I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Colossians
1:21-29
21. Once you were alienated from
God and were enemies in your minds because of
your evil behavior.
22. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's
physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish
and free from accusation--
23. if you continue in your faith, established
and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel
that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and
of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
24. Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you,
and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's
afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
25. I have become its servant by the commission
God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness--
26. the mystery that has been kept hidden for
ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.
27. To them God has chosen to make known among
the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the
hope of glory.
28. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching
everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
29. To this end I labor, struggling with all his
energy, which so powerfully works in me.
-- have you ever been in a
situation that you thought was hopeless? -- have you ever faced a situation in
your life where you looked around and saw no way out and you just didn’t know
what you could do?
-- I'm sure we all have -- right
now, we have a lot of our people in our area who are coming into an Advent and
Christmas season and are facing a situation that they regard as hopeless --
even though Hurricane Michael blew through here almost two months ago, we still
have people near us living in tents -- some communities and homes are still
without power -- and that’s all on top of what happened to them at the moment when
Michael came through -- in an instant, these people’s lives were shattered -- their
homes were destroyed -- their jobs lost -- all of their financial security gone
in an instant -- I’m sure that right now their situation seems pretty hopeless
-- we can probably all empathize
with their situation -- we’ve all been there -- we’ve all had times in our
lives where it felt like things were never going to get better
II. The Causes of Hopelessness
-- there’s many ways we can find
ourselves in situations that look hopeless
-- first, hopelessness can be
caused externally, from things that just happen to us because we’re living in
this fallen world -- things like natural disasters, like Hurricane Michael or
the earthquake in Alaska or the floods or the wildfires we’ve seen in our
country in recent weeks -- or maybe the loss of a loved one -- a bitter divorce
-- a family member caught in addiction or sin -- financial issues -- job losses
-- when I think about hopeless
situations caused by external conditions, I think of the story of Job in the
Old Testament -- where in a single instance he lost his way of life -- his
children -- his home -- and his health
-- sometimes our governments
promote doctrines that can lead to a feeling of hopelessness -- for instance,
in the communist nations, these governments promoted the group over the
individual and, as a result, they destroyed the hope of individuals and of
families for better lives in the future -- everything was for the good of the
nation and a lot of people and families were forced into poverty and poor jobs
with no hope for the future
-- this loss of hope -- this
feeling of hopelessness by those who lived in these countries -- was
intentional -- because it forced the citizens of these countries to depend on
the government to survive
-- sometimes we find ourselves in
what seems like hopeless situations because of internal circumstances --
depression -- addiction -- broken hearts -- hurt feelings -- anger -- isolation
-- alienation -- all of these can put a person into a situation where they feel
like they’re drowning in a pool of darkness with no light around and no hope on
the horizon
-- and, when the source of your
hopelessness is internal, it’s especially hard -- because others really can’t
help like they do when a natural disaster puts someone in a seemingly hopeless
situation -- when someone is depressed or addicted, giving them money or
clothing or food is not going to bring healing -- it’s a temporary help, at
best -- and, when the source is internal, others really can’t feel what you’re
feeling -- they really don’t understand what you are going through -- and, so people
in situations like this find themselves lost on the inside -- isolated and
alone in the midst of their pain -- hopeless, even in the midst of friends and
family who love them
-- the third way we find ourselves
in what seems like a hopeless situation is because of our spiritual state
-- in this passage from Colossians,
the Apostle Paul reminds us of a time we all shared -- a time when we all
really lived without hope -- all of us, at tone time, were all alienated from
God and condemned because of our sin -- and those around us who are not
believers are still in this state, even though they may not be aware of it -- look
back at verse 21
21. Once you were alienated from
God and were enemies in your minds because of
your evil behavior.
-- this passage is just one of many
in the Bible that points out our former conditions without Christ -- Romans
3:23 says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God -- Romans
3:10-12 tells us plainly that none of us is good, no one -- that we’ve all
turned aside and no one seeks God
-- the fact is that no matter how
good or moral we think we are as a person, the Bible tells us that all of us
have fallen short of God’s standard -- and, as a result, we were all alienated
from God -- separated from Him by our sin -- enemies of Him -- sentenced to
eternal death through our own evil behaviors
-- and there was nothing we could
do about it -- we couldn’t work our way to heaven -- we couldn’t do enough good
works to overcome our sinful nature and our accumulated sins -- we couldn’t buy
our way into heaven with wealth or power or prestige -- we couldn’t even follow
religious rules and live good and moral lives to the point where we made up for
our past sins -- because once we had broken God’s law at any point, it was
broken and irreparable forever
-- talk about a hopeless situation
-- this was it -- lost and condemned to eternal wrath with no way out
-- when Martha Stewart had her
television show -- I don’t think it’s still on, but it might be -- anyway, when
she had her show, I remember catching it on TV from time to time and watching
as she would come up with some new recipe or decoration or homestyle life hack
to help celebrate the holidays or to make your home a better place -- for the
rest of the show, she would show you how to do it step-by-step -- and, at the
end, she would hold up the finished product and show it off to the camera and
say, "…and that's a good thing"
-- well, living without hope is not
a good thing -- it means that there is nothing to celebrate -- it means that
there is no rescue -- no relief -- no promise of better days or better ways
-- hopelessness means that you are
in a darkness in which no light will ever shine -- you are on a journey that
will never end -- hopelessness means that nothing will -- or can -- change in
your life or in your circumstances -- hopelessness means that all is lost and
there is nothing you can do about it
III. The Hope of the Advent
-- however, the message of the
Bible is that because of Christ, we are never in a place of true hopelessness
-- no matter how dark the days -- no matter how bad the situation -- no matter
the shape of your soul or the seriousness of your sins, hope shines brightly --
especially at this time of the year
-- today we begin the season of
Advent -- the time of preparation for Christmas -- Advent is a season that is
characterized by hope -- as Romans 8:25 says, hope is the eager anticipation --
the eager waiting -- for something that has not yet happened but that will come
to pass to change our situation -- to change our circumstances -- to change our
lives
-- two thousand years ago, the
Jewish nation lived in bondage to the Romans in their own country -- With their
way of life oppressed and dominated by foreigners, they longed for the coming
of the Messiah -- the One who God promised would come and restore Israel to its
glory and who would rule over the nation forever -- the One who would bring
healing and restoration and salvation to both Israel and the world
-- however, for over 400 years, God
had been silent and had not spoken to the Israelites -- His prophets were
silent --the priests offered only empty sacrifices and lip-service to the God
their forefathers had served -- and now, for hundreds of years, the nation of
Israel had been under the rule of foreigners -- first Greeks and now Romans -- and
for a Jew living in Israel two thousand years ago, they had no real hope --
they felt like God had turned His back on His people -- they couldn't see how
anything would change in the near future
-- yet, still, in the midst of what
seemed to be a hopeless situation, the true believers waited in hopeful expectation
of the fulfillment of prophecy and the return of the King to Israel -- they
lived with the hope that maybe this year would be the year that the Messiah
would come and restore Israel -- they waited for the fulfillment of the promise
that their God had made to them -- that their Messiah would come
-- this is what the season of
Advent is all about -- waiting expectantly -- hoping -- believing -- anticipating
-- that God is going to come and His promises are going to be fulfilled and
that all is going to be made right again
-- the word “Advent” means coming
-- and so during the Advent season we celebrate the first coming of Christ -- we
gather as God’s people -- as the church of Christ on earth -- to remember and
to celebrate the fact that the Messiah did come into the world as promised over
2000 years ago -- born as a baby in a manger -- raised as a man who did not sin
and who showed us the way to live with God and in God -- and who died on the
cross for our sins -- rising from the dead on the third day to show victory
over sin and death and to bring hope back into a hopeless world
-- the situation described in verse
21 seemed like a hopeless situation -- before we were saved, we were alienated
from God -- enemies of Him in our own minds because of our evil behavior --
sentenced to death because of our unrighteous acts
-- yet, in the midst of that
hopeless situation, hope came alive -- the Savior was born in a manger on
Christmas morning two thousand years ago and died on a cross for our sins -- in
that atoning act on the cross, Jesus poured oil onto the fire and fanned into
flames the hope that lay hidden deep within us
IV. Hope in Christ
-- in 1 Peter 1:3 we read that
through His death and resurrection, Christ gave us new birth into a living hope
-- what does it mean to have a living hope in Christ?
-- a living hope in Christ is based
on God and on His grace -- everything in the Christian life -- from salvation
to growing in faith to serving Jesus -- has nothing to do with us and
everything to do with Him
-- a living hope in Christ means
that we live life based on the promises that God has given us in Christ -- with
the expectation that all His promises will come to pass, just as He said
-- our hope, first, is in salvation
and eternal life with Christ -- look again at verse 22
22. But now he has reconciled
you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight,
without blemish and free from accusation--
23. if you continue in your faith, established
and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel
that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and
of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
-- Paul tells us here that it is
through Christ we have been reconciled with God and been made holy in His sight
-- because of His death on the cross, we are without blemish and free from
accusation -- we have received salvation and eternal life
-- Romans 3:22-25 says that
"righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who
believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that
came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through
faith in his blood."
-- it is our faith in Christ's
atoning death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead on the third day
that gives us hope -- that causes us to expectantly wait -- for the promised
salvation and eternal life in Christ that is to come
-- all we have to do is to
recognize our need for a Savior and ask Jesus to forgive us for our sins and to
accept, through faith, His death on the cross in our place and His resurrection
from the dead, and we will step into this hope of eternal life through Him
-- secondly, with a living hope, we
hope in sanctification -- in growing in faith in Christ -- in becoming holy as
He is holy
-- we believe that we have been
indwelt with the very presence of Christ -- the Holy Spirit -- who leads us and
guides us down the path of holiness and righteousness -- that is why Paul
writes in verse 23 that we should continue in our faith -- established and firm
-- not moved from the hope held out in the gospel
-- through the Holy Spirit we grow
in our faith and in our trust in the ability of Christ to meet all of our needs
-- to be our strength in times of trial and tribulations -- to bring hope in
the midst of seemingly hopeless situations
-- through the power of the Holy
Spirit working in our life we come to truly trust and believe that in Christ we
can do all things -- that in Christ we are more than conquerors -- that through
Him, there is no situation that cannot be redeemed and there is no life that
cannot be touched for His glory
-- in other words, we acknowledge
that we might occasionally face storms in our lives -- we may occasionally find
ourselves tossed about on the waves of despair -- but our faith is in Christ
and we hope -- we wait expectantly -- for His deliverance in our lives -- and,
if not in our physical lives here on earth, in our ultimate deliverance as we
go to be with Him forever
-- finally, with a living hope we
hope in the promise of serving Jesus here on earth -- look back at vs. 28
28. We proclaim him, admonishing
and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect
in Christ.
29. To this end I labor, struggling with all his
energy, which so powerfully works in me.
-- Paul tells us that we are called to
proclaim the gospel of Christ, admonishing and teaching everyone so that we may
present everyone perfect in Christ
-- this means two things -- this
means that we serve Jesus through evangelism -- by telling others of the good
news of Christ -- by telling them of the hope that we have of eternal life
through Jesus' death and resurrection and how they can have it in their own
lives
-- and it also means that we
demonstrate the grace of Christ to others through our actions -- as it says in
1 Peter 4:10, we administer -- we demonstrate God's grace in various forms by
serving our neighbors -- what better way to proclaim the gospel of Christ than
by being the hands and feet of Christ in your community? -- what better way to
proclaim the gospel of Christ than by demonstrating God's love by meeting the
physical needs of those around you?
-- with a living hope, we go forth
to serve Christ expecting Him to work through us -- we go forth with the
knowledge that there is nothing that we cannot do with Christ's power -- that
there is no one that we cannot touch -- that there are no situations that we cannot
work through -- hope and faith give us the ability to demonstrate the love and
the grace of God to hopeless people all around us
V. Closing
-- one of the greatest books in
Christianity is an allegory written by John Bunyan called "The Pilgrim's
Progress" -- during his journey to the celestial city, the main character
in the story -- Christian -- visits the house of Interpreter -- while he is
there he sees a wall against which a fire blazes brightly -- there is a man
standing near the wall, pouring water on the flames, but no matter how much
water he pours on the fire, the fire does not go out -- instead, the fire burns
higher and hotter and grows bigger and bigger
-- Christian watches for a little
while trying to understand what was going on -- suddenly it hits him -- the
flames represent hope and the man who is pouring water on the fire represents
all those things in our life and all those situations in our life that try to
take away all of our hope -- a marriage starts to fail, a bucket of water is
thrown on the fire -- a wayward child, another bucket of water -- a sin that
alienates us from God, more water -- but, yet, the fire doesn't go out -- and
not only does it not go out, it burns brighter and bigger
-- you see, on the other side of
the wall there is another man -- and at the same time the first man is pouring
water on the fire, this man is pouring oil onto the flames, causing the fire to
roar and blaze with increasing power
-- the message from Bunyan was that
no matter how much water is thrown on the fire -- no matter how the storms of
life try to dampen our spirits and wash away hope -- they never can succeed
because of the man pouring oil on the fire -- Jesus Christ
-- it is a reminder that Jesus came
at the first Advent to bring us hope and life -- to reconcile us with the
Father -- to pay the penalty for our sins so that we might live holy and
righteous and forgiven -- and to give us eternal life through Him
-- in the paraphrase, The Message,
we read the following in 1 Cor 1:9, "God, who got you started on this
spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of His Son and our Master
Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that."
-- the message of Advent is that
hope in Christ overcomes all -- the message of Advent is that God's promises
will always come to pass -- the message of Advent is that we can have hope in
seemingly hopeless situations because our Messiah has come -- as long as He is
present, there is reason for hope -- hope for salvation and eternal life --
hope for sanctification -- and hope for service in His name
-- let us pray
No comments:
Post a Comment