Proper 28 Year A 11/19/2023
Zephaniah 1:7,12-18; Psalm 90:1-12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30
Rev. Mark A. Lafler
Today is our last reading in 1 Thessalonians.
Next week is Christ the King Sunday…
And then we are into Advent.
The theme of the second coming of our Lord Jesus continues in our reading today.
And St. Paul is continuing his comforting and encouraging words on the return of Jesus.
The church in Thessalonica was confused and perhaps bewildered thinking that the coming of Jesus had already happened.
That somehow the had missed it.
Paul is saying, “No, no, you didn’t miss it. How could you miss it? It will be a surprise when it happens, but it hasn’t happened yet.”
And then he focuses on being ready for when it does happen.
St. Paul writes:
But you, beloved, are not in darkness,
for that day to surprise you like a thief;
for you are all children of light and children of the day;
we are not of the night or of darkness (5:4-5).
Although we do not know when he will come…
It could be today, tomorrow…
It could be way after our lifetime…
But we should be ready…
And we should be looking forward to that day.
Not anxious…
We look forward to the day of the coming of Jesus…
To that day when he sets the world at rights…
When the universe if fully redeemed…
When we will be with him for eternity…
and see Jesus, face to face.
But St. Paul also gives a warning…
Or more of a motivation… as if he was saying,
“since He’s coming… and we know He’s coming… be ready.”
St. Paul writes:
So then let us not fall asleep as others do,
but let us keep awake and be sober (5:6)
So we are to be ready when he comes…
Not aloof…
Not asleep in the things of this world…
But awake to the things of God.
Alert to what God is doing in this world.
We should be ready.
And then St. Paul finishes our reading with these words:
For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who died for us,
so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.
This is great news…
That in the final judgment we are not destined for wrath…
But because of the salvation that is in Jesus…
In the death of Jesus on the cross…
Whether we are alive at that second coming or
Whether we are dead in Christ and become awakened to life once again…
We will be with our Lord Jesus forever.
The second coming for those that believe is our hope.
We await that moment.
And then Paul writes:
Therefore encourage one another and build up each other,
as indeed you are doing (5:9-11).
We are to strengthen each other…
build each other up.
Being ready for the coming of Jesus is about encouraging each other and building each other up in the faith, love, and hope of our Lord.
Now, obviously, to be ready one must get ready.
And being ready begins with what we do.
Being good stewards of what we have.
Being good stewards of our time, talent, and treasure.
Being good stewards of the gifts God has given us.
Good stewards of our time.
Good stewards of our finances.
Good stewards of our abilities.
Being good stewards of the resources, that God has given us.
And as we look at what God has given us…
not so much personally but as a Church…
he has given us something very special…
Our church… St. Edward’s.
This is our home.
This is our church.
And there is a BIG difference between being a host (here at St. Edward’s) and being a guest.
If you are having people over to your house for a visit…
or for dinner in the evening.
There are a few expectations the guests have, right?
One of those expectations is that you are present…
The host is there…
the host is there early ready to welcome the guests inside.
The host Prepares for the guest…
Making the dinner…
fixing whatever needed to be fixed…
cleaning whatever needed to be cleaned.
The host prepares to have the home ready to welcome the guest.
The host wants the guests to feel welcome…
to feel at home.
But if we have a guest mentality…
Which many Christians do today when it comes to church…
We arrive just in time (or a little late)… and we leave early.
We get what we want out of church…
We get whatever we think our needs are.
We move on until the next Sunday…
And do the same Sunday after Sunday after Sunday…
And that is a consumption mentality…
a guest mentality…
and not a host mentality.
A host is different.
A guest parks in the closest available parking spot regardless of whether you need to or not.
A host saves the best parking for the guest.
A guest has an expectation that someone else will pick up the trash or clean a table…
Whereas a host puts that trash in the garbage and cleans the table.
A host invites people…
A host talks with the guests…
A host talks with new people every Sunday creating a warm and friendly environment.
A guest mentality expects things to be done…
by someone else.
A host sees something that needs to be fixed…
and finds a way to get it fixed.
A guest says, “You need to have this done.”
A host says, “We are going to get this done.”
And that is being good stewards of what Christ has given us…
We have a special gift here at St. Edward’s… we really do.
We have a beautiful church…
Filled with beautiful people…
With beautiful gardens…
in a beautiful town…
And if you are a member of this church…
You are a host.
Which means we give to the general needs of the church…
Our parish family…
We donate our time and efforts and finances to the needs of the church…
The more we can have a host mentality…
The more we will be ready to welcome God in this place.
The less we have of a guest mentality…
The less we will be just consumers.
We can become ready for Jesus by Serving…
Engaging…
Giving…
Praying…
Loving.
Because this is what it means to be ready for the return of Christ.
It’s not about just being a Christian by faith.
It’s also about being a Christian by action too.
Participating in Bible studies…
Giving of your time in outreaches…
Encouraging each other…
even the people in the pew across from you who drive you absolutely nuts…
I mean really, we can learn to love them too.
We want our guests to feel at home in our house…
Not, as the saying goes,
“Some folks make you feel at home.
Others make you wish you were at home.”
This is exactly why St. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians:
“…encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.”
We build each other by words…
And we build each other by actions.
Famous writer William Arthur Ward wrote:
Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, and I will not forget you.
Today… let us be an encouragement to someone.
This week…
I challenge you to Encourage two types of people.
First, encourage someone in our parish family.
Do something nice for them.
Say something nice to them.
Call someone you haven’t seen in a while.
Talk to someone at church you haven’t met yet.
Perhaps stay awhile in coffee hour and find someone you don’t know and say these words,
“Hello… my name is Mark… what’s your name?”
Use your own name though.
I know this involves speaking… that’s okay… you can do it.
Secondly, encourage someone who doesn’t go to our church.
Do something for them…
Speak encouragement into their life…
Compliment them…
Ask them if you can pray for them.
Perhaps even invite them to church or to the Luau coming up on the 28th.
Don’t just be a guest here…
Don’t just be a consumer…
But be a host.
Be a good steward of what God has given us.
And by doing so…
We will be getting ready for the return of the King.
Come, Lord Jesus, Come…
We are getting ready for you.
Amen.