A Future and a Hope

IGNITE HOPE God will meet us at our level of expectation! We need some igniters to help the church claim God’s promises. We need some dreamers to arise!

There isn’t anything worse than a dream that rest in the soul of man that never manifest. A dream that never happens becomes the demise of a man that dies broken hearted! When God is your ultimate dream giver you can bank on the fact that He expects the dream to succeed. When He gives you a dream it will burn within the very fibers of your being.

Many things that occur during your day-to-day activities will ignite the flames of this God dream again. As the dream starts to become reality many people will be amazed, and some will even despise and try to kill the dream, but the assignment from the Lord is larger than men’s jealousy, therefore you are to keep and believe in the dream!

Hear me, as men and women of destiny we are to believe in a God dream! As I have already stated, a God dream is larger and greater than any man.

When the ‘Civil Rights Leader’ Doctor Martin Luther King gave that powerful speech I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

SCRIP: Luke 24:13-21

Luke 24:13–21 NKJV

Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.

But We Were Hoping                                                                                                         The hopes of the disciples on the road to Emmaus died when Jesus was crucified  Our hope must be based on the foundation of Jesus and not our own expectations.

PRAYER

But what is hope? Hope is a confident expectation of good. Hope is the anticipation of victory even in the face of defeat. Hope is that fuel that takes us from today into tomorrow. Hope is that sentiment that ties us to the future just as memory ties us to the Past. Hope is the Blessed Assurance that, “everything is going to be alright.”

Your Hope is ignited when you understand and believe that Jehovah God is sovereign over all things: Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, Eph 3:20

Just A Little Bit of Hope    Sometimes when the tunnel is dark, all we need is just a little bit of hope. Sometimes when troubles are lasting too long, all we need is just a little bit of hope. Sometimes when the road is rocky, and the way is dreary all we need is just a little bit of hope. Sometimes when the bills are high and the paycheck is low all we need is just a little bit of hope. And sometimes when the job is gone and the rent or mortgage due date has come, all we need is just a little bit of hope.

Hope is a lame man on his way to see Jesus who told his friends “when I come back we will go for a walk.” Hope is the blind man going to meet Jesus. He told his family members “I am going to Jesus and when I come back I will see you.” Hope is a dumb man who went to Jesus. Before leaving home he used sign language to tell his mother “I’m going to Jesus and when I come back I’ll talk to you.”

Stories of hope fill the pages of the bible but the greatest one is found in our text for today: “He is not here: for he is risen.”      

All of human history culminated at a place called Calvary. The entire universe focused its attention on that tiny piece of ground near a small hill shaped as a skull outside the city walls of Jerusalem.

Roman soldiers were driving nails into the hands and feet of a man named Jesus of Nazareth. Every blow that the hammer struck on the nails registered across the expanse of the universe and ricocheted in heaven. God the Father watched as His only begotten Son was executed by sinful men. Jesus Himself could have stopped His executioners, God the Father could have just wished them away, but instead He allowed it. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Then the soldiers hoisted the cross up and there hanging on that cross was the sinless Son of God, the Just dying for the unjust that He might bring us back to God. Paul the apostle wrote “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

The prophet Isaiah declared “…He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5,6).

People came by and mocked Him, daring Him to come down from the cross. He cried “I thirst” and they gave Him vinegar to drink. As He hung on the cross that day Jesus prayed for His tormentors saying “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”

His mother, Mary standing by had lost hope as she saw her son brutally killed. His close friend John had lost hope as he watched Jesus agonize when He cried out “My God, My God why hast Thou forsaken me?”

His disciples ran away and hid in a closed room in the city. They lost all hope as their plans for greatness and the liberation of Israel through Jesus seemed like bad dreams. Then darkness covered the earth, the curtain of the temple ripped open from top to bottom, the earth shook and rocks split as Jesus cried out “It is finished.” Then He bowed His head and died.

He was dead, all hope was now gone. The soldiers pushed a spear into His side and blood and water flowed out. They then took His beaten, bruised, bleeding, butchered body down from the cross and placed it in a borrowed tomb. The Romans sealed the tomb and the Jews posted guards at the grave. One day passed and nothing happened, two days went by and the shock and horror still was not starting to wear off. Then on the third day, when the hope of Israel and all of humanity seemed to be completely shattered, humankind was resigned to the shackles of sin’s despair.

But early in the morning on the first day of the week hope began to stir in the regions of the dead. Hope opened His eyes, hope lifted His arms hope shifted His legs, Hope stood up and hope walked away from the tomb. Many things speak of hope but on the First Easter morning the embodiment of hope busted out of the prison of death and proved once and for all to all of Adam’s fallen race that: He is the true hope.   

He is the only hope Ephesians 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

He is the hope of all humanity

He is the merciful hope. Psalm 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; Psalm 147:11 The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

He is the righteous hope Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish. He is the hope of the righteous that gives gladness

He is the word of hope. Ps 119:81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.

He is the hope we can believe in Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

He is our secure hope. Job 11:18 And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.

He is our trustworthy hope. Psalm 71:5 For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.

He is our hope in the day of evil Jeremiah 17:17 Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil.

He is our resurrected hope. Acts 23:6 I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

He is the best hope. Hebrews 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

He is the blessed hope Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;

He is the earnest hope Philippians 1:20-21 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.         

He is the eternal hope Titus 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

He is the hope even in death Proverbs 14:32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.

He is a firm hope Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

He is a good hope 2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

He is a glorious hope Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

He is a grounded hope Colossians 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.

He is a lively hope 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

He is the settled hope Colossians 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Heb 6:11-12, 19 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil

CONCLUSION:

But when Jesus showed up... walking beside them...

• When he went to their house for fellowship.

When Jesus brake bread and blessed it...

What Jesus was PROVING to THEM.. And what He is proving to US...

• Is that YES, He was the God of the PAST...

• But He is ALSO the God of our PRESENT...

• And when you don’t know what tomorrow will bring...

• Not to worry because He is also the God of our FUTURE!

If your hope has been shaken... regardless of PERSPECTIVE today may I remind you that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever...

• If your HOPE is gone... it is time to stop placing your hope in the world of the TEMPORARY... and put in solely in God...

• Simon and Cleopas made a crucial mistake...

• If someone had asked them WHAT or WHO their HOPE was in... without a doubt they would have said, “Our HOPE is in Jesus”

• Their HOPE had died because they were HOPING in their PLAN rather than HOPING in the SOVEREIGNTY and OMNISCIENCE of God

In essence they said, “It didn’t happen in the way we expected, so Jesus failed us”

• Similar to John the Baptist... John found himself in prison... apparently this was not the way he ANTICIPATED his life would end...

• And in a weak moment, he doubted the validity of Jesus and sent his disciples to Jesus and said, “Are you the one... or should we look for another”

Maybe you have found yourself in a situation that you never expected yourself to be in...

• Maybe you had HOPED that things could be different

• And even as you walk through the valley of the shadow of death... Jesus is walking right beside you and He has been with you all the way...

• He will never leave you nor forsake you

Jer. 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

                                                                                                                                                                                                   God