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A Journey of Hope

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Introduction

Today I'd like to look at Psalm 84 . Someone once called the book of Psalms "the soul's medicine chest," and I think that's a good description. When my soul is sick and needy, I turn to the Psalms. This particular psalm describes a journey of hope. The Christian life as a journey is the controlling metaphor in perhaps the most famous book written on the Christian life, Pilgrim's Progress . John Bunyan's hero, aptly named Christian, makes his way to the Celestial City. That's also the idea behind the song Amazing Grace : "Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come. 'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home."

The idea of life as a journey or pilgrimage is a solid metaphor for our life as Christ-followers in this world. But for the one who wrote Psalm 84 it was more than a metaphor. This psalm is about a real pilgrimage. It's set in the glory days of Israel; perhaps when King Solomon ruled. Every year crowds would flock to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. They'd make the journey from all over Israel to the Holy City to worship at the Temple. Their homes might have been a long way from God's house, but they journeyed none the less. Psalm 84 expresses the heartbeat of one unnamed pilgrim as he journeys to Jerusalem:

How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.

Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob. Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.

This psalm can be broken down into three parts or stanzas. Each stanza has four verses and each expresses a different aspect of this journey. Verses 1-4 show this was a journey of desire . Verses 5-8 show it was a journey of surprise . Finally, verses 9-12 show that this was a journey of contentment .

A journey of desire

First this was a journey of desire. The pilgrim begins by saying to God, "How lovely is your dwelling place..." God's dwelling place was the temple in Jerusalem. The psalmist's longing, his desire is to be there. Look at the words he uses: "My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out." Those are strong words! If you've ever been really homesick you might begin to understand what he's feeling. He's consumed with this desire. He's even jealous of the little swallows that fly around the temple grounds, building their nests and hatching their young near the altar of sacrifice. He longs to be as close to God as they are, in that place of intimacy and safety. Finally, he gives the first of three blessings in this psalm: "Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are forever praising you."

Certainly, the temple was a beautiful sight, but he's not longing to be there simply because it was such a fine piece of architecture. He's longing to be in God's presence, continuously praising him. He yearns "for the living God ... the Lord Almighty." He knows him personally; he calls him "my King and my God." It's like two lovers who want to go out to dinner together. It doesn't matter where they go. What matters is they're together. The person you're with is far more important than the place you go. You know there's something wrong in the relationship when the place becomes more important than the person.

This psalm forces us to evaluate our own desires. Can you speak or pray these words as if they're your own? Do you long to be in his presence? Does your heart pant after him? We all know one of the sure signs we're getting sick is losing our appetite. Things we'd normally crave don't interest us. The same thing is true in the spiritual realm. The loss of an appetite for fellowship with and worship of the living God is a sure sign of soul sickness. Why does that happen? Usually it's because we've allowed the desire for other things to satiate us.

C.S. Lewis expressed this well. He said if we stop to consider the unblushing promises that God makes to us, "It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak. We're halfhearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he can't imagine what's meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We're far too easily pleased."

This longing to be in the presence of God, praising and worshipping him, won't be fulfilled ultimately until we meet him face to face. There's a sense in which, try as we might, nothing this side of heaven will satisfy us fully. There's an old hymn that puts it well:

While we walk the pilgrim pathway, clouds will overspread the sky; but when traveling days are over, not a shadow, not a sigh.

When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory!

But there's another sense in which this longing to be in God's presence is fulfilled when we gather to worship and praise him. The New Testament clearly tells us that we, the church, are the temple of God. He's here among us. When we come together our hearts should resonate with the whole experience. It goes much deeper than whether or not we like the music or if the sermon meets our immediate needs. Psalm 42:7 says, "Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls." Hearing the people of God singing and praying should touch deeply and our hearts should echo in agreement.

A few weeks ago, I visited a dear woman in our church who is 99 years old. She'd just come home from a week in the hospital due to pneumonia. We sat in her living room and talked, and in the course of about 45 minutes she said to me at least five times, "I'm going to make it to church on Sunday. I'll be there, Mark. I'll see you there." She didn't make it that Sunday, but there was a deep longing in her to be at worship with God's people in God's house.

More often than not, we're more like the guy who slept in one Sunday morning. His mom came in and woke him up. "It's time to get up. You'll be late for church." He told her he didn't want to go to church today. She asked him why not and he said, "Because I don't like that place and I'm tired of those people. Why do I have to go?" She came a little closer, saying, "Because you're 35 years old and you're the pastor!"

How is your spiritual appetite? Does your heart cry out for the living God? Does your soul yearn and even faint to be in his courts? When you daydream, is that where your mind goes? Do you envy those who can be there when you can't?

If you find yourself lacking in this, as I do, it might help to remember that this altar in which the birds make their nest is an altar of sacrifice. That sacrifice is the means by which we're forgiven and renewed. Guilt won't make us long for God, but love will. And we know something the psalmist didn't know. God loved us enough to place his Son on that altar.

A journey of surprise

In verses 5-8 the word "strength" is used several times. Verse 5 says, "Blessed are those whose strength is in you." Verse 7 says, "They go from strength to strength." It makes sense that those on a long journey would get tired and need strength. But it's more than that. In verse 6 the psalmist talks about passing "through the Valley of Baka." On the way to the temple, the pilgrim would pass through this valley. Baka was a Hebrew word that meant weeping or tears. It was also used for Balsam trees that grew in the most arid places. The Valley of Baka may refer to a current place called the Valley of Rephaim, leading up to Jerusalem from the west. It was an arid, dry place. It wasn't a fun place. But if you wanted to make it to the temple in Jerusalem, you had to pass through it.

We'll pass through difficult and dry times on our way to meeting God, times of weeping. After this service, I'll hop in a car with my wife and son and we'll drive to Los Angeles. We'll take highway five and drive through that wonderful smelling stretch of road passing through Harris Ranch. We don't look forward to it, but to get to our destination we must pass through there.

The surprise is that this valley, of all places, can become a blessing. The Valley of Baka becomes a place of springs. Not only that, but the autumn rains cover it with pools. That word "pools" is a play on the Hebrew word for "blessing." So the dry and arid place, the place of weeping, becomes a place of refreshment and blessing.

Haven't you experienced this? Look back over this past year and think about the times you've had to pass through the Valley of Baka. Dry times. Times when your faith was tried. Times you had no idea what God was up to. Times of weeping. I look back on this year in my own family and we've had both a funeral and a wedding, times of joy and times of weeping. Yet when I look at my own life and when I speak to other people I realize that we wouldn't trade those times of weeping for anything. As hard as they were, somehow God showed up and gave us strength, refreshment, and blessing. We'd never have known God's faithfulness had we not walked through the Valley of Baka.

How can we experience God's strengthening in these times? How can we make the Valley of Baka a place of springs? The psalmist says those who receive strength from God are those "whose hearts are set on pilgrimage." There's a direction to their life. They're moving towards God. Their hearts are set. That's what allows them to "make it a place of springs." We're constantly battling with temptations to go this way or that. We have a disease of our own affections. Far too often, our hearts aren't set on this pilgrimage but on something else.

I ran a marathon once, but it was a long time ago. Think about the guys that run them in just over two hours. They drink a great deal of water on the way. Yet have you ever seen one of those guys really stop and drink a cup of water and maybe have a little chat? No way! They grab a cup, chug it down, throw the cup away, and hardly break stride. Their purpose and direction is set. There heart is focused on pilgrimage.

When we face difficulties, when we walk through the Valley of Baka and it never seems to end, what will keep us going in the right direction? Certainly, the Holy Spirit must do a work in our lives. He's the one who gives us a homing instinct for God. Yet there's something we can do. It's found in verse 5, "Blessed are those whose strength is in you." It's dependence. It's a walk of faith. It's God-reliance rather than self-reliance. Out of that spirit of weakness and helplessness, the psalmist cries, "Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob."

It's the same thing the apostle Paul had to learn. Remember the thorn in his flesh? We don't know what it was, but it was some nagging problem of mind or body that kept Paul weak and frail and needy. Paul asked God three times to take it away, but each time God said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." So finally Paul said, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" ( 2 Cor. 12:9-11 ). You see, it's only those difficulties that keep us dependent, and it's only when we're dependent, looking to God in faith for those resources we don't have, that we'll really know the strength of God.

A journey of contentment

This brings us to the final section of this great psalm. In verses 9-12, we see this pilgrimage was a journey of contentment. It's almost as if he's reached his destination, and he finds in the presence of God every imaginable good. Have you ever looked forward to something and it turns out even better that you thought? That's his experience as he cries out, "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere." In essence, he's saying that he wouldn't trade one day in God's presence for anything on earth. Where do you dream of going? What do you dream of doing? What's on your bucket list? An all-expenses-paid trip to a beautiful mountain lodge? A month in Maui? How about a whole year in Tuscany? Sounds good, doesn't it? Yet he says, "I'll just take one day in your courts above any of that."

Then he adds, "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." He's saying, "I'll take the most humble position in God's house above anything the world has to offer." For some reason, when I read this my mind went to AT&T Park where the Giants play. Did you know if you can't get tickets there's a place in right field where you can watch at least part of the game for free? There are four openings in the right field wall where you can watch the game. The spots are standing-room-only, and you can only stay there for 20 minutes at a time. It's like the palmist is saying, "I'd rather stand and watch the Giants from that remote spot in right field than have season tickets to the Dodgers." He'd rather be a humble doorkeeper in the house of God than a king somewhere else.

Why would he rather have just one day as a doorkeeper in God's house? Because "the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor." He's tasted what the Lord gives, and after a meal like that nothing else satisfies. Why would I choose ground beef when I can have filet mignon? The Lord is a sun—he gives light and guides us. He's a shield—he protects us and guards us. He bestows favor and honor, or as another translation says, grace and glory. This is what we all long for. Grace is the sense of acceptance and belonging that God grants to us out of his great love. Glory and honor is the outward manifestation of that grace in our lives. What more could you want?

Then there's this beautiful promise: "No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." He doesn't say, "Nothing does he withhold" because there are things he'll withhold from us. Instead, he says, "No good thing does he withhold." There's a difference. This promise isn't for everyone. It's only for those whose walk is blameless. Count me out! Yet he isn't talking about moral perfection. None of us could qualify if that were the case. He's talking about what he says in the next line: "Blessed is the one who trusts in you." That's what God wants. He wants his people to trust him. Throughout the Scriptures it's simple faith that pleases God and makes us blameless in his sight.

You might have noticed I skipped over verse 9. I did that on purpose. It's a verse that, at first glance, seems out of place. He prays, "Look on our shield, Oh God; look with favor on your anointed one." This is a prayer for the king. The Hebrew word for "shield" was a royal title for the king of Israel. The word for "anointed one" is the Hebrew word for Messiah. The New Testament translates this word into Greek as Christos . These titles speak not only of Israel's king when this was written, but also of a future king, the Messiah King, Jesus. Why does he pray for the king? Why does he pray, "Look with favor on your anointed one"? What does that have to do with this journey to the temple? Only when the king is firmly established on his throne will the pilgrims be safe and the temple will be secure. The good news is that we as Christ-followers know without a shadow of doubt that God does indeed look on our King with favor, and because of that our access to God's presence is guaranteed.

T here's nothing more hopeful than that. Because of Jesus, because of God's anointed King, because of all he's done for us, our journey is one of hope. Not a wishful thinking kind of hope, but a sure hope, a certain hope. God has planted within us a longing and desire to be with him. In this life he will take us through the Valley of Weeping, and as we trust him in those difficult times he will strengthen and refresh us. And when we get there (and we will get there), it will be better than we even imagined it would be.

Think for a moment about the most difficult thing you've ever had to go through, or the most painful thing that you currently endure. Perhaps it is a daily thing that threatens to undo you with loneliness, confusion, and fear. Now imagine yourself standing in the presence of God, looking down from heaven on the earthly life you're about to be born into, and God says to you, "I'm going to send you into the world for 60 or 70 or 80 years. It will be hard. In fact, it will be more painful and confusing and distressing than you can now imagine. You'll have a thorn in your flesh, the result of entering a broken world of sin and death, and you may wrestle with it all your life. But I'll be with you, watching every step you take, guiding you by my Spirit, supplying you with grace sufficient for each day. At the end of your journey, you'll see my face again, and the joy we share then will be born out of the agonies you faithfully endured through the power I gave you. No one will take that joy away from you."

Would you say yes to the journey if you had had that conversation with God? In a way, we have had it. God is the author of your story. He's watching your journey, supplying you with his strength each day. And he will bring you home to live with him and the great company of the redeemed forever. You can keep walking the lonely road if you remember he's looking on and delights to help you persevere. The joy of our destination makes our current struggle worth it.

Mark Mitchell is the lead pastor of Central Peninsula Church in Foster City, California.

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Strength for the Journey

Ii thessalonians 2:13-17.

March 30, 2003 | Ray Pritchard

About six months ago I received a letter from Pat Williams, Executive Vice-President of the Orlando Magic (a pro basketball team in the NBA). Although I had never met Mr. Williams, I knew he was a brilliant sports executive and also a fervent Christian. He wrote to say that he was working on a book about the life of Christ and wondered if I had any thoughts that might be helpful. I jotted down a page or two of ideas and sent them to him by e-mail. Several days later he called and we had a great talk. We have since exchanged several e-mails. On Friday afternoon I got a copy of his brand-new book, How to be Like Jesus: Lessons on Following in His Footsteps (Faith Communications). It’s over 400 pages long so I haven’t had time to do much more than browse through it. But I did look closely at the chapter called “How to Endure Like Jesus.” Page 237 contains a quote from German theologian Otto Dibelius, a leader of the anti-Nazi resistance movement in World War II: “God does not lead his children around hardship, but leads them straight through hardship. But he leads! And amidst the hardship, he is nearer to them than ever before.” That’s a striking way to put it. Not around hardship but straight through it.

Several pages later Pat Williams addresses the issue of endurance head-on: “If we want to be like Jesus, we must endure like Jesus. We need to persevere under pressure as Jesus did.” … “If it hasn’t happened already, a time will come when you must endure like Jesus.” … “No one in history deserved to be more honored and respected than Jesus of Nazareth. Yet he was treated with contempt and put to death. If we endure like Jesus, our own battle scars will be the righteous and beautiful wounds of those who have taken a courageous stand against evil. Our wounds will be like his” (pp. 250-252).

Life is a journey for all of us, and that journey is not always easy. There are hard days and difficult nights and sometimes there are weeks and months and years where the road seems to lead from one hardship to another. If we live long enough, we’ll have plenty of chances to get the battle scars Pat Williams talked about. No one gets a free ride and no one is exempt from the troubles of the world.

Sometimes when we are discouraged, we can feel like giving up and walking away from the Lord. We’re not the first generation to feel like that. Our passage ends with a prayer by Paul for the infant congregation at Thessalonica. It helps to remember that these new believers were just recently rescued from paganism. Now they were under intense pressure to leave Jesus and go back to their old life. That’s why Paul prays in verses 16-17 that they would be encouraged and stabilized by the Lord. In order to grasp the full impact of his prayer, we need to back up to verse 13. There we will find a message of encouragement that speaks to us in the 21st century.

I. A Doctrine We Need to Believe v. 13-14

“But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 2:13-14).

The whole system of Christian theology can be found in these verses. Everything we believe is here in tightly compressed fashion. The key phrase is “God chose you to be saved.” That speaks of the sovereign grace of God in salvation. Did you know God chose you to be saved? If he had not chosen you, you would never have been saved at all. Sometimes we speak of “finding” the Lord, but if he had not found us first, we would never have found him at all. Salvation begins with God—not with us. He chooses us—and then we believe. In putting the matter that way, I simply mean to declare that salvation is all by grace, all of God, all the time. Shortly before the first service on Sunday morning, when I met with some men to pray in my office, one of them asked, “You’re not going to talk about predestination today, are you?” I laughed and said, “You bet I am.” It’s in the text so I can’t ignore it or pretend it’s not there. Many years ago, when I was growing up in Russellville, Alabama, my friend David Neal and I used to sit on his porch late at night and talk about the Bible. I remember we decided that someday we were going to write a 20-volume masterwork called, Why We’re Confused About Predestination. I saw David a few weeks ago and that brought our late-night theology sessions back to my mind. Thirty-five years have come and gone since those mostly carefree days. I know a great deal more than I knew back then, but there is still much I do not understand. At this point I wouldn’t say that I am confused about predestination. I think I would use the word “mystery” to describe the relationship between human responsibility and divine sovereignty. Some things that God understands are simply not fully understandable to us. After all, the First Rule of the Spiritual Life informs us that “He’s God and We’re Not.”

And so when Paul says, “God chose us for salvation,” I am happy to believe it just as it is written. But that doesn’t mean I can fully explain every nuance of how our uncoerced choices fit into God’s sovereign plan for the universe. But they do. I believe that God arranges the circumstances of life (and the movements of the heart) to bring us to the place where we have no other choice but to freely choose to trust in Christ for salvation. To some that will seem like a contradiction, to others it will seem like a simple statement of biblical truth. Is there a mystery here? Yes, of course, and I would much prefer a theology with some mystery in it than a theology that claimed to fully explain the mind of God. When it comes to salvation, we bring the sin that makes salvation necessary, and God brings everything else. Yet we are not robots or puppets on a string, and when we come to Christ, we do not come conscious of any compulsion. We come by faith because we want to come. And in our coming, we discover later that God was drawing us to himself all along by the power of the Holy Spirit. If you are troubled by this, or wonder how it could be, just remember that you are on the right track when your view of salvation gives all the glory to God. Magnify the Lord as Savior, give him the credit, and you will be moving in the right direction.

From Eternity to Eternity

These two verses lay out the five stages or steps in our salvation in the broadest possible sense:

1) You were loved (v. 13). Salvation springs from the heart of God who loved us and gave his Son for us. The message of the gospel is always, “God loves you. God loves you. God loves you.” And this should be the church’s message as well.

2) You were chosen (v. 13). This is sovereign grace, divine choice, divine election, predestination. This means that when it comes to salvation, God always makes the first move, and if he didn’t make the first move, we would never make any move at all.

3) You were called (v. 14). The “sanctifying work of the Spirit” refers to the wooing of the Holy Spirit whereby he creates in the heart of the lost sinner a conviction of sin and a desire to come to Christ for salvation. Without this work of the Spirit, no one would ever come to Christ.

4) You believed the gospel (v. 14-15). This is where our responsibility comes into play. We are not saved simply because God chose us. We still must believe the gospel. No one goes to heaven apart from the work of Christ on the cross.

5) You share in Christ’s glory (v. 14). This is the final step in our salvation. And it is a step still in the future. One day we will be with the Lord in heaven and we will share in his great victory.

In a sense, this is the whole sweep of salvation from “eternity to eternity.” There is great comfort in seeing things from this perspective. It tells us that God has a purpose in history. He’s not just “making it up” as he goes along. Everything in the universe plays a part in the outworking of God’s plan. This ought to give us enormous confidence as we face the uncertainties of life day by day. If you believe that everything in your life is a hit-and-miss affair, if you think that the events of each day just happen by chance, then you will be a prisoner to your circumstances. You’ll be up when things are good and you’ll be down when things are bad. How wonderful it is to rest in the knowledge that our God is working out his plan for us in everything that happens to us—the good and the bad, the positive and the negative, the happy and the sad.

By the way, don’t let this doctrine worry you about who can or can’t be saved. God desires that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:9). God loves the whole world (John 3:16). The gospel is to be preached to every nation (Matthew 28:19-20). There is no one who wants to be saved who cannot be saved! Rest assured on this truth. No one will be in hell by accident. No one will be in hell who truly ought to be in heaven. No one will be in hell who says, “I wanted to be saved but God would not save me.” Such a thing simply cannot happen. If you have the desire to know God, you can be confident that he gave that longing to you. God is always the initiator in salvation. God calls, we respond. God calls, we believe. God calls, we come to Christ. When God wanted to populate heaven, he sent his Son to die for us. Then he sent his Spirit to draw us. And he gave us his Word so we would know the truth. And he even gives us faith to believe the gospel. And when the church goes out to preach the gospel, the Lord goes with us so we don’t go in our own power. Salvation is of the Lord!

Death Today, Glory Tomorrow

The very best part of this is the final step in the process—sharing in his glory in the life to come. That hasn’t happened yet. Today death still reigns on planet earth. Turn on the TV and you read about war and killing and bloodshed in Iraq. Death reigns because death has not yet been destroyed. If you doubt that, check out the obituaries in the newspaper. There are lots of people going into the cemeteries, not many coming out. If you are waiting for a resurrection at the cemetery, you may have to wait a long time. Death is everywhere. It is the one appointment no one can postpone. I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit since my mother died a few weeks ago. I had the privilege of speaking at her graveside service. Someone said, “That must have been hard,” but it wasn’t hard at all. It was a great privilege and a tremendous honor to do that for my mother. We buried her next to my father who died 29 years ago. Near the end of my message, I said, “Rest well, Dad. Rest well, Mom. We will see you again.” Is that just wishful thinking? Is there any basis for believing that we will ever see our loved ones again? Let the Apostle Paul answer that question:

“We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (I Thessalonians 4:14-17).

Everything hinges on the first phrase: “We believe that Jesus died and rose again.” In the King James Version, the translators added the word “if.” “If we believe that Jesus died and rose again.” The New Living Translation says, “Since we believe.” All the versions are correct, I think. We do believe, and since we believe, these things must be true, but if we don’t believe, then we have no certainty at all. Everything hinges on what happened on Easter Sunday morning 2,000 years ago. This is Lent, which leads us to Holy Week, which leads us to Good Friday, which leads us to Easter, which brings us face-to-face with the most stupendous fact in the universe—Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

Question Time with the Sparks

Last Wednesday night I visited the kids in our AWANA Sparks program (K-2nd grade). There must have been almost 100 children crowded into the room. Each year we have an “Ask Pastor Ray” night where the kids try to stump me with Bible questions. Each year it seems to get easier to stump me. The very first question was, “How many letters are in the Bible?” Then “How many words are in the Bible?” Then “How many sentences are in the Bible?” Hmm. I was 0 for 3 and fading fast. Then someone wanted to know, “How tall was Jesus?” Then “Who is taller—you or Jesus?” Then “Is Jesus taller than God?” (There were a few theological problems with that question.) And on it went. One boy wanted to know, “How many clouds are there?” “Do you mean clouds in the sky?” “Yes,” “A whole bunch,” was my inspired answer. Finally I got a question I could sort of answer. “Where was Jesus when he rose from the dead?” That’s a fascinating question that I don’t think the Bible answers completely. We know the tomb was empty on Easter Sunday morning and we know he appeared to Mary that morning and later to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. There were other appearances over the next 40 days. But where was he between those appearances? We don’t really know. All we know is that sometime before dawn on Sunday morning, life returned to his dead body, he rose through his grave clothes, the stone was rolled away, and Jesus came out of the tomb, alive from the dead. But if you’re asking where he was at 6:30 a.m. on Easter Sunday, my answer is, “I don’t know where he was, but I know where he wasn’t. He wasn’t in the tomb. Jesus had come back from the dead.”

Life is hard for all of us and we all have so many questions and doubts and fears and worries. Even the best among us struggle with questions we cannot answer. So many people struggle with hurts and pains they can hardly express. Easter says to us, “The story isn’t over yet.” If you are a believer, history doesn’t end with a question mark but with an exclamation point. As Tony Campolo likes to say, “It’s Friday but Sunday’s coming.” This is the message of the Resurrection:

Your doubts are not the end of the story.

Your fears are not the end of the story.

Your worries are not the end of the story.

Your uncertainties are not the end of the story.

Your unbelief is not the end of the story.

If we suffer with him, we will reign with him. Better days are coming because Jesus rose from the dead. The grave will not have the last word. One day the children of God will exit the cemeteries once and for all. Let us be perfectly clear about it. We do believe that Jesus died and rose again, therefore we have no doubts that one day the dead in Christ will rise and we will rise with them to meet the Lord in the air. Between now and then, we are living on the edge, waiting for what God has promised. It’s like a TV cliffhanger where the end of the episode says, “Come back next week to see how the story ends.” Stay tuned, child of God. The best is yet to come.

And all of this, the certainty of eventual victory with our risen Lord, all of it goes back to the great purposes of God that stretch across the centuries, that span the ages, that reach from eternity past to eternity future. All of it goes back to the first truth that our God is absolutely sovereign and that our salvation rests not in our own puny strength but in the mighty hands of God whose purposes cannot fail.

If you believe that God has a plan for your life, then you can find the strength to keep on going. The sovereignty of God puts iron in a man. It makes him stand up straight for God. When a man understands this truth, it puts some spizerinktum in his soul. (By the way, I used the word “spizerinktum” on Sunday and people thought I was making it up. I could only find one person who had heard it, but I used to hear it when I was growing up. It means something like “courage” or “gumption.”) It’s a wonderful thing when a man can say, “This is God’s will, and I have found it. And I’ve given my life to it.”

II. A Command We Need to Obey v. 15

“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter” (II Thessalonians 2:15). The command in this verse flows directly from the doctrine of vv. 13-14. If you understand the purposes of God, then you will have every motivation to do what Paul commands.

Stand firm!

So many believers are jumpy, jittery, worried and uncertain. Who can blame them? If you watch too much of the Iraq war on TV, you’re bound to get jittery sooner or later. This week we heard about a suicide bombing that killed four of our solders at a checkpoint in An Najaf. There was another suicide bombing in Israel. And US agents intercepted a team of terrorists attempting to enter the US with explosives. They intended to kill the president at his ranch in Texas. And every day brings news of more attacks and counterattacks. Truly, these are perilous times. No wonder so many people are on edge.

In times like these, we need to stand fast on the truth of God’s sovereignty and we need to hold on to the truth written down in the Word of God. When the ground seems unsteady under your feet, remember what you have learned. Go back to the first principles. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about a truth that is becoming more and more important to me. Good theology can save your life. In the time of trouble, if you know the truth and if you remember the truth, what you know and remember can save you from despair. Several weeks ago I did a radio interview on KCBI in Dallas. One of the callers was a woman who is going through a hard time in her marriage, with her health, and with some family relationships. As I listened, I realized she was a Christian who felt overwhelmed. I knew I couldn’t solve her problems in two minutes. So I told her that she needed to go back to the first principles and remind herself of those things she knew to be true. “Good theology can save your life,” I told her. At that point the host broke in and said, “But you’re a pastor. You have to say that.” Yes, I am a pastor and I do have to say that, but I say it because it’s true. What you know can save you when life tumbles in around you. What things are we talking about? Here’s a short list:

God is good.

God is faithful.

He will never leave me.

His mercy endures forever.

This is no mistake.

God has a purpose.

He is working out his plan for me.

God still loves me.

The Holy Spirit indwells me.

Jesus is alive today.

He will return someday.

Sometimes all we can do is dig in and hold on. And when trouble comes, sometimes that’s the best thing we can do. More than anything else, our generation of Christians needs to hear these words again. “Stand fast.” Remember what you have learned. Stand on the truth you already know. Take God at his word! There is no reason to quit or to give in to evil.

III. A Prayer We Need to Pray v. 16-17

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (II Thessalonians 2:16-17).

We come at last to the prayer of Paul for the Thessalonians. The context is crucial because the prayer flows directly from the doctrine of God’s sovereignty and from the command to stand firm. First, we must remember that God is the source of all power. He alone can help us in the time of trouble. All the resources of heaven are at our disposal. Second, remember what God has already done for us.

He loved us—that’s in the past when he gave us his Son.

He encouraged us—that’s in the present through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

He gives us hope—that’s in the future when we will share in his glory.

He has solved every problem by taking care of our past, our present and our future.

In light of all that, pray for two things:

Pray for an encouraged heart.

Pray for a stable heart.

When we are encouraged, we will face the trials of life with hope. “Cheerfulness ought to be the atmosphere you breathe, and if you believe that God loves you, you cannot but be happy” (Charles Haddon Spurgeon). When your heart is stabilized, you won’t be swayed back and forth by circumstances and emotional mood swings. The latest headlines won’t throw you for a loop one way or the other. The stable heart is fixed on the Lord and is not swaying to and fro. The mark of the stable heart is consistency. You are the same because Christ is the same no matter what happens around you.

And the result of the prayer is wonderful. You are able to do every good work and to say every good word the Lord wants you to do and to say. Your life and your lips act in perfect harmony with the Lord.

Here’s the passage in a nutshell:

Since God has chosen you for salvation, stand fast amid all the trials of life, knowing that God will encourage you and make you strong on the inside so that your life will be filled with good words and good deeds. It’s all there and it all flows together—doctrine, command, prayer. Here’s another way of looking at it:

You are greatly loved—Stand fast!

You were chosen by God—Stand fast!

You were called to salvation—Stand fast!

You believed the gospel—Stand fast!

You will one day share in Christ’s glory—Stand fast!

You have received God’s comfort—Stand fast!

You have good hope by grace—Stand fast!

You were established in every word and deed—Stand fast!

Only one thing needs to be added. Get Christ into your heart and you will be stable. All that I have said about the doctrine, the command and the prayer doesn’t matter without Christ. Unless he is in your heart, the rest is just good religious advice. Do you know him? Last week I exhorted you to, “Run to the cross!” But that’s not just a good word for the lost. That’s great advice for believers. In the time of trouble, run to Jesus. Cling to him! Believe in him! Trust in him! Rest your soul in the Lord and all will be well. Amen.

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Anchored in Hope

Welcome! It is a tremendous blessing to gather together today.

Hope is a remarkable and transformative force in our lives. It has the power to uplift us during times of despair, ignite courage in moments of uncertainty, and bring light to the darkest corners of our hearts. Hope is not a fleeting wish or a mere desire; it is a steadfast confidence that God’s promises endure, unshaken by the circumstances surrounding us.

Today, we will journey through the inspiring passage found in Hebrews 6:13-20, where we encounter the beautiful imagery of hope as an anchor for our souls. This profound Scripture reminds us of the unchanging nature of God’s promises and the unwavering hope we find in Him. As we explore these verses, may our hearts be encouraged, our spirits uplifted, and our souls firmly anchored in the hope of our faithful God.

Let us now turn our attention to Hebrews 6:13-20 as we embark on a transformative exploration of what it means to be “Anchored in Hope.”

The Unchanging Promise of God

Within our passage, we are reminded of the unyielding nature of God’s promises and the profound hope we can find in them.

To understand the significance of these promises, let’s first explore the context of Hebrews 6:13-15. Here, we witness God’s interaction with Abraham, where He made a promise and faithfully fulfilled it. Through this example, we are reminded of God’s steadfastness and unwavering commitment to His word. Just as God was faithful to Abraham; we can confidently declare He remains faithful to us today.

Reflecting upon our lives, we encounter countless instances of God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises. His providential care, provision in times of need, and guidance through the darkest valleys all bear witness to His unchanging nature. Furthermore, the pages of Scripture resound with stories of God’s faithfulness to His people, from Noah and the ark to the redemption accomplished through Jesus Christ.

Our hope is not merely wishful thinking or a fleeting emotion; it is deeply rooted in the character of God Himself. His promises stand firm, unshaken by the shifting tides of this world. When we anchor our hope in God’s unchanging nature and His unwavering faithfulness, we discover a source of strength and assurance that transcends any circumstance or challenge.

The Steadfast Anchor of Our Souls 

As we continue through the passage, we discover the anchor that secures our hope—the person of Jesus Christ.

Symbolically, an anchor represents a firm and secure foundation for our souls. Just as an anchor holds a ship steady amidst turbulent waves, Jesus Christ serves as our unshakable anchor in the storms of life. Through His sacrificial death on the cross and triumphant resurrection, He has assured us of salvation and eternal hope.

The significance of Jesus’ role as our High Priest cannot be overstated. He entered the inner place, the Holy of Holies, not with the blood of animals but with His precious blood, representing the perfect sacrifice for our sins. As our High Priest, Jesus intercedes on our behalf, bridging the gap between God and humanity. He is our advocate, offering forgiveness, reconciliation, and hope.

Practically speaking, just as an anchor keeps a ship steady, Jesus Christ keeps us steady and secure in the midst of life’s storms. When we face trials, tribulations, or uncertainties, our hope in Jesus holds us firm, preventing us from being tossed about by the winds of doubt or despair. His presence and promises provide us with the stability and confidence to navigate life’s challenges.

In times of distress, when circumstances threaten to overwhelm us, we can cling to our anchor, Jesus Christ. He anchors our souls in God’s unchanging love, grace, and power. Let us find comfort and strength in the steadfast anchor of our souls, embracing the hope that comes through our Savior, who secures us in His unyielding grip.

Our Response: Holding Fast to Hope

Having understood the unchanging promise of God and the steadfast anchor of our souls, we now turn our attention to our role in this divine relationship.

Church, it is not enough to passively receive hope; we are called to hold fast to it actively. We are encouraged to proactively strengthen our hope and deepen our connection with the source of all hope—our Lord Jesus Christ.

One practical way to cultivate hope is through fervent prayer. By regularly communing with God and sharing our burdens and desires with Him, we open our hearts to His transformative power and allow Him to infuse us with His hope. Additionally, immersing ourselves in the Word of God equips us with the promises, teachings, and examples that bolster our hope. Studying and meditating on Scripture becomes a beacon of hope, guiding us through life’s challenges.

Furthermore, the fellowship of believers plays a vital role in nurturing our hope. Gathering with fellow Christians, sharing our journeys, and encouraging one another strengthens our hope as we witness God’s faithfulness manifesting in the lives of others. Together, we can spur one another on to greater faith and hope, shining as a radiant community of believers.

Remember that our hope is not meant to be hoarded selfishly but shared generously. Our confident hope in Christ becomes a transformative light in a world overshadowed by uncertainty and despair. By sharing our hope with others through acts of kindness and compassion and sharing the Gospel, we become beacons of hope, pointing others to the source of everlasting hope.

Therefore, I challenge you to live with a confident hope that shines brightly in every aspect of your life. May our hope in Christ be evident in our words, actions, and attitudes, drawing others closer to the redeeming love of our Savior.

Let us commit ourselves to actively holding fast to the hope we have in Christ, nurturing it through prayer, studying the Word, and engaging in fellowship with fellow believers. May our lives radiate the hope from our unchanging God, serving as a testimony to the world of the glorious hope in Jesus Christ.

As we come to the close of our time together, let us reflect on the three key points we have explored today: the unchanging promise of God, the steadfast anchor of our souls, and our response to hold fast to hope.

In God’s unchanging promise, we find the assurance that His faithfulness endures through every season of life. He remains faithful to His word, offering hope that surpasses all circumstances. The anchor of our souls, Jesus Christ, provides stability and security amidst the storms of life, enabling us to stand firm in our faith. And as we actively hold fast to hope, we cultivate a vibrant and transformative relationship with God, inspiring us to live with confident expectations and share our hope with others.

Dear friends, may you fully embrace the hope found in God. Let it guide and inspire you in every aspect of life—your relationships, work, dreams, and challenges. May the hope within you radiate to those around you, bringing light and encouragement to a world desperately in need.

Let us close in prayer, inviting God to deepen and strengthen the hope within us. Heavenly Father, we thank You for the unchanging promise of hope You have given us. Grant us the grace to hold fast to this hope and to live as beacons of light in a dark world. May Your hope fill our hearts, renew our spirits, and inspire us to walk with unwavering faith.

Go forth, anchored in hope, and may God’s peace and blessings be with you always. Amen.

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THIS JOURNEY OF HOPE

by Ron Dunn

Scripture: MICAH 3:12 , MICAH 4:1-4

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From Brokenness to Redemption: The Journey of Grace

Today, I bring you a story of remarkable transformation – a story that reminds us of the boundless power of God’s grace to heal and restore even the most broken of lives. It’s a tale of a man named David, who went from the depths of despair to the heights of redemption through an unwavering faith in God.

Part 1: A Life in Ruins:

David’s story began in the shadows of addiction and despair. Lost in the grip of substance abuse, his life spiraled into chaos. His relationships shattered, his dreams crumbled, and his sense of self-worth evaporated. Each day seemed darker than the last, and he felt utterly isolated from God’s love.

Key Scripture: Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

Part 2: The Encounter with Grace:

In the midst of his despair, David had an encounter that changed the course of his life. He met a kind-hearted stranger who shared stories of hope and transformation. This stranger introduced him to a local church community, where he found an outpouring of love and acceptance he had never known before. Through their unwavering support, he began to experience a glimmer of hope.

Key Scripture: Romans 15:13 “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.”

Part 3: The Turning Point:

One Sabbath, as David sat in the pew, he heard a sermon that struck a chord deep within his heart. The pastor spoke of God’s relentless love, forgiveness, and the promise of new beginnings. Tears streamed down David’s face as he realized that he, too, could find redemption through God’s grace.

Key Scripture: Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”

Part 4: Embracing Redemption:

David chose to surrender his broken life to Christ. He joined support groups, sought counseling, and immersed himself in prayer and Scripture. His journey was far from easy, but each step was a testament to his growing faith. He learned to lean on God’s strength in moments of weakness and to find solace in His promises.

Key Scripture: Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Part 5: The Miracle of Restoration:

As the months passed, a miraculous transformation unfolded. David’s relationships were mended, his addiction was overcome, and his sense of purpose was renewed. He found joy in serving others, using his own experiences to offer hope to those still struggling.

Key Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Conclusion:

My dear Brethren, David’s story is not just his own; it’s a reminder that no life is beyond the reach of God’s redeeming love. No matter how broken we may feel, God’s grace has the power to mend our hearts, restore our spirits, and lead us to a life of purpose and abundance. Let us leave here today inspired by David’s journey, knowing that our God is a God of second chances, and through His love, we too can find our way from brokenness to redemption. Amen .

This sermon is about: redemption

Today, I bring you a story of remarkable transformation – a story that reminds us of the boundless power of God's grace to heal and restore even the most broken of lives. It's a tale of a man named David, who went from the depths of despair to the heights of redemption through an unwavering faith in God.

David's story began in the shadows of addiction and despair. Lost in the grip of substance abuse, his life spiraled into chaos. His relationships shattered, his dreams crumbled, and his sense of self-worth evaporated. Each day seemed darker than the last, and he felt utterly isolated from God's love.

Key Scripture: Psalm 34:18 "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."

Key Scripture: Romans 15:13 "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."

One Sabbath, as David sat in the pew, he heard a sermon that struck a chord deep within his heart. The pastor spoke of God's relentless love, forgiveness, and the promise of new beginnings. Tears streamed down David's face as he realized that he, too, could find redemption through God's grace.

Key Scripture: Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."

David chose to surrender his broken life to Christ. He joined support groups, sought counseling, and immersed himself in prayer and Scripture. His journey was far from easy, but each step was a testament to his growing faith. He learned to lean on God's strength in moments of weakness and to find solace in His promises.

Key Scripture: Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

As the months passed, a miraculous transformation unfolded. David's relationships were mended, his addiction was overcome, and his sense of purpose was renewed. He found joy in serving others, using his own experiences to offer hope to those still struggling.

Key Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

My dear Brethren, David's story is not just his own; it's a reminder that no life is beyond the reach of God's redeeming love. No matter how broken we may feel, God's grace has the power to mend our hearts, restore our spirits, and lead us to a life of purpose and abundance. Let us leave here today inspired by David's journey, knowing that our God is a God of second chances, and through His love, we too can find our way from brokenness to redemption. Amen .

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The Star: A Journey of Hope

Jesus brings hope in the dark times of life.

Isaiah (4) , Revelation (53) (Part of the Advent (9) series) by Stuart Johns (233) on December 3, 2017 ( Sunday Morning (335) )

Gospel (21) , Hope (7)

1 st Sunday of Advent

The Star: ​​ A Journey of Hope

(Isaiah 7:14; 9:2; Revelation 7:9, 16-17)

INTRODUCTION

VIDEO – Hope Bumper video

Welcome to the first Sunday of Advent. ​​ Today begins our journey to Christmas. ​​ It’s only four weeks away! ​​ Of course the retail stores have been prepared long before this first Sunday of Advent. ​​ The word advent is a version of a Latin term which means “coming.” ​​ So we use these weeks leading up to Christmas as a chance to look forward to our celebration of the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, the light of world, our Savior. ​​ Advent is a season of great expectation, and I’m glad you’re here with us today as we embark on a journey – actually join in an epic journey that began more than two thousand years ago – and follow the star and discover the light of the world. ​​ It’s a journey of the heart and soul, but it’s also a journey that will realign our expectations and experience of the Christmas season. ​​ And it’s a journey that will explore the gifts of Christmas delivered by and through Christ: ​​ hope, love, joy, and peace. ​​ We will need hope in the storms of life and love that never gives up. ​​ We need fresh joy on our journey and peace no matter what we’re facing or dealing with.

We’re going to be focusing on the star as our guiding light. ​​ It guided the Biblical characters to the place where Jesus was and it can guide us to Jesus, the light of the world, even today.

I have been looking forward to this Christmas season more than in the past couple of years, because of hope!

I’ve experienced hope at home as Judy and I have continued to deepen our relationship as husband and wife as we move into a new phase of life (almost empty nesters)

I’ve also experienced hope at home as I’ve watched our boys develop into fine young men

Wade has become more independent

Seth is finishing college this year and getting married in June to a wonderful young lady, Emily

Levi has matured this past school year and is working more independently on his school work

I’ve also experienced hope at church

There are more people participating in small group Bible studies than in the past couple of years

We have vision for the future and faith to move forward

God has been challenging us as a congregation and I see Him working powerfully in your lives

That brings me great hope!

While I’ve been experiencing hope at home and at the church, I realize that not everyone is experiencing hope, especially during the Christmas season

Are you struggling to experience hope right now?

There are numerous struggles you may be experiencing today that are stripping you of hope

Financial stresses (you want to make Christmas special for your family, but finances are tight)

Relational dysfunctions (you’re not looking forward to the family gathering, because of tensions in your family)

Memories of loss (perhaps the Christmas season is difficult, because you’re remembering a loved one that has passed away – this may be your first Christmas without that individual)

Commercialized expectations (maybe you’re feeling the pressure to keep up with Jones’s)

We’ve all been there at some time or another

We may be there right now in some form or another

We’re not alone

Those who were part of the journey toward the first Christmas – Mary, Joseph, an innkeeper, a jealous king, some wise men, common shepherds, angels, and so many more didn’t even understand what was happening all the time

Mary and Joseph placed their firstborn son in a manger, because there wasn’t room in the inn

Herod wasn’t feeling hopeful when he learned of a king who had been born in Bethlehem

The wise men had a long journey to take in order to see Jesus

The shepherds were afraid when the angels appeared to them

While there were hardships along the journey, most of the characters answered God’s invitation to come and see the arrival of His son, the light of the world and the Savior of all

Will you say yes to the journey?

Will you peer through the darkness of your life, no matter what that may be, and look for the glimmer of hope?

Will you step toward the light of the star even if your vision seems cloudy or muddled?

Will you journey toward Bethlehem, drawn by hope for the love, joy, and peace that await?

Through this journey of hope God wants us to know that . . .

BIG IDEA – Jesus brings hope in the dark times of life.

How do we follow the star on a journey of hope? ​​ How can we purposefully live this season of anticipation in light of hope? ​​ Let’s look at three key components – acknowledging the darkness around us, embracing the wait, and committing to the journey.

Acknowledging the Darkness

VIDEO – Methanol – fire (1) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZEEuCHdWFA]

In the video we saw that a methanol fire is very hard to see in the daylight, but burns a beautiful blue color in the dark

In the darkness the flame is visible and gives off light

The same is true of stars

We aren’t able to see them during the daytime, but at night (as long as the sky is clear) we can see the stars

In fact the darker the night, the better we can see the stars

If you live in the country as opposed to the city, you will see the stars more clearly, because there are less light

When the moon is that tiny sliver instead of a full-moon we are able to see the stars more clearly

The darker the setting, the brighter the starlight

Just because we can’t see them in the daytime doesn’t mean they aren’t still there

This is the wonder of God’s creation and He chose a star to guide the wise men to Bethlehem

Throughout the Bible, we see how God uses His own creation to reveal Himself to us

Psalm 19:1-4 , The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. ​​ Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. ​​ There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. ​​ Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world (NIV)

Psalm 8:3-4 , When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (NIV)

Masking the darkness

It’s easy for us to mask the darkness that we see in the world around us and in our own hearts, especially during the holidays

We allow the holiday glitz to artificially light our lives, but the darkness within us is still there

But facing darkness and calling it what it is allows us to see true light

Sometimes we have to experience the darkness in order to see the light clearly

If you’ve ever heard the testimony of someone who has come out of an addiction, many times you’ll hear the same thing

They had to hit rock bottom before they were ready to ​​ acknowledge the darkness within

It was only when they acknowledged the darkness that they were able to see the light of hope and kick their addiction

There is darkness all around us in our world

The recent news stories of Hollywood executives, newscasters, and politicians who are losing their jobs as a result of inappropriate behavior with the opposite sex or with children

The shooting that took place in a church in Texas

The use of a box truck in New York City to kill individuals

The shooting that happened during a concert in Las Vegas

We don’t have to look far to see that there is darkness all around us

The Israelites were experiencing a dark time also when Jesus showed up

There had been 400 years of silence from God between the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament times

They were also experiencing Roman rule in Israel

They didn’t like having the Romans as their authorities

Their belief about the Messiah was that He would come and set them free from Roman rule

They were looking for a political savior

I’m sure the Israelites felt like God had abandoned them, yet if they remembered the words of the prophet Isaiah they should have been hopeful

Isaiah 7:14 , Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: ​​ The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (NIV)

The time was coming when God would be with man in the flesh

Immanuel means, “God with us”

Isaiah talked about the coming light and the present darkness, and that darkness continued to grow through the centuries

Isaiah 9:2 , The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (NIV)

Isaiah was foretelling the future

Both of these verses were spoken long before Jesus was born

The people of Israel lived in that space between promise and fulfillment

They were desperate for a deliverer

Application

Today we share that common experience of darkness and desperation

Every one of us wants to be set free from the darkness we are experiencing

The greatest darkness we all experience is the darkness of sin in our lives

We are all born with a desire to sin, a desire to have our own way, to be our own boss, to not submit to anyone else as our authority

It is the heart condition of every person

Romans 3:23 , for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (NIV)

Romans 3:10-12 , “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. ​​ All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (NIV)

The darkness of sin is found in every one of us

When we choose to do wrong in our families, school, workplace, or community, there are consequences

The same is true with God, who is holy and just

Romans 6:23 , For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (NIV)

This verse talks about the consequences of our sin, but it also gives us hope

God had a plan to deal with the darkness of sin in our lives

It was sending Jesus from heaven to earth to die on a cross so we could be purified from the darkness of sin in our lives

Romans 5:8 , But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: ​​ While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (NIV)

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 , For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: ​​ that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (NIV)

This was God’s plan and promise, through the prophet Isaiah, fulfilled

1 John 1:5-7 , This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: ​​ God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ​​ If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. ​​ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (NIV)

Perhaps the darkness you need to deal with today is the darkness of sin in your life

Nothing can rescue you from the darkness of sin except God

Jesus entered your darkness that first Christmas, so you could have hope

My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Acknowledge the darkness of sin in my life and accept Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to purify me of my sins.

The beginning of the purification process is talking to God and admitting that you are sinner, that you are sorry for your sin, that you believe in Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on the cross, and that you choose to be purified

Sanctification is the ongoing process of purification where we deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow Jesus

It’s a lifestyle change that comes through the transforming power of Jesus Christ living within us

Repentance is a 180 degree turn from pursuing sin to pursuing Jesus

Total sanctification will come when Jesus Christ returns, but we are still in the waiting process

We have to learn to embrace the wait

Embrace the Wait

Who likes waiting?

Does anyone like waiting?

How many people waited in a line during Black Friday shopping? ​​ (Did anyone enjoy it?)

I remember having to wait on Christmas morning to open presents

We didn’t have the tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve

We were allowed to open our stockings before my parents got up, but we couldn’t open any of the presents under the tree

We’ve continued that tradition with our boys – they are allowed to open their stockings before we get up, but nothing under the tree

The older I’ve gotten the earlier I’ve been getting up, so they probably won’t have to wait as long this Christmas

Children can’t wait for their Birthday or Christmas morning to arrive

Students wait to hear if they’ve been accepted into a college or graduate program

Other students wait to find out if they got the part in the school play/musical or made the team

Adults wait to hear if they got a job or promotion

Parents wait for the birth of their child or children

Other couples wait to hear about adopting a child

If you go to Chick-fil-A, though, you won’t have to wait very long

The Israelites knew all about the long wait

Since Genesis, in the very first book of the Bible, when sin entered the world, we see that God offered the promise of hope

Genesis 3:14-15 , So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! ​​ You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. ​​ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (NIV)

God was talking about Jesus, the source of hope from the very beginning

God had a plan of hope from the start

But constrained by the time of our world, the waiting seemed like forever

Illustration

Imagine a farmer standing on the dry dust of a parched field and looking up to the sky. ​​ Years of drought have taken everything from him, and he has lost hope. ​​ But then, in the distance, he hears the rumble of thunder – the promise of rain

That is the image John the Baptist gave of himself when people asked if he was the Messiah. ​​ No, he was not, but he was announcing the arrival of the long-awaited One. ​​ He was the herald of hope.

John 1:23 , “I’m thunder in the desert: ​​ ‘Make the road straight for God!’ ​​ I’m doing what the prophet Isaiah preached.” (MSG)

Advent is a time of waiting

While we struggle with waiting in our culture, there is great benefit in embracing this season as we anticipate the coming of Jesus

The waiting reminds us of where our hope is set

It allows us the time and focus to hear the distant rumble of thunder, the promise that our hope will be fulfilled

God keeps His promises and He has promised to send Jesus a second time

As we wait to celebrate Jesus’ birth, we also wait for our true hope to be fulfilled – our complete and total sanctification – the perfecting of our souls

The apostle John describes it for us in Revelation 7:9, 16-17

Revelation 7:9, 16-17 , After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb . . . Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. ​​ The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. ​​ For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. ​​ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (NIV)

We still live in the space between the already and the not yet

We have to embrace the waiting just like the Israelites did

They were waiting for the arrival of the Messiah the first time

We’re waiting for the arrival of the Messiah the second time

Hope is what fuels our faith as we wait, because we know that eternity with God will far outweigh what we have experienced here on earth – the darkness that we are currently experiencing, that is stripping us of hope

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 , Therefore do not lose heart. ​​ Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ​​ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ​​ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. ​​ For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (NIV)

Hebrews 11:1 , Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (NIV)

Will you allow this Advent season to serve as a reminder of the confidence we have as we wait in hope for what we do not yet see?

Will you seek the light of the star, no matter how faintly it might first appear to you, and draw hope from its growing light?

My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Wait with hope for Jesus’ second coming and for my complete and total sanctification.

We normally define waiting as an inactive process, but it can be an active process – we have to commit to the journey

Commit to the Journey

The concept of waiting throughout the Bible is one of active waiting

It is not just sitting around, doing nothing

We wait with expectant hearts, but we are constantly moving forward on our journey

“Active waiting means to be present fully to the moment, in the conviction that something is happening where you are and that you want to be present to it.” ​​ [Henri J. M. Nouwen, Waiting for God ]

What an excellent description of Advent!

Wait means being active, present in the moment while still anticipating where we are going

It not’s easy!

It takes strength and courage, but we can receive that from the Lord

Psalm 31:24 , Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord (NIV)

So what does that look like in real life?

The apostle Peter gives us great words of wisdom that apply to our real lives – he speaks about being holy

1 Peter 1:13-16 , Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ​​ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ​​ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ​​ “Be holy, because I am holy.” (NIV)

Hope is about waiting, but that waiting involves a commitment to being present in our journey of obedience

Preparing our minds means that we are alert, it involves expectation and active anticipation

Being self-controlled is also an active process as we wait

Each of us is perhaps at a different place in our journey with God

That’s natural and normal

Don’t compare with those who are also on the journey, but are at a different place – keep following God’s light

Advent is not about finding all the answers or checking all the boxes

It’s about preparing

You just have to show up and be willing to follow God’s lead

He wants to fill you heart with hope and healing as you seek His Son, Jesus

 ​​​​ 

VIDEO – “Advent_1_-_Hope_English_Version”

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Anticipating Immanuel: A Journey Of Hope In Advent Series

Contributed by dean courtier on dec 14, 2023 (message contributor).

Scripture: Isaiah 7:14 , Matthew 3:3 , Matthew 1:23 , 2 Peter 3:13

Denomination: Pentecostal

Summary: Our hearts are filled with anticipation, and our spirits are attuned to the profound hope that Advent brings. Our focus turns to the central theme of this season—the coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Anticipating Immanuel: A Journey of Hope in Advent

Introduction:

Dear brothers and sisters, grace and peace to you on this blessed Sunday of Advent. As we gather today, our hearts are filled with anticipation, and our spirits are attuned to the profound hope that Advent brings. Our focus turns to the central theme of this season—the coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Point 1: The Promise of Hope in the Prophets

Let us delve into the pages of the Old Testament, where the prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah. In Isaiah 7:14 , the prophet declares, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." This prophecy is a beacon of hope, assuring us that God is faithful to His promises.

The term "Immanuel" means "God with us." This is not merely a prediction but a promise of God's presence among His people. The fulfilment of this prophecy in the birth of Jesus brings hope to a world in need.

Quotation: Charles H. Spurgeon once said, "Advent is a season of wise counsel and great comfort. It is the glory of the coming of Christ."

Point 2: The Preparation of Hearts in the New Testament

Turning our attention to the New Testament, we witness the preparation of hearts for the arrival of the Messiah. John the Baptist emerges as a voice in the wilderness, echoing the words of Isaiah, "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him" ( Matthew 3:3 ). John calls us to prepare our hearts, repent, and embrace the hope that comes with the presence of Christ.

In understanding John's call to preparation, we recognize the need for repentance—a turning away from sin and a turning toward God. This prepares our hearts to fully receive the hope that Christ brings.

Quotation: A.W. Tozer reminds us, "The sinner who believes in Christ is not judged. The sinner who will not believe is judged already because he has not believed."

Point 3: The Presence of Hope Incarnate

In the Gospel of Matthew, we encounter the fulfilment of ancient promises. In Matthew 1:23 , it is proclaimed, "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means 'God with us')." The birth of Jesus is the tangible realisation of hope, as God takes on human form to dwell among us.

The incarnation of Christ is a pivotal moment in history, representing the divine intersecting with the human. It is in Christ that our hope finds its most profound expression.

Picture a dark room suddenly flooded with light as a door opens. Christ's birth is the opening of the door, bringing the light of hope into a world shrouded in darkness.

Point 4: The Future Hope of His Second Coming

As we celebrate the advent of Christ, we also look forward to His second coming. The Apostle Peter assures us in 2 Peter 3:13 , "But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells." Our hope extends beyond the manger to the promise of a glorious future.

Peter's words remind us that our hope is not confined to the historical event of Christ's birth but extends to the anticipation of His return. This hope shapes our perspective on the present and the future.

Quotation: D.L. Moody encourages us, "Look not back, for we are not going that way. The Christian's hope is always ahead."

Conclusion: In conclusion, dear brothers and sisters, Advent is a season of hope—a hope anchored in the promises of God, fulfilled in the birth of Christ, and extending to the anticipation of His return. As we journey through Advent, may our hearts be filled with the hope that transcends circumstances and points us to the eternal promises of our faithful God.

Call to Action: This Advent, let us actively live out our hope. Share the hope of Christ with those around you, embody repentance, and prepare your hearts to welcome the King. As we anticipate the celebration of Christ's birth, let us also eagerly anticipate His second coming.

May the hope of Advent guide us in righteousness, and may the peace of Christ reign in our hearts. Amen.

Related Media

Scriptures: 2 Peter 3:13 , Isaiah 7:14 , Matthew 1:23 , Matthew 3:3

Sermon Topics: Christmas , Advent , Hope , Promise , Journey , Incarnation , Incarnate , Future Hope

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The Star: A Journey of Hope

• November 27, 2022
• Pastor Trisha Guise
• The Star: A Journey to Christmas
• 1 Peter , Hebrews , Isaiah , Psalm , Revelation

Welcome to the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is a season of great expectation as we journey toward Christmas. The word advent is a Latin term which means “coming,” so we use these weeks leading up to Christmas to prepare for our celebration of the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, the Light of the world.

I’m glad you’re here with us as we embark on this journey together because it’s actually an epic journey that began more than two thousand years ago. It’s a journey of the heart and soul, a journey that will help realign our expectations of the Christmas season, and it’s a journey that will explore the gifts of Christmas delivered through Christ: hope, love, joy, and peace. We all need hope in the storms of life and love that never gives up. We certainly could all use some fresh joy and peace no matter what we’re dealing with.

Our journey and this series are going to center on the star, the Star of Bethlehem. The star has taken a central place in the Christmas story, but its mention in the Bible is really very brief. The story of the wise men from the East who followed a star is only mentioned in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 2). There’s a lot of discussion by scholars and scientists about what the star actually was, who the wise men were, and when the cosmic event of the star’s appearance took place. But apart from the debates, there remains the truth that the light of a star led people to Jesus, even if they were still on their journey the night Jesus was born. (Most scholars place the wise men showing up one to two years after Jesus’ birth.)

You see, the star then and now is a guide that ultimately leads to Jesus, the Light of the world.

As we embark on this journey, I want to encourage all of us to look for the Light. The Advent season is about the journey as much as it is the destination. As we’ll explore, it’s a time to prepare, a time to pause and to ponder, to breathe deeply, (yes, even in the hectic and stressful parts). Advent is a time to turn our eyes to the true meaning of this time of year.

Think about the people who were part of the journey toward the first Christmas—Mary, Joseph, an innkeeper, a jealous king, some wise men, common shepherds, angels, and so many more. While the pace of our lives would probably make their heads spin, each of these people were facing daily difficulties that we would want no part of.

They didn’t have all the answers. They hadn’t spent hours or weeks getting ready and making sure they were prepared for the supernatural events awaiting them. They didn’t even completely understand what was happening—even when angels appeared or a star guided their path. But all of the Christmas story cast answered God’s invitation to come and see the arrival of His Son, the Light of the world and the Savior of all.

You too are invited to come see the Light. So will you peer through the darkness of your life, no matter what that may be, and look for the glimmer of hope? Maybe that is a difficult vision for you. Or maybe your Christmas season is already feeling overwhelming by struggles like financial stresses, relational dysfunctions, memories of loss, commercialized expectations? Please let me encourage you—that’s exactly where hope shines the brightest.

The question is, how do we reset our minds to anticipate hope? I believe we can do that by doing three things. The first one is to…

• Acknowledge the darkness around us.

Right now, this room is bright. There’s plenty of daylight, plenty of lights in this room. Yet we also know there is still plenty of darkness. Darkness in our world: sin, destruction, evil, divide. And there is plenty of darkness within us: pain, hurt, fear, guilt, sin. But there’s also plenty of hope to go around.

I have here a flashlight. Right now, it doesn’t seem too exciting. It’s actually kind of hard to even see the light it puts out since we are in a bright room. However, if we found ourselves in complete darkness, and we all had to find our way to the front or to an exit, we might feel very differently about this little gadget. It’s much like a star.

By the way, don’t you think it’s kind of amazing that God uses His own creation, a star, to reveal Himself to us. The psalmist put it beautifully in…

Psalm 19:1–4 which says, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 8:3-4 says, When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

You see, God’s glory is seen in the stars. But the thing about stars is they can’t be seen in the light. It’s the same as that flashlight. In daylight they are there, we know they are there, but we can’t see them. In fact, they are seen best on the darkest of nights, when there is no moonlight, away from the lights of the city. The darker the setting, the brighter the starlight. This time of year, holiday glitz can artificially light our lives. Or we may seek out our own flashing distractions to try to distract us from the gnawing darkness within. But facing the darkness and calling it what it is allows us to see the true light. It’s really only when we acknowledge the darkness that we can see the star that leads us on the journey.

As we journey together toward Christmas this Advent season, let’s be honest about the darkness we find ourselves in—both in the world and within our own hearts.

The Bible tells us that it was also a pretty dark time for the people of Israel when Jesus showed up. The Old Testament prophets had been prophesizing of a Messiah – Isaiah being one of them talked about their present darkness and the coming light. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2).

He also said, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (which means God with us) (Isaiah 7:14) – like He’s finally going to be with us, but it was a long wait.

Both of these verses were spoken long before Jesus’ birth. So the people of Israel lived in that space between promise and fulfillment for hundreds of years. Looking back at their story today isn’t nearly the same as it was for them then. We know the end of the story, but the people of Israel didn’t have the benefit of hindsight. They were desperate for a deliverer. Honestly, many of them thought God had forgotten them, especially as they lived under Roman oppression in the time of Herod.

But the beauty of the journey of hope is that, in what seems to be the darkest hour, God shows up. Today, we share a very similar experience of darkness and desperation, and nothing can rescue us except God. Yet we can find and continue to draw hope, knowing that Jesus entered the darkness of our world that first Christmas, and He’s going to do it again. His Spirit will fan even the smallest spark of hope within us and draw us toward a hope that will overwhelm the darkness of this world.

It’s not an instant process, but it’s a real process that gives us what we need through the journey. The second thing we can do to reset our minds to hope is to….

• Embrace the Wait

I know, no one likes waiting. Does anyone like waiting? We live in a culture that does everything possible to reduce the amount of time we spend waiting! I don’t think most of us would do very well living in the days of the Israelites. The people of Israel in the Bible knew all about the long wait. Since Genesis, in the very first book of the Bible, when sin entered the world, we see that God offered the promise of hope. In Genesis 3:14–15, God cursed the serpent that tempted Eve and said that through her offspring will come one who will crush the serpent. This was Jesus, the source of hope from the very beginning. God had a plan of hope from the very start. But constrained by the time of our world, the waiting seemed like forever.

Imagine a farmer standing on the dry dust of a parched field and looking up to the sky. Years of drought have taken everything from him, and he has lost hope. But then, in the distance, he hears the rumble of thunder—the promise of rain. That’s the image John the Baptist gave of himself when people asked if he was the Messiah. He said, “No, I’m not the one, but I am announcing that the long-awaited One is about to arrive.” John was the messenger of hope. He said, “I’m thunder in the desert: ‘Make the road straight for God!’” (John 1:23).

Advent is a time of waiting. While it feels unnatural, there is great benefit in embracing this season as we anticipate the coming of Jesus. The waiting reminds us of where our hope is set. It allows us the time and focus to hear the distant rumble of thunder, the promise that our hope will be fulfilled.

And while we wait to celebrate Jesus’ birth, we also wait for our true hope to be fulfilled when Jesus comes back again. This will be the ultimate fulfillment of our deepest hopes. The apostle John described it this way:

Revelation 7:9, 16–17 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb….They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

We still live in the space between the already and the not yet. And so our challenge is to embrace the waiting with hope—and to allow that hope to carry us through the wait. You could say that hope fuels our very faith. It draws us onward, giving us expectation that our belief and longing will be fulfilled as God has promised. He’s fulfilled every promise so far!

Remember what Hebrews 11:1 says… “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

So let’s use this Advent season to serve as a reminder of the confidence we have as we wait in hope for what we do not yet see. Let’s seek the light of the star, no matter how faintly it might first appear, and draw hope from its growing light. Then, we need to…

• Commit to the Journey

I don’t know about you, but my natural images of waiting and journeying are very different. One involves sitting around; the other involves moving. But the concept of waiting throughout the Bible is one of active waiting. We wait with expectant hearts, but we are constantly moving forward on the journey.

Priest, professor, writer, and theologian, Henri J. M. Nouwen described the waiting we see in Scripture as very active. In his book Waiting for God, he wrote, “Active waiting means to be present fully to the moment, in the conviction that something is happening where you are and that you want to be present to it.”

What an excellent description of Advent! Waiting means being present in the moment, while still being active, and looking forward to where we are going. And I know that’s not always easy! And that’s why the psalmist wrote: “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord” (Psalm 31:24). Be strong and courageous while you wait, while you take this journey.

I also know it’s hard to keep our focus, to keep a mindset of hope especially during this busy, distracting time of year. Peter gives us an idea of how to do that.

1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.”

Alert and fully sober mean to have a clear mind and self-control. So focus and look forward to the goal. Jesus is coming back. His return should motivate us to live for Him. Hope is about waiting, but that waiting involves a commitment to being obedient.

The good news in all of this, is that wherever you are on your journey, it’s okay—just keep following God’s light, even if it’s dim for the moment. And some may think, well I’ll start seeking hope next week, too busy this week. Yes, we have four weeks of Advent to get our heads on straight for Christmas, but remember that Advent is a human-created calendar, not God’s timing. God wants us to be really now and all the time, not just at Christmas.

Isn’t it odd how celebrating Jesus’ birth is supposed to prepare us for Jesus’ second coming, get our hearts set right, slow us down to focus on Him, yet it’s also the time busiest, craziest time of the year! Someone’s been busy trying to distract us.

Advent is about preparing. It’s not about finding all the answers or checking all the boxes. You just have to show up and be willing to follow God’s lead. Wherever you are, you are not too late. God wants to fill your heart with hope for the ultimate healing and life in His Son.

That’s a reason for hope! Hope that can fuel your journey through Advent and well beyond.

Prayer: God, thank You that You enter into the darkness of our world and of our hearts with light. Help us during this Advent season to live with expectant hope as we wait for the birth of Christ at Christmas and for the complete fulfillment of hope when Christ comes again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Benediction: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!” (Romans 15:13)

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Grace Church, Scarborough

Journey from Grief to Hope – Sermon for All Souls 2021

Scripture: John 11

“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will love, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” ~ John 11:25-26

Grief is one of the great paradoxes of human existence. On the one hand it is one of the common threads that weaves itself throughout all human experience in every place and every time on earth. Some time or another in life, everyone will experience grief. Whether it is the grief of losing a loved one: a parent, a partner, a sibling, a friend or even a child; or the grief of that we can experience as we see injustice and oppression take its toll on us, on the people we love or even just the world around us; or the grief of lost opportunities, lost jobs, lost friendships. Whatever it is that causes us to grieve none of us are immune.

But on the other hand grief is also one of the most misunderstood emotions. I have sat through enough funerals where the gathered crowd was told to just be happy or forget their grief, to know that most of us don’t know how to handle grief. Grief is one of those emotions that you can’t understand until you’re going through it, and even then the grief you experience may not relate in any meaningful way to the grief of someone else is experiencing.

Grief is at the same time eminently commonplace and frustratingly enigmatic.

In the church, we sometimes have an unhealthy relationship with grief. While we recognize the reality of grief, we can believe that mourning and grief are a sign of spiritual weakness or a sign that we doubt the promises that God has made to us in Jesus that death is not the end.

But when we think that we fail to grasp the truth of the Gospel and the God who we worship.

While Jesus was and is the eternal Son of God, he also was entirely human. Jesus assumed all our existence when he came to dwell among us in the flesh – from our sorrow to our joy, Jesus experienced it all. And as the story of Lazarus reminds us, Jesus also knew the depths of grief. While the Gospel passage set for All Souls, doesn’t include Jesus’ reaction to Lazarus death, his words that we read in our passage this evening only make sense in the context of the whole story.

John tells us, not once, but twice that Jesus was greatly disturbed in spirit, that he wept over the grave of his friend Lazarus and over the grief that his death had caused Jesus’ friends Mary and Martha. If Jesus, the very Son of God, could experience grief and deep sorrow then who are we to deny the grief that we or anyone else experience in their own lives.

Although Lazarus died, Jesus offered a path to life. Through his very self, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus – Lazarus and all who experience death – both physically and spiritually – are offered a way into the eternal presence of God.

Death and grief are part of the journey to joy and everlasting life. Hope is only possible in a world where suffering and grief exist, after all the fact that life can be taken from us – either through death or loss of routines and expectations as it was during the pandemic adds special meaning to it – that which can be lost is eminently valuable. In Jesus that which can be lost, is found eternally, found in the presence of God in his Kingdom where there is life eternal.

If there is anywhere where grief should be present it is in the life of God’s church and God’s people. Prayer is the most appropriate place for grief – there is no shame, no spiritual deficit, not even doubt from grieving the people and life experiences we have lost. Jesus knew that he could bring his friend Lazarus back from the dead, and yet even he experienced the depths of grief and sorry. Grief can be a holy act of remembrance, an honouring of the person or experiences that you have lost.

It is in relationship with God and with one another, that we find the strength to face the griefs that we carry. It is in the presence of God that we begin the journey of living with our grief, a journey which will take many turns – some happy turns, and other turns not so much – but in Jesus, God will ultimately bring us to a place of joy – a place where there is no longer any suffering, any pain, any death, any tears. A place and a person in Jesus that knows the depths of sorrow, but out that sorrow can embrace the fullness of life which comes out from God out of the depths of grief.

In Jesus you should not be ashamed or scared of your grief – it is a holy act. But do not be shocked if God surprises you along the way with glimpses of life, glimpses of everlasting joy. That is what he has promised you and those that you have lost. Take hold of those glimpses even as you grieve.

Let us pray.

This weeks reading

Inherited Tendencies of the Knowledge of Good and Evil Creekside

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Explore the profound truths behind our inherited tendencies towards sin and the transformative hope found in Jesus Christ. This sermon delves into the biblical narrative, from the Fall in Genesis to the redemption offered through Christ's sacrifice, providing a deep understanding of sin's impact and the path to salvation. Discover how the knowledge of good and evil shapes us, the role of Jesus in our redemption, and the importance of personal responsibility and faith. Join us on a journey through Scripture to find hope and grace in the good news of Jesus Christ.

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Gershkovich, 32, the son of Russian Jewish émigrés who was born and raised in New Jersey, had grown up in a dual-language household absorbing American and Russian cartoons, books and pop culture.

Whether that background, his sharp reporter's eye or something else may have played a role in his arrest remains unclear.

What is certain is that his detention is yet another irritant in U.S.-Russian relations already at Cold War-like lows following the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Biden administration has said securing Gershkovich's freedom is a priority.

His arrest has only further highlighted Western suspicion of a growing pattern of "hostage diplomacy" in Moscow — one in which Russian authorities are accused of ensnaring Americans on spurious legal charges to see what deals emerge.

A journalist detained

Gershkovich was on a reporting assignment in Russia's Ural mountain city of Yekaterinburg in March of last year when he was detained by agents from Russia's Federal Security Service, the FSB, at a downtown steakhouse.

Witnesses at the Bukowski Grill reportedly had little time to even see who was the target when government agents suddenly stormed the restaurant. Within seconds, they had pulled Gershkovich's sweater over his head and frog-marched him out into an unmarked van.

The next day, Gershkovich reappeared in a Moscow court and was formally charged with trying to obtain state secrets — a penalty for which he faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted.

A journalist, not a spy

Gershkovich and the Journal immediately rejected the spying allegations, saying Gershkovich was working in Russia with official press accreditation from the Foreign Ministry.

In fact, he'd been reporting on the country since 2017 — initially for The Moscow Times and then the Agence France-Presse (AFP) before taking a job with the Journal in 2022. His credentials had been subject to repeat security reviews by the Russian government.

Yet none of that appeared to matter. The Russian government insisted Gershkovich was guilty of the espionage charges — without providing any evidence. Instead, they saw his journalist status as possible proof of his guilt.

"Unfortunately, it's not the first occasion when the status of a 'foreign correspondent,' a journalist visa and accreditation have been used by foreigners in our country to cover up activities that aren't journalism," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova wrote on social media shortly after Gershkovich's arrest.

"It's not the first famous Westerner we've caught red-handed."

The U.S. government moved quickly to label Gershkovich "wrongfully detained" — a designation that makes him a hostage in the eyes of the U.S. government.

Cold War replay

Gershkovich's arrest echoed Moscow's detention of another American reporter — decades prior in what seems like a different era.

In 1986, Nicholas Daniloff, a correspondent with U.S. News & World Report , was arrested in a KGB sting operation in Moscow. Like Gershkovich, Daniloff was of Russian heritage. He and his publication, too, rejected the charges as a sham.

The American spent 14 days in Moscow's Lefortovo Prison before negotiations between President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev — then the USSR's new reform-minded leader — cut a deal to set him free.

"Time in Lefortovo was mental torture," Daniloff wrote in an article later, recalling his repeat sessions with a KGB interrogator.

"He played with my emotions, posing alternatively as a 'good cop' and a 'bad cop.' He controlled all information that reached me. He controlled my food, my exercise, my life. [By] the time I was freed, he had made me feel guilt where there was none."

There are also Daniloff's accounts of conditions in a cell "measured five-paces long, three-paces wide."

"There were three steel cots painted blue, a small table for each prisoner, a washbowl and primitive toilet with a wooden cover just high enough to be uncomfortable. The place was clean, but there was a distinctive smell," Daniloff wrote.

Nearly four decades later, recent prisoners say little has changed .

Life on hold

The past year has seen a continuous loop of closed-court hearings in which judges have extended Gershkovich's pretrial detention time and again.

The judges have rejected cash bail offers by the Journal's parent company, Dow Jones. They have also denied appeals to move him to house arrest pending a trial, whose date never seems to come.

Yet Gershkovich's family and friends say he remains strong — with his letters full of his trademark optimism and humor.

"We currently have a joke going back and forth about this framed photo of him," his sister, Danielle Gershkovich, said in an interview with NPR's All Things Considered last October.

"And I'm joking about where I should put it in the apartment, and he recently suggested, put it directly in front of the TV so you can see his face," she said.

Evan Gershkovich has also taken advantage of one of Lefortovo's few benefits: a decent library collection of Russian classics by the likes of Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky and other literary giants.

"He's read a lot of books. And he told us maybe he will write some good novel at the end of this story, about himself," his Russian lawyer Tatiana Nozhkina told NPR following a hearing last April.

But there's no denying the slow grind of a year spent awaiting trial with no immediate court date in sight.

This week, a judge extended his detention by another three months — until late June. Again, no indication of when Gershkovich might expect trial.

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy called the latest ruling "particularly painful" — noting the journalist had spent a year awaiting charges that were "fiction" from the outset.

"Evan's case is not about evidence, due process, or rule of law. It is about using American citizens as pawns to achieve political ends," the ambassador said in a statement Tuesday.

Tracy specifically pointed to the case of Paul Whelan , another American the U.S. has designated "wrongfully detained."

But there are others languishing in Russian prisons, including Alsu Kurmasheva , a Russian American journalist with the U.S.-government funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty news service, and Marc Fogel , an American schoolteacher.

Prisoner trade rumors

If there's an upside amid the current situation, it's that prisoner exchanges between Moscow and Washington remain possible despite current hostilities.

Trevor Reed, a former Marine who says he was wrongly convicted of assaulting a Russian police officer, was released by Russia in April 2022.

Brittney Griner , a WNBA basketball star sentenced to nine years on drug possession, was freed later that same year.

In each case, the price was steep: The Biden administration released Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer, for Griner. Reed was traded for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a pilot convicted of narcotics smuggling.

White House officials defended the moves as difficult — but necessary — decisions.

Detractors argued the trades merely encouraged more detentions. Perhaps even that of a Wall Street Journal reporter.

Either way, few, including the U.S. government, expect much from a Russian justice system in which over 99% of all criminal cases end in conviction.

And so the Biden administration says it continues to make offers aimed at securing the release of Gershkovich and others.

In turn, Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated Moscow is open to a swap provided circumstances are right.

Asked about the Gershkovich case in a February interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Putin was even more explicit. The Russian leader strongly suggested he would be willing to trade Gershkovich for Vadim Krasikov, a suspected FSB assassin currently serving a life sentence for murder in Germany.

Further muddying the picture: Multiple news reports allege that German authorities had tied Krasikov's potential release to the Kremlin leader agreeing to free the jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Neither U.S. nor German officials have verified those accounts. And Navalny died under still unexplained circumstances in a remote Arctic prison last month, making any potential deal impossible.

In the meantime, Gershkovich remains in Lefortovo prison, reading, writing, waiting — his story like one he himself would report on in ordinary times.

"Evan has displayed remarkable resilience and strength in the face of this grim situation," said Ambassador Tracy in her statement this week.

"But it is time for the Russian government to let Evan go."

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