Transcript
Speaker: Greetings and welcome to this week's episode of This Sunday Podcast. I am Pastor Matthew Hardaway. Alongside me is Dr. and Pastor Philip Brandt. every Every week, we take a look at one of the upcoming readings for the church year. this Sorry, this episode, we are going to be looking primarily at the 21st Sunday after Pentecost. This would be...
Speaker: for October 18th. As our usual practice, I will begin with the call out of the day for that Sunday and then let Dr. Brandt open up our discussion.
Speaker: We pray. O God, the protector of all who trust in you, Have mercy on us. that with you as our ruler and guide We may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal.
Speaker: Through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. One God, now and for forever. Amen. Amen.
Speaker: Pass through the things temporal so you don't lose the things eternal. What an interesting, interesting idea. Today we get a look at at really.
Speaker: Um, I want to spend just a little more time with this one on on Paul's letter to the Thessalonians. um This is the first letter we think that Paul wrote. the the The other contender for that is Galatians. There's a huge debate about whether Galatians is early or late. but um uh,
Speaker: Thessalonians, we know, is one of the very first ones he wrote. He writes it in the in his second missionary journey. He's gone to Philippi. He has... ah Gotten sprung from jail by ah by an earthquake. He went on from there to Thessalonica. He was only there for three weeks.
Speaker: It says for three Sabbaths, he held forth in the synagogue and ah and ah and a great disturbance arose at that point. Paul ends up leaving, going to the neighboring town of Berea.
Speaker: and the people from Thessalonica are still so mad at him. They chase him down to Berea, and he gets chased out of there, too, and they they say, Paul, it's getting a little hot here. They send him down to Athens.
Speaker: And Paul sends his good friends, paul Timothy and Silas. Over back over to. thessallaia to really check up on. the uh that little congregation that he had started with he only had was there for like a month ah to ah to see how they're doing. and And I can only imagine that Paul wondered. I mean, if the...
Speaker: If the Jewish community, if the if the ah if the opposing community in Thessalonica was so...
Speaker: agitated that they would chase him down to another city. and And. and and and try and get rid of Paul there. What happened to those poor people that he left behind?
Speaker: you What were they doing to them? And so Paul goes down to Athens. he has kind of i think a ah bit He says it here in the letter. He's anxious. He's he's he is he's concerned. what what am i going to but What's happened to these poor people? And then Timothy and Silas come down.
Speaker: And they really bring this wonderful report that. They're actually doing okay. That that they're that they're See you. They remain faithful. they're they're they're Carry on.
Speaker: And Paul is so relieved. He's just palpably relieved. And that really comes out in this this first letter to the Thessalonians. He is so, so overjoyed. Yep. that they have not.
Speaker: gotten just squashed. by that opposition. and And that. that makes this letter really fun to read. He's ah he's really he's really.
Speaker: Um, Ah. He's really delighted. But the... What Paul and Silas come back with, they they apparently the the Salonians have some. I have some questions.
Speaker: Because he's only had, you know, three Sabbaths to teach. He probably didn't get to everything or maybe he mentioned something offhand and and they didn't quite know what that, and they couldn't follow up with a question. And so they've got some questions. it From the letter, it really appears the questions are about the the Paul's preaching about the end of the world.
Speaker: um Last week, if you remember, we talked about... How Paul said, Jesus is at hand. you know and And one way to read that. is to say jesus is right here in the room with me but the other way to read it is to say that The end of the world is near.
Speaker: Jesus is at hand. You know, the the the the reappearance of Christ at the end of time is is is coming. And. They may have had... that been questioning that same thing too. And I think it's really important to remember that they did not. um They did not really ah
Speaker: Well, they didn't have those 2 ,000 years of theological history of people thinking about and contemplating this and praying about this and and living this out. they were They were getting this stuff brand new and raw.
Speaker: from Paul and They were... They were trying to. kind of feel their way along through an utterly alien theological landscape because they were They were new. they were These are the very first generation, the very first moments of their Christianity as a community. They don't have an old an old salty Christian who can...
Speaker: help them understand it. Paul's as close as they can get. So. Via Timothy and Silvanus or Silas, they send down. questions And Paul's letter here is answering them.
Speaker: Now, we're going to get the answers to their questions in chapters 4 and 5.
Speaker: That's what happened. that That's where he gets down into what their questions are. We're going to get those. um We're going to hear those on November 8th. And. Uh, uh...
Speaker: At 16, I believe. I think we get both chapters up there. Or 8 of 15, excuse me. But. Before he gets to their questions, he realizes that laying underneath all of those questions.
Speaker: is an anxiety, is a fear. And so he first, even though that doesn't appear to be their question. He first addresses that.
Speaker: He says, I can't really. you know, He's really saying, I can't really answer the questions that you have until we address this. Anxiety. Because in the ancient world, People were.
Speaker: generally aware of this. it was It was culturally generally aware that the world was going to pot, okay? It was just... it was just going to going to heck in a handbasket. And. They understood that if there is a judge, if there is a a God who is coming who is concerned, he's not going to be happy.
Speaker: And so when Paul talks about the wrath of God being poured out,
Speaker: That. was really something that resonated. with the people. of of the first century. They all anticipated that that if...
Speaker: If God ever came. or When God shows up. He's not going to be happy. He's just going to be an unhappy camper. um with with the situation as it is.
Speaker: Uh, And. And Paul realizes that they're afraid of that. They're afraid of that day. And so these first three chapters of Thessalonians.
Speaker: are really addressing that. that fear. So we get the first chapter. I'm going to just... after that take us into the next two little There's two little parts where he addresses that fear.
Speaker: So let's hear the first chapter here quick. So it's from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. Silvanus and Timothy are the two guys that... He sent up. to the church.
Speaker: of the Thessalonians. In God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace. As always, Paul begins his prayers with this extended prayer. or his letters with an extended prayer.
Speaker: Except for Galatians, where he's angry. We give thanks to God always for all of you. constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker: For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you. because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.
Speaker: So i mean Paul begins with this kind of effusive... I thank God for you. yeah Can you imagine? Getting that letter from Paul?
Speaker: Paul's coming. I thank God for you every day.
Speaker: That would be so cool. with it and and I think I really believe that every Christian congregation should really hear Paul say that about them. You know that Paul Paul is in this really thanking God for every community of people who have believed in him, who have gathered together, who worship God, who come as... as as God's people to be united in him and to go out into this world to serve for him.
Speaker: And that, and that... that every church should say. Paul the Apostle.
Speaker: the author of these letters. is praising God for you right now. I think that would make a great sermon. Yeah.
Speaker: Um, You know what kind of men we prove to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us. And for the Lord, you received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker: so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. Notice that joy theme is already here in the very first of Paul's letters. It was.
Speaker: the The Philippians is probably one of his later letters. But Paul... That that that infectious joy. I'll... Jesus is risen from the dead. And he's right here in the room with me.
Speaker: That's not an affectation he adopted for Philippi. That was great. from the very beginning
Speaker: For not only has the word of God sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere. so that we need not say anything. Now that sounds like hyperbole, doesn't it?
Speaker: It's gone forth everywhere. But think about how many people haven't read this book around the world for the last 2 ,000 years. Yeah. and in ah In a sense, Paul's kind of being prophetic here.
Speaker: but Yeah. their witness. to their their perseverance and their generosity and their gift Is is.
Speaker: Is... Well, it's getting read in churches around the world. on on this date. um
Speaker: For they themselves report concerning... report concerning us, the kind of reception we had among you. and how you turn to God from idols serving the living and true God.
Speaker: and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus. who delivers us. From the wrath. to come. and And it's this last little phrase I think is really worth remembering here. is you know jesus There's all kinds of ways Paul uses to describe Jesus.
Speaker: he He talks about Jesus in many different ways. in different ways. And I think the reason he chooses this way to do it here because because this is what they're afraid of.
Speaker: um He says, everybody is talking about how you. the how the reception you gave to us, how you turned to God from serving idols. All right, so you became Christian.
Speaker: And you wait for his son from heaven.
Speaker: whom he raised from the dead, Jesus. But then. who saves us from the wrath to come. When I was... When I was teaching.
Speaker: um classes in the bible at uh both at concordia and then later at the university of of of Portland, I would regularly you have us look at this letter.
Speaker: from Paul. And. I would always break the group into the the class into five groups. Okay, so, you know, usually you've got 20 to 30 students in there. it was It was, you know, four to five students.
Speaker: you know maybe six in a group. And I had them sit around in a little group and I'd say, okay, your job is to read. A chapter. And I'd say, you got chapter one, you have chapter two, you have chapter three, you have chapter four. um Read a chapter in here and find the passage.
Speaker: the the the material in here that talks about the end of the world.
Speaker: And. And then. We're gonna... because this letter is about the end of the world. Nope. Tell us what Paul is saying about the end of the world in your chapter. Just tell us what's going on in your chapter, and then we're going to construct.
Speaker: Paul's end of the world message. from the Thessalonians this way. We do this as an in -class exercise. And. ah But really, one of the things I was doing with it was I was really also trying to get them to see how much they were bringing to the...
Speaker: to the text itself. Because almost invariably...
Speaker: They would read chapter one. And they would talk about... The wrath of God.
Speaker: And they would talk about god's that that God's coming in wrath.
Speaker: And I'd say, well, that's absolutely true. that is Paul does talk about that there, doesn't he? But is that what he says about it?
Speaker: And I'll be honest, like four out of five times when I did this little exercise. The group had read those very words. And have not. been able to hear Paul say Jesus delivers us from the wrath that is to come.
Speaker: they They heard that wrath to come and it like it filled the horizon and they couldn't say anything else. It was just amazing to me that they were. that they were that that that that hear the text itself. And I said, just look at the words on the page. Look at the words on the page. And they couldn't do it sometimes.
Speaker: But there's the wrath to come. And. and And Paul is saying, Yeah, look. Jesus is saving you.
Speaker: From the wrath to come. The wrath is coming. You know, judgment happens. Jesus saves you from it. That's what Paul is saying about it. And and i think I think it's really important that...
Speaker: that that that That Paul is here. addressing these Thessalonians and Oz. To be able to say.
Speaker: Jesus saves you. You don't need to worry about the wrath to come. Jesus saves you from it. He rescues you.
Speaker: Well, in these next two chapters, and I just want to... Talk briefly about this. He goes on to talk about you know, uh how do you Howdy. got kind of driven out and how pleased he is that they're there and things and at the end of the next two chats each of them D. talks about.
Speaker: the end of the world again. It's really interesting. If you go to the end of Chapter 2, it says, Since we were torn away from you brothers for a short time. In person, not in heart.
Speaker: We endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face. I tried to get up there and see you guys. Because we wanted to come to you. I, Paul, again and again. But Satan hindered us. I just i couldn't get there.
Speaker: For what is our hope or joy or crown or boasting before our Lord Jesus that is coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.
Speaker: So here's this little word. How about the end of the world again? The Lord Jesus is coming. And what does Paul say there about... about that he says He says, you know, on that day When our Lord Jesus comes.
Speaker: I'm going to point to you. And I'm going to say I am so proud. I am so, so proud of you.
Speaker: What is our hope or joy or crown? You know, what are we going to what are we going to be happy about on that last day?
Speaker: Is it not you? You are our glory. and our joy. Can you imagine? Reading that letter, And hearing the hearing Paul talk to you that way.
Speaker: Hmm. That that he's he's really saying, on the last day, when you know there's 10 ,000 angels on either side, you know all the powers of the world, you know Satan has cast it down in front of us, and and all the world is is bending its knee before Jesus.
Speaker: Paul's going to walk up to Jesus and say, do you see my guys from Thessalonica over there? Look at those guys. I am so proud of them.
Speaker: Can you imagine? Being. you know i i just find that I just find that an amazing image that Paul. Paul has here.
Speaker: We would normally. speak know What's that? It reminds me, you know...
Speaker: Courting my wife. And... sending letters or emails back and forth to each other. And, you know, I would usually be able to do it, you know, in the morning when I first got to work. sometimes just two sentences.
Speaker: sometimes a little bit i knew full well she couldn't always get to it as quickly as i could her job was So much more busy than mine was. But yet, at the very beginning, you didn't get one.
Speaker: You know what? Just that little bit of angst, you know? did she not like what I wrote did she mad at me for something I did did I mess up somewhere right And then you get the letter at the end of the day And it's... it's I couldn't stop thinking about you.
Speaker: and And thank you for being you. And, you know, it's it's a small like. Pales in comparison to what Paul's doing here on and what we'll experience on the last day but But it's the closest I can get to. And I can't even begin to to put it.
Speaker: at the last day. Mm hmm. that's just Wow. Yeah, i i just I just love the way he... he I love the way he calms them.
Speaker: He says, i'm I am so proud of you. I am so, so proud of you. I am going to boast about you. When I stand before Jesus on the last day. And.
Speaker: No. Yeah, it's just so powerful. I love it I loved. Well, then. um He goes on to talk about how he couldn't get up there to see them. And he sends Timothy and Silvanus up there to see how they're doing. and that And then he talks about how Timothy comes back with this this this encouraging report.
Speaker: And in chapter three. um And then in verse 11, he again picks up this theme of the end of the world. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus...
Speaker: Direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all. as we do for you. And so Paul says, I'm really hoping I can get up to see you. I really hope that the Lord Jesus continues to do this thing where we we continue to increase and abound in this love we have for each other.
Speaker: so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. you know and And again, what i what I found so interesting was my students.
Speaker: who in the in these classes. would would oftentimes say, oh gosh, we have to be blameless and holy before God. And and they would they would turn even this word of encouragement into...
Speaker: into this thing that that you know I don't measure up. I'm not blameless. I'm not holy. And so I'm not going to i'm not i'm not going to be able to. stay and And I said, go back and read what Paul just said again.
Speaker: Read it very carefully. Read it. without all of that fear. Tainting what your, what your. You know, all of those all of that kind of moralizing moralizing command language you're so maybe so used to when you read this.
Speaker: He establishes your heart blameless and holy. before god and before God. our God and father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all the saints.
Speaker: Jesus is the one who makes you blameless and holy. Not you. Not you. Take that off your to -do list.
Speaker: That is not yours. Now. Can you be holier and less blame? you know, less less guilty, yes, you can be better. You can work at this. And Paul talks about that in this book.
Speaker: But he takes off of the plate. He takes off of the off of the responsibility here. Make you blameless and holy. That isn't yours. And on that last day, you will be blameless in hope.
Speaker: But it will be because Jesus has made you. blameless and holy. I just find that... That. yeah Unfortunately, because of the way the calendar works.
Speaker: We... The pericope system would normally have us read chapters two and three. We would get all of these, and we would get three weeks of... Paul telling us you know that Jesus saves you from the wrath.
Speaker: I'm going to brag about you on the last day. Jesus will make your you blameless and holy. Unfortunately... What happens to us is that Reformation Day and All Saints Day coming here, and we don't we don't get those middle verses of ah those those chapter two and three.
Speaker: of Thessalonians so on the day after on the Sunday after Um, Uh, on the Sunday after All Saints Day, we'll pick up with chapter four.
Speaker: And that's where we. Paul starts addressing the direct questions that they had to him. But I really think, I mean, especially if you're going to preach, if you're thinking about preaching that epistle reading. I think you want to really extend into those next two, especially those.
Speaker: ends of those verse those chapters where paul talks about that i think that's that's That's a sermon that preaches itself. You know? what is our what is our our eschatology is that first of all you just gotta say Paul.
Speaker: wants to take the fear. Out of. the conversation about the end of the world. and And that is not... only here in Thessalonians. That is... everywhere that Paul talks about it.
Speaker: um and And this for me is... is you know i I would also talk about this with my classes because a lot of these kids would come and they would be.
Speaker: um They would be kind of... you know, in in both Concordia, Portland and at the University of Portland. um Most of those kids weren't Lutheran. they they were They were just coming there because they wanted to be a nurse. They wanted to be an engineer. They want to be ah a lawyer, or a doctor. They want to do something. they've got a they've got a ah they have a Oh.
Speaker: a vocational goal in mind, and it wasn't church work. For most of them, right? um And they were. And a lot of them were coming out of. um kind of non -denominational evangelical sorts of backgrounds that or Roman Catholic backgrounds at the U of P. Um,
Speaker: And. ah You know. they They were oftentimes hearing and encountering. a conversation about the end of the world that was really disturbing.
Speaker: um You know, the... the For them, most of them. that when somebody brought up the topic of the end of the world. It was really with the goal of know scaring the hell out of them.
Speaker: Oh. literally you know right and and i said you you you should just be aware that that anybody who preaches the end of the world with the intention of making you afraid.
Speaker: That person hasn't read The Bible carefully at all The Bible, when it talks about the end of the world, never shies away from the fact that there are scary things there. Revelation is filled with frightening, with images of things that are frightening. But then at the end, it always says, and then the then the lamb who comes squashes that enemy.
Speaker: defeats that foe. ends that fear. um the The whole point of of the conversation in the Bible about the end of the world, about eschatology, is always to take our fears and...
Speaker: Take them down. is to make us less afraid. of the end of the world. And I said, If you hear somebody telling you... telling you that you're supposed to be more afraid of the end of the world.
Speaker: um I said, that person hasn't read their Bible very well. They haven't really read it carefully. um And I said, The other thing that's that that may well be going on, and you should be aware of this, is that fear is uh is a is an emotional state when we often make bad decisions.
Speaker: and And they may be making you afraid because they want you to make a bad decision. And so if you hear somebody talking about the end of the world and trying to make you afraid. Your next move should be to reach around.
Speaker: and grab your wallet. carefully. because they're probably going to make a move on it. um and And this is the great... tragedy of eschatological into the world conversation that that we have today is that that so many people um Are using it cynically as a charlatan or in some way they're using it to make people afraid and in that fear to extract money out of them.
Speaker: You know, i I... I get. So frustrated, you know um You know, part of my my work as ah as a theology professor was sometimes to just listen to online sermons from different churches, you know, and it was just like, oh, my God.
Speaker: What are you talking about? Why are you doing this? It became very clear that they're doing it because it works. yeah It functions to to get people into a state of mind.
Speaker: where they are. Vulnerable? two to be manipulated. to give money. And... Um, And I really think that as ah as a church, as ah as a community, as a Christian body, we need to find some way to say, stop it. Don't do that. Or at least to inoculate our own people against that. And and that's where I would go with.
Speaker: with this if i was preaching this and i will be preaching this and when i'm preaching this on a on a on Sunday, the 18th of October. That's the message that I would...
Speaker: I would be trying to put in there. there' is that um But. that. Paul is really trying to make you less afraid. And that does one. I think that's just the the. the emotional state he wants you to be in. Because...
Speaker: Fear. you know, really is ah is ah is a state in which you know Worship is much more difficult. um Service is much more difficult. And and they become different then.
Speaker: And those that that worship and service and... ah ah love and all those things become different when you are mingling that in with fear. I mean, John says that God's perfect love. drives out our fear.
Speaker: All right? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But it's not the end. It's not the goal of wisdom. The fear of the Lord. opens the door for wisdom to come.
Speaker: but wisdom. It's that perfect love of God that drives it out. and and that that that End of the world talk. unfortunately, within Christian circles.
Speaker: is almost always intended to make you more afraid. And that's that's a tragedy. It always baffles me. And I know the potentially the motivation behind it, or maybe they're coming from two different places. There's so many denominations that. are not Roman Catholic.
Speaker: Mhm. Roman Catholic Roman Catholicism, you know historically gets a bad rap for the indulgences. mm -hmm and And pay down your loved one's time in purgatory. Pay to get them out of purgatory.
Speaker: And yet... That fear. i don't I don't want that to happen. That sounds awful. like sure i will do this obediently i'll give i'll give something please You don't realize how they've almost come full circle for some of those churches.
Speaker: yeah And one one conversation you have with them, oh, wherere we're definitely not Roman Catholics. like governor robert rubb ra you know But then it's all a hellfire and brimstone on Sunday morning until you pass around the offering plate.
Speaker: Right. and and ah I mean and and sometimes it gets to be a Um, Ever so. Um, other just Bleatant.
Speaker: Goodbye. I mean the the connection between your offering and the blessing of God. you know Whether that's ah that's a prosperity gospel or whether that is... you know I remember when I was younger, it was... ah Wasn't it... ah Was it Oral Roberts or?
Speaker: Poop. one of the guys who had the vision of the 900 foot tall jesus who told him that if people didn't give 20 million dollars he was gonna or 50 million dollars he was gonna come down and take him early.
Speaker: He was going to die early. And. ah It was just like. Are you seriously being that less about how you're manipulating money out of people?
Speaker: and And he was. He was. It was just that. crass he was using that and um And ah and unfortunately, you know, end of the world talk. is is one of the regular ways that people will we'll try and manipulate money out of. out of you and i I think that's that's really, really pathetic. But it's also interesting to me. is um Culturally?
Speaker: uh,
Speaker: there's there's There's another aspect to this that that is that is very interesting to me culturally, is is that um Uh, Uh, we would You would almost think... that that our our larger culture, which is so um intentionally Maybe areligious.
Speaker: You know, the separation of church and state, but also the separation. We just don't talk about God is not an appropriate topic at a birthday party. OK, or at a Christmas party. Don't talk about God, even though it is. Christ -mas. Don't talk about God.
Speaker: Um... Uh, Uh, Yep. If you look culturally... Uh, at the ah at the cultural expressions.
Speaker: how many of them are not focused on the end of the world? and people are terrified of it Now, They don't usually talk about this in religious terms. They don't think of God coming back.
Speaker: But if you really... use a more sociological understanding of God, that God is your thing that that is your judge, and God is the thing that is is that that is has the authority and the power to destroy you.
Speaker: Well... Then you start looking at those, you just look at the film. Look at movies. and how many of our movies aren't about
Speaker: The end of the world. You know, the the whole Marvel universe that has the the world virtually ending every other week, you know. and And if it isn't for the sake of some superhero. who comes in and and saves us.
Speaker: And it's so interesting. Look at Paul's language in chapter 1. Jesus saves us from the wrath to come. that if you That you have all of these Jesus movies out there, essentially. But but it's not it's not. um It's not.
Speaker: it's not yeah They're twisted and they're they're distorted. they're not They're not accurate at all. But yet... Um, that This idea that that there's this wrath, whether it's nature.
Speaker: you know, with you know some doomsday you know climate. disaster kind of a movie or whether it is some alien from outer space coming down or whether it is, you know, whether it's Godzilla rising from the depths of of the Pacific because we set off an atomic bomb.
Speaker: The original Godzilla story, if you remember that, it's all about... it's all about you know that we woke up this fearsome beast. ah Because we... we we irradiated him with this bomb. um that that this is...
Speaker: these These are all end of the world kinds of scenarios. And they are... um Ah. It's really interesting. what's What is the one who judges us? Who is the one who destroys us?
Speaker: and And if you think about that, that's usually the way to talk about that's your God.
Speaker: That's your God who does that to you. um just in terms of the function of that within the... ah
Speaker: Ah. within the... Uh, the the the universe that you're living in. is the one who destroys you to God. And culturally, looking out into the world, there's a...
Speaker: There's there's an ah actually an awful lot of eschatological discourse going on right now. Yes. uh All those dystopian future movies, you know, ah where where the world is just...
Speaker: disintegrated and we're all living like barbar you know living in this sort of subsistence subsistence farming, barely scraping by out on the... in the in some uh um ecological desert because you know the world has Ended.
Speaker: And what happens after that? um yeah there's a lot of It's very interesting, and people are largely afraid of it. yeah And and and what what I think is also really important to notice is that fear is a terrible motivator.
Speaker: It does motivate people to do things immediately. I mean, that's what the that's what the the the televangelist who's saying the end of the world is coming and you got to give me some money so that we can do something here quick. um there Fear doesn't. is really good at changing short -term behaviors. It's terrible at changing long -term behaviors.
Speaker: and and and And I really think that the... that the Climate catastrophe people have to figure that out. that the ah that the If you want to talk about the end of the world, because we're all, you know. driving SUVs and... um burning too much fossil fuels and we're causing the temperature to rise and all of those things you you you You do need to talk about. the effects of that.
Speaker: But you also have to talk to people about, and look what you, the things you will love. that you can save If you... Don't.
Speaker: do this. If you change your behavior in a little way, think about all the things you love. that are that are worth saving Um. That is a far better way to change people's long -term.
Speaker: long -term behavior. than than fear. Fear is a terrible way to do that.
Speaker: Or you can, you know. Borrowed from Paul and Philippians. Yeah. Christ is at hand. crisis Oh yeah! Road's going dead. Pie, you know?
Speaker: Yep. Immediately, maybe for Paul. If not immediately, then eventually, yes. I'm not going to be afraid. Yeah. Yes, yeah Yeah, fear is like is, like I said, is just such a terrible motivator for that.
Speaker: So. It's a great text. I love this. I love this first Thessalonians text. I don't think we read it enough. I do believe that we are sometimes a little afraid of talking about the end of the world.
Speaker: Um, Because we're we we see a we see a a larger climate where people talk about it and are... are well. doing terrible things with that conversation and we don't want to be associated with that.
Speaker: But I don't think the answer is to be silent about end of the world talk. I think the answer to that is to be careful And. actually almost a little louder.
Speaker: in our end of the world talk and be much more clear that that Jesus saves us from the wrath to come. Paul brags about us. And God makes our that our great fear that we won't measure up. Take that off the table. God. Jesus makes our hearts.
Speaker: holy and pure and blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Don't worry about that. you know Jesus takes care of that. There is no judgment.
Speaker: on you. That's what faith does. This is one of those possibilities for a sermon where but Dizzy.
Speaker: Pastor does not have to develop the law all that much. No. no No. Because it's already been done. It's already there. It's already there. You know, you you got to kind of surface it quick. but you're surfacing something that already exists. You don't need to convince people.
Speaker: You might need to. maybe carefully redirect them a little bit because they may not have come to church thinking about it. But once you surface it. you can then do gospel.
Speaker: Yeah. It's a really, really good good point. Good point. It was my fun. Always is. There's been one that hasn't been fun. Yeah.
Speaker: Next week is Reformation Day, so we're going to be in a... Back in Romans for another week. Yay! But we'll be in the movieian Romans ah chapter.
Speaker: Three, the great thesis statement of of Paul's letter to the Romans and a fantastic text. So looking really looking forward to that with you. You and me both. so all right until then have a blessed week sir Yes, you too, Matthew. God bless you.
Speaker: God bless.
