Westwood Presbyterian Church

August 9th, 2009

197 Browning  Boulevard, Winnipeg, Manitoba  R3K 0L1

REV. PETER BUSH's SERMONS

Revelation 8:6 to 11:19  - "A sweet and sour message"

 

It was the summer of 1983, I was home in Sydney, NS working at a summer job making money to go back to school. I hooked up with some high school friends who told me there was a summer Bible study taking place -- 20 or so university and college students and some 20-somethings who were early in their careers met together for a study led by a leading lay person in the city. I went along, they were working their way through the book of Revelation. I hope you noticed the date I mentioned at the beginning "1983". Over and over again as we went through the book we were reminded that 1984 was just around the comer - and that meant the beginning of the end.

In looking back two things strike me about that study group. First, 1984 and the millennium have come and gone but the end has not yet arrived. Second, it seems to me ­looking back more than 25 years - that those who were the most adamant that 1984 was going to be the beginning of the end - were not making dramatic changes to their life­styles in view of the end coming soon.

I have jokingly told my friends that if I knew that the end was coming in the next 3 years, I would go and borrow $1 million from the bank - because I would never have to pay it back.            .

As I said last week - the point of the book of Revelation is not to give us a timeline for when things will end - rather it is to help us live now knowing that the end is in God's hands. Knowing the end is in God's hands does not mean we are naive about the way the world is - in fact knowing that the end is in God's hands helps us look into the heart of the most desperate of situations and know that God's kingdom will emerge victorious.

Last week it was seven seals that were opened as the vision John had unrolled. This week it is seven trumpets. Trumpets are loud and when blown by angels are signs of God's action - trumpets announce and in this case they announce God is about to do. Last week we saw that the destructive power of war, famine, and disease were the results of humanity's action - the first trumpets bring a different kind of destruction. The trumpets announce God's judgment - announce the just sentence of God on the earth and humanity.

With the first four trumpets blasts - 1/3 of the trees are destroyed, 1/3 of the seas and oceans are destroyed including sea creatures, 1/3 of the water supply is polluted, and the sun, stars, and moon all are reduced by 1/3. Catastrophic impact - life on the earth is changed forever - it is clear that this is not the normal range of things going bad - this is worse - this is more - this is truly an act of God. And there is more that is yet to come.

An army of destruction marches on to the scene - this army does not kill, but it brings great suffering. And then with the sixth trumpet a second army comes - this one kills ­wiping out 1/3 of humanity with fire, smoke, and sulfur.

This is bad. The destruction is horrific. But even with all of this going on we are told ­humanity did not change its ways. People continued to chase after the false promises of money, pleasure, power, comfort. People were unwilling to change their ways. Even though God was clearly at work - clearly the source of judgment it did not matter ­people did not change.

Even though humanity shows no signs of turning to God - God does not wipe out humanity. Okay, I hear the concerns being voiced - 1/3 of humanity had been wiped out - isn't that enough destruction? But if we turn back to Genesis and the story of Noah and the ark - there only 8 people were kept alive - there God truly did wipe the slate clean. Here 2/3 of humanity is spare - is given a chance. But the first six trumpet blasts with all the obvious signs of God at work make no difference.

So God, who is rich in mercy and grace, turns to plan B as a way to reach humanity with His message.

Just so we are all clear about this - God's Plan B to bring humanity back to Himself is us. Yes, it is John that eats the scroll and there are the two witnesses - but the Bible at this point invites us to stand in their shoes - to be the witnesses, to take and eat the scroll so that God's words can be in us. We - and all who follow Jesus Christ - we are the ones who carry the message that will bring people back to God. It will not be through great signs of power from heaven - it will not be judgment from God - it will be our broken, halting, stumbling witness - our speaking about God in the everydayness of our lives ­that will be the means through which the world is redeemed.

The words we speak are not our words - as we eat the Word of God - as we let Jesus into our lives - as the Holy Spirit stirs up our hearts - we are given the words. When we hear "Word of God" - yes we are to think Bible - to think about reading and knowing our Bible - but we are also to think Jesus as the "Word of God" - so that at this table we eat and drink the Word of God - and when we hear "Word of God" we are to think of the word we have heard proclaimed over the years - the words that have been preached that have touched us - all of these - the three-fold form - are the Word of God.

The Word is sweet when we hear it - when we taste and see that the Lord is good ­the Word is sweet on the lips. But we also know the bitterness in the gut that John acknowledges. For as we read the Word - as hear the Word - we recognize that our world is in trouble - that our world is out of step with the way things are meant to be. And that should cause us pain.

In 1999 Graham Kendrick led the March for Jesus in New York City - and as the crowd crossed Wall St. on its walk - Kendrick stopped the crowd and had them sing "Kyrie Ellison" which means "Lord have mercy". For while we want the justice of God to come - we also weep over the agony of those who will bear the pain of judgment. To be followers of God - to have eaten the Word of God - means that while we live in hope ­live in the joy of knowing that we will be saved - we weep for a world where so many have not yet responded. We weep for a world where judgment will be meted out on those who do not turn to God. We state that fact - not with joy or pleasure - not with a sense of being right and wanting vengeance. No we state that the judgment of God is coming with pain - for we lc'1oW the pain that it will bring .• And so we join our voices to cry out "Lord, have mercy" as we travel the north end - we join our voices to sing "Lord, have mercy" as we think about gang members, and crooked investment brokers, and people who selfishly assume that everything is about them.

Proclaiming the Word is dangerous business - being a prophet comes with risks. Let us be clear about who prophets are - we tend to think that prophets are people who foretell the future - that that is there primary function. In fact very little that the prophets in the Bible said was about the future. The prophets have much more to say about the present and about the way things are right now. So to be a prophet - is someone who declares God's Word - who tells others about the grace of God - the redemption God wants to bring to the world. On that definition of prophet - we are all prophets. Everyone who follows Jesus Christ - for we have tasted the sweetness of the grace of God - and we want others to know its joy and power in their lives.

We do this not once and then quit - we don't stop when someone says "stop talking like" - we do this even when the going is tough and people reject the message. John was told to again speak - to not be stopped by threats and age and exile. To again speak - to keep on speaking. Not with grand words - not with finely prepared speeches - but with ordinary everyday language out of the ordinary, everyday-ness of life. In our lives are people who will not come through the doors of church to hear the word preached - they will not turn on the TV to watch Billy Graham - no the only way they will hear of the sweet good news is from a neighbour, a co-worker, a friend - and that is us. The good news of God is gossiped - is spread best through word-of-mouth from one to the next to the next. Gossiped in the same way that we gossip other things.

The trumpets did not work - people did not return to God. The awesome signs of God's presence did not work - people did not return to God. But in the simple words of the witnesses people heard and responded - and gave glory to God.

We are invited to be among those who bear witness to the mystery of God in our words - we are invited to be among those who God uses in the redemption of the world. For it is not by our power or strength that the world is changed - but in the mystery of god He takes our broken and tentative words - our false starts and our stutters and stammers and uses them so that the world might know of the sweet love of God.

This is an amazing mystery - all we can do is give thanks and praise that God uses our words for His glory. To God alone be glory and praise.