Amen we're in Ezra chapter 10 and like I said, I'm gonna try to finish this chapter
but we'll just see how long it takes me here because I do have a lot of notes but
The title of my sermon is actually there's always hope there's always hope
So last week after you know, we see all this great revival all the victories that they win
You know throughout this whole series and this is the last chapter of course of the book
Then you know last week there's this big letdown
Where Ezra finds out that all the leadership, you know, not all of them
But a lot of the leaders and the priests and the Levites have married strange wives
They married wives of who the Lord said
You're not supposed to give your sons or daughters to them and you're not supposed to marry them
So their inner marriage is what they did, but we're not talking about interracial marriage. We're talking about we're talking about
Spiritual inter spiritual marriage. So these people believe in different gods and that's the problem
That's not what color their skin is or what culture they come from. It's what they believe so
God has a big problem with that. He flooded the whole world because of the results of that
He's I went through multiple scriptures about why it's not good to do that
but
So last week Ezra pulled his hair out pulled his beard out
He's just set he's just really upset about it and rightly so because they've gone through so much and this
Remnant has come back in the land
They were able to build the temple again
And he kind of just you know as a leader when you see a big step back like that
It's really frustrating so I can see where he would have a big problem with that and he's just really upset
But you know and this isn't really
ending on a positive note
But I have read in some places where Ezra and Nehemiah are actually two combined books
I don't know
It's divided in our Bible so whatever
But the story doesn't really end there because Nehemiah Zechariah
Haggai those books are are still associated with this time
But really you kind of pick up with Nehemiah right after Ezra ends
And so the story is not over
But there's still some negative stuff that happens in the book of Nehemiah too and and really like I said last week
It's just people just tend towards disorder people always end up going back and having problems
It just the problem is sin, and you know the real truth is is that until Jesus comes back
We're all going to struggle with these things and so the story doesn't end there
You know here in this chapter, but it doesn't really end on a super positive note
Except for the fact that they do kind of you know some of these people that are the remnant do
Get things right in a certain way
But then what I believe personally and my opinion is is that this forced divorce that happens is not godly
I don't think it's right
And and I'll prove that I feel like I could prove that and again if I don't get into that if I just finish
My sermon after the whole the hope the hopeful part, then I'll just preach the rest of that next week, but
The first thing I want to look at is the confession of sin leaves hope in God's mercy
Confession of sin leaves hope in God's mercy, and I do want to preach a little bit about hope tonight
And how there's always hope so and we might not feel that way sometimes
We're in hard situations, and you know we I say this a lot
But we're we either are in a storm or we're going into a storm or in a storm
Or we're coming out of a storm
That's just how life is and you know life the the the great pleasures of life are
outweighed a lot of times by the negative things that happen in our life because this world is sin-cursed and
Just there's you know everybody's gonna die that we know
We're gonna lose everything that we've ever accumulated in our life
Every person's gonna die and you know sometimes people die before their time and sometimes
You know things happen in your life of it or out of your control
There's you can't you can only control what you do you can't necessarily control what other people do
And so we have free will and other people have free will and sometimes you know things just can go go wrong
In our lives, but I would just say you to this to you that
Even though we're going through storms or going into storms or coming out of storms
There really is always a silver lining in the Bible
There's always a silver lining in our story if you're safe today
We do have things to hope for and things to look forward to
Let's look down at verse number one the Bible says now when Ezra had prayed and when he had confessed
Weeping and casting himself down before the house of God there assembled unto him out of Israel a great a very great
Congregation of men and women and children so you know he's already been upset. He's still upset
He's confessed. He's weeping you know and he didn't even do it, but you know as a good leader
He's going to intercede for the people that he spiritually is helping here
And it says and so these there a lot of people actually still follow
This is a very great congregation of men and women and children
So there was people that hearts were right with God and some of these people are ones that transgressed in this thing
But it says for the people wept very sore so they are upset about what they've done
You know and sometimes you do things that you wish you hadn't done
But you can't really take them back
Unfortunately and what's done here is done
They you know when you marry somebody outside of your spiritual faith
You know there's going to be ramifications for that regardless of whether you divorce them later, or whether you stay with them
There's going to be ramifications is because the very act of doing that is sinful and God obviously can give mercy
He can give you know he can make things happen in that person's life
The person that's not spiritually your equal, and he can make things turn out right, but he is going to judge sin
That's God's nature is also a being a judge
But it says in verse 2 and shek and I the son of Jehiel
Jehiel excuse me shek and I the son of Jehiel. I'm glad I didn't have to read that whole chapter brother CJ
Thank you so much, and you know if you guys were looking for baby names anybody
There was a whole list right there
I mean, I'll maybe call out some of the ones that I like the most as I go through this but
but it says
That one of the sons of Elam
Answered and said unto Ezra, and I really like what he says here
He says we have trespassed against our God and have taken strange wives of the people of the land
Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing
So he is a silver lining person isn't he he realizes that he's done wrong that the people have done wrong
But he says yet now there is hope in
Israel concerning this thing and that's we as Christians should have a positive outlook on things even though
Sometimes it's hard and sometimes you know and I don't know what everybody's going through in their lives
I mean some some things are private and some things people just don't want to say well
What's going on or whatever, but you know there are hard things that we go through, but you know what I?
Like what this guy has to say I think it's true yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing
You know what if we mess up and make mistakes. There's hope for us, too
But what is the thing that they did first the confession so when we confess our sins?
You know that is the first step towards God having mercy and being long-suffering toward us
Because when we fall in sin and mess up our lives
There's still hope there's still hope though God gives us room for repentance. He allows us to get things right
Like I said though some of our decisions cannot be undone
But we can still serve the Lord in some capacity. There's a plan B for our lives
It's it's nice that you know we get saved and we mess up sometimes
That God doesn't just nuke us for that
You know obviously we're still alive and and kicking and as long as we're still alive and kicking
God still has something for us to do because he saved us for a purpose. He does want us to work for him
But you know in so when he's done with you. He's gonna let you come home. You know
but
Maybe you're not in God's perfect will maybe you are in plan B or C or D or E
But you can still serve him in some capacity
So don't I mean the silver line is the hope is that hey even though I made a mistake here that I can't
Really take back I can still serve God with my life in some way and that is hopeful isn't it
You're not you're not done. You're not cast into the trash necessarily
It doesn't mean that God is finished with you
So when you have the right attitude and own up to what you've done
There's always hope with God, but if you're if you're flipping about it. You don't care you say well
You know what I've already messed up
I'm just gonna keep messing up
That is the wrong attitude to have and that's when things are gonna get worse in your life
Guaranteed because God's not gonna just let it pass. He's not just gonna let it just keep going on
There's gonna be a reckoning even though he is long-suffering. You're like well. He didn't do anything well
He has he done anything yet so far in the last two chapters have we seen physically anything that he's done
To curse Israel yet for what they've done
We haven't there's nothing in this last two chapters that show that God's angry with them
But they should just know that he is because of what they've done
Especially you know God holds leadership more accountable than he does the the laymen that are doing things
And and that's why it's kind of highlighted that the leaders the priests and Levites have really transgressed in a big way
Now what does hope mean I?
Mean if you just think about the word
Do you have like a definition of your mind in your mind of what you think hope is
And I looked it up, and I don't know if this even really fits it perfectly
But it's a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen
You know I hope that tomorrow is sunny
You know you're hoping that something good is gonna come about but you can also hope for bad things to happen to people too
Which is not right?
You know but hope is expecting or desiring for a certain thing to happen like I hope that person gets hit by a car tomorrow
That's not a good. Hope to have that's not the kind of hope I'm talking about tonight
All right, hope that would be some kind of evil for something to happen unless that you know obviously
Except for if you're thinking about the fact that you want God to judge somebody that really deserves it and should be judged
but we ought to be careful with some things like that because
You know we got to be careful because if you're talking about a brother or sister in Christ
then
Whatever you know however you judge somebody else might be brought back to you for doing the same thing or something
You know when you don't have mercy on somebody else. God's not gonna have mercy on you necessarily
But it's a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen a feeling of trust
That something will happen so and and when it comes to things in God's Word
You know when we when God says something's gonna happen or he promises something's gonna happen
That hope is an actual thing that's going to happen
So there is a difference between just people that hope for certain things in life. You know the the world
They're hoping yeah, I hope that tomorrow's a nice day like really is that in God's ultimate plan not necessarily
But what I'm saying is that when God says hey
I'm gonna do this thing or I promise this is gonna happen that you can count on me
When I say this is gonna be true
That and when we hope in those things that is true hope that is hope that's going to happen someday
And so what I'm saying today is that there's always hope
There's always hope when it comes to what God says in his word
So if you're looking forward to something you know will happen because it's promised by God and his holy word
Then you know it's real. It's the hope that that really means something right?
So there are lots of things to hope for that are promised to us in the Bible and
The hope of mercy and forgiveness is kind of what he's talking about here
There's hope in it for Israel in this in this thing
That's what that's what shek and I said so
Let's let's take a look at some verses here. Let's look at first John chapter 1 9. I'll just start there and
This is a famous verse and some people that aren't saved would twist this verse and say well see you got to just keep
Asking God to forgive you and then you just keep getting resaved. You know this is the typical
Answer that we get for someone says, but if you repent
You know what they mean by that is that if you repent of that sin, then you get saved again
And you're you're back in God's good graces
But what it really is is once you're saved you become a son or daughter of God
and when you mess up you go to your father and tell him you're sorry and
Then that restores that relationship you confess that sin to him and it restores that relationship with him
just like you know if you and when you were growing up if your
Parents were mad at you the best thing to do and sometimes it doesn't work right away
But the best thing to do is go and eat crow and apologize for what you've done and really mean it
You know and your parents know you they know of whether you're really sorry or not
But look at what it says in first John one night says if we confess our sins
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
now the truth of the matter is that once you're saved you're always saved and
You are forgiven of all your sins past present and future
So in the long term you're already forgiven for everything
But in the here and now when we commit sin that doesn't excuse us from saying hey God
I'm sorry for what I've done
And how he deals with us here on this earth while we live in in this life is going to depend on how we are
With him when we sin because I say when is because you're going to
When you sin you have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous
and you can take your prayer to God the Father through Jesus the Son and
Confess your sins you can go right to the Father and
We didn't have that ability to do that in the Old Testament, but they do have we do have it now
It's a great privilege for us to be able to go straight to the throne room of grace and ask God
And it says confess our sins not hide them not pretend. It's not as bad as it was
You know what you've done
Stop stop being like a kid and just getting around trying to get around and excuse what you've done
When you try to downplay what you've done
That's not helping. That's not a real apology
You know when you apologize to somebody and but you don't really mean it you try to downplay
Well, the reason why I did is because this this and this if you come to God like that
You know it's not gonna be a good apology
It's just like when you do with anybody else you know when you're gonna apologize just do it for real
Although I just don't do it because you don't really mean it right. It's like when you tell your kids
Apologize to that kid, and it's just like it's your it's one of your kids
Apologize for hitting so-and-so, and then they just like sorry
You know
What did that do like you're forcing an apology on somebody you know that that obviously it's good to
Teach your kids to do that. I'm not saying don't do that
I'm just saying but you can tell when a kid's really apologetic or not and you know a good old
Fashion tanning will maybe help them feel a little bit more sorry for what they've done
So if you know what I mean, I don't mean like going to the going to the beach, and you know tanning
I'm talking about a different kind of tanning tanning you're behind so
Anyway, let's look at Psalm chapter 33 verse 18
So you know what we're looking at tonight here is the hope of mercy and forgiveness
So we want God to be merciful we want him to forgive us and what did Ezra do well
He confessed the sins of Israel, but then they all came in as a big group. They all felt sad
They all cried they confess their sins and then check and I comes in
He's just like you know we we've sinned a great sin, but there's still hope in this thing
so
Psalm chapter 33 someone who's really used to apologizing a lot is King David a man after God's own heart
But he also understood the fact that he you need to get right with God when you're wrong with them
Now Psalm 33 verse 18 says behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him
Upon them that hope in his mercy
See we we need to know that
We can go to God so the verse the verse and then the New Testament
I just read to you that you know he is faithful when he says he's gonna do something. He will do it
Just and he's just to forgive us our sins so when we go to God
He's going to forgive us, but we have to do it right
Now David's saying behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy
Lord hear my voice let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications
If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities Oh Lord who shall stand
He's basically saying everybody's a sinner if you just mark everything that we did
We would never be able to stand it says, but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared
I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope so we hope in his word
Because that's how we know how God feels about something
That's how we know what God wants of us and so we hope in his word whatever his word says
We can hope in those things and know that they're gonna come to pass
So when he says hey hope in God's mercy
Then we know that we can count on the fact that God is going to be merciful to us
When we confess our sins to him
But only in that way we got to come to God on his terms and not on our own
We got to quit playing games. You can't play games with God. He knows our thoughts. He knows our hearts
Everything is naked in this in his sight
You know, we can't put up some fake shields to know where God can't read our mind in our hearts about the things that we do
Says my soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning
I say more than they that watch for the morning
Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord. There is mercy and with him is plenteous
Redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities
And isn't that what this man is saying in Ezra chapter 10? Hey, there's still hope for Israel in this thing
There's still hope that God can turn things around for us
I know we've committed this great sin God, but I know that you can turn, you know, we can still survive and thrive
Even though we've done this thing and God does have mercy
I mean he brought that remnant back, but it was a very small remnant compared to what God sent out
compared to what got killed in the initial
wars
So we saw that hope of mercy and forgiveness now
Let's look at the hope of assurance of salvation and eternal life
Let's look at Hebrews chapter 6 verse 11 Hebrews chapter 6 verse 11
Hebrews chapter 6 verse number 11. We have a assurance of salvation. We can't lose our salvation and
And and what is salvation? Well, it's eternal life, isn't it?
So what Hebrews 611 says and we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope
How long just for a little while until you sin what does it say unto the end
So and really if you have eternal life, there really is no end
So we cannot lose our salvation says full assurance of hope unto the end
That you be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience
Inherit the promises for when God made promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater
He sware by himself saying surely blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee and so after he had patiently endured
He obtained the promise for men
Verily swear swear by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife
wherein God willing more abundantly to show excuse me unto the heirs of
Promise the mill the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath
So God made an oath to Abraham saying he was gonna
He was gonna you know, all the blessings that he said he was gonna give to Abraham, but that word of mutability there
It means on chain that he's unchanging
He's not going to change his mind about that
That by two immutable things and that which it is it was impossible for God to lie. So can God lie?
No, it's impossible
We might have a strong consolation
Who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, what is that hope?
Well, it says which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast and which
entereth in
That within the veil so we have an anchor of the soul. That's Jesus Christ
He's the captain of our salvation and we have a hope to set before us
So we don't have to worry about our salvation because we have an anchor that's sure we sing that song
We have an anchor, you know, so what does it talk about?
Well, we have that we can have hope of the fact that we cannot be moved, you know
Sure and steadfast. There's no way we can lose it
Titus chapter 1 verse 2 says in hope of eternal life
Which God that cannot lie promised before the world began
So, you know, I mean there's the I was watching this debate today about is
Salvation eternal or not. It's just like it's so stupid
I'm like, it's it's scripture. That's it's just Bible
Like how many verses are there to talk about forever?
Everlasting eternal life. What does that mean? Oh
It doesn't really mean that no, it does mean that God can't lie
So if he takes away eternal life then he's a liar
So if he says if you believe in me, I'll give you eternal life and he takes that away for any reason
He's a liar. And you know what? I just read you two sets of scriptures. It says that God can't lie
It's impossible
So there's bozos out there that teach you can lose your salvation. They're not saved. They're Devils
Straight-up Devils if they believe that or if they're teaching that as
You know pastors or prophets or whatever now, obviously, there's people that believe you can lose your salvation
They're not I'm not saying they're reprobates. They're following with some idiot taught them some false prophet
But you know, that's why we go door-to-door and try to teach them. Hey, you know, let me show you a more perfect way
Yeah, you believe in Jesus, but guess what you think you can lose your salvation. Look God can't lie
You're calling, you know, the Bible says you're calling God a liar if you say that it's not eternal life
John chapter 5
You're calling him a liar and he's not a liar
The way to eternal life is through his son
That's a hope that we have eternal life
And you know what we when it's a hope of something that the Bible already says you can count on it that it's true
It's gonna come to pass and we have that hope of salvation that it's eternal life. It's a free gift
Now what about the hope of resurrection and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ we also have that hope
That's it. That's gonna be a great day when Jesus comes back. We'll get second or first Thessalonians 2 19
first Thessalonians 2 19
Like why are you so fired up?
Well, you know what when I watch people just try to deceive people I literally put this in the comment I said
Eternal security or once they'd always saved his Bible. They're like what verse
Answer not a fool according to his folly. That's what I say
What are you talking about? I mean, have you ever never read John 3 16?
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life
It's just it's not everlasting though
It's if you sin you lose it if you're not doing the works
You lost it you have to show the works or you're not really saved. You have to have some evidence of salvation
That's not true
The evidence of salvation is what you say
What you say you believe and not even that is not really evidence
But you know what out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh when we ask people at the door
Hey, what do you believe it takes to go to heaven and they go? Well, you know, you just have to be a good person
What do they say out of the about out of their abundance of their heart they think they're a good person
I think that's why they're going to heaven
So that's why we don't think they're saved and then later on the conversation like well
You remember when I showed when I told you know, I asked you first how you go to heaven
He said, you know, you have to be a good person to get baptized and I showed you these
Like do you think you've changed your mind like oh no, I already believe that
I just I was just kind of little confused about it
Well, you're lying. But anyway
You know and obviously we don't need to beat him up about that
But like if they won't change their mind about that, they didn't get saved and they they're not getting saved
They're just lying. Maybe they did believe and you know, you can just walk away and hopefully that changed their mind
They're just too prideful to say it to you whatever
But the fact of the matter is is that once you put your faith in Christ
You're saved forevermore and I just get tired of having to deal with people that just teach this garbage
Because they're the real villains the false prophets are the real villains that we have to deal with
so when they're going on these debate things and
Debating once saved always saved. I mean, it's just like your throat you're casting your pearls before swine
But what it might do it might win somebody over that doesn't believe that or something
But most time debates don't really change people's minds
At least you're not going to change the mind of the person you're debating but it could help change somebody else's mind
So I had you turn to first Thessalonians chapter 2 look at verse 19. It says
For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord?
Jesus Christ had his coming. What is our hope?
Well, it's Jesus Christ and the fact that we get to be in the presence of him at his coming
I mean have you thought about what that's actually gonna be like I mean sometimes
You know we read verses, and we're just like oh, that's that's pretty cool
You know whatever, but if you actually thought about what that's gonna be like you know all of a sudden
You know we could be alive when it happens
We could just be rising from the dead when it happens, but one way or the other we're gonna be in the presence of the Lord
And that's gonna be an awesome thing it's gonna be joy
It's gonna be rejoicing and that's the hope that we have look at Titus chapter 2 verse 13 Titus chapter 2 verse 13
It's one of those tea books Titus chapter 2 verse 13
it says looking for that blessed hope and
The glorious appearing of the great God he is God and our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ
So or not though it doesn't say the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior Jesus Christ excuse me, but he is the Lord so anyway
But looking for that blessed hope so what's the blessed hope well the blessed hope is that we're gonna see him again
Someday well, I mean we're many of us. It's gonna be the first time obviously
it's gonna be the first time for all of us here, but
But you know there's some people are gonna see him again
That were alive on the earth that day that you know that during the times that he was there
But it'll be our first time actually seeing him
And that's a blessed hope the glorious appearing of our great God, and it's not gonna be a secret
It's not gonna be some secret rapture like you know you see in these stupid left-behind books
Every eye shall see him the Bible says and then that pierced him so first Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 13
So I mean we have a lot of things that we can hope for and these again these things are promised to us
In Scripture so if the Word of God says it it's gonna happen right first Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 13 the Bible says
But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them
Which are asleep that you sorrow not even as others which what's it say there have no hope
you know there's a lot of people out there that have no hope and
You know we pity party for things that are really maybe not that big of a deal
There's a people out there that they're gonna die and when they open their eyes. They're gonna wake up in hell
but we have hope those that have died and
Are in the Lord they're gonna wake up to everlasting life, but those that are that have died and
They are going to hell. They're gonna wake up the shame and everlasting contempt
They're gonna
They're not gonna be having a good time like the rich man that woke up and lift up his eyes
And he was in hell
but it says
You know the sorrow we shouldn't sorrow as those that have no hope so when someone passes away
That's saved we shouldn't sorrow like the world sorrows because they really will never see them again
And so that's why you know people you know have these big freak outs and things because they're never gonna see him again
But we as Christians shouldn't sorrow the same way that an unbeliever does when it comes to a safe person dying
Look at verse 14 for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so
Them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him for this we say unto you by the word of the Lord
That we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep
So this is by what the comment where he's saying this by the by the word of the Lord
Verse 16 for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout
With the voice of the archangel and the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first
Then we which are alive and remain
Shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be
With the Lord wherefore comfort one another with these words
So it should be a comfort to us and to people that we know are saved
That there we're gonna see them again comfort comfort each other with these words
Because we're gonna you know it's not gonna be the last time we see them
And that's a great promise in Scripture he said it by the word of the Lord
Well, it's not sorrow as those that have no hope. It's our blessed
Hope what is our hope or crown or joy of crown of rejoicing is it not?
Even the prep in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming turn to 1st
Corinthians chapter 15 1st Corinthians chapter 15 and
Not only is our
The return of Jesus going to be great in the fact that we're just going to be in the presence of Jesus and the fact
That he's going to rescue us
From you know if you're alive and remain he's rescuing you from great tribulation
Well if you're already passed on
Then he's just rescuing you
you know he's changing your vile body into a better body and
Resurrecting your body and changing it and putting your soul and spirit back into it
so
If you're having
physical ailments or sickness
Or those things and they've got you down
We do have the hope of the fact that we get a new body
It's not just like a Ferrari body. It's like the Lamborghini body. It's like the body that is high
Performance it's so high performance that nothing can ever hurt you again
You can't ever be killed
I think you can fly I think you can you know we have a spiritual the Bible the Bible calls it a spiritual body
Did Jesus?
float up to heaven
The Bible says we're gonna be like him
So the things that we see him do after the resurrection
We're probably able to do too. I mean I can't guarantee that don't say pastor Thompson said I'm disappointed Jesus
You know it's a son. I'm disappointed no
Don't you know don't quote me on that necessarily, but I that's what I personally believe
That's my opinion that we'll be able to do the things that he did you know he walks into a room
And just like surprises all the disciples and stuff so the look at 1st Corinthians 15 50 it says now this I say brethren
That flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God
neither
doth corruption inherit
Incorruption so our flesh bodies the ones that we have now cannot live in heaven forever
They just can't and you're like well. I don't know what why not well
Because God said no because they have corruption because nothing corruptible is going to be able to live in heaven. That's why
But look at verse 51 behold. I show you a mystery we shall not all sleep
But we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump
For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
Changed so what does it say raised?
incorruptible
We shall be changed well. How are we going to be changed?
Well it says for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality
So what are we going to be when we raise from the dead?
What are we going to be? What's it say right there?
Immortality, so we will be what?
immortal
I'm not saying we're going to be God
Don't get me wrong. Don't you know don't take words out of my mouth, but that's what the Bible says right there
We're going to put on immortality
We'll never that's what everlasting life is we'll never be able to die
so
When let's see that word when?
When not if
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal body or this mortal shall have put on immortality
Then shall be brought to pass the scene that is written again
It goes back to what's written in the Bible death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death
Where is thy sting Oh grave? Where is thy victory?
So death is going to be no more. There's going to be no more pain
There's gonna be no more suffering. There's gonna be no more tears. There's gonna be no sorrow in heaven
Everything is going to be changed for us and look we haven't even begun that part of our lives yet
so when you think that things are just so bad here and
Sometimes they can get that way. You know what we still have hope in this life for something in the future
Maybe your physical body is destroyed and it's never gonna be the same again
And let me just tell you something these bodies that we have here they get irreparable to a certain extent
You know and there's aches and pains that you're gonna get that and you might not ever get over
That's why I say don't ride motorcycles
you know because
You know first of all you could die on them
But the other thing is that when you fall and you're going super fast and you live through that
Well, it might not it takes a while to you know to have those those injuries to really permanently affect you sometimes
But as you get older you're gonna feel all those aches and pains and all the daredevil
Sky jumps that you wanted to do and jumping off this and that and you know all the different
Things that especially men like to do we like to just hurt ourselves
You know in the thrill of just having some kind of fun thing to do, but when you get older you're like man
I wish I would have never done that
You know why did I play that sport? Why did I ride that motorcycle? Why did I do that but?
The silver lining is what that we
One day will have a body that can never die
It's immortal and it lasts forever
which is what that means and all those aches and pains gone and
You know that's something to hope for isn't it and then we also have the hope of rewards. Let's look at Luke 635
Luke 635 and you know I don't think that anybody in this church necessarily
You don't like have the I've never seen like people that have sheets that like okay if I do this this and this
Here's my rewards because we don't really know what our rewards are gonna be we just know that there's gonna be rewards
there's crowns talked about and
The place that we're going streets of gold gates of pearl
You know no no night because it's always gonna be day
You know it's gonna. There's a lot of great things, but we just don't know and I'm just kind of thinking like
You know
Like some kind of slide that goes into a lagoon or something like you know. I don't know I'm carnal
I guess I want like a cool house or something you know maybe on the beach in Hawaii or something something
Something like that or a Hawaii esque
type looking thing
Maybe we could just change it to whatever we want. You know. I don't know. I mean that'd be kind of cool, right?
I'm kind of tired of the beach. Let's do some winter. Let's do some snowboarding, bro
You know or something like that. I don't know
But we do we are we do have a hope of rewards you know we think well
Hey, I'm poor right now, or you know things are tough for me right now financially, but you know in heaven
Nothing those rewards that we earn there
We're earning right now are stored up in heaven and cannot be stolen. They cannot be corrupted
They cannot be eaten by moths
It's just up there in a bank that literally is better than Fort Knox
And you know there probably isn't even any gold left in Fort Knox in reality, so you know
that's a whole nother sermon for a different time, but
They won't let us look in there to find out so but you know what we know that our
Rewards are completely guarded by God in Luke 6 35
It says, but love your love you your enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again
So hoping for nothing, so we you know when we do nice things
We shouldn't just be hoping for them to do for them to do something for us
But what what can we know what is guaranteed well and your reward shall be great
So who's gonna give that reward to you?
It's gonna be God and so we don't hope for something from the people that we do nice things for when we go
Solely and we get someone saved we don't go back later on go
What are you gonna? Give me? I got you saved
I mean that's worth all the money you have in your bank right now
You but what I can put you on a payment plan. You know I got you saved
You know we don't do that to people
But we just leave and then hope that things turn out for them we invite them to church
We give them a Bible we equip them for this life in
Christianity and we put the ball in their court and say if you want to come to church come to church
You know it's good for you to come to church get baptized whatever
But we don't hope for something again from them
Because we know that God's gonna reward us for the things that we do for him in his service, and it says
Hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great
And he shall be the children of the highest for he is kind unto the unthankful unto the evil even if someone doesn't
Thank you. You know I mean some you know we're taught what manners
I think some of us were anyway taught manners growing up to say. Thank you
You know sometimes you that you do things for people and they like they never thank you
And it's like I don't but I don't really care. I don't I don't go around going man
It just really burns me up
I did that for so and so and they didn't even say thank you
But you know what people do get stuck on stuff like that don't they but what were you expecting?
Look if you have the mentality that you're hoping for nothing again. Don't hope for a. Thank you
Don't hope for something back from them
You know you're gonna get your thank you from God
And you know what that's something that we can hope for in the future
So the less we act like that and be like that towards other people we just do things in a selfless way
We can hope for the rewards because it says your reward shall be great
And that is something to hope for isn't it look at Hebrews chapter 10 verse 34 Hebrews chapter 10 verse 34
Hebrews chapter 10 verse 34, so we have a hope of rewards
Hebrews 10 34 says for you had for you had compassion of me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods
Knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and an enduring
substance
So what we get in heaven is way better and something that's going to last a lot longer than the things that we have here
on this earth
Verse 35 cast not a way therefore your confidence and
And I would say that the a synonym for that little to two word thing it would be hope
cast not therefore cast not a way therefore your confidence which hath great recompense of
Reward great recompense of reward so now when we do great that you know Paul's Paul's talking about the compassion
They had when he was in jail the compassion of you know giving of their goods
He says the spoiling of your goods, but it's what they gave to him to help him out
Knowing that you have in heaven a better and enduring substance
Because when we give and I just talked about this recently when we give to people
There you know what we get back is going to be what we get back from the Lord and not and again
Don't worry about what you're gonna get back in this life worry about the life to come and cast not away
You're there for your confidence which hath great recompense of reward so
Have that hope in the fact that you have a great
Reward coming to you later on now. What else what are the things can we hope for well?
You know we can hope that things are gonna get better in whatever situation are we have going on in our lives
You know maybe you're going through a hard time in your marriage. Maybe you're having a hard time with your kids
Maybe you're having money problems
Maybe there's been a death in your family that you're having a hard time getting over or maybe you lost a child
You know I mean these things happen in life
There's so much things that happen in our life, but you know what what is the silver lining like you know?
If we do what God says God will bless our marriage
He will and we have the hope that when we do what's right that God is going to reward us in
This life for the things as long as we're doing what's right
But when we do what's wrong don't expect to get a pat on the back or a reward for it
You know your kids are going astray well
God promises if you raise up a child in the way you should go when he's old he won't depart from it
You know these are things that we can help fix because the promise is there for us
What about money problems well hey God's never gonna make his seed beg for bread
You know but like obviously there's the tithing principle
You know God's gonna curse your life if you don't tithe, and he's gonna curse your finances
He's gonna curse everything you have
But if you tithe he's going to make sure you're taken care of one way or the other
I'm not saying he's gonna mail you you know that somebody's gonna come to your door and go guess what you want a million dollars
You know
Which would be fun to do with the people that get mad at us when we go soul winning just say well
I was from the publishing clearinghouse. You know sweepstakes, but you know I guess we'll just go away
See what they do that'd be that'd be funny, but anyway. Sorry the things I think about you know
but
Anyway, so there's also
and obviously if there's a death in the family obviously if they're not saved it's really sad and
You know there's nothing that we can do about that, but all we can do is know that
If we reach that next family member or we try to reach that next family member or the fact that we really have reached our family
That we can hope in that we're gonna see our children again someday
When you know because we're gonna like I said we're gonna lose everything in this life
Everything is off the table or all or you know everything is on the table to lose
We're gonna lose it all even the clothes on our back
We take nothing with us your favorite outfit is not going with you
It's gonna rot or go get sent to the goodwill by whoever takes care of your estate
you know and
We just it's a sad thing
But every human being is their body's gonna die at some time in their life
Well, you know in their death
I guess but you know the hope that we can have is that hey we know we can give the gospel to somebody else
That's close to us or we can pray for other people we can get other people saved
We can get other people's relatives saved
There is a silver lining in everything we do and a hope and everything and yeah
It's sad when an unsaved person dies, but what about when you lose a child?
You know people have miscarriages, and it's a really difficult thing to go through and you know
I don't think there's maybe sometimes there isn't enough outreach to people that go through that because I think some people really take those things
really hard
But you know what the hope that you have is that?
You get to see that child again someday
And they didn't have to go through any hardships in this life they you know they they lost their life here on earth, but
they
They're up in heaven waiting for you when you get there, and that's a great. Hope that we have
You know in those such in such cases
so I would just say this Christians of all people should never give up hope and
Hope is something that you know maybe you just don't think of that word a lot
But maybe we should maybe we should start thinking about hope instead of always thinking everything's going bad
Because plenty of things go bad, and it's hard like when you're going through a hard time
and you're just going through the fire to have a silver lining and
to think of positive things
But you know we should try to do that because if you just live your life here depressed
I mean you're saved you're saved
And if your family's saved in there your family say that's something to be excited about that's something to be joyful about and
You know whatever happens. You know that you're going to heaven
That's something to hope for it's foundational in our faith to have hope to never give up
Hope no matter what state we find ourselves in to always remain
Hopeful because God is not a liar
He's he's going to do everything that he promised in his word and
We have a lot of great things coming our way even if we never get them on earth
We're going to get them in heaven
We're going to get that new body that never dies and you know we're gonna
We're gonna that's all the hard things that we went through in this life are gonna be
wiped away from our memories
Wiped away from our memories, and you're like why don't want to forget so-and-so it's better that you do though
Because
There you know if you are constantly sad about something in heaven
Then that's not heaven is it you know if you're constantly just thinking about some person. That's in hell. That's not heaven
Eventually God is gonna wipe all the tears away from our eyes
and you know he's gonna just he's gonna we're gonna forget those things those hard things and
It's hard to imagine being that way, but that is the way it's gonna be
And I think that God does things for our own good, and so that's why he's doing it
So the situation is bad for the children of Israel in this chapter
I know we've only gone through three verses, but or two verses actually, but the situation is bad for them
They know that judgments coming
Ezra knows that judgments coming
Ezra knows the big mistake that was made and some of the people have gathered with him, and they realize it, too
and a
Man out of all these people comes up and says something to as or what does he say
Yet there is still hope in Israel concerning this thing. That's the silver lining
That's the hope that he had and out of all the people the Bible records him saying that
Do you think that's there by accident?
It's not there by accident. He understands. He's he confessed his sin. He knows that he's that what they've done is wrong
But
There is still hope
concerning
In Israel concerning this thing that's what we need to take away from this sermon, and you know don't worry
I'm not gonna still go for the rest of the sermon, okay
He's only on page four yeah
You don't even know how many pages I got but yeah, I'm only on page four
I'm only on point one so but I kind of figured that it might get to that point so just breathe the calm
Sigh of relief I'm gonna wrap it up here, so yeah
I'll finish the rest of it because it's pretty the rest of it's pretty heavy, and it's it's just too much to go over tonight
So but I you know just tonight. I just think it's
important that we
Realize just how important it is that we think of the hope that we have and you know obviously we have hope in this
Life too, so don't forget
You know and whatever you're going through you know don't just lose hope in everything because we serve a great God
We serve a God that you know can bend time and space and he can do anything
Through faith all things are possible, and he can make the impossible possible. He can make
impossible situations
possible
See it's our lack of faith and our unbelief that caught this that kind of binds him from doing great things for us sometimes
Because you think oh, it's just never gonna happen or oh, this is just a this is a doomed situation
It's not true
you know and I
I've dealt with a lot of situations. I thought I even thought like just as a pastor being a counselor to people I
Thought well, this is doomed and that's a bad way for me to think. I'm sorry. I'm confessing my faults to you right now
But there's things there's situations that I've dealt with and sometimes they're horror stories
And I think this situation's just I don't know how this is gonna work itself out, and then somehow it does
And that's God
That's hope and I should you know obviously we all have our our times when we're just like oh man
This is it's over, but it's not over. It's what it's over when God says it's over and
You know don't lose
Faith and and hope and the promises of God in the written Word of God if it's there written
And it's a promise then just take it to the bank
That it's gonna happen, and then you can have hope in that and not
Falter anywhere in your faith for that let's pray Lord. We thank you so much for this great passage of Scripture and Lord just for the scene
That was said there's still hope in Israel concern in this thing and Lord
I pray that you'd help us to have hope and Lord if we're
Anybody's sick or just having a hard time there. They're stuck in a rut their marriage is going wrong
Their children are going astray or whatever it is that that they're dealing with maybe they're dealing with you know
The loss of a family member or a child whatever it is Lord
I pray that you just help us and strengthen us and give us
the hope
And and Lord that we could read the scriptures and know that when you make a promise
That's as good as gold. It's as it's as good as happening and Lord help us increase our faith
Help us to to have that hope and to look at the silver lining on things and and that we would
Not be a people that are negative about things all the time
but Lord that we would have hope for the future for our future for our family's future for our church's future and Lord that you
would help us to have hope for the world's future and Lord we know what the Bible says, but
We can still make a difference for some people in our little part of the world
I pray that you just help us to have that vision Lord. I pray that you'd help us to
keep our hope and keep our
Keep or just keep our faith on the things that we should have it on and and stop
You know being turned aside with the negative things in this world because there's a lot of negative things
And I just pray that you'd help us with those things Lord and take us home safely tonight for it's in Jesus name
I ask amen