What is Advent All About?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
This past week, in preparation for this series, I’ve done some study as to the origins of the celebration of Advent. In my mind I’ve always associated Advent with the birth of Christ. But originally it was a time in which the church focused on the return of Christ — the second Advent.
That will be our focus this Christmas season.
Our Scripture readings for the next few weeks will focus on various aspects of Advent. This week’s passages focused on preparation for the return of the King. Next week’s passages will focus on anticipation of the return of the King. The following week, we will focus on how the long-awaited Messiah brings joy to the believer. And finally, we will look at the incarnation of Jesus Christ, and how that reflects on His second coming.
Please turn in your Bible to , which is one of the readings we used today. (As a side note, for this series I have returned to the NASB which is the translation of most of our Pew Bibles).
Preparation for the coming of Christ means remembering what we have been told about His coming and actively preparing for His arrival.
Let’s read our passage once again:
As we go through our passage we will look at things in terms of how we are to prepare for the Second Advent of Christ. First,
Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.
The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
We Prepare by Loving our Brothers and Sisters in Christ
Look at vs. 8-10.
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
It would appear that Paul is warning the Roman believers about become sluggish in their lover for one another since he equates that with sleeping in verse 11. It sounds a lot like Christ’s admonition to the church in Ephesus in the Book of The Revelation.
You have lost your first love! Repent and return to it.
So, we prepare for Christ’s Second Advent by increasing our love for one another. Next,
We Prepare by Being Wide Awake and Ready for Action
Look at vs. 11.
Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.
Leon Morris, in his commentary of Romans wrote:
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Epistle to the Romans F. Living in the Light, 13:11–14
Slumber will denote a lethargic Christian life; it “suggests the thought of forgetfulness of God” (Thomas).
Robert Mounce stated:
The New American Commentary: Romans 2. In the World (13:1–14)
Since the end is near, we are to arouse ourselves from sleep, to “wake up to reality” (Phillips).
The reality is that we often grow sluggish in our love for our fellow believer. And yet, that is the very thing that demonstrates to the world that we belong to Jesus.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
In his first epistle John wrote:
The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
The sad truth is that so many of us, myself included, think that we love our brothers and sisters in Christ. And yet we turn a blind eye to their needs. John says that if that is how we are, then we are in the dark regarding what it means to love one another.
We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
Notice that last phrase of verse 11:
Salvation is nearer to us that when we believed.
So far we’ve seen that we prepare for Christ’s Second Coming by enhancing our love for one another, and by alert and ready for action. The balance of our text deals with how
We Prepare by the Process of Sanctification
Positional Sanctification
Practical Sanctification
Paul mentions both positive and negative aspects of the process of sanctification.
Negatively, we are to:
Put Off the Things Which Belong to Our Fleshly Nature
Look at verse 12.
The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Paul uses three couplings of vices to describe the things which belongs to our fleshly nature. The first two couplings are certainly connected with one another, with the first group leading to the second group.
Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
Substance Abuse
Sexual Abuse
While it is easy to see that the “big sins” mentioned in the first two groupings are things which affect the believer’s walk with Christ, it is often overlooked that the last coupling is just as wrong. I’ve summarized this by calling it:
Relationship Abuse
Positively, we are to:
Be Prepared for Our Battle with the Flesh
Paul said it this way:
Put on the Armor of Light
Walk in a Manner Worthy of our Calling
The way Paul stated it on this occasion was:
Behave Properly as in the Day
Be Engaged in the Process of Sanctification
Look at verse 14.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
“Let Christ Jesus Himself be the armor that you wear.”
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
Some commentators have noted that the phrase: “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” is a summary of the practical process of sanctification.
Morris stated:
Practical Sanctification
Morris stated:
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Epistle to the Romans F. Living in the Light, 13:11–14
the verb rendered “put on” in verse 12; it signifies not that which is merely external but habitual association and identification with Christ.
He went on to say that putting on Christ is more than putting on the character of the Lord. It signifies this:
“Let Christ Jesus Himself be the armor that you wear.”
Often when I pray I go through the process of putting on the armor of God, from prayerfully
Put on the belt of truth
Put on the breastplate of righteousness
Put on the shoes of the readiness to share the gospel of peace
Take up the shied of the faith
Receive the helmet of salvation
Receive the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God
All of these are things which are front facing. So I frequently as the Lord to be my rear-guard as well.
The point is that God is our protector!
You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
What does all of this have to do with the Second Advent of Christ?
Paul commands believers to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. The darkness of this present age is coming to an end, just as the dark of night comes to an end at dawn. The time for the new age when Christ will establish His earthly kingdom is drawing near. The believer’s final redemption is drawing near. Therefore, we should prepare for His coming by getting rid of those things which belong to our old way of life, and growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
This passage was written to those who are believers in Jesus Christ. But there certainly is a way in which those who are not believers in Jesus need to prepare for His coming. And that is by embracing the message of the gospel. For those who refuse to receive the message of the gospel, when Jesus comes it will be as judge and executioner. It will not be a happy meeting. They will acknowledge Him as Lord on that day, but it will be too late for them to know Him as Savior. I implore those who have not yet embraced Jesus to weigh the evidence and place your faith in Him today.
Let’s pray.
Closing Song: #753
Jesus is Coming Again