March 19, 2024 • 42 mins
This message originally delivered September 1, 1991.
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Unknown (00:00):
Father, you've told us that you're a God and that bow
your ear down to us. Do you heareven our faintest cry?
Here's a group of your peoplemeeting together. And it's our
desire to not just be religious,to not just hear Your word in
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the RET that maybe we've heardit for long periods of time.
But to have our heart open inthe spirit, do surgery through
the Word.
Help us Father, to understandlife, to understand ourselves,
especially though to understandyou
in a greater, more appreciativeway.
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As a result of studying YourWord, please give strength to
all of us those that myselfwho's preaching to those who
need to hear.
Feed us from Your Word,strengthen us, help us, we just,
we come to you asking that youwould help us with our lives as
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we consider the great truths ofYour Word.
We pray this in Jesus name,amen.
The greatest Christmas I everhad as a child is unmistakably
clear. It was the Christmas wishI was a seventh grader. I'm not
sure how old I was probably 18or 19 At that time, but it was
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the Christmas in which I was inseventh grade. And it was the
reason it was so memorable Isthis some of the members of my
family had bought earlier in theyear at some a Honda Honda 50
and a Honda 70 mini bike and Iabsolutely had my heart set on
getting a Honda 50 mini bike Istarted asking and negotiating
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and and you know canvassing andall the different things that
you would do to try to get 150And I wanted one so badly. And
my hope was set on that as wellas begging and pleading and all
the other things that go alongwith it. And I wanted that so
badly. Now you know how it wasover the years as a kid I don't
know if future if you were likeme, but I'm talking about when I
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say the greatest Christmas yourealize I'm not talking very
spiritually like the greatestChristmas like gave something
away. I'm talking about the yearthat I got something. But yeah,
how does a kid how you couldalways sort of find out and feel
out at what you were getting? Doyou ever notice that I remember
feeling the packages underneathmy mom's bed and things like
that. Remember?
Well, this one Christmas I thinkwhat made this Christmas so
great is this Christmas, I didnot know what I was getting. And
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when we had our family timetogether over at the Shaw's
house, I seem to get a lot ofgood gifts and that was a bad
sign. Because if I was gonna get150 I wouldn't be getting any
other good gifts. Now there wasone other solid person that I
could always count on if I wasgonna get something great and
that was Dale, my cousin. Ialways knew that he would spill
the beans he always did. Youalways told me long in advance.
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The only thing is thisChristmas. He didn't do it. He
also received a minibike thatChristmas and he had already
gotten it from his parentsearlier that morning. And he was
telling me he goes yeah, whatyou're gonna like what you got
but it's not quite like mine andit's not quite as nice as mine.
And so I automatically thoughtWell, that can't be a minibike.
I just thought that in my mind.
So anyway, all the gifts weredone. We opened up all the
packages, and they said Alright,now it's time for the turkey
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dinner and all that is andsomeone called me into the
kitchen I'll never forget theysaid let's go and I was trying
to make me I said with greatneon toys like enacted mature
about this. I can't share myemotions. But I was just
heartsick that I didn't get it.
What I didn't know is why was inputting ice in the glasses. They
were bringing a Honda mini bikeup the stairs. And I remember
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walking back out and laid myeyes on that Honda mini bike and
absolutely, just loving it. Now,I tell you that story because we
are concluding our series on theBema Seat these last two Sundays
now this Sunday and next andwill be concluded with the Bema.
And that is where I'mconcluding. Because the greatest
part of the Bema is now nowyou're going to hear about it.
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And you know what it is it hasto do with hope, hope and the
Christian life, the Bema inregards to hope having a living
hope. And what I just told youwas a story of hope. But it's
not the kind of hope that iscalled toward the Bible because
it was like this. I wonder ifI'm gonna get it. Now we'll try
to find out from Dale, if I wasgonna get I tried to guess if I
was getting I didn't have anyclues that year what I was gonna
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get. So that's really not hopebecause that was sort of a hope.
Like, I'm not sure what's goingto happen. That's often what you
think of when you have hopepeople think of hope and a
really wrong sense of unbiblicalsense. I've used the
illustration before of being atthe free throw line in a in a
crucial game in college and andwhenever it was right down to
the last couple minutes and youreally needed to hit the free
throw something always happenedto me and that is this I got a
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little tingles for about mywrist up to my shoulders. And I
don't know why but if it wasearly in the game, it wasn't
that it didn't matter too much.
And sometimes there were certaintimes even when there was
pressure, you didn't feel it.
But I would have that ball andI'd be shooting knowing I needed
to make those free throws andthe thought would be through
mine. I hope I make it and inthose days I would pray and I
wouldwhoever they want you to make
that free throw. Okay? So Ithink my theology has changed a
little since then. But hope is avery important, important part
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of the Christian life much moreimportant, and I think we give
it credit for and I want you tolook at verse 19, of First
Corinthians 15. And considerwhat this says, Look what it
says, If onlyFirst Corinthians 1519, if only
for this life, we have hope inChrist. We are to be pitied more
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than all men and stay rightthere a second. Paul says this,
he's now he's not talking aboutthe Bema. Here, I hope you
realize, but he's talking aboutsomething very close to the
Bema. He is talking about theresurrection. Obviously, without
the resurrection, there's notgoing to be a Bema. But he's
talking about me. And by theway, the Bina is in this
passage, the resurrection thebeam are so close that one of
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the time you get to the 58thverse, look at verse 50, he come
to Bhima. And look what it says.
Therefore, my dear brothers,stand firm, let nothing move you
always give yourselves fully tothe work of the Lord, because
you know that your labor in theLord is not in vain. That's a
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reference to the Bema because wehave the hope of the
resurrection, because we knowthat when we die, that that
we're gonna give another body aresurrected body that's gonna be
much greater and we'll giveaccount of the things done in
the body. Remember, as yousuffer, as you struggle as you
serve the Lord, it's never invain. But back to the point here
about the verse nine tennis hesays this, If only in this life,
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we have hope. And think aboutthis, because this is such a
major impact of the Beamer.
Remember, we need to be Bhimabrained, and so many Christians
aren't today, we have livedwithout one of the major
motivations that should be inour life. And that is this, not
just because I love God, notjust because I fear God, but
also I strive to get anincorruptible crown, the
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Olympians do it to get acorruptible crown, I do it to
get an incorruptible crown. TheBible talks about this, he's I
have fought a good fight, I havekept the faith, I have finished
the course Henceforth there is acrown of righteousness laid up
for me. Now, if you've been herefor the series at all, you'll
know that I am amazed, hundredsof references hundreds more
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inferences to the Bema. It hasto be a major impact on our
life, Heaven will not be thesame for everyone. It will not
be a matter of oh, we're justall equal and heaven. No quick
chance. The Bible says some willreceive gold, precious stones,
silver, precious stones, otherswould air stubble, and if
they're burned up, you'll stillbe saved. But your life will be
absolutely useless in the senseof how you lived it as a
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Christian. So you see what agreat boy, if only in this life,
we have hope in Christ, we're ofall men to be most pity. Why
would we be doing singing?
Could we sing that song becausehe lives I can face tomorrow.
If there wasn't a resurrection,if there wasn't a Bema if there
wasn't a final reward, if allthere was was the that, hey, we
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just got to get by in this lifeand just be successful in this
life. That's all there is to it.
We will be of all men to be mostPenny, what kind of Savior would
there be that once we die, therewas no more part of his
salvation death separated usfrom him. You say? Well, what a
great Savior we have. Now withthat in mind, I want you to
consider something else fromProverbs 23. Concerning the Bema
by the way, you will find thebeam all through the Bible
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everywhere. Jesus talks about itconstantly. And in Proverbs
chapter 23. I want you to seeverse 17.
And look what he says.
It says here.
Do not let your heart envysinners.
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One of the great ways toovercome temptation to give to
give in to the lust of the fleshto give into to the ways of the
world is this. Don't let yourheart envy senators. Oh, great,
great. How am I supposed to dothat? Mr. Proper, brighter here,
but what are you going to tellme to do? Isn't an amazing he
tells you to do the same thing.
But Paul says and that Petersays and that Jesus says one of
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the ways to overcome temptation.
The great way is this look, no,it's Don't let your heart envy
sinners. Always be zealous forthe fear of the Lord. All right,
be zealous for keep it for youthe fact that there was a God
that we must fear what's thepoint because look at verse 18.
There is surely a future hopefor you. And your hope will not
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be cut off. The great promise isthis. Hey, don't let your heart
in the center's don't start togo the way of the wicked.
I was as I normally do. Mycustomers got up early this
morning left went to arestaurant and this morning I
can usually get started togetting the pattern of I've done
it for many years now. Today.
All the people that came intothe restaurant early because
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they were there earlier thannormal where people go into the
drags the drag racing thenational drags here in Clermont,
Indiana.
and not to sound judgmental thanany one group of sports,
sporting goods, sporting typepeople are worse than another.
But this seemed to be anunusually Tough crowd. And one
of the things that I seem tonotice as I was sitting there
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reflecting on this message andgoing over and reading the
scriptures and had my coffee, myeggs I did this was just Do you
think my heart is this my heartis so much at the surface of
College Park today, I have somuch want people to love God
more as a result of being here,I so much want people to be
motivated the way they live therest of their life this week, I
want them to be encouraged andstrengthened. I myself want to
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get something out of thismessage and grow, I want to lift
up my voice praising God, I wantto say all other things that I
could do today don't have thepriority that that worshiping
God and lifting up my voice tomy God, who I love has, I want
this to be number one.
And I noticed with these guysthat all the conversation and
the talk and the cursing, andthe coarseness and the and the
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vulgar things said to thewaitresses, and the attitude
that was going on. Here it isdon't let your heart envy
centers don't don't just live asjust giving it anything you want
would always be zealous for thefear of the Lord, because
there's a future hope your hopewill not be cut off. You know
what that saying there? Otherpeople's hopes are cut off,
there is no hope for the wicked.
That's one of the great themesof the Old Testament. Don't let
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your heart and be sinnersbecause their hopes gonna be cut
off. Surely one day bang, it'sgonna be over no more hope,
eternal damnation for them. Soyou see, for the believer who
loves Jesus Christ and desiresto live for him, Your life
should be marked by hope. Hopeshould be a major thought in our
lives. One of the reasons weshouldn't be going around like
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this, it's so discouraging tosee Christians just all the time
defeated and discouraged andseeing complaints and trouble
coming out of their mouths this,Christians have missed hope. We
don't know what it is anymore.
One of the reasons we don't wantto do this anymore is because
we're so focused on this life,as long as you can't discount
the Bema. As long as you cut thenext life out, you will lose
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hope. As long as you just focuson yourself and on this life,
you will lose hope. It's a lawof diminishing return, the more
you give, just trying to getsomething out of this life, the
less satisfied you're going tobe. And the more you're gonna
have to try to give more. It's acruel taskmaster to try to live
as the Christian life forgettingthe Bema you can't do it.
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Now I want us to take the nextcouple of weeks to hit this word
whole pipe is planning on thisbeing one message on hope. But
I'll tell you it is so good. Ithas got such a grip on me that
we're there's there's no way Ican race through this without
and do justice to the wholething. Let's consider first off
a history of the word hope. Doyou know that in the great
cultures and religions of theworld to get this, there was no
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such thing as having a livinghope?
I don't know. One of the thingsthat I'm afraid of is that we're
going to become so familiar withholy things that we forget to
think about the blessings of thegospel. Though religions of the
world don't have a living hope.
Listen, man had to stand withouthope before hostile forces of
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guilt and death.
Seneca, one of the Greekreligious leader said hope
defined is uncertain good. Inother words, there's there's
maybe there's some good outthere. Maybe there isn't. It's
uncertain. I'm not sure.
deification in mortalitypromised by mystery religions
were considered human pipedreams. Imagine that. That's why
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the resurrection the Bema areall tied in together because
without the resurrected Christwho's conquered death and there
is nothing more than this lifeyou might as well just for
glyphs for go for all the gusto.
When you get to the OldTestament, you say the word hope
there are four main verbs forhope. But the idea of them is
this. It's it's like,Michelangelo is that David,
Michelangelo's David where he isstretching out towards God and
God is stretching out towardshim. The idea that okay, that's
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not it. Okay, you're shaking asthough thank you for telling me.
But anyway, you know that youknow what I'm talking about
those guys that are stretchingout like the Greek type God
figures. Forget this pointillustration. All right. But
anyway, the idea here is this tostretch out. It's like the
runner at the tape stretching asfar as they can. But the idea is
to stretch out towards or toolong after the idea is to wait
long for something. That's theThat's the word hope in the Old
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Testament. There's 146references in the Old Testament
to hope half of them aresecular, exactly half of them,
and half of them have to do withGod. Listen, the half that are
secular always say that hope isuseless. For instance, it says
in Proverbs 11, seven of foolshope will come to nothing. The
day they put their hope enricheswill be disappointed. You see,
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it always means this you putyour hope in things outside of
God and is always going to bedisappointed that they're going
to fly away as if they hadwings, your riches will the
scripture says don't put yourhope in them. But the other half
of the usage of the word hope 73times it's always of the
faithful that is God's people.
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And it always is this it'srooted in and founded in one
one object and that is your way.
God. The faithful God's peopleall through the Old Testament
had hope they had promised theyhad certain expectations, they
believe something greater wascoming. Why? Because of the
person of God. In other words,get this hope is directly
related to the character of God.
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Hope is also directly related tothe promises of God, because of
we know who he is, and becauseyou know what he has promised,
we have hope.
For instance, Psalm 3318 saysthis, The eyes of the Lord are
upon those who fear him on thosewhose hope is in his unfailing
love.
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That what is your hope in theirhope in the unfailing love of
God?
Psalm 147 11 says, this goodthis, the Lord delights in those
who fear him who put their hopein his unfailing love. If you
study the Old Testamentprophets, you will see that
their idea of Hope goes farbeyond just their own individual
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life. It's the hope that Israelbe redeemed the hope that the
Messiah will come, the hope thatone day all of the promises
concerning him will be there.
And you know, one thing they'reconstantly fighting the Old
Testament prophets are alwaysconstantly fighting, the false
hope that the false prophetsgive. And they're always saying
like this, your sin isn'tserious.
You're don't worry, we're okay,peace, peace. Everything's gonna
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be fine. And they, they findhope in something other than
God, we're not that bad. We'reokay. Don't worry, nothing bad's
gonna happen. And they'reconstantly fighting that, just
like today, people are wonderingwhy there is no hope. We've
taken God out of everything. Weno longer need God, we no longer
have a dependency.
Need of him to hope and him andto love Him and to be close to
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him and to realize that he'sinvolved in every area of our
life instead, God's far away.
Remember, we started last week,false teachers. One thing you
listen to a false teacher, guesswhat happens? God is far away.
You keep studying the Biblewithout any belief that this
Bible is true. And you know whathappens? God's far away. He's
not involved in your life. He'snot close. He's not here. Ask
the Apostle Paul. How far awayis God the Lord is at hand Paul
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says,but there's no hope when you get
away from understanding thepromises and the character of
God. And whenever Israel facedarkness and trouble all of a
sudden a prophet raised up andso many people look at the
prophets judgment God's gonnaget you they only get a certain
negative and down and they werebecause people were in said, but
when that judgmental messagecame home, every time a prophet
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arises on the scene, guess whathappens hope a burst forth,
light comes dawning the into thedark room of the of the harder
the lives are the nation ofIsrael. And so with revelation
from God with the promises ofGod, come home, something else I
want you to consider. Do youknow that hope is one of the big
three? Think of that, you havethe inner circle of three. But
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you have the three key words inthe Christian life. What are
they? faith, love, and hope.
First Corinthians 1313. Nowabideth are now remaineth love,
faith and hope in the greatestof these is love. But let's not
throw hope out as all not thatimportant, because the
scriptures also say, as we'reconsidering that very thing
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about faith, hope and love. Thescriptures also say this
Colossians one, five, get this,the faith and love that sprang
from the hope of the stood upfor you and heaven. So there you
can't say one is is is withoutthe other. Love may be the
greatest because the Bible saysso but they are all intimately
related to one another lovefaith hope. In fact, the
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Scripture does say listen, faithand love sprang from the hope
that is stored up in heavensprang from the fact that we
have a hope and heaven thatthere's a great future for us as
Christians should cause hope to,to burst forth in our lives.
Colin Brown said this hope issuch a fundamental part of the
Christian position that it isdescribed as a rebirth it can be
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described as a rebirth to aliving hope. First Peter 113, we
have been born again on toliving hope. What a promise
there is in the Scripturesconcerning hope. And yet, don't
you think I do, I think thathope is probably the least known
and the least appreciated offaith, love and hope. I think we
have less understanding of whathope is than anything else. Do
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you know that hope isdrastically important to your
life? Without hope? If you're aperson without hope you're a
person that fits the descriptionof one who's unsaved the
Scripture says about them whohave no hope it's talking about
the unsaved people. But we havehope in whatever situation we're
facing. There is hope because wehave a God who is faithful to
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us. Ephesians listen to show youhow important hope is Ephesians
118 says this, I pray that theeyes of your heart may be in
line. Paul spent all that timewith the Ephesians and guess
what his prayer was for them.
Listen, I pray that the eyes ofyour heart may be enlightened
that you may know the hope towin which he has called you
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the riches of His gloriousinheritance in the saints.
The desire Paul had, listen, weneed to know hope we need to
have a burst on our minds. Iwant to get out of ruts. I'm not
sure about you, I fight like adog to stay out of ruts to stay
out of the same old grind tostop appreciating things, Paul's
prayer for the Ephesians that hehad known and spent three years
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ministering to them. So that'swhat I pray one thing for you
that is this, that you wouldunderstand the hope that you
have, that you will understandthe glorious riches that are in
Christ. What's he talking about?
He's talking about the Bema.
He's talking about heaven. He'stalking about the wonderful
splendor there'll be in alleternity for those that
thankfully, live for the Lordnow, foundation
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to our Christian life, is thatwe have hope, and yet so many
Christians are hopelesslydiscouraged.
Why do you think that is?
Well, go with me to Romanschapter eight. And I want you to
see a very definition of hope.
Romans chapter eight.
And as we turn there,you will see with me, the very
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definition of hope, is very muchlike faith. Remember,
faith is believing that what youcannot see, believing the
promises of God.
Starting with chapter eight, andlook at verse 24, of the book of
Romans, it says this, For thishis hope, excuse me, for in this
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hope we were saved.
In what hope? Well, we get thehope that we will be redeemed
one day, the hope that allcreation is groaning with pain.
I'm talking about the versesbefore it will our redemption of
our bodies, we're talking aboutthe resurrection, we're talking
about the future and heaven.
That's the hope in which we'resaved that we'll have a future
in heaven a wonderful place tolook at this, but hope that is
seen is no hope at all. There'sno such thing of hope if you
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already have something if I hadthe minibike I wouldn't be
hoping for the minibike. It wasmine. But if the fact that I
didn't have it would be the hopeyou see in the same it is for
heaven we were hoping forheaven. For in this hope we were
saved but hope that a seed hasno hope at all who hopes for
what he already has? Verse 25.
But if we hope for what we donot have we wait for it
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patiently. We wait for itpatiently. That is this heaven.
That is any promise of God thatyou desire to be filled in your
life. Any promises God that youwant to see in your life that
promises that you claim to liveby there are times you have to
wait patiently you live in hope.
Living by hope is is a word verysimilar to living by faith.
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When a man named th Tong saidthis about hope Listen, this
hope relates to salvation and isan essential Grace like faith
and love. But where faith refersto past and present hope
includes the future get this itsobject is the ultimate
blessedness of God's kingdom.
Its produces the moral fruits ofjoyful confidence in God
unashamed, patience andtribulation. By the way, that's
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one of the teachings you'll seeit next week we'll spend more
time there but one of the greatthings is this trouble in your
life difficulty sufferingproblems in your life guess what
it says we wait with a hope itdoesn't make us ashamed we never
go like this it's cool to serveGod because look at all this
trouble that I have look at allthe dirt look at the dirt in the
retinas look at all this filtersright Oh, it must not be true
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worries God I want the Biblesays this hope is this you're
not ashamed because you say eventhough it's tough to as Spurgeon
said just a few more stormy daysat most shall land me on fair
Canaan's coast. We wait we saylike there will there God's
promises is true, he will notlie. And I will wait unashamedly
even though the world may mockme like, like some more
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illustrations that we'll get toin just a second. Let me finish
on here. It says it anticipatesactual righteousness. It's
called Good, blessed, glorious,it stabilizes the soul like an
anchor, by linking it to God'ssteadfastness. We'll see again
that next week to it fromHebrews. And it's generated in
the Old Testament fathers byGod's promise first given to
Abraham and then embraced byIsrael and proclaimed by Paul as
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the hope of the gospel. Lookwith me as to how hope is
described.
Like this hope is described.
There's four adjectives here,referring to hope. If you want
to look at some of these verses,I appreciate if you'd follow
along with me. Look over lookover at First Thessalonians if
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you would firstand start at Chapter Two with
me.
Second, Thessalonians that isI'm sorry. And start chapter two
and verse 16.
says thisMay our Lord Jesus Christ
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Himself and God our Father, wholoved us, and by His grace gave
us eternal encouragement andgood hope
help encourage your hearts andstrengthen you and every good
deed word. Notice how it'slinked in with eternal
encouragement by God's grace.
It's a good hope. Titus two,that's actually verse 13, just
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flipped over a couple of pagesthrough the past oriels and get
over to Titus chapter two. Andlet's look at verse 13.
And he says,Notice, verse 11, let's pick up
this whole context. It says, Forthe grace of God, that brings
salvation has appeared to allmen. It teaches us to say no to
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ungodliness and worldly passionsinto live self controlled,
upright and godly lives in thispresent age. A lot of people
stop right there. And they allthey see is the conflict and the
fight and the battle. But noticewhat happens here. Verse 13,
says, while we wait for theblessed hope, the glorious
appearing of our great God andSavior, Jesus Christ.
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You know, one of the greatthings about hope is the fact
that we absolutely know thattime is on our side. Think about
it. If you're living in sin, orif you're an unsafe person, and
you're going for the gusto, italways hurts you to age.
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I came home yesterday. I wasfeeling bad. I just turned 33
last May. And they were wisewatching the national the World
Championships and track andfield and they go in now the
granddaddy of track and field 33year old Greg Foster.
That Can you believe it he'sstill leading the world? 33
years of age unbelievable, youknow, and they're talking about
Carlos 30 years old, still beingable to do what he can do. You
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start to think about the unsafeperson or the person living in
sin has got to seize the moment.
They've got to grab on towhatever they can they got to
try to hang on to life becauseas time passes by all the
vacations coming to and howterrible no believers this, I
get closer to Heaven. I getcloser to my futures. I live for
him. There's a wonderful hope inmy life times on my side. It's a
terrible, terrible monster, tothe unsaved person. But to the
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believer, we have a blessedhope. That's verse 13. Look what
it says. While we wait for theblessing, hope and the glorious
appearing of our great God andSavior, Jesus Christ. Notice
also, according to Hebrews sevenHebrews, by the way, talks so
much about hope. But Hebrewsseven says it's a better hope.
It's a better hope of thesacrificing animals. The hope
that we have is rooted in theperson of Jesus Christ. I love
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this one though. First, Peter.
It's this. It's a living hope, ahope as we live, we are alive.
We're born again into a livinghope. What is the living hope as
we live, we have hope in ourhearts that Jesus Christ is all
our righteousness that one daywill be raised again, that one
day will be in Heaven with Him.
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That oughta courageous. But Iwant you to see this. Almost, I
think more than anything else,where does hope come from? Look
at me to Romans 15 Four. BecauseI tell you, we have got to
settle this question of wherehope comes from because we try
getting hope from everythingelse. We put our hope in all
kinds of things that are goingto discourage us.
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They're gonna leave us quiteempty. Hope comes from the
scriptures. This has got to beone of my very favorite verses
in the Bible. Lakota says,Romans 15 Four says this.
For everything that was writtenin the past, was written to
teach us so that you get this asong of the Old Testament. Why
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was the Old Testament writteneverything that was written in
the Old Testament was written toteach us so that through
endurance, and the encouragementof the scriptures, we might have
hope? Why was the Old Testamentwritten? When you pick up your
Bibles and you go to the OldTestament, you want to say it is
written for this reason thatthrough the endurance of those
people, and through theencouragement of what God did
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for those people, and duringtheir endurance, I could have
some hope.
Do you want to have some hope?
Read the Old Testament. Do youthink with me a second, what
about Joseph? You we do we dothis? My favorite Old Testament
character, I believe is Joseph,sitting there in prison, having
been hated by his brothershaving been raised in a home
full of immorality and andjealousies and dissensions and
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his brothers never He spoke akind word to him. And here he is
in some foreign country sittingthere in prison. Then whenever
he gets promoted, and then thewife puts the the moves on and
what does he say? He says no.
And so what happens? He getsthrown back into prison. And
there he is. What are yousupposed to do when you read
that? You're supposed toremember? Yeah, chapters
3739 4041 doesn't sound good.
But chapter 49 and 50 is common.
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What God does there's purpose inlife there's reason God's alive
God's real so whatever comes myway I can have some Oh God
wasn't done with Joseph eventhough he didn't sin. Or let's
turn to our dear friend job.
What do we learn from job? Thesame thing? We look at Job and
Job Why is all this happening?
Why is this trouble? Was Godsomehow not watching? Was God
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somehow being cruel? Was Godsomehow bad? No, we see the
purpose How about when weconsider David, David's
anointed? You're gonna be kingby the prophet now.
That was I mean, that was it. Itwasn't like that was maybe type
of situation when Samuelanointed you and said, You're
gonna be the king, you're theking. And yet what happens? He
runs around in caves with agroup of worthless of fellows,
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as the scripture says, hiding,being chased all the different
things that happened in the lifeof David, and yet they're
written so that you could havehope. What else? You see God
dealing with the nation ofIsrael, and you see them great
God bringing chastisement othernations more wicked than they
are starting to bother them.
What do we say? God is stillinvolved. He hasn't given up
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their stories, and there's hope.
And we're supposed to get hopefrom the scriptures, that 19
Psalm says, some wonderfulthings I want to read a couple
to you quickly. You don't needto turn there. I'll just if you
want to, if you can beat me, youcan do it. But good, it says. It
says the law of the Lord isperfect, reviving the soul.
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The statutes of the word oftrustworthy making wise, the
simple, the precepts of the Lordare right, giving joy to the
heart, the commands Lord ofradiant giving light to the
eyes, what is that joy? What isthis making us wise? What is it
reviving the soul? What is thatit's hope, hope that we get from
the Word of God. Listen,friends, as long as we look for
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Hope outside of the scriptures,there be no hope. Hope comes
from the scriptures. We need tolove the scriptures. Embrace the
scriptures. You know, I can tellyou, in my own life, the times
when I'm hopeless, there's timeswhen I have forgotten what the
Word of God says and directlyapplied to my life. I forget
about that. And you know whathappens? Listen, you talk to
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somebody who's been hopeless fora while, and pretty soon, even
when you read the scriptures,you read the Scriptures with
such hopelessness that justbounces like a, like a bat off
of a steel girder.
It has no penetration into yourheart. Why? Because you're going
with hopelessness to a bookthat's full of hope bursting
like a mighty fountain full ofhope. And I know of Christians
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that are hopeless, and I'mwondering, how could it be? And
after I listened to him for Istarted thinking, maybe they're
right, I start getting hopeless.
You see what I have to I Ithappens to me again, and again,
if I'm not drinking at thefountain filled with hope,
taking it in drinking it andthinking about it, letting it
revolve in my mind. That's onereason why we we see again, that
when there isn't expositorypreaching, when there isn't the
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Bible being taught, the peoplebecome hopeless, God seems far
away, it doesn't really matterand to live for him. Oh, yeah.
Don't be so serious. Don't getso ridiculous about all this,
because we've lost our hope. Youknow, something, hope also comes
from God. These are directreferences, by the way, look at
your in 15, sizable accounts,verse 13. May the God of hope,
fill you with joy and peace, asyou trust in Him so that you may
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overflow with hope, by the powerof the Holy Spirit, the God of
hope, isn't it interesting? Youget to the 15th chapter, he's
concluding the great message ofsalvation. What is the greatest
doctrinal instruction onsalvation that there is the book
of Romans, you get to the 15thchapter, he's just start talking
about hope. It's from thescriptures. It's from God. It's
also from the Holy Spirit rightthere. You can see that, how
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about this? I'm not gonna havethe time to tell you a turn
there. It's from the gospel.
It's from Christ being in you.
This is a great one. It's frompeople, you minister to Paul
says, Concerning theThessalonians, what is our hope
and joy at his presence? What isour hope and joy at the Bema?
You know, what the hope and joyis that the Bema, that the
people that you've ministeredto, had live lives that also get
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rewards at the beam. But that'sa hope. In other words, that
here's one of the few placesoutside of God and the gospel in
the scriptures. The only placethat I know of in the Bible
outside of God, the Holy Spirit,God, the Father, God the Son,
and the gospel message or thescriptures that you can have
hope, and that is hoping peoplethat are growing and living
First Thessalonians 219 20 saysthat you can look at it later.
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There's hope in Christ JesusChrist being in you, by the way
is hope, Titus hope of eternallife that we have, and also the
return of Christ, which we havealready seen. Hope comes from
these places hope ought to bebig a time in our life. It ought
to be dominating our thoughts.
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We got to be thinking about itall the time.
But now, listen then,to what one man said.
As to whypeople are so hopeless and then
let's apply that to our liveshere. Listen.
Satan's first attack upon thehuman race was his sly effort to
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destroy Eve's confidence in thekindness of God. You hear that?
The first attack Saint nevermade was to destroy Eve's
confidence in the kindness ofGod see, if your confidence what
is the word confidence by theway, hope
he was to destroy hope God isn'treally kind remember what he
said to Eve that day? Ah,Ah, you won't die. That's not
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true. In other words, God's wordand true what else do you say?
God knows the day you eat orthat you're gonna be like him?
In other words, listen to thetwo attacks of Satan first made,
don't let him get us let's don'tlet them get us guys come on,
you want it is that the word ofGod really isn't true. And that
God somehow really isn't good.
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Now listen to me, I tell you,it's come truth from my life.
And I've heard it come forthfrom people that are Christians,
that God isn't good, thatsomehow the the doctrine of of
the Bible concerning God isn'tgood somehow it's unfair what
had happened, somehow it God isunjust, and and we have this
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view, as we have towards allauthority, that somehow it's
bad, and God is included inthat, that you've been searching
the devil must be good.
I got him.
Now, I don't say that to befunny. I say that because there
is a true spiritual warfaregoing on with God, the devil who
hates your soul, who hates Godwho hates the captain of our
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salvation, so passionately, muchthat He will do anything he can
to get you to think that God hasnot been fair to you, or God is
somehow not kind.
Oh, my friends don't allow thatfirst lie that he continues to
use. We are not in here enoughas devices to get you. He is a
God that is abundantly good. TheScripture says, Listen, from
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that day, men have had a falseconception of God the day of the
fall, Adam and Eve.
Nothing twist the soul more thanlow or unworthy view of God. The
God of the kibbutz get thisplease get this the God of the
Pharisees is not an easy God tolive with.
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The God of the Pharisees is atough mean harsh God. Listen.
From a failure properly tounderstand God comes a world of
unhappiness among goodChristians even today. You hear
that?
From a failure to properlyunderstand God comes a world of
unhappiness among goodChristians even today. The
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Christian life is thought to beglum, unrelieved cross carrying
under the eye of the sternfather who expects much and
excuses nothing. The truth is,please, please, my friends,
listen to this, this will giveyou hope this will set you free.
The truth is that God is themost winsome of all beings, and
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his service one of unspeakablepleasure. He loves us for
ourselves, and values our lovemore than the galaxies of new
created worlds.
Unfortunately, many Christianscannot get free from their
perverted notions of God.
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And these notions poison theirhearts and destroy their inward
freedom. These friends serve Godgrimly, as the elder brother did
doing what is right withoutenthusiasm and joy.
How God how good it would be ifwe could learn that God is easy
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to live with. Thank you. AWTozer.
God is easy to live with. He's aGod that loves us. He's a God
that cares about us. We have wehave been so many people. And I
don't know why this is but somany people in Baptist churches
have come up and it's this Oh,God is somehow mean harsh,
unforgiving, some guy that youcannot please some guy that's
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all the time giving you one ofthese. You're going through life
just constantly burden, a guythat's far away and God has me
and God blesses some people whowon't bless me.
I'll tell you friends, we mustthink properly about God if
we're going to have any hope.
You see, there's no hope ifyou're serving a God that you
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don't like. Let me say thatagain.
You're struggling in devotions.
I want to just tell you, itmight be that you don't like god
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there's not gonna be hope ifyou're serving a God that you
don't respect.
You know, there's not gonna behope in your life if you're
serving a God that you don'tadore.
How many people I know pastors,Christians for years,
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and instead of growinggratitude, because of a greater
understanding of God is growingin gratitude and bitterness.
Hope confident expectation thatall God's promises are true and
conditional certaintyAt the Bema, that the
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resurrection of the righteousheaven will be, as Paul
described at the I have not seeneither as the or heard, neither
has entered into the heart ofman the things which God has
prepared for them to love him,Oh, my friends.
Let's don't be this unhappygroup of Christians, because we
serve a God of our minds insteadof a god of the scriptures.
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Let's pray.
Our Father,we are so guilty. I am I'm first
and most guilty in this roomof having a Pharisee uncle view
of youof somehow thinking that you are
not the most winsome, the mostapproachable, the most loving,
the most kind, the mostgenerous.
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So much beyond the kindest angelor the nicest person I've ever
met, that there would be nocomparison. And yet, Father, I
my views have been so pervertedmyself and I, I thank you that
this message has sprung hope inmy life.
I'll save us father from being areligious group of people that
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that say with a man who had justone talent and buried it said
that he knew you were a hardtaskmaster
caused joy to bound in ourhearts with confidence, the hope
that gives confidencepray this in Jesus name. Amen.
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Before I let you go here, I mustsay this to you. If you're here
this morning and you don't knowJesus Christ as your personal
Savior, my friend. That's thestep to hope that is the step to
all of your sins are forgiven.
And all of his righteousness isput on your account. And if you
would like to know how you couldhave Jesus as your personal
Savior, I give you thisinvitation to come and see me
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and talk to me about it. We'lltalk either today or set
something up this week. Thankyou for your good attention.
Sunday school started about 10minutes and you're dismissed
Father, you've told us that you're a God and that bow
your ear down to us. Do you heareven our faintest cry?
Here's a group of your peoplemeeting together. And it's our
desire to not just be religious,to not just hear Your word in
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the RET that maybe we've heardit for long periods of time.
But to have our heart open inthe spirit, do surgery through
the Word.
Help us Father, to understandlife, to understand ourselves,
especially though to understandyou
in a greater, more appreciativeway.
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As a result of studying YourWord, please give strength to
all of us those that myselfwho's preaching to those who
need to hear.
Feed us from Your Word,strengthen us, help us, we just,
we come to you asking that youwould help us with our lives as
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we consider the great truths ofYour Word.
We pray this in Jesus name,amen.
The greatest Christmas I everhad as a child is unmistakably
clear. It was the Christmas wishI was a seventh grader. I'm not
sure how old I was probably 18or 19 At that time, but it was
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the Christmas in which I was inseventh grade. And it was the
reason it was so memorable Isthis some of the members of my
family had bought earlier in theyear at some a Honda Honda 50
and a Honda 70 mini bike and Iabsolutely had my heart set on
getting a Honda 50 mini bike Istarted asking and negotiating
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and and you know canvassing andall the different things that
you would do to try to get 150And I wanted one so badly. And
my hope was set on that as wellas begging and pleading and all
the other things that go alongwith it. And I wanted that so
badly. Now you know how it wasover the years as a kid I don't
know if future if you were likeme, but I'm talking about when I
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say the greatest Christmas yourealize I'm not talking very
spiritually like the greatestChristmas like gave something
away. I'm talking about the yearthat I got something. But yeah,
how does a kid how you couldalways sort of find out and feel
out at what you were getting? Doyou ever notice that I remember
feeling the packages underneathmy mom's bed and things like
that. Remember?
Well, this one Christmas I thinkwhat made this Christmas so
great is this Christmas, I didnot know what I was getting. And
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when we had our family timetogether over at the Shaw's
house, I seem to get a lot ofgood gifts and that was a bad
sign. Because if I was gonna get150 I wouldn't be getting any
other good gifts. Now there wasone other solid person that I
could always count on if I wasgonna get something great and
that was Dale, my cousin. Ialways knew that he would spill
the beans he always did. Youalways told me long in advance.
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The only thing is thisChristmas. He didn't do it. He
also received a minibike thatChristmas and he had already
gotten it from his parentsearlier that morning. And he was
telling me he goes yeah, whatyou're gonna like what you got
but it's not quite like mine andit's not quite as nice as mine.
And so I automatically thoughtWell, that can't be a minibike.
I just thought that in my mind.
So anyway, all the gifts weredone. We opened up all the
packages, and they said Alright,now it's time for the turkey
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dinner and all that is andsomeone called me into the
kitchen I'll never forget theysaid let's go and I was trying
to make me I said with greatneon toys like enacted mature
about this. I can't share myemotions. But I was just
heartsick that I didn't get it.
What I didn't know is why was inputting ice in the glasses. They
were bringing a Honda mini bikeup the stairs. And I remember
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walking back out and laid myeyes on that Honda mini bike and
absolutely, just loving it. Now,I tell you that story because we
are concluding our series on theBema Seat these last two Sundays
now this Sunday and next andwill be concluded with the Bema.
And that is where I'mconcluding. Because the greatest
part of the Bema is now nowyou're going to hear about it.
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And you know what it is it hasto do with hope, hope and the
Christian life, the Bema inregards to hope having a living
hope. And what I just told youwas a story of hope. But it's
not the kind of hope that iscalled toward the Bible because
it was like this. I wonder ifI'm gonna get it. Now we'll try
to find out from Dale, if I wasgonna get I tried to guess if I
was getting I didn't have anyclues that year what I was gonna
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get. So that's really not hopebecause that was sort of a hope.
Like, I'm not sure what's goingto happen. That's often what you
think of when you have hopepeople think of hope and a
really wrong sense of unbiblicalsense. I've used the
illustration before of being atthe free throw line in a in a
crucial game in college and andwhenever it was right down to
the last couple minutes and youreally needed to hit the free
throw something always happenedto me and that is this I got a
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little tingles for about mywrist up to my shoulders. And I
don't know why but if it wasearly in the game, it wasn't
that it didn't matter too much.
And sometimes there were certaintimes even when there was
pressure, you didn't feel it.
But I would have that ball andI'd be shooting knowing I needed
to make those free throws andthe thought would be through
mine. I hope I make it and inthose days I would pray and I
wouldwhoever they want you to make
that free throw. Okay? So Ithink my theology has changed a
little since then. But hope is avery important, important part
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of the Christian life much moreimportant, and I think we give
it credit for and I want you tolook at verse 19, of First
Corinthians 15. And considerwhat this says, Look what it
says, If onlyFirst Corinthians 1519, if only
for this life, we have hope inChrist. We are to be pitied more
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than all men and stay rightthere a second. Paul says this,
he's now he's not talking aboutthe Bema. Here, I hope you
realize, but he's talking aboutsomething very close to the
Bema. He is talking about theresurrection. Obviously, without
the resurrection, there's notgoing to be a Bema. But he's
talking about me. And by theway, the Bina is in this
passage, the resurrection thebeam are so close that one of
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the time you get to the 58thverse, look at verse 50, he come
to Bhima. And look what it says.
Therefore, my dear brothers,stand firm, let nothing move you
always give yourselves fully tothe work of the Lord, because
you know that your labor in theLord is not in vain. That's a
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reference to the Bema because wehave the hope of the
resurrection, because we knowthat when we die, that that
we're gonna give another body aresurrected body that's gonna be
much greater and we'll giveaccount of the things done in
the body. Remember, as yousuffer, as you struggle as you
serve the Lord, it's never invain. But back to the point here
about the verse nine tennis hesays this, If only in this life,
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we have hope. And think aboutthis, because this is such a
major impact of the Beamer.
Remember, we need to be Bhimabrained, and so many Christians
aren't today, we have livedwithout one of the major
motivations that should be inour life. And that is this, not
just because I love God, notjust because I fear God, but
also I strive to get anincorruptible crown, the
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Olympians do it to get acorruptible crown, I do it to
get an incorruptible crown. TheBible talks about this, he's I
have fought a good fight, I havekept the faith, I have finished
the course Henceforth there is acrown of righteousness laid up
for me. Now, if you've been herefor the series at all, you'll
know that I am amazed, hundredsof references hundreds more
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inferences to the Bema. It hasto be a major impact on our
life, Heaven will not be thesame for everyone. It will not
be a matter of oh, we're justall equal and heaven. No quick
chance. The Bible says some willreceive gold, precious stones,
silver, precious stones, otherswould air stubble, and if
they're burned up, you'll stillbe saved. But your life will be
absolutely useless in the senseof how you lived it as a
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Christian. So you see what agreat boy, if only in this life,
we have hope in Christ, we're ofall men to be most pity. Why
would we be doing singing?
Could we sing that song becausehe lives I can face tomorrow.
If there wasn't a resurrection,if there wasn't a Bema if there
wasn't a final reward, if allthere was was the that, hey, we
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just got to get by in this lifeand just be successful in this
life. That's all there is to it.
We will be of all men to be mostPenny, what kind of Savior would
there be that once we die, therewas no more part of his
salvation death separated usfrom him. You say? Well, what a
great Savior we have. Now withthat in mind, I want you to
consider something else fromProverbs 23. Concerning the Bema
by the way, you will find thebeam all through the Bible
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everywhere. Jesus talks about itconstantly. And in Proverbs
chapter 23. I want you to seeverse 17.
And look what he says.
It says here.
Do not let your heart envysinners.
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One of the great ways toovercome temptation to give to
give in to the lust of the fleshto give into to the ways of the
world is this. Don't let yourheart envy senators. Oh, great,
great. How am I supposed to dothat? Mr. Proper, brighter here,
but what are you going to tellme to do? Isn't an amazing he
tells you to do the same thing.
But Paul says and that Petersays and that Jesus says one of
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the ways to overcome temptation.
The great way is this look, no,it's Don't let your heart envy
sinners. Always be zealous forthe fear of the Lord. All right,
be zealous for keep it for youthe fact that there was a God
that we must fear what's thepoint because look at verse 18.
There is surely a future hopefor you. And your hope will not
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be cut off. The great promise isthis. Hey, don't let your heart
in the center's don't start togo the way of the wicked.
I was as I normally do. Mycustomers got up early this
morning left went to arestaurant and this morning I
can usually get started togetting the pattern of I've done
it for many years now. Today.
All the people that came intothe restaurant early because
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they were there earlier thannormal where people go into the
drags the drag racing thenational drags here in Clermont,
Indiana.
and not to sound judgmental thanany one group of sports,
sporting goods, sporting typepeople are worse than another.
But this seemed to be anunusually Tough crowd. And one
of the things that I seem tonotice as I was sitting there
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reflecting on this message andgoing over and reading the
scriptures and had my coffee, myeggs I did this was just Do you
think my heart is this my heartis so much at the surface of
College Park today, I have somuch want people to love God
more as a result of being here,I so much want people to be
motivated the way they live therest of their life this week, I
want them to be encouraged andstrengthened. I myself want to
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get something out of thismessage and grow, I want to lift
up my voice praising God, I wantto say all other things that I
could do today don't have thepriority that that worshiping
God and lifting up my voice tomy God, who I love has, I want
this to be number one.
And I noticed with these guysthat all the conversation and
the talk and the cursing, andthe coarseness and the and the
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vulgar things said to thewaitresses, and the attitude
that was going on. Here it isdon't let your heart envy
centers don't don't just live asjust giving it anything you want
would always be zealous for thefear of the Lord, because
there's a future hope your hopewill not be cut off. You know
what that saying there? Otherpeople's hopes are cut off,
there is no hope for the wicked.
That's one of the great themesof the Old Testament. Don't let
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your heart and be sinnersbecause their hopes gonna be cut
off. Surely one day bang, it'sgonna be over no more hope,
eternal damnation for them. Soyou see, for the believer who
loves Jesus Christ and desiresto live for him, Your life
should be marked by hope. Hopeshould be a major thought in our
lives. One of the reasons weshouldn't be going around like
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this, it's so discouraging tosee Christians just all the time
defeated and discouraged andseeing complaints and trouble
coming out of their mouths this,Christians have missed hope. We
don't know what it is anymore.
One of the reasons we don't wantto do this anymore is because
we're so focused on this life,as long as you can't discount
the Bema. As long as you cut thenext life out, you will lose
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hope. As long as you just focuson yourself and on this life,
you will lose hope. It's a lawof diminishing return, the more
you give, just trying to getsomething out of this life, the
less satisfied you're going tobe. And the more you're gonna
have to try to give more. It's acruel taskmaster to try to live
as the Christian life forgettingthe Bema you can't do it.
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Now I want us to take the nextcouple of weeks to hit this word
whole pipe is planning on thisbeing one message on hope. But
I'll tell you it is so good. Ithas got such a grip on me that
we're there's there's no way Ican race through this without
and do justice to the wholething. Let's consider first off
a history of the word hope. Doyou know that in the great
cultures and religions of theworld to get this, there was no
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such thing as having a livinghope?
I don't know. One of the thingsthat I'm afraid of is that we're
going to become so familiar withholy things that we forget to
think about the blessings of thegospel. Though religions of the
world don't have a living hope.
Listen, man had to stand withouthope before hostile forces of
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guilt and death.
Seneca, one of the Greekreligious leader said hope
defined is uncertain good. Inother words, there's there's
maybe there's some good outthere. Maybe there isn't. It's
uncertain. I'm not sure.
deification in mortalitypromised by mystery religions
were considered human pipedreams. Imagine that. That's why
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the resurrection the Bema areall tied in together because
without the resurrected Christwho's conquered death and there
is nothing more than this lifeyou might as well just for
glyphs for go for all the gusto.
When you get to the OldTestament, you say the word hope
there are four main verbs forhope. But the idea of them is
this. It's it's like,Michelangelo is that David,
Michelangelo's David where he isstretching out towards God and
God is stretching out towardshim. The idea that okay, that's
(13:49):
not it. Okay, you're shaking asthough thank you for telling me.
But anyway, you know that youknow what I'm talking about
those guys that are stretchingout like the Greek type God
figures. Forget this pointillustration. All right. But
anyway, the idea here is this tostretch out. It's like the
runner at the tape stretching asfar as they can. But the idea is
to stretch out towards or toolong after the idea is to wait
long for something. That's theThat's the word hope in the Old
(14:11):
Testament. There's 146references in the Old Testament
to hope half of them aresecular, exactly half of them,
and half of them have to do withGod. Listen, the half that are
secular always say that hope isuseless. For instance, it says
in Proverbs 11, seven of foolshope will come to nothing. The
day they put their hope enricheswill be disappointed. You see,
(14:34):
it always means this you putyour hope in things outside of
God and is always going to bedisappointed that they're going
to fly away as if they hadwings, your riches will the
scripture says don't put yourhope in them. But the other half
of the usage of the word hope 73times it's always of the
faithful that is God's people.
(14:56):
And it always is this it'srooted in and founded in one
one object and that is your way.
God. The faithful God's peopleall through the Old Testament
had hope they had promised theyhad certain expectations, they
believe something greater wascoming. Why? Because of the
person of God. In other words,get this hope is directly
related to the character of God.
(15:19):
Hope is also directly related tothe promises of God, because of
we know who he is, and becauseyou know what he has promised,
we have hope.
For instance, Psalm 3318 saysthis, The eyes of the Lord are
upon those who fear him on thosewhose hope is in his unfailing
love.
(15:39):
That what is your hope in theirhope in the unfailing love of
God?
Psalm 147 11 says, this goodthis, the Lord delights in those
who fear him who put their hopein his unfailing love. If you
study the Old Testamentprophets, you will see that
their idea of Hope goes farbeyond just their own individual
(16:02):
life. It's the hope that Israelbe redeemed the hope that the
Messiah will come, the hope thatone day all of the promises
concerning him will be there.
And you know, one thing they'reconstantly fighting the Old
Testament prophets are alwaysconstantly fighting, the false
hope that the false prophetsgive. And they're always saying
like this, your sin isn'tserious.
You're don't worry, we're okay,peace, peace. Everything's gonna
(16:26):
be fine. And they, they findhope in something other than
God, we're not that bad. We'reokay. Don't worry, nothing bad's
gonna happen. And they'reconstantly fighting that, just
like today, people are wonderingwhy there is no hope. We've
taken God out of everything. Weno longer need God, we no longer
have a dependency.
Need of him to hope and him andto love Him and to be close to
(16:48):
him and to realize that he'sinvolved in every area of our
life instead, God's far away.
Remember, we started last week,false teachers. One thing you
listen to a false teacher, guesswhat happens? God is far away.
You keep studying the Biblewithout any belief that this
Bible is true. And you know whathappens? God's far away. He's
not involved in your life. He'snot close. He's not here. Ask
the Apostle Paul. How far awayis God the Lord is at hand Paul
(17:08):
says,but there's no hope when you get
away from understanding thepromises and the character of
God. And whenever Israel facedarkness and trouble all of a
sudden a prophet raised up andso many people look at the
prophets judgment God's gonnaget you they only get a certain
negative and down and they werebecause people were in said, but
when that judgmental messagecame home, every time a prophet
(17:31):
arises on the scene, guess whathappens hope a burst forth,
light comes dawning the into thedark room of the of the harder
the lives are the nation ofIsrael. And so with revelation
from God with the promises ofGod, come home, something else I
want you to consider. Do youknow that hope is one of the big
three? Think of that, you havethe inner circle of three. But
(17:53):
you have the three key words inthe Christian life. What are
they? faith, love, and hope.
First Corinthians 1313. Nowabideth are now remaineth love,
faith and hope in the greatestof these is love. But let's not
throw hope out as all not thatimportant, because the
scriptures also say, as we'reconsidering that very thing
(18:15):
about faith, hope and love. Thescriptures also say this
Colossians one, five, get this,the faith and love that sprang
from the hope of the stood upfor you and heaven. So there you
can't say one is is is withoutthe other. Love may be the
greatest because the Bible saysso but they are all intimately
related to one another lovefaith hope. In fact, the
(18:36):
Scripture does say listen, faithand love sprang from the hope
that is stored up in heavensprang from the fact that we
have a hope and heaven thatthere's a great future for us as
Christians should cause hope to,to burst forth in our lives.
Colin Brown said this hope issuch a fundamental part of the
Christian position that it isdescribed as a rebirth it can be
(18:56):
described as a rebirth to aliving hope. First Peter 113, we
have been born again on toliving hope. What a promise
there is in the Scripturesconcerning hope. And yet, don't
you think I do, I think thathope is probably the least known
and the least appreciated offaith, love and hope. I think we
have less understanding of whathope is than anything else. Do
(19:19):
you know that hope isdrastically important to your
life? Without hope? If you're aperson without hope you're a
person that fits the descriptionof one who's unsaved the
Scripture says about them whohave no hope it's talking about
the unsaved people. But we havehope in whatever situation we're
facing. There is hope because wehave a God who is faithful to
(19:41):
us. Ephesians listen to show youhow important hope is Ephesians
118 says this, I pray that theeyes of your heart may be in
line. Paul spent all that timewith the Ephesians and guess
what his prayer was for them.
Listen, I pray that the eyes ofyour heart may be enlightened
that you may know the hope towin which he has called you
(20:03):
the riches of His gloriousinheritance in the saints.
The desire Paul had, listen, weneed to know hope we need to
have a burst on our minds. Iwant to get out of ruts. I'm not
sure about you, I fight like adog to stay out of ruts to stay
out of the same old grind tostop appreciating things, Paul's
prayer for the Ephesians that hehad known and spent three years
(20:25):
ministering to them. So that'swhat I pray one thing for you
that is this, that you wouldunderstand the hope that you
have, that you will understandthe glorious riches that are in
Christ. What's he talking about?
He's talking about the Bema.
He's talking about heaven. He'stalking about the wonderful
splendor there'll be in alleternity for those that
thankfully, live for the Lordnow, foundation
(20:49):
to our Christian life, is thatwe have hope, and yet so many
Christians are hopelesslydiscouraged.
Why do you think that is?
Well, go with me to Romanschapter eight. And I want you to
see a very definition of hope.
Romans chapter eight.
And as we turn there,you will see with me, the very
(21:11):
definition of hope, is very muchlike faith. Remember,
faith is believing that what youcannot see, believing the
promises of God.
Starting with chapter eight, andlook at verse 24, of the book of
Romans, it says this, For thishis hope, excuse me, for in this
(21:34):
hope we were saved.
In what hope? Well, we get thehope that we will be redeemed
one day, the hope that allcreation is groaning with pain.
I'm talking about the versesbefore it will our redemption of
our bodies, we're talking aboutthe resurrection, we're talking
about the future and heaven.
That's the hope in which we'resaved that we'll have a future
in heaven a wonderful place tolook at this, but hope that is
seen is no hope at all. There'sno such thing of hope if you
(21:56):
already have something if I hadthe minibike I wouldn't be
hoping for the minibike. It wasmine. But if the fact that I
didn't have it would be the hopeyou see in the same it is for
heaven we were hoping forheaven. For in this hope we were
saved but hope that a seed hasno hope at all who hopes for
what he already has? Verse 25.
But if we hope for what we donot have we wait for it
(22:19):
patiently. We wait for itpatiently. That is this heaven.
That is any promise of God thatyou desire to be filled in your
life. Any promises God that youwant to see in your life that
promises that you claim to liveby there are times you have to
wait patiently you live in hope.
Living by hope is is a word verysimilar to living by faith.
(22:42):
When a man named th Tong saidthis about hope Listen, this
hope relates to salvation and isan essential Grace like faith
and love. But where faith refersto past and present hope
includes the future get this itsobject is the ultimate
blessedness of God's kingdom.
Its produces the moral fruits ofjoyful confidence in God
unashamed, patience andtribulation. By the way, that's
(23:03):
one of the teachings you'll seeit next week we'll spend more
time there but one of the greatthings is this trouble in your
life difficulty sufferingproblems in your life guess what
it says we wait with a hope itdoesn't make us ashamed we never
go like this it's cool to serveGod because look at all this
trouble that I have look at allthe dirt look at the dirt in the
retinas look at all this filtersright Oh, it must not be true
(23:23):
worries God I want the Biblesays this hope is this you're
not ashamed because you say eventhough it's tough to as Spurgeon
said just a few more stormy daysat most shall land me on fair
Canaan's coast. We wait we saylike there will there God's
promises is true, he will notlie. And I will wait unashamedly
even though the world may mockme like, like some more
(23:44):
illustrations that we'll get toin just a second. Let me finish
on here. It says it anticipatesactual righteousness. It's
called Good, blessed, glorious,it stabilizes the soul like an
anchor, by linking it to God'ssteadfastness. We'll see again
that next week to it fromHebrews. And it's generated in
the Old Testament fathers byGod's promise first given to
Abraham and then embraced byIsrael and proclaimed by Paul as
(24:05):
the hope of the gospel. Lookwith me as to how hope is
described.
Like this hope is described.
There's four adjectives here,referring to hope. If you want
to look at some of these verses,I appreciate if you'd follow
along with me. Look over lookover at First Thessalonians if
(24:26):
you would firstand start at Chapter Two with
me.
Second, Thessalonians that isI'm sorry. And start chapter two
and verse 16.
says thisMay our Lord Jesus Christ
(24:49):
Himself and God our Father, wholoved us, and by His grace gave
us eternal encouragement andgood hope
help encourage your hearts andstrengthen you and every good
deed word. Notice how it'slinked in with eternal
encouragement by God's grace.
It's a good hope. Titus two,that's actually verse 13, just
(25:10):
flipped over a couple of pagesthrough the past oriels and get
over to Titus chapter two. Andlet's look at verse 13.
And he says,Notice, verse 11, let's pick up
this whole context. It says, Forthe grace of God, that brings
salvation has appeared to allmen. It teaches us to say no to
(25:32):
ungodliness and worldly passionsinto live self controlled,
upright and godly lives in thispresent age. A lot of people
stop right there. And they allthey see is the conflict and the
fight and the battle. But noticewhat happens here. Verse 13,
says, while we wait for theblessed hope, the glorious
appearing of our great God andSavior, Jesus Christ.
(25:54):
You know, one of the greatthings about hope is the fact
that we absolutely know thattime is on our side. Think about
it. If you're living in sin, orif you're an unsafe person, and
you're going for the gusto, italways hurts you to age.
(26:15):
I came home yesterday. I wasfeeling bad. I just turned 33
last May. And they were wisewatching the national the World
Championships and track andfield and they go in now the
granddaddy of track and field 33year old Greg Foster.
That Can you believe it he'sstill leading the world? 33
years of age unbelievable, youknow, and they're talking about
Carlos 30 years old, still beingable to do what he can do. You
(26:38):
start to think about the unsafeperson or the person living in
sin has got to seize the moment.
They've got to grab on towhatever they can they got to
try to hang on to life becauseas time passes by all the
vacations coming to and howterrible no believers this, I
get closer to Heaven. I getcloser to my futures. I live for
him. There's a wonderful hope inmy life times on my side. It's a
terrible, terrible monster, tothe unsaved person. But to the
(27:00):
believer, we have a blessedhope. That's verse 13. Look what
it says. While we wait for theblessing, hope and the glorious
appearing of our great God andSavior, Jesus Christ. Notice
also, according to Hebrews sevenHebrews, by the way, talks so
much about hope. But Hebrewsseven says it's a better hope.
It's a better hope of thesacrificing animals. The hope
that we have is rooted in theperson of Jesus Christ. I love
(27:21):
this one though. First, Peter.
It's this. It's a living hope, ahope as we live, we are alive.
We're born again into a livinghope. What is the living hope as
we live, we have hope in ourhearts that Jesus Christ is all
our righteousness that one daywill be raised again, that one
day will be in Heaven with Him.
(27:41):
That oughta courageous. But Iwant you to see this. Almost, I
think more than anything else,where does hope come from? Look
at me to Romans 15 Four. BecauseI tell you, we have got to
settle this question of wherehope comes from because we try
getting hope from everythingelse. We put our hope in all
kinds of things that are goingto discourage us.
(28:02):
They're gonna leave us quiteempty. Hope comes from the
scriptures. This has got to beone of my very favorite verses
in the Bible. Lakota says,Romans 15 Four says this.
For everything that was writtenin the past, was written to
teach us so that you get this asong of the Old Testament. Why
(28:23):
was the Old Testament writteneverything that was written in
the Old Testament was written toteach us so that through
endurance, and the encouragementof the scriptures, we might have
hope? Why was the Old Testamentwritten? When you pick up your
Bibles and you go to the OldTestament, you want to say it is
written for this reason thatthrough the endurance of those
people, and through theencouragement of what God did
(28:45):
for those people, and duringtheir endurance, I could have
some hope.
Do you want to have some hope?
Read the Old Testament. Do youthink with me a second, what
about Joseph? You we do we dothis? My favorite Old Testament
character, I believe is Joseph,sitting there in prison, having
been hated by his brothershaving been raised in a home
full of immorality and andjealousies and dissensions and
(29:06):
his brothers never He spoke akind word to him. And here he is
in some foreign country sittingthere in prison. Then whenever
he gets promoted, and then thewife puts the the moves on and
what does he say? He says no.
And so what happens? He getsthrown back into prison. And
there he is. What are yousupposed to do when you read
that? You're supposed toremember? Yeah, chapters
3739 4041 doesn't sound good.
But chapter 49 and 50 is common.
(29:30):
What God does there's purpose inlife there's reason God's alive
God's real so whatever comes myway I can have some Oh God
wasn't done with Joseph eventhough he didn't sin. Or let's
turn to our dear friend job.
What do we learn from job? Thesame thing? We look at Job and
Job Why is all this happening?
Why is this trouble? Was Godsomehow not watching? Was God
(29:50):
somehow being cruel? Was Godsomehow bad? No, we see the
purpose How about when weconsider David, David's
anointed? You're gonna be kingby the prophet now.
That was I mean, that was it. Itwasn't like that was maybe type
of situation when Samuelanointed you and said, You're
gonna be the king, you're theking. And yet what happens? He
runs around in caves with agroup of worthless of fellows,
(30:13):
as the scripture says, hiding,being chased all the different
things that happened in the lifeof David, and yet they're
written so that you could havehope. What else? You see God
dealing with the nation ofIsrael, and you see them great
God bringing chastisement othernations more wicked than they
are starting to bother them.
What do we say? God is stillinvolved. He hasn't given up
(30:36):
their stories, and there's hope.
And we're supposed to get hopefrom the scriptures, that 19
Psalm says, some wonderfulthings I want to read a couple
to you quickly. You don't needto turn there. I'll just if you
want to, if you can beat me, youcan do it. But good, it says. It
says the law of the Lord isperfect, reviving the soul.
(30:57):
The statutes of the word oftrustworthy making wise, the
simple, the precepts of the Lordare right, giving joy to the
heart, the commands Lord ofradiant giving light to the
eyes, what is that joy? What isthis making us wise? What is it
reviving the soul? What is thatit's hope, hope that we get from
the Word of God. Listen,friends, as long as we look for
(31:18):
Hope outside of the scriptures,there be no hope. Hope comes
from the scriptures. We need tolove the scriptures. Embrace the
scriptures. You know, I can tellyou, in my own life, the times
when I'm hopeless, there's timeswhen I have forgotten what the
Word of God says and directlyapplied to my life. I forget
about that. And you know whathappens? Listen, you talk to
(31:40):
somebody who's been hopeless fora while, and pretty soon, even
when you read the scriptures,you read the Scriptures with
such hopelessness that justbounces like a, like a bat off
of a steel girder.
It has no penetration into yourheart. Why? Because you're going
with hopelessness to a bookthat's full of hope bursting
like a mighty fountain full ofhope. And I know of Christians
(32:04):
that are hopeless, and I'mwondering, how could it be? And
after I listened to him for Istarted thinking, maybe they're
right, I start getting hopeless.
You see what I have to I Ithappens to me again, and again,
if I'm not drinking at thefountain filled with hope,
taking it in drinking it andthinking about it, letting it
revolve in my mind. That's onereason why we we see again, that
when there isn't expositorypreaching, when there isn't the
(32:26):
Bible being taught, the peoplebecome hopeless, God seems far
away, it doesn't really matterand to live for him. Oh, yeah.
Don't be so serious. Don't getso ridiculous about all this,
because we've lost our hope. Youknow, something, hope also comes
from God. These are directreferences, by the way, look at
your in 15, sizable accounts,verse 13. May the God of hope,
fill you with joy and peace, asyou trust in Him so that you may
(32:49):
overflow with hope, by the powerof the Holy Spirit, the God of
hope, isn't it interesting? Youget to the 15th chapter, he's
concluding the great message ofsalvation. What is the greatest
doctrinal instruction onsalvation that there is the book
of Romans, you get to the 15thchapter, he's just start talking
about hope. It's from thescriptures. It's from God. It's
also from the Holy Spirit rightthere. You can see that, how
(33:10):
about this? I'm not gonna havethe time to tell you a turn
there. It's from the gospel.
It's from Christ being in you.
This is a great one. It's frompeople, you minister to Paul
says, Concerning theThessalonians, what is our hope
and joy at his presence? What isour hope and joy at the Bema?
You know, what the hope and joyis that the Bema, that the
people that you've ministeredto, had live lives that also get
(33:31):
rewards at the beam. But that'sa hope. In other words, that
here's one of the few placesoutside of God and the gospel in
the scriptures. The only placethat I know of in the Bible
outside of God, the Holy Spirit,God, the Father, God the Son,
and the gospel message or thescriptures that you can have
hope, and that is hoping peoplethat are growing and living
First Thessalonians 219 20 saysthat you can look at it later.
(33:54):
There's hope in Christ JesusChrist being in you, by the way
is hope, Titus hope of eternallife that we have, and also the
return of Christ, which we havealready seen. Hope comes from
these places hope ought to bebig a time in our life. It ought
to be dominating our thoughts.
(34:14):
We got to be thinking about itall the time.
But now, listen then,to what one man said.
As to whypeople are so hopeless and then
let's apply that to our liveshere. Listen.
Satan's first attack upon thehuman race was his sly effort to
(34:39):
destroy Eve's confidence in thekindness of God. You hear that?
The first attack Saint nevermade was to destroy Eve's
confidence in the kindness ofGod see, if your confidence what
is the word confidence by theway, hope
he was to destroy hope God isn'treally kind remember what he
said to Eve that day? Ah,Ah, you won't die. That's not
(35:00):
true. In other words, God's wordand true what else do you say?
God knows the day you eat orthat you're gonna be like him?
In other words, listen to thetwo attacks of Satan first made,
don't let him get us let's don'tlet them get us guys come on,
you want it is that the word ofGod really isn't true. And that
God somehow really isn't good.
(35:22):
Now listen to me, I tell you,it's come truth from my life.
And I've heard it come forthfrom people that are Christians,
that God isn't good, thatsomehow the the doctrine of of
the Bible concerning God isn'tgood somehow it's unfair what
had happened, somehow it God isunjust, and and we have this
(35:43):
view, as we have towards allauthority, that somehow it's
bad, and God is included inthat, that you've been searching
the devil must be good.
I got him.
Now, I don't say that to befunny. I say that because there
is a true spiritual warfaregoing on with God, the devil who
hates your soul, who hates Godwho hates the captain of our
(36:04):
salvation, so passionately, muchthat He will do anything he can
to get you to think that God hasnot been fair to you, or God is
somehow not kind.
Oh, my friends don't allow thatfirst lie that he continues to
use. We are not in here enoughas devices to get you. He is a
God that is abundantly good. TheScripture says, Listen, from
(36:26):
that day, men have had a falseconception of God the day of the
fall, Adam and Eve.
Nothing twist the soul more thanlow or unworthy view of God. The
God of the kibbutz get thisplease get this the God of the
Pharisees is not an easy God tolive with.
(36:47):
The God of the Pharisees is atough mean harsh God. Listen.
From a failure properly tounderstand God comes a world of
unhappiness among goodChristians even today. You hear
that?
From a failure to properlyunderstand God comes a world of
unhappiness among goodChristians even today. The
(37:08):
Christian life is thought to beglum, unrelieved cross carrying
under the eye of the sternfather who expects much and
excuses nothing. The truth is,please, please, my friends,
listen to this, this will giveyou hope this will set you free.
The truth is that God is themost winsome of all beings, and
(37:31):
his service one of unspeakablepleasure. He loves us for
ourselves, and values our lovemore than the galaxies of new
created worlds.
Unfortunately, many Christianscannot get free from their
perverted notions of God.
(37:52):
And these notions poison theirhearts and destroy their inward
freedom. These friends serve Godgrimly, as the elder brother did
doing what is right withoutenthusiasm and joy.
How God how good it would be ifwe could learn that God is easy
(38:13):
to live with. Thank you. AWTozer.
God is easy to live with. He's aGod that loves us. He's a God
that cares about us. We have wehave been so many people. And I
don't know why this is but somany people in Baptist churches
have come up and it's this Oh,God is somehow mean harsh,
unforgiving, some guy that youcannot please some guy that's
(38:33):
all the time giving you one ofthese. You're going through life
just constantly burden, a guythat's far away and God has me
and God blesses some people whowon't bless me.
I'll tell you friends, we mustthink properly about God if
we're going to have any hope.
You see, there's no hope ifyou're serving a God that you
(38:54):
don't like. Let me say thatagain.
You're struggling in devotions.
I want to just tell you, itmight be that you don't like god
(39:14):
there's not gonna be hope ifyou're serving a God that you
don't respect.
You know, there's not gonna behope in your life if you're
serving a God that you don'tadore.
How many people I know pastors,Christians for years,
(39:38):
and instead of growinggratitude, because of a greater
understanding of God is growingin gratitude and bitterness.
Hope confident expectation thatall God's promises are true and
conditional certaintyAt the Bema, that the
(40:00):
resurrection of the righteousheaven will be, as Paul
described at the I have not seeneither as the or heard, neither
has entered into the heart ofman the things which God has
prepared for them to love him,Oh, my friends.
Let's don't be this unhappygroup of Christians, because we
serve a God of our minds insteadof a god of the scriptures.
(40:24):
Let's pray.
Our Father,we are so guilty. I am I'm first
and most guilty in this roomof having a Pharisee uncle view
of youof somehow thinking that you are
not the most winsome, the mostapproachable, the most loving,
the most kind, the mostgenerous.
(40:49):
So much beyond the kindest angelor the nicest person I've ever
met, that there would be nocomparison. And yet, Father, I
my views have been so pervertedmyself and I, I thank you that
this message has sprung hope inmy life.
I'll save us father from being areligious group of people that
(41:12):
that say with a man who had justone talent and buried it said
that he knew you were a hardtaskmaster
caused joy to bound in ourhearts with confidence, the hope
that gives confidencepray this in Jesus name. Amen.
(41:36):
Before I let you go here, I mustsay this to you. If you're here
this morning and you don't knowJesus Christ as your personal
Savior, my friend. That's thestep to hope that is the step to
all of your sins are forgiven.
And all of his righteousness isput on your account. And if you
would like to know how you couldhave Jesus as your personal
Savior, I give you thisinvitation to come and see me
(41:57):
and talk to me about it. We'lltalk either today or set
something up this week. Thankyou for your good attention.
Sunday school started about 10minutes and you're dismissed
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