Feeling Hopeless? Discover a Hope That Never Fails | Phil Kniesel

Feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges? This week's podcast marks the beginning of our Advent series, where Pastor Phil delves into the profound impact of hope. Learn how hope, firmly anchored in God's promises, can sustain and motivate you through trials. With insights from the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the teachings of Paul, this message will inspire you to embrace a hope that is active, anticipatory, and deeply rooted in faith.

Challenge of the Week:
Each day this week, identify and write down one promise from Scripture that brings you hope. Place each one in a prominent space so that you can reflect on how this promise can serve as an anchor in uncertain times. Text us your thoughts below or share with a friend or family member. 

Last Week's Sermon:
If you missed last week's message, explore the conclusion of our "Follow Me" series. Pastor Ken discusses what it means to "fish for people" and how God can work through you to bring others into His grace. Listen here: Last Week's Sermon.

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Transcript

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Phil Kniesel: 0:00

See, hope is not based on circumstances or our own ability to change things. It's rooted in God. It's anchored in who God is and the fact that He is faithful. Hey, this is Phil Kniesel, Lead Pastor at Hope City Church. Thanks for tuning into our podcast. My prayer is that this helps and encourages you, gives you some practical ways to live out your faith, and ultimately fills you with hope. Enjoy the message. Well, it's the 1st of December today, and studies say people who set up their Christmas trees in November are generally happier. So, if your tree has been up for weeks, congratulations, you're winning at life, okay? Okay, show of hands, across our campuses in this room, who has their tree up already? Okay, keep your hand up if it makes you ridiculously happy. Haha, see. Now if you're more like the person who's, uh, I'm gonna set up my tree on December 24th, don't worry. You're not grinchy, you're just pacing yourself, right? Christmas is filled with so much stuff. Decorations, shopping, creating the perfect holiday vibe. But amid all that, we often neglect what matters most. Now, whether you grew up in this country or immigrated, the hard fact is the English language is difficult to learn. Case in point, we have words that are spelled the same, but have different meanings. Let's take a moment to appreciate the confusion of homographs. Band a musical group, band the strap on your Fitbit, bat a flying mammal, bat what you swing at baseball, bear a large animal, and bear what you do when you endure holiday shopping crowds. That's just confusing. Then there are words that have identical meanings, but carry wildly different levels of impact depending on the context. That's just confusing. The same word can be powerless and at other times, powerful. Take for example the word help. Can I help you? Powerless. Help me. Powerful. Or what about the word love? I love Nutella. Powerless. I love you. Powerful, but if you say it too soon on a first date also very creepy The word believe I believe we are leaving in 10 minutes powerless. I believe in you powerful What about the word? Hope I Hope the traffic isn't too bad powerless and usually wrong I Hope the movie isn't a disappointment powerless I hope that the Oilers win the cup this year. Well, that's a debatable. My hope is in God. Powerful. Powerful hope keeps us going. You know, I remember reading the autobiography of a guy named Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was a pastor in prison during World War II because he didn't go along with the Nazi propaganda and the state religion. And from prison, he wrote these words. The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present, but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality, and hope where others have resigned. It enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy. Powerful hope takes no account of the present, but stays alive when others would have tapped out. How does someone staring death in the face have powerful hope like that? And you might be here and you, you need the same kind of hope and friend, let me tell you, you are in the right place. I'm starting a new series for December entitled Advent. Advent is a tradition that Christians have observed since the 4th century. And the word means appearance or arrival. Looking forward with excitement. It's anticipating something that is coming. Advent is a season to reflect. Ponder and prepare oneself to celebrate the arrival of Christ's birth. And it's also a call to look forward to the time when Jesus will come again. Advent is traditionally observed over the four weeks preceding Christmas. It has four themes. Some people have like a wreath and light candles. And those themes are hope, peace, joy, and love. And this month we're going to be reflecting on them. It's a push to forget about the things that matter less and focus on what matters most in this season. Maybe think of Advent like the quiet person in the corner at a party. It's not loud like Black Friday. It's not annoying like Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas on repeat. It's subtle. It's profound. It gets us to slow down, to pause, and reconnect with what truly matters. It's this invitation, and I bet it's a different one compared to all the other invitations you're going to get in this Christmas season. It's one that's captivating, and it calls us to listen to a most engaging story that God's love was manifested in Jesus. It summons all of us into the collective memory of the people of God, a memory that's so powerful that it has captured generation after generation, literally for decades and centuries. And my prayer is that it captures yours as well. Hope City, what if moving into Christmas this year, things are a little different? What if we went back to what we all really want in the first place? How do we recalibrate our souls at the beginning of December to what we're supposed to be and do during this season? So on this initial weekend in December, Advent calls us to ponder hope. And hope can be powerless or powerful, depending on your context. And I'm curious, what's the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word hope? You know, over eight years ago, we changed the name of our church to Hope City, and I love this because it underscores something so prevalent in the Christian life that there is always hope that God doesn't leave us hanging in every situation, in everything we face, whether it's good, bad, or ugly. We have hope because of what God did through Jesus for us. And so I want to say it again. If you've joined us and you need some hope, friend, you've come to the right place. There's this story of a millionaire. His name is Eugene Land. And he greatly changed the lives of some kids in East Harlem. He'd been asked to speak to 59 grade sixers. And he was kind of thinking, how can I inspire these students, most of whom would drop out of school before the end of high school? He was thinking, how can I get them to even care about listening to me? And so when he got in front of them, he scrapped his notes and he decided to speak to them from his heart. And he said this, stay in school and I'll help pay the college tuition for every one of you. And at that moment, the lives of these 59 grade sixers changed because for the first time, they had hope. One student said this, I had something to look forward to something waiting for me. It was a golden feeling. Nearly 90 percent of that class went on to graduate and went on to school beyond that. So untypical of the past records of that school. That's the power of hope. It changes lives. Paul was writing to Christians in Rome, and he wrote these words in regard to hope. He says this, We can rejoice too when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character. And character strengthens our confident hope of salvation, and this hope will not lead to disappointment for we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. I like how the message paraphrase says that same passage, and I just want you to listen to this. We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles. Because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling short changed. Quite the contrary, we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit. Now that's hope, that's life changing hope. And so friend, do you need some hope today? Because I'm not talking about a powerless hope where it's kind of like, well, I hope things work out, man. No, I'm talking about a powerful hope, one that sustains, directs, and motivates. A hope that is filled with meaning and purpose. Hope that can only be found in God. A little later in the same book of Romans, Paul writes these words. He says this, I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. And I love that he says here that God is the source of hope, meaning it originates from him. Powerful hope only exists in God. And this hope is not based on fleeting circumstances, but it stands on who God is. And notice, he also says that you will overflow with confident hope. This conveys a sense of abundance and sufficiency, indicating our hope is not limited, it's not weak, it's prevailing, it's commanding, and it's enduring because it's set in God's character and in God's promises. We've got countless words from scripture that underpin this reality. The writer of Hebrews says, let us hold on swervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Paul again in Romans says it this way for everything that was written in the past so basically written in scripture was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the scriptures and the Encouragement they provide we might have what? hope My hope is in God Powerful and as we reflect on this I kind of believe that most of us need that kind of hope today And there are at least three aspects that I want to highlight. Three things the hope of Advent calls us to remember. Three reasons why hope in God is powerful. And the first one is this. Hope is an anchor. Now have you ever, um, been on a boat and forgotten to anchor it? It's not a big deal until you realize you drifted halfway across the lake and then you're suddenly waving at strangers to come rescue you. The writer of Hebrews says it this way. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Now the hope that is mentioned here is rooted in the certainty of God's unchanging character and the work of Jesus and what he did for us and through us or through, uh, the cross. What he did for us and on the cross. How we no longer are separated from God because our sins are forgiven from what he did and we're set free because of his sacrifice. We have a hope, we have a future because of that. And this hope is an anchor for our souls. Emphasizing its stability, its security. And think about what an anchor does, right? It keeps a boat securely in place in every weather condition. It doesn't cause the boat to drift or to move off course. Hope in God keeps us steady amidst all the things life can throw at us. And most of us, we know the hardships and the complications that life can throw at us. And here's the thing about this. This hope is not always visible to the plain eye, just like a boat's anchor is often invisible beneath the surface. And that makes it harder for us because we want to see hope displayed, but secure, powerful hope is down beneath the surface. It's deep within who we are. It hits to the core of our soul. It's kind of like we just know because we know. And here's something I want you to remember. Hope is only as strong as the foundation on which it stands. And so therefore, hope must choose a solid foundation. You hear that hope must choose a solid foundation because the fact is we can, we can choose a lot of things to put our hope in careers, relationships, health finances, but every one of us knows that these things are fragile and ultimately out of our control. When our hope is anchored in something so much bigger than those things, when it's anchored in God, anchored in the promises of God, we can be sure and secure no matter what. And God has a track record for this. I'm not just saying this, it's been proven throughout Scripture. God makes promises and He was always faithful to fulfill them. Case in point, when the Israelites were in slavery in Egypt, God promised deliverance and He sent Moses to lead them to freedom. When the same people were exiled in Babylon, God promised restoration and he brought them back to their land. There was these two people, Abraham and Sarah, and God promised that they would have descendants as numerous as the sand on the seashore, but they were aged and well beyond childbearing years. And this is what Paul writes in the New Testament book of Romans in regard to that. He says, Against all hope, so when he couldn't see any hope, Abraham in hope, meaning hope deep within him, believed and so became the father of many nations. Just as it had been said to him, so shall your offspring be. Amen. Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead since he was about 100 years old and that Sarah's room was also dead. Yet, he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. Hope is this anchor deep in our soul that keeps us secure. Amen. Hope determines to believe that God keeps his promises. And Advent, it also reminds us of some of the promises that were fulfilled in Jesus birth. It was told he was going to be born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, and from the line of David. And God kept those promises, sent a Savior, that Savior is Jesus who came to bring light to a dark world. See, hope is not based on circumstances or our own ability to change things. It's rooted in God. It's anchored in who God is and the fact that He is faithful. Friends, I want you to listen to me. God is faithful. And that means if he says something, you can depend upon it and you can make it the anchor of your life. He did it back then and he can and he will do it again. It's in his nature to be faithful. We can trust him in that because God does not change our hope. It never comes from our situations. It comes from God who is always faithful. And so my hope is in God is powerful because that hope is an anchor. Secondly, it's powerful because that hope. Hope is active, meaning hope's not dormant. It's not something we put on the shelf and wait around to see what's gonna happen. Hope in God needs to be this active dynamic in our life. And it goes beyond wishful thinking and positive thoughts. So it's not this passive wish for a better future, or thinking positive vibes over and over and hopefully they'll come to pass. That's powerless. The Christian hope Hope in God is powerful because it's a confident expectation rooted in God's promises and in God's power and active hope motivates us to live in a way that reflects that trust in God. And then it shapes our daily decisions and it inspires us not to give up. Okay, so hands up across our campuses. How many of you like waiting? That's what I thought. Do you know that it's been estimated in our lifetime we spend six months of waiting in line for things. It's been said that we spend a total of 43 days on hold with automated customer service. It says we spent 3. 2 years waiting on Netflix to buffer. 38 hours waiting in traffic. And yes, over your lifetime, 24 hours leaving our parking lot. We hate waiting. But all that is kind of trivial. It's not trivial, however, when we're waiting for God. That's a different level of tough. Waiting on him to do something or for him to move in complex situations. In times like that, waiting's kind of a big deal and it's downright difficult. And here's why. Waiting always challenges our patience. It tests our faith and it often leaves us feeling powerless. The people of Israel, they waited for centuries for the arrival of the Messiah, all the while enduring oppression and hardship. And here's the deal, they had the promises of God, but they didn't have a timeline. And I think we all relate. We might know what God says, you potentially know his promises, but you don't have a timeline. Promises like, call out to me and I will help you in the day of trouble. Promises like, I will never leave you or forsake you. Promises like, I'm the rock that you can depend upon. You know his promises, but you just wish you knew his timeline. And because you don't, your patience and faith are tested. And it leaves you feeling a little bit out of control. And this is where active hope comes into play. And the Bible is filled with examples of active waiting or active hope. It's not passive. It's a faith filled posture. The writer of Psalms says it this way, Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord. So he's telling us to wait. He says it twice there. And we do this by being strong and taking heart. And what that tells us is waiting is not idle. It's not about twiddling our thumbs and sitting back and watching my, what might happen. It means it's a life filled with prayer, filled with anticipation, filled with trust. You could paraphrase it and say, as you wait for the Lord, tough it up and giddy up. And I hope that this is underpinned by staying strong in the trial. That's where you find hope and that you are encouraged that God has you in his hands. That no matter what you are facing today, God already knows. And I don't know, friend, what you might be waiting for. What kind of hope you need right now. What kind of timeline you're facing. Maybe you've been waiting for healing. Maybe you've been waiting for a breakthrough. Maybe you just need an answer and it's not coming. Maybe you need a door to open and it's been closed for far too long. And I know it's easy to feel like God is distant or God is silent. But Advent reminds us that in the waiting friend, listen to me. God is working. He is shaping you. He is teaching you patience. He is refining your faith. He is preparing you for the answer. He has in store. God is present in your life right now. God is able in your life. It's kind of like the song we sing around here where the words say this, even when I don't see it, you're working. Even when I don't feel it, you're working. You never stop. You never stop working. That's what active hope says. And in fact, I've asked Pastor Brett to come out here and just sing a little bit of the Song with us because I believe we need to be reminded of that today because here's what saying something audibly does we speak it, we hear it and we better internalize it. And so over that situation, over that waiting, over that tension, over whatever it is that is going on in your life. Can you sing even when I don't see it, you're working. Even when I don't feel it. You're working. Brett, lead us in that now and sing along with it.

Brett Woida: 22:01

Even when I don't see it working, even when I don't feel it working, he never stop. He never stop working. He never stop. Never s this over your situation, over your waiting. Even when I don, when you feel like God is silent, friend, remember this, he never stop working. Remember this. Let's stick it again. Even when I don't, even, when I don't, even when I don't feel it. Feel you working. You never stop. You never stop working. You never stop. You never. One more time working. Just remind yourself of this, this active working, this hope that believes that God is in this. You never stop. You never stop working. Let's Waymaker. Miracle Worker. Waymaker. Miracle Worker Promise. That is who? Let's singing it one more time. This is who our God is. He's the way maker. He's the miracle worker. Miracle promise in the darkness, my God. Let's that one more time, way Maker Brett. Let's sing it. Declare that over your situation, friends, where God has been silent, He is the one who is working, He is the one who is moving. Who you're think that is. Who you are, who you that, who you. That's who our God is. That despite what you are walking through, Fred, that is who are God miracle.

Phil Kniesel: 24:13

May you be reminded of that, that no matter what you are walking through, no matter what you are going through, our God is moving. Our God is working. Even when you don't see a friend, even when you don't feel it, he is able. An active hope invites God to work within us, even when we can't see it. It aligns our hearts with God, and it helps us trust in His perfect timing. My hope is in God. It's powerful because that hope is an anchor. It's powerful because that hope is active, and thirdly, it's powerful because that hope is anticipatory. Think about the anticipation kids feel waiting for Christmas morning. I mean, they don't wake up thinking, I hope Santa or my parents remembered me. No, they're confident something is waiting for them. And long ago, the Jewish people were waiting for the Messiah to come, and they just waited, and they waited, and they anticipated it, and then Jesus came. Just like God fulfilled his promise back then, we know that we can have hope that he's going to do it again. Jesus said he will come back, and right now it might feel like we're waiting and waiting and waiting, but friends, we can be sure that Jesus will return. Anticipatory hope looks to the future, not with dread, not with fear, but with calmness and assurance. It's grounded in knowing that the God who said it is the God who will. Anticipatory hope does not see tomorrow as bleak and dark, but one step closer to the fulfillment of what God has promised. Anticipatory hope believes and holds on to the fact that Jesus will return. Anticipatory hope knows that the grave is not the end, but just a transition. And I know a lot of people fear death. It's been said that death is the highest fear of humanity, and that's not true. That's natural, that's pretty normal. So don't think if you fear death that you're some sort of bad person or, or a bad Christian or something. But Paul, Paul tells us that there is life beyond life. Hope tells us that there is life beyond life. Jesus told us that there is life beyond life. Paul states it this way, for to me to live is Christ, but to die is gain. And why would he say that? Because gain is to be in the presence of Jesus. Gain is to be free from all sickness and pain and sorrow. Gain is to finally see in full what we now only imagine. Gain is eternal life. And so friend, let me assure you, if you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, and that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. You will have eternal life. You don't have to wonder. You don't have to fear. You don't have to worry. The Bible says those who Jesus sets free are free indeed. We have the blessed hope of this. And that makes things just a little easier in the now when it's really hard. You know, some of the best funerals I do are for those who know that life is not the end but just a transition. And it doesn't mean we don't mourn the loss. It does mean we can celebrate because anticipatory hope says we will see them again. That death is not the end. Paul writes to some Christians in Thessalonica these words. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Here's a time coming where God's plan for humanity will culminate and Jesus will reign eternally as king and bring about justice, peace, and restoration to the world. And that gives us hope in the present no matter what we are facing. That is the ultimate hope of the Christian faith. Hope that is anticipatory. Admiral William McRaven. He writes about what he learned during Navy SEAL training. And he says this, Hope is the most powerful force in the universe. With hope you can inspire nations to greatness. With hope you can raise up the downtrodden. With hope you can ease the pain of unbearable loss. Sometimes all it takes is one person to make a difference. And so how do we do this? We don't just sit back and hope for hope's sake, that's powerless. We grab on to powerful hope, we hope in God, and that hope is powerful because that hope is an anchor, that hope is active and that hope is anticipatory. And so, friend, are you needing some hope today? Put your hope in God, the author and perfecter of your faith. Put your hope in God, the one who was and is and is to come. Put your hope in God, the one who is always faithful. You know, church, my prayer for you during this Advent season is simply this. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. I'm gonna ask you to stand if you are able to. I want to close in prayer this morning. God, I thank you that you are the God of hope, that no matter what we face, we know that we can look to you. We can trust you. We can depend upon you. And so I pray for my friends here today, those that are walking through some really big circumstances, some massive trials and complications. I pray today that you underscore that you are the God of hope. I pray that they may rest securely. With that fact in their souls, may they be anchored in that. Knowing that they can trust you, depend upon you, look to you, and in faith move forward. And so I ask God that you just encourage them, I ask that you speak life into them, I ask that you build their faith today. May they trust you in and through all things. And God, for that person who feels like they're waiting, in the midst of the waiting, may you speak life and hope in next. In the midst of the waiting, may you surround them and encourage them today. And so I just ask that the God of hope may fill them with joy and peace as they trust in you. I just ask that they may walk securely in that. Maybe you're joining us and, You don't know Jesus personally, and you're saying, man, I want the hope that you're talking about, that eternal hope, that hope for life after death. Friend, I said it. Jesus came, he died on the cross to forgive your sins. He rose and he offers life, both now and forevermore. And to begin this incredible journey with Jesus, it begins with a decision. And if you're here and you want to make that decision, or if you're joining online or watching out of campus, I'm going to pray a prayer, and I ask you to pray along with me, and why don't you pray with me. Jesus, I see my need for you, and I thank you for going to the cross, for dying for my sins, for rising and offering me life both now and forever. And so I put my faith in you, I put my hope in you. Jesus, I believe in you. Help me to make you Lord and leader of my life. Help me to follow you with just all the joy and strength and hope that you bring. And so I just thank you that I can do this at, at the beginning of December here in this Christmas season. God, I pray for every individual, every couple, and for every family. And I ask as they go into this week that you may secure them, that they may be surrounded by you, and empowered by you, and no matter what they are facing, God, they know that you are there, you can be dependent upon, and you are the firm foundation, the anchor that they can trust in. So God, I pray that the God of all hope may fill them with peace and joy. That they are overflowing with hope. And I pray this through the Holy Spirit and the powerful name of Jesus. Amen. You know, if you've prayed the prayer of surrendering your life to Christ, can I ask you just to scan the QR code on the screen, or on the seat back in front of you. We'd love to get a digital booklet inside of your hands. It talks a little bit more about knowing and following Jesus. And it's our way of trying to get in touch with you, and help you make a personal connection. If you're joining us in person and you want prayer, we're gonna have a prayer team available down at the front left. They would love to pray over and for you. And Hope City, thank you for being in church today. As you go into this month leading up to Christmas, may you understand that hope exists because Jesus came. And may you put your hope in God, the sure and firm foundation of your life. I'm praying for you. Love you guys. Have a blessed Sunday.