“The Patience of our Lord”

Meditation on 2 Peter 3:8-15a

Second Sunday in Advent (Dec. 7, 2014)
Here's the video link to this sermon:
Pastor Karen Crawford December 7, 2014 https://vimeo.com/113922514 "Pastor Karen's sermon for Sunday, December 7, 2014"

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        But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

     Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

      Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.

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     Jim and I visited Boston a couple of months ago. We traveled to visit family, but we also had a little time to explore some of the city’s historical sites. We went to the Old North Church. The church may sound more familiar to you if I tell you that it was made famous by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, that begins, “Listen, my children, and you will hear, of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.” The poem, though it contains a number of inaccuracies, was written in 1860 when the country was on the brink of Civil War—80 years after the events that it describes.

       In April 1775, Boston was occupied by 4,500 British naval troops. Tensions between England and the colonists were at an all-time high. A group of patriot spies calling themselves “The Sons of Liberty” learned that the British were going to march to Concord to confiscate a large stockpile of the colonial militia’s weapons. The group sent their fastest riders, William Dawes and Paul Revere, ahead of the British army to warn the two leaders of the rebellion, John Hancock and Samuel Adams, that the British were coming. Revere enlisted the help of more than 30 additional riders as a back up plan, placing them across the river in Charlestown, and ordered the militia leaders to look to the steeple of Old North Church every night for signal lanterns, the number of which indicating when the British army was leaving Boston and by which route. One lit lantern meant the British would march over the Boston Neck, a narrow strip of land and the only road connecting the town to the mainland, which would take a considerable amount of time. Two lit lanterns in the steeple meant the British would take a shortcut by rowing boats across the Charles River into Cambridge, cutting valuable time off their journey. That’s where we get the famous line from Longfellow’s poem, “One if by land, two if by sea.”

     What struck me about this beautifully restored, tall steeple church from colonial days was its “box seating.” Each of the pews is surrounded by four walls tall enough to conceal the people inside from everyone but the minister, who climbs a set of stairs to a raised podium to preach. On the door of each of the box seats is a gold plate engraved with the name of the family or individual that owned it. The members of the Old North Church were mostly sea captains and their families and other wealthy and important people of the town. There was no public seating at all! In the 1770s, if a stranger were to visit the church, the only place they might find a seat would be in the balcony with the servants, unless someone who owned a “box seat” invited the visitor to join them.

    After the tour of the church, I couldn’t shake a feeling of unease. What was disturbing to me was that a community of Christ’s followers, even so long ago, would behave like a members-only country club!

    How could the minister preach in such a place, when Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor” and, “Go and make disciples of all the nations?” How could the minister—in a church that is essentially closed to strangers, aliens, and outsiders—preach with a clear conscience the parable of the Good Samaritan or Jesus’ command to “love your neighbor as yourself”?

     Seeing the Old North Church made famous by the poem,  “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” helps me to understand the patience of our Lord – not just for those who have flat out rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ, but also for Christians—for the sinners inside the Church. God is so patient with us!

      Nowadays, most churches don’t have box pews that wealthy families own, but prejudice and injustice in the Church persist. Many people, if they probed their hearts and were honest, would admit that they would be uncomfortable with certain people—particularly strangers and “foreigners”—joining their congregation and serving in leadership positions.

      How amazing is God’s patience for Christians who aren’t concerned about the rest of the world, people who don’t know Jesus and are perishing in their sins! How wonderful is the patience of the Lord for Christians content with their congregations just the way they are, with the people they know, without inviting strangers and aliens to come and worship Him. How incredible is the patience of the Lord for Christians who fail to repent from their sins, who fail to trust in Him.

   

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     This is the message in our 2 Peter reading today: the Lord is not “slow about His promise.” He is patient, waiting for the world to come to know His salvation. Appreciating God’s patience for us should lead us to seek His help to be patient—and faithful to live lives of godliness and holiness—as we await the Coming of the Lord.

     Peter’s audience has become discouraged. People have been laughing at them! Earlier in chapter 3, Peter says that they can expect scoffers, who will try to persuade them that they should not bother to live holy and righteous lives in obedience to God. Why not just live for selfish pleasure? They sneer, “Where is the promise of his coming?”

      Of course the Christians are worried! The Early Church expected Christ to return within their lifetimes. As the years pass, the people become more and more anxious. Peter urging them to “live at peace” means that they are not at peace. He reassures them that the “day of the Lord,” is coming. There will be “new heavens and a new earth,” and the old life—with its scoffers, persecution, oppression, and suffering—will pass away. But it will be in the Lord’s time—not our time. Peter speaks soothingly, “Beloved… one day with the Lord is like a thousand years. And a thousand years are like one day.”

      Like the Church of Peter’s day, we do not like to wait. And we want all of the benefits of salvation—forgiveness and abundant and eternal life in Him—without having to change so that we are living in obedience to Him, as Christ calls us to live. We want to skip over the verse in this passage where we are called to strive to be found by him “at peace, without spot or blemish.” How often we choose, like the Early Church, to live anxious, fearful lives, rather than living by faith, walking in His peace, trusting in the Spirit that is with us now as we await our Savior and King!

    Peter assures the Church of every age that we should prepare for His return. There isn’t going to be a sign! The Lord will come like a “thief in the night!”

    How does one prepare for Christ’s return? Repentance! We turn our hearts back to the Lord. Walk in faith. And share his gospel of mercy and grace. For this God who is patient beyond our own experience, beyond human understanding, does not desire anyone to perish, Peter says. The Lord wishes ALL to come to repentance. He wishes ALL to be saved!

   This is a patience born of love.

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    Friends, how can we not be humbled by God’s patience with us—we who are still sinners, we who have accepted and received God’s grace? How can we not be moved by God’s gift of His Son—for us and for the world to be saved? How can we not be stirred to repent?

     Turn away from anxious, fearful, and self-indulgent living! Turn back to the Lord. Confess that you have not been trusting in Him.

     Just like there were in Peter’s time, there will always be scoffers. Don’t listen to them! Don’t listen to people who choose fear over faith! Those who paint a gloomy picture of the Church’s future haven’t read the Bible! They haven’t prepared their hearts for Christ’s return. Those who criticize Christ’s servants and fail to build up His Church haven’t given themselves and their lives fully to Him.

      Remember, the Church is and always will be the Body of Christ. And Christ is alive! The Church that trusts in Him will never die! Our future belongs to our eternal God, for whom one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day!

   You, who are beloved by God, are called to share God’s love with the stranger, the alien, the outsider. Reach out to someone in need. Invite them to worship! Especially at this time of year, it’s hard to resist the joyful Spirit of Immanuel, God with us.

    And may Christ, who has promised to return for His Church, find us all at peace, “without spot or blemish.” With the Spirit’s help, may we all grow in patience—with God, with ourselves, and with one another.

     A patience born of love.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, thank you for your patience with us and the promise of your Son’s return for the Church. Thank you for the hope of Christ’s coming reign, when there are new heavens and a new earth and the old life, with all its pain and trials, has passed away. Thank you for your Spirit that guides and empowers us today. Forgive us when we have been impatient with You, with others, and with ourselves. Thank you for your amazing patience with us! Help us to truly be your servants. Give us courage to share the gospel with the world outside our own neighborhoods and circle of friends. Bring us opportunities to reach out with Your love to the stranger, the alien, the outsider and to help more people in need. Stir us to acts of kindness and generosity without fear for our own future. Lead us to be the people of hope, who seek to live lives of confidence, righteousness and obedience to your Will. And when Christ returns, Lord, like a thief in the night, may He find us all at peace, without “spot or blemish.” In His name we pray. Amen.