Advent 1 Wed

1 Thessalonians 3:1-13 May Your Love Increase

During Paul’s time, Thessalonica was a major city, a seaport with a population of around 200,000 people. Paul and Silas had visited there and Paul preached in the synagogue three times.  In Acts (17:4) we read that some of the Jews as well as a large number of ‘God-fearing Greeks’ joined Paul and Silas in the faith.  While a group of Jewish people believed, there was also a group who started a riot. Paul and Silas were forced to leave town and went on to preach in Berea. Those same Jews, who started the riot in Thessalonica, followed Paul to Berea and caused problems for him there. So Paul moved on to Athens and left Silas and Timothy in Berea to continue the work of proclaiming the Gospel.

But Paul was concerned for the faithful in Thessalonica. The young congregation was surrounded by a huge population of unbelievers, idolaters and Pagans. Paul knew that the congregation faced fierce opposition by the Jews and their new faith would be severely tested. Since Paul had only been there for three or possibly four weeks, He sent Timothy to teach and encourage them. Timothy reported back to Paul that not only was the Church continuing to be faithful, they were also reaching out with the Gospel throughout the region.

Paul was overjoyed by Timothy’s news that the church was doing so well.  He thanked God for their faithfulness and encouraged them to wait patiently for their God and Lord to return.

Tonight in this season of Advent, we are in that same period of waiting and encouragement.  Advent begins our period of waiting.  Traditionally, Advent is the four week fast before the twelve day feast of Christmas.  The blue paraments and vestments signal the anticipated coming of a king, as do the Introit and Gradual for the season: “Behold, your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation.”

The word “advent” means coming, the coming of a great dignitary or king, and for Christians it means the coming of salvation.  Advent is a time when we look back on the coming of Christ, who once came in great humility; the Child born of a humbly and willing Virgin, laid in a manger, adored by shepherds, and worshipped by wise men.  We are reminded that God surely keeps His promises; He always does what He says.  The Word of God, spoken by the Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist, is fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ. 

Advent also is the beginning of the church’s calendar year.  Advent starts the lesson that will tell us not only about Christ’s birth but also continues until the end of this world.  We are in a state of being in the faith while at the same time we are in the process of becoming more faithful. Advent looks forward to the future coming of Christ in visible glory, at a day and an hour no one knows. That will be the day when our becoming will be complete. 

Advent is a season where we are to fast and to pray.  It is a time as Saint Luke tells us, when we are to look forward with anticipation, knowing that “your redemption is drawing near,” (Luke 21:28) and the Day of Christ is near.  “Watch and pray, therefore, that you may be ready for Him on the Day of His coming.” (Luke 21:36)  What will your lives be like until our God and Lord returns?  Well, in many ways it will be like that of the Thessalonians. Let me tell you a story.

There once was a boy who had two dogs named Fido and Rover. (Think Latin.)  Each day the dogs would follow the boy out to the end of the lane and wait with him until the school bus would pick him up and take him to school.  Then they would return home and do what dogs do.  But every afternoon, the whistle at the local factory would blow and that would be a sign to the dogs that their master would soon be home.  Rover and Fido would run out to the end of the lane where the mailbox was. 

The mailbox was mounted on an old wooden barrel and they would stand on their hind legs with their front legs on top of that old barrel so they could see farther down the road. 

Each day they would wait for the bus that would bring their master home and each day they would greet him eagerly when the boy would get off the bus. 

But one day, the boy went to the end of the lane carrying a big duffel bag.  That day, he got on a different bus although Fido and Rover did not realize it.  That afternoon would be different.  When the factory whistle blew that day, the two dogs ran out to the mailbox and waited, but the boy did not come.  They waited until dark and when the darkness came, there was still no sign of their master.  Fido and rover went home that evening slowly and sadly. 

The next afternoon, when the whistle blew, both dogs went eagerly back out to the mailbox and stood there awaiting the arrival of the master, but once again they were disappointed.  Day after day this went on.  The whistle would blow but the master did not show. 

One afternoon, Rover did not stand up on the barrel with Fido.  He just lay down at the end of the lane and slept while Fido stood on that barrel until dark when they would return home.  As the days rolled by, Rover would go out to the end of the lane and pay no attention to the road. 

Instead he would chase after butterflies and rabbits or grasshoppers. Then one afternoon Rover did not even go out to the mailbox.  Instead, he went off in another direction and never came back home.  But Fido returned at the same time, day after day for a long, long time. 

Over the years, old Fido remained faithful to his master. Fido even got to the point where he could no longer stand up on that old barrel to watch, but he would still sit or lay down at the mailbox and wait until dark.  The seasons passed and the Fall frosts turned into Winter snows, the snows changed into rain and the rains would give way to the heat of Summer, but old Fido would be there every afternoon despite the hardships,…………..Waiting. 

Now in dog years, Fido had waited for what must have seemed like an eternity.  Then one day, there was a lot of commotion down at the factory.  The whistle blew and blew and when the traffic passed that afternoon there was a lot more noise than usual. 

Cars and truck were honking their horns and Fido was afraid that something terrible had had happened.  But he remained at the mailbox just in case. 

By now, Fido was too old to run to the end of the lane, and could barely hear the whistle blow, but he slowly walked out to the mailbox.  Then one day, Fido saw a big blue bus coming up the road and he got so excited he gathered up all of his strength and stood one more time on that old barrel and stretched out his neck as far as he could to see that bus. 

The bus slowed and stopped in front of the lane and Fido was there.  But instead of a boy coming toward him, a full grown man; a man dressed in a uniform covered with medals stepped off of that bus and headed straight for Fido.  But Fido recognized his Master right away. 

All of that noise and commotion a few weeks earlier was because the war had ended.  Now, His master had returned home from the war covered with glory and honor.  There would be no more lonely days waiting.  There would be no more sadness and disappointment.  His master came back for him and they would never be separated again. 

This week begins not a story, but a yearlong lesson whereby we will learn about our Savior.  It begins with the anticipation of the birth of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.  The middle of the lesson will continue with Jesus fighting a war with Satan and winning that war through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. 

The lesson will continue with Pentecost where the good news of His victory is spread across the world and the lesson will take us full circle as we patiently await His return; His final Advent with all the glory and honor given to our Master revealed for the whole world to see. 

We do not know the hour of our Master’s return and we will face many hardships and times of trials throughout our lives as we remain faithful.  Many have grown tired of waiting and, like Rover, they are chasing after the pleasures and excessive indulgences of this world.

They will not recognize their Savior when He returns because they have wandered away and become lost.  As a matter of fact, they will be terrified when Jesus comes in all of His glory and power. 

But those of you who remain faithful, those of you who endure the worldly hardships that the Christian life brings, will be rewarded for your patience, your anticipation and your faithfulness as you carry out His commands.  Jesus may come just for you at any time or He may come for us all, one final time with His reward.  That reward is a seat at the feast in heaven at the side of your loving Master for all eternity. 

Therefore in this season of Advent and throughout the coming seasons, let us as His faithful servants, set about watching, praying,……and waiting.  In the Name of Jesus.  Amen. 

May God strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus returns. Amen