Simplify Christmas - Celebrate Christ, Advent Part 4 "Peace"

SERMON NOTES:  

Simplify Christmas – Celebrate Christ!
         Advent 4 – “Peace – Is it Possible?”

We simplify Christmas by clarifying our focus - on Christ!

Colossians 3 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Advent 1 – Coming!
Advent 2 – Prepare!

Mark 1  “The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Advent 3 – Rejoice!
       Philippians 4 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 

Advent 4 – Peace!       (Well-being and Reconciliation!)                 

Micah 52 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”  3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.  And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.5 And he will be our peace…

Isaiah 9 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Luke 2 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Peace isn’t brought by changes in our circumstances but is brought by the One from God! 

He comes as shepherd, with strength, in the majesty of Yahweh His God!   This changes everything!

Peace is possible because He brings it and He Comes!   

 This week’s Remember Verse:

“Let the PEACE of Christ rule in your hearts!” Colossians 3:15 

Simplify Christmas

Celebrate Christ!

How?  Raise your Gaze! Focus on Christ as you simplify Christmas by using the Advent Devotion booklet and the following Scriptures that coincide with today’s Advent sermon, “Peace”.  Enjoy!

Monday – Luke 1:26-38

Tuesday – Luke 2:1-20

Wednesday – Isaiah 9:2-7

Thursday– Micah 5:2-5a

Friday – John 14:23-27

Saturday – Psalm 23

Got questions?  Continue the discussion.  Follow the link @  https://goo.gl/Jd93J7

Simplify Christmas - Celebrate Christ, Advent Part 3 "Rejoice"

SERMON NOTES:  

Simplify Christmas – Celebrate Christ!
         Advent 3 – “Rejoice!”

We simplify Christmas by clarifying our focus - on Christ!

Colossians 3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Advent 1 – Coming!
Advent 2 – Prepare!

Mark 1  “The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Jesus

Advent 3 – Rejoice!

Philippians 4 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 

Zephaniah 3
14 Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel!  Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,  Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your punishment,  he has turned back your enemy.
   The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;  never again will you fear any harm.
16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.
17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,  but will rejoice over you with singing.”

 This week’s Remember Verse:

“Rejoice in the Lord always!  I will say it again, REJOICE! Philippians 4:4

The Anatomy of “Rejoice!”: 

 Vs. 14  What do we do?              We sing, shout aloud, be glad, rejoice with all our heart!
Vs. 15  What does God do?        He takes way punishment, defeats enemies, comes to be with us!
Vs. 16  What do we NOT do?     We do not fear and do not give up!
Vs. 17  What is God doing?        He is with us and is mighty to save!   He delights in us!  His love insures that “rebuke” is not His last word to us but rejoices over us with singing!

Simplify Christmas

Celebrate Christ!

How?  Raise your Gaze! Focus on Christ as you simplify Christmas by using the Advent Devotion booklet and the following Scriptures that coincide with today’s Advent sermon, “Rejoice”.  Enjoy!

Monday – Philippians 4:4-9

Tuesday – Zephaniah 3:14-20

Wednesday – Psalm 13

Thursday– Luke 1:39-56

Friday – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-23

Saturday – Psalm 118:15-29

Got questions?  Continue the discussion.  Follow the link @  https://goo.gl/Jd93J7

Simplify Christmas - Celebrate Christ, Advent Part 2 "Prepare"

SERMON NOTES:  

   Simplify Christmas – Celebrate Christ!
         Advent 2 – “Prepare!”

We simplify Christmas by clarifying our focus - on Christ!

Colossians 3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Advent 1 – Coming!
Advent 2 – Prepare!

Luke 3 The word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’”
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’

How do you get ready for God?    Repentance - “change of thinking and then acting like it”,
turning from self and self’s ways to Jesus and His ways! 

It is a bold “yes” to God and a bold “no” to all other paths!

Repentance is a step of faith including sorrow for sins, receiving of forgiveness and then acting like it.

Repentance is our friend not our enemy nor an occasional necessity.  It is a way of life!  We get to change our mind, heart and actions toward God again and again and again and again …!

This week’s Remember Verse:
“The time has come; the kingdom of God has come near.

Repent and believe the good news!” - Jesus
Mark 1:15

Simplify Christmas

Celebrate Christ!

How?  Raise your Gaze! Focus on Christ as you simplify Christmas by using the Advent Devotion booklet and the following Scriptures that coincide with today’s Advent sermon, “Prepare”.  Enjoy!

Monday – Luke 3:1-20

Tuesday – Matthew 11:1-15

Wednesday – Malachi 3:1-7

Thursday– John 1:19-34

Friday – Luke 1:57-80

Saturday – Psalm 51

Got questions?  Continue the discussion.  Follow the link @  https://goo.gl/Jd93J7

Simplify Christmas - Celebrate Christ, Advent Part 1 "Coming"

SERMON NOTES:  

Simplify Christmas – Celebrate Christ!
         Advent 1 – “Coming!”

How does celebrating Christ simplify Christmas?

Colossians 3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.

Simplicity comes through clarity of focus even for Christmas!

How?

Advent – Coming!

We celebrate Jesus – our Advent God – the Coming One – God on the move – towards us!

3 Advents-  He came then – He comes now – He will come again …

No matter where we find ourselves He is on the move to rescue!    Let Him!

 This week’s Remember Verse:

Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:2

Luke 19 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Psalm 24 7 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.8 Who is this King of glory?    The Lord strong and mighty,  the Lord mighty in battle.

Simplify Christmas

Celebrate Christ!

How?  Raise your Gaze! Focus on Christ as you simplify Christmas by using Advent Devotion booklet and the following Scriptures that coincide with today’s Advent sermon, “Coming”.  Enjoy!

Monday – Colossians 3:1-4

Tuesday – Psalm 24

Wednesday – Luke 19:28-40

Thursday– John 12:12-19

Friday – Revelation 3:19-22

Saturday – Psalm 118:19-29

Got questions?  Continue the discussion.  Follow the link @  https://goo.gl/Jd93J7