Expectation, Hope, and Christmas

Well this morning we start our Christmas sermon series that will be this Sunday next Sunday and Christmas Eve and we will be looking at this idea called anticipation. Expectation hope and Christmas and this first sermon is about a new place. Anticipation is by definition a state of expectancy in a state of Hope and I would suggest you this morning that there are very few things in our culture that he listen to feelings of anticipation more than Christmas ties from the youngest child to the oldest adult Christmas comes with a powerful sense of anticipation. This time of the year, we wait with expect expectancy and Hope For What? Well for vacation days.

Expectantly and hopefully looking forward to getting days off work or perhaps days off school raise your hand if your student who still has exams to write. Yes, you're waiting with expectancy for that. To be over. We look with expectancy to festive Gatherings to Christmas parties to holiday meals to special services at church. We have expectation and hope in regards to presents. Secret santa presents Christmas morning presents and then there's the Traditions that we look forward to the the treasured family practices that perhaps have been going on at this time of year for generations. And of course a time to spend with that family Christmas is a time like no other in terms of our postures of Hope and expectation. It's a time of year that is full of anticipation and we'll see that Christmas has always been about anticipation. The very first Christmas was likely the most anticipated event in the history of the world. Now for this sermon series not specifically this morning, but for this week and next week and Christmas Eve here is the idea of God's people anticipate that is they expect and they hope a new place and a new person that can restore their worship of and communion with God. They anticipate a place where that worship can take place. They anticipate a place where that communion with God can happen. And they anticipate a person who will make those things a reality. soul Christmas Is the initiation of the consummation of the anticipation? Have a new place and a new person. I'm going to say that again in a minute in case you didn't follow what we get. This from was many places in the Old Testament particularly we could get this from but from Isaiah 11 verses 1 through 9. As we read this together have an ear for the anticipation for a new place and a new person.

Could you open up your Bibles to turn on your devices to read along with me course on the back of the insert in the bulletin? You can read the passage there as well.

Isaiah 11 starting the Brewers won there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord and his Delight shall be in the fear of the Lord You shall not judge by what his eyes see or decide disputes by what is ears here. But with righteousness he shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the year and he shall strike the Earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips. He shall kill the wicked righteousness shall be the belt of his waist and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat and a calf and The Lion and the fattened calf together and a little child shall lead them the cow and the bear shall graze their young shall lie down together the lion shall eat straw like the ox the nursing child shall play over the whole of the Cobra in the weeds child. Shall put his hand on the Otter's Den. They shall not hurt or destroy and all my Holy Mountain for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea pray with me Father God. We thank you for your words. We thank you for this time of year. in which feelings and emotions and thoughts of anticipation almost palpable I pray father God that you by your spirit would help us this morning as we come to your word be able to connect that sense of anticipation that even people outside the church feel at Christmas time. Help us to connect. To your plan to give us a new place Broad buy a new person. father God I pray through all of this you will help us to see Jesus to see him clearly to see him gloriously to see him and all his Beauty

we believe as we do so that we will be change and conformed to his image. We need your help for that father. I need your help this morning father. Would you help me to communicate the truth of your words in a way that's helpful to that end. I pray all this in Jesus name. Amen. Main idea for the sermon this morning building on that idea for the series is this God's people anticipate a new place where they can worship and commune with God Jesus is the Fulfillment of that expectation and hope they're for Christmas. The birth of Jesus is the initiation of the consummation of the anticipation. We say that again, Christmas the birth of Jesus is the initiation of the consummation of the anticipation Christmas is the beginning of the realization of all that we hope for and expect the birth of Jesus and Naga rates. The combination of God's plan to reconcile his people to themselves. So they might worship and fellowship.

Well, why why is Christmas that way why was Christmas a time of an anticipation? And why did God's people anticipate a new place? We start with Paradise Lost a new place is anticipated. It has always been anticipated by God's people because the previous place was lost. One of the great commentators on Isaiah motor said this in regards to this section of Isaiah, which he called the Royal hope he said when the prophet brought the message of Royal hope to Judah the dawning light of the birth of the King was seen against the background of the darkness of sin and death and golfing the people. The darkness of sin and death indicate the situation that mankind is in and it's part of the reason that God's people anticipate a new place. And in fact, I would suggest you that even outside of God's people and culture a large around the world people anticipate a new place.

The place we are in now is in desperate need of restoration.

And that's because our place of worship and communion with God had been forfeited. Our Paradise had been lost some of you may be familiar with the epic poem by John Milton Called Paradise Lost, which starts with these lines of a man's first Disobedience and the fruit of that forbidden tree whose moral taste brought death into the world and all our woe with loss of Eden. Till one greater man restore Ross and regain the Blissful seat. The early biblical record of Mankind's Originals informs us that we used to have a place we did have a place where we could commune with God and worship Him freely. We read about it in Genesis 2 verses 8 and 15 and the Lord planted a garden in the evening in the East and there he put the man who he had formed the Lord took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. Genesis 3:8 we read and they meeting Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord Walking In The Garden in the cool of the day. They were at that place where God walked and they could walk with him.

But we read in Genesis 3:8 as we continue the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God Among the trees in the garden. They had a place they had a place where they could be in God's presence.

But that place to worship and commune with God was lost through sin. We keep reading a Genesis 3 verses 22 through 24. Then the Lord God said behold the man has become like one of us knowing good and evil. Now let's do you reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever. Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken he drove out the man and at the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the Tree of Life. Initially the anticipation for a new place germinated in the unremitting harsh ground which item worked when he was removed from the garden. This wasn't where he started. It wasn't where he was created for. What he was created for and since then all Humanity in general and God's people in particular anticipate a new place. Because we know we belong to not old place that place where we walked with God and worshipped him.

Let this be a reminder to us not to seek in this place what can only be found in the new place? Here on this world in this life. We will never be completely safe. We will never be entirely satisfied. We will never be perpetually joyful or permanently arrest. This world does not offer infected cannot offer will only be found in that new place that we all anticipate. ISO calibrate your mind. Let me encourage you to calibrate your mind this Christmas season. Your mind and your hearts to realize that though our journey to that new place has begun we won't arrive there in this life. There will be danger and harm and death. There will be dissatisfaction a disappointment and sadness and grief. We will be tired and tempted and tried. But there is a new place coming and we should anticipate that with an optimistic realism. optimistic that we anticipate and hope for it's coming and it will come but realism understanding that we won't experience at Here and Now

and so we do anticipate a new place because we lost the old one. But the anticipation for a new place didn't just come from what was lost but also from what is promised and I read from you again from Isaiah 11 the promise of a new place the wolf shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat and a calf and the lion in The fattened Calf together and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze their young shall lie down together in the lion shall eat straw like the ox the nursing child shall play over the whole of the Cobra in the weaned child shall put his hand on the Otter's Den. They shall not hurt or destroy and all my holy mount for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

One commentator said this about these versus the effect of the righteous rule of the Messiah is depicted in terms of an age of universal peace that Embraces both the human and animal world Austin imagery is described as a return to Paradise. Better commentator said this the one Anointed with the spirit is the only one able to renew nature. He made the world. He loves it. He will transform it. So that nature red in tooth and Claw will be restful insecure and innocent every square inch of the world will be the Holy Mountain of the Lord. A new place has been promised to God's people. It's interesting as we consider the biblical covenants throughout the Old Testament. I one of the main ways I think you should consider the The Narrative of scripture of all the scriptures to consider the covenants that God made with his people those covenants always included a place.

And the Covenant of creation we can read in Genesis 1 let us make man in our image after our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and all the livestock and over all the Earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the Earth. God said to to his creation be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heaven over every living thing that moves on the earth the very first Covenant God made included a place. That was reiterated to Noah in the next Covenant where God said go out from the ark you and your wife and your sons and your son's wise with you bring up with you. Every living thing that is with you of all flash birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth that they make swarm on the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the Earth again a place for the people of God.

Maybe nowhere is this more clearly than the promise to Abraham the Covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis chapter 17. God said to Abraham be home by Covenant is with you and you shall be the father of a multitude of Nations. No longer show your name be called Abram but you should be called Abraham fried made you the father of a multitude of Nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I'll make you into Nations and King shall come from you and I will establish my Covenant between me and you and your Offspring after you through brother generations for an Everlasting Covenant to be God to you and to your Offspring after you and I will give to you and to your Offspring after you the land of yours to Journeys all the land of Canaan from Everlasting possession, and I will be their God Again, God promises a place and then to Moses one of the promises he made to Moses and exodus 23 verses 20 through 22 part of the Mosaic Covenant behold. God said I sent an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. And finally in his Covenant with David 2nd Samuel chapter 7 verse 10. He says I will appoint a place for My People Israel and will plant them so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more and a violent mental Afflicted no more as formerly. You see we anticipate a new place because we lost an old one. But we also anticipate a new place to worship God in the fellowship with God because he has promised it to the promised for a place was part of all God's covenants and it will be fulfilled by his son and all its fullness in the New Covenant these verses from Isaiah these passages tell us that this place is a place where hostile parties will be reconciled to each other in hostilities will be no more. There will be no more predators and prey. Mankind will have dominion but not one that is gained through force and exploitation.

The young even a species will get along. Indicating that they have been transformed in their nature. It's permanent. It's interesting. The safety of the child in the serpent is a representation of the curse of Genesis 3 being removed. God cursed the serpent. He said I will put enmity between you and the woman in between your Offspring and her Offspring but God says no the nursing child have nothing to fear from the Cobra. The young child will have nothing to fear from the otter that curse will be removed. There will be no more hurting and no more destroying we will be with God and His holy mountain and we will know the Lord again mold your says the holy God dwells with an ungreased bison welcoming them to his holy place and they on their part entering the personal intimate Union with him knowing the Lord everywhere. The Lord is present in his Holiness everywhere the knowledge of him as enjoyed knowing both the truth and the Lord of Truth. That's what's been promised. And that's why we anticipate a new place.

I understand that Christmas. Can be a time of Despair and of loneliness and of mental anguish and pain and sadness. In fact studies. They've done have made this very clear. But all of those things actually increase for some people at Christmas time. depression rates increase suicide rates increase How many people surely Christmas is at a time of anticipation of good things but for many others it's a season of sadness.

Maybe that vacation away from work and loneliness instead of bringing celebration only brings or story away from work and school instead of bringing celebration. Only brings loneliness. Maybe none of the parties or Gatherings can be festive because of the pain. Someone is experiencing. Maybe economic circumstances make gift giving a huge stress instead of a huge joy and maybe five family gatherings or the actual source of Despair because a relational problems are the losses of loved ones. But let me encourage you all this morning. Do not despair this Christmas. This world and this life is not all there is let me encourage you to spend a few moments each day. This month being intentional about anticipating. What is to come the anticipation of all that God will do in the future has been an emotional security and a salve for the soul for many generations wrote the history of mankind Bible makes that clear we are supposed to anticipate what is coming And perhaps that intentional anticipating will help you if you find this time difficult to navigate this season.

And so Paradise was lost. That's one of the reasons we anticipate a new place. A paradise a new Paradise has been promised until that anticipation bills. And we ought to be anticipating Christmas in 2019 because Paradise will be found. I wanted to say this morning to soak your hearts and Minds in the following trews. I'm about to give you but the word soak is too passive. All I could think about was sitting in a hot tub. Just laying there. I want you to be more intentional and more purposeful about this. So rather than soak your hearts and Minds in the falling truth submerse them. Take them and put them under these truths and hold them under until they sink in. It's a Wonderful throughs that I'm about to share with you impact your heart and your mind Sitting Bull in your anticipation this Christmas season

number one Jesus's birth hold great significance in regards to the anticipation of a new place because he came to where we are. This is amazing people. We rejected God. We had a place where we could commune and fellowship and worship God and we were ejected that if that was me, I would have been that it said fine. You're on your own. Thankfully it wasn't me and instead of pulling back. He sought us out. We read and John 1 verse 14 the were speaking of Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory glory as of the only son from the father full of grace and truth. He didn't leave us in our sin. He didn't leave us in our death. He didn't leave I sent her separation from him. He came to us. What a wonderful truth about the birth of Christ and our anticipation of a new place. He came to our place. Jesus's birth holds great significance because Jesus would become the actual place of worship for God's people another amazing truth. D a Carson speaks about that. He says the point is that under the terms of the old Covenant. The temple was the great meeting place between a holy God and a sinful people. So is God works through his progressive revelation with his people when he got to Moses? He said this is the new place. We're going to meet where to meet at the temple. That's where worship will happen. D a Carson goes on. This was the place of sacrifice the place of atonement for sin. But this side of a cross where Jesus by his sacrifice Hayes fersen Jesus himself becomes the great meeting place between a holy God and His sinful people that she becomes the temple the meeting place. where God and His People Meet it's interesting when Carson finishes he said it is not as if Jesus in his Incarnation adequately serves as a temple of God, what he is pointing to is something I want to make clear to you this morning Jesus's birth is the initiation Of the consummation of the anticipation it's the beginning but it was until he got to the cross and died where this became a reality. His birth let him to his death his death on the cross where he took upon himself our sins. I took upon himself the punishment that our sins deserve. And it was in his death that he gave us his righteousness that we might be adopted into our holy gods family and have fellowship with him clitoris anticipate this great truth that his birth was the initiation but his birth led to his death and it's through his death that we have fellowship with God if that is new to you this morning. Let me encourage you to reflect on that this Christmas season. But apart from the birth of Christ, which led to the death of Christ there would be no meeting place between God and Men.

Here's the next truth. Jesus's birth holds great significance to our anticipation of a new place because he is where fellowship with goddess. He's not just the place where worship of God happens. He's a place where fellowship with God happens. Reading from Matthew Chapter 1 Verse 18 through 25 now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. What is Mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph before they came together? She was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit and her husband Joseph being a just man and unwilling to be to put her to shame resolve to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things be whole an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Joseph. Son of David do not fear to take Mary as your wife for that which is conceived in hers from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son and you should call his name Jesus. For he will save his people from their sins know that the angel says and starts and begins with he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fill with the Lord had spoken by the prophet the whole the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means god with us. The birth of Jesus was the initiation of God With Us. Jesus wasn't just the place where we worship him. He's not just the place where the sacrifice for sins occurred where the atonement happened but he also is the place of fellowship with God. What a great truth to anticipate as we think about that new place and we look forward to two more Jesus's birth holds great significance for God's people in regards to the anticipation of a new place because in his departure he granted his spirit. So that we would become the temple where there's fellowship with God you see this people. He was the temple he was wearing fellowship with God would now take place but then he left but he gave us a spirit that we read and John 16:7 nevertheless. I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away for if I do not go away. The helper will not come to you but I will go but if I go I will send him to you and then we read a 1st Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9220. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you who you have from God you are not your own for you were bought with a price so glorify God in your body are body becomes the dwelling place of God's presence here on Earth. This was we anticipate that new place that will be coming. This Christmas season we can Rejoice that Christ was born and that he lived and died and then laughs and deposited his Spirit which with each one of his people and we have fellowship with God internally. Finally this morning. Christmas holds great significance in regards to our anticipation for a new place because the consummation that his birth initiated will be our Everlasting Place of rest in fellowship with and worship of the father of Jesus's birth initiated what we're going to read your in Revelation 21. It was the initiation of the consummation listen to the consummation. Let this these words of Revelation 21 sink deep in your heart this Christmas season. As we hear about this new place.

how to read the whole chapter got just enough time

Just listen to these words as work in this Christmas season as anticipation swirls about for all of those wonderful things parties and families and presents. Understand that Christmas has always been about anticipation and one of the things we anticipated a new place. And here's the confirmation that the birth of Christ initiated. Then I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first heaven in the first Earth had passed away and the sea was no more and I saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying Behold The Dwelling Place of God is with men he will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and Death Shall be no more neither shall there be morning snore crying no more pain anymore for the former things have passed away all things new. Also. He said write this down for these words are trustworthy and true. And he said to me it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end to the Thirsty. I will give from the spring of the Water of Life without payment. The one who conquers will have this Heritage and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the Cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murder is the sexually immoral sorcerer's idolatry and all liars. Their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second death. Then came one of the Seven Angels by the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me saying come I will show you the bride the wife of the lamb and he carried me away in the spirit to a great high mountain and showed me the Holy City Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God having the glory of God. It's Radiance like a most rare Jewel like a Jasper Creek clear as Crystal had a great a great high wall with 12 gates and Gates 12 angels and on the gates and names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed on the East three gates on the northri gates on the south reggaeton on the west 3 gate in the wall of the city had 12 foundations and on them were the 12 names of the 12 Apostles of the Lamb. And the one who spoke with me on a measuring Rod of gold to measure the city and its Gates and walls the city lies Foursquare its length the same as it's with then he measured the city with his Rod 12,000 stadia its length and width and height or equal. He also measured its walls a hundred and forty four cubits by human measurement, which is also an angels measurement the wall was built of Jasper while the city was pure gold like clear glass the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of juul. The first was Jasper II Sapphire 3rd, August 4th, Emerald V Onyx the six Carnelian 7th. Chrysolite 8th, Barrel 9th topaz the 10th Crystal phase XI Johnson and the 12th amethyst and the 12 gates were twelve pearls each of the gates made of a single Pearl and the street of the city was pure gold like transparent glass. And it finishes with this and I saw no temple in the city for its Temple is the Lord God the almighty and the lamb and the city has no need of sun or moon to shine for the glory of God gives its light and its lamp is the Lamb by its light the nation's walk in the kings of the earth will bring their Glory into it and it's Gates will never be shot by day and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor the nation's but nothing unclean will ever rented nor anyone who does what is detestable or false? But only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. That's what we anticipate. As we are in this Christmas season as we anticipate all those other things remember in the coming days and weeks that we are anticipating a new place. We're anticipating a new place because we lost the old one and we're anticipating a new place because it has been promised to us by God. And we're dissipating a new place because Christ came to us and he lived a perfect life and he died a death in obedience to God for our sins that we might be brought into the family of God. He was the place of our worship in the place of our fellowship. And he gave us his spirit so that the worship and fellowship could be with us after he had left. And his birth initiated the consummation of our anticipation. Let's pray.

Father God we come to you this morning and Lord. I begin this prayer praying for those who will struggle this Christmas season. Praying for those whose minds and hearts are burdened who are sad or grieving or depressed or despairing. Would you by your spirit cheers through that Darkness. Would you help them to just get a glimpse? Of what Christmas is all about. The birth of Jesus was the initiation of the consummation of all that we expecting hope that this is not all there is there is better to come. And I pray father God that the diet truth would wood shed light in their souls this Christmas season. Our Father God for those who don't know you let them come to understand why Christmas is a season of anticipation It's a celebration of your birth that brought great expectancy and hope to your people.

Father not just that we would get back to where we used to be but we anticipate a much better place a place where our fellowship and worship. If you will not end where there will be. No sadness or grief or tears. There will be no sense and no death. And I pray father God you would help us to see that your son's birth. Was the initiation of the consummation of our anticipation I prayed us in Christ name. Amen.