John Lloyd - Hope
/Strengthen Your Core Series
Hope: How do I deal with the hardships and struggles of life?
November 3, 2019
Pastor John Lloyd
Our physical bodies are made up of several core muscles. If kept in shape through exercise, they will function properly. God’s goal for followers is to make us more like Jesus. This happens when we think like Jesus, CORE beliefs, act like Jesus, CORE practices and be like Jesus, CORE virtues. We need to exercise our CORE in order to glorify God. The journey of becoming like Jesus begins by thinking like Jesus. When we start thinking like Jesus, we are well on our way to becoming like Jesus. Today, we will consider the core virtue of hope. We can navigate the hardships of life with hope in Jesus.
Isaiah 40: 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (NIV)
Memory Verses: Hebrews 6:19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (ESV)
Key Question: How do I deal with the hardships and struggles of life?
If faith begins the journey, then hope ends the journey. Hope is absolutely knowing where the road of faith will end; it is being confident of where the story concludes. Hope gives us the ability to endure the hardships and difficulties along the road of faith. We walk on in the hope of where the road leads. Frazee, Randy. Think, Act, Be Like Jesus
Key Idea: I can cope with the hardships of life because of the hope I have in Jesus Christ.
I. Beware of ____________ hopes which constantly allure us.
Psalm 52:7 Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!”
Psalm 52:9 And I will hope in your name for your name is good.
Ecclesiastes 1:14 have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Job 6:11 What strength do I have, that I should still hope?
Job 7:6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and they come to an end without hope.
I Timothy 6:17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
If our hope of our current circumstances they will either improve, or at least stay the same—this is a bad idea. We do not have such a guarantee. We can’t sustain this type of hope. Putting our hope in this life leads to colossal disappointments. Randy Frazee
Psalm 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. (Isaiah 31:1 & 3)
Trusting in false hopes deactivates our faith!
II. Hope is only as good as the power and character of the ________ who guarantees it.
Psalm 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.
Romans 8:24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
Psalm 33:20 Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Christ offers something more! He provides what is true and viable which is the hope of eternal life.
III. We anchor our hope to our ____________________ and His promises.
I Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. (Romans 12:12)
Hope is the confident expression that God will do what He has promised.
Colossians 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Hebrews 6:19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Psalm 62:5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.
“Outside of the cross of Jesus Christ, there is no hope in this world. That cross and resurrection at the core of the Gospel is the only hope for humanity. Wherever you go, ask God for wisdom on how to get that Gospel in, even in the toughest situations of life.” -Ravi Zacharias
I Peter 1:13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Grace and hope are given through the revelation of the resurrected Christ!
IV. Hope __________________ us and keeps us going through difficult times.
I John 3:3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
“The best we can hope for in this life is a knothole peek at the shining realities ahead. Yet a glimpse is enough. It’s enough to convince our hearts that whatever sufferings and sorrows currently assail us aren’t worthy of comparison to that which waits over the horizon.” -Joni Eareckson Tada
Isaiah 40: 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (NIV). (Titus 2:13)
Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.”
Hope activates faith, faith deepens hope.
Unfortunately, too often humans put their hope in things that overpromise and underdeliver — riches, people, idols, government. The only true source of hope is found in Jesus Christ. Christ and his promises become an anchor for our souls and the reason we can persevere. Of all the promises Jesus has made to us, the promise of eternal life with God is the most significant. No matter what we may be going through today, we know what happens in this life is not how our story ends. Our story ends, or really only begins, in the presence of God in his eternal kingdom. Frazee, Randy. NIV, Believe, eBook (p. 406).
Hope is a virtue that God uses to carry us through the most difficult times.
Spiritual Growth Questions for November 3, 2019
(Take one question each day and grow deeper in Bible study)
Hope. Use a scale of 1-6 to rate how fully your life demonstrates the statements below (1- does not demonstrate at all, 6 demonstrates fully).
_____ I think a great deal about heaven and what God is preparing for me as
a Christian.
_____ I am confident that God is working everything out for my good,
regardless of the circumstances today.
_____ My hope in God increases through my daily pursuit to live like Christ.
_____ My hope for the future is not found in my health or wealth because both
are so uncertain, but in God.
1. In the Scriptures there are several false hopes (riches, people, idols, human government) that are constantly alluring us. Think about which one you are most susceptible to. What made you pick the one you did?
2. Read Hebrews 11-12:1-3. Faith and hope seem to be the common underlying characteristics of all biblical heroes. In what ways do these characteristics work together? In your opinion, which character’s faith exhibited the most hope in God’s promises?
3. It’s easy to “grow weary and lose heart” in the broken world we live in. What does the writer of this passage encourage us to do in order to combat hopelessness? (See Hebrews 12:1-3)
4. Read Luke 2:25-35. What effect did God’s promise to Simeon, that he would see the first arrival of Christ, have on his life? What effect should God’s promise that we will see the second arrival of Christ, have on our lives?
5. Read Isaiah 40:25-31. Isaiah was writing to the people of Judah who would go through 70 years of difficulty as captives to the Babylonians. What was the significance of this passage to them? How can it help you in your times of difficulty?
6. Read several times Psalm 33:20-22 and I John 3:3. Ask the Lord to speak to you about a situation in your life. How can hope purify your faith as you walk through this time?
7. What experiences with God have increased your ability to trust him and his promises?
Memory Verses: Hebrews 6:19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (ESV)