Give the gift of HOPE!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT: Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
HOPE MIGHT MEAN TRY AGAIN...
Luke 5:5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing:
nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great
multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
LIFE WITH CHRIST IS AN ENDLESS HOPE! LIFE WITHOUT CHRIST IS AN ENDLESS HOPE!
Have we ever consider what fishing would be without hope? Each person with a worm, a pole and a line...
must approach fishing with HOPE. We must be OPTIMISTIC and hope I am going fishing and I will catch
some fish. What if I have fished all day and taken nothing? Talk to a good fisherman and he will say let's
give it a little more time? He might even change his bait or move his boat but he will never quit. Wait a minute
I thing I have a bite?
With the reality of human and spiritual living we must grab the ATTITUDE HOPE IS ALL I HAVE!
TO WEIGH THE MATTERS IN A SERIOUS THOUGHT PATTERN: A HOPELESS CHRISTIAN
KILLS THE FAITH.
Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations,
according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
EVERY SERIOUS WATER VESSEL HAS AN ANCHOR.
Hebrews 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth
into that within the veil;
Did you hear about the man that purchased a brand new boat? He purchased all the things he needed
to appease the Coast Guard. He had life jackets, a horn, a radio, red lights, green lights, a spot light, and he
purchased a very expensive anchor. He and his wife took the large boat out for the maiden voyage. About an
hour away from port the husband, now the new captain, gave his wife the orders to drop the anchor.
The wife stepped to the port side and threw the anchor over board. She was so proud. Then the husband
yelled at the top of his voice: DID YOU TIE THE ROPE TO THE ANCHOR?
So the couple just stood there and watched the anchor go hopelessly out of sight.
Many have thrown an unattached anchor into troubled waters.
IF YOU WATCH ENOUGH NEWS YOU WILL KNOW THAT WE ARE LIVING IN PERILOUS TIMES.
THE CRY OF MOST PEOPLE WILL SAY: CHRISTIAN VALUES ARE OUT DATED AND WE ARE
FOREVER DOOMED.
The church has known dark days. The cry of society is the church is doomed and will fail.
WE HAVE GREAT HOPE THAT JESUS DIED FOR THE CHURCH AND SHE WILL NEVER GO UNDER.
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church;
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The church gives hope when we are facing suffering and difficult situations. NOT ONLY THAT
THE HOPE OF THE CROSS CAN BRING GREAT JOY IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM. WE MUST
POSSESS AND SHARE THE HOPE OF THE AGES.
Joseph had hope in the prison. Daniel had hope in the lions den. Face the fiery furnace with hope.
Ephesians That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such
thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
BE A PRISONER OF HOPE AND EXPECTATION!
IS THERE A CORRELATION BETWEEN FAITH AND HOPE AND JOY?
Zech. 9:12 Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;
A. Is it possible to move in faith and have no hope?
B. Is it possible to declare hope and know no faith?
WITHOUT HOPE WE LOSE ALL OF OUR SENSES ABOUT OUR DIRECTION?
STEALING THE BELL. In the North Sea at Firth of Tay, Scotland there is a dangerous rock
to navigators. Every tide that comes in covers the rock just beneath the surface of the waters.
Many ships have been damaged by this hidden rock.
The Abbot of Aberbrothok fixed a great warning bell and attached it to the rock.
Several years the bell ringing was a sound of warning to all ships passing the danger.
No ship was damaged in this time.
A sea pirate stole the bell off the rock and sold it for a good profit. 12 months later the pirate that
stole the bell, was on a speedy mission and while sailing his ship through the area, crashed his vessel,
and he and his crew perished in the icy cold waters of the North Sea. The pirate perished on the
dangerous rocks because he saw little HOPE or value in the warning bell for sea goers. EVERY SERIOUS
WATER VESSEL HAS TO HAVE AN ANCHOR.
SWE MUST REMEMBER THE GIFT OF HOPE AND SHARE IT...
SOUND OUT! KNOW WHERE YOU ARE?
To be broken into hopelessness is calling God a liar. God knows and he can handle this ship...
PAUL WAS SICK, SEA SICK, IF THEY HAD JUST LISTENED... BUT IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM
PAUL STOOD UP AND DELIVERED A GREAT SERMON OF HOPE.
Acts 27:28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded
again, and found it fifteen fathoms. 29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four
anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
In Biblical times a captain of the ship knew the value of the anchor, but he also knew to sound out.
They would place something heavy on a rope and throw it into the water. There would be a knot every so many
feet, and the captain would know how deep the water was.
In unknown, uncharted waters or in times of storms the captain would post a man in front of the ship to
SOUND OUT. WE MUUST WISH FOR THE DAY...
HOPE RIDES ON OUR SHOULDERS, ARE YOU SHARING HOPE? DO OUR EMOTIONS REIGN?
IT IS ESSENTIAL, WE MUST GROW UNWAVERING FAITH BY THE ATTITUDE OF PRAISE. PRAISE!
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE ARE SPIRITUAL ESSENTIALS. HOPE IS DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE
HEART OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP. WE MUST NOT ALLOW CIRCUMSTANCE TO DICTATE OUR HOPE.
BE A FIXED ITEM TO OUR HEARTS!
Psalm 57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
Psalm 108:1 A Song or Psalm of David. O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
IF YOU SHARE HOPE, YOU WILL REAP HOPE.
JOY, HOPE AND FAITH WILL ANCHOR US TO THE ETERNAL.
WHILE WE LIVE WE MUUST GUARD OUR HOPE. WE MUST SHARE HOPE WITH THE HOPELESS.
BE A PRISONER OF HOPE AND EXPECTATION!
Hope is the window... that allows the SON to shine.
EVERYTHING THAT IS DONE IN THE CHURCH IS DONE BY HOPE!
WHY PLANT SEEDS WHERE THERE IS NO HOPE?
IS THERE A CORRELATION BETWEEN FAITH AND HOPE AND JOY?
Zech. 9:12 Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double
unto thee;
Is it possible to move in faith and have no hope? Is it possible to declare hope and know no faith?
Would we ever leave the house if we never had any hope of reaching our destination?
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hope is wishing for a thing to come true. FAITH IS BELIEVEING IT WILL COME TRUE. Hope is desiring
something that regardless of the news, the reports, the public opinion... despite the evidence.
HOPE GIVES STRENGTH AND LIFE!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
