Advent is a season of anticipation. It reminds us of God’s promises to bring His Messiah into the world at the fullness of time. It teaches us how to feel about Christmas and how to wait for Christ to return. In Isaiah 9:2 God promises that His Messiah will bring light to a people who walk in darkness. Darkness has always been a struggle for people. As children, we’re afraid of the dark. As we grow up, we exercise caution in the dark. As we grow older, we hate to drive in the dark. The darkness of winter exacerbates our attitude toward the dark. The days are short and cold, leaving us feeling discouraged and hopeless. Darkness represents uncertainty and fear in our physical lives. But it represents sin and ignorance in our spiritual lives. The darkness of nighttime ends with the dawn, but the darkness of sin remains without God. But God brings light. In the beginning, He said let there be light, and there was light. The glory of God displays itself as light and radiance (Ez 1:27-28). His justice is a light (Isa 51:4). In fact, God Himself is light (1 Jn 1:5), our light and salvation (Ps 27:1). So when God promises that the Messiah will bring light, He is saying that the Messiah is God Himself. John picks up on this reality when He says that the Word was life, and the life was the Light of men (Jn 1:4). We need light to shine out of the darkness of our sin. And that light shines in our hearts as the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor 4:6). When this light comes in, everything changes. When we walk in light, we walk in confidence. When we live in light, we live in hope. When the light shines, fear fades. This light is what we want, and it’s what we need. As we look forward to Christmas during these weeks of advent, we anticipate the light. Advent points us to the light. It points us to the hope of dawn. –Pastor Rory
Sunday at Liberty
9AM: Can We Be Made Right with God?–Romans 3:23-26
10AM: Pastor Nate–Child of Light–Isaiah 9:2/Psalm 27 (sermon notes)
No Evening Gathering
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