Jonah Albrecht
Pentecost 20
October 6th, 2024
1 Peter 3:18-22
God’s Miracle Water

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

In the name of Him, whose body was crushed for the forgiveness of sins and whose blood has washed us to be His children, dear fellow redeemed:

Peter Popoff is a self-proclaimed faith-healer and prophet of God. If you don’t recognize the name, you may have seen his commercials on TV advertising Miracle Water. In this ad he appeals to those people who are struggling with debt, unemployment, sickness, or whatever physical disadvantage in life. Fill out your information and he would send you this Miracle Water for free! If you follow the instructions on the letter inside, he would join you in prayer so that the both of you could persuade the heavenly forces to send a check to remove your debt, or finally find healing for that lingering sickness. Ah, but there is a catch. You see, in every letter he asks for a certain amount of money to be sent back as a gift of love, faith, and obedience to God.

One group decided to test whether or not this miracle water was real. They filled out their information and Popoff sent them a letter saying that they would receive a check in the mail worth $1900–$19000. All they needed to do was send a check for exactly $19 in order to kickstart their miracle. 1 is the number of the Father, Popoff said, and 9 is the number of new birth. Over the next couple months, this group never received their miracle check, but they did receive more requests for money, totaling to $300 that Popoff swindled from this group.

Unfortunately, many people put their trust in Popoff and he was able to swindle them out of their money. If that makes you upset, it rightfully should. And yet, Peter Popoff’s money scam is not the worst part of it all. He is supposed to be a prophet of God, teaching the people what has done for them. While there are mentions of what Jesus did for our sins on his website, it is overshadowed by the promise of financial gain. In other words, it doesn’t matter what Jesus has done for you, you can “buy off” with Popoff. Heaven will curl to your needs if you follow his instructions.

Everyone wants prosperity. No one likes the struggles of life. We want to be happy, have enough money to put food on the table, pay the mortgage, give an education to our children, etc. These things aren’t bad to wish for. The Lord is not partial, and the sun rises and sets over the wicked just as it does the righteous; and He sends the rain over the unbelievers as He does the believers. In His mercy, He showers this world with blessings, often when we don’t even deserve it, and we are able to bring any request before our Heavenly Father with a child-like trust that He will hear us.

However, the Bible does warn about the dangers of the desires of the heart. Paul writes to Timothy, For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs (1 Timothy 6:10). God is not saying financial prosperity is bad, but rather, when we put the lust for money ahead of our love for God, that is when we sin. In truth, this goes beyond just money, but also includes every other earthly blessing in our lives. Whether it is money, or possessions, or our family, or dare I say, even football; each of these can replace God as number 1 in our lives. It is the first commandment: You shall have no other gods besides Me. That doesn’t necessarily mean we worship them instead of God, but simply when they take a higher priority in our lives, they can become an idol. Popoff’s miracle water does just that. It makes money the most important thing in your life. It promises success through your own work and not as a gift of God’s grace.

Placing our trust in the things of this world, or ourselves, inevitably leads us away from God. It leads to a life of emptiness. Sure, many people might be happy on the outside when you see how prosperous they are. What about when they are on death’s door? What about when all their money is useless and they don’t know what is coming next? There are no answers or comfort because victory over death does not come through money, but through the death of God’s Son.

Are the gimmicks of man the solution to all of your problems, or is there something better? Well, I am here to tell you that you already have a Miracle Water. God’s Miracle Water. God’s miracle water truly revolutionizes your life, and it has a guarantee to make you the richest person walking this earth. What is it? How do you get your hands on it? It is Baptism. Yes, really, it is that easy. It is that easy because Baptism is God’s work in you and not our work for God. In it, God washes you completely clean of your sins and sets you free from the bondage of sin, death, and the devil. As Peter says in our text, it saves you.

Doesn’t seem possible, does it? The washing of water and someone uttering a few words should not be able to forgive the sins that I have done. All the lying, betraying, gossiping, slandering, blaspheming, hating, and whatever other perversions my heart can come up with, are too great to be washed away in Baptism. And that would be true, if Baptism was up to you. But this is God’s Miracle Water. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. That is the power right there. Christ crucified for you.

When Jesus suffered on the cross, He did so for all the sins of all the world, including you and me. The only One who was righteous, took my unrighteousness to the cross and suffered the ultimate punishment of eternal separation from God, in my place. He did the same for you. Jesus didn’t leave anyone out. No matter how close you are to God now; whether you have been a Christian your whole life, or you are new; whether you are yet outside of God, or far away from Him, Jesus died for you to bring you to God.

Today we are remembering and proclaiming the death and resurrection of our Savior for our sins when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. In this intimate union with God, and communion in a united confession with one another, we receive from Jesus’ very body and blood, the forgiveness of our sins and the blessing that we truly are His children. This blessing we receive in the Sacrament of the Altar is also granted in the waters of Holy Baptism, something that is meant for all the nations of this world. Anyone who has a sin-stricken heart can find salvation in this gift of God.

The best part about God’s Miracle Water? There are no catches, no gimmicks, and you do not even have to bribe God for it. The miracle water Popoff claimed to give was only meant for your earthly struggles, but even then he had now power over those things.

While these earthly tribulations are difficult to deal with, God tells us we can expect them to happen. Jesus says in John that in the world we will have tribulation. Acts 14:22, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
If God removes physical trials from our lives, it is a blessing of His grace. Certainly, God does remove this physical trials routinely. We could spend weeks on end retelling the wonderful majesties of our God and how He did not forsake us to our earthly struggles, but has lifted us out of them. This does not mean that all struggles are lifted away, nor is the heavy burden readily thrown off. That is where God’s Miracle water shines once again.

God’s Miracle Water of Baptism is effective at the root of the problem: spiritual sickness. The washing away of sin gives us the hope and trust in Christ that He will preserve us in all our tribulations. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus’ substitutionary atonement, we receive a clean conscience before God. That means we do not have to be afraid that God will judge us or reject our prayer because of our sin, but rather He will welcome us and answer us because of our Savior’s righteousness.

In chapter 5 Peter writes, And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. The day is drawing near where God will remove all suffering and tribulation from your life. Whether that transition comes through death, or it comes when Jesus returns to take us home, these days of struggle are but a blip on the radar when compared to eternal glory with God.
In the meantime, why look to some fraudulent “prophet of God”, or the something of this sin-filled world to find comfort when you have the words of God! From the words of Paul: Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (Rom 12:12); Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance (Rom. 5:3). To the words of Jesus: I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33); For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you (Isaiah 41:13).

It is a blessing to know that we do not have to stake our lives on bargaining with God. Instead, God gives us His Miracle Water completely free. This Baptism assures us that our sins are forgiven through the death and resurrection of Jesus; it grants us access to God in prayer as His children through Christ; it secures our spot in Heaven with our Savior; it can remove all fear of trial and tribulation because your God has overcome all for you. Perhaps the most comforting thing of all: God knows you better than anyone else, and He will always do what is best for you. Amen