First Lutheran Church of Little Rock

Other Lessons: Psalm 139:1–10; 1 Corinthians 6:12–20; John 1:43–51
(A) In the Name of the Father…Amen.
(B) The Old Testament lesson serves as our sermon text for this morning.
(C) Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
(D) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
LSB 589:1-2 Speak, O Lord, Your Servant Listens
Speak, O Lord, Your servant listens,
Let Your Word to me come near;
Newborn life and spirit give me,
Let each promise still my fear.
Death’s dread pow’r, its inward strife,
Wars against Your Word of life;
Fill me, Lord, with love’s strong fervor
That I cling to You forever!

Oh, what blessing to be near You
And to listen to Your voice;
Let me ever love and hear You,
Let Your Word be now my choice!
Many hardened sinners, Lord,
Flee in terror at Your Word;
But to all who feel sin’s burden
You give words of peace and pardon. Amen.

Introduction

(A) The times were very dark.
(1) External enemies threatened the people of God.
(2) Worse yet, there were internal struggles as well.
(3) The sons of their divinely-appointed judge, Eli, were without the
character to succeed their father.
(4) But in the tabernacle, under the care of Eli, there was a youth,
perhaps twelve years old, whose name was Samuel.
(5) In the past, the Lord had spoken to Israel through the prophets, but
now He seemed to have gone silent.
(B) One night, however, as Samuel and the world slept, that was going to
change.
(1) The Lord of Israel had formed that nation for the purpose of bringing
His salvation to all of fallen humanity, and Samuel was to be the Lord’s
next spokesman.
(2) Before he could speak, though, Samuel needed to learn and to say,
“Speak, for Your Servant Hears.”
(I) Lord, teach me who You are.
(A) There are no true atheists.
(1) Everyone has a god to whom they turn to in trouble and need.
(2) Every culture has a religion, because humanity seeks to understand a
God that they know must exist.
(3) That god might be anything the fallen mind of man wants—power, money,
self.
(B) But the true God is known only in His revelation of Himself.
(1) Ancient Israel had come to depend on the Word of the Lord through
prophets and visions.
(2) That Word had become so rare, so it was no wonder that Samuel did not
recognize the voice of the Lord and three times mistook his voice for Eli’s
voice.
1 Samuel 3:2-8 (NASB95)
2 It happened at that time as Eli was lying down in his place (now his
eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not see well),
3 and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in
the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was,
4 that the LORD called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.”
5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said,
“I did not call, lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
6 The LORD called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli and
said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he answered, “I did not call, my
son, lie down again.”
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor had the word of the LORD yet
been revealed to him.
8 So the LORD called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went
to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli discerned that
the LORD was calling the boy.
(3) The reason for all this?:
1 Samuel 3:7 (NASB95)
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor had the word of the LORD yet been
revealed to him.
(C) The greatest need of all people in every age is to know the Lord.
(1) Samuel was not alone in his need to learn who God is.
a) So many of the people of Israel had forgotten the Lord who had given
them the land they were in.
(2) The same can be said of the times in which we live.
a) They are very dark when it comes to knowing the Lord.
1) Any indication of our Western societies reflecting Christianity or its
values are all but gone.
2) The Church is:
1- Openly mocked,
2- lampooned in the media;
3- basic tenets of the sanctity of human life and male and female
identities are officially rejected in legislatures and courts.
3) We are persecuted subtly but has become more and more open.
4) We may wonder if God is near to hear us.
(3) This is always true:
a) No person can find their true purpose until he or she knows their
Creator.
1) Not only knows about Him, but of Him as well.
(II) Lord, teach me how You speak.
(A) Samuel became a great prophet of Israel.
(1) The silence of prophetic revelations (verse 1) was about to end as the
Lord revealed himself to Samuel.
1 Samuel 3:21 (NASB95)
And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, because the LORD revealed Himself to
Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
(2) The day would come when the Lord would speak to Israel through Samuel,
by whose word Israel would return from idols to the true God
1 Samuel 7:3–12 (NASB95)
3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to
the LORD with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth
from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him alone; and
He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”
4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the
LORD alone.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the
LORD for you.”
6 They gathered to Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the
LORD, and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the
LORD.” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah.
7 Now when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered to
Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the
sons of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
8 Then the sons of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry to the LORD
our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
9 Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it for a whole burnt offering to
the LORD; and Samuel cried to the LORD for Israel and the LORD answered
him.
10 Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines drew
near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a great thunder
on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were
routed before Israel.
11 The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and
struck them down as far as below Beth-car.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named
it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
(3) But still they would not listen to the Lord.
(A) You would think that after everything they had been through, they would
finally return to the Lord and trust Him!
(B) But they refused to be ruled by God and His Word and demanded a human
king rather than the divine King and His Word.
1 Samuel 8:4–9 (NASB95)
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at
Ramah;
5 and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not
walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the
nations.”
6 But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said,
“Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD.
7 The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to
all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have
rejected Me from being king over them.
8 “Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought
them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and
served other gods—so they are doing to you also.
9 “Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them
and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.”
(C) That demand of a king would ultimately bring disaster on the king and
his people.
1 Samuel 31:1–7 (NASB95)
1 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel
fled from before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
2 The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed
Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua the sons of Saul.
3 The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was
badly wounded by the archers.
4 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me
through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and pierce me
through and make sport of me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was
greatly afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.
5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword
and died with him.
6 Thus Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men on
that day together.
7 When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, with
those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and
that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then
the Philistines came and lived in them.
(B) To know the voice of God, we must go where it is He speaks.
(1) Consider the opening words from the book of Hebrews:
Hebrews 1:1–2 (NASB95)
1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many
portions and in many ways,
2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of
all things, through whom also He made the world.
(2) In our day there are many false prophets who claim to speak for God.
(3) But to learn what His voice sounds like, we must go to where we can
hear Him, and not someone else, speaking.
(A) Holy Scripture, the very Word of God, the very voice of God, is where
we learn to recognize His voice.
(B) We read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest that precious voice of the
Shepherd.
(4) Yet the Lord has not left us without a human voice to speak on his
authority and in his name.
(A) That is how we hear the absolution spoken—by the pastor.
(III) Lord, teach me what to say.
(A) All the prophets bore witness to the same message.
(1) From the promise given at the fall in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15)
through John the Baptist, every word and every act of God in the life of
Israel prepared the way for the Messiah.
(2) When that One promised long ago was born, He came to be the final
Sacrifice for all of mankind.
(A) The world needs this message of salvation and hope, and that message is
found only in the Christ.
(B) He alone brings salvation by:
1) bearing all sin,
2) shedding holy, innocent blood to cleanse us,
3) entering our tomb,
4) and then breaking forth on Easter with the glorious message, “Christ is
risen!”
(3) This is the message for which Samuel and all the prophets longed for
and which has been so richly poured out on you and me.
(A) In your Baptism, your own resurrection of the body is guaranteed.
(B) In the blessed Sacrament of the Altar, you receive the food of
immortality, Christ’s very body and blood.
(C) In the eternal words of the Holy Absolution, you hear the very voice of
God:
1) “Your sins are forgiven.”
(B) All of God’s redeemed are sent to speak with His own words.
(1) You are redeemed by Jesus Christ, the Holy One promised by the Word of
God through his chosen prophets.
(A) You and I do not look forward to a promised One who is yet to come, as
did the ancient people of God.
(B) We look back to the historic life, death, and resurrection of Jesus for
us and for all the world.
(2) This truth of who Jesus is and what He has done is what we are taught
to speak—no matter what our vocation might be.
(A) Some are called to the vocation of pastor and preacher.
(B) But all are called to witness wherever God puts you:
1) Where you shop.
2) Where you work.
3) Where you live.
(C) You speak what you have heard the Lord say through His prophets,
apostles, and pastors:
1) “Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.”
2) Oh come, let us adore and worship Him!
Conclusion

(A) Augustine once said long ago:
(1) “Where did I find you, God, so that I might learn to know you?
(2) You were not in my memory before I learned to know you.
(3) Where then have I found you, if not in yourself and above me?” (St.
Augustine, Confessions).
(B) Samuel had the very unusual experience of having the Lord come and
stand before him and speak to him face to face, God’s voice to Samuel’s ear
(1 Sam 3:10).
(1) But for most of us, even for the great St. Augustine, the very same
voice comes to us in a different but just as powerful way.
(2) Augustine found the answer to his question, “Where is God?” not within
himself or in humanity but in the Scriptures that God had given to him and
to all of humanity.
(3) There he learned who his Lord is, how his Lord speaks, and how he is to
speak.
(4) So life-changing was this for Augustine that he became one of the
greatest theologians of the Church and founded an order of monks.
(5) Centuries later, that same order trained and produced none other than
Martin Luther.
(C) A story every Lutheran knows is that of Martin Luther’s search to know
God.
(1) Luther had his own “epiphany” of sorts.
(2) All that came about only after nearly being killed by lightning, vowing
to become a monk, and then becoming a student of Holy Scripture.
(3) It was there in the Word, and only in the Word, that Luther would learn
who the Lord is, how He speaks, and how we are to speak for Him.
(4) Luther had entered a quest for an answer as to how a sinful human being
could ever stand before a holy and righteous God.
(5) That search was finally fulfilled when he read,
Galatians 3:11 (NASB95)
11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “THE
RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
(6) Everything else then made sense, and every other thought, action, deed,
and speech would be shaped by that great truth—of Scripture.
(D) The words of young Samuel, “Speak, for your servants hears,” were
spoken long ago.
(1) But the true God still teaches you and me who He is, how and where He
speaks, and what we are in turn to say.
(E) Our days may be as dark as the days of Samuel, but just as in the
former days, so today and into the future here on earth, that hope and
peace from God is present as light in the darkness.
(1) So live in His light until the day He calls you home to heaven where
there is no need for sun or stars, because the Lamb is the light. Amen.
(F) Let us pray:
LSB 589:3-4 Speak, O Lord, Your Servant Listens
Lord, Your words are waters living
When my thirsting spirit pleads.
Lord, Your words are bread life-giving;
On Your words my spirit feeds.
Lord, Your words will be my light
Through death’s cold and dreary night;
Yes, they are my sword prevailing
And my cup of joy unfailing!

As I pray, dear Jesus, hear me;
Let Your words in me take root.
May Your Spirit e’er be near me
That I bear abundant fruit.
May I daily sing Your praise,
From my heart glad anthems raise,
Till my highest praise is given
In the endless joy of heaven.
Text: Public domain
(G) The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
(H) In the Name of the Father…Amen.

Text: Romans 6:1–11
Theme: The Reality of Christ
Other Lessons: Genesis 1:1–5; Psalm 29; Mark 1:4–11

(A) In the Name of the Father…Amen.
(B) Romans 6:1-11 serves as our sermon text for this morning, which reads
as follows:
Romans 6:1–11 (NASB95)
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may
increase?
2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ
Jesus have been baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so
that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so
we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death,
certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our
body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves
to sin;
7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
Him,
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die
again; death no longer is master over Him.
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life
that He lives, He lives to God.
11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in
Christ Jesus.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
(C) Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
(D) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
Psalm 29:1–11 (NASB95)
1 Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the LORD glory and
strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in holy
array.
3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The
LORD is over many waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful, The voice of the LORD is majestic.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces
the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; The LORD shakes the
wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve And strips the forests
bare; And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”
10 The LORD sat as King at the flood; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever.
11 The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His
people with peace. Amen.

Introduction
(A) The Amazing Race. Survivor. Cops. The Deadliest Catch. Nightwatch.
(1) What do each of those things have in common?
(A) They are all “reality shows”.
(1) For example, if you want to get a “feel” for life as one fishing for
crabs off the coast of Alaska, watch the Deadliest Catch.
(B) What about our lives as Christians?
(1) What would a reality show profiling our lives as Christians look like?
(I) The reality is, every one of us is dying . . . and dying to fill holes
in our lives.
(A) So, let’s be real.
(1) Our lives are temporary.
(2) No one knows when they will die.
(3) Everyone is looking for something to fill a void they have in their
lives.
(4) Each one of us has a void that we don’t like to talk about.
(5) This void has various forms:
(a) Loneliness
(b) Insecurity
(c) Fear of the unknown
(d) Unspeakable loss
(e) Need
(6) In this void:
(a) Children are afraid of the future
(b) Widows and widowers who grieve the loss of their spouse.
(c) Women who feel unappreciated
(d) Men who think they have failed their children.
(e) One dealing with guilt, shame, and regret.
(f) Those who have “everything” and that still is not enough.
(g) One has no sense of purpose, so just let them die!
(B) Everyone has holes they want to fill and need someone to do it for them.
(C) Everyone is dying to live!
(D) Is all this real enough for you?
(II) We need something real to fill those holes within us.
(A) Trying to fill that void with things that are fleeting, always changing:
(1) Entertainment
(2) Sports
(3) Technology
(4) Achievements in your life
(5) Money
(6) False spirituality
(7) “Sex, drugs, and rock and roll”
(8) Looking to be noticed by others
(9) And the list goes on…
(B) Your purpose of filling the void?:
(1) Ease the pain of loneliness
(2) To answer our questions
(3) To make the pain go away!
(4) But all this comes back!
(C) We need something real.
(1) Not found in our elected officials.
(2) Not found on your favorite news channel.
(3) Not found in social media
(4) Not found in self-help books.
(D) The real things that fill the void:
(1) Flesh and blood found in bread and wine.
(2) Wood, water, and dirt.
(3) Life and death.
(4) The truth
(a) Not lies
(b) Not half truths
(c) Not one’s interpretation
(E) To hear the real truth:
(1) Listen to the Word of God!
(III) Holy Baptism connects us to Jesus.
(A) Listen again to what Paul says in our text for this morning:
Romans 6:3–4 (NASB95)
3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ
Jesus have been baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so
that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so
we too might walk in newness of life.
(B) Paul reminds us of things we can hold onto:
(1) Washed with real water
(2) Spoken over with real words.
(3) This is a real event with real witnesses.
(4) It happened to you!
(C) What happened when you were baptized?:
(1) The old died.
(2) The new was born.
(3) Real event with real witnesses.
(D) Your future has completely changed:
(1) Connected to Jesus’ death and resurrection.
(a) Jesus died, you died.
(b) Jesus rose from the dead, you rose from the dead.
(E) Everything about you is now different.
(1) Identity
(2) Value
(3) Hope
(F) It Is Hard to Live in This Fallen World, but the Reality of Our Baptism
Gives Us Forgiveness, Identity, Salvation, and Hope we so desperately need.
(IV) God gives us very real things to fill our senses and strengthen our
faith.
(A) Paul gets real practical:
Romans 6:8–11 (NASB95)
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
Him,
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die
again; death no longer is master over Him.
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life
that He lives, He lives to God.
11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in
Christ Jesus.
(B) Paul here connects two historical events:
(1) Christ’s death and resurrection
(2) Your baptism
(a) Connected to the Cross
(b) Jesus’ real flesh and blood nailed to:
1) A real cross
2) Real nails and wood was used.
(c) Jesus died a real death
1) To pay for your real sins
2) To save you from the real place called hell.
(d) Jesus rose again:
1) To give you eternal life in heaven
(C) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God knew that things were going to
be too tough for us to go around thinking abstract thoughts about
salvation.
(1) That is why God connects heavenly things to earthly things.
(a) To give you something to hold on to
(b) The worship service:
1) You see
2) You hear
3) You are not alone
4) You’re in a hospital filled with God’s broken but beloved children.
5) Confessing your sins before God and man.
6) Confessing your faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
(c) Where else will you find an altar, a baptismal font, and a pulpit?
1) God bringing His means of salvation to you!
(D) When you confess your sins and I announce God’s forgiveness of sins to
you, it is not a different forgiveness than what you receive in your
bedroom, but God wants you to hear it.
(1) He wants you to hear that you are really forgiven.
(2) In the words of the sermon and the liturgy that we speak together, you
hear that you are a sinner, but that you are also saved by God’s grace
alone.
(E) Long ago, church used to have a smell attached to it as well.
(1) It was not the Roman Catholics or the Eastern Orthodox who originated
the use of incense in worship;
(2) it was God in the Old Testament.
(3) The burning of incense in the tabernacle was commanded by God
(4) and the psalms were prayers rising like incense from the temple to
heaven.
(5) That meant church used to smell different from the world (and it still
does in some places), and that helped to create a different state of mind.
(F) God brings real things together to bring about real change for us.
(1) His real body and blood connected with real bread and wine.
(a) His Real Presence
(b) His forgiveness that is not only heard, but tasted.
(2) What then is this “real” change I speak of?
(a) The Lord gives us real:
1) Life
2) Strength
3) Renewal
(b) Clinging to faith in Christ
(G) The worship service is all about:
(1) Seeing
(2) Hearing
(3) Smelling
(4) Eating
(5) Drinking
(6) These are all real things from a real Savior
(a) Jesus fills the void we can’t
(b) Christ alone is the One who makes us complete.
(V) Jesus Christ is the very practical solution to the way sin has made our
lives unreal.
(A) The Christian life is filled with paradoxes.
(1) Loneliness and fear
(2) Your sin, my sin
(3) Assurance and hope
(B) As you live your lives, remember:
(1) Your Baptism
(a) Real water was applied
(b) God’s real Word spoken to you
(c) You were once dead in your sins, now made alive.
(d) Guilt washed away, regret and shame pardoned.
(2) At the Cross, you find:
(a) Jesus’ mercy
(3) In your Baptism, there you find:
(a) Your identity
(b) Your connection and history to people both past and present
(c) The reality of Christ
Conclusion
(A) Pastors sometimes get attacked for preaching “impractical” sermons.
(1) We’re accused of preaching about things that are too much in the
abstract, or things that’ll happen after we die.
(2) We’re sometimes told that we spend too much time preaching about
doctrine and not enough time preaching about what people “really need.”
(3) We’re told that if we’re to remain relevant to people, we must address
things that people are going through on a day-to-day basis.
(4) We don’t need “old stuff”; we need “new stuff.”
(5) We need to preach something more “real.”
(B) With all that was said during this sermon, who says preaching doctrine
isn’t practical?
(1) In the name of the Father…Amen.
(C) Let us pray:
Thanks and praise be unto You, our God and Lord, for sending us the Gospel
of Your Son, Jesus Christ, in which You teach us the way of salvation and
comfort us with the hope of everlasting life.
Make Your Word in us a power of salvation, and the anchor of our souls in
life and death.
Cause also the voice of Your Word to be sounded abroad, that the nations
that do not know You may come to Your light. Amen.
(D) The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
(E) In the Name of the Father…Amen.

(A) In the Name of the Father…Amen.
(B) The Old Testament lesson serves as our sermon text for this morning.
(C) Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
(D) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
Praise belongs to You, our God, because You have fulfilled Your promises to
Your people Israel in the incarnation of Your Son, and sent the light of
Your truth to our fathers when they were walking in ignorance of You.
Grant us steadfastly to trust Your covenant of grace that we may live
therein.
Make Your works of mercy and truth known to our children, that they may
praise Your name in generations to come. Amen.

Introduction

(A) Seventy years ago, Irish playwright Samuel Beckett wrote a play that is
considered a modern masterpiece by people all over the world.
(1) The play is about two men who are waiting under a tree for a man called
Godot.
(2) The two men are unsure of exactly who Godot is or if he will ever
arrive.
(3) They talk at length:
(a) searching for hope and making meaningless conversation as they wait,
(b) But they are never sure of exactly what they are hoping for or what
will happen when Godot shows up.
(4) As the play comes to an end, night falls on the helpless and
unfulfilled men, and the man they wait for never shows up.
(5) In this play, entitled Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett assumes the
role of mouthpiece for the entire unbelieving world,
(a) He accuses Christians of spending their lives waiting on impotent
promises made by a God that does not exist.
(1) For most of history, mankind has been waiting for God.
(A) A close look at Scripture reveals that Beckett was at least partially
right.
(1) For nearly all of history, mankind has waited for God.
(2) Indeed, we have waited for God to save us.
(3) The Bible has sixty-six books consisting of about twelve hundred pages.
(4) Mankind was sinless and in favor with God for exactly two chapters of
the whole Bible, which equates to roughly a page and a half.
(5) We all know what happened in that third chapter of Genesis.
(6) Our ancestors Adam and Eve rebelled against God, and in doing so, they
plunged themselves and all of God’s creation into a condition of sin.
(7) Ever since, the world and everything in it has been separated from God.
(B) God was angry and cast our first parents out of the garden.
(1) He cursed them with difficulties and tribulation and, finally, death.
(2) We see from the beginning that God despises rebellion against Him, but
we also see that God’s wrath is overshadowed by His shocking grace.
(3) For even as God was expelling His wicked children from paradise, He
promised them that one of Eve’s offspring would crush the head of the
reviled serpent that tempted them into their fatal mistake.
(4) Yes, even in the third chapter of Genesis, God promises a Messiah.
(5) From that point on, mankind has waited for God.
(2) Waiting is not something we do well.
(A) God’s wisdom has always seemed foolish to humans, so we’ve always
sought to have things our own way.
(1) Throughout history, whenever man’s will led him to misery, suffering,
and despair (as was always the case), helpless man cried out to God and
waited for God to save him again.
(2) Without fail, God always did.
(B) The entire Old Testament, in ways both subtle and bold, points to both
the need for and the promise of a Savior.
(1) Whether through events that foreshadowed the salvation that was to
come, or by bold prophetic utterances of those who spoke on God’s behalf,
every book of the Old Testament told of man’s desperate inability to save
himself and of God’s enduring promise to save and restore him.
(2) God promised to send a Messiah, a champion of his people, who would:
(a) crush their oppressors,
(b) lead them to the promised land,
(c) and restore their relationship with Him.
(d) And so, man waited.
(C) God in His mercy did not force His children to linger here on earth
without Him.
(1) Our heavenly Father knew that the burden of enduring without Him was
too much for His children to bear, so God always placed Himself where His
broken children could easily find Him.
(2) He told them to build a tabernacle, which means “dwelling place,” where
they could come and hear God’s Word read to them.
(3) They were to come to Him in repentance and sacrifice the blood of
animals for their sins.
(4) They were to come and receive forgiveness and comfort.
(5) They were to come and be in the real presence of God.
(6) God was always there, just as He said He would be.
(7) What we do in worship now is really no different than what was done
back then, just no animal sacrifices.
(D) Through the generations, God’s people continued to be so sinful and so
rebellious that the blood of beasts could never satisfy God’s wrath.
(1) Despite God’s presence, guidance, and mercy, man still wanted his own
way.
(2) And God gave it to him.
(3) God spoke to the people through prophets, telling them of his fury over
their sin.
(4) Through Isaiah, for example, the Lord God warned his people:
Isaiah 39:6 (NASB95)
‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house and all that
your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon;
nothing will be left,’ says the LORD.
(a) And, yes, He allowed them to be taken into the bondage of slavery again.
(E) True to His character, however, God still spoke words of promise.
(1) He assured his people that the Messiah would yet come to them at just
the right time.
(2) Even as Isaiah saw the days of captivity, God let him see deliverance,
a new day:
Isaiah 61:10–62:3 (NASB95)
10 I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He
has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of
righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride
adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, And as a garden causes the
things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness
and praise To spring up before all the nations.
1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will
not keep quiet, Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, And her
salvation like a torch that is burning.
2 The nations will see your righteousness, And all kings your glory; And
you will be called by a new name Which the mouth of the LORD will
designate.
3 You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, And a royal
diadem in the hand of your God.
(F) “Will do this, will do that”. “Until this happens, until that happens”
(1) Nothing but promises, promises, promises, the “Samuel Becketts” of the
Old Testament world would say.
(2) God’s people lamented, and they cried out for reconciliation.
(3) And . . . they waited.
(3) But just as God promised, the Messiah did come.
(A) The story of Simeon as recorded in the second chapter of Luke may cover
only a few paragraphs, but it has a great and lasting importance to the
life of every Christian.
(1) Simeon, like many of his generation, had waited for God’s Messiah.
(2) But unlike any other of his generation that we know of, he had been
guaranteed by God that he would not die before he had seen the promise come
to pass.
(3) Simeon waited well.
(4) We do not know how long Simeon waited.
(5) Tradition usually portrays Simeon as greatly advanced in age.
(6) But Scripture is silent as to how old he actually was.
(7) All that can be said is that he waited well in faith for his Savior to
arrive.
(8) And just as God promised, the Messiah did come.
(B) God Has Always Made His People Promises and Kept Them.
(C) The Scripture said that the Holy Spirit had come upon Simeon, and it is
clear that this is how he knew that he had seen the Christ.
(1) For only through the eyes of faith that the Holy Spirit can provide
could Simeon have known that this helpless, fragile baby was really the
King of all creation.
(2) As he looked upon the child, born humbly and in a most inglorious
fashion, he knew that he had not waited in vain on an impotent, nonexistent
fantasy.
(3) He had in fact been in the real presence of God.
(4) We no longer wait for God to reconcile us to Him, for Jesus finished
that at the cross.
(A) As Simeon looked at the child, Scripture records that he spoke these
beautiful words that we have come to know as the Nunc Dimittis (the Song of
Simeon):
Luke 2:29–32 (KJV)
29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy
word:
30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
(B) The Samuel Becketts of Simeon’s day would have dismissed this as sheer
and utter foolishness, but our God works that way.
(1) His foolishness produces:
(a) abundance from nothingness,
(b) strength from weakness,
(c) life from death.
(d) We see this at the cross.

(2) We see our Lord and Savior Jesus:
(a) battered,
(b) weak,
(c) crucified,
(d) in despair
(e) and in agony.
(3) Through worldly eyes:
(a) we see a gentle Jewish man being executed,
(4) But through eyes of faith provided us by the Holy Spirit, we see God
incarnate, triumphantly destroying the power of death for us.
(5) We can never think about this reality too much.
(a) The danger is not thinking about it enough.
(b) Or only thinking about it when it is convenient to do so.
(6) For at the cross, we learn who we truly are—and who God truly is.
(7) God’s attributes were fully revealed that day, as we beheld God’s
ultimate wrath and fury . . . and his shocking and infinite mercy.
(8) Our sin so infuriated our heavenly Father that there had to be blood
atonement.
(9) Someone had to die!
(10) But He loves you so much that He wouldn’t let it be you.
(11) Instead, in your place, He sent His only Son to be your Savior, just
as He always said He would do.
(C) We no longer wait for God to reconcile us to Him, for that was finished
at the cross.
(1) You are reminded of this at your Baptism, where you were:
(a) washed,
(b) renewed,
(c) and grafted into His family,
(d) forever bonded to the One who conquered death, the devil, and hell on
your behalf.
(e) You are no longer a free agent left to your own devices and your own
feeble plans to save yourself.
(f) Your life has been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, and you are
His and He is yours.
(5) Instead, we now wait for God differently.
(A) Yes, we still wait for God.
(1) We wait for His return.
(2) He has promised to come again for us and to take us to the place He has
prepared for us in heaven.
(3) We now wait to see Him face to face, knowing that we have nothing to
fear in the real presence of God.
(4) We now look eagerly forward to the day when our tears are wiped away
and our joy will be without restraint.
(5) We wait for our place at the table at a feast that will have no end.
(B) There is also good news for us in the present.
(1) We do not merely wait for the presence of God in the future, for just
as in the days of old, the Lord knows that life on earth is too much for us
to bear alone.
(2) Just as in the Old Testament, God still puts Himself where we, His
broken children, can easily find Him.
(3) He has promised to meet us:
(a) In the Word: where we hear
First. the Law, showing us the right way to live
Second. and the Gospel, showing us our Savior and Lord who has lived the
right way for us because we cannot and will not on our own.
(b) In the water:
First. Combined with the Word, we are cleansed of our sins.
Second. The old Adam has died, the new man is alive!
Third. We are united with Christ in His death and resurrection.
(c) In the Supper:
First. He gives us the sacrifice He made at the cross so that you may have
comfort from the forgiveness of your sins.
Second. He meets you, gives you His real presence, and assures you of His
love for you.
Third. He will always be there for you, just as He said he would.

Conclusion
(A) As you wait for God now, do not concern yourself as some Christians do
with trying to “show God your résumé” of all you’ve done and not done.
(1) Do not be obsessed with proving yourself to God so that you may impress
Him in the hopes of being saved on the Last Day.
(2) The truth is, you will be sinning when the Lord returns, and so will I.
(3) Rather, wait for God by remaining daily in repentance and remembering
the depth of your sin and the greater depth of God’s grace.
(4) Never forget that there is no sin you have committed that is too great
to be absolved by His mercy.
(5) His death and resurrection are sufficient for you.
(B) The world is full of Becketts who accuse us of waiting on a promise
that is impotent and on a God who doesn’t exist.
(1) But your God has a perfect attendance record.
(2) We don’t know when He’ll return but we have the promise that He WILL
return.
(3) Rest assured, however, that when He’s seen all He needs to see, and all
that He requires has come to pass, He will say to the evil foe, “You will
hurt my children no more.”
(4) Our waiting will end, and He will return, just as He always said He
would.
(5) Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
(C) Let us pray:
Gracious and merciful Lord, we look to You for the remission of our sins in
Jesus, who speaks Your faithful words and performs the mighty work of our
salvation. Hallelujah! Amen.
Various Authors. The Lutheran Study Bible (Kindle Locations 146344-146345).
Concordia Publishing House. Kindle Edition.
(D) The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
(E) In the Name of the Father…Amen.

Theme: Returned

(A) In the Name of the Father…Amen.
(B) Psalm 126 serves as our sermon text for this evening.
(C) Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
(D) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
O my Lord God, you have returned your people to Zion, the city of peace.
The temple is restored, and your people are singing in joy.
O Lord Yahweh, my God and my King, you have done great things for us.
No longer are your people forced to live in Babylon, a land of slavery and
false gods.
We are home in Jerusalem. Home in the blessed city of David. Amen.

Introduction

(A) We have returned to the mercy seat of God.
(1) Our third psalm for Advent, Psalm 126, opens with these words:
Psalm 126:1 (NASB95)
When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion, We were like those who
dream.
(B) The nightmare of exile is over, and the sudden rush of joy is like a
barren desert turning into a flood.
(1) Imagine the flow of living-giving water or the flow of wine into the
cups of joy-filled guests at the best of banquet celebrations, bringing
happiness to the heart as people celebrate freedom.

(4) The nightmare of exile was over, for Judah had returned home.

(A) Captives who have been set free cannot do anything but rejoice and be
glad; every breath of free air is a celebration.
(1) The return from Babylon meant so much to Judah.
(2) The former captives are set free to build their own homes wherever they
wanted.
(3) They could work their own ground and farms and not be forced to hand
any of their crops over to their Babylonian taskmasters.
(4) They were set free to worship Yahweh their God and no longer forced to
bow down and honor the false gods Ishtar or Marduk or any other idol ever
again.
(5) They were free to worship the One who created them, redeemed them, and
called them by name.
(6) Isaiah 43:1 declares:
Isaiah 43:1 (NASB95)
But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you,
O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name;
you are Mine!
(7) Those who returned were like those who had just awakened from a
nightmare and jumped into a river of gladness.
(3) From what nightmare do you need to wake up?

(A) We all have them, you know.
(1) I know that everyone is supposed to be happy this time of year, but
maybe you aren’t.
(2) Maybe life during these joyful, festive days is too much.
(3) Exiled in the Babylon of your own sins and forced to bow down to some
rather worthless idols.
(4) Power, money, sex—name your poison—we’ve all been there.
(5) You know what it’s like to wake up in the morning with regret and
sorrow and shame, with hurt and hopelessness.
(B) Whatever it is, your own sins or the impact of someone else’s sin
against you, it has you shackled like a slave.

(1) It’s just as Jesus says in John 8:34:
John 8:34 (NASB95)
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin
is the slave of sin.
(C) Sin, Satan, and death have us lock, stock, and barrel.
(1) Chained up and ready to march us off into that eternal Babylon we call
hell.
(2) Can the voice like one calling in the wilderness be a wake-up call for
us?

(A) But just when you think all is lost, a voice is heard.
(1) A voice calls you out of death and the valley of the shadow.
(2) Calling to you like a voice in the wilderness, there come words of
promise and deliverance.
(3) Listen to what Jesus says in Luke 4:
Luke 4:18–19 (NASB95)
18 “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE
GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND
RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”
(4) This Scripture, Jesus says, has been fulfilled in your hearing.
(5) The Spirit was, is, and forever shall be upon the incarnate Son, who
was born for us to set us free from the nightmares that haunt our lives.
(B) But after dealing with so much sin and temptation and COVID-19 and all
the weakness of life, how can such promises possibly be true?
(1) Freedom, liberty, sight, good news for the poor, and the year of the
Lord’s favor for everyone.
(a) Seriously?
(b) Is it possible?
(c) There has to be a catch.
(d) How could it really be true?
(e) How could it be that the promises are for me?
(1) Yes, a new blood-bought, baptismal-covered reality is ours in Christ.

(A) Good news!
(1) This is for you indeed.
(2) The Word of God that called in Isaiah is now incarnate in Jesus Christ.
(3) The Word has been made flesh, and He has so much to say and give to you
and to me and to the world.
(4) Your idols have been broken.
(5) Your sins are forgiven.
(6) Your death has been undone, because the baby in the manger has grown
up, died, and risen again.
(7) No longer are you compelled to live in a prison of your own making.
(8) You are brought back home, by the grace of God given to you by faith in
Jesus Christ our Lord.
(B) Home. What a beautiful word!
(1) Back to the altar and the font of your Baptism.
(2) Brought back to the very Word of God made flesh.
(3) You are given new life—redeemed and renewed.
(4) Yes, you can start all over again.
(C) The nightmare is over.
(1) You are not dreaming!
(2) This is far better than any dream we could ever have.
(3) A new reality is yours in Christ our Lord.
(4) A blood-bought and baptismal-water-covered reality.
(5) You have been brought back to God, back to your Creator.
(6) Returned to the Father who loves you more than we could ever ask or
imagine.
(7) Exile broken.
(8) Death defeated.
(9) Freedom granted.
(10) The baby in the manger who grows to be the man on the cross—everything
is His gift.
(D) We Have Returned from a Nightmare to a New Reality in Christ.
Conclusion

(A) How do we declare our advent hope?
(1) The resounding words of Psalm 126 help us:
Psalm 126:1–6 (NASB95)
1 When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion, We were like those
who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful
shouting; Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things
for them.”
3 The LORD has done great things for us; We are glad.
4 Restore our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South.
5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.
6 He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed
come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
(2) In the name of the Father… Amen.
(B) Let us pray:
(C) The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
(D) In the Name of the Father…Amen.