WEBVTT 00:00:01.710 --> 00:00:04.469 God's good to us. We're looking at 1st John chapter 00:00:04.469 --> 00:00:07.530 2 and we have a different text this morning. 00:00:08.330 --> 00:00:11.669 We're going to be starting at verse 28 and going 00:00:11.669 --> 00:00:15.830 into chapter 3, verse 3. So I'm going to read 00:00:15.830 --> 00:00:19.269 the text, but we probably won't get into the 00:00:19.269 --> 00:00:22.050 text because I want to talk to you, Lewis, about 00:00:22.050 --> 00:00:24.989 some of the context of the text and what it's 00:00:24.989 --> 00:00:29.660 talking about. But we start in verse 28. John 00:00:29.660 --> 00:00:32.780 introduces his text as he's done several times 00:00:32.780 --> 00:00:36.640 with the reference to little children. There 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:40.700 is the term little children that he is using 00:00:40.700 --> 00:00:46.399 there. It's actually referring to believers and 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:49.700 it's a general term. We could translate that 00:00:49.700 --> 00:00:54.700 into the word beloved, I guess. Now beloved. 00:00:55.529 --> 00:00:57.929 And he says here in the text, and let me just 00:00:57.929 --> 00:01:02.030 read it, he says, abide in him. The word means 00:01:02.030 --> 00:01:05.049 to endure without yielding. So he's saying abide 00:01:05.049 --> 00:01:09.950 in him or walk with him, endure with him without 00:01:09.950 --> 00:01:13.750 yielding to the temptation to quit or to do something 00:01:13.750 --> 00:01:19.930 else. It's easy to start something and then change 00:01:19.930 --> 00:01:22.590 or quit or do something else. Very easy to do 00:01:22.590 --> 00:01:26.379 that. The Lord wants us to come to Him and to 00:01:26.379 --> 00:01:28.159 walk with Him faithfully. That's one of the biggest 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:34.640 changes in my life was the decision to take the 00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:37.640 Lord seriously in our morning devotions, in our 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:41.540 Bible reading, in witnessing, in seeking to follow 00:01:41.540 --> 00:01:46.140 Him faithfully. It's easy to let things go. Believe 00:01:46.140 --> 00:01:48.879 me, it's easy. I know that, and I'm sure you 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:53.019 do too. encouraging people to come to church. 00:01:53.180 --> 00:01:57.780 We encourage people to pray. But it's not always 00:01:57.780 --> 00:02:00.640 easy to make time for these things. Sometimes 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:03.900 we have so many other things on schedule. So 00:02:03.900 --> 00:02:08.539 here he says to abide in Him or to endure in 00:02:08.539 --> 00:02:13.860 Him. Notice that the pronoun there, Him, he's 00:02:13.860 --> 00:02:18.080 talking about the Lord. And isn't that an interesting 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:21.210 challenge really that we are commanded here to 00:02:21.210 --> 00:02:25.770 abide in the Savior, to be with Him, to abide 00:02:25.770 --> 00:02:29.349 in Him so that when He is manifested, He is made 00:02:29.349 --> 00:02:34.469 known or revealed, we may have confidence and 00:02:34.469 --> 00:02:38.270 not be ashamed is probably the best way to translate 00:02:38.270 --> 00:02:43.349 that, not shrink away or be ashamed. Again, there 00:02:43.349 --> 00:02:45.669 he's talking about the Lord being manifested. 00:02:46.669 --> 00:02:49.150 I can't imagine what that's going to be like 00:02:49.150 --> 00:02:51.330 when we get to see him and when we stand before 00:02:51.330 --> 00:02:57.830 him. There is a sense in which I fear that, because 00:02:57.830 --> 00:03:05.189 he's not a toy. The Bible says, come boldly before 00:03:05.189 --> 00:03:08.550 the throne of grace. But the term boldly does 00:03:08.550 --> 00:03:11.030 not mean flippantly. It does not mean casually. 00:03:11.189 --> 00:03:13.780 It does not mean come... like you would be walking 00:03:13.780 --> 00:03:16.219 through a rose garden. When we come before Him 00:03:16.219 --> 00:03:19.879 boldly, we're coming to a place that is potential 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:23.159 danger, and yet we can come because we've invited 00:03:23.159 --> 00:03:27.060 to come. So we have access to that. We were talking 00:03:27.060 --> 00:03:30.860 about prayer. Boy, is that important that we 00:03:30.860 --> 00:03:34.219 exercise that. Brian prayed that coming before 00:03:34.219 --> 00:03:39.800 his throne. And we are just so blessed and so 00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:42.800 fortunate that the God of the universe invites 00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:45.259 us to come boldly before His throne, to come 00:03:45.259 --> 00:03:49.039 in prayer, and let our request be made known 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:52.159 unto Him. So in this text here, I'm taking up 00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:55.120 all the time just reading it. He says that we 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:59.960 can have confidence and not be ashamed from Him. 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:07.580 We don't want to shrink away from Him at His 00:04:07.580 --> 00:04:12.279 coming, at His return. And He is coming. And 00:04:12.279 --> 00:04:14.599 that's a nice, comforting thought. He's coming 00:04:14.599 --> 00:04:19.000 to straighten things out, and He is going to 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:22.100 do that. If you know that He is righteous, you 00:04:22.100 --> 00:04:25.439 know that everyone also who does righteousness 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:30.819 has been born of Him. See how great a love the 00:04:30.819 --> 00:04:34.600 Father has given to us, that we would be called, 00:04:34.779 --> 00:04:39.339 what? The children of God, the offspring of God. 00:04:39.470 --> 00:04:44.310 That's a very touching term that God uses. I'm 00:04:44.310 --> 00:04:50.050 not righteous. You may think I am, and I may 00:04:50.050 --> 00:04:53.009 appear as a pastor who's just so heavenly minded 00:04:53.009 --> 00:04:56.009 with no earthly good, but I'm not righteous, 00:04:56.149 --> 00:04:58.750 but God is. And He calls us to follow Him in 00:04:58.750 --> 00:05:02.829 obedience, in trust. And so that's what we seek 00:05:02.829 --> 00:05:08.029 to do. He goes on to say that that we be called 00:05:08.029 --> 00:05:10.990 the children of God and we are and for this reason 00:05:10.990 --> 00:05:14.529 the world does not know us there is that strange 00:05:14.529 --> 00:05:16.750 barrier we talked about it this morning there 00:05:16.750 --> 00:05:20.790 is this because we know the Lord and we're in 00:05:20.790 --> 00:05:23.790 the world the world does not know us because 00:05:23.790 --> 00:05:27.730 it doesn't know him beloved now are we at this 00:05:27.730 --> 00:05:30.350 point in time the children of God and it does 00:05:30.350 --> 00:05:34.029 not but it has not been revealed or manifested 00:05:34.410 --> 00:05:37.449 And yet, what we will be, we know that when He 00:05:37.449 --> 00:05:40.889 is manifested, we will be like Him because we 00:05:40.889 --> 00:05:43.829 will see Him just as He is, and everyone who 00:05:43.829 --> 00:05:48.490 has this hope fixed on Him purifies Himself just 00:05:48.490 --> 00:05:50.889 as He is pure. I think our text there that I 00:05:50.889 --> 00:05:53.709 want to focus on at the beginning is that last 00:05:53.709 --> 00:05:57.290 verse, verse 3, that everyone that has this hope, 00:05:57.389 --> 00:06:00.170 these are the hope and the promise that we've 00:06:00.170 --> 00:06:03.040 just been reading about. this hope that's fixed 00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:07.560 on Christ, fixed on Him, purifies Himself just 00:06:07.560 --> 00:06:10.980 as He is pure. That doesn't mean that we can 00:06:10.980 --> 00:06:14.259 work salvation, that we can just go out and have 00:06:14.259 --> 00:06:16.959 a good intention, but it means that we access 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:20.720 ourselves to the presence and the Word of Christ, 00:06:21.139 --> 00:06:23.139 that He can use that in our lives to kind of 00:06:23.139 --> 00:06:26.680 wash us and cleanse us. So that's the topic here. 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:30.819 Bible talks about Faith hope and love those three 00:06:30.819 --> 00:06:34.759 and they are very commonly used the one that's 00:06:34.759 --> 00:06:36.600 we're gonna be looking at this morning is hope 00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:43.959 faith and Love are covered quite a bit in Scripture 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:47.240 We don't talk as quite as much about hope but 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:49.959 hope is very important That's going to be kind 00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:55.120 of what we are looking at in our text today Bible 00:06:55.120 --> 00:07:00.870 talks about having this hope We frequently will 00:07:00.870 --> 00:07:04.970 use the term hope almost like we would use the 00:07:04.970 --> 00:07:10.649 word wish my hope Well, I could say I'm hoping 00:07:10.649 --> 00:07:14.709 that Alabama will win the national champion I'm 00:07:14.709 --> 00:07:16.629 just trying to use an illustration and that's 00:07:16.629 --> 00:07:21.009 what it comes to mind some reason but that But 00:07:21.009 --> 00:07:24.730 that's a hope but that's not not the same thing 00:07:24.730 --> 00:07:28.189 as what he's talking about here It's not just 00:07:28.189 --> 00:07:30.629 a wish, it's a hope that's based on God's word 00:07:30.629 --> 00:07:35.050 and God's promise and God's promises to fulfill 00:07:35.050 --> 00:07:37.730 and to do things. And we'll be looking at a number 00:07:37.730 --> 00:07:40.490 of verses like that. But it's good that the Lord 00:07:40.490 --> 00:07:45.889 gives us these goals, if you will, of things 00:07:45.889 --> 00:07:48.389 that are really important that we want to pursue, 00:07:49.250 --> 00:07:53.110 that we anticipate, we hope, we look for them, 00:07:53.230 --> 00:07:57.220 and He's promised to fulfill them. He is undertaken 00:07:57.220 --> 00:08:01.180 for your welfare and my welfare. He is undertaken 00:08:01.180 --> 00:08:06.079 to provide for us things that bring glory to 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:09.579 His name and that He can use those things in 00:08:09.579 --> 00:08:11.699 our lives to challenge us, to kind of straighten 00:08:11.699 --> 00:08:13.600 us out a little bit because we need straightening 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:17.779 out at times. We need to be taken out in a gentle 00:08:17.779 --> 00:08:22.480 way behind the woodshed because I know that I 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:24.560 should... I started to say, I know you need that, 00:08:24.699 --> 00:08:27.000 so do I, but I should reverse that. I know I 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:30.379 need that, but so do you. We need that sometimes, 00:08:30.379 --> 00:08:34.139 because we are very self -centered. And so here 00:08:34.139 --> 00:08:37.620 he's telling us, here is this hope, and that 00:08:37.620 --> 00:08:43.080 we strive to that. It causes us to purify ourselves. 00:08:43.159 --> 00:08:45.039 And that's what I want to look at this morning. 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:49.240 I want to look at this hope. David, the Lord 00:08:49.240 --> 00:08:52.399 in Acts chapter 2, David said, I saw the Lord, 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:55.139 this is Acts 2 .25, I saw the Lord continually 00:08:55.139 --> 00:08:58.100 before me because he was at my right hand, so 00:08:58.100 --> 00:09:00.759 I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart was 00:09:00.759 --> 00:09:04.379 glad and my tongue exulted. Moreover my flesh 00:09:04.379 --> 00:09:11.700 also will live in hope. This desire, this forward 00:09:11.700 --> 00:09:16.419 vision of anticipating what God, not only what 00:09:16.419 --> 00:09:19.139 He is and who He is, but also what He's promised 00:09:19.139 --> 00:09:22.990 for us. and that we live in that. Galatians chapter 00:09:22.990 --> 00:09:26.149 5 says that you have been severed from Christ. 00:09:26.190 --> 00:09:30.029 He's talking about those who are seeking a righteousness 00:09:30.029 --> 00:09:34.570 by keeping the law. And he said you've been severed 00:09:34.570 --> 00:09:38.230 from Christ in one sense. You have been severed 00:09:38.230 --> 00:09:41.929 from Christ. You who are being justified by law, 00:09:42.690 --> 00:09:45.789 you have fallen from grace, for we through the 00:09:45.789 --> 00:09:50.009 Spirit by faith are eagerly waiting For the hope 00:09:50.009 --> 00:09:53.429 of righteousness that challenge eagerly waiting 00:09:53.429 --> 00:09:55.870 looking for that. So let me just talk to you 00:09:55.870 --> 00:09:58.309 I've got got some of these ideas from John and 00:09:58.309 --> 00:10:02.429 his Commentary as we look at hope and one of 00:10:02.429 --> 00:10:06.909 them is that we hope for Eternal life. I don't 00:10:06.909 --> 00:10:09.929 know if you what you what you're thinking about. 00:10:09.929 --> 00:10:13.639 I appreciate the testimony this morning Pete 00:10:13.639 --> 00:10:16.120 gave that it was a good series by the way and 00:10:16.120 --> 00:10:19.200 spoke to my heart, but the testimony this morning 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:25.899 That you you can for a long time Embrace what 00:10:25.899 --> 00:10:28.820 you think you you know in the Lord and how you're 00:10:28.820 --> 00:10:31.320 following him and so on and so forth and yet 00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:34.080 be deceived about that I've had that happen at 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:37.960 church. I've had Honestly, I've had deacons that 00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:40.580 would come forward at the invitation saying that 00:10:40.580 --> 00:10:44.590 they Thought they were saved and that but they 00:10:44.590 --> 00:10:47.409 realized they were not We can be deceived about 00:10:47.409 --> 00:10:48.929 that and that's something the Bible tells us 00:10:48.929 --> 00:10:52.029 to examine ourselves But here Paul says and I'm 00:10:52.029 --> 00:10:55.070 going to read Titus chapter 1 verse 1 and 2 Paul 00:10:55.070 --> 00:10:58.870 says he introduces himself as a slave of God 00:10:58.870 --> 00:11:03.730 and an Apostle of Jesus Christ For the faith 00:11:03.730 --> 00:11:07.190 of God's elect. That's God's children. He's an 00:11:07.190 --> 00:11:13.840 apostle for the elect and the full knowledge 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:17.220 of the truth, which according to godliness, in 00:11:17.220 --> 00:11:20.279 hope, he says, of eternal life, which God, who 00:11:20.279 --> 00:11:25.840 cannot lie, has promised from all eternity." 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:28.960 I've gone to several funerals. I've conducted 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:34.259 several funerals. I've looked at the casket, 00:11:34.580 --> 00:11:39.659 and almost every time I do that, I don't want 00:11:39.659 --> 00:11:42.730 to sound gross, but I... think of myself as one 00:11:42.730 --> 00:11:46.210 day taking that person's place there in that 00:11:46.210 --> 00:11:51.230 casket, that I will be there one day. Don't get 00:11:51.230 --> 00:11:54.009 too excited. It may not be right away, but that's 00:11:54.009 --> 00:11:56.190 going to happen to all of us. We're not going 00:11:56.190 --> 00:12:00.090 to be around forever. And you kind of want to 00:12:00.090 --> 00:12:04.009 be ready for that. The Bible promises that to 00:12:04.009 --> 00:12:07.370 those who love Him, He gives what does John 3 00:12:07.370 --> 00:12:09.669 16 say for God so loved the world that he gave 00:12:09.669 --> 00:12:11.750 his only begotten son that is so I believe in 00:12:11.750 --> 00:12:15.070 them not bears, but have what? Everlasting life 00:12:15.070 --> 00:12:18.509 eternal life God promises that life real life 00:12:18.509 --> 00:12:22.710 not just duration life, but real life right life 00:12:22.710 --> 00:12:27.490 that comes from him that is Beyond what we can 00:12:27.490 --> 00:12:32.350 just experience on a good day when we say, boy, 00:12:32.370 --> 00:12:34.389 things are really going well, but really have 00:12:34.389 --> 00:12:36.649 that relation with Him. You talked about this 00:12:36.649 --> 00:12:39.450 morning, having that personal relationship with 00:12:39.450 --> 00:12:42.929 the Lord. So He promises eternal life, and that 00:12:42.929 --> 00:12:48.289 produces in us, those who love Him, a hope, an 00:12:48.289 --> 00:12:51.210 anticipation. It is promised, but it's still 00:12:51.210 --> 00:12:54.830 something that we want. Now, I realize that we're 00:12:54.830 --> 00:12:59.129 not in a hurry to die today to experience that, 00:12:59.129 --> 00:13:03.409 but the hope is that when we do take our place 00:13:03.409 --> 00:13:07.730 in that casket there, that box, that we are going 00:13:07.730 --> 00:13:09.929 to be with the Lord and we're going to be there 00:13:09.929 --> 00:13:13.029 forever. I frequently talk to people at work 00:13:13.029 --> 00:13:17.950 about my wife, Sweetie. Many times it has to 00:13:17.950 --> 00:13:20.669 do with military because that's where we met 00:13:20.669 --> 00:13:26.769 and tell people that I met her, she outranked 00:13:26.769 --> 00:13:32.460 me, which she did, always has. We married, we 00:13:32.460 --> 00:13:40.960 got to see 12 countries in Europe and then we 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:44.639 came home and we were married for almost 50 years. 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:52.460 Almost 50 years. It's a good thing to be able 00:13:52.460 --> 00:13:55.899 to relate that I know where she is. They'll say, 00:13:56.080 --> 00:13:58.860 well I'm so sorry when I tell them I'm so sorry 00:13:58.860 --> 00:14:01.750 that your wife died. I said, well, I know where 00:14:01.750 --> 00:14:05.389 she is and I'll see her again. And there's no 00:14:05.389 --> 00:14:08.830 doubt about that. These are things that are serious. 00:14:09.009 --> 00:14:11.649 And so, that's the first thing. We have this 00:14:11.649 --> 00:14:15.529 hope of eternal life, this promise, if you will. 00:14:16.090 --> 00:14:21.049 It's like, Hebrews uses the phrase that we have 00:14:21.049 --> 00:14:25.590 this hope as an anchor of the soul. And I think 00:14:25.590 --> 00:14:27.870 of it, this may not be the best way, but I think 00:14:27.870 --> 00:14:31.840 of it kind of as a where you have the temple 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:34.519 and you have the holy of holies and you have 00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:36.799 the high priest that goes into the holy of holies 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:41.120 once a year on the day of atonement and the understanding 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:46.039 that I have is and I have not been able to confirm 00:14:46.039 --> 00:14:48.279 this but I've heard it said several times that 00:14:48.279 --> 00:14:52.500 he goes in with a cord that is attached to him 00:14:52.500 --> 00:14:55.379 because he's going into a place that is extremely 00:14:55.379 --> 00:14:58.990 dangerous and men have died who went in casually 00:14:58.990 --> 00:15:02.309 before the Lord and took it lightly. And so you 00:15:02.309 --> 00:15:05.309 don't take that lightly. And so as he goes in, 00:15:05.309 --> 00:15:07.789 he goes in and the only thing you see is this 00:15:07.789 --> 00:15:11.389 cord kind of being pulled on the inside as he 00:15:11.389 --> 00:15:14.470 goes into the Holy of Holies. And if something 00:15:14.470 --> 00:15:17.889 happens and he did something wrong before a Holy 00:15:17.889 --> 00:15:21.289 God, a thrice Holy God, you get struck dead, 00:15:21.429 --> 00:15:24.149 just like Ananias and Sapphira and others that 00:15:24.149 --> 00:15:27.100 in the scriptures have died. You'd have to pull 00:15:27.100 --> 00:15:28.500 him out because you couldn't go in there and 00:15:28.500 --> 00:15:31.159 get him. That's what the court is But this hope 00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:34.539 that we have is kind of like that that anchor 00:15:34.539 --> 00:15:38.059 this in the veil there That we don't go in and 00:15:38.059 --> 00:15:40.799 see it, but we have the hope it's like a connection 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:44.500 for us that we can connect to it and so we have 00:15:44.500 --> 00:15:48.600 this this anticipation this joy of The relationship 00:15:48.600 --> 00:15:51.960 with the Lord this hope and it is a hope a promise 00:15:51.960 --> 00:15:55.919 of eternal life the second another area of hope 00:15:55.919 --> 00:16:01.159 that the scriptures may talk about is That God's 00:16:01.159 --> 00:16:04.019 grace is a gift of this holy of this hope if 00:16:04.019 --> 00:16:07.120 you will second Thessalonians is the verse that 00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:10.799 I landed on in second Thessalonians chapter 2 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:17.139 verse 16 says Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself 00:16:17.139 --> 00:16:22.120 and God our Father who has loved us and given 00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:29.059 us eternal comfort by good hope, by grace. So 00:16:29.059 --> 00:16:34.440 we know what grace is. Grace is God's riches 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:37.519 at Christ's expense, and it's God's overflowing 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:40.980 bounty to those who don't deserve it, and it's 00:16:40.980 --> 00:16:43.960 His provision for us. And He says it's good hope. 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:47.399 By the way, notice the word good there. It's 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:50.500 a good hope. that God has for us and it comes 00:16:50.500 --> 00:16:53.740 to us by grace and he says that should encourage 00:16:53.740 --> 00:16:57.460 your hearts. I don't know if your hearts need 00:16:57.460 --> 00:17:00.159 encouragement this morning. Mine do frequently. 00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:03.340 I'll get up in the morning and before I have 00:17:03.340 --> 00:17:07.160 my quiet time I may have a very sour look on 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:09.859 life or maybe be kind of depressed or whatever 00:17:09.859 --> 00:17:13.309 things I want to do. didn't do them yesterday. 00:17:13.849 --> 00:17:16.910 You have those kind of things. And He gives us 00:17:16.910 --> 00:17:20.730 this good hope, if you will, that comes to us, 00:17:21.190 --> 00:17:26.670 and it comes to us by grace. It's always good 00:17:26.670 --> 00:17:31.730 to feed on the things that God gives us by grace, 00:17:34.069 --> 00:17:36.410 the disciplines of the Christian life that He's 00:17:36.410 --> 00:17:39.509 given to us to practice. and one of those disciplines 00:17:39.509 --> 00:17:41.750 is hope. It's a good hope, and He's given it 00:17:41.750 --> 00:17:45.109 to us by grace, and we want to feast on that. 00:17:45.470 --> 00:17:49.589 That's a good thing, that hope is given to us 00:17:49.589 --> 00:17:53.769 by God, by grace, by His Spirit. Another one 00:17:53.769 --> 00:17:57.390 is related to the Scriptures, and Paul says in 00:17:57.390 --> 00:18:01.069 Romans 15, 4 that whatever was written in earlier 00:18:01.069 --> 00:18:04.150 times, that is in the Old Testament times, was 00:18:04.150 --> 00:18:06.430 written for our instruction, for our learning. 00:18:06.690 --> 00:18:08.190 Those things that are written down in the Old 00:18:08.190 --> 00:18:10.670 Testament are there so that we can learn from 00:18:10.670 --> 00:18:15.009 them so that as we learn from them, as we read 00:18:15.009 --> 00:18:18.670 to them through the perseverance or the endurance 00:18:18.670 --> 00:18:22.289 or the steadfast persistence, if you will, and 00:18:22.289 --> 00:18:26.390 the encouragement of the Word of God of the Scriptures, 00:18:26.910 --> 00:18:30.559 we might have hope. And the Bible is just filled. 00:18:30.779 --> 00:18:32.720 There's so many illustrations of that. One of 00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:36.880 the illustrations is David and Goliath. David, 00:18:36.920 --> 00:18:40.700 here's this young boy going out to face this 00:18:40.700 --> 00:18:44.799 giant. We have down at Lowe's some Halloween 00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:47.000 displays. And they have one of them, this great 00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:50.759 big horrible monster with red eyes and stuff. 00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:54.279 And I guess he's... 14, 15 feet tall, and I'm 00:18:54.279 --> 00:18:56.440 thinking that's about the size of Goliath. He 00:18:56.440 --> 00:19:00.240 was a big, big guy. He was a big dude. And here 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:04.680 is David, and when he comes in from taking care 00:19:04.680 --> 00:19:09.420 of those little sheep, he hears this Goliath, 00:19:09.460 --> 00:19:12.920 and he takes a double -take, and the text says, 00:19:13.559 --> 00:19:16.460 I love the way it's worded, it says, when Goliath 00:19:16.460 --> 00:19:18.940 started running his mouth, he said, David, hurt 00:19:18.940 --> 00:19:22.809 him. That's when things began to change. Before 00:19:22.809 --> 00:19:25.250 that happened, the Philistines heard him, Saul 00:19:25.250 --> 00:19:27.470 heard him, everybody else heard him. Didn't make 00:19:27.470 --> 00:19:30.230 any difference. But when David heard him, things 00:19:30.230 --> 00:19:32.890 started happening. Because he couldn't, he said, 00:19:33.730 --> 00:19:37.529 who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he 00:19:37.529 --> 00:19:41.269 is going to defy the armies of the living God? 00:19:41.569 --> 00:19:44.849 And to him it was a spiritual matter and that 00:19:44.849 --> 00:19:48.890 means that it wasn't... David who was the underdog 00:19:48.890 --> 00:19:52.849 in a real sense it was Goliath because he has 00:19:52.849 --> 00:19:56.289 defiled God's army, God's people and it's God's 00:19:56.289 --> 00:19:58.349 people and God's name that's on the line and 00:19:58.349 --> 00:20:03.250 so he took a stand for that and so this is just 00:20:03.250 --> 00:20:07.970 a way of getting hope from the scriptures that 00:20:07.970 --> 00:20:11.269 give us hope. I think of another one is Nebuchadnezzar 00:20:11.269 --> 00:20:17.059 who is this godless leader of Babylon. very arrogant 00:20:17.059 --> 00:20:21.619 man most powerful person on the planet in whatever 00:20:21.619 --> 00:20:24.400 he wants to do he can do and nobody can question 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:26.559 him he can have people killed if he wants without 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:29.920 even batting an eye he can give riches to people 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:32.200 without missing any of the wealth or whatever 00:20:32.200 --> 00:20:37.220 he was powerful very very powerful man and yet 00:20:37.220 --> 00:20:41.000 at the end he humbled himself and he learned 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:44.559 a lesson and he said that and I forget exactly 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:47.599 the wording but he makes it clear he said that 00:20:47.599 --> 00:20:51.779 God who rules the universe is able to humble 00:20:51.779 --> 00:20:55.359 those who walk in pride and he's able to exalt 00:20:55.359 --> 00:20:58.779 anyone from the lowest place to the highest place 00:20:58.779 --> 00:21:01.220 and he's able to bring the person at the highest 00:21:01.220 --> 00:21:05.779 place down to the place of humility and that 00:21:05.779 --> 00:21:09.829 illustration is there for a reason among other 00:21:09.829 --> 00:21:12.630 things is we can learn that because a lot of 00:21:12.630 --> 00:21:15.329 times we get depressed like Moses we get depressed 00:21:15.329 --> 00:21:17.589 because we things don't go the way we want them 00:21:17.589 --> 00:21:19.589 to go well that's okay they're going the way 00:21:19.589 --> 00:21:21.329 God wants them to go and that's what matters 00:21:21.329 --> 00:21:24.529 and so we can learn from scripture the examples 00:21:24.529 --> 00:21:27.009 of people who've gone through these things they're 00:21:27.009 --> 00:21:29.430 real people they're real examples they really 00:21:29.430 --> 00:21:33.000 took place God's hand was was behind the scenes 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:35.799 working and so what some people meant it for 00:21:35.799 --> 00:21:38.819 evil, God meant it for good and he turned things 00:21:38.819 --> 00:21:41.660 around for his story, for his kingdom. And so 00:21:41.660 --> 00:21:45.440 that's kind of some of the things that we get 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:48.579 hope as we read the scriptures and as we study 00:21:48.579 --> 00:21:51.160 the scriptures. And I'm going to stop here because 00:21:51.160 --> 00:21:53.460 we're going to be, I got about seven more and 00:21:53.460 --> 00:21:55.940 I can't get through them all. So we're going 00:21:55.940 --> 00:21:58.619 to come back to look at some of the other areas 00:21:58.619 --> 00:22:03.359 of hope. next time. I would encourage you to 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:06.799 read your Bible and to read the examples in Scripture, 00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:09.440 both in the New Testament and in the Old Testament. 00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:11.140 The Old Testament is filled. That's what we see 00:22:11.140 --> 00:22:13.640 as things written beforehand or written for our 00:22:13.640 --> 00:22:15.740 encouragement. We can learn from these examples 00:22:15.740 --> 00:22:22.559 and these people both good lessons and bad lessons. 00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:26.099 There's a lot of warnings in this. The Proverbs 00:22:26.099 --> 00:22:29.700 are filled. with text that tell us things not 00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:35.160 to do and talks about the bridle is for the horse 00:22:35.160 --> 00:22:37.619 and the whip is for the back of fools and things 00:22:37.619 --> 00:22:41.200 of this nature. The illustrations that help us 00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:43.660 and you know people like that. You know people 00:22:43.660 --> 00:22:46.200 that are very stubborn and they need a whip or 00:22:46.200 --> 00:22:48.619 whatever to move them and the Bible is very clear 00:22:48.619 --> 00:22:51.359 about that. So if we read the Proverbs and we 00:22:51.359 --> 00:22:53.339 read the scriptures, read the book of Genesis 00:22:53.630 --> 00:22:56.549 and read the gospels, read about the Lord Jesus 00:22:56.549 --> 00:22:59.750 and the scriptures and how he functioned and 00:22:59.750 --> 00:23:02.710 what his passions were. It does give us hope 00:23:02.710 --> 00:23:05.190 and give us encouragement. So let me close in 00:23:05.190 --> 00:23:07.369 prayer. Father, thank you for these words. I 00:23:07.369 --> 00:23:10.029 know we're kind of rushing through this and yet 00:23:10.029 --> 00:23:13.210 it's really very rich and very powerful and I 00:23:13.210 --> 00:23:16.750 thank you. I thank you for the examples. I pray 00:23:16.750 --> 00:23:21.250 that you'll... We were reading about being sons 00:23:21.250 --> 00:23:25.119 of God. That means that we are like you, that 00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:28.759 we take on your nature like children do, that 00:23:28.759 --> 00:23:32.119 sons do their fathers in a way. And so help us 00:23:32.119 --> 00:23:36.440 to demonstrate our relationship with you and 00:23:36.440 --> 00:23:41.180 our commitment with you and our likeness with 00:23:41.180 --> 00:23:45.180 you and our love for you and our commitment to 00:23:45.180 --> 00:23:47.140 you. I pray that for my life too. I'm sitting 00:23:47.140 --> 00:23:49.180 here thinking as we're talking about this morning 00:23:49.180 --> 00:23:54.799 that Jesus... I was going to say to many in that 00:23:54.799 --> 00:23:57.500 day, depart from me, for I never knew you. Get 00:23:57.500 --> 00:24:00.420 away from me. I didn't know you. Lord, nothing 00:24:00.420 --> 00:24:04.660 is more terrifying to me than to hear those words. 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:07.359 And yet they're going to be uttered, and I pray, 00:24:07.619 --> 00:24:10.259 Lord, I ask that they will not be uttered to 00:24:10.259 --> 00:24:14.240 anybody in this room, that from the top to the 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:17.579 bottom, beginning with myself, that we will really 00:24:17.579 --> 00:24:22.000 take you seriously and surrender. to your lordship 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:26.019 and find our hope and purpose in you rather than 00:24:26.019 --> 00:24:29.500 in our good planning or our finagling or whatever 00:24:29.500 --> 00:24:33.240 we have plans and things, whatever we want. Help 00:24:33.240 --> 00:24:37.019 us to realize that none of these things are as 00:24:37.019 --> 00:24:41.740 good as your will. Your best usually comes disguised 00:24:41.740 --> 00:24:44.700 as something that's tiring or boring or whatever 00:24:44.700 --> 00:24:49.259 and it's not. but that's because we don't see 00:24:49.259 --> 00:24:51.220 it like you see it and don't know the things 00:24:51.220 --> 00:24:54.519 that you know. We were talking this morning and 00:24:54.519 --> 00:24:59.500 I think it's almost a biblical axiom that our 00:24:59.500 --> 00:25:02.759 will, when placed against your will, ours is 00:25:02.759 --> 00:25:05.700 never right, yours is always best. So we just 00:25:05.700 --> 00:25:07.539 want to surrender to you and thank you for this 00:25:07.539 --> 00:25:10.400 time and for these people. Help us to live for 00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:16.400 you and to honor you with our hearts, with our 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:20.509 lives. with everything we have. Help us to really 00:25:20.509 --> 00:25:23.609 take you seriously. I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.