75 Years Closer to the Day ! Matt24 :15 To 28

The Third Last Sunday in The Church Year (Trinity 25) 8-November-26

Sermon Text: Matthew 24:15-28

Sermon Theme: 75 Years Closer To THE DAY! I. Jesus Bids Us: Flee! (Vs.15-19) II. Jesus Bids Us: Pray! (Vs.20-22) III. Jesus Bids Us: Beware! (Vs.24-28) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. Job 14:1 "Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble.” For my first twenty-three years of serving as a Lutheran pastor, these words from Job began the funeral procession. I read these words out of our Lutheran agenda, leading the casket, pall bearers, and the mourning family. Their loved one had fallen asleep in Christ. They faced the reality of death first confessed by a suffering diseased and dying man. Job 14:2 He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue.”

Seventy-five years ago, when our Lord Jesus formed our congregation and the Holy Spirit called Pastor Allwardt to serve Emmanuel - the same words were spoken. We gather in this sanctuary to rejoice at every infant baptized, every marriage blessed, every sinner forgiven. We also gather in this sanctuary to weep with those who weep grieving the death of their loved ones. We weep - not as the world weeps - we weep with hope. 1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

The last Sundays in the Church year deal with “eschatology.” Eschatology is the study of last things. The reality that it is appointed unto man to die once and after that the judgment. The reality that we are created body and soul creatures of God. We don’t become angels or spirit beings when we die. Immediately the soul of a Christian escorted by angels to be with Jesus in paradise upon death. Their body is planted in the earth in the sure and certain hope of its resurrection on the Last Day and reunion with its soul. The body is sown in corruption it will be raised in incorruption. It is sown in weakness and will be raised in power. It is sown a natural body and will be raised a spiritual body to live in the very presence of the only True God, the Triune God, in heavens and earth renewed in righteousness and purged of sin, evil, the devil and all their effects.

History began with creation, as we confess in the Creeds. It was corrupted by man’s sin and redeemed through the flesh and blood of the eternal Son of God becoming Man in the womb of the Virgin Mary. His one Sacrifice upon Calvary reconcile us to our God and our Father. God the Holy Spirit still breathes new life into our dying bodies and creation through the Gospel bringing and keeping us in the one true faith in Jesus within His Church. Daily He comforts us believing sinners with forgiveness in Christ’s Church. He will bring history to its crescendo fully completing our baptism in the resurrection of these bodies and the life of the world to come. Jesus lives! The victory’s won! Rev 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”

Rejoice for today we are: 75 Years Closer To THE DAY! I. Jesus Bids Us: Flee! (Vs.15-19) II. Jesus Bids Us: Pray! (Vs.20-22) III. Jesus Bids Us: Beware! (Vs.24-28)

I. It was Tuesday of Holy Week the sun was setting on Jerusalem. Jesus had finished preaching and teaching in the Temple. He would enter it no more. Their day of grace was setting. The disciples sat with Jesus on the Mount of Olives seeing the beautiful Temple in the evening sun. They rejoiced in its beauty and its great stones. Mat 24:2-3 And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." (3) Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

Jesus instructs His Church on the signs they will see when Jerusalem and its Temple will be doomed to destruction. In Jerusalem’s destruction we hear a echo of life in these Last Days. (Vs15-19) Jesus instructs His apostles of the signs announcing the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. The Abomination of Desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel. Many reformed and Baptist preachers, attempting to interpret the Holy Bible through the daily newspapers, are certain they know the day Jesus is returning. They clamor that the Dome of the Rock needs to be replaced by a third Temple in Jerusalem - then Jesus will return and set up His kingdom in Jerusalem. They are wrong. The Holy Christian Church rightly confesses: Our churches also condemn those who are spreading certain Jewish opinions, that before the resurrection of the dead the godly shall take possession of the kingdom of the world, the ungodly being everywhere suppressed. https://bookofconcord.cph.org/en/augsburg-confession/chief_articles/article_xvii

The Jewish historian Josephus records the history of the fall of Jerusalem. The abomination of desolation was stood up in the holy place by the Jews themselves. They fought among themselves. The party of the zealots fought against the Jewish council. They promised liberty. Meanwhile Rome was invading and conquering all the out lying cities. Thugs robbed the rich openly in the streets to bring equity to society. The zealots attacked then retreated in the Temple fortress. They called the Idumeans to free them. 20,000 of their soldiers came slaughtering 8,500 Jews on the Temple mount in one day. The zealots appointed their own high priests to do their will. The nation destroyed itself long before the Romans under Vespasian laid siege to Jerusalem during the Passover.

The Christians were not in Jerusalem. Seeing the abomination of human blood poured out in the Temple and the refusal to bury the bodies. They heeded Jesus’ Word to flee! While they unrepentant Jews would starve, some cannibalizing their own children, the Church was safe in the city of Pella. The final time came. They did not return home to gather any belongings - instead they left trusting God the Father’s good and gracious will - knowing that the body of Christ would care for them as refugees.

“1 The world is very evil, The times are waxing late: Be sober and keep vigil, The Judge is at the gate: The Judge that comes in mercy, The Judge that comes with might, To terminate the evil, To diadem the right. Bernard of Cluny, wrote this hymn in the 12th century. Over a millennia later our world has only decayed morally. We rejoice to murder our babies in the womb as a right. We slaughter the mentally ill and elderly as health care. We butcher bodies to treat psychosis. We fight war upon war calling it peace. We fear, love, and trust in politics as our saviors. Where are we to flee? Bernard preaches through his hymn, 2 Arise, arise, good Christian, Let right to wrong succeed; Let penitential sorrow To heav'nly gladness lead, To light that hath no evening, That knows no moon nor sun, The light so new and golden, The light that is but one. ‘

We flee from the world. In this world we are not of this world. We are born from above. We renounce its values. Instead our minds and hearts are transformed by the renewing Word of God. We confess the Truth - calling all men to repentance Now in the day of grace. The sun is setting - the night comes when no man can work. While it is day repent! Flee from the world - to the Pella of the Holy Christian Church. Flee from the scoffers into the Ark of the Holy Christian Church - the local congregation. The Day nears!

II. The End Times of all history began with Jesus’ ascension and enthronement at the Father’s right hand. Now Jesus rules over all things. He fills all creation as True God and True Man. He is “God with us!” - Emmanuel. We live in the Day of His grace - the perfect time - 10X10X10 - the 1000 year time as the Gospel has gone forth from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth - to Tell City.

How are we to live? In Holy Spirit Gospel given and sustained faith in Jesus within His Church towards God our Father. In Holy Spirit Gospel given sustained Fatherly love flowing through His Son through us to the dying world around us - as we serve even our enemy. How? (Vs.20-22) The Church in the days of Jerusalem’s destruction and the Church in our day is bid by Jesus to do the same - “PRAY!” Pray to God the Father to hallow His Name, let His Kingdom Come, defeat the plans and purposes of the devil, world, and our own sinful flesh that His good and gracious will be done - that He keeps us in His Word and the Faith until we die.

Great tribulation came upon Jerusalem. They starved. We pray, “Father give us day by day our daily bread!” We pray to be forgiven and to be freed to forgive those who sin against us. We pray to stand against the temptation to despair or forsake God’s Word hurled at us by the devil, the world , and our failing fleshly reason. We pray, “Father, deliver us from the Evil One!” Shorten the days! You have elected us in Christ from the foundation of the world. You have put your Holy Name upon us at the Font - You have breathed us alive by the Holy Spirit as we cry, “Abba, Father!” “Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!”

III. The zealots in Judea were certain they could bring the kingdom of the Messiah by force of arms. They’d throw off Roman oppression and build a heaven on earth. The communists promised a workers utopia - only to slaughter over 100 million people by the end of the 20th century. Nations rise and nations fall - but the Kingdom of our God lasts forever. The Soviet union fell - the Church remained. Communist China seeks to control the thoughts of its citizens - but the Christian Church grows under persecution - the Word of God cannot be stopped. Christ’s Kingdom advances forcefully in this world, not by sight - by faith alone!

Jesus bids us “Beware!’ (Vs.23-24) False christs and false prophets will arise! Jesus warns. The devil will back up their lies with great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible. A myriad of false prophets have risen. St. John contended with Cerinthius, a false gnostic preacher who twisted salvation as escape from this flesh into the spirit world. Mohammed the false prophet claimed he replaced Jesus. The anabaptist called Jesus a liar claiming infant baptism was nothing - man’s decision was all that counted. Joseph Smith and his Mormons, Charles Taze Russel and the Jehovah Witnesses - peddle a false Christ. Rome peddling the Virgin Mary and saints as your intercessors peddle a false Christ. Many mega churches peddle a false christ popular with the world to gather mobs, but not the true Christ Jesus of the Holy Bible.

Beware! (Vs.25-28) How can you tell? Use your Small Catechism - if the Christ Jesus they confess isn’t: I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. Who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. “ They peddle a false Christ and are false prophets - do not listen to them! Jesus is present in His Word - the Holy Bible. He is at work in holy baptism, holy absolution, preaching, and His Supper. He is found in His Church - local congregation with a called and ordained pastor - not in a coffee club.

His coming will be in a blind of an eye! Then we will see Him in glory. Now the rotting corpse of a dying world is surrounded by spiritual vultures. Soon Jesus returns.

Arriving at the altar, the casket placed, the mourners in their seat - the pastor turned to confess: Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”Then facing the crucifix the congregation of hopeful mourners hear Jesus’ words of life spoken over our lifeless bodies, “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” Amen.