Sunday
12/03/23 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “Birth and Return!” (“The Eternal Truth” Series: Part 1 of 5)
Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
New Testament Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Gospel Lesson: Mark 13:24-37
A few years ago, a good friend of my family
and a retired United Methodist Church pastor, Rev. Bob Pinto passed on to
glory. Pastor Bob had a good sense of humor and had a deep Christian faith. In
fact, when Pastor Bob was in college, he had a professor who was a hardened atheist.
This professor was determined to break his student’s faith and or spiritual
beliefs. In fact, on the first day Bob’s class, this professor expressed to his
whole class, including Bob, “that there is no such thing as absolute truth”. Or
to put it another way, there is no such thing as a universal truth. This
professor was positive that all truth was subjective and not objective.
Since this professor said that there
is no absolute truth, Bob decided to raise his hand to challenge him. In
response to the claim of this professor, Bob raised his hand, and said “professor
can I ask you a question?” The professor said, “sure what is your question?”
Bob then said to the professor, “there is no such thing as absolute truth,
right?” The professor than said, “yes, that is correct.” Bob then responded to the
professor and asked, “Are you absolutely sure about that?”
This occurred many years ago, probably
in the 1950’s or the 1960’s, as the culture was moving into a “post truth”
world. This means that truth is subjective, and that everything is up for
interpretation. On some level this might sound good, but can a society or a culture
cannot exist and flourish without at least some basic universal truths. For
example, is murder wrong, or is it only wrong because the law says it’s wrong?
What can we agree on? Or is everything up for debate?
I ask all of this, because in the
Christian faith, the Bible that we read, that I preach out of, and that we draw
inspiration from, makes binding claims on our lives. If the scripture has any
truth, should we follow any of these truths, or is it all just subjective? If
there are no objective and universal truths, then why be a Christian at all? To
be a Christian historically, means that a person believes in some very central,
objective, and universal truths. This of course is challenge in a culture that
so often says there is “no such thing as absolute truth”
As a Christian, I believe in our
faith, and I believe in “Eternal Truths”. During this season of Advent, and
Christmas, I am going to be preaching on, not subjective truths, or your truth
and my truth, but “Eternal Truths”. I would argue that if God did not send his
son Jesus Christ to earth to die for humanity, to rise again, and to offer us
forgiveness, salvation, eternal life, and hope, then why be a Christian?
Should we remake the Christian faith
into some sort of feelgood social club, or does our faith teach “Eternal Truths?”
Historically, on Christmas Eve, Christians are not just celebrating the birth
of a baby that will grow up to be a nice guy and a prophet of God. Instead, we
a celebrating Emmanuel, that God in the flesh has come among us. How can
anything short this “Eternal Truth” ever really offer any hope to humanity? Yet
for some people to declare a universal truth is a sign of arrogance.
So, the question I have for us all,
including myself to consider this morning, are there absolute or “Eternal
Truths”? If so, what are these truths? What are not these truths? As people, as
Christians, do we believe that anything is fully or absolutely true? I do. I
believe that Jesus Christ came into the world as the savior of the world, and I
believe that Jesus will return to earth one day in glory. I don’t believe this
in a harsh or a judgmental way, but as a Christian, rooted in the historic
Christian faith, I believe that as people, we all need to be redeemed. This said,
we have a loving and an accepting church, that seeks to love all people, bring
people together, and to live more like Jesus Christ. I am just saying who say
Jesus is, is important.
In our reading this morning from Psalm
80:1-7, 17-19, we hear in Psalm 80:19:
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved (Ps. 80:19, NRSV).
If we want to be restored by God, and if we want God to
restore the world, it would probably be a good thing for us to believe in this,
right? To be a Christian historically, is to believe that Jesus has come to
redeem and restore us all. Some people throughout our history bearing the name
Christian have sometimes done some pretty terrible things, but something is not
untrue simple because someone claims a belief and does not live that belief out
well. Just because some people claiming be Christian historically have done
some cruel and harmful things, this does not mean that Jesus is not Lord and
Savior.
As we enter into this forty-day season, as Advent itself is
not technically 40-days, but historically it has often been a 40-day season, where
we await the memory of the birth of Jesus, and we await his triumphant return
to earth. For this reason, my sermon for this morning is called, “Birth and
Return”. The season of the Advent and the coming season of Christmas, are both
seasons that developed out of the worshipping tradition of the Christian Church,
and in this season, we are invited to prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ,
and we are invited to await and anticipate Jesus’ triumphant return.
This is a season where we are invited to grow closer to
Christ, closer to each other, practice generosity, prayer, reading of
scripture, kindness, and prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ.
May we prepare for both the “Birth and Return” of Christ.
In looking at our reading from 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 for this
morning we hear the Apostle Paul begin by greeting the church in Corinth or the
Corinthians. We hear starting in 1:3, once again, the Apostle Paul say
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:3, NRSV).
The Apostle Paul is greeting the
church in Corinth, or the Corinthians, a church that he helped found.
The scripture continues on picking up
in 1 Corinthians 1:4, saying:
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:4-7, NRSV).
The Apostle Paul is thankful that the
Corinthians have received the grace of God in Christ Jesus, and that they have
been enriched greatly by this. The church in Corinth, according to the Apostle
Paul has grown in speech and knowledge of every kind, and the testimony of Christ
has grown in the church in Corinth. The church is not lacking in any gifts, and
they await the revealing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Or to put it another way,
growing closer to Christ, and living more like Christ.
The Apostle Paul then
shifts, closing this scripture by discuss the return of Christ, as Advent is
about awaiting both the birth and the return of Christ. Our reading from 1 Corinthians
1:3-9 ends for this morning with 1:8-9 saying, once again:
8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Apostle Paul tells
the Corinthians that God will strengthen the church in Jesus Christ to the end,
so that they may be blameless when Christ returns. The Apostle Paul lastly tells
the church that God is faithful, and we are called live, love, and be like
Jesus Christ.
In looking at our gospel of Mark reading for this morning,
it can seem like an ominous scripture, as it begins not discussing the birth of
Christ, but rather the return of Christ. Remember the season of Advent is about
both the birth and the return of Christ. I say ominous, because in our gospel
of Mark reading it discusses in the first part of the reading, quite literally
the end of days, or the end of the world. Happy Advent, right!
In looking at the gospel
reading from Mark 13:24-37 for this morning, once again, the gospel reading
starts in 13:24, saying:
24 “But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and
the moon will not give its light, 25 and
the stars will be falling from heaven, and the
powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 “Then they will see
‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. 27 Then he will
send out the angels and gather the
elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of
heaven (Mk.13:24-27,
NRSV).
Mark
13:24-27 is about the return of Jesus Christ. This very apocalyptic and scary,
yet amazing moment Christ returns. For Advent is about preparing for “Birth and
Return” of Jesus Christ.
The
gospel of Mark continues in 13:28-31, once again, giving another example of
Christ’s return. The short passage is commonly called “The Lesson of the Fig Tree,”
says once again:
28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as
soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that
summer is near. 29 So
also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he
is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not
pass away until all these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and
earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away (Mk. 13:28-31, NRSV).
“The
Lesson of the Fig Tree,” given to us by Jesus, tells to be awake and ready for
Jesus. “This generation” comment though, is about the destruction of the Jewish
Temple in Jerusalem, that happened around 70AD, about forty-years, give or take,
after Jesus’s death and resurrection. Jesus is saying, that the center of Jewish
worship will be destroyed, but Jesus’s words won’t be destroyed. The generation
that Jesus was living in, would include many that would live to see the destruction
of the temple in Jerusalem.
Jesus
gives us “The Lesson of the Fig Tree,” to first tell us that the temple in
Jerusalem would be destroyed, and that eventually, one day, Jesus himself would
return. To this end, Jesus tells us, starting Mark 13:32, once again:
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Beware, keep
alert, for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a
man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each
with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35 Therefore, keep
awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the
evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or at dawn, 36 or else he may
find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Keep
awake.”
Jesus is saying that the great temple in
Jerusalem will be destroyed, then one day he will return, be ready, “keep awake”
spiritually Jesus tells us. For Advent my friends, is about the “Birth and Return”
of Jesus Christ.
As we continue this journey of looking at
“Eternal Truths,” the Christian Church has long believed that Jesus was born,
and that one day he will return. It is for these reasons that our communion liturgy
says, as we will say his morning: “Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come
again”. “Eternal Truths,”
beliefs that have sustained us for centuries, that give us hope, joy, peace,
and love, knowing this, God is real, Jesus is Lord, and not only will he be
born on Christmas, but he will return one day. Or as my sermon about Advent,
which explains what Advent is, Advent is about the “Birth and Return” of Jesus
Christ. Happy Advent! Amen.
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