Psalm 5:1-8, Isaiah 28:14-29, 1 John 5:1-21 - Lectionary for 12/11/11

Today's readings are Psalm 5:1-8, Isaiah 28:14-29, and 1 John 5:1-21. Theologians use strange terms sometimes. There's one in Isaiah 28:21. Sometimes they talk about the "alien work of God." Here we see that term. What is God's alien work? It is the work which is somehow foreign to God. And that alien work of God is his work of destruction. When he cleanses the world, sweeping out all that is evil, that is God's alien work. It is not in his primary nature to be destructive, for he is the God of creation and redemption. Yet to redeem he must also cleanse evil. How does our Lord cleanse evil from the world? He lays himself a cornerstone in Zion, that Rock, Jesus Christ, who is the foundation of our faith, the one in whom we find redemption, mercy, grace, and love. Then he sweeps that foundation free of all the works we might try to do, works to earn our salvation, works of self-righteousness as well as works of overt evil. He cleanses the foundation and then he builds on it, one living stone at a time, as he places people into his kingdom by faith in his name. As opposed to the "alien" work of God, we see God's "proper" work - the work which really belongs to his character - the work of redeeming and restoring his people.

Psalm 86:1-7, Isaiah 26:20-27:13, 1 John 4:1-21 - Lectionary for 12/10/11

Today's readings are Psalm 86:1-7, Isaiah 26:20-27:13, and 1 John 4:1-21. Isaiah tells us to take shelter in the arms of God, to avoid looking at the destruction which the Lord will bring upon the earth at the end, knowing that our hope is in God, not in this world. But we love to look at destruction, don't we? When there's a tragic disaster on the news that's what we are all watching. Why is that? There's a part of us, a big part of us, which is attached to this world. We find ourselves, as people of this age, looking to our surroundings without noticing the Lord God who has surrounded us with his mercy and grace. What is our security, though? Lest we become afraid, consumed with our frailty, let us realize that our God has placed his love upon us and we can abide in him. We see his love for us and we realize that we are the beloved of God. We know he has given us his Spirit and therefore we live and breathe in him. How do we respond to this calling, this security that our Lord has given us? As 1 John 4:21 says, we love our brother. Let us show that kindness of God to our brothers, then, not rejoicing in their tribulation, but rejoicing in the God who loves them and cares for them.

Psalm 17:6-15, Isaiah 26:1-19, 1 John 3:1-24 - Lectionary for 12/9/11

Today's readings are Psalm 17:6-15, Isaiah 26:1-19, and 1 John 3:1-24. Isaiah is full of psalms. Have you ever noticed it? I hope so. See today how the people pour out a lament and receive comfort from God. What we have tried has accomplished nothing good. God will bring healing and grace, which is sufficient to accomplish all good. John reflects on the same idea. God has poured out his love on us, calling us his children. This is his great glory, that he can adopt sinners such as we are and make them his children. What is our response? Forsake sin! Yet we can't do that. As we try and fail, we also turn to our Lord in repentance, seeking his forgiving grace. We know where God's grace dwells he takes away sin. He gives us instead a love for God and for one another. Seeing what our Lord has done, let us walk in his love.

Psalm 11, Isaiah 24:14-25:12, 1 John 2:15-29 - Lectionary for 12/8/11

Today's readings are Psalm 11, Isaiah 24:14-25:12, and 1 John 2:15-29. Today we see God coming in judgment. It always interests me that in doing away with death and destruction our Lord judges and destroys those who oppose him. To create perfection in eternity all that is imperfect must go. So how do we get away with the assertion that people who believe in Christ's work on their behalf are somehow perfect? That's the only way we can say that we would remain in eternity, but it doesn't take long to find problems with any theory of our perfection. Yet the Scripture says that if we are trusting in Jesus' righteousness, not our own, he calls us his own children. He makes us perfect. That confronts us with a question which we find dealt with in 1 John. How do we know we are trusting in God well enough? What if we are as fallible as we think we are? Worse yet, what if we are as fallible as others say we are? John reminds us that by faith in Christ we have confidence. We can be sure he has placed his love on us. We have no fear. So let us trust in our Lord and see that he has made us over in his image for his glory.

Sermon for 12/7/11 "Pointing to the Christ"

Sermon “Pointing to the Christ” Our Advocate, speak on our behalf before the Father, pleading the cleansing of sins, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Just who do you think you are? That question has rung in my ears more than once. How about yours? Who do you think you are, some sort of expert? I remember once, long ago, when I worked as a bill collector, in a position of considerable authority in the office, that I picked up the phone and was greeted by someone who immediately said he didn’t want to talk with some peon, he wanted me to give him to someone in charge of something. Though I could have helped him considerably he refused to talk with me, assuming that nobody who was in a position to help him would ever answer the phone. But when we talk of spiritual matters, when we talk about Jesus and his work, people might ask us who we think we are. What kind of authority do we have? Why are we able to make up this rule that says Jesus is the only one who can forgive sin? Why are we able to come up with this dogma that says everyone is guilty? Our unbelieving culture always brings up the idea that these forceful distinctive statements of the Christian church were made up by a bunch of power-hungry men who wanted to oppress women and everyone else they could bring under their control. Who do we think we are, anyway? Who did John the Baptizer think he was? He was the one pointing the way to Jesus. He was the one announcing that salvation was coming from God, and was coming in the person and work of Jesus. He was the one saying that Jesus was coming to cleanse people from sin and to give them the Holy Spirit. He denied being the Christ. He even denied being a prophet who was worthy of honor. He simply said he was pointing the way to Jesus. So who do we think we are? May we be found as the people who point the way to Jesus, the one who has redeemed us from sin. May we be found as the people who look to Jesus who lived a life of perfect righteousness, a life which we can look at and say definitively that we could not live. May we be found as the people who ask Jesus to guide us through life and even through death, because he is the one who has been through life and through death without any sin. May we be found as the people who ask that God’s will may be done, not our own, knowing that it is God who is the perfect judge, the perfect creator, redeemer, and sustainer of all. May we be the people who are found to look to our Lord for his loving kindness. May we be the people who confess our sins to our Lord, not so we can seem more holy, but so that he may put his holiness into our lives. May we be the people who do works of righteousness, not so we can profit, but so our neighbors can profit. May we be the people who are found faithful, walking in the way Jesus walked. May we be the people who walk in love, fulfilling the commandment to love one another. Who do we think we are? Not the Christ, but people who wish to look to the Christ. May his word abide in us richly, building our lives up in this precious faith, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Psalm 25:1-7, Isaiah 24:1-13, 1 John 1:1-2:14 - Lectionary for 12/7/11 - Commemoration of Ambrose of Milan, Pastor and Hymnwriter

Today is the commemoration of Ambrose of Milan, Pastor and Hymnwriter. Today's readings are Psalm 25:1-7, Isaiah 24:1-13, and 1 John 1:1-2:14. We read today of Jesus Christ, the Just one, the Advocate, who pleads in our behalf before the throne of God the Father. And what is his plea? As we have confessed our sins, he has forgiven us all our sin and cleansed us from all unrighteousness. What if we sin some more? He has died for that sin as well, so we have no need to be brought to justice. And what if our sin is committed on purpose? Has that made Christ's death of no effect? Not at all, for as we confess our sin he forgives it again. Our sins have been forgiven, not for our name's sake, but for his name's sake. Our sins have been forgiven because he has overcome the evil one. Our sins cannot abide in us because he calls us to repentance and himself delivers the forgiveness which he has promised. May the Word of God abide in us richly.

Psalm 56:1-2, 5-11, 13, Isaiah 14:1-23, 2 Peter 3:1-18 - Lectionary for 12/6/11 - Commemoration of Nicholas of Myra, Pastor

Today is the Commemoration of Nicholas of Myra, Pastor. Today's readings are Psalm 56:1-2, 5-11, 13, Isaiah 14:1-23, and 2 Peter 3:1-18. During this season of Advent we continue to look forward to our Lord's coming. Yet we are warned today that we should be prepared. At his coming our Lord will be like a consuming fire. He will destroy all that is unrighteous. How then will we stand? We stand only as we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ himself, who will come to rebuke all sin. It is only as we look to our Lord in faith, trusting that he is our righteousness, that we can stand before him. To that end, let us look to Jesus in repentance and faith. Let us seek to grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18, ESV). Then and only then do we stand before him in confidence, knowing that he has redeemed us from the curse of sin and purchased us to be his special people.