Col 1_5_6 Hope for you

Text: Col. 1:5-6

Title: Hope for you (personally)

Intro: The director of a medical clinic told of a terminally ill young man who came in for his usual treatment. A new doctor who was on duty said to him casually and cruelly, "You know, don't you, that you won't live out the year?"

As the young man left, he stopped by the director's desk and wept. "That man took away my hope," he blurted out. "I guess he did," replied the director. "Maybe it's time to find a new one."

Hope in a biblical sense is an expectation of a future. We too often have hope in what is possible, an extension of this boy’s life is possible but for every one life comes to an end! Howard Wilson’s grave marker “No one here gets out alive.”

The Bible teaches, hope is no longer a passion for the possible. It becomes a passion for the promise."

CPS: Where is your hope, are you hoping for the possibility of something to happen or are you standing on the promise of God that a bright future certainly awaits you (personally).

Hope is laid up for you (personally) in heaven (5a)

I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. I believe the Bible is the infallible and inerrant word of God. To Quote my friend Charlie Goodman “It is incorruptible, its indestructible” The Bible teaches that there is place outside of time a place in the air up there that has been prepared by The Lord Jesus for you. A glorious place where the God of glory reside, an eternal kingdom… This is where my hope lies, this is where my future lies!!! How about you?

No Hope (future) in the world.

Death (Rms. 6:23)

Destruction of this world

Hope (future) in heaven (1:17 Hope of Glory)

What’s there? (Revelation 21:1-22:5)

Heaven is a place of beautiful adornment, A place where God Himself will wipe away your tears (No tears but), heaven is a place where death doesn’t exist (No more death), heaven is a place mourning and pain is no more (No more sorrow, pain). Rev. 21:4. A place where temptation doesn’t exist.

Place of Joy, Celebration, and fellowship with God (Matthew 26:29), A place of reuniting with loved ones who died in faith (1 Thes. 4:14-18) with place where the inheritance of the believer is kept. (1 Peter 1:4)

How long

1 day… God sits outside of time, He created time, the absence of time means no ending, answer 1 day that never comes to an end! (No night… Rev. 21:25)

Ill: The story of a young man visiting an elderly saint: Astonished to see that the old man’s home was only a simple room filled with books, plus a table and a bench, the young man asked:

"sir, where is your furniture?" "Where is yours?" replied the elderly saint. "Mine?" asked the puzzled young man. "But I'm a visitor here. I'm only passing through." "So am I," said the elderly saint.

Hope is extended to you (personally) in the Word of truth (5b)

The word of truth, word (Logos – message from God) truth (alētheia - eternal reality), notice the past tense of the word heard… this hope is extended to mankind in one way, by hearing the message of God. The Gospel (euangelion – good news), in context it is the idea of great military victory being announced, the idea of a new king being crowned. Friends here is the Gospel in a nutshell, there is victory over sin… Jesus… There is a king crowned and exalted… Jesus!

Extension of Hope through the Gospel

The Gospel message… What Jesus did!

Extension of Hope guaranteed by God (this is the truth)

Guaranteed by the promise of God… sealed until the day of redemption…

Ill. For this reason I can stand here now and proclaim good news to all of you as the runner would run through the streets “good news there is victory… good news there is an eternal king.”

Hope is afforded to you (personally) by grace (6)

The reason the gospel is good news is because of grace, God is willing and able to save all who will trust Jesus Christ. It is offered to the whole world and is the only seed planted anywhere in the world which fruit will spring forth.

Hope is offered to you, Hope is given to you, hope is free by the grace of God! But may I tell you today that grace may be free but it still came with a price. It may cost us nothing but it cost Jesus great suffering, pain, and torment under the wrath of God.

Grace define

GRACE IS EVERYTHING FOR NOTHING TO THOSE WHO DON'T DESERVE ANYTHING

Grace undeserved

We don’t deserve goodness… we deserve the opposite.

Grace offered

But I am grateful that by grace alone through faith alone I am kept from what I deserve and given what I don’t deserve… a bright future in the family of God.

But beware of cheap grace, grace doesn’t mean you are free to live in abounding sin, but means we are given a heart to turn from sin in repentance.

ILL. When Billy Graham was driving through a small southern town, he was stopped by a policeman and charged with speeding. Graham admitted his quilt, but was told by the officer that he would have to appear in court.

The judge asked, "Guilty, or not guilty? "When Graham pleaded guilty, the judge replied, "That'll be ten dollars, a dollar for every mile you went over the limit."

Suddenly the judge recognized the famous minister. "You have violated the law," he said. "The fine must be paid; but I am going to pay it for you." He took a ten-dollar bill from his own wallet, attached it to the ticket, and then took Graham out and bought him a steak dinner!

"That," said Billy Graham, "is how God treats repentant sinners!"

Conclusion: There is hope for you (personally) and it is not found in the things that seem possible in this world but in the promises of God. The promise that you have an exceedingly bright future in Christ alone who has prepared a place for you.

This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door,

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.