Idols

1 John 5.21

I was listening recently to a lecture on idolatry as it related to ministers. In the middle of his comments the speaker referred to 'comfort foods'. It wasn't a major point but something he mentioned in passing. He said something like, 'I thought Jesus already sent Someone to comfort us – the Holy Spirit.' The Spirit used that passing remark to get me thinking. It's out of that nudge that I wrote today's sermon. This morning we're going to take a look at idols. We're going to do that because idols are real and they affect us as we work at following Jesus. I sincerely hope that the Spirit will use His Word to deal with your idols as He is doing that to deal with mine.

When the language of idols pops up most people think of statues and bowing and all of that. That won't do if we're going to make progress in this area. Let's return to the language of gaps that I used in another sermon. We live in a fallen world. Because of that nothing works the way that it's supposed to . Nothing. And especially not us. We were created to enjoy the Father and His good gifts and in this way to be challenged and satisfied. We are, in so many ways, challenged, but we are not satisfied – and we won't be. Not here. There is a gap. On the one side is the way things were intended to be and on the other, where we live, is the way that things actually are.

Work is supposed to be stretching, refreshing, joyous, fulfilling and exciting. All of work. All of the time. It's not. It may, at times, be more like that than at other times, but it never achieves the goal of what it was meant to be. There's a gap. Relationships are supposed to be invigorating, completely open, revelatory and safe. All relationships. All the time. They're not. Again, we do better at times, but our relationships are never what they're supposed to be. There's a gap. Life in all its different aspects is supposed to be the experience of perfection that amazes and fulfills. But it isn't, and we feel it. We feel it everywhere. We live in a fallen world. Everything is broken. And the gap between what is and what ought to be, the gap that frustrates us so, is never going to close as long as this fallen world exists.

Now, how do we deal with the gap? In a way, that question summarizes life. How do we deal with the different gaps that confront us? This gets us back to that comment about comfort foods. Mondays are my day off. This past Monday I was plotting out my day. What would I do? I had planned to be on Peach Street to buy something at the Mall. And the thought occurred to me, 'I can get a Wegman's sub and have it for lunch. What a great idea. They are so good!' Now, that sounds innocent enough. But let me tell you what was going on in my heart. One theme of my life is a kind of boredom. It comes from being alone. It's a gap that separates me from life as intended. If real life, life according to the original plan, is in vivid color, then boredom is a drab and depressing gray. Now, how do I deal with that gap? From my youth food has functioned as a gap-filler. It has been a way for me to create some color when life got a little too gray. That's what my plan for a Wegman's sub was about. I will deal with the gray by adding the pleasure of a particular food. I will gain comfort from a sub. Now, here's the point: When I do something like that, I become an idolater. I am dealing with the gap, but I am dealing with it in the wrong way. I am forgetting about Jesus.

Now, is food somehow evil? Absolutely not. And this is what makes this whole issue of idolatry so difficult. Food is a gift from God. It's more than just fuel for the body. It is, in fact, intended to give pleasure, to add color to life. But it is not to be something that we grasp at as a way to deal with the gap. Jesus has told us that He will fill the gap, every gap. He will take what is drab and fill it with color. No more boredom. No more gaps. That's why He's come. And He has many ways to do that. He may, in fact, provide a good meal that gives pleasure. But here's the key: when we feel the gap, how will we respond? Will we look to Jesus to fill that gap in a way that He thinks best, or will we grab one of His gifts – food or anything else – and try to fill that gap on our own as we think best? We become idolaters when we expect some bit of creation to fill a gap that we sense instead of trusting Jesus to do that. We worship the creation – look to it, hope in it, expect it to fix things – instead of worshiping the Creator by entrusting ourselves to Him.

Consider something that the Apostle Paul has to say. 'Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.' Do you see Paul's point? When we say, 'If only I had that then I'd be okay' – whether we're talking about a Wegman's sub, a different job, a soul-mate, a new computer game, whatever – we express the idolatry of our hearts. We look to this created something to fill the gap instead of looking to Jesus. Jesus has come to fix a broken world. He, and only He, can deal with the gaps. Only He can make it possible for us to live as He originally intended. Hoping in something else to deal with the gap is worshiping an idol.

So, how does Jesus fill the gap? He uses a variety of ways. As it turns out, in my case on Monday, after an enjoyable time of golf, Jim invited me to join him for lunch. So, he raided his fridge, and we ate. I didn't have a Wegman's sub, but what I did have – some food with friends – filled the gap nicely. It was much better than a Wegman's sub. There is, of course, the 'however' here. My life wasn't suddenly emptied of gray and filled with color. Jesus dealt with the gap, but it was not completely filled nor was it permanently filled. Let me make clear that your experience of the gap can be reduced as mine was on Monday. More color can be added to our lives, pushing back the gray, but the gaps will still exist.

And that leads to this. Jesus' promise to fill the gap will not be fully and finally kept until He returns. That means that we will all experience that sense of a gap – actually, lots of gaps – for the rest of our lives. We will, every day, face this question: 'Will I trust Jesus to deal with the gap that is confronting me at this moment, or will I take matters into my own hands to try to fill it myself? Will I worship Jesus or some aspect of His creation?' This is so very difficult because the world, the flesh and the devil tempt us with so many things to use as idols - including good things like a Wegman's sub. Wrestling with this is hard. It's part of Christian suffering that the Bible talks about.

This highlights, again, the importance of our choices. Remember, we don't stand still as Christians. Our walk with Jesus is either improving or deteriorating. So, consider what happens when you choose an idol to deal with a gap. It will work – at least for a while. But over time our idols won't satisfy like they once did. A Wegman's sub might work for a time but after a while something more will be needed. The idolatry grows, and as it does it enslaves more and more. But choosing to trust Jesus to fill the gap creates some change also. Choosing to worship Him instead results in those gaps being filled. You begin to notice that there really is more color in your life. And persisting in this kind of choosing results in a growing ability to trust Him more to finish the job completely. Our choices in this really matter. All of this is simply an application of what Jesus was getting at when He said, '...with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.' Life is not static. It is dynamic. We will either grow as worshipers of Jesus or descend into the abyss of idolatry.

Now we're ready for our text. 'Little children, guard yourselves from idols.' It's not one of those complicated parts of the Bible. John offers a simple exhortation. 'Be careful. There are idols everywhere. Watch out for them.' I'd like to look at this exhortation in terms of two questions: 'Why?' and 'How?'

So, why should we guard ourselves from idols? It will take some effort. Why should we expend that effort? The most important reason is not about our well-being. The most important reason shows up in a place like Isaiah 42. 'I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.' When we worship some idol we rob Jesus of the glory He deserves. Remember our purpose for living: to make Jesus look good. Any idolatry not only fails to do that, but it actually makes Him look bad. Professing Jesus as Savior, but depending on something else to help you make it through the day is hypocrisy. It is a hypocrisy that makes Him look bad. Guarding ourselves from idols is of great benefit to us. But it is not the first reason why we do that. If pursuing our well-being becomes our first motivation, then, ironically, we have fallen into idolatry. The first reason for guarding ourselves from idols is that Jesus deserves no less.

Now, to the second question. How do we do this? There are several things to do. This isn't complicated, but that doesn't mean that it will be easy. The first thing to do is to admit to yourself that you have idols. You are an idol worshiper. That should be very sobering. Our God is quite clear about this. He hates idolatry. And you don't have to look for some out-of-the-way text to know that. This is the Second Commandment. 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me...' Our idolatry is a very serious matter. But though we should be sobered by this we should not despair. Remember the Gospel. Jesus has come to save idolaters like us. He has come to rescue us from our idolatry and all of its consequences. So, the first step is to be honest and admit to yourself, 'I worship idols.'

Now, if you would be rescued from your idolatry, your heart will need to be changed. After all, what's wrong with eating a Wegman's sub? It all depends on what's going on in the heart. Idols reside in the heart. If you would be freed from idols, your heart will need to be changed. At this point, it's important to remember that you cannot change your own heart. Seeing that is actually very helpful. It reinforces the fact that being rescued from your idols is a Gospel issue. It's something you can't do, but it certainly is something the Spirit can do. And that's encouraging. The Spirit is a gift from Jesus. He has work to do in your life, things like dealing with your idols. And He will deal with them. That's the Gospel. It really is a Gospel of grace.

However, this does not mean that there is nothing for you to do. There is much for you to do, but it is done in preparation for or in response to what the Spirit does.

So, first, you need to get lots of Bible into your soul. You need to listen to sermons, be involved in Bible studies, read your Bible alone and in with your family, listen to the Bible on your iPod, think about the stuff you learn from your Bible. You want to give the Spirit lots to work with, lots of Bible to work with. Now, no one here can spend every waking hour getting lots of Bible. That, actually, would be a bad thing. We have different situations, different schedules, different abilities. So, you should aim for what's right for you. But keep the goal clearly in mind: lots of Bible. The Spirit will use it to reveal idols that you never knew you had, things like Wegman's subs.

Then, you'll need to interact with others about these things. You're going to need to talk about all that Bible that you're getting. This is something for husbands and wives to do and for families to do. Dinnertime, when the family is re-united, is a great time to talk about Bible. This is something that you'll want to discuss with the other folk in the church. This makes for good discussion at the monthly luncheon or after worship. All you need to do to start is say something like, 'Can I tell you what I've been seeing from the Bible'? And you really do need to do this because getting more Bible is something that you can't do alone, not well anyhow. No one can see all of the Bible. The Spirit uses other people to help us see more of it. Remember, this sermon started in my soul as I listened to someone talk about the idolatry of comfort foods. We can't do this alone.

And then, you'll want to pray. You'll want to pray about getting more Bible into your soul. Getting it into your mind is relatively simple. That just takes discipline. But getting it into your soul is a different matter. You'll need to pray about that. And then, you'll want to ask that your idols be revealed to you. That's a little scary but not terribly. Our God is actually very gentle with us.

And all of that will come to a climax when the Spirit points out some idol. He will put His finger right on it. There will be no doubt. You'll feel the nudge. You'll almost hear words: 'You have sinned. You have robbed Jesus of some glory. You have worshiped some idol. You've worshiped this idol.' And that is so very serious. At that point, you'll need to return to the basic theme of the Gospel: repentance and faith. Repent of your sin. Admit it. You looked to an idol to deal with the gap instead of looking to Jesus. Be honest, and say it clearly, in black and white. 'I worshiped an idol; this one.' But don't stop there. Never stop there. Come again to Jesus. And there is no need to be afraid. He isn't angry at you. He will welcome you and receive you gladly. Come to Him for forgiveness and for change. He will give you both. And then, rejoice. Jesus is at work in your soul. You've taken another step in the right direction – by His grace. And the day will dawn when He will be finished with His work in you. No more gaps. No more drab gray. No more idols.

Revelation In Review

[Originally preached 18 April, 2004]
Revelation 22.7

Today, we come to the end of our study of the book of Revelation. I have found it a very interesting and an especially helpful study. I have also found the book to be very practical. I hope that you have been helped by it also. Out text brings the book to a close in the same way that the book began, with an offered blessing. [See Revelation 1.3.] Like all blessings of God, this one is conditional. Our receiving the blessing depends on what we do. According to our text, the blessing will be granted to those ‘who keep the words of the prophecy of this book’. We are again confronted with the practicality of the book. The blessing is for those who believe the message that Revelation presents. And this belief will show. Keeping the words of the prophecy will change how we live. This is a far cry from using the message of the book to speculate about the future.

One of the themes of another very practical book, Proverbs, is the foolishness of the simple. These are people who are without insight into life. They are naïve. Without this insight, this wisdom about the ways of life, the simple are easily led astray into death. The prophecy of Revelation is Jesus’ offer to the simple. It is His offer of discernment so that you might not be fooled and led into death. That’s the blessing and it is the possession of those who hear the message and grab onto it. These believe what Jesus has to say here and live accordingly.

Now, we’re ready for our first question. What is the message? What are you to grab hold of? One way to summarize at least part of the message is to say that things are not what they appear to be. We see the events of life unfold before our eyes. There are births and deaths, being hired and being fired, times of health and times of sickness. There is prosperity, struggle and stress. We can see all of this. What Jesus wants you to know is that there are unseen things that are also happening, and if you leave the unseen part out of the equation then you’re not going to properly understand the parts that you see. To impress this on us the book of Revelation uses striking images. We’re going to look at a few of the key images to summarize the point of the book. In this way I hope that you will be blessed as you keep the message.

Let’s start with the original recipients of the letter, the seven churches of Asia Minor. And what is the image associated with these? The seven lampstands. These seven churches are lights in a very dark world. These churches were called to shine brightly with the Gospel. How were they doing? How should we assess the state of these churches? Well, there was the church at Ephesus which stood solidly as a protector of orthodoxy. There was the Laodicean church that was obviously prospering. There was also the church at Sardis that had a reputation for being a lively church. It appeared that things were going well. And yet, things were not what they appeared to be. In reality, the seven churches were not doing at all well. Most were rebuked for failing in some way. In some cases, the failure was quite serious. Jesus threatened to remove some of them from being counted among His churches. Two of the churches that were commended without any rebuke, but one of them, the church at Smyrna, was about to enter a time of persecution. And about the other, the church at Philadelphia, Jesus said, ‘I know you have but little power.’ These seven churches weren’t any powerhouses, ready to bring about great change in the Roman Empire. What is obvious about these churches is their weakness. Even the faithful churches were weak, though not because of any fault of their own. So, what we have are seven little flickering lights in a very dark place. But it is this element of weakness that always is the starting point of great things for the kingdom. Jesus used weak, sinful and repenting churches to change an empire. And He didn’t do it by making them strong first, but by using their very weakness. ‘My power is made perfect in weakness.’ [2 Corinthians 12.9] There are important lessons for the modern church here.

That moves us to another image, the fierce dragon of chapter twelve. Here, we see Satan, along with his cohorts, with great power and authority. But then, as you read through the chapter, you see that he is thrown out of heaven. The authority that he once had has been taken from him. But this is not the end of our ancient foe. We hear the warning at the end of the chapter.

Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. Revelation 12:17

This is a basic, unseen aspect of this life. You have an enemy. For most of you that is an odd thought. You are used to being liked by most and getting along adequately well with the people around you. When you read the psalmist praying about his enemies you’re not sure how to apply that. But Jesus warns us here. You have a sworn enemy who hates you and is determined to get you. And so, he is waging war against you. But life seems to be going along fairly well. There are some bumps in the road but who doesn’t have that. And your expectation is that life will continue to go fairly well, bumps and all. But things are not what they appear to be. In actuality, you are in the middle of a battlefield. The bullets are flying and the bombs are exploding. You are locked in battle with an enemy who will never give up, never surrender. He will keep at you for as long as he has breath. The dragon hates you. Don’t forget that. It may cost you your soul if you do.

This, then, leads to the next images. These are the agents that the dragon calls forth to fight his battles. It’s the beast, the false prophet and Babylon the prostitute. These are the means by which the dragon will wage his war against you. And remember that his goal is not to kill you. Rather, he is trying to recruit you. His goal is for you to conform to the rest of humanity, to give up your loyalty to Jesus and to join his rebellion. It doesn’t matter to the dragon if you still talk like a Christian and even make it look as if you are a Christian. All of that doesn’t matter to him as long your heart has been turned. You’ve given in to the pressure. It’s clear that Jesus is not Lord of your life.

So, first, there is the beast. This is the different institutions of our world that use power to get you conform. The beast might use the laws of the state or the rules of the guild. But it always uses power to confront you and pressure you to conform. Then there is the false prophet. He has the same goal as the beast but his methods are different. He doesn’t use brute force. Rather, he uses ideas to persuade someone to conform. The false prophet will try to get you to think about life in a certain way. If he is successful, then it will much easier to get you to yield to the threatening power of the beast. The false prophet is rather subtle but very persuasive. And he spends extra time on the children. Beware of the power of ideas. Then there is Babylon the prostitute. She uses neither brute force nor subtle thinking. Her weapon is pleasure and comfort in their different forms. She offers to make life is very enjoyable by means of the things of this age. Note who it was that wept when Babylon fell. ‘And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore.’ [Revelation 18:11] Babylon offers a pleasant life to all who will conform, to all who will forget the Gospel and find their pleasures in this world.

Satan wages his war against you today. This is part of the unseen reality of this world. Do you see your enemy? Do you understand how he functions? Are you discerning how the beast, the false prophet and Babylon are working on you even now? Or are you among the simple? ‘Blessed are those who keep this message.’

It is here that we must recall another image. This is from chapter five.

And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Revelation 5:5-6

If it were a matter of a few weak churches trying to shine their puny candles in the face of the ferocious attacks of an enraged dragon along with its powerful agents, then we should all give up. There is no hope of winning such a war, and it’s silly to even try. But Revelation is careful to make it clear that that is not the situation. Things are not what they appear to be. Jesus, the Lion of Judah, reigns over all things from His Father’s throne. Whatever happens, good or evil, happens because Jesus wants it to happen. Do you remember the four horsemen chapter six? They represented war, social conflict, famine and death. Who sent them? They go forth at Jesus’ command. Who caused the hail and fire to fall on the earth and unleashed the devils from the bottomless pit? They were all sent at Jesus’ command. But who has caused the Church to be kept safe, sealed by baptism, protected from the dragon’s plots? The Church is sealed at Jesus’ command. Revelation makes clear the weakness of the Church and the rage and power of the dragon, and we need to take those things seriously. But it also makes clear that Jesus is Lord. He is the one who rules over this world. So, as you look at what can be seen, the events of every day, and then look further to see what cannot be seen as the beast, the false prophet and Babylon do their worst, you need to look still further. Jesus is at work. Everything is going according to plan. Jesus is Lord!

Having said all of that, it doesn’t take away from the fact that life for the saints is hard. Yes, the seal of God is upon us. We know that from our baptism. But that doesn’t mean that we will have an easy life. We won’t, not if we strive to be faithful. Life for the saints will be hard. That leads to our last image.

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2

This image is here to remind us of some very important things. It reminds us that one day will be our wedding day. One day the Church will be complete, adorned in beauty for her husband, Jesus. One day the warfare of this life will be over. No longer will we have to deal with the beast, or the false prophet or Babylon. No longer will we face the rage of the dragon. No longer will we have to suffer with our own sin. One day there will be a new heavens and a new earth, ‘for the former things have passed away’. It may seem, at times, that life will go on like this forever. But remember that things are not what they appear to be. This image is intended to encourage us as we fight this war. Yes, it’s hard. Life feels like a non-stop battle. Yes, there are casualties and struggles and pain. But a day is coming when all the tears will be wiped away, the healing will begin. There will be the river of life flowing through the holy city that will satisfy our every longing. And the Church will no longer be the bride of Christ, but rather His wife. And that marriage will last forever. This is the hope presented to the people of God. This is what is promised to us, if we keep the message, if we grab hold of it and, by the grace of God, believe it with all we’ve got.

This is the message of Revelation. Are you keeping it? Do you believe this message? Do you believe the message of weakness and struggle and warfare; of the Lordship of Jesus; of the hope of the age to come? If you do, then you will be blessed.

The Curtain

Mark 15.33-41

The heart of our religion is the death of Jesus . Everything depends on the Cross: life and death, heaven and hell, now and forever. I was reading one of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' death recently when I stumbled onto a thought. There is no explanation of the significance of what is happening. Wouldn't you expect Mark to write something about how Jesus' death provides forgiveness of sin or the hope of heaven? Luke was a close associate of the Apostle Paul. You'd think that he would include maybe just a hint of Paul's teaching about our justification before the Father through the death of Jesus. But there is none of this in any of the four Gospels. They simply log what happened: this happened and then this happened and then this happened and then He died. There are no comments describing the salvation Jesus gained for us on that day. And that's why this tidbit in our text stood out to me. 'And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.' Believe it or not, this is commentary about the Cross, an explanation of what happened. But it is not commentary from Mark. Rather, it is commentary from the Father. And it is a profound commentary. So, this morning we're going to take a look at this curtain and what happened to it. There are some things going on here that you need to see, things that will speak to how you live. So, let's see what the Spirit has to say to us this morning.

The first thing we need to do is understand why the curtain is there. Mark tells us that it is the curtain of the temple. As such, it has quite a history. After the exodus, when God made His covenant with Israel, He told the people, in no uncertain terms, how they were to worship Him. At the heart of that worship was a tent called the tabernacle. God showed Moses what it should look like and then told him to build one just like it. I think it's helpful to view the tabernacle as a series of curtains. The first set of curtains surround the courtyard. Picture some heavy curtains hanging on wooden frames and attached to each other. They are set up to form four walls that you cannot see around or over or through. These curtains separate the courtyard and what is within it from the rest of the world. Within this courtyard is another set of curtains. This second group of curtains cover the four walls of the tabernacle as well as its roof. They separate the tabernacle itself from the rest of the courtyard. Then there is the third wall of curtains inside the tabernacle. This separates the Most Holy Place from all the rest. The Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God's special presence, was kept here, in the Most Holy Place. The center of Israel's worship that Moses built was a series of curtains that blocked the way to God's special presence. When King Solomon arrived on the scene some 500 years later, he built a worship center that was more permanent than a tent. He erected a building with solid walls instead of curtains. But there was still a curtain separating the Most Holy Place, where God's special presence resided, from the rest of the world.

While this theme of the curtains is displayed most clearly in the tabernacle and the temple, it didn't start with these. In this as with so much else, we need to return to the Garden of Eden. The Garden was heaven on earth for Adam and Eve. It was a place of deep contentment and complete and perfect happiness. And it was that because God was there. Adam and Eve enjoyed God while in the Garden. Try to imagine taking a walk with God in the cool of the day. How glorious that must have been. And the work that He gave to them wasn't frustrating or tedious or anything like that. It was a joy. It satisfied. It fulfilled. Every day was filled with sunshine. It really was heaven on earth. But all that was destroyed. Adam and Eve listened to Satan and ruined everything. Do you remember what God did next? It's tempting to misread what happened. It's possible to think of it as God having a calm chat with His two errant creatures. 'Oh Adam? Where are you? There you are. Hey, buddy, we need to sort out what's happened.' That misses the point completely. God was enraged. Enraged. Just consider what He did. First, He cursed them both. Cursed! Try to picture God cursing someone. Not a pleasant image. Next, He kicked them out of the Garden. He kicked them out of this little bit of heaven on earth. Don't imaging this as some troubled host politely telling his guests, 'I think it's time that you left.' No. Genesis says He drove them out; He thrust them out. But then He did a third thing. He posted some angels at the entrance to the Garden and gave them a flaming sword. There is no explanation given of what they were to do but I think it's pretty clear. What would you think if you saw armed angels? 'Try to enter the Garden and we will kill you. God's orders.' We miss the point of what is going on if we imagine God as calm and eminently reasonable as He gently asks Adam and Eve to leave. No. He was angry. He was enraged. And He was enraged because He really hates sin. Really hates it.

All of this explains the curtains. What are the curtains saying? I think the message of the curtains is clear. 'STAY OUT!!' The curtains are a sign with bold letters on them. 'NO TRESPASSING! VIOLATORS WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT.'There were some who ignored this message of the curtains. And they died. Just for one example there was Nadab and Abihu. Because they did not heed this message they were burned alive by God. I think that the point of the curtains is clear. But, in case you are unsure, consider this. Do you know what images were woven into the curtains? Angels, the guardians of the Garden. The curtains are God's message to sinners. 'Do not enter – on pain of death.' And so, no heaven on earth. No joyous work. No sense of being satisfied and fulfilled. No strolls with God. 'Stay out!'

Now, we're ready for our text. 'And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.' It is the image of a torn curtain that explains the Cross. This act is God's commentary. The curtain is ripped in two. It is taken away so that an entryway is opened. And who removed the curtain. God did. He grabbed it and ripped it from top to bottom. God has taken that 'No Trespassing' sign and thrown it away. The angels have sheathed their swords. The way back into the Garden has been opened to us. Heaven on earth.

But wait. What has changed? After all these centuries of armed angels why is that warning sign removed? We need to answer this. Could it be that God has changed? Does He now have a new opinion? 'Well, we all make mistakes. I was too harsh in the past. I'm turning over a new leaf. Let's let bygones be bygones.' The only label that fits this suggestion is blasphemy. What an insult! God's intense hatred of sin is not just some passing and errant opinion. God hates sin because it is an expression of His character. He is holy. And for that reason, sin – our sin – enrages Him. It is a personal affront to His sense of what is right. And that can never change. God hates sin – intensely. So, the curtain is ripped not because God has changed.

Could it be that we have changed? Have we finally sorted things out so that we understand how this life works? We've changed and now obey God and because of that He can now allow us in, right? I hope ho one here is so blinded to himself as to give this even a moment's consideration. Reality check. We sin. A lot. And in ways that we are too ashamed to admit out loud. The curtain is gone, but that is in no way because we are a better people. To suggest this is simply foolishness.

The curtain is gone but not because there has been some change in God or us. The difference is because of the Cross. The reason for the ripped curtain is tied to what Jesus did. Jesus died. But lots of people die. Why does this death change things? How does this death open the way for us? Luther called it the Great Exchange. All of your sin was placed on Jesus. That means all of the rage of a holy God against your sin was exploded upon Jesus. All of it. So, now, there is none left. God's anger at your sin is spent. God's sense of justice is satisfied by Jesus' death for you. At the same time, you get all of Jesus' perfection. And that means that the Father deals with you in the same way that He deals with the resurrected Jesus. The very same way. So, you see, the Father didn't lower His standards. You haven't changed into some obedient person. No, Jesus has traded places with you. He has suffered justice for you so that you might enjoy the benefits of His perfect life. This is all yours by faith. The Great Exchange.

So, the 'No Trespassing' sign lies off to the side, ripped to pieces. In its place is something new. A Welcome mat. Now, we are invited to draw near to the Father so that we might enjoy Him just as Adam and Eve once did. And that's what the Gospel is about. That's why Jesus has come: that we might enjoy God. And that makes so much sense because enjoying the Father is why we were created. When Adam and Eve looked around at the Garden, amazed at its beauty, that was enjoying the Father. When they strolled together holding hands, sharing their hearts, that was enjoying the Father. When they picked some fresh vegetables so they could enjoy a meal together, that was enjoying the Father. And when they walked with their God in the cool of the day, that was enjoying the Father. The Welcome mat is out. We have been invited back into the Garden to enjoy the Father and to be who we were meant to be. That's the Gospel. That's what Jesus came to do.

However – for one reason or another we do not enjoy Him as much as we could. And that's a problem. And it is a very large problem for some. In fact, for some the Welcome mat seems to be a cruel joke that God is playing on them. They see the Welcome but they do not feel it. And that really is a problem. But like every other problem of this life, it is one that can be dealt with. There are lots of reason why we don't enjoy the Father as much as we could. I'm only going to look at three. I do this as someone who believes the message of the Welcome mat. The curtain is gone. The way is open to draw near. That is something that I believe as well as something that I enjoy. And I want all of you to believe it and enjoy it also as much as you possibly can.

Here's one reason why we don't enjoy God as much as we might. We don't understand well enough what Jesus has done. Before we were married, Linda made a quilt. She cut some fabric into squares about four inches on a side. She put two of these squares back to back and sewed three sides. She stuffed each of these and then sewed the fourth side. Each looked like a little pillow, four inches square. She then took these little pillows and stitched them each, by hand, to the others until she ended up with a quilt. Then, she gave it to me. When she did, I said to myself something like, 'Oh, a nice blanket', put it aside and then asked her about what we should do for the rest of the day. She put in hours and hours and hours of work into that gift, and I just didn't get it. I did not appreciate her gift. And that is because I did not understand what went into making such a work of art. Jesus has given us a gift, but we do not enjoy it as much as we might because we do not understand well enough what went into creating such a gift. Since those pre-marriage days I have come to appreciate that quilt. But that's because I learned what it takes to make such a thing. We all need to learn more about what it took to create that Welcome mat. We all need need to ponder the ripped curtain. That will require understanding better things like angels with flaming swords, a God who is so holy that sin requires a violent reaction, hell and what exactly happened on Good Friday. We will not appreciate sufficiently – and thus enjoy sufficiently – Jesus' gift if we do not have a growing sense of what went into creating it.

Here's a second reason why some of you do not enjoy the Father as much as you might. You feel disqualified because of your sin. There you are and, once again, you've done something stupid. Your sin stares you in the face with that condemning look. It mocks your claim to be a disciple of Jesus, and it assures you that even God couldn't love you now. And life takes a nosedive. But here you must remember why the curtain was ripped apart. It wasn't' because you changed. It wasn't because you finally became a nice person. You're not. You sin. A lot. So, sinning some more doesn't change things. It's here that you need to remember that the curtain was removed because of Jesus. Remember the Great Exchange. You are loved by the Father not because you always get it right. You are loved because you enjoy the benefits of Jesus' perfection. Even when you sin – which is more often that you know – the Father still loves you. Because of Jesus, He still loves you. Do not believe the lies. When you've sinned, believe the Gospel instead and return to your loving Father and enjoy Him some more.

The last reason that we don't enjoy the Father as much as we might is that we don't work at it. There are some great marriages out there. But most marriages aren't great. And the reason for that is that most couples don't work at their marriages. Great marriages take effort. There are great Christians out there, people full of joy and love and an unshakable sense of peace. It seems as if the Spirit just overflows from them. And the reason for this is that they work at it. These are Christians who work at knowing God, who work at understanding the change from that 'No Trespassing' sign to the Welcome mat, who work at understanding the Cross. They battle with their own hearts and the sin that still resides there. They take pains to pray thoughtfully and honestly. They are not content with a surface understanding of their Bibles. They are not content with a surface understanding of Jesus. They work at it. This takes time and it takes effort, but it's worth it. Their enjoyment of the Father deepens with each passing year. Most Christians today do not work at following Jesus. Don't be among them.

The curtain is ripped in two. Jesus has come to open the way for you. That's something that starts now and gets better and better until it is transferred to the life to come where it continues on. Come and enjoy the Father.

A Prayer

Merciful God, who art light, and in whom is no darkness at all: Enlighten our minds, we most humbly beseech Thee, with such a full understanding of the doctrine taught by Thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist John, that we, walking in the truth in all purity and holiness of life, may have fellowship with Thee and Thy Son Jesus Christ: by whose blood being cleansed from all our sins, we may at length attain to everlasting life: through the same our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

from A Book of Public Prayer