Sermon Illustrations for Advent 1 (2017)
Illustration
Isaiah 64:1-9
His name is Dave. Dave is 6'6" tall and weighs about 250 pounds. He’s not overweight, he’s just a big, strong guy. Even though he’s in his late 40s, I’ve seen Dave single-handedly carry and load freight on a truck that would normally take two men to do. I’ve seen him in the gym where we live. The young bucks there are always impressed with the weight Dave can lift and they marvel at his strength. Though I’ve never seen it, I’ve heard of how, in his younger days, he was a tough fighter and hardly anyone would ever oppose him. Dave’s toughness and strength are evident to anyone who meets him.
What isn’t quite as evident is the other side of Dave. I’ve seen him carry and comfort a crying infant. I’ve seen him hold the hand of the lost and fearful. I’ve seen him interact with his toddler grandson and tell him, without hesitation, that he loves him. Incredible strength and power combined with gentleness and love. If I had to describe Dave, that’s what I would say.
I’d say that about God, too. The prophet Isaiah notes both of those traits in this passage. He and the people are longing for God’s blessing again. God’s power and strength are described here, as well as his anger about sin. Yet in verses eight and nine, there is a plea for the gentleness and love of the Father. To know God’s power is to know his awesomeness. To know his love and gentleness is to know his heart. To know both is to know God.
Bill T.
Isaiah 64:1-9
When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. (Isaiah 64:3)
On July 20, 2017, an asteroid roughly 82 feet by 256 feet passed within 76,500 miles of the earth. That’s only a third of the distance between the earth and the moon.
That’s awfully close. Had it struck the earth it would have done pretty significant damage. It was, after all, three times bigger than the meteor that exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia, in February of 2013.
What’s disconcerting is that it wasn’t discovered until three days after its closest approach! Nobody knew it was there. Nobody saw it coming!
Isaiah called upon God to return as of old. The prophet celebrates with wonder God’s unexpected deeds in the past, and how no one would miss the signs. Mountains quaked!
However, when God came down from on high to dwell among us, just about everybody missed it! Think right now, this first Sunday of Advent, how the magi had seen great signs in the sky, but when they arrived in Jerusalem King Herod and his court didn’t know what they were talking about. And though the shepherds heard angels and responded when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, most people in the region knew nothing -- absolutely nothing -- about how the Lord of Life was born in their midst!
Frank R.
Isaiah 64:1-9
John Glenn was determined to become an astronaut and be one of the first men to fly in space. Because of the size of the Mercury capsule, astronauts could be no taller than 5'11". To make sure he was not too tall and could make the height requirement, Glenn applied weights to his head to compress his height. Other astronauts and friends would see Glenn sitting in a chair with a stack of books on his head. His perseverance and patience paid off, as John Glenn was the third American astronaut to travel into space and the first American to orbit the earth.
Application: Isaiah speaks of the importance of having patience.
Ron L.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Paul writes, “God is faithful.” I wonder how many people really believe that. So often I hear concerns about the faithfulness of God because people claim not to feel God’s presence or claim that God allows bad things to happen to them or evil in the world. I’ve been wrestling with the idea of God’s omnipresence versus God’s omniscience. You see, I don’t believe that God controls us but rather that he accompanies us. I don’t believe that God always knows the choices we are going to make -- but God can make the best use of even our poor choices.
It’s not that God lets things happen to us or in the world. It’s that we do those hateful, violent, and challenging things to each other. God is faithful. God stands with us, whether we make good choices or bad, and is always loving. We are not alone. We are never abandoned. We are loved. My friends, this I would shout from the rooftops: “God is faithful!”
Bonnie B.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Endurance to the end, facing death, is part of life. Martin Luther offers some thoughtful insights on this theme: “A Christian is a person who begins to tread the way from this life to heaven the moment he is baptized in the faith that Christ is henceforth the way, the truth, and the life. And he holds this until his end.... He is prepared at all times, whether death comes today, tomorrow, or in one, two, or ten years; for in Christ he has already been transported to the other side. We cannot be safe from death for a minute; in baptism all Christians begin to die, and they continue to die until they reach the grave” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 24, p. 51). “He [the Christian] takes comfort in the fact that through baptism he is engrafted into Christ... Why should such a one fear death? Though it come at any time, in form of pestilence or accident, it will always find the Christian ready and well prepared, be he awake or asleep; for he is in Christ Jesus” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 4/2, p. 299).
When you live well, death is not so scary. Leonardo da Vinci claimed: “As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.” Mark Twain made a similar point: “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives well is prepared to die at any time.”
Mark E.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
This sounds like a pastor talking to his members. I sure hope it is true that we lack no spiritual gift!
When I have visited hospices, I hear some patients who are eagerly waiting for their Lord to be revealed when they pass on to the next life. They pray that they will be strong to the end. I’m not sure I have had any of them tell me that they were blameless! Some will confess to me what they have done in their life that they are ashamed of, like telling lies or that they have lusted in their minds even though they say they have always loved their spouses. I have heard all kinds of confessions, and some were most interesting.
I like to tell them that they are called into fellowship with our Lord regardless of what they may have done. He is the one who makes us blameless by taking our sins unto himself.
I hate to think of those politicians who think they are blameless -- even when their sins may be obvious. I cannot even count myself as blameless. I was divorced, for one. I have not always treated my children as I should and been a good example for them. I count on the Lord’s forgiveness. I never claimed to be perfect. I can only say that my Lord has made me perfect if I believe in him and his sacrifice for me on the cross. He is the one who has made me blameless!
This is a passage that can give us all great comfort. We should hear it every Sunday.
Bob O.
Mark 13:24-37
Her name was Geneva, and her son Mike played on the same baseball team I did a long time ago. She and her husband would come to all the games to watch and cheer for our team. Her husband was quiet by nature and never really said a lot. Geneva, on the other hand, was boisterous and loud with her cheering. Geneva didn’t have a background in baseball, so she was trying to learn the game along with Mike and rest of us. Her lack of knowledge on the details of the game did not inhibit her cheering. One thing she knew she could always say and say loudly was “Be alert, boys! Be alert!” Though it has been nearly 40 years, I can still hear her calling out to us, “Be alert, boys!”
I hadn’t thought about that until I read through this passage. The Greek word in verse 33 of our text is the key word of this section. It’s the word blepete. It means to “be on guard.” The NRSV translates it “beware,” and adds what Geneva and I would say: “Be alert.” The idea behind this word is the same idea Geneva had as she called out to us. It means: “Pay attention. Have your mind on what you’re doing. Don’t let your mind drift away from what matters.”
In the baseball game, Geneva didn’t want us to miss the ball if it came our way. Jesus didn’t want his disciples or us to miss something either. The “parousia” is going to happen. Like Geneva, Jesus is saying: “Be alert, boys!”
Bill T.
Mark 13:24-37
In the early years of the Cold War, the Soviet Union was winning the space race. The Soviets had not only sent the first satellite, Sputnik 1, into space, they also had two astronauts, Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov, orbit the earth. Americans feared being left behind in the space age, as only two of our astronauts, Alan Shepard and Virgil Grissom, had even been to the fringes of space. Now it was our turn to conquer space. After two months of postponements due to mechanical problems and weather, on February 20, 1962, at 9:47 a.m. Eastern time, Friendship 7 lifted off from Pad 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Astronaut John Glenn orbited the earth three times, and in doing so restored America’s hope. During the five-hour flight Glenn would see three sunsets. No aviator since Charles Lindbergh received such a homecoming welcome as John Glenn. In fact, Glenn was such a national hero that President John Kennedy would not allow him to return to space for fear that something would happen to the man who restored our country’s faith in itself. But John Glenn refused to see himself as a hero. Regarding the flight, Glenn said: “I figure I’m the same person who grew up in New Concord, Ohio, and went through the years of preparation to participate in a lot of events of importance. What got a lot of attention, I think, was the tenuous times we thought we were living in back in the Cold War. I don’t think it was about me. All this would have happened to anyone who happened to be selected for that flight.”
Application: We do not know the day or time of the Second Coming. But conquering feats made like people like John Glenn allow us to know God is real and that God is in charge. As Glenn saw three sunsets, so will we one day see the signs of the Second Coming.
Ron L.
His name is Dave. Dave is 6'6" tall and weighs about 250 pounds. He’s not overweight, he’s just a big, strong guy. Even though he’s in his late 40s, I’ve seen Dave single-handedly carry and load freight on a truck that would normally take two men to do. I’ve seen him in the gym where we live. The young bucks there are always impressed with the weight Dave can lift and they marvel at his strength. Though I’ve never seen it, I’ve heard of how, in his younger days, he was a tough fighter and hardly anyone would ever oppose him. Dave’s toughness and strength are evident to anyone who meets him.
What isn’t quite as evident is the other side of Dave. I’ve seen him carry and comfort a crying infant. I’ve seen him hold the hand of the lost and fearful. I’ve seen him interact with his toddler grandson and tell him, without hesitation, that he loves him. Incredible strength and power combined with gentleness and love. If I had to describe Dave, that’s what I would say.
I’d say that about God, too. The prophet Isaiah notes both of those traits in this passage. He and the people are longing for God’s blessing again. God’s power and strength are described here, as well as his anger about sin. Yet in verses eight and nine, there is a plea for the gentleness and love of the Father. To know God’s power is to know his awesomeness. To know his love and gentleness is to know his heart. To know both is to know God.
Bill T.
Isaiah 64:1-9
When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. (Isaiah 64:3)
On July 20, 2017, an asteroid roughly 82 feet by 256 feet passed within 76,500 miles of the earth. That’s only a third of the distance between the earth and the moon.
That’s awfully close. Had it struck the earth it would have done pretty significant damage. It was, after all, three times bigger than the meteor that exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia, in February of 2013.
What’s disconcerting is that it wasn’t discovered until three days after its closest approach! Nobody knew it was there. Nobody saw it coming!
Isaiah called upon God to return as of old. The prophet celebrates with wonder God’s unexpected deeds in the past, and how no one would miss the signs. Mountains quaked!
However, when God came down from on high to dwell among us, just about everybody missed it! Think right now, this first Sunday of Advent, how the magi had seen great signs in the sky, but when they arrived in Jerusalem King Herod and his court didn’t know what they were talking about. And though the shepherds heard angels and responded when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, most people in the region knew nothing -- absolutely nothing -- about how the Lord of Life was born in their midst!
Frank R.
Isaiah 64:1-9
John Glenn was determined to become an astronaut and be one of the first men to fly in space. Because of the size of the Mercury capsule, astronauts could be no taller than 5'11". To make sure he was not too tall and could make the height requirement, Glenn applied weights to his head to compress his height. Other astronauts and friends would see Glenn sitting in a chair with a stack of books on his head. His perseverance and patience paid off, as John Glenn was the third American astronaut to travel into space and the first American to orbit the earth.
Application: Isaiah speaks of the importance of having patience.
Ron L.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Paul writes, “God is faithful.” I wonder how many people really believe that. So often I hear concerns about the faithfulness of God because people claim not to feel God’s presence or claim that God allows bad things to happen to them or evil in the world. I’ve been wrestling with the idea of God’s omnipresence versus God’s omniscience. You see, I don’t believe that God controls us but rather that he accompanies us. I don’t believe that God always knows the choices we are going to make -- but God can make the best use of even our poor choices.
It’s not that God lets things happen to us or in the world. It’s that we do those hateful, violent, and challenging things to each other. God is faithful. God stands with us, whether we make good choices or bad, and is always loving. We are not alone. We are never abandoned. We are loved. My friends, this I would shout from the rooftops: “God is faithful!”
Bonnie B.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Endurance to the end, facing death, is part of life. Martin Luther offers some thoughtful insights on this theme: “A Christian is a person who begins to tread the way from this life to heaven the moment he is baptized in the faith that Christ is henceforth the way, the truth, and the life. And he holds this until his end.... He is prepared at all times, whether death comes today, tomorrow, or in one, two, or ten years; for in Christ he has already been transported to the other side. We cannot be safe from death for a minute; in baptism all Christians begin to die, and they continue to die until they reach the grave” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 24, p. 51). “He [the Christian] takes comfort in the fact that through baptism he is engrafted into Christ... Why should such a one fear death? Though it come at any time, in form of pestilence or accident, it will always find the Christian ready and well prepared, be he awake or asleep; for he is in Christ Jesus” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 4/2, p. 299).
When you live well, death is not so scary. Leonardo da Vinci claimed: “As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.” Mark Twain made a similar point: “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives well is prepared to die at any time.”
Mark E.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
This sounds like a pastor talking to his members. I sure hope it is true that we lack no spiritual gift!
When I have visited hospices, I hear some patients who are eagerly waiting for their Lord to be revealed when they pass on to the next life. They pray that they will be strong to the end. I’m not sure I have had any of them tell me that they were blameless! Some will confess to me what they have done in their life that they are ashamed of, like telling lies or that they have lusted in their minds even though they say they have always loved their spouses. I have heard all kinds of confessions, and some were most interesting.
I like to tell them that they are called into fellowship with our Lord regardless of what they may have done. He is the one who makes us blameless by taking our sins unto himself.
I hate to think of those politicians who think they are blameless -- even when their sins may be obvious. I cannot even count myself as blameless. I was divorced, for one. I have not always treated my children as I should and been a good example for them. I count on the Lord’s forgiveness. I never claimed to be perfect. I can only say that my Lord has made me perfect if I believe in him and his sacrifice for me on the cross. He is the one who has made me blameless!
This is a passage that can give us all great comfort. We should hear it every Sunday.
Bob O.
Mark 13:24-37
Her name was Geneva, and her son Mike played on the same baseball team I did a long time ago. She and her husband would come to all the games to watch and cheer for our team. Her husband was quiet by nature and never really said a lot. Geneva, on the other hand, was boisterous and loud with her cheering. Geneva didn’t have a background in baseball, so she was trying to learn the game along with Mike and rest of us. Her lack of knowledge on the details of the game did not inhibit her cheering. One thing she knew she could always say and say loudly was “Be alert, boys! Be alert!” Though it has been nearly 40 years, I can still hear her calling out to us, “Be alert, boys!”
I hadn’t thought about that until I read through this passage. The Greek word in verse 33 of our text is the key word of this section. It’s the word blepete. It means to “be on guard.” The NRSV translates it “beware,” and adds what Geneva and I would say: “Be alert.” The idea behind this word is the same idea Geneva had as she called out to us. It means: “Pay attention. Have your mind on what you’re doing. Don’t let your mind drift away from what matters.”
In the baseball game, Geneva didn’t want us to miss the ball if it came our way. Jesus didn’t want his disciples or us to miss something either. The “parousia” is going to happen. Like Geneva, Jesus is saying: “Be alert, boys!”
Bill T.
Mark 13:24-37
In the early years of the Cold War, the Soviet Union was winning the space race. The Soviets had not only sent the first satellite, Sputnik 1, into space, they also had two astronauts, Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov, orbit the earth. Americans feared being left behind in the space age, as only two of our astronauts, Alan Shepard and Virgil Grissom, had even been to the fringes of space. Now it was our turn to conquer space. After two months of postponements due to mechanical problems and weather, on February 20, 1962, at 9:47 a.m. Eastern time, Friendship 7 lifted off from Pad 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Astronaut John Glenn orbited the earth three times, and in doing so restored America’s hope. During the five-hour flight Glenn would see three sunsets. No aviator since Charles Lindbergh received such a homecoming welcome as John Glenn. In fact, Glenn was such a national hero that President John Kennedy would not allow him to return to space for fear that something would happen to the man who restored our country’s faith in itself. But John Glenn refused to see himself as a hero. Regarding the flight, Glenn said: “I figure I’m the same person who grew up in New Concord, Ohio, and went through the years of preparation to participate in a lot of events of importance. What got a lot of attention, I think, was the tenuous times we thought we were living in back in the Cold War. I don’t think it was about me. All this would have happened to anyone who happened to be selected for that flight.”
Application: We do not know the day or time of the Second Coming. But conquering feats made like people like John Glenn allow us to know God is real and that God is in charge. As Glenn saw three sunsets, so will we one day see the signs of the Second Coming.
Ron L.
