Carol Evening..

I recently read a story about a mom who was planning a party for her child's first birthday …

and she accidentally invited everyone on her phone.

She was using an app called E-vite and thought she had just selected a few contacts ..

But, with one tap, she Invited every entire contact list..

The invite went out to her boss, coworkers, students, old friends—and even people she barely knew.

What made it worse was …how she saved their names:

the..“guy from the coffee shop,”

The “old man next door,”

and “Justin – form the Delta Sky Lounge.” So..When the invitations went out, everyone saw exactly how the y were saved.. Advent is Gods invitation

We are invited … to examine Gods story…...

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke give us the details of Jesus’ birth—Mary, Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, the manger. They tell us what happened.

then you have the Gospel of a John…. Which Stands on it’s own. John invites is to examine who Jesus is …

John starts with Jesus existing with God the father in eternity past…before the foundations..of the earth.

(John 1:1–2

John 1:1–2 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

John tell us that …

Before Bethlehem… before creation…

before time itself—

Jesus already was the Word—(the logos)

The eternal truth of God.

He was not only with God; He was God. All things were made through Him.

Not only that …but Christ was the source of all life,

.. shining as light in the darkness—

so bright that the darkness could not overcome it. Jesus is portrayed as the eternal light that gives light to men.. .

Bit.. John says

.. not everyone accepts the invitation…

…“Jesus came to his own, and his own people did not receive him”—… in other works.. … Jesus claims of divinity this became a stumbling stone…

Peter tells is that The stone that builders rejected became the Chef Corner stone.. On the other hands

“ to all who receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

(John 1:12, ESV)

What a powerful promise!!

God did not come as a distant deity… He did comes as impersonal God..

To be known.

Any To be received…as father..

The heart of Advent is this invitation:

An invitation to know God the personally …throughout his son Jesus

An invitation to recognize His grace and truth.

… invitation to receive the light…of his life..

Tonight, as we reflect on that invitation,

We are going to close with Silent Night ,

We take to prepare our candles ….. stepping into the light of Christ together.. AMEN.