During our midweek worship this year we're combining two ideas: advent and eventually. The idea of advent is that of anticipation and waiting. Then when we add the concept of eventually it adds the element of soon but still so far away.
In our first week we focus on the soon but not yet aspect of hope. Hope is always forward thinking. Find a bible. Open up to the study of Ruth in the Old Testament and be ready to find hope in the story of Naomi and her daughter in law.
This week in addition to the message attached you'll also find my study notes for the message. I hope they're helpful to you. So give it a listen or use the notes to study the Bible verses for yourself.
Romans 8:17-25 - the story of hope in the midst of suffering. When we understand that we have a hope that is other worldly we can find a way to make it through any situation in which we find ourselves.
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Romans 8:16-25
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
For what do you hope this Christmas?
New gaming system
Promotion
Lottery win-fall
Healing
world peace
companionship
comfort from loss
Hope isn’t found in what you already have. Hope has to be forward thinking.
Matthew 2:1 - Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem…
In this simple passage we come face to face with a peculiar little town. It’s seemingly insignificant at face value. It apparently is of some worth or God wouldn’t have selected this as the birthplace for Jesus.
The name Bethlehem comes from two Hebrew words that mean - house of bread
- how fitting is it that the bread of life will be born in the city of bread.
More than just the name of the city.
Story of Naomi
She had no hope when her husband Elimalech died.
lived in moab where her sons found wives
Some time later her sons died as well.
Changed her name to MARA - bitter and hopeless
Decided to go back home - which for her was Bethlehem
Daughters in law offered to go with her but she refused
One daughter in law stayed in moab but Ruth went with her.
Once in Bethlehem, Ruth found Boaz who fell in love with her and married her.
They had a child while in Bethlehem and named him Obed.
Obed got married and had a son again in Bethlehem and his name was Jesse.
Jesse then got married and had a son still in Bethlehem and his name was David.
When there was no hope, God out of an unexpected place brought hope for a woman named Naomi and increased her lineage. Out of this same unexpected place we find hope for a nation as one of Israel’s greatest kings would come from this dusty little nothing on a map kind of town.
Davids grandma was Ruth and his great-grandma was Naomi. The one who was bitter and hopeless and thought it was all over now is the great-grandma of the king of Israel. God brings hope to those who seek him. He brings hope to unexpected places. He brings hope to unexpected peopel. He brings hope adventually.
Maybe you’re here and your name could just as easily be called Mara. maybe you’re at the end of the line. Maybe you’ve got nothing left. Maybe you are ready to throw in the towel. Here’s God on this very night saying stop. I have something better than anything you can imagine. I have HOPE.
God brought hope to Naomi. He brought hope to Ruth. He brought hope to his people. Now take a look at this from the prophet Micah
Micah 5:2 - But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
Who was Micah talking about?
- David?
- no Jesus!
Micah was talking about a greater provider than David, a greater King than David, a greater hope than David would be for Israel. Micah was looking beyond David to Jesus. he was telling of the greater hope that would arrive. But we’d just have to wait for it.
Waiting is hard. Especially when it’s something we want badly. It’s worse when the thing for which we’re waiting isn’t just wanted but it’s in our eyes needed.
If we continue through Matthew 2, we’ll see that this is the story of the Magi coming because they saw the sight of an unexpected hope. What signs are there in your life right now that hope is here? Have you missed the sign that’s been there all along?
In Romans 8, Paul tell us - For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us…For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
We have a hard time because we, like Naomi, get so bitter when things don’t go the way we want them to go. We get angry when we don’t get our way. We’re frustrated when we don’t get the deal we wanted on that gift for that special someone. We want to throw in the towel when everything goes wrong. We grow weary when all of our efforts seem for nothing. We close others out when the world seems too hard for us. We become embittered and overcome with sadness when we see the empty place in our Christmas celebration.
*How do you find hope in the midst of a troubled time?*
**1. Look for signs**
- like the magi there will be signs for us as well.
- Following the signs doesn’t mean you don’t have resources. The Magi came with gifts that were costly and somewhat rare. Following the sign will mean parting with a piece of ourselves and clinging to the one who gives us the sign.
**2. Worship the Savior**
-Matthew 2:2 - we came to worship him.
-Christmas story involves outsiders discovering who Jesus is. Just like Ruth was an outsider and brought in through Boaz her redeemer, we are like Ruth (outsiders to the story) when we are brought in through our redeemer (Jesus).
**3. Live with outrageous generosity**
-you discover hope when you look outside of yourself
-You forget about your hope when you’re focused on you.
-When you take what’s important to you and give it to someone who’s important to you, you find hope.
-How can you creatively ambush someone with the hope that you’ve once experienced? Hope comes when you no longer cling to what you think is yours.
Hope then always leads to generosity.
Isaiah 60:4-6 - even the heavens declare what’s going to happen. Hundreds of years before Jesus was born in the dusty town of Bethlehem it was prophesied that these gifts would be given, that these magi would come that this hope would be born.
God knows your situation and has already breathed his breath of hope into your days. Just look for the signs, worship your savior and live with outrageous generosity.
