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/cleaning-the-house-gideon
Cleaning the house (Gideon)
This is a translation of a sermon held by Pastor Olaf Latzel in St. Martini Church, Bremen, Germany.
Pastor Latzel describes what a Christian must do to fullfill Gods laws in everyday life.
The public reaction on this sermon shows very clear how deep Satan is involved in our church today. There are lots of comments in the internet on this sermon from January 18th 2015. The original audio can be downloaded from the St. Martini website.
Satan was not successful and Pastor Latzel continues his good job.
This is the sermon:
Grace and peace be upon you from our Lord Jesus Christ, who was, is, and will be in eternity. Amen.
Our sermon text for today can be found in The Old Testament, in the book of Judges.
Let us hear Judges 6, Verses 25 to 32:
25 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:
26 And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.
27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.
30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.
31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
This sermon I have titled "Learn from Gideon how to be clean from false gods".
The sermon is divided into five sections:
1. The command to clean
2. Cleaning the own house
3. The fear during cleaning
4. The attack because of that cleaning
5. The help during Cleaning
First, the command to clean.
It is important to understand that this cleaning is not the idea of Gideon, who wants to do something for the Lord, but God himself gives the command. He says: Do it!
Later on it becomes clear that Gideon has no fun with that job, this mission causes fear in him.
But it's the Lord, who gives the command. Because for our holy and eternal God it is an abomination to put other gods beside him.
See the Ten Commandments.
First commandment (Exodus 20 KJV):
And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
To have no other gods, first before everything else that comes along. That is the alpha and omega in discipleship. And when we speak our creed, like we just did it, there as well we say, what we believe. Only one God, only one God. And woe to you if you put other gods and idols beside Him.
What is the problem in the book of judges? Book of judges, second chapter: The problem of the Israelites was that they didn't deny the Baals and Astarts, when they came to the promised land, the idols of that time.
The gods of the sedantary people of that time.
The Isrealites said:"Yes, yes, we have this god of the desert, it was a good experience, at the Reed Sea and against all the enemies. But now in the cultivated land, agriculture, cattle breeding, become resident, but we need the gods of the new time, don't we? We will not forget the old, but the new gods we will add them. Like syncretism, all mixed together. Anyway it's the same god! This is nothing new. This is ancient stuff.
We read in Judges, chapter 2:
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:
12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.
13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
This incidents appear in the whole history of Israel again and again. As soon as Israel leaves God, the living God, the holy God and turns to other gods, the everything goes wrong, everything goes down the stream.
Please read the Bible. Don't think this Latzel is an maliciuos agitator. And I know exaactly what will come again after this sermon.
I only say what is written. Read prophet Hosea, 14 Chapters. Every vers says: You have failed, worshiped Baalim. God doeesn't want this. He delivers them. Read Isaiah, read Ezekiel. Everywhere, you can read it in the whole Old Testament, also in the New Testament. God doesn't want that. And not a little bit as well. He's very picky to that. There must be absolut purity.
King Solomon, the big King Solomon, who's heart was with God, whom God appeared twice, at the end of his government time his concubines persuaded him.
He had built the temple for the Lord. But he also built a temple for Milkom and Chemosh, gods that his concubines had brought along for their well-being.
A humanistic guy at the end of his government time, not only my god, but for my concubines also, they have their old superstitious beliefs and can live that in Israel.
It is written 1. Kings 11:
9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.
11 Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
The Empire was divided. Israel didn't exist as a whole country any more. That's no peanuts, that's fundamental for this god. And it is very important to know, that this story is not the idea of a human being, but that God arranged it.
God has no understanding and tolerance for other gods and idols, not at all.
It is very important: the cleaning from the idols and other gods is commanded by God.
Secondly:
This cleaning must start at the own house. The whole Israel is spoiled, and Gideon is sent to really clean it. He has to start with the cleaning of his own house. Because in his father's house there is such an terrible idol, a Baal an an Ashera. That's where he has to start. That doesn't fit. As soon he's called to cleal, as soon he's called to duty there has to be an end with idols in the own house.
It's the same when I become a Christian, then I have to stop the idolatry. I have to clean my house.
When I am a Christian, I have no talismans, lucky penny, something I hang at my inside mirror, because it preserves me of something. Some amulets with holy people on it, the Holy Christopherus or something else. And also when grandmother or grand-grandmother had it, it is useless. No Voodoo key ring, and no Buddha statue, which you put inside, because it's so nice to have a thick, old, fat guy on your dresser.
That is idolatry. That does not belong to a Christian. That must disappear. Or if you are a climber to make some pagan occult things on the mountain, to call some mountain gods. And that's not from old times, that's very fashionable today. That comes to us from everywhere. We have a new paganism, which was unthinkable 100 years ago. It comes with violent force, again and again always this strange idols this strange beliefs.
I met people, who are witches, who are captured in occult things, a Christian has nothing to do with that.
Somebody who clearly walks his way with Jesus will have a conflict immediately. Like Gideon here.
You have to clean your own house.
"Jesus and ..." doesn't work. "Jesus and ..."means you're a hindu. It works with them. I have a good friend, Dr. Eskepedill, Hindu. I had a massiv dispute with him. He had no Problem with my belief, because he said:"Beside my 300 million gods I can also add your Jesus." He even sent his children to a Christian school. He took everything that fixed his needs. "Jusus and ..." that is Hinduism.
Jesus alone, Jesus alone, the triune God - that is Christianity. And if there is something else, you have to clean it, otherwise there are massive problems.
Gideon is cleaning here. Everything he does is correct. At the end of his life something awful happened. When he had defeated the Medianites he said to the people of Israel: Give me a little bit of their gold. And then he builds an idol of this gold for Israel to worship.
The bible says: That was a pitfall for his house. We are not immune of that, the church as well.
Also the church always moves into such things. In reformation, a big part of reformation has to do with cleaning the house, the own house. Martin Luther didn't want to establish a new church. He wanted to reform, what was wrong, especially the idolatry. All that relics worship that time. The saints worship. They didn't pray to Jesus Christ, they prayed to other Christians and hoped for sanctification. They looked at some bones and thought to have salvation from hellfire. That is idolatry.
Well, something has been kicked off in our society and sold to us: the abrahamitic ecumenism: We all have one god, the muslims, the jews and the Christians. And you can together, no, you now have together, just when such terrible things happen like in Paris, but you have to. Now you are committed to. This is a demand. And woe to people who stand to their religion, to their belief. They are extremists, like Al Kaida or IS.
Now perhaps you will say again: My goodness, pastor Latzel, but we know that.
Our former pastor Jens Motschmann, and I don't stand here to say that, demanded in the magazine "Hanseschnack" that Bremen needs The House of one. The House of one is something that started in Berlin. They said, we need a place of worship for muslims, Christians and jews. They all have different worship rooms, but they shall meet together, they shall learn together, live together.
That what Pastor Motschmann from this pulpit has dammened in the 20 years of his service like me, now he demands it for whatever reason he has. You can speculate about that, I don't want to participate. But one thing I have to do when a former shepard of this parish says we need a house of one, I say: That is the very last we need.
We need a clear annunciation of Jesus Christ. And always again we say: There is only one true god. We have no common ground with Islam. That does not mean that we do not have to encounter muslims in love and proximity. It is very important: No to sin but yes to the sinner. Sin and sinner are distinguished. Absolute no to sin, but yes to the sinner. People with Muslim believe we have to encounter in love and compassion. And when they are prosecuted we have to stand before them. That is our mission as Christians. Not to be misunderstood. That is our mission to really encounter them in charity.
But to false doctrine we have to do exactly the same and say: That does not work! And when EKD (Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, organisation of evangelical churches in Germany) demands: No, we have to do that together. There are jointly worship designs for school openings, where the pastor and the imam and the catholic pray together to the alleged one god. That is sin, and that is not allowed to be.
We have to clean ourselves from that. And I say it very clear: That is not only a Problem in Bremen, also in my previous parish in the church district of Siegen they collected money for the mosque in Siegen. I have fought against it and there was resistance. But this may not be. That is idolatry. And we have to stay clean.
Once again: I know it is difficult to declare: No to Islam and this mixture with Christianity, but yes to people with other beliefs. But nevertheless we must be very clear in this case. We may not allow to be captured and say like "If you accept the people you also have to accept their religion".
No, we have to be clear: There is only one god. And if such things appear in our house, we have to clean it.
If it is in our church, in our parish or in our personal life.
Ein Drittes: Die Angst bei der Reinigung. Ja, das ist nicht einfach. Das sagt die Bibel ganz deutlich. Dieser Gideon, dieser große Richter, der hat Schiss. Der hat Angst, es zu tun. Er tut's nicht bei Tage, er hat Angst vor seines Vaters Haus, und er hat Angst vor den Menschen, die da in Ofra, in dieser Stadt wohnen. Er hat Angst, diesen klaren Schritt mit Jesus zu gehen, diesen klaren Schritt mit Gott zu gehen. Und das ist ja Jesus, der hier spricht. Er hat Angst davor. Genau dieselbe Angst, die Petrus hat, als er da steht und von der Magd befragt wird: Gehörst du dazu, nicht? Jetzt auf einmal war das Christentum eine Sekte, nicht. So nach dem Motto: Zu Jesus gehören - das steht jetzt unter Todesstrafe, nicht. Da verleugnet er. Das gehört mit dazu. Das ist nicht einfach.
Wenn man sich hinstellt und ganz klar sagt: Ich gehöre zu diesem einen Gott, und er allein ist Gott. Da fängt's Herz an zu pochen, weil das ja Konsequenzen in dieser Welt hat, nicht. Vielleicht hab ich berufliche Nachteile dadurch, vielleicht mach ich dann keine politische Karriere mehr? Vielleicht geht es in der Kirche dann nicht weiter? Was sollen denn meine Kinder denken? Der liebe Frieden ... Wie oft erleb ich das, dass mich Eltern fragen: Ja mein Sohn, der hat jetzt das und das gemacht. Meine Tochter, die hat jetzt einen Muslim. Muss ich denn da auch mitmachen, wenn die uns einladen, nicht, zu ihrem Zuckerfest und all diesem Blödsinn? Nein, da müssen wir ganz sauber bleiben. Natürlich hat man da Angst. Aber glaubt mir, die Angst vor der Welt darf uns nicht dazu bringen, dass wir die Furcht des Herrn lassen. Das ist wichtiger.
Und da muss man eben auch Schnitte machen - wie hier Gideon. Schnitte - und ich sag das ganz bewusst - der Name Gideon heißt Hacker, Hacker, ja. Der ist nicht so ein bisschen, so nach dem Motto "Ich häng mal ein Betttuch drüber über die Aschera, damit's mal nicht gesehen wird. Dann hab ich ja meinen Protest ausgedrückt, nicht. Oder ich mach mal heimlich nachts ein Graffiti drauf. Gott sagt: Umhauen, verbrennen, hacken, Schnitte ziehen!
Ja, das ist viel verlangt. Ja, da hat man Angst. Da denken Sie vielleicht an die Situation, wo Sie gefordert sind. Aber das fordere nicht ich. Das fordert unser Herr und Gott. Wir sollen dort die Schnitte ziehen. Auch in einem Vaterland, wo die Bundeskanzlerin erklärt, so mit einem Strich, nicht, dieses falschen Dinge zu wiederholen, die Bundespräsident Wulff gesagt hatte: Der Islam gehört zu Deutschland. Der Islam gehört nicht zu Deutschland. Die Muslime, die hier leben, ja. Absolut! Aber der Islam hat nichts zu tun mit dem Gott, von dem es in der Präambel unseres Grundgesetzes heißt: Im Bewusstsein seiner Verantwortung vor Gott und den Menschen, vom Willen beseelt als gleichberechtigtes Glied im vereinten Europa geben wir uns dieses Grundgesetz. Dieser Gott, der da gemeint ist, das ist jedem, der nur ein bisschen historische Ahnung hat, ist der dreieinige Gott, Vater, Sohn und Heiliger Geist. Und ist nicht, und ist nicht Allah. Der Islam gehört nicht zu Deutschland.
Ich weiß, dass wenn ich damit hingehe und das klar sage, dass das Widerstände gibt und dass, wenn ich euch das so deutlich mitgebe, dass ihr auch mit Widerständen zu tun haben werdet - im Beruf, in der Nachbarschaft, in der Familie. Aber das ist das, was Gott von uns möchte. Da müssen wir uns entscheiden. Da stehen wir als Christ am Scheideweg. Angst in der Welt? Oder Furcht des Herrn. In der Welt habt ihr Angst. Das weiß der Herr Jesus Christus. Aber seid getrost, ich habe die Welt erlöst. Lasst euch nicht von der Welt Angst machen, nicht von irgendwelchen Politikern, nicht von irgendwelchen Pfarrern und Pastoren, die erzählen: Neben diesem Jesus müsst ihr andere Götzen setzen. Nein!
Habt keine Angst! Sondern wenn ihr das klar verstanden habt, nicht weil ich euch dazu aufgefordert habe, sondern weil es die Schrift sagt. Und bitte lest das nach! Forscht das nach, nicht. Wenn ihr jetzt denkt, hat der wirklich recht, der Pastor Latzel? Wenn das die Schrift euch klar sagt, dann möchte ich euch Mut dazu machen. Geht klar den Weg mit Jesus. Furcht des Herrn - ja, Angst vor der Welt - nein halt, nicht. Aber die Angst vor der Welt haben wir, das sagt diese Geschichte eben auch ganz deutlich.
You can say now: "Pastor Latzel, you don't have to preach about such things here in Martini church. That are things that are very clear to all of us. Why do you inculcate this to us this morning?"