The Hope That Is In You
(Acts 17:22-31; 1 Peter 3:13-16; John 14:15-21) J G White
10:30 am, Sunday, May 25, 2014, Windsor UBC
I am here today because I see hope in you. Twelve years and four months in, I see the hope that is in you.
Now, you may not believe that. You might think to yourself, ‘Well, he’s leaving now, he’s finally had as much as he can take; his bags are packed, he’s off to greener pastures.’ Trading in a big, old, fat pumpkin for a delicious, fresh, muscular scallop!
I still see the hope that is in you.
You might wonder about all those many people I’ve seen come into our pews and ministry - some of them were baptized, some committed themselves to be members here - and then. they. dis.ap.peared. Our exit door seems at least as large as our entry door!
I still see the hope that is in you.
You may fret over the broken relationships and hurt feelings that seem to keep cropping up, as marriages struggle, good friends break up, and ministry partnerships blow up.
I still see the hope that is in you.
You could feel stymied by the cross-purposes that seem to be with us always, about funding ministries, getting volunteers, agreeing to do something with the building, and the simple problem of who has what authority to make what decisions around here, for heaven’s sake! Church politics is no better than town and municipal politics.
I still see the hope that is in you.
My text for the morning is 1 Pet 3:15. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that is in you... Without evaluating or judging much, let me say that you are more prepared now to give answer to those who wonder about the hope that is in you.
The Presence of Hope. The hope of which I speak is the hope of a wonderful life with God. As Paul wrote in Colossians, I would speak of Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me. 1:27b-29
There is such hope in you; I have seen it!
I have seen some among you take new steps of faith, putting your confidence in Jesus, putting your souls into His hands. In this I hope.
I have seen many of you maturing in Christ: growing in the love and knowledge of Him. In this I hope.
I have seen many of you learn to speak and listen better: the Spirit of Communication is training you. In this I hope.
I have seen many of you turn the eyes of your heart beyond those of your family, your friends, and your church: care and compassion has grown in you. In this I hope.
I have seen many of you sing a new song… you sing someone else’s song, and joined with them in praising the Lord. In this I hope.
I have seem many of you look ahead and plan together: become strategic and forward thinking. In this I hope.
All such things are an outcome of our salvation in Christ.
I have enjoyed lunchtime on Thursdays more and more as each year goes by. It does my heart good to see you, and other volunteers, interacting with one and all who come on in. I see you treating everyone the same, respecting every person. You smile, you welcome, you chat about everything. You laugh a lot. You serve. You get to know our friends who join us for House of Hospitality. God comes right there to the surface when you do these things.
I enjoyed the bit I glimpsed of the After School program. As I get older, I think I know less and less about how to interact with children, but you folks in this program were gifted. You made great connections with some children who deeply appreciated you: I think of Sam, and Michael, and Sebastian, and Zhara, and others. With them you shared real light and hope - from you to them. May it always be so.
That’s the presence of Hope. Now, be Prepared for Hope.
Peter said, always be prepared. I wonder if being prepared to speak to the hope that is in us will have with it what the apostle Paul had, when he spent time in Athens, Greece.
Paul observed. Then Paul spoke the Gospel in the language of the people. And Paul got a varied response; so the conversations continued.
You have been learning that today we must give answer to the questions they have and ask. No need to give answer to the questions you have, or the questions you think they have. What is the heart-cry from people in our neighbourhoods? We must prepare to give answer for the Christian Hope within us. We must prepare.
“Jesus is the answer” it used to be said. “What is the question?” one might ask. And that’s a very good question. For what people of the oncoming generations are seeking can be different from what we seek who were born in 1970, or 1958, or 1935. We prepare to share by knowing our audience, our culture, our neighbours.
Paul did this well, as we see in his visit to Athens, Greece. When he preached to them, he had clearly observed their culture and knew their spirituality. He could quote their own lyrics back to them; he did not quote the Bible. He spent time with them. And he got a variety of responses: from rejection, to indifference, to interest, and a few conversions. It was but a start. Paul prepared, and his own mission there in that city was but the preparation for the future work of God.
I don’t do this well, but can can think of two extended families in our area I developed long-term relationships with, rooted in the life and death of the matriarchs of the families. Some members of the families have been very hospitable, and kept inviting me back to visit them. We had a lot of laughs; they asked a lot of questions. I got to know them, a normal bunch of non-churchgoing people from West Hants. Young and middle-aged and senior. Some of them even started coming into the pews here on Sundays. I don’t know what fruit will yet grow from my time with them. I could certainly have done more cultivating than I did. I did the preparing… and some sharing of the hope that is in me.
You, I pray, will have such opportunities and experiences, always. You have much you can do to be well prepared to share your Hope.
All good things are possible because of The Person of Hope, Jesus Christ. It is because I believe in Jesus that I can believe in you, Windsor Church. I know God, and I know you: He is your Hope.
As John Bartol wisely teaches, the Holy Spirit is like another Jesus, God with us. We just heard a lesson from Jesus, promising God the Holy Spirit - the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth - to come and be with them. However we are dispersed, the Spirit will be in and among us.
The Hope that is in you is actually God in you, a very personal thing.
I am deeply grateful for how so many of you have welcomed me into your personal lives. It is there we have met the Spirit of God. I have been given many privileged moments of fellowship with you - in times of joy, times of decision, times of trouble, times of healing, times of learning lessons, times of living, times of dying.
Once in a while I have been blessed to be present at the moment a believer dies. This happened most recently to me almost 14 months ago. I went in, to the QEII VG site, to visit Marilyn White and family. When I got to her hallway, she was being attended to by some nurses, so the family and I chatted and laughed outside the room. Then, we made our way in to her room, and talked with her and about her. She was unconscious.
Family and friends had been spending many hours over the past weeks and weeks together with her. They made the most of every moment, and enjoyed as many little adventures as possible. There had been lots of fresh flowers, hair dye, artwork, and gluten-free treats enjoyed in that room.
That April evening things were quieter. We were all back in her room for just five or ten minutes when her body finally stopped, and this life for her was over. This amazing life that she led. Yet the hope we live in is a hope for a life that is far, far greater than this one.
Once again, I was given the rare privilege of seeing death. A privilege, because the family welcomed me into that personal journey they took with Marilyn. And a privilege because death has lost its sting! Death does not win the victory! Thanks be to God, through our Lord Jesus Christ!! Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.
He is with you. God is present. I see the hope that is in you.
My dear, fellow disciples: Jesus, our Master, has led us together through many things, for His glory. He continues to lead us now, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Follow; continue to follow.
In January of 2002 I had no idea that we would understand ourselves through Natural Church Development. I did not foresee a focus upon passionate spirituality and spiritual disciplines. I did not imagine that we would eventually dive into small group ministry. Or run an After School Program. Or that I would lead a worship team - that’s a rather strange miracle! Or that we would eventually pay close attention to leadership and what that can look like in our midst. Or that we would put our money where our mouth is to discover a Vision from God for our Church.
This final day, I do not foresee what you will be by 2015, or 2017, or 2019, when you will be 200 years old.
Nor do I foresee what Digby Baptist will be.
Today, I live in the hope. I enjoy Christ in you, the hope of glory.
So, please, in my absence: Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that is in you... (1 Pet 3:15)
