Sermon Tone Analysis

Title

A New Day Coming: Do Not Get Distracted

Outline

Advent looks towards a new day

The day will be characterized by right worship: “The mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain.”

The day will be characterized by right behavior flowing from that worship: “That he may instruct us in his ways . . .

for from Zion shall go forth instruction.”

The day will be characterized by the universal right worship of God and therefore by world-wide peace - the destruction of weapons.

This helps us see what is wrong with the world now and what we should do to make it right: “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!”

The problem is that the world as a whole is asleep

It may be the active approval of vices, “worshipping” the gods of money, sex, power, and prestige, as Paul notes: “Let us then throw off the works of darkness [and] put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy.”

I cannot number how many converts and reverts I have heard who went down this path upon entering college, if not before.

It may be making normal life central rather than God so that one does not notice the gathering storm (although the worship of the one God is neglected): “For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

In [those] days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark.”

The fact is that Satan prefers sleep and deceit to oppression, for it is easier and safer for him

The result of these types of sleepiness are equally disastrous: “They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.

So will it be [also] at the coming of the Son of Man.”

Or this image: “if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into.”

The brave new unfettered world is simply the old world redux, a turning over in the same bed with the same negative results.

So how shall we then live?

We might say, Wake up the sleepers!

Nice idea, but people woken against their will can be grumpy, even violent, and then return to sleep.

We can pray that folk wake up, but let God do it.

We can live rightly ourselves: “it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep” and “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.”

Many a religious house or priestly rectory has forgotten this and has received a rude awakening from God.

The principle is: if we want others to wake and worship rightly, we should live that right praise, that “Jesus Christ” lifestyle before them - with joy - and that is what God will use.

This is good for us and good for others.

We can be ready at all times: “you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

My friend in the Ukraine does not know if or when a missile or drone will hit his home - when the Lord may come for him - so they need constant preparation without anxiety.

We don’t have to become date-settings or end-of-the-world expecters in order to live so that when “the Son of Man” comes our response is “How wonderful.

Let us rush out to greet him!”

Rather than, “Oh no! I’m not ready.

Hide.”

Daily life can lull us to sleep and blind us to the sleepers around us, so let us remain aware, praying for those who do sleep and striving to “put on Jesus” more and more ourselves so that we are always ready.

That is a major purpose of Advent

Readings

FIRST READING

Isaiah 2:1–5

1 This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 In days to come,

The mountain of the LORD’s house

shall be established as the highest mountain

and raised above the hills.

All nations shall stream toward it.

3 Many peoples shall come and say:

“Come, let us go up to the LORD’s mountain,

to the house of the God of Jacob,

That he may instruct us in his ways,

and we may walk in his paths.”

For from Zion shall go forth instruction,

and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

4 He shall judge between the nations,

and set terms for many peoples.

They shall beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks;

One nation shall not raise the sword against another,

nor shall they train for war again.

5 House of Jacob, come,

let us walk in the light of the LORD!

RESPONSE

Text

PSALM

Psalm 122:1–9

1 A song of ascents.

Of David.

I rejoiced when they said to me,

“Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

2 And now our feet are standing

within your gates, Jerusalem.

3 Jerusalem, built as a city,

walled round about.

4 There the tribes go up,

the tribes of the LORD,

As it was decreed for Israel,

to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

5 There are the thrones of justice,

the thrones of the house of David.

6 For the peace of Jerusalem pray:

“May those who love you prosper!

7 May peace be within your ramparts,

prosperity within your towers.”

8 For the sake of my brothers and friends I say,

“Peace be with you.”

9 For the sake of the house of the LORD, our God,

I pray for your good.

SECOND READING

Romans 13:11–14

11 And do this because you know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.

For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; 12 the night is advanced, the day is at hand.

Let us then throw off the works of darkness [and] put on the armor of light; 13 let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy.

14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Psalm 85:8

8 Show us, LORD, your mercy;

grant us your salvation.

GOSPEL

Matthew 24:37–44

37  For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

38 In [those] days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark.

39 They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.