ADVENT CHRISTMAS in Whitfield The Promise of

ADVENT & CHRISTMAS in Whitfield The Promise of the King Matthew 1: 18 -25

PARISH PROFILE and a PERSON PROFILE and a JOB SPECIFICATION

Archangel Gabriel

We are ‘in a vacancy’ – otherwise known as an INTERREGNUM -‘between reigns’ or ‘between Kings/Queens’

Israel’s PARISH PROFILE and PERSON PROFILE and JOB SPECIFICATION were … A PROPHET (to speak the word of the Lord) and a PRIEST (to bridge the gap between God & man) and …

A KING - because all the other nations had one (“such as all the other nations have”) 1 Samuel 8: 5

“Appoint a king to lead us, (excellent!) such as all the other nations have” (disastrous!) “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men who cannot save!” Psalm 146: 3

All the ‘other kings’ and prophets and priests are …. SINNERS FRAIL WEAK SELFISH UNRELIABLE DISAPPOINTING “You can (must) do better than that!”

ALL SINNERS!! (frail, weak, selfish, unreliable, disappointing)

“He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Your menservants and your maidservants and the best of your cattle he will take for his own use. When that day comes you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day. ” “I will build a house for the Lord!” “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you. ”

“That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying … “THE LORD HIMSELF WILL BUILD A HOUSE FOR YOU” “Once, in royal David’s city …

MATTHEW: ‘Saviour’, ‘Immanuel’ LUKE: ‘Great’ ‘Son of the most high’ ‘The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever. ’ ROMANS: ‘descendant of David, son of God’

“Tempted in every way, just as we are yet was without sin” ‘Jesus! My shepherd, saviour, friend, my prophet, priest and king, my Lord, my life, my way, my end - accept the praise I bring!’

‘Perfection is not required of us. Honesty and the willingness to own up to what we are: this is what is required. When we finally receive this, when we outgrow our hankering after flawlessness and know that we are broken sinners, then we can discover the priceless joy of grace - we are accepted, accepted by that which is greater than us, however we name it. We are accepted. And that is all. ’ DAVE TOMLINSON: The Bad Christian’s Manifesto

‘ - however we name it’ ? ? ? How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds and drives away his fear. Dear name - the rock on which I build, my shield and hiding-place; my never-failing treasury filled with boundless stores of grace!