Proper 28
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III
Eschatology - the "last things" - is the order of the day on this next to the last Sunday of Pentecost. Whenever there are twenty-six or more Sundays in Pentecost, the twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost has to be one of the last three Sundays of the cycle/season; it is automatically eschatological by nature of its relationship to Christ the King Sunday (In some years, it will be Christ the King Sunday), but also by the eschatological theme of the Gospel for the Day in Mark's Gospel. As was mentioned earlier, the thirteenth chapter of St. Mark is considered to be the heart of his Gospel. It is interesting that this chapter is cut up into different segments by the four different lectionaries. Only two, the Roman Catholic and the Common lectionaries have identical selections. And only the last five verses of the chapter are not read by any of the lectionaries. This means that the Pentecost-eschatological themes stop short of the Advent command, "Watch!" - which occurs in those last five verses of the chapter. If one could attend worship services in three different denominations, one could hear virtually all of the chapter read in public. One would hear the first part (1-13) read in a Lutheran Church, the middle section (14-23) in an Episcopal Church, and the third section (24-32) in a Roman Catholic Church or one of the churches using the Common lectionary. Verse 33, which precedes the little parable of the man who goes on a journey, has put his servants in charge, and expects them to be ready for his return, begins with the Advent theme, "Take heed, watch." This eschatological "bent" in the Sunday and the Gospels indicates that the cycle of the church year is about to be completed, and that Advent is about to be celebrated again, and this means that the different aspects of eschatological theology will be exposed and explored in the worship of the church. For now, the emphasis is the coming of the end time, the "last things."
The Prayer of the Day
Once more, the Lutheran Book of Worship "prayer motif" of Advent - "Stir up, O Lord ..." - emerges, and this time is it is in the middle of the prayer:
Lord God, so rule and govern our hearts and minds (see the collectfor the Second Sunday of Advent) by your Holy Spirit that, always keeping in mind the end of all things and the day of judgment, we may be stirred up [see the Advent collects] to holiness of life here and may live with you forever in the world to come, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The prayer reflects the theme of the Sunday and the theme of the end of Pentecost and the approach of Advent quite appropriately.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 16 (E, L); 16:5, 8-11 (R) - The Roman Catholic, Episcopal, and Lutheran churches all use this psalm as a responsory to the first reading from Daniel 12 but, as usual, they disagree on which parts ought to be sung in the worship service. But all do use the thematically important verses (8-11), which represent the plea Of a person who might be close to death, and who honestly desires to be delivered from death and Sheol, and trusts that the Lord God will deliver him. The psalm does pick up the motif of the last things and death - and deliverance - that are found in Daniel 12. The Christian church has, in the opinion of at least one notable scholar, Reginald Fuller, deepened the meaning of this psalm by attaching it to death and resurrection. In this sense, it is appropriate as a bridge to the Gospel and its description of the "end times" of life here on earth.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Lord Jesus, uphold those who hope in you, and give us your counsel, so that we may know the joy of your resurrection and share the pleasures of the saints at your right hand, where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
The readings:
Daniel 7:9-14 (C)
Some of the lectionaries of the liturgical churches list Daniel 7:9-10 as the first reading for the Twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost. The Episcopal lectionary, which officially celebrates the Last Sunday after Pentecost, in place of Christ the King Sunday, uses Daniel 7:9-14 at that time. In 1991 (and most other years), there will really be no Twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost, not because the Pentecost cycle/season is not long enough to include that many Sundays, but because in virtually all denominations it is celebrated as Christ the King Sunday. Daniel 7 is appropriate for the end of Pentecost (and the festival of Christ the King, because it describes the apocalyptic vision of a judgment day, with the "Ancient of Days" seated on a throne, served by thousands and with "ten thousand times ten thousand" standing before him, and, then, says Daniel, "the books were opened" for the judgment. The vision also relates that there was the sound of a "horn" - and the "beast was slain" - and then "there came one like the son of man" from the heavens. He received dominion and glory and kingdom, "that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." This part of the vision parallels Mark 13:26, which is in the section of the Gospel appointed by the Common lectionary; it says: "And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory." In the Gospel, the vision takes on its ultimate meaning.
Daniel 12:1-3 (R, L); 12:1-4a (5-13) (E)
In this part of his vision, Daniel sees a resurrection of the dead, which will result in everlasting life for some people, "eternal shame and everlasting contempt" for others. Those who are saved will "shine like the brightness of the firmament" - like the very stars of heaven itself, much as Jesus describes the people who are redeemed and raised up to new life. They will be completely changed "into a body that is like his glorious body." At verse 4, Daniel is told to close the book and seal it "until the end of time." But the vision continues and Daniel sees a man in white linen on the far bank of a stream, and asks him, recognizing him to be a messenger from God, virtually the same question that the disciples asked of Jesus: "How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?" He gave an answer, which Daniel heard but did not understand. The messenger gives a numerical answer, but what means most to Daniel, no doubt, is that, in the fact of the "abomination of desolation," he will be able to stand in his appointed place "at the end of the days."
Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 (R); 10:11-18 (L, C)
In this pericope, which is the final part of the comparison of Jesus, the High Priest, with the levitical priests of the temple, the daily sacrifices of the ordinary priests are examined and found to be of no salvific benefit; Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient for the forgiveness of all sins and for all time. In his death and resurrection, Jesus' earthly work is completed, hence he takes his place - his seat - by the side of the Father in heaven. There he waits, but continues his work of interceding for his people, sending the Holy Spirit to "put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds" - with the promise, "I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more."
Hebrews 10:31-39 (E)
Nearly every Sunday, one of the liturgical churches plays "odd man out;" it is the turn of the Episcopal Church this Sunday in the selection of verses for the second reading. This section of the chapter picks up the theme of the judgment, so that the reading begins with a warning that "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" - for judgment, that is. The pericope goes on to promise the "coming one" will soon arrive; he "will not tarry." Those whose righteousness is in the Lord must wait in faith and with hope for that day, doing his work in the world in the knowledge that they will be received by the Lord when he comes.
Mark 13:1-13 (L); 13:14-23 (E); 13:24-32 (R, C)
This chapter has been called Mark's "Little Apocalypse" by several New Testament scholars. In this pericope, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple and, later, described the end times in detail in a private conversation with Peter, James, John, and Andrew. He informed them that there would be false prophets who would claim to be the "coming one," and that there would be strife on earth - war and famine - real tragedy and suffering. As for the disciples, Jesus again told them that they would be persecuted and would suffer judgment in the courts; some people would be killed after they had been betrayed by close relatives. "But," said Jesus, "he who endures to the end will be saved."
The second segment of this chapter, which is the Gospel for the Day in the Book of Common Prayer lectionary, gives further details about the future tribulation; it will be awful and final, followed by the appearance of false prophecies, who will announce the coming of Christ, by false prophets who will attempt to prove their prophesies with magic and miracles. The end will not have arrived, so the faithful must still be on their guard, waiting and watching for the coming of the Lord.
In the third part, read as the Gospel for the Day in the Roman Catholic and the churches using the Common lectionary, Jesus declares that at the parousia, just as at Jesus' birth and his crucifixion, there will be signs in the heavens, a kind of cosmic demonstration, and the Son of man will come in clouds with great power and glory, much as Daniel predicted that he would come to earth in his apocalyptic vision. (Some think that Daniel's "son of man" is a symbol, rather than a person such as Jesus, who really comes in the parousia.) But Jesus informs the disciples that he - even he - does not know when these things will come to pass. And verse 33, which is not read and is, therefore, reserved for Advent, adds, "Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come." This much is certain, according to Jesus, there will really be an end to time here on earth, and he will really come again to receive his own to himself, but there is no way that people can predict when he will return, since he himself didn't even know.
A Sermon on the Gospel, Mark 13:1-13 (L); 13:14-23 (E); 13:24-32 (R, C) - "God Has a Plan for the Earth, Too."
(Note: it seems prudent, since this chapter is cut up either by denomination or by Sundays, to use the entire chapter for a sermon on Jesus and the parousia.)
When Ray Bradbury wrote The Martian Chronicles almost forty-five years ago, he was convinced that human beings would explore space and land on Mars by the end of this century. He was also convinced that the human race would destroy itself in an atomic war. So, he coupled the establishment of people on Mars with the beginning of the "final war," so that in the last chapter of his book there are only five people left in the world - a father and a mother, and their three sons. They have survived the holocaust on earth, but they will probably be the last human beings to live in the universe, because there are no women - outside of the mother - to produce children for the future. The supreme fear of people for the past forty-five years is that the human race would destroy itself through a nuclear war. That is still a possibility, hopefully a remote one.
In the meantime, we have begun to discover that there are other problems which may result in the destruction of life - all life - here on earth: pollution in its many forms, the destruction of the environment by deforestation of the rain forests, the depletion of natural resources, the poisoning of the environment with pesticides, over-population, and now the lessening of the protective ozone layer that filters out the harmful rays of the sun so that people won't all get skin cancer (which may be the least of the problems that might develop from this phenomenon). The gradual warming of the atmosphere may also be catastrophic. The human race is in trouble - trouble that mostly has been created by the people who live on the earth. The message today is that we seem to be destroying ourselves - and maybe more rapidly than we realize.
That all is quite true, but there's another conception of the end of time, of the "last things." It was spoken vividly by Daniel, and Jesus firmly believed that God had a plan to bring this age to a close - and that it would hinge on his return to the earth and the coming of the fullness of the kingdom. Ray Bradbury guessed that the human race would destroy itself before A.D. 2030. Jesus didn't even hazard a guess about the last days of this age and the time of his return to the earth. He didn 't know, but he waspositive that he would return again.
1. Jesus was right about one thing - the destruction of the temple which occurred in A.D. 70, when the Romans razed it to quell a revolt. It happened as he had said: "There will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down." The western wall, which used to be known as the Wailing Wall (where faithful Jews rocked back and forth, hands uplifted in prayer) is all that remains of the temple. It continues to be a place of prayer today - for all of the people who look to God's redeeming actions.
2. Jesus was convinced not only that someday he would return to the earth, but also that all things would really be set right at that time. He made that prediction before he went to his death on the cross. It was an act of faith in the plans and purposes and power of God. In his book, Man on a Spaceship, William Pollard wrote:
No one can foretell thefuture. Even the most imaginative and forsighted men of the mid-nineteenth century - men like Jules Verne in technology and Admiral Mahan in naval strategy - saw only in dim outline a few features of the middle of the twentieth century. We do have some limited success in foretelling the future.... There is another way of dealing with the future, which is to assume - to take it on faith - that there is a purpose in human life and that enough of this purpose is available to us through the religious insights we inherit or can learn to enable us to choose between the uncertainties of thepresent with trust in the future.
That was Jesus' way. Otherwise, he could never have allowed himself to be crucified at Calvary.
3. Jesus will come again - and it will be both frightening and glorious when he comes. But in the meantime, it is for us to take seriously the various predictions about the fate of the earth - and to do what we can about them. That is one of the new dimensions of our discipleship in this last decade of the twentieth century. We will be witnessing to the plans and purposes of God when we care for the earth, feed the hungry, take stands against injustice and misuse of power, do what we can to stamp out disease, drugs, and destructive forces of any kind that we might encounter in our lives. That is living in faith, as Jesus would want us to live here on earth.
4. The way we worship, work, and live every day of our lives gives witness to what we believe about God - and his plan to bring in a hew heaven and a new earth with the return of Jesus Christ. Ours is to declare our faith in God, to worship him, and to expect Jesus' return - and the fulfillment of God's plans for his people - in God's good time. "Come, Lord Jesus! Come, quickly."
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Daniel 7:9-14 (C) - "The Judgment Seat."
1. That's where Daniel found himself in his vision - before the throne of God, before the judgment seat, with thousands of people waiting to be judged by the "ancient of days."
2. Daniel heard the trumpet "speaking great words." It was making an announcement of the defeat and death of the "Beast" and the exile of the other "beast." Satan and his minions were overcome by the power of God, just as is sure to happen at the "Last Day."
3. But the trumpet also heralded the coming of the Son of man - one who should have dominion over all people and all of the earth. Since the Beast is dead, the people are free to worship, glorify, and serve him as they should.
4. His kingdom will never be destroyed; it will last forever. Jesus has affirmed that in his teachings, his death and resurrection. He will make the vision of Daniel come true at last.
Daniel 12:1-3 (R, L); 12:1-4a (5-13) (E) - "Michael - Blow Your Horn."
1. Daniel had a vision - and it was not a very pretty vision. He saw the trouble that was coming to the earth because people were sinful and had broken God's commandments.
2. When Michael the Archangel blows his horn, it will be a signal of deliverance for the people of God. All living people will know that God is in charge and has gone into his final action toward the earth.
3. The blast of his trumpet will rip open the graves of all people and raise then1 up for God's judgment. Some will receive eternal life; others will be condemned.
4. Those whom God saves for himself will shine with the very brightness of the Son himself - and that will really be something to behold.
5. Michael blow your horn!
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 (R); 10:11-18 (L, C) - "When the Work is Done."
1. Jesus' earthly work was done when he died, rose, and ascended into heaven. He had accomplished the work that God had given him and, in his sacrifice, had obtained salvation for the people of God.
2. On his return to heaven, Jesus took his place - that is, "sat," at the side of God the Father. But he does not simply "sit there." When the earthly work is done, Jesus intercedes for us with the Father in heaven. The oldest mosaic found above Christian altars is the "Christ in glory," showing Jesus seated on a throne, one hand raised in blessing, disciples usually on either side, and sheep - his people - grazing at his feet. Maybe there should be another symbol of Christ before the throne, praying to the Father for the people - all the people - of the earth.
3. Because we know what he accomplished (the forgiveness of sins) while he was doing his work here on earth, and because we know that he is interceding for us in heaven, we can live with joy, confidence, and hope, facing the trials and tribulations of life in the hope of being with him in the resurrection when our work is done here on the earth.
Hebrews 10:31-39 (E) - "Keep the Faith."
1. Because Jesus is our High Priest, we need have no fear of punishment from our God; Jesus has gained us forgiveness and reconciliation with God, and has made us his disciples for this age.
2. He helps us, through Word and Spirit, to keep the faith when we are tempted or threatened by people or forces that seek to hurt or destroy us because we are disciples of Jesus.
3. He encourages us in our discipleship by his promise to come once again. Believing that he will come as he said he would is keeping the faith alive in our world.
4. Every day, every way that we can, Jesus calls on us to keep the faith - and with his help we can!
The Prayer of the Day
Once more, the Lutheran Book of Worship "prayer motif" of Advent - "Stir up, O Lord ..." - emerges, and this time is it is in the middle of the prayer:
Lord God, so rule and govern our hearts and minds (see the collectfor the Second Sunday of Advent) by your Holy Spirit that, always keeping in mind the end of all things and the day of judgment, we may be stirred up [see the Advent collects] to holiness of life here and may live with you forever in the world to come, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The prayer reflects the theme of the Sunday and the theme of the end of Pentecost and the approach of Advent quite appropriately.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 16 (E, L); 16:5, 8-11 (R) - The Roman Catholic, Episcopal, and Lutheran churches all use this psalm as a responsory to the first reading from Daniel 12 but, as usual, they disagree on which parts ought to be sung in the worship service. But all do use the thematically important verses (8-11), which represent the plea Of a person who might be close to death, and who honestly desires to be delivered from death and Sheol, and trusts that the Lord God will deliver him. The psalm does pick up the motif of the last things and death - and deliverance - that are found in Daniel 12. The Christian church has, in the opinion of at least one notable scholar, Reginald Fuller, deepened the meaning of this psalm by attaching it to death and resurrection. In this sense, it is appropriate as a bridge to the Gospel and its description of the "end times" of life here on earth.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Lord Jesus, uphold those who hope in you, and give us your counsel, so that we may know the joy of your resurrection and share the pleasures of the saints at your right hand, where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
The readings:
Daniel 7:9-14 (C)
Some of the lectionaries of the liturgical churches list Daniel 7:9-10 as the first reading for the Twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost. The Episcopal lectionary, which officially celebrates the Last Sunday after Pentecost, in place of Christ the King Sunday, uses Daniel 7:9-14 at that time. In 1991 (and most other years), there will really be no Twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost, not because the Pentecost cycle/season is not long enough to include that many Sundays, but because in virtually all denominations it is celebrated as Christ the King Sunday. Daniel 7 is appropriate for the end of Pentecost (and the festival of Christ the King, because it describes the apocalyptic vision of a judgment day, with the "Ancient of Days" seated on a throne, served by thousands and with "ten thousand times ten thousand" standing before him, and, then, says Daniel, "the books were opened" for the judgment. The vision also relates that there was the sound of a "horn" - and the "beast was slain" - and then "there came one like the son of man" from the heavens. He received dominion and glory and kingdom, "that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." This part of the vision parallels Mark 13:26, which is in the section of the Gospel appointed by the Common lectionary; it says: "And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory." In the Gospel, the vision takes on its ultimate meaning.
Daniel 12:1-3 (R, L); 12:1-4a (5-13) (E)
In this part of his vision, Daniel sees a resurrection of the dead, which will result in everlasting life for some people, "eternal shame and everlasting contempt" for others. Those who are saved will "shine like the brightness of the firmament" - like the very stars of heaven itself, much as Jesus describes the people who are redeemed and raised up to new life. They will be completely changed "into a body that is like his glorious body." At verse 4, Daniel is told to close the book and seal it "until the end of time." But the vision continues and Daniel sees a man in white linen on the far bank of a stream, and asks him, recognizing him to be a messenger from God, virtually the same question that the disciples asked of Jesus: "How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?" He gave an answer, which Daniel heard but did not understand. The messenger gives a numerical answer, but what means most to Daniel, no doubt, is that, in the fact of the "abomination of desolation," he will be able to stand in his appointed place "at the end of the days."
Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 (R); 10:11-18 (L, C)
In this pericope, which is the final part of the comparison of Jesus, the High Priest, with the levitical priests of the temple, the daily sacrifices of the ordinary priests are examined and found to be of no salvific benefit; Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient for the forgiveness of all sins and for all time. In his death and resurrection, Jesus' earthly work is completed, hence he takes his place - his seat - by the side of the Father in heaven. There he waits, but continues his work of interceding for his people, sending the Holy Spirit to "put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds" - with the promise, "I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more."
Hebrews 10:31-39 (E)
Nearly every Sunday, one of the liturgical churches plays "odd man out;" it is the turn of the Episcopal Church this Sunday in the selection of verses for the second reading. This section of the chapter picks up the theme of the judgment, so that the reading begins with a warning that "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" - for judgment, that is. The pericope goes on to promise the "coming one" will soon arrive; he "will not tarry." Those whose righteousness is in the Lord must wait in faith and with hope for that day, doing his work in the world in the knowledge that they will be received by the Lord when he comes.
Mark 13:1-13 (L); 13:14-23 (E); 13:24-32 (R, C)
This chapter has been called Mark's "Little Apocalypse" by several New Testament scholars. In this pericope, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple and, later, described the end times in detail in a private conversation with Peter, James, John, and Andrew. He informed them that there would be false prophets who would claim to be the "coming one," and that there would be strife on earth - war and famine - real tragedy and suffering. As for the disciples, Jesus again told them that they would be persecuted and would suffer judgment in the courts; some people would be killed after they had been betrayed by close relatives. "But," said Jesus, "he who endures to the end will be saved."
The second segment of this chapter, which is the Gospel for the Day in the Book of Common Prayer lectionary, gives further details about the future tribulation; it will be awful and final, followed by the appearance of false prophecies, who will announce the coming of Christ, by false prophets who will attempt to prove their prophesies with magic and miracles. The end will not have arrived, so the faithful must still be on their guard, waiting and watching for the coming of the Lord.
In the third part, read as the Gospel for the Day in the Roman Catholic and the churches using the Common lectionary, Jesus declares that at the parousia, just as at Jesus' birth and his crucifixion, there will be signs in the heavens, a kind of cosmic demonstration, and the Son of man will come in clouds with great power and glory, much as Daniel predicted that he would come to earth in his apocalyptic vision. (Some think that Daniel's "son of man" is a symbol, rather than a person such as Jesus, who really comes in the parousia.) But Jesus informs the disciples that he - even he - does not know when these things will come to pass. And verse 33, which is not read and is, therefore, reserved for Advent, adds, "Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come." This much is certain, according to Jesus, there will really be an end to time here on earth, and he will really come again to receive his own to himself, but there is no way that people can predict when he will return, since he himself didn't even know.
A Sermon on the Gospel, Mark 13:1-13 (L); 13:14-23 (E); 13:24-32 (R, C) - "God Has a Plan for the Earth, Too."
(Note: it seems prudent, since this chapter is cut up either by denomination or by Sundays, to use the entire chapter for a sermon on Jesus and the parousia.)
When Ray Bradbury wrote The Martian Chronicles almost forty-five years ago, he was convinced that human beings would explore space and land on Mars by the end of this century. He was also convinced that the human race would destroy itself in an atomic war. So, he coupled the establishment of people on Mars with the beginning of the "final war," so that in the last chapter of his book there are only five people left in the world - a father and a mother, and their three sons. They have survived the holocaust on earth, but they will probably be the last human beings to live in the universe, because there are no women - outside of the mother - to produce children for the future. The supreme fear of people for the past forty-five years is that the human race would destroy itself through a nuclear war. That is still a possibility, hopefully a remote one.
In the meantime, we have begun to discover that there are other problems which may result in the destruction of life - all life - here on earth: pollution in its many forms, the destruction of the environment by deforestation of the rain forests, the depletion of natural resources, the poisoning of the environment with pesticides, over-population, and now the lessening of the protective ozone layer that filters out the harmful rays of the sun so that people won't all get skin cancer (which may be the least of the problems that might develop from this phenomenon). The gradual warming of the atmosphere may also be catastrophic. The human race is in trouble - trouble that mostly has been created by the people who live on the earth. The message today is that we seem to be destroying ourselves - and maybe more rapidly than we realize.
That all is quite true, but there's another conception of the end of time, of the "last things." It was spoken vividly by Daniel, and Jesus firmly believed that God had a plan to bring this age to a close - and that it would hinge on his return to the earth and the coming of the fullness of the kingdom. Ray Bradbury guessed that the human race would destroy itself before A.D. 2030. Jesus didn't even hazard a guess about the last days of this age and the time of his return to the earth. He didn 't know, but he waspositive that he would return again.
1. Jesus was right about one thing - the destruction of the temple which occurred in A.D. 70, when the Romans razed it to quell a revolt. It happened as he had said: "There will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down." The western wall, which used to be known as the Wailing Wall (where faithful Jews rocked back and forth, hands uplifted in prayer) is all that remains of the temple. It continues to be a place of prayer today - for all of the people who look to God's redeeming actions.
2. Jesus was convinced not only that someday he would return to the earth, but also that all things would really be set right at that time. He made that prediction before he went to his death on the cross. It was an act of faith in the plans and purposes and power of God. In his book, Man on a Spaceship, William Pollard wrote:
No one can foretell thefuture. Even the most imaginative and forsighted men of the mid-nineteenth century - men like Jules Verne in technology and Admiral Mahan in naval strategy - saw only in dim outline a few features of the middle of the twentieth century. We do have some limited success in foretelling the future.... There is another way of dealing with the future, which is to assume - to take it on faith - that there is a purpose in human life and that enough of this purpose is available to us through the religious insights we inherit or can learn to enable us to choose between the uncertainties of thepresent with trust in the future.
That was Jesus' way. Otherwise, he could never have allowed himself to be crucified at Calvary.
3. Jesus will come again - and it will be both frightening and glorious when he comes. But in the meantime, it is for us to take seriously the various predictions about the fate of the earth - and to do what we can about them. That is one of the new dimensions of our discipleship in this last decade of the twentieth century. We will be witnessing to the plans and purposes of God when we care for the earth, feed the hungry, take stands against injustice and misuse of power, do what we can to stamp out disease, drugs, and destructive forces of any kind that we might encounter in our lives. That is living in faith, as Jesus would want us to live here on earth.
4. The way we worship, work, and live every day of our lives gives witness to what we believe about God - and his plan to bring in a hew heaven and a new earth with the return of Jesus Christ. Ours is to declare our faith in God, to worship him, and to expect Jesus' return - and the fulfillment of God's plans for his people - in God's good time. "Come, Lord Jesus! Come, quickly."
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Daniel 7:9-14 (C) - "The Judgment Seat."
1. That's where Daniel found himself in his vision - before the throne of God, before the judgment seat, with thousands of people waiting to be judged by the "ancient of days."
2. Daniel heard the trumpet "speaking great words." It was making an announcement of the defeat and death of the "Beast" and the exile of the other "beast." Satan and his minions were overcome by the power of God, just as is sure to happen at the "Last Day."
3. But the trumpet also heralded the coming of the Son of man - one who should have dominion over all people and all of the earth. Since the Beast is dead, the people are free to worship, glorify, and serve him as they should.
4. His kingdom will never be destroyed; it will last forever. Jesus has affirmed that in his teachings, his death and resurrection. He will make the vision of Daniel come true at last.
Daniel 12:1-3 (R, L); 12:1-4a (5-13) (E) - "Michael - Blow Your Horn."
1. Daniel had a vision - and it was not a very pretty vision. He saw the trouble that was coming to the earth because people were sinful and had broken God's commandments.
2. When Michael the Archangel blows his horn, it will be a signal of deliverance for the people of God. All living people will know that God is in charge and has gone into his final action toward the earth.
3. The blast of his trumpet will rip open the graves of all people and raise then1 up for God's judgment. Some will receive eternal life; others will be condemned.
4. Those whom God saves for himself will shine with the very brightness of the Son himself - and that will really be something to behold.
5. Michael blow your horn!
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 (R); 10:11-18 (L, C) - "When the Work is Done."
1. Jesus' earthly work was done when he died, rose, and ascended into heaven. He had accomplished the work that God had given him and, in his sacrifice, had obtained salvation for the people of God.
2. On his return to heaven, Jesus took his place - that is, "sat," at the side of God the Father. But he does not simply "sit there." When the earthly work is done, Jesus intercedes for us with the Father in heaven. The oldest mosaic found above Christian altars is the "Christ in glory," showing Jesus seated on a throne, one hand raised in blessing, disciples usually on either side, and sheep - his people - grazing at his feet. Maybe there should be another symbol of Christ before the throne, praying to the Father for the people - all the people - of the earth.
3. Because we know what he accomplished (the forgiveness of sins) while he was doing his work here on earth, and because we know that he is interceding for us in heaven, we can live with joy, confidence, and hope, facing the trials and tribulations of life in the hope of being with him in the resurrection when our work is done here on the earth.
Hebrews 10:31-39 (E) - "Keep the Faith."
1. Because Jesus is our High Priest, we need have no fear of punishment from our God; Jesus has gained us forgiveness and reconciliation with God, and has made us his disciples for this age.
2. He helps us, through Word and Spirit, to keep the faith when we are tempted or threatened by people or forces that seek to hurt or destroy us because we are disciples of Jesus.
3. He encourages us in our discipleship by his promise to come once again. Believing that he will come as he said he would is keeping the faith alive in our world.
4. Every day, every way that we can, Jesus calls on us to keep the faith - and with his help we can!
