Sermon for December 5th (Repentance)

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near! This isn’t a joke. This isn’t just a line from the Bible. And so you’d better know two things right now. First, what is the kingdom of heaven? What is it that is so near? And what does it mean to repent? It’s coming. The kingdom of heaven is coming.

What is the kingdom of heaven? The word that is translated “kingdom” in Greek is basileia and while it can sometimes refer to a location or a place where a king rules, it more often refers to the fact that a king IS ruling. The king’s reign. So what’s is the difference?

Well, a kingdom has boundaries. You can walk into a kingdom and then back out of a kingdom. But the rule of a king, the reign of a king has to do with who the king is and what he does— not the place. It’s like the difference between a noun (which just sits there) and a verb (which is active and living). The kingdom of heaven has to do with HOW God reigns or THAT God is ruling. It’s not a location, it’s more like an experience. When John the Baptist said that the kingdom of heaven was coming near, he wasn’t referring to crossing the bridge between Iowa and Nebraska, he was talking about how life, how hearts and how the world was about to change for everyone. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!”

John the Baptist said, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” John the Baptist said, “The kingdom of heaven is near.” But when Jesus was standing right in front of him in the gospel of John he said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is here!” “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” According to 1 John 3:8, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Under God’s kingship the power of sin could be destroyed. And John the Baptist wants us to be prepared to experience the joy of that revelation.

So he calls us to repent. What does that mean? Well, it’s more than just saying that you are sorry. When my daughter Sophia was just a little girl, we would put her in timeout when she did something wrong. When she was done, she had to say she was sorry and give us a hug. At first, she seemed to really be affected. But later on, she would simply graze our shoulder with a finger as she walked on by and said almost as an afterthought, “Sawee!” Was that TRUE repentance?

Repentance means not just saying that you are sorry, not just feeling bad, but actually turning around and turning away from your sin. Turning your back on sin. I’ts making a change. Finding a new focus. Jesus said, “You can’t serve two masters.” You can’t just sin and then say your sorry and keep doing it, that’s not repentance, that’s just guilt.

But that’s what most of us do isn’t it? Saying, “I’m sorry” nowadays means, “I feel bad.” I feel really bad for hurting your feelings, but you are kinda being a sissy. But I feel really bad about that. I’m sorry that I keep ignoring you honey. I feel really bad that this football game is just more interesting than you are. I’m sorry. I feel really bad about that. I’m sorry that I hate you. I’m sorry. I really wish that I didn’t feel this way. I know it’s not good for me. I wish you weren’t the way you are. I feel really bad about that. I’m sorry.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” John the Baptist cries out, Stop saying that you are sorry! Do you think that God doesn’t see what you are doing? Are you just here because someone told you this was the right thing to do? That you SHOULD feel bad? That you should get baptized because it’s the religious thing to do? Don’t just SAY that you’re sorry, bear fruit worthy of repentance. Start living it out!

If you are sorry that you don’t read your Bible more, start bearing fruit worthy of repentance. . . start reading it. You are going to have to make a change. If you’re sorry that you’re impatient with your kids, that you yell at them all the time, start bearing fruit worthy of repentance . . .pray for your kids, pray for yourself, get more sleep I don’t know, but do something. Make a change! Don’t just feel bad, that’s not repentance. Do whatever you can to get away from whatever it is that’s causing you to sin.

In Pauls’ first letter to the Corinthians he says we have to run from sin. “Flee!” He says. “Flee from sexual immorality.” Don’t just say your sorry and keep doing it. Run! Run away! Don’t just say your sorry for commiting adultery and then keep her number in your cell phone. Don’t just say your sorry for sleeping with your boyfriend and then hang out him alone, at night, in an empty house, in your bedroom. That’s not repentance. You might feel bad for letting it happen, but God doesn’t want your guilt. He wants to set you free!

He wants you to experience the kingdom of heaven where sin isn’t just tolerated but destroyed through forgiveness. If you are ready to make a change, to repent, he is ready to forgive unconditionally. There is nothing that you have ever done that God will not forgive. Not because you said you felt bad, but because you wanted a new life. God is in the business of giving new life.

I read a book once that explained how you trap a monkey. Do you want to know how to trap a monkey? Well, in India at least, one way is to cut a little hole in a coconut, just about the same size as the monkey’s hand. The monkey will come and reach his little hand inside the coconut and grab some of that yummy sweet stuff and then try to pull it out . . . but he won’t be able to now that he’s got that stuff in his fist. Unless he let’s go of his prize, that coconut will slow him down enough to catch him. Repenting means to let go of your sin. To turn from your old life so that you can live a new one. You cannot hold on to your sin and still expect to find freedom from it. .

We all have something to turn away from and it can feel like if we do leave that sin behind then what will we be left with. I get that. It makes you feel good, I mean, sin often makes you feel really good. What will you do with your time if you stop? You might feel like you’re losing everything.
I used to play a card game called “Magic”. It’s a tradable card game like Pokeman if you’ve ever heard of that. Anyway, each card has a picture on it and a little description that changes the rules of the game in some way. I loved to play it. All the time.

I played it first with my dad who bought me the cards. We played it every day for about two years. We spent one entire Thanksgiving vacation playing it with breaks only for going to the bathroom. Then, when I went to college I stopped, but I didn’t repent. I kept my cards. I started again. But when I realized that I had become addicted again I stopped again. But I didn’t repent. I held out the hope that I could play again under the right circumstances. And, lo and behold, during my last year of seminary, I found out that I could play the game online. It still cost money, but now I could play any time of the day or night. A year later I had spent over a thousand dollars and had lost hours of time with my family that could never be returned.

I was so addicted to this game. When I was depressed, it was like a drug that I could go to and take away the pain for a little while. It was exciting! I couldn’t imagine finding joy outside of playing that one game. I didn’t want to repent. What would I do? I thought that I could just look at the cards, or keep the application on my computer, or go to the website and read about it, but that temptation was so strong that I had to not just feel bad about playing, I had to repent and turn my back on it. Out of my house, off of my computer, and out of my life!

I couldn’t just let it hang around and hope to be strong enough to fight because if I stuck my hand in that card box again I knew I just couldn’t let go. I was trapped. And no matter how bad or guilty I felt, until I got rid of it and truly repented, I couldn’t find the forgiveness and the freedom I was seeking. I wasn’t prepared to be forgiven for my addiction until I was really ready to leave it behind forever.

It’s almost Christmas. Are you prepared? Or do you have something to let go of? John the Baptist points to Jesus and says, “Don’t look at me! Look at him!” He’s the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Let go of everything but him. People like the Pharisees and even John’s own disciples come to him to ask him questions and John always says, “This isn’t about me! It’s about Jesus! That guy! Over there!” I must decrease, he must increase. What is Christmas about for you? Jesus or something else? We must repent so that we can experience the kingdom of heaven. To be prepared to celebrate Jesus. Not Santa. Not the Christmas party. Not the vacation. Jesus alone.

What do we have to repent of as a church? We have to listen to the words of John the Baptist and remember that our community is about Jesus alone. Like all churches, we tend to lose our focus on Jesus and are start making it about all kinds of other things.

Why do you come to church? Because of me? Because you like me or think I’m nice or something? Because I’m new and interesting or at least new? It’s not about me! It’s about Jesus. It’s not about the praise band or the organ! It’s about Jesus. It’s not about any church leader! It’s about Jesus. It’s not about your friends. It’s not even about you, believe it or not. It’s about Jesus. Follow the long bony finger of John the Baptist who says, “It’s about him! Jesus. Only Jesus.” We must let go of everything else and repent for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.

It’s time for all of us to stop just feeling bad or feeling sorry. Repent and get ready, for the kingdom of heaven is not only near—it’s right here. Jesus promised, “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name I am there among them.” The kingdom of heaven is here. Experience the power of the Holy Spirit right now and repent, let go of everything else and hold on to Jesus Christ your Savior. He’s all you’ve got, but he’s all you need. By God’s authority I declare unto you the entire forgiveness of all your sins. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. That’s the power of the Holy Spirit. Welcome to the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

Sermon for November 28th (Christ's Second Coming)

Our gospel reading today comes from Matthew chapter 24, verse 36. Jesus is talking about the day he comes again: the second coming of Christ! The prophets of the Old Testament called this, “The Day of the Lord.” Some today call it, “The End of Time” or “Judgment Day”. But Jesus didn’t just start talking about it one afternoon out of the blue, he was answering a question given to him by his disciples, “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” How many of you wonder the same thing? When will Jesus be coming again? How will I know? What will be the signs? How will I be able to tell the difference between today and that day or whether today is that day?

Before today’s reading, Jesus spends some time talking about the “signs”. He describes what the day will look like when he comes again. “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” It will be like lightning. It will be fast, it will be shocking, it will be public. When Jesus comes again, it will not be behind closed doors. It will not be secretive. Everybody will know. And it will happen suddenly. “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” That’s all from Matthew, that’s not Revelation folks, that’s simply Jesus talking to his disciples one day.

What have you heard about the second coming of Christ? Does your image fit what Jesus actually said? I think that it is extremely important that we test our individual theories against what scripture says on this topic. I have heard, and read, many things about the end of time and, so often, they don’t seem to really jive with what Jesus says. Sometimes even popular books, like the Left Behind series, seem to leave scripture behind for the sake of a good story. People disappearing and leaving their clothes behind? Nobody knows what’s happening except for a few Christians who weren’t really believers before? That doesn’t sound to me like the second coming of Christ that Jesus is talking about here.

According to 1st Thessalonians chapter 4, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” Jesus did not come in secret and he will not return in secret, like a mystifying magic trick. When Jesus comes it will be like lightning. There will be trumpets. It will be a surprise, yes indeed, but it will be very, very public. “I’m coming soon. Get ready.” Jesus says.

Some will say, “But what about the time before that. What the Bible calls the “time of distress”? The Great Tribulation!” Yes, we must talk of that as well because it is certainly what most people focus on. The Great Tribulation. But first, let me point something out to you. This time of distress, by whatever name you want to call it, is BEFORE Christ comes again. According to scripture, it is BEFORE the consummation of the kingdom. “Immediately AFTER the distress of those days, “the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.”

Let me make this perfectly clear once more. According to scripture, when Christ come everything old has passed away. The new has come! There will be a time of great trial and tribulation, the book of Daniel says, “But everyone whose name if found written in the book--will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” In Mark, Jesus says, “those days of distress will be unequaled from the beginning when God created the world until now—and never to be equaled again. But for the sake of the elect he has shortened them.

Does that make sense with concepts such as the rapture where true believers “escape” this time of trial? Throughout Revelation, God’s people are called to “overcome” and to be faithful through patient endurance. In Revelation 7, there is a great multitude who is said to have come through the Great Tribulation and were washed by the blood of the Lamb.

Why am I making such a big deal out of this? Well, because I believe we have slipped in our theology. We are slicing and dicing scripture, cutting and pasting this with that until we are all so confused we don’t know what to think or believe. We’ve left scripture behind for a good story. And so we become worried that we don’t know enough about the End Times as if that was somehow a prerequisite for eternal life. It’s interesting to speculate, but not at the expense of trusting in Jesus as the final Word for your life. Maybe it’s just too simple. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you shall be saved.” Jesus says, “I’m coming soon. Get ready.”

In the last two weeks, I’ve had multiple people ask me about how exactly Jesus is going to come again. There is an idea out there and Jesus will be born again, walk around as a thirty year old again but, this time, we’d better recognize him or else! But that’s not what the Bible says at all. I remember, when I was in high school, I told my dad that if he ever came home one day and I wasn’t there and he couldn’t figure out why, that Jesus must have come by and asked me to leave with him. I’d have to go without saying goodbye.” Now why would I have said that? Well, I guess I believed that this was what was going to happen? And, I guess I had delusions of grandeur . . . I wanted to be one of the disciples! But what does scripture actually say!

Remember last week’s reading from Acts? It said right there how Jesus would come again, “Jesus was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Where is the confusion? The Bible is very clear on this.

But do you know what? I think that we want more. We want more drama. We want more suspense. We want a good story. And, so, like me, we imagine Jesus coming back for more disciples hoping to be a hero for Jesus. We want a long drawn out story like the Left Behind series, to excite us. We want Kirk Cameron to be our hero for Jesus! It’s more exciting than what scripture tells us. “Be ready. I’m coming soon.” We end up focusing on the Great Tribulation instead of the everlasting kingdom. On knowledge of prophecy instead of faith in promises.

Instead of trusting in Jesus’ promise to come again, we get wrapped up in looking for “signs” that he’s about to come! Jesus’ return stops being something that we prepare for and hope for and starts becoming something we “study”. And while those signs of Jesus’ return might be “right on” here’s the danger: don’t get focused on the trees and miss the forest. Jesus explains the purpose of his talk with the disciples and it wasn’t so that they’d be able to say “I knew you were coming! I saw the signs!” No, Jesus says, “Keep watch, because you do not know of what day your Lord will come. Be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect him.” It’s not about what you know, it’s who you know. Following God’s will has less to do with watching a specific timeline than it does with watching over your way of life. Don’t get so focused on the world events that you never take a look at yourself. Get yourself ready so that no matter what the world throws at you, you can stay faithful.

This is the first week of Advent in the church year. Advent is a time of preparation. We are preparing for Christmas, but we are also always expecting the return of Jesus as he promised. How are you preparing? By watching the signs? Watching the news? Or by watching over your heart?

How are you preparing for Jesus second coming? What will Jesus find in your house when he enters it like a thief? Don’t just memorize prophecies, trust in promises. Your promises. There will be trials. There will be a great Tribulation. Get ready to stay faithful to Jesus and his Word to the end. The End Times can sometimes appear very dark and complicated, but they are also quite simple. Jesus promises, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that where I am there you may be also.”