faith, integrity prepare the way of the Lord amen, come Lord Christ Sermon Grace to you and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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1 FRUITS OF REPENTANCE The Third Sunday of Advent (Year C) December 13, 2015 Lessons Zephaniah 3:14-20 Isaiah 12:2-6 (6) Philippians 4:4-7 St. Luke 3:7-18 Pastor David J. Risendal facebook Dave Risendal Twitter: drisendal Saint Peter Lutheran Church 9300 East Belleview Avenue Greenwood Village, CO voice: 303/ fax: 303/ facebook.com/stplc Prayer of the Day Stir up the wills of your faithful people, Lord God, and open our ears to the preaching of John, that, rejoicing in your salvation, we may bring forth the fruits of repentance; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. faith, integrity prepare the way of the Lord amen, come Lord Christ Sermon Grace to you and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 You can attract more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. I can t remember a time when I didn t know that old American saying. It makes a lot of sense to me, and I have long believed that it applies to God s call for us to be evangelical Christians. That s what we are, you know? Evangelical Christians. Evangelical is a word with Greek roots, and it means an angel with good news a messenger with good news. We are Christians, with a message of good news from God for the world. When we think about evangelism, or the responsibility to share the good news of our faith with the world, that word comes with a bit of baggage, doesn t it? Evangelists, when I was young, were the unhappy looking, screaming street preachers, who waved floppy Bibles and accosted passers-by at the local mall. It is hard for me to imagine that they did much good for the kingdom of God with that 1 Romans 1:7, 1 st Corinthians 1:3, 2 nd Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians 1:2, Colossians 1:2, 1 st Thessalonians 1:1, 2 nd Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 3; New Revised Standard Version Bible ( 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America).

2 The Third Sunday of Advent (December 13, 2015) 2 approach. Given what has been taking place in our world these past months, it s even harder to believe that acts of violence are a compelling way to bring people into the presence of God. On the other hand, I have heard any number of stories of people who, through their kindness and compassion, caused someone else to consider that the Christian faith might be something worth considering. I don t remember God asking for my advice, but if I was going to send someone to prepare the world for the arrival of the Messiah, I would send someone who was a lot more like honey than like vinegar. That isn t what God did, though; at least not with St. John, the Baptizer. He was more vinegar than honey. I may have preferred a sweeter prophet, but what we have is John: the rough-edged preacher in the wilderness who famously began addressing the people with the greeting you heard just a couple minutes ago when I read the Gospel lesson: You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? St. Luke makes it clear that John s role is to prepare people for the coming of Christ. This week s Gospel lesson invites us to take a look at just how he went about it and as we look closely, we ll find that there are some surprises along the way. First of all, St. John, the Baptizer teaches that being born into the right family will be no help to us. There were those in the first century who expected the Messiah to come to the Hebrew people. They lived within a tradition of creating clear lines of distinction between Jews and Gentiles; between insiders and outsiders. And when they read the ancient promises that God would send a savior to the world, the expected that savior to be sent to them. But St. John sees this in an entirely different light. He declares to the people that if they are depending on their ancestor Abraham to get them into heaven, it isn t going to work. Nobody will be grandfathered in because of their pedigree. Second, St. John, the Baptizer teaches that repentance is at the heart of the matter. We dealt with repentance last Sunday. Repentance is based on the Greek word: µετάνοια (metanoia), which translated literally means the transformation of one s mind. And so the repentance St. John sought for his listeners the repentance that would be helpful for them as they prepared to meet Jesus has to do with discovering an entirely new self-understanding. It has to do with having one s life turned in a completely new direction. It has to do with the kind of change of heart and mind that can only happen when the Holy Spirit is at work in us. St. John is asking a great deal from his listeners here, and from us as well. Many of us have a strongly developed world view: we know what we believe, and we understand how life works. For some of us it has taken years to develop these notions, and they guide us in many ways. That was true for St. John s listeners as well. St. John calls this all into question. Repentance means reconsidering the biases we bring to life. Repentance means challenging the presuppositions that shape us. Repentance means embracing God s way of looking at the world. Repentance means calling into question everything we have ever believed, and opening ourselves up to the changes that God might be calling us to consider. Honestly, this is difficult work. St. John is telling his listeners that the character of their lives reveals that they are a long ways away from God. What s more, he tells them that this has eternal consequences. Those who repent and begin to live in new ways will inherit eternal life. Those who don t repent will be cut down and destroyed like so many weeds in a wheat field. It is an especially harsh message. We wouldn t have been the least bit surprised if the people had been offended by this message, rebelled against John, and tried to throw him off the side of a cliff. But their reaction is not exactly what we might have imagined. Luke tells us that their hearts were filled with expectation, they begin to wonder if John himself was the Messiah, and they respond with one voice, saying: What then should we do? They believe he is right. They are convinced of their own sinfulness. They begin to desire repentance. So they immediately ask John what they can do to get started.

3 The Third Sunday of Advent (December 13, 2015) 3 Third, St. John, the Baptizer teaches that repentance causes us to bear fruit. St. John is crystal clear here. Repentance causes people to bear fruit. Allowing God to reshape our understanding of ourselves, and the world around us, will lead to us living in different ways. And so here s the important piece of this weekend s Gospel lesson: St. John doesn t cast repentance as though it were some sort of an ascetic practice. It isn t a spiritual practice we exercise in the privacy of our own home. It is a way of shaping the way we interact with one another in the world. When the crowd cries out to him, asking what to do, he offers them some simple, practical, concrete, ethical advice: To the crowds (most of whom were probably poor), he says: Share what you have with those who need it. To the tax collectors, he says: Be honest with your work. To the soldiers he says: Don t take advantage of your power. In other words, John commands his listeners to be Christ-like in the way they live their lives. He doesn t call them to an unobtainable level of discipleship. He doesn t call them to live lives of perfection. He calls them to simple, practical, concrete expressions of faithfulness and integrity. Share your possessions; be honest at work; don t take advantage of your power. Perhaps John realizes that as they begin to live in these Christ-like ways, they will be more likely to see Christ when he comes to them. Not long ago I read a book titled unchristian. It is about non-christians, and their impressions of the Christian church. I ll have to admit that when I purchased the book, I thought it was going to be about the unchristian character of people who don t believe in Jesus. I thought it might help me to better understand people who had rejected the church and the faith (in other words, people who are unchristians), and give me some ideas about how we could reach out to them. I quickly became aware, though, that this wasn t the focus of the book. It isn t about the unchristian people who have rejected the church and the faith. Instead, it is about the unchristian people who make up the church, and how their values and choices seem inconsistent with the faith they claim to embrace. The full title of the book is, unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters. The author offers a strong challenge to those of us who make up the church today; to those of us whom Jesus has called to share the Gospel with the entire world. If we are going to help others see that the church is not hypocritical, insensitive and judgmental, we will have to let the character of our lives convince them otherwise. Perhaps a good start would be to pick up where St. John leaves off this morning: share your possessions; be honest at work; don t take advantage of your power. To the degree that we can show others how our faith in Jesus Christ has called us to live lives of faith and integrity, we may be able to help them see that the Christian faith can be much more than what they have imagined it to be. We may be able to become what I described at the outset of this sermon: Christians, with a message of good news from God for the world. John offers these simple, practical, concrete expressions of faith as the best way for us to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ into our lives. Perhaps they are also the best way for us to share our faith with the world around us. May the faith and integrity of our lives become a warm and gracious invitation to others into the love and grace that we have received from God. David J. Risendal, Pastor Gospel Lesson; English Text 2 3:7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our ancestor ; for 2 A list of Bible lessons for the coming weeks is available at

4 The Third Sunday of Advent (December 13, 2015) 4 I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 10 And the crowds asked him, What then should we do? 11 In reply he said to them, Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise. 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, Teacher, what should we do? 13 He said to them, Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you. 14 Soldiers also asked him, And we, what should we do? He said to them, Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages. 15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. 18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. 3 Gospel Lesson; Greek Text: 3:7 Ἔλεγεν οὖν τοῖς ἐκπορευοµένοις ὄχλοις βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ αὐτοῦ γεννήµατα ἐχιδνῶν, τίς ὑπέδειξεν ὑµῖν φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς µελλούσης ὀργῆς; 8 ποιήσατε οὖν καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς µετανοίας καὶ µὴ ἄρξησθε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς πατέρα ἔχοµεν τὸν Ἀβραάµ. λέγω γὰρ ὑµῖν ὅτι δύναται ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάµ. 9 ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται πᾶν οὖν δένδρον µὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται. 10 Καὶ ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν οἱ ὄχλοι λέγοντες τί οὖν ποιήσωµεν; 11 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ὁ ἔχων δύο χιτῶνας µεταδότω τῷ µὴ ἔχοντι, καὶ ὁ ἔχων βρώµατα ὁµοίως ποιείτω. 12 ἦλθον δὲ καὶ τελῶναι βαπτισθῆναι καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτόν διδάσκαλε, τί ποιήσωµεν; 13 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς µηδὲν πλέον παρὰ τὸ διατεταγµένον ὑµῖν πράσσετε. 14 ἐπηρώτων δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ στρατευόµενοι λέγοντες τί ποιήσωµεν καὶ ἡµεῖς; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς µηδένα διασείσητε µηδὲ συκοφαντήσητε καὶ ἀρκεῖσθε τοῖς ὀψωνίοις ὑµῶν. 15 Προσδοκῶντος δὲ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ διαλογιζοµένων πάντων ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννου, µήποτε αὐτὸς εἴη ὁ χριστός, 16 ἀπεκρίνατο λέγων πᾶσιν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐγὼ µὲν ὕδατι βαπτίζω ὑµᾶς ἔρχεται δὲ ὁ ἰσχυρότερος µου, οὗ οὐκ εἰµὶ ἱκανὸς λῦσαι τὸν ἱµάντα τῶν ὑποδηµάτων αὐτοῦ αὐτὸς ὑµᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύµατι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί 17 οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ διακαθᾶραι τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ καὶ συναγαγεῖν τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην αὐτοῦ, τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ. 18 Πολλὰ µὲν οὖν καὶ ἕτερα παρακαλῶν εὐηγγελίζετο τὸν λαόν. 4 First Lesson; English Text: 3.14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. 3 4 St. Luke 3:7-18, New Revised Standard Version Bible, op. cit. St. Luke 3:7-18, The Greek New Testament, Aland, Kurt, Black, Matthew, Martini, Carlo M., Metzger, Bruce M., and Wikgren, Allen, ( 1983, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft Stuttgart).

5 The Third Sunday of Advent (December 13, 2015) 5 The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. 16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. 17 The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing 18 as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. 19 I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. 20 At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord. 5 Second Lesson; English Text: 4.4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 6 Second Lesson; Greek Text: 4:4 Χαίρετε ἐν κυρίῳ πάντοτε πάλιν ἐρῶ, χαίρετε. 5 τὸ ἐπιεικὲς ὑµῶν γνωσθήτω πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις. ὁ κύριος ἐγγύς. 6 µηδὲν µεριµνᾶτε, ἀλλ ἐν παντὶ τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ δεήσει µετὰ εὐχαριστίας τὰ αἰτήµατα ὑµῶν γνωριζέσθω πρὸς τὸν θεόν. 7 καὶ ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν φρουρήσει τὰς καρδίας ὑµῶν καὶ τὰ νοήµατα ὑµῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ Zephaniah 3:14-20, New Revised Standard Version Bible, op. cit. Philippians 4:4-7, New Revised Standard Version Bible, op. cit. Philippians 4:4-7, The Greek New Testament, op. cit.