Advent Message 04: Candel of Love, Candle of Christ copertina

Advent Message 04: Candel of Love, Candle of Christ

Advent Message 04: Candel of Love, Candle of Christ

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 Sermon Date: 12/21/2025 Bible Verses: 1 Corinthians 10:31 Speaker: Rev. Timothy "Tim" Shapley Theme: https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/a-new- Introduction: The Final Candle, the Final Word—Christ On this final Sunday of Advent, we light two candles: The Candle of LoveThe Candle of Christ These aren’t just ideas—they’re inseparable realities. The love of God is not a theory, it’s a person. And that person is Jesus Christ. That’s why this week, we sing: All glory be to Christ our King, All glory be to Christ. This modern hymn, written by Dustin Kensrue to the tune of Auld Lang Syne, beautifully captures the heart of Christmas and the hope of eternity. It reminds us that everything we build, achieve, or leave behind is nothing—unless Christ is the center. As Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Let’s explore the message of this song in three parts, through the lens of Advent love, and the supremacy of Christ. The Futility of Self-Made Glory Verse one opens like a cold splash of water to the face—because Advent isn’t sentimental, it’s truthful: “Should nothing of our efforts stand, no legacy survive, Unless the Lord does raise the house, in vain its builders strive.” This is the gospel confronting our obsession with accomplishment. We live in a culture that measures worth by productivity, followers, résumés, and the legacy we leave behind. We’re told to build something that lasts, to make our mark, to secure our name. But Scripture interrupts that story with a hard and holy reality: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) Not some of our labor. Not misguided labor. All of it—without Him—is vanity. James presses this even further: “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” That’s not meant to depress us—it’s meant to free us. Advent reminds us that we are not saved by what we build for God, but by what God has built for us in Christ. Our accomplishments don’t endure. Our trophies gather dust. Our names fade. But God’s love does not, because it is not dependent on our performance. Here’s the shift Advent calls us to make: From self-made glory to God-given graceFrom “Look at what I’ve accomplished” to “Look at what Christ has finished” True love doesn’t announce itself with applause. It kneels at a manger and later hangs on a cross. ✦ True love doesn’t say, “Look at what I’ve done.” It says, “Look at what He has done.” The Reign of the King of Love Advent is not merely about arrival—it’s about authority. The baby in the manger is the King of the universe. Christmas is not a soft introduction to Jesus; it is the unveiling of the rightful ruler of all things. That’s why this line matters: “His will be done, His kingdom come… Praise Him the Lord of love.” These aren’t just lyrics—they are allegiance. They echo the Lord’s Prayer and force a question: Whose kingdom am I really living for? Advent doesn’t ask us only to receive Jesus as Savior—it calls us to submit to Him as Sovereign. Isaiah 53 shows us the cost of that kingship: “He was pierced for our transgressions… the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.” This King reigns not by domination, but by devotion. His authority was purchased with wounds. His crown was first made of thorns. And because of that, heaven declares: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.” (Revelation 5:12) His reign is not harsh. It is not distant. It is not self-serving. It is shaped by love that: Became flesh for us – God stepping into our frailtyWas broken for us – Love absorbing justiceRose and reigns for us – Power secured through sacrifice That’s why we don’t just say, “All glory be to Christ the Judge.” We say, “All glory be to Christ—the Lover of our souls.” Because His glory is not about crushing us—it’s about restoring us. ✦ Christ’s glory is not distant—it’s devoted. The Hope of the Coming King of Love The third verse lifts our eyes beyond the manger and beyond the cross—straight into the future God has promised: “When on the day, the great I Am, the Faithful and the True, The Lamb who was for sinners slain, is making all things new.” This is Advent at full strength. Not nostalgia. Not sentimentality. Expectation. The same Jesus who came quietly in Bethlehem will come again visibly, unmistakably, and gloriously. This time, not as a helpless infant—but as the victorious King. Jesus Himself promised it: “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30) That’s not symbolic language meant to soften the blow. That’s reality meant to steady the saints. History is not drifting. It is moving—deliberately—toward a return. And the One who returns is called Faithful and True because He keeps ...
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