We Need Hope

Intro

1 Corinthians 13 teaches that three things last forever: faith, hope, and love

we talk a lot about love because that same chapter of the Bible says that the greatest is love, God is love . . . we know that we need love

we talk a lot about faith, we are saved by grace through faith, and the Bible teaches that you cannot please God without faith . . . we know that we need faith

but the other thing that last forever, hope . . . is sometimes forgotten

but just like we need love and just like we need faith, WE NEED HOPE

What is hope?

The Greek definition says that hope means to expect

when you have hope, you expect a good outcome

you expect a positive outcome

hope is belief that things will work out for you

hope is expecting things to improve

Hope is looking forward to a brighter day

Hope is anticipating that the best is yet to come

Hope is feeling that thing are going to get better

Hope is when you trust that things will turn around . . .

Hope is what makes you sing, “Hey, everything is gonna be OK”

When you have hope, you believe that you’re gonna make it

we need hope

We Need HOPE because hope is connected to our joy and peace.

they go together, they are companions

hope, joy and peace, travel with each other

where you find hope, you will find joy and peace

if you have ever been sick, feeling bad, and worried about your condition . . . but the doctor says, take these pills and you should be back to normal in a couple of days . . . you express a sigh of relief, smile, and say, “thank you, doctor” . . because even though your body still feels bad, the hope that things will be better in a couple of days brings joy and peace

Romans 15:13 NASB95

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here this scripture even says may the God of hope fill you with ALL joy and peace

all joy and peace in what? in believing . . . that expectation of a good outcome, anticipating a good result . . . that’s hope

and this verse teaches that we need to not just have hope, but to abound in hope - that means we need an overflow of hope, an abundance of hope

and that abundance of hope will bring an abundance of joy and peace in your life

yet there opposite is also true:

if you have no joy, if you have no peace . . . there is a lack of hope

if you are sad, if you are worried . . . some hope is missing, there is a hope problem

We need hope

We need HOPE because hope affects our faith, and faith affects our outcome

but what is faith?

or what is the difference between hope and faith?

Hebrews 11:1 KJV 1900

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Here we see that faith is built on hope

hope is about thoughts, beliefs, our mindsets . . . and faith is the substance of what we think, the evidence of what we believe, the proof of what’s in our mind

we can’t get to faith without having hope first

hope is the expectation, faith is the evidence of that expectation

Hope is the belief, faith is that belief in action

so you first have that hope/that belief/that expectation . . . and then that leads to you demonstrating that hope/that belief/that expectation . . . . and that demonstration the Bible calls faith . . . the doing is the actual faith

so now let me say it again, We need hope because hope affects our faith, and faith affect our outcome

in even simpler terms, Hope affects what you do, and what you do affects what you get . . . . we need hope

Example: The New Testament tells of a woman that for 12 years had bled continuously . . . and the Bible says that through the crowd, she came up behind Jesus, touched his robe, and she was healed . . . how did her story start?

Mark 5:28 NLT

28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”

The first step was she thought . . . she thought that she could be healed by just touching his garments . . . that’s the expectation, the belief . . . that is her hope

then the Bible teaches that she put that hope in action . . . . she fought through the crowd, and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment . . . and she was healed

and Jesus said who touched me? . . . hope in action

Mark 5:33 NLT

33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done.

she told JEsus what she had done . . .the action

Mark 5:34 NASB95

34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”

and Jesus said, “your faith has made you well”

your faith . . . . your hope in action made you well

but it all started with hope, the right thought . . . hope, the expectation that Jesus could heal her

let me restate point #2 in teh simplest of terms:

HOPE affects what you do, and what you do affects what you get

. . . . we need hope

Hope affects your prayer life

when you have hope, you pray for what you want (big prayers)

when hope is low, you pray for what you would settle for (regular prayers)

if you don’t have hope, you don’t pray . . . under the excuse of of I forgot to pray

if you have hope, prayer is an opportunity

if you don’t have hope, prayer is a chore to cross off of your “to do list”

and you get the outcome of your prayer life

Hope affects how you respond

people who have hope, are careful how they respond to adverse situations

because they don’t want to mess the good future they are expecting

they don’t want to block a blessing on the way

so no matter how difficult the situation, they consider the proper way to respond, and exercise discipline and restraint . . . “I could go off right now, but I have too much too lose, I’ll just keep it professional, cause in just a little while, I will be moving on”

and they get the outcome of a person who responds to adverse situations with discipline and restraint and control . . . they move on to bigger and better things

people with no hope, figure they have nothing to lose, and respond by reflex and with emotions

and when you believe you have nothing to lose anyway, you can respond however you want

ever see a homeless person walking dangerously in the street like they don’t care if a car hits them? . . . they don’t care because they have no hope

and sadly they sometimes get that outcome

hope affects what you do, and what you do affects what you get

Hope will make you try again until you make it

hope will make you keep thinking until you come up with the solution

Hope will make you plan, instead of just dream

hope will make you start instead of just procrastinating

We need hope

We must expect that things will get better

we must believe that things will work out

let me put it another way . . . I got this from a man named Myron Golden

You will BE LIVING WHAT YOU BE-LIEVING

(say it again)

we need Hope . . .but how can I get/keep hope?

let’s look at

Psalm 42:11 NLT

11 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!

here is someone trying to encourage themselves: the verses before this particular passage talk about his troubles and people mocking him because of his troubles

but in this verse he realizes that the troubles are not the main cause of his discouragement and sadness

in this verse, the writer is almost fussing at himself: yes, I am going through, but why am I discouraged? Life is tough, but why is my heart so sad?

Everyone has problems, but not everyone is sad.

everyone has issues, but not everyone is discouraged

So why are my problems making me discouraged and sad? . . .

How come I don’t have that joy and peace?

we know the answer by now, because he has has lost hope

and why did he lose hope?

the answer is revealed when the writer says, “I will put my hope in God” . . . . that means that up til now, “I have not been putting my hope in God” . . . or I stopped putting my hope in God

we lose hope, because we put our hope in things other than God

even Christians, if we are not careful, we will put our hope in other things

and when those other things fail, our hope fails

then we become discouraged and wonder why

we become sad and wonder why

some of us have made the mistake of putting our hope in time

and as long as everything was according to schedule, we had hope

as long as there were a few days left on the calendar, we had hope

but then things didn’t happen when we thought they needed happened, and there goes our hope

when time ran out, our hope ran out with it

but the Bible says that they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength

it doesn’t say wait on time, or self created schedules, but wait the Lord . . . put your hope in God

some put hope in money

there is nothing wrong with money, but don’t put your hope in money

please understand that money is always trying to leave you, AND someone is always trying to take the money that didn’t leave you

You can work, plan, prepare, invest, save all you want (and you should) . . . but don’t put your hope in money

one computer glitch, one computer hacker, one investment fraud, one government decision, and that money will leave you

and then there are some things that money can’t buy

and when the money leaves, or you deal with something where money can’t help . . . there goes your hope

don’t put your hope in money, put your hope in God because the Bible says, My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches

some put their hope in people

family: mom, dad, brother, sister, spouse - but they can let you down or got mad at you

homeboys/homegirls/best friend - sometimes you will find out that you all were not as close as you thought

and when people let us down, because they will let us down, because they are just people . . . we lose hope

another “people” we put hope in is ourselves . . . because we think we are smart enough, talented enough, gifted enough, slick enough, we just have that inner strength!

and after a while, when we discover that we are lacking . . . we lose hope

but the Bible says, that God is our Rock!

you can trust him, count on him, depend on him, build your life on him

He is both willing and able!

put your hope in God

if you are discouraged and sad, you need to check where your hope is, who or what did you give your hope to?

When your hope walked out the door, who was he walking with . . . . your schedule, your money, your family and friends, your trust in yourself?

it’s time to take your hope back and put it somewhere safe!

Be like this writer and say

I will put my hope in God!

when you hope in God, you’re saying

God loves me

God watches over me

God won’t leave me

God is making things work for me

God will provide for me

God will sustain me

God will keep me

God is going to do what He said He would do

God may not come when I want him, but he will be on time

every one of God’s promises will be kept

THAT’S who I will put my hope in!

and when you have hope in God, then you will find a praise on your lips . . .he says

I will praise him again— my Savior and God!

King James says, yet will I praise Him

in other words, I’m in a bad situation

but because I put hope in God

I don’t expect to stay in this bad situation

so I FEEL like praising him

I’m in a difficult place

but because I put hope in God

I don’t plan on remaining in this difficult place

so I’m GOING to praise him

I’m traveling down a rough road

but because I put hope in God

I expect the crooked places to be made straight and the rough places made smooth

that’s why I’m clapping my hand and praising him

I’m climbing up a mountain

but because I put my hope in God

I’m anticipating that the mountain is going to moved

that’s why I can’t help but praise him

I’m going through a test

but because I put hope in God

I am already looking forward to sharing my testimony

and that’s why you see my raising my hands in praise

I’m going through a storm

but because I hope in God

I know this too shall pass

that’s why you see me singing in the rain!

WE NEED HOPE AND WE GET THE HOPE WE NEED BY TRUSTING GOD

Hope in God for salvation

he has provided a way through his son, Jesus

his resurrection gives us that hope