Introduction to Advent Season: It is a process that will incorporate lots of great things. 1st Advent: Birth of Christ / 2nd Advent: Return of Christ
Hope is a Natural Human Feeling: The special this morning demonstrates this fact.
We continually want something to come, happen, be found, change, or turn out well.
Hope is a Fitting Inaugural Theme for Advent:
Hope of the Birth of Christ and now hope for the Return of Christ. OT looked forward in hope to the birth and the NT (and us) look forward to the return. These are the Advents, the arrival of something long awaited. The something so momentous is the presence of Christ, Immanuel.
Definition:
1. The popular English idea of hope is that it is a subjective desire or it is to want something very much.
2. The Biblical idea of hope is that it is Desire + Expectation.
Hope in the Scriptures:
We must draw a distinction between hope and faith. We can do that with a few Scriptures:
1. 1 Corinthians 15:19 We Hope in Christ for the Next Life – Promises of God
“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”
2. Romans 8:24-25 Hope is Waiting
“For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”
-Who does the pouring? The Holy Spirit Who was given to us.
What is being poured? God’s Love = the Gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection
-People need concrete evidence and God gave/gives it to us by the message that Christ Jesus died. So we know that hope will not disappoint us. At the mention of the Spirit here, it leads me to believe that the Spirit continuously declares the Gospel Word to us.
3. Romans 5:5 Hope Does Not Disappoint
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
How can you remain “grounded and steadfast, not moved away from the hope of the gospel?”
1. Hope is induced by Scripture: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” Rom 15:4.
2. Allow the Spirit of God to speak to your spirit: “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” Rom 5:5.
Do you know what the Law tells you? You are Guilty! You are Guilty!
What about Satan? You are Doomed! You are Doomed!
The Spirit declares day after day, moment after moment,
He Loves you and Gave Himself for you! He Loves you and Gave Himself for you!