http://bible.com/events/47529342

Anatomy of a Storm: Feeding Hope

As we conclude our series, Anatomy of a Storm, we are going to talk about one unexpected gift this season has given us: the opportunity for hope.

Romans 5:1-5

5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, wehave peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 

² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And weboast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but wealso glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces  perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

-We are justified (made right) before God because of Jesus, and not based on our works 

-Through Jesus we can have peace with God and we now have access to God’s grace (his favor). 

-The grace of God is our foundation. In this way, we are not just saved by God’s grace, but we are also saved for God’s grace. We get to experienced his incredible and unearned favor in our lives.  

Paul is highlighting two aspects of hope for those who put their faith in Christ:

-Hope THROUGH the storm – the promise we have that God will get glory on the other side of the storm ( “And weboast in the hope of the glory of God.”)

-Hope IN the storm – the realization that God can produce hope in us even while the storm is raging (“wealso glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces  perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”)

Two things to remember about hope:

-Hope comes from God 

                -Hope is not something we catch, not something we produce, not something we can source 

                -The reason hope doesn’t put us to shame (Romans 5:5) Is because the Holy Spirit is pouring it out in our hearts. Hope is sourced by His Spirit at work in us.

-Hope grows 

                -Paul highlights that hope grows through a process (Romans 5:3-4)

                -Hope does not just begin and end with me, but continues to grow and even overflow (Romans 15:13). 

                -People with hope can’t contain it. They are determined to spread it. They refuse to let hopelessness have any ground in their lives or in others 

Romans 15:13

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Other Scriptures for Study/Reflection 

Romans 5:1-5 (The Message)

5 ^1-2 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. ^3-5 There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

http://bible.com/events/47034312

You can’t read your Bible without understanding that God is in the business of healing.

• In the Old Testament, God declares that He is Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals:

He said, “If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.”  Exodus 15:26

• In the Book of Matthew, the first thing Jesus does after calling his first disciples is preach and heal:

²³ Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. ²⁴ News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. ²⁵ Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. Matthew 4:23-25

• Throughout the Gospels, we see that Jesus didn’t just reserve this ministry power to Himself:

9 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  Luke 9:1-2

• Before Jesus was famous for resurrection He was famous for healing. And that didn’t stop with His ascension:

3 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. ² Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. ³ When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴ Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” ⁵ So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

⁶ Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” ⁷ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹ When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Acts 3:1-10

• The ministry of healing continues throughout the New Testament:

¹³ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. James 5:13

In the midst of this, there is an obvious question: 

Why isn’t everyone healed?

John 5:1-8

5 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. ² Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda^[a]and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. ³ Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. ^[4]  5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”  ⁷ “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

It’s never enough from God’s perspective, to just heal you physically

• Jesus desires to strengthen the man’s faith 
• Jesus desires to challenge the man’s willingness and desire for healing 
• Jesus desires to minister to the spiritual needs in addition to the physical needs 

The bottom line:

My healing is up to God. My trust is up to me.

James 5:13-18

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

For Further Study & Reflection:

Nazarene Article of Faith: Divine Healing: 

https://2017.manual.nazarene.org/section/divine-healing/

Jeremiah 17:14

Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;

    save me and I will be saved,

    for you are the one I praise.

1 Peter 2:24

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

http://bible.com/events/46751927

Mark 4:38

“Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

Fear, worry and anxiety are, not surprisingly, intense as we continue to face the pandemic + the Storm we could call 2020. 

​

We are told in our Bibles to be “anxious for nothing.” 

Philippians 4:6-7

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It is possible to not be anxious. 

In the end, anxiety/worry is that nagging, tormenting feeling that you cannot fully trust God.

We worry in 2020 because perhaps we’ve never felt so out of control. But just because we’re out of control doesn’t mean God isn’t in control.

— Pam Charette

There is hope TODAY that you can be free from worry/anxiety 

1 Peter 5:6-7 

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time, ⁷ casting all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Exemption from care (worry/anxieties) goes along with humble submission (surrender) to God.

BOTTOM LINE: Living free from worry + anxiety requires acting on our trust in Jesus.

According to God’s word you can wage war on worry by doing these 4 things:

• Proclaiming
• Praying
• Praising
• Placing

Additional scripture:

Psalm 91:1-2

Psalm 46:10

Psalm 118:17

Psalm 56:3

Isaiah 26:3

Proverbs 3:5-6

Luke 12:22-31

John 14:27

Romans 8:26-28

Romans 8:31-39

http://bible.com/events/46344332

What has the year 2020 been to you?

-“uncertain” 

-“a year of renewal and grief” 

-“a glorious burden”

-“disorienting….a blur….revealing”

-“a year of incredible growth, of stretching change….like I’m at the gym training for a marathon, \ and now God is saying its one of those Ultra-marathons.”

-“a year of new experiences and challenges that have both unified and divided our society”

-“a challenge” 

-“unprecedented”

If the events of 2020 has caused you to feel any combination of confusion, worry, fear, frustration, anger, grief, or lament, then you are not alone. The purpose of this series is to help us put into God-framed perspective the difficult year this has been. By understanding such elements as struggle, worry, healing and hope, we will connect our experience with the viewpoint and will of God.

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.  38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked  the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 4:35-41

 -One of the greatest moments of crisis in the life of believers is when they buy into the lie that following Jesus means they are immune to hard things.   

–Even though some of these disciples on the boat were experienced fishermen, the storm was so great that they were afraid. 

-The question they ask Jesus is a question many of us can relate to in these days: “Don’t you care?”

-Ultimately the disciples had more faith in the power of the storm to destroy them than the power of Jesus to save them 

Questions from the Storm:

• Why did they have to endure the storm in the first place?

• Why was Jesus sleeping? 

• Why didn’t they trust Him after all they had seen?

• Why were they “terrified” after He calmed the storm?

The most important question of all comes at the very end of the story:

“Who is this?”

Is it possible that the disciples who were following Jesus 

The modern day language is really “apprenticing under Jesus”

They went where he went 

They listened to him teach 

They saw the miracles he performed 

But they still didn’t truly understand who Jesus was 

“Who is this?”

Many of do not have faith in God, but rather we have faith that God will come through for us. 

In the storm, and in the moment of uncertainty, so much of the false things we lean on are stripped away. And there is nothing left but God. 

We want Christ to hurry and calm the storm. He wants us to find him in the midst of it first.

Beth Moore

What do we do in the storm? Look to Him

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

Other Scripture for Study/Reflection:

Psalm 40

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.

Psalm 23:4 

Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;

    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

http://bible.com/events/45874900

The Gospel of Christ is a Gospel of transformation. This series has been a deeper dive into the transforming work of God in our lives, both in a moment and through a process.  Today we conclude our series speaking about the culmination of God’s transforming work in our lives.   

From the moment that sin entered into the world through the garden of Eden, humanity has longed to return to Eden. Eden represents a place where all is as God created it to be and where we  experience the fullness of God’s glory.  The story of God shows us this journey:

-The Tower of Babel is built as man attempts to reach heaven. (Genesis 11) 

-God promises to bless Abraham and make him a great nation.  Later the author of Hebrews notes how Abraham longed for a place ( “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:10)

-Moses leads the children of Israel out of captivity towards the land God has promised, in spite of their disobedience and rebellion.  (Exodus 4-40) 

-The children of Israel established Jerusalem as the city of God.  This is an incomplete picture of Eden as people worship idols  and rebel against God. 

-Jerusalem is conquered and plundered by the Babylonians, and so the cycle continues on throughout the story. 

-As we see so much chaos and brokenness in our world today, we continue to long for God’s reception and return to Eden. 

Revelation 20:11-15

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:1-5a

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” 

-A new heaven and a new earth suggest that in that final day, what will happen is a transformation. 

-Transformation is not just a past tense reality, or a present tense reality….it is a future reality 

-Heaven is the ultimate transformation in the life of the believer 

There’s a lot I used to think about when I thought about heaven 

Two realities of heaven: 

1 . We will see Jesus face-to-face.

-John 14:1-3 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you 

to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

-In heaven we will stand in the presence of Jesus, our Lord and Savior 

-We will worship Him and experience his glory and goodnesses like never before 

2. What He says goes, finally and forever.

-It often feels like the hurt and pain of this world has the final word, but in heaven we know that He will have the final word.  

-In this Gospel of transformation, our God of Transformation has the final word. All things will be made new! 

Bottom Line:

Our final transformation is our firm hope

Other Texts for Study/Reflection:

1 Corinthians 13:11-12

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.