Sermon – First Sunday in Advent 2024 Text: - Luke 21:25-36 – Waiting

 Sermon – First Sunday in Advent 2024

Text: - Luke 21:25-36 – Waiting

As we gather here today at the beginning of the season of Advent, we enter a time of waiting—a time of anticipation and a longing for the fulfillment of God’s promise that has been in existence from the fall of Adam and Eve. A promise that St Paul says all creation is looking to be fulfilled: With eager hope, creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. Jesus talks about that death and decay in today’s Gospel reading. In fact it sounds quite horrific: There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

But Jesus encourages us to not give up hope but to keep looking for his return. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. And Jesus says what a great day that will be and says that when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. We are not to be discouraged but keep our hope in God’s promise to us. To life our heads high with pride because Jesus is here. And that promise is embraced by God’s love – for God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Advent is not just a 4 week countdown to Christmas; it is a season that calls us to reflect on the coming of Christ, both in the past as a baby in Bethlehem but also in the future as our King in all his glory to usher in the new creation. It’s a time to examine our hearts and lives as we prepare for His arrival, remembering the love that His coming brings to our world.

Advent is a season of hope, peace, joy, and love. It’s a time to remember that Christ has come, Christ is coming, and Christ will come again. And in this space of waiting, we are invited to be a people who reflect on the true meaning of the coming of Christ, embracing the promise He made to us all as we wait for his 2nd Coming.

Waiting can feel uncomfortable—especially in a world that is always in a hurry.  We don’t like to wait because whether it’s a couple minutes- a couple hours – a couple days, weeks or months – we are not in control when we are waiting. Even if it’s just waiting for the traffic light to turn green – so we rush the amber light. We want things now. If that meal we’ve ordered is a little late or someone coming after us getting served first - we feel an injustice. Instant gratification has become the norm – in fact it’s an expectation. 

And yet, the season of Advent invites us into something altogether different: the discipline of waiting with patience, trust, and anticipation. The prophet Isaiah spoke about waiting for Jesus:"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned" (Isaiah 9:2).  This was a message to the people of Israel who had been waiting for generations for the promised Messiah. Their world was filled with darkness—political oppression, spiritual longing, and a sense of distance from God. Much like today’s generation that is not waiting for a saviour but trying to escape from the hardships as Jesus calls it – dissipation and drunkenness. Dissipation means escaping by carefree lifestyles pretending everything is okay when it’s not.

Yet, in the midst of their waiting, Isaiah declared that the light would come, and that light would be our Savior whom we’ve been waiting for. What helps with our waiting is hope.  We wait with expectation that God fulfils his promises and is coming to us – that he has not forgotten us. So, in Advent, the waiting is always accompanied by hope.  Hope is the assurance that God is faithful to His promises, and His promises are good.  As the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 13:11, "The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." And he also says – our present sufferings are not worth comparting to the glory that awaits us.

The arrival of Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise that God gave to His people.  The child born in Bethlehem brought hope to the hopeless that God has not forgot his promises to us – bringing light to those in darkness, and salvation to those lost in sin.  But Advent also reminds us that this hope is not just about looking back to that first Christmas. 

It is also about looking forward—looking forward to the return of Christ when He will make all things new. Advent hope is found in the birth of Jesus. The angel’s message to Joseph: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 

So, in Jesus, we see the hope of salvation—a hope that transforms lives and brings us back into relationship with God. It is a hope that will one day be fully received when Christ returns to establish His eternal kingdom. Advent is not just about waiting and hoping; it is about receiving the promises of God with faith. It is a season in which we acknowledge that God has made promises to us—and He will keep them. God promised a Savior, and He sent Jesus to fulfill that promise. God promises to be with us in our waiting, to guide us in our hope, and to bring about His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

The promise of Advent is not just a future promise; it is a present reality. Christ has already come, and through His Holy Spirit, He continues to dwell with us. 

Advent calls us to be people who are not just remembering the birth of Christ but are also living His promise because Christ is present with us now. So we live in the hope of Jesus return by how we live our lives today. As we wait with hope and trust in God’s promises, we are also called to live out the light of Christ in a world that desperately needs it.  Advent challenges us to examine our hearts, to remove the distractions that keep us from fully embracing Christ, and to prepare room for Him in our lives. As John the Baptist says – make straight paths for Christ’s coming.

This might mean forgiving someone who has wronged us, reaching out to someone in need, or simply slowing down and making space for God in our hectic lives.  It might mean stepping into the darkness of the world around us with the light of Christ, bringing hope to those who feel hopeless – to those still living in darkness. In this season of Advent, we are invited to wait with expectation, to hope with assurance, and to live with the promise that Christ is coming.  We remember the first coming of Christ as a baby in Bethlehem, and we look forward to His return in glory to bring us home to our Heavenly Father. 

As we journey through this season together, let us do so with hearts open to His presence, lives transformed by His grace, and hands ready to serve as His hand of hope and light to the world. Let us be a people who wait and live in the fullness of God’s promises.  And may we be ready to receive our King who is coming, our King who is already here, and the King who will reign forever.

Sermon 24th November 2024 – Last Sunday of Church Year Text - John 18:33-37

 Sermon 24th November 2024 – Last Sunday of Church Year

Text - John 18:33-37

Today, the last day of the Church year, we prepare for Advent and Christmas with the coming of Jesus as God’s gift to the world and we come together to celebrate Christ the King Sunday. This day reminds us that Jesus Christ is the ultimate ruler and authority in our lives and of the world even if the world doesn’t know it. He is the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings. Not just Lord of the Church or King of the world.

Lord of Lords – King of Kings.

Our reading from Revelation says that even though most of the world doesn’t recognise Jesus as King there will be a day when all will fulfil what Paul says in Philippians chapter 2 – that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The day when, as our Gospel says - the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live - when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

John saw that day in his Revelation when he says – “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, deserving of our full allegiance and worship. So why doesn’t the world recognise Jesus’ kingship and authority? Perhaps it’s because we live in a world that seeks power and control, but Christ the King teaches us a new way.  He does not rule with force or manipulation, but rather with love, compassion, and self-sacrifice which are often seen as weakness rather than power. As Jesus once said to his disciples who were arguing amongst themselves who would be the greatest in Jesus Kingdom –  You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus when speaking with Pilate who questioned his Jesus’ kingship, replied to Pilate – my kingdom is not of this world. Jesus kingdom is a heavenly kingdom that does not rule in the same way that earthly kingdoms rule, but rather a kingdom of justice, peace, and mercy. Christ the King is an example of humility and service.  Despite his divine nature didn’t take advantage of it but humbled himself to take on human form and to serve others.  Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, healed the sick, and fed the hungry.  He showed us that true leadership is about caring for others and putting their needs above our own. Authority is shown by turning the other cheek – forgiving others as Jesus did on the cross to those nailing him to the cross to his death – forgive them Father for they know not what they are doing. Who brought comfort to the dying criminal beside him – that no one else would have considered being worthy of Heaven – today you will be with me in paradise.

So Christ the King challenges us to examine our own lives and the ways in which we may be seeking power and control in ways that don’t reflect God’s ways.  Do we seek to dominate others, or do we seek to serve them?  Do we use our influence for our own gain, or do we use it to bring glory to God? As Jesus said - let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

As we celebrate Christ the King, let us remember that Jesus kingdom is one of love and compassion and as we pray in the Lord’s prayer – your Kingdom come – your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Let us show Jesus kingdom here on earth by serving others with humility and grace.  And by doing so acknowledge that Jesus is the true King of Kings. Let us always look to Christ the King as the source of our strength and guidance and remember that Jesus is the one true King, deserving of our full devotion and allegiance. And may we always seek to bring his kingdom of love and peace to all those we encounter.

Sermon 17th November 2024 – 26th Sunday after Pentecost Text: Mark 13:1-8 – the beginning of the end

 Sermon 17th November 2024 – 26th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Mark 13:1-8 – the beginning of the end

As we near the end of the Church year we discover that the Bible readings tend to focus on end time prophecies. Over the years, many people have speculated about the end of the world and the end of time.  The Jehovah’s Witnesses did it on 3 occasions and we are still here. Questions arise about - Will there be a great holy war in Armageddon? Will there be a sudden rapture where faithful Christians suddenly vanish as some denominations and doomsday cults predict?  It produced a series of books and movies called Left Behind. Many predicted the end would come in 2012 when the Mayan calendar ran out. Global alarmists predicted some years ago that the world only had 12 years of sustainability left. With the rise in tensions in the middle east and the Holy Land, end time prophecies have increased. End times has been a curiosity that has spellbound many Christians and filled shelves in Christian bookstores. They have created a proverbial rabbit hole to fall into on the internet.

Even Jesus’ first disciples were curious about end times and God’s judgment.  One day as they were leaving the temple, one of the disciples remarked on the great stones of the temple buildings.  The original temple built by King Solomon had been destroyed centuries ago.  A second temple had been re-built which Herod expanded to the temple Jesus had just left. It was massive, but Jesus replied, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”  That was enough to arouse the curiosity of Peter, James, John, and Andrew. When will this be and what will be the sign?

Jesus says there will be wars, rumours of war, earthquakes, false prophets, false messiahs — but he said that all these things are only birth pains -  the beginning of the end. Later on Jesus will go on to say 2 things that are extremely important which appear later in the chapter but not in our bible reading: First - Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. And secondly, about about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 

Jesus is concerned that it is our curiosity that will distract us and make us vulnerable to be led astray. But Jesus did say that there will be a day of reckoning – a day of Judgment. And until that day there is only one foundation to keep ourselves firmly secure – Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. People have always felt that we are living in the end times. Somehow it excites them – to some it even gives them hope.

But the reality is that from the first day Adam and Eve disobeyed God we have been in the last days. Despite climate alarmists saying that what we are experiencing is unprecedented we have always had earthquakes and catastrophic weather events. Remember Elijah when he was summoned to hear the word of God – The Lord said to Elijah, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 1After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Christians faced much persecution after Jesus’ death but the greatest attack that his disciples had to understand was that the temple was destroyed – in 70AD - just as Jesus had predicted. As Jews, the temple was seen as their home for God. It was a devastating loss for the people, and for many it must have seemed like the end of the world. The temple gave them hope of God’s presence being with them. But Jesus reminds them that their hope of God’s presence is not in the physical: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away,” 

The temple may have been destroyed but God was not. So Jesus kept his disciples focusing on the solid foundation – God’s Word - like the wise and foolish builders: Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” So Jesus warns: “Beware that no one leads you astray” from my Word. 

Today, we’re still waiting.  There has been endless speculation and searching for signs.  People still seem to be asking, “Are we there yet?”  Sadly, many have given up waiting and left the church. We blame the church for having become irrelevant to the world and being the reason church attendance has dropped.

Many are looking at ways to make the church more relevant and are being distracted away from God’s word. But the reality is that it is not the church that has become irrelevant but people’s desire for Christ to return has become irrelevant to them. If a person truly believed in a coming Judgment Day and that Jesus was returning then the church would never become irrelevant while it focused on God’s word.

The coming day of the Lord is a call to keep alert.  There may be those who doubt that Jesus is coming again.  He did not come at the many other times throughout history that his arrival has been predicted. So some may wonder, will he ever come?  Will the world just keep on keeping on as it has for centuries?  Why keep waiting when nothing seems to be happening? That’s the biggest concern.

On the night of his arrest, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, and asked Peter, James, and John to remain alert and keep awake,”  Three times he returned to them and found them sleeping. Perhaps it was the lateness of the hour, or sheer fatigue from the events of the day — whatever the reason, they could not keep awake. Today, there are many things that bring complacency and distract us. Just as Jesus’ first disciples had trouble staying awake physically, we too may have trouble staying awake in a spiritual sense.  The Lord is coming, and we live in expectation of that day. We are urged to focus on things that matter and let go of the rest.

Judgment Day is not a fearful thing for those who know Jesus is returning and have a personal relationship with him. So we are urged to reach out to those who have found church irrelevant in their lives and remind them that Jesus will one day return, as our reading in Hebrews reminds us: Let us provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. That Day could come when we least expect it. James 5:7-8 said: Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.  St Peter says - But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.

So, we are called to strengthen our hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. As we wait for the coming of the Lord we need to be patient, to wait, to place our confidence in God.  We’re not there yet, but the Day is coming and we know that God goes before us and will sustain us to the end.