2005-01-23 — Heads Loosed And Hands Folded!

Epiphany 3:
Date: January 23, 2005

Theme: Heads Loosed And Hands Folded!

1) Tho’ devils all the world should fill.
2) We fear no ill.
3) One little Word can fell him!
– Acts 12:24

– Ude, John

The Order of Worship:

Liturgy: TLH, p. 5 ff.

Hymns:

TLH 341 : Crown Him with Many Crowns
TLH 300 : Dearest Jesus, We are Here
TLH 300 : Dearest Jesus, We are Here
TLH 292 : Lord Jesus Christ, With Us Abide

Theme: Heads Loosed And Hands Folded!

1) Tho’ devils all the world should fill.
2) We fear no ill.
3) One little Word can fell him!

Sermon: Acts 12:24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

In the name of Jesus January 23, 2005
Terrorism and oppression are not just in Iraq and the Sudan. They’re in our own backyards. What shall we as a Christian Church, as citizens of Heaven do to right the wrongs, to stop oppression? Shall we tell `em off, get even or kill the oppressors? Herod’s plans illustrate how the battle against selfish oppression always seems to be so unevenly matched. With Herod now stretching out violent hands, the government itself was conducting this campaign of terror and oppression so there was no legal recourse. Herod wanted to advance himself – his power, popularity, and possessions so he put his head together with his counselors and they came up with a political gem. They loosed their hands into action championing Judaism by striking off Jame’s head, clearly signaling the consequence for rebellion. When Herod saw how well it worked he set Exhibition II into motion to loose Peter’s head on the fourteenth anniversary of the execution of his “rebel” master, Jesus, for on the Passover all the country would be there for the big show. The Jews can’t wait. Herod is counting the minutes. Peter is behind bars. Yes, in Herod, the Devil has engineered an infallible plan to break the back of this Jesus-movement. And don’t we still see satanic-inspired evil all around us? Should we put our heads together and loose our hands for aggressive action to right every wrong? Our nature agrees so readily: demand your rights, stand up and fight for your privileges, overpower evil. But Jesus told Peter to put his sword back into his sheath, those who take the sword shall perish by the sword, that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, not of our flesh or of this world (II Cor. 10). We just celebrated Martin Luther King day who did assist in righting many wrongs of society. But he also remade Jesus according to man’s image, identifying Christianity with civic disobedience that makes enough political waves to transform injustice and so trusts man’s will rather than God’s. Martin Luther and his namesake King both agreed “tho’ devils all the world should fill all eager to devour us.” King’s solution was getting men’s heads together and man’s hands loosed in political action. Luther’s solution was head’s loosed of reliance on man and hands folded in reliance on the LORD.
Only the latter allows us to sing with Luther: “We tremble not we fear no ill; they shall not over power us.” Indeed not just Herod’s persecution but every evil is part of Satan’s attack on believers. He uses the sinful pettiness of all around us to lead us into sinful resentment, discontentment, and revenge. He uses the oppression everywhere to lead us to doubt God’s control. He even uses the success of “civil disobedience and political action” to lead us to put our trust in men. But the “weapons of our warfare,” Paul reminds us, “are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (II Cor. 10:5). When Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, He did not engage in civic disobedience, gather a political coalition nor rely on man’s actions. He had the power to provide bread for all, to win a political following but affirmed, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4). It was Jesus submission to the will of the Father, enduring evil even unto death on the tree cursed with our sin which won the victory for us. It’s in His love that we know we can “fear no ill.” It’s in His victory that we know “they shall not overpower us.” If God spared not His only Son, will He not give us all good things. Yes even then in all tribulation, we are more than conquerors, in Jesus Christ who loves us (Rom 8:31ff). Our text reminds us of this when it affirms that even through Herold’s oppression the “Word of the Lord grew.” This Word is the divine impetus of God, a mighty onward movement of grace, designed to carry man with it from glory unto glory. Reliance on fleshly weapons, whether its telling someone off, getting even or civic disobedience is a compromise with Satan in which he comes out ahead. When we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices we will put our trust in God’s Word, our reliance in Christ who allows us to sing: “We tremble not we fear no ill; they shall not over power us.”
Instead of putting their heads together and loosing their hands for action, the believers in Jerusalem let loose of reliance on man and folded their hands. Yet James had already been killed and Satan planted doubt through it that Christian prayer is effective. Was their prayer for James in vain? Absolutely not, for James lives in bliss waiting for those who will inherit the earth. The sword did not separate Him from the love of God in Christ, rather it consummated that union. Satan was using Herod to destroy their trust, to convince them that the weapons of this world are the only successful ones, but nevertheless they prayed. Prayer was not their last resort but their first resort, their only trust. They understood that evil would remain in this world until the end. In fact, they so assumed that tomorrow Peter would be dead, that Rhoda left him standing outside the door and all the disciples insisted it had to be his angel. It reminds me of the town that gathered to pray for rain and only one little girl brought her umbrella. Yet they prayed. They prayed for Peter’s faith and their own that they would see Jesus and His victory for us. Though they were wrong in insisting that it was Peter’s angel, it was nevertheless a beautiful confession. Even in these darkest hours they believed that each child of God has his angel beholding the face of the Father in heaven (Mt 18:10). That angel they confessed was ready to take Peter to the Father’s bosom in Heaven. With such trust in God’s Word, no matter what the evil is, we can confidently affirm: “We fear no ill, they shall not overpower us”
Moreover, we know with Luther: “He’s judged; the deed is done; one little word can fell Him.” Yes, the sides are uneven. It is a total rout of Satan and the “great and powerful” world. God in His grace grants us this view of His word winning the victory. Satan, Herod and all their cronies have put their heads together and loosed their hands for action. God’s children loose their heads and fold their hands. Satan seems invincible but He’s judged. He who loves to accuse us is cast out. Jesus has so completely blotted out the evil record that stood against each one of us that no accusation can stand against that one word: “Jesus.” Through death Jesus conquered Satan who held the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). Now each time a James dies, an angel is dispatched to bring the Hero home. One word “go” ushers in the victory. Peter’s angel too waits and the Father lets him wait for the forces of evil are turning God’s children in trust toward Him. He waits til the night before Peter’s execution and with one Word, “Go,” God reveals for us whose is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Sixteen guards had been assigned to keep one man who was already locked behind bars and chained to great blocks. Obviously, Herod is very anxious to loose this man’s head. Yet Peter sleeps, fearing no ill. Now the angel comes and the chains drop and before the advent of electric eyes the first automatic door opens to loose Peter to proclaim the word of our victory in Christ. A “little one” Peter is, he has to be told to get up, to get dressed, to put his sandals on, to wrap up in his cloak, and even to follow the angel. But this “little one” is through God the conqueror of all evil. It is Herod and his cronies whose heads are loosed. Herod is struck by God and eaten by worms. As citizens of this world we are to support the government’s legal prosecution of evil. But as citizens of Heaven, as a Church, the weapons of our warfare
are not political but the spiritual trust that brings “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (II Cor. 10:5). Unfortunately like Peter we see God’s automatic door at work and blankly stare at it dazed and like Rhoda when He knocks at our door saying, “Trust Me,” we often leave Him standing in the cold dazed with working out our problems our self. God’s knocking, “let Me handle the evil, you fold your hands.” Amen.