1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000 Howdy 2 00:00:02,760 --> 00:00:09,960 Well, we've been looking we are starting our first week of Advent and as we are doing so 3 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,320 We have different themes for these four weeks of Advent 4 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:21,040 Each week will be lighting a different candle as we lead up to Christmas Eve and celebrate the coming of Christ Jesus 5 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:23,600 Advent meaning the coming 6 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,000 The time for Jesus to arrive 7 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:32,480 So with that is today with our different themes. We celebrate the theme of hope 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:39,880 Now one of the things that I oftentimes think about is what brings ideas of hope to mind 9 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:45,080 What brings the images of hope? But sometimes we know hope 10 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,200 better at times when we have felt 11 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:55,320 Hopeless and the time that I remember seeing hopelessness the most was when I watched 12 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:57,320 Groundhog Day 13 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:03,760 Bill Murray Bill Murray at his best I swear it was a fascinating that apparently 14 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:10,720 Bill Murray and Harold Ramis argued so much about this movie that they refused to make any more movies together 15 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:18,080 After that the guys that put together ghostbusters and this movie ended up breaking them apparently 16 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,640 Now one of the things with this movie for those who haven't seen it is that 17 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:27,440 Groundhog Day, it's that this person named Phil Connors 18 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:33,120 He goes to this place called Punxsutani and they're supposed to see if the groundhog comes out 19 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:39,720 Well, he has absolutely no regard for the town or any of their traditions. He's just annoyed at being there 20 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:44,480 But there was a blizzard that's coming into the area 21 00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:49,840 So what ends up happening is in the morning he hears I got you babe 22 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,960 Sonny and Cher and he goes through the whole day of 23 00:01:54,880 --> 00:02:01,320 entering the town and looking at the groundhog and seeing that there's going to be more winter and then the blizzard strikes 24 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:07,040 And he wakes up and he hears I got you babe playing again and 25 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:09,760 As he leaves his room 26 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:15,600 He starts having the same conversations with people that he knows he already had and then he looks he says 27 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,520 Where's everybody going where they're going to see the groundhog? 28 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:24,280 That was yesterday and the entire day has played again 29 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:27,720 But he goes to bed 30 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:29,840 And it wakes up and again 31 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:39,440 It's groundhog day all over again and it keeps happening over and over and over and after a bit instead of just being confused 32 00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:41,920 He just decides well 33 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,400 I'm stuck in this. I must be some form of a God 34 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:50,640 So therefore I'm going to ignore all the usual rules and do whatever I want 35 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:57,360 But with that is he eats what he wants. He does what he wants. He takes what he wants 36 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:03,800 But as he does that over and over he starts to realize why can predict what's going to happen? 37 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:10,720 So with this is he knows how to everything will play out which means he can start manipulating things the way he wants 38 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:13,980 He's going to decide how everything will play out 39 00:03:13,980 --> 00:03:18,900 except for this one person that he really wants to impress and 40 00:03:19,580 --> 00:03:25,740 Somehow nothing that he does ever manages to be the exact formula to win her heart 41 00:03:26,300 --> 00:03:30,620 He can't seem to quite find the right formula to win her over 42 00:03:31,260 --> 00:03:36,540 But then he decides maybe I just need the formula to escape this cycle 43 00:03:36,980 --> 00:03:42,140 But nothing he does even times whenever he gives up hope and tries to end it 44 00:03:42,140 --> 00:03:45,700 nothing seems to stop the cycle and 45 00:03:46,660 --> 00:03:48,660 Nothing ever seems to change 46 00:03:49,460 --> 00:03:51,460 It is easy to lose hope 47 00:03:52,140 --> 00:03:58,980 Whenever time and time again no matter what you have tried to do nothing feels like it ever changes 48 00:03:59,660 --> 00:04:04,180 Whenever things feel like they are stuck it is easy to lose hope 49 00:04:05,780 --> 00:04:09,140 Whenever we look at our gospel passage 50 00:04:09,140 --> 00:04:13,980 I can't help but wonder if that's the way that it was for the people of Israel 51 00:04:14,660 --> 00:04:16,580 Time and time again 52 00:04:16,580 --> 00:04:22,260 They kept losing themselves and they had lost hope in who they were 53 00:04:23,100 --> 00:04:29,980 They had gotten to a point where they no longer had a nation that they could actually claim to be their own in 54 00:04:31,820 --> 00:04:33,260 722 BC 55 00:04:33,260 --> 00:04:39,300 The northern part got conquered by Assyria 586 BC the southern part got conquered by Babylon 56 00:04:39,580 --> 00:04:44,460 Then later on they were under the oppression of the Persians in 538 57 00:04:45,100 --> 00:04:48,380 Later they got conquered by the Greeks in 322 BC 58 00:04:49,060 --> 00:04:51,740 They did have a little window of 59 00:04:52,540 --> 00:04:56,140 independence in 167 BC with the Maccabeean revoles 60 00:04:57,100 --> 00:04:59,100 But it was not very long lived 61 00:04:59,100 --> 00:05:03,140 Because then the Romans came and conquered them in 63 BC 62 00:05:04,740 --> 00:05:08,660 The thing is is that when Jesus came on the scene they'd been waiting around 63 00:05:09,140 --> 00:05:16,900 for around 70 years or so and they were wondering if it was time for their true freedom to finally arrive 64 00:05:17,820 --> 00:05:21,660 But everyone had different ways that they reacted 65 00:05:22,300 --> 00:05:28,580 Some people just ignored the rules did whatever they wished whatever they felt like doing 66 00:05:28,580 --> 00:05:32,300 And they didn't really think that God was paying attention to them anymore 67 00:05:33,180 --> 00:05:40,700 Others were trying to figure out the exact formula for how to convince God to give them exactly what they wanted and 68 00:05:40,940 --> 00:05:46,900 To let them escape the madness of the Roman world around them and others 69 00:05:47,460 --> 00:05:49,060 Just gave up 70 00:05:49,060 --> 00:05:57,340 They didn't really believe anything would change and they just kind of changed themselves to fit into the life of their Roman occupied country 71 00:05:57,340 --> 00:06:01,740 Whatever it was that people felt that they needed to endure 72 00:06:02,700 --> 00:06:08,820 They were struggling with a feeling of hope and that how they couldn't seem to find it anymore 73 00:06:09,980 --> 00:06:11,980 But here comes Jesus 74 00:06:12,700 --> 00:06:16,780 But with Jesus it's time for something to change 75 00:06:17,620 --> 00:06:22,900 And it says behold your king is coming 76 00:06:22,900 --> 00:06:32,900 Now Jesus ends up telling the disciples go get this cult go get the full of a donkey that is over here and 77 00:06:33,940 --> 00:06:41,900 They end up walking over there and not only finding exactly what he said they would find a cult that no one had ever written before 78 00:06:42,580 --> 00:06:45,100 But then they just tell the people there 79 00:06:45,740 --> 00:06:47,740 The Lord has need of it 80 00:06:47,740 --> 00:06:52,460 That's it and then they're able to take it and bring it to Jesus 81 00:06:53,020 --> 00:06:58,380 How was that even a thing? How did Jesus know what was going to happen? 82 00:06:59,260 --> 00:07:04,180 Well, there were prophecies that had happened in Genesis 49 83 00:07:05,220 --> 00:07:07,700 Whenever Jacob was speaking 84 00:07:08,460 --> 00:07:14,540 Futures over each of his sons and he got to Judah the ancestor of Jesus and he says 85 00:07:14,540 --> 00:07:20,420 Binding his fall to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine 86 00:07:20,940 --> 00:07:25,900 He has washed his garments and wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes 87 00:07:26,740 --> 00:07:32,420 So realizing that the donkey's colt will end up bringing the one whose clothing will have 88 00:07:33,140 --> 00:07:35,020 the fruit of the vine 89 00:07:35,020 --> 00:07:41,300 The grapes the wine that would point to his death the blood of the grapes 90 00:07:41,300 --> 00:07:48,820 But even in Zechariah 9 and it says rejoice greatly oh daughter of Zion shout aloud 91 00:07:48,820 --> 00:07:52,740 Oh daughter of Jerusalem behold your king is coming to you 92 00:07:53,420 --> 00:08:01,260 Righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the full of a donkey 93 00:08:02,260 --> 00:08:06,540 So we could reasonably say well Jesus had the prophecies 94 00:08:06,540 --> 00:08:14,260 He he would be able to see and know that this would happen, but that's not what we actually end up seeing truly happening 95 00:08:14,260 --> 00:08:20,780 This isn't just that Jesus knows how everything will play out because he's able to look forward at it 96 00:08:21,660 --> 00:08:23,660 It's because he is God 97 00:08:24,620 --> 00:08:26,620 authoring the story himself 98 00:08:28,460 --> 00:08:30,460 guiding it 99 00:08:30,940 --> 00:08:34,500 Knowing exactly what his purposes are and making them happen 100 00:08:34,500 --> 00:08:41,380 And isn't that something that we oftentimes struggle to get our mind around is that Jesus? 101 00:08:41,380 --> 00:08:44,420 Is it just in a set of circumstances? 102 00:08:44,820 --> 00:08:51,340 He doesn't just happen to know what's going to happen is that he's the one guiding and directing 103 00:08:52,900 --> 00:09:02,900 Because oftentimes we lose hope whenever we forget that God is still the author and the perfecter of our faith 104 00:09:02,900 --> 00:09:04,900 and our future 105 00:09:06,140 --> 00:09:13,940 Whenever we forget that our hope is not in circumstance and hoping that things work out and wondering if they will 106 00:09:14,940 --> 00:09:20,700 But rather our hope is in the one who has actually determined the future 107 00:09:21,100 --> 00:09:24,020 Who knows what will happen because he's created it 108 00:09:24,020 --> 00:09:32,420 Who has done it not just by wishing but by his own blood and sacrifice 109 00:09:34,100 --> 00:09:37,580 Because the future is not something that just happens 110 00:09:38,300 --> 00:09:44,340 It has to be something that is one and it was one on the cross and 111 00:09:45,060 --> 00:09:47,660 done by Christ Jesus 112 00:09:48,740 --> 00:09:52,660 See the thing is is that whatever that future might be 113 00:09:52,660 --> 00:09:54,660 God knows what it is 114 00:09:55,540 --> 00:10:00,540 But we are oftentimes not expecting what God is going to do 115 00:10:01,180 --> 00:10:09,660 And that's part of why it is so difficult to have hope because what God has intended is not the thing that we were looking for 116 00:10:10,660 --> 00:10:15,180 See in the movie Phil Connors. He wasn't expecting 117 00:10:15,180 --> 00:10:22,060 The actual solution he kept trying to manipulate it to try to get to where he wanted to be 118 00:10:22,980 --> 00:10:25,660 Trying to decide what it was that he wanted 119 00:10:26,300 --> 00:10:33,860 And then when he didn't get it or he got it and it didn't meet what he wanted. He became even more hopeless 120 00:10:34,900 --> 00:10:37,460 That's the thing about the people of Israel 121 00:10:38,540 --> 00:10:40,540 They weren't expecting who Jesus is 122 00:10:40,540 --> 00:10:46,100 They were looking for the victory against their overlords. They were looking for a different kind of king 123 00:10:46,100 --> 00:10:49,220 Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord 124 00:10:49,940 --> 00:10:52,260 But this isn't the one that they were looking for 125 00:10:52,860 --> 00:10:57,740 This isn't the one that they were hoping for people were excited to see him 126 00:10:57,740 --> 00:11:04,500 They were you could see them singing you could see them laying the palms and the blankets and preparing away 127 00:11:04,740 --> 00:11:06,740 But the problem was 128 00:11:06,740 --> 00:11:09,940 They were preparing the way for who they thought he was 129 00:11:11,700 --> 00:11:15,460 But he was nowhere near what they expected him to be 130 00:11:16,180 --> 00:11:22,900 See they were hoping for a victory against the rulers, but he wasn't planning that kind of victory 131 00:11:24,700 --> 00:11:30,460 See rather the victory in Christ was one that came through humiliation 132 00:11:31,820 --> 00:11:33,820 Something that appeared 133 00:11:33,820 --> 00:11:40,820 Hopeless what we oftentimes hope for in our life and in our faith is much more shallow than what God 134 00:11:41,260 --> 00:11:42,620 actually 135 00:11:42,620 --> 00:11:44,660 intends 136 00:11:44,660 --> 00:11:46,660 What we hope for is 137 00:11:47,260 --> 00:11:50,540 Meaningless compared to what God has truly intended 138 00:11:51,220 --> 00:11:57,060 Because the king was meant to be on the cross to go through humiliation and death 139 00:11:57,060 --> 00:12:04,140 For our blessing the hope was only able to come through the hopelessness 140 00:12:05,980 --> 00:12:09,260 And even after Jesus came to Jerusalem 141 00:12:09,900 --> 00:12:17,060 He still had to go to the temple and cleanse it and refocus everyone so that he could proclaim what he had come to do 142 00:12:18,780 --> 00:12:21,780 But he still didn't know what to do 143 00:12:21,780 --> 00:12:30,300 So that he could proclaim what he had come to do, but he still didn't allow things to go the way people hoped 144 00:12:32,500 --> 00:12:36,820 Because that's the thing about the true hope that comes in God is 145 00:12:38,260 --> 00:12:40,260 That it does lead to a cross 146 00:12:41,260 --> 00:12:44,180 The thing is is that hope is not easy 147 00:12:44,180 --> 00:12:52,140 And don't mean the things that we wish for the things that would make life easy the things that would somehow make sense 148 00:12:52,140 --> 00:12:54,140 I mean true hope 149 00:12:54,380 --> 00:12:56,180 Something lasting 150 00:12:56,180 --> 00:12:58,340 Something meaningful it is never 151 00:12:59,420 --> 00:13:01,420 easy 152 00:13:01,420 --> 00:13:07,020 God's path does not come simply it does not come without struggle 153 00:13:07,020 --> 00:13:15,380 Even as Jesus is coming into Jerusalem look finally they're acknowledging who he is and what he has come to do 154 00:13:16,380 --> 00:13:19,460 Only to hear them say crucify him within a week 155 00:13:20,900 --> 00:13:23,980 As they discover who he truly is 156 00:13:25,620 --> 00:13:30,140 But you see the thing about hope is that it is real 157 00:13:31,260 --> 00:13:33,740 It's not just something that we wish for 158 00:13:33,740 --> 00:13:37,780 See one of the things about the movie 159 00:13:38,660 --> 00:13:41,260 Was to realize that there wasn't a magic setting 160 00:13:41,780 --> 00:13:49,780 There wasn't something where Phil Connors ends up going through the right steps to somehow fix things and get what he wanted 161 00:13:51,140 --> 00:13:54,740 But he had to grow and he had to change 162 00:13:55,740 --> 00:14:01,740 At some point he finally had to realize that the things that he was pursuing or wishing or hoping for 163 00:14:01,740 --> 00:14:03,740 were meaningless 164 00:14:03,740 --> 00:14:07,740 And even knowing that he wasn't going to escape from this cycle 165 00:14:08,740 --> 00:14:14,740 How could he actually help people but also become who he was meant to be 166 00:14:15,740 --> 00:14:22,740 He ends up taking piano lessons he ends up walking around discovering who needs what when where and how 167 00:14:22,740 --> 00:14:30,740 And making sure he's right there at the right time to help them person choking at dinner walks up gives them the high amount of money 168 00:14:30,740 --> 00:14:35,740 ends up gives them the Heimlich person falling from a tree branch and catches them 169 00:14:36,740 --> 00:14:49,740 And ends up discovering more about himself so that while people wondered who is this person who came in that magically knows piano and seems to fit each need that we have 170 00:14:50,740 --> 00:14:56,740 They didn't realize everything that it had taken for him to finally get there 171 00:14:56,740 --> 00:15:04,740 Because he had to finally let go of what he was trying to get in order to become who he was truly meant to be 172 00:15:06,740 --> 00:15:14,740 And that was when he was finally able to find love and to escape into the life that he was meant to live 173 00:15:15,740 --> 00:15:18,740 And so when it finally played again 174 00:15:19,740 --> 00:15:21,740 Even with the same song 175 00:15:21,740 --> 00:15:23,740 It was finally February 3rd 176 00:15:23,740 --> 00:15:25,740 And a chance to move forward 177 00:15:26,740 --> 00:15:32,740 You see there was no magic formula with Jesus coming in on that donkey 178 00:15:33,740 --> 00:15:46,740 Just because he was on the right animal just because they were shouting the right cheer just because he ended up giving the appearance of what they wanted 179 00:15:46,740 --> 00:15:49,740 It wasn't a magic formula to change hearts 180 00:15:49,740 --> 00:15:56,740 It wasn't great now we see him now we're all going to become exactly who we're meant to be 181 00:15:58,740 --> 00:16:00,740 Jesus still had to suffer 182 00:16:02,740 --> 00:16:08,740 And people still needed to wrestle with what it meant for him to be the true Messiah 183 00:16:09,740 --> 00:16:12,740 Instead of just what they had wanted him to be 184 00:16:12,740 --> 00:16:14,740 Because that's the thing 185 00:16:14,740 --> 00:16:16,740 Hope is meant to be real 186 00:16:16,740 --> 00:16:18,740 It's not just a wish 187 00:16:19,740 --> 00:16:21,740 Hope is meant to be real 188 00:16:22,740 --> 00:16:23,740 Not just your wish 189 00:16:24,740 --> 00:16:29,740 The reason that hope matters so much is because it's not just meant to be an idea 190 00:16:30,740 --> 00:16:31,740 But it's something of substance 191 00:16:32,740 --> 00:16:33,740 It takes time 192 00:16:33,740 --> 00:16:34,740 It takes struggle 193 00:16:34,740 --> 00:16:35,740 It takes effort 194 00:16:35,740 --> 00:16:37,740 It takes the time to push through 195 00:16:39,740 --> 00:16:41,740 In order to find hope on the other side 196 00:16:41,740 --> 00:16:45,740 It isn't just waiting for your circumstances to fit what you're hoping for 197 00:16:46,740 --> 00:16:49,740 It is for you to grow in Christ 198 00:16:50,740 --> 00:16:55,740 In order to change the cycle that you find yourself stuck in 199 00:16:57,740 --> 00:16:59,740 Because with resurrection 200 00:17:00,740 --> 00:17:01,740 It requires death 201 00:17:02,740 --> 00:17:03,740 Death to the old 202 00:17:04,740 --> 00:17:07,740 But death does lead to resurrection 203 00:17:08,740 --> 00:17:09,740 But only in Christ 204 00:17:09,740 --> 00:17:11,740 As we are in this season 205 00:17:12,740 --> 00:17:14,740 And there are so many people that are struggling and wondering 206 00:17:15,740 --> 00:17:18,740 What does the new year have to offer? 207 00:17:19,740 --> 00:17:22,740 What do I have to look forward to with this time of Christmas? 208 00:17:23,740 --> 00:17:25,740 What is Advent even for? 209 00:17:26,740 --> 00:17:27,740 It will be a time of struggle 210 00:17:28,740 --> 00:17:30,740 And there will be times of darkness 211 00:17:31,740 --> 00:17:33,740 And wondering what it's all for 212 00:17:34,740 --> 00:17:36,740 But what we know from a Messiah 213 00:17:36,740 --> 00:17:38,740 Who goes to the hopelessness 214 00:17:39,740 --> 00:17:40,740 And pulls through 215 00:17:41,740 --> 00:17:43,740 Is that He is there with you 216 00:17:44,740 --> 00:17:45,740 To give you true hope 217 00:17:46,740 --> 00:17:47,740 A hope of life everlasting 218 00:17:48,740 --> 00:17:50,740 A hope of true transformation by His Spirit 219 00:17:51,740 --> 00:17:52,740 And a hope of discovering 220 00:17:53,740 --> 00:17:56,740 That we're not just meant to focus on the wishes that we have 221 00:17:57,740 --> 00:17:59,740 But rather to take joy in the journey 222 00:18:00,740 --> 00:18:02,740 Than to take joy in the journey 223 00:18:03,740 --> 00:18:04,740 That we have 224 00:18:04,740 --> 00:18:06,740 To take joy in the journey 225 00:18:07,740 --> 00:18:09,740 That gets us to where we're meant to be 226 00:18:10,740 --> 00:18:11,740 Not to get what we want 227 00:18:12,740 --> 00:18:13,740 But to become 228 00:18:14,740 --> 00:18:15,740 Who God has intended us to be 229 00:18:16,740 --> 00:18:18,740 May we each discover hope 230 00:18:19,740 --> 00:18:21,740 As we see what God is doing 231 00:18:22,740 --> 00:18:24,740 To change us into the people 232 00:18:25,740 --> 00:18:26,740 He has called us to be 233 00:18:26,740 --> 00:18:36,740 Thanks be to God.