(…continued) This may seem like a morbid meditation for Advent. We’re busy getting ready for birth not death. We are preparing to hear again ‘that old, old story of Jesus and his birth.’ But Advent celebrates not only the first coming of Christ. It also reminds us that He is coming again, at the end of this world, when the tomorrows end. For many folks this is bad news, and they would rather not think about it. They would rather keep on planning for tomorrows that will not end– until they do. And they always do end.
But for the believer, even talk of doom is overshadowed by the promise of deliverance. The newborn King would be called Immanuel, which means ‘God with us;’ God with us in all of our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows, for as many or as few as we get. God, in Christ, is with us in the routine of day-to-day life; and when that routine ends, and there will be no more tomorrows, we can still look forward to a Second Advent. Christ will come again and the world will end, but we will know that the end is our beginning. When you see all that happening, Jesus said, “Stand and look up, because you will know that your redemption in the kingdom of God is drawing near” (Luke 21:28, 31).
The old Southern preacher told the people that it was too late for old Joe, but it ‘ain’t too late for you.’
The Baptist preacher then ended his sermon by saying “Come to the altar and be saved.” With that altar call, the people at the funeral that day were given the opportunity to come forward and publicly declare their decision for Jesus, and be saved, once and for all. Baptist churches are always doing that sort of thing, and we Lutherans don’t ever do it.
So let’s do it this morning, even if we are Lutherans. Let’s have a decision time. Let me give you and opportunity to publicly declare your faith, your own decision for Jesus.
We will do that when the Baptists do it, right after the sermon. Actually, that is when we always do that, in every Sunday worship service, when we confess our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed. You won’t need to come forward. You can just stand up right there where you are, just like you always do, and say, just like you always do, “I believe in God the Father Almighty… I believe in Jesus Christ… and, I believe in the Holy Spirit…” Jesus said “If you believe and are baptized you will be saved.” And Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
You probably have always thought that only the Baptists made a decision for Jesus. But what we do here every week is much the same. We, like they, are publicly declaring our decision for and belief in Jesus. Some people at those churches are doing that for the first time in their life, and that is terrific. We Lutherans don’t stop at once. We keep doing that week after week. In the Creed we are proclaiming our decision for Jesus. That confession of faith makes us ready for the last day.
Now of course, there is much more to being a Christian than standing up and saying the Apostles’ Creed once a week. If you do believe in God, like you say you do in the Creed, you will most certainly want to pay attention to God, keep in touch, know what He expects of you, do what he says, and not ever turn away or ignore him.
The Christian life is a journey that involves everything we are and everything we have. The decision to believe should affect every other decision we ever make.
But it all begins with “I believe…”
*******************************
Isaiah 7:14 — Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Joshua 24:15b — Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.
John 11:27 — “Yes, Lord,” Martha replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
Mark 9:24 — The boy’s father said (to Jesus), “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
*******************************
Lord, I believe, but want to believe more firmly. Lord, I love, but help me love more warmly. I offer unto you my thoughts, that they may be pleasing to you; my actions, that they may be according to your will; my sufferings, that they may be for you. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
—Treasury of Devotion: A Manuel of Prayer, 1879, compiled by Anglican priest Rev. T. T. Carter
—————————————–
Grant, O Lord, that what we have said with our lips, we may believe in our hearts, and practice in our lives; and of thy mercy keep us faithful to the end. Amen.
–John Hunter, (1909-2005), Torchbearers Bible teacher
Related Posts
