Hope is the confident expectation of future blessings. Hope is having in your heart a confident expectation that the best things in your life are ahead. As a follower of Jesus Christ, it might mean that the best things of life ahead aren’t here – they may be in eternity. For those that trust Jesus the best things are most definitely ahead. Our future is as bright as the promises of God. Today our text speaks of the angelic announcement to Mary foretelling the birth of Christ. It was a message of hope to Mary. We all need fresh hope stirred in our heart about our lives, our situations, and our futures. Here are some truths from this scripture that translate hope into our experience.

Today the Christian church celebrates the beginning of the Advent season. The word Advent simply means “coming” or “arrival”. As followers of Christ, we celebrate the coming of Christ both past, present, and future. Over the next four weeks of Advent we’re going to talk about the events surrounding the first Christmas. Every humble detail that Luke writes, regarding the birth of Christ, points to God’s plan of redemption in the world. God has a history of asking His children to do things that don’t make a ton of sense. Mary, a teenager, receives one of God’s “crazy” requests and Luke (this physician & historian) records the very human and understandable response of Mary.

Last week we looked at Mary’s faith in the God of the impossible. Today we are going to look at the little town of Bethlehem. The town of Bethlehem is in itself an example of God’s redemption. In Luke 2 we read that Joseph and Mary go from Nazareth up to the town of Bethlehem, where Joseph is from, to register for a census. This trip was an 85 mile mountainous trip for Mary who was nine months pregnant and most likely riding on a donkey. Why was this happening? God wanted this child to be born in Bethlehem; a city that was so insignificant it wasn’t even listed in Joshua 15 when the land of Israel was divided among the tribes. Let’s look at the story of Ruth. It is one of the most intimate stories of human rescue and it took place in Bethlehem many hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. I want to share with you seven key thoughts from the story of Ruth that will be helpful to you as you think about the Christmas story.

The anchor theme of this third Sunday of advent is love. Jesus is our Shepherd of love. When we wander away from Him, he brings us back to the fold to protect us from danger. In our text - Luke 2:8-10 - we read of how an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds that were watching their flocks. What must have been going on in the minds of those shepherds? The fact that this news was first announced to shepherds is in itself a picture of God’s grace. This was for everyone regardless of his or her station on life.

We have been learning about the humble beginnings that first Christmas that brought about the most gracious gift of Jesus - bringing to you and me the fullness of Hope, peace, love and joy. Today we focus on the good tidings of joy that were sent by the angels. This joy would be the hope of redeeming grace for every person. Our preconceived ideas of what the angels might have looked like are probably off. They were terrifying. Angels do protect and may guard people, but our focus should be on what they’re doing for God to bring Him glory. Think about the Christmas story without angels...

There are so many things that can get under our skin, that can cause us to grumble or complain. It seems to be the human condition as you walk around and listen to people or even look to your own tendencies. Yet, we are told by Paul here in verse 14 to “do all things without grumbling or disputing.” We are to continue to work out our salvation, to live a godly life, and we are to do this without grumbling or complaining about the circumstances that God has placed in our lives. Paul even goes on to say later in this letter to “rejoice always, and again I say rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). We are to be content in everything.

Last October we began a verse-by-verse series going through book of James. We paused this series for advent and are now picking up where we left off. Today’s text hits us all right between the eyes. With sobering lavish metaphors James hits a topic that we can all relate to. Our tongues, our words, our speech, the things we say have more power than we can imagine. Not only are our relationships at stake, but so is our faith. Let’s just put it out there...WE ARE ALL GUILTY! Our words are difficult for us to control. As Christians, our speech should always be seasoned with love and grace, always be positive, encouraging, and glorifying to the one who brings us the wisdom to call people to love and repentance.

In our text, James once again gives some practical advice - turning back to the topic of wisdom. He is again using a metaphor of sowing - planting seeds. The list of the seeds that we sow into relationships is long. We must understand James’ strong implication here. We will inevitably reap what we sow in our relationships. James refers to those who make peace. This should cause us to ask some questions... How can I plant seeds of peace? How can I be a peacemaker? How can I have peaceful relationships? How can we have peace in our marriages, homes, workplace, schools, neighborhoods, and church family?

When we take God up on His grace offered to us through faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, we become citizens of another kingdom. As such, our attitudes, actions, relationships, and very lives should reflect the values of God’s kingdom rather than the world’s. When our goal is status in the world’s system and we are willing to do whatever it takes to get people’s approval – our lives and faith will be headed in opposite directions. This will dilute the unbiased love that Christ followers are to have for all people regardless of what they can or cannot do for us. James states that this puts us in a position opposed to God. He tells us that we have two choices: follow the ways of earth or follow the ways of Jesus’ Kingdom in heaven.

Americans have always been a forward-looking people. Sometimes it feels that we are obsessed with the future. As followers of Jesus, what should be our viewpoint toward the future? How should do we look forward to things ahead? It’s not wrong or sinful to plan. The Bible talks a lot about planning. It’s not even wrong or sinful to strive for the greatest possible achievement. The Bible doesn’t condemn making a profit. What tears us from Christ-centered priorities is not looking to God for our path, but again, looking to ourselves for the wisdom of where we should go. Today’s scripture reminds us that without Godly wisdom from His Word, the Spirit, and others, our plans are useless and hopeless.