Hope and Presence: Embracing Advent's True Meaning
Summary
In today's gathering, we explored the profound concept of hope and presence, especially as we approach the Advent season. Advent, meaning "arrival," is a time of anticipation and preparation for the coming of Jesus, the embodiment of God's presence among us. This season is not just about the traditions and decorations but about the deeper values of hope, joy, peace, and love. We reflected on how the first Christmas was marked by confusion and unexpectedness, as people grappled with the arrival of Jesus, which was not what they had anticipated.
The essence of hope, as discussed, is envisioning a future different from the present, especially when the present is marked by suffering or brokenness. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, emphasizes that hope is not a passive wish but something that is built through perseverance and character, often forged in the crucible of suffering. This challenges the common misconception that being good prevents bad things from happening. Instead, it is through facing hardships that God forms us, using our pain and suffering to shape us into something more profound.
We also delved into the idea that the enemy of hope is not hardship but loneliness. Many people today experience deep loneliness, which can erode hope. The Bible assures us that God's love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, meaning that God is always near, even when we feel alone. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be the embodied presence of Christ in the world, agents of hope for the lonely. This means showing up for others, not necessarily with solutions, but with our presence, acknowledging their struggles and simply being there.
In practical terms, this involves recognizing the power of presence over words. Sometimes, the most profound impact we can have is by sitting with someone in their pain, offering our presence as a testament to God's love and hope. This is the heart of the Christmas message: God with us, in our joys and in our struggles, offering hope through His presence.
Key Takeaways:
1. Advent and Anticipation: Advent is a season of anticipation, focusing on the arrival of Jesus and the values of hope, joy, peace, and love. It reminds us that God's presence is His rescue, offering a future different from our present struggles. [30:48]
2. Hope Through Hardship: Hope is not a passive wish but is built through perseverance and character, often developed in the face of suffering. This challenges the belief that being good prevents hardship, highlighting that God uses our struggles to form us. [44:28]
3. Loneliness as the Enemy of Hope: The true enemy of hope is loneliness, not hardship. God's love, poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, assures us of His constant presence, even when we feel alone. [49:36]
4. The Power of Presence: As followers of Jesus, we are called to be the embodied presence of Christ, offering hope through our presence. This involves acknowledging others' struggles and simply being there, rather than offering solutions. [54:32]
5. Embodied Presence of God: Christmas celebrates the embodied presence of God in Jesus, and as the church, we are the body of Christ, called to be agents of hope for the world. Our presence can significantly impact those experiencing loneliness and despair. [52:13]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [30:48] - The Unboxing Phenomenon
- [34:21] - Advent: Anticipation and Arrival
- [35:47] - Hope Defined
- [37:48] - Confusion at the First Christmas
- [39:22] - The Challenge of Finding Words
- [40:20] - Secular vs. Biblical Hope
- [42:04] - Reconciliation and Glory
- [43:21] - Boasting in Suffering
- [44:28] - Building Hope Through Hardship
- [45:19] - Misconceptions About Goodness and Suffering
- [46:15] - God Forms Us Through Hard Times
- [49:36] - Loneliness: The True Enemy of Hope
- [50:24] - The Presence of the Holy Spirit
- [52:13] - Embodied Presence: Christmas and the Church
- [54:32] - The Power of Acknowledging Struggles
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Hope and Presence in Advent
Bible Reading:
1. Romans 5:1-5
2. Ezekiel 37:26-27
3. Ephesians 1:22-23
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Observation Questions:
1. What does the Apostle Paul say about the relationship between suffering and hope in Romans 5:1-5? How does this challenge common perceptions of hardship? [44:28]
2. In Ezekiel 37:26-27, what promise does God make about His presence among His people? How does this relate to the concept of Advent as discussed in the sermon? [34:21]
3. How does the sermon describe the reaction of people to the arrival of Jesus during the first Christmas? What emotions and responses were common? [35:47]
4. According to Ephesians 1:22-23, what role does the church play in embodying the presence of Christ in the world? How is this connected to the theme of hope? [52:13]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon explain the idea that "God's presence is God's rescue"? In what ways does this concept provide hope to those experiencing hardship? [34:21]
2. The sermon suggests that loneliness, not hardship, is the true enemy of hope. How does this perspective change the way we view our struggles and the support we offer to others? [49:36]
3. What does it mean to be an "agent of hope" as a follower of Jesus, according to the sermon? How can this role impact those who are experiencing loneliness? [53:42]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the power of presence over words when supporting someone in pain? Why might this be more effective than offering solutions? [54:32]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt alone in your struggles. How did the presence or absence of others affect your sense of hope? What can you learn from that experience to support others now? [49:36]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of being present for others without necessarily providing solutions. How can you practice this in your relationships this week? [54:32]
3. Advent is a season of anticipation and preparation. What specific steps can you take to focus on the deeper values of hope, joy, peace, and love during this time? [30:48]
4. Consider the idea that God uses hardships to form us. How can you reframe a current challenge in your life as an opportunity for growth and character development? [44:28]
5. Identify someone in your life who may be experiencing loneliness. What practical actions can you take to be an embodied presence of hope for them? [53:42]
6. The sermon mentions that resilience increases when someone acknowledges another's struggles. How can you incorporate this understanding into your interactions with friends or family? [54:32]
7. Reflect on the role of the church as the body of Christ. How can you contribute to your church community in a way that embodies hope and presence for others? [52:13]
Devotional
Day 1: Advent as a Season of Anticipation
Advent is a time of anticipation and preparation for the arrival of Jesus, the embodiment of God's presence among us. This season invites us to look beyond the traditions and decorations to the deeper values of hope, joy, peace, and love. The first Christmas was marked by confusion and unexpectedness, as people grappled with the arrival of Jesus, which was not what they had anticipated. Advent reminds us that God's presence is His rescue, offering a future different from our present struggles. As we prepare for Christmas, we are called to reflect on how we can embody these values in our lives and communities. [30:48]
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:11-13, ESV)
Reflection: How can you intentionally prepare your heart and mind to embrace the deeper values of Advent this season?
Day 2: Hope Through Perseverance and Character
Hope is not a passive wish but is built through perseverance and character, often developed in the face of suffering. This challenges the belief that being good prevents hardship, highlighting that God uses our struggles to form us. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, emphasizes that hope is something that is forged in the crucible of suffering. It is through facing hardships that God forms us, using our pain and suffering to shape us into something more profound. This perspective invites us to see our challenges as opportunities for growth and transformation. [44:28]
"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a recent hardship you faced. How can you see God's hand in shaping your character through that experience?
Day 3: Loneliness as the True Enemy of Hope
The true enemy of hope is not hardship but loneliness. Many people today experience deep loneliness, which can erode hope. The Bible assures us that God's love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, meaning that God is always near, even when we feel alone. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be the embodied presence of Christ in the world, agents of hope for the lonely. This means showing up for others, not necessarily with solutions, but with our presence, acknowledging their struggles and simply being there. [49:36]
"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses." (Psalm 25:16-17, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your life might be experiencing loneliness? How can you be a presence of hope for them this week?
Day 4: The Power of Presence Over Words
As followers of Jesus, we are called to be the embodied presence of Christ, offering hope through our presence. This involves acknowledging others' struggles and simply being there, rather than offering solutions. Sometimes, the most profound impact we can have is by sitting with someone in their pain, offering our presence as a testament to God's love and hope. This is the heart of the Christmas message: God with us, in our joys and in our struggles, offering hope through His presence. [54:32]
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on a time when someone’s presence made a difference in your life. How can you offer that same gift to someone else today?
Day 5: Embodied Presence of God in the World
Christmas celebrates the embodied presence of God in Jesus, and as the church, we are the body of Christ, called to be agents of hope for the world. Our presence can significantly impact those experiencing loneliness and despair. We are invited to be the hands and feet of Jesus, showing up in the lives of others with love and compassion. This means being attentive to the needs around us and responding with the same love that God has shown us. [52:13]
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you embody the presence of Christ in your community this week? How can you be an agent of hope and love to those around you?
Quotes
When you and I talk about hope, there's lots of ways we could define it. And the Bible has lots of sort of layers to hope as we kind of even kind of get into it. But just at least the sort of the baseline sort of minimum idea of what it means to have hope across all... There's more to it than this, but just at least the baseline looks like this. Hope is kind of envisioning a future, like having a picture of a future that's different than the present. So we have a present where something's missing or broken or out of sorts, and we can picture that in our minds. An idea where those problems are resolved, that's where we sort of begin to have at least a picture of hope. [00:35:15] (33 seconds)
And when people are confused about anything, almost everything, the most common reaction when people are confused about something is they say, I don't have the words. Something incredible happened. I don't have the words. Something confusing happened. I don't have the words. Show of hands. How many of you have ever gotten a gift that was either so good or so confusing that you did not have the words? Just come on, show your hands. Yeah. Some of you, everybody. Apparently, a lot of you guys got every gift you've ever gotten was exactly as you had the words. Way to go. What was it like to live like that? But for the rest of us, there have been moments where we're like, I have no idea. I have no idea what this is about and why I have this. [00:36:32] (43 seconds)
Instead, maybe what we have to think about is that hard stuff is actually something else. It's where God forms us. It's not the only place God forms us. And please understand, there's other ways in which that God does work into forming us. But to say it really clearly, when hope is built by facing hard stuff, and hard stuff is where God forms us, is to say this, God doesn't waste the pain and the suffering that you and I have. He can take it and do something with it that is not wasted. And I wish it wasn't true that this was the case. But it's richer than just teaching us a lesson. A lot of people say, I've been going through a tough thing. God must be trying to teach me something. And I'm not saying that's not true. I'm just saying, it's a little deeper than that. [00:46:41] (40 seconds)
The truth is that good people do unavoidably experience really difficult things, really hard things. Now, our own experience and research and the Bible will tell that apparently the enemy of hope isn't hardship. Because apparently hope is sort of built in hardship. When our resilience goes up, so does our own sort of experience of hope. But also the enemy then of hope, if that's the truth, then the enemy of hope is actually loneliness is what we try to, what we figure out. The enemy of hope is actually loneliness. People do really hard things. And that's not why they lose their hope. They lose their hope when they feel like they're alone. [00:49:07] (39 seconds)
And hope does not disappoint us because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. In other words, for people who are Jesus' followers, apparently, this invisible dimension of our own faith, not just sort of a new morality. A lot of us sort of have an idea about Jesus and his sort of call to living as a particular, just a sort of, the whole thing is a sort of a new morality. It's bigger than that. It's that God's spirit dwells within our hearts. That means that God himself is never far away from us, which means that people who are connected to Jesus always have this experience of the nearness of God to them. [00:50:44] (39 seconds)
The ultimate expression of this, of course, is Jesus who suffers with us. The bible describes him repeatedly as having compassion. His compassion went out toward people. That compassion, of course, is made the clearest on his own death on the cross on the night of his own or right before his own arrest, the night of his arrest. Jesus was with his disciples, He's at a meal, which could be no more person. That's the most being with of anything. He's with his disciples, and after he'd given thanks, he takes the bread, and he breaks it, and he gives it to his disciples, and he says, this is my body. It's given for you. My very presence is going to be given for you. [01:02:17] (40 seconds)
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