The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.. Psalm 43, Denomination: Similar to Jeremiah, where we were last week, the Book of Isaiah was written during a dark and dangerous time. Any Time Denominations . Guaranteed Hope in Despair When suffering leaves you battling despair and hopeless, convinced that you will never know anything but the pain that aches within you, fix your eyes on the truth that Christ is worthy to be trusted because he has shown his love for you on the cross. Mothers of Jesus Genesis 38:12-26 We begin a short series designed to make room in your heart to worship Jesus, entitled The Mothers of Jesus. There was a little boy who was born in England in 1903 the fifth of seven sons. Though they brought me some temporary help, it wasnt enough to give me the hope I longed for and needed most. Wilfs constant nightmare is what will happen to Rodney and he wakes regularly during the night worrying about the future. Sin has a terrible way of making us all dirty and giving us feelings of despair! Verses 3, 5, and 6 describe the author of this psalms emotional distress. What kind of hope are we talking about? Gospel: See Jesus praying this prayer in Garden and Cross, and the Hope of Resurrection. They were stripped away from the presence of God. Many faithful Christians experience these dark nights of the soul. The man was given a flute to play. It is a battle and it is not easy, we should not pretend it is easy. When he was younger he had the prayer support of many of his friends. The only form of escape he could see was a tree, but the nearest limb was 10 feet off the ground. Some of you are in the furnace of suffering right now. And not only does it shine on you it enables you to find your way. Perhaps you, or you know of others who lost one of these or have gone through a major loss in life. There are parents whose hearts have been so devastated by wayward children that they live in despair. Psalm 56:8-9 You keep track of all my sorrows. I recounted for him everything I had done to climb out of the pit. Instead of reacting in fear, we should start by trusting God. Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. If you have driven down an interstate highway, you realize that to get moving into the flow of traffic, you use the entrance ramp. The thoughts and feelings that consumed me were paralyzing. As he continued to write, he'd occasionally glance at that stack and remember how much he believed in what he had written. Its a common feeling. Your Bible study. God doesnt relate to us as a distant acquaintance. Then after the birth of each of my two children, the despair sucked me into a darkness I had never known before. I came here to find out what I should do to make my life better.. Please subscribe to my list so I can keep in touch. The second thought I want us to consider this morning is this: This light of hope will shine on the road you travel. They're left hurting and hopeless. To Jerusalem, and Calvary, and the cross. Introduction and Outline Trusting God when were scared and desperate can be one of the hardest things to do. George Barna, the public-opinion pollster, conducted a national survey in which he asked adult this question: If you could ask God one question, what would you ask? The top response was, Why is there pain and suffering?. Most of you know Leslie Hope as BobHope. Fifty-two hours after he became trapped, at 7 a.m. on Feb. 8, Habkouk was rescued by a . 244 views, 5 likes, 1 loves, 1 comments, 39 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from : #_ . Instead of reacting in fear, we should start by trusting God. But because he was sinless, the grave could not hold him. D. Then, we suffer for reasons that cannot be explained. He certainly gives us something to think about. http://www.dice.org.au/~viccid/letters1.htm, CCPA Do not sell my personal information. "Don't be deceived, my beloved brothers" (v. 16). . Order Curriculum, Literature, and Church Supplies, by Jeff Dixon on Wednesday, January 01, 2014 at 7:00 AM. Like David, we need to remember that God promises to protect us and to be there for us. But, he took some time off and went away on a trip. We do not hope in the glory of human life on planet earth; we hope in the glory of God. I have to call this entrance ramp, non-negotiable consequences. Usually we don't think about the fact that God is in the process of doing something in our lives, even when life is rough. In this psalm, we are given four steps up and out of despair, fueled by Hope For Hard Times. Not just because of the 40-degrees-below-zero temperatures and the many months of deep snow but because of the darkness. Sometimes, at night, he would crawl out of his window and sit on the roof of the hotel. And as they say; the rest is Bible history. The interesting part of Jesuss hope is its power over despair. Author and pastor, Thomas Pilgrim, told a story about one year when the youth of the church where he was serving decided to have a live manger scene in front of the church. You just need to be willing to extend the light of hope to your neighbor. The audition was rescheduled and the same sickness saved him again. There are millions of African women who face despair over their plight at the hands of Islamic invaders who rape them, kill them, or take them as sex slaves. read more, Scripture: Because the insidious thing about depression and despair is the way they strip away hope. Whatever the situation, desperate times will reveal just how deep our faith and trust is in God. How many times have you watched a preview of the coming attraction only to be disappointed by the actual event? A habit or an addiction that is controlling your life? He will not leave us unchanged. I have not just read about this, but have experienced it, and have wondered how Gods Word is. He was bleeding too badly to see how to drive. He relates to us as a loving parent. In fact, all of our stories of salvation are marked with scars and imperfections because we were sinners in need of a Savior. 1. But theyre blinded to their eternal anguish and rely on their individual strength to move past despair. . You know, it really doesnt take much light to shine in the darkness. Your message doesnt have to be perfect. Hes the light of hope. Christina Fox is a writer, retreat and conference speaker, and author of several books, including. As the result of prayer, I find solutions to my problems. But your most profound growth often comes from times of waiting and wading through the unknown. Christian/Church Of Christ. Turn off all the lights and having complete silence for 15-20 seconds. Even as she stepped outside into the cold winter wind, she seemed to carry God's warm shelter of hope with her." In times of crisis we try to make sense of life. His name was Phillips Brooks. It doesnt. Mission: Grow in Expectancy. 3. An entrance ramp is found in verses 8-9. We can relax at being mistreated when we remember that one day God will balance the books. The end result: they arrived fresh. Yes, when life terms are unbearable, emotional turmoil is a constant struggle. In this powerful video, Julie Green delivers a prophetic word from God that you don't want to miss. Some will miss it, of course. In our text today, Paul has a summary of one of his travels, and how it affected him. But I can't; no one can. Never forget, it takes broken soil to produce a crop. We should be honest with God, with ourselves, and with others about the condition of our hearts. . Imagine the Kingdom of God as the creative process of God reengaging in all that we know and experience. We can rest in assurance that his love for us is not dependent on what we do but on what Jesus has already done. It seemed like their enemies had the upper hand - Oppression and Torture and evil by the Babylonians. He spent all His time doing good for others, but His works . . The man ran for it, made a tremendous leap at the branch but missed it----on the way up; he caught it on the way back down! We have a hope that doesnt disappoint. read more, Scripture: read more, Scripture: Hope in Times of Despair Lamentations 3:1-6, 16-25 INTRODUCTI0N The year is 586 BCE. The adversary uses despair to bind hearts and minds in suffocating darkness. Eventually, even Jerusalem was overrun the walls torn down and the temple destroyed. Hes the source of hope. We crave perspective for our minds and relief for our hearts. The new conductor told them that he would hold auditions to see how well each of the players could play. Despair is one of those words we dont use every day. There are children and women who live with daily abuse who feel like their life is a torture chamber. Remember, we live for Christ and God designed hope as an assurance for our eternal future (Jeremiah 29:11). Jeff Dixon is pastor of Covenant Community Church, Lake Mary, Florida. The darkness of despair is something that you can even experience during this season of Advent and Christmas. It seems appropriate to read on Good Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring." This passage shows us three things we need to remember if we are going to pass the test with flying colors. The answer is a new attitude of hope. To start saving items to a SermonFolder, please create an account. By the way, his name was Isaiah. 3 Tests Of Plagiarism: Do Your Sermons Pass Them. One church analyst observed that if churches will minister faithfully to people in todays world they must offer four things: a sense of identity you, as an individual, are of great value; a sense of community we accept you and invite you into our fellowship; a sense of meaning the Bible does offer a credible explanation for life; and a sense of hope Jesus is alive and He will be with you in your suffering and will one day remove all suffering. I will be preaching on each of these themes, as they are touched on in Romans 5:1-11. The apostle Paul penned 2 Thessalonians probably less than six months after writing the first letter to them. Congregational, A sermon on Amos 8:11-14 on how people run to things of this world instead of to the Bible to find meaning to their lives (Outline and material adapted from the book Existentialism: The Philosophy of Despair and the Quest for Hope, from chapter 3, The De, Scripture: Question: Why are you downcast.Put your hope in God We may not feel like prayingMy encouragement is to do it anyway. As the months went on, that hope grew and grew. 2021 Preaching.com. We are caught in the overflow of events that affect us and we have no control over them. Notice in verse 6 it reads, "God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you." In verse 10 we find these words: "on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. Jesus did not sugarcoat what it means to follow him. Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. It reminded me that my hope and joy are not found in what I can do but in what Jesus has already done. Jeremiah 33:14-16. We read about it in Exodus 33:17-19and Exodus 34:5-7. Ministers frequently call at a home when the man alone is there, and he will respond in A. But I know in whom I hope. In verse 3 we read, "We ought always to thank God for you." She said, Of course it does. Soon, the walls of the city would be destroyed. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; No wonder parents like Wilf are forced to threaten: If I thought that Rod wouldnt have suitable care when I die, I would take him with me! (http://www.dice.org.au/~viccid/letters1.htm). Hope In The Rain Back in 2001 a story in The New Yorker magazine reported that CNN founder Ted Turner was suicidal after the breakup of his marriage to Jane Fonda and losing control of Turner Broadcasting. There seems to be no end in sight. The good news is that because Jesus is risen, there is hope. Evangelical/Non-Denominational. And with that is the promise: For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. He often reminded people of their need to pray. Here are twenty-one quotes that I hope will lift you out of your time of despair. I was watching one of my favorite HBO mini-series the other day for the umpteenth time Band of Brothers about the 501 Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during WWII. Despair is real. 1. Conclusion - Christians are called to Lament, and perhaps when we live like Jesus in this world of brokenness we should be characterized more by being honest about our despair. How can we negotiate life when the road is filled with one pothole after another, blind curves, and dead ends? Centuries ago, a nobleman in Europe built a church for his people. 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