Tag Archives: Protection

The Battle – Sermon on Revelation 12:7-12 for the feast of St. Michael & All Angels

Revelation 12:7–12

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Out of sight, out of mind.” Sometimes, you might use that phrase as an excuse, sometimes as a reason to procrastinate. It’s really easy to forget things that aren’t right in front of us. So, we make lists, set reminders on our phones, and put events on the calendar. Well, the Church has done exactly that for us today, September 29th, as we remember the angel, St. Michael, and all angels. Today, we remember that God has created all things, visible and invisible.

The Bible teaches a lot about angels, but it doesn’t answer every question we might have about angels and demons (which are just fallen angels). There’s a lot of garbage out there when it comes to angels. Be very discerning about what you hear, see, and read about angels. People have found that they can make a lot of money off the curiosity surrounding angels and demons. If you’re interested after the service, I can print a couple of my older sermons from a few years ago that overview what the Bible teaches about angels and demons. Today, as we consider this Epistle reading (Rev. 12:7-12), we’re mainly going to focus on the invisible, unseen battle that is currently raging around us. It’s something we need to see and recognize. We want it in our sight and on our mind because, through His Word, God gives us tremendous comfort in the midst of this battle.

The whole chapter of Revelation 12 teaches us about something that has happened and continues right now all around us. I know a lot of people think the events of Revelation are in the future, but that’s not necessarily the case. Some Christians will disagree with that. I promise I’ll show from Scripture why I firmly believe that Rev. 12 is both past and current and will continue until Christ returns.

To get a bit of context for what we heard, Rev. 12 starts with a scene of a pregnant woman who is about to give birth. The text says that her Child will rule the nations with a rod of iron (Rev. 12:5). Psalm 2 uses this same language and imagery of Jesus. In Psalm 2, the nations are raging and trying to get out from under God’s rule. In response, God sets His King and Son on the throne of Zion (Ps. 2:6-8), and He rules with a rod of iron and dashes those rebellious, earthly authorities like a clay pot (Ps. 2:9). Who is this woman about to give birth? As Christians, we know that the virgin Mary is the one who gave birth to Jesus, but this text isn’t referring to Mary. Here in Rev. 12, this woman is representative of the whole Church, all believers. The reason I say that will become clearer in a bit, so stick with me, please.

In Rev. 12 we are told that a great red dragon – in other words, the devil – is waiting there to devour Jesus immediately after He is born. But Jesus is caught up to God and to His throne (Rev. 12:5). Basically, John skips over Christ’s entire life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension. He does this to set up what happens to the Church. After she gives birth, the woman (who, again, is believers) flees into the wilderness where God has prepared a place for her to be protected and nourished. That’s the context for our reading.

Now, to the first verse of our text. There is war in heaven. That sounds weird. It’s heaven – a place where there is no more sorrow, crying, or pain (Rev. 21:4) – but this is what John sees. And think about this, the devil wasn’t able to devour Christ in a broken world. Not when He was an infant, not during Jesus’ life, not even in Jesus’ crucifixion and death. But he still tries to attack Jesus in heaven. Anyone with a half a brain knows that strategy isn’t going to work, but the devil’s hatred of God makes him absolutely foolish when it comes to battle strategy. Satan thinks he’ll fight to take Jesus off His heavenly throne, but the devil doesn’t get very far. King Jesus doesn’t even have to fight Himself. Instead, He sends His archangel Michael (see Jd. 9) who defeats the devil and permanently expels that worm and his angels (i.e. the demons) from heaven. God created Michael for that very purpose, and King Jesus doesn’t rob Michael of that glory. God lets Michael do his job of throwing the ancient serpent out of heaven.

Then, we hear this loud voice. Let’s walk through what this voice says. “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come” (Rev. 12:10a) Think through this. We have salvation, right? Yes, of course we do! Jesus has the power and authority over all creation, right? Yes, He does! Before He ascends, Christ says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Mt. 28:18). Despite what we might experience, has the kingdom of God come? Yes! Jesus says when He casts out demons by the finger of God, that means that the kingdom of God has come (Lk. 11:20).

So, what does the loud voice from heaven say next? “The accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God” (Rev. 12:10b). Remember our Gospel reading (Lk. 10:17-20). Jesus had sent the 72 disciples out to preach the arrival of the kingdom of God (Lk. 10:1-9). Our text is Jesus’ response when they return. He says that through their ministry He, “saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Lk. 10:18). A couple weeks ago, we saw from Job how the devil was in heaven with the other angels accusing Job of loving God because God was nice to him (Job 1:9; 2:4-5). The devil wasn’t content to only accuse Job; he was accusing all Christians, and heaven was sick and tired of it. But now, Satan can’t do that anymore because Michael has thrown him out of heaven and God’s presence. Now, we need to hear a little more from the heavenly voice.

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Rev. 12:10b-11). Again, back in Lk. 10:17, the 72 disciples are excited because even the demons are subject to them in Jesus’ name. This is still true, believer. The devil and his demons are continually defeated as believers proclaim Jesus’ name. Michael has knocked him out of heaven, and God continues to kick Satan while he’s down through the feet of believers by the power of Jesus’ blood and by your witness and testimony (Ro. 16:20).

Finally, the voice from heaven concludes, “Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” The victory in heaven means there is no place for the devil there anymore. But God, for reasons only He knows, hasn’t sent the devil to his final destination of the eternal fire of hell (Mt. 25:41). Not yet. The devil now has come to the earth where He viciously rages because he knows that his time is short.

That’s the end our text, but the rest of Rev. 12 shows that the woman who gave birth to the Child is still pursued by the dragon. But God protects her in the wilderness and nourishes her (Rev. 12:13-14). Every time the devil tries to destroy her, his efforts are stopped, thwarted, and defeated (Rev. 12:15-17). That’s why I said earlier that the woman isn’t Mary but the whole Church – which includes Mary, but isn’t only Mary. The devil continues his futile fight against the Church, but we believers are protected and win the victory by the blood of the Lamb.

Now, here’s what all of this means for us, and why it is such a comfort. All the troubles we face today are spiritual battles against the demons. Scripture says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). All of those terms refer to the devil and demons. On the one hand, that verse reminds us that people are not our enemies. We do not have to fight against people because they are individuals who are loved, and whom Christ has died for. But that verse also reminds us that there is a constant spiritual battle going on all around us, and the victory has been won through our Savior, Jesus Christ. We conquer with Michael and all the heavenly host by the Blood of the Lamb.

Still, the battle rages on. We see this battle manifest itself in different ways. Abortion, public safety, the LGBTQ movement and all sorts of other topics – those are the different battle lines in the spiritual war going on all around us. Wherever our culture is fighting against God’s good order, that is where the battle lines have been drawn. And the victory doesn’t and won’t come from Congress, the White House, or through the ballot box. The victory comes at your dinner table. It comes in your home as you raise your children in the faith. It comes as you point others to Jesus, and as you faithfully carry out all your vocations. Wherever you testify about Christ, your Savior, there is the victory. The kingdom of God is strengthened and fortified as Christ is proclaimed, and it advances as unbelievers are brought into the kingdom through faith in Jesus.

Dear saints, this battle has been raging ever since the Fall into sin. Even when it appears as though the devil and his angels are gaining ground, remember that they are a defeated enemy. They cannot win. Jesus is on the throne, and He will never be removed. God calls you to be faithful. Keep confessing and testifying about Christ (Rev. 12:11). God has promised you His protection through the holy angels as you do what God gives you to do in this fight. And better than that, you have the victory through Jesus and His blood.

Your Lord, your Savior, your King, and your Captain invites you now to His Table to receive His very blood through which you gain the victory. Come and receive as He pours His mercy and forgiveness into you. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Wilderness to the Promised Land – Sermon on Joshua 3:1-6 and Matthew 3:13, 4:1-2

Joshua 3:1-6; Matthew 3:13, 4:1-2

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Imagine that you’re on a family road trip. You get on the freeway and have a nice conversation with your kids. As the talk starts to slow down, the kids ask if they can play some music over the stereo. After an hour of having the tunes cranked up, the kids start complaining about the songs their siblings are picking. So, you turn off the music and tell them all to take a nap, read a book, or just stare out the window. But the kids are tired of being in the car, so they revert to their favorite pastime – annoying each other. (By the way, this isn’t necessarily about my family.) After an hour of dealing with the complaints – “He’s touching me,” “Well, she’s looking at me,” “They’re breathing loud,” – you have just about had it. But you’re getting close to your destination.

It’s been several hours since you left home. You’re tired of being in the car and just want the trip to be over. But as you turn down the street of your destination, all your kids start screaming at each other. You’ve finally had enough. You tell your kids that for their punishment, you are going to fill up the gas tank and drive around for several more hours – one hour for every minute of screaming and fighting. (And, yes, I know with gas prices as high as they are, this seems completely ludicrous.)

Well, that analogy is similar to what happened when God delivered Israel out of slavery in Egypt (just don’t go too far with the details). God was bringing His people to the Promised Land. It was trip that shouldn’t have taken more than a couple of months. But God had led His people via the scenic route that included a lengthy pit stop at Mt. Sinai. After receiving God’s commands and instructions about building the Tabernacle, the people rebelled at the foot of the mountain and made the golden calf. Repeatedly on this road trip, the Israelites complained and wanted to return to Egypt and slavery because the cucumbers tasted good (Nu. 11:5). They would whine about not having food and water even though God was constantly providing for them.

To top it all off, when God’s people were on the doorstep of the land God had sworn to give them, they rebelled again. God had the people send spies into the Promised Land for forty days to have a look around (Nu. 13-14). When the spies returned, they reported that the land was fantastic, but they were terrified to enter because people who lived there were giants. Ten of the twelve spies said that entering the Promised Land was impossible even though God had promised to give it to them. This bad report from those ten spies terrified God’s people, and they refused to go forward.

So, God punished them by sending them into exile. For each of the forty days the spies were in the land, God sentenced the people to one year of exile wandering in the wilderness (Nu. 14:34). Forty days of spying and doubting that God would do what He promised meant forty years of exile. God swore that none of the people who were twenty years or older would enter the Promised Land except for Caleb and Joshua, the two faithful spies (Nu. 14:28-33). All the rest of the people would die in the wilderness, but their children would enter Canaan.

When the people learned about their punishment, some of them decided to try and conquer the Promised Land on their own. It didn’t go well. They went without the Ark of the Covenant which meant they went without God’s presence and blessing, so they were utterly defeated (Nu. 14:39-45). So, into exile went God’s people, but God went with them. For forty years, God’s people wandered in the wilderness between Canaan and Egypt. They had walked right up to their inheritance, but they didn’t believe God’s promises, which meant they had abandoned His blessing. But throughout those forty years of wandering in the wilderness, God remained faithful to His people. God was faithful even though the people continued to complain and rebel.

Finally, in tonight’s Old Testament reading (Josh. 3:1-6), the forty years of exile were over, and God brought His people into the Promised Land. As the priests carrying the Ark neared the banks, the Jordan River stood in a heap so His people could leave the wilderness and exile and enter the land flowing with milk and honey (Josh 3:12-17). Despite the people’s sin and rebellion on the way from Egypt to the Promised Land, and despite their sin during the forty years of exile, God was with His people – blessing them, forgiving them, and providing for them (Josh. 5:10-12).

We are just like the unfaithful Israelites who complained, rebelled, and bickered. Because of our sin, we wander about in the wilderness. We don’t have any word or promise from God about how long our exodus will be. But we do have the promise that a good land awaits us after our time of exile is over. Dear Christian, God has promised to give you the new heavens and new earth (Rev. 21:1). There, the same God who daily provides abundantly for all the needs of your life will abundantly provide for you for all eternity and shelter you in His presence. Jesus has gone there before you to prepare a place for you (Jn. 14:1-3). And now Jesus leads you on the way to that paradise.

In our Gospel lesson (Mt. 3:13, 4:1-2), Jesus went down into the waters of the same Jordan River that the Israelites crossed to go into the Promised Land. Jesus went to those waters to be baptized by John. There, your sins were placed upon Jesus (Jn. 1:29). But unlike the Israelites, Jesus doesn’t pass through the Jordan to enter the Promised Land. Instead, Jesus goes through the Jordan and out to the wilderness. Christ takes your sins into the wilderness and carries them back to Satan. But while out in the wilderness, your Savior finds you to lead you and travel with you on your journey to the Promised Land. He leads you to the waters of your Baptism, which grant forgiveness, life, and salvation and brings you into His kingdom.

Jesus prepared the way to the promised land for you because He is the Way (Jn. 14:6). He has opened the courts of heaven to you. Christ leads you on your pilgrim journey with His powerful, nail-scarred, forgiving hands. He brings you to where He is seated at the right hand of God the Father and where He is, there you may be also (Jn. 14:3). So, dear saints, set your minds above where your Lord and Savior is seated at the right hand of God. And when Christ, who is your life appears, then you will appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:1-4). Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Illusions & Safety – Sermon on Genesis 11:1-9 for the Day of Pentecost

Listen here.

Genesis 11:1–9

1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

In the midst of fear and anxiety over a virus, when we see a man unjustly killed in the streets of Minneapolis by an officer who is supposed to serve and protect the public, when we see a police officer killed in the line of duty in our community, when we see violent riots and evil thugs destroying property and livelihoods, it is easy to be scared and afraid. It is easy to wonder what is going to happen next. All of these things constantly remind us of our frailty and mortality. Where do we go to find refuge and safety?

We need to remember that the only safety, the only refuge, the only shelter we have is found in the arms of the God who died and rose again to deliver us from sin, death, and the devil. Our safety lies only in the God whose hands still bear the scars that set us free. Only one tower of safety exists, and that is the unshakable, unwavering, impenetrable fortress of the Christian Church.

Today is Pentecost, and we have heard how God gathers those whom He had scattered in the ruins of Babel to welcome them into the tower of the Church where they will be safe forever.

Today, we rejoice that we have been gathered together as the Body of Christ after our time of exile. It has been seventy-seven days since we last gathered together as a congregation (if Siri was correct when I asked her how many days it has been since March 15th which is when we last gathered here). The account of the Tower of Babel is a very fitting reminder that our only safety is found in the Christian Church. Every other thing that we consider safe is nothing more than an illusion. To get at why the account of the Tower of Babel teaches this, we have to go back a couple chapters before this text.

Back in Genesis 9[:18-29], Noah and his family have survived the flood and are off the ark. Scripture tells us that Noah became a man of the soil, planted a vineyard, got drunk on his wine, and fell asleep naked in a cave. Noah’s son Ham saw Noah’s nakedness and joked about it with his brothers Shem and Japheth. After learning about this, Noah curses Ham’s son, Canaan. And Ham was furious about this. Now, Ham had another son named Cush, and Cush bore Noah’s great-grandson named Nimrod. He was named Nimrod before it was an insult. Scripture tells us, that Nimrod “was the first on earth to be a mighty man” (Gen. 10:8), and Nimrod’s kingdom was Babel which we hear about in this text.

Most of the time when we hear the people of Babel talk about their plan, we think their final statement about trying to avoid being spread over the face of the earth is the singular point of rebellion against God’s command for them to fill the earth. But it appears as though there was even more defiance and hatred of God going on. Scripture also tells us that the people were building this city and tower to make a name for themselves, and they wanted their tower to have its top in the heavens.

The ancient Jewish historian Josephus has an interesting theory about what the people of Babel were trying to do. He draws this theory from other commentaries on Genesis that are much more ancient than him. The theory goes like this:

Ham hated his father, Noah, for cursing him. But even more so Ham hated God because God was really the one judging him for his sin against Noah. And Ham was angry that God would judge the world for their sin through the Flood. Ham hated the idea that he and all people should be accountable to God and have to answer for their sins. Ham passed this hatred down to his son Cush who passed this hatred down to Nimrod.

So, the theory about what is going on at Babel is not that a bunch of people have decided to live together in a big tower. Instead, the mighty man, Nimrod, has gathered people together and said that together they can be greater than God. Their desire is to be stronger than and overcome the God who would judge them. In other words, they want to be their own little ‘g’ god. They figured they could build a tower so high that the true God could not drown them like the generations before them. Even though God had promised that He would never do that again. But they didn’t trust God’s promise, so they are going to try and make themselves safe from God’s wrath.

Now, the Holy Spirit didn’t inspire this theory, and Scripture doesn’t give us these details. But still, it is a very good theory. First, it clearly explains what the people were trying to accomplish. They weren’t trying to build a tower to get closer to God; instead, they were trying to protect themselves from God and His anger over their sin. It explains why God saw their plan with such hostility and put a swift end to their work. The theory is also consistent with how sinners repeatedly respond to the judgment of God.

All sinners attempt to carry on the legacy of Nimrod. Kings and leaders of every generation do the same thing. Think of Nebuchadnezzar who built his idol and demanded that everyone bow down to it. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down and worship it, Nebuchadnezzar threatened them with the burning fiery furnace and boasted, “Who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” (Dan. 3:15). Nebuchadnezzar thought that he was stronger and more fearful than any other god. Of course, the true God came down and delivered them, so they came out of the furnace without even the smell of fire and smoke on them. But this pattern of leaders setting themselves up as greater than God still continues today.

Throughout history, communist dictators have declared that that the state is god who will provide everything for their people. They try to build a tower of government to their own glory and gather everyone as one. These communists burn and destroy churches and cathedrals in a futile attempt to remove Christ from His throne and usurp His claim to have all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18). They insist that their rule is stronger than the God who can destroy them. But the illusion of their glory always falls. Their towers crumble and their leaders are buried.

Even now, governors and heads of departments of health say they are doing things to keep people safe. But safety is not something they can offer. And we are tragically being reminded of that. Despite their executive orders and guidelines and restrictions, people contract the virus and die. People are killed in the streets by evil men who are supposed to protect them. And even the police officers aren’t safe.

Of course much of the time, our leaders have the best interest of the people they govern in mind with protocols and protections. But we see – we clearly see – that safety is not something the earthly authorities can offer. They can offer protection, but those protections have limits. Nothing in this fallen, sinful earth can offer you safety. Earthly safety is always an illusion in a fallen, broken world like ours.

Dear saints, remember that in Christ alone is your safety. I’ve been talking to many people lately who mention they have trouble sleeping. They wake up with worries and doubts about their future – physically, economically, socially, etc. The best thing to do when you are filled with fear and sense the lack of security is to go to the Scriptures. And Psalm 4:8 is the best verse I can think of in those times of uncertainty. It is a comforting reminder, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Every generation since Babel has seen how God scatters the proud in the thoughts of their hearts and brings down the mighty from their thrones (Lk. 2:51-52).

So, dear saints, even as you see God tearing down today’s towers that seem to offer safety, have no fear. The God who is to be feared, and the God who tears down our illusions of safety is the same God who has sent His own Son to deliver you. The God who would pull down the mightiest kingdoms and empires of this world has Himself established a fortress and tower that cannot be overcome. The safety He offers often doesn’t look like much, but look around you. Here is that tower. From the rubble of earthly Towers of Babel and from the scattered peoples, God has established His holy Christian Church.

Built upon the Rock of Jesus Christ, the Church is the impenetrable fortress of safety which not even the gates of hell can overcome (Mt. 16:18). Wherever the Gospel is proclaimed, the very sinners who have been scattered throughout the world are gathered together not to overcome God, but to be overcome by His love and mercy.

On this day of Pentecost, God comes to those who are standing in the ruins of the Tower of Babel and puts something taller and higher before your eyes. He sets the cross of Christ before and gathers you here, and at the cross you see the judgment of God against sin that you could not take. Looking in faith to the cross, you see that God’s anger is no more because God has poured out every last bit of His anger against your sin upon Jesus. The God who had the right to condemn you for your cruelty and foolishness condemns His Son in your place. At the cross you see God’s judgment has not been poured out on you but on Christ. At the cross, you see that all your pride is of no value because Jesus’ blood has been poured over you and has erased it. At the foot of the cross you see that God’s love has found you and taken away your sin.

As you stand in the rubble of the towers that you would build to protect yourself from God’s wrath, look to the cross of Christ and see that Jesus has finished building the only tower that can hide you from the wrath of God. And, now that there is no anger of God left to consume you, see the empty tomb. See that because Christ has walked out of the grave triumphant over death see that there is now a room in that tower reserved with your name, and know that you have a place in the fortress of God’s love.

Dear saints, don’t ever settle for any illusions of safety. Find your refuge in your Savior. For you who believe, the tower of Christ will never fall because you have permanent and eternal shelter in Jesus’ forgiveness. And, in Christ, you will be safe forever. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.