"Praise Him! He Deserves It." Psalm 148:1-14-Pastor Joel Schroeder

Sermon on Psalm 148:1-14 Mt. Olive Lutheran 2/19/12 Pastor Joel B. Schroeder "Praise Him! He Deserves It." 1. Look What He's Made 2. Look What He's Done

It must be good to be basketball player Jeremy Lin. In a few days this Asian-American from California has gone from unknown NBA substitute to starter, game winner, hero, talk of New York, and sports fans across America. America showers instant celebrities with praise and affection. But we're just as quick to learn of their failures, sins, and crimes and delight in tearing them down. "They really didn't deserve all that praise after all!"  We're also quick to praise the smallest successes of our children: "What a beautiful giraffe, Johnny!" when the 4-year old scribbles a tall loop with a crayon. Kids quickly discount such praise: "You're just saying that 'cause you're my dad!" Well-balanced people take all praise with a grain of salt. Praise might be genuinely meant, but all credit goes to our God for what we do well. What really matters is not whether people praise us; what really counts is God's "Well done!" Only One is worthy of our unconditional, unlimited, unqualified, enthusiastic, constant praise. Our Maker, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. Many Psalms encourage us to praise him. Psalm 148 is a good example of that. It tells us: "Praise Him! He Deserves It." Look What He's Made. Look What He's Done.

Telling God how great he is one of the most appropriate, fulfilling, spiritually-healthy things Christians can do. The Psalmist, probably David, encourages us, all people and all creation to praise the Lord. In Hebrew: Hallelujah. That's the way the psalm begins. Like an echo, that's the way it ends. Like antiphonal choirs first the heavens are told to praise him; then the earth.  The structure of the psalm is interesting. First things in the heavens that can speak are told to praise him, then those that can't. Then in opposite order things on earth that can't speak are commanded to praise, then humans who can. From glorious and complex angels in heaven down to the lowest worm crawling in mud. From the invisible to the visible. From uncharted space we can't see with a telescope to subatomic particles we can't see with a microscope.  Living and non-living. Animal, mineral, and vegetable. People of every social status, gender, and age.

Creation itself is encouraged to praise the Creator. Is this just poetic license or personification by the psalmist--as if thunder is talking or rain is crying? No, creation itself is commanded to praise God and really does so. It has never stopped praising him for the estimated 6,000 years it has existed.

How does creation praise? Some like good angels and people have voices and clear communicate meaningful praise. Some creatures praise God with sound. The thrush seems to be practicing as it sings its solo--starting a musical run, then backing up and starting over. Humpback whales sing signals about food sources, danger warnings, and mating calls. They also leap out of the sea, land on their backs striking the water with their flippers as if rejoicing to be alive--saying so much more than "Whale here."  Spend a night camping in the Serengeti or KC Zoo and you'lll hear the sounds of lions, jackals, and monkeys.  Biologist Lewis Thomas says lowly termites "make percussive sounds to each other beating their heads against the floor in the dark, resonating the corridors of their nests..." Bats constantly ping their surroundings with high frequency sound. Fish "make sounds clicking their teeth, blowing air, and drumming with special muscles against their tuned, inflated air bladders." Bees hum like cellos. The seas roar and crash, the winds howl and whistle, lightning and thunder crack like a bass drum. They may not hold rehearsals, go on tour, or charge admission, but many parts of nature perform symphonies of praise to the Creator.

The complexity of creation shouts praises to the Creator, and so should we. How wise you are, O God. In wisdom you made them all! Although sinful man often, like Job, dares to criticize when God sends too much or too little rain, too much or too little heat, if we had the power and were in charge of such processes, we'd soon make a total mess of it. If we didn't make it and don't keep it going, how do we sinners with our limited minds imagine we can tell God he's not doing it right, or dare suggest we could do it better? We wouldn't tell an experienced diamond cutter where to put his chisel or how hard to hit with his hammer, would we? God painted rainbow colors on the delicate wings of the housefly. He drew a pattern on the belly plate of the turtle--though it's rarely seen and often is dragged through mud. He engineered the common caterpillar's head using 228 muscles. He crafted the narrow pipe the mosquito uses to draw blood. The one-celled bacteria has a flagellum or tail which has 40 perfectly engineered parts. If one of them were missing, the cell couldn't move and life would cease. One observer said: "The Creator loves pizzaz!" And man in his sin has often foolishly chosen to worship parts of creation, rather than praise the Creator who designed and formed such magnificent creatures and objects. Man has worshipped them all: angels, heavenly bodies like the sun and moon, birds like the eagle, animals like lions and snakes, and even people--like kings and emperors.

Creation also praises the Creator when it carries out its God-assigned functions. When the bloodhound sniffs a trail, the sheep dog rounds up the herd, the lab retriever hunts or just plain loves its master unconditionally. When the thoroughbred gallops, the stars and planets move and spin in their predetermined orbits as time-keepers, and sign givers, the sea keeps in its boundaries or is granted permission to overflow them. When the mountains stand in their tall majesty they indicate God's power, God's immutability, and timelessness, but also to remind us he once piled them up, and will shake them when the world ends. When the ground quakes, and hurricanes and tornadoes blow, they praise God by carrying out his sacred purposes--whether that's to bring justice to his enemies, remind his people how much they need him, give Christians opportunities to bear suffering or bring loving aid to those in need, or serve as repeated signs judgment's coming. When gold serves as means of exchange, or is injected into joints as a lubricant, put into teeth to fill cavities, or on spacecraft to reflect the sun's light and heat. Whether bark in the rain forest keeps the tree alive, processes carbon dioxide, provides shelter for natives or bugs, gives medicine for miracle drugs, or just helps the tree look pretty. Created things praise the Creator by doing what he made and ordered them to do by his almighty Word and command.

God's creation praises him by teaching us lessons. Birds don't need to plow or plant. Lilies don't have to spin or sew clothes. God gives life to grass which is so temporary. Surely you're worth more than a bird, a flower, or grass. Praise him because he gave you life and will provide for you, even if you don't worry about it. The creation has suffered since the Fall into sin. Every time we see the forces of nature seem to be out of control, bringing disorder, destruction, and suffering--it's sending a loud message: you're a sinner. You need to be redeemed. You need a Savior. This world isn't heaven. Look for the only way the Creator has provided to get there. The universe is praising God's justice by saying constantly: sin can't go unpunished. There will be a day of reckoning. How can the sins in your account be cancelled and righteous, good acts be put in your account? One day creation will praise God by coming apart at the seams, just as he says it will in his Word. It will praise him by obeying him. It will experience a glorious day of redemption from its bondage to decay, and it will get to partake in the holy new heaven and new world when it's re-made to serve God's redeemed people and redound to the Creator-Redeemer's praise forever.

Pretty simple isn't it? As baseball can be simplified to four words: see ball, hit ball, life can be broken down: see creation, praise creator. See the beautiful creation; praise the beautiful Creator. How can we sinful creatures not worship our good, wise, merciful, generous creator every week in public worship, and every day in our thoughts, words, and life?  How can we take for granted this beautiful world or trash it up by not taking good care of it? How can we not speak out against the lies of evolution so prevalent in science, education, entertainment, and literature?  They rob God of glory and praise he deserves for the magnificent universe he made by careful design through his almighty Word. How can we praise God for the gift of life, then live like it's OK to end human life by abortion or the morning-after pill our president wants our church body to pay for in our synod's health plan for our called workers like we're taking out the day's garbage?

Praise God now and for all eternity for the wonders of his creation. But if those are the only reasons--great though they are--to praise God--we'd be in trouble indeed. Thanks be to God there's more in verses 13-14, the Gospel climax of Psalm 148. Those verses tells us God should be praised even more for what else he's done, his greatest miracle. He didn't rest content with non-human creation's praise. He wouldn't abandon us in our sin and silence. He sent his precious Son so a sinner like me could consciously praise him for creating me and for redeeming me.

"Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his saints, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord." He is to be exalted or lifted high with our praises because of what his name is all about--what his Word reveals about what he's done for us and all sinners. The horn he's raised is the powerful ruler, the Son of David who had the power to defeat our enemies: Satan, sin, death, and hell. Zachariah in the Benedictus in Luke 1 prophesied John would go before the "horn of salvation" God had raised up in the house of David to save us from our enemies. Believers in Christ are told to praise him because he's declared us to be saints--holy ones by removing the guilt of our sin by punishing his sinless Son for us. We are Israel. We didn't deserve to be chosen as his specially loved people any more than ancient Israel did. We are children of Abraham by grace through faith in Christ.

The Creator did entered creation as true man. He got DNA from Mary, his mother. He was sustained by normal food and drink, usually provided by natural means. When it was time to die, combustible material provided light for soldiers to find and arrest him, vegetable fibers in the rope bound his wrists, a thorn bush supplied his crown and caused his precioius blood to flow, iron made up the nails fixing him to a cross fashioned from a tree. Creation couldn't dull his pain with gall, for then he wouldn't have paid the full price for our sins. Rock held his lifeless body until Easter morning. A huge stone rolled out of the way revealed an empty tomb and praised the One who conquered death. A wooden door locked by metal couldn't keep Jesus from appearing to his disciples. Lake water supported his resurrection body, and when he went up from the earth into the sky, God used a cloud to take him out of sight. Creation praised the Redeemer.

We are "the people close to his heart." That's not just using the heart to picture love, as you saw so many times on Valentine's Day. "People close to God's heart" doesn't mean "people God dearly loves" here. For Old Testament believers, those "close to God" were priests. They alone had direct access to God's presence in the holy place and most holy place. They were pictures of Christ, the priest who didn't have to offer sacrifices for his own sin. He could offer himself as the sinless substitute for all. So now through Jesus, those who believe in him as their Savior share his status. Christians are a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation." Close to God. Able to come to him and not be turned away by our sins. Close to God. He'll accept our prayers. Not like a woman might say to her boyfriend who hurt her deeply, then gives her a compliment. "You dare to tell me you think I'm beautiful, after you treated me so shabbily? Just go away You can take your praise and give it to your next girlfriend."

And don't forget the Savior is all over this psalm in another way. Hallelujah means "praise JAH--praise JAHWEH"--the God of free and faithful grace, the Savior God, I AM. That name, the LORD, or JAHWEH is used 6 times in the psalm, and is replaced by the pronouns "he, his, or him" another 18 times. We may be saying "Farewell to Hallelujah" in our final public worship until the end of the Lenten season to remind us of the seriousness of our Savior's Passion. But praise to JAH, to JAHWEH, to the LORD, dare never cease in our hearts or lives.

All creation praises him for what he's made. Even his enemies will have to praise him when he comes in judgment. Want to praise him better? Marvel at his creation. Marvel at his greater miracle, your redemption. Because of Jesus completed work of redemption, we can and should praise him for what he's done. And we can look forward to praising him without sin, constantly in glory. AMEN.

What An Amazing Miracle!

Sermon on Mark 1:21-28 Mt. Olive Lutheran February 12, 2012 Pastor Joel B. Schroeder "What An Amazing Miracle!" 1. What Teaching! 2. What An Unlikely Person! 3. What An Amazing Result!

Think of someone you've been trying to reach with God's Word. I know you have someone in mind: a spouse, child, parent, brother, sister, or good friend. Maybe someone who strayed from Mt. Olive, or who's refusing your call to repent of his or her sin. You've talked, pleaded, prayed. Nothing has worked. Maybe it seems to be a harder case: a Muslim, Mormon, Jehovah's Witness, Buddhist; atheist, agnostic, skeptic; immoral, addicted, materialistic, prideful; a criminal, self-righteous person--or even a Satan worshipper! Because you haven't seen results, you're down and discouraged, tempted to throw in the towel. Just when all appears hopeless, God's Word reminds us where our real power to reach them lies.

”They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law." Jesus had been baptized, began his ministry, and called his disciples. He'd been rejected by his home town of Nazareth and done his first miracle at Cana. He started working in Capernaum, the fishing village at the top end of the Sea of Galilee. That's where Peter and Andrew came from. Capernaum became Jesus' new home town, and a place he did many miracles. When we catch up with Jesus, he's teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum on the Sabbath. What teaching it was! Capernaum's reaction was positive. The people were amazed, and well they should have been.

His message was truth. They felt the power God's truth, for falsehood, or so-called religious truth invented by men has no power. Real truth from God pierces the heart and produces the guilt and fear of contrition in the sinner. "I've done evil. What shall I do now?" Even if the sinner ignores the truth that agrees with the conscience and denies or suppresses it, even gets angry about it--that only shows he's felt its power to convict. Jesus delivered that message with truth. No hesitancy, no doubts, no misleading facial features or questioning, uncertain tone.He wasn't just saying it as a professional rabbi because it was his job.  He was the way, truth, and life--and truth in his holy person and pure heart had to come out in what he said--rivers of living water. He delivered that message without spiritually abusing his hearers: he spoke with love for every listener. Nor did he contradict his message by his words or actions. His holy living didn't detract from anything he said like a preacher who's preaching contentment but living greed, or preaching chastity but feeding his eyes with lust. We go out with that same message of truth when we simply, accurately tell someone what God's Word says--either quoting it directly, or paraphrasing it accurately.

Jesus Word wasn't like the rabbis. Their teachings were mostly man-made ideas of how to please God, not how people needed and could know the Savior. They were reluctant to say "Thus saith the Lord" unless they could quote a previous rabbi who said what they wanted to say. They tied themselves and the people in knots quibbling about how much they could lift on the Sabbath; tithing spices; ritual washing of their hands, dishes, and dining couches; how often to fast; and how long to make tassels on their robes. They looked more for their hearers to compliment them: "What a preacher you are!" than to say:"What a message from God!" Our message has power because God said it, not because we've said it cleverly, or can show we agree with Luther, Walther, Pieper, Becker, Zarling, Schroeder, or Rundgren.

Jesus' Word had power. The one delivering it not just a man. He was the Holy Son of God, the Creator Son who said, "Let there be light! And there was light." His Word has power because it tells the powerful acts God did to redeem us. The power of Calvary to pay for all sins; Easter to conquer death; Holy Spirit's power to work faith, godly desires, and actions. Miracles done by God, prophets, Jesus, and the Apostles confirmed Jesus' Word alone as the true, inspired, saving message to lost sinners. Only this Word, law and gospel, has power to convict the soul of sin, work faith in Christ, change man's heart, thinking, and living, and save. Trust it to work. Don't apologize when you use it. Don't hesitate to use it. Just use it.

What an unlikely person Jesus picked for this miracle. Could Jesus have picked a harder case to shower with his mercy? "Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

The man was demon-possessed.  He wasn't just an unbeliever. An evil angel entered the man and remained in him. The Greek says he was possessed "in" an evil spirit, like a person in love or in a rage. The devil is God's ape. He tries to copy God, but because he is lying personified, his efforts always end in dismal failure. The Christian is "in Christ" and receives countless blessings through that association. Jesus dwells in him. The Holy Spirit resides in him as God's temple. The Triune God goes with him everywhere producing good works. When an evil spirit or fallen angel possesses a person bodily, the results are horrible. Mark calls the demon an "unclean spirit," because the demon hates God, all truly good, God's Word, and holiness. Often the spirit shows itself in filthy language, perverted desires, immoral or criminal behavior, and cruelly hurts its victim. Some sins and sinners dress up in nice clothes and look respectable, even get the world's approval, Not this man with a demon. He probably smelled horrible, looked filthy and disheveled, wore torn clothes, and had wounds from his demon throwing him around.

Listen how entrenched this demon was in the man. Jesus had taught in the synagogue, but hadn't addressed the man. But the demon, using the poor victim's vocal cords cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?" Here was no cry for help, no prayer for mercy. Here was no moral citizen like the centurion of Capernaum, a hated Roman soldier even the Jews interceded on behalf of. He wasn't like the rich young ruler, concerned about holy living and having eternal life. He wants no pardon, salvation, or heaven from Jesus, but only to be left alone to keep hurting the man he possessed. "What do you want from us?" really means, "Just leave us alone, Jesus." That's the language of Satan and the damned who will finally hear God's curse, "Depart from us..." Many who aren't demon possessed use this language, don't they? "Just leave us alone. Don't bother us with this talk of religion, God's Word, Jesus, church, faith, heaven, and Christianity." But what they call a "kindness" we simply can't grant them. We can't keep silent when they plead with us, "Let us go to hell and be damned."

Don't be fooled the man with his demon was in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The demon probably was there to disrupt the worship or try to derail Jesus from his mission to deliver souls from hell. The songs, Scripture, prayers had no positive effect on the demon or his victim. Just as many unbelievers, hypocrites, skeptics, and hardened sinners may sit in Christian churches each Sunday. But aren't you glad he was there--within range of Jesus and his powerful Word, his Gospel gun?

Demons know who Jesus is. "Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” They know Jesus is the Son of God. They know their days are numbered; they'll be confined to hell on Judgment Day. When this demon heard Jesus preach his true, authoritative, powerful Word he confessed who Jesus was. How demons must hate doing that! And when they do, they try to use this truth to their advantage. If they linked Jesus to themselves, some would accuse Jesus of being on the devil's team. Maybe the demon thought if he admitted this truth Jesus would let him keep possessing the man.

Hardened sinners sometimes reluctantly say true things. "I know Jesus is God. I know he died for me. I should be in church worshipping him and hearing his Word." They compliment us: "I admire your passion. I know you believe that's true, but I can't accept it. I shouldn't be doing what I'm doing. But confessing truth that way while remaining unrepentant and not believing Jesus is your Savior is language straight out of hell. Even the demons confess who Jesus is--and tremble. They know what's coming to them someday.

What a case Jesus selected to show mercy on. We'd think it unlikely if not impossible he could show his divine power, which turns sinners into saints, on such a man. But our Lord can soften even the hardest hearts with his powerful Word. Do you see people Satan has mastery over? Caught in life-dominating sins, evil thinking, unclean desires? Who could blame us if we wanted to stay away from them. We're supposed to avoid Satan and evil, aren't we?

That thinking can morph into self-righteousness or contempt for all unbelievers Jesus wants us to reach. Don't rule out anyone! There's help and hope for the worst, hardened sinners. God showed some committed the sin of hardening or the sin against the Holy Spirit, and walled themselves off from his saving grace. But the power and grace of Jesus knows no limit. Christ fixes his eyes to show mercy on the basest, foulest, chiefs of sinners. You'll see his light overpowering darkness. But when you bear that light, a message goes go down to the Bottomless Pit. You'll be opposed. You're a great danger to the Kingdom of the Evil One. But you go with Jesus' presence, protection, and power. If you're still trapped in Satan's kingdom, there's hope in Christ. Jesus can break that yoke from your neck, and set you free. Believe Jesus Christ paid fully for your sins. God will count you his holy child, give you a new heart, and eternity with him.

Jesus loved the victim of this evil spirit and did something about it. “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek." Sharp orders for this demon. It's the equivalent of Jesus saying "Shut up! Close your trap. Be muzzled." Jesus didn't want this traitor's testimony to damage his reputation. Evil people would accuse him of casting out demons because he was sent by the devil as it was. By telling this demon not to say a word more, Jesus showed he had power over the demon, but was not on the demon's side.

As soon as Jesus commanded "Come out of him!" the demon had to obey. Everything in heaven and earth must obey him. The demon gave a blood-curdling shriek as he obeyed, but showed his evil character by trying to do final damage to his victim. Satan and his evil angels, no matter how nice they sound or act, always seek to steal, kill, and destroy, not help and bless. The demon shook the man violently as tore at him--like a muscular seizure. Luke tells us he threw the man to the ground, but didn't hurt him. Jesus protected him. He failed his last evil attempt to harm and came out of the man like a whipped dog. What a triumph for Jesus over Satan.Jesus trampled on the head of the great serpent, shut the mouth of the roaring lion, and conquered the great dragon. Today the Lord is speaking to sinners under the power or the influence Satan or demons. Sometimes you can almost smell the sulfur of hell as you see Satan twist someone's thinking. But praise God, sometimes you witness faith being born by the Gospel, Satan's power broken, or another trophy of grace displaying behavior that delights angels and saints.

The reaction to Jesus' amazing miracle was very positive. "The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.” News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee." It doesn't mean all, or even most of them believed. But some saw this miracle was a sign telling them and us that Jesus is the Messiah, and God's Word is true. Some asked themselves the question: What's with this new powerful teaching and teacher? Even demons obey this Jesus. " His message was authoritative, but not new. It was the promise to Adam and Eve, the Good Shepherd who took David safely through the valley of the shadow of death, the suffering servant Isaiah saw wounded for his transgressions, the Lamb of God John the Baptist said would take away the sin of the world.

Ready to give up witnessing? Don't you dare! If you have a choice, you might as well pick the very worst sinners to try to win with the Gospel. He knew it's not how good the person is; it's how good the Savior is. The Sun of Righteousness can shine in the deepest blackness, into the darkest soul. Preach the name of Jesus with confidence, the authoritative, true, powerful Word of God. It has power over the foulest demon from hell. Don't go with your ideas or man-made cleverness. It's the Word of God that  sprouts in the good ground prepared by God's law. The gates of hell can't prevail against the church built by proclaiming that Word. You have God's promise: "The Lord shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." AMEN.

"Don't Pollute God's Temple" 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 January 15, 2012

Sermon on 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Mt. Olive Lutheran 1-15-12 Pastor Joel Schroeder  "Don't Pollute God's Temple" 1. Your Body Doesn't Belong to You  2. So Flee From Sins Against Your Body

Once upon a time a wise, good, generous king designed and built a magnificent temple and spared no expense. It was without a flaw. He'd built it for his bride, the queen, to enjoy and use. When it was done, the queen carelessly slammed open it's intricately carved wood doors and damaged them. Her muddy tennis shoes left tracks on the plush red carpet. Glancing disdainfully at the striking marble sculpture of an angel, she spit on it. She wolfed down a cheeseburger, throwing the last few bites against the embroidered gold drapes, leaving greasy stains. Cursing and blasting obnoxious music from her I-Pad, she whacked wet, dirty, tennis balls off mural-covered walls, leaving marks and breaking priceless art-glass windows. She got sick, threw up her lunch, and left the building without cleaning up her damage. What if you were the king who built the building for your wife, but she treated it so? Now imagine the king is God. The costly price he paid was the death of his only Son. The queen bride is the church, made of sinners. The temple is the Christian's body. But God didn't only erect beautiful holy temples by paying for us, body and soul with the precious blood of Jesus; he comes and lives in that temple! Imagine the king living in what his wife had desecrated. Paul wanted the Corinthians and us to appreciate our bodies. He appealed: "Don't Pollute God's Temple" 1. Your Body Doesn't Belong to You  2. So Flee From Sins Against Your Body.

Corinth was a harbor town 50 miles West of Athens, Greece. It had two harbors East and West of the city on the narrow isthmus between the Aegean and Adriatic Seas. When soldiers or sailors are away from home, they often drink hard, and commit sexual sins. That was easy to do at Corinth. If a woman was called a Corinthian, that was an insult;  it meant she was immoral. To Corinthianize meant to have immoral sex. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was the patron goddess of Corinth. Her temple housed 1,000 temple prostitutes who had sex with men and women who came to worship Aphrodite by those acts. Add drunken celebrations to the god of wine, and Corinth was a hard place even for faithful Christians to resist sexual temptations. Immorality in Corinth was as common as it is in the US in 2012. It was viewed as OK, normal, right by many. They denied it was sin that damned. But Paul told the Corinthian Christians in three verses before our text: "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

That's what you were: sexually immoral, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, drunks, swindlers, foul-mouthed idolaters. That's not what you are now. You're washed clean, holy, declared not guilty because of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Then Paul gave several reasons the Corinthian Christians, and us, should use our bodies for good, not sin; to serve him, not to be slaves to our sinful desires.

I'm free and should stay free “Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything." Some at Corinth said they were only using their bodies in sex the way God designed. Their motto to defend their immoral behavior was: “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food.” When I get hungry, I eat; when I'm thirty, I drink; if I desire more wine, I drink more wine; when I want sex, I have sex. God made my body with those desires. Today they'd say: "I'm programmed that way; that's who I am; I'm doing what comes naturally." Paul's point "Everything's permissible for me...but shouldn't master me" is this: "I eat when I'm hungry. But if I overeat, that's not permissible eating. That's sinful gluttony. I've become slave to my sinful desire to overeat. If I'm of legal age and drink a glass or two of wine, beer, or hard liquor, that's permissible. That's enjoying Christian freedom. But if I drink 7 or 8 and get drunk, that's not permissible drinking and freely using God's gift of alcohol. My desire to drink too much has mastered me. I've become it's slave. If I have sex with my spouse, that's Christian freedom. God doesn't restrict how often married people enjoy that gift. But if I have sex with someone I'm not married to, look at porn, lust, or shack up with someone because I want to be wanted, or desire pleasure, that's not freedom to use my body for what it was designed. I've become slave to my sexual desires. So Paul placed two restrictions on using permissible behaviors. Is it harmful? Sin always is. Has it become my master?

Paul's especially talking about misusing the body. I'm sure he'd warn us not to against play too many video games, watch too much TV, read too much, be obsessed with sports, run up credit cards shopping. Paul wants you to ask: Am I using this activity, which isn't of itself a sin, in moderation? Is it taking over? Can I stop it? Can I say no? Can I put it down? If I can't, it's definitely become my master. The activity may be permissible--but it's no longer beneficial for me or others. I need to stop or cut back so it doesn't rule me.

"The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also." Paul won't stand for the suggestion when a person is sexual immoral, that's just allowing the body to do what it was made for. The body was made to serve the Lord in grateful love, not to sin. Since the Fall, humans have sinful temptations, but you can say no to using your body to sin. Even unbelievers know that. Remember the anti-drug slogan: Just say 'No!'? Some unbelievers learn all sins, including sins done with the body, bring suffering, not joy and happiness. Get drunk and you may find temporary good feelings and forget your pain, but you may wake up with a hangover. It may cost your job, family, financial security, and ruin relationships with family and friends. Have sex with the opposite sex before marriage and there may be STDs, unwanted pregnancies,  shame, interrupted schooling, or soured relationship because both parties stop growing closer spiritually and emotionally. They grow farther apart as they lose respect for each other, and fight more. Living together doesn't lead to better marriages; rather to shorter, less happy ones. Have an affair and it could cost your soul, end your marriage, cause much heartache and financial trouble, and break up your family. The way of the transgressor is hard. God didn't design the body to be immoral.

Some Corinthians excused immorality by saying the body's just temporary. You'll die and eating and sex won't be an issue. You'll be pure soul. So how will it hurt to have fun with my temporary body? Paul counters the Greek notion of getting rid of your body forever at death was wrong. All will rise from the dead. God made you body and soul. God redeemed you body and soul. You'll go on existing, body and soul after Judgment Day. Our bodies are too precious to use in sexual immorality. Honor God with your body, because one day God will raise your body to live forever.

I'm sure you've heard this reason to avoid sinful places and situations: Jesus is with you wherever you go. Don't take him where he would never want to go. Paul makes that idea more vivid when he reminds us Christ isn't just with us. We are one with Christ! He's our head. With our bodies, Christians are the parts of his body. Don't join the body of Christ, and your head Jesus sinfully in sexual union, for example, to a prostitute. Have sex with someone, and you become one with that person. "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit."

Sometimes people defend immorality: All sins damn; one isn't worse than another. So why're you so hard on sexual sins? Isn't sexual sin like losing my temper or saying a bad word? Paul sees a distinction, though. "All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;  you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." Involving your body in sin desecrates this marvelous temple. So in the Old Testament God's penalties for sexual sins were severe. People may make light of such sins; God doesn't.

You wouldn't  dump garbage in this sanctuary. It's the house of God. It's where he reveals himself in Word and Sacrament and we get to worship him, and hear his good news. Then don't use your body for sexual sins. You'd be taking the temple of God, your body, the place the Holy Spirit lives, and joining that wonderful, redeemed, holy, set apart for God body, to someone else in a sinful union. When you take care of someone's property, it's not yours to do with as you choose. You're to use the way they tell you to. If they ask you to drive their car to keep the battery charged while they are on a long trip, they aren't giving permission to drive it in demolition derbies or amateur stock car races.You're body's yours to use, but it belongs to God. He made, redeemed at the tremendous cost of his Son's life, and sanctified it when he brought you to faith in Christ. Your body's made for heaven. You're part of Christ's body. Your body his temple and he, not you, gets to say how that body should be used. And he does: "Therefore honor God with your body." You'lldo that by not using it to commit sexual sins by yourself, with another single, or someone you're not married to. These appeals to sexual purity only a Christian understands.

If you're sleeping with or defrauding each other by sexual stimulation before you're married, is that honoring God? If you're not married, living together in a sexual relationship, is that honoring God? Will unbelievers and Christians say, "That couple living together sexually makes me think how great the holy God is, and how he produces godly living in his people." If you're giving in to lust and viewing pornography, and giving sexual pleasure to your body while you do, is that something you're willing to share with your spouse, family, church, pastor and Jesus, because when you tell people about it, they'll honor God?

If Paul were alive today, Paul might write a book entitled: The Joseph Imperative: How to Avoid the Lure of Sexual Sins. Notice! What did Joseph do when Potiphar's wife tempted him to commit adultery? Two things. He fled. He got out of her presence as fast as he could. If you're asked to have sex with someone you're not married to, get out of where you are. Don't stay and try to resist it. Go home. Leave that apartment. Run if you have to. Say no, mean no, and scream for help if your no isn't listened to. Avoid those tempting situations in the first place. The second thing Joseph did was to remind himself and Mrs. Potiphar sexual sin doesn't just affect one sinner. It hurts both people who engage in it. It grieves the Holy Spirit. Remember what Joseph said? "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"

Once we've committed sexual sins, Satan the great accuser lies that God won't forgive us. He wants to keep those sins buried deep inside, torturing our conscience. He convinces us if we confess our sins it will be worse. He tells us we haven't been pure, so how can we call ourselves Christians? How can God love us? But that's not true. Jesus Christ receives sinners, of whom I am chief. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery he didn't condemn her, but "Go and sin no more." David, who committed murder to cover his adultery, wrote: "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow... Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquity." And do you remember in Jesus' wonderful parable of full forgiveness from a pardoning father, the older brother pointed out his brother had "squandered your property with prostitutes." I love how Don Francisco captured Jesus' gracious, forgiving attitude in one of his songs: "I don't care where you've been sleeping, I don't care who's made your bed, I already gave my life to set you free. There's no sin you can imagine that is greater than my love, and it's all yours if you'll come home again to me."

Confess the sins you've committed with your body. Remember the pardon your baptism guarantees. Take his body and blood and be reassured. He died for all sins. Sins of your body. Sexual sins. Take his full pardon, be free, and honor him with your body. Draw a line today and say: from now on, I'll be chaste.

Sexual temptation's all around us today. It's on the TV, in movies, books, and advertising. Today's immodest fashions leave little to the imagination. And the drumbeat all around is: sex is natural, sex is fun, you can't say no, just use protection. But our God, as he always does, tells us the truth. Sexual immorality is not victimless. It hurts everyone who commits it. The child of God has many reasons to resist temptation and remain pure. By doing so you will honor God and cause others to think and say, "Look what pure behavior Jesus Christ and his spirit have produced in that child of God." AMEN.

"Why Was Jesus Circumcised?" Luke 2:21 January 1, 2012

Sermon on Luke 2:21 Mt. Olive Lutheran January 1, 2012 Pastor Joel B. Schroeder "Why Was Jesus Circumcised?" 1. It Assures Me of My Salvation 2. It Was a Forerunner of Baptism

Jesus was circumcised the 8th day of his life. When we celebrate Jesus' birth December 25, that puts the circumcision of Jesus January 1. January 1 is called "the Feast of the Circumcision" or "Feast of the Holy Name." When churches worship New Year's Day, instead of preaching on Jesus' circumcision every year, pastors often preach God is giving us another year to use his Word and Sacraments, or God will continue to be faithful. Does that mean the circumcision of Jesus isn't important--something the ancient church celebrated annually, but we can ignore? The circumcision and naming of Jesus are very important. When Luther preached on this single verse, he told his congregation it was a short Gospel so he'd make a short sermon--then preached for 10 pages! Circumcision may be surprising topic, startling in fact. But it's in the Bible, and was written for our learning. So may we learn today "Why Jesus Was Circumcised." It Assures Me of My Salvation 2. It Was a Forerunner of Baptism.

The ancient church once battled a heresy called "Docetism." Some claimed Jesus only seemed to be a real man, but didn't have a real body. Can you see why a yearly emphasis on the Circumcision of Christ was a good idea in those days? You can't circumcise a spirit, or a "pretend" body. When Jesus was circumcised, that proved he truly shared our flesh and was one of us in every way, except he had no sin.

Many Gentiles circumcise male babies. For Gentiles, it has no spiritual significance. Some do so because the dad was circumcised or because it's easier to keep the circumcised penis clean and thus avoid some diseases. But circumcision had a long history before it became the common choice for American parents.

Circumcision was around before God told Abraham to be circumcised and circumcise his sons and male servants. We don't know where or why it started. Some suggest since the foreskin is very sensitive, some cultures began circumcising their males to please their false gods by trying to avoid or give up some sexual pleasure. This makes sense. Natural man, feeling his guilt, often tries to get back in God's good graces by giving up some pleasure. Touch not. Taste not. Handle not. Some think they'll gain God's favor by not marrying, fasting, giving up wealth, or something for Lent.

No matter how circumcision started, God used it for spiritual good. He sanctified a custom that may have had pagan origins. He told Abraham in Genesis 17:12: "...every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring."  This command was put in the Law of Moses in Leviticus 12:3: "On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised." To this day, Jews, the physical descendants of Abraham, celebrate the "bris,"--the covenant--by circumcising male babies one week after birth. In ancient times the operation was done by the boy's father, often in the presence of relatives present celebrating the birth for a whole week. Joseph probably circumcised Jesus at the home they were staying in Bethlehem.

For Abraham and his descendants, circumcision did several things. It was the ceremony by which a child or adult was formally taken from the enemies of God and became part of God's chosen people. If someone refused to be circumcised, they were considered an unbeliever, not part of the church. God considered circumcision to be important. God almost killed Moses for not circumcising his two sons, due to the objections of his Egyptian wife.  At Gilgal after they'd crossed the Jordan God commanded Joshua to circumcise all males who hadn't been circumcised during the 40 years in the Wilderness. Circumcision was a pre-requisite for eating the Passover. Adult converts were circumcised as adults. Circumcision was a matter of identity and pride for Jews, but opened them up to derision and persecution from non-Jews.

Luther asked why circumcision was done on the 8th day. He suggested two possible reasons. It allowed the boy to grow stronger so the operation wouldn't hurt or kill him.  It was done before outward sins became evident. This is important! The sin we inherit from Adam, original sin, transmitted in the normal birth process through the father,  Luther calls our "greater sin." Not that one sin is more damning than another. But this sin is the root of all other sins. Our faults don't just lie in the acts we do, but in our fallen nature, our essence, what all humans have been like since the fall into sin. Except one, the one born of a virgin. And that's why God gave this ceremony for males--since sin was passed through the males.

Luther suggests that's why God chose the unusual body part to be removed, and not a hand, eye, ear, or  foot. He said those parts are involved in our outward works. It's not our outward works that can save or that start to damn us. The deepest failing or fault is our corrupt nature. If this didn't exist, if we'd somehow not been born from a sinful father, we'd never commit actual sins. But the sin of our very nature is so heinous, it can be removed by no law, no works, no punishment against us--even if there were 1,000 hells. The law doesn't produce outward sins. It only makes them obvious.

So law was preached by every Jewish circumcision, every time someone saw a circumcised husband, father, son, brother. We're all sinners from our conception from a sinful father. We can do nothing to change that as we can't choose to be born. But wonderful gospel was also preached by every circumcision. God told Abraham he would send an heir from his own body who would be a blessing to all nations. That was God's covenant with Abraham; the Messiah would come from the Jews.  A circumcised Jew's body reminded him and his family God made an unbreakable promise to send the Savior. The removal of sin and guilt would be bloody; it would require suffering and death. By circumcising their males, Jewish parents confessed and taught that truth. They were showing their saving faith. Jewish girls and women shared in the faith about the Savior though they weren't circumcised. But like Christmas celebrations today, many ethnic Jews didn't believe in a Savior to come, but continued to circumcise male babies.

Men, if you were Abraham, do you think you might have asked God a few questions before fetching the flint knife? Is there any other way, Lord? Can we come up with body part? My earlobe, maybe part of my finger or toe? Will this cutting idea will be good for outreach, Lord?  But God doesn't have a Divine Suggestion Box to determine his plan of salvation. God was teaching his people and us to take reason captive to his will. When we're suffering and our mind tells us he's far from us. Or he gives us painful spiritual medicine and we think it's poison. When he's teaching patience and we think he's punishing us. When in baptism he tells us to put drops of water on our heads--it just looks like we got a little wet or our hair mussed--but he says he's given us forgiveness. When he tells us to eat his body and drink his blood for our forgiveness, and our brain wants to ask, "Really?"

Jews had faith created or strengthened by circumcision as law and gospel were proclaimed. What about Jesus? If he had no actual or original sin (because he was born of a virgin), why was he circumcised?

Jesus was identifying himself as a true son of Abraham. Already born the perfect Second Adam, he was going to take the place of unfaithful Israel and serve God perfectly in their place. Where Israel proved unworthy and unbelieving, he'd be faithful, believing, obedient Israel, the one who prevailed before God.

Another  reason was Jesus' active obedience: he put himself under the whole law. He put himself under the 10 Commandments voluntarily by being born a human. He submitted to God's plan and put himself willingly under the burden of the law of Moses. Galatians 5:3 says if anyone is circumcised to be saved, he obligates himself to keep all the Mosaic law. Jesus did perfectly. He was circumcised the 8th day. His parents sacrificed to redeem him since he was their firstborn. He kept the Sabbath rest laws and attended the synagogue each Sabbath. He went to Jerusalem on required festivals. He made every sacrifice God commanded. He didn't only keep the Law of Moses outwardly; he trusted these shadows pointed to his work as the Redeemer of Israel. If he'd left a single law unkept, such as circumcision, our salvation would have been lost. Gal 4:4 says Jesus, the Divine Lawmaker "...was made of a woman, made under law, to redeem those who were under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons."

Notice the role his faithful parents played. They did the action by which he kept the law of circumcision. They sacrificed so he was redeemed as the firstborn. And we are blessed with godly parents who take us to church, teach us to pray, give us coins to drop in the offering, and teach us to give, share toys, be polite, say we're sorry. What a gift of God to Jesus Joseph and Mary were. What a gift to us godly parents are.

But surely you see in his circumcision Jesus shed the first drops of blood to pay for the sins of the world. He suffered pain the 8th day of his life. Poverty didn't just mean being born in a stable, lying in a manger, and being raised by poor parents. Ga 3:13 says Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law becoming a curse for us. Shedding drops of blood was the first installment of taking our curse on himself, so we don't  have to bear it. Not bulls' or goats' or lambs' blood. His blood. The blood of God's Son. God's blood.

Jesus wasn't named after Joseph, Mary's father Eli, or Joseph's father Jacob. He was given the name the angel told Mary to call him before Jesus was conceived. What a blessed name! We looked at that name in Advent. His name's the same as Joshua, the conquer, Joshua, the High Priest crowned as ruler, Hosea, the prophet told to marry his unfaithful bride. "Jesus" comes from two Hebrew words: "The LORD" and  "saves." His circumcision showed this would cost him dearly. His name indicated what he would do: save people from their sins. Call him Jesus--for he, the Lord, shall save his people from their sins. His name's above every name, precious to our ears, because it's the only name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. And because we trust this name, we get a wonderful new name: child of God.

Circumcision was a forerunner of baptism. Colossians 2:11–12 "In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead."

When Jesus died and rose, he'd completed his active and passive obedience. It was finished. All obedience required to satisfy God's demands for holiness and justice were paid. We're no longer under the Mosaic Law. We don't have to be circumcised to be part of God's chosen people. Because Jesus fully kept the 10 Commandments for us, we don't have to keep them to merit salvation--though we still want to obey God and are given the power to do so by faith.

But God requires "circumcision of the heart," a "circumcision without hands," a non-physical setting apart and cleansing. That's what the Bible calls baptism. Jesus was baptized at age 30, not because he was sinful, but "to fulfill all righteousness." He was baptized because God wants all baptized. He was taking the place of every believer unable to be baptized. He was showing the importance of baptism for all nations.

Do you see the similarities between circumcision and baptism?

• Both were commanded by God do be done to all: all Jews, all nations
• Both were ceremonies used in religious ceremonies God sanctified for his believers
• Both were done by parents early in a child's life to mark them as a forgiven child of God
• Both could be used later in life when an adult came to faith
• Both got power to forgive and save because they are gospel--they point to the Messiah, Jesus
• Both give power to lead a godly life because they strengthen faith in Jesus

Don't put off baptism for your children or grandchildren. Don't despise this wonderful gift of baptism. Think often of what your baptism means and derive comfort and power to live a godly life from it.

What's Jesus' circumcision got do with the New Year? Jesus' circumcision and naming show he did all he needed to accomplish your forgiveness and salvation. He's given you baptism to forgive your sins, and strengthen you. As you look back, take comfort your 2011 sins are wiped clean from God's slate. As you enter 2012, go as baptized children of God, with his comfort, and the power to serve him. Remember his marvelous name: Jesus, the Lord saves. The Lord saves ME. AMEN.

"The LORD Will Rebuild His Temple" Haggai 2:1-9 December 7, 2011

Sermon Haggai 2:1-9 Mt. Olive Lutheran December 7, 2011 Pastor Joel Schroeder "The LORD will Rebuild His Temple - Like Joshua " 1. With the Best of the Past 2. Even Greater than Before

Christmas is a nostalgic time, especially for older Christians. It's a time to look back to the good old days. I'm not talking about sleigh rides or stringing popcorn to put on Christmas trees with bubbling lights. I'm talking spiritual nostalgia. Remember Christmases long ago, in the church of your childhood, packed to the rafters, when marriages were happy, and families were together? Back when people were nicer, the world wasn’t so crazy, jobs were plentiful, and problems were a lot simpler? Remember those days? I don’t either. Though certain sins may be more prevalent and openly defended now than 50 years ago, the good old days weren't really so good, were they? Because of sin, there really haven’t been any "good old days" since before the Fall in Eden. This evening Haggai will show us when God’s people were stuck in what they thought were the good old days.

It is easy to see why it was a nostalgic time for Israel's people. The LORD just brought them home after 70 years of captivity in Babylon. While captives in Babylon, pious Jews desired nothing more than to be back in Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, worshipping the God of Israel. But that glorious temple was gone, burned by Nebuchadnezzar. And now God called them to rebuild the Temple under Governor Zerubbabel, and Joshua, the high priest. After a month of hard work, things still didn’t look so good. Elsewhere we're told older people, who remembered what the old temple looked like, wept out loud when they saw the new foundations laid. They wept because the new temple seemed so small, so paltry, so insignificant compared to Solomon's Temple. "Oh, do you remember how glorious Solomon's Temple was? Those were the good old days!" God knew what they were thinking. They were right. He asked: “Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?”

All that hard work, and the result still was far from what they expected to produce for the LORD. The LORD needed to remind his people who does the real work of building. Led by Joshua the high priest, the Jews were cutting stone, laying bricks, and preparing the temple furnishings. But all that building was meant to prepare the people for something even greater, something God himself would accomplish through another Joshua. His Son Jesus, would rebuild his people.. "Jesus" is "Joshua" in Greek. Jesus comes to Rebuild His Temple - Like Joshua  1. With the Best Tools of the Past, and 2. Even Bolder Than Before.

The LORD said, “Be strong O Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land…and work. For I am with you,” declares the LORD Almighty. “This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.” In Haggai Chapter 2, the people of God looked back at the good old days with selective memory. They remembered the outward glory of the former temple, so much larger than the Tabernacle or their new temple. Cedar wood covered with gold, the large brass altar, golden tables and lamps. But they forgot the sins that used to be found in that Temple. The idolatry, prostitution, their unfaithfulness. Sins of injustice, selfishness, and greed. That's why the LORD Almighty destroyed Solomon's Temple. Joshua and the people worked hard to bring back the glory of the first temple. But the LORD said, “Remember what it was that made the temple so glorious in the first place. It wasn’t the size or beauty of the building. It wasn’t the silver or gold. It was my presence. My grace. The grace that delivered you from Egypt and made you a great nation. My Holy Spirit working through my Word, my covenant and promise to take all your sins away.” The silver and the gold may be gone, but my Spirit and my Word remain. These are the best tools of the past for building you can have, this or any temple, or church, godly family, or individual faith!  

They didn't have to look back 70 years. Or to the 400 years Solomon's Temple with its blood sacrifices, interceding priests, ark, mercy seat, and sweet-smelling incense stood in glorious contrast to Israel's sin. God recently set this generation free from slavery in Babylon through stunning regime change. Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians. God amazed the world and his people by having the Persian King Cyrus, as Isaiah prophesied about him by name, pay for remnants to return and rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem. Once at Jerusalem, instead of getting to work, they convinced themselves it was NOT time to rebuild the Temple. They had better things to do! Fine homes for themselves. Furnishing their homes with luxurious paneling--while God's house remained a pile of rubble. How they used their time and money showed their priorities were mixed up. God didn't have their hearts. Yet in mercy he didn't abandon or destroy them.

God disciplined them. He took their prosperity. "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with a hole in it."...Go up to the mountains and bring down timber, and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it, and be honored...What you brought home, I blew away. Why? Because of my house which remains a ruin while each of you is busy with his own house. Because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields...and on the labor of your hands."God's chastisement and call to build his house produced repentance. They obeyed God's call and began to build 23 days later.

Let's not fail to heed God's call to repent this Advent. We've seen drought, and less bountiful return on America's labor. You and I must examine our hearts and actions, and see where we've been so busy with our homes, we've neglected doing all we can to please him and bring him glory. Let's repent as the people did when Haggai, Zerubbabel, and Joshua challenged them to put God first and serve him wholeheartedly.

Like Joshua, Zerubbabel, and the other builders, maybe you're working hard this year to rebuild and reclaim the glory of the past. This Christmas, you want to do everything you can bring back the good old days for this church, your family, employer, community, and country. And yet sometimes you feel frustrated and hurt when people don’t respond as you think they should, or when the results of your work aren’t immediately visible. When the results of your labor aren't what you expect, as good as you remember the good old days, the LORD Almighty says to you, “Be strong, and continue the work. For I am with you.”

Between Christ’s first coming and second coming the Bible tells us conditions for his Church will change and it won’t always be for the better. But God is still with us in Word and Spirit, just as he was with his people in the past. And as the prophet Haggai goes on to tell us, the LORD promises to come once again to rebuild in a way that is Even Bolder Than Before.

What was so glorious about your past Christmases? You may think more financial security, fewer worries, a bigger, closer family. Those things are wonderful blessings, but you know all those things were tainted with sin, temptation, and conflict. Do not fear! The LORD will come to rebuild Christmas for you the same way he did in the past. He comes with his Holy Spirit working through his Word of Promise. He comes with the same good tidings of great joy that is still for all the people. When the LORD came to rebuild his people, he came miles from the beautiful temple in Jerusalem. He came to Mary and Joseph huddled for warmth in the barn of Bethlehem. Even though Jesus was born and he lived most of his life in Galilee far from the temple at Jerusalem, when he died on the cross he fulfilled these ancient temple promises. David said, "I'll build you a house, God." But God told him, "No, David, I'll build you a house, a house that will never end. Your descendant will  rule on David's throne forever." Haggai's contemporaries said, "We'll build you a temple, LORD, but it's not very glorious." The LORD answered, "I'll build you a more glorious temple through my Messiah. My only Son will accomplish something far greater than all those temple sacrifices in that beautiful building could." That Son who came as a baby built us up by being torn down for our sins. That's the good news that makes all Christmases glorious.

The promise of a Savior that motivated Joshua and the people to continue the work of rebuilding the temple. They were dedicated to rebuilding the temple, because as Haggai reminded them, the LORD would come to rebuild them with his Word and Spirit just like he did in the past. Five hundred years after this Joshua, Jesus burst into the world preaching the Word, filled with the Spirit. Sadly, between the time of this Joshua and Jesus, the spiritual condition of the Jewish people changed--and it wasn’t for the better! But because of his great love for his broken people, Jesus still came and he built up those broken with sin with the good news of forgiveness. He fulfilled Haggai's prophecy "I will shake the all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with my glory... The silver is mine and the gold is mine...The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house...And in this place I will grant peace, declares the LORD ALMIGHTY."

God shook the nations at the Flood and on Sinai. God shook Egypt, Canaan, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Macedon, Greece, Syria. He raised up the Romans. And the King of Kings was born. If God wanted another glorious building built he could have done that. He owns all the silver and gold. But he shook the nations to produce a much more temple. Jesus, true God and man, came to this same lowly temple after it'd been remodeled and made more glorious by Herod. His parents brought him to that building as a baby, to redeem him. He worshipped and studied there as a boy. He cleansed it and preached in its courts as rabbi. His presence there made this place much more glorious than the tabernacle of Moses, Solomon's temple with its pillar of fire, or the less glorious, rebuilt temple of Zerubbabel and Joshua. He came to that temple to tear down and build up the temple of his body. By doing so, he constructed the temple of the Holy Christian Church--believers, cleansed by his perfect Sacrifice, a holy building fit for the Holy Spirit to live in. On a hill down the steep slope from Herod's Temple, he died as the perfect sacrifice which alone could effect peace between you and God.

Did you catch this promise about you? “In a little while I will be even bolder as I shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come.” One way to prospect for gold is to put dirt in which you think there's gold through a sieve. You shake it until the dirt falls through some screens and all that remains in the sieve are the precious nuggets of gold. That's what the LORD is picturing here. The LORD promises to boldly shake all nations until all that’s left are the ones he truly desires ("desired ones" is a plural!). The most desired part of any nation is the part God has chosen as his own.

We see a partial fulfillment of this shaking when Christ first came. Jesus, without swords, soldiers or guns, conquered more nations than Muhammad, Alexander the Great, Ghengis Khan and Napoleon combined! He shook the nations with ex-fishermen and tax collectors. He used the worldwide ministry of a former Pharisee, assisted by lowly men and women from all over, to boldly share the good news of the manger in Bethlehem, the cross of Calvary, and the empty tomb or Easter. The LORD built his kingdom and extended his reign far beyond the borders of Old Testament Israel. Through the gospel Christ Lord sets up his temple in the hearts and minds of people from every nation. That bold gospel work will continue until the LORD comes again, even bolder than before, to shake the heavens and earth, to overturn thrones and shatter kingdoms, on Judgment Day. God's still shaking the world through Christians. He uses one to bring another to faith. Another's led out of addiction or promiscuous sex. A spouse considering an unscriptural divorce recommits to the marriage. A rebellious teen settles down and lives peaceably with his parents. A person with an uncontrolled temper is contrite, and learns to forgive, to live a gentle, productive life.

Maybe this Christmas you feel like some of the rebuilders working under Joshua, lamenting the fact that things just don’t seem as good as they used to. Chances are you're focusing on the outward blessings of Christmas, family unity, money, presents, vacation, and free time, or old-fashioned family traditions of Christmas you enjoyed long ago. Maybe this year we don’t get to use golden lamp stands or brass altars in our personal house of worship. But so what? We won't  let the external trappings of the season deprive us of the joy in the things truly worthwhile: the peace of heart and conscience found only in Jesus. Like the woman who this week finally confessed her guilt in her abortion years ago and got free. These eternal realities came to us first in the manger of Bethlehem. These eternal realities are freely offered and given to us today in this house and wherever God reveals his glorious Messiah through his Word. Even though we may sometimes feel far from Christ, in the Word he's never far from us. This Advent season again, the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. AMEN.