HOPE - A DARING FAITH IN THE FUTURE

Over the month and half we have been preaching on DARING FAITH! We began by looking at the examples of DARING FAITH in the book of Daniel.

Last Sunday we began to think about what DARING FAITH will look like in our times. The Apostle Paul’s instruction to the Philippian Church was our text, "...Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries." Philippians 1:27,28.

DARING FAITH has a unique identity. DARING FAITH stands out, stands together, and stands boldly at all costs. We observed that CHRISTIANS are notably different, distinctly Scriptural and Spiritual in our lifestyle and attitudes. Ours is DARING FAITH!

We think differently from the world. We act differently from the world. We talk differently from the world. We present ourselves differently. (For example we are comfortable in and love to accent our God-given gender, we are modest in our appearance, and we are gracious in our spirit). We spend differently from the world. We love differently from the world. Our hopes are different from the world. Oh what a difference! A glorious difference.

The writer to the Hebrews penned, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for." The Christian’s faith rests on our unshakeable confidence that what we hope for will actually happen. See the stark difference between the "hope" of the world, and the hope of the Christian? The world’s hope based on uncertainty. "I hope we win the game." "I hope I can get the job." "I hope I go to heaven."

The blessed hope of the Christian is not grounded in uncertainty. It is grounded in the promises of God Himself!

We believe God.

We believe God’s Word.

We believe God cares and understands and is working.

We believe God makes a way.

We believe God’s Son is Risen and is coming again.

We believe God has prepared a place for those who love Him.

See the nexus of faith and hope. In fact, I’m agreeing with the preacher who said, "Hope is faith in the future." Faith is believing God today. Hope is believing God is already in tomorrow and He will not fail then, anymore than He will fail now. He cannot fail!

In days of tremendous spiritual confusion, moral disintegration, and personal hardship, may God help us to build our hopes on things eternal! John says, "Every man that has this hope, purifies himself!" Let’s do that. And take great confort and courage in our blessed hope!