12-2-18 Grace-Benson/Vail Sermon

Luke 21:25-36 [Advent ]

Pastor Ron Koehler

Grace—Benson/Vail, AZ

December 2, 2018

In the name of our coming Lord and Savior Jesus, dear friends, “I hope I get something good for Christmas this year!” “I hope my family and friends stay healthy over the holidays.” “I hope we get snow in the desert for Christmas!” Or— “I hope we don’t,” depending on your perspective! We hope, we hope, we hope. When we talk about hoping for something, we understand that whatever it is may or may not happen. That’s how we use the word hope; that’s what it means.

Often there are signs preceding the things we hope for, right? The size or the particular shape of that wrapped present under the tree might be an indication that we’ll be smiling when the wrapping paper is ripped away. If everyone is feeling pretty good and flu shots have been taken and year-end doctor appointments have gone well, then we’re trending in the direction of healthy holidays. If Lisa Villegas or Cuyler Diggs are telling us that cold fronts are coming and there is a chance of snow in the extended forecast that reaches to December 25th, then…just maybe! We are optimistic! We are hopeful!

Some of you know that the both the Hebrew and Greek words for hope that are used in the Bible really are different than our use of the English word hope. With those biblical words, there is no uncertainty! Those words mean that something is expected and certain…it is looked forward to with anticipation…it is going to happen, it just hasn’t yet!

Today, as we begin the Advent season, this time of preparation to celebrate Christ’s first coming into the world and to prepare for his coming again, Jesus speaks of hopeful things—things certain to happen, things off in the future. And these are good things. The gift of hope that Jesus gives to you—along with his other gifts we’ll hear about on upcoming Sundays—are the best gifts you will receive this year or ever!

The words of our Savior in Luke 21 remind us that JESUS HAS GIVEN YOU THE GIFT OF HOPE A HOPE THAT INSPIRES YOU TO WATCH FOR HIS COMING AGAIN (25-33) A HOPE THAT MOVES YOU TO PREPARE FOR HIS COMING AGAIN (34-35) A HOPE THAT WILL CAUSE YOU TO STAND WHEN HE COMES AGAIN (36)

You might remember that God’s people watched for the Savior’s first coming. There were a lot of signs for those people to watch for. The Savior was to be from the tribe of Judah, from the family line of David and the family of Jesse. He would be born of a virgin in the city of Bethlehem. These prophecies about the coming Messiah gave God’s people something to watch for as they anticipated and looked forward to the Savior’s arrival with great hope.

God has not left you and me, New Testament Christians, in the dark about Jesus’ second coming. We know how Jesus came the first time as promised and the Savior himself tells us of signs to watch for. These things give us A HOPE THAT INSPIRES YOU TO WATCH FOR HIS COMING AGAIN.

Earlier in this chapter, Luke records other words of Jesus about the signs that precede his coming again. He speaks of wars and earthquakes and famines—all things that have happened and continue to occur. If you’re willing to open your eyes in regard to Jesus’ return, you’ll admit that those things tell you that Jesus could return at any time.

But what about the signs Jesus speaks of in these words?

These signs will take place immediately prior to the Last Day. One of the things that has fascinated Christians and non-Christians alike is the makeup of the heavens—the sun, moon, planets and stars. Even the most unscientific person marvels at the sheer number of stars when they’re away from the city lights. We are extremely confident that the sun will come up in the morning and that we’ll see the moon at night. You can look at old books and ancient carvings with diagrams of the constellations and they look the same as current ones because there is a constancy to the formation of the stars. There is an order to things that God has created that anyone can see, whether they attribute it to him or not.

But oh how that will change just prior to Christ’s coming! If you pay attention to what Jesus says and you watch for this, you’ll know what’s happening. But woe to the person who has ignored God and his words of promise. That person will stumble around in “anguish and perplexity” Jesus says, when the things in the heavens change and planets and stars and sun and moon are shaken up! They’ll be terrified and worried and won’t have the slightest idea what it all means. But not you. When you, a child of God, witness enormous changes and events in the skies, you’ll know what’s going on. You’ll know that your Savior is about to arrive to judge all people.

You’ll know that your day of salvation has come. You’ll know because you live with A HOPE THAT INSPIRES YOU TO WATCH FOR HIS COMING AGAIN! You will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to take place, you will stand up and lift up your head, because your redemption is drawing near. You are a Christian, so you won’t fear those signs or the sight of Jesus returning. Those are exactly the things that you and I hope for as we look forward to that day. We have been prepped for it by Jesus himself!

We might find it a bit confusing when Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. We may think that Jesus meant that all this would happen when those people listening to Jesus were still alive. But that’s not what he meant.

The Greek word for generation certainly means “people who live at the same time.”

It also can mean “people of the same kind.” Here we should think of “generation” as a “type” of people—the type that reject Jesus as their Savior and despise his Word and persecute the people of God. Those are the kind of people Jesus speaks of just prior to the words of our text, and those kind of people, he says, will exist until he returns. And when he returns, they, like the heavens and the earth, will be consumed by fire—but the word of Jesus, his Word of salvation, will live forever—just like you!

God fulfilled his promises to send Jesus the first time—as the newborn Savior. He will absolutely fulfill his promises regarding the Savior’s coming again. You know this because Jesus has given you the gift of hope, A HOPE THAT INSPIRES YOU TO WATCH FOR HIS COMING AGAIN! Since God’s people long ago knew those prophecies about the birth of the Messiah and the salvation he would bring, they prepared for his coming. They heard and learned and memorized God’s Word and promises so that if they should be around when that descendant of David was born of a virgin in Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem, they would be ready to welcome him.

And you can read in the Bible about some people who were prepared. John the Baptist was the one whom God had prepare the hearts of the people to receive their Savior.

He preached and taught and baptized them, getting them ready for when the Savior would come. And when Jesus did come, John himself was ready. He spoke to the people and pointed to Jesus and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

Then there were the older man and the older woman at the temple who saw the baby Jesus. Simeon held the infant Savior in his arms and said “Now I can die—I’ve seen the Savior.” Talk about being prepared! Anna was 80-something years old when she saw the baby Jesus and publicly thanked God for being able to see her Savior—and then told all kinds of people about Jesus. She too was well-prepared when God’s Son came into this world the first time!

Do you also live with the kind of hope those people had—A HOPE THAT MOVES YOU TO PREPARE FOR HIS COMING AGAIN? Before you answer, let me again read the warning here: Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth.

Did you notice that the concern there is for your heart? As always, God is interested in our hearts and our love for him above all things. Is he the top priority, the #1, the most important thing to us? I know you’ll say yes! Some of you might even say “Well, of course!” or “Absolutely!” If that’s true, then your preparation for the Savior’s return must be pretty good. And even during these pre-Christmas days, it shows, right?

Jesus warns us to be careful so that our hearts will not be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life. Is drunkenness a problem for you— either periodic, binge-type drunkenness or the everyday misuse of alcohol? The Christian who wants to be prepared for that last day, does everything possible to not have this problem affect his or her readiness to stand before their Lord. Maybe you are weighed down because of your “carousing.” That’s an interesting word! Jesus used a particular word that indicates a hangover or the unrestrained behavior of someone who is drunk. This might imply that we need to consider whether we live an unchristian life in general—whether or not alcohol is an issue.

Or what about the “anxieties of life” Jesus speaks of?

Are you so caught up in “life” that your Savior gets short-changed?

Little time for worship (or thinking about other things when you are here?).

No time for Bible study or Bible reading at home?

Little time to use your gifts and your time for the Lord and his people?

So many bills to pay and gifts to buy that your Savior and his church get little and you don’t reach out to help those in need?

Too harried and hurried already about your celebration of Jesus’ first coming that you’re uninterested or unconcerned about his second?

Just generally worried about things for you, for your family, for your church, for others?

If you’ve got a sinful nature—and you do—these things happen. We do lose focus and we are—to some extent—unprepared for Christ’s coming. Jesus urges us not just to keep that kind of distraction to a minimum, but to get rid of it altogether!

He says that if you are not, that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. There are so many things in this world that require us to prepare, but none as important as this! Jesus forgives our lack of preparation and encourages us to not waste a second in setting things the right way in our lives so that we are truly prepared like Simeon and Anna and John the Baptist were the first time around! He has given you the gift of hope—A HOPE THAT MOVES YOU TO PREPARE FOR HIS COMING AGAIN. Why could God’s people stand before Jesus when he came as the newborn King at his first coming? How could the shepherds stand before him at his manger? How could the Magi from the East stand before him confidently? How could John the Baptist stand before him? They could do it because they knew just who he was and what he had come to do. They knew that he had come to bring forgiveness and salvation and that he would do everything required to save sinful people like themselves. So they could stand before him in great trust and faith.

About his Second Coming, Jesus says, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” So, what about you? Will you be able to STAND before Jesus on the Last Day? There will be plenty who will not. There are many who have not and do not acknowledge that Jesus is true God from all eternity…their Creator…their Lord…their Savior from sin. On the Last Day when Jesus comes again, they will not be able to stand before the Savior.

They will instead be hurled into hell with Satan himself, cast out of the Lord’s presence.

You and I should be tossed out of the Lord’s presence with them, but that’s not going to happen. How is that possible? There is only one way—Jesus has given you the legs to stand. By his Spirit, he has given you faith to trust that he is the only Savior, that the gift of his perfect life covers your sin too, that his resurrection means life for him, but also eternal life for you.

What causes a person to WATCH and PREPARE is what allows them to actually STAND before Jesus unafraid on the day of his coming again—that is faith. Faith alone makes it possible to stand before the Savior on the Last Day. With faith comes the gift of hope—a looking forward with certainty to the blessings of the Last Day when Jesus returns. That trusting, childlike faith in what Jesus did for you the first time he was here is what allows you to STAND when he comes again.

God kept his promise to send Jesus to be the world’s Savior and he’ll do it again as he sends Jesus as the Judge on the Last Day when he will bring to heaven all who trust in him.

God’s people of long ago were filled with hope as they watched and prepared for the Savior’s birth and stood in confident faith before him even though he was just a baby or a child or simply looked like a man. They knew him when he arrived and they have their reward in heaven.

You and I are so similar! We too have Jesus’ gift of hope that INSPIRES US TO WATCH FOR HIS COMING AGAIN, MOVES US TO PREPARE FOR HIS COMING AGAIN, and WILL CAUSE US TO STAND WHEN HE COMES AGAIN. We give thanks and praise to our Savior today for that gift of hope that prepares us in this life for the Day he returns to bring us eternal life. Amen.

Now the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.