We Must Remain Hopeful When All Seems Lost

Preached on July 7, 2024

As peril grows in the world today, we must remain hopeful. What is the peril of the day? Join Pastor McCrary as he takes a look a key characteristic of God that believers must imitate in the world today. Believers cannot surrender their power in the peril of this day!

Introduction

There is great peril in our world today.  On this spiritual battlefield, today’s generation is in great danger of losing its soul.  In this week’s message, I will focus on the peril that we face today and why we must remain hopeful.  I will focus on the power of hope and why you must not ever give up no matter how dire things may seem.

Peril on the Battlefield

There is great peril on the battlefield today.  In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Paul wrote that such a time would be filled with men who are lovers of themselves and pleasure rather than God.  Paul also wrote that men would be proud and boastful blasphemers that lack love.  Lastly, Paul told Timothy that such a day would be filled with men that have a “form of godliness” but denying its power.

Paul’s teaching of such times came from Jesus’ warning about the signs of the times and the end of the age (Matt. 24:3-14).  Jesus warned His disciples that people would need to take heed and not be deceived.  Jesus gave this warning on the note that many would come in His name and say they are Christ.  

History is filled with many kings, emperors, and dictators who saw themselves as gods and saviors.  If you are an observant child of God, then you should recognize those who see themselves as gods and saviors today!  These are those that believe they have the power to be above everybody!  In their godliness, they believe they shouldn’t be held accountable for any of their actions because they are “perfect”!

So, the peril of the day is incredibly great because of those that see themselves as gods when they are nothing but impostors.  As history shows, these false gods and saviors do nothing but bring about destruction through their selfish ambition.  But today’s generation is one that ignores the lessons of the past as it’s willing to surrender to these dangerous impostors.

A Call for True Godliness

For such a day, we have been taking a look at Peter’s encouraging words.  In 2 Peter 1:5-6, Peter encouraged believers to move in faith that grows in virtue, knowledge, self-control, and perseverance.  

In 2 Peter 1:6-7, we will see more encouraging words fitting for today.  Peter encouraged believers to also add godliness to their faith along with brotherly kindness and love.  This is a call for believers to move in true godliness!  I certainly believe that true godliness is needed on the spiritual battlefield; it’s needed in the fight for the soul of the world.

What is true godliness?

So, what is true godliness?  Is it what some people believe – having absolute power and authority?  What’s the difference between true godliness and false godliness?

Let’s consider the words that Paul shared in Romans 5:3-5 where he spoke about glorying (rejoicing in triumph) in tribulation.  Paul spoke about how trouble produces perseverance and perseverance produces character.  Character, Paul concluded, produces hope.  

Gaining character and hope, through our troubles, is something that really sticks out to me.  You might wonder why that is?  Well, let’s consider this:  what is the character of the believer?   Well, the character of sincere believers should be godliness.  Godliness is exactly what it sounds like – to be Godlike.

For clarity and understanding: we are to live and move in a Godlike manner but not live as a god – there is a difference!  What’s the difference?  One is trying to imitate the way of God while the other thinks he is a god.  Again, one is sinful while the other is not.

The fact of the matter is that no man can be God – there is only one God and He sits high and looks low.  We can’t be God because we are all fallible creatures that have a nature to sin.  Sadly, there are many blasphemers and many participating in idolatry today, worshiping a calf of gold.  Everything he commands they will do without batting an eye!  What’s scary is that many of them profess faith in God!  

I warn you today that those who have the same pride as Satan, thinking themselves to be a god, will fall!  They are going to bring many down with them to the grave of eternal condemnation due to their idolatry!  So, I will warn:  Stop following after the false godliness of man and don’t you be moving in false godliness!  We must move in true godliness today!

Understanding the Way of God

In order for us to understand the character of true godliness, we must take a look at the character of God.  Yes, God is all powerful but how He moves in His power is what we must learn to imitate.

The foundation of God’s character

Let’s start by taking a look at the foundation of God’s character.  What is the foundation of God’s character?  John said that God is love (1 John 4:8).  God has demonstrated and still demonstrates to us that He is love.  

In His love, God chose to create mankind in His image and in His likeness (Gen. 1:26).  Rather than putting mankind in a barren world, God put man in a fully furnished world (Gen. 1:29).  Think about this:  in the garden, Adam and Eve didn’t have to labor for anything!

Paul further expounded on what love truly is by talking about God’s love as a foundation.  In 1 Corinthians 13:7, Paul wrote that love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.  Therefore, springing forth from the foundation of love is faith, hope, and mercy. 

After man’s fall to sin in the garden, we can see the faithfulness of the Lord.  You see, in the garden, God promised to defeat Satan and sin (Gen. 3:15).  We often consider that He made this promise for us but God also made this promise for Himself!  So, God made the promise of salvation to us but had to promise to also keep it to Himself! 

Was God faithful to what He promised?  Did He not give us His only begotten Son?  As Paul wrote, “when we were still without strength, Christ died for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6).”  God had to keep His promise!  As Paul said to Timothy, in His sovereign power, God holds HImself accountable and cannot deny Himself (2 Tim. 2:13).  

So, here’s what we must answer: is such love at the foundation of our character?  In these times of peril, are we moving out of love and faith?  Are we being faithful to ourselves and all of those around us?  Even more, we promised to commit ourselves to the way of God – are we being faithful and committed to Him in sincere love?  

God’s remarkable hope

Now, let’s also consider God’s response to mankind’s sin because that also defines His character.  When man fell to sin in the garden, did He give up on mankind?  During the day of Noah and mankind’s great wickedness, did God give up on mankind?  When Israel worshiped the golden calf after making a covenant to keep God’s law – did God give up on them?

Yes, when mankind fell to sin in the garden, man was kicked out.  However, mankind was promised by God to one day return and join God in His heavenly garden.  During the day of Noah, yes the Lord sent a great flood, but again, Noah and his family were saved by God.  When Israel worshiped the golden calf, the Lord gave them another opportunity to follow Him to the Promised Land.

Has God ever given up on you in your sin?  You might think He does but God, again, loves you and is faithful.  God doesn’t give up on us because He hasn’t lost hope in us.  The hope that God has in us is honestly the most remarkable thing I find about His love!  We don’t talk enough about how wonderful it is that God still believes in us even in all our failures.

In Jeremiah 29, when the Jews were living in captivity in Babylon, Jeremiah wrote them a letter from God (Jer. 29:4).  Judah was living in captivity in Babylon as judgment of their sinful living.  The book of Lamentation shows us how sad and depressing those days were for the Jews.

While it may have seemed that God had given up to them, the opposite was true.  In Jeremiah 29:5, God encouraged the people to build houses and gardens.  God encouraged the people to get married and have families.  The Lord made a promise to those living in exile that at the time He set forth, He would deliver them from captivity (Jer. 29:10).

From these encouraging words to those in captivity, we see that God had not given up on them.  God said that His thoughts towards them were “of peace and not evil.”  God said that His thoughts towards them were to “give them a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11).  

You often hear me quote Jeremiah 29:11 because I am a big believer in that there is always hope!  I will always believe there is hope because God is my hope!  As Paul said in my key verse, God poured out His love in our hearts through the giving of His only begotten Son!  Because we have believed in Him, we have received the Holy Spirit, and therefore, the hope of God dwells in us!

Always Remaining Hopeful

So, I repeat to you, God is a God of love from which springs faith and hope!  If God’s character is of faith, hope, and love, what do you suppose our character should be?  True godliness should imitate God’s faith, hope, and love at all times!  In these perilous times, it is of the utmost importance you move in faith and love and never lose hope!

The importance of hope

Do you understand why it’s important to remain hopeful even when it seems that all hope is lost?  

It is important we remain hopeful because so many people are losing hope in the face of false godliness.  Jesus called on us true believers to be lights of the world (Matt. 5:14).  Jesus called on believers to be as a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden – we are to be hope in our godliness.  

Again, Paul wrote in my key verse, “hope does not disappoint”.  I want you to stop and think about what that means for us.  As I said before, I believe there is always hope because God is my hope.  Is the Lord your hope?  

Christ should be your hope in that He gave everything for you.  Though we may have tribulation, Jesus said that in Him we have peace of mind because He overcame the world (John 16:33).  I want you to seriously consider what it means for you that you have faith in the one that overcame this world of sin.

Who would you be today if your hope was not in the Lord?  Personally, I would be dead in sin, both physically and spiritually.  I would have fallen a long time ago to envy, lust, and covetousness.  My anger would have gotten the best of me and wicked actions would have followed.  I would be awaiting the judgment of my eternal condemnation if it wasn’t for the Lord and my hope in Him.

Where would you be today if your hope wasn’t in the Lord?  Personally, I probably would have given up when my kidneys failed me.  I would have given up in frustration having to sit in a dialysis center day after day and then in my home.  Again, I would be awaiting the judgment of my eternal condemnation if it wasn’t for the Lord and my hope in Him.

We can go nowhere without hope.  We can’t accomplish anything without hope.  We certainly can’t overcome our afflictions and tribulation without hope in the Lord.  Without hope in God, you cannot receive your blessings, and therefore, be blessed.  Without hope in the Lord, you would be hopeless and consumed in these days of peril.  

Lost to eternal condemnation is why it’s so important for you to have hope.  Even more, if you are that city on the hill or the beacon of hope in the world today, many more would be lost.  If believers lose hope, the world will lose its soul and be lost to eternal condemnation.

Don’t give up on God

Regardless of the peril of today, I won’t be losing hope.  You see, when we did not have, God provided for us.  When we did not know how we would make it, the Lord sustained us.  We, as a people, have been in difficult times before but God brought us through them!  

Since we know a thing or two about perseverance, and because God hasn’t given up on us, we should never be so quick to give up on Him!  We believers should have a never give up spirit because God has never given up on us!  When we believers remain hopeful, it can lift up the spirits of those that have lost hope and given up.  

To you today who are losing hope in these times of peril, I encourage you not to do so.  Don’t give in to the godliness of those who think they are gods!  They want you to feel hopeless as they continue to try to impose their way.  But again, I tell you that there is reason for you to remain hopeful when all seems lost.

God is a God of hope, never give up on Him!  We must remember that all things work together for good for all who love the Lord (Rom. 8:28)!  Yes, the world is filled with evil men and impostors which Paul predicted would grow worse and worse (2 Tim. 3:13).  However, we are encouraged to continue in the hope of what we have learned and been assured through Christ (2 Tim. 3:14).

The evil men and impostors will progress no further than their mortality – they are not gods (2 Tim. 3:9).  However, when we continue in the hope of the Lord, there will be a day when we will be just as the Lord in His kingdom (1 John 3:2).  This picture is made clear to us throughout the book of the Revelation of Christ. 

So, let us continue forward in the hope of true godliness as we have been equipped for every good work to save souls in this time of peril (2 Tim. 3:17). When we continue in true godliness, we will also reach the prize set before us!