Advent III Sermon — Rev. Dr. Craig Stephans

let us

pray father we pray that you would pour

out your Holy Spirit Upon Us baptize us

even now in your Holy Spirit and fire

that we might be transformed into the

image of Christ in whose name we pray

amen please be

seated I was around some college young

college young men

recently and was

surprised at a habit they had that was

very different than a h than my habits

during

college these two young men both had

apps on their phone one had an app that

would show him what restaurants in

proximity did not use seed oil in their

food so he could look up whatever

restaurants didn't use seed oil and go

to those restaurants and be a little bit

healthier the other one pulled out an

app where he could scan the barcode of

any kind of food or beverage and it

would instantaneously bring up the stats

about the health qualities of that

product and give it a score 0 to 100

with a green or red mark and I was

amazed at this because when I was their

age in college I ate whatever I wanted

and of course that cost me later after I

stopped playing sports and my metab

metabolism slowed down but it was really

something to me how these young men were

using these apps to try to be physically

healthy and wise and it would be great

if we had an app like that to help us to

be spiritually healthy and edified and

mature in our faith we don't have an app

and there's no shortcut that can be

developed by any sort of Technology of

course Technologies can help us with

some devotional resources but can't give

us that Insight the Insight that we have

the app if that we have if you will is

the word of God it is scripture and

there's no way around that whether we

read it on a phone on a devotional app

or old school in our hard copy Bible it

is the measure the standard for

Spiritual help and I was struck in our

readings today how that measure and

standard is presented our scriptures

today are indicative of the entirety of

scripture that they show us here is the

truth to spiritual health today and for

eternity and we would be wise to take

note and to amend Our Lives based on

what this app of scripture is telling us

the Old Testament reading was from the

prophet Zephaniah I encourage you when

you have time in the next week or so to

read the entirety of that book it's

three chapters our reading today was

from chapter 3: 9-1 17 which pres or 9

through 20 which presents to us an image

of the Messianic Kingdom the Kingdom of

Heaven ruled by God through his Messiah

all things subjected to him and

according to his will that kingdom is

already come in Christ it's not entirely

here yet and established but it gives us

an image of the ideal that we are aiming

for and there's one verse Zephaniah 3:17

Zephaniah 3:17

that encapsulates this image of God's

kingdom the prophet says the Lord your

God is in your midst a mighty one who

will save he will rejoice over you with

gladness he will quiet you by his love

he will exalt over you with loud singing

this is the image of God's kingdom this

is the standard the measure of spiritual

health that we are to aim for and that

we are called into through Jesus Christ

the lord being in our midst a mighty one

who saves us rejoicing over us with

gladness calming us with his love don't

you need that in your life today to be

calmed to be quieted and stilled not

with a pointing of a finger and a rebuke

but with

love and he rejoices over us with

singing so what is it that's required

for us to apply to our lives well this

is what one is wonderful about the

gospel today and the readings it's the

practice for us to develop is in John

the Baptist's message we heard some of

it last week with Father Brian and I'm

really just going to share again what

Father Brian preached last week and

different words using some different

scriptures but it's the message of John

the Baptist here's the standard by which

to live I don't know if you caught this

after John calls the crowds that came

out to him a bunch of brood of

vipers but toward the end when Luke is

summarizing John's message in his

ministry he says in Luke 3:18 so with

Luke 3:18

many other exhortations he preached good

news to the people

John was a messenger a conveyor of good

news and you think about it people were

drawn to John from all over the region

where there were Jewish people they came

out to him from all the region of Judea

to be baptized by him to set themselves

in his hands to be immersed in the water

because he preached good news and that

good news that he preaches the good news

for us today it is the good news of the

Gospel of Jesus

Christ and it begins with a baptism of

repentance for the Forgiveness of sins

the good news of God the standard that

God sets for us is that we must be

forgiven of our sins we must have our

sins wiped from us so that they no

longer come between us and a God who

loves us and a God who wants to be in

our midst so that God

comes as one who is mighty to save he

comes as one who freely offers the

Forgiveness of

sins that's the first standard that God

requires and gives to us the second is

what John prophesies about the Messiah

who is Jesus Christ he says in verse 16

he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit

and with

fire he will come

and he will immerse you in the presence

of

God God will be in the midst of you

through the work of the Messiah who

baptizes you with the Holy Spirit which

is to immerse you in the presence of God

the spirit of the father and the son who

immerses you with his presence and also

with fire that purifies it is the means

through which God answers the CCT for

Purity that we pray every Sunday God

purify Our Hearts by the Holy Spirit

Spirit The Gospel of Jesus if it is good

news at all must acknowledge the reality

of our sinfulness the condition of all

sinful people a brood of vipers sadly

stuck in sinfulness and

selfishness we can't justify our way out

of

that and in that sinfulness that we

would otherwise be stuck in we would

face judgment and wrath from God that

results in unquenched Able

Fire but into this reality comes a God

who is mighty to save who quiets us with

his love who rejoices over those who

come to him like one who is so excited

and so full of joy he dances around the

objects of his

love he forgives the

sins like John says in his first letter

he cleanses us from all unrighteousness

as we can confess our sins and receive

the gift of forgiveness and he baptizes

with the Holy Spirit and a purifying

fire and through this he will quiet us

with his love and rejoice over us with

loud singing as he invites us into what

Zephaniah called a festival it is a

festival of salvation for eternal

life and Zephaniah describes this place

that will come

come and there will be no fear there

there will be no evil there there will

be no shame or reproach for the people

that have received God's Gift of

Salvation and all will be perfect body

Soul and

Spirit if this is the good news and if

this is a reality that reality requires

that all evil is expunged from God's

kingdom forever it requires AUD

judgement it requires a separation as

John

prophesies from the a separation of the

wheat and the

chaff his winwing Fork John says is in

his hand to clear his threshing floor

and to gather the weed into his barn but

the chaff he will burn with unquenchable

fire this is a key element of the good

news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that

there will be a separation from those

who have been reborn who have been

cleansed through Grace and Faith in

Jesus Christ there will be a separation

of them as they are drawn to God into

his kingdom a separation from all that

is not in God's kingdom all that is not

received all who have not received

forgiveness all that has not been

recreated in

goodness when the people hear John the

Baptist they hear this message calling

for repentance pointing to the Messiah

they say what shall we do and you heard

in the reading John gave some practical

steps for people to amend their

lives to the Pharisees to the teachers

to the soldiers to the tax collectors he

gave them some very practical things to

do but this is something that is amazing

about scripture Luke is the author of

his Gospel of course well Luke is also

the author of the book of Acts part two

of his writing and this question that

the crowds asked to John the Baptist is

answered by him with some practical

steps but the real answer comes in part

two of Luke's writing in Acts chapter 2

Acts 2 · chapter mention

on the day of Pentecost after Jesus has

done his work of dying on the cross for

us as God has been glorified in the

resurrection and Jesus has ascended to

the right hand of God and he pours out

the Holy Spirit upon people fulfilling

the prophecy of

John as his followers 120 on the day of

Pentecost are baptized in the Holy

Spirit in fire now Luke answers that

question in his

writing this is in Acts chapter 2 the

Acts 2 · chapter mention

people have come around on the day of

Pentecost they've seen the outpouring of

the Holy Spirit and Peter has preach to

them the good news of Jesus and in Acts

chap

2:36 Peter says let all the house of

Israel therefore know for certain that

God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ

whom you

crucify he brings it to a point this is

what has happened Jesus who is crucified

has been raised from the dead he has

been made King and Lord and

Messiah and in verse

37 the crowd asked Brothers what shall

we

do and this is the answer this is the

standard by which we come to the Lord

and gain spiritual

health Peter said to them repent and be

baptized every one of you in the name of

Jesus Christ for the Forgiveness of sins

fulfilling what John prophesied and

began you will receive the gift of the

Holy Spirit God will come into your

midst and dwell with

you and Peter assures them and us the

promise is not the promise is for you

and for your children and for all who

are far off everyone whom the Lord Our

God calls to himself so we have the

promises forgiveness of sins the

presence of God giving us eternal life

but even here on the day of Pentecost in

the midst of proclaiming good news and

giving this invitation Peter gives the

third element of judgment and warning

and he tells the people save yourselves

from this crooked

generation there will be a

separation it's odd that in the gospel

message of

grace and the gift of Salvation Peter

says save yourselves from this crooked

generation it is the act that we make in

calling upon the name of the Lord and

coming out of the evil of this world and

being born again

into the Kingdom of

Heaven this is the message for us it is

a message for us and one that must be

proclaimed through us that God has come

and offered forgiveness of sins that God

has come and offered eternal life God

wants to come into your life and into

every person's life through his Holy

Spirit and now is the day now is the day

of decision

because that time of judgment is coming

when there'll be a separation so don't

delay receive this salvation and by

doing so save yourself from this evil

generation I want to give

you an exercise that I really encourage

you to do I think it would be reasonable

us to to practice this exercise from

today until Christmas and maybe forever

but at least until Christmas the epistle

reading was from Philippians 4:

4-9 and I want to read it again and then

encourage you Paul writes this to the

church rejoice in the lord always again

I will say rejoice let your

reasonableness or your gentleness be

known to everyone the Lord is at hand do

not be anxious about anything but in

everything by prayer and supplication

with Thanksgiving let your requests be

made known to God in the peace of God

which surpass passes all understanding

will guard your hearts and your minds in

Christ

Jesus finally brothers and sisters

whatever is true whatever is Honorable

whatever is just whatever is pure

whatever is lovely whatever is

commendable if there is any Excellence

if there is anything worthy of Praise

think about these

things what you have learned and

received and heard and seen in me

practice these things and the God of

Peace will be with you boy boy how would

our lives be different if we practiced

this I want to encourage you to meditate

upon this passage Philippians 4 4-9 at

least once a day reading through it

meditating on it reading through it

again praying over it rejoice in the

lord always it's an imperative from Paul

rejoice in the lord

always he even says it again again I

will say

rejoice make this your practice rejoice

in the Lord this is the measure this is

the means to spiritual

health let your reasonableness be known

to everyone be wise be

gentle the Lord is at hand the Lord is

present this mighty one who saves is in

your midst if we could just be assured

of that that God is present today with

me I don't have to be angry I don't have

to be harsh I don't have to be mean or

anxious I or fearful because God is

present I can be reasonable and

gentle do not be anxious about anything

but in everything by prayer and

supplication with Thanksgiving let your

request be known to God and this can

begin and include always God forgive my

sins God I'm anxious about what I've

done I'm anxious about what I fail to do

God forgive me forgive me and it include

Lord baptize me in your Holy Spirit in

fire be present with me father I need

you I want you fill me with your Holy

Spirit as you

desire father as I rejoice in you

rejoice in me that I won't be fearful I

won't be alone or lonely I won't be

depressed or despairing because the God

of all hope is with

me and he promises as we make our

request to him even the little things

that might be on our heart and make us

anxious he promises to give us his peace

it's a

promise

God grant me your peace Lord you promise

me your peace I know that you are not a

liar give me your peace to guard my

heart and mind I need your

peace and then Lord help me to think

about those things that are true and

honorable and just and pure and lovely

and commendable and excellent and worthy

of Praise oh if we could take our minds

off all the things that are not put our

mind on those things that are how our

lives would change how we would become

spiritually healthy and at

peace and then what we have learned from

the writers of scripture what we have

received and seen among the spiritually

mature among us if we can practice those

things what is it that makes someone

like John novakov at such peace so

gentle what is it how can I practice

those things what is it that makes some

of our members such

servants so humble so kind so generous

how can I practice those

things and then this final promise that

God of Peace will be with you it's a

promise we have a God who who will keep

his promises all we have to do is say

Lord you promised me peace you promis to

be with

me even now even now in the midst of the

tumult of this world the God of Peace

will be with us so I encourage you I'm

going to try to do it once a day to

meditate on these

passages that we would be transformed as

we live in the Forgiveness of sins as we

live with the Holy Spirit as we live

urging people to come to the Lord

because there will be a day of

judgment and God has appointed Jesus

Christ whom he raised from the dead to

be that judge and he's pulling for us

he's pulling for each and every person

to come into life Everlasting so let us

pray oh God of

Peace reveal yourself to us in your Holy

Spirit help us to rejoice in you help us

to rejoice in you oh

Lord you are present help us to

live knowing that we are in the presence

of the God of Peace and the god of Hope

Lord help us to be quick to lift all

things up to you in prayer with

Thanksgiving and grant us your peace to

God our hearts and Minds in Christ and

help us to discipline our minds for Lord

you have given us the spirit of power

love and a sound mind help us to

discipline our minds to think on these

things and to submit them to you oh

Lord be with

us work through us oh God we ask in

Jesus name amen