Hope in Jesus

Introduction

We begin our Advent Season and what is Advent? Advent is a hunger for something better to come.

We lit our first candle this morning of Advent, the Candle of Hope.

Advent is hope, a hope for something better to come. A longing for God’s ideal for our lives.

When you think about hopelessness, what comes to mind?

Miriam Webster defines hopelessness as follows:

Hopelessness is defined as the feeling or state of despair.

Having no expectation of good or success.

No susceptible remedy or cure.

Incapable of redemption or improvement.

A feeling of desperation.

Oh dearly beloved, hopelessness is real for many today. This world we live in is cursed by sin and our fallen world is not without difficulty and despair. And because none of us are immune to sin we all face this world’s struggles each and every day.

Furthermore, we know that the world at large (those that walk the broad path) do not recognize the goodness of God. And so, people that do not know the Lord focus on their problems rather than their blessings. I could not imagine walking the journey called life without the hope of Jesus. Amen?

Dearly beloved, a life without zest, a life without a positive outlook or the hope of a positive outcome can cause a very dismal, and psychologist state a very painful life.

Think about these scenes for a moment.

Imagine a soldier fulfilling his duties. He is overseas thousands of miles from family and friends at Christmas. What makes matters worse is the soldier is on a post on weekend duty in a far removed location. All of his fellow soldiers are on weekend pass. The security duty is cold, dark and lonely. What goes through a soldier’s mind while feeling all alone, especially at Christmas? What sustains that soldier?

I have been called out on a cold, dark Christmas Eve or Christmas Day late in the day after my family has departed or made their way to bed to go and visit someone in the hospital that I know is there all alone. They have no living relatives close by and I sense their despair as they are in the hospital feeling bad with no one at their side. Even the hospital staff is at skeleton levels and there is a coldness in the facility at that time. What can that individual’s mind be fixed on?

I’ve visited homes where once the home was full of life, people scurrying and excitement and now one single widow or widower is left after 50-60 years of marriage. Children and even grandchildren are grown and they are pulled in different directions at Christmas and the elderly widow or widower sits there all by their lonesome. Where can one find hope when the world might see these scenes as hopeless?

I hope and pray that you have never encountered real hopelessness, but if you have, I have good news, Gospel news, there is hope in Jesus. Jesus, the Christ Child is the hope of Christmas. Amen.

Turn in your Bibles this morning to a text of hope.

We want to discover today that hope is available to all. Hope is found in the Christ Child of Christmas.

Psalm 33:16-22.

Psalms 33:16-22

Psalm 33:16–22 NKJV

16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. 18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, 19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. 22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.

Prayer

Message

This morning as we study a portion of the 33rd Psalm, the psalmist wrote a song of praise for a redeemed people.

We see a metaphorical language of power and battle as possibly this is a victory psalm of God’s provision in a time of war or the odds of victory was against His redeemed people. Possibly Israel was in a place as the underdog.

There is no name given to the psalm as author in the heading, but the Septuagint ascribes the psalm to King David.

The psalmist exudes joy in the righteousness and goodness of God. God is worshiped as Creator and ruler over the affairs of this world and of life itself.

In verses 13-15, the psalmist acknowledged that God is at a vantage point of watching, looking, and divinely aware of the affairs of our lives. Specifically in the first section of our study this morning we study where hope is not founded. Hope does not come from the solidarity of your manufactured security blanket you create around you.

Hope Does Not Come From the Solidarity of Your Environment VV. 16-17

Psalm 33:16–17 “16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.”

The psalmist writes metaphorically using the power found in an earthly king. The psalmist writes that security is not founded in earthly powers, but by trust found in the Lord.

We all know of great earthy dynasties of leadership that have come and gone.

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Each individual accomplished in their own right, yet they were not invincible. Powers, personalities and positions all come about by the providential hand of God. God has given us every ability, every resource, every good thing we enjoy.

We know David as a shepherd boy life started in the powerful, who killed lion and bear. We know the young lad took on the great powerful Goliath and He rose to the heights of the King of all Israel. God honored Him with His Son Jesus in the lineage of King David.

1 Samuel 17:45–47 “45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”” C.H. Sturgeon stated:

“The weakest believer dwells safely under the shadow of Jehovah's throne, while the most mighty sinner is in peril every hour. Why do we talk so much of our armies and our heroes? the Lord alone has strength, and He alone should have praise.”

James 1:17 “17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

These two verses, verses 16-17 state that regardless of your resilience, your resolve, your accomplishments, the secure climate you attempt to create will not sustain, only the hand of God will prevail.

The Israelites as a people group held a trump card that many believe is sufficient today. They thought their Judeo affiliation, their blood lines were sufficient to sustain their future. They thought their goodness or attempts at goodness would suffice to be accepted by God. And as we walk through the history of Israel, both high’s and low’s came about as they placed their trust in God and other times placed their trust in themselves. There were periods they had become self righteous, pious and self made and forgot God and they suffered. Time and again there was a continued distancing from God and His will for their lives and we note they ultimately were exiled to Babylon and made captive.

Even after periods of release and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, there was a four hundred year period of latency, quiet, distancing from God to the time of the New Testament.

Four hundred years of latency came upon the people of Israel. Their journey began in Genesis 12 when Abraham was given the promise of God that the Israelites would be His chosen people.

Genesis 12:1–3 “1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.””

So Abraham on that day began a journey of unknowns with the Lord, but an unrelenting faith in the Lord to guide Him to a life of blessedness.

Genesis 12:1 NKJV

1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.

The first two verses of the covenant the Lord made with Abraham is a road map for life for every individual that is born.

Those two verses paint a picture as of how we navigate this life both whether we are a believer or a non-believer. As we grow and mature we will encounter times that we are out of our comfort zone. There will be times in our lives that we leave the familiarity and the comfort zone of normal existence. Each in this room navigate uncharted waters of life every day. Everyone faces the question, do I always want to go it alone?

God’s chosen people were to be the light of the world, but more times than not they lived a life where they desired the spot light on their desires, their wants, and the focus was on them, them, them. Dearly beloved, when we live a life all about us, our wants, our desires our selfishness, our self-made ways we as well will see darkness.

Four hundred years of quiet, the sense of being alone, somewhat going through life on their own. I wonder what went through their minds?

There had to be a hunger, a desire for something different. There had to be a longing.

This was the period just before the birth of our Lord and Savior. Four hundred years the Israelites had opportunity to find that there was no hope found in any other.

Acts 4:12 “12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.””

Are you in such a place this morning? Are you without hope? Maybe you are like the Israelites this morning and you have sought hope in other places and found no hope.

Good News, Gospel news, Jesus is the hope of Christmas!

Hope Comes From the Security of Emmanuel, God with Us VV. 18-19

Psalm 33:18–19 “18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, 19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.”

God had implanted hope in the lives of His chosen people. When some lost hope, there was always a remnant. Do you remember Simeon and Anna that waited on the consolation of Israel.

All along life’s journey, the Lord implanted prophetic promises to the people of Israel to offer hope found in Him. They longed for a Messiah.

We read in:

Isaiah 9:6–7 NKJV

6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

The Israelites clung to that great promise. But when the time came, they looked for a different Messiah. Some believed in Jesus, but many Jews did not. Why? They wanted the Messiah, the Savior to fit into their mold of what they thought the Messiah should be. They wanted an earthly leader. They wanted someone to show earthly power and bring the people back into power, prosperity and peace.

I’m fearful many today have the same struggles with Jesus. They want Jesus on their terms. They want Him when they want Him. They want Him to bring prosperity, wealth, health and happiness but they do not want to totally surrender to his lordship for their lives. Its almost as if Jesus is an insurance policy. We know we need the insurance but we hate to pay the premiums.

Oh dearly beloved, pay the premiums because Jesus paid it all on Calvary. Commit your life to Him today. Allow Him to be Lord, not one that is on loan to you.

Oh the Messiah that did come was the babe in the manger of Bethlehem, the Lord Jesus.

Matthew 1:18–19 NKJV

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

Oh dearly beloved, even Joseph experienced hopelessness. But the God of hope answered Joseph’s concerns and the concerns of all mankind for the taking.

Matthew 1:20–22 NKJV

20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:

Matthew 1:23–25 NKJV

23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

Let’s note some important aspects that the Psalmist wrote.

V. 18 “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him.”

Behold is one of those attention getting statements. The Psalmist is saying, listen closely. Here now is the all-seeing eye in our favour. If we reverence the LORD, if we “hope in His mercy;” He will “deliver (our) soul from death,” and “keep (us) alive in famine.” God sees our plight, and reacts accordingly, just as surely as He heard the groaning of the Hebrew slaves in Egypt, and came down to deliver them (Exodus 6:5).

The LORD also heard OUR cry, when we were in bondage to sin and to death (cf. Hebrews 2:15). When we were ‘strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in this world’ (cf. Ephesians 2:12). It was ‘while we were yet sinners’ that ‘Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8).

God is attentive, God is engaged, God is involved, God’s watch care is on those that fear Him.

The word fear in the Hebrew is the word to revere or have reverence for the Lord. When we revere someone we recognize their supremacy and power and authority. You bask in the goodness, righteousness and holiness of God.

Listen to what Psalm 32:8 states:

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”

If you feel uncertain today. Listen closely, the psalmist states to place your trust in Jesus and He will guide you. He loves you. He wants you to revere Him and place your hope and trust in Him. Oh dearly beloved, He will see you through.

1 Peter 3:12 “12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.””

Has it been or is it so bad that you want to cry? Dear brother or sister, cry out to the Lord, hope is found in Him. Amen.

Listen to what the text states:

“hope is found in His mercy.”

You might state this morning that everything you are encountering is of your own doings. I have failed God miserably. I know better and I did such and such and I deserve what I am going through.

Oh dearly beloved, you do not understand the Lord and His mercy. Everyone in this room deserve punishment. Everyone in this room has sinned. Everyone here deserves eternal separation from God.

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Oh dearly beloved, Jesus is our gift of hope at Christmas. The greatest gift any of us has ever received that received Jesus as Lord and Savior is the gift of His mercy.

Mercy-hesed means that we receive His divine favor.

The Psalmist defines further this great favor of God on our lives in verse 19.

Psalm 33:19 “19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.”

Dearly beloved, our soul is deserving of death.

Romans 3:23 “23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Paul writes to the church at Ephesus:

Ephesians 2:4–7 NKJV

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Oh praise the Lord for God’s great mercy. God loves you and loves me in spite of ourselves.

He was born to die so that we can be born to live!

Hope Compels Us in the Surety of His Expectancy VV. 20-22

Psalm 33:20–22 “20 Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. 22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.”

For those here this morning that are approaching this Christmas Season from all different vantage points. How does Hope compel you , drive you, prod you on this Christmas Season?

Notice what the scripture states:

“Our soul waits for the Lord.”

Notice the psalmist is not making any message about the flesh, He speaks of our soul. The point is you can have hope this Christmas regardless what befalls you physically, mentally or emotionally. Spiritually speaking, the psalmist is stating to wait from a spiritual perspective knowing that our hope is found in the return of our Savior.

Psalm 62:1 “1 Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation.”

There are fellow members of our church that encourage me in the hope of Jesus Christ. Their theology is sound in that they quietly march on in the confidence of the Lord even in the midst of the trials of this life knowing they are secure in the hand of God.

The scripture states that the Lord is “our help and our shield”, but Genesis 15:1 “1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.””

He is our great reward.

Paul wrote of that hope/reward found in Jesus.

Philippians 3:13–14 “13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Oh dearly beloved, life is a race. There are times we weary in the journey. I ask you what compels you, what drives you to keep pushing on?

Paul tells us to not live in the past, you can not change it, we can learn from it, live for today and press toward the mark of what tomorrow holds. Tomorrow is hope. Tomorrow is opportunity. Is tomorrow’s expectancy for you that something is greater to come? Is tomorrow reward for you?

This same Paul said, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Can you make that statement today? do you live with that type of hope?

Psalm 33:21–22 “21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. 22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.”

I pray this morning that verse 21 & 22 can be your anthem. Your pledge for life.

I will joy this Christmas in the hope, in the trust, in the expectancy of the surety of Jesus in my life.

Can you make that pledge this Christmas? I’m not asking do you have a happiness in the circumstances that possibly you are facing this Christmas? I’m asking do you have hope in your soul and trust in Jesus?

Have you ever placed your trust in Jesus?

Let’s pray.