A True Hope
How many of you have made a New Year's Resolutions?
Every year right before the new year I start planning for the upcoming year.
I make a few resolutions and hopes for the new year.
It’s the time of year I work to get the budget under control and (Dave Ramsey myself out of debt with the debt snowball).
It’s the time of year I work to get my waistline back inside the clothes I bought ten years ago.
It’s the time of year when I plan to make the upcoming year better than the last one.
It is the time of year that new goals and hopes are on my mind. (“HOPE” graphic)
It’s the time of year that the phrase “This is the year I am going to (You fill in the blank)_________ : do, complete, start, restart, try again finally finish, get married, do the things I have always wanted to do and the biggy that most Americans look forward to the year they retire.
It’s the time of year that I hope for the best for my kids in the upcoming year.
It’s the time of year that I hope to see the Church reach more of those that are lost.
Generally the start of the new you I have a positive outlook for the upcoming year.
Now because I am an optimist. I do this every year even though during that last year I did not succeed at accomplishing all or part of the very same things.
What is it with us that we keep doing this each year?
Now here's what I know about you!!!
You do the very same things that I do.
January the start of a new year is and has always been a time when we start over with a new mindset to be better but the truth is this.
You are probably struggling with debt.
You are probably struggling with your waistline.
You want this year to be better than the last one but wonder if it will ever be true.
“This is the year that you are going to also, do, complete, start, restart, try again finally finish, get married, get divorced, do the things you have always wanted to do and maybe even for you this is the year that you are going to retire.
If you have kids you are hoping for the best for your kids in the upcoming year.
If you are a Christian you may also be hoping to see the Church reach more of those that are lost.
Now because you also have some small amount of optimism left in you, you more than likely do this ever year just like I do. Even though during the last year you did not succeed at accomplishing all or part of the very same things either.
What is it with us that we keep doing this over and over every year?
Why year after year do we keep planning and hoping for the next year to be better than the last year?
It is because we all have in us and for that matter have to have in us some form of hope.
Hope that things are going to be better.
The Baker encyclopedia says that “Hope is this…
“An expectation or belief in the fulfillment of something desired. … uncertainty over what the future holds creates the constant need for hope.”
So basically we hope for the best because so much is unknown.
So far all I have talked about are the positive aspects of hope. The kind of hope that spurs us on to be better at life. To be better whether we ever become better or not we continue to try.
Now I realize that there are also those here that may have lost hope and struggle with seeing or even wanting their life to be better.
The kind of loss of hope that leads to despair. (“Steps of Despair” graphic)
I have known people that have lost hope and been in such despair that they gave up.
To even think of these people is emotional for me. It is sad because it doesn’t have to be that way.
I know many of you have or know people that have lost hope. You may even be that person here today.
Maybe today is the day you decided to come to church and reach out for help. If that is the case, it is hop that brought you here today.
Let me assure you that loss of hope does not have to happen. (despair slide off)
It doesn't have to be that way.
Because you are not the first person to ever lose hope and you won't be the last allow me to tell you about a time in history when it seemed to an entire nation that all hope was lost.
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You see 2000 years ago Jesus stepped onto the pages of history beginning his ministry after being baptized by John the baptist and tempted by satan.
Now you might be thinking,
“Preacher what in the world are you talking about Jesus is the Son of God, Light of the World, The ransom for my sins and Emmanuel God with us. What does that have to do with hopelessness?” Yes, I know that! Just stick with me for a minute and let me explain.
You see during his short ministry Jesus healed the sick, gathered a large group of followers and a close circle of 12 friends that were his apostles.
In the New Testament, there are recorded at least 37 miracles that Jesus performed and John tells us that there are many more that they could not be recorded.
During his three-year ministry, Jesus taught of the kingdom of God. Said that he was the Son of God. Offended the religious elite which lead to a trial and a death sentence, a death on the cross.
Now even though Jesus taught about all that was going to happen his followers did not understand what happened and what was going to happen.
For a few short days, everything seemed hopeless to them.
You may ask how I know this? Well, let’s take a look at the history. Turn with me to Luke
Luke 23:44-49 (Slides 4 & 5 - Scripture)
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” j When he had said this, he breathed his last.
47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
Did you catch it? If they understood what was going on they may not have done what Luke tells us they did.
There is a key phrase in this passage that is our first clue to how Jesus’ followers were understanding what they had just witnessed.
“...they beat their breast and went away.” (Slide 6 - Blank)
You See, Beating breasts was a characteristic sign of mourning (cf. 18:13); Jewish women bystanders would offer this as the only public mourning these criminals could get because none was permitted after the disposal of their bodies.
Luke gives us another instance where we get a glimpse of the mindset and loss of hope that overcame those that had followed Jesus.
Luke 24:13-31
On the Road to Emmaus
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.
Did you get that!!!
“...we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” (Slide 7 - “We had hoped…”)
“...we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.”
Imagine for a moment how hopeless the situation must have been for those in and around Jerusalem. Here has a man that they had seen heal the sick, feed thousands. Love the unlovable. Teach the word of God like no one has ever taught before or to this day.
Peter had seen Him walk on water and claim the storm. Peter had even been saved by Jesus when his own faith faltered and was sinking into the deep, on the Sea of Galilee.
Now all hope seemed lost because they had seen him arrested, tried, crucified, laid in a tomb and now almost three days later they were still in hiding.
Think about this for a moment. Peter still had not been restored. Imagine the despair that Peter must have felt those three long days. Judas had betrayed Jesus and killed himself. I can imagine that Peter was in a similar state of hopelessness and despair. He had to have been regretting the three times that he denied Jesus. Those three denials had to have been replayed in his heart over and over.
All those that had witnessed the death and burial had to have been in a state of hopelessness despair and disbelief. They all had to have been saying the same thing that Cleopas was saying. I can imagine that all throughout Jerusalem this phrase was being repeated.
“...we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” (Slide 8 - Blank)
Tomorrow is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday he was only 39 years old when he was assassinated April 4th, 1968. If my math is correct he would be 88 years old. How great would be if he was still with us today? Even though he is not with us he did leave us with a great quote that speaks to hope and hopelessness.
We must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Thankfully we have an infinite God that wants us to have infinite hope.
A God that loves us so much that He came to us through His son. You see the story does not end with Jesus’ death on the cross.
Just as those men on the road to Emmaus thought all was lost because they did not know the story was still unfolding.
We many times lose hope because we are in the same situation, our story is always unfolding before us.
They did not know that it was Jesus that was walking next to them.
Although they knew something was going one.
They knew that for some reason Jesus was not still in the tomb. Something was going on and it was beginning to become clear to those that had followed Jesus.
The news of the empty tomb was starting to spread.
Back to the story of the men on the road to Emmaus.
Luke 24:21
And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Can you imagine how cool it would have been to have been in this Old Testament Class?
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! (Slide 8 - “It is true!”) The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
The New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. Print.
Luke 24:36-43
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
The New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. Print.
You see hope returned (Slide 9 - “Hope returned”) to Jerusalem that day and because it returned that day we have a true hope.
Hope returned because Jesus came out of the tomb.
Because it returned that day we have a hope that we can trust in
A hope that allows us to live a life that looks forward to the day when we also will be raised from the dead.
Hope returned to Peter. He got to be face to face with his Lord and was forgiven for denying Him only 3 days earlier. Three long days of despair and hopelessness were behind him and in just 50 short days Peter would deliver the sermon that birth the church.
Peter would evangelize Jerusalem and it would not be too long before a man named Saul would be converted to Christianity and called Paul. Paul would take Christ to the gentiles and because of his success, Christianity spread around the world.
The phrase …” we had hoped he was the one…” only lasted for a short time in history.
Today with utmost confidence we can say that our hope is in Christ because He did what he said He was going to do.
He said that He would come back and he did and He ate some broiled fish with those that loved him.
I don’t know about you but that gives me hope. (Slide 10 - Blank)
John tells us this.
2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, r we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
The New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. Print.
So my question is this?
What are you going to hope for?
Are you going to continue to put your hope in the things that are finite?
Are you going to live like this life is all that there is?
Are you going to hope for a better life year after year and never reach out to the One that can not only offer you a better life today but a better life forever?
You see it is really a simple thing to do. Right now today you can put your hope in the One true God, Creator of the universe, the One that holds the universe together.
Or are you going to try year after year to do life all by yourself alone, weak and constantly struggling to make even the smallest of hopes come true?
Today can be the day that your life changes like no other day.
A day when you put your hope in what Jesus did for you.
He defeated death!
What could be any better than to never again have to be concerned with what is after this life?
Will you do that today?
If you do that today tell someone so we can tell you what’s next. This is just the first step. In a few minutes, I am going to step down from this platform and I will be right over there. If you want to take that first step to putting your hope in Christ please come and tell me about your decision.
Let me speak to the church the faithful that has labored for years to share hope with this community.
Are you going to continue to be faithful to the hope that you have in Christ? A true hope that when He comes again you will be alive with Him.
Are you going to honor what Peter tells us we should do?
1st Peter 3:15 (Slide 11 - 1 Peter)
15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
The New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. Print.
Church, there is more to this verse that we have to do. Peter also tells us how we are to give an answer for the hope that we have.
(Slide 12 - Blank)
But do this with gentleness and respect,
We have to give our reason for this hope with gentleness and respect. We the church have to be that shining light in the community that people can trust and know that the Jesus followers here are good people.
Good people that want the best for them.
We have to go out into the community with love, a love that says we are Jesus followers.
We have to be there for the community through the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Are you in?
So two things need to happen today.
First, if you are an individual here today with no hope living life without a net come to Jesus today.
Put your hope in Him. He will never let you down and never fail you.
Today can be the start of your journey with Jesus. A journey that will lake you through the rest of this life into the next life where you will live forever.
Second, church, we need to be ready to give a reason for our hope and share it everywhere.
If we do this I truly believe that God will bless this church and many will come to believe.
All the empty seats in the auditorium will be filled every week with those that will come here to worship their Lord.
This auditorium can hold over 600 people can you imagine how great it would be to see 600 people here shoulder to shoulder.
Can you imagine what it would sound like to hear 600 people singing praises to their Lord?
I can.
To make this happen all we need to do is put our unwavering hope in Jesus Christ. Are you in? I am! Let me Pray for you...
