Sermon for Sunday November 29th, 2009

Sermon Theme: Advent and the end of the World

Sermon Text: Luke 21:25-36

The Gospel reading just doesn't seem right. After all the last four Sundays of the church year haven't exactly been happy readings. We have been talking about those who have suffered for their faith, those we passed away in the faith, and we have been talking about Christ the King who comes at the end of time. All these end time texts are about suffering, death and end of the world.

And now finally we have turned the corner in the church year. We have had thanksgiving and we all probably still feel rather full. The stores are playing Christmas music, we went shopping on black Friday, Saturday, and perhaps even today, and we are starting to actually believe Christmas is just around the corner. And even the church year has gotten with the program. Finally we have gotten through green with an occasional red and white and have moved once and for all into blue, into Advent.

Then comes in this text, "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and foreboding of what is coming on the world."...

... Come on we think. I thought we had already got past this unpleasant stuff for one year. Can't we just talk about Advent and Christmas and be happy for a little while. Why do we have to have this text drag us back into the discussion of the end of the world? Why do we have to think about signs and destruction and fear and fainting? After all the sun is shining and following our thanksgiving dinner, just a few days ago, we don't really feel like life is all that bad.

So why does Christ and the church year discuss this end of the world at the beginning of Advent? The first reason ultimately is this end of the world stuff concerns us. We may like to say that we don't want to hear it or we want happier texts but we are ultimately the worry warts who God needs to comfort. If we weren't than Jesus could have just said, "And yes about the end of the world, its gonna get bad but don't worry. I win." And just leave it at that. But we don't work like that. That would not have been enough for us. We are the ones who are always getting worked up and worried and anxious about the future. So because of this Christ gets more detailed.

Look again at the detail in this text. He says, "there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken." What is left out of this description? Well not a whole lot. What we see in it is that all the created world is active and in some way is disintegrating.

When we look at our world with its global warming, dead zones in the water and tsunamis that bring fear and foreboding upon many people, with its volcanoes that we fear eruption from, and its meteoroids we fear coming down, the stars and so forth, we can look around at the world and see that Scripture pretty much hit the nail upon the head. It also doesn't take a long look at our world to see that scripture is right about our anxieties and our fears too. In fact, one of my history professors in college said, "you don't really need to look at peoples' news or read their science journals to see what they fear. If you want to see what a people fear than just look at their entertainment, a.k.a. television." If you want to see our fears then just look at the list of movies that have been put out in the last ten to 20 years. Our fears are very clear. And so Christ speaks to us about them.

But there is another reason Christ discusses this end of the world stuff. Often we may see those movies, or hear those news reports, and even listen to this biblical text and say, "well that's probably right, but to be honest it just doesn't really effect me. My life is doing just fine. Sure the world will end at some point in time but ultimately, I am fine, you're fine, we are all fine."

Especially during the holiday season you have some very powerful marketing techniques that are trying to persuade us or get us to believe how fine we really are. Or really they are trying to persuade you that you'll be fine if you buy a new t.v. or new car or plastic stuff for the kids or whatever the case may be. This way of dealing with this end of the world stuff seems quite a bit more comfortable and more stable. But it too is loaded with its own problems this advent season.

I'm not telling you not to buy a new t.v. If you have the money and really want one by all means go buy a t.v. The problem is... is life really all that fine? Is life good? Are the people across from you good? You may love them a whole lot and they may be a very important part of your life. But is everything and everyone good and fine?

What about the signs in the sun, moon, stars, earth, and sea? What about the distress among nations and the fear among people? What about the fist fights at Toys R Us or the children forgotten or abused even in North Carolina of all places? Are those signs that everything is fine? Christ said, "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know the kingdom of God is at hand." What are the signs of the age telling us?

See the reason this text is so important for Advent is because it reminds us very directly that everything is not fine. We have signs all around us that tell us everything is not fine. We have wars, and rumors of wars, Afghanistan. We have death, especially of beloved members like Bob. We have sickness, especially among those who should not get sick. We have disease, H1N1. And don't forget about the earth and the sea, and even the stars.

We have many signs that tell us that everything is not fine. It is important to see those signs because if everything was fine then we wouldn't need a personal God to send us personally His Son, as a babe in a manger, to die upon the cross for everything that is so not fine and finally on the last day come again and rescue His people from this unfine world.

This is the tension we live in as Christians. This is the tension of Advent. This tension is really very difficult for many people but it is also very powerful. On the one side Christ is telling us that everything is not fine in the world but also he says that we don't have to live in fear of what is coming up in the world. Those end of the world movies just don't have the same implication for us. We know the world is going to end but it is not a point of fear or trepidation, because Christ says, "Now when these things begin to take place straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near." We do have a living Lord and Savior who has told us that despite what happens He is coming and He will rescue us.  

But on the other hand we also don't live in a world of make believe. Christ tells us very directly that we shouldn't be surprised when recessions and terrorist attacks, tsunamis occur. We shouldn't be surprised when we get sick, or young people die, or bad things in general happen. These things don't remove the fact that we have a loving God. They just remind us all the same that we are in Advent waiting to lift up our heads and see our redemption.  

Christ says that we live in a world that is defined by the cross. We live in a world where the Son of God comes as a babe in a manger to take on the sin and brokenness through death and resurrection. We live in a world where we can go to funerals of beloved friends and family and still rejoice all the same that we will see them again. We live in a world of Advents. A world where we need a savior because we see sin all around us. We live in a world where everything is not right but there is one who is. We live in a world that is in tension and that so desperately needs redemption. We even dwell in a church that is always waiting in tension, waiting for Christ's final Advent.

So perhaps this end of the world text is rather appropriate for the beginning of Advent. It dusts off all the complacency so many put upon the Christmas season but also keeps us from despair when the more difficult things in life occur. Our hope is not founded upon whether bad things happen or don't but founded upon Christ a Savior who advents among us because bad things do happen and dear Sons and daughters of God need to be redeemed and rescued.

So dear Sons and daughters of God look to the signs of this present age and straighten your backs against the weights of this world and lift up your heads from the things that often blind our sight, for your redemption is drawing, is Adventing, near. Amen.