Sermon on LD 19
Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
When you quickly browse through the NT, it is pretty remarkable to find how often the return of the Lord Jesus Christ is mentioned. The Lord explains the coming of the perfect kingdom to his disciples on many occasions. The apostles Paul and Peter write about it to the churches. The churches ask them questions about the how and when of Jesus’ return. The last chapters of the book of Revelation are all about the final events of the history of the world, leading up to the coming of Jesus Christ on the clouds of heaven.
This is remarkable because when you think about how much we think and talk about the Day of Judgment, then that is hardly on par with the Biblical witness. Usually, we only consider the reality of Jesus’ return, when we are in some kind of serious trouble. Or when we lost someone we love. And even more, whenever we think about this topic, we mostly consider the things that are still to come in that wonderful future. That is when the tears will be wiped from our eyes, the time when we will see God in all his glory. But we hardly ever think about the consequences of Jesus’ coming for this life already, right here and now.
This afternoon we will consider both these aspects of the return of our Lord Jesus. The HC asks what is the comfort of Jesus’ coming. And comfort it is. Our suffering and pain will be gone, and so will be our struggle against sin. But we will also see that Jesus’ return is an encouragement to live our lives right now as if every day of our lives is potentially Judgment Day.
And there is one more aspect that demands attention. Not only has Jesus’ coming consequences for us, it also has great significance for himself! When our Judge and King comes on the clouds of heaven, all the world will have to acknowledge his greatness and majesty, his holiness and righteousness. Even those who do not believe will then have to bow their heads and fall to their knees and worship God, Creator of heaven and earth, and his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ coming is not just for our benefit, it is also, and perhaps even more so, for the sake of the exaltation of God’s wonderful name.
All of this makes us eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is therefore the theme of the sermon.
To wait eagerly for the Day of Judgment
- It will put an end to our suffering
- It will put an end to our struggling
- It will be the beginning of everlasting joy
It will put an end to our suffering
Reading through q/a 52 carefully you quickly find that it must have been written in other circumstances than we live in today. It talks about persecution and also about enemies. If you look up art 37 BC you see the same thing. At the end of the second paragraph it says that the believers “will see the terrible(!) vengeance that God will bring upon the wicked who persecuted, oppressed, and tormented them in this world.” So, clearly, one of the reasons brought forward by our confessions to wait eagerly for the Day of Judgment is that it will put an and to all persecution. This is explained by the historical situation of the time when the confessions were written. Both were written when the Reformed church suffered from the persecutions of the Roman Catholic church and the governments which supported the Roman Catholic church.
So we see and acknowledge the background of the almost militant choice of words in q/a 52 and art 37 BC. But how about us? We here in Australia don’t suffer from any persecution. No one puts the slightest obstacle in the way of our worship. We have our Sunday church services and our Catechism classes and our Bible Study meetings. Even more, if someone would interrupt our services or try to harm us, we could call the police and they would take these people away. So, we are not persecuted by our government, we are protected by our government! We enjoy freedom of religion in this democratic nation. The world outside does not attack us or restrict our freedom to worship our Lord and God.
This possibly explains why the people in the time of the Reformation waited for the return of the Lord Jesus more eagerly than we do. But does it also justify that? Is it alright if we do not wait so eagerly? No, it is not at all. First of all we must realise that the church of Jesus Christ is bigger than the FRCA. There are many Christians and churches of Christ in this world who do daily suffer from persecutions and who must fear for their lives every time they meet together in worship. We should realise that together with them we are one universal church. The confessions that we have, are not only ours. We believe them in communion even with those whom we do not know personally. Saying that the church of Christ is not persecuted is therefore very self-centered and naïve. It may even betray a wrong perception of what the church of Christ is to begin with. When we profess with LD 19 that we eagerly await the coming of Christ, we should not only think of ourselves, but of all the children of God in this world. We suffer together with them, for we are one catholic church. That is one thing we learn from this LD.
Secondly, it is very unwise to think that we in WA do not know of persecutions, although, admittedly, they will not be of the violent kind. Someone once said that perhaps, if we do not eagerly wait for the Lord to come and take his children to him out of this world, then maybe we have grown to close to the world. Or perhaps we are too happy with our own little church and families. We just learn to live with imperfections and accept them as facts of life. So we don’t really suffer from any persecution. But do we see the blaspheming that goes on all around us? We are allowed to worship God in church. But at the same time this world, this democratic nation of Australia of ours, ignores God on a huge scale. Abortion, homosexual lifestyle, euthanasia, genetic manipulation, cloning – all of that is allowed without any consideration for the will of God. We don’t suffer – but how about the blaspheming of God’s name on TV, the Internet, the newspapers and magazines? Perhaps we don’t suffer physically, but, in a way, God suffers the denial and ridicule of his name. How about the fact that most of the people around us ignore God and seek their happiness in material things, or live for fun with drugs and alcohol and sexual liberty?
Again, considering the question of waiting for Jesus’ return only from the viewpoint of our own lives, what we suffer from the world, is rather selfish. How about the honour and glory of God’s name? Have we grown numb for all of those things? Are we happy just to live our lives in this world, in the nice and cosy protective shell of our families and church, meanwhile ignoring what is going on all around us?
Or, here’s for another scary possibility, – perhaps we do not eagerly wait for the Lord Jesus to return because we have joined in with the unbelieving world. If you do not feel at least a bit uncomfortable in this world, maybe that is because you have become too much a part of it. I realise that that sounds very harsh, but it is a real danger. Where do you seek your happiness? In a healthy body, in nice houses and cars, a well paid job, a happy family, a comfortable church? There is nothing wrong with those things as such, but if they become the focus of your life, then you have lost the focus of the Christian faith. This world is not going to be here forever. Christ will return and the world will be purged with fire. God is going to restore his original creation. You can not and will not find lasting happiness in things of this life. So examine yourself and see if your life is focussed on the glory of God and the kingdom of God or on your own wishes and ambitions.
Those who seek their happiness and salvation in Jesus Christ, they wait impatiently for Jesus to return. On that Day of Judgment justice will be done. Those who have given up earthly pleasures or even their very own lives will receive a reward beyond their imagination. All the people of the world will have to see that Christians were right to give their lives to God. Everyone will see that the arrogance with which they ignored God’s holy will was misplaced, to say the least. All people will have to acknowledge that the cause of the believers was the cause of the Son of God (art 37 BC). Governments and dictators who did as they pleased or what was good in their own eyes, will see and admit that only God’s will is good and righteous. All the evil works of Satan and his agents will be exposed. And Jesus Christ will be exalted as the righteous one and the holy one who justifies his beloved ones. This brings us to our second point.
It will put an end to our struggling
We just said that all the works of the evil one will be exposed. But how about our own works? We just said that the world ignores God and goes by its own will, but does this mean that there is nothing wrong in the church and with the members of the church? Well, we know better than that. We are all sinners. The church does not only have to be saved from the outside world, but also from the sin that lives in the church, in the hearts of all believers.
And if you consider this, if you consider your own sins, it may make you fear the Day of Judgment instead of eagerly waiting for it and looking forward to it. For we know that our sins are great and many and we read in 2 Cor 5,10 that “we must all appear for the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” And in art 37 BC we read that all people will render account for every careless word they utter. It says that the secrets and hypocrisies of men will then be publicly uncovered in the sight of all. Now is that something to eagerly look forward to, or rather something to fear!?
This exposing of all the sins must not be reason to fear, not for the children of God. In fact, in 2 Cor 5 this verse about appearing for the judgment seat of Christ is set in a very positive context. Vss 6 and 8 say that we are of good courage because we are looking forward to being with Christ. Vss 8 and 9 even say that our home is with Christ in heaven. We need not fear our reunion with Christ in heaven. Again, if that were so, how can q/a 52 speak of the comfort of his return?
No, this is not how we should understand this aspect of the exposing of all sins. Art 37 BC and Lk 12:1-3 put us on the right track here. There in Lk. 12 we find the words of the Lord Jesus about the Pharisees: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” Hypocrisy is the operative word here. The Pharisees were people, leaders of the people of God, who obeyed the law of God on the outside, but whose hearts were dark on the inside. They did not love God or his Son. They rejected their Messiah and thought that they could be saved by keeping the law in ridiculous detail. They forgot about the summary of the law. In the words of Paul in Rom 13:10: “Love is the fulfilling of the law.”
And that is the context in which we must see the words in the NT, in other places as well, about the revelation of all our works and words. Works and words show what is in the hearts of people. And that is in the end what God cares about the most. Going to church faithfully and saying your prayers and doing whatever a Free Reformed Christian is supposed to be doing, does not make you a child of God. Like I read the other day somewhere: “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.” Indeed, your heart must belong to him.
And therefore, if your heart belongs to God, you do not have to fear the Day of Judgment. And why exactly? Well, LD 19 puts it beautifully: we await as judge the same person who before submitted himself to the judgment of God for my sake. Our Judge from heaven was judged himself first. What comfort has a murderer when he is told that he has to appear before the judge? He would rather be shaking in his boots. But not with our Judge. Our Judge is none other than the same Person who took the curse away from us. Our Judge was submitted to the judgment of God that would only result in everlasting death for us. But he bore the punishment in our place. So when we appear before our heavenly Judge, we may be confident that our sins are forgiven.
So we may be sure that on the day of Jesus’ return he will not rub our sins in one last time. However, at the same time, the stern warning against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and others who act like Christians but are not really, should make us examine our own hearts. Have we perhaps resigned to sin? Are we so confident about our forgiveness that we take it for granted and do not take sin seriously anymore? Or do you struggle with sin and fight it with all your strength and all your will and your whole heart? The warning against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees makes us look at our own hearts. Is there true repentance? Is there true love for God and our neighbour?
Christians who truly love God struggle with their sinfulness. Just remember what Paul writes in Rom 7. He finds a law in himself. Whenever he wants to do good, evil lies close at hand. He even says in so many words that in himself there is a war going on between his old sinful nature and his new regenerated nature. He gets angry with himself and frustrated about the sins that he is still doing. Even to the extent where he cries out: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Paul is asking to be delivered from his old nature that is always there to try and tempt him into sinning against God.
Is this your struggle as well, brs and srs? If it is, then you may also say with Paul in vs 25 that Jesus Christ will deliver you. There will come a time when your heart is clean and no sinful thoughts will ever enter it. There will come a time when you no longer have to fight against sinful desires or have to ask yourself about your true intentions. When the Lord Jesus returns, all these struggles will come to an end. You will be completely dedicated to your Lord. That too is a reason to eagerly await his coming.
It will be the beginning of everlasting joy
We have now found two reasons why we would not eagerly wait for Jesus’ return. Perhaps we are unaware of the suffering of the church and our own friendship with the world. Perhaps we are not very much engaged in a struggle with our own sinfulness and fear the judgment of Jesus Christ. Now a third can be added to the list: perhaps we do not have a good idea of the glory that will be revealed to the world when the Lord Jesus comes back in glory with his angels.
Of course we know the beautiful chapter in the book of Revelation where John describes his vision of a city with streets of gold, a Jerusalem where the gates are made of precious stones. But we also ask questions like: will we be able to recognize each other in heaven? Will we miss friends and family who were not saved? Our enthusiasm for the Day of Judgment can quite depend on the answers to questions like that.
Of course, no one can tell us in detail what it will be like in heaven. The pictures that are painted for us in the visions of John are wonderful, but also symbolic. The HC says that there will be heavenly joy and glory. And Mt 25:34 records the words of the Judge to the children of God: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” The unbelievers are told the opposite: “Depart from me, your cursed, into the eternal fire.” From this we learn that heaven is ultimately living in the nearness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The believers will behold and live in the glory of God. He will say to the children of God: Come. We will inherit the kingdom of God. That means that there is nothing that we can do to earn it. Heaven is a wonderful gift from God for those who love him.
Brs and srs, perhaps ask yourselves the question: if it is hard for you to imagine the wonder of heaven, is that because you are too much tied up in affairs and business of this life? Can it be that you live a material life rather than a spiritual life? Remember that Paul wrote in 2 Cor 5 that heaven is our home. This world is a place we are passing through. Of course, we have work in this world, very important work. The church must reach out and build the kingdom of God in this world. But the point is, are you storing up your treasures in heaven or on earth? Home is where the heart is, they say. So, where is your heart?
I realise that in the world of today it is difficult to lead a spiritual life. It is difficult to stand with both your feet firmly planted in God’s world, advancing God’s kingdom, and at the same time focus spiritually on God. Centuries ago nearly everyone believed in God. The life in this world was connected to the life that was to come in many ways. In our time Science is god, and money and materialism are idols. It is hard to be spiritually engaged in this world, when everyone and everything around you in a modern Western society cries out that there is no such being as God. We know that we must not isolate ourselves from the people out there, so, it can be difficult indeed - but we must be careful that we are not swallowed up by this spirit of the age. We must find the balance between the extremes of hiding behind high church walls, and exposing ourselves to every sinful influence. How? How can we stay in touch with God? By communicating with God in heaven through Bible study and prayer. We must read our Bible, not like we would read a newspaper, but to study it, to think about it, to sit down and meditate on it. In this material world we really have to make that conscious choice to put down that book, to turn off the TV and the computer, and create a moment of quiet to study God’s Word, to listen to him and pray to him.
Conclusion
If we do that, brs and srs, then we will truly eagerly wait for the Day of Judgment. That will be home-coming day for the children of God. Then the glory of the triune God will be revealed to all. The final judgment will be pronounced and even those who denied God in their lifetime will have to acknowledge the greatness and majesty of God. In fact, the joy that will be ours on that day is in our hearts already today. The Form for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper says that at the table of the Lord we receive a foretaste of the marriage feast of the Lamb. Indeed, we live our lives already in the knowledge that one day we and the whole world will be relieved from their suffering and struggle. For this we give thanks and that is why we eagerly await the coming of our Lord Jesus to take us home with him forever. Amen.
Liturgy
Ps. 144:1
Ps. 139:1,3,10
Mt. 25:31-46; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; art. 37 BC
Ps. 75:1,2
LD 19
Hy. 55:1,2
Hy. 50,1,3,7