The Hope of Advent #4

Recap

God overshadows

Christ never leaves us the same

Christ relates to us

There is no peace on earth

Political Tension

Competing worldview

Social media emphasizing our already broken relationships and vulnerabilities

Everything is urgent

War and genocide

Racism

When will it ever stop?

Based on what we talked about this fall, it has always been this way. Nothing has really changed that much inter-personally.

War and genocide happened long ago

Racism was present

Political tension was everywhere all the time

Social status and brokenness caused relational rifts

It was all life and death.

I’m not going to offer you a modern day solution to the brokenness of the world. The problems are not all that modern, they have stood the test of time and we need a solution that will do the same.

Scripture

The New International Version Chapter 3

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

John 3:16–21 NIV

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Jesus wasn’t sent to condemn, but to save. His whole goal is to do whatever it takes to save. It is his disposition to save. He defaults to redemption.

So why do we experience so much brokenness?

Because we love darkness, we convince ourselves that we are not in need of the redemption and standards and grace of God because we’ve got this! The problem obviously isn’t sin, it has to be something else, something we can change without God’s help.

Besides couldn’t God stop all the brokenness if he really wanted to? He did! Because the root of ALL the brokenness we experience on earth is sin, and he has a remedy for sin.

“In the sight of God” meaning there is a God who sees and knows, NOT A GOD WHO CONDEMNS BECAUSE HE SEES!

The New International Version Chapter 1

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

I do not believe in Christ, and cherish Advent, because of escapism.

I do not believe in Christ, and cherish Advent, because of escapism.

Redemption is available for you today.

You don’t have to keep that brokenness in your life.

Communion

“Baby Boy” by “For King and Country”

Do you want to follow Jesus? Do you need Redemption?

Altar Call: “Baby Boy” by “For King and Country”