Old Testament Lesson; Isaiah 2:1-5
Epistle Lesson; Romans 13:11-14
Gospel Lesson; Matthew 24:37-44
Sermon Text; Matthew 24:37-44

I want to draw your attention to three parts of architecture in this building. First of all, if you look straight up, doesn't it look like you are looking at the bottom of a ship? Doesn't it look like the rafters are the ribs of the ship and we are in a ship? Someone once explained to me that being a Christian is like being in a ship. It is like being in the ark, where we are in a place of safety!

We are safe for the day of destruction,

because we are believers in Christ.

When Christ comes back, because we believe in Him, we are in a safe place. Being in the Holy Christian Church is like being in a ship, being in the ark.

Now, I want you to look at the second part of our church’s architecture. If you count back - one, two, three windows, you will see at the top of that third stained glass window the ark floating on the water. (Now, remember, being a Christian is like being on the ark. It is like we are in a place of safety in the day of destruction.) So there you see the ark, which is from the Old Testament. The windows across the way are the New Testament correspondents to those Old Testament windows. So here you see the water and the ark, and the window across from it you see some different water. What water do you see there? You see the water of Holy Baptism. So what does the water of the ark have to do with the water of Holy Baptism?

Well that gets me to the next part of our church’s architecture. We have this very unique, eight-sided baptismal font. 1 Peter, chapter 3:20-21 is talking about the ark and Noah. It says,

"In it (the ark), only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water. In the same way, baptism also now saves you. Not with washing of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a conscious toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

But, listen to that Bible passage, one more time.

"In it (the ark), only a few people,

eight in all

were saved through water."

Eight people, who were on the ark, were saved by water. Those eight people were Noah, his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth and their wives, making eight people. So eight people in all were saved by water. This eight-sided baptismal font is a picture for us. Just like the eight people were saved by the water of the flood, so you and I are saved by the waters of Holy Baptism!

I want you to keep that in mind, (and we are going to get back to all of that architecture, the windows and the baptismal font), but first, let's read the Bible passage for today, taken from Matthew 24:37-44, where Jesus talks about the last day and He compares the last day of the world to the days of Noah.

"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour that you do not expect Him."

These are your words, Heavenly Father. Lead us in the way of truth. Your word is truth.

Amen

Jesus says,

"As it was in the days of Noah,

so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."

He wants us to compare what was happening in the days of Noah, to what is going to happen at the end of the world, as Christ is about to come back.

What was happening in the days of Noah? In the days of Noah, there was a clear sign to everybody in the world that destruction was coming. What was the clear sign? There was an ark being built. That ark was being built for one hundred and twenty years! The sign was there that destruction was coming.

"As it was in the days of Noah,

so it will be in the days of the Son of Man."

There are signs, clear signs to the whole world today that the day of destruction is coming. Scripture has given us many signs to look for.

There are signs in the nations. There are wars and rumors of war, nation rising against nation.

There are signs in nature – earthquakes, famines, natural disasters.

There are signs in the church, which scripture told us to watch for. The Gospel will be spread to the ends of the world. There will be more and more false doctrine growing in the church.

There are signs in society that the world is growing more hateful, more wicked, and more evil.

So, the signs are there.

The Word was there, during the days of Noah. The Bible tells us Noah was a preacher of righteousness. Certainly, he warned the people that the end was coming, that a day of destruction was coming, and explained why he was building the ark.

"As it was in the days of Noah,

so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."

The world has the Word, today. The Word is proclaimed, and has been proclaimed throughout the world that the Day of Judgment is coming.

In the days of Noah, what did the world do with that sign of the ark being built? What did they do with the Word that had been preached and taught to them? Well, the world ignored it. By in large, the world ignored it. Why did they ignore it? Why was destruction coming? The Bible tells us that God looked at man, who He had made, and He saw that man had become so corrupt, so wicked that every inclination of man's heart was evil. And God, in His own heart, was grieved. He was grieved that He had made man. He was pained in His heart. And He determined in His heart that He would destroy mankind, which He had made.

Here we see a side of God that many people don't even want to look at. But, it is a side of God that we must see. It is a side where God shows us that He hates sin. He cannot stand sin. He cannot stand wickedness. And God determined in His heart to wipe away the wickedness, but to save Noah and his family, save believing Noah and his family.

But, the rest of the world saw no need. They saw no need for this ark, because they did not see their own wickedness. Or, if they did, they did not care about their own wickedness. And so, they did not repent of their sin. They did not beg Noah to let them on the ark. In fact, scripture says, "For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark." They were not worried about spiritual things.

"As it was in the days of Noah,

so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."

We know the exact day Noah entered the ark. It was the seventeenth day of the second month of the six hundredth year of Noah's life, that he entered the ark and shut the door. Scripture tells us that on the very day that he entered the ark, the depths of the earth broke forth, and the floodgates of heaven opened up, and destruction came upon this earth. But, Noah and his family were safe. They were in the ark.

Now, I want to ask you a question.

What day did you

enter the ark?

What day did you

enter the ark of God's Church?

What day did you

become a believer in Jesus, as your Savior?

What day was it that you

went into the safety of believing in Jesus,

so that when the day of destruction comes,

you

will be saved?

For Noah, Noah entered the ark on the seventeenth day of the second month of the six hundredth year of Noah's life. You entered the ark on the day of your baptism. Scripture tells us, "In this ark only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also - not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscious toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

On the day you were baptized, you entered into the ark. You entered into a safe place. You entered into a place where you are free from destruction.

And what happened on the day of your baptism? The Bible gives us so many profound promises. It says,

"Be baptized

and wash away your sins."

On the day you were baptized, God promised that your sins were washed away. How are sins washed away? They are not washed away by running your hands under the faucet at home. They are not washed away by using some extra heavy-duty detergent. That cannot wash away any sin. The Bible tells us that those in Heaven are those who have washed their robes and made them white (in what?) in the blood of the Lamb.

"Be baptized

and wash away your sins."

When you were baptized, God applied to you the blood of Jesus Christ, as your very own gift. And, you were washed clean. Your sins were washed away in the blood of the Lamb. God promised that as your personal possession.

The Bible tells us that all of us who have been baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. On the day of your baptism, God promised, as it were, that Christ's holy life now covers up all your sin. And, God does not see your sin, anymore!

On the day of your baptism, the Bible tells us, "Don't you know that all of us who are baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" Christ’s death became our personal possession, so that Jesus, by His death, paid for all of our sins. Jesus, in death, took possession of our sins. And in the grave, full payment had been made for our sins. All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. God declared that Christ's payment for sin is your personal possession on the day you were baptized. He said your name (in my case), "Mark Frederic Bartels, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." There God wrote His name on me. He said, "You belong to me."

And, He did it for you, too.

You belong to God the Father,

who made you.

You belong to God the Son,

who redeemed you.

You belong to God the Holy Spirit,

who has now come into your heart,

brought you to repentance

and faith in Christ as your Savior.

So, you entered the ark. Noah did it on the seventeenth day of the second month of the six hundredth year of his life. You entered the ark on the day you were baptized. Most of you came to faith in Christ, as your Savior, as little infants. But, here is what I want you to consider, as we look at today's scripture reading. Jesus gives a firm warning. And the firm warning is this.

Jesus is coming back

on a day that we do not expect Him.

"You do not know on what day your Lord will come."

He is coming back on a day that we don't expect Him. And, it can happen (and it has happened throughout the history of the world, and even throughout the history of Holy Cross Lutheran Church), that people who entered the ark, were safely on the ark, believed in Christ as their Savior, had been brought to faith by the waters of Holy Baptism and trusted in Jesus, it has happened that people have ‘fallen out of the ark.’ They have walked away from those promises of God. They have walked away from faith in Christ, as their Savior. And, they are not in the ark, anymore. They are not in the Holy Christian Church. It could happen to any one of us.

It could happen that we begin to walk with the ungodly and we walk away from salvation and the safety that is offered in the church.

It could be that we begin to get caught up so much in the things of this world that we forget to take care of our own soul. And slowly, Satan steals away from us the faith that we had in Christ, as our Savior.

And so, scripture warns us, be ready, keep watch. Jesus says,

"Therefore, keep watch,

because you do not know on what day

your Lord will come."

In the days of Noah, people weren't ready, because they weren't repentant. They did not think that they needed their sins forgiven. They did not think that they needed to be saved from any destruction. And so, when destruction came, they were not ready. Jesus is telling you, don't let the same thing happen to you. Don't get yourself into a position in life where you think to yourself, "I don't need the forgiveness of my sin." Or, "I don't want the forgiveness of my sin." Or, you totally forget about sin altogether and you become so caught up with the things of this world that you are unconcerned with your soul.

Our catechism has some awesome, awesome advice for every one of us on how to stay watchful, ready, and prepared for the day that Jesus comes back in Judgment - how to ‘stay on the ark,’ how to stay in faith in Christ, as your Savior. It comes from the section, "The Meaning of Baptism." Many of you memorized this, when you were in Confirmation Class. Many of you were baptized years ago. Is it still significant to you today? Listen to what our catechism says. It says this.

What does such baptizing with water mean?

Such baptizing with water means that the old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drown and die to all sin and evil lust and that a new man daily come forth and arise who shall live before Christ in righteousness, and holiness forever.

Where is this written? St. Paul writes, Roman 6:4, "We are buried with Christ by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too, may walk in newness of life."

What does the catechism say there? It says, "Such baptizing with water means that the old Adam in us should by daily, daily contrition and repentance be drown and die to all sin and evil lust." There is no better exercise that you can go through, as a Christian, than

to daily repent of your sin,

to daily keep yourself aware that you need a Savior,

to daily look at your life,

to daily examine "What have I done? How have I sinned today? Where have I gone wrong?"

to daily see the need to be on that ark so that you are safe with the forgiveness of your sins

to daily put to death, through contrition and repentance, our old Adam with all of its sins and evil lusts.

That is what happened in your baptism. The day you were baptized, you were brought to repentance. You were brought to be sorry for your sins. The Holy Spirit did that through the Word.

I like how our catechism encourages us at the end of each day to say a little prayer that goes this way.

"I thank you, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have graciously kept me this day. And, I pray that you would forgive me all of my sins where I have done wrong."

That is daily repentance. That is daily coming before God and saying, "I pray that you forgive all of the sins where I have done wrong." I cannot encourage you enough. The life of a Christian should be a life of daily repentance. The old Adam in us should by daily contrition be drown and die to all sins and evil lusts, and a new man daily come forth and arise, which shall live before Christ in righteousness and holiness forever.

We daily repent of our sins. We daily see our need for a Savior. We daily turn to the promises in scripture, the promises that were given to us personally at our baptism, and we say to ourselves, "My sins are forgiven. Scripture promises that to me. God declares that I am absolved of all of my sin, because of Christ. And, I cling to Christ. I trust in Christ. He alone is my safety in the day of destruction, when He comes back as the Judge of the living and the dead. Clinging to Christ my Savior, I will be found not guilty."

And so, daily we repent of our sin. Daily we find our comfort, our safety, and security in Christ. And a new man daily comes forth and arises that lives before God in righteousness and holiness. A new man in us arises that says, "I want to live for my Savior. Those wicked sins that He has redeemed me from, I do not want to walk in those wicked sins, anymore. But, I want to walk in the way of my Savior. I want to walk in the way of Christ. I want to live a new life. I want to strive to live the kind of life that I will live, when I finally get to Heaven."

Jesus is coming back!

"As it was in the days of Noah,

so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."

There will be many people who will not be prepared and they will not be on the ark, when Christ comes back. Let's be found on that ark. Let's be found in the Holy Christian Church. Let's be found as believers in Christ, as our Savior. The old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drown and die to all sins and evil lust, and a new man daily come forth and arise, that shall live before Christ in righteousness and holiness forever.

Amen.