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 September 21st

What if you heard that you never had to go to church again? You heard that God loved you and your sins were forgiven without any work on your part? Nothing more was necessary. What if you never had to tithe another cent to any church or religious organization because you heard that Jesus didn’t love you for your money or your goodwill? Your were made right with God and you didn’t have to pay for it? That would be a pretty good deal wouldn’t it?

Today, the gospel lesson told the parable of the workers in the vineyard. The story starts with a group of people waiting for work and hoping for a break. Some work all day, some get called in for just half a day and the rest only have to work one hour for the same full day’s pay. They all get paid the same for an unequal amount of work. The people called in last get paid first and the people that worked all day get paid last.

In the 16th century, Martin Luther had a disagreement with the Roman Catholic Church regarding one aspect of this story: What happens the next day? You see, the way this vineyard owner runs his business, all the workers might just show up the next day at 5:00, work one hour and expect a full day’s pay again! What would he do then!? You can’t run a business that way! But Martin Luther believed that this was exactly the way the church should be run.

You see, Luther argued that Jesus was sent down to preach the forgiveness of sins to real sinners. Real sinners. He argued that Jesus wasn’t primarily an example of obedience and good works, even though he was obedient and did good works. Luther argued that Jesus wasn’t primarily a blank check to pay off God for the balance of sin that Adam had created. Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, forgave sins AND he did it all freely. No strings attached.

But what if real sinners, the lost of this world, the bad guys out in society find out that Jesus just hands out grace free of charge! They might just be . . . well . . . forgiven! Just like that! And, well, who would want to come church anymore? What if people just stayed for the confession and absolution and then left! Before the offering! Without even attempting to become more moral people! What would the church do then?

In the 16th century, the Roman Catholic Church was selling things called indulgences. Indulgences were these little pieces of paper that were marketed as a way you could buy your way out getting punished in purgatory for what you had done wrong in your life. In other words, if you were worried that you had made too many mistakes, you could buy yourself some forgiveness. All of this was authorized by the leader of the church himself, the bishop of Rome, the pope.

Martin Luther argued: Jesus has already forgiven all your sins. Don’t trust in that little piece of paper you bought, or in the church that authorizes it, trust in the words of Jesus Christ alone. Luther maintained that if the pope had the power to forgive sins through the selling of indulgences, it would be most Christian of him to just forgive all the sins free of charge without having to go through all that trouble. Luther maintained that this is exactly what Jesus Christ already did and people needed to hear about it.

What if you heard that you never had to go to church again? You heard that your sins were forgiven without any work on your part? What if you never had to tithe another cent to any church or religious organization because you heard that Jesus didn’t love you for your money or your goodwill? Your were made right with God and you didn’t have to pay a cent for it? That would be a pretty good deal wouldn’t it?

Well, I’m glad you came to church today! Have I got some news for you! Your sins are forgiven on account of Jesus Christ forever. You don’t have to come back to church for this to take place, it has already happened once and for all. You’ve heard it. The forgiveness is yours. You don’t have to give any money to make it stick, you are free. I don’t care if this is your first time hearing it or your 100th year as a Christian. This forgiveness is all yours. You are a sheep in the fold of God and nothing will snatch you out of his hand.

There was a man living at the time of Luther named Desiderius Erasmus. Now this guy, Erasmus, argued against Luther with this question, “What would happen if preachers forgave sins just like that, by God’s authority, so easily, without any strings attached? Well, no one would have any reason to act well and to follow the rules. People might never show up to church again! It might be ok for the learned people to hear all this, people who already knew right from wrong. But what about the “common herd”? They might become anarchists! There might be chaos! What happens the next day when everyone shows up at 5:00 for a whole day’s wages!? Sure, it might be true, but people want to be taught morals, not be given freedom. Freedom is too scary.”

Remember the story of Jonah? The same problem is present there. What happens if horrible people suddenly start asking God for forgiveness and— GULP!—He starts forgiving them! They might go do something horrible again! Shouldn’t we expect more before we start handing out the goodies!

In the story of Jonah, in the story of the laborers in the vineyard, in the story of the one lost sheep, God says he’s willing to take the risk and just up and forgive. In the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, in the story of Saul becoming the apostle Paul, in the story of the ten lepers who were cleansed and in the story of the prodigal son, God says that he is willing to take the risk and just up and forgive. God shows that he is going to forgive with no strings attached for the sake of having you as his beloved child once and for all.

What do you think will happen that next day in the vineyard? Do you think that the vineyard owner is worried about the people who were paid more than they deserved? No. The people who showed up at 5:00 the day before and got paid a whole day’s wages will most likely be there bright and early the next day. Why? Thankfulness. They have been given a new heart and a new spirit. Jesus put it this way in the gospel of Luke, “For those to whom much is forgiven, great love is shown in return. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little.”

Throughout the gospels you often hear the phrase, “The kingdom of heaven is like . . .” That is the phrase that starts the gospel passage today in fact. Unfortunately, we often hear this phrase incorrectly, we believe that Jesus is saying “The kingdom of heaven should be like . . .” We think Jesus is trying to convince us to do something. To live into it or something. To deserve the kingdom of heaven. But Jesus is not telling you to do something to get into the kingdom, he’s describing what the kingdom he is giving you is like. This is what happens now that you have been forgiven.

“The kingdom of God is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” And I ask you, do you think that merchant kept his fine pearl in a safe place and never looked at it again? Yeah right! I bet he wanted to see it all the time! Staring at it, admiring it, enjoying it. What will happen when a person has just heard that theirs is the greatest gift of all time, eternal life and the forgiveness of sins? Never come back to hear about it? Never step a foot into church again?

“The kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he had and bought it.” And I ask you, do you think that this man never went back to this field? That he forgot about his great treasure? That he became an anarchist? No! That man probably dug up and hid that treasure a thousand times just to get another peek at his good fortune. What will happen when you’ve heard that Jesus has stored away treasure in heaven for you? Never come back to hear about it? Never give a penny to the church?

“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. He went out many times to hire laborers, but at the end of the day he paid them all the same daily wage.” What will happen the next day? Will those those laborers who didn’t deserve it, come back for more? You better believe it! That’s just how it goes when you’ve heard this gospel message Jesus says, when you hear that you are forgiven by God with no strings attached.

So then, why do people come to church and never come back? Why do so many churches have money problems or volunteer shortages? Should we blame the church? Should we blame the people? Should we blame God? Should we just go back to teaching morals as our highest goal in life?

We all have ears, but as God points out so often in both the Old and New Testaments, our ears don’t always hear. People don’t always hear something even when they are told over and over again. So should we stop telling them? Save it for the learned people who already know right from wrong? Give up and just focus on being good people? No. We will continue telling people that their sins are forgiven. No strings attached!

We won’t add on demands that aren’t there. We don’t stop telling the story. We pray that we are all given ears to hear. And when we do hear, we can trust that we will all suddenly find out what the kingdom of God is like. Like living waters that overflow from our hearts with faith and our mouths with praise and our clocks with an abundance of time and our bank accounts with giving and our churches with worshippers. This is the forgiveness that is yours today. I’m not going to hide it from you. It’s yours forever. Even if you’ve found out late in the game. You are forgiven. No strings attached. You can come back next week and hear it all over again. Amen.