REVIVING YOUR 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.
There are times when circumstances can overwhelm us. We can easily become
frustrated and lose hope. There are over 2000 deaths a day in the US, due to Covid 19.
We average one mass murder a day across the US. Crime is on the rise. Concerns
for the safety of our families, rising costs, our ability to pay bills, and keeping
food on our tables are some of the things we face daily. It is easy to lose sight of the fact
that God is still in control. Hope for today and the future can at times seem very dim.
If God is in control, we may wonder why there is so much pressure on us to survive.
Why is so difficult to just make it through the day?
We are in the holiday season when the pressure to buy gifts for the family is building.
With our budgets already stretched to the max, what can we do to ease the pain of living?
Understandable, we are worried about the future, The old saying “Keep Hope Alive”
is difficult to visualize.
To understand what we are facing we must distinguish worldly hope from Christian Hope
Webster’s Definition
Hope as a noun: to cherish a desire with anticipation, to want something to happen or be true .
Hope as a verb: to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment.
The worldly definition of hope has an element of doubt. It could happen, I want it to happen, but
it may not happen. Worldly hope is based on our circumstances, experiences and, capabilities.
Hope in the Bible is a divine word.
It means to expect with confidence, to anticipate knowing; to look and long for with assurance.
CHRISTIAN HOPE COMES FROM GOD
It does not come from us, nor is it based on us.
Romans 5:1-3
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
It is easy to quote a scripture. It difficult to believe in it when things are falling a apart.
It is difficult to apply scripture to our lives when relief is not in sight.
How can we have hope when there seems to be no help?
Christians all over the world face the same problems as the world. What makes us
different? It is our hope in the promises of the Lord.
The problem with Christian hope is it starts small with the promises of Jesus, and
has to be nurtured to grow in wisdom and confidence. It is our confidence in the
Word of God that’s the problem.
Some mature Christians and, babes in Christ have the most difficulty in troubled times.
Christian hope is based on God’s love for us and carries no doubt. It is doubt part
we have rid ourselves of to grow in faith.
Our daily prayer should be “Lord Help My Unbelief”. Christian hope does not
exist in doubt.
Romans 15:13 Is Our Text for this lesson
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.
GOD IS OUR HOPE
Christian hope is an exercise of faith
Matthew 12:21
In his name the nations will put their hope.\”
Christian Hope is not natural. It is a gift from God.
Christian hope is not temporary but eternal. God has no beginning or end.
He always existed. Therefore, our hope has no beginning or end.
Christians have a promise of fulfillment in their hope.
For the nonbeliever, there is no promise of fulfillment. There is only doubt.
Doubt is overcome by faith. The reward of faith is peace, God’s grace, and joy.
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.
Our text gives us a number of elements to consider.
CHRISTIAN HOPE COMES FROM GOD
You can only experience divine hope if you fully trust God
God is your hope, not the world and all its circumstances.
You must conclude that the promises God makes to you as a believer
in Jesus Christ still stands in spite of your situation.
CHRISTIAN HOPE IS TRUSTING GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE
Christian hope is trusting God’s will for your life
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
A word of caution, before you can apply scripture, you must know scripture.
Before you can know scripture you must study scripture in its context.
It is our ignorance that blocks the development of our faith in the Word.
You can’t apply scripture to your situation when your actions don’t match up
with requirements given in the scripture.
For example, Proverbs 3:5 says “with all your heart”. That means you have to
eliminate any doubt.
Proverbs 3:5 says “lean not on your own understanding”. That means don’t limit
God’s blessing by what you understand. What you see as possible is not God’s
concern.
Proverbs 3 says to trust God, not you, not the man, and not your job. Trust God
CHRISTIAN HOPE REQUIRES PATIENCE
Hebrews 6:12
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
You have to get it in your head that God is not on your schedule. You got to wait on the Lord’s timing.
Lazy is doing nothing. We have to endure what we are facing with hope. You must exercise a
measure of faith. Don’t start crying when it starts raining, God has given you an umbrella of hope.
You inherit what is promised by your own actions.
CHRISTIAN HOPE IS UNWAVERING
James 1:6-8
But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
You can’t believe today and not believe tomorrow. You can’t believe the Word when you understand and not believe the same Word when you don’t understand. Your circumstance does not change God’s ability to answer your prayer. Any doubt is unbelief in God.
CHRISTIAN HOPE IS NOT TEMPORARY, BUT ETERNAL
1 John 5:11-12
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Christian hope is not based on circumstances
Your circumstances will change from day to day. But God does not change
Jesus said heaven and earth will pass away, but my Word will never pass away.
What the Lord said He will do, He will do.
CHRISTIAN HOPE IS NOT SELFISH
Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Everyone has problems and issues they deal with. In prayer, we can’t just consider ourselves,
but pray for the needs of others. Every individual is important to God.
CHRISTIAN HOPE FILLS YOU WITH JOY
The text says the God of Hope fills you with all joy. All joy, not some joy.
We have been given the mindset the be joyful in all situations, good or bad.
The filling of joy is a continuing process with your trust in God
To me this says, there are times and circumstances when your joy will fade away.
When trouble arises you can lose sight of God who is the author of your Joy.
We can get so caught up in our circumstances that we forget that God is in the
circumstances with us. He did say, He would never leave us or forsake us.
When we see our joy fading away, we need to stop, take a breath, and let the
God of our hope fill us back with joy. It is just recognizing that God allows
stuff to happen to build our trust in Him and thus strengthen our joy.
CHRISTIAN HOPE BRINGS PEACE IN BELIEVING
Christian Hope brings peace into your life.
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
We can be peaceful in times of trouble because God gives it to us.
We have to practice being peaceful with ourselves at all times. We should never fail
to realize that it is Jesus that provides peace. Peace is independent of your circumstances.
Jesus is the source of your peace. It is a free gift. You have to accept Jesus’ peace.
Even the faith you have did not originate with you. The Word says that each is given
a measure of faith.
God’s peace comes with no trouble. Why? Because Jesus settled your troubles
The peace that you enjoy come from the faith you have in Jesus your problem-solver.
CHRISTIAN HOPE IS A GROWING PROCESS
Look at the text again
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.
Hope overflows as you trust Christ.
You are not born with hope, you grow in hope by trusting God.
Learning to trust God is a growing process.
Trust or faith grows because of the trials and tribulations God allows in your life.
What you going through at this present time is designed by God to grow your faith.
Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
HOPE GROWS THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Every believer in Jesus Christ has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
You have the power within you to overcome all problems.
First, you have a counselor
Second, you have a teacher
Third, you have access to the Holy Spirit\’s power
Forth, you have inside of you the one who will remind you of all the promises of God
WHAT DOES CHRISTIAN HOPE LOOK LIKE?
It is not fear:
2 Timothy 1:7-8
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and a sound mind.
It is not anger: Ephesians 4:31
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, and slander, along with every form of malice.
It is not worry:
Luke 12:31-32
It is not lust:
1 John 2:16-17
For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world.
It is Confidence
1 John 5:14-15
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him.
It is Peace peaceful living
John 14:27
It is Joyful living
Matthew 5:12-13
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
4. It is loving everyone you come in contact with
Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus replied: \”\’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.\’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: \’Love your neighbor as yourself.\’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.\”
5. It is serving God
Romans 15:17
6. It is gratefulness
SUMMARY
CHRISTIAN HOPE COMES FROM GOD
CHRISTIAN HOPE GROWS BY TRUSTING GOD
CHRISTIAN HOPE BRINGS JOY AND PEACE IN BELIEVING
CHRISTIAN HOPE IS POWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
CLASS QUESTIONS
HOW CAN HOPE OVERCOME ALL YOUR FEARS?
HOW CAN HOPE BE THE SOLUTION TO ALL PROBLEMS?
HOW CAN HOPE LET YOU LIVE IN JOY AND
PEACE?
