Today’s Scripture readings:

Psalm 23  (How wonderfully and completely God takes care of us)

Isaiah 25:6-9  (The prophet speaks of the wonders that the Lord will provide in the Messianic age.)

Philippians 4:1-13  (Paul urges contentment with whatever the Lord provides.)

Matthew 22:1-10  (Jesus tells the parable of the wedding banquet.)

 

 

          The text for today’s message is from the Epistle reading from Philippians, verses 4-7. 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

          Many years ago, far more than I care to admit, a dairy advertised that its milk came from contented cows.  Imagine that, cows that experienced no stress!  I guess from that message one would surmise that drinking that milk would relieve one of the stresses of the world and live contented as were those cows peacefully grazing in a quiet pasture.

 

          Having known a few cows myself, they are for the most part pretty content creatures.  When they are fed, watered, provided fresh and clean bedding, and given a place of shelter from the adverse elements that occasionally plague northern Illinois, they’re happy.  How nice a thought be contended as a contented cow, knowing that all things are provided for you.

 

Paul begins today’s passage with a lots stronger word than being content.  He opens with “Rejoice.”  He sends that urging two times in this short passage, three times in today’s reading from Philippians, to “Rejoice!”  That word “rejoice” is used 191 times in 177 verses in the Bible, beginning in Leviticus (23:40) and the last time describing our eternal life in heaven [Rev. 19:7].  Rejoice is a continuing theme in Deuteronomy in God’s instructions to Israel as they look forward to their new life in the promised land.  Rejoice is found in forty-seven Psalm verses.  Rejoicing is a main theme throughout Scripture and is a main part of Christian life.  Normally, rejoicing comes not with mere contentedness in this world, but with exceptional things that happen.  Do you rejoice when routine tasks are completed, or save rejoicing for special events, birthdays, weddings, and other special occasions?  But Paul calls on the Philippians then and you and me today to rejoice always.

 

          Think back on this past week.  What is there to rejoice about?  We have a world situation in which war seems imminent.  The nation’s economy, the major dock strike on the west coast, the series of arbitrary shootings in the Washington D. C. area, the activity or inactivity on Wall Street and the unknown repercussions that will follow, and the social unrests that exist even within the immediate community of Des Plaines make one wonder if we have something worth rejoicing about. 

 

But those are distant things.  We are confident can survive in spite of them.  How about the personal life?  What are the immediate struggles you deal with from moment to moment?  What are the hurts in your life?  What are the situations you are so frustrated with because you cannot turn them around?  Now, where does Paul come from exhorting you to rejoice always?

 

How could Paul be content at the time of this writing, let alone give those encouraging words to rejoice always?  Paul was imprisoned in Rome awaiting a final trial defending himself against false charges and threats to his life two years earlier in Jerusalem.  He was not in a dungeon or suffering from beatings as he had earlier in his ministry.  He was not fleeing from persecutions and immediate danger of plots for his life from those who earlier went to those extremes to quiet his preaching Christ crucified.  But under this house arrest he was not allowed the normal freedoms he was entitled to with his Roman citizenship.  He was restricted in his zeal to travel to Spain to spread the Good News of Jesus to people there.  He also retained the memories of the imprisonments, persecutions, and physical dangers he had experienced.  How easy it would have been to be bitter, angry, and lashing out against the wrongs he had and was presently suffering?   But Paul was content and encouraged rejoicing.

 

Here is an interesting thing about God’s word and how he brings it to us.  In the accounts of all of Paul’s travels and trials, we do not hear from him or the writers (i.e. Luke in Acts) editorial comment on those who persecute him.  In the accounts of Jesus’ dialogues with those adversarial to him, we do not get editorial comment on who they are or the writer’s opinions of them.  We get objective, straight-forward accounts of what things happened.  We get objective, straight-forward accounts of what God promises and what he does to save his people.  We do not get an “I think this or that,” or the accusatory, “If so and so had done such and such.”  We receive a continuation of God’s word as we see it in the account of creation.  God says and it is.  We see an account of truth that is unlike any other writing or set of accounts of any period in the history of man.  We receive the consistency of God’s account of things in both earthly life and in his eternal realms.  We have in our hands in Scripture, God’s commands and blessings for a contented life here on earth, and the glories of the eternal life he holds for all who trust in him through Jesus Christ.

 

          In today’s Old Testament reading, Isaiah prophesizes the great feast that God will bring all of his people to in eternity.  In the Gospel reading, Jesus emphasizes how God will not rest and will not stop inviting many to come to his banquet hall until it is full.  In these verses Paul reminds us that in all situations we can and get to “Rejoice in the Lord always!”  He then repeats saying, “and again, I say, Rejoice!” 

 

His next words are words of advice and encouragement are,  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petitions, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  God gives you a great gift, being able to talk with him at any and at all times.  Through Paul he has told us to “pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”  [1 Thessalonians 5:17-18]  Again in this passage to the Philippians he urges all to present requests and petitions to God “with thanksgiving.”  

 

          God gives only what is good for you and for his eternal kingdom.  As you take a moment at the beginning of prayer to give thanks to God for the blessings he gives you day in and day out, you are built up with the knowledge and confidence of a God that provides so abundantly for all of your earthly needs.  In a few moments when we confess our faith in the explanation of the first article of the Creed, we will review how completely God provides for all of our needs.  In reciting Psalm 23 at the beginning of the service, we are told again of a God who, as our Shepherd, guards, protects, and provides for all things.  In expressing thanks for all that God gives, he reminds us of his faithfulness so we do have confidence in coming to him in prayer for any and all things, knowing we have a gracious father who wants to continue giving his children all that is good, and nothing that will harm us.  In Luther’s morning and evening prayers, we begin with words of thanksgiving, “I thank you my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, that you have kept me this night/ this day.” 

 

          That is why we can end each sermon with the next words from Paul, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understand, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Remember how Jesus spoke concerning his peace, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  [John 14:27]

 

          No, Christians are not content with the world as it is around us.  Having been baptized in faith, knowing the love of God who can forgive all and continue giving all good things, we are strangers and aliens in this world.  Yes, Christians are content, knowing that we have God the Father who created us, continues to provide for us, and loves us more than any other thing in this earth.  Yes Christians are content knowing that God sent his son, Jesus, to live, suffer, die and raise victoriously from the grave to show how much God loves us.  Yes, Christians are content, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can come to God daily and continually in prayer, thanking and praising him for all he has done, and crying out for his mercy to give us all that we need, knowing that he will give it to us and more than what we could ever ask.

 

          Content?  Yes you are and yes you will continue to be, knowing that this ”peace that transcends all understanding will (continue) to guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”  Amen.

 

 

1^st Article of the Apostles’ Creed

          I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

What does this mean?

          I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.  He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have.  He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.  He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.  All this he does only out of fatherly, divine good ness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me.  For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.  This is most certainly true.  (from Luther’s Small Catechism)

 

Prayer:  Most gracious God, You cause the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and You send rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.  Open our eyes that we may see Your providence and recognize You as the source of all we have and all we are.  Help us to be content with how You take care of us.  As You have blessed us with bounty, move us to compassion, that we may willingly and joyfully share Your abundance with those who lack the necessities of life, that they may know Your love through us.  Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all that we pray for, trusting in Your mercy through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.