Hope - not self help
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· 13 viewsA focus on our source of Hope
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Hope is important
Hope is important
I am going to start the day with a truth that I think we all know.
This world needs Hope. I need hope, you need hope. Hope is something that is crucial it is something that many people are searching for.
If you go onto Amazon and do a search in the ‘Self help Book Section’ for books on hope you will get over 10,000 results. This world needs Hope and Amazon is there to give it to people. ;-) or that is what the world view is.
This world needs Hope.
To be fair I was heartened by the listings in Amazon at number 12 on my list was ‘A purpose driven life - Rick Warren - people could do worse than reading that and at number 14 was, any one want to take a guess? - the Bible.
But round them were the thousands and thousands of other books that may give some helpful sticking plasters or even delusional reasons to hope but miss the mark when it comes to the ultimate hope.
One such bool - R. L Adams “How to Not Lose all Hope in Life” (I am not advocating this book, it is just one that I could read the content from without having to buy it) gives the following advice to how to have hope.
Self Help BooksR. L Adams “How to Not Lose all Hope in Life” Re-assess the situation change your focus does not change the problem Fill your heart with gratitude just be thankful for what you do have easier said then done Be objective and honest about the situation assess without bias impossible for us to do. Lean on others for support allow others to help/ sometimes others cannot help.
“I learned that faith isn’t about knowing all of the right stuff or obeying a list of rules. It’s something more, something more costly because it being present and making a sacrifice. Perhaps that’s why Jesus is sometimes called Immanuel - “God with us.” I think that’s what God had in mind, for Jesus to be present, to just be with us. It’s also what He has in mind for us when it comes to other people.” ― Bob Goff, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World
Re-assess the situation - not bad advice, we can sometimes blow a situation out of all sense of proportion - But how many of us know that when there is a an issue, changing your focus does not change the problem.
Their next piece of advise is - Fill your heart with gratitude just be thankful for what you do have. Again not bad advice - but often easier said then done and if all you have is noting or is corrupt and you have nothing to look forward to - how does this give me hope?
“I think God’s hope and plan for us is pretty simple to figure out. For those who resonate with formulas, here it is: add your whole life, your loves, your passions, and your interests together with what God said He wants us to be about, and that’s your answer.”
Self Help BooksR. L Adams “How to Not Lose all Hope in Life” Re-assess the situation change your focus does not change the problem Fill your heart with gratitude just be thankful for what you do have easier said then done Be objective and honest about the situation assess without bias impossible for us to do. Lean on others for support allow others to help/ sometimes others cannot help.
Be objective - Adams says, and honest about the situation assess without bias. If anyone of us can assess a personally impacting situation without bias then I am not sure if you should immediately be appointed as the highest Judge in the the UK or see professional help for Sociopathic tendencies. - In times of real trouble this is impossible for us to do.
Adams goes on, Lean on others for support allow others to help - Great advice but do choose your ‘others’ wisely - sometimes others cannot help sometimes they are the cause of the situation you are in
Adams last advice: Trust in your faith...finally! faith in what? faith in faith? Adams is somewhat silent on this. he finally gets to the crux of the source of hope and stammers and stops.
Sometimes, we need to have a little trust and faith that good things to come and understand that while all things might not be in our control or power, things do happen for a reason. While we might not always understand the reason at the time, one most certainly always exists. Thank God that we have the option to know the true source of hope, that we have the opportunity to know the architect of our lives.
We can rely on our faith to help restore our hope. While that is in the heat of things easier said than done, hope can be restored over time, and all hope isn’t lost, even when we go through the roughest of times. God does not create us just to survive — we were created to thrive.
Last week we read from
what is that?
A passage that talks about the hope we have in eternity
asier said then doneBe objective and honest about the situationassess without biasimpossible for us to doLean on others for supportallow others to helpsometimes others cannot helpTrust in your faith...finally!faith in what? faith in faith? what is that?Sometimes, we need to have a little trust and faith in good things to come and understand that while all things might not be in our control or power, things do happen for a reason. While we might not always understand the reason at the time, one most certainly always exists.Whether you’re Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or just believe in a unifying spiritual energy that binds us all, having faith means that you have trust and confidence in good things to come. And we can rely on our faith to help restore our hope.While it’s easier said than done, hope can be restored over time, and all hope isn’t lost, even when we go through the roughest of times. Whatever doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger. We have to believe in the grand design of things, and that good things will eventually happen because human beings weren’t created just to survive — we were created to thrive.Sermon Outlines for Seekers Keep Hope Alive ()Sometimes in spite of all the positive thinking we can generate, life is really terrible. Simple optimism will not do. Genuine hope must go beyond positive thinking. Genuine hope is not, “Wishing for something you know isn’t going to happen.” It is not an idle wish at all.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
A passage that talks about the hope we have in eternity and that is a one of the keys to hope. It is something that we have that the writers and readers of many self-help books do not understand but I am sure will come to realist that - Sometimes in spite of all the positive thinking we can generate, life is really terrible. Simple optimism will not do.
Genuine hope must go beyond positive thinking. Genuine hope is not, “Wishing for something you know isn’t going to happen.” that is a pipe dream - delusion - True Hope It is not an idle wish at all.
Sometimes in spite of all the positive thinking we can generate, life is really terrible. Simple optimism will not do. Genuine hope must go beyond positive thinking. Genuine hope is not, “Wishing for something you know isn’t going to happen.” It is not an idle wish at all.
Our Need
Our Need
Open your Bible to
Open your Bible to Malachi is the last book in the old testament, those of you who went to the Wednesday group will know that the books of the bible are not always arranged in chronological order. But in the case of Malachi, it is actually one of the last books written along with the second part of Ezra and the books of Nehmiah and Ester - which are all back here. Malachi was the last of the prophetical book written for the Jewish nation and is full of biblical promises...
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Open your Bible to
Slide about bibles and phones
Malachi is the last book in the old testament, those of you who went to the Wednesday group will know that the books of the bible are not always arranged in chronological order. But in the case of Malachi, it is actually one of the last books written along with the second part of Ezra and the books of Nehemiah and Ester - which are all back here. Malachi was the last of the prophetical book written for the Jewish nation and is full of biblical promises...
1 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
1 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
1 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
Expand on the promise - Restoration of Justice, Repositioning of God, healing, Provision. A promise of Elijah (ref the tent in the garden)
Expand on the promise
Now turn to the next page. For many of you it will be a blank sheet of paper between the Old and the new testament ? - Represents over 400 years!
Genuine Hope
Genuine Hope
Blank Sheet of Paper between the Old and the new testemtn ? - Represents over 400 years!Genuine Hope
For 400 plus years the Jewish nation had to hold onto these passages and the ones that went before them as their source of hope. 400 plus years - I loose hope if it somethings don’t happen is 4 hours yet alone 400 years. The passages of what we now call the Old Testament sustained their hope until Zechariah’s meeting with the Angel Gabriel announcing the to-be-birth of John the baptist with these words that echoed the promises in Malachi
Luke 1:15:17
15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
Imagine the mix of hope and disbelief that Zechariah had.
We carry that same hope too. The hope we have is founded in the promises of the bible (God’s Word) and the reality of the birth, death and Resurrection of Jesus. It is underscored by the counselor that is the Holy Spirit.
We rely on a real hope
1 Peter tells us.
Screen
Gratitue
Objective
Help from others.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
This is the source of our genuine hope. - this is not a hope in nothing - Have you seen the Antiques road show, where they show two pieces of art or two vases, one real and one fake? Often the fake one looks really good, we would be satisfied to own it, that is until it is placed next to the True piece, the genuine article outshines the fake, revelaing every flaw and imperfection of the fake. God’s Hope, the genuine hope does this when it is placed alongside the hope that is offered in the ‘self help’ books.
ESV3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1. The ORIGIN of genuine hope [3a] all REAL hope is derived from God and His promises genuine hope is a GIFT of mercy genuine hope is a RESULT of salvation.we were born into a living hope!
2. The FOUNDATION of genuine hope [3b]the foundation is the WORK and MINISTRY of Jesus.The resurrection of Jesus is CRUCIAL in the formation of genuine hope.it makes ALL the difference
This realisation allows us to apply hope to all our situations, it lets us apply some of the ideas in the self help book.
2. The FOUNDATION of genuine hope [3b]the foundation is the WORK and MINISTRY of Jesus.The resurrection of Jesus is CRUCIAL in the formation of genuine hope.it makes ALL the difference
Reassess the Situation
Reassess the Situation
The hope we have in God lets us reassess the Situation - (we looked at last week) tells us about the durability of genuine hope...
Objective
Help from others.
4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Impersihable speaks of its essence
ESV4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Undefiled speaks of its purity
3. The DURABILITY of genuine hope [4]IMPERISHABLE speaks of its essence UNDEFILEABLE speaks of its purity
Unfading speaks of its beauty
Ready speaks of its guarantee
We can reassess our temporary situation in the light of this eternal, incorruptible inheritance.
Fill our hearts with Gratitude
Fill our hearts with Gratitude
tells us
Help from others.
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
4. The POWER of genuine hope [6-7]it helps us to face our trials with JOY it helps us face our trials with COURAGE - we can fill out hearts with gratitude.
Be Objective
Be Objective
Gratitue
Objective
lets us take an objective look at our scenario but an objective look based on God’s view point.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
The WONDER of genuine hope [8-9]we love a PERSON we have never seen we long to go to a PLACE we have never visited genuine hope concerns our greatest NEED - salvation
The WONDER of genuine hope [8-9]we love a PERSON we have never seen we long to go to a PLACE we have never visited genuine hope concerns our greatest NEED - salvation
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
We can move beyond what we can see as being the ‘natural’ outcome to what God desires the outcome to be.
Gratitue
Objective
Help from others.
Help from others.
Finally we are a family we are commanded, compelled and hopefully desire to do good for others through that love that we have through Jesus.
16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
ESV / 6,217 helpful votes
2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
I don’t need to stand here and speak about why we should help each other (in this church) and help all that God has compassion on. The scriptures do this for me.
ESV / 5,843 helpful votes
encapsulates it so well
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
It is a strange sort of deal - we have already received the promise, the payment in our salvation before we have given our part.
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
Closing
Closing
Hope is a powerful concept. Without hope in the future, we have no power in the present. Hope may keep us alive. Without hope there is no reason to live. It has been said, “Life without Christ is a hopeless end, but life with Christ is an endless hope.”
The Christian’s Hope
The Christian’s Hope
we are not ashamed of the ground of our hope. Self help books talk about ways to invent hope. Our hope rests upon the solemn promises of God, which He made to us by His prophets and apostles, and confirmed in the person and work of His Son. In as much as Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead, we who are one with Him by faith are sure that we shall rise again from the dead and live with Him. The fact of Christ’s resurrection is the assurance of our resurrection, and His entrance into glory is the pledge of our inheritance yet to come because we are made one with Him by the purpose and grace of God.
Our hope is grounded in this.
Communion a common meal.
Communion a common meal.
Communion is a special meal that we take part in:To commemorate the death of Christ: To signify we are part of the new covenant that is the source of our Hope and to pledge ourselves Him and to his entire service. To represent the mutual communion of believers with each other.It is also a common meal in that it is for everyone. Not one of us here is individually worthy of taking this meal but through the grace of our Lord we freely welcomed to come and eat and drink. We are not barred by birth right, upbringing, possessions or circumstance. If you want to know God, you know and love him or you are on a path of exploration you are welcome at his table remembering there is also confession. In partaking of the elements we declare: “Christ gave his body and blood for me. He died for me.”
Communion a common meal.
Communion a common meal.
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NIV23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Communion is a special meal that we take part in:To commemorate the death of Christ: "This do in remembrance of me."To signify are part of this new covenant that is the source of our Hope and to pledge ourselves Him and to his entire service. To represent the mutual communion of believers with each other.It is also a common meal in that it is for everyone. Not one of us here is individually worthy of taking this meal but through the grace of our Lord we freely welcomed to come and eat and drink. We are not barred by birth right, upbringing, possessions or circumstance. If you want to know God, you know and love him or you are on a path of exploration you are welcome at his table remembering there is also confession. In partaking of the elements we declare: “Christ gave his body and blood for me. He died for me.”
NIV23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Prayer and finish.
Prayer and finish.
Our Father prayer
9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever
“I think God’s hope and plan for us is pretty simple to figure out. For those who resonate with formulas, here it is: add your whole life, your loves, your passions, and your interests together with what God said He wants us to be about, and that’s your answer.”