What gets in the way of your faith? What hinders us from getting closer to God?

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7

Full notes

THE HOPE OF CHRISTMAS
Isaiah 8:1-22

INTRODUCTION: This advent season we are looking at “Christmas According to Isaiah”. Chapters 7-11 of the book of Isaiah all come from the same time period of Isaiah’s ministry. It is about 700 years before Jesus Christ would be born. Ahaz, king of Judah is looking to Assyria for help against his two enemies to the north: (1) his relatives, the northern kingdom of Israel and (2) their ally, Syria. Isaiah’s message to Ahaz and to Judah is depend on God not man for help. You will be judged, in fact, God will use your ally, Assyria, to judge you. However, God will not forsake His people. There is hope but only for those of His people who turn to God.

This is the hope of Christmas. These are tough days for many but there is hope for a glorious future for those who turn to Christ.

I. God confirms this hope through a child (vs. 1-4). Now this is not the first sign that is given to Ahaz and the people of Judah. In Isaiah 7:13-17, Isaiah tells Ahaz to ask for a sign and Ahaz refuses. God, however, through Isaiah gives him a sign anyway. It is the sign of a child. We know that this prophecy is referred to in Matthew as the prophecy of the virgin birth of Christ. However, as is not uncommon in Old Testament prophecy, there is a double fulfillment: a near fulfillment and a far off fulfillment. The fulfillment through the virgin born Christ is still at this time 700 years in the future but God also gave another child, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, to be born and the purpose of His birth was to confirm the prophecy and to confirm the hope that would be connected to that prophecy.

a. How the prophecy concerning the child is given is described in verses 1-2. Now there are several important things that we need to notice.

i. First, this prophecy was intended to be public. It was written on a large scroll so that it could be easily and readily read. Witnesses were named who would be able at the fulfillment of the prophecy to confirm that the prophecy had been given before the fulfillment.

It is very important to God that people have good reason to believe His message of hope. When God speaks of hope, He speaks of a certainty, a guarantee. If you purchased something this past Black Friday, you undoubtedly saved your receipts. If you decide to return an item, the receipt tells you whether your hope of getting your money back is a wish or a certainty. In the same way, God gave the sign of this child as a confirmation, an assurance that He would not forsake His people but would save them in the end.

Is this not one reason why the virgin birth of Christ is important? That Christ was born of a virgin confirms for us that we have hope in eternity. If it were to be proven that Jesus was not the far future fulfillment of this prophecy, then our hope in Him would be based on the lies of Matthew and Luke. He was, however, born of a virgin. Both Matthew and Luke point to verifiable eyewitnesses who could verify that Jesus truly was born of a virgin.

Once I spoke with an evangelical pastor who felt that it did not really matter if Jesus was born of a virgin. What was important was that one believes in Jesus. Why then did God give the prophecy? Faith in Christ must be based on the certainty that Jesus alone fits the prophecy of the Scriptures. Anything less is like going to the store without a receipt and wishing for an exchange.

ii. Let’s look now at the prophecy (verses 3-4). Isaiah and his wife, the prophetess, would have a son named Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. His name was actually the prophecy: “hurry to the loot, swift to the prey.” (verses 3-4). According to the prophecy, before this baby would speak his first words, the meaning of his name would come to pass.

b. The prophecy concerning the child is fulfilled. The beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy is found in 2 Kings 16:9, “So the king of Assyria heeded [Ahaz’s call for help]; for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin.” Chapter 17 then describes the fall of Israel to the Assyrians.

II. So what is the message of hope that is found in this prophecy? It is this, “God protects His people even in judgment” (vs. 5-10).

a. This judgment comes because of lack of faith in God (vs. 5-7). The northern kingdom depended on man rather than God as represented by their rejection of the waters of Shiloah and because of their rejection, the Assyrians came like a flood and wiped out their armies and took their people captive.

b. Mercy, however, is available to God’s people (verse 8a). We see this in that the flood of judgment would not overwhelm them but rather come up to their neck. This is exactly what happened. The Assyrians who defeated Syria and Israel were not able to overcome Judah. Judah suffered much because of the Assyrians but God delivered Judah from destruction.

c. Why? Because God is with them (verses 8b-10). Isaiah reminds them in these verses that Immanuel, “God with us,” will deliver them from their enemies. Because God is with His people, they can have hope. Their future, even in the day of judgment, is certain and victorious because “God is with us.”

“No wonder when John Wesley lay dying in 1791, he roused from his sleep long [enough] to open his eyes and exclaim, “The best of all is, God is with us!” Then he closed his eyes and died” (from Ray Pritchard’s sermon “Overcoming Loneliness”).

III. With this message of hope, God warns of the danger of rejecting His confirmed Word (vs. 11-15).

a. He tells Isaiah, “Do not fear those who reject Me” (vs. 11-12).

“Isaiah’s message must have seemed crazy: ‘Don’t fear the mighty army you see arrayed against you. Though they have far more soldiers, you have something they don’t. You have Immanuel on your side.’” (from Ray Pritchard’s sermon “Are You Prepared to Suffer for Christ?“). For that reason, many accused Isaiah and other prophets of the LORD of collusion with the enemy. This is similar to what Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 10:28 when He said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

b. “Do not fear those who reject Me but rather fear the One who is to be hallowed (vs. 13-14a).” To hallow God is to set Him above all others. No one can veto His Word. He is the LORD and there is none else.

c. Destruction is the end of His rejecters (v. 14b-15). It is not just that those who reject God, who reject Christ, will stumble and be offended. The picture in these verses is that they will be destroyed by the very one they stumbled over. The one who they found so offensive will be their judge.

IV. God gives hope only to those who trust His Word (vs. 16-22), that is, believe in His confirming signs. In those days it concerned Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz but today the sign in whom we must believe is the virgin born Son of God, Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us. The apostle Paul in Romans 9:33 took part of verse 14 and another portion from Isaiah to make this very point, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”*

a. Our hope is confirmed by His works (vs. 16-18). The signs that God gives confirm His word and give us the ability to wait, to hope. The difficult part of the certain hope of the Christian is the waiting. The first verse of one of the carols we sang today, written by John Wesley’s brother, Charles, describes very well the difficulty of waiting, of hoping.

“Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.”

Isaiah and his two sons (Shear-Jashub is mentioned in Isaiah 7:3 and means “the remnant shall return”) were signs of hope in their day but men had to wait 700 years before Immanuel was born. Immanuel, God with us, Jesus lived and died and rose again and returned to His Father’s side at the right hand of the throne of God 2000 years ago and we wait, we hope, we sing…

“Come, Thou long-expected Jesus…
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a Child, and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now (can you not hear the longing in this carol?) Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.”

That is the hope of Christmas!

b. Our insight, our ability to see the truth, to wait, to hope is conditioned by faith in His Word (vs. 19-22).

There were those who offered an alternative to God’s Word, God’s law, God’s signs. They said, “Go to those who can speak with the dead and find out what God is doing!”

As in those days, many “In our relativistic age… are offended by any suggestion that there is only one way of salvation. But that is precisely what Jesus meant when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Those words must be taken at face value. We have no right to water them down. Sometimes people speak of Jesus as if he were some kind of great moral teacher. The people who say that generally don’t like John 14:6. It doesn’t fit the concept of a great moral teacher. If Jesus isn’t the way, the truth, and the life–if there really is another way to the Father–then Jesus isn’t a great moral teacher. He’s either the most self-deceived man in all history or he is a liar. In either case, he’s not a great teacher. You can’t pick and choose with Jesus. Either take what he says at face value or reject him altogether. Those are the only two choices you have.” (from Ray Pritchard’s sermon “Stumbling Stone or Cornerstone?“).

That is what Isaiah is saying in this prophecy. Believe God and His Word and you will know the truth. You will not be plunged deeper and deeper into darkness but will be enlightened and will have hope even in a dark world.

CONCLUSION: Our Future is Absolutely Certain.
 There are many fulfilled prophecies related to Jesus Christ in Isaiah (that Jesus will be born of a virgin), in Micah (that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem), in the Psalms (that Jesus would suffer, die, and rise from the dead), in Daniel and Hosea and elsewhere. When we look at those prophecies we know that we can expect that our hope for the future will also be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

INVITATION: Would you bow your heads and close your eyes for a few moments? This is good news. Perhaps you have heard this good news before, perhaps many times. Is it not time that you believed it? Is it not time for you to say, I am going to trust Christ alone as my salvation. Would you do that today? Would anyone like to do that at this moment?

Perhaps you are here and you are interested but are not yet ready to make a commitment to Christ but would like me to pray for you today, that God would help you to know the truth. My prayer for you is nothing magical but the God who hears and answers prayer wants to bring you to Himself. If you would like prayer today, would you raise your hand?

If you raised your hand, you need to talk to someone you can trust. I would be glad to speak with you. There are others who would be glad to speak with you. Perhaps you would like to speak to the person you came with and ask them to show you how to trust Christ as Savior. Do it today!

Maybe you have a lot of questions. We can help you to get connected with someone who will take the time to meet with you weekly and answer your questions. Please let us know today, if we can help you in this way.

(Thanks to Ray Pritchard for the quotations from his sermons.)

Finishing Well (2 Chronicles 14:1~6, 15:2/7/12, 16:1~13)

King Asa was a king that started well but ended pretty badly. He assumed that as long as God was with him, he can do no wrong (without consulting God)

All of us can be like him, we start of like a rocket, full of promising potential, but end up in the depths of sins at the end of our time

The time to reflect is now, are we drifting away from God?

How to End Well?

1) The danger of a divided heart – repent and remove

(1 kings 18:21) one thing that we all need to understand is that, our success does not equate to God’s approval. God judges our heart, not our flesh (acchievements). thus, the question to ask ourself is, do we live for ourselves, for our pleasures, self-seeking? or do we live for God, His pleasures, and God-seeking? the truth is, there can only be one goal, and we have to choose between God and ourself.

(2 Chron 15:17) Asa was fully committed to God, yet was unable to remove all the high places set up for idols. this serves as a warning for each and everyone of us, for it is one thing to FEEL fully commited to God, yet it is another if our actions do not show it. eventually, if we do not take action, we will fall prey to the likes of pride, greed and immorality.

some of the actions we can take is to of course, be accountable to a leader, fellowship with God daily through our quiet time, to reduce the time spend with people or things that may lead us into temptations and not to be over reliant on ourself where we think that we will never fall or stumble.

2) The danger of a defiant heart – return and redo

(2 Chron 16:10/12) no matter what we do, we have to admit that as humans, we can never be flawless, we can never be perfect, there is always bound to be mistakes in which we commit. but being a loving God, there is always a second chance for us. God offered this chance to Asa, when God inflicted him with a disease, hoping that Asa would turn to God for help. however, Asa refused. likewise, for the sins that we have commited against God, God is offering a second chance for us. are we willing to humble ourself before our King and accept his offer?

(Josh24:15) may we open our eyes today and see the opportunity that God has grant us to repent. be it a minor or major sin, God wants us fully submitted to him. it is impossible to serve 2 masters, today we have to choose. at the end of the day, God will choose to say “i control your breath.” what else can be more important?

It’s been quiet here. However, it may start getting louder soon. I’m intending to start posting my sermons online, so there’s no better time to start than the beginning of the new year (for the church, that is!)

Expectation, or, the End of the World as We Know It
Luke 21:25-36

I’ve never been a fan of talk about the end of the world – what many refer to as the apocalypse. I’ve never seen the movie Apocalypse Now. I always thought those bumper stickers I saw down South that said, “In case of rapture, this vehicle will be unoccupied” were stupid. I made it through one of the Left Behind books only because I had to read it for a class in seminary on fundamentalism. All those charts that presumably predict what the course of the history of the world looks like – and try to show exactly when the world will end based on the election of some world leader – just make me angry and frustrated. Every time someone asks me about 2012, I don’t think of the new hit movie or the prediction that the world will end when the Mayan calendar runs out of days two years from now, so I have to pause for a minute or two to figure out exactly what they’re talking about! And to top it all off, I’ve never been a big fan of the book of Revelation in the Bible – it is confusing, easy to misinterpret, and difficult to apply to everyday life in the twenty-first century.

But today, as we embark on the journey of Advent and begin a new liturgical year, our gospel reading from Luke puts the idea of the apocalypse before us, like it or not. It’s a strange choice, really – in that time when conventional wisdom would suggest that we should be singing Christmas carols and talking about the birth of a little child, our readings jump to the end of Jesus’ life and insist that we not yet think about the coming of Jesus at Christmas but instead think about “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with glory and power to make all things new in the kingdom of God. When we begin what one of my friends from seminary calls the “month-long baby shower we call Advent,” it would seem that we should start with the baby and his story. Instead, we look today at the end times as the season begins, remembering first and foremost that the coming of Jesus at Christmas was only his first coming – and so we should be expecting another one!

Rather than jumping right into the story of the first coming of Jesus, our readings for this season begin with one of Jesus’ teachings near the end of his life, just before his arrest, a passage often referred to as the “little apocalypse” where Jesus talks about the days beyond his life on earth with his disciples. Expectation seems to be the key word here – Jesus speaks of signs and fears and forebodings that should not be a surprise but rather should be expected along the way. And then at an unexpected time, when the powers of the earth and the heavens are shaken, he promises that “‘the Son of Man [will come] in a cloud’ with power and great glory.” Surprisingly, though, Jesus insists that these things are not to be feared – instead, he suggests, “Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Just because these signs are not feared does not mean that they should be ignored – just like it is clear that summer is near when the fig tree sprouts its leaves, so it will be clear that the kingdom of God is near when all these signs and portents and shaking take place. But just keeping our eyes open in expectation is not enough – Jesus insists that there is more for us to do to get ourselves ready for this day ahead. “Be on guard,” he says. Don’t let the worries of the world get you down so that you aren’t ready for the day that is sure to come. Keep your eyes and ears and hearts open for what God is doing, ready to avoid the pitfalls sure to come along the way so that you won’t have to worry when the time for the kingdom of God is upon us.

Jesus’ message here is not quite as harsh as some of the apocalyptic messages in other places in the Bible that tend to bring us fear and uncertainty, but he still gets at the core of them: we need to expect that the world as we know it will come to an end. From Jesus’ perspective, there seems to be little for us to fear – judgment is not the main point of all this that he is describing. The reality is that the apocalypse is not so much to be feared as it is to be welcomed. In it, Jesus insists that our “redemption is drawing near” and things will finally change. These days ahead are not primarily about how the world gets split into “us” and “them” – “us” who are “saved” and “them” who are not – but rather about the coming of salvation for all. These days ahead are not about the destruction of all the world but rather about the end of all the things that distort God’s goodness and disrupt God’s intentions for our world. These days ahead are not about things that matter only when the end comes but rather about the revelation of what God is doing now to make all things new once again.

At the core, that’s what all this apocalypse business is about – the Greek word that gives us “apocalypse” is best translated “uncover” or “reveal,” and so the days ahead promise to be the revelation of something new, God’s work of revealing what God is up to. That’s what Advent is all about – waiting for the new things God is revealing even now in the world, watching for reminders of God’s presence every day, expecting that God will reveal Godself once again at Christmas and beyond, and preparing for the fulfillment of all these things in the kingdom of God that is being revealed even now. But in the midst of our waiting, watching, expectation, and preparation for Christmas, we must not forget that there is an even greater revelation ahead, and our eyes, ears, and hearts must be open to perceive it as it is revealed in our world. As Jan Richardson, an artist, blogger, and United Methodist minister, puts it:

“In the rhythm of our daily lives here on earth, Christ bids us to practice the apocalypse. He calls us in each day and moment to do the things that will stir up our courage and keep us grounded in God, not only that we may perceive Christ when he comes, but also that we may recognize him even now. There is a sense, after all, in which we as Christians live the apocalypse on a daily basis. Amid the destruction and devastation that are ever taking place in the world, Christ beckons us to perceive and to participate in the ways that he is already seeking to bring redemption and healing for the whole of creation.”

Practicing the apocalypse is hard anytime, but in the buildup to Christmas in our culture it is nearly impossible. It’s nothing about a shift to saying “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas” – the reality is that Christmas was taken over by our culture a long time ago. In all the trappings of the season – in all the decorations, carols, and the like – there’s almost nothing left of this radical message of revolutionary redemption and healing for the whole of creation. But God’s new thing still beckons us to join in. We must stop just going through the motions of the holiday season and start paying attention to the wildly transformative message of these days. We must stand up to our world’s insistence that Christmas begins the day after Halloween or Thanksgiving and ends on December 24 and instead continue it to Epiphany on January 6 and beyond. We must turn away from the preparations for all those parties and other celebrations and instead prepare the way for the incredible, transformative gift of God coming into our midst in Christmas – and the day of the kingdom of God that is still yet to come but beginning to come about even now.

My friends, it is time to start waiting, watching, expecting, and preparing for the end of the world as we know it – not in 2012 or any other particular date, but when the fullness of time has come, and maybe even in our midst. You see, in these days, if we expect to see only what we have seen before, then we will see exactly that, but if in this Advent season we open our eyes to the possibilities of what God can and will be doing in the days to come, then we might just see God revealing something new before our very eyes.

These are hard things for us to do in these days. Even if we choose to buck the major pressures of the world, there are some obligations it would seem we must still keep. We just can’t skip some of those Christmas parties. We still have to get and give gifts for some people. And so often we feel that we cannot deprive our youngest friends of the joys of this season.

Even when we can’t give up everything about the world’s Christmas we can do a few things to change our own. One online movement known as the Advent Conspiracy suggests four steps that I’ll repeat here. First, worship fully. Don’t miss out on the opportunities in our life together to focus on the real reason for these days. A great way to step into this is to join us on Thursday nights this Advent for our Advent prayer services in the style of the Taizé Community in France, where we spend the better part of an hour in quiet music and prayer, stepping away from the pressures of the busy season to recenter ourselves in the life of the one whose first revelation we celebrate in these days. Then, the Advent Conspiracy suggests that we spend less. Americans spend an average of $450 billion each Christmas. Yes, a little push of spending might help our economy this year, but is that what this season is really about? What if we bought just one less gift this Christmas, or perhaps looking for other ways to give that might be even more meaningful than that high-priced gadget or that beautiful new sweater that will get worn only once? If that wasn’t enough, the Advent Conspiracy points us to give more, to give time to family and friends in the midst of a busy season or talent to an organization in need. A group of my friends on Twitter and Facebook took up this cause on Friday and gave over $2200 to organizations and causes we care about. And in all these things, the Advent Conspiracy suggests that we love all. In worshiping more fully, in spending less, and in giving more, we embody God’s love in Jesus Christ that comes among us at Christmas, reaching out to those who are most in need and living in the way of love that Jesus began in his own life so that that love might be revealed all the more in our midst until the kingdom of God comes.

As we journey together in this Advent season, may we be filled with expectation like the children of God – expecting the things that God is preparing for us in the same way that we once looked forward with great excitement and joy to opening those gifts on Christmas morning so that we might be ready to receive the incredible gift of God in Jesus Christ this Christmas but also be ready to recognize the coming kingdom of God – the end of the world as we know it! – when it comes in our midst so that we might join in what God is doing even now to make all things new.

Lord, come quickly, and make all things new!

Amen.

From the Rev. Charles Camlin of Holy Trinity REC in Virginia comes another excellent sermon, The King is Coming.  This sermon is based on Jeremiah 23:5-8 in large part and is a good message to get us thinking about Advent, for Fr. Camlin talks about three themes regarding our King:

• the reigning and coming King;
• the present and future ingathering; and
• the present and future banquet of the King.

This is a short excerpt from what he has to say about the first of these themes:

But as we look to the end of time and the Return of the King, the next appearance of Christ will be much different. Listen to how St. John describes the future scene in the Book of Revelation: “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

That is what is promised concerning this coming King. That picture which the Apostle paints for us is quite vivid. For those who oppose Christ, this should strike them with great fear; but for those of us who long for His appearing and the consummation of His Kingdom, this should be the source of great hope and comfort—because Christ is going to Return as the victorious King.

This is quite a picture of His future Advent, and truly one that gives great hope and comfort; the entire sermon is well worth reading as a beginning for Advent.

Share this Post

God Keeps A Promise

A NEW NAME

Text: Jeremiah 33:15-16

Introduction

When it was first constructed in 1966, it was called the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena.  Over the years, it has been known as the Oakland Coliseum Arena, the Oakland Arena, the Arena in Oakland, and The New Arena—basically all variations on a common theme.  But on October 20, 2006, the arena in Oakland where the Golden State Warriors play their home games was renamed, The Oracle, at least for the next decade.  Oracle, the Bay Area software company in our own back yard, paid an undisclosed price for the naming rites to the Oakland Arena, and for the next ten years the Golden State Warriors will call their home court by its new name, The Oracle – sometimes called simply, The “O”.

This is nothing new to us in the Bay Area.  In the relatively short amount of time that the San Francisco Giants have played in their new downtown stadium, the lighted letters with the field’s name have displayed three different titles: first it was Pac Bell Park, then SBC Park, and now AT&T Park.  The San Francisco 49ers home stadium has gone through the same naming metamorphosis.  We all knew it as Candlestick Park, then we woke up one morning and it was 3-COM Park, and later we blinked and it was renamed Monster Park.  Now it’s back to Candlestick Park and looks to remain that way.  The constant name changes were so ridiculous that Sports Illustrated writer Peter King referred to it as “Candle3Monsterstick.”

Do these corporate sponsorships and naming rights do any good?  Somebody must think so, because all sorts of big-name companies would love to get their corporate name on a professional sport team’s stadium.

Exposition

So what does all this naming talk have to do with our service today?  In the First Lesson for this first Sunday of the church year, something very significant was renamed.  Unless you are an expert in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah, you probably didn’t catch what the new name was, and without an explanation, you probably won’t catch it when you hear these words again.  But there is a significant new name applied to a group of people in Jeremiah 33.  Let’s start by listening again to the last two verses from this morning’s First Lesson.  “In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.  In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.  This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord, our Righteousness.” 

The verses I just read come from Jeremiah chapter 33.  Why is that so important to note?  There is an almost identical prophecy ten chapters earlier, in Jeremiah 23.  Both prophecies talk about the “righteous Branch” that will come from David’s line.  That was Jeremiah’s way to talk about Jesus, the promised Savior, who was a descendant of King David.  A popular hymn we hear this time of year, “Behold, A Branch Is Growing” (Christian Worship #47), picks up on that imagery.  Jesus is the Branch from the family tree of King David, the great King of Israel around 1000 B.C.  Centuries before Jeremiah, God promised David that the Savior of the world would be born from his family tree.  That’s the “righteous Branch” that Jeremiah talks about in chapter 23 and also here in chapter 33.  Jesus is the holy Son of David whose innocence and holiness is credited to those who trust in him so that they may stand before God as his righteous children.  Jesus is the “righteous Branch” of King David who would eventually journey to the tree of the cross where he would experience God’s just punishment for sins on behalf of the world so that we might be set from sin and hell.

But what about the new name?  I mentioned previously that Jeremiah chapters 23 and 33 contain a prophecy about Jesus that is almost identical – almost.  In the very last sentence there is a tiny word change, but this word change has tremendous significance.  Jeremiah said in chapter 23, “This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord, our righteousness.”  Ten chapters later, Jeremiah now says, “This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord, our righteousness.”  In chapter 23 Jeremiah says that this promised descendant of King David would be named the Lord, who is our righteousness.  In chapter 33 Jeremiah takes that name for Jesus Christ and applies it to something else: “This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord, our righteousness.”  That little word “it” refers back to the city of Jerusalem mentioned in the previous sentence.  Jerusalem was the capital city of Judah, the group from the original nation of Israel through whom Jesus was going to come.  But the prophets often referred to Jerusalem in a symbolic way.  Jerusalem was a picture of God’s people gathered together as one.  And with that image of God’s people assembled together, Jeremiah takes the name of the Lord and applies it directly to the Lord’s people and followers.  Jeremiah renames all who would believe in Jesus by giving them the name of Jesus.

Application

A name change isn’t all that noteworthy if has to do with an athletic stadium, but a name change is extremely significant when it involves a person.  We have heard the occasional news stories about newborn infants abandoned by their parents.  A number of states have enacted laws that allow birth parents that feel they are unable to be proper parents to leave their newborn at a hospital.  A foster family is contacted, and very often that foster family wants to adopt the baby.  Perhaps a few months pass for all the legal paperwork to be completed.  When all of the law’s requirements have been met, that previously abandoned baby is now adopted and given a new last name.  That new name is more than a legal technicality.  Think of the statement that name gives.  That new last name means that child is legally a member of that family.  That new name means that baby has a place to truly call home and a family that truly loves the child.  That kind of name change is extremely significant!

You and are were like that abandoned infant—yet worse.  We were not left abandoned by God.  No, because of our sinful condition, you had I legally and spiritually left the family of God.  We were helpless and hopeless on our own.  The sin in our life’s record merely confirms what we already knew.  Did our recent family Thanksgiving celebrations reduce God and his goodness to a mere afterthought at best?  Are we content to slowly coast our way into eternity, with little interest to grow in the Word and supply what is lacking in our faith (cf. 1 Thessalonians 3:10, from the appointed Second Lesson)?  Does the impending final judgment Jesus warns us about in today’s Gospel (Luke 21:25-36) seem so unimportant that we never stop to consider how our sinful thoughts and ways threaten to put us on the wrong side of Christ’s judgment?  Because of our sinfulness, you and I deserved to be deserted.  In fact, it is worse than that, for if there is any family we and our sinful baggage belong to, it is Satan’s family.

But at some gracious point, you were given a new brand name.  At your baptism, you were delivered from the clutches of hellish abandonment and brought into the arms of your loving Lord.  At your baptism, you were given a new name, the name of the Triune God, the name of Jesus, the name, “Christian.”  And that name change is extremely significant!  When the name of Jesus was applied to you, it meant that you became a part of Jesus’ family.  When the name of Jesus was applied to you, everything Jesus did for you became yours.  You have been given the name Jeremiah mentioned in our reading: “The Lord, our righteousness.”  Your new name means that, through faith in Christ, you stand holy and blameless before God, because Jesus has given you his perfection.  Your new name means that everything Jesus did to forgive your sins and redeem you from hell when he died on the cross counts for you personally!  Your new name means that you have been connected to Jesus’ death and resurrection, and because Jesus rose from the dead, you too will rise from death when our Lord returns at the end of time.  Your new name means that you are ready for Jesus’ Second Advent, because Christ’s return will mean your entrance into a new home where we will celebrate our new name for all eternity.

Conclusion

Will The Oracle have a new name in the next decade?  How many more name changes will the Giants’ home stadium go through in the next decade?  Who knows?  In the end, it really doesn’t matter.  Some name changes deserve nothing more than a quick mention in the paper—and maybe a collective yawn!  But other name changes deserve a celebration.  The new name God has given you deserves such recognition.  Through the First Advent of Christ and because of your baptism, you and I have been given the name Christian.  As we wait for the Second Advent of Christ, stay connected to the name you have been given, the name of Jesus, the name that saves you from sin and secures your new home for all eternity.  Amen.

Luke 21:25-36

“This is my friend David Lewis, whom I’ve never met before.”

Those of you who came to the recent demonstration of the Digital Hymnal may remember me using those words. David, the minister of Hutton and Shenfield Union Church, brought the equipment to show us what it could do. I knew David through Internet connections – Facebook, Twitter and his blog. But before that evening we had never met. I had seen photos of him, I knew what his work was and had some idea of his interests. But I had never actually met him.

On Advent Sunday, we think in similar terms about Jesus. We know him, but we have never met him face to face. Yet on Advent Sunday, our thoughts traditionally go not to his first coming in the Incarnation but his ‘second coming’ – although the expression ‘second coming’ is not a biblical one. The main Greek words used in the New Testament mean his ‘appearing’ or his ‘royal presence’[1]. Right now he is hidden from us and we know him from the Scriptures, the internal witness of the Holy Spirit, the sacraments and what we see of his work in others and in creation, but we have not seen him. Advent Sunday is when we look forward to seeing him when he appears.

So we turn to these words in Luke 21, a chapter where Jesus addresses all sorts of world-changing events – the Resurrection, the coming fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the ‘second coming’ – or, if you prefer, ‘the appearing of his royal presence’. What does Jesus say to his followers?

Firstly, he gives his followers a sign:

‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’ (Verses 25-28)

Is this a weather forecast? No. you don’t expect these verses to be followed by someone saying, “And tomorrow will be windy with scattered showers.” Rather, various Old Testament prophets referred to the ‘Day of the Lord’ having cosmic portents involving the sun, moon and stars – there are echoes here of Isaiah, Ezekiel and Joel.

So is it a sign of the Last Judgment? You might think so when you read about ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with great power and glory: that fits our stereotypes about Christ’s return. Except … it’s a quotation from Daniel 7, and the context is one of vindication after suffering. Which makes the more likely context here not the Second Coming but the Resurrection.

So – the Resurrection of Jesus is a sign of the Second Coming. Why? Because the Resurrection was the first evidence of God making all things new. Jesus received his resurrection body, just as others will at the End.

What does that mean for us? It means that in the Resurrection we already have the guarantee that God will renew creation and bring justice. The Resurrection is what the New Testament calls the ‘first fruits’ – it’s the harvest that happened in late Spring which reassured people the main harvest would come at the end of the summer. For us, then, the Resurrection means we know Jesus will appear again, and God will put right all that is broken and that contradicts his will. Because we are Easter people, we are also Advent people.

When I was a teenage Christian, I discovered the music of an American Christian singer called Randy Stonehill. The last song on one of his albums was called ‘Good News’. I expected a song called ‘Good News’ to be about the Cross, but it was about the Second Coming. ‘Good news, Christ is returning,’ sang Stonehill.

And now I think he was right. The coming of Christ is good news, because it means all will be well. And we believe that because we have the sign of the Resurrection. So when injustice prevails, remember Jesus is risen and will come again. When suffering overwhelms, remember Jesus is risen and is returning. This is a doctrine of hope for the Christian.

Secondly, Jesus gives his followers a parable, the story of the fig tree:

Then he told them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Verses 29-33)

I have two problems with this story: firstly I am no gardener, and secondly I don’t like figs. However, it is clear even to a garden-phobic, fig-hating person like me that there is a simple principle at work in this parable. When a tree sprouts leaves, you know what is coming: it is certain.

What does that mean for the followers of Jesus? I think it means this: the purposes of God are certain. When God sets out to accomplish his great plans for creation and for humanity, they will be fulfilled. I am not suggesting that God dictates everything and that we are mere pawns, nor do I believe that our every action is predestined. What I believe is simply this: that God has free will and we have free will, but God’s power means he has more free will than us, and he uses it to further his purposes of salvation. As the fig tree sprouts and later summer comes, so God speaks and his words do not pass away.

How do we respond to this parable? In rather similar ways to the sign of the Resurrection. We respond with hope and with humble confidence. We put our lives in the hands of the God who promises to work for good in all things with those who love him, those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

So this is a parable of hope for the disciples of Jesus. Those of us who entrust our lives into his hands and follow him know that a good outcome is promised for creation. Suffering will not render life meaningless. Evil will not prevail. Things may happen which cause our pulse rate to rise and worries to increase, but in the midst of the anxiety God offers us peace, because his Son is risen from the dead and is coming again. Be encouraged! As the communion liturgy says, ‘Lift up your hearts – we lift them to the Lord.’ And, ‘Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.’

Thirdly and finally, Jesus gives his followers an exhortation:

‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.’ (Verses 34-36)

What is the essence of this exhortation? To me, it is a call to a disciplined life. ‘Be on guard,’ says Jesus. Don’t have a lifestyle of dissipation and drunkenness. ‘Be alert.’ These are the watchwords of lives with a focus, a focus on Christ, and therefore matched with a discipline to keep that focussed concentration on him and not on sin or a casual approach to life. The watching and alertness are not about working out exactly when Jesus will return, but about keeping our eyes fixed on him in our lives.

So the way to prepare for the coming of Christ is not to work out a celestial timetable, but to concentrate our efforts on doing what pleases him. We do that in contrast to a lifestyle of ‘dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life’, as Jesus puts it – which remains a very contemporary challenge.

The temptation to ‘dissipation’ or self-indulgence is all around us, but Jesus calls us to self-discipline and self-denial. The life of the world to come will not be a hairshirt one, but it will be one where joy and pleasure are based not on what I get, but on what I give. So let’s get in tune with it now.

The temptation to ‘drunkenness’ is not merely about alcohol, but about addiction to all sorts of things from drugs to food to shopping to relationships. Often our addictions mask pain in other areas of our lives, but Jesus calls us to face that pain and find healing with him. Then we can let go of damaging habits and live a life that anticipates the healing found in God’s kingdom.

As for ‘the worries of this life’, our whole consumer society is based on feeding those worries. It isn’t that Christians can’t enjoy good things, but an obsession with them is counter again to the values of God’s kingdom, where true riches are found in other things, notably the fruit of the Spirit as God renews people to be more like his Son. Those are what the Christian will chase.

So in conclusion, Advent is a time of hope for the Christian. As we recall Christ’s first coming and anticipate his appearing again, God’s action in the Resurrection gives a certainty to our hope. His purposes of love are certain and we are in his hands. That means we respond by reordering our lives according to the purposes of his kingdom, which means living distinctive lives –counter-cultural lives. May the hope of Christ’s coming give us the passion to do so.

The following contains resources for both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Roman Rite, along with some general Advent “stuff” for meditation.

Ordinary Form:

Readings.

Word On Fire: An audio homily from well known theologian Father Robert Barron

Sunday Gospel Scripture Study.  Audio/video, about 60 minutes.  A consistently excellent resource.

Word Sunday:

• First Reading with notes.
• Responsorial Psalm with notes.
• Second reading with notes.
• Gospel Reading with notes.
• Children’s Reading.
• Catechism on Advent and Christmas.

Sunday Scripture Study.  Brief notes and some questions on the Gospel Reading.  Catechism references.

Navarre Bible:

• First Reading/Commentary.
• Second Reading/Commentary.
• Gospel Reading/Commentary.

Extraordinary Form Please note that Scripture Readings differ from the Ordinary form.

Homily On The Epistle.  Contains Epistle reading and Homily.  Use zoom feature to increase text size.

Homily On The Gospel.  Contains Gospel reading and Homily.  Use zoom feature to increase text size.

Fear: The Heavenly Guardian Of Divine Love.  Homily from online book.  Use zoom feature to increase text size.

Preparing For Christmas. Homily from online book.  Use zoom feature to increase text size.

The Last Judgment.  Homily from an online book.

Aquinas’ Sermon Notes On The Epistle.  Recently posted on site.

Aquinas’ Sermon Notes On Gospel.  recently posted on site.  Please note that the Gospel reading in Aquinas’ day differs from the reading in the Extraordinary Form currently in use.  His points he makes in these notes can provide excellent starters for meditation.

I posted his notes on the Epistle yesterday.  These notes provide excellent points for meditation.  The Gospel Reading for the first Sunday of Advent in St Thomas’ day was Matt 21:1-11

The Coming Of The King

Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek and riding on an ass…Mt. 21:1-11

This is a prophecy of the Advent of Our Lord Jesus Christ, about which there are three signs.  First, the dignity of Him Who is coming; secondly, the utility of His Advent; thirdly, the manner in which He came.  Of the first sign we read in the Gospel, “Thy King cometh;” a merciful King; and eternal King.  A merciful King in sparing, a just King in judging, a good King in rewarding; a wise King in governing; an Omnipotent King in defending the good; a severe King in punishing evil; and eternal King in ruling eternally, and in bestowing immortality.  Of the first, “And in mercy shall the throne be established” (Isa 16:5).  Of the second, “And behold, a King shall reign in justice” (Isa 34); “And He shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David: (Isa 16:5).  Of the third, “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are clean of heart” (Ps 73:1).  Of the fourth, “I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute justice and judgment in the earth” (Jer 23:5).  Of the fifth, “O Lord, Lord, the King Almighty, for the whole world is in Thy power” (Esth 13:9).  Of the sixth, “As a severe King, Thou didst condemn and punish” (Wis 11:10). Of the seventh, “But the Lord is the true God, He is the living God and an everlasting King” (Jer 10:10).  “And of His Kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:33).  Of the seven, collectively, “O Lord, Lord, God, Creator of all things, Who art fearful, and strong, and righteous, and merciful, and the only gracious King” (2 Macc 1:24).  Wisdom in the Creator, Mercy in the pitiful, goodness in the good, justice in the just, severity in the terrible, power in the powerful, eternity in the eternal.  This is the King Who cometh to thee for thy profit.  Here the use of the Advent is noted, for it was sevenfold as applied to the present time:-First, for the illumination of the world; second, for the spoliation of Hades; third, for the reparation of Heaven; fourth, for the destruction of sin; fifth, for the vanquishment of the devil; sixth, for the reconciliation of man with God; seventh, for the beatification of man.  Of the first, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (Jn 8:12); “That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (Jn 1:9).  Of the second, “O death, I will be thy plague; O grave, I will be thy destruction” (Hos 13:14); “As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant, I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water” (Zech 9:11).  Of the third, “That in the dispensations of the fulness of times might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in earth, even in Him” (Eph 1:10).  Of the fourth, “That He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb 2:14-15).  Of the fifth, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Rom 6:6).  Of the sixth, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Rom 5:10).  Of the seventh, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16).  It was because the holy Fathers saw the good things which were about to happen at His Advent that they were calling with so great desire, “O that Thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down” (Isa 63:19).  Concerning these seven things the prophet spake, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord…” (Isa 61:1).  He hath “anointed Me to preach good tidings.”  Behold, the illumination of the world, for by preaching He hath enlightened the world for us; “to bind up the brokenhearted,” in destroying sin; and sin being destroyed, makes the broken heart to be healed.  “To proclaim liberty to the captives:” behold the spoliation of Hades, for by spoiling Hades He led captivity captive (see Eph 4:8).  “The opening of the prison:” Behold the restoration of Heaven, which is the opening of Heaven.  “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord:” Behold the reconciliation of man with God.  “The day of vengeance of our God” is the day of the destruction of the devil: for so He visited with vengeance for all the injuries which the devil had done to the saints.  “To comfort all that mourn:” behold the beatification of men. In this verse is noted that manner of His coming.  “Meek;” in meekness Our Lord Jesus Christ wished to come; and He wished to come meekly for four reasons.  In the first place, That He might the more easily correct the wicked: “For mildness is come upon us; and we shall be corrected” (Ps 89:10, Vulgate reading).  In the second place, that He might show to all His lowliness: “My Son, do Thy work in meekness, and Thou shalt be beloved above the glory of men” (Eccles 3:19).  In the third place, that He might draw sheep to himself, and that He might multiply to Himself a people: “And Thy gentleness has made me great” (2 Sam 22:36).  St Bernard says, “We wholly run after Thee, O good Jesus, on account of Thy meekness.”  In the fourth place, that He might teach meekness: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Mt 11:29).  There are four things which ought especially to commend meekness to us: the first, because it delivers us from evil; the second, because it perfects grace; the third, because it preserves the soul; and the fourth, because it deserves the land of the living.  Of the first: It delivers from evil, because judicious meekness belongs to him who feels with no bitterness of mind.  Of the second, “He giveth grace unto the lowly” (Prov 3:34).  Of the third, “Keep thy soul in meekness” (Eccles 10:31).  Of the fourth, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt 5:5).  Let us, therefore, ask that this Lord and King may come to us.

                                  Rev. E. Anderson

Lecture 8                                                                                                       

THE CHRISTIAN COUNSEL

Peter continues his work of Christian teaching and counselling and by it shows how essential this work is in the course of the Christian ministry.  The reason for his training by Christ was in order that he might be of distinct advantage to His Church at an important period.

C/        THE CHRISTIAN COUNSEL AS TO THE QUESTION OF SUFFERING   1  Peter  4:12-19.

There would have been a time when Peter would have shunned and shirked this kind of work because he was unprepared to meet the fact of suffering.  He said to Christ when He referred to His imminent death and afflictions – ‘Be it far from The Lord’.  This letter shows that there had been a fundamental shift and change in his mind and attitude.  In considering this question of suffering by the ministry one notes that:

There is something that Peter foresees for the Christian believer v 12.  Discernment of the future revealed that there would be a period of tremendous crisis for the household of faith.  It did not seem an optimistic note for the minister of Christ to sound.  Peter lived in the realm of foreknowledge regarding the matter.  He had also been out into the picture regarding his own future.  (2 Pet. 1:14).

Through the ministry there is a forearming of the Christian believer.  He lays down certain truths in relation to suffering and the kind of principles and attitudes to be reflected when such is encountered.  He puts them in possession of all that had been pressed home in his own life and reveals what should be in evidence.

A  POSITIVE APPROACH TO BE ADOPTED – v 12

In divine wisdom he could foresee not only the trial but the kind of re-actions also that could take place in the mind and subsequent experience of the believer.

W. Barclay:  ‘In the nature of things persecution must have been a much more daunting experience for the Gentiles than it was for the Jews.  The average Gentile had little experience of it; but the Jews have always been the most persecuted people upon the earth; persecution has been part of their heritage.’

Why does a Christian expect to be treated in this way?

Because his standards are at variance with the world’s standards:  The general rules of life by the outside world are diametrically opposed to the Bible and to the teaching and life of Christ.

Because the Holy Spirit is in the believer and such is at enmity and variance with the dictating evil spirit that dominates mankind (Eph.2:2):

Because Satanic opposition is bent on the removing of the Christian witness:  Satan and his allies have no sense of gratification at the presence  and power of the Christian witness,  and so there is a constant effort on their part to eliminate all the associates of Christ in their testimony.

Because the Word of God teaches and exemplifies throughout that this is the way that the godly have to face:

Because if the Christian testimony is what it is and promises what it does, then it will be worth suffering and dying for:

A SPIRITUAL ATTITUDETO BE EVIDENCE – v13

The re-action is not to be a miserable and displeasing one.  From the human angle and reason and logical mind there ought to be a spirit of gloom and depression.  What are the grounds on which a believer can rejoice in the face of such an onslaught of evil and repression?  Spiritual reasons are not lacking for the manifestation of such elation.

The fiery trial is not lacking in divine intention. 

K. Wuest  ‘Peter speaks of these sufferings as a fiery trial.  They are the rendering of a word used also in the Greek translation of the PT Proverbs 27:21, which word in the AV is rendered  ‘furnace,’ referring to a smelting furnace where gold is refined  (c.f. Ps. 66:10).  These sufferings which the recipients of this letter were to undergo constituted the smelting furnace in which their lives were being purified.’

The fiery trial links the believer up in partnership with Christ’s sufferings:

The fiery trial, as it is accepted aright, gives God the opportunity to show His approbation: v 14

A. Stibbs:  ‘His people, who bear His reproach and suffer for His Name, are owned by His by a special anointing or manifestation of the Sprit of God.  Similarly in OT times the tabernacle or temple was marked as god’s dwelling place by the coming of the Shekinah or  ‘glory’  of the cloud, symbolically visible as a pillar of cloud or fire ( Ex. 33:9,10;  40:34,35).  It is such a special manifestation by God of His Presence with His people of which the persecuted are here assured (Jn. 14:23).’

The fiery trial is not without full anticipated end v 13:  What is happening is this matter is of a  transitory nature for things are moving forward to a grand climax.  The tables are to be completely turned – (Rom.8:17, 18).

The fiery trial must never manifest an attitude of shame – v16:  NEB  ‘he should feel no disgrace.’

A NECESSARY INSTRUCTION TO BE COMMUNICATED   – v15

It is perfectly clear that there are things that ought not to be practiced by the believer.  He should never be guilty of iniquitous crimes.

He shows that the Christian testimony should not be discredited or be brought into disrepute or ill- repute by shameful deeds – eg.  Murder, thieving etc.

He reveals that the standard of Christian witness must be maintained.  The manifestation of Christ is to be seen in the exercise of Christ’s nature and principles.  Such may produce suffering but in it he glorifies Christ.

A VITAL APPRECIATION TO BE UNDERSTOOD – vv 17,18.

Things are now stated which were intended to create a healthy fear and have a solemnising and sanctifying effect.

There is to be the dealing with the judging of the saints now in the procedure of sanctification. 

The judging here could well refer to the fiery trail v 12.

There is the revelation that all will not be well for those who have not responded to the Gospel and have been the persecutors.  The believer may think he is having a rough time of it now.  It will be much worse for the godless and persecutors.

 A PERSONAL COMMITMENT MUST BE EXERCISED – v19

The apostle comes to a summary of the whole situation and declares what the believer should do.  The commitment has a number of recognitions.

That the fiery trial accords to God’s will; it is all part of the divine plan.

That at no time must they give way to evil practice but be committed to good.

That the faithful Creator will ultimately justify all their faith in Him.  All will turn to gain and approbation. 

For Advent this year we’re going to be working our way through the first two chapters of Matthew’s gospel. Here is the text for this Sunday:

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, [1] 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, [2] 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, [3] and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, [4] and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Click here for the sermon audio.

We have begun the joyous and holy Nativity Fast.  The fast begins on November 28, or forty days before the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and ends on the feast itself or January 7, according to the secular calendar.  Just as the Jews wandered in the wilderness for forty years before entering the Promised Land, the Holy Church leads us for forty days into the wilderness of the Fast before entering into God’s promise revealed on the Nativity.  For the Jews, it was in order to shake off the bonds of slavery—physical, mental, and spiritual.  An entire generation of people born and raised in Egyptian slavery was to die before those who no longer remembered being slaves and those who were born free were allowed to enter the “land flowing with milk and honey” (Exod. 3:8).  And so it is with us: we must shake off the bonds of slavery to sins and passions—physical, mental, and spiritual.  We must cease being slaves of sin and become friends of Christ by keeping His commandments (John 15:14).

There are several aspects of the fast, all of which are important and connected to each other.  The first thing about which many people think are the limitations in the quality and quantity of foods that we eat.  The Nativity Fast is not as strict as some other fasts—fish is allowed on all Saturdays and Sundays, except the last weekend before Nativity (January 2-3),[1] and on several Church Feasts: The Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple (December 4) and its apodosis (December 8), the feasts of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Theotokos (December 10), Sabbas the Sanctified (December 18), the Conception of the Theotokos (December 22), and Saints Herman of Alaska and Martyr Peter the Aleut (December 25).

Why do we fast from foods?—Because we are wholesome beings.  Christ did not come to save our souls only, but all of us: soul, body, mind, spirit, will—and as many “parts” as one would wish to count.  He took our entire human being upon Himself, all of our human nature, and “made a man’s whole body well” (John 7:23).  In the God-given order, our spirit is to pull us to God, our soul is to find its inspiration in the direction of the spirit, and our body is to be nourished in doing the will of the Father (John 4:34; cf. Matt. 4:4).  Sin perverts this divine order, and our flesh feeds on this world and becomes a slave to food, our soul finds inspiration in the things of the flesh, and our spirit no longer hungers for God but finds its direction in the passions of the soul.

The Holy Church gives to us times of fasting in order to help heal and restore our corrupted nature.  An athlete does not win a prize before patiently exercising discipline and “self-control in all things” (1 Cor. 9:25).  And if we are to receive an “imperishable wreath” (ibid.), we must do the same and begin by taking control of that in us which is most material, restoring the divinely-ordained order and reaching to that which is the most spiritual.  If we cannot control our bellies, how can we hope to control our tongues and thoughts, how can we hope to even begin to fight our passions?  We must learn to discipline our bodies, because without this foundation we cannot begin to build the walls of the temple of our soul.  And just as the purpose of a foundation is not in itself, but in that which can be built upon it, the purpose of taking control of our flesh is in freeing the soul from being controlled by it.

This year, the beginning of our Nativity Fast came on the day after Thanksgiving.  I know that for some, the main dish was not a turkey or a pumpkin pie, but other people, whom they tore apart and devoured by gossip, judging, evil talk, and back-stabbing.  What good is their fast if they continue to feast on humans?  What good is their abstinence from meat if their tongue flings about like a butcher’s cleaver?

The King and Prophet David says, “Keep your tongue from evil” (Ps. 34:13),[2] and “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (1, 2).  If we want our fast to be more than a weight-loss program, we must follow the regiment prescribed by the Prophet.  We should learn to control our tongue and our thoughts by directing both to communion with God.  At all times but especially during fasts, we must be “sober and watchful,” because our “adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).  But in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we have a sure protection from the attacks of the devil.

Run to Christ in prayer, but be watchful that your prayer does not become like “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1).  Pay close attention to the words of prayers; make them not just someone’s words repeated by you, but truly your own words that come from your whole heart, your whole soul, and your whole mind (cf. Matt. 22:37).

Run to Christ in reading the Gospels, but be watchful that it does not become a chore whose meaning is forgotten the minute that the book is closed.  Ask the Most Holy Theotokos to help you keep all the things that you read in the Gospels and to ponder them in your heart (cf. Luke 2:19, 51) as you go about your day, glorifying God for his abundant mercy to us.                                                                                                                                                                      

Run to Christ in reading the lives of His saints, but make sure that you own life follows in the footsteps of the holy men and women that came before you.  We do not study the lives of the saints for their literary value or as some pastime before we go to bed.  They are a living example of what it means to be a Christian, and to love God, and to love one another.

Most importantly, run to Christ in the Communion of His Body and Blood, but do so in humility and repentance, lest with the morsel Satan enters into you, as he did into Judas (John 13:27).  

May the all-merciful God bless this time of our fasting.  May He accept our small human efforts and by His divine grace “which always heals that which is infirm and supplies what is lacking,”[3] receive our prayers and guide our lives toward His commandments.  May He “sanctify our souls, make chaste our bodies, correct our thoughts, and purify our intentions”[4] that together with “the assemblies of angels and the choirs or martyrs”[5] we may always glorify the Holy Trinity.

Amen.

[1] All dates are given according to the secular calendar.

[2] Ps. 33 in Slavonic enumeration.  

[3] From the proclamation/bidding formulary of clerical ordination.

[4] From a prayer at the Hours.

[5] From the Prayer at the Nativity of Christ for Spiritual Children.

God’s kingdom is ultimately spiritual in nature and only in that way can it be exercised upon earth.

The Christian And The Kingdom

Background
When the Jews heard John’s message that day what did they understand it to mean? They hoped for a literal, earthly kingdom. Even on the Ascension mount (Acts 1:6) the disciples asked about Israel receiving the (earthly) kingdom. To exist, a kingdom requires three things: a king, subjects, and a territory to rule. When God said to Moses, “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6) He established the main features: God as king and the nation Israel as the subjects. But note, they are a kingdom of priests. From the earliest inception, God established that an essential feature of His kingdom is the spiritual exercise of authority over the individuals and their spiritual service to God.

In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God further revealed that He eventually intended to establish a man as king over them. Though God established David as the earthly king over an earthly kingdom, the spiritual mind always saw that a greater than David was in view, David being a type of Christ. In Psalm 22:28, David wrote, “The kingdom is the Lord’s.” In Psalm 103:19 he wrote, “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” King David recognized that the Lord is king. Finally in Isaiah 9:6-7, the prophet reveals that “a son” shall exercise the rule upon the throne of David and over his kingdom. We know this “son” to be Jesus of Nazareth.

In this way John the Baptist held out to the nation that the time for the culmination of all God’s prophecies regarding the kingdom and the exercise of God’s authority had come. No wonder Luke writes that “the people were in expectation” (Lk. 3:15). Perhaps, finally, the great drought of Hosea 3:4 would be over and the promise of Hosea 3:5 would be fulfilled! But before that can happen, notice what Hosea 3:5 states: “Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God … They shall fear the Lord.” Thus John’s great message, “Repent!” God’s kingdom is ultimately spiritual in nature and only in that way can it be exercised upon earth. In that one word “repent” lies the crux of the whole matter. How is God to bring to pass the exercise of His sovereignty in the lives of fallen mankind? The answer to this question is the essence of the kingdom message.

Spiritual Nature
Once John firmly established in the minds of the people the essential spiritual nature of the kingdom, the Lord is presented as the one qualified to bring this about. In numerous passages, but primarily in Matthew 5-7, Jesus unfolded the spiritual principles of His kingdom. He began with the moral condition of one who would become a subject in the kingdom (Mt. 5:1-12). These all relate the condition of heart and response of soul to the truth of the gospel. Next, he related the moral responsibility of a subject in the kingdom (Mt. 5:13-20) – that of being salt (for God) and light (to the world). Then the Lord explained how the law will relate to life in the kingdom (Mt. 5:21-48).

In each case He contrasted the narrow understanding of the teachers with the full moral weight of the law. Jesus then proceeded to show the character of a subject of the kingdom (Mt. 6). The entire chapter screams out “reality!” God is looking for reality and congruence between the outer and the inner man – reality in giving (vv. 1-4), reality in praying (vv. 5-15), reality in fasting (vv. 16-18), reality in priorities (vv. 18-21), and reality in perspective (vv. 22-34). In chapter 7 the Lord assured access to the kingdom to all who sincerely seek entrance and warned those who would try to fake their way in. His closing image contrasts those who hear the word but don’t obey it with those who do.

Though our Lord preached the gospel of the kingdom – and confirmed its truth with signs, wonders and miracles – the heart of man was still closed to the truth. In unbelief the Lord’s deeds are ascribed to Beelzebub, prince of demons (Mt. 12:25), and the king and his kingdom are rejected. Speaking later to the Jews (Mt. 21:33-44), the Lord pronounced His judgment: “Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and shall be given to a nation producing the fruits of it.” We cannot have the kingdom without the king, and we cannot have the king if there is no moral change in our life. The Lord stated in John 3:3-5 that entrance into the kingdom is only possible if one is “born again” and “born of water and the Spirit.” The transformation in the life, that the Lord stated in Matthew 5-7 as a requirement for entrance into the kingdom, comes not as a result of law-keeping or personal self-reformation efforts, but solely as a result of being born from above. It is the work of God.

Condition
But what is the condition of the kingdom now? What happens to the kingdom as a result of the king being rejected, crucified, risen, and ascended? In testifying before Pilate, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (Jn. 18:36). In this He indicated that the origin of His kingdom and authority did not come from this world. This very important statement establishes that the kingdom does not rise up as a result of our human efforts or personal faithfulness and godliness. In fact, our Lord stated, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and return” (Lk. 19:12). The Lord is that man who went to receive his kingdom and to return. This teaches us that the kingdom originates in heaven; hence its being called the kingdom of heaven. The title kingdom of God emphasizes God’s kingdom, authority, and sovereignty. In fact, the parable in Luke 19 was spoken to dispel the notion that the kingdom was about to be manifested. The kingdom always has in view its ultimate manifestation and the Lord’s personal exercise of authority over this world which rejected Him. But what is the character of the kingdom now?

Character
In answering that question we must remember that kingdom truth comprises those instructions in Scripture which relate to the relationship of a redeemed person to the lost world around him. In John 17 the Lord states two truths regarding the believer: while “these are in the world … they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (vv. 11-14). Being “in” the world, yet not “of” the world is what kingdom truth addresses. In John 3:12 our Lord stated that being born again was what He called “earthly things” – relating to the character of our lives here on earth. This is in contrast to “heavenly things” which address our relationship with an ascended, glorified head who is over the whole body, the Church – those seated in the heavenlies with Him (Eph. 1:3, 2:6).

In the parables of Matthew 13 the Lord told what the character of the kingdom would be during the time of His rejection. He characterized this as the mystery of the kingdom of God and heaven. This means that He is bringing out truth never before revealed or even hinted at in the Old Testa-ment. In those seven parables He gives the broadest outline of the establishment and progress of the kingdom during the time of His absence. This is the period of time we are in now. All the principles of the kingdom set forth in His preceding sermons apply to us now in their moral import. What we must realize is that we cannot create “kingdom conditions” on earth by seeking to work through the political realm to establish God’s order here. Only the Lord Himself can do that and He will bring the kingdom with Him.

Course
In Matthew 13, our Lord outlined the course of the kingdom in its “mystery” form – the character of the kingdom during the time of the king’s rejection. Firstly, He established in Matthew 13:3-8 that the progress of the kingdom is through the sowing of the seed, the Word of God (Lk. 8:11). As the Word is sown and souls are brought to faith, Satan opposes that work. Thus, in Matthew 13:24-30 the Lord described how Satan establishes in the world a counterfeit to what the Lord is doing. (Note that there is no mention of Christendom in any of this. Many read Christendom into the parables and completely confuse themselves.) The tares are sown in the field, the world. So we see that a work of Satan will go on during this age which will seek to dilute the work of Christ.

Next, in Matthew 13:31-32 the Lord describes the outward development of the kingdom. It will become great in the world. In fact, it already has. Biblical truth has had many positive effects upon the world and the kingdom has grown tremendously in size. However, in Matthew 13:33 our Lord also shows the moral corruption which will take place in the kingdom. Satan will work externally to oppose its progress (tares), as well as work within to corrupt the kingdom with false doctrine, (the leaven of Mt. 16:12).

Our Lord spoke these to the multitude, but three more parables were told only to the disciples. In that of the treasure (Mt. 13:44), the condition of Israel is described and how, though to be set aside, it shall be preserved and the world won by Christ for its benefit (Rom. 11). The parable of the pearl of great price (Mt. 13:45-46) shows the intrinsic value of the Church within the kingdom, and the extent to which Christ goes to obtain it. Finally, the parable of the dragnet (Mt. 13:47-50) describes how, when “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord” (Rev. 11:15), He shall prepare the world for its reception.

Recall that we are salt (savor for God) and light (testimony to the lost). The kingdom parables describe the progress that God’s truth makes in the world. But notice the means: it is by preaching the Word, spreading the gospel, and sowing the good seed in the world that we as subjects advance His kingdom. The exercise of political power, military might, intellectual energy, and philosophy accomplish nothing for God in this world. There might be some cosmetic change, but the objective is not to change the world. The purpose of the kingdom is for Christ to have a sphere where His authority, rights and sovereignty are recognized and exercised – that is, Christ reigning in your heart. The world has rejected Christ, saying, “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Lk. 19:14). But Christ has established a sphere in which He is owned as Lord.

Establishment
As we look back to John the Baptist two things stand out – repentance and baptism. We have seen how repentance is the avenue for receiving God’s truth (Acts 20:21). Throughout the Gospels, baptism is related to making disciples (Jn. 4:1). In Matthew 28:19 our Lord relates baptism to discipleship during the Church age as well. One great feature of kingdom truth is being a disciple, a follower, of the Lord. This discipleship involves surrender of life and will to Him, the result being seen in both the character and service of the disciple. Baptism is the sign that one has died to this world, accepted God’s judgment against him and his sins, and identified with the One who has gone through the judgment for him and raised him up to newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4). Thus, kingdom truth speaks about our relationship to this world: we are dead to it and we are followers of Christ.

In what way, then, is Christ going to establish His kingdom in this world? We know from various parables that a great transition takes place at “the end of the age” – called by the Lord “the times of the Gentiles” (Lk. 21:24) – the time of Gentile domination over Israel. In Matthew 13:39-40 and 25:31-46 our Lord said that a worldwide judgment shall take place as the earthly kingdom is being established. This judgment is designed to remove from the world all that is not fit for the kingdom. No wonder the so-called “Lord’s Prayer” states, “Thy kingdom come.” It comes in, rather than rises up from the midst. In the Olivet discourse (Mt. 24-25) the Lord speaks at length regarding the events which will usher in the earthly kingdom. In Romans 11:25, Paul states that the blindness of Israel will continue until those Gentiles who were to be brought into blessing in the Church have been so blessed. Once that time is completed, God will set in motion a series of events which will lead to faithful Israel’s national repentance and reception of the Messiah. Only then does Christ take the throne of David and exercise His kingship over the millennial earth.

What About Us Today?
What are we called to be and do today? Those who have been brought to saving faith in the Lord have been planted in this world as that good seed, as children of the kingdom. Though we are in this world we are not of it; our allegiance is to another king of another kingdom. We represent Christ in this world and live for Him as disciples following and serving Him. Our desire for each person is to receive the Word that is sown; our desire for this world is for Christ to come, to put all powers under His feet, and to reign in perfect righteousness. But until that day comes we are called to continue “in tribulation and the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Gib Warrick is the Computer Coordinator of the Union County Public Schools in Monroe, North Carolina. He and his wife Carol and their children fellowship with Christians in Charlotte, North Carolina. Gib also preaches regularly at the local rescue mission.

With permission to publish by: Sam Hadley, Grace & Truth, 210 Chestnut St., Danville, IL., USA.

Website: www.gtpress.org

top

The text of the sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL on November 29, 2009

“Signs” podcast (coming soon)

This morning’s Bible reading is from Luke 21:25-36

Dangerous talk

That rabble-rouser Jesus is at it again! In this week’s Bible reading from Luke 21:25-36, he’s talking about the powers of the heavens being shaken.
Who are the powers of the heavens? In Jesus time that was Rome. For Christians, Rome represented everything that was wrong with the world. Shaking up the powers of the heavens pointed to a change in the way things worked. It offered hope to those who lived under the rule of tyrants.

But Jesus words are revolutionary. Claiming that the powers of this world will be shaken up and that “the one” would come with power and glory may bring us a visual of earthquakes and solar flares and all kinds of natural destruction while Jesus comes in and saves the day. For Rome, it would have brought visions of the emperor and kings and governors being thrown from their places of power while a new emperor came to take over.

Dangerous talk.

And then Jesus goes and talks about “this generation” not passing away until all things have taken place.

Way back when – the early followers of Christ expected that he was going to return very soon – as in “during their lifetime.”
And it didn’t happen that way. Why? Does “this generation” mean something different from 40-some years? There must be some explanation. Some have said that “this generation” refers to humanity’s generation. I don’t know for sure – but I believe that it meant something different than the people originally thought. God’s good at doing that.
Over the years people have predicted dates for Christ’s return. There have been hundreds of predictions covering dates like 500, 1000, 1420, 1666, 1809, 1910, 1949, 1967 and at least 30 predicting some date between 1980 and 2012. (Foreboding music . . .) Well. We know for sure that all things cannot take place until Hollywood makes a movie about the end and a vampire movie targeted almost exclusively at women brings in 142 million dollars during it’s first US box office weekend.
Uh. . .

What are all the “Here it when it’s gonna happen” predictors thinking? Nobody knows how or when the story ends. We don’t get insider information so that we can stock up on fuel and food and water before all hell breaks loose.

Dangerous talk.

Jesus had some instructions for the disciples about preparing, however. It starts with the short parable of the fig tree. He took the attention off of scary things and put it on to more ordinary things. The fig tree sprouts leaves at regular intervals. The seasons come and go. And while they were in that mindset, he gave them the instructions. And what were they? Wait. Be patient. Pray. The season will come soon enough. Just keep alert and don’t get all wrapped up in the worries of life.

There is no call to panic as if catastrophe was imminent.
There is no call to rise up and fight.
There is no call to stock up on fuel and food and water and to build bomb shelters
There is no call to any kind of violence at all.

We’re good at getting angry and pointing our guns and tanks and bombs at each other. We all need to stop. Instead of looking at violent times as something God is orchestrating or something that is holy and necessary, what if we saw it simply as violence? Everything that we attach to the violence — divine retribution, holy cleansing, stopping terror etc isn’t good. It is just violence.

And in the end of today’s reading Jesus makes no call to any kind of violence. His words of waiting and patience and prayer were loud and clear then and they are loud and clear now.

Put down your weapons.
Stop expecting the worst.
Live focused on me and the hope that I bring.

Dangerous talk.

And it is with that dangerous talk that we enter this Advent season. We’re preparing for the celebration of Jesus birth. We’re going to worry that our decorations aren’t perfect, that we can’t buy enough or get the perfect presents. We’re going to be swamped and wonder how so much activity can be packed into such a short time. We’re going to wonder if we will be able to survive the month.
And Jesus has instructions for us.

Wait. Be patient. Pray. The season will come soon enough. Just keep alert and don’t get all wrapped up in the worries of life.

And one more for me. Don’t get too uptight that you can’t end this week’s sermon with some profound thought that ends with the title:  Signs.

Close with prayer.