Advent is Coming

Sermon on Revelation 22

Title: Advent is Coming

Theme: Christians ought to prepare for the second coming

Goal: to encourage Christians to prepare for the second coming of Christ.

Need: Often Advent is remembered only as an expectation for the first coming of Christ.

Outline

Introduction
Advent is about Coming. First and Second
Christians prepare for both comings
Christ expects our advent as well
Conclusion

Congregation,

I don’t think there is a season that I appreciate more than the advent season. I tend to be a very sentimental person, so all the Christmas carols, decorating the tree, the opening of gifts, the children telling the Christmas story, the special treats that only come out during the advent season. Those are all things that make the advent season feel like advent. Deep down, those are the things that make me feel inside like I am celebrating the Christmas season.

But when is the beginning of the Christmas season? For the stores, it begins the minute they have cleared the Halloween candy off the shelves. When I lived in the US, the Christmas season really didn’t feel like it started until the day after US Thanksgiving.

Even though these are the times when Christmas feels like it is starting already, for the church it doesn’t officially begin until the fourth Sunday before Christmas. I looked around to find out why the church decided that we should spend just over 3 weeks preparing for Christmas. I didn’t find anything that told me how long.

But there were a couple of interesting things that I discovered while I searched. Even knowing the history of Advent a little can enrich our celebration of the season.

The first thing that I found was that traditionally in the church there was a huge feast on Christmas Day. The Feast of the Nativity.

In many ways we still maintain that tradition yet today. We have our ham or turkey, but always with all the trimmings and the treats.

One way that it was different, is the weeks leading up to the Nativity Feast were to be spiritual times of preparation. These preparation days were much like Lent, where there is fasting and selfdenial, all in spiritual preparation of the celebration on Easter where Christ conquers death.

How different would our Christmases be today if we still maintained what Advent was originally about. Instead of having Jesus mixed up with Santa at Christmas and how good the economy is doing because of Christmas sales. Jesus birth would be a feast that would end the days of hunger and waiting to be filled up. Jesus is I AM, the bread of life that feeds the hungry soul.

I hope that through our time of preparation for the way we celebrate Christmas in our age, we are able to keep in mind what the season was originally for. I hope we all have some time of spiritual preparation for that huge celebration of Jesus coming to earth.

The other point that I found was that the emphasis of Advent was more than on the coming of Christ on Christmas. It was on other comings as well.

The Word Adventus in Latin means coming. Advent is coming. Advent is coming. The coming of Christ at Christmas, of course. But advent was also a time to spiritually prepare for Christ’s second advent.

Thinking about that second advent, Revelation 22 is one of the best places to go. Revelation is all about the end. But this passage especially is meaningful.

Notice three places, Christ says, “I am coming.” It’s the beginning middle and end of our text for tonight. Verse 7. ““Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” Verse 12“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. Verse 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.[1] This passage is full of assurance: He is coming. Mary and the people of Israel had one Advent as they waited for the birth of a savior. Today the Church, the Bride waits for the return of the Bridegroom. He is coming. He is on his way. The wedding is about ready to begin. The groom is dressed and ready. He is coming.

Sometimes we lose the sense of urgency in the second coming of Christ, but the book of Revelation will never give you the sense that it might be a long time before Christ returns. His return is soon.

An incredible place where we hear that Christ’s second coming is soon is in verse 10Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.[2] The not sealing up the book is important because of what it says in Daniel “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”[3]

Daniel is told, seal it up. This isn’t about now. Its about the end of times. At the end of John’s vision he is told, don’t seal it up. Don’t store it away. Keep it open because this is the end. The return of Christ is now!

Over this advent season, we ought to be reading ourselves also for the coming that is close. No need to seal up the prophecies. It is now. Christ’s coming is soon. We might be ready for Christmas, but are we ready if that Christmas never comes because the second advent comes first? Think about that.

If we keep moving through the passage we hear how John continues to talk about Christ. We could have mentioned verse 12 as a part of the message this morning. You notice what Jesus says, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.[4] In English it looks like Jesus has called himself, “I AM and tied, but in the original Greek the language is different here. This is not Christ saying he is the I AM.

But he says, He is Alpha, Omega, First and Last, Beginning and the end. Those are God’s titles. The second advent will be the second coming of the god-man in Christ.

The last thing I found was a third advent of Christ that was traditionally celebrated during the days of Advent leading up to Christmas. That Advent, that coming, was the coming of Christ into the hearts of those who believe in him. And the coming of unbelievers to Christ.

We hear the message about this third type of advent in Revelation 22 as well. It talks about the reward of those who remain in Christ through it all. Verse 17, “17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. [5]

Come. Come to the savior. Come to the water of life. Eat from the tree of life. Those are all messages from Revelation to us.

Its in this advent that we all need to be busy.

First of all, if we aren’t right with Christ, if we haven’t truly accepted his advent into our lives, then we need to allow him to come into our hearts, and be our savior and Lord.

But you noticed in verse 17 who is calling to the world. Who is it that says come? It is both the Spirit and the Bride. The Spirit of God is at work in the world, but the Bride is the Church. That Church, not the institution, but the people who have already welcomed Jesus, we must be the ones inviting others to come. There are many in our lives that have heard the message of Christ, but have not come. And Christ has not had his advent into their hearts.

For weeks we talked about reaching out to those who are not active in Church anymore. What better time to invite them then during the season that they probably understand the best. Advent and Christmas.

Invite them to come back to Christ and worship at his Church.

So Advent is coming. Advent means coming. This season let’s expect Christ as a baby in the manger. Let’s prepare for his next coming. And let’s prepare for Christ to come into our hearts and into the hearts that are thirsting for true life.

With this expectation we can say right along with the writer of Revelation. Verse 20. When Christ says 20 “Yes, I am coming soon.” We can join together during the Advent season and always “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”[6]

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[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984

[2] The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984

[3] The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984

[4] The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984

[5] The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Re 22:17

[6] The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Re 22:20