(This sermon page was last updated on the 27th November 2009) MEDITATION TEXT "Stand up and lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near". We all spend our dreaming hours waiting like Mr. Macauber in Charles Dicken’s “David Copperfield” for something to turn up. Remember he was in great debt. “Annual income £1, annual expenditure 19/6 happiness: Annual income £1,annual expenditure £1 and sixpence, result misery.” He had misery and years in a debtor’s prison (supposed to be modelled on Charles Dicken’s own father) but he hoped something one day would truly turn up for him. And yes indeed something did. His last years were happy ones. Many wait for their ISA to mature or for their numbers to come up on the National Lottery. We all need something to look forward to. But today is Advent Sunday. It is a real time of expectancy. It heralds what we are all waiting for - the coming of real Hope into our world, a transformation from darkness to light, the coming of Christ. Something has turned up for the whole of mankind. Something will turn up for mankind. Christ was born our Saviour and He will come again. We live in dark days. Young men are being brought home in coffins from far away Afghanistan. The news on our television screens and radios and newspapers are full of doom and gloom. The Advent readings speak to the deep seated longings of humanity for right and justice to triumph. They speak to our yearning for a final end to all the cruelty and misery of our world. But we must not forget that when Christ comes again, it will herald a day of judgement. There will be terrible circumstances accompanying his return. “There will be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars. On the earth nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21:25-27). Judgement will come for those who have rebelled against and ignored God. Joy will come for those who believe and have waited patiently for His coming. Jesus said to His disciples, “When you see these things begin to happen, then look up because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28). We need to watch the sign of the times….. “Behold the fig tree and all the trees… when they begin to sprout leaves, we know summer is near. When these events take place, we know the Kingdom of God is at hand." (Luke 21:29-31). We must not be frightened at the turn of events, but trust God through it all despite what is happening in the world. We are to be in the world but not of it. We are to witness to the fact that Christ will come again, incredible as it seems to the unbeliever. His coming is one of hope………..Advent is such a great theme . It covers the whole spectrum of history from the prophets foretelling Christ’s coming, to when He came as a vulnerable baby under the threat of being killed by King Herod to the last days when He will come again. As such it requires us to think about it in depth and what it is teaching us, and to prepare not only in penitence for the holy and blessed season of Christmas but to meet Our Lord in glory. Are you prepared in your heart to meet Him? Does the thought fill you with alarm or joy? It should fill you with awe and joy and cause us to marvel that God’s love for us is so great for Him to send His son Jesus to live amongst us and to die as a sacrifice for our sins. 
© CJG 2002
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