Holding Unswervingly to Hope
The sermon emphasizes the importance of hope in sustaining believers through suffering and hardship.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the vital role of hope in the lives of believers, illustrating how it has sustained God's people through trials and tribulations. He reflects on the historical struggles of the faithful, from the Old Testament saints to the early Christians, who faced persecution and hardship yet remained steadfast due to their hope in God's promises. This hope not only provided strength to endure suffering but also inspired joy amidst adversity, reminding us that a great expectation can empower us to persevere. Tozer encourages believers to hold unswervingly to this hope, as it is essential for spiritual resilience.
Text
In the dealings of God with men, hope has held a noble place. The expectation that Messiah would come cheered Israel in her years of victory and kept her from despairing in her periods of captivity and dispersal. Those who feared the Lord have often had rough going.
They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword: They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated--the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground (Hebrews 11:37-38).
That is a New Testament tribute to Old Testament saints; but the record of Christian times is fully as grim and sometimes worse. Only the strength of a great expectation enabled the suffering saints to hold out to the end. The cheerful hope of better days allowed them not only to endure the pain but to sing and rejoice in the midst of it.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Hope
- The Role of Hope in Suffering
- The Power of Hope in Christian Times
- The Strength of Hope
- The Cheerful Hope of Better Days
- Examples of Hope in the New Testament
Key Quotes
“They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated--the world was not worthy of them.” — A.W. Tozer
“They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground (Hebrews 11:37-38).” — A.W. Tozer
“The cheerful hope of better days allowed them not only to endure the pain but to sing and rejoice in the midst of it.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Cultivate a cheerful hope of better days to find strength in times of suffering.
- Remember that the strength of a great expectation can enable you to hold out to the end.
- Find comfort in the examples of hope in the Bible, particularly in the stories of the Old Testament saints.