16th Sunday after Pentecost!
Exodus 12:1-14
Focus Statement: This scripture shows how the Hebrew people to take the passover with Traveling clothes on and ready to go.
Function Statement: Because of this sermon, the congregation will understand that we too should take our passover lamb (Jesus) in a state of readiness, expecting something to happen!
1st Movement:
We
started out by dad pulling the engine in our backyard and us rebuilding the
engine. I worked with dad mostly
cleaning parts and holding whatever he needed held as we rebuilt the engine
together. When we got that done, We
bought a fender in the junk yard and replaced the one that was smashed, luckily
we found one that was the same color, and we beat out the door the best we
could. Dad ordered out the windshield,
and the rest was up to me. I spent the
rest of that spring and summer, taking off bumpers, headlights, wheels, etc.
and sanding and painting them; cleaning the interior, touching up things here
and there, and putting on pin stripping and decals! When I would do this, I would have to move it
back in forth in the driveway to get it to where I needed it to work on
it. That was not a real easy task for
someone just learning to drive since this was pretty close quarters and it was
a 4-speed standard transmission on the floor.
One time, I had a wreck with the swing set! (Pause.)
I also took Drivers Ed. that summer, and we moved to Corning. As soon as I turned sixteen, I was ready and
I went down to get my license. I didn't
waste any time; I had anticipated this day for years, and I had been in a state
of readiness! Now, when I wanted to go
someplace, I still had to have permission, but I didn't have to arrange for a ride. It was great!
2nd movement:
In
our scripture for today, this is just before the last plaque of the Egyptians
comes to pass: the killing of the first born.
Moses is instructed for all the Israelites to take a lamb, kill it, put
its blood on their door posts, roast it, and eat it. If they will do this, the death angel will
pass over their houses. They are to do
this in a state of readiness! With their
traveling clothes on: loins girded, sandals on feet, staff in hand, and in a
hurry! They are to be expecting
something to happen because it is going to happen! This lamb on the door posts will be a sign
that will save their children & their animals! The events that will happen that night will
cause Pharaoh to order them to leave and they will be ready to go as
commanded! They will start their journey
to the promised land! If they hadn't
been ready, Pharaoh might have changed his mind before they had a chance to
leave, but that won't happen because they will be ready! They took the passover - lamb in a state of
readiness!
3rd movement:
The
Christian Church quickly adapted this passover symbolism in thinking about what
Jesus did for us. They called Jesus the
Lamb of God, the Lamb that was slain!
The lamb that if we put on our hearts will cause the angel of eternal
death to pass over us! We will be saved
and live in the new kingdom! A kingdom
that begins now in the lives of believers!
We put Jesus on our hearts by trusting in what Jesus did for us; when we
do this, God no longer sees our sins! But
what does it mean to put Jesus on our hearts, to trust in Jesus, with our
traveling clothes on: in readiness?
I haven't heard this part talked about too much!
Before we look
at what it means to put Jesus on in a state of readiness, what does it mean to Anot@
put Jesus on in a state of readiness?
Wouldn=t that be to trust in Jesus in a so -
so way, not really expecting Jesus to mean much to us, not expecting Jesus to
change us or our church, not really expecting Jesus to do much, not really
ready for Jesus to do something in our lives?
Not really expecting Jesus to matter much, especially after 9-11! We
have remembered 911 this week. Since 911, we tend to be less optimistic, less
expecting something good! Just going through the motions. Not expecting things to be different a year
from now than they are today! I am
afraid sometimes we put on Jesus this way.
I am afraid we can look at our own lives and see that we aren't putting
on Jesus in a state of readiness with our traveling clothes on, at least not
all the time!
So what does it
mean to put Jesus on in a state of readiness?
It is to come to Christ expecting it to really make a difference in our
lives! It is to expect Christ to change
our lives! It is to live in anticipation
of what God is going to do with us! It
is to expect to change and be different a year from now than we are today! It is to expect Jesus to do something in our
church and with us! It is to be excited
about the prospects of what Jesus can do through our church! It is to really expect Jesus to use us to
share the love of God and for that love to really make a difference in our
community and in the people we know and love! It is to expect people to come to
Christ and to be changed! It is to
expect that even after 9-11 Jesus can still make a difference! It is to live in anticipation of what Christ
will do and to expect God to work miracles in and through us! It is to study
and prepare because we just know that
God is going to do something in and through us! Let's close our eyes and ask ourselves
this question, "What does it mean for me to trust in Jesus with my
traveling clothes on, in a state of readiness?" (PAUSE) Am I expecting
Christ to do something in my life?
(PAUSE) In part, it means making
ourselves available for God’s service.
It means living in expectation of what Christ will do and looking for
the ways Christ is moving in our world and blessing us! As we encounter Christ at the table today,
let’s draw closer, let’s put on Jesus, let’s put on Jesus with our traveling
clothes on fully expecting Jesus to do something with us and through us! Thanks be to God!
Prayer
of Confession
Service
of Communion
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