Waiting: Part 5 - SERMON NOTES

Below are Pastor Ben's sermon notes from this past Sunday, in case they may be helpful for further study. To listen to the sermon, click the link above.

Intro: (1) series recap (2) loneliness during holidays/winter -- AOM podcast (3) waiting TOGETHER

Examples of Waiting Together

1. Birth of the Savior: (1) gospel of Luke (2) 1:5-6 -- Zechariah/Elizabeth (3) 1:26-27--
Mary/Joseph (4) 1:39-41 -- John the Baptist (5) 2:8-12 -- shepherds/angels (6) 2:25-27, 36-38
-- Simeon/Anna (7) wise men in Matthew (8) a diverse, obscure group -- which one do you
identify with?
2. Birth of the Church: (1) Acts (2) 1:3-5 -- ascension (3) 4:29-31 -- arrest of Peter/John (4) 9:4-9 -- conversion of Saul (5) 16:25-28 -- Paul/Silas, jailer (7) 28:30-31 -- Paul’s house arrest (8) God’s purposes advance during waiting -- what setback are you experiencing and who is with you in it?
3. Birth of the Kingdom: (1) Revelation (2) 1:1-3 -- purpose of the letter (3) 4:1-2 -- God’s rule
(4) 6:15-17 -- God’s judgment (5) 7:9-10 -- worship of the saints (6) 14:12 -- endurance of
suffering (7) 22:20-21 -- “come quickly!” (8) advent a tool for remembering these things

Practices of Waiting Together

1. Compassion: (1) heartfelt desire to extend mercy toward someone in need (2) Jesus in Mt. 9, father of prodigal in Luke 15 (3) command in Col. 3 -- waiting is hard (cf. Prov. 13:12) (4) we
may not know what folks are going through -- important to remember when we’re tempted
with to be frustrated or forsake (cf. Christmas lights for Kevin)

2. Encouragement: (1) truth-based comfort/consolation in the face of hardship (2) Barnabas in Acts 4 -- later stands up for Paul and J.M. (3) H.S. in John 13-17, Acts 9 (4) commanded in 1 Thess. 5, Heb. 10 and connected to Christ’s return (5) four characteristics (Crabtree) -- correctionless, consistent, credible, Christ-like (6) the one ministry we all have (cf. notes of hope)


Conclusion: advent points us afresh to Christ, our hope and anchor of our soul (cf. Hebrews 6:18-19)