Come, Lord Jesus! - As Judge (Second Sunday in Advent)

When Jesus comes back as judge, everyone will face a binary outcome. Either they will be judged righteous and experience the peace and joys of Paradise. Or they will be judged wicked and suffer unquenchable fire (Matthew 3). John the Baptist’s job was to point to the only way to prepare for a judgment, one where the stakes are that high. Repent! And look to the Lord Jesus. For when Jesus came into our world the first time, it was not as judge, but as Savior. All those whose faith is in Christ have already been judged righteous. Please, take these words to heart: the reign of God draws near, and his judgment is inevitable. As John the Baptist once said, “All people will see God’s salvation.” The only question is if one sees Christ’s second coming with joy or regret. For those who fail to repent, the coming of the Judge brings certain doom. But his people will see that Judge like a banner on the hilltop, rallying us to his glorious side.

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Come, Lord Jesus! - As King (First Sunday in Advent)

Why would the Church Year begin with a gospel reading that describes an event near the very end of Jesus’ life—his entry into Jerusalem at the start of Holy Week? Because the events of Palm Sunday serve as a perfect summary of the entire plan of salvation. It is an odd sight, this man riding into Jerusalem on a baby donkey, to cheers and the celebratory waving of palm branches. Understandably, many asked, “Who is this?” The answer: This is not just a rabbi. This is the King of all Creation. This is God Almighty wrapped in flesh. Yet, he does not enter Jerusalem with all his glory and power on display. The King hides all that and rides into Jerusalem so that he might also be our priest and sacrifice.

This is a King unlike any other ruler who has ever lived. For he is infinitely greater than all other kings, while simultaneously being infinitely humbler. This King is willing to trade his golden crown for one made of thorns. This King comes not demanding our service but to serve us. You look at how good, how loving is this King, and you ask that question upon which eternity hinges. “Who is this?” As we march through this new Church Year, the answer becomes crystal clear. This King is the Savior of the nations.

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Thanksgiving Service: Give Thanks to the Lord for He is Good!

On Thursday of this next week, people across our nation will pause their regular routines for Thanksgiving. We easily lose the original focus of the day in the hubbub of extravagant food, football, online shopping, and traditions. At its heart and origin, the day is a time for reflecting on the blessings God gives and giving Him thanks. We know there have been years in our past when we were overwhelmed by the blessings we could see in our lives. We also know there have been years when we had to look a little bit deeper to find them.

It is good for us this Sunday to be reminded why God would tell us in his Word: “Give thanks in all circumstances.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Give thanks to him for he does not change. Give thanks to him because his blessings are still with us. Give thanks to him because he keeps all his promises.

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The Last Day: A Day of Deliverance that God's People Eagerly Await

Jesus promised, “I am coming soon” (Second Reading). But what does soon mean to the one who is the Alpha and Omega, the eternal God? We do not know. We want Christ to return quickly because we know the Last Day will be a day of great deliverance for God’s people. But how long will we have to wait? Will it be in a few months or a few millennia? We cannot know. As we await Christ’s return, we want to avoid two extremes: impatience and indifference. Let us not despair if the deliverance of the Last Day does not come as quickly as we would like. But let us never doubt that that deliverance will indeed come. How do we avoid those extremes? How does Christ’s church remain ready and watchful? In this last week of the Church Year, our Savior does what he has done all year—point us to his Scriptures. The Scriptures record countless promises that have already been fulfilled in Christ. That assures us that the as-of-yet unfulfilled promises are as good as done. There is no doubting that the Last Day will come. There is no doubting it will be a day of blessed deliverance for God’s people.

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The Festival of All Saints: We Feebly Struggle, They in Glory Shine

We believe in “the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints” (Apostles’ Creed). All with saving faith in Jesus as their Savior are holy. (Saint comes from the Latin word sanctus which means holy.) God grants the status of saint to all believers. Since sainthood is achieved through faith in Christ, we refer to believers as the invisible Church. Members are unknown to us since only God can see the heart. Furthermore, even if we knew the identity of each saint on earth, they would not look all that different from the rest of mankind. Believers still struggle with trials, temptations, and sin. Nor does membership in the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints make life easier. In some ways it makes life more difficult as we struggle against a world that is hostile towards Christ. However, some members of the communion of saints no longer struggle with trial and sin. They are not oppressed by an anti-Christian world. These are all the saints who, through their Christian death, have triumphed over all these things. The blessedness of being God’s saint is no longer invisible for them. They live in the glory of Christ’s light. This week, we thank God for those members of the communion of saints who have gone before us and now enjoy everlasting life. We feebly struggle, just as they once did. But now, thanks to Christ, they in glory shine. Their example encourages us as we patiently wait to join them.

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The Festival of the Reformation: The Truth Will Set You Free!

We value freedom and strive to protect freedoms. But do we truly understand freedom? Freedom for many means doing what you want without control or coercion. Jesus helps us to understand true freedom: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Gospel). Jesus says that you will never be free by living however you want. Take that attitude towards life and you'll be a slave. You'll only be free—spiritually, emotionally, eternally—“If you hold to my teaching” and therefore “know the truth.” A key principle Martin Luther established through the Reformation is sola scriptura, Scripture alone. Luther thought it was the answer to all of life’s fundamental questions. On what basis is a belief or practice justified of rejected? Scripture alone. Who or what is the final arbiter of truth? Scripture alone. Heirs of the Reformation still bind themselves to Scripture. Does restricting ourselves in this manner curtail freedom? Just the opposite is true. God’s divinely inspired truth brings freedom. It frees us from slavery to sinful delusions, the burden of guilt, and any earthly power. This week we see that when we willingly bind ourselves to truth, Jesus keeps his promise. The truth sets us free.

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Lord, Increase our Faith... a Faith Lived in Total Dependence

Last week we heard Jesus ask, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). As we consider Jesus’ question, it might be easy to assume that any decrease in faith we observe in the world corresponds with an increase in secularism and disdain for God’s Word. That type of unbelief certainly can be observed in our world. However, today we see there is another type of unbelief, a type that looks upright and moral. The absence of the faith Jesus seeks isn’t always complete and total rejection of God or the Bible or even Jesus. It is possible for someone to have respect for Scripture and Christ, yet ultimately trust in his own goodness when it comes to his relationship with God. It is natural for us to want to believe that our relationship with God revolves around our obedience to his commands. We desperately desire to believe that, if we just apply the right spiritual advice and effort, we can earn God’s approval and eternal inheritance. This, too, is unbelief, just as much as paganism or secularism. This week Jesus uses God’s law for its chief purpose: to expose sin and crush our natural pride. In Christ’s hands God’s law is a powerful tool used to shape in us the faith he seeks—one totally dependent on God to do what only he can do.

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Lord, Increase our Faith... a Faith that Overflows with Gratitude

Gratitude is the appreciation and thankfulness we feel when someone does something kind to us or for us. There are two key factors that influence the intensity of gratitude. First, there is the deservedness factor. Say you do a favor for your neighbor, picking up his mail when he is out of town. A month later he does a favor for you, giving you a ride to the airport. You are grateful for his help, but not overwhelmingly so. You feel by doing a favor for him, you deserved his help to some degree. Second, there is the generosity factor. Say you do that favor for your neighbor, picking up his mail when he is out of town. When he gets back, he gives you a hundred-dollar bill. You’re stunned. “I can’t accept. This is too generous.” Apply this to God. Consider the deservedness factor. What does God owe us? How deserving are we of his blessing? Consider the generosity factor. What has he done for us? What blessings has he given us now? What blessings has he promised us in eternity? As Jesus increases our faith, so that we accurately answer all those questions, we become more than grateful. We overflow with gratitude.

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Lord, Increase Our Faith... a faith shown in persistent prayer

Disciples of Jesus need to learn how to pray. We need Jesus to teach us to ask for those things which our Father in heaven promises us. We need to learn to claim in prayer what he wants for us more than what we want from him. However, learning to pray is not like many of the other things we learn to do in our lives. Once we know how to write our name, tie our shoes, or ride a bike, the learning is done. There is virtually no danger we will forget how to do those things. Not so with prayer. Prayer is not something we learn to do once and then know how to do correctly for the rest of our lives. Learning to pray consists of a lifetime of persistence and struggle. But when we struggle with God in prayer, it is not an indication that something is wrong but that everything is right. Struggle is part of the very nature of prayer and at the heart of the blessings it brings in our lives of faith.

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Lord, Increase Our Faith... a Faith that Delights in Duty

Look up “duty” in the dictionary. It's defined as “something that one is expected or required to do.” Look up “duty” in a thesaurus. Some of its synonyms: chore, burden, obligation, work. “Duty” can carry some strong negative connotations. Now, consider this. In the world, as you rise through the ranks, you are able to leave many duties behind. For example, if you are high-up on the corporate ladder, you can delegate things you don’t want to do to someone else. In Christ’s kingdom it works just the opposite. An increase in faith does not lessen duties at all. It increases opportunities to serve God and others. Increased faith means increased obligations and work. But here’s the good news. The same faith that increases our duties leads us to delight in them. For through faith we know that we serve the one who first came to serve us. We consider it a privilege to imitate Christ in our service to others. Just as his service to us brought him great joy, so does our service to others.

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Hard Truth #5: Serve God with Money; You Can't Serve God and Money

There are more than 2300 Bible passages that speak about money. Why? Money is a master Satan frequently tempts us to serve. And that evil foe knows how successful his efforts with money can be. Money provides us with a false comfort and a sense of security. It serves as a source of pride. It serves as a wonderful tool for a favorite pastime: justifying ourselves in our own eyes and the eyes of others. Jesus knows that serving money makes it impossible to serve God. The human heart is not big enough for both. As a result, Jesus does all he can to expose the futility of serving money. He also helps us see that the only one truly worth serving is our gracious, loving God. When we serve God, money is put in its proper place. Instead of money being a lord to serve, it becomes a resource for serving the Lord. This is the hard truth. There is no way for us to serve both God and money. But we can serve God with our money.

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Hard Truth #4: The Found Are Left; The Lost are Found

“He’s lost.” We use that term not only to refer to someone who is bewildered about where they are but also to refer to someone who is in a helpless, hopeless state. Mankind’s natural state is one of complete spiritual helplessness, a profound lostness. It manifests itself in countless ways. The one who simply wants God to leave him alone: lost. The one who feels she can handle life on her own: lost. The one who thinks he has the right to repent of his sins on his own timetable and on his own terms: lost. The one who thinks God owes them in some way: lost. Wandering around physically lost can lead to winding up in bad places. But the hard truth is that wandering around spiritually lost puts you in the worst place of all. Fortunately, Jesus does not leave us alone in our lostness. He relentlessly seeks us. He involves the rest of the Christian community in seeking the lost and rejoicing over the found.

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