Second Sunday Of Advent
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series IV
Lesson 1: Isaiah 11:1-10 (C, E, L, RC)
Isaiah describes the character and work of the promised Messiah, the son of David. Here Judah is given the promise of a Davidic king-messiah who is the basis for hope for the future. The king-messiah possesses the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit. Accordingly, he has a government characterized by justice and righteousness. His only weapon is word of mouth. As a result of his righteous reign, all of nature is at peace. Verse 10, a later addition, applies the foregoing to the whole world and not to Judah only. Christians see Jesus as the fulfillment of this promise.
Lesson 2: Romans 15:4-13 (C, E, L); Romans 15:4-9 (RC)
Christians abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. This pericope needs to be understood in its context. Paul is urging strong Christians to give up their freedom for those with weak consciences. As Christ did not please himself, Christians are to follow his example by pleasing weaker Christians. Paul refers to the Scriptures (Old Testament) as the source of encouragement and hope. This will result in harmony among the members. They are to accept each other as they were accepted by Christ. Jesus came to the Jews to confirm God's promises and to the Gentiles that they might praise God for his mercy. Four times Paul quotes the scriptures to prove his point. He prays that they might abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Gospel:
Matthew 3:1-12 (C, E, L, RC)
John the Baptist calls upon us to repent in preparation for the Messiah's advent. John the Baptist's ministry of preaching and baptizing was a preparation for Jesus. He fulfilled the promise of the coming of Elijah who was scheduled to precede the Messiah, and he fulfilled Isaiah 40:3. To prepare for Christ's coming he called for repentance and demanded the fruit of repentance from the religious leaders. John the Baptist points to the greater ministry of Jesus who will baptize with the Spirit and fire.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 72 (C, E, L) - "Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the king's son" (v. 1).
Prayer Of The Day
"Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the way of your only Son. By his coming, give us strength in our conflicts and shed light on our path through the darkness of this world."
Hymn Of The Day
"On Jordan's Banks The Baptist's Cry"
Theme Of The Day: Hope Leads To Preparation
Gospel - Hope for the baptism of the Spirit - Matthew 3:1-12
Lesson 1 - The promise of a Messiah gives hope - Isaiah 11:1-10
Lesson 2 - Hope for unity and harmony in the church - Romans 15:4-13
The theme of hope, explicitly and implicitly, seems to unite the pericopes and propers. In Lesson 1 we hope for a righteous government and world peace. In Lesson 2 hope comes from the scriptures and the Spirit. John the Baptist in the gospel gives us hope from Christ's baptism of the spirit. If we have this hope, we are in need of preparation. Today's gospel calls for repentance as preparation. The Prayer of the Day asks God "to prepare the way for your only Son." The Hymn refers to John's ministry calling for moral preparation, through repentance. On Advent 1 we considered the second coming. On Advent 2 we deal with Christ's coming anew this Christmas by re-birth into our personal lives. If this is to be a real experience, preparation by repentance is necessary. In recent years blue has been introduced as the liturgical color for Advent because it is the color of hope.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Gospel:
Matthew 3:1-12
1. Wilderness (vv. 1-3). The word, "wilderness," plays an important part in salvation history. For 40 years the Israelites were in a wilderness before entering the Promised Land. John the Baptist lived and preached in the wilderness, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. A highway for God was to be prepared in the wilderness. It is the wilderness of this world of sin and wild beasts. In this world of wilderness we are to prepare a way for Christ to come. Yet, it is in the wilderness that people experience God, and at Sinai a covenant is made. God is heard and known in the wilderness rather than in the prosperous plains of civilization.
2. Prepare (v. 3). We are to prepare a highway for God to come to us. Christmas is a receiving time of life when God comes to us in Christ. The world thinks of Christmas as a giving time and so we go through a mad rush to buy gifts. If Christ is to come to us this Christmas, we need to prepare to properly receive him. Thus, Advent is a preparatory season of repentance as the only way to be receptive.
3. Fire (vv. 10, 11, 12). A tree with bad fruit is to be burned, as millions of orange trees diseased with canker were destroyed in Florida. At the end of time, the chaff is to be burned with "unquenchable fire." John the Baptist promised that Jesus would baptize with the Spirit and with "fire." Fire symbolizes judgment. Christ comes as both Savior and Judge. The latter we like to forget. Evil is to be exterminated. In 2 Peter we are told that "the elements will be dissolved with fire."
Lesson 1: Isaiah 11:1-10
1. Stump (v. 1). Can anything come out of a "stump?" Can life come out of death? The Messiah is rooted in the past which is apparently as dead as a stump. Yet, out of death comes the life of Christ as the son of Jesse, the son of David. Our roots are vital. We go back to the life that comes out of our dead ancestors. Eternal life came out of Jesus' grave. The butterfly comes out of a cocoon. Hope comes out of despair.
2. Mouth (v. 4). The only weapon the Messiah has to eradicate evil is his "mouth." He will smite the earth with the "rod of his mouth." He slays the wicked with the breath of his lips. In Revelation Jesus is called the Word of God. "Let the Word do it" was Luther's slogan. The church's only sword is the Word through teaching and preaching. Jesus taught that they who take up the sword of steel will perish with the sword. The Word has the inherent power to convert and transform the world from evil to good.
3. Knowledge (v. 9). It is like a dream: the promise that when Messiah comes, there will be no more antagonism or strife in all of creation. Yet, we Christians believe that the Messiah came in Jesus, but the whole creation is still at war with itself. What is the problem? Is it wishful thinking on our part? Indeed, Jesus is the Christ who came two thousand years ago. The reason fighting and killing still exist is the lack of knowledge of the Lord. Knowledge here is more than data; it is a relationship with God. When this "knowledge" covers the earth as the waters cover the sea, peace will be a reality.
Lesson 2: Romans 15:4-13
1. Harmony (v. 5). Paul appeals for harmony in the church at Rome. Since he had never been there, rumors must have reached him of divisions in the congregation. Lack of harmony is a problem in almost every church, for Paul faced the problem in Philippi and Corinth as well. Since the primary characteristic and the foremost duty of a Christian is to love, it seems ironic that the churches show a lack of love. Christians have a problem of getting along with each other, both then and now.
2. Scriptures (v. 4). The "Scriptures" in Paul's day was the Old Testament. How can the Old Testament provide hope to Christians? Hope deals with the future and the Old Testament contains thousands of promises by God for the future. The greatest of these promises is the coming of the Messiah. In Jesus he has come. Hope has been realized. Yet, he is coming again for the consummation of history. We hope for his return.
3. Welcome (v. 7). On many an outdoor church bulletin board, a church says to the world, "Welcome." Lay greeters stand usually in the narthex on Sundays to welcome worshipers, especially visitors. It is good to be welcomed, to be told you are wanted. However, here "welcome" means more. It means acceptance as Christ accepted us as sinners. We are to accept people as they are with all their faults, forgive them, and make them part of our divine family. This makes for a warm and loving church.
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Hope for Harmony
Need: A look at both the world and the church is sufficient to realize there is a need for harmony in both places. In North Carolina there is a small town by the name of Harmony. One often wonders as he passes through the town whether all in that town live in harmony. The church needs to be a city of harmony. If there is none in the church, how can we expect peace to be in the world? In these three lessons, we can learn how to get harmony.
Outline: Where we need harmony today -
a. Harmony in the world - Lesson 1.
b. Harmony in the church - Lesson 2.
c. Harmony with God - Gospel.
Gospel:
Matthew 3:1-12
1. You Don't Need Jesus - Just Yet! 3:1-3, 11-12
Need: In his infinite wisdom, God knew the world needed John the Baptist before it would receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Before we can accept Jesus, we must hear John the Baptist. Who wants a Savior if he is unaware of his sin? Repentance precedes faith. Death of the old self must occur before a new life can come. The caterpillar dies in the cocoon before it emerges in the new life of a butterfly. Someone is needed to make us conscious of our sins and to lead us to repentance. Then we will be ready for Christ to forgive us. What we need now is John the Baptist not Jesus. He will come to us later if we first hear John.
Outline: Why John the Baptist comes before Jesus.
a. John will persuade you to repent - vv. 2, 3.
b. John will point you to Christ - vv. 11, 12.
2. The World's Only Out - 3:2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Need: The world is in terrible shape: hunger, illiteracy, poverty, nationalism, torture and the threat of war with nuclear weapons. The world is suffering from a moral malignancy and is sick with a terminal disease. What is the answer? Is there a solution? John the Baptist tells how the world can get out of its predicament.
Outline: How can the world get out of its predicament?
a. Earn - prosperity, higher standard of living? No!
b. Learn - education will get us out of trouble? No!
c. Burn - shall we destroy and start all over again? No!
d. Turn - is repentance the way out? Yes!
3. Church, Repent! 3:7-12
Need: Usually we think of repentance for "sinners" only. John the Baptist reminds us that religious people need repentance also. He calls to the religious leaders of his day - Pharisees and Sadducees - to repent. This is a scathing attack upon the religious leaders of the day. In John's day, Jews baptized Gentile proselytes, but John baptizes Jews, those within the covenant. It is like calling upon church members to be re-baptized. Through baptism they are to repent and receive spiritual cleansing. Is the church today not also needing a call to repentance? Consider the sins of church people: pride, gossip, apathy, selfishness, materialism, moral laxity and strife. This sermon is needed to afflict the comfortable in our churches.
Outline: Why church people need to repent.
a. They come as spectators of repentance - v. 7.
b. They trust in church membership - v. 9.
c. They fail to produce the fruit of repentance - v. 8.
d. They face judgment - v. 10.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 11:1-10
A Profile in Greatness. 11:1-10
Need: In this Advent season we are looking forward to Christmas for the coming again of Jesus into our hearts or to the Parousia. Who is this expected one and what is he like? Is he worth hoping and waiting for? In recent years a book appeared titled Profiles in Courage, portraits of brave Americans. Admissions offices of colleges and seminaries often prepare profiles of new students to acquaint the faculty with the lives of incoming students. In Lesson 1 Isaiah draws a profile of the Messiah about 800 years before he came in Jesus. The sermon is to paint a portrait of the one for whom we are preparing.
Outline: Consider this profile in greatness.
a. Who he is.
1. A prince - v. 1.
2. A man of spirit - v. 2.
3. A God-fearing man - v. 3a.
b. What will he do?
1 . Judge righteously, not on evidence nor hearsay - vv. 3b, 4.
2. Destroy the evil in the world through his word - v. 4.
c. What he will accomplish - vv. 6-10.
1. Peace on earth - v. 6.
2. The world will know God - v. 9.
3. Nations will seek God - v. 10.
Lesson 2: Romans 15:4-13
1. The Roots of Our Hope. 15:4-13
Need: We live at a time when hope is in short supply. Many in this country are disillusioned and doubtful. We once hoped education would solve our problems. We no longer hope that war will end war. Our hopes are raised every time a new administration takes over in Washington, but many are soon disappointed. Can a person hope in anything anymore? Now we are in the Advent season, one of hope for a new age through a coming Deliverer. Can this be an empty hope, too? One thing is sure; there is no great reason to hope in people, but we can hope confidently in God. In this Lesson Paul gives us the roots for Christian hope in a hopeless world.
Outline: The roots of our hope are -
a. The scriptures - v. 4. We can hope in the promises of scripture, for God is faithful.
b. The coming of the Son of David - v. 12. We can hope because Christ is coming again to set things right.
c. The God of hope - v. 13. If we have God, we can hope. For God is a God of hope.
2. Abounding in Hope 15:13 - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."
Need: According to Paul, a Christian's life abounds in hope, even when conditions are hopeless. In our day many go through life without anything to live for, nothing to look forward to, nothing to get excited about. This is probably due to the fact that God has gone out of their lives, and they can see only dark and disappointing things of life. Then, we go through life with heads down, with fallen faces, with drooped shoulders, and sighing, "Woe is me!" In this kind of world, there is need for a sermon showing how a Christian abounds in hope.
Outline: How you can abound in hope - 15:13.
a. To hope is to have a forward look. The best is yet to be. Lot's wife looked back and she turned into the salt of the past. God has great things in store for us.
b. To hope is to have an upward look. Look up for redemption is nigh. Look up for the return of Christ. Look down and you turn to despair with the world. Christians seek that which is above where Christ is.
c. To hope is to have a positive look. Stress the positive in life. Look for the good in people. A negative look makes one sour and pessimistic. Our hope is justified by the faith that God works for the good of those who love him.
Isaiah describes the character and work of the promised Messiah, the son of David. Here Judah is given the promise of a Davidic king-messiah who is the basis for hope for the future. The king-messiah possesses the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit. Accordingly, he has a government characterized by justice and righteousness. His only weapon is word of mouth. As a result of his righteous reign, all of nature is at peace. Verse 10, a later addition, applies the foregoing to the whole world and not to Judah only. Christians see Jesus as the fulfillment of this promise.
Lesson 2: Romans 15:4-13 (C, E, L); Romans 15:4-9 (RC)
Christians abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. This pericope needs to be understood in its context. Paul is urging strong Christians to give up their freedom for those with weak consciences. As Christ did not please himself, Christians are to follow his example by pleasing weaker Christians. Paul refers to the Scriptures (Old Testament) as the source of encouragement and hope. This will result in harmony among the members. They are to accept each other as they were accepted by Christ. Jesus came to the Jews to confirm God's promises and to the Gentiles that they might praise God for his mercy. Four times Paul quotes the scriptures to prove his point. He prays that they might abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Gospel:
Matthew 3:1-12 (C, E, L, RC)
John the Baptist calls upon us to repent in preparation for the Messiah's advent. John the Baptist's ministry of preaching and baptizing was a preparation for Jesus. He fulfilled the promise of the coming of Elijah who was scheduled to precede the Messiah, and he fulfilled Isaiah 40:3. To prepare for Christ's coming he called for repentance and demanded the fruit of repentance from the religious leaders. John the Baptist points to the greater ministry of Jesus who will baptize with the Spirit and fire.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 72 (C, E, L) - "Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the king's son" (v. 1).
Prayer Of The Day
"Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the way of your only Son. By his coming, give us strength in our conflicts and shed light on our path through the darkness of this world."
Hymn Of The Day
"On Jordan's Banks The Baptist's Cry"
Theme Of The Day: Hope Leads To Preparation
Gospel - Hope for the baptism of the Spirit - Matthew 3:1-12
Lesson 1 - The promise of a Messiah gives hope - Isaiah 11:1-10
Lesson 2 - Hope for unity and harmony in the church - Romans 15:4-13
The theme of hope, explicitly and implicitly, seems to unite the pericopes and propers. In Lesson 1 we hope for a righteous government and world peace. In Lesson 2 hope comes from the scriptures and the Spirit. John the Baptist in the gospel gives us hope from Christ's baptism of the spirit. If we have this hope, we are in need of preparation. Today's gospel calls for repentance as preparation. The Prayer of the Day asks God "to prepare the way for your only Son." The Hymn refers to John's ministry calling for moral preparation, through repentance. On Advent 1 we considered the second coming. On Advent 2 we deal with Christ's coming anew this Christmas by re-birth into our personal lives. If this is to be a real experience, preparation by repentance is necessary. In recent years blue has been introduced as the liturgical color for Advent because it is the color of hope.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Gospel:
Matthew 3:1-12
1. Wilderness (vv. 1-3). The word, "wilderness," plays an important part in salvation history. For 40 years the Israelites were in a wilderness before entering the Promised Land. John the Baptist lived and preached in the wilderness, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. A highway for God was to be prepared in the wilderness. It is the wilderness of this world of sin and wild beasts. In this world of wilderness we are to prepare a way for Christ to come. Yet, it is in the wilderness that people experience God, and at Sinai a covenant is made. God is heard and known in the wilderness rather than in the prosperous plains of civilization.
2. Prepare (v. 3). We are to prepare a highway for God to come to us. Christmas is a receiving time of life when God comes to us in Christ. The world thinks of Christmas as a giving time and so we go through a mad rush to buy gifts. If Christ is to come to us this Christmas, we need to prepare to properly receive him. Thus, Advent is a preparatory season of repentance as the only way to be receptive.
3. Fire (vv. 10, 11, 12). A tree with bad fruit is to be burned, as millions of orange trees diseased with canker were destroyed in Florida. At the end of time, the chaff is to be burned with "unquenchable fire." John the Baptist promised that Jesus would baptize with the Spirit and with "fire." Fire symbolizes judgment. Christ comes as both Savior and Judge. The latter we like to forget. Evil is to be exterminated. In 2 Peter we are told that "the elements will be dissolved with fire."
Lesson 1: Isaiah 11:1-10
1. Stump (v. 1). Can anything come out of a "stump?" Can life come out of death? The Messiah is rooted in the past which is apparently as dead as a stump. Yet, out of death comes the life of Christ as the son of Jesse, the son of David. Our roots are vital. We go back to the life that comes out of our dead ancestors. Eternal life came out of Jesus' grave. The butterfly comes out of a cocoon. Hope comes out of despair.
2. Mouth (v. 4). The only weapon the Messiah has to eradicate evil is his "mouth." He will smite the earth with the "rod of his mouth." He slays the wicked with the breath of his lips. In Revelation Jesus is called the Word of God. "Let the Word do it" was Luther's slogan. The church's only sword is the Word through teaching and preaching. Jesus taught that they who take up the sword of steel will perish with the sword. The Word has the inherent power to convert and transform the world from evil to good.
3. Knowledge (v. 9). It is like a dream: the promise that when Messiah comes, there will be no more antagonism or strife in all of creation. Yet, we Christians believe that the Messiah came in Jesus, but the whole creation is still at war with itself. What is the problem? Is it wishful thinking on our part? Indeed, Jesus is the Christ who came two thousand years ago. The reason fighting and killing still exist is the lack of knowledge of the Lord. Knowledge here is more than data; it is a relationship with God. When this "knowledge" covers the earth as the waters cover the sea, peace will be a reality.
Lesson 2: Romans 15:4-13
1. Harmony (v. 5). Paul appeals for harmony in the church at Rome. Since he had never been there, rumors must have reached him of divisions in the congregation. Lack of harmony is a problem in almost every church, for Paul faced the problem in Philippi and Corinth as well. Since the primary characteristic and the foremost duty of a Christian is to love, it seems ironic that the churches show a lack of love. Christians have a problem of getting along with each other, both then and now.
2. Scriptures (v. 4). The "Scriptures" in Paul's day was the Old Testament. How can the Old Testament provide hope to Christians? Hope deals with the future and the Old Testament contains thousands of promises by God for the future. The greatest of these promises is the coming of the Messiah. In Jesus he has come. Hope has been realized. Yet, he is coming again for the consummation of history. We hope for his return.
3. Welcome (v. 7). On many an outdoor church bulletin board, a church says to the world, "Welcome." Lay greeters stand usually in the narthex on Sundays to welcome worshipers, especially visitors. It is good to be welcomed, to be told you are wanted. However, here "welcome" means more. It means acceptance as Christ accepted us as sinners. We are to accept people as they are with all their faults, forgive them, and make them part of our divine family. This makes for a warm and loving church.
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Hope for Harmony
Need: A look at both the world and the church is sufficient to realize there is a need for harmony in both places. In North Carolina there is a small town by the name of Harmony. One often wonders as he passes through the town whether all in that town live in harmony. The church needs to be a city of harmony. If there is none in the church, how can we expect peace to be in the world? In these three lessons, we can learn how to get harmony.
Outline: Where we need harmony today -
a. Harmony in the world - Lesson 1.
b. Harmony in the church - Lesson 2.
c. Harmony with God - Gospel.
Gospel:
Matthew 3:1-12
1. You Don't Need Jesus - Just Yet! 3:1-3, 11-12
Need: In his infinite wisdom, God knew the world needed John the Baptist before it would receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Before we can accept Jesus, we must hear John the Baptist. Who wants a Savior if he is unaware of his sin? Repentance precedes faith. Death of the old self must occur before a new life can come. The caterpillar dies in the cocoon before it emerges in the new life of a butterfly. Someone is needed to make us conscious of our sins and to lead us to repentance. Then we will be ready for Christ to forgive us. What we need now is John the Baptist not Jesus. He will come to us later if we first hear John.
Outline: Why John the Baptist comes before Jesus.
a. John will persuade you to repent - vv. 2, 3.
b. John will point you to Christ - vv. 11, 12.
2. The World's Only Out - 3:2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Need: The world is in terrible shape: hunger, illiteracy, poverty, nationalism, torture and the threat of war with nuclear weapons. The world is suffering from a moral malignancy and is sick with a terminal disease. What is the answer? Is there a solution? John the Baptist tells how the world can get out of its predicament.
Outline: How can the world get out of its predicament?
a. Earn - prosperity, higher standard of living? No!
b. Learn - education will get us out of trouble? No!
c. Burn - shall we destroy and start all over again? No!
d. Turn - is repentance the way out? Yes!
3. Church, Repent! 3:7-12
Need: Usually we think of repentance for "sinners" only. John the Baptist reminds us that religious people need repentance also. He calls to the religious leaders of his day - Pharisees and Sadducees - to repent. This is a scathing attack upon the religious leaders of the day. In John's day, Jews baptized Gentile proselytes, but John baptizes Jews, those within the covenant. It is like calling upon church members to be re-baptized. Through baptism they are to repent and receive spiritual cleansing. Is the church today not also needing a call to repentance? Consider the sins of church people: pride, gossip, apathy, selfishness, materialism, moral laxity and strife. This sermon is needed to afflict the comfortable in our churches.
Outline: Why church people need to repent.
a. They come as spectators of repentance - v. 7.
b. They trust in church membership - v. 9.
c. They fail to produce the fruit of repentance - v. 8.
d. They face judgment - v. 10.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 11:1-10
A Profile in Greatness. 11:1-10
Need: In this Advent season we are looking forward to Christmas for the coming again of Jesus into our hearts or to the Parousia. Who is this expected one and what is he like? Is he worth hoping and waiting for? In recent years a book appeared titled Profiles in Courage, portraits of brave Americans. Admissions offices of colleges and seminaries often prepare profiles of new students to acquaint the faculty with the lives of incoming students. In Lesson 1 Isaiah draws a profile of the Messiah about 800 years before he came in Jesus. The sermon is to paint a portrait of the one for whom we are preparing.
Outline: Consider this profile in greatness.
a. Who he is.
1. A prince - v. 1.
2. A man of spirit - v. 2.
3. A God-fearing man - v. 3a.
b. What will he do?
1 . Judge righteously, not on evidence nor hearsay - vv. 3b, 4.
2. Destroy the evil in the world through his word - v. 4.
c. What he will accomplish - vv. 6-10.
1. Peace on earth - v. 6.
2. The world will know God - v. 9.
3. Nations will seek God - v. 10.
Lesson 2: Romans 15:4-13
1. The Roots of Our Hope. 15:4-13
Need: We live at a time when hope is in short supply. Many in this country are disillusioned and doubtful. We once hoped education would solve our problems. We no longer hope that war will end war. Our hopes are raised every time a new administration takes over in Washington, but many are soon disappointed. Can a person hope in anything anymore? Now we are in the Advent season, one of hope for a new age through a coming Deliverer. Can this be an empty hope, too? One thing is sure; there is no great reason to hope in people, but we can hope confidently in God. In this Lesson Paul gives us the roots for Christian hope in a hopeless world.
Outline: The roots of our hope are -
a. The scriptures - v. 4. We can hope in the promises of scripture, for God is faithful.
b. The coming of the Son of David - v. 12. We can hope because Christ is coming again to set things right.
c. The God of hope - v. 13. If we have God, we can hope. For God is a God of hope.
2. Abounding in Hope 15:13 - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."
Need: According to Paul, a Christian's life abounds in hope, even when conditions are hopeless. In our day many go through life without anything to live for, nothing to look forward to, nothing to get excited about. This is probably due to the fact that God has gone out of their lives, and they can see only dark and disappointing things of life. Then, we go through life with heads down, with fallen faces, with drooped shoulders, and sighing, "Woe is me!" In this kind of world, there is need for a sermon showing how a Christian abounds in hope.
Outline: How you can abound in hope - 15:13.
a. To hope is to have a forward look. The best is yet to be. Lot's wife looked back and she turned into the salt of the past. God has great things in store for us.
b. To hope is to have an upward look. Look up for redemption is nigh. Look up for the return of Christ. Look down and you turn to despair with the world. Christians seek that which is above where Christ is.
c. To hope is to have a positive look. Stress the positive in life. Look for the good in people. A negative look makes one sour and pessimistic. Our hope is justified by the faith that God works for the good of those who love him.
