Abundant Hope
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· 1 viewThis Easter Sunday, we celebrate the Abundant Hope we have in Jesus who is our Living Hope! The Gospel of Jesus shows us that we are sinners in need of a Savior. He died for our sin, was buried and raised on the third day, and he appeared to many. For 2,000 years, man has tried to silence the truth, but the truth still rings loud and clear. This message examines this truth and Abundant Hope we can embrace from it!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Have you ever been in a place where it seemed all hope was lost? Do you remember the tiny glimmer and spark of life when even just the slightest chance of hope was restored? Hope does amazing things to a person’s life. Even the slightest hope can pay great dividends.
It’s like a story that Chuck Swindoll tells about a missionary who was sitting in a second story window when she was handed an envelope from back home. As she opened the letter a crisp $100 bill fell out. She was pleasantly surprised, but as she read the letter here eyes were distracted by the movement of a shabbily dressed stranger down below, leaning against a post in front of the building. She couldn’t get him off her mind. Thinking that he might be in greater financial distress, she slipped the bill into an envelope on which she wrote, “Don’t Despair,” and threw it out the window to him. The stranger picked it up, read it, looked up and smiled as he tipped his hat and went his way.
The next day she was about to leave the house when a knock came at the door. She found the same shabbily dressed man smiling as he handed her a roll of $20 bills. When she asked what this was for, he replied, “That’s the $600 bucks you won lady. Don’t Despair paid out five to one.”
Hope feeds into our lives much more than we could ever imagine. It has been said, “We can live forty days without food, eight days with out water, four minutes without air, but only a few seconds without hope.”
I don’t know where you are in your life today, but I want you to know that whatever you are facing in this broken world, you can still have Abundant Hope through Jesus Christ!
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
3 Ways in Which We Can Have Abundant Hope
3 Ways in Which We Can Have Abundant Hope
1) Christ Died for Our Sins (v. 3)
1) Christ Died for Our Sins (v. 3)
We are all sinners.
We are hopeless in our sin without someone to help us.
Jesus is that someone.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
“Propitiation” means a sufficient substitute for God’s Just and Righteous wrath due to us
The first and foremost purpose of Jesus coming was to be for us what we could not be for ourselves and live.
The first and foremost purpose of Jesus was to reconcile us back to God.
It wasn’t to be a great moral teacher.
It wasn’t to be a great example of morality.
It wasn’t to unlock a new world of philosophy or reasoning.
It was to take your sin upon Himself so as to provide hope to the hopeless.
You can have Abundant Hope because Jesus died for your sin.
2) He Was Buried and Was Raised on the Third Day (v. 4)
2) He Was Buried and Was Raised on the Third Day (v. 4)
You can’t die for our sin without being dead!
I know this sounds like a “duh” moment, but some claim that Jesus was like fantastical character from Princess Bride with Miracle Max standing over him saying, “Your friend is only mostly dead. Mostly dead means he is slightly alive.” But in the princess bride, even Miracle Max knows “There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all-dead. All dead you can only do one thing…look through his clothes for loose change.”
Friends, Jesus died…All dead…died.
He was buried. The tomb was sealed. Roman guards were posted to prevent any sketchy ideas. The reason history still cares about an obscure Jewish carpenter from Nazareth 2,000 years was because He was beaten to bloody pulp, He died at the hands of Roman executioners, He was buried and sealed in a tomb, and then He did what no person has ever done before…He got up, folded his laundry, and walked out!
If Jesus had not risen, His death would have been nothing more than a bonus question on Judean history exam.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead!
Paul doesn’t write, “In my opinion…” He says “in fact Christ has been raised” therefore we have abundant Hope!
3) He Appeared (v.5-8)
3) He Appeared (v.5-8)
We have hope not just because of an empty tomb and some folded laundry…We have eye witnesses!
If there were not eye witness testimonies then we might be given to random theories of hallucinations, wishful thinking, or straight lies.
But the reality is, there are a vast number of eye witnesses who died for their testimony.
If they didn’t give their lives for a lie. They gave their lives because they couldn’t deny what they saw, what they heard, what they touched, what they experienced first hand!
We have an opportunity to experience Abundant Hope because Jesus proved His resurrection by providing us with historical eye witnesses.
These eye witnesses weren’t just friends either. Even His enemies saw him and it changed them.
Never forget that Paul was the foremost enemy of Jesus and his followers.
While the other Jewish leaders despised and plotted against Jesus and His followers, Paul actively sought them out to kill them!
This is why Paul’s testimony and ministry is so powerful!
He was an enemy who was an eye witness to a living, breathing, walking, talking, once dead, once buried, now alive Jesus…and he couldn’t deny it. He realized he couldn’t beat Him so he joined Him!
We have Abundant Hope because He appeared to many!
How to Embrace Abundant Hope
How to Embrace Abundant Hope
1) Hear the Gospel (v.1)
1) Hear the Gospel (v.1)
2) Receive the Gospel and Stand in It (v.1)
2) Receive the Gospel and Stand in It (v.1)
3) Hold Fast to the Gospel and Be Saved (v.2)
3) Hold Fast to the Gospel and Be Saved (v.2)
Don’t hold lose to the Gospel
Don’t see salvation as a future event
CLOSING
CLOSING
I serve a risen Savior He’s in the world today
I know that He is living, whatever men may say
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near
He Lives! He Lives! Christ Jesus Lives Today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way
He Lives! He Lives! Salvation to impart
You ask me how I know He lives…
Because almost 2,000 years ago He died
Because almost 2,000 years ago He didn’t stay dead
Because almost 2,000 years ago they found the tomb empty
Because almost 2,000 years later they still can’t find a body because it ain’t there!
Because almost 2,000 years ago all of human history was reshaped
Because almost 2,000 years later we’re still shaping our lives around Him
Because almost 2,000 years ago they tried to stomp Him out
Because almost 2,000 years later they’re trying and still failing
You ask me how I know He lives…
Because almost 2,000 years ago He appeared to more than 500 eye witnesses
Because almost 2,000 years ago most of the Eye witnesses were killed for their testimony
Because almost 2,000 years later people still give their lives for the truth
Because almost 2,000 years ago my Jesus bore my sin on a cross I deserved
Because almost 2,000 years later He called my name to follow Him
Because almost 2000 years ago He defeated death
Because almost 2000 years later He still gives me victory
Because almost 2000 years ago He walked out of the grave
Because almost 2000 years later He called me to walk with Him
Because almost 2000 years ago the angels asked why do you look for the living among the dead
Because almost 2000 years later He called out this dead man to be start living
You ask me how I know He lives…
Because History proclaims it!
Because Time has proven it!
Because He has saved me and changed my live!
You ask me how I know He lives…He lives within my heart!
This Easter Sunday, if you are here and you have never embraced Jesus as your Lord and Savior you are someone who is just living to die. Why don’t you confess that you are a sinner in need of a Savior, surrender your life to Jesus and make Him the Lord of your life, stand in His Hope, and Hold fast to new Life so that may become some who is dying to live instead of living to die?
If you are here and you need to give your life to Jesus, this time of response is for you. Won’t you come and embrace Abundant Hope in Jesus today!