The Hope We Have

TEXT: 1 John 3:1-3

TOPIC: The Hope We Have

Pastor Bobby Earls, Northgate Baptist Church, Florence, SC

Saturday evening, April 25, 2020

Now: As we continue to walk through these unprecedented days known as the Coronavirus Pandemic, one thought has often come to my mind. It is a thought I also hear reflected on many of the news and social media platforms. They speak of it as “getting back to normal,” or sometimes they call it “the new normal.”

So many in our day are longing to return to the days that have been stolen from them by this virus. Many are frightened by what the future may or may not hold.

As Christians we may ask many of the same questions. But we also have a certain and confident answer. You see, as God’s children, we have a hope. A confident and certain hope that does not fade away. And it is this hope we need to look to; to cling to as we look to an uncertain future.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

1 John 3:1-3

Then: The Bible has much to say about the concept of “hope.” What is this hope the Bible points us to? What is the Christian’s hope?

1 Corinthians 13 says, There are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love.

Always: As God’s children, we are promised a hope that is eternal.

I. WHAT IS OUR HOPE? “this hope” v.3

The Hope We Have is not a thing, or an event. The Hope We Have is not even a moment in time, past, present or future. Our hope is a person. I want to remind you that the Hope you have is a person and that person is Jesus Christ.m m

A. The Person of our Hope, this hope in Him, v. 3

1. In the previous, verse 2, is talking about His revealing, His parousia, which is His appearing to establish His Kingdom on earth.

2. Titus 2:13, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

3. Paul writing to Timothy clearly spelled out the person of our hope. 1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope

4. 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

B. Those Who Do Not Believe “in Him” Have No Hope

1. What a tragedy when the doctor walks out of the room of a loved one having delivered the news of no hope.

2. Even worse when the casket is closed over the lifeless body of a loved one and there’s no hope of ever seeing that loved one again.

3. Ephesians 2:12, speaks of the lost without Christ when it says, Having no hope and without God

4. I believe the world is looking for hope today and the hope of the world is our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

II. WHAT IS THE BASIS OF OUR HOPE? In him…

A. The Promise of God, Beloved, now we are the children of God, v. 2.

It is as if John was saying, “And we really are!!!!”

1. Hope as certain as God’s word is certain.

a. God’s Enduring word, I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God’s law will remain until its purpose is achieved. Matthew 5:18

b. God’s Certain word, Numbers 23:19, God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

c. God’s Unchanging word, for the promises of God are yea and Amen….

d. God’s Unfailing word, 2 Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slack concerning His promise

So once again, because we are the children of God (v.2) and we are found positionally “in Him,” we have hope.

But there is another basis or reason why as Christians we have hope.

B. The Resurrection of Christ from the Dead is also the basis for our Hope.

1. 1 Peter 1:3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

So many people love the song Bill Gaither wrote entitled, Because He Lives. You know the words, Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone, Because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives.

Because He lives, because Jesus lives, we have hope!

C. Christ in Us (our basis for hope)

1. Colossians 1:27, Christ in us the hope of Glory

2. 84 times Paul referenced being “in Christ.”

Let me say it one more time, if you are in Christ, then you have a hope that springs eternal. One of my favorite preachers of all time was Adrian Rogers.

He was a great preacher mentor to so many Southern Baptist preachers just like me. Before his death in November of 2005, it is reported that his last words to his family, just before he was placed on a ventilator in a Memphis Hospital were the following. Adrian Rogers said, "I see this as a win-win situation."

I win if the Lord calls me home, or I win if He heals me to return home with my family."

When Jesus is your hope, no matter what may come from this Coronavirus, or any hardship you may face in life, we have hope. We have a win-win situation!