Even as we celebrate God with us, realistically we still face life in a fallen

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1 I. Introduction God with us gives us hope. and He shall be called Emmanuel (Mt. 1:23). Even as we celebrate God with us, realistically we still face life in a fallen world, a world of tribulation. But it s this same Jesus who gives hope for life beyond this world as well as hope for life abundant even now! Each occasion we embrace to celebrate Emmanuel can stir our hope in a hope-challenged world. All around us: Life events, whether personal or global seek to steal our joy. Personal losses, health challenges, and economic downturns challenge us personally. World events seemingly out of our control all around us, bring destruction, concern, and even terror. Relationships are imperfect and often disappointing. Holiday celebrations can remind us of loved ones lost this year and even, sadly at times, bring out the worst of family dysfunctions. Irrelevant religion continues its battle to crowd out the real thing. Materialism crowds out the sacred, and parties often forget the Person. Being greeted with Happy Holidays sounds empty, and again the Person is forgotten. But, when God shows up, so does hope! com 1

2 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope... (I Tim. 1:1) Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, So shall your offspring be (Rom. 4:18). Against all hope What an accurate description of faith in the midst of obstacles! This Old Testament story revealed how Abraham and Sarah s old age, combined with Sarah s unbelief, produced a staggering faith in God. In the midst of all that seemed to challenge the promises of God, hope prevailed to bring forth Isaac. An entire nation was born! Therefore our hope is in you for you are the One who does all this (Jer. 14:22) Scripture Reinforces the Truth that Hope Is a Person The Apostle Paul begins a letter to young Timothy with these words, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope... (I Tim. 1:1). Similarly, Jeremiah reminded those who would listen: Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, O Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in you for you are the One who does all this (Jer. 14:22). This same prevailing hope will enable us to face the obstacles in our world today. After all, Scripture reminds us: In this world you shall have tribulation (John 16:33). This word, tribulation or Pësréí in the Greek, speaks particularly of trouble, distress, hard circumstances, or suffering. During this Emmanuel Season, let s acknowledge that life s tribulations bring stressful life events, relationship disappointments, and sadly at times, irrelevant response BUT through it all there is a Person Jesus who brings hope! Let the Word of Christ dwell deeply in you... (Col. 3:16). Pastor/Presenter, is there a time in your life when you have been in trouble or tribulation? Could you share about a personal time of distress or suffering when you needed a hope that prevailed? Also, be sure to have asked permission from anyone whose story you are telling if it is not entirely your own. I remember when I faced but God Life Events (of all types) Can Challenges Us Life s events can catch us by surprise. Unfortunately, some of our biggest challenges can come without warning or possibility of control. Changes in your health, death of a loved one, infertility, traffic accidents, physical trauma, violent crimes, and natural disasters are just some of the sources of personal pain. [Opportunity: Pastor/Presenter, you may also want to use a regional or local example from your own community.] Without the possibility of avoiding these challenging life events, how do we maintain hope? If we can t control or predict these events, how can we find hope in the midst of them? Imperfect Relationships Bring Pain If those unpredictable life events are not challenging enough, the most profound stressors can often come from our relationships with people. Much of life s pain is often closer to home as conflict and betrayals rip the fabric of trusted commitments. What happens when unfaithfulness and violence have torn our families apart; when loss of health brings trauma and this life s ultimate loss death? 2.com

3 Allow this Emmanuel Season to touch your Pain-filled life events Disappointing relationships and Experiences with irrelevant religion with the Person of Hope Jesus! W-6 Encountering Jesus in the Word for deepened transformation in Christ-likeness During our time together today, we ll be addressing these questions: Where do we find a source of hope for our challenging relationships? What do we do when marriage loses its sacred bond, or our children violate the values we ve worked so hard to instill in them? Each of these can prompt incredible despair hope can be lost. Not only do life events and close relationships often bring pain, but these struggles are compounded because... Irrelevant Religion Discounts Hope More personally, most of us have experienced the well-intentioned response of spiritual platitudes. You know God is with you. God will bring you out of this. God is refining His work in you. While true, they do NOT address the need of the moment. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear (Eph. 4:29). Again, we don t have to wait long before we hear about the latest ministry leader who has made the headlines because of unethical behavior. The more subtle misuse and abuse of spiritual truth for personal gain is becoming more and more widespread. Even in our own homes and our own community, we must take a hard look at the real impact our faith is making on the next generation. When surveys indicate that as many as 80 percent of church-attending youth will leave their faith after college, it begs the question: Is our faith relevant? Are we making a real difference in the lives of young people? Are we passing on a faith that will bring hope in the midst of a challenging world? Let s invite the Christ of hope into the problems of our day! Have you ever considered inviting Him into your struggles or stresses? Experience Scripture: Call unto Me and I will answer you (Jer. 33:3). [Pastor, [Pause and pause pray and a specific allow the prayer congregation/participants that invites Christ into to your pray personal a specific challenges prayer and that life stressors. invites Christ Lord, into I come their now personal to call challenges upon you and that life you stressors. might show Lord, me I come Emmanuel reveal now to call upon to me you Jesus that in you fresh might ways. ] show me Emmanuel reveal to me Jesus in fresh ways. ] Looking for hope in all the wrong places might be an accurate description of today s world. Yet in the Gospel of John, we find an example of hope in the tribulations of life. A man, who was blind from birth, found hope in spite of his circumstances, in spite of his family relationships, and in spite of his religious irrelevance. This man was not one of our more famous heroes of the Bible, but his interactions with Jesus can inspire our hope. In this Emmanuel Season, let s embrace these lessons from Jesus who is our hope! As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, com 3

4 we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Having said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man s eyes (Jn. 9:1 6). So whether our tribulation comes from painful life events, close relationships, or even struggles to live out our faith God gives hope. Jesus the Person of Hope notices and cares about your painful life-events. II. Emmanuel Gives Hope in Spite of Life Events And as He passed on, He saw a man blind from birth (Jn. 9:1). This man was born into suffering. His predicament was not of his own choosing; life simply dealt him this blow. Jesus stepped into the hopelessness of this man s life and brought healing and restoration. Isn t it amazing to consider that we have a Jesus who notices and cares? The blind man made no effort to stop Jesus; he made no plea for help. Christ noticed the man and his apparent struggles and was so moved with compassion that He took initiative to care. It s also important to remember: It was the blind man s tribulation that allowed the opportunity for Christ s work to be displayed and God s glory to be revealed (Jn. 9:3). Lastly, the blind man s condition must have brought the same rational questions we often ask in the face of tragedy and loss. Even his family or his friends must have asked: Why him? Why now? Where was God? When we face our own challenging life events or when we struggle to understand the pain of others, two truths from the Gospel of John can guide our steps and sustain our hope: 1. Jesus our Emmanuel notices, and He cares. 2. The works of and glory of God are often displayed through our tribulations. Jesus the Person of Hope notices and cares about your disapointing relationships. III. Emmanuel Brings Hope in Spite of Disappointing Relationships As the blind man, now healed, finds himself before the Pharisees, we observe the disappointment of close relationships. The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man s parents. Is this your son? they asked. Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see? We know he is our son, the parents answered, and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself (Jn. 9:18 21). John revealed the relational complexities that came with the blind man s healing. First, he was summoned to appear before the Pharisees an undoubtedly threatening and intimidating experience. Rather than the Pharisees rejoicing over the miracle of his sight, they questioned the man 4.com

5 Jesus the Person of Hope notices and cares about our painful experiences with irrelevant religion. about Jesus conduct on the Sabbath. Secondly, we learn that the man s family was also summoned before the Pharisees in order to verify his lifetime of blindness. Rather than offer supportive care to their son, the man s family does nothing to help him. In fact, their response suggests self-protection, emotional abandonment, and even personal rejection. The blind man experienced his own tribulation related to family pain. Yet, we will find that he encountered hope in the person of Jesus. Likewise, some of our most significant tribulation can come from the challenges of close relationships. Imperfect spouses, difficult-to-parent children, dysfunctional patterns of relating, emotional distance, betrayals, and rejections can cause us unbearable pain. Yet, we too, can find hope in the person of Jesus. IV. Emmanuel Brings Hope in Spite of Irrelevant Religion The verbal attacks from the Pharisees illustrate the irrelevance of faith when we move away from the person of Jesus. The religious leaders were preoccupied with rules and man-made expectations rather than the life-giving presence of Jesus. How about you and me? How much are we preoccupied by the rules of religion or man-made expectations, instead of an intentional focus on intimacy with Jesus? The blind man s situation with the Pharisees deteriorated. The temple was filled with arguments over keeping the Sabbath (Jn. 9:16), whether to follow Moses or Jesus (Jn. 9:28 29), and who had the right to exclude people from accessing the things of God (Jn. 9:34). Finally in frustration, the Pharisees put him out, separating this man from the blessings of covenant. The blind man now healed most certainly identified with the pain of irrelevant religion. You may feel confused by the claims of men concerning the things of God. You may feel uncertain about whose truth is really truth. Religion may have let you down, disappointed you, or even rejected you. The Bible s encouragement during this Emmanuel Season is this: Jesus is the way and the truth. As we come to know Emmanuel, we will come to know truth (Jn. 14:6). Let the Word of Christ dwell deeply in you... (Col. 3:16). Pastor/Presenter, pause at this point and share a part of your story with others. Tell about a time of your own tribulation, but how Jesus came to find you and brought you hope. I remembered when I was but Jesus V. We Can Have Hope, Because Hope is a Person! Jesus heard that they put him out; and finding him, He said do you believe in the Son of Man? (Jn. 9:35). The same Jesus who heard about the man born blind and all that he had experienced, still hears our pain and comes to FIND us! Listen to these words of encouragement from the Scriptures: You will call upon me, says the Lord. And I will be with you in trouble; I will deliver you, and honor you (Ps. 91:15). I will not leave you comfortless, says the Lord. I will come to you (Jn. 14:18). The Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself (1 Sam. 12:22). I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness. I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you (Is. 42:6)..com 5

6 W-1 Frequently being led by the Spirit into deeper love for the One who wrote the Word Hope IS A PERSON How about you? Could you take a moment and recall a time of your own tribulation? Think about any specific life events, close relationships or irrelevant religion that brought compounded pain. During those times of heartache, can you identify ways in which Jesus sought you out and ministered hope? If you are unable to see or remember evidence of Christ s care for you, could you give Him that chance today? Could you allow God s Spirit to guide you into His truth? He s pursuing you. Receive Him as He does. Finally, we read the blind man s request as he responded to Jesus, Who is He that I might believe (Jn. 9:36). The man who was healed of his blindness seemed to ask: Just point me to the Person in whom I am to place my hope, and it is done. Notice the importance of word choice: In WHOM shall I trust? Hope is a person, and His name is Jesus! Experience the Person of Hope [Opportunity: Pastor, take this time to lead the congregation/ participants into a personal encounter with Jesus. During a special time of reflection and meditation, gently guide others to see a Jesus who comes to find them and care for them in the midst of life s tribulation.] Encountering Jesus: A Meditation Think for a moment about one of the painful life events that you ve experienced. Reflect on the highs and lows of your life s journey and recall the times when life has been at its hardest. It may have been one of those life-altering events that was completely out of your control. You may have gone through struggles with family members or close relationships. You might have experienced the painful realities of irrelevant religion and the compounded pain when even God s people do it wrong. Remember those times when you were saddened. Remember the places where you experienced grief or loss. Close your eyes and think back to those moments. Now imagine that you are in the midst of that painful time. Your mind is filled with rational questions that have no answers: Why did this happen? Where was God? You hear someone draw near to you. He gently calls you by name. As you turn toward His voice, you see Christ standing nearby. Jesus has come to find you. He has noticed you and pursued you. The Christ of glory is near to you. Your unanswered, rational questions give way to a heart reality. He cares! You may never know why this happened, but Jesus notices, cares, and pursues. He reassures you as surely as He did the blind man. I want you to know that I will be with you in this trouble; I will deliver you, and honor you (Ps. 91:15). I will not leave you comfortless, my friend. I will come to you (John 14:18). I will not abandon you on account of My Father s great name (1 Sam. 12:22). I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you (Is. 42:6). I love you and I will never, ever leave you. (Matt. 28:30) Could you spend the next few moments allowing God s Spirit to confirm the truths that He pursues and He cares? Talk with God about the GRATITUDE that s in your heart. We find hope in Jesus, who pursues us. 6.com