The Message, The Messenger or the Mess in Me Pt 3
Notes
Transcript
Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Gospel, Content
“To preach a social gospel without the redemptive background of the individual salvation from sin of the individual sinner is like launching a glider instead of a high-powered plane. A glider may soar for awhile on the fickle currents of the wind, and climb high on some sudden up-draft, but it is the four whirl-wind motors that will carry a bomber to the stratosphere and jet-propulsion and rockets that will take a plane beyond the speed of sound” (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Man’s Ruin [Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans,1952], pp. 161).
6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a Word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Mission Insite is a tool, presented by the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) to the LCMS, to help workers gain a clearer picture of the mission environment in which churches minister. Recent research indicates that in Gary, IN, about 1/2 of this city, approximately 40,000 men, women, and children, do not believe in the Gospel. They might be familiar with going to church, might even know of the name of Jesus, but they are not trusting in His promise. Instead, the work of the Law in their hearts condemns them, so their either try harder to do better, or they try to muffle the accusations that burden them by turning away from God and the gift of His Son. They do not look to Him as the Author and Finisher of their faith. They do not come to Him for the forgiveness of their sins. Finally, they do not share that Good News with anyone else.
Ephesians 4:11–14 ESV
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
There is an old saying that goes, “A lie will die and the truth will stand.” Jesus said something that supports that statement: “Heaven and earth may pass away, but My word will not pass away” (Mark 13:31).
Today, the earth, the internet, and social media are filled with words, so many words that we can lose track over who said what and when.
The one sure foundation that we have in these perilous times is the Word of God, proclaimed in Law and Gospel without fear or doubt, trusting that God still watches over His Word to perform it.
Our Gospel text, along with the Old Testament reading and the Epistle text, gives us an illumination into this truth:
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.
As the stage is being set, the disciples are in a situation that is not of their own making. A sudden storm rises upon the Sea of Galilee, and they are trying to get across it and preserve their lives, but they are in the boat because Jesus made them do so.
Meanwhile, while they are struggling, Jesus is praying. He doesn’t pray like some of us do. Jesus communicates with the Father; sometimes we just give speeches. I’ve heard people talk about prayers that don’t crack the ceiling - Jesus never prayed one of those. Maybe that’s why the disciples asked Him one day, “Lord, teach us how to pray.”
25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
When Jesus goes to them, it is in the middle of the storm. He sees them on the water; He knows what is taking place. He knows better than they do, because He is walking on the water for one reason - it was the will of the Father:
29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
Jesus doesn’t do parlor tricks, and He wasn’t taking a “constitutional stroll” on the water. He was where they needed Him to be, coming to them on the water, showing them His power over the winds and the waves. The one who “set the boundaries of the sea” could do whatever He wills with them, whether it’s use them to clean things up, or turn them into a carpet for His feet. Sometimes, because “we know in part,” we don’t see what God is up to, and so we don’t think that He is up to anything. They didn’t think that it was Jesus - they thought that it was a “phantasma” - a ghost! Something to fear!
God comes to us in ways that sometimes challenge our comfort zones, He comes to us in ways that, if we are open to it, can open up possibilities for growth that we would have never seen coming. A simple walk on the water, a Sunday sermon or a Bible Study, the sharing of the Lord’s Supper. The Lord tells us, “It is I, take heart. Don’t be afraid.” People think that God wants to kill them, when He’s come to save them. People accuse God’s Law of seeking their destruction when it only comes to bring us to repentance and order our steps. People think that the Gospel is weak and puny when it’s “the power of God unto salvation.”
It isn’t the message, or the Messenger, though that is the problem - it the mess in us that causes us to miss what God is doing. It is our doubt concerning God’s love for us that leads us to other things that don’t profit. our doubt concerning His wisdom and power that lead us to try to improve on His perfect will.
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Trusting that “God is not slack concerning His promises,” as Peter would later write in an epistle, enables us to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that God is at work in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” “We know in part, and we prophesy in part” - we know what God’s Word says, and we have studied His exceeding great and precious promises, but we don’t know what will happen next. We accept calls to serve, open schools in communities, encourage others in their vocations, and support the work of the Church, not knowing what God will do. Sometimes the winds of doctrine make us feel uncertain about our footing. What do you do when it seems like others are “advancing the Kingdom” while we appear to be barely staying afloat? What do you say when your children, whom you raised in the “Holy Christian and Apostolic Church” take your grandchildren to the megachurch on the other side of town because it has such nice children’s programs with pretty playgrounds and winsome youth workers?
Peter said, in the midst of his fear, three little words, the three most powerful words in the world. Those three words were the difference between life an death. Those three words separate those who in hell lift up their eyes and those who will sing the Song of the Lamb throughout eternity: Lord, save me!
When the Lord delivers you from trouble, when He gives you peace in the midst of your storm, that’s a testimony of His goodness, not yours, His faithfulness, not your faith, and that’s perfect - that’s the way it should be. We should just be happy to sing, “I’m so glad that the Lord saved me… If it had not been for Jesus, where would I be? I’m so glad that the Lord saved me!” Peter was glad to be in the boat, the others were glad that he and Jesus were there. They gave Him the praise. They were glad to give Him the glory due to His holy name.
We are, too, as we sit here today, while all around us the world seems to be reeling into chaos over all of the trials and tribulations that we see, hear, and read about daily, from pandemics to social turmoil. through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God.”
“I've come through many hard trials
Through temptations on every hand
Though Satan's tried to stop me
And to place my feet on sinking sand
Through the pain and all of my sorrows
Through the tears and all my fears
The Lord was there to keep me
For He's kept me in the midst of it all
Not because I've been so faithful
Not because I've always obeyed
No it's not because I trusted Him
To be with me all of the way
But it's because He loves me so dearly
He was there to answer my calls
He was there always to protect me
For He's kept me in the midst of it all”
May the peace of the Lord be with you all, Amen.