Listen to the sermon now, "Finding Jesus In His Future" - Fr. Christopher Caudle

Sermon Summary: Finding Jesus in His Future

In this sermon, Fr. Christopher Caudle invites listeners to reflect on “finding Jesus in his future”—not only as a distant hope, but as a present reality that shapes how Christians live now.

Jesus’ Future Is Active and Victorious

Fr. Christopher emphasizes that Jesus did not complete his earthly ministry and then withdraw from the world. Instead, following his resurrection and ascension, Jesus remains actively ruling, interceding, building his kingdom, and preparing to return in glory. Drawing on Article IV of the Thirty-Nine Articles and 1 Corinthians 15, Fr. Christopher stresses that Jesus’ future is guaranteed to succeed: Christ will present a completed kingdom to the Father, and “God shall be all in all”.

This certainty gives believers hope. Jesus is not working toward a failed or partial outcome; his mission will be fulfilled, the nations will be discipled, and God’s glory will fill the world.

God’s Future Breaks into the Present

A key theme is that God’s future is not only something to wait for—it is already breaking into the present. Using the image of a thermostat slowly rising, he explains that the kingdom of God is already at work, moving history toward its promised end.

Jesus’ proclamation that “the kingdom of God is at hand” means that believers can experience and participate in that future even now, rather than simply anticipating it later.

Micah 6:8 — How to Live into Jesus’ Future

Turning to Micah 6, Fr. Christopher describes God’s covenant lawsuit against Israel and the people’s question: How can we afford to be part of God’s promised future? The prophet’s answer is strikingly simple—not extravagant sacrifice, but faithful living.

Micah’s call is summarized in three practices:

• Do justice (act rightly),
• Love mercy (covenant faithfulness and compassion),
• Walk humbly with God (keep in step with God’s ongoing work).

Walking humbly is described not as passive belief but as active participation in God’s movement through history. God is not static, and his people are called to move with him rather than trying to control or redirect his plans.

Jesus and the Beatitudes

Fr. Christopher then connects Micah’s vision to Matthew 5 and the Beatitudes. Jesus proclaims blessing over those the world considers unblessed—the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers—because these people already belong to the kingdom he is bringing.

Because Jesus’ future victory is secure, believers can speak hope and blessing into present suffering, injustice, and weakness. The Beatitudes reflect a transformed heart that leads to a transformed world.

A Practical Challenge

Fr. Christopher concludes by asking listeners to imagine what it would look like if, a year from now, they were known for one of Micah’s three practices—doing right, loving mercy, or walking humbly with God. Even imperfect faithfulness, he suggests, can open space for God’s kingdom to become more visible in everyday life.

He ends with an encouragement: as believers align their lives with Jesus’ active future, they can begin—right now—to pronounce blessing, hope, and healing in a broken world.

Prayer

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