Sermon Tone Analysis
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Advent
The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming
Advent symbolizes the present situation of the church in these “last days” (Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:2), as God’s people wait for the return of Christ in glory to consummate his eternal kingdom.
The church is in a similar situation to Israel at the end of the Old Testament: in exile, waiting and hoping in prayerful expectation for the coming of the Messiah.
Israel looked back to God’s past gracious actions on their behalf in leading them out of Egypt in the Exodus, and on this basis, they called for God once again to act for them.
In the same way, the church, during 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.
In this light, the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” perfectly represents the church’s cry during the Advent season:,”
Intro
What do you hope for?
The holidays often invoke in us a sense of hope.
2hope noun
before 12th century
1 archaic: TRUST, RELIANCE
2 a: desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment 〈came in hopes of seeing you〉 also: expectation of fulfillment or success 〈no hope of a cure〉
b: someone or something on which hopes are centered 〈our only hope for victory〉
c: something hoped for
hope \ˈhōp\ verb
hoped; hop•ing [Middle English, from Old English hopian; akin to Middle High German hoffen to hope] verb intransitive before 12th century
1: to cherish a desire with anticipation 〈hopes for a promotion〉
2 archaic: TRUST verb transitive
1: to desire with expectation of obtainment
2: to expect with confidence: TRUST synonym see EXPECT—hop•er noun—hope against hope: to hope without any basis for expecting fulfillment
We hope for peace, we hope for prosperity, we hope for good weather.
In general though, especially outside of Christian circles, we don’t live in an age of optimism, rather one of pessimism and despair.
It seems that disaster looms large in the minds of many.
It doesn’t seem that there is much basis for hope in our world today.
As Christians though, we have hope.
We have hope in our risen savior.
Hope that we will one day, when our time here is complete, be with our Lord and Savior forever.
We have hope that God is not going to leave this world as it is, but that He will restore it to to its intended purpose.
Our hope comes in Jesus.
In God sending His son to take away the sins of the world.
Some common verses that we read and take hope from are found in Is. 9
We find hope in these verses because we now see on the other side of them.
The child has been born, the son has been given.
We can find even greater hope when we know the context of what was happening in Isaiah’s time.
Isaiah’s time.
Chapters 7-8 describe a very difficult time for God’s chosen people.
These were perilous days for the nation of Judah.
Assyria was growing stronger and threatening the smaller nations whose security depended on a very delicate political balance.
Syria and Ephraim (the Northern Kingdom) tried to pressure Judah into an alliance against Assyria, but Ahaz refused to join them.
Why?
Because he had secretly made a treaty with Assyria! (2 Kings 16:5–9) T
he king was playing “power politics” instead of trusting in the power of God.
Syria and Ephraim planned to overthrow Ahaz and put “the son of Tabeel” on the throne, and Ahaz was a frightened man.
The Lord commanded Isaiah to take his son Shear-jashub (“A remnant shall return”) and meet Ahaz as the king was inspecting the city’s water system.
Ahaz’s heart had been wavering, and the hearts of his people had been shaking for fear
Instead of trusting the Lord, Ahaz continued to trust Assyria for help; and Isaiah warned him that Assyria would become Judah’s enemy.
The Assyrians would invade Judah and so ravage the land that agriculture would cease and the people would have only dairy products to eat (vv.
15, 21–23).
The rich farmland would become wasteland, and the people would be forced to hunt wild beasts in order to get food.
It would be a time of great humiliation (v.
20; 2 Sam.
10:4–5) and suffering that could have been avoided had the leaders trusted in the Lord
In Chapter 8, Isaiah gives three contrasts to show the rulers of Judah the mistake they were making by trusting Assyria instead of trusting the Lord.
They chose a flood instead of a peaceful river.
They chose a snare instead of a sanctuary.
And the chose darkness instead of light.
Even in the poor choices though, the Lord did not leave his people without hope.
CHOOSING THEIR OWN way rather than God’s way, trusting in human glory rather than in God, the nation has plunged itself into darkness.
But that is not where God intends to leave them.
In the very areas where the Assyrian conquests began, there God promises that the light will dawn.
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish is how chapter 9 begins.
And in verse 2,
The light Isaiah speaks of in these verses is the redeemer.
The redeemer would come and bring to the world the dawning of a new day.
A day when the light would shine in the darkness.
If His name is “Wonderful,” then there will be nothing dull about His reign!
As Counselor, He has the wisdom to rule justly; and as the Mighty God, He has the power to execute His wise plans.
“Everlasting Father” does not suggest that the Son is also the Father, for each Person in the Godhead is distinct.
“Father of Eternity” is a better translation.
Among the Jews, the word “father” means “originator” or “source.”
For example, Satan is the “father [originator] of lies” (John 8:44, NIV).
If you want anything eternal, you must get it from Jesus Christ; He is the “Father of eternity
Hope in Jesus first coming fulfilled.
In the Bible, we see the hope of the coming Christ fulfilled.
The light has come, and darkness will not overcome it.
Life and light has come through Jesus.
The opportunity for salvation is as hand.
We take hope in the God sending his son to be the redeemer.
Our hope is in the light of the world, who stepped down into darkness, to open our eyes, to set us free.
Our blessed hope.
Our hope is even greater.
We walk in a new commandment.
Our hope must be for more than better lives now, our up must be for a person.
Our hope must be in Christ.
A good hope
A sure hope
A living hope.
a Saving hope.
A purifying hope.
A comforting hope.
Hope is about a promise and a person.
We wait for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ.
Hope changes us in the present.
Once you start down the path of hope, there's no turning back.
Let me put it this way: hope will ruin your life.
If we are completely honest sometimes it's better not to hope.
Hopelessness closes the human heart; once you start hoping, you become vulnerable.
Once you start hoping, your heart starts to burst with longing—because now you have something that you want.
Hope will turn your life upside down.
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