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Pastor Jeremy Schultz
December 5, 2010
This is the time of year when every one of us begins decorating our homes with nativity displays. And if you don't have one, let me know, because my mom has over 200 and Bronners probably has over 2,000. I can probably hook you up. But in all of those Christmas displays, there's never been, nor will there ever be a John the Baptist. Oh, there's strong Joseph, leaning upon his staff and looking down. There's young mother Mary, looking way too pleasant having just given birth. There are the wondering shepherds, their sheep and even a few other critters. Most even contain wise men, though they actually came later. But in all of those, there's no John. And yet the Baptist plays a huge role in this season of holy preparation! In fact, churches all over the world will set aside both this Sunday and next to focus on John and on the heart of his message. It's a message that's heard from the wilderness of Judea to St. Paul Royal Oak and everywhere in between. “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near!”
This message has got to be heard today because our sin gives off a serious offense. In November 1996, British doctors admitted that they were stumped by their latest case: a man whose infected hand had made him too smelly to be around! The 29-year-old man developed the infection in 1991 when he pricked his finger with a chicken bone. Doctors had been unable to identify the bacteria at work. The only thing they did know about the bacteria is that it had mysteriously caused the young man's hand to emit a putrid odor for those 5 years! This is what it's like when our lives get infected by sin. It's as if we are giving off a foul odor, making our lives unbearable to our holy God and to others.
The Pharisees and Sadducees had this very problem. They too came out to where John was baptizing, but not because they thought they needed to repent. Oh, no no no. They were children of Abraham! They could trace their roots back to all of God's promises! They didn't think they needed to repent. But John told them that the axe was already at the root of their trees, because the fruit of their trees, if you could even say there was any stunk! We can be so offensive, pointing the finger at everybody else, figuring they're the ones that need to repent, and not even realizing the putrid smell that coming from us! How many times have you determined that you can't trust someone, but failed to question the times that you yourself have lied? How many times have you questioned the integrity of others and yet determined to keep what you do in secret locked away and hidden? It's not just others...it's us! We need to hear John's message because our sin gives off a serious offense.
The other reason we need to hear John's message today is because sin puts us into bondage. Greg Lewis, author of The Power of a Promise Kept tells the story about Kurt. For years, Kurt struggled with pornography. And pornography, like every other sin, is bondage. For Kurt it started with magazines, but progressed to the internet and then real live visits to seedy parts of town and further illicit activity. Kurt kept repeating a cycle of guilt and remorse, then prayer and repentance, only to find himself back at it again. Eventually, Kurt tired of being less than honest about his sin problem, confessed it all and started getting some help. He was finally and mercifully on the road to victory. “I began to understand how sin works,” Kurt says. “When we Christians try to hide something in the darkness, whatever it is, we give Satan incredible license to work in our lives. So, the more open I could be, the less of a hold Satan seemed to have.”
You see sin keeps us engaged in a constant and massive cover-up campaign. It's always somebody else who stinks, not us! It's always somebody else in bondage! That's why we need John and his message. If John has any place in the manger scene, I've suggested in past years, it is as a stable mucker. Because a stable mucker is one who mucks the muck out of the stable. He gets rid of what stinks and that's John's campaign today!
Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near! And please understand that what John is doing with that line. He is proclaiming an activity and a person that is breaking into human history. John is going to point very specifically to a person...to the Messiah, to the Savior of all and declare that Jesus Christ is near! God Himself has come to earth and has a planned encounter with sinful humanity. He is ready and willing to give over His life unto death that all might have eternal life in Him. So repent! And make yourselves ready for His coming! That's John's message. Have the sink of your sins washed away in baptism. Let the stronger man, Jesus prove to you that the bonds of the strong man, Satan, are just child's play,
More than once I have been playing cops and robbers with my nieces and nephews or maybe even my own children, when they were small. And they tied me up with a rope so I “couldn't get away.” Or they put me into plastic hand cuffs and carted me off to jail. But guess what happened when it was time for dinner? Sudden strength came upon me and I was suddenly able to break free from those ropes. Massive power took over and I easily escaped those cuffs. That's kind of like Jesus. The hold that Satan thought he had on Him in death, was laughable. Because on the third day, the earth trembled, the guards shook and fell to the ground, the stone was rolled away and Christ came out of that tomb. The stronger man, could no longer be bound. And Satan was defeated without even so much as the sound of retreat. This is the power of your God. Therefore, Satan stinks and his power to bind you is but an illusion.
Do you want to know how to make Satan go absolutely crazy? Confess your sins. Be real. Be honest. Go to those you have offended. Go to God. Tell Him that you are truly sorry and that you want to avoid anything that damages your relationship with Him. And let the healing forgiveness of your Savior flood your life!
Another story coming from that book I earlier mentioned is this. The author writes, “I went to Promise Keepers in Indianapolis, knowing God was going to deal with me in an area I had held on to for over a year. It's tragic to admit, but I had been unfaithful to my wife. Sure enough, God told me to tell her. I was frightened by the thought, yet I knew I had to tell her. “When I arrived home, after trying to ignore the conviction of the Holy Spirit, I acted upon God's promise, and I told my wife. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but God has been faithful. “My wife was very hurt and is still going through the process of healing, but she is committed to our marriage. God truly forgives a repentant heart. God honored my honesty. I had to be anchored in Him to survive the storm that followed, but if I wanted to reach the full potential that a godly marriage has to offer, I had to confess, both to God and to my wife.”
Oh, there's power in saying, “I'm sorry.” There's power in laying it all on the line – no more cover up – no more excuses, just the real honest confession which says, “I have lived as if God did not matter and I mattered most.” There's power that puts Satan back in his place and brings you the power of Christ's resurrection!
As you put out your manger scenes this year, please don't forget about John. And definitely do not forget about His message. Repent your way to a merry Christmas! And let the power and peace of the Lord shine on you. Amen.
© St. Paul Lutheran Church 2010