January 10, 2016 – Baptism of our Lord                            Text:  Romans 6:1-11

 

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

Water can be very relaxing.  Lying in a raft floating along a river.  Listening to a stream bubbling through the woods.  Even relaxation CD’s use water as a sound to find peace and tranquility.  Our bodies wound tight by life’s tensions can unwind in water or to the soothing melody of a creek bed of flowing H2O.

Think of Holy Baptism in the same way.  The tension of our sin that can bring much misery to our lives is swept down the river so to speak as the waters of Holy Baptism flow down our forehead.  How comforting to recall that special day in our lives.  We live anew through water and the Word.

“LIVING BY DYING – THROUGH THE WATERS OF HOLY BAPTISM”

As good as all of this sounds, don’t think that everything is a picture of serenity.  Satan is always looking for a way to extricate us from our faith in Jesus.  He and his minions will stop at nothing until they’ve accomplished their mission.  He entices with the thought that if we sin more we will be showered with more of God’s grace.  Paul takes up the question in our text:  “What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” (v. 1)  Continue you living the way you want because The Lord is there with His grace.

We fall for the lie.  “I know marriage is supposed to be between one man and one woman, but God’s grace covers that, right?  I don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings.  God wouldn’t really send someone to hell if they don’t repent, would He?”

“I know sex is supposed to be just in marriage, but what we do isn’t like, horrible.  We really like each other and we will probably get married someday.  God is gracious and loving.  He won’t really send us to hell if we don’t repent, right?”

What’s wrong with the picture?  Satan is talking, not the Lord.  Satan doesn’t listen to Holy Scripture, doesn’t honor Holy Scripture, hates Holy Scripture.  He tries to get us to question its authenticity.  He will twist the Word so that we will buy into his twisted logic.  This never holds water with God and His Word.  God’s judgment on unrepentant sin is real and exactly what He says in Scripture:  eternal suffering in hell.

Paul says we can’t even think about continuing in sin.  We are dead to all this nonsense.  “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  By no means!  How can we who died to sin still live in it?  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death.” (vs. 1b-4a)  Mankind is satisfied to live and function in this perverse thinking and doing.  But Paul reminds the Roman congregation that this kind thinking has no power over us.  Our sin has been drowned.  We have been set free from these sins, not because they don’t matter, but because Jesus died for them.  Forgiven because they were taken to the cross.

Our sexual sins, our sins of silence when we should be defending marriage, our failure to keep our marriage vows, all were nailed to the cross.  Therefore, when we turn away from these sins, we no longer bear the punishment they deserve.  We are delivered from hell to heaven.  “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”  Christ’s death was on the cross, ours is in Baptism, which gives the benefits of His work on the cross.  New life has already begun for the child of God.  When Christ returns our bodies will be raised to life again.

How then does the Church, God’s people, continue to live in this world?  How do we not let the world’s authority take over our life?  How do we live having ben drowned and buried with Christ in Baptism?  It is a matter of “reemerging” to new life.

A Pastor Fuqua tells the story of his work as a scuba diver in Wichita, Kansas.  He would sometimes be called to search for a body in the water of a sandpit.  He’d gear up, test his regulator and him and a buddy would dive into the dark waters to search for the deceased.  It was sad duty.  After completing the work, they’d emerge from the dark waters and once again breathe God’s air!  Their hope was always that the one who had drowned emerged from death to God’s fresh air of heaven.

Kind of like what happens in Baptism, isn’t it?  We dive into the depths but reemerge again to breathe fresh air.  We’ve died to sin and are brought back to life.  This new life is different because the power of God’s Word has taken over our lives.  How we conduct our daily life is different.  We will still sin but we will not be taken in by the falsehoods of Satan.  We reflect the glory of the Father – made available through a cross and empty tomb.  We reflect this new life – like Paul did after his Damascus road experience – and do it gladly and willingly.  We don’t live back there.  We share the resurrection of Jesus!

Breathe your new life and live it to the fullest in Christ Jesus!

Amen.

January 3, 2016 – Epiphany                                                 Text:  Matthew 2:1-12

 

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

“Star light, star bright/ First star I see tonight,/ I wish I may, I wish I might,/Have this wish I wish tonight.”  And then there’s the Jiminy Cricket version:  “When you wish upon a star/Makes no difference who you are/Anything your heart desires/Will come to you.”

Stars.  There are numerous poems about them.  But the one star that always stands out most for us is the one in our text:  “For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  His star?  Jupiter?  Venus?  A comet?  And the speculation goes on every year.  How about supernatural?  How about miraculous?  How about a question . . .

“WHAT STAR DO YOU FOLLOW?”

Today we celebrate “Epiphany”.  The word comes from a Greek word meaning, “to show, to reveal, to make manifest.”  It’s the time we celebrate the wonderful news that Christ reveals Himself to the Gentiles, the non-Jews.

So the Wise Men see his star and rise to go worship.  In this section of Scripture we always get caught up in the periphery of the story than the importance of the story.  Were there three wise men?  Nobody knows – only God.  There could have been thirty-three.  What is important is that they are Gentiles and God has guided them to that place and time.

“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him.” (v. 3)  Disturbed at God’s presence?  Why?  Because God’s presence says something about sin, death, and judgment.  That would mess up Herod’s little heaven on earth.  He wants to be the star and somebody is pushing their way past.  Herod is a picture of many in the world.  They focus so much on themselves that they miss the Word in the flesh – Christ the Savior.  They excuse themselves from any judgment because they can do what they want – just like Herod.  How often are we guilty if this offense?  Looking out for #1.  “Hey, I’m the star here, don’t close the curtain.  Lord, I’ll do better next time.”

What comes next is down right fascinating.  We’re told, “…assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.” (v. 4)  Wow!  Herod knew enough and had enough confidence in the Old Testament Word of God to believe it contained information about the birth of Christ.  He knew the Messiah was coming into the world but wanted no part of it.  He knew- He had knowledge!

Herod is like so many today; those in the church and those outside the church who hear the Word of God and somehow conclude it doesn’t apply to them.  It’s post-modern math:  2 plus 2 equals 5.  They kick at the word.  They hate the word.  Why do atheists fight so hard to remove God’s Word from everything if they don’t believe anything about that Word?  Because down deep in places they don’t want to talk about at parties they are just like Herod.  They know the truth is there.  They know who the real star is.

So do the Magi.  Our text again, “After listening to the king, they went on their way.  And behold, the star they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.  And going into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him. (vs. 9-11a)

There is that star again.  God is pulling the heartstrings of the Magi.  Nothing must get in the way of their journey.  Most people around them could care less about the star.  The fact that the Kings of kings is born in this backwater town does not stop them or cause them to doubt.

Today people are fascinated with stars.  Why are many Internet sights so popular?  Because they deal with the famous.  They deal with the important.  We have made stars out of people who otherwise would not have been noticed.  We love to watch TMZ and read “People” magazine.  We follow them on Twitter.

And if we are not getting caught up in that mess, then we must be following the latest rash explanation for the star.  Let’s see, now, is it the History Channel or the Discovery Channel which always wants to explain it rationally?  Isn’t the star really a reminder that no matter how long and rough and sin struggling the road of life is, God is always there directing and guiding His people?  Isn’t that it?  Word and Sacrament.  God coming to us over and over again, guiding and directing us to the place where God says, “Your sin is forgiven.  You belong to me.”

This star we follow – this Star of Jesus – is not just for us, it is for others.  Those caught up in the wrong type of star gazing.  Those with no hope.  The Light of Christ – The Star – that will finally lift all who believe to eternal life and Light!

Amen.