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Good morning, everyone. Please turn to Romans chapter 8. And we'll start in verse 18. Romans 8, 18. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope, that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves who have the first fruit of the spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption of sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope, we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope for who hopes for what he sees. But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. And let's open in prayer. Our Father in heaven, we are thankful for this time that we can gather together freely and to consider your word. We're thankful for your word. and we're thankful that you watch over us, you hear us when we pray. We do ask that you would help us to grow in our understanding of hope, knowledge-wise and experientially. Please bless this time and help us to keep our minds free of distractions and to have a pleasant time meditating on this wonderful hope that you have worked in us. We ask these things in Jesus name. Amen. All right. So today's topic is hope. Today's Sunday school lesson. And the first section, what is hope? We'll consider some definitions of hope. Cause means nourishment of hope, foundation of hope. the expectation of hope, and the object of hope. And then the following two sections are extended quotes from our friend John Owen and our friend JC Ryle. And then lastly, some closing thoughts from Matthew Henry. And so to start with, let's look at Girolamo Zanchi's definition of hope in his confession of the Christian religion, and the chapter that he wrote on faith, hope, and love. Zanchi says, hope is a gift of God whereby as we are firmly confident of the promised blessings through patience on the basis of God's mercy, and on account of Christ's merits alone, we firmly anticipate those blessings that as yet we neither possess nor see. So this first definition emphasizes the God-centeredness of hope. It is a gift on the basis, it's a gift of God on the basis of his mercy and on account of Jesus Christ's merits. Our hope is not in man or from man, our hope is in the promised blessings to come we experience some now and then yet future and They are unearned and undeserved Next we have one from Wilhelmus a brackle. Hope is a propensity infused by God into the hearts of believers by means of the word whereby they patiently actively and with assurance anticipate future promised benefits. And here we see an emphasis on the main maintenance of hope, which is the Word of God. The Word of God is a means of grace and a means of promoting hope in the people of God. Thomas Watson says, hope is a theological or supernatural grace planted in the heart by the Spirit of God, whereby a Christian is quickened to the expectation of those things that are held forth in the promise. If we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it? And here the emphasis is on the work of the Holy Spirit. And then lastly, William Ames, hope is a virtue which leads us to expect things which God has promised us. We just read that in Romans 8. I appreciate the simplicity of the last definition. So hope is a gift, a propensity, a grace, a virtue. And the first three definitions that we went over, they also look at and emphasize the patience involved in waiting on the Lord to fulfill his promises. And then simply stated, hope patiently looks forward to and expects the fulfillment of God's promises. So hopefully those were some good reminders of what hope is. So when you think of hope, you have some words to put to it and explain what it is. So the next section is the cause, the means, the nourishment of hope. What is the cause of hope? What is the means or encouragement of hope? And how is hope nourished? So the cause our God of hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. And we read in Romans 15, well, there's a glitch in the matrix there. Romans, Romans 15, 13. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. So the cause of hope is God, the power of the Holy Spirit. This is also seen in 2 Thessalonians 2.16. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God, our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. So again, the cause of hope is God. By grace, he gave us hope and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we may abound in hope. and then the means and so we read in Romans 15 for the scriptures are the means for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. So the means is the word. Wilhelmus O'Brackell says, In the word, God presents the matter in its beauty and preciousness. In the word, he presents the mediator by whom the promised matters have been merited. And by the word, God works faith in the Savior. And by faith, hope is wrought in us. And then lastly, nourishment is brought about by meditating on the glory of Jesus Christ. In Colossians 127, we read, To them, God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. And First Timothy 1.1, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus, our hope. Hope is nourished by meditating on the glory of Jesus Christ, and we'll have more on that topic to come from Owen later on in the lesson. So next up is the foundation. What is the foundation of our hope? Ultimately, God is the foundation. In 1 Peter, we find four pillars that comprise the foundation of our hope. faith, Jesus Christ's resurrection, the new birth, and God's mercy. And we'll see God as the foundation of our hope and his gifting faith, raising Jesus from the dead, causing us to be born again and bestowing great mercy upon us. 1 Peter 1 through 5, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his great mercy. He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. So first, mercy, without God's great mercy, we are hopeless. We read in Hosea 1, verse six, and the Lord said to him, call her name no mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel to forgive them at all. And verse nine, and the Lord said, call his name not my people, for you are not my people, and I am not your God. And then down to chapter two in verse 23, And I will have mercy on no mercy, and I will say to not my people, you are my people, and he shall say, you are my God. So without God's mercy, we are without hope. Without God showing mercy and saying, you are my people, we're without hope. It is God's prerogative that he will show mercy on whom he will show mercy. And thankfully God has shown us and called us and shown us that great mercy. And another pillar is the new birth. So without regeneration, we are hopeless. Without the new birth, we do not have eyes to see, ears to hear, or a pliable heart willing and able to embrace the promises of God. We are dead in our sins. The Children's Catechism question 40 asks, can anyone go to heaven with this sinful nature, that is, original sin? No, our hearts must be changed before we can believe in Jesus and go to heaven. And that is what's brought out in John 3, 3. Jesus answered him, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. God has caused us to be born again to a living hope. And here we have, next up, a quote from Hervin Babbink. Now, inasmuch as this rebirth is to be attributed to God, who brought it about by the resurrection of Christ and by the living word, it is a rebirth to a living hope. In Peter, this train of thought is, as it were, a single concept. The concept of the new life is hope. The life of believers is totally sustained and guided by hope. Hope characterizes their whole lifestyle. In any case, it is not a static possession, but living, active, and strong. It reaches out and binds believers to the heavenly inheritance. It also enables them to live a holy life in accordance with Christ's example. Rebirth to a living hope is simultaneously a rebirth to a new and holy life. And then third, the resurrection. Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are hopeless. And Paul explains this very clearly, all that we are without, if there is no resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15, 12 through 19. Now, if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection from the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised and that our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain, we are even found to be misrepresenting God because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise, if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." So no resurrection, no hope. And lastly, no faith, we are hopeless. Without faith we are hopeless. For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of work, so that no one may boast. And then William Ames, certainly Certainty is given to hope by faith for faith is the foundation of hope Nothing is to be hoped for which is not believed before in faith Galatians 5 5 4 through the spirit by faith. We wait for the hope of righteousness So with that, we see the foundation of our hope is found in God's great mercy, the new birth, whereby we are born again to a living hope, and this through God's approval of our Savior's atoning work on our behalf and demonstrated as accepted by the resurrection. And then last, by God's power, we are guarded through the gift of faith. So let's look at the expectation component of hope. As Christians, we have faith in God, we have hope in God, we have love for God. In Ephesians 2.8, which we just read, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God. So we possess God's gift of faith. In Romans 5.5, we read God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. We possess God's love. We have hope, but we do not yet have what we hope for. It is not in our possession. The Christian's hope looks in faith for that which we do not fully possess. That is where the expectation aspect of hope comes into play. While we do not possess yet that which we hope for, we expect it so strongly, so confidently, it is as though we do possess it, even though we do not just yet possess it. William Ames, the act by which divine hope is turned toward its object is called expectation. This is not merely uncertain or probable conjecture as with human hope, but of great certainty. And again, Romans 8, 25, if we hope for what we do not see, we expect it with patience. And next we see expectation in Philippians 1, 18 and 20. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage, now as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. And Abrakel's got a nice quote on the nature of hope, as it consists in a sure expectation Hope is not the equivalent of possession. Whatever one possesses, one cannot hope for. Hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man sees, why does he yet hope for? Hope expects and anticipates that which has not been observed as yet, is not yet present, but which is yet to come. But if we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. The apostle therefore conjoins expecting and hoping, the latter explaining the former, according to my earnest expectation and my hope. And then to Hebrews chapter six and verse 17. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise, the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we have fled for refuge, might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. And here we have Beaky and Smalley talking about how hope depends on the confidence that the God who made these promises cannot lie. Whereas people commonly say, I hope so, as a mere wish, biblical hope in God is a solid expectation with great certainty obtained by faith in God's true word. And Beaky Smalley quote Ames and Plummer. Plummer wrote, true religious hope is no vain persuasion, no idle dream, but a sure expectation. It rests upon an immovable foundation, God's unchanging word and oath and covenant. So in this section, we see the certainty of our confidence in God's promises and eager expectation and hope that God cannot lie. Our hope is an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast. And next section will be the object of our hope. Newsflash, God, he is the primary principle or chief object of our hope. God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit. In 1 Peter 1 20-21, he was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in these last times for the sake of you. Who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. In 1 Timothy 4 10, For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. God the Father is called the God of hope, not only because he is the author and giver of that grace, but because he is the object of it, by whom Christ is said to be raised from the dead, that faith and hope might be in God, that is, in God the Father. And Christ the Son of God is called our hope, and Christ in you, the hope of glory, that is, the object, ground, and foundation of it, which are his blood, Righteousness and sacrifice the Spirit of God also is equally the object of hope as of faith and confidence He will assist in the exercise of every grace and the performance of every duty and particularly He will carry on and finish the work of grace upon soul Closely tied These first two kind of go together, and then the last two kind of go together. The Blessed Hope, Titus 2, 11. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age. Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. And the helps here I garnered from Thomas Watson in his little work, A Sacred Anchor. The Blessed Hope, Christ's return, it will be a glorious appearing in regard of the saints and first Christ as a judge will appear to acquit his people and that is by pronouncing the sentence, come ye blessed of my father, the debt book shall be crossed in the blood of the lamb. Christ as a judge will appear to vindicate his people. The names of the godly many times lie buried in reproach, but at that day they shall, as Bernard says, be fragrant with the finest perfumes. Christ will give them a new name. He will call them his friends, his spouse, the apple of his eye. Their names shall flourish with honor and give forth their perfume as the wine of Lebanon. And Christ as a judge will appear to crown his people. When body and soul shall be reunited and perfected in glory, Christ will take his people into his sweet and everlasting embraces. He will lay them in his bosom. He will set them upon his throne. He will fill them with the inebriating wine of his love to all eternity. and thus you see what is the saint's hope, namely the glorious appearing of Christ when he shall appear as a judge to acquit, vindicate, and crown them. Heaven, we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. So we certainly will look forward to the great happiness and joys of heaven. No more tears. No more sin, a glorified body, capable of being in the presence of God, just to name a few. And eternal life, also an object of our hope, Titus 1, 1 through 2. Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness. In hope of eternal life, which God who never lies, promised before the ages began. So much more could be said on the details of our hope in this life and that which is to come, these being the more significant hope in God, the author of our hope, the blessed hope, the glorious return of Jesus Christ, and the culmination of God's saving work. The hope of our salvation, eternal life with God in heaven. And so next, a couple of quotes, as I mentioned earlier, John Owen, and then some thoughts from J.C. Ryle. So this is an expansion of the scriptures, Christ in you, the hope of glory. Hope is a glorious grace. By it are we purified, sanctified, saved. And to sum up the whole of its excellency and efficacy, it is a principle way of the working of Christ as inhabiting in us. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Where Christ evidences his presence with us, he gives us an infallible hope of glory. He gives us an assured pledge of it and works our souls into an expectation of it. The special object of hope is eternal glory. The peculiar use of it is to support, comfort, and refresh the soul in all trials, under all weariness and despondencies, with a firm expectation of a speedy entrance into that glory with an earnest desire after it. Wherefore, unless we acquaint ourselves by continual meditation with the reality and nature of this glory, it is impossible it should be the object of a vigorous, active hope, such as whereby the apostle says, we are saved. Without this, we can neither have that evidence of eternal things, nor that valuation of them, nor that preparedness in our minds for them, as should keep us in the exercise of gracious hope about them. Now he's got a good little example. Suppose sundry persons engaged in a voyage unto a most remote country wherein all of them have an apprehension that there is a place of rest and an inheritance provided for them. Under this apprehension, they all put themselves upon their voyage to possess what is so prepared. Albeit, some of them have only a general notion of these things. they know nothing distinctly concerning them, and are so busied about other affairs that they have no leisure to inquire into them, or do suppose that they cannot come unto any satisfactory knowledge of them in particular. And so are content to go on with general hopes and expectations. Others there are who, by all possible means, acquaint themselves particularly with the nature of the climate whither they are going, with the excellency of the inheritance and provision that is made for them. Their voyage proves long and worrisome, their difficulties many, and their dangers great. And they have nothing to relieve and encourage themselves with but the hope and expectation of the country, whether they are going. Those of the first sort will be very apt to despond and faint. Their general hopes will not be able to relieve them. But those who have a distinct notion and apprehension of the state of things whether they are going, and of their incomparable excellency, have always in a readiness wherewith to cheer their minds and support themselves. In that journey of pilgrimage wherein we are engaged towards a heavenly country, we are sure to meet with all kinds of dangers, difficulties, and perils. It is not a general notion of blessedness that will excite and work in us a spiritual refreshing hope, But when we think and meditate on future glory as we ought, that grace which is neglected for the most part as unto its benefit and dead as unto its exercise will of all others be most vigorous and active, putting itself forth on all occasions. This, therefore, is an inestimable benefit of the duty exhorted unto in which they find the advantage of who are really spiritually minded. So that was a bit of a mouthful. And if you'd like, you can read it again this afternoon, spend some time digesting it. And now to sort of a practical part. I've taken out five gems from J.C. Ryle in his book, Old Paths, Our Hope. It's available free online or the Banner of Truth print edition in our library. So first off, a good hope is a hope that a man can explain. What says the scripture? Be ready always to give an answer to every man who asks you a reason of the hope that is in you. If our hope is sound, we must be able to give some account of it. We must be able to show why, and therefore, and on what grounds, and for what reason we expect to go to heaven when we die. A good hope is a hope that is drawn from scripture. What says David? I hope in your word. Remember the word unto your servant upon which you have caused me to hope. What says Paul? Whatever things were written for time were written for our learning. Though we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. If our hope is sound, we ought to be able to turn to some text or fact or doctrine of God's word as the source of it. Our confidence must arise from something which God has caused to be written in the Bible for our learning and which our heart has received and believed. A good hope is a hope that rests entirely on Jesus Christ. What says Paul to Timothy? He says that Jesus Christ is our hope. What says he to the Colossians? He speaks of Christ in you, the hope of glory. The person who has a good hope founds all his expectations of pardon and salvation on the mediation and redeeming work of Jesus, the Son of God. He knows his own sinfulness. He feels that he is guilty, wicked, and lost by nature, but he sees forgiveness and peace with God offered freely to him through faith in Christ. He accepts the offer, he casts himself with all his sins on Jesus, and rests on him. Jesus and his atonement on the cross, Jesus and his righteousness, Jesus and his finished work. Jesus and his all-prevailing intercession, Jesus and Jesus only, is the foundation of the confidence of his soul. A good hope is a hope that is felt inwardly in the heart. What says Paul, he speaks of hope that makes not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. He speaks of rejoicing in hope. The man who has a good hope is conscious of it. He feels within him something that another man does not. He is conscious of possessing a well-grounded expectation of good things to come. The consciousness may vary exceedingly in different people. In one, it may be strong and well-defined. In another, it may be feeble and indistinct. It may vary exceedingly in different stages of the same person's experience. At one time, he may be full of joy and peace and believing. At another, he may be depressed and cast down. But in all people who have a good hope, in a greater or lesser degree, this consciousness does exist. And last, a good hope is a hope that is manifested outwardly in the life. Once more, what says the scripture? Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure. The man who has a good hope will show it in all his ways. It will influence his life, his character, and his daily conduct. It will make him strive to be a holy, godly, conscientious, spiritual man. He will feel under a constant obligation to serve and please him from whom his hope comes. He will say to himself, what shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? He will feel I am bought with a price. Let me glorify God with body and spirit, which are his. Let me show forth praises of him who has called me out of darkness into his marvelous light. Let me prove that I am Christ's friend by keeping his commandments. And then, to close out, some words from Matthew Henry. Pray for the grace of a hope focused on God and Christ that anticipates eternal life. Let us know the reality of being born again into a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Let that hope be secured and firmly settled for us. Let it be anchored in the Holy of Holies on the other side of the curtain where Christ, our Redeemer, has entered for us. Let patient endurance produce character in us and let character produce hope, a hope that will never disappoint us. Through perseverance and the encouragement that comes from the scriptures, let us have hope. In this hope, let us be saved. Let the God of Jacob be our help and let our hope always be in the covenant, Lord our God. Let Christ in us be our hope of glory. Let us never be distracted from our hope in the gospel. Enable us to be diligent so we can enjoy the full assurance of hope until the consummation of all things. And let's pray. Father in heaven, We're thankful for this time. We're thankful for the hope that you have worked in us. Please grow it in us. We do ask that you would help us to worship you with our hearts and our minds this next hour. Give Nathan the power of your spirit to preach. your word to us this day. We ask your blessing upon our prayers, our singing, the reading of scripture, preaching, and the hearing of your preached word. We look forward to it. We're thankful that you are God and you have set this day aside for us where we can worship you. And again, we do ask that you would bless it in Jesus' name. Amen.
Hope
Identifiant du sermon | 6262534942562 |
Durée | 31:44 |
Date | |
Catégorie | L'école du dimanche |
Texte biblique | Romains 8:18-25 |
Langue | anglais |
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