There is no better way to prepare our Lord's Advent than to constantly receive the advent He daily makes to us and all the world. The question is whether we are willing to receive His chosen way of coming to us every day and at any hour. Consider this great piece by Deane Schuessler.
- pmwl
“The Lord
your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your
brothers—it is to him you shall listen—just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the
assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any
more, lest I die.’ And the Lord
said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you
from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall
speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that
he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Moses
urges the people to keep on listening to God’s Word through his successor
Joshua and to anticipate the coming of the Prophet, who would “tell them
everything I, God, command him” (18). “You must listen to him” (v 15).
God
would make his Word accessible to them, fulfilling his promise. The people
needed to keep listening so they could be among those who would enjoy the
benefits and power of a promise kept.
First, we may think, “I’s like riding a bicycle. You never forget.”
Not necessarily. Israel proceeded to forget to listen to God’s Word through the
prophets. During one period they would forget so thoroughly that God had to
expel them from the Promised Land and allow the Babylonians to cart them into
exile. Forgetting God’s Word started with their listening passively, which led
to soft and mushy “muscle memory.”
Second, we tend to forget to listen to God when we’re under
stress. Moses here instructs the people so they don’t go to pieces
spiritually during the transition after he is gone. Therefore God trains them before
he takes Moses to actively listen to the ones (ultimately the One) whom God
would send to speak his true, prophetic word. Similarly Jesus prepared the
disciples for the transition of his death, resurrection and his Second Advent.
That Word assured them of the forgiveness of their sins. That Word established
the church, and today we continue to live on the power of these same words of
God. Oh, the awesome power of a promise kept by God’s Son for us.
Third,
we are accountable to God, both pastors and people. Pastors who are faithful to God don’t just speak their own
opinions. “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but
in words taught by the Spirit” (1 Cor 2:13).
God
addresses his people in Heb 13:17, “Obey your leaders and submit to their
authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them,
so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no
advantage to you.” Pastors coach us to develop good muscle memory in our
spirits, which is sustained by the “power drink” of God’s word and nourished by
his holy supper for the strengthening of our faith.
Fourth,
Jesus spoke exactly what the Father told him. Jn 8:28 “I do nothing on my own, but I speak just what the
Father has taught me.”
His
total faithfulness ensured that the life-giving word of God would be available
to us.
[Conclusion]
Moses warned the people not to “let (God’s words) slip from your heart” (Deut
4:9).
Deane Schuessler
Homiletic Help! CPH,
1998
