Sermon 2nd December 2012 ADVENT SUNDAY

Today, our Vicar, Cameron Barker, preaches based on the reading from Luke 21: verses 25-36

“The great Christian revolutions come not by the discovery of something that wasn’t known before. Great Christian revolutions happen when someone takes radically something that was always there”.

So said the 20^th Century American theologian, Richard Niebuhr. He wasn’t talking specifically about Advent Sunday, but rather about the nature of the Christian life in general. So hopefully that statement is one that is true for you personally. Haven’t the biggest advances in your Christian life happened when something that you already knew suddenly hit you between the eyes – and changed your life for ever?

Either way, that quote also reminded me of what another American once said. The Old Testament scholar Walter Bruggeman has said that the key task of preachers is not to find new ways to preach old truths. Rather he urges preachers to go on presenting the old truths in the old ways. He says that we need to keep on doing that, until those we preach to have learned the lesson of those old truths well enough to live them out.

This preacher finds those two quotes very encouraging! If you’re a regular church-goer, you will probably have heard a sermon about the return of Jesus every Advent Sunday. If you have attended here long enough, it’s possible that 6 of those have been from me! Wherever you’ve been, by now you should know that Advent marks the start of the Christmas season. Everyone knows that at Christmas we think about the birth of Jesus. And you’ll then likely know that on this day we begin to think about his first coming by reminding ourselves of Jesus’ sure promise to return some day.

Well, the good news then is that I don’t have to say something new, about any of this. All I have to do today is to preach again about the fact, that Jesus will return, so that this old truth hits you between the eyes and changes your life. And this is a truth that really ought to change everyone’s life, radically. The fact that Jesus is coming back should affect our every thought, word and action. The certainty of his return should provide the ultimate perspective for our lives – but does it? Or do we still need the kind of revolution that comes from each one of us taking this old truth that we already know, and applying it radically to our own lives?

Well, the only evidence that people have learnt any truth is that they will be living it out. I’m not convinced that we have learned the truth of Advent yet, based on what I see. That’s no big surprise: to be ready for Jesus’ return is, in effect, to be ready for our own death. And most of us are not good at facing death – least of all our own. Generally, most of us assume that we will have time to get ready for that: when we’re older; when we’re less busy; when there is less pressure – i.e. any time but now! But the season of Advent won’t let us get away with that. On these next four Sundays until Christmas we are meant to reflect on the four Last Things – death; hell; judgement; and heaven.

That’s a process that begins today. And this year it’s Jesus’ words from near the end of his life as recorded by Luke that help us do that. You’ll doubtless have worked out that we picked them up mid-stream, as it were. This conversation between Jesus and his disciples actually began back in 21:5. They were sitting outside the Temple in Jerusalem. History tells us that it was a magnificent building; but Jesus said that soon it would be reduced to rubble! His disciples, not surprisingly, wanted Jesus to tell them when that would happen. But by the time we get to this part of passage, most scholars are agreed that Jesus had moved on to a different topic.

There are huge debates over just what Jesus meant, in all parts of his reply. As before, I won’t explore all those arguments today, because the short answer is that nobody knows for sure! I still think that to engage in those debates means that we are likely to miss the main issue. I base that on the fact that what the disciples asked for in Greek were ‘signs’. They wanted Jesus to tell them what to look for, so they could know for sure when all this would happen. In his reply the one word that Jesus conspicuously avoided using was the Greek word for ‘signs’. The only times that he used it were to warn the disciples not to trust anybody who pointed them to signs.

Jesus’ concern throughout his reply was that his disciples should know what to do when the various things he spoke of happened. He did want them to know what was going to happen, because forewarned is forearmed. But what Jesus didn’t do was give a timetable, or sequence of events that they should look for. He refused to give any signs, except in a very vague way – because that wasn’t his main point. And it’s crucial we get this right: Jesus’ main concern was to stress the fact that he was going to come back – and that his followers should be ready for him whenever he does so.

This is about how Christians are to live now. So as we think about death, hell, judgement, and heaven, the only truly important question, then, is if we are ready for them? No, Jesus didn’t say that the terrifying events that will happen before his return are meant to make us ask ourselves that question. But there is nothing quite like a disaster to focus the mind on what matters in life! How much more true is that if we know that the disaster marks the end of the world as we know it? What would you want to do, or stop, or put right if you knew your life was about to end? What preparation would you want to make, before you faced God on the day of judgement? That’s the big question, for each of us, on this Advent Sunday: are you living ready for Jesus’ return?

It was specifically the issue of being ready that was uppermost in Jesus’ mind in the closing part of this passage. In the first part of it Jesus spoke about what’ll happen beforehand – events that aren’t easy to miss. Strange things will happen in the sky and on the earth, such that people will faint with fear, Jesus said. But that’s nothing compared to what’ll happen. Then the Son of Man, Jesus, will appear, in person, with great power and glory; and that will surely be the most awe-inspiring event of all time.

Those events that precede Jesus’ return should alert us to what’s about to happen. Even as we are scared and confused Christians are supposed to stand, lift our heads – because we know: the waiting is almost over! It’s already been almost 2 000 years – which may not be too long in God’s sight, but it certainly is for us. Only God knows if it will happen in our time. But, if it does, we are to be ready to greet that moment with joy, because it’s what we have been waiting for.

Jesus told his disciples how not to be caught unawares by his return. He warned them – and, so, us too – not to get too wrapped up in this life. It is easy to think that whatever is consuming our attention right now is the be-all and end-all. But in this perspective, of Jesus’ sure return, none of that matters at all. For Christians, this life is far from all there is. It could end at any point. So, if it was over today, or tomorrow, would that catch you unawares?

If this truth has hit you between the eyes today, then think G A P. It’s an acronym that I’ve used here before, as an alternative to WAG, or the ABC of Advent. GAP stands for: Guard; Alert; and Pray. It’s easier to see them in Good News Bible than New International Version, but it’s clear in the original Greek. What matters, though, is that it tells us what to do so we’re not caught out by Jesus’ return.

First, Christians need to be on our GUARD: about how we live, about what we value. We are to live in the light of the fact that Jesus is coming back, and that it could be today. The acid test is to ask if you would want Jesus to see what you were doing, or know what you were thinking. If the answer is ‘No’, then that’s probably your answer about if that’s good thing to do or think! Be on your guard about how you live and about what you value – because it does matter. Don’t get caught up in what ultimately are trivialities. And if you do need to make changes, it’s definitely best to do that today: there just might not be a tomorrow.

G is for Guard. A is for ALERT. If you are a Christian, be alert to the facts. Notice what’s going on around you: are there any events that suggest Jesus is going to come back soon? Is it time to stand, raise your head? Is the fullness of your salvation about to become reality? Always be alert to the ultimate fact – which is that Jesus is going to come back. It’s not a case of if, just when he does – and that’s just as true for those who don’t believe it. Believe it or not, ready or not, Jesus is coming back: so be alert.

G’s for Guard; A is for Alert; and P is for PRAY. That’s the third key piece of advice that Jesus gave for his followers to be ready for his return. Pray; always. Jesus told his followers to pray for two things. First, we’re to pray for strength to endure all that happens before his return. Life isn’t easy if we are on our guard about how we live, and are on the alert for Jesus’ return. We need God’s strength to live that kind of a life – always being waiting, and ready for something that might not happen. So we are to pray for strength to live like that, and to stay faithful to God through these terrifying events. And, second, we are to pray to be able to stand before the Son of Man when he returns.

So, revolutionise your life on the basis of this old truth, and think GAP, then. Think: GUARD; ALERT; and PRAY. Think it especially today because it is Advent Sunday. But think it tomorrow too – if tomorrow comes. Think it the next time there’s a major event: does that mean the time is almost here? Jesus said that such things are going to happen, so don’t be surprised. Is this the time to stand up, lift your head? Think it too when you next have a major life decision to make. Is it what you’d want Jesus to find you doing when he comes back? Would you be able to stand before him on that day?

Be alert to the fact that Jesus is coming back – and that you don’t know when that will be. And pray, always. Pray for strength to go through all that will happen before Jesus returns. And pray that you will be able to stand before him when he does. The king is coming back. Are you ready for that? Well, be ready: think GAP; and now let’s pray …