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Sermons

"When Trumpets Sound"
Gospel Scripture Lesson: John 10:22-30
New Testament Scripture Lesson: Acts 9:36-43
New Testament Scripture Lesson: Revelation 7:9-17
A Sermon by Jan Stong
LOS ALAMOS FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Sunday Morning, May 20, 2007

First Scripture Reading
John 10:22-30 (New International Version) The Unbelief of the Jews
22Then came the Feast of Dedication[a] at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. 24The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ,[b] tell us plainly."
25Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30I and the Father are one."

Sermon
When I was a kid, I had a prayer which I said every night too. That night, just like every other night, I closed my eyes with the prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." Night was a slightly fearful place and the words "die before I wake" sometimes made my toes shiver. I curled up under my covers and went to sleep in the dark of the night

Bright sunlight filled my room when I awoke to trumpet sounds. I leaped up on my bed and stared out at the sky, fully expecting to see Jesus and the angels taking me home, the last day had come. Well, needless to say, my exuberance was short-lived as I quickly realized I had merely heard a car horn. Believe it or not, I was disappointed when the horn I heard was not a trumpet calling me home. I had never realized I looked forward to "The Last Day". Of course, maybe not having to die to get to heaven was the drawing point. Death fills most of us with fear.

Second Scripture Reading Acts 9:36-43 (New International Version)
36In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas[a]), who was always doing good and helping the poor. 37About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!"
39Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. 40Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. 42This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

When we look at people near to death, who are brought back to us, we usually see it as a miracle. But what did Dorcas think when Peter took her hand and brought her back from death? Do you think it made her ecstatic? The ladies around her, who sorely missed her enthusiastic laboring in God's work, undoubtedly were praising God for holding her on earth for a while longer. I wonder if Dorcas might have looked at it a bit differently.

I've never been past death, but near death experiences cause me to reevaluate how I look at life here on earth. When I was young, I sometimes wanted God to wait-there were so many things I had not done. It's kind of funny. I can still find things I want to do. Let's put off the end a bit. Especially if I have to die to get to heaven.

But Dorcas had see beyond death. How did Dorcas see life on this side after having seen God's promise fulfilled? If I were her, I don't think I would have wanted to come back. Revelations gives us a peek of that future.

Third Scripture Reading Revelation 7:9-17 (New International Version)
9After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice:"Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." 11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying:"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes-who are they, and where did they come from?" 14I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore,"they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Dorcas had been there, experienced the completeness of God's love around her. He had wiped away every tear and there was peace. Just as Jesus told the Jews in our first reading from John, Dorcas, one of His sheep, had not been snatched from His hand. She had been given the gift of eternal life. Peter brought her back to life on earth and God made good come of it. And she continued her work for Him here with hope in her heart for His heaven every day.

Hope is a word Pastor Ring mentioned a few weeks ago in a sermon. Being the linguist that I am, I looked the word up in my Webster's "New" College Dictionary circa 1973. Hope is a verb meaning "to long for with expectation of obtainment.”

OK. What are we longing (hoping) for and expecting to receive? What do you hope for? When I was in school, I hoped for good grades. Later, a good husband, three children, a fulfilling career. Things don't always turn out the way we hope. I never expected to live on one leg or to struggle through two bouts of cancer.

How often we look to unimportant things that seem to be of paramount significance at the time. How important are those things really? What should be? I used to look at long range goals--I'll get "around-to-it" someday.

But tomorrow may never come. I know that. Dorcas also knew that quite well. The day that we have is the day we are in. So how should Dorcas have looked at each extra day? So how should we look at today or tomorrow? Each day is a gift for all of us. God is there with us through it all as stated in John 20: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."

Psalm 23 tells me that If I am fighting a battle today, my Lord is with me, keeping me through it. If I am hungry, He feeds me; when I need to rest, He finds me a quiet place to sleep. And if it's time to go home, He walks me through the valley of the shadow of death. When He is with me, I fear no evil.

Death may be something you have dealt with one way or another. Most of us would just as soon ignore it as long as possible. That's probably not the best course of action. I've been forced to look at death and life on more than one occasion.

When I was about nineteen years old, I truly had not given death much thought. I worried about the next final, the next boy friend, and getting the perfect sun tan. I and several of my friends decided to go out on a canoe trip. The water was relatively calm and not more than four feet deep in most places.

We slowly paddled down the stream, warm sunshine filtering through the trees onto our bare arms (life jackets caused bad tan lines, so they were in the bottom of the canoe). None of us were paying much attention to where we were floating, drowsily listening to the early summer whirrs and chirps.
Maria, in the front of our canoe, looked up, suddenly realizing that the front of the boat was streaming under a large tree branch, but there wasn't anywhere for her to go. She leaned out of the way of the branch, throwing our canoe sideways and toppling us right over! I assure you that stream was more like a creek in most places, but right there, it was well over my head.

I had never learned to swim and I couldn't touch the bottom of the stream, but somehow I did not panic. I held securely onto the side of the upside down canoe and flowed with it calmly down the stream.

The Lord had my arm, holding me secure in His grasp. Fear did not belong. He was in charge. If it were my time to go through the valley, it would be good because He was there. If I were to stay, it would be good because He was there too.

There is a story that goes with the song, "E'en So Lord Jesus Quickly Come" which the trio sang this morning. It was written by Paul and Ruth Manz, who were facing a near-death experience. Their three-year-old son had developed a rare type of double pneumonia. As their son approached death, they wrote this song which expressed their hope for their son.

Just as I faced the possibility of death so did that little boy and his parents. They drew close to the Lord, calm and secure in both alternatives, whether he would remain here in this world or go to heaven. They were willing and eager - E'en so Lord Jesus quickly come, and night will be no more - Christ will be our all.

When I didn't die that day in the stream, I took some time to think about the extra days that I had been granted. I was sure that they had been given to me for a purpose. If my work was through, I'd be home. I wasn't taken home, so I'd best be about His work.

Like me and possibly Dorcas, that young man and his family must have thought about those "bonus" days and how to use them. He lived and grew up to be a minister, living his life as the gift it was.
Peace be to you and grace from Him who saved us from our sins who loved us all and shed His blood that we might saved be.

All of us, through Christ's perfect life, death, and resurrection, have been freed; freed from sin, from guilt; freed to use the time given to us on earth to His purpose. There is a reason we are still here, something He still means for us to do. I choose to be about my Father's business.

And yet, I look forward, knowing that "Christ is coming, is coming soon" and I do say this prayer as I think Dorcas did when she was raised by Peter. "So Lord Jesus quickly come and night shall be no more. I shall need no light nor lamp nor sun, for Christ will be my all."

So what is our hope? To what do we long with expectation of fulfillment?

I hope for the completeness, that trumpet sound, the fullness of Christ's return and the gift of the days to come before that last day.

We are living in the Resurrection each and every day, forgiven and freed to live in this world to His glory, fulfilling His works, longing (hoping) for His coming when He will be our all.
Every day whether easy or difficult, we are held secure by Christ; holding forth to when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, fearing no evil because our hope, our God, is with us and what He promises us, will be obtained.

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