Responding to Wickedness with Trust, Prayer & Proclamation

I've spoken before of the rising tide of evil in our world. It is something that we observe and that Scripture has promised will happen (2 Timothy 3.1-5). Scripture also tells us that God punishes wickedness and will do so ultimately in the end. In Genesis 19 God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness. This destruction was a great test of faith both for Abraham and for his nephew Lot. Reading about that can be discouraging and disheartening to us as it was to them. Looking around at today's increasing immorality, hatred and violence can also be discouraging. Sadly, we can say with Ethan, "For what futility have You created all the children of men?" (Psalm 89.47). 

The world that lies under the deception of Satan (1 John 5.19) misunderstands the source of this evil and therefore responds incorrectly. Some blame ignorance and say that better education will be the cure. Some blame poverty and say the redistribution of wealth will be the cure. Some think that the good guys just need to shoot all the bad guys in order to overcome evil. Truthful education, fair economics and just temporal punishments can help resist and contain evil in the world. But these things cannot overcome evil. Evil can only be overcome by the one who taught us to pray: "Deliver us from evil." Jesus defeated evil with righteousness when He resisted Satan's temptations (Matthew 4.1-11), and when He gave His life as a ransom for those who would seek God's forgiveness from their own evil (Mark 10.45).

Now we can see the best response to wickedness: First, we trust in God who alone can overcome wickedness - first in our own hearts and then in the world. Second, we pray for God to deliver us and this world from evil just as Jesus taught us. We pray fervently for the wicked as Abraham prayed fervently for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18.22-33). It is important to pray for all those who are blinded by the Evil One that they might be brought to repentance and faith in Christ. Thirdly, God has put us here to proclaim the truth of evil and the truth of forgiveness and salvation in Jesus. What happens after that is in God's hands. He will see all things to their proper end. 

Sermon from July 24, 2016 "From Gomorrah to Golgotha"

Hymn:  "Rise to Arms! With Prayer Employ You"

Rise! To arms! With prayer employ you,

O Christians, lest the foe destroy you;

For Satan has designed your fall.

Wield God’s Word, the weapon glorious;

Against all foes be thus victorious.

God will set you above them all.

Fear not the hordes of hell,

Here is Emmanuel.

Hail the Savior!

The strong foes yield

To Christ, our shield,

And we, the victors, hold the field.

Cast afar this world’s vain pleasure

And boldly strive for heav’nly treasure.

Be steadfast in the Savior’s might.

Trust the Lord, who stands beside you,

For Jesus from all harm will hide you.

By faith you conquer in the fight.

Take courage, weary soul!

Look forward to the goal!

Joy awaits you.

The race well run,

Your long war won,

Your crown shines splendid as the sun.

Wisely fight, for time is fleeting;

The hours of grace are fast retreating;

Short, short is this our earthly way.

When the Lord the dead will waken

And sinners all by fear are shaken,

The saints with joy will greet that day.

Praise God, our triumph’s sure.

We need not long endure

Scorn and trial.

Our Savior King

His own will bring

To that great glory which we sing.

Text: Wilhelm E. Arends, 1677–1721; tr. John M. Sloan, b. 1835, alt. WACHET AUF

Tune: Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608 P M

Text and tune: Public domain

Advent Family Devotions December 18, 2012

Never Again Fear Evil

Opening Prayer:  Dear God, we give thanks for Your word that gives us good news in a world so full of bad news.

Scripture:  Zephaniah 3.14-15


Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!

The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.

Meditation:

A Lutheran professor once warned pastors not to waste so much time reading what he called "The Daily Disappointment."  Most of the news that we read or hear about every day is "bad news." These are the reports that come from our world that has turned from God and has turned against itself in selfishness, greed, hatred, laziness, irresponsibility, lust and depravity.  I once talked to a journalist who was beginning to dislike her work.  She complained about one of the most important rules of journalism:  "If it bleeds, it leads."  She was just getting sick of bad news.  

About seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus there was a prophet named Zephaniah. Zephaniah saw a lot of terrible things happening in Israel. Bad news and evil were everywhere. People were probably wondering if there was any hope at all.  Zephaniah said there was. He said that God would punish those who do evil, and that He would protect those who believe in Him.  

That is still our hope today. We know that God is our King. He came among us as the newborn "King of the Jews." He died as the King on the cross in order to destroy the power of evil. He rose again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  No matter how bad things might be in this world, we have God's promises in Jesus that "you shall never again fear evil."  

For Discussion:

1. Do you think that listening to a lot of bad news could affect you?  How?

2. How might it help us to spend more time listening to God's word?  

Closing Prayer:  Dear Jesus, King of Israel, clear away our enemies and take away our fear of evil. Amen.

Hymn:  "Listen, God is Calling"

Traditional Christian hymn from Kenya

Click here for the melody.

Refrain
Listen, listen, God is calling
Through the Word inviting,
Offering forgiveness,
Comfort and joy.

Jesus gave His mandate:
Share the good news
That He came to save us
And set us free.
Refrain

Let none be forgotten
Throughout the world.
In the triune name of God
Go and baptize.
Refrain

Help us to be faithful,
Standing steadfast,
Walking in Your precepts,
Led by Your Word.
Refrain

Advent Family Devotions December 17, 2012

Deliver Us From Evil

Opening Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank You for the protection that You have always given us from the evils of this world. Help us to remember that You will continue to protect us.

Scripture:  Psalm 59:1

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; deliver me from those who work evil.


Meditation:

     Sometimes people can be very mean. Because they are angry, because they are stronger, because they can get away with it, they try to hurt others. Sometimes we are even tempted to push, shove, slap, or hit someone.  God doesn't like this and commands us not to hurt others but to help them.

     What can we do when others are trying to hurt us?  One thing we can do is get help from our parents or a teacher.  They can usually stop that bad things that others are doing.  But another important thing that we can always do is pray to God for His protection and help.

     King David was a man who had a lot of enemies in his life who were always trying to hurt him. He often prayed to God for His help and protection. One of the most famous stories of his life was when he fought the giant Goliath.  That day he said, "The LORD will deliver you into my hand" (1 Samuel 17.46).

     When we are afraid of evil people, one of the most important things we can do is to pray for God to help us and protect us.

For Discussion:
1.  Talk about a time when you were afraid of a mean person.

2.  How did God help?

Closing Prayer:  Dear Jesus, at Your birth the angels  said, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom He is well-pleased" (Luke 2.14).  Continue to bring us that peace and to protect us from evil. Amen.


Hymn:  "Children of the Heavenly Father"

Click here for melody.

Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.

   

There Are Times...

There are times when I do feel like "Christian" in Bunyan's classic, The Pilgrim's Progress:

"Then Apollyon espying his opportunity began to gather up close to Christian and wrestling with him gave him a dreadful fall, and with that Christian's Sword flew out of his hand. Then said Apollyon, "I am sure of thee now," and with that he had almost pressed him to death so that Christian began to despair of life, but as God would have it while Apollyon was fetching of his last blow thereby to make a full end of this good man, Christian nimbly stretched out his hand for his Sword and caught it saying, "Rejoice not against me O mine Enemy, when I fall I shall arise," and with that gave him a deadly thrust which made him give back as one that had received his mortal wound. Christian perceiving that, made at him again saying, "Nay, in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us." And with that Apollyon spread forth his Dragon's wings, and sped him away that Christian for a season saw him no more."

"... I am sure of thee now... Nay, in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us."

Prayer: "Father, keep us nimble with Your Word, the Sword of the Spirit, and in Christ Deliver us from evil." Amen.