"I Will Always Have Hope”

“I WILL ALWAYS HAVE HOPE”

Ps. 71:14-15

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. Three lady-church-attenders saw each other at the store. One said, “Covid-19 has our attendance down to 90 on Sunday mornings!”

2. “That’s nothing,” said the other, “Ours is down to 40!” The third, a single old maid said, “It’s so bad at our church that when the minister says, ‘Dearly Beloved,’ it makes me blush!”

B. TEXT

“As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long!” Ps. 71:14-15.

C. THESIS

1. There is a desperate need for hope in the world. Think how many people have died because they had no hope. Prisoners in P.O.W. camps died because they had no hope; people who faced terrible shame; women who lost their spouse or child! Many people today are without hope because of Coronavirus, their businesses have been shuttered, and racial and political tensions seem worse than ever.

2. Thank God we have faith in God. This is a moment when Christianity can stand out as a light in the darkness – we offer a light of hope in a dark world.

3. So we’re going to look at WHY we have hope, how it TRANSFORMS our lives, and the 5 FOUNDATIONS for our hope. The title of this message is “I Will Always Have Hope!”

I. HOPE IS A POSITION OF OPTIMISM

Optimism is defined as “hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.” In other words, it’s a positive outlook based on the conviction that things are going to get better! We Christians have every reason for optimism. Why?

A. GOD IS A GOOD GOD

1. “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” Ex. 34:6.

2. People believing evolution think they’re puppets directed by chance which has no benevolent intent. Contradicting this idea is the almost infinite complexity and design of biological life (clearly revealing a Designer) and the harmony of the universe that unites in supporting this life.

3. The God of the Bible is motivated by love in all He does. He wants to save and bless all humans with eternal life. He is NOT motivated, as Allah, to uphold his greatness at all costs, but voluntarily subjected Himself, in Christ, to mocking and torture by His creatures in order to save them. His over-riding motive is His LOVE. Praise God!

B. GOD IS WORKING FOR OUR GOOD

1. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” Rom. 8:28.

2. God is NOT working for HIS own good, but for OUR good! What an amazing statement. If God be for us, who can be against us? If we are mistreated in this life, still God will turn it around in the next life.

3. The beggars in this life, the under-privileged, the hungry, the sad, the persecuted, the disadvantaged – all will be reversed in eternity. They will not be the tail, but the head in God’s order. [See the “Beatitudes,” Mt. 25:35-43, Luke 16:19-26]

C. HE IS IN CONTROL

1. “For dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations” Psalm 22:28. “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding.” Dan. 2:21, NASV.

2. The world is in chaos because there are many people who are sinning & violating the will of God. But despite that, God is still moving history in the direction He wants it to go. He’s in charge and intervenes when He sees it’s necessary.

D. HOPE IN TRIALS

1. There are many trials in this life. But even in trouble, we have “hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” Heb. 6:19. We have the promises of God’s Word to cling to.

2. “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” Rom. 15:4, NKJV.

3. Thank God we have the Word of God to give us hope in dark hours. God’s Word reminds us that God uses trials for His glory, to bring us closer to Him.

4. ILLUS. “Praying for trouble in Ethiopia.” [Paul Tan, 7,700 Illus. #6847].

a. An Ethiopian Christian at Saddu Walamo was heard to pray for troubles to come back to Ethiopia. When the times were bad and Christians were persecuted, the church was on fire with preaching the Gospel, even at night, and souls were won by droves.