1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,300 Marcel: do it. 2 00:00:00,410 --> 00:00:01,440 It's Christmas. 3 00:00:03,349 --> 00:00:04,670 Christmas is here. 4 00:00:05,020 --> 00:00:06,880 Are you excited about Christmas? 5 00:00:07,780 --> 00:00:09,289 Some of us may be excited. 6 00:00:09,299 --> 00:00:13,179 Some of us may be that, that there's, there's a, uh, some tenderness there. 7 00:00:13,180 --> 00:00:16,158 Maybe there was some tragedy that, that happened in your life. 8 00:00:16,158 --> 00:00:19,570 And so we understand it could be on different extremes here at excited, 9 00:00:19,570 --> 00:00:23,080 most excited time of your life, or maybe the most challenging time of your life. 10 00:00:23,530 --> 00:00:25,780 Some of us, it could be the most stressful time in our life. 11 00:00:26,470 --> 00:00:30,360 We start thinking about setup and, and trying to get gifts, and 12 00:00:30,419 --> 00:00:33,500 trying not to break our necks as we stand on a ladder trying to put up 13 00:00:33,510 --> 00:00:34,830 lights, you know what I'm saying? 14 00:00:35,519 --> 00:00:38,719 And so it can be fun, it can be a blast, and then we're always reminded, 15 00:00:38,719 --> 00:00:42,110 especially in the church, Hey, remember the reason for the season. 16 00:00:43,219 --> 00:00:45,789 Let's make sure we put the Christ back in Christmas, right? 17 00:00:45,790 --> 00:00:48,940 We hear these slogans all the time, dropping bars, oh, 18 00:00:48,940 --> 00:00:50,120 there you go, alright, so. 19 00:00:50,730 --> 00:00:54,390 And so we want to yes, we want to do this But I notice here and I want us I was 20 00:00:54,420 --> 00:00:57,560 praying thinking about this and as we talk about Daniel about a sermon series 21 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:04,150 here For Christmas, we wanted to identify the God of the Christmas story We want 22 00:01:04,150 --> 00:01:08,949 to go ahead and that's going to be our sermon series here is the God of the 23 00:01:08,970 --> 00:01:15,815 Christmas Story because as we embark upon this season, and yes, we can be in all 24 00:01:15,825 --> 00:01:20,485 Jesus or, or, or ham or Thanksgiving and presents and all these different things. 25 00:01:20,655 --> 00:01:25,215 We want to make sure that we always see God in this story. 26 00:01:25,940 --> 00:01:30,570 And how God is still prevalent in our lives and how the Christmas 27 00:01:30,570 --> 00:01:37,940 story provides such a blessing and a hope for our lives in 2023 beyond. 28 00:01:38,170 --> 00:01:39,789 So let's go to God in prayer. 29 00:01:39,789 --> 00:01:43,220 Father, we thank you so much for this chance to have. 30 00:01:43,604 --> 00:01:47,955 Uh, to look into your word, to be excited about what, about who 31 00:01:47,955 --> 00:01:49,935 you are, to learn more about you. 32 00:01:50,225 --> 00:01:53,714 God, as I step back and been thinking about the next several weeks, I really 33 00:01:53,715 --> 00:01:58,095 am excited to get a chance to, to, uh, study more of your word and to take 34 00:01:58,095 --> 00:02:02,675 a step back and, and get to know more about you and, and to come closer to you. 35 00:02:02,675 --> 00:02:06,735 And I pray father that today we can draw closer to you as we 36 00:02:06,735 --> 00:02:08,895 understand you and your character. 37 00:02:09,710 --> 00:02:11,080 We pray in the name of Jesus. 38 00:02:12,060 --> 00:02:12,550 Amen. 39 00:02:12,950 --> 00:02:13,960 I'm going to go ahead and call my wife. 40 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,710 My wife Corinna is going to come up on stage here with me today. 41 00:02:17,980 --> 00:02:21,549 And so we're going to be looking at, uh, we're going to, for the next four 42 00:02:21,550 --> 00:02:25,620 weeks, we're going to be studying out just the first two chapters of Matthew. 43 00:02:25,929 --> 00:02:29,570 And so Matthew is a letter written by one of Jesus's followers. 44 00:02:29,570 --> 00:02:33,110 And so he writes this letter and it's important that we understand 45 00:02:33,110 --> 00:02:36,699 and realize that this letter was talking about who Jesus was. 46 00:02:36,699 --> 00:02:38,760 It's called the gospel according to Matthew. 47 00:02:39,130 --> 00:02:42,020 But it's written to a Jewish audience. 48 00:02:42,290 --> 00:02:44,870 So as you read it, you have to understand, you have to know a 49 00:02:44,870 --> 00:02:49,659 little bit of Jewish culture to fully grasp all that is there in the 50 00:02:49,660 --> 00:02:52,289 treasures that are there in the text. 51 00:02:52,679 --> 00:02:58,168 And so this first week, we're going to look at how God is a God of hope. 52 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:04,730 Our God is a God of hope and we see this in the Christmas story. 53 00:03:04,940 --> 00:03:06,390 Let's go ahead and let's get into it. 54 00:03:06,390 --> 00:03:10,899 In Matthew chapter 1, we're going to read here, uh, in verse 1. 55 00:03:11,539 --> 00:03:16,010 It says, this is the genealogy of Jesus, the Messiah, the son 56 00:03:16,089 --> 00:03:18,540 of David, the son of Abraham. 57 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:20,679 Abraham was the father of Isaac. 58 00:03:21,085 --> 00:03:24,704 Isaac, the father of Jacob, Jacob, the father of Judah and his brothers, 59 00:03:24,704 --> 00:03:29,145 Judah, the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. 60 00:03:29,405 --> 00:03:33,984 We'll go ahead and keep going here in verse, uh, five, it says Salman, 61 00:03:33,995 --> 00:03:38,484 the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab Boaz, the father of Obed, whose 62 00:03:38,554 --> 00:03:42,695 mother was Ruth Obed, the father of Jesse, Jesse, the father of King 63 00:03:42,695 --> 00:03:47,445 David, David was a father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife. 64 00:03:47,685 --> 00:03:50,305 Then it goes on and says a whole bunch of names. 65 00:03:51,595 --> 00:03:53,795 And if you read it before, those names can be a little tricky. 66 00:03:55,700 --> 00:03:58,010 And so I'm not going to butcher all those names. 67 00:03:58,010 --> 00:03:58,460 Okay. 68 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,680 So we're going to just breeze through it on your own and I want you on your 69 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:05,290 own to look this over but we do want to jump over here to this verse here 70 00:04:05,290 --> 00:04:09,739 because we want to see something in this lineage of Jesus Solomon the father of 71 00:04:09,739 --> 00:04:11,490 rare bone where a bomb the father of. 72 00:04:11,555 --> 00:04:15,655 Abijah, Abijah, the father of Asa, Asa, the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat, 73 00:04:15,665 --> 00:04:19,964 the father of Jehoram, the father of Uzziah, Uzziah, the father of Jotham, 74 00:04:19,964 --> 00:04:24,428 Jotham, the father of Ahaz, Ahaz, the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah, the father 75 00:04:24,428 --> 00:04:27,405 of Manasseh, Manasseh, the father of Amen. 76 00:04:27,405 --> 00:04:31,885 Then we jump on down to verse, uh, what is it, uh, 16 and Jacob, the 77 00:04:31,885 --> 00:04:35,895 father of Joseph, the husband of Mary and Mary was the mother of Jesus who 78 00:04:35,925 --> 00:04:38,015 called, who was called the Messiah. 79 00:04:39,255 --> 00:04:43,315 Thus, there were 14 generations in all from Abraham to David, from 14, 80 00:04:43,354 --> 00:04:49,854 14 from David to the exile to Babylon and 14 from the exile to the Messiah. 81 00:04:50,255 --> 00:04:51,994 Let's stop right there. 82 00:04:51,995 --> 00:04:54,433 This is our main text for today. 83 00:04:55,275 --> 00:04:57,384 And you're like, how are we going to get a text out of this? 84 00:04:57,914 --> 00:05:01,234 But we're going to see the God of hope in Jesus's lineage. 85 00:05:02,075 --> 00:05:03,914 We see a God of hope. 86 00:05:03,914 --> 00:05:05,705 And so this is to help us out here. 87 00:05:05,995 --> 00:05:07,455 This is, uh, uh, the image. 88 00:05:07,515 --> 00:05:09,765 This is all the names that were listed. 89 00:05:09,965 --> 00:05:11,995 And this wasn't an exhaustive list. 90 00:05:12,215 --> 00:05:14,634 Matthew only, he actually took out some names. 91 00:05:14,634 --> 00:05:16,325 And for a theological purpose. 92 00:05:16,325 --> 00:05:17,945 Which is for a different sermon. 93 00:05:18,025 --> 00:05:18,475 Okay. 94 00:05:18,784 --> 00:05:20,634 But he goes and he lists all these names. 95 00:05:20,634 --> 00:05:22,424 And he starts off just with Abraham. 96 00:05:23,165 --> 00:05:26,025 And now this is important, because you're like, Why would we have a letter 97 00:05:26,025 --> 00:05:29,455 about Jesus and get into his great great great great great great all these great 98 00:05:29,455 --> 00:05:32,595 grandfathers Some of these names weren't even mentioned anywhere else in the 99 00:05:32,595 --> 00:05:34,724 Bible Why are we getting into all this? 100 00:05:34,815 --> 00:05:38,654 Again, this is written to a Jewish audience. 101 00:05:39,635 --> 00:05:44,095 For the Jews, it was important to know your ancestry, because that's your tribe. 102 00:05:45,280 --> 00:05:50,110 And so they have meticulous records in the temple that would 103 00:05:50,110 --> 00:05:51,610 show you where you came from. 104 00:05:51,850 --> 00:05:54,509 Better than our system that we have today. 105 00:05:55,870 --> 00:05:59,870 And so you can see this, so this was important in general for them 106 00:05:59,870 --> 00:06:01,190 to know they had records for this. 107 00:06:01,389 --> 00:06:04,760 But here's the key, is that he highlights this. 108 00:06:05,390 --> 00:06:11,979 He says, Jesus is the son of David and the son of Abraham. 109 00:06:13,489 --> 00:06:14,460 Now this is important. 110 00:06:15,245 --> 00:06:19,525 Because if you know, the, the faith, even Christian faith, but the Jewish faith, 111 00:06:19,575 --> 00:06:21,405 there are some key central figures. 112 00:06:21,605 --> 00:06:25,024 And two, you could argue maybe the biggest figures in the 113 00:06:25,025 --> 00:06:27,345 faith was Abraham and David. 114 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:31,170 Father Abraham had many sons. 115 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:31,450 Come on. 116 00:06:31,460 --> 00:06:32,070 Y'all know that. 117 00:06:32,070 --> 00:06:32,350 All right. 118 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:33,000 There you go. 119 00:06:33,230 --> 00:06:35,620 If you haven't worked with the kids, please sign up to work with the kids. 120 00:06:35,620 --> 00:06:36,699 You can learn that song right there. 121 00:06:36,699 --> 00:06:36,959 Okay. 122 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:37,289 All right. 123 00:06:37,710 --> 00:06:39,810 So Abraham's a father of nations. 124 00:06:40,010 --> 00:06:41,600 And so he's really big. 125 00:06:41,970 --> 00:06:43,210 And then you have King David. 126 00:06:43,229 --> 00:06:46,260 David was really, he wasn't the first king, but he was the best king. 127 00:06:46,269 --> 00:06:50,400 All the kings were referred to whether they were good based on what 128 00:06:50,409 --> 00:06:55,580 David was like, but here was the key is that the promised Messiah. 129 00:06:56,495 --> 00:07:00,825 The promised one, the anointing one, the one who would redeem God's people, 130 00:07:00,825 --> 00:07:06,355 redeem all of creation had to come through the bloodline of Abraham and David. 131 00:07:07,675 --> 00:07:09,275 And so what's Matthew doing right here? 132 00:07:10,215 --> 00:07:13,235 He's letting his audience know and letting you and I know from the 133 00:07:13,235 --> 00:07:19,495 beginning that Jesus is the rightful heir to King David, the Messianic throne 134 00:07:19,634 --> 00:07:23,304 because of his bloodline, but he's also the fulfillment of Abraham being 135 00:07:23,304 --> 00:07:27,575 a blessing to all the nations because he comes from his bloodline as well. 136 00:07:28,694 --> 00:07:37,765 And so we see something really cool, but we see the markings of a God of hope. 137 00:07:39,165 --> 00:07:43,784 You see this ancestry of Jesus here that we go back to, we 138 00:07:43,784 --> 00:07:45,055 see this God of hope here. 139 00:07:45,305 --> 00:07:50,125 We see this, uh, hope and it's really, you see it in several different 140 00:07:50,134 --> 00:07:55,664 ways, but you see this creative grace that God has upon his people. 141 00:07:56,485 --> 00:07:57,524 And I like that phrase. 142 00:07:57,574 --> 00:08:00,195 I read that this week, this creative grace. 143 00:08:00,195 --> 00:08:04,634 As you look at this genealogy of people, you go, man, there's a lot of tough names. 144 00:08:04,634 --> 00:08:05,055 I don't know. 145 00:08:05,055 --> 00:08:06,475 That's probably one of your thoughts. 146 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:09,680 But if you look at this, you go, wow, there's some really 147 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,080 some huge biblical heroes here. 148 00:08:12,630 --> 00:08:13,700 You got Abraham. 149 00:08:13,710 --> 00:08:14,750 You have David. 150 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,789 Uh, you, you have, you know, certain Kings that were awesome and they did 151 00:08:18,790 --> 00:08:23,079 these great things in Jacob and the patriarchs, but you also have what? 152 00:08:23,549 --> 00:08:26,469 Some really wicked and sinful Kings in there as well. 153 00:08:28,150 --> 00:08:31,910 If you have ever read 1st or 2nd Chronicles or 1st or 2nd Kings, 154 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,980 most of the kings that are listed here were actually wicked kings 155 00:08:36,220 --> 00:08:40,510 as far as when it comes to their faithfulness or unfaithfulness to God 156 00:08:40,919 --> 00:08:42,780 and what they led God's people to. 157 00:08:44,159 --> 00:08:47,740 But yet who comes through their bloodline? 158 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:49,990 The Messiah. 159 00:08:51,319 --> 00:08:58,324 Despite this wickedness, you see the Messiah being Then 160 00:08:58,324 --> 00:08:59,415 there was these names here. 161 00:08:59,415 --> 00:09:01,324 I don't know if you caught this or hopefully you did. 162 00:09:01,535 --> 00:09:03,854 But there was four women that were mentioned. 163 00:09:04,675 --> 00:09:10,655 And, uh, the women that are mentioned are, uh, uh, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. 164 00:09:12,074 --> 00:09:16,525 Now, if you know their stories, you know that those stories would 165 00:09:16,525 --> 00:09:18,864 make the local gossip circles. 166 00:09:20,459 --> 00:09:24,369 If you know their stories, you know that would make the inside edition 167 00:09:24,790 --> 00:09:26,119 that was going on over there. 168 00:09:26,449 --> 00:09:28,699 That would make the tabloids, if you will. 169 00:09:28,709 --> 00:09:29,869 You guys get what I'm saying. 170 00:09:30,449 --> 00:09:34,139 And so it's interesting because there's Sarah, there's Rebecca, 171 00:09:34,179 --> 00:09:36,800 there's Rachel, there's all these other women that could be mentioned. 172 00:09:37,049 --> 00:09:39,569 However, he mentions these four. 173 00:09:40,699 --> 00:09:41,759 Huh, why? 174 00:09:43,499 --> 00:09:45,430 Well, there's a number of possible reasons. 175 00:09:46,495 --> 00:09:51,665 What's interesting is that these women, at least three, possibly four, were all 176 00:09:51,675 --> 00:09:54,475 Gentiles, meaning they were non Jews. 177 00:09:55,594 --> 00:09:58,805 So from the beginning, the Messiah and God's plan was 178 00:09:58,815 --> 00:10:01,474 always to include all nations. 179 00:10:03,965 --> 00:10:07,905 What's interesting also as well is that again, there was some scandal through 180 00:10:07,905 --> 00:10:12,225 some questionable choices in, in, in really all of these situations, either 181 00:10:12,484 --> 00:10:18,824 a sketchy past or questionable decisions which affected their family line. 182 00:10:20,314 --> 00:10:26,254 And in some of these cases, you could say that they had illegitimate children, 183 00:10:27,364 --> 00:10:31,084 which sets up for Mary, who has in. 184 00:10:31,704 --> 00:10:33,525 Illegitimate child. 185 00:10:35,485 --> 00:10:40,415 So, hey God's people, look, throughout there's been situations in which God has 186 00:10:40,425 --> 00:10:44,554 worked despite what people were doing. 187 00:10:45,554 --> 00:10:48,944 And we see this God of hope, cause he said, my will shall 188 00:10:48,944 --> 00:10:50,874 be accomplished no matter what. 189 00:10:51,684 --> 00:10:56,954 Even if my people go sideways, I'm still going to accomplish my will. 190 00:10:58,045 --> 00:10:59,464 And you see this grace. 191 00:11:00,525 --> 00:11:03,484 You see Jesus, you go, wow, Jesus is past here. 192 00:11:03,584 --> 00:11:07,094 He's got some, he's got some people maybe that I don't know if you really want to 193 00:11:07,104 --> 00:11:09,094 have a picture of and your family room. 194 00:11:10,094 --> 00:11:10,905 I'm not that's true. 195 00:11:10,905 --> 00:11:11,504 That's the one you go. 196 00:11:11,504 --> 00:11:12,794 Yeah, man Manassas. 197 00:11:12,814 --> 00:11:14,285 That was our great great grandfather boy. 198 00:11:14,285 --> 00:11:16,394 What kind of King was he? 199 00:11:18,104 --> 00:11:20,264 And we can have family trees in which we could feel a 200 00:11:20,264 --> 00:11:23,134 little bit questionable about. 201 00:11:24,785 --> 00:11:28,045 We can maybe feel shame or we can maybe feel like oh, man because of 202 00:11:28,045 --> 00:11:32,444 my past my parents my grandparents my Culture, whatever the case may be 203 00:11:32,444 --> 00:11:36,255 and we can think that we can't become something but God shows us what? 204 00:11:37,715 --> 00:11:42,725 It doesn't matter what the history and past was I can accomplish my will 205 00:11:42,735 --> 00:11:49,635 through you because I'm a god of hope You see God can work in our lives despite 206 00:11:49,635 --> 00:11:56,449 our family our sin Whatever may be a hurdle Because God works regardless. 207 00:11:57,079 --> 00:11:59,750 And He is a God of hope. 208 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,449 Right now Karina is going to share some more about how God is a God 209 00:12:03,449 --> 00:12:06,339 of hope through Jesus lineage. 210 00:12:06,340 --> 00:12:12,160 Karina: So one of the, I, I just really, uh, was in awe this week as I thought 211 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:17,140 about God's people throughout history and the state of hopelessness that they 212 00:12:17,140 --> 00:12:20,450 were constantly in over and over again. 213 00:12:20,450 --> 00:12:24,360 As I looked at the, as I thought about the genealogy of Jesus and I thought 214 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,330 about the history, I thought about. 215 00:12:26,545 --> 00:12:31,375 All the adversity that God's people, uh, were facing, and the adversity 216 00:12:31,375 --> 00:12:32,985 that was threatening to wipe them out. 217 00:12:33,415 --> 00:12:38,045 And even as, um, Um, we think about the history and we, you know, 218 00:12:38,115 --> 00:12:39,835 Marcel brought up some situations. 219 00:12:39,835 --> 00:12:45,135 There was, there were definitely plenty of historically chaotic situations that God's 220 00:12:45,155 --> 00:12:50,175 people were facing and the environment for the coming of Jesus and the birth of 221 00:12:50,175 --> 00:12:53,035 Jesus was unfavorable to say the least. 222 00:12:53,135 --> 00:12:57,895 And so I wanted to go through some of these names that stood out to me. 223 00:12:58,685 --> 00:13:03,275 You know, starting with Abraham, Abraham was promised this son that 224 00:13:03,285 --> 00:13:08,415 was going to, that he was going to become, uh, the father of many nations. 225 00:13:08,455 --> 00:13:12,455 And so he was going to bear this son and yet Sarah was barren 226 00:13:12,675 --> 00:13:15,575 and was barren for a long time. 227 00:13:15,885 --> 00:13:19,455 She, that, that didn't seem like a hopeful situation. 228 00:13:19,630 --> 00:13:21,590 for this father of many nations. 229 00:13:21,700 --> 00:13:26,590 And, uh, she was 90 years old and laughed at the thought of 230 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:29,260 having a child because she's 90. 231 00:13:29,610 --> 00:13:33,970 Um, they didn't actually have their kid until Abraham was, they didn't have Isaac 232 00:13:33,970 --> 00:13:35,900 until Abraham was a hundred years old. 233 00:13:36,560 --> 00:13:40,980 And so I thought about that and I'm, and I thought about, wow, the God of hope. 234 00:13:41,290 --> 00:13:44,060 Um, then we continue in the, in his. 235 00:13:45,060 --> 00:13:50,300 In the genealogy and we get to Jacob and Esau and Jacob tricks his father 236 00:13:50,330 --> 00:13:56,110 Isaac into giving him Esau's birthright, which means that the lineage of this, 237 00:13:56,130 --> 00:14:01,660 this promise, this hope, the lineage is supposed to continue through Jacob. 238 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:06,380 And yet because of his trickery, he has to flee from his brother 239 00:14:06,380 --> 00:14:11,010 who's trying to kill him and is gone from his family away for 20 years. 240 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:17,000 Again, doesn't seem like it's looking good for, um, for this 241 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:20,000 lineage, and yet God is working. 242 00:14:20,460 --> 00:14:22,370 I thought about Jacob and his sons. 243 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:26,930 You know, the sons are supposed to become the people of Israel, and 244 00:14:26,930 --> 00:14:28,610 yet they almost die in a famine. 245 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:34,270 They have to travel to Egypt, uh, they have to travel to just get grain. 246 00:14:34,330 --> 00:14:38,990 They, they go, and if you know the story of Joseph, Joseph brings them over, 247 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:41,040 uh, to Egypt just so they can survive. 248 00:14:41,130 --> 00:14:43,350 Because things are not looking good for the Israelites. 249 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:47,260 And so, God's people survive, and the lineage continues. 250 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:52,410 The story of Judah and Tamar, that's a scandal, but we don't have time to get 251 00:14:52,410 --> 00:14:54,970 into it, but his lineage almost ended. 252 00:14:54,970 --> 00:14:59,240 He had two sons, he had three sons, two of them die without having kids. 253 00:14:59,260 --> 00:15:03,330 And then the third one, I don't know what's going on, but Tamar feels the need 254 00:15:03,340 --> 00:15:09,530 to take matters into her own hands and ends up being the one to bear Judah's, um, 255 00:15:10,140 --> 00:15:12,390 Son that continues the lineage of Jesus. 256 00:15:12,750 --> 00:15:18,320 And so, again, over and over we see this creative grace, um, that 257 00:15:18,330 --> 00:15:20,450 God is working amongst his people. 258 00:15:20,870 --> 00:15:26,280 Uh, when, um, Salman and Rahab come into the picture, right before that, 259 00:15:26,300 --> 00:15:30,435 the Israelites are, have been wandering in the desert for, For 40 years, 260 00:15:30,485 --> 00:15:31,835 they've been wandering the desert. 261 00:15:32,045 --> 00:15:37,065 This idea of the promised land, it's there, but it's, it's looking gloomy. 262 00:15:37,255 --> 00:15:40,725 Um, but yet, here it is, um, they've been, you know, their 263 00:15:40,725 --> 00:15:42,755 leader Moses has just died. 264 00:15:43,045 --> 00:15:46,475 Uh, but there's still this promise of, I'm going to enter this promised land. 265 00:15:46,745 --> 00:15:50,865 And Rahab ends up being the one, this foreign woman, ends up being 266 00:15:50,865 --> 00:15:55,365 the one to save the day, to help the Israelites get into the promised land. 267 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:59,140 We keep going, you get to Boaz and Ruth. 268 00:15:59,730 --> 00:16:01,910 Another famine has hit the Israelites. 269 00:16:02,170 --> 00:16:05,800 And again, um, you know, Ruth, she's a Moabite. 270 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:07,930 She has that whole story. 271 00:16:07,930 --> 00:16:11,760 They have to She has to travel back to Israel. 272 00:16:12,050 --> 00:16:17,180 Um, the husband that she had died and the whole, that whole line dies. 273 00:16:17,180 --> 00:16:22,160 So Boaz ends up inadvertently becoming the one to continue 274 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:24,470 the lineage of Jesus with Ruth. 275 00:16:24,660 --> 00:16:28,330 Um, and that, um, you know, that seemed almost impossible. 276 00:16:28,330 --> 00:16:29,960 Boaz was an older man. 277 00:16:29,970 --> 00:16:33,320 He says that to Ruth like, Oh, you could have gone after any of the younger 278 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:35,760 men, but you chose me, an older man. 279 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:38,450 So again, uh, famine. 280 00:16:39,245 --> 00:16:42,125 Uh, these creative grace stories. 281 00:16:42,345 --> 00:16:46,435 Uh, we get to David, uh, now the Israelites are facing war. 282 00:16:46,435 --> 00:16:50,335 So now, not, not only are they being threatened by famine at different times, 283 00:16:50,335 --> 00:16:54,295 but now we're introducing also war into the picture, the Philistine army, 284 00:16:54,515 --> 00:16:57,865 that's where you get Goliath and he's threatening them and they're scared, 285 00:16:58,115 --> 00:17:02,535 but David comes in, he almost has to, um, he almost gets killed by Saul. 286 00:17:02,595 --> 00:17:04,964 So all these things over and over again. 287 00:17:05,325 --> 00:17:07,895 And it doesn't get really much better after that. 288 00:17:07,895 --> 00:17:11,375 And Northern Israel falls to, is, uh, to Assyria. 289 00:17:11,685 --> 00:17:17,045 Then you have Judah who's captured, uh, by Babylonia and they have, they are, 290 00:17:17,045 --> 00:17:19,185 the Israelites are taken into exile. 291 00:17:19,365 --> 00:17:21,045 So hopeless situations. 292 00:17:21,375 --> 00:17:22,775 Over and over again. 293 00:17:22,775 --> 00:17:24,025 Hopefully you're getting the picture. 294 00:17:24,335 --> 00:17:30,735 Um, but evil kings, famines, war, all of that exposed God's people and the lineage 295 00:17:30,735 --> 00:17:33,695 of Jesus to destruction and elimination. 296 00:17:33,895 --> 00:17:38,055 And as I think about that And I think about the near impossibility 297 00:17:38,275 --> 00:17:40,605 of the survival of his lineage. 298 00:17:40,885 --> 00:17:41,705 I see hope. 299 00:17:42,045 --> 00:17:44,145 I see hope and I see God's presence. 300 00:17:44,395 --> 00:17:47,675 Because all throughout what I see is God was always there. 301 00:17:47,935 --> 00:17:50,985 Even when there was, the Israelites were being threatened. 302 00:17:51,105 --> 00:17:51,845 God was there. 303 00:17:51,845 --> 00:17:52,405 He knew. 304 00:17:52,415 --> 00:17:53,905 He knew what was going to happen. 305 00:17:54,235 --> 00:17:57,055 And so it makes me think that God is always there. 306 00:17:57,365 --> 00:18:00,915 There God is always present even through the dark times. 307 00:18:01,205 --> 00:18:05,905 God never abandoned his people He never forgot his promises not even 308 00:18:06,185 --> 00:18:10,645 to Abraham and he never gave up on the Israelites And what that 309 00:18:10,875 --> 00:18:14,245 reminds me that he he never lost hope 310 00:18:15,475 --> 00:18:24,720 Marcel: Amen, amen And so we see again this God of hope And the application 311 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:29,170 then for us is that we serve, still have a relationship with this same God. 312 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,550 The God of yesterday is the God of today and the God of the future. 313 00:18:33,900 --> 00:18:37,250 And if he's been a God of hope, then for his people, he's a God 314 00:18:37,250 --> 00:18:40,830 of hope for today, us, his people. 315 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:45,330 And so we can have hope in the hope of God. 316 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,310 That means there's hope for our faith. 317 00:18:48,810 --> 00:18:50,280 There's hope for this world. 318 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,150 Many times we talk to people, I was talking to my neighbor, 319 00:18:52,150 --> 00:18:54,520 she's like, I just feel so bad about where this world is going. 320 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,960 But because there's a God of hope who's present, there's hope for the world! 321 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:02,280 There's hope for your faith. 322 00:19:02,830 --> 00:19:05,000 There's hope for your marriage. 323 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:08,480 There's hope for your parents. 324 00:19:09,100 --> 00:19:10,720 There's hope for your kids. 325 00:19:11,385 --> 00:19:13,095 There's hope for that relative. 326 00:19:13,865 --> 00:19:17,665 There's hope for that challenge that's in your life. 327 00:19:17,685 --> 00:19:19,715 There's hope for your finances. 328 00:19:20,515 --> 00:19:22,485 There's hope for your job. 329 00:19:22,925 --> 00:19:26,265 There's hope for your mental health despite what's going on. 330 00:19:27,025 --> 00:19:29,755 There's hope for that relationship. 331 00:19:29,985 --> 00:19:33,605 There's hope for maybe a potential dating or marriage relationship. 332 00:19:33,675 --> 00:19:38,015 There's hope for overcoming that sin that has had you in chains. 333 00:19:38,625 --> 00:19:42,825 There's hope for that addiction that you feel like you just can't break away from. 334 00:19:43,055 --> 00:19:46,495 There is hope because we serve a God of hope. 335 00:19:47,555 --> 00:19:51,075 He's been showing up from the beginning, from Abraham to Jesus, and he's been 336 00:19:51,075 --> 00:19:55,375 doing that for the last 2, 000 years, and we can testify to that as well. 337 00:19:56,045 --> 00:20:00,105 You see, our God is present, even when it seems like it's hopeless. 338 00:20:00,105 --> 00:20:03,995 In all those situations that Karina mentioned, I'm sure they're at one 339 00:20:03,995 --> 00:20:05,205 point like, man, there ain't no hope. 340 00:20:05,985 --> 00:20:06,915 Why should I try? 341 00:20:07,575 --> 00:20:13,105 But they kept one foot going and God came through And so we can apply 342 00:20:13,105 --> 00:20:15,445 that to our lives today in 2023. 343 00:20:15,475 --> 00:20:17,145 Can I get an amen Church? 344 00:20:18,065 --> 00:20:19,785 And so what does this call us to do? 345 00:20:20,015 --> 00:20:24,275 Why I believe it calls us to have at least two responses and that's to worship 346 00:20:24,755 --> 00:20:28,145 and to persevere Karina's gonna share a little bit about what it means to 347 00:20:28,145 --> 00:20:30,275 worship in response to this God of hope 348 00:20:32,135 --> 00:20:36,175 Karina: When I think about Everything that I talked about, the God of 349 00:20:36,175 --> 00:20:38,535 hope, I think it calls me to worship. 350 00:20:38,565 --> 00:20:41,675 That was the first thing that came to mind because I think about how 351 00:20:41,675 --> 00:20:47,315 he's always moving and actively participating in our lives and, um, 352 00:20:47,335 --> 00:20:50,375 that's worthy of praise because I, in. 353 00:20:51,165 --> 00:20:57,235 Um, in my limited view, uh, I can just see problems, but God is bigger than that. 354 00:20:57,275 --> 00:20:58,325 And that's what I see. 355 00:20:58,345 --> 00:21:01,335 God is working in mysterious ways. 356 00:21:01,355 --> 00:21:05,035 God is, uh, working creatively behind the scenes. 357 00:21:05,075 --> 00:21:08,675 And it also makes me think that he's so much bigger. 358 00:21:08,755 --> 00:21:10,595 Uh, he's so much bigger than this. 359 00:21:11,825 --> 00:21:16,115 This, this small portion that I can see and my small life. 360 00:21:16,135 --> 00:21:20,115 Um, and so I worship, it makes me worship, it makes me reflect in my own 361 00:21:20,115 --> 00:21:24,805 life, but it also makes me, uh, want to worship together because I think 362 00:21:24,815 --> 00:21:28,555 about, well, I don't know what God is doing in this person's life or that 363 00:21:28,555 --> 00:21:30,155 person's life or that person's life. 364 00:21:30,465 --> 00:21:33,345 And I want to know, I want to be there for the miracle. 365 00:21:33,345 --> 00:21:36,795 I want, I think about what he's doing with the next generation, with the 366 00:21:36,795 --> 00:21:38,605 kids that are in children's ministry. 367 00:21:39,690 --> 00:21:44,390 There's so much that I don't know that God could be doing and the hope that 368 00:21:44,390 --> 00:21:48,120 he's offering through our kids, the hope that he's offering through the college 369 00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:53,320 students, um, the hope that he's offering through the older generation as well. 370 00:21:53,500 --> 00:21:55,460 But I want to be around for the miracles. 371 00:21:55,570 --> 00:21:59,170 Um, I think about in the account of Matthew, we, you know, we're 372 00:21:59,170 --> 00:22:02,370 not reading that part, but I think about the Magi who traveled. 373 00:22:02,995 --> 00:22:06,125 To Jerusalem because they heard of this hope they heard. 374 00:22:06,475 --> 00:22:09,225 Oh, there's something special that's happening there. 375 00:22:09,225 --> 00:22:12,595 This Messiah that we've been waiting for is there and they worshipped. 376 00:22:12,835 --> 00:22:14,725 It brought them to worship. 377 00:22:14,795 --> 00:22:17,125 Um, they wanted to come near to God. 378 00:22:17,835 --> 00:22:21,845 In Luke we read that the shepherds heard about Jesus and that, 379 00:22:21,955 --> 00:22:23,805 uh, they went to see Jesus. 380 00:22:23,835 --> 00:22:28,585 And it says they returned glorifying and praising God for all the 381 00:22:28,595 --> 00:22:30,275 things they had heard and seen. 382 00:22:32,015 --> 00:22:38,525 This, uh, this man, Simeon, he got to hold Jesus and he praised God and 383 00:22:38,525 --> 00:22:40,035 basically said he was ready to die. 384 00:22:40,305 --> 00:22:40,855 I'm ready to die. 385 00:22:40,865 --> 00:22:41,715 I've seen Jesus. 386 00:22:41,985 --> 00:22:47,635 Uh, but just the hope that God offered through Jesus compelled people to worship. 387 00:22:47,925 --> 00:22:51,485 And so I think about how hope should draw me near to God. 388 00:22:51,845 --> 00:22:54,555 And even when I don't fully grasp all that he's doing. 389 00:22:55,270 --> 00:22:59,110 That's what makes it even more special that God is offering something greater 390 00:22:59,110 --> 00:23:04,730 than I can ask for or imagine and that Generation after generation. 391 00:23:04,820 --> 00:23:08,230 He's offering this hope and that brings me to worship 392 00:23:08,660 --> 00:23:13,130 Marcel: Amen, amen As we think about worship, it leads to perseverance. 393 00:23:13,130 --> 00:23:16,680 That's a thought that came to mind for me Is that okay if I know God is 394 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:21,340 a God of hope and he's present and as I worship him I go Let me hold on. 395 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:26,665 I Yes, it might be bleak. 396 00:23:27,165 --> 00:23:28,165 Yes, it might be rough. 397 00:23:28,165 --> 00:23:29,215 It might be tough. 398 00:23:29,295 --> 00:23:34,785 But if I just hold on, I'll see the promise fulfilled. 399 00:23:36,055 --> 00:23:37,045 In every situation. 400 00:23:37,045 --> 00:23:41,185 They were just hoping and then God came through all the way. 401 00:23:41,185 --> 00:23:41,505 Sit down. 402 00:23:41,515 --> 00:23:42,645 We want the Messiah. 403 00:23:42,665 --> 00:23:45,455 The Messiah was born and now we wait and anticipate. 404 00:23:45,605 --> 00:23:46,615 Where were the Messiah? 405 00:23:46,615 --> 00:23:47,585 What return? 406 00:23:49,025 --> 00:23:51,035 And he will return. 407 00:23:51,785 --> 00:23:54,165 And so we need to hold. 408 00:23:56,070 --> 00:24:02,190 And take one step each day in the direction of the Lord And so 409 00:24:02,190 --> 00:24:04,850 what does that mean that means turning to God surrendering? 410 00:24:05,420 --> 00:24:09,810 To him so that that hope could be fulfilled in our lives praying We ought 411 00:24:09,830 --> 00:24:12,900 to start off with praying and then getting help from each other and if you're 412 00:24:12,900 --> 00:24:16,790 visiting or you're visiting online Well, we'd love to sit down with you and be able 413 00:24:16,790 --> 00:24:22,130 to show you this God of hope and how we can provide that hope with you today You 414 00:24:22,130 --> 00:24:27,060 know generations led All these generations that are mentioned led to the hope being 415 00:24:27,060 --> 00:24:32,040 fulfilled in Christ and again We wait in anticipation for the hope to be fulfilled 416 00:24:32,310 --> 00:24:37,650 when Jesus Returns, we're gonna take communion right now and I want to read 417 00:24:37,650 --> 00:24:42,420 this passage in Titus chapter 2 You know God reveals hope in Jesus's birth and also 418 00:24:42,430 --> 00:24:46,950 in his death and isn't in his resurrection and it says while we wait for the blessed 419 00:24:47,120 --> 00:24:55,195 Hope the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Let's pray. 420 00:24:55,545 --> 00:25:00,705 Father, thank you so much again for showing us that you are a God of hope. 421 00:25:00,945 --> 00:25:03,415 We see your hope displayed in Jesus's birth. 422 00:25:03,725 --> 00:25:07,645 We see your hope displayed in the resurrection and we thank you that 423 00:25:07,645 --> 00:25:09,615 we have the hope of Jesus return. 424 00:25:10,255 --> 00:25:13,125 God, we don't, I don't know where everybody is today, whether they're 425 00:25:13,125 --> 00:25:16,515 fired up in their faith or they're struggling, but God, I pray that we 426 00:25:16,515 --> 00:25:20,805 will worship you truthfully with our lives that God, we will hold on to 427 00:25:20,805 --> 00:25:22,535 the truth and the faith that we have. 428 00:25:22,935 --> 00:25:24,215 And that we will persevere. 429 00:25:24,545 --> 00:25:27,825 Thank you for being a God who has hope in us as we see. 430 00:25:28,075 --> 00:25:31,055 God that you not only have hope in you, but you have hope in us 431 00:25:31,055 --> 00:25:33,705 that we will respond to your call. 432 00:25:33,875 --> 00:25:36,685 And thank you for the display of love in Jesus. 433 00:25:36,685 --> 00:25:37,675 In his name, Amen.