Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro: Our World today is filled with people who have lost all hope in this life.

I just reminded of this fact again with the resent suicide of my cousin Ronnie Dunlap.

Our environment does not lend itself to having a hopeful disposition, does it?

With all the news of the Covid virus and all its variants and the trouble in this old world.

BUT - I have Good News this morning!

God wants us to be a people of a vibrant Hope in our souls.

Text: Romans 15:1-13; Hebrews 6:18-19

I. Having Hope Brings Us To Christ.

A. When we were lost in sin the Scriptures produce a faith in us that Jesus would forgive us and redeem us from the penalty and power and possession of sin.

vs. 4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

Rom 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Perhaps ordinary and even Christian moralists would not assign to hope the place which it occupies in the teaching of the apostle.

But Paul had good reason for extolling and enjoining this beautiful and most inspiring and influential virtue.

In this verse he sets forth—

B. THE SOURCE OF HOPE.

His language is a prayer, and the prayer is addressed to "the God of hope."

He is so called because there can be no true, well-founded, far-reaching hope which is not fixed on God, on his providential rule, on his gracious purposes, on his consolatory promises.

He suggests and inspires hope; he justifies and expects hope; he approves and rewards hope.

All true and worthy hope for ourselves and for others is fixed on God, centres in God.

(Pulpit Commentary)

1. elpis - Hope is a confident expectation in God’s Goodness and Love.

C. THE POWER OF HOPE.

The Holy Spirit is represented as the Agent by whose aid hope is experienced and enjoyed.

When the spirit is downcast and sad, when the prospect is gloomy and dark, when human help seems far and feeble, then the Comforter brings near the grace of God, unveils a glorious prospect, and inspires a blessed confidence.

(Pulpit Commentary)

D. THE MEANS OF HOPE.

If any one is bidden to cherish hope, he will reply, "Where is the ground upon which I may hope?

By what means can I arise from the Slough of Despair?"

The steps by which rational hope can be fostered are here described.

(Pulpit Commentary)

1. Believing; i.e. in Christ as the true Object of hope—"Christ our Hope."

2. Joy; i.e. the emotion produced by a believing appropriation of the blessings of the gospel—joy which may even rise to be "unspeakable, and full of glory."

3. Peace; i.e. another of the fruits of the Spirit, the growth from the root of Christian faith.

A disturbed mind is a mind uncongenial to hope; tranquillity in the present is contributive to hopefulness as to the future.

(Pulpit Commentary)

E. THE ABUNDANCE OF HOPE.

When God gives, he gives liberally, royally.

Observe in what respects the Christian’s hope abounds.

(Pulpit Commentary)

1.

For himself, his personal future being gilded with radiant, celestial light.

2. For the Church, that it shall arise and shine and fulfil the ministry it has received.

3.

For the world, that it shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.

4. For both time and eternity.

(Pulpit Commentary)

II.

Having Hope Keeps Us In Christ.

A. Having Hope Empowers Us To Experience the Abundant Life In Christ.

I Corinthians (Chapter 13)

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Sing Song #150 God Will Take Care of You