Intro: The Assyrians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans had their many gods—gods of war, gods of industry, gods of agriculture, gods of cities, gods of towns, and various others. But in religions entire galaxy of gods, there never was one called “god of hope.” That is scarcely surprising. For in that ancient world, hope had become a despised delusion, long before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The fact is, there is no hope for this sin-cursed world apart from the true God, the God of Creation and Salvation. “Now the God of hope....” (Romans 15:13)
First understand that hope is not wishing upon a star. The hope the Bible talks about is a firm conviction. What is our missionary hope? It is that we are convicted that the Love of God will never run out for us! It is not hope or conviction that leads us to love it is the depths of God’s love that leads us to hope.
When God sends His Spirit to the heart of one who believes hope is set. Hope comes from a Greek word that means to expect with pleasure or have confidence. When God does this amazing things happen: barriers are broken, communities are formed, opposites are reconciled, unity is established,
disease is cured, addiction is broken, cities are renewed, races are reconciled, hope is established,
people are blessed, and church happens. (Read all of Romans 15.13)
How can we live in real joy? How can we live with real hope? How can we have lasting peace? Only by letting the Holy Spirit Control us inside and out. There are at least four characteristics of people that live in God’s hope.
I. The missionary hope changes your direction – the wise men (Matthew 2.1-12)
The wise men were no fools they were the scientists and scholars of their day. They were among the first astronomers, scientists, philosophers they were richly educated.
A) Their search
What was it that made the wise men wise? Was it their education? Was it their research in history, astronomy or chemistry?
Hebrews 11:6 Message “It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.”
Why should you seek Jesus? Because he cares enough to respond to you’re searching for Him. Why is the health and wealth gospel so deceiving? The danger is because it takes our attention away from Jesus.
B) Their surrender
The wise men truly became wise when they chose to respond to God with worship. They worshipped Him with their attitudes, actions, and assets. They truly got that everything belonged to God.
The greatest way they worshipped God was to allow Him to lead them. The original path the wise men planned to travel home was dangerous. So God warned them in a dream to go another way. Now remember these were wise men they had it together. Yet they bowed their pride and plan before God and went another way.
Some of you today are on a path that is dangerous and when you get to the end it will be devastating.
Are you willing to let the God to change your direction?
Why because He cares enough to redirect you and lead you to safe and healthy attitudes, actions and relationships.
Hope comes from a Greek word that means confidence. Are you confident enough in who God is and what he has done and is doing for you that you will allow him to change your direction? (God is clearly directing us to be a church that Loves deeply shares completely and serves compassionately as we go forward.)
Our future as a body – depends on our hearing God and moving in obedience.
II. The missionary hope charges your devotion – Anna (Luke 2:36-38)
Anna had a lot to be distressed, depressed and disgusted with. She was a woman in a man’s world. She was a widow in a wife’s world. A witness of the wonderful savior despite the fact she could not be two or more of the witnesses that brought accusation against someone. She could have just quit and said God you’re not fair. She didn’t why not?
She knew what true hope was! Her devotion to God was not designed to fit outward righteous standards. Her devotion was charged with confidence as the Greek word means passionate expectation. This widow was devoted not to the mindless laws the self-righteous had created 612 in all. She was consumed with a passion for the living God.
In her devotion to God she expressed it through a ministry of prayer and fasting. Her ministry was not flashy but it was forceful. She accepted her role and absorbed herself with the presence of God.
Maybe you are not called to this particular ministry of prayer and fasting. However if God has placed His spirit in you He has a ministry for you within the Body of Christ.
Why? Why does God give us service to perform within the body of believers?
1) To grow you closer to Him as you operate the way He created you.
2) To glorify Him as you grow in love, grace, and knowledge
3) To gain a joy that is based on God’s promises not your temporary problems.
III. The missionary hope changes your declaration – (John 4:1-42)
Why was it so amazing that Jesus spoke to this woman? Let’s begin with her background. She was a Samaritan. We hear the story of the Good Samaritan, or think of Good Samaritan Hospital. However, this word was a curse word to Jews.
The Jews would say this about the Samaritans, “He who eats the bread of a Samaritan is he who eats the swine’s flesh.”
“No Samaritan shall be made a proselyte. They have no share in the resurrection.”
She had no hope as a woman. She had no hope as a Samaritan
Jesus came to her and gave her an expectation of Salvation. She was concerned with religion and he wanted to invite her to a relationship. 4.19 He is trying to get to the truth of who she is and she is changing the subject to what name the building has on it.
Jesus was above the sexual, racial, and religious prejudice of His day. He did not come only to white Americans. He came to every tribe, tongue, and nation. Jesus came to give the woman confidence that she could worship God in spirit, set free from the religious requirements of the Jews and all people. If her heart sought God she could find not just a place but a person. In truth the only way to the father was through the atoning forgiveness of the Son.
1) Confidence breeds not divisive religion but unifying worship
2) Confidence presses forward to obey the word of Jesus.
3) Confidence drives us to share Christ with others.
IV. The missionary hope changes your interaction
1 Peter 1.13-22 (read entire passage)
Place your confidence fully, completely in what God’s kindness will do for you when Jesus Christ returns. The returning of Jesus Christ is called the Blessed hope. Then we will be made perfect as Jesus is!! So Peter is telling us in our modern lingo or slang, pull yourselves together, when this focus of what God has done save us from the penalty of sin. No longer do we have to be afraid of God he is our father and our friend. No longer do we jump through hoops but we now are joyous in our obedience.
We also joyously love God and others because we are saved from the power of sin. This means we can walk humbly with God and man. We can return blessing for cursing, we can pray for those who persecute us, we can turn the other cheek, and we can seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.
1 Peter 1.18-21 “Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.” (Message)
So what should this confidence do to your interaction with others?”
1 Peter 1.22 “Now that you've cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life.”
Self-indulgence is characteristic of those who are ignorant of God. Practically Peter is teaching us to say no to sinful desires especially in regards to others.
How does this play out in our practical every day live as a Christ follower and member of the Body of Christ called Immanuel?
First we are bound by the basics of faith, salvation in Christ alone, grace, mercy, forgiveness of sin, baptism, resurrection. However, to really live in love we must move to the meat of living out our lives or getting ourselves together. We learn of our call to service, sacrifice, and forgiveness of others, faithfulness to God and the body of Christ, living a life based on love.
We guard against those things that defeat love.
1 Peter 2.1-3
1) Malice – The natural tendency to want others to be hurt.
2) Deceit – This is a life of untruth and dishonesty. This person is unable to give or receive love because love requires an atmosphere of honesty and truth.
3) Envy – This keeps you from rejoicing in victories and grieving over others losses. The next time something good happens to one of our brothers or sisters in Christ ask, “Can I truly rejoice with them?
4) Slander – Comes from the sinister minister himself – Satan. This is used to nothing other than ruin the reputation of others. These are lies, half-truths that harm and not heal.
These like acid eat away at the ties that unite and strengthen us as the body of Christ.
So practically let this story speak clearly to your heart as one set free from the stain of sin.
Allan Peterson, in The Myth of the Greener Grass, writes: Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband. “I do not only want to get rid of him; I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me.” Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan. “Go home and act as if you really loved your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him Make him believer you love him. After you’ve convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that you’re getting a divorce. That will really hurt him.” With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, “Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!” And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting “as if.” For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing. When she didn’t return, Crane called. “Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?” “Divorce!” she exclaimed. “Never! I discovered I really do love him.” Her actions had changed her feelings. Motion resulted in emotion. The ability to love is established not so much by fervent promise as often-repeated deeds. These deeds are drawn out of the well of your confidence in God’s endless available love.
Do you have a problem with your brother? Then lay down your sacrifice and go to him or her. What is your sacrifice today? Maybe it is teaching, teaching Sunday School, whatever you are doing that is keeping you from dealing with the issue you have with that person. Deal with it come back and take up your sacrifice and offer it to God.
Why? Why should I. I mean they really hurt me or someone I love. They don’t deserve it! No, none of us do. But mercy is kindness in excess of what may be expected or demanded by fairness; forbearance and compassion.
Living in practical love as God calls us to brings
1) Personal healing
2) Corporate health
3) Powerful unity
Illustration: My wife asking me to help her preparing for the kids bells presentation and revealing to me about being a card turner. He can do more with a card turner for His glory than a pastor with ambition.
Conclusion: Are you confident in God that whatever is in your life that is not of love or faith you will allow Him to change? When you do it will result in Joy, peace and purpose like you have never known.
Robert Lewis
“The world is tired of the church impersonally talking it down and chewing it up. What the world waits to see is whether what we have is better than what they have. Just think what bridges we could build if we followed the example of the New Testament church. We would go beyond being seeker sensitive, to a new frontier of being community admired. We would be known, not just by the corner we inhabit, but by the city with which we interact. And people would be drawn to God, not because of the weekly show in our churches, but by the irrefutable lives we incarnate.”
