Advent is not a season of sentimental carols; it is a season of the axe and the winnowing fork. Isaiah 11 declares that the same gentle shoot from Jesse’s stump will one day strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with His breath. The wolf does not yet lie down with the lamb, the nations are still groping in darkness, and the visible Church is riddled with idols and false teachers. Yet right now, in verse 10, the Root of Jesse stands as an ensign—and the nations are supposed to seek Him through a hopeful, united, ransomed Church that refuses to lower the standard. This sermon asks the only question that matters this December: when the final sifting comes, will you be wheat headed for the barn, or chaff for the unquenchable fire? Come hear what Scripture, churchmanship, and even a phone call to your selectman have to do with escaping the wrath to come.

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