Living Fully in Hope Amidst Despair
Devotional
Sermon Summary
Bible Study Guide
Sermon Clips
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "We live in a world of problems and failures and disappointments. And in 1976, a man by the name of Francis Schaeffer wrote a very interesting book entitled, How Should We Then Live? Schaeffer was something of a philosopher and historian, a Presbyterian preacher, I believe, quite a powerful thinker. And in this book, he traced the rise and fall of several civilizations in the past. And he predicted that in the West, particularly looking to the United States, that we would be today where we are today. That the people of God would find themselves almost in exile." [30:14]
2. "So how should we live? How should we navigate hard times? And difficult times? Well, Israel, Judah have been lost. They're in exile. And they have hung up their harps. And they're ready to quit. So God speaks to a prophet by the name of Jeremiah. And in Jeremiah 29, beginning with verse 4, he sends to them this letter. Jeremiah's writing on behalf of God. Wouldn't you love for God to give you a letter to write to people?" [34:02]
3. "So here is what God says. He simply says that wherever you are, whatever you're doing, don't throw your instruments of praise away. Don't get rid of them. As a people here in this country, we're not to give up. We're not to quit. We're not to hang our heads. We're not to feel like we've been defeated. We've been marginalized by the culture, but we have not been marginalized by the God of heaven. And that's what really matters." [37:50]
4. "We live by faith. In this place. I don't know what your place is. I don't know where you are in life. I know where I am in life. And I get ready to retire again. All the uncertainties about the future. Are we going to be okay? Everything going to work out. Those of you who've retired, you know, you went through all that. Well, I went through it once and I get to go through again. I'm going to have to get a job so I can go through it again. Somewhere down the road. We're anxious about some things. But God is going to take care of us. He's going before us. God's going before you. He knows where you are. He knows where you're going. He's leading you." [45:46]
5. "So what's his plan and purpose for you? What does God want to do in your life? What's he trying to do with you? Are you in a wilderness place? Are you in a broken place? Are you in a place where you think you'll never be any better than you are now? I was talking to someone and we were sitting around the table and I was talking to them about someone who died and I said they're in a better place. I said, you know, we all can go to that better place and one of them said, I'll never be worthy of going to a better place. I said, you're right. You'll never be worthy. But Christ is worthy. He's the one that gets us to the better place." [53:32]
### Quotes for Members
1. "Their lament is so typical of human nature, isn't it? I'm sure each one of us has found ourselves in a place at some point in our lives when we said, in essence, I have no song to sing, I have no reason to sing, I have no hope, I have no future. This has not worked out. That's not worked out. I talked a lot about that last week, where the children of Israel found themselves languishing in their own emotional failures and their own emotional weaknesses. It's not a good place to be. I venture to say that everyone in this room has had a moment in your life when you felt deserted, maybe deserted by God, maybe that God failed you, He failed to answer a prayer, He failed to solve a problem." [30:14]
2. "So how should we then live? Do we do like the children of Israel? Do we hang up our instruments of worship and celebration? And say, this is terrible and awful, and we're just going to give up? It may not be the whole scenario that's impacting your life, but a particular issue that's caused you to think about that. Well, I might as well just throw in the towel. There's no hope. God's not answering prayer. God evidently is not paying attention. I have a little saying. Sometimes I say it. I hope you don't think it's sacrilegious. But sometimes I'll look up to God and say, have you not been paying attention? You not aware of what's happening here? Is this not a concern to you? It's certainly a concern to your people. And I don't get an answer. I'm sure there is an answer." [32:43]
3. "We live by faith and secondly, we live by Grace by Grace. And listen to what God said. This is this is Grace. He said to these people, if you if you look for me wholeheartedly, you'll find me. People who say to me, well, I'm looking for God, but I can't find him. Well, you're not looking then. If you look for me, he said, I'll be found. You'll find me. You're not really looking. I'll be found by you says the Lord. I will end your captivity. I will restore your fortunes. I'll gather you out of the nations where I. Sent you. I'll gather you out of this at some point and I will bring you home again to your own land for them. It was a place for us. It is a place of rest in our spirit. I will bring you back to that place of deep joy and comfort." [51:08]
4. "I was thinking about the ancient fathers and thought about Abraham. Abraham had no map. But he had God and Moses had no army. But he had God and Joshua had no bridge. But he had God and they all forged ahead without the very things that we think you have to have to do what they did. They forged ahead not because they had everything. And they're but because they had everything in their heart had God in their lives and God in their heart and God leading the way. Glory. Hallelujah to that. Yeah, I believe in this stuff. I really believe nearly everything I say up here." [49:54]
5. "So how should we then live griping, complaining, shaking our fist at the TV, Patty doesn't like to watch the news with me because I keep telling Lester. Hope he's a communist and he's he's not on our side. He's on somebody else's side. He's not telling the truth. That's going to strike him dead. No, I don't say that, but I think it I just don't say it. You know, that's not that this is that doesn't please God. No, I would rather bow my head and pray. And Mr. Holtz may be a believer. I don't know, but he would rather about my head and pray for Lester. Hold and pray for the city and work for the good of Dayton. Be a positive influence in the city of Dayton." [56:11]
Ask a question about this sermon
1. "We live in a world of problems and failures and disappointments. And in 1976, a man by the name of Francis Schaeffer wrote a very interesting book entitled, How Should We Then Live? Schaeffer was something of a philosopher and historian, a Presbyterian preacher, I believe, quite a powerful thinker. And in this book, he traced the rise and fall of several civilizations in the past. And he predicted that in the West, particularly looking to the United States, that we would be today where we are today. That the people of God would find themselves almost in exile." [30:14]
2. "So how should we live? How should we navigate hard times? And difficult times? Well, Israel, Judah have been lost. They're in exile. And they have hung up their harps. And they're ready to quit. So God speaks to a prophet by the name of Jeremiah. And in Jeremiah 29, beginning with verse 4, he sends to them this letter. Jeremiah's writing on behalf of God. Wouldn't you love for God to give you a letter to write to people?" [34:02]
3. "So here is what God says. He simply says that wherever you are, whatever you're doing, don't throw your instruments of praise away. Don't get rid of them. As a people here in this country, we're not to give up. We're not to quit. We're not to hang our heads. We're not to feel like we've been defeated. We've been marginalized by the culture, but we have not been marginalized by the God of heaven. And that's what really matters." [37:50]
4. "We live by faith. In this place. I don't know what your place is. I don't know where you are in life. I know where I am in life. And I get ready to retire again. All the uncertainties about the future. Are we going to be okay? Everything going to work out. Those of you who've retired, you know, you went through all that. Well, I went through it once and I get to go through again. I'm going to have to get a job so I can go through it again. Somewhere down the road. We're anxious about some things. But God is going to take care of us. He's going before us. God's going before you. He knows where you are. He knows where you're going. He's leading you." [45:46]
5. "So what's his plan and purpose for you? What does God want to do in your life? What's he trying to do with you? Are you in a wilderness place? Are you in a broken place? Are you in a place where you think you'll never be any better than you are now? I was talking to someone and we were sitting around the table and I was talking to them about someone who died and I said they're in a better place. I said, you know, we all can go to that better place and one of them said, I'll never be worthy of going to a better place. I said, you're right. You'll never be worthy. But Christ is worthy. He's the one that gets us to the better place." [53:32]
### Quotes for Members
1. "Their lament is so typical of human nature, isn't it? I'm sure each one of us has found ourselves in a place at some point in our lives when we said, in essence, I have no song to sing, I have no reason to sing, I have no hope, I have no future. This has not worked out. That's not worked out. I talked a lot about that last week, where the children of Israel found themselves languishing in their own emotional failures and their own emotional weaknesses. It's not a good place to be. I venture to say that everyone in this room has had a moment in your life when you felt deserted, maybe deserted by God, maybe that God failed you, He failed to answer a prayer, He failed to solve a problem." [30:14]
2. "So how should we then live? Do we do like the children of Israel? Do we hang up our instruments of worship and celebration? And say, this is terrible and awful, and we're just going to give up? It may not be the whole scenario that's impacting your life, but a particular issue that's caused you to think about that. Well, I might as well just throw in the towel. There's no hope. God's not answering prayer. God evidently is not paying attention. I have a little saying. Sometimes I say it. I hope you don't think it's sacrilegious. But sometimes I'll look up to God and say, have you not been paying attention? You not aware of what's happening here? Is this not a concern to you? It's certainly a concern to your people. And I don't get an answer. I'm sure there is an answer." [32:43]
3. "We live by faith and secondly, we live by Grace by Grace. And listen to what God said. This is this is Grace. He said to these people, if you if you look for me wholeheartedly, you'll find me. People who say to me, well, I'm looking for God, but I can't find him. Well, you're not looking then. If you look for me, he said, I'll be found. You'll find me. You're not really looking. I'll be found by you says the Lord. I will end your captivity. I will restore your fortunes. I'll gather you out of the nations where I. Sent you. I'll gather you out of this at some point and I will bring you home again to your own land for them. It was a place for us. It is a place of rest in our spirit. I will bring you back to that place of deep joy and comfort." [51:08]
4. "I was thinking about the ancient fathers and thought about Abraham. Abraham had no map. But he had God and Moses had no army. But he had God and Joshua had no bridge. But he had God and they all forged ahead without the very things that we think you have to have to do what they did. They forged ahead not because they had everything. And they're but because they had everything in their heart had God in their lives and God in their heart and God leading the way. Glory. Hallelujah to that. Yeah, I believe in this stuff. I really believe nearly everything I say up here." [49:54]
5. "So how should we then live griping, complaining, shaking our fist at the TV, Patty doesn't like to watch the news with me because I keep telling Lester. Hope he's a communist and he's he's not on our side. He's on somebody else's side. He's not telling the truth. That's going to strike him dead. No, I don't say that, but I think it I just don't say it. You know, that's not that this is that doesn't please God. No, I would rather bow my head and pray. And Mr. Holtz may be a believer. I don't know, but he would rather about my head and pray for Lester. Hold and pray for the city and work for the good of Dayton. Be a positive influence in the city of Dayton." [56:11]
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