Our Hope in Christ:
1st Week of ADVENT
by Roy Esposito

• Advent – The Coming or Arrival
• 2 Focuses – REMEMBERANCE and ANTICIPATION
• Psalm 42:5 – “Hope In God”
• “His Continence” – Abiding PRESENCE and His SALVATION
• Psalm 43:5 – “Hope of MY continence” – A guaranteed Hope  that sustains LIFE
• Lack of HOPE – Paralysis and effectual death
• Relevancy – The spiritual battle for meaning
• 1 Kings 10:1-13 – Queen of Sheba’s awe
• Ecclesiastes 1: 14-18 – Solomons lack of HOPE
• Matthew 7:16 – Known by our fruit and NOT by what we possess
• Human Wisdom – Seeks to ACCUMULATE
• Spiritual Wisdom requires DIMINISHMENT
• “Shaping” – How human experiences are interpreted by the soul
• Solomon put his hope in what he saw and what he possessed
• They became his IDEALS – Ideals are IDOLIZED – Idols are WORSHIPPED
• His Idol was SELF CONTAINMENT
• Hebrews 6:10-12,19
• Souls – “SOFT  WAX” on which IMPRINTS are made
• Jesus – A NEW IMPRINT >>>> A NEW NATURE
• Colossians 1:27 – “Christ within, the HOPE of glory.”
• Glory (Heb- Kabud) The glory Jesus shared in the luminous brilliance of His Father

• “Jesus is the power and wisdom and holiness of God almighty. No thought can contain Him; no word can express Him. He transcends all human concepts, considerations, and expectations.” –Brennan Manning

• THIS is the inconceivable power of “Christ Within,” which IS our  HOPE!
• Romans 8:24 – The HOPE through which we are SAVED

• Romans 15:13_(AMP) “May the God of your HOPE fill you with all joy and peace in believing….”