Romans 15:12–13

December 2 2015 Midweek 1 Sermon

Stir Up the Power of Hope

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

Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope." 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.

Many years ago, a young man who wanted to become a pastor visited his elderly Lutheran grandmother in Houston. As they chatted in her living room, he picked up the Sunday bulletin lying on the coffee table and began reading it. A curious word appeared there: "Collect."

"What's a 'collect,' Grandma?" he asked.

"Well, I guess that's the collection," Grandma drawled in her south Texas accent. "You know, when they take up the money."

Her answer sounded reasonable. We often have ways of giving satisfying answers to questions we really know nothing at all about. But as he kept scrolling down the page he came to another word, "Offering." he was puzzled again.

"Grandma," he said, "if the collect is the collection, what's the offering?"

"Well, maybe they had two collections," she replied.

That was the end of the conversation about collects. Clearly, Grandma had no idea what she was talking about. It wouldn't be till he went to seminary that this young man learned what a collect was. (This was long before online encyclopedias!)

So, what is a collect? A collect is a liturgical prayer that collects the thoughts the church wishes to bring to God for a particular occasion or need. A collect has a well-defined structure. It begins with an invocation to God. Often there's recognition of a divine attribute associated with the person of the Holy Trinity being addressed. Then comes a petition or a request. A reason is usually given for the request—that it would somehow bring glory to God. And then comes the conclusion in which the prayer is offered in the name of the Trinity.

Each Sunday of the Church Year has at least one special collect that somehow relates to the season.

The collects in Advent might well be called "stir up" prayers—for each one of them begins with the word "Stir up, O Lord." These "stir up" prayers, these collects, will help collect the thoughts of our midweek Advent sermons this year. Our first "stir up" prayer is the Collect for the First Sunday in Advent: "Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen."

Now that's a theologically beefy prayer. It boldly calls on our Lord Jesus to come and do what his Father intends. We ask that by his power he protect us, rescue us, deliver us from the threatening perils of our sins. It's all about rescue, the purpose for which Jesus came. Well, Jesus has answered that prayer. And he will answer it.

Certain that this prayer is answered, that Jesus has come and rescued us, we are people with something we all need for living—now and for the future:

Rescued by Jesus, Who Has Stirred Up His Power and Come, We Are Children of Hope.

I.

Hope is always best when it's not something we invent or imagine: "I hope the kids make it home for Christmas." "I hope to get all the cards in the mail by Monday." "I hope . . ." whatever. Real hope, hope that doesn't disappoint, is based on a promise—and we have that. Paul begins our text by quoting from the prophet Isaiah: "The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope" (v 12). Rescued by Jesus, who has stirred up his power and come, we are children with sure hope—sure hope, first, of a promise.

Isaiah has much to say about the promise of this root of Jesse. He will be born of a virgin (Is 7:14). "His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Is 9:6). And he will be "pierced for our transgressions; . . . crushed for our iniquities; upon him [will be] the chastisement that [brings] us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord [will lay] on him the iniquity of us all" (Is 53:5–6). Yes, the root of Jesse will do that, Isaiah promised, so that in him the Gentiles—and all people—will hope. The people who walk in darkness, that's us, will see a great light (Is 9:2).

A custom that developed among German Lutherans and spread to many other Christian churches is the lighting of an Advent wreath. Each candle on the wreath signifies one week of Advent and each signifies a theme. The first candle, for example, signifies "hope," given to us by Jesus, the promised descendant of David.

Faith begins like that, as a faint flame in our hearts as we hear this good news. As we keep listening and take to heart each Gospel promise, the light flickers and begins to grow steady. We're assured by the promise that we are children of God. We have that sure hope.

Hope in a promise then gives something more. Rescued by Jesus, who has stirred up his power and come, we're children with the sure hope of peace. "May the God of hope fill you with all . . . peace," writes Paul in his benediction (Rom 15:13).

This is the season of peace. It's in our Christmas carols, "peace on earth, good will toward men." It's in those Christmas cards. Popes and politicians express blessings and wishes for peace.

But if you think about it, living as children of peace shouldn't be that hard for us during the holidays—or any day for that matter. You and I have all the resources we need to be instruments of peace. The peace on earth that the angel choir celebrates at Jesus' birth is a proclamation; it's not a wish or empty aspiration.

With the birth of Jesus, the Sin-bearer of humanity who died for us, God is at peace with the human race. He declares us pardoned. He's not angry anymore. The war is over. You and I can lay down our arms of rebellion.

With God at peace with us, we are at peace with God. There's no need to fake personal holiness. There's no need to get defensive. We are forgiven. There's nothing to prove. Our goal now becomes announcing the peace of God through Christ to our fellow sinners. We do that patiently, with love, with a total absence of hostility. We do that with Gospel words and acts of kindness in the name of Jesus.

We become peacemakers. Instead of blaming, we forgive. We see badly behaved people not as enemies, but as lost souls Jesus wants to find. We see ourselves as instruments of peace.

Usually, when an estranged couple comes for counseling, each wants to blame the other. They come loaded with evidence to prove their point. But since when did proving someone else's guilt ever make for a peaceful, happy relationship? When instead of blaming, we forgive, we become peacemakers.

It works not only in marriage. It works with co-workers, friends, in the church. It can even work if it's one-sided. "What can I do to improve this relationship?" Ask it as a prayer. God will answer. Jesus made peace. It spread to you and me when he created the new man or woman in us, brought us to faith. Now it's ours to take to others.

And that, for children of hope, is pure joy. Yes, rescued by Jesus, who has stirred up his power and come, we are, finally, children with the sure hope of joy. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy," St. Paul says in our text (v 13).

Joy comes from the love and forgiveness of Christ as the Holy Spirit takes up residence and causes spiritual fruit to grow. As we meditate on our blessings in Christ, his powerful rescue from the perils of our sin, a wave of relief floods our souls, freeing us to rejoice.

Often having a brother or sister in Christ to encourage us, listen to our sorrows, share our burdens, help us in our daily tasks gives us joy. But don't wait around for someone to befriend you. Be that friend right now to someone else. Find someone you'll listen to, someone whose burden you'll share, someone you'll help with daily tasks, someone you'll pray for, all in the name of Jesus. You be the "friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Prov 18:24). Stay with that friend until you see his or her joy blossom. As you do, your joy will blossom!

A promise, peace, and joy—these are blessings you possess as children of hope who have been rescued by the Savior.

Yes, Lord Jesus, stir up your power and come to us! Powerfully deliver us from our sins and make us God's children, trusting in your promise, living in your peace, rejoicing in your love. In your name we pray. Amen.