2nd Sunday in Advent, 12/5/10
Romans 15:4-13
We’re All in This Together!
I. Glorifying the Lord who united us
II. Sharing the hope God gave us
For more than a decade psychologists have seen trouble coming. In fact, they’re calling it a modern plague. It’s called social isolationism. Experts in this field have seen a sharp decline in social connectedness over the past 20 years. According to a recent study by scientists at Duke University 25% of Americans claim to have no meaningful social support at all—not a single person they can confide in. 50% of Americans claim no close confidants or friends outside of their immediate family. Those stats are double what they were in 1985.
And the reasons for it are many. Longer commuting times is one. But the biggest reason is that the contact with the rest of the world for far too many people is through a flat screen—either their television or their computer. Since the beginning of time humans have banded together, forming communities for mutual support and encouragement. Not anymore. Now we flee to the friendly confines of our couches behind locked doors and shut the rest of the world out while we look at the world of our choice through a particular channel or website.
And the toll this isolation takes? An increased vulnerability to mental illnesses such as depression and addictions. You see, we humans just weren’t made to exist in isolation.
And neither were Christians. We not only share a common flesh and blood, we share a common faith, a faith in Jesus as our Savior from sin. That common faith brings us together, it unites us, it bonds us to each other.
And as a group of united Christians we’re focusing together in this Advent season on preparing ourselves for our Savior’s coming, chiefly his return to this earth on the Last Day. Every one of us is living in repentance for our sins and faith in Jesus as our Savior. That’s being ready for his return. Whether we’re conscious of it all the time or not, that’s what we’re doing. We’re all in this together.
In a way, that’s the truth Paul emphasized in this portion of his letter to the Romans. He reminded them that they have a common faith and a common goal. So do we. So let’s remind ourselves of it this morning and then act like it as we wait for his return. We’re all in this together. Let’s see what that means as we take Paul’s words to heart.
Part I.
As I look out over the congregation this morning I see something that I expect—we all look strikingly similar. There isn’t much diversity among us at all. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing or a good thing; I’m just stating what it is. Many of us have similar backgrounds and experiences. By and large we’re similar economically and socially.
But what do you imagine the congregation of Christians in Rome looked like? Was it as homogenous as our own?
Not at all. Basically, there were two groups of Christians in that congregation. The first were Jewish people who were converted to Christianity. Some of them had been present in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost and were among the 3,000 who heard Peter’s sermon and were baptized. They returned to Rome and began gathering together in a congregation of Christians.
But another group of Christians began joining them. These were Gentile people, many of them natives of Rome. Through various outreach efforts they had come to know and believe in Jesus as their Savior. They were formerly idol worshippers, heathen people who worshipped the gods of the Roman people. But now that they were Christians, they left their heathen way of life. And they joined with their fellow Christians, those who were Jewish by nationality.
But they still had their differences. For decades many of these Jewish Christians had been living as Jews according the laws of the Old Testament, things such as eating kosher and celebrating the various Jewish festivals. Now that they had faith in Jesus, many of them continued in these customs, not because they had to, but because they enjoyed them and were comfortable doing them.
Many of the Gentile Christians felt the same way. They gave up what was sinful about their heathen way of life, but they kept some of their old customs, holidays and ways of doing things. None of these things were inherently sinful; they were just different from the way the Jewish Christians looked at things.
But they also had their issues. For instance, some of the Jews knew that they didn’t have to eat kosher, and yet, if someone brought a casserole to a fellowship meal that had pork in it, they refrained from eating it, thinking it was wrong.
Meanwhile, some of the Gentile Christians had a similar problem. You see, they didn’t buy their meat from a grocery store like we do. Meat was sold each day in the open market. Most of that meat had been used earlier that day in a pagan ritual at a heathen temple. Some Gentiles felt that it was wrong to eat such meat when it really wasn’t.
This doesn’t sound like such a big deal to us, but it was to them. They were tempted to allow these differences to divide them.
So Paul addressed that situation. He encouraged them to serve each other just as Jesus served us all. He offered this prayer, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves.” He wanted them to realize that they were all in this together so that they would help each other out of Christian love for one another. And the goal? Paul writes, “So that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When they served each other in Christian love, God would be glorified by what they said and did.
There’s the goal for us as well. We’re all in this together, glorifying the God who united us.
We don’t share the differences that the Christians in Rome had. We’re not racially or culturally divided. Even our customs and celebrations and ways of doing things are largely the same. Most of all, our faith in Jesus unites us. But we still need the encouragement that we’re all in this together. We could easily take the position that our opinion about how we should be doing things here at church is the superior way. We could easily look down on some of the choices that our fellow members make—choices that are not sinful, just different. We could easily get discouraged when we don’t see others taking our encouragement and acting in keeping with it. And the more we do so, the closer we come to setting ourselves up as the best example of a Christian this congregation has. But we all know different. We all know we’re in this together. We have a serious condition that draws us together. It’s called sin and we’re helpless to get rid of it. But we’re also united in our faith in Jesus as our Savior from sin. We look to his death on the cross as the payment for our sins. We know that he has drawn us together by faith in him. And so now we glorify him as we encourage one another, as we bear with each other in our weaknesses. We do so because we’re all in this together.
Part II.
I met a person some time ago who lived by this philosophy: Expect the worst and hope for the best. I don’t know how he ever coped in life, always expecting the worst to happen and only hoping that things will get better.
Thankfully you and I as God’s people don’t have to live that way. Paul tells us why in this prayer for the Romans, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Twice Paul uses the word “hope.” But he uses it in a way that’s different from the way we often use it. We usually say things such as, “I hope it doesn’t rain today.” In other words, our hope is nothing more than a wish.
But Paul speaks about the hope that God gives and that’s much more than a wish. It’s confidence. We Christians can live in hope each day because we’re confident of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Even if the worst thing happens to us today—that we die a violent and unexpected death—we’ll awake in eternal bliss and glory in heaven. We’re confident of that because Jesus won it for us.
We can also live confident of each other. I know that you share the same faith in Jesus that I have. I hear you confess that faith. I see you live according to that faith. I see your fruits of faith. Because of that, I know that you will share eternal life with me in heaven. I’m confident of that. So are you.
And that confidence fills us with joy. You see, none of us are perfect. Far from it. We’re sinners. Part of life as a congregation of Christians is dealing with the sins we all commit. Those sins cause us heartache and sorrow. They hinder the work that we could be doing. Left unchecked, sin can threaten the life of a congregation.
But we gather every Sunday, and even at times on Wednesday evenings too, to confess those sins and to assure each other of our forgiveness in Christ. We stand shoulder to shoulder at the Lord’s Supper and receive our Savior’s body and blood for the assurance of our forgiveness. We repeat to one another Christ’s promise that he has prepared a place in heaven for us. And in a world gone mad in which few things go right, our confidence of our forgiveness and life in heaven fills us with peace and joy.
At this time of year, as joyous as it’s suppose to be, we can often get disappointed and discouraged with our family members and our fellow Christians. Sometimes our expectations are unrealistic; at other times their sinful self-centeredness is the cause. We need to offer each other forgiveness for our sins against each other and then remind ourselves what we have—a common faith in Jesus. We’re all looking forward to celebrating his birth. We’re all waiting for his return to this earth as he promised. And by faith in him, we’re ready for both. Remember, we’re all in this together. Amen.
December 4, 2010
We're All in This Together!
2nd Sunday in Advent, 12/5/10
Romans 15:4-13
We’re All in This Together!
I. Glorifying the Lord who united us
II. Sharing the hope God gave us
For more than a decade psychologists have seen trouble coming. In fact, they’re calling it a modern plague. It’s called social isolationism. Experts in this field have seen a sharp decline in social connectedness over the past 20 years. According to a recent study by scientists at Duke University 25% of Americans claim to have no meaningful social support at all—not a single person they can confide in. 50% of Americans claim no close confidants or friends outside of their immediate family. Those stats are double what they were in 1985.
And the reasons for it are many. Longer commuting times is one. But the biggest reason is that the contact with the rest of the world for far too many people is through a flat screen—either their television or their computer. Since the beginning of time humans have banded together, forming communities for mutual support and encouragement. Not anymore. Now we flee to the friendly confines of our couches behind locked doors and shut the rest of the world out while we look at the world of our choice through a particular channel or website.
And the toll this isolation takes? An increased vulnerability to mental illnesses such as depression and addictions. You see, we humans just weren’t made to exist in isolation.
And neither were Christians. We not only share a common flesh and blood, we share a common faith, a faith in Jesus as our Savior from sin. That common faith brings us together, it unites us, it bonds us to each other.
And as a group of united Christians we’re focusing together in this Advent season on preparing ourselves for our Savior’s coming, chiefly his return to this earth on the Last Day. Every one of us is living in repentance for our sins and faith in Jesus as our Savior. That’s being ready for his return. Whether we’re conscious of it all the time or not, that’s what we’re doing. We’re all in this together.
In a way, that’s the truth Paul emphasized in this portion of his letter to the Romans. He reminded them that they have a common faith and a common goal. So do we. So let’s remind ourselves of it this morning and then act like it as we wait for his return. We’re all in this together. Let’s see what that means as we take Paul’s words to heart.
I.
As I look out over the congregation this morning I see something that I expect—we all look strikingly similar. There isn’t much diversity among us at all. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing or a good thing; I’m just stating what it is. Many of us have similar backgrounds and experiences. By and large we’re similar economically and socially.
But what do you imagine the congregation of Christians in Rome looked like? Was it as homogenous as our own?
Not at all. Basically, there were two groups of Christians in that congregation. The first were Jewish people who were converted to Christianity. Some of them had been present in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost and were among the 3,000 who heard Peter’s sermon and were baptized. They returned to Rome and began gathering together in a congregation of Christians.
But another group of Christians began joining them. These were Gentile people, many of them natives of Rome. Through various outreach efforts they had come to know and believe in Jesus as their Savior. They were formerly idol worshippers, heathen people who worshipped the gods of the Roman people. But now that they were Christians, they left their heathen way of life. And they joined with their fellow Christians, those who were Jewish by nationality.
But they still had their differences. For decades many of these Jewish Christians had been living as Jews according the laws of the Old Testament, things such as eating kosher and celebrating the various Jewish festivals. Now that they had faith in Jesus, many of them continued in these customs, not because they had to, but because they enjoyed them and were comfortable doing them.
Many of the Gentile Christians felt the same way. They gave up what was sinful about their heathen way of life, but they kept some of their old customs, holidays and ways of doing things. None of these things were inherently sinful; they were just different from the way the Jewish Christians looked at things.
But they also had their issues. For instance, some of the Jews knew that they didn’t have to eat kosher, and yet, if someone brought a casserole to a fellowship meal that had pork in it, they refrained from eating it, thinking it was wrong.
Meanwhile, some of the Gentile Christians had a similar problem. You see, they didn’t buy their meat from a grocery store like we do. Meat was sold each day in the open market. Most of that meat had been used earlier that day in a pagan ritual at a heathen temple. Some Gentiles felt that it was wrong to eat such meat when it really wasn’t.
This doesn’t sound like such a big deal to us, but it was to them. They were tempted to allow these differences to divide them.
So Paul addressed that situation. He encouraged them to serve each other just as Jesus served us all. He offered this prayer, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves.” He wanted them to realize that they were all in this together so that they would help each other out of Christian love for one another. And the goal? Paul writes, “So that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When they served each other in Christian love, God would be glorified by what they said and did.
There’s the goal for us as well. We’re all in this together, glorifying the God who united us.
We don’t share the differences that the Christians in Rome had. We’re not racially or culturally divided. Even our customs and celebrations and ways of doing things are largely the same. Most of all, our faith in Jesus unites us. But we still need the encouragement that we’re all in this together. We could easily take the position that our opinion about how we should be doing things here at church is the superior way. We could easily look down on some of the choices that our fellow members make—choices that are not sinful, just different. We could easily get discouraged when we don’t see others taking our encouragement and acting in keeping with it. And the more we do so, the closer we come to setting ourselves up as the best example of a Christian this congregation has. But we all know different. We all know we’re in this together. We have a serious condition that draws us together. It’s called sin and we’re helpless to get rid of it. But we’re also united in our faith in Jesus as our Savior from sin. We look to his death on the cross as the payment for our sins. We know that he has drawn us together by faith in him. And so now we glorify him as we encourage one another, as we bear with each other in our weaknesses. We do so because we’re all in this together.
II.
I met a person some time ago who lived by this philosophy: Expect the worst and hope for the best. I don’t know how he ever coped in life, always expecting the worst to happen and only hoping that things will get better.
Thankfully you and I as God’s people don’t have to live that way. Paul tells us why in this prayer for the Romans, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Twice Paul uses the word “hope.” But he uses it in a way that’s different from the way we often use it. We usually say things such as, “I hope it doesn’t rain today.” In other words, our hope is nothing more than a wish.
But Paul speaks about the hope that God gives and that’s much more than a wish. It’s confidence. We Christians can live in hope each day because we’re confident of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Even if the worst thing happens to us today—that we die a violent and unexpected death—we’ll awake in eternal bliss and glory in heaven. We’re confident of that because Jesus won it for us.
We can also live confident of each other. I know that you share the same faith in Jesus that I have. I hear you confess that faith. I see you live according to that faith. I see your fruits of faith. Because of that, I know that you will share eternal life with me in heaven. I’m confident of that. So are you.
And that confidence fills us with joy. You see, none of us are perfect. Far from it. We’re sinners. Part of life as a congregation of Christians is dealing with the sins we all commit. Those sins cause us heartache and sorrow. They hinder the work that we could be doing. Left unchecked, sin can threaten the life of a congregation.
But we gather every Sunday, and even at times on Wednesday evenings too, to confess those sins and to assure each other of our forgiveness in Christ. We stand shoulder to shoulder at the Lord’s Supper and receive our Savior’s body and blood for the assurance of our forgiveness. We repeat to one another Christ’s promise that he has prepared a place in heaven for us. And in a world gone mad in which few things go right, our confidence of our forgiveness and life in heaven fills us with peace and joy.
At this time of year, as joyous as it’s suppose to be, we can often get disappointed and discouraged with our family members and our fellow Christians. Sometimes our expectations are unrealistic; at other times their sinful self-centeredness is the cause. We need to offer each other forgiveness for our sins against each other and then remind ourselves what we have—a common faith in Jesus. We’re all looking forward to celebrating his birth. We’re all waiting for his return to this earth as he promised. And by faith in him, we’re ready for both. Remember, we’re all in this together. Amen.
Romans 15:4-13
We’re All in This Together!
I. Glorifying the Lord who united us
II. Sharing the hope God gave us
For more than a decade psychologists have seen trouble coming. In fact, they’re calling it a modern plague. It’s called social isolationism. Experts in this field have seen a sharp decline in social connectedness over the past 20 years. According to a recent study by scientists at Duke University 25% of Americans claim to have no meaningful social support at all—not a single person they can confide in. 50% of Americans claim no close confidants or friends outside of their immediate family. Those stats are double what they were in 1985.
And the reasons for it are many. Longer commuting times is one. But the biggest reason is that the contact with the rest of the world for far too many people is through a flat screen—either their television or their computer. Since the beginning of time humans have banded together, forming communities for mutual support and encouragement. Not anymore. Now we flee to the friendly confines of our couches behind locked doors and shut the rest of the world out while we look at the world of our choice through a particular channel or website.
And the toll this isolation takes? An increased vulnerability to mental illnesses such as depression and addictions. You see, we humans just weren’t made to exist in isolation.
And neither were Christians. We not only share a common flesh and blood, we share a common faith, a faith in Jesus as our Savior from sin. That common faith brings us together, it unites us, it bonds us to each other.
And as a group of united Christians we’re focusing together in this Advent season on preparing ourselves for our Savior’s coming, chiefly his return to this earth on the Last Day. Every one of us is living in repentance for our sins and faith in Jesus as our Savior. That’s being ready for his return. Whether we’re conscious of it all the time or not, that’s what we’re doing. We’re all in this together.
In a way, that’s the truth Paul emphasized in this portion of his letter to the Romans. He reminded them that they have a common faith and a common goal. So do we. So let’s remind ourselves of it this morning and then act like it as we wait for his return. We’re all in this together. Let’s see what that means as we take Paul’s words to heart.
I.
As I look out over the congregation this morning I see something that I expect—we all look strikingly similar. There isn’t much diversity among us at all. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing or a good thing; I’m just stating what it is. Many of us have similar backgrounds and experiences. By and large we’re similar economically and socially.
But what do you imagine the congregation of Christians in Rome looked like? Was it as homogenous as our own?
Not at all. Basically, there were two groups of Christians in that congregation. The first were Jewish people who were converted to Christianity. Some of them had been present in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost and were among the 3,000 who heard Peter’s sermon and were baptized. They returned to Rome and began gathering together in a congregation of Christians.
But another group of Christians began joining them. These were Gentile people, many of them natives of Rome. Through various outreach efforts they had come to know and believe in Jesus as their Savior. They were formerly idol worshippers, heathen people who worshipped the gods of the Roman people. But now that they were Christians, they left their heathen way of life. And they joined with their fellow Christians, those who were Jewish by nationality.
But they still had their differences. For decades many of these Jewish Christians had been living as Jews according the laws of the Old Testament, things such as eating kosher and celebrating the various Jewish festivals. Now that they had faith in Jesus, many of them continued in these customs, not because they had to, but because they enjoyed them and were comfortable doing them.
Many of the Gentile Christians felt the same way. They gave up what was sinful about their heathen way of life, but they kept some of their old customs, holidays and ways of doing things. None of these things were inherently sinful; they were just different from the way the Jewish Christians looked at things.
But they also had their issues. For instance, some of the Jews knew that they didn’t have to eat kosher, and yet, if someone brought a casserole to a fellowship meal that had pork in it, they refrained from eating it, thinking it was wrong.
Meanwhile, some of the Gentile Christians had a similar problem. You see, they didn’t buy their meat from a grocery store like we do. Meat was sold each day in the open market. Most of that meat had been used earlier that day in a pagan ritual at a heathen temple. Some Gentiles felt that it was wrong to eat such meat when it really wasn’t.
This doesn’t sound like such a big deal to us, but it was to them. They were tempted to allow these differences to divide them.
So Paul addressed that situation. He encouraged them to serve each other just as Jesus served us all. He offered this prayer, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves.” He wanted them to realize that they were all in this together so that they would help each other out of Christian love for one another. And the goal? Paul writes, “So that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When they served each other in Christian love, God would be glorified by what they said and did.
There’s the goal for us as well. We’re all in this together, glorifying the God who united us.
We don’t share the differences that the Christians in Rome had. We’re not racially or culturally divided. Even our customs and celebrations and ways of doing things are largely the same. Most of all, our faith in Jesus unites us. But we still need the encouragement that we’re all in this together. We could easily take the position that our opinion about how we should be doing things here at church is the superior way. We could easily look down on some of the choices that our fellow members make—choices that are not sinful, just different. We could easily get discouraged when we don’t see others taking our encouragement and acting in keeping with it. And the more we do so, the closer we come to setting ourselves up as the best example of a Christian this congregation has. But we all know different. We all know we’re in this together. We have a serious condition that draws us together. It’s called sin and we’re helpless to get rid of it. But we’re also united in our faith in Jesus as our Savior from sin. We look to his death on the cross as the payment for our sins. We know that he has drawn us together by faith in him. And so now we glorify him as we encourage one another, as we bear with each other in our weaknesses. We do so because we’re all in this together.
II.
I met a person some time ago who lived by this philosophy: Expect the worst and hope for the best. I don’t know how he ever coped in life, always expecting the worst to happen and only hoping that things will get better.
Thankfully you and I as God’s people don’t have to live that way. Paul tells us why in this prayer for the Romans, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Twice Paul uses the word “hope.” But he uses it in a way that’s different from the way we often use it. We usually say things such as, “I hope it doesn’t rain today.” In other words, our hope is nothing more than a wish.
But Paul speaks about the hope that God gives and that’s much more than a wish. It’s confidence. We Christians can live in hope each day because we’re confident of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Even if the worst thing happens to us today—that we die a violent and unexpected death—we’ll awake in eternal bliss and glory in heaven. We’re confident of that because Jesus won it for us.
We can also live confident of each other. I know that you share the same faith in Jesus that I have. I hear you confess that faith. I see you live according to that faith. I see your fruits of faith. Because of that, I know that you will share eternal life with me in heaven. I’m confident of that. So are you.
And that confidence fills us with joy. You see, none of us are perfect. Far from it. We’re sinners. Part of life as a congregation of Christians is dealing with the sins we all commit. Those sins cause us heartache and sorrow. They hinder the work that we could be doing. Left unchecked, sin can threaten the life of a congregation.
But we gather every Sunday, and even at times on Wednesday evenings too, to confess those sins and to assure each other of our forgiveness in Christ. We stand shoulder to shoulder at the Lord’s Supper and receive our Savior’s body and blood for the assurance of our forgiveness. We repeat to one another Christ’s promise that he has prepared a place in heaven for us. And in a world gone mad in which few things go right, our confidence of our forgiveness and life in heaven fills us with peace and joy.
At this time of year, as joyous as it’s suppose to be, we can often get disappointed and discouraged with our family members and our fellow Christians. Sometimes our expectations are unrealistic; at other times their sinful self-centeredness is the cause. We need to offer each other forgiveness for our sins against each other and then remind ourselves what we have—a common faith in Jesus. We’re all looking forward to celebrating his birth. We’re all waiting for his return to this earth as he promised. And by faith in him, we’re ready for both. Remember, we’re all in this together. Amen.
November 29, 2010
Watch for Glorious Prophecies Fulfilled!
1st Sunday in Advent, 11/28/10
Isaiah 2:1-5
Watch for Glorious Prophecies Fulfilled!
I. In the Lord’s holy Church
II. In the Lord’s saving peace
It won’t be long before we begin to read and hear predictions for the coming year. Some of them will revolve around the lives of the rich and famous, but most of them will be predictions about our US economy, interest rates, home sales, new home construction, the unemployment rate, and the like. Those predictions are made by experts in their field and are generally the best guesses that we have about what will happen in 2011. We take that information and process it and then we wait and see. As we make our way through the weeks and months of the new year, we see if what these experts predicted comes true. Sometimes it does; sometimes it doesn’t.
We have a “prediction” of sorts before us this morning. Actually, it’s much more than a prediction. It’s a prophecy. The Lord used his prophet Isaiah to proclaim what will happen in the future. And since this prophecy comes from the Lord whose knowledge of the future is just as perfect as his knowledge of the present and the past, this prophecy will certainly come true. That doesn’t surprise us.
But would it surprise you if I told you that this prophecy is about you and what you’re experiencing today? I imagine it does. Isaiah’s vision from the Lord concerned “the last days.” That’s now. It’s the time between our Lord’s first coming to this earth as the Savior born in Bethlehem and his second coming to this earth as the Judge of all on the Last Day. In this season of Advent we prepare ourselves for his coming. Our focus on this Sunday is to watch for him. And as we watch for him we also watch as Isaiah’s prophecy unfolds before our eyes. We’re living in the last days and we’re seeing the fulfillment of what Isaiah proclaimed.
So let’s take a closer look at Isaiah’s words this morning and watch for glorious prophecies fulfilled. Watch for glorious prophecies fulfilled. Since these prophecies involve us, let’s see what they’re all about.
Part I.
Those of you who lived here in the Miami Valley in the 1970s and 1980s likely never imagined that the day would come when Dayton would no longer manufacture products such as refrigerators and automobiles. It probably seemed as if those companies would always be doing business here. But they’re gone. And other institutions are gone as well. The old Rike’s Department Store downtown went out of business years and years ago. NCR left town last year. It’s made all of us realize that no institution in this world is permanent.
But what about the Lord’s Church on earth? Well, that doesn’t seem to be fairing so well either. The percentage of Americans that claims to be Christian continues its slow decline. Our congregation is certainly not the only one experiencing lower attendance figures. It’s happening all over our country. There are some who even wonder if the Christian church will survive. A rather popular book from more than a decade ago was entitled, Why Christianity Must Change or Die.
But that’s not what Isaiah saw in his vision from the Lord. Listen again to the description. “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob.’” Isaiah refers to the mountain of the Lord’s temple. Some take this as a literal church building. But that’s not what this is. This mountain with the temple on it is a picture of the Church on earth. It’s the gathering of all believers in Christ. In our creeds we call it the holy Christian Church. And notice what Isaiah sees concerning that Church. It’s established as the chief among the mountains. In other words, no man-made institution will be greater or outlast the Church. Some of you may recall the visions that the prophet Daniel saw. In those visions the kingdom of God—the Church—was always greater than every powerful earthly kingdom. You and I are part of that Church right now. We’re seeing the fulfillment of what Isaiah saw.
But we’re not the only ones. Isaiah says, “All nations will stream to it.” In Old Testament times this was hard for God’s people to imagine. That’s because the Church at that time was largely confined to the Jews. But not in New Testament times. Not today. Through your mission offerings you’re bringing the gospel to places such as Pakistan and China. That was unthinkable just a decade or two ago. In fact, there are Christians in every part of the world. Indeed all nations are streaming into the Church.
And that’s no accident. It’s by design. God’s plan for his Church is for his people to invite others into it. Isaiah sees that outreach work going on this way, “Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.’” God’s people encourage others to join them in worshipping the Lord. That’s what we do. That’s one of the reasons we’ve formed this congregation. When we invite friends and family members to worship with us, when have our children baptized and teach them God’s saving truths, we’re fulfilling these words of Isaiah.
Watch for glorious prophecies fulfilled—prophecies fulfilled in the Lord’s holy Church.
If you pay any attention to what’s happening in our world today, then you’re more than a little concerned for the future of Christianity. Christians—if they take a stand on God’s word—are bashed as being narrow-minded, intolerant or hateful. It seems as if it’s becoming more and more difficult to raise our children according to God’s truths. We feel as if we’ve lost the battle against evil and indecencies. Church doesn’t seem to be as important to people as it once was. For all these reasons and many others like it, it would easy for us to think that we’re wasting our time and effort as God’s people trying to promote his Church on earth. But Isaiah’s picture of the Church is far different. He reminds us that the Church is eternal and nothing will ever conquer it. That’s because the Church is built on the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the Lord gave you and me faith in that Savior, he brought us into his eternal Church. He’s made us part of something that will last forever. Isaiah’s words are being fulfilled right this moment as we have gathered to worship that Savior. Watch for glorious prophecies fulfilled in the Lord’s holy Church.
Part II.
With last Wednesday being the busiest travel day of the year, there were countless news stories about airport security and what are viewed by some people as invasive screening processes. The TSA insists these searches are necessary to maintain security on our nation’s airlines.
And I’m sure there’s some truth to what they say. After all, there are people who want to put Americans to death, as many as possible. There are extremists who are plotting to destroy us and our way of life.
In view of that, what’s this peaceful picture that Isaiah paints? Listen to it once again. “The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” It would appear that Isaiah’s prophecy hasn’t come true, at least not yet. Plenty of nations are training for war right now. But Isaiah isn’t speaking about earthly peace. Recall that Jesus said that one of the signs of the end times was wars and rumors of wars.
You’ve probably guessed by now that Isaiah is speaking about spiritual peace. That’s the peace the angels sang about on the night of Jesus’ birth. It’s the peace that Jesus won with his life and his death. It’s peace between the sinner and the holy God. That peace comes through the forgiveness of sins. Because of that forgiveness we have a loving relationship with our God.
That forgiveness is found in the Church. Those who have faith in Jesus are members of the invisible holy Christian Church. With faith in Jesus they have the forgiveness of sins. Another way of stating that truth is that Christians live in the forgiveness of sins.
And the peace of forgiveness lights the road to heaven. Isaiah closes our text with this encouragement, “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” Walking in the light of the Lord means walking in the truth of our salvation. That truth is that Jesus is our Savior from sin. We live in that truth. We walk in it today. We pray that God keeps us in that truth until the day he calls us home to heaven or he returns to this earth. With faith in that truth we’re ready for him.
Watch for glorious prophecies fulfilled—fulfilled in the Lord’s saving peace.
Our worship theme this morning encourages us to watch for the Lord’s return. That encouragement doesn’t sit well with some. For one reason or another, they tremble at the thought of Jesus returning. But we don’t have to. We live in his peace. When he returns, he’ll simply proclaim before all people that we belong to him by faith in him. It will be our Lord’s most glorious day and we’ll share that glory with him. Watch for glorious prophecies fulfilled. Amen.
Isaiah 2:1-5
Watch for Glorious Prophecies Fulfilled!
I. In the Lord’s holy Church
II. In the Lord’s saving peace
It won’t be long before we begin to read and hear predictions for the coming year. Some of them will revolve around the lives of the rich and famous, but most of them will be predictions about our US economy, interest rates, home sales, new home construction, the unemployment rate, and the like. Those predictions are made by experts in their field and are generally the best guesses that we have about what will happen in 2011. We take that information and process it and then we wait and see. As we make our way through the weeks and months of the new year, we see if what these experts predicted comes true. Sometimes it does; sometimes it doesn’t.
We have a “prediction” of sorts before us this morning. Actually, it’s much more than a prediction. It’s a prophecy. The Lord used his prophet Isaiah to proclaim what will happen in the future. And since this prophecy comes from the Lord whose knowledge of the future is just as perfect as his knowledge of the present and the past, this prophecy will certainly come true. That doesn’t surprise us.
But would it surprise you if I told you that this prophecy is about you and what you’re experiencing today? I imagine it does. Isaiah’s vision from the Lord concerned “the last days.” That’s now. It’s the time between our Lord’s first coming to this earth as the Savior born in Bethlehem and his second coming to this earth as the Judge of all on the Last Day. In this season of Advent we prepare ourselves for his coming. Our focus on this Sunday is to watch for him. And as we watch for him we also watch as Isaiah’s prophecy unfolds before our eyes. We’re living in the last days and we’re seeing the fulfillment of what Isaiah proclaimed.
So let’s take a closer look at Isaiah’s words this morning and watch for glorious prophecies fulfilled. Watch for glorious prophecies fulfilled. Since these prophecies involve us, let’s see what they’re all about.
Part I.
Those of you who lived here in the Miami Valley in the 1970s and 1980s likely never imagined that the day would come when Dayton would no longer manufacture products such as refrigerators and automobiles. It probably seemed as if those companies would always be doing business here. But they’re gone. And other institutions are gone as well. The old Rike’s Department Store downtown went out of business years and years ago. NCR left town last year. It’s made all of us realize that no institution in this world is permanent.
But what about the Lord’s Church on earth? Well, that doesn’t seem to be fairing so well either. The percentage of Americans that claims to be Christian continues its slow decline. Our congregation is certainly not the only one experiencing lower attendance figures. It’s happening all over our country. There are some who even wonder if the Christian church will survive. A rather popular book from more than a decade ago was entitled, Why Christianity Must Change or Die.
But that’s not what Isaiah saw in his vision from the Lord. Listen again to the description. “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob.’” Isaiah refers to the mountain of the Lord’s temple. Some take this as a literal church building. But that’s not what this is. This mountain with the temple on it is a picture of the Church on earth. It’s the gathering of all believers in Christ. In our creeds we call it the holy Christian Church. And notice what Isaiah sees concerning that Church. It’s established as the chief among the mountains. In other words, no man-made institution will be greater or outlast the Church. Some of you may recall the visions that the prophet Daniel saw. In those visions the kingdom of God—the Church—was always greater than every powerful earthly kingdom. You and I are part of that Church right now. We’re seeing the fulfillment of what Isaiah saw.
But we’re not the only ones. Isaiah says, “All nations will stream to it.” In Old Testament times this was hard for God’s people to imagine. That’s because the Church at that time was largely confined to the Jews. But not in New Testament times. Not today. Through your mission offerings you’re bringing the gospel to places such as Pakistan and China. That was unthinkable just a decade or two ago. In fact, there are Christians in every part of the world. Indeed all nations are streaming into the Church.
And that’s no accident. It’s by design. God’s plan for his Church is for his people to invite others into it. Isaiah sees that outreach work going on this way, “Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.’” God’s people encourage others to join them in worshipping the Lord. That’s what we do. That’s one of the reasons we’ve formed this congregation. When we invite friends and family members to worship with us, when have our children baptized and teach them God’s saving truths, we’re fulfilling these words of Isaiah.
Watch for glorious prophecies fulfilled—prophecies fulfilled in the Lord’s holy Church.
If you pay any attention to what’s happening in our world today, then you’re more than a little concerned for the future of Christianity. Christians—if they take a stand on God’s word—are bashed as being narrow-minded, intolerant or hateful. It seems as if it’s becoming more and more difficult to raise our children according to God’s truths. We feel as if we’ve lost the battle against evil and indecencies. Church doesn’t seem to be as important to people as it once was. For all these reasons and many others like it, it would easy for us to think that we’re wasting our time and effort as God’s people trying to promote his Church on earth. But Isaiah’s picture of the Church is far different. He reminds us that the Church is eternal and nothing will ever conquer it. That’s because the Church is built on the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the Lord gave you and me faith in that Savior, he brought us into his eternal Church. He’s made us part of something that will last forever. Isaiah’s words are being fulfilled right this moment as we have gathered to worship that Savior. Watch for glorious prophecies fulfilled in the Lord’s holy Church.
Part II.
With last Wednesday being the busiest travel day of the year, there were countless news stories about airport security and what are viewed by some people as invasive screening processes. The TSA insists these searches are necessary to maintain security on our nation’s airlines.
And I’m sure there’s some truth to what they say. After all, there are people who want to put Americans to death, as many as possible. There are extremists who are plotting to destroy us and our way of life.
In view of that, what’s this peaceful picture that Isaiah paints? Listen to it once again. “The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” It would appear that Isaiah’s prophecy hasn’t come true, at least not yet. Plenty of nations are training for war right now. But Isaiah isn’t speaking about earthly peace. Recall that Jesus said that one of the signs of the end times was wars and rumors of wars.
You’ve probably guessed by now that Isaiah is speaking about spiritual peace. That’s the peace the angels sang about on the night of Jesus’ birth. It’s the peace that Jesus won with his life and his death. It’s peace between the sinner and the holy God. That peace comes through the forgiveness of sins. Because of that forgiveness we have a loving relationship with our God.
That forgiveness is found in the Church. Those who have faith in Jesus are members of the invisible holy Christian Church. With faith in Jesus they have the forgiveness of sins. Another way of stating that truth is that Christians live in the forgiveness of sins.
And the peace of forgiveness lights the road to heaven. Isaiah closes our text with this encouragement, “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” Walking in the light of the Lord means walking in the truth of our salvation. That truth is that Jesus is our Savior from sin. We live in that truth. We walk in it today. We pray that God keeps us in that truth until the day he calls us home to heaven or he returns to this earth. With faith in that truth we’re ready for him.
Watch for glorious prophecies fulfilled—fulfilled in the Lord’s saving peace.
Our worship theme this morning encourages us to watch for the Lord’s return. That encouragement doesn’t sit well with some. For one reason or another, they tremble at the thought of Jesus returning. But we don’t have to. We live in his peace. When he returns, he’ll simply proclaim before all people that we belong to him by faith in him. It will be our Lord’s most glorious day and we’ll share that glory with him. Watch for glorious prophecies fulfilled. Amen.
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