At The Heart of Christmas

Hope

In todays world there doesn’t seem to be much to Hope in. When I looked up the word hope in the dictionary I noticed two definitions. The second definition had the word Archaic above the definition. So I had to find out why- The author of the dictionary used this term to tell the reader that this specific definition isn’t used much anymore and that the former definition found above is the new shiny toy. But seeing as we are using God’s archaic word and I like the older definition here is Hope defined the archaic version

Hope: A feeling of trust.

Our main scripture this morning is Isaiah 9:2-7. Some of you may not recall the first part but many of you may be able to say the second part of this verse with me.

Isaiah 9:2–7 ESV

2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

During this time Israel had seen many ungodly kings. There was major corruption and crime. Cheating and backstabbing and the people were hopeless. What Israel needed was a string of hope to hold onto. Now given we just come out of election season and into the advent season we experienced crime and corruption in our leadership. If we are looking at the government and the world around us we aren’t experiencing hope as a feeling of trust in the future, but Isaiah, through the leading of the Holy Spirit spoke of a time when hope would arrive. V6 the darkness breaks and the light opens up. A savior is to be born.

Now the difficult thing about hope is this: 1. Hope relies on the future 2. The Longer it Terries the harder it is to hold onto.

The bible tells us:

Proverbs 13:12 (ESV)

12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick...

Proverbs 13:12 (ESV)

12 ...but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

When we read the words of Isaiah we can flip to the birth of Jesus in seconds. But when we realize it took around 700 years for this prophesy to be fulfilled we begin to see things in a different light.

1. Hope is planted

Agave Americana A common plant that grows in the southwest desert of the United States is the Agave Americana. Also known as a century plant, it thrives in rocky, dry, and mountainous desert locations and grows splayed leaves that grow to be a foot wide. This plant can reach twelve feet in diameter and grow to be six feet tall. Perhaps its most unusual trait is its long reproduction cycle. For 20 to 30 years, this plant remains the same height and puts out no flowers. But suddenly and without warning, a new bud will sprout. Resembling a tree-trunk-sized asparagus spear, it will rise into the sky at a rate of seven inches per day until it reaches a height of 20 to 40 feet. Then it culminates with a crown of several clumps of yellow blossoms that last for three weeks.

There is a reason that hope is compared to a tree because hope takes planting and takes time to grow.

Romans 15:4 ESV

4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Paul is telling us that everything that is written in the past is to teach us how to hold onto Hope and faith.

For Pastor appreciation this year you guys gifted us the ability to go to Sight and Sound to see David. If I’m honest with myself God wanted to teach me something. The actor that played David used several key phrases about his hopeless situation that have used in the recent past, but this play brought things I have read hundreds of times, preached on numerous times and still missed, and brought it to life.

The key to your hope is Jesus

More directly—the time you spend with Jesus. There was a scene where David was asleep on the thrown with God’s word drapped over his lap. It signified that he was too busy doing the work of God or fighting the battles of God that he wasn’t spending time with God.

2. At the Heart of Hope is Jesus

Matthew 1:22–23 ESV

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Isaiah used Jesus’ coming to encourage the Israelite people to press through the darkness and into the promises. The promises contained a baby who would bring Salvation to the world. He would bring hope to hopeless and light to the darkness.

For us, though the government hasn’t changed much, the world hasn’t changed much, we have hope. Jesus isn’t a prophecy to us. It’s a prophecy fulfilled. Jesus was born, he lived a blameless life, was crucified and resurrected. What my time at David revealed to me again was what I had most forgotten.

It isn’t about doing God’s will it’s about spending time with Jesus. You can’t have hope without the hope giver.

3. Hope Comes with Time

We first started by planting hope. Planting requires dirt and darkness. Hope requires all else to be hopeless. Because it’s in the darkness that we realize we need something more. Seed begins to sprout in the darkness, but as soon as it realizes that darkness isn’t enough to grow it pushes out of the dirt and reaches for the light. The roots however stay in the dirt drawing nutrients form the soil. That soil and those nutrients are what we draw from the word in private. If we aren’t valuing our private time than our public growth will never happen. Hope will never be realized because we have nothing to be hopeful about.

This holiday season we need to strive to make sure we spend time with Jesus. The Old Testament hung on the promise of his coming. We get to rest in the realization that he conquered and we too are born more than conquerers in Christ.

We need to ensure that the CHRISTmas story is focused squarely on Christ. Our gift this year is victory. Christ came to dispel darkness.

1 John 1:5–7 ESV

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

But the road to Victory is paved with your time spent with God. David’s Biggest argument as to why he could take down Goliath was because he spent time in private taking down lions and bears. It was set up to show how desprately we need to spend alone Time with Christ.