Sermon Series Summary
We read in Hebrews 1 that, “long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.” We can extrapolate on that and say that God has spoken to us in many ways through the apostles. For the people of Israel, the prophets spoke of the first advent of the Christ, the incarnation of Jesus who would atone for the sin of the world. For the people of the Church, the apostles spoke of the second advent of the Christ, the return of Jesus when He will fulfill the final promises of the Kingdom of God. Ultimately, though, God “has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things.”
This Advent, we will listen to the messages of the prophets and the apostles and, ultimately, of Jesus. On the Sundays through this Advent season, we will hear the words of the prophets – of Jeremiah, Malachi, Zephaniah and Micah – and their message of the first advent of the Christ. On Wednesdays for the midweek services, we will hear the words of the apostles – of Peter, James and Paul – and their message of the second advent. Finally, we will gather on Christmas Eve and Day to hear the message that fits both advents – “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us!” (Titus 3:4-5).
Installment Summary for Wednesday, December 18, 2024
“Meanwhile…” – Based on Romans 13:8-10
Parenting Tip #8 – Make sure you have plenty of things to keep your children busy if it is going to be a long wait. For the doctor’s appointment… a Friday night dinner at Texas Roadhouse… a road trip to Grandma’s house… for these and any other similar activities, this is great advice as boredom can lead to all kinds of mischievousness. It would seem that this advice was Paul’s motivation when he wrote regarding what we, that is, God’s children, are to be busy with during the wait for the Day of the Lord. Paul encourages us to love one another, to work on fulfilling the mission of God by sharing His saving love in Christ with the world while we wait for His return. In this work there is no room for boredom for there is always much to do.
Installment Summary for Sunday, December 22, 2024
“Visualize World Peace” – Based on Micah 5:2-5
How many wars have been fought in the course of human history? Of course, that would depend on how “war” is defined. Regardless of how it is defined, there are two simple answers. First, lots. And second, too many. Some historians suggest that in the course of human history there is less than 300 years when a war was not being fought somewhere in the world. Given man’s proclivity for aggression, violence and war is there any credible evidence of periods of peace? Is it even possible to visualize world peace? While it may be tempting to sigh in defeat and say no, the answer is really yes. It is possible. The prophet Micah draws our attention to the One who “shall be their peace.” He draws our attention from the raging conflicts in the world to the One who will be known as the Prince of Peace, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Out of town this Sunday? Sick?
Sometimes the need might arise to participate in the Divine Service online – vacation, illness, etc. We do live stream our services on our YouTube channel. You are encouraged to subscribe to the channel so it is easily accessible if you cannot attend the services in person. In addition, the following link provides some helpful tips to making online worship more edifying for you.