Freeville/Homer Ave. UMC's - Veteran's Day Sunday/Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost - 11/09/14 Sermon - “Keep alert, because you don't know the day or the hour"

Sunday 11/09/14 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Keep alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour”

Old Testament Scripture Lesson: Psalm 78:1-7

                                            

New Testament Scripture Lesson: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 25:1-13

          Brothers and sisters, friends, welcome once again on this the Twenty-Second Sunday after the Feast of Pentecost, this Veteran’s Day Sunday, and this Sunday of considering our pledges and our commitments to our church.

          While Pentecost occurred nearly two-thousand years ago, when the Holy Spirit moved in a mighty way during the Feast of Pentecost, giving birth to the Christian Church, Veteran’s Day in the United States got its start in only in 1919. In fact, on November 11, 1919 the then President Woodrow Wilson declared that November 11^th, would be known “Armistice Day.” This Armistice, was the Armistice or “cease fire” that ended World War I on November 11, 1918. While the treaty after the war was not signed until late June of 1919, the Armistice or “cease fire” to end World War I or the “Great War” is how Veteran’s Day originally got its start. In 1938, the United States Congress then officially made “Armistice Day” a federal holiday, which would occur every year on November 11^th.

          When World War II ended in 1945 however, the thought quickly came up to expand “Armistice Day” to honor all men and women who have served in all wars, and in general. As a result, on June 1, 1954 the United States Congress officially changed the name of the national holiday of “Armistice Day” to “Veteran’s Day.” This Tuesday then, is our national holiday to honor, to remember, and to respect our men and women who have and will serve our country. This Tuesday, government institutions, public schools, and other institutions will be closed to honor those men and women who served our country.

          This holiday also happens to fall right in the middle of our stewardship season. You know the season where you get given those pieces of paper to decide how much to give to the church. This church that is or easily could be your new spiritual home. A church that perhaps you were married in, baptized in, raised a family in, found Jesus in, or perhaps is the place where you have invested much of your time, your talent, and your resources. Yet, what has this church done for this area over the many years it has existed? What impact has this church had on your life, on your family’s life, and the lives of many people over its years of existence?

          If the saints that came before us from this church, could speak about this church here today, what would they say? What would they say about how this church has changed this community and even the world?

          Maybe beyond just faith in Jesus Christ as one’s savior, maybe these past saints took that core of Christianity, and went much further in the way of service, charity, and love for others. In this way, I would ask you to think back to when you first came to this church. I want you to think of the loving people that you found here when you first walked in. I want you to think about all of those people that were in this church that are, or that are no longer with us on this earth today. What would they say about this church, its mission, its commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Would these past saints be encouraged and excited about the church? Or would they say, “don’t give to that church! You know the church is just a business right?” Also, how do we know when our time on this earth is up? How do we know when the Lord will return? For today’s gospel of Matthew reading says, “keep alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour,” that Jesus will return. We also don’t know the day or the hour that we will leave this earth.

          Much like Armistice Day, which is now Veteran’s Day, our church therefore, is a legacy. Our church speaks to reality of what the power of God has done in this place, and in this area. This church is a lighthouse, where all are welcomed, where we learn to love just a little a more, were lives are changed, and where we are trained to change the world for Jesus Christ.

          So First off, as I said, has the church been a blessing to you and to your family? Has the church made a significant impact on your life? Is the church where you found Jesus Christ, and faith in great abundance?

          I don’t know about you brothers and sisters, but I don’t think that I could ever give the church enough, to return what God has done for me. In fact, as my step-father Mike Therio says often, “you can’t out give God.” That when we give, that when we are faithful, aren’t we blessed abundantly? Doesn’t it feel good to give? For God loves “a cheerful giver.”

          The PPRC committee of this church voted to give me a small raise in pay for 2015. Now this wasn’t something that I expected. When I came home that night and told Melissa though, I began to speak, and she said, “I know, I know Paul, we will increase our tithing to the church.” For I can never “out give God.”

          The real fascinating thing to me is, is that we have nothing that God needs or wants from us, except for one thing. Did you hear what I just said there? We having nothing that God needs or wants from us, except for one-thing. That one thing is our obedience.

          I believe very strongly, that when I stand before almighty God someday, that he will say to me, “What did you do with the bounty that I gave you?” With all that God has given to me, do I give freely, or do I keep it all for myself? I hope that one day that when I stand before God, he will say, “Paul, well done good and faithful servant, the kingdom of heaven is yours.” For the gospel of Luke says in 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Where is our treasure? Is it with God, or is it elsewhere?

          Maybe we will get more serious about our faith tomorrow, or maybe next week, or maybe next year. Yet, we don’t know how long we will individually be on this earth do we? We also don’t know when the Lord will return, as the Gospel of Mathew from this morning says, “keep alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour,” that Jesus will return.

          So while I think we should take our faith seriously today, as tomorrow is not promised to anyone, I have also struggled in the past, with the fact that the church pays the pastor. I used to say when I was little younger to Melissa, “so let me get this straight, we tithe so that the pastor can drive a Cadillac?” Of course, I still gave, and when I got to seminary, I told the head of the seminary, “I don’t think that pastors should receive a salary!”

          He looked at me sort of perplexed and said, “well why is that?” I then said, “because we could give all that money to the poor.” The head of my seminary then told me a story that astounded. He said, “let me tell you a story Paul.” I then said, “ok.”

          He then said, “In a small town hundreds of years ago, the town had just heard about a savior named Jesus of Nazareth only months earlier. Many of the people in the town learned the scriptures, became followers of Jesus Christ, built a church, and wanted the world to know all about Jesus. In fact, they were so serious and excited about it, that they asked a young man in the town a tough question one day. You see, this young man was very moral, very upright, and now he himself also believed very strongly in God, the scriptures, and following Christ every day. As a result, the people of the town, believing so strongly in Jesus, and so strongly in their faith, asked the young man if he would quit his secular job, and come and lead the new church as the pastor.”

          “The young man said, but I still need to earn a living to feed my family, so maybe I will just work both jobs. The people then said, but we love Jesus Christ and the church so much, that we will pay you to serve God, to pray for us and the world, to visit the sick, to encourage us, to preach the gospel to us, to be strong when we are weak, to be available when we need it, and to make this community better. So we want you to quit your other job, and we will pay you enough to live. The young man so overcome by the honor and the joy of this request that he agreed to become the first pastor of the first church, of this small town. This pastor was very much the glue of this town, and he served God and the people there for years.”

          The head of my seminary then looked at me and said, “Paul, do you understand now why pastors get paid? Do you understand that they leave there secular jobs, many go to school for years, to be fully of service to God, to the church, and to the world? Do you understand that in the Methodist Church, it is like the military, in that our Bishops can send us anywhere in our conference from year to year? Do you see the sacrifice,” he said?

          Well wow I thought! I then told the head of seminary that I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to afford the rent of whatever church parsonage that I lived in. He then began laughing hysterically. I then mentioned it two or three more times, until he was almost crying he was laughing so hard. He then told me, “Paul, if the church can manage it, they will even house you and your family without cost to you, as well.” You know God’s people must love Jesus, the church, and the office of the pastor enough, must believe in the mission of the church enough, that we as a faith are still here nearly two-thousand years later.

          How amazing God is! How amazing the church is to me! How great the church has been to me since I agreed to go to four long years of school, to give up everything to serve God. I give freely, because God has given so much to me. Not only this, my beautiful bride Melissa has agreed to be in ministry with me to. She has answered the call of God in here own way.

While I avoided serving God as a pastor for some time in my life, I soon realized if not now, then when? Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, as Jesus said, “keep alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour” that I will return.

          In our Psalm reading from this morning, the Psalm instructs people to listen to the proverbs and the ancient wisdom that we have shared for generations. The Psalm then says that we should teach our children these things, “so that the next generation and children not yet born will know these things, and so they can rise up and tell their children to put their hope in God—never forgetting God’s deeds, but keeping God’s commandments.”

          Then the Apostle Paul tells us in his first Epistle or letter to the church in Thessalonica or the Thessalonians, “Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about people who have died so that you won’t mourn like others who don’t have any hope.” The Apostle Paul then says, “we believe that Jesus died and rose,” and the Apostle Paul then discusses how Jesus will return to earth one day.

          Our Gospel lesson this morning is from the gospel of Matthew 25:1-13. This gospel reading is often known as “The parable of the bridesmaids.” In this parable, ten-young bridesmaids are awaiting at night with lamps for the groom to come and get them for his wedding. Of these ten-young bridesmaids though, five of them didn’t bring oil for their lamps, meaning that they couldn’t see in the dark. The groom in this parable was then late, and at midnight the ten-young bridesmaids heard a “cry” far off in the distance indicating that the groom would be there fairly soon.

Yet, since the five-young bridesmaids had no oil in their lamps, they then asked the other five-young bridesmaids, who not only brought lamps full of oil, but containers of oil, if they could have some of their oil. The five prepared young bridesmaids said however, that they had to keep all of their oil, to ensure that could see the groom in the dark of the night, when he finally strolled up.

The five-prepared bridesmaids then suggested that five unprepared bridesmaids go and buy some oil for their lamps quickly, as to be able to see in the dark. So they did, but when there were gone, the groom arrived. When those five bridesmaids who had finally gotten enough lamp oil arrived at the wedding, they were not allowed in. You see the king said to them, “I tell you the truth, I don’t know you. Therefore, keep alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour.” They missed the boat.

          What if we don’t worry about the church, or God, or helping others? What if we don’t fill our lamps as to be able to give and bless others? What if we just rush out later in life and get a bunch of lamp oil? What if we just give to the church later in life? What if we invest in our faith “down the road,” or “when things slow down?” Yet Jesus tell us this morning, “keep alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour,” or the day or hour we are going to leave this earth.

Let me tell you a quick and funny story called “He Will,” by an author unknown. Here is how it goes: “The telephone rings in the pastor’s office. “Hello, is this Pastor Johns?” the caller asks. “Yes it is.” “This is the tax department. We wonder if you can help us” The pastor feels butterflies in his tummy. Why is the tax department ringing him? Nervously he replies “I’ll do the best I can.” “Do you know a Bruce Parker?” asks the tax agent. “Why yes” replies the pastor. “He’s a member of my congregation.” “Did he donate $10,000 to the church building fund?” A smile comes across the Pastor’s face. “He will.”

          So brothers and sisters, let us give abundantly to God, to the church, and to others this week, this coming year, and until we leave this earth, because “keep alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour.” Praise be the risen Christ. Amen.