The King We Need
Windsor. Bernadotte. Bourbon-Anjou. Orange-Nassau. Glucksburg. Liechtenstein. Do you know what those have in common? They are all names of royal families. A member of each of those families serves as a monarch. The extended members of those families enjoy fabulous privileges, even if the monarch serves largely as a figurehead. For the past month, we have seen that Christ has welcomed us into his home and made us part of this family. Today, we see that this is a royal family. For our brother Jesus is Kin. He does more than serve as a figurehead. Christ rules over all Creation for the benefit of his family. He promises us that one day we will sit with him on his throne (Revelation 3:21). Today-Christ the King Sunday-the Church Year comes to an end. We praise Christ for his glorious reign. We thank him for making us part of his royal family. giving us a claim to the Kingdom.
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- Nov 24, 2019The King We NeedThe King We NeedWindsor. Bernadotte. Bourbon-Anjou. Orange-Nassau. Glucksburg. Liechtenstein. Do you know what those have in common? They are all names of royal families. A member of each of those families serves as a monarch. The extended members of those families enjoy fabulous privileges, even if the monarch serves largely as a figurehead. For the past month, we have seen that Christ has welcomed us into his home and made us part of this family. Today, we see that this is a royal family. For our brother Jesus is Kin. He does more than serve as a figurehead. Christ rules over all Creation for the benefit of his family. He promises us that one day we will sit with him on his throne (Revelation 3:21). Today-Christ the King Sunday-the Church Year comes to an end. We praise Christ for his glorious reign. We thank him for making us part of his royal family. giving us a claim to the Kingdom.
- Nov 17, 2019LIFELIFEDeath is ugly. It does not matter if someone dies after a long, protracted fight with some illness or if they die peacefully in their sleep. Either way, the body goes into the ground and begins to decay. Either way, that person is gone, and their absence is constantly noticed.Death would be overwhelming were it not for the fact that, for the believer, Christ has completely transformed death. Death is not the end. For those who are part of Christ’s family, death is the beginning of a new and better life, one where the deceased has triumphed over sin and all its consequences. We thank God for this beautiful gospel truth—that Christians have an everlasting family. When Christian loved ones die, they are not “lost.” Something is lost when: a) you don’t know where it is, and therefore b) you will not see it again. We know exactly where our deceased Christian loved ones are. We look forward to being reunited with them soon. This Sunday, we celebrate the Saints Triumphant—those believers who have died and been welcomed into their true home with Jesus.
- Nov 10, 2019Where You Are Perfectly SafeWhere You Are Perfectly SafeTwenty-one billion dollars. That is how much Americans spend annually on home security. We want our homes to be a place that our family can feel safe, where they can be apart from everything that can hurt them. However, the reality is that no matter how many locks and alarms and cameras you might use to guard your house, you and your family are no perfectly safe. There is a greater danger than thieves ... a greater threat than bullies. There is even something worse than physical death. Judgement day is coming, and with it, the destruction of all creation. If that day comes and you are not prepared, you begin an eternal nightmare. In the Church, our brother Jesus has given us a home that is indeed perfectly safe. Not even Judgement Day can touch it, Christmas can look forward to Judgement Day with great anticipation. Even as "the mountains fall into the hear of the sea" (Psalm 46:2), we have Christ's promise that we will be perfectly safe.
- Nov 3, 2019Where You Are Free To Be YourselfWhere You Are Free To Be YourselfOne of the joys of being home is you need not put on airs. Out in the world, we do all we can to hide our faults and failings. You might be afraid if your boss knew your secrets, he'd give you your walking papers. You might be afraid that if neighbors knew your personal issues, they might consider moving. But we know that in a healthy family, people will love us in spite of our faults. As a young man, Martin Luther thought of himself as God's slave. Thus he was terrified of God. Luther believed God was a terrifying taskmaster, looking for every possible reason to punish him. But as Martin Luther studied God's Word, he realized that was not he case at all. God is loving Father. He does not pretend we have no brokenness sin, but he paid for it all by the death and resurrection of Christ. Scripture says that through faith in Christ, we are completely forgiven. we are part of God's own family-a family where we are loved in spite of our faults. God's grace not only frees us from the fear of condemnation and punishment, it frees us to live a better, more grace-filled life. We want to live as God's children. We want to love and bear with one another-our brothers and sisters-just as out Father loves and bears with us.
- Oct 27, 2019Week 1: Our Need for Christian Community
