Grace World Outreach Church
Advent: Hope
Christmas at Grace
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give youa future and a hope.”Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)
Advent means “arrival” or “coming.”
“We talk so much about the second coming; half the world has yet to hear of the first.” Oswald Sanders
The advent of Christ means that hope is here!
Three Questions for this first week of Advent…
FIRST QUESTION: WHAT HAS TRIED TO BURY YOUR HOPE?
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Mt 13:44.
What buried your hope?
- Your worry
- Your weariness
- Your works
Jesus didn’t say it was “LOST” treasure; he said it was “BURIED.”
No matter the weight of the dirt, hope is never lost!
SECOND QUESTION: WHAT WOULD YOU TRADE IN EXCHANGE FOR HOPE?
The man who found it, “in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
What did Mary have to exchange for hope?
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Luke 1:26–30 (ESV)
- Revelation is a hard gift to receive because it invites transformation.
- Revelation is a hard gift to receive because it invites transformation you are not in charge of.
THIRD QUESTION: WHAT IS THE REAL TREASURE?
There are two takes to this parable:
That _______ is the treasure.
That _______ are the treasure.
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5–7,ESV)
Advent wasn’t us finding hope; it hope finding us.
Read Along with us Advent Devotional