What A Waste!

Luke 21:25-36 Advent 2 2006 - "WHAT A WASTE!!"

I. What a waste!

II. What a Savior!

25“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.

26People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

27Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.

28Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

29Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees;

30as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near.

31So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

32Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place.

33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

34“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly,

35like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth.

36Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

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We wait for God.

He comes by surprise, in His own way and in His own time. That’s the benefit of being God.

But for us, God through Scripture has given us vague and cryptic words about that time. And we hate that. But that is what we are stuck with. No concrete evidence, no date, no time. The end comes when it comes!

And yet he tells us what we are to do: Prayerfully alert!

Prayer, repentance, personal pilgrimages are very much a challenge for us today. It is a challenge.

Our hearts get weighed down - DISSIPATION! (definition) "useless or profitless activity; using or expending or consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly;" "if the effort brings no compensating gain it is a waste"; "mindless dissipation of natural resources" it also mean useless indulgence in sensual pleasure

It seems strange that the slang word for being drunk on booze or stoned on weed is WASTED - Man was I wasted!!!

How right they are - WHAT A WASTE!! Jesus would say. What a waste of mind and body gifts from God!!

That is why even though we do not like it (because of that old Adam) - Advent is a time for prayer and repentance. "Fasting days" in the Church. We would rather party! Its time for jolly old st. nick - its a time to shop till you drop and run to every place for cookies and rum punch!!

Its a time to think not because we want to - but because that is the thrust of what Jesus is saying here!!

The thrust of what Jesus says - sounds like Lent! Its not party time!

The first Sin bogs us down in the mud of life.

It happens to all people!

Johnny Cash died in 2003 - that same year he had his last hit - The song’s Title was "Hurt" - It was a song from the heavy metal rock band nine inch nails.

In the song, the protagonist has already killed himself - and he is now reflecting on his life. After all his escapades, involving drugs, deceit, and his quest for fame and fortune, he realizes that he has gained ultimately nothing. "An Empire of dirt" And he speculates whether he would change if given another chance. The oldJohnny Cash was a hit with MTV, more so with those old rock stars.

In 1959 Johnny cash released an album "hymns of Johnny Cash"

This past fall one more song of Johnny Cash is having an interesting impact. The Song, "God’s Gonna Cut You Down" A stark song about repentance and sin. And the strange part is that the video has artists from all over our country, the famous and infamous in this video - How they cant run from God. He will eventually cut them down.

And how strange it is - that in our technical, advanced country it still has to deal with liars and back-biters and sinners - it still has to deal with sin.

“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly,

Wastefulness and drunkenness, for the saints in Christ, Jesus warns us not to get bogged down in sin, without faith. Without Jesus Christ as Lord and God!