Sermon Tone Analysis
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Advent
Advent Lighting
Latin word adventus (Ahd-ven-toose): meaning coming
Advent celebrates the coming of Christ!
It is the real meaning of the season
We have 5 candles that help us count down the days until Christ is come
The candles represent Christ being the light of the world
There are four, representing the four centuries between Malachi and the birth of Christ
The colors are purple and pink
Purple for royalty, and pink for joy
The wreath symbolizes God
Its circular shape is infinite like God’s eternity and mercy
LIGHT THE CANDLE
The first candle represents hope
Also called Prophets Candle
Hope and Prophets are all about people in the past looking towards the future
Introduction
A Christmas Carol
The story of Ebenezer Scrooge begins at the death of his friend Jacob Marley
They were partners who were obsessed with making money
7 years after Marley died, his ghost visits Scrooge to give him a change at reclamation
He shows up in chains connected to keys, ledgers and cash boxes
He explains he must travel the entire world non-stop
As he does, he sees all the pain in the world that he could have done something about
But he never did...
Then Scrooge speaks up (as if to comfort him), telling him he was a good man of business
Marley says, “Business?
Mankind was my business.
The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business.
The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!
At this time of the rolling year I suffer most.
Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode!
Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!”
Marley has a tortured existence - constantly mourning the fact he never helped anyone
Fortunately for Scrooge, he gets a second chance
Marley arranges for 3 ghosts to visit Scrooge - Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come
Each one takes Scrooge on a tour
What he sees in his past, present and future ultimately changes his heart
As we begin our new series at Christmastime, I want to follow something in that same vein
We will look at the real Christmas from perspectives of past present and future
What does it mean for all of mankind, that our Savior was born?
Let’s take a little trip to the past to find out
YouVersion: Ghost of Christmas Past
We’re in Romans 1:18-23 and Isaiah 9:6-7
Romans 1:18 (ESV)
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Ever since man came on the scene, we’ve had a problem
1.
Our past is a story of sin
Our sin earns God’s wrath
This can be hard for us, because human wrath comes from an imperfect vengeance
But God’s wrath is from perfect righteousness
What we need to know is that the good news of the gospel isn’t just a nice thing...
For us, it’s a necessary thing!
It’s something we desperately need!
Without it, all that’s left is God’s wrath!
Why?
Because we suppress the truth!
What is the truth?
Let’s look::
Romans 1:19–20 (ESV)
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.
So they are without excuse.
God has made it plainly clear what the truth is, He has shown His attributes
From day 1, God has made it clear that He is here, clear who He is, and clear who we are
And yet mankind fights and fights and fight to distort that truth - to make our own truth
We should know better because of everything around us, even the things He has made!
I could totally see myself becoming an atheist… except for one major problem...
We’re HERE - that is the greatest miracle in history!
If there was no God, how did anything come to be...
Nothing in nature makes it clear
Actually, nature just makes it more difficult to answer the question with anything other than one answer… God
Most of you know I’m a bit of an apologetics guy
Apologetics: “reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something, typically a theory or religious doctrine.”
I’ve told you before about the bombardier beetle
It has 2 glands inside
One has hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone
Other has a mix of enzymes with catalases and peroxidases
When it mixes in their abdomen, the hydrogen peroxide mixes and converts to oxygen and water
Then the oxygen mixes with the hydroquinone and forms benzoquinone
That reaction builds oxygen so fast that it heats the water and benzoquinone to boiling (212 degrees) instantly
Then, it shoots it out of it’s butt at any attacking predators
It can shoot 20 times before running out
Usually plenty of time to open it’s wing covers, unfurl it’s wings and take off
Watching whatever animal it left behind squirming in his booty juice
Is that something that could have evolved from nothing
Which trait did it evolve first?
The hydrogen peroxide?
no evolutionary advantage
Hydroquinone?
Same problem
Maybe both at the same time?
Still needs the catalases and peroxidases
Maybe all four?
It would need two separate chambers in the right order and a turret to shoot it out!
Yeah, that all happened at once by a random mutation
Come on… we haven’t even mentioned that it’s body needs to handle the boiling point of water yet!
Is it more likely this came about by accident, or divine engineering...
What about DNA?
Most efficient data storage ever!
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