Advent
Advent 3.2 - Joy
December 18, 2022 • Jason Williams
The source of Joy! Jesus is the source of our joy! John 15:11 (AMP) I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing. John 17:13 (AMP) But now I am coming to You; and I say these things [while I am still] in the world so that they may experience My joy made full and complete and perfect within them [filling their hearts with My delight]. The joy you and I have as Christians is the joy of Jesus. He says my joy, not joy like mine. Jesus wants to take the joy that He has and place it in you. Jesus just like us wasn't always happy but He was always full of joy. Hebrews 1:9 (ESV) God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” The word gladness in the original language means to leap or to jump. Do you remember when Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, came to greet Mary, and both of them had babies in their wombs? The Bible says the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy in the presence of the Son of God. The word used for leaped in the original language is the same word used for gladness in Hebrews 1:9. Happiness is an individual’s perception. Joy comes when we totally surrender our lives to Jesus and live life led by the Holy Spirit. The best way to surrender to your life is to draw near to Jesus. Just like when John was close to Jesus in the womb. Draw near to Jesus and you will find that will be filled real joy. Draw near to Jesus and ask Him to open your eyes and ears to the beautiful plan He has for your life. Draw near to Jesus and receive a joy that can never be taken away from you.
Advent 2.2 - Peace
December 11, 2022 • Ray Brown
Since the beginning of recorded history, the world has been entirely at peace only 8% of the time. In other words, in over 3,100 years of recorded history, only 286 have been without war. During that same period of time, 8,000 treatises have been broken as well. Micah 5:1-5. ESV 1. Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. 2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. 5 And he shall be their peace. How do you get peace? People, places, things? I. Jesus brings peace with God Romans 5:1 Peace with God Through Faith 5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Mary in Luke 1:26-30: “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.’” Joseph angel told Joseph in Matthew 1:21: “She [Mary] will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) The name “Jesus” actually means “salvation.” Jesus was given this name because he was the promised Savior who came to bring us peace with God by saving us from our sins. John the Baptist in Luke 1: “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins … to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (Luke 1:76-79) Jesus was born into this world to die on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven and we could be restored to a right relationship of peace with God. As we read in Isaiah 53:5: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” II. Jesus brings peace with self Luke 2 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: From Jesus John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Phillipians 4 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Jesus brings peace with others Jesus will bring peace on earth
Advent 2.1 - Peace
December 11, 2022 • Ray Brown
Since the beginning of recorded history, the world has been entirely at peace only 8% of the time. In other words, in over 3,100 years of recorded history, only 286 have been without war. During that same period of time, 8,000 treatises have been broken as well. Micah 5:1-5. ESV 1. Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. 2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. 5 And he shall be their peace. How do you get peace? People, places, things? I. Jesus brings peace with God Romans 5:1 Peace with God Through Faith 5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Mary in Luke 1:26-30: “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.’” Joseph angel told Joseph in Matthew 1:21: “She [Mary] will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) The name “Jesus” actually means “salvation.” Jesus was given this name because he was the promised Savior who came to bring us peace with God by saving us from our sins. John the Baptist in Luke 1: “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins … to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (Luke 1:76-79) Jesus was born into this world to die on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven and we could be restored to a right relationship of peace with God. As we read in Isaiah 53:5: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” II. Jesus brings peace with self Luke 2 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: From Jesus John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Phillipians 4 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Jesus brings peace with others Jesus will bring peace on earth
Advent 1.2 - Anticipation
December 4, 2022 • Ray Brown
Promise ability The Old Testament contains over 300 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled – through His life, death, and resurrection. •1 person fulfilling 8 prophecies: 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 •1 person fulfilling 48 prophecies: 1 chance in 10 to the 157th power •1 person fulfilling 300+ prophecies: Only Jesus! Over 300 years prior to the birth of Christ, the prophet Micah says ... But you, O Bethlehem... are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. (Micah 5:2) And centuries later, it came to pass ... Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. (Matthew 2:1) From the Prophet Isaiah – more than 700 years before the birth of Christ ... ...the Lord Himself will choose the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel – ‘God is with us’ ... For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.” (Isaiah 7:14) And in Matthew, we read the fulfillment of the prophecy ... ... an angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream. ‘Joseph ... do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ (Matthew 1:20-21) Peoples Probabilities vs. God Promises Trust http://people.places.things Psalm 118:8 (English Standard Version) It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV) Build Your House on the Rock 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. “Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come.” (Ephesians 1:4-5, 21-23)