First Sunday of Advent - Year A

Welcome Statement

The last few weeks we’ve been going through the prophets, which ended into a declaration of Christ being the lord over all creation and all of this world and beyond. This closing of the ordinary season with a triumphant declaration of Christ’s reign, is important, as it prepares our hearts, for a new liturgical cycle. We prepare our hearts to start again, from the beginning, this cycle of renewal, that all started with the birth of our Savior over 2000 years ago. What makes this a unique time, is we get the opportunity to experience Christ’s birth, through prayer, storytelling, and sharing presence with others in celebration of what really is in a sense a magical time of year. It is fitting then, that the first candle we start with, is hope. Before anything becomes true, we start with two options, we either hope for that outcome, or we fear for another outcome or no outcome at all. Christ calls us to hope. This hope, this blessed hope. Emanuel, God With us, is what prepares us on the daily to go into the world.

During the time of the Assyrians, Isaiah is concerned that Israel has become complacent in their worship, their lives, their laws, their culture, the livlihoods, all of it. Furthermore, this is all a symptom of something spiritually more destructive. In a sense, Israel at this point has taken on a “prosperity gospel”, they believe their comfort is proof of God’s approval, that the fact they are living in stable times suggests they have been a righteous people for God, and ultimately, they are spitting in the spirit of Job, by essentially declaring that the fruit of their labor, is the evidence, rather than what God has done, and is doing. They’ve put their trust and hope into a false God built out of control, rather than a God that redeems, radically uplifts lifes, and changes circumstances for the ultimate good. This concern Isaiah has, becomes really apparant, in Chapter 2, he declares what will happen, regardless of whether Israel is faithful or not, and it’s what predicates our grace-filled faith, one that is dependent on God, a hope dependent on Him, not ourselves.

Old Testament Reading - Isaiah 2:1-5

Isaiah 2:1–5 NRSV

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Actively Waiting?

Isaiah is not declaring this to say, what they do doesn’t matter, rather, what they do should be in response to the promise God has laid before them

Isaiah is also making a point that the people who do trust in God, don’t have to fear the bumps, ups and downs, of the journey

Repentance still matters here, Isaiah is essentially saying there is nothing self-preserving the Israelites can do, their sin will be exposed whether they like it or not. Repentance here is to help prepare their hearts for the journey ahead, and to provide a grace, or an out, from their sinful behavior

They have two options, repent, accept the cleansing fire that burns away the thorns holding them hostage, or feel the burn as they hold onto a false sense of security and only notice they are falling at the last minute.

So the question becomes for us, do we accept the cleansing power of Christ? Or do we pretend that God affirms our sin because nothing has happened to us today?

New Testament Reading - Matthew 24:36-44

Matthew 24:36–44 NRSV

“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Thief in the Night

We see this argued sometimes through a lens of compliance or fear

It is meant to remove the time table or perceived time table when we say Christ is coming, or coming soon. How soon is soon?

No one knows the day or hour, you can be sure those who say they know, are wrong.

This provides guard rails to ensure we are not rooting our repentance in the fact we fear repercussions

Like a child that you count to 3 for, there is no count, there is simply before and after the coming of Jesus.

Rapture Up?

We can get caught up in the language about the goats and the lambs, wondering if the person beside us is the one taken up, or the the one left behind. This language is not about a predetermined elect few, nor is it language meant to be exclusionary. It is to point that we must decide today how we are going to live. It is radical language to make clear how different Christ’s salvation of grace is. It is a gift we accept. It is not a gift you just return and take for granted.

Think of a gift receipt, don’t like the gift you return it for something else. In this case, this gift is either kept or wasted. Now, I don’t mean this in the sense of guilt, but like Paul talking about cheap grace, we see this gift as something that applies to all people, and it moves us to turn around when we fall off the beaten path.

It is not meant to be a threat, it gives us hope that Christ is serious, he will break into our homes whether we like it or not, he will show up at HIS time not ours. That is the promise, that we trust together as community.

Our Response to this Promise

Our hope in Christ is not a sense of escapism. We do not shut our doors ignoring to the world crying out to salvation

Rather, our trust that Christ is indeed the Omega (the end), we open our doors, to spread the Gospel, through deed and word.

Through our Blessing Box, our youth group, our outreaches through the Crossroads Community Building, the soup opera, love offerings, all of this, is in response to what happened on Christmas. Christ was born in the night, to juxtapose a light in the darkness.

Christ is saying that our 2nd chance we have with him to take seriously.

It is to tell us our repentance must come from the heart, it is not about making sure everyday we are perfect, but that when we fall, we get back up to turn back towards the Kingdom.

It is that today, not yesterday’s regret, or tomorrow’s fear, but today’s the time to turn back to God, the Prodigal son could have returned at anytime, even the day of, and his father would have been happy to see him again, after fearing he would be gone forever.

Closing Statement

As we start to look to prayer, recall the times Christ answered your Hope, remember the times where you felt hope was lost, but Emmanuel showed up in the midst of darkness, remember he really is this reason for the season. Our shared fellowship, our giving to others, is rooted in the Hope of Jesus Christ that indeed all swords and violence will be redeemed into life-giving tools, plowshares, that God can indeed wash us white as snow, clearing us of all sin each and everyday.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, We thank you for the Blessed Hope, Emmanuel, God With us, who has come into our world to help us let go of our fears, anxieties, and to turn away from our sin. Help us to live out that good news through a true belief that you indeed are the end of all things. Help us as a church to share that good news. Amen.

Doxology / Benediction / Closing

As you go out this week, know that Jesus Christ really is the Blessed Hope that resides in our Hearts. That we indeed have been bought through his sacrifice.

May you Have a Blessed Sunday, and rest of your Week! Amen!