Sermon notes that briefly summarize sermon for Sunday... When God Gets Bullied SERMON NOTES Luke 12:49-53 Intro. Wiki-how is an online resource that is meant to equip people with the how-to-knowledge of daily and practical life. One Wiki-how site equips children on what to do when their friend, brother, or sister is being bullied. I’ll provide the gist of it. One confidently states that this person is their friend/brother/sister. They care for them and do not want to see them bullied. This is said in a non-confrontational tone. Then there is the invitation to play nice or the option to walk away with an arm around their loved one. If your loved one (father, mother, sister, brother, child) was being called a liar, stupid, or being shoved around, could you stand by and do nothing? And if you did do something, what would be the right thing to do? What if your Holy Father, divine Brother, or greatest Friend was being picked on? The Trinity might be almighty to defend themselves, but would you want to stand up to defend the honor of one so dear and innocent? Text. Noah’s flood could NOT wash the sinful nature out of humanity. A permanent cleansing with fire is needed on the Last Day. This powerful and permanent cleansing can be found for the soul today. The literal Greek translation of our text: Fire, I have come, to pour out on the earth. And how I desire it was burning now. Baptism, I posses, to be baptized with. And I am afflicted for it to reach completion. The suffering, cross, and death of Christ completes baptism? Yes (1 John 5:6). Jesus’ ministry begins with water in the Jordan for the forgiveness of sins. It ends with the pouring of His blood for the forgiveness of sins (Take. Drink. This is My Blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins). In His passion, we actually see our Lord bullied, picked on, spat upon, ridiculed, profaned, pierced, etc. It grieves us. This is godly sorrow. We grieve our sin as it actually grieves our Lord. Worldly sorrow is grieving what the consequence of getting caught would bring. Godly sorrow is true cleansing and repentance. Even when our own father, mother, sister, or brother may profane the Lord and His Word, we are to grieve the fact that this grieves the One whose heart is pure, innocent, and righteous for us and for all. We stand up not in anger or aggression. We speak in love of who our Lord is and what He has done for us. Earthly relationships may rejoice in this opportunity of the Gospel. Earthly relationships may get defensive and direct the bullying against us also. Law. If you are looking for Christ and the Biblical faith to be overwhelmingly appreciated by the majority of people in our families, country, or world, you will be disappointed. We are part of the faith that Nero tried to exterminate in 64-68 AD with thousands of Christians slaughtered in the Coliseum (including parents and children holding each other). We are part of the faith that 45.5 million Christians died for in the last century. To be a Christian, you must be prepared to be rejected, profaned, and die for Christ when you wake up each day. We want to avoid conflict. But the Scriptures make it clear that there is godly and holy suffering that all Christians are to expect (Philippians 1:29). In fact, apostles tell us to rejoice at such times when rejoicing seems impossible (1 Peter 4:13). We join the ranks of Abel, Job, Elijah, Daniel, John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, Paul, etc. who were rejected and in whose lives God’s grace and glory prevailed. We are not to speak in anger, fear, aggression, or coercion. This shows low self-esteem and feeling out of control. We are to bask in the favor and delight of our Father and Brother with His Spirit burning in us to speak the truth in love with an unnatural righteousness that He loves to give. Gospel. Through the Spirit of living fire in Baptism, we have a miraculous new relationship where we grieve what grieves our Lord and we grieve seeing our loved One rejected, called untrustworthy, called a liar, and called less than deserving our love. We do not want to grieve anyone -- Our earthly loved ones, Our Divine Loved One. We speak the truth of who He is in love for all. The Father will be faithful with every cross borne for His sake as He was with His own Son’s. This is part of the travail which makes His kingdom come. We can rejoice. When the world rejects our God and us for His sake, we find miraculous strength basking in the favor and delight of our Father and our big Brother with the Spirit burning within us.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 14:48:15 +0000
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