Matthew 3:13-17 13
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him,
saying, "I have a need to be baptized
by you, and do you come to me?" 15
But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this
way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been
baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened
to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on
him. 17 And a voice from
heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well
pleased."
Acts 10:34-43 34
Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no
partiality, 35 but in every
nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent
to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ-- he is Lord of
all. 37 That message spread
throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John
announced: 38 how God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went
about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was
with him. 39 We are
witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to
death by hanging him on a tree; 40
but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to
us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he
rose from the dead. 42 He
commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained
by God as judge of the living and the dead.
43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who
believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Acts 10:34-43 34 VAnoi,xaj de. Pe,troj to. sto,ma ei=pen( VEpV
avlhqei,aj katalamba,nomai o[ti ouvk e;stin proswpolh,mpthj o` qeo,j( 35 avllV evn panti. e;qnei o` fobou,menoj
auvto.n kai. evrgazo,menoj dikaiosu,nhn dekto.j auvtw/| evstinÅ 36 to.n lo,gon Îo]nÐ avpe,steilen toi/j ui`oi/j
VIsrah.l euvaggelizo,menoj eivrh,nhn dia. VIhsou/ Cristou/( ou-to,j evstin
pa,ntwn ku,rioj( 37 u`mei/j oi;date to. geno,menon r`h/ma kaqV
o[lhj th/j VIoudai,aj( avrxa,menoj avpo. th/j Galilai,aj meta. to. ba,ptisma o]
evkh,ruxen VIwa,nnhj( 38 VIhsou/n to.n avpo. Nazare,q( w`j e;crisen
auvto.n o` qeo.j pneu,mati a`gi,w| kai. duna,mei( o]j dih/lqen euvergetw/n kai.
ivw,menoj pa,ntaj tou.j katadunasteuome,nouj u`po. tou/ diabo,lou( o[ti o`
qeo.j h=n metV auvtou/Å 39 kai. h`mei/j ma,rturej pa,ntwn w-n evpoi,hsen
e;n te th/| cw,ra| tw/n VIoudai,wn kai. ÎevnÐ VIerousalh,mÅ o]n kai. avnei/lan
krema,santej evpi. xu,lou( 40 tou/ton o` qeo.j h;geiren ÎevnÐ th/| tri,th|
h`me,ra| kai. e;dwken auvto.n evmfanh/ gene,sqai( 41 ouv panti. tw/| law/|( avlla. ma,rtusin toi/j
prokeceirotonhme,noij u`po. tou/ qeou/( h`mi/n( oi[tinej sunefa,gomen kai.
sunepi,omen auvtw/| meta. to. avnasth/nai auvto.n evk nekrw/n\ 42 kai. parh,ggeilen h`mi/n khru,xai tw/| law/|
kai. diamartu,rasqai o[ti ou-to,j evstin o` w`risme,noj u`po. tou/ qeou/
krith.j zw,ntwn kai. nekrw/nÅ 43 tou,tw| pa,ntej oi` profh/tai marturou/sin
a;fesin a`martiw/n labei/n dia. tou/ ovno,matoj auvtou/ pa,nta to.n pisteu,onta
eivj auvto,nÅ
Psalm 29:1-11 Ascribe to
the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory
of his name; worship the LORD in holy splendor. 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of
glory thunders, the LORD, over mighty waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is
full of majesty. 5 The voice
of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a
calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. 7
The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. 8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the
LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9
The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and
in his temple all say, "Glory!"
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits
enthroned as king forever. 11
May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with
peace.
Isaiah 42:1-9 Here is my
servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my
spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry or lift up his
voice, or make it heard in the street; 3
a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has
established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his
teaching. 5 Thus says God,
the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the
earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit
to those who walk in it: 6 I
am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand
and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the
nations, 7 to open the eyes
that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison
those who sit in darkness. 8
I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to
idols. 9 See, the former
things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring
forth, I tell you of them.
Isaiah 42:1-9 ecce
servus meus suscipiam eum electus meus conplacuit sibi in illo anima mea dedi
spiritum meum super eum iudicium gentibus proferet 2 non clamabit neque accipiet personam nec audietur
foris vox eius 3 calamum
quassatum non conteret et linum fumigans non extinguet in veritate educet
iudicium 4 non erit tristis
neque turbulentus donec ponat in terra iudicium et legem eius insulae
expectabunt 5 haec dicit
Dominus Deus creans caelos et extendens eos firmans terram et quae germinant ex
ea dans flatum populo qui est super eam et spiritum calcantibus eam 6 ego Dominus vocavi te in
iustitia et adprehendi manum tuam et servavi et dedi te in foedus populi in
lucem gentium 7 ut aperires
oculos caecorum et educeres de conclusione vinctum de domo carceris sedentes in
tenebris 8 ego Dominus hoc
est nomen meum gloriam meam alteri non dabo et laudem meam sculptilibus 9 quae prima fuerant ecce
venerunt nova quoque ego adnuntio antequam oriantur audita vobis faciam
Text: Matthew 3:13-17;
Psalm 29
Theme: Voice of the Lord
Date: January 13, 2008
Assembly: Zion Lutheran Church
Even in Matthew’s day,
these were the things
(the heavens opening/
a voice coming to them
from heaven)
that had happened in their biblical stories
—not what they expected to happen in their “modern” day.
In the first century,
these were the kind of things they might expect
when the end is near
…not in the middle of their lives
—and here, even in the middle of
a baptism…
And so, we ponder this
with them…
God’s voice in the midst of our days…
This voice comes
announced from heaven saying these beautiful words,
"This is my Son, the Beloved,
with whom I am well pleased."
Reminding Matthew’s
nostalgic hearers about the servant’s story in Isaiah
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen,
in whom my soul delights”
A parallel from across
the ages—but now the servant is this leader, Jesus.
And in the middle of this
day we still hear Psalm 29
and its phrase “the voice of the LORD” repeated…how many times?
Ahh, 7. the Perfect #. The Complete and sacred #.
Disciples throughout the
ages have been listening for the voice of the Lord.
And whether it be in big ways or small
--they’ve not been disappointed.
However, God’s voice is
not the only voice we hear,
that we all live with other “voices” (or people)
in our lives that are less than affirming and are
not life-giving
we tend to ponder these
voices that tear down and destroy
(whether that is others’ voices or our own)
more than we ponder the
voice of God
We often spend more of
our time and urgency attending to these negative voices
than we spend attending
to the voice of the Lord
we sometimes make
life-altering decisions (abrupt and jarring)
to quell temporary and problematic voices.
Why do we not listen for
the voice of God in our lives
More than
At least as much as
We are listening to the voices of demands
pressures
performance
self-deprication
prestige
If we take more time in a
week listening for where these voices of discontent are,
Than listening for where the voice of the Lord is?
Then we are almost certain to
more clearly hear the voice
of our need to conform to the world
(I need to have Product X to be healthy)
or our displeasure with self
(I should be able to…)
If we’re spending more time
listening for them
then we’ll hear those voices more loudly than
God’s voice
Well, let’s face it, we
know it is a farce that we need Product X to be healthy
But it is true that we need God to live
John said to Jesus “I
have a need to be baptized”
He was saying “I need to live”
We can say the same to
Jesus, “I have a need to live”
I have a need to hear your voice
In balance, if not just drowning out these
life-stealing voices.
The voice of the Lord is
what gives life
It is this voice that “in the beginning” created life
It is in this voice that new life still is created
It is in conversation with this voice (ie: in
prayer with God)
That new possibilities arise to
suit unsuitable life
You want new life and new
insight?
Then you pray to this one in whom such innovation is
pleased to dwell
We cannot expect newness
(whether that be renewal, wholeness or direction)
outside of an encounter
with the voice that gives it.
These other voices stray
Away from God
Away from life
Toward death
God’s voice
Draws toward life
Is full of refreshing baptismal waters
Is sweet with promise of more
life yet to give
Let us cultivate our
sense of listening for life
Let us cultivate our
ability to listen for God
True. This does not happen overnight.
But, we’ve got a faithful God who will
journey with us…
The passage we read from
Isaiah says,
“I have taken you by the
hand and kept you”
It makes me think about why we take kids by the hand
Its not necessarily that they wouldn’t eventually
get there
But it seems mostly because they get so
distracted along the way
How similar are we?
God take us by the hand
to lead us through the distractions of our own lives
God’s voice in our lives does the
same…
Attentiveness to God’s
voice helps us to discern
what is distraction and what is God’s path.
God’s voice does not prevent
us from seeing the distractions
But gets us from the font to the eternal table on a path
that is life giving.
prayer cultivates our
ability to hear God’s word for our lives
That is why we cultivate the practice of prayer
it is usually not simple
or obvious to hear God’s voice as we discern
And that is why prayer is a spiritual practice
We have to hone our ability to hear
Or even our ability to spend time
listening for God’s voice
Why is it that Steve and
I are most able to hear Tessa’s words?
-we spend so much time with her
-we know her so well
-we’ve been with her when the
need for a word arose in the context of life
(so that the word
“Surpup” is easy enough to understand
when she is pointing to a piece of pancake
that got shorted on syrup)
So will you best hear
God’s voice
When you are cultivating that relationship
Through -time spent together
-knowing God
-hearing one another in the
context of your life
Come to prayer and listen
for God’s voice
And know where there is life—there is God’s voice.