The Vineyard Church of North Grand Rapids, MI

When Christians talk about hope, we're not talking about wishful thinking: I hope I win the lottery. I hope I get an A on my exam, even though I didn't study. I hope these pills will help me lose 40 lbs in the next two weeks. We're not talking about putting our hope in other people: I hope this car salesman will take another $1000 off the price of this car. I hope the cute blond sitting across the isle will turn and look at me righhhhhttt now! I hope my new friends will never let me down (like my old friends did).
When Christians talk about hope, we're talking about our confidence in God's promises, especially all the promises he's made in regard to the future, the life to come . . . the promise of being delivered from all the tragedy in this world and the brokenness in our lives right now and stepping into the wonders of heaven someday. Christians think a lot about the future, about heaven, and all the promises God has made to us. Hope is focused on the future. This future orientation keeps Christians going in hard times right now.
What happens when we run low on hope? First, our faith starts to shrivel up (picture raisin-faith). We get cranky, discouraged, and hard-to please. We stop taking risks and trusting God with our needs. We start breaking promises and dropping our commitments to fellow Christians. Second, we stop loving other people, really loving others and laying down our lives for them in the ways Jesus has done for us. When hope declines, we start withholding our hearts from other believers. We walk away from big needs. We reduce loving other people to being nice. Without hope, love shrivels up. So, hope is a major focus in the Bible.
You may be shocked to discover that hope doesn't just sweep over us every morning when we look in the mirror! In I Thessalonians 5:8, the Apostle Paul says that hope is more like a solder's helmet that we choose to pick up, put on our heads, and tighten down before we start each day. Paul wrote, "let us be sober [the mindset of a soldier facing real dangers], putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet". For Paul, the hope of salvation is a future expectation. Yes, we've tasted God's salvation/deliverance in some ways already, but our present experiences of forgiveness and freedom are just small installments on the really great treasures that await us in the life to come. If someone asked you, "Brother, are you saved?" you might say "Yes, brother, I am saved. I've been forgiven and set free!" But a day will come when you step from this life into eternity and say, "So, this is what it means to be saved. I guess I really didn't have a clue until now. God's salvation is a bigger deal than I ever imagined. Wow!". Most of the blessings of our salvation still lie up ahead in the future, like unopened Christmas gifts.
But hope makes a huge difference right now. Our hope in God's promises for the future keeps us focused and fruitful right now. Hope keeps us hanging on. We can't give up now; we've got a future hope. In Colossians 1:3-6, Paul writes . . . READ. Interesting, isn't it? Faith and Love spring from Hope. When we feel like waffling on our promises, dropping our commitments, giving up on our friendships, or even walking away from Jesus, hope renews our faith. If you're struggling to trust God or to live a trustworthy life, you probably need to pick up your hope--like a helmet--and strap it on. When we're disappointed, hurt, or even offended by the people around us, hope keeps us loving them the way Jesus loves us. If you're struggling to forgive and love others the way Jesus forgave and loves you, you probably need some fresh hope. Paul explains that our faith and love spring from hope.
Paul goes on to explain that wherever the gospel is communicated and accepted, people experience hope. There's a lot of hope in the room this morning, because people have decided to believe and accept the good news of Jesus life, death, and resurrection for them. Let me show you what I mean. I'm going to ask some of you to stand up right where you are. I'd like you to stand up if . . . you've become a Christian in the last year . . . if you've experienced a power encounter with the Holy Spirit in the last year . . . if you've faced some sin in your life, have repented, and have experienced a significant breakthrough . . . if you've prayed and have seen a significant answer to your prayers . . . if you've received a deeply meaningful prophetic revelation about your destiny or calling . . . if you've experienced a dramatic physical healing or have prayed for someone who has received a dramatic healing . . . just in the last 12 months. Isn't this encouraging!?! Perhaps you can understand why Paul wrote, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). And, these men and women have just begun to taste this salvation. Really, they hardly have a clue to what's coming. None of us do. The real banquet awaits us in heaven.
This is why Paul can write in Romans 8:20-25 . . . READ. Be honest. Life is a lot harder than any of us expected. Pressures can be unreal . . . almost like the kind of pressures a woman experiences in labor. But, this life isn't all there is. A baby is coming! This life (with all its pressures and pains) is just a dot, while eternity (with all of God's promises) is a line that goes on forever. In this hope we were saved; right now we're patiently, steadfastly, eager waiting in hope (in ‘dot land'). "Line land"--our eternal home--is up ahead. This morning I'd like to talk with you about what's up ahead for everyone who has decided to trust and follow Jesus in this life.
All Christ-followers are looking forward to two great moments: The great graduation ceremony and the amazing awards banquet! First, let's talk about the graduation ceremony . . . known in the NT as the Judgment Seat of Christ. When Jesus returns at the end of time, all of us who have trusted and followed him will stand before him to be evaluated.
I'm using the word evaluation instead of judgment, because sometimes judgment carries the meaning of condemnation and, the Judgment Seat of Christ is not about condemnation. It's about evaluating our lives and ministries. You ought to have a couple key verses in your Bibles underlined, one statement spoken by Jesus the other written by Paul. Jesus himself promised, "Very truly I tell you [verily, verily . . . you can take this to the band], whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24). Friends that is good news! If you've decided to trust and follow Jesus in this life, you're going to miss the great and terrible Judgement described in Revelation as the Great White Throne. So, Paul gives this cheer in Roman's 8:1, "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus". If you've opened your heart to Jesus and he's come into your life--so that he's in you and you're in him--you're no longer in the group that risks God's future judgment and condemnation. Your name's on the graduation list! At the very least, you've passed! There's going to be a diploma with your name on it on graduation day--count on it. That's something to celebrate!
But Scripture reveals that the Judgment Seat of Christ does involve both exposure and evaluation. Exposure and evaluation. Hmmm. That's a little daunting. Well, yes, graduation ceremonies tend to be a little awesome. There'll be some real accountability for our lives, relationships, and ministries. In other words, our choices and actions now really matter. We can be wasting time and opportunity, or we can be earning great reward. Short as it is, you don't want to be drifting through this life.
Exposure. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus promises his followers that when they privately give to the poor, their Father in heaven, who sees the things done in secret, will reward them. When Jesus' followers invest in private times of earnest prayer, their Father in heaven, who sees the things done in secret, will reward them. When Jesus' followers give up simple needs and pleasures (i.e., fasting) to deepen their relationship with God, their Heavenly Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward them (Matthew 6:1, 4, 6, 18). Private decisions to trust and obey, to risk and sacrifice, to persevere and press on after failure will be brought to light.
You can be certain that God will not expose your secrets to shame you. Our secret struggles and failings will only magnify God's grace. When you walk across that graduation stage and heaven's lights shine down on you, everyone will cheer for you and for God's amazing grace. Everyone will see how difficult your road really was, how often you got up after falling, and how much you stretched out to grow into Jesus' character, wisdom, and ministry. You never gave up, put on a mask, or cursed God. Or if you did, you confessed it and repented, right?
In I Corinthians 3:10-15, Paul describes our evaluation and compares it to trial by fire. The focus of the evaluation is not our sinfulness. Our sins were judged on the cross; our bill has been paid in full. This is the evaluation of our serving, our ministries, our investments and sacrifices in others' lives. As an apostle, Paul saw himself as a builder of lives, churches, and movements. At the Judgement Seat of Christ, angels will put a torch to all Paul has built--his friendships, ministry teams, missionary trips, churches, networks of partners, reputation. What matters most is what has been done out of love. Motive is everything. In chapter 13, Paul tells the Corinthians that whatever is done out of love has real value; all the decisions made and actions done out of self-protection, the pursuit of pleasure or personal significance, the attempt to control or use people, the pursuit of influence or power, or personal advancement . . . all that stuff is worthless. Doing the right stuff for the wrong reasons or serving others for what you get out of it; that's pretty much worthless. There's no reward for dutifully grinding out ministry. Yeah . . . loving God and others is a big deal in Jesus' kingdom. Laying down your life now in love for God and others will bring sweet rewards in eternity.
Some will emerge from Jesus' exposure and evaluation with great reward. Others will walk across the stage, singed and smelling like smoke . . . but smiling all the same. The wonderful news is that everyone will graduate! I've graduated from three schools in my life and at none of them did I receive any special awards or scholarships. But graduation from each school was still and honor and a joy. And so your graduation into heaven will be a great personal honor and an eternal joy.
That's the graduation ceremony. It's our great hope, even as we struggle now in the school of hard knocks. As you're taking life's tests, failing a few and acing others, just keep reminding yourself: "I'm going to pass . . . I'm going to graduate . . . I'm going to be there . . . I'm going to walk across that stage . . . there's already a diploma with my name on it . . . Jesus is going to be smiling . . . everyone is going to be cheering when my name is called . . . and I'm going to be forever grateful that I decided to trust and follow Jesus in this life. That's my hope in this hard season I'm going through right now".
But that's not all. There's still the awards banquet, and it seems that everyone is invited--special rewards or not. The OT prophet Isaiah tells us that he saw a vision of this amazing banquet (isaiah 25:6-89, READ) One of the parables that Jesus' repeated on several occasions was the parable of the Great Banquet. The kingdom of heaven is like a great king who prepared a great banquet for his son (Matthew 22:2ff; Luke 14:15ff). When he shared the Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus said that he would not drink wine again until the day he drank it fresh with them in his Father's kingdom . . . at this awards banquet. So, just in case you were wondering, "Yes, there will be alcohol . . . for everyone over 21!"
Whether your life of service merits more or less reward than others, Scripture makes it clear that we will all be feasted with joy and invited into five distinct hopes. I hope you grab on to these with al your heart. First, we will be celebrated. In figures of speech, Revelation describes us as being given a rich welcome and handed clean, white robes to wear--wedding garments . . . only to discover that we are not just being invited to a great wedding, but we are the bride! It's our big day! We are the center of attraction, honor, and inspirational. Everyone stands when we enter the room. Everything has been made to order, for us. Everyone has come to celebrate our big day. We are Cinderella, hanging on the arm of the Prince, at the King's grand ball. And the clock will never strike 12 because time has been swallowed up in eternity. We'll be celebrated like much-loved prodigals finally coming home!
Second, we will all finally be with Jesus. Can you imagine him looking you in the face (a bit serious at first) studying you for a moment, and finally breaking into a smile, and reaching out his arms to pull you into a strong embrace you? And not only that, but hearing him speak your name, like he's really known you all along, and telling you he's so glad to have you sitting at his table? No more going home alone to an empty house at night. No more going unnoticed or overlooked at school or work. No more parties where you stand off to the side, wondering if you'll get to dance. No more Facebook friendships. But together with Jesus and his friends forever. That's our hope. A permanent seat at the table, a house in the neighborhood, and open door whenever we need it.
Third, we all shall be like him. We shall all be changed. Transformed . . . an extreme makeover. No one will be too tall or thin or short or fat. No more sickness. The headaches, the asthma, the fatigue, the arthritis, the emotional storms, the depression . . . just gone (like waking up after a fearful dream). And all the painful things within: the fears and insecurities, the drivenness and compulsiveness, the compromises and sorrows, the abiding sadness and the raging anger, the regrets and private griefs . . . all gone. And out of you are flowing strengths you could never work up: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). You'll say, "This isn't me" . . . but it will be you--an entirely new you. Perhaps our bodies will glow with hope . . . and we will walk through walls . . . and relate to everyone with such intimacy, security, and self-giving love that even the intimacies of marriage will seem superficial.
Fourth, we will all be glorified or given glory. Mostly likely this means that we'll be noticed, recognized, and appreciated by the one true God, the Creator of the Universe, the King of kings and Lord of Lords. There is a deep and child-like longing in each of us that is never fully satisfied. It is a God-size hole, a yearning to be seen and known and loved by God himself. It is the longing of every creature to be noticed by the Creator. We see it in young children who squeal out, ‘Daddy, look at me" or "Mommy, watch me". We see it in teenagers who want parents to come to every game or play or concert just to watch. We hear about it even in mature adults who live with the sadness of never having heard a father smile and say "I love you" or seen a mother wipe away a tear and say "I'm so proud of you". In I Corinthians 8:3, Paul writes that "Whoever loves God is known by God". We will all receive the glory of being seen, and known, and appreciated by our Creator. It's a gift no one can give you in this life. It's an itch that nothing else can scratch. Finally, you, who've often thought that no one knew, or saw, or cared will have God's eye and you will never feel that familiar empty ache in you heart again.
Fifth, we will all be invited to step up to higher positions of responsibility and authority in God's ever-advancing kingdom. No one will have to pray about it, check their schedule, or excuse themselves because they're feeling burned out! No one will hesitate because they think something more fun might come up. No one will say, "I already served in my other life; I'm on sabbatical". No one will decline because they feel inadequate or overwhelmed. There'll be a yes in your mouth as soon as the king invites you to step up. And all your spiritual growth and, serving skills and ministry experience developed in this life will qualify you for even greater opportunities to serve with Jesus in new worlds in eternity. Your service now (faithfulness in small things) is preparing you for promotion in the life to come. Many who are last right now, will be up front in that day.
Friends, this is the hope that keeps us trusting God and being faithful in our relationships, even when we're tired and discouraged. This is the hope that keeps us loving like Jesus even when we've been disappointed and hurt by the people closest to us. Both faith and love spring from these hopes--the hope of being celebrated as a graduate, the hope of being with Jesus forever, the hope of being transformed and becoming like him, the hope receiving God's glorious attention, and the hope of stepping up to new opportunities of serving in Jesus' ever-advancing kingdom.
In Hebrews 10:32 we read, "Do not throw away your confidence [your hope]; it will be richly rewarded". Really? Well yes, Christians sometimes do throw away their hope. How? We often throw away our future hope when we choose to pursue present happiness at all costs. You may not have thought about this. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us that life is seasonal. The seasons are always changing. Everything is beautiful in it's time. And everything fades in time. Your marriage has been beautiful in some times and, not so beautiful in other times. Just wait; it'll be beautiful again if you just hang on through this season. Your body has been beautiful in some seasons, and not as beautiful in other seasons. Your career may be beautiful in one season, and pretty ugly in another. Even church life can be bright and beautiful in one season and dull in another. A lot of men and women in our culture lack the hope to hang on during life's winter seasons. So, they endlessly chase springtime experiences.
As his wife ages or goes through difficult life changes, a man may begin looking around at other women who are in the springtime of their lives. As a man's delightful little children enter the stormy season of adolescence, he may just decide to spend more time at work or with his buddies, just to avoid the icy challenges of heart-to-heart confrontations at home. As a personal businesses or company goes through difficult seasons, the temptation to jump ship and abandon the rest of the crew is high. When a church or home group--the one that brought so much joy in a former season--seems to be entering a season of dullness, we're all tempted to take off in search of another springtime of spiritual experience.
Future hope keeps us steady, faithful and loving, in difficult seasons. Future hope keeps marriages and families together. Future hope keeps churches focused in unity. Future hope keeps us focused on the eternal springtime God has promised. So, don't throw away your assurance that God will never leave you or forsake you (in any season). Don't throw away your confidence that he will keep all his promises to you. Don't throw away the expectation that you'll be forever grateful that you were faithful and loving to the end of your life
We're going to end our service with a worship song. Think of yourself strapping on your hope--like a soldier's helmet. There's a war going on! Clear your focus and tighten up your hope. Take your eyes off people who have disappointed you. Focus on the future. Stop dwelling on the fading beauty of your personal life, or your family, or your career. Seasons change. Springtime is coming. Hope will carry you forward.

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