Advent 2

Malachi 3:1-4; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6

Advent 2 and 3 speak to the preparation that is required for the Lord's arrival. This week and next we hear from John the Baptist, the herald of the coming Christ. His message is that of repentance, a call to change our ways.

The idea is that in a world gone wrong, we've also let things slip, but now that Christ is coming to put things right, we need to get our acts together.

Interestingly, the first thing that needs to be put right is our worship of God. Malachi tells us that the Lord will "suddenly come to his temple" and that the first call to repentance is to the priests themselves: "he will purify the descendants of Levi."

Read or watch this sermon for Advent 2 to find out what happens when the church gets worship wrong and what to expect when we get it right.