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What Difference–Hope

Philippians 4:6-7           
December 4, 2011

    A Salvation experience makes a real tangible difference in a person's life.  The experience makes a difference because it fills basic human needs, and when these needs are filled, negative urges and reactions are abolished. 

    For instance, when we in despair, the hopelessness we feel causes us to react in destructive ways.  But, when we realize that God gives hope, these problems are eliminated.  This change is called Conversion.

    God knows we yearn for hope.  Jesus said, “Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! ” (Matt. 6:8).

    Jesus, himself, knew what it was like to feel despair.  Isaiah said, “He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care” (Isa.  53:3).

    He was also very perceptive.  The Scripture says, "Jesus . . . needed no evidence from anyone about men, for He . . . knew what was in human nature—He could read men’s hearts ” (John 2:24-25, amp).

    This means he understood the deep psychological needs and problems of human beings.

I. WHY DO WE HAVE THESE NEEDS AND PROBLEMS?

    Well we are born with survival instincts which tend to make us selfish and defensive.  A lot of disappointments occur and we’re helpless to control our future.  Furthermore, we all grow up with imperfect environments.  As children we have desires that are disregarded.  We have yearnings that are ignored.  We have needs that are unfulfilled.  We have wishes that never come true.

    Later, we see movies and soap operas and read romance novels.  In this imaginary world everything is always rosy and perfect.  Then, when life isn’t like that we become disillusioned.  Commercials show gadgets that work miracles in the kitchen, but when we order them, they don’t live up to their claims.  The grass always looks greener over the fence until we climb over there and find out it was an illusion.

    Many factors add to our sense of hopelessness.  The news is almost always bad.  We only hear about violence and crime.  Good deeds and pleasant occurrences are rarely noticed by the media.  For many of us life becomes a futile “rat race.”  We work in order to eat and eat in order to work.  More money and possessions just bring more problems and worries.

    Even religion can create disappointment.  We may be led to believe that God is like a Genie or a Santa Claus.  All we have to do is push a “prayer button” and everything will be miraculously fixed.  Life will be wonderful.  But the Scripture never promised that.  Jesus plainly stated, “In this world you will have trouble . . .”  (John 16:33).

    The gospel doesn’t give us a “fairy tale existence.”  But it does give us hope.  Paul said, “Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about those Christians who have died so you will not be sad, as others who have no hope ” (1 Thess. 4:13).

    Hope helps dilute the misery in the world.  If you lose hope, you stop caring; you stop trying.  As Christians we have an obligation to extend hope. .
II. WHAT ARE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THESE NEEDS AND PROBLEMS?

    Living in despair hurts so much that most of us try desperately to be optimistic and hopeful.  But realistically, life is hard as we live and grow older bad things happen.  We suffer losses.  Lack of hope leads to depression.  This has harmful effects on us physically, emotionally and spiritually  Distress and sadness affects our brain chemicals and compromises our immune system.

     In an effort to cope, we may clown and joke.  We may pretend we’re fine and cover up our feelings.  We may put on a “happy face.”  Such hypocrisy leads to stress and suffering.

    Some people go to the other extreme wallowing in self-pity, or becoming severely despondent and giving up on life.  Such despair is a very unproductive and dangerous state of mind.  It ruins relationships.  It destroys families.  It creates business failures.   It can even result in suicide.
    All of these undesirable actions are vain attempts to gain the hope we need.

III. HOW DOES GOD FILL OUR NEEDS AND SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS?

    In one Bible story Jesus gives hope to one who has run out of hope, the thief on the cross.  The Scriptures say, “There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be put to death.  When they came to a place called the Skull, the soldiers crucified Jesus and the criminals—one on his right and the other on his left. ” (Luke 23:32-33).

    Both  Jesus and the thieves are hours from death, but there was hope.  This illustrates how salvation can make a tangible difference in a life.  The Scriptures describe this tragic and yet hopeful experience.  It shows how something very good can come out of something very bad: At Jesus’ crucifixion, “The soldiers . . .  made fun of him, coming to (him) and offering him some vinegar.  They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”  At the top of the cross these words were written: this is the king of the jews.  One of the criminals on a cross began to shout insults at Jesus: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Then save yourself and us.’  But the other criminal stopped him and said, ‘You should fear God! You are getting the same punishment he is.  We are punished justly, getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.’  Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’  Jesus said to him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.  “There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be put to death.  When they came to a place called the Skull, the soldiers crucified Jesus and the criminals—one on his right and the other on his left” (Luke 23:36-43).

    Now, this is perhaps the most dramatic Biblical example of a conversion.  Time had run out.  This thief had been tried, convicted and was already in the process of being executed.  He had no time to go to church.  He had no time to be baptized.  He had no time to do good deeds.  He seemed to be an absolutely hopeless case, but a tiny spark of hope remained.  At the very last moment of his existence, the wretched man reached out with a faint expectation of response.  Surprisingly, Jesus gave this seemingly worthless, wicked scrap of humanity the promise of paradise and that changed his life and his future.

    Now notice, all these years of being miserable and hopeless had not helped in any way.  It had not changed him or caused him to repent.  Rather it had forced him into a most unproductive lifestyle.

    Despair never accomplishes redemption.  It never causes people to improve.  It never corrects their faults. Instead, it causes problems as we try to defend ourselves and reach out for hope.

    Our false beliefs about ourselves and God create feelings of hopelessness which leads to despair.  Job expresses this emotional state.  He said, “I hate my own life.  So I will complain without holding back. And I will speak because I am so unhappy” (Job 10:1).

    Solomon said, “It is sad when you don’t to get what you hoped for . . .” (Prov. 13:12a). Since God knows our human condition, He created a “plan” to rectify the situation.  The thief on the cross is a good example of this miracle.  This man was a criminal.  There’s no question about it.  Furthermore, only those who were considered the most dangerous and harmful criminals were crucified.  People who want vicious robbers and murderers to be punished would have been totally correct in demanding the death penalty.  If fairness were considered, he deserved his fate.  Revenge seemed to be appropriate for the deeds he had done.  He even admitted that his sentence was justified.  But Jesus had a different attitude.  He never pronounced judgment or weighed his crimes.  He didn’t question or hesitate.  Instead, he extended mercy.  He was putting the Scripture into practice that said, “God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17)

    This New Testament story was given to us to show that no one is too damaged, too wicked or too late to benefit from God’s promise of forgiveness and salvation.
    Has Jesus’ offer of hope changed your life?

    If you really believe Jesus’ wonderful promise about hope, it will change your life.  When the thief asked for help, the Lord made an immediate and unquestioned response.  He was demonstrating the truth of his many earthly statements.  Remember Jesus had said, “Whoever hears what I say and believes in the One who sent me has eternal life. That person will not be judged guilty but has already left death and entered life” (John 4:24).

    Here, at the eleventh hour, Jesus was still fulfilling his mission as he had described it when he said, “The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them” (Luke 19:10).

    This promise includes sinners of every description.  A famous painting in Europe shows a chessboard with Satan sitting one side with a look of gloating triumph on his face.  Across from him sits a dejected youth–a picture of defeat and despair.

    The title told the story: “Checkmated.”  Paul Murphy, the only American Chess Master of the world before Bobby Fisher gazed a the piece of art for a long time.  Then he shouted, “Bring me a chessboard!  There is one, only one, mind you, but there is one move that will save him.”

    It’s the same with us.  The thief on the cross had one possible move, and he took it.  Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me” (John 14:6a).

    All of us have troubled pasts.  All of us have regrets and remorse.  All of us have made mistakes.  All of us have deep needs that must be filled.  But there is an answer to our questions.  There is a solution to our problems.  Paul said, “My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need” (Phil. 4:19, edb).

    If you come to Christ, you will never be hopeless again .  You will have no reason to despair.

    This change will make you happier and it will improve your relationship with others.  A Christian conversion will make you a better mate, parent, friend, neighbor and citizen because you won’t be reacting in destructive ways to gain hope.

    The salvation story is designed to turn despair into hope.  If you come to Christ, you are just as you are and that’s the “Gospel;” And that’s why the Salvation experience makes a difference in your life.

(WC1823)
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