Living in Hope

What are the customers that Christmas season is the movie It's a Wonderful Life. You probably never seen trailer is like that for it. Definitely not when the movie came out but it starts to show the power of this movie is considered to be one of the most inspirational and the best love movies in American Cinema. And yet often we just have it on the TV and we watch it not taking in all the messages that are contained within it is a powerful story and soap for the Advent season. We are looking at it as we lead into Christmas so that from that we might the lean some truth about Humanity in the world. I find the the movies that we watched the most resonate with us that people like it's because we see what is really true in the world both the good and the bad and we're able to see that and it resonates with us. And so we need to see what would are soaked the story that God gave us that we can see it in the midst of that movie and that's why that's why we turn to it. That's what we trust do it. That's why we love watching it and seeing it. Last week we talked about injuring in the midst of Darkness how we are to make it through the rough times, but that's just phase one. In order to endure we need to do it while living in hope the word Advent means coming to remember the way Jesus came the first time but we also remember that someday Jesus will return until then we wait. We wait and we enjoy the darkness in a world that is hurting but it we more than indoor. We have hope we have hope of the second Advent of the Glorious Kingdom not somehow created by mankind, but hope in something greater in the greater. Good hope that rises above our day-to-day existence of this world Our Lives. We must live in Hope.

On December 17th, 1927 the usss for an eight-year-old S Class submarine was running submerged just off the coast of Providence Town, Massachusetts speed and maneuverability test between two white buoys that marked the beginning and end of a measured nautical mile. But I find the surface the Coast Guard Destroyer uscgc Paulding was heading Southeast making 18 knots as they search for Rum Runners for carrying their legal product across the bay to Thirsty buyers in Boston at 3:37 in the afternoon the S4 began to surface the officer aboard the deck on the Paulding scanning the see-through cynoculars spotted The Tell-Tale weight of a periscope close on the port bow in the order, but it wasn't fast enough the Paulding Ram the sub a section of her bio telescoping into S4s hole in punching two holes when in a ballast tank and one in the pressure Hull freezing water flooded. The sub causing her to heal to the port and begin to sink by the bow Paulie's crew immediately mark their positions on a on a chart and radioed their superiors when the Destroyer came to a halt. One of the lifeboats was lowered over the side. I'll let found was a small oil slick, which the men on board marked with a buoy on the bottom a hundred and ten feet down S4 screw with scrambling to bring the situation under control men in the battery compartment stuff clothing in the two foot long gash in the pressure Hull. It was soon clear that the water could not be denied other survivors in the control room at this point. The man were probably concerned but not hopeless 7 years before the entire crew of ss. S5 have been rescued after their boat sank to a depth of nearly 200 feed and they managed to elevate the stem above water. S4 was not nearly that deepen still capable blowing her aft ballast tanks better yet. 34 of the 40 men on board were alive in the control room and room in the motor room only six men who have been stationed in the Torpedo Room were unaccounted for But the situation deteriorated quickly and form toxic chlorine gas, which quickly filled any space not yet occupied with water ventilation duct running between the battery room and control them remained opening soon the pressure the water Force the deadly gas into the compartment full of survivors. The gas was followed by a flood water members rush to close the valve that would sever the connection. But to no avail investigators would later determined that a section of curtain and become watching the valve preventing it from closing the controller. With water thousands of gallons of freezing sea water the men retreated. Two in the water in the control shorted out several the switchboards punching punching the boat Into Darkness as the ocean fill all the space. You could reach a board asked for the sound of Rushing Water died away and 34 men crammed into engine and motor rooms were left in cold dark silence. Wondering if they're six comrades in the Torpedo Room were already dead. Probably don don all of them by this point that when they banned in the control room. They also had banded any chance of them being able to surface on their own they could only hope that help would come in the world. Is the following morning the rescue ship USS Falcon arrived in Providence town to pick up 10 Navy divers who had been rushed to Cape Cod to assist in the rescue effort the events already arrived on the scene scene at 11 a.m. At 145 veteran dime diver Tomasetti splashed in the water 5 minutes later. He located the summit begin tapping on the hall searching for survivors. When he rapped on the torpedo loading hatch he was met by 6 slow Taps and reply indicating six men were alive in the space. But is he continued to ask his Taps were met with silence the 34 men in the engine of motor rooms had not survived the Night by this time the diver adding return to the surface and 25-year Lieutenant Graham flitch. And if I've enlisted men had been at the bottom of the ocean for nearly twenty-four hours at this point. I had spent most of the time wrapped in blankets flying in the Bronx set up between Torpedoes barely moving and breathing breathing slowly to conserve oxygen. Put the contact with the diver gave them. Hope as did the arrival of a sister sub the USS S8 switched her ask you later to pin a question to the men Down Below in Morse code. Is there any chlorine gas down there? No, but the air is very bad. How long will you be came to reply? How many are you sex please? Hurry went over the board S4 to the world above bring white saving Fresh Air with the weather and visibility were terrible and Michael's reported that his own Airline got fouled. How do you still exhausted from the first I went down again to save his friend, but cannot find the air hose that was supposed to attach the sub with the weather growing worse Falcon return to Boston with nearly dead. Michael's wooden the decompression chamber. He would survive any would be awarded the Medal of Honor for saving his life Lieutenant that were in the Torpedo Room were not so unfortunate unfortunate late. Monday has the storm raged overhead. He tapped a single word to s a hurry. Later, he tap the gun. Is there any hope the response there is hope everything possible is being done with the reply. But Finch must have down the time was running out on Monday night the man in S8 began sending out a message that had been related to them from the Navy Department Lieutenant your wife and mother constantly praying for you. They sent it out over and over again. It wasn't until 6:20 on Tuesday Morning 63 hours into the ordeal that a reply was received three shorts short Taps from Lieutenant Fitch the Taps meaning I understand it was the last communication received from S4. Define the weather finally let up on Wednesday in a diver was able to take their Airline down once more and hook it up to the sub. But when he tapped on the whole he received answer on the surface an officer took a sample, and it said that the air downstairs down there had so much carbon dioxide that no one could have survived on December twenty-three. The neighbor reported that all men aboard S4 were presumed dead. Almost exactly three months after their hair loss on March 17th, 1928 S4 return to the surface on huge pontoons by that time. The divers had already removed 32 bodies to in the engine room and 6 in the torpedo room. They were the only ones that remained. The story seems hopeless. And yet the men of the S4 would not die in vain after the boat was reconditioned recommissioned. She became a test platform for experiments with submarine rescue the Navy created a diving bell known as the McCann rescue chamber. How does small hanger hanger stripped up from another submarine taking it down if they put it into the ass for it when they read it and then they did tests on it and they were able to rescue every time from 60 feet to 300 feet people that were trapped in the sub. And so they had this now is a tool that would end up saving 49 lives in just a couple years later and also because of what happened with this accident they changed Sports for the Marine vessels for the Navy vessels that were on the water so that this would not happen again. The question comes back to us as we read such a sad story. Is there any hope what day Tapped Out? You see they couldn't do or so much. If they just knew there was hope hope you can do so much for us. It is a question that we asked as we look around our country. Sometimes as we look around the world. Is there any hope in dark times we ask this because if we have hope we can endure all things if we have hope we can do more than a door we can do amazing things. We will not be paralyzed and in fear about defeat instead with hope we can do Mighty things. The question is. Where does your Hope come from? In that story they were giving hope but their Hope was on other people on other vessels that did not arrive in time. Where does your Hope come from? It's a really important question more important than you know. Because where you put your hope. Will decide if you can make it an indoor hard times. If we look at the Isaiah passage a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse from his roots a branch will bear fruit. Joe said that he read the several times this week as you read it can give you such strength. Isaiah was one of the Old Testament prophecies that was pointing to an advent upcoming how coming upgrade hope they put their hope in the Messiah to come they had this hope that allowed them to endure all things. It goes further not just a coming Messiah but one who would bring great. Hope for the wolf will lot will live with the lamb. The leopard will lie down with the goat. The capitoline The Yearling together in a little child will weave them the car will feed the bear their young lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the ox the infant will play near the cobras Den the young child will put its hand into the Viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy any on all my Holy Mountain for the Earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea in that day. The root of Jesse will stand is a banner for the people the Nations will rally to him and his resting place will be glorious. The Hope to come would do things for them give them strength To do things to endure things that they never imagined possible. It is the same. That we want today. It's a hope that the world will be reborn renewed restored a world where a child doesn't have to worry about being assaulted by the poisonous things of the world. The world might does not make right where the strong do not Devour the weak. They waited the Advent of the Messiah the whole allowed them to endure so much. If you close your doors before 6 p.m. You will never heal.

Just remember that this thing isn't as black as it appeared.

I have some news for you folks. I just found an old man Potter and he's guaranteed cash payments to the Bank match going to reopen next week. When I asked him we don't need part over here we are on is on Joe's house. That's right next to yours. Kennedy house on this is Michael's house on $100. I got $242 in here and $242 isn't going to break anybody. Okay, Tom old man Parker play 50 Cent on the dollar.

I'd say a lot of us are like Tom. When were afraid we have no hope and so we grasp on I want all the money right now. no, hope no, hope George Bailey exhibited great hope he was on the way to his honeymoon had money with him to go enjoy time with the love of his life. And when he sees that there's a run on the bank the bank. He didn't want to take over the bank. He was hoping never to be a part of but after his father's. He had to take over he still ran to the bank did not continue on his honeymoon and she did but he still went He was trying to give them a message not as bad as it looks. But I'm still was putting his hope in the money in the bank that that $242 is something that he could have. Hope on. How often do we put our hopes on things that are not going to last not going to endure? and continues on

I need money until the bank opens.

I suppose $20 and I'll sign the papers. You don't have to sign anything. I know you.

George Bailey had hope in something greater had hope in something greater. Tom still had to take all of his money out, even though he was taking it straight from George didn't even give a little bit. He still thought his Hope was going to come from that money. And the second person I've had more but money in the bank than Tom. We have lost more money if you didn't get it back, but he was willing to say I'm willing to put hope in something bigger something greater and only takes $20. And then the lady said 1750 at the end of the day. It was $2 left. And that bank was going to endure all because George Bailey had hope and something else. This is the perfect time for her to just Building loans gone guess I can go be an engineer now I can do something new, but he had hoped in something greater. this movie comes after The Great Depression happens at a time when if we look at that time people lost hope One picture up there is of a boardroom is the crash was happening in the guy leaving and jumping out the window. It's not many pictures of that because it's not like they had cameras around or less than the phones all the time. This is one of the few pictures seen that most of the other ones are pretty Grim because it shows what happened after they landed on the ground.

Because money was gone. You've lost hope so much that he jumped out the window. People who gave up hope that the community would come together. The government would help that anybody would be able to help them and they start to put children up for sale. I don't know what else to do to help their children. They have lost hope when we lose. Hope we do things that are terrible. We do things that we regret. We cannot lose.

Where did your help come from? If your hope comes from a government or an elected official you are often not going to receive the hope you expect if your hope comes from your bank account that can do can go away. If your help comes from your health and up things you're able to do that too can be taken away Stripped Away. Where does your Hope come from it? Is it something strong? Is it something that's going to ask something that is going to endure. Tell me turn to Matthew in Osage John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea saying repent for the kingdom of has come near. This is he who is spoken of the prophet Isaiah voice when calling in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord make straight paths for him John's clothes were made of camels hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and Honey Jack the Baptist had trust in the coming Advent the coming Messiah. Holy Foods. Most of us wouldn't want to eat locusts. Steven wild honey when you get sick of that after a while, but he didn't care. What was it was? It was the kingdom to come? The first half had that what happened he trusted and that was his hope the New Kingdom would come he would endure desert and Locust because of the Hope to come. People went out to him from Jerusalem lgd in the whole region of Jordans confessing their sins. They were baptized in by him in the River Jordan. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was backed up baptizing he said to them you brood of vipers you to flee the coming Wrath. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance do not think you can say to yourself. We have Abraham as our father. I tell you that one of these Stones God can raise up for children for Adam the ax is already at the root of the tree every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. These Pharisees and Sadducees not trusting and hope they knew the stories from the Old Testament. They knew of the Kingdom The Hope to come but they came out there looking for a back-up plan an insurance policy, but they were really stuck in the powers of the world if they were holding on to their power their Prestige their money. They did not have enough hoping the Messiah in the Kingdom to come to really change to become truly right righteous to become. Holy before God when you have true. Hope you are able to avoid the evil and corrupt ways of this world. Yes, you're going to be tested things going to be.

But you are tempted with because you have hope and something greater. This is the last clip that I'm going to show you this week from its 127 paying your bills you able to keep saying.

If this young man 28 weather, there's no intelligent.

Young man we've been dying to get out on his own ever since he was born a young man is trapped trapped in his life away playing nursemaid to a lot of garlic eaters. Play Phantogram pictures.

How much are Point are 2,000 dollars a year?

You wouldn't mind living in the nicest house and down behind your wife a lot of buying both a couple of business trips, New York Europe. You wouldn't mind that. What you doing?

If you're not talking to somebody else around here. All right, and I'll do the dishes me you remember me George Bailey George Bailey.

omeprazole

Well, I wonder if it would be possible for you to give me 24 hours to think it over and talk about it to you. Okay, George. Okay, that's fine.

Now wait a minute. Here. We are in your spin your little webbed a whole world revolves around spider.

Good for you.

George Bailey who would always done the right thing. Always done. The right thing was before mr. Potter. Mr. Potter does what the world does to all of us dangles before us other things that seem better that sound better. Dangling it in front of him. Knows exactly what to do Puffs him up remind him of his his hopes his aspirations that he had tell you what I'll do this for you things that would need his dreams.

so much so Peter Bailey almost takes the deal Until it reaches out and shakes, mr. Potter's and Lifeless cold hand and he could feel it. He could feel it. He knew that as soon as he accepted that offer and changed his Hope from hoping God open the world open others. Hope and Community hope and greater things. That he too would begin to die away that he would be start to become like mr. Potter cold and lifeless having Hope come from money and things of this world.

Where does your Hope come from? I hope and pray that your hope comes from the Lord comes from something that can never be stripped of all things. When we have hope in something higher something greater the second Advent Christ returning. And we have hope in something that cannot be stripped away from us taken away from us. No matter what happens the world where we get trapped in a sub whether our bank accounts are wiped out. Nobody can take away the hope that comes from Christ. So this Christmas so far we've learned that we need to endure the darkness that there are going to be times that are dark and we need to to make it through to endure through but the next step is to endure to live in Hope. I think succumb what's a good news of the second coming to break things to do holy things to change this world to have other see that there is hope so this week we turn to It's a Wonderful Life and it reminds us that we need to live in Hope. Let us prey. only one sometimes we get mired in the muck of this world. Sometimes this world maps of of our strength. Feeds us false hopes false desires Lord. Let us this day be reminded of that which will endure all things that which is a hope that can never be defiled or taken away from us have us be reminded that you are faith in Christ. We have been renewed and restored and that the world to come will be one that is beautiful and glorious without paying But we have to have hole in that. That which comes from God have it give us hope so that we can be righteous that we make the right choices in this world here and now because we have something greater still to come let that strengthen us and build us up this very day.