Sermon, “When you know who's coming", by Pastor Ruth Foss, Suncook United Methodist Church, December 11, 2011, Advent

Pastor Ruth Foss
December 11, 2011
Third Sunday of Advent
Theme: Joy
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28 Gods Word Bible

“When you know who’s coming”

I love the Holidays! Love getting together with family and spending time together. It seems that the holiday season is the only time that we get to see some of our family members. We live far away from many of our family members and it is so good to be with them . . . to catch up on what’s been going on in our lives since we last met. Now I want you to imagine with me for a moment . . . think of that family member that you miss most of all . . . how will you feel when you finally get back together with them? What a joyous occasion it is when we get to see our loved ones after being away from them for a long time . . .

We are at the half-way stage of our Advent journey. We are at the week where the theme is “joy”! I don’t know about you abut for me . . . the Christmas season brings a lot of joy to my soul. There is so much to be joyous about. There are friends and family, there are get togethers, there is so much joy that it is hard to contain sometimes for me. Yes Advent is a really joyous time as we wait expectantly for the celebration of the One who became flesh as well as expectantly waiting for His return.

Over the past two weeks, we have been talking about a different type of Advent; one that rings new meaning to the word Advent for us as Christians. We have talked about if we want the best Christmas how we have the hope of His return . . . how we need to recapture that hope and to live a life of Advent not just a season of Advent . . . to be Advent as well as Easter people. We have also talked about if Christmas can be meaningful . . . of how we need to recapture the peace of God in our lives and to let that peace well through and out of us onto the people around us.

Today we are going to talk a little about Joy . . . OK . . . there’s nothing little about joy but just for the sake of conversation . . . We, as Advent People, should be over flowing with joy. We know who’s coming, we know that He will come again, the One who will usher in a new heaven and earth.

When I look at the world around me though I can’t help but to stop and think . . . in this time of Advent, do we think of Santa’s coming or the coming of Christ? I read that we are either “sellabrating” or celebrating during this season. How are we truly to be acting if Christ is coming again to our hearts by the rebirth as we celebrate Advent or by His second coming?

Well . . . here’s my take on it . . . there is three things we should be doing . . .
1. The Scripture from Isaiah tells us we should be rejoicing in knowing about the deliverance found in the Messiah. And I am not talking about your every day kind of joy but that joy that just cannot be contained.
2. The Scripture from 1 Thessalonians tells us to rejoice, to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all things. We are to be getting our selves ready for His return.

But that’s not all . . . Let’s here of the account of another who was rejoicing for the coming of the Messiah. Let’s hear about John and what he did. I am reading his account that is found in John 1:6-8 and 19-28. See if you can figure out the third thing . . . Read the Scripture from Gods Word Bible Translation.

The third thing is to be witnessing to others about the joy we have and why . . . because of whom we have this joy within us. We must let that joy permeate out of us into the world around us.

Beloved church . . . we have a lot to celebrate! We know whose coming and that is means for s to be “dancing in the street, with all our might as David did . . . shouting from the roof tops . . . makin a ruckus up in here!” As we wait expectantly we need be
1. Rejoicing!
2. Witnessing!
3. Getting ready!

How can we not for we know in whom we believeth!

Amen!

December 19, 2011
Worship Theme of Joy
John 1:6-8, 19-28
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Advent Candlelighting liturgy for Third Sunday of Advent
by Amy C. Wake
unison prayer
prayer of dedication
And sermon, “When you know who’s coming”
By Pastor Ruth Foss
http://www.facebook.com/pastorruthfoss
http://www.ahandmaidenofthelord.blogspot.com
http://pastorruth.posterous.com/
A Handmaiden of the Lord
http://www.suncookumc.org
Suncook United Methodist Church
http://facebook.com/groups/136632035559/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suncook-United-Methodist-Church/102221356487965
Suncook, NH
December 11, 2011
Third Sunday of Advent

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