Light of Advent
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Light of Advent
Light of Advent
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
Season of Advent where starting today for four Sundays before Christmas churches celebrate the first coming of Jesus. Preaching will be around the theme of advent, last year we broke the four weeks into the topic of Love, Hope, Faith and Joy.
Season of Joy.
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When does it start? I think that in our commercialized world it all starts on Black Friday.
From Thanksgiving when people are supposed to be thankful.
We have kicked off the season when everyone is supposed to be joyful.
What brings happiness to people?
Thanksgiving.. people are supposed to be thankful and happy.
Black Friday - there is excitement in the air, it’s the season to be jolly - in cyberspace. People got great deals online to get their gifts for Christmas - nowadays we have a choice not to be in a crowded mall.
There is no longer an excuse to be stressed inside a mall on Christmas eve. With all the online shopping you can do way before Christmas for items less than half the price… major Procrastinator with a capital P!
Most people took to Black Friday to buy stuff for themselves.
couple trying to fit a huge flat screen TV in their car, in the cold weather
Inside Best Buy people are busy looking for the best deal in electronics.
I am so happy to find these great deals on flat screen TVs. $300
I am wondering if I get this 65 inch TV installed it, may look nice
Size of people are bigger, the images are more crisp and clear, what’s next?
I have to put it into good use, I have to watch my favorite movies..
After I have seen all of the Avengers movies and more than that all of the Marvel Universe of movies, what’s next?
Nothing against big screen TVs nor against people who buy them in the Holidays
God Knows the Future
“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.” —
All of us have ideas about the future, ideas that range from a hunch to extremely confident depending on the situation. But nobody knows the future with 100 percent certainty. In fact, Scripture warns against predicting the future with certainty that borders on arrogance (). But when Herod asked the Jewish priests and teachers where the Christ child would be born, they didn’t hesitate or equivocate:
In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet. —
They were certain He would be born in Bethlehem. And why were they so certain? Because God had told the prophet Micah. They believed that God knows the future and could reveal that knowledge to His prophets. To quote the old saying, “God said it, we believe it, and that settles it!” The priests and teachers were right, of course. Jesus was indeed born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet had written hundreds of years before it happened. The Christmas lesson from this event is simple, and yet too often we tend to forget its message:
God knows the future.
If you are anxious about something in your future, don’t be. God knows what you don’t know and will reveal it in good time. And you can trust Him.
People buy into the artificial joy the world offers and miss out on the true joy of the season.
The truth is that not only do people find true joy in the artificial happiness that th world offers, the Christmas season is when a lot of people are most depressed.
Why is this?
Reasons for Depression in the Holidays:
Holiday Related pressure
Social Isolation
Some people may have a small social circle or a lack opportunities for socialization. People who have feelings of disconnectedness often avoid social interactions at holiday time.
3.Grieving - Remembering the loss of a loved one.
4.Family Conflicts
5. Season pattern depression - people who get depressed with the change of the seasons..
For these people, hearing everyone around them greet each other “Happy Holidays” puts pressure on them to be happy and a lot of people are faced with a demand or a high expectation that they cannot meet.
There are many self help ways that we can suggest to people:
Like changing their holiday traditions, getting out of the house to volunteer, helping your neighbor, working at a soup kitchen, getting back to nature.
These are self-help ways, DIY - Do it Yourself.
I like the slogan of Home Depot: “You can do it. We can help.”
The church has a role. What is the church to do?
The Christmas Season is an opportunity for the church to minister bring the light of Jesus into people’s lives.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
The prophet Isaiah gave this prophecy of the coming of Jesus.
The prophet Isaiah gave this prophecy of the coming of Jesus.
The prophet Isaiah gave this prophecy of the coming of Jesus.
“People who walked in darkness have seen a great light”
Imagine being in a mansion and being invited to enter a room you have never entered in that is pitch black, that you can you cannot even see the palm of your hand in front of your face. You don’t even see what is around you.
Then all of a sudden white light invades the darkness and permeated every space of the room that there is not even a shadow that can be cast. Better yet, you find out that you are in a beautiful room inside the mansion.
That is the picture Isaiah paints for us here.
The story of Christmas is a story of an invasion. When the light of God invaded the realm of darkness and occupied and no one escapes it. Takes us into a new world we have never seen before..
Jesus said in .
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
:!2
There are people who live in darkness and know nothing about the light of Jesus.
There are people who live in darkness and know nothing about the light of Jesus.
There are two types of spiritual darkness, the first one is darkness of sight. People do not see where they are walking, and they are stumbling through life.
The second kind of darkness which is even more serious is the darkness of the heart.
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Romans 1:21
This is the darkness that God wants to invade in the hearts of men this Christmas season.
He paints the perfect picture of that brilliant moment when our world collides with His wonder; our darkness is pierced by His light. He didn’t come to people who were already spit-shined. He came to those who were buried in darkness, desperate for help, and longing for hope.
Will you help bring the light of God to a heart that is in darkness this Christmas season?
Stern, Bo. When Holidays Hurt (p. 3). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
Jesus is the reason for the season.
We say this and it is true. But this season is not only a reason for celebration, it is also an opportunity to bring the light of God when people feel the darkness the most.
“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”
But there will be a time when the perfect light will come.
“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”
Seem to be very profound words, they actually came from Buddy the Elf.
Jesus didn’t come to cheer us up; He came into the shadowlands we call home to set us free. Christmas is deeper than that. It reaches into darker places. Jesus didn’t come to cheer us up; He came into the shadowlands we call home to set us free. He came to untangle us from the despair that wraps itself around our joy and peace and purpose. It seems, then, that hopelessness is the very first qualification for receiving the bright hope of Christmas. Perhaps you are exactly where you need to be to experience the miracle of Advent after all. (Bo Stern, When Holidays Hurt)
I am excited about my God and what He continues to do. The Lord specializes in taking people out of darkness into His wonderful light.
The Lord specializes in taking people out of darkness into His wonderful light.
But there will be a time when the perfect light will come.
5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
This will become a reality in the Second Advent of Christ.
No more depression, human failures, sin, the perfect Son of God will finally rule in the perfect government in the perfect world.
This should excite us! The Second Advent.
Look around you -
How can people get excited about the second advent when they have not heard about the first?