Brownstown Presbyterian Church
Sunday, January 12, 2025
Psalms 34.18NIV2011
Psalms 56.8NIV2011
Psalms 37.5NIV2011
John 11.33-35NIV2011
Romans 8.31-33MESSAGE
Romans 8.34MESSAGE
Romans 8.35MESSAGE
Romans 8.36-38MESSAGE
Romans 8.39MESSAGE
- The Importance of letters.Letters are important. In our modern day of texting…and social media…letter writing…is not as practiced as it once was...How many of you have hand written a letter to someone before?Have you every written a letter to someone?For what purpose did you write the letter?See…this is why I love this congregation…we’re old school…Have you written one this year?Perfect! That’s awesome!And why do you write those letters?checking in on someonecelebrating with themoffering them comfort in a difficult timeThere’s something so personal about taking the time to write a letter. and…depending on to whom the letter is written…a great deal of importance could be attached to that letter...______________________________Calvin (of CALVIN AND HOBBES comic strip fame) stands behind a tree, poised to throw a snowball at his "girlfriend…Susie"She says, "I see you, Calvin, and you'd better not throw that snowball! I'm mailing a letter to Santa right now."Calvin asks: "Is the envelope sealed?""Yes," she replies, "but I could write a P.S. on the back.""Do you have a pen?" Calvin asks."As a matter of fact, I do!" she answers.Calvin drops the snowball and says, "I'll bet she's bluffing, but this is not the time of year to tempt fate."________________________________A letter to Santa is no joke…you don’t mess with that process…if you know what’s good for you. Its just too risky...Letters convey something that we need or want to say...And the book of Revelation…is just such a letter...Dictated by JesusWritten by John (or his scribe)To: Seven worshiping communities…7 churches of Asia Minor (or modern day Turkey)You’ve Got Mail!As the old AOL chime used to say when you recieved an email: “You’ve Got Mail”The 7 churches mentioned in today’s scripture reading…they got mail...Today is the the third of our 13 week…summer sermon series on the book of Revelation...The first Sunday we talked about the meaning and purpose of writing the letter…was not to frighten or discourage…but to bring hope in the midst of present difficulties and struggle...The 2nd Sunday we talked about…moving from fear to freedom....when John encountered the risen Christ…while in the Spirit…he fell down as though he were dead...But just as quickly…Jesus reached down and touched his shoulder and said “do not be afraid”… “I am the first and the last…and the living one...”Jesus tells John to write down... “the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.”So John is commissioned to write this letter by Jesus...The seven letters…are the original audience for the book of Revelation…what they are going through…and how they should respond as followers of Jesus Christ…is the purpose of writing...John is to share all that Jesus says…and all that he is allowed to see...That’s important…this vision…this apocalypse is being shared with Christians…for their:encouragement in what they do well...to call them to repentance when necessary...To remind them of their priorities in living out the gospel of Jesus Christ where God has planted them.The letters to the seven churches are meant to encourage, call to repentance, and help them to prioritize their relationship with God.For those that wonder if the book of Revelation is relevant to us today…I would argue it is always relevant...Number one because its part of the Bible...But number two…because it is a direct report of Jesus’ own perspective on his church!This is the groom talking about his bride.We…the church…are the bride of Christ…and in some sense…these letters are a type of love letter…written with affection…written with love…written for the purpose of desiring a deeper connection with his bride.Let me be clear…I am not advocating that grooms begin to write down the pros and cons of their bride…that wouldn’t go over too well...But what I am saying is that these letters tell us of Christ’s heart for his people…and they give an honest assessment of the state of each church...The Seven ChurchesThe Seven churches of Revelation are:1) Ephesus:2) Smyrna:3) Pergamum:4) Thyatira:5) Sardis:6) Philadelphia:7) Laodicea:These churches were all attached to a road system…making them interconnected…and part of the larger Roman world through commerce and trade...Ephesus is the most important…and largest church among the group…When Jesus directs John to write down his words to the seven churches...its kind of like a “Define the Relationship” letter…Jesus lifts up the good things there may be…and lifts up areas of concern for his church...In Ephesus…he encourages them with the things that they have done (and are doing) well...English Standard Version Chapter 2
I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.
But then Jesus says “I have this against you...English Standard Version Chapter 2you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
In other words…what happened to you? You have abandoned the love you had (for Jesus) at first.How did Jesus know they had abandoned the love they had at first? Because they no longer followed his commandsLook…they had been through a lot as a congregation in the Roman Empire’s 4th largest city…they had weathered ridicule and persecution…even a riot as recorded in Acts 19...they had maintained their community despite the temptation to leave the Church…in order to participate in the lifestyle of the average Roman citizen...But Jesus says they have abandoned the love they had for him...Think about your own Christian life…think the church at BPC? Have you…Have we…lost or abandoned our love for Jesus? How would we know it if we had?This church has been in this community since 1816…when this was the wild west frontier…you don’t form a church on the frontier…unless it matters deeply to you...Being a part of the Church of Jesus Christ is a commitment above all other commitments...Its an allegiance above all other allegiances.Tomorrow is the 4th of July…its a great anniversary festival…marking the declaration of the independence of the British colonies back in July of 1776...Its a great day! A fun celebration…I am as grateful as the next person to live in this nation and the freedoms which we have enjoyed up to this point in history...But my allegiance to this nation is at best…secondary…to my allegiance to Jesus Christ…to His church...Our professions…our hobbies…our nation…even our family…can all be good an honorable things to lift up as important...But nothing…NOTHING…is more important than our relationship with God...Everything else…Everything else…is of secondary concern…this is the allegiance that Jesus is asking of the seven churches of RevelationThis is the allegiance that Jesus calls us to...today...Its not just these seven churches that are under Jesus’ scrutiny…under his watchful loving eye…its you and me too...Not only do they have mail...YOU’VE GOT MAIL!I’VE GOT MAILThe book of Revelation is about a vision and a word from the LORD Jesus Christ to his church: yesterday, today, and forever!The LORD takes notice of how we live our lives…and the LORD knows our strengths and our weaknesses…as his church at BPC.What are our areas of strength?How do we shine the light of Jesus in this place…in our lives…and in our communities?What are our weaknesses?What our accommodations with the world?Has our love and allegiance to Jesus waned or weakened over the years?You can just hear Jesus’ heart for these churches…he longs for them to repent…to continue in doing good....to turn for following after the things of this world...And leaves them…and he leaves us…with a promise...a promise of everlasting life with Him…if we just turn to him…and commit ourselves and our lives to putting Him first in all things...Love God with your whole heart…love your neighbor as you love yourself.(and if you don’t like yourself…then please…just leave your neighbor alone.)May we take stock of our life of faith…as individuals…and as a community…may our allegiance to Christ…always reign supreme…in our lives...Thanks be to God…AMEN.Its a similar story of each of the 7 churches...2) SmyrnaThey think they are poor but Jesus says their rich. They face persecution and even more persecution is on the way...Jesus word of encourageme?Do not be afraidThe Devil is about to move against themyou’ll sufferThrown in jailJesus says: Be faithful unto death.For those who think the Christian life offers peace and good in all things at all time and in all places…wrong. Believers in Jesus Christ…will always share…in some measure…in the sufferings and persecutions of Christ...Jesus tells us to not fear…suffer unto death…because then you will be not suffer the second death…at the judgement seat of God...3) Pergamum4) Thyatira5) Sardis6) Philadelphia7) Laodicea - It’s Always Sunny in Northern ChileWe all like sunny days…especially during the summer…so much fun to be had…but if its always sunny…the environment suffers...In the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...Clouds gather so seldom over the valley that one can say, "It almost never rains here!"Protected by the high Andes Mountains to the East..preventing weather systems from moving it…and the cold ocean current on its west coast…keep the air cooler and not letting moisture to be absorbed...The Atacama Desert is the direst warm desert in the world...In fact…”in 2015, parts of the hyper-arid core received unexpected rainfall…and it is estimated to have been the first rain to land on those areas for at least 500 years!”(source: https://pedalchile.com/blog/driest-desert)That’s a whole different category of drought!We often long for total sunshine and continuous joy in life...Those who struggle with addiction…(in any of its forms)…and remember…some say that we are ALL addicted to something...Those who struggle with addiction...are always chasing that next “high”…a never ending pursuit of pleasure and happiness...…a never ending retreat from the more painful…frustrating…and difficult parts of life.We of course ...all desire…to avoid heartache and pain...Like that sunny, infertile part of Chile, however, life without clouds and even an occasional downpour would not be productive or challenging. Though showers do come, they will also end, and the sun will shine again.Scripture puts it..."Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5).The Seven Seals RevealedI think that many people have this view of the life of faith. The life of being a Christian...some think… “Hey...I believe in God…I’m now a Christian…therefore I will no longer struggle in life…it’s all sun and no rain…from this time forward.”…uh…NO.______________________The very first Christians…ONLY knew suffering…and came to faith anyway…s_______________________Today’s scripture reading…from from chapters 6 and 8 of the book of Revelation…are about “rainy days” if you will…days of God’s judgement on the earth…and the earth dwellers...Often Christians struggle with the idea that God would send down his wrath on the people of the earth...…because…some reason...as the scriptures attest…God came to humanity already…only... not to condemn or pour out wrath…on sinful humanity...but to call humanity to repentance and salvationin Christ alone…by grace alone…through faith alone…as found in scripture alone…to the glory of God alone..However…despite Jesus first advent…or appearing... being about salvation and not judgement…it was not without its warnings of future troubles..... Jesus’ offered his own words of warning about future suffering…(Mark 13 / Matthew 24 / Luke 21)_______________________________There will be an end…to the present age..There will be false messiah’s (don’t believe in them)Wars and rumors of warsEthnic group vs. Ethnic group (nation)Kingdom against Kingdom...You will face great tribulation and be brought before rulers for my sake...You will be beaten and delivered up...Family members will betray one another to the death...You will be hated by all nations for my name sakeMany people’s love will grow cold due to multiplied wickednessFor then there will be great tribulation such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now..no…and never will be…and if those days had not been shortened…no one would survive..._________________________________Those are the words of Jesus…not mine...I share that because…I want all to have...a healthy…biblical…and balanced understanding of the whole of the Christian faith…as found in scripture.WE MUST UNDERSTAND…that... TRIALS / TRIBULATIONS / EVEN GOD’S WRATH AND JUDGEMENT are part of the equation...As we said last week…grace as well as judgement/wrath… are God’s prerogative… God’s choice.And even through… the judgement and wrath in the book of Revelation…we read of the mission and mercy of the LORD our God… calling people to repentance and faith..._________________________________The Seal judgement that we heard read this morning sound eerily similar to those warnings Jesus made…some 60 years prior to John writing them down...__________________________________So what are we to make of the Seal judgement we just read about today?The ScrollRemember…these judgments are preliminary…they are just breaking the seven seals of the document...some say this scroll that has been sealed... is the same scroll of Daniel 8:26
Daniel 8:26 ESV The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”Then in Daniel 12:4…Daniel is told to seal up his prophesy until a future time...Daniel 12:4 ESV But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”Isaiah 29:11 ESV And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”A well known verse from the psalms declares God knows our deeds and our days in advance…and writes them in a book / scrollPsalm 139:16 (ESV)Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.The HorsemenWhat are we to make of the infamous 4 horsemen of the apocalypse of the first 4 seals?No doubt this imagery is taken from the Old Testament prophet Zechariah 1:7-11 and 6:1-8 that speak of 4 chariots drawn by 4 horses...They go out as the four winds of the earth…not to destroy…but observe...Some scholars see the 4 horsemen of Revelation 4 as not so much as bringing God’s judgement…but as “allowing their depravity to come full circle.” As Grant Osborne says “This is a common theme in this book…as sin turns upon itself and self-destructs.”Sin turns upon itself and self-destructs.by releasing the four horsemen…via the first 4 seals…God can essentially be heard as saying “Thy will be done” to all of humanity…as sin is set free and loose...And the ends of that are death, destruction, famine, disease, insane inflation, difficult to survive, and the shaking of heaven and earth.God simply removes the restraining power of the Spirit…and all hell…literally breaks loose.Do we see some of this today? Well…we unfortunately…we ain’t seen nothin’ yet...._____________________________________The Fifth SealWhat about God’s own people who were slain and cried out to God in the breaking of the 5th seal...In this seal we find in Revelation 6:9Revelation 6:9 ESV When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.v. 10Revelation 6:10 ESV They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”These are similar to the prayers of the prophets and as found in the psalms…The great cry of the Old Testament might well be summed up by the phrase… “How long O LORD?”Meaning how long will our enemies win…will evil and wickedness prosper...These are called “Imprecatory prayers” meaning a prayer for God’s vengeance to be realized against an enemy…but not vengeance as we think of it…its a call for God’s justice to reign…which means the defeat of sin…evil…death....Our biggest enemy of course is sin…it resides within each of us…as the saying goes…when we see someone caught up in the web of their own sin… “but by the grace of God go I”In Revelation 6 the imprecatory prayer is a cry against those who have killed God’s saints...What’s God’s response? To give his people a white robe and wait....be patient…that’s God’s favorite answer to his people...Why patient…well for 1: God’s victory is assured…so we all just need to chill…no matter how bad it gets...and number 2: Because scripture states God’s heart…that God doesn't’ want anyone to parish…delay = grace / delay = loveEarthly and Cosmic JudgmentsThe earthly and cosmic judgement of the 6th and 7th seal?They are God’s response to the prayers of the martyred saints...The heavens and earth shake as a sign of the “end of history”…the so called “eschaton” …God coming in judgement at the end of time...Osborne…Beale…and others see a “cyclical organization of the seals…trumpets…and bowls…with the second and third cycle repeating and elaborating the meaning of this first cycle.” (Osborne, 291)Osborne adds “This shaking of the heavens is repeated at the 7th trumpet (11:13, 19) and the 7th bowl (16:18-21) and in each case the emphasis is on God coming in judgement (in answer to the prayers of the martyrs for justice).” (Osborne, 291)__________________________According to the book of Revelation…when the judgement of God begins…when the heavens and earth shake…when the see the consequences of sin unleashed…what is their response?what would be your response?Their response is continued defiance...They continue to try to run away and hide (which is at the heart of addiction / at the heart of all idolatry)they say in Revelation 6:16-17Revelation 6:16–17 LEB And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”7th sealIn response to humanity’s continued defiance…lack of repentance…insistent on their own...way...The seventh seal is broken and there is silence in heaven for half an hour....that’s interesting isn’t it?There is a Jewish tradition that the angels sing at night but are silent during the day so that god can hear the prayers of his people. “This tradition believed that when God’s people praised him or when incense was offered in the the temple…the hosts of heaven were silent.”Others see the silence as an anticipation of further judgement…that we’ll discuss next week with the bowl judgments...______________________________________Where’s the Good News?Where it always is…in Christ.Friends…God’s judgment is no joke…in some ways we experience some of these judgements as the natural consequence of our sinful / selfish choices…or the sinful choices of others...We do not…and cannot put our faith in ourselves or that of other people…to solve the world’s problem...Because the root of the world’s problems and tribulations…is sin…is lack of repentance and turning to God…through Christ alone...When we put our faith and trust in him alone…as our savior…God becomes our refuge…our place of safety…even in the middle of the largest storms...I exhort all of us…to do that today…We’ve got a rough road ahead in the book of Revelation…dig into the word…come to worship with your questions and listen for God’s response...Take refuge in God this day and always...Thanks be to God…AMEN.Let us all be reminded…of Jesus’ own words to his disciples…then and now… “in this world you will have tribulation / trials / persecution...”So…avoid it as much as possible...NO…Jesus does not say that…he says in John 16:33John 16:33 (ESV)In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”___________________________Up to this point in our summer series on the book of Revelation…Jesus has been making this very point!…Particularly through dictating the letters to the seven churches…...the main theme of those letters?Trouble is not only already here…but more trouble is on the way…trouble/trials/tribulation…will be with you if you follow the Lord Jesus.Jesus’ point... to his followers…then and now…is not to focus on trials…but to focus on the triumph...It’s not the trials a tribulations in our lives that are ever…the main point…although we most often act as though they are the main point...But the gospel of Jesus Christ…is based on the triumph of Christ…over sin and death…that they no longer have a hold on you and me…if we put our faith and trust in him... Daniel 8:26ESV
Daniel 12:4ESV
Isaiah 29:11ESV
Revelation 6:9ESV
Revelation 6:10ESV
Revelation 6:16–17ESV
Deuteronomy 14:22–23ESV
Romans 1:16–17ESV
Romans 3:23–25ESV
Romans 3:26ESV
Ephesians 2:1–3ESV
- 4th Sunday of AdventToday is the 4th Sunday of advent…this is the Sunday devoted to theme of love.We continue our advent series ‘O Holy Night’ …and to help us focus on the theme of love…I chose the following lyrics:“The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our Friend. He knows our need— to our weakness is no stranger.”Today’s message:“God’s Law of Love”[Relationship between the lyrics and God’s law of love]Look at the lyrics again (on screen)“The king of kings…in royal mansion palace…lay he?…NO…in lowly manger lay he...”(Luke 2:7; Rev. 19:16)In our all trials... born…to...say... “I told you so.” “I told you not to do that.” “You had that coming to you.”NO… “In all our trials…born to be our friend”(John 15:13-15)“He knows our need…to our weakness…he doesn’t really care…tells us to suck it up?NO…to our weakness…he is no stranger.(Hebrews 4:15)These lyrics have everything to do with love.God’s love for you and me…God’s love for weak, lonely, and lowly…sinners…is why Jesus…the son of God…was sent to us...Christmas is about God coming down to us…to give up his place of honor/power/authorityto be a friend and savior to sinnersto be able to identify with our weaknesses…who faced every temptation that is common to humanity…yet without sinJesus’ own definition of love is found in John 15:13
John 15:13 NKJV Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.Laying down our lives…our rights…our dreams…our everything…for another…is Jesus description of love...No type of love is bigger than that...Gift GivingAs we all know…this is the biggest shopping season of the year…gifts are on a lot of our minds this time of year...People often look for the perfect gift to give to a loved one……and gift-giving is a love language…it is one way we let people know we care about them and love them…From the Christian faith perspective…that is exactly what we find at Christmas…that is what we are waiting for during advent...God’s salvation through Christ...God’s love-driven redemption...God’s gift…of God’s self…in Jesus Christ...Emerson once said “The only gift... is a portion of thyself.”That is God’s gift…but not just a portion…God went all in…with love…giving Himself fully on our behalf and he did so through weakness, temptation, struggles and trials…That is demonstrative love…after all…love should be demonstrated…we should show our love…because that’s what God showed to us...Demonstrations of LoveOur reading today from the gospel of Matthew contains…arguably…some of the best demonstrations of love…in the gospels...Demonstrated by Jesus’ earthly parents...Matthew 1:18-25 falls right after the big genealogy of Jesus’ ancestors…establishing…through Joseph…and Mary…those that connected Jesus uniquely with God…and through King David’s line...With that established…we hear of Jesus’ birth…through the experience of Joseph...We don’t hear of there being “no room” at the inn.or angles appearing to shepherdsWe don’t read of Mary’s beautiful song…of magnifying the LORD for what he has done (as we read in Luke’s gospel)Instead we are told of Joseph…who is described as a “righteous” “just”…and “honorable” man who is “betrothed” or engaged…to Mary...Betrothal (or engagement) in the first century Jewish society…was a legally binding relationship…it did not allow for sexual relationship…and the two did not live together...but it was so serious…that if a person wanted to break the proposal (for unfaithfulness)…they had to get a certificate of divorce...This could be done one of two ways…there could be a public declaration…before a court…orit could be done privately with two witnesses…where the man could choose not to “press charges” (of unfaithfulness) against his betrothed...Here…we get to see how Joseph…a righteous man…was going to move forward with divorce…quietly…privately…why?In order that Mary not be shamed...Matthew 1:19 ESV And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.Mary was found to be with child…during the 1 year betrothal period…with no sexual relationship with her husband for that one year...Her being pregnant was a sure sign of her unfaithfulness...Last Sunday…we heard Mary’s response in the gospel of Luke…to what God had done…in promising the Holy Spirit would come upon her…and she would bear a son…and he would be called the “son of God”...And we read…how Mary responded…she responded with faith… she praised the LORD for choosing the lowly…and seemingly insignificant of the world…to lift up and magnify..._____________________________Now…Joseph is called righteous…or a “just man”…the word typically means “approved by God or ‘just’ in God’s eyes”...And if you think back to Abraham…one of Joseph’s ancestors…you’ll remember back in Genesis 15:6Genesis 15:6 (ESV)And (Abram) believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”So if Joseph was a ‘righteous’ man…he was a man of faith…who believed in God…and walked in God’s ways...That’s important…because if you believe in God…and walk in God’s ways…and trust in God…that means you LOVE God...It was Joseph’s love of God…(as well as his love of Mary)...that he had decided to divorce her quietly...Joseph’s love of God and Mary…was guiding his decisions…but the story continues...Then an angel of the LORD…appeared to him in a dream and said:Matthew 1:20–25 (ESV)“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”...When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.Joseph’s faith…led him to accept what he was told by an angel of God…his faith…was his righteousness…and it guided his choices in his life.If you think back to the Mary’s angelic visitation recorded in the gospel of Luke…her faith…her righteousness…guided her choices about this miraculous pregnancy as wellActs of LoveWhen Joseph or Mary…or you or I…respond to our circumstances with faith…our choices become clear...Do we continue down a path of self-promotion or self-centered living…or…do we follow the examples of Jesus’ earthly parents...Who showed their faith through their actions...Showed love through their decisions...Jesus told his disciples the summary of all the law and prophets are the Love God with your whole being…and love your neighbor as yourself...Faith in God…is trust in God…is a sign of our love for God…and a recognition of God’s love for us...God’s law of love is sacrificial…self sacrifice to be precise...Did Joseph sacrifice? Yes. He sacrificed…laid down his pride…his desire to marry a woman who had remained “sexually pure”…he sacrificed his right to a divorce...WHY?Because of his faith…led him to believe that God was at work in his circumstances…his love for Mary wanted to ensure she was protected...Did Mary Sacrifice? Yes. She sacrificed…she laid down her right to be seen as a morally…pure…woman…in order to carryout the pregnancy…that the angel told her was from God…She sacrificed her dignity/pride…and desire to be understood by others...WHY?Because her faith…was stronger than her dignity/pride…her faith and trust in God…reigned supreme…her love of God superceded everything elese...Did God sacrifice? Yes. By Choosing to become part of His own creation…who loved darkness more than light…and who eventually killed the LORD Jesus...WHY go through that if you are God and creator of all things?Because God’s love for humanity…for God’s own creation…is at the heart of God’s glory and righteousness…self-giving love is God (1 John 4:7-12)Do you and I love God? Yes. When we choose to believe in God’s promises in the Bible…when we willingly give up or pride/dignity/standing/position in this world…so that someone else might get a seat at the table…or have a little more...John 15:13 NKJV Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.Let us lay down our lives…our rights…our pride...for God’s sake…and to demonstrate our love for God and one another...Thanks be to God…AMEN. Jeremiah 23:5–6ESV
Luke 1:16–17ESV
- 4th Sunday of AdventToday is the 4th Sunday of advent…this is the Sunday devoted to theme of love.We continue our advent series ‘O Holy Night’ …and to help us focus on the theme of love…I chose the following lyrics:“The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our Friend. He knows our need— to our weakness is no stranger.”Today’s message:“God’s Law of Love”[Relationship between the lyrics and God’s law of love]Look at the lyrics again (on screen)“The king of kings…in royal mansion palace…lay he?…NO…in lowly manger lay he...”(Luke 2:7; Rev. 19:16)In our all trials... born…to...say... “I told you so.” “I told you not to do that.” “You had that coming to you.”NO… “In all our trials…born to be our friend”(John 15:13-15)“He knows our need…to our weakness…he doesn’t really care…tells us to suck it up?NO…to our weakness…he is no stranger.(Hebrews 4:15)These lyrics have everything to do with love.God’s love for you and me…God’s love for weak, lonely, and lowly…sinners…is why Jesus…the son of God…was sent to us...Christmas is about God coming down to us…to give up his place of honor/power/authorityto be a friend and savior to sinnersto be able to identify with our weaknesses…who faced every temptation that is common to humanity…yet without sinJesus’ own definition of love is found in John 15:13
John 15:13 NKJV Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.Laying down our lives…our rights…our dreams…our everything…for another…is Jesus description of love...No type of love is bigger than that...Gift GivingAs we all know…this is the biggest shopping season of the year…gifts are on a lot of our minds this time of year...People often look for the perfect gift to give to a loved one……and gift-giving is a love language…it is one way we let people know we care about them and love them…From the Christian faith perspective…that is exactly what we find at Christmas…that is what we are waiting for during advent...God’s salvation through Christ...God’s love-driven redemption...God’s gift…of God’s self…in Jesus Christ...Emerson once said “The only gift... is a portion of thyself.”That is God’s gift…but not just a portion…God went all in…with love…giving Himself fully on our behalf and he did so through weakness, temptation, struggles and trials…That is demonstrative love…after all…love should be demonstrated…we should show our love…because that’s what God showed to us...Demonstrations of LoveOur reading today from the gospel of Matthew contains…arguably…some of the best demonstrations of love…in the gospels...Demonstrated by Jesus’ earthly parents...Matthew 1:18-25 falls right after the big genealogy of Jesus’ ancestors…establishing…through Joseph…and Mary…those that connected Jesus uniquely with God…and through King David’s line...With that established…we hear of Jesus’ birth…through the experience of Joseph...We don’t hear of there being “no room” at the inn.or angles appearing to shepherdsWe don’t read of Mary’s beautiful song…of magnifying the LORD for what he has done (as we read in Luke’s gospel)Instead we are told of Joseph…who is described as a “righteous” “just”…and “honorable” man who is “betrothed” or engaged…to Mary...Betrothal (or engagement) in the first century Jewish society…was a legally binding relationship…it did not allow for sexual relationship…and the two did not live together...but it was so serious…that if a person wanted to break the proposal (for unfaithfulness)…they had to get a certificate of divorce...This could be done one of two ways…there could be a public declaration…before a court…orit could be done privately with two witnesses…where the man could choose not to “press charges” (of unfaithfulness) against his betrothed...Here…we get to see how Joseph…a righteous man…was going to move forward with divorce…quietly…privately…why?In order that Mary not be shamed...Matthew 1:19 ESV And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.Mary was found to be with child…during the 1 year betrothal period…with no sexual relationship with her husband for that one year...Her being pregnant was a sure sign of her unfaithfulness...Last Sunday…we heard Mary’s response in the gospel of Luke…to what God had done…in promising the Holy Spirit would come upon her…and she would bear a son…and he would be called the “son of God”...And we read…how Mary responded…she responded with faith… she praised the LORD for choosing the lowly…and seemingly insignificant of the world…to lift up and magnify..._____________________________Now…Joseph is called righteous…or a “just man”…the word typically means “approved by God or ‘just’ in God’s eyes”...And if you think back to Abraham…one of Joseph’s ancestors…you’ll remember back in Genesis 15:6Genesis 15:6 (ESV)And (Abram) believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”So if Joseph was a ‘righteous’ man…he was a man of faith…who believed in God…and walked in God’s ways...That’s important…because if you believe in God…and walk in God’s ways…and trust in God…that means you LOVE God...It was Joseph’s love of God…(as well as his love of Mary)...that he had decided to divorce her quietly...Joseph’s love of God and Mary…was guiding his decisions…but the story continues...Then an angel of the LORD…appeared to him in a dream and said:Matthew 1:20–25 (ESV)“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”...When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.Joseph’s faith…led him to accept what he was told by an angel of God…his faith…was his righteousness…and it guided his choices in his life.If you think back to the Mary’s angelic visitation recorded in the gospel of Luke…her faith…her righteousness…guided her choices about this miraculous pregnancy as wellActs of LoveWhen Joseph or Mary…or you or I…respond to our circumstances with faith…our choices become clear...Do we continue down a path of self-promotion or self-centered living…or…do we follow the examples of Jesus’ earthly parents...Who showed their faith through their actions...Showed love through their decisions...Jesus told his disciples the summary of all the law and prophets are the Love God with your whole being…and love your neighbor as yourself...Faith in God…is trust in God…is a sign of our love for God…and a recognition of God’s love for us...God’s law of love is sacrificial…self sacrifice to be precise...Did Joseph sacrifice? Yes. He sacrificed…laid down his pride…his desire to marry a woman who had remained “sexually pure”…he sacrificed his right to a divorce...WHY?Because of his faith…led him to believe that God was at work in his circumstances…his love for Mary wanted to ensure she was protected...Did Mary Sacrifice? Yes. She sacrificed…she laid down her right to be seen as a morally…pure…woman…in order to carryout the pregnancy…that the angel told her was from God…She sacrificed her dignity/pride…and desire to be understood by others...WHY?Because her faith…was stronger than her dignity/pride…her faith and trust in God…reigned supreme…her love of God superceded everything elese...Did God sacrifice? Yes. By Choosing to become part of His own creation…who loved darkness more than light…and who eventually killed the LORD Jesus...WHY go through that if you are God and creator of all things?Because God’s love for humanity…for God’s own creation…is at the heart of God’s glory and righteousness…self-giving love is God (1 John 4:7-12)Do you and I love God? Yes. When we choose to believe in God’s promises in the Bible…when we willingly give up or pride/dignity/standing/position in this world…so that someone else might get a seat at the table…or have a little more...John 15:13 NKJV Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.Let us lay down our lives…our rights…our pride...for God’s sake…and to demonstrate our love for God and one another...Thanks be to God…AMEN. Isaiah 6:5ESV
Luke 2:14ESV
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