Repent! Jesus is Coming Soon!

by | Dec 9, 2018

Second Sunday of Advent

  1. Turn Away from your Sin
  2. Turn Toward your Savior
SERMON TEXT:  Malachi 3:1-4

Look! I am sending my messenger! He will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord, whom you are seeking, will come to his temple! The Messenger of the Covenant, in whom you delight, will surely come, says the LORD of Armies. But who can endure the day when he comes? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire, like launderers’ bleach! He will be seated like a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and like silver. They will belong to the LORD and bring him an offering in righteousness. Judah and Jerusalem’s offerings will be pleasing to the LORD as they were in the days of old, in years long ago.

Bible Readings

FIRST LESSON:  Malachi 3:1-4

See Sermon Text

SECOND LESSON:  1 Corinthians 4:1-5

This is the way a person should think of us: as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. In this connection, moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But it is a trivial matter to me if I am evaluated by you or by a day in a human court. Why, I do not even evaluate myself. I do not in fact know of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this; rather, the one who evaluates me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing ahead of time, until the Lord comes. He will bring to light whatever is hidden in darkness and also reveal the intentions of hearts. Then there will be praise for each person from God.

VERSE OF THE DAY:  Luke 3:4,6

Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. All mankind will see God’s salvation.

GOSPEL: Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene— during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. He went into the whole region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Just as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: A voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight. Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth. And everyone will see the salvation of God.”