Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Sermon Text: Philippians 4:6-20, November 22, 2017

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The text this evening is from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, the 4th chapter:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. 
Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     Al Franken.  Harvey Weinstein.  Charlie Rose.  Kevin Spacey.  All men caught, allegedly, doing evil things.  North Korea.  The opioid epidemic.  Charles Manson in the news… again.  Fidget spinners.  The world seems to get worse and worse, or at least we hear about it more and more.  What’s there to be thankful for right now?

     Maybe your family is in disarray.  Your kids haven’t called in a long time.  No one’s coming for dinner tomorrow.  People are fighting with one another.  You can’t make rent this month.  What’s there to be thankful for right now?

     Maybe you’re focused on the congregation here.  Giving is down.  Attendance in down.  Your friends might be gone.  Some of them, dead, others just left.  The same people do the same thing every year, every Sunday.  The community is changing.  It’s not the same as it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 50 years ago, 160 years ago.  What’s there to be thankful for right now?

     Life is hard, and it gets harder.  There’s no end to the difficulties it brings us.  Why?  Because, quite honestly, as long as there is sin in this world, we will be disturbed by the inability to do everything, anything perfectly.  We will suffer in this life, both by sin which we commit that has consequences for us, and by sin that others commit that has consequences.

     I mean, because sin always is working in this life, we don’t always get what we think we need.  People starve.  People are dehydrated.  People are forgotten in nursing homes.  People live without love or friendship.  People live on the streets.  We don’t always get what we think we need.  But our eyes are limited.  I’m not saying that these things aren’t horrible; they are.  Does your Lord care for these, even if He doesn’t give them all the same things you have?

     Of course He does.  But, what our Lord has truly provided in this life, for He promises no one health or wealth or happiness, is the Church, the place, the Body of Christ that provides for all of her children.  In the Church, the true, deep needs of the people are met.  They are washed with the purest of water, cleansing them of their sin and bringing them to a life in which that cleansing water washes away all disease.  They are fed with life-giving bread and wine, a feast which has never been seen elsewhere in the world, but in the life to come will be everywhere and always.  They will learn, not just words on a page, but Words of forgiveness and peace in their Lord Jesus Christ, words that echo from today and never stop.

     But we aren’t totally at that day yet, are we?  You ever notice that bad news piles up?  Right?  Like, when a beloved celebrity or friend dies, you always hear that death comes in threes.  Right?  It seems to do that same with bad news.  It just keeps piling up.  One thing leads to another leads to another leads to another.  We can’t help but get caught up in it.  I’ve had people come to me and tell me how dark they think the world is getting, that they have fear for the next generations, that they can’t stop thinking about everything that’s wrong out there.

     Our Lord calls us to something better.  Paul tells us that whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  It’s not to say that you should ignore the problems of the world, and especially not the problems of your checkbook, but that they pale in comparison to the good that our Lord provides in all things.

     Our Lord gives to us so many good gifts, especially in Word and Sacrament.  There is nothing better for these are the gifts of everlasting life.  You hear me speak of these things all the time.  But our Lord also gives to us the gifts of this life: house, home, wife, children, land, animals, all our goods, our reason and all our senses.  He provides for us, from the air we breathe to the water we drink to the good that our neighbor does in bringing food to our table.  Our Lord provides all these things for us that we might find pleasure in all of His creation.  That way, when we see that which is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise, we give thanks to our Lord asking that He might provide even more of these things.

     When we experience the trials and tribulations of this life, we must learn to be content in everything.  It’s not that we won’t be uncomfortable, it’s not that we won’t even experience persecution leading to death, but that, whatever may come from the hand of the Lord, we accept as good for us.  We can persevere all things.

     That’s what Paul means, by the way, when he says that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him.  This, and it drives me crazy when I see it, doesn’t mean that you can run a marathon because Christ strengthens you.  It doesn’t mean that you can get your team going on a mission trip and all return home safely and even more in love with Jesus because Christ strengthens you.  It means that no matter what you are going through, no matter what comes, good or evil to our eyes, our Lord will give you the strength to endure.

     This doesn’t mean you’ll get through it unscathed.  It doesn’t even mean you’ll get through it alive.  But whatever the trial, we give thanks to God in our Lord Jesus Christ that, because our Savior died for the forgiveness of your sins and rose for your justification, we will open our eyes to see our Lord, we shall be raised like He is raised from the dead.  The trials of this life, even the trials you bring upon yourself through your own sin, all serve to bring you closer to that day of Resurrection.

     Can you be content in that?  I do hope that we are all endeavoring to learn.  Whatever it is, our Lord brings us through it, not into health, not into wealth, not into happiness based on desire, but through it and into eternal life.  And because of that, we give thanks to our Lord.  We pray, praise, and give thanks.

     And what then?  Because we are joined together in the body of Christ, we look for ways to see true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise things in others.  And we support that.  And we support them.  We lift each other up, we come alongside one another, working to help one another.  And if you can’t help each other in what we come to think of these tangible ways, you lift one another up by pointing them to the cross.  Upon the cross, the Savior of the World was lifted up, and if you are in Him, then you are also lifted up, glorified in Him.

     Yeah, sure, the world seems to be getting worse.  It’s not, not really, but I understand that idea.  And the world was no worse than when we murdered the Lord of Life.  Yet even on that dark day, even on the day of ultimate cruelty, murdering the only perfect man to ever exist, the light of the Lord shone forth in the darkness of this world, and through His death we find our life.  Through His resurrection, we find the promise of the same.  Through the light of Christ, the darkness is forced into retreat.  And for this, and for all the gifts from God to us, we give Him thanks in prayer and supplication, letting all of our requests be known to Him.  And our God will supply every need of yours, even unto everlasting life, according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

     Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord!  Amen.

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