INTRODUCTION: Quote: “We can live forty days without food, eight days without water, four minutes without air, but only a few seconds without hope”....How do we understand and therefore respond to the kind of world we are living in today?
Our world is experiencing an uncertain time, a defining moment in the history of this planet. That is not an over dramatization of the events of the last several months but rather a prophetic perspective of the years ahead.
It seems summed up by the lament of a volunteer rescue worker in New York City, who said in a short interview with MSNBC TV, ‘The world is evil. This world is evil’ as he staggered around shaking his head.
believe this is true. The events unfolding around the globe TODAY are another significant step closer to the conclusion of history as described in the scriptures. I am not seeking to sensationalize the political and military actions being taken but to share with you my conviction that we must not overlook their significance to the spiritual climate of the world.
Many non-Christian people are sensing for the first time a genuine hopelessness. An anxiety as to how this escalating conflict will radically change life on this planet. A fear of increasing political fanaticism, violence, civil and social unrest.
What hope can there possibly be for a better world for our children?
Where can we find new hope for the present, let alone our future?
Where can our friends, family, neighbors and colleagues turn for hope?
I just read to you the scripture in 1 Peter 3:8-15
Note: verse 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”
I want us to hear this message today on having HOPE in a HOPE – less World.
1. LIVING IN A HOPE-LESS WORLD
The Bible fully understands that hope is vital to all living people.
Proverbs 13:12- Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.
There are so many ways that HOPE is shattered.
• Broken bodies – sickness, disease, disaster
• Broken homes – divorce, violence, debt, death
• Broken lives – drugs, alcohol, crime, bereavement, desertion
• Broken dreams – ambition, failure, defeat, disappointment
These all seem to be symptoms of our modern society and today are affecting millions of people, depriving them of peace, happiness and ultimately hope.
Q: “We can live forty days without food, eight days without water, four minutes without air, but only a few seconds without hope”
2. UNDERSTANDING HOPE IN A HOPE-LESS WORLD
What do we mean by HOPE? What did Peter mean by HOPE in his letter?
The word used in the Greek is Elpis and means ‘a favorable and confident expectation’. It has to do with a positive vision of the unseen and the future.
It’s most frequent use in the NT talks about the ‘happy anticipation of good’
Titus 1:1-2- Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,
Hope is not wishful thinking, or a vague aspiration. It’s not wanting things to turn out well, whilst remaining uncertain that they actually will.
Hope is the absolute certainty we have that God is good and that His promises are true.
Hope is actually personalized in in the person Jesus himself, He is our hope!
Colossians 1:27- To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
3. POSSESSING HOPE IN A HOPE-LESS WORLD
This world needs people with a confident hope. Not a misplaced hope but a secure hope.
The words of Jesus himself teach us that things are going to get worse before they get better, especially for the Christian.
Matthew 24:6-8- And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
The reasons the world around us has for hopelessness are our very reasons for HOPE!
We see these happenings as distressing as everybody else yet we see a reason to them and what they are pointing towards.
Matthew 24:6-8 See to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
To convince others that there is hope we need ourselves to be convinced. God’s people are not expected to live their lives dictated to by world circumstances but by the principles and promises of God’s kingdom. We have the greatest hope of all ….Titus 2:13 We wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:35-39-“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Psalm 65:5- By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of the far-off seas;
We should be the possessors of an undying hope, a favorable and confident expectation that our lives and futures are in the hands of one greater than the prince of this world, and all of the wicked devices of the kingdom of darkness.
Romans 5:1-5-Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
4. SHARING HOPE IN A HOPE-LESS WORLD
Ephesians 2:12-13-that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”
The despair, anxiety and fear that we see in people around us is the very opportunity we have to share the good news of Jesus with them.
Peter’s words remind us of the need for READINESS.
Live with the willingness to respond to the moment that God grants you, the Divine appointment.
Peter’s words tell us clearly that our hope should be VISIBLE.
Be prepared to tell those who ASK us, those who can see that difference within us.
Some Christians live with no obvious difference in their lives presenting no alternative hope to anyone.
How selfish we are if we rejoice in our HOPE but refuse to share it with those who need it.
You may be thinking how we can respond positively to the awful things that have been happening in our world for the past month or so.
My advice is as follows …..
• PLACE Jesus Christ at the center of your affections …. ‘But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts
• PERSEVERE in living with a positive heart towards others …. ‘and always be ready to give a defense to everyone
• PASS on your HOPE with the conviction with which you hold on to it…. always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”
Psalm 25:1-5 - To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me. 3 Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. 4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.
CONCLUSION: Christians should be the most hopeful people in the world. Our Hope in found in Jesus Christ and it is what will carry us through this life and into eternity.
