The God of Hope

Sermon Date: 
Dec 02 2018

SORRY DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES NO AUDIO IS PROVIDED.

SERMON OUTLINE (IN SUMMARY)

INTRODUCTION
Christmas season is the time to once again celebrate and rejoice how the LIGHT OF GOD’S PRESENCE entered into the DARKNESS of this world through the birth of Jesus Christ, “Immanuel” – God with US (Matt. 4:16; John 1:9)!

WHY DO WE NEED THE DIVINE LIGHT?
a) Wounded-souls living in some means of darkness: crime, violence, abuse, assaults, more rage, murders, drug & alcohol addictions, porn addictions, infidelity, divorces, identity confusion, depression, suicide, immorality…
b) From the time of Adam & Eve, our turning away from our life-source found in obeying God, gave some “right-of-access” for the Devil to direct our lives towards and into darkness (e.g. destructive thoughts, actions, and behaviors damaging our self-worth, value, and purpose to life).
c)Use worldly remedies to fix/cover up a spiritual-relational separation/distance we have with God (e.g. fig leaves with Adam & Eve, pleasurable & harmful ways offered in this world, etc.). Only God is able to provide the necessary divine remedy & power to bring us back to Himself and transform our lives for His glorious purposes.

WHAT IS FOUND IN JESUS CHRIST, GOD'S SON?
a) The grace to REPENT and receive FORGIVENESS for our sins.
b) The means through Whom we are able to enter into the INTIMACY/COMMUNION with our Holy God.
c) We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower us to battle more victoriously against the evil schemes of the devil.
d) Jesus is our ADVOCATE and our perfect REPRESENTATIVE before God (when God see you, he sees His Son through you). So when the Devil accuses you through your thoughts, just show him Christ your Advocate. Remember Jesus fully paid the price for your sins and related guilt/shame. In your Christian faith-walk, Jesus reigns as your Savior, Majestic King, and Your Living-abiding Lord!

HAVE YOU MET THE GOD OF HOPE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST? (Jeremiah 17:7-8; Prov. 3:5-6)
1. In your Christian faith-walk, hope is confidently knowing and trusting you are in the PRESENCE of God’s love (Romans 5:5)! •Our God of Hope assures that YOU ARE NOT ALONE BUT IN GOD’S LOVE whatever you are being faced with! Hope is the “very presence of God” with you minute by minute, step by step, day by day.

2. In your Christian faith-walk, hope is confidently knowing & trusting in the PROMISES of God’s love (2 Cor. 1:20, Heb.11:17-19-Abraham; 1 Peter 1:3-5). •Not only is hope being in God’s presence but you are spiritual benefactors of his covenant promises in Christ. In my personal devotional time with God,he asked me, “Trevor, if you knew what I was preparing for you in my power and ability, how would you live differently for me in the present?” To which I replied, “with joyful obedience.”

3. In your Christian faith-walk, hope is confidently knowing and trusting you have GREAT PURPOSES IN GOD’S LOVE and the meaning to our lives (2 Tim. 1:9; Phil. 1:6; Phil. 2:12-13). •One of the Scriptural verses where I found the hope and the purpose of living within my own dark night of the soul came from Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

IN CONCLUSION
Does not YOUR LIVE HAVE WORTH, VALUE, AND PURPOSE? Look what God has done to make it known as a resounding YES!
Dear beloved friends, when your soul is downcast - when you are uncertain about your life - when darkness surrounds you, as the Psalmist writes in Psalm 43:5, place your HOPE in God, and praise him, for he is YOUR Savior, he is YOUR God! REMEMBER THIS IS A HOPE THAT WILL NOT DISAPPOINT.

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 (Romans 15:13)!

Pastor Trevor