A Word of Warning

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed. To those who have heard the angel’s resurrection announcement, the return of the Christ is good news and a welcome event. To those who remain unaware or refuse to hear, Jesus’ coming will still be a reality. God grant we be prepared for that unknown hour. Amen.

Warnings. This Lutheran Hour message is about warnings. Not so long ago, and I really don’t know if this story is true, I was told of a wife who tried to give her husband a warning. They lived in upper Wisconsin and as they were slowly driving home late at night she had seen the flash of some eyes on the road ahead of them. Three deer were crossing the road. Since her husband made no attempt to slow down, she reached over, touched his arm and said, “Honey… deer.” He didn’t slow. Quickly and with more urgency, she said, “Honey, deer.” Not more than a second later he hit the brakes and using some remarkable driving skills and forcing his guardian angel to put in some serious overtime, he avoided the deer. After the wife started breathing again, she asked, “Why didn’t you pay attention to my warning?” Somewhat embarrassed, he shot back, “You mean the ‘Honey, dear’?” I just thought you were just being romantic?”

Warnings. This Lutheran Hour message is about warnings. Not all stories about warnings have such a happy ending. In 1986 there were two electrical engineers in the control room of the Soviet nuclear power plant at Chernobyl. You’ve heard of the place and the accident which took place there. In truth, what happened was no accident. Reporting to the world, the government said these engineers had performed an ‘unauthorized experiment.’ A better explanation might be: they were playing with the equipment. These two engineers were trying to see how long a turbine would “free wheel” without power.

In order to do what those engineers were trying to do, they had to manually override six separate computer-driven alarm systems. The engineers would do something and the computer would say something like, “Stop! This is dangerous! Don’t do this!” When that happened, the engineers shut off the alarm. Then another alarm would come on. This happened not twice, not three times, or four, or five, but six times. Again and again the engineers ignored the computer’s warnings; and because they did we ended up with a disaster, a disaster which left measurable nuclear fallout all around the world.

This Lutheran Hour message is about warnings. More specifically it is about Jesus’ warning taken from the 22nd chapter of the book of Revelation. Most specifically it is Jesus’ warning which says… “Behold, I am coming soon.” It’s a warning the Savior intends to keep. Now there can be little doubt that Jesus is speaking truthfully. Read through the Bible and you will quickly conclude that if there is one thing you can say about God, it is this: He always keeps His word. You may not understand what He does or why He does it; but the Triune God always keeps His word. If God told Adam and Eve they would be punished if they ate from the one, prohibited tree, He meant it.

If He promised a land to the descendants of Abraham, He kept that promise. When He promised to send a Savior to redeem and rescue sinful humankind, He meant it. When He said the Savior would be a human being, born of a virgin, He was serious. The Father knew if Jesus was to succeed in redeeming us, He had to be One of us. As a man, Jesus had to fulfill the laws we could not; resist the temptations we did not; die the death which we ought. When the Father said this Savior would be His Son and that His Son would die upon a cross, He meant it. Yes, it took hundreds, even thousands of years for those promises to be fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ, but God’s promises were kept.

But Jesus was born in Bethlehem as the Father said He would be. Jesus was beaten according to prophecy. He was crucified between thieves, as prophets had been inspired to write. More than 100 prophecies were made concerning the Messiah. All of those promises, all of those prophecies found their fulfillment in the Person of Jesus from Nazareth. The odds were astronomical against any single Individual matching all these criteria, but Jesus managed it. God keeps His promises and that’s why you can believe Jesus when He says: “Behold, I am coming soon.”

This Lutheran Hour message is about warnings, and that warning of His return divides The Lutheran Hour listenership into two groups. The first group are those who have already been touched by the Holy Spirit; who have been given faith in Jesus. When they hear Jesus is returning soon, they say, “All right.” Now, some of them may say, “All right, but I just as soon He’d wait for a little bit. I’m getting married in August… or I’d appreciate it if He’d wait until I get to Disneyworld….” But all-in-all those who call Jesus, “Savior” come together saying: “All right. Come, Lord Jesus.” They say that because they know what Jesus’ return will mean. Jesus’ second coming means judgment for the world.

They know Jesus’ judgment is not something to be feared. No, it is to be welcomed. Jesus’ judgment means that those who have had their sins forgiven by Him; those who believe on Him as their Savior, will find themselves transformed. Even more, it will mean they will be reunited with fellow believers who have already died; it means they will be placed in a new heaven and a new earth where tears will be wiped away; where there will be no more war, or pain, or hurt, or cancer, or epilepsy, or leprosy, or child pornography, or crooks who steal the lifesavings from widows, or drug dealers, or racial profiling, or unfairness, or inequality of any kind. It will be a place where… well, let me sum it up by saying, it will be a very, very nice place. It’s the kind of place a person wants to go to… wants to be a part of. And Christians, knowing God ALWAYS keeps His word, look eagerly to heaven. These, my friends, are just a few, and I do mean a few, of the reasons why Christians look forward to the return and judgment of Jesus. This is why Christians are generally not afraid to die. It is why Christians look forward to the next life. It is why Christians keep inviting you who don’t believe to join them. They want you to be in heaven enjoying an eternity of good stuff… and they want you to avoid the bad stuff of hell and separation from God.

What? Did I hear some of you say, “I don’t believe in Jesus and judgment day and heaven and hell.” Well, I’m not surprised. Remember, I did say there were two different ways to react to Jesus’ promised return. Well, your reaction is one of disbelief. You can refuse to believe anything you want, but Jesus is coming… and before He comes He is reaching out to you. In Revelation, He lays it on the line. When He comes back, He doesn’t want anyone to whine or complain and say, “It’s not fair. I didn’t know. I was never warned.” Today the Holy Spirit is warning you. He is saying Jesus is returning and He would like to have you saved. Remember God keeps His Word. Jesus’ return isn’t a probability, or a possibility; it’s a done deal.”

Jesus’ victorious return is a done deal. How do I know? I know because He has already returned in victory. Having defeated the curse of the law by obeying all of God’s commandments; having defeated the devil by resisting all of the evil one’s temptations to sin, Jesus also defeated death. His resurrection from the dead on the third day was a great victory. A victory for Jesus, most certainly, but also a victory for all who believe on Him. Every Christian who is worth his salt believes that because Jesus has risen, they will live and also rise. And, if you can believe Jesus has risen from the dead, you have no problem believing He will come back in victory to judge this world. It’s a done deal.

A done deal. Let me explain what I mean. In World War II the historic city of Aachen had been surrounded by the American forces. Hitler had sent orders to the Nazi commander of that city to stand, die, and never surrender. That was the situation when Lt. General Courtney H. Hodges sent an ultimatum to the Nazi commander and to the city’s mayor. But Hodges did more. He had thousands of leaflets blown into the city by shellfire. He appealed to the troops; he pleaded with the citizens of Aachen to surrender and prevent unnecessary slaughter. Those leaflets read: “Aachen is encircled. American troops surround the city. The German command cannot relieve you. People of Aachen! The time has come for honorable surrender. We Americans do not wage war on innocent civilians. But if the leaders insist on further sacrifice, we have no course but to destroy your city. There is no time to lose. On our airfields, bombers are waiting for final orders to take off. Our artillery surrounding the city is ready to fire. People of Aachen, act quickly. Tomorrow may be too late. There is only one choice, immediate surrender or complete destruction.”

Let me ask: “If you had been a citizen of that city, what would you have done?” You had been warned. Would you have listened to the warning? More importantly, would you have acted on that warning? I can tell you what happened. There was no surrender. The bombers took off, the artillery fired, and the city suffered great devastation. Lives were lost and the city eventually fell. Nobody should have been surprised. The battle was over before it had ever begun. It was a done deal.

Might I not say the same is true in regard to Jesus’ imminent return? Of course, if you, a rational unbeliever, are thinking clearly, you’re probably saying: “Hold it, hold it. Jesus’ imminent return? It’s been almost 2,000 years since John wrote those words. 2,000 years and no hide nor hair of Jesus. Pastor, exactly how do you define imminent?” It’s a good question and an honest one. In answer to your question I could do some fast foot work. For example, I could tell you that with God one day is like 1,000 years to us. I could tell you that, and the saying is Scriptural, but that’s not what Jesus meant here. I could tell you that some Bible versions say, “Jesus is going to return quickly.” That would also be true. Indeed, Jesus talks about His return happening like a thief, in the blink of an eye. But that’s not what Jesus meant here.

Jesus meant exactly what He said: “He’s returning soon.” And to that you might say, “But, Pastor, Jesus hasn’t returned ‘soon.'” Indeed, you might go further. You COULD say: “As near as I can tell, things are pretty much the same today as they’ve always been. The laws of nature which govern the universe today are the same laws which have always governed it. Things don’t change.” Well, it’s an honest answer but I don’t know if the Lord likes that answer, I know He anticipated it. Really, He did. In 2 Peter 3, God said, “scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise (reality) of Jesus’ coming? ..all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” Does that accurately summarize your position? Are you one of those people who deliberately ignore the fact that some things have changed … things like a global flood referred to in Genesis?

Things have not stayed the same. Things have changed. And things will change again. Jesus is coming soon. And if you’re willing to gamble that the Savior won’t come back to judge the world during your life’s span, let me suggest that He is coming back to individually judge you. Yes, it’s true. Someday Jesus is going to judge the world, but before then He may decide to judge you. One way or another He will judge you. My friends, you know, this October, The Lutheran Hour will be celebrating 80 years of bringing Christ to the nations. For 80 years we have been telling people that Jesus is returning; that He will return as a Redeemer to save or as a Judge to punish. We shared that message during the days of the dustbowl and the Great Depression.

We were sharing that message on Sunday, December 7,1941. Recently we received a gift from a Veteran of Pearl Harbor. He remembers listening to our broadcast when the Japanese planes showed up to wreak havoc. That day thousands of Americans met Jesus the Judge. That day thousands were taken to heaven or they were not. Throughout World War II we broad casted to our troops all around the world. Many of them died with this broadcast being the last message about Jesus the Savior that they ever heard. Jesus came for some of them then, He’s coming for more of them now. During the decades since, The Lutheran Hour has been warning people that Jesus is coming back. He is, you know. Jesus has come for some of our soldiers in Korea, and Viet Nam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Jesus is coming back. He is coming back to nursing homes and hospitals, prisons and asylums. He is coming back for old folks and for small infants. He is coming back today, and tomorrow, and the next day. He is coming back and one day He will come back for you. Listen; let me tell you a secret. It is a secret which has been known by every Lutheran Hour Speaker. Long-time listeners will tell you we all have had different styles and unique ways of sharing the story of the Savior Who was crucified and has risen to rescue us from sin, death, and devil. But we have all known and been motivated by this thought: every week there are some people who are listening … and this will be their last chance to hear of Jesus.

Never again will some of you hear how God loved the world enough to sacrifice His Son to carry your sins and die the death you deserved. Never again will some of you hear how God’s Son was saddled with your transgressions and suffered so you might be rescued from hell. Never again will some of you hear how Jesus died on Calvary’s cross, but He did so gladly, willingly so you might be rescued when He returns in judgment. In truth, by the time next week’s Lutheran Hour broadcast goes out over the air, some of you will have breathed your last, your mourners will have gone to the funeral home and made arrangements, your services will be conducted, and your body will be buried, cremated, or disposed of in some less familiar method. Which is why today I ask, as my predecessors have asked, “Are you ready for the day of Jesus’ return?” His arrival is not unexpected. He has promised it and it will happen. Will you be ready? Are you ready now? Will your family be comforted by the knowledge that they will see you in heaven’s unending reunion, or are they afraid they will never see you again?

Today’s Lutheran Hour Sermon is about warnings. On April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank. When that great ship went down, it had been warned. Again and again, warning after warning had been sent. Each message that came in was a warning: they were speeding into an ice field. The messages were ignored. In fact, when a nearby ship sent an urgent warning, the radio operator on the Titanic was making arrangements for chauffeurs to meet VIP passengers. He was sharing menus which were to be prepared for “welcome home dinners.” Titanic was involved with trivia and when the warnings came in, the ship responded, “Shut up. You are jamming my signals.” Please, don’t say that to this warning which can save your life. Set aside the trivia and be ready. Jesus is coming soon and the Lord wants you ready. To that end, if we can help with your preparedness, please, call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.

LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers)
May 16, 2010
Topic: The Sin of Divorce

Announcer: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus answers several questions about divorce. I’m Mark Eischer.

Klaus: Hi, Mark. Divorce is a topic which, unfortunately, touches many people’s lives today. Divorce has become just as common among Christians as you would find it in the general population.

Announcer: And this ties in with what we’d said on an earlier broadcast regarding the sad state of the traditional family nowadays. The courts have decided nobody should be held responsible in most divorce cases and it seems as if marriages can be dissolved just as easily as they are established-and, perhaps, sometimes even more easily. So, our listener would like to know if divorce is a unique kind of sin… if, in fact, it is a sin. And is the sin of divorce different or worse than other sins?

Klaus: That’s a lot to digest. I think I heard a number of questions in what you read to me. I’ll try to answer them as best I can, but if I forget one of them, won’t you please remind me?

Announcer: Right. Well, let’s start at the top. Is divorce a sin?

Klaus: Fair enough. LeI’s answer it in reverse. Is it God’s will that a man and woman, when they have freely consented to be husband and wife, and have made proper witness of that before church and state, is it God’s will that that marriage last their whole life long?

Announcer: I would say, yes. God intends, God wants marriage to be a lifelong union.

Klaus: So if it’s not life-long, that would be going against what God wishes?

Announcer: I would say so.

Klaus: And would “going against what God wishes” be a good definition of sin?

Announcer: Yes, I think it would.

Klaus: I do, too. A marital breakup is sin and it’s caused by sin. It might be one person’s
sin or both person’s sin. But sin is always involved in some way. Mark, next pOint?

Announcer: The next point would be whether divorce is more serious or worse than other sins?

Klaus: Well, there are some sins which have been devalued. Very few people get offended when someone takes God’s Name in vain, they ought to … or regularly forgets to honor the Sabbath day. But when a couple breaks up … especially a well-established or well-known couple, that’s big news … and everybody has an opinion on that. I guess in that respect FOR US, divorce would be different, although for God, it’s a sin like any other.

Announcer: And, it’s also a sin for which Christ died. Anything else you could say?

Klaus: Well, yes, unlike some sins, divorce almost always involves and affects other
people, as well. If I’m guilty of lust or envy, usually the only person I hurt is myself …
because those sins are known only to me. But divorce is something that usually affects
many others. Once again, the more widely known a person is, the more that divorce touches others.

The other problem with divorce is that even though we have “no-fault” divorce, we still have hurt feelings, animosity, anger, selfishness, a whole lot of other ongoing problems.

Announcer: Right, right. Well, one other question that might come up then: is divorce forgivable?

Klaus: That’s the simplest and the hardest question of this session. Simple, because divorce is not the unforgivable sin. The Savior died and rose to atone for our sins even when it takes place in divorce. Those folks, when moved by the Holy Spirit to repentance, are forgiven. Of course there are those who might say, “If there is sincere repentance, why not get back together then?” And that does happen. I’ve performed more than one such reuniting marriage.

Announcer: I can see why that makes it kind of a hard question.

Klaus: And so it is. As I said, “Why don’t repentant ex-husbands and ex-wives get back together?” If the repentance is legitimate … and there is forgiveness by the Savior. .. then why not?”

Announcer: How would you answer that?

Klaus: Well, sometimes a person can forgive repeated or big sins committed against them … but that doesn’t mean that they can then entrust the rest of their life into the hands of that person who has been forgiven. Forgiveness may legitimately be there … but trust may not be. I know that may seem convoluted, but I can promise you there’s a lot of folks out there who will understand what I’ve just said.

Announcer: Thank you Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Music selections for this program:

“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC