Sermon in Outlook 22.03.2008

We will continue our service with that hope and prayer that God would continue to open His Word. And reading this time from the book of the prophet Amos, from the 8th chapter, from the 9th and 10th verse. We hear these words in Jesus' name as follows.

It shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day. And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation. And I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head. And I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day. Amen.

First of all, it's interesting to think of these Old Testament prophets. At least from my perspective, it's been interesting for this reason: that throughout my life, going through Sunday school, listening to those teachings at Bible class and so forth, I have had a wrong understanding about exactly who these prophets were. Not because any teacher or God's Word was explained incorrectly, but it's something that my mind has twisted. And perhaps it is a common thing because man has this tendency to rate people, to look at ourselves versus another person, for instance.

And these prophets, at least in my mind, were extraordinary, very sure believers. In fact, if you pause to consider some of the things which they did, in one certain sense, it would feel that they were like a super believer. Something that we can't understand. But this was obviously my own misunderstanding. And when pausing to study even of Amos, it gives a different picture of who he was. And in reality, it speaks to even our day, as to what God's kingdom was, and what it is made of, and what it is not.

From the very first verse of this book of Amos, it almost says it as a side remark, but it's something which says a lot about him. It says that the words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Kikoa, and then it continues on to the rest of the book. Amos, as many other of these prophets, was not unlike any of us. He was simply a man. They were not any super believer. They were not any different than you or I. Amos was called from the herds, from his temporal calling to speak to the people.

And history also tells us that some of these prophets, their day of work was a very short day. Perhaps for a few months or even a few years, they did the work which was asked of them by the Lord. And so, they were called to the people.

This particular text which we spoke or read from this afternoon is a part of this book which gives us the word which the Lord revealed to Amos. In the same way also, dear brothers and sisters, we have understood and comprehended in God's kingdom that when God's word is spoken, it is not the word of man, but God himself fills the mouths.

When Amos was sent to do the work, he was not sent with an open-ended message to simply go speak to the people. He was given that message what he should speak, what he should say. In fact, if we pause to consider even of that, in our day and age, it is perhaps one of the trials or temptations of a servant of the word to begin to wonder at what will I say. God fills the mouths as he sees fit. And no matter what we as humans would wish to say, nevertheless, God is one who fills the mouth.

It began in this text by saying, It shall come to pass on that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day. These two verses which we read, this Bible does not notate it this way, but my Bible has it notated as a prophecy of the coming of Christ, or a picture of that which Jesus himself would experience.

So, I think that's the question. And so it is with this text that we could read also from the New Testament scriptures very similar words contained in the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. Amos here was able to see or get a glimpse of that event in ways which are beyond our comprehension many hundreds of years before. He not only saw the natural events which occurred during those days, but he was given by the Spirit of God to see the even feelings of those believers and those who followed Jesus at that time.

Amos here saw that day of crucifixion and of how as the New Testament scriptures relate that when Jesus died, the sun darkened. As here, Amos says, I will cause the sun to go down at noon and I will darken the earth in the clear day. He also saw those New Testament believers who mourned even in the midst of a time of feast, time of Passover.

If God so wills, for a few minutes we will speak of that which Amos saw. He saw that day and he says, I will make it as the mourning of an only son.

It's difficult perhaps for you mothers and fathers to, at least in big families, to perhaps think of it as an only son. Perhaps not so difficult though if you consider it as David once, who had many children, but had to experience what many parents I'm sure would say would be the worst thing to experience: that a child would be taken from this life before mother or father.

We could pause to even read those words which are found in the second book of Samuel about David and his son Absalom, who because of the enticement of temporal glory left living faith, did not wish to follow the path which was shown to him by his believing mother and father, and was sent off to battle on a certain occasion. And in the 18th chapter of the second book of Samuel, it tells us that story.

And if you have time dear brothers and sisters, it's interesting to read.

But it speaks to us of how Absalom died in that battle. And the servant of David who was there in the battle, who was there to watch out for Absalom's best, had the task to report this to Absalom's father David.

And the servant of David who was there to watch out for Absalom's best, had the task to report this to Absalom's father David.

So first he had the same message that the armies of David had been victorious over the enemy. But David still had that same question: Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushai answered, The enemies of my lord the king and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.

Told David that his son was dead. Listen to the reaction of a father to that. This is that type of news of an unbelieving son who had passed from this life. It says the king was much moved and he went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, thus he said, Oh, my son, Absalom, my son, my son Absalom. What a son Absalom is. What God I had died for thee, oh Absalom, my son, my son.

It was the mourning of a son. Not an only son, but a son. A son. There are many even amongst those whom we know and love. Perhaps even in this audience who have lost children. It is not an easy news to hear and to bear.

Dear brothers and sisters, the only son of God, the Lord Jesus, on that first Good Friday, was not only lost to sin from the Father, but Jesus begged, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Jesus was made sin for us. He bore our sin, all of our sin, upon his shoulders, on that Cross.

Do you know what the reaction was of that Father upon the news of the death of his son? We perhaps see in it the very reason why we are so... Scriptures tell us of the reaction of Jesus' Father. The temporal sun went dark. Nature as if bowed before the death of the only Son of God, the Lord Jesus.

It was a bitter death. So bitter death that the disciples, as we heard in the previous sermon, left. They were fearful. They thought they had lost all. They locked themselves behind doors in the upper room again.

It was also seen, when Jesus was being crucified, that Jesus had resurrected and some of those disciples had not heard that news. A very vivid example of what those believers at that time felt when their entire salvation, at least in their mind, was taken in the death of Jesus.

When Jesus appeared to those two walking along the way to Emmaus, they were in a state of dismay. And when he asked those two what their reason for sorrow was, they in amazement said, Have you not heard what things have occurred in Jerusalem?

The end thereof was a bitter day, that Good Friday, when the only begotten Son of God died. That is why, dear brothers and sisters, it is impossible to speak of Good Friday without speaking of the Easter Story. Because if we simply stop there, we would be left hopeless and completely alone.

If the only begotten son of God died, we would be left hopeless and completely alone.

If the only begotten son of God had simply died and that would be the end of the story, we would be left to our own devices. We would have to find our own way to heaven. But the Heavenly Father saw it well and good that His Son would die. Jesus died and rose again that third day for our righteousness.

This is a point which perhaps any Christian denomination would say yes, that Jesus died for our righteousness. In the book of Revelation, it gives us an idea of what that means in our lives. In the first chapter, it says in this way that John wrote to the seven churches and said, Grace be unto you and peace from Him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven spirits which are before His throne.

And then he says, And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead. Amen. And the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Isn't it this which separates us from those around us? Isn't it this which when we speak to people around us in the world, of their idea of how man is saved, that we separate? In general terms, we can agree to virtually everything.

In my youth, I always separated it out this way. And again, I believe this to be incorrect. That there are those who believe on the Lord Jesus, of whom I believe in my own mind and heart that I belong in God's kingdom. I am a child of God, as you, dear brothers and sisters, are.

But then I thought that if you are not in this kingdom, that you follow a different Christ, a different Jesus. Is that true? A dear brother of ours, Dan Rintemachy, once explained in this way that those who profess themselves to be Christians, they do not follow a different Christ. They all follow the same Jesus.

Some follow Jesus, the living Christ, the one who rose from the dead on the third day, the one who told his own children that my peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, that whosoever sins he remit on earth, they are remitted unto them, and whosoever sins he retain, they are retained. That's who we follow.

That was his command to us, that whosoever sins we forgive, they are forgiven to them. It, in my mind, cannot be any clearer that the Lord Jesus, the Heavenly Father, has left this power with men to preach the forgiveness of sins. And that is what God's kingdom throughout the ages has done.

Perhaps not always in the same words, perhaps not always using the exact same phrase, but as Lysadius in his time once pondered, he searched Scripture, searched the writings of Luther, wondering if he was following the same example. And he came to that conclusion that God's children preach sins forgiven in Jesus' name and blood.

Those other denominations which profess to follow Christ, they truly follow Christ, but they follow a dead Christ. The same Christ, but when he's dead.

Our brother Dan related it in this way when he explained this, if I can recall it. There are two different types of disciples. Disciples follow the Lord Jesus. Scriptures tell us of those disciples. First it speaks of the twelve. Then it speaks of some disciples, for instance, as Joseph.

Joseph of Arimathea. Nicodemus. They thought they were following Jesus. And in fact, when you read those discussions which Jesus had with Nicodemus, Nicodemus thought he had followed expressly those commands which he had read from Scripture. He was very well read in it. And Jesus told him, that he needs to sell all that he has and to follow him. Nicodemus didn't believe he had anything to sell. He thought he was already following him.

Joseph of Arimathea, who the Scriptures tell us that he appeared then when it was dark. He didn't want to be seen when it was daylight with those who were persecuted, with those who were looked down upon. It also tells us that even with the Easter story, that when Jesus died, who was there to take him down from the cross? But Joseph of Arimathea. He took his body down and prepared it for death, and placed it on the cross. And placed him in the tomb.

The difference between the two disciples are this. Jesus requests that we follow him. And those disciples, even in their weakness, as we heard in the previous sermon, followed the Lord Jesus. Sure, they fell into sin. And some fell completely out of faith. But again, knowing the power of grace and the Gospel, they were able to return.

The other disciples, which were not of faith, wished to portray Jesus in the way they wanted him to look. Joseph of Arimathea could do whatever he wanted to Jesus after he was dead. As Dan, in his way, explained that, that if Joseph wanted to, he could place Jesus in his tomb with his hands over his chest or down at his side, any way he wanted to, he could prepare Jesus.

And isn't that the way we see in the world around us, how denominations who profess to be Christians have followed their own understandings, not wishing to follow what God says, but they are placing Jesus again in the tomb in their way, saying that this is the way I understand Scriptures, that this is how it is comfortable for me.

For those who follow Jesus, it seems as if there is no room for our temporal comfort. It is as Amos says, it was a night of bitter mourning. We simply follow the Lord Jesus, as Scriptures tell us. If it were taken from us, all would be lost.

We are not here to decipher Scriptures in that way that would appeal to our own flesh and blood. And I'm sure you, brothers and sisters, must understand that the servants who come before you in their selves are weak and lacking. In fact, under the same word that you hear, many times the servant of the word finds themselves struck. And the servant of the word is the one who has fallen in this or that.

We as if follow with those disciples into the upper room in fear and trembling. But if it were left as that, dear brothers and sisters, we would be of all people most hopeless if the Lord Jesus would not have appeared in their midst.

Isaiah has perhaps related this in a way which, at least I have thought was very comforting. For it gives us the understanding of which the Old Testament believers thought of this same matter. In the 49th chapter of Isaiah, he speaks of Zion, of which so often is used to portray God's kingdom as a whole.

So, he speaks of Zion or of God's children, even as individual children of God. He says, Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. And then it says, Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?

That was the question which was answered. In fact, I understand this question correctly. It was a question which Isaiah didn't doubt. That it was something that he couldn't even ponder that a woman would forget her sucking child. It's one of those things which it would seem to the mind of a child of God that any mother would not forget her child.

And so Isaiah thought, but then he had to admit that, yea, they may forget. But the Lord says, Yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands. Thy walls are continually before me.

That's the type of Lord and Savior we follow who will not forget. He didn't leave us to be forgotten. He didn't leave us to be said. He didn't leave the disciples to mourn there in that upper room. He doesn't leave us to wonder about our sins and failings that will they prevent us from reaching heaven. But he approaches with a message of peace. He appears at those moments when it seems that the way is impassable. My peace I give unto you.

Peace is found in the Gospel as we already heard that he has left in his kingdom. Peace is found when sins are forgiven.

Thus isn't it good this afternoon hour, dear brother and sister, that as we have come here feeling our own failings and sins, we can hear the Gospel. We can hear that our sins are forgiven. And isn't that why we come? We didn't come simply to hear the message of what happened on Good Friday and Easter simply as a message of history.

But the result of that work which Jesus has done those two thousand some years ago still holds true today. That just as you find yourself you can believe your sins forgiven.

Even as Luther once said that isn't it a golden day and era when a brother can say to a brother and a sister to a sister that your sins are forgiven.

Dear brother and sister, lift up your heart to believe your last failings and doubts of the way forgiven. In Jesus' name and precious atonement blood, believe it unto peace and freedom and joy. Amen.

That is the true message of Easter and Good Friday that we wish to pass along to our children and youth. Preach the same Easter message dear parents to your children. If at any time even during this holiday season make a special effort to preach to them of the message of Easter.

That yes, even their little failures and disobediences can be forgiven in Jesus' name and blood. Dear children and youth, you can even right now believe your sins forgiven in Jesus' name and blood. Jesus died for you as he died for your mother and father as he died for me.

So let us continue the way which leads to heaven which has been prepared by Jesus. It has been said and sung about throughout the years that that way has been marked by the blood drops of Jesus. That we simply need to gather them on the way. And we do gather them when we pause to hear the Gospel message.

Under this word I also find my sinfulness and lacking. I wonder can I hear the same Gospel? Can I believe my sins forgiven? I want to believe together with you. In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen.