A Bold Hope

[0:00] In the book of 1 Peter, we read, Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold, that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, ye love, and whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy, unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls, of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you.

[1:33] We live in a generation where hope is often lacking. You know, a Harvard study they did back in 2019 said this, that 45% of young adults report a general sense that things are falling apart.

[1:45] You know what that tells me? The idea of the world falling apart is the idea the world is hopeless. The world doesn't have hope in what they have. You know, it's important to understand that life may seem like it's crazy, but we serve a living Savior.

[2:02] We have a hope that's beyond the things and circumstances and situations of this world. You know, in 2023, the Newport Institute did a study also, and they came to this conclusion of this, that young adults are lacking hope.

[2:19] Matter of fact, they call it hope fatigue. Things that they hope or wish for didn't come to pass. And they said this, the constant influx of information keeps young adults glued to the devastating national and global events, from mass shootings and climate change to economic and political strife.

[2:37] It's no surprise they find it hard to feel optimistic about the future. As a result, young people are experiencing a phenomenon that's being called hope fatigue.

[2:47] And hope fatigue refers to being so worried and anxious about the issues beyond your control that you begin to feel apathetic and pessimistic. You know, I think we can relate with our world right now in that dynamic.

[3:01] That people are operating in a sense that there is no hope. You know, why would they be fatigued? Because part of the problem is, is when we desire, anticipate, and expect things to get better, and they don't, it wears upon us.

[3:19] They continue to feel overwhelmed by the challenges in their personal lives. You know, and in the world at large, you know, people feel anxious and depressed, withdrawing from social interactions and activities.

[3:32] They are worrying and obsessing over things they cannot control. You know, they feel powerless, resulting in people having despair and thinking that no one can help me, and there's no hope in the future.

[3:47] You know, this is where we find many today. This study is a reality. It's a snapshot of the reality of where many are today. Many are there because they miss what God has done for them.

[4:03] You know, the reality is they lack a real hope, a hope that has substance. Because the problem is there's a hope that has no substance, and there's hope that has substance.

[4:13] Because we can oftentimes be hopeful for something with no means that it might be true. Because true hope is built upon something that has something substantial behind it.

[4:27] And that substance, that substantial nature is God. He is the one that's substantial enough to base our hope upon. And when we put our hope upon God, it changes our perspective.

[4:40] Because hope is tied directly to how we think. How we process the world around us. How we engage people. How we think about other people.

[4:52] All those things are tied into this reality of hope. But we live in a world that oftentimes they miss the hope that is there. You know, we understand that hope is gone away from many.

[5:06] Because when one has no hope, what they believe in the possibility of a brighter future turns into negative life events. They also are more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors resulting in greater life satisfaction.

[5:23] You know, one of the studies showed that hopeful individuals are less likely to develop mental disorders. In fact, hope builds resilience, the ability to endure and grow from hardship.

[5:35] It's also a protective factor against suicide. You know, suicide is on the rise in our nation. What's directly attached to it? Hope. When people have hope, it changes things.

[5:49] But the problem, as we've seen, we live in a world that oftentimes has no hope. Ephesians, the Bible tells us in Ephesians 2, in verse 12, it says, That at times ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

[6:08] I want you to understand that last phrase describes it there, without hope, having no hope. Why? Because they're without God. They're without the one that hope is built upon.

[6:18] The one that can enforce those things. Because when we consider the dynamic of hope, you know, as a preacher, sometimes we have the sad duty of doing funerals.

[6:31] You know, and one thing I've learned is funerals is a place where you can see people's perspective of hope. Because it shows what do they rely upon? What are they looking to?

[6:42] Because when we consider in 1 Thessalonians 4, in verse 13, it says this, But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep. That word asleep means those that have died, those that have gone on.

[6:56] He doesn't want them to be ignorant because he's talking specifically about believers. Because as a believer, we have a hope beyond this world. We have a hope of that which is to come.

[7:07] Because this world is not everything there is. That changes a perspective, but I want you to see this. It says, even as others which have no hope. You know, I've been in some funerals where you see people have no hope.

[7:21] One thing I do if I get a chance to do the message at a funeral is always to bring them something that's going to give them hope, to give them the substance of hope. The reality of hope, and that hope is in Jesus Christ.

[7:33] The one that we celebrate today, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The substance of our hope. Our hope is built on Christ.

[7:45] The one that gave himself as a payment for sin. Our debt was a death. We had a debt to pay. One that was going to lead to eternal separation from the one that offers joy and peace to all those that would call upon him.

[8:02] You know, the passage we read here just a little bit ago in 1 Peter, in chapter 1, we find that he talks here about a living hope, a lively hope.

[8:13] A hope that's alive, not a hope that's just inadequate, but a hope that has substance. A hope that we can look forward to. Why? Because he's already overcome that which is to come.

[8:26] He's already provided a way. The hope of the gospel is life. The Bible tells us that the hope is eternal life through Jesus Christ.

[8:36] We have a living hope. We have a bold hope because we have a living hope. Look there at our text here this morning. Look there at verse 3. What it tells us is, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

[8:58] We have a living hope. Peter penned this epistle to the Gentiles that had heard and responded to the good news that Christ had overcome the curse of sin by shedding his own blood that day upon the cross.

[9:13] The sacrifice for sin. His death was the payment, but his resurrection was the victory. He's the reason that we can have a hope, a bold hope, that's built upon not a dead Savior, not one that we can just look at or examine from a distance, but one that we have seen and has been revealed to us that we can know that he is alive.

[9:36] You know, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, that died and was buried but rose again. You know, today we celebrate and look, but are also humbled by the reality of our hope.

[9:51] Because our hope is built in a living Savior. Because hope we're talking about here is not just wishful thinking, but is a desire accomplished by expectation and fulfillment.

[10:04] It involves something or someone on which that hope is centered. Because when we realize hope has to be outside ourselves. You know, one of the problems we have today is people look to ourselves.

[10:16] We're told, you can do it. You can overcome. You have the ability in you to do this. And then we're discouraged when we find out it's not so. Or they'll tell you somebody else is responsible to do it.

[10:29] Our hope is in all sorts of things today. We have hope in knowledge. We have hope in education. We have hope in government. We have hope in just the good nature of people. But you know, all those hopes are going to let you down.

[10:42] Because they don't have substance. They waver all the time. They're moody. But our hope is centered on something of substance.

[10:55] Our hope is centered on what took place in history. A solid foundation. Hope is not just that wishful thinking.

[11:06] It's hope because of His death and His victory over it. That we now have hope in being. Notice what it says in verse 3 here. Of what it tells us. But according to His abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope.

[11:21] Unto a living hope. By His abundant mercy. It means we're given a new life. We've been begotten again. That which was dead is now made alive. You know, the term here is one that's a gardening term.

[11:36] Because what it talks about is in the fall, you know, we're in that time of year. Now that we're getting some rain, you're going to see all sorts of things spring up, you know. But in the fall, you'll see a plant die and it'll wither.

[11:47] And it'll shrink down. And it'll look like there's nothing there. But in the spring, there's something that springs forth into new substance, new reality.

[11:57] That's the picture that it's giving us in Christ. That which is dead. That which is under the sentence of death. That which is under the curse of sin. Is now removed from that.

[12:08] And it's made alive. It's made alive in that new life. It's brought forth with a vibrancy. You know, think about what the Bible tells us in Ephesians chapter 2.

[12:20] Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 1. It says this. And you hath he quickened. That word quickened means made alive. He took you from that which was dead. Because we were dead in our trespasses and sins.

[12:34] But it tells us in verse 4. This is one of the great verse transitions you will find. Because the first part of this says the problem. And the next part says, but God. God says, hey, your problem is sin.

[12:49] But listen up. I got good news. Your sentence was death. You're dead in your trespasses and sins. But he says the good news is you can be made alive.

[13:01] But God who is rich in mercy for his great love. Wherewith he what? He loved us. Even when we were dead in sins. Hath quickened us together with Christ.

[13:12] By grace ye are saved. You're redeemed. You're rescued. You're brought forth. You're put into a place of safety. You see this living hope has substance.

[13:23] That substance is in the promise of God himself. You know, often we think of hope. We think of just that mere desire or want for something to happen. Without any other assurance.

[13:36] You know, we might put it this way. You know, we could say, you know, last night I was hoping it wouldn't rain this morning. Now, we might use that phraseology. We might use that thinking.

[13:47] But that hope wasn't based in anything of substance. Your salvation is based in something of substance. Because why is it substance?

[13:58] Because Christ came and he died for our sin according to the scripture. But you know, that's good. But the problem is, is he paid the penalty. But the victory is the substance because we have a risen Savior.

[14:11] We have one that's alive. All over the world you have individuals who worship gods, who cannot move, who cannot speak, who cannot do anything. Or they go someplace to worship somebody's tomb.

[14:24] You know, as a Christian, we don't go to the tomb anymore. We don't have to take a trip to the tomb. It's already been determined. It's empty. There's no need to go.

[14:39] There's nothing there. Because we want to find our Savior. You don't find him in the tomb. Our Savior's alive. This substance that we have, this living hope is the assurance that we have.

[14:55] We know that he will fulfill his promise. He said, I'm going to be turned over to the authorities and the scribes and the Pharisees and the Roman government.

[15:06] And they're going to mock me and spit on me. They're going to beat me. They're going to abuse me. They're going to kill me. And then he looks at his disciples and he says, on the third day I'm going to rise again.

[15:18] There's a lot of people who can tell you good news. But you know what? Jesus said, I've got news for you. That's good news because your sin's going to be covered. And I'm going to validate that I did it because I'm going to be alive afterwards.

[15:31] A living Savior gives us hope. Our hope is built upon a Savior that's alive. A little later on, look down at verse 23 in this same chapter.

[15:43] It tells us this. It says, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. The resurrection gives us a living hope.

[15:57] A hope that is beyond. But I want you to see here, it's not just a living hope, but it's a lasting hope. A bold hope we have in God is a lasting hope.

[16:09] It's a hope that has some longevity to it. Matter of fact, it says it will never fade. Look at verse 4. It tells us in our text there in 1 Peter, It says, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.

[16:30] This lasting hope, a bold hope that comes with an inheritance. You know, inheritance here gives us something of substance.

[16:42] You know, many people look forward to their inheritance. You know, people like inheriting things. You know, sometimes we don't have much to give. But we like inheritance.

[16:55] You know, today people inherit things. The problem with things you inherit here on earth, they decay, they degrade, they devalue. They're never quite what they once were.

[17:07] You know, no matter what it is, I mean, I enjoy. I still, we still use dressers in our bedroom from my grandmother. I'm glad we inherited them.

[17:17] But you know, they're not quite what they once were. You know, they start to degrade. But notice what it says about this inheritance. This inheritance is different.

[17:31] You know, oftentimes we look to the physical inheritance, but I want you to see here. This inheritance is laid up for the saints. Colossians chapter 1 and verse 12 says, Giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

[17:50] Because this inheritance is a promise that He gives to anyone that turns to Him through faith. It is something that will not degrade, diminish, or devalue. Instead, it is reserved for you in heaven.

[18:02] And notice the terms that's used here in verse 4. To an inheritance, incorruptible. Incorruptible. In other words, it'll never decay or degrade. You never have to worry about it rusting.

[18:14] You know, you don't have to worry about it fading away. You don't have to worry about whether it gets sunlight on it or whether it gets wet. It's an inheritance. It's incorruptible. There's nothing can happen to it.

[18:26] It's undefiled. It's pure. It's a pure inheritance. It's not polluted in any way. It fadeth not away. It's perpetual. It lasts forever.

[18:37] That's an inheritance worth inheriting. It's something of substance. It's something that you can grab a hold of. Something that makes a difference.

[18:48] You know, part of that inheritance is a belonging. You know, one of the things you'll find today is people struggle when it comes to hope as an area of belonging.

[18:58] Where's my place? What's my part? But you know what? The gospel, the living hope, is something different because as a child of God, Jesus tells you you belong to Him. In Christ, you have a place of belonging.

[19:12] One that will never leave you or forsake you. One that wants you to know that you're wanted. That He wants to spend time with you. He tells us, you know, think about John chapter 14.

[19:24] Look over to John chapter 14 this morning. If you don't think He wants you and doesn't have a place for you and doesn't want you to belong, consider what He says here in John 14.

[19:34] He says, Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it would not so, I would have told you. Now notice, I go to do what? Prepare a place for you.

[19:47] You know, this morning, I want you to realize that God says, You belong. You have a place. Why? Because He says, You're so important. And I consider you such a part that I've prepared a place for you.

[20:00] If you're important enough for Him to prepare a place, He says, You belong. Think about when you gather as a family. You know, we're in that different stage of life now. And you have family over. And you do what?

[20:10] You prepare a place for everyone that's coming. You know, we're going to enjoy a ham, I think, this afternoon together with some family. Right? You know? Now, traditions are good, and that's a good tradition.

[20:25] But I want you to understand, we prepare and make sure there's a place for everybody. Why? Because they belong. God says, Your inheritance is there because you belong.

[20:38] That when you're part of His family, you have a hope that's beyond a bold hope and the fact that you have a reserved place in heaven with Him. Hope in the living Savior that has come to establish a permanent place for all that would call upon Him.

[20:55] That's a hope of belonging, a hope in substance. This morning, we have a lasting hope, a hope that will never fade. But a bold hope is also a powerful hope.

[21:08] Because notice what it says in verse 5. It tells us this. It says, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.

[21:20] Now, I want you to see here, this hope is not in our power, our means to accomplish. You know, you're not kept by your own power. You know, one of the problems you find today is people try to say, Well, I'm going to be good enough for God to accept me.

[21:35] God doesn't want you to be good enough for Him to accept you. Now, let me explain, because that can be misconstrued. Because some people take that, Well, God takes me just as I am.

[21:45] I want you to understand, yes, He does. But He also has an expectation as His child that something is different afterwards. He meets you where you are and gives you something else.

[21:58] He gives you a new life, a different life, a life filled with substance and hope. We've already talked about the reality. They understand psychologically that hope changes people.

[22:10] If we have a living hope, it ought to change us. It should change our perspective, change our attitude, change the way we process.

[22:20] Because this hope is only possible by His power. He keeps anyone that will come to Him, to come to Him trusting in His Word. To trust His Word means that we agree with His assessment.

[22:34] You know, one of the problems today, when people come to God, they don't like God's assessment of them. They don't like the mirror of God's Word that it puts upon us. They say, God needs to accept me how I am.

[22:45] Now, I want you to understand, God will accept you how you are. But also, we have to humbly come to Him because we have to recognize who He has revealed you to be.

[22:56] Because we'll build our own goodness saying, hey, I'm not as bad as. You know, that's one of the biggest things you'll find. I'm not as bad as. Somebody else is always worse. Or did something that you deem worse.

[23:07] I want you to understand that God makes it very clear. Galatians chapter 3, But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ may be given to them that believe.

[23:20] It concluded all under sin. Now, sin covers a broad territory. You know, the Bible also tells us we like to see our own goodness. But God says, all your good things are as filthy rags as worthless.

[23:32] They're dirty. They're filthy. They're unpure. But He says, Jesus Christ came and died to cover the penalty of that. That's God's picture of who you are. You say, that's pretty bad.

[23:44] You know what? The Bible tells us that God knew who you are. He knew you were a sinner. And He still came and died for you. That's real love. And He says, not only did I die for you, I made a way for you to be different.

[24:00] To be born again. To be changed. To be transformed. A place where you can belong. It's a powerful hope. It's resting in His power.

[24:13] You know, the Bible tells us in chapter 5 of the Gospel of John, And Jesus said unto this, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life.

[24:32] In Christ, God's assessment that we're dead in our sins, as we humbly call upon Him, recognizing that, yes, God, I agree, I'm a sinner. You know, a lot of people stumble there.

[24:45] That's a holdup of coming to God oftentimes is getting a clear reflection of who we are. But when we understand I'm a sinner, that merits the wages of my sin, and the Bible says that's death, but Jesus Christ, but God, stepped in because He's gracious and He's merciful.

[25:09] And said there's nothing you can do to change it, but there's something I did to make a difference. That you might be passed from death to life.

[25:21] Just as Jesus passed from death in the grave to life. It's our assurance of what He says. It's a hope that He has promised for you and to you.

[25:37] You know, Philippians chapter 1 and verse 6 is being confident of this very thing, that He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

[25:47] Our hope is built in a Savior that can accomplish what He said He's going to do. A hope of substance. A hope that makes a difference. A hope that is both present, helps us in this life, and a hope for the one to come.

[26:06] When you come to Christ, He saves you and you're secured by His power, not by anything that you do or that you did. It's by faith alone in what He has done for you.

[26:18] Edward Mott penned a famous hymn, it's, My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. You know, think about those words right there.

[26:29] He had a proper understanding of who He is and who God is. He says, My hope is not built on me. It's not built on somebody else. It's built solely on Jesus Christ and what He's done.

[26:42] My focus is where it is. He says, I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. I encourage you to, we don't have time this morning to go through it, but you can just type that in.

[26:55] My hope is built on nothing less. And you can read all the words and all the verses of that song. It's a powerful song. And it describes exactly the hope too that we're talking about today.

[27:07] His hope was not in the things around Him, but was in the Savior that was to come. We see here in verse 5, notice that we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

[27:21] The point is the fact that this hope is present, but also future. Everyone that has called upon Him is now secure in Him.

[27:32] We are no longer under His judgment, His wrath, His condemnation. We've been passed from death to life. That's why that hope is different.

[27:45] Hope in this world constantly leads down one road, and that's ultimately to death, destruction, and decay. God says He gives life and liberty, and He gives us substance.

[27:56] He gives us hope. Why? Because we're sealed by the Holy Spirit until one day we're not only free from the penalty and the power of sin, but the very presence of sin.

[28:09] Look back over in Ephesians chapter 1 for a moment. Ephesians chapter 1. Notice what it tells us here. It says, In whom ye also trusted.

[28:23] That means believed, relied upon, agreed with the assessment. Because remember, what's God's assessment of us?

[28:35] We're all under sin. All of us have lied and cheated and stole. I mean, you go down the list, there's not a day goes by you probably don't in some form break every one of the commandments.

[28:47] It's pretty simple to see we're guilty. People try all sorts of things to get rid of it, but it's only in Jesus Christ. I want you to notice what the Bible says. It doesn't talk about being some water throwing on you.

[29:02] It doesn't talk about baptism. Baptism is important, but baptism will save you. Baptism identifies you with the Savior. It doesn't talk about somebody telling you you're okay.

[29:16] You know, sometimes people go to classes and they have somebody pronounce them, hey, you're okay. But you know what? I can't make anybody okay. I couldn't make myself okay. How can I make somebody else okay?

[29:27] I've got my own problems. But I can point you to the one who does solve the problem. Because notice, after you heard the word of truth, the truth is that you're a sinner, but the truth is also that we have a Savior who died and paid the price for that sin and says, whosoever shall call upon him shall be saved.

[29:47] Trusted the word, the gospel of your salvation. Now notice this, when you trust him, in whom also after that ye believed that ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

[29:59] The Holy Spirit that dwells within a believer is the promise. It's the earnest of our salvation. It's the down payment. It's not the full thing. I want you to keep in mind, what we have in this life is only partial to what God promises for eternity.

[30:17] Our hope is not in this world. Our hope is not what we can gain here. We're sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession under the praise of his glory.

[30:32] You know, I want you to see here this morning that salvation is present tense, but it's also future. I want you to understand, it's going to demand you to trust him.

[30:44] But it changes how we walk through the trials and struggles of this life. Because you're going to have problems while you're still alive here. Anybody come today without problems? We're looking for somebody with no problems.

[30:59] You know, have you ever noticed there's everybody, everybody here, if I said, raise your hand if you have at least one problem, you know what, I think everybody's hand would have to go up, wouldn't it? We all got stuff going on.

[31:10] We all got problems in life. But you know, we can walk through those things because of our hope is outside of the circumstances, the situations of life.

[31:23] Because I want you to see here, it's a refreshing hope. A bold hope is a refreshing hope. Look at verse 6. It says, Wherein ye greatly rejoice, now though for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, ye love, and whom now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

[31:59] It's a refreshing hope that we have. This hope is in a living Savior that guides us and sustains us, provides for us as we face the challenges of this season that we're under.

[32:12] This season, if you're saved today, if you've called upon the Lord to save you, you're in a season where you're going to have trials and troubles. But you can rest assured that Jesus is still with you. He's never going to leave us.

[32:26] He's never going to forsake us. We can rejoice in the hope that we have knowing is but a season of time that we'll be faced with trials and tribulations. You know, as you go through life, you know, when you're younger, I've noticed that everything's the end of the world.

[32:41] I mean, I've got young grandkids now and it's like, you tell, no, and it's like, oh, life has ended, you know. Grandma didn't give me a cookie for dinner.

[32:53] Oh, life is over. Everything's an ending thing, you know. But I want you to understand what God is telling us, the hope we have, that living hope, a bold hope in Christ, says, I know this is but for a season because our hope goes beyond what's happening.

[33:12] We have hope in one that's beyond our circumstances, one that's passed through our circumstances, that has faced the trials and the struggles. And he says, I understand.

[33:22] He is our intercessor. He is the one that's there in our stead. He is the one that comes and encourages and strengthens and guides and directs. It's a hope and a living Savior that we can rejoice knowing that this is but for a season.

[33:39] You know, I want you to understand your faith is going to be tested. There's going to be problems in this life. But I want you to understand that the problems, we have a Savior that's bigger than your problems. Think about Job.

[33:50] You know, Job's probably one of the people that when you call the name of Job, he's probably one of the most famous people outside even Christian circles that people refer to. You know, they think about the life of Job.

[34:01] You know, all the things that happened in Job's life. You know, I might have problems but I don't have Job type problems. When you think about what he faced, finances, family, friends, all the devastation and Job in the midst.

[34:18] Not at the beginning, not before it happened, not after it happened. Because the end of Job says that God blessed Job and Job had twice as much as he had before.

[34:30] But in the middle, in Job 19, you know what Job says? He looks at his friends and he says this, For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand in the latter day upon the earth.

[34:42] He says, I know my Redeemer liveth and though my skin, after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. You know what? Job had a hope in a resurrection.

[34:55] God had revealed to him that there was going to be a resurrection. Very clearly, Job says, Hey, this life, I know that death is going to come. Misery is already upon me and death is going to come, but he says, I have a hope beyond.

[35:11] I have a refreshing hope that walks me through who I see for myself and mine eyes shall behold and not another that my reign shall be consumed within me.

[35:24] In other words, he says, My focus is on God no matter what happens. But you know, Job never saw his Savior in this life. You think about the apostles. They saw Jesus.

[35:34] They walked with him. They talked with him. Those that he touched, those that he healed, they saw face to face a Savior. They saw all the things. They saw Jesus suffer and die on the cross. Today, we have not seen, but we have heard and are assured of.

[35:49] But one day, if you call upon him, you will see him face to face. You'll see him as he is. Think about what Jesus said to Thomas in John 20.

[36:01] It says, Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen yet have believed. We believe and rejoice that we have a Savior that gives joy and encouragement in the midst of life.

[36:18] You know, in the Old Testament, Habakkuk chapter 3 says this. It says, although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall the fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olives shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat.

[36:31] The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a pretty bad year. And look what the prophet says.

[36:44] Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. How could he say that?

[36:55] Because his hope was in something greater. Hope in a living Savior. But I want you to see also this morning that it's a received hope.

[37:06] It's a hope one day you're going to get the full thing. Hope is looking forward with an expectation. One day that hope will no longer be hope.

[37:21] You know when hope no longer becomes hope is when the expectation is met. There's no need for hope. It's real. It's there. There's no need for hope anymore because it's already come to fruition.

[37:33] It's present. Your hope will lead to something that's received, something that's lasting. This living, lasting, powerful, refreshing hope is one that finally comes to fruition.

[37:44] The end is where our hope lies. Notice what it says in verse 9. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. The end is where our hope lies.

[37:55] It's that one day we'll be in the presence of the one that died and rose again that might receive his complete and full salvation. We'll be removed from the very presence of sin.

[38:09] One day we won't have any more problems. Problems will be done because we're in the presence of the Savior. The end is where the hope is focused. It's that one day we'll be in the presence of the one who died and rose again and we understand completely what he's given to us.

[38:27] You know, this morning we need hope. We live in a generation that needs hope. We have an auditorium that needs hope. You have a preacher who needs hope.

[38:38] But you know, oftentimes we can become like we talked about at the beginning, hope that's fatigued. Because sometimes we get a hope in the wrong place, in the wrong focus. A hope that will falter and fails when tested by life.

[38:50] You know, people get fatigued in hope because it's built upon wishful thinking. But this morning I don't want your hope based on wishful thinking. I want you to understand there's a hope.

[39:03] There's a bold hope that's been given to us. A hope in the one that came to his creation. A fallen creation full of people who reject him.

[39:15] And said, I love you enough, I'm going to make a way to cover what separates us. That we might have hope. Because he took on himself the penalty of sin in our place.

[39:26] Paying the price of our sin but then displaying the victory that was revealed when he rose again the third day. He's promising to forgive your sin and give you a new, abundant, hopeful life as you walk with him.

[39:44] This morning, what's your hope built upon? Is it a bold hope? And the one who came and died and rose again for you?

[39:54] The one whose promise we have that's revealed he's always faithful? Or do you have a faltering hope? A fatigued hope because it's in things that God has not promised.

[40:07] Because your hope lies someplace. What's your hope in today? What is your hope built upon? If you're here today and don't know what it is to have this bold hope built upon Jesus Christ, in just a few moments I want to give you an opportunity to find out more about who Jesus is.

[40:24] An opportunity to come. If that's you, I'd encourage you to after I pray to just come and have somebody to show you from God's Word how you can know in this bold hope we have in a risen Savior.

[40:38] We can have someone share you from God's Word how you can know and experience the hope that is in Christ. If you have that need today, I encourage you not to leave here without taking care of it.

[40:48] But maybe you're here today and you know this hope but maybe you just need to take a few moments to just praise God for what He's done for you. Maybe you spend a few minutes with Him and say thank you Lord for a hope that's greater than this world.

[41:04] Whatever the need may be, after we pray we're going to have the pianist come, the piano will play. I encourage you to get before God.

[41:14] this morning of where are you with Him. Heavenly Father as we come before You this morning Lord we're so thankful for a living hope, a bold hope that we can have in You.

[41:30] Lord something far greater than ourselves or the world around us. Lord I pray that You just would work upon each heart, each life here today. Lord You know the need, You know the situation with each person.

[41:45] Lord You know where their hope lies. Lord I pray today if they don't know You as Savior that today would be the day they would call upon You. And Lord I hope and pray that today we would go away with a renewed and bold hope in a living Savior.

[42:05] And Lord we ask it all in Your precious name. Amen. As heads are bowed and eyes are closed this morning let's just take a moment as the piano plays to spend a few moments between You and the Lord.

[42:18] Maybe you'd like to find out more about this hope that we spoke of this morning. Maybe you have a fatigued hope that needs something of greater substance. What about you?

[42:29] That's all. voy voy voy voy voy! voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy voy