DECEMBER 2021, Newsletter
Topic: ADVENT OF JESUS CHRIST: A CALL TO WORSHIP
Text: ISAIAH 40:9-11, Luke 2:1-20
Isaiah, 40:9-11
9. Zion, herald of good news,
go up on a high mountain.
Jerusalem, herald of good news,
raise your voice loudly.
Raise it, do not be afraid!
Say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10. See, the Lord God comes with strength, and His power establishes His rule.
His reward is with Him, and His gifts accompany Him.
11. He protects His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them in the fold of His garment.
He gently leads those that are nursing.
INRODUCTION:
The advent season is the preparation for the memorable celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It begins on the last Sunday of November until the Sunday that precedes Christmas.
Advent (from Latin adventus, “coming”), in the Christian church calendar, the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ (www.Britannica.com).
The alteration of the garden of Eden by Satan caused man to lose fellowship, communion, and a good relationship with God.
As God sought to restore man to His glory, He fulfilled a promise in Jesus Christ.
There were many prophets sent to make the world aware of God’s intentions, with Isaiah included.
The verse from Isaiah 40 above was not sent just to the Israelites, but to the entire world as a whole as well.
The Advent Season is all about reflecting on how we can prepare our hearts and homes for Christ’s birth in the world as it is today. It is a time for faith communities and families to remember, through prayer, reflections, special music, and good deeds what the true meaning of Jesus’ birth is (www.outlittleroses.org., Dec. 13:2019).
This season is a time to reflect on the promises made to Israel and to the church through Jesus Christ; He has come and will come again.
This is the essence of the Advent season.
Ultimately, we are created to worship God. In worship, we invoke the presence of God, and when done with all your energy, the glory of God will be reflected.
When the wise men saw the Angels, they sensed the glory of God.
In this writing, we shall focus on:
• Glory To A Born King:
A remarkable aspect of Jesus Christ’s birth that has caused rulers and religious leaders to be furious is the fact that no king could be enthroned while a ruling king was still at the seat with his staff.
In the event that the wise men had submitted themselves to worship the Lord, God reflected His glory through the angels and empowered them to break the hard news.
Luke 2: 8-14
8. In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock.
9. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
11. Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.
12. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.”
13. Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
14. Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!
You need to bring up whom you are before God in order that God’s glory can be reflected in your worship, just as wise men did.
Although they were busy people, they created time to let God speak to men through them and to use them as a vessel for communicating the message of heaven.
Let this be a great challenge for you.
• O Come, Let Us Adore Him: ‘Come’ means to call attention to something or to call for someone’s attention. As for this context, it is a call to embrace the one who deserves your paise and services.
Luke 2: 15-16
15. When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16. They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough.
A group of angels flew to this group of men, and informed them of the divine love being released from Heaven. The wise men didn’t hesitate and they immediately began worshipping God.
What is distracting or keeping you from worshiping your God? Can you please put everything aside so you can worship the King of kings and Lord of lords?
• Worship Christ The Lord:
Matthew 2:11
“Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary, His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
A remarkable act of the wise men was that they found time to locate where Jesus Christ was laid to worship Him. Then they offered Him worship materials as a sign to commemorate His Lordship as the one to reign forever. No one commands them to do so, but they see it as the right thing to do.
If Jesus Christ is so important to you, nobody would compel you to worship Him with all your heart.
Conclusion:
The birth of Jesus Christ has raised controversy around the world. However, the truth is that you can’t worship Him as Lord if you do not believe in His birth and set your heart up for His second coming.
A big worship gathering will take place in Heaven when He returns.
Finally, as a family and as individuals, make time to sing Christmas carols you know and hymns which echo the message of the season to worship Jesus Christ.
WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY SEASON!!!
John Aderogba for ROPMI.