Spiritual Birth: Advent: Life To The Fulest Series

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. A time of waiting – waiting for our Lord Jesus. You may be in a time of waiting in your life.

Waiting for what is happening next. The doctor has given you a series of tests – wait for the results; My kids will be out of the house next year – what then; The divorce went through– now what; Something’s got to happen in my life…..

Sometimes the worst time is waiting for something to happen. Waitng, waiting, waiting. And it seems like…..nothing happens. What is going to happen next? What do I do in this time of waiting?

Our Scriptures have an insight into this: Worship.Yes worship. This involves: Understanding that we have been called; Understanding who is really in control; Knowing who has the final say, who is going to make it happen in your life.

Where do you turn to next? Let’s see…..

In our Jeremiah passage we see this image of sheep. The sheep Scattered; Those who believe in God; Those who will believe in God -God knows this – he is all knowing.

Shepherds = leaders. In this case, leading the people away

The Sheep Gathered = Israel and us.

Inheritance.

Verse 12: giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Those in the kingdom of God are not in it by physical birth, but by spiritual birth. Who Makes This Possible? - Jesus of Course. We see a Hymn – in our colossians passage. Verses 15-20.

Like a creed:

Descriptive - yes.

Informative - yes.

Worshipful - absolutely.

We all have favorite songs from the radio. As a Teen – A New Radio Station opened - The Quake, it played all our favorite songs and that’s all it played - over and over and over.

Maybe you have a favorite song from church and it may not even be you type of music - but you love it anyway. Chances are, it is a song of Worship, like Amazing Grace - a song praising God for his mercy.

Let’s see what this hymn tells us – about Jesus. Unpacking the Hymn - tells us about the person who makes it all possible. The Image of the invisible God. Not a copy - or a photo, This is a Title of majesty that mphasis Jesus’ relation to God.

Firstborn over all creation.

Yes, he had brothers and sisters - but it means more than that. It referes to Jesus being an Heir, Owner, and Possessor. It denotes one who has a special place in the father’s love.

Esau & Jacob. The firstborn was transferred from Esau to Jacob - yet God honored it. Jacob - Joseph brought him his sons-Manasseh - older

and Ephraim - younger. He crossed hands at the time of blessing reversing the order to showe his favor.

Summarize.

Jesus is full of majesty and takes Possession of all . He eserves our Worship. By him all things were created. Jesus possesses, because he created. Yes Jesus was at creation, “let us....” The word creation is in the perfect tense meaning original creation and ongoing creation. The act of creation takes place in Christ - not apart from him.

The Happy Garden Chinese Restaurant.

We loved this place back in San Francisco - packed all the time. There was always a line out front. At one point the cook asked for more money the owner said no. Good Bye - Cook. Good bye customers. The act of creation could not take place without the cook. Soon the cook was back – with a lot more money in his pocket.

Both spiritual and material - Verse 16.

For by him all things were created:

things in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;

all things were created by him and for him.

Both spiritual and material things were created by Jesus.

verse 17 -18 sums it all up

17 He is before all things,

and in him all things hold together.

18 And he is the head of the body,

the church; he is the beginning

and the firstborn from among the dead,

so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

He is Preexistent. God before anything existed and he holds all thing together. When things falling apart in life, who do you turn to? The one who holds all things together.

He is supreme:

Nothing is above him,

No problem,

No relationship,

No impossibility,

Nothing, nada, nixe above’

Getting to the Money Man.

I used to have my own business: Aquariums for offices . Why waste time convincing the powerless, those who could not write the check? - "that sounds great....I’ll have to talk with my boss.