[0.40 --> 2.40] So we were praying for baby Kale last week, [2.86 --> 4.58] and in the 9 a.m. service this morning, [4.68 --> 8.04] I was sitting beside the nurse who prepped him for surgery. [8.24 --> 10.34] And I thought, it's kind of cool how we pray for doctors and nurses. [10.90 --> 12.86] And in this case, you're praying for someone in our own church. [13.22 --> 16.10] And it made me very grateful for the work that many of us do [16.10 --> 17.64] week in, week out to care for others. [17.88 --> 19.06] And it just so happens that this week, [19.10 --> 20.94] we had someone in our own church caring for little Kale. [21.28 --> 22.42] So praise the Lord for that. [23.16 --> 24.76] Another piece of gratitude, as you can see, [24.76 --> 27.02] we're in the season of Advent, is the banner, [27.22 --> 29.60] or I should say Hope Art Collective team and the decor team. [29.94 --> 31.68] Thank you so much, as well as the lighting, [32.10 --> 35.28] for making this space beautiful and giving us the gift of art. [35.40 --> 39.46] Do come up during this series and take a look at some of the nuances to the art [39.46 --> 43.22] that's going to open up as we preach through this series on words of waiting. [44.86 --> 48.16] As was already mentioned, we're in the season of Advent, [48.26 --> 49.26] which is the season of waiting. [49.40 --> 51.62] And we have some traditions in Advent. [51.62 --> 52.64] One of them is this. [52.98 --> 57.50] Pastor Dave always rants about how much idolatry there is in this season. [57.62 --> 58.60] So I'm going to do that as tradition. [58.60 --> 62.98] I want you to know that an author I like describes Advent, [63.32 --> 65.50] or I should say Christmas in the Western sense, [65.90 --> 68.38] as a month-long pagan festival of consumption. [69.84 --> 70.74] I'll say it again. [70.86 --> 73.46] A month-long pagan festival of consumption. [74.24 --> 77.04] And his point is, for most people, it has nothing to do with Jesus. [77.78 --> 78.76] It is wastefulness. [79.26 --> 80.52] It is rushed through the mall. [80.64 --> 81.94] It is useless spending. [81.94 --> 84.16] That is not our story. [84.76 --> 89.62] And I'm inviting you to creative and bold resistance to worthless consumption. [90.68 --> 91.86] Spend less. [92.38 --> 94.28] You do not need more stuff. [94.76 --> 98.94] We need to be a people of contentment and of generosity to where the needs really are. [99.02 --> 99.88] So are you with me on this? [100.54 --> 101.78] You're willing to have hard conversations? [102.24 --> 103.20] Here's my dream. [103.20 --> 107.84] My dream is that our kids, who are growing up in a consumer culture, [108.20 --> 112.26] when they get together on Boxing Day or they get together when school starts again, [112.52 --> 114.92] they do not ask the first question being, [115.36 --> 116.66] what did you get for Christmas? [117.66 --> 119.06] That is the wrong question. [119.62 --> 124.30] And we need to form our kids to know that the center of Christmas is the coming of our Savior. [124.98 --> 126.18] And we do that in many ways. [126.46 --> 128.22] But now I'm preaching a different sermon within a sermon. [128.38 --> 133.94] So the way that we want to do giving this year is by giving to local needs in our city. [134.04 --> 136.78] Sometimes we raise money for wells where people don't have access to wells. [136.92 --> 139.62] Other times, like last year, we raised money for refugee sponsorship. [139.90 --> 144.92] This year, we're giving to two specific needs in our community through two partner organizations. [144.92 --> 147.10] The first is Safe Families. [148.08 --> 150.12] We did an interview on our stage about Safe Families. [150.56 --> 152.98] This organization comes to people in crisis in our neighborhood, [153.52 --> 156.76] often takes kids for a little while so mom and dad can get healthy [156.76 --> 160.28] and get the care they need, whatever that care is, so families stay together. [160.68 --> 163.22] There's a number of families in our community where that's the reality. [163.98 --> 167.60] But secondly, and relatedly, we're going to partner with Healing Place. [168.12 --> 170.02] That is a counseling practice in Cloverdale. [170.38 --> 172.42] One of the owners of it attends our church. [172.42 --> 178.40] And they provide Christian counseling to anyone who needs it, regardless of their income. [178.72 --> 182.56] So some people walk in off the street with great need, and they will receive care. [182.64 --> 187.14] And so we're going to raise money that subsidizes the cost that these people can't cover [187.14 --> 189.92] so that anyone in our city can receive counseling there. [190.50 --> 191.80] So you see how these needs fit together. [192.00 --> 193.74] These are real practical needs in our community. [194.12 --> 195.50] Mental health, families in crisis. [195.50 --> 201.02] And if you go to our website or on our church app to give, you'll see neighborhood needs as a drop-down menu. [201.32 --> 202.88] That's how you can give to these things. [203.30 --> 206.98] And trust me, that's a meaningful way to spend our money over Advent. [207.86 --> 210.74] It sure beats plastic that doesn't get used after January. [211.20 --> 211.70] Just saying. [211.80 --> 217.44] I remember reading like two years ago, 70% of gifts given to kids don't get used after January. [218.30 --> 219.56] Let's give to the needs in our neighborhood. [219.56 --> 219.64] Good. [221.72 --> 222.12] Sorry. [223.82 --> 225.14] That's what we can clap about. [227.28 --> 230.22] So we're doing a sermon series called Words of Waiting. [230.98 --> 233.96] And as Jonathan mentioned at the beginning of the series or the service, [234.18 --> 242.82] we're going to be looking at what it means to wait for Jesus coming with hope, with peace, with joy, and with love. [242.88 --> 246.92] And each week you'll see a corresponding picture on our banners that we're going to open up in each series. [246.92 --> 249.12] And this morning we're looking at hope. [249.86 --> 255.10] And if you have a Bible, turn with me to Isaiah chapter 40, and I'm going to read the end of this passage, [255.48 --> 257.98] but I'll be referring to different parts of it throughout my sermon. [258.10 --> 264.40] So Isaiah chapter 40, starting in verse 27. [264.40 --> 272.38] Why do you complain, Jacob? [273.24 --> 277.48] Why do you say, Israel, my way is hidden from the Lord? [277.78 --> 280.72] My cause is disregarded by my God. [281.74 --> 282.94] Do you not know? [283.98 --> 285.26] Have you not heard? [286.16 --> 291.28] The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. [291.28 --> 298.36] He will not grow tired and weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. [299.54 --> 303.04] He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. [303.52 --> 306.86] Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. [307.44 --> 311.22] But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. [311.78 --> 313.56] They will soar on wings like eagles. [313.70 --> 315.28] They will run and not grow weary. [315.74 --> 318.58] They will walk and not be faint. [318.58 --> 320.58] But this is God's word. [324.28 --> 328.38] Well, I want to share a story with you about a little community in Connecticut. [329.56 --> 333.46] There's a community in Connecticut that was situated at the bottom of a valley. [334.22 --> 339.48] And they just so happened to have this community in a place that the government decided there needed to be a water reservoir, [339.94 --> 343.84] which would require them flooding the valley where many of the homes are situated. [343.84 --> 350.72] What the government did was make this announcement and then buy up a lot of the properties so that people could relocate and say, [350.84 --> 354.22] hey, you have a few months to over a year to find a new place to live, [354.34 --> 358.32] but at this time next year we are flooding this valley for the sake of everyone else having water. [359.60 --> 366.76] Now, I want to ask you to imagine what it was like for that community between the time of that announcement, [367.46 --> 371.18] of the flooding coming and the relocation, and the time it actually happened. [371.18 --> 373.24] What do you think it was like for them? [376.68 --> 380.20] That community in that short amount of time fell apart. [381.30 --> 383.68] People stopped caring about how the business was running. [383.80 --> 384.86] Many people left early. [385.24 --> 386.52] Garbage was left on the street. [386.74 --> 388.66] Very few repairs were done to anything. [389.14 --> 396.00] And the mood of the community was that of despair because they had no hope for the future of that place. [396.26 --> 398.14] They knew it was getting flooded. [398.14 --> 404.52] And this story of this community in Connecticut is a great illustration about the power of hope. [405.48 --> 405.74] Right? [406.10 --> 409.26] When you have a hope for a future that is better than the present, [409.46 --> 412.68] it shapes the way you live in very powerful and positive ways. [413.02 --> 417.78] If you lose hope for a future being better than the present, it will shape how you live. [418.02 --> 422.30] And in this case, it was one of despair and giving up on that place that you lived. [422.78 --> 425.54] Hope is a very powerful thing. [425.54 --> 426.54] Hope is a very powerful thing. [426.54 --> 431.06] We were created to live with it, and there are devastating effects when we lose it. [432.30 --> 435.76] And I will say, and you probably already learned this, but this is something hitting me recently. [436.94 --> 440.10] Everyone, no matter where you live, no matter where you were born, [440.56 --> 446.68] you will always have a reason or a circumstance that causes you to question your hope. [446.68 --> 451.38] You will have some crisis, something going on in your life or your family that makes you wonder, [451.50 --> 454.28] will the future actually be better than the present? [454.40 --> 455.16] And can I hope? [455.22 --> 457.12] Hope is a fragile thing. [457.72 --> 460.50] And many of us struggle to have it. [462.38 --> 465.04] Just before we dive in, let me ask you the question. [465.84 --> 468.42] Would people describe you as a hopeful person? [469.22 --> 471.32] Would your friends and family members who know you well, would they say, [471.38 --> 473.02] yeah, there's a hopeful person? [473.40 --> 474.74] They anticipate a better future. [474.74 --> 482.02] Harder question to answer, even, is do we as a church with the name Hope Community Church, [482.34 --> 484.50] do we live as a community of hope? [484.58 --> 487.46] Do visitors who come in, people who get to know us, would they say, [487.54 --> 493.34] yeah, this is a church where they live in a sense of hopeful expectation for a better future? [495.58 --> 497.74] In the video we watched at the beginning of the service, [497.82 --> 503.36] they described hope as imagining and waiting for a future that is better than the present. [503.36 --> 507.14] And you should know, by the way, the two words for hope in the Old Testament in Hebrew [507.14 --> 510.06] both translate interchangeably with waiting. [510.26 --> 511.46] To wait is to hope. [511.68 --> 513.08] To hope is to wait. [513.50 --> 516.96] And hope is a huge part of the story of the Bible. [517.78 --> 520.38] Because regardless of where you read the Bible, [520.96 --> 523.94] you will realize that God makes these huge promises, [524.14 --> 526.08] and I do mean huge promises, [526.22 --> 527.42] in the Old and the New Testament, [527.42 --> 533.04] and He invites His people to wait for Him to make good on those promises. [533.66 --> 536.76] Let me share just a few of the promises that God makes in the Scriptures. [537.00 --> 542.58] One is to reverse the effects of the curse on creation and bring blessing. [543.76 --> 546.74] Another promise He makes over and over again in the prophets [546.74 --> 551.26] is to stand against oppression and violence and bring justice and peace. [551.26 --> 553.04] That's a big thing to promise. [553.78 --> 556.38] Another one is to overcome the power of sin [556.38 --> 560.18] and bring healing and restoration to human life and the whole world. [560.96 --> 561.92] Or how about this one? [562.46 --> 566.62] A promise God makes to overcome the power of death itself [566.62 --> 568.72] and bring resurrection life. [569.32 --> 572.18] Those are just a few of the promises God makes through the Bible [572.18 --> 573.50] and the Old and New Testament. [573.72 --> 575.14] And no matter where you read, [575.14 --> 581.16] you will find people in the Bible waiting for God to make good on those promises, [582.02 --> 585.96] holding on hope for God to do what He said He was going to do. [586.34 --> 587.54] And when you read the Bible, [587.64 --> 590.08] you'll also learn that that was a struggle, [591.00 --> 592.12] a real struggle. [592.92 --> 596.50] People find it very difficult when they walk through the mud of life. [596.66 --> 600.78] They experience the pain, the difficulty of death and sickness and all the rest. [600.96 --> 604.26] It's hard to hold on to hope that something better is coming. [604.26 --> 606.24] Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. [607.42 --> 611.66] And if you do, you'll know exactly what Isaiah 40 is about. [612.26 --> 615.04] Isaiah 40 is a passage written to people [615.04 --> 619.20] who are struggling greatly to hope for a better future. [620.16 --> 621.72] And let me read for us how it starts, [621.80 --> 624.06] because interestingly, it starts with a complaint. [624.80 --> 626.36] Isaiah, who's the writer of this book, [626.50 --> 629.04] he's sort of rehearsing back to the people of Israel [629.04 --> 630.30] what they are saying. [630.36 --> 632.02] And listen to what he says in verse 27. [632.02 --> 633.56] He says, [633.76 --> 635.18] Why do you complain, Jacob? [635.94 --> 639.20] Why do you say, Israel, my way is hidden from the Lord? [639.40 --> 642.64] My cause is disregarded by my God. [643.54 --> 644.26] You ever been there? [645.40 --> 647.72] Ever been frustrated with God for unanswered prayer, [647.84 --> 650.22] for not seeming to hear the things you're bringing before Him? [651.24 --> 653.04] Interestingly and coincidentally this week, [653.14 --> 654.78] I was being led through a devotion, [655.32 --> 656.32] to audio devotion, [656.32 --> 658.96] and it invited you to speak your heart to God [658.96 --> 661.44] about the things you feel He hasn't answered in your prayers. [661.84 --> 663.28] And that's a very vulnerable thing. [663.36 --> 665.36] It's also a very powerful thing to pray, right? [665.44 --> 668.54] Lord, I've prayed this for people with real need, [668.68 --> 670.84] and I don't sense that you've answered that prayer, [670.96 --> 672.26] and I'm bringing that before you. [672.52 --> 673.90] That's where Israel was. [674.56 --> 675.72] That's exactly where they are. [675.76 --> 677.12] And now I'll tell you why. [677.50 --> 679.62] Do you know what's going on in Israel at the time of Isaiah? [679.62 --> 679.74] Yeah. [681.24 --> 682.82] So Israel's in two sections. [682.92 --> 683.94] There's the north part of Israel, [684.04 --> 685.24] and then there's the south part of Israel. [685.42 --> 688.68] The north part of Israel just got decimated by the Assyrian army. [689.38 --> 692.06] Like this giant new mega power of the world [692.06 --> 694.78] just rolled into Israel, which is a small nation, [695.02 --> 697.08] and just took over many of the northern tribes. [697.46 --> 699.00] If you ever go to the British Museum, by the way, [699.30 --> 702.22] they have artifacts from Assyria [702.22 --> 704.94] showing Israel paying tribute to the Assyrian victory. [705.04 --> 705.48] It's crazy. [705.48 --> 707.68] It made me just realize that this is history. [707.68 --> 710.80] So the whole of the north gets destroyed by Assyria. [711.14 --> 712.96] Isaiah and Judah in the south, [713.32 --> 716.48] they're literally waiting for Assyria to come back and destroy them. [717.34 --> 719.22] That's the context of this passage. [719.48 --> 722.06] So you can imagine why Israel's saying, [722.58 --> 724.36] what in the world is God doing? [724.62 --> 726.62] Why is the northern tribes being destroyed? [726.82 --> 728.94] Is Assyria going to come back and take us over? [729.08 --> 732.42] Like zero sense of safety or peace or security. [732.64 --> 734.24] They've got their questions for God. [734.24 --> 739.12] And it's in light of that that we now get to hear Isaiah speak back to them [739.12 --> 740.84] some pretty profound words. [741.68 --> 743.14] This is what he says in verse 28. [744.14 --> 745.46] Do you not know? [746.54 --> 748.08] Have you not heard? [748.78 --> 751.02] The Lord is the everlasting God, [751.24 --> 753.34] the creator of the ends of the earth. [753.48 --> 755.54] He will not grow tired or weary, [755.78 --> 758.62] and his understanding no one can fathom. [758.62 --> 761.24] Now, notice here, [762.04 --> 764.38] Isaiah doesn't minimize the fear [764.38 --> 767.08] or all the anxiety his community has. [767.14 --> 768.54] He doesn't say, it's actually not that bad. [768.88 --> 770.54] I think it's a terrifying reality. [770.84 --> 773.98] But what he does is point them to the character of God. [774.86 --> 775.92] And it's at this point, [775.96 --> 778.74] I want to point out a dynamic we see all over the Bible. [779.30 --> 780.58] And once you see it one place, [780.60 --> 781.70] you'll notice it many places, [781.70 --> 784.78] that in order to instill hope for the future, [785.56 --> 788.78] Isaiah is constantly pointing people back [788.78 --> 791.50] to both who God is and what God has done [791.50 --> 794.54] to give them a sense of what God is still able to do. [795.44 --> 796.56] So he's constantly saying, [796.76 --> 798.80] let us look back together at who God is. [798.88 --> 800.36] Let's look back at what he's done. [800.58 --> 803.32] And that will remind you that your life in our world [803.32 --> 804.86] is in the hands of a God [804.86 --> 808.62] who cares and has power to do something about it. [809.50 --> 810.30] Like, listen to what he says. [810.30 --> 811.50] He's like, have you not heard? [812.48 --> 813.64] Do you not know? [814.34 --> 816.64] Your God created the whole world. [817.70 --> 819.66] Your God rules the nations. [820.40 --> 822.98] Your God does not get tired. [823.78 --> 824.82] He doesn't need sleep. [825.18 --> 826.28] He doesn't take naps. [826.56 --> 830.68] He rules over the world with a sense of eternal power. [831.30 --> 832.94] In fact, if you read earlier in Isaiah, [833.30 --> 836.12] he says to the people, who can you compare God to? [836.72 --> 837.94] Right, he rules the nations. [837.94 --> 839.34] He has total authority. [839.34 --> 840.72] And it says this specifically, [840.96 --> 843.30] he brings princes down to nothing. [844.22 --> 846.90] And that's a specific reference, by the way, to the Exodus, [847.40 --> 849.26] which Isaiah and many other biblical writers, [849.34 --> 850.38] you'll know, you read the Old Testament, [850.70 --> 851.70] they're constantly saying, [851.84 --> 854.78] do you remember what God did in the Exodus? [855.50 --> 856.56] And it matters right now [856.56 --> 859.62] because that was the time when Israel watched God [859.62 --> 862.86] roll into Egypt, which is the Assyria of that day, [862.86 --> 867.14] and go toe-to-toe with the Pharaoh who was claimed to be a son of God [867.14 --> 871.56] and showed Pharaoh just how much power and authority he had [871.56 --> 873.02] as he brought plagues. [873.02 --> 877.04] And then he brought this little slave nation out of this Egyptian power [877.04 --> 879.18] with a sense of ease and authority. [879.18 --> 883.26] That's the kind of God we worship. [884.26 --> 884.98] And Isaiah is saying, [885.08 --> 887.16] if you want to learn how to have a hope for the future, [887.84 --> 891.16] look back on who God is and what he's done. [891.66 --> 894.42] Sort of the receipts to show that God comes through [894.42 --> 895.96] on what he says he's going to do. [896.92 --> 898.06] And it's out of that [898.06 --> 900.46] that Isaiah has the boldness and the confidence [900.46 --> 903.64] in both Isaiah 9 and 40 and 41 and 42 [903.64 --> 905.46] to give these powerful, [905.60 --> 907.56] and I do mean powerful prophecies, [907.78 --> 908.92] on what is coming. [909.68 --> 911.90] The reason you always hear Isaiah during Advent [911.90 --> 913.50] is because he's the one who says, [913.86 --> 915.58] the glory of God is coming. [915.98 --> 918.60] He's going to reveal the light that shines in the darkness. [918.92 --> 920.96] He's going to show his authority over the nations, [921.08 --> 922.02] and it comes through what? [923.26 --> 924.24] A child. [925.38 --> 925.54] Right? [925.68 --> 927.82] Last year we preached on Isaiah 9 [927.82 --> 930.72] where this child is going to be the wonderful counselor, [931.26 --> 932.84] the mighty God, the prince of peace, [933.04 --> 934.42] the everlasting father, [934.60 --> 936.46] and he's going to rule the nations with justice. [936.74 --> 938.14] He's going to stand against oppression. [938.50 --> 939.80] He is going to be the one [939.80 --> 941.64] that establishes the kingdom of God. [941.92 --> 943.98] And Isaiah, in the midst, think about this, [944.28 --> 947.14] in the midst of Assyria invading Israel, [947.70 --> 950.96] he's saying, we have hope for the future. [951.62 --> 952.86] The glory of God is coming [952.86 --> 954.50] because he's been faithful in the past. [955.44 --> 956.20] That's profound. [957.82 --> 960.74] And it's at this point I want to acknowledge [960.74 --> 962.72] that we live in very, very different times than Isaiah, [962.88 --> 963.22] don't we? [963.40 --> 965.20] We're not worried about Assyria coming into Surrey [965.20 --> 966.14] that I know about. [967.36 --> 969.36] But we do have things that threaten our hope. [970.12 --> 971.26] A lot of different things. [971.32 --> 972.14] And maybe for you, [972.34 --> 974.04] it's sort of the big picture things. [974.14 --> 975.68] You look at the news around the world, [975.76 --> 978.00] you look at rising war and escalating violence, [978.16 --> 979.32] and you think, this is awful, [979.52 --> 980.48] and it keeps you up at night. [980.84 --> 982.52] Or perhaps it's economic pressures [982.52 --> 984.44] that you see all around the globe as well, [984.48 --> 985.18] as well as in Canada, [985.18 --> 987.88] and you think, do our kids have a future in this world? [988.48 --> 990.38] Or perhaps you think of climate change. [990.46 --> 992.54] You think, man, what's going to change in the future [992.54 --> 993.84] as things develop, [993.96 --> 996.16] and we have all these new challenges related to climate? [997.08 --> 999.74] Or perhaps your challenges are closer to home, [1000.44 --> 1002.32] as many of ours are, right? [1002.88 --> 1004.14] It's divorce in the family. [1004.14 --> 1007.30] It's kids having problems [1007.30 --> 1009.18] that you as a parent feel unable to solve. [1009.30 --> 1010.84] Kids walking away from the faith. [1010.92 --> 1011.66] It's the loneliness. [1012.30 --> 1014.18] It's the brokenness of families. [1014.32 --> 1016.36] It's the grief that comes with losing a loved one. [1016.54 --> 1018.42] It's the sickness from the cancer diagnosis. [1018.76 --> 1021.36] All of these things etch away in their own way [1021.36 --> 1024.68] at our hope for a future that's better than the present. [1025.60 --> 1027.18] And I think if we're honest with ourselves, [1027.32 --> 1028.30] even this morning, [1028.90 --> 1031.74] there are so many things that burden us to a place of saying, [1031.74 --> 1034.08] do I really have hope? [1035.52 --> 1036.92] And it seems to me then [1036.92 --> 1041.46] that we need to allow Isaiah to minister to us. [1042.38 --> 1043.98] And Isaiah's not doing anything novel. [1044.14 --> 1046.00] The New Testament writers do the same thing. [1046.54 --> 1049.50] They instill hope in us by pointing us back. [1050.38 --> 1051.66] In their own way, [1051.78 --> 1053.38] the New Testament writers are all saying, [1053.64 --> 1054.60] have you not seen? [1055.30 --> 1057.84] Have you not heard what God has done [1057.84 --> 1060.26] in this sending of Jesus? [1061.74 --> 1064.10] And let me just pause and help us remember [1064.10 --> 1067.58] that the reason we're here in worship this morning [1067.58 --> 1071.46] is because God made good on His promise, right? [1071.86 --> 1073.34] That child came. [1074.32 --> 1075.70] That promise that Isaiah made [1075.70 --> 1077.48] and many others of a servant who would come [1077.48 --> 1078.82] to take up the rule of God [1078.82 --> 1079.98] and establish His justice [1079.98 --> 1083.22] came with the birth of Jesus Christ. [1084.20 --> 1085.44] God made good on it. [1085.46 --> 1086.70] And the reason we're worshiping here [1086.70 --> 1088.30] is because something happened [1088.30 --> 1090.14] that shows that God is faithful [1090.14 --> 1091.66] and we can have hope. [1093.22 --> 1095.08] I don't know if you need this as much as I do, [1095.56 --> 1096.56] but on a regular basis, [1096.70 --> 1098.86] I'm trying to make a part of my daily practice [1098.86 --> 1100.92] giving gratitude to God [1100.92 --> 1102.70] for the finished work of Jesus on the cross. [1103.62 --> 1107.02] Because I am not necessarily optimistic all the time. [1107.44 --> 1108.42] And I think the older you get, [1108.48 --> 1110.06] the more reasons you have to despair. [1110.62 --> 1112.84] And I find that I don't have a lot of things in my life [1112.84 --> 1113.46] that will make me think, [1113.54 --> 1115.26] yeah, I have a security because of this, [1115.26 --> 1118.62] other than the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. [1119.70 --> 1120.84] And if you're someone who's struggling [1120.84 --> 1123.32] with whatever it is about the Christian faith, [1123.60 --> 1125.50] start with Jesus and the resurrection [1125.50 --> 1126.66] and move from there [1126.66 --> 1128.26] because everything hinges [1128.26 --> 1130.36] on whether or not there is an empty grave. [1130.98 --> 1131.90] And I'll say at Advent [1131.90 --> 1133.46] that the cradle of Advent [1133.46 --> 1136.26] always moves to the cross of Easter, right? [1136.26 --> 1138.00] Jesus was sent into the world [1138.00 --> 1140.30] to accomplish salvation for the world [1140.30 --> 1142.00] by defeating the power of sin, [1142.36 --> 1143.56] overcoming death itself, [1143.88 --> 1146.22] and restoring all things in his resurrection life. [1147.64 --> 1150.16] And hope is built only around the fact [1150.16 --> 1154.38] that Jesus Christ gained victory over the cross. [1154.80 --> 1156.46] He gained victory over Satan [1156.46 --> 1158.20] and the tomb is empty. [1158.86 --> 1160.48] I think of all these passages, [1160.66 --> 1162.38] specifically 1 Corinthians 15, [1162.68 --> 1164.36] where Paul's just giving this beautiful teaching [1164.36 --> 1165.00] on the resurrection. [1165.18 --> 1166.96] Then he says, hey, if it didn't happen, [1167.22 --> 1169.06] we're in serious trouble as Christians. [1169.06 --> 1171.20] If the resurrection did not happen, [1171.52 --> 1174.18] we are to be pitied and mocked above all others [1174.18 --> 1176.24] and our hope is in vain. [1177.12 --> 1178.38] And the reason he says that [1178.38 --> 1181.62] is because he knows Jesus Christ rose from the dead. [1182.26 --> 1183.24] And because of that, [1183.82 --> 1185.88] we have hope for the future. [1187.08 --> 1189.42] I invite you, even over the coming weeks, [1189.80 --> 1192.14] to constantly find ways to look back [1192.14 --> 1193.86] to the finished work of Jesus [1193.86 --> 1195.82] as the thing that gives you hope. [1196.90 --> 1198.02] A writer I quite love, [1198.02 --> 1199.04] his name is Leslie Newbegin. [1199.50 --> 1200.98] Missionary in India for 40 years, [1201.08 --> 1201.92] came back to Europe, [1202.14 --> 1203.18] to struggling churches, [1203.36 --> 1204.38] and someone once asked him, [1204.60 --> 1206.80] are you an optimist or a pessimist? [1208.04 --> 1208.90] You know what he said to that? [1209.66 --> 1211.86] He said, I am neither an optimist or a pessimist. [1212.12 --> 1214.10] Jesus Christ rose from the dead. [1215.28 --> 1216.12] Because in that sense, [1216.14 --> 1217.86] it doesn't matter how we feel about the future, [1217.94 --> 1219.64] it doesn't matter what our wishes are for the future, [1219.82 --> 1221.16] we can't change our circumstances, [1221.16 --> 1223.82] but what most certainly changes the future of the world [1223.82 --> 1226.42] is that Jesus Christ broke death itself, [1227.16 --> 1230.20] that Jesus Christ overcame the power of sin itself, [1230.72 --> 1232.66] and as a result, we have hope for our bodies, [1232.76 --> 1233.64] we have hope for the world, [1233.80 --> 1234.84] we have hope for the future. [1237.38 --> 1239.18] Isaiah invites us to look back. [1239.68 --> 1241.86] I want to say this as well on a personal level. [1242.62 --> 1244.08] I don't know if this is true for you, [1244.16 --> 1245.14] but it's certainly true for me. [1245.20 --> 1247.10] In the seasons where I feel like I'm in the valley, [1247.10 --> 1250.40] where I'm feeling the weight of the brokenness of the world, [1250.68 --> 1253.10] there is a sense in which as I look back on my life, [1253.16 --> 1255.76] I can say, thus far God has walked with me. [1256.66 --> 1257.76] No matter what we've seen, [1257.86 --> 1258.78] no matter what we've experienced, [1258.90 --> 1259.80] no matter what we've gone through, [1260.08 --> 1261.52] God has walked with me thus far, [1261.60 --> 1263.04] he's been good to me thus far, [1263.20 --> 1264.54] and I can trust him with the future. [1265.82 --> 1267.92] And I think the more we stop even to take stock [1267.92 --> 1270.66] of God's specific love to us, right? [1271.04 --> 1273.36] Because God's love is very particular in a big way [1273.36 --> 1274.18] through the work of Jesus, [1274.52 --> 1276.62] and his love is very particular to us [1276.62 --> 1279.34] in the muck and the mire of life that we walk through. [1279.78 --> 1281.02] He's with us in it. [1281.56 --> 1283.16] And as we look back and we take stock, [1283.26 --> 1285.04] we say, okay, if God's been faithful thus far, [1285.38 --> 1287.22] he's got me for the rest of my life. [1287.70 --> 1289.34] And even if there's suffering and pain, [1289.70 --> 1291.50] he's gonna be with me through that as well. [1296.14 --> 1298.38] Now I want to finish with what I think [1298.38 --> 1301.04] is a very powerful part of this passage. [1301.12 --> 1302.22] I just want to be honest with you. [1302.46 --> 1303.94] I wrestled with these words. [1304.12 --> 1304.82] There's a piece of me that thinks [1304.82 --> 1306.14] I still don't quite understand them. [1306.14 --> 1307.74] And yet they're the most beautiful words [1307.74 --> 1309.02] in the passage, in my opinion. [1309.46 --> 1310.22] So I'll read them, [1310.30 --> 1311.36] and then I'll work it out with you. [1311.42 --> 1313.02] This is verse 29 and following. [1314.32 --> 1315.08] Beautiful words. [1315.16 --> 1316.54] I bet you've seen these in postcards. [1317.20 --> 1318.76] He gives strength to the weary [1318.76 --> 1321.50] and increases the power of the weak. [1322.22 --> 1323.82] Even youth grow tired and weary, [1323.94 --> 1325.24] and young men stumble and fall. [1325.70 --> 1328.12] But those who hope in the Lord [1328.12 --> 1330.30] will renew their strength. [1330.94 --> 1332.82] They will soar on wings like eagles. [1332.88 --> 1334.24] They will run and not grow weary. [1334.24 --> 1337.52] They will walk and they will not be faint. [1338.66 --> 1340.32] Aren't those moving words to you? [1340.90 --> 1343.30] And here's the dynamic that I'm trying to figure out. [1343.62 --> 1346.74] God promises to give strength to people [1346.74 --> 1351.36] who are weary and weak as they wait for him. [1351.68 --> 1351.92] Right? [1351.98 --> 1353.00] That's the sort of the dynamic. [1353.16 --> 1354.76] It's like there's a certain posture [1354.76 --> 1357.70] that leads to the working and the strengthening, [1357.88 --> 1358.98] and that is the posture of waiting. [1359.34 --> 1360.32] And there's a piece of me that's like, [1360.32 --> 1363.04] I think I understand that, and I'm not sure I do. [1363.12 --> 1364.52] But here's what I will say to you. [1364.92 --> 1367.48] I know from my pastoral experience [1367.48 --> 1369.20] that this is a very real thing [1369.20 --> 1370.16] because I've witnessed it. [1370.86 --> 1372.96] I've seen so many people in the midst of crisis [1372.96 --> 1374.94] when the news from the doctor is bad, [1375.00 --> 1377.34] when the family is in a major place of pain, [1377.48 --> 1378.18] where they say, [1378.24 --> 1380.48] all right, Lord, I've got nothing but you, [1380.60 --> 1381.76] so I'm clinging to you, [1381.82 --> 1383.30] and I'm waiting on you to act, [1383.30 --> 1385.52] and God works. [1386.06 --> 1386.26] Right? [1387.08 --> 1388.18] I'll give you two examples. [1388.34 --> 1390.58] One is, two weeks ago, [1390.66 --> 1392.36] before Cale went into a surgery, [1392.44 --> 1393.36] I was on the phone with Carrie, [1394.00 --> 1394.96] and I said to Carrie, [1395.12 --> 1396.92] Carrie, a lot of people are praying for baby Cale, [1396.98 --> 1397.64] and she responds. [1397.70 --> 1398.36] She almost cut me off. [1398.42 --> 1399.94] She's like, I know people are. [1400.56 --> 1403.32] I can feel the power of those prayers. [1404.20 --> 1405.18] God's strengthening her. [1406.30 --> 1407.42] The second time, [1407.50 --> 1408.88] this happened about a month and a half ago, [1409.30 --> 1410.82] and now I'm going to point out our banner. [1410.82 --> 1413.58] So, John Mayhew made these banners. [1413.74 --> 1414.90] Can everyone on this side see? [1415.34 --> 1416.58] So, the image for hope, [1416.66 --> 1417.34] this is so good. [1417.42 --> 1418.76] It's a hospital room, right? [1419.30 --> 1421.10] The place where a lot of hope is lost, [1421.28 --> 1422.72] and there's a woman on the bed [1422.72 --> 1423.60] who's clearly praying. [1423.66 --> 1424.18] Her hand is up, [1424.24 --> 1426.26] and there's another person interceding for her, [1426.56 --> 1428.32] and what makes me very moved by that is [1428.32 --> 1430.32] when Brittany and I visited Nell Volcanier [1430.32 --> 1431.80] a month and a half ago, [1432.02 --> 1433.00] Nell, as you know, [1433.04 --> 1434.70] is going through cancer a second time, [1435.18 --> 1437.24] and there's something very scary about cancer [1437.24 --> 1438.16] at the first time, [1438.24 --> 1439.84] but it's very scary the second time, [1439.84 --> 1441.26] and she's at home. [1441.46 --> 1442.56] She's receiving treatment, [1443.00 --> 1443.46] and, you know, [1443.50 --> 1445.32] we're kind of sitting in silence for a while, [1445.48 --> 1447.42] and Nell breaks the silence by simply saying, [1447.78 --> 1449.46] I can feel God strengthening me. [1450.22 --> 1451.14] I was like, whew, [1451.98 --> 1453.68] that's what God does. [1454.64 --> 1456.10] That's who God is. [1456.18 --> 1458.56] He gives strength to weak people [1458.56 --> 1460.08] because He loves them, [1460.12 --> 1461.44] and He gives power to those [1461.44 --> 1463.06] who feel that they've got nothing left [1463.06 --> 1465.02] in a very beautiful and mysterious [1465.02 --> 1466.46] and personal way [1466.46 --> 1468.48] to those who are waiting on Him, [1469.08 --> 1470.72] and I know, [1470.84 --> 1471.80] even as I preach this, [1471.86 --> 1473.20] there's a lot of us this morning [1473.20 --> 1474.54] who are carrying a lot. [1475.62 --> 1476.84] Receive that for you. [1477.82 --> 1479.00] God is not changed. [1479.74 --> 1482.06] God is not asleep at the wheel of your life, [1482.24 --> 1484.28] and He gives strength to the weary [1484.28 --> 1485.50] and power to the weak [1485.50 --> 1489.34] that is available to every single one of us. [1490.54 --> 1491.26] Receive that, [1491.26 --> 1493.44] whatever it is that you are carrying. [1493.60 --> 1495.60] I know all of us have reasons [1495.60 --> 1496.50] to wonder if the future [1496.50 --> 1497.40] is going to be better than the present, [1497.72 --> 1498.96] and we hear God saying, [1499.60 --> 1501.88] I give strength to the weak. [1502.76 --> 1504.22] I give my power [1504.22 --> 1506.52] to those who feel like they've got nothing left, [1506.70 --> 1509.06] and there are testimonies within even our church [1509.06 --> 1511.10] that say God does that. [1511.74 --> 1512.66] This is not a lie. [1512.76 --> 1513.52] This is not a gimmick. [1513.74 --> 1515.04] This is not just words on a page. [1515.12 --> 1517.00] This is the real-time power of God [1517.00 --> 1518.80] available to the weak [1518.80 --> 1522.08] as we wait on Him. [1525.12 --> 1528.18] So Isaiah gives the church a gift this morning. [1529.12 --> 1529.60] He says, [1529.70 --> 1531.26] if you're struggling to hope, [1532.04 --> 1533.42] look back. [1534.76 --> 1537.16] Your God is the creator. [1538.00 --> 1539.24] Your God does not tire. [1539.38 --> 1540.12] He does not rest. [1540.12 --> 1541.36] Your God is the one [1541.36 --> 1543.54] who has control over all things, [1543.92 --> 1545.26] and He has accomplished [1545.26 --> 1547.06] what He promised to do [1547.06 --> 1548.74] through Jesus Christ. [1549.64 --> 1550.70] And if He's been faithful [1550.70 --> 1552.16] in His first coming, church, [1552.46 --> 1554.54] you can trust that He's going to come again. [1555.58 --> 1557.52] And I'll say this as best I can. [1558.16 --> 1559.40] Jesus is coming. [1560.22 --> 1560.90] Right now, [1560.96 --> 1562.42] He's sitting at the right hand of His Father. [1562.56 --> 1563.82] He's ruling over creation, [1564.14 --> 1567.16] and the reason He hasn't yet come in His glory [1567.16 --> 1569.78] is so more people can be drawn into the family. [1570.66 --> 1572.10] More people can experience [1572.10 --> 1573.70] the goodness and the power of God. [1573.70 --> 1575.44] More people can experience [1575.44 --> 1577.46] the life with Him eternally. [1577.90 --> 1578.76] And when He comes, [1578.86 --> 1579.98] your tears and my tears [1579.98 --> 1580.78] will be wiped away. [1581.30 --> 1582.44] Our pain will be gone, [1582.64 --> 1584.54] and we will be given resurrected bodies [1584.54 --> 1586.98] to live in a resurrected world forever. [1587.48 --> 1589.86] And that is worth waiting for. [1590.92 --> 1592.06] Let me lead us in prayer. [1598.62 --> 1600.40] Father, I want to thank You for Your Word. [1600.40 --> 1603.70] And I pray that these words from Isaiah [1603.70 --> 1604.92] would be good news to us, [1605.02 --> 1606.20] whatever it is that we carry. [1607.30 --> 1609.34] I pray specifically for those this morning [1609.34 --> 1610.56] who feel very weak, [1611.38 --> 1613.30] who feel very weary [1613.30 --> 1615.64] of pain and loss and grief. [1615.98 --> 1617.48] And I pray that You would give them [1617.48 --> 1618.62] everything they need, [1618.70 --> 1620.50] and that You would give them strength [1620.50 --> 1622.32] and power [1622.32 --> 1624.42] to meet the challenges of life. [1624.42 --> 1626.74] I thank You, God, [1626.78 --> 1627.66] that the tomb is empty, [1628.66 --> 1630.16] and that because it's empty, [1630.26 --> 1631.30] we can live with hope. [1632.06 --> 1633.06] And we pray, Jesus, [1633.14 --> 1634.18] that You would come soon [1634.18 --> 1635.02] to bring Your healing [1635.02 --> 1636.56] and Your life [1636.56 --> 1637.90] to a world that needs [1637.90 --> 1638.98] Your healing and life. [1639.62 --> 1640.82] We pray this in Your name. [1641.06 --> 1641.30] Amen. [1641.30 --> 1641.44] Amen. [1642.20 --> 1642.30] Amen. [1642.30 --> 1642.74] Amen. [1642.74 --> 1642.80] Amen. [1642.80 --> 1643.30] Amen. [1643.30 --> 1643.36] Amen. [1643.36 --> 1643.42] Amen. [1643.42 --> 1643.48] Amen. [1643.48 --> 1643.54] Amen. [1643.54 --> 1643.56] Amen. [1643.56 --> 1643.64] Amen. [1643.64 --> 1645.48] Amen. [1645.48 --> 1645.54] Amen. [1645.54 --> 1645.58] Amen. [1645.58 --> 1645.64] Amen. [1645.64 --> 1645.68] Amen. [1645.68 --> 1645.70] Amen. [1645.70 --> 1645.72] Amen. [1645.72 --> 1645.78] Amen. [1645.78 --> 1646.28] Amen. [1646.28 --> 1646.68] Amen. [1646.68 --> 1646.70] Amen.