Sunday 6 November 2016

Year A - Advent 1

Year A - Advent 1
Text Matthew 24:36-44 – How many shopping days till Jesus returns?

The countdown begins with how many shopping days there are to Christmas.
Actually with online shopping and 7 days a week trading, we don’t have any days to deduct between now and the 25th December.
We just have to be good at maths – which isn’t that hard since today is the 1st of December.
With the commercialising of Christmas every day 24/7 is a shopping day, and for many that’s all Christmas has really become.
A big shopping nightmare.
And as organised as we seem to be it still always creeps up on us and the need for that last minute gift or that last minute food item always seems to be there.
Advent is that time of preparation in the church to help us prepare for Christmas.
The 4 candles of the Advent wreath and the 4 Sundays of Advent are there in much the same way as Lent is for Easter, to prepare us spiritually for Christmas.
The busyness and physical demands of Christmas can sometimes unprepare us spiritually.
A busyness that also happens in the church with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services to organise, Sunday School children to prepare, amid all our own personal planning for family Christmas.
Sometimes the busyness can distract us from the blessings of Christmas.
I have even heard, sadly, people saying – “I hate Christmas … I can’t wait for it to be over”.
And that’s a real sad thing to hear because Christmas was never intended to be a burden on anyone.
It was the fulfilment of God’s promise to the world to send a saviour to reconcile the world to God.
Once we reach Advent we know the time is short to have things ready for Christmas.
Places are already taking orders for Christmas trees, Christmas lunches, Christmas accommodation and other Christmas related activities.
People are making plans about who’s having Christmas this year – whose parents is it our turn to visit – the Christmas card lists are getting done and cards ready to mail – especially if they’re going overseas.
The time is getting shorter by the day.
Paul reminds us that the time for the 2nd Christmas – the second coming of Jesus Christ is also drawing near.
He says – your salvation is nearer today than it was yesterday;
The night is far gone, the day is near.
Ever since Christ ascended into heaven, the world has been living in Christmas Eve.
None of us know the day of Jesus’ return.
None of us know the day that God has assigned for us to leave this life for the coming Kingdom.
And so we are urged to constantly live in readiness because, as Jesus says “you do not know on what day your Lord is coming”.
And that can be very frightening if you’re not prepared.
Do you ever remember your parents leaving you home alone with strict instructions?
No parties, no friends, and no mess.
And then they end up coming home early unexpectedly!
You hear the car pull up in the driveway and you quickly try to tidy up all the mess.
It’s a horrible feeling that sends a shiver up your spine.
Jesus says that his return will be like that.
It will come like a thief in the night.
And he says you must always be ready because he is coming at an unexpected hour.
Are you ready?
If Jesus were to pull into the driveway today, so to speak, would you be ready to face him?
Or are there some things you need to tidy up in your life?
Are you putting off some things, still doing some things you know you shouldn’t, harbouring a grudge or hatred you know you shouldn’t.
If you were to confront Jesus today is there something that you would be ashamed of?
If so, then have we become complacent thinking that we’ve got plenty of time to amend our life?
Paul urges us to put aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.
He lists several behaviours but they aren’t limited to those.
Any behaviour that we would be ashamed of if Jesus were here we should be changing.
If we don’t think Jesus is going to return today or tomorrow then when do we think he will.
It’s one day less today than it was tomorrow.
None of us live perfect lives.
But there is a difference between refusing to change our ways when we know we are living in darkness and our inability to live perfect lives.
As Christians we live under the grace of God asking God’s forgiveness for our sinfulness.
Even though we live in sin because of our sinful nature we also live under God’s grace.
And that’s the promise to the world otherwise instead of 2 being in the field and one taken and the other left, none would be taken.
We are ready for Christ to return, but not by what we do.
If our readiness relied on our behaviour then none of us would ever be ready.
None of us know when Jesus will return so how can we ever be ready?
What if he returns and we have had one of those bad days?
And so our readiness comes not by what we do but by relying on God’s promise to us.
He has promised in our baptism, I am with you always – to the end of the age.
He has promised in Holy Communion – this IS my body – this IS my blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.
In fact Luther’s Catechism says concerning Holy Communion :
Fasting and other preparation are good. But a person is truly worthy and ready who believes these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”  The candle we lit today is the candle of hope.
Many believe there is little to hope for in the world.
The wars have many countries on a knife edge especially with the threat of nuclear attacks.
Terrorism has made us afraid to fly, afraid of the stranger, afraid of multiculturalism.
Global warming has many worried about whether we will have  future world for our children and grandchildren.
The church too worries about its future with numbers dwindling and congregations ageing.
But Jesus brings hope into this world with a promise.
A promise to the world that I am with you.
A promise to the church – that it will prevail forever and not even the gates of hell will destroy it.
Jesus' warning isn't meant to make us fearful and anxious but alert.
Some years ago after the September 11 terrorist attacks the Australian Government led an advertising campaign – be alert but not alarmed.
That is also the message of Jesus.
Be alert – the day is drawing nearer every day.
But don’t be alarmed because Jesus has saved us.
We believe that Jesus is coming again.
We believe that we are born again – dead to sin and alive in Christ.
And so we are called to live our lives in such a way.
Loving God and loving our neighbour.
Living as if our eternal life has already begun – which it has.
This gospel is a call to live heavenly lives now in preparation for our eternal heavenly life.
If we know we should make changes, then now is the time to do so not tomorrow:
As Paul urged: Now is the moment to wake from sleep and put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are called to be a people of hope and Advent is a time of preparation.
We prepare because we have hope in God's love and grace.
A love and grace that was born as a sign of God’s love to give us hope for our eternal life.
We may not know the day nor the hour when Christ will return but we do know that he is coming and tomorrow will be one less day than today.
So with that assurance, we can live free and celebrate life and love confident of the future assured by the same God who laid down his life in his love for us, and rose again to lead us beyond fear and tragedy into the new age of love, life, hope and peace.
It is this Jesus who is coming, and unlike the people of Noah’s day, we will always be ready for his coming into our world because of his love for us.

So until that day may the peace of God that surpasses our understanding, keep your hearts and minds forever in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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