“The Road to Hope”

“The Road to Hope”
April 1, 2012
Kennard Friends Church

There is a road that leads to Hope Indiana. 55.6 miles from Kennard. Go West on SR 234 to SR 9. Then South. Go through Greenfield and Shelbyville. Eventually you will end up in Hope Indiana. That is one road to hope. Did you know that almost every State has a town named “Hope” or a name with the word hope in it? Did you know I could not find one town that goes by the name “Hopeless”?
Today I would like to build on what Justin has talked about. He told of a road to hope.

So where is THIS hope, and what is the road to get to it?

In the Old Testament, there was a road to hope. From wherever the Israelites lived, they would travel to Jerusalem, to the Temple where God had chosen to place His name, to celebrate three annual feasts. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was also called "Passover", and the Feast of Weeks was also called "Harvest" or "Pentecost", and the Feast of Tabernacles was also called "Booths" or "Ingathering".

The multiple names didn't mean more feasts; it was still just these three feasts which the Hebrews were instructed to observe on three occasions each year.
...... (1) PASSOVER ..... (2) PENTECOST..... (3) TABERNACLES

Deuteronomy 16:16
16 “Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he chooses.

2 Chronicles 7:12
12 Then one night the LORD appeared to Solomon and said, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices.

The First Feast: Passover
It memorializes the account in Exodus concerning the blood and the eating of the passover lamb, followed by the eating of the unleavened bread. "When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." Ex12:13. Hence the name "Passover". They selected their lamb on the 10th day of the first month [their (Lunar) calendar was different than what we (Solar) have today] and took it home. At eh next full moon they killed that lamb, and smeared the blood over the doorposts of their homes, and then ate the lamb!

This sounds like a road to hope doesn’t it? If sacrificing a lamb would cause God to avoid sending plagues or destruction my way, I would definitely travel that road.

The Second Feast: Pentecost!
What it means for the Day of Pentecost TO BE FULLY COME...
This was the Harvest Feast, also called the Feast of Weeks, and in the New Testament called the Feast of Pentecost. It began when the first of the crops appeared. A priest would wave the sheaf of first fruits. And then fifty days later culminated in that final great "Day" of Pentecost.

This sounds like a road to hope doesn’t it? Celebrating planting and harvesting. A seed is planted in the ground and dies, so that weeks later they could feast on that harvest. I would definitely travel that road.

The Third Feast: Tabernacles
Israel's final feast of the year was in the 7th month. Tabernacles, or Booths (Heb: Succoth), speaks symbolically of a residence. The Old Testament presented a God who lived in a box (Ark of the Covenant), but that was only an introductory precept leading to how He would eventually dwell in his people.

This sounds like a road to hope doesn’t it? Carrying the Ark of the Covenant was akin to having the presence of God with them. So one last time… I would definitely travel that road.

Today we don’t celebrate Passover but we do celebrate THE ultimate Passover lamb… the Lamb of God, Jesus.
1 Corinthians 5:7b
7 Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.

Today we don’t celebrate Pentecost but we do celebrate THE ultimate of the firstfruits… Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:23
23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest [the firstfruits (NIV]; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.
This is the essence of our faith--that because Christ rose from the dead and went to heaven, we have confidence we'll do the same.

Today we don’t celebrate the Tabernacles but we do celebrate THE ultimate of the final feast when Jesus will descend from heaven and a trumpet sounds for us to come.
Figuratively or allegorically we're now looking for the Lord to descend from heaven with the trumpet of God, 1Thes4:16 -- that's when Christians will truly begin this final feast.
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air..."

At the beginning of this message I said… So where is THIS hope, and what is the road to get to it?

Let me leave you with two final scriptures that answers that question. The good news is you likely already have them at your disposal. If not you can choose to have them before you leave.

God and the Bible are both where hope is, as well as, the source of it!
Romans 15:13

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 119:114
You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.

In closing, if you are saved, born-again, have believed in Jesus as your savior, then God is in you… that is, the Holy Spirit.
If you brought a Bible with you, or have one available at home, then you have His Word at your finger tips.

So whether you needed information on how to get to Hope IN or just needed directions to hope for your life, you’ve got it now!

Closing prayer