North Georgia Bishop Mike Watson preached on “Getting Ready for Someone Special” in a recent sermon at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Atlanta.
His text was Mark 1:1-8:
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in Isaiah the prophet:
I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way —
a voice of one calling in the desert,
“Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
The bishop urged his hearers to “make preparation” to receive the grace of God into their lives.
Bishop Mike Watson
Advent is preparing to receive the greatest gift the world has ever been given.
Advent is preparing our hearts and our minds and our lives to receive….
Christ is coming! Hallelujah! We are Christians — expecting great things, expecting God to come into our lives and fill our souls.
[We should be] making preparation in the desert, in the deserted places, in the difficulties — making preparation, no matter what, to receive the Prince of Peace, the Savior of our souls, the hope of the world, the Son of God.
Prepare to receive Him — and He will not disappoint you!
∞
Streaming audio of a portion of Bishop Watson’s sermon is below (10 min.), or you can download an mp3 (2.4MB).
