The Christian's Hope - Terry Osburn

We want to talk a little bit about the hope that a Christian

has, you know. It seems like that we look at

the news today and we it doesn't give us a whole lot of hope we

see all the things that are happening.

Sometimes we just sit there and just wonder what's going to

happen next. We shake our heads, we get

concerned about the things that are happening in the world.

Today, we see that the terrorism we see killings, we see,

Bombings going on throughout the world.

We see it almost daily on the evening news.

We hear about those that are being persecuted because of

their faith here just recently. We've heard about killings of

Christians in other foreign countries and maybe even here in

this nation. When we talk about things a

little bit closer to home, we hear about children being abused

by their parents and maybe even others We see this sexually

saturated environment that we live in this culture that we

live live in today, and we're not long ago, things that would

be embarrassing to several. Just don't seem to be

embarrassing anymore. I've noticed recently that

leaders of large corporations of products that we use from time

to time are now feel the need to interject homosexuality

Lifestyles into their advertisements.

And we're just getting bombarded with all these things that are

going on in the world and around us.

And it's almost like we almost can't see anything else.

Even get a little bit more personal we and closer to home.

We may have individuals in our families that are struggling

with sickness, start struggling with some kind of disease that

they may never be able to get rid of, Or you see something in

in certain stages of their life, that there is seems to be not

much improvement in their physical life.

Or you may have a loved one. Who is spiritually lost?

Not at all interested in the things of God or has gone off

and separated themselves from God.

Perhaps we're stuck in an awful job and we don't know how in the

world we're going to get out and we need to pay our bills.

We need to make the money to where we can prosper and feed

our families but we're just not happy with things that are going

on in Life. Or maybe the bad job is just

seems overwhelming. Might even have a problem with

sin in your life and we can't seem to maybe get over the top

and get rid of this sin that's in our life.

Maybe we've struggled with it for years and years and we can't

don't seem to be able to getting be getting anywhere with it and

all of this causes sometimes physical pain with in our lives

but it's often the emotional pain.

That's so much difficult, more difficult to deal with an

overwhelming. And it's not it's not our only

enough to make you feel hopeless, but it gives us a

sense and a feeling of despair. Despair is a loss of Hope.

You ever felt like that? Sometimes we might have that

feeling like there is not going to get anything is not going to

get better and there's no hope that's a feeling of Despair.

Despair is the opposite of Hope. To despair means to be hopeless,

to have, no, hope to give up all hope or expectation to be

overcome by a sense of futility or defeat.

And we ever felt that way is from the Latin word dispare this

despair. This Ferrari I guess I'm not a I

don't know Latin in other words so which means literally to be

hopeless. Despair and hopelessness or

defined by scripture as being without God Ephesians 2 and

verses 12 through 13. That at that time you were

without Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel

and strangers from the covenants of Promise having no hope and

without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who

once were far off, have been brought near by the blood of

Christ. Iced.

So what a despairing place to be in what a, what a terrible place

to be in without any hope and people that are without God, are

those that are without hope being without hope goes

together, with being with God, and if you're without God,

you're without hope. So, it's sin.

That separates us from God and takes away, Our Hope, Romans 3,

and verses verse 23, for all have sinned and fallen short of

the glory of God Romans 6:23 for the wages of sin is death, but

Romans 6:23

the gift of God is eternal life in Christ.

Jesus, our lord, and Paul also instructed the church in

thessalonica, not to grieve as others who have no hope.

So sin is what causes, no hope sin living outside of God,

living without God in our life sin is what separates us from

God. So often in our lives and

certain situation, there are times when we feel that there's

little or no, hope we may tend to lose our grip on hope, if not

completely permanently, maybe temporarily We feel a sense of

Despair and hopelessness but I want to notice though that God

can help us to strengthen our grip on the hope that only he

can bring us. We often had sing the song that

says my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and

righteousness, I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly

lean on Jesus name, on Christ, the solid rock.

I stand all other ground is sinking sand.

All other ground is sinking sand.

One thing that we want to notice is what hope is not.

Listen to what Webster's Dictionary defines, hope as in

our way that we typically use hope today.

Webster says it is to want something to happen or be true

and think that it could happen or be true.

This is the way that we typically think of hope it's

this is more of a feeling and wishes in other words, just for

illustration we might say, I hope it doesn't rain.

Tomorrow or get too hot tomorrow.

That's a wish. I hope we catch some fish.

How many times have we said that?

I hope I get that job. I hope that thing that thing is

not poisonous. I hope Terry's lesson is not too

long. How many of us hope for that?

That's a wish may not come true. And all of us have a hope of the

Dodgers winning or the Rams winning or the Lakers, or the

Cowboys of winning that game. Those are wishes.

You see that's wishful thinking. That's, that's the hope that we

typically use today. And the scriptures hope is

different than wishful thinking. Notice what Vines expository

dictionary of New Testament words defines hope as in the New

Testament favorable and confident expectation.

It has to do with the Unseen and the future Baker's Bible

dictionary says, hope means to trust in.

Wait for look for or desire, something or someone or to

expect something beneficial in the future, looking with x,

Spect a ssion is akin to hoping, so there's always waiting

there's always confident expectation involved in hope.

That's not wishful thinking. It is the expectation that

something will happen. Now, if I stick my finger in the

fire, I can expect it to get burned.

That's not what you know that's pretty much a true thing so it

is confident expectation that something will happen and we're

going to notice more about that as we go on.

Listen to Romans 8, and verse 32, 23 through 25.

Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the

spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves eagerly

waiting. The adoption, the Redemption of

our body for, we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen

is not hope. For why does one still hope for

what he sees. But if we hope for what we do,

not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

So it's something we don't see, but we wait for it with

perseverance when we see it, when we've already obtained it,

it's not hope any longer as what he's saying, we eagerly wait for

it, with perseverance so we can see the contrast between the

biblical. Hope that is talked about, which

is sure and certain, and the common understanding of hope

that we may have today, which is wishful thinking.

There's a story about a self-made millionaire.

That who completely changed the lives of some sixth grade

students in in New York in East. Harlem, this man had been asked

to speak to a class of students and he wondered how in the world

he would, he would even get them to even look at him.

And so he threw his notes away and he thought he'd just speak

from his heart. He says, stay in school.

And he said, if you stay in school, I'll pay your tuition to

college. Well, all of a sudden, these

kids had some hope. They had some hope, they had

some expectation of something that was going to be beneficial

to them later on. One student said I had something

to look forward to something waiting for him.

For me, it was a golden feeling and nearly 90% of the students

graduated high school. Before that, it's likely that

many of those six graders would even have graduated.

He gave them something to look forward to as well as the

foundation of their hope. That one student said I had

something to look forward to something waiting for me.

So we when we think about hope the question may come up or do

we get hope? Where do we get hope.

We get Hope by reading our Bible.

The word of God is a book of Hope.

Romans 15 verse 4, for whatever things were written, before were

Romans 15:4

written for our learning that through the patience and comfort

of the scriptures, we might have hope Some people get just

hopeless maybe we're not reading our Bibles away.

We ought to be reading them. Maybe we're not studying God's

word, maybe we're not being encouraged.

We're not being lifted up because we're not reading the

things that Comfort us as Christians.

It offers hope for all of life. It offers hope for the sick that

offers hope in our relationships.

It offers hope for the loved ones who at whenever they're in

a spiritual or spiritual or physical sickness in life.

It offers hope for most challenging problems that we

face in this life. It even offers hope for the

things we look for and look around at, in this world, it

offers us. Expectation of things getting

better. It's easy to say that our hope

is in God's promise. It's harder to to live.

Like we believe it and draw strength and encouragement.

From our hope, we need to try to remember that.

These are promises from God What is the hope of the Christian?

The Christian hope. Is a hope of inheritance.

First Peter, 1 verses 3 through 4 blessed.

1 Peter 1:3–4

Be the God and father of our Lord, Jesus Christ who according

to His, abundant Mercy, has begotten us to a Living Hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

From the dead to an inheritance Incorruptible and undefiled and

that does not fade away reserved in heaven for you.

So it gives us a hope of inheritance, the Christian has a

hope of Eternal life notice Titus 1 and 2 in Hope of eternal

life which God who cannot lie promised Before Time began.

Notice Titus 3 and verse 7 that having been justified by his

grace, we should become errors according to the hope of eternal

life. And also, it's the love.

That God has for us through Jesus Christ.

That allows those of us who have been baptized, who are believers

who have obeyed, the gospel Plan of Salvation, and to spend

eternity with him. Notice first, John, four, and

verse 10. And this is love not that, we

believe that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his

son to be the propitiation for our sins, John 3, and verse 16

for God. So loved the world that he gave

his only begotten, son, that whosoever believes As in him,

should not perish but have everlasting.

Life Acts 2 and verse 38 and then Peter said to them, repent.

And let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus

Christ for the remission of your sins and you shall receive the

gift of the holy spirit. So the hope of Salvation is what

keeps us going through this life here on Earth.

It's what it's what maintains us.

It's what holds us together. Emotionally.

Spiritually. While we're here on this Earth

of sin. All these things going on around

us. If we have that hope.

What do we care? We have something so much better

to look forward to. When we look at God and we look

at the hope of Eternal salvation.

We look at Evan. We look towards that goal.

We have so much hope and God's love is what allows that to

happen. How can we assure ourselves of

this? Hope we can know Second

2 Corinthians 5:1–2

Corinthians 5 verses 1 through 2.

For we know that if our Earthly house the house, the world that

we live in right now. This tent is destroyed.

We have a building from God a house not made with hands

Eternal in the heavens for in this week groan earnestly

Desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from Heaven.

Wow. This whole world could be

completely destroyed and we still have a house not built

with hands. God has reserved and placed in

heaven for us when we leave this world.

How can we know by believing obeying?

What God has said in his written word?

First, John 5 verse 13. These things I have written to

John 5:13

you, who believe, in the name of the son of God, that you may

know. That you have eternal life.

And that you may continue to believe in the name of the son

of God. We can know we can have

assurance and we can have hope in reaching Heaven by following

God by obeying his will by realizing his love for us in

obeying the gospel and being baptized into Christ.

We're going to notice more about that.

Well, what are the blessings enjoyed in eternal life?

Well. We've talked about this

recently. I've been talking with some

others recently about this. We get new bodies.

Or sometimes we roll out of bed. And we just ache from one end to

the other. Maybe we're not even able to

walk. I know some that are not even

able to walk. I know some that have physical

afflictions and ailments in their life, but you know what?

In heaven. The hope is we get a new body.

Our bodies will change notice Philippians 3, and verse 21 who

will transform our lowly body. The bodies that we have now that

it may be conformed to his glorious body according to the

working by which he is able even to him subdue, all things to

himself. We find that we will be like him

First John 3 and verse two beloved.

Now, we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed

what we shall be, but we know That when he is revealed.

We shall be like him. For we shall see him as he is.

All these eggs. These pains these problems that

we have in this life being may be crippled, maybe being

bedridden baby being not able to walk.

Maybe having all kinds of difficulties in this life.

We get a new body. What a hope?

What's something to look forward to?

We also realize that we'll be able to enjoy the Mansions or

The Dwelling Places. John 14 and verses 1 through 3.

Let not your heart, be troubled, you believe in God believe.

Also in me and my father's house are many mansions or Dwelling

Places if it were not. So I would have told you I go to

prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you, I

will come. Again, and receive you to myself

that where I am, there you may be.

Also, why would he go and prepare a place if he wasn't

expecting to have someone stay there.

He's expecting us to stay there. He's expecting all of us.

The deal with this world to have a place that is free from all

that. Separated from the world.

Nothing that we live that we that we have problems with.

In this world will be allowed into heaven and what a blessing

that will be. We have a place that has a

better country, Hebrews 11 verse 16, but now they desire a better

Hebrews 11:16

that is a Heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to

be called their God for. He has prepared a city for them

a country. Or we don't have the problems

that we do today. Wow.

How much are we looking forward to that?

You'll also find a rest Hebrews 4 and verses 9 through 11.

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God for he who

has entered his rest has himself.

Also seized from his works as God did from his Let us

therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall

according to the same example of disobedience.

Who will receive this rest. Those who die in the Lord.

Notice Revelation 14 verse 13, then I Heard a Voice from Heaven

Revelation 14:13

saying unto me, write blessed are the Dead who die in the Lord

from now on, yes says the spirit that they may rest from their

labors and their works. Follow them.

You know, how good it is to how wonderful it feels to come in

from A Hard Day's Work and sit down and rest.

When we labor here on this Earth, a putting up with all the

things of this Earth that Satan has put in front of us, we deal

with all the issues that we talked at about at the beginning

of the lesson. We are so worried and we're so

concerned, sometimes about all those things, one of these days

we get to rest from all that. We don't have to put up with

that anymore. What a blessing.

We are as the old song says we are Standing on the Promises of

God, that's hope. How do we obtain this hope?

We attain it by hearing the word of God, Romans 10 verse 17.

Romans 10:17

So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

We also obtained this. Hope by believing what he what

we've heard and studied Hebrews 11 verse 6, but without faith,

Hebrews 11:6

it is impossible to please him for, he who comes to God, must

believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who

diligently diligently seek him. We also obtain this Hope by

repenting. In another words, a change of

will which results in a change of mind?

Which results in a change of life.

Jesus said in Luke 13 and verse 3, I tell you, no, but unless

you repent, you will all likewise perish.

The Apostle Paul said in Acts 17 to verse 30 truly these times of

ignorance, God, overlooked. But now commands, all men

everywhere to repent X 2, and verse 37, and 38.

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said

to Peter and the rest of the Apostles men and Brethren.

What shall we do? Then Peter said to them, repent,

and be baptized and repent. And let every one of you be

baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins

and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We also obtained this. Hope by confessing the name of

Christ. In other words, what we believe

Paul writing to the church in Rome said in Romans 10 verses 9

Romans 10:9–10

through 10 that if you confess with your mouth, the Lord Jesus,

and believe in your heart, that God has raised him from the

dead. You will be saved for with the

Hartman. One Believes unto righteousness

and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

We're not quite there yet. There's an example of this

happening in Acts 18 verses 36 through 37.

Now, as they went down the road, they came to some water and the

eunuch said, see here is water. What hinders me from being

baptized and Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, you

may any answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the

Son of God. That's the confession that we

make of our faith. That we believe that Jesus

Christ is the Son of God. And then the final step that

allows us to be a participant in, this hope is being baptized

into the body of Christ, Galatians, 3 and verses 27.

And 28, for, as many of you as were baptized into Christ, have

put on Christ There is neither Jew.

Nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free.

There is neither male nor female for you are all one in Christ,

Jesus. So baptism transforms us from an

unsaved condition having no hope.

That unsafe condition is a is a condition of hopelessness of

Despair have no hope of eternal life and it changes us from that

condition. To a saved condition of now

having the hope of eternal life. Baptism saves us first Peter 3,

and verse 21 there is also an antitype which now saves us.

Baptism, not the removal of the filth of the filth of the flesh,

but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through

the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Mark 16 and 16. He who believes and is baptized

will be saved but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Why does baptism save us? Because it washes away, our sins

sin is what separates us from God.

Remember, sin is what keeps us from having that.

Hope that Eternal hope soon, is what keeps us from being able to

participate in all the things that God has prepared for us

notice in Acts the second chapter, 20 second chapter verse

16. And now why are you waiting

arise and be baptized and wash away your sins?

Calling on the name of the Lord. So when the sins are washed away

now we have fellowship with God. Now we have the blessings that

God has prepared for us. What do we do after we attain

this hope? We keep ourselves pure from the

world. First John 3 and verses 1

through 3 behold, what manner of love.

The father has bestowed on us that we should be called the

children of God. Therefore, the world does not

know us because it did not know him.

Beloved now, we are children of God, and it is has not yet been

revealed what we shall be. But we know that when he is

revealed we shall be like him for.

We shall be like him was so before because for we shall

She'll see him as he is, excuse me and everyone who has this

hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.

So we continue to purify ourselves, we can continue to

keep ourselves pure and separated from the world.

Don't don't go back into sin. Don't leave God, don't separate

yourself from God. Keep yourself pure in this world

that we live in. We live righteously.

Also, tied his 2 and verses 11 and 13 for the So God, that

brings salvation has appeared to all men teaching us that denying

ungodliness and worldly lusts. We should live soberly

righteously and godly in the present age.

Looking for the Blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great

God and Savior Jesus Christ. So, we separate ourselves, we

deny the ungodliness and worldly lusts.

And we live, soberly and righteously, while we're here on

this Earth, even though we put up with so much.

We still have to remain pure. The Hope talked about in the

scriptures is available, only to the Believers, isn't it

comforting than in the midst of this sinful world, we live in,

we can have Assurance in something we can have faith and

assurance and something a promise that was made by God to

those who obey him and serve him.

We sometimes have that feeling of despair.

But all we need to do is look to God for the hope.

Our hope is an anchor. Hebrews 16 or 6 in verses 17

through 19. Thus God determined to show more

abundantly to The Heirs of Promise, the immutability of his

counsel confirmed, it by an oath.

That by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God

to lie. We might have a strong

consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold of the Hope

set before us. This hope we have as an anchor

of the Soul, both sure and steadfast Shannon fed steadfast

and which enters the presence behind the veil.

Mark Bailey writing in his commentary talks about these two

immutable things. He says they are defines this

word immutable basically means fixed or unalterable, that means

whatever it is. It is and it can't be changed.

It's unalterable. And these things are it is

impossible for God to break, promise talked about in the

previous verses. And is impossible for God to MIT

misrepresent and oath. Therefore, it will be fulfilled.

He goes on to talk about this strong.

Consolation both of these truths that is it is impossible for God

to break a promise and it is impossible for God not to

fulfill an oath or made. That all Christians will have a

strong. Consolation, the term strong

means something that is firm or sure, and the term consolation

means comfort. Or possibly better

encouragement. As it is translated in the

revised version, every promise of God is or will be fulfilled

and is unchangeable and is comforting for those who are his

children. fled for Refugee, Emser says, This phrase is based

on a provision. Under the Mosaic law system

whereby persons accused of a crime.

Whether guilty are not could flee to a place called as City

of Refuge. Today, the only place where the

sinner can find Refuge is in the church is in the body of Christ.

We find Refuge from Satan in the church.

He goes on to say, Mark, Bailey goes on to say about verse 19.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul.

The anchor in ancient times was as well as in modern times, it's

used as a symbol of Hope. In this passage it is used

figuratively signifying. A safeguard the Christians.

Anchor is his hope of Salvation in Jesus Christ.

As long as he maintains his hope and it remains steadfast, there

is hope for salvation. But he, who loses his anchor, he

loses his salvation and Jesus Christ.

And he goes on to talk about both.

Sure, and steadfast the adjectives.

Sure. And steadfast indicate that a

Christian is Hope is unfailing and firmly fixed.

The Christian spiritual anchor or hope is sure and steadfast

and it can be trusted. I don't know how many of us have

been in a boat from time to time and and we put the anchor out

there. And, you know, I've sometimes

thought I had a good, a good. Hold on the bottom and it's just

been in sand and it just pulls. You along.

Pulls you either Downstream or the wind pushes out a way?

I didn't have a sure anchor, it wasn't steadfast.

It wasn't sure if I get that thing hooked on a rock.

And sometimes I've had an anchor Hooked On a Rock so bad, I'm

like, the never got it off there.

That's what Jesus Christ. Christ is That's the anchor that

we place our faith. In Our Hope in is Jesus Christ.

The Rock of our salvation In 1882 Priscilla, Jane Owens.

A 49 year old school teacher from Baltimore wrote these

words, Will your anchor hold in the storm of life when the

clouds and fold their wings of strife?

When the strong Tides lift, and the cables strain, will your

anchor drift or firm remain? It is safely moored till the

storms withstand forces, well, secured by the savior's hand,

and the cables passed from his heart to mind, can defy that

blast through strengths Divine, it will surely hold in The

Straits of fear When the breakers have told that the reef

is near through, the Tempest, do the Tempest Rave and the wild

winds blow, not an angry wave shall or our bark or flow.

It will hold it will firmly hold in the floods of death.

When the waters cold chill, our last breath on the rising tide.

It can never fail while Our Hope abide within the Veil.

When our eyes behold through the Gathering night, the City of

Gold, our Harbor bright. We shall link or fast by the

Heavenly short, but the storms all past forever more.

We have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while

the Billows roll, fastened to the Rock, which cannot moved

grounded for am in deep in the savior's love.

JC Sproul said hope is the anchor of the Soul because it

gives stability to the Christian life.

But hope is not simply a wish, rather it is that which latches

onto the certainty of the promises of the future that God

has made. In conclusion, Christians are

people of Hope. We are confident that God's

promises of something we long for will someday.

Come This is a fundamental difference between us and the

unbeliever. We have a hope we have, if we

don't have a hope, we have nothing, but if we have a hope,

we have everything. And if we don't have a hope, our

life is meaningless. while we deal with all the problems of

this life and all the things that go on around us, And this

world of Despair and hopelessness.

Our God is the god of Hope. And he causes us to abound in

the Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit, Romans 15 and verse

13. This world is a place of failed

dreams and failed efforts. But our God is the god of a

Living. Hope First, Peter 1 verse 3.

This world is a place of disappointments.

What the bible promises. But God gives the Christian a

hope that does not disappoint the Christians.

Hope is important, it makes Faith Pleasant, it makes our

life here on this Earth. Dealing with all the things that

we deal with pleasant. We can see something better for

us and we can find comfort in that Romans 12 and verse 12.

Faith is not just a belief that God is, but also that he is a

rewarder of those who diligently.

Gently seek Him, Hebrews 11 verse 6 and that is the pleasure

Hebrews 11:6

of faith. Hope causes us to focus on the

things that we desire and not the things that we endure here

on this Earth. It anchors the soul, nothing can

sway us. Nothing to keep us.

Nothing can pull us away. Not the trials, not the problems

that we put off with. Not the distress, not the

persecutions, maybe even death. As long as our hope is grounded

firm and deep in the savior's love.

We may always be ready to give all an answer of the hope that

lies within us. With meekness and fear, first,

Peter 3, and verse, 15, Ephesians 4.

And 4 tells us that just as there is only one God and one.

Lord, and one spirit and one Faith.

There is only one hope that means the Bible only points us

to one thing as the objective of our desire.

And that means that we can only expect one thing to happen at

the end of this life, and we can have hope in that.

And so What is the Christian hope?

Well, again, Titus 1 and 2 tells us that the Christian Holt is

eternal life. My question to us this morning

is do you have a hope of eternal life?

if you died today, would you have a hope of a hint of Heaven?

Are you saved? Have you been baptized for the

remission of your sins? Have you been washed?

By the blood of Christ. Have your sins, been washed away

by the blood of Christ? If you are a child of God?

Are you living a life of sin to where you are?

Not in harmony with God that you that you are not living the life

that you need to be? Do you have sins that you have

not made, right? Have you committed sins that

you're not repenting up? Are you struggling in life and

not giving up sin in your life? Are you living in this?

Censor this feeling of Despair and hopelessness.

Why are you waiting? Why are you waiting to get right

with God? Don't lose hope of your

salvation. Second Corinthians 6 and verse

to behold now is the accepted time behold.

Now is the day of salvation. The lesson is yours.

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