In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” That sounds good. Good directions for the Christian life. Seek God while He may be found. And when is it that God may be found? Right now, of course! God is here, just like He has always been. The time to find God is always now, the present, this moment.
Of course there is a temptation in this knowledge. You can seek the Lord today, or you can seek Him tomorrow. He has always been here, so He will be here later when you decide that you need Him. Things are good now, you might think, so you do not need the Lord. All quiet on the western front, God is in His heavens, and let's leave well enough alone.
Martin Luther once compared the Gospel to a passing rain-shower. It is here today and gone tomorrow. The Lord may be found while He is here, but He does not promise to be handy to you at all times. The Spirit blows where He wills. If you turn your back on Him today, He may choose to leave you to your own devices tomorrow. “Have it your way” may work great for hamburgers, but it is a terrible word of judgment from the Lord of Hosts.
Seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near. There is no time like the present. Seek the Lord now, today, this instant. And that is why you are here tonight, after all, is it not? In this Advent season, we hear a lot of clamor about “keep Christ in Christmas”, which is a question of seeking God in the midst of the worldly hullaballoo.
What are you seeking? Everyone is seeking something in this life. The human experience is one of continual seeking after that which is missing, looking for what is lost. It is a symptom of our sinful human nature that there is always an emptiness within us.
Some seek after wealth. Many work long and hard days, toiling with the sweat of their brows, or at least the force of their mental faculties, in the quest for wealth and fortune. When you earn a paycheck, what do you do with it? This world's advice is to spend, spend, spend. Is it any wonder that there are so many bars and restaurants near banks and check cashing joints? Just wait a few months, and you will start to see the annual cycle of commercials and signs enticing you to hand over your tax-return check for some “great deal” on a TV, a car, or some other neat treasure you never knew you needed. Repent. Return to the Lord.
Some people seek after pleasure. The world is your plaything, if you are this sort of person. The best foods, the finest wines and spirits, the most beautiful men and women – whatever pleasure money can buy. You wish that things were always easy and carefree. Maybe you are looking forward to that drink when you get home, or what awaits you on your computer screen, or simply going to bed and ignoring the cares of the world. Smile, be merry, laugh and sing – this is the siren-song of the world. Why bother about tomorrow's troubles? Let tomorrow deal with them.
But what about when the climax subsides? What about when the rich food turns into another Tupperware container of forgotten left-overs in the back of the refrigerator? What about when the hangover beats against the back of your eyes on Monday morning? You will wake up and tomorrow's troubles will have become today's headaches. It is hard to dance with the devil on your back, as the song goes. In this world, you will have tribulation. You may be sure of that. Seeking after pleasure is vanity and striving after wind. Repent. Return to the Lord.
“Let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” Turn back from the way of the world. Turn back from focusing upon yourself, your needs, your wants, your desires, your visions, your dreams, your own navel. “Seek first the kingdom of God.” Seek the things of God, and the vanities of this world will fall by the wayside.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God is God, and you are not. Man is man, and that you are. The thoughts and ways of God are not your thoughts and ways. God does not seek the things you seek. You are not the One who created the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. You are not the One who holds life and death in His hand, who directs the wind and the waves, the days and the seasons.
Stop seeking for the things of this world. Beauty is a flower that is here today and tomorrow is burned up. Fine foods soon go rotten. Wine turns to vinegar. The peace of the world is a false stab in the dark, a cover-up of the problem of sin and death. “The world seeks after wealth / And all that mammon offers / Yet never is content / Though gold should fill its coffers.” (LSB 730.3) God gives blessings according to His good pleasure, and He also determines what is a blessing when He gives it.
All is vanity under the sun. All is vanity when it is pressed into service of your sinful flesh and its evil desires. There is nothing of worth, nothing of lasting value in this world. Because the world does not count worth as the Lord does. What is good, what is precious, what is praiseworthy in this world is as rubbish and filthy rags before the Holy One of Israel. What can you offer Him, or what can you take from Him, that was not His to begin with? Can you rob God or deprive Him of what is His? Will you get what He will not give?
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Return to the Lord, O Man, that He may have compassion upon you. Turn back to God, and He will abundantly pardon your sins.
For what does the Prophet say? The Word of the Lord goes forth from His mouth, and does not return to Him void. His Word does what He says. And what is the purpose for which He has sent His Word? To die for you. To bear the sin of the world. To accomplish the forgiveness of sins for a world of sinners. To reconcile you to God, making peace by the blood of His cross.
The Word of the Lord has gone forth from the mouth of the Lord. He has gone forth from the mouth of the Lord into the ear of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit in her undefiled womb. He was born of the Virgin into a world of sin and death, so that He might accomplish the will of God and satisfy the demands of the Law. He has gone forth from the mouth of the Lord to die upon the cross for you, for the forgiveness of your sins. And He has risen again, lives, and reigns to all eternity.
The Word of the Lord has gone forth from the mouth of the Lord, and He – our Lord Jesus Christ – has accomplished the purpose for which He was sent.
It is this coming into the world which we anticipate in this Advent season. He has come into the world and accomplished in the flesh what your flesh could not even hope to.
And now, lift up your hearts to the Lord of Hosts! Prepare yourself now to receive Him who comes in the Name of the Lord upon this very altar.
Prepare yourself for His advent not as a baby born of a virgin, but as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Prepare yourself to receive Him not as a king on a donkey, but as the Bread of Life and the Wine of Immortality, given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of your sins.
For this is the purpose for which He is sent to you today. He comes to you no less in the flesh, but very much into your own flesh, that He might strengthen and keep you in the one true Faith unto life everlasting. He has, and He will have compassion upon you and abundantly pardon all your sins.
The thoughts of God are not the thoughts of man. Man seeks after pleasure and wealth, but God seeks out ways to shower His grace and mercy upon His children. The ways of God are not the ways of man. The way of man is vengeance and violence, but the way of God is the death of His Son for the life of the world. Take heart; He has overcome the world by the Word of His mouth. His Word has done just as He purposed, and it is glorious in our sight!
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” That sounds good. Good directions for the Christian life. Seek God while He may be found. And when is it that God may be found? Right now, of course! God is here, just like He has always been. The time to find God is always now, the present, this moment.
Of course there is a temptation in this knowledge. You can seek the Lord today, or you can seek Him tomorrow. He has always been here, so He will be here later when you decide that you need Him. Things are good now, you might think, so you do not need the Lord. All quiet on the western front, God is in His heavens, and let's leave well enough alone.
Martin Luther once compared the Gospel to a passing rain-shower. It is here today and gone tomorrow. The Lord may be found while He is here, but He does not promise to be handy to you at all times. The Spirit blows where He wills. If you turn your back on Him today, He may choose to leave you to your own devices tomorrow. “Have it your way” may work great for hamburgers, but it is a terrible word of judgment from the Lord of Hosts.
Seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near. There is no time like the present. Seek the Lord now, today, this instant. And that is why you are here tonight, after all, is it not? In this Advent season, we hear a lot of clamor about “keep Christ in Christmas”, which is a question of seeking God in the midst of the worldly hullaballoo.
What are you seeking? Everyone is seeking something in this life. The human experience is one of continual seeking after that which is missing, looking for what is lost. It is a symptom of our sinful human nature that there is always an emptiness within us.
Some seek after wealth. Many work long and hard days, toiling with the sweat of their brows, or at least the force of their mental faculties, in the quest for wealth and fortune. When you earn a paycheck, what do you do with it? This world's advice is to spend, spend, spend. Is it any wonder that there are so many bars and restaurants near banks and check cashing joints? Just wait a few months, and you will start to see the annual cycle of commercials and signs enticing you to hand over your tax-return check for some “great deal” on a TV, a car, or some other neat treasure you never knew you needed. Repent. Return to the Lord.
Some people seek after pleasure. The world is your plaything, if you are this sort of person. The best foods, the finest wines and spirits, the most beautiful men and women – whatever pleasure money can buy. You wish that things were always easy and carefree. Maybe you are looking forward to that drink when you get home, or what awaits you on your computer screen, or simply going to bed and ignoring the cares of the world. Smile, be merry, laugh and sing – this is the siren-song of the world. Why bother about tomorrow's troubles? Let tomorrow deal with them.
But what about when the climax subsides? What about when the rich food turns into another Tupperware container of forgotten left-overs in the back of the refrigerator? What about when the hangover beats against the back of your eyes on Monday morning? You will wake up and tomorrow's troubles will have become today's headaches. It is hard to dance with the devil on your back, as the song goes. In this world, you will have tribulation. You may be sure of that. Seeking after pleasure is vanity and striving after wind. Repent. Return to the Lord.
“Let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” Turn back from the way of the world. Turn back from focusing upon yourself, your needs, your wants, your desires, your visions, your dreams, your own navel. “Seek first the kingdom of God.” Seek the things of God, and the vanities of this world will fall by the wayside.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God is God, and you are not. Man is man, and that you are. The thoughts and ways of God are not your thoughts and ways. God does not seek the things you seek. You are not the One who created the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. You are not the One who holds life and death in His hand, who directs the wind and the waves, the days and the seasons.
Stop seeking for the things of this world. Beauty is a flower that is here today and tomorrow is burned up. Fine foods soon go rotten. Wine turns to vinegar. The peace of the world is a false stab in the dark, a cover-up of the problem of sin and death. “The world seeks after wealth / And all that mammon offers / Yet never is content / Though gold should fill its coffers.” (LSB 730.3) God gives blessings according to His good pleasure, and He also determines what is a blessing when He gives it.
All is vanity under the sun. All is vanity when it is pressed into service of your sinful flesh and its evil desires. There is nothing of worth, nothing of lasting value in this world. Because the world does not count worth as the Lord does. What is good, what is precious, what is praiseworthy in this world is as rubbish and filthy rags before the Holy One of Israel. What can you offer Him, or what can you take from Him, that was not His to begin with? Can you rob God or deprive Him of what is His? Will you get what He will not give?
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Return to the Lord, O Man, that He may have compassion upon you. Turn back to God, and He will abundantly pardon your sins.
For what does the Prophet say? The Word of the Lord goes forth from His mouth, and does not return to Him void. His Word does what He says. And what is the purpose for which He has sent His Word? To die for you. To bear the sin of the world. To accomplish the forgiveness of sins for a world of sinners. To reconcile you to God, making peace by the blood of His cross.
The Word of the Lord has gone forth from the mouth of the Lord. He has gone forth from the mouth of the Lord into the ear of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit in her undefiled womb. He was born of the Virgin into a world of sin and death, so that He might accomplish the will of God and satisfy the demands of the Law. He has gone forth from the mouth of the Lord to die upon the cross for you, for the forgiveness of your sins. And He has risen again, lives, and reigns to all eternity.
The Word of the Lord has gone forth from the mouth of the Lord, and He – our Lord Jesus Christ – has accomplished the purpose for which He was sent.
God the Father was His source;
Back to God He ran His course.
Into hell His road went down;
Back then to His throne and crown. (LSB 332.5).
It is this coming into the world which we anticipate in this Advent season. He has come into the world and accomplished in the flesh what your flesh could not even hope to.
And now, lift up your hearts to the Lord of Hosts! Prepare yourself now to receive Him who comes in the Name of the Lord upon this very altar.
Prepare yourself for His advent not as a baby born of a virgin, but as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Prepare yourself to receive Him not as a king on a donkey, but as the Bread of Life and the Wine of Immortality, given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of your sins.
For this is the purpose for which He is sent to you today. He comes to you no less in the flesh, but very much into your own flesh, that He might strengthen and keep you in the one true Faith unto life everlasting. He has, and He will have compassion upon you and abundantly pardon all your sins.
The thoughts of God are not the thoughts of man. Man seeks after pleasure and wealth, but God seeks out ways to shower His grace and mercy upon His children. The ways of God are not the ways of man. The way of man is vengeance and violence, but the way of God is the death of His Son for the life of the world. Take heart; He has overcome the world by the Word of His mouth. His Word has done just as He purposed, and it is glorious in our sight!
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
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