Christmas Brings...hope

Advent 2018 week one

Christmas brings… Hope

Romans 15:13/ 1 Peter 1:3-7

Introduction-

This week we begin Advent season, a time that we prepare ourselves for Christmas and what Christmas is meant to be.

A celebration for what Christ has done for us by coming to this earth and offering redemption for our sins and offering eternal life.

We begin a series today called Christmas brings… Today Christmas brings Hope

Prayer-

Father, Prepare our hearts for what you have for us this Christmas season. May it not be just another Christmas- but allow us through your precious Holy Spirit to receive the fullness of your hope, your peace, your joy , and your love that comes from a personal relationship with you. May we accomplish much, receive much, and help much. In Jesus Name. Amen.

We lit the first candle this morning, the candle of hope.

The word hope appears in the NT 52 times. The hope reference here is always tied to Christ.

God is the author and the finisher of our faith, and our hope.

Romans 15:13-

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

The church, the most powerful gathering of people in the world, though we live far below where we should, not because God’s power is not sufficient, but because we do not take the authority given to the church by its creator Jesus Christ and we do not assemble as we should and do not do as we should.

God intended his church to be a powerful force for good in the hearts and lives of those that have contact with the church of Christ.

The apostle Paul makes an appeal for the church to be one- those that are strong in the faith and those who are weak in the faith to be united under Christ leadership.

He came as a Jew but united Jew and Gentiles so that all could enjoy salvation through Him.

Christ came to save all people- the church must be inclusive. God reaches out to all, the church must show the love of God and offer the plan of salvation and the hope that is found in Christ alone.

We do not change His word but we make His word available to all we come into contact with.

This world is hopeless without Jesus

Because the world does not have the Joy of the Lord they do not know God.

They do not have the peace of God because the peace of God which passes all human understanding only comes from an active relationship with God and trusting in him.

The world does not have the power of God in their lives.

The three ingredients are what separate us as children of God- the ingredients that give us hope.

Hope in the Bible is not “I hope everything is okay” it is in the person of Jesus Christ.

Biblical hope is not Wishy-Washy.

Some people live their whole lives without hope

They are blinded by this world’s troubles and they see no way out.

A world misguided and lead by what they must do will never receive what God offers by what He only can do.

That baby (Jesus) in the manger changed lives and changed eternity for those that would let Him.

You take Christ out of Christmas and all you have left is chaos and present buying and busyness.

In a word to the exiled Jews- God says Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

Not only does God say you have hope, but you have a future.

Not only will he be there now, but also in your future.

No believer is without hope when the power of God is involved.

No situation is hopeless as long as the grace of God is available.

This world has changed! We no longer live “leave it to beaver.” Some do not even know what I am talking about. It was a TV series of a family in the 50’s.

The war on terrorism went from “over there” to right here in the USA.

911 changed our lives.

We cannot just walk into public buildings, stadiums, government buildings… you have to be checked through.

Y2K was a big scare in 2000.

Some pulled all their money from banks because they felt all computers would crash and the market would fall and lose money

Some went the opposite, they spent money they did not have and thought as long it would crash they wouldn’t have to pay it back.

Each put their faith and hope in something.