http://bible.com/events/48881966

All Things New: The New Hope
In Christ you don’t strive for hope, you rest in it.

This series is based on the idea that we desperately need “new” and that new is available to us through Jesus.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:3-9‬‬
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Living Hope Is Purchased
-“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (verses 3-4)
-There is a direct and indelible tie between the resurrection of Jesus and the availability of hope. No resurrection, no hope.
-This hope is purchased by Jesus and his work on the cross. And it is alive – it cannot die!

Living Hope Is Present & Future
-“and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (verses 4-5)
-Peter is saying there is hope now because of what Christ has done and hope in an inheritance you have that will never fade away.

Living Hope Is Powerful
-“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (verses 6-9)
-This living hope does something in us: we can have joy even in our suffering, it strengthens and grows our faith, we are refined.
-Living Hope gives us vision for our future, for the ultimate salvation that will be revealed.

The bottom line:
In Christ you don’t strive for hope, you rest in it.

There are two kinds of people:
1. Those who desperately need new hope. Hope that is alive right now.
2. Those who need to bring hope to others. They never want someone to experience life without hope.

Which one are you today?

Verses for further study/reflection:
Romans 5:1-5
Zechariah 9:11-12
Isaiah 43:16-19
This is what the Lord says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
17 who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.

Colossians 3:1-4
1 Corinthians 15:12-28
John 3:3
John 3:5
Romans 10:9
2 Corinthians 5:17
Lamentations 3:23

All Things New: New Hope
The resurrection doesn’t just give birth to new life but to hope as well.

This Easter series “All Things New” is based on the idea that we not only like new, but we also desperately need “new” and that new that we need is available to us through literal new life in Christ – the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus touches the deep longing within our hearts for things to be different than what we see around us.

The longing for hope. The need for joy and peace.

As we conclude our series, we will see that the resurrection of Jesus doesn’t just give birth to new life but to new hope as well. A living hope that is strong and sure – that will never disappoint us.

That’s the new we need. That’s the new life we find in Christ.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:3-5‬‬
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

We see that Hope is a real thing, given to us by Jesus through our new birth. The Hope of Jesus isn’t an abstract concept that simply produces positive feelings within us.

It is living because it is eternal and placed in Christ and his unchanging character.

That the difference in living and dead hope.
Hope placed in circumstantial things, things of this world, even good things, are dead because they aren’t eternal, they aren’t secure in Christ.
iii.Our hope as Christians is placed in the person of Jesus and his word about the future.

It’s alive, because HE is alive.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:6-9‬‬
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

It is within the light of eternity, the promise we have of God’s ultimate renewal that we should frame all of our present sufferings.

Using the imagery of Gold being refined by fire to remove the impurities, he says that the trials we face, through faith in Christ, can serve a redemptive purpose in refining and strengthening us.

How would this New Hope change your perspective on things in your life now? How would new hope change your mission within the world?

in Christ, we are a people rich in Hope and we are called to share that hope with others!

“We are transformed by God to bring Hope to others through Christ.”

Verses for further study/reflection:
Romans 5:1-5
James 1:2-4
Colossians 3:1-4
1 Corinthians 15:12-28
John 3:3
John 3:5
Romans 10:9
2 Corinthians 5:17
Lamentations 3:23

Church of the Nazarene
http://bible.com/events/48876242

All Things New: The New Life
The old was hung on a cross and the new was born.

This series is based on the idea that we desperately need “new” and that new is available to us through Jesus.

‭‭John‬ ‭20:11-18‬‬
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Resurrection Sunday is the greatest day in human history, because it is the source of new life for all.

-Mary’s past was filled with pain and shame (she had been possessed by demons when she met Jesus), but she is at the forefront of Jesus’ ministry throughout the Gospels.
-Mary’s past didn’t disqualify her from being the first eye-witness of the resurrected Jesus.
-She comes to the tomb broken-hearted. She wasn’t anticipating resurrection.
-She does not recognize Jesus, until He calls her name. Jesus didn’t reveal Himself to Mary by telling her who He was, but by telling her who she was to Him.

Imagine the resurrected Jesus calling your name.

The truth is, your life is a story full of joy and pain, laughter and sadness.
And the idea of new life – the work that Jesus did – is designed to change your story right now.

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:1‬‬
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:8‬‬
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Today, He calls your name.
He sees you right where you are.
He knows your story.
Nothing has to separate you, nothing in your past, and nothing in your present.

As He calls you, He invites you into new life.

Verses for further study/reflection:
Hebrews 2:14-18
Isaiah 43:16-19
John 11:25
John 20
2 Timothy 1:10
John 3:3
John 3:5
Romans 10:9
2 Corinthians 5:17
Lamentations 3:23