Benefits For The Believer

3. Character produces hope

a. We have hope because we have allowed who He is to make us what we are.

b. This kind of hope does not disappoint us

--Because our hope is in God and not in ourselves, our possessions, our goodness,

or in anyone else.

c. We have hope because God loves us

--So much so, while we were still sinners (enemies of God), Christ died for us

V. AGAPE – vv. 5-8

A. Our language has only one word for “love”

--love chocolate, love a movie, love a sport, love a hobby, love a person

B. Greek language has several:

--look at four

1. Storge

2. Philos

3. Eros

4. Agape

VI. ACCORD – vv. 9-11

--Reconciliation

A. As stated earlier, we were once enemies with God but now have peace through our hope

and trust in Jesus the Christ.

1. People want to make God a kindly but feeble old man who wants to do good for

everybody and has no anger over our rebellion and sin.

2. This passage clearly talks about the “wrath of God”

--Jonathan Edwards: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

3. God is not happy about your rebellion. He is not rejoicing over your sin.

B. God has made a way through Jesus to appease His wrath.

1. God does not want to stay angry with us.

2. He wants us in relationship with Him.

3. Paul says that relationship will bring us joy

CONCLUSION: A. Don Richardson spent several frustrating years among the Sawi tribe in

New Guinea. He had come from the United States as a missionary with

the hope that he could bring the Gospel to this nearly primitive tribe.

The endeavor proved to be a formidable project. The Sawis considered

deceit to be the highest virtue. When he first told them the story of Jesus,

the only thing that interested them was Judas’ betrayal. To them, he was a

genuine hero! They were a cruel people and were also cannibals.

Richardson’s attempts to proclaim the Gospel to these people seemed to

be futile. He just could not find the key that would unlock the glory of

Christ’s love to them. No concept seemed to work. He had witnessed

fourteen very bloody battles fought right outside his home. The Sawis and

the Haenam tribe were at war.

Richardson decided that his efforts were pointless and made

arrangements to go home. Just before it was time, he observed a very

remarkable event. The Sawis and the Haenam were gathered and as he

watched, the Sawi chief took his own six-month-old son out of his wife’s

arms and held him high in the air. He then carried his son to the Haenam

chief and gave him to his enemies.

The missionary asked one of the Sawi tribe members what was

happening. The member explained to him that the child would become

part of the Haenam tribe. They would rename him and raise him as one of

their own. This baby boy was the “peace child.” By mutual agreement, as

long as the peace child lived, no wars would be fought between the two

tribes.

At long last, Don Richardson had his analogy – the parallel story –

between cultures. With a pounding heart and a dry throat, he stepped to

the middle of the crowd and shared how God had sent His own Son, Jesus,

as His peace child to make peace with mankind.