Sermon: Luke 21:25-36 – Waiting and Watching

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon: Luke 21:25-36 – Waiting and Watching
Grace Presbyterian Church
November 29, 2009

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This morning the church celebrates the First Sunday of Advent. During Advent we prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus Christ into our lives. The coming of Jesus is not something that we do. Rather it is something God does for us. So all we can do is to wait and watch. The ancient prophets waited and watched for the day that the messiah would come and fulfill God’s promise to David that his descendant would sit on his throne forever. In the first century a teenage girl waited for the birth of her son and watched the reaction of the people around her to this unexpected event. In Jesus’ time people waited and watched for the Roman legions that they feared might destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. Today, children learn to wait and to watch for Christmas and the arrival of Santa Clause and gifts. We may think that we are active people but we spend a lot of our time waiting for something to happen. So it is helpful to remember what we are really waiting for and watching for this Advent, the coming of Jesus Christ. As we wait and watch for Jesus Christ it is important to pray. So please pray with me.

Eternal God, as you led your people in ages past, you direct our journey into the future. We give you thanks that you came to us in Jesus Christ, and we eagerly await his coming again that his rule may be complete and your righteousness reign over all the world. Then we will feast at his royal banquet, and sing his praises with the choirs of heaven. By your Spirit, open our eyes to the generosity of your hand, and nurture our souls in all spiritual gifts. Fill us with gratitude overflowing that we may share life and love in praise to you, God of all the ages, in the gracious name of Jesus Christ, your Son, by the power of your Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. (Book of Common Worship pp. 171-2)

Luke 21:25-36 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." 29 Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 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 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."

You are probably thanking God right now that I am just a guest preacher. Why, you must be wondering, did I select that scripture for this morning? After all it is Christmas. You have been buying gifts for a month now. The shopping malls are all decorated. Santa Claus has arrived in Glendale. Christmas carols are being played on the radio. Certainly you expected celebration of Christmas at church in Advent. But there is no Santa, no Mary and child, no angels and no shepherds in today’s scripture. These words of Jesus are filled with frightening images about a world shaken to its foundation. So you must be thankful that the guest preacher is only here for one week and Pastor Al will return to the pulpit next Sunday.

Of course the way the church prepares for Christmas is very different from the way our culture prepares for it. We are waiting not for Santa and decorated trees and gifts, but for the return of our Savior. Jesus warns us to stay awake and keep alert because he could return at any moment. And according to Jesus he will return when we need him the most. The good news is that as our nation’s recession deepens and unemployment and deficits rise we need not despair because this means that Jesus’ return is very near and all we have to do is to wait and watch. The coming of Jesus means that we can be filled with hope that no matter what is happening in our lives our savior is on the way.

I suspect that each of you has experienced some form of loss this year and need a savior to come. Some of you may have lost a family member, or you have lost your health or a job. I know that some of you have experienced the loss of your church. It was a terrible time for you as you felt abandoned by your pastor and the presbytery. And now you must worship in a strange place this Advent. But one of you saw, in all of this, the signs that Jesus’ coming is near. In the midst of the pain and fear of the closing of a church one of you has enrolled in seminary and is studying our Presbyterian Constitution to hear Jesus speak though the accumulated wisdom of the church. She is learning, even in the midst of the tearing apart of the fabric of the church, that Jesus is still with us and cares for us and is leading the church to a glorious future. All we have to do is to watch and wait for his return.

The prophet Jeremiah spoke to the people of God after the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon six hundred years before Jesus. Their temple had been burned to the ground. And the people had been taken into exile. God must have seemed very far away at that time. All the people of God could do was to watch and wait. But Jeremiah knew that God still loved his people very much and he wrote these comforting words of hope.
Jeremiah 33:14-16 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."

What sustained the exiles in Babylon was their faith that God would save them. They believed that the Son of Man, would come down from heaven in a cloud and rescue them from their captivity. The prophet Daniel saw this in a vision of the coming of a savior for God’s people. Here is what he said.

Daniel 7:13-14 13 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

So our hope, this Advent, is not in the government, or in business, or in our own abilities or even in the church. No, our hope is in the God who loves us, died for us, and promises to return when we need him the most. Just watch the signs of the times and know that these are indications that Jesus is on the way.

As we wait and watch for Jesus there is something that we can do. We can meditate on God’s Word. Reading the Bible prepares us to recognize Jesus when he does return. The psalmist put it this way.
Psalm 25 4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. 5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.

So we read scripture to know how to live our lives as people waiting and watching for Jesus. In the Bible we learn that while we wait we can trust in God. We learn to distinguish the truth of God from the lies of the world. We find out that God loves us and forgives us. And we are prepared for the glorious return of Jesus.

I am becoming an expert in waiting and watching for Jesus. My service at Eagle Rock Presbyterian church ended earlier this month. I am now waiting and watching for God to call me to a new church. I have sent resumes to churches all over the country. I have had some rejections from churches that I really wanted. But the longer I wait and watch the more I am certain that my savior is on the way. I trust that Jesus himself will call me to a new church in the near future. So I pray, meditate on scripture, wait and watch.

Jesus is coming this Advent. The signs are all around us. People are in distress and need a savior. The nation is at war and in recession and needs a savior. The world groans under the weight of human sin and needs a savior. And the good news of Advent is that the church can proclaim the coming of Jesus Christ, our savior.

So as we go through Advent remember that God has a big present for us. I know it is difficult waiting for this gift. We watch the sign of the Christmas season and long for the day we can open it. The gift we are waiting and watching for is none other than the return of our savior, Jesus Christ.

Eternal God, you taught us that the night is far spent and the day is at hand.
Keep us awake and alert, watching for your kingdom, and make us strong in faith, so that when Christ comes in glory to judge the earth, we may joyfully give him praise; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Book of Common Worship p.173)

Sermon: Biblical Transitions: To Whom Do You Belong? – Psalm 24

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon: Biblical Transitions: To Whom Do You Belong? – Psalm 24
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
November 1, 2009

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Today is All Saints Day. November 1 is the day on the church calendar when we remember the saints who have left us to be with the Lord. In the past year we said goodbye to two elders of this church Vi Vandruff and Lois Shultz. All Saints Day is also the day on the church calendar when we think about the present. Today we will say goodbye to each other as this is my final Sunday as your pastor. And All Saints Day is when we thick about the future. Next week you will celebrate the coming of a new pastor and the closer relationship you will have with the Filipino church.

Before I begin preaching this morning I would like to use this opportunity to thank some people in this church. First, I would like to thank the congregation for allowing me to be your pastor since August of 2007, right out of seminary as my first call. And I want to thank June and the group of women who meet every Wednesday for the coffee and cookies and conversation you gave me every week. And thank you to Bob and the Retreads for keeping this place so beautiful. Thank you to June and Donna and the Deacons of this church for your care for the shut-ins and the poor in our community. Thank you Laureen and Jon for the work of the Worship Committee as we continued the morning worship and launched new services at 3 and 5:30. Thank you Rosie and Vern for helping the immigrants coming to this church learn English and adapt to American culture. Thank you Cora, Cecile, David, Jon and the choir for your beautiful music at our worship services and special concerts. Thank you Ruth for our bulletins and newsletters. Thank you Judy and Dirk for meals and special events. Thank you Art for taking care of the churches finances and reports to presbytery. And thanks to all of you for welcoming Grace and me into your community.

This morning I will be completing my series of sermons on biblical transitions. And this is appropriate because my wife and I and this church are entering a transition today. The church is beginning a transition to my successor, Rev. Dr. Kyle Burch. And I am beginning a transition to a new church. Although God has not yet revealed my new church I know that God is at work and will reveal my new call shortly. And when that happens I will let you know where Grace and I wind up. But first let’s pray.

Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Psalm 24:1-10 NRS Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; 2 for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. 3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. 5 They will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of their salvation. 6 Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah 7 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah

For the last month we have been looking at biblical transitions. We started with the transition of the people of God as they brought the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan into the Promised Land. God had the law which had governed their lives written down for them to observe as they settled in their new land and told them to be bold and courageous, to remember that God is always with you, and to have no fear. Then we saw how the people of God in the first century feared that they could no longer pray to God when they were no longer able to enter the temple, and the author of Hebrews assured them that Jesus Christ was their high priest and would continue to relay their prayers to God. And last week we read the letter to the exiles in Babylon from Jeremiah telling them to trust in God, live normal lives and pray for their oppressors. All of this constitutes biblical wisdom which we can use as we experience transitions in our lives.

In today’s scripture we see a joyous transition. The Ark of the Covenant representing the presence of God is being brought into Jerusalem. The people of God have transitioned from living in a loose federation of tribal states into a single nation led by King David with Jerusalem for its capital. The arrival of the Ark into Jerusalem indicated that God was the true king over this nation. And so this was a time of great celebration with singing and dancing and worship.

As the Ark started it journey to Jerusalem King David asked the people to remember that they were God’s people. And the God they worshiped was none other than the creator of the universe and their own creator. This meant that their God was the owner of the entire world and everything in it. And all the people of the kingdom of God belong not to themselves but to God.

So as we approach transitions in our lives we must remember that we too belong to God. We are not in control of our own lives. Rather we are God’s people and participants with God in the world that God has made. And the church is owned by God as well. No one here should think that they own this church. The session does not own the church. The presbytery does not own the church. The pastor certainly does not own this church. Nor does the congregation own this church. Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church is owned by God and will be used by God for God’s purposes. And each of you is owned by God and will also be used for God’s purposes. So as you experience transitions remember that you and the entire world belong to our loving God.

As the Ark neared Jerusalem King David asked the people of God if they were worthy to ascend the hill of Jerusalem to be in the presence of God. David told them that to be worthy to enter into the presence of God they must have clean hands and pure hearts. In other words all their works must be done for the glory of God, and these must be motivated by their love of God and their love for one another. This means that everything we do must be done for the glory of God out of our great love for God and our love for our neighbors in the Eagle Rock community. This is evident every Sunday as we satisfy the community’s hunger for the Word of God and the salvation of Jesus Christ as we worship together.

Our love of God requires that we worship and confess that our creator God is the only God. When we experience transitions in our lives we must never turn away from God and worship idols. We must not put our faith in money, or jobs, or government, or relationships, or education, or anything else that we might value more than God. We must always be motivated by our love of God and the command to love our neighbors. And this is why the church must continue it ministry at 5:30 because this is the only ministry of this church that reaches out to all people, regardless of income or wealth, to bring them the good news of Jesus Christ. This is how this church obeys God’s command to love our neighbors.

When King David and the Ark of the Covenant arrived at Jerusalem he ordered the ancient gates of the city to be opened. He announced that the King of Glory had arrived to assume power over the nation. A voice from the city wall asked for the identity of this King of Glory. King David said that the King of Glory was none other than the Lord, God of Israel, who had led his people to victory over their enemies and blessed them with peace and prosperity as a mighty nation. The news that the Lord God of Israel had arrived in Jerusalem echoed throughout the city, and the gates were opened. The Ark of the Covenant was brought into the city and a great joyous festival erupted celebrating the presence of God with them. And this same joy and excitement is experienced by this church as it assembles in worship each Sunday. Three times each Sunday at 9:45, 3 and 5:30 we celebrate that fact that our God is here with us. This is why we worship joyfully welcoming our God right here in this sanctuary.

So the wisdom we have received from King David, which we can use whenever we face transitions, is to remember that we belong not to ourselves but to our God. We must keep ourselves holy during transitions remember that all we do is for the glory of God motivated by our love of God and our love for one another. And whenever we face transitions remember that in worship we come into the very presence of God and this gives us great joy and confidence so that we can approach transitions with boldness, confident that God is with us. So have no fear because whatever happens we always have Jesus Christ as our Great High Priest. And live your lives normally remembering to pray for those who anger you. If you follow this wisdom all transitions in you lives will go well with you and you will be richly blessed by our creator God.

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church has had a rich history and an exciting present, but what about the future. What will happen to us in the years ahead? The promise of scripture is that one day Christ will return and bring all of heaven with him to earth. There will be no more death, nor pain, nor suffering, nor mourning nor crying because this will be a time of great joy as God comes to live with us. We know this because Jesus Christ, who was present with God at creation, serves us today as our High Priest, and will one day make all things new. The table that is set before us today is offered as a foretaste of this new world. Here we encounter Jesus who wipes away our tears and brings us the joy of being in the presence of God. So let’s rejoice that God is with us and has plans for our glorious future.

Lord Jesus Christ we acknowledge your presence with us this day and ask that you lead us as our High Priest to this table and into the presence of God. We ask that you give us courage to boldly walk into our future without fear. We ask that you be with us as we lead our lives and lead us into the glorious future that was planned for us before creation. We love you O God and ask that you help us to love our neighbors here in Eagle Rock. We pray all of this in the name of our one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.