Proper 25 (Reformation Wednesday 2024)

Season after Pentecost—Live Like You’ll Live Forever  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  32:14
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Daniel 3:16–28 (NIV84)
16Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” 19Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. 24Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, O king.” 25He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” 26Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. 28Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
Romans 5:6–15 (NIV84)
6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10For if, when 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! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
Mark 13:5–11 (NIV84)
5Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. 9“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
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Theme: True peace with God liberates us from anxiety and fear of eternal death, enabling us to embrace our identity as beloved children of God, empowered to live out grace-filled lives that reflect His love to the world.
Goal: That the hearer will recognize Christ’s role as the redeemer, who restores humanity’s relationship with the Father, giving us peace with God.

The Gift of Peace: Rest in God’s Grace

Today we are observing the Reformation. On October 31, 1517 Dr. Martin Luther was courageous when he nailed to the Castle Church door a list of 95 topics and concerns related to the beliefs and practices within the Church. He wasn’t doing it to be different for difference sake, he read and studies the Scriptures and was concern that the Church was drifting away from Christ Jesus and the assurance of salvation we have by faith in him.
Luther introduced to the people of era that we are saved, that is “justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.” Our efforts are not the point and do not matter. The only effort that matters is the completed work of Christ Jesus upon the cross. This gave the Mission of the Christian Church direction that would result in a worldwide Reformation.
So this Reformation our meditation will focus upon peace with God that liberates us from anxiety and fear of eternal death, enabling us to embrace our identity as beloved children of God, empowered to live out grace-filled lives that reflect His love to the world. Today’s passage from Romans 5 discusses God’s unbelievable love.
How can God love us? More specifically, how can god love me, when I find myself a sinner, rebelling against the will of God in my life? The love of God in Christ breaks through it all! The penetrating power of the gospel is the ground of our unshakable confidence in God’s undying love for us. The love of God in Christ breaks through every obstacle.
The great Houdini was a master of breaking out this morning we want to focus on the greatest master at “breaking in.”
And God put this love on display through Christ Jesus resulting in Peace between God and man. In fact, His love broke into our lives when we were still weak and helpless. His love broke into our lives while we were His enemies. And the love of Christ reconciles us making peace with God.

I. The Love of God in Christ Broke into our Lives when we were Still Weak and Helpless.

Christ died for us. God’s great love is seen in this unbelievable act. Romans 5:6 “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”
We were helpless (ἀσθενής): weak, worthless, useless, hopeless, destitute, powerless, without strength. We were spiritually worthless, useless, and unable to help ourselves.
Weak and helpless, Christ died for us. We were completely different from God: profane, having a different lifestyle than God. God is godly, that is, perfect; man is ungodly, that is, he is not like God; he is imperfect.
And Christ Died at the right time. It was in God’s appointed time: His destined time, appropriate time. Humanity had to be prepared for Christ before God could send Christ into the world. Men had to learn that they were helpless and ungodly, and needed a Savior. This was the purpose of the Old Testament and the Law, to show humanity that they were sinful. If the Law could have done the work to save us then faith would be of no use.
So Christ died for us:
He died as our sacrifice.
He died as our ransom
He died as our propitiation
Few will die for a righteous
Some may for a good man
Christ did not die for the righteous or godly man, nor for the good and pure man. He went well beyond what men do.
Christ …
died for the ungodly, for those who were the very opposite of righteous and good.
died for those “without strength”: the useless, destitute, worthless, and those without value to society and men.
Christ died for those for whom no man would die, for those who were of no value and of no good. He died for those who were diametrically opposed to God, the very opposite from all that He is. Such is the unbelievable love of God; such is the depth of justification.
Christ Jesus did this for you, liberating you from doubt, despair, and fear. And He did this while we were enemies of God.

2. The Love of God in Christ Broke into our Lives “While We Were Enemies of God.”

Romans 5:10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
Three things.
The thing that broke the relationship between God and man was sin. As a result, humanity is now an enemy of God, and now ungodly. But God reconciles us to Himself by Christ’s death. The way humanity is reconciled to God is by the death of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Simply stated, when a person believes that Jesus Christ died for him:
God accepts the death of Jesus Christ as for the death of the man.
God accepts the sins borne by Christ on the cross as the sins committed by the man.
God accepts the condemnation borne by Christ as the condemnation due to the man.
God is the One who reconciles, not men. We cannot reconcile ourselves to God. Rather, it is 100% an act of God. God is the One who reaches out and God is the One who reconciles man to Himself. Man simply receives the reconciliation of God. And this is how…
God demonstrated His love. Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Present tense: Meaning, God is always demonstrating, showing and proving His love to us.
Why? Because we sinners are constantly disobeying God:
by disobeying God’s Word and will:
Romans 1:29–31 ESV
29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
by living selfishly.
by ignoring God’s commandments.
by doing our own thing.
by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes.
by pursuing the pride of life and the things of the world.
The point is: it is God demonstrating His love “while we were yet sinners.” This is the unbelievable love of God that He would stoop down, break into our lives, in order to save us sinners while we are His enemies. We would expect Him to save righteous and good men, but it catches us completely off guard when it says, He saves us while we are His enemies. Such is the unbelievable love of God.
God demonstrated His love by giving up His only Son to die for you.
Families throughout history have been willing willing to give up their sons when their country ask them to send them to war. But how many would be willing to give up their sons for a person who committed treason, or for a rapist, or for one who murdered one of the greatest men who ever lived?
Think of the enormous price God paid in demonstrating His love: He gave up His Son to die for the unworthy and useless, the ungodly and sinful, the wicked and depraved—the worst sinners and outcasts imaginable. His enemies.
Just think what is involved in God giving up His Son:
⇒ God had to watch His Son walk through life being rejected, denied, cursed, abused, arrested, tortured, and murdered. God had to sit back and watch His Son suffer being murdered by the hands of men; He had to sit back when He knew He could reach out and deliver Him.
⇒ God had to destine His Son to die upon the cross for the sins of men.
⇒ God had to lay all the sins of the world upon His Son and let Him bear them all.
⇒ God had to judge His Son as the sinner and condemn Him to death for sin.
⇒ God had to turn His back upon Christ in death.
⇒ God had to cast His wrath against sin upon Christ.
It is beyond our comprehension.
Isaiah 53:5 EHV
5 but it was because of our rebellion that he was pierced. He was crushed for the guilt our sins deserved. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
To know Christ by faith causes us to rejoice in this relationship which God restored out of love for us, enabling us to approach life with confidence, knowing your bond with God is unbreakable.
It is unbreakable because

3. The Love of God in One Man Jesus Christ Makes Peace with God.

Adam and Christ are two pivotal points in human history.
1 Corinthians 15:20–22 EHV
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came by a man, the resurrection of the dead also is going to come by a man. 22 For as in Adam they all die, so also in Christ they all will be made alive.
Note the difference between Adam and Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:45 EHV
45 So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living natural being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
The love of God took his enemies and changed them into something brand new. As a result, we have Peace with God. This is purely an act of God’s grace. And it all comes through One Man, Jesus Christ, God’s very own Son.
Adam’s sin brought condemnation; God’s grace brought justification.
Adam doomed the human race, but God’s grace justifies the human race.
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Today is our Missions Festival and our Lutheran School is our biggest mission ever. Did you know that over 80 kids are in this building Monday through Friday, and that the vast majority of these kids — along with their families — do not know Christ? In this time of uncertainty and fear about the future, we are plethora of needs within our school, many of them are financial. Families burdened to pay tuition, for example. How about making a financial donation for this purpose? Ask Matt, our Principal, if you could write a letter for publication in the school newsletter telling your story of how Christ saved your life. Perhaps expressing that we are not defined by their mistakes but are embraced by God’s grace.
Maybe keep an ear to the ground about kids and families who are struggling and offer to help tutor a child after school. And send a note home with them to Mom and Dad telling them that you are praying for them. Maybe even invite them to attend worship with you.
The love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord broke into our lives when we were helpless, while we were yet sinners, and while we were enemies of God. Can there be any question, any doubt, that the love of God in Christ has broken through every obstacle? Be assured that nothing—nothing will keep the love of God in Christ out of your life. After all, he is the master of all time at “breaking in.”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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