OPENING: While hunting, Larry and Elmer got lost in the woods. Trying to reassure his friend, Larry said, "Don’t worry. All we have to do is shoot into the air 3 times, stay where we are, and someone will find us."
They shot in the air 3 times, but no one came. After a while, they tried again. Still no response. When they decided to try once more, Elmer said, "I hope it works this time. We’re down to our last 3 arrows."
Now We tend to do the the same thing in our lives as well
• We tend to put our hope in the advice of others, / People that we trust.
• And a lot of the time it tends to do as much good as shooting arrows.
So that’s what we’re going to spend a little time today talking about / Our Source of Hope
People in difficult circumstances often rely on advice of (ELAB ON EACH)
· Friends · Neighbors · Experts
We need to understand that Hope is vital - is critical - for our everyday survival in life.
Romans 15:1-6
Ro 15:1 We may know that these things make no difference, but we cannot just go ahead and do them to please ourselves. We must be considerate of the doubts and fears of those who think these things are wrong.
Ro 15:2 We should please others. If we do what helps them, we will build them up in the Lord.
Ro 15:3 For even Christ didn’t please himself. As the Scriptures say, “Those who insult you are also insulting me.”
Ro 15:4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. They give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises.
Ro 15:5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other.
Ro 15:6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God understands that we need hope in our everyday life.
• That’s why; in verse 4 we’re told: "
• Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us.
• One of the reasons that we have the Scriptures is to give us hope.
This is what Job himself had to say: Job 6:11-13
Job 6:11 But I do not have the strength to endure. I do not have a goal that encourages me to carry on.
Job 6:12 Do I have strength as hard as stone? Is my body made of bronze?
Job 6:13 No, I am utterly helpless, without any chance of success.
Job knew that without God he was nothing,
• But with God He would be confident
• And he would live expecting good things to happen.
Proverbs 29:18 tells us
Pr 29:18 When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is happy.
We need to understand that Our hope, is built on Jesus
• And at the same time that our Hope is a gift from God…
• And We should want to know how we can get this kind of Hope.
Romans 15:4 it tells us we get hope for the Sake of Encouragement"
• God’s wants to give us our hearts desires.
• BUT, God usually doesn’t give us what we want, / when we want it.
• And because of this we need to learn to wait on God / so that we can learn how to be patient.
But, the question remains “Why would God delay giving us what we hope for?”
• One reason would be: so that we "appreciate" even more He gives it to us.
When God created Adam,
• He didn’t immediately give him Eve.
• God said, ’It is not good for the man to be alone.
• So I will make a helper suitable for him’"
But right after this God asks Adam to name all the animals.
• God could have figured out names for all these creatures.
• He didn’t need Adam’s help.
• But God wanted Adam to see and review all the rest of creation BEFORE He gave him Eve.
Then when Adam first sets his eyes on Eve,
Ge 2:23 “At last!” Adam exclaimed. “She is part of my own flesh and bone! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of a man.
God delayed creating Eve, so that Adam could fully understand and appreciate what he was about to receive.
Another reason that God makes us wait
• Is because it makes us stronger
• Romans 5:3 tells us: 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
Since we have been justified through our faith in Jesus
• We now have access to God’s grace
• We can experience the peace of God,
• And because of that we can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
And its through all this that we can rejoice in our sufferings,
• Because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
• Perseverance, produces Character;
• And Character, produces Hope.
• And Hope never Disappoints
Hope can’t disappoint us because
• God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,
• When God delays He prepares
• He prepares us to handle the responsibilities of our desires
• And the gifts that we have received from Him.
Romans 15:4 tells us that we gain God’s Hope through the encouragement that we find in Scripture.
And Psalm 119 reinforces this truth:
(vs. 43) "Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws."
(vs. 74) "May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word."
(vs. 81)" My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word."
(vs. 114) "You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word."
(vs. 147) "I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word."
Not only can we find hope IN His word we can obtain hope FROM His word.
• The Word of God fills us with hope because it gives us examples of God’s faithfulness
• It shows us how He can and will work in our lives.
This is the theme that is repeated constantly through scripture.
• It tells how God’s people went through a 3 stage process.
1. First there was a vision given of great potential
2. Then vision, was placed in the future
3. There was the fulfillment of the original vision.
As we talked about a few weeks ago, God made a promise to Abraham that he and his wife would have a son.
• Abraham believed the promise / from the moment God told him,
• He believed it even though He and Sarah were old, and well advanced in years,
• He believed it even though Sarah was past the age of childbearing."
• He believed it inspite of all these things
• And 9 months later, Isaac was born and the promise was fulfilled.
David was promised that he would become a king by Samuel, even thou he was very young
• And when he was introduced to Saul –
• And it looked like he was close to the throne that he’d been promised –
• He spent the next several years running and hiding from a man who wanted to kill him.
• But eventually, / God came through / And the promise was fulfilled.
Let’s not forget about Jesus
• Jesus came to be the King of Israel.
• But, He was rejected / by the people
• He was plotted against by the leaders of the day,
• And eventually He suffered and died a terrible death.
• But Three days later everything changed, and the promise was fulfilled.
And finally in Romans 15:1-2 tells us we attain God’s Hope by true servanthood.
• Do you remember what the Disciples always seemed to be arguing about?
• Who is the greatest?
• Jesus said "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.
But we aren’t suppose to be like that.
• Instead, the greatest among us should be like the youngest,
• And the one who rules like the one who serves.
For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves." (Luke 22:25-27)
Servant hood is God’s way of making us great.
• Because God created us to be happy
• He created us to be fulfilled, and at peace,
• And this happens when we learn to serve others
The old hymn’s lyrics say
• What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer.
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh what needless pain we bear;
All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer.
CLOSE: “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
What we see today is that THE KEY - to true Hope is to focus on God
