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Fourth Sunday of Advent
Light of Christ Anglican Church
The Rev. Edward V. S. Moore, Decembef 23, 2018


God Our Constant Help in Running the Race


Text: Revelation 1–3

Advent is the season in the Church year when we are called upon to remember Christ’s first coming to save man from his sins, so we might be reconciled to God. We are rightly focussed on our preparation for and celebration of the Incarnation of the Son of God on Christmas day, and during the following festive twelve-day season which ends at the Epiphany.

In these early days of this new Church year, we are also called upon to look forward with anticipation to our Lord’s second coming in glory as we have been saying throughout Advent. At that future time in the history of Creation, all those who have ever lived will be called to the great judgment. Those who have been found worthy will share in our Lord’s heavenly kingdom on the new earth. We will not only see Jesus as He is, but we will be like Him. That is, we will have glorified resurrected bodies as he does. We will also share in His rule in some way. We know that He has said that his disciples will be sitting on thrones and judging the twelve tribes of Israel, so presumably we will all play some part in His government, if it is only to be good citizens. But what joy to live in a kingdom where the politicians are all honest, always do what they promise, and never promise anything that they cannot do, or do not intend to do. No real need for debates or elections; no need for interest rate adjustments or endless debates about the weather. If the truth be told, there will be no politicians or elections because the kingdoms of this world will have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. (Revelation 11:15) There will be no more worries and no more tears. But from our current vantage point in this life that heavenly kingdom seems afar off. The race is hard to run when we are entangled in our own agendas,

How are we ever to get to the finish? Will only the really religious be saved? Do you have to be a saint (with a capital “S”) to get into heaven? Or is God just a really kind and compassionate Father who will save all his children? The truth lies somewhere in between. If we look at the Declaration of Absolution, or Remission of Sins in the Prayer Book, (BCP 1928, p. 7; dropped in 1979; included in Daily Office, ACNA BCP to be published in 2019), we see that Almighty God does not desire the death of a sinner but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live. He pardons and absolves from their sins all those who truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel.

We are not helpless in this endeavor. In fact, God himself is our helper. He has sent us his Son to show us, through the example of his sinless life, the true way to him. He has sent us his Holy Spirit to be our in-dwelling guide into the truth. And He has sent us other people to show us how to live a life pleasing to him. Not the least of these others are the prophets, kings, evangelists and apostles who, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote the various books of the Bible. As one of our recent collects has reminded us, they were written for our learning. With all this help, it is really up to us, God being our helper, to take advantage of it. So, let’s do that by taking a look at Scripture.

During Advent it has been traditional to read the Revelation of Jesus Christ to St. John the Divine. This last book of the Bible is usually referred to simply as the Book of Revelation, or by its Greek name, the Apocalypse. This Greek word is favored by the Church of Rome as well as by the Orthodox Church, (and let’s not forget the purveyors of sensational books and movies about the “end times”). This apocalyptic book opens with Christ dictating letters which John is instructed to send to seven churches in the 1st Century Roman Province of Asia (modern day Turkey).

Each of the letters begins with a greeting to the angel of the church. This terminology may seem a bit confusing until one realizes that this unusual book, like the books of Daniel and Ezekiel, is richly filled with allusions to the Old Testament, described using divine imagery, metaphor, and symbolic numbers. It is indeed the revelation of things previously hidden from human knowledge. The Greek word angelos means messenger, and by implication a pastor, so here the pastor or bishop of the church.

Each letter continues with a brief description of that church’s spiritual state accompanied by encouraging words of counsel on how to confront the challenges it is facing. All churches face challenges of various sorts at various times. At the moment Light of Christ is exploring ways to increase our impact in the local community. This task has proven challenging. But as St. Peter (2 Peter 1:4–8) tells us, such challenges are intended to help build the character of Christ in us. So be encouraged, such is life in God’s kingdom. He is a loving Father, who, because He wants the best for His children, allows us to work things out for ourselves, rather than simply handing us what we desire.

Next is a promise for each specific church. Then the letter concludes with an exhortation to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Hear in the biblical sense means to understand, and then to act upon the imparted knowledge. In conclusion, there is a promise for the faithful of each church. It is the content of these letters which I would like to take as the subject of my sermon this morning. The verses I am about to read are the tenth and eleventh from Chapter 1, if you would like to follow along in your Bibles.

Listen to St. John’s introduction:

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What you see, write in a book (or scroll), and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. (Revelation 1:10, 11, NKJV)

First, let us consider the author of the letters. John says that he turned to see who was speaking to him and saw one like a son of man standing among seven golden lampstands. He was wearing a long robe with a golden girdle (or belt) around his breast. His head and hair were white like snow or wool, his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet like burnished bronze. His voice was like the sound of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars and from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword. His face was shining as brightly as the sun.

His first words were:

“Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one; I died and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Now write what you see; what is and what is to take place hereafter. As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” (Revelation 1:17b–20)

This revelation then is given by the Father to the Son, and then by the Son to his church, using the Apostle John as an intermediary. The number seven was widely regarded by the church fathers as referring to the church as a whole and thus to the entire church at the time of writing and indeed for all future generations. (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT XII, pp. 3 & 9, Aspringius of Beja & Victorinus of Petovium). God sent his people prophets in the Old Testament and pastors and teachers in the New Testament to help them to hear His voice, as well as calling those not yet a part of His church.

Next let’s take a look at Christ’s warnings and counsel to the churches. Notice the emphasis on action!

1. The church at Ephesus he admonishes for having abandoned their first love (ag-ah’-pay) and adds that they should repent and do those acceptable works of love which they did at their first conversion.

2. The church at Smyrna he warns of impending persecution. They are to be faithful unto death, whatever happens to them.

3. For the churches at Pergamum and Thyatira (thoo-at´-irah) he commends their faithfulness and good work. Yet he counsels recognition of and repentance from false teaching, specifically with regard to sexual immorality (e.g. fornication – sexual relations outside marriage) and the consumption of meat sacrificed to idols (modern equivalents–pursuing and having contact or intercourse with things which are ungodly–not of God–things which honor demons/Satan v. God; unwholesome entertainments).

4. The church at Sardis he exhorts to awake from spiritual death and to strengthen what remains and is on the point of death. Its members include some who are Christians in name only. To those who have been faithful, Christ gives the reassurance that He knows them by name, and he holds them up as examples to be emulated.

5. The church at Philadelphia is filled with those who have have not departed from the faith. These Christ counsels to hold on firmly to what they have, so that no one may seize the crown of life which is theirs.

6. Finally, the church at Laodicea (lah-od-ik´-i-ah) Christ rebukes for lukewarmness in the faith. Although it would be best to be fervently alive in their faith, yet it would be better to be ice cold than lukewarm as they are. These are those who possess status, wealth, and knowledge, but do not use them for the benefit of the faithful. If they remain so, Christ says he will spew them out of his mouth, as one’s body naturally rejects tainted food.

7. To all seven churches, and by extension to the church as a whole, Christ offers words of encouragement to heed His words and persevere in the faith. Five are encouraged to be overcomers who repent of their sins and will be blessed beyond measure. Let us examine in detail Christ’s promises to each of the seven Asian churches. All are addressed in a similar fashion: “to him who conquers” followed by the promise of a blessing and an exhortation to hear, that is to pay close attention and carry out the instructions the angel gives to the churches. Notice again the emphasis on action! (cf. John 17:3)

1. “To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” This tree represents the divine wisdom which is eternal life.

2. “He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death.” By the first death was understood the death of the body. The second death was understood as spiritual death, separation from the love of Christ at the last judgment for those, who had during this life, rejected God’s offer of eternal life.

3. “To him who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it.” By hidden manna is understood the means by which Christ offers immortality to the faithful, as God fed his people with manna in the desert, and He now feeds his people with his body and blood in the Eucharist. The white stone is a precious gem similar to the pearl of great price sought by the merchant who sold all his possessions. The new name is that of the new creature/creation, that is those who are in Christ (e.g. Christian).

4. “He who conquers and keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myslf have received power from my Father; and I will give him the morning star.” At the last judgment the nations, that is those who have rejected God and his Christ, will have no share in his kingdom. The morning star was seen either as Christ, who is the light of the world, or Satan, whose name Lucifer means light bearer, and whom the apostle says God will trample under the feet of the believers (Romans 16:20). (It could also be a both/and.)

5. “He who conquers shall be clad in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” The white garments and the book of life identify those destined for eternal life with God, those whom Christ has promised he will confess as faithful servants who themselves have confessed him before men. There is no room here for the sort of private religion which has no power and does not dare speak its name in God’s kingdom. That is the world’s way of trying to silence those who speak God’s truth. Do not give in to it.

6. “He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.” And further “... I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”

These promises are for all those who “in sincerity and truth” answer the call of Christ’s call in their hearts, metaphorically described as opening the door when we hear Him knocking on it, so that He may come in and have fellowship with us. He doesn’t break the door down; we must invite Him in. Then, empowered by His Spirit we can persevere in doing good and enduring evil, giving thanks in His Name no matter the circumstances, calling upon Him as our ever-present helper. To quote St. Bede the Venerable, “For (Christ) dwells in the hearts of his elect through the grace of his love in order to restore them always by the light of his presence.” (ibid. Bede, p. 55) The bottom line is that we are never without God’s help, but we must ask for it. He never forces us, He always encourages us by His grace.

I would like to say something more at this point about our role in carrying out God’s plan of salvation. First, we are commanded to take every thought captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). When our thoughts are under His control, then we can control our passions. As our Lord said, “If you abide in my word... you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31,32, ESV).

Second, we must ask for God’s help in this process, as we did in this morning’s Collect. When we are tempted, we may succumb to sins which can slow down our progress in the process of sanctification, like vines or hidden tree roots in the woods.

Third, if we must not heed the siren song of Satan, which tells us that sin is fun and harmless and that virtue is not cool, we must also ignore the voices of nihilism which surround us on every side. They are especially prevalent through electronic media of various sorts. They would have us believe that God does not exist; that there is no absolute truth; that we are prisoners of our DNA; not only that we cannot help doing things which are contrary to God’s law, but that evil is actually good (does anyone hear Orwellian notes being sounded here?); that life is essentially meaningless, and that to some select few has been revealed the knowledge and ability to direct the thoughts and actions of the many who are ignorant (gnosticism). All of these satanic lies lead toward the ultimate addiction, which is to selfishness. Hell is not les autres (the others) as Sartre says (in Huis Clos), No Exit in English, but rather the absence of any others, in a self-imposed isolation from them and God. (If you have not read Charles Williams’ novel Descent into Hell, I highly recommend it to you. It illustrates this very point in an unforgettably graphic manner.)

As this Advent season draws to a close, let us watch, and pray, and yearn for the arrival of that divine life which has come into the world in human form to enlighten our souls; to free us from sin and death; that light which the darkness can neither understand nor overcome. Let us prepare our hearts to behold the glory of the Only-Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And to declare the good news of salvation to all whom God places in our path.

©2018 Rev. Edward V. S. Moore

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