2nd Sunday in Advent – Sermon 23

This week we light the second candle of our Advent wreath – and we focus especially on the prophets – to help us look again at the way in which Jesus’ coming was foretold

Elijah was one of the greatest of the OT prophets – he came from Gilead – at the edge of the desert in the east of the country – his clothes were rough – and he preferred the desert life-style – he was symbolised by many as Moses’ successor – but unlike Moses who interceded on the peoples behalf – Elijah’s calling was to act as a covenant prosecutor – to accuse the people of breaking God’s covenant

Elijah was at the peak of his activity – when the kingdom of Israel was in sad decline – He was called by God to speak out about the spiritual condition of his people – and although his miracles produced the desired response from them – his main message was directed firmly towards the King

in verse 18 – he says to King Ahab:

"I have not made trouble for Israel – but you and your father and your family have – you have abandoned the Lord’s commands –

A hundred years previous the Jews had experienced a golden age of peace and prosperity – but since then the peoples focus moved away from God – towards the king – and when he went into decline – so did the people – civil war followed and the country was split in two –

In the northern kingdom – an all time low was reached during the 22 year reign of King Ahab – no king of Israel had received so many warnings – and yet no King fell so deeply into sin – his crimes were not political – but that – influenced by his Tyrian wife Jezebel – he lived a life of compromise with the Canaanite culture around him – he failed to stop the worshipping of Baal – a Canaanite weather God – who was supposed to ensure a constant supply of rain.

After 3 years in which Jezebel had done her best to eliminate the worship of God in Israel – Elijah faced Ahab and the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel – he convinced them – that if Baal was a God he should be able to produce fire as readily as rain –

He gave out a challenge to the people –

"How long will you sit on the fence? – if the Lord is God follow Him – if Baal is God follow Him"

the issue placed before them was " who is the God who lives?"

the fanatical ravings of the Baal worshippers were all to no avail – but Elijah eventually won them over when he asked them to help him construction the altar – and to soak it with water – They expected him to fail – so when the fire did fall from heaven – the people realized who the true God is – and responded positively with a confession of faith –

"The Lord He is God – The Lord He is God "

God’s effectiveness was not hindered by the uneven sides – in fact this all the more – dramatically displayed His power and faith at work

The miracles of Elijah called many in Israel back to faith in God – he showed them that the God of Israel is not a God of the past – but a God that is present with them and who cares for and has an understanding of what was important in their lives

Elijah’s call to confront wickedness was an example of a lone minister standing against the power of hundreds of opponents supported by the state – and how the public faithfulness of one man can be a catalyst to enable others to make their faith public

Elijah was the beginning of a long line of prophets who confronted God’s people because of their failure to conform to His expectations – his message of judgement was picked up by the prophets that followed him – Elisha, Hosea and Amos – In the southern kingdom his warnings were carried by such figures as Isaiah – and the very last of the writing prophets Malachi – who promised that Elijah would return – to hold out hope of repentance before judgment –

Point 2

In the NT this prophesy is remembered in part with the coming of John the Baptist – also a loner – and a man of the desert – who went all over the Jordan Valley proclaiming – a Baptism by water – as a token of repentance for the forgiveness of sins

To many Jews John was a prominent prophet – as great as Moses or Elijah – even Jesus likened his ministry to that of Elijah – as one sent to those outside Israel –

John left behind him many admiring disciples – who continued his work – often in rivalry with the disciples of Jesus – but as we see in our reading – when questioned by the Levites sent by the temple officials – John denies all claims to any special status or authority – he refuses identification – and calls himself – "a voice crying in the wilderness" –

here we see a true account of John’s humility – he deflects away the honour which the Jews were ready to put on him – and claims honour only for Christ –

in verse 26

"Among you, though you do not know Him, stands one who is to come after me – I am not worthy to untie His sandals" –

John’s mission was to exalt and point to Jesus -as the true word of God – through Jesus God speaks to us in a way we can understand – He become one of us

In an act of pure love – God sent His only Son – to experience our way of life – to show us that He understands and cares about our individual needs and difficulties – He sent His Son to die for us on the cross – so that our sins can be forgiven – and we can be washed clean – and reconciled back to Him –

John the Baptist was more than a pointer – he was a first witness and believer in Jesus as the Son of God – a light that testifies to the true light – now appearing – after him in time – but existing before Him in all eternity

through Jesus the promises made by God have all come true – through Jesus the witness of the OT and NT prophets have found their focus – through Jesus the Father will complete His plan of redemption and the salvation of mankind –

Point 3

If you go to Mount Carmel or the Jordan river today you will see thriving communities dependent on farming and tourism – to some what happened thousands of years ago is a matter of history – but to the Christian – reading and learning about the Prophets in our Bibles is a glimpse into a living faith that is still growing –

Jesus Himself said that "everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses and the prophets" – through the prophets we see the power of God showing itself in different ways – and we see a faith that demands everything we have to give

When God takes action to change the world He starts with individuals – He starts with us – His church –

Each one of us is called to be a prophet of our time – to proclaim the Gospel message – whether through word or deed – and by the way we live our lives –

What we believe about God is the most important thing about us – it determines the overall direction of or lives – it affects our every actions – many claim to believe and trust God – but in reality their lives are geared towards their own survival and security – they believe He exists but – they don’t allow Him to engage or change their lives –

We need to encourage others to make that important step towards Jesus – by showing them how we love and serve Him – and how He lives in us –

We need to be strong is our faith – when others around us are persuaded to compromise when faced with worldly pressures – we need to hold firm – like Elijah – and follow God’s ways –

We need to be committed to spreading the good news of Jesus Christ – to pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us with His power and strength – so that like John the Baptist – we too may be a pointer and a witness to Jesus –

Conclusion

The prophets were God’s appointed covenant prosecutors – they were called to
act – to announce the need for repentance – and the imminence of God’s judgement – but above all they did not stop praying for the people – that they might return to the Lord and be transformed by His Spirit – In this we all have a part to play –

So we too as prophets in Lymm must always be willing to act – to play our part in Jesus’ plan – and to pray for the salvation of those around us –

Let’s finish with a prayer: