#1 LIGHT THE LAMP OF HOPE!
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This is part one of two parts.
Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
I. I HAVE A KEROSENE LAMP, I PRETEND THE ELECTRICITY IS OFF, I NEED LIGHT. I HAVE A KEROSENE LAMP FULL OF KEROSENE --- BUT I NEED A MATCH TO LIGHT THE WICK.
I STRIKE THE MATCH, LIGHT THE LAMP, AND SEE WE HAVE LIGHT. THE DARKER THE NIGHT --- THE GREATER THE LIGHT.
THE MEMORY OF HOPE AND GOD’S DELIVERANCE WILL BRING GREAT HOPE! I CALL THE MATCH: HOPE! HOPE AGAINST HOPE!
A. CAN WE SING THE CHRISTIAN THEME SONG?
Remember the old TV show Hee Haw, they had a song that many of us learned by heart.
" Gloom, despair, and agony on end ---
Deep dark depression, excessive misery,
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.
Gloom, despair, and agony on end. " ---- MOAN, AND MOAN SOME MORE.
B. WE HAVE HOPE IN THIS WORLD?
Education? Social groups or clubs?, political parties? Talk shows?
Bigger churches?
C. Webster defines HOPE:
To cherish a desire with anticipation
Trust, reliance, optimism
To desire with expectation of obtainment
To have confidence
D. Sometimes to understand something better, we need to
understand the inverse? ---
DESPAIR:
To lose all hope or confidence
Utter loss of all hope
No visual way of success
To have no remedy or no cure
Incapable of solution
HOPELESSNESS:
The state of despair and gloom that sees no good expectation of
a favorable outcome.
II. WE CAN OFTEN DEFINE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES AND WORDS WITH WORDS FROM THE WORLD. BUT WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE BELIEVERS’ HOPE IS MUCH DEEPER THAN ANY SUGGESTIONS MR. WEBSTER COULD PEN.
A. Believers hope is a hope against hope ---
to hope without any basis for expecting fulfillment.
Hope in God is having a great confidence and expectation in spiritual things beyond the things and powers of this world.
B. While Biblical hope may have roots in the past, real strong Biblical hope takes deep roots in today and in the tomorrows that we might face.
C. Biblical hope consists of more than a SANTA CLAUS WISH LIST and lustful desires.
D. YOU CAN NEVER SEPERATE HOPE FROM FAITH AND FAITH FROM HOPE. They are two peas from the same pod.
E. WHILE WE CONSIDER BIBLICAL HOPE IN CORRELATION WITH FAITH, WE CAN NOT WALK TOO FAR WITHOUT CONSIDERING --- HOPE, FAITH AND LOVE HAVE A UNION WITH TRUST --- IF WE TRUST GOD WE WILL ALWAYS KNOW HOPE.
Psalm 33:18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; 19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
III. A BELIEVERS HOPE MUST BUILD ON THE FOUNDATION OF KNOWING GOD’S WORDS ARE PERSONAL AND THEY ARE FOR MY CHURCH, MY FAMILY, AND THE INDIVIDUAL.
A. God reveals Himself by His written word, the Bible is OUR GREAT TOOL
FOR DAILY WALKING IN GREAT HOPE.
B. God has many great things in store for a BELIEVER FOUNDED IN A BELIEVER’S BIBLICAL HOPE. WE NEED AN ANCHOR!
Hebrews 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold
upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and
which entereth into that within the veil;
C. If our hope is anchored in God’s word --- it is SURE and STEADFAST...
IV. A BELIEVERS HOPE MUST BE ANCHORED BEYOND VISUAL AND EMOTIONAL FEELINGS. THERE IS A GREAT SERMON OF HOPE IN THE ROD, EVEN THOUGH THE WORLD COULD COUNTERFEIT IT!
A. God has spoken to Moses and Aaron, and God has a great plan of deliverance for His people.
B. As God begins this journey for His men, God asked: WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND?
The answer was simple: A ROD...
C. Throw the rod down? The rod becomes a snake.
D. God says to Moses: PICK UP THE SNAKE BY THE TAIL?
Moses knew better than handling a snake by the tail.
E. GOD’S LESSON TO MOSES WAS THAT MOSES AND AARON THOUGH CALLED BY GOD, WOULD ALWAYS BE IN A VULNERABLE POSITION. THEIR HOPE WAS BEYOND WHAT THEY COULD DO ---
THEIR HOPE WAS IN TRUSTING THE UNSEEN HAND.
F. WE HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM, ALL OF PHARAOH’S MAGICIANS CAN DO THE SAME THING THROUGH TRICKERY.
Exodus 7:12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
G. AARON’S ROD CRAWLED AROUND THE ROOM AND SWALLOWED ALL THE COUNTERFEIT SNAKES OF THE HOPES OF THIS WORLD.
H. WHEN AARON’S ROD AND THEN HIS SNAKE CRAWLED OVER AND GOBBLED DOWN THE WORLD’S CONTERFEIT’S --- GOD RAISED UP A TESTIMONY OF VICTORY AND DELIVERANCE. HOPE IS COMING...
I. THE WORLD’S SNAKES MAY HAVE BEEN SUBTLE, CUNNING, AND MAYBE EVEN POISONOUS, BUT THERE WAS NO ESCAPE FROM THE MAN OF GOD. The hope was not in the man of God, but in THE GOD OF THE MAN!
J. Today the enemy will try to use fear to KILL YOUR HOPE. The enemy may even throw up your past, maybe your present, and maybe even your doomed future, BUT OUR GOD’S SNAKE WILL EAT UP ALL YOUR HOPELESSNESS AND DESPAIR.
V. WILL WE OPERATE IN A PROPHETIC VISION OF GREAT HOPE?
HOPE MAY BE BIRTHED IN WHAT YOU KNOW AND WHO YOU WILL TRUST!
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
A. Poor Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet.
It appears God called Jeremiah in to public ministry at a terrible time of darkness and deep gloom.
B. BABYLON’S MIGHTY ARMY HAD CRIPPLED AND DEVASTATED JERUSALEM. IN THE HORRIBLE MIDST OF APPARENT DEFEAT AND BONDAGE --- GOD SPOKE TO HIS MAN ---
GIVE THE PEOPLE A NEW HOPE EVEN WHILE THE STORM IS STILL RAGING!
C. GOD SPEAKS TO JEREMIAH WHILE HE IS IN PRISON --- BUY LAND?
Jeremiah 32:6 And Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
7 Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.
D. How is Jeremiah going to buy land? He is in lock down at a prison?
E. ABOUT THAT TIME THE PRISON GUARD ANNOUNCED TO JEREMIAH, YOUR UNCLE IS HERE TO VISIT.
F. THEN I KNEW THIS WAS GOD!!!
Jeremiah 32:8 So Hanameel mine uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the Lord, and said unto me, Buy my field, I
pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.
G. JEREMIAH’S LAND PURCHASE WHILE ORDERED BY THE LORD AND CONFIRMED BY THE ACTIONS OF JEREMIAH’S UNCLE, HAD TO BE RECORDED LEGALLY TO TESTIFY OF GOD’S COMING DELIVERANCE FROM BONDAGE. HOPE!
H. Let there be legal evidence --- GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN JERUSALEM. THE DAY OF DELIVERANCE WILL COME! HOPE!
Jeremiah 32:14 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days.
I. The enemy was already in control of this land, but by making the contact and paying for the land, JEREMIAH RELEASES FAITH TO TESTIFY TO ALL ---
THIS IS A PROPHETIC MESSAGE GOD WILL RETURN TO HIS PEOPLE, GOD’S PEOPLE WILL RETURN TO HIM. HOPE!
J. NO MATTER WHAT THE VISUAL FIELD MIGHT APPEAR TO BE:
GOD SPOKE HOPE IN A TIME OF DESPAIR AND HOPELESSNESS!
K. Do you trust God? Do you trust God while the enemy is raging? THERE IS A PROMISE, IF YOU BELONG TO GOD, GOD WILL PULL YOU THROUGH THIS DARK TIME.
VI. I HAVE A KEROSENE LAMP, I PRETEND THE ELECTRICITY IS OFF, I NEED LIGHT. I HAVE A KEROSENE LAMP FULL OF KEROSENE --- BUT I NEED A MATCH TO LIGHT THE WICK. I STRIKE THE MATCH, LIGHT THE LAMP, AND SEE WE HAVE LIGHT. THE DARKER THE NIGHT THE GREATER THE LIGHT.
THE MEMORY OF HOPE AND GOD’S DELIVERANCE WILL BRING GREAT HOPE! WILL YOUR MEMORY, YOUR RECALL EFFORTS BRING FORTH HOPE? OR HOPELESSNESS?
A. Many people walk with a VICTIM SPIRIT.
They have been hurt, and their hurt breeds bitterness, gloom and despair.
HURT PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE!
B. At first church I pastored there was a lady that absolutely hated the song, PRECIOUS MEMORIES.
She told me if anyone ever sang that song --- she would get up and walk out of the service.
C. She hated her memories?
MAY I SUGGEST: BURY THE PAST OR THE PAST WILL BURY YOU!
Lament. 3:21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
D. Memory can bring emotional bondage and bring get fear.
E. As Jeremiah bought his uncle’s land for a testimony of the furture of God’s deliverance, Jeremiah also wants believers to understand and have confidence ALL IS NOT LOST --- GOD BRINGS HOPE.
F. I had a dear old friend, Watt Hale. His last few days were in the rest home. He often visited down MEMORY LANE, AND THEN HE WOULD RECALL:
Psalm 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
G. MEMORY IS LIKE A TWO EDGED SWORD...
1. The one sharp edge can kill the pride of life.
2. The other edge can cut asunder DESPAIR AND AGONY.
VII. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A SIGN OF HOPE?
WE CAN HAVE A BLESSED ASSURANCE, GOD CAN GIVE HOPE
WHEN THE ENEMEY APPEARS TO HAVE THE UPPER HAND.
A. Gideon was a little man, from a little family, from a little tribe, and a little nation, YET GIDEON HAD TO DEVELOP A SYSTEM OF TRUST AND HOPE.
Judges 7:9 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.
10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: 11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands
be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.
12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were
without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.
13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.
B. GOD CONFIRMED GIDEON’S CALL AND THE VICTORY OF THE BATTLE.
Judges 7:15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of
Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
C. THE HOPE THAT GIDEON WOULD DEFEAT THE ENEMEY WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED BY MEN’S HANDS.
Judges 7:16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.
D. CONCLUSION:
There are three major elements of Christian character that we must develop and mature.
1. Love
2. Faith
3. Hope
E. HOPE IS THE OPPOSITE OF SEEING AND FEELING.
Romans 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
F. Hope is anchored in issues of trusting God.
You will not catch God by surprise!
God will never faint under the weights of daily life.
God’s plan is for you to grow and nurture your HOPE!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help enlarge my hands, pass this on to another?
