“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” —John 14:18-19, 27

Introduction:

Advent (from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival”) is the four week season of

for the coming of Jesus at Christmas.

“Advent is a season of expectant waiting, tapping into the sense we have that all is not well, the longing for the world to be made right again. It’s a season for restless hearts and people weary of a broken world who want, with all our being, to know there’s more than this.” —Eugene Peterson

John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, preached a sermon in 1741 called, “The

Christian.”

“Wesley used that term ‘almost’ to describe the Christian who had the outward ‘form of godliness,’ but still fell short of ‘altogether’ godliness on the inside.” —Rev. Magrey R. deVega

God has given you his Spirit and empowered you to do more than just the

.

God has put extra on your ordinary and super on your natural to bring the Kingdom of

to earth.

This four-week sermon series is to help us move from merely living an almost life to the

, altogether life God has for us in God’s Kingdom.

Do I

justice, mercy, and truth?

Do I do

with all my might?

Do I do

with a desire to please God in every way?

Do I desire

but God?

Do I love my neighbor as myself?

Do I love others as Christ loved me?

Do I believe Jesus has taken away my sins and cast them as a stone into the depth of the sea?

Do I feel the

of the Spirit that I am a child of God?

Can I declare to Jesus, “Lord, You know all things. You know that I love you.”?

“By helping us to hope intensely for restoration, to feel our own need to be saved, Advent prepares us for genuine Christmas joy and faith in the One who saves us from our sin, Jesus.” —Eugene Peterson

Our goal is to take our almost peace, hope, love, and joy and turn them into a full and altogether

.

Peace:

From Zechariah to Mary, Joseph and the shepherds, we

need peace. (Luke 1:30-33)

The holidays tend to

the ongoing chaos in our lives, especially in our relationships with loved ones.

“The source of anger is a fear that is fed by powerlessness.” —Moral Philosopher Martha Nussbaum

Allow yourself to be aware of your anger,

that you are angry, and take wise and healthy action. (Eph 4:26-27)

Unresolved anger creates opportunity for

, bad decisions, and health problems.

True peace “is not merely the absence of tensions, but… the presence of… justice.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Work for Peace:

“Blessed are the peacemakers” —Jesus (Matthew 5:9)

Jesus came to bring peace that was different than the Pax Romana to a desperate and dark world. (John 14:18, 27)

Peace was the

gift Jesus gave to his disciples before he left them. (John 20:19-22)

Rosalynn Carter, Mother Teresa, and Princess Diana all

for peace throughout their lives.

Would someone describe you as a worker for peace?

Action Steps:

The next time you feel

, ask yourself, “What is it that I am afraid of in this
situation? Why do I feel so powerless? Am I really as powerless as I think I am?”

How can I transform my anger into something healthy, productive, and life-giving for

?

Look at your receipts and give at least

$1 more__ to Jesus through the mission offering than you spend on yourself or your family this Christmas.

“My additional notes:

”.