"The Significance of Hope Properly
Placed"
February 13, 2011
Senior Pastor Dr.
David Craig
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Date: February 13, 2011 - WEFC
Sermon Title: "The Significance of Hope Properly Placed" - Sermon 10 of Colossians Series
Text: Colossians 1 : 4 - 5
Sermon Notes for
"The Significance of Hope Properly Placed"
( Click here to download or open the Word
document file for these notes. )
The Significance of Hope Properly Placed
The Significance of Hope Properly Placed
(Colossians 1:4-5 - Part 10 – February 13, 2011 – Dr.
David P. Craig)
A. Paul’s “Thanks” Comes From The Reflection of Christ
in the Colossians:
According to 1:5a - Hope
is what produces faith and love in verse 4.
B. The Key to Hope: Colossians 1:27
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
That there is a distinctly future
orientation to Paul’s thought is confirmed by the description of hope as being
“laid up for you in heaven” (v. 5a).
C. Some Benefits of Being “Heavenly-Minded”
1) Focusing on the beauty of heaven frees
us from excessive dependence upon earthly wealth and comfort.
(Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Peter 1:3-6, 13)
1 Peter 1:3-6, “Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us
to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept
in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though
now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.”
“As pleasant as it may be now, what we see
and sense and savor in this life is an ephemeral shadow compared
with the substance of God himself. Earthly joys are fragmented
beams, but God is the sun. Earthly refreshment is at best a sipping from
intermittent springs, but God is the ocean!” – Dr.
Sam Storms
2) Focusing on heaven enables us to
respond appropriately to the injustices of this life (Romans
12:19-21; Gal. 6: 7-10; Revelation 15:3-4; 16:5-7; 17:1-5; 18:3-9; 19:1-8).
Romans 12:19-21, “Beloved, never avenge
yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is
mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry,
feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you
will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome
evil with good.”
3) Focusing on heaven produces the fruit
of endurance and perseverance now (Matthew 5:11-12;
Romans 8:17-18, 23, 25b; Hebrews 13:13-14; 1 Peter 1:3-8; and 2 Corinthians
4:16-18).
2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “We do not lose
heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day
by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal
weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are
seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient,
but the things that are unseen are eternal.
“The strength to endure present suffering is the fruit of meditating on future satisfaction!” – Dr. Sam Storms
4)
Focusing on the unseen glories of heaven energizes the heart to say no to fleshly
desires. (Colossians 3:1-4; 1 John 3:2-3; and 2 Peter 3:11-13)
1 John 3:2-3, “ Beloved,
we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we
know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he
is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
The Significance of Hope Properly Placed – Guide For
Study & Discussion
(Colossians 1:4-5 - Part 10 – February 13, 2011 – Dr.
David P. Craig)
1)
What do people who are not “in
Christ” put their hope/s in? Contrast each of these hopes with the hope we have
“in Christ.”
2)
Read Colossians 1:27 & see
Matthew 5:8 & Revelation 22:4. What do you think it will be like to
experience the unmediated face to face experience of Jesus?
3)
According to Philippians 3:19-21
Paul says our citizenship (present tense) is already in heaven. Our real
residence is already the New Jerusalem – it’s rules, principles, and values.
How do these differ from the realities of the citizens of the world around us?
4)
The exhortation in Hebrews
13:13-14 to willingly bear the reproach of Christ is grounded in the
expectation of ‘a city that is to come’, namely, the heavenly New Jerusalem.
What do you look forward to in the New Jerusalem? See Revelation 21.
5)
Of the 4 foci (benefits of being
heavenly minded) discussed in the sermon which of the four encourages you the
most? Why? What particular passage discussed, or not discussed helps you to
keep an “eternal” perspective for your life today?
( Click here to download or open the Word
document file for these notes. )
The Significance of Hope Properly Placed
(Colossians 1:4-5 - Part 10 – February 13, 2011 – Dr. David P. Craig)
A. Paul’s “Thanks” Comes From The Reflection of Christ in the Colossians:
According to 1:5a - Hope is what produces faith and love in verse 4.
B. The Key to Hope: Colossians 1:27
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
That there is a distinctly future orientation to Paul’s thought is confirmed by the description of hope as being “laid up for you in heaven” (v. 5a).
C. Some Benefits of Being “Heavenly-Minded”
1) Focusing on the beauty of heaven frees us from excessive dependence upon earthly wealth and comfort. (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Peter 1:3-6, 13)
1 Peter 1:3-6, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.”
“As pleasant as it may be now, what we see and sense and savor in this life is an ephemeral shadow compared with the substance of God himself. Earthly joys are fragmented beams, but God is the sun. Earthly refreshment is at best a sipping from intermittent springs, but God is the ocean!” – Dr. Sam Storms
2) Focusing on heaven enables us to respond appropriately to the injustices of this life (Romans 12:19-21; Gal. 6: 7-10; Revelation 15:3-4; 16:5-7; 17:1-5; 18:3-9; 19:1-8).
Romans 12:19-21, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
3) Focusing on heaven produces the fruit of endurance and perseverance now (Matthew 5:11-12; Romans 8:17-18, 23, 25b; Hebrews 13:13-14; 1 Peter 1:3-8; and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “We do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
“The strength to endure present suffering is the fruit of meditating on future satisfaction!” – Dr. Sam Storms
4) Focusing on the unseen glories of heaven energizes the heart to say no to fleshly desires. (Colossians 3:1-4; 1 John 3:2-3; and 2 Peter 3:11-13)
1 John 3:2-3, “ Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
The Significance of Hope Properly Placed – Guide For Study & Discussion
(Colossians 1:4-5 - Part 10 – February 13, 2011 – Dr. David P. Craig)
1) What do people who are not “in Christ” put their hope/s in? Contrast each of these hopes with the hope we have “in Christ.”
2) Read Colossians 1:27 & see Matthew 5:8 & Revelation 22:4. What do you think it will be like to experience the unmediated face to face experience of Jesus?
3) According to Philippians 3:19-21 Paul says our citizenship (present tense) is already in heaven. Our real residence is already the New Jerusalem – it’s rules, principles, and values. How do these differ from the realities of the citizens of the world around us?
4) The exhortation in Hebrews 13:13-14 to willingly bear the reproach of Christ is grounded in the expectation of ‘a city that is to come’, namely, the heavenly New Jerusalem. What do you look forward to in the New Jerusalem? See Revelation 21.
5) Of the 4 foci (benefits of being heavenly minded) discussed in the sermon which of the four encourages you the most? Why? What particular passage discussed, or not discussed helps you to keep an “eternal” perspective for your life today?
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