John Hagee - The Power Of Hope
Hope is something that sees the invisible. Hope feels the intangible. And hope can achieve the impossible. The word "Impossible" is slung around by people who really don't want to try to do something. Listen to me. Everything is impossible until somebody does it. No one could fly until the Wright Brothers did it. Let me give you a Bible illustration of something impossible. The man is Abraham. And he's almost a hundred. His wife is 90. And God says to him, "I'm going to give you a seed (a son), and your seed is going to be as the stars of the heaven and the sand of the sea". Now think about that, because in his years when he could produce a child, his wife, Sarah, could not. He had a child with an Egyptian housewife. Sarah has never been able to bear a child. She's 90 and now he's 100.
God went down and took a womb that was dead: and a physical body that was dead, Abraham, and one more time strikes the life fire. And Isaac, the son of laugher, was born. Out of Isaac, follow the lineage, out of Isaac came Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons. Those 12 sons produced 12 tribes. Those 12 tribes became the nation of Israel. That nation of Israel produced the prophets. They produced the kings. They brought forth Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And today, their seed is as the stars of the heaven and the sands of the sea. Don't ever say anything is impossible with God. He can turn rocks into muffins, if he chooses to. He has that kind of power.
Hope is putting faith to work when doubting is easier. The Bible says, "Hope maketh not ashamed". Say that with me. "Hope maketh not ashamed". That means if you're hoping in God, you will not be ashamed at the outcome. People may say, "You've lost your mind: that'll never happen". It'll happen if you'll put faith to it. Faith deferred makes the heart sick. But when it comes true, the Bible says, "It's a tree of life". Hope is the companion of power and the mother of success. There is more hope for a confessed sinner than there is a conceded saint. You need to write that down and put it on your refrigerator.
Do you have hope for the future? Do you have hope for your children? Do you have hope for your marriage? Look right straight at me right now. Do you have hope for your health? Do you have hope for the business problem that you're going through? Do you have hope for the future of America and the future of planet earth? We have enough nuclear power to kill everybody on the earth ten times over. We live in a dangerous world!
People are not limited by the place of their birth. People are not limited by the color of their skin. People are limited by the size of their hope. If you think you can't, you can't. And if you think you can with God's help, nothing is impossible to you. "Hope thou in God". Say that with me. "Hope thou in God". Romans 15:13, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit". Not just a little bit of hope, but you have so much hope: it splashes over on everyone you touch.
Hope is the gift of God to the believer. 1 Corinthians 13, "Now abideth faith, hope, and love", the three keys to the presence of God. David writes in Psalm 42:5, "Hope thou in God". Say that with me again. "Hope thou in God". Jeremiah 29:11, one of my favorite verses of Jeremiah, "For I know the plans I have for you, saith the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, plans for your future and a hope".
God put you on this earth with a specific assignment. You are here to do something that no one else can do. You have a divine destiny, and you have an unlimited potential within you, because of the hope that you have in God and in his word. The blessing that you cannot contain is possible when you begin to exercise hope. You have the favor of God in your future above your wildest dream. If you will walk out on faith on the wings of hope, you can do what other people say is impossible for you to do! It can be done!
My mother had a very hard life, as a child. Her dad died when she was nine. Her mother was out of the house, Monday through Friday, as a nurse caring for hospice patients in the Metroplex called Goose Creek where they lived. Mom was left caring for her four siblings, Monday through Friday, as a nine-year-old girl. Think about that. "As a child", she said, "I would cry myself to sleep remembering the hugs of my father". Her statement, "Those hugs saved my life. Those hugs gave me the power to survive". Medical science is now saying hugs are healthy. It helps the immune system. It cures depression. It reduces stress and induces sleep. It's invigorating. It's rejuvenating. And it has no unpleasant side effects. Hugging is now being called "A miracle drug".
It's not artificial. Its ingredients are a hundred percent wholesome. Hugging is the ideal gift, great for any occasion, fun to give and to receive. It shows care. It comes with its own wrapping. And of course, it's fully returnable. When we open our hearts and our arms, and we encourage others to do the same, think of the people in your life. When the pain of life is unbearable, words are futile. But you can hug someone in a time of suffering and heal them when words simply will not work. It has been my unpleasant duty several times in the years I've been a pastor to walk into a home where a child has been killed or died. I want to tell you: nothing can be more heartbreaking. You can't look at people and quote the verse of some poem, and expect them to heal a heart. All you can do is hold them, and hug them, and sob with them, because it heals the heart.
Try it. Don't say, "I know what you feel", because you don't. Hold them close until they stop shaking, and the tears stop flowing, and the healing power of God touches them. When we open our hearts and our arms, we encourage the others to do the same thing. Hugs have the healing power of hope. Try it. The first promise of hope is in the Bible. The first recorded promise in the Bible is that the seed of the woman is going to crush the head of the serpent. That word of hope came from God the Father to you. Jesus said, "Upon this rock have I built my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it". "The gates of hell" is an expression for the government of Satan. The government of Satan has come to rob, to kill, and to destroy every person in this audience and every person that's watching on television.
"The seed of the woman", Jesus Christ, crushed the head of the serpent at the cross. The victory is ours. The victory? What kind of victory? The victory over death, hell, and the grave is ours. We have victory over the spirit of witchcraft that is destroying this country. Have you noticed how demonology and witchcraft are sweeping this nation? The three signals of witchcraft are: domination, manipulation, and intimidation. You've heard me preach a 30-minute sermon on those three words. If you see them in your family circle, stomp on it! Crush it! Get it out, because it will destroy every relationship you have! The last recorded promise of Jesus', of hope, is revelation 22:20. It says, "Surely I come quickly". Say that with me. "Surely I come quickly". Now if God is saying, "Surely I come quickly" in the Book of Revelation, you can believe "Surely I come quickly". He is now coming quickly.
This is the word of hope for the 21st century church looking for the rapture of the church. Whenever you see chaos rule the nations, and believe me: chaos is ruling the nations. Europe is falling apart. The Middle East is on the verge of a very major war. America is in a state of chaos. Jesus said, "When you see the chaos of the nations", when you see the fake news, when you see the socialist impact being made on this nation, "When men become lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, when you see these things, lift up your heads and rejoice: your redemption draweth nigh". Simply stated, the king is coming and we're getting ready to leave this place for mansions on high! Give the Lord praise in the house of God!
Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is being sure of what you hope for". Listen to that. "Faith is being sure of what you hope for". It's not wishful thinking! It's certain you're going to get it! "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". I'm going to come back to these two words in just a minute. When you take away hope, and life with all of its fascinating opportunities, is reduced to a treadmill of existence. Without hope, life becomes bleak, life becomes drab, life becomes a burden. Without hope, life is joyless. There's never-ending pain, people without hope sink into depression. They have despair. Life becomes meaningless. Is this you? Is this you?
In the life of every believer here, there is hope for tomorrow. There is hope for the supernatural breakthrough that you've been asking God for. There is hope for divine healing for your body or the body of someone in your family. There's hope for the prodigal son of yours to come home and the prodigal daughter to come home. There is hope that God will send that special person into your life, single person. Quit acting like a poisoned bulldog: maybe somebody will like you. God's word spoken in the mouth of a believer, and I'm looking at you. God's word spoken in the mouth of a believer is not a wish! It's a divine command of spiritual authority. And before that command, demons tremble.
When you pray what's written in this book, the gates of hell shake because of the authority you represent. Before that command, angels bow. Before that command, wind and waves obey. Before that command, sickness and disease disappears. Before that command, poverty is crushed. Before that command, darkness is defeated. Before that command, victory comes. I'm talking about a life that is absolutely unbelievably prosperous in the things of God because this is what God will do for every person in this building and every person watching across America!.
What role does the Word of God play in your life? The devil is not afraid of the believer, who has a Bible with dust on it. The person, who has a Bible that's falling apart has a life that's not. The reason some are down on the Bible is that they're not up on the Bible. Other books are given for information. This book is given for transformation. You read other books: this book reads you. Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself. They reject the Bible because it contradicts them. No one ever graduates from Bible study until you meet the author face to face. Think about it. Horace Greeley said, "It is impossible to mentally or socially enslave a Bible-reading people". Think about that.
Hope is based on substance and evidence. Saint Paul writes in Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen". Two words, "Substance" and "Evidence". When you have substance and evidence, you're not talking about wishful thinking. Hope for the believer is based on the evidence found in the Word of God. Hope is based on the substance of what God has done in the past. And if he's done it in the past, he will do it for you now. Think about that. My hope is anchored to the never-failing promises of God, because his provision is in the promise. Say that with me. "His provision is in the promise".
You have a promise in this book: it is lassoed lightning when you pray it out of your mouth under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I don't hope God answers prayer: I know God answers prayer. Here's substance. Here is evidence. When Daniel prayed, God muzzled the mouths of hungry lions. Those hungry lions later devoured the enemies of Daniel. You don't dare pick on a person who knows how to pray. Elijah prayed, and God sent cloven tongues of fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice. Then he ran 40 miles before the king's chariot, 40 miles! I felt like running a mile the other day, and I sat down till the feeling passed. Prayer is not getting God ready to do your will. Prayer is getting you ready to do God's will. I don't hope there's a better world tomorrow: I know there's a better world tomorrow. The trump of God is going to sound. The dead in Christ are going to rise. We're getting ready to leave this world!
I don't hope God delivers: I know God delivers. The three Hebrews children walked through fire without the smell of smoke upon them. The Bible says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, and God delivers them out of them all". How many? All! Hope thou in God! Hope thou in God! Are you in the fight of your life? Are you in the fight of your life? Be of good cheer, be bold, be strong: for the Lord our God is with you. Keep the faith. Fight the good fight. Endure to the end. If God be for you, who can be against you? No plague shall come nigh thy dwelling. Greater is he that's in you than he that's within the world. God is our fortress. He is our high tower. He is our shield. He is our buckler. He is our deliverer. Nothing is impossible to those that believe and are called according to the promises of God. What God has done, God will do! Hope thou in God, and give the Lord a shout of victory in the house of the Lord! Bless his name!
Hope brings joy. Romans 15:13, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy: that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit". Joy is proof of the presence of God in your life. That's an indictment against a lot of Christians I know. They rarely smile about anything. It doesn't mean you're holy. It means you're just not in touch with God at all. "In his presence, is the fullness of joy". If you're in his presence, you're happy. The fact is joy is proof of God's presence in your life.
A baptist deacon went to his company's business party. And being extremely naive, he drank too much punch that was very spiked. He went home very drunk. He woke up the next morning with a fierce headache. He opened his eyes and saw two aspirin on the night stand. He took them. He went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror, and he had a huge black eye. There was a note on the mirror from his wife that said, listen to this,"Sweetheart, your breakfast is on the kitchen table. Bacon, eggs, toast, jelly, and coffee. I've gone shopping for your favorite foods for supper. Be back soon, your loving wife".
His son came into the room, and the father said, "Son, what happened last night"? And he said, "Dad, you came home at 3:00 in the morning, and you broke the coffee table when you fell flat on your face. Mom was helping you into the bedroom, and you hit the door, which explains your black eye. And as mom was pulling off your pants trying to put you into the bed, you started screaming, "Leave me alone: I'm a married man"! And the son continued, "For breaking the coffee table, 1500 bucks. For two aspirin, 35 cents. For saying the right thing at the right time, priceless, priceless".
We live in the world, searching for joy. Our nation is searching for joy with drugs, and alcohol, pornography, materialism. The church of Jesus Christ needs to learn the supernatural power that there is in shouting for joy. I was watching a major college game. A hundred thousand people were there. And a little guy carried 13-ounces of hot air by a red flag. The referee raised his hands, and a hundred thousand people, yell, screaming. The ground was shaking because of that. Romans 15:13 says, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy: that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit". Shouting for joy, in the Bible, is a weapon of supernatural warfare.
Psalm 149:5 and 9, "Let the saints be joyful. Let the high praises of God" - "The high praises of God" is a shout - "Let the shout of God be in their mouth and it will be a two-edged sword in their hand to execute vengeance upon the heathen and to punish the ungodly, to bind kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute judgment upon those that are violating the Word of God". Your shout and your praise to God releases him to go to war with your enemies on your behalf.
How many of you would like for God Almighty to declare war on your enemies? Let me see your hand. Let God break down the walls in your life. Let God slay the giants that are challenging you. Let God scatter your enemies like the chaff of the summer threshing floor. Let God! Let God be God! For the next 30 seconds, give the Lord a shout of joy! Bless the Lord! Bless the Lord! Glory! Bless the Lord! Bless your name, Lord!
How many of you in this room say, pastor, there's something in the core of my being that I want the Lord to do for me, my family? Maybe it's in your business. Maybe it's in your health. Maybe it's in your relationships. But there's something you want God to do for you specifically. I want you to raise your hand right where you are. I believe God's going to do it because the walls have just been broken down. Follow me in this prayer.
Heavenly Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the hope I have in God, I'm asking you, Lord Jesus... (now you fill in the blank just exactly what you want God to do to heal the members of your family, to invade your life with a fresh anointing, for barriers to be removed that are keeping you from accomplishing what God has for you. And now continue with me). Heavenly Father, based on the authority of God's word, based on the substance and evidence of the Word of God, I claim this blessing. I will receive it, now, in Jesus' name! Amen! Give the Lord a shout of praise! Hallelujah to the Lamb of God! Bless the name of the Lord! Bless the name of the Lord! Amen. Amen.