There are at least a couple surprises...
Illustration
Object:
There are at least a couple surprises in this lesson. The first is the enthusiastic response to the Lord for taking away our punishment. Lutherans are so reserved. We hate to shout with praise and throw our arms in the air, for fear people will think we are Baptist or Pentecostal! God forbid! We want to preserve our dignity at all costs. It is out tradition! We really aren't that bad, are we?
It may be okay to rejoice in our heart but certainly not out loud! We wouldn't dare raise those limp arms. The Lord will accept both kinds of rejoicing but it wouldn't hurt us Lutherans to loosen up now and then. A greater number of our churches are showing more enthusiasm in hopes of bringing in more people -- younger people. It may be upsetting some of the "old guard" and so we often add a second service for them.
When I tried that in my churches, I checked to find out why the people were choosing either service and most of them told me it was because of the hour of service and not the content of the liturgy. Maybe we should get our eyes off the details and put them back on the Lord.
The second surprise is the sorrow they were feeling for the appointed feast. Do any of you feel sorrow over the coming feast of Christmas? Aren't we all rejoicing? Advent, however, reminds us of the down side of this joyous holiday: The reason our Lord had to come was because of our sins. So in Advent we sorrow over the reason he had to come! He came and suffered much so that we might be wrapped in his love and forgiven.
We may feel bad for the reason he had to come, but we can rejoice in what his coming has meant for us! If he hadn't come then we would be lost. The Lord came and removed the reason for our sorrows and took away our fears. The only enemy we really have to fear is Satan, and he has been conquered. He no longer has any power over us.
There is still no praise and honor in some countries for God's people. But God tells us that day is coming. It is our job to hasten that day to show our appreciation for what our God has done for us. In Nepal, where I served as a missionary, the "lost" people see the joy and peace in God's people in the face of rejection and persecution and come to find out how to find that joy! God is not always restoring the financial fortunes of the people, but he makes them happy with what they have and especially for the gift of his Son. God is our wealth! He is our peace! We can relax in the joy of his love! Let us rejoice in the Christmas season but let us realize in Advent what it cost.
It may be okay to rejoice in our heart but certainly not out loud! We wouldn't dare raise those limp arms. The Lord will accept both kinds of rejoicing but it wouldn't hurt us Lutherans to loosen up now and then. A greater number of our churches are showing more enthusiasm in hopes of bringing in more people -- younger people. It may be upsetting some of the "old guard" and so we often add a second service for them.
When I tried that in my churches, I checked to find out why the people were choosing either service and most of them told me it was because of the hour of service and not the content of the liturgy. Maybe we should get our eyes off the details and put them back on the Lord.
The second surprise is the sorrow they were feeling for the appointed feast. Do any of you feel sorrow over the coming feast of Christmas? Aren't we all rejoicing? Advent, however, reminds us of the down side of this joyous holiday: The reason our Lord had to come was because of our sins. So in Advent we sorrow over the reason he had to come! He came and suffered much so that we might be wrapped in his love and forgiven.
We may feel bad for the reason he had to come, but we can rejoice in what his coming has meant for us! If he hadn't come then we would be lost. The Lord came and removed the reason for our sorrows and took away our fears. The only enemy we really have to fear is Satan, and he has been conquered. He no longer has any power over us.
There is still no praise and honor in some countries for God's people. But God tells us that day is coming. It is our job to hasten that day to show our appreciation for what our God has done for us. In Nepal, where I served as a missionary, the "lost" people see the joy and peace in God's people in the face of rejection and persecution and come to find out how to find that joy! God is not always restoring the financial fortunes of the people, but he makes them happy with what they have and especially for the gift of his Son. God is our wealth! He is our peace! We can relax in the joy of his love! Let us rejoice in the Christmas season but let us realize in Advent what it cost.
