Beyond Sunday S2: Hope in the Now and Not Yet
Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.
Biblical hope is not optimism. In fact, the most hopeful people in the Bible often had very few reasons to believe that things would get better for them any time soon. But biblical hope is based not in circumstances but in the unchanging character of God. It’s this kind of hope that anchors the entire hymn. Israel waits in exile, just as we often wait in our own wildernesses. The “not yet” is real—things are still broken—but the promise is just as real: “Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” The refrain calls us to rejoice not in what we see, but in what is promised. Our hope is not wishful thinking—it’s rooted in the faithfulness of God who came once in Bethlehem and will come again in glory. We can rejoice, not because all is fulfilled yet, but because fulfillment is coming. This dynamic tension of the now and not yet is the essence of Advent… and the reality of being a Jesus-shaped church. Will we embrace the hope being offered this Christmas season?
Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.
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00:00–02:00 - Introduction to the episode and theme of hope for the first Sunday of Advent
02:00–05:30 - Explanation of Advent themes through the lens of “now and the not yet” and introduction of O Come, O Come Emmanuel as series focus
05:30–08:00 - Biblical hope defined as trust in God’s character, distinct from optimism or wishful thinking
08:00–10:00 - Living in tension of waiting with God’s presence; difference from Old Testament waiting
10:00–13:30 - Scripture reflection on Isaiah 2 and Romans 13 related to obedience, urgency, and living in God’s light
13:30–17:00 - Discussion of the fall, God’s pursuit of relationship, and hope rooted in God’s faithfulness
17:00–19:00 - Reflection on the disciples’ perspective on Jesus’ first coming and leaving; Pentecost and Spirit’s role
19:00–22:00 - Application: what hope looks like practically, including worship from where you are emotionally
22:00–27:00 - Authenticity in hope—holding hard emotions while receiving God’s blanket of hope
27:00–30:30 - Learning unforced rhythms of grace by holding on to God in struggle
30:30–31:50 - Closing reflections on ongoing hope and encouragement to wrestle with scripture in community
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Hey guys, welcome to another episode of the Beyond Sunday podcast where where we desire to take the conversation deeper and go beyond Sunday. I'm joined with Pastor Sherea. How you doing today? >> I'm good. How are you? >> I'm good. Uh as you can see out my window, uh we might see we might see daylight today. My gosh, it's just I was reminded yesterday it's just going to keep getting darker for another 19 days. >> That's terrible. >> I know. That was
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>> Thank goodness that we're talking about hope this week. >> I know. >> Nice. >> Yeah, >> nice segway. >> We have hope. We can be hopeful. So, before we dive into the conversation, take a look at this video. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Okay, welcome back as we uh dive into the conversation and discussion. Shar, what was the big idea scriptures we were in for this first Sunday of Advent? So, typically it's uh the words or the themes of Advent, but first Sunday is
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hope. And so, that was no different for us. Uh but what was the the big idea in the some of the scriptures? >> Yeah. So the season of Advent uh or this year for Advent we are talking about the traditional weekly um themes of hope and peace and all of that but but through the lens of the now and the not yet. So having hope in the now and the not yet which is essentially this idea um we talk about it frequently because we live in this tension this space of uh what exists currently and the not yet that's
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promised um the the restored new heaven, new earth um that we've been promised. And so we live in this tension knowing what's coming but also uh what exists currently. And so what's it look like to have hope in that kind of a space? Um that was a big idea. And all of this for us this year um which is uh my favorite part I think of Advent this year is that it's through this uh uh series theme of O come Emanuel which is my favorite Christmas carol. Um, but the I I talked about this on Sunday, but I thought it
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was cool that we sat down to plan this out and we were like, >> "What if we took a different carol every Sunday and talked about the theology?" Because Christmas carols are rich with theology and biblical truth and whatever. And so, uh, as we did that, it felt like we were like, "Okay, which one's good for hope? Um, oh come o come Emanuel." And then next week we're like, "Which one's good for this? O come Emanuel." And it just uh became clear pretty quickly like maybe it's just one
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song, maybe it's just this one song. And so um that for me is is probably going to be my favorite part this year. Um is just there's there's so much in that carol. Um and we get to just kind of spend a month in that with this reminder. Um there's a tension even in the carol of this the verses are crying out like oh come um >> come all the different names for Jesus but like oh come and then the the chorus is this refrain of like rejoice and so there's this tension even in the carol
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of like things are not good yet and we still need you to come y >> and yet we'll rejoice even now. >> Yeah. Yeah. And that it was kind of cool how in the planning and praying through the preparation of this that that was the the Christmas song, the the hymn that uh kept rising to the surface of know this one. And I remember we when we were looking at each of the Sundays of Advent, we're like, well, maybe it's maybe it's here in in joy. Um uh maybe it's in in peace. And we
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at a certain point we got through um prepping and praying through all the Sundays of Advent, we're like, I think it's I think it's this song >> every week >> for every week. And it was I think it was it was interesting how God just led us into that space. It just was um uh we even have it uh in the calling out that in each that in each refrain of the song there is um just the a deep longing um a an anticipation right which is what Advent is is this anticipation of the coming king Jesus is
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coming to earth and and that in in each one of those uh verses and and um part of the the hymn and the song is Messiah has been promised and he is coming and and he is coming again. >> Yeah. Which is essentially the idea of hope is um and and that's what we talked about Sunday, right? Hope isn't optimism. It isn't um even even we we use it so um I was going to say flippantly, but I don't know if that's even the right way, but we talk about all the time like gosh, I really hope uh
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you know, I hope it doesn't snow. I hope the food here is good. I hope whatever the thing is. And we just we we use that word a lot. But biblical hope is this idea of like um because I trust the character of God. It's it's a trust. It's like because I trust who you are, God, there is hope. Yeah. >> Everything around me might not make sense. Everything around me might be a mess, >> but I trust who you are. So, there's hope, >> right? And in the in the scripture we
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were in, uh one of them was um Matthew 24 and Jesus is telling his disciples uh to to to be ready uh that you don't know the day or the hour of the Lord is coming. And and he's reminding them be ready. And uh there is a sense too for us here that in this advent season to be ready, be ready for uh for Christ to come again, be ready, be prepared, be be stay alert. Uh one of the questions I asked as this was a family service. I asked the kids like, "Have you ever thought what if I slept through
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Christmas?" You know, and and in the moment I thought, "Oh, this is probably a question no kid has ever thought." And um in the same kind of way uh for Jesus giving a warning to the disciples and encouraging them stay alert. Uh there is a sense though that in our own life that if we aren't intentional with staying alert and and being aware having a holy kind of hope and anticipation for Christ to come again then we do slip unintentionally into just like going through meandering
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through life and um you know almost like eyes are closed in the dark room or whatever just feeling our way through and that's not actually how God's called us to live, right? This this hope isn't wishful thinking, >> right? >> This hope is like you said in in because it's found founded on the nature and character of a God who is faithful. >> Yeah. Yeah. He hasn't failed. He hasn't failed yet. Um and that's why I think even in the carol it's beautiful because
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it's really written from this perspective of um the first coming, right? like but there's so much like that resonates and I I guess also that's the other piece is like for us uh where we exist in the story we have so much reason to hope because >> um and and that was for me that was what was even kind of clicking was um so yes out of Matthew 24 like we need to be ready but what's it look like in the waiting what's it look like to wait well um and to recognize like there's some
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things I think that God calls us or invites us to do in the waiting. Um, and and we we talked about those and kind of called those out as an application. But beyond that, the other the other piece that's like almost overwhelming, what was almost overwhelming for me in the moment on Sunday was this reflection or reminder that we wait with the presence of God. So unlike um or or different than those in the Old Testament waiting for a Messiah where uh sure the spirit of God is among the people uh in in various ways throughout
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the story right in the tabernacle in the temple whatever um Jesus has come and because of what Jesus has done on the cross and because of uh him existing now as our high priest like we that we wait in the presence of God. So yes, we live in the now. Um we live waiting, longing for the not yet. But we don't live absent from relationship with the father. We don't live absent from the present. Um that is like I don't know there's something in that like how could I not have hope when when God had promised all
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along that he would send a Messiah and send a savior and he was true to his word. And in doing that, what we what we're left with is his spirit. Um so even in the now, even in the brokenness, even in the waiting. Um gosh, we're not waiting absent from God. >> Right. Yeah. And I um it was I was sent this verse. It was one of the verses we were in on Sunday, and I was sent it uh on on Monday, the next day. Um, and it's Isaiah 2:5. It says, "Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the
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Lord." >> Uh, for you, um, it >> it's a this scripture is a is a hard one in the midst of like they're in exile. This is not going well. >> They have chosen poorly and they've been disobedient to God. Uh and and along with with that piece of of like this call out to remain to to remain hopeful that God didn't change but um uh with along with what was sent to me was this like uh the thought of like we lack we lack nothing in God's in in in God's economy when we
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when we have the Lord when we're found found in him when he's with us, we lack nothing. Yet, you know, God wants our obedience. He wants he wants us to uh um choose him. And so often we can find ourselves not choosing him and sinning and being disobedient. Um and when we when you're reading Isaiah, Isaiah in chapter 2, that's what's taking place. they're being called out like um his presence isn't with you because not because he doesn't want to be with you, but because you've chosen something else
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that you'd rather have. Um and and so, you know, he wants our obedience first and everything should should slow down for us if we do that and future decisions will be will be the right ones. I I think even probably in this season as well, we can get so stirred up with lots of things going on or or whatnot and um like you talked about the waiting like forget like we can forget the stillness, the waiting for God. And when we do that, he makes it clear here's what I have for you. >> Here's the goodness.
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>> Yeah. which is the so then the tiein we were also uh from the RCL in Romans 13 because it's it's what you were just talking about. So Romans 13 there's a almost a list of like what you uh what we should and shouldn't do, right? So like um and it it it almost feels like it brings Matthew and Isaiah together because it's like there's an urgency. Time's running out. Wake up. Your salvation is near and now um the night's almost gone. So then then Paul's listing like remove your dark
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deeds. Uh put on the shining armor. Uh don't participate in darkness of wild parties, drunkenness. Da da da. He this list of things we're not supposed to participate in. But then the last verse says instead clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that for me was such a like okay so we are it. It's all the things you just said tie up into this one space of like yes there's an urgency. Yes. Uh, we don't know when it's coming, but we know like even Paul's call Paul Paul's call
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out of like I don't know when it's coming, but what I do know is it's closer now than it was yesterday. So like we should be ready and and we shouldn't look like the darkness of the world. We should be a light. How do we do that? Remember, we're people of the presence. Clothe yourself in the presence. >> Um, >> and there's I don't know. There's just something in that of like uh that's where the that's where the promise is. That's where the hope comes from because
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>> the tragedy of the fall in Genesis 3 is not removal from the Garden of Eden. >> And sometimes I think that I mean that's like a side effect, right? So like well darn what a beautiful great place that we were designed to live and to rule and to reign with God in. But the tragedy of the fall is like, hey, you were designed for relationship, close relationship with me, to partner with me, and that has to look different now. And then, and we talk about this all the time, but I guess it was highlighted for me this
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week because that I can trust the character and nature of God because he even while he's still in the process of piecing the world back together, he was like, I'm not waiting for relationship with you. So, I will I will bring my spirit to the tabernacle, to the temple, and then in you because those weren't good enough. Um, >> a God who pursues like that, who who prioritizes relationship with us like that, not because of anything we've ever done, but because of who he is, like
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that's where hope comes from. >> Yeah. Yeah. And I wonder too that the that idea of being clothed in in the presence of God uh and and his presence with us that it it in this reconciling work that God is doing and he's inviting us to partner in, right? Paul calls that out um in in to the Corinthians and and for us too that this we're a part of this partner. we can be invited to be a part of this partnership of this recon uh reconciliation uh work that God is is desiring to do.
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And I and I wonder if that's because you you talked about like piecing this world back together. I wonder if this is actually just a blanket of the new, right? That's the hope, this new, the second coming. There's a a righteousness, the righteousness of God, the righteousness of Jesus, the that when we come to him, confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us. That's it. That's it. That's for that's for me, but it's also for the world. And then it and then it no longer
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looks like it once did. It actually looks brand new, >> right? >> And and that's that that clothing. I I'm going to I'm going to wrap my presence around you. I'm going to fill you. Um, and and I I guess for me that's where it lands on that this hope again isn't wishful thinking, but founded on something so much deeper and bigger and something I couldn't create and that I and I couldn't hold on to. I can I can live into. I can accept. I can I can walk faithfully and obediently, but I
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haven't created anything where I I have I have that hope that it's something that I've made or or thought up, >> right? >> Yeah. Well, so I'm uh laughing because so spoiler alert, but we're going to talk about blankets this coming Sunday. Did you Did you know there's a science behind blankets? I'm actually pretty excited about this. >> I bet you are. I bet I bet you I bet you have a blanket right now. >> Okay, mind your business. It's good.
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Okay. Um, but yes, that image that uh yeah, I don't want to I don't want to get ahead of myself, but this that idea of the blanketing um and in that the other piece of what you were just saying there's like we can have hope because we've already seen him do this like we've >> we live in maybe that's what this is is like and maybe this is what is so okay so this is true of scripture too but maybe what's so beautiful about this song um that that it felt like God had
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kind of given us is that the cry out in that song we live in we live now in a space that was being cried out for before like >> the cry of the Jewish people like come uh we need a Messiah uh we're waiting for this savior we live now in a space where that's already happened and so like >> we can hope because he's already we we've already seen him do it. We live in that space now. And it's a true I called this out on Sunday too because sometimes the disciples I don't know they get a
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bad rap because I I I guess I as I was reading Matthew 24 I had this picture of the disciples um like I wonder probably especially Peter because I uh I think I resonate with him. There's got to be this like are you serious? Are you serious Jesus? Like I don't know. They've spent their entire lives growing up being told that there's going to be a Messiah that shows up and then he does and he calls them and I have to imagine that there's a certain space of like wow like in my existence
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in my lifetime the Messiah is here. Like that's huge. Um and I'm I'm being called by him and I'm going to walk with him and I'm going to be one of his followers. Like and then he's like, "Yeah, and just so you know also like I'm going I'm leaving." And I I just like they just they've watched him die on a cross and they've watched him rise and there's got to be this like are you serious right now because we waited a really long time for you and you haven't
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been here for very long. Um and and then they get the presence, right? Pentecost happens in the spirit. We live after all of that. So like I there's there's a certain level and I don't say this um like I don't know flippantly I guess but because I know that there's hard and there's hurt and in fact in the last month um we've we've experienced that we've walked through that with many of our people like some really hard things. So I know that to be true but I also
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recognize like we sit in a place where we've watched we've seen what God's done already over and over and over again. So why wouldn't I hope because he doesn't his his character doesn't change and the hope is not if my hope is not in the circumstance it's in the character of God then that that stands every time. >> Yeah. Yeah. And and uh then it ought to look different too. >> And and we talked about that on Sunday and some of the uh application like what
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does it look like then to be a people of hope? uh is it it ought to it ought to look and sound different than than what the world uh you know pines after or offers, you know, in in uh hope of of I don't know just the next the next season life getting better. It's like, well, regardless of the circumstances, um, my hope is founded on uh on on on God with us, on on Jesus, Emanuel, and it looks different and sounds different. And we can still go through hard stuff and trials and you know life um may take its twists and and
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turns. Um but dang it we we ought to we're going to be a people of hope the world ought to notice. >> Yeah. Well, yeah, that's it. We ought to look different and the world ought to notice. And also because God doesn't change um whatever whatever space we're in, wherever the hope whatever hope we can muster, um God can God can hold. I guess that that also was landing for me. So, when we were looking when I was looking at application, >> um there were a few things that felt
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like uh God was like, "Here, here's what it looks like to wait to wait with hope." Um but in those recognizing like like I don't know um sometimes all in a really hard season like I just talked about we have a couple we we we both have people in our circles in our congregations who have had a hard few weeks and in that space maybe all they can muster is like I believe God I believe I'm struggling to feel hope right now or I'm struggling to be grateful or express gratitude because
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honestly what I'm walking through sucks. But I can say I believe um and and because of who God is and because he doesn't change. I actually think that's enough sometimes to just like man this is hard and it's not okay God and it hurts. But I do believe I do believe you. I just believe who you are. Believe what you say. Um or maybe it is that call out. I think we talked about this at the top but that and that call out of like uh what's it look like to give thanks and rejoice? Um, not because
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things are good, not because we live in in the the perfection of the not yet, but because God doesn't change because I trust the character and nature of God. Um, and so there's there's different spaces. Um, and and then sometimes like, yeah, sometimes the the idea of living in hope is like the places I show up in, it's going to affect those places. I'm gonna it's going to make them look different because what I'm actually going to do is show people the hope. Yeah. >> Um, in the way that I'm showing up and I
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We talked about this last year. I also really liked last year's Advent series. Um we talked about like uh plastic emotions and how oftentimes so often at Christmas there's this expectation that I have to just be merry and jolly and happy all month long. Um I don't want to like ruin the vibe or ruin the mood or whatever. And so we just kind of put on this face and whatever. But the truth is like there's hard things. um like uh brokenness doesn't take a break for December. And so yeah,
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>> in that um in that space, I think the beauty of hope is actually hope gets to stand even when my world is falling apart. Yes. >> Or even when it doesn't make sense or even when I'm un like even the this idea of uh giving banks is the Hebrew word, right? We've been talking about this all week. Um, but even in that space there's like actually what you're what's happening right now makes no sense. It it I I don't understand it. It hurts. It's whatever. But I do trust you, God.
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So I'll give thanks. I I will praise you. Um like sometimes that's all I have. Like I I >> And that's the idea of like okay Lord. >> Yeah. >> Right. And we and or like here I um I can't carry it. I know I'm not meant to carry it. So I I lay and and even have you talking about emotions or just thoughts or or the things we've been carrying in. Um will we bring that to God? Like even thinking of coming into worship on Sunday, we've asked what what are what are the thoughts, emotions
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you're bringing in and and will you trust God with and offer it to him? And might he might he fill those spaces and restore the uh uh and give strength uh to the weariness and and um uh again I think make new right he with his presence might he fill those pa places that you are now like okay here I wasn't meant to carry this and I did for a while I you know forgive me and and Lord I I can't I'm I'm weary I'm tired um and I I need you. I need your presence. I need you with me.
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>> Yeah. I think man, we we started Sunday and actually the plan is to start every Sunday in Advent with the mood meter for exactly what you're talking about. So we we opened the the service with that of like, hey, what like before we even start worship? Um can you call out where you're at right now? And and then can you worship from that place? We're not calling this out because you need to change or or adjust before you can enter into worship. we're calling it out because what's it look like to actually
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worship from that space. >> Um, but even as you're talking, I >> I think that's important always, but again, this time of year and maybe it's because of Advent and we, you know, we talk so much about hope and joy and peace and love. There's this idea sometimes where it's like, okay, I actually have to set down >> the broken, the hard, the heavy, the whatever to set that down and I'm just supposed to hold hope this week or I'm just supposed to hold peace. And what
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you talked about earlier of the blanketing, it's like I I actually think the kind of hope and peace and and joy that God's offering. Um it's like you hold the hard things you're holding, I'm going to cover you with a blanket of hope. And that that's what looks different because here's the other piece. If I show up in a broken world around me and say like, "Let me tell you about hope and love and joy and I'm not also offering like, hey, I've experienced the brokenness. I exist in
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the brokenness, then that hope is just a fake like plastic decoration and people are like, "Great. I'm so glad that your life is good and you can have hope." But if I'm willing to show up like actually I'm carrying the same garbage that you're carrying and God's covered me with this hope or this peace or whatever, um that looks different. >> It does. It actually looks It looks honest, transparent. It's like I I I have carried and and then God has helped to um unbburden me in some ways. I'm
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still learning. I'm still growing. He's But in in some ways, he's helped to to pull these I've released them maybe or pulled away that I'm not carrying all of it and I'm still learning to unload uh the the burdens that I am not meant to carry. >> Uh and and when we do that, >> might it look lighter? >> Right. >> Right. Might it might it sound lighter? >> Yeah. Might it be those spaces that we um have the hope of God that's not plastic or fake
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but we can call out those ways that it's like but it's this is real. >> Yeah. >> This hope is real because because the God who offers it is real. >> It's real and it's available before we do anything. Yeah. like we don't have to. Um, yeah, I think that I think probably for both of us, we've found we we know to be true that there's an unbburdening or a a um lightning that comes in those spaces. But actually like also I don't know you know you know when like
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sometimes when things are hard okay we we talk about this all there often um because there's also science behind like so dumb I know there's like science behind hugs right and some of us in this world are not big huggers but science says that it does I don't honestly know what the science says but something about what it does to your brain but that's the image that that is coming to mind is like in those spaces when I'm holding something hard if if I'll step into worship or the throne room and like
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God here's what I'm carrying and I actually don't know if I can I don't know even how to put it down. I I can't even get there. He's like I'll just hold you. I'll hold you and that right now. You don't have to let go. Yeah. >> Um we'll get there. Um and actually and I what I know to be true in my life is that there what he invites is like yes, you can lay this down and I'll carry that burden and you don't have to hold it. But even before that moment, there's
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this there's this space of like I'm just going to hold you. >> Yes. I'm going to hold you uh and that thing and you're going to learn as you as I hold as you hold on to me and I hold on to you, you're going to learn these unforced rhythms of grace. >> All right? >> Right. As we come back to Matthew 11, right? And there there is a beauty in that because that that is this relationship with God and God with us is that we we get to learn from him as we as we hold on to him, as he's holding
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us. Um, yeah, I don't immediately show up and I'm like, man, I'm a much better person now. I I've learned all to let go of some of these things that that used to like really rise up within me. And no, I'm like still learning, but I'm learning from him >> to these practice and practices. He's learning these unforced rhythms of grace of like, oh, thank you, Lord. Because that's that's the that's the the yoke that's lighter, the burden that's easier.
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>> Yeah. Feels like being covered with a blanket. >> Yeah. or or held. >> Yeah. >> Well, uh, as we wrap this up, I don't know, that all just felt pretty chairos. Uh, >> it really did. It felt like it felt like we didn't start there, but the the three threequarters of this conversation was Chyros. >> Yeah. Okay. So, anything else you need to call out before we wrap this up or you feel like you've already been there? >> Yeah, I'm good. That I'm likely this
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will just keep unfolding. That's the hope, right? That's the idea of of the Beyond Sunday podcast of this conversation that we've been having for over a year and uh have I've enjoyed and just the space to um like in this kind of way. It just kept unfolding more of clarity and understanding about what God is inviting us into uh what God with us in Advent is, what Emanuel uh is and is now and what it will be uh in the in the not yet. or not. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And that's what we hope for all of you also.
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Um that these again uh we're a year into this, but the the hope has not changed that you guys are having spaces to have these conversations um to to wrestle and even like what we just got to experience like God just uh sometimes it feels like God gets to sit down with us on the podcast. So >> yeah. Yeah. So uh we hope and pray that you're having these conversations as well. um that you have some community where you can wrestle with scripture um because that's what's been really uh a
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huge blessing for us. So uh have a great rest of the week and we'll see you next time.
