An Eternal Gospel

An Eternal Gospel
Revelation 14:6-7
Reformation Day
28-Oct-18

Philippians 1:4(ESV) 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,

This weekend the we celebrate Reformation Day. Sometimes people ask why? Even though the day is marked by Martin Luther nailing the 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517, but that is not the reason why we celebrate Reformation Day. For the church isn’t about Martin Luther, but it is about what we lost and what was rediscovered, that is the Gospel.

During the time of King Josiah

2 Kings 22:8(ESV) 8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

They found the book of the Law and it was read. What happened, it was hidden, lost, we don’t know but what we do know it was previously unavailable to the people of Israel.

Do likewise the reformation was a rediscovery of the Gospel, because of the Gospel was hidden from the people for many different reasons, but it was still hidden.

Revelation 14:6–7(ESV) 6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

This passage was used at Luther’s funeral. Relating Luther as also a messenger of the eternal Gospel. By the way angel in Greek is a messenger, here in Revelation a messenger of God. But with Luther God used Luther to proclaim the Gospel that was much forgotten in Luther’s world.

Please notice with the text, it is all about the Gospel, not the angel. So much so we would love to ask “Other angel” where was the first all the way back to chapter 10. But just like the angel or angels at the tomb, it doesn’t matter, what matters is that Christ rose from the dead.

It doesn’t matter who proclaims God’s eternal Gospel, just as long as the eternal Gospel is proclaimed.

Just like the questions, “How many men or angels appeared at the tomb?” It doesn’t really matter as long as the Eternal Gospel gets out. We need to be reminded, because we often get side tracked in life.

It happen during the time of Luther and it happens even in today’s times.

Consider what I named last week in the message. What is the greatest gift you can give to your children, grandchildren. Or maybe a better way of asking the question would be how long does a gift last? Eventually gifts break, fall apart, or are not utilized. However the eternal Gospel, which is the great gift, lasts beyond the time of this earth. For faith is a gift given by God.

God uses messengers, not necessary angels, but people to communicate His gifts. Christ uses Parents, Grandparents, relatives, friends, coworkers, besides teachers and pastors to communicate the eternal Gospel.

The Gospel that Christ Jesus died and rose to take away the punishment of sin, so that we are no longer enemies of God but now children of God. This precious gift surpasses all other gifts, which will eventually fade away, but the Eternal Gospel, is Eternal.

The message is so simple, but it gets lost so quickly. Here is proof on how quickly the message gets lost in today’s world. Consider what was the response of hearing the eternal Gospel

 

Revelation 14:7(ESV) 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Fear and worship of God. Luther says this in the Small Catechism

The Third Commandment

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.

Do we gladly hear and learn it? If we are not gladly hearing and learning more about the eternal Gospel, maybe it is lost from us.

So the messengers of God need to continue to proclaim the Eternal Gospel, constantly, to the ends of the earth.

As Isaiah 55:6–7(ESV) 6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

So we return to the Lord, not just this day, but everyday. For Christ Jesus is gracious, and His Eternal Gospel is a priceless gift, so we come and worship, And we ask God to continue to raise up messengers to proclaim an Eternal Gospel for people to hear,

Philippians 4:7(ESV) 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

The Evil Within

The Evil Within
Hebrews 3:12
October 14, 2018

Philippians 1:2 (ESV) 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 3:12(ESV) 12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

Is there anything that would cause you to question the love that God has for you?

We live in a world of broken relationships, and we get used to them being broken around us. So why no God. However, God never breaks His relationship with us, instead we break our relationship with Him.

Why?

Isaiah 55:8(ESV) 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

But whose thoughts are ways are better, yours or God’s? We may be quick to answer God’s ways are better, but be careful. Then why would we rebel against God?

Well, there is something in this world that we attach ourselves. So the author of the Hebrews encourages the believers to Take Care, lest anything if I may summarize would lead you to fall away from the living God.

Would there be anything that would cause us to leave the living God? Be careful how you answer. While we think that nothing can shake the faith that God has given to us, we do have some areas of our lives that are more sensitive than others, because our ways are not always God’s ways. Consider the following passage of God’s Word.

When Jacob in the Old Testament says to God:

Genesis 28:22(ESV) 22b… And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

Ooops I mentioned the Money word in church and even worse the tithe that is a tenth or 10 percent. Our hearts may start to harden, why? Something we value very much is at stake. Some people may even leave the church, why because we are attached to the things of this world instead of the living God. That is why the author of the book of Hebrews notes

Hebrews 3:12(ESV) 12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

The author know that even though we are Christians, this is why he used the word brothers, to incorporate himself in the discussion, the author also knows that as Christians we are still stained with sin, and that sin is evil.

St. Paul puts it this way:

Romans 7:18–19(ESV) 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

Our world is trying to teach us that that the evil is out there somewhere. But the real struggle is actually with our own flesh.

The author of Hebrews quotes from the Psalms

Psalm 95:7–8(ESV) 7… Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah

Ahhh remember Meribah…

Meribah, where the people of God rebelled. God was caring for the people as they traveled in the wilderness, the people started to complain. Why would they complain, their flesh, their ways are not God’s ways.

Exodus 17:7(ESV) 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Even Moses was who also struggled with a human flesh

Deuteronomy 32:51–52(ESV) 51 because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel. 52 For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel.”

Moses did not treat God as Holy.

The First Commandment

You shall have no other gods.

What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

1st Commandment, I’ve got this no you don’t.Remember Meribah!!!! What was their complaint, water. So what is your complaint to God? Money, life, success. The same God who cared for the people of Israel is caring for you.

Psalm 32:10(ESV) 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.

So we continue to fear love and trust in God above all things. The Psalmist focuses us to God and His word, to put our trust and worship knowing that He will care for us,

Psalm 95:6–7(ESV) 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. What beautiful words, and you have heard the next line.

Today, if you hear his voice,

8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,

So we continue to trust in God, we continue to study His word, we continue to come into His presence for strength and forgiveness, why, because we know that the evil is within us and we remember Meribah, and we remember we have a God who cares for us.

In His Name Amen.

Philippians 4:7(ESV) 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.