Sermon 2 - Looking for Hope in All the Wrong Places

SERMON

LOOKING FOR HOPE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES 2010

CALLED 2 LOVE

FOCAL SCRIPTURES:

RESOURCES NEEDED:

• Acts 27:10-24 • Hebrews 11:1 • Colossians 3:16 • Matthew 18:4 • Psalm 23

NOTES:

KEY TRUTH

We may never find answers to rational questions like: “Why did God allow this?” and “Why did this happen to me?” But perhaps there’s a more important relational question: In the midst of life’s storms, does God even notice? And most importantly: Does He really care?

Looking For Hope in all the Wrong Places Other possible titles: Hope on Empty, The Audacity of Misplaced Hope or Runnin’ Low on Hope

FOCAL SCRIPTURES:

• Acts 27:12-24 • Hebrews 11:1 • Colossians 3:16 • Matthew 18:4

KEY WORDS FOR FURTHER STUDY: Are you struggling to

hold on to hope?

Hope can be lost because some of our storms (like family disintegration and financial disasters, violence and crime, addictions and abuse) have human contributors. Other storms (like cancer, natural disasters, birth-defects and infertility) come without warning. These storms prompt us to ask: “Why God?” “Why now?” and “Why me?” All hope can seem lost.

Hope Lost We often find ourselves in life’s storms – struggling to hold on to hope. We, like Paul and his first century companions, often struggle to make sense of life’s storms and find ourselves – losing hope! So where do we find hope in the midst of storms like these? Where do we find hope when it seems like all hope is lost? Some of us may remember what the Bible says about hope. The writer of Hebrews tells us that “faith is the sub-stance of things hoped for…” (Hebrews 11:1). That may sound tricky: Faith in the midst of life’s storms? When we’re in the midst of difficult challenges, faith may seem nearly impossible to come by.

There are plenty of storms in our world and few of them seem very small. There are: • storms of financial uncertainty, unemployment and recession • storms of violence, terrorism and global annihilation • storms of cancer and birth defects, suicide and school shootings • storms of moral collapse, family fragmentation and child abuse Even in our own family, we’ve experienced storms that weren’t so small. Storms like …

“And since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned” (Acts 27:20).

Introduction: “No small storm was assailing us”... Don’t you think this is a fitting description of our world? Doesn’t this sound like an appropriate description for today?

Sermon Notes

KEY TRUTH:

We may never find answers to rational questions like: “Why did God allow this?” and “Why did this happen to me?” But perhaps there’s a more important relational question: In the midst of life’s storms, does God even notice? And most importantly: Does He really care?

• Hope • Hope Lost • Hope Abandoned

What are some of your storms?

SERMON


CALLED 2 LOVE

Notes:

In the midst of life’s storms...

one boy’s hope shines through.

Insert link to “Collage of Storm” clips --- bar scene, Tyler in hospital, jail, arrest-handcuffs, mom in Grandmothers lap, brother angry “I hate him”, etc.

Insert link to “Collage of Hope” clips —-

Colossians 3:16 Preparation: “Let the word dwell richly in you”

Pastor, pause to reflect on a particular “storm” in your own life. When has hope waned in your life? Now remember and celebrate the evidence of God’s faithfulness. Consider sharing this as a testimony of hope when you preach this sermon. “I can recall a time when I thought all hope was lost …”

Letters To God

There is a special film coming to theaters across the country on April 9th. David Nixon’s newest film, Letters to God portrays the storms of cancer, heartbreak, addiction, family trauma and loneliness and how these storms take their toll on one special family. The storms impact this family in such a way that just like the sea travelers in out text, “All hope is abandoned!”

Hope is

contagious

Sermon Notes

Yet in the midst of these storms, the movie portrays an unlikely hero: 8-year-old Tyler Doherty. Tyler faces a battle with cancer, but inspires hope through his letters to God! Let’s watch some clips from Letters to God that show just a sampling of life’s storms and how one boy, one family, and eventually a whole community find hope that is contagious!

NOTES:

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SERMON


CALLED 2 LOVE

Notes:

Our response: Hope regained is going to require: • An attitude like King Jehoshaphat: “we are

powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on thee”

(II Chronicles 20:12). • “Serving the Lord with gladness” (Psalm 100:2) Let’s take time right now and serve the Lord with gladness. Let’s pause to give Him thanks and by faith, express our gratitude for how He notices and cares.

Encountering Christ: Just like the woman in Mark 5, who was struggling with the storms of her life—we can find hope in the truth that Jesus stops, He notices and He cares. The Gospel tells us that the woman barely touched Christ’s robe, but He stopped. And the text implies that He kept asking,, “Who touched me?” The All-Knowing Jesus certainly knew the identity of the woman. Could it be that Jesus called her out because He wanted the chance to publicly affirm her faith, demonstrate His care and restore her hope? Now imagine that Jesus is walking through your life. He turns around because He notices you and the storms of your life. Jesus stops and his loving gaze is for you! He notices, He cares. Pause to receive Christ’s love and thank Him for

Hope Regained!

Look up – But the most important step in regaining a hope-filled perspective is to: Look up! Hope can be regained when we are reassured that: God notices the storms in our lives and He cares! • He notices – “for this very night an angel

of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me…” (Acts 27:23)

• Hope can be restored when we under-

stand that God may seem slow, but He is never late! He notices and sees our pain.

• He cares – “Do not be afraid. Paul, you

must stand before Caesar; and behold, God granted you all those who are sailing with you” (Acts 27: 24)

• We may never know, “Why?” but in the

midst of tragedy and trauma, pain and loss, we have a God who is so personal that He cares and acts on our behalf.

Sermon Notes

Look around – A first principle for regaining hope is to: Embrace priorities that last! “And yet now I urge you take up your courage for there shall be no loss of life among you; but only the ship” (Acts 27:22). Paul gives us this principle: Make a priority of people, not ships! When life’s storms try to steal our hope – invest in priorities that last. Priorities such as: • God “I am the Alpha and the Omega,

says the Lord God who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty”

(Revelation 1:8). • His Word “The grass withers, the

flower fades, but the word of God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

• People “And God created man in His

own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created Him” (Genesis 1:27).

NOTES:

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Make the most of your times with God,

His Word and His people!

SERMON


CALLED 2 LOVE

Notes:

One of the most reassuring and hope-filled Scripture passages is the 23rd Psalm. Let’s read the passage again and see if God’s Word can lead us into an experience of hope.

Hope Experienced:

Psalm 23 (New International Version)

Sermon Notes

NOTES:

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD

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We are a

community of hope!

SERMON


CALLED 2 LOVE

Notes: Hope Experienced (cont.):

Sermon Notes

NOTES:

As you re-read the passage and recall it to your mind, observe how much God notices our walk through the valleys and how much He cares. Let’s pause to meditate quietly on the truth of the text. Psalm 46:10 reminds us to be still and know that He is God. Let’s try that: Imagine yourself walking through your own difficult valley… • It might be a valley of disappoint-

ment and loss. • You might be going through a valley involving loved ones or friends. • It might be a valley of rejection and

brokenness. • You might be experiencing a valley of financial challenge or navigating through the storm of job loss. • You might be going through a valley

of depression or anxiety. • Or it may be a valley like Tyler’s…

CANCER or another series illness has touched your life or that of a loved one.

Be still and receive .

I would like for you to imagine walking through your difficult valley—it’s not an easy path. Steep-sided cliffs and dangerous terrain surround you. You can’t see any hope of making it through this valley; there seems to be no end and no rescue in sight. You’re tempted (just like Paul’s companions) to panic, to frantically strive, to run from one man-made solution to the next. Imagine yourself frantically running, trying to get out of this valley, losing hope with every turn. But if you listen closely, you can hear the Good Shepherd whisper: Let my rod and staff guide you. Slow down, stop running. Pause at the quiet waters. Lie down in the green pastures, sit at the table I prepared for you. Recall Psalm 23:6 again: “surely goodness and love shall follow me;” Imagine again your frantic search to get out of the valley – all the while God is saying, Lie down, sit, enjoy the quiet. He wants you to stop, pause, be still – but why? Experience The Word: (Psalm 23:6) Imagine that you finally stop running through the valley. You stop the frantic searching; you’re just still. Now look over your shoulder and what do you see? Look closely – His goodness and love are following you! If you’re still, His goodness and love can catch up with you. You see, it’s our frantic running that hinders His goodness and love from finding us. Pause, be still – His goodness and love are embracing you – and his name is Jesus. Be still, receive and give thanks that He cares.

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SERMON


CALLED 2 LOVE

Notes: Top 10 Signs—Your Hope is Misplaced

Sermon Notes

NOTES:

1. Hope is misplaced when I trade Godly wisdom for the counsel of this world. “Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be attended with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also of our lives, but the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain” (Acts 27:10-11). 2. Hope is misplaced when I follow the crowd rather than the Spirit’s leading. “the majority reaches a decision to put out to sea…” (Acts 27:12). 3. Hope is misplaced when I ignore warning signs of self-centered agendas. “and when a moderate south wind came up, supposing they had gained their purpose they weighed anchor and began sailing along Crete, close inshore” (Acts 27:12). 4. Hope is misplaced when I give in to prevailing “winds”… “go along to get along.” “but before very long there rushed down from the land a violent wind, called Euraquile and then the ship was caught in it – we gave way to it“ (Acts 27:14). 5. Hope is misplaced when I am driven along rather than led by the Spirit. “we gave way to it and let ourselves be driven along” (Acts 27:15).

6. Hope is misplaced when I am scarcely able to maintain control of my life surroundings. “we were scarcely able to get the ships boat under control” (Acts 27:16). 7. Hope is misplaced when fear drives my decision making. “fearing that they might run aground – they let down the sea anchor and so let themselves be driven along” (Acts 27:17). 8. Hope is misplaced when I jettison valuable cargo, like important priorities, personal values and relationships. “the next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to jettison the cargo” (Acts 27:18). 9. Hope is misplaced when I throw out life essentials, like family and friends, health and life-balance. “and on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their hands” (Acts 27:19). 10. Hope is misplaced when I lose my bearings, uncertain of how to navigate life. “neither sun nor stars appeared for many days” (Acts 27:20).

Are you looking for hope in all the

wrong places?

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Which of these 10 might be true in your life? Pause to pray young Samuel’s prayer: “Speak Lord your servant in listening” I Sam 3:8-9.

SERMON


CALLED 2 LOVE

Notes: Top 10 Signs—Your Hope is Misplaced (cont.) 1. Hope is misplaced when I trade Godly wisdom for the counsel of the world.

NOTES:

Page 7 Additional Studies

“’Men, I perceive (theōréō Present, 1st Person, Singular) that the voyage will certainly be attended with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.’ But the centurion was more persuaded (peíthō Imperfect, Passive, 3rd Person, Singular) by the pilot and the captain of the ship, than by what was being said by Paul” (Acts 27:10-11).

theōréō has primary reference to spectators at a religious festival, and thus means “to look at,” “to view,” with such additional senses as “to review (troops),” “to discover,” “to recognize,” and figuratively “to consider,” “to contemplate,” “to investigate.”Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume. theōréō. This verb occurs 58 times (24 in John and 14 in Acts). In John the present theōréō seems to be used instead of horáō. It has the original sense “to watch” in Matt. 27:55. The chief sense in Acts is “to perceive” (4:13; 17:16, etc.). In Jn. 6:19; 20:6, 12, 14 sense perception is at issue, but “to perceive or recognize” is the point in 4:19; 12:9, and “to know or experience” in 8:51, and possibly in 17:24 in an eschatological sense. Theo logical Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume.

The usual Greek senses of peíthō are “to convince,” “to persuade,” “to seduce,” “to corrupt.” The present expresses intention, the aorist success. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume

In the NT “to convince” is the most natural sense in Acts 18:4; 28:23, and “to persuade” in Matt. 27:20; Acts 14:19 (with a hint of “seduce”). In Acts 12:20; Matt. 14 “to bribe” is probably meant, though “to pacify” is possible in Matt. 28:14. The meaning is uncertain in 2 Cor. 5:11, where “to win” is possible but “to persuade” is more likely in context. In Gal. 1:10 the sense depends on whether the two questions are parallel. If they are, God is the answer, for it is God’s favor that Paul seeks. If they are not, he is asking whom he seeks to persuade with his preaching, and the answer is “men.” In this case, the parallel is a material one; Paul pleases God by his efforts to persuade men. In 1 Jn. 3:19 the text is uncertain, and one must ask whether “by this” has a forward or backward reference. The thought is undoubtedly that of reassurance, and the reason is probably given in vv. 20-21, namely, that we have confidence in God whether our hearts condemn us or not. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume.

SERMON


CALLED 2 LOVE

Notes: Top 10 Signs—Your Hope is Misplaced (cont.) 2. Hope is misplaced when I follow the crowd rather than the Spirit’s leading.

“the majority (polys ) reached (títhēmi ) a decision (boulḗ ) to put out to sea from there…” (Acts 27:12). polys “much, many, great” títhēmi “to place, lay” boulḗ “counsel”

NOTES:


3. Hope is misplaced when I ignore warning signs of self-centered agendas

“And when a moderate south wind came up, supposing that they had gained (kratéō Infinitive, Perfect, Active) their purpose, they weighed anchor and began sailing along Crete, close inshore” (Acts 27:13).

kratéō This verb, meaning “to be strong,” has such nuances as “to conquer,” “to seize,” “to arrest,” “to have the use of,” and “to distrain.” It occurs some 170 times in the LXX in such senses as “to be strong,” “to have power,” “to rule,” “to take control,” and “to hold.” The meanings in Philo are “to rule,” “to conquer,” and “to be lord over.” In the NT the main sense is “to seize.” The term is used for the arrest of the Baptist (Mark 6:17), the attempt of Jesus’ family to seize him (Mark 3:21), the attempts of his enemies to arrest him (Mark 12:12), and the arrest of Paul (Acts 24:6). A common NT phrase is “to take by the hand” (Mark 1:31 etc.; cf. Gen. 19:16; Isa. 42:6). In Luke 24:16 the eyes of the two disciples were “held” so that they did not recognize Jesus. Death could not “hold” Jesus (Acts 2:24), but the sailors thought that they had “obtained” their purpose with a south wind (Acts 27:13). In Revelation we find such nuances as “holding on” to a possession in 2:25, and “holding” a teaching in 2:14. “Holding fast” is the point in Mark 7:3-4; 2 Th. 2:15; Heb. 4:14, “grasping” in Heb. 6:18. In Jn. 20:23, as the opposite of aphíēmi, kratéō means “to retain.” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume.

4. Hope is misplaced when I give in to prevailing “winds”... “go along to get along”.

“But before very long there rushed down from the land a violent wind, called Euraquilo; and when the ship was caught in it, and could not face the wind, we gave way (epididomi Aorist, Active, Nominative, Masculine, 1st, Plural) to it” (Acts 27:15). epididomi “to give over” (by hand or surrender), i.e. to give up to the power or will of one.

SERMON


CALLED 2 LOVE

Notes:

NOTES:


Top 10 Signs—Your Hope is Misplaced (cont.) 5. Hope is misplaced when I am driven along rather than led by the Spirit.

Driven Along “and let ourselves be driven along (phérō Imperfect, Passive, 1st Person, Plural)” (Acts 27:15).

phérō In the sense “to bring” the sick etc. are fetched to Jesus (Mark 1:32; 2:3, etc.) or to Peter (Acts 5:6). Peter will be “led off” to martyrdom (Jn. 21:18). Intransitively the middle denotes the onrushing wind in Acts 2:2, and in the passive the ship is driven by the storm in 27:15, 17. Heb. 6:1 invites believers to “press on,” and 2 Pet. 1:21 says that the prophets were “impelled” by the Spirit. The “bringing” of the gospel is the point in 2 Jn. 10, and in 2 Pet. 1:17-18 the voice “comes” to Jesus, while prophecy does not “come” by human will in 1:21. The term is a legal one in Jn. 18:29 and Acts 25:18 (cf. 2 Pet. 2:11). In Heb. 9:16 proof of the death of the testator must be “adduced” to bring the diathḗkē into effect. In 1 Pet. 1:13 grace is “offered” to believers at the parousia. The kings will “bring” their glory in Rev. 21:24 and offer it to God and the Lamb. Believers “bring” their possessions to the apostles to be used for the common good (Acts 4:34, 37; 5:2). Luke 23:26 refers to Simon’s “bearing” of the cross. “Bearing fruit” is at issue in Matt. 7:18; Mark 4:8; Jn. 15:2, 4. The fruit is that of discipleship or of the word. It is the fruit of Christ’s death in Jn. 12:24. The sense of “enduring” occurs in Heb. 12:20 and 13:13. God “bears” with the objects of his wrath in Rom. 9:22; this toleration does not restrict his judgment but enables him to show his glory in mercy. “To uphold” or “to rule” is the sense in Heb. 1:3, where the Son upholds by his word of power the universe that is created through him (v. 2). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume.

6. Hope is misplaced when I am scarcely able to maintain control of my life.

“we were scarcely (mólis) able (ischýō Aorist, Active, 1st Person, Plural) to get (ginomai Infinitive, Aorist) the ship's boat under control (perikrates)” (Acts 27:16). Both mólis and mógis mean “hardly,” “with difficulty” (the two forms are interchangeable). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume. The group ischy- has the sense of “ability,” “capacity,” “power,” or “strength.” It overlaps with the dyna- group, but with greater stress on the power implied. Thus ischýō is “to be strong, healthy, able,” katischýō “to be strong,” “to be superior,” “to strengthen,” ischyrós “strong, powerful,” and ischýs “strength,” “ability.” ischýs is common in earlier Greek and is liked in the LXX, but fades out in Hellenism and hardly occurs at all in the papyri or on inscriptions. The NT follows the common pattern, ischýō means “to be able” and occurs often in Luke but also in Matthew, Revelation, and Hebrews. In Matt. 5:13 it describes the salt that has lost its savor: it is good for nothing. In Acts 19:20 God’s word prevails mightily. In Gal. 5:6 circumcision and uncircumcision have no power in relation to the hoped-for righteousness, only faith working through love. Jms. 5:16 reminds us of the power of fervent prayer in times of distress. In Phil. 4:13 Paul points us to the source of all strength for the Christian life; he has in Christ a power that makes all things possible for him. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume. ginomai “to become, to come into existence, begin to be, receive being.” perikrates “having full power over a thing,” i.e. to secure or master it.

SERMON


CALLED 2 LOVE

Notes:

NOTES:


Top 10 Signs—Your Hope is Misplaced (cont.) 7. Hope is misplaced when fear drives my decision-making.

“fearing (phobéomai Participle, Present, Passive, Masculine, Plural) that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor, and so let themselves be driven along (phérō Imperfect, Passive, 3rd Person, Plural)” (Acts 27:17). phobéomai With an infinitive the verb means “to be afraid to ...” and, with mḗ, “to be afraid that....” The fear may be that of individuals or of the whole people. Mostly the concepts are traditional. The NT opposes all hampering anxiety but relates fear of God to faith as total trust. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume. phérō See above

8. Hope is misplaced when I jettison valuable cargo.

“The next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to jettison the cargo (poiéō Imperfect, Middle, 3rd Person, Plural ekbole Noun, Accusative, Feminine, Singular)” (Acts 27:18). poiéō “to create, make, do, act.” ekbole “ejection or a throwing out,” denotes “a jettison, a throwing out of cargo,” literally “they made a casting out.”

9. Hope is misplaced when I throw out essentials.

“and on the third day they threw (rhíptō Aorist, Active, 3rd Person, Plural) the ship's tackle (skeue ) overboard with their own hands” (Acts 27:19). rhíptō. In Matt. 15:30 the sick are cast at the feet of Jesus, in 27:5 Judas throws the money into the temple, in Lk.4:35 the demon throws the man down when exor-cised, in 17:2 those who harm little ones are threatened with destruction, in Acts 22:23 the throwing off of clothes expresses resolve, and in Matt. 9:36 the people are like sheep lying on the ground without a shepherd. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume.

10. Hope is misplaced when I’ve lost my bearings.

“neither sun nor stars appeared (epiphaínō )for many days” (Acts 27:20). In the NT epiphaínō in the intransitive means “to show oneself,” “to appear” (the stars in Acts 27:20). God intervenes to help in the metaphor of Luke 1:79. The grace of God has appeared to salvation in the Christ event (Tit. 2:11; cf. 3:4).Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume.

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Sermon 2 - Looking for Hope in All the Wrong Places