Heavenly Hope

HEAVENLY HOPE

TITUS 1:2

There once was a preacher who was at a dinner and was asked to get up and give a short 10 min talk. Well we all the dangers involved in asking a preacher to get to give a short talk. Anyway, after the 20 min had expired the preacher just kept on talking. After 35 min. the master of ceremonies gave a little rap on the table with is gavel. The preacher just kind of ignored it and kept right on talking. After 40 min. the master of ceremonies gave a little louder rap with his gavel. Still the preacher kept right on talking. After 1 hour with no end in sight the master of ceremonies band his gavel as hard as could. But still the preacher went on. Finally in a fit of rage the master of ceremonies threw the gavel at the preacher. The gavel sailed over the preachers head and hit an old man who was sitting at his table fast asleep. The old man woke with start and shouted, "Hit me again I can still hear him!"

I would like to tell you a more serious story. This story is found in the gospel of Luke, you do not have to turn there I just want to rely the story to you. It is Luke’s account of two disciples who were waling to their village one Sunday afternoon. As they walked they were discussing the events concerning Jesus death. As they continued their walk they were joined by a stranger who happened to notice how said they were. The told the of how the high priest had delivered Jesus up to be crucified. Then they said "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel…"

There is nothing so devastating as having lost hope. For these men there hope was gone. The one they had hoped to be the redeemer of Israel, was in their minds dead. Along with the death of Jesus, came the death of hope.

We have all lost hope in some sense at some point in our live. Maybe it was our favorite shorts team that gets so far behind in points that there was not hope in them winning. Maybe it was a little more serious, maybe you there was time when you were without a job and with no money. Maybe it was a health issue were you thought there was no hope for you or loved one.

During those time perhaps you want to take the advice of Job’s wife, who told Job to "Curse God and die".

But let us never give up hope, because for the Christian life is essentially a life of hope. And that is what I want to talk about today. The Hope we have as children of God.

Please turn with me know to our chapter for today, Titus chapter 1 verse 2. I am going to read both verses 1 & 2 so that we get the context.

"Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,"

Paul uses this word "hope" three times in the book of Titus. Twice here and in 3:7 he speaks in regards to the "hope of eternal life". In 2:13 he uses the word Hope in regards to the glorious seconding coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today I just want to focus on this hope that Paul mentions, and wherein this hope lies for the Christian. Next week we will deal with the object of this hope as mentioned here which is eternal life.

Hope let us realize is necessary to the human spirit as oxygen is tot he physical body. When we lose all hope we are overcome with feelings of senselessness, purposelessness, and despair. Lack of hope can destroy our very lives.

He word Hope occurs some 52 times in the New Testament alone. And if you take the time to look up those 52 passages you will find that it ALWAYS is connected in some way to God. God is the author of hope, Romans 15:13 tells us "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Our God is the God of hope, and here there is a prayer that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2 Thess 2:16 tells us that we can be recipients of "good hope through grace". We are told the Christ is our hope in 1 Tim. In Col. it is stated that Christ dwelling in us is our "hope of glory".