Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Old Testament Lesson just read, from Isaiah 40. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- Later today the participants in the Super Bowl will all be hoping they are “ON THE RIGHT SIDE.” In sports, that means the winning side. Last year the “winning players” made an average of $156,000 while the “losing players” only made about $53,000. Given this difference, I suspect most of us would prefer to be on the winning team!
- Granted, this is a small amount compared to what they make per regular season game, under their contracts. Still, even the losers-share is more than most Americans make in a year!
- Of course it is not just the money, but the trophy, the ring, the fame, and the glory of being able to say “I am a Super Bowl” champion!
- But as glorious and hyped up as the Super Bowl is, there is a much greater competition going on – one with eternal ramifications! This is the war between God and the Devil, between good and evil, and we are all participants – either on the one side or the other.
- And certainly the stakes are much higher for each of us. It is not just money at stake, but one’s eternal happiness and bliss! And in this competition the loser doesn’t just get less; he gets no good at all. In fact, he gets misery and suffering forever!
- In our text, God makes clear that His side is the winning side, and therefore “THE RIGHT SIDE” for us to be on – if we have any self-interest and any wisdom. This is important for us to remember – for just like in competition, we experience many ups and downs in this life. So:
I. Let Us Consider God’s Power, Wisdom, And Sovereignty Over Human History
Text: “To whom then will you compare Me, that I should be like him? Says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see Who created these. He Who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of His might, and because He is strong in power not one is missing. . . . Have you not known? Have you not heard: The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable.”
A. Earthlings Are Like Grasshoppers In Comparison To God
Text: “It is He Who sits above the circle of the earth and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; Who stretches out the heaven like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in.”
B. He Plants Nations And Blesses Them; Then Destroys Them When They Have Finished Serving His Purposes
Text: “He brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when He blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.”
Statement: I much prefer having the Lord as my Owner, my Coach, my Quarterback, and my Teammate! How can anyone lose who is on God’s side? No matter what the consideration, being on God’s side is being “ON THE RIGHT SIDE.” And as we will see in a minute, this is not just a matter of escaping the consequences of being on the wrong side! This is blessing enough – to not have to worry about the wrath of God blowing on us, withering us, and carrying us away like stubble! Unfortunately, this is what the enemies of God have to look forward to – and not just for a limited time, but for eternity!
Application: Again, it is true that God has chosen to limit the full exercise of His power and judgment until the Last Day. So it is that there are times when His power is not evident, times when it appears that His enemies have a chance, and times when we struggle and suffer. But we must never allow this to deter us, or to weaken our resolve and commitment to God and “THE RIGHT SIDE.” Unlike competitions between human beings – where on any given day either side might win, this cosmic competition is not between “equals.” God’s almighty power is certainly going to prevail!
Transition: And when it does how thankful we are going to be that God has called us and placed us on His side! But there are additional blessings and benefits to being “ON THE RIGHT SIDE” even here and now, for:
II. God’s People, His Team, Are In His Special Care
A. He Continues To Empower Them
Text: “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength.”
B. He Renews His People And Sustains Them
Text: “Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.”
C. And He Finally Brings Us To Victory
Text: “They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Statement: Although this great cosmic competition is common to all people, it is a greater privilege to be “ON THE RIGHT SIDE,” on God’s side, than to participate in a mere Super Bowl – whether as winners or losers in that game. And for those who are “ON THE RIGHT SIDE,” there is no question as to who the winners will be. And even though the competition is at times fierce, and we seem to grow faint and weary, God provides us with the greatest revitalizing agent – His precious love, delivered to us through His Word and Sacraments! This renews us with greater strength and energy – so that we soar victorious, and never faint!
Application: So we do well to come here regularly, not only so that we remain “ON THE RIGHT SIDE,” but also so that we are blessed and strengthened for the competition, until we receive the final victory and an eternal crown of glory! This crown, of course, is of much greater value and glory than a Super Bowl trophy, a Super Bowl ring, a Super Bowl bonus, or than all of the success and money in the world!
Conclusion: I don’t know who you are rooting for this afternoon. Most of us have already been disappointed – our team is not in the Super Bowl. There is no such disappointment when we are “ON THE RIGHT SIDE,” on God’s side!
There will be winners and losers among the players, coaches, owners, and fans at today’s Superbowl. But there are only winners when it comes to those who are “ON THE RIGHT SIDE,” on God’s side in the great cosmic battle!
In a month or so, many people won’t even remember who won the Super Bowl, what teams played, and what players did what. Those who are “ON THE RIGHT SIDE” will be celebrated forever, and will bask in glory forever! For as God’s Word assures us, “their works do follow them.”
Ah, thanks and praise be to God for picking us and putting us “ON THE RIGHT SIDE,” and for all the blessings and strength and victory that He gives us even here and now in the great cosmic competition of human life! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.