Hopelessness Prevention
Pastor Erickson preaches from Hebrews 6:19, Acts 27, Hosea 2:15 and Romans 15:13 that Jesus Christ is our hope and that hope is an anchor held within the veil, beyond the reach of any storm. He calls the hurting not to give up hope, to come to the altar, and to look outside themselves and carry hope to the people around them.
The message in 6 points
Jesus Christ is our hope
He opens with Paul calling Jesus Christ our hope and the psalmist telling his own soul to hope in God. A speaker at a leaders meeting said hopelessness does not discriminate, so he comes to preach hopelessness prevention and to share hope with everyone we meet.
1:31:30Hope is a person, not a thing
People find hope in family, friends and church, which are good things, but only Jesus Christ brings true hope. From Romans 8:24 he teaches that hope exists before the situation improves and lives between promise and evidence.
1:36:35An anchor within the veil
Hebrews 6 says God cannot lie and calls hope an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast. A ship cannot steady itself, and self-help cannot bring hope; every other anchor goes down, but this one goes up into the presence of God where no storm can reach.
1:40:19Lost in the storm, but not lost to God
In Acts 27 the storm hides the sun and stars and all hope is taken away. Not knowing where you are does not mean God has lost your location, and the broken pieces of the ship carry everyone safely to land, because God can redeem even the broken pieces.
1:48:27The valley of Achor, a door of hope
Hosea 2:15 promises the valley of Achor for a door of hope, and that valley of trouble sat inside Judah's promised land. He warns new believers that trouble still comes, but God turns the valley into a passageway.
1:55:52The God of hope
Romans 15:13 calls Him the God of hope, who fills us through the power of the Holy Ghost. He urges reading the Psalms aloud, points to believers who kept their hope through sickness and loss, and calls the hopeless to the altar and the church to pray for those who are struggling.
1:59:54
In his words
“This means that hope already exists before my situation ever improves. Hope already exists before I understand what God is going to do in my life.”
“I said the storm might be able to reach your ship, but the storm cannot reach behind the veil.”
“Never call a place permanent when God has already put a door in it.”
Taken word for word from the video, with punctuation added.
Scripture
He reads
1 Timothy 1:1
1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
King James Version.
Psalms 42:5
5Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
King James Version.
Romans 8:24-25
24For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
King James Version.
Hebrews 6:19
19Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
King James Version.
Acts 27:20
20And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
King James Version.
Acts 27:22
22And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
King James Version.
Acts 27:44
44And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
King James Version.
Romans 15:13
13Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
King James Version.
Psalms 31:24
24Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.
King James Version.
Psalms 33:18
18Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
King James Version.
Psalms 39:7
7And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
King James Version.
Psalms 71:5
5For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
King James Version.
He also points to
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