Due to Winter Weather, this service was cancelled, however, here is the sermon.
Grace Mercy and Peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen, our text today is the reading from Romans 8, especially this verse. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Thus far our text.
Dear friends in Christ, “Should auld acquaintances be forgot and never brought to mind, in times of Auld Lang syne.” These words are going to be sung all around the world tonight as the clock strikes midnight. A new year is upon us. At this time we are fond of looking back on the last year, and all of the events that occurred, as well as looking forward to all the events that await us in the new year. In some ways, this can be a bittersweet process. For there were many good things that have happened in the last year, but in the midst of these joys, there were disappointments. In the midst of these happy and content days, there were painful experiences and struggles.
As we look back on another year gone by, there were happy moments, perhaps as a new family member was born, maybe a son or daughter, or a grandson or granddaughter. Maybe a nephew or cousin. But even as we witnessed the bringing about of new life, we are also faced with pain, pain as perhaps a loved one passed away, as a grandfather died, or as a son was killed. Perhaps there was pain as the words cancer or alzheimers was spoken by a nurse or a doctor. Perhaps you yourself had struggles with one of these things, and felt the pain of sickness and death.
The last year has had joys, joys as couples have come to altars just like this one and pledged to have and to hold until death parts them. They have smiled for pictures, and gone on honeymoons, but in the midst of this joy, there is also separation and struggle even here. Families are broken. Shouting and arguing slowly breaks down into divorce. Children are forced to choose between mother and father. Brothers and sisters also fight with one another. In the end both sides are hurt and angry. Both sides are ready to separate what God has joined together.
We have experience joys, as we gathered here around the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and have eaten it for “forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.” We have sang hymns together with one another, and have gathered around the word to study, read, learn and inwardly digest it. But even then, we have left this place, and returned to our sins and trespasses. WE return to the filth of our lives. Hate, greed and envy describe our lives. We sin daily, and out of our hearts come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony and slander. And these things make us unclean with sin against God and against our neighbor. We fail miserably.
In fact, much of the sin that we commit is so hideous that even we are ashamed of it, even we are afraid that someone may find out what it is. We are even embarrassed at times to tell God what we have done, even though we know he already is aware of our guilt. We are afraid to do what scripture says, “Confess our sin” so that “God who is faithful and just will forgive them. Instead we bottle them up inside, and hope that we will forget about them, or at least that the shame of what we have done will go away. But it doesn’t.
But a new year is coming isn’t it? A new year where we can make things right, and make amends with all of those thing we have done wrong, can’t we? Many of us will make new years resolutions, promising to leave a particular sin behind, to be kinder to those around us, or even to attend church more regularly. “Next year” we say, “Next year I will be better God, I promise, next year I will be a holy person like you want me to be.”
But even this is an empty promise, for our sinful hearts cannot keep this promise. We are infected with sin, the original sin that our forefather Adam brought into the world. It is so ingrained in us, and it affects so totally that we have no choice but to be evil rotten horrible sinners. So friends where are we to turn? What are we to do? How can we escape this terrible yearly cycle of sin and guilt?
Our text says this, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Dear friends, hear it again, “Nothing can separate you from the love of Jesus.” Yes, you are guilty. Yes I am guilty. But even in the midst of this guilt, we know this. Jesus has died for you and for your sin. Jesus has taken the burden and guilt, the shame and embarrassment of your sin upon himself. He has born your griefs and iniquities.
And not only has he carried them, but he has carried them to a cross on a lonely hill named Golgotha, so that he might destroy them and bring your sin to death. Friends, Death is the only escape from the pains and sorrows of this world, and in Jesus you have died. In Jesus you are rescued. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that all who believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life. And no greater love is there than this, that one would die for his friends.
Jesus loves you. And that love is so strong and so powerful that Jesus was willing to suffer the punishment that you deserved for your sin. Jesus was willing to take it away, and to give you instead his inheritance of eternal life with God in heaven. And as our epistle says, nothing can separate you from this love, nothing you have done in the past. Nothing you will do in the future. Nothing you have ever done will, so long as you remain in the faith and forgiveness that God pours out on you here.
Tonight, we will celebrate the calendar year switching from 2010 to 2011. Who know what awaits us in the next 365 days? Even though we don’t know specifics, we do know there will be joys and struggles. There will be hard times and good times. And in the midst of it all, there will be the pouring out of forgiveness in the blood and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. There will be life in His resurrection. IN that we can be certain. Amen.
