2nd Sunday in Advent December
8, 2013
Luke 21:25-36 The Last Word . . . A Saving Word
Dear fellow redeemed:
If you want the last word, it’s crucial you keep people’s
attention.
* It’s what
advertisers have learned. You want an
effective commercial?
It’s all about capturing
the attention of the consumer.
To say nothing about colors
and graphics and lighting, consider the following:
1) State an amazing fact or
statistic.
2) Have a celebrity promote
your product.
3) Make an abrupt announcement.
4) Or if you’re after the younger generation, have several short
clips where the product is
being used by
attractive youthful people, and show them having a great time.
* But here’s a
question: Commercials may get your attention. But how long do they keep it?
Will they keep your
attention long enough so that you know what they’re advertizing?
* You might call it
a game. You can’t be too serious in your
approach.
But you’ve got to get the
listener to take you seriously enough.
* Somehow you have
get the public’s attention without them realizing you’ve gained their
attention. You’ve got to get people to listen – just
long enough to get that product name
engraved into their
consciousness.
* It’s all about
manipulation and getting the last Word.
Well, this morning it’s the world’s Savior who wants the last
word.
* In fact, he
assures us he’ll get the last word, and he won’t rely on gimmicks to do so.
Christ’s desire is to get the attention of the entire world, and
to do so, he uses something
very
real. He uses signs that the world will
end.
* Our life, you see,
is not a game. A life where we embrace sin will only lead to death.
That’s why the Lord must receive our attention, in order to direct
us on another path; in
order to lead
us to repentance and faith.
* So what are the
signs through which Christ gains our attention?
Earlier in the chapter
Jesus speaks of wars and the disintegration of nature.
He speaks of persecution,
betrayal and false doctrine.
* All of these serve
as indicators or signs that the earth will not stand much longer.
You see, our God in heaven is holy and will not accept what is
unholy; people who refuse
to live by
his truth.
* And as time
proceeds, this will become increasingly obvious.
In the last days and the
last hours the signs will get more intense.
* Jesus says, “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth
distress of
nations
in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves.”
* As the entire
universe offers testimony that it’s about to die an unseemly death, time on
earth will quickly expire. The
chance to hear God Word and repent will finally run out.
Sadly, many in the world reject Christ’s signs, believing they
will receive the last word!
In fact, they believe they can divert the attention onto
themselves.
* “God has no need
to scare me with his attention-getters.
I’m okay just the
way I am. Let me show you!”
* It may explain why
people’s attention span has diminished in recent years.
Sources, for some time now have stated that the average attention
span of a child is
from 3 to
five minutes, while for an adult it is 20 minutes at the most.
* But recent reports state that people’s attention spans are
decreasing as modern
technology,
especially television, increases. And they say internet browsing may
have the same
effect, as it lets you move frequently from one page to another.
* I’m sure studies
will also reveal that it has to do with why we’re paying attention.
More and more, it’s not about learning.
It’s about instant
gratification; hearing what I want to hear.
My life is about me. And if
I’m not feeling good about what you’re telling
me, I’ll just move on to this other site.
1 For some it may come down to joining a different church;
hearing a sermon with less law.
2 For others it may mean not taking the message we hear so
seriously. Pastor may do his
thing, but it’s up to me to
decide how relevant his words happen to be for me today.
3 Or we may go through the motions on Sunday morning, confident
that we’ll receive a
much more encouraging message
when we cozy up to our worldly friends and peers.
People have great difficulty today concentrating on God’s Word.
* The problem simply
that the message can’t hold our attention.
It’s that people don’t want
it to. They’re not interested in hearing
the message.
* They’re convinced
that God has nothing to say which could benefit them in any way.
Why? His message is undesirable because it’s negative. It’s all this doom and gloom,
painting such an
ugly picture of mankind and his potential here on earth.
* The world today
isn’t interested in hearing about signs of the end.
In fact, the talk is not
that the earth is showing signs of dying.
* Quite the
opposite: the talk is that we can save it.
We simply have to cut down on the earth’s pollution; how many
man-made chemicals
we’re
permitting to get released into the stratosphere.
* Similarly, the
talk is not about signs which indicate we’re sinners and “every inclination
of (our) heart is evil from childhood” (Gen. 8:28). The talk is how we can still save
ourselves.
* “Our God is
positive, upbeat! His purpose is not to warn or threaten, but to pay attention,
take note, and then commend us
for our best efforts and our amazing progress!”
* It’s really
nothing new.
Those who want the attention, the last word for themselves, are
what we call unbelievers.
They’ve existed from the
beginning of time and they’ll remain to the very end.
* Jesus speaks of “this generation” which “will not pass away until all has taken place.”
He’s referring to the continuing generation of
unbelievers. Whether it’s the Jews in
Jesus’ day or the secular progressives in our day, they’ll be
around until the last day on earth.
And these unbelievers will continue their campaign against God’s
Word until the end.
* In fact, they’ll
go beyond their criticisms that this Word has nothing to offer but death and
judgment. They’ll speak as though
they can escape God’s final judgment.
* Jesus actually
foresees this. He tells his believers, “Watch yourselves lest your hearts be
weighed down with dissipation and
drunkenness and cares of this life.”
* We may call such
activity distractions.
People convince themselves
they can escape a bad end by simply changing the subject.
They attempt to get the
last word by hiding themselves from God’s Word.
* Sometimes
distractions are a good thing. Certain
professionals may in fact call it healthy.
It’s why you take the weekend off from work, why you go on
vacation, why you get
babysitters and have a night out
away from the stresses of parenthood.
That may be, so long as you’re not taking time off from God’s Word
and losing sight of his truth.
* As we live among today’s unbelievers we often find that
tempting.
We Christians might not
accuse God of going negative.
But we sometimes struggle
to find anything encouraging in God’s Word.
* We connect his words to our life as we’re supposed to, and
all we see is failure.
We start wishing for time off as a mom or dad, husband or wife, or
brother or sister or friend.
* Our efforts to
serve in our different callings simply convince us that we’re not qualified.
Or we’re not
receiving any satisfaction or enjoyment from it.
* We’re simply going
to live and die and someone’s going to take over where we left off.
And the cycle will
continue.
* So life’s
distractions seem to be healthy and in fact productive in the end.
They keep us from becoming
overwhelmed with life or getting disillusioned with it all.
But distractions work only
for so long.
* When the last day
arrives it will emerge like a trap that’s rigged for the unsuspecting.
People will see the powers of the heavens coming apart at the
seams and they’ll faint
out of fear
over what is happening to the earth and what is about to happen.
* And of course,
that will be just the beginning.
“Then they will see the Son
of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
* It’s interesting
that Jesus refers to himself here not as the Son of God, but the Son of Man.
It’s a term that describes
Jesus’ first advent, when he came in humility as a servant.
Why refer to
himself as the “Son of Man” at this time when he’ll come in all his glory?
* The point is, everyone in the world will immediately identify who this
is in the sky.
It will be the attention
getter to end all attention getters.
* Here, for all the world to see,
the man, Jesus Christ, who was humiliated to the point
of dying on
a cross, is none other than our God Almighty who has absolute
authority over
life and death.
* Will anyone still
believe they’re going to get the last word?
I don’t think so.
But what if that’s not the last Word as far as we’re concerned?
What if there’s a better Word with which we might end our story?
* It’s a question we
may ask our worldly friends.
What if the final word is not about keeping up our happy front;
trying to find some
purpose in a
world that’s eventually going to be destroyed ?
* What if the last
day is anything but doom and gloom; a day, rather, which gives us a
reason to hope and place our
faith in Christ’s mercy and forgiveness?
* I’m talking about
what truly constitutes the last word for those listening
to our Lord.
It’s not a word about death and judgment and everlasting distress.
It’s a word
about our Lord
demonstrating compassion for sinners.
Yes. Christ’s final Word is a
saving Word.
* “Heaven and earth will pass away” he says, “but my words will not pass away.”
It’s a simple Word to understand.
Christ’s signs are given not to predict our downfall, but to
prepare us.
* It’s like the
first day we see the buds on the trees.
We take it as a sign that sure enough,
summer is coming and it’s not far
away! And so the words
of Jesus. “So also, when you
see these things taking place,
you know that the kingdom of God is near.”
* Notice, Jesus
speaks not about our leaving and going to heaven, but about our Lord
coming to us.
* Three Sundays ago
our Gospel reading included some of the same verses as today.
The emphasis, you may remember, was on the earth’s destruction and
the believer being
delivered from
this doomed earth.
* But the emphasis
of Advent, is not on our getting away but on the Lord
coming.
He’s our Immanuel, our God
with us who’s going to spend eternity with us in the flesh!
* It’s what we get
to hear every year. The message of
Advent, in a sense, is what teaches us
why it’s good to observe the
signs, which always direct us to God’s Word.
Because the signs prepare
us for the last Word, which is good Word.
* The Word of God was not written for the purpose of scaring
us, condemning us, or
leaving us to
fend for ourselves. It was written to
assure us that a better day is
coming, the day
of salvation with Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord!
Christ’s signs are a good thing.
We may only wonder why people are so quick to reject his
signs, when
they’re more than willing to observe man’s signs. Surely they’re beneficial.
* Sometimes our life
depends upon the right sign getting our attention.
Would you ignore the flashing signal: “Caution.
Road work ahead?”
How about the sign: “Road
Narrows” or “Dead End?”
* Signs are posted not to predict when we’ll break the
law or cause bodily injury to someone.
Signs have the purpose of protecting us from breaking the
law or causing bodily harm.
* The same is true
with the signs God provides.
He wants our attention because he cares for us. “Be still,
and know that I am God” he says.
“I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the
earth!” (Psalm 46:10).
* It’s what our
Savior’s signs are communicating with respect to his Kingdom, which is
near. Christ will be exalted, not simply when he
exercises his godly powers on the last
day.
He will be exalted by
coming to live with his people and ruling with his mercy and grace.
* And it’s no game,
because the competition has already been given notice.
“Heaven and earth will pass
away, but my words will not pass away.”
* “I’ve got something better in store for you than a sick and
dying earth. I’ve got
everlasting life to give you!
So raise your heads!” “Your redemption is drawing near!”
Amen.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
