Empowered by Hope: The Call to Love

Devotional

Day 1: Hope in God Purifies Our Hearts

When we place our hope in God and His word, it pushes out lesser hopes and desires, purifying our hearts and enabling us to love sincerely. This hope is not just a fleeting emotion but a steadfast assurance rooted in the imperishable nature of God's word, which lasts forever. As we anchor our hope in the eternal promises of God, we find that our hearts are transformed, allowing us to love others with a genuine and pure love. This transformation is a process that requires us to continually choose to focus on the hope that God provides, rather than the temporary pleasures of the world. [16:46]

1 Peter 1:22-23 (ESV): "Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God."

Reflection: What are some lesser hopes or desires that you need to let go of in order to make room for the hope that purifies your heart? How can you actively place your hope in God's eternal promises today?

Day 2: The Power of God's Word

The word of God is described as imperishable, living, and abiding. Unlike the temporary pleasures of the world, God's word is eternal and unchanging. This eternal nature of God's word instills in us a hope that is unshakeable and empowers us to love without fear. When we immerse ourselves in the scriptures, we are reminded of the steadfastness of God's promises and the enduring nature of His truth. This empowers us to live confidently, knowing that our foundation is secure and our hope is anchored in something that will never fade away. [07:23]

Isaiah 40:8 (ESV): "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."

Reflection: How can you incorporate more of God's word into your daily routine to remind yourself of its imperishable nature? What specific steps can you take to ensure that God's word is a constant source of hope and strength in your life?

Day 3: Overcoming Fear to Love

One of the greatest obstacles to love is the fear of losing out on worldly pleasures. The world offers many attractive "flowers" and "grassy meadows," but these are temporary. By trusting in the eternal promises of God, we are freed from this fear, enabling us to love sacrificially and genuinely. When we understand that our ultimate inheritance is secure in heaven, we can let go of the fear that holds us back from loving others fully. This freedom allows us to love without reservation, knowing that we are not missing out on anything of true value. [12:26]

1 John 4:18 (ESV): "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

Reflection: What fears are currently preventing you from loving others sacrificially? How can you remind yourself of God's eternal promises to overcome these fears and love more freely?

Day 4: The Role of New Birth

Our new birth through the word of God is a foundational pillar that supports our ability to love. This new birth instills in us a hope that is eternal and unshakeable, empowering us to love one another earnestly. As we embrace our identity as new creations in Christ, we are equipped with the strength and courage to love others deeply and sincerely. This transformation is not something we achieve on our own, but a work of God in our lives that enables us to reflect His love to those around us. [03:13]

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

Reflection: How does your understanding of being a new creation in Christ influence the way you love others? In what ways can you rely on your new identity to empower you to love more earnestly?

Day 5: Faith as Obedience to the Truth

Obedience to the truth of the Gospel is equated with faith, which purifies our hearts and enables us to love sincerely. This faith is a response to God's sovereign work in our lives, leading to a soul-purifying hope. As we choose to obey the truth of the Gospel, we align ourselves with God's purposes and allow His love to flow through us. This obedience is not a burden, but a joyful response to the grace we have received, and it transforms our relationships with others as we love them with the love of Christ. [14:21]

James 1:22 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to practice greater obedience to the truth of the Gospel? How can this obedience lead to a deeper and more sincere love for those around you?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound relationship between hope in God and the ability to love one another earnestly. We began by examining the metaphor of a lamp supported by two pillars, representing the command to love and the foundational truths that enable this love. The first pillar is the soul-purifying obedience to the truth, which allows us to love sincerely. The second pillar is the new birth through the imperishable word of God, which instills in us a hope that is unshakeable and eternal.

The essence of our discussion centered on how the hope of the Gospel weans us off the inferior pleasures of sin. When we place our hope in God and His word, lesser hopes and desires are pushed out, making room for a superior hope that purifies our hearts. This hope is not just a fleeting emotion but a steadfast assurance rooted in the imperishable nature of God's word. It is this hope that empowers us to love without fear, knowing that our ultimate inheritance is secure in heaven.

We also addressed the obstacles to love, such as fear of losing worldly pleasures. The world offers many attractive "flowers" and "grassy meadows," but these are temporary. By contrast, the word of God is eternal and unfading. When we embrace this truth, we are freed from the fear of missing out on worldly gains, enabling us to love sacrificially and genuinely.

In conclusion, the call to love one another is supported by the dual pillars of God's sovereign work in our lives and our response of faith and hope. As we trust in the promises of God, our hearts are purified, and our love for one another is strengthened. May we continue to shine as a lamp of love, supported by the enduring hope in God's word.

Key Takeaways

1. purifying hope. [14:21]
** [14:21]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - Introduction to Hope in God
[00:30] - The Question of Hope and Sin
[01:05] - The Lamp of Love and Its Pillars
[02:10] - Pillar One: Obedience to the Truth
[02:54] - Pillar Two: New Birth by the Word
[04:02] - The Power of Hope in Love
[05:28] - The Imperishable Word of God
[06:45] - Old Testament Support for Hope
[07:58] - The Gospel and Our Inheritance
[09:03] - The Character of the Imperishable Seed
[10:19] - Overcoming Fear to Love
[12:26] - The Eternal Nature of God's Promises
[14:21] - Faith as Obedience to the Truth
[18:22] - The Application of New Birth
[20:18] - Closing Prayer and Call to Action

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1 Peter 1:22-25

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Observation Questions:

What are the two pillars that support the command to love one another, as described in the sermon? ([01:38])
How does the sermon describe the nature of God's word in contrast to worldly pleasures? ([06:45])
What is the significance of the "imperishable seed" mentioned in the sermon, and how does it relate to our new birth? ([02:54])
According to the sermon, what role does obedience to the truth play in our ability to love sincerely? ([02:10])

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Interpretation Questions:

How does the hope in God's word help to overcome the fear of losing worldly pleasures, as discussed in the sermon? ([12:26])
In what ways does the sermon suggest that the imperishable nature of God's word instills hope in believers? ([07:23])
How does the concept of new birth through the word of God empower believers to love one another earnestly? ([03:13])
What does the sermon imply about the relationship between faith, obedience, and love? ([14:21])

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a time when fear of losing worldly pleasures hindered your ability to love others. How can the hope in God's eternal promises help you overcome this fear? ([12:26])
The sermon emphasizes the imperishable nature of God's word. How can you incorporate more of God's word into your daily life to strengthen your hope and love? ([07:23])
Consider the metaphor of the lamp supported by two pillars. How can you ensure that your life is supported by the pillars of obedience to the truth and new birth? ([01:38])
Identify a specific area in your life where you struggle to love sincerely. How can the hope of the Gospel help purify your heart in this area? ([16:46])
The sermon mentions the fear of missing out on worldly gains. What practical steps can you take to focus more on eternal values rather than temporary pleasures? ([10:54])
How can you actively respond to God's sovereign work in your life to strengthen your love for others? ([18:22])
Think of someone in your life who needs to experience God's love through you. What specific action can you take this week to demonstrate earnest love to them? ([17:23])

Sermon Clips

if you now hope in God in his word what starts to happen to those lesser hopes where we were getting our satisfaction and getting our joy and trying desperately to content ourselves is that they get pushed out by the superior hope in God that's the way we purify our hearts. [00:16:46]

since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren there's there's the pillar therefore fervently love one another so the first pillar is Soul purifying obedience to the truth we all see that since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth love. [00:02:10]

the flower Falls and the grass Fades but my word that gave you life lasts forever and leads to an inheritance that is unfading imperishable undefiled kept in heaven for you you are free go ahead pay the price it doesn't matter what they think it doesn't matter whether you get the flowers. [00:12:26]

you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable that is through the living and abiding word of God so the pillar on the right hand side up there is New Birth by the word of God so you got the act of God in causing us to be born again. [00:03:13]

if you are born by a seed if you're born by somebody's seed you you have the character of that seed if we are born by the seed the word we have the character of that word and that's why he stresses it's imperishable it's living it's abiding it's not like grass and flowers. [00:08:52]

the word of the Lord abides forever this is the word which was preached to you do you see why I think pillar number two is God's work to create hope because of all the things that he could have stressed about the word of God by which we have been born. [00:06:45]

one of the great obstacles to love is fear that if you pay the price of love you won't get the flower of the world I mean the flowers of the world are very pretty money is pretty and power is pretty and sex is pretty and reputation is pretty and Leisure is pretty and comfort is pretty. [00:10:19]

the gospel demands Faith therefore obedience to the gospel is faith and faith is Hope faith in the future that God is providing faith in all these truths of chapter 1 means hoping faith is the Assurance of things hoped for so I think the pillar of verse 22 is also hope. [00:14:21]

how does the hope of the Gospel wean us off the inferior pleasures of sin that's the question John Piper answers in this final sermon in our series God given hope for Exiles this sermon was originally preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on January 23 1994. [00:00:30]

the Bible says that the goal of all teaching is love First Timothy 1 5 the goal of our charge is love it's interesting that it says that flows from a pure heart so there's a pillar of Purity there but let me start over here there's love up there shining out the window of Bethlehem. [00:17:22]

if the word of God by which you were born again dies you die Jesus said we live by every word that comes out of the mouth of God if those words someday die if they cease to be true if they cease to have power we're dead if they live forever if those words go on and they're imperishable. [00:05:28]

when you are by the act of God upon your life and his Sovereign Everlasting word given hope how does that produce love one way is this one of the great obstacles to love is fear that if you pay the price of love you won't get the flower of the world. [00:11:02]

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Empowered by Hope: The Call to Love

Devotional

Day 1: Hope in God Purifies Our Hearts

Day 2: The Power of God's Word

Day 3: Overcoming Fear to Love

Day 4: The Role of New Birth

Day 5: Faith as Obedience to the Truth

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Empowered by Hope: The Call to Love

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