Lent 2 midweek Rev. 2: 12-17 Double-edged sword

2/23/2005
Lent 2 midweek service
Title: God's Double-Edged Sword

Let us pray: God of law and of love, dispenser of justice and of mercy, help us to hear your word this day, so that in your speaking and in our hearing your will may be known so that we may faithfully follow your command to make disciples of all nations. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen
Today we are going to take a look at Christ’s words to the congregation at Pergamum so that we can see what we might learn from them. Pergamum, which is now known as Bergam in modern day Turkey is located about 15 miles from the Aegean Sea and is built atop a 1,000 foot high hill.
Parchment was first developed in Pergamum and the city had a library that held over 200,000 scrolls. Not shabby, for its day. It was also a center of art, culture, and religion.
Unfortunately the vast majority of its citizens worshiped pagan gods. It’s most prominent religious cult being the Imperial cult, which had three temples dedicated to the emperor of Rome. Since a citizen of Rome was required to worship the emperor as god, this might be the reason that Christ refers to the city, “as where Satan lives”, or it could be just it’s over all pagan nature.
If you have been here the last two weeks you might remember that each letter that we have looked at started with a particular greeting that was unique to the city the letter was addressed to.
The letter to Ephesus started with, “These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.” From that we learned that the glorified Christ is the one whose words John is writing down. The seven stars are the messengers or pastors of the churches and the seven lampstands are the seven congregations.
The letter to Smyrna starts off with “These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.” From this we learned that Christ was present at the creation, is present now and will be present when time as we know it ceases to exist, and is in fact, the same Jesus Christ that was crucified and resurrected. There is not doubt that these were great words of comfort for a congregation going through terrible times.
Tonight the letter we are looking at starts off with “These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.” At first glance this opening does not appear as comforting as the first two, but it actually is, as we will see, as we dig into our text for this evening (afternoon).
Swords, although they are mainly used for ceremonies and decoration today were originally designed as weapons. I could not find when the sword first become double edged, but by 3000 B.C. it was in use. I am sure it did not take long after the first sword was invented, for someone to figure out that more of the enemy could be killed if there was a sharp edge on both sides, for then you could cut in either direction in the battle.
To have a double edged sword was to have power. That is why Christ is referred to as the one having a sharp, double edged sword. I did a word study on the term “double-edged sword” and found that Scripture has six references to double-edged swords. Three are references to their destructive use in battle, while two refer to the words of God being a double-edged sword. The sixth reference is the one we are looking at tonight where we are told Christ is the one in possession of the double-edged sword.
According to the two texts that tell us that the words of God are a double-edged sword, the sword that our text is referring to, must then be the Word of God as spoken by Jesus. So if the Word of God is a double-edged sword, then there must be special meaning behind the two sharp edges of the sword.
One sharp edge is for judgment, to call the unrepentant to repentance. It proclaims the wrath of God to all who will not repent of sin and seek his mercy. This is the edge reserved for those who choose idolatry and immorality and spurn God’s offer of grace and forgiveness in Jesus. It is the sharpened edge of God’s Law that when violated earns his vengeance.
The other edge of the sword of Christ defends the humble sinner who comes to God for mercy. This edge slays every enemy of the soul: sin, death, and the devil. This edge eternally protects all who hide behind it. It is the comforting edge of the Gospel, which never cuts, but always heals and saves.
Notice though in verse sixteen that Christ tells them “Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” He was warning them for even though they were faithful to God, they also tolerating idol worship and sexual immortality in their midst. If they did not repent, God was going to unleash his sword of the Law against them.
There is but one sword and two edges: One edge to fight for you, and one edge to fight against you. Which one would you prefer? I do not know about you, but I would rather have Christ fight for me, than against me. I want him on my side, for then I cannot help but win my spiritual battles.
That reminds me of the article that Lori Coleman wrote for February’s newsletter. It was a wonderful testimony of God wielding his powerful sword of the Gospel on her behalf.
Lori called me one day, sometime before Christmas and told me that she just could not bring herself to hand out the door hangers that we had put together. She just could not do it. I told her that sometimes, actually a lot of times, I have the same problem. Sometimes I am just too scared to tell others of Christ.
She knew that God wanted her to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, but she just felt like she was not capable of doing it, so I shared with her what I do when the devil has got his claws in me. I pray for help and then, usually out loud, I tell the devil that I do not belong to him anymore. I am a child of God, that he has no power over me, so get away from me. I would like to be able to stand here and tell you that I always do what God wants me to do, but I cannot, for too many times I let the devil overcome me. But I have found that I am winning more and more times as I realize that that with the double-edged sword of God, the devil has no power over me, unless I give it to him.
We prayed and she did what I suggested; she used the double edged sword of God to protect her. She was able to finish handing out the door-hangers. There is no doubt in my mind that the reason she was almost stopped handing out door-hangers that day was the devil knew that at least one of those door-hangers would lead someone to Christ.
I am sure that some of you have had similar experiences where you too were attacked by the devil as he tried to keep you from witnessing to someone. I do not know if you fell under his attack, or if you resisted his temptations, but I do know that you have a mighty weapon to overcome him, if you choose to use it, for you have the double-edged sword of God. That is your guarantee of victory.
You are guaranteed a victory because God the divine judge has heard the charges against you. He has seen the wounded body of Jesus, his arms outstretched, pleading for you. He has seen the garments of Jesus’ righteousness covering you in Baptism. The decision has been reached. The verdict is ready to be pronounced.
Almighty God reaches down to where there are two stones, one black for guilty, and one white for innocence. He picks up the white stone, and gives it to you, for because of his grace through Christ Jesus, you have been found innocent of all charges.
He gives you that white stone of innocence in your baptism. Unlike the white stones I have given each of you, your name is inscribed on his perfect white stone, for it declares you to be a child of God, a forgiven sinner, one who is righteous by faith.
It guarantees that you do not have to fear his double-edged sword for it will be only used to protect you from all who spiritually attack you. Rejoice then in the double-edged sword of God. Amen

2 Sunday in Lent Text: John 4:5-26 Title: Gracious Love

2/20/2005
Text: John 4:5-26
Sermon Title: “Gracious Love”

Gracious God bless now the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts. Grant that we may truly listen to your words to us, and by doing so be led in the way you want us to go. Amen.
As I was reading the Gospel lesson for this Sunday earlier this week I was reminded of a newspaper article that I read some time ago. I believe it was in the San Antonio Express and News
If I remember correctly, the article was titled: "In Times of Stress, Just Call on Rover". It went something like this: When it comes to times of stress, the most reassuring companion isn't your sweetheart, husband or wife, it's your dog.
When the reporter, asked the research scientist, I do not remember her name, the reason behind that particular statement she replied, "I think it is because dogs do not evaluate us, they just love us as we are".
They do not evaluate, only love. That must have been the reason I thought of the article when I was reading John’s account of Jesus and the woman at the well. For you see that is the way Jesus is, accepting and loving. He just accepted her as she was, even though she was a Samaritan and in a sense an enemy to his people. He spoke to her of God even though she was a woman and not thought worthy of such conversation. And in the end, even though she questioned his statements, he offered her a wonderful blessing by telling her that he was the Messiah.
All he asks her to do is to acknowledge her past life and then believe his words concerning how the time is coming when true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. Jesus in reaching out to her where she was, gave her, just as he gives all who accept him, the good news of life, hope, and the assurance of salvation.
He talks to her and she rushes off to tell others of this man. I do not believe it was just because he knew of her past. I do not believe it was just because he could tell her things that no stranger should know, that she spoke of him to her friends and neighbors. I do not even believe that it was just because he said he was the Messiah, as important as that is, for he had told many others that, and they did not accept him.
No, I think the reason she rushed off was because he showed his acceptance of her, right where she was in her life, even with her marriage problems and her present living arrangements. Jesus showed her that he loved her. He did not condemn her, he treated her as a person worthy of respect, worthy of affection, worthy of love, and worthy of salvation.
That is why I love this particular story, for in it you see Jesus accepting and embracing those whom many times we find less than worthy of our love. That is where he is at, and I say thank you Lord! I thank you dear Jesus for accepting me just as I am, as unlovable and as unworthy as I am. I Thank you for giving me the living water of your salvation.
You might be wondering why I have this plant in front of me this morning. It looks pretty droopy does it not? I'm not much of gardener, but one thing I do know is that every plant needs two things to grow. It has to have light and water. It needs light to make it grow and it needs water to survive, so it can grow.
I read an article Friday on an experiment in growing plants in space. In this one experiment half of the plants had light and half did not. Those with the light, had a nice green color, and were growing tall and straight, as they were attracted by the light. Those plants without the light, were dying and what little growth there was, was in all directions. There was nothing to keep them healthy, even though they had plenty of water. There was simply no light that could give direction to their lives.
That is how our lives would be without the light of Christ, for without his light, we would become spiritually anemic. Without Jesus’ light guiding our lives we would be just like those plants that went off in all directions searching for light, but never finding it.
Another thing about plants is that you can put them in the brightest light, but if they are in dry soil, they really struggle to survive, and the dryer the soil gets the more they begin to wither. Those plants, whose leaves are starting to curl or droop, need water, and lots of it fast, so that they can survive, and thrive.
It would not help them to give them more sunlight, they need water. They need water so that their roots can soak up the life giving water. After a dry plant has had a good soaking of water they change. Some plants will change in front of your eyes, others will just begin to look better, but they all will begin to grow and in time if they are the proper kind of plant will produce the fruit that they have been designed to produce. All plants need light and water to thrive, and spiritually we are no different.
Just like that woman at the well needed to see the light of Jesus, so that she could receive living water. We need his living water for some of us might be awfully dry right now, while others of us are probably well watered. But each one of us, whether we are dry or moist at this very moment, needs the living water that Jesus says he has come to give, that water which wells up to eternal life, that water which never stops flowing into our lives as it continues to bring life to us.
I give thanks to God today, for his love shown by Christ, that love which is poured out on me whenever I am withering and in danger of not producing good fruit.
I give thanks to God today, for his love which gives me hope in those times that I feel hopeless.
I give thanks to God today, for his love that gives me peace, in those times I can not find peace.
I give thanks to God today, for his love has given me assurance of forgiveness, when I was feel like I cannot be forgiven.
In giving thanks to God before you today I am doing what the woman at the well did after encountering Jesus. I am pointing to the one who is the Messiah, the one promised from long ago. I am pointing to the one who has accepted me as I am, the one who calls me a brother and does not hold my human failings against me, the one who encourages me when I need encouragement and challenges me when I need challenging. I am pointing to the one that never, even when I argue with him, or push him aside, rejects or condemns me.
In closing I would like to say a little more about the living water that Jesus was talking about giving to the woman in our text. I think that most of us, if not all, would agree that the living water that Jesus is talking about is a metaphor for Jesus life, death, and resurrection, for without him we cannot have eternal life.
I want to throw out for your consideration something that you might never have thought about, another way of thinking of the living water Jesus is talking about. To help make my point, I am going to use the Greek text, of verse 14, “Indeed, the water I give, whoever I give it to, it will become in that person a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Not to much different, but enough to suggest that we are to be extensions of Jesus’ living water. We are not to be just containers that hold his water, for water that is still and not kept flowing soon becomes stagnate and finally worthless. We are to be containers that are overflowing with Christ’s living water. Which brings up an interesting question; could it be that the way we receive living water is by giving it away? I think so.
Will you join me in sharing the living water of Jesus Christ with those in our community, and world, so that they too can be filled to overflowing with the living water of Jesus Christ? I hope so, for you see, Jesus is the only living water that can save a person from God’s just wrath. Amen