The following sermon was presented by the Rev. John W. Howe, Rector of Truro Episcopal Church in Fairfax, Virginia, on November 30, 1986. The title is, What if this present were the world's last night? And the scripture reference is Matthew chapter 24, verses 37 through 44. 

The word Advent comes from the Latin, simply means to come, the coming, specifically the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's a very strange season in the church calendar because we're celebrating two things at once. We're looking back to the time in preparation for his first coming.

As a babe in Bethlehem, we focus primarily on the ministry of John the Baptizer, who called people to repent because the King was coming. We look forward to his coming again in glory to judge the quick and the dead. It's on that that this morning's scripture focus, The coming of our Lord Jesus, a second time coming in great power and majesty and glory and coming to judge.

A lot of modern day people, even some who call themselves Christians, think that there's no sillier teaching than that of a man who lived and died 2,000 years ago, coming back to set up a kingdom here on earth. I remember Bishop Pike used to say that his job, according to the prayer book, was to drive away from the church all erroneous and strange doctrine. And he would add, there is certainly none stranger than the doctrine of the second coming.

Even some who call themselves Christians. They mean something different by that than I do. But even some who call themselves Christians find that a very strange and incomprehensible doctrine.

It seems to me that most of the skepticism when you run into it, most of the ridicule is based on one of two things. Firstly, that the apostles themselves, let alone others, thought that Jesus would be coming back within their own lifetimes. And there are a couple of major statements that he made that would seem, at first glance, to indicate that that was the case.

Only he didn't come back within their lifetime. They were wrong. Secondly, it's been so long.

Things just go on. And in every generation you have people who think that he's coming back in their lifetimes and he hasn't yet. Well, there are biblical answers to both of those concerns.

With regard to the expectation itself, Jesus said over and over in every imaginable way, with a whole litany of illustrations, you cannot possibly know when. You cannot know. As a matter of fact, he said, the angels don't know, and I don't know when I'm coming back.

It's the one thing. the major doctrinal thing of which he expressed his own ignorance he said only the father in heaven knows there will be signs but don't try to pinpoint it some folks are confused by his comment that this generation will not pass away until these things take place but the question is which generation the one he was speaking to or the one he was speaking about. This generation.

The generation which witnesses these mighty signs, these cataclysmic things in the heavens and on the earth, the generation that witnesses those things will not pass away before the end. There's an even more troubling comment to some folks on another occasion. He said, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.

Some of you standing here are not going to die before you see the kingdom. They said, well, obviously they all died hundreds and hundreds of years ago. He was wrong.

Now, it's interesting. Go back and read it for yourself. The very next sentence says that he went up to a mountain and was transfigured before Peter, James, and John.

Six days later, some who were standing there saw with their own eyes a transfiguration of Jesus in glory and splendor. A little foretaste of his coming again. They actually saw it.

but in its fullness it is yet to come. And the point is, you cannot possibly know when. With regard to the length of time that has elapsed already, Peter wrote this in his first letter, you must understand that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own passions and saying, where is the promise of His coming?

For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued as they were from the beginning. They deliberately ignore this one fact, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Hasn't really been that long after all, has it?

Only a couple of days. Isn't it lovely that in the very process of ridiculing, the scoffers are fulfilling Scripture? God knew all about that.

The Lord has delayed His return for one reason. And that's that many, many more people, you and me included, would have the opportunity to come under the Gospel and to put our trust in Christ and know Him in a personal way and have our sins forgiven and become part of this eternal kingdom. For one reason.

For mercy's sake. He's delayed His coming for you and for me. But He won't delay forever.

And that's the reminder this morning. He won't delay forever. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.

The angels in the book of Acts said, this same Jesus will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven. Hereafter, said the Lord Himself, you shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven. He did institute, and in His Holy Gospel command us to continue a perpetual memory of that His precious death and sacrifice until His coming again.

Thy kingdom come. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Do you live in the light of that?

Are you living this day in the light of that? or do you find yourself getting caught up in the hustle and bustle and all the trivial details all of the rat race and running around trying to make it happen and just kind of let that slip out of your consciousness be reminded of it today lots of folks become very fearful when they begin to think seriously about the second coming especially about judgment but the issue in scripture isn't fearfulness it's preparation be prepared you cannot possibly know when therefore be prepared at all times and Jesus gives illustration after illustration if the householder had known what time the burglar was coming he'd have been ready for him if the servant had known when his employer was returning he wouldn't have been drunk in the kitchen if the soldier had known when the enemy was going to attack he wouldn't have fallen asleep at his post if only the bridesmaids had known when the bride room was coming they would never have let their oil run dry because you cannot possibly know when be ready always what if it happened before this service ended? Would you be ready?

Alan Funt used to end every episode of television's Candid Camera with the warning that somewhere, sometime, when you least expect it, you may be caught in the act of being yourself. That's a very sobering prospect. what if the Lord Jesus were to suddenly invade my secret most activity what if the things that I've been trying to put together were suddenly interrupted and made public knowledge just as the Iran arms connection has been this week.

What if your most secret things were suddenly public knowledge? What if in my social relationships, my financial dealings, my marital compromises, what if I was suddenly caught in the act of being myself? what if in the words of John Donne this present were the world's last night would you be prepared don't fear it anticipate it and begin living today in such a way that you have nothing to fear that's the point I wish you a happy New Year's. New Year's is a time for starting over, making a new resolve, taking stock of ourselves, making a fresh beginning.

Well, let's do so. Let's be reminded there comes a day when the curtain is rung down, a brick is thrown at the record player. It's all off.

Are we going to be ready for that day? I want to share a fairly lengthy quotation from C.S. Lewis.

He said, we've all encountered judgments or verdicts on ourselves in this life. Every now and then we discover what our fellow creatures really think of us. I don't, of course, mean what they tell us to our faces.

That we usually have to discount. I'm thinking of what we sometimes overhear by accident, or of the opinions about us which our neighbors or employees or subordinates unknowingly reveal in their actions, and of the terrible or lovely judgments artlessly betrayed by children or even animals. Such discoveries can be the bitterest or sweetest experiences we have.

but of course both the bitter and the sweet are limited by our doubt as to the wisdom of those who judge we always hope that those who so clearly think us cowards or bullies are ignorant or malicious we always fear that those who trust us or admire us are misled by partiality I suppose the experience of the final judgment which may break in upon us at any moment will be like these little experiences but magnified to the end for it will be infallible judgment if it is favorable we shall have no fear if unfavorable no hope that it is wrong we shall not only believe, we shall know, know beyond doubt in every fiber of our appalled or delighted being that as the judge has said, so we are. Neither more, nor less, nor other. We shall perhaps even realize that in some dim fashion we could have known it all along.

We shall know, and all creation will know too, our ancestors, our parents, our wives, our husbands, our children. The unanswerable and by then self-evident truth about each will be known to all. He says, I do not find that pictures of physical catastrophe, that sign in the clouds, those heavens rolled up like a scroll, help one so much as the naked idea of judgment.

We cannot always be excited. We can, perhaps, train ourselves to ask more and more often how the thing we are saying or doing or failing to do at each moment will look when the irresistible light streams in upon it. That light which is so different from the light of this world.

And yet even now we know just enough of it to take it into account. Women sometimes have the problem of trying to judge by artificial light how a dress will look by daylight. That is very like the problem for all of us.

To dress our souls. Not for the electric lights of this present world. But for the daylight of the next.

the good dress is the one that will face that light for that light will last longer are you living this day in the light of that one saint paul says let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light let's bow our heads together Lord Jesus in the midst of all of our busyness all of our responsibilities and all of our hopes and dreams that we are pursuing, in all of the pressure that crushes in upon us, in all of the compromise that surrounds us, we would be reminded that we are answerable people, and that we live for You. and that one day there will be an accounting. Help me to live this day prepared for that one for your name's sake.

Amen.