A Sermon... CHRISTmas 1 [Series A] preached 12.29.13 at St. Paul Dewberry, IN and Resurrection Centerville, IN

Sermon Text:      Galatians 4:4-7

Title:           “Adopted!”

I.        Adoption, in our earthly thinking, has sadness.
II.       Adoption, in perfect thinking, has nothing but happiness.

 

JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO BRING US INTO ADOPTION BY THE FATHER - TO BE REDEEMED.

                                           
In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The sermon text for this, the first Sunday after CHRISTmas, is taken from the Epistle lesson just read.  I would read again these verses…

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. [Galatians 4:4-7]

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I.

Adoption in our society is both wonderful and hurtful all at the same time.  I should know, I have two adopted cousins and my best friend is also adopted.  My cousins are quite a bit younger than I am so I haven’t talked with them about adoption all that much, but I have with my best friend.  And without going into details I can tell you there is great uplifting of the heart regarding adoption and there is great heartbreak as well.  Heartbreak because there is the sense of being abandoned by the biological parents.  But also great uplifting at being wanted by the adoptive parents.

Today in our text St. Paul speaks of adoption.  But there is no heartbreak at the leaving of one parent for another here.  For who is the parent of us all before being brought to faith in our LORD?  Some may not want to hear this – but we all start out children of the devil – for we are not automatically children of God the Father - thus our text today speaking of being adopted by the LORD.  Even in the old liturgy there was an exorcism of the baby where the pastor blew on the child representing the breath of Life chasing away Satan and preparing the baby for the ushering in of the Holy Spirit.  Remember in our text today Saint Paul writes…

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

There in the text is that tiny word might.  Does that mean God’s adoption is uncertain?  Does that mean His love for His children is wavering?  Of course not.  What it does mean is that we can reject this heavenly, eternal adoption.  We can decide to go the way of our bellies, the way of our sinful eyes and itching ears, the way of our sinful mouths and minds and hearts.  We can chose to live the life of one who has no to answer to himself or herself.  We can chose to love ourselves more than our neighbors and more than GOD in heaven.  We can chose to reject Jesus and all that He stands for and all that He is.  Make no mistake about it the might is there because of our wavering – not of GOD’S.

Does that mean we give in to the temptation that has plagued the Church for millennia and say that we choose God then?  Of course not.  The LORD does the choosing and He has chosen us.  He has sent His Holy Spirit into our hearts.  He has given us our faith.  This should sound very familiar to us Lutherans right?  Because we are all good little Lutherans – meaning we are reading our Catechisms every day right? No? Well then some review is in order.  This is Third Article stuff folks – meaning the Third Article of the Creed.  Let me refresh your memories – Luther writes…

I believe I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my LORD or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the one true faith;…  [SC.A3]

This adoption is GOD the Father’s work through His Holy Spirit.  We don’t chose Him, He chooses us.  For St. Paul writes…

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” [Ephesians 2:8-9]

And again St. Paul writes…

[God] “Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…” [2 Timothy 1:9]

And in our text today St. Paul writes…

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

So you see, we do not chose God, but He chooses us.  He chooses us through the Word rightly preached and taught and then leads us to the waters of Holy Baptism and then eventually to the Body and Blood of Christ, all for the forgiveness of sins.  But make no mistake God chooses us. 
 

Has there ever been a newborn who was able to choose its adoptive parents?  No – and here with God our heavenly Father it is no different.

II.

So what’s the big deal about being adopted by God?  Well – it makes us a part of the family – legally.  You can’t just walk up to a child and say you are mine now.  You have to go through a process – a legal process.  Also true is the fact that a person can’t come out of the woodwork – and without legal documentation claim to be a son or daughter.  It takes legal adoption.  Why? Quite simply inheritance. 

Back in 2007 my grandma – who I called Meema – passed away in August of that year.  Most Januaries I would make a trek from Minnesota back to Ft. Wayne, Indiana to go to an annual pastors’ conference.  Being from Indiana – when I would go back there – I would drop down to Indianapolis and visit my family.  In 2008 I packed up a part of my family’s history from my grandparents – an old, upright radio from days gone by that was Meema and Peepa’s.  Why did I receive this?  Because I am a son and it is a part of my inheritance.  Without that birthright I would have had no claim on that radio.

With our heavenly Father it is the same.  Now that we have been adopted into the family we will receive an inheritance - Heaven Itself.  This is what it means to be a son of the Most High.  And on that last Day of Judgment it will be like being at the reading of a will.  Here on that last day Jesus will read out the names of those in the Book of Life and will tell them to step forward, step into the Kingdom of your heavenly Father.  All is ready for you and is waiting for you and it will last forever and ever. 

This is why we rejoice at the birth of the Savior.  It means adoption for us through Jesus’ blood shed on the cross.  Here we have been made blood brothers and now can call GOD Father.  What a wonderful gift we were given on that first CHRISTmas morning!  And now we have the opportunity to share that gift with others! It is good to be sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. Amen.

The peace of the LORD – which surpasses all understanding – will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

+ Soli Deo Gloria +

A Sermon... Advent 4 [series A] Preached 12.22.13 at St. Paul Dewberry, IN and Resurrection Centerville, IN

Sermon Text:      Matthew 1:18-25

Title:           Jesus – Immanuel Means: God Saves – God With Us.

 

I.        Jesus comes to save God’s people.

II.       Immanuel comes to be with us.

GOD DOES THE IMPOSSIBLE FOR US – HE SAVES HIS PEOPLE AND HE REMAINS WITH US.

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The sermon text for this – the fourth Sunday in Advent – is taken from the Gospel lesson just read.  I would read again these verses…

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I.

In his letter to the church at Rome St. Paul writes…

“The wages of sin is death.” [Romans 6:23]

That’s the payment owed. 

You are at a local grocery store – not a big Walmart type store – but a small independent one.  You push your cart around the store and for a little while and then make your way to the register.  The cashier scans your one item – sin – and then says to you, “Ok – your total is death.  And how will you be paying today?”

Ever get to the register and have that panicked moment when you realized you had forgotten your wallet at home? That’s you in the checkout line.  The cashier stands there looking at you waiting for you to come up with the payment – death – that is required to allow you to leave the store unescorted by security or police. And then you are left there stammering and digging through your pockets and pulling out nothing but lint and a couple of pennies and a paperclip. And the cashier looks at you with a disgusted look and calls for the Manager on her microphone. 

You start giving her excuses for why you don’t have the payment and then start trying to negotiate with her and tell her what a rotten day you’ve had and could she just let you pass this once – after all it’s just one item. 

Meanwhile – a line has formed behind you and the people begin getting impatient and moving to another line.  Then the Manager shows up and you are horrified at having to confront Him.  The looks at you standing there alone and without payment – pockets emptied and hanging out – tears streaming down your face.  It has been a terrible day for you – honestly – a terrible life. 

The Manager doesn’t flinch – no hint of lenience flits across His face – no last look of forgetting the debt and just letting you go.  No – His penetrating stare locks on your eyes and He says, “You must pay for this – you’ve opened it and have begun using it while you walked through the store.  It’s now yours.  You own it.  You must pay for this or I will have to call the police and I will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the Law – just like the sign says.”

And then another Manager walks up – younger than the first – Who looks strikingly like the Manager you’ve been dealing with.  He looks at your item on the conveyor belt and says, “I’ve got this one Dad.  I know this person and although the item – as you have rightly pointed out is now his – I will pay for it.  I will pay the debt owed – death.

Folks – we don’t have the ‘cash’ that we need in order to complete the transaction.  We could work 24/7 for the rest of our lives doing nothing but trying to earn the ‘cash’ but in the end it will never be enough.

One last thing – before you leave the grocery store you notice the younger Manager’s name tag – it reads “GOD saves.”  Truly? It says, ‘Jesus’ which means GOD saves.

You see, Jesus dies a death He doesn’t deserve.  He committed no sin while He walked upon this earth.  He wasn’t born with sin either. St. Paul writes to the believers at Corinth…

For our sake He [the Father] made Him [the Son] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. [2 Corinthians 5:21]

There was no sin in Him and yet He dies a traitor’s death. Our death. Our debt owed.

When it comes to the sacrifices of the Old Testament we see that the sin of men were confessed over the animal to be sacrificed for the atonement, for the forgiveness of sins.  These sins were not in the lamb, the ox, the goat, and yet they died for the sin of another. 

John the Baptist shouts to the people…

“Behold!  The Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.” [John 1:29]

Isn’t that curious – a bit peculiar?  Why would John say such a thing – calling Jesus the Lamb?  Guided by the Holy Spirit John sees Jesus for Who He really is – the Savior; and for What He really is – the Sacrifice for the sin of the world – the very Lamb of GOD Who takes all of our sin upon His head and to His Cross and pays the debt owed by you.  For in dying a betrayer’s death Jesus – Who knew no sin – has become our sin and the Sacrifice hasn’t He?  And in doing so saves us from their sins.  And so we see that the Word of the LORD spoken through the angel in our text today has come true.  Jesus means “GOD saves,” and He does so through His Son – the once and for all Sacrifice to pay our debt [Hebrews 10:10-12].

II.

So we are saved by the blood of the Lamb.  But we are also still sinners aren’t we?  Don’t we – the saved by GOD – still sin? Our conscience pricks us and in creeps fear and doubt.  We – as Christians – know that we are saved.  We have been baptized for the forgiveness of sin and yet we still doubt.  We hear the Word of God proclaimed to us each and every Sunday for the forgiveness of sin and yet we still doubt.  We come to the LORD’S table to eat and drink the very body and blood of our Savior for the forgiveness of sin and yet we still doubt.  In other words we need constant encouragement and reinforcement from our LORD.

And it is there in the need for a reminder and reassurance that we find that other name for the Son of GOD in our text today – Immanuel.  St. Matthew writes…

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”

The prophet Isaiah foretold [Is. 7:14] of this name – Immanuel.  And St. Matthew records for us the meaning [1:23] – “GOD with us,” and again reminds us in our text today that this is a name that is to be given this Baby to be born to Mary and Joseph.

Immanuel – it gives us reassurance and comfort to know that GOD is indeed with us. Here we have in one of the names of our LORD [and there are many] the encouragement and reinforcement and reassurance that we sinners need.  Jesus knew we would need this and so Immanuel made a promise that fulfilled this name.  St. Matthew records Jesus’ last words to His disciples before He ascended into heaven…

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” [Matthew 28:20]

Immanuel is Jesus and Jesus is GOD and He saves us and is with us.  He calms our fears and our doubts and our troubled hearts in this sin filled world.  How?  Through the comfort of His Cross – for it is in the Cross that we see the love of the Father.  In this Sacrifice of His One and only Son we see that GOD saves and that GOD is with us. He keeps His promises and since the LORD is a keeper of promises than we can be assured that He has saved us and will remain with us. 

What a wonderful gift our heavenly Father bestows on us in His Son Jesus – Immanuel.  In these two names He gives us salvation and peace.  What more could you ask for this CHRISTmas?  Amen.

The peace of the LORD – which surpasses all understanding – will keep your hearts and minds in Jesus – Immanuel.  Amen.

 

+Soli Deo Gloria+

A Sermon... Advent 3 [Series A] Preached 12.16.13 at St. Paul Dewberry Indiana and Resurrection Centerville, Indiana

Sermon Text:      Isaiah 35:1-10

 

Title:          “The Way of Holiness.”

 

I.        The way of wickedness is paved with our sins.

II.       The Way of Holiness is paved with Christ’s blood.

 

CHRIST HAS COME TO RANSOM THE CAPTIVE – AND IN DOING SO GIVES US THE RIGHT THROUGH HIS BLOOD TO BE ON THE WAY – TO BRING US TO THE GATES OF HEAVEN THEMSELVES.

 

In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 

The sermon text for this, the third Sunday in Advent, is taken from the Old Testament lesson just read.  I would read again these verses…

And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.  9No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there.  10And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I.

 

Roads are very important.  They have been around for just about all time.  Whether you are looking at the Middle East and the ancient trade routes, or you are looking at the farthest reaches of the Holy Roman empire and finding roads built by the Romans in Great Britain, roads are important and they are everywhere. 

It is no different here in the United States either.  I remember a U.S. history class I had in college talking about how our interstate system came to be.   The Interstate Highway System was authorized by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, and had been lobbied for by major U.S. automobile manufacturers and championed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  The President was influenced by his experiences in 1919 as a young soldier crossing the country following the route of the Lincoln Highway, and his appreciation of the German autobahn as a necessary part of a national defense system.  In addition to easing private and commercial transportation, it would provide key ground transport routes for military supplies and troop deployments in an emergency.  Highways are important.

 

In our text today we hear about a highway that is THE Highway.  Isaiah writes…

 

“And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness…”

 

The Way of Holiness, this is THE Highway for those who believe in the LORD Jesus Christ.  Here is where we find ourselves. 

 

But is it where we belong?  Do we have permission to be on this Highway?  Have we paid our toll?  Or have we mistakenly gotten on  at the wrong interchange?  Surely this isn’t for us wayward sinners, not this wonderful Highway.  Isaiah himself says in verse eight…

“the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way…”

Now I know I am somewhere I shouldn’t be, for I AM unclean and I don’t walk on the way.  I sin daily.  I am forever sinning.  I gossip.  I cuss.  I take the LORD’S name in vain.  I don’t build my neighbor up, but instead tear him down.  I turn my back on the LORD when I don’t go to church, when I don’t go to Him in prayer, when I don’t go to Bible study, when I despise the gifts He has given me, such as Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, when I worry, when I chose to serve myself and not Him.  No. I don’t belong on this Highway – I belong far from it.  I truly belong on the way of wickedness - a highway headed in the opposite direction.

 

II.

 

 Then Isaiah says something that is truly remarkable.  He says…

 

“It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.”

“What was that sir?  What did you just say Mr. Isaiah?  Did you just say even if I am a fool I can be here on this Highway that leads to GOD’S eternal glory - that is to say – Heaven?  Are you sure?  You must be talking about someone else Mr. Prophet. I am all the horrible things already mentioned and much, much more – and I get Heaven?”

Then we are reminded by the Holy Spirit that yes, we are allowed here on this Highway of glory.  For we have been saved by the blood of the Lamb – the very blood of the Son of God – Jesus Christ Himself.  We are reminded that the Baby born in a stable so long ago came into the world to save it and us from ourselves.  The message of the angels to the shepherds rings in our ears that a Savior is born!  And that Savior was born for a purpose - to die for you and for me.  And it is this deed and not any of ours that has placed us on this Way of Holiness.  And it is a Highway that is reserved for you and for me, ones who have been reclaimed by the LORD, for Isaiah writes…

“No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there.”

That’s you and me - the redeemed - right there in the passage.  Isaiah is speaking all those thousands of years ago specifically about you and me.  We have been saved by this Baby born so long ago in a manger.  And now we rejoice in our salvation!  Isaiah writes…

“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

The ransomed, has a nice sound to it doesn’t it?  The Law – this kidnapper of sorts – demands payment and will not relinquish our souls without it.  We are that ransomed lot who is returning to Mt. Zion.  And we are singing and we are joyful and we are glad and sorrow and sighing shall be banished forever and ever!  This is the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that I bring to you as your pastor this day.  We are on the right Highway and as long as we believe in the LORD this is where we will remain. 

And one day that Highway will lead us straight to the gates of heaven itself where there will be a Man with holes in His hands and His feet Who will smile and say, “Welcome Home for all eternity.”  Amen.

 

The peace of the LORD which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Redeemer.  Amen.

 

+ Soli Deo Gloria +

A Sermon... Advent 2 [Series A] Preached 12.08.13 at St. Paul Dewberry, IN and Resurrection Centerville, IN

Sermon Text:      Matthew 3:1-12

Title:          “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand.”

I.        Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.

II.       Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.

 

JOHN THE BAPTIZER CALLS US BEYOND THE FRIVOLITIES OF THE SEASON TO TRUE PREPATION FOR THE COMING OF THE SAVIOR, STIRRING UP OUR HEARTS TO RECEIVE THE ONE WHO BRINGS US THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

 

In the name of the Father, and the Son + and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 

The sermon text for this, the second Sunday in Advent, is taken from the Gospel lesson just read [Matthew 3.1-12].  I would read again a portion of these verses…

 

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.”

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 

I.

Today in our text we have the forerunner of the Messiah, the one who was to come first to herald the coming of the One promised of old.  Here we have the one prophesied by the prophet Isaiah.  John the Baptist is…

 

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.”

 

And the first word we hear from this voice crying in the wilderness is repent.  From what does he want us to repent?  The sins of our lips.  The sins of our hands.  Truly, the sins of our evil, lusty hearts

 

We know the sins we commit.  We are aware of how sinful we can be.  We lie and cheat and steal and say harmful, hurtful things to each other.  But what are our the specific sins we deal with today in this Advent season?  Some are the same and others are similar but have a different spin at this time of year. 

 

As we prepare for CHRISTmas day we find ourselves worrying over the presents, the tree, the meal, the cards.  Do we have enough for everyone?  Will I get this finished in time?  Will the bank account stretch far enough to do what I want to do?  Will I find the things I need and at the right prices?  The litany of worries goes on and on.

 

Is this what CHRISTmas is all about, shining lights and mistletoe and decorations, is this what the season and the day is all about? 

 

Or have we forgotten – and maybe put better – ignored what the season is all about?  We get so wrapped up in what CHRISTmas has become in this country, that we neglect the true understanding, the true meaning of this particular time of year.  John the Baptist shouts, “Repent!” and he is right.  We need to repent.  We need to turn from our course laid out before us this CHRISTmas and ask for forgiveness.

 

II.

 

Why?  Because…

 

 the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.

 

What does John mean here?  He is preaching repentance because the salvation of the world is walking among them.  Here, John says, in this Man named Jesus is the One whom I have been proclaiming.  Here in this Man is the One whom I was sent to go before and prepare for His coming.  Here in this Man is the Savior of the world –the One promised all those years ago to our first parents Adam and Eve.  This is the One who saves, this is the One who will do whatever it takes to heal the sinners of the world.  He will do so with His very blood.  John the Baptist shouts [John 1.29]…

 

Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

 

The Bpatist calls for us to repent, to turn away from our sins, and in Christ Jesus we have the power to turn from our wicked ways and to return to the LORD. 

 

As we peer into the manger this Advent and CHRISTmas season we see the wonder of God’s love for His people.  We see in this tiny Babe the Savior of the world.  This is the Kingdom of heaven and it is at hand. 

 

And the Kingdom is coming again to take all believers to heaven.  This is God’s message.  This has been entrusted to us and it needs to be sent out to a dying, sin filled world.  Christ has come once already to die the death that the world cannot begin to die.  And, as He promised, He is returning to bring His Lambs into the heavenly fold. 

 

Sadly, there is a day in the future – whether near or far I do not know – but make no mistake the day is coming when it will be too late for many billions to do as the Baptist says, “Repent!” 

 

To whom will you take this wonderful message of salvation to? 

 

Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.

 

This is the message of John the Baptist – and for us believers in Christ – this message of repentance – we can endure – through the Cross of Christ.  Yes, we are sinners, but we are sinners with hope, hope in Christ Jesus our Savior.  Amen.

 

The peace of the LORD which surpasses all human understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

 

+ Soli Deo Gloria +

A Sermon... Advent 1 [Series A] Preached 12.01.13 at St. Paul Dewberry, IN and Resurrection Centerville, IN

Sermon Text:      Matthew 21:1-11

Title:          “Who’s King of Your Life?”

I.        We want to rule ourselves and make ourselves kings.

II.       Jesus is THE King who rules over us.

 

JESUS, THE KING OF KINGS, RULES US FROM THE SEAT OF HIS THRONE - THE CROSS.

In the name of the Father, the Son + and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The sermon text for this, the First Sunday in Advent, is taken from the Gospel lesson just read [Matthe 21:1-11.  I would read again these verses…

 

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ”

8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting,  “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

 

Dear Brother and Sisters in Christ,

 

I.

 

Who is king in your life?  Turn on the TV, the radio, log on to the internet, or look around you and you will see who is king in the lives of those that walk the world over to include ourselves. 

 

I am a big sports fan and listen to sports radio a lot when I am out and about. I volunteer as one of the chaplains at  Lutheran Child and Family Services in Indy and was on my way over to lead chapel this past Wednesday and was listening to a couple of people talking about sports contracts.  They announced one baseball player’s demands for his services for the next ten seasons.  This particular baseball player will be paid $25 million dollars a year to hit, catch and throw a baseball.

Bill Gates the founder and CEO of Microsoft has a net worth of over $72 billion.  He has one of the most expensive homes in the world estimated value being about $150 million, with property taxes at $1 million a year.

 

The list goes on and on.  And what does that say about the king we have set up as a society?  Money, it would seem, seems to be king.  So much so that one popular TV evangelist proclaims that it is a sin to be poor.  A former member of the Missouri Synod and well acquainted with our confession, she says, “I am not poor.  I am not miserable.  And I am not a sinner.”  Strong words for someone who is under the curse of the Law.

 

We have set our sights on the material wealth of the world and made money the end all to be all.  And although I don’t think there are any millionaires here in church today, and if there are your giving is down, even though we aren’t in the same tax bracket as those mentioned earlier we do this too don’t we?  We set up THINGS as our guiding light.  We place vacations, days off, our leisure time above the call to go to church on a regular basis.  We spend more money than we need to on OUR things than on things that NEED our attention, like the spreading of the Gospel to the far reaches of our planet.  We are no different than the Kobe Bryants and the Bill Gates of the world.

 

Truly, we inhabitants of the world aren’t setting money up as king, but are setting ourselves up as his or her majesty.  We put ourselves first and in doing so dethrone God and instead set ourselves upon the throne.  Everything then revolves around us.  Money, fame, importance, social standing, all of this rotates around us as if we were the center of the universe And yes, we believe we have God spinning around us.

 

II.

 

Embedded in our text today is a prophecy.  The prophet Zechariah writes long before the coming of Jesus…

 

“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ”

 

The whole verse that is in Zechariah says…

 

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

 

Although our text today is seemingly out of place in regards to the Church Year, the Palm Sunday text is very appropriate for the this time of year also.  For in these days of Advent we are remembering the first coming and we are awaiting the second coming.

 

Christ the King is has come to us in the form of a human baby and as we all know placed in the manger.  In that trough made of nails and wood this tiny Baby lay there and in the not too distant future, 33 years to be exact, He would be laid on the wood of the cross and fastened there with nails. 

 

For what?  For the sin of placing ourselves above the King of Kings.  We have tried to elevate ourselves to the height   king and overthrow the rightful King.  And so Jesus came into this world on that cold night in Bethlehem.  He lay in lowly circumstances, the feeding trough of animals to save the world.  Already He knew what lay ahead for Him.  He knew He would have to bear the sins of all, the sins of you and me and take them all to the throne of His cross.  There He hung with a circle of thorns for His crown.  And this He does gladly.  For this is how much He loves us.  And now the sin of placing ourselves first has been erased.  We have been forgiven.  Christ has cleansed us with the very water and blood that has poured from His side.  We receive this blessed forgiveness of our sins through the Word, the Holy Baptism, through His Body and Blood.  Here we are reconciled to our Father in heaven and He no longer sees us as trying to overthrow Him, but instead He sees us in rightful worship of Him the King of Kings. 

 

And now – in these days that we live in – we still wait for His promised return to take us all to heaven with him.  As we have seen in the text today – GOD keeps His promises.  Way back in Genesis 3:15 GOD promised Adam and Eve a way out.  That way out began to come to be on that cold night of the first CHRISTmas.  GOD indeed keeps His promises – and we look to the day when He comes again with joy and peace much like the shepherds of Bethlehem did that night the angels sang.  Thanks be to GOD for His kept promises.  Amen.

 

The peace of the LORD – which surpasses all understanding – will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

 

+ Soli Deo Gloria +