I don't suppose too many people from Jubilee Church will read this post before I actually preach it, so I thought I'd share it with you this morning. Do please pray for me as I deliver the following sermon on hope. True hope is a uniquely Christian thing - like faith and love - I need the help of God's Spirit as I seek to explain this to the people.

The audio of this message is now available to download from my church's website or by subscribing to our podcast. If you are interested in a glimpse of the preparation that lies behind a sermon like this, please see my post from earlier in the week.

ABOUND IN HOPE!

• Romans 15:13. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

WHERE DOES HOPE COME FROM?

• Psalm 39:7. “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.”
  
  
• Ephesians 2:12. “. . . remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

WHAT IS HOPE? JOY AND PEACE, NOT SORROW AND STRESS!

• Proverbs 13:12. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”
  
  
• Romans 8:23-25. “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as 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.”
  
  
• Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
  
  
• 1 Peter 3:15-16. ". . . but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”
  
  
• 1 Corinthians 15:19. “If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

HOW DO WE GET HOPE?

1. By Believing Patiently.

• Hebrews 6:11-20. “And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

2. By the Word.

• Romans 15:4. “. . . through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

3. By the Holy Spirit. (5:13 itself)


HOW MUCH HOPE IS ENOUGH?

• Ephesians 3:20. “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us ...”

WHAT DOES HOPE LOOK LIKE?

• 2 Corinthians 3:12. “Since we have such a hope, we are very bold.”