Do You Stand with Jesus?

3rd Sunday of Advent, 12/15/24 Luke 3:7-18 Do You Stand with Jesus? I. You do, if you possess true repentance II. You do, if you produce fruits of repentance III. You do, if you project spiritual urgency Would you agree that these weeks of December are the most visual weeks of the entire year? It’s likely you do. No other time of year matches this time of year for people displaying visually what they are feeling and thinking. It’s Christmas! The most wonderful time of the year! And the vast, vast majority of people join you in supporting the celebration of Christmas. From the houses in your neighborhood, to every retail outlet, to countless web sites, to local restaurants, and even in professional offices and employment settings, people are in agreement that it’s Christmas and therefore it’s time to display it and celebrate it in some way. In fact, I have yet to see any person or any display that opposes Christmas. I’m sure if I looked hard enough, I might be able to find one, but that just proves my point. There is massive support for Christmas among the people in our lives. But that doesn’t mean everyone supports Jesus. What I’m about to say is obvious to every teen and adult listening to me. There are far too many people who can, want to, and will celebrate Christmas without supporting Jesus. And you know what I mean. They’re OK observing Christmas as long as they can leave Jesus out of it. In a way, that’s what John the Baptist was facing on this day in his life and ministry as recorded here for us by St. Luke. John was a spectacle to be observed, and masses of people did so. First, he was somewhat of a freak. Under the Lord’s command, he was a Nazirite from birth, meaning, he was never to cut his hair, use any alcohol, or come into contact with a dead body. What’s more, only some religious freak would wear what he did every day—a coat made of camel hair (not comfortable at all). And he ate bugs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and perhaps snacked on them before bedtime. Those factors and the message he proclaimed made John “the thing” to see and do. Crowds came out to the wilderness to check him out. Do you see the similarity with our modern Christmas celebrations? But when they did, this is what they got: a “come to Jesus meeting” hosted by John himself. John knew he had a golden opportunity to confront these people with spiritual truth, and he didn’t pass it up. He informed them that the promised Savior was near. In effect, he drilled them with the question, “Are you for him or against him.” In other words, do you stand with Jesus? John presents that same question to you and me this morning. And we might think that our answer is obvious, isn’t it? After all, we’re Christians and we’re here to worship Jesus this morning. But it never hurts to ask. In fact, it’s helpful to ask every day, “Do you stand with Jesus?” Let’s ask it and be led by the power of the Holy Spirit to respond, “Yes! Yes, we do!” Part I. “You gotta see this!” You probably hear or read that encouragement/command just about every day of your life. With our modern devices, it’s easy to see and share events, messages, and information that are out of the ordinary, if not amazing. And we’re drawn to them. We don’t want to miss out. The people who lived during the days described in our text were no different. They didn’t have the devices we do, but there were still amazing things to see and hear. And one of them was John the Baptist. He was a different preacher with a different message. And crowds of people made the trip out in the wilderness to take it all in. What is Advent for you? What is Christmas for you? Is it just something to hear and see? Is it something to do in keeping with the crowds? Do you participate because that’s what’s expected of you? The message of Advent is, “The Lord is near.” Do you pay attention to it or let it slide into your old mail file? The message of Christmas is that the Savior is born. He is Christ the Lord, the Son of God. Is your response, “That’s the most wonderful news I’ve ever heard”? Or is it, “I heard that message before. This year I have other things to pay attention to”? What is Advent to you? What is Christmas to you? Please understand what’s at stake here. Jesus is not just a preferred option this December. He’s not a selection you might choose to ignore so that you can enjoy something else. Jesus is absolutely necessary! Why? How? Because I can have everything this world offers, but if I don’t have Jesus, I really have nothing, nothing but eternal death. My sins and yours make Jesus absolutely necessary. There’s no other option. He’s the only Savior from sin, and he’s all yours by God’s grace. He is God’s gift to you. You do nothing. He does everything. That’s what John was calling for—true repentance, for people to confess their sins and their need for a Savior, and to believe that Jesus is that Savior. That’s living in daily repentance. So, do you stand with Jesus? You do, if you possess true repentance. Part II. You’re not easily fooled. Why do I say that? Because you know that just because someone has Christmas on display, doesn’t mean they’re Christian. It works that way with repentance as well. Just saying you celebrate Christmas doesn’t mean you are Christian or support Christ. So also, just saying you are repentant, doesn’t mean you are. Listen once again to John the Baptist spell it out. “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” In other words, don’t just talk the talk. Walk the walk. And then John goes on to describe what that walk looks like and he does so in different ways depending on an individual’s situation. In other words, he drills down into their daily lives. It’s as if he’s stating, “Don’t just tell God you’re sorry for your sins. Go home and actually live it! Don’t just tell God, ‘You are my God,’ go home and show your love for God by doing the difficult thing like loving your neighbor.” Let’s admit it. That’s not so easy. It’s easy to sit here in a lovely, heated sanctuary on cushioned pews and tell God we love him. It’s another thing to go home and be loving to people who are unloving to us. It’s hard not to think the worst about our neighbors. It’s hard not to want to feel animosity toward people who irritate us. It’s hard to be charitable to people who always seem to need something from us. But that’s what Christians who support Jesus do. They have the power of the risen Lord Jesus in them by faith. They have the Holy Spirit empowering, guiding, and directing them in actions, words, thoughts, and feelings that are holy before God. They produce these fruits of faith just like Tesla produces electric vehicles. It happens! Every day! Do you stand with Jesus? You do, if you produce fruits of repentance. Part III. One more question. What’s your reaction to a deadline? Well, one is to pay attention to it immediately. And I suppose there are a few of you here today for whom that is an apt description. But there are others of us—and I suppose we’re in the majority—who chose to procrastinate. When’s the deadline? I’ll get to it before it passes. I’ll be OK. Don’t worry. John the Baptist warns about procrastinating. He says, “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” Where’s the ax right now? Is it anywhere near you? Near me? It is if we foolishly think that John is speaking to someone else and not to you. Not to me. It is if we’re convinced someone else needs to repent more than you do. More than I do. So, what should we do? Make sure you stand for Jesus. And in this case, standing for Jesus means you are ready for him to come to you at any time. But how can you be sure you’re ready? By asking yourself what you believe about yourself and what you believe about Jesus. Are you convinced that you are a sinner who deserves God’s wrath and punishment? Do you trust that Jesus is the One who lived for you, died for you, and rose again from the dead to give you forgiveness and eternal life in heaven.? If so, you stand with Jesus. You’re ready for him either to call you home to heaven or for him to appear from heaven on the Last Day. Pretty simple, when you think about it. It doesn’t cost you a thing. But it’s important. It’s the most important preparation you can make. And it’s urgent, because it could happen at any time. Do you stand with Jesus? You do if you project spiritual urgency. Do you stand with Jesus? That’s one of the most important questions you can ask yourself. And ignoring the question won’t make it go away. Recall what John said. The ax is at the root of the trees. And he wasn’t trying to get you to comply by filling you with fear. He’s speaking the truth. None of us knows the time when we will face our Lord Jesus. That means we need to be ready. We need to be ready by standing with Jesus. Are you? You are when you live in daily repentance. That doesn’t mean you need to walk around in sackcloth and ashes all day. But it does mean you live each day knowing your sins and trusting in Jesus for your forgiveness. And it means that your faith in Jesus is on display each day, producing the fruits of faith which show your love for your Lord and your neighbor. Do you stand with Jesus? You do when repentance is a part of your daily life. You do when that repentance shows by the way you live. You do when you know this isn’t a situation that can wait until tomorrow. It’s urgent. Eternally urgent. And you’re right where you need to be, standing with Jesus. Amen.

Advent Heads Up!

1st Sunday of Advent, 12/1/24 Luke 21:25-36 Advent Heads Up! I. With Christian wisdom II. With Christian hope III. With Christian living Did you hear? Do you know? Hear and know what? That Christmas will occur in twenty-four days. Of course you know. So do I. I saw my first Christmas tree on display in the window of a neighbor’s house more than two weeks ago. And the Christmas advertising began before that. And along with it came the not-so-subtle reminder that I have a lot that needs to be done to get ready for Christmas. And if I work at getting it done before Christmas arrives, I can be sure of two things: 1) I’ll become exhausted at times, and 2) I won’t get everything done, at least not the way I want to. There are more things to do to get ready for Christmas than I have the energy and time to accomplish. Do you identify with that description? I’m sure you do. And even if you’re no longer able to prepare for Christmas to the extent that you used to, you wish you could. And that unfilled desire brings its own seasonal remorse. So, it’s a good thing we’re not focusing on Christmas today. Instead, we’re focusing on something else. And this beautiful brass wreathe to my right is a reminder of it. It’s Advent! In fact, today is the first day of the Christian season of Advent, the season in which we prepare for the coming of our Lord. But I’m guessing that fact didn’t get much attention, if any, in your life before you arrived here in church today. Advent advertising doesn’t exist. In fact, I’m guessing only a minority of Christians observe it. They head right into Christmas along with the rest of the world without giving Advent a thought. I’d like to be sure that doesn’t happen to you, so I’m going to give you a heads up, an advent heads up. Advent is now here, but what’s it really all about? Could you use a reminder? Then pay attention. Heads up! Advent heads up! Let’s listen to Jesus share that very encouragement with us this morning here in Luke 21. Part I. I’m often amazed at the different reactions of people to the same event. Not so much when it comes to a sporting event. I realize that the outcome of the event will fill one competitor with joy and the other with disappointment. I’m talking about things that happen in our world. Two people can react to the same event in opposite ways. And if you’re one of the two people involved, you might be surprised by the opposite reaction. Luke 21 relates the events in the life of Jesus on Tuesday of Holy Week, the week which ended with his crucifixion. He knew his time with his disciples was limited, so he focused his attention on the important things they needed to know. One of them was the signs that the end of the world was about to occur. Listen to his description once again, “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time, they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Jesus makes it clear that the signs that his return is immanent will fill many people with terror. In fact, they’ll faint. That time will be so terrifying that they will mentally, physically, and emotionally shut down. It will be their body’s defense mechanism in reaction to something it simply can’t handle. On the other hand, Jesus tells you and me, “Heads up!” Why would our reaction to this same event be different from the rest of the world’s reaction? Two reasons: One, we will see someone we’ve never seen before, not even in pictures. Think about it. Up to that time the only image of Jesus that Christians have will be those that other artists have created. But on that day we will finally see him—the One who loved us so much that he sacrificed himself so that we could enjoy life in his presence forever. And that’s the second reason. His return will be our “redemption.” Just what does that mean? It means that Jesus will return to deliver to us what he won for us and what we long for every day—a perfect life with him in heaven. He will usher us out of this sinful world into the new heavens and the new earth that he will create for us. Think of the Garden of Eden before the Fall into sin. Perfection. Eternal happiness. With God. The world doesn’t see that happening. So, when it sees the signs of the return of Jesus, it can’t understand what’s about to occur. But you can. You do. You are filled with Christian wisdom now so that you understand what the return of Jesus is all about. Advent heads up! Heads up with Christian wisdom, wisdom to know what’s happening. II. I started by stating the obvious. It’s almost Christmas. Here’s another obvious observation: It’s winter. Light snow. Freezing temps. Wind chill indices at our near 0 degrees. Winter is here. And that means the leaves on the trees are dead and so are the plants in the ground. But did you notice the seasonal signs that Jesus connects with Advent? Not things in nature dying but coming to life. Listen to his words once again, “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.” Yes, it’s true. When Jesus returns to this earth on the Last Day it will be the last day in this world’s history. For the first time since the creation of the world time will stop. But that’s when eternity will begin. It will be the start of a new life, a life with God, a perfect life, life the way he intended it to be and he created it to be in the beginning. No death. No sorrow. No morning. No crying. No pain. Just life. Perfect life. Wouldn’t’ that be great! But how can we be sure? Is it just a pipe dream? Only wishful thinking? Not at all! It’s certain. It’s sure. It’s guaranteed. How do I know? Because Jesus rose from the dead and promised it. No matter what happens to you in this life, no matter how uncertain your life is right now or will become, your eternity is certain, secure, and guaranteed. That’s Christian hope. Christin hope is not a wish, it’s reality. It’s God’s promise to you. So, Advent heads up! Heads up with Christian hope! II. One final obvious observation. You only live life once. And so? Live life to the fullest. The ancient Greeks said it this way, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” That’s some solid advice, if this life is the only life there is. But Advent Christians such as you and I know that’s not true. The point of this life is not to enjoy it to the fullest, but to be prepared by faith in Jesus to enter the life in heaven after this one. So don’t let this life distract you! Jesus said it this way, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Advent heads up! Heads up on worldly living! And don’t think that only applies to the addict passed out in the ally or the person so consumed with making money that he has no time for anything else. Take this warning to heart, especially at this time of year. Don’t let the attractions become distractions! Jesus might return before Christmas arrives; perhaps even before you get your Christmas tree decorated. Instead, Jesus tells you to watch. Does that mean we need to drop everything and live every waking moment with our heads up and our eyes trained on the clouds? Not at all. But it does mean that we should carry out our daily Christians lives to the best of our ability to the glory of Jesus, always aware that he could return at the next moment. So, watch! And pray! Perhaps prayer is one of the most neglected aspects of the Christian life. I know my prayer life could use some improvements. How about yours? Pray for Jesus to keep you ready for his return. Pray for him to help you help your loved ones be ready for his return. Pray for him to open opportunities for you to help people who don’t know Jesus as their Savior come to know him, and thus to be ready for him. That’s what we’re praying for when we say, “Thy kingdom come.” We want his kingdom to come to us and others through the preaching of his word and the use of the sacraments. Instead of living like you have at least another day to live, live as if you didn’t. Live like tomorrow Jesus might return. He just might, you know. Advent heads up! Heads up with Christian living. Amen.

What Does It Take for You to Be Thankful?

Thanksgiving, 11/27/24 Jonah 2:9 What Does It Take for You to Be Thankful? I. A pleasant environment? II. A secure future? III. A fulfilling purpose? Can you be needy and thankful at the same time? Think about that for a moment. Can you be needy and thankful at the same time? I guess that depends. It depends on what you are needy for and how deep your need is. For instance, late tomorrow afternoon, after you’ve enjoyed your Thanksgiving feast you might declare, “Now I need a nap” and, at the same time, your stomach, full of delicious food dishes, is filling you with thanks, and rightly so. But, if tomorrow something terrible happens to you and you need immediate life-saving assistance, the concept of being thankful on Thanksgiving might be the farthest thing from your mind. How can you be thankful at a time when you don’t know if you’ll live to see Black Friday? In other words, our level of thankfulness or even being thankful at all, depends on the situation we’re in. It often depends on our surroundings and our human reaction to them. And then there’s this: While we might not be able to be thankful given the situation, we’re in, there are people in our world—perhaps more than we care to know—who could and would be thankful if they were in our situation instead of the one they’re currently in. Do you see what I mean? What makes a person thankful can be a very subjective, individual situation. So, let’s build on that. Instead of making a mental list of all the reasons you have to be thankful this Thanksgiving, let’s spend time seeing where the bar is. In other words, what do you need to be thankful? To help you answer that question for yourself, join me in looking at these words of Jonah the prophet and reflecting on what it took for him in his life to be thankful. Part I. When was the last time you exclaimed loud enough for people to hear, “Now this is living!”? As you recall that time, recall also what led you to say it. I’m guessing you were enjoying at that moment a very pleasant place and very pleasant circumstances. Perhaps you were enjoying a vacation at your favorite vacation location. One of your favorite people in the world was sitting next to you enjoying it with you. And in your hand, was one of your favorite things to drink. And you exclaimed, “Now this is living!” Jonah doesn’t exclaim, “Now this is living!”, but those words wouldn’t be out of place with the tone of the words of our text. He speaks about thanksgiving. His words exude more than a little joy. Just where was he when he spoke these words and what was he doing? Permit me to share a bit of biblical background. Jonah lived about 780 BC, after the prophets Elijah and Elisha. He lived in Israel, the northern kingdom of the Jews, which was filled with idol worship. At this time, Israel was enjoying a time of political power and economic prosperity, even though it was spiritually rotten. Israel’s biggest threat was the Assyrians to the north. So, where was Jonah at this time that made him so thankful? Was he at home in Israel, making money hand over fist like the rest of his fellow Jews? Was he sitting back, listening to God’s words of condemnation and his threat of hell for the Assyrians, a godless, wicked, inhuman nation? Had he just received word that the angel of the Lord put to death 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night, an event related in two places of the Old Testament? It wouldn’t take all three of these together to make Jonah speak these words of thanks. Just one of them would be enough, wouldn’t it? What would it take for Jonah to be thankful enough to speak these words? How about being confined in a place none of us have ever endured nor likely will? How about speaking these words while being what would appear to be a mammal’s Thanksgiving feast? What am I talking about? Jonah spoke these words from inside the belly of a huge fish. You heard me right. He spoke these words from inside the fish that the Lord had caused to swallow him. So, what could possibly lead Jonah to be thankful while encased by the soft tissue of the stomach of a fish? The fact that he was alive, that’s what. Recall what had just taken place. During a fierce storm at sea, the sailors had thrown Jonah overboard at his command from God. Jonah tells us he sank to the bottom of the sea. By all accounts, his final experience was his lungs filling with salt water. But it didn’t happen. A huge fish sent by God saved him from death. What’s more, Jonah now realized that God did so for a reason. Jonah had refused to do what God told him to do—go to Nineveh, the capital of the hated Assyrians, and preach to them. In fact, he boarded a ship headed in the other direction in an utter useless act of defiance against the almighty God. Jonah realized he should be suffering a painful death as the punishment for his brazen insolence, but he wasn’t. God had saved him for a saving purpose, not a damning purpose. And that’s all it took while inside the belly of a fish to exclaim, “But I, with shouts of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” What does it take for you to be thankful? Part II. When you have endured a dire situation for some time, and it appears the ordeal is almost ended, you’re thankful. You can see the light at the end of your tunnel. What was Jonah seeing as he spoke these words of our text? I don’t think there was any light, first of all. The only tunnel he might have been facing was the esophagus of this huge fish. And at the end of it was a set of gleaming, razor-sharp teeth. So how could he be thankful? He had no idea what was going to happen to him. At least, not from a human standpoint. But recall the details of this event. The storm arose from the hand of God to prevent Jonah from fleeing from him. The fish swallowed Jonah as directed by the Lord to save Jonah from drowning. The Lord had impressed on Jonah that he had a plan for Jonah’s immediate future, and it didn’t involve Jonah sitting on a beach in Spain, which is where Jonah had intended to go. No, the Lord had special plans for Jonah. Jonah was his prophet and God’s immediate assignment for Jonah was to reveal God’s amazing, astounding grace and love. God had chosen Jonah out of all the people in the world to go and preach to the people of Nineveh that they should repent. Now, why would the Lord want such a ruthless, idolatrous, heathen people such as the Assyrians to repent? Because he loved them dearly. He didn’t want them to perish eternally. He wanted them to trust in him and be saved eternally. No doubt Jonah was impressed with the Lord’s love and grace. If there was love and grace from the Lord for the Assyrians, then surely there was love and grace from the Lord for him. God had a plan for Jonah. He would continue to preach God’s word and then the Lord would call him home to heaven. And Jonah was thankful—thankful for a secure future. What does it take for you to be thankful? Your future is just as certain as Jonah’s. Part III. In some respects, you might admire Jonah. After all, he was a prophet chosen by God. A book of the Bible bears his name. Billions of people know him and his story. And it’s true—Jonah did have the enviable position as one of God’s prophets. But his assignment from the Lord—his purpose—was far from enviable. Recall Jonah’s immediate reaction to being called as God’s prophet to preach to the people of Nineveh. It was the last thing Jonah wanted to do. He would likely have chosen any other people on the face of the earth to preach to. This was not his choice. Two, it was the last thing his people wanted him to do. Show any kind of favor to the Assyrians? That’s ludicrous. More than that—it’s traitorous! They’re the sworn enemies of the Jews! But that was Jonah’s calling and purpose. And as unlikely as it seemed to be a successful assignment, that’s exactly what it was. The people of Nineveh listened to Jonah’s preaching and repented. Even Nineveh’s king repented! An astounding miracle! But Jonah wasn’t thankful for that. At least that was his immediate reaction. Was he thankful for it later in his life? Perhaps. But whether he was or not, there was no denying that Jonah had a fulfilling purpose in life. What does it take for you to be thankful? How fulfilling is your purpose? May your celebration of Thanksgiving which begins about four hours from now center on the realization of how thankful you can and should be. Like, Jonah, we deserve nothing good from our God, but even when the circumstances of our life are slapping the smiles off our faces, we are filled with an inner joy that knows no limits. We have a God who loves us with an everlasting love, and he showed it when he sacrificed his Son for us. That sacrifice and our Savior’s resurrection from the dead made our eternal future secure. Heaven is our home no matter what happens to us here. Our purpose is now to worship our God for all he has done for us. Our daily lives are to be an unending hymn of praise to God who has secured our eternal future and provides for us each day as he sees fit. What does it take for you to be thankful? Simply this—the faithful, eternal love of your Lord, a love he shows you every day. May your hearts be filled with thanks to your Lord this Thanksgiving! Amen.