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HOPE
GRADUATION 2001
JUST ANOTHER PENTECOST DAY
EASTER 2003
ANGELS AMONG US
ANGELS AMONG USCHRISTMAS EVE SERMON 2001
CHRISTMAS EVE SERMON 2001DEAR FRED AND MARY
DEAR FRED AND MARYINVITED TO THE WEDDING
INVITED TO THE WEDDINGMARCH 17, 2002
THROUGH DEATH TO LIFEMOUNTAINTOPS AND VALLEYS
MOUNTAINTOPS AND VALLEYSSATAN SPEAKS
SATAN SPEAKS|
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| HOPE |
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| PREACHED ON SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 2001 |
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| PEOPLE TODAY NEED HOPE. WHY? BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE LIVE IN A HOPELESS SOCIETY. THERE ARE FEW PEOPLE WITH POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS…AFTER ALL, WE ARE TOLD TO EXPECT THE WORST! MANY PEOPLE HAVE COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT OUR WORLD, INCLUDING OUR OWN PERSONAL LIVES, ARE NOT GETTING ANY BETTER. DESPAIR RATHER THAN HOPE REIGNS. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT GOD CALLS US TO A SURE HOPE. THE HOPE THAT GOD GIVES US IS MORE THAN WISHFUL THINKING. WE OFTEN USE HOPE TO MEAN MAYBE OR THERE’S A FAIR CHANCE THAT IT WILL TAKE PLACE OR IF WE ARE LUCKY. BUT CHRISTIAN HOPE IS NOT BASED ON THE WEATHER OR CIRCUMSTANCE…I SURE HOPE IT DOESN’T RAIN…NEITHER IS IT BASED ON CHANCE…I SURE HOPE THE YANKEES WIN THE GAME. HOPE CANNOT BE BASED ON ANYTHING THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH, FOR IN OUR OWN LIFE WE FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD, AND DESERVE HIS WRATH AND PUNISHMENT. THE HOPE THAT OUR LIVES ARE BASED ON IS FOUNDED ON OUR ETERNAL GOD, WHO HAS PROMISED US GRACE AND BLESSING IN EVERY NEED…THAT WE THROUGH PATIENCE AND COMFORT OF THE SCRIPTURES MIGHT HAVE HOPE. BUT AT TIMES, LIFE OFTEN SEEMS HOPELESS. ST. PAUL SAYS THAT WE ALSO REJOICE IN OUR SUFFERINGS. WHILE SUFFERING IS SUPPOSED TO PRODUCE IN US PERSEVERANCE AND CHARACTER AND HOPE, OFTEN THE OPPOSITE HAPPENS. CIRCUMSTANCES PULL US DOWN. AS WE LOOK AROUND WE SOON REALIZE THAT EVEN THOSE OF US WITH THE MOST POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE CAN BECOME CONSUMED WITH THE PROBLEMS AROUND US. WE CONSIDER THE FATE OF THE WORLD AND BECOME FEARFUL. IN OUR OWN LOCAL AREA MANY JOBS THAT WERE ONCE CONSIDERED SECURE ARE NOW UP FOR GRABS. EVEN WITH 2 INCOMES, FAMILIES ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE IT. THE AMERICAN DREAM OF HOME OWNERSHIP IN THE SUBURBS WITH AN OZZIE AND HARRIET FAMILY MENTALITY IS JUST THAT…A DREAM FOR MANY. LIFE ALSO SEEMS HOPELESS BECAUSE PEOPLE PULL US DOWN. IT IS SAD WHEN THOSE AROUND US LET US DOWN. WE THINK AND HOPE THAT WE CAN COUNT ON THEM. BUT PEOPLE ARE FICKLE…THEY LET US DOWN…THEY CANNOT BE FULLY TRUSTED…HOW MANY TIMES IN TALKING TO FRIENDS HAVE YOU HEARD PEOPLE SAY, MY CHILDREN LET ME DOWN AGAIN OR MY HUSBAND WAS SUPPOSED TO…BUT HE DIDN’T GET IT DONE. HUMAN SIN ERODES OUR CONFIDENCE AND HOPE. ALSO…THE SIN WITHIN US PULLS US DOWN. IN THE END, IT IS OUR OWN SIN WHICH CAUSES US TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE HOPE GOD GIVES TO US. INSTEAD OF PLACING OUR FAITH AND CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD, WE OFTEN DEPEND ON OUR OWN STRENGTH AND PRIDE TO PULL US THROUGH. WE TRY TO PULL OURSELVES UP AND MAKE OURSELVES THINK THAT WE CAN FIX THINGS. WE THINK, IT WILL ALL WORK OUT IF I JUST KEEP WORKING AT IT. YET IN THE END IT OFTEN DOESN’T WORK OUT. WE SEEM TO GET DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO THE PIT OF HOPELESSNESS AND DESPAIR. WE BECOME MORE AND MORE DEPRESSED. WE ASK, WHERE IS GOD? AND LIKE THE PSALMIST WE CRY OUT, I AM COUNTED AMONG THOSE WHO GO DOWN TO THE PIT, I AM A MAN WITHOUT STRENGTH. GOD’S LOVE IS POURED INTO US TO GIVE US A HOPE THAT ULTIMATELY WILL NOT DISAPPOINT. BECAUSE JESUS DIED AND WAS RAISED TO LIFE, WE HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED THROUGH FAITH AND HAVE PEACE WITH GOD. GOD FILLS OUR HEARTS AND LIVES THROUGH HIS WORD AND SACRAMENTS. WE DON’T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL OUR SHIP COMES IN TO HAVE THE TRUE HOPE OF GOD. OUR HOPE IS SQUARELY BASED ON THE PROMISES OF OUR LOVING GOD AND THAT GIVES MEANING TO LIFE RIGHT NOW. THE TRUE HOPE THAT GOD GIVES TO US MAKES OUR FUTURE SECURE. PREDICTING THE FUTURE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A TRICKY THING TO DO…ASK 5 DIFFERENT ECONOMISTS ABOUT THE FUTURE AND YOU ARE LIKELY TO GET 10 DIFFERENT ANSWERS! WHILE WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN OUR WORLD IN THE FUTURE, WE KNOW THAT THE FUTURE IS IN THE HANDS OF GOD WHO MADE THIS WORLD AND KEEPS IT GOING TODAY. ST PAUL WRITES, WE REJOICE IN THE HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD. THE HOPE GOD GIVES SUSTAINS US EVEN IN OUR SUFFERINGS. WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE PROBLEMS ARE NOT ONLY LIKELY, THEY ARE INEVITABLE. OUR LORD JESUS TEACHES US, IN THE WORLD YOU HAVE TRIBULATION, BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER, I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD. BELIEVERS IN JESUS SHOULD NOT FLIPPANTLY IGNORE PRESSURES OR PHYCHOLOICALLY TRY TO BLOCK THEM OUT WITH LOUD EXPRESSIONS OF PRAISE THE LORD. RATHER, ST PAUL WRITES THAT THERE IS A CERTAIN CHAIN OF EVENTS WHEN THESE PRESSURES COME OUR WAY THAT ENABLES US TO HAVE HOPE AND REJOICE. FIRST, SUFFERING PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE. GOD USES OUR DIFFICULTIES TO HELP US ABIDE MORE DEEPLY IN HIM. WE LEARN TO ENDURE OVER THE LONG HAUL OF LIFE, AND WE ARE STRONGER FOR KNOWING THAT HE IS OUR ONLY REAL AND LASTING HOPE. SECOND, ENDURACE PRODUCES CHARACTER. THE GREEK WORD REFERS TO SOMETHING THAT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF PASSING THROUGH A TRIAL. JUST AS FIRE PURIFIES AND SEPARATES GOLD ORE FROM WORTHLESS DROSS, SO OUR FIRELY ORDEAL IN LIFE REFINES US SO THAT WE HAVE A MORE LASTING AND TRUE HOPE IN GOD. NEXT, HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOUNT US. WHY? BECAUSE GOD HAS POURED OUT HIS LOVE INTO OUR HEARTS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM HE HAS GIVEN US. THE HOLY SPIRIT OPENS OUR EYES THROUGH WORD AND SACRAMENT TO SEE THAT GOD HAS A PURPOSE AND THAT WE CAN TRUST HIM. ON THE LAST DAY OUR HOPE WILL BE FULFILLED, AND WE CERTAINLY WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! THE HOPE THAT GOD GIVES TO US CAUSES US TO LIVE AS PEOPLE OF JOY. OUR TEXT GIVES US GOOD REASON TO REJOICE. OUR WORLD OF GLOOM AND DOOM AND HOPELESSNESS NEEDS THE WITNESS OF POSITIVE CHRISTIANS LIKE YOU AND ME. WE HAVE A UNIQUE CONFIDENCE ABOUT US BECAUSE OUR FAITH IS NOT IN ANYTHING OF THIS WORLD, BUT IN THE GOD WHO MADE US, THE GOD WHO REDEEMED US IN JESUS, AND THE GOD WHO KEEPS US CLOSE TO HIM IN FAITH THROUGH HIS SPIRIT! SOME OF YOU ARE GOING THROUGH EXTREMELY DIFFICULT SITUATIONS RIGHT NOW IN YOUR LIFE. DON’T LOSE HOPE! GOD HAS POURED OUT HIS LOVE FOR YOU, AND YOU ARE HIS. FOR OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD AND HE ALONE GIVES LASTING HOPE…AMEN! |
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