On this third Sunday of Advent, we will continue our series by looking at Joy. We all might be able to sing Joy to the World, but Christians are not exactly known for their irrepressible joy. We might even feel odd at times for fully embracing joy, as if happiness is a sign of immaturity, or of not taking reality into account in our lives. That is especially true when things are hard, and when we’re stuck waiting. We will take time this Sunday to see the importance of joy in our lives, the witness to the goodness of God and the glory of the gospel that is uniquely captured by joy, and the discipline of a joyful life. 

In  Luke 2, shepherds were suddenly surrounded by an angelic army, bathed in radiating light and crying out, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14). Peace is a major theme throughout the Bible, and it's central to the angels’ song in declaring the arrival of Jesus, the Christ, born in Bethlehem. Advent gives us the opportunity to see the importance of peace, as we wait for perfect peace. 

This Sunday begins with Hope. When we think of hope, especially around the holidays, we often think of something along the lines of wishful thinking. In Scripture, though, there is a different nuance to Hope. Hope is a settled confidence that God is true to His character, His word, and His promises. Hope is rooted in the past as we see the faithfulness of God to His promises and people. That gives us confidence to look head to the promises we have been given with anticipation and expectation.

This weekend is the 21st sermon in the series that we started in April. That’s 21 Sundays of gazing at the transcendence and supremacy of Jesus Christ. I have loved the time we have spent together in God’s Word through this series, and I pray that it has been helpful and beneficial for you as well. On Sunday we conclude with some final greetings and a soaring benediction in Hebrews 13:20-25. It truly wraps up the fullness of the book. I hope to remind us of the important truths we learned along the way as we ask God for a clear vision of the eternal glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The theme of the City of God stretches into this passage. When I have the chance to visit a new city for the first time, I love to learn as much as I can and research to learn about the place – its history, culture, things to do, etc. We can do the same with the City of God. On Sunday we will take time to look at the foundations, culture, location, population, industry, government, and language of God’s city. It’s an important look at how our lives are impacted by the gospel as its citizens, and where our hope lies looking ahead. 

We will continue in our series in Hebrews, Jesus is Better, with Hebrews 13:1-6. And so we begin the final chapter of this letter and the final stretch of our series together. The final chapter of Hebrews is intensely practical. This week we will see how the application flows directly out of the two kingdoms from last week. Jesus has a better way than this world can possibly offer. His way is not always easy to discern, and it is, as Jesus described, narrower than the wide roads that surround it. That narrow path will lead us through all that we face in our lives with a greater sense of peace and fulfillment than we can find anywhere else. 

This Sunday we will continue in our series in Hebrews, Jesus is Better, with Hebrews 12:18-29. It’s a timely text for us because it will draw our attention to the unshakeable Kingdom of God. The world around us trembles and shakes. At times, the only certainty is instability. This Sunday we will explore the truths that we can cling to in tumultuous times and what it means to be citizens of Christ’s Kingdom who are sojourners and exiles here. My hope is that we will all leave our worship gatherings on Sunday refreshed and reminded of where our hope lies.

The imagery of a race continues, but our author makes a shift from the great cloud of witnesses that have come before us in faith to the members of our local church body here and now. We have a tendency to read the Bible individualistically, and this passage is no exception, but it is often intended to us all, as God’s people together. This Sunday we will look at our calling to run the race together.

In light of the great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 11, and the call to run the race with our eyes on Jesus, we now turn to the difficult question of suffering – why does God allow us to suffer along the way? None of us likes to be disciplined, and many of us struggle with our own personal discipline. So, it makes sense that we also don’t like the idea of being disciplined by our Father in Heaven. This Sunday we will take an open look at the pain and the privilege of Christian discipline. 

Hebrews 12 flows out of the powerful storyline of Hebrews 11 and the “Hall of Faith” and turns toward the application of all that has preceded it in the book of Hebrews. This Sunday we will focus on Hebrews 12:1-3. This life is a race that we run, but we’re not alone in it. We will see where we can look for encouragement and endurance along the way.