A Kingdom and a King: Advent 2022 - Carlton Landing Community Church

A Kingdom and a King: Matt. 2:1-12

December 25, 2022 • Cole Feix • Matthew 2:1–12

The Magi were strange guests to appear in the first Christmas stories. They were Gentiles, outsiders, and wanderers from the East, but their story tells us that Jesus came for everyone. He was God's invitation back into the family and the faithful son who came to seek and save the lost.

A Kingdom of Love: Matt. 1:18-25

December 11, 2022 • Cole Feix • Matthew 1:18–25, Isaiah 7:14–17, 2 Corinthians 5:14–15

God's love is the most transformative power in the universe. So much so that Paul said, when you've known it, you're compelled by it. In Advent, we celebrate the greatest act of love in history, God sending his son to die for us and bring us back into God's family. Curiously in Matthew's gospel, we first see this love played out in Joseph's life. He is a picture of the transformation God wants to bring each of us.

A Kingdom of Peace: Matt. 21:1-11

December 4, 2022 • Cole Feix • Matthew 21:1–11, Zechariah 9:9–10, Luke 2:25–32

Peace is more than just the absence of something. When the angels announced "peace on earth," they were drawing on hundreds of years of promises. God promised to return to Israel, to put his king on the throne, and bring everlasting peace. During the triumphal entry, Matthew turns our attention to a prophecy in the book of Zechariah about a humble and righteous king who would speak peace to the nations. If we serve the prince of peace, how can we find peace in our world today?

A Kingdom of Hope: Matt. 4:12-17

November 27, 2022 • Cole Feix • Matthew 4:12–17, Isaiah 9:1–7, 2 Corinthians 1:8–11

When Jesus came preaching the kingdom, what was he preaching? Of the gospel writers, Matthew makes the most connections between the story of Israel and the story of Jesus. In chapter 4, he cites a famous Christmas passage, Isaiah 9:1-7, but he doesn't simply quote, "For unto us a child is born," he quotes the first part of the passage, "people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light." Jesus came to give hope to the region of Galilee, and from there, hope to the ends of the earth.