Rossville Christian Church
Sunday, December 24
- Intro:I remember the first date I went on with my wife. We had met at the prom and had a good evening, but then came the first real test, the first real date. I sure hoped that she liked me, well because her liking me depended on me and lets be honest, it can be hard to like me, especially when I was younger.Story of our first date.You see that is a worldly hope, but there is another hope, a hope that is based on certainty, a Godly hope that it talk about in Isa 9:3-6
Isaiah 9:3–6 NIV You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For 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.PrayExplain advent from the Latin word Adventus, which means coming. And there was a coming that was happening 2020 years ago. The coming of four very specific things that would be brought about in one man, who was God and was with God. These four things we will learn about over the coming weeks, the first of which is Hope, hope that sprang hundreds of years before the coming of Christ, it was an old hope.An Old HopeIsaiah 9:1–2 NIV Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, 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 a light has dawned.A. The Great Light1. Come in the times of Kingsa. Some good, some badb. Ended, according to history books, with Manassehi. Sawed in two2. Before the Babylonian Captivitya. God warns time and time againb. But God also gives hope for troubled timesJohn 15:17–18 NASB95 “This I command you, that you love one another. “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.3. Things were going to get uglya. They were going to need hopeb. They were going to lose everythingc. But there was a light that always shined forthB. There was hopeIsaiah 9:3–6 NIV You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For 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.1. One who would comea. From Godb. Not like the othersc. Everlasting2. Hope of Deliverancea. From their yolkMatthew 11:29 NASB95 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.b. Where the relevance of this passage come fromc. Jesus was the one spoken of in this timeBeing in the dark, there is nothing like it. It is oppressive and scary. Remember and exercise in New Jersey middle of no where and no light whatsoever. Darkness like that is depressing and almost debilitating. The only thing that gets you to move is the thought of light, the light will come back.That is what it is to live in sin, but there is hope found in Jesus who is the light. And he was prophesied to come, and some, who were not his own, knew it.A Current HopeMatthew 2:1–11 NIV After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.A. Many of Prophecy Never fulfilled1. That was their occupationa. investigating what had been saidi. Would have read Isaiahb. Many different religionsi. Always letting them down2. They were about to find Hopa. For this prophecy was trueb. Even though the King had no ideaB. They Found Hope1. The light of the WorldJohn 8:12 NASB95 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”a. As spoke of in Isaiahb. The one who would saveGod gives us all a glimpse, as my father was dying, he would be talking about things of the past and things of the present, but what impressed me most was the things of eternity he would say to us. Things he would not have known, but that gave me hope in a time of pain and sorrow, I found hope because God gave me a glimpse.2. Led to that Light by a Stara. As it had been promisedb. They will filled with joyc. Because it was true3. Lavished Expensive Giftsa. On a kingb. On a Saviorc. On the Hope of the WorldA New HopeLuke 23:41–43 NASB95 “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”A. The Hope in Repentance1. The Same hope the Magi felta. This is truly the oneb. He will save us from our sinsMatthew 1:21 NASB95 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”c. If we turn from the darkness to the light2. It was Truea. They came to the place and saw for themselvesb. This hope cannot be told, it must be experiencedc. You have to accept it for it to be trueB. All things fulfilled in Christ1. That’s what he was doing therea. Dying on the Cross for our sinsb. Fulfilling what it says in MattMatthew 2:6 NASB95 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”2. He was bleeding for hopea. That I might know life instead of deathIsaiah 9:4 NIV For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.b. That is the oppression of sinc. The chains of deathd. Broken free - O Come O Come Emmanuel (Veni Emmanuel)
- Give You All the Glory