Advent is the beginning of the church year, which ended with Christ the King Sunday.
Advent focuses on 2 times of :
- The waiting for the Messiah to come for the first time, which we celebrate at Christmas
- The waiting for messiah to return, when his kingdom will come and will be done as fully here as it is in heaven
Messiah comes twice.
First time with Grace.
Isaiah 2:1–5 (NLT)
This is a vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house
will be the highest of all—
the most important place on earth.
It will be raised above the other hills,
and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
3 People from many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;
his word will go out from Jerusalem.
4 The Lord will mediate between nations
and will settle international disputes.
They will hammer their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation,
nor train for war anymore.
5 Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Psalm 122:1–4 (MSG)
1–2 When they said, “Let’s go to the house of God,”
my heart leaped for joy.
And now we’re here, O Jerusalem,
inside Jerusalem’s walls!
3–5 Jerusalem, well-built city,
built as a place for worship!
The city to which the tribes ascend,
all God’s tribes go up to worship,
To give thanks to the name of God—
this is what it means to be Israel.
These scriptures communicate excitement and anticipation!
Matthew 24:29-44 (ESV)
30 “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
36 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father…
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
What do we do to be ready?
Grace is not opposed to effort.
It is opposed to earning.
Jesus himself says we must be ready, so there must be more to do.
Micah 6:8 (NIV)
8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV)
15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
2 Corinthians 5:18 (NIV)
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
Genesis 1:28 (NIV)
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
James 1:27 (NLT2)
27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
…And so much more!
Obedience is a response to grace, not an attempt to earn grace.
The Great Litany – A prayer asking God’s mercy and help for us to do what he’s given us to do.
Please remember to email your notes to yourself!