Hope

Morning. My name is Ernie. Where you going to introduce me Ivan? I do not get introduced myself, okay. Alright, this morning it's good to be with you.

All right. Heidi. Good to see y'all. I'm thankful for the opportunity to be here. This morning I'm I have my Bible, this is actually my dad's Bible one of them and it's kind of like thought it should be like a blast from the past because my dad was one of the guys that actually I grew up here. So, you know, in this building in this place, I got into a lot of trouble at this at this place is a kid. I know what growing up here is like I've been here done that and I'm here to tell you today that God is faithful and do you know, in spite of our past, God does amazing stuff. So, I was just thinking about today. What we what I need is what I need about 23 years ago, I was in Austria, and I was a team leader for an Upward Bound. Program in schladming Austria and a Bible School. And we were doing crevasse rescue this one day and it was nasty, whether it was snowing, and there was already like two feet of powder and work climbing. This mountain, getting up to this to Glacier where we could actually do crevasse rescue. So we're climbing. I'm on the end of a rope with my team and the mountain guy that was with us, he's upfront. He's on the front end of the rope and I'm in the back, end of the rope in the team was all stretched out in between, And at one point going up this thing we're kicking in steps two feet of snow. I'm almost 50 and my heart is about ready to explode. I just I can't go anymore. I have reached my limit and so I just kind of leaned back on the road to put some pressure on the team leader. And I don't never forget this long as I live, he stopped. He stopped and he turned around and he looked at me and he didn't say a word. I was like probably 60, 70 ft away, but he looked at me and just the look on his face said, crab, go. You can't quit. And as I thought about this section of scripture today that we're going to be in, I think that the same thing as it's not just a message for you. This is what I need to hear. I need to hear this every day. I need to hear the message of Hebrews chapter 10 where I should do not be like those who shrink back. Don't be like those kind of people that just, you know, get tired and weary like I was on the end of the rope and just start hanging and becoming a burden to the people in front of me, rather than carrying my weight. As well. And I need that, I need it every day of my life and that's one of the things that I think that probably, if you follow Jesus for a while and your life, you know, what it's like, is coming back in that rope and find yourself, you know, I'm looking for Comfort. I'm looking for release. I'm looking for, I'm looking for a down time. And our leader turns around and looks back out of sitting. Don't shrink back and so today, we're going to spend a little bit of time in Hebrews chapter 12, which is Hebrews chapter 11, which is the following versus after that. For we're not those who shrink back in verse 35, chapter 10, but we're going to go into the first part of chapter 11 because I think for me this is this is a slow down part of your Bible. Now. I don't know if you guys ever slow down or if you like speedreaders to your Bible, but I just want you to slow down this morning because we're only going to do half a verse and you know, just talk about it because it's loaded with information in the implications of this are so huge for from my life and for your life. And it goes like this. Now, Faith is being sure. Of what we hope for. being convinced of what we do, not See, and that's for, what's up? One more time, faith is being sure. faith is being sure.

Of what we hope for.

Sure of what we hope for. And so I am just reading that section. I know that I know that I've read this, I don't know how many times But the stop back. Stop and think about it experientially. Now. Faith is being sure. Being sure. Of what I hope for. I know what religions like. I know religion is got one of these. You know, we like we know all the answers. Oh yeah yeah, just put your hope in Jesus you know. And then, so we do. And then we move, we move on. In life. Faith is being sure of what we hope for. Being convinced another translation says, being confident of what we do. Not see. And this morning, just kind of put that in terminology, maybe that I can understand a little better. Is. Just as these eyeballs help me to perceive. The physical world.

Babes. Is the eyeballs are the eyeballs. Apple, we cannot see.

How are your eyeballs doing today?

I've I've been blessed with pretty good Vision, so far. but I know back macular degeneration, runs in my family and I've seen my mom had it then the others have it and it's just one of those things that makes you appreciate the vision that you do have.

So fades.

Is the eyeballs.

I'm the spiritual world. Of what we cannot see. But so often, I talked about hope. Without the eyeballs. Know what I mean? Oh yeah, and we even sang a song about it this morning, the Revelation Song. Talk singing about Jesus return and all these things. That's our hope.

But what difference does it make in my life today?

And that's what I want to talk about a little bit this morning with the end again at this is for me, you know what we we do. What it takes to stay alive. I remember George isn't here. This morning that I was with George and a bunch of other guys in 1967. We were on the Yukon river with Don May and my dad and we had two boats, there was a boating accident out in the middle of the river and we were probably about 35 miles up the Yukon out of circle and I was in the river and hanging on to the side of one boat. There were guns in the water. There was stuff everywhere. But we didn't say, oh well, an accident happen. We're just going to roll over and die. We fought to stay alive. You know, nobody was lost. But everybody put together an effort to stay alive. We do what it takes to stay alive. So, many of you have had a greater experience, as I'm sure of what it means to actually, what the fight looks like to stay alive. And I'm talking about now, not just this Staying Alive. Physically. But to keep this Faith alive in our lives. How do I do that?

That's one of the questions I deal with in my life because you know, I've ever read this chapter 11 and you guys all have probably read it. You know what the is going to come. It's this long history line of people that somehow managed to keep the faith alive in their lives. And what I want this morning for my life and a challenge for you. And for me, is this, let's stay alive. Let's keep a faith that is fully alive and believes all this week, hope for then really puts our our weight into this rope. So that we're not the burden. Holding people back holding a holding others back from pressing into this greater thing. But we are actually the people that make it easier for those people to go and follow hard after Jesus and hard into the things of this world because what this world needs now.

Is not people that are leaning back into the world.

The church doesn't need those people. You know, I do I get around to the churches in town, I'm not at church Hopper but I've going to different churches and I hang out and observe what they're doing. And one of the things I noticed that I've seen in quite a few churches here in town you walk in and they are an army. That's why they talk like we're an army. Let's go out and do great things for God.

but, I try and remind people the pastors of those churches. You're not an army. Your battalion.

You're just part of this whole movement of Jesus. You're not the whole thing.

Your part. and so pressing into this,

this hope thing, this Faith thing, this life thing, this way of following Jesus, with all our hearts, all our souls and all their minds is so incredibly important and to stay Fully Alive in it. I hope I stay Fully Alive to the day, I die.

I hope you do, too. not only physically, you know, stay Fully Alive all the way and mentally, but spiritually. And I'm afraid that a lot of people in my age group anymore, have the tendency to slow down, And I ran enough races when I was younger to know that at the end of a race. She don't start. You don't. You speed up. You give it all, you've got for a lifetime, that's what we've been called to. That's this journey that were on this Faith Journey. That's why these guys in chapter 11 went on and did great things for God and died. Horrible deaths some of them. Some of them did amazing things. I mean, I don't know how many of you went and saw the movie, The Jesus Revolution anybody If you if you did, that's good but you know that guy Lonnie number Lonnie in the movie. For those of you that went, I don't know if you went and you checked out Lonnie's. Life is real life and think they tried to portray in the movie if they do any of you do it, Lonnie turned out. Lonnie was one of these guys who was a hippie? out of my age category, you know, probably a couple years older than me, that Lonnie was This man that came to Jesus with a ton of baggage in his life.

Ended up dying of AIDS. In his 40s.

Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel spoke at his funeral.

And said the purpose. I was wanting was he was a Samson. And if you think and Samson's mentioned in this story in chapter 11 of Hebrews, Samson is a man. We think

But Sampson. God had a purpose for him in his life and this morning I don't care what your past is. God has a purpose for you to the day, you die. If you've been called So I'm going to talk just a few minutes this morning, 30 minutes to set up what you giving me oven very generous. How about if I go on our lunch? After this, I better give you time, all right.

So, first of all, I want to talk about because we're talkin about that steals, talk about her knees, hope my hope.

How am I doing? That's the question. You know, how you doing crab? I ask myself in that kind of language. Every once in awhile, how's it going crab? How you doing today? What's going on with my life? And some days are absolutely horrible. Romans chapter 7, what I want to do, I don't do.

And what? I Don't want to do. I do.

And it's not very encouraging, but I find myself doing that. It is so. Depressing.

Just thinking about examples of how that is worked in my life. I remember. Sometime back. I was going into Fred Meyer. Then it's been a while back because it's the one on the east side. But in the old building, the one that Arya is in. So that's been a while back. I don't how many years, 20 years. But I just remember going in and I was with my family. I was with my kids and as we walked into as we walked into Fred Meyer, there was a lady in a wheelchair, sitting there in the in the entry store in the entry gate placed. As I walked by her, I don't know if you have ever had these kind of experiences but all of a sudden it's like God is is suggesting to me, in my mind Ernie you need to stop and pray for this woman and I wasn't like he's going to kill her or anything. It's just like you know, you need to do that. And I and I just remember at the moment, I am an, but I'm with my family and I began to come up with this list of excuses. And I walked by her and walked in the store and as I walked into the store and walked around my heart just was so broken. And finally, I was like, I've got to go find this lady and I went back out to the entry and she was gone.

Add felt. I shrunk back. I was distracted.

but, on the other hand, If I actually move ahead into those places where God is suggesting me to go like not too long ago. I was over University Avenue and College Road and there's a house fire pizza place and I was gone into the house, fire pizza place cuz I was hungry. But on the way in there's a homeless guy, sitting there and I know him because I've seen him several places around town, his name is Harold. So as I walked in to how you doing Harold doing, okay, I'm kind of hungry. So I said well okay, I'll go in and get you the pizza part of the pizza, share one with you. So I did I shared my pizza with them. I felt some Joy but I didn't have it a great opportunity to talk with him. But a few days later little time later I was going into the Safeway store over by Fred Meyer West. In, as I went into the Safeway store, there's Harold and he's sitting there and I was like, how you doing Harold? He's like, this is the 1st event introduced me to, you know, getting to know this guy, which I think part of our life is. It's like taking these steps of actually getting to know people and getting into their world and giving us more bonus to talk to them. So it's guy. God being gracious. Giving us a chance to get to know people. Anyway, I walked in and He says, I'm not doing okay today, but maybe I could use a six pack of beer.

Reasonable Choice, six pack of beer, you know? I bought I don't buy six packs. I'll buy you one, but I won't buy a six-pack. So I went back and you know he wanted the cheapest fit brand which I can't remember what it is something like steel whatever. But so I got him a beer and I brought it back to him and I said Harold I said I want you to know one thing before I give you this can of beer

Your creator loves you.

And I want you to know that this your creator. Want you to live a really really, really long time. Which in our language is forever, you know, he wants a living forever, he wants them to live forever.

And I'll never forget the words that Harold said back to me. But I'm an alcoholic.

and I thought to myself, how often has Have I portrayed the Christian Life As One. I have a perfect obedience and perfect following. There's only one person that I know that ever did that and his name is Jesus.

so, Always to tell you. I'm a man with a lot of imperfections in my life. Put on my days that I feel. I don't want to stay down. I'm kind of like the guy that gets knocked down and knocked out but he gets back up and he gives it another whack, you know? In the end up that the swollen eyes, you end up with the bruises. He end up with the head that has trouble and but you keep getting up and I want to tell you today, is it. I've tried to do that with my life, some days, I do better. Some days. I don't. But it's a goal in my life. I want to keep getting up to the last day. TobyMac. I don't know if you know TobyMac by Toby Mac's great. I love Toby Toby Mac as the one song till the day I die and I almost wear the T-shirt today but my wife said no don't act like, you know, that's how I want to live till the day, I die. So the next question is, what does talk about your Hope? You Know, My Hope kind of goes like this, but we want to keep going. If we want it, I want to keep pressing into the end to the day, I die. So, what about your hope? Imagine you're a lot like me. You have your upstairs and you're down days.

I don't want to ask you the question. What keeps you fully Alive in Jesus? We know, faith is all part of this. Question is, how do I keep Faith alive? How do you keep Faith alive? And I think we all know the verse that says, faith comes by hearing. What's interesting is now, it is weed. It was maybe more. People are here in today but it's been like, faith comes by reading. But I think the word is hearing, you know, I don't, I don't know why it is hearing but I think it's important that I have that in my life. And so what I do is I is enabling a lot of times I do podcasts and there's some churches that I go to the place that I go and I try to listen to a bride and then I listen to all kinds of stuff that's out there. And one of the church is that I go to to listen is called Southeast Christian Church in Louisville Kentucky. And one of the things that I love about that church was every week to have a baptism at the end. You know, the band is playing up front and then they have this Baptismal thing, and people are there in the water they got, I mean Easter Sunday, they had probably a line of took a half an hour to baptize everybody get up, it's pretty amazing. But every time somebody comes out of the water, You know, it's the hands in the air to smile on the face. The hugs it's like, Joy joy has written all over it. Because why Faith also is built by obedience. And I think we all know that faith comes by hearing, but even as we obey, we find out it working our lives and we find that that whole thing is. So, as people come out of this water rejoicing, It's pretty sweet. unfortunately, you know And you look around the world, Evangelical churches are so much on the decline in this country. I forget added. I looked at the percentages, I don't remember what they were. I don't I don't have the real reason why. But I suppose, one of the reasons that I have come to the conclusion is that we're not really relevant to any more in our culture, we haven't learned to speak the language. We haven't, you know, she's going, I'm going to be in the Czech Republic in two weeks. I go there. I'm about worthless unless there's a new translator around The reason is, I don't know the language but yet language changes all the time. How many, how much language has changed in the past two or three years since you've been alive? Listen to the media, Listen to Everything. I mean words that never were words or something, totally different. Now mean things different. And yet we still hang on to the words that we hung onto for centuries, not that they're bad words, just that people don't hear the real intent. So I, you know,

I try and work at language people. That's why I talk to Harold like I did. Not trying to water gospel. Now, just trying to let him hear it in a way that they understand.

So, I'm concerned about people, individuals individuals. And their faith. In life, being sure of what they hope for.

The third thing is our hope, you know for my hope your hope our hope together as a community.

And I think there's a great frustration and Christian Community, maybe that unspoken about our hope. Our hope is maybe this church might grow, did might be get filled up with a lot of people. A lot of people come to the Lord, a lot of things to you know, might happen. I think that's kind of the goal around town and probably around most of the country.

But I'm sorry, I thought about this. I've come to the conclusion that it's not so much about growing a church to about being one.

Jesus prayed in John chapter 17.

Praying to his father in Heaven. I'm not praying only on their behalf, the people of his day but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, the disciples testimony that they will all be one just as you. Father are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us so that the world will believe that you sent me. The glory you gave to me, I've given to them that they may be one just as We Are One. I am them and you and me that they may be completely one. So that so that the world will know that you sent me. And you have loved them. Justice. You have loved me.

So, the world will know that you have sent me.

Was interesting couple years ago, Catherine Dodge who's running for mayor here in town and I had coffee with her a couple times. And it was, it was good. To the Unitarian.

But I just remember hanging out with her. McCafferty's coffee place. Erin Cushman, one day we were talking about. She said, Ernie. So what is Fairbanks need?

My pie, to her was her people. People need to learn in this town, people need to care for each other. Next we love each other. But if people do that in the community, I mean that's expecting a lot. But where should we expect it even more? It's inside the local churches. And between churches in Between Brothers and Sisters in Christ that are in different places. Not not in the way. I mean, I would love the people are tempted to do this. Go to the Unitarian Church, one of these days cuz she invited me. Show up. Who knows the opportunities? God gives you at the Unitarian Church, it might ask me to actually say something.

We lived in Beatty Nevada for a while, Christy and I, and they asked me one time to give my testimony the last time they ever asked me.

but, We can love people. American love each other.

Poor so hard.

I'm hard.

I wish I wasn't.

I wish I had a cold. Heart is gone for me all the time.

And it's not that were the answer to everybody. But we could be answered at 1, just one.

Believers in the churches today. Need a lot of encouragement. The last thing we need is somebody leave him back on the Rope.

That's the last thing I need.

You going to attract me?

Coach doesn't say Don't run is hard. This one kind of hold back.

Add born to win. So you're going to run like it.

I don't know. I think we're

we don't pull it off sometimes because we don't have enough Faith to do it.

Where Pope?

But our faith is struggling.

Santos, talk about their hope and then I'll be just about done.

Ephesians. Chapter 2, 11 and 12 and their hope means the world out there. Without God. There without hope. Reasons to. 11. + 12. No out.

I mean to see it in our culture today. Transgender movement looking for help outside the gender you are born with.

Or.

All the other stuff. That's It's just people looking for hope. That's all it is.

You holding it in her hand.

several years ago, a

I really wrestled with that verse where Jesus talks about the fields are white unto Harvest. And I had to ask the question, Are they still White?

MPR.

Got a whole generation of hopeless, people. text 20-somethings, you know, in that the whole section of them that are not called, you know, Zoomers your blue Mercer to called Boomers You look on your iPhone, you'll find them doomers. Do Mercer people that I've no I've given up.

Roland McKee.

so, all I'm asking of myself and you Is we move out there. We just love people.

And we're willing to move into their lives. Boldly without fear. Full of care.

Doesn't matter. I love Harold show up here. Sit in the front row. I don't care if he's an alcoholic. I Think Jesus can save them, right? Save me.

You can be a trans person come to Jesus. You can be whatever. And the gospel changes us doesn't, we don't change ourselves form to the gospel and then receive Jesus. We do the inviting. We move into this world that's lost with without any hope. Bringing the true hope.

Well.

My neighbor is an interesting guy. He's got cancer.

He has family trouble while back. He called me, new used to be a political activist. He was, you know, he's pretty smart guy. and you know, she was having a rough day so somewhere in my prayer, I said You know, or somewhere my talk, I just said it sounds like, things are going so you could could I talk to Jesus about you? And I didn't even use the word prayer cuz I just worked with me, won't want that work. So I just got to talk to Jesus about you, any answer me and he says, he said, I'm an agnostic, some mornings, I wake up, and I'm an agnostic, and then I go outside and I look around and I'm not anymore and work of God, everywhere Diagnostic and he says, well. Okay, I guess you can pray for me. Yeah, he is the word prayer. And, you know, it was just an interesting story of how the change in his attitude and now he calls me every once in a while. And he wants to talk, he was going to invite me on a fishing trip. I couldn't go but It's slow work. Some of these relationships are hard people. This guy saw his dad commit suicide when he was a kid, who was on the street with ls team when he was 15. Yeah, I know he's had a hard life. The gospel can reach him in my prayer for him is for his dying day, which he prays every tells me every night. I pray, you're an agnostic, you shouldn't bet he's as every night. I pray that I'll buy my sleep I'm like well I bet he's afraid of getting covid and dying so I don't know how that works. A frayed of the words like double masks so he won't get covid-19 wants to die every night. I think you should take the Macon mascot.

Then there's Herald. Are you still going to Mecca bar? Do you know where the mecca is on 2nd Avenue? How many you been in there? It's quite a place. I tell you. I was in there. I got to know the bartender. She was one sweet lady. She loved those guys ladies in there. One day, I was in there and gone out and he was sitting on the sidewalk out front. I went out to him and I said, you know, can I help you with something? He says. Well, I'm hurting pretty bad. I think so. And I saw you went back in the mac and I said, you got some food for this guy needs some, I'll buy him some soup, and she's like, well all I have is a cup of soup and it and I don't take credit cards. I'll be a slave. The mecca, doesn't take credit cards. So okay, so she bought him a cup of soup, fix it for him. Took it out to him, gave it to him.

And open up this sweet opportunity with this man, ultimately with the rest of the people that were there at the MAC at the time. But the guys out there in the street, he's had his suit now. And he's skin feeling a little better and I said to him, hey man. Can I just talk to Jesus about you? He's like sure. He says, actually, I'd like to do it, okay? Could you put your head against my head? That's what he wanted, my head against his. That I was my immediate thought was what's a good way to catch lice?

Kitchen lights for the name of Jesus. Who cares? You know, can always get rid of lice. I prayed for him down the streets. You know, he told me later, he said I was that morning, he had tried to commit suicide in the Chena or drowning himself but somebody to drag him out One last chance. Can we be a part of that in this community? You can I can

so, let's not shrink back. Don't lean back on the Rope.

Give it all, you got. Is a church. This place has been an awesome church. Been around this community for a long time. I'm 72 so Elmo's. So this place has been here. Longer than that, As a church that has been in this building quite that long. But it's been here a long time. You're standing next to farewell Manor. We used to be friends is so farewell Manor. Show me that place is packed full of people. I mean, in Scotland place, we're going to be going to in a week, is they have a whole Ministry that scared into church planting into low-income housing?

Change the change, the atmosphere of this place quite a bit, I'm sure. but, They're sold out of there. They're in this neighborhood, they're all over this place. What a what a area. I mean you could massive changes in this place. Mo take bulnes yet. Well, will take Faith. Yes. And the hope is this, the hope is that this place could become packed with people who are desperate for Jesus.

And you could do it. I know you can. We've got the promise of the Lord. We've got his presence of the spirit, we got the change in our lives. We've got a dream that's going to come true in a few years for all of us. When we go spend, eternity with Jesus, And whatever pain, whatever suffering, whatever, anguish you may feel in your life right now is going to be transformed into this great thing. That is so many so many fantastic. I was just reading and rum or Hebrews chapter 10. 1012 not too long ago. That the mountain that Moses went to. It was spooky, Steven Trumbull, but it says we have come to this new city. The new city is where the God Lives, that's the city. And that is the city where it says, there's thousands and thousands. Joyful Joyful That's Heavy word that such a perfect adjectives Joyful. Joyful angels and assembly meeting together worshipping. We're going to go there. Thousands and thousands of them. And then it says, Further on down in the verse little bit into the simple Souls of righteous people made. Perfect. I'm looking forward to that, you know, where this sinful guy. Becomes. A perfect man and I'm righteous. We're righteous now by the blood of Jesus. That's all we've got. Become perfect. It's coming down the pipe.

so,

Can I live for that day?

God, give us the faith to do that.

Help us keep our faith alive to feed our faith. And I'm supposed to wear all different.

Each of us have different things. Feed our faith. Different things that steal our faith. I wish to become students of ourselves so that we know,

Know what builds us up and what will rip us apart?

and then,

Give us the mines to not shrink back. Run the race with perseverance patience.

Joyful in affliction.

because you, I promised all these things, especially your presence with us. Thank you for this place. Encourage us this morning. I need it. We all need it. In Jesus name, amen.

I guess you guys have the benediction. That's kind of sweet, you know, I never had a chance. I would say that if you do some of the things that I suggested, don't send me a bill for the carpet. Because that probably won't last very long. Or any of those things that just, you know, we hang onto and it's like I love him too. But sometimes things aren't worth hanging onto. So here's the first for you Romans 15 verse 13. Now may the god of hope. He is a god of hope you hope he's giving me.

Now, may the god of Hope fill you with all joy. And peace. As you believe in him.

As you believe, so. That you may abound in Hope. By the power of the Holy Spirit.

And that's true.

Go ahead and get them this week. I think you can do it. Pray for me that I would do it. I need all the help I can get I got get weary. I feel like quitting and shrinking back. I'm not called to do that, neither you? So let's fight the good fight. Run the race. Finish the game. Play full-court free after. All right. God bless all of you. Thank you.