Isaiah 11：1-10
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
Romans 15:4-13
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.”
10 Again, it says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”
11 And again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples extol him.”
12 And again, Isaiah says,
“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.”
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
【Title】Hope: Faithful in the Present, Embracing God’s Promises
Morning, let us pray…
Introduction:
Brothers and sisters, let’s imagine something for a moment.
One morning, you wake up, pick up your phone, open a news app — and see a shocking headline:
“A complete ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine! Russian troops have fully withdrawn.”
You can hardly believe your eyes. You rush to check other sources, and to your astonishment, it is not a joke. Not an April Fool’s prank. Every major news outlet is reporting the same thing.
And just when you think the world cannot get any more surprising, more unbelievable headlines begin to appear, one after another:
- Israel and Palestine have reached full reconciliation.
- Online scam syndicates in northern Myanmar have completely disappeared overnight — and the criminals have returned stolen money to the victims.
- And across the world, every missing child and every trafficked woman has been safely returned home.
Not only that, even in our own daily lives, things begin to change. The weak are no longer bullied. Every human being’s basic needs are met. Corruption, exploitation, and deception vanish. In workplaces, there is no more backstabbing, favoritism, or selfish ambition. What remains is harmony, kindness, and righteousness—a world where every person knows the Lord and gives Him true worship.
Now, brothers and sisters, at this point you might be thinking,
“Pastor, are you having a fever?”
“Are you saying these things in your sleep?”
Please don’t worry — I’m perfectly well. My mind is very clear.
Because all of these bold — you could even say crazy — imaginations come directly from the Scripture that Sister Yenih just read for us: Isaiah chapter 11. And if you think my imagination is extreme, God’s vision is far greater and more astonishing.
- God’s Promise, Our Hope
God is not promising these exact headlines to happen tomorrow. But through the prophet Isaiah, He is revealing His grand vision:
There will come a day when this world will fully become the world of our Heavenly Father, when His will is finally and completely done on earth as it is in heaven. All creation will live in peace. The predator will no longer hunt the prey, no more “top” and “bottom” of the food chain, no more oppression, deception, or exploitation.
And why?
Because a King will come, and the whole world will be under His rule.
The Spirit of God will rest upon Him. He will have wisdom and understanding. He will see clearly into the deepest truths of every situation. He will have counsel and power to deal with even the most complex problems. And He will judge with a heart that fears the Lord.
He is unlike any human leader we have ever known. He will not be fooled by appearances. He will not be intimidated by the powerful. He will not be corrupted by selfish gain. His reign will be perfectly just and completely righteous.
He is a descendant of King David. And even though David’s royal line seemed cut down like a tree, God promises that from that stump, new life will grow again — a righteous King who will rule over all.
Brothers and sisters, if you have been in church for some time, you are probably familiar with this passage, with these words: a righteous King，the descendant of David, all things made new, harmony, joy, peace, and abundance…
For generations, this vision — this promise has been the living hope in the hearts of God’s people. Along with faith and love, hope is one of the three most important qualities in a Christian’s life. It draws our eyes to what lies ahead. It is the light in our hearts, the belief that sustains us in hard times, and the strength that empowers us to live and to witness.
Today, I want to invite each of you to reflect honestly:
What is the place of hope in your own heart? Is it truly your light and your strength? Or has it slowly become just a familiar word — one that sounds good, but no longer shapes the way you actually live?
Simply take a moment to feel what those words stir within you. Do they make your eyes light up, filling you with anticipation? Or is it the other way around — do they feel distant from your real life?
It’s not hard to understand why hope can feel distant. When we look at the world around us — the wars, the injustice, the broken relationships, the complicated work environment, the struggles in our own families — the gap between God’s promise and our reality can seem so wide that hope gradually fades away.
And sometimes, the problem is also that we misunderstand what Christian hope really is. We think hope is only about going to heaven one day. We think being a Christian means just waiting — waiting for God to act, waiting for a new heaven and a new earth to suddenly appear.
- God’s Faithfulness: the Foundation of Hope
Today’s Scripture readings deal with these 2 situations directly.
The Gospel reading brought us back to the time of Jesus, and we are reminded that God’s promises have already begun to be fulfilled in Him.
And the passage in Romans challenges us not just to wait, but to participate in what God is doing, even now.
In the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist appears on the scene to prepare the way for the coming King. He doesn’t preach in the busy city, but out in the wilderness — a dry, empty place. Yet people dropped what they were doing and came — from Jerusalem, from the towns, from the villages.
You see, it had been six to seven hundred years since their ancestors first heard the words of the prophet Isaiah. In all those long years, the Jewish people had gone through invasions, exile, destruction, and return. But the promised King had not appeared. Justice and peace had not come. They had hoped, they had doubted, they had grown tired.
Then one day, John cried out: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!”
He was saying: God is about to act. The King is coming.
He called people to repent — to turn back to God — because the One who was coming would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He would judge with righteousness and cleanse God’s people.
His message was so direct, so powerful, so stirring — how could they not be drawn to him?
The King that John proclaimed was Jesus Christ.
And when we look back through the Gospels, we see that God has already been faithful and trustworthy. He has already done what He promised — He sent His Son into the world. Jesus overcame sin. He broke the power of death. He reconciled humanity to God. He brought healing and renewal to all life and creation.
The Church and believers today stand right in the middle — between what God has already accomplished and what He has not yet fully completed. And that is why every Advent season is a reminder. a reminder that our hope has a solid foundation, and a promised future.
One beautiful expression of this hope can be seen in the paintings of Edward Hicks, a 19th-century Quaker artist and minister. He painted The Peaceable Kingdom at least 62 times. In the early versions, the animals lived together in harmony, led by a child. But as time went on, and as Hicks experienced the conflicts of the world around him, the predators in his paintings grew darker, fiercer, more threatening.
His art reflected the tension we feel too — the tension between the world as it is, and the world as God has promised it will be. His art also delivers the message that even as the world grows darker, God’s promise has never changed — and it will be completely fulfilled.
- Our Participation: Living Out the Hope
Along with this solid foundation of hope, as Christians, we are also truly participating in what we are hoping for.
One way we participate is through sincere repentance. Before Jesus came onto the public scene, John the Baptist called people to repent, to prepare their hearts for the coming of God’s kingdom. And today, we are called to do the same — to turn back to God and to prepare our hearts for the full fulfillment of His promises.
Among those who came to John were the Pharisees and the Sadducees — religious leaders, respected teachers. But John saw their true intentions. They thought going through the water would make them feel better, as though a simple ritual could fix their hearts.
After all, they had what they saw as an advantage — they were descendants of Abraham. They were the ones with authority to interpret the Scriptures. But John did not hold back. He made it clear that an outward washing was not enough. Repentance is not just about feeling bad for the past. What God is looking for is a new heart and a changed life. “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Matt 3:8)
So, brothers and sisters, as we enter the season of Advent and Christmas, let’s remind ourselves what this season is truly about. It’s not mainly about shopping. It’s not about parties. It’s not even about the gifts. It’s about hope — and about turning our hearts back to God.
As we look back over this past year, it’s a good time to pause and reflect.
How is my relationship with God?
Has my life really grown?
Am I becoming more mature in my faith, or am I just staying the same?
And there is actually a very practical way to see the answer. We can look at how we treat other people.
How do we treat our family members? Our neighbors? Our co-workers? Our brothers and sisters in church? Even the people we don’t really know? The way we treat others is a mirror. It reflects our relationship with God. It shows what is really happening in our hearts.
Jesus did not only reconcile us to the Father — He also changed the way people relate to one another. He brought deep, radical change to human relationships. And that means we must make real, practical decisions to align our lives with God’s reign.
When Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, the church was divided. There were Jews and Gentiles. Rich and poor. Strong and weak. The strong looked down on the weak. The Jews felt superior to the Gentiles.
But Paul gave them a very clear command:
“Accept one another, just as Christ has accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”
God broke down the walls of status, race, background, and identity. He welcomes all kinds of people into His family. That in itself is a radical act of grace.
No matter where you come from.
No matter how strong or weak your faith is.
In Christ, you are accepted. You belong. You are God’s child.
And because we have been accepted by God, we are now called to accept one another – sincerely, humbly, without judging, without despising.
Jesuit theologian Peter van Breemen says，one of the deepest needs of the human heart is to be accepted and valued. every human being wants to be loved, and acceptance is a deeper love. We all crave to be accepted, accepted for who we are, not for what we have done or achieved or merited.
We should accept each other, but we need to understand acceptance correctly. It does not mean letting someone do whatever they want, or agreeing with everything they think or say. Any parent of young children knows this: saying no to unreasonable demands, or guiding a child when they make mistakes, doesn’t conflict with truly accepting them.
Acceptance also doesn’t mean having no boundaries. Real acceptance is about respecting the person for who they are. You and I are different—what I like, you might not; your interests might not be mine. Our backgrounds, cultures, experiences, even habits, can be completely different. But I won’t force you to be like me. I respect your uniqueness, and I want to understand you. When you need support, I’ll offer it in ways that truly help you and are responsible—not just letting everything slide.
True acceptance can be risky, we have to open up to embrace the unknown, to let go of our own perspective, step out of our own world, and even pay a cost.
Come Back, Barbara is co-written by Pastor Miller and his daughter Barbara Miller Juliani. It tells the real-life story of a family broken by a daughter’s rejection of her Christian upbringing — and their eventual reconciliation.
Barbara declared at age 18, “Mom, Dad, I don’t want your rules and morals. I don’t want to act like a Christian anymore! And I’m not going to,” She faced many struggles in her life—she felt lost, unsure, and made many unwise choices. But the people around her, esp her parents, cared for her, prayed for her, listened patiently, and helped her step by step. They didn’t agree with every decision she made, there’re lots of pains and tears. But they accepted her as she was, supporting her in ways that truly helped her grow.
Brothers and sisters, when we choose to accept one another in Christ, we are not just being kind people. We are actually participating in the fulfillment of God’s promise.
When the Lord Jesus returns, I don’t know if the world God promised will appear as magically as I sometimes imagine. But I am certain of this: when every believer, with the help of the Holy Spirit, turns to God and sincerely accepts one another, our hope has already begun to take shape. The church becomes a living witness, a vessel through which God’s power flows. The harmony and peace God has promised will be within our reach.
Let’s pray, Father, we thank you for the wonderful vision you reveal to us. You share your dream with us because you want us to experience your faithfulness, and to be part of your plan. Please let your vision be our vision, and help us to be your faithful witness.
Now, friends, I want to invite you into a very honest moment with God.
In your heart right now, think of one person you find very hard to accept. It may bring up pain. It may bring up anger. It may even bring up shame or confusion. You don’t need to lift a hand or look around — this is just between you and the Lord.
Please pray with me:
Father God, You see our hearts more clearly than we see our own. You know the places in us that are wounded, guarded, and afraid. And so I confess… there is someone I struggle to accept. Sometimes I don’t understand them. Sometimes they’ve hurt me. Sometimes I simply don’t want to open my heart.
But today, I bring him /her before You.
Please show me what I cannot see in myself. Gently reveal my blind spots. Soften the hard places in my heart. Take away pride, resentment, fear, and replace them with Your love. Heal what is broken in me. Teach me to love the way You love, to forgive the way You forgive, to accept as I have been accepted by You.
And now, Lord, I lift up this person into Your hands. You love them even more than I ever could. Touch their life. Meet them in their brokenness, confusion, and need. Surround them with mercy. Lead them into Your light. And in Your time, bring reconciliation, understanding, and peace where there has been distance.
We place both ourselves and this person into Your loving hands. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
