WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:01.400 You may be seated. 2 00:00:04.800 --> 00:00:07.200 In the name of Jesus. Amen. 3 00:00:09.300 --> 00:00:14.600 Weird Al Yankovic and YouTube channel Shumway Yoho recently published 4 00:00:14.600 --> 00:00:16.600 a video on YouTube 5 00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:20.200 parroting the first presidential debate titled. 6 00:00:20.200 --> 00:00:24.100 We're all doomed. With over three million views 7 00:00:24.100 --> 00:00:27.900 this video is trending on YouTube and was actually published in the 8 00:00:27.900 --> 00:00:30.600 Wall Street Journal opinion page online. 9 00:00:31.900 --> 00:00:36.100 There's not much redeemable from that video but in there Weird Al 10 00:00:36.100 --> 00:00:40.500 sings a bridge. That I think has a great line for us to think about 11 00:00:40.500 --> 00:00:45.100 before we Feast on our Bible passage, Isaiah 25. 12 00:00:46.300 --> 00:00:47.200 Here's the bridge. 13 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:55.800 Exploding trees, covid-19, hurricanes past the letter Z, conspiracy 14 00:00:55.800 --> 00:01:01.100 theories about vaccines, murder hornets coming from across the seas too 15 00:01:01.100 --> 00:01:06.700 many memes about World War 3 can't tell what's hell or reality. 16 00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:12.600 Can't tell what's hell or reality. 17 00:01:13.500 --> 00:01:17.400 Isn't that the truth and mean you and I are living history, especially 18 00:01:17.400 --> 00:01:22.700 these last eight months and we're watching the world turn inward upon 19 00:01:22.700 --> 00:01:24.800 itself devouring itself. 20 00:01:24.800 --> 00:01:27.500 Feasting even on itself. 21 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:34.100 Think about that line again can't tell what's or reality. 22 00:01:36.900 --> 00:01:40.000 Is there an absence of God in the world today? 23 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:44.500 Does it feel like God isn't here with us today? 24 00:01:46.100 --> 00:01:48.900 What does that even look like? Where is it 25 00:01:48.900 --> 00:01:51.100 Hell in your life? 26 00:01:52.500 --> 00:01:54.500 For me there are times 27 00:01:54.500 --> 00:01:57.700 I can't distinguish between hell and reality. 28 00:01:58.700 --> 00:02:01.400 For one we're socially distanced. 29 00:02:01.400 --> 00:02:04.000 God didn't create us to be two meters apart. 30 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:08.100 God didn't create us to be 6 feet apart treating each other like we're 31 00:02:08.100 --> 00:02:08.400 lepers. 32 00:02:09.600 --> 00:02:14.500 Even when there's restrictions on what we can do and what we can't do 33 00:02:14.500 --> 00:02:17.700 where we can go what we can do out and about. 34 00:02:18.700 --> 00:02:22.300 Even how we worship here in this place. 35 00:02:22.300 --> 00:02:27.400 We can't come together shoulder-to-shoulder kneeling at the rail 36 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:30.200 to be able to receive from God his gifts. 37 00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:33.200 And even us as students. 38 00:02:34.500 --> 00:02:40.700 The traditions that we have wanted we crave we want to feast on they 39 00:02:40.700 --> 00:02:44.500 may not happen this year. As you recall last year 40 00:02:44.500 --> 00:02:47.600 our brothers and sisters weren't able to celebrate call day here in 41 00:02:47.600 --> 00:02:52.500 this space. And even with even with the 42 00:02:54.600 --> 00:02:58.400 even with the celebration in the Pomp and the circumstance. 43 00:02:59.500 --> 00:03:03.200 We weren't able to celebrate the cumulation of their studies. 44 00:03:05.700 --> 00:03:09.300 Even think about the masks that somebody just told me to take mine 45 00:03:09.300 --> 00:03:09.400 off. 46 00:03:11.200 --> 00:03:12.300 Think about the masks. 47 00:03:13.200 --> 00:03:14.500 Do you ever think it is going to be over. 48 00:03:15.500 --> 00:03:19.400 Are we able are we ever going to be able to get back to some form of 49 00:03:19.400 --> 00:03:20.100 normalcy? 50 00:03:21.800 --> 00:03:26.900 I'm really worried that my son Jackson is going to grow up in an era 51 00:03:26.900 --> 00:03:28.400 when we have to wear masks, 52 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:29.700 whenever we go out in public. 53 00:03:29.700 --> 00:03:34.400 It's similar to the Twin Towers when they got hit and before it that 54 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:37.800 on September 10th, you can walk into an airport without without ever 55 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:41.400 having to bring out your ID without having to put your bags through 56 00:03:41.400 --> 00:03:45.900 scanner without taking your shoes off and afterwards life has never 57 00:03:45.900 --> 00:03:47.300 been the same for travel. 58 00:03:48.100 --> 00:03:52.600 And so even now and even once there's a vaccine and once they're 59 00:03:52.600 --> 00:03:55.800 pandemic has moved on this too shall pass. 60 00:03:57.600 --> 00:04:00.000 Is there ever going to be any kind of normal? 61 00:04:02.900 --> 00:04:06.300 See the sun produces the same amount of light daily. 62 00:04:07.400 --> 00:04:13.300 The world seems to be getting darker and darker. Certainly Hell's shadow 63 00:04:13.300 --> 00:04:18.800 is darkening our doorstep. In the absence of Jesus being here 64 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:23.200 you are you seeing me being that tangible even to see him face-to-face 65 00:04:23.200 --> 00:04:25.800 people have become grossly 66 00:04:25.800 --> 00:04:30.500 incurvatus upon themselves. We've become very fond of looking at our own 67 00:04:30.500 --> 00:04:31.100 belly buttons. 68 00:04:32.700 --> 00:04:38.900 Think about those covid-19 practices. To mask or not to mask that is 69 00:04:38.900 --> 00:04:43.900 the question and you are wrong if you do or you do not wear one. 70 00:04:43.900 --> 00:04:48.000 President Trump was in the hospital this past weekend with covid-19. 71 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:52.100 Just hear those two camps the one camp shouting the interjection 72 00:04:52.100 --> 00:04:54.400 finally, it's poetic justice. 73 00:04:54.400 --> 00:04:56.500 I'm glad he's got it. 74 00:04:56.500 --> 00:04:58.300 Maybe it'll teach him a lesson. 75 00:04:59.800 --> 00:05:03.100 And can't you hear the other side saying disaster. 76 00:05:03.100 --> 00:05:05.400 Oh, no, we have to pray for him. 77 00:05:05.400 --> 00:05:06.100 I hope he gets better. 78 00:05:06.100 --> 00:05:09.200 I hope he's able to get back into the White House soon. 79 00:05:10.900 --> 00:05:12.900 Did you contribute to any of that noise? 80 00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:16.000 Is it hell? 81 00:05:17.100 --> 00:05:20.300 That we can't decide what to do about these masks. 82 00:05:21.200 --> 00:05:25.600 We were supposed to love the neighbor as ourselves, but at times it 83 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:29.100 sure feels like we're loving the neighbors for ourselves. 84 00:05:31.900 --> 00:05:38.700 Regardless hell's shadow and what hell brings with it is on our 85 00:05:38.700 --> 00:05:39.300 doorstep. 86 00:05:39.300 --> 00:05:47.100 It is upon us. Death has been thrust into our faces by Satan. Satan 87 00:05:47.100 --> 00:05:52.400 throws death in your face because deaths job is to take the life that 88 00:05:52.400 --> 00:05:57.700 God has given. Deaths job is to scare you. It's to scare you into 89 00:05:57.700 --> 00:05:58.800 questioning God. 90 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:05.300 It's to scare you so even feast to swallow up the faith that is yours in 91 00:06:05.300 --> 00:06:05.600 Jesus. 92 00:06:07.100 --> 00:06:09.100 Deaths job is to make you ask the question. 93 00:06:09.100 --> 00:06:12.700 Where is God in all this suffering? 94 00:06:14.200 --> 00:06:18.200 Can we tell what is Hell or reality? 95 00:06:19.200 --> 00:06:21.700 Will we be feasted upon by death? 96 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:24.500 Are we doomed? 97 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:32.200 These questions aren't new. Isaiah felt similarly a millennia ago. 98 00:06:33.400 --> 00:06:36.800 Well into his prophetic work, Isaiah preached to the people of Israel 99 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:42.400 a word that was going to bring death. A chapter before our Old 100 00:06:42.400 --> 00:06:46.900 Testament passage for today which coincides with Easter Sunday. 101 00:06:46.900 --> 00:06:49.900 All these texts for this coming weekend are Easter Sunday 102 00:06:49.900 --> 00:06:53.700 text. Isaiah 24 depicts 103 00:06:53.700 --> 00:06:56.100 God feasting on the Earth. 104 00:06:58.000 --> 00:06:58.700 Verse one. 105 00:07:00.200 --> 00:07:05.500 Behold the Lord will empty the Earth and make it desolate and he will 106 00:07:05.500 --> 00:07:07.500 twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants. 107 00:07:09.400 --> 00:07:10.200 Verse 3. 108 00:07:11.600 --> 00:07:15.600 The Earth shall be utterly empty in the utterly spoiled for the Lord 109 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:17.000 has spoken this word. 110 00:07:18.700 --> 00:07:19.800 Verse 6. 111 00:07:21.200 --> 00:07:26.000 Therefore accuse devours the earth and its inhabitants suffer for 112 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:30.600 their guilt. Therefore the inhabitants of the Earth are scorched and 113 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:32.800 few men are left. 114 00:07:35.700 --> 00:07:41.300 Can't tell what's Hell or reality hell and reality are the same thing 115 00:07:41.300 --> 00:07:42.000 for those people. 116 00:07:43.100 --> 00:07:46.400 Hell's shadow was to come upon the people of Israel. 117 00:07:46.400 --> 00:07:51.800 They wondered for generations who their God was. We know that they had 118 00:07:51.800 --> 00:07:52.600 looked at Idols, 119 00:07:52.600 --> 00:07:53.500 they looked at Kings, 120 00:07:53.500 --> 00:07:55.600 they looked to show fates pretty much anybody 121 00:07:55.600 --> 00:07:58.000 that wasn't God for salvation. 122 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:05.900 And so the curse that they were to receive was death and death was 123 00:08:05.900 --> 00:08:10.000 devouring it's depicted as feasting on the Earth. 124 00:08:10.500 --> 00:08:15.500 Satan was working hard for their faith in God was being feasted upon 125 00:08:15.500 --> 00:08:16.800 by Death. 126 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:22.400 And it was that mistrust that condemned them. As most of us know 127 00:08:22.400 --> 00:08:26.500 Assyria came first and then the Babylonian chariots second. 128 00:08:27.700 --> 00:08:31.400 God promised to Feast on the world. Ouch. 129 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:39.100 God promised to make his world a desolation. There was to be a feast 130 00:08:39.100 --> 00:08:45.300 and the world was his buffet. Everything was destined for plunder and 131 00:08:45.300 --> 00:08:53.000 for spoilage. All the food gone. All the wine gone. All the people gone. 132 00:08:57.000 --> 00:09:03.400 Yet, piercing that dark veil piercing that covering spread over the 133 00:09:03.400 --> 00:09:04.400 people of God. 134 00:09:05.500 --> 00:09:14.500 Was God's brilliant promise of a feast a feast on death. The Lord of 135 00:09:14.500 --> 00:09:20.900 hosts clothed in his wedding garment promise to Israel and to you a 136 00:09:20.900 --> 00:09:23.200 feast on death. 137 00:09:24.400 --> 00:09:28.600 There upon his holy mountain the Lord of hosts will establish your 138 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:33.000 reality as forgiven forever more. 139 00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:35.600 No more covering. 140 00:09:36.700 --> 00:09:37.700 No more dark veil. 141 00:09:39.100 --> 00:09:40.600 No more death. 142 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:46.100 The dark veil, we can think of it as very thick blanket, a very thick 143 00:09:46.100 --> 00:09:51.300 black blanket spread over the people spread over us when we die. That 144 00:09:51.300 --> 00:09:55.800 has been consumed that will be swallowed up. 145 00:09:57.000 --> 00:09:58.200 It will be destroyed. 146 00:09:59.700 --> 00:10:04.700 The dark veil spread over the world is being replaced with a veil 147 00:10:04.700 --> 00:10:11.700 white as snow washed clean in the blood of the Lamb fit for the bride 148 00:10:11.700 --> 00:10:12.200 of Christ. 149 00:10:15.300 --> 00:10:20.000 This feast on death begins as a wake 150 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:25.200 and the ends as the marriage reception of Christ and his bride the 151 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:31.000 church for all eternity. Isaiah has this beautiful image of the feast 152 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:35.100 in our Old Testament passage for the day, Isaiah 25 verse 6. 153 00:10:37.300 --> 00:10:42.200 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast 154 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:48.100 of rich food a feast of well-aged wine of rich food full of marrow of 155 00:10:48.100 --> 00:10:50.300 aged wine well-refined. 156 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:59.800 This feast is no Concordia Seminary Oktoberfest be that with much 157 00:10:59.800 --> 00:11:05.400 libation and enjoyment it is no Oktoberfest. Nor is it your cousin's 50 158 00:11:05.400 --> 00:11:06.900 bucks a plate wedding reception. 159 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:10.900 Can't tell what's hell or reality? 160 00:11:10.900 --> 00:11:17.300 This feast is the promised reality for you, for all people. 161 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:20.700 Isaiah continues in verse 7, 162 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:24.200 And you will swallow up. 163 00:11:25.100 --> 00:11:31.000 Okay, well render the Piel here and he will feast on this mountain be 164 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:34.600 covering those casting for all peoples the veil that is spread over 165 00:11:34.600 --> 00:11:35.600 all nations. 166 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:39.100 He will feast on death forever. 167 00:11:42.100 --> 00:11:43.700 Isaiah depicts God 168 00:11:44.900 --> 00:11:52.700 craving death. In fact Isaiah paints us a picture of God yearning to swallow up death. 169 00:11:54.200 --> 00:12:00.900 That God wants to feast on death, especially yours. 170 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:07.200 That's your future reality. There in the new Heaven and a new Earth 171 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:11.500 your eternal life with Christ will be celebrated with food and with 172 00:12:11.500 --> 00:12:11.800 drink 173 00:12:11.800 --> 00:12:18.700 we can't even imagine today. That will happen. Your future reality 174 00:12:18.700 --> 00:12:25.800 has been won because God devoured our death in Christ. Christ resurrection from the dead has won 175 00:12:25.800 --> 00:12:29.500 for us a place on that Holy Mountain. 176 00:12:30.800 --> 00:12:38.100 The Lord of hosts conquered, he feasted on your death by raising his son 177 00:12:38.100 --> 00:12:39.400 Jesus from the dead. 178 00:12:40.700 --> 00:12:42.300 As Isaiah 42 verses 179 00:12:42.300 --> 00:12:43.600 5-27 puts it. 180 00:12:44.800 --> 00:12:49.400 Thus says God, the Lord who created the heavens and stretch them out. 181 00:12:49.400 --> 00:12:53.300 Who spread out the Earth and what comes from its who gives breath to 182 00:12:53.300 --> 00:12:57.500 the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it he devoured, 183 00:12:58.700 --> 00:12:59.800 he swallowed up 184 00:13:00.800 --> 00:13:04.400 He will Feast on death forever, 185 00:13:05.800 --> 00:13:07.500 including yours. 186 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:14.000 The Great and Mighty Lord of hosts 187 00:13:14.800 --> 00:13:20.100 clothed with immense power destroyed death's sting 188 00:13:21.300 --> 00:13:25.900 for you. Death's sting has been rendered powerless. 189 00:13:27.100 --> 00:13:32.300 He conquered death in his son Jesus so that you can come to the 190 00:13:32.300 --> 00:13:39.600 promised feast. Your Jesus with bloody cross and busted tomb swallowed 191 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:41.700 up the covering cast over you 192 00:13:42.700 --> 00:13:46.700 for you. He devoured the darkened veil spread over you, 193 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:52.600 for you. Your Jesus became the first born of the dead so that your 194 00:13:52.600 --> 00:13:55.200 death is but falling asleep. 195 00:13:56.100 --> 00:14:01.500 You're Jesus rose from the dead so that you two are awakened from 196 00:14:01.500 --> 00:14:01.600 sleep. 197 00:14:04.100 --> 00:14:04.900 Your Jesus, 198 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:11.600 your Jesus will usher you into the marriage feast of the Lamb and whose 199 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:13.600 kingdom will have no end. 200 00:14:15.500 --> 00:14:21.800 Can't tell what's hell or reality, please your reality is Jesus 201 00:14:21.800 --> 00:14:22.600 reality. 202 00:14:23.500 --> 00:14:29.400 Forgiven, redeemed, resurrected forever more. 203 00:14:32.200 --> 00:14:33.500 So until Christ returns 204 00:14:35.500 --> 00:14:38.900 you are invited to come to the foretaste of the feast to come. 205 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:42.700 And it is set before us here today. 206 00:14:44.100 --> 00:14:46.100 They're under a morsel of bread 207 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:53.900 and a sip of wine is rich food full of marrow and of aged wine 208 00:14:53.900 --> 00:14:58.200 well-refined the body and blood of Jesus. 209 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:03.100 This is your reality now. 210 00:15:04.100 --> 00:15:07.500 Where a glimpse of Heaven is on Earth. 211 00:15:09.500 --> 00:15:15.600 So come to the Feast of the Lord prepared and made victorious, 212 00:15:16.800 --> 00:15:17.400 for you. 213 00:15:19.100 --> 00:15:22.100 Amen. Please stand.