Love That Is Always Hopeful
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Introduction:
Today, we are going to talk about love. Not just any kind of love, but the love that is always hopeful. The love that is described in 1 Corinthians Chapter 13, the famous chapter on love that is often read at weddings and other occasions. But what does it mean to have a love that is always hopeful? And how can we apply this kind of love to our family life?
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
This quote reminds us that even though we face many challenges and difficulties in this world, we should never give up on our faith and our love for God and others. God is the source of our hope, and He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He has also given us the gift of love, which is the greatest of all virtues and the foundation of our family.
The main idea of the sermon is that love and care are the foundation of our family. Without love and care, our family would fall apart. But with love and care, our family can overcome any challenge and enjoy any blessing. And one of the key aspects of love and care is hope. Hope is the confident expectation that God will fulfill his promises and plans for us and our families. Hope is what keeps us going when things get tough. Hope is what inspires us to grow and change for the better. Hope is what makes us look forward to the future with joy and anticipation.
In this sermon, we will explore four ways that hope relates to love and care in our family life. First, we will see how hope brings joy and peace in our marriage. Second, we will learn how to cultivate a hopeful attitude in our family life. Third, we will discover how hope leads us to redemption and restoration in our relationship with God and others. And fourth, we will find out how hope is based on the love that never fails.
1: The Hope That Love Brings in Marriage - Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
This verse is part of Paul’s prayer for the Roman Christians, who were facing persecution and division. Paul prayed that they would experience God’s hope, joy, and peace as they trusted in Him.
One of the greatest gifts that God gives us in marriage is hope.
- Hope that He will bless our marriage with joy and peace.
- Hope that He will help us trust him more and more.
- Hope that He will fill us with His Holy Spirit and empower us to love each other as He loves us.
- Hope that He will use our marriage for His glory and his purposes.
This verse also applies to our marriages. God wants us to have hope, joy, and peace in our relationships with our spouses. He wants us to trust Him and His plans for our lives. He wants us to overflow with hope by the power of His Spirit. Hope is not a wishful thinking or a blind optimism. Hope is a confident expectation that God will fulfill His promises and work all things together for our good. Hope is what keeps us going when we face trials and troubles in our marriages. Hope is what helps us overcome conflicts and challenges. Hope is what motivates us to grow and improve as husbands and wives.
Psalm 33:18-22, says: “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”
How can we have hope in our marriages? Here are some suggestions:
- Pray together regularly. Prayer is a powerful way to connect with God and with each other. Prayer can help us express our needs, desires, fears, and gratitude. Prayer can also help us align our wills with God’s will and receive His guidance and wisdom.
- Encourage each other daily. Encouragement is a vital ingredient for a healthy marriage. Encouragement can help us affirm our love, respect, and appreciation for each other. Encouragement can also help us boost our confidence, morale, and resilience.
- Celebrate each other’s achievements and milestones. Celebration is a joyful way to honor God and each other. Celebration can help us acknowledge God’s goodness and faithfulness in our lives. Celebration can also help us create positive memories and strengthen our bonds.
- Dream together for the future. Dreaming is a hopeful way to envision God’s purposes and plans for our lives. Dreaming can help us discover God’s calling and gifts for each of us individually and as a couple. Dreaming can also help us set goals and take steps to achieve them.
Therefore, let us ask God to fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in him, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit in our marriage.
2: Cultivating a Hopeful Attitude in Family Life - Lamentations 3:21-22
‘Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.’
These verses are part of a poem written by Jeremiah, who witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Jeremiah was in deep sorrow and anguish over the loss of his people and his city. He felt hopeless and helpless. Yet, in the midst of his despair, he remembered God’s love and mercy. He realized that God had not abandoned him or his people. He found hope in God’s unfailing compassion.
These verses also apply to our family life. Sometimes we may feel hopeless and helpless when we face problems or crises in our families. We may feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, or grief. We may feel discouraged by failures, mistakes, or regrets. Yet, in the midst of our despair, we can remember God’s love and mercy. We can realize that God has not abandoned us or our families. We can find hope in God’s unfailing compassion.”
Hebrews 10:23-25, says: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
How can we cultivate a hopeful attitude in our family life? Here are some suggestions:
- Remind ourselves of God’s promises and faithfulness. God has given us many promises in His Word, such as His presence, His protection, His provision, His peace, His power, His pardon, and His purpose. God has also shown us His faithfulness throughout history and in our own lives. We can recall and meditate on God’s promises and faithfulness whenever we feel hopeless or helpless.
- Express our gratitude and praise to God. Gratitude and praise are powerful ways to shift our focus from our problems to God’s solutions. Gratitude and praise can help us acknowledge and appreciate God’s grace and goodness in our lives. Gratitude and praise can also help us worship and glorify God for who He is and what He has done.
- Share our burdens and joys with each other. Burdens and joys are inevitable parts of our family life. Burdens can be anything that causes us pain, worry, or difficulty. Joys can be anything that causes us happiness, satisfaction, or delight. We can share our burdens and joys with each other as a way of supporting, comforting, and celebrating with each other. We can also share our burdens and joys with God as a way of trusting, depending, and delighting in Him."
Therefore, let us cultivate a hopeful attitude in our family life by calling to mind God’s great love and compassion for us and our family every day.
3: Love’s Hope for Redemption and Restoration - Ephesians 2:4-5
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”
These verses are part of Paul’s explanation of the gospel to the Ephesian Christians, who were mostly Gentiles. Paul reminded them that they were once dead in their sins, separated from God and His people. But because of God’s great love for them, He showed them mercy and grace. He made them alive with Christ, who died for their sins and rose again. He saved them by His grace through faith, not by their works or merits.
These verses also apply to love’s hope for redemption and restoration. Redemption means that God has bought us back from the power of sin and death. Restoration means that God has brought us back to the relationship with Him and His people that He intended for us from the beginning. Because of God’s great love for us, He has redeemed us and restored us through Christ. He has given us a new life, a new identity, a new purpose, and a new destiny.
Romans 8:24-25, says: “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
How can we live out love’s hope for redemption and restoration? Here are some suggestions:
- Receive God’s love and forgiveness. God loves us unconditionally and infinitely. He forgives us completely and freely. He does not hold our sins against us or condemn us. He accepts us as we are but does not leave us as we are. He transforms us by His Spirit into the image of His Son. We can receive God’s love and forgiveness by confessing our sins, repenting from our sins, believing in His Son, and following His commands.
- Extend God’s love and forgiveness to others. God commands us to love others as He has loved us. He also commands us to forgive others as He has forgiven us. He does not want us to harbor bitterness, resentment, or hatred toward anyone. He wants us to show mercy, grace, and kindness to everyone. We can extend God’s love and forgiveness to others by praying for them, blessing them, serving them, helping them, encouraging them, and reconciling with them.
- Proclaim God’s love and forgiveness to the world. God wants everyone to know His love and forgiveness. He wants everyone to experience His redemption and restoration. He wants everyone to become part of His family and His kingdom. He has entrusted us with the message of reconciliation and the ministry of reconciliation. We can proclaim God’s love and forgiveness to the world by sharing the gospel with words and deeds, by inviting people to church or small groups, by supporting missions or social justice causes, by living as salt and light in the world.
Story: The story of Nick Vujicic from Life Without Limits is a story of love and hope in the face of disability and despair. Nick Vujicic was born without arms or legs due to a rare genetic disorder called tetra-amelia syndrome. He faced many struggles and obstacles growing up, such as bullying, loneliness, depression, and suicidal thoughts. He questioned his worth and purpose in life, wondering why God made him this way. However, he eventually found his faith in God and his calling to inspire others with his testimony. He became a motivational speaker, evangelist, author, husband, father, and founder of Life Without A Limbs, an organization that spreads the gospel and helps people with disabilities. He wrote: “I have a choice. You have a choice. We can choose to dwell on disappointments and shortcomings. We can choose to be bitter, angry or sad. Or when faced with hard times or hurtful people we can choose to learn from the experience.” (Life Without Limits) This story shows how love and hope can bring joy and peace in the face of uncertainties
4: Finding Hope in the Love That Never Fails - Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’
This verse is part of the introduction to the famous chapter on faith in Hebrews. The author of Hebrews wrote to encourage the Jewish Christians who were facing persecution and temptation to abandon their faith. The author reminded them of the great cloud of witnesses who lived by faith and endured hardships, trials, and sufferings for the sake of God’s promises. The author also pointed them to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who endured the cross and sat down at the right hand of God."
This verse defines faith as confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Faith is trusting God and His promises, even when we do not see them fulfilled yet. Faith is believing that God will do what He said he will do, even when we do not understand how or when He will do it.
This verse also applies to finding hope in the love that never fails. Faith is the key to finding hope in God’s love. Faith is not a blind leap into the dark, but a confident trust in the light. Faith is not a wishful thinking, but a solid assurance. Faith is not based on what we see, but on what God says. Faith is based on God’s character, God’s word, and God’s actions. God is love, and His love never fails. His love is faithful, steadfast, unchanging, and everlasting. His love is demonstrated in His Son, Who died for us and rose again. His love is poured out in our hearts by His Spirit, who comforts us and guides us. His love is promised to us in His covenant, which He will never break or forget.
1 John 3:1-3, says: See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
How can we find hope in the love that never fails? Here are some suggestions:
- Remember God’s love for us in the past. God has loved us from eternity past and has shown us His love in countless ways throughout our lives. He has created us, chosen us, called us, saved us, adopted us, sanctified us, and glorified us. He has blessed us, protected us, provided for us, healed us, and delivered us. He has answered our prayers, fulfilled our desires, granted our requests, and met our needs. He has given us His Son, His Spirit, His Word, His Church, and His Kingdom. We can recall and thank God for His love for us in the past.
- Rely on God’s love for us in the present. God loves us in the present and is always with us and for us. He is our refuge and strength, our help and hope, our shield and defender, our rock and salvation. He is our shepherd and guide, our teacher and counselor, our friend and companion, our father and king. He is our joy and peace, our grace and mercy, our righteousness and holiness, our wisdom and power. He is our everything and more than enough. We can rely on and rest in God’s love for us in the present.
- Rejoice in God’s love for us in the future. God loves us in the future and has prepared great things for us that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived. He has prepared a place for us in heaven, where we will see Him face to face and be with Him forever. He has prepared a crown for us of glory, honor, and life. He has prepared a reward for us of inheritance, authority, and responsibility. He has prepared a banquet for us of joy, celebration, and fellowship. He has prepared a new heaven and a new earth for us of righteousness, justice, and peace. We can rejoice in and look forward to God’s love for us in the future."
Story: The story of Corrie ten Boom from The Hiding Place is a story of love and hope in the midst of persecution and suffering. Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch Christian woman who helped many Jews escape the Nazi regime during World War II by hiding them in her family’s home. She and her family were arrested by the Gestapo and sent to various concentration camps, where they endured brutal conditions and witnessed many atrocities. Corrie’s father, sister, brother, and nephew died in captivity, but Corrie survived and was released due to a clerical error. After the war, she became a speaker and writer, sharing her message of forgiveness and reconciliation. She also founded a rehabilitation center for Holocaust survivors and former prisoners. She wrote: “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” (The Hiding Place) This story shows how love and hope can bring joy and peace in the face of difficulties and conflicts, help cultivate a hopeful attitude in the face of challenges and changes, lead to redemption and restoration in the face of sin and mistakes, and find hope in the love that never fails.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, we have seen how love and care is the foundation of our family. We have seen how love brings hope in marriage, how we can cultivate a hopeful attitude in family life, how love offers redemption and restoration, and how we can find hope in the love that never fails.
Now I want to challenge you or invite you to apply this sermon to your lives. How can you show more love and care to your family members? How can you have more hope in your marriage or family life? How can you experience more of God’s redemption and restoration? How can you find more hope in God’s unfailing love?
Let me end with a prayer or a blessing: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your great love for us that gives us hope for today and tomorrow. Thank You for Your Son Jesus Christ who died for us and rose again to give us new life. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who fills us with Your love and hope. Help us to love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help us to love our family members as ourselves. Help us to have hope in You no matter what we face or go through. Help us to live by faith and not by sight. Help us to glorify You with our lives as we await Your return or call. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
