Are You the One to Build Me a House? - Sermon

To listen to the full sermon go to

http://www.sermon.net/mccsermon/sermonid/119783270

Sermon Excerpt

How do you know you might be serving a co-opted God? That is to say, a god of your own making?

1. When God always agrees with you, you may be at risk of trying to co-opt God.

2. When you are never surprised by God - because you believe that he’s safe, or fully known. When there is no place for mystery in your spirituality – you may be at risk of trying to co-opt God.

3. When you think that God needs you to do something that He can’t do for himself or that your success is simply of your own making, you might be at risk of trying to co-opt God.

Advent Prayer - For the Waiting Done to Us

Lord,
As we pray during Advent – we wait –

And we learn once again that waiting is not something we do
But something done to us and something that will be done –
And so we ask, “Teach us to wait, O God!” And we cry, “Come Lord Jesus!”

We wait for your promise that every tear will be wiped away, that heartache shall cease and crippling pain would scar us no more
Come, Lord Jesus

We wait for your justice. For the crooked to be made straight, the dark places filled with light, and the chains that bind the poor and abused to be removed.
Come, Lord Jesus

We wait for your assurance of peace. That nations will come together, enemies will eat and laugh as friends, that even the lion and lamb will share the same space.
Come, Lord Jesus

We wait for the hope of love that caresses our face, invites us to belong and dance, and that listens deeply, knows us intimately, and showers us with praise and applause.
Come, Lord Jesus

We wait for joy that arrives in the nick of time, that catches us off guard, and that makes us think of others first and often
Come, Lord Jesus

We wait
We wait
We wait

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – we declare that what we wait for is you and your kingdom
And so we wait expectantly, pray fervently and work fearlessly,
with the knowledge that our waiting is not in vain,
the groans of labor pains echo in our ears - birth will take place.
You will come soon!
Come quickly Lord Jesus! Amen