The Hope of Christ Revisited
2/26/09I am posting this sermon that I wrote in hopes that it will help others look to God in the midst of these economic hardships. No man can have all of the answers, but I can point you to someone who does, and His name is Jesus Christ.
Maybe you've lost your Job, or just fearful of loosing it. Maybe you have lost your home or in danger of or fearful of loosing your home. Maybe this recession is putting a strain on your marriage and relationship with children and friends. Whatever condition this sermon finds you in, there is Hope, in Jesus Christ.
First Things First
What is Hope?
Rom 8:24-25 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?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Hope is waiting patiently with great expectation and anticipation, that which we believe by faith. In verse 25, paul is not speaking on present salvation but the anticipated one of eternity.
(For further clarification, see Verses 20-23)
We know that we are saved by faith in Christ Jesus, in His death and resurrection. Hope and faith go hand in hand.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
We can have hope because we have faith.
Let's move on to our next passages of scripture.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
Rom 8:31-32 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
No external force…. not person, devil or thing…can separate us from the love that the Lord has for you. God Loves you, and makes sure that you can remain in His love and care. The first thing you have to do is believe That Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, died for the sins of the world. He died for your sins and mine(v32). Repent of your sins, that is, be sorrowful for the sin that is in your life and turn form them, believe in Jesus Christ and make him Lord of your life and Savior of your eternal soul. God has a special calling and purpose for your life. He desires to be in a relationship with each and every one of us. But, God being "for us", is conditioned on us belonging to God. Do you belong to God right now? Perhaps you need to renew your relationship with Him? Don't wait. Make that re-commitment right now. Don't wait because tomorrow may be too late
Abiding In Him
The second
thing you have to do is abide in Him. Let the Lord make His home in
you, and you in Him. We need to continue in His ways.
John 15:4-6 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
The word used here for “Abide”, is the Greek word “Meno” which means to abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, to stand.
The inference here is not the coming into a relationship (salvation) with Christ, but a continuance, or to stay in and thrive in that relationship.
Did you notice the condition given in verse 6? The requirement is that you stay in that relationship. That you grow in it. The condition is “If” you continue not in Him you will be cast into the fire and burned…. like the condition for bearing much fruit, is to stay in Him. In other words all who do not stay or abide in Christ, are destined for hell.
His Glorious Assurances
But glory be to God, He has given us His assurance! We can keep our minds focused on the things of God, because He promises to neither leave us nor forsake us. We don’t have to worry about the things around us!! We can have hope because we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us! We can press on , knowing that we have a strong assurance on that hope that is set before us, which is an anchor for our soul (Heb 6:18-19).
Much like an anchor keeps a boat from drifting off,,,,when we have hope in Christ, ….He can keep us from drifting when the current of life seems to go against us.
In this time of economic turmoil and great recession, we can have hope, by putting our trust In God through Christ. Though we pray that this “stimulus package” will help those in need, we can know the true source of our provisions is God.
What if this bill that has been passed, does nothing for the poor, are we supposed to run around like chickens with their heads cut off? We do not have to, if we keep our hope and trust in our risen Lord Jesus Christ. We will all go through our own personal trials and tribulations, but God will keep us through them all, if we just trust in Him, and walk in His ways.
I know firsthand, that the challenges of life can bring a sense of hopelessness. But, the good news is that the bible offers us hope! If God be for us, who can be against us??? That is to say, if God is on our side, what does it matter who isn’t?? That is what it says in the word of God!
If when we were yet in our sin, God sent His son to die for us, how much more will we receive those things that are relevant to our walk in Him. He will meet every spiritual need. He will meet our material needs, just abide in Him. Our hope…rests on His assurances to us, and our abiding in Him. If you’re are in a sinful lifestyle, and in a backslidden state, your hope rests firstly, …. on your coming back to Him, in renewing your walk in Him, then will He restore you. Can you still be blessed in a sinful lifestyle? Sure, God says He makes the sun to rise on the just and the unjust. His word says that it is the goodness of God that leads you to repentance. But, here is the thing, God does not obligate Himself to the sinner, or to someone living with unconfused sin in their hearts and lives. By not repenting of your sin, you are living a life of despair, because their ins no assurance that God will bring you through.
Do Not Despair
If you know Christ, have made Him lord over your life, and continue in His ways, then you need not despair because God is on your side!
You see, Despair is man centered. Despair is centered on our looking at our circumstances. Believe me, I know! I have been there more times than I can count. But God was always there to lift me up.
When we are in despair, it is only in recognizing our own helplessness and incapability. But for believers, it is that same feeling of incapability in our situations that turn us to God, because it is our weaknesses that He shows Himself strong!
But Hope is God centered! It focuses on what God can do. We may be limited in our resources, but God is not! God is not limited to, or by our resources. God not only saves us from the pit of hell, but also from the pit of despair! There is a better day coming, and on that, because of God, we can rest our hope. Hope conquers despair and discouragement because it is rooted in an eternal Savior who will never fail you! He empowers us!
I have never read President Obama’s book, The Audacity of Hope, but I can tell you assuredly , That hope that is placed in anything less than Christ, cannot and will not last. Christ the only sure foundation. He is the only rock on which we should stand. Everything else is sinking sand!
While the devil tries to keep us in despair, the hope of God, will keep us focused on the ever present deliverance! Hope will see God’s purpose in you and for you.
“ And we know that ALL things work together for good….to them that love God…to them that are called according to His purpose.”
So the question is, “Do you love God” today? Do you know that He has called you, not according to our own purposes or man’s purpose…but according to HIS purpose for you. We can have that assurance that whoever God calls for His purpose, He empowers them for that purpose! Man's hope is some-timey and flighty, but God’s hope is eternal! We can have so much more than a temporal hope! That is what our purposes avail us, a temporary hope. But The Lord desires to put His hope deep inside each and every one of our hearts, because He loves you, and we know that nothing can separate us from His love. I don’t know what condition you are in today. Maybe you are out of a job. Maybe your house is in foreclosure, the list could go on and on. What I do know, that if you abide in Him, he will be your source. The word says in Roman’s 8:37, that we are more than conquerors through Him that Loved us…There goes that "L" word again. He loves us! The word says that if you love Him, you will keep His ways…. and because He loves us, He will keep us!
Lastly, But Not Least
1Co 16:13-14 Watch! Stand firm in the faith! …Be strong! 14 Let all your things be in love.
We can watch, because we know the time we are living in, and His glorious return can‘t be far off now!!
We can stand
firm, because we know from whom our help comes! We can be strong,
because of the hope we have in Christ Jesus. The hope that He can
revive us. The Hope that He can renew us! The hope that he can
strengthen us! The hope that He can keep us!
You see, when you hope in
Christ, It’s a done deal! Signed, Sealed and Delivered!! Signed, by His
nail scarred hands!! Sealed By His blood that was shed on Calvary!
Delivered, by His precious Holy Ghost!
We have a
true and sure foundation in Christ! A foundation that cannot be
shaken!! We have a hope that Is Christ Jesus!
You know, that when
someone is hanging out with hope, peace ain’t far behind!! You see,
when you have hope, you got peace!! The peace of God!! A peace that the
worldly person cannot understand! The word says that this peace will
keep your hearts!!
Php 4:7 and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
It will keep your hearts and minds!! In other words, your hearts
and minds will be guarded. It will be protected! Protected against
worry! Protected against fear! Protected against the attacks of Satan!
The World just don’t understand this hope and peace that we have! A
peace that the world didn’t give, and you know sure enough, that the
world can’t take it away!!
