First Sunday of Advent

Table of Contents

• First Sunday of Advent
  • Opening Prayer:
  • Old Testament Readings:
  • Old Testament Prayer & Response:
  • Sermon Scripture: Matthew 24:36-44
  • Matthew 24 – The Signs of the End of the Age
  • Prayer of Thanksgiving
  • Alter Call

Opening Prayer:

God of justice and peace,
from the heavens you rain down mercy and kindness,
that all on earth may stand in awe and wonder
before your marvelous deeds.
Raise our heads in expectation,
that we may yearn for the coming day of the Lord
and stand without blame before your Son, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Old Testament Readings:

Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122

 Old Testament Prayer & Response:

Thus Ends the Reading of Your Holy Word
Let Us Pray

We seek the mighty God
in the most unlikely places
as a child in a stable,
and in an empty tomb.
May God hear these prayers,
which come from the unlikely corners of our lives.

Response by the People:

Give us ears to hear, O God,
and eyes to watch,
that we may know your presence in our midst
during this holy season of joy
as we anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 24:36-44

Matthew 24 – The Signs of the End of the Age

Mathew 24 is a lesson about spiritual awareness. The author does not tell us when the end of the age will come, but we can assume that it is near. If we accept this fact, we can remove the confusion surrounding Matthew 24. Jesus had no knowledge of the end of the world. His mission was to teach us to be aware of the spiritual reality we share in common.

The Destruction of the Temple

The destruction of the Temple is a major event in the life of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 24. Many of His disciples believed that it was related to His second coming. Jesus, however, clarifies their misunderstanding by describing that there will be no signs prior to His coming. The events of Matthew 24 are also recorded in Mark 13:1-37 and Luke 21:5-36.

As Jesus talks with the disciples, they may have thought they were asking only one question, but actually, they were asking two, with the second question answered in the next chapter. The disciples probably remembered the events surrounding the destruction of the first temple, which took place in the context of exile and national judgment. So, they may have associated the destruction of the second temple with the destruction of the first.

In Matthew 24, Jesus tells his disciples to leave the city when an idol appeared in the Temple. The Romans, however, had no such luxury, and took great pains to suppress the uprising and to destroy the temple. Their brutal approach to the rebellion included destroying buildings and killing any resemblance to the Jewish gods. Even livestock and crops were destroyed, and the people were scattered across the empire.

Matthew 24 also tells us that Jerusalem will be destroyed after the final judgment. While many may believe that the destruction took place in 70 A.D., the truth is that this was not the worst thing to happen to the Jewish people. There have been many more devastating wars since that time. While the destruction of the Temple has not occurred yet, the final judgment is not far away.

Signs of the End Times

The first part of Matthew 24 focuses on a series of general signs, events, and situations that will mark the end of the world. Jesus warns his disciples that the world will become chaotic, and many false prophets will come to claim that they are the Messiah. He also warns them about famines and natural disasters. These are all indications that the end times are near.

Other prophecies point to earthquakes, political upheaval, and attacks on Israel as signs of the end times. The apostle Paul also warned about false teachings, and the last days are described as “perilous” because of the increasing evil character of man. The apostles also warn that people will actively fight against the truth.

Among the general signs in Matthew 24 are those that describe the Church’s mission and the proclamation of the gospel during the Tribulation period. While many scholars have speculated about the connection between the mission of the church today and the proclamation of the gospel during this period, there is no agreement. Some interpreters view Matthew 24:14 as describing a period of world evangelization that will end once the Church has been dissolved. Others, however, see the phrase as predicting a distinctive gospel preaching effort during the Tribulation period.

Matthew 24:14 is often quoted in the context of the modern missionary movement. However, other passages in the Bible suggest that the passage is referring to events in the first century A.D. that happened after Pentecost. Nevertheless, Matthew 24:14 may be a significant sign that the end of the world is near.

The Day and Hour Unknown

Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:36 indicate that He will never know the day and hour. Only God knows these details, and only he can tell them to others. This is a profound statement about Jesus’ subordination to the Father. Even if Jesus had known the day and hour, that would not have made Him know anything about it. Jesus had to receive that knowledge from God, so that he could be ready to act on that knowledge.

We may not understand this passage, but it does convey a profound message about the coming of Christ. In the verses following verse 36, Jesus compares the coming of Christ to the days of Noah. In those days, nobody knew the day or hour of his coming, so that they would be ready to enter the ark.

As a result, we have to ask ourselves: What will be the day and hour of Christ’s coming? While some Christians believe it will not be known for all people, other Christians don’t believe this, believing that it will happen at midnight. In any case, a few Christians say that no one knows the day and hour, so we should not give it any credence.

Matthew 24: The Day and Hour Unknown refers to the coming of Christ in the flesh. The Lord Jesus is God’s Spirit clothed in flesh, and He is a human being who has come to do practical work among people. In fact, His coming as flesh incarnate will be secret and unknown to all people.

The Apostle Paul Explains The Mercy of God

Paul’s statement begins with the words “besides this.” This statement is meant to set the stage for the Christian life on this side of eternity. Through a series of commands, Paul paints a picture of the Christian who gives up self for others, radically trusts God, and acts in accordance with his will.

We have been warned by the warnings of the past, but God does not abandon us. Even when we are at our worst, He loves us, cares about us, and wants to have a relationship with us. In fact, God seeks us out, even when we want nothing to do with Him. We can never lose sight of the fact that God loves us, despite our sins and natural condition. Romans 13:11-14 reminds us that we can still turn to Him and receive His love and forgiveness.

Love is the basis of all Christian moral decisions, and it safeguards the basic concerns of law. In this passage, Paul writes that the principle of love anticipates the function of public legislation. We obey governing authorities because they are appointed by God. However, we must never rebel against them, because we will bring judgment upon ourselves.

Paul’s command to put on the Lord Jesus Christ is the same one he gave us in Romans 8. The apostle declared that believers do not live in the flesh, but in the spirit of Christ. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ is not a Christian. Paul repeats this truth many times in his epistles.

Paul uses a metaphor to emphasize this point. We may think of a garment as our clothes, but Paul uses it to point out that we need to lay aside the garments that represent our sinful and immoral behavior. The garments, then, are metaphors for our spiritual lives. We must understand that a Christian’s life is not a bed of roses and should be accompanied by repentance and humility.

As a follower of Christ, we must be prepared to face the dark forces of our own sin nature and the darkness of this world. Taking on the armor of Christ enables us to resist the darkness. We must overcome the darkness in ourselves to bring our world into submission to Christ. We must also fight against the darkness of unbelief with the light of the Gospel.

The Spirit dwells within us and is fighting against our fleshly nature. But our will to resist it is weaker than the strength of the Spirit. Ultimately, the light always wins the battle. We must remember that Jesus has promised to give us the Holy Spirit. That means we can ask him for more of him if we ask.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Unexpected God,
your advent alarms us.
Wake us from drowsy worship,
from the sleep that neglects love,
and the sedative of misdirected frenzy.
Awaken us now to your coming,
and bend our angers into your peace. Amen

Alter Call

If my words today touched you. If you desire to invite God now or once again, into your heart ! I ask you to come forward, without fear or shame, during the singing of our final hymn. Together we will ask the father to restore your spirit. For Jesus Himself said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)