ADVENT! Wake up and shop! (CC)
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FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT 2013
BY THE APOSTLE PAUL IN HIS
LETTER
TO THE ROMANS WHERE WE READ
FROM CHAPTER 13,
BEGINNING WITH VERSE 11:
AND DO THIS, UNDERSTANDING THE
PRESENT TIME:
THE HOUR HAS ALREADY COME FOR
YOU TO WAKE UP
FROM YOUR SLUMBER, BECAUSE OUR
SALVATION
IS NEARER NOW THAN WHEN WE
FIRST BELIEVED.
THE NIGHT IS NEARLY OVER; THE
DAY
IS ALMOST HERE. SO LET US PUT
ASIDE THE DEEDS
OF DARKNESS AND PUT ON THE
ARMOR OF LIGHT.
LET US BEHAVE DECENTLY, AS IN
THE DAYTIME, NOT IN CAROUSING
AND DRUNKENNESS,
NOT IN SEXUAL IMMORALITY AND
DEBAUCHERY,
NOT IN DISSENSION AND
JEALOUSY.
RATHER, CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST,
AND DO NOT THINK ABOUT HOW TO
GRATIFY THE DESIRES
OF THE FLESH. THIS IS THE WORD
OF OUR LORD.
LET US PRAY:
GLORIOUS AND GRACIOUS GOD, MAY
THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND THE
MEDITATION OF EACH OF OUR
HEARTS BE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR
SIGHT, OUR ONLY SOURCE OF HOPE
AND COMFORT.
AMEN.
[TEXT TAKEN FROM
THE HOLY BIBLE:
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION,
1973, 1978, 1984,
USED BY PERMISSION OF
ZONDERVAN BIBLE PUBLISHERS]
DEAR FOLLOWERS OF OUR LORD
AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST:
DID YOU WIN IN YOUR OFFICE
POOL FROM THIS WEEK?
I HAVE A VERY SMALL OFFICE TO
POOL WITH,
BUT I HEAR THAT ONE OF THE
NEW OFFICE
BETTING POOLS IS WHEN THE
FIRST
ATTACK IS GOING TO HAPPEN ON
BLACK FRIDAY. THOSE POOR
PEOPLE
IN RIALTO MUST HAVE REALLY
MESSED IT UP
BECAUSE THE WALMART WASN'T
GONNA OPEN
UNTIL 8 P.M. BUT THERE WERE SO
MANY PEOPLE THERE ON THURSDAY
EVENING THAT THEY DECIDED THAT
THEY HAD TO OPEN THE DOORS AT
6 O'CLOCK,
6 O'CLOCK TO KEEP IT CALM.
AND THE FIRST FIGHT WAS AT
6:45
FOLLOWED BY TWO MORE
WITH A POLICE OFFICER BEING
WOUNDED.
IT'S THE SAME THING THAT'S
GOING ON ACROSS
THE COUNTRY ON THAT DAY. THERE
WERE
PEOPLE BEING SHOT, POLICE
OFFICERS BEING HURT,
PEOPLE BEING TRAMPLED, AND
PEOPLE JUST
BEHAVING BADLY. PUSHING EACH
OTHER ...
SHOVING EACH OTHER ... AND ALL
TO SAVE
A FEW DOLLARS.
AND BEFORE THAT THURSDAY,
THERE SEEMED TO BE
SUCH AN UPROAR ABOUT HOW WE
COULD DESTROY THE GREAT FAMILY
DAY
OF THE YEAR. HOW WE COULD TAKE
PEOPLE AWAY FROM THEIR
FAMILIES
ON THANKSGIVING BY OPENING UP
SHOPPING OPPORTUNITIES.
YOU KNOW WHAT SURPRISED ME
ABOUT THAT CONVERSATION?
WAS IN ALL OF THE
CONVERSATIONS THAT I HEARD
AND I FOLLOWED, EVEN
AMONG MY FRIENDS, THERE WAS
NOT
ONE OF THEM THAT SAID:
WHY AREN'T YOU GOING TO CHURCH
ON THANKSGIVING DAY?
- - - - -
KIND OF AN INTERESTING THOUGHT
WHERE WE HAVE COME AS
A SOCIETY. WE LOOK AROUND US
AND WE SEE PEOPLE BEHAVING
BADLY EVERYWHERE. AND WE
REALIZE
HOW DIFFICULT IT IS EVEN FOR
US
NOT TO GET SWEPT UP IN THAT
CURRENT.
NOT TO GET SWEPT UP IN WHAT
OTHER PEOPLE
ARE SAYING AND WHAT OTHER
PEOPLE ARE DOING, AND WHAT WE
NEED TO DO AS THEIR NEIGHBORS
AND AS PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
AND HOW QUICKLY IT IS FOR US
TO FORGET WHAT WE NEED TO BE
DOING
AS GOD'S CHILDREN.
AS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
WAITING FOR HIS RETURN.
AS THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
RECEIVED WARNING
AFTER WARNING IN SCRIPTURE
THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHEN
THAT DAY IS THAT CHRIST IS
GOING TO COME
AND PUT AN END TO THIS WORLD.
WHAT WE'RE REMINDED OF AGAIN
TODAY.
WE HAVE THAT STERN
WARNING TO THE PEOPLE
OF NOAH'S TIME, WHO HAD TURNED
TO THEIR OWN PASSIONS, WHO HAD
TURNED TO THEIR OWN
JEALOUSIES ... THEIR OWN
ENVIES ... WANTING TO DO
WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO AND
THEY HAD TURNED FROM GOD.
AND GOD CAME
UP WITH A PLAN TO SAVE HIS
OWN.
AND HE PUT NOAH AND HIS FAMILY
ON AN ARK.
AND HOW TERRIFYING IT MUST
HAVE BEEN.
WE HEAR THOSE VERSES FROM
SCRIPTURE. HOW EVERYTHING
WAS DESTROYED ON EARTH.
EVERYTHING
WITH THE BREATH OF LIFE IN ITS
NOSTRILS
DIED. THE HUMAN BEINGS,
AS WELL AS THE ANIMALS
THAT WERE NOT ON THAT ARK.
AND JESUS,
IN OUR GOSPEL LESSON, TURNED
TO THE PEOPLE OF HIS DAY AND
SAID: YOU NEED TO REALIZE AND
HEAR THIS!
AND UNDERSTAND YOU DO NOT KNOW
WHEN THE CHRIST IS GOING TO
COME.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE JUST LIKE
IN THE DAYS OF NOAH.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE GOING
OUT AND
DOING WHAT THEY FEEL IS
IMPORTANT.
THEIR EVERYDAY ACTIVITY. THE
THINGS THAT CONSUME THEM
DAY IN AND DAY OUT. THEY ARE
GOING TO BE GOING TO WORK.
THEY'LL BE GOING TO BE GOING
TO DO WHATEVER THEY DO DURING
THE DAY AND THE LORD IS GOING
TO COME.
BUT WE, AS THE CHILDREN OF
GOD,
ARE TO WAKE UP AND REALIZE
HOW IMPORTANT IT IS
FOR US TO KNOW THAT FACT.
FOR US TO REALIZE
THAT CHRIST IS COMING. AND
AS
THE APOSTLE PAUL REMINDS US TO
BEHAVE
DECENTLY. TO ACT LIKE
THE CHILDREN OF GOD BECAUSE
YOU AND I KNOW
THAT THE TIME IS NEARER NOW
THAN WHEN WE FIRST BELIEVED.
YOU AND I REALIZE
THAT WHEN WE WOKE UP THIS
MORNING, WE ARE
ONE DAY CLOSER TO OUR DEATH
IN THIS WORLD. OR THE ENDING
OF THIS WORLD.
YES! NONE OF US KNOWS WHEN
THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
NONE OF US CAN IMAGINE OR
PREDICT
THAT DATE. BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW
IS THAT TODAY
I AM ONE DAY CLOSER TO MY
ETERNAL
REST IN CHRIST.
TOMORROW, IF I HAVE THE GRACE
TO WAKE UP, I AM
ANOTHER DAY CLOSER TO MY DEATH
AND EXIT FROM THIS TEMPORAL
WORLD
TO GOD'S HOLY HEAVEN.
THE TIME IS NEAR.
THE APOSTLE REMINDS US: IT IS
NEARER NOW THAN WHEN
WE FIRST BELIEVED.
AND WHAT A REMINDER THAT
SHOULD BE FOR US EVERY MORNING
WHEN WE WAKE UP. THAT WE ARE
CLOSER
TO OUR EXIT FROM THIS
SIN-FILLED WORLD. AND AS WE
LIVE
IN THIS SINFUL WORLD. WHAT IS
IMPORTANT FOR US?
IT TRULY IS TO STAY FOCUSED ON
CHRIST.
TO STAY FOCUSED ON HIM.
NOT JUST PUTTING "CHRIST" BACK
INTO CHRISTMAS.
BUT PUTTING CHRIST "IN" TO OUR
DAILY LIVES. ADVENT IS
A SEASON AND A TIME FOR US
TO PREPARE OUR HEARTS.
IT TRULY IS AN IMPORTANT
ASPECT OF
THE CHURCH YEAR. AND I KNOW,
WE AS CHRISTIANS FIGHT
AGAINST CHRISTMAS WHICH SO
MANY PEOPLE ARE
ALREADY CELEBRATING AND HAVE
BEEN
CELEBRATING FOR WEEKS.
BUT WE ARE ON THE FIRST DAY OF
ADVENT:
A SEASON OF
REPENTANCE. AND I KNOW,
I PUT ON THIS BLACK ROBE AND I
HEAR FROM A NUMBER OF YOU:
I HATE IT! I DON'T LIKE
THAT BLACK ROBE!
IT'S THE LAW. IT'S THE
STERNNESS OF GOD.
BUT WHO OF US DOES LIKE THE
LAW?
OUR SINFUL NATURE IS ALWAYS
OPPOSED TO IT.
WE DON'T LIKE TO HEAR THAT WE
BREAK GOD'S COMMANDMENTS. WE
DON'T WANT SOMEONE TELLING US
THAT WE ARE PART OF THOSE
PEOPLE
WHO SOMETIMES ARE JEALOUS OF
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE.
WE'RE ENVIOUS OF OTHER PEOPLE.
SOMETIMES WE ARE AS FRUSTRATED
AS THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE
ON BLACK FRIDAY AND IF WE ARE
NOT USING OUR HANDS TO PUSH
PEOPLE, WE ARE SCREAMING
AT THEM WITH OUR MINDS AND IN
OUR THOUGHTS WE'RE
WISHING WE COULD JUST TRAMPLE
THEM AS WELL.
NO ONE LIKES
TO BE REMINDED OF THAT.
BUT WE'RE REMINDED OF THAT
BECAUSE
WE KNOW THAT GOD STILL
LOVED US IN OUR SINFUL STATE.
WHILE WE WERE
STILL SINNERS ... HE SAVED
US. LOOK AT THE GRACE OF GOD
IN THE ACCOUNT OF THE FLOOD BY
HIM SAVING
NOAH AND HIS FAMILY, AND
TELLING NOAH AND HIS FAMILY
THAT HE WOULD NEVER AGAIN
DESTROY THE WORLD WITH A FLOOD
AND PUTTING THAT RAINBOW
IN THE SKY AS AN EVERLASTING
REMINDER OF GOD'S LOVE.
THE REMINDER COMES TO US IN
THE PERSON OF CHRIST
WHO CAME INTO THIS WORLD
TO BE OUR SAVIOR.
AND TO LOVE US AND NOT
LEAVE US
IN THAT STATE OF SINFULNESS
AND CONDEMNATION. BUT TO CALL
US OUT OF
THE DARKNESS OF SIN INTO HIS
MARVELOUS
LIGHT TO BE A PART OF HIS
FAMILY
AND HIS KINGDOM. TO LIVE IN
THAT GRACE.
TO KNOW AND TO UNDERSTAND
ALL OF GOD'S LOVE. AND IN
RESPONSE TO THAT
WE LIVE AS GOD'S PEOPLE
IN THIS WORLD.
WE BEHAVE DECENTLY.
KNOWING THAT THIS WORLD IS
GOING TO END
AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT ... IS
WHAT IS ETERNAL.
AND EACH AND EVERY DAY, GOD
GIVES US
THE STRENGTH BY HIS HOLY
SPIRIT
TO BEHAVE DECENTLY.
TO LIVE AS GOD'S CHILDREN. TO
GET UP
EACH AND EVERY MORNING WITH
THE REMINDER OF WHAT
OCCURRED AT OUR BAPTISM:
WHEN SATAN WAS DROWNED IN THE
BAPTISMAL WATERS OF CHRIST.
WHEN WE WERE BURIED WITH
CHRIST
INTO HIS DEATH. SO THAT WE
ALSO WOULD
LIVE WITH HIM THROUGH HIS
RESURRECTION.
THAT IS THE POWER THAT IS OURS
THROUGH BAPTISM.
AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO IS
WITH US,
REMINDING US OF THAT STRENGTH
THAT IS OURS ...
THAT GOD GIVES TO US DAILY.
THAT AS WE GET UP AND
REMEMBER
THAT BAPTISMAL WATER. AS WE
SHOWER AND
PREPARE FOR THE DAY WE REMIND
OURSELVES
AS WE PUT ON OUR CLOTHES DAILY
THAT WE CLOTHE OURSELVES
WITH CHRIST.
WE PUT ON THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF
CHRIST
TO LIVE LIVES THAT ARE
DEDICATED
TO WHAT GOD WANTS.
NOT WHILE BASE DESIRES WANT.
NOT WHAT WE WANNA DO
IN THE DARK SO NOBODY CAN SEE
HOW DISGUSTING AND VILE
WE TRULY ARE. BUT TO LIVE IN
CHRIST'S LIGHT. TO SHINE WITH
HIS BRILLIANCE
IN A WORLD THAT IS TRULY
DARKENED BY SIN.
THAT IS TRULY DARKENED BY
DEPRAVITY.
BUT YOU AND I, CLOTHED WITH
CHRIST,
ARE TO BEHAVE DECENTLY
AND SHINE AS GOD'S CHILDREN.
AND WE HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL
OPPORTUNITY
TO DO THAT ... AT THIS TIME
TO EXPRESS WHAT CHRISTMAS
IS ALL ABOUT. AND I DON'T
THINK THAT WE,
AS THE CHILDREN OF GOD, SHOULD
TAKE FOR GRANTED
THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT
CHRISTMAS IS. OR WHAT IT IS
TRULY
ALL ABOUT. AND WE KNOW
IT IS ABOUT GOD SENDING HIS
SON
INTO THIS WORLD TO BE OUR
SAVIOR
TO RESCUE US FROM SIN AND HELL
AND TO MAKE US HIS OWN.
THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT WE
PREPARE OUR HEARTS WITH
AT THIS ADVENT SEASON. IT'S
THE MESSAGE
THAT WE SHARE WITH OTHERS
ABOUT WHAT CHRISTMAS
TRULY IS. AND WE DO THAT
DECENTLY AND WE
BEHAVE ACCORDINGLY.
AND IT "IS" A DIFFICULT TASK -
WHEN THE WORLD DOESN'T WANNA
HEAR THAT MESSAGE;
WHEN SATAN IS THERE TRYING TO
TURN EVERYTHING
AGAINST US AND TO MAKE US
FRUSTRATED.
BUT THOSE ARE THE TIMES
WE COME BACK AND REFOCUS.
THEY'RE THE TIMES WE LIGHT THE
ADVENT CANDLES
IN OUR HOUSE AND SIT DOWN TO
DEVOTIONS.
TO READ THE SCRIPTURE. TO HEAR
WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY IN
ENCOURAGEMENT TO US.
SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO
FEED AND NURTURE OUR FAITH
WHICH GOD HAS GIVEN TO US AND
WHICH HE KEEPS ALIVE IN US.
WE TRULY ARE DIFFERENT THAN
THE WORLD
THAT IS OUT THERE. WE
UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT LET'S NOW LIVE THAT
DIFFERENCE.
LET'S WAKE UP FROM OUR SLUMBER
AND BEHAVE DECENTLY.
AMEN.
LET US RISE.
NOW MAY THE PEACE OF GOD,
WHICH GOES BEYOND ALL OF
OUR UNDERSTANDING, KEEP YOUR
HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS AND
ESPECIALLY YOUR LIVES IN THE
ONE TRUE FAITH UNTO LIFE
EVERLASTING. AMEN.