GOD of HOPE

The Rev Dr Kow Shih Ming

Sunday 11 August 2013

Wesley Methodist Church Singapore

Gothic M: Adding to my FONT library as advised by my Rockstar Scribe course

The sermon was from Rev Dr Kow Shih Ming

Romans 15:3

 As per good sketch note practice, I had time to prepare the first page before the sermon began: The sermon tittle and Bible text reference is givin in the church bulletin.

I used a simulated Gothic Font to start the bible quotation and remembered that the first letter could be in RED!
HOPE was capitalised by me as it was the central theme for the sermon.
and the abundance of hope OVERFLOWING was captured as that overflowing from a champagne cup.

This text that I read gave me a PROMISE with a PREMISE

The PROMISE was that GOD WILL fill me with all JOY and PEACE
 so that I would OVERFLOW with HOPE (by the POWER of the Holy Spirit)

The PREMISE is that I must TRUST in God.

 

 And during the other bits leading to the  sermon I was able to snatch a glance to sketch him talking. (In my usual place in the choir pew I only see his back.)

Sermon illustration
USS S-4 (SS-109) was an S-class submarine of the United States Navy.
On 17 December 1927, while surfacing from a submerged run over the measured-mile off Cape Cod near Provincetown, Massachusetts, she was accidentally rammed and sunk by the Coast Guard destroyer Paulding
  As the trapped men used the last of available oxygen in the sub, a diver placed his helmeted ear to the side of the vessel and received this morse-coded message, “Is … there … any … hope?”

As noted
We can survive
40 days without food
8 days without water
2 minutes without air
BUT we can not live without hope! 

In a study of how prisoners responded to deprivation and torture, psychologists found that when a man has hope he is capable of bearing much suffering and punishment.

I

So the question come:
Where do we find hope?

Certainly NOT from
deception
fortune telling
astrology
"faith healers"
charms and armulets
these lead to dissappointment and false hopes

GOD is the source of hope

Psalms 52:9

For what you have done I will always praise you

 in the presence of your faithful people.

 And I will hope in your name,

 for your name is good.

"Name" is a definition of your character

match aspirations of your parents

God is given many names in Bible: Including:

Jehovah Shalom: Judges 6:24 God of peace

Jehovah Jireh  Genesis 22:14 PROVIDER, meet all your needs.

Jehovah Shamar   Psalms 121:5
I Am the Lord Who is Your Keeper (Hedge of Protection, Who Preserves You)

Always there

God of times

good times

bad times

all the time

past, present, future

THREE ANCHORS

PRESENCE

PURPOSE

PLACE

ANCHOR ONE: PRESENCE

His presence is watching over me.

So do not fear, for I am with you;

    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Fear of being abandoned?

What if husband leaves?

What if children leave?

BUT God will be with me always.

  This is a certainty that brings hope.

God will never leave me.

 

 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." Psalms 32:8

 God will show us a way in the future.

When we can not figure out the purpose of things we feel hopeless.

But just trust God who has figured it all out.

Lamentations 3:22-23

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

    for his compassions never fail.

    They are new every morning;

    great is your faithfulness."

Hope is the certainty that something makes sense.

God's presences is with you

Put your hand in his hand

Have hope in God's certainty.

ANCHOR TWO: PURPOSE

Have hope because God's purpose is working in your life.

When you can see the purpose you can endure it.
Even if the situation is bad it could be for the ultimate good

God has good plans for us:
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29: 11

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

This is a certainty
We know!
that in all things
God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose.

Life tells us that the many different ingredients of a cake when tasted separately may not taste good, but when blended and mixed together and baked, taste good.

So the individual experience may not be good, but the outcome when blended with otherexperinces and baked in the oven of life, is a wholesomecake.

A tapestry may seem a jungle of a  jumble of yarn when viewed from one side:
But when seen from God's side the whole full picture of the embroidery emerges.

ANCHOR THREE: PLACE
The ultimate hope rests in our ultimate destination.
Heaven
a real place
God's place.
A place of release and relief
 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Rev 21:4

So where to find hope?
In relationship with Jesus Christ

"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he,
I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
 I will sustain you and I will rescue you."
Isaiah 46:4

Are you feeling trapped?
Hopeless situation
in job?
 marriage?
illness?
finances?

Give it to Jesus
exchange your hopelessness for hope.

 

Add caption

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:3

If God can raise dead Jesus, God can raise our dead hopes, dead marriages!


CRISIS will come into your life
Inevitable
When crisis does come, remember 3 things
1) GOD is there : Jehhovah Shimar
2) God's PEOPLE are there: Church/ small group : Let them minister to you.
3) God's PROMISES are there: rely on
His presence
His purpose
His place

 

Isaiah 40:31

Amen!