Sermon 4-6-08

Old Testament - Isaiah 26:1-4 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city. God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

This is the lesson from which our Mission Statement, “To know Jesus as ‘The Way’ so that others may know the way to Jesus”, is taken.

Epistle - Philippians 3:7-10 But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.

Gospel – Luke 24:13-27 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along? “ They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor in Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth”, they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Sermon –

“How foolish you are and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.” Stinging words from Jesus, right? How would you like it if Jesus said that to you? He has good reason to say those words. For thousands of years the Old Testament Scriptures told that the Messiah would come, that He would be the One sacrifice that all the Old Testament sacrifices pointed to, that He would go to the cross, die and pay for sins, and, as Isaiah 53 says so clearly, that He would see the light of life and rise from the dead. The events recorded in the Gospel Lesson shouldn’t have confused these guys; none of it should have taken them by surprise! No wonder Jesus said “How foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken”. And then John the Baptist had said, “Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”. And Jesus Himself said over and over and over again that He would go to Jerusalem, be betrayed, be crucified, give His life as payment for sin, and rise again three days later from the dead. But these guys are confused as to what was going on. No wonder Jesus said “How foolish you are and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.”

Let’s get a flavor of Jesus’ frustration. How about if I would say to you, “I’m confused, I don’t understand what’s going on in this world, it just doesn’t make sense to me. During the months of January, February, and March and into April, it snowed! I don’t understand it!” You may say, “Well Pastor, eight years ago before you moved here we told you it snows in New Hampshire. And when you got up this morning didn’t the meteorologist on the Weather Channel say there would be snow today in New England?” And to that I respond, “Well, I thought the meteorologist was joking, I didn’t believe him.” You would probably be thinking, “How foolish you are, Pastor, and slow to believe.” That had to be what Jesus was feeling.

For the disciples on the road to Emmaus as well as for us, we need to realize something that happens in this world caused by what the Bible calls the “forces of evil”, “the devil”, or “the world”. I call it the “Dust Buster Principle”. As soon as God’s Word comes to you, the devil whips out his dust buster and tries to suck the Word right out of your life. The disciples on the road to Emmaus repeatedly heard Jesus say, “I am the Savior of the world, I am the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” and the devil was there sucking it right out of their lives. Jesus said, “I’m going to Jerusalem, I’m going to die, I’m going to rise from the dead, I’m going to pay for sins and three days later and be walking alive” and the devil was there to suck it right out of their lives. And he’s pretty successful; at least he was successful on the road to Emmaus. As for us, what have we heard from God’s Word that we have been slow to believe? What are some of the things about God that the devil has just sucked right out of our lives?

How many times have you heard someone say, “Why does a loving God let tragedies happen?” In my home town of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin there was a natural gas leak as some road repairs were being done that filled one of the churches with gas causing the church and a city block to blow up. I called back home to talk to my relatives and they said that people are asking, “Why would a loving God let that happen?” God created a perfect world (Genesis Chapters 1, 2, and 3) but Adam and Eve’s sin ruined it. Your sin, my sin and all the problems that we have can be traced back to someone who drifted from God and made a bad decision. A loving God doesn’t cause these problems, a loving God says, “Look, I’m so powerful that I can take the bad stuff in this world and use it to get people to repent. I can use it to get people to turn toward Me. I can use it so that people see that life is fleeting and they need to turn, repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (2 Samuel 14:14).” But what happens? The devil and the world come along and suck that message right out of our lives. It happens time and time again. Jesus is probably shaking His head and saying, “How foolish you are and slow of heart to believe that sin is the problem.”

Or you may have heard about the kids in a third grade class who took steps to tie up their teacher and torture her. And everyone asks, “Why would a loving God let this stuff happen?Why doesn’t God do something about the sin? Why doesn’t God limit people’s behavior?” As a country, we kicked God and the Ten Commandments out of our schools and then we ask how these things could happen. God has limited our behavior; He has taken away some of our free will. He has given us the Ten Commandments. He says, “Here’s ten things you must not do; don’t do them and you will be better off. Furthermore, I’ve given you the Holy Spirit to remind you so that you won’t do those bad things. I’m giving you help.” God has done something about sin, God has done something about people’s behavior, but the devil comes along with his dust buster and sucks it right out of our lives. And Jesus shakes His head and says, “How foolish you are and slow of heart to believe that sin is the problem.”

e ask “Why doesn’t a loving God free us from these sins?” He has; God came to us in Jesus Christ. God blamed His own sinless Son for your sins and my sins and the sins of the whole world. Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends” We weren’t even friends of Jesus at that time; Romans Chapter 5 says we were enemies of God. Jesus gave up this life for his enemies to pay for their sins. God has done something about the sin problem. But the devil does comes along and sucks that knowledge right out of our lives. And Jesus shakes His head and says, “How foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe that that greater love has no man than to give up His life for his friends.”

And then we ask, “Well, where’s God’s love in all this?” Jesus says, “I’ve come, I’ve paid for your sins, and I’m not even going to make you earn forgiveness. It’s yours, it’s a gift, it’s a freebie, just believe it.” And what does the devil do? He sucks the concept of “Saved by Faith” right out of our lives. Every year some institution does a survey and asks church-goers what they believe about going to heaven, about getting on God’s good side. Forty to sixty percent of the people sitting in church on Sunday morning say, “I don’t know” or “I think if we’re good we go to heaven.” The devil sucks the “Saved by Faith” concept right out of our lives. And Jesus shakes His head and says, “How foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe that it is by grace you have been saved through faith.”

And how many people are wandering around saying, “I don’t know why I’m here. I don’t know God’s plan. I don’t know what in the world God wants me to do.” The answer is right there in Philippians Chapter 3, the Epistle Lesson. God wants us to know Him. God wants to have a relationship with you. He wants you to get to know Him better through His word and through the sacraments. And as you know God better, everything will fall into place. God want you to get to know Him better and to make Him known; that’s the plan for all of us. But the devil comes along, sucks that message right out of our lives and we say, “Why am I here? I don’t know, I’m confused, there’s no meaning and purpose to my life.” And Jesus shakes His head and says, “How foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe Philippians Chapter 3.”

As one of His followers, God is going to turn you into Jesus. He’s going to make us imitators of Christ. He says in the Bible that we’re going to do what Jesus did and even greater things, which means that we’re going to suffer; God is going to use us as a sacrifice so that we get to know His power and that others may get to know God better through us. But the devil sucks that knowledge right out of our lives and we say, “I don’t know why this is happening to me, why is God doing this to me?” And Jesus shakes His head and says, “How foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe everything I have told you in scripture.”

So what’s the solution? We have to make sure that as quickly as the devil is sucking God’s Word out with his dust buster, we’re pouring it in. We have to make sure that we’re focused on God. That’s why the Old Testament reading from today is so important, so that we’re not downcast, so that we’re not confused, so that we have peace. Keep your mind steadfast, or as the King James Version says, keep your mind staid on Christ, staid on God’s Word. Don’t just hear the Word and pass over it, remain staid on God’s Word. Because as quickly as God pours it in, the devil is right there with his dust buster to suck it out of our lives. And I must admit when I heard that Len was sick, the devil was right there with his dust buster, sucking the knowledge of God right out of my life. I said to God, “Why Len of all people?”

This morning we’re going to find out “Why Len?” Len gave a great testimony this morning in Bible Class and for those who missed it, he has offered to tell it again: (Len speaking) "Fist of all let me thank each and every one of you who sent me cards, sent me food, and most of all who prayed for me while I was having my ordeal. I guess most of you know that I was in the hospital a couple of weeks ago. Prior to my transport into the operating room, the attendant said to me, “Would you like some valium or something to keep you calm?” I said, “I don’t need any valium, I can’t be any more calm than I am because I have something hidden in my heart. The source of my strength is a Bible verse I’ve learned; Isaiah 41:10 which says, ‘Fear thou not for I am with thee. Be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold three by my righteous right hand’. I have no need for valium, I have a Savior, I have a Lord who says He will strengthen, help and uphold me.’ And I said, ‘I have another verse that is really precious to me also, Isaiah 26:3 which says “Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staid on thee.” So you see, my mind is staid on Him and I have that perfect peace. The attendant was amazed at my faith. I knew also that the Holy Spirit was leading me to do one more thing, to empty myself of my will concerning the outcome of the operation. And He did. He allowed me to empty myself completely so that it was not my will that was to be done, it was God’s will. I put my trust completely in Him and I found the peace that passes all understanding. I’m here to say today that we have a Savior who has overcome death for us. 1 Corinthians 15:55 says “Death where is thy sting?” Death does not have a sting for those of us who believe in our Savior and our Lord. I want to thank the Lord that He has taken these verses and hidden them in my heart. They are there. They are part of my spiritual life. And I know that I can rely on God’s strength, I can rely on God’s peace, His provision and His help when I am tested. Praise the Lord.”

When I first heard that Len was sick, I said, “O God, why Len, why are you doing this to Len?” I thought this because the devil had come and sucked everything we have talked about this morning, everything we’ve been talking about for years, right out of my life. But when I refocused on God’s Word and on Len’s testimony I said, “How foolish I was and slow to believe all that we have been talking about.” That’s why I’m doing this sermon. The devil will try to suck God’s Word right out of your life. Don’t let him do it. Have your mind staid, focused on the Word and He will keep you in perfect peace; you’ll not be downcast or confused. Review God’s Word again and again and again.

So that’s what we’re talking about. God will send us through trials. He will use us as a sacrifice. But in our trials we’re going to experience God; we’re going to get to know His power, strength, and faithfulness. It’s Philippians Chapter 3; we will get to know God better. God used Len as a sacrifice so that Len would get to know Him better and so that through Len’s testimony, others would get to know Him better. Doesn’t it all make sense? It all falls into place – praise God! But look out - because the devil is standing right next to you with a dust buster!

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