“Remolded”
December 3, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters, grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
There is no doubt that we are living in a time of change. We’ve probably even noticed – and some of you have even pointed this out – that being in a classroom is different in many ways nowadays than it was back in the day. I even pointed out to the Confirmation students recently that the way they learned how to do Math is different from how I learned how to do Math way back when. There are many other ways and methods of learning that use the resources available now that weren’t available in an earlier time, especially with modern technology. And, a lot of these resources, and especially technology, are things we use on a daily basis: information and ideas are right at our fingertips, and we are constantly being influenced, having our minds changed or molded, by what we read or hear. No matter what age we are, and, whether or not we realize it, we have all sorts of influences which are molding us, influencing us to think and act in certain ways. And, always have to be careful of what we are letting influence and teach us.
Certainly, this is a challenge, because, whether or not we realize it, we are constantly learning. One thing I’ve learned over the past couple of months is that you’re never too old to learn. You’re never too old to take on a new challenge, and you’re certainly never too old to change and be reshaped. For all of us, it is actually an ongoing process, one that lasts a lifetime. As we grow, we change, we learn, and we even stumble and fall; but when we stumble and fall, God is there to pick us up and put us back on track again. He actively corrects our course when we veer off in the direction He wants us to go. Sometimes, on a pot, there can be a groove or a scratch that gets stuck in the molding process, ruining the shape and design of the pot. In fact, that was the very problem in today’s First Reading from Isaiah: the people of Israel had fallen into sin, and were stuck in a harmful groove – trapped in a continuous cycle and pattern of going against who God wanted them to be. They had become slaves to their sinful, destructive habits, which were destroying their well-being, their relationships with each other, and relationship with God. So, in chapter 64, verse 1, they cried out to God to tear the heavens open, come down, and rescue them from their constantly destroying themselves, and being destined for eternal death. And that’s exactly what He did: He opened the curtains of heaven, and stepped through them Himself, coming down to earth not in a great flashy show of power, but in a small yet equally powerful action – being born in a small stable in a small town, late at night, lying in a manger. It was something, though, that changed history, the destiny of all people, and even the entire world. Jesus then died on the cross to rescue us all from slavery to sin and death, and rose again to win eternal life in heaven for us. He then ascended into heaven afterwards, and has promised to come back to rescue us, and this world, from sin, sadness, struggle, and sickness. Jesus continues to come to us, just as He did at Christmas, in small but meaningful ways. The season of Advent, which we are starting to celebrate today, is not just about waiting for Jesus to come back again in great power, but waiting and expecting for Him to come to us, come into our hearts and lives, in small but still powerful ways. He still does so, and if we recognize what He’s doing, we can experience wonders beyond our imagination. We also pray, along with Isaiah: “O Lord, you are our Father, we are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8) God made us, we are the work of His hand, and He made us for a special purpose: to be like Him, and especially be like Him to other people.
We have especially been given the ability to do this, as Paul says in our Second Reading from First Corinthians, being strengthened in our way of speaking and knowledge. We have been given a tremendous amount of spiritual gifts, which we are to use for encouraging others with the promise of the help, power, and rescue of Jesus – as, together, we wait for His coming back.
God is also keeping us strong, to face the challenges of every day. And there’s no denying it: life is a challenge, and every single day brings both the same challenges, and even new ones every so often. In fact, we can say with confidence that we are constantly under attack, and we are at war. We are being continually attacked by the very notion that God is powerless, doesn’t even exist, or we don’t need Him. The reality is, we all still need God. God is still real, still exists, and still is present with us at every time, everywhere. The other great, and comforting thing is, even when we are out of strength, when all our own abilities to keep going, stay positive, or keep moving forward have been spent, God Himself gives us His strength. It is as though we are too tired to keep going, walking down a road, but God comes by in a car, lets us climb inside, and drives us to where we need to get to. We don’t do any of the work: God does it all for us. And that is a wonderful encouragement: nothing we have, whether it is our being saved, or being rescued from sin, God does everything. He already made it possible for us – for you – to have in change in life, and He is offering it freely, because He has already done all the work. If we accept His gift, He will faithfully do what He promises.
God is always faithful. It’s a fact: God is always there for us. God will never let us down, because He hasn’t yet, and He never will. God is not powerless, but is all-powerful, and will give us strength to the very end. As Paul says, it is because of Him that we have fellowship with Jesus. We’ve been rescued from sin entirely because of Him; we’ve been destined for heaven only because of Him; and we are who we are because God did everything for us. Whatever we need, God loves us, and is always there to help us.
In just a few moments, we will be receiving Communion together. And you are invited, as you come to the altar, to invite Jesus into your heart again. Invite Him to influence, teach, and mold you, to remove all those things which would keep you from Him, and to bring you back to Him. If there is any part of your life that needs remolding, or if there is anything that needs changing or correcting, ask Jesus to come and remove it from you, and put you in a new direction. If there is some sort of habit, bad groove, or even sin, you’ve fallen into, you believe you’ve become a slave to, that you can’t get out of on your own, ask Jesus to forgive you, and help you to stop doing it – and He will, because He is even more powerful than your sin, and will rescue you from anything. If you feel exhausted or discouraged, and you can’t go on, pray for Jesus to carry you by His strength – and He will. Also, if you need any kind of encouragement or comfort from God, to know that He is there for you and He is faithful to you, feel free to talk with me after worship today, and I will be happy to pray with you. As you eat and drink the real body and blood of Jesus in the bread and wine, you will be filled with the real power of Jesus, which will do things for you beyond anything you can possibly think of. Be open, open your heart and mind, to what Jesus will be doing in you, and for you this week. Be ready for how He will change your life, and show His love for you. Get ready for Jesus to return – by getting ready for Him to return to you now, to remold and reshape you now.
Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
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