THEME: Glorious Hope

INTRODUCTION:

For those unfamiliar with this American hero, in 1965 he became the highest-ranking naval officer to be
held as a POW (prisoner os WAR) in Vietnam. He was held as a captive for seven years in brutal
conditions. He was physically tortured no fewer than 15 times. They beat him, whipped him, and nearly-
asphyxiated him with ropes. “Mental torture was incessant. He was kept in solitary confinement, in total
darkness, for four years, chained in heavy, abrasive leg irons for two years, malnourished due to a
starvation diet, denied medical care, and deprived of letters from home in violation of the Geneva
Convention.”
Yet, despite the conditions and hardships, Stockdale said, “I never lost faith in the end of the
story.”
In the spring of 1969 he was told that he was to be taken "downtown" and paraded in front of foreign
journalists. Stockdale slashed his scalp with a razor and beat himself in the face with a wooden stool
knowing that his captors would not display a prisoner who was disfigured. Later, after discovering that
some prisoners had died during torture, he slashed his wrists to demonstrate to his captors
that he preferred death to submission. This act so convinced the Vietnamese of his
determination to die rather than to cooperate that the Communists ceased the torture of
American prisoners and gradually improved their treatment of POWs. He was released from
prison in 1973. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Gerald Ford in
1976. He was one of the most highly decorated officers in the history of the Navy, wearing
twenty six personal combat decorations, including two Distinguished Flying Crosses, three
Distinguished Service Medals, two Purple Hearts, and four Silver Star medals in addition to
the Medal of Honor. He was the only three star Admiral in the history of the Navy to wear
both aviator wings and the Medal of Honor.
Someone has said; “the last thing to lose is hope”. Without hope there is no life. You can live seven days
without food, three days without water, three minutes without air, but less than a second without hope.
What then is hope? Hope is the joyous expectation of the future. It is the basis on which life and even
resurrection are hinged. What is the Christian’s hope? We shall discuss a number of issues that
constitute the blessed hope of the Christian.

NEVER LOSE FAITH IN THE END OF THE STORY

ISSUES THAT BRINGS THE GLORIOUS HOPE OF THE CHRISTIAN

1. GLORIOUS HOPE IN SUFFERING

A. Suffering as a Consequence of Sin
Suffering is in our lives because we are living in a broken world. Some suffering is due to our sinful and wrong
choices, but some is due simply to the world being fallen.
Romans 5:12 - Ang kasalanan ay pumasok sa sanlibutan sa pamamagitan ng isang tao, at ang kamatayan ay
pumasok sa pamamagitan ng kasalanan. Dahil dito, lumaganap ang kamatayan sa lahat ng tao sapagkat ang lahat
ay nagkasala.
B. Suffering as a Tool of Sanctification
God can use our sufferings to develop us into better people: the people who can love and enjoy Him forever.
C. Suffering as a Test of Faith
For the Christian, we must see suffering as a trifold call to long for a better world, to seek to become a better person
and to live out a better witness.

- Romans 8:18 Para sa akin, ang mga pagtitiis natin sa kasalukuyan ay hindi maihahambing sa kaluwalhatiang
ipahahayag sa atin balang araw.
 - 1 Peter 5:10 Pagkatapos ninyong magtiis sa loob ng maikling panahon, ang Diyos, na siyang pinanggagalingan ng
lahat ng pagpapala, ang siyang magbibigay sa inyo ng kagalingan, katatagan, at lakas ng loob at isang pundasyong
di matitinag. Siya ang tumawag sa inyo upang makibahagi kayo sa kanyang walang hanggang kaluwalhatian,
kasama ni Cristo.
- Ang lahat ng bagay na pinahihintulutan ng Diyos ay mayroong dakilang dahilan. Kapag tayo

ay dumaranas ng sufferings, paka tandan natin… WAG TAYONG BIBITAW SA DIYOS. MAS MAHIRAP NA PAGSUBOK MAS
LALO TYONG MAGKUMYAPIT SA PANGINOON.

-
2. GLORIOUS HOPE IN SICKNESS (Story of Lazarus)
Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through
it. John 11:4

Nang marinig ito ni Jesus ay sinabi niya, “Hindi niya ikamamatay ang sakit na ito. Nangyari iyon upang
maparangalan ang Diyos at sa pamamagitan nito'y maparangalan ang Anak ng Diyos.”
Are you struggling with sickness? If so, seek to experience the intimacy of God’s glory in the middle of your illness.
Your afflictions can be eclipsed by His glory.

NO ONE IS EXCUSE PAG DATING SA KARAMDAMAN…. WHETHER HE/SHE BE A GODLY PERSON OR THE WORST SINFUL
PERSON/ EVERYONE IS SUBJECT TO AFFLLICTIONS. EXAMPLE NA LANG SI PTRA… BRO. EDWIN

- Psalm 41:3 - The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.

Si Yahweh rin ang tutulong kung siya ay magkasakit, ang nanghina niyang lakas ay ganap na ibabalik.

- Job 23:10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
-
3. GLORIOUS HOPE IN SALVATION
John 14:1-4 “Huwag mabagabag ang inyong kalooban; sumampalataya kayo sa Diyos, sumampalataya din kayo sa akin.
2 Sa bahay ng aking Ama ay maraming silid. Kung hindi ito totoo, sasabihin ko ba sa inyong pupunta ako roon upang
ipaghanda ko kayo ng inyong matitirhan? 3 At kapag naipaghanda ko na kayo ng matitirhan, ako'y babalik at isasama
ko kayo upang kayo'y makapiling ko kung saan ako naroroon. 4 At alam na ninyo ang daan patungo sa pupuntahan ko.”

- ETO ANG good news: we are not appointed to receive wrath. “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9).
Hindi tayo pinili ng Diyos upang bagsakan ng kanyang poot, kundi upang iligtas sa pamamagitan ng ating
Panginoong Jesu-Cristo.

- We might expect wrath and condemnation because of our sin, but . that will not be our end. The Lord will come to end
our suffering and sickness (not give us over to suffering.)
-
- Now, we must add, this is only true for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord ans SAvior. Whoever believes in
the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved. Christ has made the sacrifice, but we must accept it. It is only those who are
anticipating Christ’s return who will be saved from the wrath of God. Is that you? Where do you stand? You may enjoy
community at church or feel good about being here, but have you given yourself to Jesus and accepted Him as the one
who saves you? Remember. The day comes like a thief. You need to be ready.
- aspect of the hope is that we will be with the Lord. “He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live
together with him” (1 Thess. 5:10). God tells us what it will be like when Jesus comes again:
- 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. 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. (1 Thess. 4:16–17).
 - We will always be with the Lord. He died for us not only to save us from our sins but also because He values us so much
that He wants to experience our presence to all eternity. Jesus love you and values you that much! Don’t let anyone look
down on you!

CONCLUSION:For a conclusion, let us all remember by heart that we have a glorious hope in suffering, we have a glorious hope in
sickness, and we have a glorious hope in salvation…“the last thing to lose is hope”

NEVER LOSE FAITH IN THE END OF THE STORY… let us at all times be in the hopeful ATTITUDE…