Sermon Archive - December 10th, 2008

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=3 height=130 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="12ba6e903.jpg"> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="11fcbc320.jpg" border=0 width="700" height="50" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>OFC:  713-526-5731      5315 MAIN STREET, HOUSTON TEXAS 77004      FAX: 713-524-1709</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Matthew Lutheran Church Houston, Te"><U><B>HOME</B></U></A><B>  ~   </B><A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Worship Schedule"><U><B>WORSHIP</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Map Directions"><U><B>LOCATION</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="id362.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="URL Calendar Home Link"><U><B>CALENDAR</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="mailto:info@stmatthewhouston.org?subject=Website Inquiry" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:info@stmatthewhouston.org?subject"><U><B>EMAIL US</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="id452.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Site Map"><U><B>SITE MAP</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=155 BGCOLOR="#660000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="123030970.jpg" border=0 width="48" height="151" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="id464.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome"><U>Welcome</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id465.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lutheran Beliefs"><U>Lutheran Beliefs</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id466.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How to Join"><U>How to Join</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id467.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Local Missions"><U>Local Missions</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id468.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Global Missions"><U>Global Missions</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id508.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Parish Education"><U>Parish Education</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=280 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> Sermon Archive - December 10th, 2008 </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="568" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#990000" BORDERCOLORDARK="#FFCC99" FRAME="VOID" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#FFCC99 HEIGHT= 18 WIDTH="134"><div> <A HREF="id563.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Matthew Sermon Archives"><U><IMG SRC="157a270e0.png" border=0 width="39" height="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#990000 WIDTH="421"><div>  </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>“What Do the Signs Say?”</B></div> <div> Isaiah 40:1-11</div> <div> Second Week in Advent: December 10, 2008</div> <div> Pastor Mark Wiesenborn</div> <div> St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Houston, Texas</div> <div>       </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >    </FONT> Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Our sermon message for the second midweek Advent worship service is taken from the Old Testament reading, where the prophet Isaiah describes what is involved in pointing others to the salvation that comes from God:</div> <div>      “Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news;</div> <div>           lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news;</div> <div>                lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, `Behold your God!'”</div> <bR> <div>      Dear friends in Christ, several years ago a Fort Lauderdale, Florida advertising agency launched a billboard campaign (including the inside and outside of buses) that included 17 different “messages from God”. The non-denominational campaign was sponsored by an anonymous client. Here are some examples of those signs:</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">“Let's Meet At My House Sunday Before the Game.” - God</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">“What Part of `Thou Shalt Not...' Didn't You Understand?” - God</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">“Loved The Wedding; Invite Me To The Marriage.” - God</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">“That `Love Thy Neighbor' Thing… I Meant It.” - God</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">“Will The Road You're On Get You To My Place?” - God</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">“Tell The Kids I Love Them.” - God</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">“Have You Read My #1 Best Seller? There Will Be A Test.” - God</div> <bR> <div>      Those of us who already know that God loves us and desires that we live in a close relationship with Him would generally agree that no offense is intended against non-Christians.  It is a modern day version of lifting up our voices to proclaim our faith, and hopefully to “get the conversation started” concerning what we believe about God and why we have chosen to worship and serve Him.  And especially at Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we consider the message that He will soon come again in judgment and in glory to be worth sharing!</div> <bR> <div>      By contrast, some controversial billboards have been popping up in cities like Denver and Dallas and Philadelphia, just in time for the holidays. These billboards are being paid for by regional atheist groups. In one of them, the message sits against a blue sky backdrop and says, “Don't believe in God? You're not alone.” </div> <div> A spokesman for one of the sponsoring groups explains: “We're putting them up in November and December because of the holidays, when church and state issues tend to come up a lot; to let non-believers, free-thinkers and atheists know that they are not alone, especially in a country like ours that is predominantly Christian.” Then he says with a certain amount of defiance, “This is about our First Amendment rights.”</div> <bR> <div>      This way of thinking is in line with “Antireligion Wars” that are being waged by writers like journalist Christopher Hitchens (“God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything”) and Oxford biologist Richard Dawkins (“The God Delusion”). For a scientist who criticizes religion for its intolerance, Dawkins is surprisingly intolerant, full of scorn for religion and for those who believe. He says it's the scientist and humanist in him that makes him hostile to religions - fundamentalist Christianity and Islam come in for the strongest attacks - because he believes they close people's minds to scientific truth, oppress women, and abuse children psychologically with the notion of eternal damnation. He insists that religion is a divisive and oppressive force, and argues that the world would be better and more peaceful without it.</div> <bR> <div>      This is about more than just our First Amendment rights.  This is a matter of how we use our Christian freedom, and leads us to critical questions concerning how we came to be here - and “what comes next” after we complete this earthly lifetime:</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Does God exist?  Many people will tell you they don't “believe” in God - as if NOT believing gives them the power to control the circumstances of their lives.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">How did the universe come into being?  Where did I come from?  It is actually easier for free thinkers to accept scientific theories like the “Big Bang” and “Evolution” as undirected events under the laws of nature, rather than to be told that God spoke, and a marvelously-designed Creation came into being.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c800008000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Is Heaven a real place, and what if anything is required to get there?  Even among those who may acknowledge the existence of a “higher power”, there is often an attitude that the good works of moral people entitle them to enter in.</div> <bR> <div>      So let's focus on a different question.  What do the signs say, according to the prophets who have been sent by God to deliver messages to His people for centuries?  First, they remind us of the reality of SIN which leads to SUFFERING.  Even those who do not believe in God must acknowledge that they suffer; but their lack of faith deprives them of hope!  Isaiah proclaims God's compassionate mercy: </div> <div>      “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”</div> <bR> <div>      Second, the prophets remind us of the reality of DEATH.  Even those who do not believe in God must acknowledge that there is no fountain of eternal youth.  Advances in medical care and nutrition and even genetic engineering may find ways to extend life and improve our physical health - but we cannot escape death!</div> <div>      “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.</div> <div>           The grass withers, the flower fades</div> <div>                when the breath of the Lord blows on it;</div> <div>                     surely the people are grass.”</div> <bR> <div>      So what can we cling to, as we find ourselves approaching the inevitable end of this life and the loss of our earthly relationships and material possessions?  Some people become generous philanthropists late in life - possible exchanging large financial endowments for the preservation of their name on some building or through some program.  But even these things will only stand for a time.  Isaiah points to the ONE thing that never ends:</div> <div>      “The grass withers, the flower fades,</div> <div>           but the word of our God will stand forever.”</div> <bR> <div>      We know from Scripture that God desires that all people be saved, and come to a knowledge of the truth! But this can only happen through faith in Jesus Christ, who has been sent as the one and only mediator between God and us. [1st Timothy 2:3-6]  So we have the word of the prophets, often appearing as somewhat peculiar and lonely messengers, holding up the signs for all to see and draw near and listen: </div> <div>      “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;</div> <div>           make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”</div> <bR> <div>      Do you remember the story of Hansel and Gretel?  As they were being led into the woods, where their wicked stepmother intended for them to be abandoned, they left a trail of bread crumbs as they traveled deeper and deeper into the woods.  Of course, wild animals quickly found those crumbs and erased the trail back home.  Once they found the wonderful gingerbread house, they no longer cared about the safety of returning home; they just wanted to stay and gorge themselves on good things.  And it almost cost them their lives!</div> <bR> <div>      Our faith in the goodness of God is more than just a fairy tale.  And even though the messages of the prophets are proclaimed to all people, they are ultimately for the safekeeping of those who love God and choose Him instead of the sweet things of this world that bring pleasure even as they also bring about spiritual sickness and death.  Isaiah reminds us that God's ways, which are different from what we might choose, are part of His plan for the salvation of all who believe and return to Him:</div> <div>      “Every valley shall be lifted up,</div> <div>           and every mountain and hill be made low;</div> <div>      the uneven ground shall become level,</div> <div>           and the rough places a plain.</div> <div>      And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,</div> <div>           and all flesh shall see it together,</div> <div>                for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”</div> <bR> <div>      My friends, there are signs all around us would hope to persuade us in what we believe and how we live.  Too many signs; too many opportunities to be led astray.  So our loving God sent a sign - a bright star in the night sky, that a few people recognized as being very special.  Shepherds and wise men followed that star, and what they found is what we celebrate two weeks from tonight on Christmas Eve!</div> <bR> <div>      “Behold, the Lord God comes with might,</div> <div>           and his arm rules for him;</div> <div>                behold, his reward is with him,</div> <div>                     and his recompense before him.</div> <div>      He will tend his flock like a shepherd;</div> <div>           he will gather the lambs in his arms.”</div> <bR> <div> In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!</div> <bR> <div> OLD TESTAMENT READING - Isaiah 40:1-11 [ESV]</div> <bR> <div>      1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries:</div> <div>      “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;</div> <div>           make straight in the desert a highway for our God.</div> <div>      4 Every valley shall be lifted up,</div> <div>           and every mountain and hill be made low;</div> <div>      the uneven ground shall become level,</div> <div>           and the rough places a plain.</div> <div>      5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,</div> <div>           and all flesh shall see it together,</div> <div>                for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”</div> <bR> <div>      6 A voice says, “Cry!”</div> <div>           And I said, “What shall I cry?”</div> <div>      All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.</div> <div>           7 The grass withers, the flower fades</div> <div>                when the breath of the Lord blows on it;</div> <div>                     surely the people are grass.</div> <div>      8 The grass withers, the flower fades,</div> <div>           but the word of our God will stand forever.</div> <bR> <div>      9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news;</div> <div>           lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news;</div> <div>                lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”</div> <bR> <div>      10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,</div> <div>           and his arm rules for him;</div> <div>                behold, his reward is with him,</div> <div>                     and his recompense before him.</div> <bR> <div>      11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;</div> <div>           he will gather the lambs in his arms;</div> <div>                he will carry them in his bosom,</div> <div>                     and gently lead those that are with young.</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=155 BGCOLOR="#660000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="122e30960.jpg" border=0 width="48" height="150" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="id499.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Meet Our Leaders"><U>Meet Our Leaders</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id114.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tour Our Church"><U>Tour Our Church</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id493.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Read Our History"><U>Read Our History</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id626.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Arts and Music"><U>Arts and Music</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Special Events"><U>Special Events</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id515.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Gallery"><U>Photo Gallery</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=70 BGCOLOR="#660000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="id423.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bible Search"><U><B>BIBLE SEARCH</B></U></A><B>  </B><B>~  </B><A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LCMS Links"><U><B>LUTHERAN</B></U></A><A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LCMS Links"><U><B> LINKS</B></U></A><B>  </B><B>~  </B><A HREF="id100.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Online Devotionals"><U><B>DEVOTIONALS</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="id563.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Matthew Sermon Archives"><U><B>SERMON ARCHIVES</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> © 2008  St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Houston, TX - All Rights Reserved</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>