People of Hope

December 3, 1995 - Advent I - Romans 13 - Matthew 24

The Promise of Light in a Dark World

Did you ever in your life get up at four o'clock in the morning because you were going somewhere exciting that day? I have— a good many times in my life! When we lived in the wall-to-wall cement in New Jersey we would start out on our vacation to Maine so early that we were at Hogan Pond by noon eight hours later! By the time the sun came up we were over the Hudson River and well on our way. That is a little of what Advent is like. That is what the epistle lesson this morning is shouting: The day is breaking! Exciting things are going to happen! Get out of bed! Put on the garments of light! Lay aside the darkness!

Today is the first Sunday in Advent. Advent is getting ready for Christmas— but it is even more. Advent is getting ready for Christ!

Advent also is the beginning of a new church year.

It is the time of the prophet calling: "Get right with God!" It is the time of prophecy of the seventh angel of the Revelation(11:5): "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever."

God is calling us to be people of the Light! If we could begin to understand what it means to be "people of Hope"— if we could see what God wants to do even here in this congregation— if we could catch a glimpse of His vision for us— I believe it would literally take our breath away! I thank God for what he has done, and what he is doing. Still, the challenge of Advent is to more yet than we have seen. We are a church called to a mission.

The mission statement of this church is simple— perhaps deceptively simple: TO KNOW GOD, AND TO PROVIDE A CLIMATE IN WHICH EACH PERSON CAN COME TO FULL SPIRITUAL POTENTIAL IN JESUS CHRIST.

TO KNOW GOD!

So simple! You say, I know God! He knows me! What else is      there? Yet when you stop to think of it, this is an eternity challenge! God is our Friend right NOW! But getting to know God is the most wonderful adventure there can ever be!

IT IS PRESENT REALITY! You can know God in Jesus Christ right now! I am sure that many of our little children are friends with Jesus. (I think of Kara Nichols inviting Jesus to her birthday party when she was about five!) But knowing God is ALWAYS BECOMING, ALWAYS DYNAMIC, ALWAYS GROWING

As a church— this is our highest priority. Our worship reaches out for God! Our evangelism introduces God! Our education is more than learning "about" it seeks to introduce people to God! Our fellowship is in God! Our cup of cold water is given as unto God!

KNOWING GOD IS PERSONAL.

You have to know him for yourself. But whether or not you will believe it— knowing God is ALWAYS IN COMMUNITY AS WELL! We help each other SEE God. We are never saved selfishly. We do not come to know a God who plays favorites— unless we can realize that the one who is most obnoxious to us is just as much loved by God as WE are! We are ALL God's "favorites!"

Knowing God is SATISFYING! There is nothing as deeply satisfying as obeying God and sensing that is some small way he is pleased. But knowing God is always HUNGERING AND THIRSTING FOR MORE!

Will you make this part of our mission statement your own? Will you make it your life's personal mission to know God? And will you join with us here in a conscious, deliberate effort to make everything we do as a church bend to this mission statement? If it does not enhance our pursuit of knowing God— we simply don't do it!

But "to know God" is just the first half— and the last half is like the second half of the Ten Commandments— it is horizontal—

TO PROVIDE A CLIMATE IN WHICH EACH PERSON CAN COME TO FULL SPIRITUAL POTENTIAL IN JESUS CHRIST.

Jesus said the first, great commandment is Thou shalt love ... and the second is like unto it: THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF. What does it mean to have a mission statement that declares we want to enhance the spiritual growth of every last person in our community?

It means that WE SHALL BE A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT.

That happens! It will continue to happen! It doesn't mean we don't fail at times— but God helping us— we shall care when the crises come!

It means that WE SHALL BE A COMMUNITY OF HONESTY. I have seen some kinds of spirituality that had very little to do with the real world. I have seen holiness that never got its feelings hurt— never needed to say "I'm sorry!" —- but I don't know anything about that in the way life is lived.

In our community we need to ask God to help us disagree at times and still have a genuine love for each other. In our community in particular, the one thing that stands out is how many different kinds of people and tastes we have— differences that could and will tear us apart if we let them. We have "depression babies" that have their cellars full of old magazines— because "we might need them sometime"— and Baby Boomers— who throw away good clothes when they get dirty— we have Baby Boppers who go to concerts so loud I couldn't stand them— and body surf!! But do you know what? We really do LOVE each other! And we CARE when we hurt, and we want each other to be like Jesus!

It means, finally, that WE SHALL BE A COMMUNITY OF WITNESS.

There will be the witness of "Behold hoe they love one another!" We will be a community of witness in our homes to those we love the most! And wherever we go in our weekday world we will witness, first in our spirit— then in our actions— and finally as the Holy Spirit leads us, we will witness in a confrontational witness of words.

IT IS SIMPLE, ISN'T IT? TO KNOW GOD! TO HELP EACH OTHER GROW IN CHRIST? BUT WHAT IF WE TOOK IT SERIOUSLY? WHAT IF WE MADE EVERY SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS— EVERY PARTY— EVERY BIBLE STUDY— EVERY MEAL FOR THE QUINCY CRISIS CENTER— IN THE LIGHT OF THIS MISSION?

Conclusion

We believe in Jesus a new day is dawning that will never have an end. The life we have found in Jesus will become a never-ending day.

Until that sunrise is complete we must be children of light. It may seem that our world is dark and growing darker, but that is not what the scripture says. Let's get out of bed, get dressed, and get on the road! In the darkness we light the candle of faith, and watch the horizon. The night is far spent; the day is at hand— our King is on his way!

Prayer

Into communion

THE HOLY COMMUNION

The Law Read and Confession Made

The Lord Jesus Christ has said to us: "Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This if the first and great commandment. The second is like unto it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Shall we pray:

Search us, O God, and know our most private thoughts. Try us, and show unto us the deepest motives, the real state of our hearts. Forgive us where we have been selfish, or insensitive, or sinful in any way. We cannot keep the Great Commandment, and truly love

You, O God, with all our heart, soul, and mind unless You in mercy grant to us the grace of Your indwelling Spirit. We cannot love each other as we should unless Your love is shed abroad in our hearts.

Brothers and sisters, let us search our hearts. In silence let us ask God to draw us near to Himself so that we can come to his table with confidence.

We do not presume to come to this table, O God, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your great mercy and grace. Grant us to eat the Bread of heaven, and drink the blood shed for the remission of sins, that we may live in Christ, and Christ may live in us forever. Amen

Let us confess our faith:

The Nicene Creed (STL # 14)

The Informal Invitation ("This is not my table . . . ")

Holy and gracious Father; in your infinite love you made us for yourself; and, when we had fallen into sin, and were worthy of death and hell, you, in your mercy sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to You, the God and Father of all.

He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.

The Words of Institution:

On the night in which he was betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had give thanks to You he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, "Take eat: THIS IS MY BODY, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me. After supper he took the cup and when he had give thanks he gave it to them, and said,

"Drink this, all of you; THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW COVENANT, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink this, do it in remembrance of me: Amen

We praise you for the mystery of our salvation! We truly believe

Bless these emblems, O God, and make them to us the Body and Blood of your Son, spiritual food, and spiritual drink of new and unending life in Jesus Christ. And now, together, we pray, as Jesus taught us:

Our Father which art in heaven . . .

Now, humbly we receive the Gifts of God for the People of God