Part 5: The Response of Hope
Notes
Transcript
Our Memory Verse
8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
Our Definition
Hope is the confident expectation of a better future
I know it is the end of January and Christmas is in the rear-view mirror, but do you remember the shepherds? Minding their own business and doing their job, they suddenly experienced something pretty amazing: a visit from angels. They also received something pretty amazing: news that Messiah had been born.
They could have kept this new to themselves, but the didn’t. They marched into Bethlehem and searched until they found Jesus, no doubt waking up the whole area. After they found Jesus they left, but told everyone they met about what they had seen, no doubt waking up the whole area again.
Their response is incredibly human: we respond when we receive or experience something good.
When we receive hope, we receive and experience something good. Our text shows us how we should respond.
Our text begins with “Therefore...”
14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God,
Since Jesus died for us and there is nothing left to offer for our sins, we have boldness to enter God’s presence and a High Priest who ministers for us. This is the basis of our hope salvation and the promise of a better life, both in time on earth and in eternity in heaven.
How should we, as people who have hope, respond? The Apostle Paul focuses on three responses:
Our response toward God
Our response toward hope
Our response toward other believers
Let us draw near - Our response toward God
Let us draw near - Our response toward God
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
We are drawing near to God
With a truthful (“true”) heart
With a sprinkled heart
Jesus’ blood cleanses our impurities, both physical and non-physical making us pure
Purity allows us to have confidence when we draw near to God as one who belongs there
Let us hold fast - our response toward hope
Let us hold fast - our response toward hope
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
We hold fast to our confession
“hold fast” is cling tightly
“confession” is an open avowal of our belief, which is the reason for our hope
We don’t waver in our confession because it is based on God’s promise, not our ability.
There is no reason for us to lose—or surrender—our hope. We should always confidently expect a better future because God has promised one.
Let us consider one another - our response toward other believers
Let us consider one another - our response toward other believers
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Paying careful attention to each other could be dangerous—given human nature—but we are given specific focus points:
to stir up love
to stir up good works
to stir up participation
in our mutual assembling (forsaking means to reject or leave, not miss)
in our mutual encouragement (“exhoritng”)
in our mutual awareness (that Jesus is returning soon)
13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
What about a response toward those who are unbelievers?
What about a response toward those who are unbelievers?
If hope is the confident expectation of a better future, than unbelievers are truly without hope.
The only thing we can do is live with hope as a reflection of God. This is part of reflecting God to people. Our wish—not a true hope—is to direct people to God.
Once they turn to God in belief and for salvation, He promises them a better future and they have a reason for hope.
You and I have received and experienced something good in the hope we have. How are you responding? Are you responding?
(We sometimes forget how good it is to have hope.) If hope is really good, we should
draw near - Our response toward God
hold fast - our response toward hope
consider one another - our response toward other believers