Guerrilla Christianity

December 17, 2023

Old Testament: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

Psalter: Psalm 126

Epistle Lesson: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-23

Gospel Lesson: John 1:6-8, 19-28

Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

S.D.G.

Sermon #255

We say that Jesus came in the fullness of time, but what does that really mean?  Isaiah's prophecy calls for a voice in the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord.  When we look at the world in Jesus' time, we see how it was uniquely positioned for the maximum impact of His arrival.  We see that the world was using a common language which facilitated the spreading of the Gospel story.  We see that the Roman Empire had established roads which allowed for quick and easy travel between centers of commerce.  We see that Palestine itself (the region of Galilee and Judea) stood at the crossroads of commerce through which people of many nations would travel.  Indeed, God had first prepared the way for the coming of the Lord, and then used people like John the Baptist and Mark the Evangelist to proclaim His coming.

Mark 1:1-8

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on December 10, 2017 (Originally published December 11, 2020)

S.D.G.

Sermon #89

Today we continue with Isaiah, this time looking at chapter 40.  Isaiah begins the second part of his book of prophecy by telling the people of Israel to prepare the way for the coming Lord.  But rather than being words merely for the people of the 8th century BC, Isaiah's words are for us as well, imploring us to remember that Christ will return, and that we should prepare our hearts and minds to receive him.  So grab your Bible, turn it to Isaiah chapter 40, and prepare your hearts and minds as we prepare the way of the Lord.

Isaiah 40:1-11

Recorded at Hudson UMC on December 7, 2014 (Originally published December 17, 2014)

S.D.G.

Sermon #581

As we continue our Advent series, we take a look at what Mark's gospel has to say on his coming.  Mark spends no time on the Nativity narrative, but instead starts at the beginning of Jesus' ministry with an eight-verse introduction via John the Baptist.  John's entire existence was set from the beginning of his life - indeed, even before he was conceived - to be the voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the Lord."  His whole life is centered around pointing others to God and to Christ, and his baptism is one of repentance, calling people to turn away from sin and turn back to God.  In this short introduction we can learn two applications: first, that we are called to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ; and second, that Christ's fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy gives us evidence that the promises of the New Testament will also come to fruition.

Mark 1:1-8

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on December 10, 2023

Watch on YouTube

S.D.G.

Sermon #419

As we begin to clean up the mess around us as we prepare for company coming, we realize that this is too massive a project for any one person to take on themselves.  We need a crew to help clean up this mess.  In the time of Jesus, John the Baptist was part of the crew helping prepare hearts and minds to receive Jesus the Messiah, and he was a fulfillment of prophecy pointing to the messenger whom God would send before His anointed.  In our day, the church is our clean-up crew, working together to help each other stay prepared for the coming of our King.

Mark 1:1-8

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on December 6, 2020 (Originally published December 7, 2020)

S.D.G.

December 10, 2023

Old Testament: Isaiah 40:1-11

Psalter: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13

Epistle Lesson: 2 Peter 3:8-15A

Gospel Lesson: Mark 1:1-8

Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

S.D.G.

Sermon #254

In his prophetic look at end-times, Mark records for us the words of Jesus to his disciples regarding what is to come at the end of all things.  In the middle of what we call the Olivet Discourse, Jesus is telling his disciples then, and us today, that because we do not know the day and hour of his return, we are to be alert, and to wait with great patience.  Some translations use the phrase "keep awake," as servants of a master who has gone on a long journey.  In the 21st century we have no patience for waiting.  Yet Jesus calls on us today to keep awake, to wait, and to look for his coming.

Mark 13:24-37

Recorded at Hudson UMC on December 3, 2017 (Originally published on December 2, 2020)

S.D.G.

Sermon #88

Advent.  So often we think of Advent as the Christmas season but in reality it is a time when we look forward to the return of Christ.  This week we begin to look at Old Testament prophecies with Isaiah 64 in which the prophet calls upon God to tear open the heavens and come down to earth.  It is a prophecy which was fulfilled in Christ's coming, and it will be fulfilled again when Christ returns.  So grab your Bible, open it to Isaiah chapter 64, and join us as we too ask God to tear open the heavens.

Isaiah 64:1-9

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on November 30, 2014 (Originally published December 15, 2014)

S.D.G.

Sermon #580

Advent is the season of anticipation for the coming of Christ.  The world seems to be enamored of the Christian holiday of Christmas but in reality it has become a secular holiday in which we try to outdo each other in gift giving.  The true meaning of Christmas is the gift of the incarnation of Christ, when God stepped off his throne to be born in Bethlehem, to live a perfect life and to die the death that we deserve.  The season of Advent looks forward to when Jesus will return in the clouds in power and glory, to take his elect home to heaven and to set all things right.  Until then, we as Christians are called to stay vigilant and to await his return with great anticipation.  

Mark 13:24-37

Recorded at Hudson UM on December 3, 2023

Watch on YouTube

S.D.G.

Sermon #418

Advent (the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day) is the season of preparation for Christ's return.  In the same way, the secular season of Christmas (between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day) is a time when we prepare to receive guests into our homes. For the season of Advent 2020, we are looking at "Company's Coming," and we begin with the declaration: "This Place Is a Mess!"  We have been so long waiting for Christ's return that many of us live as if he is not coming at all.  Yet throughout the Olivet discourse we have been reading parables of the coming Kingdom that hint that he will return at a time when we least expect it.  Jesus said that no one knows the hour or the day, and that is good, because if we knew when Christ would return we would live however we like and then clean up at the last moment, and that is not how God calls us to live.

Mark 13:24-37

Recorded at Hudson UMC on November 29, 2020 (Originally published on November 30, 2020)

S.D.G.