Hope Overflows
Romans 15:4-13 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs 9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name." 10 Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." 11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples." 12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him." 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Intro: Hope is something we all need! Without hope we lose our way. Without hope we may not even care that we have lost our way. Now people put their hope in a lot of things that will let them down at some point: money, a better standard of living, getting more things, fulfilling their desires, finding the person of their dreams, and so on. People hope for a better tomorrow, for world peace, [for a Boise State national championship], and those hopes may go unfulfilled for a long time.
-What are you hoping for? Is there something you really want for Christmas? Are you hoping it won’t snow anymore this winter? Are you hoping that somehow you’ll be able to pay all your bills and have a little left over?
-Hope is foundational to our existence. So it is no wonder the Bible has something to say about it. In fact, hope is one of the central themes of the Christmas season. Many churches that celebrate Advent have a strong focus on the hope that came into the world through the birth of Jesus.
-I’d like to focus on the hope that we have in Jesus today and pray that your life will overflow with hope as you do life with Him!
1. Hope is found in God’s Word (4)
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
• Examples of Endurance in the Bible (Heb.11- Abraham, Moses, Jesus)
• Encouragement in the Bible
o God is with us! Immanuel (with us God). And since He is with us, He also said He’d never leave us or forsake us.
o This life is temporary! 2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
o Jesus is coming back for us! John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. Titus 2:11-13 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope-- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ
2. Hope flows through God’s Family (5-11)
• A Unified Family
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
-There is no room for divisions, bickering, backbiting, hatred, or anything else that is contrary to unity in God’s family. When Paul wrote to the church at Rome, they were dealing with some unity issues (explain Jews vs. Gentiles; Edict of Claudius).
• An Accepting Family (Acceptance brings hope; Rejection brings despair!)
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
• A Serving Family
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
3. Hope comes from God’s Promised Son (12)
12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."
-This is the Gospel! There is hope in Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God who died for the sins of the world. Jesus is the Suffering Servant who would bring hope to a dark world!
-Jesus is the hope of nations! Matthew 12:21 “In his name the nations will put their hope."
-And of course, John 3:16 tells us why there is hope: John 3:16-17 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
-Know Jesus, Know Hope! No Jesus, No Hope!
4. Hope overflows by the Power of the Holy Spirit (13)
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
-Why would we want hope to overflow? When you drink something, do you want it to overflow? No, because we just want enough to satisfy our immediate thirst. But the idea of overflow here is better understood in the context of a hot, dry, setting where a person is parched and wants nothing more than a surplus of cool, refreshing water to overflow on them. Not just fill their cup but to flow beyond the boundaries and refresh them completely.
-Romans 5:5 says “hope does not disappoint us [or let us down], because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
-This overflow relates directly with the power of the Holy Spirit in the sense that we are not to keep this refreshing hope to ourselves! When it overflows, it gets on everybody around us! We are supposed to share the hope that we have in Jesus with the people He has placed in our lives! How does this work?
-Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
-After this happened in Acts 2:4 and they were all filled with the HS and spoke with other tongues, Peter told the people what was going on and quoted from the OT: Acts 2:16-18 …this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 "’In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy…. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
-Listen! Hope not only floats, but hope overflows when we are filled with the Holy Spirit! Our hope can be contagious to those around us when it is real, when it is relevant, and when it is energized by the power of the Holy Spirit! Being Spirit-filled makes us want to speak out boldly the good news about Jesus!
-So, how can we be filled with the Holy Spirit?
Luke 11:9-13 9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
-Ask the Lord to fill you with His Holy Spirit! Seek Him and receive all that He wants to do in your life! The result will be an overflow of hope and life that touches people all around you!
Conclusion: Hope abounds in the life of a person whose trust is in the Lord! God’s word increases our hope! God’s family builds our hope! God’s Son is our hope! And God’s Spirit causes our hope to overflow, spreading it to others so that they too will come to know the living God.
-If you need some hope today, you’ll find it in the Bible, in talking with God, in your relationships with other believers, and in seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
-However, this all starts by coming to God in faith and hope, asking Him to forgive you and make you clean before Him. Are there things in your life you are ashamed of? There is hope because God forgives! Are you trapped or bound by certain things in your life? There is hope because God delivers those who call on Him in faith! Do you need God’s help today? There is hope because God is a very present help in times of need!
-If you need to call on Him today, please do it! There is hope for you! How do I know? Because there was and is hope for me and for so many others who have found their reason for being in knowing and following Jesus. Please take a step of faith today and find the hope you need for your life and for each situation that you face.
