Faith in Jesus Christ

November 24, 2013 Colossians 1:11-20 Luke 23:33-43 Christ the King Sunday Year C Our Happy Ending One of my favorite things to do on Sunday night, after my afternoon nap, is to just lay on the couch and watch television. It used to be Grey’s anatomy. And then it seems that ABC got even more daring with there shows with titles like Revenge, and Betrayal. But honestly the once show recently that has caught my attention – Once Upon a Time. I love a good story and I am a sucker for any fairy tale. And in once upon a time – several fairy tale characters come alive and come to a modern day town. In this town, they spend their lives trying to get back to neverland and their fairy tale lives. But you know what really drew me into this story – it is a story of people in search of their happy ending. And after all, isn’t that what we are all in search of – our happy ending. We are all seeking the perfect life, the perfect spouse, the perfect family, the perfect house, the perfect situation where we can truly live happily ever after. As a matter of fact, I hear the actors take their life, the character who plays prince charming and the character who plays Cinderella, are expecting a baby. But they are just like all of us – looking for our happy ending, and for some reason life always gets in the way. We get sick, relationships end, things never quite turn out the way we dreamed of in our fairly tales. The world is full of sin, we are full of sin. And eventually, sin will get in the way of our happy ending. Christ the King Sunday Today is a special day- a special time of the year. It is the Sunday before thanksgiving. There are going to be a lot of changes that happen this week. The decorations are going to change from fall to winter overnight. This is the last Sunday of the Christian year, next Sunday is a whole new year, the first Sunday of advent. The last Sunday of the year is Christ the King Sunday. A day when we look at all of the lessons of the year – and think about the greatest lesson of all. We have been studying the book of Luke all year. I am going to miss Luke because luke has a special message for us…. Possible Sermon Intro – The Year of Luke Throughout the "Year of Luke" in our lectionary series we have heard Luke's favorite theme. The ready and generous grace of God is shown repeatedly. In recent Sundays we studied the story of the healing of 10 lepers, an act of God's love and grace. We have watched as Jesus, like the promised shepherd of Ezekiel, came searching for the lost and hiding Zacchaeus. We have overheard the prayers of the Pharisee and the Publican as they prayed in Jesus' parable, all the while being reminded of our need to trust God's grace. None of us can forget Jesus' words just before the beginning of today's lesson: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." The ever-present grace of God is one of Luke's gospel themes. From the parables of the waiting father and the "good" Samaritan, and now from the story of the penitent thief on the cross, all of these reported only by Luke, we have heard forthrightly the good news of Jesus Christ. Gentile and Jew, sinner and saint, young and old, it makes no difference. The full blessings of forgiveness here and hereafter are available to all who repent. The love of God reaches out for all, even to those who would arrange the crucifixion and taunt its victim. "Father, forgive them...." Theodore F. Schneider, Until the King Comes, CSS Publishing Company Christ the King This is Christ the King Sunday. We have heard the whole story; we have all the information. So now—how do we recognize Jesus as King? We “independent, stand on our two feet, nobody tells us what to do, rugged individualist” Americans, how do we recognize Jesus as King? In Luke’s story of the crucifixion nobody there seems to recognize Jesus as King. Luke has painted us into his story as well. He describes the people who do nothing except to stand there and watch. “And the people stood by, watching.” That’s us, isn’t it? Grinding poverty is slowly destroying our urban youth and we just stand by and watch, preferably from a distance, preferably from inside a gated community. Watching the world turn secular, we know that there is a spiritual side to life but it just can’t crack our tightly wound schedules. We think about a Bible study but just can’t tolerate the idea of one more thing to attend. We won’t even pull off the road to watch a sunset for fear that we will be late to the next appointment. In trying to do everything, we are doing nothing of lasting value for our souls. When a king passes by in your life, you don’t just stand and watch. You respond. Bill McDonald, How Do You Recognize a King? Starting next week will be looking at the gospel of Matthew. But this week – what it the last lesson in luke – the cruxificion. The last words and actions of Christ as he dies on the Cross. A sign is put above his head – this is the king of the jews. He is given not a crown of jewels, but a crown of thorns. He is not exalted – but humiliated and crucified. What does this story have to do with Christ being the king. It reminds us that we are a people of happy endings. The king we are looking for is a hero, Accepting a Human Messiah In contrast to the theology of the cross and our suffering/dying king. Robert Capon in Hunting the Divine Fox presents a wonderful picture of our typical American Messiah -- and it doesn't look much like Jesus on the cross. . . . almost nobody resists the temptation to jazz up the humanity of Christ. The true paradigm of the ordinary American view of Jesus is Superman: "Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. It's Superman! Strange visitor from another planet, who came to earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American Way." If that isn't popular christology, I'll eat my hat. Jesus -- gentle, meek and mild, but with secret, souped-up, more-than-human insides -- bumbles around for thirty-three years, nearly gets himself done in for good by the Kryptonite Kross, but at the last minute, struggles into the phone booth of the Empty Tomb, changes into his Easter suit and, with a single bound, leaps back up to the planet Heaven. It's got it all -- including, just so you shouldn't miss the lesson, kiddies: He never once touches Lois Lane. You think that's funny? Don't laugh. The human race is, was and probably always will be deeply unwilling to accept a human messiah. We don't want to be saved in our humanity; we want to be fished out of it. We crucified Jesus, not because he was God, but because he blasphemed: He claimed to be God and then failed to come up to our standards for assessing the claim. It's not that we weren't looking for the Messiah; it's just that he wasn't what we were looking for. Our kind of Messiah would come down from a cross. He would carry a folding phone booth in his back pocket. He wouldn't do a stupid thing like rising from the dead. He would do a smart thing like never dying." [pp. 90-91; this book has been reprinted, along with two others under the title The Romance of the Word One Man's Love Affair with Theology] Robert Capon, quoted by Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes Colossians says that Jesus is indeed King of all. Christ is the visible image of all that God is. He goes on to say that Christ is our savior, our creater, our Lord and a peacemaker. He is indeed our King! A king is someone who has power over our lives. But the point is how that power is used. Is it used to help us or to hurt us. The true power of a King is in the power to forgive. And those who serve him- appreciate forgiveness. This last scripture of the year also talk tell the story of Jesus, and the two thieves who were crucified next to him. One taunts him- If you are truly a king, then why don’t you save yourself. What would have happen of you, if Christ has truly saved himself and not you. The second asks for forgiveness and makes a special request. FATHER, FORGIVE THEM... Many years ago, long before any of us were born, and long before our great grandparents were born, a young man walked into town. His clothes were old and well worn. His shoes had holes, and he carried all of his possessions in a small, dirty bag. When he first arrived in town he slept under an apple tree, and the residents of the town quickly got to know him because he was always asking if he could do jobs for people. "I can do anything that needs to be done; and I promise I will never ask for payment," said the scruffy young man. Some were suspicious of him, and some told him to get lost, but slowly and surely more and more people trusted him, and the quality of his work was superb. He could paint, do the garden, fix broken furniture, run errands and entertain children. He was a great shoe shiner, a blacksmith, and a builder. Some people paid him by giving him a meal. Some gave him water to drink. Some gave him money, but there were many people who took advantage of him. They asked him to do enormous jobs that lasted all day and then gave him nothing; but the young man never complained. He had said he would work for nothing, and so at the end of a hard day’s work, he would leave with a cheerful smile on his face – even more cheerful than the smile that greeted the people of the town every morning. As time went by, stories of the man passed from house to house and to other towns; and more and more people realised that they didn’t have to give the young man anything for his efforts, so he began to receive less food, and less water. But still he worked hard, smiled with an infectious smile, and slept under the apple tree. One day there was no work. The man was hungry and thirsty. There was no work because it was the King’s birthday! It was a national holiday. Everyone was dressed up in their finest clothes, because the king was coming to town. Music was playing. Laughter filled the air. Children couldn’t wait to get their first glimpse of the king. The young man’s smile was broader than ever, but the people of the town told him to keep his distance because his clothes looked out of place for such a grand occasion. In fact, they tied him to his apple tree so that he would not spoil the day. When the King’s carriage pulled into town there was a fanfare to greet him, and applause as he waved to the crowd, but they were surprised to hear that he knew about the scruffy man who had been working hard in the town recently. "Where is the hard working young man? Where is the man who works for nothing?" Very embarrassed, they took the King to the apple tree where they found the young man, exhausted, tired, hungry and thirsty. "What have you done to him?" demanded the King. "I sent him to come and work amongst you, and you have done this to him!" There was silence amongst the people of the town. The young man smiled lovingly, and looking into the eyes of the King he said, "Father. Forgive them. They don’t realise I am your son." The shocked crowd fell to their knees in sorrow, as they realised what they had done. (Story by Warner Pidgeon – March 2009) Luke leaves us with a story of three crosses –the cross of rebellion, the cross of repentance, and the cross of redemption. We are all sinners, the question is are we sinners of rebellion or sinners in search of repentance. Do we acknowledge that Christ is our only redemption? Christ makes a promise to the thief who asks for forgiveness – on this day you will be with me in paradise. The word Paradise is a Persian word meaning a walled garden. When a Persian king wished to do one of his subjects a very special honour he made him a companion of the garden which meant he was chosen to walk in the garden with the king. It was more than immortality that Jesus promised the penitent thief. He promised him the honoured place of a companion of the garden in the courts of heaven. We will have a chance to walk with God, and live with God. Forgiven from our sin – we can return to the garden of eden and live in the faith of Jesus Christ. You see, in the end – the quest of the soul is not so much to find freedom, it is to find a master. Who is in control of your life? You or Jesus? Who knows what it best - you or Jesus? Who are you willing to obey – your voice or the voice of God? When Christ is the master of our lives, everything falls into place. Christ has promised that we will live happily ever after – if we are willing to obey him. In giving our life to Christ – we really do get our happy ending. There was once a farmer who had two mules. One was named Willing and the other was named Able. However, Willing was willing but was not able. Able was able but was not willing. The farmer did not get much done. Christ needs people who are willing and able. And the ironic thing is that when we subordinate our desires to His desire, when we enlist as privates in His army, when we serve as priests in His temple, which is the world, when we give ourselves in His service, it is then that we are lifted up. In losing ourselves we find ourselves. That is the nature of His kingdom. King Duncan, Collected Sermons,www.Sermons.com When we are willing and able – Christ is indeed our King! Amen. If You Are The King Of The Jews . . . by King Duncan Passage: Luke 23:26-43 • Lectionary: Christ the King Item 2 of 9 | Back to Results Object: Bottle of A-1 Steak Sauce Good morning, boys and girls. Why is something great referred to as "�A-1?" According to Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things both the phrase and the steak sauce date back to the 1820s in England. At that time, Lloyd's of London began classifying ships numerically for insurance purposes. "�A Number 1" was the highest rating, and quickly caught on in English society as a way to signify any person, place or thing that was of superior quality. The phrase was sustained by its use as a brand name for steak sauce originally developed for Kind George the IV. The King's personal chef developed the condiment, and popular legend has the King exclaiming "�This sauce is A-1!" after his first taste. The chef manufactured the sauce privately after the King's death, ultimately making a deal with a Connecticut-based producer who ensured that A-1 became a staple of American language and barbecues for decades to come. Today we celebrate Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is A #1 in our world. There has never been anyone like him and there never will be anyone like him. But you know, he wants us to be A-1 too. He wants us to live excellent lives. He wants us to be healthy and happy. He wants us to learn and grow and to love one another. He wants us to be the very best people we can be. That way everyone will know that we are his followers, because we are A-1 too. Collected Sermons, King Duncan, Dynamic Preaching, 2005, 0-000-0000-20 There was once a farmer who had two mules. One was named Willing and the other was named Able. However, Willing was willing but was not able. Able was able but was not willing. The farmer did not get much done. Christ needs people who are willing and able. And the ironic thing is that when we subordinate our desires to His desire, when we enlist as privates in His army, when we serve as priests in His temple, which is the world, when we give ourselves in His service, it is then that we are lifted up. In losing ourselves we find ourselves. That is the nature of His kingdom. King Duncan, Collected Sermons,www.Sermons.com Working for Christ’s Kingdom The application to those of us who love Jesus Christ is clear. What He loved and desired, we should love and desire and work to complete. His work is to see lost men saved and built up. His work is to see this world redeemed. His work is to see this unfinished world be brought to completion. We who love Him are called to complete the task. Hellen Keller once said, "The world is moved along not only by the mighty shove of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker." That's who we are and that's what we are called to do. Sermon Opener – The Prayer of a Thief Not everybody who takes up a life of crime is all that smart. Sometimes movies or television glorify criminals. They make them appear sophisticated, even cool. Most criminals do not fall in that category. Like the guy who walked into a little corner store in England with a shotgun and demanded all the cash from the cash drawer. After the cashier put the cash in a bag, the robber saw a bottle of scotch that he wanted behind the counter on the shelf. He told the cashier to put it in the bag as well, but the cashier refused and said, “I don’t believe you are over 21.” The robber said he was, but the clerk still refused to give it to him because he didn’t believe him. At this point the robber took his driver’s license out of his wallet and gave it to the clerk. The clerk looked it over, and agreed that the man was in fact over 21 and he put the scotch in the bag. The robber then ran from the store with his loot. The cashier promptly called the police and gave the name and address of the robber that he got off the license. They arrested the robber two hours later. Not the brightest tool in the box. Charles Cortez, a sheriff’s deputy from Los Angeles tells about investigating a late-night break-in at a local factory. Someone had broken a window in the factory, stolen a large industrial sewing machine, and gone out the front door with it. But in their haste, the burglars must not have noticed that one end of the industrial thread had caught on a splintered area of floor. Officer Cortez began following the string as it wound out of the factory, down the street, and into a nearby neighborhood. Eventually, the length of string led him straight to the front door of the band of thieves. The three men were arrested without incident, and the sewing machine was returned to its rightful owner. I believe those burglars need to find another profession. Michael E. Hodgin tells of pair of robbers who entered a record shop nervously waving revolvers. The first one shouted, “Nobody move!” When his partner moved, the first bandit was startled and shot him. Of course, some criminals are smarter than others. Jesus hung on a cross between two thieves, according to Matthew and Mark. Luke doesn’t specify their crimes. He simply calls them criminals. According to Luke one of the thieves joined in the mob that was mocking Jesus. He hurled insults at the Master. One of those insults particularly stung: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other thief had a better grasp of what was happening there. He rebuked his colleague in crime. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he turned to the Master and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” What a remarkable statement of faith. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com