"Bring Hope" Pt.3

Hi, this is John O.

Zanting, lead pastor of Evolved Church, and this is the Evolved Church Podcast.

Thanks so much for tuning in.

We hope that you find today's message encouraging and full of hope for wherever you're at.

Well, everybody, it is honestly such a gift that I get to be back this week, although I have to say, I was incredibly intimidated after the amazing job of Pastor Nicole last week's Sunday.

She preached with such passion and wisdom.

And if you didn't get a chance to hear Bring Hope part two, you need to go listen to it because it was just so full of life and truth and just beautiful moments for us.

And so I was like, how do I top that?

Like, how do I, how do I, how do I get back at behind this table after last week?

So with every ounce of courage, here I am, bring hope, part three.

Those two words bring hope.

Simultaneously, they're a deep heart cry where we look up to the Father and say, God, in this season, we need some hope.

Would you bring hope to our lives?

And at the same time, we want to respond as a part of the mission of Jesus and learn what does it mean for me to be the kind of person that can carry this hope, to bring hope to others.

And so there's this tension between a deep heart cry, a prayer to the Father, an ask, and also this call to action as we live out our lives serving Jesus, surrender to Him.

Two weeks ago, I posed the big question: Is your hope, your expectation and anticipation that things are going to get better, is it attached to life events and circumstances, or is it anchored to the mercy seat of the Father, anchored to Jesus?

And then last week, Pastor Nicole's big question was, how do we choose to hope in the waiting?

How do we choose hope in the waiting and in the impossible?

Well, let's pray and then we'll dig in to today.

Father, we just pause in this moment.

All of us watching in real time, we just invite your presence to just remind us, give us faith to anchor our hope to you today.

God, we ask that you give us courage to hope in the waiting, courage to hope in the middle of what might even feel impossible right now.

Would you give us grace in the tension between crying out for hope and learning how to be bringers of hope in this world?

And would you give us strength as we invite your Holy Spirit in to examine our hearts and to examine our hopes today?

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Our lives from start to finish seem to be one ongoing negotiation between fulfillment and heart sickness.

Moments where we feel fulfilled and moments where our hearts are just sick.

One day we're living on top of the world.

Our greatest desires feel like they're right here in our lab.

And the next day, our hope is dashed, leaving us gasping for breath.

Does that sum up life a little bit?

Just negotiation between fulfillment and a sick heart.

Our lives are mapped out by our hopes.

From the time we're kids, our lives are kind of like mapped by our hopes.

I hope people like me.

I hope I get into that school or that program that I applied for.

I hope I recover from this illness.

I hope I get this new job.

I hope someone will want to marry me.

I hope we'll be able to take a vacation next year.

I hope my heart's gonna heal from this pain.

I hope I get that promotion.

I hope I'll be able to have children one day.

I hope I'm a good person.

I hope this will all be over in 2021.

I hope I'll grow out of this bad habit.

I hope they don't judge how dirty my house is.

I hope I can stop feeling this way.

I hope this isn't all for nothing.

I hope I won't be disappointed with my life.

I hope, I hope, I hope.

As children, we learn that when we hope for something, it really can only go one of two ways.

And so we do everything in our power to avoid heart sickness and try to secure fulfillment.

And that negotiation is right there from the time we're little all the way up through every season, negotiating moments of hoping where it could go either way, fulfillment or heart sickness.

I was reminded of that this week.

Early on in the week, I was driving home after a late night of working, and uh I called home just to tell the family, hey, I'm on my way, I'm on route.

And my son Riley picked up the phone, and um before you know it, I I broke into song.

I do this on the phone.

I'm like, hello, Riley, my old friend.

You know, it's nice to speak with you again.

Can we play video games when I get home?

Right?

And so I'm making up a just a silly song to Riley on the telephone on my way home.

And when I walk in the door, I'd barely taken off my coat, and and the boys came running up and they're like, Hey dad, are we playing video games?

Right?

And and that's what they pulled out of that song.

So Riley clearly hung up the phone and said to his brother, Dad wants to play video games when he gets home.

Now, when I got home, it was like past their bedtime.

And so I'm I'm negotiating with them, feeling the tension of fulfillment and heart sickness.

And it was very real in this moment where I'm like, I love you, we're gonna have lots of time to play video games, but right now, can you guys run upstairs, brush your teeth, crawl into bed?

And there I am, right?

Delivering a hope, and and then the timing of it didn't come through.

So I feel like a bad dad.

Um, Proverbs 13, verse 12.

Proverbs 13:12

Hope deferred makes the heart sick.

Have you ever heard that proverb?

Hope deferred makes the heart sick.

And we're constantly negotiating our hopes between fulfillment and a sick heart.

I love the the passion translation of Proverbs 13, 12.

When hope's dream seems to drag on and on, the delay can be depressing.

Are you living in a delay right now?

Are you living in hope feeling like it's been deferred?

Consider this.

There was once an incredibly hopeless people, the Israelites.

Their hearts were sick, their hope seemed to drag on and on and on.

And then God spoke to them through the prophet Isaiah.

And here's what God said to them in Isaiah 9:6.

Isaiah 9:6

He said, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

And as a nation, their hearts came alive with fulfillment because they were waiting for the Messiah.

This hope rose up within them.

Sounds amazing, right?

Guess what?

Insert seven hundred years of waiting.

From that time, Isaiah 9.6 to Luke 2.12, you will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.

700 years, people, from the time of Isaiah's prophecy to the time of Jesus' birth was about 700 years.

How long have you been waiting?

How long is your hope felt deferred?

Last week, Pastor Nicole used the laughter and the faith of Isaac's story, being born to Abraham and Sarah, and how God's timing on that miracle ushered in the lineage of Jesus.

From Abraham to Jesus was a hope-deferred gap of about 2,000 years.

Sometimes God makes a promise, but he doesn't give a timeline.

Does that sound familiar?

In the online chats, give me a thumbs up, give me a fist bump if you've ever been frustrated with God's timeline.

Proverbs 13, 12, hope deferred makes the heart sick.

When hope's dream seems to drag on and on, the delay can be depressing.

God gives a promise, but he doesn't always give a clear timeline.

Is that frustrating?

I've learned something about my my own moments of feeling heart sick.

Much of my anxiety comes from my inability to be patient.

I often mistake a not yet for a never.

I mistake a not yet for a never cue the heart sickness, right?

My inability to be patient.

What do you think?

Can we live in the reality and the fullness of real hope without receiving all of the things that we're hoping for?

Can we live and embrace and appreciate and experience the meaningful real hope of Jesus without receiving all the things that we're hoping for?

And let's make that today's big question.

How?

How can we live in the reality and fullness of real hope without receiving all of the things that we're hoping for?

Is that possible?

Can we experience the hope that we've been talking about?

The hope that we've been hearing people so beautifully share every day through this Advent season and in our Instagram stories and Pastor Nicole last week and myself on part one, this hope that we're experiencing together and leaning into, can we experience that to its fullness without receiving all of the things that we're hoping for?

In Hebrews chapter 11, we read about they're called true heroes of faith.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

We read about Enoch and Abel and Noah and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and Moses and Rahab and Gideon and Samson and David.

We read about this lineage of faith.

And at the end of Hebrews 11 in verse 39, here's what it says: these were the true heroes commended for their faith, yet they lived in hope without receiving the fullness of what was promised them.

They lived in hope without receiving the fullness of what had been promised to them.

Today's big question: how can we live in the reality and fullness of real hope without receiving all the things that we're hoping for?

I hope people like me.

I hope I get into that program.

I hope that I recover from this illness.

I hope that I get this new job.

I hope someone will want to marry me.

I hope.

I hope.

I hope.

And yet, hope deferred makes the heart sick.

When hope's dream seems to drag on and on, the delay can be depressing.

So how?

How can we live in the reality and fullness of real hope without receiving all the things that we're hoping for?

Well, Hebrews 11 39 says it's incredibly possible for these true heroes of faith.

And I say through Jesus, it certainly must be possible for us.

So let's talk about the how.

Let's talk about how.

They lived in hope without receiving the fullness of what was promised them.

And so I say, here's how.

Let's refuse the counterfeit of attaching your hope to today's things by choosing instead the gift and the freedom of attaching your hope to an eternal Jesus.

Let's refuse the counterfeit of attaching our hope to today's things by choosing instead the gift and freedom of attaching our hope to an eternal Jesus.

Proverbs 13, 12, hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

A longing fulfilled becomes a tree of life.

Real hope looks at and focuses on Jesus because it is only in Jesus that we see longing itself fulfilled.

The reality of hope is less about what we're hoping for and more about who we are growing to become in the perseverance of surrendering our lives to this Jesus, the one who is our hope.

So, what if hope has a lot less to do with the things that we're hoping for, and way more to do with what the Spirit of Christ is producing and working out in us in this perseverance of surrendering our lives to the one who is our hope, Jesus.

Come and see what God has done.

The story of amazing love, the light of the world given for us.

Noel.

You didn't want heaven without us.

So Jesus, you brought heaven down.

You silenced the boast of sin and grave.

You have no rival, you have no equal.

Yours is the kingdom, yours is the glory, yours is the name above all names.

The wonderful, the powerful, beautiful name of Jesus.

Because that's what real hope does.

Real hope looks at and focuses in on Jesus.

Because it's only in Jesus that we see real longing to be fulfilled.

The reality of hope is less about what we're hoping for in this life, these things, and more about who we're growing to become in this passionate and patient perseverance of surrendering our lives to the one who is our hope.

Have you ever been lost?

I'm not talking about uh like emotionally or you know feeling lost.

I'm actually talking about geographically driving somewhere and getting lost.

Have you ever been lost?

Now, me personally, I don't get lost.

I have this built-in um, you know, sort of uh navigation system.

Uh truthfully, her name's Nicole.

She's my she keeps me, you know, focused on the the drive and where we're headed, you know, my my navigator.

But who remembers like roadmaps, real roadmaps, like physical, pull out of the glove box, unfold, you know, 40 times.

Who remembers like real roadmaps and sitting down?

And before there was like GPS, we had these things, come on, come on, uh millennials.

We had these things called maps and uh like made out of paper, and they showed like pieces of the country or the whole country or continents, and you could like chart on a map where you wanted to go.

And maps are incredibly important.

Um, nowadays we have technology and we can uh, hey Siri, uh, how do I get to, you know, and just ask and then she'll she'll take you there.

But if you remember like beautiful paper maps, uh, I just want uh just give me like a heart emoji or something in the chats.

Let me know I'm not alone.

But there's an absolutely beautiful map in Romans chapter five of how Jesus brings us into the reality and the fulfillment of this hope.

And I want to read Romans 5, starting at verse 1.

Our faith in Jesus transfers God's righteousness to us, and he now declares us flawless in his eyes.

This means we can now enjoy true and lasting peace with God, all because of what our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, has done for us.

Verse 2, our faith guarantees us permanent access into this marvelous kindness that has given us a perfect relationship with God.

Listen, just lean into that for a second.

Our faith guarantees us permanent access into this marvelous kindness that has given us a perfect relationship with God.

What incredible joy bursts forth within us as we keep on celebrating our hope of experiencing God's glory.

Here's the roadmap.

But that's not all, verse three.

Even in times of trouble, we have a joyful confidence, knowing that our pressures will develop in us patient endurance.

And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope.

And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

What an incredible roadmap for hope.

Here it is.

Faith leads us to a perfect relationship with the Father.

That relationship with the Father leads us into this joyful confidence, even in times of trouble.

Relationship with the Father develops patient endurance and a refining of our character when we're under pressure.

And that refining leads us right back to hope.

So here's the switch.

Hang with me.

Pay attention here.

I hope people like me.

Well, with this new map, that becomes I hope people see Jesus in me.

He's made me righteous.

He says I'm flawless.

Would they see you in my life?

So this carnal, superficial, I hope people like me, through the hope roadmap becomes purpose for why we want people to like us.

It's because we want them to fall in love with Jesus.

I hope I get into that program I applied for.

Well, with this new roadmap, that becomes, I hope that I will live my life as a credit to who Jesus is and honor him with my education, honor him with my labor, with my work.

Whatever the outcome, I will have true and lasting peace with God.

It's different.

I hope that I recover from this illness.

Well, with this new roadmap, this becomes, I hope that I can radiate the presence of my faithful and creative healer, Jesus, while I recover from this illness.

Even in this time of trouble, I have a joyful confidence, knowing that this pressure is developing patient endurance in me, and God gets the credit.

I hope someone will want to marry me.

Well, through this new roadmap, that becomes, I hope that the deep inner work of the Holy Spirit will continue to shape me into becoming someone who will be a great spouse.

Different.

I hope I won't be disappointed with my life.

Well, that becomes, I hope I hear him whisper one day, well done, good and faithful servant.

See, that's what Jesus wants to do.

He wants to take all the things you care about, all the things that are worrying you right now, all the things that have just weighed heavy on you, all of the hope that's felt deferred in this season, all of the wants and desires and the hopes that you've carried, he wants to filter them through him.

He says, Let me be your hope.

Because I'll take these things that you think are important and I'll attach them to something called eternity.

I'll attach them to something called the one who is your anchor of hope.

I'll attach them to something that is so much greater.

Would you get your eyes up and see I am your hope?

If you are looking to have those deep heart longings fulfilled by anything other than Jesus, you will have a lot of heart sickness to navigate.

Real hope looks at and focuses on Jesus.

Because it is only in Jesus that we see longing itself fulfilled.

These two words bring hope.

At the same time, simultaneously, they are number one, a deep heart cry and a prayer to the Father.

Would you bring your hope?

And number two, a call to action on mission for Jesus.

Can I be a bringer of hope?

I want to bring hope.

Bring hope because I want to bring hope.

Good news.

Our hope is not deferred.

It's not delayed.

Jesus is present, real, here, right now.

He is not just a longing fulfilled.

He is the longing fulfilled.

Would you bring hope?

It's been answered.

It has been answered.

That Isaiah 9 prophecy, 700 years before he was born, it has been fulfilled entirely.

And that's why we can say with all confidence, we can sing at the top of our lungs.

We can quietly reflect and say, come and see what God has done.

The story of amazing love, the light of the world given for us, Noel.

You didn't want heaven without us.

So, Jesus, you brought heaven down.

You silenced the boasts of sin and grave.

You have no rival, you have no equal.

Yours is the kingdom, yours is the glory, yours is the name above all names.

Hope has a name.

The name of Jesus.

Powerful, beautiful, wonderful Jesus.

Romans 5 again.

Our faith guarantees us permanent access into this marvelous kindness that has given us perfect relationship with God.

Even in times of trouble, we have joyful confidence, knowing that our pressures will develop in us, patient endurance.

And patient endurance will refine our character.

And proven character leads us where?

Right back to hope.

To experience real hope is to be patient with God.

Earlier I talked about how so much of my impatience is actually what produces anxiety.

When I think about what feels like a hope that I care about and it maybe being a little bit deferred, that's where sleepless nights and stress and worry and anxiety creep in.

To experience real hope is to be patient with God.

It's believing all the facts are not yet in.

It's believing the story isn't done being written.

It's believing there's something still yet to be revealed, still yet to be uncovered.

It's believing that despite the patiently waiting, a child was born who ushered us into this permanent, marvelous, perfect relationship with God the Father.

It's believing that through the deep inner work of that relationship with God and the gift of Holy Spirit, we can be used to bring hope to others who need Jesus.

And so today's big question, how can we live in the reality and fullness of real hope without receiving all the things that we're hoping for?

Well, it's by refusing the counterfeit of attaching our hope to today's things, but instead choosing the gift and the freedom of attaching our hope to an eternal Jesus.

And it's at his name that I want to bring today's message to a close.

I don't know what hope has been deferred in your life right now.

I don't know what level of stress or worry or weight or anxiety, what kind of distraction.

I don't know what you're experiencing.

But I do know this.

In real time, our hope has been fulfilled.

His name is Jesus.

And when we begin to anchor and attach in very powerful relational moments, attach our hope to that eternal Jesus, to that eternal story, to that eternal echo of heaven, to that eternal purpose.

God wants to switch everything that you feel broken and deferred and waiting in.

God wants to take it and turn it around, filter it through the roadmap, leading us back to hope, and remind you that even in the middle of your waiting, there is a purpose to your story.

There's a turnaround, there's a switch that God wants to do in your life today.

As I read through all of those I hope, I hope, I hope statements, I just sense that people were like, man, that's that's my story.

I'm hoping for these things.

And I simply want to say today, don't attach your hope to those things anymore.

Does it mean that you have to stop caring about them?

No.

Does it mean that they can't be, you know, in your calendar throughout the day?

No.

It just means they need to be filtered through the hope of our eternal Jesus, the fulfillment of our hope that leads us to the tree of life.

His name is Jesus.

And so I want to pray for you as we close out today.

Father, in Jesus' name, you see every life, you see every home, you see every story, you see every circumstance.

And we just open up the deep place of our hearts to your presence today.

Where we've been broken, where we've been hurt, where we've been depressed because hope has been deferred.

We've been waiting and waiting.

What if this season of what we felt like could be remapped through the hope of our anchor Jesus?

What if even in the middle of waiting, we could flip this narrative on its head and be reminded that our lives have a significant place in eternity.

Our story matters in the bringing of hope, the bringing of this good news, the ushering in of the presence of who you are into the lives of other people.

Because when we're waiting for that job, you're producing character in us that's going to show other people that you really matter.

When we're waiting for that relationship to be restored, you're doing something within us through this patient endurance and developing of our character where other people are going to see how good you are.

While we're walking through this season of sickness or disease, it's with our eyes set on you and an invitation for the creative work of your healing life to be our source, to be our unshakable joy.

God, today we choose to place our hope in the fullness of you, our eternal Jesus, to attach our story to your story today, in this Christmas season, and in every season to come.

We ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, we love you, church family.

If you're brand new to this whole kind of experience of church or following Jesus, you know, there's a simple prayer that many of us have prayed, a prayer of faith, where we've invited Jesus to be our source, to be our strength, to be our hope, to be our foundation.

And maybe you felt like you're struggling on your own and you've wondered if God is real.

And this these verses from Romans chapter 5 about this marvelous kindness that's been given to you through Jesus for a perfect relationship between you and God, that's for you today.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

And so if you're watching right now and you've never prayed, a simple prayer, inviting Jesus to set things right between you and the Father, we don't want to end today without giving you that opportunity.

And there's hundreds of people leaning in through this live broadcast, this live church experience, and tuning in on demand sometime later this week.

And whenever you're watching, we want you to feel just at peace right now, that God knows your name, sees your heart, and he's waiting.

He desires this relationship with you.

It's already been paid for through Jesus.

And so you could just repeat after me in a simple way, just say, dear God, thank you that Jesus brings me into the fullness of this beautiful relationship with you.

I choose it, I receive it today.

I receive your love, your grace, your forgiveness in every part of my life.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thank you so much for listening to today's message.

If you're ever in the Edmonton area, pop by for a visit.

And if you need any more information, visit EvolveChurch dot com.

We hope to see you soon.