4th Sunday of Advent 12/19/10 Text: Isaiah 60:1-4 Part 4 of 4 Advent sermon series

4th Sunday of Advent
12/19/10
Text: Isaiah 60:1-4
Title: “Awake, Watch, Hear, Our Savior Draws Near.”

I love Christmas time. If I have the time in the evening I enjoy a drive through the neighborhoods that decorate for Christmas. The lights and displays are wonderful and every once in awhile you will find a house that has a nativity scene out front. I really like those, not just because the people are making a statement of their faith, but because when I was growing up in Texas, there was a family who had a pond close to the road. They would put up a really nice nativity scene on the far side of the pond, so that it reflected on the water at night. Every night they would play a recording of Luke’s account of the birth of Christ. It was a family ritual for many people to go by, get out of the car and sit on the side of the road listening to the story of Christ’s birth. It was wonderful; something I will never forget.

I am sure that in many of your home’s the tree is decorated, probably with some presents under it, cookies have been baked or bought, and plans are being made for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Our church is not any different. Thanks to Dewey we have our Nativity scene up, as a witness to the town that we are celebrating the true meaning of Christmas. Our Christmas trees have been put up, ablaze with lights, the sanctuary beautifully decorated with garland and poinsettias along with banners behind the altar announcing the coming of Emanuel which means “God with us”. And every week our Advent wreath has had another candle lit. All of this to signal an important event.

Everywhere you look there are Christmas lights, and candles, but even if you put all the lights and candles together in the whole world they would not be as bright as the light described in our Old Testament reading for today. Please listen to Isaiah 60, verses 1-4 again."Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip."

The lights of Christmas, as magnificent as they are, even if they were all combined into one huge light would not even come close to the light of Jesus, for his light covers all darkness. The lights of Christmas can only point to us to Christ. They, just like the music, the placing of gifts under the tree, and other Christian preparations like the putting out of the nativity scene in your home, can only tell us that Christmas is drawing near. They are not Christmas, for the Christian.

Just as those things are signs that tell us Christmas is coming, there are signs which tell us Christ is drawing near. As we prepare for Christ to come again, we also need to be vividly aware of the fact that He is already here Emmanuel (God with us). Lord help us to be awake, to watch, to hear, to know Christ draws near, for our god is with us.

We read in Matthew 24:4-14 where Jesus is talking, "See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

I don’t think I have to elaborate much on Jesus words, for everything he is talking about is taking place. There are wars and rumors of wars, famines, terrible earthquakes, wickedness beyond description. There is according to the best information I could find more people in the world living in slavery than at any other time in history.

Closer to home there is dishonesty, road rage, abuse, disrespect of life both for the unborn, the young, and aged, divorce and child abuse. All of these signs show how desperately Christ is needed in people’s lives. We, as Lutherans know that Christ is here with us right now. He is here in the Word of God, for we are told in John that Jesus is the Word. He is with us when we receive the absolution on Sunday morning, for it is not my forgiveness that I proclaim, but Christ’s forgiveness. He is with us when we celebrate Baptism and receive His Supper. And for that we give him all praise and thanks.

He is here now and since we know what so few people know we have an obligation to share that knowledge with others. For after all he is the only one who can give peace to those who are suffering from all the wickedness and destruction that has enveloped them. We, as Luther taught, are to be little Christs speaking and living Christ’s words which bring order to a world of chaos, sin, and pain. Lord help us to be awake, to watch, to hear, to know Christ draws near, for our god is with us.

Now there are those who say these end times signs have happened to every generation since Jesus ascended to heaven and I would have to agree with them. Does that mean that he is not coming? Of course it doesn’t. Don’t be tempted to believe that there is still time before Christ comes. If anything, every generation must be more prepared because with each year and moment of time Christ’s return draws closer.

Besides don’t people need Christ today, to help them through the struggles, the chaos of life. We can’t wait because we need to make sure all people know God is with us today. Lord help us to be awake, to watch, to hear, to know Christ draws near, for our god is with us.

Through Christ, we will receive his peace, joy, love and all of God’s blessings, as we live on this earth. God is with us. And, we will live with Him in paradise. In our Epistle we read:"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him”. But, at the same time, or until that time, Christ strengthens us through the power of His Holy Spirit to make it through life on earth. He gives us peace which surpasses all human understanding which brings God’s order to our lives of chaos and sin. Knowing Christ both saves eternally and is able to help all people, now, on earth.

We pray, “Lord help us to be awake, to watch, to hear, to know Christ draws near, so that we will share God is with us now and until Christ comes again.” And all of God’s people said, “Amen.”

3rd Sunday of Advent 12/12/10 Matthew 25:31-34 Title: Lord, Help Us to Hear And Be Prepared

3rd Sunday of Advent
12/12/10
Matthew 25:31-34
Title: Lord, Help Us To Hear And Be Prepared

This past week I read an article about a volcano that blew up in 1985 in Columbia South America. What caught my attention was the long term warning that was given to the people concerning this particular volcano. For a year before it blew up the government had been warning the people. Three months before it blew up the government warned everyone; giving them exact directions and maps on how to escape the destruction of the volcano when it blew. Very few people paid attention to all the warnings and directions on how to escape the destruction, so when it erupted 20,000 people died. Now if this had happened way back before scientists could reliably predict the explosion you could understand, but in this case there was absolutely no excuse for anyone to have died. If only they had listened to the government leaders. All would have been saved.

I have told you this story because it is an excellent illustration for our Sunday Advent series titled “Awake, Watch, Hear, Our Savior Draws Near”. Today we are going to focus on hearing the Word of God, so that we, like those people in Colombia killed by the volcano will not be caught unaware when our Lord comes.

We hear in Matthew 25:31-34, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Pretty clear wouldn’t you say? At the end of time there will be a separation of those who believe and those who do not. A clear warning from God.

In today’s culture it is hard to listen to warnings whether they are good or bad because there is so much noise around us, all vying for our attention. This is certainly true around Christmas time. We have become so accustomed to paying attention to whoever makes the most noise that we don’t even hear or pay attention to the wonderful quite sounds that also surround us. Things like the soft breathing of a child that is asleep, or the purr of a cat, or the rustle of the leaves. We miss so much when we only pay attention to the loud noise that surrounds us.

Then there are those quiet sounds, the sounds of peace, love, hope and joy. They are the sounds that we need to hear, for God quite often speaks to us in the quiet times of our lives. God spoke to Elijah, not in the earthquake, or the fire, or even the wind. He spoke in a quite whisper and in that whisper God spoke the most wonderful words to Elijah. “Elijah go do what I want you to do for you are not alone.” Elijah would not have heard those words if they had been in the earthquake, wind, or fire.

Hear the quiet words of the angel telling Mary that she is to be the mother of God. Hear the quiet sound of John the Baptist jumping in his mother’s womb as Mary approached. Listen as the angels announce Christ’s birth with sounds of great joy! Hear the soft cry of the baby Jesus as he lay in the manger. Softly, softly the words of God are spoken to a world that cannot hear them for all the noise that surrounds them. The sounds get louder ending with Jesus cry on the cross. Hear it, “It is finished.” And it was finished. There is now peace between God’s human creation and the Father. The price was paid.

God comes to us quietly today. Hear his words in the absolution, his Holy Word, the Lord’s Supper and Baptism. Come you are mine. I have claimed you and redeemed you. And the majority of the world does not hear, for it is listening to the noise of the world. Do this, be this, buy this, join this and you will have peace and joy. Lies, all lies. The sounds are getting louder.

Now, think about the sound of Christ coming again. This time he does not come quietly, but with the blast of a trumpet and angels descending with Him in the clouds. Hear the panic of some, oh yes, there will be panic, for those who did not listen to the soft voice of God when he spoke to them through his word and sacraments know it is too late.

On the other hand hear the joy of all believers. Hear them? No? if not think of the happiest most joyous time you can imagine and then multiply that by thousands and thousands. That is the joy of the believers as they sing praise to their Savior.

Lord, help us to hear and be prepared, for a voice is calling, “Prepare your hearts.” Hear the angels; praise, “A Savior is born. Glory to God in the highest.”

Hear Matthew 25:32-33 again, “32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.” On that Last Day there will be a separation; unbelievers from believers the right from left. As children of God this is not to alarm you, but to open up your ears to hear that now is the time to prepare for Christ to come.

Oh, you say you have time to change your ways before God comes. Do you? Did the young man riding his motorcycle that was killed have time. Did the man who died of a heart attack have time? Did the woman who died of a stroke have time?

We who are Christ’s children must be prepared. There has to be an urgency in our lives, for we don’t know when Christ will come either at our death or on the Last Day. Either way there is no second chance. We prepare for Jesus’ coming by coming together to worship God, taking part in his Supper, by leading prayerful lives. We prepare for Jesus’ coming by taking part in Bible study and daily devotions. Now is the time. Not tomorrow or the next day. Today we must prepare our hearts and homes for the Lord’s return.

Lord, help us to hear and be prepared, for a voice is calling, “Prepare your hearts.” Hear the angels; praise, “A Savior is born. Glory to God in the highest.”

The purpose of this Sunday Advent series that we are doing is to awaken us to watch for Christ, to remember His birth, His life, His suffering, death, and rising. Our bodies are tents, which we will put aside when we die, as Paul says of his own body in our Epistle Reading. Yet, when Christ comes again and we are raised from the dead we will experience life far more wonderful than on earth.

Because Christ lived, died, and rose again, there is no need to be afraid of living or dying. Christ brings love, joy, and peace which knows no end and brings order to our lives of chaos and sin. Just as the angels said, “Do not be afraid” at His birth, their voices will resound with praises as He returns again. His second coming will be the most astounding sound your ears will ever hear.

Thus Advent calls you to accept with a believing heart what the Savior offers: the assurance that your sin is pardoned, that you are at peace with God and that your place is prepared at the Father’s side. That is in the future, but there is even more for Advent also calls you to bring forth in your lives the godly life that is in keeping with repentance.

Lord, help us to hear and be prepared, for a voice is calling, “Prepare your hearts.” Hear the angels; praise, “A Savior is born. Glory to God in the highest.” Amen