Bulletin Announcements December 22, 2019
THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: Matthew 1:21 – “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus has done what our good works could never do. He has saved us from our sins, paid our debt, and set us free. How can we not give thanks to Him with lives of generosity and godliness? What God’s Law could not do – truly motivate us to truly good works – Jesus’ love has done.
FAITH IN ACTION OF BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL: One ride, one visit, one Senior at a time. Need a ride? Want to volunteer? Need more information? Call (309) 827-7780; or email: office@bnfia.org or contact Barry Hamlin at (309) 750-9424.
THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS meets in the basement at 9:15 a.m. and is studying a DVD-based Study entitled: “Joseph: Carpenter of Steel!” Come learn about this important person in the Christmas Story.
OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL meets at 9:15 a.m. in the Choir Room which is located on the 2nd level (the west side).
TWO SPECIAL WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES THIS WEEK: Christmas Eve Worship with Holy Communion is Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. Christmas Day Worship with Holy Communion is Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m.
OFFERING ENVELOPES: The 2020 Offering Envelopes are now available for you to pick-up. They are located in the narthex with your name on them. If you are not sure of your name, please check with the church office. Thank you.
CAN YOU HELP: John and Paula Hardy are planning their annual trip to Ft Wayne, IN. It will be sometime after the holidays, hopefully mid-February. The Seminary needs clothes for men, women, and children. They also accept shoes, coats, and kitchen supplies. Please be sure all donated items are clean and in good repair. Please bring your donations to the church. There is a closet located in the hall upstairs where items are collected, and packed for our trip. If you need help finding it just contact John (309) 310-7917. Thank you!
FROM THE OFFICE: We received a card from our adopted Seminary Student Aaron Wendorf and family—child #3 is to be born any day. To read more about their lives, the card is posted on the bulletin board outside the church office.
PORTALS OF PRAYER: The January—March 2020 Portals of Prayer are available on the bookrack in the narthex. Pick up your free copy today!
FELLOWSHIP HOSTS: In order to get more people involved in our Coffee/Donut Fellowship for 2019 we have two separate sign-ups: Donut Pick-up and Coffee Set-up. We would like to encourage you to sign-up for one or the other. You may also sign-up for both if you wish. The sign-up sheet is by the door by the north stairwell.
WELCOMING NEW INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: You can make a big impact on the lives of International Students and they will make a big impact on your life. We are looking for Christian individuals and families to welcome newly arriving International Students. Most will be arriving between January 3rd and 5th. New student orientation will begin on January 6th. You could help in any of the following ways: 1) Hosting a student in your home for a few days; 2) Providing transportation from the bus, plane or train; 3) Hosting a student for a meal or taking them to the store. If you are interested and would like more information, please contact John and Linda Berger, serving with International Students, Inc., at 309.664.0377 or jwberger@ilstu.edu. Training is required for 1st time participants. Training and resource information will be provided on several different dates (you only need attend one).
THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “VDMA” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from Jeremiah 23:24. From the days of the prophet Jeremiah to our own, some things haven’t changed all that much. There’s still corruption, violence, injustice, tragedy, and suffering. That’s the bad news. However, the Word of the Lord endures forever. So does God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. The speaker will be Pastor John Nunes. Hear his message on The Lutheran Hour on WGN (720) at 6:00 a.m.; WJWR (104.7 FM) and WJWR (90.3 FM) both on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Also, if you can receive Lincoln, IL radio station WLLM (1370 AM) the program is broadcast two times on Sunday at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tune in! You can also listen to The Lutheran Hour on your personal computer at RealAudio, www.lhm.org.
FROM THE OFFICE: The church now has a new email address. Our new email address is: office@goodshepherdblm.org.
FROM THE CHURCH OFFICE: If you miss church, please be reminded that copies of the previous week’s sermon are available on the table in the narthex. Also, the sermon will be available on our web site at www.goodshepherdblm.org. Thank you.
PRAYER CIRCLE: If you have a prayer request please submit them by email to Mary Anne Kirchner at makirchner@yahoo.com or you may phone a Prayer Request to Mary Anne; her cell phone# is (309) 532-2582. The Prayer Request box is on the table in the narthex for any written requests.
Christmas Special Services 2019
We will have Christmas Eve worship with Holy Communion at 6pm, Tuesday December 24th.
We will also have Christmas Day worship with Holy Communion at 9am, Wednesday December 25th.
Merry Christmas!
Sermon Text 12.15.2019 — GOD RESTORES OUR RUINED WORLD WITH NEW LIFE
December 15, 2019 Text: Isaiah 35:1-10
Dear Friends in Christ,
Most of us have had the opportunity to see the country of Iraq as we have watched footage of war and violence. The country is mostly barren desert. You get a few splashes of green by the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers but Iraq is mostly dry, desolate wilderness. It hasn’t always been that way. The Tigris and Euphrates once flowed out of the Garden of Eden. Paradise probably once flourished where Iraq now sits. But Adam and Eve were driven out by their sin and the great flood showed God’s judgment and changed the landscape.
Today the prophet Isaiah will take the lead as we see how . . .
“GOD RESTORES OUR RUINED WORLD WITH NEW LIFE”
There is trouble in our text. This wasn’t how Judah’s world was supposed to be. Israel was a ruinous desert and the streets of Jerusalem were deserted. Their world was ruined because of their sin. They kept worshipping false prophets and they weren’t listening to the prophets, including Isaiah. The destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC was violent and devastating. The Jews were banished from the land because of sinful behavior.
We too have trouble in our world. Pollution and natural disasters indicate a world in decay. Blindness and deafness and birth defects affect the quality of life for many. Cancer and heart disease and chronic pain further indicate the fallen world we inhabit. Add to this our “living for pleasure and power” over the peace and forgiveness of Jesus and we are in the middle of a mess.
The ruin of our world is judgment on our sin. From the time Adam and Eve knew better than God, creation has broken down. Banished from the Lord’s sight. Death and decay all around.
But God restores our ruined world with new life. God brought renewal for the people of Judah. The wilderness and wasteland would blossom and rejoice with streams of water and new growth. “They shall see the glory of the Lord.” The blind will see, the ears of the deaf will be opened and the lame will leap like a deer. These promises were fulfilled in Christ’s coming.
This new life was a sign of God’s forgiveness and presence in their world. God would come to save his people when Jesus suffered the vengeance of God for all the sins of all the people. Instead of casting them out, He would come in strength to take away their fears. The exiles would return on the “Way of Holiness.” The ransomed and redeemed would return.
God will restore our ruined world with new life. When Jesus returns on the last day God will make a new heaven and a new earth. A river of life will spring forth from the throne of the Lamb. The life-giving waters of Holy Baptism are turning us into new men and women, forgiven, and redeemed by the blood of Jesus. There will be no more death, disease, or pain in the renewed earth.
This new life is a sign of God’s forgiveness and eternal presence in Christ. The Lord will wipe every tear from our eyes. We will enter the heavenly Jerusalem and walk the streets of gold. Christians from all nations will enter the city whose gates are never shut.
Most of us have seen a sports movie or two in our days. What is the one thing they all have in common? The pep talk. Whether The Rookie or Hoosiers or Facing the Giants or The Mighty Ducks. The team is losing and down in the dumps and here comes the coach or a father or even a girlfriend and they give some inspiring talk about courage and not giving up. Then it happens. The comeback, the determination seemingly out of nowhere and the sweet, sweet victory. The underdogs win and somebody gets carried from the field or basketball court.
Do you ever wish that could be your life? Your world is up and then it’s down and you don’t want to face the next day. But wait, here comes someone, yes, I believe it is your life pep talker. Give it to me, pep talker! And they do. You are so inspired you that you ace that test you dreaded, you impress your co-workers with your jaw-dropping presentation or you throw your walker away and start skipping down the hallway. Is it all a movie?
The reality is we have a God who comes alongside us when the odds are against us, and by the power of His Word he gives us the strength and courage to keep going in life. God gave this pep talk to the Jewish exiles in our text. And it is the best kind of pep talk, because he is not telling them what they can do, how they can “win one for the Gipper.” He is telling them what He will do for them. It is the same message we hear today: “Be strong; fear not…your God…will come and save you.” (v. 4) The desert is restored and the world is renewed with new life.
Amen.