November 20, 2005

End Time 4 (Christ the King)

Is this life on earth all that there is?  Is this it?  In the ‘60’s, Peggy Lee sang a song that for some reason, became very popular. “Is that all there is? Is that all there is? If that’s all there is, my friend, Then let’s keep dancing. Let’s break out the booze and have a ball, If that’s all there is.” Now there’s an encouraging song! L  Picks you right up, doesn’t it?

But you know what?  If there is no resurrection from the dead, if this is all there is, then that song makes all the sense in the world!  What’s the point of even attempting to live the Christian life, if this is all there is?  Before our passage today in 1 Corinthians, there is a verse that says:  “For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.  And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”

Friends, ask yourself these questions:  “Do I live as though this is all there is?” “What are the most important things to me?” “What are the essentials?  What are the things I would not give up if a gun were put to my head?  Are those the things I give priority; or do I focus my life on what is passing away?  “Do I treat my fellow Christians as though I’m going to spend eternity with them?”  “Do I feel an urgency to tell others about Christ, because I know that there is a resurrection, and that if they reject Christ they will spend eternity in torment?” “Does my faith consist of a relationship with Christ, or in structures, programs, rituals, and rules...as though this is all there is?”  …Well, this isn’t all there is…

Today I want to assure you that there IS more to life!  Our reading from 1 Corinthians began: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.”  Our Redeemer lives!  Because He lives, we too shall live!  There is more to life than what we can see here!  It changes the way that we live!  We are subjects of the risen King!  The King of kings!

There is a wonderful story out of the 16th century about Bishop Hugh Latimer. One Sunday morning he entered his pulpit and looked out to see King Henry VIII in the congregation. He knew that what he had to say that day would not go well with King Henry. He thought for a moment and then said to himself, but out loud for all to hear, “Latimer, be careful what you say today; King Henry is here.” He thought for a moment longer and again said to himself, but aloud so others could hear, “Latimer, be careful what you say today; the King of kings is here.”

Today, friends, the King of kings is here and we have come together to celebrate his presence, power, majesty and glory. Jesus Christ is truly the King of kings, the Lord of lords, who will reign forever. And Christ our King is here with us today. Can you feel his presence when you enter this place of worship, when you pray, or lift your voice in song? Can you feel the presence of the King?  He is here.  He is sitting there beside you.  He is standing here beside me. I know He is here because He promised, “Lo, I am with you always.” (Mt.28:20) “When two or three are gathered in my name, there am I with you.” (Mt.18:20).

The King of kings is here with us today! He is not way out there somewhere in space ruling from a distant throne. He is not a God who is remote and removed from his people. He is God with us here and now. He is a God who loves and protects us.  He is the great “Shepherd King.”

We have a beautiful presentation of the Shepherd King in Ezekiel, chapter 34. The people of Israel had been led astray by poor shepherding.  Leaders who allowed them to stray or even led them away from God.  It brought them days of clouds and darkness.  Spiritually, they had no hope.  No direction.  Nothing to look forward to.

Aren’t there many days today that would be fittingly described as “days of clouds and darkness” for you?  Does your own sinfulness bring such a feeling to you?  How about the evils of society projected into our homes through the wonders of technology?  Does the uncertainty of the future bring you dark, cloudy days?  Do you ever wonder if this is all there is?  How about hardships, personal tragedies, or loss of loved ones?  Ever had an overwhelming challenge you couldn’t meet on your own?  Ever felt loneliness?  That’s a huge epidemic today.  Or is there a grievous sin in your past?  Do any of these things bring clouds and darkness?

They did for the children of Israel.  And they do for us now.  That’s why God, who loves us so much, wants to be our Shepherd King.  He says: “As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when He is with them, so I will look after my sheep.  I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.”  Our Shepherd, who is also a King, just like his ancestor David, is Jesus!  And He has certainly removed the darkness for us!

He is a different kind of shepherd.  A different kind of King.  Centuries ago, Martin of Tours sat in his prison cell. There was a knock at the door. A mysterious figure stood before him. Martin didn’t recognize him, so he asked, “Tell me, who are you?” The man answered, “I am your Saviour.” Martin wasn’t convinced, so he asked: “Then where are the prints of the nails?” The mysterious visitor vanished.  There can be no Saviour without the prints of the nails!

You heard what happened to our King in the Gospel lesson today.  Mocked as a king.  Tortured.  Stripped of his clothes.  Led away to be crucified like a common criminal.  Nails pounded through his hands.  Not the ordinary treatment of kings.  But without this, He would not be our king.  It was this, what He went through, that made Jesus our King. He went through this for us!  To shepherd us the way we really needed!  To defeat our foes.  To erase sin.  To remove the clouds of darkness.  Our King, our real King, went to battle on that cross!  In his death, He won!  He gave us life!  And He showed the reality of the victory with his resurrection!  Our King is victorious!  And so are we!  There is more to life than what we can see!

The Shepherd in our text continues by saying: “I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.”  The people of God in that day lived in foreign land.  That wasn’t their real home.  One day their king would bring them to their own land - home.  The land we live in now, my friends, is foreign land.  This life, as comfortable as it is or isn’t, is NOT our home!  This life is NOT all there is!  This is NOT our home!  Life’s Too Short to Be All There Is!  Our real home is with our King in heaven!  And his victory over sin, death, and the devil, with his life and death and resurrection guarantees our home in heaven!  That is why He is the King of Kings! 

So rejoice!  The King is with us; we cannot be defeated. The King is with us; we cannot be overcome. The King is with us; we cannot be lost. Wherever we go, regardless of the hardships of the journey, as followers of the King we go with joy. A seminary professor was teaching a class of preachers. He was telling them how important it is for one’s facial expression to be consistent with the substance of the message. He said, “When you are speaking of heaven, let your face light up. Let your face radiate a heavenly gleam. Let your eyes shine with reflected glory.  Of course, when you are speaking about hell your ordinary face will do.”

My friends, the ordinary face will not do for Christians!  Let our faces reflect the glory of the kingdom of God and the joy it brings!  The victory has been won! We have been saved! Our sins are forgiven! We look to the future with hope and promise. This life isn’t all there is!  Let’s reflect that in our lives and worship!  Do you think we should come to worship, pray, sing hymns and hear the saving Word of God with a look on our faces as if our nearest and dearest died yesterday?  No! Let’s lighten up! Christ is the Victor! We celebrate with our King as members of his royal family. We don’t grieve as if we have been banished from his kingdom.  Let there be joy in our hearts! Our King is with us!

In 1975, author Teresa Bloomingdale and her family went into the cellar for protection against an approaching tornado. The tornado came through and literally blew their house away leaving nothing but the cellar. Fortunately, no one was injured. When Teresa looked at the scene of devastation she didn’t grieve and cry about the terrible loss. Instead, she viewed the twisted rubble for a moment and observed, “We were planning to move in a few weeks, now I don’t have to pack all those things.” She found the strength for joy even in a tragic moment.

You know why?  Because she realized that this life isn’t all there is.  Life’s too short to be all there is.  That depressing thought doesn’t have to be anywhere near us because of the Shepherd King we have.  The One who will be coming again for us.  To lead us safely to our real home.  Where we can have all the comfort, care, and protection we would ever need.  Where we will be forever in the presence of God.  That is what life is all about.  Not what we have here.

A little girl lived near a cemetery, and often had to walk through it after dark. When someone asked her, “Aren’t you ever afraid?” she answered, “Oh, no! My home is just on the other side.”  Where are YOU going?  Do YOU live as though this life is all there is?  Are you going to continue living that way?  Do YOU have hope for journey’s end?  As you pass through the dark shadows of this life, are YOU afraid?  Or do you walk with a confidence that ‘home’ is just the other side?  …Jesus, our King, has given you every reason to!

Jesus became our King by giving his life for us.  And our King is going to bring us home.  You can count on that!  Remember the hymn we sang about the Shepherd King? “The King of Love my Shepherd is whose goodness faileth never. I nothing lack if I am his and he is mine forever.” Our King is not a distant king.  He is a king here with us today; and we lack nothing if we are his and he is ours forever.  Life’s Too Short NOT to have Jesus as our King!  Amen.

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