CLJ E 160814

12 in verse 12 nakul 12 12 we're just

going to read the first part of this

verse and before we read it I just want

to share a story about a young woman

that I knew a college student 20-25

years ago who was struggling with some

pretty serious issues of depression and

discouragement is anyone you don't have

to raise your hand but has anyone ever

struggled with discouragement before

well you start wondering if things are

gonna get better you start wondering

what's going on God well this person

struggled with depression and

discouragement but she was a woman of

god and she decided over the summer she

was gonna have her prayer time every

single day she was going to read the

Bible and she was going to pray and she

sought God every day every day every day

set aside time prayed meditated on the

word until she hit Romans 12 12 and she

hit these three words that changed her

life Romans 12 verse 12 says rejoice in

hope are the way the NIV has it be

joyful in hope that's our verse for

today god I thank you for your word Lord

God I thank you that those simple words

be joyful in Hope can change our lives

completely when we understand them and

Holy Spirit I pray that you is the Good

Shepherd would speak to your people

today because we are listening and I

thank you that your word has divine

power to demolish strongholds of

discouragement so we receive God your

message today to rejoice in hope speak

to us make it real to us lord I pray in

Jesus name Amen when she hit those words

she realizes she had found the cure for

discouragement and in one word the word

is hope hope that's what I want to talk

about today yesterday I was praying

about about this sermon in this text

especially in light of some of the sad

events of the week and there's

others that have happened this week and

yesterday a person who came to the

breakfast downstairs we host a breakfast

for people from the community every

Saturday and a woman came in who was

smiling with a glow that was just it was

great she was overflowing right and she

had a button on that said I am loved and

I asked her her name and she said hope

and I was like a man I feel the

anointing and I knew that this is the

message for us if you could skip ahead

with me to Romans chapter 15 verse 13

says may the god of Hope romans 15 13

may the god of Hope fill you with all

joy and peace as you trust in him so

that you may overflow with hope by the

power of the Holy Spirit isn't that an

awesome verse this verse is kind of a

crescendo of the book of Romans usually

when i think of the letter at Paul's

letter to the Romans I think of a

theological explanation of the gospel I

think of big theological words which are

very important we need to understand

them but a keyword the book of Romans I

discovered when I did my homework for

this is the word hope from beginning to

end it's the topic that the Apostle Paul

says that is the answer it is the power

of the gospel for the salvation of all

who believes may the god of Hope fill

you with all joy and peace as you trust

in him so that you may overflow with

hope by the power of the Holy Spirit

anyone here overflowing some of you are

some of you overflow with hope and I can

see it sometimes the cup starts running

a little low and we need to come back to

the god of hope to fill us up again

because we don't feel like we're

overflowing but that can be our normal

our new normal so I'd like to read a

couple other verses from the book of

Romans as we talk about this if you

could go back with me to Romans chapter

4 we're going to look we're going to

focus on the topic of hope in

in the book of Romans and you see

instant when you think of the symbol of

the Christian faith what defines us as

Christians what's the symbol that we use

as Christians nowadays usually you know

you might put it around your neck what's

the symbol across right because Jesus

died on the cross for our sins amen you

know what the symbol of the Christian

faith one of the biggies for early

Christians was it wasn't a cross because

they saw too many real crosses with

people dying on them and they're like

that's not very comforting or the a so

you know what their symbol was and a

fish was one of them and another one was

an anchor an anchor because the Bible

says that hope is an anchor for our

souls and they've done archaeologists

have done studies in the catacombs in in

Rome where Christians were hiding from

the authorities because the authorities

wanted to kill them for being Christians

and they're hiding in the catacombs are

basically underground tunnels sometimes

doors and they looked at some of the

artwork we call it ancient graffiti but

it was okay it was an underground

catacomb and there you see the pictures

that they did there and there were

pictures of anchors anchors anchors

because the early Christians knew it

doesn't matter what this world can do

against me I am anchored in hope that

was the symbol of the Christian faith

believing in hope is what we have to do

to be a Christian in the first place

don't we Romans chapter 4 and we'll

start in verse 16 the Apostle Paul has

been talking about the need to have

faith and he's talking about Abraham a

man whom in the Old Testament God had

promised would have descendants that

would become a great nation and out of

that nation become a particular

descendant who would be a great king who

would save the world God promised

Abraham kids but there was a little

problem Abraham was a hundred years old

and so was his wife and another problem

even when they were 30 they couldn't

have kids little problem and we see

about faith and hope in his story verse

16 Romans 4 verse 16 says therefore the

promise comes by faith so that it may be

by grace

and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's

offspring not only those were of the law

but also those who have the faith of

Abraham he is the father of us all as it

is written I have made you a father of

many nations he is our Father in the

sight of God in whom he believed and the

God who gives life to the dead and calls

into being things that are not verse 18

against all hope Abraham inho believed

and so became the father of many nations

just as it had been said to him so shall

your offspring be without weakening in

his faith he faced the fact that his

body was as good as dead and since he

was about a hundred years old and that

Sarah's womb was also dead yet he did

not waver through unbelief regarding the

promise of God but was strengthened in

his faith and gave glory to God being

fully persuaded that God had power to do

what he had promised abraham believed in

hope against all hope Abraham in hope

believed and so became the father of

many nations he believed that our God is

so powerful that he can even bring life

from death isn't that what saves us

still that our God has the power to

raise a man who died and was in the tomb

for three days the what God who who

gives life to the dead and calls things

that are not as though they were

Abraham's example shows us how faith and

hope go together if we want to be real

Christians we need to learn not just to

believe but to believe in hope okay now

I want to talk a little bit about hope

because there's misunderstandings of

hope I think hope is not wishful

thinking anyone ever thought you know

well I hope how's it going to go well I

don't know if I'm going to I don't know

if I'm going to win the game or not I

hope so I'm not sure maybe maybe not

that is not Christian Hope Christian

hope is a is called a sure hope another

thing hope is not is not blind optimism

hope doesn't mean that we are going

through hard

and we say oh well whatever it's all for

the best no big deal blind optimism no

no that's not Christian hope it is also

possible to have misplaced hope where we

hope for good hope is a positive

expectation for my future hope means I

believe good things will happen now that

is not always true is it it's possible

to have misplaced hope in the Bible it

says that no king is saved by the size

of his army no warrior escapes by his

great strength a horse is a vain hope

for deliverance despite all its great

strength it cannot save but the eyes of

the Lord are on those who fear Him on

those who hope in his unfailing love it

is possible to hope in the wrong things

it is possible to hope in governments to

hope in political leaders to hope in

armies for our future and especially

during an election year Christians need

to know yes we need to be engaged in

society because as Christians we need to

have a voice we need to think we need to

talk about issues but at the same time I

know where my hope lies and there is no

candidate there is no government there

is no even a constitution as much as I

love my country and I love my

Constitution I really do but my hope is

in another Kingdom and in another

Constitution and I'm a citizen of that

Kingdom that's not misplace our hope

it's also possible to put your hopes in

people and I never done that before and

have it not turn out so good the book of

Proverbs 11-7 says hopes placed in

mortals died with them all the promise

of their power comes to nothing people

will fail you because people are people

people are imperfect people are mortal

it's important for Christians to know

that too we can't put all our hope in

certain leaders or certain teachers as

much as we do I hope you can trust your

spiritual leaders but it's not about

putting your hope

they're your hope is in the king of

kings and the Lord of lords the shepherd

of shepherds right because people are

going to blow it people are going to

make mistakes but my hope is based on

nothing less than Jesus Christ and His

righteousness God is the one who is

reliable what else do people hoping to

find peace and optimism for their future

what else how about people's bank

account money now the Bible says

commandos were rich in this present

world not to be arrogant own or to put

their hope in wealth which is so

uncertain but to put their hope in god

who richly provides us with everything

for our enjoyment but we take nothing

into this world the Bible says and we

can take nothing out of it hope in money

is something that is a vain hope vain

means empty it's not something that's

reliable something else sometimes we can

put our hopes in false promises you ever

done that with a person a person who

promised there's one thing and does

another well there are some preachers

and teachers who give false teaching and

produce false hope in people we need to

be careful about that we could have

false hope based on false teaching The

Book of Jeremiah says this is what the

Lord Almighty says do not listen to what

the prophets are prophesying to you they

fill you with false hopes it's Jeremiah

2316 they speak visions from their own

minds not from the mouth of the Lord

they keep saying to those who despise me

the Lord says you will have peace and to

all who follow the stubbornness of their

hearts they say no harm will come to you

they might be preaching but they're

lying we don't want to have false hopes

based on someone who says it doesn't

matter what God says that's why we try

to stay so true to the Bible as much as

we possibly can because it's not about

what people think or what society

believes but it's about what Scripture

teaches and we don't want to have false

hopes we want to have a hope that is

solid and it is based on something that

is real

liable have you ever thought about we

talk about the I thought of the image of

a check when someone writes you a check

and gives you a check that is that money

or not right it's not really money but

it represents money and that's why you

get the paycheck right how about if i

wrote you a check for a million dollars

right now and give it to you right you

would say thank you very much but it's

not worth the paper it's written on

because you don't have enough money in

the bank to cover it right so you're not

going to put your hope in that check

because there's not money behind it to

make it come true right well God doesn't

bounce checks when God makes the promise

he has got the the funds in the bank to

pay for it and that is why we need to

have hope as Christians I'm not asking

us to just be optimistic and just think

positively I'm asking us to believe in

hope to put our faith in a God who is so

reliable that I know he'll come through

for me and so I can be optimistic no

matter what the circumstances believe in

hope the Bible says yet Abraham did not

waver in verse 20 of chapter 4 of Romans

he didn't waive her through unbelief

regarding the promise of God but he was

strengthened in his faith and gave glory

to God being fully persuaded that God

had power to do what he had promised he

knew that God wouldn't write him a bad

check and God won't write you a bad

check either your God is faithful the

Bible says it is impossible for God to

lie when he says never will I leave you

never will I forsake you he means it and

you can take it to the bank do we

believe in God I have the privilege as a

pastor to know people who go through all

kinds of circumstances and I have seen

people who just won't let go of their

faith and no matter what they're hopeful

not just because they're optimistic

people but because they know who God is

because God has never let them down

before

and they know God is the same yesterday

today and forever he won't let you down

today and he won't let me down tomorrow

I can be hopeful now we need to hold on

to that that's a decision we need to

make by faith to have that solid hope

and I would like if you would open with

me to or turn with me to the book of

Hebrews chapter 6 Hebrews chapter 6 a

beautiful text on hope also talking

about Abraham who was hopeful even

though it seemed impossible for God to

fulfill the promise he had made Abraham

didn't let go of hope he held on Hebrews

chapter 6 in verse 13 Hebrews 6 verse 13

when God made his promise to Abraham

since there was no one greater for him

to swear by he swore by himself isn't

that cool you ever been in court and you

say I swear to tell the truth the whole

truth doesn't matter maybe you've had to

do that you'd rather not remember you're

the states with it and then you say so

help me God right you're swearing by God

when someone is sworn in they put their

hand on the Bible they're swearing by

something greater than self so God is

taking an oath but he's like wait a min

I can't find anything greater than me so

he's like I swear by me to tell it

because God you can't find anyone

greater so he swears by himself when he

talks to Abraham and he says saying

verse 14 of Hebrews 6 I will surely

bless you and give you many descendants

in the Hebrew there's a beautiful idiom

that's blessing I will bless you that's

the way God said to Abraham in other

words i'm going to bless you upon bless

you upon bless you and I will make you

the father of many descendants you can

count on it I'm swearing by myself God

said to Abraham and after waiting

patiently because we can talk about this

later hope and waiting go together and

when here enjoy waiting right well hope

makes it a little bit easier we'll talk

about that after waiting patiently verse

15 Abraham received what was promised

verse 16 people swear by someone greater

than themselves and the oath confirms

what is said and puts an end to all

argument because God wanted to make the

changing nature of his purpose very

clear to the heirs of what was promised

he confirmed it with an oath God did

this so that by two unchangeable things

in which it is impossible for God to lie

we who have fled to take hold of the

hopes that before us may be greatly

encouraged we have this hope as an

anchor for the sole firm and secure it

enters the inner sanctuary behind the

curtain where our 4runner Jesus has

entered in our behalf he has become a

high priest forever in the order of

Melchizedek God makes promises and God

keeps those promises but we need to hold

on to hope in those promises and we

can't let go the image used look at this

with me if you would it says we who have

fled in verse 18 we who have fled to

take hold of this hope set before us may

be greatly encouraged that is using an

image from the Old Testament remember we

used to talk about the tabernacle a lot

and we had the pictures of the

tabernacle there was an altar in the

outer court a big bronze altar about

this high and it was a big one that was

sacrifice they would do the majority of

the sacrifices there and there were four

horns on the four corners of the altar

now if you were a fugitive and you had

to escape for your life and you were in

danger of being executed for something

you done sometimes they would run into

that area which shows by the way that

people had access to that people would

come into the outer court and they would

see the glory over the most holy place

but they would run into the the outer

court and they would grab the horn horns

of the altar and they would hold on for

dear life hoping that maybe they

wouldn't be executed in in the

tabernacle right there thinking well

maybe they won't kill me here so I'll

run away I will flee to take hold of the

horns of the altar and that happened

there's two accounts of that in the Old

Testament we're fugitives did that and

then if they're still sentenced to be

executed they're not executed right

there that police come in

and would grab them and try to drag them

away from the altar and the person would

hold on for dear life you ever tried to

drag somebody who's like grabbing on to

something like and and you're good to

argument there holy god you're dragging

them and then they're grabbing on to

other things you know maybe you had a

little brother little sister somebody

that you're trying to do that you tried

to drag them away from something in

there holding on right or a dog you ever

tried to get something out of a dog's

mouth and they don't want to listen to

you because they don't you know take our

commands and you're trying to grab it

and the more you grab it they're like

this is a game I like this I gotta grab

tighter and you're pulling and you're

doing a tug-of-war well that's what

would happen because people knew its

life or death I gotta hold on to this

altar and they would grab those horns

the Bible says that's the way we need to

hold on to hope we need to hold on to

hope for dear life and then it uses the

illustration of an anchor for the soul

what does an anchor do there's gonna

there's the boat there right and in the

storm and the wind's coming in the boat

could just blow out to see if it's not

anchored there will be storms there will

be wins if we're not anchored we're

going to float away we need to hold on

to hope for dear life I think of

mountain climbers who use those

grappling hooks right of course i'd

never been mountain climbing i'm not

planning on doing so in the near future

but i've seen in movies that they throw

grappling hooks right and you get it in

there and you jam it in and then you

hold on to that and you climb up in a

harness anyone do that here I don't

maybe there's some people who do you

hold on for dear life that's the way we

need to hold on to hope believe in hope

not just because you're believing in in

a fantasy but you're believing in a God

who has proven to be faithful you can

trust him his promises are true he won't

let you go he will stay with you to the

end for I know the plans I have with you

for you says the Lord plans to prosper

you and not to harm you plans to give

you a hope and a future our God is

reliable when we start believing in hope

then we can transition to the next part

of hope

that I want to talk about today stay in

Romans if you could go back to Romans

you skipped ahead to Hebrews if you

could go back to the book of Romans

chapter five Romans chapter five we're

going to see what happens next as we

hold on to hope then we stop just

holding on for dear life and we start

getting some confidence flowing through

our veins Romans chapter five starting

in verse 30 no starting in will start in

verse 1 therefore since we've been

justified through faith we have peace

with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

through whom we've gained access by

faith into this grace in which we now

stand and we boast in the hope of the

glory of God boast in hope verse 3 not

only so but we also glory it's the same

word we also boast in our sufferings

because we know that suffering produces

perseverance perseverance character and

character hope and hope does not put us

to shame because God's love has been

poured into our hearts through the Holy

Spirit who's been given to us boast in

hope I got a question for you is

boasting good isn't boasting normally

kind of bad don't you think usually

boasting is bad in fact there's some

translations that want to change this to

be rejoicing even though it's not the

word for rejoicing its boasting in fact

this same word was used the Apostle Paul

was criticizing the Corinthian saying

you guys are boasting about how smart

you are about how spiritually you are

stop boasting and be humble but then the

Apostle Paul uses the same word

sometimes saying but you know what i

boast about you sometimes because i love

to brag about you to other people you

ever brag about people you say oh boy

people are much i brag about you i mean

in a good way not you know it's like I

got amazing people in my church people

who love God and I don't know what some

people what they've been through in the

faith they have in vacanza and I show

off about this i brag about it the

Apostle Paul says in heaven there's

going to be boasting

in the people that we love and that

Jesus has saved me say just look at him

aren't they amazing what God's done and

that's good boasting that's not bad

boasting we can also boast in hope even

when we're going through sufferings I

want us to think about this a little bit

when you're boasting you've got just a

little bit of attitude don't you you

like you know we got this I got this

boasting in hope isn't boasting that I

am so optimistic I'm boasting that my

god is so big that I just know it's

gonna work out I'm boasting about how

great my god is I'm boasting that even

though I am as good as dead right now my

god gives life to the dead and calls

things that are not as though they were

I can boast about that i can start being

a little hopeful attitude confidence

courage let not the wise man boast of

his wisdom the bible says or the strong

man boast of his strength but let the

one who boasts boast about this that he

understands and knows me says the Lord

who exercises righteousness goodness and

compassion on earth I know the king of

kings and because of that I don't care

what anyone else tells me we got a

little bit of attitude going on but

that's good attitude that's an attitude

that says you're not going to tell me

otherwise right the Apostle Paul had

this attitude when he was brought to

trial and he would come to trial and

they would say Paul or they call him

Saul still saw why are you preaching

this you know wrong teaching about Jesus

and he said you know what I've got

nothing to apologize for i am standing

here on trial because of my hope in the

resurrection my hope for israel that you

said you love he says i'm not afraid

that's why he wrote to the Corinthians

saying because we have such a hope we

are very bold hopeful people are people

who have faith and hopeful people are

confident people resilient people

sometimes even I would dare say a bit

cocky because they know if God is for me

who can be against me and there is a

boasting that comes in that is a good

thing the Apostle Peter says that we

should

always be prepared to give an answer for

the hope that we have people saying why

are you so optimistic you know it's

because of my god and I'm not afraid to

say it he's proven to be reliable in my

life and I've learned to trust him and

that's why I'm hopeful about the future

now it doesn't mean we pretend

everything is going well when it's not

okay sometimes we think faith means i

have to lie about how bad i might feel

at the moment that's not biblical the

Apostle Paul says we are hard pressed on

every side but not crushed perplexed but

not in despair persecuted but not

abandoned struck down but not destroyed

he said we do not lose heart though

outwardly we are wasting away yet

inwardly we are being renewed day by day

for our light and momentary troubles are

achieving for us an eternal glory that

far outweighs them all so we fix our

eyes not on what is seen but what is

unseen because what is seen is temporary

but what is unseen is eternal and I'm

going to boast about it I'm going to

take it to the bank and I'm going to be

unbeatable unstoppable unbreakable even

when not down I can get up again because

my god is with me I love that some of us

are a little too polite it's time to

start boasting boasting in hope because

your God is not going to let you down

now sometimes though hope involves

wading through the hard painful

situations and there's something else

that we do sometimes as we hope as we

wait and it's not a pleasant word but

it's a word that goes together with hope

if you go ahead with me to Romans

chapter 8 22 there's another side to

this Romans 8 verse 22 it says we know

that the whole but wait i'm going to

start up again in verse 18 there's hope

i consider that our present sufferings

are not even worth comparing with the

glory that will be revealed in all of us

that's boasting in hope for the creation

we

because hope means I was waiting the

creation waits in eager expectation for

the children of God to be revealed for

the creation was subjected to

frustration the world is frustrated

right now the world is not the way it's

supposed to be okay there are bad things

that happen that shouldn't have happened

the creation is subjected to frustration

not by its own choice but by the will of

the one who subjected it in hope that

the creation itself will be liberated

from its bondage to decay and brought

into the freedom of the chill glory of

the children of God hope that one day

this world will be liberated from its

misery and it's groaning and we brought

into the glorious freedom of the

children of God but for now look at this

it says in verse 22 we know that the

whole creation has been groaning

groaning in hope groaning as in the

pains of childbirth right up to the

present time not only so but we

ourselves who have the firstfruits of

the Spirit groan inwardly as we wait

eagerly for our adoption to sonship the

redemption of our bodies for in this

hope we were saved but hope that is seen

is no hope at all who hopes for what

they already have but if we hope for

what we do not yet have we wait for it

patiently hope often and sometimes

involves groaning but it's okay because

it's part of the waiting the comparison

here is childbirth anyone ever groaned

in Java River screamed anyone ever you

know express themselves because it hurts

as you're waiting but what motivates

women over the millennia to go through

that groaning the hope of the new life

on the other side if we are going to

learn to hope we're going to have to

learn sometimes too grown in the pain

we're going through but it's hopeful

groaning because we know on the other

side there's freedom and there's life

and I'm going to get through

this and there will be new life on the

other side groaning here but hope on the

other side hope gets us through the word

for hope in Spanish is the same word for

waiting you know that los que hablan

español esperar hope and wait it's the

same thing in Spanish there's a reason

for that because if you're hoping for

something you don't have it yet you're

waiting for it and sometimes that is a

painful waiting even youth grow tired

and weary and young men stumble and fall

but those who hope in the Lord they will

have renew strength they will soar on

wings like eagles run and not grow weary

walk and not be faint as I was doing my

word study on the word hope in the Bible

the word hope is used an awful lot in

the book of Job anyone know the story of

the book of job where everything went

wrong where he suffered in so many

different ways he lost everything he was

physically sick there's a lot of

groaning in the book of Job and he

struggles with hope he's like I feel

like I'm looking for hope and I just

can't find it until finally he comes to

the point where he says you know I know

that my redeemer lives and I know that

in the end he will stand on the earth

and after my skin has been destroyed yet

in my flesh I will see God even if I

don't get through this I still have hope

because as Christians we believe that

there's more than this life even in

death Christian's can be hopeful where O

death is your is your staying where is

your is your pain we are more than

conquerors through the one who loves us

we believe in something called the

resurrection that Jesus rose from the

dead and we also will rise again and

have a new life the Apostle Paul said if

only for this life I have hope in Jesus

I should be pitied above all people

because I am one dumb guy because

Christians if you're going to be a

Christian it's going to involve some

suffering in this life

and you know this is a problem because

sometimes we encourage people come to

Jesus and you'll be happy right in this

life which is true in this life you come

to Jesus there are some problems that

will go away that you can conquer

there's happiness in this life there's

all kinds of beautiful things but

there's more than that sometimes when

God calls us and we follow him it

involves suffering and sacrifice the

Apostle Paul says if I fought while

beasts in Ephesus with no more than

human hopes what have I gained if the

dead are not raised let us eat drink and

be merry for tomorrow we die what's that

phrase Yolo Yolo you only live once so

just live it up now cuz this is it see

Christians have hope that there's more

than this life so it's worth it to push

through because I know on the other side

there's glory Christ in you the hope of

glory it enables us even to grown

through pain in childbirth knowing that

that baby will be born my new self will

be born on the other side Jesus will hug

me there and Jesus himself did this as a

human being the Bible says that when he

was in the Garden of Eden in the Garden

of Eden huh I think he was there trying

to help Adam and Eve not do what they

did but anyway when Jesus within the

Garden of Gethsemane before the cross

and he was saying father if there is any

way for this cup to pass for me please

let it be but this is not what I will

but your will be done in the Bible says

for the joy set before him Jesus endured

the cross scorning its shame and then

sat down at the right hand of God I

believe that Jesus saw the glory that

would come after he saw that he would

live again and he saw that a lot of his

spiritual brothers and sisters would

live again because of him I think he saw

you and me and said it's worth it for

the joy that is set before me I'll

endure this for a little while because

then I'll sit down at the right hand of

God that's hope

we as Christians need to be willing to

know that there is a glorious future for

us and that we know that in all things

God works for the good of those who love

him and who have been called according

to his purposes you ever heard someone

say well it's all for the best it's all

for the best no not necessarily there's

some things that are bad that shouldn't

have happened but for a Christian if you

are called according to his purposes and

love God then all things work together

for our good now what does that good

mean it means for those God foreknew he

predestined to be conformed to the image

of his son God wants to make you look

and shine like Jesus and he's going to

use everything to make that happen and

you will shine with glory one day and we

can know whatever happens God is going

to work it in for that glorious future

that waits for me what should we say in

all in response to all this if God is

for us who can be against us we can

boast we can rejoice in hope says he who

didn't spare his own son but gave him up

for us all how will he not also along

with him graciously give us all thing

who shall separate us from the love of

God now who shall separate us shall

trouble or hardship or persecution or

famine or nakedness or danger or sword

no I am convinced that in all of these

things we are more than conquerors

through him who loved us neither death

nor life nor Angels nor principalities

neither the present or future nor

anything else in all creation can

separate you from the love of God that

is in Christ Jesus you can groan but you

can groan hopefully knowing that there

is glory on the other side we can

rejoice in hope hopeful people are happy

people hopeful people have a happiness

that overflows because nothing can snuff

it out and I've seen this I have visited

enough hospital beds of hopeful men and

women of God who even though they're

suffering their hope is not snuffed out

the shine with the joy of the Lord in

the midst of difficulty because they

know

redeemer lives hope is something to hold

on to hope is a powerful thing now it's

a decision we have to make if we are

going to be hopeful people it's going to

take some effort okay it's not just

going to happen you can decide to be

miserable or you can decide to hope God

even God won't make the decision for us

we need to make that decision in in

romans 15 14 15 verse 4 it says if

you're going to be a hopeful person

you've got to read your Bible you got to

read your Bible because thats the beta

it says everything that was written in

the past was written to teach us so that

through the endurance taught in the

scriptures and the encouragement they

provide we might have hope are you read

your Bible and when you read it you say

God you're the God the separated the

waters of the Red Sea maybe you can help

me today you're the same God who who

provided bread in the wilderness you can

provide for me God is the same yesterday

today and forever I can trust in you

we're gonna have to read our scripture

and know that he is the same God he has

not let you down he has not changed and

he will be faithful to you just like he

was in ages past and we need to worship

if you read the verse in Romans 15 verse

13 it says may the god of Hope fill you

with all joy and peace as you trust in

him so that you may overflow with hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit we hope

because we worship the god of hope and

though God fills us with joy and peace

it's a supernatural thing if I stay away

from worship for too long i'm going to

start letting myself get discouraged but

if you are worshipping the living god

the god of hope you are not going to

stay discouraged at least not at that

moment because god is the god of hope

and we start over flowing as we worship

Him supernatural filling psychological

health but sometimes we are going to

have to give yourself a pep talk no have

you ever had to give yourself a pep talk

you ever had to look in the mirror the

book of

arms is full of self pep talks where the

psalmist looks himself in the mirror and

says why my soul are you so downcast why

so disturbed within me put your hope in

god 4i will yet praise him my savior and

my god that verse is repeated at least

23 times in the Psalms where the

psalmist looks themselves why so why are

you so downcast put your hope in god

you're going to praise him again God's

going to lift you up but you're going to

need to tell yourself I encourage us us

to be people who encourage others to

hope if you have a friend who's

discouraged you have the power to look

them in the eye and say don't give up

God is faithful with you and maybe you

have seen the miracles that God has done

in those people's lives and you can tell

them remember when God got you through

that he can do it again don't give up

hold on keep putting your hope in god

but sometimes that friend isn't going to

be there and you're going to have to

talk to yourself you can have to talk to

your soul and say why are you so

downcast o my soul why so disturbed

within me put your hope in god I will

yet praise him I am going to get through

this and I rejoice in hope joy is a

decision joy is spiritual happiness that

comes from faith-filled hope in God joy

isn't just I'm happy because

everything's going well joy means I know

that God is alive and I trust him to do

good things for my future and so I can't

help but be joyful because I know it's

going to be okay joy is a decision that

we make to believe and put our hope in

the Living God that's a decision that

each of us needs to make if we're

willing to do that hope can be the

medicine for discouragement

discouragement is a deep pit

discouragement is something where we

just start cycling down and we start

thinking and we start hearing voices in

our mind that says it's not going to get

any better it's no good it's not going

to get better I can't face this I just

can't do it and then we need to say you

be silent in the name of Jesus my god is

faithful and I trust in him and we

replace those negative depressing

thoughts with the truth of the Living

God and even facing the grave itself we

can know that jesus said I am the

resurrection and the life the one who

believes in me though he die yet will he

live that there is a feast on the other

side there is a table spread for me in

the presence of my enemies my cup

overflows now anointest my head with oil

surely goodness and loving kindness will

follow me all the days of my life and I

will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever and ever I can hope for good in

my future because God is for me and not

against me do you really believe that

God is on your side do you really

believe that God loves you that he wants

what's best for you and even through the

hard times when you might be groaning

that you can still boast in that hope

let's be a congregation of Hope brothers

and sisters we need to be people of hope

and we need to overflow with hope to the

people around us we need to be like that

woman i met in the breakfast yesterday

who had the button that said i am loved

and she said my name's hope and i

couldn't look at her and not smile I

want us to be people who transmitted

hope to the people around them who say

we worship the god of Hope in this place

and if you come here you can know that

there is a hope for you not because of

us but because of the God that we serve

amen