Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church
The M3 - Monday Morning Mail
Wait for ... Him!
Today's sermon was based on 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10: "... and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." I showed a little boy walking away pulling a red wagon, while telling the story of my personal childhood when I ran away from home. While the leaving the house, my visiitng uncle said to me, "Leave you bag. You came into this world with nothing and everything you have belongs to your parents." That made me even more mad. So, I quickly made my way to the garage, grabbed my wagon's handle and headed down the streat. I was furious. As I cooled down, I began to think about everything I would need but didn't have. Eventually, I turned around–I repented.
The next image was that of a boy pulling a wagon towards large boats, popular parties, things we may covet. Following this image I displayed a diagram of repentance, a swooshing arrow returning back from which it came. I note that the word metanoia, Greek for repentance, means after/change mind. I like the idea of aftermind. It is the thinking that happens when we cool down, come to our senses, think soundly about things–after we sin. Repentance is God's gift to us, the Holy Spirit working contrition and faith into our hearts (Ac 5:31).
We repent, and then we wait. This is a two-fold vocational calling for us as Christians who are waiting for Jesus to return. I displayed an image of Forrest Gump sitting on the park bench. In this famous movie from 1994 Forrest waits for the love of his life, Jenny, whom he finds early in life but only is fufilled after Jenny and Forrest live separate lives. Forrest waits because he knows the love he and Jenny have. She will return. Eventually, she does. Waiting as Christians, though, does not mean doing nothing. We have plenty of work to do in the Kingdom of God now, but we eagerly yearn for Jesus to come and save his creation! It's like waiting for a parent to come home from work to start your birthday party. We wait for Jesus because he will reconstitute the cursed creation into its original glory. Repent and wait. It's our calling now!