Scripture: 

Psalm 146:5-10 (NIV)

5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God. 6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—he remains faithful forever. 7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, 8 the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down the LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. 10 The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD.

Isaiah 35 (CEV)

1 Thirsty deserts will be glad; barren lands will celebrate and blossom with flowers.

2 Deserts will bloom everywhere and sing joyful songs. They will be as majestic as Mount Lebanon, as glorious as Mount Carmel or Sharon Valley. Everyone will see the wonderful splendor of the Lord our God. 3 Here is a message for all who are weak, trembling, and worried: 4 “Cheer up! Don’t be afraid. Your God is coming to punish your enemies. God will take revenge on them and rescue you.” 5 The blind will see, and the ears of the deaf will be healed. 6 Those who were lame will leap around like deer; tongues once silent will begin to shout. Water will rush through the desert. 7 Scorching sand will turn into a lake, and thirsty ground will flow with fountains. Grass will grow in wetlands, where packs of wild dogs once made their home. 8 A good road will be there, and it will be named “God’s Sacred Highway.” It will be for God’s people; no one unfit to worship God will walk on that road. And no fools can travel on that highway. 9 No lions or other wild animals will come near that road; only those the Lord has saved will travel there. 10 The people the Lord has rescued will come back singing as they enter Zion. Happiness will be a crown they will always wear. They will celebrate and shout because all sorrows and worries will be gone far away

Sermon Outline:  "The Promise of Hope"

Introduction: 

We begin a series of sermons for this Advent season called the “Promises of Christmas.” Advent is a season filled with the Promise of the arrival of Christ, and Christ's arrival would fulfill many promises. During the next few weeks, we’ll look at some of these promises that Christ came to fulfill. Let's begin with the first promise, the promise of hope. You know, there are three general ways in which people respond to this promise of hope that Jesus came to fulfill. Let’s briefly take a look at each of these responses.

First, we begin with the H_______ .

Second, there are the H_______ .

Third, and finally, there are the H_______ .

Conclusion: 

The Promise of Hope. Christ is the fulfillment of that hope and through him we can be a people of hope. The hopeless, the hoping and the hopeful. In which group do we belong in.