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We are finishing up our sermon series by looking at one of the most visually incredible miracles in the Bible. Before we begin, 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. Peter’s Problem The miracle itself is recorded in Matthew 17. But for a bit of context, we’ll start at the end of Matthew 16. At this point, the disciples had seen Jesus do a plethora of miracles. As they sat down near a campfire, I wonder if they didn’t imagine the next ones: What if Jesus suddenly made these rocks into delicious Steak dinners? Do you think I should ask him? How about if he turns all the Roman soldiers into a bunch of chicken? Speaking of the Roman empire, maybe he could take us to Pontius Pilate’s palace, and he could make it disappear! I’ve got a better idea than that! Maybe he could make, you, Andrew, disappear! Whatever they thought Jesus might be planning to do, it’s doubtful any of them considered what Jesus had planned: Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. (v.21) Wait…What!?! You can cure leprosy. You can banish demons. You stopped the weather! Why would you let these humans beat you up? Why not give them leprosy? Why not send the demons after them? Why not cause a storm to take place within the walls of the Pharisee’s hideout!?! But Peter was the boldest. Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” (v.22) The disciples didn’t get it. It didn’t make sense. Jesus did all those miracles… …so he could die? TRUTH: To human reason, Jesus’ use of his power can seem ODD. It’d be like going to a magic show where the magician has already levitated, sawed someone in half, and then, escaped a hyperbolic chamber filled with water while he was strapped into a strait jacket and then .for his final act, he pulls a quarter from a little girl’s ear. How could death be Jesus’ final act? I was talking to a friend the other day who whose aunt was very sick with cancer. The test results weren’t positive. The doctor’s predictions weren’t good. So, the believer said this: Isn’t this what Jesus is for? Isn’t the point of his POWER to help his people? I wish I could talk to God. I’d set him straight on how he should be using his POWER. I’d tell him, “NEVER Jesus! This shall NEVER happen.” You know… Like Peter. You ever thought something similar: Jesus you’ve got power. Here’s what you should do with it. You should heal my aunt’s cancer. You should fix my marriage. You should end my job hunt. You should give me more friends. You should give me a child. You should give me a husband. God, if you don’t do that, you’re not doing a very good job with your power. But do you know how Jesus responded to Peter’s rebuke? He didn’t say, “Goodness, Peter. You’re right. Your sinful, imperfect, incomplete human reason has bested my sinless, perfect, all knowing divine reason.” Nope. “Get behind me Satan! You don’t have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (v.23) TRUTH: REBUKING Jesus’ use of power leads to Jesus’ REBUKE. Because rebuking Jesus’ use of power is sin. It’s like being a back-seat driver. If your spouse is driving, you may find yourself on occasion telling them where they are driving incorrectly: Turn on your blinker sooner. Speed Limit is 65. Your hands aren’t at 10 & 2. But can you imagine doing that to a professional race car driver? Like 2019 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Kyle Busch? Excuse me, Mr. Busch. But…I think you’re taking the turns a smidge tighter than you should. Kyle Busch is better at driving than you. And God is infinitely better at using his power than you. It’s why he’s God and you’re not. And if you’re telling him what to do, don’t be surprised if his response is simply: Get behind me Satan. II. The Miracle Six days later… Six days of Jesus’ words echoing in Peter’s ears. Six days of cooling off. Six days of thinking about what Jesus had said about his “death.” Then, …Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John…and led them up onto a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured in front of them. (17:1) The Greek word for “Transfigured” is “morphe.” It’s where we get the word Metamorphosis. It refers to a transformation or a change in one’s essence. (Like a butterfly, the Animorphs, or even the Mighty MORPHIN Power Rangers.) Jesus’ metamorphosis beats them all. His face was shining like the sun. (v.2a) Not just reflecting some morning sunlight off it. His skin was luminescent. It was shining so brightly that the disciples must have had to squint to look in his direction. His clothing became as white as the light. (v2b) A bit odd, since Jesus’ desert clothing would have contained a bit of desert dirt stains on it. A yellow or light brown. But instantly it transformed to a bleach white that was so bleach white it twinkled – like the light. And as the disciples squinted in Jesus’ general direction, they noticed two other figures standing there with him. Moses. A prophet through whom God did incredible miracles: 10 plagues, the splitting of the Red Sea, and bread from heaven. Elijah. Another prophet through whom God did incredible miracles: fire raining from heaven, birds delivering food, a young man brought back to life. Two incredible miracles performers standing at the beckoning call of Jesus. Also… …they had both been dead. For years. Now they stood…alive. And as Peter stood there looking at this ethereal, incredible, amazing sight, I think he came to one conclusion TRUTH: Jesus’ miracles were only a HINT of his power. The healing of incurable leprosy? Only a hint. Jesus could cure all disease with just a snap of his finger. The enabling of the paralytic? Only a hint. Jesus could remove all paralysis with just a clap of his hands. The resurrection of Jairus’ daughter? Only a hint. Jesus could bring all dead back to life, with only a whisper. It’s like playing basketball, as a dad, with your 4th grade son. At first, you play easy. You let him score on you. You pretend to trip up. You only shoot three pointers. But then, when your son gets a little cocky and starts to trash talk: “Your game stinks so much, you need a shower.” So, the next time he goes for a layup, you swat it out of the air like Dikembe Mutumbo. Just a HINT. Jesus’ miracles were powerful. But they were only a hint of his power. Peter was so amazed. He had seen snippets of Jesus’ power before, but now? He was in full view of his glory. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (v.4) Because… This whole face shine thing is pretty amazing And I wouldn’t want it to go out because of a gust of wind and a bit of rain. I’ll get some sticks. I’ll get some leaves. I’ll get you some protection from the elements… ..that… …you… ….control. While he was still speaking, the elements started to be controlled. A bright cloud overshadowed them. It surrounded him. It covered everyone else. Till all Peter saw was bright cloud. Then, a voice… “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.” (v.5) TRUTH: Jesus is GOD’S own SON. That’s been the point of the miracles this whole time. They were SIGNS pointing to the fact that Jesus was God! Curing the incurable? Only God could do that. Jesus did that. Jesus is God. Eliminating paralysis? Only God could do that. Jesus did that. Jesus is God. Banishing a legion of demons? Only God could do that. Jesus did, so Jesus is God. Walking on water? Only God could do that. Jesus did that. Jesus is God. Developing bread out of thin air? Only God could do that. Jesus did that. Jesus is God. Raising the dead? Only God could do that. Jesus did that. Jesus is God. III. A Two-Fold Reaction All of this was overwhelming to Peter and the other disciples. When the disciples heard this, they fell face down and were terrified. (v.6) They were trapped in the middle of a Divine cloud. They were in the presence of God himself. God was POWERFUL. They were WEAK. God was DIVINE. They were HUMAN. God was HOLY. They were SINNERS. So… They hit the floor. Hoping that God wouldn’t be able to distinguish between them and the dirt. TRUTH: Jesus’ power leads to FALLING DOWN in TERROR. Yet, I don’t know that this happens all the time in church. When you get ready for church in the morning, what do you think about? I hope that one guy is there that I like to give high fives. I hope that we can get in and get out in an hour. I hope that the cookies are pretty good after worship. I’m starving. Those are common things. Things that I’ve thought of myself. But… How often do you think? I’m about to encounter, the face shining, clothing glowing, surrounded by dead prophets and a brilliant cloud, God. Because it’s true. You are. In fact, the disciples were encountering that God long before being on the mountain. Peter and the disciples had been walking with the divine Holy God himself for the last two years. When they stopped for breakfast? It was God who stopped with them. When they needed a break from walking? It was God who took a break with them. When he complained out loud about not trusting God? It was the God whom he was complaining about that was in earshot. And you encounter God, too. You encounter ALL POWERFUL God when you gather to worship. You encounter SIN HATING GOD, when you approach the Lord’s Table. You encounter the ONE WHO CONTROLS THE CLOUDS, when you pick up a devotional book and spend 5 minutes reading God’s Word. Honestly… That’s terrifying. It’s why the disciples were lying face first on the ground. Eyes closed. waiting for the inevitable lightning bolt. But instead, They felt a hand. Jesus approached and as he touched them, he said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” They opened their eyes. No cloud. No Moses. No Elijah. No brilliant light. Only Jesus. TRUTH: Jesus’ mercy leads to STANDING UP in CONFIDENCE. Yes, you are standing in the presence of ALL HOLY, SIN HATING GOD. But you are also standing in the presence of your ALL MERCIFUL Jesus. Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn the world. But to save the world. He didn’t come into the world to condemn us. But to save us. He didn’t come into the world to condemn you. But he came to save you. He is the Savior. IV. The Aftermaths As they disciples were walking down the mountain, they began to conclude that Jesus was the Savior after all. But one prophecy didn’t add up. It was a prophecy from Malachi that said Elijah would come before the Messiah. And since, they had just stood in the face of all holy God and not been destroyed, they were confident enough to ask about it: Jesus explained. Elijah is coming. (v.11) In fact, he already did. (v.12) They didn’t recognize him. And instead killed him. Just like they’ll kill me. (v.11-12) There’s one more note about this interaction. It said that the disciples realized “Elijah” was a reference to John the Baptist. Who had to come. Who had to be killed for prophecy to come true. But they were still missing one point. Jesus had to suffer. Jesus had to die. For prophecy to come to true. TRUTH: Jesus’ impending death was NECESSARY. This was the whole purpose of Jesus’ coming to earth. Not to do miracles. Not to heal everyone. Not to defeat the Romans. Not to do impressive feats of strength. He came to suffer and die for your sins. To conquer guilt. To conquer shame. To conquer death itself. In fact, this Mount of Transfiguration, it’s pretty glorious. But it isn’t the mountain on which God showcased his greatest glory. That mountain? Calvary. Because on Calvary, Jesus suffered. On Calvary, Jesus died. On Calvary, Jesus displayed his greatest glory… …and saved you. So…LISTEN TO JESUS. You’ve got to imagine that plagued Peter for a bit. He hadn’t listened to Jesus. He had rebuked the Divine God, to HIS FACE. And now that thundering cloud’s voice rang in his ears. “Listen to Him.” Do the same. Even when it looks silly. Even when it looks odd. Even when it looks like God is calling you to do something that doesn’t make sense… Be baptized? Listen to him. Take and eat? Listen to him. Worship an invisible God? Listen to him. Stay faithful? Listen to him. 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.
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.
Thanksgiving is less than one week away. Maybe you already started on the stuffing about three days ago! Because one of the greatest parts of Thanksgiving is the food.
There’s hot food. Hot turkey, fresh out of the oven. Hot potatoes, mashed with a butter melted down the top of the mound. Even hot green bean casserole with the crispy things at the top acting as some kind of barrier. There’s cold food. Cold cranberries sauce – with just the right kick of tang. Cold desserts each more delicious than the last. A cold drink to wash it all down. But… How many of you are looking forward to a lukewarm Thanksgiving meal? Lukewarm turkey. Lukewarm cranberry sauce. Lukewarm potatoes And a lukewarm drink. Gross. Today’s letter is to a church that was lukewarm. (And to Jesus – it’s just as disgusting as lukewarm mashed potatoes.) Today’s goal is to determine what it means to spiritually lukewarm and to ask the difficult question: “Are we lukewarm?” Before we begin, 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. Lukewarm Laodicea This letter starts in Revelation 3:14, “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. Laodicea was located just south of the Lycus river. It was a fertile area lush with green landscapes. It was great for sheep and led to an impressive wool industry in the city. This industry made Laodicea into one of the wealthiest cities. In fact, in 60 AD an earthquake destroyed the city. But Laodicea didn’t need Roman help to rebuild. They paid for the rebuild on their own. Within Laodicea was a church. This church is mentioned four times in the letter to the Colossians. In that letter, Paul even mentions a letter he penned for the Laodicean church that never made it into the Bible. Laodicea was an important center in early Christianity. Similarly to the other letter, Jesus begins by introducing himself. He reminds the church that he is Faithful and true. This prepares the people for what he’s about to tell them: whether they see it or not, whether they believe it or not, whether they want to believe it or not, he speaks the truth. It matters too! Because Jesus is the Ruler of God’s Creation! He’s the one who provides the fertile land for their rich sheep and wool industry. He’s the one who cares for the sheep that are grazing. He’s the one who gave the merchants the abilities to develop this industry. If it wasn’t for him, their wealth wouldn’t exist. And if it wasn’t for his loving kindness, he’d just send another earthquake to destroy Laodicea. This truthful, powerful God is the one speaking to them. He says: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15) Another well-known feature of Laodicea was the natural springs of water that occurred there. The water bubbled up from within the earth. It was warm. It was clean. It came packed with minerals. The water relaxed the muscles, melted stress away and promoted healing. And the temperature was just right. Not freezing like an ice bath. Not hot that it’d burn their skin. Warm. But imagine for a moment that instead of soaking in the lukewarm bathwater, you decided to drink it. How’s it taste? You’d spit it out? So would Jesus. Only he’s not talking about bathwater in Revelation 3. He’s talking about the spiritual temperature of the Laodiceans. TRUTH: Jesus hates a LUKEWARM spiritual temperature. Because when the Bible speaks about faith, it lauds faith that’s on fire for Jesus. On fire with love for the Savior. On fire for his teachings. On fire for sharing his message. Cold? That’s a reference to unbelief. It’s the cold heart of someone who has never come to faith and never been on fire for the Gospel. Don’t get this wrong – Jesus is not saying that he wishes the Laodiceans were unbelievers. But rather, that a cold heart might know it needs something – a warmth that only the Gospel can provide. But the Laodiceans…they couldn’t care less. They knew the Gospel and…were APATHETIC. They were APATHETIC about their need for a Savior. They were APATHETIC about their Savior. They were APATHETIC about their spiritual state. And Jesus? Was disgusted by it. TRUTH: Jesus hates spiritual APATHY. It’s easy to understand why: Apathy leads his people away from faith. Apathy leads his people away from their savior. Apathy leads his people away from heaven. And… Apathy leads his people away from sharing their faith. Apathy leads his people away from people who need the Gospel. Apathy leads people, that he wants in heaven, away from heaven. Apathy kills his church. II. Causes of Apathy As we start thinking about whether or not we are apathetic, I think it’s helpful to identify what leads to spiritual apathy. Look at what Jesus says: Revelation 3:17, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” The text reveals a few things that lead to spiritual apathy. (1) Being Presently Cared For Laodicea was one of the wealthiest cities in the ancient world. The church was blessed by the economic boom. The people were physically, temporally, and presently cared for. They had enough things and stuff that they began to think – “Do I really need Jesus?” Of course, Jesus said: “You need me.” Laodicea said: “I think I’ve got all I need in this big old bag of money.” Jesus said: “I’ll give you nourishment.” Laodicea said: “No worries. I can pay for a night at the Angus Barn on my own.” Jesus said: “I’ll quench your thirst.” Laodicea said: “I’m not actually that thirsty Jesus. I just got done with my second glass of Merlot. It’s from 17 AD. A good year, no?” Being presently cared for isn’t bad. (That’s why God takes care of us.) But…be careful… As a pastor, I’ve seen it often. Someone comes seeking God’s help in time of trouble. Low on funds. Job was lost. Relationship issues. Sick, in need of prayer. We counsel. We study God’s Word. We seek God because the person feels poor and in need of Jesus. But then, life turns around. Finances are ok. Job is ok. Relationship is ok. Health is ok. And… It isn’t long… Before… I mark absent on their worship attendance record for the 12th week in a row. (2) Past Accolades Past accolades can also lead us into a lukewarm faith. Look at the brag of the Laodiceans. They said: “I have acquired wealth.” That’s past tense. The Laodiceans had worked hard for their money and success – even making their church a success. So now, when they were reminded that God called them to share the Gospel, they responded: “Why? We did that 10 years ago.” Try to tell that to your boss sometime: “Boss, I don’t think I need to come into work today. I worked a Monday in 2016.” That won’t work. It doesn’t work with Jesus. He doesn’t care about past accolades. And your past accolades cannot get you to heaven. (3) Future Needs The final brag in verse 13 says, “You say…You do not need a thing.” There’s a future sense in that implication. The Laodiceans looked at their wealth, at the 70” HD TVs, at their brand new iPhones linked to their Apple Watches, at their kids being in the number 1 academic school in Laodicea and said: “Thanks for getting me here Jesus, but I can’t fathom having any need for you anymore.” It’s almost as if the Laodiceans couldn’t foresee life happening. Worse --- they couldn’t see death happening. The warning is for you too. If you think you’ll never need Jesus. If you think you’ll never get sick… …never lose a job… …never lose a home. …never die. You’re wrong. Your faith will grow lukewarm. This is a big deal because… Jesus isn’t APATHETIC about APATHY I think that’s important to hear. Because usually, the Christian church, even apathetic Christians, can find some sins they aren’t apathetic towards: Since that we are convinced Jesus would love to spit out: Sexual sins. Drug Use. Violence. Terrorism. Racism. And to be fair – these things are sin. God is not apathetic about them. But he isn’t apathetic about apathy either. He violently spits the apathetic out. Because to the Savior who cared so much for you that he came out of heaven, lived in this sin filled world, and suffered a violent death for you... Apathy...? …is disgusting. III. The Solution for Apathy Because Jesus is not apathetic towards apathy so he offers the solution in verse 18, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Take a look at the ways that Jesus provides the solution for apathy. (1) Spiritual Gold The Laodiceans were so rich that they had their own mint to mint their own money. To take copper and silver, to melt it, to mold it, and to put little designs on it. It’s cute. It’s nice. It’s historic. But… None of this money would be a valid payment for forgiveness. None of it could earn heaven. None of it could buy eternal life. But gold from Jesus? It is refined in the fire. It has been purified from all impurifies. It is righteous. That’s important. Because righteousness is the payment required from heaven. God says, “You want to get in? Pay me righteousness.” But righteousness means perfection. So…we are fresh out of righteousness. That’s where Jesus’ comes in. He has righteousness. He has no problem making the payment for us. Meaning: If you’ve been apathetic towards Jesus and need righteousness to pay for that sin… …the very one that you’ve been apathetic towards is the one who will make the un-apathetically make the payment for your apathy. (2) Spiritual Clothing Jesus said, “You think you’re rich…but you’re naked.” You think that the Versaci dress can cover your vanity. It can’t. You think that your Gucci watch can cover your greed. It can’t. You think that your Slim fitting suit can cover your sin. It can’t. God can see your heart. God can see your being. God can see the ugliness of your sin. But the clothing Jesus’ offers? It covers your completely. It covers all of your sin. All of your ugliness. All of your pride. All of your greed. All of your lust. All of your really big sins that you figure everyone knows about! Jesus death and resurrection covers our sins completely. So well… …that when God looks at us – People who are wretched with sin. He says, “My you look nice tonight.” Praise God for covering us! (3) Spiritual Salve Another thing documented about Laodicea is that they would use water from the natural springs to make ointment salves. The natural minerals were helpful in healing all kinds of ailments in the body. The purity of the water went well with medicines to heal people – especially when it came to eyesight. Yet even the finest Laodicean salve could fix the fact that the Laodicean church couldn’t see its own sin. But Jesus? His salve is eternal. His salve is perfect. His salve is healing. His salve is God’s Word that gives us the proper spiritual eyesight – to see our great need for our Savior and the eternally important value of sharing his message. Because of Jesus’ salve… I don’t just see a clerk at Food Lion. I see a soul in need of saving. I don’t just see a snotty nosed kid next door. I see a soul in need of saving. I don’t just see a friend who was mean to me that one time on Facebook. I see a soul in need of saving. IV. What Now? Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. (v.19-20) Understand what Jesus means. He loves his people. He wants to be with them. Yet our apathy threw Jesus out of the church. Yet… He knocks. He speaks through these words to the apathetic Laodiceans. He says: “Repent! And I will come in and dwell with you.” And,,, If you’re apathetic… He is knocking. He is speaking. He is saying to you right now… I want to be with you. Repent or your apathy. Turn back to me. Because when we do, he promises to sit down with us. That’s the intimate part of Thanksgiving. Everyone sits down and eats together. Friends. Family. Uncle Bob. Aunt Peggy. Camella Sue. They eat with you because you love them. You love them because they eat with you. Look at what Jesus says to the formerly apathetic, now repentant: “I’ll sit with you.” “Even though I found you so gross that I spat you out, because of my love – I’ll sit by you.” Through the good times. Through the bad times. Through all the times. I’ll sit with you now. And in the future..? To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Amen. Today’s letter is to a church that needs to wake up! Our goal is to examine what Jesus means by that, consider if our church is sleeping, and learn from God’s Word what to do to wake up. Before we begin, 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.
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January 2021
Pastor Phil Kiecker
and his wife, Julianna love serving the community of North Raleigh.
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