+Points to ponder

1. What initially comes to mind for you when you think of The Reformation?
2. How does our Reformation understanding of the Day of Judgement show that it is a Gospel understanding?
3. What can we say to those that say because of the Gospel, in life, “anything goes”?

+Sermon Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto each of you from God our Father and our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us pray: O God, forasmuch as without You we are not able to please You; mercifully grant that Your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, Amen.

When we think of the Reformation, images like a certain monk nailing 95 theses to a Wittenberg church door immediately come to mind. We sing “A Mighty Fortress” as we think of courageous men like Luther fighting the good fight against wicked popes and their made-up heresies of indulgences and purgatory.

Because of the geographical nexus of the Reformation, we also tend to think of great Germanic things like bratwurst, beer, and maybe even polka music. I mean it seems that The Reformation and Oktoberfest fit together perfectly!

But – what about Revelation? When you hear “Reformation,” does your mind immediately go to the book of Revelation? Probably not. Romans? Sure. Paul says things so clearly: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith.” It is the cry of the Reformation, ‘Faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone.’ That is the message of the Reformation in a nutshell. It just makes sense. But Revelation? Isn’t that a bunch of apocalyptic doom-and-gloom? Isn’t that just fodder for bad “Christian” novels and movies? I mean it’s end of the world kind of stuff. Armageddon? Yes. Reformation? Doesn’t seem to fit.

But maybe we should reconsider. Today’s reading from Revelation is right on target. Consider this – the angel – the messenger from God – is flying directly overhead – high noon. This is showing that the time to listen up and pay attention is right now. It’s immediately overhead, and it’s urgent. It is crucial because this heavenly messenger has an eternal Gospel to proclaim, not just to bratwurst-loving Lutherans, but to all who dwell on earth, “to every nation and tribe and language and people.” There’s a word for that … EVERYONE! And what is that universal Gospel message meant to be delivered to everyone? We hear from the messenger in the very next verse loudly proclaim: “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come …”

I know, this still doesn’t sound very ‘Gospel-ly’ does it? I mean, ‘the hour of His judgement has come.’ This also doesn’t seem to sound very Reformation-like either. No! It sounds more like Judgement Day! I mean, to focus on judgment doesn’t seem like Good News – it sounds like the world around us ready to cancel people over petty differences.

But it’s really worse than that. According to George Barna in his book Absolute Confusion, Americans today are in tragic shape when it comes to ultimate truth. Most Americans reject the notion of absolute truth. Most [Americans] believe that it does not matter what god you pray to because every deity is ultimately the same deity, shrouded in different names and attributes by humankind. Nearly two out of three adults contend that the choice of one religious faith over another is irrelevant because all faiths teach the same basic lessons about life.

But Beloved, look to that Good Friday – look to that Cross to which Jesus is nailed. This is nothing like any other so-called religious faith; this is not some generic and flavorless deity. Here is God’s judgment, in the flesh. In all the history of mankind – past, present, and future – here is the hour of God’s judgment. Here is that moment in time when all of God’s righteous wrath was poured out on living, breathing flesh as punishment for all sin for all time. Here is where all sin for all time was paid for – in full.

Look to this cross; look to God Himself in the flesh, the Son of God battered, bloodied, and dying for you in your place; battered, bloodied, and suffering His Father’s righteous judgment against sin so that you would never have to taste even a single second of it for yourself. He died the death to sin so that you wouldn’t have to. It is finished, once and for all in Him alone.

And because of His all-atoning death and resurrection, our heavenly Father shows us grace. And His grace is not merely a bauble which He bestows on humans, but a manifestation of the living God Himself, this is God taking things very personally for the love of His people.

And by His grace, He justifies us. That’s a judgment word too. The Divine Judge declares us innocent of all sin; He justifies us. We are saved; not because of our works, but because of Him and His justifying grace. The Truth (as in, “The Way, the Truth, and the Life” ) has set you free.

Now, we should note the language here. It’s so very important, and yet so often missed. You are set free. You don’t earn your freedom; You don’t make yourself free. (You aren’t an escapee!) The Truth sets you free, therefore you are free, indeed.

So, would this not be the very reason to ‘fear God and give Him glory’? Behold! His hour of judgment has come! It’s come and it’s been fulfilled in Christ! This is precisely why that angelic messenger also says, “worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

“Worship Him!” Beloved, this is what the Reformation is all about! This is what Christendom is all about – always has been and always will be. All the focus is on Christ and His all-atoning sacrifice. All the focus is on the heavenly Father and His unconditional, unmerited, gift of grace – given, because of Christ alone. All the focus is on the Holy Spirit who brings us to faith and nourishes that faith through Word and Sacrament.

It is sad when you think about it; I mean, this all seems so simple (and it is), and yet it was so revolutionary in Luther’s time. Even worse, it’s still revolutionary in our time too – remember Barna’s research! Even among Christians, many will say that they’re saved through faith alone in grace alone because of Christ alone, but then in the next breath say, “and now here’s what you need to do.”

Unfortunately, salvation for so many Christ-loving Christians – especially here in America – remains a question mark. “Am I saved? Am I good enough? Have I done enough? Have I done too much?” They love Christ, and yet look past the cross to their own machinations, where they will only find uncertainty or false assurance, neither which is good.

It is to this darkness and fear and uncertainty and false works-righteous assurance that our Lord’s heavenly messenger still proclaims, “Fear God and give Him glory, for the hour of His judgment has come! Worship Him!”

Purportedly, “someone confronted Martin Luther, upon [his] rediscovery of the biblical doctrine of justification, with [this] remark, ‘If this is true, a person could simply live as he pleased!’ ‘Indeed!’ answered Luther. ‘Now, what pleases you?’

Augustine was the great preacher of grace during the fourth and fifth centuries. Although his understanding of the doctrine of justification did not have the fine-tuned precision of the Reformers, Augustine’s response on this point was similar to Luther’s. He said that the doctrine of justification led to the [unfortunate] maxim, ‘Love God and do as you please.’ Because [people] have misunderstood one of the gospel’s most basic themes, Augustine’s statement looks to many like a license to indulge one’s sinful nature, but in reality, it touches upon the motivation the Christian has for his actions. The person who has been justified by God’s grace has a new, higher, and nobler motivation for holiness than the shallow, hypocritical self-righteousness or fear that seems to motivate so may religious people today.”

Beloved, you know the Truth, and that Truth has set you free. May that Truth be revealed through you. May this light of Christ; this light of your justification in Christ and because of Christ, shine forth in your heart and soul like the noon day sun. May it shine forth in you and through you in all that you say and do; in your daily worship of the One who loves you and has done everything to save you.

In terms of Reformation, may you be that heaven-sent messenger of justifying Gospel to every tribe and nation and person with which your Lord brings you into contact in your daily comings and goings, always pointing to and glorifying Christ. Faith alone in God’s grace alone because of Christ alone. That’s what it’s all about. That’s reason to rejoice.

All glory, all worship, and all honor and praise be to Him alone. Amen!

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”