[0:00] Take your Bibles and turn to the New Testament book of Romans, Romans chapter 5. We're going to read this morning two portions from the book of Romans.
[0:15] ! We're going to read first from Romans 5, and then we'll skip over to chapter 8. So Romans chapter 5, we'll read the first five verses.
[0:30] Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
[0:51] Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance. Perseverance, character, and character, hope.
[1:02] And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Then turn over to Romans chapter 8.
[1:15] We'll read verses 17 through 25. 8. 17. Now, if we are children, then we are heirs.
[1:28] Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. If indeed we share in his sufferings, in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with a glory that will be revealed in us.
[1:47] The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed, for the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
[2:12] We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves who have the firstfruits of the Spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
[2:31] For in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
[2:46] May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
[3:02] One of my favorite hymns has the line of what we find in our God of hope, strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow.
[3:14] More and more people are losing hope in our land. Their hopes for a bright tomorrow are dimming. Indeed, many of their hopes have been dashed by any number of things.
[3:28] I had a dozen or so to just run by you, but I don't need to tell you. You live in the same world I live in. You hear the news. The world is a hopeless place, and people are losing hope.
[3:42] And one of the telltale signs of hopelessness is the rise of deaths of despair, as they're called, suicide and overdoses. A doctor of the John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, California, claimed that the facility has seen a year's worth of suicide attempts in the last four weeks.
[4:01] Calls to crisis hotlines are exceeding anything we've known before. The Center for Disease Control Director Robert Redfield reported that the increase in suicides and drug overdoses among high school students has reached new levels, even during this present pandemic.
[4:21] Indeed, the Bremen Public School is asking us to vote yes on November 3rd for a measure that will enable them to hire counselors to deal with this anxiety and despair that's found in high school students.
[4:34] It's not just that life is so difficult, but worse than that, that the hope of it ever getting better is so low, that the future is so bleak that they'd rather die than live it.
[4:50] Hope is slipping away. Now, people can endure a lot if they have hope of a better tomorrow. But when hope is gone, endurance is at the end too.
[5:06] The Austrian Viktor Frankl was a leading doctor in Europe, but because he was a Jew from 1942 to 1945, he was imprisoned in Auschwitz and three other Nazi concentration camps, and he witnessed horror firsthand.
[5:23] And he noticed something. He saw some people dying and others surviving, and he noted the difference that hope made in the two.
[5:35] Those who held on to the hope of a future beyond the barbed wire had incredible endurance, while those who lost all hope soon caved in to death.
[5:46] They just gave up the will to live. And what Frankl observed in the physical realm, the Apostle Paul observed in the spiritual realm of the Thessalonian church.
[5:57] And he says in 1 Thessalonians 1-3, We always thank God for all of you, remembering your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.
[6:18] Endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus. Hope is a critical grace for the Christian life. And we're going to see in this group of sermons on hope, how it strengthens your endurance to persevere in holiness.
[6:39] It enables you to go on saying no to sin and yes to Jesus Christ. It affects your emotional health. It cures despair with encouragement.
[6:51] It gives deep happiness and joy. It keeps you from grieving like others who have no hope. It's an anchor for your soul's security and peace and rest.
[7:04] It enables you to be patient under trials. It gives you a bold confidence in witness and even in life itself. And enables you to face death and judgment with confidence.
[7:19] Hope. We simply don't live well without it. So we've come at last in the study of four Christian graces to hope the great motivator.
[7:33] And I want to begin with a simple definition of biblical hope. I'm not sure where it originated, but I know this. It was culled from the Holy Scriptures. Study all the passages on hope.
[7:44] And this is what you find that hope is. It may be more, but it's not less. And so I give you this definition of hope. If we could have it on the overhead.
[7:55] There it is. The confident expectation of future good. Six words. Say them with me. The confident expectation of future good.
[8:08] Say it again. The confident expectation of future good. Now say it with your eyes closed. The confident expectation of future good.
[8:22] That's the hope that we're talking about that's revealed in the Bible. And I want you to notice two things about that definition. Because we're going to keep bumping into these two points as we go through the scriptures then that teach about hope.
[8:41] And those two things that we see in our definition is hope's certainty. It's certain. And hope's future orientation. Secondly. It's forward looking.
[8:53] Now let's look first at hope's certainty. Hope is certain. As soon as we start talking and thinking about hope, it quickly becomes apparent that there are two kinds of hope.
[9:06] There's worldly hope and then there's biblical hope. And we must know the difference lest we be confused. One is little more than a desire.
[9:17] We really want something to happen. The world's hope. The other biblical hope is a certainty. And it is confidently expected.
[9:30] It's the confident expectation of future good. So there is a hope of the world that's a hope so thing.
[9:41] And the Bible acknowledges that. So. Someone asked you. Will President Trump win the reelection? Win reelection.
[9:51] And you say, well, given the alternatives, I hope so. I hope. That's all you can say. Or I say, will you have good weather for your outdoor wedding next May?
[10:02] Oh, I sure hope so. But these things are uncertain, aren't they? And so we say, I hope so. And so the popular use of this word hope today has lost its certainty.
[10:17] The confident expectation. Its certainty is gone from its use. But not so in the Bible. The believer's hope is not a hope so thing.
[10:28] It's a no so thing. And that's something. It's something we're more certain about than that we will be here tomorrow. And the reason we can be so sure of future good is because of the foundation of our hope.
[10:44] What it's built upon. You see, hopes are like houses. Some have strong foundations. Others don't. And so there are ungrounded hopes as well as well-grounded hopes.
[10:58] There are false hopes as well as true hopes. There are hopes that disappoint and hopes that never disappoint. And the foundation makes all the difference between a hope that can be dashed and the one that never can be.
[11:10] So, for instance, I have a certain hope that when I stand at last before my maker in judgment. That the Lord Jesus will say to me.
[11:23] Come, you who have been blessed by my father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you. Since before the creation of the world. I say, I'm certain of good in that day.
[11:39] And you say, well, how can you be so sure? Why is my hope so sure and confident and certain? Because my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
[11:53] Now, you can have a sure hope if it's built upon a sure foundation. Like God's word. Like the promises of God.
[12:06] Who cannot lie. Because he said it, you're on solid ground. And your hope is sure. Because whatever he says, he will do. Without fail.
[12:17] So, you build your hope on the promises of God. And you can come to your deathbed with absolute certainty. That for you to die will be gain. That to depart from life is to be present with the Lord.
[12:31] Which is better by far. You can know that for sure. As sure as you're sitting there right now. Because it's grounded upon a firm foundation.
[12:43] The very word of a God who cannot lie. So, if you have a promise then. From this faithful God of truth. And no matter how bad the present circumstances may be.
[12:56] You have solid grounds for confident expectation of future good. But an ungrounded hope. It's like a hope just floating on thin air.
[13:08] There's no strong foundation in reality. In certainties to hold it up. So, maybe all of her life Susie dreamed of a wedding in May.
[13:20] And in her dream. The sun was always shining. And the birds were always singing. And the guests were always happy. And her bridegroom was up front smiling. And as she walked down the aisle.
[13:32] Her dress just glistened in the sunshine. And so, she's sure. She's confident. Because she's had this dream repeatedly over her life.
[13:47] She's absolutely certain. And confidently expecting a beautiful day in May. For her wedding. But living in northern Indiana.
[13:58] There's a good chance that Susie's hopes could be dashed. So, mother probably ought to have a plan B. Just in case. Now, in that illustration.
[14:09] I suppose the worst thing. That could happen to Susie. Is a wet wedding. But when we come to talking about. What our hopes for eternal life are in.
[14:22] The stakes have just gone infinitely through the roof. Because now we're talking about. Where you will be one day. Forever. Just as you're here this morning. Conscious body and soul.
[14:34] Where you will be. Body and soul. Conscious forever and ever. Either in heaven or in hell. And that's why the stakes of. Well, what are your hopes? Grounded on.
[14:45] Becomes everything. All so important. As to whether or not your hope is true. Or false. So, I ask you.
[14:56] Are you going to heaven when you die? Absolutely. Couldn't be more confident. Of it. Could I ask you.
[15:08] What your hope is grounded on. Why your certainty is. Is so sure. Why will God. Let you into his heaven? Well, I.
[15:19] I try to keep the ten commandments. And I try to live by the golden rule. And be kind to others. And. I was baptized. I go to church. I. I read my Bible.
[15:32] I pray. I pray. I pray. I pray. I pray. I pray.
[15:43] And I must tell you. That's a hope. That's built on your own works. Rather than Christ's. So it will not stand in the day of judgment. No matter how confident you may be of it.
[15:54] Jesus says in Matthew 7. That there will be many. Who only after death. Will find out. That their confident hopes. Were false hopes. And so their hopes will be dashed.
[16:07] But it will be forever too late. The Bible. Warns us from beginning to end. About false hopes. So as we're studying hope.
[16:18] We must be sure. That we understand. What makes for a true hope. And a false hope. It seems that for every true prophet. In Israel. In the Old Testament. We find.
[16:29] A false prophet. Every true prophet. That brought to the people. The very word of God. There was a false prophet. Who brought the lies. Of the devil. In the name of.
[16:41] The Lord. Our God. So. Jeremiah 23. 16 and 17. This is what the Lord Almighty says. Do not listen to what the prophets.
[16:52] Are prophesying to you. They fill you with false hopes. There it is. They fill you with false hopes. They speak visions. From their own minds. Not from the mouth.
[17:03] Of the Lord. They keep saying. To those who despise me. The Lord says. You will have peace. And they say. To those who follow. The stubbornness. Of their own hearts.
[17:14] No harm. Will come to you. God was saying. Through his true prophets. Isaiah. Jeremiah. Ezekiel. And so on.
[17:24] He was saying. Your sins. Have been your downfall. They're leading you. To judgment. And condemnation. So repent. Turn away. From your sins. And live.
[17:35] Because if you keep going. You will be damned. And lost. That was the true message. From the prophets. From God. Who spoke. The word of God. But the false prophets.
[17:46] Said. No. No. God is saying. Peace. Peace. God is saying. All is well. No problem. Between you and me. And. And the people.
[17:57] Chose. The message. They like best. Which of course. Was the false prophets. Message. They didn't have to give up. Their beloved sins. But it was a false hope.
[18:11] Man's hoping. So doesn't make it. So as they soon. Discovered. Jeremiah 8. 15. We hope. For peace. But no good. Has come. For a time.
[18:23] Of healing. But there was only. Terror. Proverbs 10. 28. The hopes. Of the wicked. They come to nothing. They shatter. They wither. They die.
[18:35] And so Paul. Tells Timothy. To command the rich. Not to put their hopes. In riches. Why? Because they're so. Uncertain.
[18:47] They can sprout wings. And just fly away. Just that quick. Don't. Put your hope. In riches. Which are so uncertain. But put.
[18:57] To. But tell them. To put their hope. In God. There it is. Now there's a reason. For certainty. Hopes.
[19:08] That never disappoint. Are hopes. In God. David said so. In Psalm 23. 25. 3. No one. Whose hope. Is in you. Will ever. Be put to shame. Ever.
[19:18] Not in this life. Or the next. And God himself. Speaks in Isaiah. 49. 23. Those who hope. In me. Will not. Be disappointed. You'll never.
[19:30] Get to the place. Where you say. Why. In the world. Did I ever. Put my hope. In God. I regret that. Oh. How many. Will regret.
[19:42] The fact. That they. Put their hope. In riches. In themselves. In religion. In people. And. A host. Of other things. But not in God. No.
[19:52] A well. Grounded. Hope. Is a biblical. Hope. It's built on God. And his promises. And so. It's a certain hope. The second.
[20:04] Part of the definition. I want to point to. Is hope's. Future. Orientation. The fact. That hope. Is futuristic. It's forward. Looking. That's the direction.
[20:14] Of hope. That's clear. From the definition. We're talking about. What kind of good. Future. Good. We're not talking about. Past good. We're talking about. Future good.
[20:25] And we're talking about. Expectation. If we expect. Something. Is it past. Or future. There. Denae Sarber. We said. Was expecting.
[20:37] She was expecting. A baby. It wasn't here yet. And so. Expectation. Points. Forward. Hope. Is a forward. Looking. Grace. Hebrews.
[20:49] 11. 1. Shows. An interesting. Relationship. Between. Faith. And hope. Hebrews. 11. 1. Now. Now. Faith. Is being sure.
[21:00] Of what we hope for. And certain. Of what we. Cannot see. Faith. Is being sure. Of what we.
[21:11] Hope for. Hope. Is a species. Of faith. Just as there's some. Not all beetles.
[21:21] Are the same. There's three. Over 350. Thousand. Species. Of beetles. In that. Larger. Family. Of beetles. So.
[21:32] Not all faith. Or. Some faith. Has this. Species. Of hope. It's a kind. Of faith. It's a forward. Looking.
[21:43] Faith. It's faith. In future. Things. Faith. Is being sure. Of what we. Hope for. So. Not all faith. Is forward. Looking. Some faith. Is backward.
[21:53] Looking. Isn't it? Um. It. It. It. Just. Lays. Hold. Of unseen. Things. Without reference. To time. Faith.
[22:04] Is being certain. Of what we cannot see. Some faith. Uh. Might be actually. Backward. Looking. To. To events. In the past. By faith. We believe. That in the beginning. God created. The heavens.
[22:14] And the earth. We. We look back. And we believe. We take God. At his word. But some faith. Is forward. Looking. And it's counting.
[22:25] On something. To happen. That's hope. Forward. Looking. Faith. Is hope. Faith. In future. Grace. Is hope.
[22:37] So hope. Has to do. With the future. Now. When I say. It has to do. With the future. It might be. The future. As soon. As three minutes. When I'm. Facing something.
[22:48] And I need. Grace. To get through. The next. Three minutes. That. Problem. In the next. Three minutes. Or it might be. Something. A deadline. Three weeks. From now. It's forward.
[23:00] Looking. Whether. The next. Moment. A long time. It reaches. Into. Three billion. Years. Into the future. Of where I will be. And what I will be. Doing. Hope.
[23:11] But. It's all. Forward. Looking. Hope's orientation. To the future. Is seen in the passage.
[23:21] That. Pastor Jason. Read for us. From Romans. Chapter eight. The creation. Is hoping. We're told. The creation. Is.
[23:32] Waiting. In. Eager. Expectation. For something. Future. What is it? What is it? That the creation. Is on tiptoe. Expectation. To see happen. It's for the sons.
[23:42] Of God. To be revealed. When we will share. In God's glory. That's still hidden. That's not been seen. Yet. By the world. The world. Is not saying. Wow. Look at them. They're Christians. They're. They're believers.
[23:53] In Jesus Christ. No. But. A day is coming. When we will be revealed. And share. In the glory of God. In Christ. That's forward looking. And. And. The creation.
[24:04] Is. Confidently. Expecting. Eagerly. Expecting. And longing. For that day. To come. Why? Because. When the sons of God. Are being. Revealed. They themselves.
[24:15] Will receive. Future good. They will be. Liberated. From the present. Bondage. To. Decay. And frustration. That. Creation. Is under.
[24:26] Due to the curse. It will be set free. And brought into the glorious freedom. Of the children of God. So when the children of God. Are blessed. With future good. The creation itself. Will be blessed.
[24:36] With future good. And then. Paul says. We too. Who have the first fruits. Of the spirit. Are. Waiting. Eagerly. For that day.
[24:47] Why? Because it will mean. The redemption. Of our bodies. These bodies. Will be raised. In glory. And power. And immortality. So we too.
[24:58] Are looking forward. To that future good. And then we have these words. In verses 24 and 25. Of Romans 8. For in this hope.
[25:09] We were saved. But hope that is seen. It's no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?
[25:21] Kids. Are you hoping for something you already have? No. That's stupid. You don't hope. And that's what Paul says. Who hopes for what he already has?
[25:33] But. If we hope for what we do not yet have. We wait for it patiently. Hope. Gives us patience. To wait. For what is coming.
[25:45] And so this passage. Clearly teaches us. We were saved in hope. It clearly teaches that. Some parts of salvation. We already have. And some parts.
[25:56] We're still waiting for. So what do we already have? What were justified? We read it in Romans 8. Romans 5. The moment we place faith in Jesus Christ. We were justified.
[26:06] We were at peace with God. All of our sins were put to his account. And all of his righteousness to ours. We were declared righteous. We have that right now. Justification is ours.
[26:18] We don't have to hope for it. Who hopes for what he already has? What else is ours in salvation? Freedom from the bondage and reign of sin. Sin used to have me by the nose.
[26:29] And I went wherever it told me to go. And I thought I was doing my own thing. And doing what I want. But all the while. I was being led astray by the devil. And in grace.
[26:42] Jesus set me free. The truth will set you free. And I've been freed from sin's bondage. From its reigning power in my life. Am I hoping for that?
[26:53] No. Not at all. I already have it. Whoever hopes for what he already has. What else? Well. Many other blessings. Adoption. I'm in the family of God already.
[27:03] I'm not hoping for that. I already have that. But. There are other aspects of this so great salvation. That we don't already possess. And for these we hope. Like.
[27:16] One day. Bearing the moral likeness of Jesus Christ. To perfection. Like. Like one day. Having no temptation. Arise from my heart.
[27:27] At every step to oppose. My advance in holiness. To feel that push back. And pull back. Of the flesh. That doesn't want to go there. One day I'll be free from that.
[27:38] And. And whatever God says. I will freely. And gladly do. Without any. Gravitational pull of sin. That's left in my heart. It's not raining there. Present reality.
[27:49] Freedom from its reign. But it's remaining there. And my struggle. Is something. I'm. I'm anticipating. Looking forward to. To losing forever.
[28:02] A resurrection body. Without anything of mortality. Hanging around. In my body. Never get tired. Weary. Die. A new environment. Whole new world order.
[28:13] The home of righteousness. Where everybody loves God. With all their heart. Soul and mind. And strength. And everybody loves one another. As themselves. Well. These things.
[28:24] Haven't arrived yet. And so we. Hope for them. We hope for them. And if we hope. For what we do not yet have. We wait for it.
[28:35] Patiently. You see. Hope gives me. Patience. To wait. Why? Because I know it's coming. It's a certainty. It's confident. I know it's going to be mine.
[28:46] So. I can go through a few trials. To get to that glorious day. That future good. That will be mine. You found that.
[28:57] Haven't you? Waiting takes patience. Steve. Can't work. Can't work. Gotta lay here. All sorts of things.
[29:07] We're waiting for. And it takes patience. And that's not a suit. We're strong in. And. It's especially. Difficult. When we're suffering.
[29:18] Heavy trials. And afflictions. That show no sign. Of letting up. It's especially difficult. When your present body. Is hurting. And damaged. And diseased. And dying. It's especially difficult.
[29:28] When sin and temptation. Continues to plague you. And fight you. Every inch of the way. To heaven. It's hard. When the world around you. Is going from bad. To worse. And it's then.
[29:39] That hope. Lays hold. Of the future good. Promised. To us. In God's word. Now. That future good. May be grace.
[29:50] For the very next moment. To survive. Another hour. It might be glory. That is coming. But it's. Future good. Future grace. Future glory.
[30:02] The Lord gives. Grace and glory. No good thing. Will he withhold. From those who walk up rightly. And it's that hope. That gives us endurance. To patiently wait.
[30:13] Faithfully following. Our Lord Jesus. So hope is certain. Hope is futuristic. And in our studies. We're going to keep bumping into that.
[30:24] Those two. Elements. Let me just speak briefly. To the fact. That hope's main activity. Of hope's main activity. Remember. We've. We've talked about. The main activity.
[30:34] Of humility. It's the great. Emptier. Faith. The great receiver. Love. The great giver. Well. Hope. Is the great.
[30:44] What? Motivator. Motivational speakers. Make a ton of money. If they're good at it. Tens of thousands. Of dollars. For. For 45 minutes. To an hour.
[30:56] Just for talking. But. But talking. In such a way. That inspires. And motivates. And stirs. The people.
[31:08] Who are listening. If they can motivate. Motivate a group of workers. The business. Will profit greatly. For whatever they paid. For that speaker. If they can motivate you.
[31:18] To improve your skills. And abilities. It will profit you. And whatever career. You're in. And will be worth. Far more than the cost. Of that weekend seminar. Even so.
[31:29] Hope. Is the great. Motivator. The great. Motivator. It's a stimulating grace. To get us up and going. To keep us going.
[31:40] To quicken. And revive us. The great. Work. Of hope. And by the way. That's God's reason.
[31:51] For promising. Good things. Ahead of time. Have you ever wondered. Why does God tell us. About. The good things. That he's planning. To do for us.
[32:03] Why doesn't he just. Surprise us. Unannounced. Why doesn't. He just let us. Run this race. Of the Christian life. Without any knowledge. Of heaven. And then just surprise us.
[32:14] With heaven. At the end of our race. Or why doesn't he just. Surprise us. With the sufficient grace. That we need. Rather than tell us. That his grace.
[32:24] Will be sufficient. For us. Well it's to give us hope. As we wait. I don't have. What I need. And I don't have. What I'm hoping for. But. But he's promised it.
[32:36] And so I can wait. For it. And I can continue. To trust him. For it. It inspires me. It motivates me. To stay in the race. When everything says.
[32:47] Quit John. Just give it all up. It's easier than. Fighting sin. Just quit. Fighting it. And. Yet this hope. Just keeps motivating me.
[32:57] Don't quit. Don't quit. Look what. Look what's coming. Look what I've promised you. It's the great. Motivator. To go on. Living. The Christian life. In humility.
[33:08] And love. And faith. And repentance. And joy. And peace. And obedience. And faithfulness. All the way. To the end of our lives. For those who hope in the Lord.
[33:19] Will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint. Hope is the great motivator. Now brothers and sisters.
[33:30] These are indeed challenging days. In which we live out the Christian life. It's filled with troubles and threats. That would steal our hope. And so we must.
[33:41] Keep hope alive. And well. We can't afford to lose hope. We can't even afford to have it weakened. As the troubles of this life increase.
[33:52] We need to have hope increase. So I'm going to be challenging you. To be growing. In this grace of hope. And I want to finish with Romans 15.
[34:03] And verse 13. We were in Romans 5. Romans 8. And. Romans chapter 15. And verse 13. This is my prayer for you.
[34:15] As we study this topic. Romans 15. 13. I trust you'll be able to look at it there. May the God of hope. Fill you with all.
[34:26] Joy and peace. As you trust in him. So that you may overflow with hope. By the power of the Holy Spirit. So here's the reason. Christians are a people of hope.
[34:38] We have a God of hope. What a name. That defines him. It tells us. He's not a pessimistic God. Not at all. He's a God of hope.
[34:48] Every last bit of hope in the universe. Comes from him. He's the God of hope. And if he is the God of hope. Then to be without God.
[35:00] In the world. Is to be without hope. Hope. And that's exactly what Ephesians 2. 12 reminds us Christians. That once. When. We were far from God.
[35:10] And did not yet come near to him. Through faith in the blood of Jesus. We too were. Without God. In the world. And without hope. Oh.
[35:23] But. Now. With God. In this troubled world. We have hope. He is our hope. 1 Timothy 1. 1. Jesus. Our hope.
[35:35] Christ in you. The hope of glory. And here in Romans 15. 13. The Holy Spirit. Is the one who makes you overflow. With hope. And that's why the people of God. Have hope. In this present evil world.
[35:47] Because. Our God. Father. Son. And Holy Spirit. Is the God. Of hope. Now. Notice in Romans 15. 13. There's something for you to do.
[35:58] And there's something for God to do. Did you see it? See if you can. Pull them out. May the God of hope. Fill you with all joy and peace. As you trust in him. So that you may overflow with hope.
[36:08] By the power of the Holy Spirit. What are you to do? You're to trust in him. And as you do. What. Is there for God to do? Well.
[36:19] To fill you with all joy and peace. And overflowing hope. So you trusting him. And him. Filling you. To overflowing. With hope.
[36:32] Hope is contagious. You're around people of hope. Reminding you of that. Those sweet promises of hope. Of the God of hope. Your hope rises.
[36:44] When you're with those people. But despair is contagious too. Just witness the ten spies. That went into the promised land. And came back with a pessimistic report. And pretty soon that report.
[36:54] Spread through the whole camp. To where they no longer trusted. And obeyed God. And it led to 40 more years. In the wilderness. And everyone 18 years old and up. Dying. In the desert.
[37:04] Not entering the promised land. Hope is contagious. Despair is contagious. So who are you hanging out with? Are you spending time with hopeless people?
[37:20] With hopeless words? Or with people of hope? With the heart cheering promises. Of the God of hope. Are you hanging out with the God of hope?
[37:31] Himself? If so it will rub off on you. Where would you meet this God of hope? What are the paths in which this God of hope is appointed? To meet with his people?
[37:42] Well. It's in worship. Where he inhabits the praises of his people. Where two or three are gathered in his name. That he is present. And you draw near to this God of hope.
[37:55] And you sing praises to him. As we've done this morning. And our hope rises. You meet him in prayer. Where you speak person to person.
[38:06] With the God of hope. You don't come away from an interview. A talk like that. Without something of that hope. You meet him in his word.
[38:17] Where the God of hope speaks directly to you. By his spirit. The word preached. The word read.
[38:28] The word memorized. The word meditated on. Just glance up to verse 4. Chapter 15 verse 4. For everything that was written in the past.
[38:39] Was written for what purpose? To teach us. So that through endurance. And encouragement of the scriptures. We might have. Hope. This is a book. That was written.
[38:50] That we. The people of God. Might have hope. It's a hope building book. As here. We meet the God of hope. In his words of hope.
[39:01] Don't expect to be overflowing with hope. If you're spending more time. Listening to the doom and gloom news. Than you are with the God of hope. In his word and prayer. Just don't even expect to be a person of hope.
[39:13] No. No. We can face the bad news. If we're saturated in the good news. But not otherwise.
[39:24] It's as you trust in him. The God of hope. And that grows. As you're walking with him. In prayer. In the word. In worship. That. That your trust in him grows.
[39:36] And the spirit of God. Works this overflowing hope. In your heart. Let me just give you one example. How this hope works. As you come to the scriptures.
[39:47] One of the truths you'll bump into. Is that God is sovereign. He's king over all. He's on his throne. He's reigning. And. That reign cannot.
[39:59] Be. Thwarted. His purposes. Have been made from all eternity. His plan. And he's working out everything. According to his will. Oh but what if a king gets in his way.
[40:10] The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. He directs it. Like a water course. Wherever he wills. He is working out everything. According to the purpose of his will. He thwarts the purposes of the nations.
[40:23] And foils the purposes of the people. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever. The purposes of his heart. Through all generations. What does that tell me? Tells me everything I heard on the news this week. Was on the plan.
[40:35] It's every detail. It's right on time. Everything's. Everything's in place. You see. There's nothing. Nothing out of place. God is ruling.
[40:45] God is reigning. Even as we sang. Heard from Psalm 2. He's not threatened. Elections will go as he's decreed.
[40:57] The weather in May will be just what he ordered. And what does knowing this truth about my God of hope. Who's sovereign. Do for my. What does it do to me? Well it fills me with hope.
[41:11] It actually does more than that. It makes me overflow with hope. By the power of the spirit. As I meditate on it. As I pray it in. And as I.
[41:23] Focus upon it. Then. Then when I hear the bad news. Well I'm not. Sunk by it. Because I've got future good. That I can be absolutely confident. About.
[41:35] Jeff Thomas said. Our God reigns. And that is the shortest bridge. Between despair. And hope. Hope. Are you in despair? Our God reigns.
[41:46] Get on that bridge. And. And find yourself. Hoping. In God. I just add. The quickest way back to despair. Is to forget God.
[41:58] In the midst of the bad stuff. To not see him. And that's why we need. Constantly to listen to him. Constantly to talk to him. Constantly to gather. To praise. And worship him.
[42:08] Hosea chapter 2. Verse 15. Says that God makes. Even the valley of trouble. To become a door of hope. So even. Take a Christian.
[42:19] Down into the darkest. Valley. And there will be a door. Open. The door of hope. We read it in Romans 5. Suffering. Produces. Hope. The valley of trouble.
[42:31] Opens the door. Of hope. We can't trust in ourselves. Down here. In the valley. We've got one hope. And it lifts our eyes to him. And lo and behold. It pulls us up.
[42:41] Out of the deeps. And we rejoice. And have peace. And overflowing. Hope. Do you know what God's plan has been? His plan is to take.
[42:53] Hope filled. People. Believers. With the God of hope. And to put him in a hopeless world. Right alongside. Of hopeless people. That they might see.
[43:04] What does one of God's people of hope. Look like. In situations. Just like. Mine. And so. So God has taken one of his hope.
[43:15] Full people. Jim Fisher. Into the COVID. Place there in the hospital. Right alongside of others. And doctors.
[43:27] And nurses. So that they could see. Well what. How does a Christian. What happens to his hope. In a time like that. God takes. Dear loved ones from us. In Christ.
[43:37] That die. And. And. And. And. And wants other people. Who are losing. Loved ones. To see. Well. What does it mean. That. That. They don't. Grieve like others.
[43:47] That have no hope. And. And. He wants. To take people. Who are suffering. Injustice. And mistreatment. Right alongside others. Who are suffering. Injustice.
[43:59] And mistreatment. And yet. Have such a hope. In a world. With no hope. That would move them. To ask. A reason. For the hope. That you have.
[44:10] That's Peter's assumption. In first Peter. Three fifteen. Why would they ask. A reason. For the hope. You have. It's because. They've seen it. I'm in this world.
[44:22] I don't have hope. But look at this hope. That I find in you. Would you give me the reason. And that's why. We must always be ready. To give a reason. For the hope. That we have. But it also means. That's why. We must always.
[44:32] Have our hope in God. So that it might be obvious. To others. Who live around us. And then. As we give that. Reason for the hope. We do it. In respect. And gentleness. For the poor.
[44:43] Person. Who is without hope. You see. It's for the glory of God. We hope in him. So if you're lost. This morning. This is the hope.
[44:55] Offered to you. In Jesus Christ. Hope in life. Hope in the very far future. Your eternity. And if you are a child of God. And you know this God of hope. Through faith in Jesus Christ.
[45:06] Hope is your birthright. It's your inheritance. Are you living up. To your inheritance. May the Lord help us. In these coming weeks. Let's pray. God of hope.
[45:20] Fill us. With the joy and peace. That comes from believing. And cause us. Holy Spirit. By your power. To make us. Overflow in hope.
[45:31] That a hopeless world. Might. Come to see. And hear. Of our Savior. And be saved. And brought into that. Same glorious hope. That we have in him. The hope of eternal life. We pray in Jesus name.
[45:42] Amen. Amen. Let's stand and sing. My hope is found. Is built on nothing less. Than Jesus blood. And righteousness.
[45:52] Amen.