Firmly Fixed Forever
Advent • Sermon • Submitted
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· 27 viewsThe mystery has been revealed; salvation is by the obedience of faith.
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INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
I rose to talk about the subject of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ ( Advent)!
This year the Sunday leading to Christmas morning is different from any day of its kind because of the suffering and sorrow that so many have endured in this tedious year of 2020. Now, we are being asked to believe that Santa Claus is coming to town with a vaccination for the Novel Corona virus in the form of the pharmaceutical wonders by Phisher and Moderna. The pressure is on pastors and religious leaders to lead the way in influencing the masses to submit to the medical community’s observations and recommendations to take the immunization shots to protect themselves from this dreaded and deadly disease. I cannot stand here this morning and make a definitive statement advocating for or against what your personal choice on this matter should be; Nor will I make any personal disclosure as to whether or not I will take the vaccination. I rose this morning to talk about the subject of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ!
In a normal year, many people would be preparing to celebrate what we understand to be the first advent of the Lord into the world. We are swept away with hymns like O’ Little town of Bethlehem, Away in a manger, and O’ come all ye faithful. And while we cannot claim chronological accuracy, we do know that at some time around 2000 or so years ago “The Word was made flesh and dwelled among us”. See John 1:14
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The problem is that this message: The Real Meaning of Christmas, has been replaced by busyness and crazy consumerism. But lest we forget, Christmas is the season of advent. Advent is the time of serious thought and penitence. It is the time where God set into motion His plan of redemption, and “Mary had a baby”. it’s the time when we can take the time to recognize that we have been granted the gift of being able to give God glory “forever”.
SCRIPTURE READING:
SCRIPTURE READING:
Our lesson is located at Romans 16:25-27
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,
but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.
Paul’’s audience was a mixed group, made up of people who were completely different from one another. The distinction had existed for “long ages past”, but now has been erased because the “revelation of the mystery is now manifested. The Scripture of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has be made known to all the nations.”
He is saying to this group of people that faith in Jesus Christ is the secret (the mystery) of “forever”. His words suggests that being established is not something that the believer can do for his of herself. This causes us to see then that there is the danger of falling apart from being weak unsupported. That could be any one of here this Sunday morning. Many are being challenged to give up believing at this very hour. Paul says that his adoration, praise, and worship will forever belong to Him who is able to establish you. The word used here is the Greek sterizo, means to strengthen, make fast, support; it is to fix firmly, set fast, and to make more firm. The main sense of the verb stērízō is “to support.” In figurative use it means “to confirm,” politically “to pacify,” linguistically “to speak out loud,” cosmologically “to fix or secure,” anatomically “to gain hold” (an illness), and medically “to strengthen” (of medicines).
Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 1085). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.
In the context of this text, it (establish) is used:
to cause someone to become stronger in the sense of more firm and unchanging in attitude or belief—‘to strengthen, to make more firm.’
Example: See Luke 22:31-32
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;
but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
But, can I be like Paul and encourage you this morning by telling you that your Able God, your Powerful Gospel, and your obedience of Faith is able to cause you to become unchanging in attitude or belief (establish you).
CENTRAL IDEA :
CENTRAL IDEA :
We, like Paul’s audience, can be established by Our Able God, Our Powerful Gospel, and Our Obedience of Faith
Our Able God
Our Able God
Paul wants to see his readers established as he makes known at the beginning of this book (See Rom 1:11)
For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established;
However, he understands that ultimately it is only God that can accomplish such a feat. (Rom 14:4)
Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Reading the text, a doxological tone can be heard and felt as Paul praises the able-ness of God. Just the sound of that refrain sends me in…God is able! Everybody ought to stop right now and look back over your life and remember that time when it seemed impossible and you didn’t think you would come out of that thing…Smokey Norful could probably help us think about it with the lyrics of his song “God is able”:
Tell me who can make a mountain
Move out of my way
And who can make a miracle
Because of my faith
And when the doctor says no
Who can still say yes
And when I'm in trouble
Who's right there to help me pass every test
God is able, God is able
God is able and He won't fail
Advent is seen in this text because it possesses a view toward “forever”. Paul said: to Him, the one who is able to establish you; to Him: the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory FOREVER. Amen.
Transition Statement:
Our Gospel
Our Gospel
He uses our preaching of Jesus Christ (Our Gospel)
Paul said that The Lord is able to cause the believer to become strong in the sense of having a more firm and unchanging attitude or belief according to “My Gospel” and “the preaching of Jesus Christ.” That’s because the gospel of Jesus Christ is reveals the mystery of God and the true way of salvation.
The World calls it Foolishness
The World calls it Foolishness
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
The Word calls it Powerful
The Word calls it Powerful
Despite this assessment of the world; the Gospel of Jesus Christ will establish you because it has Power to cause you to become strong, having a more firm, and unchanging attitude or belief.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Our Obedience of Faith
Our Obedience of Faith
God is Able to cause you to become strong, having a more firm, and unchanging attitude or belief by your “Obedience of Faith”
In Romans 1:5; see also Acts 6:7
through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake,
The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
The Obedience of Faith, is to accept the terms that God has set forth; it is to respond to Romans 10:9
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
The Preaching of Jesus Christ is my gospel today. It is because of His sacrifice on the cross at Calvary that we have been fitted for forever. Many are the attempts to try to dislodge us from our profession of faith; but is there anybody here that will sing with renewed fervor: “I shall not be moved”! You can be sure of it today, because the Lord is able, because the gospel is powerful, and because obedience of faith gives way to forever praise. Yes, He reigns forever.
INVITATION
INVITATION
Oh come all ye Faithful
