just leads to people wanting nothing to do with you. Here’s the truth: Any peace other than JESUS’ peace creates DISHARMONY. Picture your life like this piano. You have a note. You play it well – it sounds nice. When you play well with others – there’s harmony. When you and your family are at peace – beautiful. When you and your friends are at peace – wonderful. When you and your church family are at peace – phenomenal. But… When you avoid disagreement and prefer growing bitter– CLANG! When you self-medicate with substances – WHAM! When you gossip – BANG! With you rage – DISSONANCE! When you stay self-centered – DISHARMONY! False peace drives people apart. And… If you’re in the business of driving people apart. If you’re in the business of creating disharmony with people that God created… You’re also creating disharmony with God. II. The Peace of Jesus Speaking of disharmony. Mary was a young woman who was about ready to become harmoniously united to a guy named Joseph. Like most, it was a day she dreamt of. A beautiful wedding. A beautiful ceremony. A beautiful reception. All leading up to a beautiful marriage. As each day got closer to their SAVE the DATE, Mary’s anticipation for a harmonious marriage to start grew. Until… Disharmony. An angel! From God! Standing right in front of her! And his message to her: You will give birth to a Son and call him Jesus. (v31) Talk about something that could ruin a relationship. Something that could cause disharmony and non-peace. Mary was suddenly pregnant with a child that wasn’t from her soon-to-be husband! And yet. Do you know what she says at the end of it all? Do you know what she says after finding out this disruptive news? “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (v.38) Did you hear that? Peace. There’s Peace for her. And, if you read the rest of the story, peace for Joseph. And the reason they have peace in their relationship? It’s because they have peace with God. Peace that only Jesus can bring. Here’s a few unique things about the peace of Jesus: (1) It’s Divine This is the main point of last week’s sermon. You have peace with God! Remember this memory verse from Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been declared innocent through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus’ peace. Is God’s peace. Think about it. It’s not peace with your dog or your cat. it’s not peace with your two-year-old. it’s not peace with your sister, your mom, your dad. Or some random acquaintance that you haven’t talked to for years on Facebook. You have peace with the ruler of the universe! There’s no higher level of peace in existence. (2) It’s Unearned Note that this is totally different from the people. Usually, you have to earn their peace. If you wrong them by “accidently” eating all of their Christmas BonBons, you might need to… …apologize profusely. …send them a humorous BonBon GIF. …spend hours making your own version of chocolatey, peanut-buttery goodness. But with God? You have peace. Because of Jesus. Not because of you. You don’t need to try harder. You don’t need to do better. You don’t need to give more. You don’t need to believe better. Jesus was born miraculously, lived perfectly, died innocently and rose triumphantly. Because of him, you have peace. (3) It’s Complete That’s important to remember. Because sometimes in our earthly relationships, there’s peace…but only in certain areas: You might have peace with your Uncle, as long as you don’t talk about politics. You might have peace with your spouse, as long as, you don’t talk about finances. You might have peace with your children, as long as, you don’t ever tell them that they have to go to bed. But with God? It’s a complete peace. You have peace with God in the morning and at night. You have peace with God on a Sunday and a Monday. You have peace with God during church and afterwards. You have peace with God when you’re feeling peaceful and even when you’re not. God’s peace is complete. And God’s peace is a peace that God has called us to with others. III. How to Be Peaceful with People How do you do it? Look at the text again. Colossians offers some guidance. (1) Let Jesus’ Peace Rule “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” (v.15) Focus in on the word “rule”. The Greek word actually has to do with refereeing in sports. As in, the guy in the striped shirt has the final say. As in, the guy with the whistle determines what’s legal. As in, some guy on a power trip gets to determine that the three point basket I shot as time expired to win the Consolation prize at a 6th grade boy’s basketball tournament, didn’t count! (I’m not bitter). God says to let PEACE be the deciding factor in our hearts. Let it determine our actions. Let it determine our words. But, not just any peace, this is Christ’s peace. Remember – Christ’s peace is… …DIVINE! Peace with your parents is a godly thing. …UNEARNED! Be peaceful even if your someone hasn’t earned back peace. …COMPLETE! Don’t just be peaceful while other family members are around…be peaceful all the time. (2) Be Thankful! Verse 15 ends with the instruction, “Be Thankful.” (v.15b) Because if you are thankful, it is a lot more challenging to be cranky. In fact, it is scientifically proven that thankfulness releases a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is the chemical that is release when you exercise that makes you feel good. So…when you’re feeling unrest from somebody else, take a moment – and be thankful. Be thankful to God! He loves you. He gave you life. You are his. Be thankful to Jesus! He loves you. He died for you. He rose for you. You are forgiven. Be thankful for that person you are angry with! If it’s a family member or a friend, there are things that you are thankful for about them. You might not be thinking about it at the moment. But when you practice thankfulness for that person, unrest starts to fade away. For example, I just met someone whose mother gave them up when they were an infant. The story goes that the mother was too addicted to drugs to be a good mother, so she gave her up for adoption. But do you know what this formerly abandoned infant – now full-grown adult said? I’m thankful for her. Thankful she gave me life. Thankfulness works against unrest. (3) Digest a Wealth of God’s Word This is the obligatory part of the sermon where I remind you to study more of God’s Word. But that’s what God’s Word says about God’s Word. Verse 16 says this, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another.” Think about it. The more that you know that you have peace with God, the more peaceful you’ll be with others. Usually I tell you that you that spending time in God’s Word is a blessing for you. And it is. Certainly. But flip the script today – because your time in God’s Word is also a blessing for others. You won’t be so irritable. You won’t react to every little thing someone says. You won’t let the unpeaceful things of others hurt you because you will find peace in your Savior! In fact, if you’re wondering whether or not you need more of God’s Word, ask yourself if you’re perfectly peaceful with your family. If the answer is no, then…you need God’s Word. (4) Sing! Check out verse 16: “Teach And admonish one another with Psalm, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts towards God.” (v.16) Did you know that God tells us to sing? Because music is a special gift from God. A special gift that can bring peace on its own. It’s why they science tells you that beautiful melodies of classical music can put your brainwaves at ease and help you study more peacefully and efficiently. Now combine the peace of music with God’s Word. It uplifts! Joy to the world the Lord has come! I have no reason to be mad at you. Silent Night! Holy Night! It’s ok, I lost my place in line. Oh Come, Oh come Emmanuel! Help me stay calm with my brother…Mel! It’s a real thing though. Music brings peace. Music used to teach us the great things our God has done for us – divine peace. (5) Act in Jesus’ Name Check out verse 17: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Because that’s really the whole point. We are acting in Jesus’ name. And if you are going around being a non-peaceful jerk, who’s going to believe that you have the message of peace? On the other hand, if you’re able to stay calm, stay peaceful, stay joyful. You’ll bring peace. They’ll want peace. You get to show them peace. That’s really the whole point. You have an incredible opportunity this season to share the peace of Jesus. May God give us peace to do so. Amen.
If I were to ask you to sum up your life in a word or phrase…especially this time of year… I’m going to just hazard a guess that “peaceful” was not the word that came to mind. “Hectic” perhaps. “Controlled chaos” maybe. Or perhaps it’s a little darker. “Oppressive”, “Grim”, “Painful”.
But peaceful? No, no not really. And yet, why not? How often do we say the word “peace” in our readings, our songs, our liturgies? Isn’t peace one of the most prolific gifts that God brings us? Why do we so often seem to utter lack this promised blessing? If you’re not feeling the peace this holiday season, then perhaps Advent is exactly what you need. Let me just unpack that for a minute for the uninitiated. The seasons of our church year revolve around the life of Jesus. His birth, life, death, resurrection, and spread of his church thereafter. We just wrapped up the season of End Times and we’re starting the church year anew with Advent today. Advent is a neat little wrapper of the church year because it overlaps both ends. It focuses on the coming of Jesus. It’s at the same time a look back to anticipate celebrating the first coming of Jesus at Christmas, and a look ahead to celebrate the time when Jesus will come again to end this world. So, Advent is all about God coming here. Whichever way you look at it. God coming to be with us. That should help bring some peace, right? Should I be happy that God is coming here? Any one of us could spend all day listing examples of ways we don’t put God first, don’t trust him first, and basically don’t make him our God. Every day is littered with the choices I make, deliberately, to not have God as my true god. I break God’s commands. I sin. And God is literally at war with sin. St Paul tells us elsewhere the sinful mind is hostile to God. Our default state is to be enemies of God. And what a dumb thing to do! Yes, let’s pick a fight with the ruler of the universe, that will end well. If he’s coming here, that is not something to look forward to so much, it’s more on the end of terrifying. Maybe it’s no wonder I can’t find any peace in my life. But let’s not forget the double meaning of Advent. It’s not just about Jesus coming again, it’s about his first coming as well. I think we’re all pretty familiar with the holiday “Christmas”. But look past the trees and lights and presents and cookies and parties and remember the manger. God came to this earth before and he didn’t come to terrify us or judge us then. He came to restore peace between God and his creation. Our sin is a debt we owe God. Our lives are not the perfect lives that God demands of us. But Jesus is our payment. Jesus is our perfect life. And all this before anything we do. Which is good… cause we would mess it up! Paul writes here: You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. While we were enemies, while we fought God, while we had nothing to offer and wanted nothing to do with him…God lived and died for us. Jesus, God, came here and died as one of us so that your sins could be paid for, so that his perfect life could be counted as yours and he sent the Holy Spirit to you to change your heart, teach you this truth, and make you someone who loves God as much as he loves you. Because of his work, we are not enemies of God anymore. God looks at you and sees someone who always did what he asked, always loved him, and did everything right. There’s no reason to fight. God loves you. And because he loves you so much, he literally took your place so he wouldn’t have to punish you. He lived, died, and rose for you. As Paul says here: [Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… The God who rules over this world is not your enemy anymore. He is your loving Father. Imagine all that power, wisdom, and goodwill all applied for your benefit. Not only does the all-powerful God of creation no longer consider you an enemy, but he actively is interested in your well-being and when this life ends he will come to take you to paradise. What greater peace is there to know that whatever happens to you, you have God behind it all helping you out? When God comes here to judge the world, we don’t have to look at that with fear but rather we can look up and say, “finally!” We can set down our hard labor and rest with our God forever. Yes, he’s coming to judge, but because of Jesus, the judgment is going to be, “Not guilty!” And God will say, “Come home. Be with me. I’ll care for you forever. No suffering, pain, or trouble ever again.” And we will live in perfect peace and harmony with God forever. That’s really good news. The peace between you and God brings a profound internal peace to our lives, come what may. But there is still a problem. See, I doubt I said anything new to most of you. These are all things you know. And yet when I asked the question of you at the start, again, I’d guess “peaceful” is not how you would describe yourself. Maybe now, being reminded of it all, you’re feeling the peace. Maybe you’re feeling relaxed and ready to go back out and face life, knowing God is on your side now and for eternity. But…how long do you suppose that feeling is going to last you this week? How long until you hit the first roadblock, problem, tough choice, impossible to-do list, bad news, or whatever it is that steals this peace away from you? Maybe all the current troubles you’ve got right now are keeping you from even feeling at peace right here and now! Why? Why does that happen? God has called a truce! And we didn’t do anything to make it happen, he did all the work! He lived, died, and rose before we even wanted anything to do with him. Why… are we still not at peace? Well…engage with me in a little bit of logical deduction with me, if you will. God is… God. He’s perfect. He’s perfectly wise, perfectly loving, and all-powerful. He does everything he does without mistake. So, if that’s who has worked this peace between us and him… and we’re still not feeling the peace… Well, it’s not a huge logical leap to guess where the problem is. It’s not with God. It’s because even though God has done everything that he has for you and declared peace between you both… you are still fighting him. Either we’re fighting him through our active choices or we’re fighting him because we won’t accept his will in our lives. Both rob us of peace that we should have in him. Not that this life will ever be smooth sailing, nor should it be, but we can be at peace because of the peace we have with our God and what that means for everything else. So how do we fight God? We fight him whenever we refuse to do what he commands. God is our good Father. He does not impose his will arbitrarily. Like a good parent, he only commands his children whatever is best for them! How many of you remember the times you didn’t listen to your parents because they told you to do something you didn’t want to do or didn’t understand why you should? I do…and one whole bag of Oreos later, I did understand why that was a bad idea. Don’t touch the stove. Don’t run into the street. Don’t play with the outlet. We don’t tell children these things to stop them having fun, we say these things to protect them. Every single one of God’s commands is designed to protect you. And when we ignore him, when we defy him, or even worse, when we don’t even bother to learn or study his rules… we hurt ourselves. We suffer unnecessarily. It’s fighting God after he’s declared peace and it only hurts ourselves. So, take the time to study his will, study his word and learn what he wants from you so you can live that will in your lives. The more we listen to our Father and stay at peace with him, the more trouble we will avoid, and the more we stay at peace. But that still does not guarantee a trouble-free life. God actually promises us trouble. That’s a good thing. Remember last week how we talked about the lukewarm church that had it too easy? Too many creature comforts? They forgot how much they needed God. They forgot the point of this life was to look forward to the next. We need God to send us trouble so we don’t forget we need him. Paul tells us here for that very reason we glory in our suffering. When trouble finds us, do we let it shatter our peace? Do we even try to blame God? The correct, eternal, godly perspective can help us stay at peace no matter what happens to us here. But we fight God when we live only to be satisfied now instead of living for him forever. God keeps us from getting too comfortable so we don’t forget. When suffering comes, don’t fight God over it. Instead, say “Thank you, Father.” When a job is lost, say, “Thank you, Father, for reminding me you are the one who provides all I have.” When an illness is diagnosed, say, “Thank you, Father, for reminding me that my life, my strength, and all my abilities are in your hands.” When we lose things or people leave us, say, “Thank you, Father, for reminding me that you are all I truly need to be content.” And when death comes for you or your loved ones, say, “Thank you, Father, for reminding me I don’t belong here, that what is waiting for me is so much better, I have no reason to cling desperately to this life, I can let go in peace knowing you have me.” Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you can’t use your abilities and gifts to correct trouble or alleviate pain. But there’s no reason the trouble needs to steal our peace at all. And if we can’t fix the trouble, whatever it is, we are still at peace with God. There will be trouble. But we can be at peace with God through the troubles. He allows the troubles to help you. Don’t fight him. Let the troubles bring you closer to him. In all these things it is the strength of God and not our own strength that lets us keep this attitude. He promises to give you the power you need to carry out his will in this life and stay at peace with him. He promises to give you this power through the Holy Spirit working in study of his word. Read and study his word to stay in his power and keep the peace with him. And for the times we fail, which will not stop happening here, there is always the forgiveness of Jesus to bring us back to peace. Brothers and Sisters, through Jesus you have peace with God. He has given you a new life in him. You are forgiven and perfect in his eyes. God has established the peace. And through his Word he provides the power of the Holy Spirit to you so that you can keep the peace on your end. Even this is his power working through you. Stay in and study God’s Word and God’s will for you. By the power of his spirit, don’t fight him anymore. Look to him for everything good now and forever, and know the peace that he has established. Amen. |
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January 2020
Pastor Phil Kiecker
and his wife, Julianna love serving the community of North Raleigh.
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