WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.400 --> 00:00:04.300 Obviously, I am not President Preus. 2 00:00:04.300 --> 00:00:09.000 Unfortunately, he is feeling under the weather, sick right now, and is 3 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:10.900 not able to be with us in Chapel today. 4 00:00:10.900 --> 00:00:18.200 So I will be reading the sermon that he prepared for today as our 5 00:00:18.200 --> 00:00:21.000 proclamation of the Gospel. 6 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:24.600 Isaiah 40:1 to 2 7 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:32.700 Comfort Comfort, my people says your God speak tenderly to Jerusalem 8 00:00:32.700 --> 00:00:39.200 and cry to her that her warfare is ended that her iniquity is 9 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:39.800 pardoned. 10 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:45.000 That she has received from the Lord double for all her sins. 11 00:00:47.800 --> 00:00:50.200 In Jesus name. Amen. 12 00:00:52.400 --> 00:00:53.300 Comfort. 13 00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:55.800 Comfort. 14 00:00:57.700 --> 00:01:00.500 Many years ago as I was studying one day. 15 00:01:00.500 --> 00:01:04.900 I was confronted by this word to Isaiah in a way that had a heavy 16 00:01:04.900 --> 00:01:06.000 impact on me. 17 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:08.800 I took the words personally. 18 00:01:09.800 --> 00:01:14.300 As a pastor and especially as a preacher I saw these words as 19 00:01:14.300 --> 00:01:16.000 instructing me what to do. 20 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:22.200 My teaching and in my preaching I was to comfort people. 21 00:01:23.900 --> 00:01:25.700 This impression was strengthened 22 00:01:25.700 --> 00:01:30.600 first of all by the fact that the word comfort was used twice in a 23 00:01:30.600 --> 00:01:30.700 row. 24 00:01:30.700 --> 00:01:34.500 It was like God was saying now pay attention. 25 00:01:34.500 --> 00:01:37.900 I'm saying this twice so that you get it. 26 00:01:39.100 --> 00:01:42.600 And then the impression was strengthened also by the verbs that are 27 00:01:42.600 --> 00:01:45.100 used in God's exhortation to Isaiah. 28 00:01:46.100 --> 00:01:48.300 Speak and cry. 29 00:01:49.700 --> 00:01:54.700 Luther translates the Hebrew words the Hebrew verbs reddit and 30 00:01:54.700 --> 00:01:57.700 predicate, speak and preach. 31 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:04.900 So speak and cry out or speak and preach some translations render it 32 00:02:04.900 --> 00:02:06.200 speak and shout. 33 00:02:09.699 --> 00:02:10.800 What do they all have in common? 34 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:15.900 The comforting is done with words. 35 00:02:17.100 --> 00:02:22.700 God wants Isaiah to use words to comfort his people. 36 00:02:22.700 --> 00:02:27.800 Not hugs, not bonuses, not raises, not gestures, not animals, not gifts, not tax 37 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:29.100 relief, not free stuff 38 00:02:30.600 --> 00:02:31.500 words. 39 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:36.400 The prophet is to comfort with his words. 40 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:40.900 You think of the work of a pastor 41 00:02:40.900 --> 00:02:41.800 what is it 42 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:44.700 that is common to almost everything he does? 43 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:51.400 Preaching, teaching, visiting the sick and the bereaved, weddings, 44 00:02:51.400 --> 00:02:54.500 funerals, meeting with those who are troubled or suffering. 45 00:02:54.500 --> 00:02:57.800 What do all these duties have in common? 46 00:02:59.700 --> 00:03:00.700 Words. 47 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:02.800 Speaking. 48 00:03:03.700 --> 00:03:07.000 I suppose it is legitimate to speak about a Ministry of presence. 49 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:11.900 But when it comes to the core of a pastor's Ministry, it is all about 50 00:03:11.900 --> 00:03:13.100 the words. 51 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:15.100 Without the words 52 00:03:15.100 --> 00:03:16.000 there is no message. 53 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:17.200 And without the message 54 00:03:17.200 --> 00:03:22.500 there is no comfort and the whole purpose of the office of the Holy 55 00:03:22.500 --> 00:03:27.900 Ministry is to comfort. It is to reach out to the suffering, the guilty, 56 00:03:27.900 --> 00:03:32.800 the ashamed, the sorrowful and comfort them with words. 57 00:03:34.700 --> 00:03:39.800 With what words does God tell Isaiah to comfort Jerusalem. 58 00:03:41.300 --> 00:03:44.000 Tell her that her warfare is ended. 59 00:03:45.300 --> 00:03:49.200 Jesus tells us that towards the last days there will be wars and 60 00:03:49.200 --> 00:03:55.100 rumors of wars but this is the war the war that has been going on 61 00:03:55.100 --> 00:04:00.300 since Eden. And you are acquainted with the evidence of that war. A 62 00:04:00.300 --> 00:04:04.600 worldwide flood that destroys all human life except that of eight 63 00:04:04.600 --> 00:04:09.300 people. Fire and brimstone from Heaven that incinerates all 64 00:04:09.300 --> 00:04:14.000 those living in Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot's wife transformed into a 65 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:19.200 pillar of salt. The Earth opening its mouth and swallowing Korah, Dathan 66 00:04:19.200 --> 00:04:23.400 and Abiram along with all their households and all their goods. 67 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:32.100 For many years what we now call World War 1 was known as The Great War 68 00:04:32.100 --> 00:04:35.100 because so many died in that war. 69 00:04:36.700 --> 00:04:40.700 But the truly great war is that which has been raging since Eden 70 00:04:40.700 --> 00:04:43.100 between since Eden between man and God. 71 00:04:44.400 --> 00:04:47.600 Martin Franzmann describes it well in one of his hymns. 72 00:04:48.900 --> 00:04:51.400 Our fatal will to equal thee, 73 00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:58.700 our rebel will brought death and night we seized and used in prideful 74 00:04:58.700 --> 00:05:02.100 spite thy wondrous gift of Liberty. 75 00:05:02.100 --> 00:05:08.600 We housed us in this house of doom where death had royal scope and 76 00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:17.300 room until they servant Prince of Peace breached all its walls for our 77 00:05:17.300 --> 00:05:17.600 release. 78 00:05:19.500 --> 00:05:20.900 Until they servant. 79 00:05:21.900 --> 00:05:23.200 Prince of Peace 80 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:28.100 breached all its walls for our release. 81 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:32.900 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. 82 00:05:33.900 --> 00:05:36.600 And cry to her. Preach to her. 83 00:05:36.600 --> 00:05:40.300 Shout out to her that her warfare is ended. 84 00:05:40.300 --> 00:05:41.000 Yes, 85 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:45.000 our warfare is ended God is no longer angry at us. 86 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:46.500 God will not punish us. 87 00:05:46.500 --> 00:05:49.500 We are no longer at war the war is over. 88 00:05:50.700 --> 00:05:55.200 How did this war come to an end? Franzmann answers that question in the 89 00:05:55.200 --> 00:05:58.000 next verse of the hymn that I just quoted a moment ago. 90 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:02.200 Thou camest to our all of death. 91 00:06:02.200 --> 00:06:09.400 O Christ to breathe our poisoned are to drink for us the dark despair. 92 00:06:09.400 --> 00:06:12.500 That strangled are reluctant breath. 93 00:06:14.400 --> 00:06:20.100 How beautiful the feet that trod the road that leads us back to God how 94 00:06:20.100 --> 00:06:25.000 beautiful the feet that ran to bring the great good news to man. 95 00:06:27.400 --> 00:06:30.000 Christ came to breathe our poisoned air. 96 00:06:31.200 --> 00:06:36.700 To drink our dark despair. Christ came to take upon himself our guilt 97 00:06:36.700 --> 00:06:40.600 and shame and death to die in our place. 98 00:06:42.100 --> 00:06:42.600 Why? 99 00:06:44.100 --> 00:06:44.900 To forgive us. 100 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:49.800 Cry to her that her iniquity is pardoned. 101 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:54.800 Your iniquities, your sins, your wrongs, your transgressions, your 102 00:06:54.800 --> 00:06:55.500 trespasses, 103 00:06:55.500 --> 00:06:57.800 your failures are forgiven. 104 00:06:57.800 --> 00:07:03.200 In fact, you have received the Lord double for all your sins. 105 00:07:05.200 --> 00:07:11.100 In other words to Grace God has poured out on you is super abundant. 106 00:07:11.100 --> 00:07:13.300 You may think that your wrongs are great. 107 00:07:13.300 --> 00:07:17.600 But look at the payment for them. The life of the Son of God himself. 108 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:21.800 It's not possible that they are not covered. 109 00:07:24.100 --> 00:07:28.500 So God tells Isaiah to speak tenderly to Jerusalem. 110 00:07:29.800 --> 00:07:34.700 After all, the message is one of Grace and comfort and forgiveness. 111 00:07:36.500 --> 00:07:41.800 On the other hand, he tells him to cry out the message, shout it out. 112 00:07:43.500 --> 00:07:46.000 This is not a sermon that should be preached tentatively. 113 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:52.200 It is to be preached boldly and with confidence because Jerusalem may 114 00:07:52.200 --> 00:07:54.100 be hesitant to believe it. 115 00:07:54.100 --> 00:07:58.900 It's not always easy to believe that grace is real. 116 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:05.400 Are you hesitant to believe that the warfare is truly over? 117 00:08:06.700 --> 00:08:12.900 Do you wander whether God's love for you in particular is real? Did the 118 00:08:12.900 --> 00:08:16.900 trials of life cause you to question whether God's interest in you is 119 00:08:16.900 --> 00:08:20.600 as true and intense as you have been told? 120 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:29.400 Cry out to Jerusalem that her warfare is ended and Jesus verified it. 121 00:08:29.400 --> 00:08:31.400 It is finished 122 00:08:31.400 --> 00:08:31.800 he said. 123 00:08:33.500 --> 00:08:38.799 Or do you think one day God will say to you I forgive you, but I'm 124 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:40.200 still very angry at you. 125 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:42.200 Or do you think one day 126 00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:45.800 God will say to you. I forgive you all your sins. 127 00:08:45.800 --> 00:08:49.000 I truly do but don't think for a moment 128 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:51.800 that means I won't damn you because I will. 129 00:08:53.300 --> 00:08:57.900 Or do you think that on the last day God will say to you well done 130 00:08:57.900 --> 00:09:00.500 good and faithful servant. All your life 131 00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:05.100 you have trusted in my grace. Never the less I want you to go stand on 132 00:09:05.100 --> 00:09:08.400 the left with the goats and prepare to enter everlasting punishment. 133 00:09:10.600 --> 00:09:14.700 Do you think God is not serious when he speaks to us his word of 134 00:09:14.700 --> 00:09:15.100 forgiveness? 135 00:09:16.400 --> 00:09:18.400 Do you think he is toying with us? 136 00:09:19.700 --> 00:09:24.200 Or do you think perhaps that he forgives the way we forgive I 137 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:27.000 forgive you, but I don't think I will ever forget about this. 138 00:09:28.300 --> 00:09:30.100 That's the way we often forgive. 139 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:33.200 Do you think that's the way God forgives? 140 00:09:34.700 --> 00:09:39.300 A husband cheats on his wife she discovers it he apologizes profusely 141 00:09:39.300 --> 00:09:40.600 and promises 142 00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:42.100 it will never happen happen 143 00:09:42.100 --> 00:09:42.500 again. 144 00:09:42.500 --> 00:09:44.300 He asked her to forgive him. 145 00:09:44.300 --> 00:09:50.600 She says I forgive you. But then when arguments occur and anger arises 146 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:52.700 she reminds him of his unfaithfulness. 147 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:56.200 That's how we often forgive. 148 00:09:57.600 --> 00:09:59.700 Do you think that's the way God forgives? 149 00:10:01.900 --> 00:10:02.300 No. 150 00:10:03.700 --> 00:10:06.100 He does not deal with us according to our sins 151 00:10:06.100 --> 00:10:11.500 nor repay us according to our iniquities. As far as the East is from the 152 00:10:11.500 --> 00:10:13.300 West so far 153 00:10:13.300 --> 00:10:15.700 does he remove our transgressions from us. 154 00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:20.800 His forgiveness is real and absolute. 155 00:10:20.800 --> 00:10:27.100 In fact, he must forgive because as Isaiah reveals to us later in his 156 00:10:27.100 --> 00:10:29.400 book, he was pierced for our transgressions. 157 00:10:29.400 --> 00:10:35.100 He was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that 158 00:10:35.100 --> 00:10:37.500 brought us peace and with his wounds 159 00:10:37.500 --> 00:10:40.500 we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. 160 00:10:40.500 --> 00:10:45.900 We have turned everyone of us to his own way and the lord has laid on 161 00:10:45.900 --> 00:10:48.500 him the iniquity of us all. 162 00:10:51.300 --> 00:10:56.100 So you who are or who will be preachers in the church. 163 00:10:57.300 --> 00:10:59.200 Comfort God's people. 164 00:11:00.200 --> 00:11:05.000 Tell them that their warfare is ended that their iniquities are 165 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:05.600 forgiven. 166 00:11:06.900 --> 00:11:08.800 And you who will be deaconesses. 167 00:11:10.100 --> 00:11:14.000 You too will be placed in the midst of suffering and grieving people. 168 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:16.000 Comfort them. 169 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:21.300 Tell them, declare loudly and confidently to them that their 170 00:11:21.300 --> 00:11:26.400 warfare is over that their sins are forgiven. 171 00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:32.700 With this assurance we can enter Advent with joy. 172 00:11:34.200 --> 00:11:38.300 For God did not send send his Son into the world to condemn the world, 173 00:11:38.300 --> 00:11:42.100 but in order that the world might be saved through him. 174 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:45.900 And now Jesus is coming. 175 00:11:45.900 --> 00:11:52.200 He will come, he will come to take his people home because the warfare 176 00:11:52.200 --> 00:11:53.000 is ended. 177 00:11:53.900 --> 00:11:56.200 Their iniquities are pardoned. 178 00:11:57.200 --> 00:11:58.700 With great expectation 179 00:11:58.700 --> 00:12:05.000 we await that day come Lord Jesus come quickly. 180 00:12:06.300 --> 00:12:12.300 I'm in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit on 181 00:12:12.300 --> 00:12:12.500 Amen.