The sermon for December 4 was based on Luke 21:25-36.

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

What kind of word never passes away? What kind of word has such power, such force, such solidity? This sounds like a ridiculous statement: "My words will never pass away." After all, words are the basic unit of language. They are sounds that convey ideas. They describe, explain, or make clear. Because they are so common, we tend to abuse them and take them for granted. We say things like: "Talk is cheap," and "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," or "Put your money where your mouth is." But, deep down, you know those clichés are not really true. Words hurt far worse than sticks and stones and broken bones. Even though words may not leave visible wounds, when they are wielded as weapons they wound far worse, for they have a far more significant target. Words may not break your bones, but they can break your heart.

Family therapists have long preached that sarcasm is the most damaging and hurtful form of speech. One of the skills a counselor will teach you is to change your speech. Learn to speak again in a loving way to your spouse and your feelings for him will return. And he will learn likewise to speak back in the same way. For if you are what you eat, you are even more what you say. What you say, how you speak, is what you think and believe. If you talk filth, you are filth. "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." [Mt 15:11] And so, dear Christian, avoid vulgarity and profanity. It defiles you, for out of the mouth come the thoughts in your heart. Repent. For you have run your mouth without thinking. You have broken the Eighth Commandment. Your words have been gossip, or hurtful, or vulgar, or shameful.

Because words are so important and form who you are, consider how precious is the Creed. You must cling to the true confession at all costs, for what comes out of the mouth either defiles a man or sanctifies him. What you say about God, and how you say it, defines what you think of Him, what you believe. This is no game, no contest in cuteness. This is a quest for words that never pass away. Repent, for you have cheapened God's Name with irreverence, with falsehood, and with your own proud opinions. Your mouth has revealed the thoughts of your heart; and they are not good.

It is hard to imagine how anything as common as words could fail to pass away. Yet, there is another cliché that is truer to reality than the sticks and stones business: "The pen is mightier than the sword." Words can have power. Patrick Henry ignites a revolution with, "Give me Liberty or give me death." John Kennedy can inspire a nation to put a man on the moon with, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." With the quiet rhythm of "Fourscore and Seven years ago," you know you are in for something significant. The right words at the right moment can inspire and uplift, can encourage and strengthen, and all of that with mere human words, for mere human causes.

If human words can do those great things, than how much more powerful are Divine Words? Job had an inkling of that power when he said:
"Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock With an iron pen and lead, forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" [Job 19:23-27]

The centurion, likewise, had a pretty good idea, when he said:
"'Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, "Go," and he goes; and to another, "Come," and he comes; and to my servant, "Do this," and he does it.' When Jesus heard it, He marveled, Then He said to the centurion, 'Go your way; and as you have believed, [so] let it be done for you.' And his servant was healed that same hour." [Mt 8:8-10,13]

But there is no better source for words which never pass away than the Lord Himself: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." [Mt 4:4] The words which never pass away are God's words; and by them you live. When God speaks, it happens. He says, "Let there be light," and though there was no light, though there was nothing from which to make light, all of the sudden there was light. He called it into being and it was. What He says, is. What He says, happens. His words are not empty. His words are not a stream of conscious rambling. His words are the very Bread of Life that endure for all eternity. By them, you live. For man lives not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

And now consider that the One whose words will never pass away has as one of His chief titles: the Word.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." [Jn 1:1-3,14]

This Word, the Word of Life, the Word of Creation through whom all things were made, who is without beginning and without end, who will never pass away, this Word, in the fullness of time, lowered Himself to be born of the Virgin, to become flesh of your flesh and bone of your bone. This Word would not turn from His course. He would reveal His Father, make clear His will, and declare His love for you at any and all costs.

God's Word is clear: The kingdom of God is near. Heaven and earth will pass away, but the Word of God will never pass away. His Word is your life. His Word declares you worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. His Word comes to you, stirs up your heart, and enables you to serve Him with a pure mind. When the powers of heaven are shaken and you see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory, you will have nothing to fear. Instead, rejoice and lift up your head, because your redemption draws near. You have God's Word on it.

His words are trustworthy, cling to them. His words are Life-giving and life-changing-be immersed in them. His words do what they say. When His Word spoke to you in Holy Baptism and said, "You are mine and your Name is now My Name: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. You shall be called 'Christian'," it was true. It shall never pass away. When His Word says, "You are forgiven. I remember your sin no more. You are as perfect as My only-begotten." you are. It shall never pass away. When His Word says, "This is My Body given for you and My Blood shed for you," it is; and by this Sacrament you gain communion with Him, the forgiveness of your sins, life, and salvation. His Word is the very Bread of Life which shall last into all eternity-eat His Word in bread and wine, for by this you live. This shall never pass away. Thanks be to God. Amen.

The Peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Last Updated: 7/15/2008