Things we look forward to…
• Restrictions easing / connect groups / seeing each other
Encourage: Disappointed / pray for numbers to decrease
• Café / breakfast with friends
• Holiday / Pay rise / job
• Looking forward to seeing loved ones (seeing them go!)
Text: Romans 8:22-25
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Paul is writing about hope in a society that was hopeless…
Definition of Hope: “The happy anticipation of good.”
Hope is described in the Word with four adjectives –
“Good” (2 Thess. 2:16)
“Blessed” (Titus 2:13)
“Living” (1 Peter 1:3)
“Better” (Hebrews 7:19)
Hope is “the happy anticipation of good” and describes the things that followers of Jesus look forward to…
1. Hope of the Second Coming
Titus 2:13-14, “…while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ…”
We can get so bogged down on the details that we miss the truth ~ we are waiting for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ…”
Romans 8:22-25, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
Groaning = to experience a common calamity together!
“We ourselves groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.”
2. Hope of resurrection
The Second Coming of Jesus is also the time of the resurrection of God’s people, something the apostle Paul referred to as his “hope in the resurrection of the dead.” (Acts 23:6; 26:6-7)
There is hope deep down is most people that life does not end at death. For the follower of Jesus, this hope is real…
1 Thess. 4:13-18, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
At Christ’s Second Coming our hope of being made like Him will be realised (See also Galatians 5:5; Romans 5:2)
1 John 3:2-3, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”
Q. Ever get tired of your imperfections?
Q. Ever get tired of your physical limitations?
Q. Ever get tired of the stresses and failures of this world?
Be encouraged! Jesus is coming back. Our bodies will be redeemed. We will be made like Him!
And so, in this season of life let us choose to be courageous in hope. We all have things to look forward to in this life. And things to look forward to in the life to come!
Discussion Questions
- What are you looking forward to as restrictions ease?
- Jesus told his followers that “the end will come” when the “gospel of the kingdom [is] preached in the whole world.” Discuss the implications of this.
- Romans 8:22 says, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning…” How do you think this is manifest in the world?
- Romans 8:23 says, “we ourselves…groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.” What frustrates you about your body’s limitations?
- Read Philippians 3:20-21. What are you looking forward to in having an indestructible body like the resurrected Jesus?
- The apostle, Paul, discusses the resurrection/redemption of the body in detail in 1 Cor. 15. Read and discuss verses 35-58.
- Discuss this statement, “There is hope deep down is most people that life does not end at death.”
- How can the hope of the Second Coming and resurrection of the body encourage you during the current global pandemic?