Hope That Lives

(1 Pe. 1:3-13, 18-21)

The world says “Give up”, but the Spirit of God says “Hang on to the hope”

What is hope?

Hope (conventional definition) = an uncertain desire (e.g. I hope it will/won’t rain

today)

An attitude of hopelessness can lead to a life full of evil acts (crime) (Jer.
18:12)

Christian hope (Elpizo, Gk.) is not an uncertain desire, it is a confident

expectation based upon God’s nature, promises (Titus 1:2) and abilities, based
upon His demonstrated love, power and faithfulness (Ps. 31:24; 78:7)

The hope of salvation is the helmet of a Christian’s armor (1 Thess. 5:8)

What is the source of our hope? (2 Thess. 2:16-17, a gift from God, Rom. 15:13, Gal.
5:5, through the Holy Spirit)

Hope is awakened/announced by the gospel (Col. 5:1, 23; Ps. 119:81 & 114;
130:5; Rom. 15:4)

On what is our hope based?

On the knowledge of God’s Character, Power & Faithfulness as recorded in

the Bible (Ps. 71:5, 78:7, 121:1, Rom.15:4 & 13; 1 Pet. 1:5, Titus 1:2, Col. 1:5 &
23)
 On the resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:19-20, Rom. 8:11; Col. 1:27; 1 Tim. 1:1;
1 Pe. 1:3,4 & 21)

Demonstrated by:

The Empty tomb

The Appearances of Christ, to Peter (Lk. 24:34), to the Twelve (Lk.

24:36-42; John 20:19-20), to James, the half-brother of Jesus (Acts 1:14),
to all the apostles (Acts 1:22), to Paul (Acts 9:1-9)

The Transformed lives of His Disciples/Followers (Then and now)

On the continuing, living presence of God with us (Matt. 28:20, Heb. 13:5,
Phil. 1:23. Acts. 7:55-56; 1 Thess. 4:17; Rev. 21:22-22:5)

Remember the words of the song – Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

On the promise of His return and of our resurrection unto eternal life into
His kingdom (John 5:25-29, 14:1-3, 19, 17:24, Titus 1:2, 2:13, Col. 1:5, 23, 27, 1
Pe. 1:3-5, 13, 2 Pe. 1:10-11, 1 Thess. 4:16-17, Rev. 1:7, Heb. 9:28, Acts. 24:15, 1
Cor. 15:50-58, Matt. 25:21 & 34; Gal. 5:5; Col. 1:5; 1 Tim. 6:19)

What kinds of things do you hope for?

Immanuel Kant, said that there are 3 questions that everyone asks: “What can I
know? What shall I do? For what shall I hope?”

Psychologist William Marston asked 3,000 people, "What have you to live for?"
He was shocked to discover that 94 % were simply enduring the present while
they waited for an uncertain future. (See 1 Cor. 15:19)

Hope gives us:

Something to live for, to struggle for, to care for.

The power to stand firm in our convictions

Our assurance is so sure that none are able shake us from our convictions
(2 Tim. 2:16-18; 2 Thess. 2:2; 1 Tim. 1:19-20, Heb. 6:11-12, 17-
20)

The power to endure adversity

But as we, imitating Jesus, set our minds and hearts on the hope and joy
that is set before us, we are able to endure all hardships (1 Pe. 4:13;
Luke 6:22-23; 1 Thess.:5:5; 2 Cor. 4:16-18; Heb. 6:19).
The power to motivate

The school system in a large city had a program to help children keep up with
their school work during stays in the city’s hospitals. One day a teacher who was
assigned to the program received a routine call asking her to visit a particular
child. She took the child’s name and room number and talked briefly with the
child’s regular class teacher. "We’re studying nouns and adverbs in his class
now," the regular teacher said, "and I’d be grateful if you could help him
understand them so he doesn’t fall too far behind." The hospital program teacher
went to see the boy that afternoon. No one had mentioned to her that the boy had
been badly burned and was in great pain. Upset at the sight of the boy, she
stammered as she told him, "I’ve been sent by your school to help you with nouns
and adverbs." When she left she felt she hadn’t accomplished much. But the next
day, a nurse asked her, "What did you do to that boy?" The teacher felt she must
have done something wrong and began to apologize. "No, no," said the nurse.
"You don’t know what I mean. We’ve been worried about that little boy, but ever
since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He’s fighting back, responding to
treatment. It’s as though he’s decided to live." Two weeks later the boy explained
that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everything
changed when he came to a simple realization. He expressed it this way: "They
wouldn’t send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would
they?" Bits & Pieces, July 1991.

A self-made millionaire Eugene Lang, greatly changed the lives of a sixth-grade

class in East Harlem. Mr. Lang had been asked to speak to a class of 59 sixth-
graders. What could he say to inspire these students, most of whom would drop
out of school? He wondered how he could get these predominantly black and
Puerto Rican children even to look at him. Scrapping his notes, he decided to
speak to them from his heart. "Stay in school," he admonished, "and I’ll help pay
the college tuition for every one of you." At that moment the lives of these
students changed. For the first time they had hope. Said one student, "I had
something to look forward to, something waiting for me. It was a golden feeling."
Nearly 90 percent of that class went on to graduate from high school. - Parade
Magazine.

On the other hand, one night at dinner a man, who had spent many summers in
Maine, fascinated his companions by telling of his experiences in a little town
named Flagstaff. The town was to be flooded, as part of a large lake for which a
dam was being built. In the months before it was to be flooded, all improvements
and repairs in the whole town were stopped. What was the use of painting a house
if it were to be covered with water in six months? Why repair anything when the
whole village was to be wiped out? So, week by week, the whole town became
more and more bedraggled, more gone to seed, more woebegone. Then he added
by way of explanation: "Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in
the present." - Halford E. Luccock, Unfinished Business.

Boldness to share the gospel (Phil 1:20)

We should be prepared to explain our hope to others (1 Pe. 3:15)

The command, "Hope fully" (1 Pe. 1:13) means be intensely desirous and fully
confident. (See also Heb. 6:11)

The Lord takes pleasure in those that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. (Ps.
147:11)

“Living” (Zao, Gk. = real, living, breathing, active, powerful) hope (1 Pe. 1:3)

There is but one true hope (Eph. 4:4) and that is through the resurrection of Jesus

A hope of an inheritance that is (1 Pe. 1:4; Titus 3:7):

Imperishable (Aphthartos, Gk. = immortal, incorruptible, not subject to decay)

Uncorrupted (Amiantos, Gk. = undefiled, unsoiled, unimpaired)

Unfading (Amarantos, Gk. = unfading, perennial)

Reserved for us in Heaven

We are protected by the power of God through faith (1 Pe. 1:5)

We were redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, the Christ

His was a perfect and complete sacrifice

Since this is the case, we can rejoice in the fact that our distress is temporary, and
our salvation assured

Like children on Christmas eve, we wait with joyful anticipation for the what
awaits in the morning (Titus 2:13)

We can set our hope completely on the grace we have been promised

True Hope vs. False Hope (Ps. 25:3, 5, 21, 62:5)

Relationship between Hope, Faith & Love (Col. 1:4-6)

Hope is the root, faith is the plant, and love is the fruit

To demonstrate faith is to act upon hope

Hope requires patience (Lam. 3:26; Rom. 5:4; 8:25; 1 Thess. 1:3)

Everything that we do, we should do with hope (1 Cor. 9:10)