Unprecedented Hope
“Creating an Environment of Hope”
Watch on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqGOIXCt684
In our “Unprecedented” series of messages, where we just finished the Unprecedented Faith series, we are now starting the next series of messages, Unprecedented Hope.
Now, I had hoped to do this next series like the last, looking at those in the Bible who displayed such hope, but I found I needed to move away from character studies and toward a study of the characteristics of hope the Bible talks about.
But like the series on faith, where we looked at creating an environment of faith, I would like to start this next series on hope in the same way, by looking at how we can create an environment of hope in our lives. Because, to live in this world today, hope is one thing we need most, because without it, we can never be truly alive.
When people view this life and what we face, the general synopsis is that life stinks. And is it any wonder, with addictions, sexual deviancy, the divorce rate, and overall lawlessness, all of these are on the rise, not to mention the increase in suicides and crime? And on top of all of this, disease and violence are on the increase as well. And don’t get me started on the economy.
And so, most people today have little hope, if any, because they no longer hope for the best. Instead, they’re just hoping it doesn’t get any worse.
Now, the world has its own special brand of hope, but it isn’t something anyone can base their life and hopes on, because it is more of an illusion than a reality.
Today, people place their hope in a political system or party, or worse, in a politician, a movie star, or an athlete. But the reality is that each of these will let them down.
The world also places its hope in science and medicine, but as we have seen, scientific facts change, so we shouldn’t place our hope in them. And while medicine may help, we know that our health will eventually fail. We also know that we can’t place our hope in our savings accounts, jobs, or anything the world purports to offer as hope.
So, where are we to get our hope?
This is something the world has long sought because of its vital importance to our survival.
Dr. Dale Archer, a recognized psychiatrist, said, “If I could find a way to package and dispense hope, I would have a pill more powerful than any antidepressant on the market. Hope is often the only thing between man and the abyss. As long as a patient, individual, or victim has hope, they can recover from anything and everything.” (Dr. Dale Archer)
But when we place our hope in the world and its purveyors, it is short-lived and falls short of expectation. Instead, we are to put our hope in the Lord God, who never changes and is trustworthy and faithful.
To Timothy, the Apostle Paul said, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” (1 Timothy 6:17 NKJV)
And in his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul said that without Jesus Christ, no one really has any hope at all (Ephesians 2:12).
And throughout God’s word, which we are also to place our hope in, because it has always been true and transformative, we are told to place our hope in the Lord.
One of my favorite verses on this is Psalm 146:5, which says, “But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.” (Psalm 146:5 NLT)
And so, this all begs the question of what is hope?
The word comes from the Old English word “hopa” and means having confident assurance in the future.
Many think hope is an emotion or feeling, but it’s so much more. It also isn’t wishful or pie-in-the-sky thinking, like “The Weight Loss Cure That Never Fails.”
Having hope, however, is a certainty. It’s a belief that sustains us, holds us up under the most adverse circumstances, and enables us to endure life when all hell breaks loose around us.
And so, the only place that such hope comes from is the Lord, and it’s the knowledge that God loves us so much that He was willing to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to die upon the cross to forgive our sins, so that we can have an abundant life both now and in heaven.
Jesus said that while the thief, that is, Satan, comes to steal, kill, and destroy, He has come instead not only to bring life but abundant life (John 10:10)
That is the kind of assurance we need, because it will produce hope in a world and a generation that have lost its hope, and in the hopeless situations we find ourselves in.
What then are the ingredients we need to create an environment of hope?
Ingredients for Hope
To believe in God’s purpose begins with faith in God and in His ability, recognizing that He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present to help. We see this in what He says and promises.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV)
And so, to walk in God’s plan so that we can have that future hope is to align with the will and way of God. And while there is much to say in this regard, let me give what I consider to be God’s overarching will and way for our lives that produce this hope.
In a word, it is to be everything God wants us to be and to do. It is to reach our God-given potential and destiny. And this is especially important given the time we are in. The days are indeed evil and getting worse.
And while we may not know everything about God’s specific will and way for our lives, we do know God’s overarching will and way. And I’d like to talk about the main three.
Loving God
This is found in what is known as the Great Commandment.
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39 NKJV)
And so, if loving God is one of His overarching will for our lives, then how do we go about loving God? The answer is in the second commandment, which Jesus said is like the first, namely to love our neighbor, that is, to love those God has placed in our path.
The way we are to love them is the same way God loves us. The Apostle John makes this clear in 1 John 3:16, saying, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16 NKJV)
And Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13 NKJV)
God’s first overarching will is to love Him.
Being Missionary
Notice, I didn’t say to be a missionary, but to be missionary, which is the same as being evangelistic. This is seen in what is known as the Great Commission.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19 NKJV)
Making disciples begins by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, that He came, died on the cross for our sins, and then on the 3rd day rose from the dead.
It’s what Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26 NKJV)
And so Jesus sends us out with this great good news, and that is, we can have a new and everlasting life through belief in Him as our Savior and Lord. And so being missionary is to follow Jesus’s command to take the message out.
Jesus said, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21 NKJV)
Living the Cross Life
Jesus made it clear that the only way to receive our peace and future hope is through Him.
Jesus said, “In Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NKJV)
And the way we have this peace and hope is through the way He provided, which is to walk in the way of the cross.
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23 NKJV)
To deny ourselves means to give up what we want in order to become everything Jesus wants us to be. But living this way goes against the grain.
Many want to follow Jesus for what they can get, but they don’t want to live for Him, that is, to live the cross life. They don’t want to serve the poor, forgive and pray for those who hurt them, love their enemies, or bear another person’s burdens.
But the way of the cross is the path of total commitment.
Think of it this way. Since God is not a part-time Savior, He doesn’t want us to be part-time Christians. We need to stop being part-time Christians who demand a full-time God. In other words, we want God to be everything for us, but we’re not willing to be anything for God.
And so the first ingredient in creating this environment of hope is to believe in God’s purpose for our lives, which means living in alignment with His word, His will, and His way.
The second ingredient in developing this environment of hope is to remember God’s love.
If we want to create an environment of hope, we need to remember God’s promises and His past interventions.
This was, it would seem, King David’s secret.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things.” (Psalm 103:2-5 NKJV)
But David didn’t stop there; he goes on to say that God executes righteousness and justice for the oppressed and that the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy (Psalm 103:6, 8).
Look at what the Apostle James says about the gifts God gives.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17 NKJV)
And here is the really neat part of this. When our hope is firmly based on God’s promises, He’ll release His supernatural grace.
In the Apostle Peter’s second letter, he said, “(There has) been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:4 NKJV)
God’s grace flows not only through our faith in His promises but also when our hope is in Him and His promises.
Our problem is that we have become so preoccupied with our current situation that we tend to forget how God has worked in our past, bringing His blessings into our lives and into the lives of our friends and loved ones.
Further, if our hope is in the Lord, and when we remember all that He has done for us, especially that Jesus came and died on the cross so that we can have eternal life in heaven, then what we need to do is thank Him. That means opening our hearts and mouths to express our gratitude. This is integral to creating an environment of hope.
Therefore, to create an environment of hope, we need to remember the blessings of what God has promised and accomplished, and let our praise ring out, because we can never have hope for the future until we begin to thank Him for the love He has already given.
The third ingredient in creating an environment of hope is our need to practice God’s presence.
When I talk about practicing the presence of God, I’m talking about living in the reality that God is with us at all times, and then living our lives in light of that understanding.
All the way back in the law, this was God’s way.
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV)
It was this very thing that the writer of Hebrews points to in Hebrews 13:5, where he quotes the Lord, saying, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5b NKJV)
And in the Great Commission, Jesus said, “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b NKJV)
So, the Lord is making it clear that He is always with us, and we are then to live our lives with this understanding. But if this is the case, how do we go about doing it?
Pray Without Ceasing
In fact, we are told that this is part of God’s will for our lives.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV)
In any relationship, communication is absolutely essential. That is how it works. Prayer is our communication with God, and the only way this works is when we take the time to allow God to respond, that is, when we take the time to listen to what He is saying.
The problem is that most of us are too busy to listen. We’ve got so much going on that we no longer hear God speaking to us. We sit in front of our computers surfing the Internet or in front of the TV watching our favorite shows. Even in the car, we’ve got to have noise, so we’ve got the radio blaring or the CD cranked up.
It’s hard to hear God when we’re listening to all this other noise. This was what Elijah learned. He didn’t hear God in the earthquake, wind, or fire, but rather he heard God as that still, small voice. God more often speaks to us in quietness, not in the noise.
So let’s give God the time and space He needs to speak and guide us in the situations we face.
The Lord told Joshua and the people, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8 NKJV)
And in Psalm 1, we are told that the person who is blessed is the one who delights in God’s word and meditates on it day and night (Psalm 1:2).
Why is this important? Because it is God’s word, and through it we will be complete and ready for God to use for His Kingdom.
The Apostle Paul said, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The Apostle Paul says that the Bible is useful, beneficial, and advantageous, teaching us what is true, reproving what isn’t, and correcting and instructing us on how to get and stay right with God.
The Bible is also filled with God’s promises, and as we fill our minds with these promises, hope arises from the ashes of burned-out dreams and from some really horrible times, which many of us are going through even now.
Conclusion
And while there is so much more to creating an environment of hope for our faith to work and succeed, if I could, I would like to give you a couple more things about God. Hopefully, this will give you the hope you need to face not only the rest of your day but also the rest of your life.
