Stay Tuned

Introduction

I love a good movie. Personally, my favorites are the ones with stupid humor like Airplane, but the ones I keep coming back to over and over again are the epics. An epic is a story that follows a hero through a grand adventure that has rich backstory and often encourages more stories to follow. The Illiad, The Mahābhārata, The Epic of Gilgamesh, or modern tales like Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, the Avengers or The Chronicles of Narnia. These stories are all Epics. Now, i’m not normally a movie re-watcher, there are too many movies that I’ve never seen before for me to want to spend time on stuff I’ve already watched. But epics are different. I keep coming back to them, and when Kasey talks about wanting to re-watch Star wars or the Lord of the Rings them I’m in 100%. Even though I know what’s coming I notice things I had never seen before. Connect the dots on story arcs. I can see how actions foreshadow future events and watch characters discover their destiny all over again.

For movie-lovers, when a new chapter in an Epic comes out, you know that the first thing you expect to see is a movie trailer. They are normally fast-paced, intense, and when you’re done watching you are left sitting on the edge of your seat with an increased heart rate, and a lot of questions. The Christmas story is a lot like these epics and today’s scripture reading is like the trailer for the movie. You can picture it...

A dark scene of a barren landscape “In those days, after the suffering of that time, the sun will become dark, and the moon won’t give it’s light” Fade to a dark fig tree sprouting new leaves and branches, “but nobody knows when that day or hour will come, not the angels in heaven and not the Son. Only the Father knows.” a flash of future scenes fly past, ending with “COMING SOON.”

Wait! What? What’s coming soon? What’s that tree have to do with anything? The sun going dark? And when is it coming? It’s like a movie trailer saying “Coming to a theater near you” without telling you when.

This is a different Christmas story than we often picture isn’t it? No peaceful baby sheep and gentle songs. This is action packed and mysterious.

Staying Tuned

Advent is a season of comfort, but it is also a season of anticipation. This is why we wait to give gifts until Christmas morning and we build up the whole season because the feeling of anticipation helps us emotionally be a part of re-telling the story Of Jesus’ birth. Now, in it’s context, the scripture this morning isn’t actually about Jesus’ birth, but about the second coming if Christ to establish the new heavens and the new earth for all eternity, I mean it is the adult jesus saying these things after all. But, that doesn’t mean it isn’t related. You see the story of Jesus’ birth is the first story that leads into the greater story to come. This is how epics work. Christmas is a prequel to the second coming and as we read the story again this year be on the lookout for Easter-eggs or hints about what’s coming.

As we walk through the scripture this morning, it should alter our focus throughout this season of anticipation. Are we merely waiting for the baby to be born? or are we waiting for something more? And what is the scripture telling us about how we should wait?

I can remember when I was in elementary school, Pokemon was just coming on the scene. For those who aren’t aware. Pokemon is a Japanese video game that blew up all over the world in the late-90’s early 2000’s and is still massively popular today becoming a franchise worth over 92 billion dollars. My friends had Pokemon games for their game boys and I wanted one too. I had saved up my money when a new version of the game came out and I went to Walmart to pre-order my copy before the official release. Every time we drove by Walmart I wanted my parents to stop so I could go in and check if it had released yet. It was all I could think about, and until I had the game I kept checking over and over again.

That was not exactly a peaceful season of anticipation, it was an obsessive one, yet we are challenged in this scripture to stay alert as we anticipate what is coming. What might it mean for us to stay tuned as we await not only the birth of Jesus, but his second coming as well? Are we to be obsessed with the end date like I was with the Pokemon game, or is our anticipation to look different? The scripture gives us a few hints here, so let’s take a look.

The Coming of the Son of Man

First jesus starts by giving us a hint about what is coming. Now, this whole chapter in Mark has rich backstory so just jumping into it cold would be like watching the sequel to a movie without having seen the earlier movies. A lot of things just won’t make sense. so I will try to fill you in along the way here, but know that there is a whole lot more going on than we can cover. Jesus is warning his disciples about the fall of the temple in Jerusalem that will happen in 70 AD, but also about the final coming of the Son of Man. It’s not a prediction about the end of the world, but of the initiation of the eternal kingdom of God on earth.

SLIDE 2

The Son of man is a figure from Daniel 7:13-14

The New Revised Standard Version Judgment before the Ancient One

I saw one like a human being

coming with the clouds of heaven.

And he came to the Ancient One

and was presented before him.

14 To him was given dominion

and glory and kingship,

that all peoples, nations, and languages

should serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that shall not pass away,

and his kingship is one

that shall never be destroyed.

So, the Son of man is a human who rules with God from heaven, and rules over all of creation. Jesus also frequently claimed that he was this Son of Man throughout the gospel accounts. This is a big deal because he is claiming that he himself will come and gather all of his people. This scripture is reminding us that we are anticipating, not only the birth of a sweet baby who will teach us sweet things, but that this baby is going to come to rule over all existence. If we are deceived into thinking that Jesus is simply here to teach us life-lessons or how to be good people then we are entirely missing the point. We aren’t anticipating a great moral teacher, we are anticipating the birth of the one who will set the world straight. This is a big deal!

SLIDE 3

Christmas isn’t just about remembering history, it’s also about Hope for today.

The kids lit the prophecy candle this morning which reminds us of the hope Christ’s birth brings us. So as we anticipate his birth this year, we can first remember that this Christmas season is helping us eagerly await not only Jesus’ birthday, but also everything his birth means for the world we live in.

The Fig Tree

SLIDE 4

How about the fig tree then? Jesus moves to talking about how fig trees can help us know how to anticipate this future hope. He says that in the same way new growth coming out of a tree in late spring tells you summer is close by, the things Jesus talks about is Mark 13 tell the believers that the Son of Man’s coming into his position on the throne with God is going to happen soon. What is important to note here is that the lesson is not, measure the leaves to figure out exactly how many days are left, but simply, be ready because it’s coming soon. In Advent we have a deadline to look forward to, Christmas Day, December 25th, but let’s allow this scripture to remind us that even though the temple fell just as Jesus said it would, and he is seated on the throne in heaven just like The Son of man was prophesied to do, we are still in an odd period of living and waiting at the same time.

Last week we celebrated Christ the King Sunday and remembered that He is the ruler of everything, yet today we talk about anticipating his coming.

SLIDE 5

We are in the time of Now and Not Yet

While we wait, we don’t wait obsessively counting days, trying to figure out when everything will be set right. We don’t pay attention to end-times prophesies that claim to predict future events and try to line up our political realities with symbols from the book of revelation in order to predict the end of days. That’s the core of what Jesus is calling us to do. We are to be people who wait, knowing 1) that Jesus is ruling now, and because of that we have the power and freedom to do good, seek justice, and steward creation faithfully. and 2) that Jesus is still to come to finish the job, judge the world, and set things right for good. When we face brokenness, we do it with hope for now and the future.

The Slaves left in charge

SLIDE 6

Which brings us to Jesus’ third point. This story about the slaves left in charge. It’s actually a pretty simple parable to understand. A man goes away leaving his servants in charge of the house. He would not want to find them gathered together in the living room calculating the day of his return while the housework is being left undone. Like the slaves, we are waiting for the final return of the king of creation and we too are to wait while we work. This is a simple but difficult teaching. What do you think it means to be watchful while you wait, while we wait for Christ?

This year, Advent is still about anticipation, just like it is every year, but in the middle of a global pandemic, a lot of change, and a complicated world it can be really easy to keep our watchful eyes so focused on when the king returns that we forget to do our work. Jesus is calling each of us to be active waiters. We need to live in the now and not yet. Live knowing that it will be worked out and that he is already working on it through us, if we are willing to do our part.

The specific mission we have been given at Valley Chapel is to Reach Teach Mend and Send, and every single person listening to this message is called to do that. You are called to do that. Reach Teach Mend and Send. That mission doesn’t change. Jesus will not judge us based on whether we were successful in our mission, but he will want to see us hard at work. We mustn't be caught getting lazy, lackadaisical, and unfocused. We all have to stay tuned. The story is going to continue, but if we are complacent right now then we will miss our opportunity to participate in it.

Conclusion

So, let’s get practical. Our Advent series here is called “Coming Soon: An Epic Hope for Every Story” We all celebrate Christmas is varied ways, but it is this one, same story that drives us to act in our world. The sermons will keep the story moving, but you have a part to play too. You have a mission to Reach Teach Mend and Send this advent so that this epic story can spread around our community.

The leaders here are working hard to ensure we all have opportunities to do our part in this mission during this advent season. I would like you to think about some of these things and consider how, as a part of this family of faith, you are participating in this epic hope.

Checking In

It is really easy to get lonely these days, especially for those without good internet access or a solid group of friends around them. You can simply think of someone and send them a letter, make a phone call, or shoot a message to check in. That is living as if we are in a world without loneliness, you can help make this world look more like it should be by simply reaching out.

Small Groups

Reaching out to one person is great, but when people are lonely, it’s often because they do not have a support system of family and friends that is regularly in communication with them. Small groups are a big part of this and by being willing to start and lead a short-term small group you are not only helping others grow in their relationships with jesus, but you are helping them heal from old wounds, feel empowered to serve, and feel like they belong. It is a massively impactful way to fulfil our mission.

Holiday Dinner Giveaway

You have heard me announce this event constantly lately, and I plan to keep bringing it back up because it is such a great opportunity. by serving you are participating in our kingdom work, feeding the hungry, and sharing the love of Jesus with our community

Advent Conspiracy

In the kingdom of God there are none without a place to belong or a place to do their part, but in our current broken world there are homeless and people who lost their jobs thanks to COVID. We are partnering with El Shaddai FMC, an African Refugee church in Rochester this advent as we build the kingdom of God together. They have many in their midst who lost their jobs due to COVID, yet they are stepping out in faith to help the homeless in Rochester, So God has called us al Valley Chapel to help those at El Shaddai who lost their jobs. God provides in powerful ways.

These are all great ways to be an active waiter. I am challenging each of you to participate in at least one of these things this advent season so that we can be a community that stays alert, waiting with hopeful anticipation of the birth of Jesus and all it means for our world.