Reverend Ref +

SERMON
ADVENT 3B
ISAIAH 65:17-25, 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-28,
JOHN 3:23-30

How secure are you? I'm not talking about financial security or home security or national security, but how secure are you with yourself? And how secure are you with God's role in your life? Or better yet, how secure are you with your role in God's life?

I was in the Stockman Bar last week having a good conversation, when the guy asked me, "How did you decide to become a priest?" I've noticed something when people ask me that, they don't like it when I tell them that God called me into the priesthood. They want the backstory, the searching, the questions, the decision I made to follow that call. But in all honesty, I do what I do because I beleive that I was called by God to this role, and I also believe that I was called by God to this place. The backstory, those questions and challenges and psych exams, is what we call the "discernment process."

That process is mandatory for every person who feels called to ordained ministry, and nobody who wears a collar avoided it. That process, however, is not mandatory for people in other careers. I think that, for the most part, people sort of fall into a job or they try something out with the understanding that if it doesn't work they'll try something else.

And while there is nothing inherently wrong with that, it tends to cause at least two problems: first, it leaves God out of our everyday lives; second, we tend to look at our jobs and what we accomoplish as "mine."

To solve the first, we need to remember that God is the God of everything, and that includes us. Everything from career moves to potential spouses should be examined with God in mind. If we truly believe what we proclaim, we can do no less.

The second result falls from the first, and that is the sin of pride. Look at my career. Look at how well I've done. Look at how I built this place up from nothing. And never once do we recognize that God gave us the talent or that God called us to a particular vocation. And then we spend our time fighting and clawing to maintain our number one ranking.

But you know what? There will always be someone better, more ambitious, more popular, younger or stronger than you. And at some point, no matter how well you've done, you will begin to fade. Change is inevitable.

Change, however, is part of God's plan. Isaiah is told by God that "I am about to create a new heavens and a new earth." Nothing as we know it lasts forever. Things we work to build up will fall, and things we wish to maintain will dwindle. Unless, that is, we are working to build up and maintain that which comes from God.

This is one reason why it is important to place God in the forefront. By putting God first, we recognize that we have a role in God's life. We recognize that we do nothing on our own. We recognize that what we do won't last forever. So when things change, we need follow Paul's advice and test, or discern, everything. And when that new thing comes along that seems to threaten the old thing we can, after testing, continue to follow Paul's advice and give thanks in all circumstances, even when it seems that our importance is dwindling.

This is where we find John today. John, remember, is the last of the old prophets and he is pointing the way to something new. That something new is Jesus. Because John understood his role in God's life, he isn't worried that Jesus is pulling people away from him. Because of this, John was able to rejoice in the face of dwindling importance.

So here's John, the prophet of the day. Here's wildman John, living in the wilderness with camel hair shirts and eating locusts and wild honey. Here's fiery John, preaching up a storm and drawing hundreds, maybe thousands, of followers with his sermons about God's kingdom and repentance. Then he announces that Jesus is here and he's the one for whom he has been sent. Slowly but sure, his disciples leave him and follow Jesus. The disciples who remain aren't too happy about this, and they come to John.

"Our membership is down. Our pledges are down. That Jesus is stealing our people!!"

Here's John, the prophet of the day. Here's John, who spent enough time with God to know that his ministry wasn't about himself. Here's John, who recognizes that it is God's Holy Spirit who works within people. Here's John, recognizing that his ministry is winding down and coming to an end. Here's secure and humble John, rejoicing in the change and willingly stepping aside for the sake of the Gospel.

How secure are you? Are you secure enough in your faith to proclaim the gospel and then let the Holy Spirit take over from there? This Advent season, not only are we reminded to be like John and point the way to Jesus, but we are reminded to be like John and know that our job is to step aside and let the Holy Spirit do its job.