Sermon Central
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Focus On Hope Series
Contributed by Tim White on Feb 13, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: The people who heard Jesus teach relied on a lot of things, but only hope would show them the way.
Focus on Hope
• There was confusion and beliefs around Jesus.
• Whether we find confusion or belief depends upon what we focus on.
I. The Hysteria (25)
• They heard him teach. They heard the rumors.
• They were confused. What He was saying was Messiah-like.
• Yet, the rulers who sought to kill Him were not acting.
• Nobody was stopping Him, or even challenging Him.
• This was making a buzz, a kind of hysteria.
• To take Jesus without faith will create hysteria.
• Emotions were running high. But feelings are not reliable to take people to Jesus.
• Some people try to channel their hysteria to be Godly.
• But isn’t that tantamount to worshiping feelings?
• Yes, Lord, I will follow you as long as my feelings are there.
• But I must bow to feelings first. “I feel this…, I feel that….”
• If you depend upon feelings, in the end, you will be disappointed.
II. The History (26-27)
• They thought they knew Jesus because they knew His earthly history.
• They new his mother, father, brothers and sisters.
• They knew His home town, the occupation He was trained in.
• Jesus said, “Oh, you think you know me? You don’t really know me because you don not know the Father.”
• This was very difficult for a Jewish person to take.
• Experience is a good teacher, but it is not perfect.
• How many times does God use a new way to do His things?
• And people think they know you.
• Ill. Change
• You cannot go by history to find Jesus. Jesus wants to do something new in your life.
III. The Heritage (28-29)
• Jesus’ true heritage came from His heavenly Father.
• “You think you know me, but unless you know where I am truly from, you don’t.
• Many people have said to me, “If you know so-and-sos’ background, you would understand.
• They thought they knew Jesus’ background and training.
• These people even thought they had the background and training to know truth.
• II Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
• If you rely on your background and training, it will fall short in the end.
IV. The Hate (30)
• Their anger boiled over. They tried to grab Him, but they didn’t have the power.
• Hatred is a powerful thing, but God is more powerful.
• They were determined to end this, but God had not determined it yet.
• Some people live by shear determination.
• There are good descriptions of this and bad descriptions of this.
• He is a pioneer, she is so independent. Or, He is stubborn, she is rebellious.
• I Samuel 15:23 - For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you.”
• If you are depending upon sheer determination, you will fall woefully short in the end.
V. The Hope (31)
• Out of all the confusion was found some who had hope.
• When some looked at Jesus, they saw a phony, a liar, a deceiver.
• Some saw Him as a trouble-maker.
• He went against their feelings, experience, background and training, even their determination to be lords of their own lives.
• That didn’t suit many very well.
• But for some, He represented Hope.
• What better evidence that Jesus was the Messiah than the works He performed, His teachings, His love and compassion, His humility and His strength.
• In the end, we stand empty handed, nothing at our resources, with nothing but hope.
• That can be enough. If you believe in Jesus and call upon Him to save you, hope will pave the way.
• Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
• But hope is more than just wishing.
• Romans 5:5 says, “Our hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
• The Hebrews writer said, “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end.”
• “Full assurance of hope”, not the way we use the word Hope today.
• It is an anticipation, not a wish. It is an assurance, confidence, when all appears to contradict.
• This is how you must come to Christ.
• God will give you the desire and wait for you to choose.
• Then He will give you the power to believe by faith, and fill you with His grace and understanding.
