December 14, 2022 – Advent                                    Text:  Isaiah 9:6

Dear Friends in Christ,

    Are we at peace tonight?  In one way, yes.  Our church is pretty peaceful in the evening.  The lights of Advent/Christmas, the cross, the banner, the fellowship of our fellow members.  We can come into this sanctuary and have a peaceful time.

    How far to do we have to venture before that peace starts to wane?  Economic uncertainty, government honesty and encroachment, conflict in the home, random killings.  Take a wider path and nations continue to fight nations.  There has never been a time in our lifetimes where countries have not been at war with one another.  We have men and women around the world trying to keep the peace.  It’s a battle.

    We need some help, but not from human beings who have shunned God and therefore find themselves jumping from one failed solution to another.  There is only One who can give us help.  We are preparing to celebrate His birth.

“THIS CHILD IS . . . THE PRINCE OF PEACE”

    Let’s fix these words on our hearts this evening as they continue to build and intensify.  “See that no one leads you astray.  For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place (must, not might), but the end is not yet.  For nations will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” (Matt. 24:7-8)

    Why do men and women continue to think we can find peace within ourselves?  Is heaven on earth within the grasp of man?  Do these words of Jesus say anything close to that?  Has the Camp David Peace Accord or Détente or any other various peace agreements held on forever?  The first peace treaty was in 3100 BC and the latest in 2021.  In between have been thousands of such pacts.  Do you see the peace that they strive for?

    Have you seen this bumper sticker?  “It has become appallingly clear that our technology has surpassed our humanity.”  What our technology has done is exacerbate the flaws of humanity.  It intrudes into our personal lives, created a massive arena for gossip and slander, distracts communication and thought, and has dumbed down worship and growth in the Word of God.  In the last month I have had two instances of church business.  What used to take a one-minute phone call now takes 20 minutes on a computer and the frustration of creating another password.  Why, oh why, must be complicate things?  Peace, hah!

    We need these words of Jesus.  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.” (John 14:27). We need His peace.  When we stand before God we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  We are enemies of God, separated from God by our sin.  We have no peace within ourselves apart from Christ.

    Christ intervened.  “But God shows his love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  God is at peace with us.  For the sake of Christ’s suffering and death, the wrath against us because of sin has been removed.  We are no longer an enemy of God.  

    Commentator Gary P. Baumler writes:  “Jesus’ peace is not the same as the world’s peace.  It doesn’t depend on harmony between countries and tranquility in families.  It isn’t as fragile as the next temper flare-up or grab for power.  It isn’t disturbed by plans gone awry.  Even Jesus’ arrest, trial, torture, and crucifixion couldn’t cancel it.  Jesus’ peace calms troubled hearts and makes fearful hearts confident.  His peace transcends human understanding and sustains us in all conditions.  His peace keeps us at one with God and serene in our salvation.  We need not be afraid or overcome by troubled hearts.”

    How significant are the words of Paul?  “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Jesus’ peace is beyond us.  It is above man’s mind.  It is grace.  Though still sinful and at times ignoring God and our walk with Him, because of the work of Jesus, He is always there and He always loves us.

    Of course, we still live in the moment.  Our lives can be chaotic.  The world a wicked place.  Shortly after the Apostle Paul was stoned at Lystra, the disciples declared to the church then – and now – “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”  No commentary needed.  Just our ears.

    As King David wrote, “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”.  We venture through it day by day.  Yet, our Prince of Peace, who has gone ahead of us says, “I have overcome the world.”  He has.  The Prince of Peace says, “Let not your hearts be troubled.”  It is the Prince of Peace who says to our still sinful ways, “…whoever believes…is not condemned.”

    Finally, it is this Prince of Peace who enters our daily walk in the valley of the shadow of death and enables us to say, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

                            Amen.       

December 11, 2022                                        Text:  Isaiah 35:1-10

Dear Friends in Christ,

    As I said in the sermon last week and as most of you know I have a certain fear of dogs.  So, picture the Lueck four in Eldorado Canyon State Park in Colorado this past summer.  It was a beautiful day to hike in the Lord’s creation.  We pick our first trail and as we begin up the mountain there’s a sign:  “watch out for mountain lions.”  “Uh, I’ll be in the car.”  No, I am going up this mountain.  One thing to do is make noise.  I talk the whole way – loudly.  We walk two trails that day – no mountain lions.  Thank you, Lord.  It was one of the best days of 2022.

    The wilderness is a dangerous place.  I just watched a recent show on park rangers.  The things they do to rescue people is amazing.  People getting lost, suffering heat exhaustion, encountering wildlife and going off the beaten path.

    Our text today uses “wilderness” as a metaphor, an illustration for the dangerous things we live with that are very real.  The point of the text is that Christ’s coming delivers us from all those things.

“GOD BRINGS LIFE TO THE WILDERNESS”

The wilderness is a great illustration of how difficult life is in a fallen world.  Isaiah pictures burning sand, jackals, lions, ravenous beasts.  God’s people in the Old Testament knew the wilderness as dangerous, populated by deadly animals, water is scarce, and crops don’t grow.  It is easy to get lost.  But the wilderness is also where God’s people learn to trust.  In the wilderness God carried them and gave them water and guarded them and cared for them.

What is your wilderness?  Living a lie?  Personal shame?  A relationship on the outs?  Family members ostracizing you?  Lost on a trail?  Scared of what’s around the next corner?  When you travel this wilderness of life there are serious dangers.  We need deliverance.  We need rescue.  Hello, can someone send a park ranger?

God comes into this wilderness with life-restoring vengeance.  Christ’s coming will make all things right again.  Visualize what Isaiah wants us to see.  The wilderness will flow and flower.  The sufferers of personal “wildernesses” will rejoice in health and vitality.  These were fulfilled in part in Jesus’ ministry as we see in today’s gospel lesson.  They will be fully realized when Jesus returns in glory on the Last Day.  Life, health, joy forever.

The heart of the promise is in verse 4, “Be strong; fear not!  Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God.  He will come and save you.”  He will exercise vengeance on his enemies – sin, death, and the devil.  Because of Christ’s coming and going to the cross we are no longer God’s enemies.  We have been baptized into His death.  It is relief and rescue for us as God brings life to our wilderness.  He forgives our lies and shame.  He can restore broken relationships with friends and family.  He can lead you on the trail of life.  He is with you always – even when frightened of turning the next corner of your journey.

I know.  That day in the canyon I trusted His leading.  He kept me alert.  We had to turn some tricky, rocky corners that day but every time we did it was another “wow” moment of what God had made.  After a while you almost forgot the danger.  That is God’s presence.

We celebrate that presence again this Christmas.  It is beyond the superficial feelings that characterize many Christmas playlists.  Christian joy is the natural response of the people of God who are beginning to enjoy the fruits of a creation that will be restored to paradise.

This joy is so different from the world we live in.  In our eternal world there is no more “sorrow” and “sighing.”  No more weak hands or feeble knees.  No more blindness, deafness, lameness, or muteness.  No thirst.  No ravenous beasts to devour which means no more “watch out for mountain lions” – woo hoo!  We will gather together in the city of God in joy and gladness forever.  

Christmas provides us a glimpse.  It is partial and temporary.  Give thanks for these moments during this holy season.  It is a dim preview of the full rejoicing we will have with the return of Jesus.

As a church and as individuals we proclaim this promise to the weak and feeble.  “Be strong.  Fear not.  God will come and save you.”  Tell the anxious you know that God will come with vengeance . . . He will bring life to their wilderness, to save them.

No matter where you are placed, you can tell of these saving promises of God.  Luther calls this the “mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren.”  These promises encourage others.  In our rejoicing the joy becomes contagious.  Wouldn’t it be nice if this was the new pandemic?  All of us feeling the joy of knowing Christ as Lord and Savior.

Where in the wilderness could someone use your aid?  Who is stuck on a mountain of apathy?  Who has left the trail of their faith?  The Lord has given you, in his strength, the joy and privilege of speaking uplifting, joyful words to those struggling in their own personal wilderness.  Christ is coming with vengeance to make right that wilderness.  He will come and save you because God brings life to the wilderness.

                            Amen.