The Gospel does not seem like a powerful thing. The Gospel should be spoken, and a multitude of people should come flocking to fill these pews. But we have trouble keeping people in the Church, much less fill the pews.
We should speak the Gospel, and diseases should flee, and death should disappear. But we feel powerless against death. Even ordinary illnesses make us weak and helpless.
The Gospel should be proclaimed, and peace should rule all nations. The Prince of Peace has come upon the earth in human flesh. Should not all wars cease to the very ends of the world? Yet wars thrive more than ever.
In our personal lives, should not the Gospel dispel every sin from our lives? Should we not hear Christ's gracious Word once, and all evil desires should vanish from our hearts? Should we not have perfect faith and perfect love and perfect hope? Yet we struggle at the least temptation. We stumble at the least tribulation.
The power of the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. But it is by faith, not by sight. We should not omit the words, "to all who have faith." Faith sees what the eyes do not. Faith comprehends the grace of God that declares poor, pathetic sinners righteous. Even our minds falter at the greatness of His forgiveness. Yet our faith has grasped hold of it, and does not let go.
Nevertheless, we sometimes let our eyes rule, not our faith. We think of this Service as boring, because we do not see things that excite or entertain us. Yet the Gospel is here, so the power of God is here.
We are tempted to trade the power of God for gimmicks and programs and human efforts. We think of evangelism as our work that we must do. But the evangel is the Gospel. It is God's power, not ours. We cannot evangelize a single soul. We do not have the power to convert a human soul from darkness to light, from death to life. We have no power to do that, except the power that Christ has put on our lips. We speak His Word, and spiritual corpses leap to life. We speak His Word, and satan retreats. We speak His Word, and power greater than the entire universe flows past our lips and gums and teeth and goes out into the universe to save lost souls.
Our flesh wants to trust what it sees. Our flesh wants results. But true results are only in the Word. The Gospel alone does amazing marvels. Human flesh sings, "All you need is love," by which it means that if only we love, all things are possible. But that human love is so weak that it will, in the end, destroy, not create. Only God's Word is powerful to create. Only God's Word takes the dark emptiness of the human heart, formless and void with evil sinfulness, and calls forth the bright light which is the beginning of a new creation.
The flesh also wants to forget that the power of God is not only useful at the beginning. The power of salvation is not only necessary at the moment of conversion. You need the power of God always. As He created but also must sustain His creation from falling back into chaos and darkness, so He must sustain you. He does it with the same Word that is His power. He does it with the same Word that is His Son, crucified in weakness and shame.
For Him we wait, anticipating the great Return. On that Day, the powerful Word of God will shatter the heavens and destroy the earth, yet also recreate a new heaven and earth, filled with beauty and righteousness. Once He shattered the heavens as the Word came down in human flesh and the form of weakness. But on the last Day, the power of God will reveal the Word in His glory, riding on clouds with all His angels. The powerful Word of God that remains forever will endure, even when this earth melts, and every knee must bow down before the Word of God incarnate.
Then we who have been washed by His Blood will rejoice. Those who were united with Him in His death will enter into glory. You will stand before unutterable majesty as the voice of the Almighty says to you, "Come and eat and drink at the banquet of My Son."
The power of God has given this promise to you. The power which is His Gospel has declared you fit for Paradise. The Gospel that sounds so humble and weak and boring is actually the power that has lifted you up to the highest heaven.
So when you look at Baby Jesus in the manger, remember how weak and fragile He seemed. But that tiny flesh is your salvation, for He is the living Word. Every drop of Blood, more precious than diamonds, has purchased eternity for you. In the humblest of places, God has worked the most powerful miracle of all. In the Baby, in the Word, in water and wine and bread, there is the power of God.
In His Name, Amen.
You may quote from my sermons freely, but please quote accurately if you attribute anything to me.
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