December
4 Sermon – “Christmas Around the World: Mexico”
2nd
Sunday of Advent
Isaiah
40:3-5, 9-11
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Isaiah
was a prophet who lived in the 7th century B.C. but this is probably
a text of an unknown prophet during the time of Israel’s exile in the 6th
century.
-
Israel
is questioning if God will deliver them.
-
This
passage has the main ingredients of a prophetic call: 1) commissioning 2)
objection of the prophet 3) God reassures.
-
This
is a text of hope for people who feel that they are unworthy to receive God’s
salvation.
Mark
1:1-8
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Mark
begins abruptly and to the point like he is waking us up by splashing cold
water on our face! This was what John
the Baptist was doing in his preaching, waking the people up.
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The
good news of Jesus Christ. According to
Mark, it is the moment that all of history had been waiting for. Wow!
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What
is the good news? It is the story of
Jesus being the fulfillment of the Israel/salvation story.
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This
leads us to think about what it means to share the good news of Jesus Christ
with others. We need to understand the
good news story, then know our own faith story within that bigger story, and
then share our story with others.
James
2:14-17
-
Is
James pointing out that works is more important than faith? Is this proposing that our faith is works
based rather than faith based?
-
This
is a false dichotomy. In the book of
Genesis, we are told that we were created in the image of God. Our lives are to reflect God’s image back to
God and out into the world. This
includes faith and works. We respond to
what God has done in and through us by living out our faith.
-
Caring
for others. Read the Wesley Study Bible
life application about working with the poor and not just for the poor.
.
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