Rescued From Hopelessness Part 2

One reason for us to Jesus.

There's more to being saved than most people realize. It involves being given a series of wonderful gifts and God.

Those gifts include the trials we experience trials produce perseverance, character, and hope all rest up in the love of God poured out in our hearts church in Chicago. This is when who's clear teaching helps us get across the finish line. For many hope is in short supply want us to where we're going today. You've already hinted at it. By connecting the fact that the gospel of Jesus Christ and a enables us to endure trials in the apostle Paul recognize that the gospel not only connects us with God, but it enables us to live life and that's the good news of the gospel and that's the hope to which we are going to be pointing I need to remind our listening audience that these messages are available for a gift of any amount they can be yours. You can go to RTW offer.com or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337. I need to tell you that we have a study guide with these messages. A personal study guide that will help you to go deeper. It will help you to ponder the depth of what the apostle Paul is writing and as a result of that, you will have a greater hope once again go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and if you find in your life that hope is in short supply. You listen right now. So the third gift that I'm emphasizing here is the ability to show I have joy in the midst of our and that joy can only come through faith through trust through Thanksgiving. There's another one we have time for, and that is hope you'll notice in fact, it is our trials that lead to endurance, character, and then hope and of course it's been said a thousand times, but I need to say it again it is not hope.

The way in which we use the word today. For example, I can imagine someone saying I hope that the Cubs will win the World Series next year. You can say that and you can hope that and then you'll discover that tens of thousands of people have been hoping that for a long time you know if you're new to Chicago, you should know that we can actually buy a Cubs T-shirt that says anyone can have a bad century. Paul is not talking about that kind of hope. Paul is talking about an earnest expectation convinced, absolutely convinced that Jesus will triumph that these things too shall pass. The darkness someday shall come to an end and that victory will be one has been won by Jesus, and will be applied, and the hope in the sure knowledge that the suffering of this present world is not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.

That is the hope that I give you hope today.

If you have never trusted Christ as Savior. I'm glad that you are listening to this message. It will help you to understand all of the blessings that come along with Jesus and one of the most encouraging is the gift of hope that certain conviction but confident expectation that in the end, Jesus wins and you win to you win to because he wins now there's another gift and I'd like to transition here in this passage to what it cost God. The gifts are free in Jesus, you must understand, he who spared not his own son. As I quoted earlier with him freely gives all things. I've listed three or four but it's all based on the sacrifice of Christ and the love of God, so it cost God. The gifts are free to us, but it cost God plenty it cost God, his son now notice seven. Jesus died and now we're in verse six for while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Now there are three categories of people for whom Jesus died.

And if you don't fit into any of these categories then them. I'm really sorry because you'll never take advantage of what Jesus did for you so I'm going to give you these categories based on the text. Your Bibles are open, you can see it there with the categories are farm. Jesus died and here they are. First of all, while we were still weak and powerless at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. You feel powerless, morally you feel powerless because you know you don't have the ability to save yourself that self salvation can't work for you do understand that that's necessary to grasp and then you'll notice it says in verse eight but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners. There's another category course those who are weak and sinners are really the same people but he's describing them differently so he died for us as we he died for us as sinners and then it says in verse 10 for if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son while he also died for us as enemies as hostile as we as sinners and as being hostile. Jesus while we were still enemies with God. When Jesus died on the cross you hadn't even been born yet obviously and you and I are basically born as enemies of God and we shall see this in the next message and while we were weak while we were in our sin, and while we were enemies with God in ways that we didn't understand even then Jesus died for us. No wonder Paul says that it was because of his love in verse eight God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners not going to say something to you that in the next few moments that will be revolutionary and will change your heart. If you're open to receive it. When the Bible says that God loves us. What does he actually mean Dr. Don Carson of Trinity seminary, has written an interesting little book on the love of God which is really quite a challenge in Scripture because God loves in different ways.

But he says this picture Charles and Susan walking down the beach, hand in hand. They kicked off their shoes and the wet sand to squishes between their toes. Charles turns to Susan gazes deeply into her large hazel eyes and says Susan I love you I really do. What does he mean if we assume he has some decency and Christian virtue.

The least he means is something like this, Susan. You mean everything to me. I can't live without you. Your smile paralyzes me from 50 yards. Your sparkling good humor your beautiful eyes. The scent of your hair. Everything about you transfixed since May. I love you when he most certainly Carson continues does not mean is Susan, in spite of the fact that your nose is so large it belongs in the cartoons your hair is so greasy it could lubricate an 18 wheeler. Your knees are so bony a camel looks elegant.

Your personality makes Attila the Hun look sweet but Susan I love you now, Carson asks the question when God loves us what is that like what does he mean, does he mean something like you mean everything to me.

I can't live without you, your personality, your witty conversation. Your beauty, your smile, everything about you transfixed is me and I love you so we got means of course not. When he loves this does not God, rather mean something like this.

Listen, morally speaking, you've got a huge nose and greasy hair your disjointed knees and terribly selfish personality, your sinfulness makes you disgustingly ugly to me but I love you not because you're attractive but because I've chosen to love you want all of you to hear me now this is revolutionary and you know why you and I find it so hard to believe that God loves us as much as he loves Jesus, which is what the Bible says. After all, God would not have given his son if he loved his son more than he loved us. It is that I love my son too much to to redeem you, but it says in John 17 that the father loves us as he loved Jesus you know why you and I can accept is deeply ingrained with in us and I struggle with this very much deeply within us is this idea that we have to learn God's love and this somehow somehow we have to make ourselves worthy of it.

And so the end of the day you and I don't really believe that God loves us. Let me tell you something if you and I believe that God really loved us, we be all free of jealousy. We wouldn't have to be jealous of anyone else we wouldn't have to compete we be totally content with the way in which God made us we would be happy just to be loved by him and we would let him love us without all the pressure of performance we would just bask in God's love and say here I am with all of my warts and sins and good intentions which I never fulfill all of my broken dreams. All of what I am, but there you are, because I've received Christ as Savior you love me as if I am him and I'm just going to rejoice in that we would be content. No more striving no more struggling. No more obsessing would say you know I belong to God and he loves me metal carry me through. From here all the way to heaven. I can make right.

Can we make it because he loved and so God loves us. That's the bottom line here regarding hopelessness. First of all, hopelessness, hope rather which overcomes hopelessness, hope begins by having peace with God. Peace with God right there in verse one.

That's the beginning of hope and I say to all of you today that until you deal with that issue.

Your hope is futile. It's a bad hope it's a hope that will get you nowhere.

During the days of David Livingstone, the great missionary in South Africa. There were some Zulu tribes that were at war with one another and one of the chief said in one of the tribe said to David Livingstone that we were at war and this tribe came and plundered us and took my son with them. How can I have peace with them when they treat my son in this way, what the Bible says is this that until you deal with God's son, you can't have the peace with God.

Yet they deal with his son yet to deal with the fact that Jesus died for sinners. You need to receive him therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

That's the beginning point. Now, at last, having dealt with God's son and no longer being at war with him as God says I'm no longer at war with you because you're my child. That's the beginning point and hope because what that means is, no matter how bad things get, your relationship with the father is always intact. Always dependable, so that's the first lesson regarding hope there's a second to and that is hope continues. Hope continues not by looking at our emotions, which are so flexible and tell us so many different lies.

Our emotions lie to us all the time, but rather looking beyond ourselves to those trues in which we are to those of you today going through that dark tunnel of hopelessness.

If you're a Christian, remember this, you are as a love in the darkness as you are in the light. You are love and you are cared for and in the end it will be okay. You don't need to end it, or try to end it, because you know that this too shall pass. Your emotions are lying to you. When you think that God doesn't love you and things are hopeless. So what you need to do is to dip into the deep reservoir lawyer of Scripture and read and meditate on all that God is revealed, I encourage you to to use the Psalms during a particularly difficult period in my life. I tried to read through the Psalms at least once a month by reading several of them a day. I had a schedule notice.

This, I waited patiently for the Lord he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction out of the miry auger I memorized it in the King James and it says the miry clay.

This is good out of the law. Some of you are in that pit of destruction and he set my feet upon a rock. He made my step secure he put a new song in my mouth the song of praise to our God. Many will see in fear and put their trust in the Lord well. So in the midst of David's experiences here of rejection.

Though my father and mother forsake me. David says the Lord will pick me up and he went through his own depression, your memories and wired thou cast down all my soul that word cast down is sometimes used for sheep when they are, they get into this position where they roll on their back and camped at up without help.

They can use their legs but their legs simply beat the air because this center of gravity is such that if they are cast down. They can't get back up without a shepherd. David's is why am I cast down all my soul here I am in my despair. And there's no hope at the end of the tunnel where Doug has gone to my soul by about is quieted within me. Hope thou in God while so God is there to bring you up from the pit. God is there to give you hope in the midst of your hopelessness. God is there with us and he walks through the tunnels with us and our emotions lie continually to us and we have to say I'm going by an objective standard, mainly God and his word and I have to hang in the Bible says he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for soul with him freely at no charge.

He gives us all things. I love that song that perhaps you and I have sung from time to time.

My hope is built on nothing less then Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is singing San all other ground is sinking sand. God gives hope to the hopeless. He gives a light where there is darkness. And Jesus came to rescue us to give his dignity purpose and hope to matter where you're at today. God has a plan for you. They didn't it already taken you to glory God is here, and if you've never trusted Christ as Savior yet to deal with his son before you can say you have peace with God when you join me as we pray father we stand amazed at how freely you give blessings.

We thank you that today wrapped up in Jesus is all that we need and through your people through groups that meet together and pray together we can be given hope as were reminded of your promises and reminded of all those who love us that whatever your need is today, would you just talk to God for a moment, would you thank him for his gifts and they those who've not trusted him believe on him right now in Jesus name. You know my friend. If you've never believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. This would be a wonderful time for you to acknowledge your sinfulness and then trust Jesus as your Savior. I believe that you are listening to this broadcast not by accident, by divine design and if you already know Christ as Savior. Why don't you give thanks to him right now for the wonder of salvation for the fact that he received you and he received me all because of our faith and trust in Jesus Christ our Lord. And by the way the title of this series of messages is rescued. What God did to save us. Can you think of anything more important than to understand what God did to save us. I don't think so. And perhaps there is no book in the New Testament that lays it out as clearly as the book of Romans. This sermon series can be yours so that you can listen to it again and again.

Share it with your friends.

The title is rescued. What God did to save us for a gift of any amount.

Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or if you prefer, call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for this series rescued what God did to save us and the good news is that along with this series of messages we now have a study guide. A personal study guide that will help you to go deeper into the wonderful teachings of the apostle Paul in the book of Romans.

Once again, let me give you that contact information. RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 thanks in advance for helping us the ministry of running to win continues in more than 20 different countries including throughout the Middle East. But it's all happening because we have people praying for us and we have folks like you together were making a difference in time now for you as an investor looser question about the Bible or the Christian life today an anonymous listener is written asking this. I have a question regarding a practice taught in the book a blessing for your spirit by Gunter and Burke. The authors teach you that you can bless a person by directly addressing their spirit.

I don't know if this is done in the person's absence, presence or either way, a couple of samples are Joe I call your spirit to attention in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

Listen with your spirit to God's word for you. Then you quote verses from Psalm 139. I bless you Joe because you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

I believe the author's intentions are good, but is this practice biblical no I don't think that it is biblical. I don't see anything in the Scripture that tells me I should address spirit, the spirit of a person that way and bless them. Now there is something like that in the book of Numbers where it says may the Lord shine his face upon you and be gracious unto you, you remember that benediction and then it says in this way you will put the name of God on the children of Israel. So I believe that there is a sense in which we can bless people when I give a benediction here at the Moody church. I intend that it is a blessing, but there's nothing in the Scripture that tells me I should address somebody's spirit I can address them. But as far as addressing their spirit. I think the Scripture is silent about that.

Thank you Dr. looser if you'd like to hear your question answered.

Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor looser or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614. The outcome of sin is permanent separation from God. Next time a short history of sin and what God did to save us from its penalty. This is Dave Callister running to win is sponsored by the Moody church