Hope

Introduction

Welcome to church this morning. Today is the first Sunday of Advent. What a great time this is for us Christians to celebrate our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The season of Advent is a time of expectation.

The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which simply means "coming" or "arrival."

We observe Advent as a time to prepare for the coming of Christ — both His first coming as the baby in the manger in Bethlehem, and His second coming, when He will return in glory to restore all things.

Scholars don’t know the exact origins of Advent, but there are writings about it from as early as the 4th century, and it has been celebrated by Christians for centuries as a season of waiting and preparation.

Advent runs the four Sundays before Christmas, and each Sunday carries a theme that guides our worship, our reflection, and our prayers.

These themes may vary depending on traditions, but the most common themes are Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

Today, we begin with the theme of Hope.

Let’s open with a scripture in the book of Romans.

The Hope of the Messiah

In the passage we’ll be looking at today, the apostle Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, reminding them of the hope that is found in Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Let’s take a moment to read this passage.

Romans 15:12–13 (KJV 1900)

And again, Isaiah saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Here, Paul quotes from Isaiah 11:10, showing that Jesus fulfills the prophecy of the Messiah who would bring hope to everyone.

The context of this passage is that Paul is urging the Roman Christians, both Jewish and Gentile believers, to live in harmony and unity.

They were a divided church because there was a tension between those who followed Jewish customs and those who did not.

And Paul was pointing out to them in this letter that both Jews and Gentiles are equal.

That God’s grace was not for a select few but that God extended His grace to all who will receive it through faith in Jesus Christ..

Take a look at Romans 15:7-9

Romans 15:7–9 (KJV 1900)

Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

Here Paul is telling them to accept one another because Christ has accepted them.

He says that Jesus came as a minister to the Jews to confirm God's promises to their ancestors and to bring God’s mercy to the Gentiles.

And this is the Hope that is for all who are in Christ Jesus.

And so by quoting Isaiah, Paul shows that Christ's coming is the realization of the hope of the nations,

thus offering salvation to both Jews and Gentiles alike.

What Is Hope?

What does it mean to have hope, especially as we reflect on the hope of Advent?

Experts says that hope is of great value when it come to living life to the fullest.

Everything that is done in the world is done by hope. No man would sow a grain of corn if he hoped not it would grow up and become seed … Or no tradesman would set himself to work if he did not hope to reap benefit thereby.

Martin Luther (Founder of the German Reformation)

But when a person losses hope, they live in despair. They feel lost and without a future.

The feeling of hopelessness creates a sense of insignificance.

Proverbs 13:12 tells us that....

Proverbs 13:12 (KJV 1900)

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

A person without hope is a person who is heartsick.

And we’ve all experienced small times of hopelessness.

Maybe it’s been a time of personal loss, a sick loved one, or the stress of difficult relationships.

Maybe it’s the struggle of financial insecurity or disappointment in career or life goals.

These struggles can defer hope, pushing it farther away and making it harder to hold on to.

But Hopelessness is one of the hardest things to endure because it creates a sense of insignificance and despair and can send a person into depression.

This is because when people have a feeling of no hope, there is a negative image of life.

Nothing is right without hope.

One aspect of counseling is that the counselor show that hope is there, even in the darkest times.

Those who are fighting or have fought addiction understand that hope is important.

Hope of being free from the prison of addiction is what drives them forward.

In 1 Peter 1:3 the apostle Peter writes about the living hope that we have in Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 1:3 (KJV 1900)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

I like the NIV version, it says, “he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”.

Peter is saying that even in the midst of your troubles here on earth, “there is hope”.

This is the kind of hope we are celebrating this Advent.

It is not a passing wish or something uncertain.

It’s not just about wishing for something to happen or hoping that things get better.

Wishful thinking is a worldly based hope.

The world offers us hope in uncertain things — people say, "I hope I get a promotion,"...... "I hope I pass this test,"...... "I hope I find love."

And these are not bad things, but they are uncertain things. They may or may not come to pass.

Or many times people will put their hope in other people and find disappointment.

As Peter puts it, we have a living hope that comes from the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We put our hope in someone who will not disappoint.

One thing about true hope is that...

It is based on a future that is guaranteed.

It is a “confident expectation” or “anticipation” in something that you know will happen.

As we think about the first coming of Christ, we remember that God kept His promises.

Jesus came to the world in a way that no one expected — as a baby born in a humble manger.

He lived, died, and rose again to bring salvation to all who would believe.

And now, we wait in hope for His second coming, when He will return to restore all things and make everything right..

As Romans 8 says, all of creation groans as they wait.

But the center of Biblical truth is in the hope for the return of Jesus.

Salvation’s not just about being delivered from the guilt of sin or delivered from power of sin, but also from sins effects on our bodies.

We have complete salvation when Jesus comes back again and this is what we are waiting for.

Hope in the Old Testament

The hope in the Old Testament was that the Messiah would come.

For centuries, the people of Israel waited for the coming of the Messiah.

Their hope was rooted in God’s promise to Abraham, that the nations would be blessed. And the promises to David, that his throne would be established forever and to the many of the prophets.

They were waiting for a promised Messiah who would deliver them from their enemies, restore their nation, and establish God’s kingdom.

The Old Testament hope was a hopeful anticipation of the Messiah’s coming.

Just like us today, the Israelites did not know the exact timeline, but they trusted that God would fulfill His promises.

The prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah spoke of a Savior who would bring peace, justice, and righteousness.

This hope was often a hope in the midst of darkness— when Israel was oppressed, when they faced exile, when they were scattered across the earth.

And today, in this Advent season, we join with those ancient Israelites in longing for the coming of the Messiah, but we also celebrate the fulfilled hope in Christ, who has already come and will come again.

As i was thinking this week about hope. I realized that hope is more noticeable in those hard times.

When life is hard, and we face uncertainty, loss, or suffering, hope is often what sustains us and helps us keep going.

In these moments, hope isn't just a vague wish—but it becomes a lifeline, something we cling to because it's the only thing that can help us move forward.

This is what the anticipated Messiah was for the Israelites. A lifeline, something to look forward to that was a light in darkness.

Many times in the Bible hope is intertwined with faith.

In Romans 5:3-5 , Paul writes

Romans 5:3–5 (KJV 1900)

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

hope doesn't just emerge in easy times, but often in the midst of suffering and trial.

In those hard moments, we realize that our hope isn't based on our circumstances or people but on the promises of God, which are unshakable.

When times are hard, hope helps to keep our hearts anchored, much like an anchor holds a ship in place amid a storm. Hebrews 6:19 describes hope as "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."

I mentioned earlier that giving hope to someone is a key to good counsel but what hope is there other than the hope of Christ.

He is the reason for our hope and He is the one who can bring us out of darkness, addiction or depression.

But what about those who are not Christians?

Ephesians 2:12 has something to say about that.

Ephesians 2:12 (KJV 1900)

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Paul was reminding the Ephesian church of their former state before they came to faith in Christ.

They were separated from God, excluded from His promises, and living without hope in a fallen world.

Today, we need to know that without Christ, there is no reconciliation with God, no assurance of salvation, and no future to anticipate beyond this earthly life.

The hope we celebrate during Advent—the hope of a Messiah who saves and restores—is meaningless to those who are not in Christ.

But there is hope for the hopeless

Hope for the Hopeless

The beauty of the gospel is that Jesus came to bring hope to the hopeless. Paul continues in Ephesians 2:13

Ephesians 2:13 (KJV 1900)

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Through Jesus’ sacrifice, those who were once far from God—are brought near.

This is the good news of Advent: that the hope of the Messiah is available to all who believe in Him.

Isaiah 9:2 (KJV 1900)

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Jesus is that great light. He stepped into the darkness of a hopeless world to bring the light of salvation.

Christ Brought light into darkness.

(Flashlight)

Looking at this light right now, doesn’t seem very remarkable.

The light is faint and easy to overlook because there’s already plenty of light in this room.

But imagine if we were sitting in total darkness. Suddenly, this little flashlight would feel like a lifeline, a beacon cutting through the blackness.

This flashlight reminds us of how Christ came into the world.

He didn’t come in the light, no Isaiah says that he came into the darkness.

God’s story has always been about bringing light into darkness.

For us to look back, we can see how God worked through history, even when His people couldn’t.

The first Passover, when God spared the Israelites and delivered them from slavery in Egypt, foreshadowed the coming of Jesus, the ultimate Passover Lamb.

But the Israelites didn’t have the advantage of hindsight.

They could only cling to God’s promises, even when it seemed He was silent.

But in what felt like their darkest hour, God showed up.

He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world—a world filled with darkness and despair. As John 1:5 says:

John 1:5 (KJV 1900)

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Jesus entered into our darkness to bring the light of salvation.

The beauty of hope is that it doesn’t depend on our circumstances.

Instead, it is rooted in God’s unchanging character and His fulfilled promises.

In the same way that God kept His promise to send a Savior, we can trust today, that He will keep His promise to return and restore all things.

Today we are living in the time between promise and fulfillment.

We celebrate the first coming of Christ while waiting for His second coming.

Just as the people of Israel longed for the Messiah, we long for Jesus to return and make everything right.

And for those who accept Him, there is now a living hope—a hope that transforms despair into joy and uncertainty into confidence.

We have Hope in Christ Jesus.

Closing verse;

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (KJV 1900)

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.