Gifts from the Father: Hope

"Gifts from the Father: Hope” Genesis 3; Isaiah 7 November 27, 2021 THE BIG IDEA: We can live without many things in life but we cannot è Like most prophecies in the Bible, this one has 2 contexts: the immediate one and the future one. è In both contexts, God took the initiative -- He loves to break into the lives of people! è One of the greatest gifts God ever gives is His insistence at pursuing us even when we are too reluctant or fearful to ask Him for His help. (Titus 1:1-3 ESV) Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; live well without hope. Hope is experienced when we are honest about where we are, see where we long to be, and believe the gap can be closed by a Savior. The Father made a promise of Hope and Jesus is the embodiment of Hope! Two Fatal Mistakes We Make About Our Current Conditions: 1. Sweep it under the rug, ignoring the danger. 2. Enshrine it as the fixed story of our life, acting as though things can never change. The Christmas Story Begins in a Garden [Genesis 3] ü We must know what the temptation Satan offers us really is: o Autonomy o Self-sufficiency ü We must understand what the depth of Sin. ü We must cling to the hope God announced – the first Christmas promise was in Genesis 3:15. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Isaiah 7:11-14 ESV 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 1. People Looking for Hope Will See God’s Sign That He Is Invading Our World è The good news is that God is not hard to find. As in the Garden, He is the One who comes seeking those who are hiding from Him. 2. People Looking for Hope Will Notice That the Sign is For Them. • • A simple word in Isaiah 7:14 completely changes how the verse reads. “You” is you all (y’all). God says, “I give this sign, not just to Ahaz, but to all people for all time. This gift is for all of us! Luke 2:10 (ESV) 10 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. • So, there is no need to “pre-qualify” or earn your place in line for this opportunity. God says, “This gift is for you all.” 3. Hope is Experienced When We Begin to Trust and Live for Christ, Not Ourselves 2 Corinthians 5:15 (ESV) 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. What Hope Will Look Like: Isaiah 9:2-6