A Christian's Hope

A Christian’s Hope

Scripture Reading:1 Cor 15 12-19

Subject: A Christian’s Hope

Preached on the Lord’s Day 4/10/05 at Stewart Memorial CME Church, Pittsburg, Ca.

Lummie Hearn, Pastor.1 Co 15:12-19

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.

16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.

19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

NIV

“A Christian’s Hope”

SADDUCEES

[SAJ uh seez] -- members of a Jewish faction that opposed Jesus during His ministry. Known for their denial of the bodily resurrection, the Sadducees came from the leading families of the nation-the priests, merchants, and aristocrats. The high priests and the most powerful members of the priesthood were mainly Sadducees (Ac 5:17).

SADDUCEES

The Sadducees rejected this approach to authority in favor of the written law of Moses. They felt the original law alone could be trusted. Naturally, they felt Sadducean priests should be the ones to serve as the law's interpreters..The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead or the immortality of the soul, since these doctrines are not mentioned in the law of Moses. Neither did they believe in rewards or punishments handed out after death, as in the doctrines of heaven and hell. Acts 23:8 indicates that they did not believe in angels or spirits, either. They also believed in free will-that man is responsible for his own prosperity or misfortune. They interpreted the law literally and tended to support strict justice as opposed to mercy toward the offender.

Ac 23:6-9

6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.

"7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

8(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. "We find nothing wrong with this man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

NIV

The Pharisees believed in the bodly resurrection, but the Sadducees did not.

Only a few references are made to the Sadducees in the New Testament. They opposed the early church (Ac 4:1-3; 5:17-18), much more so than even the Pharisees (Ac 5:34-39; 15:5; 23:6-9). Since the chief priests usually came from among the Sadducees, it is clear that they played a major role in the arrest of Jesus and the preliminary hearing against Him (Mk14:60-64), and that they urged Pilate to crucify Him (Mk 15:1,3,10-11). Jesus warned His disciples about the "leaven"-the "doctrine" or teaching-of the Sadducees (Mt 16:1-12). John

the Baptist was suspicious of their supposed "repentance" (Mt 3:7-12).

Well, what do the “Resurrection” have to do with “Hope”. If we believe not the resurrection,.then there is no hope.

If we bring the resurrection in to today’s present we must by faith believe that there was a resurrection.

Did I or you see the resurrection? No, neither one of us did , but by faith we believe that it happen. As Paul has stated in 1 Cor 15:14;

14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. NIV

One may ask the question. Can you see this hope that you speak of? But the bible tells us this;

Ro 8:24-25

24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?

25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. NIV

The hope that a Christian have is not a hope of chance. We no in today’s life we hear pedrsons saying “Keep tour fingers cross” “Keep your hopes up” or “Do not keep your hopes too high”. All of these things or phrases rest on luck of chance. But we must under-stand that God do notg work with luck nor does He work with chance. What God has promised He will deliver. We as Christians must stand firm in the midst of trails and tribula-tions that what He Promised will come to pass.This hope rest squarly on the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.

Yes, we must “Live In Hope”

Ro 5:1-6

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand..And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.

5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

NIV

Romans 5:1

This peace that Paul talks about here is not a peace that is absent of comflict, but is a peace that means that man have been reconciled with and now has peace with God because of the death of Christ. Man has no hostitly between himself and God. Sin can not block this peace between God and man if man believe. The price of all this was paid by Christ on the cross.

Romans 5:2

As a believer we now stand at the highest level with God. We are not enimies,but we are now children. The love that God has given us gives those of us who are belivers to be able to reach out to others and let them know what love God has for those who trust and believe on Him.

Faith, hope, and love is the heart of a Christians life. We are in the family of God. If in the family, then that must mean that we are children.

Jn 15:15

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.NIV..

Romans 5:3

Paul is not telling us as Christians that we ought to be glad that we are catching hell because we are a Christian, but at the same time we gain strenght by being a sufferer by or for what we believe in.

Just as an athlete must get him or her self in physcilly condition or shape, a Christian must do like wise. You never know when or where the attach will be coming from, nor do you know who. Some time you may see the attach before it hit, but if you are in shape the blow will not destruct you. So as a Christian we rejoice knowning that suffering produces perse-verance.

PERSEVERANCE Maintaining Christian faith through the trying times of life.

Persevering Christians take prayer seriously as a reflection of life. They recognize the way of love and forgiveness because they understand the nature of human weakness and divine help.

They know they have experienced grace beyond their human capacities. Persevering Chris-tians recognize that the warnings of the Bible are meant for them to obey and that Christ gave His life to transform their lives. Perseverance is thus a call to faithfulness, but it is also an affirmation that somehow, in spite of our failures, God will bring His committed people through the difficulties and concerns of life to their promised destiny in Christ.

Romans 5:4

Giving up under the least amount of pressure shows no perseverance and if no perseverance, then one has no character. If these two are liking there is noting to hope for. One can only hope for that we he doe's not see.

Romans 5:5

One may get side tracked with all that has been said here. We know that we can not see hope, so what assurance do we hav e to let us know that God has or will keep His promise?

Ro 5:5 Tell us what we as Christians need to hear. This hope that we have will not disappoint us. The reason why is because God has already poured out His Holy Spirit, this He has done because of His love for us.

When we have truly “Hope” We are able to put aside our selfulness and share what God has entrusted to us that we may be a blessing to the Church and those around us. If we are materialist we can not truly have any hope. Why, because we are or have center ourselves on what we have in this world and we believe that my life and my destine is based on what I have in this world.