Noon Day Bible Study
Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church
Bible Study
Facilitator: Dr. Jacques Boyd, Pastor
September 2, 2020
Living In Hope
Lesson Focus: The learner will focus on how we live and how it reflects or indicates whether we have real and lasting hope or not
Main question: What do you have to look forward to as a Christian?
I. Introduction
What Christian Hope is NOT (1 Cor. 15):
- It is not worldly.
- It is not uncertain optimism.
- It is not religious wishful thinking.
Christian Hope IS:
- Confident Expectation that God’s promises are true.
- Full Assurance of our Salvation based on the person and work of Jesus Christ.
II. The Basis for Christian Hope
How can Christian hope be confident expectation and full assurance in Christ?
- The Promises of God
- The Grace of God
III. Aspects of Christian Hope
Present Reality
- We still sin.
- We still experience pain and suffering.
- Our lives will end.
Aspects of Christian Hope
- Resurrection from the dead / The return of Christ (I Cor. 15, I Thess. 4:13-18)
- Sinless perfection (Eph. 1:4, Col. 1:28, Phil. 3:12)
- No pain or suffering (Rev. 21:4)
- God’s eternal and abiding presence (Rev. 22:4, I Thess. 4:17)
- Practical Applications For Living
2 Peter 3
Our confident expectation that God’s promises are true and the full assurance of our salvation should help us…
- Endure temptation (I Peter 5:8-10; Phil. 3:13-15)
- Live lives of faith and work for God’s Glory (Hebrews 11:13-16)
C.S. Lewis, “if you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought the most of the next…it is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that have become so ineffective in this. Aim at heaven and you get Earth ‘thrown in’: aim at Earth and you will get neither”
Keep us from despair (Romans 8:28-39)