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Prepare the Way
Mark 1:1-8

His name was John. People knew him locally as the Baptist. Some would say of him that he was a religious eccentric. Others less kind would dismiss him as being simply a flake. He definitely did not seem to be the kind of "How to win friends and influence people" type of personality to usher in the news of the Messiah's coming. He just somehow doesn't seem to fit in with shepherds and wise men and the other characters that we traditionally associate with the Christmas story. Yet, this was God's unlikely servant chosen to herald the spectacular events that would soon follow. A most unlikely promotions man to be sure, but God's man nevertheless.

From the very beginning everything about John was unique. His mother Elizabeth was related to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Elizabeth conceived six months before Mary. But Mary happened to be a very young girl, indeed almost a child. Most scholars put her probable age at thirteen. It was not unusual for a girl in that day and time to be of childbearing age at such a tender age. Indeed, it is not unheard of even in cotemporary America.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, was a woman who was in the golden years of her life. She had never given birth to a child. You would think of her more in the category of great grandmother than mother. Yet, she and her aging priest of a husband were the unlikely candidates. It's not out of the question today with recent advances in medicine, but beg the grandmother's here today, don't take this as a word from the Lord!

And then there was John himself. Being the same age as Jesus they grow up together, played together, yet as they reached adulthood they were different in so many ways. When John began his ministry he lived in the desert solitude of Judea, a rugged desert wilderness. He fed on honey and wild locust and dressed in garments of camel hair. He constantly brooded over the scriptures, especially the prophetic ministry of Elijah, after whom he modeled his own ministry.

Nor was John a respecter of persons or rank. He had an intimidating personality. For that reason the upper class folk rejected both he and his message. You can read about that in Luke 7:29.

Yet, John gathered a respectable following. He attracted many hearers among the lower class, many of whom received baptism by his hands. John even drew a group of disciples around him, which is significant for two reasons. First, some of these disciples later became disciples of our Lord. Secondly, a number of people began to think of John himself as being the long expected Messiah. For that reason John's gospel felt obliged to specifically point out "There was a man sent from God whose name was John, He came for testimony to bear witness to the light that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to bear witness to the light.

What drew people to John and his message? Well, John was far-fetched. His austere life style was a compelling reason to listen to him and perhaps his strange ways convinced some people to follow him. I think many thought he was Elijah the prophet who returned. But there was more to John than simply a bizarre strange life. John understood that God was about to do something that would shake the foundations of the earth and he needed to prepare the way for that event. He did this in basically three ways...

John lived a godly life.
John challenged the people's sins.
John pointed the way to Christ.

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Leonard Sweet's Sermon

John the Stall Cleaner
Mark 1:1-8

"Prep Time."

Do those two words have as much meaning to anyone here as two other new words to the English language: "Thanksgiving pants." [Those are pants with elastic or expandable waists.] I won't ask how many of you are still wearing those "Thanksgiving pants" to church this morning.

Anyone who is trying to organize and host a get together during this busy holiday season knows that what takes the most time is "prep time." Even Rachael Ray, who cheats by having all her veggies pre-washed, her chicken skinned and boneless, and a refrigerator that is not stuffed with two dozen old Cool Whip containers holding scary and unknown left-overs: even Rachael Ray has to keep chopping and slicing during the commercial breaks in order to make a "30 Minute Meal."

The other big time-consumer when you move into "party prep" mode is cleaning out all those corners that magically and magnetically collect piles of junk, lost gloves, wadded up sweatshirts, and cascades of catalogs. In fact, isn't one of the best things about hosting a big party when it's over, and everyone goes home, you actually have an unusually clean house to live in, at least for a while.

Tim Forbess, senior pastor of First United Methodist in Dayton, Ohio, got to thinking about how and what kind of preparations had to be made for that first Christmas, and realized there is no mention in any of the gospels of who got to be the "official" stall cleaner. Think about it. On the night that overflow guests arrived to use the animals stabling place as a birthing place, there had to be a stall cleaner. And what does a stall cleaner do? The task is known as "mucking out." -

Every one of you here knows the meaning of that phrase, "mucking out." It is every bit as nasty as it sounds, the nastiness only less or more depending upon how long it has been since the last "muck out." Considering the hygiene habits in the first century I' m guessing the muck out accomplished before Mary and Joseph moved into their stall, aka birthing center, was on the high side of horrible.

But prep time, cleaning out time, is necessary if we are going open up space, transform space, re-envision space in our lives for the miracle that is Advent approaching.

Today's gospel text is the prologue to the earliest of the written gospels: The Gospel of mark. The focus of this prologue is on preparation. God's preparation of the world, God's preparation of the people, involves far more than mucking out one stable stall. John the Baptist is called by God to be the ultimate "preparer," the Advent stable cleaner...

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Advent and Christmas Series

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Christmas: Christmas Eve & Day Resources

by Brett Blair

1. Christmas Eve: What Was Seen At Bethlehem - Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20

2. Candle Lighting Sermon: A Great Light - Matthew 4:16

3. Christmas Day: No Room In The Inn - Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

4. Candlelight Service (Long Version) - Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

5. Candlelight Service (Short Version) - Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

6. A Service Of Light - Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) - J. B. Quisenberry

Advent: New Beginnings in Christ – New!

by Richard Gribble, CSC

1. Don’t Fear the Wait - Mark 13:24-37

2. Blazing a Path to Christ - Mark 1:1-8

3. A New Day Is Coming - John 1:6-8, 19-28

4. Perceiving the Presence of God - Luke 1:26-38

5. A Promise Fulfilled: A Gift Given - Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

6. Discipleship: The Beauty and the Cross - Luke 2:22-40

7. Accepting the Lord Once Again - John 1:1-18

Advent: Joy to the World! – New!

by King Duncan

1. Oh, You’d Better Watch Out! – Mark 13:33-37

2. Blue Christmas – Isaiah 40:1-11

3. This Little Light of Mine – John 1:6-8, 19-28

4. Mary, Did You Know? – Luke 1:26-38

5. Joy to the World! – Luke 2:1-14

Advent: The Near Edge of God – New!

by William A. Ritter

1. This Feels Like Where I Came in – Mark 13:1-8

2. I Am the Keeper of the Zoo – Isaiah 11:1-9

3. The Near Edge of God – John 1:1-14

4. And the Angel Said to Harry Potter – Luke 1:26-38

5. Won’t You come Home, George Bailey? – Luke 2:1-7

Advent: Words for a Birthing Church – New!

by Schuyler Rhodes

1. Denial Ain’t a River in Egypt - Isaiah 64:1-9

2. A Level Playing Field for God - Isaiah 40:1-11

3. Claiming a Do-Over Faith - Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

4. No More Camping Out - 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

5. Living out the Promise of This Child - Isaiah 9:2-7

6. Time for a New Wardrobe - Isaiah 61:10—62:3

7. Time to Come Home - Jeremiah 31:7-14

Advent: Paul’s Pastoral Passages of Promise – New!

by Donald Charles Lacy

1. Thanksgiving and Thanksliving - 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

2. Taking the Long View - 2 Peter 3:8-15a

3. Apostolic Instruction - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

4. Secret Revealed - Romans 16:25-27

5. Training for a Purpose - Titus 2:11-14

6. Precious and Privileged Children - Galatians 4:4-7

7. Deep Calling to Deep - Ephesians 1:3-14

Advent: The Light of Bethlehem Shines On

Thomas A. Pilgrim

1. In the Darkness of Despair, There Is the Light of Hope – Isaiah 9:2-7

2. In the Darkness of Suffering, There Is the Light of Life – John 1:1-13

3. In the Darkness of Oppression, There Is the Light of Salvation – Luke 2:1-5

4. In the Darkness of Fear, There Is the Light of Joy - Luke 2:6-11

5. In the Darkness of Anxiety, There Is the Light of Peace - Luke 2:12-17

6. In the Darkness of Uncertainty, There Is the Light of Wonder - Luke 2:17-20

7. In the Darkness of Suspicion, There Is the Light of Devotion - Matthew 2:1-12

Advent: Expectancy in the Epistles

James L. Killen Jr.

1. Expectancy - Romans 13:11-14

2. A Hope for Peace - Romans 15:4-13

3. Look Who Is Standing at the Door - James 5: 7-10

4. A Gift for You - Romans 1:1-7

5. Grace Has Appeared - Titus 2:11-14

6. The Incarnation: What and Why? - Hebrews 2:10-18

7. With a Song in Your Heart – Ephesians 1 : 3-14

Advent: Waiting and Watching

Mark Trotter

1. Here We Go Again – Luke 21:25-36

2. Is There Anything I Can Do – Luke 3:1-6

3. What Will They Think Up Next – Luke 1:26-38

4. Poor Mary – Luke 1:39-45

5. They Grow Up Fast – Luke 2:41-52

Advent: Christmasize Your Life!

by Leonard Sweet

1. Predictable Surprises – Matthew 24:36-44

2. Christmasize Your Life – Isaiah 11:1-10

3. The 4 LAWS of a Whole Personality – Matthew 11:2-11

4. The Greatest Gift – Matthew 1:18-25

Advent: A Star, A Stable, and a Song

by Maxie Dunnam

1. Christmas Is on a Steep Hill – Luke 2:21-40

2. Who Are You Waiting For? – Isaiah 40:1-31

3. Miracles in Contrast – John 1:1-18

4. Such a Babe in Such a Place – Luke 2:1-7

5. A Star, A Stable, and a Song – Luke 2:1-7

Advent: All I Want For Christmas Is....

by James W. Moore

1. All I Want for Christmas is Hope - Isaiah 64:104

2. All I Want for Christmas is Peace - Luke 2:8-14

3. All I Want for Christmas is Joy - Matthew 1:18-25

4. All I Want for Christmas is a Savior - Luke 2:1-7

Advent: God Is Coming

By David Basic, Jeren Roswell, Brett Blair, and Mike Jackson

1. In the Meantime: Between the First and Second Coming – Isaiah 2:1-5

2. On the Threshold: From Law to Gospel – Matthew 3:1-12

3. Waiting – John 1:6-8, 19-28

4. The Gift of Me – Luke 1:26-38

5. What Do You Do When the Lights Go Out? – Isaiah 9:1-7

Advent: Won't You Let Him In

by James W. Moore

1. Won't You Let Him into Your Heart? - Luke 2:1-7

2. Won't You Let Him into Your Celebration? - Luke 3:1-6

3. Won't You Let Him into Your Gift-Giving? - Luke 3:7-18

4. Won't You Let Him into Your Christmas? - Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)

Advent: Let Us Go To Bethlehem

by James W. Moore

1. Let Us Go to Bethlehem and Find the Faith of Christmas - Lk 2:15-21

2. Let Us Go to Bethlehem and Find the Promise of Christmas - Mt 1:18-25

3. Let Us Go to Bethlehem and Find the Peace of Christmas - Lk 2:8-20

4. Let Us Go to Bethlehem and Find the Christ of Christmas - Lk 2:1-14

Advent: The Offense of Grace

Susan R. Andrews

1. Swept Away! – Matthew 24:36-44

2. Road Rage – Matthew 3:1-12

3. Disappointed in Jesus – Matthew 11:2-11

4. The Power of Positive Dreaming – Matthew 1:18-25

5. Vital Vunerability - Luke 2:1-20

6. The Rest of the Story – Matthew 2:13-23

7. Demonstrating the Divine – John 1:10-18

Advent: When God Comes with a Blessing

By John P. Jewell

1. Signs of the Times – Luke 21:25-36

2. Seeing the Good News – Luke 3:1-6

3. God’s Anxiety Reduction Plan – Philippians 4:4-7

4. When God Comes with a Blessing – Luke 1:39-55

Advent: Something's About To Happen

by Thomas Long

1. When Something Is About To Happen - Mark 13:32-37

2. What Do You Mean, 'Repent'? - Mark 1:1-8

3. There's A Man Going Around Taking Names - John 1:6-8, 19-28

4. Where's The Treasure? - Luke 1:26-38

5. Shepherds And Bathrobes - Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20

6. They Also Serve Who Wait - Luke 2:25-40

7. We Interrupt This Service - John 1:(1-9) 10-18

Advent: How to Profit from the Prophets

by Maurice A. Fetty

1. How to Profit from Prophets - Luke 1:76

2. Why Prophets Get Under Our Skin - Luke 3:9

3. Someone Greater Than a Prophet - Luke 1:33

4. The Long Loneliness - Romans 13:11-12

5. A Voice To Be Heard - John 1:23

6. The Unexpected Universe - Matthew 11:4-6

7. The Star Thrower - Matthew 2:9-10

8. The Inner Galaxy - Luke 2:6-7

9. The Second Naivete: Babies, Angels, Shepherds, And God - Phil. 2:8

Advent: The Perfect Gift

by Dr. Bill Bouknight

1. The Wolf and the Lamb Inside Us - Isaiah 11:6-9

2. God’s Best Gift in the Worst Times - Micah 5:2-5a

3. Mary's Revolutionary Song - Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)

4. The Perfect Gift - Galatians 4:1-7

5. Naming the Divine Baby - Matthew 1:18-23

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