The season of Advent is characterized by an air of uncertainty as it looks backward to the birth of Christ and forward to His Second Coming. The first Sunday uses apocalyptic texts with sobering images and ideas of the coming judgment. It calls into presence the importance of the Advent season. For “this is a time of preparation, a time of prayer, a time of penance, a time of making ready to celebrate Christ’s presence with us now and in the future.” We are called into sobriety and discernment as Jesus’ warning sounds in our ears, Beware, keep alert!
In Paul’s greeting, found here in Corinthians, there is a note of warmth and affection and a degree of irony and sarcasm. Paul is urging them to use this time of waiting for Christ’s return to get ready for the coming judgment. “The church was messy and divided. There were conflicting loyalties, factions, law suits, arguments, debates and division among them. They were not acting as God’s holy people and Paul was calling them to live up to their inheritance and their privilege as God’s holy people.” (intro adapted from Sermon Central)
It was true they had been “enriched” in speech and knowledge of every kind. Their witness in Christ had grown; but, Paul is reminding them, it is by His faithfulness that they, and us, will be found blameless before God. It is in His faithfulness that we are called into fellowship with Christ where we are to mature and grow in his likeness. And, it is in His faithfulness that we have been called into fellowship with the living body of Christ, the church, as we wait for His Second Coming.
Waiting is the hardest work of Christian hope. Over and over again throughout the Bible God lovingly assures us to wait. Abraham waited 24 years for the son God had promised, the Hebrew nation waited 40 years before entering the promised land, the Jews waited for the Messiah, the disciples kept waiting for Jesus to usher in his kingdom the way they expected, they waited in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit, all the way through the Bible to the last words in the last chapter of Revelation God calls us to wait. Revelation 22:20, “Behold I am coming soon” – hold on and wait for me.
What God does in us while we wait, though, is as important as what we are waiting for. Biblical waiting is not passively sitting around for something or someone to come along that will allow you to escape from your trouble. People sometimes say “I’m just waiting on the Lord” as an excuse not to face up to reality, take appropriate action or own up to their responsibility. That is not what waiting on the Lord is. Biblical waiting is not passive; it is not a way to evade unpleasant realities.
Waiting on the Lord is a confident, disciplined, expectant, active and sometimes painful clinging to God. It is the daily decision to say “God I trust you and will obey you, even when things don’t seem to be going right.” It is submitting yourself to God’s introspection of your life and habits and asking him to change you while you wait for Him to come again.
There were problems in the Corinthian church divisions, immorality, pride, selfishness, and pettiness. They tolerated all kinds of sinful behavior in the church when they should have been dealing with it. They failed to reach out to those in the world they were supposed to win. They refused to be servants of God in ministry to the downtrodden and poor. They claimed superior Christian wisdom and knowledge and they used it to impress and control others for personal gain and prestige. The influence of the world took precedence over the influence and leading of the Holy Spirit.
The reports of these problems greatly distressed the apostle Paul. In fact, he mentions that he has already sent one letter previously concerning these. In this letter he is harsh as he seeks to address these issues again. His harshness, however, is rooted in his love and concern for their spiritual well being. “One commentator notes that Paul’s quarrel with the church at Corinth was a lover’s quarrel. He loved them despite their problems. It was a love that grieved because they had failed to become everything that God had intended and designed them to be while waiting His return.
A brilliant scholar, Paul could have overwhelmed his listeners with intellectual arguments. Instead he shared the simple message of Christ by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide his words. His words were and are authoritative because their source was the Holy Spirit. He is declaring that no amount of human knowledge or giftedness can replace or bypass Christ’s work on the cross. Skill and wisdom do not get a person into God’s kingdom, simple faith does. No one can boast that hs or her achievements or works helped him or her secure eternal life.
Paul called the Corinthians infants in Christian life because they were not yet spiritually healthy and mature. The proof was that they quarreled and were jealous like children, allowing divisions to distract them. They had split into cliques with each clique believing they were the only ones who were right. They spent more time arguing over church leadership then declaring and doing the work of Christ.
Immature Christians are “worldly” controlled by their desires. They do things the way the world would. They operate out of fear, doubt and try to secure things for themselves instead of trusting in God to lead and take care of them. They believe their way is the only right way to do things. Their Christian growth is stunted by their prideful control through power and politics. Mature believers are in tune with God’s desires and they relinquish control to him.
God’s work involves many different individuals with a variety of gifts and abilities. There are no superstars in this task, only team members performing their own special roles. We can become useful members of God team by setting aside our desires to receive glory for what we do. The Corinthian church was filled with members who were immature insensitive to one another and vulnerable to wrong doctrine. No wonder they had so many problems. Everything we are and do must fit into the pattern provided by him. The church must be built on Christ not on any other person or principle. Christ will evaluate each persons’ contribution to the life of the church and the day of judgment will reveal the sincerity of each person’s work.
Just as our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, the local church or Christian community is God’s temple. Just as the Jews’ temple was not to be destroyed , the church is not to be spoiled and ruined by divisions, controversy or other sins as members come together to worship God.
Paul was not telling the Corinthian believers to neglect the pursuit of knowledge. He was warning them that if worldly wisdom holds them back from God, it is not wisdom at all. God’s way of thinking and working is far more valuable even though it may seem foolish by the world’s standards.
Paul urges the Corinthians and us to think of ourselves as servants of Christ. A servant does what his master tells him to do. We must do what God tells us to do in the Bible and through his Holy Spirit. Each day God presents us with needs and opportunities that challenge us to do what we know is right. It is tempting to judge fellow Christians, evaluating whether or not they are good followers of Christ. But only God knows a person’s heart and he is the only one with the right to judge. We are to confront those who are sinning but we must not judge who is a better servant for Christ. When you judge someone in this way you invariably consider yourself better and that is arrogant and prideful.
Some people talk a lot about faith but that’s all it is talk. They may know all the right words to say but their lives don’t reflect God’s power. Paul says that the kingdom of God is to be lived not just discussed. There is a big difference between knowing the right words and living them out. Paul does not expect anyone to be sinless but he speaks against those who deliberately sin, feel no guilt and refuse to repent. This kind of sin cannot be tolerate in the church because it affects others and jeopardizes the spiritual health of the church. Paul makes it clear we should distance ourselves from the person who claims to be a Christian, yet indulges in sins and then rationalize his or her actions. By rationalizing sin a person harms others for whom Christ died and dims the image of God in himself or herself. A church that includes such people is hardly fit to be the light of the world.
While we are waiting in the world for His Second Coming we are called to be his light. And we can be that light by seeking his wisdom to strengthen our testimony of Christ in the way we live our lives and by being in mature Christian fellowship with Christ and within the body of Christ, his church. God’s wisdom is not meant to impress or control anyone it is meant to serve the body. It is righteousness, holiness and redemption as demonstrated by turning on the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit comes to us at the moment we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. We don’t have to ask for it or pray for a second blessing of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote in Romans 8:9, if we don’t have the Spirit, you don’t belong to Christ. Every person who has been saved through Christ has the Holy Spirit living with in his or her body. But, being filled and controlled by the Spirit is different. It is a conscious act of submission and giving up of control to the Holy Spirit.
It is like the cruise control of your car. You have to turn it on and take your foot on the gas in order for it to work. You are still an active participant in the driving of the car. You still have to turn the wheel and direct the car to where you are going. But if you put your foot on the brake, the cruise control cuts off. The Holy Spirit will lead your life when you ask him too, when you give control over to him; but, when you take over – when you put your foot on the brake of what he is doing, he will back off until you turn yourself over to him again. Give control of your life over to the Holy Spirit, not just occasionally but every day, intentionally pray and release control to Him. Follow his leading and when you do you just might be surprised to see and recognize how God is at work in your life and in His church.
Paul said God’s goal for the Corinthian church and for us is that we might be found blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus’ return. Blamelessness does not mean perfection. In fact, it is not a particularly moral or religious word. It is a legal term meaning not liable to charges. Blamelessness is not the product of human gifts or effort. It is God’s grace given to us freely through his son Jesus Christ. It is righteousness as directed and fulfilled through repentance and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
May we in this season of Advent, reflect upon our lives, pray, repent and accept forgiveness, give control of our lives to the Holy Spirit, and prepare ourselves to receive Christ now and in fulfillment of his Second Coming.
Mark 13:24-34
24 "But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
25 and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26 Then they will see ’the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28 "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
32 "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the Sunday in which we recall the hope we have in Christ. The prophets of Israel all spoke of the coming of Christ, of how a saviour would be born, a king in the line of David. They spoke of how he would rule the world wisely and bless all nations.
On Christmas day the Christ of our hope was born. On Good Friday the Christ of our hope died. On Easter
day the Christ of our hope rose from the dead. He then ascended into heaven. On the last day, the Christ of our hope will come again to establish his kingdom over all things on earth.
As the follower of Christ, we await his return. We light this candle to remember that as he came to us as humbly in the manger at Bethlehem and gave light to the world, so he is coming again in power to deliver
his people. We light this candle to remind us to be alert and to watch for his return.
Holy Spirit comes in the moment we are saved. We don’t have to ask for him or pray for a second blessing. Paul wrote in Romans 8:9 that if we don’t have the Spirit, we do not belong to Christ. So, every truly saved person has the Spirit living within his or her body
Being filled with the Spirit is different. It may happen over and over. And, it should happen often. It happens when we yield to the Spirit and follow his leading. It means that we are led by God’s Spirit in what we do while he’s in control. Being filled with the Spirit is a conscious act that we decide we want and ask for. The way Ephesians 5:18 records it, it is a command and not an option. It says we should continually be filled and controlled by the Spirit. Now, this is a passive action. If someone tells you to "be loved," you can love, but you have no control over being loved. You just place yourself in position and do all you can so that you will be loved. But, the love comes from someone else. The same is true to be filled with the Spirit. You can’t do it, but you present yourself daily or many times during the day and ask to be filled by God’s Spirit. It’s like the cruise control in your car. You have to turn it on; but if you put your foot on the brake, it will cut off. So, you have to engage it again every time you put your foot on the brake. The Spirit will lead your life when you ask him to; but when you take over, he will back off until you turn yourself over to him again. Jesus said we must deny ourselves daily and take our cross and follow him.
To answer questions addressed to him concerning problems in the Church. (7:1; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1).
C. To reprove a spirit of division in the Church, the result of immaturity and following men rather than Christ (1:11-13).
The Church at Corinth fit that description: it was a mess
--full of problems: divisions, immorality, pride, selfishness, pettiness, and much
more
2. Reports of these problems greatly distressed the apostle Paul
a. In fact, he mentions in this letter that he had already sent one letter before this
one concerning the problems at Corinth
However, the influence of the world was more attractive than the influence of
the Holy Spirit to many who called themselves Christian
B. The apostle Paul is harsh in his letter
--His harshness, however, is based on his love and concern for their spiritual well-
being
1. One commentator notes that Paul’s quarrel with the church at Corinth was a lover’s
quarrel
a. He loved them despite their problems
b. It was a love that grieved because they had failed to become everything that God
had intended and designed them to be
ENRICHED - The presence of the Holy Spirit enables us far beyond what we can say or do without Him.
Text: v 5 "that you were enriched in everything by Him ..." NKJV
GYPSY SMITH
Was once asked how to start a revival. He answered: "Go home, lock yourself in your room. Draw a chalk mark all around yourself and ask God to start the revival inside that chalk mark. When He has answered your prayer the revival will be on
Paul wrote this letter to the Church in Corinth while he was visiting Ephesus during his third missionary journey (Acts 19:1-20:1). He knew the Corinthian Church well because he had spent 18 months in Corinth during his second missionary journey. Paul begins his letter by voicing his authority and explaining that he is truly an apostle (v. 1). Sosthenes may have been Paul’s secretary who wrote this letter as he dictated it. He addresses this letter to the "church of God" which is at Corinth but also stresses that it is to "all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord” (v. 2). In other words he is making it clear this is not a private letter even though it deals with specific issues facing the Church at Corinth.
Paul opens his letter by commending the church for its good things. Afterward he will rebuke it for the things that were wrong. He commends it and gives thanks:
1. For the grace of God given these people by Jesus Christ (v. 4).
2. For the testimony of Christ confirmed in them (v. 6)
3. That the ones to whom he is writing are expectantly waiting for the Lord’s coming (v. 7).
Paul guarantees the Corinthian believers that God will consider them "blameless" when Christ returns. This guarantee was not because of their great gifts or abilities but because of what Jesus Christ had done for them.
There were many problems associated with this church
Two appear prominent--
1--A problem of internal fractionalization
2--A problem of external fraternization.
They tolerated all kinds of sinful behavior in the church when they should have been dealing with it.
They failed to reach out to those in the world they were supposed to win.
In spite of the problems, Paul centered on their position in Christ.
He continually reminded them
The word normally translated “church” literally means “called out ones” or assembly.
The term was in common usage for several hundred years before the Christian era and was used to refer to an assembly of persons constituted by well- defined membership.
That is why it is often linked to a qualifying phrase. “Assembly of God” as opposed to an “assembly of athletes or senators.”
The term described a group of PEOPLE not the building where they met.
It is a term used to signify a local assembly of God’s people or the entire group of people making up the body of Christ.
Paul uses a word that means to cause someone to become rich, to enrich, to make rich, cause to have abundance.
Paul specifies just a few of the areas of enrichment.
in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, so that you are not lacking in any gift,
Knowledge and oration were valued highly in the Greek culture.
God enriched their intellectual and communication abilities.
God also confirmed His work and presence and authenticated His message through specific spiritual gifting.
All of the gifts were represented in this group of believers.
The testimony that something was different was confirmed by God work through them.
8. They were anxiously awaiting Christ’s return.
awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1:7
These believers were employing their spiritual gifts in the present in such a way that caused them to have an eagerness for Christ’s return.
They were looking to the time they would see the completion of all their labor and efforts.
This term is used seven times in relation to the return of Christ.
The more we are occupied with the Father’s business when He comes the more anxious we will be for Christ to return.
God called them into FELLOWSHIP with His Son.
Besides calling us to impact our world through our enrichment and spiritual gifting, God invited us into intimate union with Jesus.
Paul urges these believers to center on their connection to Christ.
He mentions Christ more in this letter than any of his other letters.
Perhaps this is to restore their focus on Jesus and not men.
“Fellowship” is a rich work indicating a unity and oneness where all things are shared in common.
Sermon While We are Waiting 1 Cor 1:3-9 November 27, 2005
I like the story about 3 prospectors who found a rich vein of gold in California during the gold rush days. They realized what a great discovery they had, & decided, "We’ve a really good thing going here as long as no one else finds out about it." So they each took a vow to keep it secret.
Then they headed for town to file their claims & get the equipment necessary to mine the gold. True to their vows, they didn’t say a word to anybody. They filed their claim, bought the equipment, & headed back to their mine. But when they did, a crowd of people followed them.
And the reason was because the expression on their faces had given them away. Their faces were aglow in anticipation of the wealth that soon would be theirs. People knew that they must have found something very special. So a crowd followed them out of town.
Chuck Swindoll writes: “You remember coming home in the afternoon after school feeling very hungry and your mother had supper on the stove? And you remember at times she would have a cake in the oven? I don’t know why mothers put children through such torture. When you were so hungry, the aroma of the cake filled the house, and you wanted a piece of that cake. ‘Not until after supper.’ Every mother I’ve ever met says that. Being the model child I was, I would wait patiently, except on a few occasions when I would badger her for a slice of that cake. And then she would taken an exceedingly sharp knife with an exceedingly thin blade and slice off the smallest slice of cake one can imagine and give me a little taste of first fruit of the cake. It was only a sample to what was to come later.” (Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes)
Watching and Waiting. The season of Advent is characterized by its air of uncertainty. What are we waiting for and when will it come? Perhaps the early Christians lived with more of an awareness of this uncertainty than we do; and perhaps we could learn from them. What things might we do differently if we really believed that Christ could return in our lifetime?
Don’t Miss it! Advent serves a dual function: It looks backward to the original Christ-event that we celebrate on Christmas Day, and it looks forward to a second event that we commonly call the Second Coming of Christ. Let us not become like those in several parables who either fell asleep or lost interest while waiting. Christ is indeed coming again!
• Advent is not an invitation to party! The first Sunday in Advent is characterized by the use of apocalyptic texts full of fear and dread and disaster. Advent is launched with sobering images and ideas. How will you deal with these thoughts and images in light of the wave of disaster that has swept across the planet since last Christmas?
Knowledge – in spiritual perception and expression that they had been given increased ability in speaking
Spiritual gift seems to be referring to God’s grace actively counteracting sin and faults and the gifts necessary for daily living
Herein lies an important Advent message. This is a time of preparation, a time of prayer, a time of penance, a time of making ready to celebrate Christ’s presence with us. There is in Paul’s greeting here a note of warmth and affection, and also a degree of irony, due to the fact that the Corinthian church was so messy and divided. There were conflicting loyalties, factions, law suits, arguments, debates and divisions between them. They were not acting as God’s holy people. Paul was calling them to live up to their inheritance and their privilege as God’s holy people.
Perhaps there are some tones of sarcasm here. Often what he says may point to the complete lack of virtue and godly behaviour in these people.
This is an important message for us to remember at the start of Advent. This is to be a time of honesty, irony, and wit, so that we do not get absorbed in the sweet evasions of reality that are often associated with the Christmas season. We all know that the world is in a mess; we all know that we have some degree of responsibility for that mess, and we need to be reminded of that responsibility and our privilege of addressing the issue. We are called by God’s grace to live out our inheritance as the children of God, and be creative, loving and responsive.
The warning Paul has here is a reminder, too, that the invitation to respond and God’s initiative comes even when we do not live up to our calling. We are to anticipate forgiveness, in seeing our need for God, and the fact of the incarnation. Here we are called to be free from sentiment, and all the schmaltz that is often associated with the Christmas period. We are reminded once again of the faithfulness of God, despite our multiple failures. Paul calls on us to be faithful, and discover true discipleship, in the light of God’s love.
The result of God’s grace in our lives is that we are enriched in every way. Perhaps the most enriching aspect of God’s grace is the way in which it enables us to see and recognize that God is at work in so many ways in our lives. Paul specifically states that the Corinthians have been enriched in the areas of speech and knowledge. Since those areas will be mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12-14 in the discussion of spiritual gifts it is likely that Paul is giving thanks for the Corinthians’ giftedness in the areas of speaking and knowledge. This is not sarcasm. Rather it is the apostle’s effort to help his readers understand that their gifts are expressions of God’s grace to them. Verse 6 points out that the witness (or testimony) of Christ has been strengthened (or confirmed) among them. It is always God who gives the power to testify with effectiveness. The confirming work of God is not limited to the present.
In verse 8 Paul describes God as the one who will confirm or strengthen the Corinthians to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is an obvious reference to Christ’s second coming. God did not invest the efforts and witness of Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and others in Corinth just to let the Corinthians fizzle out in their Christian commitment in the future. God’s goal for the Corinthians and for us is blamelessness when Christ returns for his church. The particular word that Paul used for blameless does not mean perfection. In fact, it is not a particularly moral or religious word. It is a legal term meaning not liable to charges.
Paul concludes the thanksgiving paragraph by appealing to God’s faithfulness (God is faithful). The ability to arrive at the final judgment blameless before God is not the product of human gifts and efforts. In the final analysis it is only because God is faithful that we can expect all his grace gifts to bring us to the last judgment as good and faithful servants.
But Paul’s perspective is not just oriented toward the second coming here. God’s faithfulness calls us into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord according to verse 9. This fellowship begins at the point of conversion and continues throughout eternity. The fellowship with Christ is experienced in fellowship with the body of Christ. Paul was truly grateful for such a rich theological understanding of his relationship with the Corinthians even though problems existed in the church. You and I can be grateful for the opportunity we have for such fellowship with Christ and his people. Present grace offers us eternal hope.
Have you ever felt that you needed to find a way to learn more about God and how His Word applies to your life? We all do because God has instilled that desire within us. The spirit of knowing God is a gift that He has provided because He wants us to know Him
Advent doesn’t being with cheery anticipation of the birth of Christ. Nor does the beginning fo the new church year start with typical new year’s celebrations. Instead, we are called to sobriety and discernment, rare commodities in the mall scenes, as Jesus’ warning sounds in our ears, "Be constantly on the watch! Stat awake!"
Advent is a time for reading the signs of hope. It is a time for looking, for rekindling our love, and for re-evaluating our priorities. It is a time to see God coming in the budding of a tree, the clarity of the prophet’s voice, the hope of a poet’s words, the womb of a young mother, and the witness of an old man and woman.
In other words look for God in the ordinary, and you will find him. Obey her in the simplicity of life, and you bring to birth a reign of justice. Look for the signs!
As we
wait for God to come again in the form of a child,
we often forget that God is still here. Advent is
not a break from God. God is not coming, God is
already here!
Funny things are everywhere! And there are two things funny about this First Sunday of Advent, the start of a new church year. The first of them is that, here at the start of a new year, we don’t look back to the beginning, but we look forward to the end. Here on the first day of the new church year, we do not focus on the past, but we anticipate the future where Christ promises to meet us.
The second funny thing about today is related to the first. When we look forward to the end, when we anticipate the future, we do not treat this conclusion as some distant, far-off event. It is near at hand. It may be as close as the next second. So imminent is it, in fact, that the future comes and takes up residence in the present. The Christ who will arrive with power and great glory at the end of time comes to us also before the end of time.
But Christ does not wait until the end of the world, or even until our death, in order to approach us. He is always appearing; he is the lord of a million disguises.
Waiting on God by John Ortberg Waiting is the hardest work of hope. When we turn to the Bible, God himself God who’s , all wise, and all loving assures us over and over to wait. Psalm 37:7: "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." Wait for the Lord, the Psalmist goes on, keep to his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land.
God comes to Abraham. Abraham is 75 years old and God says, "Abraham, you’re going to become a father. You’ll be the ancestor of a great nation." But it won’t happen today, it won’t happen tomorrow. You know how long it was before that promise came true? T years. Think about being 75 years old and being told you’re about to become a parentand then waiting 24 years. That’s how long Abraham had to wait. God told Israel, his people, that they’d be a nation, able to leave the slavery of Egypt and be independent, but they had to wait 400 years. And then God told Moses he would lead the people to the Promised Land, but they had to go to the wilderness and wait 40 years. Then came the great promise that the Messiah, the Savior, the Redeemer from God, would come. God’s people waited. They waited generation after generation, century after century, when God seemed silent. Then, strangest of all, when the Messiah came, he was only recognized by a few. He wasn’t at all what they thought they were waiting for. In fact, he was only recognized by those who were waiting for him
"It had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him into his arms and praised God, saying, ’Master, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.’" I’ve been waiting my whole life; now my wait’s over, God.
Verse 36: "There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of 84. Year after year, decade after decade, this amazing woman, a prophet of God, never left the temple, but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were waiting for" (or looking for, again, it is the same word that’s used earlier and can be translated either way) "the redemption of Jerusalem."
So the Messiah came, Jesus lived and taught, and his disciples kept waiting for him to bring in the kingdom the way they expected, to right all the wrongs. But he was crucified.
He’s getting ready to ascend, and so they ask again, "Are you going to restore the kingdom? Is our waiting over now?"
Jesus had one more command, in Acts 1. He says, "Don’t leave Jerusalem, but wait." So they did. They waited in the upper room, and the Holy Spirit came.
But that didn’t mean the time of waiting was over for the human race. Paul writes in Romans 8, "We ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see we wait for it with patience."
We wait and we wait. F times in the Old Testament the people are commanded, "Wait on the Lord."
This runs all the way through the Bible to the very last words. In the last chapter of Revelation, John closes by saying, "The one who testifies to these things says, ’Behold, I am coming soon.’" It may not seem like it, but in light of eternity, it’s soon. Hang on. And then John writes, "Amen, even so. Come Lord Jesus." All right. We’ll hang on. But come. We’re waiting for you.
Obvious question: why? Why does God make us wait? If he can do anything and if he’s , why doesn’t he bring us relief and answers now?
I certainly don’t understand all of this, but I believe at least in part, to paraphrase Ben Patterson, what’s going on is this: What God does in us while we wait is as important as what it is we’re waiting for.
Biblical waiting is not passive waiting around for something or someone to come along that will allow you to escape from your trouble. People sometimes say "I’m just waiting on the Lord" as an excuse not to face up to reality, take appropriate action, or own up to their responsibility. That is not what waiting on the Lord is.
Biblical waiting is not passive; it’s not a way to evade unpleasant reality.
Waiting on the Lord is a confident, disciplined, expectant, active, sometimes painful clinging to God. Waiting on the Lord is the continual, daily decision to say, "God, I will trust you and I will obey you even though the circumstances of my life are not turning out the way I want them to, and they may never turn out the way I want them to. I’m betting everything on you, God, and there is no Plan B." That’s waiting on the Lord. It’s the hardest work of hoping.
Often we want God’s resources, but we don’t want his timing. We want the penny but not the minute. We want his hand, but we don’t want his calendar. We forget his work in us while we wait, which is as important as what it is you’re waiting for. Waiting means I must trust that God knows what he’s doing.
Continue to learn about your giftedness. Humbly and openly receive feedback and coaching from others. Grow in the truth one step at a time and trust God’s plan for you rather than what it is you think you need. END
Christmas anticipation leads to magical memories
By JANICE NORTHERNS
Southwest Daily Times
What was that one special Christmas present you wanted as a little kid but didn’t get?
When I asked that question of several people a couple of days ago, the response was immediate from some: a Barbie Dream House, a pony, a red rocking horse, a Cabbage Patch doll, an Incredible Hulk action figure.
In our storehouse of childhood Christmas memories, those longed-for-but-never-gotten gifts often shine brighter than anything we actually received.
Mine was a toy gas station set. My brothers and I would spend the days leading up to the holiday poring over the Sears Roebuck Christmas catalog, and the detailed set-up of the gas station fascinated me. It was like a doll house, only better, with an elevator that transported cars from the first to second floor via a little hand crank, oil change bays with working car lifts, shelves filled with tiny oil cans, and dinging gas pumps. Ironically, I’m pretty sure if I had ever asked for this gift I would have received it, but I’d always settle on another choice: a Chatty Cathy doll, a set of toy dishes, a snow-cone machine. Since I had four brothers, I think I secretly hoped one of them would ask for the gas station, thereby enabling me to play with it while using my own Christmas wish for something else, but that didn’t happen either.
The snow-cone machine was a huge disappointment once I got my hands on it. The snowman-shaped ice shaver had an opening in his head for ice cubes; you applied pressure to the cover while turning a crank and shaved ice came out of his stomach into a paper cone. However, it was so difficult to press down hard enough while turning the crank that by the time I got enough ice shaved for one snow cone, most of it had melted. I probably produced a grand total of five or six snow cones before relegating the toy to some other use.
That’s the magic of those presents we never received. They still linger perfectly in the land of Christmas wishes ungranted, in some way still anticipated and untarnished by actual experience.
Whether we get what we want or not, Christmas in our childhoods is surrounded by that anticipation: lying awake at night, dreaming of ripping into packages on Dec. 25. That anticipation morphs into a less selfish form of "can’t wait" excitement as we grow up and learn the joy of giving to others.
As clearly as I recall childhood gifts received and those only longed for, I also have a vivid memory of spending my own money on a Christmas present for my mother when I was around 11.
We drove into town early on a Sunday evening to do some last-minute shopping before church. It was a novelty back then for stores to be open on Sunday and it only happened around Christmas. We pulled into the parking lot of Perry’s Variety Store and I rushed from the winter darkness into a brightly lit paradise of cheap goods: shelves filled with plastic wallets, glass-bejeweled Christmas pins, rows of mass-produced baby animal figurines in fetching poses, and tiny 10-cent bottles of Evening in Paris cologne, a fragrance that even to my undiscerning nose smelled something like kerosene mixed with vanilla.
I walked up and down the aisles, agonizing over the choices before finally settling on a mirror for my mother’s vanity table, an adjustable one that swiveled on a gold-flocked felt stand. I can remember the exact price, $1.77, and the exact shade of dark gold-flocked felt, a color that I imagined would bring a touch of elegance to my mother’s bathroom vanity table. I could barely contain my excitement as Christmas drew near, just thinking how much she would love the gift. How closely I watched her expression as she tore the wrappings off on Christmas morning. And, of course, she loved my gift, even though our bathroom, right down to the tiled vanity, was decorated entirely in pastel pink.
When we grow up and have children of our own, we relive that childhood anticipation through them, wrapping up what we hope are their most yearned-for dreams. It’s also fun to surprise them by throwing in a few things they don’t expect but that you know they will love.
I miss that now. Both of my children are young adults and not so easily pleased or surprised these days. They want big-ticket electronic items that leave little room for mystery about what’s in the package. Somehow, that takes part of the excitement out of Christmas for me. I suppose I could really surprise them by not giving them what they’ve asked for, thereby moving those requests over into the what’s-the-gift-you-wanted-but-never-got category for them as well. But that would be mean. After all, I did ask them what they wanted.
We do have one small bastion of anticipation left. I was surprised a few years ago when my daughter told me that her favorite part of Christmas was opening the stockings. I usually fill their stockings with small, inexpensive trinkets such as note pads, socks, fun glitter pens, nail polish, car gadgets and other frivolous and fun treats. Jannica explained exactly why she liked opening her stocking. It’s the unexpected treat, the anticipation of a surprise. As the kids have gotten older, they’ve taken on the task of filling the adult stockings, and I enjoy opening mine as well.
Who knows, maybe this year my stocking will contain a certificate for a toy gas station. At Christmas, one can always dream.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This column first appeared in the Times Dec. 21, 2003.
Waiting With Eager Anticipation
A Christmas Message
by Jeanne (Coppedge) Tomlinson
d. June 1, 2000
Do you remember celebrating Christmas as a little child?
Do you remember counting the days till Christmas, wondering if it would ever come? Isn’t it interesting that for a child the period of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas goes so slow, but for an adult that same period of time goes too fast? For those of you who opened presents on Christmas day, do you remember the long wait till the morning light? I sure do! My parents told us that we had to wait till the sun started to rise before we could open our presents. My sister, brother and I would often wake up at night and sit by the window, watching for the sun. It seemed like an eternity before it would start peeking over the horizon. Then we’d run into the living room and open our presents. Christmas was always well worth the wait; a time of joyous anticipation and celebration of Christ’s birth.
I’d like for us to think about the first Christmas as a time of eager anticipation for the Jews. Most of them had studied the Hebrew Scriptures from childhood, and they knew much of it by heart. They were eagerly expecting a Messiah, for the Hebrew Scriptures were filled with references of the Messiah that was to come. In Luke chapter 2, we read the account of Jesus being presented to the temple in Jerusalem. Simeon and Anna, two righteous Jews, were so thrilled to see the baby Jesus – the Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he saw the Christ (Luke 2:28-38). Because the Jews had been living under Roman oppression for so many years, they were looking for a Messiah who would set them free from Rome, for a political leader or king. They remembered the Scriptures that said the Messiah would destroy the world powers in an act of judgment, deliver Israel from her enemies, restore her as a nation, rule righteously over the entire world, and bring peace on earth.
What so many of these Jews failed to realize was that the prophecies of the Messiah also included references to a Suffering Servant who would give His life as a sacrifice in order to reconcile men to God (Isaiah 53). The Messiah was to be a prophet, priest, and a king. Jesus came, fulfilling all the prophecies of his first coming and filling all three roles of the Messiah. As prophet, Jesus spoke forth the Word of God with authority and predicted what was to come. As the great high priest, Jesus offered Himself as the Lamb of God, the supreme and final sacrifice for the sins of the world. And as king, Jesus set up His kingdom of heaven in the hearts of all who are born again (John 3:3). When Pilate asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (John 18:36,37). That same day, Jesus gave His life and He rose again three days later, proving that He was truly the Messiah, the Lamb of God.
While on this earth, Jesus taught much about the kingdom of God to His disciples, using parables as illustrations. However, He did not set up an earthly kingdom at His first coming ? that wasn’t His plan. Because they wanted an earthly king, most Jews rejected Him as their Messiah. But He will set up His kingdom at His second coming. In Acts 1, right before His ascension into heaven, His disciples asked Him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After this, He was taken up into heaven, and a cloud hid Him from their eyes. Two angels suddenly appeared saying, “This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.” In the last days, His coming will be twofold: Jesus will first rapture (take up) all true believers (I Thessalonians 4), then in the Great Tribulation, He will pour out His judgment and wrath on the sinful world that has rejected Him. At the end of the tribulation, He will come again to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords to set up His millennial kingdom on earth. (Read Revelation 1:7, 14-18, 19: 11-16.)
The Lord is preparing a place for us (John 14:1-3), and He has promised a special crown to all who long for His appearing. Paul said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord; the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day. And not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing” (II Timothy 4:7,8). We don’t know when He will come ? it could be today! Jesus Himself said, “Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come . . . the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him” (Matthew 24:42, 44). (My husband and I are looking forward to Christ’s return; we even had the words “Maranatha, He’s coming again” imprinted on our checks. When I see the sky filled with beautiful clouds, I often think about what the angels said at His ascension.)
The early church and Christians throughout the ages have eagerly anticipated Christ’s coming again, but there have always been those who scoff, saying “Where is the promise of His coming?” (II Peter 3:3-13). Their scoffing doesn’t change the fact He will come unexpectedly like a thief in the night. We are told to look forward to the day of God and speed its coming (v. 12), for we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness (v. 13). Not only are we to eagerly anticipate His coming, but we are told to prepare ourselves so we will be ready. In I John he says, “And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.” (I John 2:28). “We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:2,3).
As we see the darkness of sin spreading more and more over the earth, we should not despair. Instead, this should cause us to lift up our heads with eager anticipation and hope, knowing our redemption draws near. Jesus Himself said, “Even so, when you see all these things . . . you know that it is near, right at the door” (Matthew 24:33). As the saying goes, “It’s always darkest just before the dawn.” The last days on earth simply precede the first days of all eternity for us, and heaven and all its glories will be well worth the wait.
As we celebrate the birthday of the baby Jesus, let us also remember that He is the King of glory! In fact, most of the Christmas carols give honor to Jesus Christ the King (Joy to the World, What Child is This, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful) and let us never forget that He is coming again as King, just as He said . . .
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to give to everyone according to his work. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last . . . I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” And the Spirit and the Bride say “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take of the water of life freely . . . He who testifies of these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen . . .
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
(Rev. 22:12-20)END
Rev. Jim Brady Forum on Faiith dec 23,1995
Twenty years ago, we were living in an apartment, a mile from seminary. Across the hall lived a couple that attended our church. He was shy, she wasn’t. Just before Christmas, she received a Christmas card from Billy Graham.
She was particularly excited, she crossed the hall to show us the card.
I’ll never forget the message on the card: "We celebrate because He came and because He is coming again!"
The theme at our church for this Christmas season has been, "We celebrate because He came and because He is coming again!"
Passages like Isaiah 53 picture Messiah coming as a lamb to be sacrificed. Other passages like Isaiah 9 and 11 picture Messiah ushering in a millennial kingdom. It must have been confusing, when the Bible consisted only of what we call now the Old Testament. How would anyone make sense of the two pictures of the Messiah?
Now, we know that He always planned to come twice. One day, He will return to be recognized as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This season, we celebrate His first coming. He was born of a virgin. He was born of the line of King David. He was born "in the fullness of time." He was born to weakness. He was born to die. To die as a sacrifice; theologians refer to his death as a "substitutionary sacrifice." That is a phrase that tries to capture the Bible’s teaching that we should have died, but He took our place.
Taken by itself, Christmas is a day for merchants, for children, for family, for memories. Taken with Good Friday, Christmas has a purpose. Taken with Easter, Christmas has power. Taken with His second coming, Christmas is worth celebrating.
Merchants have already decided whether or not it has been a good Christmas season. Children will uphold their judgment until Christmas morning. Hosts, hostesses and guests will wait until family members have come and gone. Those who tend toward nostalgia will decide whether this Christmas season was good only after the last card has been read and the decorations are back in the attic. God determined at the beginning that Christmas was good. It was good for God to become man. Every time a person celebrates Messiah’s first coming in light of His second coming, Christmas gets more and more good.
Make a birthday cake. Sing "Happy Birthday." Read the Old testament prophecies about the first coming of Jesus Christ, read the Gospel fulfillment; then, read the prophecies about His kingdom and about His coming back for us. And worship, celebrate. Celebrate because He came and because He is coming again!
Rev. Jim Bray is pastor of Ridgefield Baptist Church
Christmas is not just a past event; it is a future event, a prophetic event.
The immense step from the Babe at Bethlehem to the living, reigning triumphant Lord Jesus, returning to earth for his own people--that is the glorious truth proclaimed throughout Scripture. As the bells ring out the joys of Christmas, may we also be alert for the final trumpet that will announce his return, when we shall always be with him.
Alan Redpath in The Life of Victory. Christianity Today, Vol. 39, no. 14.
The best way to prepare for the coming of Christ is never to forget the presence of Christ.
William Barclay in You Can Say That Again. Christianity Today, Vol. 39, no. 8.
Christians clearly do believe in using their minds to weigh the evidence and make wise choices. Paul is declaring that no amount of human knowledge can replace or bypass Christ’s work on the cross. If it could. Christ would be accessible only to the intellectually gifted and well educated and not to ordinary people or to children.
Skill and wisdom do not get a person into God’ Kindom, simple faith does – no one can boast that his or her achievements helped him or her secure eternal life.
God is the source of and the reason for our personal and living relationship with Christ. Our union and identification with Christ results in our having God’s wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3) possessing right standing with God, being hold and having the penalty for our sin paid by Jesus.
A brilliant scholar, Paul could have overwhelmed his listeners with intellectual arguments. Instead he shared the simple message of Christ by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide his words. We should follow Paul’s example and keep our message simple and basic. The holy Spirit will give power to our words and use them to bring glory to Jesus.
Jesus was misunderstood and rejected by those whom the world considered wise and great.Those who believe in Christ’s death and resurrection and put their faith in him will know all they need to know to be saed. This knowledge however can’t be grasped by even the wisest people unless they accept God’s message. All who reject God’s message are foolish no matter how wise the world thinks they are.
Paul’s words are authoritative because their source was the Holy Spirit
No one can comprehend God but through the guidance of the HS believers have insight into some of God’s plans thoughts and actions they in fact have the mind of Christ. Through the HS we can begin to know G’s thoughts, talk with him and expect his answers to our prayers.
Paul called the Corinthians infants in Xn life because they were not yet spiritually healthy and mature. The proof was that they quarreled like children, allowing divisions to distract them. Immature Christians are worldly controlled by their own desires; mature believer are in tune with God’s desires. Your goal should be to let God’s desires be yours. Being controlled by your own desire will stunt your growth.
God’s work involves many different individuals with a variety of gifts and abilities. There are no superstars in this task only team members performing their own special roles
