Romans 15:13 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.
Take time to read that verse again.
Meditate on it:
1, The God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him.
2, May we overflow with hope
3, By the power of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes I come across a passage like that and I think: It speaks for itself, i have nothing more to say or preach on for the Word of God speaks for itself. Any human input if mine would do it an injustice. If we could all take those three points and marinate in them we will be changed.
This little blog is an extract for Sunday's sermon on these three points. I hope it proves helpful.
Maybe you are reading this blog because you have lost hope. Maybe you are 'at the end of your rope'. Read it again. 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.
Hopelessness is one of the darkest places on earth.
All around us people have put their hope on material things that are failing: banks, businesses, organisations, careers and relationships. As a result people are looking for a quick fix; a short term solution to long term problems and so a cycle begins of quick fixes that can often lead to wrong choices and addiction.
I wonder what you find your strength and hope in today? I found my hope in Jesus 20 years ago. When I became a Christian I didn't just 'come to faith', I didn't just 'receive 'his gift of love'; Both are essential but I found hope... and hope found me.
The bible says 'These three things remain firm faith, hope and love...and the greatest of these is love' Sometimes we hear that verse read at weddings and always them emphasis is on love and little mentioned of hope. Maybe i should rework my title to 'These three things remain firm... and the least understood of these is hope.
In the U.K and Ireland every 90 minutes there is a death due to suicide and 1 attempted suicide every 20 minutes.
Many are young men cut down in the prime of life.
Suicide rates from 1996 to 2006 are as follows:
England down 7%
Wales down 1%
Scotland down 12.5%
Northern Ireland suicide is up 111%. That's where I live, that's suicide on the streets I walk on every day.
And it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Just before I left the Fire and Rescue Service in 2011 I helped a doctor and nurse work on a young man for 40 minutes... he didn’t make it. Another suicide but this time it was up close. Another young man can't find hope and decides to end his life.
Last week I met with a gentleman who works in the agricultural industry. He informs me that in Ireland there is 1 suicide a week in the farming industry. Often these are men who have inherited their fathers business, worked long hours and spent their lives on the farm only to see it decimate before their eyes. Poor harvest, food prices slashed and EU regulations making driving them into hopelessness.
What can we do?
We need to keep Hope alive in our communities, real Hope is essential for our survival.
Hope is essential to our survival. Webster defines hope as “Desire accompanied by expectation of, or belief in fulfilment; to desire with expectation of obtainment; to expect with confidence.” How vital that expectation and hope is!
When life hurts and dreams fade, nothing helps like hope.
Without hope, prisoners of war languish and die. Without hope, students get discouraged and drop out of school.
Without hope, football teams slump and keep losing... even Chelsea!
Without hope, amateur authors will stop writing, farmers loose confidence in their business, addicts return to their habits, married couples decide to divorce, inventors, artists, entertainers, and entrepreneurs lose their creativity.
Without hope, even preachers, and strong Christians, struggle to press on.
Hope is not merely a nice option that that helps us temporarily clear a hurdle. It is essential to our survival. It is something that is as important to us as water is to a fish, as vital as electricity is to a light bulb - hope is that basic to life.
When we are trapped in a tunnel of misery, hope points to the light at the end.
When we are overworked and exhausted, hope gives us fresh energy.
When we are discouraged, hope lifts our spirits.
When we are tempted to quit, hope keeps us going.
When we lose our way and confusion blurs the destination, hope dulls the edge of panic.
When we struggle with a crippling disease or a lingering illness, hope helps us persevere beyond the pain.
When we fear the worst, hope brings reminders that God is still in control.
When we must endure the consequences of bad decisions, hope fuels our recovery.
When we find ourselves unemployed, hope tells us we still have a future.
When we are forced to sit back and wait, hope gives us the patience to trust.
When we feel rejected and abandoned, hope reminds us we’re not alone...and that we’ll make it.
When we say our final farewell to someone we love, hope in eternal life gets us through the grief.
I want every Christian reading this today to do this: Adopt hope like a little daughter and carry her in your heart everywhere you go. May we overflow with hope, that's what the bible says. OVERFLOW WITH HOPE.
Speak hope into our children, speak it into our churches and communities. Let hope live within you and give it away freely to others. Be intentional today to live out hope.
Maybe you are reading this because you have put your hope in the wrong things and are seeing it fall apart before your eyes. Turn your eyes toward Jesus, the source of hope. Spend some unhurried time with him and rest in his presence. Cast your cares upon him and trust in His goodness. He has never failed me yet.
Pray this prayer:
Dear Jesus, thankyou for the promise of your word. Fill me with joy and peace as i trust in you. Through the power of your Holy Spirit let your confident hope fill every area of my life and overflow into the lives of others. In Jesus name, Amen.
Extracts from sermon for Sunday June 2013
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