Third Sunday in Lent - The Power of Hope

We can have hope in Jesus, even in the face of our own sin, and be reconciled to God through faith

Once upon a time in a small Canadian town, there was a man named Jack who had a troubled past. He struggled with addiction and had made many mistakes in his life, which left him feeling hopeless and lost. One day, while walking through the park, Jack stumbled upon a community garden. As he looked around, he noticed people of all ages and backgrounds working together to grow vegetables and flowers. The sight brought him a glimmer of hope, and he decided to join the group. Over the next few weeks, Jack began to learn about gardening and found that he had a natural talent for it. He spent hours in the garden, tending to the plants and helping others. He even started to make friends with some of the other gardeners. Despite his progress, Jack still struggled with his addiction and often felt like giving up. However, every time he returned to the garden, he found a sense of peace and purpose that he couldn't find anywhere else. He began to see that even though he had made mistakes in the past, he could still find hope and meaning in his life. Eventually, Jack decided to seek help for his addiction and started attending support groups. With the help of his new friends and the lessons he learned in the garden, he was able to overcome his addiction and find a new sense of purpose in life. Years went by, and Jack continued to tend to the garden, which had grown into a thriving community space. He became a mentor to other struggling individuals who, like him, had found solace in the garden. His story of finding hope and redemption became an inspiration to many. Through prayer, through the hope Jack found in his faith in Jesus, Jack, certainly not perfect, certainly like you and I, realized the power of hope. The power of hope found through Jesus. In the end, Jack realized that despite his own shortcomings, he was able to make a positive impact on his community and help others find hope and meaning in their lives. The garden had become a symbol of his own journey of growth and transformation, and he knew that he would always be grateful for the lessons it had taught him. Today, I want to speak to you about a topic that is of utmost importance for every believer: our hope in Jesus, even in the face of our own sin, and how we can be reconciled to God through faith. We all know that sin is a reality that we have to deal with every day. No matter how hard we try, we still fall short of God's glory. We are all prone to making mistakes, to giving in to our weaknesses, to falling into temptation. And when we sin, we feel guilty, ashamed, and unworthy of God's love. But the good news is that we don't have to stay in that state. We don't have to let our sin define us or separate us from God. We can have hope in Jesus, who is the source of our salvation and our reconciliation with God. Jesus came to this world to save us from our sins. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. He took upon Himself the punishment that we deserved, so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God. And He rose from the dead on the third day, defeating death and offering us eternal life. Through faith in Jesus, we can be reconciled to God. We can be forgiven of our sins and receive the gift of eternal life. We can have hope that no matter what we have done or how far we have strayed from God, He is always ready to forgive us and welcome us back into His loving embrace. But it's important to understand that our faith in Jesus is not just a one-time decision or an abstract belief. It's a way of life, a daily commitment to follow Him and to live according to His teachings. It's a surrender of our will to His will, a submission of our desires to His desires. It's a transformation of our hearts and minds, a renewal of our spirits. When we put our faith in Jesus, we become a new creation. The old has gone, and the new has come. We are no longer defined by our sin, but by our identity in Christ. We are no longer slaves to sin, but free to live a life of righteousness and holiness. So, my dear brothers and sisters, let us hold on to our hope in Jesus, even in the face of our own sin. Let us be reconciled to God through faith, and let us live a life that is pleasing to Him. Let us not be discouraged by our failures, but let us look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who will never leave us or forsake us.

Romans 5:1-11, speaks about the hope that Jesus offers us in the face of our sin. It is a reminder that despite our shortcomings, we can find redemption and reconciliation through faith in Jesus Christ. In this passage, we are reminded that through faith in Jesus, we can experience a transformation in our lives. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but Jesus offers us a way out of our sinful nature. Through his grace, we can be transformed into the people that God created us to be. We are no longer slaves to sin, but instead, we become servants of righteousness. Furthermore, this passage also speaks of the reconciliation that we can experience through faith in Jesus. Our sin separates us from God, and we cannot reconcile with him on our own. But through Jesus, we can be reconciled with God. We no longer have to live in fear or shame, for we have been brought into right relationship with our Creator. It is through Jesus that we can find hope in the midst of our sin. We may feel lost or broken, but God’s love for us is steadfast and unchanging. He sent his son Jesus to die for us, so that we may have eternal life. We are no longer condemned, but instead, we are given a new life through Jesus. As we reflect on this passage, let us be reminded that Jesus offers us a way out of our sin. Through his grace and love, we can be transformed and reconciled with God. May we continue to put our faith in Jesus and trust in his plan for our lives. In the Gospel of John, chapter 4, we read a powerful story about Jesus' encounter with a Samaritan woman at a well. This woman was surprised that Jesus, a Jew, would speak to her, a Samaritan, and a woman at that. But Jesus spoke to her with compassion and love, offering her the living water that only he could give. This story teaches us that salvation is available to all who come to Jesus in faith and are willing to accept his teachings. Jesus told the woman that whoever drinks of the water he gives will never be thirsty again, for it will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. To receive this hope of salvation, we must come to Jesus in faith and be willing to accept his teachings. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). We cannot find salvation through any other means or person. Only Jesus has the power to save us. But coming to Jesus in faith is not enough. We must also surrender our lives to him and accept his grace. This means confessing our sins and acknowledging that we cannot save ourselves. It means turning away from our old ways and committing to follow Jesus and his teachings. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). This requires us to put aside our own desires and agendas and submit to the will of God. It requires us to trust in Jesus and his grace, which is freely offered to us. As we reflect on this story and its message, let us remember that salvation is available to all who come to Jesus in faith and surrender their lives to him. Let us be willing to accept his teachings and follow him wholeheartedly. Remember this: it is important to strive in living a holy life and actively evangelizing, as we can see in the passage from Exodus 17:1-7. In this passage, we see the Israelites in the wilderness, thirsty and complaining to Moses. They were not trusting in God, and their faith was weak. But Moses knew that the only way to overcome this situation was to turn to God in prayer. Moses did just that, and God provided water from the rock to quench their thirst. What can we learn from this story? First, we must be obedient to God and His commands. The Israelites were not obedient, and they complained instead of trusting in God. In our own lives, we must be careful not to fall into the same trap of disobedience. We must follow God's commands and trust in Him, even in difficult times. When we obey God, we can see His power and His provision in our lives. Second, we must actively share the message of the gospel with others. In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded us to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). This means that we are called to actively evangelize and share the good news of salvation with those around us. We must not keep the gospel to ourselves, but rather, we must share it with others, so that they too can experience the love and grace of God. Living a holy life and actively evangelizing go hand in hand. When we live a holy life, we are a witness to others of the power of God in our lives. Our actions speak louder than words, and people can see the difference that God makes in our lives. But we must also actively share the gospel with words, so that others can come to know God personally. So, brothers and sisters, let us commit ourselves to living a holy life, following God's commands, and actively evangelizing those around us. Let us be a witness to the world of God's power and love, and let us be obedient to His call to make disciples of all nations. There is power found in the hope offered to us by Jesus. It is easy to get weighed down by the burdens of our daily lives, especially when we are confronted with our own sins. But, as we see in Exodus 17:1-7, even in the face of our sin, we can find peace through our hope in Jesus. In this passage, the Israelites were wandering through the desert, and they were thirsty and grumbling against God and Moses. But God provided for them, even in their disobedience, by telling Moses to strike a rock and bring forth water. It was not their righteousness or their obedience that brought forth the water, but God's grace and mercy. Similarly, in our own lives, we may struggle with sin and feel unworthy of God's love and mercy. But we must remember that our hope is in Jesus, who paid the price for our sins on the cross. Through faith in Him, we can find peace and forgiveness, even in the midst of our failures and shortcomings. As the psalmist writes in Psalm 95, we must worship Jesus and sing His praises. It is through worship that we can connect with God and remind ourselves of His goodness and love. When we lift our voices in praise, we invite the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts, bringing us closer to God and filling us with His peace. Finally, in John 4:5-42, we see how Jesus offers us the hope of reconciliation to God through faith. In this passage, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well and tells her about the living water that He offers. He reveals Himself to her as the Messiah, and she believes in Him, telling others in her village about Him. Just as the Samaritan woman found hope and salvation in Jesus, so too can we find hope and reconciliation to God through faith in Him. When we believe in Jesus and trust in His sacrifice for our sins, we can be reconciled to God and experience the fullness of His love and grace.

We can have hope in Jesus, even in the face of our own sin, and be reconciled to God through faith. We must accept Jesus and his teachings, live a holy life, and actively evangelize in order to receive the hope of salvation.

In conclusion, my dear brothers and sisters, let us remember that our hope in Jesus can bring us peace, even in the face of our sin. Let us worship Him and sing His praises, inviting the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts. And let us have faith in Jesus, who offers us the hope of reconciliation to God. May His peace and love be with you always. Amen.