A Living Hope

Dear God: I want to thank You for what you have already done. I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards I am thanking You right now. I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better, I am thanking You right now. I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me, I am thanking You right now. I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears I am thanking You right now. I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves I am going to thank You right now. I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet, I am going to thank You right now. I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job, I am going to thank You right now. I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief I am going to thank You right now. I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed. I am thanking You right now. I am thanking You because I am alive. I am thanking You because I made it through the day’s difficulties. I am thanking You because I have walked around the obstacles. I am thanking You because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better. I am thanking You because You have not given up on me. God is just so good, and He’s good all the time. Continue to thank him.

A living Hope 1 Thess. 1:3-5

Paul praises God for their living hope, incorruptible inheritance, and glorious salvation to be revealed at the coming of Christ. Despite grievous trials, the power of God and their genuine faith protects them and gives them inexpressible joy.

A. We are BORN AGAIN TO A LIVING HOPE (3-5). God’s has abundant mercy to give to all who will believe. Christ’s resurrection provides us with the only accepted sacrifice for our being saved. There is no other ground for us to have eternal life.

Think with me of all the things man has tried to do to earn his salvation. We may think we can do Good works that are better than anyone else. Who can we compare with, as to whether our works are good? We may think we can Become morally right. Whom can we measure up to in being moral? We may think We can be better if we just improve our self. What do we measure that we are better than? What can we do to measure whether we are ever good enough in God’s sight? We may try education to make our self-right but how can we tell when we have enough?

Jesus was tempted in the same way that we are yet without sin. In one temptation, He was asked to turn stone into bread. He had not eaten for forty days. Satan was saying you are the Son of God and you could perform one small miracle because of who you are. Here we see that Satan believed that Jesus could perform miracles more than the people around Jesus who were the religious leaders of the day. Here is a simple task for Him to do. In a matter of days, He will be turning water into wine. He would teach us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” He would turn a small boy’s lunch into enough to feed five thousand. He is asked to turn a little stone into bread. I want us to see six layers of deception that can come also to us in this day that we live.

1. #1 deception would be “doesn’t God loved You.”

A. This is a temptation to doubt God’s love. This comes when we compare what we have with what others have. Big churches compared with smaller churches.

“When I was in college, I took a course called Pastoral Theology. It was taught by the president of the college and was attended by the preacher boys. Each Monday we were asked to give a report of our weekend activities. On this particular Monday, I was so happy to give my report. You see, I had just accepted my first pastorate the day before. It was one hundred miles from our college town. Mrs. Hyles and I drove there each weekend in our old Dodge. I was the first preacher asked to give his report on this particular Monday morning. I stood and said, "Dr. Bruce, I would like to report that I had a wonderful weekend. I was called as Pastor of a little church in the country." Dr. Bruce interrupted me and said, "Sit down, Mr. Hyles." I could not for the life of me understand why he told me to sit down. Every other young preacher gave his report, and there was not another single reprimand given by Dr. Bruce. Finally, when the reports were all given, I raised my hand and asked, "Dr. Bruce, what did I say that was wrong?" Dr. Bruce replied with an answer I shall never forget, "You said, Mr. Hyles, that you had been called to pastor a little church Mr. Hyles, there are no little churches!" I then stood to my feet and said, "Dr. Bruce, I would like to give my report. Yesterday I was called to pastor a big church up in the country with nineteen members at a salary of $7.50 a week." I had been taught a lesson I shall never forget. There are no little churches. There are no little preachers. There are no little people. There are no little tasks! Jack Hyles. In December 1952, I was called to become pastor of the Miller Road Baptist Church in Garland, Texas, a church with an annual budget of $3,000 and ninety-two members. The church had property valued at $6,000. In the five years of our fellowship and work together God has seen fit to increase those figures to over 3,400 members, a budget of $182,000 annually, and property evaluated at $500,000.