Prisoners of Hope
We all need hope.
• Hope is vital part in human life. Shout hope
• People go into deep disappointment and depression in life when they don’t see hope in their life
• People sometime lives a colorless life when they don’t see any hope in their life.
When you start living a life with hope in God, then you see a rainbow.
You will see all the seven colors in life. I prophesy that holy spirit is going to give you those 7 colors in your life.
He is going to make your life so colorful.
Everyday we use that small, magical word—hope. It's tough to live—or even make it through one day—without hope.
What is hope? Based on all the examples I just gave (and the Biblical text we're going to explore) I'd define hope like this: Hope is a vision for better days that changes us in the present. Hope is a vision for better days.
In Romans 5:3-5, Paul says that we can rejoice in our sufferings because we are a people of hope:
So, how can we have hope when everything looks hopeless? In the midst of suffering, we can rejoice because challenges cause us to:
1. Rely on God’s presence
God uses suffering to make us rely on his presence.
Rejoicing in suffering does not mean celebrating when bad news comes. But, it does mean that we can believe that God is doing a redemptive work.
This word “redemptive” means that God does not waste a hurt or disappointment. He is using them to shape and build us into the image of Jesus, which is his highest passion.
When we go through suffering, we often pray and seek God more intensely than at other times.
In Psalm 23:4, David writes that he does not fear because God is with him. He relies on God’s presence,
Remember that for there to be a shadow, there has to be a light. I don’t know what your “valley of the shadow of death” is, but I do know who the Light is that is walking with you in that valley.
2. Rely on God’s provision
In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul reveals that he has suffered from a “thorn in the flesh.”.
In our current situations, God is saying to us that his grace is sufficient, and even when we feel weak, he is making us stronger than we have ever been.
His grace is not an abstract idea. It is the person of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The hell you are going through may be the very circumstance God uses to take you to a whole new level.
3. Rely on God’s power
“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Cor. 12:9b, ESV).
A job situation that has gone awry.
A medical diagnosis that has scared you.
Maybe, like Paul, it is also insults, hardships, or persecutions. Whatever it is, Paul says he will boast in those things because when we are weak, the power of Christ rests on us.
The greater the enemy comes at you, the greater Jesus is in you.
The greater the enemy comes at you, the greater Jesus is in you.
Maybe you hear voices telling you to just quit, give up, and let it go. Don’t stop.
When you are weak, then he is strong.
Remember the greater the attack against you, the greater Christ is in you, but you have to rely on his presence, his provision and his power.
10 Reasons to Hope (When All Seems Hopeless)
When discouraging and depressing news threatens to flood the nation, the church, and the soul, we need God’s help to lift up our heads, hearts, and hands.
1. Hope moves us forwards:
Christian hope is a realistic expectation of and joyful longing.
The more we long for the future, the less we will yearn for the past.
Hope deletes regrets and underlines expectation.
2. Hope energizes the present:
It is worth living today because the eternal tomorrow is so much brighter.
3. Hope lightens our darkness:
Hope does not deny nor remove the reality of dark and painful providences. However it does shine a bright light into these valleys and points to the sunrise at the end of them.
4. Hope increases faith:
Faith fuels hope, but hope also fuels faith. As Hebrews 11 makes very clear, hope and faith are very closely tied together, the one enlivening the other. Without faith we cannot soar in hope, but without hope faith will limp home. The greatest believers are the greatest hopers
5. Hope is infectious:
Just as we can drag others down by our recriminations and moping, so we can inspire and motivate through our inspiring hoping.
6. Hope is healing:
When I counsel depressed people, one of the first things I do is try to give them hope. By definition, depression is a sense of hopelessness. That hope itself is a huge step towards healing.
7. Hope is practical:
Hope does not mean we just sit and wait for Utopia to appear. Not at all! Hope motivates action.
When we hope for better days for the church, we serve the church.
8. Hope purifies:
Whatever persecution we experience in this world, the day is coming when we will not be just called sons of God, we will be like the Son of God. This is what inspires and motivates the apostle to persevere to the end and to persevere in holiness. “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:1-3).
9. Hope stabilizes in the storm:
There are sixty-six drawings of anchors in the catacombs, the caves and tunnels that persecuted Christians hid in during the Roman persecutions.
Hope was their anchor during those dark and stormy days (Heb. 6:19; 10:34). Like the anchor, hope grabs what is out of sight. As one puritan put it:
“The cable of faith casts out the anchor of hope and lays hold of the steadfast rock of God’s promises.”
10. Hope defends:
Paul also depicts hope as a defensive helmet (Eph. 6:17; 1 Thess. 5:8) that must not be taken off and laid aside until the battle is over. The helmet also points us to the area of greatest vulnerability and danger – our mind or thoughts. That’s where Satan usually works to present reasons to doubt and despair. And that’s why we need our minds daily renewed by the power of hope.
In Zechariah here you see a term called prisoners of Hope
Context of this verse is this:-
Zachariah is known as the minor prophets, or falls in the category of minor prophets
He was a minor prophet not because of his body size or anything, but because of the length of his book
Even though they were called minor prophets, but their impact of the prophecy is not minor
Zachariah is prophesying so many things about Israel
70 years the people of Israel were captives under Babylon, 70 years they are living like a slave.
Now Zachariah is prophesying, a king going to come in verse number 9 he is speaking , a king is going to come with salvation, but he is going to come as a very humble man on the back of a donkey
Can someone tell me who this king is ?
He is our Messiah
In Mathew Chapter 21 we can we see the fulfillment of this prophecy
Again, the prophet is continuing, in verse number 11, I will take you ever from waterless pit
There are Two kinds of pit.
Pit with water and without water.
Many prophets of God were put in pit.
Joseph was put in put in pit.
Jeremiah was put in a pit.
Even our Jesus was put in a dungeon
But their life never ended up in pit, but they promoted after the pit to glory
Today if anybody is feeling that I am stuck in pity, But Holy Spirit wants to tell you that this is your day that you are going to come out from that pity
Unknowingly we may fall in pit, someone might have cheated you and pushed you in the pit, whatever way that you fell on the pit, but this morning, a hand is available, a hand that can take you out from the pit
The pit of debt
The pit of cheating
The pit addiction
The pit of pornography
pit of gossip pit of anger
Pit of drunkenness
The pit of darkness
A hand is available, your life is not pit , your life even not to be covered under that pit, your dream cannot be buried under that pit, you not only come out from that pit, but will also witness your dream come true
So Zachariah is prophesying that God is going to take you out from waterless pit. When they heard this prophecy most of them were in Babylon. Some had come back, he says return to your fortress first.
Repeat with me Return to your fortress, what is that meaning?
• Primely it speaks about Jerusalem. Because that was their fortress, that was their strength.
• You must come back because Jerusalem is going to rebuild.
• If you feel that your life is broken, Gods word reminds us this morning that he is going to rebuild your life. And the Holy spirit will rebuild your life, come back to the fortress
• A fortress or a strong hold is impenetrable by the enemy forces, here it says come to the fortress.
• Get inside the fortress. When you are inside the fortress, no enemy can penetrate inside
• Babylon is not the place of children of God, that’s not their destiny, that’s not your ultimate place, your place is inside the fortress
• God is your fortress, in other words god is saying that come to me, hide inside of me I am your fortress. Nothing can penetrate me and get you out.
Then he says, you are prisoners of hope.
• They were prisoners in other country, the captives of Babylonia’s, but now God is saying, you are not prisoners of hopelessness, but you are a prisoner of hope.
• Prisoners normally don’t have hope, but you are prisoners of hope.
Throughout the history, more than 100 times they were in captivity, and their city was destroyed, but in each time, God came down with his help and rebuild the city
Because you are a child of God you may have many attacks. Because the bible says, many are the afflictions of a righteous man. But Lord delivers him from all.
If anybody who is listening me this morning thinking that, I am in the water less pit, every day every week, very month I have problems, when one problem is solved and you come out from it, and next is waiting in the que, if anyone thinks that way, I must tell you that, you are in right path, don’t doubt God, don’t doubt about your prayer, don’t doubt about your call you are in right path.
Don’t lose your sleep Because you are a prisoners of hope. Fill in hope
Zachariah says even now God is saying, in other words in the day of lowest distress and trouble , you are a prisoners of hope.
Today you think you are at the lowest point of your life, you may think that, you are at the end of your life, But God says I am going to restore your life
3 imageries related to hope in Bible
1. Number one- The Anchor of Hope (hebrew 6:19)
• This is a picture given by the word of God about the hope. This word you will find in Hebrew 6:19 "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain."
• I don’t know whether you might have seen an anchor in life.
• An anchor has a vertical portion like this , it branches out like this way in two ways . it has two hook, one in the left and one on the right, but both attached to top
• Bible says your hope is like this anchor. What does a anchor do? Or what is it used for?
When a ship is sailing in rough weather, heavy storm is blowing against the ship, the wind is battering the ship. It is tossed in the wind. All the people inside the ship is afraid. The captain is afraid, all the crews in the boards are afraid, because the ship is tossed, the crew in board thinks for a moment and they will understand that, now it is going out from their hands and immediately they will drop the anchor it to the deep blue sea.They drop and drop until it gets hooked to a very solid rock. After few minutes, ship stay steady. Now the ship is ready
Holy spirit says , if you put your hope of anchor in Christ, in the storms of your life like sickness, problems, mental issues, family problems, job related problems, financial problems, business problems, satanic attacks, even in the midst of all these issues your ship of faith will be ready. Why because your anchor of hope is hooked to the solid rock of ages, which is Christ Jesus. And those who hooked their anchor in the rock of Christ can sing, :-
Rock of Ages
Jesus is the Rock
Rock of Ages
Jesus is the Rock
There is no rock
There is no god like our God
No other name worthy of all our praise
The Rock of Salvation that cannot be moved
He's proven Himself to be faithful and true
There is no rock
There is no god like ours
They will not stop there
Rock of ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee
Rock of ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood
From Thy riven side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure
Cleanse me from it's guilt and pow'r
Nothing in my hand I bring
Simply to Thy cross I cling
Nothing in my hand I bring
Simply to Thy cross I cling
Naked, come to Thee for dress
Helpless, look to Thee…
So that is the first imagery given in the bible about hope
2. Number Two Helmet of Hope
1 Thess 5:8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet
How many of you have used helmet? Why we use helmet?
It protects our head, simple. Head is the major part of the body, it is a Central Processing Unit. CPU, the human head is home to all the body's major sensory organs
Helmet protect your head from damage. In similar way the hope of helmet will protect your mind, your thoughts, emotions
Third Image of Hope is
3. Number Three:- Prisoners of hope
• You are imprisoned in hope.
• You are chained in hope
• you are captive in hope,
• you are shackled in hope.
Lets go back to the passage: Zachariah 9:11,12
Verse 11 prisoners those are put in pit
verse12. you are not put in waterless pit, but prisoners of hope
king Syrus declared that some Jews can go back to their homeland
return to you fortress\fortress for Jews is Jerusalem which means you return to your god
• you are in waterless pit because you are went out from the fortress which their God.
• God says if you come back I will restore your loss.
• I restore everything that you have lost during your captivity
in verse number 11 it says you are in waterless pit. Why Zachariah is prophesying like that.
• In those days they used to pit prisoners in pit not necessary in cell. Sometimes, there will be water, sometimes there will be mud and mire, sometimes nothing.
• Joseph was put like that,
• Jeremiah was put like that, many people had been put like that.
• After someone dropped in a pit, they will cover the pits mouth with a stone. They are left alone their starve to death. Sometimes some people will come and drop some food there.
God is saying, my people of Israel, you left the fortress, I am your strength, now you are put in pit you prisoners of hope. But I have a great news, I am going to pick you out of this waterless pit. All of you will be rescued from this pit.
You may think, what connection this verse has with my life,
• I will tell you how this verse is connected with you.
• In chapter 9 he is prophesying about the coming of king Messiah. The messiah will come on the back of a donkey. And that was fulfilled in mathew chapter 21. This is actually a messianic prophecy.
• All of you look at me: this is what the holy spirit says: when the messiah come, he will open the pits, and he will take out all the prisoners.
• It happening today this Sunday.
• If anyone is lying in waterless pit, or pit with water, you will be taken out by Christ.
Someone people think this ways, in my whole life I will stay in the pit.
• But the end of my life, someone will come and drop the mud and say ash to ashes and dust to dust bye bye.
But I tell you in Ezekiel chapter 37 :11- Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.'
• It is valley of dry bones,
• prophet sees, a garage of dry bones.
• 260 bones scattered in 260 locations,
• it was a pile of bones,
• dry bones,
• no flesh,
there God ask a question to prophet, Son of man these bone will live? Because they are saying our hope is gone.
We have no hope at all. But God says your hope is not gone I am your hope.
Sometimes, people will look at you life ,
• look at your problems and says, this is a hopeless case, leave it. Nothing is going to change.
• He or she is beyond repair.
• But do you know one thing, the fingers of God can turn a mess in to a message.
• If someone sitting here think that it is beyond my ability, and gone out from hand, no hope for that case, But Gods spirit it drops its word in your heart this morning that says, you are not a hopeless case, you can have hope,
• today god is fixing a anchor in your life, whenever problems comes, put this anchor of hope in the deep blue see, so that, you can sustain in trouble waters. Amen.
• God is giving you a helmet of hope, shift all your worries on him.
• Replace helmet of worries with helmet of hope.
• Some people think, and thinks and thinks, sometimes they think, they will become a mental patient. In such peoples hear this morning Holy spirit is going to place a helmet of hope.
• Don’t think unnecessary stuffs every minutes and become a psychiatric patient.
• But let your thinking turn to God, so that you can praise him in every minute.
• Don’t think unnecessarily and go to graveyard rather think or set your minds on things above.
• God is not going to make you a perishable person, but to make you an adoring person.
Ezekiel 37 12. Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.
• God says you are pit now, but I am going to send my spirit upon you, my own hands are going to pick you out from the graves, I am going to come over your life as a new life,
Many years back some scientist did an experiment on rats. They puts some rats in bucket and sprayed water over them continually. But after 17 minutes they started drowning drowning and researchers took them out form the water and put them in a cage and fed them. The same scenario happened in the next day, but second time they survived more than 37 hours. How? Because they know that a hand will comefor their rescue, they battled with water for 37 hours unless a hand came for their rescue.
Your deliverance will come one day,
Your salvation will come one day
Hope
• I want to encourage you to make a decision to cultivate an attitude of hope in your life.
• Speak positive things about your future and refuse to be negative.
• You may not always feel hopeful but don’t give in to your feelings.
• This bible is the book of hope. In the sight of your dad and mom, you might be a hopeless person , the moment you take up this book of hope your life will be full of hope. And people will see that hope on your continence
• Just ask the Holy Spirit to lead you.
• Line your will up with His and get excited about serving God.
• You could even be one who inspires others to become prisoners of hope!
