All About Hope
Introduction: a pastor was preaching on going to heaven. He said, “How many of you would like to go to heaven tonight?” And everybody raised their hands but a little boy in the balcony. He tried again, “How many of you would like to go to heaven?” Everybody but that one little fellow in the balcony. So he said to him, “Son, don’t you want to go to heaven?” The little boy said, “Yeah, someday, but I thought you were gettin’ up a load right now.”
As Christians, We have Heaven to look forward to, and truly the best is yet to come.
We can’t see it yet, but we have hope that one day we will.
When life gets tough, we all need hope to get us through. As Christians, when we talk about hope, it is more than just wishful thinking. When those who are without Christ talk about hope it is merely a desire for better things to come. It is a desire for a better future, or better circumstances. It is a desire for everything to turn out ok. But a hope without Christ, is a hope that cannot promise any results. Some things are out of our control, and wishful thinking just isn’t good enough. For the nonbeliever there is no way for them to know what the future holds, nor can they bring about their desired outcome.
But this is not true for the Christian, because our hope does not rest in ourselves, or our family, or the world in which we live. As Christians our hope rests in God and in Him alone. Our hope rests in His abilities and not our own. Our hope rests in His plans, His purposes, and His promises. We look forward to a bright and wonderful future because of what God has done for us, Jesus death, burial, and resurrection, and because of the promises He has given to us as His adopted children. Jesus will return for us, sin and death will be defeated, and we will be with God forever. God has told us the end of the story and it will be Heavenly. This is our hope that we hold on to. One day our hope will become a reality, but until it does we keep pressing on.
Title: All about Hope
Text: Hebrews 6:11-20
Your Hope is important to your Christian Walk
11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Heb 6:11-12 (NKJV)
In the book of Hebrews the writer is addressing Christians who are unsure of their hope in God. They have doubts and because of their doubts they have been standing still in their Christian walk. As you know, they have considered leaving the faith and returning to Judaism. He has warned them that if they do, they will not be able to return. He also encouraged them by telling them that he believes they genuinely are saved. He has given them evidence of their salvation, their ministry to the saints. Now the writer tells them that it is his desire for each of them to stop ridding the fence. To stop doubting what they believe, and choose to be sure of their hope. They were diligent in ministering to the needs of the saints. Now they need to show that same kind of diligence in being certain of their hope until the end. They need to show this diligence because their hope in God is important to their Christian walk.
11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
I do not know who we is referring to, but I would guess that it is referring to the author of Hebrews and perhaps some of those who sent their greetings from Italy, in chapter 13. Whoever we is, the audience knows them well enough that names do not have to be given.
And we desire that each of you. Notice that the writer isn’t talking to some of them but rather to everyone who is in the church.
And we desire that everyone in your church show the same diligence. They are to show diligence, but the same diligence as what? The writer wants the readers to show the same diligence that they have shown in ministering to the saints.
Heb 6:10-11 (NKJV)10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence
Just as you have been diligent in ministering to the saints, be diligent in this too.
Bonus : Notice that when you bless God’s people, you are really blessing God.
10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
God is not unjust to forget – God is just, He will remember, and He will reward
your work and labor of love –good things that you have done
which you have shown toward His name. So the work, and the labor of love was directed toward God’s name, the name represents the person, so I think we could say the work and labor of love are directed toward God himself.
In that you have ministered to the saints and do minister. How did they send work and labor of love towards God’s name? They ministered to the saints.
When you minister to your brothers and sister in Christ, ultimately you are ministering to the Lord.
When we serve each other, we are serving the Lord. When we love each other, we are loving the Lord. The church is the body of Christ, and Jesus is the head of the church. When you love each other in the church, and when you serve each other in the church, you are loving and serving Jesus.
Ministering to other Christians can be work. It can be a labor of love. But it is worth it, because the Lord is blessed by it. God is not unjust. He will not forget. He will reward.
Back to vs. 11 What are these Christians supposed to be diligent towards?
11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,
They are to be diligent in their hope to the end. Believing completely and fully that God will do what He has promised. They need to be certain of what God will do. They need to be sure of their Hope in Christ, because your hope is important to your Christian walk. The writer explains this with two separate points.
If you are uncertain of your hope you will become spiritually lazy.
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish,
Those who doubt their hope have no incentive to press on
The result is laziness, a lack of desire to serve the Lord
Illustration: mailer that says you will win a new car if you come to a sales promotion – throw it in the trash, don’t believe what they have said.
If you were a teenager, and your parents promised to help you buy a car if you got good grades and were active in sports, get a summer job. You would ask them are you serious? Yes, we are serious. You would believe what they told you, and you would act on what you believe and try to be a good student, and participate in sports, and get a summer job. Why? Because you believe them.
Point – When you trust someone, and they give you a promise you respond to what they have said. When you don’t trust someone, they can make all the promises in the world, but you won’t do anything in response to their claims.
Remember the writer’s rebuke, that they should be teachers, but they still need to be taught – Their doubt in God resulted in a lack of incentive to move forward in their Christian walk, resulting in spiritual immaturity.
The Bible says that the one who doubts is like a wave tossed by the sea.
James 1:5-8 (NKJV) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
You can’t trust someone who is double-minded. You can’t rely on someone who is unstable. We need Christians who know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is real, His word is true, and His promises He will fulfill. These are the kind of Christians that God can use for His kingdom and for His glory.
There are times in our lives when we may have doubts.
In those times we should be like the father in Mark 9.
A father brings his son who was possessed by a demon to Jesus seeking help and Jesus says.
"If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" Mark 9:23-24 (NKJV)
If we will come to God in sincerity and ask him to help us with our unbelief, I believe He will. He will meet us where we are, and help get to where we need to be.
The church that the book of Hebrews is being written to had several problems. One of those problems was that they were spiritually lazy. The solution to Spiritual laziness is having a genuine whole hearted hope in our Heavenly Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Your hope is important to your Christian walk.
If you are certain of your hope you will be like those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Those who are certain of their hope live by faith and not by sight
Hope and Faith are woven together. You cannot have one without the other. If you have hope then you should be living by faith, and if you are living by faith, then the basis for your faith is hope.
Holman Bible Dictionary says that “Hope is a trustful expectation, particularly with reference to the fulfillment of God’s promises.”
“Faith, however is our trustful response to God’s self-revelation via His Word and His actions.”
So our hope is what we believe about God, our faith is our response to God, and both require that we trust God. When we have hope in God ,We trust Him and believe that He will do what he has said. When we walk by faith, we act upon our trust in God, and our belief in what He has said.
Hope is a blessing to the believer in many ways.
Hope gives us the ability to walk by faith and look past the present to the future.
Hope gives us the ability to walk by faith and look past our struggle to our reward.
Hope says there are better days coming.
Not only does our Hope in God give us foundation for our faith, but hope also allows us the luxury of patience.
Those who are certain of their hope in God can live patiently
Hope says that God is in control and I’m not.
Hope says that my life is in His hands.
Hope says that things are going to happen in God’s time, not in mine.
Hope says that God will answer my prayers in His time and according to His will.
Hope frees us from worry and impatience.
Hope allows you to focus on what you should be doing, and leave everything else up to God. Let Him worry about everything else. You focus on being obedient.
Last of all, Those who are certain of their hope will inherit the promises of God.
We will one day receive what God has promised to us and it will be wonderful.
Conclusion: I like the story of the woman who knew her day was approaching, and she called the pastor and asked him to come help her plan the funeral. She listed for him all the hymns she wanted sung, all the Scripture verses she wanted read. Then she said, “Pastor, there’s one thing I want you to do. She said, “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.” The pastor frowned “That’s a request I’ve never heard,” She said, “Pastor, I’ve been a member of our church for most of my life. And one of the great joys for me has been the potluck dinners we have. I don’t think I’ve missed one dinner in my life.
In the old days, we had them on a weekly basis. And what I remember best is how, after the first course was served, one of the hosts would always stand up and say, ‘Save your fork. The best is yet to come!’ So, pastor, I’m counting on you to bury me with a fork in my hand. When my loved ones pass by the casket and look at me, I want you to be standing nearby. Those people will ask you why I’m holding a fork, and you’ll smile and tell them that for me, the best is yet to come.”