Faith Overflowing

Faith Overflowing

Text: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

(Ro 15:13 NIV)

I.        Introduction: Someone has said that if you could convince a man there was no hope, he would curse the day he was born. Hope is an indispensable quality of life.

        Years ago the S-4 submarine was rammed by another ship and quickly sank. The entire crew was trapped in its prison house of death. Ships rushed to the scene of disaster off the coast of Massachusetts. We don’t know what took place down in the sunken submarine, but we can be sure that the men clung bravely to life as the oxygen slowly gave out.

        A diver placed his helmeted ear to the side of the vessel and listened. He heard a tapping noise. Someone, he learned, was tapping out a question in the dots and dashes of the Morse Code. The question came slowly: “Is … there … any … hope?”

        This seems to be the cry of humanity: “Is there any hope?” Hope, indeed, is the basis of all human existence in Christ!

Central Idea: In a world of despair, our faith in God can inspire hope in others.

II.      The Foundation of Faith

A.      Trust in God’s Character

B.       Hope in God’s Word

III.   The Fruit of Faith

A.      Filled with Joy

B.      Filled With Peace

IV.    The Fountain of Faith

A.       Powered by the Holy Spirit

B.      Pouring Out Hope to Others

V.      Conclusion: While traveling in Wyoming, we stopped at a garage for minor car repairs. As we waited, my wife spotted a drinking fountain. When she pushed the button, water shot over her shoulder splashing against the wall.

She tried again, pushing the button gently and regulating the flow before she drank. This time, as she raised her head, she noticed a crudely lettered sign on the wall: Old Faceful.

Does Your Faith in God overflow to give others a face full of hope?