God of Hope

so my question to you this morning is how much hope did you come to church with this morning

I've been having a lot of conversations about climate change I've been following

all the political debates and needless to say I've not been left with a lot of hope

you know it it does seem like a mess doesn't it it seems like an unsettling mess I don't know

who to put my trust in I don't know to where to put my faith what hope do we have there are many

things in life that seem really unsettling that leave us thinking there is no hope but we as

Christians we are people who have a hope and I'd like you to keep that passage open if you have it

so we can keep following it as we as we go through the passage we've heard this morning it shouts

of hope and what is this hope and and where do we find it well if we look at verse four it says

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 so two things there what was written

and the scriptures and to Paul these would have been teachings that weren't just you know an

intellectual exercise he wasn't reading the scriptures to become cleverer you know these were

teachings that were defining how he defining how he lived his life he wanted to be formed and shaped

by what he was reading and what he was reading was giving him hope we get an insight into Paul's

relationship with scripture here and Paul's relationship with scripture is intimate he wasn't you know

every now and again picking it up and and having a little read just because he had to this was the

very power of God breaking into his life through the written words something about these texts that

provided him with hope and Paul had a really challenging life in all sorts of different ways but something

about this text that he's talking about enabled endurance and actually enabled encouragement as well

now Paul's scripture that he's talking about here would have been the Jewish Bible that we know as the

Old Testament and in the Old Testament we have this incredible story of how the Hebrew people found a hope

in Yahweh in God and in the New Testament that we have today we have this exact same narrative

but this time all people have a hope in God through Jesus Christ ultimately what Paul is pointing to in his letter

to the Romans it's repeated over and over again just if you look at verses 5 6 7 and 8 Jesus Christ

Christ Jesus in all that he's achieved for us on the cross gives us hope the fact that he raised

to life gives us hope a hope that is life changing a hope that we can build our lives upon to be able to weather

whatever storm comes in our lives in verses 8 to 12 Paul talks about the Jews and the Gentiles quoting various Old Testament

passages and he's stressing to the predominantly Jewish church in Rome that this hope is for everyone and not just them

so verses 7 8 and 9 are key here the Jews in the Roman church weren't convinced that the Gentiles deserve Jesus

because after all he was he was a Jew he was one of them

but Paul doesn't want division within the church and explains to the Jewish people that they were accepted by Jesus in their sinful state

so it's no different for the Gentiles

you know all fall short of God's standard

and in a strange way that's great news for us Gentiles

but it's also a great challenge for us as the church

so we as a church are made up of all sorts of different people

with different cultures and different opinions

we all have different stories and different struggles

but it's that message of acceptance

that Paul really pushes in this passage

look at verse 7

as Christ accepted us

we need to be able to accept others

despite any differences we may have

and if you think about how damaging

divisiveness is

how messy

disagreements can become

you know even over the simplest of things

you wouldn't believe the kind of things

the church destroys itself

arguing over

but it's just a reflection of our culture isn't it

we live

in incredibly

divisive

times

people just can't seem to cope

with any sort of difference

you know even

within God's people

and as a church

we need

that spirit of unity

in verse 5

that enables us

to accept one another

you know despite our differences

regardless of who we are

or

or what we think

what we believe

you know our stance on Brexit

you know our political party

that we're voting for

our unity

is found in that hope

that we have in Christ

so then accept one another

as Christ accepted us

that is God's grace

you know enabling us

to say to each other

I disagree with you

but I choose to love

I choose to honour

I choose to respect

you

so that God may be glorified

but what does this passage say

about the effects

of this hope

on our personal lives

so I want to tell you about

a roller coaster

at Alton Towers

that gives you the effect

like you're feeling of flying

well you sit in this chair

and these straps come down

and lock you in place

before being tilted horizontally

and now you know

before you even get on this ride

there's information

all around the place

saying how safe

this ride is

and you can imagine

how reassuring that is

before getting on the ride itself

but I know

when this thing gets going

I'm going to be flung

this way

and that way

round and round

and it is going to be fast

and the only security

you know

the only guarantee

that I had

that I wouldn't die

was in this chair

holding me

secure

that was my only hope

in getting me through

safely

and out

the other side

and I want to liken

this experience

to Christ

in the sense that

life is one heck

of a roller coaster

isn't it

you know

with circumstances

way

way beyond

our control

we do get flung

this way

and that way

emotionally

and physically

at very uncomfortable

speeds often

we desperately need

the hope

you know

that chair

to hold us secure

to endure the ride

and like this

specially designed

chair

Christ

through his victory

over sin

is the one

that holds us

safe

as we put

our faith

in him

he is the only one

we can

trust

totally

you know

because through the scriptures

he has proved himself

over

and over

again

and the remarkable

thing is that

this hope

not only will get us

safely out the other

side

but will allow us

to potentially

even enjoy

the ride

as we go

this is the perspective

hope in Jesus

gives us

this is the

resurrection

hope

perspective

that we have

this is the power

of the Holy Spirit

working

within our lives

giving us strength

now

beyond anything

of our means

and that is amazing

isn't it

once you know

that you aren't

going to fall out

your hope

is secure

and there's a

totally bizarre

nonsensical

feeling

of peace

and joy

on that rollercoaster

yeah you know

you're going to feel

like you're upside down

30 metres high

above the ground

at some points

but despite this

through the power

of the Holy Spirit

you can experience

peace

and joy

and Paul

speaks here

of being given

endurance

and encouragement

through reading

about the faithfulness

and the goodness

and the love

of God

whatever this world

throws at you

put all of your trust

in him

and know

that you are held

secure

by this hope

that we have in Christ

and then

be released

by the power

of the Holy Spirit

to cope

with the twists

and the turns

in life

you know

every day

as you approach

that rollercoaster

afresh

look

to Christ

and hear the words

of verse 13

can we get

verse 13

up on the

on the board

quickly

would that be ok

amazing

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

so I just want

to say to you

this morning

as I end

if your rollercoaster

is the circumstances

surrounding

you know

politics

or the current

state of the world

look to Christ

and read

this verse

13

again

may the God

of hope

fill you

with joy

and peace

as you trust

him

so that you

may overflow

with hope

by the power

of the Holy Spirit

and if your

rollercoaster

is circumstances

surrounding

maybe a family

member

or a situation

at work

or an illness

to you

or a loved

one

look

to Christ

and receive

the prayer

in verse

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

if there's anyone

here who feels

hopeless

hopeless

and wants

to know more

about the hope

that Jesus

offers

may I encourage

you to come

and have a chat

with one of the team

we'd be delighted

to talk to you

and pray with you

and even if

you're feeling like

you already know

Jesus

but you're just

hopeless

at the moment

for whatever reason

please do be

encouraged to speak

with one of us

the ministry team

the prayer team

we would love

to pray with you

to enable you

to have that hope

once more

as you

trust Jesus

Amen