The Unchanging Christ

There is no video of this week’s sermon

Guest Preacher Rev. Mike Clang

October 27, 2024

Texts: Ephesians 1:15-19, Revelation 1:4b-8

A young lion wandered away from his father to test whether or not he would get

the same respect from the other animals as his father did. As the young lion

approached some monkeys, he roared and asked, “WHO IS THE KING OF THE

JUNGLE?” The monkeys, being afraid, responded, “YOU are!” The young lion

replied, “And don’t you forget it!” The lion repeated this to each animal in the

jungle and got the same response until he came across a herd of elephants. The

little lion roared and asked, “WHO IS THE KING OF THE JUNGLE?” The big bull

elephant walked closer to the lion, swooped him up in his trunk, swung him

around and around and threw him in the river.

Battered and wet, the little lion replied, “Well, just because you don’t know the

answer to the question doesn’t mean you had to get nasty about it!” HA! When it

comes to things changing in our lives, does anyone else here feel like this little

lion? I know that I can. I’m one of those people who like getting into a nice

routine. And maybe you are too.

But sometimes it seems that I just get settled in all nice and cozy and then

WHOOSH; just like this little lion, I feel like I am getting picked up and thrown into

the river. Years ago, when I used to run for exercise, I would find a shoe that fit

perfectly. You know the feeling. Just right in the toe box; no slipping in the heel;

the right amount of stability and cushion. Perfection!

Well eventually, the shoe would wear out and I would go to the store to replace it

and the salesclerk would tell me, “sorry, we don’t have that shoe anymore as it’s

been replaced by an “improved” shoe”. And sometimes, the new shoe was better

but often it was not and then the search for the perfect shoe would begin again.

And what about changes in technology? My grandfather used to share with me

the story of when he was a boy and he went to the city one day where they were

demonstrating something called a radio! He was amazed that this box could

project a man’s voice with no wires attached. For the longest time he said that he

thought it was a trick; that someone must have been hiding under the table.

On one of my visits with him when he was about 95 years old, he asked me,

“what is this thing I keep seeing on the t.v. . . . www”? I enjoyed being able to

take out my “laptop computer” and show him how the World Wide Web or

internet all worked. He just shook his head and smiled.

But as frustrated as I get with finding a new shoe or with having to keep up with

technology that is constantly changing, these changes are minor compared to

losing a job and having to figure out how to feed your family. Or the changes of

your kids growing up. Or the changes that come as a result of the aging process

or of receiving a terrible diagnosis from your physician. Or the change of losing a

close friend or loved one and wondering how life is going to go on without them.

Change is hard. And while I might wish that none of us would have to go through

it, it is impossible. Change is the one constant in our life. From the time that we

were conceived in our mother’s womb, our bodies have been changing. Basically,

it’s in our DNA to change.

The Reformation, which I mentioned earlier, was about change. Luther and the

other reformers “protested” against what they saw was too much of a focus on

works righteousness . . . in other words . . . a focus on what WE do and not on the

GRACE that comes from God. That is why “by Grace alone” became a guiding

principle of the Reformation out of which our Presbyterian Church grew.

And if we look at Scripture thought this “lens of change”, we see it everywhere,

don’t we? From the 1 st words in Genesis we hear, “In the beginning when God

created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness

covered the face of deep. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’”. Change. And it

continues through our Biblical history. Abraham and Sarah have a child in their

90’s. Moses leads the Hebrew slaves from Egypt where they spend 40 years in

the desert before reaching the promised land. Saul becomes the first King.

Jerusalem falls and the Israelites are taken into captivity in Babylon and later

freed. The temple is rebuilt under Solomon. John the Baptist preaches a message

of change . . . “repent, turn the other way, for the Kingdom of God is at hand”.

And then there was Jesus, the biggest change agent of all, telling us; “the first

shall be last and the last shall be first”. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they

shall be called children of God” “Love your enemies and pray for those that

persecute you”. His message of change was so radical that the Roman Empire

crucified him to try and shut him up.

But it continued. Jesus ascending into heaven; Paul and the Damascus Road; the

temple being destroyed again; and the persecution by Rome. And while church

historians are mixed on how much persecution was going on during the last half

of the first century, it was obviously a very difficult time for these new followers

of Jesus.

And it was in this time of change that the letter of “The Revelation to John” whose

introduction we read this morning, was written “to the seven churches in Asia

Minor”. Tradition has it that the author, who identifies himself as “John” had

been exiled to the tiny little Island of Patmos, and it was here he had this amazing

vision!

Now, to be perfectly honest, I was not always a fan of his vision. I think growing

up in the 1970’s and seeing the movie the “Late Great Planet Earth” and hearing

that the dragon’s represented scary flying war machines and that the Anti-Christ

might have been Hitler or some other dictator and that the end of the world was

coming before I would become an adult, just scared me!

But what is fascinating is that John did not write this letter to scare us. His vision

and this letter was about inspiring confidence and hope that in the face of all this

persecution and change that one thing was certain; the Risen Christ is Lord of All!

The victory has already been won. And I just love how he starts his letter. Unlike

most of the apocalyptic literature that was being written in Johns time, he does

not jump right into the story but rather he writes, what I think, is a beautiful

pastoral introduction.

“Grace to you and peace”! Isn’t that a beautiful beginning? You can sense the

tone already, right? Think about the letters or emails that you receive and their

opening words. “Dear Mike”. That’s not bad. “Dearest Mike”. That’s better.

“My most wonderful and dearest Mike”. Now we are talking! Can’t you can feel

the positive energy from that. It’s not like “Dear Sir” or “Dear Madam” or “To

Whom it May Concern” which feels cold and sterile. “Grace to you and Peace”.

These words are meant to bring energy, comfort, and life! And John continues.

“From him who is and who was and who is to come”. Remember when God

spoke to Moses in the burning bush. God tells Moses to remove his sandals and

to look the other way. After some conversation, Moses asks, “who shall I say that

you are”? God replies, “I am who I am”. This means “I was; I still am; and in the

future I will be”. John is reminding his listeners AND us of our God who is always

present!

“And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the

ruler of the kings of the earth”. Before his crucifixion, Jesus responded to Pilate

that he came to bear witness to the truth. And the truth is that God loves the

world so much. That is what Jesus bore witness too. And it is what John wants us

to bear witness to as well; the life of the incarnate Christ.

Way back, John the Baptist’s disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Are you the

Messiah”? Jesus simply told them to go back to John and “tell him what you have

seen”. And what had they seen? The hungry were fed, the sick were healed, the

strangers were welcomed, and the widows and orphans were taken care of. They

saw God incarnate, the Word made flesh, loving us and freeing us.

So yes, as this letter of Revelation continues, we are going to hear of dragons, and

beasts, and rivers of blood and cities of Gold; and John’s churches are going to

understand. They are going to understand that God, has been up to something, is

up to something, and will continue to be up to something in the World. And that

is important for us to remember today.

Change is everywhere. It is in us and all around us.

Psychologist Dr. Rick Hanson has done a lot of work on change and resilience and

he recommends that even though our natural instinct is to fight it it’s the

resistance to change that makes us feel and even act badly.

Think about those changes that you encounter each day from the small to the big.

Having to remember one more password to go with the 100 already in your brain;

having to use your phone and a QR code instead of getting an actual menu at a

restaurant; having to take an elevator because you can’t navigate stairs anymore;

having to rely on someone to drive you because you can’t drive anymore; or

having to face the world without your partner or a loved one.

Can you feel your chest tightening and your hands balling up when you think of

these things?

His advice is that by accepting the fact that things change; letting go of our

resistance to it; that it can make us feel less tense. I like his quote that says, “you

can accept the reality of change while also doing what you can to help things

change for the better”.

That sounds pretty Christ-like to me, especially when we are talking about those

really big changes in our life. Because as we soften ourselves to change, our view

widens and we start to see the bigger picture, recognizing that countless other

people are dealing with the same kinds of stuff that we are. We are not alone in

this.

And as John’s introduction in this amazing letter reminds us that during all our

change and discomfort; that we can be confident and rejoice that God is there

too. That Christ is the Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and the end; who’s

kingdom will have no end! So, when you feel overwhelmed with all the change

that is going on in your life; just remember these words; “Grace to you and peace”

and know that you are not alone. God has got this with you!

Thanks be to God!

Let us pray. God, thank you for your Word that goes before us. Help us to be

doers and not just hearers. In the midst of all the change in our lives may we feel

your grace and peace. Amen.