Sidney UMC - First Sunday of Advent/UMC Student Sunday - 11/28/21 - Sermon - “Birth and Return!" ("A Real Advent and A Real Christmas" Series: Part 1 of 5)

Sunday 11/28/21 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title:                       “Birth and Return!”     

                  (“A Real Advent and A Real Christmas!” Series: Part 1 of 5)          

Old Testament Scripture: Jeremiah 33:14-16                                     

New Testament Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Gospel Lesson: Luke 21:25-36

          I remember hearing for the first time when I was a little boy, “Paul, don’t put the cart before horse.” Or as my mom used to say of me about the future, “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Have any of you ever said or heard the phrases, “don’t put the cart before the horse,” or “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it?” These are statements people say when we are getting ahead of ourselves, or when we are thinking about and considering things that are far off. Sometimes we might consider or think about things that are not vital right now, or that can wait. Or maybe we are thinking about things as far as the end result goes but have not planned for or prepared to get to the end result.

          For example, if you were to say before you studied for a test, “I hope that I get an A on that test.” You might hear in response, “Aren’t you putting the cart before the horse? After all, you have not even studied yet, shouldn’t you study first and then expect to get an A.” Or if you said before you have studied, “What if I fail the test.” In response you might say “don’t put the cart before the horse,” or “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it?”

          Sometimes we get ahead of ourselves, and sometimes we can forget to be present in the moment, as we are so focused on the future. I know some Christians in fact that are so focused on the return of Jesus Christ that they seem to have forgotten about living for Jesus now, telling people about Jesus now, and loving their neighbors today. Are we present here and now, or are we putting “the cart before the horse,” or  hearing someone say to us “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it?”

          It is interesting that today is the First Sunday of Advent, this season of preparation leading to Christmas morning, and the return of Jesus Christ. We await the memory of the birth of Christ on Christmas, as he has already been born over 2,000 years ago. Every Christmas we celebrate his birth, that he grew up, that he loved, healed, forgave, died for us, rose again, and as we hear in today’s gospel of Luke lesson once again, will return one day in glory.

          As I mentioned last Sunday, I was originally going to plan for us to decorate the sanctuary and the church for last Sunday after church, but then I was reminded that we cannot talk about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I realized that I had “put the cart before the horse,” and as a result we will be decorating the church sanctuary and the church after worship today. We can now do this, because that we are through Thanksgiving, I know that I have not “put the cart before the horse.” Sometimes we have to be patient and wait, or as our choir anthem for this morning is titled “Like a child, I wait.”

          Now after those who are able to stay and decorate after church today, I could shout “Merry Christmas” to everyone. Again though, I would be “putting the cart before the horse,” as it is the season of Advent, not Christmas. We know that around the holidays and other times we try to pace ourselves, and that we do not want to get ahead of ourselves. This is why we may have said, and have likely heard, “don’t put the cart before the horse,” or “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it?”

          In fact, the sermon series that I am starting this morning is called “A Real Advent and A Real Christmas.” I often prayerfully pick my scriptures, my sermon titles, and create sermon series months in advance. Even so, the Holy Spirit and the events of the week or month seem to change and alter what I have planned. Specifically, four months ago when I planned this Advent through Christmas Day sermon series, I hoped that we would be in a much better place with the COVID-19 Pandemic than we are now. As some of us have heard in fact, we now have a new strain or variant of COVID-19, and the idea of a “A Real Advent and A Real Christmas” is not what we have at this point.

          As I prayed about this sermon series and how to approach the topic of a “A Real Advent and A Real Christmas,” what God revealed to me is that we can have a “A Real Advent and A Real Christmas.” By “Real,” we are all here in person or online. This is real, but not fully the “Real” that we had a couple of years ago. Even so, we can still have “A Real Advent and A Real Christmas,” although it might not exactly be what we are used to. “Real” is “Real,” whether it is the “Real” we are used to, or not. It would appear that when I planned this sermon series about four months ago, I was so hopeful and optimistic about this pandemic improving that I had “put the cart before the horse.”

          This brings me to my sermon title for this morning, and the first of five sermons in the “A Real Advent and A Real Christmas” series called “Birth and Return!” As I have said some of us have said or heard the phrases like “don’t put the cart before the horse,” or “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it?” It can can easy to make this same mistake with the scripture if are not careful, as well. We are in a season of preparing for Jesus’ birth, but our gospel of Luke lesson for this morning, once again, talks about Jesus’s return to earth.

          In looking at our reading for this morning from the Book of Jeremiah, it says once again:

¹⁴ The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ¹⁵ In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶ In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness” (Jer. 33:14-16, NRSV).

          In this very prophetic reading, the prophet Jeremiah is telling us that a person in the lineage or the line of the great King David, King of Israel, will be born, and this person will be the savior, messiah, Lord, and the king of all kings. It may have been challenging waiting for Jesus Christ to be born, as we celebrate the memory of Jesus’ birth on Christmas morning every year. We already know that Jesus is coming, as he was already born, but maybe it might have been hard to wait for Jesus to come before he was born. Maybe some people “put the cart before the horse,” thinking Jesus would be born earlier than he was.

          Many of us have celebrated many Advent and Christmas Seasons. We know the story, we know that Jesus was born, and did all the things that he did, that he lived, died, and rose again. Despite our supply chain issues with goods and services, nothing is going to stop Christmas from happening this year. We await the birth of Christ then, even though it has already happened. What has not happened yet though is the return of Christ.

          We are once again given our reading from the First Book of Thessalonians or the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica for this morning. The Apostle Paul begins by thanking God, for the church in Thessalonica. The Apostle Paul says once again in 3:9-11:

⁹ How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? ¹⁰ Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith. ¹¹ Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you (1 Thess. 3:9-11, NRSV).

 

          A few verses before this reading from 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul’s young friend Timothy has just returned from the church in Thessalonica. Timothy no doubt spoke to the Apostle Paul and his scribe Silas about the great faith of the church in Thessalonica. The Apostle Paul and Silas were well aware that the church in Thessalonica had great faith, but it is always good to hear good news. The Apostle Paul tells the church in this is his first letter to the church in Thessalonica that he and the other church members where he is in Athens are thankful for there faith and dedication to Christ. Further, the Apostle Paul says that he hopes to be with them again soon.

          The Apostle Paul then closes this reading from 1 Thessalonians starting from 3:9, saying once again:

¹² And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. ¹³ And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints (1 Thess. 3:9-13, NRSV).

          The Apostle Paul, Timothy, Silas, and all the others clearly miss the church in Thessalonica. They want to see the Thessalonians again, although they do not know when. The Apostle Paul also encourages the Thessalonians and prays that they would increase and abound in love for one another. The Apostle Paul also prays that the Thessalonians would grow in holiness and blamelessness when the Lord Jesus Christ returns.

          In my first couple of years of ministry, I used to think it odd that on the First Sunday of Advent that we have a scripture about the return of Jesus Christ. We have this scripture, generally every year, to show that Christ is indeed coming on Christmas. He was born, and we celebrate his birth every year. The season of Advent prepares us for the birth of Christ, but it also points us to the return of Christ. Christ was born, Christ died for us, and he will come again in glory.

          This is again how I got my sermon title for this morning, once again, is called “Birth and Return!” In our reading from Luke 21:25-36 for this morning once again, Jesus tells us what it will be like around the time of his return. Jesus says once again starting Luke 21:25:

²⁵ “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. ²⁶ People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Lk. 21:25-28, NRSV).

 

          This morning once again, we begin the season of Advent, and hear about the coming birth of Christ and his eventual return to earth. We, therefore, emphasize the “Birth and Return!” Jesus then emphasizes his return with the parable of the Fig Tree. Jesus says once again that when a fig tree is ready to sprout leaves that summer is near. In the same way a fig tree prepares for spring, Jesus tells us to watch for and to notice the signs of his return to earth. Jesus says that generation, or an era of time will not pass away until these signs have occurred. Jesus then reminds us that heaven and earth will pass away, but his words and his kingdom will never pass away (Lk. 21:29-33, NRSV).

          Lastly, Jesus tells us in Luke 21:34-36 this:

³⁴ “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, ³⁵ like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ 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” (Lk. 21:34-36, NRSV).

          So, we are called to be present, to serve and love this day, and not to only be focused on the end. Or as I heard when I was a kid “don’t put the cart before the horse,” or “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it?” People have asked me before if I think Christ will return soon. The best response I can give to this question is a quote from a Methodist Pastor that has since passed on to glory. This pastor said, “Don’t become so heavenly minded that you are useless here on earth.” Once again, “Don’t become so heavenly minded that you are useless here on earth.”

          Given all of this, friends, brothers and sisters, Melissa and I realize increasingly, especially through this pandemic that this life is fleeting. We have had many deaths this year, and we know that the scripture says that tomorrow is not promised to any of us. The faith we have now, and how we live it will continue on this earth, after we have gone on to be with God in glory. If Christ returns while we are still on this earth, then we have served him faithfully while we were here.

          Since this year has reminded Melissa and I all the more how life can change, how people pass away unexpectedly, and how the world can change around us, we are driven as much as ever to give. God has blessed us richly, and in response to these great blessings, we give to God through this church. We give because God has given so much to us, and every year that I have been in ministry, we try to increase our giving. We give because we believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we believe in the need to share the good news of Christ and equip people to transform the world. We believe this so much in fact, which give as much as we can to God through this church that we can.

          On this First Sunday of Advent, this UM Student Sunday, and this Consecration Sunday, I would ask you to prayerfully consider your giving to God through this church. It is no secret that our church has been running a budget deficit for a long time now. If I had to guess, at the rate we are going, this church will likely be closed in about 10-years. I cannot control the future of this church, only God can, but I believe in this church, what God is doing in and through us, and I want to see this church have a bright and a vibrant future.

          So, on this First Sunday of Advent, this UM Student Sunday, and this Consecration Sunday, I would ask you to prayerfully consider your giving to God through this church. We have pledge cards in our bulletins. You are welcome to fill them out and drop them in the wooden “Joash” box on the pedestal in the middle of the church. This way the church Finance Committee can have an idea of how we can plan to fun our ministries and the mission of our church in 2022 and beyond. Melissa and I friends, give once again, because we love Jesus, we love this church, and we believe in what God is doing here and beyond.

          So again, even though on Christmas we celebrate the memory of Jesus’ birth, may we not dwell solely on when he will return. May we not dwell only on the future of the church, forgetting our ministry in the here and the now. Let us give and love generously today, so that we “don’t put the cart before the horse,” or “we’ll cross that bridge when come to it?” May we give and love generously so that we “Don’t become so heavenly minded that you are useless here on earth.” Amen.