Can I let you in on a secret? Hope wins! Every time. This is the last in our Can’t Cancel Hope series. I knew before we started this series the last thing to be spoken was Jesus in the tomb.  In fact, one of the core images in my mind of this series was the picture of Jesus in the tomb; isolated and separated from His friends and people He loved. Waiting to be set free.

Luke 24:1-8:

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?”

One of the most powerful statements. Why do you look for hope in dead things?

Hope wins because hope is Jesus.

You ever watch a movie for the first time with someone who already seen that movie? Sitting around spoiling every moment. Ohh this is the best part…

Jesus spoiled the end of the story to the disciples, just like…

Jesus spoils the ending of your story, if you listen.

“Spoiler alert, I love you, see you in heaven. Hope wins.” – Jesus

Jesus is our Hope. He knows the plans he has for us. He is telling his plans for you all the time through the Holy Spirit and the Word.

Hope is confident expectation – Jesus was confidently expecting to raise from the dead. 

• Hope gets you through. 
• Hope guides you. 
• Hope delivers you…
• Hope wins

What are some of the things that Jesus went through before He rose? 

Hope wins through:

1. Betrayal – Judas and Peter. When those you love let you down.
2. Attacked – Whipped and beaten – When life hits you over and over, wears on you.
3. Suffocation – cross – When you can’t breathe under the pressure of life, or people, you feel like the life is slowing draining out of you.
4. Isolation – in cave/tomb – When you are cut off from people you love.

Doing life in the comments – What do you need Hope Winning through? 

doubt, fear, frustrations, anger…

Hope Always Wins… 

…the only time hope fails is when hope is discarded before results.

What do we need to learn so we don’t throw hope away? Especially when we are that close to breakthrough?

1 Timothy 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,…

1 – Live in Your Shoes

The first thing Paul says is his name. It’s who he is. If you try and be someone else you will constantly be let down. You are trying to obtain something that doesn’t belong to you. And Jesus is too good to let you have something that doesn’t belong to you.

2 – Live in His Authority

An apostle of Jesus – apostle means “sent one” – Paul was sent by Jesus. He was not acting on his own will but the will of Jesus. Granting the full authority of Jesus over his actions.

When we start living in the authority of Jesus we gain clear direction and lose unclear wandering.

3 – Live in Your New Life

God is the author of your life. He gave you a new life, will you live in it??

• Where you came from does not cancel where you are going.
• Stop dropping Hope because of your past.
• Accepting Jesus as savior gave you a new life.

Remember what the angel said at the tomb – Why do you look for the living among the dead?

Look for Hope in Jesus

Your next step this week – Pick up dropped Hope. Because Hope wins. 

Maybe you dropped hope in an area. Maybe you know someone who dropped hope.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

CHECK THIS OUT!

Our new sermon series starts next week – “Faith Check”

We spent time on Hope. Now we are diving into faith. We will be hyper-focusing in the book of Jeremiah throughout this series.

I want to encourage you to do 2 things:

1st – Get a new journal to write everything the Holy Spirit will speak to you through the entire series.

2nd – Invite someone to watch or listen to a message in the upcoming sermon series. Share a video with them, start a watch party and tag them. Tag them in a comment. Start praying now for who that will be.

Do you remember high school math? There was always that one teacher that was super passionate about math even 1 week before summer vacation. Every other teacher had the AV kids roll in that old tv strapped down to the cart to watch a movie; but here you are in math with a teacher pouring their heart out on variables, fractals, and quadratic polynomials.

Growing up in Oregon – late afternoon blue skies were a treasure. Skip math?

We continue our “Can’t Cancel Hope” series with today’s message – HOPE is in Session. We’ve been looking at people in the Bible experiencing tests and dark situations of isolation, despair, hiding, lost, and lonely; and how they found Hope.

Follow along:

School is in session – conducting classes.

• What are you learning when life happens?

We are jumping into the book of Job today to look at 3 different sessions.

• Oppression
• Recession 
• Depression

Ultimately the enemy wants to steal, kill, and destroy.  –  according to John 10:10

The enemy uses tactics to try and get you to misplace your Hope.

You can’t cancel Hope. You can’t kill Jesus. So the enemy uses tactics to get us to place our Hope on anything but Jesus.

1 – Hope is in Oppression

Job 1:6-12

6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Does Job fear God for nothing? Is Job’s Hope tied to the blessings or the blesser. 

Satan has this theory – if bad things happen to good people; then good people will lose their Hope in God.

He ultimately wants us to accuse God of the bad things.

Satan has a 3 step program for you loosing Hope:

1. Move hope from God to stuff
2. Wait for stuff to fail
3. Get you to accuse God for stuff failing

Hope is in oppression by placing our Hope correctly.

Too many people don’t learn the lessons found in life. Things get tough, they blame God.

2 – Hope is in Recession

Job 1:20-22

20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

and naked I will depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;

may the name of the Lord be praised.”

22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Recession is a significant decline in the economy. I want to look at Job’s response in complete recession. He lost his family, his wealth, his everything.

• It is not wrong to grieve from loss. 
• It is healthy to grieve.
• It is wrong to accuse God of your loss.

Satan wishes that you would blame God too.

Job didn’t blame God here. He tore his Robe and shaved his head and worshiped God.

You can’t control what you loose; but you can control your response.

Robe, hair and worship were all very public expressions.

When we are grieving it is ok to be public about it. Don’t think you need to hide how you feel.

Job was public about his grieving….. but he was public about his worship too. 

His robe and his hair were symbols of ethnicity, background, wealth, tribe, land owner, successful businessman.

He tore his robes and cut his hair to show his identity was grieving; but his posture was worship.

Hope is found in recession when we worship.

***Pause here to join us in the chat or comments and do life together:***

What are different ways you worship God?

3 – Hope is in Depression

Job 1:20-22

20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

and naked I will depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;

may the name of the Lord be praised.”

22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Finding hope in depression is first rising up out of your emotions, your mind, and your state. 

…then he fell to the ground in worship.

Hope is in depression through our position to Jesus

Hope is found in oppression, recession and depression.

If something still feels off something is miss-aligned.

God questions Job.

…..then Job replies.

Job 40:2

“Will you discredit my justice

and condemn me just to prove you are right?

Job 42:5-6

5 My ears had heard of you

but now my eyes have seen you.

6 Therefore I despise myself

and repent in dust and ashes.”

NEXT STEPS THIS WEEK:  Find something to repent to Jesus about.  Maybe it’s misplacing your hope on stuff, maybe it’s a lack of worship, or maybe it’s failing to position yourself at the feet of Jesus.

Have you ever felt so alone it weighs on you? Where you’re longing for an answer that seems forever away or impossible? Not actually talking about coranvirus and the ongoing stay at home orders. I’m actually talking about leprosy. Lepers were required to stand 6ft away and wear cloth face masks. Crazy similarity to today, right? We are continuing our “Can’t Cancel Hope” looking at people in the Bible experiencing their own isolation, dark, hidden, places holding on for the HOPE that is Jesus. Today, we’re in Matthew 8… a message that places our biggest breakthrough from a million miles off to just 6ft away.

Matthew 8:1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

What closes the gap of our breakthrough?

Matthew 7:7-8

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

How do you get closer to breakthrough?

1) Receive – you gotta listen to receive. 

word > precedes > breakthrough

2) Positioned – you must position yourself at the foot of the throne.

The reason we fail is not believing. The reason why people secretly lack faith is from bad positioning…

The leper calls Jesus Lord. Lord – meaning: owner, person I belong to….

Jesus had disciples. He had a church services. But up to this point people called him teacher, rabbi…. why do you think Jesus asked the question later on who do people call me? Who do you call me?

Many people follow Jesus and have not positioned Him as Lord.

Is Jesus your teacher? Or is He your Lord that teaches?

**Join the discussion down below in the comments**

Discussion question today is – How can you personally position Jesus as Lord this week?

The leper called Him Lord publicly, bowed at his feet and worshipped Him before any healing ever happened.

3) Motivated – Why was he motivated?

He wanted to rejoin community, he wanted to do life together….

Jesus reached out his hand and touched him.

2 perspectives.

1st – Leper that needed a breakthrough.

2nd – Jesus who showed the man His love.

For some of us we are in the shoes of the leper needing breakthrough.

For some of us we need to realize that we need to be the shoes of Jesus.

There is a 3rd perspective – the crowd that stayed on the sidelines. They watched but did nothing.

!!Our church does life together and takes the next steps.!!

Jesus healed 3 people after Church.

• Leprosy – those that society rejects.
• Centurion servant – those that we hate
• Peters mother-in-law – those we love

Jesus demonstrated His love through healing.

YOUR NEXT STEP: This week is to demonstrate the love of Jesus to someone. Someone that bothers you, someone you hate, or someone you love. But most importantly it needs to be someone who doesn’t live with you.

How do you keep hope alive for the best, when it’s been so long you’re tempted to settle? Have you ever been hungry? Standing in-front of an open fridge again and again? Checking the pantry over and over… Nothing looks good enough. The first few times you leave empty handed. But eventually…The hungrier you get…. the more you’re willing to settle for. We’re continuing our “Can’t Cancel Hope” series today with the Man Himself – Jesus. In the scripture today the devil tests Jesus 3 different ways. Each test is actually an exchange. I want you to look at what the devil is trying to exchange. Because what the devil tries to exchange with Jesus, is what he tries to exchange with us too. It’s Independence weekend. Let’s find freedom through temptations in our life.

Follow along with Pastor Matt here:

Matthew 4:1-11

4 1-3 Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: “Since you are God’s Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread.” 4 Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.”

Jesus is starving. Jesus is hungry.

The devil tries to force Jesus to transform the stone to bread.

1. The first exchange is what we consume, or take into our life.

Because you have not consumed and fed on the Word of God in weeks, months, years…you are willing to settle in your life.

You settle by turning the stone into bread.

The devil tries to get us to exchange what we consume.

• A stone represents anything that tries to replace or distract you from the Word of God.
• If you genuinely look at your calendar and your bank statement you will instantly see what stones you are exchanging.

The Bible declares that hope is Jesus. But the Bible also explains that the Word was with God at the beginning of creation, and that Jesus is the Word.

So when we consume the Word, we develop our relationship with Jesus; and when we develop our relationship with Jesus – HOPE grows in our life.

The devil wants to remove hope by preventing your relationship with Jesus.

Location is important – 

Matthew 4:1 describes the Spirit as leading Jesus to the wild or wilderness.

Greek definition is – solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited

In your loneliness is where the devil tests you the most. 

Before moving forward in the sermon I want you to grab your phone or device right now and head over to the comments. Whether you are watching live or later… We are going to pause the sermon and do life together. I’m going to give a question and I want you to leave a comment and also engage in other peoples comments down below. 

“What is a stone in your life?” 

Matthew 4:1-11

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” 7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”

The devil tries to get Jesus to jump off a high place to see the angels catch Him.

2. The second exchange, Jesus references testing God. 

The devil tries to exchange faith for thoughts, the devil wants to steal your faith and exchange it with thoughts.

• 1st exchange was what we allow into our life
• 2nd exchange is what we think… Any thoughts that questions your relationship with God.

There are people who have been struggling with their faith, because they allowed the devil to exchange their thoughts for their faith.

Did anyone catch the first word the devil says to Jesus in this test…. IF… you are the Son of God… This was an attempt to cause insecurity, doubt in WHO He was.

• The moment the devil begins whispering doubt in your ear is the moment he is scared of you.
• He is trying everything to exchange your faith with doubt.

How do you reclaim your faith?

• You stop testing the insecurities the devil whispers in your ear.
• You read the Word to know who you are and Whose you are.

The lack of Bible in your life is connected to your lack of confidence. Your insecurities and doubts are hard to overcome when you don’t have the Word.

Matthew 4:1-11

8-9 For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth’s kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, “They’re yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they’re yours.”

10 Jesus’ refusal was curt: “Beat it, Satan!” He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.”

11 The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus’ needs.

The devil tries to get Jesus to bow down and worship him..

• first exchange was what we allow into our life
• second exchange was what we think

3. The third exchange is what we worship

Worship is serving. The devil is after who or what we serve. The devil exchanges serving God with serving anything or anyone else.

This test is about worship…Serving God is our worship.

This is the scariest point because some people don’t realize that the devil has swapped God with something else.  The devil will spend more time convincing you to dedicate your life to anything but Jesus.

The devil will try and convince you, that if you simply dedicate your actions to someone or something, all the doors will open and everything will be good.

God says it so plainly… “do not allow your heart to be divided.” 

Every day your actions are for God. Sunday is not the only day for Worship.

This test is where most believers fail Monday through Saturday. 

When your relationship with Jesus only moves forward on Sunday, it is evident the devil has split your heart; and convinced you that the busy-ness of life is first priority over God.

I want you to have Hope through temptation.

Your next step TODAY is make Jesus a priority in your life.

If you would truly make Jesus a priority in your life:

– the Word of God would not be exchanged for anything.

– your faith would not be exchanged for your thoughts. 

– and your worship would be undivided

Have you ever felt hopeless in a situation? It’s fight or flight? Have you ever run away? Why do people run from God? Why do people hide? Is it some sort of fear? Maybe pride. Maybe nervousness about the unknown. We’re continuing our Can’t Cancel Hope series where we look at people in the Bible who were in dark, hidden, isolated, places… far from hope. Today we are looking at Jonah. He went from the belly of a boat, to the belly of a fish, all because he ran from God.

Are you running from God in any part of your life? 

Follow along here:

Jonah 1:3-16

3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)

11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”

13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. 

Running from God 

…..is hearing and intentionally not doing.

What happens when we run from God?

1 – It will cost you.

2 – Bring harm to you and others

3 – Favor Follows

Finding Hope When Feeling Lost – Faith Check

9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

** If we have faith that God is the creator of the water and the creator of land…

… Then He is the creator of where we are at and the creator of where we are headed.

** We find Hope by proclaiming Jesus is the author of my situation, and He is writing the chapter

!! He is just waiting on me to start moving forward !!

17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

1 – God will Provide

God will resource you. You have all that you need right now. Focus on what you can do now, not what you can’t do. Take actions on what you can do, then pray for God to show up on the rest.

2 – Supernatural Positioning

The fish was not punishment. The fish was actually supernatural positioning. The hardest things in your life right now, become the foundation of where you are headed. 

Your faith is being stretched. Your hope is growing. 

3 – Heart Change

Jonah 2:8-9

“Those who cling to worthless idols

   turn away from God’s love for them.

But I, with shouts of grateful praise,

   will sacrifice to you.

What I have vowed I will make good.

   I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Did you catch it? Jonah praised and proclaimed – WHO God is and WHAT God does, before he experienced it.

Your next steps today – Take inventory. Write out how Jesus has provided for you. 

What do you do when you feel stuck? Or are in fact stuck… like we’re all stuck at home right now. Stuck with limited options for how we’re used to living our lives these days. Do you panic? Do you fight it? Do you shutdown? We’re in our “Can’t Cancel Hope” series where we look at people in the Bible who were in dark, isolated, places; and how they kept hope alive.

Follow along with Pastor Matt here:

Acts 9:8-9

Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

Internal stuck happens usually when God is teaching humility to show you the kingdom. Kingdom being your relationship with Jesus and with People.

Philemon

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— 2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home:

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

External stuck is usually the devil trying to exchange humility with pride, envy, jealousy, bitterness… to tear down your relationship with Jesus and with people

Paul is doing life together even when he’s stuck.

Just because you can’t see someone doesn’t mean you can’t do life together…

Can we break down what doing life together is? Its mutual impact. 

It’s about what we are giving and receiving. Don’t be that person who thinks they know more than Jesus.

Your impact is not determined by your situation.

Paul impacted hundreds if not thousands of people. Even when he was in prison he still impacted. 

Sermon title is “Hope is Now” – Hope is not getting out of a situation. 

Hope is with you in your situation. 

What are you and Jesus doing while you’re stuck?

Mutual impact 

Philemon 4-7

Every time your name comes up in my prayers, I say, “Oh, thank you, God!” I keep hearing of the love and faith you have for the Master Jesus, which brims over to other believers. And I keep praying that this faith we hold in common keeps showing up in the good things we do, and that people recognize Christ in all of it. Friend, you have no idea how good your love makes me feel, doubly so when I see your hospitality to fellow believers.

Here’s what “Doing Life Together” looks like through Paul’s eyes:

1. Praying for each other.
2. Being thankful for each other.
3. Feeling joy and happiness when the other person is doing well and successful.
4. Genuine love for each other.
5. Communicating with each other.

Romans 12:15 

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

Who is he doing life together with? Who is he impacting?

• People that are in the same situation – family, relatives, best friends…
• People going through what you’ve gone through –  Oneisimus
• People far away – who is long distance? How can you do life together? Paul did life long distance before technology. 

Pick a person to do life together outside your home. 

Your next step this week: write a letter to someone long distance. Share with them how they build you up. Speak into their life. Write a letter as if you were Paul writing a letter. 

How do you keep hope alive from a distance? Remember the first day of “social distancing”, we’ve been here awhile now. Reflect on some of the actions you had to take at the beginning – setting yourself away, shutting out friends and family, isolating… Remember when it felt abnormal? When you wondered if there was a possibility you could be hurt if you got too close to someone else? This is the next message in our “Can’t Cancel Hope” series where we look at people in the Bible going through dark times, places, isolation and how they kept hope alive.

Follow along with Pastor Matt here:

John 4:13-19

13-14 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”

15 The woman said, “Sir, give me this water so I won’t ever get thirsty, won’t ever have to come back to this well again!”

16 He said, “Go call your husband and then come back.”

17-18 “I have no husband,” she said.

“That’s nicely put: ‘I have no husband.’ You’ve had five husbands, and the man you’re living with now isn’t even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough.”

19 “Oh, so you’re a prophet!

The woman at the well was socially distancing herself from her own community for several reasons, and these reasons still plague the church today. 

Why do people socially distance themselves in Church and community?

1 – Fear

2 – Past Hurts

3 – Insecurities

The cure to social distancing is Jesus. Jesus deals with our fears, hurts and insecurities. 

John 4:27-30;39-42

27 Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked. They couldn’t believe he was talking with that kind of a woman. No one said what they were all thinking, but their faces showed it.

28-30 The woman took the hint and left. In her confusion she left her water pot. Back in the village she told the people, “Come see a man who knew all about the things I did, who knows me inside and out. Do you think this could be the Messiah?” And they went out to see for themselves.

39-42 Many of the Samaritans from that village committed themselves to him because of the woman’s witness: “He knew all about the things I did. He knows me inside and out!” They asked him to stay on, so Jesus stayed two days. A lot more people entrusted their lives to him when they heard what he had to say. They said to the woman, “We’re no longer taking this on your say-so. We’ve heard it for ourselves and know it for sure. He’s the Savior of the world!”

The key to breaking out of social distancing is….

1 – Be honest with yourself and Jesus

2 – Turn Tragedy into Testimony

Our church is digging deeper into what God has called us to do. And what He has called us to is ‘doing life together‘.

Your next step today is: messaging someone who is not living with you…

Start with “How can i pray for you today? Here is how you can pray for me.”

Have you ever waited too long? When we feel stuck for too long; hope becomes hurt. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick…” Moses is the perfect example.

This is the latest message in our “Can’t Cancel Hope” series, about people stuck in places, holes, caves, boats, isolation… They are separated and we have studied how they kept or found their hope and the actions they took to do so; and how we can apply that to our lives today.

Follow along with Pastor Matt here:

Exodus 3:1-7

“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.

What brings you to the presence of God? 

“Moses led the flock to the far side”

• nahag – to lead or to lament

Exodus 3:3

Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

• It doesn’t matter how you get to the presence of God. 
• It just matters what you do while you are there.

What do you do in the presence of God?

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

1 – Be fully Present

• • Have respect
  • Take our time

2 – Take time

6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.”

• Elohiym Ab – Elohiym (supreme, ruler. nothing over me) Ab (father, head, found, originator). Originator of Art!

3 – Gain Identity

7 The LORD said, “I have indeed SEEN the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have HEARD them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am AWARE of their sufferings.

4 – Acquire Heart of Jesus

• See – Acknowledge what’s happening
• Hear – Listen to stories
• Know – Do life together

Hope is on the way and it’s delivered by you. No excuses! Be like Moses… without the excuses!

Our prayer today is that…Hope is on the Way!

Acts 2: 1-11

1“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?

11 we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

So what does HOPE mean to you? What we just read is the ending of isolation and separation from the Holy Spirit to Creation. What does HOPE mean to you? To the Holy Spirit, Hope was Jesus. Our sermon series “Can’t Cancel Hope” has been about people stuck in places – holes, caves, boats, isolation… They are separated and we have studied how they kept or found their hope and the actions they took to do so; and how we can apply that to our lives today.

 

Follow along with Pastor Matt here:

Genesis 1:2

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters

HOPE IS THE ANSWER TO CIRCUMSTANCE

Hebrews 6:19

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,”

The Holy spirit came to do 3 things

1 – Heal Our Brokenness 

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

You cannot be healed when you are denial or in love with your brokenness.

2 – Fills Us Up

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

3 – Pours Out Love

Luke 12:12

The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say at the moment when you need them.

Acts 2

11 we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

The Holy Spirit could have chosen any place and time to show up in the world after Jesus died on the cross, but He chose Acts 2…. Why? the answer is in the first verse.

Acts 2:1 (KJV)

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

The Holy Spirit showed up in the middle of a unified people of all races.

to say…

• My entire existence is for unity. 
• To bring unity from people to people. 
• To bring unity from people to God. 
• And to bring unity from God to people.

Historically, the move of the Holy Spirit is greatest on this day – Pentecost. I challenge you… I dare you! Show love to people that you might not be unified with.

We need the Holy Spirit because we need unity!

How do you find hope in a hopeless situation? It is so hard to keep hope alive when it feels like there’s no way out, no other side, or no possibility for a good outcome. We are continuing in our Can’t Cancel Hope series. That’s why it’s so important to be tethered and connected to HOPE. Like an anchor. During this series we will explore characters in the Bible that have found themselves in caves, caverns and dark places. Today we visit Lazarus.

Follow along here:

John 11:11 – 15

11 He said these things, and then announced, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. I’m going to wake him up.”

12-13 The disciples said, “Master, if he’s gone to sleep, he’ll get a good rest and wake up feeling fine.” Jesus was talking about death, while his disciples thought he was talking about taking a nap.

14-15 Then Jesus became explicit: “Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn’t there. You’re about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let’s go to him.”

Disciples – Their hope was based on perspective, not Jesus

John 11:17-22

17-20 When Jesus finally got there, he found Lazarus already four days dead. Bethany was near Jerusalem, only a couple of miles away, and many of the Jews were visiting Martha and Mary, sympathizing with them over their brother. Martha heard Jesus was coming and went out to meet him. Mary remained in the house.

21-22 Martha said, “Master, if you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you.”

Mary – Her hope was based on results, not Jesus

Martha – Her hope was based on her timing, not Jesus

John 11:41-44

41-42 Then, to the others, “Go ahead, take away the stone.”

They removed the stone. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed, “Father, I’m grateful that you have listened to me. I know you always do listen, but on account of this crowd standing here I’ve spoken so that they might believe that you sent me.”

43-44 Then he shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him loose.”

Lazarus is all of us. we are dead without Jesus.

Let’s look at the 4 things Jesus did for Lazarus.

1. Gave a New Life
2. Removed His Obstacle.
3. Called Him to Next steps.
4. Vulnerably connected

•   Lazarus is all of us – and we are called to be the Church, take the next steps, and do life together.

•   When we have these 3 things happening in our lives. we will find hope in any hopeless situation.

Have you ever been stabbed in the back? How do you hold onto hope when you feel betrayed? We are continuing in our Can’t Cancel Hope series. It is so hard to keep hope strong when someone close to us betrays us or stabs us in the back. The enemy uses other people and situations to try and get us to lose hope. That’s why it’s so important to be tethered and connected to HOPE. Like an anchor. During this series we will explore characters in the Bible that have found themselves in caves, caverns and dark places.

Follow along here:

Genesis 37:5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 

Genesis 37:23-28

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

• The tactics of the enemy are actually pretty simple…affect you externally, in hopes of hurting you internally. 

• • They stole his robe – his public identity.
  • His robe represented a special relationship to the father. 
  • Your identity represents a special relationship to the Father.
• Your identity is a child of God. Friend of Jesus. Hope filled believer. 
• Your identity is your special relationship to the Father. its found in 2 places in your life…on the outside and on the inside.

• The enemy will try and steal who you are on the outside in the hopes that you lose your identity on the inside.

1. They threw him in a pit – or empty, dry well.
   • An empty well is a prison
   • A full well is a source of life
2. They sold him into slavery – get others to lead you, another word is servant. Someone else was in-charge of his life. 

• • The enemy wants to lead you in your life.
    • your decisions
    • your actions
    • your mind

How did Joseph stay strong and hope filled all those years?

Genesis 50:19-20

But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. 

• How do we deal with identity?

1 – I am not God

• How do we deal with feeling like the world threw us in a pit?

2 – God is in Control

• How do we deal with loss of control?

3 – He brought me

What happens when we get a case of the “why me’s?”. Been there? You know what we’re talking about… Life’s battering ram feels like it’s coming at you from all sides. You’re worn down, worn out, and feeling attacked. And it’s completely unjustified. So maybe you just give up? Maybe you give in to a little pity party? Hmmm…. You may have given up Hope but God never does.

In this Can’t Cancel Hope series we are looking at different seasons in our lives when we need to be tethered and connected to HOPE. Like an anchor. During this series we will explore characters in the Bible that have found themselves in caves, caverns and dark places.

Follow along with Pastor Matt here:

1 Kings 19:8-13a

“So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

The Lord Appears to Elijah 

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”

Elijah essentially asks God – Why is this happening to me?

Have you ever been there?

I’m doing the right things. I’m saying the right things. I read my Bible. I worshipped.

Why is this happening to me?

Elijah had hope when things were good, but lost hope when things were bad.

You can try to cancel your hope, to quit your faith, to give up.

When it comes to Hope. you gotta remember these 4 things:

1 – You can’t cancel hope

2 – Jesus is Hope

3 – Hope chases you

4 – Hope knows your name

1 Kings 19:13-14

“13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

God asks Elijah what are you doing here?

Elijah asks again… why is this happening to me?

Elijah is all of us.

When we take on the spirit of “why is this happening to me?”, we have allowed something to try and take the place of God.

1 Kings 19:15a

The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came…

God will test us until we pass – unlimited retakes.

If you find yourself in the same situation over and over and over – it might be a test you need to pass.

You will fail your own test when you act like Elijah by doing these 3 things.

1 – See your situation.

2 – Know your situation.

3 – Defeated by your situation.

1 Kings 19:15-17

15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.

How to find hope when you have a case of the “why is this happening to me?”

• Anointing means to place in unquestionable authority.

• Wouldn’t it be crazy if the 3 people God called Elijah to anoint, had a unique name meaning; and they were applicable to us today.

• Hazael – One who sees God

• • You need to see Jesus. Your situation is not the center, Jesus is.
  • Your first task when you retake the same test again… see Jesus.

• Jehu – Jehovah is He – or – one who knows God

• • We need to move from seeing Jesus to knowing Jesus.
  • When the storms and emotions come who do you go to first…friends, isolation, emotions, or vices?
  • Or do you know Jesus and go to Him first.

• Elisha – God is Salvation – or – one who is saved by God

• • If you run from your situation, how can God save you in the situation?

We Need To:

• see Jesus
• know it’s Jesus
• and be saved by Jesus

Pass your test.