Sermon

Advent is not loud.
It doesn’t announce itself with urgency or demand attention with spectacle. Advent arrives quietly, almost patiently, asking us to slow down long enough to notice what God has already been revealing.

At its core, Advent is about arrival—but arrival always creates a moment of decision. When God steps closer, something in us has to respond. Not everyone responds the same way, and not everyone responds honestly.
That’s what has been lingering with me.

We live in a time where God is not hard to find. Scripture is accessible. Faith language is familiar. Jesus’ name is widely known. Yet knowing about Him has somehow become easier than responding to Him. We recognize the light, but often hesitate to move toward it.
Advent gently exposes that tension.

The birth of Jesus didn’t just bring light into the world—it revealed hearts. Some were unsettled by His presence. Some were curious but unmoved. Others were drawn, even if they didn’t fully understand what they were stepping into.
And that feels painfully familiar.

There are moments when God makes Himself clear—not loudly, but unmistakably. Through a word. A season. A conviction. A disruption. A quiet stirring that won’t leave you alone. And in those moments, neutrality isn’t really an option. Silence becomes a response. Delay becomes a decision.

Advent reminds us that God does not reveal Himself simply to inform us. He reveals Himself to invite us—to draw us closer, to reshape our priorities, to reorient what we’re living for.
The light of Christ doesn’t force its way in. It waits to be welcomed. But it also refuses to be ignored without consequence. Light clarifies. It shows us where we are—and sometimes what we’ve been holding onto that no longer belongs on the journey forward.

That’s why Advent hope is not sentimental. It’s honest.
Hope is not pretending everything is fine. Hope is trusting that God is present enough to lead us somewhere better. Hope is believing that when Christ draws near, it’s not to condemn us—but to redirect us.
The question Advent places before us isn’t whether Jesus has arrived.
He has.
The real question is whether we’re willing to move once we realize He’s near.
Because when God refuses to stay hidden, He’s usually inviting us to stop hiding too.

Reflection Question:
Where might God be inviting you to move closer to Him in this season—and what’s been holding you back?
~Pastor D.L.Williams