First Midweek Advent Service, 2017
7 PM Central Standard Time
7 PM Central Standard Time
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship
Mid-Week Advent, Wednesday, 7 PM Central Standard
The Hymn #81 Gerhardt O Jesus, Christ, Thy Manger Is
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Psalmody Psalm 2
The Lection - Isaiah 40 KJV
The Sermon Hymn #61 Comfort Ye My People
Faith in the Promises
The Prayers and Lord’s Prayer p. 44
The Collect for Peace p. 45
The Benediction p. 45
The Hymn #552 Abide with Me
Isaiah 9
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Faith in the Promises
I have been intrigued lately by the emphasis upon covenant among my Old Testament students, so I asked them about Justification by Faith. Often someone has no idea about this. Many times they are reminded all the time of their covenant with God and how often they have failed their side. That is, their confession is long on sin but not balanced by faith in God's mercy and forgiveness.
So I ask each class about Abraham and Genesis 15, Abraham as the example of faith in the New Testament - Romans 4, Galatians, James, Hebrews.
I noticed that some stop where I used to stop. Abraham believed God would give him his own son, born of his wife. "He believed God and it was counted as righteousness."
Later, it was pointed out that Abraham's faith concerned far more than a son. God promised him that his descendants would be like the stars in the sky.
Isaiah 9 proclaims that unique Kingdom of God clearly. No other kingdom has grown steadily and continues forever. This is the child of promise, not the son of a ruler, but the Son of God. He is called "The Mighty God." As we will read in Colossians - The fulness of the godhead dwelt in Him. Jesus is not 1/3 of the Trinity - He was and is The Holy Trinity, God in the flesh - the Incarnation.
Genesis 3:15 predicted Satan's conflict with the Savior. Genesis 15 predicted the effect of the Savior. Isaiah 7 and 9 predicted the Virgin Birth and reign of the Son of God.
We can see how powerful this is by looking at the opposite - lack of faith in the Savior. As we can see in the libraries, the great and wise began writing against the Scriptures about 200 years ago. They had a great vantage point - the state subsidized university programs for ministers. Those who lose faith in the Word of God could live in peace and comfort while teaching others to disbelieve as they disbelieved.
There is a library worth of literature about this called The Life of Jesus Movement - scholarly books and journal articles, even summaries of the major arguments in long, windy journals.
Gradually, like a frost that moves across the nation as a cold spell looms, this rationalism took over. The ambitious students went to Europe and studied with the rationalists, bringing back elite European degrees and the ideas that went with them. They trained their seminary students to study the Scriptures and disbelieve what they studied.
People write me and say, "The pastors do not care about doctrine anymore and do not teach it."
"I asked our pastor to teach from the Book of Concord, to give some lessons, and he snorted. No chance."
"I see the same sermons preached by different men, so they are copying each other or using a common source."
To make up for the loss of doctrine - and interest in that doctrine - these rationalists substitute social activism. They become an ardent do-gooder society.
Gloria Steinem wrote a book about her life, which began in a very strange way, as her family bought and sold items as they worked their way across the US. However, most of the book is devoted to all her political campaigns and everything possible detail about them. Everything is very earnest and busy, reminding me that it was also the era when America went to pieces because of social activists like her.
I opened up a brochure about the United Church of Christ in New Ulm, because we bought their church. The brochure said, "It is difficult to get people to join our church." I thought - "No wonder - you do not believe in anything except all the world religions are the same. Why worship that?" So all they do is work on social activism.
All that leaves people with heavy hearts and no peace. All the good works in the world will not earn absolution. Christ has done that. But if the preacher points at the cross and says, "Jesus expressed solidarity with the poor," then the meaning of His suffering, death, and resurrection are lost.
It like hearing that one medicine alone will cure the malady, then seeing that one medicine taken away and replaced with colored water or a sugar pill.
a child is born, unto us a son is given
This is clearly the prediction of the Savior, a son. In Isaiah 7, the great and unique miracle will be the Virgin Birth. One can say this is about Jesus or simply wonder - because it only makes sense with one person.
and the government shall be upon his shoulder
He is the visible sign of God's reign, the face and voice of God, so He will ultimately govern after establishing His Kingdom.
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor
As we know from the Gospels, people ran to be near Him, to follow Him, to have dinner with Him, to hear Him speak.
The mighty God, The everlasting Father,
A child is called God and Father. Who could that be, except Jesus. As He said in many ways, "I and the Father, We are One." That is a mystery revealed by the Holy Spirit. In any language, it would be a contradiction, except it is the teaching of the Spirit. When Jesus speaks, the Father is speaking. There is no difference between the will and the Word of the Father, and yet they are two Persons witnessed by a third Person - the Spirit.
Jesus Is Kind and Loving, God the Father Is Kind and Loving
As I wrote many times before - what we hear from Jesus and see in Jesus is also true of the Father. The Father is not mean, angry, and vindictive, because He sees the Son in us.
The Prince of Peace.
My high school classmate wrote we should all pray for peace in this world. I said, "Peace exists wherever people believe in the Gospel."
Peace and forgiveness in Christ go together. There is no peace without forgiveness and no Christ without faith in Him. These passages are given to us to kindle faith and to renew and strengthen faith.
Why So Many Promises?
God knows how much we can be battered by the pain, loss, unwelcome tribulation. I hear about many examples and I pray for their specific problems.
These many Promises are revealed to us to show the great majesty, glory, and wisdom of God. Our first hymn, by Paul Gerhardt is a good example. He saw the irony of God's great work taking place in such modest circumstances.
O Jesus Christ, Thy Manger Is
By: Paul Gerhardt, 1607-76
O Jesus Christ, Thy manger is
My paradise at which my soul reclineth.
For there, O Lord, Doth lie the Word Made flesh for us;
here-in Thy grace forth shineth.
He whom the sea And wind obey
Doth come to serve the sinner in great meekness.
Thou God’s own Son, With us are one,
Dost join us and our children in our weakness.
Thy light and grace Our guilt efface,
Thy heavenly riches all our loss retrieving.
Immanuel, Thy birth doth quell
The power of hell and Satan’s bold deceiving.
Thou Christian heart, Who ever thou art,
Be of good cheer and let no sorrow move thee!
For God’s own Child, In mercy mild,
Joins thee to Him; how greatly God must love thee!
Remember thou What glory now
The Lord prepared thee for all earthly sadness.
The angel host Can never boast
Of greater glory, greater bliss or gladness.
The world may hold Her wealth and gold;
But thou, my heart, keep Christ as thy true treasure.
To Him hold fast Until at last
A crown be thine and honor in full measure.
