Scripture: 1 John 2:26-27; 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 Series: 2020
An Advent children’s/Evensong message built on 1 John 2:26-27 warning against those who would deceive believers, paired with 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 on being people of sincerity who spread the aroma of Christ. Using images of poker-table suckers and snake oil salesmen, the sermon urges staying close to God by abiding in Christ, surrounding oneself with the people of God, and remembering one’s identity as a beloved, forgiven child of God. It closes with a call to begin Advent through prayer (the Examen, devotions), framing every prayer as an act of faith and noting that Christianity spread through praying martyrs and witnesses whose shocking love testified to God.
Illustrations: poker-table-sucker, snake-oil-salesmen, aroma-of-christ, dylan-gotta-serve-somebody
November 29
Childrens
Advent
1 John 2:26-27
Playing poker. Look around the table for the sucker.
History of Traveling Salesmen and History of US evangelism.
Snake oil salesmen
Deceivers.
What is a good deal
2 Corinthians 2:17
But what protects us from the peddlers and deceivers? Being people of sincerity. We remain sincere by doing the things of God with the people of God. We remain in Christ by keeping people of Christ around us.
We also remain in Christ by remembering that we are people of Christ. As Paul writes earlier in 2 corinthians 2:14-15
You give off an aroma. No, not just after your work out.
As Bob Dylan says, you gotta serve somebody.
We don’t need to deceive. We don’t need to pretend or lie. God is love and in God there is no darkness at all. In this season of advent, let us stay close to God by doing the things of God. Let us start with prayer.
This day, pray. Pray the Ex amen. Pray a devotion. Every prayer is an act of faith.
Christianity did not spread around the world through evangelists but martyrs, witnesses, who were all people of prayer. People who act out of love so much that it is shocking.
And so for advent. Pray. Love. Don’t be deceived. Don’t act like you think others want you to. Remember that you are a child of God. You are loved. You are forgiven. God has a purpose for you.