Sunday 12.1.19
a reading from the word of God
in his father's jacket why I was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he has looked favorably on these people and redeem them. He is raised up a mighty Savior for us in the house of his servant David. As he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old that we would be saved from my enemies and from the hand of all who hate us? Garcia shown the mercy promise to our ancestors and is remembered his Holy Covenant the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham to grant us that we being rescued from the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in Holiness and righteousness. Before him all of our days. And you child will be called the prophet of the most high for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways to give knowledge of Salvation to his people and by the Forgiveness of their sins by the tender mercy of our God the dawn from us to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet to the way of peace. God has been working throughout history to bring hope to humanity in the creation story. God Walk freely and openly with Adam and Eve and intended you to enjoy holness and intimacy with God. To know the story we chose sin. We chose unfaithfulness the Brokenness of our world that we know far too. Well, is he on going or ever since God has been working towards restoration and healing and wholeness for us and all of creation. This is the overall story of the Bible throughout it. We can see God making a way and giving and reminding is people of hope that God is still at work.
We see it in God's covenant with Abraham then called Abram All Peoples on Earth will be blessed through you God promised in Genesis. When God encounter Jacob at Bethel he would new that Covenant and reinforce The Hope rooted in his faithfulness. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.
How much time has passed years and generations and centuries and we know we humans are an impatient for you. How long oh God was the Israel people. From the time of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to David Elijah and Elijah Isaiah Jeremiah and many of the prophets. There was a repeating history of Devotion to God and neglect of God. It was prosperity and it was reception feast and literal famine. Pleasure and Pain the Hebrew people weren't much different from us when things got good. They tended to forget about God when things go out for God's help again. But through it all there was a deep and ongoing longing for God to fulfill the Covenant and promise of a messiah who would come to make everything, right? This wasn't just a happy idea that tripped it in and out of the Israelites Consciousness and culture. This was a deep. Hope your deepest hope that sustain them encouraged them and spurred them on especially to thousands of years of Uncertain waiting.
In the midst of their hat long journey of Hope Isaiah is what Biblical Scholars call a major prophet. He wrote a lot and taught a lot and played in public role in Israel. He's a famous guy in his Day. Always popular especially ones as telling Kings and the general public things. They didn't want to hear like God doesn't like the way you're treating poor people. Or an enemy Empire is going to invade and destroy your country. What you might say, Isaiah is the post a profit for Advent this season of longing expecting and hoping for God to be with us. Who Isaiah God gave Israel and US many prophecies and promises about the Messiah to come and then that way Isaiah was a voice of Hope. You probably know many of these teachings. Scripture from the book of Isaiah is popular around Christmas mini passages from Isaiah the lyrics for George frideric Handel's Messiah that grants touring for toriel written 1741 that's lasted for centuries as part of our Christmas tradition. Because of its beauty and complexity and Truth. Because it's a moving soundtrack of Hope no matter what musical style to favor.
Isaiah live 700 years before Jesus, but he gave us beautiful words that ring with hope for the coming Messiah. Listen to some of these. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign the Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel.
Nevertheless there will be no more Gloom for those were in distress in the past. He humbled the land of zebulun in the land of naphtali. But in the future, will you will honor Galilee of the nation by the way of the sea beyond the Jordan the people walking in darkness have seen a great light on those living in the land of deep Darkness. I would like to test on
later in the same chapter, Isaiah Road For us to us a child is born to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders and he will be called wonderful counselor, Mighty God Everlasting father Prince of Peace of the greatness of his government and peace. There will be no end he will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom establishing and upholding it with Justice and righteousness from that time on and forevermore. The Zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this Can you imagine living in an ancient world? Well before the time of digital media, or is it much written information in hearing a message like that? Can you imagine the hope that would spring in the people's hearts? Did Isaiah understand all these messages and prophecies? On some level. Yes, but on others probably not he sure didn't know God's timeline for what it would all happen. And when the Messiah would come. Isaiah thought it would be in his lifetime. Well, maybe he was wise enough to know that God's work stretched for generations and generations. Isaiah was filled with hope and God's promises fueled him and his people to continue to hold for years and centuries his vision of God With Us still fuels. Hope inside of us Millennium. Later.
As we turn our attention to the Christmas narrative the loop Zacharia would be well acquainted with the words and prophecies.
Visalia he was a priest Loop described him as righteous and blindness. He was good Jewish follower of God in a spiritual leader to his people. He undoubtedly held deep longings for the Messiah would promised. Zachariah was still in shock. When suddenly out of the blue on an ordinary day when he was going about his Priestly duties and Zacharias in for the people of Israel has been 400 years since Israel had to clear prophetic voice and message from God United States is only 243 years old to give a comparison for us about about 400 years ago. You was Kepler. The famous scientist was discovering is planetary laws North America was still to be explored by the Europeans settled and Hunter Henry Hudson had just discovered Hudson Bay. So long long time ago was that Eli's coming down in between things are recognizable.
Angel showed up and told Zachariah that he would have a son. Will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the parents to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous and make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Jack Ryan do the significance. He knew the Prophecies of the Messiah and he also knew that this was a miraculous occurrence all the way around.
UC Zakaria and his wife Elizabeth will hold their too old to have kids and this was a big deal for them and those times it was shameful. Especially each other women not to have kids Jack Ryan Elizabeth
Play never happen for this couple. Even though they were well thought of especially Zachariah is a good priests the fact that they were childless would have been a stigma Elizabeth people might have said good people, but they never have children. Oh, yeah, such a shame answered with a knowing slightly condescending tone. Zachariah received a special in jelly delivery who is a little bit of shock to say the least and he couldn't quite get over this part about him and his old wife having child where old God that's not possible was his response. As a result God made sure was Zachariah literally speechless until his son John was born.
This was certainly an inconvenience. But can you imagine the hope that spring up within this couple and the people around them when they heard this news? The old prophecies are about to be fulfilled the one prophesied to come in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for the Messiah is coming. God is moving to restore hope that he is still here that The Human Experience of God With Us is still coming. The God is about to stir things up and change eternity forever. Hoping Israel was alive again. Hope on Earth at its deepest level was alive again.
Maybe some of your thinking that's all nice and great for those people thousands of years ago. But what about for Ross? What about for me? They were fighting cancer that the spouse wasn't killed fighting in a war on the other side of the world or didn't walk out on them. Little loser jobs with no warning with bills to pay and debt stacking up and kids expecting Christmas presents. Not to mention meals on the table. No matter what kind of problems and struggles you're facing right now. No matter what kind of season of Darkness or pain you are in. Let me encourage you not to abandon. Hope hope is alive. Even our deepest pain most hopeless circumstances. Hope is alive because God is with us. How can we know how can we find that tiny spark of hope when we were on the verge of giving up? I think there's several ways that all of us can Kindle and reconnect with God's help during this Advent season. the man that no matter what kind of circumstances we are facing the first is Hope based on God's word. Part of God Is With Us in that written word that has been left to us. There are God's promises to all people both long ago. And today they reveal God's nature to us their beacons of Hope their reminders that can penetrate Our Hearts and Spirits and asherah that no matter what we are facing no matter how Bleak tomorrow looks no matter how bad the pain God will never forsake us and nothing. Nothing can separate us from God's love.
consider these words from Psalm 139 Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up into the heavens you are the year if I make my bed in the depths you are there if I rise on the wings of dawn if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me. Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say surely the darkness will hide me in the light become night around me. Even the darkness will not be talked to you. The night will shine like Dave for darkness is as light to you. Can You Feel The Hope in those words you're not alone God Is With Us means that God will always be with us and nothing nothing can take that away Scripture is filled with stories in words and promises that can handle a supernatural. Hope within us. As we move through Advance, let me encourage you to dig into the words of the Bible expectedly. Because God is with us and we could take hope that we are never alone that God is always working in and among us and then God is not done yet is great and final work of healing.
The second way we can rekindle. Hope is to put our focus on God's character on who he is and Promises to be. Is a small story told in the book of bar? It's easy to overlook what it's a great story of Hope about a woman with a 12 years has woman had been bleeding somehow able to help condition everyday of our life. Those of you with long-term illnesses can probably relate. This woman was probably considered unclean and treated as an outcast because of her health problems. Even people who might try to understand her problem couldn't understand herself, but she had heard the stories. She believed a walk inside of her the hope of healing the hope of a new life drove her to action. If I could just get close enough to touch his clothes. I'll be healed she thought If this Jesus is who he says he is he can heal me. It was a bold. Hope she held it makes it seem like a small accident, but she did what she could just to get close enough to Jesus and reach out. What you did made all the difference in the world. Was it hard probably talking away to the noisy and clamoring crowd must have been difficult, especially with a long-term illness, especially issues stigmatize and look down upon. Was she afraid? Yes, especially when Jesus began looking for her in the throng of people who touched me where the middle of a crowd? A woman must have Frozen in that powerful second. On the one hand. She knew that she had been healed miraculously on the other shoe is about to pay a harsh penalty for her presumption. It was me. She said timidly fearfully. And Jesus connected with her deeply and directly as God With Us and the healing Peace and Freedom he gave her changed her life.
This Is Our God, this is God's character, Jesus is Worthy and he still was and is God With Us
He fulfilled Israel's hope of the Messiah when he arrived at first Christmas. He fulfilled Humanity's hope for victory over death when he was resurrected that first Easter. And one day you will ultimately fulfill all hope and complete God's work of restoration for all creation. This is the promise. He left us to give us a foundation of confidence and boldness. I Am With You Always to the very end of the age
This was a promise worthy to fuel our hope is God's true to his character God because of who he is. Just hope Is there a way we can find and choose hope is by focusing on God's faithfulness. How has God worked in your life? What are those moments and memories when you have experience God's work in your life. You know those times when you had no doubt God was there and working? Maybe it's been recently. Maybe it's been a long time ago, but in those circumstances swirling around you the presence of God's spirit was with you. What does that have to do with all what are those memories have to do with your Here and Now? Gratitude breeds. Hope thankfulness Fosters. Hope acknowledgement and appreciation brings hope. Listen to these words from Jeremiah found in Lamentations a book. Most of us do not spend much time reading. If this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed for his compassion never fails. They are new every morning great is your faithfulness. I say to myself the Lord is my portion. Therefore. I will wait for him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him. The one who seeks him. It is good to wait quietly for the Salvation of the Lord. Did you cash out at the beginning yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope you understood that there is hope in the future. We will remember what God has done in the past. He knew that hopesparks like a buyer. It flows like water it grows like a seed. Hope grows and spreads like a living thing that can blend oil in Wayne. And yes. Even die. nurturing care can revise and flourish and multiply focusing on gratitude can renew and grow out recognizing and appreciating then. Good that God has shown Us in the past can increase our hope for all he will do in the future. Sharing this gratitude and hope with those who love and support us can multiply its effects. As we nurture this living hope it can sustain us through our darkest days as we wait for God to move.
May the god of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him. That you may overflow with hope by the power of the holy spirit. Amen.