Last Sunday in the Church Year
“A King Who
Works For You”
Text: Malachi 3:13-18; Luke 23:27-43; Colossians
1:13-20
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God
our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
A book on church outreach and evangelism
was published not too long ago, with the premise that people outside the Church
don’t really care what is truth or not – they simply want to know: “Does it work?” Not “is it true?” but “does it work?” So, this book goes on to say, that
should be the basis of the Church’s evangelism and outreach. We shouldn’t try to convince people that
Christianity is true, these authors say, but that it works. It delivers.
It will give people what they are looking for.
Well, all I can say to that is: don’t have these people read the book of
Malachi! (Or actually, maybe they
should!) For from that prophet today, we
heard exactly the opposite message. The
people were complaining that God wasn’t
working. Their worship and devotion
weren’t working. God wasn’t
delivering. They weren’t getting what they
were looking for. For look, they
said! “It is vain to serve God. What is the profit . . . ? We call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God
to the test and they escape.” It
doesn’t work, all this
Perhaps you recognize some of those questions. Not only from people you know, but banging around in your own head. What difference does it make whether or not I
repent today? Or if I sleep in and skip
church? Why bother to do good and help
my neighbor, read God’s Word, or pray?
The world goes on. My loved ones still
leave, or die. I still have my struggles
at work and at home. My life is still a
mess. And besides all that, look! All these people who are selfish, and never
go to church, and never pray – they’re happy and rich and care free! So why should we bother, O pastor? Why should we stay? It doesn’t really make a difference. It’s not working.
So what should we say? Does it work?
Does it make a difference?
These are important questions. That go to the heart of the matter of faith
and the Church. And the answers? Well, they depend on what kind of kingdom
you’re looking for.
If you’re looking for a kingdom here on
earth, of riches and power, of wealth and glory, then a King reigning from a
cross and not jumping down in power is
probably not going to work for you.
If you’re looking for a kingdom where
you are admired and affirmed, and where you are told that you’re basically good
and okay – don’t change a thing in your
life! – then the Law of God and its message of sin and repentance is probably not going to work for you.
If you’re looking for a kingdom where
you are initiated into the halls of power and influence, and where your
thoughts and wisdom are trumpeted and revered, then a Baptism into a new life
as a child of God is probably not going
to work for you.
If you’re looking for a kingdom where you
are king, and your every wish and desire is granted, you have no suffering, and
your life is filled with only luxury and ease, then a Supper of body and blood
and forgiveness of sins is probably not
going to work for you.
If you’re looking for a kingdom where
everyone gets what they deserve and what they got coming, then a King who is
merciful and gracious and comes to die for His enemies – and even prays for their forgiveness while He is being executed by
them! – is probably not going to
work for you.
And so if your kingdom is the
Or maybe there’s something more. A better kingdom. A lasting kingdom. With a real King. A king’s King. The King of kings. A kingdom not just of this little world (or
my part of it!), but of all worlds. A
kingdom of right, not wrong; of peace,
not strife; of life, not death. A kingdom where hope does not eventually run
out, but where hope is fulfilled. A
kingdom where that which defeats us is itself defeated! A kingdom – should we say it? – of truth.
You know that there is! That’s why you’re here. To repent of yourself and your own kingdom
building, and receive that which is greater.
To repent of listening to the lies of satan, and instead have your ears
and eyes and mouths and hearts filled with the truth. Filled with the One who not only speaks the truth, but is the
truth. The King who reigned from the
cross, not because He was weak – but because He was strong enough to stay. That He be not only the King of kings, but
that He be your King. For that is
what He wants most of all. You.
To give you life. To give you
Himself.
And
so He has! For as we heard from
And in this kingdom, “Does it work?” is not played off
against “Is it true?” It
works because it is true. Yes,
because God really did come and die for us.
Yes, in Jesus, all the fullness of God was pleased to
dwell. Yes, in His death and
resurrection, Jesus defeated our enemies and reconciled us to the Father. Yes, in Him, we are now what we were not
before – sons of God, citizens of a new
kingdom, and heirs of the promise of eternal life. . . .
How do you know? Because those words spoken by Jesus from the
cross – words of forgiveness and the promise of paradise – were spoken not just
to others, but here, to you. No matter
how old, no matter how young. For as
your sins put Jesus on the cross, so His words of forgiveness spoken for those
who put Him there are for you. And the
thief on the cross next to Jesus? Yup,
that’s you. That’s the due reward of
your deeds. That’s how your kingdom’s
going to wind up – in a bloody mess! . .
.
Unless you are remembered by the
King. And then your blood doesn’t have
the final word – His does. His
blood which speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Heb 12:24) His blood which is shed for you for the
forgiveness of your sins. His blood
which is here poured over your lips, and with it given to you the promise of
paradise. Yes, “Today you will be with me in
Paradise.” Maybe not this 24
hour day called Sunday, November 25th – but the Today in which our
Lord lives. The Today which has no end. For here, the light is breaking into the
darkness. Here, His kingdom is breaking
down our kingdoms. Here, we join the
angels and archangels and all the company of Heaven. One Church, One King, One truth.
And with this truth and kingdom, we have
all that we need. We have peace to face
even death. We have contentment, with
much or with little. We have purpose and
meaning in life. We have forgiveness for
all our past mistakes and shortcomings and guilt. We have hope in the midst of suffering, and
in a future which has no end.
And as another Church Year draw to a
close, we rejoice in this, as we have rejoiced all the year – in our King, in
His work, and in His Kingdom. We rejoice
in His forgiveness and life, in His mercy and love. We rejoice that He does not give us what we
deserve, but the gifts we do not. We
rejoice in His truth, for this is the
truth that works. The Truth that has come,
and is coming again, to set us free. (John
8:36)
In the name of the Father and of the (+)
Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now the peace of God which passes all
understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, our
Lord. Amen.