A Thrill of Hope
There we go. Okay, so I know you look up there and you're probably thinking what this is Christmas why it was this stay with me. Okay. Christmas
is characterized or can be characterized by a lot of different words you can say I don't know which ones you might choose to. Let me just throw a few Christmas words out there to you. Okay, Holly? mistletoe Carol's presents snow Noel ornaments free trees candy overeating. Okay, maybe that's just us. I could go on and on but but there's also a lot of different biblical words for the story that we celebrate it Christmas right Manger. Shepherd's, baby Angels Bethlehem census star Any others you can think of biblical Christmas Story words? Magi
donkey
at the Shrek word. That's not a Christmas or
I want to throw a word out and actually it is an advent word. But I want to I want to throw out a word that I want to focus on this morning Rodney mentioned it in the Advent a process and procedure. let's hope Steve mentioned at the first week. We looked at the Advent stuff here. Hope I don't know what I want to ask you this morning is do you think of Hope a Christmas? I mean does it pop in your head? Not like after you think about it. No. Yeah, that makes sense. I see how that works, but it's probably not something that you equate with Christmas maybe necessarily. And what are you do or not? I hope see what I did there. I hope that after today and our time together. You will be quite hope with Christmas. Let me tell you where this is coming from for me. I obviously enjoy music and I really really enjoyed Christmas music and in case you're wondering Doug Stone has the best Christmas album of all time. Just trust me or look for yourself. It's is the greatest ever released in 1992, which is when I graduated high school and there's no traditional Christmas carols on it at all you like but it can't be very good while I'm just saying trust me case the greatest ever. Okay, that's not what I'm here to do today, but we're not here, but I love Christmas music. I love it and we start listening to Christmas music 1st of November growing up. My dad said we couldn't even think about Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. K 1st November we're on it. Doug. Stone is playing in my car November 1st. I promise you.
And it kind of helps me get ready for Thanksgiving truthfully because it's making me think about what God did and stuff and and stuff. That's all it good throw in word and stuff, but it makes me thankful. It really does. So if it's furthered my Thanksgiving and it's giving me more time to enjoy Christmas music. I told you all I think it was something important was this Thursday with this one's are the past Wednesday that the that my favorite Christmas song of all this email remember? It was not The First Noel. Skip guess that's a good one. O'holy night. I think it may be the greatest song ever written is theologically good. It's musically good and it's just it's just so good. And there's a line in that song that we sing this morning that mentions hope. Let me set the lyrical stage for you. Ready Oh Holy Night the stars are brightly shining. It is the night of our dear savior's birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining till he appeared and the Soul felt its worth and here it is a thrill of Hope the weary World rejoices for Yonder breaks a new and glorious more. catch that a thrill of Hope
a man is I've heard that song this year not as a part of every year but particularly this year. It's just resonated with me over and over and over again and look at the setting long lay the world in sin and error pining till he appeared and the Soul felt its worth a thrill of Hope.
A weary World rejoices for Yonder breaks a new and glorious morn and get familiar with that pattern. There's there's a there's a wavelength there a long process of pining. and then the dawning hope and when that hope appears there's a definite clear thrill with it. despair then hope
Several years ago there were some miners trapped I think was in Chile is in. All right there. And they were there for like 20 days. Can you imagine the thrill of Hope? When they first hear there's somebody coming. And that thrill of Hope and at first light that they saw come out at dark mine at thrill of Hope when they see their loved ones then they're waiting on them. Can you imagine? I want you to tap into that stall and that feeling is one as we talked about Hope and not just hope but a thrill of Hope.
Despair and then hope the hopes effects are clearly magnified by the amount of the spare that was felt before that. Hope came along. And that's what we want explore and what we look at today, especially in connection with Christmas Advent and how it still affects each and every one of us today. And we will look at some familiar Christmas passages in the Bible, but are public reading this morning comes from Romans 15, and I'm going to need you and rude to scroll through this because my thing is spinning up here and I got nothing to control. So if you could just scroll for me and if you would everybody else stand if you can and will as we publicly read this Maybe not traditional Christmas passage, but I think it is a great Christmas Passage.
Paul says this in Romans 15 and these are the very words of God. Tell you the Christ became a servant to the circumsized to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm. The promise is given to the Patriarchs. And in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his Mercy as it is written. Therefore. I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name. And again just said Rejoice O Gentiles with his people and again, praise the Lord all you Gentiles and let all the people that stole him. And again Isaiah says the root of Jesse will come even he who arises to rule the Gentiles in him. Will the Gentiles hope and then verse 13 May the god of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in Hope let's pray. God you have done great things. And we were Joyce. Long lay the world in sin and error pining till he appeared and the Soul felt its worth. It was a thrill of Hope. And God by the power of your Holy Spirit this morning. Would you give us that thrill of hope so that we might glorify you for the hope that is within us. We ask in Jesus name then you may be seated.
Soho We talked about it a lot. It comes out and conversations. Probably very nonchalantly. and I think well, I know but if we're not careful we missed the point the true point of what hope really is. So if you wanted to find something, who do you ask? Yes, don't ask the internet, you know, you can ask the internet to go to Merriam-Webster Merriam-Webster tells us what things mean Merriam-Webster dictionary for those of y'all don't know what that is. It's a dictionary tells us what word to mean. And Merriam-Webster defines hope as both a verb and a noun. And here is the definition that they give for the verb hope to cherish a desire with anticipation to want something to happen or be true. Somebody hopes for a promotion hoping for the best. I hope so. to Desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment
Do hope without any basis for expecting fulfillment. That's the hope against hope. So that's the verb now the noun is this it's trust Reliance desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.
expectation of fulfillment or success someone or something on which hopes are centered. So last night the Redskins 4th string quarterback was their only hope for victory will guess what it didn't happen. But he was our only hope. Nathan interception in the game
and I hope can also be something desire or hoped like you have great hopes for the coming year. So by those definitions, hope can be something a noun or could be something that you do burp. You can have hope and you can do hope okay? But in these definitions the prevailing theme is that hope is not a guarantee. I can hope for something but the Hope doesn't mean it's going to happen. We talked about this year before I can hope that we get snow for Christmas, which I don't care. I don't like snow but some of y'all are like I'm dreaming.
How can we get snow for Christmas? But my hope does nothing to make it happen. It's just a feeling. This is the desire something that you want. But the biblical definition of Hope is a whole different story. Now in the Bible we can still be a noun or a verb, but this definition from Strong's definition of biblical words going to Bible words mean you asked James strong not Merriam-Webster. He compiled these well before the wizz computers, by the way, it's mind-blowing what this man did. But the Biblical word for hope that the Greek word in the New Testament. Is El peace elpis is our English transliteration and listen to what it means. It means expectation and it can be expectation of good or evil by the way. joyful, and confident expectation of Eternal salvation
can also be the author of Hope or he who is its foundation or hope can be the thing hope for now know the difference in what Merriam-Webster said and was strong said by Webster makes hope something you really want. The Biblical word is a joyful and confident expectation. Now that's a big deal that misses big. It's important we get ahold of that up front here when Paul references here in Romans 15:13 about abounding and hope he's not saying he wants his readers to have a strong desire for something that may or may not happen. Rather he's asking that they may abound in a joyful and confident expectation in their Eternal salvation.
And if you know that in the end you ultimately win. Even the hard times are more manageable, right? Even when times are hard if you know the final outcome is good. It gives us some sustaining Grace, doesn't it? So Paul calls on God to fill his readers with a sustaining Joy knowing that they have good things coming to them. That's the kind of Joy. That's the kind of hope that were talking about this morning. And I want to do a real quick Bible survey and I do mean quick so that we can see what the Bible what does Scripture say about hope this is going to be quick. I promise where you at the whole Bible looking for the word. Hope it's going to be real quick. The word hope is used in the Bible 168 times and 160 vs. That's 66 books. Not in the ESV. The word doesn't appear until the Book of Ruth Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy. Joshua Judges Ruth, so not until the 8th and it just once and Ruth. So, foreign concept there in the beginning then she was once a nasra and once an ester. What's after Esther who sing the song in their head?
Hope is used 19 times in the book of joke. That's interesting enough. Y y 19 * here in the 18th book of the Bible after being only used twice total in the previous 17 books combined. We'll get to that in a minute put a pin in that.
Well, let's keep moving to the Bible Psalms is next 28 x hope is mentioned in Psalms 8 times and Proverbs once and Ecclesiastes 8 times and Isaiah 7 times in Jeremiah 4 times in Lamentations 2 times in Ezekiel 1 San Jose at once and Jonah and twice and Zechariah and we're done with the Old Testament. The other books has not mentioned in so we got 74 missions of Hope in the Old Testament predominantly in the book of Jobe in the Book of Psalms. What's going on in joke? What's joke about? If you had to summarize job in one word, what would it be suffering?
And what's going on so much in the Psalms 150 of them and about three-quarters of them is a guy shaking his fist at heaven. Why do you stand for the wicked prosper?
Where is my home? So much of the Psalms or about the Samus crying out against Injustice and suffering and despair. I know we all need home. But when do we need it most when were set free? And we see that displayed in the use of Hope in the Old Testament. And ultimately week. We just didn't see it much in the Old Testament 74 mentions and they were in 14 of the 39 books of the Old Testament. But when we get to the New Testament, we see it quite a bit more. Remember I said 168 times in the Bible. Let's do some simple math 168 * total -74 references in the Old Testament Jesus 94 Mansions of the word. Hope in the New Testaments 27 books 94 and 27 now that's that's quite a bit more in it. Just a side note, which will get to week. We read Romans to begin with 17 of those 94 are in the Book of Romans. the word hope appear 17 times in the Book of Romans making it the book of Romans the New Testament book where hope is mentioned most
Pretty interesting and just FYI. It's not used in The Book of Revelation at all.
Why but we'll get to that at the end. So quit taking what we just saw hope they're not used much in the Old Testament is predominantly used there in the context of suffering. And we see it used a lot more in the New Testament with the biggest concentration in the Bible's clearest and most comprehensive explanation of the Gospel in Romans. So taken together, then we'll see this over 20% of the mentions of Hope in the Bible are found in Jobe and Romans collectively.
Took all that information away will get back to some of it later and let us get this for you personally. Have you ever felt like you've lost your
Or maybe do you feel like you have no hope now?
Let's talk about that for a minute. Okay? We have a lot of words that we use when people lose their hope in life. There's hopelessness. Of course the most hopeless despair. depression in a funk blue down sad ever been there. I have
I'm pretty sure we all have at one time or another and some people really deal with this as the dominant tone in their lives. Don't they? You probably know someone if it isn't your own experience who suffers from depression.
Let me give you some diagnostic criteria cry is not a word diagnostic criteria for clinical depression. This is from the diagnostic and statistical manual 5th edition. He got these are symptoms that you would have to have to be diagnosed with clinical depression. You ready? Depressed mood such as feeling sad empty or Careful by the way in children and teens that depressed mood can appear as constant irritability.
Significantly reduced interest or feeling no pleasure in all or most activities. Significant weight loss when not dieting weight gain or decrease or increase in appetite. insomnia or increased desire to sleep either restlessness or slowed behavior that can be observed by others fatigue or loss of energy feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt trouble making decisions or trouble thinking or concentrating and lastly recurrent thoughts of death or suicide or a suicide attempt to have five or more of those symptoms to be diagnosed with clinical depression.
and to me sounds like a life without hope then it
It surely easy to fall into depressive thought patterns or mindset. If you don't have any hope, you know, it's easy to follow these depressor patterns when you do have hope but when you don't you start to wonder if things will ever get better and then you start to doubt that they ever will and then you just know that this is your lot in life the past being rough and with no thoughts of anything being different in the future. Maybe just worse. That is life without hope and it is hard it is dark and it's a rough way to live and millions of people live. This way. Billions is probably a safer work. I'm thinking anywhere in America Millions worldwide Billiards.
The Bible also paint some pictures of what it means to live without hope. Let me give you a couple of examples when we go to our next passage there lamentation. That's a good. Joyful celebrate of book, right? The book of Lamentations was written to describe the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian Empire. Listen to how the writer describes himself at this time. Lamentations 3 16 through 20. He meaning God has made my teeth grind on gravel and maybe cower and Ashes. My soul is bereft of peace. I have forgotten What happiness is so I say my endurance is perished. So has My Hope from the Lord. Remember my Affliction of my wandering is the wormwood and the gall my soul continually remembers it and is bowed down with it.
Jeremiah the ninety-nine percent sure wrote the book of Lamentations and he actually says that his hope in the Lord has perished. It describes his inner life his soul as bow down within himself. Never felt that way. You feel that way now.
When we get to the New Testament, we see pictures of people without hope to and actually it says life without Jesus is hopeless. Look at the fusions 2 verses 11 through 12. Therefore remember that one time you Gentiles in the flash called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by Hanson. Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ alienated from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promised having no hope and without God in the world, and I know that there's a definite connection between having no hope and being separated from God being separated from Christ. a Cheesy bumper sticker thing that you probably seen is No, Jesus, no, hope no Jesus in a Jesus know peace, like know Jesus know peace, but k n o Jesus Vino W. Sorry know peace right know Jesus know peace know Jesus know peace. Okay, I don't hear you cuz I need that up there so you can see it. So that's kind of cliche this if you if there is no Jesus you have no hope but if you know Jesus, you know ho Which brings us to Christmas?
Remember we said in the lyrics to O Holy Night that are referred to the world laying long and sin and error pining till what till he appeared? And then what and then the Soul felt its were then came a thrill of Hope why because all of the Old Testament was God preparing the world for what he was going to do through the life and Ministry of Jesus Donner this morning and Galatians 4 at the same time. Jesus came to be born of a woman born under the law. So all of y'all kept was God getting things ready for that. Those sparse mentions of Hope in the Old Testament where cries for some kind of Hope in the midst of suffering Injustice pain and sin, but in their day in the Old Testament that hope was deferred and probably would say hope deferred makes the heart sick. Their Hope was deferred. It was put off until God would move his plan forward. And I happened as has as had been foretold through so many prophecies when Jesus was born was born with Jesus. And that's what we celebrate Christmas right and Advent. Stepping into his Creation in the form of a little baby to make things right between God and man. It's what the angel said the night of his birth. We're at it. We talked about a little bit this past Wednesday Luke 2 8 through 14 should be up there.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night and an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were filled with great fear and the angel said to them fear not for behold. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people for unto you is Born This Day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the lord and this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on Earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. Good news, great joy glory to God. Peace on Earth among those with whom he is pleased now, that's good news. That's how
and no the Angels didn't talk about something that may or may not happen. But I praise God for what was happening and what was going to happen to vley it was going to happen. The plan was being carried out and it would not fail. We said so many times over these past months through this past year is like 2018 to me was the year that we talked about God having a plan.
The Old Testament shows that and the New Testament shows that plan starting to come to fruition. And when we spend what we celebrate at Christmas is that God came like he said he would come God gave his son to give hope to man. God gave the gift of Hope when Jesus come came and that's worth celebrating. So then what well If you are Christian listen to me, you have a sure certain. Hope that cannot be taken away from you. And that hope is the gift that God has given you of his very presence that cannot be taken away. What are we seeing over and over and over again this morning Emmanuel God With Us.
And I can't be taken away. But gift his presence it is the gift of hope that you are right with him and that takes precedence over everything else.
That we referenced. Talking about not having hope we referenced Lamentations in Ephesians. And then talking about being hopeless, but watch this let's look back at those passages which goes forward in a versus by the way. Don't go back. Let's go forward on a versus and let's look at the lengthy passage here in Lamentations 3 instead of just looking at 16 through 20. We're going to get 16 through 33. He is made my teeth grind on gravel and made me cower and Ashes. My soul is bereft of peace. I have forgotten What happiness is so I say my endurance is Paris. So has My Hope from the Lord. Remember my Affliction of my one brings the wormwood and the gall my soul continually remembers it and his bow down with them. But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion says my soul. Therefore I will hope in him. The Lord is good to those who wait for him to the soul who seeks him. It is good. That one should wait quietly for the Salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the Yoke in his youth let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him. Let him put his mouth in the dust there may can't be let him give his cheek to the one who strikes and let him be filled with insults for the Lord will not cast off for But though he calls grief. He will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children.
Now listen, let's set this setting for you.
when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem The people in Jerusalem had wall themselves in. And they ran out of food.
And I had to have water secretly tunneled in they were boiling and eating their children.
Call Satan have anything to eat. and then Jeremiah Wright's this
the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases call Vista.
Great is your faithfulness?
Your mercies are new Every Morning. The Lord is my portion. The Lord is good to those who wait for him for those who seek him while they're boiling their babies in the streak.
What is our perspective?
So he went from being bogged down in his soul chewing on gravel. Just celebrating hope why because he remembered the steadfast love of the Lord. God's love gave him
now looks look at the Ephesians passage. We're going to read 11 through 13. Not just 1112 this time there for remember that one time you Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcision, but what is called the circumcision which is made in the flesh by hand. Remember that you were at that time separated from Price alienated from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the come. It's a promise having no home been without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have them brought near by the Black?
Bro. Hope here verse 13 says but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. You went from having no hope and being without God in the world to being brought near to God himself by the blood of Christ. Jesus Is Life Death burial Resurrection Ascension and glorification to bring you to God, which is the ultimate and the greatest hopes.
And I so much of the rest of the New Testament shows us nothing can undo that. Romans a right You want to talk about hope I don't know any passage in the Bible that shows us this more than Romans. 8:18 through 2500 words are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us for the creation Waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God for the creation was subjected to futility not willingly, but because of him being subjected it in her that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God for we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the Pains of childbirth until now and I don't want the creation but we ourselves to have the first fruits of the spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as Sons the Redemption of our bodies for in this hope we were saying now hope that is seen is not hope for who hosts for what he sees. But if we hope for what we Not see we wait for it with patience.
The life of Faith lived in and through the power of the Risen Christ puts our suffering in perspective and makes the suffering itself a promise of Glory come.
And the time in the suffering the time in the waiting the time in the waiting for the coming glorious lift how it's lived in its lived with ho ho ho.
Verses 24 and 25 safe for in this hope we were saved and I hope that is seen is not hope for who hopes for what he sees. But if we hope for what we do not see we wait for it with patience, but wife because our hope is that well go to Romans 8:28 through 39. You want to know what your hope is here is your Hope Christian and we know but for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose for Those whom he foreknew. He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. In order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and Those whom he predestined. He also called and Those whom he called. He also Justified and Those whom he justified. He also glorified What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us who can be against us he who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for his off. How will he not also with him graciously. Give us all things who shall bring a charge against God's elect. It is God who justifies who was taking them Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that. He was raised who is at the right hand of God who ending is interceding for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword as it is written for your sake we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No. In all these things. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us for I'm sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers or things present for 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
You want to know what hope is?
That is life without.
Hope that all things. Are being worked by God himself for our good you said but there's some bad things happening. Yes and God using them and he's causing them to work together for your cut. You say you don't know my past. I don't have to. Because what happened in your past his part of all things. I'm uncertain about the future. So am I? What's going to happen in the future is in all things? And God is using all things and working them together for your good. That's home.
After all things are being worked by God himself for our good hope that God gave his son for us all hope that God will give us all things in his son. Hope that Jesus is living even now to intercede for us. Hope that nothing in all of creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ, not tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or dangerous or neither death nor life nor angels nor think the Condor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation. On the contrary in all these things. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
That is the gift that God gave to us when Jesus was born. a thrill of Hope
the weary World rejoices for Yonder breaks a new and glorious
Fall on Your Knees
I hear you though. You're like now.
Don't know what happened to me when I was a kid. What he did to me.
You don't know everything. I've been through preacher.
Nope, I don't. And you may hear what I've said this morning.
No, no connection, maybe even there is guilt or shame. Cuz you don't have that hope.
Maybe you're depressed downtrodden. And you would give everything you have to feel just a glamour of that. Hope.
And maybe this morning you're a believer.
I mean you're not I promise if you're not you don't have I'm not saying that I am just telling you what we've already talked about. But up Christ. You have no oil.
Your situation may change your circumstances make it better.
Either way you're sitting here this morning, and you don't feel this hope. You don't grasp this hope or maybe you think your Beyond hope.
And I would say to any and all of us this morning this hope is not far from me.
And I would say to any and all of us this hope is so much more than just a feeling.
the truth a Bedrock foundational truth that you can build your life on I don't care where you've been or where you're going.
It's a truth or reality that comes with placing your faith in God's gift to us at Christmas. It's about knowing the truth that Jesus said will set you free.
And the truth is Christ has come. Christ will come again.
Couple more passages talking about the surety of this. Hope first Romans 5 1 through 5 you set on Philip Reacher never seen it don't believe it. Listen to me. Therefore since we have been justified by faith. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through him. We have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in Hope of the glory of God. Not only that but we rejoice in our sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces. Hope and hope does not put us to shame. Because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given.
Hope is being made right with God. Hope is having peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So when suffering comes suffering is just a tool that is being used in the hands of your heavenly father to produce hoping you.
I don't feel ho. Look at Jesus. Now I got Jesus stuff. I've heard it all my life, and I've never seen it to be true.
When asked if the holy spirit of God would Kindle a faint spark of faith in your heart. And that you would look to him. And you would see what Hebrews 6:17 through 20 says. So when God desire to show more convincingly to The Heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose. He guaranteed it with an oath so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God. We have fled for Refuge. We who have flip Refuge might have a strong encouragement to hold fast to the Hope set before us listen to me. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul. I hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain. Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf having become a high Priest River after the order of Melchizedek. Listen to me this hope is not based on your feelings this hope is not based on your experiences this hope is not based on your sordid past this hope is not built on your uncertain future this hope is built on the certainty of who Jesus Christ is was and what he has done and what he is doing and listen to me Jesus Christ has come
Jesus Christ will come again.
This hope is based on the shore complete. Holy work of God, and we just read God cannot lie. And he has prepared beforehand the path that we should walk in and he is conforming us to the image of his son so that he might get Glory listen to me at the end of all things. God will be glorified.
in heaven and in hell God will be glorified that going to happen.
The question you have to ask yourself this morning you who are looking for hoping it's all of us. Is will I turn my eyes away from myself will I look back at a Manger? Why look back across? Well, I look forward to the coming Advent of Christ when he comes on the clouds.
And not have an empty. Hope that's based on my emotions in my feelings. But it sure steadfast anchor for the soul that says God is who he says he is. God has done what God has said he has done Jesus is who God said he is Jesus came. He lived a perfect life. He died of death on a cross that pay the penalty for my sins so that I might have peace with God. Will you place your faith in that or will you continue to place your faith in your efforts your emotions your situation in your circumstances? Cuz if you do that, you will have no.
This hope is based on the shore complete. Holy work of God as displayed in the life and Ministry of Jesus Christ. The one we celebrate this Christmas and Advent season and no matter where you've been or where you are or where you are headed. Listen to me. You cannot outrun the scope of his grace that gives us this thrill of Hope.
Christmas reminds us of the amazing lengths that God went to in order to bring us this. You say well your life hasn't been as bad as mine. Probably not. I've had a really good life.
Jesus what's his story? What was his life like? One of my favorite Christmas passages and all the Bible is Philippians 2 5 through 11. You want to know the depths that Jesus Will sink to the heights that he will raise to to find you and to give you hope what's read this together. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped or held onto but he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God.
He emptied himself so that he can associate with you. your past the Son of God was born in a manger.
And lay down in a feeding trough wrapped in Old 30.
We have nothing that we can compare what Jesus did when he emptied himself. Your past may be bad and hard and I'm not trying to negate that at all. It is nothing compared to what Jesus did. He didn't just become a man. He become a baby. Born to poor peasant folks in a little Podunk town called back land. They didn't even have any room for him in the end.
And its first visitors were a bunch of stinky Shepherds. Cast offs Castaways nobody else wanted to see them or be around them. The angel said go see this thing that got his done. Because it's going to be great news of great joy. I will be for all the people.
But Jesus didn't stop his emptying their he emptied himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. I know waiting on y'all died on the cross.
I hope you don't.
excruciating
map of Jesus did to associate with you. And to live and to die in a way that would give you a thrill of Hope.
I'm not trying to make you feel guilty when my life was as bad as Jesus. But I am want you to see the extremes that he went through to draw you near to himself and give you hope and what is arjo. I hope that one day listen to me. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father listen to me that's going to happen. I sure as breakfast happened for you this morning, so I didn't have breakfast breakfast time.
I sure as anything that has ever happened in the world. This is sure to happen and this is our hope.
So we throw our anchor behind the veil where Jesus is. And we say hold me fast cuz this ain't easy and he says I know it hasn't been there done that. I didn't even get a t-shirt. I didn't want to remember. He knows that stuff. He knows it's hard and he came that you might have.
Through his first his life his death his burial his resurrection his Ascension and his glorification. That is our
Okay, what else is our hope I said there's no hope mentioned in Revelation. Why we don't need it no more.
We don't need it. No more we get to that point God is pouring out his wrath upon Sinners and he's welcoming his people. becoming to them talked about this It's Wednesday. I'm going to read it again.
If I can find it.
Then I saw a new Heaven. And a new Earth this is revelation. That's why we don't even hope when we get the Revelation that I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first heaven in the first star that passed away and the sea was no more and I saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a loud voice get ready cuz I'm gonna use the loud voice just so you know, And I heard a loud voice from the throne sang with man. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will be with them is their God wipe away every tear from their eyes and Death Shall be no more neither shall there be morning nor crying or pain anymore, former things have passed away.
And he who was Seated on the throne said behold I am making all things new. Also, he said write this down for these words are trustworthy and true and he said to me it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end to the Thirsty. I will give from the spring of the Water of Life without payment. The one who conquers will have this Heritage and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the Cowardly the faithless the testable as for murderers the sexually immoral Sorcerers idolaters and all liars. Their portion will be in the Lake of Fire that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second.
all things and listen to me. It's going to happen.
I'm going to be new.
No more sin. No more morning. No more crying no more suffering, but until then.
I walk in hope not that it might happen. I walk in the shore steadfast thrill of Hope. that is going to have
Say we don't deserve this God is really an understatement.
But to say that you love to show us Grace is also an understatement. God made this Christmas this Advent season remind us that you have gone to incredible lengths to associate with us to know our suffering and to help us overcome our suffering with the unquenchable fire. That is a thrill.
God you will be glorified all things will be made new.
And we will share eternity with you if we have placed our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Got it. There is anyone here this morning who has not received this gift of eternal life and it is a gift a free gift that you give. And it is a command to be obeyed as well.
Holy Spirit, would you give New Life this morning?
I got it there be your children here who do know you who feel hopeless. What you give us a thrill of out?
And I we find that hope in the person of Jesus not a little baby not team or not a crucified savior. Nothing more. Risen exalted glorified king of kings and Lord of lords who is coming again. May he be our hope? May we glorify you with that? We asked for your help and we expect it in Jesus name will just stand and receiver benediction.
Oh and where we started? May the god of Hope fill you with joy and and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in Hope and All God's Children Are dismissed Merry Christmas.