Sermon for 12/02/07

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Sermon for 12/02/07
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Advent 1, MATTHEW 24:36-44,
When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.

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

SUMMARY: It seems strange that the church year should start up with a dark passage that has Jesus concentrating on the end times, dark times, distressing times, confusing times. These are times filled with troubled minds! The three major things that cause this is Sin, Satan, and Death! Each robs us of peace and joy. But into the darkness comes Christ! When things get the darkest, Jesus Christ comes with power and glory! It’s a call to “hope” when we face the hard times! Our redemption from darkness has come, is coming, and will come again! And sin, Satan, and death no longer have the final say in our life! God has provided the antidote for the healing of troubled minds: Jesus Christ! For all in darkness - Fear not: Jesus has come, He is coming, He will come again!

GOSPEL FOR 1^st SUNDAY IN ADVENT – MATTHEW 24:36-44 (2^nd Service)

Jesus said to the disciples, "About that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

1) DARK! From the day Adam and Eve were cast out from the garden, almost every generation has had poets, song writers, and philosophers who spoke of the dark times they lived in. Much has been written about the struggle of men, women, and children in dealing with internal and external brokenness! Some negative, and some positive. When it came to troubled times, the ancient Persians had an interesting saying: “When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” I was reminded of this quote because our first Advent text of the new church year initially appears to be a dark passage! It has Jesus addressing the end times, dark times, distressing times, confusing times - times we are told when people will faint from fear and foreboding - from the earth shaking judgment that is to come! Apparently the world will be a dark place - filled with troubled minds!

2) TROUBLED MINDS! Now we Lutherans have a grace-filled theology that frees us from having to worry about or focus too much on the “end times” – we focus primarily on serving God faithfully in the here and now. (When Martin Luther was asked if he would do anything differently if he knew the world was going to end tomorrow, he said, “No, I would still plant an apple tree.” In other words, if we’re faithfully doing what God is calling us to do today, it would not make a difference if the end times came tomorrow – we’d keep on serving Him faithfully according to His will). But Jesus’ addressing the topic does leave us to ponder: Are these “troubled minds” in the future different from the troubled minds 2000 years ago? Are these “troubled minds” in the future different from the troubled minds of today? Hardly. …why? Because the three things that will cause the dark troubled minds of the future are here today and have been here since the fall in Garden of Eden. They are: Sin, Satan, and Death. And they work together to suffocate the “spirit of life” within us, and leave us with troubled minds.

3) CONTINUAL DISCONTENT! What is a “troubled mind?” … one that suffers from continual discontent. It’s a mind pressed down, disturbed, restless, and with no calm or rest. It frets about the future, the past, as well as the present. Unfortunately, a mind wrestling with continual discontent is not a condition belonging ONLY to the “unchurched” - I’ve seen too many of us who are acquaintances of Jesus just as troubled in mind as the mass of unbelievers. Why do so many people have troubled minds? Why are so many of us suffering from continual discontent?

4) SIN! Let’s begin with Sin: And a good place to start is with Roman’s 7:14-20 (Now I hope that just because we place the readings on the wall, that does not stop you from opening your bibles and marking these verses. I encourage you to bring your bibles every Sunday and highlight them, write notes in the margins, etc... The only way to make good friends with your Bible is to spend time with it!) Back to sin! We’re going to have to put on our thinking caps, and focus real hard on Paul’s words, because he’s a little hard to follow - but if we stick with him I think we will all be able to relate to what he says about sin. “We know that the law, (God’s law), is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave into sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do - I do not do, but what I hate to do - I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives within me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I can not carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is the sin living in me that does it!”

5) KEEP TURNING BACK TO IT! Phew!!! If you stuck with it, you noticed that the great apostle Paul struggled with the same human problem we all do: we are troubled by our inability to find “victory over sin.” We want to do right - to live holy and pure before the Lord. We hate the sin that tempts us every day, and disrupts our communion with Christ. Yet we keep turning back to it! There are folks right here in this congregation who hear His call to worship regularly, pray constantly, and study His life-giving Word, but week after week keeps slipping by, and nothing changes. How many of us know we are called to share our faith, to encourage and serve others, and give generously, but we still keep silent around unbelievers, too often verbally discourage even those we love, have a thousand excuses not to serve, and are too fearful and untrusting to give generously to the building of God’s kingdom? Some of us drink, eat, and smoke too much, but we can’t seem to fix the problem. We keep hurting the ones we love, and our pride and self-centeredness keep getting in the way of reconciliation and healing. We hate sinning, and yet we keep turning back to it!

6) SATAN! And if our internal sin doesn’t leave us in darkness, Satan joins in the game! First he tempts us to “grab all the gusto”, satisfy the need for immediate gratification, focus on self, and to search for “happiness” in human prosperity! Satan tells us that peace of mind will come after we get a good education, a decent job, money in the bank. It’s all a lie, but it’s a glittery and appealing one! For example, Satan suggests that financial wealth and security is vitally important because poverty is the root of all our problems. Seems logical, but if Satan is correct then why do we see so many affluent teenagers hooked on drugs? Did Satan suck us in again? Has He appeal to our self-centered nature and tempt us with half-truths that again lead us towards the darkness? …and continual discontentment? …and troubled minds?

7) WHY? Think about it: Why would rich teens turn to drugs if material advantages are supposed to bring us peace of mind? Why, on Wall Street at the end of every work day, do the doors of the stock market trading companies swing open and so many brokers rush out like stampeding cattle, headed for the nearest bar? Why do so many of them pack themselves into the these tiny “watering holes” trying to drown their emotions in alcohol? If they make comfortable incomes, own vacation homes, smoke $50 cigars, drink $300 dollar bottles of wine, drive expensive cars, then WHY do they have to get stoned to make it through one more day? Why don’t the rich and powerful enjoy a calm, satisfied state of mind?

8) PACK OF LIES! Because Satan uses our sinful nature to suck us into his pack of lies! And after spending huge chucks of our lifetime acquiring a pile of wealth and material possessions, after we have climbed the corporate ladder, perhaps even finding power or fame, He then switches sides and condemningly whispers in our ears what slime-balls we are to be so selfish, so weak, so hopeless! He makes us feel ashamed, overworked, and tired of the rat race! The power of evil leaves us despairing in darkness, with our heads low on our chest,… seeking hope, but not knowing if it really exists. As if our own sin was not enough to deal with, Satan and His pack of lies works continually to lead us to the darkness, …and continual discontentment, …and troubled minds!

9) DEATH! But the darkness still has one more ally: for the penalty for sin, Death, hangs over our heads like a black cloud that never goes away. At least once in every life, we recognized the hard cold facts that from the day we were born, we began walking towards a rendezvous with death. We often fear its inevitability, and so a common defense is to ignore it, block it out, refuse to acknowledge it! But death will not be denied, and eventually it forces itself upon our circle of family and friends. And the pain we feel when loved ones are stripped from us, is devastating. The resulting isolation and loneliness is suffocating! The meaning of our own life seems …empty. That’s it? …you’re born, you struggle, and you die??? It’s not hard to see how sin, Satan, and death draw us towards the darkness!

10) ANYTHING? JESUS CHRIST! Is there anything that can calm our troubled minds? Is there anything that can give us a little hope in a world of despair? Is there anything that can bring a little light into this darkness designed by sin, Satan, and death? If you will drop down to look at verse 24 in that 7^th chapter of Romans you will hear Paul crying out: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” And his answer: “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

11) CHRIST COMES! Yes, into the darkness comes Christ! He comes in the darkness of the past through the child in the manger, He promises to come into the fearful and foreboding future in the end times, and He comes into the darkness of our present situations and brings us hope. Yes, the ancient Persians were right: “When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” Into all of life’s darkness comes the star of divine light, called Christ - God Himself come down to rescue us! He calls us to this place to hear our cries and assure us: I will deliver you! Simply put: When things get the darkest, Jesus Christ comes!

12) POWER AND GLORY! What did the Gospel of Luke tell us? (21:27-28): “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” In the past, things got dark and Jesus came - with power and glory. In the future, at the end times, things will get dark and Jesus will come - with power and glory. And it is into the darkest moments of your lives now that Jesus comes - with power and glory! Fact is: Sin, Satan, and death cannot stand up to Christ’s power and glory!

13) THE FINAL WORD! This divine fact, is a call to hope when we face the hard times! That “sin” that attempts to keep us in bondage, does not have the final word. The power of Satan and evil in this world - does not have the final word! And even death does not have the final word in your lives. God has the final word in your lives! Now,… it’s not that sin, Satan, and death will not hound us daily, but they no longer bring fear to those who stand close to and are united with Christ. When the three terrors take their best shots at you, you’re told today to stand up straight, raise your heads, lift up your eyes, focus on Christ, because your redemption is here! Some of you have asked me,

* “Pastor, how am I ever going to deal with the painful death of a loved one?” * “Pastor, how can I survive the terror of cancer in my life?”

* “Pastor, how can I make it through a difficult time in my marriage, or with my child’s addiction, or with the failing health of aging parents?”

And the answer is still the same: With eyes raised up, and focused on Christ! Death, cancer, divorce, and every crisis we will ever face - never has the final word! Our loving God does! This is the heart of the Gospel!

14) SOUND THEOLOGY! I wished I could find the original Peanuts comic strip, (you’ll just have to imagine it) because Linus and Lucy are standing in the window looking out at the rain falling. Lucy says to Linus, “Boy, look at all this rain… what if it floods the earth?” Linus, the resident Bible scholar, answers, “It will never do that… in the 9^th Chapter of Genesis, God promises Noah that would never happen again, and the sign of the promise is the rainbow.” With a smile on her face, Lucy replies, “Linus, you’ve taken a great load off my mind.” To which Linus responds, “Sound theology has a way doing that!”

15) OUR REDEMPTION IS NEAR! Friends, we live in anxious times, and troubled minds abound, but Christ came this broken world to change all that! Eyes up, head off chest, … for sin, Satan, and death, are not the end of the story! Your redemption from darkness has come, is coming, and will come again! Yes, …we all have and will continue to face tragedy in a broken world, and we have all wondered how to cope, but no longer! As we turn our attention toward the coming of Christmas, and a small child bundled in swaddling clothes under a bright star, we can sense our redemption is near! Darkness is not a time to despair, but to look for the stars. God has provided the antidote for the healing of troubled minds. Are we ready? Because our redemption is near!

16) NOTHING! Some of you may be wondering: well, what do “I” have to do to prepare for this coming redemption? What must “I” accomplish during Advent to earn this stress-freeing, soul-saving gift of redemption? Nothing! Simply look for and rejoice in the free gift, and have faith in His promises! Trust God to deliver you! And even that is only possible because of His Spirit abiding in you. There is nothing for you to do but rejoice at the hope and redemption Christ brings!

17) “I”! Let’s look at Ezekiel the 36^th Chapter (For those of you with your bibles, Psalms is about in the middle of your Bible, Ezekiel is another 7 books to the right,) …and we want Ezekiel 36: 25. Listen to the covenant God offers His people: “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all impurities, and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” I think the “I”s have it!

18) HE! God offers you this same amazing covenant: and He will do it all! He will cleanse you, He will transform your mind and heart. What the Lord requires of His people He always provides. If you are ever do His will, it’s because His Spirit enables it! If you are going to be able to resist sin, it’s because that Spirit lives within you! If you are going to be able to resist Satan’s influences, and not fear death, it’s because of what He is doing in you, not what you alone can accomplish! This ironclad promise is designed to relieve you of all your mental anguish! As He dwells within you, He will help you trust in Him, and grow in your faith!

19) FEAR NOT THE DARKNESS! Sin, Satan, and death may be desperately trying to cover your lives and the lives of those around you with a thick blanket of suffocating darkness and despair, trying to bring you a troubled mind. But remember what ancient Persians used to say: When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. And when it gets the darkest in your life, the light of Christ always breaks in. Fear not the darkness! …eyes up, chin off your chest: your redemption is near. And through Christ’s coming, God shouts His message “I love you! …and I will take care of you!” Await that redemption with anticipation, watch for it with an eager and open mind, and prepare for His coming with a peaceful heart and a calm soul. Many people today are troubled by the stress and pressures of the times, but you don’t have to be one of them! Fear not the darkness: look instead for the redemptive star! 3Rejoice, for Jesus has come, He is coming, He will come again! Praise God. AMEN

Sermon/Confessional Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that our preparation in advent is too often based around trees, decorations, and gifts, instead of prayer, confession, and praise. Distracted by the lights, parties, and wrapping paper, the coming of the Christ child is too often forgotten. We rarely reflect upon your 2^nd coming, and therefore fail to receive the peace your promise meant to bring to troubled minds. And we confess that sin, Satan, and death have caused us to despair in times of darkness. Forgive us, and give us the peaceful hearts and calm souls your coming always brings.

Lord, many of us have attempted to find peace of mind in human prosperity, and think a serene heart is possible through our own doing. Forgive us and open us up to your Holy Spirit instead. Dwell within us, and transform our hearts and minds. Impact us in holy ways that free us from the bondage of Sin, Satan, and death. Wash us daily in the waters of our baptism, and empower us to go and share your healing power, peace, faith, love and hope with the those around us who have troubled minds.

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 made anew.

(Silence)

Lord, only you can bring peace to troubled minds. Even in our darkest moments, eliminate our fears as we anticipate your coming. Empower us to stand straight up with eyes focused on you. Abide in us and use us to free other troubled minds with the good news of your coming. In Jesus Name we pray, AMEN

Assurance of Forgiveness:

Friends, listen to the good news: The Lord who is the redemptive star in a world of darkness, has mercifully heard your confession and eagerly forgives you all your sins. Go now, filled with hope, fearing nothing, heads up, and rejoicing that Christ has, is, and will always come into your darkness with His glory and power, and will always have the final word! …a word of redeeming love! AMEN

Opening prayer: Advent 1

Dear heavenly Father, we come here this morning out of a world that is preparing for the holidays, but not necessarily for Christ’s coming! As we bow our heads and hearts before you this morning, we know how easy it would be to loose our focus and priorities at this time of year. We have responded to the calling of your Holy Spirit this morning and are here because it is not Christmas trees that will mend our bruised or broken hearts – only you can do that! We bring our sins to you, knowing that presents and parties cannot wash away brokenness – only you can do that! We do not expect candy canes, lights, and decorations to heal our emotional, physical, and spiritual wounds – only your glory and power can accomplish the miracles we need in our lives. Shopping mall Santas and reindeer cannot provide the unconditional love that comes to us here; as we worship you, embraced in your protective and compassionate arms! As we pray, sing, and praise you this morning – draw us closer to you, and fill us with your Holy Spirit that we might keep our focus on the real reason for the season: on the Christ child, your Son, and our Lord and Savior! For He has come, is coming, and will come again – according to your loving will! AMEN

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