Think for a minute about what it would be like to meet your favorite, famous

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1 Trinity Sunday 2015 May 31, 2015 Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio Pastor Kevin Jud Isaiah 6:1-8, Acts 2;14, 22-36, John 3:1-17 Think for a minute about what it would be like to meet your favorite, famous celebrity. How would you feel? What would you say? You might find it to be quite overwhelming. - A 10 year old boy in Maryland last week got to fulfill his dream of meeting his favorite band; Maroon 5. He was so excited to be able to meet the band that when he finally got to see them backstage he had a bit of a panic attack and fell down on the floor. The band took it in stride and they all lay down on the floor as well. Meeting a famous person can give us the sense of being unworthy in their presence. Some of you may remember the exaggerated scene from the 1992 movie Wayne s World in which Wayne and Garth get to meet rock star Alice Cooper and they fall to their knees and bow repeatedly to the star and they say over and over, We re not worthy. People can get the sense that they are not worthy to be in the presence of a famous person who is just fellow flesh and blood. What would be your feelings about being in the presence of God? In our reading from Isaiah 6 we see Isaiah in the throne room of the temple and it is overwhelming for him. The Lord is sitting on the throne, the hem of His robe fills the temple, there is smoke, there are six-winged seraphim, whatever they are, flying around singing holy, holy, holy! And the foundations shake at the voices.

2 2 Isaiah is in the presence of God and he knows he is not worthy. Isaiah cries out, Isaiah 6:5 (ESV) 5 Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts! 1 Isaiah is a sinner in the presence of the holy God. In the Gospel of Luke chapter 5 we see Peter gain understanding as to who Jesus is after Jesus causes Peter and his fellow fisherman to have a great catch of fish. Luke 5:8 (ESV) 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 2 We see this again in Revelation as John is taken up to see the throne of God and the Lord God on the throne. John falls at the Lord s feet. He is not worthy to be in the presence of God. Encountering the holiness of God; the pure, untainted holiness of God would be devastating. For God s holiness leaves you acutely aware of your own un-holiness; your own sinfulness. In this life you can sometimes pretend that you are good enough, that you don t sin so much, that you are least better than that other person. But in the presence of God your unholy thoughts, your unholy words, your unholy deeds are exposed by God s total, unadulterated holiness. What do you do? Isaiah encounters God s holiness and is made holy by a burning coal touched to his lips. 1 The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001

3 3 Peter is told, do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching men. John is told, Revelation 1:17b-18 (ESV) 17 Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 3 God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit is a God of holiness and this causes you terror because of your sin. But Jesus gave Himself for you. So in the holiness of the Trinity you begin to comprehend the great gift of redemption and the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus. You tremble in the presence of God and He says, Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 4 Fear not. God has come for you. Like the band members humbly lying down next to an overwhelmed 10 year old, Jesus lowered Himself infinitely more. Jesus became like you. Jesus left the throne of heaven and took on human flesh. Jesus took all your sin into Himself and His holiness overwhelmed your sin. Jesus paid the price for your sin enduring whips and fists and mockery and nails. Jesus, God in flesh, endures the punishment you deserve for your sins. He takes all your sin and pays the price and conquers your sin. Because no matter how great a sinner you are, Jesus holiness is greater than your un-holiness. What then should you do? Jesus tells Nicodemus, John 3:3 (ESV) 3 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. 5 3 The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001

4 4 John 3:5 (ESV) 5 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 As Isaiah was made holy by having his lips touched by a burning coal so you have been made holy in baptism. The holiness of God became your holiness as God s name was watered onto you; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. You were taken from being spiritually blind, dead and an enemy of God and were made holy in Christ so you need not fear in the presence of God. You encounter God s presence in our gathering together Matthew 18:20 (ESV) 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. 7. Most Sunday s here at Immanuel we are blessed to come into the presence of God in Holy Communion and to receive on our lips the body and blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. It is pure gift. Your redemption; your forgiveness is not from anything you have done, but is all from the gift of Jesus to you. It is pure gift. One great danger of living as a Christian is to start to believe that your holiness comes from Jesus plus a little something from you. Pastor Tullian Tchividian in his book Jesus + Nothing = Everything says it this way, Christian growth doesn t happen by first behaving better, but by believing better believing in bigger, deeper, brighter ways what Christ has already secured for sinners. 5 The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001

5 5 Today you were able to witness a new little Christian made holy by God through baptism. In simple water and the Word of God Miles was clothed with the holiness of God; his natural sinfulness was overwhelmed by God s great holiness. Today we graduate nine of our eighth graders from Immanuel Lutheran School. Here they have learned not only reading, writing and mathematics, but they have learned to know they are holy in Christ Jesus. They have learned to know that the holiness of God has overwhelmed their un-holiness. They have learned that there is one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is God, accept no substitute. Theologian John Piper writes, Idolatry is a suicidal exchange of infinite value and beauty for some fleeting, inferior substitute. There are so many fleeting, inferior substitutes vying to be your god. Accept no substitute. You are made holy in Christ. Your un-holiness is undone in the blood of Jesus. Live out your calling each day knowing that you are already holy. Live your ordinary life in an extraordinary way as a student, child, brother, sister, mother, father, grandparent, worker, employer, citizen; live your ordinary life in an extraordinary way because of who you are in Christ Jesus. Because you are holy in Christ. Because even though you are unworthy you have been born again into the kingdom of God. You are holy in God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.