Sermon

June 8, 2008
Pentecost 4a
Exodus 19:2-8a
Pastor Ben Berger

Your are God's Treasured Possession!

You’re going to be stranded on a desert island for the rest of your life. You are allowed to take one and only one item. Not a suitcase. Not a bag. One item. What would you take? What is your most treasured possession? Seeing that we’re in a church, you might take your Bible. A favorite picture. Your wedding ring. Your spouse, child or a friend. My daughter takes her water bottle wherever she goes. You might consider any one of these things your most treasured possession. Do you know what God considers his most treasured possession? YOU. You, individually, and you as a group are God’s most treasured possession. God wants nothing more than to spend forever with you. And, that’s not just a hypothetical situation; it’s reality. God really wants to spend eternity with you and he’s even carried out a plan to make it happen. YOU ARE GOD’S MOST TREASURED POSSESSION.

I said YOU – meaning you as an individual and you as a group. God often talks about a group of people as his treasured possession. But which group? At one time, God’s chosen people were the nation of Israel. God hand-picked Abraham and his physical descendants as his most treasured possession. That is not the case any longer. God chose one physical nation to bring forth the promise of a Savior. After Jesus was born, most of that physical nation rejected him as Savior. Therefore, the physical nation of Israel is no longer God’s chosen nation.

Maybe the United States is now God’s chosen nation? The U.S. is the super power of the world, isn’t it? We have the strongest army. We have the richest people. We must be God’s treasured possession, right? Unfortunately, most of the people in our country have ignored or rejected God’s word just as Israel did. Someone told me the other day that throughout history, most super power nations cease to exist after 200 years. That makes me worry and wonder about our United States. God’s most treasured possession is not a physical nation – not even Packer nation.

God’s most treasured possession is a spiritual nation, the NATION OF BELIEVERS. This nation crosses all physical boundaries, whether they be country borders, state lines, oceans and seas, languages, color or political party. The only boundary this nation doesn’t cross is creed or faith or religion. The NATION OF BELIEVERS is tied together by a common creed, confession and faith. All who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior belong to this NATION OF BELIEVERS. You, then, as a believer in Jesus, belong to the NATION OF BELIEVERS. And this NATION OF BELIEVERS is GOD’S MOST TREASURED POSSESSION. You, individual believers, and you as a nation of believers are God’s most treasured possession.

God began the nation of believers with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God promised Abraham that he would make him into a great nation and that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him. In other words, God promised a Savior through Abraham’s line. God renewed that promise with Abraham’s son, Isaac, and grandson, Jacob.

Later, Abraham’s family moved to Egypt because of a famine. They eventually became slaves of the Egyptians and lived in slavery for 430 years. Then God sent Moses to deliver his chosen nation, his most treasured possession, from slavery. That was three months before our text. Moses and the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and began their journey to the Promised Land. As God had earlier promised Moses, he brought Moses and his people to the foot of Mount Sinai. There God would speak to his people and they would worship him.

God spoke first to Moses. Verse three tells us, Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him form the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel.” Let’s stop and realize what is happening here. The almighty and holy God, the LORD, is speaking face to face with Moses, a sinful man. Sinful men typically die in the presence of the holy God. You remember how Adam hid from God after he sinned. Yet, the LORD protected Moses. He used Moses as his spokesperson to the people. That will be important to remember as we continue our study.

Here’s what God wanted Moses to tell the people, You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. God is reminding his people that they aren’t just a physical nation, but also a spiritual nation. They are his people, his most treasured possession, because they have seen with their own eyes his amazing power at work in their lives. They saw the ten plagues that led the Egyptians to release them from slavery. They saw how God opened the Red Sea for them to cross on dry land and then closed it on top of the pursuing Egyptians. They saw how God provided water and manna and quail in the desert. They saw God defeat their enemies as Moses held his hands high in the air. They saw by experience how God carried them on eagles’ wings, supporting them at every trouble. They saw how God made them his own chosen people, his most treasured possession.

Have you seen what God has done in your life? Have you seen how God has brought you to himself and made you his own? For starters, I don’t think any of you are living in tents in the desert. You’re not eating manna and quail for every meal every day. God has provided for you. And, while some of your loved ones are fighting for our country, and others have died, God has used them to protect you. God has defeated the enemies of our country for over 200 years now. And hasn’t God carried you on eagles’ wings through divorce, sickness and death? Most importantly God has delivered you from sin. You have heard God’s voice. You have received his promises in the sacraments. And you know that in Jesus God has made you his chosen people, his most treasured possession.

The LORD goes on to describe his people in verse five. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Did you hear the conditional “if”? IF you obey me fully and keep my covenant, THEN you will be my treasured possession.

The people of Israel responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said.” They didn’t. Some of the physical nation of Israel believed God and lived as his spiritual people; most rejected God’s promises and Jesus as Savior. Most other physical nations do the same. Most people in the United States and around the world have ignored God’s word and rejected Jesus as Savior.

Honestly, we have to admit that too often we have also failed to live up to God’s IF. We have heard the voice of God, but we do not always listen. We don’t stop and take time to think about what his Word means for our lives. We don’t understand it and we don’t apply it. We don’t live according to the commands he has given us. We make up our own word. We create our own rules. We live how we want. We do not deserve to be called God’s chosen people. We certainly don’t deserve to be called God’s most treasured possession.

God made you his most treasured possession in Jesus Christ. Jesus heard and listened to God’s voice. Jesus came to earth to carry out his Father’s will. He lived according to every command of God and fulfilled his will perfectly. Jesus also suffered and died for our sins. Jesus removed the sin that separates us from God, the sin that should not allow us to speak to God face to face or live with him forever. And to make his life and death count for us, Jesus sent his Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit gives us faith and makes us part of the NATION OF BELIEVERS. God calls it a holy nation because Jesus’ blood has washed away its sin and the sin of all who belong to it. God also calls it a kingdom of priests. Remember how God spoke face to face with Moses and then asked Moses to speak to the people? Moses was acting as a priest or go between for God and his people. Now, as part of God’s chosen people, you are a priest. God speaks to you in his Word and Sacraments. And he asks you to share his Word with others. Best of all, after you have finished your God-given work in this world, God invites you to live with him forever. That’s really all God ever wanted – to live with you for eternity.

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