Sermon for Fifth Sunday in Lent

Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 21, 2010
Philippians 3:8-14
A present-day colony from the future

In the name of Jesus, amen. There is a lot that we know. We know many things on an intellectual level. ABCs, 123s, multiplication, long division, spelling, state capitols…there are many things we know. Some of the things we know are more specialized. My friend Jeff from my childhood, his mother didn’t know how to drive. Some of us know how a garden grows and some of us don’t. I don’t know how to make tomato sauce from scratch and I don’t lose one nanosecond’s worth of sleep over it as long as Ragu is still in business. And as we advance, our fields become even more specialized in medicine, finance, the sciences, things like that.

As Christians, there are also many things we know. True or False: Jesus Christ went to the cross to destroy death and to give you the gift of eternal life. True. True or False: Because of what Jesus did for you on the cross, your sins are forgiven, you are covered in the righteousness of Christ, you are declared holy and just before the throne of God. True. True or False: On the day of resurrection you will experience never-ending joy and peace as you stand face-to-face with your Lord and Savior Jesus. True.

See, we know a lot. Then why does criticism bother us so much? Why do we spend so much time worrying about the future? Why are we so unhappy and discontented with the way our life has turned out? If we know as much as we do, why are we so unsatisfied? You just scored 100% on a quiz! You made an A. But we often call ourselves failures.

“Indeed, I count everything as loss.” That is how the apostle Paul begins our Epistle lesson this morning. Everything as loss- might sound odd considering the number of churches that Paul founded, the volumes that Paul wrote, the miracles Paul performed, the number of souls in whose ears Paul preached the Gospel. But Paul was imprisoned, was beaten, chased, driven from towns, was persecuted, eventually was beheaded. Paul didn’t just count things as a loss. He counted everything as a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ as Lord.

The words that we heard this morning present for us the strength that sustained Paul. Paul was given strength, courage, boldness, joy, humility, compassion, and hope all because he knew Christ Jesus his Lord. Paul knew that one day he would see Jesus face to face. The unshakable goal of Paul’s life was to attain, by the grace of God, the resurrection from the dead. This goal was certain for Paul knew that on the day of resurrection he would finally be with Jesus his Savior forever.

Since Paul knew what his future would be, where his future would be, and who his future would be lived with, Paul was sustained in his present-day living. Just like we are. Paul knew that one day, in the future, he would be with Jesus in heaven. And that future certainty changed his present-day outlook.

And Paul’s future certainty is our future certainty. The baptism that we rejoice in is the same baptism that Paul rejoiced in. The Christ that Paul proclaimed is the same Christ that we follow after, the same Christ we celebrate, the same Christ who comes among us with consolation, comfort, and courage.

We are a present-day colony from the future. We are living in this present time, and we experience all the great joys and all the great struggles that this life contains. Just like everybody else we wait in line at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, we clip coupons, we notice all the beauty and all the ugliness that surrounds our living.

If we know that we live fully in this world, we also know that we are strangers. Just a simple journey back to your elementary school days calls to mind the lessons of the colonists. Whether the colonists were pilgrims in the Massachusetts Bay Colony or the Cavaliers in Jamestown, they were strangers in this land.

And being called a colonist is no longer a compliment. So to be a member of a present-day colony from the future might be a very hard banner to lift. We live among this world and do things that are strange. Mercy is strange. Forgiveness is odd. Requiring a pound of flesh is the common practice. Grace is not a way of life. Instead, crudity is common, self-centeredness is celebrated, and arrogance is approved.

But we know Jesus. Since we know our sin, our greed, our corruption, we know mercy. We bask in forgiveness. We put grace into practice. While living in this age, we know our future. Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Knowing our future, knowing that there is an upward call coming our way, we live in this present-day. We show our new self, our redeemed self. We do not pretend at our perfection, we point to a perfect savior. We are a colony from the future, receiving all goodness and grace from God and putting God’s gifts into practice.

We know a lot. More than knowing our ABCs and 123s, we count all of that as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as our Lord. SDG