Religion & Spirituality
Life As It Was Meant to Be Part 6: How to Have Hope Louie Marsh, 7-21-2021 Slide of “new” old series! TWO QUOTES: “What oxygen is for the lungs, such is hope for the meaning of life.” - Emil Brunner “Hopes are for the living, the dead are without hope. – Theocritus “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” ― Epicurus “Hope is a waking dream.” ― Aristotle 1) FIND IT in Christ alone! “13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14, ESV) Christ is God – so my hope is RELIABLE! Jesus is alive so my hope is ALIVE He’s coming back – my hope extends beyond this 2) GRASP Hope’s full extent. “15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15–18, ESV) Hope is for the living & the Hope lasts Hope brings me BACK to Christ. 3) LIVE OUT hope’s implications by… FOCUSING on what I’m doing. “5For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5–6, ESV) UNDERSTANDING my new nature. “4But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.”…“8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4, 8, ESV) LIVING by faith. But let us who live in the light think clearly, protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 1 Thes. 5:8 (NLT) ACTING in love. But not us! Since we're creatures of Day, let's act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation. 1 Thes. 5:8 (Mes) 4) COMPREHENDING my true destiny! “9For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9–11, ESV) God didn't set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master… 1 Thes. 5:9 (Mes) Your purpose in life is to serve God in a special way!!! Not to be a object of wrath – but part of His family!