September 10th, 2000, Sunday Evening

"Hope--Anchor of the Soul"
Everything drifts without an anchor to secure it
(Special Guest Speaker: Brother Jim Harwell)

OPENING: Hebrews 6:13-20, KJV


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Hebrews 6:19: The most wonderful gift bestowed in the Christian's life is stability, assurance, and steadfastness.

HOPE is rarely preached about today. Without it, life is in total darkness with nothing to look forward to. All your work in vain! But hope is the light at the end of that tunnel that gives us the drive to carry on and an end goal to look forward to.

Ephesians 2:12: A humble reminder that even the saved Christian was once without Christ.

WHAT IS INVOLVED IN HOPE?

• Examples of expectation and desire--but without assurance:
  
  
  • "I hope the weather is nice."
  • "The doctors say there is hope I live."
  • "I hope to go to heaven."
  
  
• Hope adds that level of assurance and confidence to the desire.
  
  
• God sees us sailing the seas of life--drifting. But God is the anchor that keeps us from drifting out of place. It is God's will for our life.
  
  
  • It's so easy to just drift away: go to church, enjoy the service (but not really retain any concepts from it), return home, and fall back into worldly activities like T.V. and games--slowly drifting out of God's will. The little compromises here and there cause the drift--it is not sudden or plainly noticeable.
  
  
• Hebrews 6:19: "sure and steadfast" indicates the grip of the anchor solid, rocky ground (the holiness/truthfulness of God--it won't slip) to hold the ship steady.
  
  
  • Every person ought to have this kind of hope. Let's take advantage of it and make it known to others.

WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THIS ANCHOR?

• God is the source of all real hope--through Jesus Christ
  
  
  • Romans 15:13
  • 1 Timothy 1:1
  • Colossians 1:26-27
    
    
  • Matthew 27:50-51: When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was spilt in two (bible uses the word "twain") from top to bottom. This is symbolic in that we may talk (pray) directly to God now as opposed to Old Testament time where no one but the high priest (whom you gave your prayers to) was allowed to pray directly to God--and that was once per year!
    
    
  • Hebrews 7:25: To reach God, you have to speak (pray) to Jesus. Jesus is constantly praying and quenching God's anger against your sin by reminding God that your sin is already paid for.
    
    
    • When you sin, the devil points at you and reminds God that He said the wages of sin is death. Then Jesus stands up (at the right hand of God) and says, "Hey! My death paid for that sin!"
    
    
  • Hebrews 7:25-28: Now that Jesus died for our sins, he is the acting "high priest" of the Old Testament that we come before with our prayers.
    
    
    • Christ being within the veil (of the temple) = our security
    • Christ being within us = our salvation
  
  
• It comes to us by the word of God
  
  
  • Romans 15:4: The bible was written so we may learn it. The patience and comfort of the scriptures within the bible give us hope.
    
    
    • We can bank on this because all the promises of God (in which God cannot lie) are "yea" (truly--it is true) and "amen" (means it is going to be fulfilled). Thus, we can be sure what's said will happen.
    
    
  • When God couldn't give us any more assurance, he simply gave us His word.
    
    
    • Proof of God's promises as always true:
      
      
      • 1 Kings 8:56
      • 1 Kings 8:15
      
      
    • Examples of God's promise in action:
      
      
      • 1 Kings 8:16: God's promise to bring his people out of Egypt.
        
        
      • Genesis 21:5: Abraham wished for a son and God promised him one--but did not receive one (Isaac) until he was 100 years old! This proves patience is required. For God's promises will not instantly be fulfilled when you want them.
      
      
    • Proverbs 13:12: When someone makes a promise to you and they don't follow though, it makes you feel demotivated and very unhappy. Our hope from God is an anchor for our soul. You can be sure God's promises will never result in disappointment.

WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF THIS HOPE?

• Think of the metal chain--the cable--that is attached from the ship to the anchor. This cable commences upon your salvation--being saved. And it concludes with glorification (rapture into heaven). At no time will this hope not apply to our hearts--no matter life's confrontations that await.
  
  
• With all of life's adversities, the anchor of the soul remains. The best is yet to come.
  
  
  • Our attitude should be that of a pastor awaiting surgery in a hospital: Things can only look better because if he survives the surgery, good ... another day to expose the word of God. If he doesn't survive, then he's on his way to heaven to meet Jesus.
  
  
• We should have optimistic minds--never pessimistic. See things through the eye of a telescope and not a microscope.
  
  
  • TELESCOPE example: Moses enduring all of Egypt's trials and patience-testing while trusting and following the invisible God.
    
    
  • MICROSCOPE example: Closely examining and dwelling on your woes and misfortunes-- all the bad times.
  
  
• Romans 8:28: ALL things--not just the good but bad, also--will result in good to you (and glory to Him) in the end if you love God.

Romans 13:12: Throw out your anchors--they will stabilize you in your trials of life. The darker the night, the brighter the stars (promises of God).

Philippians 4:11-13: Live in a state of contentment and satisfaction like Paul did. Know that wants, desires, needs, and suffering are part of this contentment. If we discipline ourselves to life in this manner, we will rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory to God.

WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILTY TO:

• 1 Peter 3:15: God has charged us all with letting the hopeless know that hope is available. Prepare, now, an answer of why you have hope so when you're asked, you'll instantly and confidently have an answer--that it might give that person hope just hearing your voice.
  
  
• Titus 2:12-13: That we should also be constantly vigilant in looking for the second coming of Jesus Christ.
  
  
  • Whether you have the patience or not, Jesus is coming back. Jesus might come tonight ... but we don't know. Jesus doesn't even know. It's determined solely by God.

CLOSER

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Romans 12:12: Rejoice in this hope. No matter how severe the storm is, hold steadfast.

Do you have an anchor? And is it holding to the rock?