Sunday 11/27/22 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “The One Who Is, And Is To Come!” (“The Reclaiming Hope” Series: Part 1 of 5)
Old Testament Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5
New Testament Scripture: Romans 13:11-14
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 24:36-44
On this the First Sunday of this the
season of Advent, we are gathered here this morning without COVID-19
restrictions. We are not required to wear masks, there is not social distancing,
no sitting every other pew, no sign-in for contact tracing, and no covering
yourself in a gallon of hand sanitizer.
As I said yesterday, at George Wambolt’s
Memorial Service, we have all been through a lot in these past few years. For
example, I remember visiting Dorothy or “Dot” Drake with Bill Dann, and we visited
Dot from outside through the windows of the Chestnut Park Nursing Home. Dot did
not understand why we could not come in, and it was most distressing to her. I
remember when Aggie DeShaw was sick in the hospital, her own family could not
see her, but were finally able to see her, on a very limited bases, when she
was in the Norwich Rehabilitation Facility.
During these past few years, we have lost
church members, friends, and family. We had to go grocery shopping at Price
Chopper following arrows, we needed to have masks on, etc. I hope and pray that
we are through this COVID-19 Pandemic, and I am happy that we are here this
morning without major restrictions.
I
wondered for awhile when we would actually get to this “new normal,” and it has
finally arrived. I looked at a Christmas Eve service video of ours from last
year, and we still had roped pews, and many wore masks. As I was preparing to
create a sermon series for this season of Advent, through Christmas Day though,
I felt hope. I felt like for the first time in three years that we are truly
and fully “Reclaiming Hope”. We are now living in a country that is largely
free from COVID-19 restrictions. It does mean that COVID-19 has gone away, but
it many ways, we have slayed the dragon. In fact, in my annual pastor’s report
for our church Charge Conference, last year I reported fifteen deaths and or
transfers of church members. For our annual church Charge Conference for this
year, on Sunday December 11th at 1:00 pm, here at Sidney, we had 6
deaths and or transfers.
I am
not saying that this is all because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, I am just saying
that we have all been through a lot in the last few years. I am also saying,
once again, that I am excited to be are here this morning with no restrictions,
and the other things that we had to endure for the past few years.
For those
to whom the season of Advent is a new thing, the church over the centuries
developed this season as season of preparation for the birth and the second
coming of Jesus Christ. The church also developed the season of Lent to prepare
for the death and then the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We do not have to
celebrate the season of Advent, but it has become part of the tradition of many
Christian Churches to do so. We do not have to have an Advent Wreath,
decorations, and a Christmas Tree, but these things have become incorporated into
our Advent season leading to Christmas, and Christmas itself. It certainly is a
highly decorated and loving time of the year.
In
this season of Advent, we await the memory of Christ’s birth on Christmas Day,
and we await the return of Christ to earth. Advent is all about the “The One
Who Is, And Is To Come!” In fact, in our lectionary scriptures each week we are
given scriptures from the Old Testament and New Testament. The Old Testament, or
Hebrew Bible, is the story of the Jewish people. This story includes prophecy
about the coming savior or messiah. This is why in many churches on Christmas Eve,
we read prophetic scriptures from the Old Testament pointing to the coming of
Christ, and then we proclaim this reality in our New Testament readings.
Even
during the pandemic, we awaited and celebrated the memory of the birth of Christ,
and we waited in anticipation for the return of Christ. I may have told you this
a few times before, but it wasn’t until I was a pastor for about 3-years, did I
realize that this season of Advent was not just about the memory of the birth of
Christ, but also the return of Christ. How else can we explain our gospel of
Matthew 24:36-44 lesson for this morning talking about the return of Christ? I
mean why would we talk about the return of Christ, in a season where we are
awaiting the memory of Christ’s birth? The answer is, Advent is about the memory
of the birth of Christ, and the return of Christ.
When we look at our reading for this morning from the prophet Isaiah 2:1-5, a scripture that was written centuries before Jesus Christ, we have a prophecy of the coming Messiah. In fact, our reading for this morning from Isaiah 2:1-5 says in 2:3-5, once again:
3 Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more. 5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord! (Isa. 2:3-5, NRSV).
In
this prophecy from the Prophet Isaiah, we hear of this messiah who will come
and judge between the nations, who will draw all of humanity unto himself, and who
will end war, suffering, poverty, and pain. Under this messiah and savior, Jesus
Christ, we will have perpetual peace and harmony. Sounds amazing to me!
In this season of
Advent, we prepare for the memory of the birth and the return of Jesus Christ.
We are preparing for and celebrating “The One Who Is, And Is To Come!”
In looking at our New Testament reading from the Apostle
Paul for this morning, once again in Romans 13:11-14, the Apostle Paul tells us
of the return of Jesus Christ. Picking up in Romans 13:11-14, the scripture beginning
in 13:11, once again, says:
11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is already the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone; the day is near. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us walk decently as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in illicit sex and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires (Rom. 13:11-14, NRSV).
The Apostle Paul is telling the church in Rome, or the
Romans, to be ready for the return of Christ. Live upright and righteous lives,
and know that Christ will return one day, to finally make this world into what
humanity has failed to try to make it into.
Since
the season of Advent is supposed to be a joyous time, some of us might find our
gospel of Matthew reading this morning to be a bit dark and ominous. Why do we
have this Matthew 24:36-44 reading for this morning? Well, once again, the
season of Advent is about preparing for the memory of the birth of Christ, and being
ready for his triumphant return. Jesus instructs us this morning, once again, starting
in Matthew 24:36 saying:
36 “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so, too, will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matt. 24:36-39, NRSV).
So, in this joyous, hope filled,
loving, and peaceful season, where we are called to prepare our hearts and our
minds for the memory of the birth of Christ, Jesus instructs us this morning.
Jesus tells us, live righteous lives, and be ready, for one day I will return.
For Jesus is “The One Who Is, And Is To Come!” Jesus
then continues in this reading from Matthew 24:36-44, talking about what will
happen he returns. He says picking up in 24:40, once again:
40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken, and one will be left. 42 Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect (Matt. 24:40-44, NRSV).
Living like Christ is
present in our lives, and living like Christ will be returning soon, changes
us. It gives us a sense of urgency, and it directs us to live holy and righteous
lives. I don’t think that it is a mistake then that this Sunday is also United
Methodist Student Sunday. For the students and the clergy that will trained
from the scholarship monies generated from giving to this special United
Methodist Church giving Sunday, will help the love and the hope of Jesus Christ
spread far and wide.
There have been times in
all of our lives that have been dark and challenging. The season of Advent
reminds us of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and it encourages
us that Jesus will return to perfect his creation. After a long and arduous pandemic,
how amazing is it to know that we are now moving into our “new normal,” and that
the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ can continue with little to know
restrictions!
Dear friends, during this season of Advent, pray, reflect, read scripture, love, give, have hope, have joy, and embrace the peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our savior who is “The One Who Is, And Is To Come!” Amen.
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