1 Thessalonians 5:16-24.               You can’t do it by yourself.          14/12/14

 {16)  Be joyful always; {17} pray continually; {18} give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. {19} Do not put out the Spirit's fire; {20} do not treat prophecies with contempt. {21} Test everything. Hold on to the good. {22} Avoid every kind of evil. {23} May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. {24} The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

 This reading here this morning speaks of being joyful always, praying continually; giving thanks in all circumstances. Now without going any further we can already see that what is being asked of us is a pretty tall order. In fact of those of us who live in the real world with all of its pain and suffering we know that this is impossible for us to achieve from within ourselves. But then to add even more to the situation, it goes on and talks about being holy, through and through; of our whole person being completely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; it is talking about perfection.

 It is making the point that this is what is needed for us to face that final day and be able to enter eternity with our God. Here we need to recognise that this is an integral part of the Christian message. This is what God says that he expects of us. This is not just something that we humans made up in order to control the masses or some such thing. This is God's expectation - perfection - from you and me.

 Now this message then challenges much of the thinking that is about today: It is a far cry from what we hear so often; and which is a common thought in our present society. ‘Near enough is good enough’. ‘As long as we are a reasonably good person; and I belong to a church; and have a basic understanding and philosophy of life, then she's right. – It will all work out in the end. After all God loves and accepts us as we are. We just need to do the best we can and we’ll be O.K.’

 But will we? Is that what God says is the situation? Or are we just trying to kid ourselves: hoping that this is the way it will be? I expect that most people are prepared to take their chances; hoping that what everyone else is saying and doing will be right. But God however, says otherwise. As mentioned before, God's expectation is perfection from you and me. Fail that and there is no go - no eternal life in heaven – there is no peace with God - no joy – no sure hope.

 Now there is no way around that: no near enough is good enough: no as long as we try to do the best we can to be a reasonably good person. Perfection in every way is the requirement. Joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; Be blameless and holy in every way - in every aspect of our lives. This is God’s call for each of us.

 Now if that is what Gad expects; and knowing that we do not measure up, what do we do about it? Ignore it all? Walk away from God and the church? Just do what we think might be right? Don’t bother to even think about it? Go and find a church that makes me feel good?

 No; surely not? We will want to seek to live and be the kind of people he wants us to be. We will want this perfection in our lives so that we can face that day and know for sure that God will accept us. We will want to have this joy that Paul talks about. Throughout our lives we will aim to have this life of prayer that is here spoken of; we will want to be thankful in everything; as well as to be blameless and holy in every way.

 But we try and it doesn't work out? We so often want this kind of life – we strive for it and have it as base philosophy for our life, but it is so illusive. We work at it and it goes alright for while, but then we crash. We try, but everything goes wrong; it gets all mucked up again and again. We can't even begin to measure up. There seems to just be no way that we can live up that standard, even in a small way.

 I believe that is why so many try to adjust what God has to say here and elsewhere in Scripture. If none of us measure up, then surely it can't be meant in quite that way; so we change it to something like: as long as we try to do the best we can; or, as long as we make a reasonable effort; or, as long as we have some concept of God and Jesus, then we are Ok.

 Or if we are a little more religious, we might say: As long as we believe; or we are forgiven anyway so it doesn't matter much how I live my life; or, God loves us and accepts us despite what are and do, and so we have the freedom to do as we please. So we alter what God has to say in order to lessen the impact of what is expected of us.

 However, again let us be quite sure that not one of us is going be allowed into heaven unless we are perfect. Anyone who is even in the slightest way less than that, will be cast into Hell. Unless we are blameless and whole in every way, that is a certainty. That is the harsh reality of what God has said and expects.

 Now if that is the case then, I hear you say, none of us can get there:

None of us measure up to that standard. And your right; by ourselves we cannot achieve what is expected. We have failed and deserve nothing but Hell. As we look to our lives we don't come anywhere near to what is required; and so we are in deep trouble – we just can't make it.

 But: But now that is just why celebrate Christmas. That is what makes this time of the year absolutely essential for us. It is the very reason why we continually remember that Jesus came into our world as a little babe.  What we are unable to do for ourselves, God himself came and made possible for us to be perfect. Here again we are reminded of the one and only hope that we have in life. The only hope of attaining that state of being that is required for us to stand on that last day is associated with Christmas, and that is why we have those calls in recent weeks to prepare ourselves: to get ready for the celebration of the events that give us this only hope that we have.

 In little over a week’s time we will joyfully and thankfully celebrate the fact that God has come to help us in our need. We will again be overwhelmed by the fact that God chose to come as one of us so that we might have real hope in a hopeless world. His love for us, was such that he did not want to send us to Hell, yet his holiness has to be taken care of.

 So Jesus comes to lives as one of us and then takes our punishment on himself. He took our sin – our failures to be holy and perfect - on himself to the cross; and in their place he gives us his perfection. So we are forgiven - we are holy and blameless once again. When God looks on those who believe this, he now sees the holiness of his Son Jesus. He accepts them as his own sons and daughters; as his own dear and perfect children.

 That is the great Good News that we prepare for and celebrate every year at this time: God has come to help us in our dire need: he has saved us from an eternity in Hell. Jesus has made it possible for us to face God at the end of time. So it is with this sure and certain hope that he will accept us into his presence because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection that we now know that we can stand on that last day holy and blameless in every way; without any spot or blemish.

 This is why Jesus Christ is now the most important thing in life for us. This is why we now make every effort to keep close to him and make him the centre of all that we think, say and do. That is why we hold Jesus and his death on the cross as absolutely vital in our lives. That is why we gather week by week in his presence so that we can be constantly reminded through Word and sacrament all that he is and has done for us. That is why we worship him as Lord above all.

 At the same time we now already in light of all the Jesus Christ is and has done for us, we daily go forward to live that which we have already been made. Now we make no excuses for our failures; we readily admit our sin, assured of the forgiveness that is there for us; but at the same time willing and earnestly desiring that God would help us to live according to his word. Now wanting to eagerly do what he wants because of what he has done for us.  So we will seek to:

 {16)  Be joyful always; {17} pray continually; {18} give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. {19} Do not put out the Spirit's fire; {20} do not treat prophecies with contempt. {21} Test everything. Hold on to the good. {22} Avoid every kind of evil. {23} May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. {24} The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

 Christmas is coming; we have much to celebrate.

To him be all glory and honour, now and always.               AMEN.

 Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish