Offering Hy.48:3,4 Prayer of thanksgiving Hy.84 Divine blessing

Transcription

1 Liturgy for Sunday, PM Confession of Dependence and Divine Greeting Ps.98:1,4 Profession of faith Hy.1 Prayer for illumination and blessing Ministry of the Word Reading: Acts 10:34-48; 1Peter 2:4-12 Ps.28:4,5 Text: LD12 Christ has anointed us with his Spirit so that we can image him. We are to image him: 1. As prophets. 2. As priests. 3. As kings. Hy.23:1,2,4,6 Offering Hy.48:3,4 Prayer of thanksgiving Hy.84 Divine blessing Songs for worship taken from the 2014 version of the Book of Praise In worship we use the English Standard Version (ESV) Rev. Joe Poppe 1

2 Singing: Ps.98:1,4; Hy.1; Ps.28:4,5; Hy.23:1,2,4,6; Hy.48:3,4; Hy.84 Reading: Acts 10:34-48; 1Peter 2:4-12 Text: LD12 Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, Do you know what a Christian is? Many people would describe a Christian by referring to what a person says or does. They would see a Christian as someone who goes to church, works hard, and is honest. People will criticize someone who claims to be a Christian, but who curses, lies, cheats, steals, or is guilty of sexual misconduct. Somehow people know some of the actions that are basic to the Christian life. If we are not walking in accordance with our title as Christians, people will ask how we as Christians can do bad stuff, or they will think poorly of us. This raises the question: is living the right way what makes you a Christian? The simple answer is: no! You are not a Christian because you live a moral life. A Christian is someone who believes that Jesus Christ has died on the cross for his sins, and that Christ rose again to grant him new life in him. It is someone who shares in Christ by faith. A Christian is someone who finds his or her identity in Jesus Christ. Who looks to Jesus Christ for comfort, peace, joy, and hope. Who knows that belonging to Christ and sharing in the life he gives is the most important thing in life. We are not Christians because of how we live. Yet if you are a Christian, this will show in your attitudes, thoughts, words, and deeds. Being a Christian involves living a life devoted to God, a life of holiness. A true Christian not only shares in Christ by faith, he or she will also image Christ in daily life. This shows that the people of the world around us are not wrong when they have certain expectations of how a Christian will conduct himself. Now of ourselves we are not able to come to faith. Of ourselves we are not able to image Christ. We are not able to live a life devoted to God, a life of holiness to the praise of his name. By nature we are weak and sinful people. Our hearts incline us to sin and evil. We need to be changed from the inside out. God does that by anointing us with the Holy Spirit. He comes to live in the heart of every true Christian. So that by faith we may share in Christ and all his benefits. So that in our lives we may reflect Christ in all we say and do. I preach to you the Word of God under the following theme: Christ has anointed us with his Spirit so that we can image him. We are to image him: 1. As prophets. 2. As priests. 3. As kings. There is a close link between Christ and Christians. We draw our name from our only Saviour. The name Christ is not only a title. This name has a meaning. The Hebrew word Messiah and the Greek word Christ literally mean the anointed one. Jesus Christ was anointed by God, to serve as our Redeemer. He came into the world with the express purpose of delivering us from our sins and misery. At his baptism Jesus was anointed by the Father; he was called and equipped for his ministry. Anointing is concept that we are not familiar with anymore. Yet in biblical times it was a common practise. To anoint someone is to pour a mixture of oils and fragrances on him. In the Middle East, with the hot summer weather and a shortage of running water, many people anointed themselves. The most common reason for anointing oneself was for personal hygiene. Just like we might slap on some deodorant or antiperspirant. To make yourself smell good. Yet anointing also had religious connotations. According to the Law of Moses, there was a special mixture of oil and spices that was reserved as the Lord s anointing oil. Olive oil was mixed with liquid myrrh, sweet-smelling cinnamon, aromatic cane, and cassia (Exo.30:23-24). This was the Lord s holy anointing oil, and it was not to be poured on the body of an ordinary person. (Exo.30:31-32). It was reserved for special occasions. It was used when the Lord wanted to appoint someone to office. Rev. Joe Poppe 2

3 When this holy oil was poured on someone, it was a sign that God was calling him to serve as his prophet, priest, or king. Yet a person s anointing was not only an appointment to a special office. It was also a promise by God that he would equip that person to fulfil his office. In the old covenant oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Many times those who were anointed with this holy oil showed signs that the Spirit of God had come upon them. Thus anointing was symbolic of being appointed to office and of being equipped for that office. In the Old Testament various men were called to office through anointing. In Exodus 40 the LORD tells Moses to anoint Aaron and his sons as priests. In 1 Samuel 16 the LORD tells Samuel to anoint David as Israel s next king. In 1 Kings 19 the LORD tells Elijah to anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet. In each case oil is poured on the head of the man being ordained to serve as prophet, priest, or king. There is evidence that shows that the Spirit of God came on these men to equip them for their calling. The Lord Jesus was also anointed to office. His anointing did not take place in the traditional way, with a prophet being sent to anoint him with holy anointing oil. The Lord God himself anointed Jesus, his Son, at his baptism. While he was being baptized The Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove. (Luk.3:22). God confirmed Jesus baptism by speaking these words from heaven. He said, You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased. Immediately following Jesus baptism Luke tells us about how at that time Jesus began his ministry (Luk.3:23). Jesus served in a threefold role, as prophet, priest, and king. In him the offices common in the old covenant come together. Jesus made this clear in the synagogue in Nazareth when he read from the scroll of Isaiah, and applied these words to himself as the Messiah (the Christ, the anointed one). He quoted from Isaiah 61, The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor [that is his office as prophet]; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted [that is his office as priest], to proclaim liberty to the captives [that is his office as king]. When our catechism explains Christ s anointing as prophet, priest, and king, it focuses on his task to serve as our Redeemer. As our Prophet Christ has revealed to us God s plan concerning our redemption; as our Priest Christ, by the one sacrifice of his body has redeemed us; as our King Christ defends and preserves us in the redemption obtained for us. The focus of Christ s office was to redeem us from our sins. He came to deliver us from our sins and misery, and to restore us to communion with our Father in heaven. We need to keep this in mind as we examine the threefold office to which Christ was anointed, and as we consider our calling to image Christ in our daily lives. Christ came into this world as our Redeemer. He accomplished the work the Father set before him. As a result we are not stuck in our sins, with no way out. Christ has saved us from our sins; he has bought us and made us his own. In him we are God s sons and daughters, redeemed by grace. We owe Christ our lives; we owe him everything. It is because he has redeemed us that we have comfort, peace, joy, and hope. He, and he alone, give purpose and meaning to our lives. The first part of Christ s office is that he came as our chief Prophet and Teacher. He came to make known God s plan of salvation. Parts of this plan were clear to God s people Israel. They knew that the prophets spoke of the coming Messiah, and in Jesus day they were eagerly awaiting him. But they did not properly understand what his role would be. They were seeking deliverance from the Romans, and wanted God to grant them another golden age as they had experienced life in the days of David and Solomon. They wanted to be a dominant world power, and to experience the peace and prosperity their forefathers had once enjoyed. Jesus came proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand. Yet the kingdom that he was ushering in was very different from what God s people expected. Jesus preached: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. (Mar.1:15). In John Rev. Joe Poppe 3

4 3, Jesus spoke with Nicodemus, one of Israel s most prestigious religious men. Israel s religious leaders believed in works righteousness. That you are saved by doing good works. Yet Jesus said to Nicodemus, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. (Joh.3:3). Jesus taught Nicodemus the necessity of being born of the Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God. During his ministry Jesus made know God s plan of salvation. Jesus told his disciples, The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. (Luk.9:22). Yet they did not yet fully grasp that Jesus would make atonement for our sins by dying for them on the cross. It was not until after his resurrection that the disciples understood the good news of salvation. God has revealed these wondrous truths to us. We understand that God sent his Son into this world to save sinners. That salvation and life can only be found in our Saviour Jesus Christ, who died for us on the cross. That our comfort, peace, joy and hope are to be found in Christ alone. Do you believe the gospel message, beloved? Do you believe that the Lord Jesus needed to come into this world to suffer and die for your sins? Does that make you humble? Are you willing to confess your specific sins before the throne of grace? Are you truly sorry for them? If you truly repent of your sins and believe that Jesus came to redeem you from them, you are a Christian. Then you not only share the name of your Saviour. You also share in his anointing. The fact that we share in Christ s anointing is clear from our reading from Acts 10. In this passage Luke recounts the story of how God sent Peter to the home of a Gentile believer, the centurion Cornelius. Now Jews normally do not associate with Gentiles, and they definitely don t enter their homes or eat with them. The ceremonial laws God gave to his people indicated that doing so would make them unclean. Yet God specifically commanded Peter to go to his home and to speak the gospel to him. As Peter presented the gospel message about Christ s death and resurrection, something remarkable happened. While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. The men who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. They were, we could say, anointed with the Holy Spirit. The same applies to us. Every individual believer is a partaker of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has come to make his home in us. The fact that he does so is a sign that we too have been anointed to share in a three-fold office. As prophets our task is to confess Christ s name. As Jesus representatives on earth, we re called to serve as his witnesses. To speak about the Lord Jesus and the awesome deeds he has done. You see beloved, faith is not just an internal matter. It is not just something you believe in your heart. If you have faith, that will also show forth in your life. If you believe in Jesus Christ in your heart, you will speak about him with your mouth. Paul makes this point clear in Romans 10:9-10. He said, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. The apostle Peter addressed his letter to persecuted Christians in the early church. Many of them were originally Gentiles. Yet he addresses them as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. He calls them to proclaim the excellencies of him who called them out of darkness into his marvellous light. (1Pet.2:10). Peter encourages us as Christians not to fear the ridicule or oppression of the world. He says, in your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. (1Pet.3:15). We are called to confess Christ in daily life. To confess his name means to speak about him. Often we are reluctant to do that, because we fear being ridiculed as religious nuts. Beloved, please don t let the fear of man prevent you from speaking about your Lord and Saviour Jesus Rev. Joe Poppe 4

5 Christ. When people blaspheme Jesus great name, speak up and let them know that they are using the name of the LORD and King of all the earth as a curse word. At times workmates or friends will ask about lifestyle issues. About why you don t live together with your boyfriend or girlfriend before marriage. Or why you go to church. Or why you don t want to go out with them to get drunk, or stoned. Tell them you live the way you do because you are a Christian. But don t stop there. Explain what it means to be a Christian. Tell them about how Jesus has died on the cross for your sins, and how he has saved you from your sins and misery. Speak about the blessings of living in a relationship with God. Don t let them off the hook. Ask if they believe in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord. Invite them to share in the riches you have. Speak to them about the joy and hope that lives in you. Do you know why we are commanded to confess Christ s name? It is because personal evangelism is one of the primary means God uses to bring those living in darkness into his light. In our media focussed world, there are so many competing voices. People are promoting all kinds of different ideas. Satan uses this to try drown out the gospel message. Yet if you have a friend, a workmate, or a neighbour who asks you a question about who you are or why you live as you do you ve been given a glorious opportunity to share the gospel. Plant a seed. Recognize that it may take time for this person to respond positively. But continue to answer questions and to live your life as a Christian. God can use you as an instrument to call others to faith in Jesus! This brings us to our second point. In it we ll consider how we are to image Christ as priests. The Lord Jesus was also anointed to the office of priest. A priest is a mediator. A priest stands in the gap between God and his people. His task is to bridge the gap caused by our sins, so that we can be reconciled to God. So that the huge chasm caused by our sins can be bridged, and we can enjoy fellowship with God again. So how did priests in the old covenant make things right between the people and God? They presented the prescribed sacrifices to the Lord, confessing the people s sins, and thus seeking forgiveness for them. They would offer intercessory prayer. At the end of the service they would pronounce that peace had been restored, by blessing the people in God s name. Jesus served in the role of priest during his ministry on earth. He is not just any priest. Our catechism calls him our only High Priest. Christ served as our High Priest when he offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins on the cross. There he bore the punishment we deserved, in order to redeem us from our sins. Christ paid the price for us. He suffered God s wrath against our sins, so that we might be set free from them. Yet that is not all Christ has done as our High Priest. His priestly role continued when he went up into heaven. Christ now serves as our Mediator at the Father s right hand. When we pray, he intercedes for us. He pleads on our behalf, reminding the Father of the price he has paid to ransom us. As Christians, members of Christ by faith, we have been anointed by the Spirit so that we today might also serve as priests. As priests we are not required to present any kind of sacrifice in order to make payment for our sins. Christ has done that perfectly and completely. God desires another sacrifice from us. It is that I may offer myself as a living sacrifice of thankfulness to him. In 1 Peter 2, Peter says, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Do you understand what kind of spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God, and please him? God wants us to show our thanks to him for Christ s redeeming work. How can we do that? By offering him our hearts and our lives. Practically speaking, what does that mean? Well, if you are truly thankful for Jesus dying on the cross for your sins, you ll strive to live a holy life. You won t get drunk. You won t swear. You won t have sex before your married, or with someone who is not your husband or wife. If you truly love Christ and want to show it in your life, you will love your neighbour as yourself. That means living in love and unity with all those around you. That begins in our Rev. Joe Poppe 5

6 families. By a husband nourishing and cherishing his wife, and a wife respecting her husband. By children showing honour, love and faithfulness to their parents, and by parents not exasperating their children, but rather loving and caring for them. We show our love for Christ by doing nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility counting others more significant than ourselves. We are to look out not only for our own interests, but also for the interests of others (Phil.2:3-4). The Lord has made known to us what is good, and what he requires of us. He calls us to do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with our God (Mic.6:8). Do you know beloved, why we strive to live in this way? It is because Christ lives in us by his Spirit. It is because you are a temple of God, and you re heart s desire is to live your life to his glory. It is because in all the things of daily life you want to show your thankfulness to Christ, because he has died for you on the cross. This brings us to our final point. In it we ll consider how we are to image Christ as kings. Jesus claim to be the Messiah caused a lot of conflict in Israel, particularly with the religious leaders. They were looking for a king to deliver them from the Romans, and to re-establish Israel as a dominant nation in world affairs. Yet Jesus did not come as an earthly king. He came to establish a heavenly kingdom. Christ did so by offering his life as a sacrifice for our sins on the cross. Through that act Christ conquered sin and Satan. Today Christ rules as our eternal King from the throne at God s right hand. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. He governs over this world by his mighty hand. By his power he defends and preserves us against all enemies. The main way in which Christ exercises his kingship is through his Word and Spirit. It is through these means that he calls people to repentance and life, and brings them in as citizens of his kingdom. It is also through his Word and Spirit that he governs us, so that we may stand strong in our spiritual battle. Today, as Christians anointed with the Holy Spirit, we re called to serve as kings. Christ calls us to be involved in a spiritual battle against sin and the devil. We need to learn to submit our lives to the direction of Christ our King. By the power of the Spirit, more and more we need to fight against our sins, and to live our lives for Christ. In our reading from 1 Peter 2, Peter writes, Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1Pet.2:11-12). Beloved, sin should not have dominion over us, since we have been redeemed by grace. We need to fight the good fight of the faith, and to stand strong when temptations come our way. Armed by God s Word and Spirit, we are to live our lives in holiness to God, and as a witness to our unbelieving neighbours. At times our calling to image Christ may seem like a daunting task. Christ fulfilled his office as prophet, priest and king perfectly. We so often fail in the execution of the office to which we have been called. We don t take the opportunities to confess Christ; so often we fail to present our lives as a sacrifice of holiness to him; we don t always withstand the temptations to sin. Yet we should not lose heart. Christ has not called us to an impossible task. We have been anointed with the Holy Spirit. He lives in our hearts. He is the one who equips us, who enables us to do our task. It is by his power and might that we are enabled to serve the Lord as Christians. Thus beloved, let us go forth in Christ s power this week, imaging him as prophets, priests, and kings. Let us dare to speak about Christ in our daily lives, to one another, and especially to those who are lost in darkness. Back up your profession of Christ by living thankful and holy lives. Let others see by your lifestyle that something sets you apart from the people of this world. Don t allow sin and Satan to have masterly over you, but live fruitful lives under the reign of Christ s Word and Spirit. So fulfil your calling, and live as Christians. Do all this to God s glory, and for your neighbour s good. Amen. Rev. Joe Poppe 6