Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I invite you to turn with me
in your Bibles to Job chapter 17. Now I want to ask us a question. It's a question that we all need
to ask ourselves. It's a vital life and death question. And it's found right here in
Job chapter 17. Let's look at verse 15. It says,
and where is now my hope? Where is now my hope? What is my hope? What that means is, do I think
I will go to heaven to be with the Lord? And if I do, what causes
me to think that? What is your hope? You know, many people don't know.
Many people don't know. Ask somebody, what is your hope? Really? Really? Just stop for a minute. Just
stop running all over the place. Let's just stop our minds for
just a minute. Let's dig deep. Let's get honest. What is your hope? What is my hope? Some people
will say, well, I've been to church all my life. Well, tons of people, millions
of people go to church their whole life And then they go to
meet God, and then God puts them in hell. Did you know that? Isn't that sobering? Some people will say, well, I've
tried to be a good person and do the right thing my whole life. Well, in spite of the fact that
the scripture says there's none good, No, not one. Many people spend their whole
life trying to be a good person and then they go to meet God
and then God puts them in hell. That sounds so cold and it sounds
so hard, doesn't it? But based on the word of God,
it's the truth. I want to show you that in Matthew
chapter 7, this is such a vital, vital life and death issue. Matthew chapter 7 says this,
verse 21, this is the Lord Jesus Christ speaking. He said, not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven. You know, they say, Lord. Yeah,
Lord. Well, the Lord. Not every one
that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven. But he that doeth the will of
my Father which is in heaven. And do you know what the will
of the Father is? He said, this is my beloved Son. Hear Him. hear his word." Well, in verse
22, our Lord said, many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? We were preachers. Not only did
we go to church, we were the preachers. He said, Many will say to me
in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name
and in thy name have cast out devils? We were the good guys. We cast devils out of people.
He goes on to say, and in thy name done many wonderful works. We did so many good things. We did so many good deeds. Verse
23, our Lord said, then will I profess unto them, I never
knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity. That's sobering,
isn't it? Everything that I look to in
this life, every single thing that I look to in this world
for hope, is going to turn out to be no hope at all. I don't
care what it is. If my hope is in the fact that
I was baptized, I'm going to find out there's no hope there
at all. None. I want to show you that
in Acts chapter 8. Turn with me over to Acts chapter
8. Verse 9 says, But there was a certain man called
Simon, and that's not Simon Peter, that's a different Simon. There
was a certain man called Simon, which before time in the city
used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out
that himself was some great one, to whom they all gave heed. from
the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of
God. And to him they had regard, because
that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when
they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom
of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both
men and women, Then Simon himself believed also. And when he was
baptized, he continued with Philip and wondered, beholding the miracles
and signs which were done." Now verse 18 says, And when Simon
saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy
Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this
power, that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the Holy
Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy
money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift
of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part
nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight
of God." He was baptized. He was baptized, but he had no
hope in that. Ultimately, he was cast out.
The first time that baptism appears in the Word of God is in Matthew
chapter 3. If baptism is salvation, Then
every person in the Old Testament went to hell. Adam, Abraham,
Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Elijah. If baptism is salvation, Then
the thief on the cross, whom the Lord said, today you're going
to be with me in paradise. He didn't make it. If baptism
is salvation, he was never baptized. There's no hope there. None at
all. If my hope is that I'm going
to go meet God and my plea is going to be, I was baptized.
There's no hope there. I'm going to find that out one
day. Now listen to this, if my hope is in the fact that I confess
Christ right now, if my hope is in the fact that I currently
confess Christ, there's no hope there. I want you to turn with
me to Matthew chapter 16. Matthew 16 verse 13 says this, When Jesus came into the coast
of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do
men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, Some say thou
art John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of
the prophets. And He saith unto them, But whom
say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and
said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. He confessed him, but turn over
to Matthew 26. Look at verse 31. It says, Then saith Jesus unto
them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night. For
it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the
flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I
will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said, Though
all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be
offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I
say unto thee that this night before the cock crow thou shalt
deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I
should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also
said all the disciples. But now look at verse 69. It
says, Now Peter sat without in the palace, and a damsel, a little
girl, came unto him, saying, Thou also was with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all,
saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone
out into the porch, another maid saw him. and said unto them that
were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again
he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a
while came unto him they that stood by and said to Peter, Surely
thou also art one of them, for thy speech betrayeth thee. Then
began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. and immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word
of Jesus, which said unto him, before the cock crow, thou shalt
deny me thrice. And he went out and wept bitterly."
Peter confessed him, but he had no hope in that, none at all. If my hope is in anything that
I have done, anything, any work that I have done or not done,
if my hope is in the fact that there are certain things that
I have never done. Our Lord said, we just read it
in Matthew 7, many will say to me, we've done many wonderful
works, but they're going to find out there's no hope in that,
none at all. Everything that I look to in
this world for hope is going to turn out to be no hope at
all. It's going to let me down. It's
going to bring me down and I'm going to get to the end. I'm
going to get to the end of this life and I'll have no rest and
I'll have no peace because I've yet to find a real hope. Does one exist? Is there a hope that will not
fail? Is there a hope that is ordered
and sure? Well, I have very good news.
There is one. There is one hope. Turn with me over to Colossians
chapter 1. Colossians 1, let's look at verse
27. It says, To whom God would make
known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the
Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Christ in you, Christ in me,
the hope. There is one hope. 1 Timothy 1 verse 1 says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
by the commandment of God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ,
which is our hope. The Lord Jesus Christ is my hope. He is the only hope. Listen to these two verses. Proverbs
13 verse 12 says this, hope deferred. Hope that is deferred maketh
the heart sick. Sick. But when the desire cometh,
It is a tree of life. If I don't know where my hope
is, if I cannot find my hope, if I cannot see my hope, my heart
is sick. But when I do see my hope, when
the desire cometh, it's a tree of life. My hope is the tree
of life. Psalm 42 verse 11 says, Why art
thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within
me? Hope thou in God. Hope thou in
God. My hope is not in my baptism. It's in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's in His baptism. It's in
His death. It's in His burial. It's in His
resurrection. That's my hope. My hope is not
in my confession. It's in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's in His confession before His Father. My hope is not in
anything that I've done. My hope is built on nothing less
than the Lord Jesus Christ's blood and his righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but by the grace of God I wholly, I totally, I completely
lean on the Lord Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. all other ground. There's one
hope, one blessed hope. If you're turning with me, turn
over to Psalm 119. Psalm 119 verse 49 says, remember
the word unto thy servant upon which thou has caused me to hope. Remember the word. upon which
thou'st caused me to hope." Verse 50 says, This is my comfort in
my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me. Verse 81 says,
My soul fainteth for thy salvation, but I hope in thy word. Verse 114 says, Thou art my hiding
place and my shield, I hope in thy word. Verse 116 says, "...uphold
me according unto thy word, that I may live, and let me not be
ashamed of my hope." Let me not be ashamed. My one and only hope. We hope in His Word. We have hope because of His Word. Not because of anything I've
done, it's because of His Word. I want to look at a little bit
more of it and then we'll close. Turn with me over to Lamentations
chapter 3. If a man needs hope, he'll find
it in Lamentations chapter 3. Verse 21 says this, This I recall to my mind. Therefore have I hope. When all my hope seems to be
lost, when I'm worried, worried over my sin, when my filth and
my iniquities get a hold of me, when I feel the weight and the
burden of my sin, Lamentations 321 says, this I recall to my
mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed. What is my hope? Here it is. My Lord is merciful. He's merciful. to sinners just
like me. I hope in the fact that I need
mercy and he has plenty of it. He is plenteous in mercy. He will have mercy on whom he'll
have mercy. Verse 21 here says, this I recall
to my mind, therefore have I hope It is of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. I hope in the fact that my God
and my Savior, Jesus Christ, is full of compassion, and His
compassions fail not. They'll never run dry. Never. Verse 23 right here says, they
are new every morning. Isn't that so wonderful? They're
new every morning. Job said in Job 17, what is man? That thou shouldest magnify him
and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him. Well, who am
I? Your God. What is man? That thou shouldest
magnify him, and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him, and
that thou shouldest visit him every morning. Oh Lord, you're
so good. Who am I? Verse 23 goes on to
say, great is thy faithfulness. That's my hope. My hope is in
his faithfulness. Verse 24 says, the Lord is my
portion. That's my hope. The Lord is my
portion. He's what I get. He's all I need. The Lord is my portion, saith
my soul, therefore will I hope in Him. The Lord is good unto
them that wait for Him. The Lord is good unto them that
wait for Him. The Lord is so good unto them
that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good
that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation
of the Lord. It's a good thing to hope in
the Lord. Why? Because it's a sure hope. There is no maybe with God. There
is no possibly with God. It's only yay and amen. Turn with me over to Ezekiel
37. Verse 11 says, Then he said unto
me, Son of man, These bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold,
they say our bones are dried and our hope is lost. We are
cut off for our parts. Do you ever say that? Do you
ever feel that our bones are dried? Our hope is lost. We're cut off for our parts. The Lord told Ezekiel, Therefore
prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O
my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out
of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And
you shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your
graves. O my people, and brought you
up out of your graves, and shall put my Spirit in you, and you
shall live, and I shall place you in your own land, then shall
ye know that I the Lord have spoken it and performed it, saith
the Lord." It's good for a man and a woman to hope in the Lord
because he shall not fail. Now very quickly I want to show
you what that hope produces. Acts chapter 2 verse 25 says
this, David speaketh concerning him I foresaw the Lord always
before my face for he's on my right hand that I should not
be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice
and my tongue was glad Moreover also, my flesh shall rest in
hope." That hope, THE hope, will bring rest and peace. Acts chapter
24 verse 14 says, But this I confess unto thee, that after the way
which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing
all things which are written in the law and in the prophets,
and have hope toward God." Believing all things that are written in
the law and the prophets will cause us to hope in God. Now let me give you two more
scriptures. Romans chapter 8 verse 24 says
this, We are saved by hope, but hope
that is seen is not hope. For what a man seeth, why does
he yet hope for? I see my baptism. I see my confession. I see my works. Verse 25 says,
but if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience
wait for it. That's the Lord Jesus Christ.
I have not seen him with my eyes, but he's my hope because I've
seen him by faith. I've seen him in his word. I've heard his voice through
his word. He's my hope. He's my all. So the last scripture I'll read
to you is Romans 15 verse 13. It says, Now the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound
in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. That's my hope
and my prayer for each one of us, for me, for you, is that
the God of hope would fill us with all joy and peace in believing
the word, his word, that we may abound in hope through the power
of the Holy Ghost. Until next Sunday morning, may
the Lord God bless his word. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m., and 6 o'clock
p.m. Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.