St. Luke Ev. Lutheran Church of Watertown

Sermon delivered by Pastor Anthony E. Schultz

Pentecost 2 June 10 + 13, 2004

1 Kings 8:22,23,41-43

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven and said: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name—for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.”

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

I was walking through that tunnel that connects Watertown Memorial Hospital with the Medical Building and Beverly Terrace when I saw a page from a magazine sitting on a chair. The big bold headline read “Unforgiven”? Not forgiven? That sounded like something I should read! Unforgiven is the story of a woman named Pamela. She was a very pretty California girl. She was a cheerleader—a surfer girl—a ski bunny in Aspen. She got caught up in the whole life is a party scene—drugs and alcohol. She got arrested for driving the getaway car in a robbery. Then she got arrested for stealing a chain saw. In California they have this three strikes—three felony convictions and they throw you in jail for the rest of your life. Strike three was stealing a $30 toolbox! How silly is that? Pamela was sentenced to spend the rest of her life in prison because of that $30 toolbox! She spent years studying the law—until she finally got that last conviction overturned on the basis of ineffectual legal representation. Her lawyer was a dufus? Pleading guilty to a lesser charge—she was released from prison—got a job—rebuilt her life. Now they are saying she was released too early—and has to go back to jail for 65 more days. Just long enough to ruin everything she has worked so hard to rebuild! Pamela argues—the person she was is not the person she is today. That she has changed. That she should receive mercy because she has changed! With our Heavenly Father it’s one strike and we deserve the forever horrors of the flames of hell. With our Heavenly Father our countless sins, failures and painful mistakes deserve his forever wrath and blistering judgment. It is by grace alone that we are forgiven. It is by grace through faith that we are forever free for Jesus’ sake. Today we celebrate the grace and goodness of our Father—as King Solomon prays at the dedication of the temple at Jerusalem. Today God’s Word reminds us:

Come To Your Father’s House

1. Don’t forget your prayers

2. Don’t forget missions

God’s Word says, “After the king (King David) was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.” 2 Samuel 7:1,2 It just didn’t seem right. David lived in a literal palace with beautiful woodwork—while the Ark of the Covenant—the mercy seat—the physical reminder of the gracious closeness of the LORD—the Great I AM—the Holy One of Israel was in a tent! So David was determined to build the Temple—the House of the LORD. But the LORD said to David—“You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his Father. And I will establish his kingdom over Israel forever.’” 1 Chronicles 22:8b-10 Solomon would build the Temple. If you were King David—what would you do now? Would you be frustrated? Would you say to yourself—fine! I wanted to build the Temple—but if I’m not good enough—forget it! Would you? Or would you do what David did? Would you say—if I can’t actually build it—I will do what I can do. I will bring the thankofferings! I will gather all the building materials! I will make all the preparations—so that when my son Solomon is ready to actually build the Temple—he will have everything he needs—the very best of everything to build the House of the LORD! God’s Word says, “So David gave orders to assemble the aliens living in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God. (Those stones would be so huge—so incredibly massive that 1,000 years later—Jesus’ disciples would be in awe of their size!) He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed. He also provided more cedar logs than could be counted… 1 Chronicles 22:2-4a from Tyre and Sidon—from the far far north of Israel—for the glory of the LORD! Thankofferings in abundance! Think about it. God’s people followed the example of their King. They brought the best they possibly could—in such abundance that you couldn’t calculate or measure it all. The same Holy Spirit who filled the hearts of God’s people 3,000 years ago will fill our hearts. We will bring to Jesus thankofferings that will not only meet the budget but surpass it! God’s faithful people will come to church this summer—with ever greater faithfulness so that there will not be a summer slump. God is faithful to us this summer—and he will motivate us to be faithful to him this summer. Just imagine what a joy our meeting will be—when we don’t spend all that time with finances. But instead spend time talking about ministry and missions and Gospel outreach. What a joy and blessing when God’s people know the joy of serving God with our gifts.

When the Temple was completed. When the construction was done—and the Temple was dedicated—then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven and prayed… The altar was not a massive wooden box or table like we have here. The altar was not in front of lots and lots of pews where God’s people sat. The altar was outside. The altar was was made of bronze. The exact dimensions are difficult to pin down—but imagine an altar—a place for sacrifices in the neighborhood of thirty feet long and thirty feet wide and fifteen feet high! It was huge! Imagine an altar that big—covered with quarters of beef—sides of beef—the steaks—the prime rib. Imagine an altar that big covered with the lambs and sheep and goats. Imagine the flames—the smoke—the thick black clouds of smoke heavenward. Imagine the priests—bringing more and more sacrifices—more and more slabs of the finest meat—on their shoulders—up the steps—up into the flames—from the first light of dawn until the sun went down. Imagine seeing in such a graphic way—the wages of sin is death. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Imagine how the people longed for the day when the ultimate Lamb of God—holy and pure—would shed his blood one time to take away the sins of the whole wide world! How God’s people trusted in the promise that the Messiah would come to rescue God’s people forever! Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assemble of Israel. Solomon lifted up his hands open in prayer. Nothing in my hands I bring—simply to Thy Gospel promises I cling! He spread out his hands toward heaven and prayed. O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. There is one true God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That’s it! One God and one God only! Everything else that people try to call God—is man made—invented by people. To trust in any one or any thing other than Jesus to save you—is like trusting in pumpkin seeds to give you watermelons. It doesn’t matter how sincere you are. It doesn’t matter how dedicated you are. It doesn’t matter how committed you are. It doesn’t matter if you say down your life—if you hope is in a false god—you won’t get watermelon from your pumpkin seeds. It sometimes seems—countless people in America have simply decided to reject the idea of any God. There is a very popular movie out right now—about a horrible natural disaster—a second ice age. A handful of people seek sanctuary in a huge library—burning books to try and keep from freezing. One man sits clutching a Guttenberg Bible. Don’t burn this book he says. Why? Do you believe in God? Do you think God is going to rescue us? Oh, no—he replies. This book is a symbol of printing and civilization. I trust in people—in humanity to save us! How sad is that? There is one true God! Apart from him there is hopelessness and destruction. Through Jesus there is forgiveness—hope and life everlasting!

As Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD he talks about prayer and about missions. “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name—for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you…” Jesus made the wondrous promise about prayer: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:7-11 The only reason we don’t have some precious blessings—is because we haven’t asked for them! Our Father is ready and willing to give us these blessings. He is waiting—patiently waiting for us to ask! Ask—and it will be given to you! Ask your Father—with child like confidence and powerful trust that he loves you—and will answer your prayers. Then remember to thank him. Remember to tell everyone that the LORD has been good to you!

So that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. All the peoples of the earth may know God’s saving reputation! Sounds pretty much like the great commission 1,000 years earlier. Yet God’s people weren’t famous in Old Testament times or in the early New Testament about sharing the Gospel with people of different races and nations. How about us? Our whole Synod has determined to emphasize North American Outreach for the next few years. To proclaim peace through Jesus. North America is huge. It includes Canada. How many provinces does Canada have? Do we know? What are their capitals? What do we know of Mexico? Do we know her resorts—where people drink drinks with little umbrellas in them—but nothing of the poverty—not only of clean water and a clean place to sleep? But the poverty of not knowing we are rescued by grace through faith. The poverty of a blend of workrighteousness, fear and satanic superstition! The Gospel will spread—through North America—by the power of the Holy Spirit—through the means of Grace. The question is—will we be a part of that powerful soul saving work or not? By the grace of God—we will gather here in the House of the LORD—to do the precious work of feeding Jesus’ lambs and sheep. This is not a painful burden—but a precious privilege for Jesus’ sake. Amen!