I HOPE SO SCRIPTURE: I CORINTHIANS 1.1-‐13 CONCEPT: FAITH IS THE FOUNDATION OF HOPE (REAL) AND LOVE IS THE POWER TO MAKE IT LAST THERE IS A LOT OF HOPELESSNESS IN THE WORLD TODAY. PEOPLE SEEM TO BE MORE AND MORE EXPRESSING THE PREVALENT FEELING AND OUTLOOK OF THINGS GETTING WORSE. SO MUCH HOPELESSNESS. AND WHY NOT, WITH SO MUCH PAIN IN THE WORLD, SUFFERING, SICKNESS, CATASTROPHIC AND TRAUMATIZING SITUATIONS. IT’S EASY TO SEE HOW PEOPLE WOULD FEEL HOPELESS. NOT BEING ABLE TO TRUST FOLK WHO SHOULD BE TRYING TO HELP AND PROTECT, BUT INSTEAD IN TOO MANY CIRCUMSTANCES SO MUCH HOPELESS. WHY, BECAUSE: THERE IS SO MUCH DISAPPOINTMENT, SO MUCH DESTRUCTION, AND SO MANY FILLED WITH SO MUCH DISMAY. SO MANY PEOPLE
UNEMPLOYED AND BEING FORECLOSED ON. LAY OFFS AND DOWNSIZING. SO MANY PEOPLE FEELING DEFEATED. SO MUCH HOPELESSNESS. WHY BECAUSE SO MANY FOLK ARE NOT FINDING MEANING AND PURPOSE IN LIFE. SO MANY HAVE LOST FAITH IN OTHERS AND IN THE PROSPECT OF A BRIGHT TOMORROW. SO MUCH VIOLENCE IN THE STREET, AND DRUGS RUNNING RAMPART. THE RICH KEEP GETTING RICHER AND THE POOR GETTING POORER. JUST LOOKS LIKE THE DECK IS STACKED AGAINST US AND THAT IN SO MANY CASES IT LOOKS LIKE OUR SHIP IS NEVER COMING IN. HOPELESSNESS. UNHOPEFUL ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR RACE. DISAPPOINTED YOUNG PEOPLE, BY PARENTS WHO CAN’T FIND THE TIME TO LISTEN, OR UNDERSTAND HOW HARD THINGS CAN BE FOR Y’ALL. HURT BY THOSE WHO ARE SUPPOSE TO LOVE YOU BUT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU. WOUNDED YOUNG PEOPLE BY FOLK WHO KEEP SAYING ONE THING, BUT DOING ANOTHER.
HOPELESSNESS. BECAUSE OF BEING DISCOURAGED ABOUT OUR YOUTH WHO SEEMINGLY DON’T KNOW HOW HARD WE HAD TO WORK TO GET THE THINGS THEY SO OFTEN AND SO EASILY THROW AWAY. LOOKING AT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY THEIR PANTS ARE HANGING DOWN AND THEIR STOMACHS HANGING OUT. WE ARE AFRAID AND APPALLED. HOPELESS THAT THINGS WILL EVER GET BETTER. HOPELESS THAT THINGS WILL EVER TURN AROUND. THERE IS SO MUCH HOPELESSNESS IN OUR WORLD TODAY. UNFULFILLED DREAMS AND UNMET EXPECTATIONS. CLOSED DOORS AND UNREACHABLE OPPORTUNITIES. FEAR AND FRUSTRATION OVERTAKING CONFIDENCE AND FAITH IN THE FUTURE. WE NEED A WORD FROM GOD TO HELP US DEAL WITH THE HOPELESSNESS AND DISCOURAGEMENT IN OUR WORLD TODAY. IN OUR PEOPLE. IN OUR FAMILIES AND YES EVEN IN OUR CHURCHES. WE NEED A WORD FROM HEAVEN TO HELP US DEFEAT AND DESTROY THE HOPELESSNESS THAT EXISTS IN OUR WORLD TODAY.
OUR TEXT, I CORINTHIANS 13.13, TELLS US THAT NOW ABIDES FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE (CHARITY). THESE THREE, BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS HOPE. THE NLT SAYS IT LIKE THIS, 13 THREE THINGS WILL LAST FOREVER—FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE—AND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE. IT SEEMINGLY MUST BE OUT OF DATE OF NO LONGER RELEVANT. BECAUSE IT SAYS THAT HOPE LASTS FOR EVER. THAT IT ABIDETH. BUT WE JUST CONCLUDED THAT SO MANY ARE LOSING HOPE AND GIVING UP ON THEIR DREAMS AND HOPE FOR THE FUTURE. HOW CAN THE BIBLE DARE SO THAT THESE LAST FOREVER, WHEN SO MANY ARE LOSING HOPE OR HAVE LOST IT ALL TOGETHER. LORD YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE THIS PLAIN OR WE’RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO WRITE THE VERSE OFF AS BEING JUST ONE MORE SCRIPTURE THAT SOUNDS GOOD, BUT DOESN’T APPLY TO US. WELL, WALK WITH ME. THE LORD REVEALED TO ME THAT THE ORDER OF THESE THREE WORDS AND THE MEANING OF THEM IS SOMETHING THAT EVERY BELIEVER NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND.
NOW ABIDETH, NOW LIVES FOR EVER FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE. IN OUR MEN’S AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDIES, I ASKED THA QUESTION, IF THERE WAS A DIFFERENT BETWEEN FAITH AND HOPE. IF WE HAVE FAITH OR IF WE HAVE HOPE, WE CONSIDERED WHETHER THEY WERE BOTH THE SAME THING. IF NOT, I ASKED WHAT MIGHT THE DIFFERENCE BE. AS WE EXAMINED FAITH AND HOPE, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT FAITH WAS BELIEVING GOD FOR SOMETHING . TRUSTING GOD TO DO SOMETHING. WHILE MANY STATED THAT HOPE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT CERTAIN. LIKE SOMEBODY SAYING, “I HOPE SO”. IT WAS NOTED THAT FAITH WAS SOMETHING SURE, AND HOPE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT. I HOPE SO. AND IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD, THEY WERE RIGHT. HOPE IS UNCERTAIN. BUT ONLY WHEN IT IS THE HOPE THAT COMES FROM THE WORLD. WORLDLY HOPE IS BASED ON WHAT CAN BE SEEN AND WHAT EXISTS. WORLDLY HOPE IS UNCERTAIN AND IS BASED COMPLETELY UPON WHETHER SOMETHING HAPPENS OR NOT, OR
UPON IF SOMETHING MATERIALIZES. WORLDLY HOPE, HOPES SO, BUT IS NOT SURE, BECAUSE WORLDLY HOPE REQUIRES EVIDENCE AND PROOF BEFORE HOPING SO, BECOMES BELIEVING SO. BUT THAT KIND OF HOPE IS NOT THE HOPE SPOKEN OF IN THIS SCRIPTURE. ROMANS 8.24 SAYS, “ For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? IN OTHER WORDS, GODLY HOPE IS NOT A HOPE THAT IS BASED ON THE SEEN. GODLY HOPE IS NOT UNCERTAIN OR BASED ON EVIDENCE. HOPE THAT CAN BE OR MUST FIRST BE SEEN, IS NOT THE HOPE THAT GOD GIVES US OR IS SPOKEN OF IN THIS SCRIPTURE. NOW ABIDETH, NOW LASTS FOREVER, FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE. THESE THREE. CAN I SUGGEST TO YOU THAT HOPE EXISTS IN THE MIDST OF FAITH AND LOVE AND CAN NOT EXIST BUT IN THAT POSITION. WHAT DO YOU MEAN REV. I’M GLAD YOU ASKED. IN ORDER FOR FAITH TO REALLY EXIST, IT MUST BE BUILT UPON A FOUNDATION THAT IS STRONG ENOUGH FOR IT TO STAND UPON. NOT STANDING IN
UNCERTAINTY OR WONDERING OR WISHING, BUT NOT STANDING ON A SURE FOUNDATION. WHAT IS THE FOUNDATION? YOU KNOW ALREADY, IT’S RIGHT HERE IN THE TEXT. THE FOUNDATION IS FAITH. FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR BUT THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN. GODLY HOPE CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT IT. FOR THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR IS AN INVISIBLE SUBSTANCE. A REALITY THAT WE ACCEPT WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE OF IT BEING REAL. A SUBSTANCE THAT WE RECEIVE WHILE IT IS INVISIBLE AND UNABLE TO BE SEEN. HOPE THAT SEEKS TO BE, WITHOUT THIS FOUNDATION, ONLY EXISTS AS A WISH. HOPE WITHOUT FAITH IS LIKE A HOUSE BUILT ON SEEKING SAND. IT’S A LIKE TRYING TO STAND UPON THE OCEAN, HOPING NOT TO SINK. HOPE MUST BE BUILT ON A FOUNDATION STRONG ENOUGH TO BEAR THE WEIGHT OF DISAPPOINTMENT AND DISCOURAGEMENT. IT MUST BE BUILT ON A FOUNDATION STRONG ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH THE HURT AND SUFFERING THAT COMES AS A PART OF THIS JOURNEY CALLED LIFE. HOPE THAT COMES FROM HEAVEN MUST BE BUILT UPON FAITH.
SO WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE REV. BETWEEN FAITH AND HOPE. AND KEEP IT SIMPLE REV. WELL LET ME SAY IT LIKE THIS. FAITH IS WHAT WE MUST DO NOW. NOW FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, WITH NO EVIDENCE. WHEN WE BELIEVE GOD FOR THE SUBSTANCE AND BELIEVE THAT EVEN THOUGH IT IS INVISIBLE, WE BELIEVE IN ITS EXISTENCE IN THE UNSEEN REALM. WHEN WE BELIEVE IT IN THE NOW, THAT’S FAITH. BUT THEN WHAT IS HOPE. HOPE IS BELIEVING THAT WE WILL SEE WHAT WE SEE THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT WE HOPED FOR, BUT IN THE FUTURE. IN OTHER WORDS, FAITH IS NOW, BUT HOPE IS LATER. FAITH IS BELIEVING AND RECEIVING NOW SOMETHING FROM GOD THAT CAN NOT YET BE SEEN. THAT’S FAITH. HOPE IS WAITING AND KNOWING THAT IT WILL BE SEEN. THAT IT WILL BE MANIFESTED. FAITH IS NOW AND HOPE IS LATER. THAT’S WHY HOPE THAT IS SEEN IS NOT HOPE. IT’S NOT HOPE BECAUSE HOPE THAT IS SEEN IS NOT HOPE. HOPE WAITS TO SEE
SOMETHING THAT ALREADY EXISTS, BUT JUST CAN NOT YET BE SEEN. HOPE IS WAITING TO SEE IT. THAT’S WHY THE BIBLE SAYS IN ROMANS 8.25, “25But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. AND NOW ABIDETH, LASTS FOREVER FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE. THESE THREE, BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE. I SAID TO YOU THAT THE MEANING AND THE ORDER OF THESE THREE EVERLASTING ATTRIBUTES WAS SOMETHING EVERY BELIEVER NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND. I SAID THAT FAITH IS THE FOUNDATION OF HOPE. IT COMES FIRST AND MUST BE IN PLACE BEFORE HOPE, GODLY HOPE CAN EXIST. IT’S THE FOUNDATION FOR HOPE. BUT IN ORDER FOR HOPE TO CONTINUE IT NEEDS LOVE. LOVE IS THE POWER OF HOPE AND IT GIVES HOPE WHAT IT NEEDS TO MAKE IT. IT’S WHAT HOPE NEEDS TO GO ALL OF THE WAY. REV. WHERE DO YOU GET THAT FROM. IT’S RIGHT THERE IN I CORINTHIANS 13. THIRTEEN THINGS THAT LOVE DOES THAT WITHOUT WHICH HOPE CAN NOT BE STRONG ENOUGH TO GO ALL OF THE WAY FROM I HOPE SO, TO I HAVE HOPE
FOR TOMORROW. LOOK AT I CORINTHIANS 13:4-‐7 (NLT) 4 Love is patient and
kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
SO MANY THINGS HAPPEN THAT MAKES HOPE FAIL. THAT KILLS OUR HOPE AND PREVENTS HOPE FROM BEING ABLE TO WAIT TO SEE WHAT WE SAID WE BELIEVE GOD FOR. LOVE IS PATIENT. LOVE GIVES US THE POWER TO WAIT. IT’S KIND. IT DOESN’T LOSE HEART WHEN OTHERS TREAT US IN WAYS THAT MAKE US LOSE HOPE. LOVE IS NOT JEALOUS. IT GIVES US THE STRENGTH HOLD ON AND TO HOPE,EVEN WHEN OTHERS SEEM TO GET WHAT WE ARE WAITING. LOVE IS NOT BOASTFUL OR PROUD. IT GIVES US THE POWER TO STAY HOPEFUL, BY BEING ABLE TO BE HUMBLE AND NOT HAVE TO PROVE OURSELVES TO OTHERS. LOVE IS NOT RUDE OR DEMAND ITS OWN WAY. IT GIVES US THE POWER TO
KEEP HOPE ALOVE EVEN WHEN OTHER FOLK TREAT US BAD OR WHEN WE FEEL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN WHAT WE WANTED BY NOW. LOVE IS NOT IRRISTABLE OR DOESN’T KEEP RECORDS OF BEING WRONGED. IT GIVES HOPE THE POWER TO NOT GIVE IN WHEN WE GET FRUSTRATED OR GET WHAT WE DON’T DESERVE. LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE IN INJUSTICE . IT NEVER GIVES UP, IT NEVER LOSES FAITH, IT’S ALWAYS HOPEFUL AND ENDURES. LOVE GIVES HOPE THE POWER TO KEEP THE FAITH, THE POWER TO NEVER GIVE UP TO ENDURE TO THE END. LOVE IS THE POWER OF HOPE. NOT ABIDETH, NOW LIVES FOR EVER, FAITH THE FOUNDATION OF HOPE. HOPE THE BELIEVE THAT THE INVISIBLE WILL BECOME VISIBLE AND LOVE. THE POWER TO KEEP HOPE ALIVE. FAITH IS NOW. HOPE IS LATER AND LOVE IS FOREVER. REPEAT. THE NEXT TIME SOMEBODY SAYS I HOPE SO, SAY, NO LET’S BELIEVE SO. THE NEXT TIME YOU FIND YOURSELF NEEDING HOPE, REMEMBER THAT NOW ABIDETH… THE FOUNDATION AND POWER FOR HOPE.
THE BIBLE SAYS IN LAMENTATIONS 3:21 This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. 22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. 26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly DON’T BUILD YOUR HOPE ON WORLDLY EVIDENCE. NO WE HAVE TO WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT. NO OUR HOPE CAN BE BUILT ON NOTHING LESS, THAN JESUS’ BLOOD…