St. Paul's Howards Grove Podcast

Epiphany Moments: God delivers more, not less._ It is easy for us to assume that if God says “no” to a request…we are getting less than we wanted. We need to have an epiphany moment, seeing the reality…that God always wants more for us than we want from him. Saying “yes” to all our requests would often result in us receiving less joy, less blessing, a lesser life. So, when God says “no” to our request…we can be assured it is because he wants to give us more. Far more than existing as a “help desk” or 911 dispatch…God’s love for us is like that of a groom for his bride. His love for us exceeds all expectation and understanding. In that love, God always delivers more than we ask…not less.

This weekend, we begin a new series: Epiphany moments. God chose a childless old man to be the father of a great nation? He chose the younger brother, Jacob the deceiver, to inherit the blessing over the first-born, Esau? God chose a stammering fugitive with blood on his hands to be the prophet who would lead his people out of slavery? God operates in ways that we wouldn’t have imagined, yet in just the way that we so desperately needed. Today, we consider God’s choice of Israel’s new king, his approval of his Son, the Christ, and also his choice in saving you and me – not by anything we had done – rather by his mercy and his Spirit and his washing. Let’s marvel at the Lord’s unexpected choice! Our sermon comes from Luke 3.

_The Gift of God: a gift for all people._ For centuries, God had given special attention to one nation…Israel. There were Jewish religious leaders who taught that only members of that special people would be saved. Not according to the Christmas angel! The birth of the Savior was good news for all people. When the Savior was born, he was first revealed to Israelites: the shepherds, Simeon, Anna. But today…we see the Lord miraculously guides foreigners across countless miles so the Savior could be revealed to them as well. How did the magi respond? _“They were overjoyed”_ (Matthew 2:10). We Gentiles (non-Jews) rejoice in the good news that this Jewish baby is not just a gift for the Jews. He is a gift for all people…the Savior of the world.

The Gift of God: both substitute and sacrifice._ The Son of God took on flesh for two reasons: to be our substitute and our sacrifice. Jesus is the only human being to keep all of God’s law perfectly. He did that as our substitute. Through faith, we claim his perfection as our own. But we needed another gift…one who could pay for the sin we had committed. And so, the Son of God became human for another reason…so that he might die as the sacrifice for our sins, removing that barrier between us and a holy God. Understanding we needed both…substitute and sacrifice…helps us to better understand Jesus’ saving work. That work includes more than Jesus’ death on the cross.

Come and see what God has done! From the beginning, God spoke, and creation sprang into existence. Everything was made perfect, and man walked with God. Yet, in love, God foreknew the fall, and before the foundations of the world, He prepared for our salvation. Today, we gather to remember God's perfect plan—a plan fulfilled in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and a plan that continues as we wait for his return. Christmas at St. Paul's features the children, choirs, instrumentalists, and teens of our congregation as we use our gifts to God's glory in sharing the message of Christmas. The devotion will be based on Matthew 1.