CHRISTIAN HOPE

SERMON STARTER

          Our present world is deficient in hope. Many feel hopeless, especially about jobs and employment in our region. People are concerned about food shortages and availability. A young single mother of four dropped in on us Saturday morning just before our annual egg hunt. There was a look on anxiety and desperation on her face. Her voice trembled as she related a familiar story about how her food stamps hadn’t arrived yet, but her children had no available food.

          Naturally, we packed her a generous order and told her to not have her children doing without. I asked her to call again if her food stamps had still not arrived when this food ran out. The promised political economic changes haven’t reached our area yet and probably won’t.  No wonder our people feel pretty hopeless.

          At Easter, when Christians worldwide worship at the same time celebrating Christ’s incredible promise of resurrection, there is for me a lump in the throat and the rising of hope from deep within. No other religion founder has risen from the dead to say, “Because I live, you shall live also!”  Jesus stands unique in all the ages as messiah and deliverer.

          No matter what the Christian denomination or sect, all agree that there has to be life beyond the grave. Countless millions of devout Christian believers have gone to their rest believing that there is a God and He has prepared a heaven for them. For we who love and trust Christ, faith alone isn’t enough; there is this deep longing that says, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Our Hope is in You!”

          Let this hope be in you that Jesus’ promises are real and we will see our loved ones again. This is our earnest hope and deep expectation. This sermon explores resurrection and Hope.

 

Pastor Phil  <><<

         

Sheepfold Ministries, April 12, 2009

Resurrection Sunday, Pastor Phil Roland

CHRISTIAN HOPE

Romans 5:1-5

Hope is probably one of the most precious elements pf character that enables us to persevere even in the most difficult circumstances of life. Our HOPE is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is risen!”  Pastor Phil  <><<

 

“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31   NIV

 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” 1 Peter 1:3

 

Hebrew Word: “QUA-VAH” = Wait, Hope, Ernest Expectation

                        To Bind Together by twisting several materials together

                        Taking one or more strands of material and binding them                          together with stronger material to make a rope.

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE!

 

There are FOUR FRUITS of CHRISTIAN HOPE:

I.   CHRISTIAN HOPE BEARS THE TRUE FRUIT OF JOY

       A. The fruit of the Holy Spirit – Galatians 5:22,23

            “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,

              goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no

              law.

      B. Joy is the Second Evidence of Jesus in your life

            1. What about Sorrow and Loss?

            2. How can you feel the Fruit of Joy in times of great sadness?

      C. Laughter through Tears

            1. Sweet memories / Sad memories

            2.  “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” Neh. 8:10

       D. Beneath our Grief is an exulting, pulsing Hope

            1. The mortician may be through with us

            2. Our family and friends may be through with us

            3. The Lord our God will NOT BE through with us

            4. Scripture says, “I will remember. . .” dozens of times

            5. God remembers sparrows and hair - Matthew 10:29-31

               "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls

                 to the ground apart from your Father's will. "But the very hairs of your

                 head are all numbered. "Do not fear therefore; you are of more value

                 than many sparrows.”

                a. Camp Chorus:  “Do Lord”

                   ”Do Lord, Oh do Lord, Oh do remember me. . .”

                b. You are NEVER insignificant or forgotten by God

II.   CHRISTIAN HOPE PRODUCES SACRIFICIAL LOVE

      A. Relinquish our narcissism, selfishness and self preservation

            1. Mankind born inherently self-centered

            2. If we find Christ and grow, we “put away childish things.”

      B. Koine Greek word is AGAPE

            1. Comes only from God

            2. Shared by an act of the human will

      C. Loving without expectation of Return – John 15:13

       ”Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.”

             1. Jesus showed us how to do it – Romans 5:7,8

                “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good

                  man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own

                  love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

             2. Touching examples of this kind of fruit of the Holy Spirit

   III.  CHRISTIAN HOPE YIELDS BOLDNESS – Acts 1:8

         "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and

            you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,

            and to the end of the earth.

       A. Wasted years of emotional energy on political solutions

            1. John Birch Society - Christian Anti-Communism

            2. Jerry Fallwell’s Moral Majority

            3. These things drain off valuable spiritual Kingdom energy

            4. There are no manmade political solutions to the world’s messes

       B. Only Jesus heals the broken hearted

       C. Only Jesus will set in order the world’s chaos

       D. Peter and John’s Holy boldness - Acts 4:29-31

             "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all

              boldness they may speak Your word, "by stretching out Your hand to

              heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your

              holy Servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place where they

              were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the

              Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”

 

IV.  CHRISTIAN HOPE BEARS THE FRUIT OF ENDURANCE

        A. Fourth Fruit of the Character of Jesus in your life, Patience

              1. Longsuffering – KJV

              2. Enduring through suffering, loss, sorrow and grief

              3. Actual followers of Jesus will endure w/o losing their faith

          B. “The Blessed Hope,” Qua-vah, gets them through

          C. Tough Times, you say?

                1. Keep your eyes on Him – Hebrews 12:1,2

                   “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before

                     us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for

                     the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the

                     shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

                 2. As with Christ, we have the ultimate victory

CHRISTIAN HOPE, Text:

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;

4  and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

5  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.