Advent Sermon: Waiting With the Word
Brian Fletcher
Psalm 19:7-11
Intro: Advent is a season of waiting with expectation and anticipation that Christ, the Messiah is coming and that when he does he will make all things new. He will bring about peace, shalom. He will take what is broken and put it all back together in perfect harmony.
While we focus on Advent during the weeks leading up to our celebration of Christ's birth, we are actually - always in a season of advent as we wait for the second and final coming of Jesus.
It is unbelievably important - life-changing, if you will, to celebrate the first coming of Christ, who is Immanuel, God with us. Jesus is God in the flesh. His birth, life, death and resurrection have taken what was broken in our lives; our broken relationship with God because of our sin against him, and he has fixed it. We were enemies of God, unholy thieves who had stolen our lives away from God and made ourselves our own gods.
But the cross smashes the god of ourselves and makes us whole again. Or as John puts it - we have been born again to a new life, in a new vibrant and loving relationship with God through Christ.
So, the beauty of Advent is that Christ is actually with us while we wait for the final consummation of all things. Theologians call this living in ''the already but not yet''. We already have Jesus and his full assurance of salvation and forgiveness, but all things have not been made new yet, where sin is utterly wiped away and we live in the new heavens and the new earth. Again, in perfect shalom with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and all of creation.
Illustration: Can I tell you something that I am looking forward to after this life? Being able to see parts of creation I will not be able to see in this life. The beauty of the world is astounding and I've only hit a few places so far.
Our theme for our church this advent season is answering the question:
SLIDE: What does it look like to faithfully ...
Brian Fletcher
Psalm 19:7-11
Intro: Advent is a season of waiting with expectation and anticipation that Christ, the Messiah is coming and that when he does he will make all things new. He will bring about peace, shalom. He will take what is broken and put it all back together in perfect harmony.
While we focus on Advent during the weeks leading up to our celebration of Christ's birth, we are actually - always in a season of advent as we wait for the second and final coming of Jesus.
It is unbelievably important - life-changing, if you will, to celebrate the first coming of Christ, who is Immanuel, God with us. Jesus is God in the flesh. His birth, life, death and resurrection have taken what was broken in our lives; our broken relationship with God because of our sin against him, and he has fixed it. We were enemies of God, unholy thieves who had stolen our lives away from God and made ourselves our own gods.
But the cross smashes the god of ourselves and makes us whole again. Or as John puts it - we have been born again to a new life, in a new vibrant and loving relationship with God through Christ.
So, the beauty of Advent is that Christ is actually with us while we wait for the final consummation of all things. Theologians call this living in ''the already but not yet''. We already have Jesus and his full assurance of salvation and forgiveness, but all things have not been made new yet, where sin is utterly wiped away and we live in the new heavens and the new earth. Again, in perfect shalom with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and all of creation.
Illustration: Can I tell you something that I am looking forward to after this life? Being able to see parts of creation I will not be able to see in this life. The beauty of the world is astounding and I've only hit a few places so far.
Our theme for our church this advent season is answering the question:
SLIDE: What does it look like to faithfully ...
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