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July 19, 2014

Gangway!

Preacher: Pastor Braun Campbell Series: Christians in the Captial Category: Biblical Scripture: Romans 8:18–8:27

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
St. John's Lutheran Church, Alexandria, VA
Romans 8:18-27

“Christians in the Capital: Gangway!”

“Gangway!” That’s an exclamation we heard a lot here at St. John’s over the past several days. This summer’s VBS (Vacation Bible School), “Gangway to Galilee: Amazing Grace Adventures,” saw the church building and grounds filled with students hearing and seeing what God’s true Word tells us about His love for us in Jesus. Most of the participants in our VBS weren’t members of our congregation. It’s entirely possible that some of them might not be connected with any group of Christians. So this past week, we called out “Gangway!” each day, making way for an announcement about what God does for us through Jesus. At the very least, I hope that this summer’s VBS showed God’s love to families who were just looking for something for their kids to do for one week in July, especially if they already have a church home in another congregation. But I hope all the more that those unconnected families who participated in our VBS will hear and take to hear the message of God’s amazing grace which was shared in the Bible stories, in the crafts, in the music, in the games, and even in each day’s themed snacks. St. John’s, as a congregation, is here so that they might have a place to gather with other souls who come looking for grace, for forgiveness, for meaning – for hope.

People need hope, real hope, something substantive. Our world is broken, corrupted. People get hurt, even killed, every day. As Christians in the capital, you’re aware of some of the ways in which evil makes its presence felt in people’s lives. Just this week, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down in eastern Ukraine, claiming the lives of hundreds of unsuspecting passengers, connecting them and those who knew and loved them with the conflict in that part of the world. Israel began a ground campaign in the Gaza Strip following a long period of back-and-forth violence that has wrecked the futures of many. We’ve seen reports of massive tornadoes, super typhoons, and hurricanes that visited devastation on places around the globe. Just like every other soul, you need real hope that has something behind it, backing it up as we look ahead to the future.

When Paul wrote to those Christians in the capital in and around Rome, he knew that they needed real hope, too. So he proclaimed real hope to them. In this text from Romans 8, Paul acknowledges that suffering is a part of our world. Violence and evil abound. The Christians of his time had experienced it firsthand. And then, as today, it doesn’t seem like there’s much, if anything, that anyone can do to fix that problem. As Christians in the capital, we can and we should look to better our world through the decisions we make and the actions we take, big or small; however, there is nothing that we can do to fix the underlying problem, the biggest problem of all: sin.

As Paul reminds us, all of creation is in slavery to corruption and futility. It’s continually falling apart into chaos. That’s not just the evil that human beings are doing to the world and to each other – even nature is subject to death and decay. Remember that sin isn’t just actively doing big, bad acts that hurt others. Sin came into the world when the first humans turned away from God and followed their won determination of right and wrong. That decision impacted the whole of the universe. “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” (Romans 8:22) Christians, even Christians in the capital like you and me, struggle with and suffer under the burden of sin: “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (8:23) And so we wait.

But did you notice for what we’re waiting? Adoption. Redemption. Because of Jesus, you can look ahead – and move ahead – in real hope. The hope of God’s people in Christ Jesus is based in the cross and empty tomb of the Savior who has set and will set us and all creation free from slavery to corruption. He groaned in the agony of his suffering and death so that you and I and the whole of the universe could have a glorious future. Holding in faith to the promise that Jesus will come again, bringing liberation from sin and death and the devil, you too can join Paul and all creation in eager expectation of that day. The word that Paul uses here for “expectation” in the original Greek gives the sense of craning your neck, stretching it out to see what’s coming. Gangway! Jesus’ victory is coming, for you!

In this past week’s VBS, each day of the week aligned on an emphasis based in different stories in the Gospels that took place on or around the Sea of Galilee. On the opening day, kids learned that “Jesus calls me,” welcoming them and us as his friends and students as he did with those fisherman on the seashore back in Galilee. Tuesday showed how “Jesus teaches me” God’s Word as he did from Simon Peter’s boat for those people who crowded the seashore to listen to him. The next day the kids heard how Jesus calmed the storm when his disciples were afraid that their boat would sink, how “Jesus keeps me safe.” They walked on water with Simon Peter on Thursday to see that “Jesus saves me” – and all people – from drowning in the darkness of fear, doubt, and sin. And on our final day of VBS, we shared the news of hope that “Jesus provides all I need,” both physically and spiritually, as when he met his disciples on the shore in Galilee after his resurrection, giving them another miraculous catch of fish and inviting them to share breakfast with him. And each day, we called out “Gangway!” so the kids could shout out that day’s main point. Clear a path for what’s coming!

This summer’s VBS supported the “Gospel Nets” mission project. This effort provides needed supplies for congregations in Africa, South America, Asia, and all around the world, working to clear a path for the Good News of hope that everyone needs. The funds that our VBS students and their families contributed will help to purchase Bibles in native languages, Sunday School materials for children, bicycles for pastors to visit their people and travel to different villages to tell people about Jesus, and even new roofs for church buildings to shelter people as they come together to hear God’s Word and receive His gifts. Through Gospel Nets, our kids are getting to share God’s amazing grace with the world!

As Christians in the capital today, you and I can call out “Gangway!” as we look ahead, eagerly awaiting the glorious future that is coming through Jesus. We are hoping for what we do not see – what we cannot see in the present world until Christ comes again – and we are called to live out that hope. Paul tells us that, by God’s amazing grace, we get to share the “mindset” of the Holy Spirit to look ahead to the future. We aren’t able to fix the fundamental problem of sin that has corrupted us and all creation; so thanks be to God that our Lord has already dealt with it. By the gift of the Spirit, even in the depths of suffering and weakness in this broken, corrupted world, you can come before God, your heavenly Father, in prayer. He knows your needs and He will see you through to that age to come, the glorious future that waits ahead. You are adopted. You are redeemed.

Jesus calls you to be his own. Jesus teaches you who God is and how much He loves you. Jesus keeps you safe like no one else can. Jesus saves you from the power of sin and death. Jesus provides all you need in this life and into eternity. This is the hope God offers you in Christ Jesus. This is the hope that we proclaim. This is the hope that moves us into the future. Christians in the capital, gangway!

Amen.

other sermons in this series

Aug 31

2014

Love in Action

Preacher: Rev. Jack Meehan Scripture: Romans 12:9–12:21 Series: Christians in the Captial

Aug 24

2014

Plainspoken

Preacher: Pastor Braun Campbell Scripture: John 1:43–1:51 Series: Christians in the Captial

Aug 17

2014

Grafted Branches

Preacher: Rev. Jack Meehan Scripture: Romans 11:1-2a–11:13-32 Series: Christians in the Captial