Romans 5:1-5 Sermon

The Holy Trinity (Confirmation)

Shepherd of the Hills Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS)

To Stay at Peace, Stay Put

Romans 5:1-5

¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (NIV)

Absolutely sick-to-my-stomach disgusting.  How else could one describe the news reports that developed this past week from London?  The mere mention of this account starts to make our blood boil.  Acts of atrocity like this actually tend to bring out the worst in us sometimes as well, for we can’t help but dream up what we feel would be appropriate punishment for the cleaver-carrying terrorists who violently attacked and murdered another man without any remorse whatsoever.  As far as we’re concerned, no punishment would be sufficient for such scum.  They deserve the worst imaginable. 

So if you had the chance, would you let them off the hook and take their place so that they could be free?  Would you let someone who had it in himself to hack and carve up another human being get away with it by enduring their punishment for them?  I strongly doubt any one of us would, and I might have a difficult time believing anyone who claimed as much.  We want to see them suffer for what they did.  We want to see justice carried out.

You know that it was, right?  In our situation, justice was carried out.  See, we too were standing there, hands bloodied in sin, unable to hide our guilt, and making no effort to do so.  We committed the despicable, the unthinkable, the incomprehensible.  Because of that sin we deserved extreme punishment.

But he traded places with us.  He substituted himself for us and endured our punishment so that we could be free.  Jesus did that for you, for me.  Because he did, justice has been served.  Sin was rightfully punished.  His innocence got us off scot-free. We have been declared “not guilty.”  That is what it means to say that we have been justified.

With that thought in mind, the fifth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans continues.  Having firmly established in the preceding chapters of his letter that a man is justified, “declared not guilty,” only by faith and not by any obedience to any law, Paul now builds on that foundation.  With the care and detail and precision with which Paul clarified the teaching of justification, it is no wonder this central teaching has been called “the string on which all the pearls of Christian revelation are strung” (F.A. Mayer).  In our verses this morning Paul shifts his focus to pointing out the difference justification makes in the life of a believer.  He writes, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (v.1). 

He may not admit it, perhaps because he isn’t even aware of it, but the man without God spends his entire life seeking to scratch an itch that only God can relieve.  Inside he is restless, always looking for something else, ever searching, but never satisfying that yearning for something more.  He turns everywhere – stocking up on stuff, climbing the corporate ladder, giving in to various vices, then overcoming them, improving self, serving others, and the list goes on.  And certainly some of those endeavors are good and beneficial pursuits, but when not walking side-by-side with God, they disappoint or fail to fill the void.   The restlessness continues.  The peace that passes all understanding is passing him over.  It is as Augustine said, “our soul was created by God and exists for God and is therefore never quiet till it rests in God.”

Doesn’t that phrase “rest in God” describe what children in our elementary school or Sunday school or catechism instruction are offered?  Isn’t the purpose behind such an education simply to reinforce to our children that through Christ Jesus we do have that peace with God?  Our souls have found rest, by God’s grace.  Our confirmand, Trevor McDonough, can confidently move forward in his life with the sure and certain peace that is his through the life and death of Jesus. 

Not only do we have peace through Jesus, but he is also the one “through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (v.2a).  The peace we have is ongoing, because we have open access to the grace of God, and are in fact standing in that grace of God right this very moment.  Jesus has given us access, so that we might see that our peace does not run out, so that we can live and work and seek and serve all while standing under the umbrella of God’s grace.  We have full and complete access to it.

How unfortunate if we refused to take advantage of that access for the rest of our lives!  Imagine staying at a luxury hotel and being told that you have access to every amenity offered at no charge: room service, any suite of your choice, complimentary drinks at the lounge, spa treatment or massages, and on and on and on.  However, you choose instead to sleep on a cot in the laundry room.  You had free access to the best the hotel had to offer, and you didn’t take advantage of any of it.  What a waste!

The sad irony is that we are in such deep need of this access to God’s grace in part because we so regularly despise it. God has rolled out the red carpet of his grace for us in multiple ways, and we respond by rolling our eyes.  “Doesn’t God get that I’ve got so much going on in life that I don’t have time for all this ‘Jesus’ he wants to shove down my throat?  Can’t he just be happy that I’m in church once in a while or simply that I consider myself a Christian?  Isn’t it enough that I’m a communicant member at Shepherd of the Hills?”       

Such frustrations will naturally arise for the Christian who refuses to take advantage of the full amenities that the Christian faith offers, even though he knows he has been justified through faith in Jesus and is at peace with God.  The sad reality is that it is we – not God – miss out when full advantage of such spiritual amenities is not taken.  Worship is so that our faith can be fed.  The Lord’s Supper is so that our guilty consciences can be cleansed.  Bible study and devotions are so that our faith can stretch and grow.  Prayer is so that we can pour out our heart and souls with the assurance that the Lord hears and longs to answer our prayers.  All of these blessings and so many more are included in that access to God’s grace that we have by faith, and they are blessings by which God intends to enrich our lives.

Paul goes on to point out what this access to God means for those who take advantage of it.  First, “we boast in the hope of the glory of God” (v.2b).  The old NIV has “rejoice” where the NIV 2011 has “boast,” which more accurately reflects the original language.  We can boast confidently because our boasting is based in the Lord.  Such boasting is based not on what we’ve done, but on everything he has done to provide us with sure-fire hope.

Don’t forget to boast.  We spend enough time pointing out the negatives in the church, or harping on what others aren’t doing.  We spend enough time on the defensive from the world as Christians.  But do we spend enough time boasting, proclaiming, rejoicing, in the hope that we have on a daily basis?  From the time we pop out of bed in the morning until we rest our heads our pillows at night, we only have so much control over what’s going to happen each day.  Yet, while we don’t know what each day is going to bring, we do know that we have hope in the Lord.  Let’s rejoice and boast in that hope more often!

There’s more to this access to God and his grace for us Christians.  Secondly, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (v.3,4).  Trevor, I wish I could tell you that your life as a Christian means nothing but a smooth, perfectly paved road ahead.  But you know that won’t be the case.  That road is going to be filled with potholes, and some pretty large ones at that.  What’s more, many of those bumps along the way are going to come not just because “that’s life,” but directly because of your Christian faith.  Your faith will be tried.  Your faith will be tested.

But those sufferings will not change the fact that you are still at peace with God.  And that peace will enable you to take suffering in stride, and even to welcome it, because you know that God is working something good in you through it.  Successful companies that build enduring products take the time to test their products before making them available to the consumer.  If it’s a car, they run crash tests, driving tests, safety tests, etc.  Why?  So they can see how it would stand up to the real thing.  As the product is tested, it can be improved in certain areas in which it didn’t test so well, so that when the finished product comes out, it’s ready to stand against anything.  It got that way because it was tested.  Ultimately, those sufferings and tests that you face will teach you perseverance and character, each preparing you for the next test by also reinforcing the hope you have in Jesus.

Why is that hope so important?  Because it doesn’t disappoint.  That may not be able to be said with 100% assurance of any other “hope” a person can have in this world.  But with hope that rests in God, we will not be put to shame.  We will not be made fools, no matter what the world may think, and that is because you received this hope not from men, but from God the Holy Spirit.  Hope promised by men may be hope never seen or experienced, but the hope that God brings about through perseverance will not ever disappoint.  One day it will be fully recognized in heaven, where peace will take center stage.

And until we’re there, he’ll still grant us his peace throughout our lives.  Confirmation day is a special day.  Hard as it might be to believe, it is actually about more than getting all the examination questions correct.  It’s about celebrating that God has sent his Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our confirmand(s) to be convinced that in Jesus they have full access to peace with God.  Now if that is the case, and I assure you it is, then Trevor, where else would you ever wish to be but where the peace is consistently proclaimed – in God’s Word and his worship?  Do you want to stay at peace?  Then stay put.  Amen.

                                                             

“For the freer confidence is from one’s own works, and the more exclusively it is directed toward Christ alone, so much better is the Christian it makes.” (Luther)

Revelation 7:9-17 Sermon

THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Shepherd of the Hills Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS) 

Easter Revelations: He Is the Shepherd and Lamb 

Revelation 7:9-17

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
 and to the Lamb.” 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen!
 Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!” 13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, “they are before the throne of God
 and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
 will shelter them with his presence.16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
 never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
 nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
 ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
 ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” (NIV)

The Scriptures don’t lack for pictures and illustrations.  God’s desire in using such images is that his truthful teachings are not only made known to us, but also understood and firmly believed by us.  While many of the parables, pictures, or stories depict objects or scenarios that may not be as familiar to us in today’s culture, virtually all of them are simple enough to understand with very little explanation.  For example, one doesn’t need to know the legal ins and outs of how an inheritance was divided among sons to cherish the story of the Prodigal Son (Lk. 15) and what it means for us.  You don’t need to be a licensed contractor to appreciate the difference between Jesus’ encouragement to build a foundation on solid rock and not on unstable sand (Mt. 7).

We do, however, recognize that when some sort of connection exists between and illustration and the person hearing it, the point being made through the illustration is at times more meaningful.  The agricultural parables, for example, are no doubt very appreciated by the individual who plants his own garden or spends a lot of time cultivating plants and trees.  Jesus’ command to go out and fish for men may hit home a little more to the avid angler who has spent long hours patiently struggling to catch anything and then finally reeled in the big one.  So it makes sense that the more familiar a person is with a particular image in Scripture, the more meaningful it probably is.

Yet there is still one image in the Bible which, even though very few, if any of us, have any personal experience whatsoever with it, stands out among most others as a cherished picture of calmness, comfort, and peace.  It is the picture of our loving God as a compassionate shepherd, and we as his sheep.  So treasured is this image of our Savior, in fact, that the church has designated the fourth Sunday of Easter to serve as what is often called Good Shepherd Sunday.  Although some of us may have never even heard the bleating of a sheep or been anywhere near an entire flock, nonetheless the picture of a shepherd tending his sheep is one of the most beloved in all of Scripture.

It is also a very frequent one.  In the Old Testament we hear of David not only by title of King over God’s people, but also their shepherd.  Certainly on some level everyone here is familiar with the most famous psalm, Psalm 23, which relies on the imagery of shepherd and sheep to ease troubled hearts and paint pictures of serenity and peace.  Jesus refers to himself as the Shepherd and his followers his sheep, as he did in the Gospel this morning.  And also this morning, as we see yet another Easter Revelation, it is revealed to us that the One enthroned in heaven will always serve as our shepherd.  This morning we see in John’s revelation that our Shepherd is unique, for we see today that He Is the Shepherd and the Lamb.

Actually, if one wants to get technical about which title receives more attention, there’s no arguing that Jesus is easily referred to as the Lamb many times more than he is the shepherd in the book of Revelation.  In fact, this section of Revelation is the only one in the entire book where we come across the designation of shepherd for our Savior.  He is called “Lamb,” however, over thirty times in the book of Revelation.

It’s no surprise why. Remember how John described it? “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb’” (v.9,10).  Notice the variety of souls standing before the Lamb.  They literally came from the ends of the earth.  Different nationalities.  Different physical features and appearances.  Different skin colors.  Different languages.  And yes, I’m sure different denominations outside of the Lutheran church.  A veritable melting pot of people stands before the throne, rejoicing because they knew their only ticket there, their only ticket to salvation came through the Lamb.

That much becomes clear later on in John’s revelation.  The Lamb is the only explanation for the multitudes surrounding his throne.  He is the reason for their rejoicing.  When asked who they were and how they got there, the response was a no-brainer, “Sir, you know,” and he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (v.14).  Rest assured, multitudes of souls are and will always be in the presence of God’s throne of grace in heaven, and they will all have been granted access in the only way possible, through the Lamb and the blood he shed for them.  This is the same blood John wrote about in his first letter: “The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).  Yes souls from all over the world will be represented in heaven, but they will all have the same thing in common; they all will be there because of the Lamb’s blood.

So will we.  Loved ones who have already gone before us stand before the throne right now, because of the blood of the Lamb.  When our time of grace here on earth is over, we too will stand before the throne, because of the blood of the Lamb.  It’s ironic, isn’t it, that something that causes stains that are extremely difficult, if not impossible to get out, should serve to whiten and brighten our robes, purifying them completely to be worn in heaven?  It’s ironic, isn’t it, that something we’re more inclined to associate with death is the one substance that truly offers life?  It’s ironic, isn’t it, that the blood that should have been shed by the guilty offenders – you and me – was instead shed by the innocent Lamb, Jesus?

Without the bloodshed of the Lamb, our hope of eternal life would be in vain.  It would be misleading even to think our chances of gaining access into heaven would be a long shot, because the reality would be that we’d have no shot, apart from the Lamb.  To think otherwise is either to 1) downplay the harsh reality of my sins, or 2) make light of God’s expectation of perfection.  Either one will have the serious consequence resulting in the individual being shut out from heaven and eternally on the outside looking in.  Our sin is real, it is inexcusable, and for it we will be held accountable.  So just like the multitudes surrounding the throne, we need the blood of the Lamb to wash us and provide entrance into heaven. And the Resurrection proves that the sacrifice of the Lamb was sufficient.  Easter means access to heaven is ours, because the Lamb who died is the Lamb who was raised and lives and rules on his throne eternally.

Have you ever wondered how we’ll be spending our time in heaven?  John tells us.  We will serve the Lamb.  But even that word serving will have lost any negative perceptions associated with it while here on earth.  When our Easter Revelation depicts the saints “serv[ing] him day and night in his temple” (v.15), such service to God will not be like the nagging “to-do” lists we have here on earth; serving him in heaven will not be some laborious chore that is a necessary evil.  Rather, that part of each of us that genuinely longs to serve God faithfully, that new creation in each of us, will finally be satisfied in heaven.  The bull-headed service we often provide here will be replaced with the service of a holy heart in heaven.  With Christ at work in our hearts here on earth, the child of God in each of us longs to serve him better than we can right now.  We long to love others better, to serve more willingly, to serve more frequently, to forgive more easily, to give more generously, to pray more earnestly, to worship and praise more faithfully.  And in heaven, before the Lamb, and because of the Lamb, we will do all of those things.

Our eternity will be entirely devoted to serving him perfectly, for the concerns of this world will not distract us.  John wrote, “Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat” (v.16).  Lacking nothing, we will cherish the reality of an eternity that allows our completely sanctified hearts to gratefully serve forever.

And John’s revelation all comes full circle now.  How do we know we’ll lack nothing?  Because “the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (v.17).  The Lamb is none other than the Good Shepherd who will forever give us the living water of salvation to drink.  He will provide us with peace and protection from every harm and evil, which will be no more.  And where there is no wickedness, where sin is no more, neither will there be tears or sadness.  All will be well.  All will be perfect in the peaceful pastures of heaven, where we will forever be guided by our loving Savior, who is both our Shepherd and our Lamb.  Amen.

                                                              

“For the freer confidence is from one’s own works, and the more exclusively it is directed toward Christ alone, so much better is the Christian it makes.” (Luther)

Revelation 5:11-14

The Third Sunday of Easter

Shepherd of the Hills Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS)

Easter Revelations: He Is Worthy of Praise 

Revelation 5:11-14

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” 14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (NIV)

Famous for having defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington also had a reputation among his men as a harsh leader.   The British military leader, a genius on the battlefield, was not known to be generous with praise or affirmation for those beneath him.  But in the later part of his life, when asked by a younger lady if there was anything he’d do differently in his life if given the opportunity to relive it, he recognized something that was lacking.  After having considered her question briefly, he gave her an answer.  “I’d give more praise,” he replied. 

It may be that Wellington’s regret is one shared by a lot of us.  While I doubt for a moment that a single one of us would struggle to readily receive words of praise with open ears and a glad heart, few of us are as quick to be on the other end of praise – to be the ones dishing it out.  Indeed, we’re like the little boy who demonstrated the innate need of praise that we all share when he invited his father to spend time with him.  He said, “Let’s play darts.  I’ll throw, and you say ‘Great job!’”  We have a strong desire to receive praise, but don’t as naturally extend it to others…

Even to the One deserving our praise far and above more than everyone else, Jesus.  Our Easter Revelation this morning reveals to us why He Is Worthy of Praise.  Let us look again at the vision displayed before John’s eyes in the book of Revelation to clearly see why.

I. Worthy As the Lamb Who Was Slain

John revealed, “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (v.11,12).  How many were present, praising the Lord with their voices in John’s vision?  We think back to God’s covenant promise to Abraham that the number of his descendants would rival the stars in the sky and the sand on the shore.  The vision here seems to reveal a similar idea, that the number of angels and creatures and all who were present was far beyond anyone’s count.  Standing from the perspective of the Lamb on the throne looking out, all that would be visible in every direction would be angels and created beings surrounding the throne and praising the lamb. And why? “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain” (v.12).  Because the Lamb was sacrificed.

Even today we praise those who sacrifice their lives for the sake of others.  Such sacrifice is why past wars have left their permanent imprint on history – such wars are recorded in books written in the very blood of the sacrificial sons and daughters who gave their lives for a greater good.  And how many tear-jerking stories of sacrifice came out of the events of September 11, 2001, stories that cannot be told today with dry eyes by those who are alive because of them?  Then there are local stories in every neighborhood and community of citizens dying to help or save others, stories that do actually occur, but get lost in the constant barrage of news updates we’re used to receiving every minute of every day.  Sacrifice is everywhere.

So great an impact does it leave on us that we very commonly will recognize sacrifice in a number of ways.  A fallen police officer has a park named after him as a memorial.  A street is named after a soldier who gave his life in battle.  A special day or commemoration is held at a certain time and / or place each year to recognize the sacrifice someone has made.  We value sacrifice.  It is greatly appreciated, and we recognize it whenever possible.

Sadly, the praise expressed for sacrifices in this world will very soon be forgotten.  Even when streets are named, memorials erected, and holidays declared in praise of past sacrifices, so soon do such things lose connection with their original intent.  The street name and its significance becomes lost in the endless sea of streets in any community.  The memorial may remain a landmark, but the memories and praise associated with it quickly fade.  Holidays become nothing more than a break from the mundane routine of work, opportunities to celebrate with family and friends, rather than commemorate the very sacrifices that brought about the holiday in the first place.

But there is only one sacrifice on earth that is worthy of the praise demonstrated in our Easter Revelation this morning, and it is a sacrifice that will never be forgotten: the sacrifice of Jesus.  Yes, when it comes to praise, Jesus is worthy as the Lamb who was slain.  Without taking anything away from the sacrifices of men and women throughout history, there is no question that no sacrifice in the world is as deserving of praise as the sacrifice of Jesus.  His sacrifice was far superior because it happened one time, and it benefited every human throughout history.  The blood spilled by the Lamb reaches out to atone all people, to satisfy all sin, to pay the redemption price demanded of every soul enslaved by sin.  No sacrifice was so precious, so priceless – even all the praise in the world would be insufficient.

How does that worldly praise compare to the praise directed at the Lamb who was slain?  To our shame we might point out the uncanny similarities.  Parents praise the Lamb who was slain as they allow the life-giving waters of baptism to trickle down their child’s face, only to have that praise fade away in the empty seats in Sunday school shortly after.  Teenagers praise the Lamb who was slain as they vow before a congregation and before the Lamb himself to take full responsibility for their faith and to continue growing in grace throughout life, only to have that praise drift away in the vacant pews of God’s house already the next Sunday and beyond.  Christians belt out their praise to the Lamb who was slain in this place each and every Sunday, only to exit the doors of the sanctuary and have the echoes of that praise drowned out by living that so quickly betrays it.  Indeed, the praise of lips on Sunday morning is not mirrored by the praise of lives Monday through Saturday.

We must admit that such petty praise reveals our true nature, doesn’t it?  And that true nature isn’t pretty.  It’s downright ugly and full of sin.  But then, when we recognize that even our praise is itself an indication of our shortfalls before God, the sacrifice of the Lamb refreshes us anew all over again.  The blood of the Lamb even covers poor excuses for praise.  And with that deeper understanding of the depth and degree of Jesus’ sacrifice come new songs of praise, swelling up in our hearts and lives, which long to be expressed in this way and that.  A tired tune finds new life as it is sung by a renewed heart.  A half-hearted prayer is replaced with confident conversations with God.  Giving is generous and joy-filled instead of paltry and pigheaded.  When the good news of forgiveness in Christ Jesus rejuvenates our hearts and lives, praise flows naturally and abundantly in every way possible…

I. Worthy As the Lamb Who Will Reign

As it did in John’s vision in our Easter Revelation this morning.  You see, praise is such a heavenly priority that another reason for praise was revealed to John.  Not only is it true that Jesus is worthy as the Lamb who was slain, but also as the Lamb who will reign.  The sacrifice of Jesus for all people is unique from every worldly sacrifice in another way: the sacrifice came to life again.  No news story in history tells of a sacrificial death that involves a resurrected sacrifice, except one, the account of Jesus.  His is a story of a sacrifice death that was reversed as a result of the Resurrection.  The Lamb who was slain became the Lamb who will reign.  And for that reason, too, he is worthy of our praise.

The world doles out praise to worldly rulers and authorities.  Just as those who sacrifice their lives to serve others are recognized in various ways, so also are those whose rule and reign is viewed as being exceptional or noteworthy.  We hear of leaders whose conquering forces established vast kingdoms and empires.  We know of some past Presidents of our own country better because of their accomplishments than others whose presidency was largely forgettable.  And we praise them.

So we do the same for the Lamb who does and who always will reign.  Believers praise the Lamb who will reign with hearts that trust his reign over all things for our good, even when the evidence seen with our physical sight doesn’t match that seen with our spiritual sight.  We praise the Lamb who will reign as loyal servants of the risen King who let their light shine all the more in a world that wants only to snuff out that light more and more.  Christians all over the world praise the Lamb who will reign in the face of persecution with the full knowledge that physical harm or even death may result.  And although our praise is seldom what it should be when it leaves our lips, it is always perfect praise that reaches the ears of the Father, for the Lamb who was slain has made it perfect for the Lamb who will reign.

Jesus is worthy of our praise, worthy as the Lamb who was slain, and worthy as the Lamb who will reign.  He is deserving of all praise.

But that isn’t to say that he’s the only one who benefits from it.

The beauty of our praise to the Lamb is that it also blesses us.  It blesses us because as we praise, we proclaim.  In our praise we are proclaiming what the Lamb has done on our behalf.  Our hymns of praise are nothing more than proclamations of the saving works of our Almighty and gracious God.  And while he is honored and glorified by such praise, we are also edified and built up.  To praise is to proclaim.  To proclaim is to praise.  The scene in Revelation reveals this to be true, as the cause of celebration and the purpose of praise is rooted in the One who was slain, who is also the One who will reign.  May his name and his works be proclaimed fervently throughout the earth now and always, and by doing so, may he be praised. 

At a conference of a Presbyterian church in Omaha, people were given helium filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. Since they were Presbyterians (they could just as easily have been Lutherans!), they weren't accustomed to expressing such praise in a visible way.  All through the service balloons ascended, but when it was over, 1/3 of the balloons were still unreleased.  Brothers and sisters, don’t hang on to your balloons of praise. Let your balloon go.  Praise the Lord, for the Lamb who was slain is also the Lamb who will reign.  Amen.

                                                              

“For the freer confidence is from one’s own works, and the more exclusively it is directed toward Christ alone, so much better is the Christian it makes.” (Luther)