There is something about being caught up in something bigger than yourself. Whether it is wildly cheering on your favorite sports team or dancing with wild abandon alongside family and friends at a wedding celebration or barreling down whitewater rapids in a raft with others.
This fall we have been journeying through the book of Acts, the New Testament account of the early church caught up in the powerful move of the Holy Spirit into the ever-expanding mission of God. It is something Jesus describes at the book’s beginning:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”
Acts 1:8
Once these early Jesus followers are caught up in the uncontrollable movement of the Holy Spirit, they not only witness to Christ where they are but also in ever-expanding circles of relationships and geography.
During Advent this year we are exploring the expansion of the mission of God “to the ends of the earth,” as we watch and learn from the early church about God’s love for and mission to the nations. As we watch the unfolding mission of God in Acts, we first remember that we are the fruit of that mission. We are, in a sense, the “ends of the earth” from where the Jesus movement began. But we simultaneously discover how we are invited into that ongoing mission of God, seeking to bear witness to Jesus by the Holy Spirit’s power wherever God takes us.
Reflecting the themes of Advent, each week of this devotional and teaching series will explore how Jesus our Messiah brings hope, peace, joy, and love as the King of the Nations. You may already know that Advent comes from the Latin word adventus (“appearing”), providing this season at the beginning of the historic church calendar with four weeks of anticipation both of Jesus’ birth in the past roughly 2,000 years ago and Jesus’ future appearing at the end of human history.
The devotional you have before you is written by members of our own church community, reflecting on Scripture and life, as a way to guide us to encounter Jesus as King of the nations during this season of Advent. You can use this devotional individually, but we also hope it serves those in small groups, as well as groups of friends, family members, or housemates.
May God slow us down to attend to the wonders of Jesus’ incarnation, in which He came “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10), including us. And may God also overwhelm us, drawing us into the current of the Holy Spirit, that we might join anew the mission of God until the day the mission ends and worship continues on for eternity in the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1-4).
Pastor Matt Erickson
How to Use This Devotional:
- Each week of this devotional begins with a Sunday reading written by our Pastoral staff for older students and adults. There is also a version called “Family Talk” written our NextGen Pastor, intended for families with young children.
- Each day Monday-Friday has a short devotional thought written by one of our Eastbrookers with questions at the end for deeper reflection.
- Saturdays are intended for small group discussion and for deeper reflection. Although it is not necessary, this devotional is intended to be paired with an Advent Wreath. Each day when you open this devotional, light the candle of your Advent Wreath. Every Sunday, include another candle.
- As a family, you may want to join in on our Nativity Building activity. Use your own Nativity figures for this activity that allows for slow, progressive building of the nativity scene. Look for this symbol (*) throughout the devotional to find each step. The gradual nature of this activity and the periods of waiting remind us of how God’s people waited years for the promised Savior to be born! “When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son…” (Galatians 4:4).
- Finally, you can also interact with the digital version of this devotional in a variety of ways: on the Eastbrook App, Instagram, daily emails, blog, or PDF. Find these options and links on our website at eastbrook.org/devotionals.