Sermon for 11/25/07

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Sermon for 11/25/07
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Christ the King Sunday, Luke 23:35-43
(Re-write of 1995 Sermon)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN

Main Theme: Unlike earthly Kings, our Savior is a King who always has time for those in his Kingdom. There are no delay, postponements, or busy signals – He is always ready and eager to listen, forgive, and bless us! Even while He was being crucified and was dying, He took time to pray for us, and reach out to those around Him, even another criminal on the next cross. Despite the incorrect political expectations the people of Israel had for the Messiah, Jesus came to offer them something else: salvation, forgiveness, guidance, renewal of the, freedom from the bondage of sin, Satan, and death, and a place in the Kingdom of God. When? TODAY! Jesus, our King, still offers these "Today-promises" every day. No waiting lines, no postponements, no delays. Too often we forget that God is a "Today" God. What a blessing to realize that Jesus is your Lord, Savior, and King...today!

Luke 23:33-43 (To be read at second service only)

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is God's Messiah, the Chosen One."

The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

1) NEXT! I'd like you to imagine, this morning, coming to church but finding something very different. Instead of an open sanctuary, you find a large reception area, laid out like a bank; with tellers and windows. And you find yourself having to stand in line to wait for your turn to receive God’s blessings.

* Initially, you notice a man facing the window who is arguing with the teller. "Now wait a minute," he says, "I told you I was sick yesterday, and I couldn't make it." "Sorry," says the teller, "you know that God only gives out salvation on the 24th of November, every third year. If you want to be saved, you'll have to come back in 2010. Next!"

* The woman second in line moves forward. She is a mother who's teenager ran away 3 months ago. "I've come for guidance, concerning what to do about my run away son." The teller checks his watch and says, "God won't be giving out guidance until 3:30. If you don't mind waiting, you can have seat 4, in pew 13, near the baptismal font. Otherwise you'll have to wait until next February. Next!"

* An elderly couple steps forward and the man says softly, “My wife has just been diagnosed with cancer, we’ve come to ask for courage, strength, and healing.” The teller checks his computer screen and then asks, “Can I have your coupon?” “Coupon?” asks the couple. The teller looks over his glasses and declares, “Folks, today is coupon Sunday, unless you have one, you will have to fill out forms A, B, F, and G, and bring a note from your doctor before you can expect to take up God’s time for a matter as important as healing. Next!”

* As they slowly walk away, you notice that you are next. "Yes, I'd like to ask God to forgive my sins, please." "Sorry," says the teller, "All forgiveness schedules have been canceled until further notice from on high." "What do I do about the pain and guilt I am living with," you ask. "Listen Partner, I only work here. You know as well as I do that God decides if and when He wants to forgive anyone. If He changes his mind, we'll publish it in the papers. Next!"

2) ALWAYS! It sounds absolutely absurd, doesn't it! Imagine God postponing opportunities to talk to Him about salvation, guidance, healing or forgiveness. Now human kings, yeah - that's different! We've all read historic novels, or seen movies on human kings who are so busy running the kingdom, that it's impossible to see every peasant, serf, or visitor who wants an audience. But not God! God always has the time for us. God is always ready to listen to our petitions. God is always ready to renew, and remake our very lives. Morning, Noon, or Night – our “King” is always there for you and me! ALWAYS!

3) EVEN WHILE/WHEN – EVEN THEN! And that's just one of the amazing things that makes our King so very different from all others. Even while Jesus walked this earth, He demonstrated the eagerness of God to address His children’s needs at the moment they addressed Him. Even when His disciples abandoned Him, when He was judged and tried, and His flesh torn and bloodied with a whip,... even when He was slapped and beaten, and had a crown of thorns pierce His scalp, … even when square nails were had been driven into His wrists and feet, and every breathe brought on torturing pain... EVEN THEN, Jesus compassionately thought of those around Him! Do you remember?

4) TODAY! It was the time the leaders of the church were scoffing at Him. The Roman soldiers were laughing at Him. Even a fellow prisoner on the next cross was sneering at Him... and all were asking, "If He was a real King, why doesn't He save himself!" I don't know about you, but if I were in Jesus's place, bleeding, muscles screaming, and grasping for breathe, I doubt that I would be too concerned about other people. That’s why I am schocked when the second criminal turns to Jesus and said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom," and Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, TODAY you will be with me in paradise." Notice, He didn't say, "Come on buddy, GIVE ME A BREAK HERE, will ya! I'm dying and you want a favor?!" He didn't say, "Hey partner, you should have thought about that a long time ago. It's a little late now!" And He didn't say, "Well, if I ever get out of this mess, I'll think about it." No,... with the little energy He had left, He said, "Today you will be with me in paradise." Today! Even while suffering on the cross, and close to death, we discover that today is the time frame for the mercy, grace, and promise of Christ! Today!

5) MESSIAH! Who is this? …who could be so ready to compassionately listen to and bless others while dying for us on the cross? This… is the Messiah! Ah, the Messiah! The prophets had foretold of His coming. The people awaited His coming! The leaders tried to outguess what this Messiah would look like. But NO ONE expected the King and Savior of Israel to look like and act and die like this... The sign above His head mockingly said, "This is the King of the Jews." And the people either laughed at Jesus, or despaired as their hopes appeared dashed. KING!? Messiah!? What kind of King or Messiah would end up like this? Did He offer political revolution, or earthly riches, or freedom from toil? No. What Jesus offered was salvation, and forgiveness, and guidance, and renewal of the spirit. What Jesus offered was freedom from the bondage of sin, Satan, and death. What this King, this Messiah, promised was a place in the Kingdom of God!

6) TODAY! When? TODAY! Not when He found time, or when He felt like it, or when you earned the right to get there. But rather... today! Somewhere in your spiritual journey, you heard the promise of God and heard His call... and you received His Holy Spirit! That was your first "Today". It didn’t matter if you were 2 days old, 2 years old, 24 years old or 80! When the baptismal waters poured over you, God said, “This is my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased!” He placed the mark of the cross upon your forehead and declared to the universe “This one is mine!” It was our “judgement day” in miniature! And unless we would choose (for some mysterious reason) to later turn our back on God and divorce ourselves from this precious relationship – we can stand here and declare that heaven is our home! Not because we did something Holy to deserve heaven, but it’s ours based on God’s Grace alone! Our baptism began our time of Messianic salvation. And because our baptism is a daily ongoing process… that "today" comes again and again and again through the hearing of the proclamation of the gospel, the forgiveness of sin through confession, the renewal of your Spirit in prayer, and the receiving of Christ Himself through the bread and wine of communion. Our Today is now and every day!

7) THIS KING! Imagine what it must have felt like to hang on the cross next to Jesus and hear those words, "Today you will be with me in paradise." No, I could never imagine what it would be like to be crucified, but I do know what it means to spend a great deal of you life trying to save yourself, only to fail time and time again and to fall into despair. And then… for the first time, the Word of God begins to sink in, and you begin to give up on "self" and begin to look to a power greater than yourself. There, in the midst of your pain and suffering, comes the Good News of the Gospel. Christ is the King! And this King has loved you from the moment you were conceived and has never given up on you! This King desire to heal you, and guide you. This King has chosen to forgive you and make you anew. This King – who said to the criminal, "Today, you will be with me in paradise." - has declared the promise of heaven to each of us, and will walk with us everyday through this broken world until that blessed day comes! THIS KING is amazing!

8) TODAY PROMISE! Now, I don’t know about you, I’m not in any hurry or rush to go off to heaven! In as much as I look forward to Jesus' second coming, I need to remember that God's Kingdom is "wherever His will is done." To be His subject here on this earth, now, means to be in communion with Him - responding to His love with love! His will becomes our will. The joy and peace and purpose that we experience now, as a "foretaste of the feast to come", comes because He offers this "Today-promise" every day! No waiting lines, no postponements, no delays. We experience a little bit of heaven, everyday, when Christ lives in our hearts. His “Today-promise” begins to bless us daily, and long before we take our final breathe!

9) WE FORGET! At our Thanksgiving Eve service this past Wednesday I mentioned that it is in our broken human nature to forget! Sadly, we can forget just how accessible our King is! Early on in my faith walk, I only came to God during emergencies. I tried to convince myself that I didn't want to bother Him unless it was real important. Truth was... I didn't want to stay in constant communication for fear I'd be asked to change... and I was very comfortable with who I was. I have met numerous people who, likewise, only show up here at God's church when there is an emergency, a death, a family crisis... forgetting that God is a "Today" God. Forgetting that God did not design us to be the center of the universe, making all the decisions, carrying all the load, or having to seek our our own purpose or happiness! Forgetting that the source of all we need, and the source of all love, waits paitently and longingly with a gentle hand extended to us… today and everyday! It is not His wish for us to forget that our King is always accessible!

10) WE WAIT! I have known many people who collect their sins during the week and drag them all to church on Sunday. It was as though they didn't realize that their baptism is a daily process, and that prayer, repentance and forgiveness is a "Today" gift. Many of those same people wait until Sunday to come for the Word of God... eagerly listening for guidance. And that's good! But how sad that they don't realize that the SAME Word is found in the Bibles that adorn their coffee tables... and that SAME POWER of Christ is accessible every day! And yet, how many of us hear the Word of God ONLY on Sunday... as though our King is a "7th Day Only" King! Why then do we wait? His blessings, Word, and Power are ready for immediate access! This King does not want you and I to wait!

11) PRAYER! One of the things I try to make my confirmation students understand is that prayer, the gift of communication with the Creator of the universe, is NOT a bedtime only affair! When we say our King is a "today" King, we don't mean He's a "just once a day King"... On the contrary - we can talk to Him on the bus to school, we can turn to Him the second a crisis appears, we can pray instantly for people the moment we see their needs,... even with our eyes open, and silently while in the midst of a conversation with others. Our King is an "All Day - Today" King. No earthly King is as accessible as our Heavenly King! No earthly King has the power and love of our King. No earthly King can free us, heal us, forgive us, empower us, and remake us like Christ the King! And all of that is instantly available to us because we can talk to our King through prayer – 24-7!

12) JESUS AS KING! Next week we begin the church calendar all over again. We will begin with the Advent season, and the prophecy of Christ's coming, and the need to prepare ourselves for that time. Then there will be Christmas, and we'll celebrate the birth of Christ! We'll move into the Epiphany season in January, where we will begin to see in Christ's actions and miracles, the first revelations of who this young man is.... the Son of God. And then comes Lent, as we watch Jesus's earthly ministry revealed... and all while He walks towards Jerusalem. Holy Week and Easter come next, as Christ reveals His purpose and the awesomeness of God's love on the cross, and “the miracle of all miracles” on that third day. And so the first half of the year will be spent on Christ, and the second part, called Pentecost, is spent helping us with what it all means for us. Until finally, we come back to today; where we loudly proclaim Jesus… as King!

13) KING! And every day during our church year is a Godly "Today". Every moment that our King calls any of us and we respond, becomes a "Today" moment. Every moment that Jesus calls YOU and YOU respond, becomes a "Today" moment. Your’s is not an earthly king, with human limitations. There are no windows, no waiting lines, and no postponed opportunities for salvation, guidance, healing, or forgiveness. Your Lord has time for you.... today! Your Savior is always ready to listen to your petitions... today. Jesus Christ is always calling you, ready to renew, and remake your very life... today. He was the King at the Time of creation, He was the King as He hung upon the cross, He will be the King at the end of time.... but more importantly, He is your Lord, Savior, and King...today! Praise God! AMEN

Sermon/Confessional Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that there are many things and people who have sat upon the throne of our hearts – when only you should have been there! We have not made you number one in our life, we have not bowed our hearts, minds, souls, and lives to you in the way we should! Forgive us and help us Lord, as we strive to bring you all the glory, and call you our King!

Lord, sometimes we wait to come to you with things that only you can bless. Sometimes we postpone prayer, or the Reading of your Word. There are times when we do not immediately bring you our concerns, sins, requests for healing, as though you were too busy to bless us. Forgive us, and teach us to see you as a King who is always accessible to us, day and night. Teach us to keep a constant conversation goingwith you throughout our day!

And now Lord, although you know us better than we know ourselves, listen as we share in a moment of silence, those other parts of our lives that need to be forgiven, washed clean, healed, and recommitted to you! (made anew.)

(Silence)

Lord, no earthly King is as accessible to their people as you are to us! Thank you for reminding us that you are always available to save, forgive, heal, and renew our lives! Draw us closer to you each and every day, that we may love and serve you as our King loved and served us! AMEN

Assurance of Forgiveness:

Friends, listen to the good news: The Lord, who is an always available King, …that Lord has mercifully heard your confession and eagerly forgives you all your sins. Go now, and worship Him in everything you say and do. For yours is no earthly King, but the Messiah who loves you 24/7! Praise God! AMEN

Opening prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we come this morning to celebrate the final Sunday of the church year! We come to call you King – to worship you as the Messiah – who poured Himself out for us on the cross! We come in from a world that worships money, fame, power, individuality, and so much more, and those voices call us to do the same. And although we are tempted, and sometimes stumble, we return here this morning because you are the only King who loves us unconditionally. You are the only King who can forgive our sins, and wash us clean. You are the King who heals, guides, and empowers us to live victoriously in a broken world! You are the only King that would pour Himself out for us on the cross to save us from sin, Satan, and death. And so we offer the thrones of our hearts to you now. Come sit and rule. Reign in our lives today, tomorrow, and forever. Draw us closer to you, andlet us sit at your feet to praise you and sing of your glory. Receive our prayers and smile upon us with your merciful love. It is in Christ’s name we pray, AMEN!

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