The Hope of the Church
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Titus 2:13 (KJV 1900)
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible defines “hope” as an expectation or belief in the fulfillment of something desired.
Hope is a powerful thing.
• G. K. Chesterton said, “There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.”
• Emily Dickinson, in one of her poems said, “Hope is a thing with feathers,/That perches in the soul.”
• O. S. Marden said, “There is no medicine like hope …”
• Pliny the Elder, an ancient Roman philosopher wrote, “Hope is the dream of a waking man.”
• Martin Luther said, “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.”
Present hurts and uncertainty over what the future holds create the constant need for hope.
Worldwide poverty, hunger, disease, and human potential to generate terror and destruction create a longing for something better.
Historically people have looked to the future with a mixture of longing and fear.
But Christians are looking for Jesus Christ to return; this is our only hope and glory.
Grace teaches us to expect and prepare for our blessed hope. That hope is not heaven or glory, but Jesus Himself, face to face, closer than ever.
Looking for indicates that Christians should live in active expectation of the return of Jesus. It should be precious for Christians to consider:
· He came the first time to save the soul of man; He will come a second time to resurrect the body.
· He came the first time to save the individual; He will come a second time to save society.
· He came the first time to a crucifixion; He will come a second time to a coronation.
· He came the first time to a tree; He will come a second time to a throne.
· He came the first time in humility; He will come a second time in glory.
· He came the first time and was judged by men; He will come a second time to judge all men.
· He came the first time and stood before Pilate; He will come a second time and Pilate will stand before Him.
Those who are not saved have no hope!
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
But when you become saved, you are given the greatest hope anyone can have!
Tonight, I want to tell you about this little word “hope” in the Bible:
A Saving Hope
A Saving Hope
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
We have not received all the benefits of our salvation.
We still look forward to our full and final deliverance from sin, suffering, sickness, sorrow, and death. If we presently had deliverance from these things, we wouldn’t be hoping for them now.
Our hope is in what God promised us. God never makes a promise He will not keep. That is our hope!
Our hope is not based upon wishful thinking, but upon the integrity of the clear promises of God. Our hope is in God’s guarantee of our salvation. We are saved by that hope in Him.
In 1 Timothy 1:1, I love the way Paul introduces himself:
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
Our hope is a saving hope, and it IS Jesus Christ!
A Sure Hope
A Sure Hope
19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ is a sure, secure, strong, steadfast, stable anchor that cannot be shaken, broken, softened, stolen, weakened, or loosened.
In the Old Testament, once a year, the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies beyond the veil to make atonement for the sins of God’s people. Blood from a sacrifice was sprinkled on the mercy seat of the ark of God to atone for the sins of the people.
Christ’s blood has done this for us in the presence of God.
His blood atones for the sins of those who put their faith in Him. His death and resurrection give us hope of eternal life, which in turn gives us a purpose for living.
It’s a SURE hope!
A Splendid Hope
A Splendid Hope
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
We are born again to a living hope because we have eternal life in a Savior who has conquered death Himself. The hope lives because it is set upon an inheritance incorruptible that can never fade away because it is reserved in heaven.
This is a significant contrast to any inheritance on this earth.
Spurgeon wrote, “It is also called a ‘living hope,’ because it is imperishable. Other hopes fade like withering flowers. The hopes of the rich, the boasts of the proud, all these will die out as a candle when it flickers in the socket. The hope of the greatest monarch has been crushed before our eyes; he set up the standard of victory too soon, and has seen it trailed in the mire. There is no unwaning hope beneath the changeful moon: the only imperishable hope is that which climbs above the stars, and fixes itself upon the throne of God and the person of Jesus Christ.”
It’s absolutely splendid!
A Sanctifying Hope
A Sanctifying Hope
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Knowing our eternal destiny, and living in this hope will sanctify our lives. When we know our end is to be more like Jesus, it makes us want to be more like Jesus right now.
Having the anticipation of being with Jesus, of the soon coming of Jesus Christ, can have a marvelous sanctifying effect in our lives. It makes us want to be ready, to be serving Him now, to be pleasing Him now.
The word sanctify is a term meaning to be made holy, or purified. It refers to being set apart for service by God!
This hope in Him: Ultimately, our hope is not in heaven or in our own glory in heaven. Our hope is in Him.
We must never set our hope on other things; not on a relationship, on success, on mutual fund, on your health, on your possessions, or simply just on our self. Our only real hope is in Him.
It’s a sanctifying hope!
A Soothing Hope
A Soothing Hope
13 But 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.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Heathen funerals during Paul’s time were terrifying sights.
The bereaved would refuse all comfort and cry their hearts out. Conversely, the catacombs under the city of Rome buried an estimated 3 million Christians during the Roman persecution. Inscriptions found there read: “In peace,” “In Sleep,” “Thou livest in God.”
There is hope for the Christian.
Paul told the church not to sorrow like the world that does not know God. Paul tells the church to be encouraged because those who are with Jesus will one day come again with Jesus. Those who have died in Christ will by no means miss out on the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible says, “Wherefore comfort one another.”
It not only means to comfort in the usual sense of the word, but also to instruct and to exhort one another and to talk about these things.
Hey, Jesus is going to take His own out of this world someday! What a glorious, wonderful comfort this is! The bodies of the dead will be lifted out. Then whoever is alive at that time will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord. In fact, we shall come back with Him to the earth to reign with Him at the time He sets up His Kingdom.
That, my friends, is a soothing hope!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Jesus is coming again. Are you ready to meet Him? Are you living daily like Jesus can come again? Would you commit your life daily to Jesus to live for Him and to look for Him? Christian, if Jesus came today would you be ready? Do others around you know that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior? If not, then we are not ready to meet Him.
Do you have hope tonight? If not, you need to come to this altar and you can receive the wonderful hope I’ve been preaching about!