SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). The SIGHT of this Hope (vs 12b)
(2). The SOURCE of this Hope (vs 13 a)
(3). The SERENITY of this Hope (vs 13b)
(4). The SUFFICIENCY of this Hope (vs 13c)
(5). The SUPPLY of this Hope (vs 13d)
SERMON BODY:
Quote: Charles Swindoll:
• Hope is a wonderful gift from God,
• A source of strength and courage in the face of life's harshest trials.
• When we are trapped in a tunnel of misery, hope points to the light at the end.
• When we are overworked and exhausted, hope gives us fresh energy.
• When we are discouraged, hope lifts our spirits.
• When we are tempted to quit, hope keeps us going.
• When we lose our way and confusion blurs the destination,
• Hope dulls the edge of panic.
• When we struggle with a crippling disease or a lingering illness,
• Hope helps us persevere beyond the pain.
• When we fear the worst, hope brings reminders that God is still in control.
• When we must endure the consequences of bad decisions, hope fuels our recovery.
• When we find ourselves unemployed, hope tells us we still have a future.
• When we are forced to sit back and wait, hope gives us the patience to trust.
• When we feel rejected and abandoned,
• Hope reminds us we're not alone ... we'll make it.
• When we say our final farewell to someone we love,
• Hope in the life beyond gets us through our grief.
• Put simply, when life hurts and dreams fade,
• Nothing helps like hope.
• According to the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 13;
• There are the three abiding virtues (qualities), they are: “Faith, hope and love”;
Quote: Warren Wiersbe:
• FAITH compels us to LOOK UP;
• And have confidence in the true and living God.
• LOVE constrains us to LOOK AROUND;
• And encourage those who need our help;
• And HOPE motivates us to LOOK AHEAD;
• With assurance, knowing that the future is our friend because Jesus is our living Lord.
Ill:
"HOPE" has been called the "Cinderella" of this great threesome:
• Question: Why?
• Answer: Because it is the one always left out! The one never taken to the ball!
• We hear a lot of messages on Faith, and a lot of messages on Love,
• But rarely do we hear a message specifically on HOPE.
Now our benediction and the surrounding verses:
• Are about Christian hope.
• And therefore it is a great benediction of encouragement.
(1). The SIGHT of this Hope (vs 12b)
• Note: At the end of verse 12,
• Paul quotes from the prophet Isaiah and says: "The Gentiles will hope in HIM."
The context of these verses is the Apostle Paul talking about God’s great plan of salvation.
• The apostle Paul describes a great choir of both Jews and Gentiles;
• Praising the Lord with one mouth.
Note: He does this by quoting four passages from the Old Testament:
(1).
• Each quote is very significant;
• And Paul uses them to show a beautiful progressive truth:
• Verse 9 Paul quotes Psalm 18 verse 49.
• To show the Jews glorifying God among the Gentiles.
• Romans chapter 1 verse 16 reminds us that;
• Salvation came “First to the Jew”
(2).
• Verse 10 Paul quotes Deuteronomy chapter 34 verse 43.
• To show the Gentiles rejoicing with the Jews.
• Don’t read that statement too quickly;
• Because it wasn’t always that way!
• Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 12 that the Gentiles were “Without hope”
• Because of the faithfulness of Jewish Christians to share the gospel message;
• Gentile nations had & have the opportunity to trust Christ as saviour!
(3).
• Verse 11 Paul quotes Psalm 117 verse 1;
• To show all Jews and Gentiles together praising God.
• Regarding those first two quotes;
• Let me suggest they refer to the past!
• First quote is Acts chapters 1-7: the gospel being taken to the Jews.
• Second quote is Acts chapter 15 when Gentile Christians were given equal status!
• This third quote may well refer to today (you and I):
• As one body/church made up of Jew/Gentile praise God together.
(4).
• Verse 12 Paul quotes Isaiah chapter 11 verse 10.
• Future hope when Christ shall reign over both Jews and Gentiles.
So our hope as Christians is 100% rooted in Jesus Christ:
• You and I (regardless as to whether you are Jewish or a Gentile);
• You and I who were once enemies to God and separated from by our sin.
• We can praise him this ???????????
• Because ‘in Christ’ he has reconciled us to the Living God.
Ill:
• It matters not what Church (or denomination) a person attends;
• It matters not whether you are male or female,
• It matters not whether you are young or old,
• It matters not whether you are rich or / black or white.
• But It does matters immensely your view of Christ;
• It matters immensely as to whether or not you are trusting him for salvation!
That is why at the end of verse 12:
• Paul quotes from the prophet Isaiah and says: "The Gentiles will hope in HIM."
• Without him ("the root of Jesse" i.e. Jesus). There is no hope!
Ill:
• A little over a month before he died, the famous atheist Jean-Paul Sartre;
• Declared that he so strongly resisted feelings of despair that he would say to himself,
• “I know I shall die in hope.”
• Then in profound sadness, he would add, “But hope needs a foundation.”
• Without Jesus Christ as that foundation - there is no hope!
• The hope of every Christian looks solely to Jesus Christ as its focus!
Our hope looks to Jesus:
(A). FOR THIS LIFE.
• We have One who is beside us every step of the way in this life.
• His promise is; “Never to leave us or forsake us!”
• The Christian’s Hope is not in men and what they can do for us;
• The Christian’s hope is fixed in Christ.
Ill:
• During the darkest days of the second world war, just after France had capitulated;
• An emergency meeting of the cabinet was called.
• Winston Churchill outlined the situation in its starkest colours;
• “Gentlemen” he said; “Britain stands alone!”
• When he finished speaking there was silence (you could hear a pin drop),
• On the faces of his cabinet was written despair and defeat.
• Churchill looked around that dispirited company and said;
• “Gentlemen, I find it rather inspiring!”
Question: As believers, aren’t you glad:
• All our hopes are in Christ and Christ alone!
• Note: Surely there is no safer place to deposit those hope!
• Note: That in the original Greek text, the word "HOPE" here has the article.
• So it literally reads: "May the God of THE Hope ..."
• Quote: “The only certainty in life are death and taxes”
• But the Christian can add “and every promise spoken by Jesus Christ!”
(B). FOR ETERNITY.
• The Christian hope is not for this life only!
• Jesus said; “That where I am, there you shall be also!”
• Because we believe in the resurrection of the dead,
• Our ultimate HOPE is an eternity with the Lord;
Ill:
• Haircut for a funeral;
• Quote John Wesley: “Our people die well!”
Ill:
• Whenever we buy anything Kathy & Arlo always want the receipt.
• The receipt is proof of purchase!
• Someone has described the resurrection of Jesus Christ;
• As God’s receipt that a price for sin was paid on the cross.
• Therefore in view of his resurrection;
• The Christian’s ultimate hope is not in this old world; i.e. Hoping it will get better!
• The Christian’s ultimate hope is in a better time and a better place.
• A resurrected body and a new world out of the old and a reigning Lord & saviour!
(2). The SOURCE of this Hope (vs 13 a)
• "May the God of Hope"
• God himself is the source of our Hope.
• Ill: Jeremiah the prophet called God: “the Hope of Israel” (14:8);
• Ill: And the “hope of their fathers” (50:7).
• In this benediction God is again referred to as; "The God of Hope";
• This implies several things about our God:
e.g.:
• His NATURE is Hopeful.
• With God the glass is always half full and never half empty.
ill
Almost every activity of human life is motivated to some degree by hope:
• Because of hope farmers plant seeds,
• Because of hope teachers teach pupils.
• Because of hope people fall in love and get married and have families.
• God motivates us by hope;
• Quote:
• “That’s why he put eyes in the front of our heads! He wants us to look forward!”
Ill:
Abraham in the Old Testament knew God as a God of hope!
• When having to make some important choices;
• He was swayed and influenced by, and lived in the hope of God’s promises.
• We are told that when given the chance;
• He did not look back to Ur of the Chaldes,
• When given the chance he didn’t look around at Sodom and Gomorrah;
• And the other cities on the plain like for example Lot and his wife.
• Instead he looked ahead to the city of God;
• He had hope in the fact that this was where his eternal citizenship lay.
• Quote: Hebrews chapter 11 verse 10:
• “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God”.
Ill:
A promise of course is only as good as the one who makes it!
• I can promise my kids a trip to the moon or a trip to Disneyland.
• But I have the ability to keep only one of those promises!
• Abraham believed in a God of hope.
• A God who can deliver on each and every promise!
(3). The SERENITY of this Hope (vs 13b)
• "...fill you with ALL JOY AND PEACE as you trust (FAITH) him."
• This Hope affords us Joy & Peace as we continue to trust, have faith in him.
Ill:
• Paul has used these two attributes earlier in his letter;
• In the previous chapter (14 verse 17):
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,
but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit"
• “The kingdom of God” that expression simply means; ‘where God is reigning’;
• The result of God reining in your life is ‘Peace and Joy’.
Ill:
• A healthy apple tree produces apples.
• A healthy peach tree produces peaches.
• A healthy pear tree produces pears.
• A healthy cherry tree produces cherry.
• A healthy Christian (a life in which Christ is reigning):
• Will experience ‘Joy and peace’.
Ill:
Fruit of the Holy Spirit is ‘Love, joy peace……”
• Ill: Remember no machine can ever manufacture fruit.
• Because fruit can only grow out of life.
• People who are spiritually dead do not have ‘Love, joy & peace’
• As something resident and permeating their lives – because they are spiritually dead!
• But the Christian who is alive and ‘walking in step’ with the Holy Spirit;
• Will experience the fruit that ‘He’ (the Holy Spirit and not they themselves) produces.
(4). The SUFFICIENCY of this Hope (vs 13c)
"...that you may OVERFLOW with hope"
Ill:
• You know the Early Church evidenced this abundance of Hope.
• Whenever they met one another.
• Ill: Just as the first Christians developed a sign of recognition; ‘The Fish’.
• The ancient and classical Greek word for "fish." – ‘Ichthus’.
• The Christians made an acrostic for each of the letters of that word ‘Ichthus’
• Jesus / Christ / God's / Son / Saviour.
• They also developed a greeting:
• One believer would say to another the word "MARANATHA";
• Which means "the Lord is coming!"
• These believers expected Him daily; and daily they lived in that hope!
Note:
• These Christians attitude was not merely positive;
• It was bursting, it was choc-full of hope.
• Ill: This word used in verse 13: "overflow" or "abound" is the Greek word "perisseuo",
• Ill: Which means "to superabound, to have in excess".
Ill:
• Nice to have money in your wallet,
• Better still if it’s in your wallet, your pockets, your piggy bank, under the mattress and even in the bank!
Ill:
• Nice to have food on your plate at dinner-time,
• Better still if you have it in your fridge, freezer and cupboards!
Ill:
• Paul says as Christians we are not just positive thinkers!
• We are those who "Superabound”, those who have hope “In excess".
Remember: that the sufficiency of our hope is secured in God himself:
Ill:
• Every premiership football team wants a Roman Abramovich.
• A club chairman who will pump money galore into their football team.
• But even Roman Abramovich is feeling the economic crisis;
• His team Chelsea have not been able to buy any players recently.
Christian:
• God wants us to SUPERABOUND in Hope.
• He wants this Hope that we have to be filling us up to overflowing;
• Because he will never have to tighten his belt; His resources never run low!
• He is always sufficient to meet our needs!
• Therefore God wants us to SUPERABOUND in Hope.
• He wants this Hope that we have to be filling us up to overflowing;
And there is more:
• God wants us to SUPERABOUND in Hope.
• He wants this Hope that we have to be filling us up to overflowing;
• So that it pours out of our lives to affect others.
• The hope that we have in Jesus Christ should be contagious.
• Ill: Remember: We are channels of hope, not reservoirs!
• The hope that we have in Jesus Christ should be contagious.
(5). The SUPPLY of this Hope
"...by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT."
• We receive this hope, and we live in this hope,
• And we keep this hope alive, “By the power of the Holy Spirit”.
• The Greek word for power here is "Dunamis".
• From which we get our words like "dynamic" & "dynamite".
In other words we need an outside power to maintain our hope:
• Ill: Run on the battery system.
• Our hope is going to be up and down, weak and strong, inconstant!
• Ill: Running on the mains.
• Constant flow, a stability in our lives!
We need according to Ephesians chapter 5 verse 18:
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit”.
CONCLUSION:
Ill:
• Charles Spurgeon called this verse (Romans chapter 15 verse 13):
• “One of the richest passages in the word of God”
(1). THE SIGHT OF THIS HOPE
• "In Him shall the gentiles hope."
• Our Hope looks to Jesus as is constant focus.
(2). THE SOURCE OF THIS HOPE
• He is "the God of (the) Hope"
• God himself and non-other is the source of our Hope.
(3). THE SERENITY OF THIS HOPE
• "All joy and peace in believing"
• Joy – “Happy are those whose sins are forgiven”
• Peace – “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”
(4). THE SUFFICIENCY OF THIS HOPE
• "That you may abound"
• Our Hope is one of superabundance.
• He has saved us! (Penalty of sin)
• He is saving us! (Power of sin)
• And he shall save us! (Presence of sin)
(5). THE SUPPLY OF THIS HOPE
• "By the power of the Holy Spirit"
• We receive this abundant Hope by the Spirit’s power at work in our lives.
