Weekly Sermon Reflection Questions

People in the Old Testament held a bad theology thinking that since they have the Temple of Solomon, God is obligated to defend the city, and their enemies cannot triumph over them. They treated the temple as a talisman.

Isaiah was addressing Israel who had lost their homeland that was destroyed by the Babylonians. They were also exiled to Babylon because of their corrupt ways, and they were experiencing the wilderness without any resources of their own.

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse” declares Isaiah 11:1. A stump is lifeless and can be written off as useless. The Jews in the time of Isaiah must have felt that they were such a stump: hopeless and with no future and written off by God. But a shoot is to grow from this stump. Jesus is the shoot, coming from the ancestry of Jesse, David’s father. As we celebrate Advent, let us focus on Jesus, the root and the shoot, the source and the fruit.

Advent is a season of waiting, hopeful watching and preparing our hearts for the coming of the Christ. It is a period of preparation for the birth of Christ, and His second coming.

READ | SERMON NOTES For Sermon Notes, please visit: https://tidings.wesleymc.org/sermon-reflection/left-behind-pp/ PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Amid the lights, shopping, and festivities of the season, Advent calls Christians to something deeper: to reflect on who we are waiting for and how we are preparing our lives for His return. Scripture in this season does not invite nostalgia, it calls us to readiness.

When you think about laments, do you see a picture of the sun setting into the mountains, or rising from them? May we, as a Wesley family stand in solidarity with our Brothers and Sisters-in-Christ who are in the dark valleys – now and always see the sun rising from the mountains, as we lament with them before the Risen Son of God, Jesus.

“All that God does is done well!” This understanding comes from the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism and second in authority only to the Hebrew Bible. We should keep this thought in mind as we enter to worship the Lord.

READ | SERMON NOTES Summary l This weekend marks a special occasion where we witness the confirmation and reception into church membership of 61 people. In addition, on Sunday evening, there will be baptism of infants, children and special children.

Do you know that the Holy Spirit also says ‘amen’? We must tune our hearts to the ‘amen’ the Spirit speaks in the middle of our doubts, in the silence of our hearts, and in the very core of who we are.

We have all been in troubling situations where we do not know what to do. It could be situations at work, home, health or other issues close to our hearts. In a world that salutes confidence, strength and decisiveness; the ability to solve problems, show capability and control becomes the identity for some. Admitting that one does not know what to do is dismissed as failure, weakness and loss of control.

Often, our prayers tend to be requests for help and divine intervention for ourselves and our loved ones. Indeed, it is important to turn to God for help, rather than other worldly sources. We should pray for ourselves and others.

Many of us struggle with prayer, especially when our prayers go unanswered or why God seems silent. Truth be told, we often treat prayer as a task, a ritual, or a “to-do” item in times of crisis. Our focus shifts to the request rather than the relationship.

Even in weakness, God’s strength sustains us; embracing vulnerability reveals divine power and deepens our spiritual understanding and dependence.

As we sit in the “messy middle” between joy and grief, hope and sorrow; and when neither hope nor joy is seen “at the end of the spectrum” – can we say, “It is okay”? Jacob’s earlier life was one of constant striving to negotiate and manipulate in order to get ahead.

In order to benefit from the blessings of belonging to the Kingdom of God we have to adhere to certain rules and regulations which we may find onerous especially as laid out in the Old Testament. Obeying the law is not a pre-requisite to salvation.

Salt and light portray the illuminating influence and role Christians have in society.

Jesus shared this message during the Sermon on the Mount with ordinary people.  He declared them to be salt and light of the world – a metaphor representing godly character that leads to godly responsibilities, which in turn impact and influence the world around us.

READ | SERMON NOTES For sermon summary, please visit: https://tidings.wesleymc.org/sermon-reflection/the-epilogue-pp/ PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Revelation 22:12-21 serves as an epilogue to the entire book of Revelation – summarising and echoing key theological convictions.

Psalm 67 is focused on the blessing from God, and it is mentioned three times in seven short verses. There is a strong biblical basis for seeking God’s blessing. We need to understand the purpose of wanting to be blessed by God.

READ | SERMON NOTES For sermon summary, please visit: https://tidings.wesleymc.org/sermon-reflection/blessed-to-be-a-blessing-traditional/ PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS

God reveals our future Home — the Holy City, the Bride of the Lamb — where He dwells with His people in a renewed, perfect world, free from pain, death and sorrow.

Revelation is not just about the end times; it is about revealing Jesus Christ (Rev 1:1). Through vivid visions, John shows how Satan deceives the world (Rev 12:9) and tempts believers to compromise kingdom values. He reveals the judgment to come (Rev 20:11-15) and the hope reserved for the faithful (Rev 21:7).

Revelation tells us that there is a cosmic battle that we need to be aware of, a battle that has raged through the ages, manifesting itself through the rise and fall of human empires and ideologies. Through it all, Jesus remains the final authority and victor.

Seven visions reveal Jesus as victorious King: He leads heaven’s armies, defeats evil forces, binds Satan, reigns with believers, judges the world and ushers in a new creation.

In Rev 17, John sees a vision of a women on a beast. This is Babylon, the chief of prostitutes with whom the kings have committed prostitution. The word “Babylon” comes from “Babel” which is described in Genesis 11. The infamous towel of Babel is an expression of mankind’s arrogance and denial of God.

READ | SERMON NOTES For sermon summary, please visit: https://tidings.wesleymc.org/sermon-reflection/the-fall-of-babylon-traditional/ PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Revelation 15-16 illustrate the outpouring of God’s wrath as punishment that comes after repeated warnings and calls for repentance. God’s wrath is poured out not in haste but in holiness.

God’s terrifying yet justified judgement is coming. It targets evil and idolatry, but offers hope through repentance. Revelation reveals this through seals, trumpets and bowls — each showing a unique perspective.