Advent 2007: Week 2

LEFC Family Advent Readings
Advent Week #2: Joy To the World, the Lord Has Come
“Every Knee Shall Bow”
Philippians 2:5-11
December 9, 2007

"Advent” means “coming.” Christmas is coming. Jesus has come and is coming again.

This Advent season, we are preparing our hearts for Christmas by contemplating the differences between Jesus’ first coming and His second coming.

[LIGHT CANDLE #1 AGAIN]

In His first advent, Jesus came in surprising humility. In His second advent, He will come with full majesty.

[LIGHT CANDLE #2]

In His first advent, very few worshiped Him. At His second advent, every knee will bow.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, very few people came to worship Him. There was only Mary, Joseph, and a few smelly old shepherds. That’s all.

But the Bible says that when Jesus comes again, every person everywhere will bow before Him!

In Philippians chapter 2, the Apostle Paul writes:

[READ PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11]

Jesus’ birth is no longer a secret. We are called to get the word out!

This candle reminds us that the day is coming when every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.

Amen.


Advent Bible Study for Families

1. Skim Luke chapter 2:1-20. List all of the people that knew about Jesus’ birth. Why were so few present to worship the newborn King?

2. Re-read Philippians 2:5-11. As a family, outline the steps that Jesus took–from equality with God down to death on the Cross up to receiving the highest name. You might want to draw a picture to show how low He went for us and how high He was and will be. What does it mean that “every knee will bow?”

3. What practical applications can be drawn from this passage? Notice the context in Philippians 2:1-4. The apostle Paul uses this as an illustration of how we can consider others ahead of ourselves. How should the truth of Jesus’ condescension (down) and exaltation (up) affect our lives today?

4. One day, every tongue will confess. What can your family do this week or this month to get the word out that Jesus is Lord?

5. As a family, sing Joy to the World, the Christmas Carol by Isaac Watts. Joy to the World is actually more about Jesus’ second advent than His first:

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.