Tag: preaching

Substitute

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(Luke 2:41-52)

Sometimes we want a substitute; other times we need one. There are certain social situations when we wish we could simply hit the pause button and be replaced by a substitute to allow us to be anywhere but there. But there are also scenarios in which we simply cannot be two places at once. When work and family obligations collide, it would be nice to have a substitute so you could be two places at once. This morning, whether or not we want him, we see that Jesus is the Substitute we need. So far our Christmas series, “What Child is This?” has provided two answers: this child is the Prince of Peace and our Redeemer. The final answer provided in our series highlights that this child is also our Substitute.

You think time flies (wasn’t it just Thanksgiving???), how about jumping from infant to adolescent in one week! Just last weekend we were celebrating Jesus’ birth and here we find him twelve years old already. While it seems like quite a jump, the Bible doesn’t really cover much of Jesus’ life until he is baptized and begins his ministry around the age of 30. So this glimpse of twelve-year-old Jesus is a rare one.

And it’s interesting, isn’t it, that the one account we have of Jesus over that thirty-year period is Jesus sticking around at church long after the service was over? Of all of the curiosities and questions we might have about Jesus’ upbringing, his teenage years, and his twenties, God provides one account for us, and it is centered on worship and the Word. At the very least, we can conclude that gathering in God’s house for worship ought not to be an afterthought or treated as an optional leave-it-or-take-it element of the practice of one’s faith. At most, we could conclude that by covering just this one account of Jesus’ life over the span of 30 years, God is emphasizing the prominence and priority that public worship should be in the Christian’s life. 

There is a need for this conversation among Christians today. While I don’t question the intent behind the encouragement often provided for attending worship, I don’t know if the way we have tried to get there has always been the best. The one making the case for an increase in church attendance often points out that church attendance has been on the decline for decades now, and since that’s bad, we should correct that trend by going to church. Not only is such an argument ineffective, but it also fails to address that church attendance isn’t primarily a habit issue, but a heart issue.

Listen, a church on Sunday morning can be just as easily filled with empty people as it can with empty pews. These are the empty people Isaiah described: “The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught’” (29:13). While we often imagine the church was much healthier in “the good ‘ole days,” which tend to be whatever we subjectively presume them to be in our own minds, the number of people worshipping on a Sunday morning is not the only metric for church health, and I would submit that it isn’t even the best one. 

As I said, we’re dealing with a heart issue, not a habit issue, and a heart issue is more difficult to treat than just measuring a metric. Many lament how Christianity is on the decline. It may appear that way based on church attendance, but what if not as much has changed as appears? What if it isn’t actually a reality that there are fewer Christians, but rather it just appears that way, as many more unbelievers/hypocrites used to hide in the church than outside it? So we lament those not in church, but how many in the past who were actually in church were simply doing so to meet an expected requirement or to be seen? Pride can work with either one – “look at what a fine Christian I am who worships regularly” or “look what a fine Christian I am who is so strong in his faith that I don’t need church attendance to showcase or prove my faith.” Pride can work with either scenario – being present without being present or being absent without being active.

But… shame on us if we are inclined to use that as justification for not worshiping weekly. There is a real need to emphasize corporate worship in an individualized church culture. A personal relationship with Jesus doesn’t mean that’s the only personal relationship I have with the body of Christ. To belong to the body of Christ is to belong to more than just Christ, the head, but also the whole body! And where more than anywhere else does the body stay connected to the other parts and Christ, the head? When we gather for worship.

Trying to change behavior by increasing worship attendance fails to address the real issue – the heart. Only Jesus does that. Look at how Jesus did that in our account this morning. After his mother expressed her dismay at his behavior, his response – a question of his own – explained his behavior perfectly: “‘Why were you searching for me?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’” (v.49). He was honestly surprised. He had to be in his Father’s house. Let’s understand that in two ways. 

We talk that way when trying to convince someone else of something. “You have to try this food at this restaurant.” “You have to listen to this song by this artist.” “You have to get this gadget or that device.” When we convey that level of passion to someone else we are stressing that how much it has meant to us personally. We feel so strongly about it that we want someone else to have the same positive experience with it. Jesus felt so passionately about being in his Father’s house that he had to be there.

But he also literally had to be there. Remember that God created us to love and worship him with pure holy hearts. Yet ever since worship first went wrong when Adam and Eve cast aside God’s command and ate from the tree, not one human heart has ever been able on even a single occasion to worship God in purity and holiness. Even our best worship is but worthless waste before God! Sin stains our worship! If even attending worship regularly in the first place, we are so easily distracted, disinterested, and disengaged when in God’s house. That’s if we’re attending regularly and not believing whatever lie it is that tells us there’s something better going on Sunday morning than gathering with God’s people around God’s Word to glorify God together. So Jesus literally had to be in the Temple to meet God’s demand that pure and holy hearts love and worship him. 

Even more astounding is that rather than being the One worshipping, Jesus had every right to be the One worshipped! He ought to be the object of worship, not the one offering up his worship. The One the wise men journeyed great lengths to worship in person with precious gifts was the same twelve-year-old boy offering up his worship in the temple courts. The One who would make the ultimate sacrifice on Good Friday deserving of ultimate praise and worship is the same One humbly offering up his worship among the adult spiritual leaders of his day. 

Into a me-centered world came a Father-focused Substitute. We make public worship about us; He made it about his Father. Our lives are an act of worshiping according to our own will; his perfect life was an act of worshiping according to his Father’s will. Where we casually dismiss the Third Commandment’s call for weekly worship, Jesus embraced and kept it perfectly. What we don’t even have the will to carry out perfectly, Jesus not only had the will, but also the obedience to carry out perfectly. We needed One who could put the Father first at all times, including love for his Word and worship, and we have One who met that demand. We have Jesus. Holy Jesus. Perfect Jesus. Substitute Jesus. 

Notice that his perfect obedience to his heavenly Father also expressed itself in obedience to his earthly father and mother. “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them” (v.51). When we see Jesus as he came to be seen – as our Substitute – we appreciate even more his perfect record of obedience. He was not born into our world for some short-sighted purpose like setting an example for us to follow – that is too small a thing! Instead, he came to achieve what we could not, cannot, on even our greatest days. He came to obey as a Substitute for those who disobey. He came to live in righteousness to be our righteousness. He came to be the purity and holiness required for entrance into heaven. He came to be the perfect child we could not, loving God’s Word and worship in ways we cannot. 

Children, follow suit. Do not disregard your parents’ commands, whether by defiance or indifference. That applies to the home and it applies to the church. You do not yet know what is best for you, so God has given you parents to guide you. When it is time for church each Sunday morning, do not burden or exasperate your parents with your stubborn whining, but be a joy and blessing to them, so that worship might be a joy and blessing to both you and them.

It’s that time of year again when goals and resolutions are on our radars. What’s easier when it comes to hitting the mark with goals – hitting the goal or maintaining it? Suppose you’ve wanted to organize the garage for years. But whenever you think about it you get overwhelmed because you don’t know where to start. Truth is, you’re not just talking about one goal, but a project requiring many steps to achieve that goal. Organizing the garage includes sorting through stuff, then determining which stuff you’re going to keep, what’s going to Goodwill, and what’s getting pitched. It likely includes determining whether or not you need shelving or bins to store things more efficiently. It will obviously include a good measure of cleaning, too. So it’s quite a project that you’re talking about!

But wouldn’t it be so much easier if an expert organizer came and did it for you? Wouldn’t it be so much more enjoyable if all you had to do was maintain a garage that has already been sorted and organized and cleaned for you? That would be much less overwhelming! You might even be energized and excited to keep it the way it is after someone else already did the hard work – and did an exceptional job at that!  

Jesus has done just that for you. He had more than a resolution on his mind; he had your righteousness, and he came with his perfect obedience to tidy up your disorganized, disobedient life. He did all of the work for you as your Substitute. He kept God’s law. He was the “good Christian” we could never amount to. He treasured Word and worship with an honest and sincere heart. He already did the hard work for you, and an exceptional job at that! Now the burden of having to be like Jesus has been replaced by the joyful freedom of wanting to be like him, with no strings attached. He met his Father’s demand of holiness, leaving us to enjoy the blessing of walking in his footsteps. What Child is This? This Prince of Peace is your Redeemer and Substitute. May the blessing of his perfect obedience bring blessings through your guilt-free obedience in the new year! 

He Humbles My Enemies

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(Zephaniah 3:14-17)

I know the beloved annual Festivus tradition of the Airing of Grievances is still a few weeks away, but that’s the tradition that comes to mind when I think of this morning’s theme. When you consider the word “enemy,” who comes to mind? Do your thoughts shift to the international level and to other nations, nations that are either overtly hostile or even unfriendly to the US? Are those your enemies? Do politics come to mind and you immediately consider anyone associated with your opposing political party to be your enemy? Perhaps your enemy resides on the other side of the fence along your property line or works in the cubicle adjacent to yours. Some may be convinced the enemy is even closer to home than that – living with me right under my roof – a spouse or family member. Who is your enemy?

We’ve got our own list of enemies that come to mind. The Bible names its share of enemies, too. Many are rather easily identified in the Old Testament by their opposition to God’s chosen people, the Israelites. The Egyptians enslaved the Israelites and then, after allowing them to leave Egypt, sent their army to hunt them down. Clear enemies. The Philistines, known for sending their champion, Goliath, to defy Israel and God, were clear enemies. The Assyrians and Babylonians, responsible for the downfall of Israel’s Northern and Southern Kingdoms, were obvious enemies. 

Enemies are listed in the New Testament as well, although not as easily identified since they aren’t as much associated with a specific nation or people. Paul identified one type of enemy on his missionary journey. Speaking to a sorcerer named Elymas, who was trying to turn a believer away from his faith, he said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10). So our enemies are those who stand against what is right and pervert the ways of the Lord.

Paul also referred to those who oppose Christ’s cross as enemies. “For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18).

Enemies are also included not just among those who fiercely or directly oppose Christianity, but among those who cozy up too much with the world and its ways. “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

And Jesus himself warned his followers that yes, enemies may even lurk under your own roof in your families as unbelievers, stating the harsh reality, “A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household” (Matthew 10:36). 

That last one might be the toughest enemy of all… until we point out one more: you. It isn’t natural to think of ourselves as enemies. The designation “enemy” is something we typically reserve for others, not ourselves. We don’t consider ourselves enemies to others, but rather consider others who might be viewed as enemies to us. And yet the Word of God is clear – we are in fact natural enemies to God. 

“The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so” (Romans 8:7). “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior” (Colossians 1:21). You’ve heard the phrase, “I’m my own worst enemy.” Do you realize how true that is?

Or to state it more accurately, we were natural enemies to God. But God forever changed that. “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” (Romans 5:10). We were enemies, but God himself changed that when through the death of his own Son, Jesus, he paid the price for the sin that separated us from him, transforming his enemies into his friends. His enemies who have been bathed in baptism are now his friends. His friends now have the joy of receiving his body and blood in the sacrament. His friends never tire of hearing the assurance that his grace and forgiveness forever changed everything. What you were is not who you are – Jesus made sure of it.

Ultimately, what was necessary for that to happen? Jesus had to defeat THE enemy, Satan. Finally, the devil is the one directing every ounce of opposition against God. After turning against God along with a number of rebellious angels, he recruited his first mercenaries in Eden when Adam and Eve through their disobedience switched their allegiance. He has been successfully recruiting for his army through unbelief ever since. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He does not let up. He is relentless. 

But he is fighting for a lost cause, for he has already lost the battle. Because God made good on the head-crushing promise he gave in Eden, Satan cannot win the war. So those who fight for him are fighting a losing battle. He has already been defeated. His head has already been crushed. Yet he lashes out with the last bit of his remaining energy until the victorious Christ returns again on the last day when no one – not even Satan himself – will stand in opposition to him.

At that time, Zephaniah’s words will sink in perfectly. Then we will truly know what is like that “He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). What? Who am I that God should delight in me? Who am I that God himself should crank the volume all the way up and rejoice over me with singing? Who am I? Who are you? We are the ones he thought enough of to send his own Son to suffer in our place. Surely a Father willing to do that must truly delight in us! So until the resurrected Son returns on the Last Day, we, too, can rejoice and be glad, because he delights in us and because we know that what he has done to Satan will apply to all of those who stand with Satan and refuse to humble themselves before God. 

A word about that. We can rejoice and be glad, not with a focus on the eternal wrath that awaits our enemies, but rather that justice will be served. Wickedness will not go unchecked forever. Opposition to Jesus and his church will not be tolerated. Everyone will be humbled, either willingly or unwillingly. Our heart’s desire is the same as the Lord’s, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Our heart’s desire would be that the Holy Spirit would work humble repentance in every human heart. 

But in the cases where that doesn’t happen because hardened hearts refuse to be softened, God will have the last say. He will not be made out to be a liar. Those who placed their faith in him, trusting him for salvation, will not have done so in vain. Every knee will bend and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (cf. Philippians 2). Many will do so out of faith; many others will do so when faced with the cruel reality of regret that their refusal to believe God’s gracious promises results in their being given for eternity what they chose during their lives on earth – an existence without God. 

Faith in Jesus, though, guarantees a different eternity than that – one in the presence of our faithful Father. So check your body language and posture and don’t hang limp (v.16). Do not hang your head at the gloom of this world. Do not mope. Jesus has given you the victory. “Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm” (v.14-15). You are not victims, but victors! 

Therefore, do not fret over your enemies, at least not in terms of worrying if justice will be served. No, rest assured, God will take care of that. God has already taken care of that, in fact, and it is merely a matter of time until the whole world acknowledges it. That means we are freed for something greater: loving our enemies, just as Jesus calls us to.

God has not enlisted your help in making sure that vengeance is carried out or that justice is served. But he has enlisted your help to counter the devil’s efforts at recruitment. He has enlisted your help in recruiting to the winning side. After all, why all the shouting and glad rejoicing? It is not only because that’s a natural reaction on our part, but also so that others may be drawn in by it. Shout aloud and declare to others what you know – that the Lord has turned back our enemy and we have nothing whatsoever to fear. The battle, carried out in stages at Jesus’ birth, throughout his life, at his Good Friday death, and finalized from the empty tomb, has been won. Jesus has defeated the enemy. Jesus will defeat every other enemy. But you, dear Christian, you, by his grace, he has made his friend.

He Humbles Me

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(Luke 3:1-6)

It doesn’t matter which highway around San Diego you’re on – you don’t have to be on it very long before you see all the signs from your car. The heavy equipment that cuts and carves into the hillsides. The piles of dirt. The wooden stakes jutting out all over, polka dotting the area with ribbons of various color. The flattened future lots. What used to be a landscape of uneven rocky and rough terrain spilling down the hill or mountainside has become smooth and level. All of that earth is moved around, shifted, dug down, or piled up to make way for a future subdivision, apartment complex, or commercial development. 

Of course we know why this is all necessary. Building cannot take place on an uneven surface. A foundation poured on uneven earth will crack sooner than later, as will the walls and roof of any building erected on top of it. Parking lots and landscaping that aren’t graded to drain water properly will retain water and flood during the rainy season. Any building project requires no small amount of preliminary work before the finished product can even begin to take shape.

So it is with the building project that God is doing in each of us. As a child I had a hand-stitched picture of a curly red-head boy with his head down and a slingshot in his back pocket, implying he had just gotten in trouble with the slingshot. Accompanying the picture was the caption, “Please be patient – God isn’t finished with me yet.” How true that statement is, no matter where we are in life! This morning we will consider how God goes about with his ongoing building project in each of us, but before we do, we remember how important last Sunday’s message was to set the tone for our Humble Expectations series.

Last Sunday God’s Word reminded us that the only way hell-bound sinners and a holy God could be reconciled and brought into a right relationship was for Jesus to bring himself to us, to make himself less, to humble himself. And he did just that. That, of course, is the celebration we’re all eager to get to in three more weeks – God humbling himself to endure childbirth, a life that was the farthest thing from any semblance of a charmed life, ridicule and punishment for committing no crime whatsoever, and finally, a crucifixion reserved for convicted criminals. 

But there is more to the story. Though Jesus humbly endured all of that to make a relationship with rebellious mankind possible, sadly, not all of mankind will benefit from it. Why? There’s too much uneven rocky and rough terrain spilling out of our hearts and reflected in our lives. Unless all of that is moved around, shifted, dug down, or piled up to make way for the humble Savior, then he cannot reside in our hearts. So not only Jesus, but we, too, must be humbled. 

That was John’s mission. John was the earth-mover, the one called to do the heavy lifting and the scraping and the leveling among mankind to prepare the way for humble Jesus. You know the work John was called to do by another name: repentance. He came to call a rebellious world to repentance. One general way to consider what repentance means is to capture it with the picture of turning around. If you see a “Dead End” or a “Bridge Out Ahead” sign while driving, you’re wise enough to know to turn around and go the other direction. Repentance is seeing God’s law as a sign that indicates going our way instead of his is the wrong way. But we can break down repentance even further than that.

Repentance really starts with realizing and acknowledging that our hearts are defective. When you have something that’s defective, it won’t work properly. It isn’t a matter of double-checking the directions. No amount of trouble-shooting will matter if the object is defective. You don’t shake it around a bit or kick it or give it a good cleaning and hope it will work. It’s defective. It isn’t merely contributing to the problem – it is the problem. Sometimes, talk of repentance moves directly from this step right into the step of turning around. But there is a necessary transition that must happen between the first step of acknowledging our defective hearts and turning from our rebellion and sin. We could call that transition, contrition. 

What is contrition? Sorrow over sin. It is a different thing than merely acknowledging wrongdoing. For example, a criminal can acknowledge he did something without showing an ounce of remorse over it. But such cannot be the case for sinful mankind before a righteous God. Genuine repentance cannot bear genuine fruit without the soil of contrition. 

Let’s stay on this for a bit more. What does contrition look like? A few thoughtful questions might help you identify its presence or absence in your life. When it is discovered that you did something wrong, do you feel bad about what you did, or do you just feel bad about getting caught? When you apologize or ask for forgiveness, do you do so in a way that avoids accountability (e.g., “I’m sorry that you were offended/hurt by what I said.”) or do you own up to what you did wrong and take full responsibility (e.g. “I’m sorry that I ________ and that my words/actions hurt you.”)? 

Here’s another way to dig beneath the surface to try to discover genuine contrition; ask yourself if you even want to be more holy or if too long ago you comfortably embraced the fact that you’re not. If you’re willing to take a good hard look at your own heart, you may notice some areas where a progression in sin over time has resulted in contrition gradually eroding away. Here is what that progression looks like.

The first time the sin is committed there is guilt and remorse – we genuinely feel awful about it. That is contrition. Then, a few more times of the same sin and we become somewhat complacent. There is still a knowledge that we shouldn’t be doing it, but it definitely bothers us less than it did initially. Then, a few more times of the same sin and we become complicit. This is where we start to justify it in our own minds or even rationalize it as being normal and/or acceptable. Finally, after enough time in that stage, the last step can turn into openly welcoming and embracing the sin – we commend it. When this happens, a person typically drifts toward associating with other people who feel the same way, which results in reinforcing our thoughts on that sin. Not only has contrition completely faded in those cases, but the sin which once caused sorrow and guilt is now praised and celebrated. 

Paul actually spoke this very point of embracing sin in two places. In Romans 1:32, he wrote, “although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” In his letter to the Philippians, he observed of those opposing Christianity, “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things” (3:19). It may go even further still to result in aggressive opposition to other Christians who continue to call out that same sin. Once that whole process has played out, it’s back to the beginning of the process of repentance all over again. But you better believe the work that John the Baptist calls us to do is FAR more difficult from that point on (cf. Hebrews 6:1-6).

But if instead, that first step of genuine contrition and the Holy Spirit continues to work in us a genuine loathing of sin and a desire to squash it in our lives, then here is where the turning around comes in. It’s what Luke described in our verses this morning. “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth” (Lk. 3:4c-5). It’s leveling my pride and seeing my sin for the damning spiritual roadblock that it is. It is refusing to insist that my crooked path is the better alternative to God’s way. It’s confessing that my default to blame others for the damage my sin has done is the real culprit cutting me off from God. We aren’t talking about filling a pothole here or sealing a crack there – we’re talking about a complete demolition and removal to clear all the sinful debris for God to carry out his building project on us.

Finally, there is the last crucial step of repentance, the absolutely most important one: looking to the One who humbled himself for my forgiveness and salvation. For even an unbeliever can merely acknowledge he did something wrong,  feel contrition over it, and strive to turn around on his own. But that is quite a different thing than the repentant believer who longs to turn away from sin and to the grace and forgiveness Jesus extends freely to him. Recall that Luke spelled out the purpose of John’s call to repentance in verse 3 – that John came “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” The goal is not to leave us wallowing in guilt and shame, but rather to see that humble Jesus came to lift up humble sinners out of the muck of guilt and shame and dress us with his perfection, his righteousness.

This is the final goal for us, for you. This is the final goal for all people, as John stated it: “And all people will see God’s salvation” (Lk. 3:6). So this call to repentance is absolutely essential, for without it, we are not able to see salvation because of the obstinate obstructions in our way that are sin. 

Think of a time you arrived late at the movie theater. After grabbing your popcorn, candy, and drink, you make your way into the dark theater. Once you find a spot, you then have to climb over any number of theatergoers to get to your spot. What is happening while this is going on? Not only are you missing out on the movie while trying to avoid spilling your drink on someone’s lap, but you are also keeping them from seeing the screen as you walk in front of them.

The goal of repentance is that everyone can see God’s salvation in Christ Jesus, and that not even our own sin would obstruct the view of others, or keep us from seeing our own need of salvation. Repentance clears the way for us to clearly see what God has done for us in Christ. Repentance clears the way for the star of Bethlehem to spotlight our salvation born on Christmas. Repentance clears us out of the way so that our own sin doesn’t cloud the view of others, and all people can see God’s salvation. Jesus humbled himself for us – may he also continue to humble us so that we can believe and appreciate it. 

Heaven Is… a Great Banquet for Everyone

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(Luke 14:15-24)

When you attend a significant event, the number of people present matters. How would it feel going to hear your favorite band or singer in concert at a large venue and being surrounded by empty seats? What if you received a special exclusive invite to the opening of a trendy new restaurant and only a handful of other people were there? It was one thing to have to witness that kind of emptiness during the pandemic when in-person attendance was not permitted, but barring those restrictions, we expect big events to bring in big numbers of people. If not, and attendance is sparse, it can result in lower expectations, second-guessing the level of quality associated with the function, or wondering about the organization of the whole thing. Numbers matter. We are impressed by large attendance numbers at events – they give credibility to something.

Have you ever wondered what the attendance numbers in heaven will be like? On the one hand, we have pictures of multitudes gathered around the throne. Each of Daniel and John’s (Revelation) visions make reference to thousands upon thousands and ten thousands upon ten thousand – numbers which may refer to just angels or could also include believers. Jesus preached to large crowds and many came to faith. Throughout the book of Acts we are told the Holy Spirit added thousands to the faith here and there through the preaching of the Word. World statistics of professing Christians currently top 2.5 billion, to say nothing of the total number of believers existing throughout history. So it would appear that heaven will be pretty full.

But Jesus also said, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to” (Lk. 13:24). And in the parable before us this morning there are clearly a number who excuse themselves for a variety of reasons, leaving the master to conclude, “I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet” (14:24). So will it be many or few? What will the numbers be like in heaven? We can’t say for sure, and while I know few of us like to hear that answer, we must be willing to accept it frequently in regard to questions about heaven. Instead then, let’s give our attention to two matters that we DO have control over: 1) making sure we get there, and 2) taking as many with us as we possibly can.

I know it feels rather odd even to state it that way, to “make sure we get” to heaven. There’s nothing for us to do! Jesus did it all, so what could we possibly need to “do” to make sure we get there? He traded heaven for earth to make sure that one day we would be able to trade earth for heaven. His perfect obedience replaced our daily disobedience. On the cross he was forsaken so we could be forgiven. How do we cover that debt when it has already been paid? How do we convince a judge who’s already declared us innocent because of what Jesus has achieved as our Sacrifice and Substitute?  

It’s really more about what we can make sure we don’t do rather than taking credit for anything we can do. Simply put, don’t lose what you’ve been given. Don’t reject the free gift of salvation. Don’t misplace your invitation. Don’t let the big day arrive and find you unprepared because you allowed enough excuses to mount up over time that you became preoccupied with this life at the expense of the next one. It’s as if every time you make an excuse, you are pounding in yet one more tent stake to make this your permanent home instead of heaven.

It would appear this is a very legitimate concern on the part of Jesus. At least that’s the way it comes across in the parable. Not only do the servants receive a variety of excuses from the invitees when the party is finally ready, but notice how many times the host has to send out his servants to bring in more guests – three times they are sent out! That would seem to emphasize two important truths. One, many will end up on the outside looking in when it comes to heaven. Two, God really means it when he says that he wants everyone to be saved. Why else would he continue to send out his servants to invite others? “Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full” (v.23). There’s still room. 

There’s still room. You probably noticed the Trunk or Treat invites in your worship folders. Those invites aren’t for you, because you already know you’re invited. But they are for you to pass along to someone else. Heaven is the same. You already know it’s for you, but now the invite is for you to pass along to others. 

So each and every one of us can focus on one or both of the two things we DO have control over. If you are in the excuse-making camp of the banquet invitees in the parable and are dangerously close to forfeiting your spot at the heavenly banquet, then that needs your urgent attention. Get your act together and make your faith the priority it needs to be so that you don’t give up what you’ve been given. And if you are solid in that department, then you can give attention to your role of passing along the invites. One or the other or both is where we all should be. Make sure you get there and do your best to help as many others as possible get there. 

Where exactly is “there?” What will “there” be like? After all, that’s what we’re really interested in – the information about what the accommodations in heaven will be like, right? So will there be an actual feast, a banquet, as heaven is so often depicted in Scripture? Will the most tantalizing food and drink imaginable be served? The perfect cut of meat, perfectly cooked, or for those who prefer, the perfect Beyond Meat plant-based product perfectly imitating the perfect cut of meat, perfectly cooked? Will the food melt on your tongue the moment it touches it? Will the beverages be served chilled so they aren’t too cold or not too hot so they avoid burning your tongue? Will there be appetizers? How many courses? And dessert – what about dessert??? Now that I’ve lost you for the rest of the sermon… will we actually experience any of this? 

Or… is it all figurative picture language to make heaven more relatable to us? It would make sense that Jesus would speak a parable involving a great feast, given he spoke these words this morning while he was a guest at a Pharisee’s house for a meal. And, the comment made to Jesus leading up to the parable referenced the blessing of feasting in the kingdom of God. So is Jesus merely tying his description of heaven to something we can conceptualize, something we could connect to through personal experience? After all, as much as both the Old and the New Testaments speak about heaven as a sit-down saintly smorgasbord, the Bible also says that no one in heaven will ever hunger or thirst. Therefore, if there is eating and drinking, it won’t be out of a need of sustenance, but rather out of the joy and pleasure associated with it.

Here is another thought: why should we ever experience any good pleasure at all in a broken, fallen world? Why should we be able to enjoy tasty delicacies and delightful drink? Surely a world of rebellious sinners has not and could not earn the right to such pleasure? No, but God is good. God is gracious. Maybe there is another reason behind God allowing us such enjoyment – perhaps such pleasures have an even greater purpose: merely to whet our appetite for what is coming in heaven. Certainly no good, no excellent experience here on earth was ever intended to attract us so strongly to this temporal world; rather could it serve all the more to provide us with teaser upon teaser of how splendid heaven will be? 

And don’t forget another part of a great meal – one enjoyed with favored guests! After all, a meal spent with old friends can make even the blandest food palatable. And even outstanding food is only made better when enjoyed in the presence of those dear to us. Think of that part of a feast or banquet – not so much about the food, but about the guests gathered together to enjoy it together. That is real joy! Gathering around food builds community. Meals are where stories are shared and memories are made. Traditions and family rituals so often involve food. Food satisfies, but sometimes the biggest role it serves is to bring people together. And that is certainly one of the main themes of heaven, isn’t it – all of God’s blood-bought saints finally being brought together in perfect unity and harmony? No polarizing division. No draining disagreements. Just Jesus-centered gathering.

Years ago there was a popular series of T-shirt slogans that had a statement regarding one’s favorite sport. It had a simple phrase indicating that one’s favorite sport was life, and the rest was just details. “Basketball/tennis/golf/baseball/etc. is life. The rest is just details.” The point was clear: nothing else really mattered. The wearer of the T-shirt was claiming that other concerns in life were quite trivial in comparison to the favorite sport. 

At the end of the day, there is much speculation about what heaven will be like. There are many unknowns. We don’t know if there will be a literal banquet feast or if the imagery is merely figurative. But there is one known: Jesus will be there. And we’ll get to be with him. Nothing will be better. In heaven we could rightly sport the T-shirt, “Jesus is (eternal) life. The rest is just details.” Let’s make sure that when we’re done here on earth, each and every one of us – and as many others as we can possibly bring along – are all wearing the same shirts.

Heaven Is… Coming

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(Matthew 25:31-46)

More and more evidence points to the reality that the happiness associated with a certain experience has less to do with the experience itself and more to do with our anticipation of it. Studies that measured brain activity and the subjects’ feelings of happiness prior to a positive experience and during that experience have seen higher dopamine levels before than during the experience itself. So it seems that looking forward to a positive experience is many times the most exhilarating part of all.

I won’t disagree. When I got to the last book of the Harry Potter series, I recall how bittersweet it was. While it was always exciting to finish one book in the series and look forward to starting the next, I knew I wouldn’t have anything to look forward to after I read the last one. So, I actually put off starting the final book for some time just to extend the time I had to look forward to it. We’ve probably all experienced something similar in the past at some point regarding vacations. We were so eager to plan and look forward to and anticipate an upcoming vacation – but the vacation itself didn’t match our anticipation of it. Or, we look forward to watching an episode of our favorite show, but how bummed are we when the last episode airs? Now we don’t have anything to look forward to anymore. It is the anticipation of the experience – not the actual experience itself – which is so often the most exhilarating part. 

Heaven, dear friends, will be the exception. Are we eager about heaven? Do we anticipate it? Are we looking forward to getting there? Absolutely. But unlike every other experience we have had on earth, it will not be the anticipation of heaven that fills us with the greatest joy, but our experience of it. Our experience of heaven will absolutely surpass in every possible way any detail we could have imagined about it. No matter how high the dopamine levels register in our anticipation of heaven, they’ll be off the charts when we actually experience it!

When it comes to anticipation, studies have shown that two primary factors play the biggest role in heightening our good feelings about an experience: 1) simply looking forward to the experience itself, but also 2) the increased likelihood that it will happen. When those two factor in together, we experience the height of anticipation. You get a rush from placing an online order, but that anticipation is heightened when your tracker tells you the delivery truck is only two stops away! The opening music to your favorite show starts playing on the screen and you get a quick rush no matter how good or bad the episode is. You look forward to the possibility of reconnecting with an old friend, but that anticipation is heightened when your phone pings with a text confirming the date and time. It’s really going to happen! It’s a certainty!

Jesus provides us with the same certainty as he introduces his teaching on heaven this morning. He started out, “When the Son of Man comes…” (v.31). There is no uncertainty in those words, is there? Jesus doesn’t say “I’m hoping to” or “I’ll really try” or “I might be available”; he says, “when the Son of Man comes.” Everything then, which follows, will happen. Jesus will return. He will come back to us. Doesn’t that heighten our anticipation?

And we are so in need of that repeated reminder, aren’t we? As more time passes, we wonder more. We question ourselves. We question God. The world worsens. Is Jesus’ return a reality we can count on, or is it just wishful thinking? Am I foolish for believing it or looking forward to it? Jesus puts that to rest. Jesus doesn’t lie. He laid out what will happen when he returns. He will return. 

And his return will be glorious! While Jesus’ first coming into our world was meaningful and marvelous in its own right, I don’t know that “glorious” is the description we’d use for the child born in a barn. Jesus highlights the difference between the first coming and the second coming – “in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne” (v.31). Glory – what a contrast to Jesus’ first arrival! That last glorious day is described elsewhere in Scripture in this way: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). No secluded stable, but the most glorious announcement, accompanied by hosts of angels and trumpet calls – “Jesus returns!” 

And why is he returning? To judge. Notice both parties on that last day are shocked, but for different reasons. They are surprised at the criteria behind Jesus’ judgment. Believers were not even aware of their service to others amounting to service to Jesus himself. The believer, from whom faith naturally springs into action to love and care for and serve others, thinks nothing of those things. They weren’t carried out to earn points with God or to elevate our standing before him, for we know that nothing good lives in us by nature. Yet through faith, God works much good in the lives of believers!

Unbelievers, on the other hand, were not aware that their selfishness and lack of service to others amounted to selfishness and lack of service to Jesus himself. The unbeliever was convinced he was doing enough to be on good terms with God, that he was a pretty decent guy or gal, making some positive contributions in the world. At the very least, better than a whole lot of other people. And they’re absolutely shocked to not be acknowledged by God.

So the sheep and the goats, believers and unbelievers, were both surprised, both shocked. In other words, you will be shocked on that last day. The question is, for what reason? Will you be surprised by how effortlessly and naturally your faith flowed into service for others without ever thinking of recognition or reward? Or will you be surprised because you were pretty sure you were going to hear from Jesus’ lips, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance…” (v.34), but instead will hear “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (v.41)? I don’t imagine too many people actually expect they will hear those words from Jesus, but he makes it clear that he will speak them. Will they be spoken to you? 

They may be, if you should make the terrible mistake of presuming that how you live doesn’t matter, that you treat your faith like a hazmat suit that somehow protects you from caring for others and serving their needs. You may hear those words if you make the grave mistake of treating grace and forgiveness as merely a free pass to live as you please. Those words may be spoken to you if your confession of sins and confession of faith are merely empty words that have no root whatsoever in your heart. Now before you blow off that possibility, are you really willing to gamble that you might be wrong? Maybe you don’t believe there is a hell. Maybe you don’t believe a loving God would actually ever send anyone there. One, do you really want to chance that, to take that risk, and two, are you comfortable with calling Jesus a liar when he lays out that this is exactly what will happen on the last day? Hell and eternal punishment are real and many are really going to end up there. Don’t let it be you.

Let us instead hear the other words of Jesus, music to our ears: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (v.34). We are finally going to experience what all the “fuss” is about! We’ll finally experience the culmination of everything he’s done for us and the blessings laid out for us from the very beginning. Jesus calls you “blessed.” You think you know what that word means now? People toss it around as a blanket term that covers anything good that happens to us – whether or not they acknowledge God as the source of blessing. Rest assured, the word will take on a new meaning in heaven. If the best it can do this side of heaven is describe only the stuff we know now, imagine what it will truly mean to be blessed when we hear that word on the last day in reference to what’s waiting for us. 

And what is waiting for us is an inheritance. An inheritance is always a good thing. No one leaves behind an inheritance that is intended to harm another or leave them worse off. An inheritance is always a good thing. How much more so with heaven! What will that inheritance include? How can we use known terms and experiences to describe what can’t be known or experienced here on earth? It will simply surpass the best of the best in this world by leaps and bounds, and exclude anything and everything that is undesirable and unpleasant. 

Jesus described that inheritance as “the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” He is not referring to just an object or item, but an entire kingdom, a way of life, a world, an experience that completely overshadows anything we could know or experience in this life.

And imagine how much the Lord has been longing to grant this to us – he’s had it prepared from the beginning. Ever shopped for someone and found the perfect gift that you know they are going to love? But you have to wait to give it to them. You want to right now, but the occasion has not arrived yet, so you have to wait. Imagine God holding on to this amazing gift that he knows will blow our minds, and he’s been waiting this whole time, throughout the entire history of our world, from creation until that last day, to give it to us. He must be about to burst every day that he waits!

What will determine who receives this gift? In a word, faith. Only Jesus doesn’t use that word; rather, he describes what it looks like. Think of faith like this. Coaches in many sports speak of the importance of follow-through. A golf or tennis swing with a strong follow-through matters. A shooter in basketball knows the importance of follow-through after he releases his shot, as does the pitcher on a baseball mound. Follow-through is important. It matters. Faith alone saves, but faith has a follow-through: works. Works are the follow-through of faith. They are the continuation of it. They are how faith shows itself, how it manifests itself. So without works, faith is not only incomplete; it simply doesn’t exist. There is no such thing as saving faith that is not accompanied by works. Jesus makes this clear by referencing works to determine who are the sheep and who are the goats, as those works are the follow-through of faith. 

Heaven is coming. Anticipate it. Strengthen your faith to be sure of it. Get to know the voice of Jesus more and more through his Word, so that you will be confident of the words he will speak to you on that last day, leaving nothing up to chance. Believe, boldly show that belief in how you live, and long to hear those words of eternal life, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (v.34). Amen.

Apologize

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(1 Peter 3:13-16)

If this morning’s word is not familiar to you in the context of evangelism, then it might be necessary to clarify that we aren’t talking about saying we’re sorry for believing in Jesus. Though apologies in that sense may have their place if we need to come clean before somebody else we may have wronged, the word apologize this morning carries with it a different meaning than “I’m sorry.” Apologetics refers to the field of defending the Christian faith. One of our Confessions in the Book of Concord is called the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, which is not Lutherans saying we’re sorry for ever confessing our faith as expressed in the Augsburg Confession, but rather a defense of what that Confession states. So while we are never sorry for our Christian faith, there is great benefit in being able to defend it. 

One important caveat when it comes to apologizing, or defending, our Christian faith: strictly speaking, defending our faith is not evangelism. No single soul was ever ushered into heaven because of a convincing or compelling defense of the Christian faith. Only the gospel awakens faith in the human heart. So what role, what place does defending the Christian faith have? 

If you’ve ever gardened, you know there is value in tilling the soil. Doing so prepares the soil for the seeds that will be planted. It removes the stones or pebbles or debris in the dirt that might otherwise impede growth and never give the seed a chance to take root. Growing in our ability to defend the faith can serve the same purpose – it doesn’t convert souls, but it may help to jar loose some of the other debris in someone’s heart or mind that could decrease the likelihood of the gospel being clearly heard or understood.

Some of that opposition to Christianity is based on the perception that the Christian faith is unreasonable. Now on a side note, what a perfect time for Christianity – our world is completely unreasonable right now! We see a lack of reason all around us. So in a world in which so few people actually make any sense and seem to be acting unreasonably, then Christianity ought to fit right in – an unreasonable religion for an unreasonable world! 

While I say that tongue-in-cheek, the reality is that Christianity is actually quite reasonable. Jesus thought so, as Luke recorded in our First Reading from Acts. “After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God” (1:3). Note that Luke referred to Jesus providing “convincing proofs.” That is, the evidence that Jesus displayed after his resurrection was apparently very reasonable. If something is truly unreasonable, then we would presume there would be no amount of evidence that would ever appeal to someone’s reason. Yet, people had seen enough from Jesus over the forty days after his resurrection to conclude that his rising from the dead was not so unreasonable after all. Their reason was in fact convinced by the proof.

So apologetics matter – appealing to people’s reason can make a difference. In one case it may serve merely to pique someone’s curiosity who is then open to hearing more of God’s Word, regardless of whether or not that results in saving faith. In another case appealing to one’s reason may serve as the very compelling and convincing element they needed to put them on the path to faith in Jesus. If we can then help people be open to the possibility that perhaps Christianity isn’t so unreasonable after all, we may have removed just enough obstacles in the way that previously kept that person from being open to the power of the Holy Spirit to work through the Word.

If the thought of being an apologist, of having to defend your faith, terrifies you, or if you don’t feel confident in that arena, you live at a good time. Because there is something else that others may be willing to listen to than the truth of the Bible, which doesn’t carry the same authority in many people’s minds today as in the past; they’re more than willing to listen to your truth. Much as we might cringe at such a statement, it might be an extraordinary time for us to take advantage of it. Here are two reasons why this is true.

One, our culture is anti-institution, so inviting someone to church may not be received as warmly as in the past. For some who seem disinterested or even turned off by Christianity, the real issue may not be Christianity itself, but the organized church they’ve come to associate with it. Some of those reasons are understandable; others perhaps not. When a pastor or religious leader associated with a certain church has fallen from grace, or when someone has been personally burned by a bad experience in a church in the past, we can understand why they may want nothing to do with the church as an institution. Those scenarios can be more challenging for us to help them navigate through. Then there are the general ones like “the church just wants your money” or “the church is full of hypocrites” that have always been around. Regardless, where people today may not trust the church as an institution, you are most likely the best thing we’ve got going. For that reason, we need to shift our perspective a bit to seeing ourselves – not necessarily our church – as an instrumental stepping stone to connecting others to Jesus. 

Two, if you’ve ever had doubts about your own faith, if you’ve ever had questions, guess what? That makes you 100% relatable. While many Christians wish they were as well-equipped as a pastor or a professor at a theological college or seminary, let me ask you something. Do you think the average unchurched person relates better to the theologically trained expert, or to you, someone much more like them who has real struggles and an imperfect faith that is a work in progress? The answer should be quite clear, shouldn’t it? So chances are, the individual who seeks out a pastor or trained spiritual leader is someone who may be curious or just be interested in seeking out an answer to a specific question. However, to whom do you think the person genuinely interested in Christianity and the possibility of pursuing the Christian faith is going to go? You. Someone just like them. Someone to whom they can relate. In this regard, that makes you uniquely equipped to defend your faith and expand on it for others. 

Now if you see the sense in these two reasons, perhaps your next question is why aren’t people coming to you with their questions? Why might others not approach us? One possible reason: they think Christians are unintelligent dim-wits. Is this justified? On the one hand – nope; we embrace the role of fools that Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians. On the other hand, are we? When is the last time you read a book? When is the last time you educated yourself on how to talk to skeptics and defend your faith. Maybe they think we’re dim-wits because… we are? Simple evangelism doesn’t have to mean shallow evangelism. Have I been avoiding personal spiritual growth for too long? Then it’s time for us to make a change. 

The other reason people don’t ask us about the reason for the hope that we have? They don’t see hope in us. Why would they ask about what is absent in our lives? If they don’t see the hope in how you speak, live, and engage with others, don’t be surprised when no one asks you about it. If you put Debbie downer to shame with your constant gloom and doom, you might be waiting a while before anyone asks you for the reason for a hope they don’t see in you.

If it isn’t obvious to others, where do we find that hope? Don’t forget the name of this series: “simple evangelism.” At its center, the message of the gospel is profoundly simple, so much so that a child could explain it: we are sinners who have in Jesus the Savior from sin that we all need. That makes heaven ours. It really does not need to be any more complicated than that. 

Question: are you able to apply the hope of that gospel of forgiveness to yourself? Peter wrote, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). Do you need to revisit that hope? Do you have it? Do you embrace it every day and live in it, breathe it? Does it smother you, cover you, envelope you… or do you allow your own guilt or the crud of this world to pin you down while hope seems out of reach, like an inflated balloon, drifting out of sight high up in the sky? 

Hope is here! Right now! We live under the shadow of the cross. We live in the reality of a vacant tomb. We live in the certainty of a hope-filled home in heaven. That is your lot in this life, your hope. And the reason behind that hope? Jesus. No more. No less. Jesus is your hope. So when your situation feels hopeless or your hope seems distant, chances are, so is Jesus. Keep him near and hope will also be close by. 

It would seem Peter knew that, as he encourages us, “in your hearts revere Christ as Lord” (v.15a). Imagine your reaction if you showed up today and looked to the front of the church and saw the cross had been removed from behind me. In its place was a very nice tasteful painting. Or a floral arrangement. Or a decorative light. I think no matter how nice any of those things might look, you’d be quite shocked and probably downright disgusted to see something replace the cross. That’s what goes on in our hearts when Christ is not revered as Lord, when he is set aside or replaced by some other love in our lives. Let him alone rule. When he alone rules in your heart, so does hope. When that happens, look at what else happens. 

We’re eager to do good, and to do it with gentleness and respect (cf. 1 Peter 3:13-16). These things alone would do wonders for our witness, as they are such a rarity in our day and age. Doing good with gentleness and respect for others is radical; it’s other-worldly. It’s attractive. It’s craved. It’s appealing. And the icing on the cake? When you live this way, even when you suffer certain consequences because of it, that’s when the questions come. That’s when people want to know why you put up with it and what hope you cling to in order to get through it. It’s like the opportunity to shine the spotlight on Jesus is being served up to you on a silver platter! When those times come, listen. Witness. Always. Apologize. Keep it simple. Let Jesus do the work. 

Equipped to Escape

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(Ephesians 6:10-18)

I don’t know how many of them there are these days, but there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of different types of talent shows available for viewing. Whether you’re a fan who doesn’t miss a new episode or you just catch a clip here or there online, it’s obvious that people can do some pretty spectacular things. Singing, dancing, magic, are some of the more frequent acts, and then there are the bizarre performances that make you cringe and wonder if what you just witnessed was a talent or… something else. Regardless of the specific talent on display, when we watch others excel at something or do it very well, we are genuinely impressed. In addition to being impressed, though, there is often another thought which comes to mind: “I could never do that.” It’s a natural reaction when we see a professional or an expert in their craft – we’re wowed by them while also reminding ourselves how impossible it would be for us to do what they did.

How many times have you felt that way throughout this series? As we have explored unhealthy escapes and the damage they can bring about, have you experienced the frustration of knowing that you need to stop turning to that unhealthy escape, but feeling a little like “I could never do that”? An unhealthy relationship with alcohol or any type of illegal or prescription drug. An insatiable desire to shop or buy things. Using any form of sex outside of marriage as a release or an escape. Craving status or success. Did you find yourself listening to those sermons, knowing they were convicting you, but then at the same time, dismissing the warning because “I could never do that”? Sounds nice to talk about putting these unhealthy escapes behind us and turning to Jesus instead for real rest, but honestly, if we haven’t been able to change anything up to this point, why should we expect anything different in the future? 

Today, as this series comes to a close, Paul has an answer for you. But before we get to his answer, let’s take a moment to address what can be a boulder-sized barrier in the way before we even get to the verses from Ephesians this morning: that “I can’t” that you tell yourself. I don’t remember where we heard it, but one of the things Gena and I have tried to emphasize with our kids is the word “yet.” When we tack that word onto the end of the phrase “I can’t…‘yet,’” it shifts the way we think. Of course a kid doesn’t ride a bike on the first try. She doesn’t pick up an instrument and play it brilliantly the first time. So when a child says, “I can’t,” we tried to attach the word “yet” to the end of the phrase. 

I’m not sure why we don’t do the same thing as adults. We’re ridiculously hard on ourselves and the way we speak to ourselves stacks the deck against us so often right away. If any of these escapes we’ve touched on throughout this series have been “go-to’s” for you for years, did you really think you’d be able to put a stop to it after hearing one sermon? That’s not only unrealistic – it’s unfair. It’s unfair because it overlooks who you are: a sinner. You know what that makes you? It makes you really good at sinning. 

Far from being an attempt to make light of sin, its consequences, or how seriously God takes it, this acknowledgment is instead real. It’s who we are, and it means that the kinds of patterns and habits that we’ve allowed sin to carve out in our lives are not easily or quickly eliminated. Sin is never interested in merely stopping by for a visit; it wants to take up residence wherever and whenever it is permitted. So no, you may not be able to imagine yourself giving up this escape or that one; you may not be able to envision ever getting out of that rut. Just remember how to change up the end of that statement: “I can’t… yet.”

Here’s also another reality, and it’s one that is much more powerful than the reality that we’re sinners. We aren’t just sinners, thank God, and that isn’t even how God views us. God chooses to see in us what he’s made of us: saints. Forgiven. Washed. Holy. Sanctified. Remember, God doesn’t love you because you’re lovable. He loves you because he is love and that’s what he does – he loves. So again, as we have touched on already in this series, when you feel like it will be impossible for you to ever break away from an unhealthy escape, you’re right – it will be impossible for you. But not impossible for God. 

So stop making this about what you can’t do and start paying attention to Paul’s direction in the first verse of our Ephesians reading this morning: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (v.10). Paul doesn’t waste our time by directing us to look inside ourselves for strength or point us to the power of self-help. No, instead he points us to real strength – the Lord’s. When we look to him we see a power that no weight-lifter, no monster truck, no heavy-duty machinery, indeed no power in all of the galaxies that could ever come close to matching! And it is with his power that we are equipped!

Look at what his power has equipped us with so that our “I can’t” thinking can begin to be replaced with “He can.” How do we replace those thoughts? Look at how Paul says you are dressed for battle! You are not helpless! Look at each piece of equipment you’ve received: “the belt of truth,” “the breastplate of righteousness,” “feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace,” “the shield of faith,” “the helmet of salvation,” and “the sword of the Spirit.” (vs.14-17). Now, notice the real strength of these pieces of armor is not at all the armor itself, but rather the spiritual realities Paul attaches to each of them: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Holy Spirit himself, who equips us with these gifts through the very Word of God!

You have what you need to stand firm against any attack from any enemy – including the spiritual forces of evil that daily wage war on your soul. See how each piece of armor is perfectly suited to defend. Against the accuser’s lies and deception and against the world’s twisted ideas of truth, we have the unwavering truth from God himself that will hold up against every attack. Against the evil one’s efforts at driving us to despair because of our lack of perfection required for heaven, Jesus arms us with his own righteousness. Satan sows seeds of chaos and discord to unsteady us, but the good news of grace and forgiveness keeps us steadfast in peace. Where the devil deals in doubt we have faith to grab hold of what reason or understanding cannot. The enemy tries to convince us the tide of battle has turned in his favor and that we are in danger of losing, but the helmet of salvation assures us otherwise: the battle has already been won and the victory is already ours. So we lack nothing that is needed to stand firm and defend against every attack.

That is encouraging news for us; we are equipped for escape. Spiritually speaking, we can relate well to the old sports adage, “The best offense is a good defense.” You’ve heard that one, right? Probably not, because that’s not the actual quote. But maybe you’ve heard it the other way around, “The best defense is a good offense.” The point is, if you are on the offensive, then you don’t have to focus as much on how to defend the other team. 

But does it have application in the spiritual realm? It should, because according to the picture Paul paints in these verses, not everything the soldier of Christ wears is for defense. We have a sword. A sword is not primarily for defending oneself. A sword is for inflicting damage. A sword is for going on the offensive. Tired of being on the defensive spiritually? Maybe it’s time we got a little more intentional about taking the battle to the enemy. Maybe we need to get more deliberate about going on the offensive.

What weapon do we have to mount an attack? The most effective weapon anyone could ever get his hands on: the Word of God. That weapon is so powerful that it can turn enemies into allies! Paul confidently touted its power when he wrote in Romans, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (1:16). The writer to the Hebrews pointed out how effective a weapon it is: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (4:12).   

How might you, as an individual Christian, your Christian home, or our Christian congregation look if we put that weapon to work not just defensively, but going on the offensive? For you individually, armed with the only peace that provides real rest found in Jesus, what would your mood be like? What would your outlook on life be to daily embrace the joys that you have in Jesus?

What difference would that make in your home? First, for a spouse and/or children to see you wielding that weapon – the Word of God, what kind of impact would that make on them? How might it influence them? How might they end up imitating what they see in you? Could it change the whole dynamic of a divided house into a unified sanctuary of the Holy Spirit? Could real rest in the home provide that?

What difference would going on the offensive make in our congregation? I envision it would sound a lot like a comment a couple of Sundays ago from a member who had been away from church for a while and was struck by how many different faces there were in church that day. I imagine we would see a lot more of what we’ll see very shortly as we welcome another new member into the church family this morning. I imagine even more joy, smiling, and excitement as we see firsthand that the Word of God does exactly what he promised it would when we become more intentional with it and take it on the offensive. And, just as we’ve focused on for the six Sundays, I believe we’d become known as the place that provides a healthy escape for real rest in Jesus. For six Sundays we’ve focused on recapturing that for ourselves; for the next four, we’ll direct our attention on bringing that real rest to others to others in our new series, Simple Evangelism. Be sure to stick around.

Escape from Escaping

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(1 Peter 5:6-11)

Two people are sprinting as fast as they can in very different scenarios. One is in a movie on your television screen, desperately trying to escape through the woods from the bad guy. The other is in the final heat of an Olympic sprint, running for gold. Both are fast. Both are focused. But they finish very differently. The character in the movie stumbles and falls, while the Olympic sprinter stretches across the finish line to claim her medal. Why did one runner fall and the other didn’t (aside from being a very predictable occurrence in a movie.)? Not only was their purpose for running vastly different, but so was their focus. While both focused, they were focused entirely on different THINGS: the movie character was running from something while the sprinter was running to something. 

In a sense, that distinction captures the glaring issue with every escape we’ve looked at over the course of this series: each escape finds us running from something. So just like the predictable stumble in a movie when a character is trying to outrun, to escape from someone else, so when we choose to escape from something, we inevitably end up stumbling and tripping up, too. Maybe for a short time. Maybe for a lifetime. Maybe somewhere in-between. But when we seek out escapes as a means of avoidance, to get away from some trouble, challenge, sin, or something undesirable in our lives, we WILL stumble and fall. That’s because such an approach is focused on what we’re trying to escape from.

Consider the example of a visit to the doctor. A health concern led you to schedule an appointment so you visited the doctor. He informed you he’d be getting in touch with you later in the week after some results come back. Worried about what he found, you choose to ignore his voicemail or email a couple of days later because you don’t want to hear the bad news. But, if instead of running from the problem by trying to avoid it, you heard the messages and went back to the doctor, he’d tell you that what you have is easily treatable with a simple prescription and in a matter of weeks, you’ll be as good as new. How much worse did you make the matter by trying to run from it instead of to the doctor who could help you?

It isn’t about what we’re running from, but who we’re running to. And when we run to the Lord, we have finally found a healthy escape, we will finally find real rest. Throughout this series in our worship we have used the same Verse of the Day each Sunday: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt. 11:28-29). Jesus’ invitation in these verses is not to find rest in running away from the world, but rather in coming to him. So this whole theme of escape has really served to underscore the need not just to try to escape or get away from the stress and strain of life in our world today, but to escape to the one source that can provide the real rest that renews and refreshes – found only in Jesus Christ. 

But we aren’t very good at it, are we? Oh, we’re good at putting up posters or even quoting Bible verses, sure. But we have a little work to do when it comes to applying them. Check that – we have a lot of work to do when it comes to applying them. Let me prove it. What do you visualize when you hear Jesus’ invitation to come to him when you are weary and burdened? Is it just a nice-sounding, comforting verse or… do you actually take him up at his invitation? And if you answer “yes” to that, how do you go about it? What does it mean to you to bring your weary, burdened self to Jesus? Does it mean you allow his promise of peace to lift you up when your anxieties anchor you down? Does it mean you take to heart his guarantee that you are good enough even when the voice in your own head tells you otherwise? Does it mean that his forgiveness frees you from the grip of guilt? If these are foreign concepts to you when entertaining Jesus’ invitation to bring your weary, burdened self to Jesus, then let us seek the guidance of Peter’s words this morning from our Second Reading. 

To get to the point where escaping has less to do with what we’re running from and everything to do with who we’re running to, let’s start with verse 6. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (v.6). Isn’t the writer of these verses the ideal candidate to talk to us about humbling ourselves? Peter excelled at humility… not! Think of Peter walking on water… only to start sinking. Think of Peter putting the Lord in his place to stop all the talk of death and dying… only to have Jesus rebuke his satanic sentiments. Think of Peter claiming he’d never bail on Jesus, even if everyone else would… only to deny him three times. If anyone should know from experience how important it is to humble one’s self before God, it would be Peter, who repeatedly learned lesson after lesson of what happens when one doesn’t humble self before God! 

But don’t end up in the ditch on the other side of the road because your idea of humility is to simply avoid thinking too highly of yourself. In other words, let’s also be clear that humility is not the same thing as self-deprecation. In fact, arrogance and self-deprecation both have the same root cause: self. Negative self-talk and holding a low opinion of yourself are no closer to humility than is being egotistical and conceited – both are miles away from humility, because each one is overly focused on self, which is exactly the opposite of humility. So if God is to lift us up in due time, we must first humble ourselves, and if we are to generate true humility, then we need to die to self, to quit clinging to the best or worst version of self and humbly draw our eyes to God’s mighty hand. Then, and only then, when we quit getting stuck on ourselves, we may be ready for the next part.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (v.7). You may have noticed it, but just to make sure, let’s be clear on how Peter did not complete that phrase. He didn’t encourage us to cast all our anxiety on gaming/music/scrolling/Netflix/books/exercise/etc., but rather to cast our anxiety on him – the Lord God. Do you see that as precisely what we’re doing when we turn to any of those things as an escape? We’re changing Peter’s words and hoping our actions will serve as an acceptable substitute. We’re re-writing Scripture so that it reads, “Cast all your anxiety on sports. Cast all your anxiety on gaming. Cast all your anxiety on scrolling. Cast all your anxiety on music. Cast all your anxiety on Netflix.” Why? Why would we think any of those or anything else would serve as sufficient substitutes for how the Holy Spirit had Peter record it: “Cast all your anxiety on HIM…”? It isn’t as if those other escapes are wrong or sinful, but when they become our go-to for escape, then we’re merely running away from something and not to the proper source: God. 

As if we need a little more incentive, Peter reminds us what the Lord offers that those others cannot: “because he cares for you.” None of those other escapes care for you. Netflix doesn’t care for you. Gaming doesn’t care for you. Music doesn’t care for you. Sports don’t care for you. There is One who positively, perfectly, permanently, cares for you, and he is the Lord your God. The proof? No matter how many times you have turned to other escapes instead of turning to him, he still welcomes you back. And he always will.

The scars that you see on his hands as he opens them and extends his inviting arms to welcome you are the proof. The very body and blood with which he feeds you in the sacrament are the proof that he cares for you. The Word of God that endures and still stands even as it feels like our entire world at times is crumbling apart all around is – that Word is proof that he cares for you. The brother or sister in Christ who greets you, who checks in on you, who offers to meet your needs, who comforts you, who prays for you, who worships with you – these are all proof that he cares for you. So let us run – do not step slowly – but sprint to him to not lay down just a small little concern or two at his feet, as if that is all he could possibly handle from us! No, cast it, throw it, hurl it, pile it all – ALL your anxiety on him. He can handle it. Run to him, not just from your worries. 

Doing so also then allows us to take a different view of suffering, which Peter addresses in our closing verses. Living in a culture that increasingly turns away from God has left a vacuum, and one of its byproducts is our inability to handle suffering. Helicopter and lawnmower parents try to protect their kids from it at all costs, rather than train them to cope with it in a healthy way. Teenagers and young adults have such thin skin that virtually anything that isn’t a word of praise is deemed offensive of bullying. Adults resort to cancel culture to squash anything that might cause physical or emotional suffering or simply seek to escape it through unhealthy coping mechanisms or self-medication. Our society cannot handle suffering. Yet Peter took what today could only be perceived as a radical view of suffering, and he encourages us to do the same. He reminds us, “…you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (v.9-10).

When we are free from being enslaved by escape and finally run to the Lord, we then see how even suffering serves us. The one running from something sees hardship or obstacles as reason enough to give up, to drop down and let the bad guy catch up. He has lost hope. But the one running to something, to the finish line, to the victory, welcomes the suffering and the obstacles as something to be overcome, something to make the ending that much sweeter. And friends, we have God’s Word that the end will be so much sweeter. So do not give up. Do not call it quits. Instead, escape to the One who cares for you, and he will not let you down.

Escape from Chasing Status and Success

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(Daniel 6:1-23)

There are two ways to get ahead. One, you set yourself apart from the rest of the pack in striving for excellence. You stand out. You go above and beyond. Whether you have natural ability or work hard, you distinguish yourself and others take note. The other way to get ahead? You focus your energy on getting rid of the kind of people I just described. You tear down everyone else ahead of you in the pecking order. If a person doesn’t have what it takes to be on top, that person may choose to expend all energy negatively on bringing others down. If successful, once everyone else is out of the picture, that person then fills in the void – again, not by skill or ability or hard work, mind you – but by default. 

It’s quite clear which approach Daniel’s co-workers took. They simply could not match his exceptional administrative abilities. He was a head above the rest. “Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom” (v.3). For some reason, his coworkers took issue with Daniel. Perhaps his promotion meant their roles would change. Perhaps they were jealous of his recognition. Perhaps they were irked that a foreigner would be given such status. Whatever the reason, we know that they resented Daniel. Rather than trying to improve themselves and outwork or out-hustle him, they just wanted him out. “At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent” (v.4). 

You know when it’s really hard to say something bad about someone? When there’s nothing bad to say about someone. No matter how hard they tried, this group of envious administrators couldn’t drum up any bad press on Daniel. In addition to doing exceptional work, he was also a man of character and integrity, so they weren’t able to dig up any dirt on him. Today anyone with an ax to grind simply scours through the past decade of tweets and social media posts, and eventually they’ll find something that will offend someone, but Daniel’s reputation was pristine. These other government officials gunning for him only hit one dead end after another.    

Before we proceed further, let’s go beyond the actions and consider the attitudes behind them. What is it that drives people to choose the course of action that Daniel’s co-workers did? Surely as top officials in the kingdom, they would have enjoyed an above-average lifestyle and had it pretty good. They weren’t barely scraping by. Their roles were still quite exclusive and undoubtedly included both great responsibility and recognition along with it. So why wasn’t that enough? 

Because it never is when chasing status and success. That was exactly the point of one of the popular songs from the movie The Greatest Showman, entitled “Never Enough.” That was the song sung by the beautiful world-renowned singer who was on tour with and being promoted by the main character in the movie. The singer belted out the same refrain, again and again, lamenting that no amount of fame or fortune would ever be enough. And if fame and fortune, if status and success are what someone is chasing, then it’s true: it will never be enough. 

We all crave it, to some extent. We want to matter. We want to be recognized, to be liked. After our very basic needs are met, like food, safety, and security, right there in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is our need to be liked, our need for significance. But where is the fine line between feeling secure with my status and being unsatisfied? And, related, is it wrong to want to be successful, to strive for more, to be ambitious and driven? Or is it the lot of the Christian to simply remain reserved, to maintain one’s lot in life and be happy with where one is at, to settle?

What is the answer? Well, the answer is found in determining exactly what it is you’re looking for. But here’s the problem: if your pursuit of status or success is tied to your identity, then you’ve got a long road ahead of you. The good news is that you won’t be traveling that road alone – there are countless others in pursuit of the very same thing: an achievement-based identity. The bad news? You’ll never arrive at your destination, because there isn’t one. If you are looking to others for status and significance, well, you can board that train, but here’s the thing: that train only makes pick-ups, never drop-offs. That’s because there is no destination. It’s always “just a little further.” If my value is tied to views – the view or opinion others have of me, it will never be good enough. Today is filled with likes but tomorrow I get unfollowed. These people praise me, but that one, whose approval I really crave, doesn’t give me the time of day. One moment I’m delighted by all the compliments, the next I’m deflated by all the cut-downs. Eventually, like a hamster spinning relentlessly in his wheel, you’ll end up collapsing of exhaustion – and not just physical, but even more dangerous, spiritual exhaustion. 

Let’s return now to Daniel and take note of something else about him that stood out – for it wasn’t just his governing ability that was exceptional; it was also his relationship with God that stood out. “Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God” (v.5). Stop right there for a moment. Consider how evident, how obvious Daniel’s faith must have been for his opponents to take such note of it. It wasn’t just his raw talent and ability that stood out. It wasn’t even just his character and integrity. His faith stood out – and in a foreign land, mind you, where it surely would have been much easier on him to just go along to get along, to try to fit in and avoid ruffling any feathers by either embracing the local religious customs or at least keeping his own religions under wraps. But he apparently did the opposite, so much so that everyone knew how devout he was when it came to his faith. 

Do others know that about us when it comes to our faith – that we are devout? Or do they just know that we want to debate? Do they know what we’re for as Christians, or only everything that we’re vehemently against? Do others know from experience that Christians are all about love, compassion, patience, gentleness, forgiveness, etc., or do they just hear us talk about such things while rarely seeing them put into practice? If/when others know that I am a Christian, is it only when I feel compelled to point out my opposition/distaste regarding some grievous sin captured in the headlines or a questionable lifestyle of an acquaintance? And if my Christian faith only comes into play when I am insistent on making a stand against this evil, wicked world, let’s ask – who has ever been won over by that approach? I don’t know about you, but these attitudes and descriptions don’t seem to fit the impression I get from Daniel and his expression of faith. 

He didn’t use his faith in God as a club to beat down the Babylonians and all their pagan practices, yet his opponents were still well aware of how important his faith was to him. He didn’t verbalize or vocalize what a godless country he lived in and make it a point to protest all the things that violated his faith. And perhaps the greatest expression of it was in what Daniel did when the new law was put into effect: “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before” (v.10). All he did was go home and pray. He didn’t try to shock or offend. He didn’t express outrage that his rights were violated. He didn’t play the victim. He didn’t complain that society – especially through this latest offensive demand! – was pushing back on his faith and he just wasn’t going to stand for it or take it anymore.

Here’s the sad thing about where we’re at today: while rather rudimentary, Daniel’s behavior is really quite radical. What if that was the radical approach we took instead of bemoaning everything wrong in the world today? What if we just… focused on Jesus and developing our relationship with him, on growing in our faith? What if we did something so simple as… got excited to be able to wake up every Sunday morning and enjoy the freedom of gathering together with my church family for worship? What if I found tremendous peace of mind in not only knowing that I can, but actually taking advantage of the privilege of prayer, talking to God routinely throughout the day instead of listening to the talking heads on this channel or that one? What if I looked for reasons to attend rather than excuses to avoid the numerous Bible study opportunities offered each week? If we did all these things, let me ask you, do you think you’d be better off or worse off than letting the world have so much space in your head right now? 

That’s really what today is about. Kick-Off Christian Education Sunday is the opportunity to take stock in where I stand right now in my walk with God. Are the choices I am making, are the priorities I am setting, are the ways I am spending my time – are these serving the purpose of bringing me closer to Jesus, or am I unknowingly, inadvertently letting my life allow me to drift apart from him? 

This Wednesday our school kicks off another year. Aside from allowing Jesus’ grace and forgiveness to decorate your home, having your children enrolled in our school is one of the best – if not the best – blessings you can give your child. And no, that’s not me tooting our horn about what a great school ours is – although it is! Rather, that’s the confidence I have in what Jesus is able to do in the hearts of the little children we allow to sit at his feet day in and day out. Because here is the greatest takeaway we pray for any student impacted by our school: that it becomes so deeply ingrained in them that they are worth far more in Jesus’ eyes than any value that can be attached to them by anyone else in this world. To know that in Jesus they have a status that no social media account will ever achieve, that not all the praise of men will ever bring about. They are cherished and loved in Jesus.

And so are you. So are we all. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 Jn. 3:1). I know, I know – it’s not the easiest thing in the world to believe, is it? After all, if it’s so hard for us to consistently achieve acceptance and validation and significance merely from other people, how on earth could we ever possibly hope to have it from a holy God??? How could he feel this way about me when so often he’s barely a blip on my radar, when I’m much more like one of the conspiring co-workers than I am like Daniel?  How could he feel this way about me when my Christian faith has served more as a platform for a shouting match with the world than it has a calling to care for the world and confess Jesus to it? How could he feel this way about me when I know that he can see right into my heart where I cannot hide even the slightest single sin from him and my hypocrisy is exposed? 

Listen, for this is how: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (1 Jn. 3:16). Jesus gave his life for us. That’s how we know how God feels about us. Compare that to the praise and validation you might receive from people. Facebook gives you a “like”; Jesus gave you his life. Instagram gives you followers; Jesus gives you forgiveness. A manager gives you a raise; Jesus gives you his Resurrection. A friend pays you a compliment; Jesus makes you complete. There is no comparison between the shallow status the world offers and the permanent promise of love and acceptance the Father offers because of Jesus. 

And, just like the law of the Medes and Persians, it cannot be repealed. Because God’s love for you is not based on your performance one way or the other, but on Jesus’ perfection and sacrifice, God will not change his mind about how he feels about you. He has loved you, he does love you, and he always will love you. Let us stop chasing worldly status and success as an escape, and instead focus more on clinging to the status that is already ours through Jesus Christ: dearly loved children of God – for that is what we are!

Escape from Sexual Immorality

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(2 Samuel 11:1-15, 26-27)

What’s your view of sex? How does hearing that word make you feel? What does it make you think of? Does a conversation about this topic fill you with dread, cause you to start to sweat, make you squirm as if you wish you could slip out of your own skin right now and escape? Do you feel a little bit of disgust or even offense that such a “taboo” topic would be discussed in a sermon or in church at all?  

What’s your view of sex? Do you view it like a beautifully wrapped present (example)? The corners are perfectly folded, edges are straight and sharply lined up. The ribbon or bow matches marvelously. The tape is expertly applied, with the precision of a surgeon. The whole thing looks so beautiful. 

Or, do you view it like this wretchedly wrapped gift (example)? Does it appear quite unappealing? The wrapping job itself looks like it was done by someone with ten thumbs and eyes closed? Parts of the paper are torn. There are unsightly stains on it. It looks like it has been mishandled and neglected and not treated with much care at all. The whole thing looks rather revolting.

Which one better represents the view you have of God’s gift of sex? Which one better represents the view God wants you to have of this gift? Without a show of hands, I suspect that an awful lot of us view it like the second gift, and sadly, it’s because we have experienced or maybe even continue to experience a number of tragic reasons why. Sexual abuse. Addiction. Resentment. Neglect. Guilt. Of course, God never intended any of those to be associated with this gift! But, as perhaps some of the most condemning evidence that we do live in a fallen world that has been demolished by disobedience, most, if not all of us, have at one time or another experienced blight instead of blessing when it comes to this gift.

Understand that these are the realities we’re dealing with that make this particular topic such a challenge. Firstly, it is the degree of hurt – whether we have been on the receiving end of it or if we have been the cause of it – that makes it so difficult to discuss. So we avoid talking about it with anyone else. We dismiss conversations with others about it because we deem it inappropriate. The result is that, when it comes to sex, the world is hollering while Christians remain hush, hush, and God’s gift is hijacked and ruined.

Secondly, the weighty burden of guilt when it comes to sex can be one of the heaviest we bear. Again, whether we have been on the receiving end or the cause of it, sexual guilt can be relentless. So we need constantly to be reminded that sexual sins – like all others – have been washed away 100% by Jesus’ blood. Paul stated it so strongly on the heels of a very firm warning. “Do not be deceived: the sexually immoral… will [not] 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” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Forgiveness in that section hits us like a bucket of cold water on a scorching day. On the heels of the condemnation sexual sin (along with a whole list of other sins) brings, Paul reminds us that because of Jesus Christ, no such sin – no sin – prohibits us from being at peace with God. Whatever we were, whether victim or culprit, no sexual sin defines us or disqualifies us from heaven. Whatever you were is not who you are. Rather, having been washed, sanctified, and justified, what you are is this: forgiven forever. 

That good news of the gospel and the free and full forgiveness that is ours through it is why we as Christians can talk about this topic. No experience we have ever had or could have will change our status in God’s family. As members of his family, we can be real and honest about the challenges and frustrations that might exist when considering our relationship with God’s gift of sex even in a fallen world. 

Ironically, as vocal as the world is about sex, it gets it all wrong. That’s because rather than being interested in the forgiveness God longs to flood us with, it is more concerned with acceptance. When that happens, the abuse of this gift isn’t regretted, but celebrated, even emphasized as our identity. Remember when we used to recognize celebrities for their movies or musicians for their music? Now we celebrate the latest sexual orientation that is revealed. Those are the headlines that get hits. This celebrity was so brave to come out and reveal one type of sexuality; that musician another. It’s become so frequent, so normal, that soon enough I suspect that it’s going to be a radical thing for a celebrity to come out as heterosexual. Here’s something about which the world doesn’t care, but we do: when we allow sex to become the source of our identity, we disgrace both the gift itself as well as the Giver. The thing is, we do the same – disgrace both the gift and the God who gives it – when in our misuse of it, we allow it to serve as an escape. 

Perhaps what it is about the familiar account of David and Bathsheba which makes that most strikingly clear are the last words at the close of our verses today. “But the thing David had done displeased the Lord” (2 Sam. 11:27). Let me ask you, do those words do little more for you than serve as a closing transition from the end of one account in Scripture to the beginning of the next? Do they serve as a closing statement for this section, or do they do more? Does it make your heart sink, almost as if your heart literally dropped from your chest to your stomach? Does it weigh heavily on you that someone whom God had raised up through the ranks from runt-of-the-litter shepherd boy to God’s chosen King would let down and displease the same God who had graciously placed him in that role?

Let’s shift from Saul’s successor to self and ask it another way: does it trouble us at all to think that what we do displeases the Lord? Does it crush our spirits? Does it at least prick our conscience? Does displeasing the Lord even register as a blip on our spiritual radar? How frequently do you find yourself judging not others, but yourself, on the basis of whether or not your words and actions displease the Lord? It’s rather easy for us to observe others or to sit in judgment of others when we know what they’re doing is displeasing the Lord, but do we apply the same standard to ourselves? Do we frequently – daily? – find ourselves generally guided by a genuine desire to do what pleases the Lord? And, if that desire is there, is it fear-based or faith-based? Do we want to do the right thing only because of a moral sense of right and wrong that knows better, or do we want to do the right thing and please the Lord because our love for and devotion to him drives that desire?

Here’s another way to think about it: if displeasing the Lord doesn’t at all trouble us, then that should be troubling. If we don’t even think about or care that our sinful misuse of his gift of sex displeases God, then we stand on dangerous ground. We are in a place that runs the risk of forfeiting the grace in which we stand and exchanging it for a license to treat sex not as the gift God intended, but as a right to be used as we insist. Used in that way, what was intended as a gift ends up ushering in guilt. 

Suppose someone gives a gun as a gift to an avid hunter or a gun collector. That gun can certainly be utilized while hunting. It can be enjoyed at the shooting range. It can be a very thoughtful gift. But how do you suppose the giver of that gift would feel if that gun ended up being used in a school shooting or a murder? Absolutely dreadful. That wasn’t the intent behind the gift. It wasn’t supposed to be used for anything sinister or painful; it was intended to bring happiness and joy, to be the source of smiles, not sadness. 

Can you imagine God feeling that way to see his precious gift, intended to bring happiness and joy to husbands and wives, being instead the source of so much pain and sorrow and hurt? When we treat this gift as an escape, that is inevitably what will happen. Damage instead of delight. Enslavement instead of enjoyment. Service to self instead of service to spouse. And the Giver of the gift is left reeling by how many different ways sin can stain his good and perfect gift. Sadly, there are countless ways to have an unhealthy relationship with the gift of sex when it ends up being treated as an escape (rape/abuse/pornography/homosexuality/pedophilia/sex trafficking/prostitution/etc.), that’s a whole lot of sin that’s possible! And each and every case ought to either convict us or concern us. When we see any of this in the world, we ought to be deeply concerned that such sin makes a mockery of one of God’s precious gifts. When we see any of this in our own lives, we ought to be deeply convicted that we’re contributing to the problem by both sinning against God and further destroying his reputation in this world. When we see this in our lives, then we must apply the same words to ourselves that the Bible did to David: “the thing we have done displeased the Lord.”

Let us go back then – not to David, but to David’s Son, Jesus Christ. While the thing David had done displeased the Lord, David’s Son achieved what David could not. God the Father verbalized it both at Jesus’ baptism and again at his Transfiguration. On each occasion, the Father said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17; 17:5). Jesus Christ accomplished what David could not: he perfectly pleased the Father – which he did not for himself, but for us. For you and for me. See how Jesus changes everything in regard to our relationship with God’s gift of sex! He lived to please the purity expected by God, and he died to pay the price for all of our acts that displeased God. We are covered. We are clean. We are free to see and embrace the positives of this wonderful gift from God – to enjoy the pleasure and deep connection it brings within marriage and to appreciate the blessing of children it provides. 

That same freedom allows us to evaluate our view of this gift on a recurring basis. We do that by continuing to ask ourselves the same four questions regarding our relationship with sex. #1 – Can I go without it? #2 – Is this a topic I can discuss with a fellow Christian? #3 – Am I avoiding a long-term solution in favor of short-term satisfaction? #4 – Am I looking to creation for something that can only be provided by the Creator? Being willing to ask ourselves these four questions, coupled with the freedom we have in Christ, will help ensure that this wonderful blessing from God is not an empty escape by which we’re enslaved, but a treasured gift to be enjoyed.