Second Sunday in Advent
Sunday, 5, December 2004
Isaiah 11:1-10
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12
Psalm 72:1-4,11-14
Children's Sermon: The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, God's messenger.
Sermon: (Frank Eberhardt)
In Switzerland, a man was recorded in the 2004 Guinness Book of World Records for having collected the most Do Not Disturb signs in the most languages. He hopes to get signs from all 191 nations. That shouldn't be too hard. We all feel that we shouldn't be disturbed. John disturbed people. And disturbs us today. Isaiah gave a stump speech. A branch from the stump of Jessie would come. There was the promise that there would always be someone on the throne of David. Isaiah spoke of Jesus. John disturbed people by pointing to the rocks. "Out of these rocks God can raise up children of Abraham." Ephesians 2:8 is Frank's favorite verse. It speaks of grace.
Frank took his wife to a beautiful rock garden. It inspired her to order a bunch of rocks for a garden. The company they ordered from dumped 15 tons of rock into their driveway. He had to dolly them around the house to where they were supposed to go. And his wife was pregnant. And he still moved the rocks. Rocks don't move until you go down and pick them up. Like rocks, people are also immobile lumps until someone moves them. The fire of God has to go through them. John was a "rock head." He was talking to the pharisees. They didn't care for John. He had locust breath and wore outfits made of camel hair.
Going to church is all right, but God's religion is a caring religion. You have to take a coat to the poor and bring them warmth. If you see someone who is hungry, you just feed them. The pharisees agreed with John until the baptism came along. They thought they were being pious by going to the baptism, but God wants repentence, John said. He said people had to start loving. You have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. It's not bad to be a rock head. Rocks aren't delusioned. They're just rocks until they are worked on and polished by a master craftsman, chiselled by a craftsman, or placed in a rock garden. A rock can be a shelter. God made a tool out of a crown of thorns. God lifts the rocks and creates a people of faith. When people show the love of God, they create a `sculpted figure' in the world.
Frank was in Wales when he got caught in a storm. He found a rocky crevice and hid in there, and was safe from the storm. Some Christians are a security. Rocks make a church, a temple. A church that the gates of hell cannot stand against. Simon Peter was asked, "Who do you say that I am?" The word Peter comes from the word `Petros,' which means `rock.' Jesus said he'd build his church on that rock. Our response is that Jesus is Lord. God raises up children of Israel from the very rocks.