Becoming People of Hope
Pastor Ed Riddick - Sunday, April 11th, 2004Download MP3
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Introduction:
1. What keeps us from accepting new ideas?
Sets of rules and regulations.
a. Established boundaries
b. A set of rules and regulations that tell you how to be successful and solve problems within certain boundaries.
A set of strongly held rules and regulations is called a paradigm.
“Paradigms act as filters that screen incoming experiences. We select information that fits our set of the way things work and we reject the rest. We ignore information…we reject information.
The affect of paradigms is that they keep us from seeing the future or what is really happening.
Illustrations:
~ Bikes: easy seat vs the saddle
~ 1930’s new idea brought to a photo company. A new kind of photography. But the owner didn’t care what the research showed. He wasn’t interested. Chester Carlson became a very wealthy man by developing “electro-static copiers.
~ 1968 The Swiss watch-makers had 65% of market share and 80% of the profit in watch-making. They had over 50,000 workers.
In 1968 the Japanese employed 0 workers in making watches.
In the Swiss research and development labs they developed a watch with Quartz movement. 1000 X more accurate. The powers that be didn’t see any future in it. So they took it to an international trade show. They didn’t even protect their idea. Texas Instruments Corp and the Japanese walked by the display and stole the idea.
Today, 5,000 Swiss workers and the Japanese have a corner on the market.
Smith Cornona Typewriters; Kodak film; etc.
Easter is the greatest paradigm shift in history!
A naturalistic mindset.
Limited, human perspective.
Friday: The Darkest Day in History
Mark 15:46-16:8 “Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.
Saturday: The Longest Day in History
When the Sabbath was over,
Saturday before the resurrection must have been the longest day these disciples had ever experienced. What a dreary, interminable day it must have been! A day of shattered hopes, of broken dreams, of desolated spirits, and of wounded and frightened hearts. A dark and dreary day indeed, a day in which the future was grim and foreboding
All their brightest hopes had collapsed around them, all their choicest dreams had perished with the death of Jesus. These disciples, crushed, their hopes dashed, their dreams demolished, tried to live through that dark Saturday with no hope for the future, no belief in the resurrection. Every act on that day must have been torture for them, with every fiber of their being crying out, “What’s the use! Why go on?” It was a day they would never forget as long as they lived.
Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll
away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”
Weighed down by circumstances.
Sunday: The Defining Moment in History!
Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. “But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’ ” They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. NASB95
Mark 16:11 “When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it. NASB95
Mark 16:13 “They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either.NASB95
Notice, that the rumor of hope swallows up their despair. How?
And, how can we become people of hope?
Distinction:
1. Hope of the world “I hope the Packers win” “I hope it doesn’t rain
Desire something in the future which we are uncertain of happen
2. The NT definition of hope is full assurance and strong confidence
that God is going to do good to us.
Living hope is productive hope. It is a hope that has power and produces changed lives. Christian hope is a strong confidence in God which has power to produce changes in how we live.
5 Reasons for Becoming People of Hope
1. Christ rose from the dead.
The conquering power of God.
Power over death. Christ conquered death
1 Peter 1:3 “ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” NIV
How does confident hope arise in our hearts? We are born anew into this hope and this new birth comes in part through Jesus’ resurrection!
Connecting Cx’s resurrection 2000 years ago to our new birth today is the message of the gospel, the word of good news.
Because Jesus bore my sins on the cross I know that God is for me and not against me. The resurrection of the one who loves me and gave himself for me is alive and present and caring at every moment in my life.
Hebrews 2:14-18 “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death….”
1 Corinthians 15:12-14, 20 “ But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith…But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…” NIV
2 Corinthians 1:8-9 “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; ” NASB95
2. The stone was rolled away
The goodness of God!
God cares and has power over all our troubles.
Not a small problem.
Stone weighed at least 1000 lbs.
Luke 10:39-42 “She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”” NIV
Acts 7:9-10 ““Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.” NIV
Matthew 13:22 “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” NIV
Matthew 6:25-34 “ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” NIV
Romans 8:31-32 “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” NIV
Does not the fact that God gave us His best demonstrate forever that He really cares about us?
Within the context of the reality of our sinfulness and willfulness and rebellion, God is gracious, merciful, generous and loving. The goodness of God is a general reference to His perfections. It means that He is attractive. He is a beautiful person.
Jacob had offended his twin brother. They had been estranged for years. Now they are about to meet again. And Jacob is filled with anxiety and fear. So the night before they meet, Jacob wrestles with God. And God blesses him and goes ahead of him to enable reconciliation and reunion.
No, it doesn’t always work out. Stephen was murdered by stoning.
King Kerod arrested James, the brother of John and executed him.
Peter was arrested, thrown in jail for a planned execution the next day. The church met for urgent, all night prayer meeting. That night an angel woke him up, the chains fell off of Peter and the angel escorted him past two sets of guards and down the street.
His answers prayer
He gives wisdom
He gives guidance.
Hope hangs out with certain friends:
Trust in the loving care of God.
Praise in the midst of difficulties.
Against all our anxieties we throw the forces of hope and trust God for our present and future.
Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” NIV
3. The risen Christ was still tied to humanity
He understands and sympathizes.
He knew the heart of Abraham who wanted the right wife for his son, Isaac. Abe sent his servant to find one. His servant prayed and God supplied.
Hannah was infertile. She wanted a child. She prayed. And God heard and answered her prayer.
Hebrews 4:15-16 “We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” NASB95
Romans 8:33-34 “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” NIV
4. Christ was accessible to sinners – even repeat offenders
We have open access to God.
There is an open door.
He stands with us. “I am with you always”
Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Hebrews 10:19-22 “ Therefore, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” NIV
“Come to me all you who are weary and loaded down and I will give you rest.”
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives generously everyone without finding fault and it will be given to him.”
5. Christ kept His word.
The faithfulness of God. God keeps his promises.
Expectation – kicking out the mental boundaries of what we
believe God can do.
Mark 16:7 ““But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’ ”NASB95
“You have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” John 16:22
I want you to leave this morning with these words of Jesus ringing in your ears: “No one will take your joy from you.” I want you to see them for yourselves. Do you see them at the end of verse 22? “I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” I want you to hear them not as the words of man but as the words of God. I did not make them up to make you feel good. I just read them out of God’s word. If they make you feel good that’s God’s idea, not just mine. “No one will take your joy from you.”
This is the promise of irrevocable joy. And Christ keeps his word.
Romans 4:20-21 “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. ” NASB95
Galatians 3:29-31 “if you belong to Christ, then you are…heirs according to promise.” NASB95
Titus 1:2 “in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, ” NASB95
2 Peter 1:3-4 “ His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” NIV
The “Rumor of Hope” was mixed with personal faith.
The point that Mark makes here is that these women believed, though they did not see.
When Jesus appeared to Thomas the doubter, and invited him to feel the wounds in his hands and side, he said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen, you believe; but blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe,” {cf, John 20:28}. In these words he was looking down through the course of the ages including us when he said “Blessed are those who, having not seen, yet believe.” Peter writes something similar:
1 Peter 1:8 “and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” NASB95