Advent - Hope

For any first time visitors, we would like to give you a gift after service. In the bulletin you were given on the back page is a tear off and it is titled Connection Card. If you would fill that out for us and take it back to the connection table at the end of the service someone, will be back there to give you a gift from us all.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Man, I am so excited! Do you know what today is?

It is the first day of Advent. And I have to tell you this season and Resurrection Sunday are my two favorite Holidays.

Now I used to not like Christmas at all. I honestly get disgusted at how commercialized it is and how little attention is given to Jesus. I honestly dreaded Christmas. But then, I discovered Advent.

Advent is the Latin word which means coming and it is a season in the Christian Calendar that starts on the 4th Sunday before Nativity or as we often call it Christmas.

Advent celebrates the three comings of Jesus.

The first coming of Jesus in the flesh.

The coming of Jesus in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

And the anticipation of the Return of Jesus to set all things to right.

During the 4 weeks 4 candles are lit. Each candle represents a work of Grace in the life of a believer thanks to the Birth and the Return of Jesus.

Hope -

Peace -

Joy -

Love -

The Center candle - the White one represents the Light of Christ for all man kind.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today we celebrate in the Hope that is found only in Jesus!

Now when I say hope, I do not mean the wish upon a star kind of hope. Biblical Hope is not a childish fantasy but, rather a Joyful expectation rooted in the character and nature of God.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

We live in a time where many have no hope. From wars, and famine across the world, to divorce and broken families. Hope has been lost.

One of Job’s friends said it best

Job 8:11–13 ESV

“Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish where there is no water? While yet in flower and not cut down, they wither before any other plant. Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless shall perish.

We live in a godless time and the hopelessness of our world shows it.

But what is sadder than a hopeless world is a hopeless Church.

People of God, who have forgotten who God is.

People of God who have looked to other things as their source of hope and have been let down.

Today I want to share with you the Hope we have in Jesus.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hopelessness is not new to humanity and it was not uncommon for the ancient people of God to fall prey to it as well.

So God spoke through His prophets Hope filled promises to give them an anchor for their souls.

The Promised Hope to Israel -

Turn with me to

Isa

Isaiah 11:1–10 NLT

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment. In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm. Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord. In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A shoot from a stump. God promises new life and hope will grow from the remains of what was lost and dead.

This is how God works, where there seems to be no life, no future, God births Hope.

Isn’t that just like God in our lives.

And it is in that world, in that fallen Kingdom new life, a promise of Hope rises.

Isn’t that just like God in our lives.

Maybe you feel hopeless today. Maybe you do not see a good and bright future.

Rest assured, it is in these kind of times, that God loves to give birth to a new hope.

Maybe you feel alone, financially broke, sickness, death of a loved one, depressed.

Hold on, because God loves to birth Hope in the midst of our ashes.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The prophet saw into the future a world that had lost all hope, a world in which it’s Kingdom had been chopped down.

And God speaks into that world, into that fallen Kingdom new life, and a promise of Hope.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The loss of hope in Israel

Israel too had lost hope!

Their Kingdom had been taken over.

The prophetic voice of Heaven had been missing for four hundred years.

Had God left them, did He pack up and move away. Was he even real?

Where are you God and why have you abounded us?

Maybe you feel this way?

How often do we today ask these same questions.

Maybe you have experienced major loss

And it feels like no one is home when you pray.

Or at least it feels like He is ignoring you.

Remember that prophecy in Isa.

Out of the stump, hope will rise.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the midst of a broken Kingdom and lost dreams:

Stood one young woman pregnant with Hope for the world.

Luke 1:39–56 NLT

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.” Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.

Luke 1:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I love this song of Mary. It is so full of Hope.

Hope for a new kind of world

Hope for the forgotten

Hope for the poor and fragile

Hope That God would fulfill His promises to Abraham and His decedents.

Justice based on the righteousness of God.

When the world around this young woman was spinning out of control, she was pregnant with Hope.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advent Brings Us Hope As Well

Our Hope is restored in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Like Mary our hope is restored through Jesus.

Hope that we have been forgiven and have a new relationship with God –

2 Corinthians 5:17–20 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Hope that God will never leave us or forsake us –

Romans 8:38–39 ESV

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:

Hope that we have the first fruits of a new world living in us and amongst us. -

Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Eph 1:13-14

Hope that we have the first fruits of a new world living in us and amongst us. -

But here is the best news!

Our Hope Does Not End With Jesus Returning To Heaven!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our Great hope is in the Return of Jesus. The Second Advent

Titus 2:11–14 ESV

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Advent reminds us that our hope is sure.

Advent reminds us that God fulfilled His promise to Israel and the world by sending Jesus into this world as a child.

And that God will fulfill His promise by sending Jesus again, to set all things to right.

The season of Advent gives us Hope:

not in the gifts or lights, not in the trees or carols but rather it points us to the Historical first Advent and gives us a sure hope in our Kings return.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advent reminds us that God is going to set the world to right.

Isa 11:6-

Isaiah 11:6–9 ESV

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Advent Reminds Us Of Our Beautiful Hope in a New World.

Revelation 21:1–7 NLT

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

Advent Reminds Us Of The Hope Our Lost Loved Ones Have In Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:20–26 NLT

But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

God wants you to have Hope this Advent season.

Hope that He has not forgotten you.

Hope that you are His child.

Hope that your sins are forgiven.

And Hope that He is returning.

Have Hope, Our King Is, Returning!

Related Media

Related Sermons