R sbc
March 5th 2006
Sunday Morning
Sermon # 73
Series: “Christ the Sum & Substance of The Bible”
Subject: “ Jesus Christ, Which is our Hope”
Text: I Tim 1:1-2
Intro: In contrast to the christians hope I wish to show what other hopes the bible speaks us which is really no hope at all. The purpose for doing this, so that you and I can discern what great hope we have in the LORD JESUS CHRIST our God and our Saviour.
(1.) There is the hypocrite which hope he has shall perish with him: Job 8:13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish: (2.) There is the hope of the wicked: Job 11:20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost. (3.) The fool’s hope is his philosophy which is vain deceit and it will die with him...Pr 26:10 The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.
Let me assure you who are here today that the hope outside Christ is really no hope at all, it deceitful, it hurtful, and in the end it will choke you to death and you shall arise up in hell where there is no hope for the unbeliever...So listen this morning for your sakes and throw yourself at the merciful God and cry out to him for real mercy and hope.
I... “I WISH TO SPEAK OF THE NATURE OF CHRIST AS OUR HOPE”
William Jay a presbyterian preacher who lived from 1769-1853 and served the chapel at Bath in England for 60 yrs wrote a book call morning exercises which is really his sermons condensed into devotions they are great... he said and I want to borrow what he said about the nature of Christ being our hope...and expand on it...
(1.) He is our hope substantially... “ which means he is full of character to be our hope”
We need not worry if he is worthy of such a title, we can bank on it and we can bank it. It will be sufficient. 1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
The word blemish means: “ to be without any flaw of nature or character, it means to be unblameable, it is impeccably so...the lamb with blemish. He is the worthy one in which Peter said “depart from be for I am a sinful man, in which John the Baptist said: Mr 1:7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
In which the centurion said Lu 7:6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
Rest assure this morning that Christ substantially our hope...
(2.) Christ merited our hope:
This is not something to taken lightly, for the Son of man, the Son of God, the Son of David, The Son Abraham to live and die for us is what merited our hope in him. Without this nothing else would work... he resurrection climaxed his worthiness and his meritorious work for his people.
A. In the merit of it he came from heaven to do the will of his Father:
b. In the merit of it he came to save sinners from their sins:
c. In the merit of it he came to call a people to send forth the word of light and hope.
d. In the merit of it he came to die so we could live.
e. In the merit of it he came to die and resurrect so that we could be justified.
Ro 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
(3.) Christ being our hope is effectively .
Everything that Christ did for us is effective. There is no slack of it, there is no lack of it, there is no outdating of it, there is no using it all up, it is effective in the world today as it ever was. Such effect Christ has on us..
Since he is substantially our hope, since he is the merit of our hope, and since he is the effectiveness of our hope what other benefits can we rely upon Christ being our hope? I guess the short of the answer is plenty...but I will share for with you and hope that you can lay hold of it...
I... THE GROUND OF HOPE..
When I think of Christ being the ground of our hope, then I am driven to talk about the foundation, for something that is grounded is good, and it will not fall nor sink. It is much better than sand or any fabricated material that want stand the test...
Isa 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
Luke said this is the stone rejected by many: Ac 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Jesus Christ is the chief corner stone: Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; The Apostle said that he was the precious stone, living stone, rejected stone, stumbling stone; 1Pe 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 1Pe 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 1Pe 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 1Pe 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
He is the stone in which the children of Israel drink of: 1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
What ground he is for us his people, there are four verses in the book of Matthew 7-24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
II... HE CLEARLY IS THE AUTHOR Of IT:
Since it is clearly taught in the Bible that if we have a hope Christ is the author of as much as he is the author of faith: Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Note not only author but finisher, He that began a good work will finish it.
(1.) It is in our hearts by the Holy Spirit: Ro 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Ro 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
(2.) It is in us because Christ is in us: Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Heb 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; vs 20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
We can rely upon this hope because God cannot lie:
We can rely upon this hope because Christ is entered for us:
I love the book of Hebrews it is one of my favorite books of the Bible for it is a book showing the great value of JESUS CHRIST to all other things that exist. One set of verses that adds to this above is found in...Heb 9-24-28 He shows three appearances of Christ that really cements our hope in him...
(1.) His appearance in the world: vs 26
Appeared as a baby in a manager: Lu 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Appeared as a lamb: Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Joh 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
Appeared as a saviour: Luke 2- 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Appeared unto many after his death: Acts 1-3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
(2.) He has appeared and is appearing in heaven for us: vs 24
To have a man in heaven for us, for he is both a man and God, There is one mediator between man and God the man Christ Jesus...Know that you and I can hope in that. Paul one time in I Cor 15- 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.20 ¶ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Sinner bow to him this morning and know he can and will save you he is in heaven appearing now for us and maybe for you only he knows that and you.
(3.) He will appear again one day: vs 28
Such hope he left us... Why stand ye gazing up into heaven this same Jesus whom you see taken up into heaven shall in like manner come again as ye see him go away. We have a hope that is steadfast, that is sure because he is our anchor.
Note something else: Look at the TRADMENDOUS blessing we can look forward to out of our hope in Christ... shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation..