He Lives to Restore My Hope

He Lives to Restore My Hope is an important theme.  Hope is a necessary thing these days.  If you watch the news with any frequency you can start to lose hope in a hurry.  The events that I mentioned in my sermon were from 2002, but the fact that they happened right here in Winston Salem make them hit closer to home.

Sadly we know what sin is.  We understand it all too well.  What is hard to understand is this comment from Chris Paul.

“I wish I could talk to them and tell them, ‘I forgive you. Honestly.’ I hate to know that they’re going to be in jail for such a long time. I hate it.”  How could he?!  They killed Papa Chili!  The defense attorney in the case called Chris Paul’s comments generous.  I’ll say!  There is no way!  Would I be happy if they had killed my grandpa.  Mother’s day is coming up.  If they killed my mom?  They should rot in jail.  Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.  Generous doesn’t quite touch it.  The theme of the sermon is…  He lives to restore my hope.  How do we get to that generous place with God?  1 Peter 1 lays it out so eloquently in the next couple verses.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 

Gold is worth a little under $2000 an ounce right now.  The lamb is worth less than that in dollars and cents.  The lamb that Peter is talking about is really special.  That lamb gave up his life so that you could be bought back, body and soul.  The empty way of life handed down to you could be different for everyone here – I’m talking about your ethnic heritage, your religion – not everyone was Christian even all of this life, your customs.  All of us inherited a sinful nature that was truly empty – sinful.  Those blind scales God’s justice don’t care who you are.  Your redemption is complete.  You are bought body and soul.  Easter takes away the doubts.

Please click HERE to watch the film produced by our church body based on the gospel lesson for the this Sunday – Road to Emmaus.

Want to hear more?  Watch this Sunday’s message He Lives to Restore My Hope based on 1 Peter 1.