Listen here.
Welcome to Devotions for Worship where we meditate on the
appointed Scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday. I am Pastor Eric Tritten
from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hudson, OH.
Thank you for being with me today.
This coming Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Advent, and today we
come to our Epistle lesson for the week. You may recall that during the Time of
the Church the epistle lesson had little to nothing to do with the other two
readings. With Advent we enter into the part of the church year known as the Time
of Christ, and during this part of the church year the epistle lesson – which
are the writings of the apostles – are chosen to reinforce the other readings.
The Apostles’ teaching are rooted in and echo the other Scripture readings.
This week we have been focused on being alert and watchful
for Jesus’ coming on the Last Day. Isaiah has taught us to long for that day
and the Psalm has guided us in confession and prayer as we wait for God’s salvation.
And today Paul teaches us to wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ on
the Last Day.
The Reading: 1 Cor. 1:3-9 (ESV)
3 Grace to you and peace
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God
always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5
that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge--
6 even as
the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you-- 7 so that you
are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus
Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of
our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called
into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Cor. 1:3-9 ESV)
Comments
Paul begins all of his letters with some variation of
extending God’s grace and peace to his readers. It strikes me that these are items
that are sorely lacking in people’s lives today. One example of this might be
found in the controversy that surrounds greeting people with, “Merry Christmas,”
or, “Happy Holidays.” I understand the offense, and I understand the reasons on
both sides of this debate. I wonder, however, where grace and peace fit in with
our responses. Extending grace and peace to others is more than words – it is experienced
by others in our attitudes and actions.
What might grace and peace look like in your interactions
with others during Advent?
The rest of this reading is the foundation of why we can
extend grace and peace to others in any season: gratitude for receiving God’s
grace, being enriched by the Holy Spirit in speech and knowledge, lacking no
gift, waiting for our Lord Jesus to come again. God is faithful.
We don’t have to get our emotions all twisted up when people
don’t value the wonderful blessings we have in Jesus. We don’t need to be
offended or hurt when people want to take Christ out of Christmas (at the
worst) or if they just want to validate everyone else’s holidays as equal to
Christmas. We have God’s grace and peace. And we know Jesus is going to return.
Advent reminds us that Christ is coming. That is good news
for us who believe that He has already come in the Incarnation. His work of
salvation has begun; indeed the victory over the prince of this world is
complete. He will bring it to completion and our confidence throughout our life
is that God is faithful.
Prayers
O God, You have given us grace and peace, and You keep us in
the salvation Jesus won for us, to which You have called us. Thank You for bringing
the gospel to us. Thank You for grace and for peace. Forgive us for our words,
actions and thoughts that are less than graceful. Forgive us for our
restlessness that causes us to lose our peace. Build up our faith so that we
trust so fully in You that Your grace and peace will be dominant in our lives
and we will be able to extend it to others for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Memory Verse: Isaiah 64:4 – From of old no one has heard or
perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who
wait for Him.
Thank you so much for using Devotions for Worship, I pray
that our time together has blessed you and given you something to meditate on –
some reminder of God’s grace to rattle around in your brain – for the rest of
the day.
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devotional time, would you like and/or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or
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God bless you!
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