St. Luke Ev. Lutheran Church of Watertown

Sermon delivered by Pastor Anthony E. Schultz

Lent 5. March 28, 2004 Psalm 118:10-15a

All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off. They surround me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off. They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off. I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous…

People of God—rescued from the flaming lake of fire in hell by the innocent blood of the very Lamb of God:

A little girl was born in Jersey City, NJ—a place of factories and noise and smoke. Her mom was a teacher—her dad a pharmaceutical salesman. When she was 3 they moved to Nutley, NJ. Her father was very concerned that she should grow up to be somebody. When she was 3 years old her father taught her all about gardening. Her mom taught her cooking and baking and sewing. She learned about baking pies and fancy cakes from an elderly couple next door—retired bakers! She went to college and studied chemistry—then art and European history and architectural history. As she grew up she had such pretty hair she did commercials for shampoos and soaps. After she graduated she ran a catering business out of the basement of her farmhouse and in ten years it became a million dollar enterprise. Now little Martha--Martha Stewart is a convicted felon. I heard the other day that she is asking—if you would be so kind—to write a letter to the Judge who will pass sentence on her very soon—and plead for mercy for her! What do you think? Would you take the time—make the time—to write a thoughtful and heartfelt letter for mercy for Martha Stewart? Would you plead for her? Or do you say to yourself—I never liked her! I really hate those rich people who are so snooty—so arrogant—with all their fancy crystal and fourteen forks and their wine cellars and fancy collections of stuff! Must be nice! I hope they throw the book at her! Is that what we think? Do we really think that if we had—I don’t know—a billion dollars we wouldn’t lose the common touch? That a billion dollars wouldn’t change us—it would just change everybody around us? The fact is—Jesus died on the cross for all the Martha Stewarts that have been convicted of lying to try and hang on to $60,000. And Jesus died for ordinary incredibly average people who will never have a billion dollars. It is because of Jesus’ forgiving love that today God’s Word encourages us:

Give Thanks!

1. The LORD has cut off my enemies

2. The LORD is my strength, song and salvation

Many of the Psalms were songs of praise that were part of worship! Psalms 113 through 118 were Psalms that were part of the Passover celebration. Psalms 113 and 114 were used before the meal. Psalms 115 through 118 were after the meal. You know Psalm 115. It’s a hymn in our hymnal. “Not to us, O LORD, not to us—but to your name be the glory!” The Psalm we are concentrating on today—Psalm 118 is most likely the Psalm Jesus sang with his disciples—the last Psalm he sang that Maundy Thursday—before they went out into the night—through the thick walls of Jerusalem—across the creek—the Brook Kidron—to that clump of olive trees at the bottom of the Mount of Olives. They went to that place for Jesus to pray with the passion and earnestness of bloody sweat! This Psalm is exceedingly appropriate as we draw closer and closer to Good Friday and Easter!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good—for his mercy endures forever! Do we say those words out loud—or whisper them in our head right after—come, Lord Jesus, be our guest? Do we appreciate the food that Jesus provides—or do we complain—grumble and criticize? I remember when I was in college—we used to make fun of the food. It was like a game—sitting around the table—our plates full to overflowing. We would make fun of the pancakes—with the 10W-30-weight motor oil syrup. We made fun of the roast beef—the grease and the gristle. Every meal we found something to complain about. And then we would complain if we couldn’t have seconds! That’s wrong! It’s wrong to say—oh, give thanks—and for Jesus to be the unseen guest at our table—then to complain bitterly about the food. The one we are really complaining against—is the Lord Jesus! We have fish fries—where it’s all you can eat—and we eat all we can. We have fish—deep-fried and baked—with just a little paprika sprinkled on it—to dip in those little bowls of melted butter. And then we have fried chicken, too. We have Cole slaw with little sesame seeds in it—German potato salad and American potato salad—baked beans and shrimp salad. Do we eat all we can—then complain that we are just too full? Give thanks to the LORD—the Holy One of Israel—for the most precious blessings of all—spiritual blessings. Thank him that we can come to Church week after week—unafraid that our government or our neighbor would do us any harm for being here. Thank Jesus that we have Bibles we can read. Pray that he would give us hearts that make time to read them. Pray that Jesus would make us thankful and content for all he has given us instead of taking so much for granted!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. The Hebrew word translated love here—hes’ed—is so much more than just l-o-v-e! We use the word love—all the time. The word for love here—means the loving kindness in redemption from enemies and troubles. That’s the kind of loving kindness—goodness—greatness of mercy that the psalmist is talking about. All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off. They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off. God’s Word always has a worldview. Again and again it talks about how God wants us to go and make disciples of all nations. Are we aware of the world? Could you draw a map of Iraq? Could you put Baghdad and Mosel and Kikrit and Falujah on it? If you had a son or daughter in Iraq right now—I bet you could! It all has to do with attitude—with motivation! How many countries could we name on a map of Africa? There are millions and millions of people there in Africa—who don’t know Jesus is their only Savior from sin and guilt. Our thank offerings—our children and grandchildren—our lives can be dedicated to making sure these people don’t die—without learning all about Jesus!

They swarmed around me like bees! It happened back when I was in high school. A Chicago radio personalities Uncle Larry and Little Tommy would do Animal Stories—news from the animal world. Uncle Larry was playing golf one day—when he saw a worker at the golf course—trimming trees. Unbeknownst to the greens keeper—there was this huge bees nest fastened to a branch in that tree he was pruning. When the worker cut down that branch—down came the bees’ nest. And wow—were those bees upset. They came raining down on this worker—stinging and stinging and stinging him. He ran down the fairway—crying out for help. And Uncle Larry--the golfer that saw him in such desperate need—what did he do? Nothing! Little Tommy asked him—didn’t you do anything? What was I supposed to do?—the golfer asked. What was I supposed to do? Help him somehow! How? If I go by him—I’m gonna get stung, too! So what do you say? Hey, buddy, tough luck! Would you help? Would you go and brush the bees off someone being stung by a whole swarm? Would you take of your jacket or your shirt—and wipe the bees off as fast as you could? Would you put your body over theirs—cover them with your own body—so that the bees would sting you instead? Would you? Would you cry out to the LORD—not with curses and with oaths and with filthy language? Or would you cry out to the LORD in your distress—and the LORD could send a mighty wind to blow the bees all away! Would you cry out to the LORD in your distress—with child like trust and confidence in his love and his power? They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quick as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. It is a horrible helpless feeling to fall backwards! I will never forget the time my friend Prof. John Mattek told about how when he was younger he had climbed up the outside of a silo—way up to the top of this cement cylinder silo—to open those little wooden doors at the top. He pulled and pulled and pulled and pulled. At last they let go. And when they did—when they popped open—a bunch of pigeons flew out—right into his face! And startled—for just an instant—he let go of those doors. And he surely would have fallen—helpless—backwards—to the hard cement below—had not his Heavenly Father pushed ever so gently at the small of his back—so that he caught those door handles again! Do you know how that must have felt—for that one brief instant—knowing you were going to fall—and then knowing the LORD had helped you? We were falling helplessly into sin—into gross and horrible hurtful soul destroying sin. We were helpless to save ourselves. There was nothing to wait for—except that bone breaking crash into the unquenchable fires of hell. But then Jesus took hold of us. Jesus held us close and right in his nail marked hands. Jesus will never ever let us go. He will hold us close and safe until we are in heaven!

The LORD is my strength… Are you strong? I was by the doctor the other day and they took some blood to take some tests. Usually it goes pretty good. They sort of tap on your arm a couple of times. They tie that little rubber strap around your arm—tell you to make a fist and poke that long needle into the vein. The tube turns crimson—they take off the strap and tell you to relax your fist. In a moment they put that little piece of gauze on your arm and you are done. That’s how it usually goes. This time—a pretty good poke—nothing! A little in and out—a little deeper. Nothing! They tried the other arm. Nothing. A new nurse—the first arm again—nothing. The second arm—nothing there either. The third nurse came—and started tapping my hands. I told them—this was nothing. That what I need have are arms that are so strong and muscular—that the veins are right out there in the open. What I need to do is work out so that my arms are so strong—that they will have no trouble finding the vein to get my blood. I have lifted my weights—every day—every single day. The Apostle Paul said physical training and physical discipline will make your body strong. But far more important than any physical strength is to be strong in the LORD. Only Jesus can make your faith stronger and stronger. Only Jesus can build up your faith through the power of the Gospel! Only Jesus can make our children strong—through the Gospel in our home. Then the Gospel reinforced in Sunday School and our Day School and Luther Prep and Lakeside! Jesus is our strength on Wednesdays in Lent!

The LORD is my strength and my song. The Scriptures encourage us again and again to be so happy we sing. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “Be joyful always; pray continually. Give thanks under all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16,17 Be joyful always. This is all about attitude! Do we wake up in the morning thinking—as this Psalm 118 says, “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (v. 24) This means fresh brewed coffee—from freshly ground beans—dipped in caramel, hazelnut and butterscotch—fresh squeezed OJ with pulp you can strain with your teeth—golden crispy bagels—with whole wheat and cracked wheat and sunflower seeds. It means climbing out of bed—with a prayer in your heart—not grumbling and complaining—I don’t want to get up—I don’t want to go to work! It means there might be eye crispies in our eyes—and a little drool dried on our cheek. But there is joy in our hearts—another day to serve the LORD with a contagious joy and gladness! Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous. This past week more and more people died. A lady fell from a ride at an amusement part—fell from the ride and died. The other day a truck full of asphalt crashed into a school bus—and people were buried in the black top crumblies. The other day a little five year old was running after the school bus he missed and he got run over by a car. A little 4-year-old girl in Atlanta was in an apartment building were a couple of guys were shooting at each other and they accidentally shot her. A little three-year-old boy found a gun—a loaded guy that his father had left in the car with him—and he died. A little 9-month-old child was left in the car while their father was at the racetrack down in Florida—and died from the heat in the car. Next week it will happen all over. Oh, it may be in very different ways—or in very ordinary ways—but people will die. Just a few weeks ago—the oldest man of all—a guy 114 years old died. One day we will, too. But we will not be afraid. In fact shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous! We are not defeated when we die. We are victorious! We have won the ultimate victory when we come home to heaven—to see Jesus face to face!

To God alone all glory!