Be a Man!

Ephesians 6:4

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

A 27-year-old survey from Switzerland revealed some surprising insights. Within this broad demographic study, researchers tried to find out how faith passed from one generation to the next. What did they find?

• In families where both father and mother were regular church attenders, 74.2% of their adult children at least attended church every once in a while. 25.8% no longer attended church.

• In families where neither parent went to church, only 19.3% of their children started attending church. The other 80.7% remained unchurched.

• In families where both parents attended semi-regularly, 60.8% of their children also attended church irregularly. 7.8% started attending more regularly in adulthood, while 31.4% stopped going to church.

That gets the obvious ones out of the way. But what about families where one parent attends regularly and the other only attends once in a while?

• In families where the mom attended regularly and the dad attended irregularly, 3.4% of their children were regularly in church, 58.6% were in church semi-regularly, and 38% stopped going to church.

• In families where the dad attended regularly and the mom attended irregularly, 37.7% of their children attended regularly, 37.6% attended irregularly, and 24.7% stopped going to church.

(If these stats are making your head spin, check out this link).

Now, I don’t have a PhD in statistics, but I can see the difference. If mom goes regularly, there’s still 60% of kids, 3 out of 5, who see church at least as semi-important. But if dad goes regularly, regardless of what mom does, 75.3% of kids, 3 out of 4, also see church as semi-important, and many more see it as a bigger part of their lives than if only mom goes.

Dads and husbands, in his wisdom, God has made you the head of the household. Now, I’m not going to question God’s wisdom, but when I see the influence a dad can have on his family, even outside of what Scripture says, and then also see that although 73% of men say religion is important, less than 1 in 3 men attend church regularly, it makes me raise an eyebrow. Compare that to 82% of women who say religion is important and the 2 in 5 women who attend church regularly. (Men; Women).

By making the man the head of the household, he has primarily made you your family’s spiritual leader. Yes, you work to make sure your family’s needs are met. Yes, you’d protect your family from anyone who’d try to harm them. But your number one concern is that your wife and children know Jesus and what he has done for them.

There are a lot of obstacles in your way. Going to church doesn’t seem all that manly. Sunday’s your only day to rest after a long week of work. Maybe your wife and kids don’t even want to go. But in reality, these and all other obstacles end up being self-focused.

Each person has a different idea of manliness. But it most often boils down to be strong and self-dependent. Faith in Jesus is the opposite. It means depending completely on him. What kind of man depends on another man? It may draw ridicule from fellow men that you feel you need that crutch. It crushes your own ego to have to rely on someone else.

You work all week. You’re tired. You’ve been doing what God wants you to by providing for your family. He’ll understand if you need rest so you can right back at it Monday morning. How can you do your best at work if you’re tired?

How can that last obstacle be selfish? You’re granting their wish. You’re listening to your wife and kids who don’t want to go. Hey, that sounds like something God said. When Adam and Eve fell into sin, God told Adam, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you.” It’s God-pleasing to listen to your wife, except when her will doesn’t align with God’s will. But it’s easier on you not to put up a fight, to just let it go.

There are kinds of excuses and all kinds of obstacles. They don’t pass muster. God defines manliness his way: A man leads his family to Christ. God’s definition of a man is one who trusts in Jesus and teaches his family to do the same. Anything else is unmanly. And worse, based on the statistics above, anything else can produce horrendous results. Your kids not going to church is one thing. Your kids not going to heaven is another.

This is why God sent the perfect man, his Son Jesus Christ. We only have to look to the first man Adam to see an example of unmanliness. His unmanly behavior and sin brought sin into the world. But the perfect man came to correct what the first man did. “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” By Jesus’ perfect manliness, you are made perfect in God’s sight. Your unmanliness is covered over by the blood of the perfect man.

It’s time to be the man God has made you through Jesus. It’s not the man you were. It’s the man you now are through faith in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Bring your family to church. Lead them in family devotions. Pray with them. Show them Jesus, their Savior, your Savior.

Next week’s devotion will discuss the question “What if my children still fall away?” (Proverbs 22:6)

Confession is Good for the Soul

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

We begin our worship every Sunday the same way. After remembering our baptisms with the words, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” we confess our sins. Right now, this is the confession we’re using:

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

 Let us confess our sins to the Lord.

 Holy God, gracious Father, I am sinful by nature and have sinned against you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved others as I should. I deserve your punishment both now and forever. But Jesus, my Savior, paid for my sins with his holy life and innocent death. Trusting in him, I pray: God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

God, our gracious Father, has forgiven all your sins. He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior. Jesus paid the penalty for your guilt by his death on the cross and freed you from death by his resurrection from the grave. You are at peace with God. Live in the comfort and joy of his forgiveness.

We all stand together and confess that we are sinners. We are sinful by nature. We have sinned in thought, word, and deed. Through Jesus, God forgives our sins.

But what about what James says? “Confess your sins to each other.” How often do we do that? On the one hand, when we sin against someone, we might be more ready to confess to them. After all, they are the one against whom we sinned. We want them to forgive us.

On the other hand, we may confess to another sins which we didn’t commit against them. Now that’s hard. Why would I want to tell someone about my sins if my sins have nothing to do with them? I don’t want them to think any less of me. What purpose would it serve to tell them about my struggles with sin? Why shouldn’t I just keep it between God and me?

God hasn’t made us to struggle with sin on our own. Out of pride, we may try. But we often look at keeping it between God and me as just keeping it to ourselves. And when we just keep sin to ourselves, it’s easy to just keep right on sinning.

Moreover, holding onto sin harms us. King David describes it in Psalm 32, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.” The longer we hold onto sin, the more dangerous it becomes to our faith.

It’s easy to say, “I’m a sinner just like everyone else. Nobody’s perfect.” It’s hard to say to someone, “I’ve been struggling with x.” We think they’ll judge us. They won’t want to be our friend anymore. They won’t love us anymore.

James encourages us to confess our sins to each and pray for each other. It’s not about judging. It’s about forgiving. Jesus told his disciples in John 20, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven.” Through his sacrifice, Jesus gives his people the power to forgive sins on the basis of his life, death, and resurrection.

One-on-one you will hear specific sins forgiven. In our hymnal Christian Worship (pg. 154), right after the general confession there’s an opportunity for you to confess specific sins. To unload the sins that mightily weigh you down. And to hear that that sin—yes, even that sin—is forgiven!

I encourage you to find someone to whom you can confess. It can be a trusted Christian friend. It can be your pastor. Someone on whom you can unload your burden. Someone who will pray with you. Someone who will say to you, “In the name of Jesus, I forgive your sins.”

What is Love?

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

“What is love?” Does that question instantly put a 90’s beat in your head? The writer of that song asks at least 15 times. I wonder if he ever figured it out.

What is love exactly? Is it L. O. V. E.? Is love a battlefield? Is it truly a many splendored thing?

Saint Paul tells us love is more than a feeling. It’s patient, kind, and humble. It doesn’t envy or boast or dishonor others. It’s not self-seeking, not angered easily, not a grudge-holder. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

For a sentiment so sweet, Paul’s definition is quite strict. He says clearly what love is and what it is not. In other words, he doesn’t leave a seat for your but. “I love you, but ….”

Why does Paul talk about love like this? He wrote this letter to congregations in Corinth who were having a lot of problems. They were divided over which preacher they thought was best. “I follow Peter.” “I follow Paul.” “Well, I follow Jesus.” They’d also received spiritual gifts. Paul lists them, “To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” (1 Corinthians 12:8-10). The desire to use these gifts whenever and wherever was disrupting their worship. They were valuing the gifts they’d received over their fellow Christians.

Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.

1 Corinthians 14:26-33

We can fall into the trap of thinking we need to make our mark on God’s church. We may come rushing in, knowing the gifts we have, and want to make sure people know we have them. Or we feel disheartened because we don’t seem to have the gifts to make an impact. We either puff ourselves up or tear ourselves down. And we forget the “greater gift” (1 Corinthians 12:31).

LOVE.

The greater gift is also the hardest gift. Who is patient all the time, or kind? Who doesn’t get angry or jealous? Who always protects, always hopes, always trusts, always perseveres? Who never fails? There is only one.

GOD IS LOVE (1 JOHN 4:19).

Before you can put your name into 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Jesus’ name must be there first.

Jesus is patient. (Luke 23:34)

Jesus is kind. (Luke 4:40)

Jesus does not envy, Jesus does not boast, Jesus is not proud. (John 8:50)

Jesus does not dishonor others, (Mark 2:15-17)

Jesus is not self-seeking, (Matthew 26:39)

Jesus is not easily angered, (Matthew 26:55,56)

Jesus keeps no record of wrongs. (John 12:47)

Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. (John 8:44, 45)

Jesus always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (John 13:1)

Jesus never fails. (Luke 24:25-27)

In Jesus, the first thing we see is not our example for perfect love. We see the one who loved us perfectly and loved perfectly for us. “The entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:14). Jesus has kept the law of love perfectly for us so that we “might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:5). It was his unconditional love that drove him to do this (John 3:16; John 15:13).

Because Jesus has loved us, now we can love like Jesus. Now we can put our names in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. We can be patient, kind and all the rest. When our love fails, we trust in Jesus’ unfailing love and forgiveness. He renews our love for our neighbor. He gets our “buts” out of the seat and moves us to go and show love to those around us.

Where's Your Sense of Urgency?

Matthew 24:42-44

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Daphne and her family were leaving soon for vacation. A one week trip to Disneyworld. They had a 7 am flight out of DFW. The night before, she’d made sure all the kids (and her husband) were packed. She set her alarm for 3:45 am. They’d be out the door by 4:30. Get to the airport by 5.

Daphne did wake up at 3:45. But her husband ignored the alarm. Her kids, 11 and 9, didn’t set one. “I’ll give them five minutes,” she thought. The car was already packed after all. They just had to eat quick and get going. At 3:50, she started playing “It’s A Small World After All” on the Bluetooth stereo. Nothing. She went and knocked at her kids’ doors. “I’m up. I’m up.” Snore…. Her husband got up and promptly sat down on the couch and dozed off. He’d been up late playing puzzle games on his smart phone.

At 3:55, she got out a pot and a metal spoon. She clanged it as loud as she could. Finally, the kids came out of their rooms. Her daughter, the older child, went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and leaned on the door while looking for breakfast. Her son went into the bathroom, where he curled up on the bath mat. Her husband went out to the garage to catch a few winks in the driver’s seat.

They were all dragging their feet. They wanted to go to Disneyworld. But they were tired. Their beds called to them. They were going to miss their flight.

Finally, at 4:10, Daphne couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t stand leaving even a minute late. So she yelled, “Where’s your sense of urgency?”

Daphne and her family knew where their flight would take off. They knew when they needed to get to the airport. What about Jesus’ coming? He tells us, “The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Yes, 2,000 years have passed since Jesus went back into heaven. We know he will come back. But he didn’t tell us when. And when you’re saying, “Any day now,” for 2,000 years, it kind of starts to lose its meaning.

It starts to lose its meaning long before 2,000 years. How long have you been waiting for Jesus’ return? 1 year? 10? 30? 50? 80? Because we stay in this world, it’s easy for us to get caught up in what’s going on here and wait until to get ready for Jesus to come.

Jesus compares his coming to a thief. You don’t know when a thief is going to break in. You have to be ready for him. That means putting locks on the doors. Maybe buying a state-of-the-art alarm system. Putting cameras around your house. You want to be proactive rather than reactive.

Are you ready for Jesus? He may come back for us all or he may just come for you. You, like billions of others, may die before the Last Day comes. Your death may come earlier than you expect. Take a moment to consider your readiness. Your priorities. Where’s your sense of urgency?

How do we prepare for Jesus’ coming? The Holy Spirit prepares us as we study his Word about Jesus. On the Last Day, Jesus will judge the living and the dead. “The [wicked] will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). Who are these righteous? “These are they who … have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14). Through the Word, the Holy Spirit washes us clean of our sins and presents us as pure before God. Because of Jesus, we have no reason to fear the Last Day, no reason to fear the day of our death.

Where’s your sense of urgency? “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4). “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us” (1 John 3:23).

Grow Where You're Planted

Psalm 1

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

I was born in Dallas at what’s now called Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas over on Walnut Hill. My dad was born in Dallas. His dad was born in Dallas. I love being a Texan and living in DFW. Now, my son is a Texan, too.

But for 11 years of my life, I wandered in the wilderness, so to speak. My family moved to Wisconsin. And I was unhappy. How could we leave our dear Texas home? Why would we move somewhere cold and snowy? What about all my friends still in Dallas?

Around that time, my mom started using the familiar phrase, “You’ve got to grow where you’re planted.” It means you may not always know where you’ll be, but, wherever you are, to make the best of it. Did that help teenage David? Well … try telling that to a teenager you know and see how it sticks.

You often might feel like you’re wandering through a wilderness yourself. Nothing goes right. If anything goes right at all, it’s only temporary. You look for ways to produce good fruits and aren’t finding many, if any.

The writer of Psalm 1 tells us this: “That person [the one who meditates on God’s law day and night] is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” If we disconnect ourselves from God’s Word, we don’t have a chance. The wilderness of life will consume us because we have no root.

But being connected to God’s Word, God makes us grow wherever we’re planted. He grows us in the garden of our homes, our schools, our jobs. He himself produces fruit on our branches. He blesses our work for him. He strengthens first and foremost with the forgiveness of his Son Jesus Christ, the Vine to whom we are connected.

Get connected to God’s Word. Make the time this week to study God’s Word on your own and with your family. Think about getting around God’s Word with friends. Come and hear the wonderful good news of Jesus at church. As you hear God’s Word, he will make you grow where you’re planted.

Living the Confirmed Life

Philippians 2:12,13

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

This Sunday two of our young people will be confirmed. For the last two years, they’ve been studying the teachings of the Bible in Catechism instruction. We’ve covered the Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper and the Ministry of the Keys. We looked at what the Bible says about sin and grace, law and gospel, salvation and sanctification.

 So what does confirmation mean? Maybe when you went through confirmation courses yourself, it felt like Confirmation Sunday marked the end of all this hard studying. You wouldn’t have to memorize any more Bible passages unless you wanted to. If you heard the question “What does this mean?” one more time you might explode. Confirmation meant you became a full member of the congregation. Now, you could take the Lord’s Supper. You’d finished!

 Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote to believers in Philippi, a city on the coast of Greece facing Turkey. He hadn’t spent a great deal of time in Philippi initially, although Scripture tells us that several people had come to faith in Jesus through Paul’s preaching (Acts 17:11-40). During those few days, Paul taught the people what they needed to know about Jesus.

 But Paul didn’t want these Christians to stop with the basics of the faith. In his letter, he encourages them to “continue to work out [their] salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). What does it mean to “work out your salvation”? Paul, who by inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes elsewhere, “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1) isn’t contradicting himself by saying that we must strive to one day attain salvation. Instead, he calls us to persevere in this salvation through Jesus.

 After confirmation, the opportunity to take the Lord’s Supper isn’t for us to prove that we’ve reached a higher level of Christianity. Christ has given us this sacrament for our perseverance in the faith. He says, “Take and eat; this is my body. … Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28). And he says, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24,25). In this sacrament, he once again forgives your sins, strengthens you with the promise of life and salvation, and empowers you to live a new and holy life.

 Not only are we called to persevere. We are also called to grow in the depths of God's love and Christ’s forgiveness. The post-confirmation life isn’t necessarily about adding more broadly to our knowledge. It’s about plunging the depths of the knowledge we’ve received. You might be surprised to learn that Martin Luther wrote two Catechisms. The Small Catechism and the Large Catechism. The Large Catechism also teaches about the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the Ministry of Keys. But it does so in greater detail, sounding the depths of what this teaching from God's Word means. Maybe you grew tired of the question “What does this mean?” The whole Christian life is returning to Scripture with new perspectives formed from the experiences of life and asking God, “What does this mean?” The Word doesn’t change. Its meaning doesn’t change. But as we grow, its meaning continues to deepen for us as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

 Finally, we are not alone in this call to persevere and grow. The Holy Spirit tells us through Paul, “It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). By faith in Jesus and his cross, God sends his Holy Spirit into our hearts. The Holy Spirit creates in us the desire to persevere and grow. He leads us on to carry out God's will. With his help, we can continue to work out our salvation here on earth until Jesus comes to bring us the full measure of his salvation.

 This week, keep our confirmands in your prayers. Ask God to bless them with a lifelong faith that will endure until life’s end. Pray that God would give them wisdom to follow his will throughout their lives that he may use them for his purpose. Pray also for yourself, for your family, for this whole congregation, and for believers throughout the world, that God would lead us to persevere in his truth until we see the full scale of his salvation for us. Pray that many more would come to know Jesus and his saving work.

Let Us Start Rebuilding

Nehemiah 2:18

They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

It wasn’t an easy road for God's people. They’d return from exile. God was working to reestablish his people in the land he promised to their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But just because God was behind them, it didn’t mean that everything came smoothly. 

 They returned in the year 536 BC. They didn’t finish the temple until 516 BC. It wasn’t because that’s just how long it takes to build a temple either. They face construction delays mostly from their neighbors who opposed the rebuild. 

 But even after the temple was rebuilt, the walls still lay ruined. The Jerusalemites were defenseless and disgraced. Enemies could attack at any time and the Jews in Jerusalem were easy prey. Even the least adept thief could roam the streets at night and steal into the countryside without anyone stopping him at a gate. 

 When Nehemiah, the king of Persia’s cupbearer, also a descendent of Abraham, heard this, he asked permission to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. The king granted his request. It was around the year 444 BC. Almost 100 years after the people returned, they still lived in a ruined city. 

 Nehemiah set out to fix this. But first, he had to get the people on his side. He made his way to Jerusalem. He didn’t speak to the city leaders right away. At night, he took a few others with him, trusted men from the city. They examined the walls. Then, Nehemiah went before the city leaders and said, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace” (Nehemiah 2:17). He also told them that God's gracious hand was on him and the king gave him permission. 

 Then came their response: “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. 

 It might seem using this passage in a ministry plan rips it out of context. Admittedly, it’s not a perfect fit. We don’t have promises from God that he’d send his Messiah to Jerusalem, that he’d walk through our sanctuary, that he’d die outside our city. 

 But it hasn’t been an easy road for God's people in 2020-2021 either. During the past 18 months, we’ve put a lot of our ministry on hold, not to mention the other ways our lives have been affected. Now, as our world begins its return to normal, we might look at the ministry of Atonement and think it’s in ruins. 

 Yes, ministry has continued at Atonement. The gospel has been preached every Sunday. The Lord’s Supper has been offered even under special circumstances. We held Sunday School both in person and online. Our Mornings with Mommy, Power Hour, and Girl Pioneers programs continued. But the whole time it’s felt like we were in a holding pattern. 

 But now, as mask mandates begin to go away, we remember the mandate our Savior gave us, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Jesus came to the rebuilt city of Jerusalem. In that city he kept God's commands perfectly for us. He was crucified on a hill just outside the walls Nehemiah rebuilt. His death and resurrection assure us living in a dying world that because he lives, we also we live. This is the gospel we preach. 

 Come, let us rebuild the spiritual walls of Atonement together. God will continue to rebuild us through his Word and sacrament. He will give us strength for our efforts for his kingdom. My prayer is you will say, “Let us start rebuilding,” and we will begin this good work.

Rejoice With Me

Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

I rejoiced with those who said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Our feet are standing
    in your gates, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built like a city
    that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up—
    the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
    according to the statute given to Israel.
There stand the thrones for judgment,
    the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
    “May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
    and security within your citadels.”
For the sake of my family and friends,
    I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your prosperity.

Are online relationships as strong as physical relationships? Anecdotally speaking, I think many would say, “No,” although some would say, “Yes.” Maybe it’s a generational thing. Maybe it’s a personality thing.

 Studies of online relationships are still few and in their beginning stages. However, many suggest that intimate friendships can be created even online. They may not be the same as physical, in-person friendships. They certainly won’t look the same. But they can satisfy the need for social interaction some people need.

 Does that work for maintaining friendships at church? We do have an online aspect of our church, ever since the pandemic began. Worship and Bible study are online. Some of our small groups have met online. But most of our online offerings are a one way street. You see us. We don’t see you. We don’t really interact with each other.

 Can a long-distance church relationship last? Katelyn and I were in a long-distance relationship during most of our courtship, pretty much up until we got married. But we saw each other at least every other week during that time. Studies show that as far as long-distance romantic relationships go, they’re only 58% successful. You basically have a 1 in 2 chance of staying together. As the long-distance relationship extends, communication can begin to break down, and the relationship fails.

The longer we stay apart from each other, the harder it is to stay connected. We become unplugged. Communication begins to break down. This is why the writer to the Hebrews encourages us, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). We meet together to encourage one another. And our encouragement doesn’t come from just liking each other’s company. We are bound together by faith in Christ. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13). “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf” (1 Corinthians 11:16,17). “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity” (John 17:23). When we come together around God's Word and his sacraments, our personal faith in Christ is not the only thing that’s strengthened. It’s not just me and Jesus. Our unity with each other is also made stronger. Our relationships become closer. Our love for each other grows deeper. The Holy Spirit puts bone to bone and builds up the body of Christ.

 We see this in the reading for this week, too. David says, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Surely, David could go to the tabernacle of God alone. Indeed, he could likely read God's Word on his own or have it read to him as an audience of one. But he rejoices to go with others. To share in the faith with his fellow believers. To encourage and to be encouraged. To be mutually strengthened by the Holy Spirit through the Word.

 May our attitude about going to church, about gathering with our fellow believers in Christ, be similar to David’s as we grow in faith and grow together in community. “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Rejoice with me, my brothers and sisters.

Happy Birthday

Acts 2:36-41

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

There was no cake that day. My son would be disappointed. When anyone says the word birthday now, he always chimes in, “Cake!” But it was a birthday nonetheless.

 Jesus’ followers were gathered in one place possibly somewhere in the temple courts. They were praying and worshiping together. The 12 Apostles were there, including newly minted apostle Matthias.

 Suddenly, the sound of a blowing wind. Tongues of fire descend on their heads. Languages unknown to their lips flow from their mouths. The people in Jerusalem are intrigued. Peter sermonizes a summary of the promises of Jesus. “Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” “Seeing what was to come, [David] spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.” “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

 The people are cut to the heart. Peter has accused them of crucifying the Messiah. Of putting to death God's promised Savior. Had they foiled God's plan and purpose? Were thousands of years of waiting all for naught? Had they betrayed God one fatally final time?

 No! As Peter says, “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge.” “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.” This was God's plan all along. The Messiah had to suffer and die. He had to rise from the dead to win salvation. When the crowd asks, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter responds, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Not only had Jesus come to win salvation, he had come to win salvation for them.

 And 3,000 were added to their number that day.

 Incredible! Their numbers multiplied by 250 that day. Pentecost is rightly called the birthday of the Christian Church.

 Pentecost is this Sunday. The Church has celebrated thousands of birthdays since then. Should she have stopped counting at 29 just like you did? Maybe she seems like she’s gone over a few hills by now. Churches aren’t growing by 3,000 people per day. In fact, in many places churches aren’t growing at all.

 Yet, in spite of appearances. like a fine wine, the Church continues to age well. She stands as the Messiah’s Bride. According to God's plan and purpose, he was put to death and raised to life. It is his life and death that created her. “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-27).

 You are part of this Church. Though Atonement was founded in 1983, you are part of a Church that spans back through millennia. You are part of a Church that stands at her Bridegroom’s side, and because of him, nothing can prevail against her, not even the gates of hell. Within this Church, you have been washed with water through the word. You are radiant. You are without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish. Holy. Blameless before God.

 Birthdays are a time to look back and to look forward. As we celebrate the Church’s birthday, we give thanks to Jesus for all he’s done for us, his Church, from his sending the Holy Spirit that first Pentecost, to his continued sending of his Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Word. We look forward, also, to what he will do for and through his Church, sending his Holy Spirit to strength her and add to her number. It might not be 3,000 people a day. But the world will not end until all who will be saved are saved.

 Speaking of 3,000 people a day, did you know that within a mile of church there are nearly 6,000 people who claim no religion and nearly 2,000 more who don’t believe in Jesus? We have work to do.

 Come, Holy Spirit, renew our hearts, and kindle in us the fire of your love. Amen.

Will It Be Awkward?

Luke 15:11-31

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.

High school reunions can be awkward. You go back to your old school and see people you haven’t seen since graduation, since the last reunion 10 years ago, or even in a half-century. What will you talk about? What if you’re not really on the same page job-wise or your sense of humor has changed? What if you’re at different places in your lives now? What if you’re too embarrassed to talk about what you’ve been doing since the last time you saw each other? Awkward.

 What about reuniting at church?

 Perhaps your story isn’t quite the same as the prodigal son’s. What I mean is, the reason you haven’t been to church isn’t because you haven’t wanted to be at your Father’s house. It’s because you’ve been staying safe. But now as COVID cases continue to drop (as of yesterday, under 700 active cases in Collin County for the first time since September 12, 2020, and under 4000 active cases in Dallas County for the first time since June 8, 2020), and you’re planning your return to in-person worship, the question keeps popping into your mind, “Will it be awkward?”

 Perhaps your story is similar to the prodigal son’s. That could be true in two different ways. It could be that you’ve been like the prodigal son at the beginning of the story. Certain that you can make it on your own without your Father’s help. Using the blessings he’s given you only for yourself, squandering them. Or it could be that you’re more like the prodigal son at the middle of the story. Embarrassed. Uncertain. Anxious. Not wanting those feelings to bubble up as you pass through the doors and see those faintly familiar faces. And the question keeps popping into your mind, “Will it be awkward?”

 In Jesus’ parable, the prodigal son finally does realize he can’t live without his father. He recognizes how long he’s been away. How awkward the encounter might be. He rehearses in his head how he wants it to go. But all that gets thrown out the window when the father comes running up the path to him, gives him a big ol’ bear hug, and kisses him. The son stammers out his script, but the father is too giddy to listen. The awkwardness melts away because the father has compassion on his son and receives him as though he were back from the dead.

 What could be awkward about returning to your Father’s house? The Father will gladly receive you, though he has been with you this whole time. He sent his Son to get you, like a shepherd going after his sheep (Luke 15:3-7). Indeed, whether or not you identify with the prodigal son in your current circumstances, you were at one time dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1). “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4,5). The Father’s love for you has not changed. The awkwardness melts away because the Father has compassion on you, his child, and has brought you back from the dead.

 But there is another character in Jesus’ parable. The older brother. Perhaps you’re not so worried about the Father’s reaction to your return. You’re worried about your brother or sister’s reaction. Have they thought, “So-and-so really should have come back already”? Will they look at you like they’re trying to remember your face and your name but can’t quite place you? Will your face reflect that look, too, as you look at them? Will you receive any welcome at all? Will they judge you?

 Jesus doesn’t relate any direct interaction between the brothers in his parable. But we know how the older brother feels. Rather than addressing the “younger brother,” now Jesus addresses the “older brother.” He doesn’t want to go into the party. He’s insulted. Resentful. He’s been there the whole time, working hard for his father, earning his inheritance, attending church faithfully since it reopened a year ago, or at least since Christmas and/or Easter.

 The father listens carefully to his son’s complaint. Then he replies, “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” The father recognizes his son’s faithfulness. But he also refuses to let the awkwardness and resentfulness hang between the brothers. He implores his older son to come and rejoice with him. If the father has welcomed his prodigal son, so can the brother.

 Even if your circumstances are similar to the older brother’s, don’t let your attitude be. Rather than focus on ourselves, we focus on our Father’s grace, which welcomes all of his children home one-by-one. We are not members of the Father’s household because of our hard work or our physical presence in church, but because of his love for us in Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son, our perfect older Brother. The Father’s compassion toward us and toward our brothers and sisters melts the awkwardness away. With the Father’s welcome behind you, welcome your brothers and sisters home.

Rebuilding God's House of Living Stones

Haggai 1:2-14

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”

Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.

Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God.

When God's people returned from their 70 year exile in Babylon, they returned to rubble. The walls of Jerusalem still lay in ruins. The houses were in disrepair. And the majestic Temple of God was nothing.

 They arrived in Jerusalem in 536 B.C. Almost immediately, they began work on rebuilding the city, especially the Temple of God. They built an altar. They laid a foundation. Can you imagine the celebration? After 70 years of no regular temple worship, the priests put on their vestments, the trumpets and cymbals played, the people sang, “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever” (Ezra 3:11). And yet the book of Ezra records, “Many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise” (Ezra 3:12,13).

 Soon, the work stopped. Enemies of God's people wanted to help rebuild the Temple. They’d been living in the area ever since God's people were taken away. They claimed to worship their God. But, in truth, they worshiped him as one among many gods. God's people refused to build alongside them. Their enemies got mad. They opposed and protested the rebuild. They sent letters to high officials. And soon, the work stopped.

 It stopped for 16 years. The opposition mostly went away, since the enemies had nothing to oppose. Yes, the opposition would restart if they began building again, and it did (Ezra 5:3). Yes, they didn’t want to risk upsetting their overlords, the Persian empire, even though it was King Cyrus who sent them and gave them permission to build the temple (Ezra 1:2,3). But you can tell God wasn’t happy with them. He reveals one of the main reasons they still hadn’t finished rebuilding his house after 16 years: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” They were more focused on their own houses than his.

 God calls them to account. He tells them to look around. This is why you’re struggling in the land: You have neglected my house. The people listen to what the Lord says and repent (Haggai 1:12). The LORD promises them, “I am with you” (Haggai 1:13). It’s that promise—no matter what opposition they might face, the Lord was with them—that stirs up “the spirit of the whole remnant of the people” (Haggai 1:14).

 We see God's patience here. He allows them not to rebuild his house for a time without calling them out. He doesn’t just throw up his hands and send them back into exile. But eventually, the time for patience is over. When the people have become so used to their lives as they are and no longer even think about building God's house, he calls them to repentance and promises them, “I am with you.”

 I am no prophet. I am not Haggai. I have received no direct word from God. But in this account we see application for our own lives.

 In his first letter, the Apostle Peter writes, “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4,5). Our local, visible corner of God's house, like many others around the world, was ripped through by the COVID tornado, his living stones, though still part of the spiritual house, scattered to the four winds. We have begun to rebuild, but we are still rebuilding.

 Like the returning Jews, there are also reasons to continue not to rebuild, that is, to stay away from church. We have not yet reached herd immunity. Active cases in Collin County swing wildly between 700 and 1000 cases right now. But be careful that there isn’t a further underlying reason keeping you away. Don’t wait for Haggai to show up and ask, “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” That is to say, “Is it a time for the rest of your life to get back to normal, but not your life with God?”

 Let God's Word stir up your spirit with his promise, “I am with you” (Haggai 1:13). He promises to be with you wherever you go. He promises to be with you at home. He promises to be with you at work or school. He promises to be with you at church.

 No matter the opposition, he is there. No matter the struggle, he is there. No matter the danger, he is there.

 His presence is stated in his name: Immanuel, God with us. This is Jesus, who came to be with us, not just in spirit, but in flesh and blood. Who came to bear our diseases (Matthew 8:17). Who came to cleanse our hearts from sin with his blood shed on the cross (1 John 1:7). Who came to destroy him who holds the power of death (Hebrews 2:14) and death itself (1 Corinthians 15:54-56). Who promised, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

 In Haggai, we see God's patience. You may not yet be comfortable returning to in-person worship. But with God's promise of presence behind you, make a plan. Find that date or month and circle it on your calendar. Anticipate the day you will rejoin your fellow living stones of God as we continue to love and serve him “as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Return from Exile

Ezra 1:1-5

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”

Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.

Summer is coming. Have you planned any trips yet? Around this time of year, my wife and I usually start planning where we’re going to go for our summer vacation. We’ve got to plan where to go. See who we’re going to stay with. Buy snacks for the road. Important stuff.

 As you plan your summer, it’s time to start planning your return to church.

 The Israelites were in exile for 70 years. Because of their idolatry, God allowed Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to destroy the temple and carry them away. But after 70 years, Cyrus king of Persia allowed them to go home.

 And many went. Not because they had to. Ezra tells us it was “everyone whose heart God had moved” (Ezra 1:5). They didn’t haphazardly just tear up their roots. They “prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.”

 How did God move them to return? He spoke to them through prophets like Ezekiel, “16 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.’ 17 Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again’” (Ezekiel 11:16,17), and Jeremiah, “11 ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. … 14 I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile’” (Jeremiah 29:11,14). Though they indeed could continue to worship God in exile, God showed his desire was to return them to their land.

 How did God move them to return? He showed his power as King of kings by moving King Cyrus to allow them to go back. It was ultimately God's decision, not Cyrus’ to end their exile. God even moved King Cyrus to provide what the returning people needed to rebuild.

 How does God move you to return? He is allowing COVID cases to slowly decline. Active cases in Collin County are less than 800 for the second day in a row. More and more people are reaching immunity.

 How does God move you to return? He offers you a place to worship with a whole family of believers. Here we receiving healing and forgiveness for our sins in Jesus’ name. Here we encourage one another to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

 How does God move you to return? He calls you through your fellow members of Christ’s body. This is a call to return.

 Just like the Israelites returning from Babylon, plan your return. What does planning your return from exile look like?

 If you haven’t been back yet, that means looking at what you need to do to get yourself comfortable coming back. Does it mean getting the vaccine? If not, does it mean attending the Saturday service where masks are required and attendance is lower? Take concrete steps. Set a date. Circle it on your calendar. As much as you will celebrate coming back, we will rejoice to see you.

 If you’ve been a few times, but haven’t made regular attendance part of your schedule, that means asking yourself, “Why?” Do you also need to prepare yourself to be more comfortable? Have you simply fallen out of the habit? Habits take work. Has something taken worship’s place? Again, take concrete steps.

 Even if you’ve come nearly every single Sunday since May 10, you also have work to do. We’ve been in a holding pattern for more than a year. As summer approaches, now’s the time to make the transition from maintaining to rebuilding.

 Right now, the council is working on Ministry Plan 2021-22. Whoever you are, give us your input. When it comes out, read it. Ask yourself, “How can I help my family?”

 Call those you haven’t seen in a while. I’m not asking you to throw darts at the directory. Get in touch with the people you know but haven’t seen. Encourage them all the more as we see the day of our Lord approaching (Hebrews 10:25).

 I’m not expecting an explosion of worshipers this Sunday. I’d be naïve to think summer travel won’t have an effect. In the end, the amount of worshipers isn’t the goal anyway. What matters is that you return to your family, that we may join together, receiving from God his wonderful promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation in Jesus’ name.

 “If you, Israel, will return, then return to me,” declares the Lord (Jeremiah 4:1).

Light of the Word

Matthew 5:16

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 7:15-20

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Last week’s sermon concluded by saying, “Yes, we want to show our love to others because God loved us. That’s good and pleasing to God. But can we be honest? Just because more than 50% of America doesn’t identify as Christian doesn’t mean they’re all not loving their neighbor. Now, of course, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t love our neighbor because someone’s already doing that, either.”

 And maybe you thought, as I did when I wrote the sermon, of Matthew 5:16 and 7:20. And then, perhaps, your thoughts began to wander toward this question, “What about the good works of unbelievers?”

 How can we even measure good works? Perhaps by charitable giving? Though America has steadily become less religious year by year, charitable giving has increased, growing from $427 billion in 2018 to $449 billion in 2019—a change of $22 billion! Research indicates volunteer hours were increasing before 2020 as well.

 Of course, there are other examples of good works, but the truth is clear. Unbelievers also perform acts of love for their neighbor. This is called “righteousness in the sight of the world” or “civil righteousness.” It means the good works a person does even without faith in God.

 But there’s something missing. Jesus says in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world.” But how is it that the people Jesus was talking to were any different from everyone else? How did the become light when everyone was in darkness? Saint John tells us in the first chapter of his Gospel, “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:9-13). Jesus himself says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). The difference is faith in the Light, faith in Jesus Christ.

 Though righteousness in the world’s sight looks good to the world, the writer to the Hebrews tells us, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). Righteousness in the world’s sight is not in and of itself righteousness in God's sight. Saint Paul writes, “No one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law” (Romans 3:20). Instead, “In the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last” (Romans 1:17). It is righteousness given, not righteousness earned. This faith receives Christ presented “as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood” (Romans 3:25). Even the good works a Christian does after coming to faith do nothing to earn God's love. “If by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:6). However, the good works a Christian does are pleasing in God's sight, not only in the world’s sight.

 The writer to the Hebrews gives the example of Enoch. “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: ‘He could not be found, because God had taken him away.’ For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5). This whole chapter is about great heroes of faith. Enoch was commended as one who pleased God, but the writer of this letter wants us to know it was by faith in God.

 So, what about Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:16 and 7:20? In Matthew 5:16, he says, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” The focus is not so much on the good deeds by themselves but that they are an outpouring of the light. Though an unbeliever also does good works in the world’s sight, they lack the light, that is, the faith, to accompany their good works. Their good deeds may cause a person to praise God, if such a person already believes in God and praises him. But an unbeliever’s works will likely have an opposite effect on the person who does not already believe in God. To the unbeliever, a fellow unbeliever’s works further cements the idea that a person does not need the Light to be good. It is not the good works that creates the saving faith, but the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 In Matthew 7:20, Jesus is talking about false teachers. He doesn’t separate the fruits from the message. He warns his followers about wolves in sheep’s clothing, preachers who claim to come from God but do not follow God's commands. He’s telling them, “They may be able to convince you with their words, but their actions will speak for themselves. Their actions may even look good on the outside (in the world’s sight), but are rotten within (in God's sight).”

 For this reason, we also want to do good works, that our light may shine before others, and they may come to believe in God. We don’t want our works to contradict our words. But good works without the gospel change no hearts. As Saint Paul says, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? … Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:14,17).

 As Christians, our Savior has given us something unique. He gives us salvation by grace alone through faith alone. Our works don’t save us, nor can they. Nor can they save others. But they can, by pointing to the gospel of Jesus, shine the Light of the world into people’s hearts that they too may have the “light of life” (John 8:12).

Three Word Evangelism

John 1:43-46

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

Two words. That’s all it took for Philip to follow Jesus. Jesus says to him, “Follow me.” And Philip does. Maybe Philip already knew something about Jesus. He was from the same town as Andrew and Peter, after all. Maybe he’d even spoken to Jesus before. But when the time comes, all Jesus has to say is “Follow me.”

 Three words. That’s what it took for Nathanael to come and see. He was a little resistant at first. “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” But instead of arguing with him, Philip simply said, “Come and see.”

 And for three years, Philip and Nathanael followed Jesus. They went with him all over Galilee and Judea. They saw all kinds of wonders and signs. Day by day, Jesus taught them and the other disciples more and more about who he was and what he came to do. He finished all his work. He died on the cross to save sinners from death and hell. He rose again to guarantee life eternal in heaven.

 One word. That’s what it took for Philip and Nathanael and the other disciples to spread the good news. “Go.” After they’d seen so much, learned from Jesus, and now witnessed his resurrection, they were ready. They went out and shared the good news of forgiveness, life and salvation with the whole world.

 How many words does it take to encourage you to go? Jesus has already called you to follow him, and by faith from the Holy Spirit, you do follow him. You have come to see the wonderful good news of the forgiveness of sins and a restored relationship with your heavenly Father. Many of us have spent more than three years with Jesus. But perhaps you still think yourself unprepared and unequipped.

 See what Jesus does for Philip. He simply says, “Follow me.” Jesus chooses Philip to be an apostle, and because Jesus has chosen him, he is already equipped to share the good news with Nathanael. “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote. Come and see.” That’s 21 words.

 Jesus hasn’t only chosen the apostles to share the good news, but all Christians. And because he has chosen you, you are equipped to share. “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). Yes, that includes worship of God. But it also includes declaring his praises to those who also need to hear what he has done.

 We are planning on expansion to the north. Please keep this mission in your daily prayers that God would grant success to the efforts to share his gospel. Please also pray for people to join in this work. Just know that, when God answers that prayer, you might be the answer. Pray for your friends in that area—for those who are in the church and are searching for lost souls, and for those who are outside the family of believers that this mission perhaps may bring them into God's household. And, remember, your Nathanael may be waiting for their Philip (you!) to tell them, “Come and see.”

Many Troubles

Acts 14:21,22

They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.

With what joy the new Christians must have received this good news! They could be confident of life after death in heaven because of this Savior Jesus. The Holy Spirit’s missionaries, Paul and Barnabas traveled all throughout modern day Turkey bringing this good news. Many believed. But at every stop, they faced resistance. They were insulted in Perga. Conspired against in Iconium. Stoned in Lystra. Each time Paul and Barnabas moved on. But the new Christians still remained in those places.

 Before returning to their home base in Antioch, Syria, Paul and Barnabas went back through the cities where they’d started Christian congregations. They came to encourage the new Christians to hold onto to their faith in Jesus in spite of opposition. And they told them, “We must go through many troubles on our way to the kingdom of God.”

 Wouldn’t it be nice if the Christian life were easier? If there were no opposition to loving God and loving our neighbor in the way God commands? If being a Christian meant not only the promise of no more troubles in heaven but even no more troubles on earth? Why so many troubles?

 The truth is trouble comes to unbelievers and believers. Wise King Solomon recognized this: “I said to myself, ‘The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?’ I said to myself, ‘This too is meaningless’” (Ecclesiastes 2:15). Job recognized it, too, “Mortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). We live in a sinful world. Troubles will come to us. Perhaps, believers could save themselves some trouble by giving up the faith and assimilating into the world. But that would not stop troubles from coming. As Jesus says, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Troubles would not stop coming on earth, nor would they ever end.

 But notice the promise at the end of Acts 14:22. “On our way to the kingdom of God.” By faith in Jesus we know that our troubles will come to an end. Jesus has put the cause of our troubles to death on his cross. “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. (1 Corinthians 15:55,56). Sin has no power over us because Christ fulfilled the law for us. Death has no sting because sin cannot accuse us. Though we pass through troubles, we are not groping about in the darkness, wandering aimlessly from place to place. Because of Jesus, we are on our way to the kingdom of God.

The Week Before

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Mark 10:46-52

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

John 12:1-11

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

Forgiveness, healing, and a dinner. The few days before Jesus’ entered Jerusalem on a donkey were packed full. Before heading to Jerusalem, he goes to Zacchaeus’ house. There, the tax collector repents of his old life of thievery and trusts in Jesus for forgiveness. On his way out of Jerusalem, Jesus heals the blind man Bartimaeus. He attends a dinner in his honor at the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. All this time, he is still teaching, still healing, still preaching forgiveness.

 Would we fault Jesus if he wanted some alone time before he went to the cross? Probably not. But instead of retreating inward as Calvary quickly approaches, he continues to spend time among the people, calling souls to repentance, forgiving their sins, and healing their afflictions.

 The week before Holy Week, we still see the completely unselfish nature of our Savior. Every human has their limits to how much they can give. But not Jesus. The week before he gives himself for all people, he still gives himself to the people. The weeks and years, centuries and millennia since, he continues to give himself to us, working tirelessly on our behalf to bring us the forgiveness of sins. He has not retired from his work. He still rules on our behalf with the goal of bringing us to heaven.

 Rest in the untiring Jesus. “He will not grow tired or weary” (Isaiah 40:28).

 Hope in the self-giving Jesus. “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

 Trust in the sins-forgiving Jesus. “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame” (Romans 10:11).

Call It a Wash?

Isaiah 40:1,2

Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.

One year ago today, the unthinkable happened. Together, we began a 53 day hiatus from in-person worship. Normal worship life was interrupted. Normal life ground to a halt. Communities have been disrupted. First, we hoped to be back in two weeks. That didn’t happen. Then, by Easter, which was April 12 last year. That didn’t happen either. Then, by Mother’s Day. And we were finally back to worship. We’ve only canceled worship twice since then. Once for COVID; once for the winter storm.

 We didn’t come back because COVID went away. In May, it seemed like things were getting better. Then, summer came. Cases spiked even more than when we shut down. To stay open, we decided to change our worship. We sang less. We’d already been limiting our capacity. People were already staying away enough that only once did we come close to our self-imposed limits. We changed how we do Sunday School. We canceled most programs. We canceled our midweek meals during Advent and Lent. No children’s service, either. Mornings with Mommy and Power Hour are just now getting off the ground. A year has passed now! Can we call the last year a wash?

 How much has your life changed in a year? Has this been the most life-changing year of your life? Are you still working from home? Are you still self-isolating? Have you gotten into the pandemic routine and don’t know if you want to go back to the way things were? How many trips or parties or events have you put off with an indefinite time for return? Do you just want to call the last year a wash?

 God's people the Israelites lost seventy years. Because of their unbelief and their sin, God sent them into exile in Babylon. Seventy years away from God's temple! Unable to see and hear the sights and sounds of God's house. Disconnected from God in many ways. Were those seventy years a wash? No! God was preparing for himself a people from whom the Savior of the world would come.

 Long before the people went into exile, God already promised to bring them home. He told the prophet Isaiah, “Comfort, comfort my people.” He told Isaiah, “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” Throughout their seventy years of exile, they could hold onto this: their sin was paid for; the LORD would give them double comfort to cover all their sins.

 This past year has not been a wash. Indeed, we have not been able to do new things at church as much. We haven’t even been able to do everything we usually do. But this past year he has driven us to hold more tightly to what is most important. He has driven us back to his Word again and again to find the comfort in the face of death he promises through Isaiah and all his inspired authors. He has called to us with the promise of life through his Son Jesus Christ. He has guarded our lives on earth. He still calls us home to heaven.

 Soon, it appears, our exile will be over. As of yesterday, Collin County is reporting under 1,000 active cases of COVID-19 for the first time since October 28. Over an eighth of people in Collin County have been vaccinated. We give thanks to God for preserving us. We ask him to restore us now. We pray he continue to bless and keep us.

The Pharisee Within

Matthew 23:27,28

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

What does it mean to be a Pharisee? The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were a religious sect of Judaism. In fact, the word Pharisee means “set apart.” They were known for their strict adherence to God's law. They would even go above and beyond what God asked. If you had a Pharisee for a neighbor, they’d be one of the best neighbors you ever had.

 Jesus calls them whitewashed tombs. Tombs aren’t a pleasant place. Today, we place flowers on tombstones to gussy them up a little. Back then, they would paint the outside of the tomb, carved into rock, to mark it as a tomb. If you came in contact with the tomb, you’d become unclean. People, depending on their ability, would do more than just paint the outsides white. They’d pretty them up. Make them look good. But that didn’t change the grim reality of what lay inside. Bones. Decay. Death.

 Finally, the Pharisees aren’t condemned for their works, many of which looked good on the outside. They were condemned for their hearts. To be a Pharisee is to carry a heart full of smug self-righteous superiority. Think of the Pharisee’s prayer in Luke 18: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.” It’s not good enough just to be good. I am better.

 Can a Christian have a little Pharisee inside him or her? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. By nature, we compare our morality to others. Though we have been forgiven and given a new self in Christ, the old self rises daily from its watery grave and still wants to compare itself to others, whether to unbelievers or to other Christians, especially to those it finds morally inferior. That way it comes out on top.

 The little Pharisee in us plays the game of “I would never …” “I would never let my children watch that.” “I would never be so irresponsible.” “I would never post pictures like that on Facebook.” “I would never get offended by an old children’s book.” The little Pharisee within lacks empathy and sympathy. He lacks compassion. She lacks mercy.

 And worst of all, just as Jesus says, the little Pharisee within is a hypocrite. As she plays the game of “I would never,” she downplays her own sins. He adds rules to the game just as you might’ve seen above. The rules in the Pharisee’s game are a mix between God's law and the Pharisee’s pseudo-law.

 What hope then, O Christian, is there for you? After he pronounces the seven woes on the Pharisees, Jesus says this: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.” With these seven woes, Jesus preaches against the Pharisees, he desires to put their Pharisaism to death. He wants to wash not just the outside of the tomb but the inside as well. He desires to show them compassion and mercy.

 He has shown you compassion and mercy. He has not treated you as your sins deserve. The little Pharisee within knows he can’t get rid of his sin; he can only try to hide it. She can only try to distract by pointing to others’ sins. But Christ has removed your sin. He has taken on your condemnation. He has made you righteous before God. You have no need of comparing yourself to others. When God sees you, he sees Christ. There is no surpassing what he already sees. Put the Pharisee to death once more. Repent of smug self-righteous superiority. Receive forgiveness under Christ’s healing wings.

 Where there is sin, confront it! Not in an outward show: “God, I thank you that I am not like that sinner!” Instead, as Jesus instructs in Matthew 18, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you,” with the ultimate goal of bringing the sinner to repentance that they may receive Christ’s forgiveness. Where there is only a pseudo-law, there is no sin. Remind the little Pharisee within of that the next time he or she wants to play “I would never.” Instead, “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

Not Forsaken

Psalm 22

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
    by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
    you are the one Israel praises.
In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.
To you they cried out and were saved;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
    they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
    since he delights in him.”

Yet you brought me out of the womb;
    you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
From birth I was cast on you;
    from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

Do not be far from me,
    for trouble is near
    and there is no one to help.

Many bulls surround me;
    strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
Roaring lions that tear their prey
    open their mouths wide against me.
I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
    it has melted within me.
My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
    you lay me in the dust of death.

Dogs surround me,
    a pack of villains encircles me;
    they pierce my hands and my feet.
All my bones are on display;
    people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my clothes among them
    and cast lots for my garment.

But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
    You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
Deliver me from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of the dogs.
Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly I will praise you.
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
    Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
    before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
The poor will eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—
    may your hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord
    and he rules over the nations.

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
    all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him;
    future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness,
    declaring to a people yet unborn:
    He has done it!

“We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” asked Peter in Matthew 19:27. Has it ever felt like God has given you the short end of the stick? By following Jesus, perhaps you have given up success. Maybe you’ve had to cut off certain friends or family members. It’s possible you’ve risked your reputation, your health, or even your life.

 And then you end up in a situation like King David. A circumstance that makes you think, “Has God abandoned me, too? My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” King David suffered a lot during his life even though God called him “a man after [his] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). He was pursued by Saul. His own son Absalom staged a coup against him. His closest advisors and friends betrayed him. Yes, David committed many grievous sins himself. He was far from holy. But even after being assured God forgave him (2 Samuel 12:13), David still had many problems.

 What are the circumstances that make you want to say, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The situations that make you wonder if your walk with Jesus has only served to lead you into your own personal hell? In these times, how can you know that following Jesus is worth the cost?

 David’s words in Psalm 22 were not his alone. God did not look down at David  from on high with an uncaring heart. God is not so removed from you he does not know your pain. The Son of God himself came to experience total abandonment by God. As he hung on the cross, all who saw him mocked him, hurling insults, shaking their heads and saying, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself!” (Matthew 27:42). A pack of villains surrounded him. They pierced his hands and his feet with nails. Down below, they divided his garments and cast lots for his clothing. And worst of all, God abandoned him. He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Jesus received the fullness of God's wrath against sin so completely, his Father would not even look at him anymore.

 Because the Father turned from his Son, he now turns to look at you. In you, he sees his Son. And not just a passing resemblance. In Romans 8:29, the Holy Spirit tells us, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” By faith in the Son of God, you have received his righteousness, his holiness, his death, and his resurrection. God did not abandon him in the grave (Acts 2:25-32). He will not abandon you to a personal hell. He will not abandon you to death. He will rescue you from every evil attack and bring you safely to his heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18).

Nothing Can Topple the King

Psalm 2

Why do the nations conspire
    and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
    against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
“Let us break their chains
    and throw off their shackles.”

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
    the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger
    and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
“I have installed my king
    on Zion, my holy mountain.”

I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;
    today I have become your father.
Ask me,
    and I will make the nations your inheritance,
    the ends of the earth your possession.
You will break them with a rod of iron;
    you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

Therefore, you kings, be wise;
    be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear
    and celebrate his rule with trembling.
Kiss his son, or he will be angry
    and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
    Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

They didn’t want him. God sent his Messiah to come and free people from their sin. He came “to proclaim good news to the poor, … to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:1-3). He brought all the blessings of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. And they didn’t want him.

 When the Jewish religious leaders brought Jesus before Pilate, Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your king?” (John 19:15). They and all the people gathered their loudly responded, suppressing their own true feelings, “We have no king but Caesar.” The leaders were jealous of Jesus. They saw the crowds he attracted. They saw their control over the people with invented rules and norms slipping in the face of the Messiah who came to pronounce freedom. They wanted him dead.

 But they plotted against him in vain. Though it appeared Jesus lost, he actually won. He had already predicted, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31). He tells us why, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14,15). Jesus gave himself over to the control of the raging mob so that he would die to pay for the sins of the whole world. They could not keep him dead. Their plotting was in vain.

 Now, the Father has seated Jesus at his right hand “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Ephesians 1:21-23). Though the kings of the earth take their stand against Christ’s body and the rulers continue to gather against the Lord, the nations are his inheritance. He will always rule for the good of his church.

 We shouldn’t be surprised when the world rages against Christ and his Church. He told us it would. But we can say with the same air of incredulousness, “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?” What will they truly accomplish? Whatever the Lord’s will is, it will happen. If we are swept away in the raging, we will be swept up to heaven in the arms of angels. Just as Christ’s apparent defeat turned into victory, even what appears to be the end of Christ’s church will be used to continue to extend the gospel of salvation. His kingdom will never end.