
Preparing for the Lord's Day
Advent: Love
What is your favorite part of Christmas? There are so many things to love about the Christmas season. There are the decorations, the parties, and the special worship services. There are presents and plays and concerts. I enjoy the food and the music and the anticipation. However, the best part of Christmas is the story of Christmas. The story of the Son of God born that man no more may die. Christmas is a story. It is not a fairy tale or a make-believe-story. It is a true story. And since it is a true story, it is the greatest story ever.
Stories play a special role in our lives. They help us to understand and orient ourselves within this world. Stories help us to understand why certain things happen, how to interpret the events of life, and how to understand where we are going. The story of Christmas tells us that in the story of humanity God is the main character and that he has come to save his people. The story of Christmas tells us that the conflicts of our lives find their resolution in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The story of Christmas tells us that no matter how dark the world may become, a light has shone into the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. The story of Christmas tells us that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.
In our passage for this Sunday, we come to the question of how we might return to God the love that he has shown to us in his son Jesus. In John 21 the resurrected Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him. When Peter continues to insist that he truly does love Jesus, Jesus replies that he must therefore tend his sheep. If Peter loves Jesus than he will love Jesus’ church. And what we will see this fourth Sunday of Advent is that if we would love Jesus we too must display our love for him by loving his people. To come prepared for the service this Sunday take time to read and meditate upon John 21:1-19, Ezekiel 34:1-16, Matthew 22:36-40, John 10:11-15, 1 Peter 5:1-4, James 3:9-10, and Westminster Confession of Faith 26.
As we gather this fourth Sunday of Advent, we will join our hearts in song, singing the Hymn of Praise “Angels We Have Heard on High,” the Acclamation of Praise “Silent Night,” and the Hymn of Response “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear.” Let us come to worship this Sunday prepared to hear God’s Word, to receive it in faith, to love and treasure it in our hearts, and to practice it in our lives that we may continue to glorify and enjoy Him!
Sermon Text: John 21:1-19
Title: Relational Ministry
Outline:
- To Love the Shepherd We Must Love His Sheep
- To Love the Shepherd We Must Tend His Sheep
- To Love the Shepherd We Must Feed His Sheep