Many of us fail to understand the indispensable value of hope in our lives. Hope is expectation of good. To wait on something better. Hope is all about our future. The bible describes hope as many things. It is described as living, good, a better thing, and a blessed thing. Hope produces many good things in our life, purity, joy, salvation, assurance, salvation, and many more. Hope impacts us in so many ways that we cannot enumerate them all. Our attitude is influenced by hope. Our courage is affected by hope. Faith is heavily influenced by hope. Sometimes in life hope gets sick. Life can even kill hope at times. Lamentations is one of the saddest books of the Bible. Included in all that sadness, is the star of hope that gives us encouragement. Lamentations is an eyewitness account of the aftermath of the fall of Jerusalem fall to Babylon. The most horrific things had happened to the writer, and Jeremiah describes what he saw when he walked through the rubble of the once proud city. He saw a city in ruin. Nothing was left untouched. What Jeremiah saw affected what he said. The people had either been killed or taken away as slaves. Only a few, sad stragglers remained in the once bustling city. Jeremiah describes the city as being cast aside like a dirty rag. The people who were left, searched for bread, but there was none to be had. Children died in their mother’s arms because there was no food. Jeremiah says that he will never forget this awful time: wounds as deep as the sea. He said, “my hope has vanished.” Then once verse changes the entire tone of the chapter. “This I recall to my mind; therefore, have I hope.” Some people cannot make that jump. They cannot get past what has happened to them or the mistake they have made. They go back to that point in their life and rehearse and rehash that situation over and over. When Jeremiah began to recall, he didn’t stop with the failures and rebellion, he went to the mercies of God. When he got back to God, hope came back to life. The problem is that when some people go back to rehearse their failures, they do not go back far enough. If we go back past our failures, we find a God that was merciful then, and He is merciful now. Back past our failures, there is a God that loves us unconditionally. Our failures are not all that is going to be in our life. When Jeremiah first came into the fallen city, all that he could see was destruction and failure. He began to speak out of what he saw. When he paused long enough to allow God in, he saw a future that was past the failure. Our flesh (and our world) will tell us that we will never be more than we are now, but God has a different story. When Jeremiah considered God’s mercy over his misery, he began to speak a different story. When he took his eyes off what he was seeing, his entire attitude changed. He was able to lift his eyes off of the brokenness that was in front of him and see a God who is unbroken. We must quit focusing on our past and, focus in His past. What has He been? He has been merciful, He has been forgiving, He has been the provider. Do not waste another day on our past, focus on His past. Stop focusing on the failure and start focusing on the future. When we go far enough back, we find a God who loves, forgives and encourages. That is how to revive hope.

Many of us fail to understand the indispensable value of hope in our lives. Hope is expectation of good. To wait on something better. Hope is all about our future. The bible describes hope as many things. It is described as living, good, a better thing, and a blessed thing. Hope produces many good things in our life, purity, joy, salvation, assurance, salvation, and many more. Hope impacts us in so many ways that we cannot enumerate them all. Our attitude is influenced by hope. Our courage is affected by hope. Faith is heavily influenced by hope. Sometimes in life hope gets sick. Life can even kill hope at times. Lamentations is one of the saddest books of the Bible. Included in all that sadness, is the star of hope that gives us encouragement. Lamentations is an eyewitness account of the aftermath of the fall of Jerusalem fall to Babylon. The most horrific things had happened to the writer, and Jeremiah describes what he saw when he walked through the rubble of the once proud city. He saw a city in ruin. Nothing was left untouched. What Jeremiah saw affected what he said. The people had either been killed or taken away as slaves. Only a few, sad stragglers remained in the once bustling city. Jeremiah describes the city as being cast aside like a dirty rag. The people who were left, searched for bread, but there was none to be had. Children died in their mother’s arms because there was no food. Jeremiah says that he will never forget this awful time: wounds as deep as the sea. He said, “my hope has vanished.” Then once verse changes the entire tone of the chapter. “This I recall to my mind; therefore, have I hope.” Some people cannot make that jump. They cannot get past what has happened to them or the mistake they have made. They go back to that point in their life and rehearse and rehash that situation over and over. When Jeremiah began to recall, he didn’t stop with the failures and rebellion, he went to the mercies of God. When he got back to God, hope came back to life. The problem is that when some people go back to rehearse their failures, they do not go back far enough. If we go back past our failures, we find a God that was merciful then, and He is merciful now. Back past our failures, there is a God that loves us unconditionally. Our failures are not all that is going to be in our life. When Jeremiah first came into the fallen city, all that he could see was destruction and failure. He began to speak out of what he saw. When he paused long enough to allow God in, he saw a future that was past the failure. Our flesh (and our world) will tell us that we will never be more than we are now, but God has a different story. When Jeremiah considered God’s mercy over his misery, he began to speak a different story. When he took his eyes off what he was seeing, his entire attitude changed. He was able to lift his eyes off of the brokenness that was in front of him and see a God who is unbroken. We must quit focusing on our past and, focus in His past. What has He been? He has been merciful, He has been forgiving, He has been the provider. Do not waste another day on our past, focus on His past. Stop focusing on the failure and start focusing on the future. When we go far enough back, we find a God who loves, forgives and encourages. That is how to revive hope.

Paul’s writing to the church at Corinth indicates that there were deep-seated problems there. There seemed to be a spirit of entitlement and arrogance. They seemed to have the attitude that everything the did, even if it was sinful, was covered by God’s grace. Paul writes to them to deal with this attitude of arrogance. In our text, Paul reminds the Corinthians of the history of Israel. He reminded them of the parting of the Red Sea, the provision of manna, water being produced from the rock. Paul reminds them that they had the cover of a cloud during the day and a tower of fire at night. As we know, despite all the blessings that God bestowed on Israel, they completely failed to follow God’s commands and who grumbled and complained often. Common wisdom would tell us that blessed people would not be tempted. Common wisdom is wrong. God’s blessings do not exempt us from being tempted. Paul goes on to list the ways that Israel was tempted. First is that they were tempted to let other things become more important than God: Idolatry. It is very easy to let our blessing become the object of our affection. We can easily come to worship the thing that is our blessing and forget the One that provided the blessing. Second, Paul talks to them about the temptation of the flesh. When we are blessed, there is a temptation to give in to the carnal man. Third, they began to test God. There were several times that Israel tested God to the point that He was ready to wipe them from the face of the earth. One way Israel tested God was with unbelief. Despite all the blessings and demonstration of God’s power, and yet, Israel continued to doubt that Him and His power. The other thing that tested God was Israel’s lack of obedience. The fourth temptation was the temptation to complain. They found fault with quail. They found fault with quail. One of the temptations of being blessed is the feeling that we deserve more. Will all of the things we have, if we are not careful, we will still find something to complain about. Paul reminded them all of these things as a reminder and for instruction. Ironically it is when we are blessed, that we must be most on guard against temptation.

Paul’s writing to the church at Corinth indicates that there were deep-seated problems there. There seemed to be a spirit of entitlement and arrogance. They seemed to have the attitude that everything the did, even if it was sinful, was covered by God’s grace. Paul writes to them to deal with this attitude of arrogance. In our text, Paul reminds the Corinthians of the history of Israel. He reminded them of the parting of the Red Sea, the provision of manna, water being produced from the rock. Paul reminds them that they had the cover of a cloud during the day and a tower of fire at night. As we know, despite all the blessings that God bestowed on Israel, they completely failed to follow God’s commands and who grumbled and complained often. Common wisdom would tell us that blessed people would not be tempted. Common wisdom is wrong. God’s blessings do not exempt us from being tempted. Paul goes on to list the ways that Israel was tempted. First is that they were tempted to let other things become more important than God: Idolatry. It is very easy to let our blessing become the object of our affection. We can easily come to worship the thing that is our blessing and forget the One that provided the blessing. Second, Paul talks to them about the temptation of the flesh. When we are blessed, there is a temptation to give in to the carnal man. Third, they began to test God. There were several times that Israel tested God to the point that He was ready to wipe them from the face of the earth. One way Israel tested God was with unbelief. Despite all the blessings and demonstration of God’s power, and yet, Israel continued to doubt that Him and His power. The other thing that tested God was Israel’s lack of obedience. The fourth temptation was the temptation to complain. They found fault with quail. They found fault with quail. One of the temptations of being blessed is the feeling that we deserve more. Will all of the things we have, if we are not careful, we will still find something to complain about. Paul reminded them all of these things as a reminder and for instruction. Ironically it is when we are blessed, that we must be most on guard against temptation.

Our text tonight is David’s second attempt to return the ark of God to Jerelusum. His first attempt resulted in failure because God was not in the center of it. Bro. Hughes preached last Sunday about this first attempt. David had the crowd and the showmanship, but he did not have the blessing of God. Many churches today are consumed with stage presence, presentation, and talent but God is not central to what they are doing. Like David, many churches have good presentation and talent, but God is not in it. They have good intentions and motives, but the focus is on success as defined by man, not as defined by God. Between David’s first attempt and the one we read in 1 Chronicle 15, he prayed and found out how God wanted it to be done. First, he assembled the priesthood to lead the procession. In biblical times the priesthood represented God’s word. Church must be lead by God’s word. Everything we do in church is in preparation for the word of God to be heard. Therefore, we must make the word of God the starting place for everything we do. Our efforts must be word-centered, not emotion centered. In this second attempt, the Levites carried the ark as they were supposed to. In his first attempt, David used a cart to carry the ark. That was the Philistines way of doing it. God appointed men to carry the ark. God works through men, not machines. God’s church is not a machine, it is operated by the men to glorify Him. In the first attempt, there was no sacrifice. They had music and singing, but there was no blood to accompany the procession and God was not pleased. Israel had been so long without this in their life, that they forgot that sacrifice was part of God’s plan. It is the blood that redeems and gives victory. If we eliminate the blood, we eliminate the life of the church. David had good intentions in his first attempt. There is nothing wrong with having a crowd, good singing, and good music. But if God is not glorified, it is all for nothing.

Our text tonight is David’s second attempt to return the ark of God to Jerelusum. His first attempt resulted in failure because God was not in the center of it. Bro. Hughes preached last Sunday about this first attempt. David had the crowd and the showmanship, but he did not have the blessing of God. Many churches today are consumed with stage presence, presentation, and talent but God is not central to what they are doing. Like David, many churches have good presentation and talent, but God is not in it. They have good intentions and motives, but the focus is on success as defined by man, not as defined by God. Between David’s first attempt and the one we read in 1 Chronicle 15, he prayed and found out how God wanted it to be done. First, he assembled the priesthood to lead the procession. In biblical times the priesthood represented God’s word. Church must be lead by God’s word. Everything we do in church is in preparation for the word of God to be heard. Therefore, we must make the word of God the starting place for everything we do. Our efforts must be word-centered, not emotion centered. In this second attempt, the Levites carried the ark as they were supposed to. In his first attempt, David used a cart to carry the ark. That was the Philistines way of doing it. God appointed men to carry the ark. God works through men, not machines. God’s church is not a machine, it is operated by the men to glorify Him. In the first attempt, there was no sacrifice. They had music and singing, but there was no blood to accompany the procession and God was not pleased. Israel had been so long without this in their life, that they forgot that sacrifice was part of God’s plan. It is the blood that redeems and gives victory. If we eliminate the blood, we eliminate the life of the church. David had good intentions in his first attempt. There is nothing wrong with having a crowd, good singing, and good music. But if God is not glorified, it is all for nothing.

Abram and Sarai were frustrated. God had made great promises to them, that had not yet come to past. The promise of God was long in coming. There was no indication of any movement on God’s part in at least ten years. Sarai suggests that Hagar could fulfill that promise of a child that had not yet provided. In their frustration, Abram and Sarai tried to help God fulfill His promise. How often do we create something in our frustration, problems for time to come? Often the problems resulting from acting in these frustrations affect more than just us. The bible says Sarai gave Hagar to Abram, but then came to despise her. Sarai treated Hagar harshly. How are we treating people harshly out of our frustration? How often do our frustrations drive our actions to hurt people? We do not understand God’s plans. We question God in His timing. Abram and Sarai were getting older. They could not understand how God could bring the promised child to them in their advanced age. They began to believe that it was never going to happen. When God’s timing is slow in coming, we become frustrated because He is not working things out in the way that we thought He would. This is a challenge to our faith. We get frustrated withGod’s pace. When that happens, something happens to our faith. Fear begins to replace faith. When we let frustration stay too long, it is not long until our faith is pushed out and fear comes rushing in. Fear is to faith as water is to fire: it will put it out. Fear and faith cannot reside in the same household. Abram and Sarai had let fear replace the faith they had in God’s plan. We do not always understand God’s plan, but we do not need to understand it. We simply have to trust Him that He will work it out in His time.

What happens when we become frustrated? We become more aware of what is not working. God had made many promises to Abram. Most of those promises were coming to pass in his life. But the point of chapter 16 is one promise: “I will make you a great nation.” Because God was slow in delivering one promise, Abram and Sarai became frustrated When we become frustrated with God, we lose focus on what is working. We need to take a look at what is working in life and not focus on what is not. God had blessed Abram and Sarai greatly, but all they could focus on was one thing. They did not see that God was providing all of the other things He promised. That should have been evidence enough that He would provide the one thing they were missing. Sarai had become so focused on what she couldn’t do, that she failed to realize that His promises are yea and amen. Frustration will steal our praise and replace it with complaining. What are we doing the most of in life: complaining or praising? Look at what God has already done. Until God brings the promise to pass, trust HIm. We need to get our eyes off of what it not right in life and concentrate on what is right. Until God delivers on HIs promise, do not give in to frustration.

Abram and Sarai were frustrated. God had made great promises to them, that had not yet come to past. The promise of God was long in coming. There was no indication of any movement on God’s part in at least ten years. Sarai suggests that Hagar could fulfill that promise of a child that had not yet provided. In their frustration, Abram and Sarai tried to help God fulfill His promise. How often do we create something in our frustration, problems for time to come? Often the problems resulting from acting in these frustrations affect more than just us. The bible says Sarai gave Hagar to Abram, but then came to despise her. Sarai treated Hagar harshly. How are we treating people harshly out of our frustration? How often do our frustrations drive our actions to hurt people? We do not understand God’s plans. We question God in His timing. Abram and Sarai were getting older. They could not understand how God could bring the promised child to them in their advanced age. They began to believe that it was never going to happen. When God’s timing is slow in coming, we become frustrated because He is not working things out in the way that we thought He would. This is a challenge to our faith. We get frustrated withGod’s pace. When that happens, something happens to our faith. Fear begins to replace faith. When we let frustration stay too long, it is not long until our faith is pushed out and fear comes rushing in. Fear is to faith as water is to fire: it will put it out. Fear and faith cannot reside in the same household. Abram and Sarai had let fear replace the faith they had in God’s plan. We do not always understand God’s plan, but we do not need to understand it. We simply have to trust Him that He will work it out in His time.

What happens when we become frustrated? We become more aware of what is not working. God had made many promises to Abram. Most of those promises were coming to pass in his life. But the point of chapter 16 is one promise: “I will make you a great nation.” Because God was slow in delivering one promise, Abram and Sarai became frustrated When we become frustrated with God, we lose focus on what is working. We need to take a look at what is working in life and not focus on what is not. God had blessed Abram and Sarai greatly, but all they could focus on was one thing. They did not see that God was providing all of the other things He promised. That should have been evidence enough that He would provide the one thing they were missing. Sarai had become so focused on what she couldn’t do, that she failed to realize that His promises are yea and amen. Frustration will steal our praise and replace it with complaining. What are we doing the most of in life: complaining or praising? Look at what God has already done. Until God brings the promise to pass, trust HIm. We need to get our eyes off of what it not right in life and concentrate on what is right. Until God delivers on HIs promise, do not give in to frustration.

Bible scholars believe the Peter did not write 1 Peter but dictated it to someone else who wrote down what Peter said. However 2 Peter is very different, and most Bible scholars do not believe it was written by the same person but was most likely penned by Peter himself. In the opening of this letter, the writer refers to himself as Simon Peter. Peter was not Peter’s given name, but one that was given to him by Jesus. By addressing himself at Simon Peter, he calls to attention the importance of what he had to say. He reminds them that “we share a like precious faith” We all have the same opportunity to have a relationship with Jesus. None are preferred over another; all can experience the exact same relationship as anyone else. We can have the same relationship with God as He had with Peter, Paul, James, or any of the other apostles. Bro. James Hughes explores this concept of like precious faith and the equality that it brings.

Bible scholars believe the Peter did not write 1 Peter but dictated it to someone else who wrote down what Peter said. However 2 Peter is very different, and most Bible scholars do not believe it was written by the same person but was most likely penned by Peter himself. In the opening of this letter, the writer refers to himself as Simon Peter. Peter was not Peter’s given name, but one that was given to him by Jesus. By addressing himself at Simon Peter, he calls to attention the importance of what he had to say. He reminds them that “we share a like precious faith” We all have the same opportunity to have a relationship with Jesus. None are preferred over another; all can experience the exact same relationship as anyone else. We can have the same relationship with God as He had with Peter, Paul, James, or any of the other apostles. Bro. James Hughes explores this concept of like precious faith and the equality that it brings.