Canvas Church : San Diego
Hope
-I & II Thessalonians-
"Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 ESV)
Three main tenets of the Christian Faith:
1) Faith
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 ESV)
2) Hope - the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.
John 3:16 -For God so LOVED, whoever BELIEVES in him, you'll have EVERLASTING life. = faith. hope. Love
Hope without faith is a wish!
Faith without hope is an unattained promise b/c you haven't given up yet.
so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, (Hebrews 6:18-19 ESV)
3) Love
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17 ESV)Romans 10
and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5 ESV)
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2 ESV)
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV)
Rest- Rebuilds endurance
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 ESV)
Focus on the promises of God. What are the things he promised to you?
Its possible to have hope without faith & hope without faith, but you stay in one long enough & it produces the other.
Read Acts 17
