INTRODUCTION
Use story about watching and waiting
TODAY IS THE 1ST DAY OF ADVENT
YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS
DON’T YOU?
JUST 22 MORE SHOPPING DAYS
TIL CHRISTMAS
I SEE THE PANIC IN YOUR EYES
ALL THE THINGS
YOU NEED TO BUY
ALL THE THINGS
THAT NEED DOING
ALL THE PLANS
WAITING TO BE DONE
BUT DO YOU REMEMBER
WHAT IT WAS LIKE AS A CHILD
DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR?
HIDING PRESENTS
FOR THOSE YOU LOVE
FINDING PRESENTS
HIDDEN BY THOSE WHO
LOVE YOU
BEGGING YOUR PARENTS
TO OPEN ONE PRESENT
EARLY
ADVENT IS A TIME OF WAITING
A TIME USED BY MOST OF US FOR
SETTING UP FOR CHRISTMAS
WHILE YOU WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS
WE ALL EXPERIENCE
ANTICIPATION,
WAITING,
LONGING,
HOPING,
ITCHING WITH DESIRE
WE ALL WONDER IS IT EVER
GOING TO GET HERE?
TO PREPARE US FOR WHAT IS COMING
OUR SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY READS,
“But of that day and hour no one knows,
not even the angels of heaven,
nor the Son,
but the Father only.
As were the days of Noah,
so will be the coming
of the Son of man.
For as in those days before the flood
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
until the day when Noah entered the ark,
and they did not know
until the flood came
and swept them all away,
so will be the coming
of the Son of man.
WHAT A STRANGE PASSAGE
FOR THIS SCRIPTURE
SPEAKS OF CHRIST’S
SECOND COMING
BUT DURING ADVENT
DON’T WE LOOK TO CHRIST’S
FIRST COMING
AS A BABY
BORN IN A MANGER
FAR FROM HOME
WITH ONLY SHEPHERDS
TO WITNESS HIS BIRTH
BUT THIS IS FITTING
FOR ADVENT MEANS
WAITING
WATCHING
ANTICIPATION
FOR ADVENT SEEKS TO REMIND US
THAT JUST AS THEY WERE
UNPREPARED FOR CHRIST
COMING THE FIRST TIME,
SO WILL MANKIND
BE UNPREPARED
WHEN HE COMES
THE SECOND TIME
AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH
AROUND THE WORLD
PEOPLE PREPARE
FOR THE COMING
OF CHRISTMAS
BUT FEW PREPARE
FOR THE COMING OF CHRIST
FOR WHOM
THE CHRIST-MAS
IS ALL ABOUT
ADVENT IS HERE TO REMIND US
THE REAL REASON FOR THE SEASON
IN THE FRANTIC PACE
OF THE CHISTMAS SEASON
WE ALL CARRY ON
AS IF OUR FUTURE
IS CERTAIN,
AS IF WE’VE GOT PLENTY
OF TIME BEFORE
THE CHRIST RETURNS
WELL DON’T WE?
AFTER ALL IT’S CHRISTMAS
WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
ISN’T IT?
AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH,
WE GO ABOUT
HERE AND THERE
DOING
THIS AND THAT
UNAWARE OF WHAT GOD
IS ABOUT TO DO
IN THE MIDST OF OUR
HERE AND OUR NOW
SO LET US TAKE THIS MOMENT
TO REMEMER WHAT GOD HAS DONE
THAT WE MIGHT BE PREPARED
FOR WHAT HE IS ABOUT TO DO
IN ADVENT WE REMEMBER
CHRIST’S COMING AS A BABY,
WE RE-TELL THE STORY OF
A CENSUS TO BE TAKEN
A LONG TRIP
NO PLACE TO SLEEP
A MANGER FOR A BED
A SON IS BORN
SHEPHERDS APPEAR
WITH A STRANGE
TALE TO TELL
SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT
THE CHRIST IS BORN
BUT IN ADVENT WE ALSO REMEMBER
CHRIST’S PROMISE TO COME AGAIN
I GO TO PREPARE
A PLACE FOR YOU
I WILL RETURN
TO TAKE YOU THERE
WHERE ALL TEARS
WILL BE WIPED AWAY
AND ALL SORRY
WILL COME TO AN END
WHEN WE WILL FINALLY SEE
THE CHRIST FACE TO FACE
ADVENT IS THAT TIME
THAT LIES BETWEEN
CHRIST’S BIRTH
AND HIS RETURN TO JUDGE
THE LIVING
AND THE DEAD
ADVENT IS THAT TIME OF
LONGING FOR, AND
ITCHING ANTICIPATION OF
WHAT IS STILL TO COME
ADVENT IS THE TIME BETWEEN TIME
THIS IS THE TIME OF
THE ALREADY BUT NOT YET
THIS IS THE TIME OF
WATCHING AND WAITING
THIS IS THE TIME BETWEEN
WHAT HAS COME AND
WHAT IS STILL TO COME
A TIME OF
DIVINE ANTICIPATION
A TIME WHEN THE CHRIST
MAY COME AT ANY MOMENT
THE DAY THE LORD COMES
Then two men will be in the field;
one is taken and one is left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one is taken and one is left.
Watch therefore,
for you do not know on what day
your Lord is coming.
I REMEMBER THE DAY CHRIST CAME
UNEXPECTEDLY INTO MY LIFE (insert your story here)
NAVY
BAPTIST CHURCH
CALL TO MY PARENTS
ME - “I’VE BEEN SAVED”
MOTHER - “DON’T WORRYDEAR, YOU’LL GET OVER IT”
ONE WILL BE TAKEN
AND ONE WILL BE LEFT BEHIND
ON THAT DAY,
CHRIST CAME TO ME
AND BID ME FOLLOW
AND IN ORDER FOR ME TO FOLLOW
THE CHRIST
I HAD TO LEAVE
MY FAMILY BEHIND.
NO MOTHER
I HAVE NEVER
AND I WILL NEVER
GET OVER IT
FOR THE CHRIST HAS COME (end your story here)
AND MY LIFE WILL NEVER
BE THE SAME AGAIN
AS CHRISTIANS WE FOOL OURSELVES
WHEN WE THINK
THAT ADVENT CALLS US
TO WATCH ONLY
FOR HIS FINAL RETURN
WHEN JESUS WARNS US
THAT HE MAY COME
LIKE A THEIF IN THE NIGHT
AT ANY MOMENT OF OUR LIVES
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock;
if any one hears my voice
and opens the door,
I will come in to him
and eat with him,
and he with me.
A STATEMENT MADE BY THE CHRIST
TO THOSE WITHIN THE CHURCH
THOSE ALREADY ON THE INSIDE
BUT WHO HAD FORGOTTEN
THE ONE WHO LET THEM IN
THEREFORE HE WARNS US
ADVENT
WATCH
BE READY
BE ON YOUR GUARD
FOR ANY MOMENT NOW
THE CHRIST MAY COME
AND BID US FOLLOW
YES, CHRISTMAS IS COMING
BUT SO IS THE CHRIST
ARE YOU READY