Are you Ready For This?

C – 3^rd Sunday in Advent : 17 DECEMBER 2006

Zephaniah 3: 14 – 20; Isaiah 12: 2 – 6

Philippians 4: 4 – 7 ** LUKE 3: 7 – 18 **

Are You Ready for This?

A Sermon by John C. Bush, Interim Pastor

First Presbyterian Church

Birmingham, Alabama

Good advice is hard to come by. Whether you are seeking to weather this volatile employment climate, looking for ways to enhance your love life, pondering a career decision or trying to resolve some interpersonal conflict with spouse, child or parent – good advice is hard to come by. I suspect a lot of people are still missing Ann Landers and Dear Abby, those advice mavens who provided daily reading for millions of people for decades.

John the Baptizer was preaching beside the Jordan River and people were coming from everywhere to hear what he had to say and to receive his baptism of repentance. They began to ask him for specific advice on how their lives should be different as a result of their baptism, in light of his teaching. And John responded by talking with them about the practical stewardship of how they lived their lives every day, of how to use all the resources of life and labor God had entrusted to their care: the common, ordinary ethics of business, commerce, relationships and virtue. He got right down to the issues they faced every day, which is where our true stewardship is reflected -- as an active part of the person we really are. It’s in those ordinary things that our understanding of and commitment to stewardship gets lived out: how we choose to spend our time, and where we choose to put our energy and money.

I am often amazed that some people expect that everything controversial must be avoided in church. The attitude seems to be that “if you are not confirming what I already believe and think, you have no business talking about it in church.” Money is one of those things – but only one. And I must say, I’ve not encountered that attitude in this congregation. The way I see it, if I don’t occasionally challenge what you already think, I’m not doing my job. Personally, I wouldn’t want to be part of a church where only one viewpoint was permitted, nothing unexpected ever happened, everybody toed the party line, and entrenched ideas were never challenged. That is something I value most about being Presbyterian: you are not expected to check your brain at the door as you enter the church. We are encouraged to ask our questions and share our doubts in the process of confessing our faith. Which means controversy sometimes happens.

This odd fellow, John, waded right in – hip deep in controversy. You want to know what you should do – what your baptism means in the specific, concrete circumstances of life as you live it? Are you ready for this? Here it is: Those who have enough clothes, give part of your wardrobe away to people who don’t. If you have enough food to eat, share some with those who don’t. Corrupt political hacks with your patronage jobs – in this case, collecting taxes for the Roman oppressor – stop ripping people off; be honest in your business dealings. Police officers – called “soldiers” here, but they were the “homeland security” people – stop abusing those you are supposed to be protecting; stop harassing people on phony charges.

Let’s be honest about it. For the most part, how we should treat one another just is not all that obscure. It may not always be simple; sometimes it can become controversial, but rarely is it something we don’t understand. I think it was Mark Twain who observed, “My problem with the Bible is not the parts I don’t understand; my problem is that I understand it all too well.” Sometime we just need a little reminder to prod us into doing what we already know is right.

An abusive person asks, “What shall I do?” Don’t take your anger and frustration out on others by beating up on the spouse or kids. The abused spouse asks, “What shall I do?” Ask for help, and find the courage to hold abusers accountable for their misdeeds so the pain can stop. The addicted person – whether it be to alcohol, to drugs, to sex, food, gambling, or whatever – asks “What shall I do?” Admit there is a problem, find others to share it with, and ask for help.

John didn’t tell the civil servants or soldiers to quit their jobs. The emphasis is not on removing yourself from situations that might tempt you. The emphasis is on stewardship of what is in our hands, under your control -- on taking the practice of your faith out into the market place of daily interaction. And taking it there, not as a club to use against those who differ or as a badge to impress people with how “religious” you are – but to take it with you as a natural part of doing your job, doing it well, being honest in the doing of it, and respecting others in the process.

Now, that is the stewardship of life, taken whole. It may not be all there is to it, but it certainly is a good place to start. John’s theological common sense recognizes that “actions speak louder than words” and that how we live our lives – how we relate to one another – how we use all the resources God has put at our disposal -- is a strong indicator of the vitality of our faith.

And this is good news. Amazing, isn’t it? John’s warnings and promises could easily be heard as terrible threats. But notice how Luke ends this part of the story: he tells us that with these exhortations John “preached good news to them.” The good news is that, by the grace of God, change – call it repentance if you wish; or call it salvation – change, renewal is possible for us. Altered lives are realities, not just hopes and wishes.

The question is, are you ready for it? If you are new to the Christian faith and wonder if you can ever get your mind, your life, wrapped around all the mystery and doctrine, try starting here. However complex and difficult your life may seem; however far from the ideal Christ represents you may be, renewal is possible. It can happen. Are you ready for it? That is the good news John the Baptizer had for his hearers. Are you ready for it?

But you can’t keep it to yourself. You have to share it. You have to give it away, because it doesn’t belong to you alone: it is God’s grace, given to you for the benefit of others. You and I are simply stewards of what God has given us, and our task is to pass it on.

Are you ready for this?

NOW GLORY, WISDOM,

HONOR AND THANKSGIVING

BE TO OUR GOD

AND TO GOD’S NAME BE PRAISE

FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.