Sermon Video: Advent Witnesses part 1: Mary, willing servant - Luke 1:38

 

As we look at the Advent story this year from the perspective of the eyewitnesses, we begin with Mary. If is difficult to put ourselves in her shoes with a gap of 2,000 years of culture, history, and for most of us, ethnicity separating us, but in the end even us men who do not know what it feels like to bring a child into this world, there is still a common humanity that we share with Mary. That being said, her response to Gabriel's mind-blowing message is truly extraordinary. Unlike many in the scriptures who respond to God's calling with hesitancy or doubt, Mary responds with humble obedience. "I am the Lord's servant" is as powerful as it is simple.

Sermon Video: "Yet not what I will, but what you will." - Mark 14:32-42

Jesus submitted to the will of the Father. In the Garden, though it cost him anguish that few people will know, he submitted. There was no other plan, the Incarnation proves the necessity of Jesus' Passion, salvation for humanity had no other champion. The divinity of Jesus did not shield him from the pain of his Passion, knowledge of the victory to come did not make it any less real.

The advice given by Jesus to his slumbering disciples speaks to us as well, "watch and pray". We don't know what our time of trial will consist of, nor when it will come, but we too need to submit to the Father and we too need vigilance and the power that prayer conveys.

Sermon Video: Peter's Folly - "Even if all fall away, I will not" Mark 14:27-31

"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread" sums up the episode that occurs as Jesus and his disciples walk to the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus warns them that they will "all fall away", but Peter responds to this not with contemplation but defiance.  When Jesus assures him that this very night he will indeed disown Jesus, Peter foolish digs in and insists otherwise.  Why?  Some combination of pride and stubbornness, with perhaps misplaced zeal added in, leads Peter down a fool's path.  Seeing him begin, the other 10 follow by also insisting against Jesus' prediction that they will remain steadfast.

For the Church today, this offers a reminder that pride and stubbornness are not the traits God is looking for from his people.  Neither is 'rugged individualism' (i.e. the philosophy of Ayn Rand or Rush Limbaugh) the path to discipleship.  The Church requires servants working together to further the Kingdom of God, more Clark Kent, less Superman.  Like Lewis and Clark on the way to the Pacific, we'd be wise to seek a guide and companionship.

"Jesus is Lord!" + "Let's Go Brandon!" = Blasphemy

To the husband and wife (I assume that was the relationship) standing on the street corner in front of the McDonald's in Perrysburg Ohio this last Saturday waving these two signs, "Jesus is Lord!" and "Let's Go Brandon!" know this: that combination is blasphemous.  What is worse, by encouraging others to honk, wave, and laugh at your sexual vulgarity combined with the name of Jesus, you were leading them into sin as well.  That's a problem.

Exodus 20:7  New International Version

“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name

Ezekiel 36:22-23  New International Version

22 “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

Romans 2:21-24  New International Version

21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

God takes his name and reputation seriously.

Some context: The seemingly innocuous phrase, "Let's Go Brandon!" is of recent origin and may remain mysterious to many, but it is a clear and purposeful sexual vulgarity aimed at the President of the United States. {Meaning of "Let's go Brandon!"}  In other words, using the phrase is a supposedly cute way of saying F- Joe Biden without having to use those words.  Set aside for a moment how toxic to our political culture the embrace of such a euphemism is, because that ship has largely sailed in the last decade {An unhealthy overemphasis on politics or A vulgar anti-Trump sign and an attempt to kidnap the governor of Michigan - Biblical wisdom for an uncivil society: "'I have the right to do anything' you say - but not everything is beneficial." 1 Corinthians 10:23-24.  As you can see, I was against vulgarity directed at the previous President as well}.

What concerns me more poignantly than American cultural decline (and it should you as well) is the way in which significant segments of the American Church is being dragged down with it.  Instead of acting as Salt and Light in our culture, as transforming agents, too many Christians are conforming to the culture.  This is just another example of Christians behaving badly because they value politics above piety.

Romans 12:2  New International Version

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Which brigs me to the conversation I had with this man and woman.  I was driving back from Michigan (having cheered on my nephew Saturday morning at the MI cross-country state finals) and was asked by my beautiful wife to stop in Perrysburg at Hobby Lobby to get a 1 inch paper punch there for her.  I saw the couple with their signs when I went into the store, and decided to walk over and talk to them on my way out.  My words were simple, and I believe polite, "As an ordained Baptist minister, please hear me when I say that "Jesus is Lord" and "Let's Go Brandon" don't go together.  Don't put the name of Jesus alongside a sexual vulgarity."  The response was telling.  The wife yelled harshly at me, "Get a job!", which was funny given how randomly aggressive it was.  The husband tried a different approach and one that explains a lot, "We're both heading to the same place", I assume he meant heaven, "you go your way and I'll go mine."  Except the path to heaven doesn't work that way, not remotely.

Matthew 7:13  New International Version

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

I don't doubt that this gentleman thinks he is following Jesus by his actions, and had he only been holding up signs encouraging faith in Jesus, he would have been {whether or not street evangelism is an effective tool, and what kind of street evangelism, is a separate discussion}.  But that wasn't what he was doing.  Instead, he was conflating a particular political viewpoint with faith in Jesus.  Saying, in essence, "If you don't hate Joe Biden like I do, you're not with Jesus", or perhaps more damning for him, "Hating Joe Biden is the Christian thing to do."  Whether these two were aware of it or not, that's the message they were sharing, and getting good laughs out of it too. {Beware of the Political Church: John MacArthur declares, "any real true believer" can only vote one way.}

Why then is this blasphemy?  Very simple, the name of God is sacred, as is his reputation.  We may readily recognize that using "God", "Jesus", "Jesus Christ", or even "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph" if you're Irish, as substitutes for swear words is inappropriate, a form of blasphemy, but so too is claiming that God is something he is not, did something he did not, or says something he did not.  And God doesn't hate people.  Hate is not a path to Heaven.  To claim  otherwise, even by implication, is blasphemy.

Our ancestors in the faith blasphemed God when they justified slavery and later discrimination, often claiming that it was the will of God in the process {doubling down on their sin}.  In our generation, the way in which God is more likely to be blasphemed is by draping an American flag around the Cross and proclaiming that the only one way to be a good Christian is to agree with the current political viewpoint.  Not only does this hamper evangelism, turning away those who don't want Jesus + America + one particular viewpoint in American politics, it also warps the very self-proclaimed Christians who think they are doing God's work.

Hate is not the path to heaven, condemning our 'enemies' in Christ's name isn't it either.  Caesar Augustus was a horrible human being, a brutal man with the blood of tens of thousands upon his hands.  Yet Jesus never said rained down upon him insults and vulgarities.  The Sanhedrin were hopelessly corrupt, and Jesus (along with John the Baptist) did indeed denounce them forcefully, but not with mocking or joy, and certainly not with filthy language.  In short, Jesus NEVER acted toward those who opposed him {and brutally murdered him by the way} the way people claiming to follow him are acting toward fellow Americans with whom they disagree.

Matthew 7:16-18  New International Version

16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

What then is the fruit that God requires of his people?  

Galatians 5:22-23  New International Version

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

 This is the path, the only path.  Pray for those who have been led astray to believe that God would be pleased by any other.

Sermon Video: The Body and Blood of Christ - Mark 14:22-26

During the Passover meal with his disciples, Jesus adds to that yearly ritual of remembrance of the provision of God on behalf of his people by instituting a New Covenant. The first was solemnized with the blood of animals, the new will be built upon the blood of the Son of God. In addition, Jesus offers his body as life sustaining food (the Bread of Life), and his blood as sin atoning redemption.

Throughout Church history, questions have arisen and answers attempted regarding the questions of who can administer rites of remembrance of the Lord's Supper, who can receive it, and what exactly is happening when we do. Is it the real presence of Christ, is it a mystery, or symbolic. While the answers have varied, broad agreement remains on this: those who would claim to be followers of Jesus Christ must participate, as this ritual is foundational to the practices of his Church.