Set apart for the gospel

New Years 2006

Pastor Steven D. Spencer

Numbers 6:22-27

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: "The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace." ' "So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."

This last week while I was leaving a nursing home after visiting one of our members a nurse stopped me. She wanted to ask me a few questions.

The first one was this: "Pastor how do you determine what you will preach on each week?" That's a good question. So I explained to her how we use a pericope system. A pericope is a Greek word that means a selection from a book, especially a reading from a Scripture that forms part of a church service. Inside your bulletins you'll find a half sheet with the Pericopes, the readings, on it. We use a three-year series, which changes its focus each year to a different Gospel series. One year the emphasis may be on Matthew the next year Luke, John or Mark.

But then she asked, "If you use that sort of system what if you happen to have a sinner in the congregation and you need to preach about sin?" She was rather surprised when I explained to her that our church is full of sinners. We come to church to receive forgiveness for those sins and to hear God's Word. One of the advantages of using a pericopal system is that the message is based upon the Word. Not cleaver preaching, nor the heavy-handed use of the law. Not some type of spiritual divining rod that tells me if you've committed some gross sin that needs to be addressed. If someone feels guilt or conviction it's not because they are being singled out by me. The message is from the Word. Therefore it's the Holy Spirit that does any singling out.

Her final question was this: "How long does it take to write a sermon and what tools does a pastor use?" I told her that I couldn't speak on behalf of all pastors but typically I study or research 1 hour for every minute preached. As far as tools, I read the text in the original language first, in the Hebrew or the Greek and translate it. I use several Bible versions to see how they translate the text. I use commentaries to gain contextual insight. And probably one of the most important things, and you will hear me repeat this time and again. To properly understand Scripture you must apply these three things, context, context and context. I read the passage and then read the verses just before and just after the text. That way I can understand it in the context of the Book. I then look for similar passages in the Old and New Testament. In that way I can understand it in the context of the whole Scriptures. And finally I look at the way it would have been understood by the original hearers; in other words the social-historical context. This may not seem like a big deal to us. But to look at the Scripture through our 20th or 21st century mindset we can really mess it up. And often we miss out on some of the most wonderful theological promises.

In our Old Testament lesson today we hear Moses telling Aaron how to bless the Israelites. Each and every Sunday we use this wonderful benediction at the end of the Service. But before we get to the announcement of that blessed Benediction, we must begin in the land of bondage. While the Israelites were in Egypt they were slaves. They were the possession of the Pharaoh and it was his name that was upon them. They might as well have been branded. Many were actually marked, tattooed or clothed in a manner that showed they were the possession of the Pharaoh. They were in bondage, owned by another.

And that is the condition in which we were conceived also. God’s Law, which always accuses our old sinful nature, caused our backs to break in bondage. And, at the same time, remembering that Satan’s accusing onslaught ceases no more in these latter days, than did the biting whip in the Egyptian taskmaster’s hand and the curses of Pharaoh in the years long since past. We were conceived in the bondage of sin. And the name that was upon us, was not the Pharaoh's name, but the ruler of this world, the father of all lies. It's not until God places His name upon you that you are truly free.

Moses tells Aaron to bless the people with those beautiful words but remember the context. They Israelites had come from the captivity of Egypt. They had someone else's name upon them. Now God says in verse 27 "So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them." As God places His name upon them, they are set apart. Set apart from being part of the normal, fallen world. Set apart from being like everyone else. That's why in Genesis 17:10 God literal places a mark upon the males, called circumcision. These people are to be set apart. Set apart for a special purpose. One of those special purposes is to give God glory by allowing His glory and to keep His name sacred. Another purpose was to provide a perfect bloodline for the savior.

The people had been set apart as God's people. But this wouldn't be the last time the Israelites would go into bondage. It would happen time and time again. They would commit idolatry by worshipping idols and in a sense place another name upon themselves. Every time Israel would forget whose name was upon them they denied God. And God would allow a very physical and spiritual bondage to occur until they repented and return to Him. If God's people forget His name they go into bondage.

We see this in churches today. If a church forgets whose name is upon it, then it will fail. If a church forgets its purpose, it will fail. Paul says in our text that He is: "a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God." In our Old Testament we saw this setting apart as an act by God. Through His Word His people were set apart. We see through Paul's writing that he is set apart. But you also have been set apart for the Gospel of God. You also are servants of Jesus Christ. And the name upon the church is Christ for we are Christians. And the purpose of the church is sharing the Gospel, the forgiveness won by the cross of Christ.

We are set apart! Set apart from what? The same thing the people of Israel were set apart from, from bondage, from captivity to sin and death and the devil. You have been set apart for the Gospel. There's a saying: "Those that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Time and time again Israel repeated the history of bondage, they hadn't learned from history. They forgot whose name was upon them.

This is just as true for our churches today. There is only one head of the church and it is Jesus Christ. It's His name that is upon us. A name received in the waters of Holy Baptism. A name placed upon you just as surely as circumcision placed the name upon the children of Israel in the days of old. A name that separates you from the world! For you are in the world but not of the world.

There is a tradition in the church to close the doors to the sanctuary before the service starts. We don't do it here but many churches do. The purpose of it is to reminds us that during this time of worship we are separated from the world to be filled by the Lord's presence. In the world but not of the world! So that when services end we are refreshed by His grace and mercy so that we can go into the world and share the Gospel.

Here we are the body of Christ. Jesus is the head; we all share a common name, Christian. Here there is to be unity and no division. Here there is to be a common purpose. The purpose set aside for the Gospel, to share the Gospel. Nothing can destroy a church faster than when that is forgotten. Nor can anything destroy a church like forgetting that to God alone belongs all glory. His name remains sacred only when He receives all glory. Anything less is to forget whose name is upon us. One of the best things we Christians can do is abandon our egos especially when dealing with the church. For His name alone deserves the glory. Our egos make us desire to receive glory. It's that seeking that causes strife and division.

During Bible class I sometimes will write the word EGO on the board. I use it as an acronym, EDGING GOD OUT! All that we do should be committed to God's will. Then when the church grows, to God be all the glory. If it suffers, to God alone be all glory. For it is God's hand that is involved and it is His will. His name is to be glorified in all situations.

And His will for you is that you have been set apart for the Gospel. But not just as its declarers but as its recipient. For the Gospel has been spoken to you and you have been forgiven all you sins for Jesus sake. And truly the Lord will bless and keep you, the Lord will make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord will look upon you with favor and give you peace. And His name is upon you and He will bless you. In Jesus name, Amen!