1 00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:03,920 OK, good morning everyone. It is lovely to see you this 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:05,480 morning. My name is Nikki. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:09,760 I am often in kids if I'm not in church, but it is great to have 4 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:12,360 everyone here together this morning so hopefully we can have 5 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:15,480 a little bit of a giggle. First of all, I want to start 6 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,880 off with a game, so I need volunteers of varying ages. 7 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:20,680 Come on then Jacob, straight away. 8 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,480 You're going to be there. Come on then, Aya, I've got any 9 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:25,680 adults. Anyone. 10 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,120 No, I'm going to have to pick on someone. 11 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:33,440 Maybe not Russ. Not Russ. 12 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,520 No, not Russ. Matt, come up here quick. 13 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:38,280 I need you. I just need 2 for the second. 14 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:40,880 But we can promise you, I promise you we'll be able to 15 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:42,120 play this game after the service. 16 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,120 So I'm going to say sit down, sit down, sit down for the 17 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,320 minute. I had Jacob, I had Aya, and I've 18 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:48,400 asked Matt to come up here, OK? Right. 19 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,760 Just so that we don't have any injuries this morning, I'm going 20 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,440 to ask you guys to move over there and do take a seat over 21 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:56,280 there. Quick. 22 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:58,120 Can you be over there so you don't get a bat in the face? 23 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,280 That's generally Nat is going to describe and show what we're 24 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:03,560 going to do. I've got my trusty beautiful 25 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,600 assistant here. The game Splat the Rats. 26 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,480 Anyone played it before? One minute, Ben. 27 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,000 I didn't even. We didn't even give right. 28 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:13,840 You might need to turn around this way so everyone can see 29 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,520 over there. OK, the idea is hold your hands 30 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:19,040 in front of your faces. Front row. 31 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,720 Sorry, I hadn't anticipated this in the kitchen at home. 32 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:28,720 OK, so the idea is is that Ben let's go of the the rat stroke 33 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,480 chicken and Nat tries to hit it before it hits the floor. 34 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:33,720 You ready? Steady go. 35 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:39,840 Oh, OK, let's do it again. Let's let's have a couple of 36 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:40,960 goes. Let's do this. 37 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:46,080 Oh, closer like it. I'm loving the fancier. 38 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:49,440 Yeah. No, I'm sorry. 39 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,800 I didn't quite anticipate the. OK. 40 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:54,880 Gently. Gently. 41 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,160 Oh, I think you made OK. That's your three goes up. 42 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:00,000 OK, here we go. Pass the mat on. 43 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:01,560 Jacob is your go. Are you ready? 44 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:04,920 OK, Jacob, Are you ready? Let's do this. 45 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,440 This way around. Yes, you've got this. 46 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:09,320 OK. You ready? 47 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:10,720 Do you need my help? I don't think you do. 48 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:15,880 Do you say go, Ben? Oh, so close. 49 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:17,640 So close. Are you ready? 50 00:02:17,640 --> 00:02:19,000 Next one. Do you think you're going to get 51 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:24,960 closer? Oh, again. 52 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:27,440 It's really tricky. Do you know what? 53 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:29,680 Shall I let you into a secret? Jacob, when we practice this in 54 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:33,040 the kitchen, I didn't hit one. I didn't splat one rat. 55 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,520 No, no, no, no. That, that. 56 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,600 That's a bit of cheating. OK, that's not quite the game, 57 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:40,400 but you're very clever to think of that. 58 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:42,920 Oh. Oh, I've lost my dingy bospers. 59 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,400 Oh, that was closer, Right. AA, your turn. 60 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,560 Quick, can you pass it? But no, the chicken needs to 61 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:51,000 come here. Thank you so much. 62 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:52,640 Right. AA, you go over here now. 63 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:54,240 Turn around that way. I reckon you're going to hit 64 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,320 that. Come on, AA, Are you ready? 65 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,400 That's it. Almost. 66 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:04,320 Good. First go. 67 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:06,040 Very good. Come on in. 68 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:07,800 I reckon you're going to get closer next time. 69 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,200 OK. All right let's let's do this 70 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:14,000 come on then that was even closer. 71 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,600 Are we going to get it? I think we might Are you ready? 72 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:23,240 Oh so close again at the end of the service. 73 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:25,840 I would love it if you came in another go, Samuel. 74 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,000 Not quite because otherwise we won't get through what I'm going 75 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,080 to say but at the end of the service it's all yours. 76 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,120 I promise you can have a go then, Matt. 77 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:32,920 Come on. Then. 78 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,680 We did bring a ball to go faster and A and a baseball bat. 79 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:39,800 But no, no, no, no, no. I think actually, in hindsight, 80 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:41,760 everyone's a bit too close. OK. 81 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:43,040 No, no, you're not allowed to go. 82 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:45,560 OK. Are you ready, guys? 83 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:46,720 For you? Stand back. 84 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,320 Get your hands ready just in case. 85 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,760 Is he going to do it? Well, you know, you. 86 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:56,200 Oh, close. I think you you could say. 87 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,960 You could say go. I mean, wouldn't it be good if 88 00:03:59,960 --> 00:04:06,280 we had success the whole hog? Oh, is he going to do it? 89 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:08,080 Third go. Drum roll, please. 90 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:10,480 Are we going to do this? Ready. 91 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:18,680 Go. Oh, anyway, just to let you know 92 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:20,360 there has been success. And if you want to see it 93 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:22,840 afterwards, ask Ben to show you. OK. 94 00:04:22,840 --> 00:04:24,520 Thank you so much. Kyle, do you want to take a seat 95 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:26,680 for a minute? Thank you, thank you. 96 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:30,800 Forgive me and thank you for indulging me with the game. 97 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:36,000 To start off with, I really love that game because it's all about 98 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,560 the waiting, the anticipation. Not quite there yet, but I love 99 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:42,960 the fact that each time you have a go, you can get a little bit 100 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:47,120 closer and a little bit closer. It's a bit like the arm game. 101 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,320 I don't know if you played in a car journey where you turn your 102 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:52,440 head and someone else places their fingers up your arm and 103 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,040 you have to guess when they get to your elbow. 104 00:04:54,280 --> 00:04:55,800 Again, it's a great game. If you don't know what I'm 105 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,080 talking about, ask my family, they'll tell you about it. 106 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:01,040 But for someone who got car sick, if she tried to read or do 107 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,000 anything like that, it was a great one for keeping me and my 108 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,560 sister organised. Did you? 109 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:08,920 Did you? Let's try not to close your eyes 110 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:10,360 if you're driving. Please, Please. 111 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:12,200 OK. Right, Advent. 112 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:16,680 We've alluded to it before. Please enjoy this festiveness, 113 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:18,920 especially with Samuel and Benji up there. 114 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,920 Welcome to the first Sunday in Advent. 115 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:28,520 Is it all about a time of hope, joy, love, and peace? 116 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:33,000 As a caveat, just at the beginning of this talk, I found 117 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:37,040 parts of this talk brilliant, and I also found parts of 118 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:42,560 writing it really challenging. So I am nowhere near there as 119 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:46,400 I'll explain a little bit more. But when I started, before I 120 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:48,880 started researching about it, I was so excited. 121 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,240 Like did we say, can you do Advent the first Adventist 122 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:54,120 Sunday? I was like, yes, this is me. 123 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,360 I'm all over it. Christmas is my favorite time of 124 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:58,880 year. I get so excited. 125 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:00,840 I thought, this is nailed, this is brilliant, perfect. 126 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:03,960 And then I started looking into it a little bit more. 127 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,320 I found out it's about waiting. Waiting. 128 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,520 It's not my strength. If you ask anyone, especially 129 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,320 the children, that I'm marching off to the certain place in 130 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,760 school, waiting is not something that I like doing. 131 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,240 Ben, even when he broke himself and tore his hamstring, I got 132 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,760 frustrated with him walking slowly to an appointment. 133 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:32,400 Waiting for him was a challenge. I'm not very good at slowing 134 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:36,720 down, waiting or, heaven forbid, having to be patient. 135 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:38,840 Never pray for patience. Don't. 136 00:06:38,840 --> 00:06:40,520 Don't do it. God gives you opportunities to 137 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:41,640 try it. That's awful. 138 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,920 But anyway, so when I found out that Abbott was all about the 139 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:49,680 waiting, I was just thinking, Oh no, Lord, what are you trying to 140 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,800 chat to me about this morning? So my question to you this 141 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:58,000 morning is, who likes waiting? There are two different types of 142 00:06:58,000 --> 00:06:59,600 waiting though. There's good and there's bad. 143 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:01,600 And in fact, I'm quite aware that I'm right in the middle of 144 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:02,960 the screen, so hopefully I'm not in the way. 145 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:04,760 And Dina boppers don't get in the way either. 146 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:08,200 A good example. Sorry. 147 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:10,200 Let's start with the bad examples and go to the good 148 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:12,960 traffic jams. What about exam time? 149 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,000 Maybe there's not quite enough to write what you want to write. 150 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,440 Or maybe there's far too much time and you haven't got enough 151 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,240 to write in that time. What about the doctor's waiting 152 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:24,080 room trying to wait until the end of the school day so you can 153 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,280 go home, teachers and children alike? 154 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,480 What about waiting for the gingerbread mix to cool down so 155 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,760 you can actually make the gingerbread biscuits and eat 156 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:35,200 them all? I find it hard not to eat the 157 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:38,840 mix itself, but some of you might feel the pain of a 2 year 158 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,520 old waiting for them to put their shoes on. 159 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:47,080 I do, it rings in my head and the Q and ALDI I don't think I 160 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:49,920 need to say anymore. But then there's good types of 161 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,680 waiting aren't there as well? Like before you go out on a 162 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:57,640 night out or before you might go on holiday trailers before a 163 00:07:57,640 --> 00:07:59,320 movie that you're looking forward to seeing. 164 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:05,080 Waiting for a baby Italia. Welcome Sheree and Will. 165 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,600 Exciting times waiting for your Christmas presents. 166 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,240 That's a good waiting, isn't it? Maybe it's at the end of the 167 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:14,360 service so you can eat the chocolate that is in front of 168 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:15,560 you or the sweet that's in front of you. 169 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:19,960 Whichever 1 you might relate to. We all know what waiting is all 170 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,600 about. So with your chocolate and 171 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:25,040 sweet, please forgive me. I will reveal a little bit more 172 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,920 at the end, but if you can not eat it, hopefully you will be 173 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:34,919 rewarded in that perseverance. So as we looked at today, we're 174 00:08:34,919 --> 00:08:36,520 celebrating the first week of Advent. 175 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,799 And for some of you, this means a sense of excitement is 176 00:08:39,799 --> 00:08:42,120 building up. You know, you've got your Advent 177 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:45,160 calendar to open tomorrow. It's nearly Christmas. 178 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:47,720 The the presents aren't far away. 179 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:52,680 The waiting is almost over. However, for others of you, 180 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:57,280 there might be a big dread. All the things you've yet to do, 181 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:01,080 the To Do List getting longer and longer and longer. 182 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:03,960 So I thought in the waiting today, kids, I don't want to 183 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:06,520 leave you hanging. What I would love you to do is 184 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:09,600 create an advent calendar for me. 185 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,800 So it's in the form of this paper chain it has got. 186 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:17,200 So we've got some kits for you guys to create your own advent 187 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:20,720 calendar that as we wait, we've just got the the story of 188 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:23,960 Christmas running up to Christmas and we've got them 189 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:26,520 into the numbered so that hopefully you can, with a little 190 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,200 bit of adult direction, maybe get the numbers. 191 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:30,720 To be honest, it doesn't really matter. 192 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:32,680 The story's great no matter how you read it. 193 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:36,520 But the different colours represent the joy, the hope, the 194 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,080 of and the piece that we can celebrate this advent. 195 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,600 So if you would love to go over, we've got Libby and Abby over 196 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:43,720 there. Any other youth that are 197 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:46,840 available to help give out some kits, please do take them, take 198 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:51,000 some pens if you want to embellish, enjoy them, make it 199 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:52,720 your own. That would be amazing. 200 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:57,000 So hopefully you can have some fun doing that as you wait for 201 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:13,760 the end of our service. But as I've been looking into 202 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:16,560 what Advent is, I've learnt a few things. 203 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,120 And again, a bit of a caveat. I am a teacher, so the 204 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:24,160 PowerPoint is generally for me so that I could picture things. 205 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:27,440 Hopefully those of you that get bored can keep me accountable to 206 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:29,800 what I say is what actually I've written on the board as well. 207 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:34,320 Well done you. But Advent it the word is a 208 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,160 Latin word. It's Aventis. 209 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:40,200 Thanks, Daisy. Which means coming. 210 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,400 The first day of Advent is 4 Sundays before Christmas. 211 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,640 It's also the Christian new year. 212 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:50,920 Happy new year. I bet that's something you 213 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:52,160 didn't think you'd hear this morning, huh? 214 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:57,920 But it kicks off the entire cycle of the liturgical 215 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:01,280 calendar. And as we as Christians start 216 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:03,800 off this new year, we start by waiting. 217 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:09,480 Waiting is nothing new. In James 5 verse 7 it says, Dear 218 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:13,040 brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord's 219 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,360 return. Consider the farmer who 220 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,280 patiently waited for the rains in the fall and in the spring. 221 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:21,440 They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 222 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,600 You too must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of 223 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:29,040 the Lord is near. Now I could just end the talk 224 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:32,160 there because I mean, that is a beautiful verse which has so 225 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:34,400 many keywords that you could unpack. 226 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:38,120 Patience eagerly. Courage, the way the farmers 227 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:41,200 wait every single year, never knowing from one year to the 228 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,440 next whether the harvest is going to be good or not, but 229 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:50,200 still waiting eagerly. But I digress, as you'll find 230 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:55,080 out, I do quite easily. Advent is where we prepare and 231 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:56,760 look forward to the coming of Christ. 232 00:11:57,400 --> 00:11:59,120 It's fasting before the feasting. 233 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:03,160 It's a little bit like Lent. Talking about Lent chocolate. 234 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:04,640 Sorry. At the end. 235 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:05,920 Not before. Generally. 236 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:07,920 That's what I gave up. That's that's the reason. 237 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:11,280 But has anyone got an Advent calendar here ready for 238 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:12,160 tomorrow? Yeah. 239 00:12:12,560 --> 00:12:16,600 Is anyone's chocolate? Yes, I know. 240 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:19,000 Who loves that. Has anyone ever eaten their 241 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:23,800 chocolate before the day? Really. 242 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:28,280 Russ, I oh, my secrets are coming out. 243 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:32,000 Unbelievable. OK, All right, so when I, when I 244 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,640 grew up, I had an Advent calendar. 245 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:37,640 But my dad is amazing man. And he's a man who loves the 246 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:39,320 Lord. And it was always an Advent 247 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:42,320 calendar that had Bible verses in it, which was great. 248 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:44,360 But I was a bit like, where's the chocolate? 249 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:50,000 So this year, when I was chatting to them back in 250 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:55,120 September, I was just sharing with them that I'd fallen off 251 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,120 the wagon very early and I bought an Advent calendar. 252 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:01,360 And my dad, who knew the answer before he'd even said it, just 253 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:03,920 went, Nikki, any Bible verses on it? 254 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:07,840 And I was a bit like, no. And ashamedly, I had to admit 255 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,080 that it they hadn't. It was totally Sainsbury's, 256 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:13,760 dazzling me with the chocolate array of Advent calendars. 257 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:18,400 But have I succumbed to the razzle dazzle of Christmas 258 00:13:19,680 --> 00:13:23,920 rather than the story that it celebrates and the beginning of 259 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:27,760 so much more? Advent calendars were first made 260 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:31,360 with Christian verses in 1930s, but I didn't realise it was only 261 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:33,240 after World War 2 that they became a little bit more 262 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:36,600 popular. Today, advent calendars can be 263 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:41,800 made out of chocolate, sweets, perfume, makeup, wine, socks, 264 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:45,200 you name it. Anything can be commercialised, 265 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:49,680 but can we still find God in the treat? 266 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:52,920 Could the chocolate, the socks, the sweets, the perfume? 267 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:57,000 Could they still be a tangible reminder of the anticipation 268 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:02,720 that Advent highlights in an instant age of gratification? 269 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:05,120 I mean, who doesn't get frustrated when Amazon say 270 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:08,440 they're going to take two days to deliver rather than just one? 271 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:11,600 Do we lose sight of the joy of waiting? 272 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:15,600 Traditionally, Christmas was celebrated from Christmas Eve 273 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:20,800 through to the 12th day and nowadays decorations and 274 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:23,520 celebrations are in the shops from September through to 275 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:25,920 December. As soon as the back to school 276 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:28,480 stuff disappears off the shelves, the hole that is left 277 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:30,840 is generally filled with Christmas. 278 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:35,240 The next thing. There is no waiting, there is no 279 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:38,920 fasting, so to speak. The excitement of Christmas is 280 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:44,600 brought earlier and earlier and is so much more accessible that 281 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:49,280 there is a sense that is become normal rather than specially 282 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:52,640 awaited. A life changing time intended. 283 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:55,640 Now again, please don't get me wrong. 284 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:57,480 This is where my caveat comes in. 285 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:02,560 Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love Christmas. 286 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:05,960 I love getting excited about getting a tree up. 287 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,720 I love the fact that I can decorate the house with lights, 288 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:12,600 make it bright and twinkly in the dark dismal days. 289 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,200 It doesn't matter that on 12th night most of the needles of our 290 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:21,640 Christmas tree have fallen off because just the magic of it all 291 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:24,760 this time of year, getting excited and wanting to enjoy it 292 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:29,120 is something that I love. Giving and receiving gifts, 293 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:33,720 remembering that we have already been given the best gift of all 294 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:36,600 in Jesus. Surely that's what Christmas is 295 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:38,360 all about, and it's celebrations. 296 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:42,240 And that can start modestly, maybe at the beginning of 297 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:50,240 December, end of November. As I've read more into Advent, 298 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:54,600 I've realized that although an immense amount of fun, the 299 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,440 decoration and the gifts are not really the point of this time. 300 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:04,720 God has so much more for us where we wait anticipating what 301 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:09,200 is to come, waiting on what He wants to say to us, waiting for 302 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:14,800 for what he wants to do in US. Mary and Joseph were preparing 303 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:19,880 waiting for someone Jesus, someone who was going to be life 304 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:24,280 changing. How do we prepare our hearts for 305 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:27,840 Jesus this Advent? How are we waiting on God and 306 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:32,640 what he has to say to us? Also what are we waiting for? 307 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:37,640 This book of Advent, The Season of Hope by Tish Harrison Warren. 308 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,840 It's brilliant, and if you get a chance to read it, I would 309 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:44,400 highly recommend it. When you do read it, you'll 310 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:46,440 realize that most of the talk has come from here. 311 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:50,000 That together with the Bible Project, the adventure series on 312 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,840 the Bible app So good. But this talks about the 313 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:57,480 Christian New Year that does not begin with our frenetic effort 314 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:01,440 or energy or the merriment of Christmas or the triumph of 315 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:03,680 Easter. It does not begin with the 316 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:08,280 mandate of the Great Commission. Instead, we begin in a place of 317 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:15,319 yearning, wanting, waiting for our King to come as a church. 318 00:17:15,319 --> 00:17:18,200 We're waiting together for the one to whom we prayed, the one 319 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:23,760 who came as an infant Christ in the incarnation Jesus, and the 320 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:25,920 one whose work continues in the world even now. 321 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:30,240 Christ in the present, his Holy Spirit, and as a whole church. 322 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:32,600 We're waiting for when God will come again. 323 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:38,880 We are waiting and yearning and hoping with twists and turns. 324 00:17:39,360 --> 00:17:43,160 So much uncertainty ahead, but still we wait. 325 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:48,840 As we wait, we can look into Jesus life and the Advent story 326 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:51,120 for inspiration. And there are just four things 327 00:17:51,120 --> 00:17:58,280 that I wanted to pick out today. Hope, We are not the first to be 328 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:00,560 waiting. The confused and the oppressed 329 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:03,600 Israelites longed for the hope of God, Shalom for the hope of 330 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:06,480 His peace. We read about this in Isaiah 9 331 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,640 verse 12 where it says the people walking in darkness have 332 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,760 seen a great light on those living in the land of the deep 333 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:14,840 darkness. A light has dawned. 334 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:23,880 Light Hope, it's in the light. Hope is anticipating a future 335 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:29,200 that is better than the present. Biblical hope is based on a 336 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:34,080 person different to optimism, choosing to see in all 337 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:36,720 situations how things could work for out for the best. 338 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:40,760 Biblical hope is not based on circumstances. 339 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:44,600 Hopeful people in the Old Testament and Bible recognise 340 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:48,280 that things were never going to get better, but because they 341 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:53,120 look to God's past faithfulness that motivates their hope for 342 00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:57,400 the future. Biblical hope is bold. 343 00:18:58,120 --> 00:19:00,080 It's not optimism based on the odds. 344 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:04,280 Biblical hope is a choice to wait for God to bring about a 345 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:08,320 future that's as surprising as a crucified man raising from the 346 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:12,040 dead. Christian hope looks back to the 347 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:16,200 risen Jesus in order to look forwards, so that we can wait 348 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:22,720 and look forwards with hope. The Israelites were not only 349 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,880 drawing on the hope of God, but his peace, his Shalom too. 350 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:29,720 And when I practice this at home, Daisy, when what's Shalom? 351 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:33,200 Shalom is the Hebrew word for peace, the Old Testament Hebrew 352 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:37,160 word for peace. In Azar 9 verse 6, it says for 353 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:41,960 to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government 354 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,080 will be on his shoulders, and he will be called wonderful 355 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:50,120 counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of 356 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:53,520 Peace. His government and its peace 357 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:58,840 will never end. Peace is not just the absence of 358 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:02,600 conflict, it's taking what's broken and restoring it to 359 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:05,960 wholeness. Whether it be in our lives, our 360 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:11,440 relationships, or the world, God is the one who makes right the 361 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:16,760 wrongs and heals all the broken. Jesus came to bring his peace. 362 00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:21,480 Now life is complex, we're no longer whole. 363 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,720 We need to be restored. And that is what Isaiah was 364 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:26,200 looking forward to in the future. 365 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,480 King, the Prince of Shalom, the Prince of peace. 366 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:33,000 And in John 14 verse 27, it says peace. 367 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,080 I leave with you my peace. I give to you. 368 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:39,120 I do not give to you as the world gives. 369 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:43,000 Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 370 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,480 With peace there is no need to be afraid. 371 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:54,680 The Advent stories continues to show how we can have joy in this 372 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:56,840 waiting. We are told about this joy 373 00:20:56,840 --> 00:21:00,800 before Jesus was even born, when the angels came to renounce the 374 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:03,880 birth to the shepherds. Sorry, it's my Third Point. 375 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:08,920 In Luke 2 verse 10 to 11 it says but the angels said to them, do 376 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,360 not be afraid. I bring you good news that will 377 00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:17,160 cause great joy for all people today in the town of David, a 378 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:20,720 savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord. 379 00:21:22,360 --> 00:21:26,800 Joy is mentioned so many times in the Bible right from the get 380 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:31,680 go, from the first page where Jesus, where God says what he, 381 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:35,080 what he looked at, what he had made and he said it is good. 382 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:37,320 Again, getting excited with these teams. 383 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:41,680 We'll keep them on. He also goes on to say in 100 384 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:46,840 and Psalm 104, verse 15, where it says wine brings joy to 385 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:49,080 people's hearts. Again, if you know us as a 386 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:52,360 vineyard, we love a celebration glass of wine I would never say 387 00:21:52,360 --> 00:21:54,360 no to. But anyway, I love the fact that 388 00:21:54,360 --> 00:21:58,520 there are so many different ways in which God brings joy in and 389 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:00,280 throughout and weaves it throughout the Bible. 390 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:06,440 Too many for me to go into now, but the joy for God's people is 391 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:10,880 rooted in God's future where we're going, not the present 392 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,040 circumstances, whether they be struggle or whether they be 393 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:17,600 ease. Paul still wrote about his joy 394 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:22,160 despite the fact he was imprisoned and in pain when the 395 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,000 Holy Spirit. Oh sorry, no, let me see this 396 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,640 first. Christian joy is a profound 397 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:31,440 decision of faith and hope in the power of Jesus's own life 398 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:35,400 and love. When the Holy Spirit comes to us 399 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,760 today, are we ever surprised? Are we ever afraid? 400 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:43,120 We are not alone if we do feel like that, but we can be 401 00:22:43,120 --> 00:22:47,040 reassured. Jesus always brings good news. 402 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:52,360 And as the Angel said, I bring you good news that will cause 403 00:22:52,360 --> 00:22:58,080 great joy for all the people. And so we can find joy in the 404 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:03,960 waiting. And lastly, we look to love the 405 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:08,800 part that holds it all together. Jesus showed us how to have an 406 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,560 agape love, which is a love in action, seeking people's 407 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:17,000 well-being without expecting anything in return, even when 408 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,040 you even with your enemies. You should only have to look at 409 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:22,120 the life and death of Jesus to see this. 410 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:27,480 And in one John 4 verse 9 to 11 it says God showed how much he 411 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:31,360 loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that 412 00:23:31,360 --> 00:23:33,440 we might have eternal life through him. 413 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:39,760 This is real love, not that we love God, but that He loved us 414 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,240 and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 415 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:48,880 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to 416 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:54,440 love each other. As God showed us His selfless 417 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:59,720 love, His enemy embracing love, surely we can do the same to 418 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:05,440 others. So as I come in to land, what 419 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:10,600 does Advent invite us to do? I'm not asking you to become the 420 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:13,920 Crinch. Please don't make me become the 421 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:20,040 Grinch. But, and I don't want you not to 422 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:24,680 celebrate Christmas, but I'm simply encouraging you to walk 423 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:32,720 into the invitation of decelerating, to be still and to 424 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:37,240 rest. Advent is unavoidably, 425 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,520 unavoidably countercultural. It gives us a chance to be a 426 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:45,760 different sort of person. But I hear you say, how can I do 427 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:47,320 this? How do I stop? 428 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,120 There's so much to do. There's so many things to go to, 429 00:24:50,120 --> 00:24:55,720 there's so much. We are quite naturally impatient 430 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:58,560 in everything to reach the end without delay. 431 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:01,360 And again, I speak personally. If it's not you, then please 432 00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:04,720 enjoy. But we should skip the 433 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:06,760 intermediary steps, wouldn't we, if we could? 434 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:09,880 We're impatient of being on the way to somewhere unknown, 435 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:13,320 somewhere new. But God calls us in this time 436 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:17,160 into the time of preparation, a time of waiting on him. 437 00:25:18,120 --> 00:25:21,920 It's an invitation, an opportunity to intentionally 438 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:25,960 step away from the noise, the hurry, and the crowds. 439 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:30,120 I think Tish Harrison Warren sums up Advent so well when she 440 00:25:30,120 --> 00:25:33,120 says Advent is a training in hope. 441 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:36,440 Because the season tells us that when things lie fallow, they do 442 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:39,600 not lie in waste. Things that seem dormant are not 443 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:44,160 dead, and times of waiting are not without meaning, purpose, or 444 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:47,760 design. How are we going to prepare our 445 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:53,240 hearts for Jesus's return? How is God preparing us for His 446 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:58,080 works in and through us? Can we enjoy the excitement in 447 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:02,240 the waiting and the rewards that come from that perseverance? 448 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:07,440 Are we encouraged by these words? 449 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:09,480 Wait and see that the Lord is good. 450 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:15,280 As we make time to prepare and wait on God over these next few 451 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:22,400 weeks, may we be able to reflect his God's hope, His peace, His 452 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:28,320 joy, and His love. So as we come into a time of 453 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:32,720 prayer now before communion, I would love you to take your 454 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:34,720 sweet or your chocolate. And if you haven't got one, 455 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:37,040 there's one here waiting down for you. 456 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:41,640 We would love you to come and help yourself, but we just want 457 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:43,400 you to spend some time in reflection. 458 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:48,760 What might God be trying to say to you through that chocolate? 459 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:54,520 When you look at it, when you smell it, when you taste it, 460 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:58,240 what my God be trying to say to you? 461 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:03,160 And as we wait on the Lord, I just pray that you enjoy that 462 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:23,970 time that He speaks to you. Heavenly Father, we thank you 463 00:27:24,690 --> 00:27:27,050 for your presence and your peace in this place. 464 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:35,920 Lord, we thank you for the gift of chocolate, but we thank you 465 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:48,480 for the gift of your Son. Lord, we thank You for this 466 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:55,040 invitation to step towards you, to fast before the feasting. 467 00:28:02,120 --> 00:28:06,040 Holy Spirit, would you move afresh. 468 00:28:14,170 --> 00:28:19,770 Lord, we thank You that You came, that You are here and You 469 00:28:19,810 --> 00:28:27,200 are coming again. We're going to celebrate the 470 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:30,480 Lord's Supper now together as a, as a church family. 471 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:36,360 And if you are walking towards Jesus, whether you are certain 472 00:28:36,360 --> 00:28:40,000 about him or whether you're exploring, then we invite you to 473 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:42,520 come. We've got grape juice and we 474 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:46,960 have got bread, and we if the children, if you would like your 475 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:49,880 children to come and join in, then we would love that as well. 476 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:55,600 This is an opportunity for us to embrace all that Advent is 477 00:28:56,600 --> 00:29:03,240 celebrating the fact that Jesus came, that he is here now, and 478 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:11,280 that he will come again, The promise of his future Kingdom 479 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,640 coming in full. I'm just going to read a short 480 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:24,160 passage from 1 Corinthians. This is Paul recounting the Last 481 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:27,280 Supper with the with the Lord that he had with his disciples. 482 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:32,520 For I receive from the Lord what I also pass on to you, the Lord 483 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:34,360 Jesus. On the night that he was 484 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:38,160 betrayed, he took bread. When he'd given thanks, he broke 485 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:39,880 it. And he said, this is my body, 486 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:43,160 which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. 487 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:48,320 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying This cup is 488 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:51,960 the new covenant in my blood. Do this whenever you drink it in 489 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:56,120 remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread 490 00:29:56,120 --> 00:30:00,560 and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 491 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:10,400 Lord Jesus, thank you, thank you, thank you that you came and 492 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:15,040 we anticipate celebrating your coming again this December. 493 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:19,160 Lord, we thank you that you are here by the power of your Spirit 494 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:24,200 holding us up, leading us on, empowering us to be your hands 495 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:28,560 and feet. And Jesus, we hold on to the 496 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:38,040 hope that you are coming again, that in your presence everything 497 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:42,600 changes, and when you come again, everything will look 498 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:45,920 different. Laurie, hold onto that hope. 499 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:56,440 We thank you. Jesus, in your own time, feel 500 00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:59,040 free. We've got Pip and Essie who are 501 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:02,880 holding grape juice and bread. And we would just love to invite 502 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:08,080 everybody to come and take it if you'd like to, and then we will 503 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:09,320 worship again.