CRCF””2-13-11
Hope is the only universal liar who never loses his reputation for veracity. ~Robert G. Ingersoll
Maybe that”™s how YOU feel when we start talking about “hope”.
One thing”™s for sure”¦even if you feel hopeless, you want to believe in hope. Because all of us know deep down that we NEED hope!
Lord save us all from… a hope tree that has lost the faculty of putting out blossoms. ~Mark Twain
Hope is the physician of each misery. ~Irish Proverb
“In contrast to a freaked-out world, [we can] be people of joyful hope!” (Rene Schlaepfer).
How has your level of hope been this week? It”™s been a tough week for many of us”¦a lot of upheaval in our community, tons of uncertainty bear down on many of you.
But remember”¦
When you say a situation or a person is hopeless, you’re slamming the door in the face of God. ~Charles L. Allen
Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
You may be thinking, “Yeah, yeah””I”™ve heard that verse before. But honestly, Chad, I”™m not sure I buy it!”
Maybe you”™re thinking,
“HOW can God say that? Does He not see my life right now?”
This morning we”™re going to find God”™s answer to our question!
The Door to Hope
Ephesians 1
If I see myself as God sees me, I can enjoy hope for my future.
Ephesians 1:15-23 (NLT)
15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God”™s people everywhere, 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called””his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God”™s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God”™s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else””not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
If I see myself as God sees me, I can enjoy hope for my future.
So now you”™re thinking”¦ “Ok, Chad””I”™d love for God to answer this prayer and help me understand my hope”¦but my circumstances are SO hard right now, I just can”™t seem to see through them!”
I understand”¦and so does God! That”™s why He”™s given us the Bible.
Hosea 2:14-16 (NLT)
14 “But then I will win her back once again.
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her there.
15 I will return her vineyards to her
and transform the Valley of Trouble (Achor) into a gateway of hope.
She will give herself to me there,
as she did long ago when she was young,
when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.
16 When that day comes,” says the LORD,
“you will call me ”˜my husband”™
instead of ”˜my master.”™
That phrase in verse 15””“transform the Valley of Trouble (Achor) into a gateway of hope”””is what I want to focus on.
This actual valley had huge historic significance to the people of Israel. In fact, when it was spoken of, as it is here, the Israelites had come to understand it as a figure of speech that reached back into their past to illustrate something in their present. In Joshua 7 the story of Achan”™s sin is recorded. God was giving His people the promised land, city by city. But He gave different directions for different situations. In this case, they were to take the city of Ai and NOT take any spoils. Well, Achan disobeyed God, looted some stuff and hid it under his tent. God saw and God caused the battle to go bad for Israel and many died. Then God pointed out to the whole nation what Achan had done. As a result, Achan”™s entire family died””God commanded that they be stoned in the Valley of Achor. And thus, this valley became a place of great tragedy, unspeakable trouble. After that event, it became a figure of speech to refer to awful times and circumstances of sin or brokenness or tragedy or hopelessness!
That”™s exactly how it”™s being used here in Hosea 2.
Through the story of Hosea and his adultress wife, Gomer, God is telling Israel that, though they have been in the valley of trouble, He is graciously going to transform their trouble into hope! Hosea did that for Gomer, when she reaped the consequences of her sin. And God is saying that He was going to do that for His people, Israel.
And guess what? Today, God will do that for YOU! Are you in the Valley of Trouble? Do you want to walk through a door of HOPE? God is still at work transforming trouble into hope!
If I see myself as God sees me, I can enjoy hope for my future.
Let”™s walk through Ephesians 1:3-14 and see just how God DOES see us as followers of Jesus:
Ephesians 1:3-14 (NLT)
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ””everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
12 God”™s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God”™s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
1. I am Blessed (3)
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
All the good that God has to give, He has given to YOU in Jesus!
2. I am Chosen (4-6, 11)
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
God picked YOU!
3. I am Holy/Pure in HIS Sight (4)
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
God sees you as holy and righteous as Jesus Himself!
4. I am Adopted by God (5)
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
God takes pleasure in loving YOU as His child! He sought YOU out to adopt YOU as His own!
5. I am Forgiven (7)
7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
Steve Brown: “Some people in the family of God will require things of you that God never required, will tell you that God is angry when he isn”™t, and will make you feel ashamed and guilty when you shouldn”™t feel ashamed and guilty.” (17)
God holds NONE of your sins against you any more! God forgave YOU because Jesus paid it all!
6. I am God”™s Guaranteed Heir (11-14)
11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. 12 God”™s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God”™s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
God will give YOU an eternal inheritance of His own presence for eternity in Heaven!
7. I am God”™s Masterpiece with a Destiny (2:10)
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
10 For we are God”™s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
God calls YOU His masterpiece and has amazing stuff for YOU to do for His glory!
If I see myself as God sees me, I can enjoy hope for my future.
“Abraham Lincoln went to a slave market. There he noted a young, beautiful African-American woman being auctioned off to the highest offer. He bid on her and won. He could see the anger in the young woman”™s eyes and could imagine what she was thinking, Another white man who will buy me, use me, and then discard me. As Lincoln walked off with his ”˜property”™, he turned to the woman and said, ”˜You”™re free.”™ ”˜Yeah. What does that mean?”™ she replied. ”˜It means that you”™re free.”™ ”˜Does that mean I can say whatever I want to say?”™ ”˜Yes,”™ replied Lincoln, smiling, ”˜it means you can say whatever you want to say.”™ ”˜Does it mean,”™ she asked incredulously, ”˜that I can be whatever I want to be?”™ ”˜Yes, you can be whatever you want to be.”™ ”˜Does it mean,”™ the young woman said hesitantly, ”˜that I can go wherever I want to go?”™ ”˜Yes, it means you are free and can go wherever you want to go.”™ ”˜Then,”™ said the young woman with tears welling up in her eyes, ”˜I think I”™ll go with you.”™” (Steve Brown, A Scandalous Freedom, 13)
If I see myself as God sees me, I can enjoy hope for my future.