2nd Sunday after Pentecost 6/14/09 Text: Ezekiel 17:222 and Mark 4:26-34
Second Sunday after Pentecost
6/14/09
Text: Ezekiel 17:22-24 & Mark 4:26-34
Title:
This morning’s Old Testament and Gospel text present to us an important Christian doctrine. Let me show you what I mean. In the Old Testament reading we read where God himself is going to take a sprig from the top of the cedar tree and plant it so that it will become a tree large enough for all sorts of birds to nest in its branches.
So that you can better understand the importance of this text I need to set the context. At the beginning of chapter 17 Ezekiel had told the people a parable. In this parable a mighty eagle representing Babylonia had done the same thing God is talking about; taking a sprig from the top of a tree and planting it where it flourished as a vine.
The King of Babylonia made a covenant with the some of the royal family that they would not rebel. Instead of keeping the covenant the king of Israel sent people to Egypt the second Eagle, for help in freeing the people of Israel from the king of Babylonia.
That was a bad move. Because the king of Israel was not faithful to the covenant he had made with the king of Babylonia God brought judgment on the king of Israel. This brings us to our text for today. God himself will take the sprig symbolizing Israel and plant it himself. This planting will not be like the planting the first eagle had done because this planting would be done by God; the same God who had created the nation of Israel is doing the plucking and planting.
Because God is doing the planting Israel will not become a large vine but a large magnificent cedar tree. In other words when God plants great things take place for those that follow his commandments. He closes with the words, “I am the Lord; I have spoken and I will do it.”
In our Gospel text we see again that when God does something it happens even though we don’t understand how he works. As much as we understand how seeds germinate today we still do not know just what it is that starts the seed growing. The farmer can prepare the soil. He can fertilize and water, but he cannot make the seed sprout and grow. It will do what it does on its own under the power of God.
In the mustard seed parable, we learn that one of the smallest seeds known at the time becomes a large bush, bigger than any plant in the garden. It is so large that birds of every kind will nest in its branches.
Both of these parables have a common theme. Both of them show us that we have nothing to do with how God’s Word works. It is only God that causes the seed to germinate and grow into a large bush, or in the Old Testament text a magnificent cedar both of which birds of all kinds will be able to build their nests. .
All of these texts point to the birth of the Christian Church, as it continues the work of Jesus. These texts are wonderful examples of God at work through Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Christian Church, for we still do not know how someone comes to faith. We don’t understand how two people can read the same scripture and one becomes a believer and the other rejects Christ. It is a mystery.
How it works is a mystery, but how it is proclaimed is not. People of the world still need to be taught and baptized. The Word of God needs us to reach the lost. Even though faith is the work of God we have no excuse for not telling others the good news of Jesus’ salvation, for how can they come to faith, if they have not heard and been taught?
There are so many false messages out there. There are so many people proclaiming their version of good news. And on top of that there is simply a lot of sensory noise out there where we live and the message needs to break through all the clutter. I want to show you a short clip that demonstrates this. (Play DVD on clutter of messages in our lives.)
I am sure everyone here this morning can relate to that video. We wake up in the morning bombarded with messages. We go through the day with more messages. And by the time we go to bed we are completely overloaded with messages, many of them contradicting each other. Many of them are even contradictory to our faith. Sensory clutter can keep us from being the people of God that God wants us to be.
We need to remember Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
We, as followers of Christ have the sure knowledge of our salvation. We know that even in our sinfulness we, on judgment day, will stand before God free of any condemnation, for Jesus willingly took our punishment, which we still deserve, on himself. We are free of condemnation but still live in this world in our sinful bodies, so what is that we can do that we might live more God pleasing lives?
Because we live in a world of sensory overload it is really hard to keep our minds on Jesus. That is not a good thing, and because of our struggle we need to strengthen our faith, so we can better sort out what is good and what is harmful to our lives, both spiritually and physically. It is with that in mind that in the coming weeks we will devote ourselves to God's ten words for a happy Christian Life. As we look at The 10 Commandments, the ten words for living a God pleasing life they will again do their job of making us aware of our sins – and will make us glad that in Christ we are forgiven, for God’s Word tells us, "The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all our sins."
Some of you might be thinking, “I learned the 10 commandments in confirmation. I really don’t want to hear sermons on the Ten Commandments for the next 10 weeks. Maybe it is time to take a vacation or skip a few Sundays, for the 10 Commandments are such downers with all that you shall not do this and not do that.”
I understand how you can feel that way, but my dear brothers and sisters in Christ since we are pardoned on account of Jesus’ trusting life, death and resurrection the 10 Commandments are not downers, but wonderful instructions on how we as God's children, in response to his love for us, are to conduct ourselves day by day in ways that will glorify him, and will bless us and those around us?
Remember this. The Hebrew word Torah which we call the 10 Commandments at its root means "instruction." So in looking at The 10 Commandments we will be considering God's instruction for Christian living. Do you want to know what God has to say about living a happy life? If you do, and I hope everyone here wants to live a better live be sure and be here next Sunday as we consider his first Word for a happy Christian life, the First Commandment: "Have no other gods." Sounds negative? I hope not, for as you will see next Sunday it is a positive statement, for it says to you, "Let JESUS be Lord of your life!"
Do you want Jesus to be Lord of your life? If you do I want to encourage you to be present next Sunday and the following 9 Sundays, so that God can instruct you with all ten of his Words for a happy Christian Life thus helping you to be better able to keep your focus on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith. Amen.
6/14/09
Text: Ezekiel 17:22-24 & Mark 4:26-34
Title:
This morning’s Old Testament and Gospel text present to us an important Christian doctrine. Let me show you what I mean. In the Old Testament reading we read where God himself is going to take a sprig from the top of the cedar tree and plant it so that it will become a tree large enough for all sorts of birds to nest in its branches.
So that you can better understand the importance of this text I need to set the context. At the beginning of chapter 17 Ezekiel had told the people a parable. In this parable a mighty eagle representing Babylonia had done the same thing God is talking about; taking a sprig from the top of a tree and planting it where it flourished as a vine.
The King of Babylonia made a covenant with the some of the royal family that they would not rebel. Instead of keeping the covenant the king of Israel sent people to Egypt the second Eagle, for help in freeing the people of Israel from the king of Babylonia.
That was a bad move. Because the king of Israel was not faithful to the covenant he had made with the king of Babylonia God brought judgment on the king of Israel. This brings us to our text for today. God himself will take the sprig symbolizing Israel and plant it himself. This planting will not be like the planting the first eagle had done because this planting would be done by God; the same God who had created the nation of Israel is doing the plucking and planting.
Because God is doing the planting Israel will not become a large vine but a large magnificent cedar tree. In other words when God plants great things take place for those that follow his commandments. He closes with the words, “I am the Lord; I have spoken and I will do it.”
In our Gospel text we see again that when God does something it happens even though we don’t understand how he works. As much as we understand how seeds germinate today we still do not know just what it is that starts the seed growing. The farmer can prepare the soil. He can fertilize and water, but he cannot make the seed sprout and grow. It will do what it does on its own under the power of God.
In the mustard seed parable, we learn that one of the smallest seeds known at the time becomes a large bush, bigger than any plant in the garden. It is so large that birds of every kind will nest in its branches.
Both of these parables have a common theme. Both of them show us that we have nothing to do with how God’s Word works. It is only God that causes the seed to germinate and grow into a large bush, or in the Old Testament text a magnificent cedar both of which birds of all kinds will be able to build their nests. .
All of these texts point to the birth of the Christian Church, as it continues the work of Jesus. These texts are wonderful examples of God at work through Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Christian Church, for we still do not know how someone comes to faith. We don’t understand how two people can read the same scripture and one becomes a believer and the other rejects Christ. It is a mystery.
How it works is a mystery, but how it is proclaimed is not. People of the world still need to be taught and baptized. The Word of God needs us to reach the lost. Even though faith is the work of God we have no excuse for not telling others the good news of Jesus’ salvation, for how can they come to faith, if they have not heard and been taught?
There are so many false messages out there. There are so many people proclaiming their version of good news. And on top of that there is simply a lot of sensory noise out there where we live and the message needs to break through all the clutter. I want to show you a short clip that demonstrates this. (Play DVD on clutter of messages in our lives.)
I am sure everyone here this morning can relate to that video. We wake up in the morning bombarded with messages. We go through the day with more messages. And by the time we go to bed we are completely overloaded with messages, many of them contradicting each other. Many of them are even contradictory to our faith. Sensory clutter can keep us from being the people of God that God wants us to be.
We need to remember Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
We, as followers of Christ have the sure knowledge of our salvation. We know that even in our sinfulness we, on judgment day, will stand before God free of any condemnation, for Jesus willingly took our punishment, which we still deserve, on himself. We are free of condemnation but still live in this world in our sinful bodies, so what is that we can do that we might live more God pleasing lives?
Because we live in a world of sensory overload it is really hard to keep our minds on Jesus. That is not a good thing, and because of our struggle we need to strengthen our faith, so we can better sort out what is good and what is harmful to our lives, both spiritually and physically. It is with that in mind that in the coming weeks we will devote ourselves to God's ten words for a happy Christian Life. As we look at The 10 Commandments, the ten words for living a God pleasing life they will again do their job of making us aware of our sins – and will make us glad that in Christ we are forgiven, for God’s Word tells us, "The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all our sins."
Some of you might be thinking, “I learned the 10 commandments in confirmation. I really don’t want to hear sermons on the Ten Commandments for the next 10 weeks. Maybe it is time to take a vacation or skip a few Sundays, for the 10 Commandments are such downers with all that you shall not do this and not do that.”
I understand how you can feel that way, but my dear brothers and sisters in Christ since we are pardoned on account of Jesus’ trusting life, death and resurrection the 10 Commandments are not downers, but wonderful instructions on how we as God's children, in response to his love for us, are to conduct ourselves day by day in ways that will glorify him, and will bless us and those around us?
Remember this. The Hebrew word Torah which we call the 10 Commandments at its root means "instruction." So in looking at The 10 Commandments we will be considering God's instruction for Christian living. Do you want to know what God has to say about living a happy life? If you do, and I hope everyone here wants to live a better live be sure and be here next Sunday as we consider his first Word for a happy Christian life, the First Commandment: "Have no other gods." Sounds negative? I hope not, for as you will see next Sunday it is a positive statement, for it says to you, "Let JESUS be Lord of your life!"
Do you want Jesus to be Lord of your life? If you do I want to encourage you to be present next Sunday and the following 9 Sundays, so that God can instruct you with all ten of his Words for a happy Christian Life thus helping you to be better able to keep your focus on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith. Amen.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 11:50 AM
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