God of Hope
Romans 15:13
Good morning everyone, glad that you have joined us as we open God’s word to lead us.
Please turn to Romans 15
We are living in a day and age of change- some change we like and some change we do not like. Some change we need to initiate and some change we need to stop.
Some days we seem to be putting the pedal to the metal and it is all system ahead and at other times we seem to be trying to put the brakes on things because the world is spinning faster out of our control and we want to get off the ride.
I was here all day Tuesday as we had the church open as a polling station for the elections. I saw many with enthusiasm and joy come into the building and many with gloom faces like they have eaten a lemon. I could not distinguish which were the Christians and which were not. Because I noticed it was both the Christians and non-believers who were happy and sad- that is even before any results were given.
This morning I want to talk about hope.
Biblical hope and worldly hope…and I hope that I make myself clear. (pun intended)
Hope is universal and personal.
Hope ties with our faith more than we really want to imagine.
Most times faith and hope can be interchangeable.
Ephesians 3:20
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
That is faith, and that is hope. Neither word is used in that portion of Scripture.
So if you had to define hope?
Belief?
Faith?
Wishy- washy kind of unsure optimism?
I think the world that we live in today’s idea of hope is to “wish for, to expect without certainty and really no assurance of getting what you desire.”
I hope for the perfect person to marry.
I hope to have a good job.
I hope to drive a nice car and live in a nice house.
Hope by its nature stresses two things
Future
Invisibility
It deals with things we can’t see, or haven’t received, or both.
So let’s talk a minute about worldly hope.
Worldly hope puts all its trust in the here and now.
Worldly hope puts all its trust in a person or a group or an organization.
So if they lose any of the three things…hope in a person, group, or organization, they have lost their hope.
Worldly hope is a bit selfish- it is all about them- what’s in it for them…
They have no hope other than between the lines of birth and death. What I mean by that is this is all there is, nothing hoped for in the life after this one.
They hope in pleasures.
They hope for material things.
They hope in drugs to change the way they feel inside which is mostly empty.
They cannot trust anything that they cannot touch or see.
To the world to put any trust or hope into something you cannot have now, or anything they cannot see is foolishness to them.
The world has a saying “Hope springs eternal”, yet it is only Christians that have blessed eternal hope.
To one it is a masked hope
Get all you can right now and at all cost because there is no more.
They have no problem hurting and destroying others because it is the law of the jungle for them.
Hurt before someone hurts you.
Is it any wonder that the world has lost hope?
They put their hope in people, and people have let them down.
They have put their hope in material things and they no longer satisfy.
They have put their hope in pleasure and it is now not enough.
The world struggles in their faith.
They have lost hope.
They are searching for answers in the wrong places.
But hallelujah to a believer hope takes on a new meaning.
To the world hope in Christ is foolishness.
To the world so oblivious to the real hope Christ offers, they shrug their shoulders at the things of God and continue on their dangerous path.
To believers it begins in the words of a young prophet Jeremiah. 29:11-
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Following Christ is not easy.
They know that there will be trials and troubles.
They also know that God takes care of His people.
That it not by coincidence things happen in our life.
God has a plan and He has a purpose for each of us, and it is a good one!
Apostle Paul writes in Romans 15:14
”For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope”
God offers hope through His written Word, through the encouragement of other believers, and the faithfulness of God’s promises coming true wither we can see them at the moment or not.
Here is our text this morning- one verse.
Written in the book of Romans between chapter of God helping the weak and the Lord telling us to be patient with those that have not got the faith and hope we have.
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.” (repeat)
Any hope the Christian has comes from God.
Godly hope cannot be conjured up by human effort.
Faith and hope is a gift from God.
Romans 8:24-25
“For it is this hope we are saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
Romans 12:12-
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
Hebrews 11:1-
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
The world is certain of nothing, and has lost hope.
The believer is certain of God’s promises and does not have to touch and see it to know that God will do it, because they believe God has a plan for them and it is a good one.
God’s wisdom and understanding is given to believers so that they can walk in faith and hope of God’s promises.
Which hope do you hold for your life?
Worldly?
Wishy washy faith that is unsure.
Godly hope- that is strong and confident expectations that God will do what He says He will do.
Faith without action is dead
Hope that is put in anything but Christ will not last and at best be temporal and disappointing.
Very quickly, there are some things I want you to remember about Godly hope. (Write down)
Godly hope
Changes how we see ourselves
To the world, they see this place as a place to fight and claw your way to the top because you only go round once and the best is here and now.
To the believer, we become pilgrims in a land that is not ours.
As we journey home, we are trying to take as many people with us as we can.
We don’t see ourselves as lost, but as joint heirs with Christ by His mercy and His grace.
Not better than anyone else but led by the Spirit of God and receiving the Spirit of Sonship.
The Spirit Himself bearing witness that we are joint heirs with Christ.
It changes how we see ourselves.
Don’t let anyone say to you that you are a nobody because if you belong to Christ, you are a son/daughter to your heavenly Father.
Godly hope
Changes what you value
You become heavenly minded instead of earth minded.
Matt 6:19-21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourself treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Can you have nice things! Yes! But are you storing all your treasures here or sending some up a head of you.
Where your heart is will tell where your treasures are.
The dangers of riches is that instead of you owning them, they own you.
Houses during that time were made of mud and could be easily broken into and possessions stolen.
Today we have locks, dead bolts, storage buildings, basements full of stuff that we had to have. He doesn’t condemn stuff, he condemns hoarding and being greedy and not knowing when to say enough.
Anything that is done in this life that has eternal value will be rewarded. Some things here and now and some things banked in heaven.
Godly hope
Changes how we see things
Changes what we value
Effects what we do with our lives.
For those who have lost hope, have no relationship with Christ. This life does not offer much.
But for those who’s hope is in the Lord, though rough at times, there hope is alive with expectation and hope that this is not all there is.
This is not the best- the best is yet to come!
Hope connects us with the future just like memories connected us to the past.
How do we know what has happened to us in the past? We know through our memories.
That is what hope does for our future. How do you know what will happen in the future? We have hope, which is in Jesus Christ.
Jesus makes us realize that one day this will be gone, but that there is so much more for the believers of God.
Godly hope changes how we see ourselves.
Godly hope changes what we value
Godly hope changes what we do in our lives.
Where are you putting your time, talents, treasures? Your heart will be there also.
Closing,
Hope motivates us to keep going. Without hope we don’t want to do anything.
Do you have hope? Are you willing to do something with it?
There is hope!
It is easy to hope when all things are going the way that you want them to go.
It is easy to hope when you are not faced with major situations in your life.
But today life is hard and we face numerous challenges and it is easy to despair. I prepared this sermon not knowing what the outcome of the election would be.
I know that in a country that is 50% divided on most major issues.
I know that there are people happy and some that are saddened this morning. In light of events, there will always be reasons for each of us to loss hope if we do not keep our eyes focused on Jesus.
Jesus is the answer- is a popular slogan. Missing is the question. Jesus is the answer to what? What are people trying to convey when they claim that Jesus is the answer?
Jesus is the answer to our broken relationship with God.
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 ). Jesus is the answer—the only answer—to our broken relationship with God. Apart from Him there is no salvation (Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5–6).
Jesus is the answer to the problem of our estrangement from God. It is Jesus who makes it possible for our sins to be forgiven and for us to be children of God (John 1:12–13). It is Jesus who mends our relationship with God so that we can fellowship with Him during our lifetimes as well as eventually live with Him for eternity.
Jesus is the answer to our broken relationships with each other. When Adam and Eve sinned, not only did they break their relationship with God, but they also damaged their relationship with each other (see Genesis 3:12, 16). Humans have been struggling in relationship to one another ever since (see Genesis 4:8).
Jesus instructed His followers to love one another humbly and sacrificially (John 13:34–35). Jesus prayed for unity among His followers (John 17), a unity embraced by the early church (Acts 8 and 10). Because we have received forgiveness in Jesus, we can forgive others. Jesus is the answer for our relational turmoil.
Jesus is the answer to a meaningless existence. Ecclesiastes shows us the meaninglessness of worldly pursuits apart from God. When we are spiritually dead, life is ultimately empty. Nothing in this world will fully satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts (see Psalm 73:25). But, in Jesus, we have purpose. He said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
Jesus is the answer to our worries and doubts. Life involves hardship, and with hardship come worries, fears, and doubts. Jesus told His followers, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus reminded us of God’s love and care (Matthew 6:24–33). Jesus also gave us the Holy Spirit to live with us forever (John 14:15–21; 16:7–15). Jesus is the reason we are not alone.
Jesus is the answer to the problems of the world. Experience tells us that the world is broken and in need of repair—sometimes its brokenness is rather obvious. Jesus is the answer. He has a plan to fix this broken world: “The government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. World peace has proved an elusive goal in our war-torn world, but one day Jesus will set all things right.
There is no greater love than the love of Christ for each one of us.
Are you frightened about something? Put your hope in Christ.
Are you in Crisis and need help and answers? Turn it over to Him.
Are you lonely? Let Him be there with you.
Do you feel like He couldn’t forgive you? He does and He will.
There is hope in Jesus Christ
Someone once said,
“Life with Christ is an everlasting hope, life without Christ is a hopeless end.”
Amen.
