1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,829 If you are able, will you please rise for 2 00:00:02,871 --> 00:00:05,466 the reading of the living Word of God. 3 00:00:07,866 --> 00:00:11,700 Faithful followers of the Savior, Christ is risen! 4 00:00:12,533 --> 00:00:15,233 He's risen indeed. Hallelujah! 5 00:00:16,066 --> 00:00:18,666 The text is from the first reading. 6 00:00:20,133 --> 00:00:22,746 Therefore, behold, I will again do 7 00:00:22,788 --> 00:00:25,366 wonderful things with this people, 8 00:00:26,366 --> 00:00:29,051 with wonder upon wonder, and the 9 00:00:29,093 --> 00:00:32,066 wisdom of the wise men shall perish, 10 00:00:32,133 --> 00:00:34,244 and the discernment of the 11 00:00:34,286 --> 00:00:36,933 discerning men shall be hidden. 12 00:00:37,466 --> 00:00:40,500 This is the text. Please be seated. 13 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:51,200 Precious saints, you who are the baptized, the beloved, 14 00:00:52,866 --> 00:00:55,202 beautiful, blessed, and 15 00:00:55,244 --> 00:00:59,066 blood-bought children of King Jesus. 16 00:01:01,333 --> 00:01:04,976 We are privileged to be in the greatest place 17 00:01:05,018 --> 00:01:08,700 in the world at the Concordia Seminary Chapel, 18 00:01:08,700 --> 00:01:12,490 for here the Word of God goes out into 19 00:01:12,532 --> 00:01:16,166 ears and hearts across the many miles 20 00:01:16,166 --> 00:01:19,893 so that we can form and fashion 21 00:01:19,935 --> 00:01:23,466 the new preachers like Isaiah. 22 00:01:25,133 --> 00:01:31,033 Here in this text, we behold what God promises to do, 23 00:01:31,566 --> 00:01:36,666 the wonderful and beautiful things that will recreate us 24 00:01:36,666 --> 00:01:38,596 so that we may be useful 25 00:01:38,638 --> 00:01:41,266 servants in the kingdom of God. 26 00:01:42,266 --> 00:01:46,158 Some of you here seated have been seasoned 27 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,400 for a time to be God's mouthpieces. 28 00:01:49,866 --> 00:01:53,568 Other of you are still being formed and 29 00:01:53,610 --> 00:01:57,633 fashioned by the mighty power of God's Word 30 00:01:57,633 --> 00:02:01,946 so that you too may go out into the fields 31 00:02:01,988 --> 00:02:05,733 of the harvest to serve God Almighty. 32 00:02:06,733 --> 00:02:11,258 There are so many things in our world 33 00:02:11,300 --> 00:02:16,466 today that promote restoration and renewal. 34 00:02:18,033 --> 00:02:22,847 There is even TV shows that talks about 35 00:02:22,889 --> 00:02:27,500 total house makeover, car restoration, 36 00:02:28,366 --> 00:02:32,066 and ladies, this is just for you. Men, keep your ears shut. 37 00:02:32,066 --> 00:02:35,431 Some of the ladies go to salons 38 00:02:35,473 --> 00:02:38,133 to have a total makeover. 39 00:02:40,333 --> 00:02:47,643 All of these indicate that we can renew ourselves by fixing 40 00:02:47,685 --> 00:02:54,300 something that's dilipitated into something wonderful. 41 00:02:56,700 --> 00:03:03,446 We look on the outside fixing our hair, our wrinkled 42 00:03:03,488 --> 00:03:09,633 skin, our eyebrows, our eyelashes, and the light 43 00:03:09,633 --> 00:03:15,933 because we want to be something new. 44 00:03:19,433 --> 00:03:22,866 This is only a facade. 45 00:03:25,766 --> 00:03:30,033 I'm not saying don't get your hair done. I'm not 46 00:03:30,075 --> 00:03:34,733 saying don't put any makeup or don't trim your beard. 47 00:03:34,733 --> 00:03:41,257 What I'm saying, don't focus so much on the outside and lose 48 00:03:41,299 --> 00:03:47,433 the focus of what the prophet Isaiah is calling us to do. 49 00:03:49,566 --> 00:03:55,175 The inspired word of the prophet Isaiah is spoken 50 00:03:55,217 --> 00:04:00,866 by God of what He is going to do wonderful things, 51 00:04:00,866 --> 00:04:06,678 wonder upon wonder, but you have to remember 52 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:12,833 that Isaiah is speaking to a despondent people. 53 00:04:14,166 --> 00:04:19,330 The 10 tribes of Israel have lost faith. Priests and 54 00:04:19,372 --> 00:04:25,166 people alike did lip service to God, but not heart service. 55 00:04:25,166 --> 00:04:32,445 And so God exiled them. And now Isaiah is preaching 56 00:04:32,487 --> 00:04:39,666 to Judah who soon will fall also and be taken away. 57 00:04:41,233 --> 00:04:47,051 Isaiah is calling them to repentance, not 58 00:04:47,093 --> 00:04:52,533 to give lip service, but heart service. 59 00:04:53,733 --> 00:04:57,633 And he calls us to do the same. 60 00:04:59,166 --> 00:05:04,853 These words were not only spoken to the people of Israel of old 61 00:05:04,895 --> 00:05:10,533 and during the exile, they will lose much, even their identity. 62 00:05:10,566 --> 00:05:24,318 But God would preserve a remnant to do the wonderful thing. And it would be by bringing them back to the promised land so that the Savior, the 63 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:37,766 true promised Savior of the covenant will be brought from the loins to bring deliverance and salvation to all people, including you and me. 64 00:05:38,766 --> 00:05:51,259 And yet how many times are we not like the Israel of old? How often even in this institution, 65 00:05:51,301 --> 00:06:03,300 a place where the law is used for the sake of the gospel, we try to hold on to traditions. 66 00:06:05,066 --> 00:06:08,780 The liturgy has to be only this way. And if you 67 00:06:08,822 --> 00:06:12,733 don't do it that way, then you are not a Lutheran. 68 00:06:14,166 --> 00:06:17,578 If you only use the one year series or the 69 00:06:17,620 --> 00:06:21,233 three year series, you are not true Lutheran. 70 00:06:22,533 --> 00:06:30,233 We hold on to even our worship becomes an idol of tradition. 71 00:06:31,233 --> 00:06:37,622 Church better be at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning. And if it isn't, there 72 00:06:37,664 --> 00:06:43,533 is something wrong with the minister. He has to meet our needs. 73 00:06:45,066 --> 00:06:52,266 At times, we define God in our own image. 74 00:06:53,266 --> 00:06:59,775 But in this noble place, we gather to hear from heaven above 75 00:06:59,817 --> 00:07:06,366 those glorious word that will transform our hearts to be His. 76 00:07:06,366 --> 00:07:13,734 Here we receive God's gifts of forgiveness, love and compassion 77 00:07:13,776 --> 00:07:21,300 offered through the eternal covenant of Christ Jesus, our Savior. 78 00:07:22,933 --> 00:07:28,078 You see, we cannot make ourselves over. I may 79 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:32,966 look good on the outside. That's debatable. 80 00:07:34,766 --> 00:07:39,509 But on the inside, it's a cesspool of 81 00:07:39,551 --> 00:07:44,333 a heart where sin dwells continuously. 82 00:07:45,766 --> 00:07:50,842 We often say we love God. Really? Then 83 00:07:50,884 --> 00:07:56,000 why filthy words spews out of our lips? 84 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,925 Why do prideful, lustful, 85 00:07:58,967 --> 00:08:03,000 envious thoughts enter our minds? 86 00:08:04,066 --> 00:08:08,673 And why do we often think I am better than you or you are better 87 00:08:08,715 --> 00:08:13,433 than me? And we have to do things just according to the tradition. 88 00:08:13,433 --> 00:08:21,637 When Jesus came, He fought that battle against the Pharisees. They 89 00:08:21,679 --> 00:08:29,800 condemned Him because He did not hold on to the traditions of men. 90 00:08:30,966 --> 00:08:37,528 He held on to the word of God. For He did not let traditions of 91 00:08:37,570 --> 00:08:43,966 men derail him from His mission, His message and His ministry. 92 00:08:44,433 --> 00:08:49,394 He constantly pointed them to the eternal God who loved them 93 00:08:49,436 --> 00:08:54,600 enough to send His Son so that he may do us the total makeover. 94 00:08:55,933 --> 00:08:59,809 In chapter 7 of the Gospel of Saint Mark, 95 00:08:59,851 --> 00:09:03,766 Jesus speaks to the Pharisees these words. 96 00:09:04,533 --> 00:09:10,449 Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites as it is written, this 97 00:09:10,491 --> 00:09:16,266 people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 98 00:09:16,700 --> 00:09:20,126 In vain do they worship me, teaching 99 00:09:20,168 --> 00:09:23,633 as doctrines the commandments of men. 100 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,061 We therefore must not be acting 101 00:09:28,103 --> 00:09:31,933 and speaking just to please others. 102 00:09:32,666 --> 00:09:38,242 We gather in this sacred place. It's a hallowed place where 103 00:09:38,284 --> 00:09:43,900 God's word is given to us with all of its gamut of promises. 104 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:48,992 And we lift our voices heavenward with adoration, 105 00:09:49,034 --> 00:09:53,733 praise and thanksgiving for the greatest gift of God. 106 00:09:54,600 --> 00:10:04,083 You see, you and I ought to own our sin. We are to repent of that activity 107 00:10:04,125 --> 00:10:12,633 that we do that looks good on the outside, but not from the inside. 108 00:10:14,166 --> 00:10:16,699 By grace alone we behold the 109 00:10:16,741 --> 00:10:20,233 wondrous things that God does for us. 110 00:10:20,233 --> 00:10:27,616 Through the prophet Ezekiel, he promises to do for us a total makeover, 111 00:10:27,658 --> 00:10:34,566 not my eyebrows, not my soft skin, not my olive skin, none of that. 112 00:10:35,833 --> 00:10:41,633 Here is what He promises to do for us. It's in the heart. 113 00:10:41,633 --> 00:10:49,258 And I will give you a new heart and in you spirit I will put within you and I 114 00:10:49,300 --> 00:10:56,866 will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 115 00:10:59,100 --> 00:11:04,277 Precious words, ointments of honey dripping upon your 116 00:11:04,319 --> 00:11:09,633 heads, upon your heart, from the lips of Jesus himself. 117 00:11:09,633 --> 00:11:13,018 The total makeover is being done 118 00:11:13,060 --> 00:11:15,966 by something outside of you. 119 00:11:17,266 --> 00:11:26,792 God has done it through His Son's death and glorious victory over death by vacating the borrowed tomb of Joseph of 120 00:11:26,834 --> 00:11:37,066 Arimathea and risen victoriously, ascended to heaven and promises to be at the right hand of God interceding on our behalf. 121 00:11:37,066 --> 00:11:42,059 Even though we sin daily, God for the sake of 122 00:11:42,101 --> 00:11:47,133 Christ forgives us and calls us to repentance. 123 00:11:48,666 --> 00:11:51,925 Here we are privileged to hear the 124 00:11:51,967 --> 00:11:55,266 wonderful things that God is doing. 125 00:11:55,266 --> 00:12:03,694 He even gives Jacob the new name Israel and he promises to do more wonderful 126 00:12:03,736 --> 00:12:12,533 things by recreating Eden to be forever and ever better than it was ever before. 127 00:12:13,366 --> 00:12:16,814 The upgrade is in the new heaven and the new 128 00:12:16,856 --> 00:12:20,266 earth. It is beyond our wildest imagination. 129 00:12:20,266 --> 00:12:25,202 So great is God's covenant love He will not forsake you or 130 00:12:25,244 --> 00:12:29,966 abandon you but has taken you and made you a new person. 131 00:12:31,233 --> 00:12:35,210 He has done this for you in the magnificent, 132 00:12:35,252 --> 00:12:38,733 majestic, marvelous, messianic miracle. 133 00:12:38,733 --> 00:12:44,192 A splash of water in the name of the Father and of the 134 00:12:44,234 --> 00:12:49,733 Son and of the Holy Spirit. That's your total makeover. 135 00:12:51,866 --> 00:12:54,746 Jesus has taken your filth away and 136 00:12:54,788 --> 00:12:58,033 given you His garments of righteousness. 137 00:12:59,833 --> 00:13:02,053 People might still look at you. 138 00:13:02,095 --> 00:13:04,566 Nothing has changed on the outside. 139 00:13:04,566 --> 00:13:10,622 But in God's economy of grace, He sees a redeemed child. 140 00:13:10,664 --> 00:13:16,866 We just sang the sermon hymn, Redeemed, Restore, Forgiven. 141 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:22,234 God's gift of promise for you in this sacred place 142 00:13:22,276 --> 00:13:26,766 and whatever we worship in our houses of worship. 143 00:13:26,766 --> 00:13:31,275 These precious promises. I have loved 144 00:13:31,317 --> 00:13:35,866 you with an ending love. You are mine. 145 00:13:36,966 --> 00:13:40,576 My favorite words that I preach and teach to my beloved 146 00:13:40,618 --> 00:13:44,333 saints are the words that I greeted you in the beginning. 147 00:13:45,633 --> 00:13:48,188 You precious segulah. If you don't know 148 00:13:48,230 --> 00:13:50,566 Hebrew that is treasured possession. 149 00:13:50,566 --> 00:13:54,848 You are the baptized, the beloved, beautiful, 150 00:13:54,890 --> 00:13:59,400 blessed and blood bought children of King Jesus. 151 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:03,916 That's who you are. That's the total makeover. 152 00:14:03,958 --> 00:14:07,933 And this is the promise we have from God. 153 00:14:08,166 --> 00:14:14,072 This is the house we gather in Sunday after Sunday to 154 00:14:14,114 --> 00:14:20,500 hear of what God is doing in our lives as He works for us. 155 00:14:20,566 --> 00:14:27,480 Here in the best place in the whole universe, we see as we mark 156 00:14:27,522 --> 00:14:33,933 ourselves with the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 157 00:14:34,533 --> 00:14:40,970 We remember the wonderful deeds of God and the blessings of baptism is the fact that 158 00:14:41,012 --> 00:14:47,566 Jesus slips accurately and constantly and revealed the covenant of God's eternal love. 159 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:54,573 His purity in exchange for our corruption is the face lift we need. Wash 160 00:14:54,615 --> 00:15:00,866 clean in the precious blood of Jesus is why our lips honor Him today. 161 00:15:01,466 --> 00:15:05,152 It is His word we sing, not our innovations. It is 162 00:15:05,194 --> 00:15:09,066 His sacrament we receive, not our actions toward God. 163 00:15:09,066 --> 00:15:18,001 Today at the St. Louis Seminary Chapel, we hear again and again God's powerful story of love, of 164 00:15:18,043 --> 00:15:26,833 the new restoration and make over an account of Christ our Savior's death and glorious victory. 165 00:15:26,833 --> 00:15:33,609 Here in this pulpit, we tell sinners that you have been made saints. We 166 00:15:33,651 --> 00:15:40,466 tell blind people now you can see. We tell deaf people now you can hear. 167 00:15:41,366 --> 00:15:46,786 And we tell the enemies of God on account of 168 00:15:46,828 --> 00:15:52,166 Christ, you have shalom with God our Father. 169 00:15:53,266 --> 00:16:00,144 May you bask in the total make over. Why? Because I don't care where you go to 170 00:16:00,186 --> 00:16:07,366 get your make over. I know what it cost me when my wife goes to get her hair done. 171 00:16:11,333 --> 00:16:13,966 I said I need to get another job. 172 00:16:17,033 --> 00:16:19,942 But here is the beauty of it all, 173 00:16:19,984 --> 00:16:22,500 beloved. It cost you nothing. 174 00:16:24,633 --> 00:16:30,225 The total make over is being done not by you, but by our 175 00:16:30,267 --> 00:16:35,800 gracious Father through His Son, precious crimson blood. 176 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:44,004 It is because of that today and always we remember that God has 177 00:16:44,046 --> 00:16:52,033 redeemed us, restored us, renewed us and made us His very own. 178 00:16:53,333 --> 00:16:56,005 In the name of the Father and of the 179 00:16:56,047 --> 00:16:58,466 Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen. 180 00:16:58,466 --> 00:17:03,483 And now the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, 181 00:17:03,525 --> 00:17:08,666 strengthen your hearts and minds into life everlasting. Amen.