ADVENT
1
November
26-28, 2022
Pastor
Timothy J. Spaude
Text:
Philippians 4:4-7 EHV
“THE LORD IS
NEAR!”
A reason
for…
1.
Joy
2.
Gentleness
3.
Peace
Philippians
4:4-7 EHV
“ Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again:
Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness
be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do
not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.”
There is a story told about a little girl
who had never been exposed to the Bible, never heard any Bible stories at all.
She was sick in a hospital. Like many hospitals it had started as a charitable
arm of a Christian church so it was a tradition that at Christmas time the
story of the birth of Jesus was read in the children's ward. The little girl
was enchanted. When the reading was over she turned to a rather grim faced
nurse standing next to her and asked "Have you ever heard that story
before?" "Oh, yes, many times," answered the nurse. "Well,”
said the girl, “you sure don't look like it!" Ouch!
It’s Advent in the church year, almost
December in the calendar year. As you approach the celebration of the birth of
Jesus can you relate to either of those two? Would you put yourself in the
category of the little girl who can't wait to hear that delightful story again,
or do you find yourself feeling more like the grim faced nurse who has heard it
many times before and with all the to dos on the list just can't seem to get
excited about it? No matter which one or something in between you relate to, I
have good news from God to help and encourage you. The Lord is near!
That’s a reason for joy in our lives.
Now there are many mini joys available this time of year. Retailers will rejoice
if they get the extra sales they are hoping for. Children rejoice because they
get know they will get some time off from school, maybe some presents. People
in the work force rejoice at the prospect of a day or two off. There is the joy
we experience in giving to others, the joy of receiving and the joy of seeing
dearly missed friends and family. All of these things can bring people joy at
Christmas time. But do you notice anything about those kinds of joys? They are
conditional and temporary. What if the economy is not strong? What if money is
tight for buying gifts? What if you don't get to be with family or if your
family is having problems? And those vacations from school or work are over way
to soon and its back to the grind. Then what happens to the joy?
It reminds me of a Chinese proverb I read
about happiness. It goes like this. "If you wish to be happy for an hour,
get drunk. If you wish to be happy for three days, get married. If you wish to
be happy for a week, kill your pig and eat it. If you wish to be happy forever,
learn to fish." Now we might not agree with those ways of pursuing
happiness but the point is clear. If you want to stay happy pursue something
that will give lasting happiness. I wonder if God had a little fun with the
Chinese philosopher who came up with that proverb. The reason I say that is
because the proverb's way to lasting happiness is learning to fish. And it just
so happens that for centuries the fish has been a symbol for Jesus. The Lord is
near. He most certainly is the way to lasting happiness.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will
say it again: Rejoice!” Always? Yes! We can. The Lord is near! Just think of
some of the joy stealers you have in life. Sudden or chronic sickness and pain.
Financial hardship. Difficult people in your life. Loneliness due to death or
disappointment. Guilt caused by sin. Those are real problems. We all have them.
And yet we can still have joy because the Lord is near. First He is near to
your heart. When Jesus ascended He promised, “Surely I am with you always, to
the very end of the age.” As we wait for the end of the world Jesus stays near.
He only allows your sickness or pain when there is a good plan. He is near and
knows what’s best for you. Money may be tight but you still have the daily
bread His prayer teaches you to pray for. He will provide. If you think your
putting up with difficult people in your life is hard just imagine how hard it
is for Jesus. He has to put up with you! And His ongoing grace and love toward
you and me allow us to smile and be joyful and fight fire with friendliness.
You may feel alone but you are not. Jesus stays with you. And your sins are the
very reason He came in the first place. He forgives you. And finally the Lord
is near in another way. Today we are one day closer to the day He returns. None
of this lasts. It’s only temporary. This too shall pass. Might as well enjoy it
while we wait. The Lord is near. A reason for joy.
And a reason for gentleness. “Let your
gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.” Well, we survived
another national election. Once again it was marked by nastiness. Once again we
are characterized as a polarized nation. Once again in the aftermath people
call for a return to civility. No one seems to know how to get there. You do.
The Lord is near. That’s a reason for gentleness on our part. There is really
no English word that makes for a nice translation of what we are encouraged to
show. In our language gentle basically means being kind, thoughtful and careful
in your treatment of others. What’s missing is the aspect of “Do that even
though you have the right and ability to destroy another.” This gentleness is
the gentleness of a giant who has the power and strength to crush but picks up
the little kitten as carefully as he can. Let that gentleness be known to all.
You are going to have all kinds of extra opportunities where you will tempted
to use your tongue or your influence to crush and destroy others coming up
before Christmas. Deadlines bring stress. Stress brings rushing. Lines cause
impatience. People butt in to grab the last item, cut you off to get to where
they are going, rush by without noticing as they hurry to get everything done.
Now you can let them have a piece of your mind. You can demand your rights and
your ways or you can let your gentleness be evident to all. Because the Lord is
near. He will take care of it. Will it really matter when Jesus comes? Does it
really matter now? The Lord is near.
And that’s also a reason for peace. “Do
not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.” You are probably quite familiar with verse 7.
Many pastors, including me, have concluded their sermons with this blessing of
peace. Perhaps we would be serving you better if we included verse 6 because
they are linked. One leads to another. Ongoing prayer leads to ongoing peace.
Worry is the opposite. Worry is that anxiety over not know what’s going to
happen next. Worry is the fear that the worst will happen. Worry is the futile
struggle to be in charge of what is out of your control. You can’t think your
way out of it. You can’t logic your way out of it. It’s a spiritual condition.
It needs a spiritual solution.
Prayer. Prayer connects us to the all
powerful God. The Lord is near! Call on me in the day of trouble. I will
deliver you. You will honor me. Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for
you. How much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask
Him. Recall the words of the Lord who is near urging us to pray more so we can
worry less. Oh what peace we often forfeit. Oh what needles pain we bear. All
because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. The Lord is near, just
waiting to hear from you. This invitation comes with a promise. “The peace
of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your
minds in Christ Jesus.”
In just a few short weeks we will again
get to hear the story that shows us God’s great love for us. Advent urges us to
make ready to celebrate. But its message is really one for all year long. Your
Lord is near. Because of that you get to have joy, gentleness and peace all
your long. Your Lord is near. You’ve heard it many times before. Let’s work on
letting our faces show that. Amen.
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