Hope In A Hopeless World

INTRODUCTION: Quote: “We can live forty days without food, eight days without water, four minutes without air, but only a few seconds without hope”....How do we understand and therefore respond to the kind of world we are living in today?

Our world is experiencing an uncertain time, a defining moment in the history of this planet. That is not an over dramatization of the events of the last several months but rather a prophetic perspective of the years ahead.

It seems summed up by the lament of a volunteer rescue worker in New York City, who said in a short interview with MSNBC TV, ‘The world is evil. This world is evil’ as he staggered around shaking his head.

believe this is true. The events unfolding around the globe TODAY are another significant step closer to the conclusion of history as described in the scriptures. I am not seeking to sensationalize the political and military actions being taken but to share with you my conviction that we must not overlook their significance to the spiritual climate of the world.

Many non-Christian people are sensing for the first time a genuine hopelessness. An anxiety as to how this escalating conflict will radically change life on this planet. A fear of increasing political fanaticism, violence, civil and social unrest.

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?

Where can our friends, family, neighbors and colleagues turn for hope?

I just read to you the scripture in 1 Peter 3:8-15

Note: verse 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”

I want us to hear this message today on having HOPE in a HOPE – less World.

1. LIVING IN A HOPE-LESS WORLD

The Bible fully understands that hope is vital to all living people.

Proverbs 13:12- Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

There are so many ways that HOPE is shattered.

• Broken bodies – sickness, disease, disaster

• Broken homes – divorce, violence, debt, death

• Broken lives – drugs, alcohol, crime, bereavement, desertion

• Broken dreams – ambition, failure, defeat, disappointment

These all seem to be symptoms of our modern society and today are affecting millions of people, depriving them of peace, happiness and ultimately hope.

Q: “We can live forty days without food, eight days without water, four minutes without air, but only a few seconds without hope”

2. UNDERSTANDING HOPE IN A HOPE-LESS WORLD

What do we mean by HOPE? What did Peter mean by HOPE in his letter?

The word used in the Greek is Elpis and means ‘a favorable and confident expectation’. It has to do with a positive vision of the unseen and the future.

It’s most frequent use in the NT talks about the ‘happy anticipation of good’

Titus 1:1-2- 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, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,

Hope is not wishful thinking, or a vague aspiration. It’s not wanting things to turn out well, whilst remaining uncertain that they actually will.

Hope is the absolute certainty we have that God is good and that His promises are true.

Hope is actually personalized in in the person Jesus himself, He is our hope!

Colossians 1:27- To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

3. POSSESSING HOPE IN A HOPE-LESS WORLD

This world needs people with a confident hope. Not a misplaced hope but a secure hope.

The words of Jesus himself teach us that things are going to get worse before they get better, especially for the Christian.

Matthew 24:6-8- And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

The reasons the world around us has for hopelessness are our very reasons for HOPE!

We see these happenings as distressing as everybody else yet we see a reason to them and what they are pointing towards.

Matthew 24:6-8 See to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. All these are the beginning of birth pains.