I am continuing. In our Hope series.
And as I said to you at the start.
Of this series this. Is going to.
Run all the way. Up into Easter Sunday.
Which is a wonderful way to celebrate the hope that we have
in our risen Lord and that we get to be with Him for eternity.
And over the course. Of the next few weeks.
I'm pleased to say you will have the blessing and the benefit of
other people. Than just me preaching and
speaking on this topic. Got some?
Wonderful speakers lined up. And we're going to dive into the
promises. Of God and therefore.
What we can have hope in And so really these first three weeks
have been a bit of an introduction for the series.
The first week if you missed. It was outlining the what and
the why of hope why. Do we need?
Hope and What is Biblical hope? And if you missed that, you can
catch up online. And last.
Week I talked about hope changes everything, and I looked at what
are the benefits of walking in a biblical hope.
And this week, we are. Looking in the question.
Of how we walk. In hope, walking in hope.
And I've touched on this a little bit on the previous two
weeks, but I want to dive. Specifically into the question.
Of. How do we actually walk in
Biblical hope? How do we make it?
A more of a lifestyle that we can cultivate and that we can
walk in hope. Because I don't know.
About you but I. Find that a challenge.
Personally, and I really have been blessed and benefited by
the study that I've. Put into this series.
Because certainly I feel. Like I'm in a season where I
need a lot. Of hope.
And maybe you come to church this morning saying hope.
Yeah, I am. Desperate need of hope, Mark.
And I want to reference what has become and is the anchor.
Text for this series. And it's in Romans. 1212 It'll
be on the screen behind me and on your device Home.
It'll be online for you as well. This is the Apostle Paul.
And he is writing to the church in Rome.
And he's. Talking about what it means to
be a true Christian. In other words, what marks out
somebody? That is walking with Jesus.
Because who knows? That being a Christian.
Isn't about signing on the dotted line.
It's not. About inheriting a faith from
your parents. It is a personal.
Decision to walk with Jesus and so.
Paul is saying this. Rejoice in hope.
Be patient in tribulation and be constant in.
Prayer. And as I said, I believe that.
This is a verse for us as. A church this year, and this is
certainly the verse for me this year.
Three very important. Pointers of how we.
Walk with Jesus. Rejoice.
In hope and be patient in tribulation.
In other words, you will face many trials and troubles.
As Jesus said, the gospel of Jesus isn't a gospel of wealth
and health, and everything will be fine.
The Gospel of Jesus. Is that you will go through
troubles. And you can have.
Victory through them. But whether it's good or bad,
you can have a constant. Hope and peace in.
Jesus. That's that's the gospel message
and be patient and be constant. Should I say in prayer,
Everything should undergird what we do in prayer.
And this has been a very personal challenge to me to say,
you know what? I am not praying enough.
The pastor is not praying enough.
I can admit it. I need to pray more.
I need to be undergirded all that the.
Lord's. Called me to do my family, my
friends, my my job, everything needs to be undergirded and
being. Built on prayer.
And so rejoice in hope, be patient and tribulation.
Be constant in prayer. So let's.
Dive into how we. Can rejoice in hope.
How do we walk in hope? And as I said last week, hope is
not the biblical hope that we looked at.
And as way of a recap, Biblical hope is.
Being rooted in the promises of God and the Promise Keeper, it's
not a hope based on wishful thinking that circumstances will
align up. You know, I hope that I win the
lottery or I hope that the weather's good, you know?
This is not biblical. Hope.
These things will be dashed and I.
Said to you. There is a link.
Between what you trust. In them and therefore.
Where your hope is, what you'll find is.
That whatever you put your trust.
In. Is the thing that you?
Have your hope in. If you put your trust in your
finances. What you'll find is, is that
your hope is in money. And so.
Biblical hope is. Recognising that as we put our
trust in him for all things, then we can walk.
In the hope that the promises he gives to us.
And so the thing about hope is that it's not a passive thing,
that. From By osmosis that you lie on
your sofa and say all right, life is rubbish, can I have?
An injection of hope, please, God, lovely though that would
be, and much. Easier would it be?
That's not how. The Bible talks about.
Hope, because hope is part of our walk.
With Jesus and requires us to make a decision to trust in him
for all things and then? As we do that, as we make that
first step by the power of His holy.
Spirit. He helps us walk in there.
And we walk in the hope that comes from him so.
I want to look at how we make that walk and I want to look at.
Three areas that we can. Walk in.
To walk in hope. And the first.
One is this. We should walk.
Through the pain. Walk through the pain I talked
about over the past couple of weeks.
The, the. The.
Truth of that we. Need to be real with God.
So when we talk about hope, we're not talking.
About ignoring the pain and saying it's OK.
Actually, I talked. About the fact.
That I'm quite an optimistic. Guy, you know the.
Glass is always half full for me.
But the way I sometimes achieve that is.
By ignoring the reality of the situation.
I don't know if. Anyone's like me, but you don't
put your hands up, but it's like.
It's. Fine, It's fine.
It's all good. I'll just squeeze that paint as.
Low as I can down. Here so that.
I can believe that it's all OK. Because I just want to
experience some peace and if I can somehow manufacture good
circumstances. In my head, I'll be hopeful.
That is not that is a short. Circuit to a false kind of
peace. You see?
Biblical hope requires us to walk through the pain and be
real about it. And I I joked last week that
sometimes we come to. Church Putting our church face
on. How are you, brother or sister?
I'm fine. Praise God.
How's your week been? Hallelujah.
It's been amazing. You walk away.
I think it's been terrible. Only then you And how ironic is
it that of all the? Places that we should be Real
church is one of those that we find it challenging too, but you
see throughout. The Bible we see men and women
of. God who are real.
With God. Who are real with God?
And last year I did a talk entitled.
What to do when life sucks? Or was it something like what?
What What we do when? When we are given lemons or
something like that, something like that.
And I took that looked at the biblical the place of biblical
Lamentations laments. Should I say?
And that's a very. Sounds like a very old kind of
word lament, doesn't it? But you see a.
Lament if you were to look at the dictionary.
It means that it's a. Passionate expression of grief
or sorrow, you could call it. Wailing, but biblical lament, I
would suggest, is more than this.
It's not just a passionate expression.
Of grief and sorrow, and staying in that.
Place. A biblical lament has a.
Particular objective to it. You see lamenting in the.
Biblical sense is. Coming to God and.
Talking to him about. Our pain and sorrow and then
choosing. To look to him.
Through it and. Give it to him.
That is what a biblical lament is, and that's what I mean by.
Walking through the pain. It doesn't mean wallow in it.
It doesn't mean ignore. It it means walk through it.
And give that. Pain to him and then fix our
eyes on him. You know the the Psalms.
Are a wonderful place to read biblical laments.
Psalm 13. Verse two, let me read this it.
Starts this how long a lament can be a question.
Typically my. Laments are why.
Or how? Why, Lord, anyone's done that?
Why, Lord, how long, O God? And the Psalmist is saying, how
long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow?
In my heart. All the day.
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Anyone feel like that? I'm doing everything you've
asked me to do, Lord. I'm walking in the truth.
That you've laid before. Me.
I'm choosing to make sacrifices for your truth, and yet my
neighbour over there doesn't even know you has got an easy
life and he's laughing at me. How long?
Oh Lord, Because right now I'm feeling hopeless.
Oh God. This is a biblical lament, and
I've done so much lamenting this week.
I have. To tell you.
You'll be pleased to know the pastor's.
Practice this this week, so I'm talking from experience.
And I want, I want you to know that God doesn't mind hearing
it. In fact, he wants to hear.
How you feel? Our God is a relational God.
It's not a force. God.
Is not an entity. God is a person and we have been
created in his image. God has emotions too, and he is
inviting us to be. Real with him.
The psalmist didn't write this and by.
Verse 3 the. Psalmist had.
Obliterated because God had smiked him down.
That's not what happened. And it's not about just being
angry for the sake of anger. And it's not about.
Wallowing it I I. Actually, this this week caught
myself lamenting, wailing. Not physically, but in my heart.
And I recognised what happened in that moment.
Listen is I let the pain take. Me on a walk.
I didn't walk through the pain myself.
Now what do I mean by? That I mean this, that sometimes
what can happen is in the pain. In the hopelessness.
We let the pain tell us a. Story about where it's going to
lead us to. That's the pain taking you for a
walk. We're supposed to walk through
it. Well, it's bad.
Now it's only going to get worse.
You think? That was silly that you said you
think they? Think that they think.
Worse than that, Who knows? The battlefield is in the mind.
And so we have to take control and we turn the pain and rather
than let the pain walk us, we then walk through the pain and
we share. That with God, and we bring it
to God. And then this is what?
We do. We turn the pain, the questions
into a request. Let's continue to read what the
Psalmist wrote in verse three. Listen, he's done the the pain.
He's he's been real with God. Then he says this.
Consider. And answer me, oh Lord, my God,
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.
In other words, I just told you God.
What is happening? Now, would you do this for me?
Would you consider what I have said and would you?
Answer my request, Lord. God, would you light up my eyes.
Would you let me sleep in peace. Do you see what's happening
here? You're now take, you're now
walking through the pain and you're in this moment.
You're choosing to trust in God and.
Not the situation. As I said last week, it's about
looking at the pain and then looking up to him.
And then you move from turn it to a.
Request. And I love Psalm. 5:00 and 6:00
This is a wonderful. Psalm.
To meditate on and as a. Biblical model for how we can
walk. Through the pain verse 5 and.
Six but. I love a but nevertheless.
In spite of this, but I have trusted in your steadfast joy,
in spite of the pain that I'm feeling, in spite of the reality
that's painful, I will make. A choice God.
To trust in you, you see, a biblical lament will always head
in that direction to a declaration that As for me and
my. House we're going to praise the
Lord. That in my life, I'm going to
get to this point of walking through the pain.
And then trusting you God, and declaring that right now.
And. Then it says this my heart shall
rejoice in your salvation. Where?
Else did we hear? Rejoice, Rejoice in hope.
Are you seeing this the? The the progress of walking
through the pain. It's about starting to be real
with God, with our. Questions.
It's then making the decision to trust.
Him and then. Praise him.
And I want to say that if you are here this morning, you've
started on this. Series, and said, I want to
rejoice in hope, I want to tell you that.
Means you're going. To have to get real with your
stuff, you can't short circuit that.
I'm sorry, you're. Going to have to get real and
it's in that process. Of being real, that God then
ministers to our heart, pours out his peace.
Maybe there's healing there. Maybe there's.
Hurts and wounds maybe we're. Operating out of insecurities.
Because of words that people have spoken over us.
Maybe it's to do? With our our our, our natural
mother and father and. The way we grew up, maybe that's
impacted how we see the world, whatever it might be, in the
place of a biblical lament as we make the.
Choice to walk through it and be real about it.
We. Are coming in humility.
And he can heal us in that place.
Are you with me? We.
All get to thank you for that, Sally.
Bless you, sister. So the first thing I.
Want to tell you is this? If you want to rejoice in hope,
be real about the hopelessness. And.
Walk through the pain. Don't let the pain walk you,
because it will. It will. #2 We've only got 3
this morning. Happy days.
Here's the other the other one walk with others you want to
walk in. Biblical.
Hope. Hope.
Hope, hope, hope, walk with others.
And I want to say. Doing.
Life with one. Another is so important, in
fact, God has created us too. God, I said.
This God is a relational God. And he's created us to be
relational. And when Jesus died on the
cross. He died so he could have a
relationship with our father and relationship with one another,
relationship with God in relationship with one another.
That's why Jesus died on the cross.
And fellowship you've. Who's heard?
That word fellowship, I mean, when I was growing up, we.
Used to have fellowship groups at church.
I don't think we call them these things anymore, do we?
But. Fellowship is an important word.
It's not just an old word that you can swap out for.
Connection or friendship? There is something weighty about
the Word Fellowship. And I want to say that
fellowship is more than just. Friendship, although it contains
friendship. It is about walking out our
lives. With fellow believers, fellow
brothers and sisters, all purchased by the blood of.
Jesus, you know that we're family, right?
Like that's not a glib. Word.
To make us feel warm and cozy. It's a biblical truth that we
are brothers and sisters in Christ.
That the blood that has purchased me and made me a child
of God is the same blood that purchased you and made you a
child of God. And so we're brothers and
sisters, and it's Paul in Romans. 12 verse 10 in.
Fact in the same chapter and a few. 2 verses before it says, be
devoted to one another in love, honor one another above
yourselves. That's hard, but that's what it
means to have fellowship the hardest thing I've ever.
Done in my life is loving other people.
I'm sure that says more about me than you, but.
Love is difficult. Let's be.
Real. And I can just about love people
but honour one another above. Yourselves, I mean.
That is a place of sacrifice and humility, and yet that is what
fellowship? Is about.
You know the body of. Christ is a beautiful thing.
It is a beautiful thing and so I want to tell you you need other.
People in your life. If you want to walk in, hope you
need other people with you to. Have fellowship with and to do
life together the. Enemy wants nothing more.
Than to isolate you. You know the biggest lie, one of
the biggest lies. At the moment is you can do
church on home at home on on your own.
And I said this a couple of weeks ago, and I said this
lovingly to. Those that watching online this
and we. Know that many of you watch.
Online because you're unable to get to the building or.
Whether that be health issues or whatever.
It might be. We know many of you are a window
shopping, and that sounds like a funny phrase, isn't it?
But. I've.
Heard about this church? Let me check them out on
YouTube. That's a great thing.
I hope you're being blessed by it.
And some of you can't connect where you are locally.
And so we know that we reach across the globe and that's
wonderful. But if you're there at home and
you're like, well, this is. More comfortable for me.
And it means I can do that in the afternoon and it means I
don't have to get in the car. And it means this and the other.
I want to tell you that's not Church.
That's just watching content online.
And God willing, it's great content that you've been blessed
by the Word and worship. But church is about his people.
Church isn't a. Structure of programs Church.
Isn't a building church is the. Body of Christ.
And so, if you want to walk with others, you need to come to
church. In other words, you need to be
with one another. You need to love one another
practically. By serving one another.
You need to be here for one another to say how are you
doing? Can we pray together?
That is what churches and I laid down, a challenge A.
Couple of weeks ago. Said.
I want this to be a year where we're committed to coming to
church, that we say, you know what, Lord, I'm not going to be
lazy with you. I'm going to prioritize.
Running into your sanctuary. To worship you and to be with
your body. I.
Believe. That is the challenge of our
modern day. And so Fellowship is about
joining and being together. And you know there's a.
Beautiful picture. Of what it means?
To do life together and encouraging one another.
In Exodus when? The Israelites.
Are fighting the Amaleks and Moses is ordered.
To kind of put his staff up, and as long as his staff is up, some
of you recall this story, the Israelites are winning.
But the moment? The staff goes down.
They don't and. I'm just going to read this from
the message. Bible exodus. 1710 to 13 Joshua
did what Moses ordered ordered. In order to fight Amalek.
And Moses, Aaron and her went to the top of the hill.
It turned out that whenever Moses.
Raised his hands, Israel was winning.
But whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning.
But Moses hands got tired. I mean, life is tiring.
So they got a stone and they set it under him.
He sat. On it.
And Aaron and her held up his hands.
One on each side so. His hands remained steady until
the. Sun went down.
Joshua defeated Amalek and it's army and battle.
I. Think that is a beautiful
picture of what it means to have fellowship with one another.
We're all called. In this spiritual battle.
That we're in. Who knows that?
We. All got our part to play but.
Just like Moses, sometimes we lose our strength and our arms
drop and we look around and think, If only someone could
help me put my arms back up. That's fellowship.
Who is around you? That needs you to.
Say, you know what? I'm I know it's tough, but I'm
here for you. Let's pray about this together.
Tell. Me.
How you're feeling. Let me hold your hands up for
you. Do you need?
A stone to sit on. That's what it means to have.
Fellowship. You know, it says in Galatians
that we are to. Serve one another.
In James we are to pray for one another.
In Romans it says to build one another up.
This is the key keys of fellowship and.
It is in. That place that you can speak
hope into other people. I have been, I'm sure you.
Have been in those situations where everything looks hopeless
and a brother or sister in Christ who said to me, Mark, I
know you can't see it right now, but I want to tell you there is
hope because God has got you right now.
God loves you, you know. Sometimes we're too.
Weak to even. Be able to say that God's got
it. We're so battered by life.
We're so we've been so real here.
I hope you don't mind us being real, right?
But you know, we're in that place and we feel battered and
we just need a brother or. Sister in Christ, say it's going
to be OK. You know God says this.
God, God says that. Greater is he that is in you
than he that is in the world. And so I want to say this, we
need fellowship. We've got.
Our new booklets, which I know that many who are.
New would have. Got these in the welcome bag.
There's one for serving, one for.
Giving this one is how we. How you Join Now?
We don't have a formal membership.
We don't have that structure, unlike other denominations that
may do we? Don't have a formal membership
but for us membership does mean a commitment to being part of
the church. And can I just encourage you if
you if you're if you haven't had one of these and.
Maybe you've been at church for many, many years.
Can you pick up one of these and have a read?
Because I think it does a great job of articulating what it
means to be church here at Verso Church.
The first thing is this. Come along on a Sunday like you
can't be part of this church. Unless you're coming along.
On a Sunday. Now let me hear.
My heart I'm. Not saying that there are going
to be. Occasions where you can't make a
Sunday, you've got a family. I'm, you know, I'm not going to
be taking the register. That's what I'm saying, and
life. Happens and all that.
So let's have some you know. Let's understand that.
I hope you heard my heart earlier.
I'm talking about where our heart attitude is in terms of
how we deal with God, but come. Along to a Sunday, whether it's
the 9:30, 11/30 or the. Well.
Done 630. And we're going to be starting
that tonight as you. Heard once?
A month. But we're looking, God willing
to make that a weekly thing. So there really is a lot of
options there. Would.
You agree? #2 Join a Verso group like
coming to church isn't just about a Sunday thing, It's.
About doing life with people through the week.
We have. Loads of Verso groups OK.
Get connected if you're not in a group and you know, I've got to
tell you the percentage of people that come.
To our church that is in a group is very low.
And I. Know it's difficult committing
to something like that, I get that, but I want to challenge us
all and me. Too.
Where's our? Priority in life.
And what God called you? Maybe God called you.
To walk alongside others, maybe. God's placed in you the gift of
being a. Hope giver now.
You can get on our website. Pick a day, Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, whatever day it is and you'll.
See all the groups that we run? Go to.
Verso dot church forward slash groups and if.
You can't find a group. E-mail the office.
Office at. Verso dot church or.
Find Trevor. Heads up.
Our pastoral and discipleship or myself or any.
Of the other staff. But I really want to push.
This point life doing, life together, having fellowship.
Isn't just about a Sunday thing, whether it's the business club
on a Sunday night or it's another group.
Can I challenge you right? Now, if you're not in a group,
ask yourself the question, is this the year that I'm going to
get part of a Verso group? Other things Three, find
somewhere to serve you know where are you serving if you're
not serving. Then we know that many find it
difficult to commit. Or maybe you've just joined us.
That's fine, but at some point in our journey.
We need to say, listen, I'm not consuming.
Church. I'm doing church.
Big difference. I don't want to come and consume
church. I want to do church.
I want to be church. And if you're here and this is
your home, then you should be be in church with one.
Another. And you know, we have 8 morning
services a month, why not serve on one?
Out of eight, that's not a lot, really.
Welcome Team Hospitality team Head up by Anne Lee.
They do an. Amazing job with the the
refreshments. And the stewards.
Maybe the car parking? Team, maybe Venture and maybe
Village. I mean, there are a plethora of
teams that you can. Serve on and if you go to Verso
dot church, you'll find them. But if we're talking about
walking in, hope you're going to find that when you see God.
Moving as you serve, that's going to build your trust and
your faith in God and hope will come in.
And lastly, give a portion of your income regularly.
The pastor. 'S talking about money.
Yeah, I am. Can he do that?
Well, I I guess. So it's in the.
Bible. You know, we're so thankful for
the generosity of all those. Who give to?
Verso Vineyard Church providing us with the resources to fulfill
our mission to make Jesus known. And the Bible teaches us that
giving to the Lord is part of our worship.
To him and we. Do so with thankful and grateful
hearts. Part.
Of being a member here part of saying this.
Is my home church is about saying I.
Am going to worship in this way, in this place.
And I'm going to bring to the storehouse my tithes and my
offerings. All right, so that's what it
means to be a member of this church.
But you see this is not. Rules for rules say.
These are. We live and do fellowship with
one another, and we can walk in the blessings that God has for
us. I hope you hear my heart in
that. And we could probably invite
many people up to to give testimony of all these.
Things to say when. I gave to God this.
Happened when. I served.
I saw God move in that way. When I was in a Verso group.
I was going through a tough time, but they came around me.
Not only did they pray for me, but they got.
Together a rota. And they provided meals for me,
so we need to. Walk in hope by walking with
others, and I know there is a challenge there for all of us.
And lastly, but of course. Not least walk towards Christ.
We walk through the pain. We don't let the the pain walk
us. We walk with.
Others in fellowship and lastly. We walk towards Christ.
This is a very famous 2 verses that I read to you Matthew 1128.
Thirty. Jesus says this come to me.
Who are? You going to?
I was reminded recently in. Fact it was this week.
When I was lamenting. And there was a split thought
in. My mind which is?
This would be so. Much easier to ignore it and
numb the pain by having a drink or watching something TV.
Watching TV like you know what I mean.
Just zone out. There.
Are so many numbing opportunities that we have in
this world so that we can numb the pain and ignore it.
But you see and then we go to those.
Things, we go to those things for a fix.
We go to those things to make us feel.
Better we go to those. Things so we can get some hope
and what we find and I'm sure you'll agree, is that it is
momentary at best and at worst it's detrimental to us.
But you see, Jesus says this. He gives us another alternative.
Come to me. Come to me, all who labor and
are heavy laden, come to me. All who are hopeless.
And I will give you. Rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from.
Me for I am. Gentle and lowly in heart, and
you will find rest. For your souls, for my yoke is
easy and my burden is light. You see walking in hope.
Friends is about walking to the one that gives us hope, Living
hope, that is Jesus. You see, walking in hope is
about walking towards hope himself.
Jesus, I want, I want this really to be super practical for
you guys. I want you to go away from this
place and take something you can try and walk in.
And so I want to. Encourage you to walk through
the pain and lament Biblically, I want you to walk with others
and have fellowship with one another and make that a priority
for this year for you. And sign up for a group and get
involved in church and #3. I want you to walk towards
Christ in all things, and with that I'd like us to stand as I
pray. Thank you, Jesus.