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Sermon Date:	November 11, 2007 (Redeemer, Sanford)
Sermon Text:	Luke 20:27-40
Church Calendar:	24th Sunday in Pentecost
Delivered By:	Rev. Brian Roberts

"Children of the Resurrection"

Were you aware of the countdown last night? Yep, there was another one. A Delta 4 rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral last night.

One of the many unique things about living in Central Florida is that countdowns are more meaningful than most other places. Here you can watch the countdown on TV, and then step outside and actually watch the rocket go up.

The sense of anticipation and the knowledge that something spectacular is about to happen generates a lot of excitement and energy in a countdown. I think some of my kids learned to count backwards from 10 before they learned to count up to 10.

We’re all living in a countdown – of sorts – right now. Did you know that? You may not have, and that’s OK. It is not anywhere near as well publicized as a Shuttle launch. But there is a countdown going on, AND it affects you a whole lot more than any Shuttle launch could.

It’s not real obvious, but Jesus is talking about that countdown in the Gospel story, today. You see, Jesus was on the verge of something spectacular. His crucifixion was only days away. And earlier in His ministry He had predicted that after his death, He would rise from the dead three days later. “Destroy this temple [of my body],” Jesus said in John, chapter 2, “and I will raise it again in three days.”

You see, a countdown. Three days after His death – 3, 2, 1, – resurrection.

Now, the countdown we are living in is also a resurrection countdown. It is the countdown to the day that Christ comes back to this earth. And on that day, there will be a world-wide resurrection of the dead. It is what we confess in our creeds: “I believe in the resurrection of the dead.”

St. Paul writes of this fulfillment in 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

In our church, as we get close to Christmas, we celebrate the countdown to Christ’s first coming during the Advent season. But we also, remember that we are currently in a countdown that anticipates Christ’s second coming.

Nobody knows where we are in that countdown. Is it still years away, or is it down to weeks now – or maybe even days? T-minus how long, and counting? It could be close. One thing we do know, every day is a day closer. T-minus one day less now, and counting.

In the Gospel lesson today, some church leaders, called Sadducees, are saying there IS no countdown. There IS no resurrection. They come to Jesus with a question that they think – they hope – will trip Jesus up, and discredit Him. They try to twist Jesus into an awkward or unanswerable position. They develop a situation based on the legal technicalities of the Jewish Levitic law.

They take the Old Testament Scriptures and try to use it as a hammer against its author, Jesus Christ, the Old Testament Word made flesh, standing there in front of them.

If they had any clue, they would have melted into piles of pudding in fear of what they were about to do. Here’s a good rule of thumb: “Don’t try to out-smart the One who created your brain.”

Anyway, the situation they pose to Jesus is almost impossible to imagine. Seven brothers take the same woman as their wife and each one dies before producing a son. In the end, she will have had seven husbands. “And so, Jesus, in this supposed resurrection that you believe in, whose wife will she be?”

But the Sadducees have it all wrong. First, Jesus exposes the limited understanding that they have of life in heaven. “People of this age,” as Jesus puts it, receive from God meaning and fulfillment in marriage and procreation. In heaven, however, believers find meaning and fulfillment in fellowship with Christ, in union with God – of which earthly-marriage is a reflection. So, the marriage relationship, as we know it here on earth, is not needed, nor will we miss it.

In addition, Jesus emphasizes the immortality of those in heaven. In this, "they are like the angels," because "they no longer can die." Basically, Jesus tells the Sadducees that the situation they present, does not apply in heaven. Our primary relationship will be the relationship we have with our loving Lord. "[We] are God's children," Jesus says in verse 36, "since [we] are children of the resurrection."

And there it is: the beating heart of this whole exchange in the Gospel lesson. "We are children of the resurrection." To believe in Christ is to live in Christ - forever.

Even when our body dies, our soul lives on. This is what Jesus meant when He said in the eleventh chapter of John, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die."

And this is the same response that Jesus gives the Sadducees, only He takes them back to Moses and the burning bush. He says that God is the God of the LIVING Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, even though their bodies died hundreds of years before. God is not the God of dead bones. He is the God of the living.

And someday, when the Lord returns, our bodies will be resurrected. And our living soul, and our living body will be reunited - never to be separated, or die, again.

But, you know, one of the more difficult things for us Christians to do - living in such a materialistic and self-centered world, is to remember that we are "Children of the resurrection," that we are living in a countdown for Christ's return.

Oh, in a vague sort of way, we sort of know it. We, sort of, remember it. We think about it from time to time.

We hear it in church. "Our destiny is not of this world." "Don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself." (Matthew 6:34) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6)

"…be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5) "…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." (Philippians 4:8) Yeah, whatever.

It's not that we don't believe it. It's just that, so often, we don't get it. It's like what happened to one of my children a few years back.

We had just moved here from New Jersey, and the kids were very young. Well, one evening the Space Shuttle was due to return to earth. So, I stepped outside to listen to that double sonic boom we are now so familiar with. One of my little ones wanted to come outside, too. Well, if you are a parent, you know how little children react to unexpected, loud noises.

So, I explained that there was going to be two loud BOOMS. "Okay, Daddy," my little 4 year old said - seeming to understand what I was saying. Well, moments later, when the twin sonic booms hit, this child jumped straight into the air, spun around and ran straight back to the house.

After I follow him in, I said, "I told you, you were going to hear a loud noise." "I know," he responded, with eyes still very wide. "Well, what happened?" I asked. And in a response that is completely sufficient for a child, he said, "I don't know." It was obvious that he had been hearing my warnings, but not getting what I was saying.

How often does that happen in our lives? We hear what Scripture has to say. We listen to what Jesus tells us in His Word. But, we just don't get how it can change our lives.

When troubles or struggles hit, we still jump up with fear and worry over what's going to happen to us. When our job situation changes, or our financial situation changes, we still jump up and run off with anxiety and discontentment about what's going on. When life is hard, or tiring, or painful, or unhappy, we still jump up with distrust about God's love or care for us.

But this is exactly why Jesus is talking to us about resurrection, today. He knows about the stresses, and worries, and fears that each of you have brought with you, today. He wants you to know that resurrection means new life. It is restored life. It is a fresh, new start.

And this fresh, new start comes as a result of what LED to Christ's resurrection - His death on the cross. Christ's suffering and death on the cross, forgives our inability to live the right way. It erases our inevitable reactions of distrust, or fear, or worry.

Christ's death on the cross fills our lives with a never-ending supply of forgiveness. And it drains our lives of every sin and guilt. Concerning our sinful nature, St. Paul says in Colossians 3:3 "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

Sure, we still sin continuously throughout the day. But our lives are now hidden with Christ. That means we are also forgiven continuously through out the day. Our sinful natures are hidden, covered up with Christ. God sees none of it.

And in this way, every moment of our lives is a fresh, new start. Our sin immediately dies with Christ, and is buried with Christ. And our lives are immediately resurrected and renewed in Christ. We are indeed, as Jesus says, "Children of the resurrection." And this is no small thing. Jesus said in John 10, "I have come that [you] may have life, and have it abundantly."

As resurrection children we are tied into the power of Christ. We have His love to power us through our days. We have His mercy to power us through our troubles. We have His promises to power us through fears.

We have His presence in His Word, in Baptism, and His Supper to power us through our worries and frustrations. And above all, we have Christ’s Life to power us through our bodily death and into our bodily resurrection.

We are – as we live and breathe, right now – “Children of the resurrection.” This is unbelievable power for abundant living. It is the absolute purpose for our lives. So where do we go from here?

We go into the rest of today; we go into tomorrow; we go into our jobs, into our schools, into our families; we go into our fears and troubles with the absolute assurance that: “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

As members of Redeemer and St. Luke’s partnered together, we are “Children of the resurrection” empowered by Christ’s resurrected life to meet our neighbors, whether at home, or work, or school, or the community around our church.

We are “Children of the resurrection” empowered by Christ’s resurrected life to be His love, and His mercy, and His message to a dark and dying world, to troubled hearts and empty lives. We are called to invite and welcome others into this worship, where Christ’s resurrection and life are delivered through His Word – delivered to you and I once again, and to someone else, perhaps, for the first time.

We are “Children of the resurrection” empowered by Christ’s resurrected life to work together in this church while the countdown continues. And there is work to be done.

This is an exciting time and place for Redeemer. We can use your help in our rapidly growing Sunday school just to name one.

So, people of God – “Children of the resurrection” – can you feel it? The life and energy of Christ coursing through you and this congregation, lately? It’s there, God’s Word says so.

How blessed we are, to be here today!

Amen.

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