HOPELESSNESS

"Hopelessness"

(Not sure who the author of this sermon may have been or the date it was produced??)

INTRODUCTION

Before looking at hopelessness let's evaluate what it is to have hope.

WEBSTER says hope is to wish for, to expect (but without expectancy).

N THE WORLD when one says, "I hope so", it is an expression of a desire or wish.

IN THE BIBLE hope is an indication of certainty. Biblical hope is first an attitude of faith in things we are promised for the future.

Biblical hope is more than worldly hope. It is expectation, belief.

Listen to this: "Daily faith may waiver at times, but if you have grown in your hope in God and in His Word, it will operate like an anchor to keep you from drifting during the storms of life."

Ron Long says: "The Bible is the Hope Book."

To be hopeless means you have lost everything we have talked about thus far.

WEBSTER defines hopelessness as being destitute of hope; having no expectation of good, despairing. It means to be despondent, downcast, forlorn, incurable.

THE TERM HOPELESSNESS IMPLIES THE ABANDONMENT OF ANY HOPE.

I. HOPELESSNESS: WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT IT?

1. Proverbs 13:12 - "Hope deferred makes the heart sick."

2. Isaiah 38:18 - "Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Thy faithfulness."

3. Jeremiah 2:25 - "It is hopeless."

4. Jeremiah 18:12 - "It is hopeless."

5. Lamentations 3:18 - "My strength has perished and so has any hope from the Lord."

SUMMARIZE WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT HOPELESSNESS.

1. When you lose hope you become sick.

2. Even in Bible days, many people were hopeless.

II. HOPELESSNESS: ARE YOU THERE RIGHT NOW IN YOUR LIFE?

1. A hopeless person feels the situation is hopeless.

2. A hopeless person feels there is nothing that can be done about it.

3. A hopeless person feels the situation is out of his control.

Hal Lindsay: "THE TERMINAL GENERATION" "Man can live 40 days without food, about 3 days without water, about 8 minutes without air . . . but only 1 second without hope."

WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST IN YOUR LIFE YOU ARE LIVING WITHOUT HOPE!

Illustration: All coming against you - Christ is Hope!

III. HOPELESSNESS: WHAT IS THE ANSWER?

Let's go to the Hope Book, the Bible,

1. Job 13:15 - "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him."

2. Psalm 39:7 - "My hope is in Thee."

3. 1 Timothy 4:10 - "Because we have fixed our hope on the living God."

4. 1 Peter 1:3 - "Born again to a living hope."

5. Colossians 1:27 - "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

The results of our hopelessness are: depression, insecurity, and a collapse of our lives, and at times even suicide. Regardless of how hopeless you are or the situation may be, Jesus Chrsit is Hope for you and your situation.

"Jesus is the answer, for the world today. Above Him there's no other, Jesus is the Way." Andre' Crouch

IV. HOPELESSNESS: HOW TO COPE WITH IT?

1. You will not cope with hopelessness without Jesus in your life. He is hope!

2. Understand, there is no mountain in your life to high for you and Jesus toclimb together. He is Hope.

3. Realize, there is no valley in your life too low for you and Jesus to walktogether through. He is Hope.

4. Look up, for the hope of your future is solely in Jesus.

CONCLUSION:

You don't stand a chance in your life without Jesus!