Hope = Joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.
- Not based on feelings
- Not based on circumstances = Acts 27: 20 Men on a ship until at last all hope was gone.
- We are called to be people of hope and joyful
- We are never to exalt the enemy and what he is doing over Jesus and who He is.
- We are constantly reminded not to fear about what tomorrow brings.
- Three things remain, Faith, Hope, and Love. HOPE remains so how do we get this into our spirits?
- LORD is beside me
Always:
- Place
- Means or by means of (In everything that happens)
- Time
Shaken = Cast down, Totter, Things set in motion by storms. Agitation
bible speaks clearly that everything will be shaken
Focus has to be removed from things around us and on the kingdom of God because things around us are going to be shaken while His kingdom will stand.
2. Hope can’t be seen
Romans 8: 24 Hope that is seen is no hope at all, who hopes for what they already have.
EXAMPLE: Jesus in Galilee Luke 4: 24 a Prophet is never accepted in his home town, but now Galilee saw what Jesus did at the Passover so they are excited to see him do miracles there. John 4: 48 Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?
Romans 4: 18 – 20 The more hopeless it got the more Abraham’s faith grew in Hope that God was going to do what he said he was able to do.
Knew God was his shield and great reward.
Isaiah 50: 10 Trust in name and rely on your God
David ” God is right beside me”
Presence occupies in every place at every time in every way.
3. Filled with great Joy.
No wonder we can be joyful, you have occupied the area around me in every way, time and Means.
Body rests in Hope Pitches a tent.
Tent moves when God moves and ready to follow.
- Pitch tent in fiery furnace
- Pitch tent in Lions den
- Pitch tent on a ship in a storm
I will pitch my tent in the area that you have occupied.
Your kingdom has come and is coming. All the earth shall be filled with the glory of The Lord.
4. Christ conquered Death
Hope is in Christ destroying death
Romans 4: 22 – 25 We are right with God because of Jesus and the work he did for us on the cross.
EXAMPLE: Jesus to his disciples at the time of the last supper. Jesus said to them you are already clean. They still had problems in their lives, but Jesus has set them on a path of holiness so they can become who he created them to be.
5. Joy Required
Acts 2: 28 Shown me the way of life and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.
David looked forward to this day knowing it was not for him.
- Trials develop endurance
- Endurance develops character
- Character strengthens our hope of salvation
- Salvation will not disappoint.
Vs 11 Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
David filled with joy looking at this thing from a prophetic place, We are now looking back at it from a fulfilled place.
LIFE GROUP QUESTIONS
1. Hope is a word that is not often talked about. It comes and goes in people’s lives depending on the circumstances that they face each day. God promised us that hope would remain and we are called to lay hold of hope so we need to see what it is and how this can be accomplished.
2. Read Acts 2: 25 – 28 David gives a couple of reasons for him living in hope. We are going to look at those tonight.
3. Reason #1 is the Lord is beside him.How can this give us a reason for hope? Why is this so important in our daily walk with Jesus? Why is it so easily forgotten or ignored?
4. Hope cannot be seen or it is no longer hope. Read Romans 4: 18 – 20 The more hopeless the situation became in Abraham’s life, the more his hope grew. How can tis happen when so many fall into despair when trials come into their lives? (He knew the more hopeless the situation, the greater the miracle that God promised.
5. David said his life was filled with great joy. This means David has pitched his tent by God. This may sound good, but it doesn’t always look that way, Why? (We may not like the place that God has placed himself. We don’t want to pitch our tent by him in an uncomfortable place.
6. Christ has conquered death so there is no enemy that can come against us. Read Romans 5: 3 – 5. What is the process of trials in our lives? With the right attitude, these can produce hope in our lives, with the wrong attitude, they can produce despair. We need a new perspective.
7. Read Romans 5: 11 What does it mean to be a friend of God? How can this knowledge change our perspective when it comes to trials?
8. Spend time praying for a new perspective.