ADVENT - A SEASON OF HOPE

I. Introduction

A. Advent - the anticipation of Jesus’ coming. In Christianity it’s the season before Christmas celebrating the arrival of Christ. Christianity should be a lifestyle of anticipation that includes the past, present and future coming of Christ.

He came to us through the incarnation, He comes to us through His Spirit and He will come again to the earth.

We live between the finished work of the cross and the finished work of the throne. So we anticipate the latter.

B. Our main verse: Romans 15:13 - “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

C. Overflow of hope only happens by the power of the Spirit. This is no natural hope, this is an other worldly hope waiting on only what God can do. What are you waiting on from Jesus?

D. Biblical hope is not optimism. Optimism is focused on a circumstance and that it will work out. Hope isn’t focused on the circumstance but a person, Jesus. Some circumstances don’t work out, Jesus always does.

E. Hope is believing, things won’t always be like this. Hope pushes us forward to progress, to prospering, to peace. It is one the the three that have to remain for life: faith, hope, and love.

“Where there is no hope, there can be no endeavor.” Samuel Johnson

II. Hope - Psalms 130

A. The Need for Hope (1-4)

The Depths - Psalm 69:2 (NRSV) “I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.” This is being caught in a hopeless flood that is a mixture of circumstance and consequences.

The flood language alludes to the writers connection with the conditions of Noah’s time, both personally and societal. Dark days looming to dark consequences.

The sea, waters always represented danger and chaos, life without safety our boundaries. How does this relate to your current experience?

The Sin

The Psalmist indicates the source of the “depths” of circumstance and consequence are a direct result of sin, both personal and others.

The character of God is present even before it’s displayed through the cross. God is a forgiving who keeps no record of wrongs. He doesn’t want to shame you because of your sin , He wants to rescue you because of His love.

The character of God is the beginning of hope. He is coming to rescue us, from us. This is his position to our need, but what is ours?

B. The Position of Hope (5-6)

Waiting It is the posture of hope. Waiting is always paired with a word of hope.

Psalm 119:74 (NIV) “May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.”

Share story of my word of Isaiah 61 during my valley.

Watching - It is the position of a watchmen. This is an active waiting as you’re constantly looking for the light.

Remember most missed Jesus when he showed up. They didn’t have eyes to see and ears to hear. Would we?

Is it possible your hope is realized and your missing it because it doesn’t meet your expectations? Remember the shepherds became watchman instead of priests.

C. The Answer of Hope (7-8)

Redemption - buying back or ransoming. Jesus unfailing love always demanded the payment to buy you back from the circumstances and consequences of sin.

We usually think of redemption just in terms of an individual. God loves you but it’s bigger than you.

Romans 8:19–21 (NIV) - “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”

Again consequences aren’t just redeemed but our context as well. The Bible calls it the day of redemption when our bodies and the whole physical world is redeemed.

Whatever the enemy has stolen, killed, or destroyed in your life Jesus redeems. Things will be made right.

III. Conclusion and Invitation

A. Do you need hope? Remember biblical hope isn’t circumstantial optimism but a personal presence. For hope to show up in your dark night it’s Jesus presence, often manifested in a gentle, humble way.