Nov. 20, 2011 Christ the King: "Those who belong to him!"

Christ the King Sunday is the last Sunday and the New Year's Eve of the Church Year. It is the day to celebrate the truth of the final days! Today we celebrate and contemplate the urgency of Christ's command to be ready for the end and to share the truth with all the time we have left.

St. Paul shares what the essence of this day is in

1 Corinthians 15:20-28

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when He comes, those who belong to Him. Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For He “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under Him, it is clear that this does not include God Himself, who put everything under Christ. When He has done this, then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put everything under Him, so that God may be all in all. 

The truth of this text is for us to CELEBRATE that we are the "firstfruits" as St. Paul says we are "those who belong to HIM!" This is why as we gather in this last Sunday we hear of the future, the victory, heaven, judgement and the destruction of Sin, Death and Satan! We look back at what the Lord has done in this last year: new fellowship hall, new small groups, new work with students and our partnership with UCO, gas buy down, many many meals, new color sign on order, 3 full time and one part time paid staff as well as great volunteer staff and so many faithful partners in the gospel! We are the priesthood of all believers and we know the our God reigns!! We look forward to the New Year of the Church and that the Lord has left us here while HE "puts everything under his feet" so that we have more opportunities to build relationships, UP, IN and OUT, knowing Christ and making him known by belonging, believing and becoming who our Lord wants us to be! I am excited to be in ministry here at Cross and Resurrection to see what the Lord has done, is doing and will do! I pray that we look forward, if the Lord doesn't return before next Sunday, to ringing in the Church Year of our Lord 2012 next Sunday! 

May we never forget that the day of victory is coming soon! We will be there celebrating as Jesus states in our Gospel lesson: Matt. 25:46, how those who were hypocrites and did not belong, believe or become will receive punishment in contrast to us who belong to HIM: "the Righteous" "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Praise the Lord! Alleluia! Amen!