Thursday, December 18, 2014

Sermon Dec. 17, 2014 Mid-week Advent Service

Title: The Spirit’s love points us.
Luther’s Small Catechism the Apostles Creed Third article w/ explanation
Text: Psalm 126

126 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
    “The LORD has done great things for them.”

The Creed

AS THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY SHOULD TEACH IT
IN A SIMPLE WAY TO HIS HOUSEHOLD

The Third Article

SANCTIFICATION

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

What does this mean? I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.

In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.

This is most certainly true.

If you have taken a wrong turn, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.

C.S. Lewis

So, the words of C.S. Lewis tell us how God works, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to turn those who have gone astray back to him.

126 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dream.

The psalmist tells of the working of the Lord to bring his children to the Promised Land, and how the Lord would restore them from out of the exile of the wilderness that they would walk in for some 40 years. Though dream like, the joy was real for those rescued, and set apart, and given the promise.

So too the gift of God in Christ Jesus is promised and delivered. By God’s working and sending the promised messiah comes in a form not expected, a child in a manger, helpless and in need. Through this true word made flesh, Jesus Christ, which came down from heaven, how might he truly be made known? How might those who need this rescue know that salvation is found in Christ alone this baby King, this child in a manger?

By the means that God has provided. Through his gift of word and sacrament, God is made known and we come to faith through the working of the Holy Spirit.

Ill.

Faith honors God and God honors faith! And so life of missionaries Robert and Mary Moffat illustrates this truth.

For 10 years this couple labored faithfully in Botswana, right in the center of the southern tip of Africa, without one ray of encouragement to brighten their way. They could not report a single convert. Finally the directors of their mission board began to question the wisdom of continuing the work.

The thought of leaving their post, however, brought great grief to this devoted couple, for they felt sure that God was in their labors, and that they would see people turn to Christ in due season. They stayed; and for a year or two longer, darkness reigned. Then one day a friend in England sent word to the Moffats that she wanted to mail them a gift and asked what they would like. Trusting that in time the Lord would bless their work, Mrs. Moffat replied, "Send us a communion set; I am sure it will soon be needed." God honored that dear woman's faith. The Holy Spirit moved upon the hearts of the villagers, and soon a little group of six converts was united to form the first Christian church in that land. The communion set from England was delayed in the mail; but on the very day before the first celebration of the Lord's super in Botswana, the set arrived.

Unknown.

For 10 years their labor seemed fruitless and for 10 years they saw no result. This can sound all too familiar to you and to me as we pray, witness, and share the love of Christ with those who need to hear. At times this work is with those that we live with, love, and care about. It seems like the word of God for the longest time is of no effect.

One dear friend tells of the years of prayer and witness in the hopes that her husband would attend church with her and joy in their faith together. It seemed hopeless but today they attend regularly and celebrate their faith in Christ together. Another whose children went their separate ways now is comforted by the reconnecting of these children to God’s word and worship even though at different churches. Others may not be privileged to see the result of the Lord’s work in this life but still continue to pray and wait on him, that by the working of the Holy Spirit, all might be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

Martin Luther says in the Freedom of the Christian:

No other work makes a Christian. Thus when the Jews asked Christ, as related in John 6:28, what they must do “to be doing the work of God,” he brushed aside the multitude of works which he saw they did in great profusion and suggested one work, saying, : this is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29; “for on him has God the Father set his seal.” John 6:27.

And Luther continues:

Therefore true faith in Christ is a treasure beyond comparison which brings with it complete salvation and saves man from every evil, as Christ says in Mark 16:16a: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.”

Three Treatises, Martin Luther, the Freedom of the Christian, pg. 281

As psalm 126 reminds us:

2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;

By God’s Holy Spirit we now know God as a loving Father and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. By God Holy Spirit we trust in Christ as our Lord and savior who redeemed us back into relationship with our heavenly Father. By God’s Holy Spirit we too share the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord with those who need to hear. And … by God’s Holy Spirit … he brings to faith all whom the Father has called to believe in this Jesus, his Son, this Christ sent as a child in a manger to bring peace between God and man.

Ill.

You might remember the story of the Nigerian sailor, from the summer of 2013, who was rescued from his capsized boat which had sunk 30 meters below the surface of the waves kept alive by a four foot air pocket.

He says:

"All around me was just black, and noisy. I was crying and calling on Jesus to rescue me, I prayed so hard. I was so hungry and thirsty and cold and I was just praying to see some kind of light."

He had been underwater for almost 60 hours when he heard a hammering on the deck. A team of South African divers scouring the waters on a presumed body recovery operation were shocked to hear faint hammering in reply.

As a diver's light approached, Okene hesitated to swim outside the air pocket in case the startled diver might use a jack-knife on him. "I went to the water and touched the diver. He himself shivered from fear. So I stepped back and just held my hand in the waters and waved it in front of his camera so they would see the images above deck."

"The diver walked in and at the back there was an air pocket he was sitting in," Paul MacDonald, an officer on the support vessel wrote on Facebook. "How it wasn't full of water is anyone's guess. I would say someone was looking after him."

It is through the Father’s love for you, that His only begotten Son Jesus Christ is sent as a babe in the manger to redeem you, so that by the working of the Holy Spirit in you, you are pointed to this Christ child who is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world!

then they said among the nations,
    “The LORD has done great things for them.”

And for you!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!

Amen

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