Our Hope | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter
by Kenneth Carpenter
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:1, Romans 15:13, Psalm 42:5, Psalm 42:11, Romans 4:18, Romans 4:19-20, Hebrews 6:17, Hebrews 6:18, Hebrews 6:19, Hosea 2:14-15

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/kenneth-carpenter--our-hope
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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you have your Bibles this morning and would join me in the First Timothy chapter 1 and verse number one and then a second text from Romans chapter 15 and verse 13. I know it's not proper grammar I know it's not proper grammar as if I have been known for that foreign but the favorite phrase of that song that just really lights my fire on the inside is when it says ain't no sinner he can't save ain't no sinner he can't say I know it's not right I know it's not proper grammar but it sure is good Bible Doctrine isn't it ain't no sinner and I'm glad today that there's a bunch of those ain't no sinners that are a living testimony this morning that if he could save me all of us feel this way don't we if he could save me he'd save anybody if he saved me he's if you save anybody and um ain't no sinner that he can't say First Timothy 1 and 1. Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the Commandment of God our savior and the Lord Jesus Christ which is Our Hope could we all say the last four words of that verse the last four words I'll begin which is that sounded so good would you do it again what Romans 15 and verse number 13. Romans 15 verse 13. now the god of Hope now 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 now the god of a hope could we say the first five words of that verse and I'll begin with the first word all together now the I want to minister on this Easter Sunday morning a simple phrase Our Hope Our Hope precious God today I thank you for your presence I thank you Lord that you called me into the ministry I thank you Lord that you've given me God the ability to preach your word and Proclaim your word one thing that I need most of all today I need you to join me in spirit and I need you to walk the aisles of this church as I Proclaim your word today Lord there is no doubt people here and people watching online that need you in their life they need Hope on this Easter Sunday morning Lord I ask you to anoint me in everything you do today I'll be so careful to give you the glory and you the honor and you the praise for I ask it all in Jesus mighty name we pray the church said amen Give the Lord a hand of Praise as you're being seated one can only imagine what it must have been like one can only try their best to get in the shoes the first century people around Jerusalem to get in the shoes of the blind man Bartimaeus or to get in the shoes of Mary Magdalene who was possessed with seven tormenting devils to get in the shoes of a man that suffered 38 years to get in the shoes of humanity around Judea Humanity around Judea first off they were under heavy oppression by the Roman government they were heavily oppressed and used and abused by the Roman government but not only were they oppressed used and abused by the Roman government they were also used and oppressed by religious systems of that day Pharisees and Sadducees herodians different religious sects that only would put burdens upon the already oppressed into this background Church a baby was born in Bethlehem into this background for thirty three years into this background emerges God in human flesh the hope of the world to Blind Martinez his life changed that day was simply the speaking of Jesus Christ received thy sight to Mary Magdalene it just took the voice of her raboni it just took the voice of her master it just took the voice of Jesus Christ leave her seven tormenting Devils left this woman she became a faithful follower of Jesus Christ to the man at the pool of Bethesda who had suffered 38 years he takes up his bed Pastor Erickson preached so aptly he takes up his bed and he walks into this world emerges one that can back down every every religious group he can back down the Pharisees he can back down the Sadducees somebody asked me what was the difference between the Pharisees and the Sadducees and I simply tell them the difference was the Pharisees were fair you see and the Sadducees were sad you see the truth of the matter is one believed in the resurrection and one didn't into this Jesus Christ could go toe-to-toe nose to nose chief of the Pharisees and the Sadducees and he could back them down while they tried on many occasions to back him in a corner and to either get him in trouble with Rome or to get him in trouble with the religious system but they never could back him down they came one day and showed him a coin they said who should we pay taxes to and of course if he would have said don't pay taxes to Caesar they would have had him there if he uh said don't pay don't don't give tribute to the temple they've been there but he simply asked for coin and when it was all over they had to leave scratching their heads because he just simply asked whose inscriptions on that coin they said Caesar he said well then Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar and unto God the things which regards you you you couldn't trap him what a what a joyous crowd that must have been get out in the middle of the Wilderness with not a restaurant in sight a bakery in sight no problem bring him a little lad's lunch and he'll feed a multitude miraculously there was simply nothing that you could situation on a stormy night at Sea he could speak and say peace be still there there just wasn't am I getting my point across today there just wasn't any situation that you could be in I would imagine their hopes were very high but that all changed when something unusual happened in Gethsemane when he was arrested and tied up led to caiaphas's Hall and there he was beat about the face and there he was stripped naked and there he was beaten with the cat of nine tails and there he carried a cross up a hill to godgotha and there they witnessed him they witnessed him die they watched him draw his last breath wind him up in grave clothes take him to a tune the end the end I wonder what the conversation was among them could it have been could it have been well it was nice while it lasted you ever had that conversation well it was nice why it lasted you know was good why it lasted I do know one conversation among disciples was we had hoped we had hoped that this would have been this would have been the Messiah my desire this Easter Sunday morning is that we all leave here with hope that's my desire that's my objective that's what I prayed over I don't need to bring you any new facts about the Resurrection The Resurrection has spoke for itself for over two thousand years it speaks for itself you you can't get a new sermon about the resurrection the resurrection speaks for itself he is alive he is Victorious over death hell in the grave and because he lives we can live praise God right because he lives we live so my desire this morning this Easter Sunday morning is that if you remember anything when this is over today is not how fantastic the music was and how fantastic the the the grab the the the the the LED screens and how fantastic the kids ministry here of which they're all great but I have failed and we have failed as a church if you leave here today without hope if you leave here today without the spark that things can change and things will think change through Jesus Christ could you give him a praise right now with your hands come on lift up your voice and give him a praise right now but the truth of the matter is most of the time when we hear or use the word hope when we use the word hope it is with an uncertainty that the things hoped for may or may not happen um yesterday with uncertainty I made the statement I hope it stops raining I made the statement I hope it's pretty for Easter Sunday morning Resurrection Sunday morning I hope but you know as well as I knew we all make that statement with a sense of uncertainty because we don't control the weather we have no control of the weather I hope this I hope this changes I hope this changes and maybe some of you are saying you're new here and you're saying I hope he's not long-winded I hope I meet that expectation but we use the word hope in a in an uncertainty I hope we get better I hope this happens but when I read you two verses of scripture today when Paul is introducing himself it's the first verse in first Timothy it's the first verse that he wanted you to know number one he wanted you to know who commissioned him he wanted you to know who he represented and then at the end of that verse he just simply wanted you to know why he was commissioned to preach and he simply said the words Jesus Christ who is do you remember it Jesus Christ who is our Our Hope later on in Romans he once again wants to tell everybody now the god of Hope but when I mention the word hope in reference to God I want you to know today there is no uncertainty there's no I hope God will come through I hope God will do this I hope God it is with absolute absolute certainty that God is in control it is not I hope God's in control of my life no no no no if you placed your life in the hands of God there is no hope as far as uncertainty we are not left to drift On Life's seed just whatever happens to us happens to us I have come to tell you today there is a God that you can place your life in his hand and the word of uncertainty is removed and the god of Hope takes over now in the Bible days in the Bible days when you would hear the word hope it was not with uncertainty as a matter of fact when you heard the word hope when someone said hope they were referring they were referring to a measuring cord they were referring to Accord to Accord that you would measure something with it was a measuring tape that day they didn't have Craftsman measuring tapes that rolled up very nice that you can put on your side they you went down and if you were going to build something that was a hundred feet you bought hope you bought hope it's what it was called it was a cord it was a measuring cord was called hope and there was a number of reasons there was a number of reasons that it was called hope it's a measuring cord it's a measuring is an exact measurement of a straight line but it was not only used it was not only used to measure it was used to bind things to an object to bind things to an object and when you would bind for example when a ma when a man would would bind his mule he was going inside of a building and he would tie his mule up to that post he was tied there with hope because it became a symbol not only of measurement but it became a symbol of expectancy you knew when you saw the cord the measurement and the animal tied you knew that someone you were expecting that someone would come back somebody someone is coming look over the horizon you see today we are living with the entrance of sin into the human race we lost our ability to reason we lost our ability determined right from wrong man lost his ability to determine good from evil when Adam and Eve our first parents sinned in the garden destruction and chaos and confusion and turmoil and wars and fighting and the the ability not to reason man did not have it within himself to reason right from wrong it is the reason today that we need a proper measurement in our lives we need something that is secure we need something today that is dependable and I'm here to present to you in a simple fashion today the only Dependable thing on this Earth is Jesus Christ the only dependable there were family troubles the Bible the Old Testament especially is a book of family dysfunctions family conflict disobedience brother killing brother Cain kills his brother Abel floods Wars and bloodshed and dysfunction I find many times when I'm teaching a search for Truth Bible study in someone's home and I begin to tell them of a dysfunction in the Old Testament I began to tell them of this one kill that one and this one did this and this one did that it's almost as if they begin to relate that's almost as if they begin to look at a holy book and say well I can kind of relate to that and you know what that's the reason it's written is because God knew that he had to bring hope to a dysfunction world he knew that he had to bring dependability something that you can be you can depend upon and I'm here to tell you today that a lot of things in your life have let you down monies let you down relationships have let you down you've let your own self down but I want to point you toward one today who will never let you down if you put your life In His Hands he will never let me deal with family trouble today let me deal with family trouble of course today I'm all you know I'm dealing with family issues and and I'm talking about family troubles today and of course you know I'm referring to the person sitting beside you not you all right you know if you're taking notes you're not taking notes for yourself it's for somebody that you know you know friend of a friend David had family trouble and it was the worst David had his own son Absalom that got so power hungry that Absalom wanted the Throne of his father over parental love didn't matter he's my father I'm so hungry for power I'm so hungry for praise Solomon would run his own father off of his throne and David would hide in the woods in the wilderness David wrote about this in Psalms 42 5 David wrote about this David says in Psalms 42 5 and pay real close attention to this he says why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted in me in other words he begins to talk to himself because there's family trouble and there's no trouble like family trouble and so he begins to say why is my soul cast down and why is my why art thou so disquieted in me in other words I'm so troubled that we're disquieted there means moaning and and and and groaning I'm just so I'm just so troubled I can't get any rest I've got family issues I've got a son that's done this I've got family issues why art thou disquieted now look at the remedy for David look at the remedy hope thou in God David said things are out of control in my family but if I can somehow bring something Dependable into my family if I can somehow bring something Dependable into my life you see the greatest thing if you love your loved ones that are on self-destruct mode right now if you love them you will bring the hope the dependability into your life so that you can share it with them because this is how this works this is how this works you must know the word of God yourself for it to change you the only way the word of God changes you is you have to know the word of God yourself but after you know the word of God and you see that the change that the word of God has made in your life then what do you want to do you want to share the word of God with others so that others can have a change others can have a change in their lives brothers and sisters today you have tried a lot of things to correct family issues in your life you have tried a lot of things to get out of the moaning and groaning and to get out of the just the chaos and the confusion and the burden and the hurt but can I present to you today Jesus the hope of the world if I can get you to take him home now follow this closely and now follow this closely why 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 if I say help for the help of his countenance you see the first thing that you need to do is to get in the presence of God the first thing that you need to do in your life is to get where Jesus is being praised is to get where Jesus is being worshiped you see this has all been a set up it was pre-planned we do this every Sunday morning and every Sunday night and every Wednesday night and Revival Services it is a Divine setup we gather together to Worship the Lord in music and song and praise but we don't do it to flaunt any talent that someone may think we have we do it to bring the presence of God down upon us because when the presence of God comes down his countenance when his countenance comes down guess what I begin to feel my help from the Lord I begin to feel some help I was overwhelmed with impossibilities I was overwhelmed with anguish in my family bickering and fighting and cussing and confusion and uncertainty but all let me get on Resurrection morning and let someone begin to praise His look at the end of that verse again he is the I shall yet Praise Him for the help of his countenance well let's don't stop there because David didn't stop there because once you get in the presence of God chapter 11 and verse 42 begins to happen the same Psalm 42 11. sounds familiar but there's a little change why thou cast down on my soul and why are thou disquieted Within Me hope thou and God same verse it seems like just repeated but here's the difference for I shall yet Praise Him who is the health of my countenance and my God you see a difference begins to happen when you get in the countenance of the King of Kings and the Lord of lords ain't no sinner he can't save when all of a sudden you don't know the reason that your eyes are filled up with tears and you don't know the reason that you start to feel some incredible peace right now I know what it is the countenance of the King has come into the house but you're not just going to stop with knowing that he's here you're going to begin to respond to him in Praise you're going to begin to respond to him in Praise I I love you too Jesus I love you too Jesus I need your help and then you're going to notice that he becomes the health he becomes the health of your countenance you see there's a lot of people today that are unhealthy and I'm not talking about physically they're unhealthy emotionally they're unhealthy psychologically they're they're unhealthy and a lot of different a lot of different ways can I simply present to you something that's dependable today something today that you can be bound to and you know when you're bound to eat you just live with the expectation something good is about to happen something good is on its way you see I may not see him right now but I'm tied with a hope today that tells me something good is on its way if it doesn't come today I measure a day out if it doesn't get answered in this day don't give up he's got another day and if it doesn't get answered in this month don't give up he's got another month and if it doesn't get answered oh yes when you're in the presence of the king of kings you never run out of having hope inside of you because if he doesn't do it today I wake up in the morning and say it may be today if my answer doesn't come through today I wake up and it may come now it may come here it may come but I'm going to tell you something it is going to come if you're if you're thinking I'm having fun with my rope today you you've guessed right the impossibilities could I maybe try to get transparent with you didn't get you to be transparent today is there anybody in this place that has something you want that it is an impossibility for you to get it without God impossible somebody say impossible you know what this is for those impossible things he was Abraham Sarah she was long past child Berry she was long past the natural ability for a woman to get pregnant and to Bear a child they wanted a child all their life they never knew why Until the End why they couldn't bear children their hopes probably like most parents or ones that wanted to be parents their hopes were high and then low and high and then low somewhere along life Abraham and Sarah just gave up on ever giving birth to child but there was a god it came down in the life of Abraham and this God promised Abraham The Impossible he said he said to Abraham he said your seed is going to be as the stars of the heavens and the sand of the sea if you're able to number them yet God made a promise God made a promise but God not only made a promise to Abraham he made an oath to Abraham not only promised him a child he then went under oath God went under his own oath and he promised Abraham and Sarah a child Romans 4 18 says it this way about Abraham's impossibility about when he was looking at when he was looking at the promise simply says in Romans 4 18 who against hope Abraham who against hope believed in Hope that he might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken so shall thou see be there's another translation that brings this verse out a little clear it just simply says who without Reason for Hope in faith went on hoping so that he would become the father of many nations as it had been said so shall thy seed be who without reason he said brother I have no human reason to believe that God will come through you're a good candidate for a miracle I have no human real I have no human reason to ever believe this could ever be changed you are a candidate for the god that can put an impossible hope inside of your life it just simply said who against hope he had no reason these they're both old and well strict I don't know how old they are I don't know how old they are but the Bible describes them as well stricken with age in other words years had struck me many times they had been they had been stricken with age who against hope believed in Hope Oh could I preach to somebody today that you you want that impossibility you you desired that thing in your life but now it's it's impossible I have come to tell you if you could just reach out and get a hold of the god of Hope today he is able I wish somebody say Abel he is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can think and or ask that's our sake let me go back to Romans 4 and now verse 19. and being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about a hundred years old neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief now what this means he staggered not when we mentioned the word stagger uh sometimes we we think of someone who is intoxicated they are staggering but it doesn't mean that it means he didn't go between human reasoning and the promise of God he didn't wake up one morning and say well this is never going to happen and I I didn't I didn't feel like it would ever happen and it's impossible to happen and then by the end of the day he stepped over and said well God you're able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can think or ask you see he didn't stagger in between those two he didn't dwell on what he didn't have he dwelt upon the promise of God please get your eyes off of what the enemy has done to you and get your eye on the promise of a God who says I can make all things new if you dwell on your best mistakes if you dwell on your past sins if you dwell on being done wrong or doing wrong you're just going to get it deep deep you're going to dig deeper in your Cave of depression and your Cave of hopelessness but if you can begin to get Your Eyes Upon a God that says I want to know you I want to come inside of you I want to become your friend I want to walk with you and I want to talk with you he staggered not between the promise of God and his situation turn with me to Hebrews chapter 6 verse 17. Paul now still addressing Abraham and the impossibility that became reality with the birth of Isaac he says in Hebrews 6 and 17. wherein God willing more abundantly to show unto The Heirs of Promise the immutability of his counsel and that means it unchanging there's a lot of things changing in this world but listen to me now God doesn't change God is the same yesterday today and forevermore man we're living in a changing world aren't we we resurrect some of our grandparents had rolled in the grave right now right the things that we are witnessing in this world am I right today change on every corner and change on every corner but look up here now God never changes he made a promise that promise never changes he confirmed it with an oath the end of verse 17. Verse 18 that by two immutable that means unchangeable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation strong consolation not just consolation not just consolation strong consolation strong what is consolation Comfort what is consolation God's arms wrapped around you in the midst of your storm telling you it's going to be all right he just doesn't give us consolation he gives us strong consolation strong Comfort that's why the holy ghost that we receive is called the comforter the comforter strong consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon you see it till they hold on what the hope he wants us to lay hold upon the hope that is set before us now listen to this strong consolation does not depend upon bodily health you don't have to have a good clean bill of health to have strong consolation you can be a Linda Thompson that is here today and thank you for coming on Easter morning that has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatments and all of the sickness that comes with sickness that comes with cancer but can I tell you today we don't exclude you because you don't have to have a good clean of health for God to give you strong consolation in the midst of your physical sickness you can rise up and say I have strong in the midst of your sickness you can rise up and say I have strong consolation I know that I'm sick I know that I'm feverish I know that my my future as far as man is is uncertain but I Linda Thompson have a strong consolation that goes beyond sickness it goes beyond cancer it goes beyond any of strong consolation does not depend upon bodily health strong consolation does not depend upon the excitement of public services and Christian Fellowship in other words you don't have to be a member of quote this church for God to give you strong consolation you can walk in here today the buildings new the peoples new the song is new and your life is one of misery but God would like to give you strong consolation consolation can't be shaken by human reasoning strong consolation I want you to get this now you say well I'm not as far as I know I don't have cancer I understand that as far as I I'm a part of this church I understand that and as far as I know men ain't no College textbook going to cause me to believe anything other than what the Bible says strong consolation can't be shaken by human reasoning but this is one that all of all of us should relate to strong consolation is stronger strong consolation is stronger I'm not completing it yet strong consolation is stronger somebody say stronger said again strong consolation is stronger than our guilty conscience strong consolation I remember what I did I remember what I did I remember the acts I remember where I went and what I did can I tell you only this Easter Sunday morning God can give us a hope that is stronger than any sin you may have committed any kind of record Blount County may have on you right now God's got a hope that can change your life God's gut is stronger stronger somebody say stronger he then mentions at the end of chapter six Hebrews verse 18. he then mentions we have fled for Refuge we have fled for Refuge that's the end that's at the end of verse 18. we have fled for every Refuge many Bible commentaries believe that Paul is referring to the Cities of Refuge in the Old Testament the Cities of Refuge where a priest would live was a city that if you took a person's life unintentional you you didn't mean to do it it was unintentional you took a person's life by the law there would be a kinsman redeemer that would get on your Trail there would be a an Avenger of blood a brother you took my brother's Life by the family code of honor I've got to take your life and if you didn't want to meet the Avenger of the blood you had to make it to one of the Cities of Refuge God said these Cities of Refuge you can run to it and you can you can get a fair trial in that City you're going to get a fair trial they're going to hear your case and and and when that priest says that that that ax handle accidentally came off and and killed your brother or or that that that oxen accidentally trampled your friend to death when that would be a herd you would be released out of the city but Paul is referring to Jesus our City of Refuge let me read you a few things here both Jesus and the Cities of Refuge are within easy reach of each person in need the place of Refuge is of no use if it can't be reached those cities were placed to where they could be reached easily God is not the god of the silly child game and go seek God is not like the house of mirrors at the county fair that you get in and you can't figure yourself out you can't get out you can't get out of it God is in reach this morning oh he's as close as the mention of his name both Jesus and the Cities of Refuge are open to all not just the Israelite no one who comes to the place of Refuge is turned away in the time of need both Jesus and the Cities of Refuge were places to live in time of need one never came to a City of Refuge just to look around both Jesus and the Cities of Refuge are the only art alternative for the one in need without this city destruction was certain both Jesus and the Cities of Refuge provide protection only within the boundaries to go outside of the city meant death both Jesus and the City of Refuge provided full Freedom with the death of the high priest however here's the difference between the Old Testament Cities of Refuge and the New Testament hope however there is one crucial distinction between Jesus and the Cities of Refuge the Cities of Refuge were only help you would only help you if you were innocent if you were guilty the City of Refuge can't help you but oh I'm so thankful today that both the innocent and the guilty can come lay hold up on this dependable hope of Jesus Christ I'm coming to a close I'm coming to a close but Hebrews 6 and 19 Bears it out more which hope we have as an anchor of the Soul both sure and steadfast which entereth into that that within the Veil our hope is likened to an anchor Today a hope is I can do an anchor and I read and just in a little Elementary Study the primary function of an anchor is to hold the ship against currents against winds and against waves to hold the ship in the time of the storm in the time of the changing of the currents in the time when things are changing and things are changing in your life can I relate to anybody today in the time when the winds are blowing against you in the times when you just need a little help in the times in the times I don't know about you but I'm not going to leave here today without one of these because in these times in these times we need help we need hope it's the most Dependable thing in your life stop trying the false measurements of the world stop trying some of you have already chiseled out your tombstone because of mistakes you made in your teenage years some of you in this room today have already chiseled out you know what you're in right now you're in just a survival mode you think back on that day pre that sin pre that decision pre this and pray that and you're so miserable but I've come on this Easter Sunday morning to tell you that there is a God that would like to step down in your life today upon your invitation and say let me give you a measuring stick that I'm going to start doing things with you today you'll know there's a difference tomorrow there'll be about until you look back you'll see the greatest decision in my life was that Easter Sunday morning when that preacher got that piece of rope out and that preacher began to tell me that was the most Dependable thing in my life today and I feel the presence of the Lord here so strong all of us have ugly past all of us hear me all of us all of us have ugliness in our past all of us don't let the suit and the tie fool you today I had an ugly past but I'm not alone I'm not alone you did too as a matter of fact that's why we're here right it was our ugly past that brought us to this place in search Jesus Christ face the ugliest torment that could ever be faced Jesus Christ beaten beyond recognition crucified and nailed to a tree you can't get any uglier you can't get any uglier than that but yet three days later our God took the most ugliest of humanity and came forth out of that tomb in the beauty of Resurrection that's why we're here today to celebrate we're not here to celebrate the ugliness of sin we're here to celebrate the beauty he lives he's alive he's here with us today go ahead stand with me right now pastoral team come come on up here just randomly just randomly just randomly go through the crowd today random you you take this section over here just just randomly I want you to follow this with me for a moment although I have the scripture I'll give you those I'll give you those later if you'd like to read it but there was a very ugly thing that happened in the Old Testament right after the victory at Jericho a man named Aiken stole things that he should that didn't belong to him and he hid those and because he he stole things and didn't belong to him Israel lost battles and lost lives and God directed Joshua the captain to confront Aiken and when Aiken confessed to stealing things out of Jericho that did belong to him God directed that Aiken God directed I might preach on that that fell on the floor we're going to make sure that no hope goes on the floor today we're going to make sure everybody gets a little hope in here but they took Aiken and they stoned Aiken and they stoned his family and they built a monument there and Joshua said this shall be called the valley of acor the valley of acor acor means troubling troubling every time they came through the valley of acor every time they came through the valley of acor they relived by the Schnitzer oh what's that polaroxyl there an ugly thing took place there an ugly thing took place there a man stole and his whole family got stoned they're underneath underneath those stones of the blood the bones of of Aiken and his family therefore it's called the Valley of acor the valley of trouble every time they walk through what's that Papaw they rehearsed an ugly event but something began to happen in the book of Hosea chapter 2 verse 14 God is spreading wide his hope God is spreading wide his love and listen what he says to Israel he says he says in Hosea 2 14 therefore behold I will Allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her I will give her her Vineyards from Finch I'm going to restore things in her life I'm going to make things new from thence now watch this and the valley of acor for the Door of Hope and she shall sing there as in the days of her youth as in the days when she came up out of the land of Egypt God looked down and God said cold I know there's an ugly place in your life I know there's a place that's a monument but God says I'm going to step down and where it's been an ugly place I'm going to make it a door of a hope I'm going to make it a door oh God oh God I love you Lord I love you Lord I love you Lord come on would you pray with me right now all over this building oh God all over this building all over this building right now oh God oh mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God I had our pastoral team go through there's no gimmicks with this there's there's no gimmicks with this into our church family I want to give our guests the first but maybe they didn't pass by you and they didn't give you a rope that you sure would like to have one of these to take home no gimmick not gonna make you stay up here not gonna get your sign a card or nothing but if you're here today and you need a little hope and like to walk down here I give you this if you walk down here right now I've just walked down here I give you this today you just want a little hope you sneak just need a little hope I'll give you this today just just need a little hope yes amen just need a little hope that's right that's right that's right that's right that's right thank you sis thank you sis in Jesus name whatever your need is in Jesus name amen just I just need a little hope thank you thank you thank you so much such a somebody give this Brave lady a hand for coming down just a little hope today we got hope in this house don't we just a little hope today just a little hope today oh we got some we got some hope today we got some hope that's what Easter's all about that's what Easter's all about that's right today come on David that's right today that's what's that's what it's all about today just a little hope today just a little hope today just a little hope today oh yes just a little hope today just a little hope today just a little hope today just a little hope today just a little hope today bro can somebody come help me your brother brother Hammond come on there's a lot of folks it's going to take a little hope home today you're going to take a little hope home today in the name of the Lord some hope today some hope today in the name of the Lord some hope today oh God cause your face to shine upon them today Lord oh God cause your face God just shine upon them right now Lord God just a little hope today got a little dependability today God come on in this room would you just put your hand over on somebody beside you right now would you just pray just a little hope this morning just a little hope this morning just a little hope this morning just a little hope this morning just a little hope this morning oh lay your hand over on somebody and pray with them right now just a little hope I love you Evie just a little hope this morning just a little hope this morning oh just a little hope God Lord things are going to change God there's going to be a change in our lives God God I'm inviting you in right now God Lord my first step God my first step God oh my first step God my first step oh my first step come on church family come on church family create the atmosphere right now create the atmosphere right now oh God yeah come on down Jesus Lord walk the house of this church today Jesus oh God we have a home I have something to depend upon God I love you Lord oh God I love you Lord I love you Lord I love you Lord oh Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ God In The Name Of The Lord Jesus Christ God I know one thing God I know you'll never leave us nor you'll ever forsake us God lord I know one thing you took 39 stripes on your body and you said these are where you will claim your healing God your pain for our healing your shame for our Redemption Lord I lay my hand on Linda Thompson right now God I pray for healing for her God I pray for healing right now Lord in the name of Jesus God lord I pray for healing right now oh God I pray for healing right now I pray for healing right now I pray for healing right now oh God I pray for healing come on church family atmosphere right now oh God help me create that atmosphere right now help me create that atmosphere right now in the name of the Lord Jesus in the name of the Lord Jesus help me to create that atmosphere right now I bring my ugliness God I bring the ugliness of my life God lord I bring the ugliness Jesus God I bring my ugliness oh God I bring the ugliness of my life God I bring the ugliness of my life God oh God way maker Miracle Worker died in the darkness oh yes oh God I bring the ugliness of my sin God lord I bring the ugliness of my sins you are touching every heart I worship you are here around you are here you are here love is to you before Jesus Jesus now won't you lift up your hands right now all over this building I want you to lift up your hands Jesus oh let them start that Journey right now y'all let them reach out and get the first handful of the Rope of Hope God let them reach out and get the first handful of the Rope of Hope Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God I like I'd like for first lady to come and join me right now I like it first ladies in the auditorium I'd like for her to come and join me right now thank the Lord thank the Lord thank the Lord we live to give hope we live to give hope one reason this church is so dynamically blessed the way it is because we have the mission to reach the world we want to reach the world a great percentage of offering tithe and offerings that come into this church don't stay here it goes out it goes out into the four corners of the world to help support missionaries some time ago we scheduled a trip to the Middle East to preach there's a tremendous Revival right now in the Middle East I know you don't hear of it on the news but there's a tremendous move of God there's a tremendous move of God in the Middle East right now so it's it's incredible um and months ago we had planned now there's been a flare-up of of hostility there in the Middle East and as of today the missionary we've been in touch with him and he said there's always flare-ups around Easter and all of this so as of right now we're still on the go we're still on the on the go to be in the Middle East next week for a conference and you know what we're going to preach there thank you the Bible tells about the Bible tells about the Middle East they that said in darkness saw great light someone asked you today if you would stretch your hands out toward first lady and I that God would keep us safe on our mission to bring hope father in the name of Jesus God lord it's just not my wife and I going God but it's this congregation God that's going God help us Lord God as we go there Lord help us God to preach hope but help us God to bring hope Elam God to bring hope God to bring hope God the people who are hurting people that are under tremendous oppression oh God in the name of Jesus Lord I ask you to keep us safe Lord I ask God you keep us safe God Lord in the name of Jesus Christ amen amen Give the Lord a hand of Praise right now yes yes uh Pastor Erickson says that we have a brand new we're going to the Middle East and we got a brand new campus starting in Madisonville Tennessee today at two o'clock they're going to have their first service if you know anybody from the Madisonville Tennessee area any any in that region there get them in touch with Joel and him and Emily or or they're starting that work today and we're going to believe God hey from Madisonville to the Middle East here we come in Jesus name God bless you and dismiss thank you