When Hope Shows Up

WHEN HOPE SHOWS UP – ADVENT SERMON

ISAIAH 9:2–7

My brothers and my sisters, we are standing once again on the edge of Advent—

• A season where heaven leans toward earth

• where eternity breaks into time

• and where God whispers again, “I STILL KEEP MY PROMISES.”

Advent is not Christmas itself, as a matter of fact it is not mentioned or commanded in the Bible.

The Advent season is a tradition developed later by the Christian Church in the fourth century.

It was used as a 40 day period of preparation for baptism and penance. Later it was linked to the coming of Christ, first as His second coming and eventually connecting it to his first coming at Christmas during the middle ages.

But it’s themes of preparation and anticipation are deeply rooted in biblical texts such as our text this morning.

It’s the waiting room of Christmas.

• It’s where faith is stretched

• Where hope is rekindled

• And darkness is confronted with divine light.

It’s the season where the church declares with ancient saints and ancestors before us:

• “He came

• He’s coming

• and He will come again.”

If we're honest, some of us will walk into this season carrying our own midnights, and hoping our doors will open a new chapter.

• Some are waiting on healing.

• Some waiting on direction.

• Some waiting on breakthrough.

• Some waiting for a word, a sign, a door, a glimmer.

• Some of us are looking at this season hoping that tomorrow will be better than yesterday or today.

And Advent meets us right there—in the waiting room—and reminds us that God does His best work in the dark.

Isaiah said in our text, “THE PEOPLE WHO WALKED IN DARKNESS HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT” (Isaiah 9:2).

He didn’t say the people who escaped the darkness, He said the people who walked in it.

Those who endured it, navigated it, survived it—those people saw the light.

And so today I want to preach from the thought: WHEN HOPE SHOWS UP.

I want to take us through 5 points that should get us ready for the most important event (day) of the year.

POINT 1 – HOPE SHOWS UP IN UNLIKELY PLACES

(Luke 1:26 as background)

AND IN THE SIXTH MONTH THE ANGEL GABRIEL WAS SENT FROM GOD UNTO A CITY OF GALILEE, NAMED NAZARETH

• Nazareth was not the city you bragged about.

• It was not prestigious, nor influential

• It was said that nothing good came from Nazareth

• Nazareth was the “OTHER” side of the tracks

• But God sent an angel there—deliberately targeting the overlooked place.

Don’t you see, God hides divine treasure in unimpressive places:

• Moses from the riverbank

• David from the shepherd field

• Gideon from the winepress

• Jesus born in a manger

Just like grandma hiding money in the lowest drawer, wrapped in a sock, under the potholders—where no thief would look.

• God hides glory in low places and births purpose in unexpected corners.

• God stores treasures where nobody is looking.

• God puts purpose in places people pass by

So, hear this today:

• The low places doesn’t limit the high purpose

• The forgotten corner doesn’t cancel the divine calling

• Your environment doesn’t determine your DESTINY

• The small place doesn’t stop a big God

• God doesn’t need the spotlight

HOPE SHOWS UP IN NAZARETH PLACES.

POINT 2 – HOPE SHOWS UP THROUGH UNEXPECTED PEOPLE

(Luke 1:28–30 as background)

AND THE ANGEL CAME IN UNTO HER, AND SAID, HAIL, THOU ART HIGHLY FAVOURED, THE LORD IS WITH THEE: BLESSED ART THOU AMONG WOMEN.

AND WHEN SHE SAW HIM, SHE WAS TROUBLED AT HIS SAYING, AND CAST IN HER MIND WHAT MANNER OF SALUTATION THIS SHOULD BE.

AND THE ANGEL SAID UNTO HER, FEAR NOT, MARY: FOR THOU HAST FOUND FAVOUR WITH GOD

Mary was not royalty, wealthy, or influential.

She was just a humble girl with a willing heart, but heaven called her highly favored, and graced for a divine assignment.

Not because of her RESUME, but because of her READINESS.

So next time you think you’re not enough for an AWESOME GOD remember GOD DOESN’T CALL THE QUALIFIED, HE QUALIFIES THE CALLED.

When Gabriel says the Holy Spirit will “overshadow” her he uses the same overshadowing word used when God’s glory filled the tabernacle in Exodus 40:35.

Mary becomes:

• a walking sanctuary.

• A moving tabernacle

• A living ark of the covenant,

• Because God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary purpose.

Like coal miners emerging from the earth, covered in dust, clothes worn, and hands rough—yet carrying diamonds and treasures in their hands gathered from deep places.

They didn’t look like treasure carriers, but treasure was in them.