Finding Hope in Hebrews 11:13-16 - Staying Alive in Faith

Understanding the concept of blessed hope in the Bible

How believers in Christ should never have hopeless thoughts

The importance of hope in spiritual warfare and victory

The resurrection power of Jesus and the availability of the blood and stripes of Jesus

Praise the Lord my dear brothers and sisters a warm welcome to one and all of you and I greet you in the name of our loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As always I feel very privileged and happy to be part of these sessions and I want to thank our beloved Lord who enables such moments because these are terrible times, these are terrible moments where people are really getting killed everyday because of Corona and people have lost jobs. People have lost their families, tragic deaths, disasters, natural pestilences, whatnot, right? And amidst of all this, if you and I are here gathered in the name of Jesus, that is his mere grace. And I appreciate God for what he is doing through these sessions. Warm welcome to this short series. And today's topic will be about blessed hope. Blessed hope you can see in Bible. Before I get into Hebrews chapter 11 verses 13 to 16, I would like to read from the book of Titus chapter 2 verse number 13. looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. We will start with that. So many people, you know, especially believers in Christ, the hope, you know how they convey? I hope, brother, you know, I hope this will work for me. I hope I get a job. I hope my sicknesses will go away. I hope my wife will continue to talk to me because we had a lot of quarrels, I hope and all. The way, the tone itself conveys that they are hopeless. You are all surprised. I am talking about you only, right? Believers in Christ should never have such hopeless thoughts. Why? Because Bible talks about blessed hope. Blessed hope in the name of Jesus Christ is always going to take you to the side of success and success and victory, right? Because you are victor's child. The tombs couldn't hold back the death of, I mean, the resurrection of Jesus. The tombs denied the death of Jesus and Jesus resurrected as a victor. Therefore, in Noah's name, there is always victory, Bible promises, according to 1 Corinthians 15, 57. Believers in Christ, yes, in the midst of situations that are completely wrong, that are completely against you, agree. Your mindset will be shaken. Your attitude will be put to test. Your faith levels will be put to test. Like how the sugar levels are down, people get that giddy feeling like that. When you know situations are against you, obviously you get giddy and shaken and all that. Agreed. But immediately take heart in the word of God and always be aware that there is someone who is definitely, you know, watching over you. And he is definitely, you know, I'm sorry about, he is definitely ensuring that, that the necessary help is deployed from above. And never ever think you are all alone in this game, right? It's like a game. It's a spiritual warfare. And we are fighting with the devil day in and day out. Whether you are aware or not, whether you have understood that or not, the truth is you are not you're not fighting but the devil is fighting against you so in simple terms without a choice you have to fight otherwise you will be killed otherwise you will be devoured otherwise you will be uh you know uh what to say you'll be defeated and as believers in christ we are not called to be defeated we are called to be victorious and what is the important instrument that parameter right what is the important weapon given in our hands Yeah there are six spiritual weapons given how you can fight against the wills of the devil sword of the spirit and gospel of peace and breastplate of righteousness uh she you know gospel shield of faith and all that right helmet of salvation but all of these will be deactivated if you don't have hope you know the actual definition of hope is hope in dictionary if you see it will talk about positivity you will have hope hope is opposite to hopelessness right hopelessness is something which tells you you will never get what you want you will never crack an interview you will never get a job you will never get married you will never get a child your struggles will never come to an end your physical sickness spiritual diseases will never be healed never never no this is called as negativity and that comes as hopelessness in the mind of unbelievers. Believers, exactly opposite they will think. Why? Because the guarantee given to the believers is hope. And it's called as blessed hope. Yeah? Those that shall hope in the Lord Jesus are blessed. That's what it means in the simple definition. Right? I just always try to narrate. And that's what Titus is writing there. I mean, Paul is writing with the help of Titus under the trained by saving grace. That's why I read from Titus 2, 11 to 15. It's beautiful. Everything, deliverance, redemption, all this will be put together. Therefore, you have blessed hope. Why? Because the resurrection power of Jesus is available. The blood of Jesus is available. The stripes of Jesus is available to heal us, to fight for us, in whose name the victory is already granted. It's not that you have to taste victory afresh or newly. No. The victory is already granted on the cross. Genesis 3.15 you take and read, the head of the Satan will be crushed by the Son of God and the same promise had been given to you and me according to Romans 16.20 and Luke 10.19. We have been given the powers to trample the serpents and the scorpions and the head of Satan is crushed right under my feet. Bible says. And if you believe in all this, where is the question for hopelessness and even in the name of hope what are you exercising what are you confessing you are actually confessing hopelessness and that's why i narrated that little tone right let me hope fully brother you know hopefully hopefully i get that job hopefully i get some victory hopefully i get some profit hopefully i get you know i clear my interview what is this right now let's read little bit um from hebrews 11 now only i'm getting into the actual topic heavenly hope it's a very nice title you're hoping because the heaven had deployed their powers their angels and in the name of jesus you have come when you think you are going to activate the powers that have been given to you from above is when you confess that jesus is the lord of lords and king of kings and accept him as your savior accept him as your personal savior as a personal companion personal you know elder brother right he is the life the way and the truth Philippians 2 10 11 John 14 6 now let's go to Hebrews 11 13 what is Hebrew the writer of Hebrew is trying to say here is what we have to now meditate and discuss together these all died in faith not having received the promises who are these he was referring to old covenant people right now if you make this kind of confessions and the tone is lowered and your spirit is down your belief system is not up to the mark your faith levels are zero who are you? actually you are also old covenant person in fact according to you Jesus had never been born that's the way how your reaction is all about that's why he's using the word these all died in faith Hebrews 11 is talking about champions of faith but actually they were never able to be the although they are veterans but they all died in faith in the sense having seen what they want to see by faith and they are all dead and gone but you and I not only will live our lives here but we will be alive even in that eternity They also will be alive in eternity But then you and I have these new promises given to us. That is like walking by faith into eternity, which they have not heard or seen because they have not seen Jesus. That is you and I have been given that good news as far as eternity is concerned and the path of salvation, the blood of Jesus. they did not have any of these promises. Therefore, they died. They were, they are very, very, you know, they are known for faith. All this bunch of people, right? Abel and Byfaith, Enoch and it was impossible to please and Noah, all these people, you know, bunch of people will come. Rahab also will be taking place. Later you will see. Right? Having, not having received the promises. They have not received the promises. What promises? Old Testament also has promises. New Testament promises are completely different. It is about reserving a spot in the city of God. Talking about heaven, heavenly realm and what can get you there and how you will be judged in the white throne. They never heard of any of these. But you and I have the privilege. You and I have that wonderful promise, wonderful privilege to hear all of these. And this is going to happen for sure. That's why there is no reason that you should be hopeless. You have every reason to stay in faith and stay in the blessed hope. Okay, now let's see. But having seen them affair of, where assured of them, embrace them and confess that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Right? They have seen faith from a distance, yet they confessed. They are far better than us. Okay. For those who say such things, declare plainly that they seek a homeland. they definitely needed destiny or a destination at least destiny and destination our destiny and destination is kingdom of heaven city of god and we have to reach there and they were no different from us but they didn't have much of visibility what takes them there yeah they know messiah is coming but whatever messiah is about to teach and get them there unfortunately they never got to here. That's why you and I have every reason to be soaked in that blessed hope, according to the writer, right? And verse 15, and truly, if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. These people who lived by faith, they haven't heard this Revelation 21 and Revelation 22, all these things they have not heard. But then, without even knowing that, they have marched towards the city of God, that is the paradise, from there they will be transferred to the kingdom of heaven, after white throne judgment. But, you and I, we have every single visibility, every single detail given. In fact, we don't have the complete details how the city of God is going to look like, but at least we definitely have a vision and a sequence, you know, rapture, tribulation, great tribulation, sorry, and split into two halves and then the Armageddon battle happens and then the thousand years of rule in Jerusalem and then the, you know, white throne judgment and then the city of God and then you will see the new heaven and earth this and saying, wow, yeah, now you have every reason to stay in blessed hope, then people are asking me this question, I'm going to close in couple of minutes, people ask this question always, blessed hope you are talking always towards eternity, how about the life on earth, beloved, this is the reason why you should stay alive, in joy, in patience, in faith, because why, this is a passing life, you won't live for 1000 years, max to max, you will live 70 years, or you're lucky you will go to 90 or 100 years so in the short span of life there is no reason that you should be worried or shaken why because this is like few seconds compared to the number of years you're going to spend and spend an eternity eternity is going to be as big as trillion years million years billion years what is your hundred years or 70 years tell me that why these children of god especially paul the apostle paul and silas were beaten almost to death but they were worshiping god why even if they were to die there in the cell that jail or dungeon they know where they are going therefore they are least bothered i'm not trying to say that you have to sell your property give it to the poor and beg on the streets. Not like that. While you are living, you will go through challenges and troubles in life. But let those troubles not shake your faith. Do not be afraid. Jesus said this in John 14, 1 and 27. Let these things not disturb your mindset. Pray for a calm mindset. According to Proverbs 17, 27. Pray for that calm mindset and you and I have every right to claim the promise of God and still live a victorious and a spiritual and a happy life here on earth and the same continues there in eternity. Whereas the old covenant people, they never had any visibility on the futuristic perspective. What is Messiah? Who is Messiah? What is going to teach? What are the promises? And they never had any visibility yet. They lived a much better life than us, right? They died in faith, but they lived a much better life than us. Therefore, if you want to call yourself as a believer in Christ, your standards are elevated to the next level. But you are living at the lowest level. In fact, we are living much lower level than Jobs and Abrahams and Novas and Enochs and Abels and Rahabs. And, you know, we are nowhere close to them. And what a sad situation, right? Can you imagine how sad the heaven is going to be? Because you have not understood how much it costs for Jesus to deliver this blessed hope that you and I have every reason to stay alive in hope. especially you know young children listening to me or teenagers listening to me or young people listening to me as you are traveling in the stages of your life until 30 you will be going through a lot of pressures academic pressures you know after marriage you will have pressures peer pressures and as you are beginning your life together as a couple you will have a lot of you know objectives to achieve and you don't know how your future is going to be and or whichever the ender says the pressure continues why because the economical condition the situation due to corona is pressing you hard but then this message is definitely delivering you the good news that you have every right to stay alive in your hope because the the God who began the faithful God who began that good work in you will complete it he who called you his faithful Philippians 1 6 years and he will make work all things all things work together for your good Romans 8 28 says right have that hope have the trust have the dependency on God and which the you know this privileged old covenant people did not get that's why I picked from you know Hebrews 11 therefore although they were champions of faith they were not so privileged and honored like you and me you and I are honored why because we have heard Jesus and few generations ago like 20 centuries ago they saw Jesus he was walking on this earth the son of God and these people were dead and gone They did not get this privilege. Except, you know, two or three old covenant people, John the Baptist and Simeon and Hannah, they were all praying, right? Old people. They saw the baby Jesus. They did not hear the teachings. They are gone. Alright. I think that should convey the message. why you have every reason to stay joyful, to smile happily, spend your life in the midst of your pressures and trouble. Do not be worried. Do not be thinking too much on the future because God is definitely going to deliver you, take care of you, guide you according to his great wisdom he created you, right? And therefore he knows how to take care of you. Stay in hope. God bless you. Subscribe to our channel, get access to all our playlists. Please spend time and listening to many Bible teachings that are available in our channel and also share it with your friends, relatives, known ones, near ones, dear ones, whoever it may be. God bless you, take care and I will meet you soon. Bye.

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