3rd to Last Sunday

Matthew 24:15-28

November 10, 2002                            “A Place of Safety”

Introduction:  Children and children of all ages - Let’s begin by playing a guessing game?  I will show you some things and I want you to tell me what you expect to happen next.  Knife, fork spoon.  What do you expect to happen when you see these?  You might expect that it will soon be time to eat?  Show camera – If I held this up and pointed it at you, what would you expect to happen next?  You would expect me to take a picture of you.  I have one more question for you.  To answer it you will have to think about thunderstorms.  When you see lightning, what do expect next?  We expect thunder don’t we?  Sometimes thunder is really loud, loud enough to shake the windows.  Sometimes it is scary.  Do lightening and thunder scare you?  Sometimes I’m scarred.  Not long ago I was outside watching the thunderstorms that swept through Wisconsin.  Most of the lightening was in the north, near Fon du lac.  Unexpectedly, a flash of light and the crash of thunder blinded me.  I felt as if my heart jumped out of my chest and I ran for the safety of the house.  I joined the rest of my family who were safely inside.

            Sometimes lightening fills the whole sky with it’s light.  Today’s Bible reading mentions lightening.  It says that when Jesus comes to earth again, everyone will see Him.  His brilliance and glory will fill the skies and He will come to judge the world.  Does it scare you to think that Jesus will come this way?  Many people will be frightened when Jesus comes again.  People will be afraid because the light of Jesus will point out their sin, like a flashlight beam in the dark night.  People will be afraid because they will know that they are sinners, that they have done bad things.  All people are sinners.  That includes you and me.  We have done bad things too.  But I have some really good news.  You and I don’t need to be afraid of the day when Jesus comes back.  Do you know why?  Even though we have sinned, been bad, God has forgiven us our sins.  When Jesus comes back He will look at us and say, “I know you, I took away your sins when I suffered and died for you on the cross.  And I rose from the dead for you so that you would live forever with me.  We don’t need to be afraid when Jesus comes because He comes for you and me, to take us home.  Will you pray with me?  Dear Jesus, thank you for taking away our sins.  Every time we see lightening, help us to not be afraid.  Let it remind us that you will return to earth to take us to heaven.  Amen.

The Text

            Today and the next two Sundays bring us to the close of the church year.  During this time we meditate and fix our hearts on Christ’s imminent return.  We remember that Christ will come again to judge the quick and the dead.  During these weeks we remember that though there will be trials and suffering as the earth suffers the birth pangs of His coming.  God will preserve His people.  He will preserve His baptized and believing people throughout the earth even as His judgment falls on the rest of humanity.  In His sure promise to us we find hope to not only survive, but to be His witnesses to the world so that other people will not perish, but may believe and be saved.  This is why we Christians are here – to seek and save the lost.

Judgment Came

At first look, our text for today, the 24th chapter of Matthew looks complicated.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t look any easier no matter how long you look at it.  We have abominations that cause desolation, unequaled and unparalleled destruction focusing on the Jews and Jerusalem; finally we have carcasses and vultures.  It’s not the most joyful text.  It’s not supposed to be. 

            Jesus tells it as it is as He prophecies about God’s wrath that will be poured out on the unbelieving Jews.  It was a prophecy that would be fulfilled a few years later as the Romans would lay siege on Jerusalem in the year 66 A.D.  In the year 70 A.D. the Romans would utterly crush the Jews, almost annihilating them from the face of the earth.  Their pain and suffering was recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus.  Yet God spares a few of them so that those coming to faith might share in God’s grace in Christ Jesus.  Jesus spoke this prophesy to Christians, men and women that believed in Him.  He was warning them.  When they saw the signs of the destruction to come they were to get out of Jerusalem and to go into the mountains of Judea.  There they would find safety.

Judgment Will Come Again

            Destruction did come.  It will come again.  Our Lord promised to come again.  When He does He will not come in humility.  He will come with power and might.  Jesus will come to judge the quick and the dead.  The wrath that will be poured out will be unparalleled in the history of the world.  Life as we know it will be utterly destroyed.  Many people, people that we don’t know, and people that we know, will die and be damned forever.  This includes the people that we live with in our local communities.  God calls on us to be His faithful witnesses.  As His witnesses we should ask ourselves some questions.  Did we do everything we could to warn them?  Did we do everything we could to proclaim the good news of salvation found only in Jesus Christ?  Did we do everything we could to open our doors so that people could come and see the Savior?  Did we offer a place of safety? 

God’s Witnesses

We are God’s witnesses.  Jesus told His disciples to, “Go and make disciples.”  Christians are called to build bridges that convey the Gospel into the lives of those around them.  Our witnessing doesn’t just take place through formal evangelism programs.  More often witnessing takes place as we live out lives in situations that bring us into contact with unbelievers.  Good or bad, as believers, we are always making some kind of statement about our faith in Christ.  We are making these statements with our words and deeds.  People see what is important to us.  On the one hand our witness may be that Jesus just isn’t important to us and that He really doesn’t make a difference in our lives.  On the other hand, when we are faithful, people understand and see that our ultimate sense of security, and meaning are found in our Lord Jesus.   We do not choose to witness or not to witness.  We choose how we will witness.  As we witness, good or bad, people recognize how we feel about them.

A Place of Safety

            God in His great mercy has warned us, and He has given us a place of safety.  He has given us a place to flee to.  He has given us a place safer than the hills of Judea.  Where is it?  It is here.  We come here, to this sanctuary, gathered as God’s people to hear His Word of safety and to receive forgiveness in His supper.  In these things we find safety from the wrath to come.  In them we are safe guarded by Jesus Christ who took the wrath of God that was coming for us.  For our sake he received God’s unparalleled judgment on sin.  We find safety and sanctuary, gathered here and gathered around the cross of Jesus Christ, knowing that we are safe and forgiven.

            Christ died for all people.  The world needs to know that there is a place of safety in Jesus Christ the Son of God.  There are many people that don’t know.  The people of our communities need to know.  There is a sense of urgency.  We don’t know when lightening will strike and we don’t know when Jesus will return.  Can we put off for tomorrow what needs to be done today, for their sake?  Can we do more than we are doing now?

Conclusion:  We do not have to fear the Lord’s coming.  Instead we look forward to it.  God has richly blessed us here at the River Church.   Here we can celebrate our salvation in Jesus Christ.  Here God has called us to be His own dear children, many of us through the waters of baptism.  He has promised to keep us safe.  He has enabled us to serve Him by proclaiming God’s love and safety in Jesus Christ.  God has made the River Church a sanctuary for us and for all people.  We rejoice in His wonderful gift.  The world will be judged.  Just like lightening in the night sky Jesus will come again with brilliance and glory.  Until He does, God will protect us.  As we sang earlier, “Our God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come.  Our Shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home!  Under the shadow of Thy throne Thy saints have dwelt secure; Sufficient is Thine arm alone and our defense is sure.”   Amen