Ash Wednesday service Revelation 2:1-7 Title: Love lost, death found

2/9/2005
Ash Wednesday
Text: Revelation 2:1-7
Title: Love lost, Death found

May the words of mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing to you O Lord. Amen
Today is the first day of Lent. It is that period of time in which we are to reflect on our sinfulness and complete dependence on Jesus for our salvation. But, it is more than that, for it is also a time of expectancy, as we look forward to Easter morning and the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This Lenten season I have chosen to do a series called “Revelation for Lent”. It is based on the seven letters to the seven congregations in Asia Minor as they are found in the book of Revelation.
This Lenten series also includes personal devotional books, and Sunday morning Bible studies. Each Sunday in Bible class, I will cover in greater detail the text for the next Wednesday’s Lenten service. The idea being that the service will then be more meaningful to you as you see how God’s Word applies to your life and the life of the congregation.
Instead of using the word church as our English Bible has it, I am going to use the term congregation. The Greek word that is translated as church in our text is really congregation, for it actually means, a group of Christians gathering together for a specific purpose, the worship of God, and the spiritual building up of each other. It is personal, and yet involves community.
Each week we will look at one of the churches John sent a letter to. That way we can better see why they needed Jesus in their midst. Hopefully then we will be able to apply what we have learned to our own congregation so that we might be the best that we can be in serving our Lord, in fulfilling our mission.
John’s letter starts off in what I would call high spirits. For as you read the first few verses you see a whole list of good things that Jesus is highly praising them for doing; good deeds, hard work, perseverance, the fact that they would not let wicked people stay in the congregation, the testing of those who claimed to be apostles, but were not. Why they had even endured and not grown weary of the hardships imposed on them by non-Christians, and he really praised their hatred of the practices of the Nicolatians. Notice he did not praise them for hating the people, only their practices. It is not really known for sure, but it is thought that the Nicolatians mixed together the practice of Christianity and some form of sexual immorality.
As you read all the good things that the congregation is being praised for, you start to think, wow, I wish our congregation was like them. That is until you read verse four, where you find a rather shocking statement, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.”
How could it be that this particular congregation, a perfect example of a group of people doing church be accused of forsaking Jesus, their first love? Not only is John accusing them of forsaking their first love, Jesus, he continues on to tell them that they are in danger of having their lampstand removed. Notice he did not say that the lamps would go out, but that the entire lampstand would be taken away from them. Harsh words, no doubt, but an important warning to the church at Ephesus and to all Christian churches today.
How could they, any congregation, including ours, ever lose its first love? It seems impossible does it not? As Christians we know that Jesus has to be the center of our faith. We know we are to respond to God’s wonderful gift of forgiveness and acceptance with love and zeal for God. We know we are to have great joy in fulfilling what we are created to do, in celebrating who we truly are as we freely serve our Lord. We all know that don’t we? Christ has to be the driving force behind a Christian congregation.
If that is true and it is, then how could they or any Christian congregation for that matter lose its first love? After much thought, I came up with what I think are a couple of ways for a congregation to lose its first love. The first is the pursuit of pureness. I am not talking about keeping false doctrines out of the congregation, that has to be done. I am talking about the pursuit of perfection, an entirely different thing.
I am afraid that too many congregations, without their even realizing it have put the Law above the Gospel in their pursuit of perfection. In doing so they have unwittingly added good works to their salvation. They forget that there is no congregation, no person that can ever do things right enough, or even do enough to please God. It is impossible!
That is why we have to rely only on the saving work of our first love, Jesus Christ. For when you put anything, even as righteous as it might be, above the righteousness of Jesus, you have lost your first love.
Our beloved Martin Luther once said to “sin boldly”. He did not mean that one should go out and commit intentional sins, but that you have to understand, that there are time in one’s personal life and the life of the congregation that you have to make judgment calls about what God’s desires are and then rely on the forgiveness of God, and not your pureness. Martin Luther knew how the drive for perfection can cause a congregation to lose its first love, the love of Jesus Christ.
Another way a congregation can be in danger of losing its first love is when members of that congregation put themselves before God. Let explain what I mean by that statement. I am going to use myself as an example. I think that what I am going to say will resonate with many of you.
Way back before I became a pastor, around the age of 28 I became active in my congregation. It was a real joy to serve the Lord by taking an active part in the congregation. I volunteered to hold an office, or to serve on a committee. I happily gave of my time and talents. I cleaned windows, scrubbed floors, cut the grass, made sure the altar was prepared for Sunday, taught Bible classes, and did what ever was asked of me. I looked forward to serving however I could. Why, I even found joy in telling others about Jesus.
But then something happened. I got burned out. I felt unappreciated and not loved. Things were not going as I wanted them to go. I withdrew, content to sit on the sidelines and snipe away at those who still lovingly served the Lord. Fortunately the Lord worked in a powerful way in my life to get me back on track.
In preparing for this sermon, I was reminded once more of why I had gotten burned out. The problem was not anyone’s fault but my own, for you see I had quit focusing on my first love, Jesus Christ. He was not the center of my life. I had been focusing on my work, my ideas, my deeds, my self, doing things correctly, and that is where I went wrong. For when I began to focus on myself, I was losing my focus on Jesus.
You see what happened to me is what happens to congregations. For as more and more of their members shift from focusing on Jesus, the congregation becomes less and less motivated by what Jesus has done for them and more focused on self. They start to lose their commitment to Jesus, and the focus of the congregation starts to fade. Oh, the congregation might continue to do church things, but their love is really for self. There is unhappiness, and conflict, power becomes important, not love. Their lampstand is in danger of being removed.
But there is good news. Verse seven tells us that all a congregation that has lost its focus needs to do is listen to the Holy Spirit and return to its first love, Jesus Christ and they will be given eternal life. That is good news!
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you who are the congregation of Saint John, Christ our Lord loves you with an everlasting love. He has given you faith and fills you with his Holy Spirit. You have all you need for your salvation and to do his work on this earth. He alone builds and sustains this congregation, he needs to be central to everything. For without his love there is no life, only death. Will you join me in keeping the candle of Saint John burning brightly with Jesus Love? It is my prayer that you will. Amen

Transfiguration Sunday "Listen Up!" Matthew 17:1-9

2/6/2005
Transfiguration Sunday
Text: Matthew 17:1-9
Title: Listen Up!

Please join me in prayer. Eternal God, pour out your Spirit upon us that we might be aware of your presence in our midst, that we might be attentive to your Word, and that we might be faithful always to your way, through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen
The story of Jesus’ transfiguration is very difficult for most people to understand. It is completely outside our experience, except for one detail. But before I tell you what that is, I need to set the stage for what took place on that mountaintop so long ago.
Just six days before the event we are looking at today Jesus had asked them, “Who do people say I am?” A legitimate question, for by this time in his ministry there were many rumors and speculations about who he was.
The disciples gave him the lowdown; you know the word on the street. They told him that some thought he was a prophet, maybe even Elijah, who had come back to life. Others thought he might be the reincarnated John the Baptist. It was clear from their remarks that those who had seen him heal, feed thousands, and forgive sins, did not know who he really was.
Jesus did not stop with just that question, for he wanted to know who his disciples thought he was, so he asked them, “Who do you say I am?” Peter, you know, Peter the impulsive one, the disciple who usually just jumped right in with both feet, and then thought about what he had done or said later, quickly responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” You can almost hear the indignation in his voice, why of course they knew who Jesus was, but they did not as we will learn later, for even though they had been hearing Jesus, they had not really been listening to him.
After listening to Peter’s answer, Jesus shared with them the actual plan of God, the plan that would make salvation a reality. He let them know that he was going to suffer and die, but he did not leave it there, he also told them that there was going to be a resurrection three days later.
Once more, after hearing, but not really listening to what Jesus had just told them, Peter blurts out, “Never, Lord!” This will never happen to you!” Never happen, who does Peter think he is? Could it be that he thinks he knows better than God what was needed to be done for grace and salvation, for eternal life? The road Jesus was going to take was going to be a hard road, but for Jesus it was the only road, the road to the cross.
Matthew tells us that after Peter’s protest, Jesus told him, “Get behind me Satan!” I am sure that Peter was crushed. All he wanted to do was to help Jesus, to make things easier. He only had Jesus’ best interest at heart, he did not want Jesus to die, for what good was a dead king.
Jesus could see that his disciples had not been listening, that they were in need of some heavy duty molding, shaping, and guiding. So, he took three of his closest disciples and climbed up a mountain. On that mountain top he would show them who he really is, God himself. In his transfiguration they would receive confirmation of his mission. It would be there that their faith would be strengthened, because they would know with certainty that the path Jesus was on was the only path he could take, the right path, for he had to die and be resurrected.
That was Jesus intent, but as we can tell from the text, they still did not get it. Peter wanted to build shelters for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, so they could stay there and talk. You see tradition said that Moses who represented the Law, and Elijah, who represented the prophets would come back to life at the arrival of the Messiah. They had not been seeing or listening, so they just did not get that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets.
As I read the text it seems that that God the Father finally had to get involved in the teaching experience, for they obviously were not really listening to Jesus. You know, hearing, but not listening. He spoke from the cloud, telling them in what I would imagine was probably big booming voice, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!.” There it was, the voice of divine approval and the sealing of the relationship between the heavenly father and his divine son.
Does God’s announcement sound familiar? It should, for those are the same words, except the part where he says, “Listen to him!”, that God used at Jesus’ baptism. If there was any question of who he was then, there should be no question now. At least you would think so, wouldn’t you?
Remember I said at the beginning of this sermon that we have a hard time understanding the Transfiguration for it is completely outside our experience, except for one detail. That one detail is when God said to them, “Listen to him!” They are just plain everyday words, but they gave the disciples all the guidance they needed. They were to latch onto that command for dear life. God wanted them to listen to Jesus, really listen to him, not just hear him, for it is only in Jesus they would find the way and the truth, for not only this life, but for eternity.
God’s command to listen to Jesus applies to us today. You might be thinking; how can we listen to him, he is no longer here? But, I disagree with that form of thinking, for Jesus is here. He comes to you each Sunday in his supper. He is speaking to each of you personally in the announcement of the forgiveness of your sins, and he speaks to you in his Holy Word as it is read and taught.
The question I have for you this morning, for all of us really; is what do those words mean to you? Are you listening; really listening to them, as in believing that they are his words to you? Do you believe that what he is saying is meaningful to your life? I hope so, for they are the only way you can find the way and the truth, for not only this life, but for all eternity.
I honestly cannot say for sure whether a person is listening or not listening to his words, but one thing I know for sure is that we all have a problem listening. Maybe you think you are a good listener, but how many times have you been in conversation with someone and the whole time the other person is talking you are thinking of what you are going to say? I know I have been guilty of that.
How many times have you heard, “Listen to me” or “What are you doing?” or “Weren’t you listening?”, or the one us guys have probably heard more than we would like to admit, “Didn’t you hear me? I may as well been talking to the wall!” I am guilty again.
The truth is that most of us are not good listeners. Good listening takes time, concentration, and effort. It means putting the other person first. I am afraid that too many times we get so wrapped up in ourselves, or in a hurry, or let ourselves be distracted so that we really do not listen to others.
Listening to God’s Words to us is no different in its difficulties. In fact I would say it is harder to listen to God’s Word than to listen to a spouse, a child, a coworker, or anyone else for that matter, for we are listening to a person that we cannot see, for it is said that listening is 75% body language. I think that is the problem. I am afraid that too many times, because we do not see Jesus being active in our lives, we just cannot make the connection between his words and its application in our lives.
That is the way we are, there is no doubt about it. All we have to do is look at our lives and the mess we sometimes make out of them to see the problem. You see, good listening, especially good listening to God’s Word, should always result in getting information, instructions, and encouragement. It should always lead us to do something, or to have a sense of being enriched, or edified in our minds and spirit.
We need to learn from this text today that even though the disciples were really not listening to Jesus, he did not leave them. No, he reached out and touched them. That same touch is ours today as he touches us with his healing hands to heal our bodies and souls, to strengthen our faith. Yes he continues to reach out and touch us, even when we, just like the disciples, listen to others that would lead us astray.
I urge you to listen to him as I speak his words, not my words, of forgiveness in the absolution. I urge you to listen to him as the Holy Scriptures are read and taught, in their truth and purity, for there is where you find true life. I urge you to listen to him, as I use his words to consecrate the bread and wine, for in them he is telling you, I am coming to you, to touch you, right where you are.
Listen to him, do not be a hearer, be an active listener, for that is how you are enabled to live the life God wants you live, here and in eternity. Amen.