What are you Waiting for?

December 11, 2016 Third Sunday of Advent What are you waiting for? Matthew 11:2-11 I was hoping to take this week and next week off, but then I realized that if I didn’t preach today, then I would miss my only time this year to wear my pink dress. So here I am. And as you know we are having a little problem with the heat, so make point and move on, so that we don’t have to be here too long in the cold. And today to the point is that we are here to celebrate joy. The four lessons of advent are hope, peace, joy and love. Today we remember joy. I don’t know about you, but I am having a little trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year. The commercials are going full blast, and everyone has their lights up, and the Christmas trees are up, but for some reason, I am just not feeling it. I guess the good news is that joy and Christmas spirit are two different things. When we sing Joy to the world – that is not an invitation to have fun at a party, it is a call to new life. A life that only comes from Christ. Joy only comes when you have been in the midst of your darkest hour, and you realize that things are getting better, not because anything that you did, but because of God’s grace. We lite the pink candle today – to symbolize that we can see the lite at the end of the tunnel, we have been dark for two Sundays,andtoday weget a little bit lighter. But then next Sunday – we are back where we started from in the darkness. It Doesn’t Get Any Better In 1964 my boyhood home burned. We were on our way to spend Christmas with my mother and father, and the word reached us that the flames had engulfed most of the home, although the structure was standing. When we arrived at Texarkana, it was late in the afternoon, and the December sun was already toward the horizon. I entered the house with a cousin to inspect the damage and became aware of the fact that it was difficult to see. I said to her, "I think I shall wait and come back in the morning, when the light will be better." I shall never forget her reply: "Bill," she said, "it doesn't get any better!" At first I did not know what she meant; only later I realized that the fire had brought to the inside panes of the windows a kind of smoke and resin film which very effectively shut out most of the light, even when the sun was shining brightly. Those words have been burned into my consciousness ever since: "Bill, it doesn't get any better." I have thought of the times in my life when circumstances would not and did not get any better, at least on their own terms, and I have thought of the times in the lives of friends and loved ones where this was true. How is it possible to have faith when things do not get better? Blessed is he that taketh no offense when things do not get better. John dies in the prison, and we can understand his struggle. William B. Oglesby, Jr., Pastoral Care Issues In The Pulpit, Anthology - edited by Gregory J. Johanson, CSS Publishing Co., Inc. That musthave been how John the Baptist felt when he was in prison locked up for speaking the truth. Last week I didn’t preach from the gospel story. But in the story –John the Baptist was running around the wilderness in his loincloth telling everyone to repent for the Lord is near. Even all of the politicians came to him to be saved, and John says who invited you brood of vipers. He spoke of another coming after him that would do greater things. Well this week, John the Baptist is sitting in prison. He talked to much truth, and the king put him in jail, and is about to kill him. John is starting to wonder if all of his talk wasworth it. Was speaking to truth really worth going to jail for? So he sends one of his disciples to speak with his cousin. And he asks a question that is still relavant to us today. Are you the one,the messiah or should I be waiting for someone else. Are you the messiah or should I be looking for someone else. We still ask that question a lot. We asked that question of Obama, we asked that question of Hillary Clinton, we asked that question of Donald Trump. Are you the one that is gonna save us, or should we be waiting for someone else. We keep asking the question and no matter what they do or don’t do- we feel that they have failed. They did not make a difference in our lives at all. And we like John sit in our prison feeling despondent and discouraged. When the Real World Rears Its Head Why in the world did John the Baptist question if Jesus was the one? Maybe he forgot. Maybe he did recognize Jesus at his baptism, and now, a few months later, he just forgot. You have to wonder, however, what could make a man forget that Jesus was the Christ. That seems pretty unforgettable. The best way to answer that may be to look at what makes us forget who he is. Maybe that will help. Shelly was a new Christian. She had just gone through a religious experience that totally changed her life, and as a part of her new life she wanted to become a part of the church. She was running on high speed, and had high hopes. She was going to save the world, or at least the part of it she could reach. She watched her language. She pronounced Jesus with seven syllables, and made sure to use the word "blessed" at least once in every sentence. She started attending Bible studies and promptly made everyone there uncomfortable. But she meant well. No one could blame her for her enthusiasm, because she had just recognized who Jesus was, and we could all remember how that felt. Then Shelly came to a church board meeting. She bowed her head during the opening prayer, and then studied the minutes of the previous meeting like they were Holy Scripture. She listened intently to the various committee reports, and nodded as though she understood it all. Then came Phil. Everyone knew what happened when Phil opened his mouth, you just never knew what the topic would be. Everyone knew except Shelly. Tonight the topic was the new church budget. Phil started out on the money being wasted on those expensive children's bulletins "that don't do anything anyway!" and ended up reminding everyone of how different it was back when Pastor Ludlan was there. Everyone grinned at each other. "There goes Phil again. He'll get tired in a minute and wind down." Everyone but Shelly that is. She was amazed. This was the "church." The bubble had been burst, and the air fizzled out all over the room. That was the night Shelly began to wonder.... John B. Jamison, Time's Up!, CSS Publishing Company. Jesus handles the situation in a great way. He doesn’t really answerJohn – he tells his disciples to report what they saw. They saw lives changed. They saw blind people able to see, deaf people here,dead people rise and poor people get some good news. Barbara Brown Taylor says "People who were blind to the love loose in the world have received their sight; people who were paralyzed with fear are limber with hope; people who were deaf from want of good news are singing hymns. In other words the proof is not in who Jesus says he is, it is in what he is able to do for others. But I think Jesus teaches another important lesson. He says Happy are those who don’t stumble and fall because of me. In other words – don’t put your trust in any man, not even me. But trust in God. No man is going to save you, not even Jesus. We tend to get discouraged, even by Jesus. We get upset when Jesus does not save that loved one, or pay that bill, or prevent that circumstance. We all have asked Jesus are you the one, or should I be waiting for another. We have to remember that Jesus does not come to save us from circumstances,Jesus came to being us salvation for our soul. And sometimes it is our circumstances that help us to appreciate our salvation. A Place of Dreams There was once a woman who was disappointed, who was disillusioned, who was depressed. She wanted a good world, a peaceful world, and she wanted to be a good person. But the newspaper and television showed her how far we were from such a reality. So she decided to go shopping. She went to the mall and wandered into a new store - where the person behind the counter looked strangely like Jesus. Gathering up her courage she went up to the counter and asked, "Are you Jesus?" "Well, yes, I am," the man answered. "Do you work here?" "Actually," Jesus responded, "I own the store. You are free to wander up and down the aisles, see what it is I sell, and then make a list of what you want. When you are finished, come back here, and we'll see what we can do for you." So, the woman did just that. And what she saw thrilled her. There was peace on earth, no more war, no hunger or poverty, peace in families, no more drugs, harmony, clean air. She wrote furiously and finally approached the counter, handing a long list to Jesus. He skimmed the paper, and then smiling at her said, "No problem." Reaching under the counter, he grabbed some packets and laid them out on the counter. Confused, she asked, "What are these?" Jesus replied: "These are seed packets. You see, this is a catalogue store." Surprised the woman blurted out, "You mean I don't get the finished product?" "No," Jesus gently responded. "This is a place of dreams. You come and see what it looks like, and I give you the seeds. Then you plant the seeds. You go home and nurture them and help them to grow and someone else reaps the benefits." "Oh," she said, deeply disappointed in Jesus. Then she turned around and left the store without buying anything. Adapted by Susan R. Andrews, as told in Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life, F. and M. Brussat, editors (New York: Scribner, 1996), p. 359. The joy that we remember today is the joy of salvation. The joy of transformation. When we are able to change ourselves – we have the power to change the world. This Christmas season, be the one someone else is waiting for. Serve others,give them hope, show them peace,be the joy that you are seeking. Are you the one for which we are waiting, or should we wait for another? Amen. Extra illustrations……. It Takes Time for Truth to be Accepted On December 6, 1865, just months after the Civil War ended, the 13th amendment outlawing slavery was ratified and became of the law of the land. But that didn't mean every state approved the ratification of the amendment. Mississippi's state legislature, for example, was dominated by whites bitter over the defeat of the Confederacy, and they rejected the measure. 130 years passed before Mississippi took action. By 1995 Mississippi was the only state in the Union that had not approved the ratification of the 13th amendment. Finally, on Thursday, February 16, 1995, the Mississippi Senate voted unanimously to outlaw slavery by approving the ratification of the 13th amendment to the Constitution. Senator Hillman Frazier, a member of the Mississippi's Legislature's Black Caucus, said, "I think it's very important for us to show the world that we have finally put the past behind us." Just as there was a delay in some states ratifying an end to slavery in the United States, so there is often a delay accepting the presence God's kingdom coming ever new here and now. Advent is a reminder we must never stop trying, never stop hoping, never stop preparing for the in-breaking of God's kingdom either into our own hearts or in our community. God's kingdom will one day hold sway over the entire world. When that day comes, my prayer is we will be prepared for its glory. Author unknown. Source: Faith Lutheran in Akron Ohio. Advent III To review the Ratification of Constitutional Amendments http://www.usconstitution.net/constamrat.html#Am13Full of Fear The world is full of fears, and most of us, if we are honest about it, are forced to admit that there have been times in our lives when we were afraid - I don't mean a little bit scared. No, I'm talking about those times when we were truly, knee-knocking, scared spitless. We may or may not have been in a life-threatening situation, but we can all remember a moment frozen in time when we were gripped by an all-encompassing fear, a fear that blinded us to everything else around us. I bring all this up because I have heard other pastors preach on this text from the Gospel of Matthew before. And in some of those sermons, John the Baptist took a lot of heat from the preacher for his "lack of vision." I think a terrible injustice has been done here. You see, it is my belief that John the Baptist was in the grip of the kind of fear we've been talking about. Wouldn't you be afraid if you were alone in a cold, dark, damp prison cell, not knowing what's going to happen next, but keenly aware of the animosity your captor feels for you? Johnny Dean, Are You the One? When the Real World Rears Its Head Why in the world did John the Baptist question if Jesus was the one? Maybe he forgot. Maybe he did recognize Jesus at his baptism, and now, a few months later, he just forgot. You have to wonder, however, what could make a man forget that Jesus was the Christ. That seems pretty unforgettable. The best way to answer that may be to look at what makes us forget who he is. Maybe that will help. Shelly was a new Christian. She had just gone through a religious experience that totally changed her life, and as a part of her new life she wanted to become a part of the church. She was running on high speed, and had high hopes. She was going to save the world, or at least the part of it she could reach. She watched her language. She pronounced Jesus with seven syllables, and made sure to use the word "blessed" at least once in every sentence. She started attending Bible studies and promptly made everyone there uncomfortable. But she meant well. No one could blame her for her enthusiasm, because she had just recognized who Jesus was, and we could all remember how that felt. Then Shelly came to a church board meeting. She bowed her head during the opening prayer, and then studied the minutes of the previous meeting like they were Holy Scripture. She listened intently to the various committee reports, and nodded as though she understood it all. Then came Phil. Everyone knew what happened when Phil opened his mouth, you just never knew what the topic would be. Everyone knew except Shelly. Tonight the topic was the new church budget. Phil started out on the money being wasted on those expensive children's bulletins "that don't do anything anyway!" and ended up reminding everyone of how different it was back when Pastor Ludlan was there. Everyone grinned at each other. "There goes Phil again. He'll get tired in a minute and wind down." Everyone but Shelly that is. She was amazed. This was the "church." The bubble had been burst, and the air fizzled out all over the room. That was the night Shelly began to wonder.... John B. Jamison, Time's Up!, CSS Publishing Company. And best and most miraculous of all, tell John that this is not the work of one lonely Messiah but the work of God, carried out by all who believe, and there is no end in sight. Tell him I am the one, if you must, but tell him also that yes, he should look for another, and another, and another. Tell him to search every face for the face of God and not get tripped up on me, because what is happening here is bigger than any of us. What is coming to pass is as big as the Kingdom of God."(4) One Hasidic story tells of a pious Jew who asked his rabbi, "For about forty years I have opened the door for Elijah every Seder night, waiting for him to come, but he never does. What is the reason?" The rabbi answered, "In your neighborhood there lives a very poor family with many children. Call on the man and propose to him that you and your family celebrate the next Passover at his house, and for this purpose provide him and his whole family with everything necessary for the eight days of Passover. Then on the Seder night Elijah will certainly come." The man did as the rabbi told him, but after Passover he came back and claimed that again he had waited in vain to see Elijah. The rabbi answered, "I know very well that Elijah came on the Seder night to the house of your poor neighbor. But of course you could not see him." And the rabbi held a mirror before the face of the man and said, "Look, this was Elijah's face that night."(6) Which leads me to one last question: Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else? Are you the one? Are you the one? Amen! Children’s sermon…… Exegetical Aim: Knowing Jesus is God's promised one who was to come. Props: I do not use any props in the text but a letter with your name on it or other items that identify you may be used. Work them in at the appropriate time. This Children's Sermon must be adapted to fit each person’s family name and vocation if someone other than the minister is giving it. If you are a teacher by vocation bring something that identifies you as a teacher and tie it in to the story. Lesson: Good Morning! I have a question for you this morning. And I am not sure you are going to know the answer to this one. Are you ready? (response)Ok, here goes. Who am I? (the preacher) Yes that's what I do; I am a preacher. How do you know that I am preacher? (response) What does a preacher do? (response) Ok, that's a pretty good answer. But, let me ask my question again, who am I? I mean besides a preacher, Who am I? (Brother Brett) Yes, my name is Brett. Does anyone know my last name or first depending how they know you? (response) My last name is Blair. Brett Blair is my name. How do you know that I am Brett Blair? (response) 'Cause I hang around a bunch of other Blairs. A lady named Cyndi Blair--she's my wife by the way--and a little girl named Hannah Blair--she's my daughter. We are all Blairs. What name do you think is written on our mailbox? (Blair) When I get the mail out of he mailbox who do you think the mail is addressed to? (Blair) Ok, I am a preacher and I am Brett Blair. That much we know. Let me ask you the question one more time, Who am I? Besides a preacher and guy that goes by the name Brett Blair. Who am I? (response) Let me give you a hint: You are one too. (response) You may need to guide them here. We all believe in Jesus Christ. So, Who am I? (a Christian) They may give various synonyms--work them toward the proper title. That's right. I am a Christian. Now comes the real question. How do you know that I am a Christian? (response) Let them work on this for a minute and don't let yourself off the hook too quick What does a Christian do? (response) Application: Who is Jesus? (God's Son) How do you know that he is God's Son? (response) There is this fellow in the Bible who asked that very question. His name was John the Baptist. And he believed in Jesus Christ too. But he didn't get a chance to spend very much time with Jesus. So, he wasn't sure he was God's Son. So he ask a couple of his friends to go talk with him and ask him, "Are you the one, are you God's Son, or should I look for someone else?" Lean forward and whisper loudly with surprise: You know what Jesus said to John? (response) He said, "You go tell John what you have seen and heard me do. When I touch the blind cover your eyes? they can see again uncover your eyes. When I touch the crippled continue touching the appropriate body parts they can walk again. When I touch the sick they are well again. When I touch the deaf they can hear again. The good news of God is being preached to the poor! You go tell John that.How do we know that this little Christmas baby is God's Son? (response) Because when he grew up to be a man he did all these wonderful things. Let’s Pray: Lord, we see all the wonderful things that you did and we know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Amen. Christian Globe, , by Brett Blair