Hope is Here.

A BOY was at the supermarket with his mother, and he asked his mother for

some chocolate chip cookies. “Mommy, get me some chocolate chip cookies.”

Mother said, “No, we are in a hurry. I don’t have any extra money. No

chocolate chip cookies today.”

As they continued shopping, the little boy said, “But, Mama, I want some

chocolate chip cookies.”

“No, no chocolate chip cookies today.”

“Mama, please, why won’t you get me chocolate chip cookies?”

She said, “Boy, you are getting on my nerves. I told you we are not getting

chocolate chip cookies today.” She continued to shop.

“Mama, I am begging you for chocolate chip cookies.”

“You are about to get in trouble, son! I told you you’re not getting chocolate

chip cookies today. If you ask me again, I’m going to have to punish you.”

She got in the checkout line. While waiting, the little boy stood up in the cart, clasped his hands, looked up to heaven, and said, “Jesus, my mama won’t give me any chocolate chip cookies, but You told me to pray to You about anything. I

am asking You to make a way for me to get some chocolate chip cookies,

because my mama is not giving me any chocolate chip cookies.”

People in the line started saying, “Why won’t she give that boy some chocolate chip cookies?”

The little boy kept on praying, “Oh, please, Jesus, give me some chocolate

chip cookies.” His mother got so embarrassed, she went and got two packs of chocolate chip cookies. She came back, put them in the cart, and he said, “Thank You, Jesus.”

Many Christians today are in the checkout line. They are ready to check out on God, check out on the church, or check out on their faith. We must not forget to stop, look up, and call on Jesus.

We must tell Him that we are depending on Him and relying on Him to come through. Don’t check out just yet. Don’t lose HOPE Wait to see what God does for you in the checkout line.

I am trying to get in a shape other than round, and I know that it is going to take a lot of work -but things worth while often do—

this week, I worked out for two hours, i got in 3 miles on the treadmill, some core strengthening, then it came to the aerobics - I AM NOT MADE FOR SQUATS! This lady on the screen kept says “only one more, only one more” MY HOPE WAS THAT SHE WOULD TELL THE TRUTH AT SOME POINT AND I WOULD BE FINISHED - MY LEGS ARE STILL FEELING IT! I THOUGHT IT WOULD NEVER END.

MANY THINK THAT HOPE IS JUST WISHING FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU WILL NEVER RECEIVE. THAT’S BECAUSE WE ARE BASING OUR THINKING ON HUMAN STANDARDS NOT GOD’S PROMISES.

Today our theme is HOPE.

I know that we are sitting here in a comfortable building, or at home watching in a comfortable home - I know that we live in a world where if your household income is $35,000 per year that you are in the top 85% of the worlds income bracket, I know that in the U.S. - there are doctors offices on nearly every street but illness is all over the place. I know that there is family pain, I know that there is physical pain, I know that there is emotional pain - and what we need in this time - I believe - more than even is - HOPE -

NOT GENERIC HOPE - but hope founded and Grounded in Christ.

Listen closely over the next few minutes and I am going to tell you about a man - Nicodemus - that had a face to face conversation with Christ Jesus, and had the offer of HOPE - but somethings got in the way of his understanding.

John 3:1–21 CSB

1 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus. 10 “Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “Truly I tell you, we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

NICODEMUS

JESUS

NICODEMUS

JESUS

“…how can this be?” -Nicodemus

JESUS RESPONDS

HOPE HANGS IN THE BALANCE

hope is hanging in the balance for Nicodemus - He is caught between everything he knows and has grown accustom too, and the truth of Christ.

John 8:32 CSB

32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Here’s the thing with this passage. Truth can only set you free once you stop believing the lies that are holding you captive. You may feel that you have no hope, no future, nothing is going right for you - let me tell you - these are lies that the enemy of our lives want each of us to believe - but Jesus wants to set you free with the TRUTH. HE IS THE TRUTH.

GOD WANTS NOTHING MORE THAN TO FILL YOUR LIFE WITH HOPE!!

Romans 15:13 (CSB)

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

GOD WANTS YOU TO OVERFLOW WITH HOPE.

HOW DO WE GAIN SUCH HOPE?

1 Peter 1:3 (CSB)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

JESUS IS OUR ONLY LIVING HOPE.

we do not need to be like NICODEMUS - we need not let HOPE hang in the balance.

Admit our need for Hope in Christ Jesus.

Call on Him for Hope in all situations.

Romans 10:13 CSB

13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

He will take us from hopeless to hope-filled.

ALLOW JESUS TO HAVE THE FINAL WORD.

Jesus is the alphabet of our life. His word is final. no matter what we think - no matter what we hear - we gain our greatest hope in life when we allow HIS WORD to be the final word on all subjects. He is the ALPHA and OMEGA - the first and last. Beginning and END - therefore if it is hope that we need, and hope that we want - HE MUST HAVE THE FINAL SAY.

HOPE HEALS.

Matthew 11:2–6 CSB

2 Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a message through his disciples 3 and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4 Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news, 6 and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.”

Stop looking other places.

hope has come - His name is Jesus.

Healing is happening in this place today.

spiritual blindness - open eyes

``. healing from all kinds of things.

HOPE IS HERE AND HIS NAME IS JESUS.