A Place Called Hope

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Gray a little later in the program will tell you how you can get Dr. Graham's book in first hears his message place for God's word now turn with me to the book of first Peter the first chapter and were going to discover that life is a journey and we are pilgrims on this journey and God's people will always face of the journey of life challenges crisis. And yet we know hope we know something the world does not know and that is a hope that strengthens us and sustains us throughout all the challenges of life. The word that really moves the heart.

In the letter of first Peter is the word hope this is the book of hope about the place called hope and even though we are scattered throughout the earth, we can find a place of hope in Jesus Christ. Look at verse one Peter and apostle of Jesus Christ to those who are elected exiles of the dispersion in Pontus glacier, Cappadocian Asia and Bithynia.

According to the foreknowledge of God the father in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ for the sprinkling with his blood. Note the Trinity in verse two. Father-son and Holy Spirit is grieving the exiles the elect and this is more than hi how you doing or have a great day. He says may grace and peace be multiplied to you that he burst forth in parades. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his great mercy he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you by God's power are being guarded through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time you need to know when we talk about hope that hope is so much more than wishful thinking. The word of God uses various nouns to describe hope like confidence and expectation and refuge in their verbs that are synonymous with the whole theme of hope in the Bible. Words like weight and leaning and looking and finding refuge were going to discover in the passage that is before us that hope is certainly about the future. In fact, if I was simply defining hope. I would say is the confident expectation that our future is in God's hands.

That's hope the confident expectation that our future is in God's hands so we should think of the of the hope in the future.

That is before us. God says I given you.

I future and a hope so. Hope is about expectation.

It is about the future, but we're also going to discover that the place called hope is found not only in the future, but in the presence because this is a living hope and also in the past because the basis of our hope is an eternity past what God has done for us. This is our hope. So what you have really is good news for bad times we are living in a world of course wondering about hope in the future world filled with fears and so many are hanging by a thread because hope seems to be gone. Hope for crushed dreams are shattered in the future is fearful of course we know that ultimately our hope is not in education or in government.

Our hope is not in relationships and money ultimately, our hope is fully and finally and forever in the Lord Jesus Christ is the resurrection of the life he is the one who gives us a living hope. The fact is you cannot live without hope. It is the very air we breathe in the brain of the theologian said what oxygen is for the lungs, such as hope for the meaning of human life and in so many people's lives are living without hope, trying to find meaning in their life, their life is breathless and drugs and alcohol. The common escape when life is depressing and people take pills to find peace because they can't agree, and that all hope is gone. I tell you apart from the resurrection of Christ. There is no hope. The apostle Paul said, if we have hope only in this life we are of all people most miserable so we must know hope not. Peter was a man who knew something quite a bit about hope. Early on he was a rough rugged fisherman earning a hard living on the Sea of Galilee, got a few fish in my little bit of money but he had a boatload of dreams and there was something about this man Simon Peter that captivated the interest in the call of Christ Jesus looked at he was in his bold, hard, was it his propensity for words.

Was it is steely. So was it is that the intensity of his eyes.

I I think when Jesus looked at Simon Peter for the first time he must've smiled because he saw so much potential and possibility in this man, perhaps one of the only one who saw that kind of potential in the big fisherman. So Jesus called them said, follow me.

I got plans for you. So he followed Jesus for three years and for those three years. This incredible adventure of fate Hope was alive in his heart, along with those who followed Christ but then came the final hours of Christ on earth. The denial three times the blood the tears the cross to defeat the sorrow, the brokenness and hope was gone.

Hope was dead, buried in a borrowed to Peter. The others were left with nothing but what could've been what might've been left with Dilts and failure and fears about the future but then the word came that Jesus was alive and Peter dared to believe in any ran to the tomb and he found that the tomb was empty and ultimately he met the risen Christ and was restored and renewed in him and stood tall as a messenger of the resurrection, because hope was now alive in his heart, so Peter is is in effect a tour guide on this journey of life. Verizon as he walks us through these words any rights under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we find out how in the midst of our failures in the midst of our guilt and in the midst of our sufferings in the midst of our pain in the midst of what ever were going through when we go through it. We know there is always hope. Hope now this place called hope is found in the past, the present and the future. First, in the past, verse two, he says you have been elected called, chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the father and the sanctification of the Spirit in obedience to Jesus Christ for the sprinkling of his blood. Here we meet father son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity, the three and one and we step back into eternity past and there we find hope. Now this is important because, again, hope is not sentimental. It is not soft.

It is solid rock solid and built upon what Christ is done for us what God has done for us what the Spirit is doing in us hope is predicated and proposed upon the fact that we have been called and chosen by God before time began. Therefore, our lives are not an accident or an afterthought, but we have been called and chosen by God himself.

He is called the God of hope, and by his foreknowledge. His prognosis and this is so much more than being God just looked down through time and knew what he would do based on what you would do know he chose you before you were born you chose you. It is hard to set his affection and his love upon you before you send the before you were saved, God chose you and included you in his eternal family, and it is eternal plan. This means that God's plans for us throughout all of life settled in eternity past are good perfect and acceptable. God is sovereign even though we may be scattered like seems to the ends of the earth as these early believers.

We also know that God knows where we are. God knows what he is about an online it means that because Christ has done what he is done by the shedding of his blood in the working of the Holy Spirit is concurrent in our lives. We know that what God ought and what Jesus bought the Holy Spirit has now wrought in our hearts forever now. Hope means that we are alive in Christ, and that means that the best is yet to come. And because of what has happened in the past we live with a joyful anticipation of every day, and that includes eternity.

We live with the with the with the choice of God upon our lives, which means that God has chosen us in the God saves the best for last.

You know, if God chooses us and saves the best for last. For us, that means if you're not a believer. If you've never trusted in Christ and the worst is yet to come. We live in Christ with an endless hope the people without Christ faced a hopeless in the Scripture speaks of those who are living without hope.

Can you imagine living one day breathing one breath without hope.

No, Christ is chosen and included, and brought us in this vein you're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and his message of place." After this month we have a special gift for listeners to give a gift to PowerPoint eat your book Angels. What can you tell us about this powerful resource is a follower of Jesus, you're caught up in something much larger than you can even see an invisible war for the cause of Christ. That is heating up in an unmistakable way, but you're not alone in this fight. Hebrews 114 says, are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation. These powerful Angel beings are working and warding on our behalf. This very day. When you see that you're part of a much bigger story play out in both the spiritual and physical realms. It realigns your heart to the truth.

Help make sense of your struggles and inspires you to stand firm with your angelic allies for the cause of Christ. That's why like to send you my book Angels to help encourage you to find your God-given support to stand firm and stay the course in the spiritual battle that is being waged today.

Angels is my way to say thank you for your financial support to help us proclaim the gospel of Jesus, called today and get Angels as our thank you for your call one 800 795 or six 1-800-795-4627 or text the word PowerPoint 231-3131. That's PowerPoint 231-3131. Now it's get back to today's message a place called so what is it me, me, that our God is eternal.

We see a few steps ahead in our journey of life, but God sees all the way.

It means that while we see things in a Temporal Way, God sees everything eternally we see today was right in front of us. But God sees it all and therefore there are no accidents with him during good days are bad dates.

We are part of his plan.

We are in his hand, and therefore we should should stay positive and hopeful and faithful to the God he knows the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega and we need to remember that God knows all about our lives. The God who is chosen us. The God who is called hoops is never in God's vocabulary because he never makes a mistake, the well-known lady in Christian history by the name of Fanny Crosby. She's written over 9000 songs and him at six weeks of age. She was blinded by an accident at the hands of a man who claimed to be a physician's incredible air cost her her cider family was in shock and sorrow that this terrible tragedy. However, years later, she wrote these words she said if this accident was a mistake and a perfect earthly site were offered to me tomorrow. I would not accept knowing what God had done in her life and her blindness giving her sites to see things that others cannot see an insight in the word of God.

Her witness was so very strong. Sometimes we feel that God may have made a mistake in our lives. Sometimes were hanging by a thread and wondering if we can go on because of the of the wise and the what-ifs of life that he Crosby knew that there are no mistakes with God that he has is right in his hands in our hands or in his future and that is why Fanny Crosby wrote these words all the way my Savior leads me what I like to ask this side can.

I doubt his tender mercy, who through life has been my guide heavenly peace. This comfort dear by faith to him and to dwell for I know what air befall Jesus do with all things well for I know what air befalls me Jesus do with all things well we find hope in this truth that according to the knowledge of God who ordained our very lives in our very breath and called us unto himself. The Savior who died for us and rose again that when you say is there is a responsibility of man. Here is this man have any choice. Yes, this verse speaks of the obedience of faith. And this is one of the mysteries of the will of God in life. On one hand we read in the Scriptures, that whosoever will may come that all are invited, but the whole world can believe that the love of God is for every person and yet we also read. I didn't even choose me I chose you. So we live with attention of this great truth in the God set his heart and his affection upon us. He called us he is chosen us and we have responded to his grace by faith and we are a part of his eternal family are future as well as our pastors in his hand. But you know the place called hope is not only found in the past but is found in the future our part in the present, I should say perversely look at it again. It says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again unto a living hope when hope dies people give up on life. People decide to quit a lot of things to give up on your marriage because you give up hope that your marriage is ever going to work you give up on a child.

Perhaps because you don't think that child is ever coming back to Christ or that child is ever going to live according to God's standards in their life. Maybe you've given up hope because your career in the dreams that you had about your future in your career have been shattered.

Maybe the doctor is giving you a bad report and you're tempted to give up hope.

Don't do it because in Christ and the resurrection.

There is always hope your Proverbs 1312 says when hope is crushed, the heart is crushed is a proven fact that when you lose hope you're setting yourself up for illness for sickness for disease if you began expecting the worst in your life you will generally get it. Dr. McNair Wilson, the famous cardiologists said this hope is the medicine I use more than any other. Hope can cure nearly anything and then another doctor at Dr. Harold Wolf Prof. of medicine at Cornell University said this hope, like faith and a purpose in life is medicinal. This is not exactly a statement of belief but a conclusion proved by meticulously controlled scientific experiment. Yes, when hope for Christ. The heart is crushed so hope is physically, biologically, psychologically essential man must have hope, and yet so many people are living without it.

So many people are living on the edge hanging by a thread.

I see the emails I read the letters of people who have almost given up hope. But then find the resurrection of Christ in the promise of Christ of future and a hope. God says I know the plans that I have for you plans not to harm you, but plans for your welfare to give you hope in the future. Now this is not Jack Graham talking the this is God talking this is the word of God speaking to that there is hope in Jesus Christ, that there is hope in the resurrection, and no matter what you are fearing no matter what you are face that the God of all, hope can fill you with joy and peace in believing, so that the power of holy so that you might abound in the power of the Holy Spirit and in hope – the living hope that I'm talking about is the hope for the present and that's where you find it today find it in a living Savior you find it in the one and the only one who can help when life hurts only hope can help. Hopelessness is a disease of the soul and the only cure is Christ in you can be born again, you can receive a new life and a hope forever with him. That's what I believe with all my heart is the place called hope because you see the place called hope is really in a person and the person is Jesus. But there's one final word. There's another place that you find hope, not only in the past and that God has called us and chosen us and elected us not only in the present, in that we have a living hope born again under this living hope in this new life in Christ. But of course hope regards the future hope ultimately is about our future with him. That is why look again that were told that this hope is played out in an inheritance that is imperishable.

That is, it does not BK it is undefiled it is.

It is unfading.

It is on diminishing. It is kept in heaven for you to buy God's power are being guarded through faith for salvation ready to believe to be believed at the last time to be received rather at the last time the word guarded there in your New Testament means garrisoned about that we are Held by the omnipotent grip of God because we have come to him having been chosen by him and because we live in the power of his resurrection. This salvation is eternal.

We can never lose it because we are kept by the hand of God. Jesus said my sheep are in my father's hands will never escape his grip.

You are held by him. Ultimately, the greatest fear for every person is the fear of the future and the fear of death and is were getting older. We recognize our mortality more and more and we realize that in this life. If this is all there is, then, life is miserable and meaningless and were not careful. The older we get, the more cynical we can become about life and the more hard knocks and bumps along this journey of life we receive, we began just gradually losing our confidence in losing our expectation in our bodies are hurting our and our minds are stressed is so weak we start we start slow holding back on hope and giving up even on our future, but we know that our hope is not a hallucination.

Our hope is not a fabrication. Our hope is not a mere wish that things are gonna turn out okay in the we have a sure and confident expectation that our future is in his hands that we are in his hands, and although no never.

Let's go the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and though he fall, he will not be utterly cast down for the Lord oppose him with his strong righteous is the place called don't dare try to live with your listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message place called hope the spiritual events ranging around us couldn't be more evident and as a member of Christ Church you have the support of his 90 Angels to win the fight. In his book Angels.

Dr. Graham shows you how to tap into the support, God is giving you his angels sing. You can stand strong and defeat the enemy in the fight for culture Angels is our thanks for your gift today to help proclaim the truth of the gospel and hope it brings to more people around the world to PowerPoint so calm now to request your copy of angels when you give Coman 800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627.

You can also text the word PowerPoint to 313-1316 PowerPoint to three mind 3131. And don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store. Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotion our website again is Jack Graham.Margie Pastor what is your PowerPoint for today really is possible to live with hope despite what's going on around us.

And as I mentioned in today's program while hope is absolutely about the future is also about the present and that's because we have a living hope, I hope that lives it is because of course, of the resurrection of Jesus that we have hope it is because he lives that hope lives in our hearts, and because of that there is no need to fear the future if you're a child of God, your chosen your call by him.

You're not an accident and afterthought. A mistake a coincidence.

You've been in the heart and mind of God, for ever and he is been already planning and preparing your future in fact God knows the end from the beginning and everything else in your life. So that's comforting is that when we face tough times and when we're really ready maybe to give up is encouraging to know that we are never ever I mean never, ever, without hope so today.

If you're tempted to give up on your life or give up on your marriage if you're thinking about giving up on your kids if you want to just say goodbye to your dreams, or even to life itself. Don't don't ever give up.

You have a living hope in Jesus that is working in your past, your present and your future in the Scripture tells us in Romans chapter 5 that hope does not disappoint. So today the confident live expectantly, knowing that your future is in God's hand and that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a gift to PowerPoint will send you Dr. Graham's book Angels is our thanks. Call one 807 956-1800 795.

Also text the word PowerPoint to 31313 text PowerPoint to 3131 on the next PowerPoint. Dr. Graham brings a message about finding treasure in your file that's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint ministries