Sunday 12/10/23 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “We Are John The Baptist!” (“The Eternal Truth” Series: Part 2 of 5)
Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
New Testament Scripture: 2 Peter 3:8-15a
Gospel Lesson: Mark 1:1-8
Last Sunday I started a five-part
sermon series for the season of Advent and Christmas Eve. This series, once
again, is called “The Eternal Truth” series. This sermon series is based on the
idea of whether or not as Christians we believe in any eternal or unchanging truths.
Or to put it another way, are some things just objectively true? On a normal
cloudless summer day, is the sky blue? Is ice cold? Are camp fires hot? Is
killing people for no reason, ok? Is it ok to cheat on your taxes? Is it ok to
steal the possessions of others?
It seems that more and more in our
culture, some things that were once objectively true, or absolutely true, might
not be as universally true anymore. Some false truths that have been largely
dispelled are a good thing, but as a society, as culture, as a country, and as
a world, do we have principals and objective truths that unite us. I sure hope
so.
Organizations, like the United Nations
were created so that the member countries could create a framework of such
truths and beliefs and then expect them to be followed. Genocide or the murder
of innocent people is something that the United Nations opposes. The Geneva Convention
Laws, which are international humanitarian laws, discuss humanitarian treatment
during a war.
What are some of these laws, for
example:
The Geneva Conventions extensively define the basic rights of wartime prisoners, civilians and military personnel; establish protections for the wounded and sick; and provide protections for the civilians in and around a war-zone. The Geneva Conventions define the rights and protections afforded to non-combatants who fulfill the criteria of being protected persons. The treaties of 1949 were ratified, in their entirety or with reservations, by 196 countries. The Geneva Conventions concern only protected non-combatants in war. The use of wartime conventional weapons is addressed by the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 and the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, while the biological and chemical warfare in international armed conflicts is addressed by the 1925 Geneva Protocol (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Conventions).
So much of the world-wide community
has decided through organizations like the United Nation and the Geneva Conventions
what our values and our human beliefs are. Have these been violated by some
countries and groups? Yes.
As people of faith, as Christians, we
historically have believed in “Eternal Truths”. I believe in “Eternal Truth,”
because without objective truth, how we can say that anything is fully true or
untrue? What is our basis for truth? Can we decide that it is ok to torture
someone in one instance, but not in another? Do we have “Eternal” or Absolute truths,
or do we not have any? Do some people obey the laws because it is right to do
so, or more because they do not want to receive the consequences of violating
certain laws? Do we as Christians have standards and beliefs around how we are
supposed to treat and love each other? Yes, I would say so.
Some might ask then, “Well Pastor Paul
if this is true, then why have some people of faith done terrible and horrific
things?” My answer is, often when we take our eyes off of Jesus, when we feel that
we have no other choice, and or we justify our behavior somehow around our
Christian faith, bad things can happen. For example, I have talked to people
that are very antisemitic or anti-Jewish that have told me that Jesus was not
in fact a Jew. They have told me that the “Jews killed Jesus,” which is not
true. Jesus was a Jew and Jesus was killed by the order of Roman Governor of
Judea, Pontius Pilate, and the sentence was carried out by Roman soldiers. Yet,
if we want a version of Christianity that justifies the hatred and persecution
of Jews, you have to find reasons to defend your position. These reasons are
not historic and quite frankly don’t make sense.
During the years of slavery, many
slave owners in this country used scripture to defend the ownership of another
human being, and yet it was many Christians that led the charge of abolition or
the end of slavery in this country.
Where I am going with all of this, is
this, if we are Christians, I believe that we need to believe something. What do
we believe? I believe that we have to have faith rooted in Christ as our Lord and
Savior, and that we must try everyday to live as Jesus did. We all fail to do
this sometimes, which is why I have never yet sat out from saying a prayer of
confession before partaking of Holy Communion. It could happen though!
In a world and in a culture then, that
often rejects universal or absolute truths, I believe that the church needs to teach,
live, and boldly stand on “Eternal Truths”. Some would say that we should relax
our theological beliefs, who we say Jesus Christ is, etc. This is sometimes done
to be “relevant” some people say, or out of the belief that if we want to reach
a society has largely subjective or non-absolute truths, that the church must
lessen absolute or “Eternal Truths” in order to meet those people where they
are at.
What
has always made the gospel of Jesus Christ, our faith, and the community of
believers so powerful however, is our “Eternal Truths,” and how we live them
out. In a society that often has nothing solid to cling to, historically as
Christians, we cling to the unshakable and eternal hope of Jesus Christ, and
may we be proud to stand with Christ! We believe as Christians historically
that Jesus Christ, came to earth as fully-God and fully-human, that he lived a
sinless life, transformed the world, taught love, peace, and hope, performed
miracles, died for our sins, rose again, ascended, and will return in glory. No
matter what is happening in Sidney and the world then, Jesus is our risen Lord
and Savior, and historically we believe that this is “Eternally True”. We believe
that it is “Eternally True,” and that evil, violence, and wickedness will be
destroyed in the end, while righteousness, mercy, and love will be rewarded.
We live in a community that has seen
far too many drug overdose deaths, violence, homeless, etc. I believe that our
community, our world needs “Eternal Truths,” and in this season of Advent and
soon to be Christmas, I believe that we must preach the truth. Not my truth, but
the “Eternal Truth” of Jesus Christ. Is just believing in the birth and the return
of Christ that I preached about last Sunday going to fix all of the problems we
have? No. Is us getting saved, and coming Christ as Lord and Savior in and off
itself going to fix all the problems in this world? Probably not, but when the
church is united in mission, vision, and truth, we can do amazing things in Sidney
and in the world. The fuel that runs the mission, vision, and values of the
church, is Jesus Christ. We are called to live and love like Jesus Christ. We
are made new creations through Jesus Christ, and in a culture that seems to be losing
“Eternal Truths,” we are called to firmly put our faith and trust in Christ.
Being part of a loving and a growing
church like ours, that looks out for and takes care of each other is a part of
the solution to many of the problems that our community and world has. Further,
I believe that this has always been the case. When some Christians and some churches
have failed to be all we can be for Christ, “Eternal Truth” doesn’t change, but
our positive impact might.
In this season of Advent and soon to
be Christmas, it is vital for me as your pastor, your friend, and as a Christian
to proclaim the Eternal hope and truth that we have in Jesus Christ. Knowing Jesus
can and does transform our lives, that transformation, that continued growth
and development, in concert with the community of faith is how we change Sidney
and the world. For if I don’t proclaim this, then I am doing harm to the
community and the world. For “Eternal Truth,” is what Sidney and the world
needs.
When we are changed, then we can
better change others. Further, having true hope, having “Eternal Hope,” through
addiction, suffering, disease, loss, etc., is so much better than believing
that there is no “Eternal Truth”, and that there is no true hope. On this Sunday
of Peace, in this season of Advent, do we believe in “Eternal Truth”? If we do,
how has that “Eternal Truth” changed us and shaped our lives? Does it strengthen
us, does it empower us, and does it give us hope to change Sidney and the
world?
This morning in our gospel of Mark
reading, we have one of the narratives of Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist, or the
baptizer. John the Baptist called people to repentance, baptized them, and told
them that the savior or the messiah was coming soon. So strongly did John the
Baptist believe in the “Eternal Truth” that was and is Jesus Christ that he put
his whole life, being, and everything that he was on the line to prepare the way
for Jesus. John the Baptist would even eventually be beheaded for his faith in
Christ. John the Baptist believed and still believes in “Eternal Truth”.
When I look at our reading from Psalm
85:1-2, 8-13 for this morning the last verse really reminds me of John the
Baptist in our Mark 1:1-8 reading for this morning. In fact, Psalm 85:13 says:
13 Righteousness will go before him and will make a path for his steps (Ps. 85:13, NRSV).
The righteousness of God in John the Baptist, prepares the way
for Jesus Christ, and gives Jesus an even clearer path to walk. Jesus will go
forth in righteousness, mercy, and love.
In this season of Advent and soon to be Christmas, with so much
good and beauty in the world, along with so much struggle, how can the “Eternal
Truth” of Jesus Christ work in and through us? How can we find the joy of
Christ, and share the love and hope of Christ with the world?
While I will elaborate on
the person of John the Baptist more next Sunday, how can we be more like John the
Baptist? How can we let people know of this Jesus, and how can help to bring
people to Christ?
In looking at our New Testament reading from 2 Peter
3:8-15a for this morning, we hear of the “Eternal Truth” of our faith. We hear
of God’s presence, the love of Christ, and what being with God is and will be
like. Our reading from 2 Peter 3:8-15a begins once again, with the Apostle Peter
saying:
8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved,
that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are
like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some
think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all
to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a
thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements
will be destroyed with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it
will be disclosed (2
Pet., 3:8-10, NRSV).
The
Apostle Peter tells us how eternity with God will be, and that one-day Jesus
will return. We are called to live, love, hope, serve, and put our trust in Christ.
Continuing on our 2 Peter 3:8-15a reading, the Apostle Peter picks up in 3:11,
saying once again:
11 Since all these things are to be
destroyed in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of
holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening
the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set
ablaze and destroyed and the elements will melt with fire? 13 But, in
accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where
righteousness is at home.
14 Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting
for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish, 15 and regard the
patience of our Lord as salvation (2 Pet. 3:11-15, NRSV).
In
this being the season of Advent, the season where we await Christ’s birth and
return, the Apostle Peter tells us live holy and Godly lives, waiting for when
Christ returns. On this day, the Apostle Peter us that righteousness will be at
home with Christ, and evil will be destroyed. Until then may we have peace, and
strive to live holy and righteous lives.
In our gospel of Mark 1:1-8 reading
for this morning, we once again here a narrative of John the Baptist, as we
will also hear it in the gospel of John next Sunday. Once again, this is what
our gospel of Mark 1:1-8 say for this morning
1 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. 2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, 3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight,’ ” 4 so John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mk. 1:1-8, NRSV).
My sermon title for
this morning, once again, is called “We Are John The Baptist,” because if we believe
in “Eternal Truth,” then we should be eager to point people to Christ. In this
season of Advent and soon to be Christmas, where very often more people visit
and attend churches, beyond just the decorations and the joy of the season, may
we offer people “Eternal Truth”. John the Baptist came to call people to repentance
and baptism, and to point them to Jesus Christ. May we be “John The Baptist” in
this season of Advent and soon to be Christmas, pointing people to the “Eternal
Truth” of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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