Let
Your Joy Be Full
Easter
3
Rev. Steven D. Spencer
1
John 1:1-2:1
1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we
have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our
hands have handled, concerning the Word of life -- 2 the life was manifested,
and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which
was with the Father and was manifested to us -- 3 that which we have seen and
heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly
our fellowship is with the Father and
with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may
be full. 5 This is the message, which we have heard from Him and declare to you,
that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have
fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we
say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have
not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us2:1 My little children,
these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we
have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Our
text today lesson from the Epistle lesson especially verse NKJV: "And these things we write to you that your joy may
be full".
In recent days we've watched with keen interest the events of the Middle
East. Osama bin Laden is calling upon Moslems everywhere to boycott U.S. goods
and says that all U.S. citizens are targets.
Iran has been running naval maneuvers in preparation for an U.S./U.N.
invasion. News has leaked out that Iran has weapons of mass destruction and they
will use them. Now talk is circulating that Iran is trying to secure plutonium,
supposedly for a nuclear reactor, yet Israeli intelligence reports the
construction of an atomic weapon. Our president and the U.N. are posturing with
Iran's president. And who knows how it will end.
As children many of us played a game called “chicken” – Typically
some stupid challenge trying to see who would flinch first or give in. Most of
the time it was just a harmless game but sometimes it had serious consequences
Let's step back into history. It was October 14th, and the sun is
reflecting mirages of water on an Air Force base runway in southern Florida. The
silence of the scene is interrupted as a long-winged plane touches down on the
runway and taxies into the hanger. A thousand planes a day go through this same
routine, but this plane’s payload is different from all the others. Its
payload: just a few rolls of film, but the information on that film will shape
the events of the world. It will shift the balance of power in the world. The
film is transported to a top-secret laboratory and developed. It is then sent
to the Pentagon and then to the Oval Office in the White House. The date is
1962, and a young president, John F. Kennedy, sits at the desk. The decision he
makes will move armies of the most powerful nations in the world. The crisis
he faces is one of immense proportions.
The photos taken were from a U2 reconnaissance aircraft. One picture in
particular revealed that the Soviets had placed medium-range missile silos in
Cuba. These missiles were capable of reaching strategic targets throughout the
United States.
The risk of world conflict hadn’t reached this level since World War
II, and it involved the two greatest superpowers in the world. ‘The president
moved decisively, ordering Premier Khrushchev to halt all further deliveries of
weapons and to immediately dismantle the missile sites.
A broadcast to the American people let us know the gravity of the
situation. The president said, “This secret, swift, extraordinary buildup of
communist weapons is a deliberate and unjustifiable challenge to our national
security and it will not be accepted.” We braced our hearts for what was to
come. President Kennedy ordered an immediate naval and air blockade of Cuba.
Premier Khrushchev decided he would test this young president’s fabric; he
would challenge this nation’s resolve. He would confront the standard of our
convictions. The Soviet ships sailed toward Cuba.
The world held its breath in nervous anticipation as hours crept by and
ships grew closer to one another. The Soviets were going to press the boundary,
walk the line, and see just how much they could get away with. The Soviet ships
were 100 yards away from our American ships. Our Navy was on full battle alert
with orders to stop the Soviets at all costs.
Some of us recall those moments glued to our radios and TVs to see who
would flinch, who would fire, or what the world would look like after a nuclear
war. With just feet to spare, at the brink of disaster and destruction, the
Soviets turned. This incident in world history has a living parallel to our
daily lives. It
was a game of international “chicken” – the threat of war on a global
scale – who would flinch?
Today, many Christians are playing a game of spiritual “chicken” with
the devil. This is the third Sunday of Easter. Just a couple of weeks ago we
celebrated the resurrection of our Lord. During that service we heard Christ
speak to Mary, calling her by name. He shared His presence with Mary just as He
shares it with you. “When we realize the presence of Christ we embrace
His righteousness and in doing so we are renouncing the devil”.
We begin to understand that we can only win the battle when we walk in
the light of Christ. It's in the light that we have the hope and help and
strength to win. Hear the words of 1st John verses 5 and 6 again: "This
is the message, which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is
light and in Him is no darkness at all. If
we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not
practice the truth." In the light the battle becomes the
Lord’s and not ours. There is security in the light and fear in the
darkness. God always works in light and the devil in darkness. Verse 7
"But if
we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."
There's strength in numbers especially in the Lord. The devil desires to
separate us from being connected to our fellow members in Christ, in other words
His Church. Is it any wonder that one of the oldest military ploys is to divide
and conquer? The devil strives to do the same, separate God's people from the
church - to conquer us, put us in submission, it's the same old ploy just a new
century. Don't be deceived, if you become separated from God's Church, you
become separated from His means of Grace, and thus you can be conquered for you
shall not be living a joy filled life.
The summer before I started my theological education a friend worked at a
funeral home where I often would help him. There was a small living area in the
back next to the embalming rooms. The visitation rooms were in the front.
Invariably late at night when things were quiet you'd hear something. The light
switch was way at the front of the building around a corner. We would creep down
the hall – reach way around the corner to turn on the light – always waiting
for something to grab your arm. When you'd turn on the light and see everything
in place, you could breathe easy again.
Light
exposes things and lets you see
things as they really are- not as you might imagine them to be.
The darkness in our lives is sin – It causes us to not see
things truly as they are. Only Christ can remove that darkness. When we realize
the presence of Christ we embrace His righteousness and renounce the devil. In
the waters of Holy Baptism Christ clings to us and covers that darkness of sin.
Literally turning on the light in our lives. In doing so the darkness flees from
us and we are marked, as Christs' own by His life, death and resurrection - by
His blood.
The result of walking in the light is most dear. Look at last
part of verse 7: "Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."
This makes us holy before God. For God when He looks at us He sees Jesus. It’s
exciting to be free of sin—free of encumbrance, free of guilt, free of
condemnation—all because we know of the power of His blood. In the words of
one of our Great Hymns (My Hope is Built on Nothing Less) you just sang it:
My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
No
merit of my own I claim - But wholly lean on Jesus name.
On
Christ, the solid rock, I stand; -All other ground is sinking sand.
And
we are reminded of this truth every time we receive communion – It's His
death, His blood shed for our sins and His victorious resurrection that give us
great joy in our lives. For every time we take of the Lord's Supper, we are
truly in the presence of Christ and our lives are radically changed for we have
received the forgiveness of sin. That's why we take time to prepare to meet God
face to face every time we eat the Lord's Supper. With the thoughts and Words
like those of verses 8 & 9 of our text.
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If
we confess our sins, God Who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. "
Our Scripture reading continues with "if anyone sins, we have an
Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only
but also for the whole world."
The wages of
sin are death. Jesus paid that price. He paid the price on a wooden cross. Our
Gospel lesson tells us. "Jesus having risen from the dead appeared to
the disciples in Jerusalem, He showed them His hands and His feet.
But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He
said to them, "Have you any food here?"
So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.
And He took it and ate in their presence. Then He said to them,
"These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that
all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the
Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." And He opened their understanding,
that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary
for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, " that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. "And you are witnesses of these things."
These words He is speaking to you. Jesus has opened your minds; He has
fulfilled all this for the remission of your sins. You are now witnesses of
these things. And every time you come to the Lord's Table Jesus is present,
reaffirming this truth. He did with the disciples, when they partook of a meal with
Him; He does the same with you. This week He reminds you of this through His
Word - but next week He will remind you with His very Body and Blood. Who would
want to miss that? He reminds you that: "He is with you even unto the
end of the ages. Believe and be filled with joy for St. John says: "these
things are written to you that your joy may be full."-In Jesus Name, Amen!
The Peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, be
with you, always. -Amen