An Unshakeable Hope

AN UNSHAKABLE HOPE

This morning I want us to look at some promises that God makes us in scripture. These are things that should anchor and root our lives in the firm understanding that God will always come through for us

- that He will lead us, guide us, watch over us, protect us

- and, when necessary, see us through intense and uncomfortable seasons of life.

These aren’t trite little sayings...

These aren’t Christian coffee mug confessions...

These are unshakable truths that we need to tattoo on the back of our eyelids and repeat to ourselves in front of the mirror when we go through seasons of doubt and discouragement.

These are promises upon which we can hang our hats, knowing that the God who formed us, will watch over us, ensuring that His ultimate good for our lives will prevail regardless of the this world or the enemy of our souls might throw at us!

If you have your Bibles, please open to the sixth chapter of Hebrews. Now I know that some of us avoid this book like the plague. We all love Chapters 11 &12, but the rest of the book is really heavy and hard to understand.

But trust me, what we’re about to read together has the ability to change your life. And to make it as plain and easy to understand as possible, I’m going to read it in the Passion Translation...

“So it is impossible for God to lie for we know that his promise and his vow will never change! And now we have run into his heart to hide ourselves in his faithfulness

* What is the first thing we are to do when we experience difficulties and pain?

* we should run TO God.

* Too many of us run away from him. We try to make it through in our own strength and power.

* We allow our hurst and disappointment over the fact that God allowed us this to happen to us, to prevent us from receiving what He intended to give us in the midst of the storm.

* Yet according to this verse, there is a very specific response God wants us to have in difficult times.

- He wants it to run Towards Him!

- He wants us to run into His heart

- like a scared child in the midst of a thunderstorm, He wants us to run right next to His side

- He wants us to hide ourselves in His faithfulness.

- What does that mean? How do we do that?

- We remind ourselves what he has done in the past

- we remind ourselves of his past deliverance

- we remind ourselves of his past goodness

- we remind ourselves of His great power

- His gently conviction

- and His mighty ability to sustain us through the worst of all circumstances.

This is where we find his strength and comfort

- in the heart of God

in our desperate attempt to cling to him for all we’re worthThat is where our strength comes fromThat is where we find our comfortNot by pretending to be strong, but by admitting our weaknesses, by admitted how scared we areBy declaring our total and unashamed reliance on His help, his presence and his deliverance in our lives!

Look at this:

“...for he empowers us to seize what has already been established ahead of time”

this is HUGEThe fact that you landed in this situation is not news to God. It didn’t take hm by surpriseHe knew you would end up in this predicamentHe knew you would be wrapped up in fear and worryAnd that’s why he wants to empower you to seize what Has already provided for you to receive ahead of time.IN the midst of this trial, in the middle of this pain, in the heat of the moment when you think you can’t take even one more step - God had hidden His promise of hope, healing and deliverance.All you have to do is reach out and grab it,All you have to do is claim that which is already yours for the taking!+

—an unshakeable hope! We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat which sits in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold, and where Jesus, our forerunner, has gone in before us. He is now and forever our high priest.”

Hebrews 6:18-20 TPT

Listen to the Lord who CREATED you

The one who FORMED you

I have RANSOMED YOU

I have called you by name; you are MINE

Where is the confidence for our hope found?

- is it in our goodness?

- is it in our faithfulness?

- is it in our ability to always do what’s right?

NO.

Our confidence comes, not from anything we’ve done, but it comes from everything God has done for us!

Because He created us...

Because He formed us in the womb...

Because he ransomed us from our sins...

Because he Calls us His own...

Our confidence only comes through that which is unchanging - God’s character, His goodness, HIs love.

No where in this passage does it talk about us...

There’s a reason for that:

- we are unreliable

- we are sinful

- we are inconsistent

If our hope is rooted in our efforts or our abilities, we’re always going to be left to wonder...

Was I good enough?

Did I please Him?

Is he happy with me?

Could I have done better?

That’s why Isaiah focuses and achors our faith in God’s goodness, in God’s selection of us as objects of his great love. That’s why he lets us know in no uncertain terms that He has created us, he has ransomed us (he paid the price our sins deserved) and that He calls us His own.

God is unchangeable. He is perfect in all His ways. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. As such, whatever He says, we can trust. Whatever he does, we can be sure that it is good. Whatever promise He makes to us - He will be sure to follow through with.

This is the epitome of grace. It is getting what we don’t deserve from God. We know that our sins deserve death. We know that our shortcomings and our inability to trust and hold steadfast to HIs promises should unravel our relationship with Him, yet it doesn’t!

He calls us close to His side.

He gathers us into his faithful arms

He speaks words of love and healing over us

He reminds us of HIs promises

He speaks of his great strength

And of his miraculous power

The 2nd half of verse one is intended to bring us great comfort:

“Do NOT be AFRAID.”

-regardless of what comes your way

- regardless of what obstacle or mountain stands in front of you

- no matter how scary or frightening it appears

- it’s NO MATCH FOR GOD’s mighty power

Verse 3, “WHEN you go through deep waters, I will be with you.”

Notice it doesn’t say, if you go through deep waters. It doesn’t say that you “might” go through deep waters. Instead it says, WHEN.

God’s love, His protection, His goodness will sometimes prevent us from going through difficult situations. But at other times, it will lead us directly into a fiery trial or a perilous situation.

This was true for Jesus. After praying and fasting for 40 days, the Spirit of the Lord led him directly into the wilderness to be tempted...

The presence of a storm, the realization that we could be overcome by deep waters surrounding us, shouldn’t cause of to worry...it should cause us to TRUST.

- God knows exactly where we are.

He knows exactly what we are going through. And he knows exactly what it will take to deliver us out of it.

Some us have wrongly assumed that God will prevent us from entering into difficult times, but that’s not where he places his promise. His promise isn’t tied to our circumstances - His promise is tied to our relationship with Him.

He says that WHEN we go through deep waters, He will be WITH us.

The great I am. The first and the last, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. The one who created the World with a word. The one who sustains us with his breath, the one who holds the entire world in his hand

This is who will be with us when we go through deep waters.

We are not alone

We are not left to our own devices

We are not abandoned or ignored

He is right there with us

Holding our hand

Leading the way

Showing us secret treasures hidden in darkness that He enables us to find in order to encourage and strengthen us.

“When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.”

some of us feel as if we’re drowning right nowWe’re gasping for airWe’re struggling to take our next breatheWorry and fear have us thinking we are about to go under for the last timeBut hear the Word of the Lord this morning...YOU will NOT DrownThis may very well FEEL LIKE THE END, but it is NOT the endThe righteous may fall, but they will rise againGod’s got youHe’s going to rescue youDon’t you dare give up (that’s exactly what the enemy wants you to do!). He wants you to give up RIGHT before your breakthrough comes.He wants you to surrender in exasperation before God can deliverer you in His mighty strength and power.

“When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”

some of us are feeling the heat this morningIt is starting to burn our skinThe flames are getting hotter and higher than they’ve ever been beforeBut God promises they will not consume usYour flames will not have the last word - God will have the last word!The flames the enemy intended to harm you will be the very means God will use to bring about your deliverance!!!!!

“For I am the Lord Your God, the Holy One of Israel, YOUR SAVIOR!”

Verse 13 “From eternity to eternity I AM GOD. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.”

Look at verse 16 “ I am the one who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea...

But forget all that!

no matter how amazing I came through in the past...Regardless of how miraculousHow awe-I aspiring it was...

“It is NOTHING compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See I have already begun! Do you not see it?”

He says this because we can’t see it...at least not yet. We can through faith, but we can’t yet see in the natural.

“I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. ...I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed.