Walking in Absolute Hope
Text: 1 Corinthians 15:58
Introduction: The Corinthian church was filled with problems. There were divisions; sin was being tolerated; false doctrine abounded and even strange, fleshly practices were being openly practiced during their worship. Paul wrote this letter to address their problems and to attempt to bring the Corinthian believers back into line with sound Christian beliefs and practices. The chapter before us is a defense of the reality of the resurrection. Verse 12 indicates that some were denying the reality of the resurrection of believers that is to come. Consider Paul’s words: "Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, There is no resurrection of the dead?" Apparently there were those in the church questioning the resurrection from the dead. Paul spends the remainder of this chapter declaring the awesome doctrine of the resurrection and laying a solid foundation for our hope as believers.
Nowhere else in the Bible can we find such a clear and complete statement concerning the death and resurrection of the believer and our future hope in Christ Jesus. Paul concludes his thoughts with the verse we have taken for our text today. This verse touches on the hope we enjoy as children of God and on what that hope accomplishes in our lives. This verse can help us dedicate ourselves to walking before the Lord in absolute hope.
As we consider the thought, Walking In Absolute Hope, please understand I am using this word "absolute" for a reason. As we take a look around our world today, we can easily surmise that there simply is not much hope for people out there. As we consider the ongoing wars and battles being fought, the increase in violent crime, the proliferation of outright sin acted out right before our eyes, the depravity of mankind in both his thoughts and actions, and all the rest of the horrors of this modern life, we are left with feelings of complete hopelessness.
The Father does not want His children living in hopelessness. In fact, He desires we live and walk in absolute hope. Absolute hope is a hope that is complete in itself. This absolute hope is complete within itself because the One who gives it is complete within Himself.
We must be careful that we do not fall into the trap of loosing our hope. When we loose hope, we often loose our desire to serve the Lord. We can easily come to the place where we say “What’s the use?” As we look at this verse, let’s consider what Paul has to say concerning hope and the benefits believers can derive from having an inner, absolute hope.
Paul begins by clarifying who the people of this absolute hope are.
I. The People of Absolute Hope
A. Paul calls them "my dear brothers" or "my beloved brethren."
1. He is referring to the children of God.
2. Not only the believers in Corinth, but to believers of all the ages.
3. Those who are born again, are the people of absolute hope!
B. These are a people delivered by grace –
1. Verses 1 and 10 reveal the fact of their conversion experience.
a. In v. 1, Paul says: you received the gospel message - referring to all who have acted upon the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
b. In v. 10, Paul clarifies the fact that it is by God’s grace alone that we are what we are.
2. We are a people saved out of the deadness, depravity and death of our sins by the amazing grace of God.
3. We have been brought into a personal faith relationship with Jesus Christ through the grace of God.
4. If you have received the gospel message, repented of your former life and ways, confessed your sins then you have absolute hope!
C. They are a people destined for glory –
1. If you will read this entire chapter, you will come to understand that God has some big things waiting for His people.
2. Whether we leave here by means of death or the rapture, we are a people possessing a powerful hope of a bright, better future!
Application: Do you have that absolute hope today? You need not worry anymore about all the trying times the people of this world are having to go through. With God in your life and on your side, you have an inner hope that will not go away. I’m glad that I have hope! Things may look bad down here, but our prospects are out of this world!
Paul now expresses the power of this absolute hope.
II. The Power of Absolute Hope
A. The opening word "therefore" draws our minds back to all that Paul has said in these verses.
1. The hope we possess is a motivator to spiritual action for God’s glory.
2. Being saved, being sure and being secure does not mean that we can just sit back and rest in what we have while waiting on the rapture or death.
3. Being saved means we are to get to work for the glory of God!
4. Knowing the truth about God and salvation is a powerful motivator for service - true belief will always affect our behavior!
B. Paul points out three things absolute hope will do for us - bring stability, encourage stubbornness, and challenge us to be strong.
1. Absolute hope brings stability –
a. The word "steadfast" means "to be seated; settled and firmly situated."
b. We need to be rooted and grounded in what we believe and hold to be truth.
c. We are to be "seated firmly" in our personal convictions.
d. The bottom line is this: if we have no hope, we tend to waver in our faith and wander off after the things of the world.
e. If this life doesn’t matter and there are no eternal consequences for our actions, then it becomes easier to stray away.
f. When our hope is real, it causes us to be stable in our faith and walk.
2. Absolute hope encourages stubbornness –
a. The word "immovable" means "not moved from a place; firmly persistent; motionless."
b. Most times stubbornness is not appropriate, but in the Lord’s work, a good dose of bullheadedness is perfectly in order!
c. We must not allow anything to move us from our determination to serve the Lord!
3. Absolute hope challenges us to be strong –
a. "Always excelling in the Lord’s work" generates the idea of always going after the very best for the Lord. "
b. When we consider what we have and who we are by His grace; we will be motivated to go all out for the Lord.
c. If we must err, let us err on the side of doing too much for Him; of going to far for the Lord; of being too on fire; of being overly fanatical for Him.
Application: It is impossible to go too far for Jesus. He went beyond the distance for us. Everything we have: time, money, energy, talents, gifts, bodies, minds, spirits, should be invested in nothing but Jesus! Our prayers, our praise and our thanksgiving should be given completely to Him.
Finally, Paul brings it to a close by giving us a promise of absolute hope.
III. The Promise of Absolute Hope
A. Consider this for a moment: If this life is all there is; if there is no hope for eternity, no rapture and no possibility of a resurrection; if all we have to look forward to is the grave; then, we would have real reason to despair. But as you read this fifteenth chapter, absolute hope resounds forth as Paul exclaims that blessed message of hope that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and because He arose, we too have that same resurrection hope.
B. Consider what hope does for us - gives confidence and comfort.
1. Hope gives us confidence –
a. Paul tells us that we know that our work for Jesus matters.
b. No sacrifice, no struggle, no self-denial, no valley, no work goes unnoticed and none will fail to pay eternal benefits.
c. Keep praying, keep serving, and keep living for Jesus.
d. We are given confidence to continue serving Him regardless of what life brings our way.
2. Hope gives us comfort –
a. Sometimes the road we walk is hard; the burdens are often heavy; the work we are called to do seems endless and unrewarding.
b. There are times when it seems that no one notices or cares about all we are trying to do for the Lord.
c. There are times when you may feel unappreciated and that you are carrying out a thankless task.
d. In those times, walk in confidence because the Lord is watching and when He comes, He will reward you.
Conclusion: We are living in a world without hope. We are surrounded by people wandering about with little or no hope for their future. What we must come to realize is that when we have received the gospel message, we have been granted absolute hope. That hope should not remain inside though. We must become bearers of hope in this hopeless world.
I want the Refuge House to be known as a place of hope - a place where people can walk in and feel a spirit of hope and find hope for themselves. I want this community to find the hope that we have been blessed with.
Let me ask: Have you found that hope that I am referring to? Do you have that absolute hope that only comes from God deep within you? If not, you need to repent and turn from the ways of this world unto the ways of God.
Disclaimer: Portions of this message or some ideas contained herein may have been gleaned from other messages. Please feel free to use this message as the Lord leads for His glory.
