Good Living in Bad Times

Sermon for Green Lake Church of Seventh-day Adventists
For October 20, 2018

Texts: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, Luke 3:3, 7-8, 10-14, 18-20


2000 years ago, before Jesus was “a thing,” there was a preacher named John the Baptist. His preaching created waves of excitement across Palestine--among both Jewish and non-Jewish populations.

His preaching was connected with widespread expectation of the appearance of the Messiah--the long promised, long-expected, super-hero of that lived at the heart of Jewish culture, religion, and theology.

The end was near. Or rather, a new beginning. God was going to break into this dismal world with something bright and new and powerful. The excitement spread. The crowds gathering around John the Baptist grew larger.

John’s preaching was framed in the classic denunciations of the ancient prophets. His words were sharp, definite, confrontational.

When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, "You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God's coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don't just say to each other, 'We're safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire." 

This was hell fire-and-brimstone preaching. It was thunder and bombast.

Note John’s fierce rejection of self-congratulation based on ethnic/religious identity. You tell yourselves, “We are children of Abraham. We’re good.” “You better shut that nonsense up.” John said. “God doesn’t care who your daddy is. God doesn’t care about your DNA or passport or church membership. God is watching your way of life. Prove you’re a child of Abraham by living out Abraham’s highest ideals.” (Note: Even Abraham did not live up fully to his ideals. You’re going to have to do better than Abraham did if you expect God to be impressed by your doing.)

John was preaching for effect. He did not want the people to “like” his preaching. He wanted them to reshape their lives. Like any good coach he was aiming at improved performance. And fortunately, his students asked the right question.

The crowds asked, "What should we do?"

We imagine ourselves as the spiritual heirs of John the Baptist. We, too, are heralding the coming of the Messiah. We, too, proclaim the coming of a New Age, a New Era. We urge people to repent, to change the direction of their lives, to get ready for the return of Jesus. We are thrilled when people hear this message and ask the question:

“What should we do?” What’s the answer? What’s the special preparation we are to make for the dawning of the age the Messiah?

John replied, "If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry." 

What is the proper lifestyle of those who are getting ready for the coming of Messiah? Generosity. Kindness. Compassion.

All of us have some measure of blessing in our lives. Health, smarts, beauty, a pension, an American passport, some investments, a graduate degree, friends. John told the crowd. “Consider the blessings in your lives and ask yourself how you might touch someone else’s life with that blessing. What sacrifice are we able to make to bless others?” This is the central characteristic of people living in the light of the Messiah.

I received an email this week from a woman named Emme. She had read an article in Adventist Today that described the best of our life together here at Green Lake Church. She had posted a link to the article on her Facebook page. After reading the article, a number of her friends commented, “I would love to go to a church like that.”

What did Emme and her friends find so attractive?

The article described acts of service performed by people in our congregation, acts of generosity to strangers, acts of enduring faithful service within the context of family. I wrote of the church celebrating the amazing accomplishments of our gifted kids. I also mentioned our regard and respect for the people among us who care for children who will not graduate or perform in recitals or win athletic awards. Here, in this community, all children are precious, not just the “above average” kids.

Here we devote a lot of attention to worship. We work to create worship services that feed our souls and give voice to our deepest values--loving God and loving people.

Of course, we aren’t flawless. But we do have high ambitions, holy aspirations. We want to be like God--practicing generosity, faithfulness, and integrity. We know that we are keeping company with God as we rear our children, help our neighbors, build airplanes, write code, heal the sick, drive buses, or sell cars. Every day, in everything we do, we aim to make the world a little bit better. This is how we live in the light of the Coming of Jesus.

When the crowd asked John the Baptist about what they should. John’s first response was generic, something that applied to everyone. Practice generosity. If we have two shirts, share one. If we have two sandwiches, share one.

Then there came a more specific question.

Tax collectors came to be baptized and asked what they should do. John replied, "Collect no more taxes than the government requires."  

In that world, tax collectors were independent contractors. They were businessmen. With the advantage of having the powers of the state behind them.

John’s answer acknowledged the legitimacy of their work. Governments need taxes to provide service. And a business has to collect money if it is going to survive. According to John, It was okay to receive money. To take money. But there was also a moral limit.

It is not morally permissible to take everything I can get, if I’m in a position of power. The primary function of morality in the teachings of Jesus--and foreshadowed here in the words of John the Baptist--is to limit the power of the powerful. Christian morality is not about keeping little people in their places. It is about curtailing and directing the power of the powerful.

Collect taxes, but don’t overdo it. Charge enough to make the business viable, but don’t gouge your customers. Make a profit, but not a killing.

Then some soldiers spoke up.  "What should we do?" they asked. John replied, "Don't extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay." 

The soldiers were members of the Roman occupying force. They were essentially the police force. They had power. John directed them to use their power ethically and with restraint. In today’s world where there are heartbreaking stories of police misconduct, it is vital that we as a church celebrate and honor the work of the great majority of police officers who respect the law and the people they serve. It is also our responsibility to speak against police misconduct. Whatever the color of our skin personally, together as a church, we stand with our brothers and sisters, people of color, in their protests against police brutality.

With John the Baptists, we say to those charged with keeping the peace:  Do justice. Do right.

Now we come to the most startling element of John the Baptist’s preaching.

John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother's wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. 20 So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others. 

When public persons engage in egregious evil it is the obligation of the church to speak up. We must be clear about the difference between our values and the values on display in the world around us.

When the president of the United States mocks women, we say, No. That is evil speaking.

When the president of the United States celebrates violence against news reporters. We say, No! That is evil doing.

When a candidate for the Supreme Court lies about his high school drinking parties, we say, No! Lying is wrong. Even if lying will get you a highly coveted job, it is still evil. We are a community of truth.

When the president of our denomination uses innuendo and insinuation to defame congregations and cast suspicions on pastors, we stand up and say, “Stop it.” That is unworthy of any minister, much less the president of the church. Presidents and judges are rightly held to higher standards than ordinary people. Their words have consequences.

Our highest commitment is responding to the call of God. That begins in generosity and compassion. But it moves unavoidably into standing bold and unbending in the face of evil and oppression practiced by the powerful. We stand for truth. We stand against lies, the encouragement of violence, and the idolization of a mythical golden age in the past. Our eyes are on the coming Age of the Messiah, the better land is ahead and beckons us.

Here and now we pledge ourselves to the practice of the values of the kingdom of heaven--to generosity and compassion, to truth and justice, to nobility and dignity.

When these values appear beaten down in the world around us, we come here to church and reaffirm their reality, their beauty, and their ultimate triumph.

God will win.

Truth will win.

Love will win.

And we pledge ourselves to speak the truth and to practice love.

End Time Theory for Christians

Sermon manuscript for Green Lake Church of Seventh-day Adventists

Sabbath, June 8, 2013

Scripture Readings:

OT: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

NT: Matthew 9:35-38; 28:18-20

In the last days it shall come to pass,

that the mountain of the house of the LORD

shall be established in the top of the mountains,

and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

And many nations shall come, and say,

Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

and to the house of the God of Jacob;

and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:

for the law shall go forth of Zion,

and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among many people,

and rebuke strong nations afar off;

and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruninghooks:

nation shall not lift up a sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war any more.

But they shall sit every one under his vine and under his fig tree;

and none shall make them afraid:

for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

Micah 4. (See also Isaiah 2)

It's graduation season. When I talk to people who are completing high school or college or grad school, I naturally ask, what next? What big dream do you have? What do you see ahead? Our vision of the future powerfully shapes our lives.

Are you dreaming of a sports scholarship in college? You won't spend the summer on the couch watching TV or gaming. Ditto if you dream of winning a major music competition. Do you dream of solving the catastrophic problem facing European honey bees or writing a book that will alter the course of history? Do you want to do something to improve the economic structures of Africa?

If these dreams are vivid, if they express your real ambition, they will shape your life. They will determine how you spend your time, what you take in school, how you spend your summer. They will affect the books your read, even the friendships you cultivate. Your vision of the future is expressed in the life you live here and now.

The Adventist Church began with a compelling vision of the immediate future. Jesus was coming soon, like next year or next month or tomorrow. That vision shaped their lives. The early Adventists were wrong about the date, of course. (We are still here!) But they planted a concern for the future deep in our DNA as a denomination. The future as we conceive it is not merely the vision of “futurologists.” We are confident that the flow of human history is more than the random interaction of human intention, national ambitions, and so-called “acts of God.” I.e. tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes.

Adventists live with the deep conviction that behind the apparent chaos of the cosmos, underneath the apparent directionlessness of history, God is actively working toward a goal. What is that goal? Where is humanity heading? What does the future look like?

According to the prophet Micah, it looks like this:

People will say,

The law shall go forth of Zion,

and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

The Lord will judge among many people,

and rebuke strong nations afar off.

What will be the effect of all this divine activity?

Nations will say,

Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

and to the house of the God of Jacob,

and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths . . .

Then they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruninghooks:

nation shall not lift up a sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war any more.

This is an unbelievable vision. It is completely unrealistic—in the ordinary sense of the word. Do we really expect the Sunnis and Shias to put away their swords? Do we imagine the Chinese will quit hacking American computer systems? Will the Republicans and Democrats quit campaigning against one another?

Still, this is our vision as Adventists. We live in the hope and expectation that of a glorious future. This is essential to our life and identity as Adventists.

We are a Seventh-day Adventist Church. Our denomination began formally as a handful of believers in the Northeast and Michigan 150 years ago. Today we are about 20 million people around the world. Most of us live in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

As an Adventist pastor, it is my job to articulate the distinctive practices and beliefs that form our heritage as Adventists. We share much with other Christian churches. In addition to that shared faith, in our 150 years of study, prayer, worship and evangelism we have developed particular insights that form our own special heritage. It is my job to give voice to those special treasures of Adventism.

In addition to my identity as a generic Adventist pastor, I am also a liberal Adventist pastor. In fact, according to google, I am “the liberal Adventist pastor.” Today's sermon is the third in a series of theological sermons, presenting core elements of our Adventist thought, practice and identity. I hope you will listen critically and feel free to challenge me, question me, push me as we think together about our life and mission as Adventists.

Yesterday I was at a campground in the mountains above Naches, getting my wife and daughter set up for a weekend with their horses. A friend who was there with his family asked what I was preaching about today. When I told him, I was preaching about the “last days,” he expressed severe disgust. Why would I sully Sabbath morning worship with doom and gloom, fear and conspiracy obsession? Didn't I have something better to preach about?

Many of you will immediately identify with his revulsion. “Last day events” is not a happy topic.

A story from some years ago. A newcomer showed up at a home Bible study group. We invited him to tell us his story. Somehow he got around to his childhood experience at summer camp. The campfire program featured a continued story about the Last Days. The story teller vividly portrayed the people of God running for their lives, hiding in the woods, going from desperate situation to miraculous deliverance to desperate situation. Each evening's episode ended with the pursuers just minutes or seconds away from capturing or shooting the God's people. The newcomer told of having nightmares for months afterward, reliving the terror of the story.

As I'm telling the story here today, many of you are smiling in recognition. You read Project Sunlight. A fictionalized account of Adventists in the Last Days. You listened to evangelists and academy Bible teachers tell scary stories about the Last Days. When you think “Last Day Events” you think of war, plague and pestilence.

And you think is something uniquely Adventist. That visitor to our Bible study group who told of hearing nightmare-inducing stories about the End Times at summer camp? He was not an Adventist. He was a Nazarene. The camp where he heard those stories was a Nazarene camp.

Last Day Events imagined as a collection of terrifying, dreadful vignettes is the common heritage of conservative American Christianity across the denominational spectrum. This is tragic. Conservative Christians have focused on the wrong passages of Scripture. We have been seduced by visions of blood and mayhem. Those ugly visions have obscured the far more glorious visions of peace and transformation that are sprinkled all through the Bible.

All Christians agree that God's ultimate vision is peace and harmony. But when we begin studying Last Day Events we forget that ultimate beautiful vision in our macabre fascination with plagues and persecution and disaster. If God's ultimate vision is peace, that should be our dominant vision. That is the vision that should shape our lives.

If we are going to call ourselves Adventist, that is, if our identity is going to be rooted in the Bible promise of Jesus to return and take his people home, then the glory of that promise should suffuse all our spiritual life. If we know that our Redeemer will accomplish his plans for triumph of goodness and joy, we will be energized in our present day efforts to ease suffering and enhance the well-being of our world.

Deliberate Selectivity

The Bible has a lot to say about the future. What it says is highly varied. To form a coherent vision of the future, you have to be selective about the passages you use as the basis for your preaching. Historically, for instance, Adventists have focused on Daniel and Revelation and completely ignored the visions of the last ten chapters of Ezekiel. (And wisely so. We understand them to be a provisional future that was available to the Jewish people at a particular point in the past, but not applicable in a literal sense in the contemporary world.)

If we are going to use the Bible as a tool for building healthy spiritual life, we must be selective. Not every passage is equally helpful. I quoted from Micah the beautiful vision of beating swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, turning the instruments of death and destruction into tools for nourishing and sustaining life. But if you know the Bible, you might rightly challenge me: Hey what about the prophet Joel? He wrote:

Proclaim this among the Gentiles: Prepare war! Wake up the mighty men! Let all the men of war draw near. Let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears. Let the weak say, I am strong. [Train even your weaklings to be warriors. NLT]

Joel 3:9-10

So which is God's vision of the future? Beating our swords into plowshares or beating our plowshares into swords? Is God's vision peace or war?

I argue that the Bible includes both visions because the Bible is in touch with the entire range of human experience. But God's vision, God's purpose, the goal toward which God is moving history is peace. Therefore that should be our focus as well. It should be the orientation our children absorb from us. Alas, that has not been the case. We need to change our culture in regard to the “last days.”

Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you will be also.

John 14:1-3

I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. . . And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with people. God will dwell with them. They will be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, sorrow or crying. There will be no more pain. For the former things have passed away.' He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are true and faithful.

Revelation 21:1-5

Adventist worship should evince the joy and confidence of these passages. Our conversations about the end should focus on this divine triumph, this heavenly success. Let's so fill our imaginations, our ambitions, our expectations with these visions that they begin to shape our engagement with the world. Let us practice now, the job Jesus says we will have for all eternity.

Jesus told the twelve apostles, "I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Matthew 19:28

According to the vision of Micah, the effect of God's judgment is the end of war, the transcending of conflict and fighting. God's judgment, God's instruction, results in a world of peace and reconciliation. We can test our theology and philosophy by asking how much it contributes to our efforts to make the world a better place. What inspiration does our thinking about the Last Days add to our engagement in working to improve the economy, reduce illness, enhance the environment? Does our thinking about the Last Days help us to live happier, holier, more helpful lives?

Over the years Adventists have been seduced by complicated last day scenarios. When I tell orthodox Adventists that I wish Jesus would come this very afternoon, almost always they will solemnly assure me that that is impossible. Jesus cannot come this afternoon because we have not yet observed all the events on our Last Day Event Charts.

I tell you God does not need permission from our charts before Jesus can return. Our time lines that include “Jacob's Time of Trouble,” “The Loud Cry,” and “The National Sunday Law,” are not maps that God has to follow. For the vast majority of Adventists, these time lines and Last Days Charts and imaginative stories about persecution during the great tribulation are at best a tragic distraction from the glory of the prophet's vision of God's triumph.

They induce fear and dread in our kids. This is wrong.

The only Last Day Events that matter are the events pictured in these triumphant passages—the triumph of God, goodness, beauty, joy, justice, righteousness, compassion, mercy, peace. The dark scary stuff that we extract from Scripture has no place in a healthy vision of God's plans for the end. All of that stuff is penultimate. Much of it is already present in the world. We are familiar with it. We don't need prophecy to be aware of it. Prophecy calls us to something far better, higher, sweeter.

As Adventists we are called to proclaim the vision of the prophets Isaiah and Micah: That the judgment and law of God are leading to a world where people will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. A world where nations will learn war no more.

When this beatific vision animates us as a people, then we will deserve the label, Adventist.