Hope | Brian Lucas (Pax Christian Church ADVENT 1 Of 4 12/6/2020)

Links

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Message Notes

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PAX Christian Church

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Hope – 12/06/20 (Advent 1of4)

PAX Christian Church is a non-denominational church in the Carson Valley of western Nevada.

ADVENT IS A TIME OF ANTICIPATION AND WAITING = HOPE.

Hope is an anchor for the soul. (Hebrews 6:19)

IN THIS TIME OF TRIAL, HARDSHIP, AND TROUBLE…
SPEAK OF YOUR HOPE.

Mark 1:1-8
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” — “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

SPEAK HOPE.
John speaks of the hope that Jesus, the Messiah is coming.

People needed to hear that their hope in God’s promises was coming true.
They repented and were baptized because they heard the good news, and HOPE BEGAN TO BREAK THROUGH.

WHERE DO YOU NEED HOPE TO BREAK THROUGH?
Where do you need to let HOPE be the answer to the darkness?

Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

WE BOAST IN THE HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD!
We have PEACE (PAX) with God now.
And we have hope in the GLORY of GOD that is to come!

And, the guarantee that our HOPE will not put us to shame is that we already have the blessing of God’s glory in the Holy Spirit!

God’s promise is both NOW and NOT YET.
So hold on to your hope.

Mark 1:9-13
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Jesus comes. And HE is baptized. He is tested in the wilderness. He is found to be worthy of the work, and worthy of our HOPE.

He will not put us to shame, if we place our home in Him.
WE BOAST IN THE HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD.

His glory lives in us. And there’s more to come. He’s not done yet.

Romans 8:18-23
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

Romans 8:24-30
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

SPEAK HOPE. BRAG ON HOPE. DECLARE AND CELEBRATE YOUR HOPE.
IN HIS GLORY. Because it is in you. HE is in you.

Don’t know what to say? Pray (because we have HOPE).

Life has broken you? Present suffering bringing you down?
BOAST IN THE HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD.
Because the GLORY OF GOD IS IN YOU IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.
AND THERE’S MORE TO COME!

Mark 1:14-15
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

JESUS BEGINS TO PREACH:
The time has come.
The Kingdom is here.
Repent. (Get on track with God)
Believe the good news.

We say:
BOAST IN THE HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD!
HIS GLORY LIVES IN YOU.
AND THERE’S MORE TO COME.

COMMUNION
We will be taking communion together today. If you are joining us in person, get the communion juice and wafer from the table at the entrance to the sanctuary. If you are joining us online, please find some bread and juice or wine and join us from where you are.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Give Online
You can give via text as well. Just text any dollar amount to 84321 and you will receive a link to set up text giving.
http://paxchristian.churchcenter.com/giving