"Born to Sing Salvation's Song!" James 1:16-21

Fifth Sunday of Easter - Cantate                           28-April-2024

Sermon Text: James 1:16-21

Sermon Theme: “Born To Sing Salvation’s Song!” I. Our Heavenly Father Gifts Us All Good Things!(vs.16-17). II. Christ Births Us To New Life In Him! (Vs.18). III. God the Holy Spirit Calls and Keeps Us In The One True Faith! (Vs.19-21)c
By Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. “Job 38:4-7 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. (5) Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? (6) To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, (7) When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Alleluia! Christ is risen! Still we suffer in a sin corrupted creation. Our Lord God speaks these words to suffering Job. He had lost all his wealth in one day, a violent tornado claimed the life of all his ten children, then his health failed. An incurable skin disease afflicted him - perhaps his wife was right - why hold to his integrity - he might as well curse God and die.

   The comfort Job’s three friends offer him is to accuse him of a forgotten sin. They reason that the Lord only punishes the evil and rewards the good, therefore Job must’ve sinned to suffer so great an affliction. The bulk of the book of Job is this argument going back and forth. Job had lost all things, but he clung to his Creator Lord. Though he could not see Him, he trusted He was with him. He prayed, begged, pleaded to talk to Him face to face. In the depths of suffering he confessed his Living Redeemer - Jesus, Who would pay his debt of sin in full, and rescue him from the grave and corruption to stand before Him in the resurrection of the body on the Last Day!

    In Job 38, the Lord comes to speak to Job from the whirlwind. He asks him questions. Even with the Father’s good blessing of reason, we cannot fully fathom or answer the questions here addressed to Job. We learn to ponder the wonder and awesomeness of creation. We also learn that during the hexameron, the first six 24 hour days of the creation of all matter about 6,000 years ago, that their was singing. The angels, created by God as spirit being separate from man, sang together. Their angelic choirs shouted for joy as our universe was called forth from nothing by the power of the Triune God’s Word. They hymned praise as Adam was molded from the clay, breathed alive by the Holy Spirit, blessed with a beloved bride and united in marriage - the life long union of one man and one woman - and blessed to have many children. All was in perfect harmony and the Lord God declared only now with mankind as head of all created things was all “very good!” On the seventh day He rested to teach Adam’s family to find rest in their Creator and His Word every week. To sing creation’s song with angelic choirs.  

We are: “Born To Sing Salvation’s Song!” I. Our Heavenly Father Gifts Us All Good Things!(vs.16-17). II. Christ Births Us To New Life In Him! (Vs.18). III. God the Holy Spirit Calls and Keeps Us In The One True Faith! (Vs.19-21)

I. Psalms 137:4 How shall we sing the LORD's song In a foreign land? Exiled to Babylon, the Psalmist heart is filled with grief. He laments, Psalms 137:1-3 By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion. (2) We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it. (3) For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"” Their nation was destroyed, the Temple desecrated and burned, the fortress of Zion/Jerusalem leveled. How could they sing the Lord’s song so far from home?

     Nearly two centuries earlier the prophet Isaiah preached calling the nation of southern Judah and northern Israel to repent - return to the Lord God and His Word. They refused to listen. The northern ten tribes of Israel would be taken captive by the Assyrians in 722B.C. and slaughtered in captivity. Not learning from their sister nation, the southern nation of Judah would be destroyed and taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 586B.C.. Their captivity would last seven decades to give the land of Judah its Sabbath rest after being desecrated by profane worship of idols.

      Isaiah preached God’s just judgment and God’s redemption by His Suffering Servant - Jesus. In Isaiah 12 today He teaches them to sing salvation’s song - the Lord God would come into their very midst to become their salvation.

        James, the step brother of Jesus, who at first thought his oldest Brother was crazy - comes to the Faith by grace. In 1 Corinthians 15, St. Paul reports that he is one of the eyewitnesses to whom our crucified and risen Jesus of Nazareth appeared in the flesh. The epistle of James appears to be the first letter written to the newly birthed Christian Church. Listen: (vs.16-17) How can we sing salvation’s song in a world taken captive by Satan, sin, corruption, and death? God the Holy Spirit teaches us, “Do not be deceived!” The fallen angel Lucifer, Satan, the Devil has been a murderer and liar from the beginning. He is the father of lies who raises up evil forces to persecute all who dare to speak the truth.

         Satan loves white lies - spiritual lies - as he apes God wishing to overthrow Him and become his own god with all power to destroy. Satan loves the lie of dualism - two equal forces active in creation - good and evil. It’s a lie promoted by trusting in karma - if you do evil you’ll get evil - if you do good you’ll get good. Paganism loves this lie, for it turns men back to trust in themselves to earn salvation.  

        The Spirit of Truth testifies, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”  God is love! He is the Lord and changes not. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the great “I AM!” It is from Him alone all life originated and is still upheld by His Word. God our heavenly Father is the source of all that is good, perfect, and beautiful in our creation.

    Satan, the father of lies corrupted creation with sin, disease, and death. Earlier in this letter the Spirit of Truth teaches, James 1:13-15 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. (14) But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. (15) Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” Satan tempted our first father Adam to forsake God’s Word and break the harmony of man with God in creation. Satan still tempts enticing our fallen fleshly desires and corrupted imagination. Relishing our deceptive desires only gives birth to sin and death.

     God the Father has given us the perfect gift of His Holy Law - the Ten Commandments written upon the very fiber of our humanity. Although clouded by our rebellion, it still convicts as our conscience holds us accountable to our Creator - no matter how many lies we tell ourselves. The Law shows us our sin - it convicts - it kills us - we are dead in our trespasses and sin. Corpses cannot rescue themselves.

II.    “Do not be deceived!” you don’t belong to Satan - you are “beloved brethren” born into the Heavenly Father’s family through the incarnation of His only begotten Son! When Jesus was born the angelic choirs sang, “Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" In Jesus’ incarnation and birth mankind is reclaimed by the Heavenly Father to be His own!

      Listen! (Vs.18) A simple sentence that confesses the Trinity’s song of salvation in Christ Jesus. We don’t make a decision for Jesus - decide for God - choose to be saved. None of us chose the moment of conception in our mother’s womb, nor the moment of our birth that our Creator set for us to take our first breath. How can we be so spiritually arrogant clinging to the lie that we have the power to choose our spiritual rebirth?

   In Christ we are born from above, according to the Father’s saving will, in Jesus - the Word of Truth - His conception - His perfect life - His sacrificial death for our sins - His rest in the grave - His physical resurrection - His ascension to be enthroned as the God/Man filling all things - His coming again apart from sin for salvation - all this is made ours in baptism - we are born of water and the Holy Spirit. Never by our own might our power - it is all Christ’s Work - the Father’s gift - the Holy Spirit breathing us forth to new life.

         Jesus is the Vine, we the Branches , only remaining in Him do we bear fruit! Today sing forth the Father’s glory - you are a first fruit of His creatures - your baptism connects you to live in Easter victory - death has lost - joyfully journey on towards life. Satan lost - creation is reclaimed by Jesus’ flesh and blood. Now we can sing - this world isn’t a foreign land - it is reclaimed by God the Father to be recreated in His Son on the Last Day and be filled with eternal righteousness by the Holy Spirit. Join the hymn of creation! St. John exiled to Patmos for preaching the Gospel isn’t alone - He is still united with the body of Christ - the Church - he hears the song, Revelation 5:12-14 saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" (13) And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (14) Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.”  

III. Where Jesus is present hymns of praise burst forth! We cannot but sing back to our Father the glorious hymn of redemption in Jesus by the power of His life giving Spirit. (vs. 19-20) God the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment through Jesus’ cross and empty tomb. All sin is paid for by Jesus - those who refuse the Holy Spirit working trust in their hearts to cling to Jesus will die in their sin. Our flesh hates this truth - we cannot glory in self - only in Christ - His Word - His Works. God the Holy Spirit convicts the world of righteousness - Jesus fulfills all for us - His life is clothed upon sinners in baptism. The Paraclete convicts the world of judgment - Satan is defeated, death broken, the grave robbed, sin no longer can chain us in destruction.

      Remember Whose you are - the Father’s beloved brethren in His Son recreated daily by the Holy Spirit in forgiveness flowing from Christ’s Cross to you in His Church. Be swift to hear His Word - let nothing stop you from gathering to sing salvation’s song every Sunday - rejoice to open your hymnals as the Spirit breathes you forgiven. Listen! Trust! Jesus rules! Your anger doesn’t produce God’s righteousness - pray without ceasing!

      Sing forth the song of victory over sin! (Vs.21) Turn off the screens and deceptive images tempting your flesh. Open up your Bible and hymnal. Let the Holy Spirit recreate you in Jesus every day as a beloved child of the Heavenly Father. Meekly hear Him! The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus by declaring all that He has done and continues to do - works forgiveness of all your sins, rescues you from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation and faith to cling to His Word of promise. Rejoice you are born to sing! To sing salvation’s song! Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Amen.