On this Third Sunday of Advent, Isaiah places before us the hope of Advent for those in the desert. We may have “sorrow and sighing” in our hearts, but for all those going through a desert, Isaiah 35 offers a beautiful picture of hope and joy. At the heart of the text is the simple but profound promise, “your God will come.” And when he comes, he will transform that desert into a garden. Come Lord Jesus

"Joyfully Giving Thanks to the Father"

O.T. Psalm 46:1-11 & N.T. Col. 1:10-20

On the Sunday before we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, our lectionary reading drops this phrase on us, “…joyfully giving thanks to the Father.” This phrase comes to us as the scripture writer is speaking about  walking worthy of the Lord. Joyfully giving thanks to the Father is part of what it means to walk worthy of the Lord. But why is our thanksgiving to be joyfully given? The Scriptures give us lots of reasons, but this sermon will only focus on one. The reason we can joyfully give thanks is because the Father has qualified us "to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” (Col. 1:12) 

This qualification has come at a great price as the text tells us it is through the Son who made peace through his blood shed on the cross. (Col. 1:20) Christ is the refuge and help to which our Old Testament reading points. The price of our rescue and redemption is shown in the Thanksgiving meal of the Lord’s Supper, where we joyfully give thanks for the memorial of our redemption. 

New Heavens and a New Earth 

Isaiah 65.17-25 & Luke 21.5-19

In Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming judgement of God upon the Jewish nation, our lectionary reading places before us a breath-taking view of a hope that is to carry them through any and all times of sorrow or despair.  “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth.”  It is the same hope that John will place before his readers, so as to give them hope in the midst of coming persecution. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.”  This is the hope of every believer!  In the face of hardships, great and small, we look to the day when all things will be restored, when God’s all encompassing salvation, spiritual and physical will become our eternal reality.  “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

"God Chose You to be Saved"

Psalm 17:1-9 & 2nd Thess. 2:1-5, 13-17

Our lectionary scripture readings this Sunday places before us the encouraging truth that from the beginning God chose us to be saved. The Psalmist prays, “Show the wonder of your great love…" and “Keep me as the apple of your eye…” while his enemies were chasing him. Certainly there are times in this world that we feel pressed by “enemies”. As in the case with the Thessalonians who were being persecuted and lied to about Jesus’ return.  However, Paul reminds them that from the beginning God chose you to be saved. And his love and power, through the Lord Jesus Christ, gives them an unshakeable foundation for living in this present age. So, unsettling times call for an unwavering plan, from a God with unending encouragement.

This sermon will focus on the assurance, encouragement and hope that the Christian has that enables them to thrive under any condition that life throws at them. 

"Evidence That God’s Judgement is Right"

Habakkuk 1:2-4 & 2nd Thess. 1:2-6 

On this Sunday, the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted, the question Habakkuk asks of the Lord is certainly one that every suffering saint can ask; “Why do you make me look at injustice? And if we only go by what we can see, like Habakkuk, we would draw the same conclusion he draws; “The law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails.”

However, when the Apostle Paul writes to the Thessalonian believers, the scripture declares that God’s judgment is right  He says that there is evidence that God’s judgement is right. What is the evidence? Where is it seen? Why is God’s judgement right?  These are the questions this sermon answers. And we will see that the message the gospel of Jesus Christ gives us reason to have hope in suffering, encouragement to persevere courageously in the face of persecution, and why it is right to stand with those who are being persecuted, knowing that there is evidence that God’s judgement is right. 

Justified Before God 

 

Psalm 65 & Luke 18.9-14

Our Lectionary readings today places the familiar Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector before us.

With penetrating clarity, this parable brings home the truth that justification can be found only in the humble acknowledgement that we are sinners, and in the casting of ourselves upon the mercy of God.  The Pharisee is confident of his own righteousness based on his own performance.  The tax collector has no confidence in himself.  He sees himself as a sinner without hope, aside from the mercy of God.  The way of the tax collector is the only means of justification before God.  And throughout the entirety of our lives, it is the only means of assurance that we are righteous before God. Righteousness, from beginning to end, is found in Christ alone!

Psalm 121 & Luke 18.1-8

How often does it seem as though our prayers are futile?  Difficult times come; we pray for relief; it seems God does not hear; it seems his promises are empty.  These are the realities presented to us in our Lectionary readings today.  Jesus tells his disciples that “they should pray and not give up,” then tells them a parable in which a widow goes to an evil judge who is unwilling to take up her case.  Over and again, she approaches the judge.  She does not give up.  Finally, realizing she’s not going to stop bothering him, he relents and takes up her case.  Jesus then draws a parallel between the evil judge and God, and though it’s a strange one, it’s clear that though it may seem as though God is not listening, in the end, he answers prayer.  The same can be seen in Psalm 121.  The Psalm seems to say that God won’t let bad things happen to us:  “The Lord watches over you-the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm-he will watch over your life.” But we do, in fact, experience harm, do we not?  Yes, but the key is to be found in the final verse that assures us that God is watching over us, not only in the “now” but in the “forevermore,’ which will eclipse the “now” forever.  And so we can pray throughout our lives, in all circumstance, with the knowledge that God is, indeed, attentive to our prayers, and will bring us safely into the “forever,” when Christ returns.

Psalm 66.1-12 & Luke 17.11-19

Our lectionary reading today places the account of the healing of ten lepers before us.  As Jesus and his disciples approach a village ten lepers cry out to him for mercy.  He tells them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”  In faith, they go and “as they went, they were cleansed.”  How overjoyed they must have been as they made their way to the priests who could examine them and pronounce them “clean!” Now they could go back to their families and friends.  A new life was now theirs to live.  But, astonishingly, only one of the lepers returns to give thanks to Jesus; a Samaritan.  He returns to Jesus, praising God and throwing himself at the feet of Jesus, giving him thanks.  Jesus asks, “Were not all ten cleaned?  Where are the other nine?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he says to the Samaritan, “Rise and go, your faith has saved you.”  This account begs a question of us: “How thankful are we to Jesus, for his mercies, his gifts, in our lives?”  And in particular, how thankful are we for our salvation?  Do we “return and give praise to God?”  This message is a call to cultivate a thankful heart, and to "return and give praise to God" in the gathering of God’s people each Lord’s Day.

Text: O.T. Lamentations 3:19-26 & N.T. Luke 17:5-10

Our lectionary readings this week puts together two passages that seemingly, on the surface, have nothing to do with each other. One passage is a person grieving amidst the ruins of the city and talking to himself about the Lord's steadfast love. The other text is a reply to a request for more faith that comes on the heels of instruction about the things that ruin relationships. And the end is another bit of self-talk about having only done your duty. Both texts encourage self-talk! Self-talk as it relates to relationships, faith, and obedience.  

This sermon will focus on the faith that endures the struggles of relationships with difficult people and problems. It’s a faith that is expressed in obedience, a faith that can uproot and plant, a faith that can stand in the midst of ruins and hope.

Why? It isn’t because you recall the bitterness of your experience, but rather it is because of the Lord’s great love and unfailing compassion. The love and compassion we see in Christ bearing our sins. This is the salvation of the Lord. 

Consequently, this forgiveness and compassion forms the subject of our self-talk. The talk builds an attitude of faith and the faith moves to action. The action that Jesus says, when we have done it, we have only done our duty.

Psalm 146 & I Tim. 6:6-19

"What is life about?” Have you ever asked that question? Perhaps you are still asking it. Our lectionary reading for this Sunday’s message directs us in ways to take hold of the life that truly is life.

What the Scripture asserts leads us to ask a few questions: What is the life that truly is life? How do you get it? and What do you do with it once you have it?

God doesn’t want us to be unsure about the source of true life and how to live it. Thus the instruction of Psalm 146 tells us of the blessing that belongs to those whose help is the God of Jacob. His power and the help he gives is described in the Psalm. And interestingly enough, the words of the Psalm are brought to life in Jesus Christ. He is the one who opens the eyes of the blind and sets prisoners free. He is truly life. What his life was about comes clearly into focus when he eats with his disciples what is is known to us as the “Last Supper”. There he tells them that his body and blood, i.e. his life, is for them and the New Covenant. The Lord’s Supper is a beautiful and vivid portrayal of the answer to the questions this sermon is asking.