MIDWEEK ADVENT 2 – Dec. 10, 2020 – Is. 40:1-11
“DEVASTATIONS OF THE CHURCH TODAY”
Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Scripture Lesson just read, from Isaiah 40. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- In this famous text, a clear prophecy of the coming of Jesus and John the Baptist, the instruction is to “Comfort, comfort My people.” We would all love to be comforted – we have many things that cause not only discomfort but outright suffering and pain.
- And we do not want just a little comfort. Often when one thing seems to get better for us another thing gets worse, or some other woe is added to our burden. So we often wonder: Is it peace and joy and comfort? Or is it a cross, persecution, and tribulation?
- As is often the case in this fallen world of sin, but a world into which God Himself came as the Lord Jesus Christ, it is both/and! Paul noted this dynamic in his letter to the Corinthians: “A thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger from Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” [2 Cor. 12:7-10]
- At the same time, there is no question as to whether the comfort and blessing is greater than the troubles and trials. Again, we recall what the apostle wrote: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” [Rom. 8:18]
- So it should not surprise us that life within the church is not pure and unmitigated joy. Rather, as we see in our text, the pronouncement of comfort, there are also devastations suffered by the church today! And again:
I. The Cause Of This Suffering Is Human Sin, Even In The Church
Text: “Her warfare is ended, her iniquity is pardoned.”
Statement: It is a wondrous and marvelous blessing to have our sins forgiven and pardoned, so that “being justified by faith we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [Rom. 5:1] This assures us of many blessings in this life, and eternal life in the world to come. However, sin still carries consequences. A victim may forgive someone but the judge will still impose a sentence upon the crime.
Application: This is a reality that we should keep in mind as well, for our sinful nature at times perverts forgiveness by turning it into license. Now it is true that we often receive clemency and mercy from God. However, there are certain sins which carry natural consequences, and other sins for which God sees the necessity of disciplining us. And so we also see:
II. The Consequence Of Continuing Sin Is Ongoing Death
Text: “A voice says, ‘Cry out.’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ ‘All flesh is as grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever.’”
Statement: There is ongoing tragedy with the consequences of sin: disease, accidents, injury, crime, war, natural disasters. It does at times look as if the direction is downward toward utter destruction. However, there is comfort from God which overcomes even the worst of earthly tragedies.
Application: So there is no need to deny these mournful realities, or to simply “grin and bear it.” No, it is all part of the context within which we can truly enjoy the greater blessings of God. Any competitor will tell you that victory is far sweeter the more robust the competition and the more real one’s defeat might have been. To romp over an obviously inferior competitor yields little satisfaction. So it is with the church today – the battle is fierce with sin and evil, our own and that of others.
However, the message of God in our text is real – and overpowering:
III. Our Comfort, Within The Church, Is The Gospel
Text: “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned. . . . Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God.’”
Statement: This reality prevails over all other considerations. Our trials and burdens in this life are temporary; God’s forgiveness and salvation are eternal! The news from God is good news. But we do have to wait for the proper time!
Application: So we focus our hearts and minds on the salvation of God, His forgiveness, His ongoing mercy, His comforting of our hearts and souls with the assurances of His eternal love! This is more than enough to sustain us through this lifetime! And best of all:
IV. We Have Sure And Certain Hope In God’s Promise Of The Future
Text: “Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and His arm rules for Him; behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”
Statement: So you see that the comfort of the good news of God in Jesus Christ is a great blessing in this life, but that the greatest comfort is in the coming of the Lord with great might and glory on the Last Day. At that time all will be made right and well for us. Then we will have no fear or trouble, and no mixed blessings!
Application: So for now, let us also take this comfort that the Lord presses upon us in His gift of salvation! We do not need to deny the reality of our sin, nor shirk away from the consequences of sin. We know our iniquity is pardoned, that our sin is forgiven. We know that we will not suffer the eternal consequence of sin, but that we have been appointed to salvation! [1 Thess. 5:9]
Conclusion: We can bear and endure trials and tribulations so long as we have the Lord Jesus with us, and the comforting assurances of His love, His protection, and His eternal salvation.
Again, “the sufferings of this present life are not worth comparing with the glories that shall be revealed in us.”
This is the great comfort that our God speaks tenderly to us, in the gift of His Son. So let us not fear or tremble at the “DEVASTATIONS OF THE CHURCH” today. God comes with might, and His arm still rules for Him – and for us. Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.