The story at the beginning and some of the ideas for this sermon (from several years ago) were found in “Look Up: An Advent Meditation” by William Willimon, Christian Century; November 30, 1983.
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Luke 21:25-28: (Jesus said), “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
I was not long out of seminary when I attended a funeral in a small, rural Baptist church in Georgia. As often happens at the funerals in this region, the preacher decided to turn the eulogy into an evangelistic tirade. “‘It’s too late for old Joe,’’ he screamed. ‘‘He’s dead now. He may have wanted to do this or that, he may have intended to change here or there. That’s all gone now. BUT IT AIN’T TOO LATE FOR YOU! Today is the day for decision. Now is the hour. People drop dead every day. The next could be you. Come to the altar and be saved.”’
“Can you believe that sermon?’’ I asked my wife on the way home afterwards. “The callousness of it, the manipulative style, the nerve of the man! I would never preach such a sermon at a funeral.”
“Nor would I,” replied Patsy. “But was his sermon untrue? It might have been a bit harsh, but was it inaccurate? It is too late for old Joe, but it isn’t too late for us. Since people do indeed die every day, this is the moment to decide.”
An old hymn begins with this line: “Once to Every Man and Nation.” Once. Surely our fortunes are not limited to one chance. The jury is still out on most of the really important questions, right? We always want to keep all our options open. Questions of truth, faith, God, life and death can be deferred until a time when we have more time and the way is clearer. We can commit ourselves tomorrow, for there will always be another tomorrow.
In the meantime, we can become very good at putting the thought of death out of our minds. We are sedated by the reassuring rhythm of life– day after day, week after week, year after year– life just goes on. I stand up here and give a sermon today, just as I did last Sunday at this time, and the Sunday before that, and the Sunday before that. This past week I worked at the office each day, visited a few of you in your homes, and spent some time with my family; much the same as the week before last and the week before that. Chances are, in the coming weeks the same pattern will continue for me. You also have your daily routines. Week after week, we go. We get everything in place, fixed, as if it had been that way all along, and always will be. Life goes on and on, we have plenty of time. Someday, we can get more serious about Jesus. There is plenty of time.
Today’s news is again filled with unsettling reports from around the world. Every day, everything sounds so bad we sometimes wonder if the world will even last. But it does. In the words of the Bible, there have always been ‘wars and rumors of war,’ but what has ever come of it? Horrible death and destruction, and many tears– but then what? The sun keeps on coming up each day, and whoever is left, gets back into a new routine, and life goes on. And all again get lulled into thinking there will be plenty of time. There has always been another tomorrow. That is when I will pay more attention to Jesus. Tomorrow.
But in this Advent reading from Luke 21, Jesus tells his disciples to “Keep watch.” Pay attention. Now. The world as we know it– the world of daily chores, of going to work and coming home, of going to school sporting events, of Christmas parties and programs— is frighteningly temporary. It will all end. No matter how full our barns, how healthy we are right now, how secure we feel; and no matter how sincere our determination to someday decide about Jesus and faith and all that; Jesus reminds us that there will not always be another tomorrow, there will not always be another chance, there will not always be another anything. The roller coaster stops. The comforting, reassuring, seemingly endless ticking of the clock, falls silent to our ears. We slump forward in the easy chair, we grasp our chest in a few, painful last breaths, we don’t see that car running the red light on our left, or, we just go to bed some night and do not wake up the next morning. And then it will be too late, just like for Old Joe.
But for you, here today, there is still more time. (continued…)
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Hebrews 9:27-28 — Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
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To see and hear “Once to Every Man and Nation” by the students of Fountainview Academy, go to:
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