Sunday Sermon - 1/18/09 - Listening Ears

Listening Ears
January 18, 2009
Text: John 1:43-51

Grace to you and peace from God the Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

According to the news report, 155 people boarded Flight 1549 on Wednesday, and all, amazingly enough, made it off alive! The story has been called "The Miracle of the Hudson." What a miracle it was. Landing the US Airways Airbus (A320) on the river without anyone dying is just incredible. Listening to the news, I heard that the plane nearly hit the George Washington Bridge, and the story would have ended so differently and tragically. Did you see the photo of the people standing on the wings floating aircraft waiting to be rescued? What an image, it looks like they are walking on water.

This morning, I have entitled my message "Listening Ears". I want to use this incident, this "Miracle on the Hudson" as the backdrop for our listening to God's call to us.

We heard moments ago in the OT reading how the boy samuel was called by God and how he had "listening ears." Then we heard the Lord called Philip to follow him, and how he also had "listening ears." The question is now put to us, how well are we listening to God's call?

God's message to us is clear and unmistakable. From personal experience and from the Bible itself, God has a message for us to heed.

First is a message of Law and judgement.

You and I are not perfect. We are sinners. We are violaters of the Highest Law. What I mean is that we have broken the Ten Commandments, God's holy and perfect Law. "There is no one righteous, no not one," says the Bible. (Romans 3:10) In the same chapter 3 of Romans it states, "For all of sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." So when we knelt earlier to confess our sins, we were speaking the truth about ourselves. But how honest were we really? How seriously did we take the confession of sins? Did we even think about what er were saying?

Look at experience if you doubt what I say. It is still early in the morning, but have you said any unkind words today? Have thoughts of anger, jealousy, and critical Judgement of others crossed your mind? Do you think more highly of yourself so that pride and arrogance are your cheif sins?

The truth be told, we sin so much in so many ways we do not even realize probably not even a tenth (10%) of our sins. Perhaps that is why in Psalm 19 King David wrote, "Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults." He goes on to add, "Keep your servant from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression." (vv.12-13) Obviously, David wrote those words before he became entangled with Bathsheba. Bathsheba was married to a soldier in David's army by the name of Uriah. As king, David had him killed so he could have his wife.

Yes, we are sinful and unclean people. We could not begin to enumerate our sins like the Roman Catholics are instructed to do in the confessional. We are lawbreakers of the Divine Moral Code and justly we deserve to be punished.

We are helpless to redeem ourselves also. No matter how hard we try, we cannot be righteous. Even if we attended a 1,000 church services or gave all our money to the poor, it would not change our circumstance/condition.

And since we are sinners, we also die. From the Bible it says, "The wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23a) In other words, since we sin we die.

From experience we know that to be true. Death comes to all. I haven't seen or met anyone alive from the days of the American Revolution. Have you? Living here in Virginia, we hear alot about Thomas Jefferson, but he is no longer with us. We can travel to Church Hill and enter the sanctuary where Patrick Henry gave his famous "Give me liberty, or give me death" speech. You can even hear his speech recreated by actors, but the man Patrick Henry you cannot meet.

Death, sin, and Satan are with us continually like our shadows. We cannot escape them, no matter how hard we try.

Sp God's message is clear, but that is only half the stroy. Hear now the good news!

"Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be white as snow," promises God's Word. "If we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9-10) Elsewhere it says, "As far as the east from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Ps. 103:12) Listen to Jeremiah 31:34, "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

We know that to be true because we have heard the Good News. John the Baptist announced to the people of his day when he said, pointing at Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) This Jesus of Nazareth lived a perfect life, sinless life. He kept and fulfilled the whole will and Law of God for us. He stood in our place when the justice of God was delivered. Hanging on the cross He cried, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" Here a mystery of love and forgiveness that the Innocent One is condemned, while the guilty ones are set free.

Is that great news! For Christ's sake, we are forgiven! In addition, we have life and peace with God. This life leads then into eternal life as we pass through the gate of death and the grave.

Returning to the "Miracle on the Hudson," how many of those passengers were listening at the beginning of the flight when the flight attendants were giving the safety briefing? Few if any were listening. I know from experience that I myself have tuned them out having heard it all gefore. But that all changed on Thursday for the people of flight 1549. When the plane was falling out of the sky, and the order was given to "Brace yourselves", suddenly everyone was listening.

How about us? How well are we listening? Do we realize how desperate is our plight? Where would we be without the Good News of Forgiveness and life in Christ?

The passengers of Flight 1549 were so grateful that they were overcome with emotion. Exiting the floating plane and being rescued by the ferries and other watercraft, they now realized they were living of the rest of their lives. They will consider that a turning point in their lives. After all, how many people walk away from an airplane crash? It was a perfect deliverance, a miracle.

We too have been rescued from the threatening peril of our sins. And so we come, confessing our sin and receiving the Good News of pardon and peace in Jesus' Name.

The passengers who stood on the wings of the plane remind us that we stand on the promises of God. We are upheld by the tender mercies of our God. While we were helpless, just as the people were in the plane, so God send His Son to rescue us. The 57 year old experienced captain, Chesley B. Sullenberger 111, went through the airplane twice before exiting to make sure no one was left behind. We, too, have such a compassionate and flawless Savior.

Out of love for Him, we want others to know Him. Philip went and told Nathanael, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph."

His enthusiasm met skepticism when Nathanael replies, "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Christ engages the skeptic with a touch of sacastic humor when he says, "Here is an Israelite in whom nothing is false." Jesus wanted the skeptic Nathanael as one of His disciples much to Nathanael's suprise.

The circuit is complete so to speak. The Lord called Philip, Philip found Nathanael, and Nathanael joins the band of disciples. During the Divine service, Godcalls to us through His Word and Sacraments "Come follow Me." We respond with grateful hearts allowing Him to exercise His Lordship over our lives. Through fellowship and worship, through study and prayer, through service and stewardship, we learn to follow Christ by having Him as the center of our lives.

How good it is to know that whatever we face, whether in life or in death, we have Jesus as the Captain of our souls. How moany of those people on Flight 1549 were prepared for eternty, we will probably never know, but we have the privilege and responsibility to do as Philip did. He invited Nathanael saying, "Come and see for yourself."

May God open our ears to listen and open ur lips that we may sing His praise so others too will hear and sccept His Word. Amen, God grant this for Jesus' sake. Amen.

Now the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts through faith in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.