Reformation Sunday November 5, 2006

“The Glorious Eternal Gospel”

Revelation 14:6,7

6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth – to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

As St. John scanned the political landscape of his day, he could see the soil painted with puddles of blood. For decades now, the powerful Roman government had been doing everything it could to erase Christianity from the records of world history. Christians were thrown to hungry lions; they were beheaded for confessing Christ; they were even blamed for starting the Great Fire of Rome. That city-wide fire actually was started on purpose by Emperor Nero, who hoped that if he blamed Christians for starting the fire it would spark more passionate persecution.) Instead of ruling responsibly, Roman leaders spent their God-given time inventing new and cruel ways to kill Christians. In a political climate like that, how would the truth survive?

Fast-forward with me fourteen hundred years from the days of St. John to the time of Martin Luther. As Luther scanned the landscape of his day, he didn’t see anyone thrown to lions in an arena. But what he did see was no less shocking. Luther saw the leaders of his church interested in nothing but money, power and a life of luxury. Heaven had to be earned, forgiveness was for sale, and eternal life could be yours at some point if the price was right. Amazing grace had no sweet sound…because it wasn’t being proclaimed. The Word of God was AWOL, written only in Latin, Hebrew or Greek while the mostly illiterate populace knew only German. How well would you understand my preaching today if I spoke only in Hebrew, Greek or Latin? With the Word being so hidden and hard-to-find, how would the truth survive?

Now fast-forward another five hundred years to today. As we look out over the landscape of 2006, what do we see? We still find people using their God-given intellect to invent new ways to kill each other and themselves, all at the same time. And Christians are not exempt. Even though as Christians we are enjoying a time of relative peace on American soil – I don’t think anyone is afraid of a plane crashing into the storefront this morning - I’ve read in more than one place that more Christians have died for their faith in the 20^th century than in all the other centuries combined. It’s anything but peaceful out there. The truth is at risk.

And what about morals? In secular society we see that shameless immorality is now called “the way to express my personality.” Radio, TV, billboards and the internet join to hand-deliver that garbage to every home and heart in America – in high definition and high speed. When we think about corporate America – is that an easy place to live your faith? When we arrive at the weekly fork in the road of “Give to the LORD or give to myself” we are pounded with pressure to worship the almighty dollar rather than worship the Almighty Lord. It’s far more compelling to keep up with the Jones’s rather than to serve the Jones’s and help them get ahead of you.

And our churches? Haven’t many of them embraced the idea of accepting everything and rejecting nothing? Haven’t many decided that true love means tolerating anything rather than standing up for the truth? People are listening only to what they want. You don’t like hell? Don’t believe in it then; doesn’t matter what God says. You want to keep on sinning and not admit it or feel guilty about it? Then change God’s Word to fit your style. People pick and choose parts of God’s Word like we pick and choose vegetables at a potluck. With this cafeteria-style approach to God’s Word, how will the truth survive?

Whether you are talking about Bible times, Luther’s time, modern times or any time – there is madness and mayhem in this sinful world called Earth. And when you look at the madness and the mayhem in politics, in American culture and in the visible churches around you will inevitably conclude, “The truth doesn’t have a chance to survive!”

But God tells us something amazing today. He tells us that not only does the truth have a chance to survive…he trumpets that the truth is guaranteed to last. God’s Word WILL endure forever. The Scripture before us today is Revelation 14:6,7. In those verses, John speaks from the perspective of Judgment Day. So fast-forward your minds one more time with me to Judgment Day. What will that look like? Listen to these verses. (read text)

What was going on a Judgment Day? John saw an angel flying in midair, and the midair angel was holding something important. He was holding the eternal gospel – the message of peace through Jesus. This is important to know: the midair angel flying with the eternal gospel is a picture of what Jesus said when he promised, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” God’s promise to you is that the midair angel will still be flying on Judgment Day. He will not crash and burn somewhere along the way; he will keep on holding out the eternal gospel for the world. It will outlast every evil leader. It will rise above every pick-and-choose false teaching. It will lead you to worship and praise the Lord who made the heavens, who made the earth and the sea and the springs, and who made sure that this eternal gospel came to your doorstep.

Have you ever thought about that…how determined God has been to make sure you hear the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ? The Holy Spirit has been very persistent over the years. Herod tried to snuff out Christ’s life as an infant, but God would have none of that; and the midair angel kept flying. The Roman government tried everything it could think of to extinguish the Word, but the midair angel kept flying and the Word spread. The church of Luther’s day had practically buried the Word, but the midair angel kept flying. All the addictive temptations in society today, all the confusion in churches; and yet here we are hearing God’s truth because the midair angel is still flying. His words have come to Katy. Why? Because God had it on his heart to bring the good news to your home address, to Cinco Ranch Blvd, to your restless heart and mine.

His good news is this: there is not one thing we could do to de-sin ourselves. We cannot undo any troubling actions, we cannot un-speak any piercing words, we cannot un-think any me-first thoughts. You can punish yourself all you want about what you should have done differently, but it will never put you at peace. You can work your tail off, pray your knees off, sing your voice off… but it will never get rid of the stain. Your sins still condemn you.

But God turned a Father’s compassionate heart to you. He looked you in the eye, looked his only Son in the eye, and gave up his dearest Son so that he could have you. He abandoned Jesus to the horrible heat of hell so that you will never have to experience what that feels like. The stain of your sins was washed away by his blood, and so “there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).” On Judgment Day, the judgment comes and we will stand “not guilty” before the Lord Almighty.

There is no state legislation, no church instruction, no vicious persecution, no threat of execution, no earthly intimidation, no shocking confession or horrible sin that will ever silence the midair angel. The gospel is eternal, because God wants you to hear it and he will make sure that you hear it. The midair angel is still flying over every nation, tribe, people and language! That’s what we celebrate today – that God has preserved and proclaimed to us the good news – that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Not only does that truth have a chance to survive…God trumpets that the truth is guaranteed to last. The midair angel is guaranteed to keep on flying. When we look at the world and gather information through our five senses we will always conclude that the truth doesn’t have a chance. But when we listen to God’s Word we will always hear that the truth is guaranteed to last. The enemies taking aim at the midair angel are the ones who don’t have a chance.

These verses from Revelation about the midair angel holding the gospel for the nations were the Bible verses that Martin Luther’s pastor, Pastor Bugenhagen, used for Luther’s funeral sermon. In that sermon, Pastor Bugenhagen pointed out that Luther was one fulfillment of these words, that the generous God in heaven sent the midair angel to Luther’s doorstep with the truth, bringing peace to his restless heart. And once it had been proclaimed TO Luther, it then began to be proclaimed THROUGH Luther to others. God kept his promise; the truth survived. It has surivived even to the present time. And it always will survive – that is God’s promise. We thank him for the eternal, glorious gospel! Amen.