Point of Grace Worship - December 8, 2024

 December 8, 2024      2nd Sunday of Advent      Rev. Mike Coppersmith

“BREAK INTO PEACE”

Finding God’s Advent Peace Amid the Interruptions of Life

BREAK INTO PEACE! Finding God’s Advent Peace Amid the Interruptions of Life

GOD IS A GOD OF INTERRUPTIONS

ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS ARE ALL ABOUT INTERRUPTIONS

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 “The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me according to your word.” And the angel left her.

INTERRUPTIONS CAN CAUSE US TO FALL OUT OF PEACE AND INTO FEAR.

Verses 29-30

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary…”

JESUS CHRIST—THE PRINCE OF PEACE—

WANTS TO DELIVER US FROM OUR FEARS AND DISPLAY HIS PEACE IN OUR LIFE

Psalm 34:4

 I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

SIX GIFTS THAT LIFT US OUT OF OUR FEAR AND STEP INTO HIS PEACE

GOD’S PRESENCE

verse 28b: “The Lord is with you.”

GOD’S FAVOR

verse 28a: “Greetings, you are highly favored”

verse 30: “…you have found favor with God.”

 GOD’S REIGN

 verse 32a: “He will be great and called the Son of the Most High”

verses 32b-33: “The Lord will give him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

GOD’S POWER

verse 35: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”

GOD’S WORD

verses 37-38: “‘For no word from God will ever fail.’ 38 ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me according to your word.’”

GOD’S PEOPLE

Luke 1:39-45

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

SIX GIFTS THAT LIFT YOU OUT OF YOUR FEAR AND INTO HIS PEACE

God’s Presence - Remember It!

God’s Favor - Rejoice in It!

God’s Reign - Rest in It! God’s Power - Rely on It!

God’s Word - Receive It!

God’s People - Reconnect with Them!

THREE CONCRETE ACTIONS TO WHICH THE INTERRUPTIONS OF ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS CALL YOU

ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR NEED FOR GOD TO BREAK INTO YOUR LIFE

ASK JESUS CHRIST TO BREAK IN WITH HIS GIFTS OF PEACE!

LOOK AT INTERRUPTIONS NOT AS OBSTACLES BUT AS OPPORTUNITIES

Lord Jesus Christ, I invite you to break into my life in a new way today!

Point of Grace Online Worship - December 1, 2024

Advent 2024 An Effective Hope 12.1.24

“Biblical Hope is not optimism based on the odds

Biblical Hope is focused on a person”

“God’s past faithfulness motivates Hope for the future.”

An Effective Hope will give Holy Perspective to my current sufferings

What makes Hope Effective? (A Living Hope)

1 Peter 1:3-9

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

 An Effective Hope is powered by: Potency & Longing

Does a Living Hope give perspective to my current situation?

Reflect:

1. What do I believe about the potency & character of God?

2. Does my heart long for what Jesus offers? (Is the good news for me RHRN?)

Luke 1:5-10

5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

 God is fulfilling his covenant promise and doing it in a familiar yet unexpected way.

God stays true to His Character

Zechariah is looking at the odds not the character of God.

God’s past faithfulness motivates Hope for the future

Those who stand in the Presence can bring hope to those who need it

To access a living and effective hope for your life and bring it to others you must stand in the presence and know the one on whom the hope rests.