# Advent Series



## JTB.SDG (Nov 23, 2021)

This week I'm seeking what our next advent series should be. I've preached through most or all of the Christmas passages in the past. Last year we went through Christ as the seed of the woman; seed of Abraham; seed of David. For other pastors out there, how do you usually do it? Do you come back to similar texts or do a new series every year? What have been some advent series you really enjoyed preaching through? What are you planning on doing this advent?


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## Ryan&Amber2013 (Nov 23, 2021)

Not to be petty or sarcastic, but have you thought about not doing it this year? I've wondered about this, why most pastors feel the need to talk about Jesus' birth so much, for so long, at the same time every year.

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## chuckd (Nov 23, 2021)

I'm not a pastor, but you could do various texts anticipating the coming Messiah. Use the Scripture from Part I of Handle's Messiah as a guide.


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## VictorBravo (Nov 23, 2021)

JTB.SDG said:


> What are you planning on doing this advent?


Just a head’s up, the classic reformed position does not recognize a liturgical calendar....

Reactions: Like 4 | Amen 3


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## Zach (Nov 23, 2021)

I am planning to preach a selection of texts adapted from the readings in the Revised Common Lectionary. I often look at that if I have occasion to preach a single text or a short series on an occasion when it isn’t easy to preach consecutively through an entire book. It keeps me from cherry picking my favorite texts or worse, any unknown hobby horses!

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## Jack K (Nov 23, 2021)

The birth of Christ is such a key event in redemptive history that, if you want to tie a sermon into it because it's on people's minds this time of year, you really ought to be able to do so from nearly any passage of Scripture. So, I think you're wise not to want to return, year after year, to the same birth narratives.

That said, if I were looking for a four-sermon series that easily connected to the birth narratives from some other part of the Bible not typically chosen for Advent, I might preach through the book of Ruth.

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## Μαρτιν (Nov 24, 2021)

VictorBravo said:


> Just a head’s up, the classic reformed position does not recognize a liturgical calendar....


Yes and no, depends on the local tradition. In the Netherlands for instance we do recognize a minimal liturgical calendar (Advent, Christmas, old/new year, 40 day period, Good friday, Easter sunday, Pentacost and Ascension day). This is not a new invention but a tradition that is been observed from the beginning of the reformation in our country. ( it was was one of the compromises made when the Reformed Church became the unoficcal state church during the dutch revolt in the 16th century)

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## Μαρτιν (Nov 24, 2021)

JTB.SDG said:


> This week I'm seeking what our next advent series should be. I've preached through most or all of the Christmas passages in the past. Last year we went through Christ as the seed of the woman; seed of Abraham; seed of David. For other pastors out there, how do you usually do it? Do you come back to similar texts or do a new series every year? What have been some advent series you really enjoyed preaching through? What are you planning on doing this advent?


Im preaching on Zechariah this advent, about the promise of the branch.


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## VictorBravo (Nov 24, 2021)

Μαρτιν said:


> Yes and no, depends on the local tradition. In the Netherlands for instance we do recognize a minimal liturgical calendar (Advent, Christmas, old/new year, 40 day period, Good friday, Easter sunday, Pentacost and Ascension day). This is not a new invention but a tradition that is been observed from the beginning of the reformation in our country. ( it was was one of the compromises made when the Reformed Church became the unoficcal state church during the dutch revolt in the 16th century)


Good point. After I posted I thought, "a Dutchman will take issue with that." 

I meant to come back and add a qualifier: Classic Westminster Reformed view.

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## NaphtaliPress (Nov 24, 2021)

While not exactly parallel you did have a similar divide pro and contra holy days on the continent as in the UK. But generally speaking, if the magistrates had not pressed for retaining some of the old holy days against many of the churches wishes, with admixture of some stubborn people for retaining them (according to Voetius) the continental churches would have been more largely free of them as Scotland was. 
*Now ... /moderating. *This thread is not in the right forum if we are going to dispute someway observing the old pretended holy days cast out by the Scottish Reformation and rejected by English noncomformists. I'm not sure that is avoidable but as much as possible stick to giving advice to the OP up to and including, don't do it at all; but if this descends into the arguments for or against the calendar the thread will need to be moved to that subforum.


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## JTB.SDG (Nov 24, 2021)

Okay thanks guys. As of today, I'm thinking of doing a 4 week series through the Messiah's coming through Isaiah: 1) The sign, 7:14; 2) the Son, 9:1ff; 3) the Shoot (11:1ff); and 4) The Servant; 42; 52-53 etc. Will probably try and nail it down today to feel free to shoot any other ideas!

Thanks.

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## Μαρτιν (Nov 24, 2021)

JTB.SDG said:


> Okay thanks guys. As of today, I'm thinking of doing a 4 week series through the Messiah's coming through Isaiah: 1) The sign, 7:14; 2) the Son, 9:1ff; 3) the Shoot (11:1ff); and 4) The Servant; 42; 52-53 etc. Will probably try and nail it down today to feel free to shoot any other ideas!
> 
> Thanks.


Great idea! Gods blessing in preparing those sermons.


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## SolaScriptura (Nov 24, 2021)

One thing is to preach the 4 "hymns" associated with Christ's coming (the Magnificat, the Benedictus, the Gloria, and Nunc Dimittis) 

One thing is to take key words or phrases from popular Christmas/Advent hymns/carols and do a study... for example, In O Come, O Come Immanuel there is the verse, "O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear..." And someone like me knows that the concept of the Son of God "appearing" is talked about in the NT, especially the later NT... so a series "The Appearing of the Son of God" or something like that and you could focus on several key passages that set forth the purpose(s) of his coming. The sky's the limit.


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## JTB.SDG (Nov 24, 2021)

Another few ideas:

*Meditating on Jesus as the reality of the OT pictures (IE, Adam, Noah, Isaac, Joseph, etc; you could pick any four).
*Meditating on the tasks of Jesus: Our mediator (comparing with Moses); our surety (with Judah); our redeemer (Boaz). But don't have 4th week (intro?)
*Meditating on the offices of Jesus: Our prophet; our priest; our king (but again don't have a 4th week)


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## Romans922 (Nov 24, 2021)

Another idea, keep preaching what you've been preaching, and keep preaching the Gospel because it is what SHOULD BE on peoples' minds. And if it isn't that's your job to keep it in their minds. You are a servant and mouthpiece of the Lord, not someone to tickle ears.

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## Zach (Nov 24, 2021)

JTB.SDG said:


> Okay thanks guys. As of today, I'm thinking of doing a 4 week series through the Messiah's coming through Isaiah: 1) The sign, 7:14; 2) the Son, 9:1ff; 3) the Shoot (11:1ff); and 4) The Servant; 42; 52-53 etc. Will probably try and nail it down today to feel free to shoot any other ideas!
> 
> Thanks.


So how do you want to be cited when I file this away for preaching in future years?

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## C. M. Sheffield (Nov 24, 2021)

JTB.SDG said:


> This week I'm seeking what our next advent series should be.


Why must it be a series? Why not just one sermon close to Christmas? I don't see any need to devote an entire month of every year to the incarnation.


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## JTB.SDG (Nov 24, 2021)

Romans922 said:


> Another idea, keep preaching what you've been preaching, and keep preaching the Gospel because it is what SHOULD BE on peoples' minds. And if it isn't that's your job to keep it in their minds. You are a servant and mouthpiece of the Lord, not someone to tickle ears.


I don't understand how thinking through an advent series is tickling ears. My job is to open up God's Word and I do my best to do that every week. Though I often feel my weakness, He remains my strength and my hope. He knows best how to judge my labors on that day.

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## JTB.SDG (Nov 24, 2021)

Zach said:


> So how do you want to be cited when I file this away for preaching in future years?


Hey Zach, you can just refer to me as another brother on the puritan board. Thanks for the encouragement! Glad some of these ideas may be of use.

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## Μαρτιν (Nov 25, 2021)

JTB.SDG said:


> Another few ideas:
> 
> *Meditating on Jesus as the reality of the OT pictures (IE, Adam, Noah, Isaac, Joseph, etc; you could pick any four).
> *Meditating on the tasks of Jesus: Our mediator (comparing with Moses); our surety (with Judah); our redeemer (Boaz). But don't have 4th week (intro?)
> *Meditating on the offices of Jesus: Our prophet; our priest; our king (but again don't have a 4th week)


I was just thinking about another option: Meditating on Jesus in the Psalm like Psalm 40: "Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. " or psalm 24, 98, 118 etc.


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## jwithnell (Nov 25, 2021)

If folks are following a liturgical calendar, why not preach along Advent themes? Consider our being in the time between the times. Or take time to consider the silence after Malachi and the long wait for the last OT prophet.


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## therussellhome (Nov 25, 2021)

My favorite "advent" series was when our pastor preached on the 5 Solas.

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## Scottish Presbyterian (Dec 8, 2021)

The first table of the 10 Commandments would be an appropriate series for this time of year, given the types of sins which commonly manifest themselves more particularly around this time.

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