Sermon preached at NFC on Sunday June 6,1999.

In 1 Timothy 3:16 Paul writes to Timothy about the great mystery of godliness and in so doing he gives us a summary of the Christian year

: " Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:

He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit,

was seen by angels, was preached among the nations,

was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory."

The Christian year begins with Advent which is the celebration of the coming of Jesus Christ. But his coming reminds us of the years of longing and anticipation and the countless Old Testament prophecies concerning his coming. It is fitting that we celebrate Thanksgiving in that pre-Advent period for we are thankful not only for the material blessings of this world but for what God has done for us in the spiritual realm. He has surrounded us with his love and care. We also think of the wonder and the beauty of Creation, his providence and watchful loving care over us.

And as we move into the new calendar year, we focus upon the one who came to save us from our sins. Valentine's day which is for many a celebration of secular love is seen by Christians as a great opportunity for celebrating that love divine all loves excelling . When we do so, of course, we do not overlook the love of friend for friend, man for woman and love within the family, as well as Christian love within the family of God..

For as we move into that period we call lent, we begin to understand that "Jesus, having loved his own who were in the world, ... showed them the full extent of his love" (John 13:1) The immediate reference is his washing of the disciples' feet and the last supper he had with them, but we know that yet to come is the offering of himself upon the cross. As we approach Good Friday & Easter there is more detail given and we follow the events of that last week day by day.

One preacher I heard likened it to a train coming to a halt. If you have ridden on trains, you will remember that they often stopped with quite a jolt. In actual fact, the disciples must have felt that the world had come to a screeching halt. It was all over. Their dreams were crashed. But of course we know that particular Friday was good because it was God's Friday. It appeared that the forces of evil had the last word but God , in a master coup, caught them off guard. Paul explains it this way. He speaks of it as God's secret wisdom that has been hidden and that he has destined for our glory before time began. He goes on to say that none of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory as it is written :

" No eye has seen, no ear has heard,

no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."

And it is also appropriate that the resurrection and ascension correspond, at least in our northern hemisphere, with the coming of spring, so we have now arrived at the pinnacle of the Christian year for Christ is proclaimed King of kings.

After Christ's ascension, there is a ten day waiting period, but a promise is given of power from on high.. The gospel of Luke ends with Christ's declaring himself as the promised Messiah and leaving them with another promise of the Holy Spirit's power: "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:46-49)

Luke continues his narrative in the book of Acts where the instructions are repeated: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised (for) in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:4,5)

. They did not know how many days they were to wait, but Pentecost occurred ten days later as the fulfilment of the promise. All of this is history for us who are living at the end of the twentieth century but there is yet another event that is still in the future.

Let's take up the narrative as we find it in Acts. After the promise of power from on high is given, two men dressed in white asked,

It is significant that we are living both with reference to the Christian year and in respect to world history, between a glorious past and a glorious future. In the light of all this, are we merely in a holding pattern, fondly looking back to the good old days and wistfully looking to Christ's return and the prospect of heaven, or are we in fact living at a time that could be the most exciting period in world history ? Whatever our answer may be, this much is clear & that is the firm assurance that Christ is King. Consider these verses that reassure us of that thrilling reality. Peter, on the day of Pentecost declares,

In that same passage, (verse 36) Jesus is proclaimed both Lord & Christ, and , as Christians, we pledge allegiance to him & pray earnestly that his kingdom may come both in our lives & in the world. As Paul explains to the Philippians, we have a totally new mind set. It's called the mind of Christ He writes...

There can be no doubt that Christ is King and will be ultimately proclaimed as Lord of the universe. We, as Christians, accept his Lordship but recognize with sadness that there are many in this world who do not. That is why we should be all the more zealous in our efforts to witness to his Lordship.

This involves more than an hour of worship on Sunday morning. Our hearts must become altars where he is worshiped & adored. Our homes must become centers of Christian fellowship in a world in which selfishness & abuse abound. And if this is to happen, we must have a greater desire to study his word and to deepen our commitment to him.

I mentioned the Great Commission. Let me just refresh your memory. It is given at the end of Matthew's gospel. There we read that..."the disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them about ; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, " All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20)

Notice that it is not merely a question of telling the good news but of making disciples as well. We may witness genuine conversions but all too often people are not nurtured in the faith and may fall by the wayside or find that their zeal is flagging.

Let us not forget that we are saved for his glory and praise. That's what those verses in Philippians are all about.