Fourth Sunday in Advent :: Let It Be

Now as Christ's arrival nears, we are reminded of Mary's words, "Let it be." It is not up to us to dictate to God how Christ will come into our world and lives, for God continually surprises us. Let God's will be done in each of us.

Luke 1:26-38
Matthew 1:18-25

On the fourth Sunday in Advent, Rev. Hunter preached on "Surrender." As Mr. Hunter reminded us, our society finds words such as surrender, submission, and broken distasteful. Ours is a competitive society that focuses upon winning and success. Our culture tends to believe that wealth + power + self-determination = success.

Yet surrender is at the heart of discipleship and worship.

Rev. Lloyd Ogilvie writes,

“Our need to be in charge of ourselves, others, and situations often makes our relationship with Christ life's biggest power struggle. We are reluctant to relinquish our control and allow Him to run our lives. We may believe in Him and be active in the church and Christian causes, but trusting Him as Lord of everything in life can be scary.

Even though we pray about our challenges and problems, all too often what we really want is strength to accomplish what we've already decided is best for ourselves and others. Meanwhile we press on with our own priorities and plans. We remain the script writer, casting director, choreographer, and producer of the drama of our own lives, in which we are the star performer.”

The problem with being in charge of our own lives is that we can never anticipate what God has in plan for us. Our perspective on what's important in life may be short-sighted in light of God's vision of eternity. We must submit to the will of God.

Mary's response to the angel Gabriel when he announced the Incarnation is a wonderful example of submission--an act of faith. Even though Mary was deeply troubled at Gabriel's news, her response is trust, surrender, and a resultant song of worship.

Joseph offers another example of surrender to God's will. He accepted Mary and Jesus and fled to Egypt with his family upon the angel's command. Yet he seems to have been a quiet, behind-the-scenes kind of guy. An ordinary person who followed God's will and, as a result, did extraordinary things.

Jesus, however, is the ultimate example of surrendering to God's will. His temptation in the Wilderness and his night of anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane show that surrender to God's will did not come easily.

Mr. Hunter concluded by asking if we had completely surrendered ourselves to God's will. Giving ourselves to God is what He wants for Christmas.