Reason for the Incarnation

When you welcome people at the beginning of the service, let them know that they have permission to sit at any point during the singing if they want/need to do that. The singing/Scripture reading portion of the service will be almost 30 minutes, so I doubt people will want to stand the whole time. You can invite them to stand as you leave the stage. Let me know if you have any other thoughts on that. It'll be a little awkward no matter how we do it.

Music

Advent Candle

Haiti Video

Haiti Instructions – Slide

Message: The Reason for the Incarnation

Introduction Expectations – What are you waiting for? Advent is about waiting, expectations.

· Favorite Christmas Comedy?

· Clark Griswold – expects a Christmas bonus estimated to be around $25,000, 1989 cost of installing a in ground fiberglass pool and flying all the family there to dedicate it. He receives a one-year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club valued at $100. He loses it. The gift that keeps on giving is not the problem. Had he had no expectations the jelly of the month club would have been fine. The problem is he believed he was getting $25,000.

· What happens when you don’t get what you wanted for Christmas?

· If you expect one thing but get something else, that’s where the rub comes.

ADVENT: Latin roots, meaning “coming”. The first advent (Christmas) was about expectation.

What did they expect? The “Christmas Bonus”…

· Context 500 BC since the last prophet Malachi. Under Oppression. Occupied.

· Isaiah 9:1-6 What would you expect? What would you want the first Advent to be?

o What man wants – the bad to be taken away leaving only the good: bad times, bad things, bad people…. Take them away.

o Isaiah 9:5 implies no more war. Historically, how has every nation provided peace for its citizens? By having a strong military.

o Expectation – Messiah will rule with force. Must deter evil to conquer it. Oust Rome. Oust Herod their corrupt puppet Jewish king.

What They (we) Wanted – A God who will remove bad people and bad things.

What did they receive (First Advent)?

· Messiah announcing kingdom of God. Mark 1:14-15. Ok…. But…

· The Cross - 3X – Mark 8:30-33, Mark 9:30-32, Mark 10:32-34.

· The Lesson – Reason for the Incarnation Mark 10:45 Not to be served but to serve…

o They wanted a bonus and a pool. Palace, authority, power to rule.

o Jesus comes and gives them a water basin and a towel to wash feet.

What we often want – new circumstances.

What we need – a new heart.