The closer we get to Christmas, the greater the pressure. There is so much work to be done! We want our houses to look good for out-of-town guests. We want to impress people with the thoughtfulness of our gifts. What a welcome relief, therefore, to hear what is required to really be ready for Christmas: only repentance. You see, repentance is the opposite of work. It is the candid and honest admission of our sin combined with the joyful trust that everything needed to bring us close to God has already been done by Christ.

At this frenetic time of year, the call to repent is not another demand to do something more. It is gracious invitation to set down our work to make way for Christ’s work. Rooted in that repentant rest, we can fully enjoy a real Christmas.

Scripture says it was hard to miss, because God placed it “in the middle of the garden”—the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve were allowed to eat from every tree in Eden except that one. Why did God forbid them from eating the fruit of that one tree? Simply so that mankind would have one way to demonstrate they loved and trusted God. By disobeying God, Adam and Eve proved they didn’t fully trust Him. More, they proved that they loved the thought of being in control more than they loved God. It was rebellion. Still today, we rebel against our good and gracious God when we love or trust anything more than Him.

That Tree of Rebellion points to the need for Christ. We needed God to send a Savior who would succeed where we fail. The Christ would be the only man who ever loved and trusted God perfectly. More, while hanging on a tree, the Christ would shed his blood for our rebellion. It is the first tree in the Bible that serves as a Christmas tree. . . a tree that points us to Christ—the Tree of Rebellion.

Advent marks the start of a new Church Year. We begin at the end, watching Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey colt, knowing full well that He would be killed before the end of the week. The events of Palm Sunday serve as a microcosm for all Jesus’ work, proving the Son of God was willing to humble himself and endure anything for our salvation. That is precisely why Christ came. And a real Christmas requires remembering why Christ came.

Live Like You’ll Live Forever:  Live a Life of Thanks The Good of Giving (Thanks)… read more

“Eyes on the prize.” That axiom stresses that when pursuing some good goal, focus is important. You don’t want distractions or a lack of self-discipline to keep you from obtaining whatever that prize might be. “Eyes on the prize.” You summon the willpower to fixate on that good thing. You let nothing divert your attention from obtaining the prize.

The prize that we want most is spending eternity with Jesus. As the Church Year comes to a close, Jesus promises that He will come again “in clouds with great power and glory” to give us that prize. That prize will be so unbelievably good, it is worth fixating on. It merits our striving to set aside all that would distract us from Christ. Let us be ready. Let us keep watch. Let us live with our eyes on the skies.

This Sunday we thank God for bringing our Christian loved ones out of the troubles and turmoil of this world and into eternal bliss and glory. And we ask God to preserve us in our faith so that we might one day join the saints in that place, without the fear of judgement.

Today the Church hears strains of the distant triumph song and affirms, “Blessed are they who are called to the marriage feast of the Lamb. So while we wait, the Church prays, “Keep us ever watchful for the coming of your Son that we may sit with Him and all your holy ones at the marriage feast in heaven.” We celebrate those who have died in faith and now realize the perfect joys of heaven. We, with our loved ones, live free from the fear of judgment.

Perhaps you have heard the axiom, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” In other words, while you still can, use what you have in order to enjoy life to the fullest. If this life is all there is, St. Paul agrees that would be a good philosophy. Paul wrote, “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’” (1 Corinthians 15:32). However, note the “if.” Paul was saying that the epicurean approach to life makes sense only if this life is all we have. But it isn’t. Jesus will raise us from the dead and take us to live in His home, a place of perfect comfort and beauty. Knowing that, we are set free from the need to live a self-indulgent life now. Instead, we can be generous people, using the wealth that God has given us to serve both Him and others. We can live a life of startling generosity.

Tonight we gather together on the eve of a national election to carry out the Spirit’s words to us in 1 Timothy 2:1-4: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Prayer before Worship: Heavenly Father, we gather together this evening to call on your name. You establish every earthly authority. You are in control of all things. We ask you to bless our country through the officials who will be elected. We also implore you to bless us with your Spirit as we worship so that we remember that in all things you are the ultimate source of all good things. Amen.

Live a life of Courageous Witness. Jesus repeatedly told His followers that living as His disciples would bring hardship. Living life according to God’s Law is going to make one appear odd in the eyes of the world, perhaps even evil. Sharing a message of mankind’s sin and God’s gracious salvation can cause offense. So why not just stay silent if that makes life easier? Why not keep our faith private? Answer: because we are going to live forever. In gratitude for Christ saving us and giving us eternal life, we share the Gospel with others, hoping that they will believe and be saved too. Since we know we are going to live forever in the perfection of heaven, we don’t worry if being a witness for Christ brings hardship or even death.

Martin Luther wanted to reform the false teaching of the church. He stood firm in the truth of the Gospel, knowing it might cost him his life. But Luther knew that, thanks to Christ, he would live forever. So will we. Therefore, like Luther, let us live a life of courageous witness.