Advent - Our Response
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Advent Candle lighting
Advent Candle lighting
Dec 17th, 3rd Sun Of Advent 2023
Dec 17th, 3rd Sun Of Advent 2023
Advent(from Lat. adventus“coming”).
Can designate either:
the incarnation of Christ or
his second coming.
It most often designates the season immediately preceding Christmas
The Messiah is coming again!
The Messiah is coming again!
We are using this season to emphasize that the Messiah is most certainly coming again, and soon!
Adorning our Heart
Adorning our Heart
Advent is waiting for the Coming of Jesus. How are are you waiting?
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 1 Peter 3:3–4 (ESV)
Be Adorned, Be “wrapped” for Jesus -
This is how Revelation describes the new Jerusalem the home of all of God’s family. Described as the Church. as a Bride.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
The meanings of our Christmas Traditions
therefore since our adornment must be in our heart, lets use the decorations of Christmas speak to us of God’s love and message.
Evergreen - evergreen branches laid flat to symbolize eternal life.
Presents – God gave us the greatest gift of all Jesus
Candles/Christmas Lights - The light of God each of us as a witness is a shining in the darkness.
evergreen leaves which stand for eternity, God’s eternal love for us (which is ever green, ever new), shown in the promise and birth of the Messiah, his Son.
Holly is traditionally used as part of the wreath, with the sharp points of the leaves reminding us of the crown of thorns.
The circular shape of the wreath is like a crown of thorns but also stands for eternity (the ring goes round without beginning or end).
Red berries stand for the drops of blood which Jesus shed for us
Sometimes a red ribbon is tied through the wreath – this too stands for Christ’s blood, the cost of our redemption.
Advent Candles
The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent, the season of preparation for Christmas.
Purple is the liturgical colour of Advent and rose (or pink) is a special colour that may be used on the 3rd Sunday of Advent with a meaning of ‘rejoice’ from Phil 4:4 ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!’
a fifth white candle is added in the centre of the wreath. This is lit on Christmas Eve to mark the coming of Christ the Light.
Advent schedule
Advent schedule
1st – Dec 3: God’s Prophesy
2nd - Dec 10: God’s Preparation (Nathan)
3rd – Dec 17: Our Response (pink=Rejoice)
4th – Dec 24: God’s Love (Christmas eve)
Christmas - Dec 25: God’s Son (white)
Review: God’s Preparation (Nathan)
Review: God’s Preparation (Nathan)
take notes about this.
Advent - Our Response
Advent - Our Response
Pastor Ken Geer - Sermon.
The Advent
The Advent
The Advent means the “coming” of the Messiah. Jesus. Lets walk through the Gospel story and sense the purpose of God for us in these last days!
2000 years ago Jesus came to us humble as a baby in a manger. I like the Gospel of John, the theme of God’s love is so powerful in this book, and is why I ask each new believer or anyone seeking to understand Jesus to read it through 7 times. before they read anything else about Jesus.
Lets read John 1, this time looking for “Our response” to God’s Prophecy, and God’s Preperation. See if you can spot those things that God has done, and is doing, and the responses we have.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
CHILDREN OF GOD (wow)
what did you see by the way of god’s prophecy and preparation?
Prophecy - Jesus is the WORD of God. TRUTH, and actual Spoken and reviled WORD, plans purposes and definition of all Creation. All of prophesy is the WORD of God. THe words of every prophet. Much of their words were about Jesus himself and the advent… either his coming the first time or his coming the second time.
Preparation - since the beginning, he has prepared both this universe and world, for us to learn about Him and choose Him. He has been shining light - revealing reason, proof, glory, and Majesty through all time, but now in a land of Israel, God has sent both John (a messenger to bear witness about the light), and Jesus (the true light itself). The creator has now stepped into creation as one of us.
what was the reaction of the world to jesus?
Jesus own people, the Jewish spiritual leaders… did not receive him. They were so lost that many of them did not recognize him as the messiah.
but some did receive him.
And what happened to them?
those who believed in him… believed he was creator and the promised messiah. received a special gift for their faith. They become children of the living God!
So we have a choice. everyone has a choice. God’s light is shining and revealing Jesus as the promised Messiah, God Himself come to save us. What is your choice?
What is your reaction to the light of Jesus?
The true light is coming to everyone. How will we respond? will you receive him? Will you become a child of God? This is not a child of God in the generic sense, that all created humans are a “child of God”, this is much more selective and intimate relationship… read on...
who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
God’s adoption is Real.
God’s adoption is Real.
God adoption as his Kids makes us fundamentally changed and different. when we receive his adoption we see that we are no longer orphans, but instead have a good good father. the best father. We are no longer orphans. we no longer need walk areound with an orphan spirit. (I don’t belong, nobody loves me, I am unwanted - all lies of Satan) Instead, we begin to see him more clearly. Just like kids have a close and personal view of their parents, so we get a close personal view of God. He becomes our Daddy.
We see him more clearly.
We see him more clearly.
Know won knows me like my wife and kids. they get to see the me up close and personal. Just like we See God more clearly as His kids.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
And the closer we look at Jesus the more amazing he is. His Glory, full of grace and truth. Grace is the full operational power of God… we have a God that is loving Kind, and powerful and extending his Tent to cover us as his children.
Let’s go to Galatians 4, now… to learn ore about this significant change as children adopted into the family of God.
Listen as you see the stark difference being drawn between the “children of the world” and those that receive Jesus and become adopted as sons into God’s spiritual family.
I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything,
but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.
In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Jesus first arrival as a human on Earth was to bring us into his family. and when we receive him, something very powerful happens…
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
we are now united with Jesus with the Holy spirit. and allows our Heart to rejoice at our new closeness with God! “Abba Father!”
Daddy. there is freedom, there is security, there is belonging, there is identity and there is love and acceptance. All the things Mankind is so desperately longing for.
from Dick Schroeder
“The WORD did not become a philosophy, a theory, or a concept to be discussed, debated or pondered. But the WORD became a Person to be passionately followed, enjoyed, and loved!” - Dick Schroeder
this is true because he made us his Children, not just students, like scientists studying a subject.
How then are we to respond to God? (the cry of Abba! Father - onw who we passionately love and spend time daily listening and obeying, and fulfilling our purposes!)
I love the response of the shepherds on Christmas night:
They were available and attentive to hear the message of God.
They went and they experienced Jesus. (obeyed)
and then they told others of the message &their experience
then they glorified and praised god.
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.
And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Go tell it on the mountain, is the Christmas song that captures this experience. and it is one of my favorite.
We are to be like the shepherds today
We are to be like the shepherds today
As children adopted into the family of God, we too have experienced Jesus.Not just at Christmas time, but for the rest of our lives. What is our response?
We are no longer without Hope. We are no longer without an advocate.
The Church of Philadelphia.
The Church of Philadelphia.
The Christians in Philadelphia had to respond to the call to an open door and a hour of trial coming on the whole world. they had little power, but God was making a way for them.
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
“ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.
Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.
I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Lets end with a view of our response in 1 Thess 5.
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophecies,
but test everything; hold fast what is good.
Abstain from every form of evil.
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
An Orphan Spirit despairs, but a Children of God rejoice Always.
An Orphan Spirit feels like they must help themselves, but but a Children of God prays to their father without stopping!
An Orphan Spirit feels
...
Altar Call: Sensing and embracing adoption
Altar Call: Sensing and embracing adoption
get rid of an orphan spirit
Next week
Next week
Next week on Christmas Eve Morning, we will have church service. It will be a special service (and black out blinds…
Week 4 – Dec 24: God’s Love (Christmas eve)
Week 4 – Dec 24: God’s Love (Christmas eve)
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
Christmas - Dec 25: God’s Son
Christmas - Dec 25: God’s Son
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Christmas commemorates a divine event and a divine person—the miraculous birth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Unlike most of our holidays, Christmas is not a celebration of an event strictly from human history that commemorates a human achievement or recognizes a national milestone. An authentic celebration of Christmas honors the most wonderful of divine accomplishments. It recognizes that the eternal, sovereign God came to earth as a human being to live a righteous life among His people and then to die as a perfect sacrifice to deliver from the wrath of God all who repent and believe.
He was first and foremost the almighty God of the universe who humbly came to earth in human flesh to seek and to save the lost (Matt. 18:11; Luke 19:10; 5:32; Rom. 5:8).
John F. MacArthur Jr., God in the Manger: The Miraculous Birth of Christ(Nashville, TN: W Pub. Group, 2001).