I really appreciate the privilege of being able to talk about this wonderful topic today.
! Why don't you turn with me to Romans chapter 15.
! I'm going to be reading from verses 8-13.
Romans 15, 8-13.
For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised
to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs
and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.
As it is written, therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.
And again it is said, rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.
And again, praise the Lord, all you Gentiles.
For the serious reader of the Bible, there should be no question
that hope is a foundational part of the gospel message.
And as such, it's a foundational part of the Advent season.
The genesis of hope is first observed in the Garden of Eden.
There God promised our first parents that they could expect Him to remedy their fallen condition.
Eve's seed would one day crush the serpent's head.
Later, as the Israelite nation and religion and culture developed,
hope was reaffirmed and strengthened through the many prophetic oracles.
And that hope reached its peak in the period between the Testaments
and was focused on the coming or Advent of the Messiah of Israel.
But the question for us this morning is not whether hope has a role in the Advent message,
in the gospel.
The question for us this morning is,
how much does hope affect our ongoing experience of the gospel?
How much does Advent hope form our values?
How much does it impact our daily decisions?
And how much does it shape our life and the life of the church?
There appears in Scripture to be something about the experience of hope
that God intended as a means to aid Christian growth and unity.
It was God who built hope into the Israelite faith.
And it is God who continues to inspire hope in us now.
During the Advent season, we remind ourselves about the coming of Christ.
It certainly is a time to reflect on the baby in the manger.
But it's also a time to rekindle hope in His second Advent.
And it needs to be rekindled.
In our advanced and comfortable and pleasure-filled world,
it's easy to lose sight of our hope.
So if our anticipation has waned,
if our hope has dimmed,
our growth and witness will be stunted.
But I don't believe God just wants us to regain a dimmed hope.
I believe this morning He wants it to abound in us.
And that is the message of today's passage.
Romans 15 is a chapter that gives a glimpse of God's intent for hope.
It shows us
that God wants you and I to experience a life that abounds in hope.
A life that abounds in Advent hope.
I think that's something quite different from the simple assumption
that someday Jesus is coming back and heaven's going to be a great place.
Instead, it is a vital, living, purifying, worship-inspiring hope
that shapes all of our life
while we eagerly anticipate and wait for Christ to return.
From verses 8 through 13,
I'd like to point out three aspects that we can glean
regarding Advent hope
and what it means for our lives today.
First of all,
Advent hope means
that you can trust God
to keep His promises.
You can trust God
to keep His promises.
Really, this is the basis,
the foundation
for everything else.
Look at verse 8 again.
For I tell you that Christ became a servant
to the circumcised
to show God's truthfulness
in order to confirm the promises
given to the patriarchs.
So here we see one of the many reasons
why Jesus came.
It's highlighted here in this verse.
His coming
simply demonstrates
God's truthfulness.
God can be trusted
in what He says.
He spoke to the fathers
of the Israelite nation
promising them
that He would bring salvation to the world
through them.
The birth,
the life,
the death,
the resurrection of Jesus
demonstrated,
among many other things,
demonstrated that God
keeps His word.
God's promises
can be trusted.
Now, even though the word hope
doesn't appear in this verse,
it is the theme of the paragraph.
And it's implied by the mention
of the word promises.
hope is generally defined
in the world
as an expectation
of something desired.
And it's important
to have those components,
expectation and desire.
Because there is a difference.
It's not just a desire,
it's a desire that has
an element of expectation to it.
It's kind of interesting.
Esther reminded me,
she was my translator in Italy
for three years
as I was,
would go to the markets
or preach or whatever.
She always happened to be with me.
And she reminded me last night
that this concept was real difficult
because there isn't a distinction
between wish and hope
in Italian.
And it was difficult
for people to understand that.
But that's important here
because it does have
this sense of expectation
with it.
Now, I understand
that sometimes we use
the word hope
to express doubt.
I hope so.
You know,
what are we saying?
I don't know
if that's going to happen.
No way.
But that's not
what it normally means.
It does have
a sense of expectation.
Hope is a common
and powerful theme
in the modern world,
even though it might not be
the biblical definition.
It's often used
to emphasize
the possibilities
of human potential.
I don't know
how many movies you watch,
but there's a scene
in the theory of everything.
You know,
have you seen
any of you
familiar with that?
The story of
Stephen Hawking's life.
And
during a lecture
in the movie,
he began taking questions
and a man rose
and asked,
knowing that
Hawking didn't believe
in God,
did he have some kind
of philosophy
of life
that helped him?
And
after
giving a short
description
of the apparent
insignificance
of human existence,
he then said this,
however bad
life may seem,
there is always
something you can do
and succeed at.
While there is life,
there is hope.
And at that point,
the audience stood up
and broke out
in this amazing applause.
You know,
wow, yes,
that's so true.
He was quoting
Roman orator
Marcus Cicero.
And, you know,
you could look at that
and say,
yeah, okay,
there's,
from whatever
perspective
you're looking at,
there's truth
to that,
but that's
not the
biblical idea.
It is
the hope
of the world.
It is the
philosophy of the world
which says
there really is
no meaning
to the universe.
But even though
we're insignificant
and even though
we have real problems,
we should hope
for something.
We should hope
for something better
and,
as is the theme
of many of
modern science movies,
together we can face
any obstacle
in hope of survival
or for a better world.
And when you think
about what
they're really saying
is that
the hope
we're supposed
to have
is just
impossibility.
That something
could be possible
if we join together
or if we work hard,
if we do
what
good
human beings
have evolved
to do.
The problem
is there's no
assurance
at all.
No assurance
that the expectation
is anything
more than
mere possibility.
And because of that
many philosophers
today have argued
that there really
is no
reasonable
basis for hope.
And to live
with hope
is to live
with an illusion.
And yet
people continue
and will continue
to hold on
to this kind
of hope.
I think it's
interesting what
one self-proclaimed
American agnostics
one said,
he said,
I suppose
it can be
truthfully said
that hope
is the only
universal liar
who never
loses
his reputation
for veracity.
Did you get that?
I had to read it
twice.
I suppose
it can be
truthfully said
that hope
is the only
universal liar
who never
loses
his reputation
for veracity.
At least
he was being
honest.
And people
will continue
to hope
this way
because
it's all
they have.
hope
but it's
quite different
from
the biblical
portrayal
of hope.
And you can
see a quote
in your
bulletin
Daniel
Caudry.
Now what
is hope?
But the
expectation
of those
things
which God
has promised.
And we
find in the
scripture
that
it defines
hope
in this
way.
Two parts.
First
an
expectation
of something
desired
which includes
something
promised
and two
a certain
future
reality.
A
certain
future
reality.
It's not
just a
possibility.
It's
something
promised
by a
truthful
God
confirmed
by the
coming
of
Christ.
Advent
hope
assures
us
that God
keeps his
promises
and you
can trust
him
to keep
all of
them.
Now
not only
does
Advent
hope
mean you
can trust
God
to keep
his
promises
but
abundant
Advent
hope
means
you
have
inherited
the
same
promises.
You
have
inherited
the
same
promises.
That's
his
point
here
in
these
verses.
!
God
in
order
that
so
here's
a
second
reason.
Why
did he
come?
Why
did he
become
a
servant?
He
did
so
to have
mercy
on us.
It was
God's
mercy
that
included
you
and me
in the
messianic
hope.
Paul
says
elsewhere
in
Ephesians
that
the
Gentiles
were
once
strangers
to the
covenants
of
promise
having
no hope
and without
God in
the world.
Chapter
2
verse
12
But
now
they
have
been
brought
near
by
God's
rich
mercy
chapter
2
verse
4
and
through
the
blood
of
Christ
2
13
Now
Paul
could
have
just
said
Jesus
came
to
save
the
world
but
I
like
the
way
he
says
it
here
he
says
it
in
a
way
that
highlights
our
response
we
will
glorify
God
for
his
mercy
and
then
he
quotes
four
Old
Testament
prophecies
to
demonstrate
this
in
verse
9
we
see
that
he
indicates
that
something
has
changed
in
the
world
and
God
is
now
worshipped
among
all
the
nations
and
in
verse
10
scripture
calls
on
the
nations
to
rejoice
with
the
people
of
God
the
Jewish
people
and
in
verse
11
to
worship
the
Lord
then
in
verse
12
we
see
the
reason
another
quote
from
Isaiah
and
there
we
see
that
the
messianic
root
of
Jesse
comes
to
establish
his
reign
over
all
people
and
he
himself
becomes
our
hope
I
think
it
was
always
God's
intent
to
include
us
it
was
always
God's
intent
to
include
the
nations
in
his
plan
even
though
for
a
time
he
isolated
what
looked
like
his
affections
on
one
particular
people
and
gave
them
promises
and
worked
with
them
and
judged
and
had
mercy
on
them
and
yet
it
was
his
promises
to
the
patriarchs
!
that
included
us
to
those
of us
who
believe
in
Jesus
we
inherit
the
same
promises
and
we
see
that
in
Ephesians
3
we
are
now
joint
heirs
and
partakers
of the
promise
in
Christ
Jesus
through
the
gospel
verse
6
of
chapter
3
so
the
triumph
the
promise
of
triumph
the
blessing
of
Abraham
the
messianic
heritage
!
the
righteousness
that we
receive
by
faith
the
resurrection
from
the
dead
new
glorified
bodies
and
eternal
life
in
the
kingdom
of
God
belong
to
you
and
me
as
well
now
what is
this
hope
what
what are
we
talking
about
when we
we
say
we
have
hope
we
have
hope
in
these
promises
and
yet
reading
them
it's
perhaps
difficult
to
understand
exactly
what
is
involved
here
and
I
think
that's
the
point
hope
is
a
glimpse
into
the
future
a
glimpse
at
what
God
has
provided
and
yet
God
wants
us
to
understand
that
glimpse
and
I
believe
that's
what
the
apostle
prays
in
Ephesians
chapter
1
verse
18
when
he
says
in
his
main
amazing
prayer
in
chapter
1
having
the
eyes
of
your
heart
enlightened
that
you
may
know
what
is
the
hope
to
which
he
has
called
you
that's
Paul's
earnest
and
sincere
prayer
and
I
believe
therefore
God's
desire
for you
this
morning
God
wants
your
eyes
to be
opened
God
wants
you
to
see
more
clearly
than
ever
before
your
hope
what
it
is
he
has
planned
what
it
is
he
has
promised
to
you
so
that
it
might
have
an
impact
on
you
now
understanding
this
requires
enlightenment
because
we
really
can't
comprehend
it
we
have
little
to
compare
it
to
in
this
world
but
we
do
have
the
passages
in
scripture
that
give
us
a
glimpse
and
there
are
four
that
are
particularly
linked
to
the
word
inheritance
in
Mark
chapter
10
it's
linked
to
the
eternal
kingdom
of
God
in
Hebrews
chapter
1
it's
linked
to
salvation
in
Luke
chapter
10
it's
linked
to
eternal
life
and
1
Peter
3
it's
linked
to
the
grace
of
life
it's
associated
with
Jesus
return
called
the
blessed
hope
in
Titus
chapter
2
we are
told
that
we are
heirs
of
God
in
Galatians
4
and fellow
heirs
with
Christ
in
Romans
chapter
8
whatever
this hope
is
it's
located
in
the
new
heavens
and
the
new
earth
according
to
Isaiah
66
and
2
Peter
3
and
Revelation
21
it's
typified
as a
mansion
in
heaven
in
John
14
as a
building
not
made
with
hands
in
2
Corinthians
5
as an
eternal
city
in
Hebrews
chapter
11
the
quality
of this
inheritance
is made
clear to
us
in
1
Peter
where
he
says
that
it is
imperishable
it's
undefiled
it's
unfading
and it's
kept
for you
in
heaven
and
Paul
I think
exasperated
with how
to describe
it in
2nd
Corinthians
4
just
says
an
eternal
weight
of glory
beyond
all
comparison
how
do
you
describe
that
I
think
it's
difficult
and
we
have
to
admit
with
Paul
that
even
though
we
are
told
these
things
we
really
don't
know
what
it
will
be
like
to
live
there
to
live
in
this
kind
of
life
one
way
to
look
at
it
is
negatively
there
will
be
no
impure
thoughts
or
motives
no
fears
or
worries
no
loneliness
no
orphans
no
stillborn
babies
no
maintenance
no
slums
no
need
of
police
no
prisons
no
planes
no
trains
no
cars
no
high
tone
sound
of
the
sirens
no
bad
news
booze
or
bars
if
you're
familiar
with
the
Isaacs
no
political
parties
no
corrupt
officials
no
misunderstandings
no
war
no
conflicts
of
any
kind
and
as
it
says
in
revelation
21
no
death
no
mourning
no
crying
nor
pain
and
suffering
now
that's
enough
to
get
me
excited
but
think
further
about
that
what
are
the
possibilities
of
living
in a
perfect
world
a
perfect
universe
where
everyone
is
righteous
to
be
able
to
explore
the
wonders
of
God's
creation
without
the
limitations
of
the
curse
to
enjoy
the
depths
of
God's
goodness
and
power
and
apply
his
wisdom
in
our
reign
because
that's
what it
says
will be
ours
we will
reign
with
Christ
or
consider
the
possibilities
of
utilizing
brand
new
bodies
that are
not just
these
old
bodies
restored
to
health
but
completely
new
bodies
wonderfully
designed
for a
grander
and eternal
life
and you
put your
brain
around
that
and try
to imagine
what it
means
that God
himself
God
himself
the
sovereign
all
powerful
good
merciful
gracious
loving
beautiful
one
is
our
inheritance
!
He
is
our
inheritance!
Well
our
understanding
is certainly
limited but
we do
know
that it
is way
better
than what
we could
ever
have
here
we
knew
we do
know
that it
belongs
to us
as well
and we
should
and we
should
gratefully
and
eagerly
anticipate
it
God
wants
you to
know
the
value
set
your
mind
on
eagerly
anticipate
what he
has
promised
because
he has
promised
it
to
you
so
Advent
hope
means
one
you can
trust
God
to keep
his
promises
two
that
you
become
an
heir
of the
same
amazing
promises
and
finally
Advent
hope
means
you
can
live
free
from
the
attachments
of
this
world
while
you
eagerly
wait
for
those
promises
to be
fulfilled
look at
verse 13
the
apostle
concludes
his
thoughts
by
proclaiming
a
blessing
on
the
church
may
the
God
of
hope
fill
you
with
all
joy
and
peace
in
believing
so
that
by
the
power
of
the
Holy
Spirit
you
may
abound
in
hope
Paul
begins
this
verse
this
blessing
by
referring
to the
father
in a
unique
way
the
God
of
hope
that
might
be a
little
confusing
to us
what
does
that
mean
we
can
understand
the
God
of
love
because
he's
full
of
love
or
what
other
ones
are
there
I'm
ad
living
here
I
better
not
do
that
the
God
of
hope
what
he
appears
to me
to be
saying
is that
God
is the
originator
of hope
not that
he
hopes
necessarily
I don't
know
I've
never
thought that
through
very well
why
would
he
but
it
does
appear
and
the
context
seem
to
support
that
he's
talking
about
God
as
the
originator
the
one
who
inspires
hope
in us
in
creating
this
world
a
world
that
would
experience
great
suffering
he
mercifully
allows
us
a
glimpse
of
his
ultimate
plan
to
remedy
the
situation
and
that
expectation
helps
carry
us
through
doesn't
it
and
it
keeps
us
humble
so
that
we
can
make
or
so
that
he
can
work
in
us
and
through
us
now
the
apostle
invokes
this
God
of
hope
to
increase
our
own
hope
but
instead
of
just
saying
may
God
give
you
greater
hope
he
lets
us
see
how
God
would
do
that
it's
a
process
it
involves
increased
joy
and
peace
connected
to
faith
and
that
increase
enables
the
Holy
Spirit
to
make
hope
abound
in
us
so
it's
not
just
something
I
can
say
hey
hope
more
and
that
happens
God
does
a
work
in
us
hope
really
doesn't
originate
from
us
if
your
hope
is
has
dimmed
you
won't
be
able
on
your
own
to
restore
it
God
needs
to
do
that
and
there's
a
process
that
involves
and
it
requires
us
to
humble
ourselves
before
him
without
a doubt
though
this
is
God's
will
for
us
he
wants
our
faith
to
abound
but
what
does
that
mean
what
is
the
difference
between
hoping
and
abounding
in
hope
how
do
you
measure
that
difference
I
don't
think
he's
saying
the
more
hope
the
more
you
hope
for
the
more
you'll
get
I
don't
think
that's
what's
implied
here
but
I
believe
it's
a
measure
of
hope
that
happens
right
now
in
this
life
it
has
to do
with
the
degree
of
expectation
that
you
have
for
what
God
has
promised
if
hope
is
an
expectation
of
what
is
sure
to
come
then
abounding
hope
is a
greater
and
eager
anticipation
of
it
and
that
degree
can
be
measured
in
our
attachment
to
what
we
have
now
Jesus
describes
something
like
this
in
terms
of
treasure
in
Matthew
6
he says
for
where
your
treasure
is
there
your
heart
will
also
be
and
I
think
the
more
you're
attached
to
this
world
and
the
things
of
this
world
the
less
will
be
your
expectation
of
what
is
to
come
that's
just
natural
your
attachment
is
then
is
observed
in
what
you
value
in
your
daily
decision
making
and
in
your
lifestyle
typically
when I teach
on a
passage I
discuss
the context
of the
passage
early
but
you might
notice I
didn't
here
I waited
till now
because I
believe it's
significant
to this
last
point
in
chapter
14
and
the
first
part
of
15
the
apostle
Paul
is
addressing
a
problem
that
was
taking
place
in
the
church
some
people
were
despising
others
for
their
opinions
about
what
they
could
or
couldn't
eat
seems
like
a
petty
kind
of
thing
but
it
was
huge
and
disrupted
the
harmony
and
unity
of
the
church
and
Paul
cites
the
example
of
Jesus
in
15
3
where
he
says
Jesus
did
not
please
himself
and
he
cited
that
to
encourage
stronger
believers
those
he called
strong
believers
to bear
with the
failings
of the
weak
in order
that
we might
live in
harmony
with one
another
verse 5
chapter 15
and
glorify
God
together
with one
voice
in
verse 6
so
I am
confident
that
Paul
had
unity
in his
mind
also
when
he began
talking
about
this
hope
and
he
appears
to see
hope
as an
important
factor
in how
we live
and relate
to one
another
it
has
an
effect
on
how
you
treat
one
another
it's
not
just
some
wish
for
the
future
but
it's
a
virtue
that
changes
the
way
I
live
if
I
have
it
and
if
I
have
it
in
abundance
then
it
will
really
change
the
way
I
live
that
makes
sense
when
together
we
value
the
coming
world
more
than
this
one
we
become
free
from
trying
to
find
our
security
and
happiness
here
and
are
free
to
give
and
care
for
others
we're
free
we're
not
attached
our
hands
are
free
we
can
give
because
we
have
no
loss
when
you
compare
what
we
have
to
what
we
will
have
we
can
give
everything
because
we
haven't
lost
anything
if
God
is
our
inheritance
he'll
take
care
of
us
here
it
is
a
bounding
hope
that
inspires
greater
faith
it
is a
bounding
!
hope
that
vitalizes
loving
church
community
Colossians
1
3
through
5
it
is
abounding
hope
that
frees
disciples
to lay
aside
personal
dreams
and worldly
ambitions
to live a
life of
sacrifice
on the
mission
field
and it
is abounding
hope that
frees a
person from
self
absorption
it's no
wonder that
hope is a
recognized
remedy for
all kinds
of depression
let me
conclude by
summarizing
what we've
seen
these
passages
give us
a glimpse
of God's
intent for
advent hope
God wants
you to
experience
a life
that abounds
with it
according to
this passage
it means
you can
trust God
to keep
his promises
it means
in Christ
you have
inherited
all of
his promises
and it
means that
you can
live
a Christ
glorifying
others
oriented
life
now
while you
eagerly
wait
for the
fulfillment
of those
promises
I
remember
early on
in my
Christian
life
that
hope
was a
very big
and significant
part of
the Christians
I came
to be
associated
with
during the
Jesus
movement
in the
California
in the
early
70s
it
had
its
kinks
its
quirks
its
weirdnesses
I
did a
lot of
my
shopping
at
Maranatha
Village
if you
needed
tires
you could
go to
Maranatha
Tire
there
was
even
started
a food
company
called
Maranatha
Foods
and today
you can
go to
Costco
and get
Maranatha
almond
butter
but
besides
the
quirks
there
was
an
anticipation
there
was
continual
discussion
about
Jesus'
return
and
it
bred
a
vibrancy
and a
desire
to
grow
and a
desire
to
live
entirely
for
him
and I
think if
there ever
was a
time for
vibrant
hope
it is
now
most
Christians
will agree
that hope
is a
virtue
but few
see
really see
the need
to seek
and possess
an abounding
hope
and yet
this is
God's
will for
us
this is
what he
wants
and so
I would
simply
say
may this
be your
prayer
as well
during this
Advent season
and really
for the rest
of your
life
let's pray
together
again