Installation Lessons From the Life of Moses
Sermon on Exodus 14:31
9:00 AM, Sunday, February 14, 1999
Installation of Pastor Michael Jensen
Saint Mark's, Watertown, WI
Pastor Karl Walther
Introduction: Importance of a Congregation's Trust in Its Pastor
God promised the Israelites-- and he promises all of us: I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Amen.
God's Word for our consideration on this special occasion of your installation, Pastor Jensen, is Exodus chapter fourteen, verse thirty-one: When the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
Dear members and friends of Saint Mark's-- and especially you, my brother, Pastor Jensen:
As a new pastor at this church, more than anything else, our congregation has to trust you.
That's true, isn't it? A congregation just has to trust that its pastor's words are true: regarding Jesus-- the Savior he proclaims. A congregation just has to trust its pastor's words are true: simply to listen to him-- and then especially to follow him.
As a new pastor at Saint Mark's, more than anything else, our congregation has to trust you.
That's not easy, though! I mean: in recent generations especially, our governmental leaders have betrayed our trust. In recent generations especially, some high profile religious leaders have betrayed their people's trust. Why, in recent generations especially, millions of wives sadly have found that they cannot trust their husbands (and vice versa); millions of children sadly have found that they cannot trust their parents (and vice versa).
And so, you and I found out years ago that our seminary graduation certificates were no tickets to gain our people's trust. No, trust must largely be earned....
So, Pastor Jensen: how are you going to earn the confidence of the people at Saint Mark's? And people of Saint Mark's, how are we going to know that we can trust Pastor Jensen?
Theme: Installation Lessons from the Life of Moses
Well, we catch our clue from the
festival we are celebrating today. Transfiguration Sunday, you'll
recall, had the prophet Moses appearing. And this Transfiguration
Sunday morning, we are going to take * INSTALLATION LESSONS FROM
THE LIFE OF MOSES. There is an installation lesson in the life of
Moses first of all
(1) FOR PASTOR JENSEN and secondly also (2) FOR SAINT MARK'S IN
WATERTOWN.
Part One: Moses Displayed the Great Power of the Lord
Consider God's Word once again: When the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
More exactly translated: When the Israelites saw the big hand the LORD used against the Egyptians, the people revered the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. Do you see what it was that earned the Israelites' trust for Moses? It was the big hand of the Lord!-- because Moses, you see, was the Lord's servant.
You need the background here. It was about one thousand five hundred years before Christ. God's Old Testament people had, in the last five hundred years or so, grown from a single family into a mighty nation. But the Israelites were two hundred miles from their homeland. They were in Egypt, and they were oppressed. You remember the slavery. You remember the hard labor. You remember the schemes to kill all the baby boys. You remember the beatings. You remember the bricks without straw.
Through Moses, this Moses, God worked to deliver his people. With plagues of blood and frogs, gnats and flies, livestock and boils, hail, locusts, and darkness-- with plagues like these, God judged both the Egyptians and their gods. Then one night, the night of the Passover, God killed the Egyptians' firstborn sons and firstborn cattle. It was enough for Pharaoh to release the Israelites-- only to pursue them soon.
Then Moses, this Moses, raised his staff. God's mighty power split the waters. Millions of Israelites followed and crossed safely. Pharaoh's mighty armies pursued. Moses stretched out his hand again. Crash!-- the waters clapped together. And the enemies disappeared forever. And-- and...:
The people revered the LORD and put their trust in him-- & in Moses his servant.
Application One: Pastor Jensen, Display the Great Power of the Lord
You see, Pastor Jensen, that's what you have to do! You need to display the great power of the Lord. You need to be his instrument for defeating the enemies of your people. And you can do it! In fact, you will do it!
First of all, do you see the slavery of our people? Yes, our people, the good members of Saint Mark's in Watertown-- our people are (by nature) slaves. It's not the Egyptians or Babylonians or Iraqis who are enslaving them. It's the devil, the world, and their sinful flesh. And so, by nature, our people are enslaved to their pride; we're always trying to enhance our own reputation by putting down that of others. And our people are enslaved to pleasure; we're always trying to have our fun at the expense of others. And our people are enslaved to their possessions; we're always trying to hoard more and always afraid of losing what we've got.
Pastor Jensen, release us from our slavery! Pastor Jensen, raise your hand, and point our eyes to Christ! Pastor Jensen, lead us through the water, the waters of Holy Baptism that wash our sins away! Pastor Jensen, lead us through the wilderness, feed us with manna, the bread and wine and body and blood of the Lord, to nourish us on our path! Pastor Jensen, bridge the gap, bridge the gap between us and God! Preach Christ, who is the way to heaven and the truth of our salvation and the life everlasting! Teach about Christ, who is the only effective mediator between a holy God and sinful people! Counsel with Christ, who is our only real advocate with the Father!
After all, Pastor Jensen, you are Christ's slave. You, like your people, are now no longer a slave to your pride or pleasure or possessions. Nor are you a slave to your people-- or any person. You're Christ's slave, the way Moses was Christ's slave. So, spending time with Christ in word and prayer is the first thing you will do every day, starting tomorrow. And after that, when God calls on you to bring Christ to a troubled soul -- whether in our congregation or in our community or in your household -- you'll do it. And when God calls on you to prepare a message to troubled souls -- whether in our congregation or in our community or in your household -- you'll do that. And when God calls on you to get some rest, you'll do that, too.
Part Two: Israel Revered the Lord and Trusted Him-- and Moses
That, of course, is the installation lesson from the life of Moses for Pastor Jensen: "Display the Lord's great power, to save your people through Jesus Christ." So, what is the installation lesson from the life of Moses for Saint Mark's of Watertown?
Consider God's Word once again: When the Israelites saw the big hand the LORD used against the Egyptians, the people revered the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. Do you see Israel's response to the Lord's judging, saving acts through Moses? They revered the Lord, they trusted the Lord-- and they trusted Moses.
Application Two: Saint Mark's, Trust the Lord-- and Pastor Jensen
Folks, that's what we need to do! We need to trust and revere the Lord. And we need to trust Pastor Jensen.
First of all, we need to trust and revere the Lord. For example: if we haven't yet confessed our sinfulness, either our sinfulness at all or some particular sinfulness within which we've been living-- if we haven't yet confessed our sinfulness: we must trust the Lord and do it now! Or if we haven't yet trusted our Savior, Jesus Christ, to take our sins away: we need to do it now! If we haven't revered the Lord by setting aside time in word and prayer with him every day: we need to start now. If we haven't revered the Lord by coming here week by week by week: we need to start now.
And when that's the message we hear from Pastor Jensen, let's trust him! If he exposes our sins, and Satan tempts our sinful nature to deny them, don't!-- let's trust Pastor Jensen, as God's spokesman, instead. If Pastor Jensen broadcasts far and wide the message of our Savior, and Satan tempts our sinful nature to deny that, don't!-- let's trust Pastor Jensen as God's spokesman, instead. And when he says we need to read God's Word, let's do it! And when he says we need regularly to worship our Savior, let's do it! And when Pastor Jensen looks to lead this congregation to do gospel work more intensely in our midst and in our city: we can't grumble that we've never done it that way, we can't demand that some minority of us has the only right way to do that-- and we can't fail to support our efforts together, nor to give Pastor Jensen our best advice. Instead, we've got to trust him!-- the way Israel trusted Moses.
Conclusion: Eternal Importance of a Congregation's Trust
And what's the result of our trust going to be? Well, do you remember when it was that Moses resurfaced? Nearly fifteen hundred years after his death, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses reappeared. There he beheld God's glory-- now not in a pillar of cloud or of fire, but rather in the shining face and resplendent robes of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Jensen, as you behold and display God's great gospel power, that's the view that God promises to you eternally. Saint Mark's, as we trust the Lord and his words spoken by Pastor Jensen, the same is true for us. Behold God's glory-- in the shining face and resplendent robes of Jesus Christ: eternally! Amen.
God urged Joshua, successor to Moses-- and God urges you: Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Amen.