Pentecost
Sunday, 2020 – Viral
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +
So, we
are moving closer to being able to reopen for worship, and there is
much fear swirling around the reopening of Churches. I saw reports
out of Germany earlier this week that there were 107 infections out
of one church – and I saw many throwing fear and outrage over that.
And yet, even California released plans for reopening – and as for
Illinois [Well,
the Governor got taken to the Supreme Court, so his orders to
churches are just recommendations now. So next week, hopefully,] we will be gathering here together
again, because when they are able, the people of God gather in His
house. That's just how things work – when we can, we Christians go
to church. Even back on the day of Pentecost, people gathered from
all over the world to God's house in Jerusalem. But Pastor, what
about safety! How quickly we forget, how little we understand the
history of worship – we forget that safety in worship has always
been one of the hallmarks of the Christian faith.
Let's
start with the basics – what is the first commandment? (You shall
have no other gods.) And what does this mean? (We should fear,
love, and trust in God above all things.) Fear. Fear has always been
part of the Christian faith – a healthy fear, a proper fear, an
understanding that you don't mess around with God, you don't run
ram-shod over Him. That if you presume to just saunter up on to God
and do things your way, things go poorly. Our lesson from Genesis
today – there's no fear, no respect of God – we'll just build our
way up to Him. God puts a stop to that. Or even earlier in Genesis
– Cain is discouraged because he worshiped wrongly, made lousy
sacrifices. There is a respect, a decorum to be had in the presence
of God.
This
continues throughout the Old Testament. When Moses sees the burning
bush, what's the first thing he gets told? Take off your
sheep-stained sandals, you are on holy ground. Holy – where
there's something different, something special – and you act
differently when you are here. And with the Tabernacle – you don't
just traipse in there – the priests operate with respect. The
second day the Tabernacle is open two of Aaron's sons, Nadab and
Abihu decide to just ignore God's instructions and do things their
way, and they die. There's a right and safe way to worship God, to
give God the honor, respect, and glory due Him.
Now,
we are in the New Testament times, and things are much easier with
worship. As Christ Jesus has made the final sacrifice for sin, I
don't really have to cut or burn anything anymore, which is just fine
with me. The temple curtain was torn in two, and we enter God's
house baptized and clean and forgiven – much of the danger has
passed. That's a great thing. But we still have maintained a sense
of reverence, a sense of decorum. This is because we do acknowledge
that great things happen here in this place – that while God could
choose to bring us His Word, His Baptism, His Supper in a multitude
of different places, He has set aside this place for you, He has made
this Holy place for you His Holy people to receive His Holy gifts.
And I would hope this break would rekindle your sense of how this
place is a holy place. And we treat it as such. I'm not the most
stodgy of pastors (nor as I the most casual), but you've never seen
me, let's say... sit on the altar. Probably have a hard time even
imagining it. It's good that that would be hard to imagine, because
we maintain respect and decorum and still teach it here because of
respect for what Jesus gives us here.
And
so, when we do resume open worship – we'll have reverent, joyous
worship where we receive Jesus' good gifts of forgiveness, life and
salvation. We will just have some extra layers of reverence and
decorum and respect that are added. Respectful of each other –
which is most certainly fine, for if the temple of old was to be
respected, how much more ought we show respect to each other, for we
all are baptized children of God, temples of the Holy Spirit.
Because this is what we see start on Pentecost. It's not that the
New Testament is actually less formal or less stuffy than the Old,
it's that the angle has changed. In the Old Testament, everything
was funneled to Jerusalem, because it was in Jerusalem where Jesus
would come and suffer and die on the Cross and redeem the world, and
all eyes, all nations where to be focused there. That's why we see
folks from all over the place drawn to Jerusalem in our Epistle. But
now in our days, we are on the outward path – the Holy Spirit is
given, is poured out, and the news, the proclamation of what happened
on Cross in Jerusalem nearly 2000 years ago is take forth and away
from Jerusalem unto all the world. There is no longer one temple to
go to, but rather every Christian is made a sacred and holy temple of
God – for prayer and proclamation. And wherever Christians are
gathered – be it just 2 or 3 – because I've done plenty of
services for folks where there's only been two or three of us – or
be it 10, or 50, or whatever – there Christ Jesus is present in His
Word and His gifts – all over the world. And this is a wondrous
thing – and so we do have places and buildings still today so that
the locals know where they can come. Any new person showing up in
Herscher can see this building and tell that it is a Church, that it
is a place where Christ Crucified for the forgiveness of sins will be
proclaimed.
Because that is the proclamation of the Church. Even
from the beginnings of the New Testament Church at Pentecost.
Consider how Peter starts his sermon: Men
of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you
by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through
Him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up
according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you
crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. The
law is proclaimed. Bluntly. The Christ, the Messiah came, and you
put Him to death. And note – Peter is talking to many people who
weren't even in Jerusalem when Good Friday happened – yet the
reality is this. Their sin, our sin – that's why Jesus was on the
cross. Let us in the Church never soft pedal the impact of sin, or
brush it off as unimportant. Nor should we be surprised when we see
the impact of sin upon the world. The wages of sin is death. We
know this and teach this. And the wonder is this: Jesus decided to
take up that wage in your place, so that even should you die you will
not remain dead. That is a jaw-dropping awesome thing. Yes, Jesus
died on your account, but also true is this - God
raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not
possible for him to be held by it.
Jesus who died has been raised, and life has been restored to you.
Death has been defeated for you. Yes, your death has been defeated.
You death from whatever, be it old age or cancer or an accident or
whatever of the myriad things that have put people we know and love
in the cemeteries and one day will come calling for us – whatever
it ends up being, your death has been defeated by Christ. Death
cannot hold Christ Jesus, and because Jesus holds on to you, has
bound Himself to you in Holy Baptism, death will not have any hold on
you either. Repent and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. For 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.
This promise indeed is for you, even though you are far off in both
time and space – for you are those whom God has called unto
Himself.
And
Peter ends his sermon this way saying: And
with many other words he bore witness to them, and comforted them
saying, “Be saved from this crooked generation.” Peter
comforts, exhorts – paracletes them. Proclaims the Word and the
Holy Spirit comes upon them, and those who received his word were
baptized and saved. Salvation happens. God's plan of rescue, your
rescue, continues. Doesn't matter what you see swirl around you, it
doesn't matter the fears and dangers that arise – fears and dangers
arise in every day and in every generation – only a people with no
fear of the Lord would expect otherwise. Yet this still is true: You
are saved and redeemed by Christ.
This
is why Jesus told the disciples, and why through them He declares to
you, “Peace I leave with
you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to
you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Jesus
died and rose so that you would have peace, so that you would be
forgiven – and nothing stops that. Nothing can change, cancel,
close, or destroy that. And while things in the world swirl around
and change – in the world they need to swirl and change because
the world is a dizzying and confusing place – in Christ Jesus you
do have peace. And He has had His Word proclaimed to you, and He has
seen you baptized, and He has poured out His Spirit upon you, and He
and the Spirit dwell with you. And this is a wondrous truth – one
that we should marvel at, that we should treat with reverence. It is
a truth to be proclaimed in all places – and also in this specific
place and building as well.
So,
I do not know what the future holds – but then again, I never
have. None of us ever know what the next week will hold in store –
or what new strangeness and fears will pop up this June. What is
steadfast and constant is what we are focused upon here – the love
of Christ Jesus for you. That He has died and risen, and we are
saved by Him. God grant that we might soon again safely gather
together and receive His good gifts together – but know and
remember that you still receive His good gifts even while we are
apart. This is the joy of being the Baptized – a wondrous gift the
world will never understand or appreciate, but also one that they can
ever take away. Amen. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit +