Advent week one
Jesus is Coming
Isaiah
Mark13:24-37
Introduction-
This morning we begin Advent with a series entitled “Long expected Jesus”
The 4 weeks before Christmas called Advent are designed to slow us down and have us prepare ourselves for Christmas and celebrate with enthusiasm the Birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Nothing wrong with present buying and food prep and family gatherings, but if we are really going to celebrate Christmas for its intended purpose, we cannot neglect Christ.
I read a tremendous book entitled “The Remarkable Ordinary” by Frederick Buechner. The whole purpose of his book was to slow you down to see the things that are around you and when you do, you experience maybe for the first time things that you have never took time to experience.
Stopping for a moment to see things that lack of time prevents you from seeing. (Sun rise, sun set, Godly moments)
Looking at things that a quick glance you would have missed. (Praying Mantis hanging on a tree or branch)
Looking from the heart, giving heed to detail in a busy and complex world. (Asking how someone is and waiting for an answer with sincere concern)
Listening to sounds that would be drowned out by everyday noise. (Birds, animals in the woods, a clock ticking, enjoying quietness.)
It changes your life and it changes your perspective of life.
That is what Advent is designed to do for the believer- you have to decide if you will take the time, energy, and purpose to let it do that for you.
With the Lords help, we can experience Christmas in a fresh and new and creative way if we allow God time to show us and give us that perspective.
What do you say, you up for an adventure?
Will you allow God to do something new and give Him permission and the time to do it?
Here is the my intended thoughts for this Advent season-
Jesus is Coming
Jesus is Lord
Jesus is the light to this dark world.
This long expected Jesus would change your life. No matter where you are at in your journey of life, He can and will make it better if you let Him.
Jesus is coming-
Over 700 hundred years before the physical Jesus would walk on this earth, God had a plan.
Isaiah 59:19-20- Read form Bible
Acts 2:38-39 New Testament
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
This promise belongs to you and to your children and to all who are far off, to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself."
The redeemer was coming
A plan for mankind by which He prophesied and recorded that a redeemer was coming.
The redeemer coming would be a witness. Isa. 55:4
The redeemer coming would provide salvation. Isa. 59:15
The redeemer coming would be an intercessor between God and man. Isa. 59:15
The redeemer coming would have the spirit of God upon him. Isa. 61:1
The redeemer coming would provide freedom from sin and death. Isa. 61;1
The redeemer coming would provide a period of Grace. Isa. 61:1
The redeemer coming would be resurrected by God. Isa. 55:3
These things have all been fulfilled. The redeemers name is Jesus Christ.
For the nation of Israel and the prophet Isaiah, it was the anticipation of the redeemer coming and being prepared to welcome Him in when He comes.
The excitement of a redeemer coming.
The fulfillment of the promise of God.
The recognition of knowing Him when He arrived.
Isaiah never saw the Lord in his lifetime, but patiently waited with anticipation.
For him, Jesus would be hope to the nation of Israel.
For us on this side of the cross, He (Jesus) is the hope of not only Israel but for all who would receive salvation and forgiveness.
The first candle of Advent is Hope.
Hope is something gained by putting your trust in something.
Hope is lost when what you put your trust in has failed or you have lost faith that it will happen.
Even though Isaiah never saw the redeemer come, he never lost faith or in the hope that He was coming. It was a promise he lived, breathed, and died. The fact does not change because he did not see it, it just was not in his timing, it was God’s timing.
We have all kinds of proof that Jesus lived, die, and was resurrected.
At His resurrection, He promised to come back and receive those that have put their faith in the redeemer (Jesus Christ)
So, here we are today over 2000 years later and we are waiting for our redeemer to return.
The difference is that we do not have to wonder if the redeemer will do what He has promised, we need to figure out how we are going to live and wait with anticipation and dedication and obedience so that we are ready for the redeemer to come.
Hope/ Biblical hope is faith in God. It is the foundation of our hope.
Illustration-
It is not hope that though you did not study that you would pass a test. That is not biblical hope. Biblical hope is not leaving it up to chance.
Romans 15:13-
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Godly hope brings more hope.
Godly hope is not wishy-washy, boy if only statements.
Godly hope is certainty in God doing what He said He would do.
Preparation and anticipation are hard things to live by-
There are some who prepare well and are ready and they have everything organized and at their finger tip.
Then there are those that are procrastinators- they have every intention of doing it but it never seems to be the right time.
Preparation can turn to a form of laziness because when time has gone by, we lose faith that it will happen
We procrastinate and think we have forever, but on this earth, we do not have forever.
Forever is a long time to be sorry for something that you did not do in a timely manner.
Army- “hurry up and wait”- if anyone will be waiting, it won’t be them.
Old time believers – (grandparents and great-grandparents) that told Hell fire and Brimstone messages that scared you into believing that Jesus could come at any minute.
If you were doing something wrong at that moment you would miss heaven.
Serve God for 50 years, didn’t matter, make one mistake and you will miss heaven.
People today disbelieving that and imagining a different side of God’s grace
Saying that Jesus understands our weaknesses.
We need to just try to live a good life. Be a good person.
Almost that everyone will make heaven if they want do.
Nobody really has to sacrifice their life for Christ and lay it down anymore.
The fact that Jesus said there was a cost of discipleship and that following Him meant a change in our priorities and our allegiance was old school to them.
I think that we have to be careful…we must never forget God’s grace and God’s mercy. Only Jesus saves and is the judge of our lives. I am thankful for a God that forgives and forgets.
But… we must also not forget that “our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Blood and righteousness.” If our hope is not in Jesus Christ, our hope is built on our accomplishments and our goodness and that will fall at the feet of Holy God as filthy rags.
Illustration
Long expected Jesus devotional
The science fair was one of the most anticipated days of the school year. We had months to prepare. Prents were invited. Students from other grades were invited. There would be judges. The science fair was the culmination of months of hard work and panning. We were given guidelines, suggestions, instructions, due dates- everything we needed to prepare adequately.
On the day of the fair, I showed up with something that I’d haphazardly thrown together the previous night, and I wasn’t fooling anyone who stopped to look at my presentation.
The reason my presentation at the science fair was underwhelming had nothing to do with my lack of knowledge surrounding the assignment, expectations, and deadlines. I had all the information, the resources, and the support that I needed. I simply chose not to prepare.
We have a choice this morning, we can take the advice of the author of the book Remarkable ordinary and take the time to stop, look, and listen so we do not miss the things that are important in our spiritual life, or everyday life and to make sure that we are ready should the Lord return today.
We will not be able to stand before the Lord and tell Him that we were not ready. We were unprepared for His coming.
I believe one of the Advent Scriptures that should be read every year is Mark 13:24-37
Mark 13:24-37 Read from Bible
Jesus is saying in Mark 13 (Red letter) a warning to the disciples and to us today to be ready for His return.
The best way to prepare for his return is to follow his teachings and not put off the things that are important with an attitude of one day I will take care of that.
There will come a day that the Son of Man Jesus Christ will return for his bride and it will be absolutely amazing! Provided that we are ready!
The unknown- We do not know when- nobody does, not the angels, only God the Father. The Father will tell His Son to go get His bride and we will see the final promises coming to pass.
We don’t prepare for the Lord’s return by trying to whip something together (science fair) at the last minute the night before. Instead, everyday, through the power of the Holy Spirit of God working in our lives, we serve our God and love the Lord with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our strength. While striving to serve our neighbors and our families with the love that God has for us.
Being prepared takes the focus off of ourselves and puts them in the right perspective.
Close,
This morning we have an opportunity as a church, individually, to regain our faith in the fact that Jesus Christ will one day return for his church, his bride, the apple of his eye, and we have an opportunity to be ready and looking with expectation for that day.
We live in an information age, knowledge is at the finger-tip of anyone willing to do some checking.
The problem is, most believe everything that is written, just because it is on Facebook or UTube.
If every Bible in the world was burned up today, the truth of God is still true and relevant.
We don’t want to believe that the God of the universe would love you enough to want to be involved in your life if you will let him.
We don’t believe that as I share his word ,he is listening to me. As you are listening, that he is with you.
Who told you the bible is not true- some man- Let God be true and every man a liar!- God’s ways are higher than our ways.
He does what He says he will do
In a few weeks, we will celebrate the birth of our savior.
We celebrate that he went to the cross and He was resurrected. We are thankful that he left this earth and His Holy Spirit was given to help us in not only salvation but everyday life if you will let him.
As we are thanking him, don’t forget to thank him that one day wither we believe it or not, He will return for his people, his church, and we need to be ready when he does. Because we do not know when, we know we are in the season of his return.
Amen
