1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,280 And if anybody is wondering why the youth have all run off, I'm 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:07,320 hoping it's not because they they've heard me speak before 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,240 and they're terrified. I normally do youth on a Sunday 4 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:14,320 on the second Sunday, so they haven't got me today, but they 5 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:15,960 have gone because youth are meeting. 6 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:20,080 So if you want to go and join for Christmas games and you're 7 00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:26,880 under 18, if you're a teen, you can go. 8 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,560 So right, let's begin. So my name is Joe. 9 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:32,800 I am one of the team here at Chelmsford Vineyard. 10 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:38,000 Welcome. And last week we were gathered 11 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,720 here with all the kids and it was beautifully decorated and it 12 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:47,280 was we had snowflakes and stars and it was the Carol service and 13 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:52,520 it was very joyful. The music was amazing and 14 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,880 everyone left feeling high. And I feel like I might bring 15 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,760 you back down to earth with a bump back into Advent, guys. 16 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:04,720 So we're in Advent. We're in the third Sunday of 17 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:08,040 Advent. And last week we had a foretaste 18 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,680 of the wonder and joy of Christmas as we celebrated the 19 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,560 birth of Jesus. But now we're going to just take 20 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,120 a moment to pause and come back to Advent. 21 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:23,560 So 2 weeks before our Carol service, Nikki did introduced us 22 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:28,400 to the kind of Advent calendar. And if you missed that talk and 23 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,720 you want to catch up, you can find that on our Spotify. 24 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:34,280 I'd definitely recommend it. But there was a phrase that 25 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,880 Nikki used a couple of weeks ago that has really stayed with me 26 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:43,160 over the last couple of weeks. And she spoke about Advent as a 27 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:48,960 time of fasting, fasting before feasting. 28 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,920 I absolutely love this picture. As we prepare for the feast, as 29 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,640 we prepare for Christmas, we sit in a time of fasting. 30 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:04,560 Now, I don't know if any of you have or do fast as a church. 31 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,320 We had a period of fasting before Easter, didn't we? 32 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:11,600 This year? And I'd always, I'd always been 33 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,440 a bit unsure how I felt about fasting, but I was like, no, 34 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:20,240 come on, like, get this done. It was uncomfortable, physically 35 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,880 uncomfortable and actually emotionally uncomfortable. 36 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:26,840 It pushed me to my limits. I had to work. 37 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,320 I had to be kind to people. I had to focus. 38 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,120 Fasting is not fun, but it's worth it. 39 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:38,360 And we're in Advent and it's this season of fasting before 40 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:43,360 the feast. Keep this in mind this morning 41 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:48,000 because this morning we're we're fasting. 42 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:50,720 We're going to look to the feast, but we're going to start 43 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:56,560 with the fast. So last when Nikki introduced 44 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:03,880 Advent, she said to us that hope is a time, Advent is a time of 45 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:08,160 hope and hope is an anticipated future that is better than our 46 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,440 present. But let's just stay in the 47 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:16,400 present. In 2025, the UK Well-being 48 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,800 Report, commissioned by the World Well-being Movement, says 49 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:24,600 that the proportion of people living below the happiness 50 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:29,520 poverty line has increased by about 10% compared with last 51 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:36,920 year, meaning an estimate of an additional 650,000 UK adults are 52 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:41,320 now living with alarmingly low levels of well-being. 53 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,600 Even more stark is the total number. 54 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:52,760 Around 7 million adults aged 16 and over across the UK are now 55 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:57,320 estimated to be living below the happiness poverty line, more 56 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,120 than the entire population of Scotland. 57 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:07,280 Approximately 7.1% of people in Great Britain experience chronic 58 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:14,320 loneliness. Almost 2/3 of 16 to 29 year olds 59 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,800 often feel lonely, a trend that's been around since COVID. 60 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:26,440 65% of adults report feeling lonely often or always or some 61 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:31,240 of the time, with a further 25% reporting they feel lonely 62 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:39,680 occasionally. 4667 people were homeless on the streets of 63 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:46,120 England in autumn 2024, a 20% increase from the previous year. 64 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:51,920 61 1/2 thousand children are homeless. 65 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:57,520 That makes me cry. Are homeless in England a 14% 66 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:03,240 increase in a year? I don't know about you, but 67 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:08,640 these stats do not make me feel hopeful and with the risk of 68 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:13,560 bringing the mood down further. Guys, on top of this Libby 69 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:18,440 mentioned these last week. We can add famine, war, abuse, 70 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:21,320 illness, death, the list goes on. 71 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:26,880 The world can feel like a hopeless place. 72 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:33,400 So how do we navigate this this Advent as we approach Christmas? 73 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,240 When Libby asked me to prepare this talk today, I was praying 74 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:43,520 about it and God reminded me of a couple of verses from Romans 75 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:48,680 chapter 8, verse 22 to 25. So if you've got your Bible, you 76 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:50,880 can get it out now and and find it. 77 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,680 If you don't have a Bible or if you know somebody who doesn't 78 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,760 who would like one, we have Bibles on the information table. 79 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,200 They're completely free. Please pick one up, give them 80 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:02,920 away. That's what they're for. 81 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,000 The words will appear on the screen behind me if you haven't 82 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:12,120 got your Bible with you. So this is Romans 822 to 25. 83 00:06:15,280 --> 00:06:20,400 We know that the whole creation has been groaning, as in the 84 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,320 pains of childbirth, right up to the present time. 85 00:06:24,840 --> 00:06:28,880 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first few fruits of 86 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:33,640 the spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to 87 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:36,480 sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 88 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:42,720 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope 89 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:45,880 at all. Who hopes for what they already 90 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:49,480 have. But if we hope for what we do 91 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:56,440 not have, we do not yet have. We wait for it patiently so 92 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,480 we're included. We are ourselves. 93 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,200 We are the ones who have the first fruits of the Spirit. 94 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:06,000 That's us. And it says we groan inwardly as 95 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:10,480 we wait. There's so much to be unpacked 96 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,240 in this verse, but I'm literally just going to take one bit of it 97 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,480 today to kind of wrap around what I'm saying. 98 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:22,800 And that is this description of labour used to describe waiting. 99 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,800 I was going to look for one of those, you know, those videos, 100 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,640 if you've seen them on YouTube, where they put the labour things 101 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,120 on the men. And I was going to show that. 102 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,600 And then I was like, I thought there might be a pregnant lady 103 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,360 in the room. So I didn't want to do that. 104 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:42,360 So I haven't got that. But you can imagine it like you 105 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:46,640 can imagine labour. I have a couple of stories about 106 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,520 labour which are not too gory, so I'm going to share them with 107 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,200 you. But I was, I was like, God, what 108 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:53,640 are you trying to say? Like what? 109 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:57,520 What is this whole kind of groaning and labour? 110 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,960 So for those of you who don't know me, I trained as a nurse 111 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:05,480 many years ago and I was part of Project 2000 where you did all 112 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:06,840 placements on all different things. 113 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,720 So I trained as a mental health nurse, but you had to do kind of 114 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,440 general nursing, learning disability and labour ward. 115 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:18,680 And those of you who've been on a labour ward will appreciate 116 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:21,640 this. So I was like 1920 years old. 117 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:24,960 I had no point of reference for labour other than babies were 118 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,000 cute. We didn't have like one born 119 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,840 every minute there. And it was, yeah, no idea what 120 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:33,799 to expect. So I went onto my labour ward in 121 00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:38,280 my lovely student nurse uniform and it absolutely blew my mind. 122 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:43,440 The first birth that I witnessed, oh bless, it was a 123 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,400 mother. This was her third labour, so 124 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,880 she was an absolute pro. And there was me, this student 125 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,080 nurse and the midwives come in and out. 126 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,720 So you're just left with this couple and labour. 127 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:59,800 Anyway, by the time she finally gave birth, I stayed on the 128 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:01,320 shift because I really wanted to see it. 129 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:06,120 I was absolutely sobbing. I wasn't a Christian then, but 130 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:09,680 it was mind blowing and, and it was like, I felt like it was a 131 00:09:09,680 --> 00:09:11,680 miracle happening right in front of me. 132 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:15,920 It moved me to my soul. Her and her partner thought I 133 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:19,040 was like totally mad like this student nurse, like I'm so 134 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,800 sorry. But it, it was, it was so 135 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:32,080 miraculous, it was spiritual and I didn't even know it at the 136 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:34,960 time. I'm not going to tell you about 137 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,480 the time when I nearly passed out because that's not pleasant. 138 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:43,520 Anyway, then Fast forward a few years, I'm I've got married and 139 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:46,360 I'm going to experience labour myself. 140 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,240 So I had my first child. It was amazing, really painful. 141 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:56,160 Thanks. But my second one is where I 142 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:01,680 went into labour in the night, but I already had a child so I 143 00:10:01,680 --> 00:10:03,760 was like, oh we need someone to look after the child. 144 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:07,200 So we have to ring the grandparents who live about an 145 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:12,440 hour away to come over and look after my youngest, my first, 146 00:10:12,680 --> 00:10:16,160 while I have my second. Unfortunately for me, I have 147 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:19,640 really quick labours. So by the time they arrived it 148 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,920 was not a pretty sight. My father-in-law nearly was 149 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,600 like, I don't know what to do with her and my my mother-in-law 150 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:27,240 was like she's just having a baby. 151 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:33,880 But I did in the end give birth to my son in a car with no pain 152 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:35,640 relief. It was much fun. 153 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:39,400 It was very painful, very painful. 154 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:46,160 But this picture in Romans of the world groaning, experiencing 155 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:49,560 the pain of Labor as it waits for Jesus to return, is 156 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:53,240 absolutely spot on. I feel like that labor is 157 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:58,480 painful and messy and it pushes human resolve to the limit, but 158 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:02,720 it's all worth it. The gift of life and love. 159 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:08,600 The result of Labor is, in my opinion, not of this earth. 160 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:13,560 It is inexplicable, changing us to the depths of our soul. 161 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,640 Let's think about what Nicky told us about last week. 162 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:23,880 We're in the fast, We're in Advent. 163 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:28,000 But there's hope, an anticipated future that is better than our 164 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,400 present. Hope in the Bible is not about 165 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:36,160 wishful thinking or optimism or probability. 166 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:41,840 It's not about something we can generate for ourselves from 167 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:47,440 working harder at trying harder. It's not something we can buy 168 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:53,320 with earthly wealth. Biblical hope is a confident 169 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:58,320 expectation in the promises of God grounded in His character 170 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:03,760 and His faithfulness. Unlike A wish or a vague desire, 171 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,840 it is anchored in the certainty that God fulfills what He 172 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:12,120 proclaims. In Hebrews 11 verse one, it says 173 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:16,120 faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of 174 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:20,640 what we do not see. So the hope that is being spoken 175 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:25,800 about here and in the Romans passage isn't just hoping that 176 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:27,440 things will get better in the world. 177 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,680 All of those statistics that I brought you down with at the 178 00:12:30,680 --> 00:12:35,480 beginning, I'm sorry. Hope that we're talking about is 179 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:39,560 deeply rooted in our faith, which comes from us 180 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:43,600 understanding who God is and what His promises are. 181 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:49,880 So as we journey through Advent, dealing with all of our stuff 182 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:53,480 and the stuff of the world, we need to hold on to God's 183 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:58,880 promises. Jesus coming into the world set 184 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,000 in motion the redemption of the world. 185 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:07,480 We are assured of this and we cling on to this hope as we face 186 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:13,320 each day. The pain we experience in labour 187 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:17,760 is pain filled with hope. There will be an end to it, The 188 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:21,160 most wonderful gift of life. This is the promise of 189 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,480 Christmas. This is the hope that we set our 190 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:28,480 hearts on as we face our current trials and tribulations. 191 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,960 So what if we are struggling with hope this Advent time? 192 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:35,800 What can we do to build our hope? 193 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:42,680 A few suggestions from me. Firstly, remind ourselves of all 194 00:13:42,680 --> 00:13:46,320 those who have gone before us. Read the Bible. 195 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:52,160 The Bible is full of people facing hopeless situations who 196 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:56,920 by faith persevered and experienced God fulfilling his 197 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:00,720 promises. Just a few from the Old 198 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:06,400 Testament that I came up with. Abraham unwavering belief in 199 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:09,320 God's promise. Even when he was faced with the 200 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:13,240 possibility of never having children, he still trusted God 201 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:18,280 and God made it happen. Moses, I mean, he went through 202 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:19,760 it. If you don't know these stories, 203 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:21,080 you can find them in the Old Testament. 204 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:23,200 If you Google it, you'll, they'll come up. 205 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:29,080 He had, he had doubts, He faced it, faced challenges. 206 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:35,600 He was daunted and overcome, but he remained hopeful. 207 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:39,240 He remained hopeful in God's deliverance of the Israelites 208 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:45,600 from Egypt. Job despite experiencing extreme 209 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:49,240 suffering and losing everything, he remained hopeful in God's 210 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,640 righteousness and refused to curse him. 211 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:59,200 Hannah, She was barren, but she continued to go to the temple 212 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:02,600 and pour out her heart to God, trusting that He would answer 213 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:09,840 her prayers. David known for faithfulness and 214 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:13,160 courage, but boy did he face some challenges. 215 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:20,840 He always put his hope in God. So remind ourselves of those who 216 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:24,600 have gone before and remind ourselves of when we have put 217 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:29,680 our hope in God, when we've seen an answer to prayer, when we've 218 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:35,240 experienced peace in turmoil, provision when we've needed it 219 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:39,280 most. This time last year me and my 220 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:41,120 family were we'd just lost my mum. 221 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:45,520 It was the most awful time, but I can't help but remember. 222 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:51,080 And we in all the awfulness, there was this overwhelming 223 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:53,560 peace and hope that we experienced. 224 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:59,000 We laughed and we cried. We had joy when we felt that 225 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:02,000 prayers were answered and we felt despair when we felt like 226 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:06,360 our prayers were unheard. The whole experience was utterly 227 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:14,800 awful and completely beautiful. Hope so remind ourselves of 228 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:17,800 those who have come before. Remind ourselves of when we have 229 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:21,800 put our hope in God. Remind ourselves that we are not 230 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,960 alone. We have each other and we have 231 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:30,080 the Holy Spirit. When we feel hopeless, we come 232 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:33,360 together. Other people hope for us. 233 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:40,000 When we can't do it, when we don't know how to pray, the Holy 234 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,080 Spirit, those groans like when you can't even put it into 235 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:48,280 words, that is the Holy Spirit being ministering to us, 236 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:51,880 interceding with us. And the church gathers around 237 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:52,480 you. Don't they? 238 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:54,920 Like, I love this guy, these guys, and we're going to pray 239 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:56,800 later. But if you're feeling hopeless 240 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,480 this morning, get people to gather around you because they 241 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:04,920 can do it for you. And we patiently endure. 242 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:12,040 We wait in Advent in the fast. The hope of future redemption 243 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:16,119 gives us the strength to wait with steadfast insurance. 244 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:25,040 Advent amplifies the now and the not yet of the Kingdom. 245 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:31,520 We talk about this in Vineyard quite a lot and it's it's that 246 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:35,720 time in between. God came, but he has Jesus 247 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:38,800 hasn't come back yet. So Jesus came to earth, but he 248 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:41,640 hasn't come back yet. And we sit in this the now and 249 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:44,040 the not yet. The Kingdom of God is here, but 250 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:50,560 it's not fully here. Advent amplifies the now and the 251 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,960 not yet of the Kingdom. It increases our joy as we 252 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:57,520 celebrate God entering our world in the person of Jesus. 253 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:01,880 But it sharpens our focus on the pain and despair of God's 254 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,880 Kingdom not being fully here. In Advent. 255 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:15,000 We sit and wait in this tension, fasting before feasting waiting. 256 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:18,080 I don't know about you guys. I'm not the most patient person 257 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:26,880 is really hard waiting in the Bible is referred to as like a 258 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:29,920 theme of active trust and patience. 259 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,960 It's not passive. It's, it's involved spiritual 260 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:37,600 growth and strength from God. It's an action that you're 261 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:39,920 doing. You're it's not, yeah, it's not 262 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:46,880 a passive thing. It builds trust and strength. 263 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,960 When we trust God, even when we're facing difficult 264 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:58,200 situations, it's building our strength. 265 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:04,800 It's active perseverance. As I said, it's not a passive 266 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:07,560 act. It's an active process of 267 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:11,560 seeking God, which involves holding onto faith and 268 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:17,760 persevering through challenges. It's about renewing our spirit, 269 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:23,480 waiting on the Lord. In Isaiah 40, it's likened to 270 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:28,640 like an eagle soaring, running without becoming weary, walking 271 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:34,200 without becoming faint. When we wait, the presence of 272 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:36,600 the God, presence of God is with us. 273 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:46,240 It's about trusting God's timing, divine timing, trust 274 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:51,000 God's timing over our own. We don't understand it all. 275 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:57,560 We don't know the bigger picture, and it's about 276 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:03,040 embracing the tension. The tension of the now and the 277 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:08,080 not yet of the Kingdom. The Hebrew word for waiting. 278 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:12,480 I don't know how you say it really, but cover means to wait, 279 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:18,280 to look for and to hope. There's it's a sense of like, 280 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:20,280 there's tension and there's stretching. 281 00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:26,320 It's uncomfortable. It's an expected part of the 282 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:29,280 process of waiting for God's will to unfold. 283 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:40,080 So how do we wait? Well, be still and patient. 284 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:45,200 Trust that the Lord will fight for you, and be patient. 285 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:53,480 That takes practice. But this Advent, make time for 286 00:20:53,480 --> 00:21:01,000 stillness. Stay focused on the present. 287 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:07,520 Live out your faith today by loving others and doing what 288 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:10,720 God's calling you to do. Do something while you're 289 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:12,560 waiting. You're waiting anyway, so you 290 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:18,040 may as well get busy doing it. And don't give up. 291 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:27,440 Perseverance is crucial. Don't ever grow weary in doing 292 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:31,440 good. Trust that you will reap a 293 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:40,600 harvest in due time. This Advent, I encourage you to 294 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:46,080 acknowledge the not yet of the Kingdom, your disappointments, 295 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:51,760 your pain, your despair, your frustrations, your anxieties, 296 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,640 your unanswered prayers, your grief. 297 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:59,360 But do so with hope. Jesus is with us in the 298 00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:04,000 suffering. Anticipate a future that is 299 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:10,280 better than your present. This Advent, I encourage you to 300 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,040 celebrate the now and the not yet of the Kingdom. 301 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:18,760 The prayers unanswered, the experience. 302 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:23,920 Sorry, I'm just going to say that again. 303 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,600 This Advent, I encourage you to celebrate the now of the 304 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:32,520 Kingdom, the prayers answered, the experience of peace and 305 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:37,600 adversity, comfort for those who mourn, the generous provision of 306 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:42,920 God, the promises already fulfilled, and the joy of God 307 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:47,560 with us. This Advent, we sit in the 308 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:52,080 tension of the now and the not yet holding on to the promises 309 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:56,720 of God. Jesus will return and make all 310 00:22:56,720 --> 00:23:02,680 things new. So to finish this morning I'm 311 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:06,480 going to read a passage from Revelation and then we're going 312 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:11,080 to have a song where you guys are going to be able to just 313 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:16,440 have a bit of reflection and respond, and then we're going to 314 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:24,240 have some ministry time. So this Advent we journey 315 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:30,160 towards the birth of Jesus, knowing that He has overcome and 316 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:33,960 that we can confidently put our hope in Him. 317 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:43,120 Revelation 21 says this. Then I saw a new heaven and a 318 00:23:43,120 --> 00:23:47,400 new earth, for the 1st heaven and the first earth had passed 319 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:51,200 away, and there was no longer any sea. 320 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:56,000 I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from 321 00:23:56,000 --> 00:24:00,240 heaven for God, prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for 322 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:04,240 her husband. And I heard a loud voice from 323 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:08,720 the throne saying, Look, God's dwelling place is now among the 324 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,000 people, and He will dwell with them. 325 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:16,360 They will be His people, and God himself will be with them and be 326 00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:19,440 their God. He will wipe every tear from 327 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:22,360 their eyes. There will be no more death or 328 00:24:22,360 --> 00:24:27,600 mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has 329 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:33,760 passed away. So this Advent, as we sit in the 330 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:40,080 fast, we look to the feast Jesus has overcome. 331 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,000 He will make all things new.