The Hope Of The Gospel

Colossians 1:23

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

There are some good things that we hope in. I'll mention 3.

1. The Hope Of The Friendship
2. The Hope Of The Fellowship
3. The Hope Of The Family

They're all good things, and we should hope in them. But hope, deferred, makes the heart sick. Has your hope ever been deferred over these things? Have you ever gotten heartsick over these 3?

The Hope Of The Friendship

First, there's the hope of the friendship. Friendship is a very good thing.

The Bible says that a near friend is better than a far-off brother. It says that a friend loves at all times. It says, your own friend, and your father's friend, forsake not. It says a "servant" doesn't know what his master's doing, so Jesus has called us "friends," instead of "servants." There's a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

We do hope for friendship with one another, and we do have the hope of friendship. But the hope of friendship isn't The Hope Of The Gospel. If we're not careful, other hopes, like the hope of friendship, could move us away from the hope of the gospel.

The friendship we should hope for is the friendship of the gospel. Jesus is the One that had the greatest Love, to lay down His life for his friends. When our hope of other friendship falls apart, we still have hope. We have a hope of the gospel, in Jesus. Jesus won't fall apart.

The Hope Of The Fellowship

The 2nd hope we have, is the hope of fellowship. This is a wonderful thing. The Church is the house of God, the pillar and ground of the truth. We should hope to have a glorious fellowship. Don't we want to pray and worship the Lord together from our hearts? Don't we want to dwell in the same place, and see one another, and speak with one another, and in so doing, enter into the presence, and same fellowship of Christ Himself? Don't we want to gather in a way that pleases the Lord? Don't we want to be built up instead of divided?

But we can't always have a glorious fellowship. Sometimes fellowship falls apart. Then we can get really heartsick, but we don't have to, if we hold onto the hope of the gospel. The fellowship of the Gospel, is the unbreakable fellowship we each have with Jesus Christ.

The Hope Of The Family

Isn't a family a great thing? Don't we hope for the family?

For a husband that Loves his wife, and honors her as a weaker vessel. Who works with his hands to provide for his own, and for those who have need. A father, who doesn't provoke his children to wrath, but brings them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Who doesn't let his soul spare for their crying or spare the rod, but loves his children and punishes them often, driving foolishness far from their hearts.

For a prudent, virtuous wife, who will Love her husband, and do him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. Who will be subject to him, and clothed with humility, with a meek and quiet spirit. Not contentious, clamorous, or strange. Grave or dignified. Sober and industrious, fearing the Lord. Wearing modest clothes. Being a keeper at home.

For a quiver full of children, who honor and obey their parents, not despising their directions, but listening to their instructions.

But it isn't always like this, is it? Don't some of the worst cases of "heartsickness" come from friendships, fellowships, and even families, falling apart?

And we should hope for glorious families, but families do fall apart. And when they do, we still need something to hope for, don't we? How about the hope of the gospel? Remember the gospel?

Our sins, which were great and many, have been blotted out. We are forgiven. We're free. He has saved us- He has mercy. One day we will see Him, and be with Him- forever.

Look at the family of the gospel. Do you want a husband who will love you the way a husband should? Look at the bridegroom of the Church. Jesus has Loved as nobody else has ever Loved; And in the good news, we hear and believe how He's demonstrated that Love.

For a loving father, look to The Heavenly Father.

Do you want children, and children who are the kind of children that they should be? If you would preach the gospel, you could bring people to Jesus to be born again as spiritual children. You could disciple new believers. You can see the fruit of new life entering the world through Jesus.

To have a friend who sticks closer than a brother. To have the brethren dwelling together in unity, making a joyful noise to the Lord. To have a family that loves one another. There's no reason to fret, even when this all falls apart. We still have a hope. It's in Christ.