Tag: preaching

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Keep Christ at the Center of Worship

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. We keep them sacred – holy – by coming together with fellow believers to be fed by your Word. Prevent all efforts at supplanting your Word and gospel with anything else in worship. Your house is not the place for political rallies or protests, but for the proclamation of your Word. Let Christ alone and the hope of salvation through faith in him be the focal point of worship in Christian churches everywhere. Guard the walls of churches from false teaching, but also from anything that doesn’t serve to advance your glorious gospel. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Anointed to Be Our Righteousness

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(Matthew 3:13-17)

Jesus’ Resurrection would have been a significant enough event to have heard it. But there were plenty of even lesser miracles that would have been fitting. When Jesus changed water into wine at Cana, for example. When he raised Lazarus or Jairus’s daughter from the dead. Feeding the Five Thousand. Each of those miraculous events would have served as ideal occasions on which the Father’s booming voice of approval could have echoed from the heavens. 

Imagine the guests at Cana, gushing over the best wine ever, now realizing that the special occasion just got a lot more special because God’s voice confirmed they were in the presence of God’s Son! God’s approval would serve as the perfect exclamation point after a dead person just came back to life. The leftover loads of fish and bread that surpassed what they had even started with would have made perfect sense to the disciples if God’s voice had immediately emphasized that it was his Son who was responsible.

But it wasn’t any of those occasions on which the “voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’” (v.17). No, those words were spoken at Jesus’ baptism. An event which, by the way, seemed entirely unnecessary to some, including the one performing the baptism, John the Baptist himself. If anyone should be an expert in who should or shouldn’t need baptism, it would surely be the one whose very title denotes his experience and expertise in the area of baptism. Yet he was the one who was puzzled enough to second-guess Jesus’ request: “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (v.14). All of this makes us wonder why this event was the one chosen by God to voice his approval. 

If we eavesdrop in on Peter’s sermon from Acts 10, he explained the significance of Jesus’ baptism and the events surrounding it: “You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power” (Acts 10:37-38). The Father’s affirming voice was the stamp of approval acknowledging Jesus’ baptism as his anointing into ministry. 

Still today, we have a special service when a pastor is ordained or installed. Other pastors join in laying on hands. But at Jesus’ baptism, instead of hands, the Father laid the Holy Spirit on his Son in the likeness of a dove. His baptism was his anointing, his ordination into ministry. 

Jesus also provides us with additional insight as to the significance of his baptism. It wasn’t just his anointing. “Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented” (v.15). Jesus had to “fulfill all righteousness.”

Righteousness. It’s a big word. It’s an important word. In fact, we’d literally be lost without it. 

While it’s a little early in the church year for the festival of the Reformation, whenever the word “righteousness” is discussed, it can be helpful to recall the struggle that Martin Luther had with the term righteous in the earlier stages of his life. He knew that only righteous people could enter heaven, since the Bible teaches that only those who are perfect will enter heaven. But, he also knew that all efforts at achieving righteousness on his own were in vain.

This understanding that holiness is required for whatever is in the afterlife is still pretty commonly held to today in a very general sense: good people go to heaven; bad people don’t. But it’s that general understanding that will leave so many in trouble, because “good” is entirely subjective. When our natural inclination is to compare ourselves to the worst in society, people can feel pretty good about themselves. They hold on to a false confidence that they’re good enough to get into heaven. But there are no good people in heaven; just perfect people.

So, we had better make absolutely certain we know how that perfection, that righteousness, is acquired! That’s where Luther struggled. He took desperate measures to do everything he possibly could to achieve righteousness on his own. Do you know where those desperate measures left him? Desperate. In despair. Because by his own experience, he was absolutely convinced that he could never attain righteousness on his own. Indeed, he was experiencing exactly what the Bible teaches about righteousness: “the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal” (Romans 9:31). 

It seems logical to conclude that, if God gave the law, then abiding by it – doing what it says to do and avoiding what it says not to do – should be the path to righteousness. But, just like the Israelites, and everyone before or after them, the only realization one can arrive at is this: if the law is the means by which righteousness is attained, then no one will ever attain righteousness, for no one has ever come close to keeping the law!

So if righteousness can’t be achieved by keeping the law, but is still a requirement for us to gain access to heaven, then how do we come by it? “What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith” (Romans 9:30). It is not the law, then, but faith by which a person obtains righteousness. Paul repeats this truth extensively throughout his letter to the Romans. “But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known…This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:21-22). “To the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:5).

But, for righteousness to be credited to us by faith, it first had to be attained so that it could be granted to us. That brings us back to the Jordan River. There, Jesus was not only anointed as the One chosen to secure our righteousness, but also took a major step in carrying that righteousness through his baptism. Had the Savior slipped up and sinned or failed to follow through with even the slightest requirement of the law, then he would not have achieved righteousness. And had he not achieved righteousness, then there would be no righteousness to credit to all who believe. 

But he did, and so he can – and does. By faith, the righteousness of Jesus is the righteousness of Abraham, Martin Luther, you and me, and all who believe.

So then, where does your baptism come in? What role does it play? Is it an outward act of obedience that shows God our righteousness? That would only make sense if righteousness could be obtained by the law or by any act of obedience. But since we just established that isn’t the case, then our baptism cannot be merely a display of our obedience or dedication, for that wouldn’t carry any weight before a God who only accepts perfection.

No, our baptism is so much more significant than that. Our baptism is like the floodgate that opens up all of the blessings that flow from the righteousness that Jesus already earned for us.

Buried and raised with him? Check.

Washed and renewed? Check.

Forgiven and saved? Check.

A loving Father who is pleased with us? Check.

Jesus’ righteousness had to come by the law so that our righteousness could come by faith. His baptism had to fulfill all righteousness so that our baptism could make us right with God. His baptism was to keep the law so that your baptism washes you from the curse of the law.

Now, wrapped in the double blessing of a baptism that is backed by the Savior’s baptism, we pursue living in the righteousness that reflects the gift of righteousness we’ve been given. Remember what Peter said in his sermon about Jesus’ baptism – that he was “anointed… with the Holy Spirit and power.” Too easily we forget or simply aren’t aware that the same Holy Spirit and power have been placed on us and are in us through our baptismal faith. We are so comfortable defaulting to Jesus’ perfection and righteousness that we fail to allow those blessings to spur us on to continue to pursue righteous living. 

We aren’t desperate. We don’t live fraught with despair that we’re not good enough, but are confident that in Christ’s baptismal righteousness, we are perfect! Our lives reflect that appreciation and confidence by looking the part. We don’t settle for walking and talking like the rest of the world, but are eager to pursue righteous living – because that is genuinely what we are in Christ: righteous.

Grace and forgiveness don’t prompt us to lower the bar in our living, but to raise it, to honor Jesus in every possible way by following in his footsteps. Jesus’ baptism – and by extension yours – doesn’t just change our status before God; it empowers our sanctification before him. When we take the time to remember and appreciate the significance of Jesus’ baptism, we more deeply treasure our own. So we raise the bar of righteous living to thank him who is our righteousness.

Seeking, Sharing, and Serving the Savior

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(Matthew 2:1-12)

Immediate family members, sure. Grandparents and other extended family members, at their earliest convenience, perhaps depending on travel distance. Close friends, eventually. These are the types of guests you’d naturally expect relatively soon after the birth of your child. There would be nothing out of the ordinary about those closest to you – who care about your family and have been kept in the loop throughout your pregnancy – visiting that soon after the birth of your child.

But it would be weird if random strangers with gifts showed up at your door. If you somehow found out that they were asking around about you and where to find you, that would increase the cringe factor significantly. And, if you knew the long distance they traveled just to see your child, that would make it even more awkward. No prior existing relationship with anyone in the family – just there to see the kid. Weird indeed.

But Jesus was not just another baby. We can appreciate the details Matthew shares, emphasizing that the child the Magi were seeking was no ordinary child. He tells us his name – Jesus – the name Joseph had been commanded to give to the One who would save people from their sins. There was only One to whom that name could be given.

The wisemen from the east also refer to him as “king of the Jews,” a title not just anyone could claim. Then they tell Herod they saw “his” star, not just a star or even the star, but his star. Who is worthy of having his own star??? And they explain that they aren’t there just to pay him a visit, but “to worship him” (v.2).

Then Matthew, never one to miss the opportunity to connect the prophetic dots for us, details how the chief priests and teachers of the law discovered the prophet Micah’s revelation that the birthplace would be Bethlehem. Finally, they didn’t just make a quick stop at the Dollar Tree or some gas station convenience store to pick up a last-minute gift, but brought along with them their very best gifts. No, in light of who this Child was, there was nothing odd at all about strangers from the east paying him a visit. In fact, in light of who Jesus was, we might be surprised that he didn’t welcome even more visitors!

As much as the Magi receive a lot of the attention on the Epiphany, what really stands out is that they aren’t the only ones searching for Jesus; everyone is! Everyone is seeking Jesus – the magi, Herod, the chief priests and teachers of the law – they’re all seeking Jesus. And in a sense, they represent the general types of people still seeking Jesus today.

Sadly, there is no shortage of Herod-type skeptics. Matthew reveals Herod’s true colors upon first hearing the news about Jesus: “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed” (v.3). Herod was not interested in a king to replace him, let alone a Savior. Neither are those who follow in Herod’s footsteps today. They aren’t seeking Jesus out of a need or desire to confirm that he is their Savior. Rather, they are seeking to discredit and undermine him. Any attempts at highlighting all of the ways Scripture reveals Jesus as the Savior for such skeptics are often met with frustration. That’s because for Herod-types, Scripture is viewed not as the divinely inspired Word of God, but as a book filled with holes and contradictions that is to be disproven and discredited. They seek Jesus not to trust him, but to troll him – and all believers who follow him.

Somewhat similar to the skeptics are those who might fall into the category of scholars. When Herod had called the religious scholars of his day together, “he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel’” (v.4-6). They were searching for Jesus, but not because they were looking for their Savior. It was their job. They were the academics, the scholars. 

There are plenty of these types today. They have the Bible right under their nose, but it is nothing more than a textbook. It is a writing of men to be studied and dissected by men, stripped of the supernatural and divine, leaving whatever relative, subjective meaning one may find. But their degrees and PhDs blind them to the reality of a Savior. They’re too smart for their own good to see any place for humbly being open to the possibility that the Bible or the God in it could in any way offer them something they could not come by or figure out on their own. 

The third type of seekers are the magi-types. They are genuinely curious. They sense there are limitations to their own understanding of the world around them and are searching for answers. They haven’t been successful in addressing the innate awareness of their own lack of goodness. They are aware of their inability to remedy the guilt and shame of their wrongdoing. They are open to the idea of religion and God, even quite convinced of their place, but aren’t sure where to begin looking or how to determine which is the right path when there are so many. So they are looking. They are seeking. They have some of the pieces of the puzzle, as the Magi did, but are still exploring. 

Each of these three types, regardless of the motivation for their seeking, all have the same thing in common: they all need the Savior. We all need the Savior. For that reason, we never stop seeking him. We are always searching to know him better, to deepen our faith.

Right? If not, when we stop seeking the Savior, that is when we start suffocating our faith. The child of God who insists on or is content to remain just a child of God. If he is not interested in maturing and growing in faith and understanding, he is leaving the door open to allowing his heavenly citizenship to expire permanently. So it isn’t just unbelievers, but also those who already belong to Jesus, who need to keep seeking him. 

Because everyone needs the Savior, it is necessary that we share him with others. While we don’t know all of the details, at some point, the news about Jesus was shared with the Magi. They may have come to learn of the God of the Bible from men like Daniel while the Jewish people were taken to Babylon. 

I love hearing stories about God’s people sharing their Savior. Some of you are very comfortable discussing the basics of salvation and Christianity with others. Some of you are amazing at sharing what you love about what Jesus is doing through your church and school, eagerly inviting others to be a part of it. For others, it’s more challenging, but you are patiently playing the long game with family or friends, dripping Jesus here and there over time, still sharing him in that way.

But, if we don’t ever share Jesus, then we’re showing something else: that we don’t really think too much of him. If the thought of sharing him never enters into my conversations, if it never crosses my mind, if the name of Jesus rarely leaves my lips except occasionally when I’m in church, what conclusion would an unbeliever draw about how important Jesus is to you? Seeking Jesus and sharing Jesus are not optional add-ons to the Christian faith; they are evidence of it.

Seeking and sharing don’t just stop there. Eventually, as God chooses to work through those efforts and bring others to faith or strengthen our faith, it leads to serving. Listen to Matthew describe how the Magi planned to serve their Savior with their gifts in verse 11: “Then they opened their [leftovers] and presented him with gifts of [crumbs from the bottom of the chip bag, some pocket change, and the doggie bag from their last meal at the restaurant].” Wait, that’s not right. It was gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Magi served their Savior with their best gifts, not their leftovers. 

What does he get from us? Firstfruits or leftovers? Some of us spend more on coffee than we do on Christ. Some went all of 2025 without once thinking about how they serve Jesus with their financial gifts and haven’t considered what their giving will look like in this new year. Some convince themselves that their serving or volunteering is somehow in place of regular offerings, as if God’s grace to us doesn’t warrant service through offerings and volunteering. Some will always leave the work of ministry to others, ignoring that the very definition of ministry is service. Some will spend the better part of their Christian lives content to serve Jesus with leftovers. 

But thankfully, that sad reality is not reflective of God’s love for us. Christmas reminds us of that. It wasn’t just the magi who gave their best gifts; so did God. He gave us Jesus. He gave us his absolute best. And Jesus came to do all of the things we’re called to do, too.

Jesus came to seek, to share, to serve. He came to seek the lost. He came to share his heavenly inheritance and all that accompanies it with us. He came to serve us. And he did all of this perfectly, without fail or flaw. And in doing so, he did much more than just set the perfect example for us to follow; he provided the very perfection we needed to be right with God. He also paid the price we couldn’t by his sacrifice on the cross. Jesus came to seek, to share, and to serve, and through all of this, he came to save us. 

What prompts us to imitate Jesus through the first three: seeking, sharing, and serving? It’s that we can’t do the fourth – saving; only he can.

And he did. We don’t have to save ourselves (not that we could!); he came to do that for us. The same Savior who welcomed the visitors from the east will welcome us into his eternal presence as well. Until then, how will you maximize your remaining time here on earth seeking, sharing, and serving the Savior, in 2026 and beyond? 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For the Joy of Christmas to Continue

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. Today provides another reason to be grateful after all of the bonus Christmas services this past week: we get to gather for worship yet again to celebrate the gift of your birth. On this fourth day of Christmas, keep the joy of the season shining brightly in and around us. As we engage in the rich blessings of worship, lead your people to confession and repentance, so that you might renew and refresh them with the assurance of their forgiveness and the joy of their salvation. Let the announcement of Jesus’ birth and the news of peace on earth be clearly proclaimed today, and let all hearts that hear it be awakened to faith or strengthened in the faith. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Bless All Christmas Worship This Week

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. Today and this week, you provide us with additional opportunities to gather in your house as we celebrate the Savior born to us. Fill your churches this week with saints and seekers, so that all may rejoice in the news of a Savior given to take away the sin of the world. Bless all of the final planning, preparation, and practice that goes into these special services, so that the good news may be clearly proclaimed, heard, understood, and believed. May worship everywhere magnify you, Lord, by keeping Christ at the center of all Christmas worship. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

The Imminent Arrival of the Messiah

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(Matthew 11:2-11)

Fernando Mendoza. You might not recognize the name, especially if you don’t follow college football (or, even if you do!). But you know a little bit more about Heisman Trophy Winner, Fernando Mendoza (assuming you know that the Heisman Trophy is awarded to the best athlete in college football). With that title, a person can figure out that this relatively unknown-until-recently quarterback of the Indiana Hoosiers is an athlete who probably stands to have a pretty successful future on the football field. A name tells us something; a title in front of that name tells us even more.

Jesus Christ. Did you know it isn’t just a name, but a name and a title? Jesus, which means “one who saves” or “Savior,” was the name given to Jesus. “Christ,” however, is a title. And not just any title, but the most significant title in history. It means “anointed one” or “chosen one,” and God’s people throughout the ages have always understood it as the title that referred to the promised Savior. It’s a title that says, “this is the guy the world has been waiting for,” “this is the One,” “he’s the man.” And this Greek title, Christ, has a counterpart in the Hebrew. It means exactly the same thing as Christ. What is that title? By now, you guessed it: Messiah.

What does this have to do with anything? Everything! When Matthew introduces this section, referring to the Messiah, he’s telling us everything we need to know about Jesus. He was not some imposter. He was not a backup, a reserve, or plan B after the original plan fell apart. No, Jesus was the One designated for the work of salvation that God promised. He was the man! But some needed assurance, which is why John the Baptist sent his disciples to Jesus with the question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (v.3). 

It’s natural for us to wonder why John sent his disciples – was it for his benefit or for theirs? It certainly makes sense that John was asking for his own benefit. Keep in mind where John was: in jail. You don’t have to spend any time in prison to know that those who have are left with plenty of time to think. While that can be a good thing, it can also lead a person to overthink things. When things look bleak, and one’s outlook doesn’t look very promising, as was the case for John, it’s not uncommon to second-guess and doubt. So he may have sent his disciples for validation during this low point in his life. 

Or, since John already knew his divinely appointed role of serving as the forerunner to the Savior, his request may have had nothing to do with him. It may have been entirely for the benefit of his own disciples. Remember how Jesus’ own disciples reacted when he was taken prisoner, put on trial, and crucified? They had their doubts! For John’s disciples to see him imprisoned, they may very well have had their doubts about whether all of this was really from God. So John may have sent them to Jesus with the question for their own benefit, to reassure them. Or, it may have been a little bit of both.

Finally, does it matter? Do we have to know what the reasoning behind the question was for us to benefit from Jesus’ answer? Absolutely not. After all, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, God directed Matthew to record all of this in his Gospel for our benefit. And all who hear his response and combine it with faith have even more proof of who Jesus really was – the Messiah. Jesus confirmed who he was, and he did it in two ways. 

One, Jesus pointed to his own miracles. “Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor’” (v.4-5). But, Jesus wasn’t just reminding John of all of the amazing miracles he had performed; rather, he was reminding them that all the amazing miracles he had performed were the very signs about which Isaiah had prophesied as a sign of the coming Savior, the Messiah, the anointed one! Isaiah wrote, “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy” (Is. 35:5-6). Isaiah was essentially saying, “Look for these signs and you’ll know when the Messiah has arrived.” Jesus was connecting the dots for John to put it all together for a clear answer to his question. The Anointed One had arrived – the Christ had come – and his name was Jesus!

The second way by which Jesus confirmed he was the Messiah was to point to John the Baptist. He shifted his attention to John, but not to turn the attention off of himself; rather, it was to highlight his identity from another angle: from the perspective of the one who was also prophesied as the forerunner of the Messiah. Whatever a person’s opinion of John the Baptist was, Jesus set the record straight in exactly the same way he had just done regarding his own miracles: he pointed to the Scriptures, which had provided another sign of the promised Messiah. Isaiah didn’t just provide clues to the Christ through miracles, but also through his predecessor, sent to pave the way for Jesus. When that one arrived on the scene, it indicated the imminent arrival of the Messiah. As Matthew quoted, Isaiah foretold, “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you” (Mt. 11:10). The messenger had arrived – his name was John. So, then, had the Messiah – his name was Jesus. 

What a clear reminder for us who so easily lose the connection between Savior and Scripture! Jesus could have satisfied John’s question in any number of ways, but he chose to go back to the Bible. The One who had performed the miracle didn’t elect to perform more miracles to convince John’s disciples of who he was, but instead opened the Scriptures to them. Is that not a powerful testimony from Jesus himself? If the One who could have done literally anything to reassure John and his disciples of who he was chose to use the Word of God, can we take anything away from that?

Consider our congregation’s Core Values: Rooted in Scripture, Deliberate about developing disciples, Family-focused, Growth-minded, and Community-centered. Let me ask you, what happens when we say we value these things… but essentially set Scripture off to the side? To think we can claim that we value them while the Scriptures remain a foreign concept to us is to set ourselves up for failure. And, since we’ll fail to make a difference in any of those areas that we claim to value, it also makes us out to be liars. For our Core Values to mean anything, the Word of God is foundational. It isn’t optional. It isn’t occasional. It’s foundational.

If not for the Word, what else are we here for? What else draws us to this or any local congregation? The fun seasonal social activities we enjoy together? The amazing teachers at our school? The meaningful relationships we have with people and parents? Those are tremendous blessings that are not to be taken lightly! However, those blessings share a common denominator – the Word of God. 

To pretend those blessings can continue to flourish and thrive without the Word of God is like pretending a small flame will somehow ignite into a roaring fire in the fireplace without any oxygen. It won’t happen. It can’t happen. Just as that roaring fire needs oxygen to burn brightly, so do all of the blessings that we enjoy here need the Word of God to thrive.

So each of us individually needs what is essential for us collectively: the Word of God. How would you describe your relationship with your Bible? How would you explain your use of it to your children or spouse? Is it like your phone – it’s never out of reach and you’re constantly attached to it? Or is it like the exercise equipment covered up under a sheet in storage somewhere? Despite the Bible’s repeated directive to make it a regular part of our lives as believers, we somehow become very comfortable ignoring it, don’t we? 

Imagine piloting a plane without ever having taken a single flying lesson. Try competing in the Kentucky Derby without being able to ride a horse. Go scuba diving without any air tanks. Head off to war without any weapons. Such examples range from silly to downright dangerous or deadly. But how much more absurd is it to think of a Christian existing without the Word of God?!? 

Yet we don’t bat an eye about neglecting the spiritual lifeline that is our Bible. For that alone God ought to lose his patience with us and condemn us! He’s provided all that we need in it and we treat it as optional at best, or like some contagious disease to be avoided at all costs at worst! What an insult to God! If we’re not going to use it, he might as well take it away from us. 

Instead, he continues to point us to it. If Jesus pointed John and John’s disciples to the Word, it’s no surprise that he also points us to the Word, too.

And why does Jesus point us to his Word? Because the Word points us to Jesus.

Just like it did as Jesus demonstrated to John’s disciples. The more time we spend in the Word, the more our faith lights up at the truth that Jesus is the man, the chosen one, the anointed, the promised Savior. The more time we spend in the Word, the more we marvel at how forgiven we are. The more we see how deeply loved we are. The more clearly we see our names written in Jesus’ blood in the Book of Life. And the more time we spend in the Word, the more certain we are that everything is going to be OK. Everything.

John needed to hear that. John’s disciples needed to hear that. Jesus’ own disciples would need to hear that – again and again. Everything is going to be OK – Jesus is the Messiah!

Where do you need to hear that reminder in your life right now? What is going on that needs to be brought under the certainty that everything is going to be OK, because Jesus is the Messiah? Parenting struggles? Marriage tension? Academic stress? Friendship frustrations? Job irritations? Health questions? Retirement concerns? Or, just the unbelievably heavy burden of guilt and shame from sin? Listen again: everything is going to be OK. Jesus is the Messiah!

The person without the Word, though – believer or not – blows off the idea that everything is going to be OK. Because that person cannot escape the tunnel vision of this world and its problems. For them, spiritual sentiments won’t make a difference for real-life problems. 

But the person in the Word, living and breathing it, soaking it up and pondering it and searching it – the Holy Spirit opens that person’s eyes to see that the world’s problems are but a grain of sand on the beach of eternity with Jesus. The Word is everything, for it reminds us that Jesus, the Messiah, the chosen one, is everything we need. Therefore, everything is going to be OK.

The Imminent Arrival of the Judge

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(Matthew 3:1-12)

Remember the name George Santos? He was viewed by some as a rising star in his political party. And, despite concerns that were expressed about the reliability of his biography and past track record (including those claiming that already in childhood he had a reputation for being deceitful and untrustworthy), he did end up being elected into office. Eventually, though, it was discovered that Santos had in fact lied about a number of details about his past, including his education and employment history. Many of his business dealings and financial history were also found to be inconsistent and fraudulent as well. As it turned out, George Santos was not at all who he made himself out to be. It took official legal action and investigations to eventually discover the truth and convict him. 

John the Baptist, preacher of repentance, reminds us this morning that judgment is also imminent for each of us. But it won’t be an investigation or any legal action that will determine our judgment; it will be the Lord Jesus himself. Like Santos, we might be able to fool or deceive others – and even ourselves – for a time, but when it comes to the judgment of Jesus, the truth about each of us will come out. 

For some, that day will be terrifying. The Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day would be among them. Notice how suddenly the tone of Matthew’s account turns harsh as he records for us how John addressed them. “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, “‘We have Abraham as our father’” I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire’” (Matthew 3:7-10). 

“Brood of vipers” was a loaded term! First of all, one can hardly miss the connection between viper and the Satanic serpent back in Eden. And John doesn’t just call them “vipers,” either, but a “brood” of vipers. By referring to them as a brood, or offspring, John was also making a clear connection with their wicked ancestors, those who persecuted and even put to death God’s prophets in Old Testament times.

His follow up question – “Who wanted you to flee from the coming wrath?” – was intended as a satirical shake-up, since their soaring confidence in their own self-righteousness had them convinced that, unlike everyone else flocking to John the Baptist, they actually had nothing to be afraid of. So although they weren’t really concerned about that wrath, John was plainly telling them they very much needed to be!

To emphasize his point, he used additional illustrations. First, they weren’t the ones who got to determine what kind of fruit they were going to produce. That was their entire modus operandi when it came to religion – delighting in defining what they considered to be appropriate fruit. “We’ll just insert a few extra requirements here and sprinkle some added laws in over there.” But John was specific: fruit “in keeping with repentance.” In other words, contrition that was accompanied by appropriate actions. Not just, “I’m sorry you were offended or hurt,” but “I’m sorry for what I did, and I want to make it right.” That’s fruit in keeping with repentance. It’s fruit that reinforces the remorse of repentance. 

Then John reminded them that their religious version of “Who’s who” would get them nowhere. When it comes to name-dropping before God, there’s only One name that matters, and it wasn’t Abraham – or any of the patriarchs or OT prophets, but the name of Jesus.

Next, John raised the level of urgency by warning them that the ax wasn’t in the shop somewhere being sharpened, nor was it off in the distance somewhere being given a few warm-up swings. Rather, it was already at the root of the tree, ready to take out all trees without good fruit. And he wasn’t talking about pruning, mind you, to provide another opportunity to bear fruit, but utter destruction right at the roots, where, the tree would be hacked away from any chance at life and burned up in a fire!

That same picture of fire was what would happen to all of the chaff – unbelievers – after having been separated from the wheat with the winnowing fork. There was no doubt remaining as to what warning John was giving: that time of judgment is imminent, and it is going to be an eternal disaster for all who ignore John’s message of repentance. 

Thankfully, we see others also flocking to John. We see others who have nothing to fear. They heeded John’s urging to repent.  “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River” (v.5-6). It’s a small phrase, but with huge implications: “confessing their sins.” That phrase was absent in Matthew’s description of the Pharisees and Sadducees. But without it, baptism is nothing special, it is a splash of water or a quick wash. There’s nothing more to it if there is no sin to be washed away.

Those other people going to John did so with purpose. They brought their filth with them. They dragged their shame along. They confessed it, demonstrating their understanding of and need for baptism. They had real sins that really needed to be washed away. They took to heart the words of the Baptist and the prophet Isaiah, who foreshadowed him. In repentance they prepared the way for the Lord and his gracious forgiveness.

In biblical narratives like this one, when different groups or types of people are present, we naturally identify with a certain individual or group, or at the very least rule out any association with one. Isn’t it safe to say that wherever the Pharisees or Sadducees are present, we pretty much rule out any association with them? After all, we don’t pretend we’re saved by our own righteous good works, like the Pharisees, and we don’t deny the supernatural, like angels or resurrection and an afterlife, like the Sadducees do. Therefore, John’s warnings aren’t addressed to us, right?

Permit me to encourage a different approach to Scripture. Do we truly wish to avoid ending up on the same path as the Pharisees? If so, then whenever we see a warning in Scripture, let’s first assume that it’s a warning that is in place for our benefit and one which we need to hear.

In other words, rather than writing off every warning in Scripture as being directed at someone else, first consider how it might apply to me. Does John’s general warning about a coming wrath have anything to do with me? It absolutely does, if it exposes me as a fraud, a fake, or a false follower. But how would we know? 

That’s where it gets tricky, because when a person falls into that dangerous category, or even anywhere near it, he usually isn’t aware of it. The individual who has become disengaged from the local church, disconnected from the Bible, and is devoid of any displays of the Christian faith, yet still wholeheartedly identifies himself as a Christian, needs to hear John’s warning about the judgment of unquenchable fire that is waiting for fruitless trees and chaff. The believer who wants to selectively pick and choose certain teachings from Scripture and discard others, may align more with the Sadducees than she is aware, and needs to hear John’s warning. The believer whose idea of repentance involves merely the lip service of “I’m sorry” without any change in actions or attitude, needs to hear John’s warning. The believer clinging to the lie that grace and forgiveness are a license to sin as freely as he wants to because no matter what, he’s covered by Jesus, needs to hear John’s warning.

Consider a church member who hasn’t been in church for a year or more. In his mind, he hasn’t necessarily done anything wrong. He hasn’t committed a crime. He’s not absent because of some division or doctrinal disagreement. When the topic of church membership comes up, he struggles to see why his church membership should be questioned. “Isn’t it only those who disagree or have done something wrong who get dropped from church membership?”

But here’s the thing: if it doesn’t concern you that you haven’t desired to be in church, to receive the sacrament, to hear the absolution, to receive the encouragement of fellowship with other believers, and to want to serve and be served by them, that should be a red flag! John has something to say to you: judgment is imminent!  

And because it is, how necessary it is for us to cling to the part of John’s message that came after the word repent. He promised, “the kingdom of heaven has come near” (v.3). What is the kingdom of heaven? When Scripture uses the term “kingdom,” it is not a reference to a physical location, with borders that can be drawn on a map. It is instead referring to the unique activity of the gospel as God’s Word rules in people’s hearts, bringing them to faith and sustaining and strengthening them in the faith. It’s the work of grace changing and transforming us from the inside out. It’s the peace of forgiveness that softens our hearts and equips us with patient compassion toward others. It’s the joy of salvation shaping our speech and aligning our attitudes more and more with Jesus. All of that, and so much more is included in Christ’s kingdom work. 

And take note, for even in his own lifetime, John pointed out that the kingdom “has come near.” To put the word “near” into proper perspective, look who John quotes immediately following – the prophet Isaiah, who was preaching the same message as John, but 700 years earlier than John. Yes, “near” had finally arrived. Not only had God’s people been waiting those 700 years since Isaiah, but also for the centuries that were stacked up long before Isaiah even came along!

Yes, “near” was imminent. Jesus had arrived on the scene, born some thirty years ago by the time John the Baptist started proclaiming. Now, through his own public ministry, Jesus was going to continue carrying out and completing the saving work he came to do. That would ensure that his kingdom would be established and continue to grow and be strengthened through the work of the gospel – even to this day. John was the one preparing the way for him. And, if he was near then to carry out that work, then his return to judge on the last day was also that much nearer! 

What was true of John’s day is even more true in ours: Jesus’ return is even nearer. Remember Paul’s encouragement from Philippians in recent weeks? “The Lord is near!” Rejoice! Always (cf. Philippians 4). It’s still true, isn’t it?

John’s warnings are not worrisome for repentant sinners who know that Jesus’ righteous blood solidifies our status as saints. We don’t have to fabricate our past or falsify our biography to somehow pretend we can fool the righteous Judge, Jesus. We come clean to him in confession, confident of his unconditional grace, and absolutely assured of the joy that accompanies Jesus’ judgment: not guilty. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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Thank You for Worship

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. On this first day of Thanksgiving week, we are especially thankful for the blessing of worship, by which you dispense the riches of your grace. Where your Word is preached and your sacraments are administered, there you are placing your divine banquet before your people. Through it, let the Holy Spirit continue to kindle in believers old and new a genuine longing for and love of worship. Use worship to draw them more deeply into your Word and to strengthen their faith’s grip on your gracious promises. As believers grow in their appreciation for worship, lead them to be protective of their time in your house and encourage each other to do the same. The more they come to gather, equip them also to go, shining the light of their faith brightly, and eagerly speaking about what they have seen and heard. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Faith Fuels Faithfulness

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(Hebrews 11:32-40)

“You’re in good company.” The scenario doesn’t really matter, does it – it’s never a bad thing to hear those words. They are often spoken by someone else to reassure us when we’re afraid of failure or something else we did or said that might embarrass or isolate us. We feel like we’re the only one in that specific situation, but those words reassure us, revealing that someone else we may have never expected has actually experienced the same thing, and that everything ended up turning out just fine for them. 

The church recently observed All Saints’ Day. What is All Saints’ Day? It’s a reminder that you’re in good company. The best, in fact. Not just the company of those sitting with you on a Sunday morning. Not just the believers of a certain denomination or church body. And no, not just all the believers spread all over the earth, but even our fellow saints in the heaven-side of church, those saints who have gone ahead of us and are where we want to end up one day. Yes, fellow saints, we’re in good company. And the best chapter in the Bible to remind us of that is Hebrews 11. 

For us to really appreciate Hebrews 11 though, let’s see how it’s introduced at the close of the chapter that precedes it. Before we come across the Hall of Fame list of saints, listen to how the writer to the Hebrews assures us that we’re in good company. He writes, “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved” (Hebrews 10:39). I don’t know that there are words in Scripture that are more well-suited to serve as a rally cry for believers than these! “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”

Let us rejoice and rally behind these words, celebrating both the saints we’re surrounded by here on earth, as well as those who saints rejoicing with us in the Church Triumphant in the halls of heaven. Make no mistake, though the temporary matter of physical life/death may separate us from those saints, we share the same rallying cry, “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”

But who exactly are those we belong to who have faith and are saved? People like Noah, who dedicated decades of his life to building a boat with not a drop of water in sight while surrounded by scorn and skepticism! Or like Abraham, who followed God’s lead to move from point A to point B, without even knowing where point B was, and who was willing to sacrifice his own Son – the son who was supposed to be the first of countless offspring to follow! People like Moses, who chose to identify with slaves rather than royalty. People who crossed dry ground while flanked by walls of water, and people who believed that marching in circles would collapse the towering walls of an enemy city.

And those are just some of the saints listed before we even arrive at today’s verses! In that list we have survivors of starved lions, saints unflustered by flames, and those willing to endure a martyr’s death. No, we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. 

Take note how the writer the Hebrews classifies all of these saints – our fellow saints: he writes that “the world was not worthy of them” (Hebrews 11:38). Let that sink in. Let it sink in, especially in light of how easily we find ourselves wanting the world’s recognition and renown. How much time do we spend chasing after the praise of people when Scripture’s praise is the other way around! Men and women of faith stand out so much that the world isn’t even worthy of them. Now that’s a compliment! 

Then the writer restates a point he has made repeatedly throughout the chapter, and one that we want to make sure we apply today and for the rest of our lives: “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised…” (v.39). Surely their acts of faith would have been exemplary on their own, but they’re even more remarkable when considering they never received their reward on this side of heaven. That’s because God had something better in mind for them, just as he does for us. “God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect” (v.40).

We don’t get the rewards or the results here because God’s got something better waiting for us. 

We forget that, don’t we? We want better right here and right now. And, if we could be so bold, we’d also like it with as little effort as possible. “What good is all this church and Jesus stuff if things don’t get better for me right here and now?” “What’s the point of church membership if there’s no additional benefits – like the free shipping I get from my Amazon membership or the great bulk prices and return policy I get from my Costco membership?” “Why put up with the inconvenience and the sacrifice of putting my faith into practice if I don’t receive what’s been promised during this life?”  

Let’s be very careful, brothers and sisters. God’s got something better waiting for us. That is for certain. But don’t let your desire for a better here and now convince you that it’s worth trading for the better that God has planned. 

No – look at Jesus’ words elsewhere in Scripture and get a clear glimpse of the better that God has planned for us. Let that fuel your faith. What’s the better that God has waiting for us, the better being experienced to a degree right now by the saints who’ve gone to heaven before us? “God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Rev. 21:3-4). Jesus told his disciples they were in good company whenever they suffered for their faith, and that they should “rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven” (Luke 6:23). The “better” we’re promised is not here and now, but in the future, and faith guarantees it. 

Let’s let that faith fuel our faithfulness, just as it did in all of those names listed in Hebrews 11. These names are attached to remarkable deeds of faithfulness. Let the lukewarm, indifferent, casual Christian take note: faith fuels faithfulness. It is not stagnant. It is not powerless, useless, or worthless. No, we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. Let your name be listed in the addendum to the Heroes of Faith chapter! What bold act of faith will accompany your name?

By faith, will you positively impact thousands through active ministry or volunteer work? By faith, will you become a leading evangelist, responsibly for bringing hundreds or thousands to faith? By faith, will your network and your connections open doors to help churches thrive? Will your bold acts of faith fall into the category of those “who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies” (v.33-34)?

But beware. The list of examples in Hebrews 11 is not only examples of saints who were extraordinarily empowered conquerors, but also saints who were extraordinarily empowered to endure persecution and even martyrdom.

Are you prepared for that? Are you just as eager and full of faith to embrace that maybe your faith fueled faithfulness will be known not for the greatness God achieved through you, but for resilience and perseverance through suffering and trial which God highlights through you? 

By faith, you may grapple with a chronic health issue with patience and poise. By faith, you may stand firmly on Christ even in a relationship with a spouse or S.O. who does not. By faith, your generous giving is never stifled by your perennial financial struggles.

Will your bold acts of faith fall into the category of those “who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated…” (v.35b-37). Some of the saints stand out, not because of their super strength, but because of their suffering!

In the same year that Martin Luther nailed the 95 Thesis to the door of the Castle Church, he taught on this section from Hebrews and said, “He who relies on Christ through faith is carried on the shoulders of Christ.”

Picture a father and his toddler making their way on foot through a sea of people to find a good spot to watch the parade. As the child, you are staring up at the waists of people all around you, clinging desperately for dear life to your father’s hand as he leads the way through the crush of people. Then, dad grabs your other hand and swings you up onto his shoulders where, rather than fearfully looking up at a smothering crowd of giants, you now suddenly find yourself squared securely on your dad’s shoulders, with both of his hands at his chest, firmly clinging to your legs while you now have a clear view of the crowd beneath you.

Which do you prefer? The sidewalk, shrunken beneath the towering passersby, or the shoulders, where you’re safely propped up above the current of the crowd beneath you?

That is the difference faith makes as you navigate not through a crowd of people, but through a cruel and pressing world: by faith you are carried on the shoulders of Christ! Those shoulders, dear friends, are the same shoulders which bore the cross for you and were condemned for you, and the same ones which rose triumphantly to guarantee you a better resurrection than just those women referenced who received their children back from the dead for a time, but a permanent resurrection that is for eternity. 

The words “by faith,” purposely repeated throughout Hebrews 11, are powerful not because of the people who demonstrated such faith, but because of the One on whom their faith rested: the conquering Christ. Faith that is in Jesus Christ is assured of something better to come. And in the meantime, that is also the kind of faith that fuels our own faithfulness. So go, be who you are by faith and show it powerfully through your faithfulness, always remembering and being encouraged by the fact that you’re in good company. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Be Grateful for the Gospel in Worship

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. It’s so easy for us to take for granted that every time we gather for worship, we hear the good news of the gospel preached and sung. Sadly, that is not necessarily the case, certainly among religious gatherings outside of Christianity, but even within Christianity. The gospel is our lifeline to you, the assurance of our eternal security, and our hope for daily living. Cause preachers to proclaim it confidently and clearly. Keep them from the temptation of thinking that their own cleverness or creativity is necessary for the Word to be effective. The gospel is everything, therefore, let it not be overshadowed by anything. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.