Grapevine Ministries
Messages from the bible to uplift and encourage those that need a word from the Lord, to strengthen their faith. Ps Phillip Barker is an itinerant pastor in Perth, Western Australia.
Grapevine Ministries
Embracing the True Meaning of Hope During Christmas
Picture this: you're on a festive adventure with your child, gathering pine cones, when suddenly, you're stuck in the sand. This moment, a blend of panic and hope, captures the essence of our episode as we explore the true meaning of hope in the context of Christmas. We tackle the challenge of retelling the timeless story of Jesus Christ's birth in a way that resonates afresh, drawing parallels between the anticipation of Christ's arrival and the everyday hopes we hold—whether it's for a friend's health or simply a smooth commute. With insights from scriptures like Romans 15:13 and Jeremiah 29:11, we explore hope as a steadfast trust in God's promises, offering a foundation for a life filled with purpose and confidence. us as we reflect on how true hope can transform these moments into opportunities for faith and resilience.
Good morning, good afternoon, wherever you are in the world - Welcome to Grapevine Ministries.
Good morning everyone. Now, today's message is going along the same themes, leading into the Christmas period. What we're going to do is we're going to talk about hope, so the message for the day is the hope of Christmas. Hope, so the message for the day is the hope of Christmas. As we approach Christmas, I have the same problem every year, that is, how to tell the story of the birth of our Lord and Saviour in a different way, but bringing the same message. I mean, it's simple, all right, it's like telling your testimony Now. So the testimony is factual, but you don't read it from a script, so you don't know the exact. You know words in the right area, but it's the same story. The same is to be said about the birth of our Lord and Saviour, jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:Now, we know that that's what Christmas is all about, but you can't say the same message all the time, even though it's 12 months later. You know, even though it's 12 months later, you know, the thing is to keep everything exciting, enjoyable and a learning experience at the same time, and telling the same message. So I'm going to lead into this from a different perspective, and this is what we started with. We started with hope and this is what we started with. We started with hope Now, because one of the most obvious things that I remember about this is that my daughter does it Her birthday's in September and as soon as that's finished, she's straight into Christmas mode and even though she's doing everything about Christmas, she creates a different theme about telling the same story and making sure that Santa's involved presents are involved, because she's got kids. But you still learn about the birth of our Lord and Saviour, of our Lord and Saviour. I can only imagine how long the wait must have seemed for God's people, as they were waiting for the incarnation of Christ and it was always spoken about that it was coming and there was this much anticipation of the birth of our Lord and Saviour, so there was a long time when they were wishing, longing or desiring. We do the same thing about certain things that take place in our life. When we've got a friend that is sick, we say I hope you feel better soon, but we still pray for them. When we leave our house a few minutes late, when we're on our way to work, we hope we make it on time, but do we pray for green lights or a smooth journey through the traffic. I don't doubt that a lot of people have will meaning when they're expressing hope in these ways, but they really need the hope that is all about our Lord and Saviour. So are we expressing true biblical hope? So we're going to start off.
Speaker 1:I'm going to tell you a little story. This is about my daughter. She hates it when I talk about her, but I do do that and a lot of you may know her, so I don't have to mention her name, and if those that don't know her mention her name isn't going to make any difference. All right now, it is undeniable that my wife gave us a very creative daughter and she outshines everybody in the family with passion and pursuit of all things Christmas, and I am amazed at how creative she gets when she's in this creative mode. I'm going to make a few years, but I want to tell you this because I just want to look at the difference between biblical hope and the way most people use the word hope, because it's definitely overused, so so much in society today, and it's it's.
Speaker 1:It's basically along the same lines as someone that you know talking about a miracle when we got these floods at the moment in Spain, and there's miracles that people were saved, or miracles that they found someone alive, and that sort of thing. But in everyday life, okay, you talk about, oh, it was a miracle that I got that project finished on time, or it was a miracle that I did this. We do the same thing with hope. It is overused and over emphasized, but it's not truly what we want in our lives as born again. You know, believers, we need to make sure that we use hope in its right perspective.
Speaker 1:So this is what happened with my daughter. So we went out and she was going to do this big fancy display and she was going to create her own pine cones because you could buy them but they're very expensive. So she said, oh, look out, where we used to live way down south, there was this pine forest. And she reckons we'll go collect our own pines. And so me, I'm being sort of not necessarily prepared because we're still technically in the metropolitan area, even though this was a rural side of it.
Speaker 1:So we go out there and it's all sand and there's trees everywhere and all this sort of stuff. So she finds some pine cones. But then she looks up and she looks across this void where it was just all sand dunes and sandy, you know it was. You know, basically, up and down it was all different contours and everything. But she said look, there's the main forest. Over there there's going to be heaps of really, really good, um, pine cones.
Speaker 1:So I said, okay then. Well, I've got an all-wheel drive, which in my head I thought that's a four-wheel drive, and the sand's not that bad. So we thought we'd just head across there and unfortunately, no, I haven't got a four-wheel drive, even though it says it is, and plus it hasn't got the same clearance underneath. So, without a doubt, bang into the sand down to the axle and we're sitting there. The sand down to the axle, and we're sitting there. And so we are hoping that there's some way that we can get out of this, because I haven't got all of my gear on board.
Speaker 1:Being a military man, I'm always prepared. This time I wasn't. So clearly this was one way God was telling us that this adventure was bound to end up here because we didn't have the proper planning and everything else. So I'm assuming that my daughter's okay with this. She's more worried about we've been away from home a fair bit of time and mum doesn't know what's going on. So we rang her Now, have you ever tried not telling a lie but not actually telling the truth? And she still knows that something's not right. And she still knows that something's not right.
Speaker 1:But luckily for us, there was a group of dirt bikers, you know, in the background and while the kids were on the bikes, the father looks over and sees us and realizes that we're not moving. So he had all the gear and everything and he towed us out of there. So he had all the gear and everything and he towed us out of there, and so we were hoping that everything would be all right when we got home and my darling wife would not be that upset with us. But it didn't work out that way. So let's take a minute now, and before we begin to move ahead, I want you to realize that, even though, as a Christian, the first thing we should have been doing was praying, but we were hoping that we weren't going to be stuck there and my daughter's little adventure to get her pine cones just went horribly wrong. And yes, for all of those that are asking, yes, she did get her pine cones and yes, she was able to do her display. So what really is hope? So we fast forward a few years to the present.
Speaker 1:As I begin to study the theme of hope throughout scriptures, I find myself uncovering a definition of hope that has shifted my perspective on everything. As I look back at the seemingly treacherous outing and probably over-dramatizing a little bit here and the majority of my life, I realized that I held on to an inaccurate definition of the word hope. The hope I was desperately trying to cling to on that day was nothing more than a wish, a desire maybe, but it held no real certainty of fulfillment. If I'm honest with you, I imagine many of us could say the same about their own stories of trying to cling onto hope in a seemingly hopeless situation, and perhaps hope has felt like little more than a wish at times, and because of that our confidence in hope has faded. So how do we return to full and true biblical hope? Because biblical hope doesn't fade. Biblical hope doesn't fade.
Speaker 1:If we are ever going to navigate this hard life with hope intact and encourage others to do the same, we must begin with an accurate understanding of what hope really is. Hope is not a wish. Hope is not just a desire. Hope is not a wish. Hope is not just a desire. It's more than a longing, a perceived want or even a need. And if we're only those things and nothing more, scripture would not command us to have hope. But it does. And so, if you notice, the descriptions I just gave are more about our feelings, and we know that our feelings aren't necessarily on the same path as what our biblical understanding of the word is, because we get that word deep down inside of us. Understanding of the word is because we get that word deep down inside of us.
Speaker 1:Now I've got a few scriptures here. I'm just going to read a couple of the scriptures out and then I'm just going to give you the reference for the others, otherwise we're going to run out of time. Now we'll start with Isaiah 40, 31, for those who want to write it down. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles wings, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. And so then we've got Malachi 7.7. And so then we've got Malachi 7.7. But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God, my Savior, my God, will hear me. And last one I'm going to read out is Romans 5, 3-4. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character and character, hope.
Speaker 1:Now I'm just going to give you these other scriptures, because there's a few here. So Romans 15, 13, if you want to write that down, and then you can actually look them up and then highlight the areas that the talks about hope. Also, 1 Corinthians 13, 13, jeremiah 29, 11, which is a favorite of mine and I always say favorite then I find out later that I've got a lot of favorites. So, realistically, I've just got ones that I refer to a lot because they give a good explanation about what the subject matter is I'm talking about. And the last one is Romans 15.13.
Speaker 1:So a good definition of hope is a strong and confident expectation and unwavering trust in the unchanging character of God. See the big difference between the definition of hope from the dictionary and the definition of hope which is used worldwide by almost everybody, and then the difference between the definition of hope as far as Christians are concerned, or people who have a faith in God. So then, hope is a strong and confident expectation, so that means that you are anticipating that to take place in your life. What a difference from the world's understanding of hope that claims not much more than hope being a wish or a desire. What if we allowed this new understanding of hope to reshape and renew our minds?
Speaker 1:I believe that a false understanding of hope has effectively led far too many of us to live and lead hopeless lives. Now I know there's many of you out there saying, well, hang on, I'm looking at my life and it's pretty good, but I'm not talking the difference between spiritually and naturally. And yes, you could have hoped for a lot of things and a lot of things have happened in your life and that's great. But if you truly want hope to work, from a biblical perspective, you know something that is the same today, yesterday and forever. That's the word of God and that's how you look at it from a biblical perspective of hope. We have an opportunity today to allow truth to become the loudest voice in our lives. The season of Advent provides an opportunity for us to move from hopeless living to hope-filled living. If you and I are ever going to possess and maintain any amount of hope in our lives, we will need to understand what hope isn't and start clinging to what hope is. Hope is not a wish. It's not. Hope is. Hope is not a wish, it's not a want, it's not a desire. Hope does not leave room for the insecurities that are in a mere wish or want or desire. Hope is so much more so, so much more so, so much more hope expects with a sense of strength and confidence, because the object of our hope is christ. Hope does not waver. Hope is the anchor of our souls. Like I said, he is the same today, yesterday and forever. So our hope in Christ. In Hebrews 6.19 it says we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Think of what an anchor provides for a ship. It helps to secure the vessel in the place. It helps preventing the outside elements from moving the ship In a direction it does not wish to go. Now take that visual aspect right there and now Translate it into your life. Hope is your anchor. It's not wishful thinking. It secures you in a place and it prevents outside elements from moving you in a direction you don't wish to go. In other words, it allows you to stay in a spiritual environment and not have it corrupted by the world, because it says we live in this world but we're not of it. This is what biblical hope is. Imagine living your life from this perspective, as opposed to the faulty understanding of hope that so many of us have tried to hold on to, what a difference this true understanding of hope could bring. This hope says you can remain steady and secure even when your circumstances are not. This hope says you can remain strong and confident in the face of the unknown. This hope breeds deep trust in us all. Let me put it another way Hope is unwavering trust in the unchangeable character of God. Notice that the very first part of that definition of hope had to do with us, and the second part is everything to do with God. The first part reveals who we can be when we possess a biblical understanding of hope. We're strong and we're confident. The second part reveals the reason why God is who he says he is. God's character does not change, even when our circumstances do. Here's another way to say that Our circumstances will never alter the character of God Not ever. God remains the same, even when everything around us doesn't. God is steady even when we are shifting. God is faithful even when we are faithless. 2 Timothy 2.13 says If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. It is because God's character does not change. What we can have is unwavering trust in him. Hope is the ability to have unwavering trust, because God's character does not change. Our hope is resting in something secure, not something that wavers or is led by emotions. Therefore, we do not need to waver either, because our hope is in Him. As you reflect personally on biblical hope and as you prepare to encourage your colleagues, members of your congregation, your friends, your family during this Christmas period, consider the way that you use the word hope. If you find yourself wavering today, unable to possess and maintain hope, might I suggest that perhaps your hope is misplaced. We put hope in all sorts of things. We put hopes in desired outcomes. We put hopes in expectations that we place on others. We put hope in success and achievement. We put hope in material possessions. Notice how all of these things are always temporal. None of these things last, not eternally, and also notice how all these things leave room for disappointment. That's right. That type of hope leaves room for disappointment. The outcomes that we chase often turn out much differently than we wanted them to. Expectations are often not met. So every one of us needs biblical hope. Hope builds faith and faith builds belief and faith builds belief. Successes and achievements come and go, and the happiness they carry can bring is only temporal. Material possessions always fail to provide lasting joy, yet we keep putting our hope in them and what they might provide for us, and we keep coming up short. Why do we keep coming up short? If our hope are misplaced, our joy will also be misplaced. Jesus is the creator of hope. Therefore, he is also the source of hope. He is the provider of hope and he is the sustainer of hope. Hope is found in him and every time we continue to look for hope elsewhere, we will come up short. As we prepare our hearts for this event, remember this hope tethers us to an unwavering God. Hope secures us to God, who is not moved by the things that move us. Hope anchors us to the steady and solid ground. Hope fixes our gaze on Jesus instead of our circumstances. Hope reminds us of who God is the long-awaited Messiah, the suffering servant who left glory to become like us, to rescue us, to save us. That is the true focus we need this Christmas. Yes, there's all of those things out there that are glittery and shiny and that we want as part of our life, and we hope and pray that these things happen. But if our hope remains in our Lord and Savior, we can do great and mighty things, because he is the anchor that holds us in place. Too many people are going to be trying to water down, are going to be trying to water down, dissolve Christmas, and yet we've got to hold on to those natural traditions about what Christmas really is. Christmas is celebrating the birth of our long-awaited Lord and Saviour, and back in the time where they did not have Jesus, that's all they were doing. They were hoping and praying and believing that that Messiah would come and from their perspective, if you were able to ask them, they had to wait too long. But we now have him and we need to celebrate his decision to become part of our lives. When he left the heavenly realm and came and was given birth in a manger in Bethlehem. Now I know there'll be a lot of people out there that say, oh, yeah, but he wasn't really born in December the 25th. Oh, it was. There weren't all of these different things that they've put into the narration that's gone on and everything else. I understand that, but it's like a lot of things. We need to push away the cloud that is affecting our view of things and focus wholly and solely on the purpose behind this. Yes, I mean, we have children, we have grandchildren, we have great-grandchildren, and it is too challenging at this early development in their life to try and tell them that this is all about Jesus Christ. But we can still embrace the traditions that have been brought in from a worldly perspective. And okay, it is a pagan holiday, it is a pagan representation of it. But look between the lines and see everything that has been left pure and uncontaminated and focus on that. I hope and pray that every single person that listens to this podcast and everybody who it is passed on to remembers the true purpose behind Christmas and have that hope in better things to come as we spend time remembering this special event in the history of the world. God bless you, guys and girls, and everybody out there, and we will speak to you again next week as we delve further into our journey heading up to the birth of our Lord and Savior. God bless you all. Talk to you soon. Bye for now.
