Is It About Sin?, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture:  2nd Peter 3:8-15a

3:8  But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.
3:9  The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.
3:10  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.
3:11  Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness,
3:12  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire?
3:13  But, in accordance with His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
3:14  Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by Him at peace, without spot or blemish;
3:15a  and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him. 

          Recently, Pope Benedict, in his address to U.S. Catholic Bishops, reflected on the concerns they voiced to him in private discussions about the "growth of intolerant secularism in the USA."  Pope Benedict said he sees the attempts to the silence the voice of the Church as one sign, among others, of the breakdown of western society.

          "Many of you have shared with me," he said, "your concern about the grave challenges to a consistent Christian witness presented by an increasingly secularized society. I consider it significant, however, that there is also an increased sense of concern on the part of many men and women, whatever their religious or political views, for the future of our democratic societies. They see a troubling breakdown in the intellectual, cultural and moral foundations of social life, and a growing sense of dislocation and insecurity, especially among the young, in the face of wide-ranging societal changes.

          "Despite attempts to still the Church’s voice in the public square, many people of good will continue to look to her for wisdom, insight and sound guidance in meeting this far-reaching crisis. The present moment can thus be seen, in positive terms, as a summons to exercise the prophetic dimension of your episcopal ministry by speaking out, humbly yet insistently, in defense of moral truth, and offering a word of hope, capable of opening hearts and minds to the truth that sets us free."

          Is the head of the Catholic church correct?  You know that he is.

           If  as Peter writes, "all these things are to be dissolved in this way," then does it make any difference "what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness"?  I'll bet you know it does, even amidst the societal disarray around us.

          Is our society really facing a breakdown?  There should be no doubt in anyone's mind.  Mental, physical, economic, ethical, moral, on all fronts, the barriers to the barbarians are coming down.  Sexual promiscuity, crime, and even the efforts to excuse sexual promiscuity and crime, are at an all-time high.  This nation has become an open hunting ground for those who deal in drugs, violence, and human slavery.  People who never gave a thought to owning a weapon to protect themselves are now taking classes to qualify for not just the purchase of a weapon, but for a concealed carry permit.  Among those opting for personal protection, the popular saying is "When seconds count, the police are only minutes away."

          What can be at the base of such widespread societal disarray that decent people feel they must take steps to be responsible for their own safety?

          We are living now in very desperate economic times, and in such times burglary, theft, and violence run rampant.  Those who consider themselves among the "have nots" take it upon themselves to force the sharing of scarce resources.

          All of those, of course, are well-known to all, but we have not mentioned  -- and the Pope did not mention in his speech -- what it is that is at the genus of all this "forced sharing", this lust, desire, this abuse.  It's called "sin."  Simple as that.

          Oh, there are many philosophical arguments and terms that might be applied here to assuage the guilt and excuse the perpetrators, but at the base of it all, is sin, and the natural sin nature of mankind.

          It's very much like the great cathedral of a church that had invited a popular old preacher to speak to the congregation that morning.  Little was known of him to the selection committee except that wherever he spoke, he drew thousands to Christ.

          On that Sunday morning, as the elderly preacher arrived, one senior Elder greeted him and, somewhat nervously, asked what the guest speaker would preach on.

          "Sin," replied the preacher.

          "And what, sir, will you say about it?" asked the Elder.

          "I'm ag'in it!" said the preacher and marched to the pulpit.

          It really is that simple.  And yet we would complicate the matter of sin with justifications, excuses, and sentimental feelings, none of which, according to holy scripture, a holy God recognizes.

          What is sin?  Really, have we considered what sin actually is, can we identify what is sin?

          Sin is no more than going against the will of God; the will of God for us, for our lives, for who and what He intends us to be.  The will of God for us is obedience.

          A friend of mine, Pastor Bernard Lutchman, recently noted to me that "In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia, until ultimately we become enslaved by it." 

          We do that, don't we?  We have a good idea what God wants from us, but rather than obey Him, we lose ourselves and our time in the details of life.  There is nothing wrong in the daily rituals of living, eating, drinking, meeting our obligations.  Jesus went about the earth living, eating, drinking and meeting the Father's obligations as much as His own.  The main difference is that in doing so, Jesus was glorifying God.  We are usually glorifying ourselves, making sure other see how hard we are working, bringing honor and definition to our own lives.  That isn't the Father's will for us.  Yet we go against His will.

          This approaching Christmas season is such a mixed blessing for so many of us.  Yes, it is a time of giving and getting, a time when the birth of the Christ child is celebrated, when the love of Christ is seen and amplified among those who need His love so.  Yet it is also a time of unbridled greed, desire and debauchery.  Old pagan customs and rituals have been dragged into Christianity and dressed up to look presentable.  But they are still in pagan worship of nature, of the creation, and not the Creator.

          We lose ourselves in the merriment of it all, and give scant attention to the tiny figure in the manger, or held in the arms of a statue to Mary.  What we don't want to think about is the fact that the God who comes into our life in a cradle, also walks a path that leads to a cruel death nailed to a cross of shame.  And why does He do that?  To release us from ... what?  Oh yes, from sin.

          Sin is natural with us, but not with God.  Holiness is His nature, and Jesus Christ comes to reunite us with the Father, clothing us in His righteousness, taking away the sin.  It is THE gift of this and every other Christmas, but the world is too busy with the giving and the getting to see that.

          Is our society coming apart? 

          Look at the abuse of innocent children, the abortion and murder of infants, the removal of God and His influence from schools, from Government, from everyday life, then look at the rape, the murder, the lying.....the sin, and answer that for yourself.

          What is sin?  Simply that which goes against the will of God.

          Can we say that this life we see about us reflects the will of Almighty God? 

          What we see about us reflects an ignorance of the tragedy on the cross, a tragedy that involved the Father, the Son, and you and I.  A tragedy that purchased, through the blood of our Savior, a future for all who will believe.  It all begins with the virgin birth of a child born without original sin, a child born of God's love for us, born into our world; it all begins with God's will for us.  Our part begins with obedience.

          Amen.

Week of Worship

December 4-10, 2011

Invocation:  Gracious God, Who sent Your own Son to prepare the way for our salvation, give us the grace to heed His word and accept His forgiveness of our many sins.  In the name of Jesus Christ who lives with You and with us, now and forever.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 62

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                Luke 1:5-25

Tuesday               Luke 1:57-80

Wednesday         Matthew 3:1-12
Thursday              Isaiah 62:1-12

Friday                   Luke 12:35-48

Saturday              Isaiah 51:1-8

Sunday                 Isaiah 40:1-11; 2nd Peter 3:8-15a; Psalm 85:8-13;

                              Mark 1:1-8

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Reflection: (silent and written)

Hymn: "My Soul Gives Glory to My God"

Benediction:  And now, my God, send me to prepare the way for others, that they, too, may gladly accept the coming of Jesus Christ into their life situations.  Amen.