Gaudy Christmas - Gaudy Hope

Matt Graves
This past Sunday we concluded the Gaudy Christmas series with a message on HOPE. As believers, we often take the world’s view of hope and apply it to our lives. We say things like, “I hope the weather cooperates today.” …or “I hope 2022 is a better year than 2021.” …or “I hope I can find a different job.” So often when we use the word hope in these instances, we are merely wishfully thinking that something might turn out the way we want.
As far as the world is concerned, wishful thinking is all it has to rely on. There is no anchor for true hope in their lives and circumstances. But as believers, we have a true hope, a hope that is an anchor for our soul. (Hebrews 6:19).
Our worship pastor, David Magness, leads us in a song titled “Anchor”. It’s one of my favorite songs that we sing, and David does a tremendous job on it. And it’s been playing in my head this week as I’ve prepared for a follow up post from Sunday’s message. So often, we like a song because it has a nice musical arrangement or it’s easy to remember and fun to sing. I love this song because it’s all of that, plus so much more as there are tremendous lyrics in that song that are a great encouragement to believers.
I’ll post a link to the song, but I want to look at a few of the lines to hopefully encourage you as much as I am encouraged.
“Through every storm, I will hold to You.”
For those in the world, they only have things of this world to hold on to in the trials and storms of life: at best, self-help strategies, worldly counsel to try harder and secular meditation techniques…at worst drugs, alcohol, and outbursts of anger.
But as a believer, we have Jesus, who calmed the physical storm of the seas with just a Word spoken, so that we can know He has power and control over the storms in our lives. We aren’t promised that we won’t experience storms in our lives. But we do have the promise that He is in control and we can rest in knowing that He will calm the storms.
“With endless love, all my fear is swept away.”
Fear isn’t of God. If there is something you fear, which leads to worry, know that the enemy is trying to destroy your faith and disrupt your rest. But as believers, we can know and stand firm on the truth that “Perfect love casts out fear” – the Apostle John in 1 John 4. God’s perfect love should give us hope that no matter what comes our way, we don’t have to fear. Paul tells us that whenever we worry or find ourselves anxious, to take our requests to God and the peace that surpasses understanding will guard our hearts (Philippians 4). What you’ll find is your fear being swept away in God’s endless love.
“Your name is higher, Your name is greater, All my hope is in You.”
In 1 Corinthians 6:11, the apostle Paul tells us that we were washed, we were justified and we were sanctified in the name of Jesus. Simply put, we were made righteous in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), which means we are accepted in Him Ephesiasn 1:6), and we have the fullness of Christ dwelling in us (Colossians 1:19-22). And as believers, that is where our HOPE is found. In Christ.
Hope is something that the world cannot offer. To have Hope is to have peace for our minds and rest for our soul amidst life’s trials and storms. You can turn to the things of this world in an attempt to find rest, but you will never find it. The apostle Paul’s prayer in Romans 15:13 is that the God of hope will fill you with joy and peace so that you will abound in hope. You don’t have to go looking for it, you don’t have to work for it, you don’t have to jump through religious hoops to receive it. As a believer, you have been united with the God of HOPE. He is in you. You have to know it, believe it, stand firm on that truth and simply rest in it.
Whatever you may be going through, don’t let the enemy disrupt your faith and your rest that you have in Christ. Set your mind on His Word, go to Him and make your requests known, and watch how the peace that surpasses understanding guards your heart and your mind; and let His hope anchor your soul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87GYkLfQQ-8

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