Hope In Christ

Introduction

Tonight, my son and I are going to my parents property and we are going to camp out under the stars and have a great evening together. Things have been tough for him lately. He is 3 and is just now adjusting to a baby sister and now ajusting to a baby brother. He is stuck at the house. No parks or lbrary or aunts and uncles or anything and I admit it is a lot for him to process as it is for some of you that are watching. Today he started out with a bad attitude and I reminded him of what we were doing tonight and if he wanted to go he needed to remember where we were going. It wasnt just son, suck it up it will be better. It was more than just false hope, there was a reason for hope for him. This is shallow compared to the Hope in Jesus but yet i want to take you to a moment Jesus had with his disciples right before he was imprisoned and set towards the cross.

In chapter 14 of John, Jesus promises the coming of the Holy Spirit, Holy spirit is not..........

In 15 and the beginning of 16 he talks of the work of the HS. teach us that we are wrong in our sin and convicted in our judgement. Jesus is telling that he is leaving and predicting that He is soon to die and that when He does they will not be alone because he will send the Holy Spirit. They do not understand fully what he is saying and they begin to grieve thinking that their best friend is soon to leave.

It is our grief that sets the stage for Hope

You remember when we have talked in about counting it joy when we face various trials? Grief is one of those various trials and just like trials give us an opportunity for faith. Grief gives us an opportunity for Hope.

Michael wouldnt be michael without pippen

kobe shaq

peanut butter jelly

Hope would not be hope to us until we experience in grief and the disciples are about to find this out first hand.

Seriously look at the disciples, they transform almost immediately. Why? Because they experience the suffering that they need to. So take joy.

John 16:16–19 NIV

16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” 17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” 19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’?

Stop focusing on what is temporal and start focusing on what’s eternal

I do this so many times. I focus only on what is before me.

not like peter and the water

like stephen the deacon

John 16:20–24 NIV

20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

John 16:25–28 NIV

25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

This one was hard to me for a while, but it was because I have focused on the wrong aspect of this passage

This one was hard to me for a while, but it was because I have focused on the wrong aspect of this passage

The world and een us as believers will often seek anything they can and ignore their need for Jesus

The “thing” we need the most is Jesus

we are asking for things that dont matter.

John 16:29–33 NIV

29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” 31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”