LORD JESUS, COME TO ME...WITH YOUR POWER

I John 4:17-19

I. That Washes Sins Away II. That Makes Me Fearless III. That Powers My Life

By Professor Peter Kiecker

Advent II December 12, 2001

Americans love power, don’t we? Your computer at home needs more power to run the latest versions of software you just purchased. Your cell phone drops calls because your antenna doesn’t have enough power. Your car’s economical 4-cylinder engine barely crawls up the hill when loaded down because it lacks power. The solution to each of these problems is quite simple. UPGRADE TO MORE POWER. Tim Allen, a famous contemporary comedian and star of the famous show Tool Time has virtually made a living out of his desire for power. From dishwashers to lawn mowers to snow blowers to Christmas lights he’s always adding a little more zip to get a little more out of everything. In fact, he either once said or should have said “The only thing better than power is...more power!”

Well, some power comes in horses; some comes in watts while still other comes in amps. The power we will concentrate on this evening however, comes to us in love. The plea that we hear and also join in saying during our three mid-week advent devotions is LORD JESUS, COME TO ME. This evening, we pray that the Lord would come to each one of us “With His Power”

I. The Power That Washes Sins Away
II. The Power That Makes Me Fearless Before God
III. The Power That Motivates My Life.

I.A. You may be able to get along in life without getting more horse power for your car or without getting more memory for your computer but one thing each of us needs no matter who we are is The power That Washes Our Sins Away. Jesus is that power. God’s righteous demand of you and me alike for perfection leaves us powerless to save ourselves.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe”, St. Paul was inspired to write in Romans. The first power that God’s love gives to us is the power to be His forgiven children. Without God’s powerful love, there can be no forgiveness, no life, and no eternity in heaven. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to believe – and we know that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” Jesus saved us from ourselves by His selfless act of loving and living for us. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn 15:13) That’s exactly what Jesus did for you. And that’s what He did for me! That is His powerful love in action. May He come to each one of you again this advent with His powerful love that forgives you your sins.

II.A. Jesus’ love brings us other types of power when it comes to us. He also brings us Power That Makes Us Fearless Before God.

“Who dare stand before the great and powerful Oz?” Do you remember that scene from the classic movie “The Wizard of Oz”? It was a pretty intimidating thing to stand before this great magician. Who is the most intimidating person you could imagine? Your old kindergarten teacher? A high school physics professor? A judge? The president of our country? For me, it would probably be a teacher I had, or at least according to all students’ account, the ability to recall from memory the entire New Testament, in Greek.

But that experience would be nothing in comparison to standing before the judgment seat of our all powerful, righteously punishing Judge and King. Can you picture yourself, all alone, slowly creeping up to stand before the Great and Glorious God who fills the whole universe? There you are, walking slowly down that long narrow hallway which ends before God’s throne! And why must you go? Because it is your turn to be judged. It is your turn to find out where you will spend eternity.

That scene COULD be your judgment day. Except for the fact that Jesus’ love has the power to Make You Fearless The song writer says it simply “Just as I am, without one plea, But that they blood was shed for me. And that Thou bidst me come to thee. O Lamb of God I come, I come,” With Jesus’ love, we can stand before God with NO FEAR in our hearts, and no knock in our knees!

Now I have a trivia question to ask you about the familiar Bible stories that surround the Christmas story. What is the greeting that is used by angels before they announce to Mary that she is going to have a child? What is the greeting used by angels before they announce to the shepherds that Jesus is born? In both cases it is the same two words. Fear not! The angels said “Fear not” because they knew that sinners because of their sins are afraid of God. But, once your sins are taken care of you do NOT need to fear. You do not need to fear punishment here in this life and you do not need to fear punishment in the life to come. You do not need to fear the Judge and on Judgment Day and you do not need to fear where you will spend eternity. Jesus and His powerful love have taken care of that. Because Jesus has made you into a forgiven child of God,

You can approach God with confidence. That means that on judgment day you can go before the God of all the universe, lift up your head and look Him in the eye knowing that He is your friend and your Father! The separation between man the sinner and God has been bridged by Jesus! Such love makes us go before God in all boldness and confidence. That is the perfect love of God living in you that St. John writes about.

III.Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Have you ever gotten into that seemingly endless argument with someone? There are compelling reasons to take either side. But there is no questions about which comes first in our lives, God’s forgiveness or our loving actions. God forgave. That’s a fact. It’s been done long ago. God’s love empowers us to love in return.

Martin Luther once wrote, “God does not need mere hearers and repeaters of words but doers and followers who practice their faith in a life of love. “ That is what our lesson is talking about when it speaks of perfect love. It is love that is put into action and that is lived out like God’s love. He goes on to say that faith without love is no faith at all but only appears to be faith, like a face in a mirror is in reality no face but only appears to be a face.”

Is your faith real? Look at your love. Does it shine out and show itself to others? Or is your faith in God little more than the reflection in a mirror?

Jesus’ love motivates us in our love. It teaches and moves us to live for Him and to treat others with love. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another. Just as in Christ, God has forgiven you” the Scriptures tell us. If you are truly powered by Jesus’ love then the power will show itself in your daily life. Look for opportunities to be a little Christ in how you treat others. Find ways of encouraging instead of discouraging people. Discover the reward of building people up instead of tearing them down Take other’s words to you in the kindest possible way instead of with a knee jerk reaction. Tap into your God given power to be like God. And when you fail, realize your sin! Beg God for forgiveness. Ask for His help and the power of His love to forgive, to give you confidence and to empower you to live for God. And then live and love because He first loved you!

There is one thing better than power and even better than more power. That is God’s power. May Jesus come to you through His Word and sacraments and bring you His powerful love. AMEN