November 22, 2020                                                              Text:  Matthew 25:31-34, 41

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Growing up I did not listen to many Frank Sinatra songs.  I knew who he was, his ties to the mafia and that Don Rickles liked to make fun of him.  As my musical listening expanded I started to enjoy some of his songs.  I especially enjoyed, “My Way.”  As God’s child who has always done his own thing, I could relate to the lyrics.  Do you remember this verse?

“And now, the end is near; And so I face the final curtain.  My friend, I’ll say it clear, I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain.  I’ve lived a life that’s full.  I’ve traveled each and every highway; And more, much more than this, I did it my way.”

            Are you ready for . . .

“THE CURTAIN CALL”

            Webster’s defines a curtain call as “an appearance by a performer (after the final curtain of a play) in response to the applause of the audience.”

            Jesus says in our text, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  Before him will be gathered all the nations…”  That is all of us.  It is the curtain call.  When our performance on earth ends, there is an evaluation of our performance.  It is the summons of God that no man can escape.  He evaluates us.

            Shakespeare wrote this in Macbeth:  “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more.”

            The curtain call is not an “if” but a certainty.  There is a foreboding in our world that grows day by day.  Even those who question the existence of God have to wonder where it is all headed.

            It’s the “when” of Christ’s return and not the “if.”  Dr. Francis Pieper wrote, “…certain as Christ’s visible return is, the exact time and hour of its occurrence is hidden, as Christ says:  ‘but of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matt. 24:36)  In vain, therefore, do men try to compute the time of His arrival.  They should however, carefully take note of the numerous signs of Christ’s return…which Scripture reveals.”

            Jesus goes on to say:  “Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.” 

            The Albrecht’s in their commentary on Matthew write:  “The whole point of the judgment is that some are saved and others are not.  This theme has been consistently presented throughout Jesus’ teaching ministry.  Although we live in an age that prizes diversity and tolerance, the sad truth is that not all people will be saved.  Some people will go to hell.  God “wants all men to be saved” (1 Tim. 2:4), but the teaching of Jesus makes it clear that God will not get all that he wants.  God’s original purpose in creating hell was not to prepare a place for sinful people.  No, hell was “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41).  Nevertheless, the goats who are on the King’s left will join the devil and his angels in eternal flames..”

            The end of another church year draws us to end of everything of this world.  I want to be ready.  You want to be ready.  God wants us to be ready.  And please remember this – everything that is happening to this world is being directed by the great Triune God.

            God is the One who does the saving.  He makes the separation.  We are His sheep saved by the Good Shepherd.  Christ came to die for us so that we wouldn’t join the devil and his angels.  His resurrection declared us victorious in the blood of the Lamb.  Our Lord descended into hell to make that declarative statement to Satan.  He may win parts of the game, but our Savior always wins the championship.  You know that when you think of your own eternity.  You know that when the casket of a loved one is lowered into the ground.  You know that as you live out your Christian life in this world that mocks a return of Jesus.

            In Old Testament times, God sent Azariah to encourage King Asa.  He told him that if he seeks the Lord, the Lord would be with him.  If he would forsake the Lord the Lord would forsake him.  In that time in history it was written, “In their distress they turned to the Lord…In those days it was not safe to travel, for all the people of the lands were in great turmoil.  One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another…” (2 Chron. 15:3-6a)  Then God revealed this startling insight which has been lost on America and a lot of which calls itself “Christian.”  “God was troubling them with every kind of distress.  But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” (2 Chron. 15:6b-7)

            Isn’t that something?  He does that even today.  Troubles us.  Shakes us.  Wants our attention.  As a nation and as Christians.  But don’t miss the promise – “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

            As Jesus said about God “troubling” this world:  “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Lk. 21:28)  Well, it is.  The Curtain Call.  It’s closer than we think.

                                                                                                                                    Amen. 

November 15, 2020                                                                                   Text:  Matthew 25:14-30

Dear Friends in Christ,

            There are many ways to divide people.  We always hear there are two types of people in the world.  There are those who sleep late and those who get up early.  There are those who are patient at four way stops and those that aren’t.  There are those who enjoy conflict and those that want to get along.  There are those who cheer for the Cubs and those who back the Cardinals.  There are those who prefer air conditioning over a hot shower.  I still don’t get that one!

            Jesus has His own two types of people this morning in our parable.  We have two types of servants – those are that are faithful and those that are not.  It’s Stewardship Sunday and it is a simple question . . .

“WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH YOUR TALENT?”

            This portion of Scripture finds Jesus teaching about the end and He is doing it immediately before His Passion narrative.  Let’s briefly review the parable.  Three servants entrusted with five, two, and one talent.  Gifts received and now what will they do.  The five talent servant steps to the plate and makes five more.  The two talent servant takes his and makes two more.  The one talent servant who has also been gifted takes his and buries it.  Please note that the master was gone for a “long time.” There was time excuse for the behavior of the servants.  The master had been more than fair.  He insisted upon accountability but he showered the faithful with more blessings.

            What do we tend to do with this parable?  Many times we see ourselves in the servants.  Maybe you are sitting upright in the pew or your chair at home and thinking, “Yea, that’s me, the five talent servant.”  Or maybe you don’t want to be quite so bold so you think, “I used my talents pretty well, I am the two talent servant.”  Are there any who think, “Wow, have I wasted my life and talent.  I buried it a long time ago.”

            We will return to those thoughts, but let’s take a different angle. How about Jesus as the good and faithful servant?  All right, good job preacher.  Jesus was obedient to the Father.  Jesus was kind to the outcast and sinner.  Jesus is the faithful servant who fulfilled all of God’s promises.  He fulfilled the prophets of old and He fulfilled His resurrection promise.

            In that resurrection Jesus showed not only His servanthood, but that He was also Master.  He reigns over all things, including death.  His resurrection confirmed all of His promises and we still await the final one, His return on the Last Day. 

            The Master is faithful to us.  He is forgiving and merciful to those who trust Him.  He promises eternal joy to each of us.  He gathers us together to receive His gifts.  God makes us His good and faithful servants.

            We too are waiting for the Master to return.  What are we doing with our talents?  If we take God’s gifts and “bury them in the ground”, we act as if we’ve never been given them at all.  Kretzmann wrote, “There are few excuses so poor and so miserable in sound as those by which professing Christians attempt to evade work in the church.”

            The end of our story has yet been written.  We have been entrusted with the Master’s property.  This is already God’s act of grace that we as His servants are given property to use.  We have been brought into his service through our Baptism. We have received His Word and mission.  Whether 5, 2, or 1 the greatest gift we have been given is faith.

            We are being sent by the master to be “good and faithful” in our vocations.  We are being sent by the master to be “good and faithful” in our use of talents.  We are being sent by the master to be “good and faithful” in our use of financial resources.  His promise still stands as we, with the help of the Holy Spirit, fulfill our Christian commitments.  In faithfulness to the end we will “enter into the joy of your master.” 

            One more thing to take with you today.  The two faithful servants in the parable could have been helpful to the unfaithful servant by encouraging and supporting him.  We don’t see that they did any of that.  I invite you to be light for those in the darkness.  I encourage you to be an encourager to your fellow servants.  Let your faithfulness flow to another in your words and deeds.  They are watching more than you know.

            We have seen the two types of people – the faithful and the unfaithful. The master, the servant, the One intertwined throughout the whole parable is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Jesus is good to us and faithful to His promises.

            The master is coming back soon.  Come quickly, good and faithful Master.  Your servants are ready.

                                    Amen.