12172014 Wednesday of Advent 3

No Sermon Audio - Due to Cancelled Service

December 17, 2014

What spices your life?

May the offering of our time to be in the presence of our Lord be a blessing not only for our lives, but also our souls as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the entrance of the King of Kings!  AMEN.

One of the most cherished items I have as a Pastor here at Emmanuel, I received, not at my ordination, nor on an anniversary or milestone event in my life.  It isn’t something that takes up a lot of room.  But the significance of it brings full circle the last three weeks of our Advent Series.

We began talking about Gold and how we should offer, not materialistic things, but our very selves to God.  Last week we asked, what do you smell?  When frankincense was offered to Jesus Christ, it was a prophecy of His future as our High Priest.  And finally this evening we come to Myrrh.

For me as a Pastor, my most prized possession that I carry to minister to the saints of Emmanuel is the oil of anointing I have in a communion set bought for the church.  Anointing with oil is an ancient practice in the church that even the Apostles alluded to after Jesus return to heaven.  The Apostles would send the elders of the church to sick members to read scripture, but also make the sign of the Cross over their foreheads and hearts.  It was a clear reminder for the people that they were the redeemed children of God.

Not only were they redeemed, but the sick would have read to them from the Gospels, Psalms and sung hymns to remind them of their baptism into Jesus Christ life, death and resurrection.  This reminder is where the people of God are clearly connected, not only to the Apostles, but to the last gift given to Jesus Christ by the Magi.

For the Magi’s gifts, all three, Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh are important, but this last gift takes on special significance.  Myrrh was not only used as a means to make people’s clothes smell better, for they did not like our current culture take showers or baths every morning or evening.  But Myrrh was used by families specifically at a time of an individual’s life that was at the exact opposite of birth.  Myrrh was one of the spices used for embalming.

The Magi in inspiration from God brought the gift of Myrrh as a further prophecy of Jesus death.  Not only was this a foretelling of Jesus death, but for Jesus it was meant to be a clear reminder of His life as a sacrifice.  Jesus coming down from heaven was a clear sacrifice of epic proportions.  Jesus Christ chose to come to the earth, be born of a virgin, live in poverty, be baptized by John the Baptist, heal the sick and minister to the poor.  In Jesus Christ coming down from heaven He fulfilled the plan of salvation for all of mankind.  For in Jesus Christ being born in a manger and receiving the gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, He received not only the gifts, but chose to die in order that we might live.

For this gift of Myrrh given by the Magi points clearly to His death over 30 years later.  And this gift was given not only as a reminder for them, but for us as well.  One day we will die.  But for we who have been baptized into Jesus Christ life, death and resurrection, death no longer has dominion over us.  Because of Jesus Christ, death no longer has sway over us, we are set free and this gift of Myrrh is the reminder for us of this fact as we gather here this last Wednesday night of Advent.

Recently, I visited one individual who certainly needs not only our prayer, but also the reminder of their baptism into Jesus Christ life, death and resurrection.  You see death is very close for them and my visits are the opportunity not only to remind them of God’s promises, but to retell why Jesus Christ came into this world in a lowly manger.  When I visit them there is one song that clearly reminds them of this fact and reality and I share it every time.  “Jesus loves me this I know”.  This song not only reminds them of Jesus love for them, but also of Jesus willingness to come in a lowly manger and receive the three gifts of the Magi of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

May we as we prepare for our celebration of Jesus birth, be reminded and comforted with the reality that we are only sojourners on this earth and the Gifts of the Magi are but reminders of another sojourner, Jesus Christ.  For He came to sacrifice Himself for us in order that we might have eternal life with Him in His kingdom.  And His gift to us of Himself was for all of mankind, including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel on this last Wednesday of Advent in 2014.  AMEN.

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12102014 Wednesday of Advent 2

Sermon Audio

December 10, 2014

What do you smell?

May the offering of our time to be in the presence of our Lord be a blessing not only for our lives, but also our souls as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the entrance of the King of Kings!  AMEN.

As a child, I remember going up into my Grandmother’s attic during one of our visits to Northeast Iowa.  Up there she had boxes of trinkets and treasures that were there for the exploration of young children.  One such item that always caught our interest as kids was a trunk.  This was not a small foot locker that we are accustomed to see these days in Wal-Mart, but the old Steamer Trunks.  It was a relic from the old country.  You see my Grandparents came separately to America through Baltimore on ships from the Czech Republic as young children.  Like most who travelled the oceans all their family’s worldly possessions were crammed into a steamer trunk to keep them safe until they arrived in the New World.

When we would open the steamer trunk the first thing that we noticed, wasn’t the clothes, the memorabilia or mementoes, but it was the smell.  It was not the smell that assaults us when we go by a feed lot or dairy farm, but the smell of old clothes and long ago perfumes that wafts through the air.  The kind of smell that is clear nostalgia of a by gone era.

This evening the second gift in our series of the Gifts of the Magi is of Frankincense.  Clearly Frankincense has a smell, not of ‘old clothes’ or ‘steamer trunks’, but a fragrance and aroma that people of the Old Testament knew well.  Frankincense was used in the Temple and prior to that Aaron’s people used it when there was not a place for God’s Glory to dwell.  During the time of the Exodus from Egypt when the people were wandering in the desert Frankincense was used as a fragrant offering to God.  The clear use of Frankincense in the Temple meant it was a priestly aroma, meant for God.

When the Magi presented Frankincense this gift was presented on bended knee for God the Son born in a manger.  By presenting Frankincense to Jesus Christ born in the manger the Magi foretold what Jesus would be doing when He grew older.  We have all heard the story of Jesus staying behind in Jerusalem when older and being found in the Temple with the leaders of the Jewish Synagogue.  They saw great wisdom that came from Jesus, beyond His very years.  And this gift of Frankincense as the fragrant offering, was exactly that what Jesus would be known as for we who gather here this evening.

Jesus is our High Priest.  Jesus goes before the Father for each and every one of us.  Though born in a manger in the lowest of circumstances, Jesus Christ took on His humanity and was humble in His beginnings.  But with the presentation of the Gift of Frankincense was a prophecy of what Jesus would be for we Who gather here tonight.

Frankincense offered in the sacrifice indicated how Jesus would be sacrificed for you and for me on the Cross of Calvary for our sins.  The fragrant offering Jesus Christ made in order that we might live would fulfill the plan of salvation and set us free from the bondage of sin, death and the devil.  We through Jesus perfect sacrifice are offered grace and mercy beyond what we deserve.  And in Jesus sacrifice it is a pleasing aroma for His Father in heaven.  All pointed to with the opening of a simple yet profound gift of Frankincense by the Magi.

May we who gather here this evening as we smell the pleasing aromas of the meals, the cookies, cakes and goodies of the season, remember the pleasing aroma of Frankincense given to Jesus Christ.  For Jesus Christ came in the manger, was given the gift of Frankincense, chose to offer Himself and is the reason for the season.  Jesus Christ is the pleasing aroma of our God Who came as our sacrifice to set all of mankind free, including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this Second Wednesday of Advent evening.  AMEN.

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12032014 Wednesday of Advent 1

Sermon Audio

December 3, 2014

What are you offering?

May the offering of our time to be in the presence of our Lord be a blessing not only for our lives, but also our souls as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the entrance of the King of Kings!  AMEN.

Archimedes solved the question of a crime by simple density.  Farmers use density to determine how much fertilizer or phosphorous to put on a field.  And cities use density to determine how best to structure the utilities needed to supply a city with water, electricity and roads.  But what does density have to do with Gold.  Gold is one of the densest of precious metals.  And Gold is exactly what was offered by the first of the three wise men.

Tonight we begin our first of the three gifts of the Magi.  Typically the gifts and preaching on them is after Christmas, because the Magi and the gifts did not arrive on the scene of the inn in Bethlehem until January 6^th, the 12^th Day of Christmas.  But I chose these three gifts to preach upon, because they deserve more than just one day and one sermon.  These gifts have greater meaning and significance even for us here tonight.

The first gift of Gold is not only a priceless metal, but a color that denotes being set apart from others.  We use it on the Altar to highlight the symbols on the Altar.  We wear it on our fingers for wedding bands and even ear rings.  Our society even keeps accurate track of it daily on the reports from the stock exchange where countries used to not only stock pile gold, but use it as the basis for our money.  But of what significance is Gold for a child?  Why are the Magi offering it?  And most importantly during this Advent Season we have to answer the simple question, “What are you offering?”

Simply the gift of Gold offered to the Christ child in the manger is not to ‘buy favors’ by the Magi.  Just as we present our offering on Sunday not to gain favor, Gold was how one Magi presented a wealth that would be a great help to Joseph and Mary.  Remember Joseph and Mary did not arrive in Bethlehem by caravan, but alone and by Mary riding upon a donkey.  They did not have extravagant wealth only what they carried on their backs or in their meager purse.  The journey they were about to embark upon in fleeing to Egypt would not be cheap and the Gold offered by the Magi would insure they would not starve and be able to get established wherever they were headed, even to distant Egypt.  And the Magi was just the person God intended to use.

Chris Jackson in his book, “Loving God When You Don’t Love the Church” says, “People are the most common form of answered prayer.” (Kindle Location 1941)  And I believe Joseph and Mary didn’t know what to think.  Having experienced the Shepherds who came from the fields, the animals that bowed in adoration with the birth of Jesus, the Angels announcing the birth of Jesus Christ, the only thing their Jewish faith and heritage taught Mary and Joseph to do was to pray.  And these Magi were an answer to prayer.  This was God’s answer to Joseph and Mary and God used this Magi to bring Gold, exactly what they needed for the days, months and years ahead.

So I ask we who gather here this Wednesday evening during the first week of Advent, what gift do you bring to the Manger?  What are you offering?  God does not expect Gold.  God does not expect us to sell the land we farm, the cattle we tend, nor anything that has any materialistic value here on this earth.  God only asks us to humbly offer ourselves.

God wants us to offer ourselves so we can be used like the Gold given to Joseph and Mary in order for each and every one of us to be the hands of Christ for our world around us.  Whether it is remodeling the downstairs rooms of the church or kitchen, hands to make beer rocks as a fundraiser, cleaning the church in preparation for our Christmas celebration or donating of time or talents as one is able for the glory of God.  God only asks for us to offer ourselves in humble adoration of His coming in the manger.

For in offering ourselves on bended knee, like the animals in the stable and the Magi, our gifts offered from the heart will give the greatest Glory to our God Jesus Christ Who lies in the manger.  For Jesus Christ comes, not expecting gifts of great monetary worth measured from an earthly perspective, but great gifts measured from an eternal perspective, God’s perspective.

May we respond to “what are you offering?” not with Gold, but with ourselves so we can honor God’s gift given to us in a lowly manger for all of mankind.  Including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this First Wednesday of Advent.  AMEN.

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