By Pastor Stephen Hess –
Many people today are living without hope. In the United States, depression rates are at an all-time high. According to one recent study, roughly a third of American adults report being diagnosed with depression at some point during their lifetime—a figure that is rising. Hopelessness drives some people to substance abuse and addiction. Each year, drug overdose deaths continue to rise in the United States. Other people feel so hopeless that they seek to end their lives. Nearly 50,000 Americans died by suicide last year, more than any other year on record.
While many people are living without hope, others are placing their hope in things that are guaranteed to disappoint them. Many people today place their hope in their relationships, their career, or their wealth. However, the death of a loved one, the downsizing of our company, or a downturn in the stock market quickly reveal how tenuous these hopes are. Even if we reach the end of our lives and have accomplished everything we had hoped for, we are faced with the reality of our own mortality and the fact that we can’t take anything with us.
All this leaves us wondering: Is there a hope that is lasting and that will not disappoint us? If so, where can that hope be found? If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, then I’ve got good news for you: The Bible says there is a hope that won’t disappoint us. The Apostle Peter writes, “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” (1 Pet. 1:3-4). According to Peter, lasting hope is available, but it can only be found through the resurrection of Jesus.
Evangelist Rico Tice defines hope as “a joyful expectation for the future, based on true events in the past, which changes everything about my present.” Christians can have a joyful expectation for the future because the Bible promises forgiveness and eternal life to all those who trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. This joyful expectation is based on true events in the past, namely, Christ’s own death and resurrection whereby he proved himself to be the Son of God. This changes everything about our present because it means that no matter what happens in this life, we have a hope that can never be taken away from us.
On April 3rd we are launching a new 3-session series on Wednesday evenings called “Hope Explored.” Hope Explored is a series about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that examines his extraordinary claims. Through teaching from Rico Tice and studies from Luke’s Gospel, Hope Explored shows how Jesus offers us a hope worth having, a hope that won’t disappoint us.
This series is for everyone who wants to explore questions about hope and investigate the person of Jesus. Whether you are a Christian, an atheist, or somewhere in between, we want you to come join us! This is a great opportunity for those of us who are Christians to remind ourselves of where we find our hope. It is also a great opportunity to invite someone who is outside the church to come and learn more about the gospel.
We all need hope, and Jesus is the only one who offers a hope that will never let us down. In the words of the famous hymn, “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.”