WELCOME
Good morning First Baptist. We welcome you to worship this morning. Be sure to remember your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the week as you pray for them, and as the Holy Spirit brings their faces to your mind. Be sure to also connect with them in the ways that are possible. And if you have any questions or would like to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to contact the church through the church telephone and leave a message. (519-733-4144)
Songs
Call to Worship
Church, welcome to the first Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Hope. Today we begin a journey of waiting, of longing, of trusting in the God who keeps His promises in His perfect time. Advent invites us to pause long enough to remember that our God is never absent, never silent, never late; He is always working, always faithful. So welcome this morning. Bring your waiting, bring your questions, bring your weariness, bring your desire for hope and lets enter God’s presence together.
Stand as you are able, to worship the God who makes a way where there is no way, the God who brings light into our darkness.
Songs
Prayer
CONFESSION:
Let’s pray together.
God of Hope, as we enter this first week of Advent, we come to You honestly. Waiting is hard for us. Slowness is uncomfortable. And when life doesn’t move the way we expect it to, we often rush ahead, try to control the outcomes, or quietly assume that You’ve forgotten us.
We confess that there are moments when trusting You feels easier in theory than in practice. Moments when discouragement has felt louder than Your promises. Moments when we’ve allowed fear, frustration, or impatience to cloud our hope.
Forgive us, Lord. Forgive the ways our hearts drift toward doubt. Forgive us when we forget the countless ways You’ve come through for us before.
Speak hope into the places that feel uncertain or unfinished. Help us trust Your timing, Your heart, and Your goodness, especially when we cannot yet see what You are doing.
Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
Church, hear is the good news of Advent: The God who called Abraham to step out under a star-filled sky, the God who spoke promise after promise through the prophets, the God who fulfilled every word in the birth of Jesus, is the same God who holds you now.
Scripture tells us that: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” (Isaiah 40:31) This is the assurance we cling to today: You are forgiven. You are restored. You are held by a God who does not break His promises. And He is still faithfully at work in your story, even in the waiting. And that’s where we begin this Advent series today. We begin Advent with the prophets, those who waited, trusted, and believed even when the promise seemed far away.
As we enter the message, may our hearts be open to the God who keeps His word and invites us to walk with Him in trust. Let’s step into the story together.
Characters of Christmas
The Prophets
Today's Message: Pastor Marlee Page
Characters of Christmas: The Givers’ Story
The Prophets: Givers of Hope & the God Who Keeps His Promises
INTRODUCTION
Let me start with a question: Have you ever waited for something that was promised to you? Maybe you ordered something online this week. And you know the drill, you check the tracker, and then refresh it, and then refresh it again, and then you’re praying the porch pirates take the day off.
Or maybe you’ve waited for furniture delivery. You know, the classic: “We’ll be there Tuesday between 8 a.m. and sometime before your grandchildren have grandchildren.”
Do you remember hearing the stories of people who needed appliances during the COVID backlog. It would take weeks and months if you didn’t buy something off the floor. And then when they finally arrived if there was some significant damage. You called the company, and they said, “No problem, we’ll send a replacement” Which took another three months. Promises made. Promises, eventually kept.
And because of experiences like that, it’s natural to start asking: “Can I really trust promises? And more importantly, can I trust God’s?”
Today we begin the Advent Season with HOPE, and we look at the very first people who gave hope to God’s people, the prophets. But before Prophets like Isaiah or Micah or any other of the prophets stood up to say, “Hope is coming,” God worked with one ordinary man, Abraham.
And his story sounds a lot like ours.
1. ABRAHAM’S STORY IS OUR STORY
Abraham’s life is basically a journey of learning to trust God’s promises.
Let’s read what it says in Genesis 12:1-4
So God tells him: “I will bless you, I will make you, all nations will be blessed through you.” And Abraham believes. Well, mostly. Sometimes. If you continued reading on about Abraham, you would clearly see that his story sounds a lot like ours.
He obeys, and then he panics.
He trusts, and then he doubts.
He builds an altar, and then lies to Pharaoh about Sarah being his sister, to save his own skin.
He listens, and then tries to “help God along” by having a child through his wife’s servant Hagar rather than waiting on God.
Sound familiar?
We trust God, until we don’t. We believe, until circumstances get complicated. And still, God keeps coming back to Abraham, making promises:
- “I will give you this land.”
- “Your descendants will be more than sand on the ground.”
- “More than stars in the sky.”
Until we reach Genesis 15, where Abraham finally says what we’ve all said in our own way: (Read Gen. 15: 1-6) “Lord, what can You give me? I’m still waiting and nothing has changed.”
Scripture Reading: Genesis 15:1–6; Genesis 21:1
Genesis 15:1–6
God’s Covenant with Abram
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I [b]go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one[c] born in my house is my heir!”
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Genesis 21:1
Isaac Is Born
And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.
And God says, “Abram, step outside. Look up. Count the stars.” … “So shall your descendants be.” And then this beautiful verse: “Abram believed the Lord.”
Listen to me if you need hope today, “Abram believed the Lord.” Not perfectly. Not consistently. But genuinely. And years later, after delay, confusion, and frustration, we read: (Genesis 21:1) “The Lord was gracious to Sarah, and did for her what He had promised.”
Promises made. Promises kept.
And Abraham’s family becomes a nation, the nation of Israel. And that nation eventually starts forgetting the promises. War comes. Exile comes. Real Darkness falls upon these people. And into that darkness, God sends Prophets.
2. THE PROPHETS: GIVERS OF HOPE
Prophets weren’t fortune-tellers. They were hope-tellers. They stood in the middle of darkness and national depression and said, “God’s not done.” The Prophet Isaiah will say: “A light has dawned.” The Prophet Micah will say: “A ruler is coming… from Bethlehem of all places.” For hundreds of years, prophets held up hope like a lantern in a cave. And at the heart of their messages was always the same theme. They kept saying: “You can trust the Promise-Maker.”
Hope wasn’t just wishful thinking. Hope was confidence that God is who He says He is, and He will do what He says He’ll do.
ADVENT PRACTICE: LIGHTING THE HOPE CANDLE
This brings us to our Advent practice today. Before we go further, I want us to experience the message, not just hear it. I’d like to invite Jen to come forward and light the Hope candle on our Advent wreath.
As the flame is now lit, hear these words: This candle reminds us that God keeps His promises. That even in darkness, light is coming. That hope is not a feeling; it’s confidence in God’s character.
Just as the prophets held up hope for the people of Israel, today, we light this candle because we believe God’s promises are true—even if we’re still waiting to see them fulfilled.
TRANSITION TO JESUS
Generations passed after Abraham. Centuries of prophetic promises were spoken, written, and carried in the hearts of God’s people. And then, at just the right time, the promise didn’t come as an idea or a symbol, it came as a person. Jesus steps into the world, and suddenly all the waiting, all the longing, all the hoping becomes real, visible, and alive.
3. JESUS: HOPE MADE VISIBLE
When Jesus is born, God is saying clearly and gently: “I keep My promises.” Jesus is:
- the descendant promised to Abraham,
- the Messiah foretold by the prophets,
- the Light Isaiah spoke of,
- the Shepherd Micah described,
- “Emmanuel,” God with us.
And if God fulfilled this promise, the biggest and most costly promise ever made, we can trust Him with every promise He makes to us. But Jesus doesn’t just fulfill hope; He embodies it. His life shows us what hope looks like in action.
4. HOPE MAKES US GENEROUS (Jesus as the Model)
When we talk about generosity, we don’t need to look any further than Jesus Himself. Jesus is generosity in human form.
Think about it:
- He left heaven for us.
- He entered poverty for us.
- He healed, taught, touched, welcomed, and never held back.
- He gave His time to the overlooked.
- He gave His energy to the weary.
- He gave His compassion to the broken.
- He gave His life on the cross.
Jesus didn’t give out of abundance, He gave out of love. He didn’t wait for ideal circumstances, He gave in the middle of hardship. He didn’t give only to those who deserved it, He gave freely to all.
When you follow a Saviour like that, you begin to live like Him. Hope in Jesus naturally shapes generous people. Because when your confidence rests in God’s faithfulness:
- You don’t cling tightly to resources out of fear.
- You don’t withdraw emotionally because of uncertainty.
- You don’t protect your time as if God won’t refill it.
Hope frees your hands to be open. Hope frees your heart to share. Hope frees your life to give. And Advent reminds us: the greatest act of generosity the world has ever seen began in a manger. So just as Jesus’ coming was God’s gift to us, our generosity becomes our gift to others, a sign that we trust the Promise-Keeper and want to reflect the One who gave everything for us.
5. A SIMPLE HOPE PRACTICE FOR THIS WEEK
Here’s something incredibly simple, but incredibly powerful. Take this verse from Genesis 21:1: **“Now the Lord was gracious to ______ as He had said,
and the Lord did for ______ what He had promised.”**
This week:
- Fill in your name.
Where has God been faithful to you?
- Share that story with one person.
Give someone the gift of hope.
- Identify one promise you’re still waiting for.
Bring it honestly before God and say:
“Lord, I choose to trust You again today.”
CLOSING
As we step into this Advent season, our prayer is simple: that the same hope God planted in Abraham’s heart, the same hope the prophets carried for generations, and the same hope that became flesh in Jesus, would take rise up in us today. Hope isn’t something we hold in our heads. It’s something God plants in our hearts so it can grow into generosity, trust, and courage.
So, this week, look for opportunities to live as people of hope: to bless someone, to give when it’s easier to hold back, to encourage someone who’s tired, to trust God with whatever you’re waiting for. Remember: Hope doesn’t make you passive hope makes you engaged. Hope makes you look like Jesus.
And as we continue our Advent journey next week, we’re going to see how this hope leads into something our world desperately needs: peace.
Next week, we’re going to join the angels in their midnight announcement, that moment when heaven broke open the silence and declared peace over a world full of tension, fear, and noise. If this week is about trusting the God who keeps His promises, next week is about receiving the peace He sends into the chaos of our lives. So come ready. Come expectant.
Do you know someone who’s heart is longing for quiet, for stillness, for the peace only Jesus can give? Invite them to Church! Church, may hope guide you this week, and may it lead you straight into the peace we’ll encounter together next Sunday.
Amen.
Prayer
Father, thank You for meeting us here today on this first Sunday of Advent, as we begin this journey toward Christmas, we come to You with a mix of emotions; some of us hopeful, some tired, some waiting for something to change, and some honestly not sure what we believe anymore. And You welcome all of it.
Lord, You know that waiting is hard for us. You know we like quick answers and predictable timelines. And You know how easily we get discouraged when life doesn’t move the way we hoped it would. So today we’re asking You: Help us hope again. Help us trust that You’re still working, even when we can’t see the whole picture.
Lord, some of us are carrying heavy things right now, worry about family, health concerns, grief we didn’t expect to bring into this season, uncertainty about the future, or a deep sense of loneliness. So remind us today that Your promises don’t expire, and Your timing, even when it feels slow, is always right.
Would You bring hope to those places? Not fake optimism, not “put on a happy face,” but real hope. Hope rooted in who You are. Where we feel disappointed or overlooked, remind us that You see us. Where we’re anxious, bring peace. Where we’re hurting, bring comfort. Where we’re weary, bring rest. And where we’re waiting, give us patience and courage to trust You in the in-between.
Jesus, thank You that You came as Emmanuel, God with us. Thank You that You’re still with us now. And thank You that the story You’re writing in our lives isn’t finished yet. So as we light the candle of HOPE today, let it also be lit in our hearts. Let its flame remind us that even when things feel uncertain, Your love is steady, Your presence is real, and Your promises are true. We ask all this in Your name, Jesus.
Amen.
Song
Benediction
Be people of hope. Let hope live in your heart and share the hope of Christ with all you meet. Share hope by noticing someone else’s humanity. Share hope by listening to someone’s story. Share hope by praying for our world. In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share hope. As you go out into the wonder of God’s creations, share hope with those you meet.
Amen.