Hope!

This is Robbie doing more from a Christian car guy I am king in pursuit where we hear how God takes your passion and uses it to build the kingdom your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just a few seconds. Enjoy it and share it but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network network.

This is the Truth Network do you feel like you're on a religious treadmill. Do you feel like Christianity is just a system of rules and regulations, I can do this but I can't do that. Do you feel like your efforts to reach God. Find God, and please God. If you do you feel like your faith is dead or alive today.

Pastor Russ Andrews will walk us through Scripture to answer these questions join us on finding purpose of local tribal ministry glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living. For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and finding purpose could visit us online@findingpurpose.net connect with us on Facebook. Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious, point and I like you more fact that you are on the throne that you according to Hebrews 13 hold all things together that without you everything would come unraveled and even that we may see things as being unraveled. We know that they're not that you're directing history along according to your divine plan and you've sent your son, Lord, that we might have this blessed assurance we place our trust in him, Lord, you promise is eternal life, and you tell us in John 14 that you prepared a place for us.

What great hope we have what we love. He would give you all the praise and glory and upright. Now that you prepare all of our hearts, Lord, to hear the word that you have for each one of us tonight knowing that I pray, amen. Well, tonight I want to talk to you about hope and my prayer is that everyone who lives here tonight and everyone is listening.

If you don't have hope that you will seek the one to give you hope will be looking at Mark chapter 16 verses one through eight. One of my favorite movies is I think all of you probably know, is the Shawshank redemption I not talk about this before, but you will hear about it again tonight. You know why is I won't hear about it again tonight. I have to say it is my favorite movie of all time. The film portrays the story of Andy defraying a banker who spends nearly 2 decades in Shawshank state prison for a murder that he did not commit the murder of his wife and while he is in prison, he becomes friends with a fellow inmate. The name of Ellis Reading goes by the night nickname read, and he was an accounting wizard and the warden was laundering money for the present took a liking to Andy and brought them into his fraudulent scheme have a one day, and you may remember the scene, he locks the door to the warden any terms on those two Italian female singers any blares at all, through the present, and they have to bust down the door to get Annie to turn the music officer and he ends up in a place called the whole I never wanted a place at the whole it was solitary confinement that for 5 feet wide that 10 feet long and had no windows and I have very bad claustrophobia survivor end up in prison which I might want to fix some of the Amalekite. So once in the movie shows Andy after he's just been released from the whole city down in the mess with red and some of their other prison buddies and he tries to explain to them that being in the hole was really not that big a deal to him because of what he had on the inside and you may remember that red just didn't understand what he was talking about.

He almost got angry with him is what we mean in and explain to them that what he had on the inside was hope in me now taste something I had hope in my heart for heaven and eternal life since I was about 10 years old and I place my trust in Jesus and I've been looking forward to my heavenly home just like a 10-year-old.

Look forward to Christmas morning she hope is the anchor that believers explained to during the storms of life and believers are the only people in the world who have any reason for hope. And the reason man is because we are the heirs of what is promised in the Bible. According to the Bible.

Those who place their trust in Jesus have an incredible future in store for them and I want to try to give you a glimpse of that in my future that is really beyond description. Did you know that the apostle Paul who wrote most of the New Testament was actually called up to heaven and he was able to hear and see what heaven looked like when Paul tried to describe what he heard and surely must've seen he could find the words to his what he says second practice. Chapter 12 about this experience. He said I know a man in Christ who was called up to the third heaven. The first have a man is what you look up in the daytime and you see the sun shining in the class as the first heaven. The second heaven. You need a telescope. That's when you look deep into the galaxies and all the stars in the universe and the third heaven's paradise. The thief on the cross was caught up to paradise. The day he died on the cross supposed as I know many talk about himself in Christ, he was called to the third heaven, he was called to paradise.

He heard an obligee so inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tail.

Paul never tells us what he heard of Saul, but don't you know that he gave him hope when he went through all the trials and tribulations the stoning imprisonments. He had to endure that because he was a follower of Jesus, yet he had this hope within always the apostle John was also given a vision of heaven while he was allowing a Patmos. In fact, the entire book of Revelation is writing about all the visions that Jesus gave him while he is on Patmos and John was unable to describe what will be is that he tells us what will not be Revelation 21 verses three through five. John right now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

There will be no more death no more morning. No more crying no more pain for the old order of things has passed away.

He who was seated on the throne said, who sit on the throne. Jesus said I am making everything new.

Then he said to John right this down for these words are trustworthy and true. What it Jesus tell John to write this down and because what John saw and what Jesus gave him to write is trustworthy you can believe the Bible man you can believe every word and it should is only one event in the history of the world that can give a man any hope in that event is the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth and that brings us man to Mark chapter 16, beginning with verse one. He says when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus's body very early on the first of the week, just after sunrise. They were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tent. That was what was on their mind and heart they will concern about this, but when they looked up they saw that the stone which was very large in the roadway and as they enter the turning they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side and they were alarmed don't belong to said you're looking for Jesus the Nazarene who was crucified.

He has what risen and he is not here see the place where they laid him. He was probably sitting at one end of it is is there's nobody there but go, tell his disciples and Peter. He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him just as he told you, trembling and bewildered.

The women went out and fled from the time they said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.

Why is the resurrection so important is because the validity of Christianity rest entirely upon this one historical event. The resurrection is so important to our faith and without it we would have no hope in the way. None of us will be sitting here tonight the well · because of one event, the resurrection, Paul writes in first for the chapter 15 and if Christ has not been raised while preaching is useless and so is your faith more than that within found to be false witnesses about God, but we have testified that he raised Christ from the dead.

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost if only for this life we have hope in Christ. Paul says we are to be pitied more than all men, but he ends it with this, but Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. This is why followers of Jesus have great hope, because Christ is risen from the grave and men guess what he is alive today.

The writer of Hebrews says. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see Szymanski do you have this your and certain faith which yields great hope. Do you if you don't become a Jesus, Paul's words come from a man who saw the risen Christ on the road to Damascus in his word serve as a testimony to the truth of the resurrection sector might what I want to do is I want to give you some sound evidence to support your belief in this fact, the resurrection really happened.

The time really is empty. Jesus is risen indeed.

So when you're out there talking to skeptics. You need to remember this evidence. This can turn you into an apologist.

Paul's testimony along with the gospel writer serves as an as eyewitness accounts in all you need in a court of law is one credible witness and right here just give you five credible what I what's is Matthew Mark Luke and John and Paul. The fact that women were the first to see the risen Christ provides additional evidence to support the truth of the resurrection wasn't so important in the first century, women were second-class citizens and because of this they were not allowed to serve as witnesses in any court of law.

So if the writers of the Gospels made up the story of the empty tomb is liberal scholars suggest then the gospel writers would never have used women as the first witnesses. The only reason women are mentioned as the first people to see the risen Christ is because women were in fact the first people to see the risen Christ and this adds credibility to these written accounts to follow that line of thinking. Mark 1540, says some women were watching from a distance.

Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the younger and of José's and Salome later in the same chapter Mark 15, we learned that Joseph of Arimathea took in the body of Jesus, and he wrapped it in linen cloths any place in the tomb cut out of rock. It was his time.

He was buried in a wealthy man's turning would fulfill prophecy and then it says that he rolled a stone against the entrance verse 47, says Mary Magdalena and Mary the mother of James saw he was laid, going over this wise is important because these women knew exactly Jesus tomb was some of argue that the women must've gone to the wrong time, but that's nonsense.

They knew exactly where was.

They also knew that Jesus had in fact God because they witnesses death they actually solve the Roman soldier go and take a sword in Pierce's side and they saw blood and water poured forth they were eyewitnesses. Mark tested very early on Sunday morning at sunrise.

These women, Mary Magdalena, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to the tune in their main concern is we just read was that heavy stone they been rolled over the entrance to the time they were about how they were going to move it was you know when they arrived. Somebody already there. Who was it a young man dressed in white. An angel sent from heaven. We also learn from the other Gospels of the Pharisees had been concerned about the possibility of someone stealing the body acclimated Jesus had arisen from the dead. So what are they doing those Pharisees went to pallet and asked him to put out company of soldiers that the tomb to guard it. We don't have a soldiers were there but it didn't take the 6 to 10 harden Roman soldiers to guard that to mattress. Furthermore pallet have the tomb sealed with a Roman seal which was, not to be tampered with, unless you want to be executed so the time was shut tight, sealed with a Roman seal and protected by harden soldiers nothing men outside of a miracle to get in the way of man's schemes, but then according to Matthew chapter 28, a miracle happened. Matthew tells us that there was a violent earthquake, for an angel the Lord came down from heaven and going to the tune rolled back the stone which probably weighed about a thousand pounds and then that Angel sat on the stone's appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him. It says that they shook and became like dead men. The reason the angel rolled that stone away was not so Jesus could get out but so the disciples could get in before the woman arrived. The guards must've come to and scattered into the surprise of these women when they got to the stone had been rolled away and so they went inside and they sell this angel when I was back in Jerusalem in 2018 with the GM and my wife.

We actually went to that very tune. We walked into the entrance. We entered the main chamber and then you just look to your right and there's another chamber little bit lower and that's what Jesus body at Lane said the women were amazed. It says at the side of the press of this angel, and they were long and so the angel said don't be alarmed. You're looking for Jesus the Nazarene who was crucified.

He is risen. He's not here, and they just look what have to swear he was laying go tell the disciples what you've witnessed and remember Jesus going ahead of you into Galilee, and there you will see him just as he told you so. The women took off, ran back on the disciples and they told him what they'd seen today believe it. Now they do not believe it. So John and Peter take off and run to the tankers I want to see this for themselves. Peter outran John got there first and it says that when he got there he looked inside and he saw these linen clothes just laying there in dinner.

John 20. We learned that Simon Peter then arrived and went to the time he saw the strips of linen lying there as well as the burp cloth.

They been around Jesus here.

The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.

Finally John also went inside it says he saw and beliefs are young get the picture. Once the bubble given us so much information about these linen rags and that he had cloth you know why because as more evidence is critical. Evidence is the kind of evidence that you would present in a court of law to prove your case, you need to understand that when Joseph of Arimathea prepare that body he wrapped it, wrapped it round and round with linen rags and Vinnie put 75 pounds of perfume, which almost serve like glue.

So you get the picture was like a mummy in the shape of a cocoon and so what they witnessed when they looked in their was a cocoon that had collapsed, as if a body is risen through it.

Guess what about have risen through it. If the body had been stolen. It would've been unwrapped, but the cocoon was left completely intact. And this is what John Saul and this was recorded for us in this is why John believed another major piece of evidence to support the resurrection of Jesus is the fact that the last of the disciples was a radically changed after they Solomon present. You recall that when they were rest of the scatter they fled, but after they saw Jesus in the flesh after his resurrection, and then when they were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they were willing to die as martyrs. And guess what most of them did. So what happened there lasted been changed.

Similarly, ASCII has your life been changed.

Anybody that solve the risen Christ was never the same again. So, have you seen the risen Christ with you spiritualize. If your life is not been changed man. Maybe it's because you haven't really seen Jesus listen.

Not only will your life be changed because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you will have great hope and you listen you will have eager anticipation for what lies ahead of you when you entered this door and you enter paradise.

Hebrews 6 1922 of my favorite verses.

It says we have this hope is an anchor for the sole firm and secure it enters the intersite were behind the curtain, where Jesus who went before us is entered on our behalf. He's going ahead of us.

He's waiting for us and he's the only one who can give anyone hope one day believers will escape from this fallen world, and we will find ourselves in a place that our hearts have long for. Even if we want to wear that even nonbelievers along and for place the longing for Marty gets sure that he's missing injured. A lot of your Jewish songwriters write songs about somewhere over the rainbow you heard it so that there longing for place in the regional longing for his deacon inside another one made for place other than this world, but we know where that place is and that's what we have hope and his friend had decided he finally escaped from Shawshank prison. After the dug a hole in the sale that led to a pipe that went five for your sonogram. The sewage pipe and he climbed through that pipe. It was against 500 yards long and the thing that allowed him to press forward was because he had hope.

He then found his way to a beautiful beach in Mexico known as they walked in they are in. His hope was that one day his good friend red would join him before he escaped. He told Rivet if he ever got out of prison to go to a specific field outside of the town called Buxton Hayfield.

He said you will see a big tree along that Troy is a stone wall. And if you walk along that stonewall your final rock set place.

He finally got a prison. He went to that place he found that black stone and underneath it.

He found a box in the box was some money in a note from Andy.

Here's what Andy wrote dear red if you're reading this you gotten out if you've come this far, maybe you're willing to come a little further your member the name of the town, don't you is I want to know you. I could use a good man to help me get my project on wheels.

I'll keep an eye out for you and I'll have a chessboard ready remember red hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things.

No good thing ever dies, I'll be hoping this letter finds you and finds you well. Your friend Andy Surette purchased a bus ticket and he headed to find his friend and as he neared his destination he was thinking to himself I find I'm so excited I can barely see if a hold of thought in my head I think is the excitement only a free man can feel a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope I can see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is blue as it is in my dreams. I hope you long for place like they want and they as you sit here for your listening, you really have hope. I mean real hope is if you are in Christ, then you should have great hope because you're a free man.

Jesus has set us free like that. Note that Andy left his friend red. God has left us a note is called the Bible in this Bible tells us how to get to heaven, and the long to be set free. They live for that day. He long for the beautiful beaches. As I walked in they are. Do you long to be said for have you been set free. The Bible tells us that this world is no more home than that prison was for Andy.

Our home is heaven, and that is where our journey will end. Actually that's what it will actually begin, but that is only true for man or woman if that man or woman is in Christ God is confirmed it with both his promises and his and Jesus has gone before us men to prepare our heavenly home. Like Andy, he is there waiting for us to join him. He has a not a chess set set for us, but he has a banquet table set in his reserve a place for you if your name is found written where the Lamb's book of life.

Jesus is the anchor to which we must claim as we journey through this life which is so often difficult and he's the only one who give anyone hope Charles Spurgeon said Christian meditate much on heaven. It will help the to press on to forget the toll of the way this veil of tears is but the pathway to the better country, this world of woe is but the steppingstone to world of bliss and after death, what, what wonder world will open up and are astonished site John Erickson toddler who's been a quadriplegic for more than 50 years. She says I still can hardly believe it with shriveled bent fingers atrophied muscles know all knees and no fading from the shoulders down one day have a new body light, bright and clothed in righteousness, powerful and dazzling. Can you imagine the hope this give someone spinal cord injured like me or someone who is cerebral policy brain injured who has multiple sclerosis imagined. I hope this give someone who is manic-depressive. No other religion nor the philosophy promises new bodies, hearts and minds only in the gospel of Christ to hurting people find such incredible you know everything she's in there I can show I can point to you in Scripture where it talks about this earth is going to be restored. John says and Revelation 21 I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old all things are passed away. Acts 321 says that he must remain in heaven until it comes time to restore all things.

Romans eight talks about how the creation longs to be liberated from its bondage to decline to decay and we also groan inwardly as we wait for our own bodies to be delivered to Russ. This was in store for us will go to get heavenly bodies city to last forever. It will go to live on a restored Earth with Jesus and every one of our friends and family members who in Christ. That's what this life is all about is preparation for the are you prepared for it. John in the last chapter. The first two chapters of the Bible Genesis 1 Genesis 2 talk about the creation of the will of the old earth. Revelation 21 and 22 talk about the recreation of this earth. The new earth. John gives a glimpse of heaven and Revelation 22, where he writes, then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city on each side of the river stood the tree of life during 12 crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations do we need that right now in this world.

No longer will there be any curse because the curse will be lifted the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city and his servants will serve him, they will see his face and his name will be on the forests. There'll be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the like of the son, the Lord God will give them light and they will reign forever and ever. My dear Maggie Grimes, who helped my mother raised me and I went to see her Sunday several years ago she was on the operating table. I don't if you God. I don't know what happened but she so heaven reason. I know I don't know how well she knows the Bible not ticket well. She described everything that I just read. She said she was floating.

She hates the water she was floating on her back down the Crystal River up to the doorway to heaven and Jesus open the door and wishes. When he opened the door she he she saw beautiful flowers and lots of children and Jesus said it's not your time yet this more for you today and I believe she saw heaven you will see heaven when the is only one way, Jesus is on the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. The spray I walked into night with the last 45 words in the Bible, behold I am coming soon. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book he testifies to these things says yes I am coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus, the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Being a Christian is not about being religious but about having the dynamic alive relationship with Jesus Christ you been listening to finding purpose with pastor Russ Sanders local triangle ministry glorifying God by helping men and their purpose for living.

You can discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources finding purpose.net will connect to finding purpose on Facebook pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him in over 300 other local tribal men to study God's word together every Tuesday night at 7 PM in downtown Raleigh.

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