1 “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” 10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

2 Peter 3:8-15 English Standard Version (ESV)

8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him.

Mark 1:1-8 English Standard Version (ESV)

1 “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”

4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

* * *

The season of Advent is a time that is meant to remind us of what, or in whom we can place our hope. Last week we spoke of the hope that we have in Christ and how He truly is the only hope we have in this world. And that we are called to be awakened to this hope.

That this hope has always been there, and it is time for us to have our eyes opened to it and be reminded that the steadfast love, the mercy and grace of our Lord, revealed to us in the birth of Jesus Christ, and then his life, death and resurrection is a far greater hope than anyone or anything in this world can offer. In fact, it is the only hope we have in the midst of a broken, sinful world. But hope points to that which is to come; that which we are patiently lying in wait for. There is a goal and end to hope, to when what we are hoping for and who we are hoping in arrives. Then hope meets it’s completion. And its completion is Christ. But in the meantime what do we do? How do we wait?

When our children were very young, they had of course no concept of time. So birthdays and Christmas never really held any kind of chronological meaning to them. And when they would ask when their birthdays was and found out it would be another 364 days before their next one, it did not really mean much to them, other than it was not today. But now they are of an age where they are getting a sense of what it means to have to wait. And of course with Christmas, they will focus on Jesus’s little helper, Santa Claus who brings them gifts, oddly enough delivered to them via dad who had to go pick up the gifts because we don’t have a chimney in our apartment… And so our second boy is now asking everyday “Is santa coming tomorrow? What about tomorrow? And tomorrow? It’s snowing, does that mean santa is coming tomorrow?”

There were even a few disappointed mornings where sighs were heard across the room “Santa didn’t come again…” At first it is quite cute. But then after a couple of days… The routine can get old fast. And so children must wait for Santa, and parents must also wait for Santa, to that they can stop having to explain to their children multiples times a day that there are still 19 days till Christmas.

Waiting is hard.

But there is also way to wait well.

For those who are waiting for the Lord, Peter encourages and reminds the follower of Christ of the hope that we have in Him. In fact if you read the beginning of 2 Peter 3 he says that he is writing to “Stir up your mind by way of reminder…” To remember the prophets and commandments of Jesus Christ. To remember, in the midst of the scooters who might ask in the face of all the waiting and terrible circumstances “Where is this promise of His coming? Where is He??” To remember that our hope is set on the Gospel message that Christ was born, Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will come again. We know that the Lord was silent for 400 years in the generations before Jesus was born. And while after 400 years it may have been easy for people to lose hope and to lose their patience. And Peter, who saw and walked with Christ, is having to write this letter to those who would have in their lifetimes lived at the same time as Christ but are already beginning to lose hope in the Messiah’s return, falling in line with the scoffers wondering and chastising asking “Where is this messiah”?

2 Peter 3

8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Peter encourages the believer that we must learn to be patient, because there is a reason that we have yet to wait and continue to wait. He tells us that

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

This is an incredible revelation. Because those who wait with frustrated impatience… Those who have waited and waited and lost hope… May have often done so because they have been without the realization that it is not only we who have to be patient. But that God is being patient towards us so that all should reach repentance. And while the day of the Lord will come like a thief… That the heavens will pass away… That the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved and the earth and all the works that are done on it will be exposed… There is something that the Lord is being patient towards us for.

For some of us it may be to finally come to know Him as our Lord and Saviour. For some of us it may be to finally outgrow, surrender, and repent of a sin we have carried all our lives. For some of us it may be to answer a call to serve Him at a greater and deeper capacity.

Peter actually asks this question:

11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,

The Lord is telling us that as we wait and look towards the hope of Christ, we must consider and determine what sort of person ought you be in lives of holiness and godliness. In other words… how will you live your life as you wait. When Christ returns.. how will He find you??

For John the Baptist, the life that he was called to live is one that I long and believe my life has been called to someday model… (Maybe not so much the camel’s hair and leather belts eating locust and wild honey, but who knows?!) But I believe the call to the follower of Christ is to live

as John did. As a voice in the wilderness of this world, crying out “Make straight the path of the Lord. “

When I used to read this, I would imagine these grand deeds. Imagery movie scenes from Braveheart where William Wallace Or when king Aragorn spoke in front of the armies in the Lord of the Rings Or when the coach gives and impassioned speech that breaks down the doubt and fear in the hearts and ears of the hearers. And where together we ran out to face the enemy in battle with battle cries and legions of followers of Christ, waving the banner of Jesus’ name… I used to think that God expected these great and grand deeds of His people. And while at times this may be true… I think I misunderstood who it was who did the work.

For as we read in Isaiah

The Lord speaks comfort to us, in the name Emmanuel. He speaks tenderly to His people.

To tell us that the warfare of His people has ended. Our iniquity, pardoned. For the voice that cries out in the wildness. Calls out for us to make straight the path for the Lord. The Lord proclaims that the lowest valleys will be lifted up, the highest mountains and hills will be made low, the uneven ground flattened and the rough places made plain. There will be no obstacles too great for all of flesh to bear witness to the glory of God: “Behold your God!”

Behold, the Lord God comes with might,

and his arm rules for him;

behold, his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.

He will tend his flock like a shepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young.

It is the Lord that is out doing the work, so while we may the voice crying out in the wilderness make straight the path of the Lord! It is the Lord who makes the path straight. It is the Lord that is putting all things in place. For the building of His kingdom and for the His glorious return. And when we begin to see this in the pages of Scripture. When we begin to realize that the work is being done by our Father in Heaven. And it is not left in our own hands, where we would be doomed to failure… When we realize that our hope rests not in us and what we do. But in who He is and what He has done, is doing, and will do! Then that… reveals to us how we should wait.

We wait in hope. And not in frantic living. Not in fear or anxiousness. Living, not simply in religious exercise and rituals… But having been baptized by the Holy Spirit. We live. we wait with hope. And we wait in peace.

Peter continues in
14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,

Brothers and sisters, Peter asked us “What sort of people ought you to be?” As we wait for the time we are called Home or when He returns? We are called to live without spot or blemish, holy and righteous by the power of the Holy Spirit. To live diligently and patiently, with the full knowledge of the forgiveness of our sin… The knowledge of the grace and trustworthiness of God. .. The knowledge that the Holy Spirit abides within every person who confesses with their lips and believes in their heart that Jesus is Lord.

All of which grants the faithful… the believer… The child of God… A peace that goes beyond comprehension. Truly a peace given to and that can only be found in Christ.

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Brothers and sisters. May you be found in His peace today.

Amen.

First Church Penetang

November 29, 2020

Advent 1: Awaken to Hope

First Church Penetang

November 29, 2020

Advent 1: Awaken to Hope

* * *

Isaiah 64:1-9 English Standard Version (ESV)

1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down that the mountains might quake at your presence—2 as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. 5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in[c] the hand of our iniquities.

8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.
9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people.

1 Corinthians 1:3-9 English Standard Version (ESV)

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Mark 13:24-37 English Standard Version (ESV)

24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore, stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

* * *

In the critically acclaimed musical Hamilton, “Wait For It” is a song about Aaron Burr, who sit in wait while his rival Alexander Hamilton seems to rise quickly in influence and power. It is one of the most well known songs from the musical, because while I may know next to nothing about American history… I believe the picture the song paints for us is a very human experience that we can all resonate with. While many will want to rise up to fame and fortune quickly, the songs speaks of the tension of wanting to gain power or wealth while choosing, or being force, to wait for the right opportunity and the right moment. One line reads “If there is a reason I’m still alive, when so many have died, then I’m willing to wait for it”. This is kind of the dream that society and media has planted in may people; That we are just a serendipitous meeting away from becoming “someone”, a celebrity or overnight sensation. And it speaks to the human experience of feeling like there is always something more. We hear: “The Best is Yet to Come.”, “The Grass is greener on the other side.” And “The night is the darkest just before the dawn.” And the key to this human experience is that you must not be asleep, but rather ready and poised to claim the opportunity when it comes. Aaron Burr sings in defiance “I’m not falling behind or running late… I’m not standing still… I am lying in wait”. Like a lion waiting to pounce upon its prey… Waiting is made purposeful, when you are awake to every opportunity that comes your way.

In my conversations with people throughout this pandemic, it seems that one of the greatest lessons we are learning in faith is a lesson of patience. We are learning that we are not really in control of our lives and we are learning that we can not always do what we want to do. It has been a humbling lesson for many of us. A lesson that has caused, and continues to cause for many a rise in fear, and anxiety, exhaustion, and grief. Many have been left feeling alone, and isolated, frustrated and bitter. And yet in the midst of all this, there is very little we can do… except wait.

And learning to wait is one of the hardest lessons we can learn is it not? These days all three of my boys have grown to be quite vocal about their needs. There was a time that when they cried it meant one of three things “I’m tired, I’m hungry, or I need a diaper change”. But now… it is constantly “dad this dad that dad dad dad…” And when you have three different voices asking for three different things while you’re trying to do one thing, it is easy to get frustrated. And so I am constantly having to tell them to wait. Be patient. Wait your turn. Wait until I’m done this. And then find that I am the one losing patience and turning around to yell at them when they aren’t picking up their toys fast enough! Patience… learning to wait well… seems to be a lifelong lesson.

But waiting is nothing new. We are always waiting for something.

Waiting for some news by the phone.

Waiting for a package in the mail.

Waiting for the weather to warm.

Waiting for the birth of a child…

We are waiting for so much

We are waiting for the COVID numbers to go down.

We are waiting for a vaccine.

We are waiting for a time when we might need to worry about wearing masks

And hand sanitizing.
We are waiting for a time when we can gather again in church

We are waiting for a time when we can see our friends and families.

We are waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting…

For the Scriptures have revealed to us the reality of all Creation that cries out in anguish over sin and death. The reality that we have always been waiting for relief… for peace… for an end to all suffering… We have always been waiting for the end of fear and death. We have always been waiting for salvation. And as we enter into the advent Season, brothers and sisters may we be reminded today, perhaps more vitally than ever, that you, that we have always been waiting.

And we are called to be reminded of this truth. We are reminded to be shaken from our sleepless slumber of simply coasting through life day by day as if this is all that life is about. We are called to be reminded that we have always been waiting because we have always had… not a sense of, or an inclining of, or even an optimistic outlook of… We have always had, a greater and most glorious hope. And that is Christ Jesus.

From the moment that sin had entered into the heart of humanity, God had never left us without a hope for redemption. Time and time again His mercy, and steadfast love, His grace had been revealed in how He throughout history stooped down to meet with us and to save us… from evil, from sin, from death and from ourselves. This is why we as people seem to never be satisfied when we have hoped for so long for that job, or home, or car, or degree. Because the yearning of our hearts have been clouded by our worldly desires. And we have had our eyes closed to that which we are truly longing for.

So then it is by the grace of God that we have found the reason for this yearning. It is by the grace of God that we have been awakened by the Gospel to the Eternal hope we have in Christ.

Mark 13:24-27

24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

The Scriptures tells us of many things that will happen as we near the return of Christ. And while it is easy to get lost in how much of what we read is meant to be literal or symbolic… we must never lose sight of the most important point of it all. When there is tribulation… When the sun is darkened and the moon gives no light… When the stars fall from the heavens… When there is war and famine… When there is sickness and death… When there is oppression and injustice…

Jesus says it is… “THEN, they will see the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, coming in clouds with great power and glory.”

The lesson of the fig tree is that there are signs that point to the return of Christ. Time and time again we read throughout the Bible that in the midst of war, oppression, slavery, exiles, plagues, death, and calamity… There is a Messiah, a Saviour that is coming. That every moment of suffering, every grief and sorrow, points to a time where they will be no more. It is pointing to HIM. And we are called then, to not be asleep to this reality. We are called then to not simply be dreaming of a better time. No, by faith we are called to be awakened and waiting in hope… We are called to be anticipating with the hope that is found in Christ and His return. By faith we look at all that the world is, and to feel the sorrow and heartbreak that God has for this world.

So that we must hope in the One and only one who is strong to save.

Our prayer becomes then that the Lord would come swiftly to redeem and free us from this world. Praying: Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—

To free us from pain, and sickness, from war and oppression, from our selfishness and greed. To let us finally enter into His embrace, fully and completely. To see to completion the promise He made. That He will return, and will return soon.

Paul writes:

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

And it is in that that we lay our hope. Not in our comforts. Not in our politicians or countries. Not in our wealth and health. Not even in our friends and families. Not in the things of this world. But we lay our hope in, and only in Jesus Christ, He who will sustain us to the very, very, very end.

For no eye has seen and no ear has heard how Great Our God is. He who acts for those who wait for him.

So brothers and sisters, let us awake to this hope. A hope that is echoed throughout the Scriptures, the Gospels, throughout history and all of creation. It is the hope that the Israelites carried for generations as they awaited a king and it is the same hope that we carry onwards until His return.

But even Jesus says:

32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.

While the world, like Aaron Burr may be waiting for luck and looking for chance to give them the opportunities that they believe will answer all the woes of their hearts in this life… Jesus Christ warns us to be on guard, doing the work He has set out before us, faithfully, diligently, joyfully. For we do not know when He will return. But until then…

37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Let us awaken to the Hope that pointed to the birth of Christ, who was born, to die, so that we may live in His life. Let us awaken to the Hope

That Christ has not only come.

That Christ has not only died.

That Christ has not only risen.

And in this season of Advent, be the ones who awake with the full and trustworthy knowledge and hope… Not falling behind, not running late, not standing still, but lying in wait

For Christ to come again.

Amen.

First Church Penetang

November 8, 2020

Red Letters 36: "Build Your House on the Rock" (Remembrance Sunday)

First Church Penetang

November 8, 2020

Red Letters 36 -- "Build Your House on the Solid Rock"

* * *

Proverbs 10: 27-32 English Standard Version (ESV)
27 The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.
28 The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers.
30 The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land.
31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.

James 1:19-25 English Standard Version (ESV)
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Matthew 7:24-27 English Standard Version (ESV)
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

* * *

After many weeks, we have finally come to the end of Jesus’ sermon on the mount of beatitudes. I would like to remind you, that though we have spent much time unpacking His words, there is still so much for us to learn from them. Though we have been reading through it and while we have together worked at trying to understand what He was saying and what His words are showing and teaching us about Him, about life, and about ourselves… I encourage, to return to His sermon and read through it once again and see what the Spirit is reminding you of, and perhaps uncover some fresh insights. Lean in to the Word of God and ask the Lord to reveal something more of Himself to you. Go back to Matthew 5 and read up to the end of Matthew 7…

Because it is only then we can grasp what Jesus has said today:

Matthew 7:24-27

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Like most children, my boys like playing in the sand. As a child, you are pretty ignorant to how loathsome sand is to a parent, because it gets everywhere. And somehow, there seems to always be sand in all our beds, which is dumbfounding. But seeing them play in the sand reminds me of my time at school or at the beach building sand castles. They were often elaborate, and had gates, and prisons, and flags and bridges, moats and water. I remember building a large castle/prison in elementary school with my friends. It was the most ambitious sand structure we had ever attempted. We created stories of the prisoners that lived there, and there was a particular section in the shape of a skull, where two particularly notorious criminals were imprisoned side by side in its eyes. We made this over recess and it was all I could think about during class, eager to get back to it. But during our next break, when I ran out to the sandbox, I was devastated to see that someone had trampled all over it. I immediately blamed the older kids and their jealousy over our grand creation… Whenever I am near sand after that, I would always remember that day.

However, it is silly isn’t it? To think so much about something built out of sand. To be so invested in the creation of something that is by its very nature brittle, fragile, and temporary. This is what Jesus warns of us today. Many of us, and many people around us, grew up going to church and hearing the stories from the Bible. Many people know who Noah and Moses are and people know who Jesus is and, in some respects what He taught. For those listening to Jesus, many were even experts in the Scriptures. It was normal that a Jewish man would be able to recite pages and pages of them. They memorized and studied the Law and Prophets. But in speaking to the people sitting there at His feet, Jesus divides the people in to two kinds of people. Those who listen to what He says and does it. And those who listen to what He says, and does not do it.

He says the one is like a person who builds their homes on solid rock while the other likes one who builds their homes on sand. One will prevail when the rains, winds and floods come, while the other will sink. Jesus is saying, it is not enough to just hear what He has been saying, knowing the theology of what Jesus has been teaching, regardless of how long and how extensively you may have studied it. Jesus is saying that while it might be great that you can quote scriptures…And talk about loving your neighbours… And giving to the poor and needy… About serving and being obedient to the Lord… Being patient and kind and generous… About having faith and about praying… And worshiping and living in peace… And being righteous and living in purity… etc… You are doing nothing but building your life upon soft, unstable sand, if you are not DOING what you are HEARING from Christ. The Scriptures are not simply there to increase what you KNOW about God and life. It is there for you to LIVE it.

Listening to good preaching, reading the Word of God, doing Bible Study and learning about the faith is all great…! But means very little if we are not living it out and actually putting it into practice.

Have you ever purchased an exercise book, a self-help book or a diet book that was supposed to “change your life”? And yet despite having read through it, and highlighted paragraphs and whole chapters and being amazed at the insight the authors seem to be speaking straight to you… You have not, after looking in the mirror, changed very much? It is because, though we like the idea of it, though we are attracted to the concepts and theories… To actually put something into practice is a whole different story.

But we aren’t talking about some self-help book or some get rich quick plan here. We are talking about the very foundation of your life. The famous preacher Charles Spurgeon is quoted to have said: “Visit many good books, but live in the Bible.” We are to live the Bible. Jesus is talking about the very purpose and design and goal, the call of your life, which is to not just hear the words of Christ, but to do them. And in doing so, being like a wise person, who builds their homes on the solid rock and foundation that is Jesus.

In other words, all that Jesus has been preaching up until this pointHas no eternal significance in our lives… Unless we live it out.

To live any other way, may lead to the building of a life that looks wonderful, is comfortable and convenient, and is even at times joyful and good… But this is a lie that will, when the rains, winds storms and floods come, crumble in what Jesus says would be a “great falling”… Because it was built on a foundation of only listening and not doing. You have to understand that Jesus is talking about eternal implications here. And He is asking of your today “On what, or on whom are you building your lives?”

In Proverbs 9 it says that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. The Fear of the Lord is simply to live in obedience to Him. To recognize Him as truly Lord of our lives, as we spoke about last week. And Jesus says that to hear and do what He teaches is to be like the wise person who builds their homes on solid rock. And the fear of the Lord, to live in obedience to Christ, doing what He tells us to do and living as He calls us to live. This is the only life worth living!

Read once again Proverbs 10:27-32. This is not a small matter, and what is at risk here has everlasting and great significance. There is no middle ground here. As a follower of Christ, you have either built your foundation on the solid rock. Or you have not. And either at the end of this life, or when Christ returns you will be found standing on Christ. Or you will not.

Brothers and Sisters, let us then be not only hearts of the word which is able to save our souls but to be doers of the word. Let us be, as we read in James the ones who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, Knowing that we will be blessed in our doing. While being reminded that it is not the DOING of God’s word that earns us our salvation… But it is in the listening and doing that we make proof that we are building our lives and our faith on the Solid Rock that is Jesus.

It is in our doing that we are revealing that we are building our life on Christ. And so we are given this opportunity to look back now and see for ourselves in how we have been living our lives. Have I been building my life on legalistic living, trying to earn my way to heaven? Have I been living to please others rather than God, building my life on shaky sand? Or Is my life, my faith, built on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ and His words?

The great promise of Christ is that there is not just life, but a life that is overflowing and abundant in Him, when we are moved by the Spirit to live and do as He leads us by His word. Life, true life, is only found in Christ and in the pages of Scripture. And while life may not always go our way and while our time in this life may be fraught with suffering and sorrows, let us build our lives from TODAY upon the solid rock that is Jesus Christ knowing that we will find ourselves in the full blessedness of His presence in eternity.

It is timely that we end the Sermon on the Mount today on Remembrance Day. Because Christ’s call for us is to do more than just listen to His words but to live out in full obedience a life of grace, love, justice and peace. To live in a manner worthy of the lives that were given up for the freedom we know. May we not live taking for granted the lives lost for the peace that we know by living according to our own whims and comforts. But rather live to have God build His kingdom here on Earth in us. And above all, may we not live taking for granted the life of our Saviour who hung in the most shameful way on the Cross to bear the weight of our sin, and our death so that we may live in Eternal peace.

And so today… may we live on the Solid rock that is Jesus and His word. Let us build our lives, not simply upon the knowledge of Christ but living according to His example. Living as His hands and feet. Living, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us build our lives upon the rock that is Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith that sends us forth to be ambassadors of His peace and grace.

For Christ himself says that we must listen to what He says and DO what He says.

Amen.

First Church Penetang

November 1, 2020

Red Letters 35: "I Never Knew You"

First Church Penetang

November 1, 2020