Sidney UMC - Veteran's Day Sunday/23rd Sunday after Pentecost - 11/08/20 - Sermon - “The Kingdom of Heaven Will Be Like”

Sunday 11/08/20 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title: “The Kingdom Of Heaven Will Be Like”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 78:1-7                                 

New Testament Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 25:1-13

          Today is the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost, and Veteran’s Day Sunday. Twenty-Three Sundays after the Christian Church was born almost 2,000 years ago on the day of Pentecost, and this again, is also our Veteran’s Day Sunday.

          Veteran’s Day Sunday is not a formally recognized Sunday in the life of the United Methodist Church, but I chose to celebrate our veterans, as Veteran’s Day is this Wednesday November 11^th. On Wednesday November 11^th Canadians and other countries will also celebrate Remembrance Day, which is like our Veteran’s Day.

          As a United Methodist Church, we do not celebrate or condone war, and we do not celebrate and condone violence. Yet there have times in the histories of all countries that their leaders asked brave men and women to serve. In this way, today we say thank you to the brave men and women that have served in our now six branches of the armed service. As our video for this morning explained, Veteran’s Day began from the day that the Armistice or the cease fire occurred that ended World War I. This famous day was November 11^th, 1918, which was at the 11^th hour, of the 11^th day, of the 11^th month of 1918.

          According to a source that I researched it says this:

“At the urging of major U.S. veteran organizations, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial Day, a U.S. public holiday in May. Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day honors those who had died while in military service. Another military holiday that also occurs in May, Armed Forces Day, honors those currently serving in the U.S. military. Additionally, Women Veterans Day is recognized by a growing number of U.S. states that specifically honors women who have served in the U.S. military” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day).

          Today then, we honor and defend the veterans in our country, as many do the same in their countries. We do not like war, but we honor service and sacrifice, and we say thank you to those who answered the call to serve.

          I remember a burial service that I was asked to officiate probably about 4-5 years ago. It was a beautiful summer day, and the person that who died was a Vietnam War Veteran. For some reason, the honor guard that was supposed to show up to this funeral and play taps and do the flag folding and presentation ceremony did not show up. Two family members of the man that died were also Vietnam Veterans. The one cousin was really upset. It turned out that the honor guard had the wrong address, and they were stuck in traffic. They told the cousin of the man who died that they would be there in about an hour and half. The cousin of the man who died soon after said some things that I cannot say in church and hung up the phone.

          The cousin of the Vietnam Veteran and the other Vietnam Veteran family member proceeded to do the flag folding and presentation ceremony. I remember the cousin of this man who died was so angry that honor guard did not show up. I will never forget what he said to me. He said, “Pastor, my government drafted me during the Vietnam War. I went as I was told to do. I trained, I fought, and when I came home there was no parades, no celebrations. Instead we were spit upon and called baby killers. We could have dodged the draft, or refused to fight, but then we would go to jail, and get a dishonorable discharge”. Then he said, “I love all Veterans, but if this was a funeral for a World War II Veteran, the Honor Guard would be here!”

          I cannot honestly say whether that would be the case if the funeral was for a World War II veteran, but I really felt this man’s pain and frustration. He had a Vietnam War Veteran hat on, and a Pow Mia patch on his denim vest, and he basically said, my government asked me serve, and I got no recognition for it. I have never told this story in church, but this, among many other reasons, is why I will always celebrate our veterans and those who died serving this country.

          We do not love war, but some of our men and women saw and endured things that no one should have to see and endure. So today, and this Wednesday on November 11^th, as your pastor, and as the leader of this church, I say thank you to our veterans. Thank you for the times that you were afraid, thank you for the days that you were home sick, and in general, thank you for your service.

          To connect this celebration of our veterans to our scriptures for this morning, I really like our reading this morning from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Once again it says in 13:14:

“¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words”

(1 Thess. 4:13-18, NRSV).

          In this scripture, the Apostle Paul writes to a very new and young Christian Church in Thessalonica. In this church, some of the members were concerned about the fate of some of the fellow believers that had died. The Apostle Paul tells the church in Thessalonica or the Thessalonians that those who died serving and loving Christ, will be with God for eternity. Do not grieve their loss the Apostle Paul says, but have hope, and the return of Christ, or the day of the Lord will come the time is right. Have hope, and encourage one another (Africa Bible Commentary, pg. 1489).

          As Christians we are called to have hope in the life lived now for Christ, and the eternal life to come with Christ. Those who have died in Christ then, live on with Christ in eternity. Whether these believers died from persecution, disease, or old age, they live on in glory. Have hope, remember them, and trust in God.

          Give this, this scripture really resonated with me about the meaning of Veteran’s Day. Do not lose hope, do not give up, and know that we will see many who believed again. Imagine in heaven among the countless others, having many veterans, having many who died in battle. Imagine further, that the uniforms of these soldiers might be American, and many other countries.

          The truth is, is that we live in a broken and sinful world, but we are offered wholeness through Jesus Christ. This world will never be perfect until Christ returns, but maybe, just maybe with God’s help, we can make this world much better. I long for the days of no more war, no more violence, and no more hatred. I know this will be the reality in glory, but we cannot seem as humans to live this out as well as should on this earth.

          My sermon title this morning, on this Veteran’s Day Sunday, is called, “The Kingdom of Heaven Will Be Like”. This title is taken once again from our gospel of Matthew reading for this morning. You see, the United Methodist Church and many other denominations, as I said, are opposed to war, and no one likes war. Yet will live in a fallen and broken world. So, in eternity, in Christ’s kingdom of heaven, what will it be like? We know that there will be no war, no suffering, no violence, and probably, likely, no elections or political parties in heaven. As one Facebook post that I saw said, why vote for a donkey or an elephant when the Lamb reigns for eternity.

          Yet in the gospels, Jesus offers us these glimpses of what this kingdom of heaven will look like. In tell his parables or stories, Jesus many times would explain what the kingdom of heaven would be like, by literally saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven Will Be Like”. Jesus would then go to explain his example. In our gospel of Matthew lesson for this morning, Jesus once again says:

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; ⁴ but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. ⁶ But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. ¹¹ Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ¹² But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Mt. 25:1-13, NRSV).

          Jesus uses the example of brides to be, waiting for there bridegroom, or soon to be husband. Half of these bridesmaids are prepared to meet the bridegroom, and other half are not. The ones that were not prepared, missed the bridegroom, and the great realities there in. Yet, the ones that were prepared, received their bridegroom.

          Jesus tells us to be ready, to be vigilant, and to be prepared. Be prepared for his return, do not lose faith, and do not become idle and complacent. While we sit here in worship here this morning, so many men and women in uniform are in places with great dangers and challenges. These soldiers do not have the luxury of, as Jesus says this morning, keeping “awake”. They must stay alert, for lives are dependent upon it. During this time of pandemic and always, do not fall asleep in your faith in Christ.

          May we all, therefore, be vigilant with our faith, be ready to serve Christ, and forgive and boldly love each other. May we pray and through Christ build a better world. A world with no war, no violence, and no heartache. Until this day, however, may still pause, bend the knee, and remember those who have loved us, served, and cared for us. Happy Veteran’s Day Sunday, and God bless.