Sermon Response Guide
PRIMARY SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 9:1-7
1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
3 You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Key Points
- All of life is waiting.
- We worship God in our waiting when:
1) We wait patiently
When we don’t wait well, we disobey God, and our impatience hurts us and others.
2) We wait purposefully
As we await the return of Christ, we share the gospel and make disciples of Christ.
3) We wait peacefully
We wait not merely as peacekeepers, but as peacemakers filled with the Holy Spirit.
- In our waiting, Christ wants us to turn to him and find he is the one we’ve been waiting for all along – he alone is our satisfaction and our peace.
- We hope not only in the promise of Christ, but in the one who makes the promise.
Memory Verse
Ask God to write this word on your heart this week:
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
-Isaiah 7:14
Questions for Reflection
Take time to reflect and respond to these questions on your own in the presence of the Holy Spirit, or with trusted friends or family members:
If you do not have a copy of the 2021 Awaiting Advent guide, you can download it here. Take time to read the introduction letter and today’s reading, then answer the following questions.
1: What promise are you awaiting this Christmas?
2: How are you personally encouraged to know it is not what we are waiting for that will bring the satisfaction we are waiting on, but rather, it is Christ Jesus himself who is truly our satisfaction and our peace?
3: How might you approach this Christmas season differently believing that in Christ Jesus, we already have all we need and more?
4: As we await the return of Christ, we live in the light of Christ by:
· Staying in his presence
· Staying in his word
· Living in community (authentic, transformative friendship with others in Christ)
How can you practically live out these three invitations in Christ this Christmas season?*
*One great way to live in the light of Christ this Christmas season is to join us as we spend the next 28 days journeying through our 2021 Awaiting Advent guide. Take time to seek God in his word and in prayer. Then, reach out to others in our faith family to share what God is showing you with each new week of Advent.
Pray
Lord, help us believe you are the promise we’ve been waiting for all along. We confess we have searched high and low for peace and satisfaction, and we’re still left wanting. Help us see and believe we have already received all we need and desire in you, Lord. We want to live in the light of your presence, your word, and in true community all the days of our lives.
