MARCH 22, 2009  SERMON ARCHIVE

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

The text for our meditation today is the Gospel Lesson before us from John 3:14-21. You have that text before you and I will reference it several times in our meditation. In the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN

The story is told of a young man who entered a very strict monastic order. It was so strict that members were permitted to speak only two words per year to the abbot. At the end of year one the young man appeared before the abbot and spoke his two words, "bad food."

At the end of the second year the young man appeared before the abbot and spoke two more words, "hard bed".

At the end of year three he came to the abbot and spoke his last two words, "I quite." The abbot responded, "Well its about time. Complain, complain, complain that’s all you’ve done since you came here."

All joking aside, complaining against God is no joke. Complaint, rebellion, and death is the pattern of sin. In other words, complaint leads to rebellion which leads to death.

Consider several examples from Scripture. Cain complained that God showed favoritism toward Abel. The complaint turned to rebellion. Cain harbored envy, hatred. The final fruit was death. 

Then go forward in history to Mt. Sinai. The Lord God asked Moses to climb the mountain and meet with Him. Moses departed and was gone a long time. So long, that the Israelites complained that now they had no leadership. The complained that they needed a god they can see. Aaron gave in to the demands and made for them a golden calf, false god. The result was death.

Then of course there is the example in today lesson. The Lord God miraculously gave food to the Israelites by way of manna and water by way of a rock which followed them. They witnessed this provision, partook of it daily and yet they complained.

"There is no bread, there is no water!"

It was not true! They had the manna and the water which God graciously gave them but chose to snarl at God. The result was that God judged them. He sent venomous snakes into the camp. The snakes bit the people and those bitten died. Of course, the true cause of their death was not the serpents venom. It was the venom of their sin of rebellion which they expressed in complaints against the Lord God.

Did you know that your complaints against God are acts of rebellion leading to death?

Children complaining about their food is very common and seems innocent enough, doesn’t it? But against whom are they complaining? Is it not against the Lord God? Think about it. The Lord God is the one working through the vocation of parents to provide for children. And not only that. Children beware of your complaints against your parents. These are also complaints against God who gives you daily bread through your parents. Husbands? Wives? Are you complaining to others about your spouse? Beware, the complaints against your spouse are complaints against God’s gift to you. Your spouse is a mask for God. God is hidden in your spouse and works through your spouse for your good.

Employees, do you complain against your employer? Beware, the complaints against your employer are complaints against God. Your employer is a mask for God. God is hidden in your employer and works through your employer to provide you with things needful for your earthly life.

Dear Christians, do you complain that it is unreasonable for the church to demand celibacy before marriage and celibacy for homosexuals? Beware, your complaint is not against the church but against Holy Scripture and Scripture is a mask for God. God is hidden in the Scriptures. Through this mask He gives you nothing but good gifts and works always for your good. God ordains celibacy for all unmarried people because it is best and is what will bring peace and joy.

Dear Christians, do you complain that it is unreasonable for the church to expect you to be in the Divine Service on the Lord’s Day? Beware, your complaint is not against the church but against the Holy Scripture and finally against God who is at work in Scripture for your well being.

Beware of the sin of complaining in whatever form it may take. Complaining is an act of rebellion against the Lord God and if you persist in this sin as in any sin, your will die, spiritually and eternally.

But there is a way to be free from that sin which so easily entangles you. God did an astonishing thing. He erected a cross of death that complaining rebels might look upon and live.

Remember how in the Old Testament Lesson, God instructed Moses to fashion a bronze snake, place it on a pole. He further commanded Moses to preach to the people that all who lift up their heads and look upon the bronze snake would be healed and not die.

According to the promise it happened. They looked up, set their gaze on the snake and lived. Looking up was an act of faith in the promise of God. It was not a good work but an act of faith preceded by a promise from God. The promise created faith and the faith looked up and lived.

The snake on the pole was a type of Christ on the cross. In fact Jesus says in John 3:14-15 :"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

Dear friernds, each and everyone of you, as I have, have been bitten by sin. Sin’s venom is in you. I am speaking now of original sin and this sin in you causes you to commit actual sins such as complaining against God. This venom is coursing through your body. As a result, you are spiritually dead and if left alone you will die eternally.

But God who is rich in mercy made you alive together with Christ. He did it by placing His Son on the Cross, lifting Him up before your eyes and giving you this promise. ‘‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Hear this promise with your ears dear friends, because faith comes by hearing. Out of His great love for you, God willingly lifted up His Son on a cross for your sins. But He was no piece of bronze. He was flesh and blood and that flesh and blood felt pain and gave real blood. That body suffered deep agony because there on the cross He took the venom of sin into His own body and allowed it to kill Him so that you might live

Hear the promise with your ears and believe it with all your heart, "whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

It does not say those who make themselves good enough will have life.

It does not say those who have many Sunday School attendance awards will have life.

It does not say those who give the most money will have life.

The promise says nothing about the quality, the character, the holiness of the one who believes. It is a cart blanche promise. "Whoever believes shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Look up and live, dear friends. Look up and believe the words of God given to you in the promise of Holy Scripture. Believe the promise that if you believe in this crucified Son of God you will not perish. Hear it! You will not suffer hell if you believe this promise; rather, you will have eternal life.

Eternal life means life that never ends but more than that it means joy, peace, content-ment which never ends. And this life begins now in this age.

The verb in the promise, "shall have" could also be translated "has" eternal life. It is in the present tense. Eternal life is the present possession of those who look upon the Son of God and believe the promise.

Think of it! Right now you have in your grasp, in your faith, you have everlasting life. It has already begun for you.

It is yours right now in the person of the Holy Spirit who was given to you as a gift at your baptism.

It is yours right now in the joy of knowing that all your sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ.

It is yours right now with in the certainty you now have of life eternal.

There is no "maybe I will live forever".

There is no "if I am lucky I will live forever."

No. I can put my name into this promise of God. I can say, "For God so loved me, Pastor Mark Lavrenz, that since I believe in Him, I shall not perish but I will have eternal life."

Now, I want you to do the same. I want you to put your name in this promise and say it with me. "For God so loved me, (your name) that since I believe in Him, I shall not perish but I will have eternal life."

You dear people are alive now and forever more.

Christ Is Risen.

Amen!