The First Midweek Advent Service

"the password is Watch" Psalm 130:5-8

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning - I say, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities."

In the name of our Savior King, the Child of Bethlehem, Dear Fellow-Redeemed,

Do you know what a password is? Of course you do. You've probably seen it in the movies a hundred times. It's a word that soldiers use in order to prove that they're who they say they are. A soldier in the army, when he leaves the camp, often has to know a certain password in order to get past the guard to get back into camp. A password is a word that helps you get into the place you want to go.

This is the time of year when a lot of us are beginning to "get into" Christmas. It's hard not to! There's snow on the ground, the air is frosty, and all the stores are having their Christmas sales. As Christians, however, we know that the true meaning of Christmas lies deeper than these things. It's a special place. We've been there before, and we want to go back again this year. Tonight we've got a special password that will help us "get into" the real Christmas again.

"THE PASSWORD IS: WATCH"

Imagine this scene. You've decided to go to Rapid City to do your Christmas shopping. When you get there, you head straight for the biggest shopping mall in town, which should naturally be buzzing with activity at this time of year. As you enter, however, you sense that something is different; something is very strange. Walking down the mall you notice, to your amazement, that all the people are asleep! There are shoppers slumbering on the benches, store clerks dozing over their cash registers, restaurant customers slumped at their tables. Instead of the noise of a crowded shopping center, the only sound you hear is that of a few people quietly snoring as they sleep. How strange and unbelievable it would seem!

Well, the really strange thing is that most of the people around us ARE asleep! Asleep on their feet as they go about their Christmas shopping. Asleep as they hang ornaments from their Christmas trees. They're asleep, even while they think they know what Christmas is all about! "It's a time of sharing," the TV says, "a time of peace; a time of family togetherness." With no mention of Jesus...how empty and hollow it all sounds!

Our text says, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning - I say, more than those who watch for the morning." The Psalmist was waiting for Christmas, too! The real Christmas - the coming of the Lord, the promised Messiah. He wasn't asleep. He was as wide awake as "those who watch for the morning."

Have you ever "watched for the morning"? Have you ever sat up through the night with someone who was sick, waiting for the morning to come? Have you ever been on a trip, driving all night long, and waited for the sun to come up in the east? One thing you can always be absolutely certain of is the fact that the morning will come! That's the certainty that the holy writer had. He knew that his Savior was on His way, just as surely as morning follows night. And that's why he watched with confidence. It was a confidence based on God's Word, and God's Word cannot fail! And that's the same confidence that we have during this Advent season. We are watching with confidence. We Christians know that, as surely as December 25th is coming, our Savior is on His way. Our Redeemer is coming into our hearts again, to strengthen our faith with true Christmas joy.

The Psalmist watched for the coming of the Lord with desire. He could hardly wait for that first Christmas to come, even though it was still 600 years away! He said, "My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning." He was probably thinking of the guards who patrolled the walls of Jerusalem during the dark hours of the night. We can imagine the lonely soldier, cold and tired. Pacing up and down the length of the wall...watching, waiting, longing for morning to finally come!

Are you watching for Christmas that way? Longing for the Christchild to come? Children often can't wait for Christmas to get here - to bring them the presents they've been hoping for. But we long for Christmas to come in a different way. We do look forward to the giving and sharing of the holiday season. We do look forward to getting together with our relatives and loved ones. But the heart of our desire for Christmas is Christ. We join with the prophet Isaiah, who cried, "With my soul I have desired You in the night, yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early." (Isaiah 26:9. Jesus is the gift we are seeking during this happy time. As the days grow shorter, and the Christmas lights appear around town, the Baby of Bethlehem is the Relative we're most looking forward to meeting!

The holy writer wasn't vague about the reason He was watching, either. He said, "O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities." He felt the desperate need for redemption.

That need for a Savior exists today, too, in 1986. Probably more than at any other time! Most people don't know that, of course. Because most of the people around us are asleep. Covered with drowsy complacency in their sinful lifestyles. Sleepwalking their way to eternal destruction! But there's something that keeps us Christians awake and watching. Something that just won't let us sleep. We know our need for a Savior! We feel the crushing burden of our sins. We cry out with David, "There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor is there any health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me." (Psalm 38:3-4.

That's why we're watching for Christmas. Because the coming of Jesus means sweet relief from all our sins. We can relate to the feelings of a condemned prisoner on death row. As the time of his execution comes closer and closer, he watches at the door of his cell, waiting for any news of pardon - any hope of release. We are watching for the coming of Jesus, who brings with him pardon for all our iniquities, release from the condemnation we deserve. What a happy day it is we are looking forward to! Because Christmas means forgiveness and freedom to us!

The Advent password is "watch". Let's be wide awake and watching for the coming of Jesus this year. When you're out doing your shopping and hear the Muzak playing "Joy to the World," remember Who it is that brings us that joy, and give thanks to God. In the midst of the world's godless celebration, let's keep that watch, and remind ourselves again that the first word in Christmas...is Christ!

In Jesus' name, AMEN.