You are invited to stop wishing for heaven and start trusting in the confident hope found in Jesus. Let His zeal for you transform your life today as you step out in faith to experience His promises.
What is up, Real Church? Welcome back to the Real Church podcast. Today, we're starting a new series titled Advent. "Advent literally means" the coming of someone important. My name is David John Phillips.
I have the honor of being the pastor at Real Church, and I am not that important someone. No. Jesus is. And in part 1 of Advent, we're talking about how we can have **"hope in his promise"s**. Guys, get ready.
It's gonna be awesome. I pray you walk away from today encouraged and with a deeper understanding of how much God loves you. Well, good morning, Real Church. What's up? How you guys doing?
Yeah. It is good to see you. My name is David John Phillips. I have the honor of being the pastor here. And, if this is your first time, as we always say, you are welcome here.
We pray you felt and knew the love of Jesus from the time you drove in until the time you made it to your seat and you walk out, number 1, encouraged, and number 2, with a deeper understanding of how much *God* loves you. Could you guys give a a big hand clap for all who are watching online? Thank you, guys. I know online we had a little technical issues in the beginning, and the title might be different from from what it's supposed to be. It's supposed to say, part 1.
But but, regardless, this is Advent part 1. It's gonna be amazing and wonderful, and I'm excited. Have a couple more announcements that I think are pretty important. So, I want to share them with you, and then also a couple of other things. So first, what does that sound?
Amber Oh, Amber alert. Gotcha. Yeah. Amber alert. Well, Father, we pray whoever that kid is, we pray they're protected and they return to their family.
And whoever's taken them, Lord God, you would convict them and of of what they're doing and they would know and repent and turn to you and turn themselves in as well. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. Okay.
That was the Amber Alert going off. Also, if you have your phone with you or you're watching online, if you click share, it's kinda like inviting people to church. So it's kind of important. It's amazing. These day and age, a lot of people are watching on social media.
So, we're gonna be talking all about hope and that Amber Alert is gonna continue to go off for a little bit from different people's phones. Yeah. Courtney, but it's important. Courtney, would you come here for a second? Yeah.
Come here. She's amazing.
I love
her. Hello. I just wanna make a little bit of an announcement. She's pregnant. And we're excited about it.
Congratulations. We she we wanted a baby our our our youngest is 5 years old, and we wanted a baby 4 years ago. But we put that on hold in order to raise a little baby real church, this little baby church plant. And so, about the 18 month last 18 months or so, we've we've wanted a child and been praying and a lot of you have been praying for us as well and praise the Lord, God answers prayer. So she's, I don't know, 6 to 7 weeks pregnant and and we're excited and thank you guys for your continued prayers there.
Alright. Also, I wanted to tell you this. I am super proud of you, church. I'm proud to be your pastor, but I'm also just super proud of you. And I told the dream team this as well.
Alright. The I told the dream team this as well during the the previous service. I'm just gonna tell you guys this again. You know, the Bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Right?
To believe and not put it into practice is not faith. Even demons believe. Right? But, to leave believe in such a way that it it becomes a your lifestyle, you you put into practice what you hear, that's faith. And, you guys, we just finished a series called The Blessed Life talking about tithes and offerings and and how *God* wants all of your heart.
And so, with that, that's why you instituted tithing and offering and and all that. And, you guys heard the word of God, but you not only did you hear it, you believed it and you put it into practice. So, 1, I'm proud of you guys walking by faith. The first 4 weeks of November, the month of November were miraculous. As far as that that goes, it was actually for us record setting in many different ways.
But, not only that, on the fifth Sunday last week, we talked about, if you guys were here, you know, what's going on in in The Middle East, in Pakistan, how God has connected us with with people in Pakistan, and over 300 people in these 15 villages has given their lives to Jesus. And, we just decided as a church that we were gonna give the whole offering for last Sunday to help missionaries go to these 15 villages to disciple these leaders and people. But also, a lot of people didn't know and I'm not sure if I made this clear or not, but the the 300 believers, new believers that don't go to the Hindu temple anymore there, well, they're they're cut out from the water supply. So, they they have no clean no access to clean water. So, 1 of the needs was 5 hand water pumps.
You know, it's gonna take about $1,500 to do and then about $1,000 a month on top of that for the missionary family, husband, wife and 2 kids to go. And, so, the total need was about 7,500. I thought, you know, we'd we'd raise or you guys would, you know, we'd give a few thousand dollars and it'd be awesome. You guys gave over double the need last last Sunday. Over $15,000.
Yeah. And so so we've already if we can pull up the pictures, we've already started. The first water pump was installed on Friday. We have 2 more water pumps being installed today and 2 more being installed next week. The family will be moving there in the next week or 2 in order to get busy with raising up strong disciples of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ lives are being transformed. And, I just wanna read this as God's declaration over you church. I'm proud of you and it's amazing and wonderful. And so, just wanna read this. In *2 Corinthians-8:2*, it says, in the midst of a very severe trial, which we're we're in kind of a pandemic, you know, their **overflowing joy** and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
That's you. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability, entirely on their on their own. They urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people and they exceeded our expectations. They gave themselves first of all to the Lord and then by the will of God also to us. And, yes, Paul's talking about the Macedonian churches, but that's you.
And, I I wanna read his promise over you as well in 2 Corinthians-9. Says in verse 8, and God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things at all times having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. Verse 10. Now, he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.
And through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. Hallelujah. Amen. This service Yeah. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And, in their prayers for for you, their hearts will go out to you because of the surpassing grace God has given you. I'm I I don't have this video up here, but I received about a 15, 16 second video of 1 of the villagers and his family. And, he's sitting there in his own language saying, you know, thank you guys. Praise be to God for for this indescribable gift.
So, it's just amazing. And and, you know, I just think, I I remember that song from the nineties, you know, thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed. You know, many of you will not get to go to Pakistan to see this. Some of you may.
Some of you might. You know, that there may be a trip in 2021, our our first trip to go see that. But, many of you won't get to go. But, 1 day, I believe there will be people whose lives have been transformed because of your generosity, who will be in heaven, who will be in eternity with us, who will come and say, thank you. Thank you for giving.
I was 2 years old and that water pump saved my life. And then, my parents led me to *Jesus* because of the gifts that you gave, they came to know Jesus. So, thank you. Amen? It's a big deal.
So, we we we get into the message, I just wanna as a church, if we could pray for those 15 villages and pray for those people that we get to be a part of and and them getting to know Jesus. Alright? Would you guys join me in prayer? Father God, I thank you. Lord, we thank you for revival.
*Lord*, we thank you that your the good news of Jesus is expanding throughout the world and we get to be a part of it. Lord God, I thank you for the opportunity here. And Father, I pray, Lord, for every 1 of those 300 believers that came to know you during that crusade, Lord God, that they would stand firm in the faith that they have been found in, Lord God. And that that it would multiply, that there would be revival in those 15 villages. Lord, and it would change every aspect of their lives.
They would experience and walk in your joy. Lord, we pray for that family, the missionary family going there. Lord, we pray that you just give them wisdom and anointing and just a a multiplication on what you are doing in and through that family. Thank you, Father. And and then also for Daniel, just just, Lord, bless him with wisdom on how to lead an encouraging guide.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Amen. Yeah. I'm proud of you, church.
Okay. So today, we're starting a new series, series titled Advent. Advent, the definition of Advent is the coming of someone important. The coming of someone important. Now, a lot of times when when you think of Advent, I know a lot of like liturgical churches do Advent around this time, you know, lot of traditional churches, that kind of thing.
And, so, we think of Advent, a lot of times we think of Christmas, and that is partial partially true. It's part of the story. It's not the whole story. So, I'll give you a little church history here. Advent first came around, theologians believe in about the fourth century AD after Jesus.
And, it was really connected closely with *baptism* at first. So so, when believers, new believers came to know Jesus, they would go through this season of Advent, which was like 40 days of prayer and fasting in preparation for baptism. Right? Because the the coming of someone important, Jesus had come into their lives and okay. So, moving forward about the sixth century AD, Advent was connected with the second coming of Christ Jesus, which we all have hope in.
Right? Jesus is coming again. He's coming as a victorious 1, and we who have been victorious in this life because of Him, have that confident hope in Him. Amen? And then, about Middle Ages, so the eighth century to about the fifteenth century AD, then it was connected with Christmas, the the first coming of Jesus Christ.
And and so that's where a lot of us get what we think. But moving forward with Advent for this the purpose of this series, we're gonna be talking about Jesus' first coming. We're gonna be talking about Jesus' second coming, but also his coming into our lives, and what that means for us day by day. And, what that means guys is the best is absolutely yet to come. Amen?
Okay. So, the title of today's message and actually, it's a 4 part series. The fourth part will be on Christmas Eve. We will have 2 Christmas Eve services, 1 at 5 and 1 at 06:30. Amen?
Christmas Eve services are a big deal here. So, a lot of people that don't usually go to church will come to church on Christmas Eve to do a Christmas Eve service. So, you want to invite all of your lost friends, people that don't know Jesus, invite your your neighbors, invite your friends, invite your family. We'll be doing ads on social media and Facebook and everything else. Invite all of them to the Christmas Eve service at 5 or at 06:30PM, which will be awesome.
We'll be talking about God's love, God sending his son because he loves us, and just all about Christmas, which will be a big deal. Also, last but not least, because we want mamas to be able to come and some mamas won't come if they don't have child care for their babies. If we if you guys would don't mind signing up, we need some more childcare on Christmas Eve so that we can do the 2 services. You don't have to serve in both services. You can serve 1 sit 1, but that will open up some seats for some mamas who wouldn't have come.
So, if you if you don't mind signing up or you you can do that for 1 of those services, please do that. Just know you have to pass a "background check" because all of our children workers have to pass a background check. Okay? Amen? Praise the Lord.
Okay. Oh, Courtney Courtney is telling me, you guys can use the connection card you sat on in order to sign up. So, put I want I'm I'm good with with serving in kids. We will we will get the background check started for you and and go for that. And, you you you can serve 1 of those 2 or 1 of those 2 service times.
So, today is the title of this of the message is *hope* in his promise. Everybody say, hope in his promise. Hope in promise. Okay. To talk about hope in his promise, we first must or we first, we must define hope.
The definition of hope according to Webster's dictionary is to **desire with expectation** of attainment or fulfillment. To trust. To desire with expectation of attainment. To desire with expectation of fulfillment. That's that's a biblical hope.
Now, a lot of times in today's society, when we talk about hope, we're not really talking about that kind of biblical hope as defined by Webster. No, we're we're more talking about a wish. A wish is to desire, but you're desiring something that you really don't expect to be fulfilled. Like, think about when people say, I hope I win the lottery. There's not a trust that there is actually gonna happen.
It's more of just a wish. I hope that that happens. Or, when people talk about, I hope that the the Buccaneers win the Super Bowl. That's a that's a that's a wish because the Saints are gonna win the Super Bowl. I'm from Louisiana.
I'm sorry. 0, 0, 0, 0, I did it. No. To give an analogy of of of the difference, think about when you were a kid and you really wanted that toy, that that gaming system, that Barbie, that dollhouse, that, you know what what was a toy that you really wanted when you were a kid? Anybody?
A Barbie Legos. Know, you really wanted that. But, there was no track record of your parents getting that for you, or of Santa Claus getting that for you. There's no track record of that. So, so, were really nervous the night before, you know, on Christmas Eve, really nervous, and you know, weren't really sure if it was gonna happen.
You you you were wishing it would happen. Make sense? That's more of a wish and less of a hope, according to the definition. Let me let me give you an example or an analogy of a hope. My wife, every single year, her parents, for over a decade, got her a holiday Barbie for Christmas.
Holiday edition Barbie. And, she loved the holiday Barbie. She didn't even have to ask for it. Like, her parents had given a proven track record that she knew she had a confident expectation of fulfillment. She could *trust* that she was gonna get a holiday Barbie on Christmas.
She didn't have to see it, she just had a hope. Understand the difference between wish and hope? Right? A hope is more of a trust, and a lot of times trust happens when there is a proven track record. So, that being said, let's talk about God's proven track record.
We can *trust* His promises because of His track record. Would you would you agree? Yes. Alright. Numbers-23:19.
Let's pull it up. It says, God is not a human that He should lie. Not a human being that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Meaning, when He speaks, He acts.
Does He promise and not fulfill? Meaning, when He gives a promise, it comes to pass. Period. Amen? So, let's take some time and let's look at God's track record showing that he's actually a God who sticks with his word.
*Genesis-6, God* promised Noah that He'd flood the earth, and that He would save his family through it, and it actually happened. *Genesis-15*, God promised Abraham that his descendants or that He would give him a son, and make him into a great nation, and then all nations would be blessed through him, and it actually happened. Didn't seem like it would happen for a long time. His wife wasn't in childbearing age, and 20 years later, she definitely wasn't in childbearing age, and it still happened. *Genesis-15*, God promised Moses that his descendants would go through 400 years of slavery, but then would be delivered, and it actually happened.
*Genesis-23 or 37, sorry. Genesis-37*, *God* promised Joseph that his family would actually bow to him. Joseph was then thrown into a pit, then thrown into jail, and so it didn't look like it would happen, but it actually happened. Amen? *Joshua-1*.
No. Let's go to Exodus-6. God promised Moses that he would be able to deliver his people, deliver God's people, and it was the promise of that was fulfilling what God had promised to Abraham years and years before, and it actually happened. *Joshua-1*, God promised Joshua that every place that he stepped his foot, he would have. But not only that, he promised that that no enemy would be able to stand up in front of him, and it happened.
Samuel, *God* promised the shepherd boy, David, that he would be king, and it happened. Chronicles, God promised to give Solomon wisdom, and he is known as the wisest man to ever walk the earth. It actually happened. In the Old Testament, there are hundreds this is hundreds and hundreds of years before Jesus. Conservatively, there are 300 prophecies about the coming Messiah, and each 1 happened down to a t, even to the to the point of Jesus being born in a manger.
*God* has a proven track record. And because of that track record, we can know with complete assurance that all of his promises actually, there are 5,467 promises that are applicable to our lives as believers in scripture. We can know because of his track record that we can stand and hope on his promises that they will actually come to pass for us. 5,467 promises in scripture that are applicable to our lives. Everyone without fail, we can trust.
We can put our hope in him. In John-1:1-2, it says, in the beginning was the word, the word was with God, and the word was God. Right? 1 14 says, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. *Jesus* is the exact representation of the Father in bodily form.
Not only that, Jesus is the manifestation of the Word of God. So, as we put our *hope* in his promises, you have to understand his promises come from his word. We are putting we need to put our hope or we are putting our hope in Jesus Christ. All of His promises, the fulfillment of all of them are found in Christ. So, back to Advent.
Let's go to Isaiah-9:2. This is a famous Advent passage. It's taking me a little longer than the screen to pull up. It says, the people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in the land of the deep of in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned.
Who is that light? *Jesus. Jesus said, I am the light of the world. Amen? John-1:4-5* says, in him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
We are created to experience the very life of Christ. But, not only that, we are created to experience His light, and and because of His light, it helps us to know where we are going in this world. There is no darkness that can overcome a lighted life. Amen? There is no darkness that can overcome a lighted life.
It can try, but it can't. So, if you brought darkness in here today, the light of the life of Jesus Christ that is coming out in this word is exposing that darkness and giving you the opportunity to either remain in darkness or to let the light transform that darkness into his life so that you can have hope and walk in his hope. Everyone has hope in something. What your hope is in determines if your hope is just wishful thinking or if it's confident trust. If your hopes in money, if your hopes in relationship, in a person, in your job, in security, if your hopes in your retirement, if your hopes in a circumstance, if your hopes in an idea, eventually, if it's not Jesus, it's a shaky foundation.
Eventually, that thing, whatever it is, will fail you to some extent. And, the Bible says, hope deferred makes the heart sick. There's a lot of people who have had their hope in shaky things that have a sick heart because of it. The only thing that is a sure foundation is Jesus Christ. So, we need to transfer our hope to him and let his life light up our heart, heal our heart, and let us walk forward knowing where we're stepping because of a lighted life.
Amen? So, this building, there are many examples of what hope in Christ, of what standing on his promises can do. Many of you are those examples. Those of you that are walking in His living hope. Let's go to 2 Peter-1:3.
It says, His divine power has given us everything actually, sorry. 1 Peter-1:3. It says, praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy, he has given us new birth. Everybody say, new birth.
New birth. Yeah. New birth into a living hope. It's not a dead hope. It's a living hope.
He's a living hope. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. Praise the Lord. He is our living hope. I wanna give just a bit of time here.
1 of my favorite things to do is to hear testimonies. And see, when you walk in a living hope or you receive the living hope of Jesus Christ, when you're when you start a new life with him, when you're born again, Right? You begin to live in that living hope and it changes your life. You know, people who say, I believe, but there's no life change, maybe they really don't believe. Maybe it's just religion.
Because a relationship changes your life, a relationship with God of the universe. Right? It begin it begins life change right there. And so, here's here's what I want to do. I wanna give you guys the opportunity to proclaim that living hope, to proclaim what God has done in and through you.
How many of you how many of you would say, I have a relationship with Christ Jesus? Well, you were just raise your hand high. You say, I am walking in that living hope. That's a big deal. Okay.
So, walking in that living hope, if you if you've ever been here before, or if maybe you've heard us do this before, but the testimony, 1 of my favorite ways to share testimony is to have people say 3 descriptive words about who you were before Christ. Then, to say how long have you been a Christian? Some people it's 2 days. Some people it's 2 hours. Some people it's 20 years, 60 years.
But, then to say 3 descriptive words about who you are now, and it's a clear picture of what a living hope does for you. So, I I wanna encourage I got Emily ready on our on our capture team. I would love to hear you guys share about the living hope. Who who wants to go first to give "3 descriptive words" about who you were before Christ? Share how long you've you've been a Christian and just 3 descriptive words about who you are now.
Somebody that was in the dream team service, if you could go first just to kinda show how it goes, it'd be amazing. Miss Angie, that's awesome. Would you stand up? Just introduce yourself.
Hi, I'm Angie.
And then 3 descriptive words about who you were before Christ.
I was lost. I was ungrateful. And I was hopeless.
How long have you been following Jesus?
20 years.
And, who are you now?
I am saved, I am grateful, I'm courageous. Do you want more?
You you can keep it's amazing. Somebody else that would like to share, Dylan. *Testimony* is powerful. Who were you before Christ?
I was I was a liar, a manipulator, and a very terrible person, very negative and pessimistic. When Jesus came into my life 2 years ago, it changed everything. Now I wanna do things the right way in truth, and not lie and manipulate and destroy like I was doing.
Praise the Lord.
So praise God.
I love it. Somebody else. Somebody else. I'm gonna go till we got about 7. 0, we got court.
Awesome. Let's get out from in front of the Yeah. Which would be awesome. 3 words.
I too was **hopeless and depressed** and single and alone and that was 30 years ago Come on. When I received Christ in a motorcycling rally with the Christian motorcyclists. And now, I know that for sure when I die, I'm going to heaven.
Praise the Lord. So I've got a hope again. Amen.
I'm not alone. I have a family.
Come on.
And I'm richly blessed. I always have more than enough to be generous on every occasion.
Come on. Praise the Lord. Somebody else. Who would be so bold? *Revelation-12:11* says, they, being believers, overcame him, the enemy, by the word of their testimony, But by by the blood of the lamb, by what Jesus did, and the "word of their testimony".
Not loving their life unto death. Meaning, don't I don't care about me as much as I care about getting doing whatever it takes to serve others and help them experience the love of Jesus. So, who who else would like to share? Miss Jackie, come on. Here, I'll come back to you.
Wonderful.
Okay, before Jesus, I felt lost, unlovable, and just felt like I had no worth. After Jesus, I have this entire church family I can count on. I know I'm loved, I'm cherished, I'm a child of God. And, I was saved 2 years ago when real church started.
Praise the Lord. I love it. Somebody else. Wanda. Mama Wanda.
I can get around to you.
Okay. I was absolutely suicidal, tried to take my life on 3 separate occasions and God brought me through. 1, I was very depressed, very lost and alone and abandoned. And now, I am He found me and he saved me and now I have joy, I have hope and I have a future in him and I'm absolutely totally blessed today because of his grace and mercy. So I thank God every single day of my life.
"I'm blessed", I'm blessed and I'm blessed.
Come on.
Thank you.
It's powerful. Somebody else. 3 descriptive words is all. Who you were before Christ, when you came to know Christ, and then 3 descriptive words after. We got a lot of people who raise their hand that's living in this living hope.
Alright. Daniel. Alright. Come on, brother.
And so, I grew up in the church, but roller coaster relationship with God. And I was I was prideful. I was selfish. Mhmm. And I was I was dead.
I was dead in my sin. Mhmm. Now, God has humbled me. Very humble. And I seek that in other people.
I love humility. I just have a desire for humility.
It's awesome.
And I'm selfless. It's it's not about me anymore because I've died to self.
Come
on. And everything that I have is his. So there is no selfishness anymore.
Can't be selfish with someone else's stuff, you
know, and someone else's life and someone else's resource.
I love it.
And I'm alive. I'm alive in Christ.
I love it. It's powerful. Let's keep going. 3 3 more. Who would like to go?
Alright. Don. Here we go.
I was a sinner in this world living in that treadmill day after day afflicted with alcoholism. I was a terrible husband, a terrible father and grandfather, and a terrible example. In my salvation, I have overcome alcoholism. I love my family. I've seen prayers answered for salvation and unity in my family, which is the best thing I could do as a parent and a father and a husband now.
So Come on. Praise God. Praise Jesus. Amen.
I love it. How long? How long, Don? How long you've been following?
2 years in March.
Praise the Lord. So, we're gonna keep going just a couple more. But, those of you online who are watching online, you can leave that in the comments below. I'd love to see it. And, those watching, it's it's sharing your testimony.
Just a comment of 3 descriptive words of who you were before Christ, how long you came to know Jesus, or how long ago you came to know Jesus, and then 3 descriptive words of who you are now because of his living hope in you, because of him in you. Give me a couple more. I'd love to hear testimonies. Alright. Come on.
Miss Dixie.
So I would say that I was uncertain, I was broken, and I was alone. Oh, man. Today, I'm whole, I am fulfilled, and I'm not alone. And I I came to know Christ. I was saved when I was 16, but I would say that I didn't really have a relationship with him the way that I should.
So that's obviously throughout my adult years, I was feeling that way. So I would say kind of rededicating myself about 6 years ago
Praise the Lord.
Is when all of that changed.
I love it. Somebody else. Mike. Praise the Lord.
I was selfish, angry, broken. And then, know, 9 11 happened, and I realized this, you know, something was wrong in the world. I I needed the I I know that I needed Jesus. So I, you know, I gave my life to Christ. And 19 years ago, Friday after 2011.
And now I have hope. I have peace and and joy. Come on, man. I love it.
Let's do another 1. It's good for the soul. Somebody else. Alright.
Come on.
I love it. Yeah. You can stand up. That'd be great. You just introduce your name.
Name's Isaac. What's up, Isaac?
His name is Blaze. Y'all can call me Blaze.
Praise the Lord.
I'm let's see. Before I met Christ, I was actually raised in a cult. And so, I was a Pharisee. I was convinced that God had failed me and convinced that everybody else had failed me. Wow.
And I convinced that I was the only person I could hope in. When I encountered God, I I realized that I couldn't even hope in myself anymore. So, that was
a big problem for me.
Mhmm. So, that that led to my encounter with God to trust in him. And, it feels like sorry, no more than 1 word, more than 3 words. Yeah. Felt like more of a like a Christian workout to to break down all of the crazy lies that had built up in my life.
Come on. Wow. Praise the Lord. I love it. Thank you.
So, with that, and that's a perfect segue, guys. The absolute perfect segue. Let's go to another passage on on Advent. See, what you just saw, Advent is the coming of someone important. Right?
You saw what the coming of someone important into someone's life does for them. The coming of Jesus, who's the most important. He came 2020 years ago. You know, 2020 years since what? Since Jesus.
When He comes to your life, everything shifts. Everything changes. So, let's go to Isaiah-9. Let's go back to Isaiah. There we go.
Having problems getting to Isaiah these today. Chapter 9 in verse 6, it says, for to us or for unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the "government will be on his shoulders". **"Praise the Lord"**, the government's on his shoulders. So, we we can trust in him and have hope in him. Yeah.
That's good. And he will be called **wonderful counselor**. Everybody say wonderful counselor. Wonderful Yeah. That's what he's talking about that we need.
When we when we enter into a life with Jesus, there's a lot of junk in our mind that needs to be transformed. Right? And and we need some counseling. We only need to just any kind of counseling. We need a wonderful counselor.
If you ever let him like, you ever went in and taken your junk to him, man, he's a good counselor. A lot of times, he'll bring other believers, other people that have been following him into your life to speak to you, to pray for you, and he counsels you through the body of Christ, and it's a wonderful thing. How many of you guys know him as wonderful counselor? Right? Right?
You know, the names of God, people people come to know him by what he's done for them or what he's done to them or what they've seen him done, and that's where a lot of his names come from him proclaiming what he does. So when he says he's wonderful counselor, that's what he does. Why don't you go to him in the areas of your life where you need that? Amen? Amen.
And, let as you see him work in your life in those areas, you'll have more *hope* Because, you'll you'll not only hear about his proven track record, but you'll see it in his in your life. So, and he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God. Our God is mighty to save. You ever heard that song? Mighty Yeah.
He is mighty to save. And, I think a lot of times in our lives, we have an issue when we magnify the problem over God's mightiness. Right? Instead of God's mightiness over the problem. So, when we put the circumstance under the power of God, that's when he gives us the hope in him to be able to endure.
The Bible says, we are able to hope as we trust him. Trust is a big part of hope. So, seeing his mightiness over everything that we go through is a big deal. But then, also it says, wonderful counselor, mighty God, **everlasting father**. There's a lot of people with daddy wounds.
Right? A lot of people that that struggle because maybe dad left when they were a kid, or dad did this, or dad did that, or dad didn't do this, and dad didn't do that. He is our everlasting father. Right? So so, we can receive his forgiveness and forgive.
Forgive is not saying what happened was okay, but forgive is saying, I'm letting it go and I'm trusting you God, so I can love even if I wasn't loved. Right? But he's the everlasting father. He'll never leave you. He's everlasting.
So we can trust him because of his track record and have hope in him and stop being defined by what happened to you or what didn't happen to you and be defined by what your everlasting Father says about you. Right? So stop stop saying, I'm this because my dad did this and I'm this because my dad didn't do this. No. No.
That's not you anymore. If you've received Jesus, you're a new creation in Christ Jesus. You can drop that and move forward to what he says. Amen? Prince of Peace.
He is a "Prince of Peace". Jesus said, my peace I give to you not as the world gives. So, don't let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. He has already given you his peace. Period.
We can rest in his peace. But not only that, when you receive Jesus, you have the prince of peace living in your heart. Right? So that you can be his peace to the world. You ever walk into a room and it's tense?
You you know what? You can you can let the Bible says, you can let your peace rest in a room. Right? You can you can let the prince of peace not only rule your heart, but but you can change the atmosphere of a room by his peace coming out of you. Right?
Is your job full of controversy? Is your job full of junk and stuff? Why don't you begin to make peace by the way that you speak at at your job? By the way that you serve? By the way that you love?
Let the prince of peace who rules your heart come out of the way that you impact other people. Other people wanna be around you because, man, I just feel peace when I'm around. It's Jesus, and you can give them the living hope you're walking in. Verse 7, of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and *righteousness* from that time on and forever.
From what time on and forever? Jesus said, on the cross, which means "it is finished". It has been finished. It'll always be finished. Jesus finished it on the cross.
It's done. His kingdom began to expand from that moment forward. Injustice and righteousness calling you righteous based on what he did for you. Right? So that you can live a just and righteous life.
Amen? The *zeal of the Lord* Almighty will accomplish this. Praise the Lord. It's not based on our zeal, but it's based on His. Like, I just wanna read to you the definition of zeal.
*Zeal means great energy* or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an object objective. The zeal His zeal will accomplish this. He is He has great energy and enthusiasm in the pursuit of you knowing His love, of you experiencing His hope, and of Him expanding His kingdom throughout the world. In and through you, if you'll receive it. And, if you don't, in and through the people beside you.
But, he has great zeal. He will not stop. That's amazing. That's wonderful. And, what you see, what you've seen in the testimonies today, that's what that's what his zeal, he is zealous for you to experience his love and joy, and it to transform you, and it to be more than just a religious confession, but of a relationship that impacts every aspect of your life and transforms you to become His love and His goodness in the world.
Amen. Amen. That's awesome. If we could have the band come up here. We're gonna worship some.
It's gonna be amazing. I just wanna close with Titus. Chapter 1. There we go. Verses 2 and 3.
Says, in the hope of eternal life which God who does not lie promised before the beginning of time, and which now at his appointed season has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of our God and Savior. Of God our Savior. This is Paul writing. Right? And God is still entrusting people today, preach the good news of the gospel.
And he entrusted me today to bring this to you. And he hasn't lied. We have hope of eternal life. Some people say they have hope and eternal life, but it's not a hope. It's a wish.
It's a man, I I really *hope* I've done enough to make it. I really hope I'm good enough to make it. I don't really know, so I'm gonna go to church today. I'm gonna try to read my Bible a little bit so I can maybe maybe be good enough in order. That's that's not a hope.
It's not a confident trust with expectation of fulfillment. That's a wish. That's a I desire heaven, but I don't really know. And I it seems out of my grasp. You can have hope.
You can quit wishing. We put our hope in Jesus and what he's done. It transfers from a wish to a hope when you're "born again". It transfer from a wish to a hope when you stop trusting in your goodness and you start trusting in his goodness. It transfers from a wish to a hope when you stop "playing religion" and start having a relationship that allows him to transform transform every aspect of your life.
That's when it transfers from a wish from a to a hope. That's when you can know with confidence. Yeah. You're still probably gonna mess up from time to time, but you can fall forward into your father's love to get back up and he *transform* every aspect of your life where people say, what is different about you? Say, I'm a living hope.
I'm walking in the living hope of Jesus Christ. Some. Enjoy. Amen? I wanna invite you guys to stand.
You know, sometimes I get people to raise their hands if they need to receive Jesus. I don't think I'm gonna do that today. Online, if you if you want to experience the living hope, if you'll comment, if you'll message us, you can private message us if you like. We'll message you back later today and and pray with you. In this service though, if there's somebody in here that's been playing religion and it's just been a wish and doesn't know the hope, I want you guys to come forward during the song.
I'm a have Jerry and Heidi, if you guys will step forward and just into that those that seat. Daniel, if you'll come up here as well. They're gonna be up here. I'll be up here too. But if you need to receive Jesus, if you need to experience his goodness, there's something about stepping forward.
You're saying, I'm not scared. I'm scared of staying the way I am. I'm I'm scared enough of staying the way the way that I am that I wanna step out. I don't care who sees me. If you need that living hope, I I encourage you to step forward and receive Jesus.
They'll lead you into a relationship with him. All those of you, if if you need hope in a certain circumstance, we wanna pray for you. We wanna minister to you. You know what? If you if you looked around, you saw people around you raise their hand saying they're living in that living hope, they're ministers of the gospel.
Ask the person that raised their hand if they would pray for you. And if they won't, we will. If you have if you if you need healing in your body, God is our healer. But by his promise, 1 of those 5,467 promises says that he's your healer. He'll heal you.
He will. We can trust that. He wants to speak into your circumstance. He wants to reconcile kids that have been long gone, reconcile relationships, reconcile marriages. God does those things.
It's in his promises. It's real and it matters. And we can put a confident *trust* in him with expectation that it will be fulfilled in our life. Amen? Amen.
He is our living hope. Thank you for tuning in today to the Real Church podcast. I pray that you walk away from today encouraged with a deeper understanding of how much God loves you. If you'd like to connect with us, we can't wait to reach out to you and pray for you. You can go to www.realchurch.us/connect.
And then also, if you would like to give to what God is doing in and through our ministry, you can do so at www.realchurch.us/giving, or you can text any amount to 84321, and then just search in the link that comes up. Search for Real Church Clearwater. God bless you, and the "best is yet to come".