Sermon Illustrations for Advent 1 (2014)
Illustration
Object:
Isaiah 64:1-9
The lesson refers to the precariousness of life and the fact that no one calls on God's name. The growing secularism is well documented by American polls. A 2012 Pew Research poll revealed that one fifth of Americans and one third of those under thirty label themselves as religiously unaffiliated. But the lesson delivers the word of hope, the promise that God forgets all our sin, secularism, and waywardness. The old adage, "forgive and forget," does not come easy to us, but it does to God. Martin Luther comments on the lesson's word that in this fresh start God gives he forms us anew, like clay in the expert potter's hands. Clay is not like dirt. God has made us a special kind of clay (Luther's Works, Vol. 17, p. 372).
Mark E.
Isaiah 64:1-9
In the comic strip Frank & Ernest by Bob Thaves, we have Frank and Ernie sitting all rumpled on a park bench. Frank says to Ernie, "On the highway of life, I'm always in a double-fine lane."
Application: We often live in the double-fine lane with our sins and inadequacies. This is why it is so important to allow God to be our potter and place us on the right lane in life.
Ron L.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Paul writes to the Corinthians to encourage them to discover their God-given potential. He was expressing to them that their future was in God's hands even though they were right off the streets of immoral Corinth... just newborn Christians... raw converts. Paul was telling them that they had been enriched with the potential of confirming their testimony about Jesus with spiritual gifts through speech and wisdom. Later he would have to deal with difficult situations, but for the moment he wanted them to know he felt sure they were filled with potentiality.
Many years ago my children sang a song that stated, "I am a promise, I am a possibility... with a capital 'P.' " Each of us has that God-given promise. There may be a lot of talent or not quite as much, but the potentiality isn't due to gifts, but our availability. What is God calling you to do with your capital "P"?
Derl K.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Don't we wish that were true of all confirmands! Too often after confirmation Sunday they do not darken the door of the church for a while. But then is it true of all "faithful" members? Can we tell in there speech? Can we often hear them testifying to their faith in Christ. Are all the spiritual gifts revealed in them (us)? Are we all waiting eagerly for our Lord to be revealed? Perhaps we may even dread the day of his coming! We are not looking ahead to the end. We want to keep it from coming as long as possible! Though we may want to be blameless -- as long it is not too hard -- until our end comes and Christ comes for us. We want to be ready -- but we have a few things to do first!
We have been called into fellowship with our Lord but does it show in our life?
I blamed myself that one of my children deserted Christ's church. Maybe he could not see Christ at work in me. Sometimes it is a temporary thing as they pass through their teens before some experience in life turns them around. I did not turn around until I was thirty!
My mother had always wanted me to be a pastor but I was almost thirty before I was ordained as a pastor. After the service of ordination the woman sitting next to my mother told me that she said, "Now my prayers have been answered." It was not that my folks were not exemplary Christians! But sometimes it takes God a while to answer our prayers.
As a missionary I saw more of God's power visible in the new converts who truly seemed like they were "born again"! I sometimes wonder if I go back in fifty years will I find the same spiritual enthusiasm? Time has a way of dulling things for us. That may be true of all human nature. I was always enthusiastic and excited when I moved to a new parish -- but after a few years I became aware of all the parish problems as well as the blessings.
We need to be aware of fading enthusiasm and pray that God will not let it die. One of the things our church can do for us is bring us together with other Christians who have suffered their ups and downs. They can strengthen us and we can strengthen them as we grow together speaking about our faith and practicing our spiritual gifts. Every Sunday we come to the Lord's altar to ask him to forgive us for not being blameless and ask him to help us do better the next week!
We ask for spiritual gifts. That's one reason we are here on Sunday, but we also are taught that no one is blameless! Only our Lord Jesus can make us blameless!
Bob O.
Mark 13:24-37
When Pope Francis visited South Korea in August 2014 he made his strongest gesture yet to reach out to China. Deviating from his prepared speech the Pope said, "I'm not talking here only about a political dialogue, but about a fraternal dialogue. These Christians aren't coming as conquerors, they aren't trying to take our identity." He then added that we must learn to "walk together."
Application: Jesus will return and one day unite the countries of the world. The Pope remains alert to that event and thus reaches out to all countries to live in a fraternal relationship, a relationship in which they walk together.
Ron L.
Mark 13:24-37
Jesus reminds us that we do not have a moment to waste, we need to be prepared. Martin Luther King Jr. operated with a similar viewpoint, claiming that "We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of the now" (A Call to Conscience, p. 162) It is as the nineteenth-century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli once said: "The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes." Preaching on this very text the great twentieth-century theologian and martyr for the faith Dietrich Bonhoeffer reflected on the meaning of Advent: "Do you want to be redeemed? That is the one great question Advent puts to us. Does even a vestige of longing burn in us? If not, what do we want from Advent, what do we want from Christmas? A little inner emotion?..."
Lift up your heads, you army of the afflicted, the humbled, the discouraged, you defeated army with bowed heads. The battle is not lost, the victory is yours -- take courage, be strong! There is no room for shaking your heads and doubting, because Christ is coming (A Testament to Freedom, pp. 236-237).
Mark E.
The lesson refers to the precariousness of life and the fact that no one calls on God's name. The growing secularism is well documented by American polls. A 2012 Pew Research poll revealed that one fifth of Americans and one third of those under thirty label themselves as religiously unaffiliated. But the lesson delivers the word of hope, the promise that God forgets all our sin, secularism, and waywardness. The old adage, "forgive and forget," does not come easy to us, but it does to God. Martin Luther comments on the lesson's word that in this fresh start God gives he forms us anew, like clay in the expert potter's hands. Clay is not like dirt. God has made us a special kind of clay (Luther's Works, Vol. 17, p. 372).
Mark E.
Isaiah 64:1-9
In the comic strip Frank & Ernest by Bob Thaves, we have Frank and Ernie sitting all rumpled on a park bench. Frank says to Ernie, "On the highway of life, I'm always in a double-fine lane."
Application: We often live in the double-fine lane with our sins and inadequacies. This is why it is so important to allow God to be our potter and place us on the right lane in life.
Ron L.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Paul writes to the Corinthians to encourage them to discover their God-given potential. He was expressing to them that their future was in God's hands even though they were right off the streets of immoral Corinth... just newborn Christians... raw converts. Paul was telling them that they had been enriched with the potential of confirming their testimony about Jesus with spiritual gifts through speech and wisdom. Later he would have to deal with difficult situations, but for the moment he wanted them to know he felt sure they were filled with potentiality.
Many years ago my children sang a song that stated, "I am a promise, I am a possibility... with a capital 'P.' " Each of us has that God-given promise. There may be a lot of talent or not quite as much, but the potentiality isn't due to gifts, but our availability. What is God calling you to do with your capital "P"?
Derl K.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Don't we wish that were true of all confirmands! Too often after confirmation Sunday they do not darken the door of the church for a while. But then is it true of all "faithful" members? Can we tell in there speech? Can we often hear them testifying to their faith in Christ. Are all the spiritual gifts revealed in them (us)? Are we all waiting eagerly for our Lord to be revealed? Perhaps we may even dread the day of his coming! We are not looking ahead to the end. We want to keep it from coming as long as possible! Though we may want to be blameless -- as long it is not too hard -- until our end comes and Christ comes for us. We want to be ready -- but we have a few things to do first!
We have been called into fellowship with our Lord but does it show in our life?
I blamed myself that one of my children deserted Christ's church. Maybe he could not see Christ at work in me. Sometimes it is a temporary thing as they pass through their teens before some experience in life turns them around. I did not turn around until I was thirty!
My mother had always wanted me to be a pastor but I was almost thirty before I was ordained as a pastor. After the service of ordination the woman sitting next to my mother told me that she said, "Now my prayers have been answered." It was not that my folks were not exemplary Christians! But sometimes it takes God a while to answer our prayers.
As a missionary I saw more of God's power visible in the new converts who truly seemed like they were "born again"! I sometimes wonder if I go back in fifty years will I find the same spiritual enthusiasm? Time has a way of dulling things for us. That may be true of all human nature. I was always enthusiastic and excited when I moved to a new parish -- but after a few years I became aware of all the parish problems as well as the blessings.
We need to be aware of fading enthusiasm and pray that God will not let it die. One of the things our church can do for us is bring us together with other Christians who have suffered their ups and downs. They can strengthen us and we can strengthen them as we grow together speaking about our faith and practicing our spiritual gifts. Every Sunday we come to the Lord's altar to ask him to forgive us for not being blameless and ask him to help us do better the next week!
We ask for spiritual gifts. That's one reason we are here on Sunday, but we also are taught that no one is blameless! Only our Lord Jesus can make us blameless!
Bob O.
Mark 13:24-37
When Pope Francis visited South Korea in August 2014 he made his strongest gesture yet to reach out to China. Deviating from his prepared speech the Pope said, "I'm not talking here only about a political dialogue, but about a fraternal dialogue. These Christians aren't coming as conquerors, they aren't trying to take our identity." He then added that we must learn to "walk together."
Application: Jesus will return and one day unite the countries of the world. The Pope remains alert to that event and thus reaches out to all countries to live in a fraternal relationship, a relationship in which they walk together.
Ron L.
Mark 13:24-37
Jesus reminds us that we do not have a moment to waste, we need to be prepared. Martin Luther King Jr. operated with a similar viewpoint, claiming that "We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of the now" (A Call to Conscience, p. 162) It is as the nineteenth-century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli once said: "The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes." Preaching on this very text the great twentieth-century theologian and martyr for the faith Dietrich Bonhoeffer reflected on the meaning of Advent: "Do you want to be redeemed? That is the one great question Advent puts to us. Does even a vestige of longing burn in us? If not, what do we want from Advent, what do we want from Christmas? A little inner emotion?..."
Lift up your heads, you army of the afflicted, the humbled, the discouraged, you defeated army with bowed heads. The battle is not lost, the victory is yours -- take courage, be strong! There is no room for shaking your heads and doubting, because Christ is coming (A Testament to Freedom, pp. 236-237).
Mark E.
