Leader - Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the Sunday in which we recall the hope we have in Christ. Congregation - The prophets of Israel all spoke

Leader - Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the Sunday in which we recall the hope we have in Christ.

Congregation - The prophets of Israel all spoke of the coming of Christ, of how a savior would be born, a king in the line of David. They spoke of how he would rule the world wisely and bless all nations.

Leader - On Christmas day the Christ of our hope was born. On Good Friday the Christ of our hope died. On Resurrection Sunday the Christ of our hope rose from the dead. He then ascended into heaven. On the last day, the Christ of our hope will come again to establish his kingdom over all things on earth.

Congregation - As the followers of Christ, we await His return. We light this candle to remember that as He came to us humbly, in the manger at Bethlehem, and gave light to the world, so He is coming again in power to deliver his people.

Leader - We light this candle to remind us to be alert and to watch for his return.

Ps.

14

6:

5

But happy are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,whose hope is in the Lord their God.…He is the one who keeps every promise forever,

Matt

12

:18

(Is

a 4

2:

1-4

)“Look at my Servant,whom I have chosen.He is my Beloved,and I am very pleased with him.I will put my Spirit upon him,and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout;he will not raise his voice in public. He will not crush those who are weak,or quench the smallest hope,until he brings full justice with his final victory. And his name will be the hopeof all the world.”

Jesus: The Realized Expectation

Jesus: The Realized Expectation

Israel was ‘hoping’ for a warrior king like David.

They put their hope in a king that would deliver them politically. One that would free them from their oppressors and from a corrupt system of government.

Hope is

…the belief that something positive, which does not presently apply to one's life, could still materialize, …much more than simple desire

…the belief in the possibility of a favorable outcome to otherwise impossible circumstances

Hope is never merely a wishful fantasy about how good things will be, but is a mixed state of mind that also entails underlying distress about what the present might imply for the future.

“Hope arises, in part, from a strong desire to be in a different situation than at present, and from the impression that this is possible, either as a result of our own efforts or external forces we do not control.” Richard Lazarus

Israel was ‘hoping’ for a warrior king like David.

They were hoping for David, what they got was God.

What they got was One who first wanted to free them from their sinfulness. One who’s first inclination was to bring them into a personal relationship with God. Who, rather than to give them political freedom and power, wanted to make their individual lives purposeful and secure.

Hope expresses the possibility of a positive life in the face of severe loss.

Ps

11

9:

49

-50

Remember your promise to me,for it is my only hope.Your promise revives me;it comforts me in all my troubles.

To be Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise

Security, Significance, and Success

What everybody wants

The promise is for success

But… It is not for wealth… It is not for good

health… It is not for fame…

Th

e P

rom

ise

“I have come that you might have life… abundant life” “…and I am going to prepare a place for you… When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”

Th

e P

rom

ise

What Is The Promise?

If hope, real hope, is built on realized expectations, then one must have a legitimate basis for

the expectation. If the expectation is built on a promise, one must

accurately understand the promise.

What is the hope that Jesus’ life brings to us?

• That we are not slaves to time and chance - that God knows and cares about us.

Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows. Matt 10:29


• That we are not slaves to time and chance - that God knows and cares about us

• That our stupidity won’t ultimately ruin us.

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. 1 John 1:9


• That we are not slaves to time and chance - that God knows and cares about us

• That our stupidity won’t ultimately ruin us.

• That our life will ultimately be of some value

And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again. Phil 1:6


• That the challenges and trials of this life are not just a waste of time, energy, and pain.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Rom 8:28



• That we won’t go down in defeat.

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Rom 8:37



• That we won’t go down in defeat.

• That this is not all there is !!

And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, 15 so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life. John 3:14

Realized Expectation?

Jesus was indeed the fulfillment of the promise of God to Israel. As the Gentile world became aware of who and what He was, some understood Him to be the fulfillment of the promise it produced an expectation that He would return as He said. Based on the fact that God kept His word in the first incarnation (realized expectation), we now have a legitimate hope that He will come again and gather us to Himself; there to live eternally

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Leader - Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the Sunday in which we recall the hope we have in Christ. Congregation - The prophets of Israel all spoke