God, Be Merciful to Me a Sinner

Sermon October 27 2013 God be Merciful to Me a Sinner

Old Testament – Joel 2:23-32

Plagues of locusts!  Enemy attacks!  God to the rescue!  These are the themes of the book of Joel.  The date of the short prophetic book is unknown, but the national problems it addresses are clear.

This particular passage announces God’s impending relief of a locust plague and then goes on to describe the wonderful things God will do for the nation.

The outpouring of God’s Spirit heralds apocalyptic signs and the coming Day of the Lord.  The moon will be blood red, the sun will be dark, there will be smoke and fire- these signs and portents will herald that day. 

Those of faith should not fear, for providing they call upon the name of the Lord- the same Lord who is in the midst of them, and who pours forth the Spirit of Life and truth upon them – they will be saved.

The name Yahweh, whom Christians know as Father, Son, and Spirit, though none of these are cultic magic formulae. To call upon the name  is to identify with all that the name means and implies.

 What does it mean to be saved?  It implies being saved from something and for something.  Perhaps Joel and Paul (Rom. 10:12) it is being saved from faithlessness and despair, and being saved for faith and hope.

In the case of Joel and his Jerusalem context, it is Mount Zion and Jerusalem that become the place of safety and salvation.

For Christians , it is the new Jerusalem and the new heaven and earth, where it matters not that the sun is darkened, or the moon has turned to blood, for the new Jerusalem has no need of them.  The light will come from the SON of righteousness, the Lamb.

Psalm 65

Psalm 65 identifies God in terms of three critical dimensions of God’s relation to all that God has made:  forgiver, deliverer, provider.

The psalm overcomes the peril implicit in the metaphor.  Water is invoked in the psalm, not only to bespeak the providence of the God who waters the earth to make it fruitful, but also to depict the deliverance of the God who excercises power over the tumultuous water (v.7).

Doubtless the psalmist remembers that the God who can silence the roaring of the waves can also bring forth water from a rock (Exodus 17:6).

Praise is due you, O God, in Zion: and to you shall vows be performed, O you who answer prayer!  To you all flesh shall come.

 

Epistle  2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the face.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom.  To Him be the glory forever and ever.

Paul’s imprisonment and imminent martyrdom are presented not merely as unfortunate events to which he responded by writing a will; instead the events represent the culmination of a life that had always been moving toward this type of ending.

Paul’s life and ministry as a follower of Jesus represented a cultic drink offering that was being “poured out” to the Lord.  When one begins the process of pouring out a drink offering, one knows that the drink will eventually be depleted.  When Paul began pouring out his life in service to the Lord, he knew that one day his life would eventually be depleted.

For us we can know that the Lord is always present to provide the necessary strength to fight the good fight , to finish the race, and to keep the faith.  Therefore, with confidence believers continue in the faith (3:14), knowing that on the day of the Lord’s judgment, a crown of righteousness awaits  all those who finish the race.

Gospel Luke 18: 9-14

Reading this passage causes us to always wonder in which place we are standing.  Are we a Pharisee or a tax collector!  Our ego always wins over because we assume and possibly puff up with pride  saying and thinking oh I could never be in the place of the Pharisee.

I am so glad I attend church regularly. I am so glad that I am not like that homeless person I saw at Walmart begging for money. I am so glad that I would never go to night clubs and act like a heathen.

Sometimes it is when we fall that we become humble and see our need for God’s grace and forgiveness.  O, it was just a small lie.  I really didn’t mean to say that.

This parable tells us about ourselves as followers of Christ. It makes us twinge  at the thought of acting like the self- righteous Pharisee.  It also inspires us with the humility of the tax collector.

This parable tells us about the Triune God of mercy – the God who redeems through self-sacrifice.  Our justification is not obtained by doing things -  even good things like charitable giving.  In  fact it is not “achieved” at all – at least by us.

Justification comes through God’s reaching out in mercy to helpless sinners.

Jesus challenges believers to avoid trusting in our own efforts at fulfilling the law and, rather, to humble ourselves before a merciful and loving God.  Trust is called for,  but not trust in ourselves or in our ability to keep God’s law.

What is called for here is trust in God’s mercy.  In a culture that values individual achievement so highly, this can be a tall order, but even as we are cautioned not to trust in our ability to fulfill the law,  nowhere does Jesus say that we may ignore the law.  Discipleship is a balancing act.

Balance is key.  We cannot trust in our ability to fulfill the law to save us, yet we do not abandon the law.  We humble ourselves before a merciful God yet are confident in the Lord’s promises.  Whether Pharisee or tax collector by nature, all find welcome in God’s temple.

Everytime we hear the sinners prayer we are reminded of where we are in our relationship with God.

The bible says: Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out (John 6:37)

The bible says: Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Rom.10:13).

The Word of God assures us: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And further assurance comes from the scriptures: If thou shalt confess with they mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:9-1).

Let us say together that confession: I believe in my heart Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  I believe that He was raised from the dead for my justification, and I confess Him now as My Lord.

I do believe with my heart, I have now become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21).. and I am saved. 

Thank you Lord. Amen.