Advent Hope Sermon

We opened Advent by lighting the Hope candle—also called the Prophecy candle—and fixing our hearts on a hope that isn’t wishful thinking but a settled confidence in God’s promises. Advent looks both backward and forward: we remember Christ’s first coming and actively prepare for His second. That dual focus shaped our time in the Word. Isaiah, seven centuries before Jesus, foretold a virgin birth and a Son who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Micah pinpointed Bethlehem. Job, writing more than a millennium before Christ, spoke of a heavenly Advocate—language the apostle John later identifies clearly with Jesus. Scripture, across centuries and authors, ties into one beautiful, trustworthy thread: God keeps His word.

Because Jesus fulfilled hundreds of prophecies, we have sturdy ground under our feet. If the past promises have held, we can trust the future ones as well. That is why Revelation’s words matter: “I am coming soon.” The call isn’t to set dates; it’s to live ready—washed, repentant, and responsive. Readiness is not anxiety; it’s allegiance. It looks like confession instead of hiding, forgiveness instead of hardness, obedience instead of delay.

I shared how grace lifted years of guilt and shame off my life. That same grace keeps meeting me when my old sinful nature tries to drag me backward. Jesus did not get murdered; He laid down His life. He could have called angels but chose a cross—for you and for me. He is our Advocate, interceding even when we fail. And He is our returning King, coming to make all things right.

So let’s be people of hope—hope rooted in Scripture, strengthened by study, and expressed in repentant, forgiving lives. Let’s open our Bibles and let the whole story deepen our confidence. If you’re not sure you’re ready, come to Him. Confess, receive mercy, and step onto the path of life. He came once just as promised. He will come again just as He said.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Hope is confident, not wishful This isn’t “maybe-it’ll-work-out” optimism; it’s a settled trust in the character and promises of God. Hope matures as we see how Scripture coheres and how God has kept His word across centuries. Such hope steadies the soul under shame, fear, and uncertainty because it rests on Someone, not circumstances. It trains us to respond to failure with confession and to suffering with endurance. [07:32]
• 2. Prophecy anchors faith in reality Isaiah, Micah, and many others spoke with stunning specificity long before Jesus was born; He fulfilled hundreds of these prophecies. If God’s past promises held with such precision, His future promises can be trusted with our present obedience. Faith isn’t a leap into the dark; it’s a step onto well-tested ground. Therefore, hope looks like allegiance today while we wait for tomorrow. [08:43]
• 3. Jesus intercedes as our Advocate Job glimpsed it; John named it—Jesus stands before the Father for us. His advocacy doesn’t minimize sin; it applies His atoning work to repentant sinners, moving us from hiding to honest confession. Knowing He prays for us reshapes our failures: we are not defined by our last mistake but by His finished work. Intercession is fuel for resilient repentance. [16:09]
• 4. Scripture study grows durable hope Secondhand spirituality can’t sustain a first-rate storm. As we read and trace the Bible’s unified story, our confidence deepens, and hope becomes resilient, not fragile. Study brings context, coherence, and courage; it moves truth from our ears to our bones. Open the Word, and let its connectedness strengthen your heart in Christ. [17:26]
• 5. Live ready for His return Revelation’s “I am coming soon” isn’t a calendar riddle—it’s a discipleship summons. Readiness means washed robes: repentant hearts, faithful obedience, and reconciling love. It refuses to add to or subtract from God’s Word and chooses surrender over speculation. Live as if He could come today, and you’ll be faithful whenever He comes. [21:29]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:30] - Tech hiccups and gratitude
• [01:09] - Mission statement and prayer
• [02:26] - What is Advent?
• [04:18] - The Hope/Prophecy candle
• [07:32] - Biblical hope defined
• [08:43] - Prophecies fulfilled in Jesus
• [09:20] - Isaiah’s promises of Messiah
• [12:45] - Micah and Bethlehem’s significance
• [14:05] - Our Advocate: Job to 1 John
• [17:26] - Growing faith by studying Scripture
• [21:29] - Revelation: Jesus is coming soon
• [24:52] - Invitation: Are you ready?
• [26:09] - The cross, grace, and new life
• [30:33] - Together on Team Jesus

Bible reading (ESV)
- Isaiah 7:14 — Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
- 1 John 2:1–2 — My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
- Revelation 22:12–17, 20 — “Behold, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay each one for what he has done... Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life... The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price... He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

Observation questions (3–4)

1. Read Isaiah 7:14. What single word or phrase in this verse would have been hardest for people to believe for 700 years, and why? [09:20]
2. In 1 John 2:1–2, what two truths about Jesus’ role among sinners are stated plainly? How would those two truths change how a person feels after they fail? [16:09]
3. In Revelation 22:12–17, what concrete actions or images does the text use to describe being “ready” for Christ’s return (look for physical or relational metaphors)? [21:29]

Interpretation questions (3–4)

1. How should someone understand the fact that multiple prophets across centuries predicted details about the Messiah (e.g., birth, place, mission)? What does that pattern do to the plausibility of hope based on Scripture? [08:43]
2. How should one interpret the word “Advocate” (1 John 2:1) in relation to ongoing sin—does this description encourage casual sin, or reshape a believer’s response to failure? [16:09]
3. What does the image of “washing robes” and “the tree of life” in Revelation suggest about the relationship between readiness and repentance? How might a person read these images as both assurance and call to holiness? [21:29]

Application questions (5–7)

1. The pastor said grace lifted years of guilt and shame from his life. Name one persistent shame or regret you carry. Will you bring it to Jesus this week in confession? What specific step will you take (a prayer, a pastor conversation, a confession to God) in the next 48 hours? [18:50]
2. Study builds durable hope. What concrete Scripture habit will you start this week to “move truth from your ears to your bones”? (Examples: read Isaiah 7–9 three times this week, memorize 1 John 2:1–2, join a weekly Bible study.) Pick one and commit to when and how long. [17:26]
3. The sermon said readiness looks like confession, forgiveness, and obedience. Identify one person you need to forgive or one relationship you need to seek reconciliation in the next two weeks. What will your first concrete step be (call, visit, written apology)? [21:29]
4. Revelation warns against adding to or taking away from Scripture. What is one small habit you can stop that tends to shape your own private theology (e.g., following a YouTuber more than the Bible, trusting speculative teaching)? What will you replace it with that points you back to Scripture? [22:46]
5. If you are not sure you are “ready” for Christ’s return, the pastor invited people to come to Jesus. What are three short sentences you could pray right now to confess and receive mercy? If you’re willing, share one of them with the group this week. [28:42]
6. Prophecy anchored the preacher’s confidence (Isaiah, Micah). Which prophecy or promise about Jesus do you find most personally encouraging, and why? How can you use that promise as a reassurance the next time fear, shame, or doubt comes? [12:45]

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