OceanSide church of Christ
Previous | Return to list of sermons | Next |
OUR LIVELY HOPE
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
Hope is one of the
motivating forces of life.
1.
The sick will persevere if
there is hope.
2.
The unskilled will practice
if there is hope.
3.
The downcast will press on
if there is hope.
4.
The farmer will plow if
there is hope.
5.
The preacher will preach if
there is hope.
B.
Hope is an important force
within the Christian religion.
1.
In Ephesians 4:4-6, hope is
listed among the seven ones.
There is one
body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your
calling.
2.
In Hebrews 7:19, our hope is
referred to as “a better hope.”
3.
Our hope is rooted in Jesus
Christ (I Tim. 1:1).
Paul, an apostle
of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ,
which is our hope.
C.
This morning, we will be
examining hope from three different angles.
I. THE
BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF HOPE
A.
Biblical hope has three main
components:
1.
It involves something that
is not seen.
a.
Hope is not a present reality.
Hope is something to be received in the future.
b.
Romans 8:24-25
For we are saved
by hope: but hope that is seen is
not hope: for what a man seeth, why
doth he yet hope for? But if we
hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for
it.
2.
It involves earnest desire
or longing.
3.
It involves eager
expectation.
4.
NOTE: When the word “hope” is used by some,
expectation is often omitted.
a.
I hope it rains.
b.
I hope that boy changes his life.
B.
The Biblical definition of
hope illustrated.
1.
The agricultural community
(I Cor. 9:10).
Or saith he it
altogether for our sakes? For our
sakes no doubt, this is written:
that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and he that thresheth in hope
should be partaker of his hope.
a.
The farmer plows and threshes in hope.
b.
At first, he cannot literally see and touch his harvest. It is future.
c.
He earnestly desires a harvest.
d.
He also eagerly expects a harvest.
e.
Without hope, he would never plow.
2.
Abraham’s hope (
Who against hope
believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; accord-ing to
that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
a.
Abraham was told long in
advance that he would have a son.
b.
Abraham was old and Sarah
was past the age of child-bearing.
c.
Yet, against hope Abraham
believed in hope. He both earnestly
desired and eagerly expected a son to be born to him due to the promise of
God.
3.
The Thessalonians (I Thess. 2:19-20).
For what is our
hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?
Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord at his coming. For ye are our glory and
joy.
a.
Paul had preached the gospel
to the Thessalonians.
b.
As converts, they were now
his hope.
c.
He desired and expected to
see them stand justified in the last day in the presence of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
II. SOME OF THE
THINGS WE HOPE FOR
A.
The second coming of Jesus
Christ (Tit. 2:13).
Looking for that
blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus
Christ.
B.
Our bodily resurrection
(Acts 23:6).
…he cried out in
the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead
I am called into question.
C.
Heaven (Col.
1:5).
For the hope
which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the
truth of the gospel.
D.
Eternal life (Tit.
1:2).
In hope of
eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world
began.
E.
Our precious converts (I
Thess. 2:19-20).
III. WHAT REAL HOPE SHOULD
DO TO US AND FOR US
A.
It saves me (Rom.
8:24).
For we are saved
by hope…
B.
It causes us to rejoice
(
Therefore being
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith
into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of
God.
C. It
causes us to be diligent to the end (Heb. 6:11-12).
And we desire
that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope
unto the end: that ye be not
slothful, but followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the
promises.
D. It
anchors our soul (Heb. 6:19).
Which hope we
have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into
that within the veil.
E. It
causes us to purify our lives (I John 3:2-3).
Beloved, now we
are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear,
we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him
purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
CONCLUSION
A. In I
Corinthians 13:13, Paul noted three crowning virtues of
Christianity.
Now abideth
faith, hope, charity, these three…
B. But
even though hope is available, not all have hope (Eph. 2:12; I Thess
4:13).
C.
Good hope is obtained by
means of grace (II Thess. 2:16).
Now our Lord
Jesus Christ himself, and God, even the Father, which hath loved us, and hath
given us everlasting consolation and good hope through
grace.
1.
Grace, however, can only be
obtained by being “in Christ” (II Tim. 2:1).
Thou therefore,
my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2.
We get into Christ by being
baptized into him (Gal. 3:26-27; Rom. 5:1-2).
For ye are all
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on
Christ.
3.
Baptism >>> in
Christ >>> Grace >>> hope
D.
Once we are in Christ, hope
can save us.
1.
We can look forward to being
presented to God holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight (Col.
1:22).
2.
However, this will only be
done if we are not moved away from the hope of the gospel (Col.
1:23).
If ye continue
in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the
gospel, which ye have heard…
E. Are you “in Christ”? If so, have you moved away from the hope of the gospel?