Flourish in Hope Romans 15:13.

Praise the Lord for His faithfulness that we can gather to worship Him on this last Sunday in
2019. Can you imagine you too are still alive? Halleluyah. On Wednesday this week, I ended our
time the word together, showing that if Jesus hadn’t been born, we would be hopeless. Jesus is
our hope of glory (Colossians 1:27); Jesus is our blessed Hope (1 Timothy 1:1). Our Hope is
certain and sure in Jesus.

Paul, made this prayer in (Romans 15:13), and if he was in our midst today, I know for sure he
would want all of us to experience the same in the next year. I agree our lives may be in the total
opposite of hope, all joy and hope. And I know, not a single friend or close person even in my
life would say I am full of hope, joy and peace. Even when, we all do not measure up the
standard of full joy, hope and peace, let’s examine what it means, and how we can grow in these.

Our loving, covenant keeping God desires that we are all filled with all joy and peace in
believing, so that we flourish in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Today together let’s
discover the source of this hope; on what foundation is it built; human and divine means of
flourishing in this hope; and see what we can do to grow in God’s abundant joy, peace and hope.
I pray that God will fill us with this hope.

1. God is the source of Hope. That’s why Paul starts by saying the God of hope. Paul again
describes Him in (Romans 15:5; 16:20) as the God of hope. God has promised and
committed Himself to give this peace to whoever asks for it. So if you lack hope
(hopeless) the first place you should look up is God. He is willing give it you. The hope
we have in God is sure because it rests on the promises God has made.

The hope in vs. 13 is linked to the hope in vs.12. It speaks about the hope Gentiles will
have in God for salvation. So you are without hope if you have not yet placed your faith
in Jesus. How scary it is to be hopeless because you don’t have Jesus. You need to put
your hope in Jesus to escape judgment (1 Thess. 4:13; Heb. 10:27). The book of Romans
is about the gospel but in it Paul talks about hope many times.

2. Hope is built on the foundation of being filled with all joy and peace. Paul is praying that
the God of hope will fill us with all joy and peace so that we can flourish in hope. He
does this to prove what God desires and can do for us. God desires that our joy and peace
are overflowing so that we can abound in hope in God. Let’s all ask that God will fill us
with His joy, peace and hope.

Paul mentions this in connection with the Holy Spirit. Joy and peace are part of the fruit
of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 22). Paul is trying to teach us that people joyful and
peaceful is not a personality advantage. Joy gives us comfort and contentment in all trials
and peace gives us freedom from anxiety. Joy and peace is the basis upon which hope is
built. That is why God desires that we are filled with joy and peace.
3. We humanly build these qualities by believing in Christ. To hope in Christ is to believe in
Him. You and I need to look to him alone (not any other thing) to bring to pass all the
promises God has for us. Like the Psalmist, we need say O Lord God; You are my
confidence (Psalm 71:5). Even when what we all hoped for in 2019 has not come, our
Hope is in God. You and I need to keep on hearing and believing God’s word.

Knowing God’s word and practicing it will help all of us finish 2019 well and start 2020
on a good pace. Do you know God and His Word? God is only going to be true to His
word not your savings, parents or business success. It is by faith that God did exploits,
not faith our strength but in Him. Like Abraham believed God with an almost dead body,
you and I need to grow our hope in God by believing in Him alone.

4. The Holy Spirit divinely grows these qualities in us. Do you the trinity in this text? God
the Father is the God of hope. Jesus Christ is the object of our hope, and the power for
joy, peace and hope comes from the Holy Spirit. The universe was created by the power
of the Holy Spirit (Ps.33:9), The Holy Spirit power gives new life to dead sinners (John
3:6-8), The Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand God’s Word (1 Cor. 2:9-13).

The Holy Spirit produces holiness in us (Gal. 5:16-23), The Holy Spirit testifies that we
are children of God and also helps us to pray (Rom. 8:15-17,26), The Holy Spirit gives
power to our inner man (Ephesians 3:16-17). You and I need to continually yield to the
Holy Spirit so that He can produce in us His fruit of joy and peace and then we shall
flourish in hope.

So what?

The year is coming to end and we soon start another. I pray that you and I will make steps
to practically grow our hope in God. Continue or start meditating on God word (Joshua
1:8), grasp a few promises of God and hold unto them. When you are overwhelmed talk
to yourself and say, my soul Hope in God (Read. Psalms 42:5, 11; 43:5)