Sermon Illustrations for Fourth Sunday of Advent (2014)
Illustration
Object:
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Nathan the prophet tells David that God loves him and sees his lineage going on forever. Christmas is the annual reminder of God's love. Jesus enters the world as a baby but that is just the beginning of the story. A cross will attempt to end it.
I read the story of seventeen-year-old high school honor student Jason Tuskes, who was an expert swimmer. He had a passion for scuba diving and went often. One day he dove in to explore an underwater cave but got lost in the cave. Unfortunately, he got trapped and wedged in a passageway. It was impossible to wiggle out of the situation. Time passed and all hope vanished. He removed his air tank, unsheathed his diver's knife, and wrote "I love you mom, dad, and Christian" (his brother). Then he ran out of air.
Craig Larson wrote, "A dying message -- something communicated in the last few seconds of life -- is something we can't ignore. God's final words to us are etched on a Roman cross. They are blood-red. They scream to be heard. They too say, 'I love you.' "
At this Christmastime remember that the very act of God from start to finish is his loving us!
(Craig Larson, editor, Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching, p. 140)
Derl K.
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
After David had a chance to relax and think, he compared his house to the one they had given the Lord. He thought they should do better for God.
Today many churches are built to magnify the Lord. We build huge edifices of wood and stone. We make great sacrifices for these magnificent cathedrals. But the Lord reminds us that he doesn't need huge buildings. He may not condemn our efforts unless they overshadow his important missions.
The pastor of one church I joined after retiring had his church in one room of a shopping center where it had been for 25 years. The church was very mission-minded and half of their money went for mission projects all over the world and in town. When visitors attended they would often ask, "When are you going to build a church?" and the pastor told them, "We are building one -- all over the world!" He reminded others that "church" is people, not a building! I was proud of that church for giving over half of their total income to world missions while some others were putting most of their offering into more buildings or clever programs. Yes, buildings are important, but the purpose of a church is to serve the Lord and not just fill us with pride to see what our money has done in a building and adding great memorial windows to honor our families. As the word came to David, "Whatever you have in mind go ahead and do it," but then God reminds David that he never needed a temple. He moved around because he wanted to be where his people were. He never begged for a fancy place. It does sound like the Lord has made them a homeland and not just a building.
I think the message for us is to "do whatever the Lord puts in your mind to do." I tell young people that everyone will not be a pastor or missionary. We each have to do what the Lord puts in our mind and heart to do. The Lord may call some to be teachers, government workers, builders, writers -- you name it. We each have a calling to serve in some way.
We may have to go through struggles (in David's case he had overcome many enemies in his life), but eventually he will give us rest and time to think what we are supposed to do for our Lord. Remember that the Lord's kingdom will last forever.
Bob O.
Romans 16:25-27
Paul claims that the incarnation has long been kept a mystery. It still is hard to believe. On this matter Martin Luther wrote:
Christian faith and Christian life stand in the single literal revelation of God, for where this is not so, no heart can ever rightly be aware of this mystery, which hath been hidden from the world. No creature can come to this knowledge, Christ himself alone revealeth it to it in the heart itself. There all merit falls to the ground, all powers and abilities of reason, and count nothing with God, Christ alone must give it.
(quoted by Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, Vol. I/1, p. 134)
In fact, when we look from the perspective of faith at the question of how Jesus can be divine and human and still be one, the mystery begins to make a little more sense. Famed modern theologian Karl Barth helps us by drawing on an activist Hebraic ontology and its idea that a person is what he does. Thus Christ is said to have a human nature because he does all the things humans do and has a divine nature insofar as he does what only God can do (Ibid., Vol. IV/3, pp. 39ff). And the Lutheran Confessions speak of the mystery as a glowing iron, with the iron distinct from fire yet inseparable from the fire (The Book of Concord [200 ed.], p. 510).
Mark E.
Romans 16:25-27
In a Frank & Ernest comic strip by Bob Thaves, two little boys are sitting in a backyard. One is looking at the Facebook page on the computer screen of his laptop. The other little boy says, "I know what 'face' is, but what's 'book?' "
Application: With social media, perhaps we have lost the concept of what a book is. And with the loss of the book perhaps we have lost the sacredness of a bound Bible that contains the prophetic writings revealed to us.
Ron L.
Luke 1:26-38
The word "virgin" in Hebrew can also mean "young woman." But if we translate this passage "young woman," then the message makes little sense. It obviously means "virgin." Mary is engaged, but not yet married. Some scholars who have studied the traditions of that day, say that it was accepted that fiancées could have a baby before the marriage. It was even grounds for ending the engagement if the fiancée did not get pregnant. Some disagree with that here, especially since Joseph was ready to leave her if she got pregnant before they were married. They both needed a word from the Lord to accept God's plan for them. It did not fit their traditions.
What does fit for us is that Jesus, God's Son, was in every way human. He did not come down full-blown as a prophet but started where we all start -- as a baby. He had the pain and struggle of childhood and the labor of a teenage carpenter helping his dad, and he had the temptations that we all have. He was tempted in every way such as we, but without sin. He proved it could be done.
It must have been hard for Mary to accept what the angel was telling her. She had trouble believing it, which indicates her humanity also. None of us find it easy to accept the miraculous. This must have been especially true of Mary when she was told the full story about this child.
Even though Joseph was not the physical father of Jesus, Jesus' lineage is traced through him back to David. It does show that God can do anything. It does not have to fit into our logical minds. Obviously Jesus was adopted by Joseph, so maybe adoption is just as good. We are also adopted children of God through our baptism.
One thing this passage teaches us is that even though we might be shocked and have doubts, the important thing is that we believe and obey.
Bob O.
Luke 1:26-38
In this scripture lesson Mary is startled by an angel, but more startling is the announcement the angelic being has come to give to Mary. He announces to her that she is to have a son, and in even more detail he says that she is to name him Jesus! This son will be 1) great, 2) will be the Son of the most high God, and 3) will establish an everlasting kingdom.
Understandably she questions the angel's announcement since she is a virgin and has never had sexual relationship with a man. The angel Gabriel (v. 26) gives her the answer. The pregnancy will not be of human origin, but the Holy Spirit will overshadow her and she will become impregnated with a male child. Mary says that she is the Lord's servant and will be a willing mother. It happened just as the angel told her and she became pregnant with a child that she would later name Jesus.
The following is a basic sermon outline that may help you during this Advent season.
Introduction: Edward Hays in A Pilgrim's Almanac, p. 196 writes, "Take time to be aware that in the very midst of our busy preparations for the celebration of Christ's birth in ancient Bethlehem, Christ is reborn in the Bethlehems of our homes and daily lives. Take time, slow down, be still, and be awake to the divine mystery that looks so common and so ordinary yet is wondrously present."
I. This son of Mary and God would come to take away the sins of the world.
II. This son of Mary and God would bring hope to a world lost in its own selfishness and sin.
III. This son of Mary and God would come incarnate within our hearts as we invite him into our lives.
IV. This son of Mary and God would bring spiritual peace to any heart that is open to him.
Conclusion: We live life in a constant state of Advent, and hope, struggle, fear, expectation, and fulfillment are all part of our Advent experience.
Someone wrote, "The world is not just, not as loving, not as whole as we know it can and should be. But the coming of Christ and his presence among us -- as one of us -- give us reason to live in hope: that light will shatter the darkness, that we can be liberated from our fears and prejudices, that we are never alone or abandoned."
Allow this Advent season to be a time of hope, transformation, and fulfillment in your life.
Derl K.
Nathan the prophet tells David that God loves him and sees his lineage going on forever. Christmas is the annual reminder of God's love. Jesus enters the world as a baby but that is just the beginning of the story. A cross will attempt to end it.
I read the story of seventeen-year-old high school honor student Jason Tuskes, who was an expert swimmer. He had a passion for scuba diving and went often. One day he dove in to explore an underwater cave but got lost in the cave. Unfortunately, he got trapped and wedged in a passageway. It was impossible to wiggle out of the situation. Time passed and all hope vanished. He removed his air tank, unsheathed his diver's knife, and wrote "I love you mom, dad, and Christian" (his brother). Then he ran out of air.
Craig Larson wrote, "A dying message -- something communicated in the last few seconds of life -- is something we can't ignore. God's final words to us are etched on a Roman cross. They are blood-red. They scream to be heard. They too say, 'I love you.' "
At this Christmastime remember that the very act of God from start to finish is his loving us!
(Craig Larson, editor, Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching, p. 140)
Derl K.
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
After David had a chance to relax and think, he compared his house to the one they had given the Lord. He thought they should do better for God.
Today many churches are built to magnify the Lord. We build huge edifices of wood and stone. We make great sacrifices for these magnificent cathedrals. But the Lord reminds us that he doesn't need huge buildings. He may not condemn our efforts unless they overshadow his important missions.
The pastor of one church I joined after retiring had his church in one room of a shopping center where it had been for 25 years. The church was very mission-minded and half of their money went for mission projects all over the world and in town. When visitors attended they would often ask, "When are you going to build a church?" and the pastor told them, "We are building one -- all over the world!" He reminded others that "church" is people, not a building! I was proud of that church for giving over half of their total income to world missions while some others were putting most of their offering into more buildings or clever programs. Yes, buildings are important, but the purpose of a church is to serve the Lord and not just fill us with pride to see what our money has done in a building and adding great memorial windows to honor our families. As the word came to David, "Whatever you have in mind go ahead and do it," but then God reminds David that he never needed a temple. He moved around because he wanted to be where his people were. He never begged for a fancy place. It does sound like the Lord has made them a homeland and not just a building.
I think the message for us is to "do whatever the Lord puts in your mind to do." I tell young people that everyone will not be a pastor or missionary. We each have to do what the Lord puts in our mind and heart to do. The Lord may call some to be teachers, government workers, builders, writers -- you name it. We each have a calling to serve in some way.
We may have to go through struggles (in David's case he had overcome many enemies in his life), but eventually he will give us rest and time to think what we are supposed to do for our Lord. Remember that the Lord's kingdom will last forever.
Bob O.
Romans 16:25-27
Paul claims that the incarnation has long been kept a mystery. It still is hard to believe. On this matter Martin Luther wrote:
Christian faith and Christian life stand in the single literal revelation of God, for where this is not so, no heart can ever rightly be aware of this mystery, which hath been hidden from the world. No creature can come to this knowledge, Christ himself alone revealeth it to it in the heart itself. There all merit falls to the ground, all powers and abilities of reason, and count nothing with God, Christ alone must give it.
(quoted by Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, Vol. I/1, p. 134)
In fact, when we look from the perspective of faith at the question of how Jesus can be divine and human and still be one, the mystery begins to make a little more sense. Famed modern theologian Karl Barth helps us by drawing on an activist Hebraic ontology and its idea that a person is what he does. Thus Christ is said to have a human nature because he does all the things humans do and has a divine nature insofar as he does what only God can do (Ibid., Vol. IV/3, pp. 39ff). And the Lutheran Confessions speak of the mystery as a glowing iron, with the iron distinct from fire yet inseparable from the fire (The Book of Concord [200 ed.], p. 510).
Mark E.
Romans 16:25-27
In a Frank & Ernest comic strip by Bob Thaves, two little boys are sitting in a backyard. One is looking at the Facebook page on the computer screen of his laptop. The other little boy says, "I know what 'face' is, but what's 'book?' "
Application: With social media, perhaps we have lost the concept of what a book is. And with the loss of the book perhaps we have lost the sacredness of a bound Bible that contains the prophetic writings revealed to us.
Ron L.
Luke 1:26-38
The word "virgin" in Hebrew can also mean "young woman." But if we translate this passage "young woman," then the message makes little sense. It obviously means "virgin." Mary is engaged, but not yet married. Some scholars who have studied the traditions of that day, say that it was accepted that fiancées could have a baby before the marriage. It was even grounds for ending the engagement if the fiancée did not get pregnant. Some disagree with that here, especially since Joseph was ready to leave her if she got pregnant before they were married. They both needed a word from the Lord to accept God's plan for them. It did not fit their traditions.
What does fit for us is that Jesus, God's Son, was in every way human. He did not come down full-blown as a prophet but started where we all start -- as a baby. He had the pain and struggle of childhood and the labor of a teenage carpenter helping his dad, and he had the temptations that we all have. He was tempted in every way such as we, but without sin. He proved it could be done.
It must have been hard for Mary to accept what the angel was telling her. She had trouble believing it, which indicates her humanity also. None of us find it easy to accept the miraculous. This must have been especially true of Mary when she was told the full story about this child.
Even though Joseph was not the physical father of Jesus, Jesus' lineage is traced through him back to David. It does show that God can do anything. It does not have to fit into our logical minds. Obviously Jesus was adopted by Joseph, so maybe adoption is just as good. We are also adopted children of God through our baptism.
One thing this passage teaches us is that even though we might be shocked and have doubts, the important thing is that we believe and obey.
Bob O.
Luke 1:26-38
In this scripture lesson Mary is startled by an angel, but more startling is the announcement the angelic being has come to give to Mary. He announces to her that she is to have a son, and in even more detail he says that she is to name him Jesus! This son will be 1) great, 2) will be the Son of the most high God, and 3) will establish an everlasting kingdom.
Understandably she questions the angel's announcement since she is a virgin and has never had sexual relationship with a man. The angel Gabriel (v. 26) gives her the answer. The pregnancy will not be of human origin, but the Holy Spirit will overshadow her and she will become impregnated with a male child. Mary says that she is the Lord's servant and will be a willing mother. It happened just as the angel told her and she became pregnant with a child that she would later name Jesus.
The following is a basic sermon outline that may help you during this Advent season.
Introduction: Edward Hays in A Pilgrim's Almanac, p. 196 writes, "Take time to be aware that in the very midst of our busy preparations for the celebration of Christ's birth in ancient Bethlehem, Christ is reborn in the Bethlehems of our homes and daily lives. Take time, slow down, be still, and be awake to the divine mystery that looks so common and so ordinary yet is wondrously present."
I. This son of Mary and God would come to take away the sins of the world.
II. This son of Mary and God would bring hope to a world lost in its own selfishness and sin.
III. This son of Mary and God would come incarnate within our hearts as we invite him into our lives.
IV. This son of Mary and God would bring spiritual peace to any heart that is open to him.
Conclusion: We live life in a constant state of Advent, and hope, struggle, fear, expectation, and fulfillment are all part of our Advent experience.
Someone wrote, "The world is not just, not as loving, not as whole as we know it can and should be. But the coming of Christ and his presence among us -- as one of us -- give us reason to live in hope: that light will shatter the darkness, that we can be liberated from our fears and prejudices, that we are never alone or abandoned."
Allow this Advent season to be a time of hope, transformation, and fulfillment in your life.
Derl K.
