Triumph through Tragedies: Living the Advent Hope

Triumph through Tragedies: Living the Advent Hope

Vancouver, WA 

Sabbath School Class

September 14, 2019

Larry Evans, Teacher

Outline for Today’s Study and Discussion:

1.    Introduction

2.    God, Are You Listening? Hope & the Personal God Who Cares

3.    A Certain Kind of Hope.  Hope and the God Who Is There

4.    The Enemy of Hope

5.    Can Judgment Be Good News?

6.    How to Keep Hope Alive

7.    Final Thoughts from a Man Called Polycarp

Introduction

It has been said, “Our greatest trials can become our greatest triumphs.” That’s easy to say but living with hope is not easy.  For 800,000 this last year, it was a tragedy not hope that triumphed. These 800,000 individuals from around the world committed suicide.  That means, according to the World Health Organization, that every 40 seconds someone chose not to live. To try to break that trend, every September 10 has been designated as World Suicide Prevention Day. 

Ironically September 10 comes one day before we are reminded of a horrific event that happened in 2001. On that day, September 11, two Boeing 767s crashed into the New York twin towers. A bit later another plane crashed into the Pentagon. Then, but for brave passengers on another plane, a fourth one would have crashed most likely into the US Capital building.  It crashed instead in a Pennsylvania field instead.  On that September 11, 2001nineteen terrorists committed suicide causing the death of nearly 3000 others. Those dreadful attacks changed not only our actions today but has created a sense of fear for many.  I have a question for you.  

Has “hope” changed our lives—our way of living, our way of thinking? Or, have tragedies out-influenced hope?  

Can our hope survive the disappointments and tragedies that come our way?  

The words of Paul do give us some comfort,

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Rom. 5:10)

Looking back often puts the past into perspective but at the moment when a crisis strikes, it can seem our personal world is falling apart. We ask for answers and we think we even know what kind of answers we want.  When they don’t come, we become even more troubled.

God, Are You Listening?

Hope and the Personal God Who Cares

Judaism and Christianity are religions of history, especially when contrasted with religions of nature and religions of contemplation. I’ll explain.

Religions of nature see God in the surrounding universe.  For example, these religions see the essence of god in the orderly course of the heavenly universe and the resurgence of vegetation.

Religions of contemplation,in contrast, see the physical world as an impediment to the spirit!  Through contemplation, individuals can rise to be in union with the divine. The sense of time is confining and therefore, history is not significant.

Religions of history, like Judaism and Christianity, discover God “in his mighty acts among the children of men.”Such religions are a compound of both memory and hope!

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

The Lord is good to all;

he has compassion on all he has made.

All you have made will praise you, O Lord;

your saints will extol you.

They will tell of the glory of your kingdom

and speak of your might,

so that all men may know of your mighty acts

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. (Ps 145:8-12)

QUESTION:  Does biblical history (Abraham, Moses, Sodom & Gomorrah, Judas, etc.) motivate or strengthen your hope? Why? Does the example of others today encourage you to face your own difficulties? Who? Why? What happens when a person of faith abandons his or her faith? Are you still encouraged by their times of faith?

By definition, Adventists—those who await the Second Coming and Christ’s kingdom—are people of hope.  How is your life defined?  What would others say?

A Certain Kind of Hope

Hope and the God Who Is There

Let’s face it.  Hope can be elusive, and God’s people have not always done a good job at portraying it.  Such was the situation faced by Haggai and Zechariah.  They are called post-exilic prophets—God’s messengers called to duty after the exile of God’s people. The Babylonian captivity did a number on their self-identity.  They had been beaten down, had their hopes diminished, and national and spiritual pride decimated.  To such a people, God spoke these words:  “Return to me and I will return to you.”

Would you find your hope strengthened if you heard Zechariah say, “Return to me and I will return to you?” (Zech. 1:2) What emotions would that bring?  Do you think those emotions might be part of the needed healing process?

The Enemy of Hope

(Col 3:15, 5-11)

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Col. 3:1-4)

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” (Col.3:15)

Peace, in this instance, is the kind that displaces discord among God’s people.  Colossians 3 begins with “setting your hearts on things above” and then reminds us in verse 15 that where our hearts are will impact our relationship with others.  Does this peace relate to hope or are they unrelated?  What would be the common “thread?”

In verses 5-11, Paul talks about “hearts” that disrupt peace and therefore hope—“whatever belongs to your earthly nature” (v.5). Paul even provides a list of things that can cause the individual and the church problems.  His list includes sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” lying to one another, anger, rage, slander, filthy language . . . and I’m sure it is not a complete list.

QUESTION:  Would you say that these things can diminish hope? Why?

QUESTION: We began with the reminder that today 800,000 bailout on life.  Would your first words to them be, “Quit it!  Just Quit it!

Can Judgment Be Good News?

QUESTION: Is God’s judgment about revenge?  Is it the payback system being put into one final burst of rage? What statement is God making?

Many feel, as Solomon did, that judgment is long overdue!

Here’s something that happens all the time and makes no sense at all: Good people get what’s coming to the wicked, and bad people get what’s coming to the good. I tell you, this makes no sense. It’s smoke.  (Ecc. 8:14, Message)

What insights do the last words in the 5 volume Conflict of the Ages series have to offer regarding the outcome of the judgment?

The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love. – Ellen White in The Great Controversy, p. 678.  

How to Keep Hope Alive

(Col 3:15)

In fifteenth-century Spain, a coin appeared that pictured the pillars of Hercules, symbolizing the straits of Gibraltar.  The inscription read, “No more beyond.”  Thanks to Columbus and other explorers, the coin became obsolete. Around 1537 another coin appeared with the same picture but a new inscription, “Much more beyond.”(John Brunt in “Romans” in the Abundant Bible Amplifier, p. 112.). Such could be said of the Christian whose heart is “set on things above.” 

In ColossiansPaul addressed the results of living by our “earthly nature.”  In Romans 5 he speaks of lasting “hope” that results from being “justified” or “made right” with Jesus.   In chapter 5 Paul summarizes the new experience that he defines as being “peace with God!” (5:1) which leads to the “hope of the glory of God” (5:2).  Surrendering to Christ does replace personal boasting and self-sufficiency but it brings about a new kind of “boasting.”  This kind of boasting, however, is about a hope built on the confidence that faces the future unafraid. In fact, he uses the word boast three times in chapter 5:  we boast in hope (v.2), we boast in our sufferings (v.3) and we boast in God (v.11). Hope transcends everything in life . . . including the suffering we may be facing. And Paul doesn’t stop there. He says, “Hope doesn’t bring shame. Rather it brings confidence!

Paul makes it clear, hope comes from the assurance that God loves us and pours out His love into our hearts.” (v.5). Not even suffering can deter such hope and confidence!

Final Thoughts from a Man Called Polycarp

It happened in 156 AD. It was a tragedy, but as we’ve learned in our study today, tragedies don’t have to have the last word! Polycarp was a bishop in the Smyrna church and what happened to him was recorded by his own church members. A mob had come looking for Polycarp and found him. During a Roman festival he was dragged to the proconsul or governor of the province with the hopes he would be executed. He was ordered to denounce fellow Christians by saying, “Away with the atheists.”  Atheism was an accusation against the Christians because they refused to accept all the pagan gods of the time.  Instead, Polycarp pointed to the heathen in the stadium and shouted, “Away with the atheists.”  The governor said again, “Curse Christ!” To the commandPolycarp replied, “I have served him eighty-six years, and he has done me no wrong; how can I blaspheme the king who saved me?”  Persistent, the proconsul retorted, “Swear by the genius of Caesar.” Polycarp simply said, “I am a Christian.”  It was suggested that he would be thrown to the beasts. That did not weaken his resolve. Then he was threatened with fire.  Ultimately Polycarp was burned to death in front of his accusers.  A tragedy, yes. The words of Jesu, however, to the Smyrna church, the church of Polycarp, as recorded by John in the book of Revelation provide reasons for hope: 

“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer . . . But if you remain faithful when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. (Rev. 2:10, NLT).

While it is not always evident at the time“. . . hope does not (will not) disappoint us.” (Rom. 5:10)