Today is Christ the King Sunday. And as recently as last week my attitude toward Christ the King was, so what? As recently as last week, all I imagined this day to be was the church giving a new, fancier name for what used to be called The Last Sunday of Pentecost.

In my sermon today I’d like to share with you my new excitement, appreciation, and understanding of today. While today is still the last Sunday of Pentecost, Christ the King Sunday is well worth celebrating. And here’s why: Jesus is Lord!

Let’s start here. Picture this. A man dressed in a distinctive brown uniform is standing, high on a platform, utterly dwarfed by the tens of thousands of people surrounding him. Nonetheless, as small as he is, every eye is fixed on him. And for good reason! In him rest all their hopes. In him rest all their trust. Their safety and security are in his hands.

As one, they show their loyalty and obedience by giving him the distinctive, “Roman salute:" arms aloft, palms down, fingers touching. He receives their adulation and thanks. Then, elbow bent, he returns the salute.

You know who we’re talking about, right? We can all see Adolph Hitler in our mind’s eye, right? But, do you know where Hitler got all this from? Do you know who and what he was modeling himself after?

The Roman Empire, of course! Hitler was consciously depicting himself as the new Caesar--the Supreme Leader--of a new Empire, the Third Reich.

Who was considered personally responsible for the safety and security of ancient Rome? Who did people look to keep their world peaceful and safe? Who did people believe saved them--no, who did they believe saved the world--from danger and despair?

With one voice the people of the ancient world--from France to Africa and from Palestine to Turkey--would say, Caesar! Caesar is Lord! Caesar is Savior! To him, they would chant, every knee shall bow, whether in heaven or on earth.

Can you see now why it was so dangerous and life-threatening to be Christian in the ancient world? Can you see why Rome moved so swiftly to put Jesus to death when he entered Jerusalem and was proclaimed as King?

To say that Jesus is Lord--that Christ is King--was not--and is not now--primarily making a religious claim. As Rome well knew, it’s a political claim. If Jesus is Lord--if Christ is King--then Caesar is not. Someone else is Savior and Peacemaker of the world.

Several years ago Bob Dylan surprised his fans by becoming a Christian and releasing an album about his new-won faith. One of the songs on that album is called Gotta Serve Somebody. Here are some of the lyrics:

You may be a construction worker working on a home,
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome,
You might own guns and you might even own tanks,
You might be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Do you agree? Because this is not the way most people think of themselves! Most people think of themselves as being free and independent, able to choose what they want to do when they want to do it.

No one is their master! Or, if they are, it’s only because we choose who our masters are!
Bob Dylan is, in fact, closer to the Biblical view of the world!

You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk,
You may be the head of some big TV network,
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame,
You may be living in another country under another name
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

And that’s why I’m so excited--and such a strong believer--in celebrating today--the last Sunday of Pentecost--as Christ the King Sunday! Today is a day for us to recognize what it means for us to say and believe that Jesus is Lord and Christ is King.

I do not find my safety and security in Caesar, nor in any government. I do not look to Caesar--nor to any government--to save me, whether by bailing me out or by getting government off my back! Jesus is Lord! Christ is King!

It’s about politics; but it isn’t just about politics. In the words of Bob Dylan, you gotta serve somebody. And, when I say Jesus is Lord, I’m making it clear who I serve and to whom my allegiance lies. Out of all the masters and lords making claims on me and exerting their influence over me, I say, Jesus is Lord!

Pastor Harkness and I just got back from the Bishop’s Convocation on Friday. For three days we immersed ourselves in the topic, The Last Conversion: Head, Heart and Wallet. We heard things like, the average person is subjected to 5,000 ads per day, every day. Five thousand times each and every day our culture is trying to exert its influence over you, telling you that life will be better if you buy this. You’ll be happier if you try this. You’ll be better, wiser, cooler, safer if you buy this.

The speaker tested its effectiveness. He asked us, “Raise your hand if you’re content with your body: your weight, appearance, or fitness.” No one raised their hand.

We like to think we’re free agents in life. No one is our master or, if they are, they’re there because we’ve made them so.

That’s not the way the Bible sees things! And that’s again why I have new-found appreciation for what today is all about. Today we say that Jesus is Lord and Christ is King!
The topic of our conference was The Last Conversion: Head, Heart, and Wallet. Because today is also--by no accident--also Stewardship Sunday, let’s be bold and talk about that last conversion, the conversion of our wallets.

I came away from the conference feeling very strongly that Christians really do have good news to share. Jesus is Lord! Christ is King! The choices we make with our money can change the world!

We are not defined by what we buy. We are defined by who or what we serve. Is it consumerism or Christ?

The choices we make with our money can change the world! Now, I know that we are going through tough economic times. No one is asking you to do--or to feel guilty about--what you can’t do.

What we’re talking about is what you can do! Christ the King Sunday is a day when you can say Jesus is Lord and Christ is King, not only with head and heart, but also with wallet.

Did you hear me say no one is asking you to do--or to feel guilty about--what you can’t do but only about what you can? In your pledge today, what can you do to proclaim that Jesus is Lord? What can you do to express that Christ is King?

But let’s go deeper. Over the next three days, what can you do--especially with your wallet--to say to the world that Jesus is Lord? The world says, “See money; spend money!” Can you save instead of spend? Can you share what you’ve saved?

The choices we make with our money can change the world. The good news we have for the world is: Jesus is Lord and Christ is King. In Jesus’ name. Amen!