The God of Hope

Fantastic. Let us pray as we come to these wonderful verses.

Our Father God, we pray now that you would help us to understand this verse and the verses around it.

Please, Father, would you show yourself to be that God of hope that we read about here?

Please, would we see it? Would we believe it?

And would we know it to be true, not only now, but through this year too?

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Brilliant. Well, as we start this new academic year, I'd like you to imagine a church with me.

Imagine a church.

This church is a church.

A church who love God, who truly love the gospel, love his word.

They love each other.

They love the community in which they're situated.

And these people, they're happy people.

They clearly love and enjoy life.

And when you're with them and as you look around, they are singing joyfully and passionately.

When you talk to them after the service, you can see this deep root.

You can see this rooted happiness.

That's not to say that their lives are all easy.

No, actually, in these conversations, you know life to be hard for lots of them.

Going through real pains and hardships and troubles.

And yet, through those hardships, again, that happiness isn't shaken.

They're joyful.

And this church, this is a diverse church from all kinds of different backgrounds.

All different cultures.

All different classes.

All different characters in there.

Very diverse and yet united.

People from these different backgrounds, they all mingle and meet together.

And so clearly love one another.

No one is excluded.

And as much as they love each other, they really love people around them.

So there are no cliques.

There are no barriers.

Actually, anyone who comes in is welcomed warmly.

Because they welcome.

They want others to know what they know themselves.

Imagine this church with me.

And in one sense, I find that fairly easy to imagine.

Because I see elements of all those things right here.

It is a true joy to stand up Sunday morning by morning and look out among us.

And to observe us interacting together.

And seeing you and knowing you.

And hearing you.

And seeing you through the week.

I see elements of all those things.

And yet, we all admit, don't we?

We're all fallen people.

We all fail.

We're deficient in all of those things I've just mentioned.

So how is it we, Lionstown Church, can be more and more like that church of our imagination?

How in 12 months time,

can we be more like those things?

Well, you won't be surprised to know that I think the clue lies within our verse for the year.

We forgot to hand these out on your way in.

So you're going to have to pick them up on your way out.

But we have another fridge magnet for you.

It's verse 13.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.

So that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope.

Sorry, I should say, they're going to be out that door.

On the table out that door.

Go grab one at the end.

Okay, for us, Lionstown Church, so in 12 months time, we're more and more like this church of our imagination.

How's that going to happen?

Well, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.

So that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope.

That is how it is going to happen.

It's going to happen as a church is full of joy and peace.

And they abound in hope.

And I hope that you want that for us this year.

Paul wanted that for the Roman church, the church in Rome, the church who he wrote this letter to.

Paul is praying.

It's for them.

Having written this letter where at great length, at great depth, Paul has explained the gospel to them.

He's explained how it is that an unrighteous people, people who have turned their back on God, can be innocent in God's sight.

How is that possible?

And yet God to be just in doing so.

And he explained it's because of Jesus.

And a swap where Jesus took on the unrighteousness of his people.

And gave his perfect righteousness to them.

He's unpacked that at great length and great depth.

And he did that through chapters 1 to 11.

And then chapters 12 to 15.

Paul has been showing the implications of that.

The implications of the great gospel.

And predominantly it is about how Christians relate to one another.

And if we could sum it up in just a few words.

Perhaps I would pick those in chapter 15.

Look down at verse 5.

With me.

This kind of perhaps sums up Paul's message to the Romans.

And particularly the impact of the gospel.

And you can spot the similarities here.

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another.

In accord with Christ Jesus.

That together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore welcome one another.

As Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God.

Paul is writing to a church that has two distinct groups.

Those from Jewish backgrounds.

And those from a non-Jewish background.

Gentile backgrounds.

And Paul is saying that in Christ.

Whether you're a Jew or whether you're a Gentile.

Live at harmony with each other.

And the way that that can happen is as you welcome one another.

As you've been welcomed by Jesus.

And it's welcome.

It's not tolerate.

It's not just put up with.

Put up with one another.

We might find that easier to say.

Put up with one another.

No, it's welcome one another.

As you have been welcomed by Jesus.

That welcome of Jesus that he's unpacked in those first half of the book.

Will so welcome one another.

And Paul is writing this letter.

Here's his big conclusion.

And then at the very end of the main body of the letter.

He prays this prayer.

You might notice it's a different kind.

We're used to, you know, our prayers are addressed to God.

God, would you please do this?

This one's a slightly different.

Some people might call it a benediction or a blessing.

It's directed to the people.

But of course it's wanting God to do it.

So it's may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing.

So that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

But it is a prayer nonetheless.

And as Inhar has flagged up for us.

It is all about this hope.

Now hope in the Bible is a huge theme.

But it is used in different ways.

And it is helpful for us to think about in what way is it being used here.

Let me give you a silly illustration.

And I hope we won't lose it and get lost in that.

Okay, imagine God appeared to me and said,

Rich, your dreams have come true.

Tottenham are going to win the Premier League this year.

It's sure, it is certain, it is going.

To happen.

Okay, as God has told me that, it's going to happen.

Okay, so in one sense, that would be my hope going into this Premier League season.

Tottenham are going to win the league.

And God said it is certain, it is true.

That is my hope.

And yet when Tottenham lose their first five games.

And their best three players are injured.

My hope is going to waver.

That's my hope up there.

God said it's true.

But really?

My hope is going to go up and down.

And so in the Bible, there are these two senses of hope.

There is that objective reality.

We saw that in our children's item.

That the blessed hope it was described.

Of Jesus' return.

It is sure, it is certain, it is an objective reality.

But there is also our subjective experience of that.

And that can go up and down.

And that is the sense that is being used in our verse.

Because he is saying, look, would you abound in.

Hope.

You want more hope.

But that objective reality, that subjective experience.

Hope is always this future directed.

And as we think about hope.

I just want to ask three very basic questions of our verse.

To help us go through it today.

Who is God?

What does he do?

And why does he do it?

That's what we are going to look at today.

So who is God?

Who does Paul pray to?

He is the God.

He is the God of hope.

We have spent much of our summer, haven't we?

Thinking about those different characteristics of God.

Well, here is another one for us.

Another title for God.

He is the God of hope.

Through this book we have seen.

Well, sorry.

Through the New Testament we find he is the God of all comfort.

He is the God of all grace.

He is the God of love.

In verse 5 we saw him described as the God of endurance and encouragement.

In chapter 16 we find.

He is the God of peace.

Here he is the God of hope.

He is the source of all hope.

Before I say any more.

Just stop and hear this.

God is the God of hope.

Because you may really need to hear that this morning.

You might be in a desperate situation.

You may feel hopeless.

Help less.

There may be some situation or circumstance that you can't see a way through.

And this morning we need to hear.

He is the God of hope.

So let's look at very briefly three bits of Romans.

Where Paul talks about hope.

And see why it is he can say God is the God of hope.

Three quick stopping points.

We are not going to go too far.

Come back to chapter 5 first of all.

Just 1, 1, 3, 5.

Just back a few pages.

Chapter 5 and verse 2.

Through him, through Jesus that is.

Through Jesus we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.

And we rejoice in hope.

Of the glory of God.

Okay.

This is the typical Paul Roman sentence.

A lot going on in there.

But through Jesus and by his death on the cross.

By trusting in him Christians enter into grace.

That is how God now relates to them.

And those Christians having obtained this grace have this great hope.

Hope in the glory of God.

That is all Christians have this hope that one day they are going to see.

God's glory.

They are going to see him in all his majesty and greatness.

That is the promise that God gives to his people.

That is a Christian's hope.

Seeing God's glory in the future.

But it is not only a seeing of the glory.

It is an experiencing of that glory.

Come on just one page.

Yeah one page to chapter 8.

A chapter we looked at in great length.

Was it a year and a half ago?

Maybe more.

So in chapter 8 Paul is talking about suffering.

The brokenness of the world in which we live.

But verse 18.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time.

Not worth comparing with the glory.

That is to be revealed to us.

And what is going to be revealed?

Just come to verse 20.

Just over the page.

Verse 20.

Verse 21.

Verse 22.

As a world in which we live.

Was subjected to futility.

Not willingly.

But because of him who subjected it.

In hope.

That the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption.

And obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Again so much going on in there.

But the creation.

The world in which we live was subjected to futility.

And the flood.

Paul, the corruption, the brokenness that we see all around us,

ultimately was God's doing as a judgment on Adam and Eve's sin.

But did you spot that key word right at the end,

or words at the end of verse 20?

He did that in hope.

In hope that in the future,

there was going to be this glory,

this glory of the new creation

and the glory of the freedom of the children of God.

So God is the God of hope

in that he's explained how Christians have this great future hope

of seeing God's glory,

of experiencing God's glory in this,

seeing God, experiencing it,

and living in this perfect new creation.

But then finally, this hope is available to all of us.

And so here, come back to chapter 15.

And so the verses that immediately precede the verse that we're looking at.

This hope that we've just seen is available to all.

So in verse 8, he's explained that Jesus came for the Jews.

But in verse 9, we see that it's widened out to the Gentiles.

And then, you know, for most of us,

maybe there may be some Jewish people, Jewish heritage here,

but for most of us, it's available to all of us.

But for the most of us, we're not Jews.

But actually, those blessings of Jesus are available to us too.

And that has always been God's plan.

And he quotes some Old Testament verses.

But just look at verse 12, where we land.

And again, Isaiah says,

the root of Jesse, that's Jesus,

will come even he who arises to rule the Gentiles.

In him, the Gentiles will hope.

God is the God of hope.

Of this wonderful future,

of seeing God in all of his greatness,

of experiencing God in all of his greatness,

and that hope is available to all.

It's available to you and to me.

Whatever background, whatever culture, whatever nationality,

whatever race you may be,

it is available for all.

God is the God of hope.

And again, in a world of brokenness,

and so much mourning and pain,

sickness, wickedness,

and all those things,

as we see those things,

as we're experiencing those things,

and all that,

God is the God of hope.

He has given us this wonderful,

sure, and certain hope.

So that's who God is.

And what does he do?

Well, that's the main thrust of the verse, isn't it?

And we see it in two stages.

Firstly, he fills with all joy and peace.

The God of hope fills with all joy and peace.

Joy and peace, those two things,

they come together frequently through the New Testament.

Joy, that deep-rooted happiness

that transcends circumstances,

so that even in the hardest of times,

yet there is that happiness, joy, delight,

in God, and all he has done,

and all he is doing for his people.

So that joy when a person can be

in the hardest of circumstances,

and yet still treasures Jesus.

Joy.

Peace.

Peace can mean different things

through the New Testament,

that mainly when it's used,

it is used to describe the relationship

between people and God.

How through Jesus and his death on the cross,

Christians can have peace,

peace with God.

Sometimes it is talked about as peace between people.

And sometimes it is talking about that

kind of peace of mind,

of our experience.

The context here would perhaps suggest

that maybe it is talking about peace between Christians.

I think that probably Paul is talking about peace

in terms of more that peace of mind,

being coupled with joy here,

if we find these,

if we find these two things together,

I think that's probably what Paul is talking about.

And Paul's prayer is that God fills,

not drizzles,

or sprinkles,

or tops up a little bit,

that he fills them

with all joy and peace.

He fills them with all joy and peace.

Like a glass,

as you're pouring with the jug,

you keep,

going and keep going,

and keep going right to the very brim,

filled with joy,

all joy and peace.

And this is God's doing.

This is what Paul wants God to do for the Roman church.

It's God's doing,

but there is also a hint at how God is going to do it.

Did you spot there?

It is fill you with all joy and peace

in believing,

in believing.

So this is God's doing,

but how does it happen?

It happens as Christians believe,

or have faith,

or trust.

This is how this joy and peace filling is going to happen.

But what belief?

Belief in what?

Faith in what?

Trusting in what?

Well, in God and his promises.

It is as we have trust,

we have faith,

we have trust,

as we have faith,

as we believe God and his promises,

that joy and peace,

we will be filled with joy and peace.

I mean, just have a look back to chapter 15, verse 4.

And it's a remarkable sentence, really.

But Paul writes,

for whatever was written in former days,

that is the whole of the Old Testament.

Whatever was written in former days,

the whole of the Old Testament,

was written for our instruction,

Christian's instruction,

that through endurance

and through the encouragement of the Scriptures,

we might have hope.

That we might have hope.

So the Scriptures,

so seeing God's work in the past,

that gives us hope for the future.

So this is something that God does,

but he does it through means.

Therefore we, as it were,

have to do something.

How can we have more joy and peace?

Believing.

In the face of real difficulties and pains and hardships,

how can we yet have joy and peace?

Believing.

What do we do when we don't feel joyful,

when we don't feel happy,

when we don't feel at peace,

what do we do?

Believing.

How do we do that?

Well, let's get ourselves into the words.

Get ourselves into God's words and believe it.

It's what we do together.

It's why this is at the centre part of our service week by week.

Connect, particularly as we start up again.

If you've never been part of a Connect group,

I would love it if you gave it a go this year.

Why?

Well, in part,

because as we look at God's word,

and as we look at God's word and we believe it,

we may have joy and peace.

Be yourself personally through your Bible readings.

Why not try for the next week, month,

whatever it is even going on beyond that.

Every time you get to a promise of God,

every time you read a promise of God,

underline it in your Bible, highlight it.

Or maybe write it out on a card.

Any promise that you have, write them out.

And then think about it.

Meditate on it.

Grab it.

Make hold of it yourself.

Maybe as a family,

you want to learn one promise of God a month.

Twelve promises of God through this year.

Wouldn't that be great for you as a family to know,

to learn off by heart, to treasure together?

See, as we grab hold of these things,

as we do that,

the God of hope will fill us with all joy and peace

in believing.

And you can see why that is true, can't you?

When we know God's word, we know his promises,

and when we truly believe them,

we can see how that was going to result in joy.

Can't we?

That even if hard things are going on,

yet we treasure things of the gospel,

that is going to bring that joy

that transcends even our faith.

And that's what we're going to find in our hardships.

And as we are knowing God's promises

and we are treasuring them,

we are trusting them,

we are living by them,

can we see how that brings us peace

to face those difficult and troubling circumstances?

Knowing that God is truly for his people,

that he loves us,

that he cares for us,

and that he is sovereign over all situations.

We can see how knowing, trusting, believing

brings joy to our lives.

Joy and peace.

But that's not the end, the ultimate goal.

Here's the second half.

So yes, Paul is praying that God of hope

will fill with all joy and peace in believing.

Why?

So that by the power of the Holy Spirit,

you may abound in hope.

Abounding in hope.

That's where Paul's ultimate goal is for this Roman church.

But again, we are reminded,

we are reminded that this is God's doing.

It is by the power of the Holy Spirit.

That Christians have hope at all

is the Holy Spirit's work.

That you or I are trusting and have hope in God

rather than hope in money,

or hope in success,

or hope in family,

or hope in achievements,

or whatever is the hope for so many.

The fact that if we are Christians,

we have hope in God is the Holy Spirit's work

in bringing this new life.

The fact that a church is hoping in God

over a building,

or over the skills of a staff team,

or over their own hard work,

that's the Holy Spirit's doing.

That we could be filled with joy and peace,

that we could abound in hope,

that is the Holy Spirit's doing.

Only by his power are these things possible.

As I said earlier,

hope is something that can go up,

and down.

Yes, we have this certain and sure hope

that we are looking forward to,

and that is true for every single Christian,

and yet Paul knows,

and he wants that their hope would abound.

The word abound,

it's like the word for overflow.

So that cup that I was talking about

that is being filled with all joy and peace,

well it overflows the glass,

such that it keeps going,

that it overflows.

The hope is abounding.

It is overflowing.

And this is what Paul's wish is for this Roman church,

that they would abound in hope.

The big question I've been grappling with is,

what's the connection here?

The connection between joy and peace,

and then hope.

I think it's this,

is that when Christians face difficulties,

and yet their joy cannot be shaken,

because they are trusting in God's promise,

and when they face those troubles and difficulties with peace,

that secures and strengthens hope.

So that we get to the other side of these things,

and we go,

we got through that.

We got through that.

All that I'm believing in really is real.

The joy and the peace

strengthens and grows

and helps that hope

to flourish.

When that happens,

hope abounds.

And so you and I,

this year we may face all kinds of things individually.

Together as a church,

we will face many things together.

God is the God of hope.

Now that doesn't mean those troubles

or things that you can think of,

doesn't mean they're just going to disappear.

Doesn't mean that your job is just going to get instantly easier,

or the troubles,

or the child is going to disappear,

or the relationship you're struggling with

is going to magically be perfect

just in a day's time.

No, the hope is bigger than that.

It's that despite any of these troubles and difficulties,

we have something even greater to look forward to.

Seeing God's glory and experiencing it.

And so this year,

with this verse together,

together,

Let's pray this for one another.

If you want to know what I'm going to be praying for you,

unless I know something specific,

because of a conversation,

if you want to know what I'm going to be praying for you,

I'm going to be praying this.

I'm going to be praying that the God of hope

would fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

so that by the power of the Holy Spirit,

you may abound in hope.

That's going to be my prayer for you this year.

Let's join together in praying that for one another.

Praying that,

in your own personal prayer times.

Praying that after the service in a conversation.

Seeing somebody struggling,

let's pray.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

so that by the power of the Holy Spirit,

you may abound in hope.

Pray that for one another.

Let's remind one another of that objective hope,

because it is as we see that objective hope and we believe in it,

that is what's going to fill us with joy and peace.

Let's help each other to do that too.

And again, my prayer is that in 12 months' time,

Lionstown Church is more and more like that church of our imaginations.

It's more and more like that.

And how's that going to happen?

Well, it's going to happen because God has filled us with all joy

and all peace as we believe.

And that we then, by the power of his Holy Spirit,

may abound in hope.

Let's pray.

I'm going to pray.

You know what I'm going to pray.

But let's pray it together.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

so that by the power of the Holy Spirit,

you may abound in hope.

Amen.

We're going to finish by singing our final song that, once again,

we're going to sing our final song.