The Blessing of Hope
Notes
Transcript
The Anchor of Hope
The Anchor of Hope
The story is told of A naval student was being put through the paces by an old sea captain. "What would you do if a sudden storm sprang up on the starboard?" asked the captain. "Throw out an anchor, sir." replied the naval student. "What would you do if another storm sprang up aft?" asked the captain. "Throw out another anchor, sir." answered the student. "And if another terrific storm sprang up forward, what would you do?" asked the captain. "Throw out another anchor." replied the student. "Hold on," said the Captain. "Where are you getting all your anchors from?" The student replied, "From the same place you're getting all of your storms, sir."
Storms come along in life quite readily. The question is, where do you get your anchor from? Or what is your anchor made of? or better yet, in whom do you put your anchor in?
WBTU:
The Bible gives us the image of hope as an anchor. ,
19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
It’s been said that an anchor is both a safety device as well as a mooring tool.
Naval people tell us that
. When the storms would come, the ships would leave port and go out a little ways and then the crew would take an anchor in a smaller boat as far out as the rope would allow and they would anchor the boat. They would do this in all four directions so that when the storms hit, the ship would be safe, it would be anchored during the storm, no matter which way the storm turned.
. When the storms would come, they ships would leave port and go out a little ways and then the crew would take an anchor in a smaller boat as far out as the rope would allow and they would anchor the boat. They would do this in all four directions so that when the storms hit, the ship would be safe, it would be anchored during the storm, no matter which way the storm turned.
What is hope?
Dictionary of Bible Themes 9611 hope, nature of
Hope, in its general sense, is the anticipation of a future outcome. It is a subjective expectation which may be either firmly based or misdirected.
We Hope for Good weather for a family Wedding or Reunion.
We Hope to get the job we interviewed with.
We Hope to get what we ask for at Christmas… Hope is an expectation; more often then not totally subjective.
Biblically speaking
Hope is having confidence in God’s goodness and providential care even in the face of trouble.
7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
Hope is more than a wish; it is the sure expectation in God’s future faithfulness and presence. The horizon of Christian hope extends beyond death into an eternity prepared by God himself, the reality of which is guaranteed by Jesus Christ.
Putting our hope in God, His Son Jesus, and His Word, Anchors our soul; keeps us secure.
On the Other hand, an absence of hope leads to a loss of vision, a sense of despondency and ultimately to despair. This contrasts sharply with the Hope we have as Christians in the celebration of the Birth of Jesus, the living God.
Christmas is a time for us to focus on the blessings of Hope we have in Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate; As well as the blessing of His peace, the blessing of His joy, and the blessing of His love.
Let’s look more closely at Hope this morning in
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,
14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”
15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.
17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.
18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.
19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
The Blessing of Hope
Abraham based his hope on a promise from God, and the Oath of God. These two things, as the book of Hebrews tells us are “Unchangeable” God’s purpose is unchangeable; His plan is unchangeable; God Himself is unchangeable. He is who he said he is and he will do what he says he will do.
AN OATH - an oath, as commonly understood, is the end of a matter. It is an authoritative word guaranteed by the highest authority. God’s Word is His bond. That’s what the oath meant.
God - God had no need to swear an oath. Nevertheless, he did it to make absolutely clear to his servant that his promise would be fulfilled.
The First step of hope is to believe in God; taking him at His Word!!!
A second step towards hope is NOT to waver...
As we look back at the life of Abram and Sari, we see that their hope wavered, leading them to a false hope thinking they could control the circumstances of God’s promise.
It began with Sari, who later became Sarah, wavered, doubted God; stopped believing He would bless them as He said. Therefore she attempted to manipulate the situation; she gave her maid servant Hagar to Abram as his concubine. They conceived and she gave birth to a son named “Ismael” This cause tension and stress for both Sarah and Hagar. So much so that Hagar was sent away, only to be told by God to go back and respect Sarah.
Application: Manipulation - leads to tension and stress. We can easily say we are willing to hold the course, but when things don’t seem to go as we thought in the time period we expected, we can easily lose hope, wavering in our faith. God encourages us to be patient - not to worry
We know from the Bible that about 13 years later, Sari (Sarah) was able to conceive and she gave birth to Isaac.
Abraham had received the promise of a blessing from God at the age of 75. He was 100 years old and Sari was 90 years old when the promise came in the form of a Son born to them. His name was Isaac.
Prior to this they wavered in their hope… a hope they put in their own efforts. Hope is good to have - in fact it is great to have… without it we would not be able to survive. But when we try to manipulate things to happen our way and not God’s way, conflict occurs.
It happened when Eve and Adam ate from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that God told them not to eat. That was sin - it led to each one of us inheriting a sinful nature. separation from God; conflict between Adam and Eve, Adam blaming Eve; Eve blaming Satan. Later we know that conflict arose between Cain and Able, which lead to Cain murdering Able.
As we look at Abraham’s wife Sarah, it led to conflict between her and Hagar, her maid servant, as well with Abraham. So much so that eventually Hagar was once again sent away… All because they tried to manipulate God’s promise into becoming a reality based on their own terms.
It led to conflict between Sarah and her maid servant Hagar, as well with Abraham.
Here is a hypothetical illustration of manipulating hope… one that I hope will help us all to see how futile our own effort are when it comes to receiving eternal life.
Imagine going to the Dr. with a lump … that just appeared. He takes some test, affirms that it is cancer, but firmly believes it can be surgically removed, with no further concerns. That gives you some relief. But instead of going back to the Dr. for the surgery, you think you can do it yourself. which you probably could.
However, you would have no means of knowing if you gave yourself enough local Anesthesia to cover the pain as you cut into yourself or if you gave yourself too much and past out in the process, causing you to bleed out. Even if you were successful at that you would have no medical way of determining if you got it all.
it would be totally Ludicrous / absurd for you to put you hope in yourself.
A genuine hope would be to listen to the expert and give that person the opportunity to do what they have been trained for. Hope is placed in the right person.
Christmas is about placing our hope in God, His Word, and in the right person… Jesus Christ.
In we read…
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.
The Blessing of Hope
This too is a promise from God; a promise that gives us hope for eternity. Peter is giving praise to “The God and Father” of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who is God? He is the one who swore an oath by himself, because there is no one greater than he, whereby an oath can be taken. God is the Witness to himself and Peter is a witness to Jesus Christ who claimed to be one with God. He is our “Living hope.” How do we know?
by His great mercy… We have been given a New Birth into a living hope!
A New Birth is not something we earn or merit, or even deserve. It is something that comes about by God’s Holy Spirit, bringing life to our spirit. It is not by mans design of good works and standards, it is based on God’s design and His standards.
Jesus said, “Unless you are born again, you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
In we read…
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
God brings us to faith. It is His Holy Spirit speaking to us that leads us to say yes. In
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.
Worship is a proper response to God’s mercy. It isn’t the worship of a generic god, one created by other religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormonism, who believe God was once a man just like you and me, but worked his way to being God and that you too can become a god. That is not the God we worship in Christ Jesus. The God we worship is living; the evidence is found in the resurrection of Jesus, in whom we put our hope. it is this hope that drives us; that gives color to the way we live.
But God has a plan… always has had a plan and a purpose which will not be thwarted by our plans.
This is a promise not just to Abraham and his heirs, but to all those who follow God…
an oath, as commonly understood, is the end of a matter. It is an authoritative word guaranteed by the highest authority.
God - God had no need to swear an oath. Nevertheless, he did it to make absolutely clear to his servant that his promise would be fulfilled.
God had no need to swear an oath. Nevertheless, he did it to make absolutely clear to his servant that his promise would be fulfilled.
God had a purpose and he works it out; He does not change - This is a promise not just to Abraham and his heirs, but to all those who follow God…
This is a promise not just to Abraham and his heirs, but to all those who follow God…
7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.
The two things that are unchangeable are the promise and the Oath… And, God does not lie!!!
Gods promise and Oath give us the encouragement of hope!
God wants you to take hold of this hope… For some of us it is a renewal of hope; for others it may be the first time you have hope - real hope. A hope that isn’t based on circumstances or another person; it is based on the truth of God himself; his word!
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 12: Hebrews through Revelation E. God’s Promise is Sure (6:13–20)
God had no need to swear an oath. Nevertheless, he did it to make absolutely clear to his servant that his promise would be fulfilled.
If we put our hope in the things of this world, we will be let down. The evidence of this is seen in the things that rust and were moth destroys.
As we said at the beginning - “The metaphor of the anchor is used widely throughout the world.” But this is the only time it occurs in the NT. It refers to a ship being firmly anchored in safety from idle drifting. Its position and safety are sure. So hope is a stabilizing force for the Christian; for the soul (Psyche) It is a hope for the whole of life.
In many ways our lives are like ships. We can be tossed around by the storms of life. But when we put our anchor of hope in God down in midst of those storms he secures us. He turns pain into peace; He turns doubts and uncertainty into a security.
He promised us an inheritance. That inheritance comes from being born again as a child of God, born not just of the flesh, but born of the Spirit; the Holy Spirit of God. His spirit leads to fruit of love, joy, and peace; patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self control.
It is a hope that is undisturbed by outward influences and secure in every way.
This hope enters our inner most being. The holy of holies where you are present with God.
Hope for your soul… the essence of life in terms of thinking, willing, and feeling - your inner self, you mind, your thoughts.
In 1 Peter it is the hope of salvation for your soul
9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
It is a new birth brought about by the mercy of God by the Spirit of God that brings us to praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
we have a ‘Living hope’ because Jesus has been raised by God the Father
13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
The Blessing of Hope
Note here that it is a blessed hope in the waiting of “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ… this affirms the faith of Peter and Paul in the teachings of Jesus being equal with God; one with God, one who as see Jesus has seen God.
It is an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade away! It is kept (perfect tense) or reserved by God for his children in “Heaven.”
You are being guarded shielded from ever being cast away from God. This affirms God’s continued activity in our lives. Our faith is our activity in worshiping God and serving him.
We are divinely preserved with Him forever and ever and ever! Can you picture that? Can you grasp what God is saying by giving us this promise and hope in it?
Morris, L. (1981). Hebrews. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 60). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 12: Hebrews through Revelation E. God’s Promise is Sure (6:13–20)
God had no need to swear an oath. Nevertheless, he did it to make absolutely clear to his servant that his promise would be fulfilled.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 12: Hebrews through Revelation E. God’s Promise is Sure (6:13–20)
While the metaphor of the anchor is widely used in antiquity, it occurs only here in the NT. The ship firmly anchored is safe from idle drifting. Its position and safety are sure. So hope is a stabilizing force for the Christian. “Soul” (psychē) may be the way to understand it, but the term is often used of the life of man and this seems to be the meaning here. The author is not saying simply that hope secures the “spiritual” aspect of man. He is affirming that hope forms an anchor for the whole of life. The person with a living hope has a steadying anchor in all he does. Westcott takes “firm” (asphalēs) to mean that hope “is undisturbed by outward influences” and “secure” (bebaia) as “firm in its inherent character” (in loc.). Perhaps we should not tie these qualities too tightly to the two words (which many point out are a standard expression in Gr ethics). But the two aspects are important, and hope embraces them both.
And there is something more: hope “enters the inner sanctuary.” The imagery takes us back to the tabernacle, with its “curtain” shutting off the Most Holy Place. That little room symbolized the very presence of God, but people were not allowed to enter it. But hope can, says the author. The Christian hope is not exhausted by what it sees of earthly possibilities. It reaches into the very presence of God.
20 We return to the imagery of the Day of Atonement, when the high priest entered the Most Holy Place on behalf of the people. Our forerunner, Jesus, has entered the holiest for us. This is something more than the Levitical high priest could do. Though he entered the Most Holy Place and made atonement on behalf of the people, at the end he and they were still outside. But to call Jesus our “forerunner” implies that we will follow in due course.
So hope is a stabilizing force for the Christian.
The author is affirming that hope forms an anchor for the whole of life. The person with a living hope has a steadying anchor in all he does.
So hope is a stabilizing force for the Christian. “Soul” (psychē) may be the way to understand it, but the term is often used of the life of man and this seems to be the meaning here. The author is not saying simply that hope secures the “spiritual” aspect of man. He is affirming that hope forms an anchor for the whole of life. The person with a living hope has a steadying anchor in all he does. Westcott takes “firm” (asphalēs) to mean that hope “is undisturbed by outward influences” and “secure” (bebaia) as “firm in its inherent character” (in loc.). Perhaps we should not tie these qualities too tightly to the two words (which many point out are a standard expression in Gr ethics). But the two aspects are important, and hope embraces them both.
The Christian hope is not exhausted by what it sees of earthly possibilities. It reaches into the very presence of God.
During the Alaskan gold rush, the town nearest the gold did not have a good anchorage near the ocean. The ships found better anchorage a distance away and thus came the town of Anchorage.
20 We return to the imagery of the Day of Atonement, when the high priest entered the Most Holy Place on behalf of the people. Our forerunner, Jesus, has entered the holiest for us. This is something more than the Levitical high priest could do. Though he entered the Most Holy Place and made atonement on behalf of the people, at the end he and they were still outside. But to call Jesus our “forerunner” implies that we will follow in due course
To have good anchorage is to find a place where anchors can be held fast to the bottom without slipping or dragging. It is best if one can get an anchor embedded among rocks. This is good anchorage but difficult when the ship is trying to get anchors aweigh, the anchor to let loose from the sea bottom.
Our anchorage is the best because our anchor is embedded in rocks of God’s promises. It is firm and secure.
ILLUSTRATION: DR GEORGE W. TRUETT once said in a sermon to a group of students: “I could not trust my hope of heaven on the best second I ever lived!” One student, who had great admiration of Truett as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ responded by saying, “If he as to say that, what about me?”