Sermon 1: Experience The Gift of Hope

Praying for China, Asking God to guide their decisions in a way that promotes peace, stability, and prosperity for all citizens, and encourages greater respect for human rights and religious freedom.

Praying for Africa - Asking the lord to send consistent rain, for crops to grow and for people and livestock to drink in the Horn of Africa.

Heal the bodies of precious little ones who suffer from malnutrition, and strengthen the men and women who are working hard to return them to full health.

Heavenly Father have mercy upon them.

Father, I pray that you set their governments and organizations upon the solid rock of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Praying for People & Children around the world.

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I Pray for the people of Gaza to be able to receive humanitarian relief so they wouldn’t have to experiencing starvation, and suffering.

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2 Corinthians 9:7–8 (NKJV)

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Scripture Reading by Lady Pepper

Thank you Lady Pepper for the announcements and the reading of God’s Word.

Welcome! to everyone especially those who are joining us for the first time.

My name is Pastor Doc, and I will be sharing the Word of God with you today.

Have your Bibles Ready and take notes

Bumper Video

Title of the message this Morning

Experience The Gifts of Christmas

Big Idea:

"The Gift of Hope," is the first in an Advent series that focuses on experiencing the true gifts of Christmas.

This first sermon introduces Advent as a season of expectation; linking the past, present, and future.

It highlights how hope is rooted in the promises of Christ’s coming, offering believers confidence in God’s faithfulness, a steadfast anchor in life’s storms, and patient anticipation of Christ's return.

Through this message, we are encouraged to embrace the gift of hope we have in Jesus as we prepare for His arrival (Christmas Eve).

Prayer:

“God, thank You that in this season of Advent we can experience Your gift of hope.

Help us to remember hope past, hold tightly to hope in our present realities, and wait with expectation for hope to be fulfilled when Christ comes again.”

Main Scripture: Luke 2:8-14, Isaiah 9:2, Romans 15:13

Introduction

Do you ever feel like Charlie Brown, the main character from the timeless TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas?

He finds himself in the midst of the Christmas decorations that have been up since Halloween, with Christmas songs stuck in his head, surrounded by lights and shopping and cookies and parties—when he stands up and shouts in exasperation,

“Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!”

This Christmas cartoon has been airing, or streaming since 1965…

It’s his best friend Linus who sets him straight with a clear answer straight from Luke 2:8-14.

Linus recites the passage in one of the most poignant scenes in television history:

Please watch your screens

In those words, from Luke 2, Charlie Brown finds hope.

It’s where the whole Christmas experience turns for him and he realizes its true meaning.

He goes from depressed by the season to inspired by it.

He goes from an inward focus of questioning to an outward focus of sharing the season with others.

And today, I’m inviting you to embrace the same words of hope as we enter the season of Advent together.

Over the next four weeks, we will experience and enjoy the gifts of Christmas. This is our chance to listen to the stories, to remember the true meaning of Christmas, and to wait in expectation for the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

The point is to experience and appreciate the true gifts of Christmas: hope, love, peace, joy, and ultimately… Jesus.

Main Teaching

Entering Advent

So, what exactly is Advent? For some, this concept may be new. You may only know Advent from a calendar with little windows that open up revealing a gift or treat for each day of the month leading up to Christmas.

But Advent is so much more than little treats, toys, and candies.

The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival,” and the season is marked by expectation, waiting, anticipation, and longing.

Advent is not just an extension of Christmas—it is a season that links the past, present, and future.

Advent offers us the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, to celebrate His birth, and to be alert for His second coming.

Advent looks back upon Christ’s coming in celebration, while at the same time looking forward in eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when He returns for His people.

Our hope was fulfilled in Jesus 2000 years ago, and our hope is in Jesus’s second coming.

Advent represents Jesus’s coming to a world lost in darkness.

As the prophet Isaiah wrote, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2).

In a season often marked by frenzied busyness, Advent is an opportunity to set aside time to prepare our hearts and help us place our focus on a far greater story than our own—

the story of God’s redeeming love for our world.

It’s not a season of pretending or covering over—it is a season of digging deep into the reality of what it means that God sent His Son into the world.

It is a season of expectation and preparation, an opportunity to align ourselves with God’s presence more than just the hectic season of buying and exchanging presents.

This first Sunday in Advent, our focus is hope.

Let’s start by looking at what we mean by hope.

What statements do you typically hear people make that involve hope?

• I hope it doesn’t rain.

• I hope I get the job.

• I hope the world will be at peace.

• I hope he gets better.

• I hope she shows up.

• I hope . . . (you fill in the blank).

Do you notice a theme? Worldly hope is characterized by doubt, uncertainty, and a lack of control.

We hope for things that may or may not happen.

But in Jesus, hope is a guarantee, a sure thing.

Our hope is actually a “know-so” rather than a “maybe-so.”

Let’s start by looking at hope past, hope present, and hope future as we make our way toward Christmas.

1. Hope Past

What is the longest you’ve waited for something?

Is there anything you’ve been waiting for your entire life?

The people of Israel knew all about waiting.

Their entire history was marked by waiting as they looked forward to the coming of a Messiah who would set them free.

The Old Testament is full of prophecies about this Messiah.

Isaiah 7:14 is one example: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

And another well-known prophecy from Isaiah promises, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

These and other prophecies gave a clear expectation of God’s promised Messiah—hundreds of years before the arrival of the Messiah.

As we prepare for Jesus’s coming this Christmas, we share in the waiting of the people of Israel.

Like them, most of us have situations and circumstances in our own lives that make it difficult for us to wait on God.

And like them, we still wait for the complete fulfillment of God’s salvation for the world.

Yes, many prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus’s coming, but others are yet to be completed when He comes again.

As we look back on hope past, we gain confidence and renew our faith in God’s promises to us.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

God will complete His good work in you and me and that He will fulfill His promises to make all things new and complete in the end.

Let this season be a journey of building confident hope as you wait for His coming.

2. Hope Present

In the first chapter of Luke, we see Jesus’s birth foretold again.

But unlike the Old Testament prophecies, this is a much more personal and imminent foretelling.

The angel Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her about the coming of Jesus.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.

The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said,

Luke 1:28 -“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.” (Luke 1:26–38) - Read Verse?

In the midst of life’s questions, do you ever find yourself wishing that Gabriel would just show up and let you know what to expect?

I mean, wouldn’t it be easier to just know?

Today, as we begin Advent, we know and hold fast to that hope.

Jesus has come and made a way for us to be one with God, through His forgiveness of our sin.

Regardless of what outward results look like at any given moment,

we can experience hope in the words of Hebrews 6:19, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

Our present hope in Jesus doesn’t stop the storms of life.

But like an anchor holding a ship steady against the wind and the waves, our hope holds us firm and secure in the midst of life’s storms.

Let this season be one of secure hope in the midst of whatever storms you face.

3. Hope Future

While our focus leading up to Christmas is naturally on the birth of Jesus and His arrival in our world, Advent is also about the future.

Advent is not just about preparing our hearts for Christmas but also about preparing our hearts for when Christ comes again.

Our hope lies: that the baby who was born in a stable in Bethlehem will return again and complete the work of God in our world.

And so we wait, placing our hope in Him for the past, the present, and the future.

It’s the bigger picture of our faith and of God’s plans for our world.

The apostle Paul explained, “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently”(Romans 8:24–25).

Conclusion

It’s hard to be patient.

It’s hard to wait.

But I encourage you to press in and experience the gift of hope today.

No matter what the department stores try to tell you, Christmas has not yet arrived.

This is Advent—a season of preparation, waiting, and expectation.

There is value as well as excitement in patient and expectant waiting.

May this be a season of wonder as you discover the gifts Jesus offers to you this Christmas: hope, love, joy, and peace.

Let’s pray together.

Salvation:

The Word of God says in: John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 10:13 NKJV

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you’d would like to receive Jesus today, please pray this prayer with all of us:

Lord I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He died On the cross for my sins and His resurrection from the dead gives me eternal life. I ask forgiveness of my sins, and I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Pastor Doc@FaithVision.org

Church Office: 909-922-8090

And I will send you a Bible & a Free Book on how to begin your first 21 steps with Jesus (show the book)

***Leave slide up until Pepper gets in position***

Lady Pepper Please Join Me

Communion

I want to take a few moments to give you the opportunity to ask forgiveness of any sin in your life.

Let us pray over the elements (Cross Exposed) in the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Ghost

Read first Corinthians 11:23- 26 - (Taking the elements together)

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;

24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (take bread)

25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (Take Cup)

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Pepper Praise Reports

Victor was able to go to Thanksgiving Dinner at his sister’s house

So Kia’s good friend, her matron of honor Blakley had a car accident with her 5 and 7 year boys in the car..

she fell asleep, ran a red light and hit an elderly couple couple..

all seem to be ok.. Praise God everyone was ok.

Share your Praise Reports!

Kia’s friend Blakley - Car accident.

Victor - Healing - update

Gregg - Chemo / Gwen

Tom - Healing

Let us Pray (P/P)

This is Pastor Doc & Lady Pepper with:

Faith Vision Christian Ministries

Pepper Please Continue Reading

See you next Sunday @ 10:55 on Facebook Live!!

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Pastor, please continue reading

Benediction

“For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently”.Romans 8:24–25

We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.” -Madeliene L’Engle (Lang ill)

Have a Great Week! Goodbye!

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