Freeville/Homer Ave. UMC's - 11/10/13 Sermon - “Children of the resurrection”

Sunday 11/10/13 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Children of the resurrection”

Old Testament Scripture Lesson: Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21

                                            

New Testament Scripture Lesson: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

Gospel Lesson: Luke 20:27-38

                            

          Good morning my brothers and sisters, and welcome again in the name of the Risen Christ, on this the twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost.

This morning I want to talk a little bit about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This “resurrection” is the literal belief that Jesus was crucified, that he died, that he was laid in a tomb, and that three days after being dead, he physically and bodily rose back to life. A couple of definitions of resurrection that I found are, “The act of rising from the dead or returning to life, and “the state of one who has returned to life.”

From these any many other similar definitions, it is pretty clear that a resurrection means that someone was dead, and then they were alive again. So Jesus died, and then three days later, he came back to life. For many non-Christians and even for some Christians this idea of the resurrection is a hard one to grasp. People who don’t believe in the resurrection might say, “How could someone die, then come back to life three days later.” Further, they might say, “If Jesus was that beat up, and if he lost so much blood, how could he have come back to life?”

          So many people struggle with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is hard for them to imagine that someone could come back to life after three days of being dead, yet we would say that this is the greatest miracle of our Christian faith. You see Jesus brought people who were dead back to life, he made the lame walk, he made the blind see, he cleansed the lepers, he walked on water, he calmed the storm, he fed thousands, and he taught us a new way of living, being, and existing. Coming back from the dead then, this no problem for the Son of God.

          Since Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Easter Sunday then, this is the reason why we traditionally worship on Sunday morning. In this way, we can think of every Sunday as a “mini-Easter.” This is why so often I begin my sermons with something like “welcome in the name of the risen Christ,” because we believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus was physically dead, and physically rose back to life again. We believe further, that he is still alive, and that he is coming back one day!

By Christ conquering life and death itself then, he has given us hope, he has given us a future, and we therefore, are “Children of the resurrection.” By our faith in Christ, and by transforming the world in his love and image, we live the gospel of Jesus Christ, we carry the torch of the risen savior, and we truly then are the “Children of the resurrection.”

          I saw a video that commemorated Dr. Billy Graham’s 95^th birthday this week, and Dr. Graham talked about the power of the cross of Jesus Christ. That by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are freed, and that we all have been purchased by the very blood of Jesus. Dr. Graham talked about how he sees so much pain in the world today and how if people put there hope and faith in Jesus Christ, that they would be radically transformed from the inside out. This is what makes us Christians then, what makes us a people of hope, in a world that often has no hope. This is what makes us “Children of the resurrection.”

          Perhaps there are some who are sitting here this morning though, who have never encountered the risen Christ. You might be feeling like there is no hope in your life, you might be feeling like you are lost. Perhaps you feel like your life has no importance, no meaning, and that you are just lost. I am here to tell you on this morning brothers and sisters, that all you might feel now, and that all that weighs and drag you down can be removed, as we serve a Lord that breaks every chain and who frees us. Our hope, our trust, our future all rest in the name Jesus, the one who conquered the very grave itself. This love, this hope, this peace, is what Jesus so freely offers us every single moment of our lives.

In being “Children of the resurrection,” in being children of hope, we have some amongst us some who have served or continue to serve this country and our communities, because they believed or believe in freedom, liberty, hope, and love. We as part of the tradition of this country have believed in something greater than ourselves. On this morning then, we remember our men and women who have served, both past and present. Many of these men and women have and continue to serve in very tough conditions. Yet when our soldiers fought for independence as a nation, they were fighting for freedom and justice. In our Civil War, we fought to preserve our Union and to end the evils of slavery. When our soldiers arrived on shores of Normandy, France in the D-Day Invasion, to end Nazi oppression and to eventually liberate our brothers and sisters being slaughtered in Holocaust camps, we were pursuing freedom, justice, and hope.

You see while we sit here this morning in safety and peace, while we sit here this morning freely being able to accept or deny the free gift of salvation offered to us through Jesus Christ, our men and women that serve have and continue to serve in places that might not be safe, peaceful, or secure. In fact, as we all know some of them never come home, or only come home after going on to be with the Lord.

Tomorrow then, as American flags are raised and are saluted, let us remember that many have gone before us to secure freedom and our ability to worship the risen Christ here this morning. Perhaps if only in our minds then, tomorrow let the memories of those who are no longer with us will be “resurrected” in our minds. You see in being “Children of the resurrection,” Veteran’s Day offers us the possibility to resurrect in our minds our heroes that have gone before us.

While this is all true though, as Christians we are also part of a world-wide community that extends far beyond just the boarders of this country. We have Christian brothers and sisters in countries like Egypt who are being persecuted and murdered. As Christians, we must stand will all our Christian brothers and sisters who suffer. Further, we must defend all human life in general, as all life is precious. For we are all God’s children, and war is something we should never seek, yet sometimes it occurs to end tyranny and injustice.

For example, in 1950 when Communist North Korea invaded South Korea, our friend and ally South Korea asked us to come to their aide, and we did, under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur. We lost many soldiers securing this country however, and this country continues to be one of our closest allies. South Korea also houses the world’s largest church by membership. This church, the “Yoido Full Gospel Church,” which is in South Korea’s capital Seoul, has a million professing members.

When looking at the scripture readings from this morning, we are encouraged in the reading from Psalm 145 to realize that, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.” The Psalm goes on to say, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

In looking at the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica, or the Thessalonians, Paul said, “But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through beliefs in the truth.” In God, we can do all things. In God, we have faith, we have hope, and we have the resurrection. He chooses us all, but we must also choose him.

The Apostle Paul concluded this scripture from his second letter to the church in Thessalonica by saying, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.” God is faithful.

When viewing our reading from the gospel from Luke 20 from this morning, the reading said, “Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.” Notice that it said that Sadducees don’t believe in the resurrection.

The Sadducees continued on challenging Jesus and said, “Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died.”

Then the Sadducees said to Jesus, “In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For seven had married her.” So if Jesus resurrected the woman, whose wife would she be? Jesus then responds to the Sadducees and says, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.”

Then Jesus said, “Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and children of God, being children of the resurrection.” Jesus then concluded in this gospel reading by saying, “Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living: for to him all of them are alive.”

          While there are those who believe in the resurrection of the dead that will occur when Jesus returns one day, some also don’t believe in Jesus’ resurrection. Those who do though, like me, can be called, “Children of the resurrection.”

          I would like to close this morning with a Veteran’s Day poem. This poem is called, “The Final Inspection,” by author unknown. Here is how it goes: “The soldier stood and faced God, which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining, just as brightly as his brass. 'Step forward now, you soldier, how shall I deal with you? Have you always turned the other cheek? To My Church have you been true?' The soldier squared his shoulders and said, 'No, Lord, I guess I ain't. Because those of us who carry guns, can't always be a saint. I've had to work most Sundays, and at times my talk was tough. And sometimes I've been violent, because the world is awfully rough. But, I never took a penny, that wasn't mine to keep... Though I worked a lot of overtime, when the bills got just too steep. And I never passed a cry for help, though at times I shook with fear. And sometimes, God, forgive me, I've wept unmanly tears. I know I don't deserve a place,
among the people here. They never wanted me around, except to calm their fears. If you've a place for me here, Lord, it needn't be so grand. I never expected or had too much, but if you don't, I'll understand. There was a silence all around the throne, where the saints had often trod. As the soldier waited quietly, for the judgment of his God. 'Step forward now, you soldier,
you've borne your burdens well. Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'

My brothers and sisters, we are and always will be the “Children of the resurrection,” because Jesus is and always will be on the throne of grace. He lives brothers and sisters! He is alive and well! Our ability to be able to worship Jesus has long been protected and defended by some of the finest children of God. Today, and tomorrow, let us seek to resurrect if only in our minds, those who have gone before us in service. For Jesus said in Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Brothers and sisters, we are “Children of the resurrection.” All glory and honor to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.