There Is One Hope Series

Alba 4-9-2023

THERE IS ONE HOPE

Ephesians 4:4

This morning's message is entitled “There Is One Hope” from Ephesians chapter four, verse four. Hope is something as important to us as water is to a fish.

But with our current social and economic concerns, hope often seems illusive. Our political and legal systems are allowing outrageous things to go on. Just look at the news of this past week.

Then there is growing concern of a possible World War III due to poor decisions of government leaders. Add to that the fear of terrorist attacks, political fanaticism, social unrest and an increasing moral decline.

And children seem to be the target, not only with a shooting of children at a Christian based school, but also by making them question whether they really are a boy or a girl, and then children having to endure the over sexualization of drag queen story hours.

As we consider the wars and battles being fought, the increase in violent crime, the proliferation of outright sin acted out right before our eyes, the depravity of mankind in both his thoughts and actions, and all the rest of the horrors of this modern life, we are left with a feeling of complete hopelessness.

What hope can there possibly be for a better world for our children? Where can we find new hope for the present, let alone our future? Each week another shockingly awful thing is promoted or praised. We wonder, where will it end?

We are only human, and sometimes in our human weakness hope can be difficult to maintain. Our hope can be tested by life’s many difficulties.

Has life thrown you a curve-ball and struck you out? Are you having a hard time finding any silver lining in all your gray clouds? What hardships or difficulties are you going through?

Do you have difficult people in your life. Do you have trouble in your family, or with some of your friends? Do you have too much month left at the end of your money? Are you going through an illness? Has life become a drudgery?

People who face death, divorce, and life shattering things need hope. People who have faced problems for a long time need hope. People who have been wrongly accused need hope. Those whose hope has been crushed by people and experiences need hope.

Maybe you are here this morning and you think your situation is hopeless. But never doubt that hope lives, even when it is weakened.

There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who feel hopeless in them. The Bible tells us that despite the trauma and tragedies of life, God is still in charge. No situation is without hope.

According to one person's count the word hope is found in the Bible from 133 times (KJV) to 175 times (NIV), depending on which version you use. So God has a lot to say about this subject.

Too often we look for hope in all the wrong places. Worldly hope is a feeling of expectation, a desire or wish for a certain thing to happen.

It is based on positive thinking, good wishes, wishful thinking, a crossing of fingers. There is no substance to it on which we can rely.

Whereas a biblical definition of hope takes it a step further. Hope is an expectation with certainty that God will do what He has said. One is a wish or desire, the other is a certainty or guarantee.

Biblical hope looks back to the cross where God interrupted history to restore our relationship with Him. And it also looks forward to the time when God will again enter history to bring justice and restoration.

Such hope does not come from our own ability to manufacture it. It comes from God. “Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness”, as the wonderful hymn proclaims.

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ changes everything! I Peter 1:3 says it: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

We not only have hope, we have a “living hope”. Living, because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is alive! The tomb is empty!

There is an interesting story about Jesus appearing to two disciples walking to a town called Emmaus. The Bible says they were downcast. They had heard the news about Jesus’ missing body, but the fact of Jesus’ resurrection was too much to grasp.

Not knowing that it was Jesus who was talking to them, they began to explain what they had been discussing. Luke 24:19-21 records their answer to Jesus' question, “What things?”

“So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.”