WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:17.679 We're gonna get uh into uh the sermon here, and so if you would turn it uh to Ephesians chapter one, and uh as you do that, um I'm sure uh we are all familiar with the concept of going through a midlife crisis, right? 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:18.719 We know what that's all about. 00:00:18.879 --> 00:00:21.120 I hear some groans already about that. 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:31.039 Well, listen, when someone when someone goes or experiences that, a midlife crisis, it's really a it's a crisis of identity, isn't it? 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:37.039 And it's often brought on by you know a combination of things, really. 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:48.960 It's you know, the reality of aging setting in, and you kind of realize, oh man, my my most youthful days, my youthful vitality, that's my best days are behind me. 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:59.280 You sense that kind of you know slipping away, and you know, kind of a growing realization of their impending mortality and and all of that. 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:10.719 I know it gets kind of dark and you kind of feel that way, and again, along with kind of that sense comes this, you know, this gnawing sense sometimes of just failure, right? 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:17.920 And and that's what you know, men and women both feel, like they haven't accomplished enough uh in this life. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:41.439 And it might be, you know, in regards to you know work and and career and and making money and building a legacy, it could be about you know your your family or just the amount of time you have spent, you know, just enjoying life and recreation and all of those things and and all of that can just you know bring this crushing kind of tidal wave of anxiety about that and and even depression. 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:47.439 And and so when a person is struck by this and they're rattled to the core about it, it compels them. 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:50.959 I I you know, in desperation, I've gotta I've gotta fix this, right? 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:59.519 I've I've gotta I've gotta rebuild my my faltering shaky identity, or or even go and try and find a new one. 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:03.040 And you know, they try and do that through all kinds of things. 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:13.919 I mean, we know, through you know, convertibles and toupees and personal trainers and you know, even you know, younger sexual partners. 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:33.199 Now, hey, when I I think when whenever you know you or I might go through some kind of an identity crisis, you know, no matter how that tends to manifest itself in your life or or or at what age, I mean, personally, I can I can probably point to you know two times in my life that I've gone through an identity crisis. 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:38.879 In my in my teens was the first one, and then uh in my twenties uh as well. 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:52.319 And now I'm kind of nearing the end of my 30s, and I'm hoping that those crises are kind of done and behind me, I'm heading in, ending in heading into that midlife kind of stage, or depending on how you define it, I'm I'm in it. 00:02:52.479 --> 00:03:02.800 And so I'm kind of hoping though that you know as my identity in Christ solidifies and I get stronger and my my joy and hope and identity is all in him, I'm hoping that I don't go too far into that. 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:16.319 But um, you know, if I you know start to rock the hair plugs or you know go heavy on the spray tan or something like that in the near in the coming days, feel free to uh to approach me on that and to talk to me about that. 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:18.639 Be gentle, I might be sensitive, I don't know. 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:32.479 Listen, when when we're in those, again, in those moments, I think what we're really looking for and and what we're what we're longing for and those points of crisis fundamentally is hope. 00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:34.159 That's what we want. 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:41.520 That's that's the thing that we sense slipping away as as the crisis you know happens and it takes place. 00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:53.759 And you know, as much as you know, I'm even kind of you know poking fun at some of at some of how that plays out in our lives, I think, you know, if you've ever gone through that, you know that it is like straight up terrifying, right, to go through that. 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:55.439 You're questioning all kinds of things. 00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:01.039 And I think it's because you and I, I mean, we we crave something real, right? 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:11.919 We crave something, something strong, you know, and and life-giving in our lives that can actually handle the weight of our deepest hopes. 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:12.400 Right? 00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:13.360 That's what we want. 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:18.720 Our our our strongest and most foundational yearnings and desires. 00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:22.240 We want that to be linked to, attached to, something real. 00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:25.920 In fact, it's it's how we're hardwired by our God. 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:40.000 Well, I think one of the most extraordinary things about being or or becoming a Christian is that Jesus himself is our hope. 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:40.480 Right? 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:41.600 That's what he is. 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:48.639 Not only is he our hope, but but from himself, he gives us hope. 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:55.680 Meaning that in Christ we we grow, we learn to become extremely hopeful people. 00:04:55.839 --> 00:04:56.160 Right? 00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:59.040 That's that's us, rock solid in that. 00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:20.399 Because we we've learned, or we're learning to place our deepest hopes in he who is unshakable, instead of you know, in ourselves or in earthly and temporary things that can and inevitably will crumble and fall and let us down. 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:30.959 We are hopeful is a substantial aspect of our identity that God has built right into it and and he gives it to us. 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:33.920 It's ours, it's mine, it's yours. 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:37.439 Through a saving relationship with Jesus. 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:39.920 And so we want to read our verse here today. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:44.560 It's not a long one, Ephesians 1, uh, chapter 12, or verse 12 rather. 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:47.759 And so I'm gonna read it, you can listen or follow along. 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:55.600 It says this, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:57.120 Let's pray. 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:09.600 Lord, what a joy it is for us to come before you here today, recognizing and realizing and being reminded that our one true hope is found in you. 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:16.160 And Lord, that because of the gospel, hopeful is actually our identity now. 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:17.920 It's who we are. 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:31.920 Lord, I pray that as we you know struggle and and and trip all over ourselves to understand this and live in line with this truth, Lord, would you help us here today? 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:40.480 Lord, I pray for for those especially who are coming in here today and feeling as uh you know particularly hopeless. 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:55.360 And their their lives, their their mentality, whatever it might be, might be just it's anxious, it's fearful, it's full of doubts and full of worry and concern. 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:58.879 Lord, I pray that we would see that in Jesus we are hopeful. 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:01.040 Lord, would you teach us these things? 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:02.959 Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:05.839 We thank you that you make these things clear to us. 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:14.160 Lord, I thank that thank you that you are willing to work with us and grow us and pour out more grace. 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:16.480 That's exactly what we need. 00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:27.120 Lord, we also just want to thank you for Mother's Day and for the blessing that moms are, Lord, in our lives, and we don't give them enough. 00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:29.439 Lord, every day should really be Mother's Day, probably. 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:37.120 And Lord, we do thank you for just uh, you know, even a brief opportunity to thank them and and to show them some love. 00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:40.720 And and so, Lord, we pray that uh the moms here would feel that. 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:49.279 And and God, we also want to realize and recognize that Mother's Day is uh not at all an enjoyable thing for some. 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:56.319 Lord, for some it might be the first year that we've experienced this day without our mom. 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:00.639 So Lord, I pray that you would bind up the brokenhearted in this. 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:06.800 Lord, I pray that for those who have strained relationships with their mothers. 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:12.399 Lord, I pray for those who desire to be mothers themselves and it's just not happening. 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:15.680 God, I pray that you would draw near to them especially as well. 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:23.439 Lord, I pray that again, as this is so practical, Lord, I pray that all of us, our hope would be in you most of all. 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:26.240 So, Lord, to be near us here today. 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:32.799 Speak to us, Lord, challenge us, change us, make us more like Jesus. 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:34.879 We pray all this in Christ's name. 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:35.759 Amen. 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:36.799 Amen. 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:40.639 Well, in Christ, uh I am hopeful. 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:42.559 That's really the outline right there. 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:45.120 Pretty simple and pretty straight to the point. 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:54.799 And like I said, we're gonna be focusing on uh verse 12 today, but as I read that, you probably noticed that it's kind of, you know, we're picking it up partway through a sentence here. 00:08:54.879 --> 00:09:01.679 And so to understand the context of this verse properly, let's take a quick peek here, if you will, with me at uh verse 11. 00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:08.639 Now, verse 11 is actually something we studied a few weeks back in a previous uh sermon, but let's look at it again. 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:13.759 It says this in him, that's Jesus, in him we have obtained an inheritance. 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:15.360 Now, what is that inheritance? 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:16.080 What is that? 00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:18.320 Well, that's that's our salvation, right? 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:20.879 It's it's eternal life. 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:24.240 That's the inheritance that we have have obtained, we've been given. 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:27.360 It says, having been predestined, right? 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:31.679 You remember that word, chosen by God according to the purpose of him, right? 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:36.480 Who works all things according to the counsel of his will. 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:52.000 Now, verse 12, so that, all right, so we've obtained this inheritance, verse 11 told us, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ, there's our phrase, might be to the praise of his glory. 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:55.279 Now, a couple of things to notice here. 00:09:55.440 --> 00:10:03.360 When Paul says there that they are the first to hope in Christ, what is he what is he kind of getting at there? 00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:08.799 Well, he's speaking speci uh specifically of Jewish Christians. 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:35.120 Okay, all through the uh this passage that we've been studying over the last number of weeks, through verses 3 to 12 specifically, uh Paul's been referring to all believers, to all of us, you know, whether uh it be Jewish Christians or or Gentile Christians, and he's been teaching all of us what our true identity is in Jesus Christ, what that identity entails. 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:51.519 And so what he's doing here in this specific verse in verse 12, when uh by referencing the Jewish Christians as the first to hope in Christ, what he's doing simply is just really highlighting that the chronological order of who the gospel was proclaimed to. 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:55.120 Now you might be familiar with Romans 1, verse 16. 00:10:55.200 --> 00:11:03.440 It says, For I'm not ashamed of the gospel, this is Paul, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, right? 00:11:03.519 --> 00:11:11.279 The gospel goes out to everyone, but then here's what it says to the Jew first, and also to the Greek or the Gentile. 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:14.960 That's essentially what what Paul is getting at here in Ephesians chapter 1. 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:22.480 Jesus came to share the good news of the uh of the gospel with God's covenant people, Israel, uh, first. 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:29.759 Okay, then from there get the message of the gospel out to the rest of the nations. 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:45.519 Of course, we know that, you know, just looking at the you know at the gospels and the and the story of Jesus, we know that that many of the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah and and they wanted nothing to do with him, and they were responsible for for crucifying uh him. 00:11:45.919 --> 00:12:00.240 And and so we saw, you know, and then we see in Acts chapter 2 a very concentrated effort by the disciples to you know take the message of the gospel uh out to the Gentiles or the non-Jewish peoples. 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:09.279 In verse 13 here in Ephesians chapter 1, which we're gonna get at next week, Paul references those very Gentile Christians directly. 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:10.159 He says, you also. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:13.039 Okay, so he's talking about Jews here, and then next week, you also. 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:15.759 And altogether it's it's all of us. 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:40.639 Now, as good and as and as right and as proper as it is for you and I to understand these contextual details and make sure we under we know what's kind of going on in the passage here, the reality of verse 12 and this whole passage really is that all Christians, whether Jewish or Gentile, are those who specifically hope in Christ. 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:41.200 Right? 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:47.200 That is what we do, meaning that we we place all of our faith in him. 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:53.679 Okay, faith is kind of used, you know, or you could use that synonymously with hope here. 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:54.399 Right? 00:12:54.559 --> 00:13:02.720 As Christians, we no longer hope or have faith in our in our own ability to save ourselves. 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:03.279 Right? 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:09.440 That's that's what happened for you in the moment that you gave your life to Jesus and you got saved. 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:24.559 You may think about your testimony and you go back to that moment in your life when you were, you know, seven years old, or maybe you're 17 or you're 27 or 37 or whatever the age was, there was a moment for you there where you recognize that that Jesus is Lord, that he went to the cross for you. 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:29.279 He was a he died as a substitute in your place because you needed it. 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:29.840 Right? 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:36.960 You were broken, you were sinful, you were you were warped and and corrupt spiritually, and you're like, I'm not gonna trust in myself anymore for this. 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:38.480 I'm not gonna hope in myself. 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:41.919 I can't fix this problem that exists between me and God. 00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:44.720 So I'm gonna put, I'm gonna transfer my hope to him. 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:45.360 Right? 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:48.799 That's what I'm doing, and that's exactly what we're supposed to do. 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:55.600 1 Peter 1, verse 3 says this blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:13:55.840 --> 00:14:03.360 According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again, okay, saved, to a living hope. 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:07.919 Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:08.480 Right? 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:11.200 That, right there, that's what our hope is tied to. 00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:13.039 It's the person of Jesus. 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:17.279 Our hope is in him and the fact that he rose from the grave. 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:27.840 Okay, but we also understand this that our hope doesn't end there in that one moment that you give your life to Jesus. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:39.039 It's not like, well, you know, I had hope in him that that one moment that I prayed with my parents as a 10-year-old, and then after that, I'm kind of done with hope, and I'm just kind of moving on and doing whatever I want. 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:45.679 No, hope is uh it's an ongoing thing, going forward daily for Christians. 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:51.679 You know, we we continue to anchor our our hope to Jesus. 00:14:52.320 --> 00:15:07.120 A meaning that we do not look to idols or countless other sham identities to inform us who we are and for you know, hope for fulfillment in life. 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:07.519 Right? 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:08.960 We don't look to those things. 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:16.399 For Christians, I've said this before, but for Christians, all our eggs are in the Jesus is my only hope basket. 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:16.879 Right? 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:18.480 That that's that's it. 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:27.440 Because our hope is in him, it translates into us being deeply hopeful or hope-filled people. 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:36.559 We're strong and and we're secure in our Savior because of our Savior. 00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:41.039 I love Romans chapter 15, verse 13. 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:55.919 It says this may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so continual and ongoing belief, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. 00:15:56.159 --> 00:15:56.399 Right? 00:15:56.639 --> 00:15:58.559 You may experience even more. 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:05.279 Now, you may be kind of thinking here, hold on a second. 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:07.919 Okay, time out for just a minute. 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:15.919 I you know, I I I think I get that, I I think I see where you're going with that, but you know what, honestly, that that doesn't really feel like my reality. 00:16:16.799 --> 00:16:36.080 I I mean I I'm confident that I'm a Christian, I I understand the gospel, and I've you know I've put my faith, I've put my hope in him, but but honestly, I'm not so sure that I'm you know I'm really doing all that great, Pastor, at this whole, you know, continuing to find all my hope in him and in him alone thing. 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:47.279 In fact, I can, if I'm just being honest here, I can probably point to several other things that my soul longs to find hope in besides Christ. 00:16:48.960 --> 00:17:00.879 Well, hey, if that sounds like you, and if you would agree with that, I mean, I think that's really a sentiment that all of us here can relate to. 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:07.680 Because the truth is, you know, how many of us here are, you know, doing any of that perfectly? 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:11.519 I know you don't love to put your hands up, so that was an easy one for me to have like no one, right? 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:14.319 No one's doing that, no one's doing that perfectly. 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:14.720 Right? 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:19.839 We're struggling in finding all of our hope in Jesus and not in other things. 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:35.200 None of us can can honestly say that we you know never, never feel the temptation to look for hope and you know, worldly delights or you know, feel the tantalizing pull towards those things. 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:39.680 And all of that being said, though, uh don't be discouraged. 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:48.480 I don't think there's any you know real need to be discouraged, I mean, here, because the truth is that that's just part of what it means to live in a fallen and in a broken world. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:50.480 We're gonna be tempted by that kind of stuff. 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:52.240 That's just that's just the way it is. 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:59.119 And all it really means is that you and I, we have some uh some maturing to do, some growth needed. 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:08.079 Listen, that's gonna be the truth for us uh until the Lord returns, until he takes us home and glorifies, uh, gives us our glorified bodies. 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:09.279 Right? 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:19.680 If strong and secure and hopeful Christians, this is what we're striving to be by grace, because our hope is is deeply rooted in Jesus Christ. 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:22.160 And I guess you and I, we better figure out how to do that, right? 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:23.680 How to get there. 00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:39.680 How do I learn, you know, kind of bit by bit, step by step, to kind of root my hope in Jesus and see my idols kind of crumble and fall down and kind of see myself and experience myself filling up with hope and joy and all of these things. 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:41.279 Like, what's the game plan here? 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:42.079 How do I do this? 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:46.960 Let's get practical here for a second, and you can write these down if you want. 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:51.680 Here's a game plan for rooting my hope in Jesus. 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:54.400 We got five five things. 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:55.680 Okay, here's the first one. 00:18:55.839 --> 00:19:01.680 If you want to root your plant your or uh root your hope in Jesus, you gotta first of all recognize the idols that my hope is tied to. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:04.240 You gotta see what those are. 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:06.240 I love Colossians 3 verse 5. 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:10.000 It says, put to death, okay, put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you. 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:11.359 And then it lists a bunch. 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:19.039 Sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness, which is idolatry. 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:24.720 So Paul tells us, he tells the you know the church of Colise here, put to death these things. 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:30.640 Well, before you and I can put these things to death, I guess we better know what our idols are, right? 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:32.480 That need killing. 00:19:32.720 --> 00:19:35.680 We we need to know this, we need to recognize this. 00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:50.960 So I think we really need to learn how to ask ourselves some heart-penetrating questions here so that we can start to unearth what these idols are and then take out the hacksaw to the root of them. 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:59.920 Okay, I think a really good question to ask is you know, what do I really love, desire, and hope for in life? 00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:02.079 What do I really want? 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:03.759 What do I really desire? 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:06.880 What do I really hope for, hope for? 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:15.440 I'm not talking about, you know, what are the churchy Christian answers that that, you know, the right answers that make us look good in small group? 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:16.799 I'm not talking about that. 00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:19.119 I'm talking about no, like honestly. 00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:22.799 What's at the at the bedrock of your heart? 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:25.839 What do you actually hope for in your life? 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:27.759 We gotta think about these things. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:28.799 What do I want? 00:20:28.880 --> 00:20:30.480 What gets you out of bed? 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:33.039 What what motivates you? 00:20:33.359 --> 00:20:37.200 Those are the things that your hope is tied to. 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:43.440 Another great question to go even a little bit deeper in this is what am I insecure about? 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:46.480 You ever asked yourself that question before? 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:48.160 What am I insecure about? 00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:50.640 What what kind of rattles my cage? 00:20:50.720 --> 00:21:03.920 And then as you kind of you know experience insecure moments throughout your day or throughout your week to ask yourself even deeper questions, like what you know, what is my greatest desire in this moment of insecurity? 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:04.480 Right? 00:21:04.640 --> 00:21:09.440 Like, what is it that I want when I'm so disgusted with my appearance? 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:14.640 What is what's the hope at the foundation of all of that? 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:15.200 Right? 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:19.759 What what is you see how those are some kind of heavy, deeper questions? 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:27.440 Listen, we need to be willing to be a little uncomfortable, allow the discomfort there to happen. 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:32.319 I think so many of us, we just we're kind of lazy Christians when it comes to our sanctification. 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:36.400 And we're like, Lord, would you just fix all my problems and I'll just kind of keep living life? 00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:39.359 And hopefully you just kind of improve me along the way. 00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:39.839 Right? 00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:42.720 We don't we don't want God gave you a brain to thank. 00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:47.039 God gave you people to pray with and have people pray for you. 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:47.519 Right? 00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:52.720 We God gave you the scriptures to illuminate what's really going on in your heart. 00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:53.680 Right? 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:56.559 We need to recognize what our idols are. 00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:58.160 Do you know what yours are? 00:21:58.480 --> 00:21:59.440 Could you list? 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.440 Five of them. 00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:03.599 There might be even more. 00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:06.559 So we need to recognize that's part of the plan. 00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:08.880 I think you gotta start there. 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:14.000 Here's another part of the game plan for rooting my hope in Jesus. 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:18.559 You gotta see what your idols are, and then I think you need to really humble yourself before God. 00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:29.440 Once you start to realize where you're broken and your insecurities and what your hope is is really tied to, and all of that, you gotta deal with the sin that's there. 00:22:29.839 --> 00:22:36.880 James chapter 4 says that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:39.039 We want God's grace, don't we? 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:39.359 Right? 00:22:39.680 --> 00:22:40.799 We ask for that all the time. 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:42.000 We talk about it all the time. 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:43.039 We want God's grace. 00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:47.279 Well then we better we better humble ourselves because that's the person that he can't wait to give grace to. 00:22:47.440 --> 00:23:00.319 But if we're gonna continue to be proud and allow sin to rule the roost of our hearts, so to speak, then we're forfeiting even the grace that God wants to show to us. 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:04.160 If you keep going in that passage, it says, Submit yourselves therefore to God. 00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:06.960 Get low, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:09.680 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. 00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:15.039 And then this cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:17.440 Be wretched and mourn and weep. 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:18.079 That's heavy. 00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:18.480 Right? 00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:21.920 Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:27.200 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. 00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:30.559 This is where we're repenting of the sin that's there. 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:32.079 We've got to clear that out. 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:34.079 We've got to deal with it honestly. 00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:41.599 Stare it in the face and allow the Lord to get in there and heal you and change you. 00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:52.960 It's again about again, we kind of referenced this last week, but not just repenting of the actions, but repenting of the heart motivations and desires behind those actions. 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:57.599 Repenting of the ways that your heart looks for hope in all the wrong places. 00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:00.319 We gotta humble ourselves before the Lord. 00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:04.240 Here's uh another part of the game plan, third thing. 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:08.240 Believe what's true and hold the line. 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:10.480 Believe what's true. 00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:13.200 Hey, Philippians 4, verse 8, I love this. 00:24:13.359 --> 00:24:16.240 It says, Finally, brothers, whatever is true, okay? 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:25.200 Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there's any excellence, if there's anything worthy of praise. 00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:26.079 I love this. 00:24:26.319 --> 00:24:27.920 Think about these things. 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:28.640 Right? 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:31.839 You you've got to actually believe what is true. 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:37.519 You've got to see what's true, you've got to see what the standard is, and then actively think about those things. 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:39.359 You've got to hold the line on that. 00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:53.119 I think we've all seen movies with battle scenes, and you've seen the armies running across the battlefield, they're running towards each other, and then there's there's this collision, and you see guys with shields, and they're they're holding, they're pressing up against the enemy, and they're trying to hold that line. 00:24:53.279 --> 00:24:55.519 They're trying not to let the enemy get beyond that. 00:24:55.680 --> 00:24:58.319 That's what we have to do with the truth. 00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:01.519 We have to believe what's true. 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:14.400 Think about the various truths and and and the various scriptures and verses that help you hold the line against the lies that the enemy is gonna try and get at you with, right? 00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:21.440 The uh against the idols that your heart wants to run to and and wants to believe will bring you hope. 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:30.559 Just the truth that Christ is your true hope is what leads you to being a person who is full of hope. 00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:34.240 And so a lot of practical ways that you can do this. 00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:40.000 One thing I've heard of lots of people doing this, they like write down verses on sticky notes and stick them all over the house. 00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:40.480 Right? 00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:43.759 So then they're constantly reminded of what is true. 00:25:46.960 --> 00:25:50.720 All kinds of things that you can do to hold that line. 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:52.720 Here's the fourth one. 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:56.960 Get the upper hand on my spiritual disciplines. 00:25:57.759 --> 00:25:58.799 All right, this is important. 00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:00.960 1 Timothy 4, verse 7. 00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:09.359 Paul says to Timothy, he says, Rather train, or other translations say discipline, rather train yourself for godliness. 00:26:09.759 --> 00:26:11.440 Train yourself for it. 00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:22.720 I think for far too many of us here, our spiritual disciplines continue to be a major area of weakness for us. 00:26:23.039 --> 00:26:27.519 And if we're honest, again, we're just we're just flat out not doing enough to make that a strength. 00:26:28.240 --> 00:26:29.119 We're not. 00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:32.400 Or you may be thinking, well, what are what are spiritual disciplines? 00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:33.599 And what do you mean by that? 00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:46.079 Well, I think the two key ones that that we often talk about and think about a lot are you know, scripture intake, where we're studying God's word and opening up our Bibles on a daily basis and reading it and getting in front of God that way. 00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:49.279 I think another spiritual discipline that goes hand in hand with that is prayer. 00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:55.200 But these are things that we have to work at and we have to sharpen, and and we're not naturally all that great at it. 00:26:55.359 --> 00:26:59.759 And so it takes discipline to grow and get better at all of these things. 00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:14.480 Other spiritual disciplines that maybe you've tried or you might want to look into trying and working on, or things like fasting and confession and worship, fellowship with others, rest. 00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:18.160 We're not that great at that one in this culture. 00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:23.039 But celebration, service, and generosity. 00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:31.680 These are just a few here, but again, so many of us, I mean, even you're you're hearing me say this before, and we and or you're hearing me say this now, and you're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:27:31.759 --> 00:27:33.039 Spiritual disciplines, yeah, I know. 00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:34.960 Those those need to get better, right? 00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:38.480 And then we have like zero plan to do anything about actually making it better. 00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:39.119 Right? 00:27:39.279 --> 00:27:39.759 Zero. 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:41.920 And we're like, yeah, no, I I I know. 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:43.039 Like that's that's the key. 00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:45.839 Like if I don't read my Bible, I'm dead meat. 00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:49.440 And so we don't read our Bible. 00:27:49.759 --> 00:27:56.880 And then the very next week at church or at small group or when we're talking to somebody or whatever, it's yeah, I'm really struggling with all of this. 00:27:57.279 --> 00:27:58.720 We're when we're in the word. 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:00.640 I I I was I wasn't. 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:02.640 You know that's a huge key, right? 00:28:02.799 --> 00:28:03.519 Oh yeah. 00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:04.880 What's the plan? 00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:07.519 Like we do this all the time. 00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:08.640 Are you not like going crazy? 00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:11.039 I'm going crazy because I struggle with this too. 00:28:11.200 --> 00:28:11.519 Right? 00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:17.680 And it's it's amazing how something so simple in so many ways is such a challenge for us. 00:28:17.920 --> 00:28:21.039 And listen, I'm not trying to you know kick us when we're down or anything like that. 00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:22.559 I'm just saying we need to come up with a plan. 00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:27.839 We need to we need to think through these things and commit by grace in the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:29.519 Like, Lord, I need to wrestle this down. 00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:30.720 I need to get better at this. 00:28:30.799 --> 00:28:31.920 Lord, would you help me? 00:28:32.079 --> 00:28:33.119 Humble yourself again. 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:36.880 Go back to step two if needed, and ask the Lord to help you in this. 00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:38.640 We need spiritual disciplines. 00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:42.400 You get into God's word, you pray, you have other believers around you, all of that. 00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:42.880 Guess what? 00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:45.839 Your hope is gonna start to root in Jesus Christ. 00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:49.359 You get away from those spiritual disciplines, your hope won't be there. 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:52.160 Not in Christ, it'll be in other things, it'll chase after that. 00:28:53.119 --> 00:28:58.960 Spiritual disciplines are a weapon, and it's just one of those things that we need to work at constantly. 00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:02.960 Here's the last thing a game plan for rooting my hope in Jesus. 00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:05.839 Rally trusted allies for support. 00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:06.640 Right? 00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:07.599 We need to do this. 00:29:07.839 --> 00:29:11.200 We need people around us, we need the church. 00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:13.440 Proverbs 27, verse 6. 00:29:13.599 --> 00:29:14.000 I love this. 00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:17.680 It says, Faithful are the wounds of a friend. 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:20.880 You ever had a friend say a hard thing to you? 00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:24.079 You ever had a friend like confront you on something? 00:29:24.319 --> 00:29:30.720 Hey, listen, I've I've really noticed this as an area that's that's that's harming you and maybe even harming others. 00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:35.200 That's really uncomfortable to experience that. 00:29:35.599 --> 00:29:40.240 But have you ever had gone through that and realized, man, that was good that I had that? 00:29:40.400 --> 00:29:40.640 Right? 00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:42.559 We need people. 00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:50.559 You know, so many of us use the excuse in church, in community like this, where I'm, you know, I'm an introvert. 00:29:50.880 --> 00:29:59.039 So, you know, sorry, that whole like joining a small group or you know, or or or building relationships here, that's that's for extroverts. 00:29:59.279 --> 00:30:01.519 There's no Bible verse to back that up. 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:02.079 Right? 00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:03.039 There's not. 00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:06.079 I am more of an introvert than you might realize. 00:30:06.160 --> 00:30:09.119 So I have to, I have to like put effort into this sometimes. 00:30:09.279 --> 00:30:11.519 I love just going into the darkness of my basement. 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:14.720 That's where I live, that's where I'm warm, that's my that's my safe place. 00:30:15.039 --> 00:30:15.359 Right? 00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:22.160 So I need to I need to make the effort to go and build relationships and be with people because I know that that's ultimately what I need. 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:26.000 My flesh maybe not doesn't always want that, but I know that I need it. 00:30:26.160 --> 00:30:28.240 I need I need the prayer support, right? 00:30:28.319 --> 00:30:32.240 I I need the encouragement, I I need the instruction from time to time. 00:30:32.319 --> 00:30:36.160 As I'm starting, my thinking is off, my actions are off. 00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:40.640 There are even times where I need a rebuke. 00:30:40.799 --> 00:30:41.599 We all do. 00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:46.160 It's one of the biggest reasons God gave us the church. 00:30:46.640 --> 00:30:59.119 And there's so many of us here, and we're all kind of different from each other, and different ages and different walks of life, and different experiences, and lots of differences. 00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:01.599 Listen, that's an awesome thing to be celebrated. 00:31:01.920 --> 00:31:07.279 Because we need the sharpening that comes from different perspectives and the support of all of those things, all right? 00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:17.839 Now, listen, some of you here, you'll probably see that you know those five things, you know, as a pretty solid game plan. 00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:18.400 Right? 00:31:18.480 --> 00:31:33.599 You could probably add a couple more of your own to that or whatever, and you see that, you know, if if I were to follow those things, you know, genuinely, you know, I could begin to anchor my hope to Jesus and not into idols. 00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:40.640 And that hope that is mine in Christ is gonna grow, and I'm gonna see fruit bear from all of that. 00:31:40.799 --> 00:31:49.440 And maybe even some of you here, you're starting to, as you as you read those things and you're thinking through those things, you're listening to this, you're starting to even prayerfully you know, start to come up with a game plan this week. 00:31:49.519 --> 00:31:59.759 And you know, how can I commit or recommit to implementing, you know, one or two or all of these things this week and getting back kind of back at it, back into the saddle. 00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:05.119 Others of us here probably aren't. 00:32:05.519 --> 00:32:05.839 Right? 00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:47.519 If we again, if we're just being honest and being real, and and I think for a bunch of us, it's not that we you know disagree with that game plan, so to speak, or any point of it, but maybe it's that you just don't really feel the motivation today, or or for you in your life, as you kind of take stock of where you're at, you you don't you don't really sense the urgency to follow the Lord in this way and to have your hope anchored to him, or or or or to be really painfully obvious honest, is maybe you're you'd admit that you're you're still just, you know, I'm kind of happy and content to just continue to play with my idols and continue to worship them. 00:32:48.720 --> 00:33:07.519 Well, listen, if that's you, and you're not, again, actively, by grace, not in your own strength, but if you're if you're not actively learning to hope in Jesus, do not be surprised, not if, but when you suffer a crisis of hope at some point. 00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:10.000 It's inevitable. 00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:13.200 If your hope is not in Jesus, it's in something else. 00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:29.680 And whatever that thing is, whether it's your money, whether that's in a relationship, whether that's in the toys that you possess, none of those things were given to you by God to hold the weight of your hope. 00:33:29.839 --> 00:33:30.799 Do you understand that? 00:33:30.960 --> 00:33:32.640 They're not strong enough. 00:33:33.440 --> 00:33:34.799 They're frail and they're fragile. 00:33:34.880 --> 00:33:37.119 And so a crisis, you're headed for that. 00:33:37.440 --> 00:33:52.880 And so listen, and I know I'm I'm pressing us here a little bit hard today, but but we all need to take to take stock of the fact here that the choices that you and I make in life will either have benefits or consequences. 00:33:53.119 --> 00:33:53.279 Right? 00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:55.599 We need to look at it like that. 00:33:55.839 --> 00:34:01.119 We will either bear good fruit or we will bear bad fruit. 00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:05.920 Okay, so so let's let's frame it up this way. 00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:10.000 Okay, and we're gonna have this chart for you on the screen. 00:34:10.159 --> 00:34:17.280 And if you're afraid of getting carpal tunnel syndrome from writing, again, you can just take a picture at it at the end. 00:34:18.079 --> 00:34:25.039 But here it is consequences of hoping in idols versus the benefits of hoping in Christ. 00:34:25.280 --> 00:34:27.280 Okay, and let's compare these two things a little bit. 00:34:27.360 --> 00:34:30.079 We'll go through the consequences uh first. 00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:33.360 Okay, you want to hope in idols? 00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:36.880