Hope & Lament

Norman on July 4 weekend give the great opportunity to hear directly from one of the campus pastors. While we couldn't do that because of the obvious circumstances we gotta be great to hear from multiple campus pastors this weekend so we asked a few of them what God's been showing them in the word what he's been doing in their life and we asked them to share with us this weekend. You know sometimes you like to have one good thing for a meal like a big steak that's the weekend, the pastor, JD usually breaches but other times you want a smattering of things like tapas or a whole bunch appetizers. That's what this weekend is going to be like a top install service with worship devotionals prayer more so this week and it's gonna look a little different but I think God is going to use it in mighty ways to help you and me fix our eyes on Christ.

Our hope in our lives. In Jesus's summer family, my name is John Muller and I have the privilege and joy of serving you as the campus pastor at our Capitol Hill campus and I know all the tips pastors they are going to say it but I will be the first. We miss you.

We miss you so much I wish I was here worshiping with you now and I can't wait for that day. But I'm glad were worshiping in this format. You know I wanted to share with you today. Something that I was been process and withdraw with them own heart and in my own life where I heard the pastor JD was going to be walking through first Peter with us as a church. Some of the guys in my small group and I decided that we would do an in-depth study in the book of first Peter and this is been something in the first chapter that is just stuck out to me. So if you want to go ahead and click turn scroll whenever you need to do to get to first Peter chapter 1 verse 13. My point for the day and my only point for today is this is my hope is not for sale. What you say that my hope is not for sale with the person to write and say my hope is not for sale.

There is no by writing is interpersonally left. In fact, texting to someone, put it in the comments near my hope is not for sale. That's what were going to talk about today.

That is what I have been praying for my wife and I and that is what I have been praying for you as our church family.

So let's start reading first Peter chapter 1 verse 13 together.

The first word is therefore now I know all you biblical scholars know when you come tweed. Therefore, in the Bible, you gotta ask what is that, therefore, therefore, will the first 12 verses of chapter 1 Peter let us know that he was writing this to the exiles that happen in the dispersive and so we see that they are dispersed in what he does is he roots their hope in the work of Jesus Christ. In fact, he calls it a living hope he said that Jesus Christ is their living hope and that is the gospel that is the good news. That is what we say at the summit church. The gospel in full words as Jesus and my place is that we were sinners that turned away from God that we chose our own path, denying him and disobeying him and because of that disobedience. We deserve death, but what God did through his son Jesus Christ is he loved us so much he sent Jesus to live the perfect life that we were called live.

And then Jesus died the death that our sin deserves and is alive today so that we can have eternal life with him and that is our living hope that no matter what sin you came with today that you cannot out seeing God's grace. No sin is greater then the grace of the Lord because he knows you completely and loves you completely and it is in that living hope that Peter is talking about. There he establishes that and then we see the turn in verse 13, whenever he says.

Therefore, as of now he's telling his readers and for us today. What to do with that living hope and how we are supposed to live that out and so will see that here go about verse 13. Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober minded set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now whatever you read this you after see the words and think is Peter expecting a fight if the expecting some opposition to his ex-wife, telling them to prepare their minds for action and be sober minded because the life of a Christian is an active life is an engaged life in the battle for our hope is in our minds to think about it like this here in North North Carolina.

We have hurricanes that come through here all the time and people that have homes along the coast in that little because what they do is they board up their homes.

They are preparing for an opposing force there preparing for something that is powerful that they are trying to protect their homes or their businesses against its of that imagery here. I want you to use that is thinking about this verse when Peter says prepare your minds for action. That is because they need to be active something is going to happen in opposing forces going to come at them and that opposing force is something that is going to try to sell you to get your hope in that. I mean, all we gotta do today is turn on our computers or turn on the news and we see things that we put hope in that are crashing down with its health. What is going all right now in our world. Whether it's our justice system or political system or whether it even our jobs are finances many things that we rested our hope in our crumbling to the ground is what we see here is that there's only one place we can put this out. That's why Peter says, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ know we were talking about this verse is a staff team at the Capitol Hill's campus.

And what about his draggers Elizabeth brought up that this grace year is two-part is talk about the first 12 verses that there is a living hope that there is a grace that we have been saved and that living hope that this world is not our own, that we are not meant for this world. We are supposed to live as exiles in this world because we were never meant for it, but we were meant for the creator and so that living hope is that Jesus Christ died on our behalf and our sins are no longer counted against us. And they were counted against him. So that's the first part but the next hope the grace that we will see is when Jesus saved us. Jesus also promised to return and to draw us to himself.

So no matter what is happening in our world right now.

No matter what is going on in our life right now. We can look beyond to the hope that is coming through the risen Savior, when he returns to draw us to himself and so will we see this in the reason we say. My hope is not for sale is because many things are going to come at you to try to get your hope. Whether it's your single and you want to get married or whether it's your married and you want to have a chair whether your career is not what you thought it would be. Or maybe your health is beginning to fail you or make maybe a friend just hurt you when you begin to feel angry or bitter or hurt.

I want you to say to those lies.

My hope is not for sale. Whenever you begin to feel fear, you begin to feel doubt you begin to get tired and weary, I want you to say.

My hope is not for sale. Whenever you begin to get frustrated nor you see what's going on in our world and you cry out God, where are you I want you to say.

My hope is not for sale because my hope is in a Savior. See what Peter says here to put our hope fully on the grace that will be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

He knows that he is telling his readers in us today to set our hope there because there's a million different options for us to put our hope. And we have to battle every day to set our hope in Christ are the only secure place to put our hope in his Jesus Christ because he is our living hope so today I want us to start off this service by remembering what Jesus Christ is doing for us. If you know Jesus Christ knew his son or daughter. I want you remember what he did to say save you.

Remember that moment. Remember that living hope that is been given you by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

And then I want you to know that the God who saved you is the God that will sustain you and God will come back and draw you to himself, so whatever sickness feeding you these last of doubt. You say my hope is not for sale with every speeding you. These these last a few insecure or to fill less than what you say.

My hope is not for sale church family. Hope is not for sale because our hope is in a Savior and I'm glad that we are now going to sing holy, holy, holy is the Lord because in that we are crying out to a holy God who has drawn us to himself and invited us into that holiness with him that holiness is a gift that holiness is our hope that our hope rest now not only record but on the holy and perfect and blameless record of Jesus Christ.

In Mark 1432 we see Christ is now approaching his darkest moment.

No, there is no sun piercing to the clouds. There is no equitable voice saying that this is my beloved son, no, no, for right now he is completely alone. Can you see is in the garden. The garden of Gethsemane.

Please set aside by the ancient of days, God himself. A place where one can mourn and weep and ponder and dare I even say question place for lament. These last four months I found myself in the same garden in the garden. The only thing that is grown among groanings for justice among dwellings for understanding. Yes, it seems to be a place that God set aside just for me for Tom such as this. As I peeked over the balcony of our country. I see no peace. The comfort care, but ironically, one is brought me comfort has not been the stone being rolled away from our Savior's great, nor has it been the linen cloths being neatly folded as he defeated sin and death. But what has given me comfort in this Tom has been this garden.

Do you see him must Savior.

For he is wrestling with the world pondering his obedience even contemplating the curse and the weight of the cross you hear him say can this cup pass from me, so this garden represents is Christ stepping into our pain was brought me comfort.

This Tom has not been my same success, but has been the suffering I want to remind you of what we have conveniently forgotten and deliberately ignored that there is a place to sit and to weep and to mourn and to question. There's a place in the garden for you do not know that others have also walk in this garden. Abraham was there as he question God, keeping his promises.

Moses took a walk in this garden as he pondered how God would use him to free his people. My sister Ruth took a seat in this garden that she would question how she was going to make it. And don't forget my brother Joe losing all he had, wondering how he was going to make it. And now we get to us. God is teaching me is that there are times in my life. One need not to rush through monthly. There are times in life.

One need not to wipe away my tea. There are times in life.

Why need to sit and take a walk in God's garden from a black and brown brothers and sisters as we constantly cry out for pain is because they cry out for injustice. Often times we are asked to quickly move past our pain for the comfort of other people, but let me invite you into this garden. My brothers and sisters who have been affected by this pandemic and you're asking yourself, even losing their jobs. How can I make ends meet. Let me invite you into this garden, both the sisters who lost loved ones, and your health is breaking down, let me invite you into this garden. For those of you who are physically and mentally and emotionally and spiritually worn out let me invite you into this garden for this garden space to sit and to weep and to lament and to chest be.

Sometimes you don't need to run to the cross.

Sometimes you just need to take an extended walk in God's garden not mistaken, the reason I can take my time in this court is because I do know the story of the cross that I need not rush through my pain.

I need not rush through my tears because on the other side for me. There is victory you not see on the other side of the garden.

There is Revelation 21 John saw pajama say that one day God shall wipe away every tear that God shall sue and ease every discomfort that God shall ease every grown and Gotshal comfort every moment. Do you not see that one day God will wipe away sin and death shall be no more.

I do know the story of the cross but not problem church has never been experiencing victory problems that we don't know how to sit and lament a good friend to me.

My wife's Rosie told me that without the language and discipline of lament. She had been going about the Christian life all wrong. Trying to bear her cross without going to the garden of Gethsemane first interested. Christ knew that he will wipe away every tear.

Christ knew that he will comfort every moment. Christ knew that he would sue every ache.

Christ knew that he will wipe away death and destruction forever any yet he still took a seat of lament in the garden of God, how much more should we in the garden of Gethsemane, Christ lamented the father's wheel and yet submitted to so as you will not take our victorious trip up that he'll call Calvary as we approach the cross of our Savior.

Don't forget to stop by the garden and sit for a while, especially as pertains to racial unity to my white brothers and sisters. If you're encouraging me to keep going. If you're encouraging me to believe the best I say thank you but what I want from you is to sit and weep and cry with me. See to be a part of the solution, you must first feel the weight and the pain of the problem not mistaken, I am a person of hope. I do know that one day I shall see my Savior face-to-face. I do know that one day he shall make all things right and all things new. I do know that one day this shall not always be but for right now.

If you wish to fund your funding in the garden a mess on the family. He is worthy, my name is Pastor Jonathan Linker and from the Berkeley campus and listen. I was Sharon some time with some of the other pastors this morning and we are just so grateful for you as a church we miss you we have been praying for you.

The break regarding the particulars been praying for our church that we would grow in a church that has Jesus before first above all things before all things that we grow in our unity together that on the same unity that the father and the son have that we would demonstrate to the world by our love for one another and also that God would just pour out his Spirit on our church and so will love you Summit family. We miss you guys so much. Can't wait to the time or we can worship together again. Until then, glad to be up to get in front of you and really to share what God has been teaching me in the season of the teaching team of the summit reached out to some the campus pastors and asked a what it was God doing in your life, what, what would you want to share with our church and so I just want to share with you really from one verse in Hebrews 11 it's Hebrews 11 six and it's really just one part of that verse, want to read it and just share with you some of the things that God has been teaching me in this season and without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. I just been thinking about the first part of that verse that phrase without faith it is impossible to please God, you know, as I read through the Gospels you know Jesus is doing like incredible things all the time and if you read the way the gospel writers describe the people watching those there always astounded they're marveling, there's only actually a few times were Jesus himself is astounded at something other people are doing and as I read it all. Those times are actually in relationship to faith. Jesus goes and preaches at his hometown of Nazareth and the Scripture says that he was shocked. He was astounded. He marveled at their lack of faith as a matter fact, Matthew's gospel says, and he did not do very many miracles there because of their unbelief in I can't think of sadder words written in Scripture about any group of people than that. And so we see that our lack of faith can astound even the son of God, but we also see that the opposite to be true as well and we see it in the lives of two people who are not Jews at all but were actually Gentiles.

We see it in the centurion who sends to Jesus and ask a Jesus who would heal his servant. And Jesus marvels at this man's fate. Later we see a Canaanite woman. Pray that Jesus would heal her daughter and Jesus makes the comment I haven't found faith as great as this, and all of Israel, and he responds to their faith both with joy and by granting the request is that we see as we read through the Gospels that that our faith, our belief in God can actually astound the son of God may be a way that we should think about it. Is this because God has been so faithful to us, we ought to be faith filled in response to him. Yes is assayed again because God has been so faithful we ought to be faith filled you see faith a biblical faith is not some sort of blind hope, faith is not seeing less of God.

Faith actually sees more of God and because you see more of God you're willing to trust more of God because God has been faithful. We ought to be faith filled me to see this in my own life on the cart because God was faithful to save me. I didn't bring anything to the table forgot to save me.

He didn't see something about Jonathan Linker like man I really want him to join my family know like the Bible tells me that I was dead and my sins and trespasses. I was totally unable to do anything that would bring me closer to God.

But God demonstrated his love for me in this, that while I was still that sinner Christ died for me and of God is been faithful to save me.

He's also can be faithful to save my one. He's also can be faithful to Savior one he's can be faithful to work in the lives of people that you been praying for for years because God has been faithful to me is just a provider. There been many seasons in my life I've had seasons of plenty and seasons with not as much but God has never left me without everything that I needed for life is a because God is been my provider is been faithful to do that I'm going to believe that he's gonna continue to provide where you need to believe that where you need to believe that God's continue with continued hand a provision and just like it's been demonstrated in your past is going to beat it demonstrated in your future.

Maybe you need to believe that not just for your family but maybe we need to believe that together for our church. Maybe we need to believe that together for our country that there is a king on the throne and he hasn't stepped aside.

He knows what is happening in our world and if we can measure his compassion by the cross is the love for us by the blood of his son and surely he is going to provide all that we need in the season starts. Want to take a moment and ask you that question, since God has been so faithful in your life. What do you need faith to believe that he will provide in this season.

Once you take a moment right now to ask that question and then you can pray a response back to God family.

I wanted to leave you with this passage of Scripture from Lamentations 321 but this I caught a mind and therefore I have hope the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning great is your faithfulness as a family. My name is Dustin Wells on the borders campus pastor this morning I had the privilege of being the last Ms. pastors share with you what God is teaching me in my life as a kid I loved where's Waldo books if you like them as well. Can you thoroughly like oh I high-five merging the shack and for me, the thrill of finding Waldo where appear that he was absent was electrifying for me is probably the kid that got a little too excited about finding him like don't be that guy.

But sometimes I look at is there a page 4 seemed like an eternity looking for Waldo. It was like he wasn't there get incredibly frustrated sometimes my mama did come in. If you find it within 30 seconds so you can relate to some of you are the person that finds in 30 seconds I get honest with you that's really tough with those that can't.

If I'm being honest there been moments in the last two years of my life in this season, in particular with the question is burning in my head isn't where's Waldo. Rather, where's hope is I'm looking all around trying to find homes in the five hoping I can't find it is been in this journey that had some friends come along and not only fun Waldo but help me find hope in a hopeless place today him and shared how God has led me out of Psalm 88, at first glance. If you read this discussing nuts, but eager to find a few things in the song that show us how we can find hope in a hopeless place somewhere subtly in my Christian life I picked up this belief that being frustrated with the Lord was equivalent to lacking faith. I don't know exactly. This came from but I had no I just had no idea that you could be frustrated or hurt. Look at the psalmist in Psalm 88 smoothly.

Verse three in verse seven says this for my soul is full of troubles in my life draws near to sale your wrath. Late lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all of your ways. The psalmist is not afraid to voice his hurts and his frustration to the Lord because the psalmist knew something that I needed to learn this big God can handle my frustrations and my hurt.

I'm a citizen again.

I'm actually ask you say it with me that God can handle my frustrations in my hurt. If you asked me if I believe this out of said yes but it did not show in my heart. Let me explain a little of what I mean when I say that a few years ago I had to live on my worst nightmares. I was of guest to a family friend dinner and they're going to go around and they're going to honor one of his relatives so they asked everyone to share a story or source of experience that shows auditors relative once again I'm a friend of the family. I have no experience was relative to this moment I'm unclipped was well. I do. I don't have words I don't have anything to say so I thought I was forcing situation of do I fake it or not.

Just disengage entirely and I think for some of us. This is the exact same choice we feel we have to make when it comes the Lord.

We have experiences and seasons of great frustration and great hope we put we don't have the words so will he do we shop at church we fake it early disengage Willie until we pray we fake it, or do we disengage men in this and this always.

It gives us hope is that God can handle our frustrations in our we think that with other figure disengage the good news of the psalmist gives 1/3 option is called lament that we get to sit before the God of the universe and there are frustrations in air are hurt that moments in that wrong this weird saying to God. The world is not as it should be hurt and frustrated in this wrong is in this voice thing we find true communion is true hope is only found on the other side of lament.

Let's jump down all the way to the very end of the song over the Berean verse 18 says this because my beloved and my friend to send me my companions of the come darkness to see how the song ends at first reading your probably left thinking that's not how Psalms are supposed to work in the psalmist of the voices concerns the end of this great gospel hug leaves us hopeful.

What in the world.

How did this make Kevin because in the Bible. Where's the hope and I think in this passage that we find a great truth that CS Lewis talks about in his book until we have two faces discloses writing a book about these people that are struggling with seeing the injustice in the world and suffering are looking for an answer as written two books. The first book are people complaining to God.

The second book is them answering their own complaints. This is the first line of book 2, I think it sums up why this made Cannon and why we can find great hope and says this ended my first book with the words, no answer, but I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer because you are yourself the answer before your face questions die away and CS Lewis's new this that our hope is not in solving a problem, but our hope is in the great problem solver.

Some else. Subtly I gained this belief that when I was going through pain.

There was this equation working on the background was playing out in my life.

It was this that the lessons I was learning and opportunities I would gain always had to be greater than the pain I was experiencing and where this is really damaging for me as I was going through real hardship and real suffering. I had to start looking one is most to be learning that makes it worth it got what's the answer I need to find out what answer do I need the manufacturer to find some hope how I make this equation work and the good news is that that's not how biblical hope works biblical hope is not found an answer to Great Lakes equation work biblical hope is found in the presence of God. Hope is not that was answer we get from God. Hope is God himself. In a true hope is found in God's presence and that means we can have hope. When times are absolutely horrific is precisely when our circumstances are the most painful to God says I am here with you and he suffers with us moments even in this season up and attempt to do the very same thing to try to manufacture a lesson I needed to learn, try manufacture something I needed to hear to find hope today on equity myself is that God is been teaching me a lot. Hope he speaks to you is that your hope is in God himself.

You do not this morning to manufacture hope and lessons you think you might be learning because you are able to find hope in God himself. The psalmist knew he didn't have to end this Psalm with that was found in the one he was voicing the Psalm to be honest, I'm still not that great of finding Waldo because of good friends and Psalm 88 I become better at finding hope in a hopeless place because hope is always waiting for us on the supplement