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Pentecost 26, 2024 Proper 28
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
November 17, 2024
Daniel 12:1-3, Hebrews 10:11-25, Mark 13:1-13
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Text and Audio: immanuelhamiltonchurch.com click “sermons”
Text: pastorjud.org
Audio: pastorjud.podbean.com
itunes: bit.ly/pastorjud
Full Service Audio: bit.ly/ImmanuelWorship
There is a great difficulty in being a Christian who comes to church; it is the hypocrisy; the hypocrisy of a broken person coming into a holy place. You are called to be perfect in Christ -- to love God and love your neighbor -- and you try. Sometimes you do ok and other times you fail miserably. Over and over you fail to live up to being who you are as a Christian and you still come to Church to gather with others and you think, “If these people only knew the real me. If they knew my struggles…if they knew my failures…they would kick me out and forbid me to return.” If only they knew…but they do know. They know about you, because they are thinking the same thing about themselves. It is shocking hypocrisy. This church is full of sinners and the one up front is the worst.
I’ve told Bible class groups, but I’m not sure if I have ever said it in a sermon. After I graduated from seminary and was driving up to Hamilton from St. Louis I feared God would strike me dead before He would ever let me become a pastor. I had gotten through seminary and field work and vicarage and driving up it struck me that this is all for nothing. Who am I fooling? God will never allow this. Pastors are good people and I am not a good person. Well…God let me to live…and be ordained and has allowed me to serve here for 23 years. Apparently God really can use broken people.
The church here is full of broken people. This is most certainly true. But do you know what else is most certainly true? The church here is full of perfect people. You are perfect. I am perfect. Jesus has declared it to be so. Jesus declares broken people to be perfect, because Jesus is the single sacrifice for sins. Hebrews 10:14 (ESV) 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
To be sanctified is to be made holy. You are perfect in Jesus – righteous, innocent and blessed -- and you are being made holy. This is quite a paradox. You are holy and you are being made holy at the same time.
You have been forgiven in Christ. Jesus promises, Hebrews 10:17 (ESV) 17 … “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” You are safe in Jesus’ love. Romans 8:35–39 (ESV) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
You are more than a conqueror through Jesus. You have been made perfect in Jesus and He will not remember your sin. In Christ, you are well equipped for the challenges of life in this world as you wait for Jesus to return. You are ready for Jesus to return, but for now…you have to wait. And the wait can be long and difficult.
The day is coming. The day is coming when Jesus will return and it will be the end; and a new beginning. I think we sometimes have the sense that the goal of the Christian life is to die and go to heaven as if that is the end. Certainly, many from our fellowship have died and their spirits are at peace with the Lord, but their bodies are still in the cemetery. They are at peace, but there is still evil in the world. There is still violence and anger and hatred and selfishness -- and sickness and injury and disability and death. Those who have died are at peace, but you are still in the struggle. You are still looking for Jesus to return and eliminate evil forever and raise the dead.
The day is coming, as we hear in our reading from Daniel 12:1–2 (ESV) 1 “...there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
There shall be a time of trouble. In our Gospel reading Jesus warns the disciples about the coming destruction of the temple in 70 AD at the hand of the Romans, but it is also a warning for us today waiting for the last day. Mark 13:5–8 (ESV) 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.” The wait for Jesus’ return will be tumultuous and difficult.
Mark 13:9–13 (ESV) 9 “…be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” We see this happening to the apostles in the book of Acts and it is still happening today around the world. It could happen to you as a follower of Jesus, because the world hates Jesus.
You are ready and you are waiting. So how do you wait? You gather here each week to receive what you need for the journey. You have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus. There is a new and living way to God through Jesus’ flesh who is the once-for-all sacrifice for sin. He is the sacrifice and He is the great High Priest. How do you wait? The most powerful thing you can do during the wait is to come to church and be a part of a congregation of Christians as we read in Hebrews 10:22 (ESV) 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” As a baptized follower of Jesus, washed with pure water, you come into the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to receive, once again, through your ears and your mouth, the forgiveness of sins in God’s Word and in His precious Body and Blood. Here you are strengthened for the journey and preserved for everlasting life. You worship during the wait.
How do you wait? Hebrews 10:23 (ESV) 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” As Jesus teaches, John 8:31–32 (ESV) 31 … “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Hold fast to the truth of scripture. Strive to know the truth so well that you can easily spot counterfeit teaching. You study during the wait.
How do you wait? Hebrews 10:24–25 (ESV) 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” You gather as the fellowship of believers to be encouraged to do acts of mercy and witness.
Gathered together you inspire each other to love and to service. By the physical act of fellowship together in person you encourage one another. By knowing that your struggles are not yours alone but the common struggles of all Christians, you are able to carry on as broken people made perfect in Christ. It can be lonely to be a Christ-follower in a world that hates Jesus, but knowing that you are not alone in this world of falsehood and hatred strengthens you for the journey. For families raising children in this sin sick world it is good to know you have a support system here to help. You are not alone.
Worship, Study, Mercy, Witness, Fellowship. Come to church each week to join with your fellow believers as you wait for Jesus to return. Come to church each week until the time comes that you are physically unable to get to church and then we will bring church to you. Make church attendance each week a top priority. You know this, of course. You are here, I am preaching to the choir. You are ready now and you are waiting for Jesus.
The day is drawing near. Jesus is coming back. Stay ready. Keep waiting. “The one who remains to the end will be saved.” Amen.