Hope: For, In and Beyond the World - From My Heart to Yours Part 11

Well I'm sure many of you have heard the words of the old spiritual. Nobody knows the trouble I've see nobody knows, but Jesus was man cannot relate to that. But I bet you can to as matter-of-fact. The truth is, it seems like the older I get, the more trouble I got now why is that well is because Job said man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble and this is what is we continue our series for my heart to yours. This is what we want to talk about today. So are you ready all right here we go in the Psalm 42 we find David has got trouble in verse three, he says, my tears have been my food day and night. In verse six he says my soul is in despair. In verse eight he says, Lord have you forgotten me.

In verse 10 he says my pain is so deep it feels like a shattering of my bones, but look what David says in verse 11. He says why are you cast down all my soul and why are you disquieted within me. Hope thou in God friends. The bottom line is, when we got trouble, we need home but we need real hope.

We need lasting home. We need to triumphant home. Well hope that we won't find in yoga or transcendental meditation hope that we will not find in money or in politics, hope that we won't find in popularity or fame or the power of positive thinking but hope the Bible says that we will find only in the living God of the universe and his promises to was if we believe them.

I want to repeat that we will find that hope in the promises of the living God to us if we believe them not just in our head, but in our heart, and there are four of these great promises in the Bible that God makes us about our troubles that I want to share with you today, but first let me say that if your heater and you're not a follower of Jesus Christ right now. You've never given your heart to Christ in a real and personal way. Then I want to tell you that these promises. I'm about to tell you about our not yours. They don't belong to you. These promises only belong to people who are children of God through their faith in Jesus Christ, we can fix that problem right here this morning. If you bow your head right now and just say Lord Jesus come into my heart be my Savior, I repent of my sins before you. I want to make 180° turn in my life back to you God my friend that you can tag along with this for the rest of the message and for the first time in your life. These promises now belong to you. Hey we got a major on the majors and that is not the promises of the Savior but the Savior himself because when you get the Savior you get the promises of the Savior right along with you so you don't have the Savior that is your issue today and that we have to solve first.

I sure hope you will a man all right now if you got the Savior and many of you do these promises belong to you and me. Here we go, number one, the first promise. God makes us about our troubles is that they have all been inspected. I love Job chapter 1 it's one of the most fascinating passages in the Bible. I think because hearing this chapter, God peels back the clouds and allows us to see some of the inner workings of heaven in Job on the Bible says that Satan shows up in heaven and he says the God verse 10 you have placed a fence around Joe and all that he has the Hebrew word that you steer for fence is the word headshot as the King James translators or wall, and when I read this I get the picture in the medieval times of those old castles with those old big walls where you would run inside the castle and you would pull up the drawbridge and inside the castle behind those walls.

Nobody could get to you.

Nobody could hurt your world, Satan says that's what you put around Joe God but Satan says I tell you what you let me get inside those walls and let me go after him and I'll get him to curse you to your face and so the Lord said to Satan, behold, all that Job has is in your power.

What's the next word say it but what a great word but upon him personally.

You may not put forth your hand. Satan, so Satan went and he destroyed his houses, his property and his animals. But Satan failed to get Job to curse God to his face so in chapter 2 of Job. He's back, and he says the Lord put forth your hand out and touch his bone and his flesh, let me go iritis at his health.

God let me go at his body.

God and he will curse you to your face and the Lord said to Satan, behold, he is in your power.

Next word box, you must spare his life. Now what does the Bible teach us here in Job wanting to while the Bible teaches us three things day that God has a hedge of protection set up around every one of us as followers of Jesus Christ number to be that Satan must get God's permission to do anything to us. Inside this heritage and see that even when God gives Satan permission he puts definitive limits, you may not touch his body. You may not take his life.

He puts definitive limits on what Satan can and cannot do to us. Now do we see that, do we see that yes okay and the use Avalon you sure you not pulling way too much out of this one passage well on positive because Jesus said the very same thing in the New Testament, Luke 22 Jesus said to Simon. Simon talking to Peter, behold, Satan has say the next two words out loud asked permission on yeah he has to get permission. He has asked permission to have you, that he may sift you like wheat and Jesus are not given enough permission box. But Jesus said, I have prayed for you Peter, that your faith should not fail. And when you have turned back to me.

Not if but when you have turned back to me because Jesus said I know you will turn back to me Peter and how do I know that because I've already inspected what Satan wants to do to you and made sure that you can handle. This is why the Bible says. First Corinthians 1013 that God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can endure and the reason God can make this promise to you and me is because he inspects every single trial every single trouble before it ever hits our lives to make sure that we can endure it.

Look here, give me whatever you are facing as a follower of Jesus Christ. Whatever trouble you, God. God says oh yes you can with my help all yes you can make it through because I inspected it before I ever allowed it to hit your live to make sure that you can make it through. Oh yes you can praise the Lord for that on a man that brings great hope man if I know I can make it through because God says I can make it through that brings hope to me in my trouble. Number two. The second thing God tells us in promise. He makes us about our troubles is that our troubles all have a divine purpose in second Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul said, I knew a man and cries talk about himself 14 years ago was caught up in the paradise and heard inexpressible words which a man is not permitted to speak that is here on earth and because Paul says of the surpassing greatness of these revelations and I saw up there in paradise say the next three words for this reason, on to keep me from exalting myself here was God's divine purpose. There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me. The Greek word here translated buffet: fee so means the beat somebody up the very strong word. It means to hit somebody with your fists. It was used in classical Greek for giving somebody a cauliflower ear now while we were away on vacation.

I got in the rugby watching it on television. I don't know much about rugby.

I mean I can figure out how they score, and when they kick and when they scrum and all of the stuff I can't figure it all out but I loved watching the game it was fun to watch. And a lot of the guys I noticed on the field had cauliflower ears like the guy you go to see on the screen yeah and you don't get that kind ear from having somebody just brush you or gently hit you once or twice you get that kind ear from having people repeatedly pass on you.

You get that ugly thing now.

Paul said I've got a messenger of Satan that God is allowing to give me cauliflower ears. Bob Anderson on me again and again, we don't know what that thorn in the flesh was that Paul had specifically but whatever it was, it doesn't sound good, doesn't know. And yet Paul understood something, listen, he understood something very important that this trouble had a divine purpose, namely to keep him from getting too big for his britches. Now, in the same way the Bible says that as followers of Christ. You and I every trouble we phase has been calculated by God to produce carefully planned the divine results in our lives. I'm going to repeat that.

Listen, every trouble you have and I have has been carefully designed by God to produce divine results in our lives and this is why the Bible says. First Thessalonians 519 in every thing give thanks in every thing have hope. Why, because this problem.

This trouble, this whatever is not random.

It is not inadvertent. It is not accidental, but it is God's will for you in Christ Jesus perfectly calculated just for you perfectly designed just for you to produce spiritual growth and maturity charged for you, to the glory of your beloved Savior number three. The third promise. God makes us about our troubles is that in our troubles. We are not alone in second Chronicles 32 King Hezekiah of Judah.

That's a big trouble snack rib, king of Assyria and the holy Syrian army. This is 701 BC has captured the entire ancient near East.

With the exception of Jerusalem, and now they're coming against Jerusalem. They surround the city, and so Hezekiah gathered all the people.

The Bible says of Jerusalem and of the square at the city gate and spoke in her grudgingly to them not stop from it.

What in the world could you possibly say encourage to your people to bring hope to your people.

When the mightiest army in world history before Luma no nation has survived is now common to get you. What could you possibly say to bring hope to your people will watch. Here's what he said. Hezekiah said be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horror that is with them, or the one who is with us is greater than the one who is with him, with him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles and the people took courage in the words of Hezekiah king of Judah friends. How did Hezekiah and hope to the people of Israel when they were in the middle of this huge problem. He did it by reminding them that they weren't facing that problem alone, but that their mighty awesome God was right in their with them and just to complete the story you know Hezekiah was successful snack rib. The king of Assyria never did conquer Jerusalem that night. If you remember the story.

The angel of God ~hundred and 85,000 of the Assyrian soldiers and some rib went back home to Nineveh with his tail between his legs and he never did conquer Jerusalem praise Lord.

Yes, now you can clap you better now as followers of Christ. The same thing that Hezekiah said to these Israelites is true for you and me.

Listen what Jesus said Hebrews 13, five he himself the risen Christ has said, I will never leave you nor will I ever forsake you. You say, even in times of bad trouble friends, especially in times of bad trouble. Therefore the Bible says and you know our mnemonic device. When you see a therefore find out what it's therefore right. Therefore, therefore what.

Therefore, because the risen Christ said I will never leave you nor will I ever forsake you.

I'm in there with you. Therefore, we may boldly say managers listen to the all here. We may boldly say the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what can man do to me. Man, that's hope and that comes from knowing you are not by yourself. Never are you by yourself. The living risen Christ is right there with you. And if he's gotta pick you up and area you'll do it. Praise God. So let's summarize number one. Our troubles have all been inspected and all yes you can. Number two. Our troubles have a divine purpose there perfectly designed just for you. Number three in our troubles were never alone and finally number four, the fourth promise, God makes is that our troubles will always turn into good for us now. Sometimes this is hard for us to believe.

And sometimes we even swear it's impossible for folks who can't be impossible because that would make God a liar because God promised it will happen with every problem with every trouble that you've got Romans 828 says, and we watch and we know we hope do we think so. Do we think the odds are in favor of it. No, we know, because God promises and he cannot lie that God was he going to do. He's going to cause all things together all things good, bad and ugly to work together for good to those who love God. Remember the verse doesn't say God can do this.

The verse says God will do this and even if you're in glory when it happens and you might be God's going to see to it every trouble in your life is going to end up for good if not for you than for the people who were still on earth. When he's ready, it's going to happen now. I want to say to you, don't you dare. My friend impugn the character of God by refusing to believe what God says here today or do that, don't you dare say to God, I don't see how you can do it.

I don't believe you can do with this can never turn into good or telling yourself that you are impugning the character of Almighty God. Don't you dare do that. Has God ever not kept his word.

He kept it.

Joseph took him from prison for 13 years in Egypt and turned them into the prime minister of the country he did for Esther. He took her from being an orphan girl and turned her into the queen of Persia. He did it for Ruth taking her from being a childless widow to be the great-grandmother of King David and the great great great great great great grandmother of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He did for David. He took him from running and hiding in caves from Saul to be in the king of Israel, and he did it for Peter. He took him from being sifted like we are the enemy to being the leader of the church in a hole early church folks God has kept his promise to every single person in history who knows Christ and he's going to keep his promise to you, so don't you dare impugn his character is there, but I don't see how listen to me. God doesn't need you to see how he doesn't care if you see how he is going to do with and it doesn't matter if you see how he just need you to trust him and believe that's all he needs and this is why love this program because I'm not a big hole in God. You know what I'm saying almost flunked senior English in high school because I hate polls you know I can't make any sense out of my don't know what they're talking about in my my English teacher told me on English class in high school.

This is true Mrs. Brady. I remember she pointed her finger.

She said so help me Lon Solomon on the flunky would senior English and juvenile have to go back to high school one more year and all I could think about is while that is the crookedest finger I've ever seen. I was a mess.

In high school but I love this poem yeah because I can understand with this one sale. Listen, my father's way may twist and turn, my heart may throb and a but in my soul I'm glad to know he maketh no mistake. My cherished plans may go astray, my hopes may fade away, but still I'll trust my Lord to lead, for he does know the way though that might be dark, and it may seem that day will never break, I'll pin my faith, my all on him. He maketh no mistake, for by-and-by the mist will lift and playing it all you'll make it through all the way though dark to me. He made not one mistake. Praise God for that, a myth and I want to tell you we have that: posted in our bathroom.

It's been there 24 years ever since my daughter Jill was born and began having all of her problems and almost daily. I read this poem and I say thank you Jesus thank you Jesus that brings hope to my life to know that you don't make mistakes, you're going to turn this into good somehow. Thank you Jesus. So let's summarize as followers of Christ. We got four promises that God makes us about our troubles number one are troubles of all been inspected and all yes you can. You can make it number two are troubles have a divine purpose for our character in our development to the glory of Christ. Number three in our troubles. We are never alone. The living Christ is there to help us and number four are troubles will always turn into good because God promised that he would do that now.

That's the end of where we want to go in our passage but we have a final question that we need to answer. Are you ready eradicate. This can be good.

You ready to go on to pray how sweet it is yet well you know what I'm in a close up very quickly but just let me say to you know folks I need to be honest with you and tell you that right now. I got some real troubles in my life. My son and his wife just finalized their divorce for five weeks ago in January and we have three grandchildren under the age of four who were caught right in the middle. That's a good very very nasty situation and it hurts to see that happen in my daughter Jill's health. In 2015 wasn't real good.

She started having drop seizures again where she would just be standing up is like somebody hits her with a brick and she just drops like that with the seizure. In fact, she was a target when it happened once this summer and she hit her head on one of those big wood crates that they keep in the aisles and it's a miracle.

She didn't kill her self. Her fractured her skull that she just had a seizure this morning before came to church and I could go on but the point is in all of these troubles friends I need hope. Just like in all your troubles. You need hope and I remember my mom used to always say well we just have to have all, in whole and Isis a mom that is the dumbest thing I ever heard of in my life Open all kind of nonsense is that folks you don't need that, hope I don't need that, hocus-pocus, hope. I need real.

I need hope that I can sink my teeth into just like you do.

I need hope there's not going to let me down. Even in the toughest seas look just like you do and where do we get that kind of hope we get that kind of hope from knowing the promises of God and believing them. That's where we get that, hope, from praise God.

So right now I want to ask you to bow your heads with me. Close your eyes.

What I'd like you to do with your heads bowed and eyes close. I want you to think of the one with the two biggest troubles that you got in your life right now the biggest problems and struggles in your life. The things right now that are bringing you the most pain and hearted got him okay them on the screen of your mind right now with our eyes closed.

I want you to say out loud after me Yuriko ready this trouble. Come on now come on this trouble has been inspected and with God's help I can handle it this trouble has a divine purpose and it's no accident in my life in this trouble. I am not alone, but the risen Christ is by my side to help me and somehow this trouble will turn into good because Jesus promised it would. And he cannot lie so in all of this I will believe God and therefore are will have hope. Praise Lord let's give God praise