Rise up, Your Redemption is Near Luke 21:28; Malachi 4:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Grace. mercy and peace to you from God, our Father, and our Lord Jesus, who is drawing near.

The title of our message is taken from the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel, especially verse 28: 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Rise up! Your Redemption is Near!

What is it that causes you to sit up and pay attention? In this busy world, cluttered with so many commercial messages, we’ve learned to kind of tune out the excessive noise and chatter all around us.

On an episode of the sitcom “The Office”, one of the office workers, Kelly, says, “I’m not sure what I just said. I talk a lot, so I’ve learned to tune myself out.”.

It’s sort of a survival technique for us to tune out all, or at least some of the commercial chatter, and worldly noise around us.

Likewise we’ve learned to look away at times from all the hustle and bustle, the constant activity and all the action that zooms past us.

What this means is that it takes more to get our attention, since we’ve become so good at tuning out.

There are messages and communication in this world that it’s good for us to tune out; they deserve to be tuned out.

But the key is to have the wisdom and recognition to know what it is that we ought to pay attention to; and the enlightenment and awareness to know we should pay the closest attention to.

There are things that we might hear, or might be said to us, that will get our attention in a hurry, that might even get us up off our chair, or off the couch.

A game saving interception by Harrison Smith in the last few seconds of a Vikings game, can get the crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium up off their chairs, and even some fans at home up off the couch.

Back in the day, when bean bags were popular, I was watching the Vikings, and as I remember, I was already up off the couch, pacing, it was last few seconds of the game, and I think it was a playoff game, or maybe to make the playoffs, and of course, they sealed the loss. 

If I remember the play right, it was our defense giving up a long touchdown pass as time ran out. What I do remember for sure was kicking that bean bag as hard as I could, and it flew across the living room and though the open door into the den; if it would have been a football it might have gone 70 yards. 

And the reason I remember this is because I sprained my ankle real good; I limped for the next few weeks. It was definitely an overreaction.

But I’ve mellowed since then. Being a Vikings fan has taught me how to handle disappointment. 

The point is, there are things that are worth getting up off the couch for, so speak, and maybe even worth kicking the bean bag for; and there are things not worth it.

There are things worth paying attention to, and things that are better dismissed or disregarded.

The trouble is, we fallen creatures have this way of ignoring the things that matter most, and matter forever. We can find ourselves caring way more about worldly things, than Heavenly things.

We can sleep and slumber through the things that have an eternal impact on life – the Word of God, and His works to draw the world to Him, while the world is still here.  

We need to pay attention to the Word of God every day, and recognize His work in the world, especially the death and resurrection of His Son for our redemption; and the power of His Spirit for our faith and salvation.

These are God’s great works for us to be always aware of, and thankful for, and witnesses of while we are still in this world, or while this world still exists. 

There will come a time when the things of this world no longer matter, because this world will have had its allotted time. The appointed time will come when the age of this world is complete, and the universe ends.

Some scoff at this, but it’s better to be wise about it, and aware, to recognize this reality.

Jesus tells us about this coming time in today’s Gospel, and Malachi prophesies it in today’s Old Testament. 

He says, “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts… But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings… or redemption, as Jesus calls it.

For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

This is something no one will be able to dismiss or ignore; it’s something for us, and for all, to prepare for.

Advent is coming soon. And one of the themes of Advent is prepare, prepare a way for the Lord -- be aware and prepare.

Repent of sin and all that we would pay more attention to, and care more about, than Christ and the Gospel; and believe that He is coming for sure, soon; all is fulfilled; it could be any day.

And so let us pay attention to what’s happening, to the signs around us that all point to the advent of our King, the arrival of Christ; and our final redemption, which the glorious resurrection of our bodies.

Let us pay attention not just to what’s happening on earth, but also, especially, to what’s happening in Heaven. 

How do we on earth, pay attention to the happenings and activities in Heaven? We can’t see what’s going on there.

But we can believe what we’re told in God’s Word about His eternal Kingdom of glory; and that’s how we know; by faith we pay attention to Heavenly things.

As Paul says in the Easter Epistle reading, from Colossians 3, Set your mind on things above, where Christ is seated. 

There are things happening above us, things we can’t see with our eyes, but that we know by faith. 

As Hebrews 11:1 says, Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

By faith in Christ, by enlightenment in His Word, we see the future: Christ shall return, with all His angels, Jesus says in Matthew 16. 

With the cry of the archangel, and the blare of the trumpet, 1 Thessalonians 4 says. 

And for the first time, everybody will be paying attention; Christ will have the full attention of the whole world; all will be waiting for their judgment.

But we already have our judgment through Baptism. All who are justified by faith in Christ have His personal righteousness as the gift that guarantees salvation. 

So let us sit up and stand up and rise up and pay full attention to the Word of God for the world, and to His work in the world through His Spirit, and through His Church.

Let us recognize the signs of time; they all point to Jesus and His return.

So let us get up and get busy as the people of God, serving the world with the only Word that saves, this true and holy Word we have from Heaven, from the Holy Spirit, inspired by Him. Let’s get busy with the Word!

Paul tells us in our Epistle to not be idle, and to not grow weary in doing good, because our redemption, our Redeemer is drawing near.

So let us not lose focus on why we’re here: we’re here to be the voice, and the hands and feet of God in the world, to serve Him with gladness, and to proclaim His redemption with love, and His judgment with boldness.

We have an urgent task, our mission to know Christ and to make Him known. 

Time is running short, so let us make the most of today, getting to know Christ better in his Word, and helping others to better know Him through the words we share, and the good we do in His name.

And as we rise up and serve with God’s Word, His peace, which passes our understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, whose redemption is near. Amen.