HOPE REMAINS
THESE THREE REMAIN: FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE • Sermon • Submitted
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So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Sometimes, it is hard to have hope but I want to encourage you to believe that through Christ we have reason to never lose hope.
Sometimes, it is hard to have hope but I want to encourage you to believe that through Christ we have reason to never lose hope.
And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,
Hope can always remain or abide because of what or rather who it is built on; God. Our hope is not built on finite/temporary things but on our eternal and all powerful God who calls Himself “the God of Hope.” True hope originates with Him and if we put our trust in Him, nothing can take it away because nothing that happens in this life can take Him away.
Hope is essential to living for God.
A. If we are going to work for Him; Losing hope causes us to lose courage and losing heart leads to blindness in vision. If there is no hope there is no vision for what God can do. Israel had this problem at a very import time.
1. Background; The Israelites had been brought back from captivity to a city that was in ruins and the temple was laid waste. The place where they worshipped God would have to be completely rebuilt from the foundation up.
2. ; The people had given up on building the temple…God tells them it will be better than before…they needed a vision for what could be…that the days of the temple were not just in the past…
3. But notice what God tells them through the prophet Haggai;
“The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.'” (ESV)
The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’ ”
i. They had obviously lost hope for what God could do through them if they worked with hope. They must have thought about the obstacles and no hope that it could be as good as before.
B. This is what can happen in our Christian lives at times…we lose our vision for what great things God can do with us in our lives…we can lose hope in anything great happening in the future…
calls God “the God of hope.” If God is the God of hope then we should be as His people, people of hope. If we are and will be our light will shine to everyone that we meet.
a. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
God is “the God of hope” and He can do more than all we ask or imagine…
i. What are we imagining that God can do through us a congregation or as an individual Christian? Do we ever even daydream about whom we could reach or help of our neighbors…
If we have real hope then that will translate into joy.
i. “The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.”
The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
ii. Jesus said; "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”
3. “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” (ESV)
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
4. We can always have hope in God because we have faith in His love…
i. “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, 22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” ,
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,
ii. Because He is faithful; “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” (ESV)
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
We can hope in Him continually; “But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.” (ESV)
i. says we are born again to a living hope…
3. I love the quote; “There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them.” Clare Boothe Luce.
i. Think about how this proved true fro God’s people in the past.
B. With God there is always hope…
1. Israel at the Sea; The Israelites thought that being trapped in between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army of chariots.
i. But remember what Moses told them… “13 And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." (ESV)
2. Job was so distraught from the tragedy and trauma he faced that we felt hopeless. He said, “My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle and come to their end without hope.” (ESV)
i. We know the end of the story and we know that Job had great reason to not lose hope in God whom he served.
3. Abraham: When all seemed impossible for God’s promise to give Abraham a son to come true it did.
i. “In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be." He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead” (ESV)
4. Israel at the promise land; The Israelites lost hope in what they should have been hoping in for the last 40 year in the wilderness. The odds made them lose hope.
i. The two who had hope and kept it were not disappointed they received the promised land.
5. Jeremiah; If anyone could have lost hope it could have been Jeremiah. But even in the midst of what was happening God gave Him a reason to hope.
i. God told Jeremiah to buy a field before the captivity. The message was that God would restore.
ii. Notice what Jeremiah says in 32:24-25…even though the city will be destroyed, you have told me to go buy a field.
iii. One of my favorite verses in scripture is; “The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:
27 "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?”
Notice what Jeremiah writes in in the midst of his people being destroyed;
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
Jer 3:
It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Hope is built through struggle and allows us to be joyful in spite of hard times.
C. Hope is built through struggle and allows us to be joyful in spite of hard times.
1. “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (ESV)
i. “Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all...As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.” G.K. Chesterton
ii. These are the times when faith and hope are really tested…
2. We need to hold on to hope until the end when we receive what we have hoped for.
i. says we have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus. Our hope never dies because we have faith that even in death we win.
ii. “And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,
12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
3. God has given us these stories and scriptures that we might have hope…
i.
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” Rom15:3-4
4. Hope is not a side point in scripture. It is not a small thing to talk about. It could be preached frequently and still be needed. Hope is what God has given us through Christ. Because while we live in a sinful and dying world we serve a living God who has given us the power to live in Him and live eternally.
Remembering God’s Wonders Ignites Hope
Remembering God’s Wonders Ignites Hope
Remembering God’s wonders when times are difficult can bring hope!
• , - Just as the Psalmist in this passage people are starving for hope.
God is the source of the source of hope, literally the God of hope. Hope is one of His main things. Hope is what God is all about. He gives hope when nothing and no one else can! And we know that because we are His children and people of hope.
• But we cannot show them that hope if we forget God’s goodness and works. You cannot fake being hopeful very well. If we have it deep in our hearts it will come out in our attitudes and outlooks.
• The world needs that hope that we have in God through Christ! When hope is created in the hearts of people lives begin to change.
Hope focused marriage counseling…it is not very effective if a couple comes in and is at the end of their rope as far as marriage goes and I just start talking about how marriages are crumbling everywhere and the divorce rate is so high and…do you see? What would that do? Would it help them. But when you present an attitude of hope they can make it…their willingness begins to change.
God gives us hope all through scripture. He gives us words and stories of hope so we will press on.
• - through the encouragement of scriptures we might have hope.
Our default should be hopeful not cynical or complainer even when things get difficult. Just look at the Apostle Paul and his attitude in the letter to Philippi. All these things said in a Roman prison.
• We have a living hope that the world cannot offer, and nothing can take away!
•
• Our hope is not something that depends on the state of the world, no matter how bad. This is how Paul could be so positive in prison.
How can we practically apply the principle of remembering God’s works in our lives?
1. When God does something great stop and thank Him for it! -
2. Tell others about God’s goodness in your life! - Rehearse God’s goodness
3. Slow down and take note of what God has done each day!
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
How can we intentionally remember what God has done so that we are constantly in awe of Him and drawn to Him. (1. WHEN GOD DOES SOMETHING GREAT STOP AND THANK HIM FOR IT. It will build your faith and relationship with God and help you remember His work. (2. TELL OTHERS ABOUT GOD’S GOODNESS IN YOUR LIFE! Start with those closest to you. For example, if God answered a prayer, talk about it when they ask how your day was.
(3. SLOW DOWN AND REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE EACH DAY! What blessings did God give you today. What prayers did He answer? How did He work in your heart or life? Make this a part of your daily routine of prayer and study.
If we do not remember God’s wonders and works, we cannot have a proper outlook on life.
• ;
ESV
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
ESV
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
God did not tell them these things because the world was in such good shape and it would be easy to. He told them this for the same reason He tells us. The world is fallen, and we are in a spiritual war much of which is fought in our minds and they needed to think on good things and have a hopeful outlook and attitude!
• We have to be careful what we allow to influence out thinking and therefore our outlook on the future and life. The mistake that many people make is that they do not make an effort to filter the information and the contagious attitudes that they encounter.
News and Social media: For example, if we are not careful and we let the news, social media, toxic habitually negative people influence our thinking and outlook we may end up hopeless. (The current situation/crisis in our world/nation/family/work, etc…)
• This is really important for the Christians because we are called to be different than the world. We are called to be like God. This means we have a different outlook on the world and life. We think and live differently.
• God’s word and God’s Spirit should influence our thoughts and outlook more than anyone or anything else. We serve the God of hope so we should be a people of hope!
• Unfortunately, that is not always true. We all know that Christians can be some of the most negative, gloomy people you can meet. It makes sense as to why this is true. They see all that is wrong with the world, the church, families, politics, the economy, and a whole lot of other things that we all see. You know what…they are right about a lot of it.
v “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
What a magnificent verse right? This is what the Apostle Paul desires for them but really what God desires for them “all joy and peace” to the full, complete, poured into their hearts and lives so much they overflow with hope from being filled with joy and peace.
(Ill: One way to think of it is like pouring two ingredients into the same container to the brim and then the combination of those things making something wonderful and it overflowing out of the container…like the mixing of ________ and _______ to make ___________. )
Ø THIS SOUNDS SO GOOD RIGHT? This is what we want
WE WANT PEACE, JOY AND HOPE FOR OUR LIVES.
Joy, peace and hope are not just what God wants for our lives but these are things that we desperately desire as well. I know this is true because people try so hard to find them and keep them.
v We do so much to have joy. We try to plan our lives so that we can have them in such a way that we have joy from the outcome.
Ø We all have a ideal of what our lives need to have in them for us to find joy whether things, accomplishments, money, relationships, a certain standard of living or status among other things.
Ø Our ideals are different, some right some wrong but we struggle to have joy. We may buy things, invest in relationships, etc…We all want joy!
v We all want peace when life is a struggle.
Ø Life is not easy, there is stress, and disappointment, loss and we are in spiritual war that brings temptations and spiritual difficulty. In all these thing people grasp for peace from different things, many of which only offer a temporarily solace.
§ We want peace because our world and as well as our lives can be so chaotic at times. Worry/anxiety/stress/depression/ are the most prominent mental health disorders in our nation and world. These are things that are evidence of a lack of joy and peace and hope.
Ø People try to find comfort from the chaos that life sometimes bring through escape in entertainment, eating, and more strongly alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography among other things.
§ At least one part of someone becoming addicted to something can start with them just desiring peace/comfort in the wrong way.
WE NEED JOY AND PEACE AND HOPE IN OUR LIVES.
v So we not only want joy and peace but we also NEED them to have hope and live as God intended.
Ø As followers of Christ we serve the “God of comfort” as He is called in scripture and the “prince of peace” as Jesus is named and here “the God of hope.” So we should know and have true joy and real peace and a hope that is not based on the things of this world.
§ Often we make the mistake of looking in the wrong places for it just like those outside of Christ but we should know where to find it.
Ø Notice what scripture says about the connection between the kingdom of God, knowing Christ and having peace and joy and hope…
§ Jesus said “I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.”
§ “for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy”
v SO WE WANT PEACE, JOY AND HOPE AND WE NEED THEM BUT HOW CAN WE HAVE THESE THINGS?
Ø is such a powerful verse because while it is a quick statement of encouragement it is also packed with two huge truths about peace, joy and hope, (THAT ANSWER THIS QUESTION)
§ (1)how God gives it to us and
§ (2) what part we play in receiving it. If you pick it apart and follow the phrases it is simple.
BEING FILLED WITH JOY AND PEACE TO OVERFLOWING WITH HOPE COME FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT.
v Notice the end and key to “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace” HOW? Yes, God will do it! (We often put more focus on what we do or have than what God does.)
Ø YES, God will do it! (The God of hope will do it through filling your heart with joy and peace in Jesus Christ.)(Before we move on we need to get this truth!!!)
§ Who will fill you with ALL, (how much?) ALL JOY AND PEACE? GOD! So if God fills you with ALL of it…will things fill you? Will people fill you? Will position? Who? GOD will!
§ We need to get this truth because if we do not we will not allow God to fill us (this is why we may not have them) because we all running after other things for joy instead of the one who is the very source of joy and hope and peace…
§ YOU CAN SAY God gives peace but if you are seeking it in another place will you find it in Him? SO we NEED TO believe this. NOW…
Ø How will God (do it) fill them (us) with all joy and peace so that we may overflow with hope?
§ Notice again, “for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
§ Now again, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
§ Did you catch it in both verses…(the Holy Spirit)…“by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
v We can only have true joy peace and hope if we seek them in God and God gives us access to these through the power of the Holy Spirit within us. If we are not in Christ then these things are impossible because they only come through Him.
Ø and (among other verses) says the Spirit of God dwells within us.
§ says that we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us when we are baptized, having our sins washed away which does away with what separates us from Him and we put on Christ and He comes to live in us through the Holy Spirit.
Ø Then we see the connection between the Holy Spirit and joy in a number of places such as tells us that Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
§ We find Jesus rejoicing in the Holy Spirit () and the church in Acts filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. (Acts
§ So if this is true then why do so many Christians seem to not have peace and joy and hope?
Ø You know what I mean. While we should be the most peace filled, hopeful, joyous people in the world we struggle with worry, have anxiety and sometimes chase after solace in the same wrong or temporary ways that the world does.
§ There is a very key phrase in this verse that reveals a truth that we must live out to be filled with peace and joy that results in overflowing hope. Do you see it?
PEACE AND JOY AND OVERFLOWING HOPE COME “AS YOU TRUST IN HIM.”
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
v We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism and His power is at work in the life of the follower of Christ.
Ø BUT… so much of our submission to, dependence on and even belief in His ability hinges on our trust in Him. For example:
§ (one of my favorite passages) says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. (consistent rejoicing, a product of real lasting joy) I will say it again: rejoice!”…(then verse 6) “Do not be anxious about anything (being anxious is the opposite of being at peace and having hope) but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (and notice the result of praying to God) (V7) “And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
§ We can have peace instead of anxiety…a peace that comes from God that we cannot even fully understand why we have it we just know we have it (many of you know this peace, because you have had it come over you, even though everything was not fixed but still the same) how did that happen?
§ To take the phrase from “by the power of the Holy Spirit” who lives within us. (ISN’T IT SO AMAZING HOW THE BIBLE CONNECTS WITHTHESE AMAZING TRUTHS)…
Ø Anyway we were talking about trust. What does that have to do with this?
§ In this when does the peace come when you have something to be anxious about? After you pray to God and bring him what you are anxious about.
§ What does it take to go to God in prayer about your problems…truly go to God about your problems? TRUST!
§ Will you pray to God in faith if you do not really trust that He is there or can or will help you? No!
§ It is not that the Holy Spirit makes us have joy and peace and hope apart from our involvement and trust in God.
Ø While the Holy Spirit works in our heart there are other forces at work in our world and in our minds. While God wants us to trust Him and cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us () and give us peace through His Spirit Satan want the opposite for us.
§ While God wants peace, joy and hope in our heart Satan wants the opposite. He wants chaos, fear, panic, anxiety, depression, and discouragement, hopelessness that comes from focusing on the difficulty, tragedy and pain.
Ø We can still allow our desires and minds to work against what God through the Holy Spirit is trying to do in our hearts.
§ We can “grieve the Holy Spirit” () or ignore the Holy Spirit or resist the Holy Spirit. The peace, joy and hope God offers can be missed because we are too focused on the wrong things. It is a battle of the mind and we need to be careful about who and what we allow to be in ours.
§ It is no wonder that says, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” And then verse 9 “and the God of peace will be with you.”
v So “As you trust in God” () we can have all peace and joy by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Ø If we do not trust in God we will not rely on Him and instead we will look to other things to being us peace, joy and hope. For example…notice the connection in .
§ Read…So stay away from the love of money but instead remember God will never leave you or forsake you. What does God never leaving them have to do with them not loving money? Why do people love money and run after money so much? Think about it? What can money buy? The belief is money fixes everything so therefore money is security and security is peace.
§ Money can buy things and the lie is that with things comes joy. So with enough money there is what? But if you trust in God and believe that He will never leave you there is not a love for money…but God.
Ø Interestingly, the Old Testament passage that the Hebrew writer quotes had nothing to do with money but was about fear. Watch the context of …it is helping Joshua and Israel not fear as they went into the promise land. Do not fear (why?) Because God will be with them.
v Why is it so important that we trust in God? Because if we are overcome with fear we will not have the peace, joy and hope that God offers. Fear is the opposite of peace and hope. Fear destroys peace and chases joy away and eventually steals our hope.
Ø But trust in God is the fuel of hope. Trust tells us God is in control no matter what and He will make all things right, no matter what and that fact along with the fact that He loves us is the foundation for peace and hope!
Ø (ill: instance of having peace and joy and hope in difficult times...