From his inconspicuous birth in a Bethlehem cattle stall, to the handful of obscure and remote shepherds to whom his birth was announced, we turn to the remarkable visit of a mysterious group of pagan astrologers, who came from the distant east, led only by a rare stellar phenomenon, that had somehow communicated to them the birth of the king of the Jews. To which, for some reason, they were deeply drawn. Just as significant as the shepherds being the first to hear, were the Magi being the first to respond. Who were they, why did they come and what was God revealing by their unexpected and unusual visit? Matthew 2:1-12 is memorable witness to the scope and extent of God’s saving work, as we’ll see in a message entitled, “The Far Away Have Been Brought Near”.
Archive for Sermons – Page 18
The first two scenes of the Christmas story ooze an atmosphere of humility. From the birth of Jesus in the cattle stall of a small barn, the scene immediately shifts to the remote and lonely night of a shepherd’s watch. Neither of which seem at all in keeping with either the profound nature or eternal significance of what was happening. Or were they? This morning we turn from the humble circumstances of the birth of our Savior to the equally humble circumstances and status of those to whom that birth was first made known. We’ll ponder anew the meaning, significance, and application of that revealing scene recorded in Luke 2:8-20 in a message entitled, “The Last Were the First to Hear”.
Jesus’ inauspicious entrance into the world revealed a great deal about the nature and purpose of God. It was not just about what God was doing, it was about the way God was doing it. God himself, in the person of his son Jesus Christ, taking on human nature for all time and eternity in the mystery of the incarnation. And doing so through an inconspicuous birth in a cattle stall, announced by the host of heaven to a remote handful of shepherds under the night sky, attended to by a mysterious group of astrologers from the East, arousing the machinations of a narcissistic king. None of which was without particular meaning and significance. Over the next four weeks we ponder anew what it meant and what it means, beginning this morning with Luke 2:1-5, in a message entitled, “The High Road to a Lowly Manger”.
It’s doubtful that Naomi and Ruth ever gave a thought to the possible impact of their lives. Given their obscurity and the shattered nature of their circumstances, they were simply hoping to have some semblance of a life at all. But God’s economy does not yield itself easily to human measurement or estimation. Often the greatest faith and faithfulness are demonstrated by those with the least, facing the most difficult. And often, those are the very lives of greatest significance and most enduring impact. Ruth 4:1-22 brings our story to a telling end and surprising conclusion, in a message entitled, “The Measure of a Faithful Life”. (Fifth in an expositional series of messages on Ruth: Faithful Lives in Fateful Times).
The faith and faithfulness of Ruth had sustained Naomi when her own shattered faith would not. But the faithfulness of God, so clearly demonstrated in the providential generosity and kindness shown to them by Boaz, had been the gracious means by which Naomi’s faith had been wonderfully restored and fully renewed. Now it was Naomi’s turn, it was her faith and faithfulness that stepped in to take center stage in securing the future of both Ruth and herself. Ruth 3:1-18 recounts one of the most daring demonstrations of faith recorded in all of scripture, in a message entitled “Operation Resting Place”. It is a gripping account and an important reminder that sometimes the life of faith can be a high risk, high stakes venture. And, as James reminds us, that true faith is a faith that works.
It would be difficult to exaggerate how bleak the lives of Naomi and Ruth appeared upon their arrival back in Bethlehem. To be a widow without a male survivor, accompanied only by a widowed, Moabite daughter-in-law, returning to your home and community only after a long time away, while other’s lives had moved on, was about as dim a prospect as could possibly exist. In the words of Naomi, they were “empty” (1:21). Their only consolation was that food was available again, and at the very least they would not go hungry. But one important factor was missing from that equation, as we’ll see movingly revealed in Ruth 2:1-23, in a message entitled “The Never Ending, Never Failing, Steadfast Love of God”. It’s an important reminder that what often looks like the end of the road, may be just the beginning.
The book of Ruth opens to a scene of unimaginable hardship, tragedy, and loss. A family forced to leave their generational family home owing to the economic consequences of war and famine, to take up residence as migrants in a land and among a people not their own, only to experience the untimely death of their husband and father and then later both of their sons. But out of those ashes emerges one of the most beautiful and powerful stories of faith ever written. In Ruth 1:6-22 we begin the journey of Naomi and Ruth in a message entitled “The Faith Behind the Faithfulness”. The vivid account is a telling reminder of that most essential characteristic that must form the bedrock of our lives. The book of Ruth opens to a scene of unimaginable hardship, tragedy, and loss. A family forced to leave their generational family home owing to the economic consequences of war and famine, to take up residence as migrants in a land and among a people not their own, only to experience the untimely death of their husband and father and then later both of their sons. But out of those ashes emerges one of the most beautiful and powerful stories of faith ever written. In Ruth 1:6-22 we begin the journey of Naomi and Ruth in a message entitled “The Faith Behind the Faithfulness”. The vivid account is a telling reminder of that most essential characteristic that must form the bedrock of our lives.
For the next several weeks we turn our attention to one of the smallest but most loved books in all the Bible. Out of the sweeping, tumultuous history that is the period of the Judges, comes the encouraging, personal account of an obscure, ordinary family deeply impacted by a season of unprecedented hardship and suffering. Out of which emerges a story of unprecedented faithfulness, both theirs and God’s. We begin with a general introduction to that book in a message entitled “Ruth: Faithful Lives in Fateful Times”. We do not get to choose the times in which we live—but we do choose the way we live in the midst of those times. And no matter how difficult the times, God is always faithful and faithfully about his work.
Having warned the Corinthians in no uncertain terms of his pending visit and sure intention to discipline the opposing faction of the church, Paul concludes his letter with one last appeal to their remaining opportunity for self-correction. His letter had been a final and definitive statement on the basic and fundamental differences between his gospel and the one being peddled by his opponents. Nothing now remained except their personal decision to act on what they had been given. In 2 Corinthians 13:5-14 he lays before them that opportunity and responsibility in a message entitled “Taking Stock of Where We Stand”. In an age characterized by pervasive casualness and indifference, it is a clear-eyed call to understanding and renewing our faith in the gospel of Christ
The humility, patience, longsuffering, and gentleness Paul had demonstrated toward his opponents at Corinth had been taken by many of them as an indication of weakness and cowardice. Paul had been explicit about his intention to eventually return and, if need be, personally confront them. But their assumption had been that it was all mere bluster and in fact would probably never happen. In 2 Corinthians 12:20–13:4, he serves notice on his plans to make good on that intention, in a message entitled, “Daring to Discipline”. It is a rare but valuable glimpse into this important responsibility, which is one of the authenticating marks of what constitutes the true church.
Glorifying God by Encouraging
All People to Pursue a Lifelong,
Joyous Relationship with Jesus Christ