"Advent's Advice Is Stay Spiritually Awake and Alert"
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. [Amen.]
"Rise, my soul, to watch and pray; From your sleep awaken!
Be not by the evil day Unawares O'ertaken;
For the foe, Well we know, Is a harvest reaping
While the saints are sleeping."
(Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
663:1)
Gospel Reading................................. St. Mark 13:24-37 (esp.
32-33, 35-37)
"32But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels
in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard, keep awake.
For you do not know when the time will come. 35Therefore stay awake-for you
do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at
midnight, or when the cock crows, or in the morning-36lest he come suddenly
and find you asleep. 37And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake."
Prologue: Many other people struggle with "sleep deprivation." That is,
they neglect to get the proper amount of sleep in the proper increment at
the proper time. That condition is agitated for many by the undiagnosed
sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea which can be effectively
treated with a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine. However, that
machine itself does not necessarily improve or solve the issue of getting
the proper amount of sleep in the proper increment at the proper time.
A major result of "sleep deprivation" is the difficulty to stay
physically awake and alert . especially while driving. Many people who
suffer from that malady tend to often doze off at inopportune times. That's
especially serious and even embarrassing when reading, driving, and .
listening to sermons. You see, one of the main qualities that worshippers
desire is a dynamic preacher who will keep his listeners awake and alert.
While most preachers are not necessarily dynamic, at the same time they
desire dynamic listeners, that is, listeners who make special effort to stay
awake and alert to what is being said.
Okay, what does all that have to do with today's sermon text? It
all has to do with the meaning and significance of Advent that begins on
this fourth Sunday before Christmas. Let's again recall that "Advent" comes
from a Latin language verb that means approach, come to, or arrive at
something. The four Sundays in Advent are the time during which we
approach, come to, and arrive at Christmas. As I said in my Thanksgiving
Day sermon, Advent leads us to Christmas.
But it's more than simply approaching, coming to, or arriving at
another Christmas. Like Lent that leads us to Easter, it's a time to review
and rehearse penitential preparation for the joyful celebration of Christ's
first arrival as the Bethlehem Babe born of the Virgin Mary. As we do so we
recognize and benefit from His present daily arrival in the means of grace
that consist of God's Holy Word and the Blessed Sacraments of Holy Baptism
and Holy Communion. And, we look forward to His second arrival as glorious
Savior-King, who will rescue all believers in Himself from this Church
Militant and take them body-and-soul to the Church Triumphant.
That is, it's all about being spiritually awake and alert for His
Last Day arrival, the importance of which emphasizes penitential
preparation. Penitential preparation means to recognize sin as sin and the
fact that we are sinfully unclean; grieve our sinful rebellion; humbly and
honestly confess our sins privately and publicly; confidently receive and
revel in God's gift of forgiveness gained by Jesus Christ; and strive by the
power of the Holy Spirit to praise and thank God for His mercy and grace by
changing from our sinful Satan-pleasing lives to sanctified God-pleasing
lives.
Today's Old Testament Reading said it this way, "Behold, you were
angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be
saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous
deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our
iniquities, like the wind, take us away. But now, O Lord, you are our
Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your
hand. Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, and remember not iniquity forever.
Behold, please look, we are all your people." (Is 64:5b-6, 8-9 ESV)
Through and by repentance we seek to fulfill the fact that .
"Advent's Advice Is Stay Spiritually Awake and Alert."
A significant aspect of staying spiritually awake and alert is to .
I. Take Notice of End Times Signs and Activities. (24-31)
24[Jesus said:] "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25and the stars will be
falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26And
then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and
glory. 27And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the
four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. 28"From the
fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out
its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these
things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30Truly,
I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take
place. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
People have been, are, and always will be interested in
"eschatology" . the study of the end times. We have a natural desire to
know especially when the Last Day will occur. That was true of our Savior's
disciples as well, for the greater context of today's Gospel Reading is that
as Jesus "sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James
and John and Andrew asked him privately, 'Tell us, when will these things
be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be
accomplished?'" (Mark 13:3-4 ESV) After all, Jesus had just foretold the
destruction of the grand Jerusalem temple, as indeed happened some 70 years
later.
Sadly, Satan, about whom Jesus said that he "has nothing to do
with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks
out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John
8:44 ESV) is in the business of leading people astray. He often does so
through bogus Bible-teachers who claim to know when God's creation will come
to its termination with Christ's glorious return. The Apostles' Creed
states that "He will come to judge the living and the dead" and the Nicene
Creed declares that "He will come again with glory to judge both the living
and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end." However, Jesus taught about
the when of such in today's Gospel Reading that, ". concerning that day or
that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but
only the Father. For you do not know when the time will come." (Mark
13:32-33 ESV)
Why would He who was fully divine as well as fully human not know
that information? Simply because "According to his human nature, he laid
aside the full and constant use of his divine omniscience and used it only
when it became necessary for his redemptive work. It was not part of the
Son's work to reveal the exact date of his second coming; in fact, to have
done so would have been spiritually dangerous for us." (Harold E. Wicke in
People's Bible Commentary: Mark. Copyright © 1992 Concordia Publishing
House, St. Louis, MO. Page 192.)
So, "What do the Scriptures teach about Christ's second coming?"
Well, they teach five significant things. "A. Christ will return visibly
and with great glory on the Last Day. B. Christ will return to judge the
world, not to set up an earthly government. C. Christ will return on a
specific day known by God alone. D. Before Christ returns, there will be
increasing turmoil and distress for the church and the world. [And] E. The
return of Christ is a source of hope and joy for the Christian." (Luther's
Small Catechism with Explanation. Copyright © 1986, 1991 Concordia
Publishing House. Pages 172-144.)
In view of all that, especially the shroud of mystery that veils
the when of such, we might ask, "Just what is the meaning of the end times
signs and activities that Jesus revealed?" The answer is simply and
succinctly, "Jesus revealed end times signs and activities not to reveal
when He will return but to emphasize and keep us ever mindful of the fact
that He will return!" In other words, "The hour of the Coming of the Son of
Man is unknown. The only fitting attitude for the members of the Kingdom is
one of constant preparation. Jesus had told His disciples about His future
Coming so that they [and we] might learn to be watchful without being
obsessed by events to come." (Donald Guthrie in Jesus the Messiah: An
Illustrated Life of Christ. Copyright © 1972 by The Zondervan Corporation,
Grand Rapids, MI. Page 298.) Therefore, "Don't immerse yourself in the
things of this world and thus lose your own soul. Always keep your eyes
fixed on Jesus Christ." (Harold E. Wicke. Page 193.)
With that reality and advice firmly etched in our hearts and
minds, we are to .
II. Be Always Ready for Christ's Arrival. (34)
34It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his
servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay
awake.
How do we be always ready for Christ's arrival? We do so by
repenting, reflecting, and rejoicing.
First, we repent of our sins daily, even constantly. The Reverend
Doctor Martin Luther composed almost 100 formal statements of concern which
he wished to discuss about matters that he determined on the basis of God's
Holy Word to be wrong in the church of his day. He declared in the first of
those 95 Theses, "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent' (Mt
4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance."
Our newest Synodical Catechism tells us about repentance that
"Those who repent and ask for forgiveness are to be forgiven. Only
repentant believers receive the forgiveness [given in absolution].
Repentant believers are those who are sorry for their sins (contrition) and
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior (faith). Unrepentant
sinners, that is, those who are not sorry for their sins and do not believe
in Jesus Christ, are not to be forgiven as long as they do not repent.
'Then good works are bound to follow, which are the fruit of repentance.'
(Augsburg Confession XII 6) Excommunication is not intended to punish the
sinner, but to A. lead him or her to repentance and faith; [and] B. prevent
him or her from leading others into sin." (Luther's Small Catechism with
Explanation. Pages 226f. & 230.)
The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel recorded God's appeal to the
Israelites to "Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your
faces from all your abominations." (Ezek 14:6 ESV) and "Repent and turn from
all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin." (Ezek 18:30 ESV) When
"John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, [he said,]
'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" (Matt 3:1-2 ESV) After
being baptized by cousin John Jesus Himself "began to preach, saying,
'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" (Matt 4:17 ESV) Saint
Peter urged, "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be
blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the
Lord." (Acts 3:19 ESV) And, Saint Paul proclaimed, "The times of ignorance
God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because
he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a
man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by
raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31 ESV)
Second, we reflect on the person and work of Jesus that God's Holy
Word and the Blessed Sacrament of Holy Baptism reveal. Doctor Luther
explained in his meaning to the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed, "I
believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity,
and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me,
a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death
and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy
precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death . ." (Luther's
Small Catechism with Explanation. Pages 16 & 119. Also, Lutheran Service
Book. Pages 322f.) That is, Jesus Christ is God's Holy Son and mankind's
humble Savior, who lived for us the perfect life that God demands of us but
we can't accomplish; suffered for us the inhumane punishment including
crucifixion death on Calvary's cross that we deserve but wish to escape; and
arose from the dead in victory over sin, Satan, and death itself thereby
gaining for us forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life.
In our baptism the Holy Spirit gave us faith in Jesus and thereby
connected us with His death and resurrection making them our death and
resurrection. Saint Paul declared that truth when he wrote, "Do you not
know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized
into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in
order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the
Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united
with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a
resurrection like his." (Rom 6:3-5 ESV) He also declared that "in Christ
Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were
baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Gal 3:26-27 ESV)
And third, we rejoice in the Holy Absolution and the Blessed
Sacrament of Holy Communion. The holy words that came from my unholy mouth
and you heard with your unholy ears, ". in the stead and by the command of
my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father
and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Lutheran Service Book. Page 151,
167, 185, 203, & 214.), are God's merciful and gracious message that "the
blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7 ESV)
God gives all who are "truly worthy and well prepared who [have]
faith in these words: 'Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sin.'"
(Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation. Page 241.) that very
forgiveness of sins along with salvation and eternal life in the Lord's
Supper, which "Christ instituted . for the very purpose of strengthening and
increasing our faith." (Ibid. Page 243.) For in that holy supper "The
bread and wine . are Christ's body and blood by sacramental union. By the
power of His word, Christ gives His body and blood in, with, and under the
consecrated (blessed) bread and wine." (Ibid. Pages 234f.)
Notice that today's Gradual called forth the rejoicing aspect of
Advent, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, O daughter of
Jerusalem. Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having
salvation. Blessèd is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house
of the Lord we bless you." (Zech 9:9 & Ps 118:26 ESV)
So it is that we remain always ready for Christ's arrival by
repenting of our sins, reflecting on Jesus as our Savior, and rejoicing in
the forgiveness that He gained for and freely gives us.
In conclusion, the antiphon in today's Introit reminds us of
Advent's meaning, namely, "your king is coming to you." (Zech 9:9 ESV) Our
prayerful anticipation is, in the words of today's Collect, "Stir up Your
power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the
threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance."
Accordingly, may we always take to heart that .
"Advent's Advice Is Stay Spiritually Awake and Alert."
As we do so, we receive comfort from Saint Paul's reminder in today's
Epistle Reading that "you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait
for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end,
guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor 1:7-8 ESV)
In light of such let's not neglect to .
I. Take Notice of End Times Signs and Activities. (24-31)
At the same time, however, let them encourage us to .
II. Be Always Ready for Christ's Arrival. (34)
God grant it all for the sake of Jesus Christ, His humble Son, our
holy Savior. [Amen.]
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
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