"God of Hope"

God Of Hope

Key Scripture: Romans 15:13

This morning I want to talk about hope. Biblical hope, worldly hope, and I hope that I make myself clear. Hope is universal and personal. Hope ties with faith more than we really want to imagine. Most times faith and hope can be interchangeable.

Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)

“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 and hope, what would it be? Would it be a 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. One future and two 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. They have no hope other than between the lines of birth and death. They hope in pleasure. 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 to a believer, hope takes on a new meaning.

To the world, hope in Christ is foolishness. The world is so oblivious to the real hope Christ offers, they shrug their shoulders at the things of God and continue on their dangerous path. To the believers, it begins in the words of a young prophet Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

“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 us, and it is a good one!

Apostle Paul writes in Romans 15:4 (NIV)

”For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance taught in Scripture and encouragement they provide 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 weather 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 (NIV)

“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 (NIV)

“For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?  25  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” 

Romans 12:12 (NIV)

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Here is a familiar scripture that joins faith and hope together.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about 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 optimism.1 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…

#1 – 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.

#2 – Changes What You Value

You become heavenly minded instead of earth minded. 

Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV)

“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 treasure s 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

#3 – 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 because 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.

Close

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.

Illustration

A Pastor once announced that he would be speaking the following Sunday on heaven. During that week, a beautiful letter was received from an old man who was very ill. The following is part of the letter.

Next Sunday you are to talk about heaven. I am interested in that land, because I have held a clear title to a bit of property there for over 55 years. I did not buy it. It was given to me without money and without price. But the donor purchased it for me at tremendous sacrifice. I am not holding it for speculation since the title is not transferable. It is not a vacant lot. For more than half a century, I have been sending materials out of which the greatest architect and builder of the universe has been building a home for me which will never need to be repaired or remodeled because it suits me perfectly and will never grow old. Termites can never undermine its foundation for they rest on the rock of ages. Fire cannot destroy it. Floods cannot wash it away. No locks or bolts will ever be placed upon its doors, for no vicious person can ever enter that land where my dwelling stands.

It is now almost completed and ready for me to enter in and abide in peace eternally, without fear of ever being rejected. I hope to hear your sermon on heaven next Sunday from my home in Los Angeles, but I have no assurance that I shall be able to do so. My ticket to heaven has no date marked for the journey, no return coupon, and no permit for baggage. Yes, I am all ready to go and I may not be in heaven while you are talking next Sunday, but I shall meet you there someday.’ 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.”