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The Roar of the Redeemed (Exodus 20: 2-3 and Revelation 19: 1-10)

“Hallelujah!” How do we use this word? We might shout it or sing it in worship, or we might say it more casually to reflect relief (Hallelujah, my test results came back all clear!) or excitement (Hallelujah, we’re going on vacation!) or some other emotion. Would you be surprised to learn that it’s a holy word, a word containing one of God’s names, and it literally translates “praise the Lord”? Perhaps even when we say it to show relief or excitement or some other emotion we are actually offering praise to God, but we might want to examine our usage to be sure that we mean what we say. Interestingly, the word appears only four times in the Bible, and all four times in this chapter of Revelation. Let’s look at what’s happening here and whether it merits a “Hallelujah!”

First, we need to look back at Exodus to recall God’s first commandment to the Israelites: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” Remember that the Ten Commandments aren’t simply a list of rules for the Hebrew people to follow: they’re a reminder of who God is and who they are in relation to him and to each other. God could not have been plainer, could he? He reminded his people that he was the one who delivered them from slavery. That only he was powerful enough to set them free from their Egyptian oppressors. While they were living in Egypt, they probably noticed many idols, and they surely witnessed their captors bowing down and worshipping false gods. But only the one true God loved them as his children, heard their cries for justice, and broke their bonds of slavery. Only God could do that, and in this first commandment he, knowing how easily people turn to false gods when they grow impatient or dissatisfied, reminded his people who he was and what he had done, and he made it clear that he would not tolerate idolatry.

Of course, anyone who has read the Old Testament knows that the Israelites would break this first commandment again and again, just as we modern believers break it. Their gods were statues and other material forms, whereas ours are more likely money, entertainment, our own egos, and other distractions. But God, in his wisdom, patience, and mercy, always drew his people back to himself, saving them from their apostasy, just as he saved us through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. John’s vision of heaven, expressed in this passage, was of a great multitude praising God for his justice, something we all long for in our world’s age of lawlessness and violence. John saw the intimate relationship between God and his people illustrated in the form of a wedding, with Jesus the bridegroom and his church the bride. In his vision the multitude shouted “Hallelujah!” in praise of the one true God, to whom salvation and glory and power belong.

Was John’s revelation a foretelling of the fall of Rome? Was it a message of hope just for the people of his own time? Or was it also a message of hope for all of us? A foretelling of the downfall of all that is wicked and evil, of everything and everyone that opposes him? Experts disagree, but if we read John’s Revelation, we can see our world in its pages. Through the benefit of history, we can see that prophecy was fulfilled, and we can take heart that it will be fulfilled again. Because God does not change. When his people remember who he is and what he has done and worship only him, the one true God, he will save us and redeem us. He will restore all of creation to its original splendor, and he will reconcile everything and everyone back to himself. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

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Covenantal Commandments (Exodus 19:1-20:1) Pastor Josh VanLeeuwen

Does your family have house rules? If so, they probably include something like “don’t take what doesn’t belong to you,” or “respect others,” or “watch your language.” Maybe some members of your household (kids) complain that these rules are overly restrictive, but most people (parents) find that life runs more smoothly when a clear expectation of acceptable behavior is established. House rules not only set limits and govern behavior, though: they also are a statement of a family’s values.

We first find our identity in family. We live in relationship with one another, and through those relationships we learn who we are. We learn what’s important and how to live in the first community that is family, and as we grow our community expands to include more family, friends, teachers, and eventually bosses and coworkers. Living successfully in community requires a willingness to give and take, to teach and learn, and to forgive and accept forgiveness. There are rules that establish acceptable behavior and act as covenants between us and others to help ensure a thriving community.

If you ask people what the Ten Commandments are, the answer you’ll probably get is “a list of rules.” And they are, but that’s not all. Like our house rules, the commandments allowed the Israelites to live successfully in community, in relationship with God and with one another. The Law was an extension of the Lord’s covenant with Abraham, reminding the Hebrews who God was and what he had done for them, and with the members of the community, reminding them who they were—God’s children—and how they were to live peacefully together. The if-then of that covenant was clear: as long as the Israelites obeyed the Law and kept the covenant, God would bless and protect them.

As the modern-day fellowship of believers, we also look to the commandments, the Law, as a reminder of who God is and who we are in relation to him and to each other. Only by obeying the Law can we live successfully in community. Some say that we don’t need the Ten Commandments anymore because of the work Jesus did on the cross, but Jesus himself said he came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. The word fulfill has several interpretations, from the Hebrew “to uphold or establish” to the more idiomatic “properly interpret or carry out.” So even though we aren’t Jewish, we still are the beneficiaries of God’s blessing of Abraham, and we still are in a covenant relationship with God through the Law. Think of the commandments as a kind of house rules for the community of faith. As long as we obey, life goes more smoothly, and we can thrive and grow together as the adopted children of God.

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Remembering to Move Forward (Isaiah 51:1-3) Pastor Josh VanLeeuwen

Isaiah is often regarded as the greatest of the writing prophets. He served during a stormy period in Israel’s history, when the Assyrian empire was rising and Israel was declining. His words were a source of warning and judgment, as well as comfort and encouragement. In this passage he acknowledged the current plight of the Israelites and reminded them who—and Whose—they were. “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn.” Remember your heritage; remember your history.

We also can take comfort from these words. Although our nation is not in ruins, it has its problems. Daily we are reminded that even for those who pursue righteousness and seek the Lord, life can be difficult. When we begin to believe that we have little control over what happens to us, we can feel helpless. How can we move forward when we feel weighed down by all the darkness and evil in the world? How can we make a difference for those who are truly oppressed? Where is our hope?

Remember, Isaiah would say to us. Look back at how God rescued his people, not just once but many times. Remember your heritage. God brought his people out of slavery in Egypt and led them to the land he had promised Abraham. God delivered his people from Babylon. Even though Israel repeatedly failed to honor and follow God and he was forced to judge and punish them, he still treated his children with mercy and compassion. When the world was lost in sin and darkness, he sent his son to die in our place, a final sacrifice for our redemption. Remember that he is a just God and that all will be set right at the time he has appointed. Remember that he is a trustworthy God, a God who honors his promises. A God in whom we can be confident. A God who restores and renews.

Do not lose hope. When we remember who—and Whose—we are, we can move forward, continuing the work he has prepared for us to do: shining his light into the darkest corners of the world and sharing his message of salvation to everyone, everywhere.

 

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The Most Excellent Way (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13) Pastor Josh Van Leeuwen 5-21-17

 

All you need is love. The Beatles sang it, and the apostle Paul would agree. Without love, all our good intentions are worthless. Without love, even if we are serving the body of Christ in our areas of giftedness, all our efforts are fruitless (literally: they cannot bear any fruit for the kingdom). Love is the foundation and the motivation for any good work that God accomplishes through his people. The absence of love creates a vacuum that fear, distrust, selfishness, and even outright evil rush in to fill. We might not understand all the ways of God because our minds are limited and our vision is imperfect. But one day, when we enter the presence of the Almighty, we will see and know in full clarity the grandeur and magnificence of his glory and the brilliance of his great plan to redeem all of creation.

Until then, love is all we need.

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Personalizing Spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 12: 27-30)

Do you believe that when you invited Jesus into your heart, the Holy Spirit took up residence within you and gave you one or more spiritual gifts? Maybe you don’t feel very gifted. But perhaps as you learn more about the different gifts and how they enable us to build up the body of Christ, the church, you will see that you really have been blessed with at least one of these gifts. This Sunday you will have two opportunities to learn more.

First, during the worship service several Westview partners will talk about their particular gifts, how they discovered them, and how they are serving in their areas of giftedness. Perhaps you will see how they are serving and think, “I’ve been doing that same thing! Maybe I have a gift for that area of service.” Perhaps you will learn about a gift that you have but didn’t even know existed!

Second, Pastor Jake will lead a two-part Discovery Hour class on finding your strengths, which is a slightly different way to look at spiritual gifts. This Sunday and next, you can explore for yourself the ways you have been strengthened to serve and find places and ways to develop and use your strengths.

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Spiritual Gifts Explored (1 Corinthians 12: 12-26) Pastor Josh VanLeeuwen

When we call the church the body of Christ and us its members, what exactly do we mean? How do we differentiate the church from any other organization or collective? C.S. Lewis writes in his address, “Membership,” that “the very word ‘membership’ is of Christian origin, but it has been taken over by the world and emptied of all meaning. . . . By ‘members’ [Paul] meant what we should call ‘organs,’ things essentially different from, and complementary to, one another, things differing not only in structure and function but also in dignity.” Paul’s body metaphor is a strong one because it not only compares individual members of the church to parts of the human body, it also notes how vital each part is to the whole. Lewis compares the church to a family: each member is an important part of the family, not interchangeable with the others, and whatever affects any individual affects the entire family.

Individually we are saved. Individually we are followers of Jesus. Each of us is gifted by our Creator with certain manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Our western culture values individualism. Social media encourage us to point out our superiority over others using their various platforms. But like our triune God, who lives in eternal community, we also are created to live in community, to find our place in the fellowship of believers. Although some of the spiritual disciplines are best practiced in solitude, there are no solitary Christians. Lewis says, “The Christian is called not to individualism but to membership in the mystical body.” We are all members of the body of Christ, the church, and we all have an important God-given role to play in this very special family.

Paul reminds us that each member of the body is important, and each has its own work to do. But the members don’t and can’t function independently. Can you imagine if your feet wanted to go in one direction, but the rest of you wanted to go in the opposite direction? Or if what the eyes saw and the ears heard were two completely different things? When all the members of the body act in unison, the body can work effectively. But if some members of the body try to act independently of or even in opposition to the others, the entire body is affected. At best, there is confusion; at worst, the body itself can be damaged or even destroyed. And what if the members disagree about what is more important? Is a hand better than a foot? Is the heart more important than a lung? Is prophecy more important than hospitality? Is teaching better than showing mercy? Paul says. “God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.”

If we are the members of the body, who is the head? That would be Jesus himself. Even though we Christians are diverse, we can choose to live in unity under the lordship of Jesus Christ. Far from dividing us, our diversity can make us stronger: what one member lacks, another has in abundance. We are not to envy the spiritual gifts of others, nor are we to disparage our own. Likewise, we are not to think our own gifts are superior to those of other members. We are designed to complement, not to compete against, each other. The body of Christ is the means through which the message of salvation is spread. A unified church is a powerful witness of God’s love, mercy, and justice to the entire world.

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Peace Be With You (John 20: 19-29)

Remember that time you acted impulsively, and your friends called you an Impetuous Peter? Or what about when you were the last person to catch on to something new, and everybody labeled you a Late-to-the-Game James? No? Well, what about that time you questioned something and people called you a Doubting Thomas? Poor Thomas never lived that one down, did he? As if none of the other disciples had ever doubted. Why don’t we remember Thomas for the courageous words he had spoken just a couple of weeks earlier, as Jesus had headed for Jerusalem and Thomas said to the other disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him”? Seems like people are more likely to be remembered for their less-than-stellar moments than their exemplary ones.

On the one hand, it’s easy to feel sorry for Thomas. After all, he wasn’t in the room when Jesus appeared to the rest of the disciples the first time, so he hadn’t seen the resurrected Lord for himself. On the other hand, we have to wonder why he didn’t believe the others when they told him they had seen Jesus. Why would they lie? Maybe Thomas was just a hard-headed skeptic. But Jesus had some words for him that were also for future skeptics: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Is it wrong to doubt? To question? Notice that Jesus doesn’t rebuke Thomas for his need to experience Jesus for himself before he believes, and he doesn’t rebuke us either. But he does ask us to believe, even when there is no physical evidence to support our belief. To have faith when we can’t be sure. Because the opposite of faith isn’t doubt: it’s certainty.

When Jesus appeared to the disciples in the locked room the first time, his friends had every right to expect a scolding. Just a few days before, all of them except John had either abandoned or denied him. But Jesus had only words of comfort: “Peace be with you!” And words of mission: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them as God had breathed on the first man, infusing them with the new life of the Holy Spirit. Thus he prepared and equipped them to carry on his work throughout the world. The work of healing and restoring. We who have experienced the risen Jesus are to carry on this mission of reconciliation, love, mercy, and grace. We can’t put our hands into the wounds on his flesh, but through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we can believe. We can know him, and we can invite others to believe and know him.

Just as with the disciples, he offers us peace, the fullness of all good things from the Father, even if we doubt or question. He offers us what so many of us desperately need: enough. His peace is not the absence of conflict or strife but the presence of Himself, the presence that completes us. That makes us whole. We still might not understand many, many things. We still might have a million questions. We still might doubt. But because he fills us with his peace, we can rest in him. We can stop chasing after all the things that only temporarily satisfy us but ultimately leave us empty and wanting. And it is not only for ourselves that he gives us this peace. As the Father sent him, he sends us. “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1: 14). Now let those who have seen him, who know him, carry his message of grace, truth, and peace into the world.

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Experiencing Rest in the Risen Jesus (John 20:1-9)

Pastor Josh VanLeeuwen 4-16-2017

Whatever Mary Magdalene was expecting to find when she went to the tomb early that morning, it probably wasn’t an open grave. It probably wasn’t the massive stone rolled out of place. It surely wasn’t the possibility that the body of Jesus had been moved or, worse, stolen. Without even checking inside but assuming that her Lord was gone, she turned and ran to Peter and John. “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,” she cried, “and we don’t know where they have put him!” Whatever she was expecting that morning, it certainly wasn’t resurrection.

Peter and John had only Mary’s report, but perhaps they expected to find evidence of what had happened. Had the grave simply been robbed? Had Roman soldiers stolen the body? Had the Jewish authorities taken it themselves? Racing to the tomb, John got there first, he tells us (more than once), but he stood at the entrance and peeked inside to see the linen strips that had wrapped Jesus’ body. But where was the body? Peter finally caught up and went straight into the cave, where he also found the linen strips and the burial cloth, folded up and separate from the wrappings. Clearly not the way grave robbers would have left things. It was as if Jesus had simply vanished, leaving the linen wrappings and burial cloth behind. Whatever Peter and John were expecting, it wasn’t resurrection.

Although Jesus had talked to his disciples for some time about what would happen to him, they did not—could not—accept or understand it. “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again,” he had told them. How much plainer could he have spoken? And the prophecies! How could they not make the connection? So we might find ourselves criticizing them for their cluelessness. After all, hadn’t Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead? Resurrection wasn’t unprecedented. Perhaps we should go easy on them. Context is important, and as they stared into the place where Jesus had been left three days earlier they saw only his absence. Resurrection was not even a speck on their mental horizon.

However.

John (who had reached the tomb first, he reminds us) finally went inside. He looked around at the empty place, and he looked at the linen strips and the burial cloth. Perhaps he went through a mental checklist: Jesus had definitely been dead; this wasn’t the work of grave robbers; there was only one logical solution to this mystery: resurrection! In his written account of the event, he says simply, “He saw and believed.” All the prophecies and all the things Jesus had told them about his death and resurrection would eventually come together in his mind, in the minds of many who had been close to the Lord, and everything would become clear. But for now, seeing was believing.

Like John, we do not need to be able to reconcile all of scripture with the events of the resurrection. We can simply see and believe. We can stop running, stop chasing after worldly achievement and accomplishment, and simply rest in Jesus, our identity secure because of his grace and mercy. We can experience peace, knowing that he took our guilt, our sin, and even death itself to the grave and left them there. His victory is our victory as well, and in gratitude we can let go of the need to prove ourselves to the world and instead enjoy the renewal Jesus offers us through his sacrifice: we are now a new creation, reconciled to God through the risen Christ, and we can find our rest in him.

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