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Godly Vision – A Vision of HOPE! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the October 27, 2024 sermon, “A Vision of HOPE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Zechariah 9

“But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.  My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.”
Psalm 71:14-15 (NIV)

As God revealed Himself in Old Testament times to His chosen people, He often did so in visions seen by His prophets.  Zechariah was one of those prophets who was given a series of godly visions to share with God’s people of his time and with God’s people of today.  Today we continued a sermon series from the book of Zechariah as we consider how his godly vision should teach us now.  As we gaze into God’s Word, we find this Godly Vision looked forward to the coming of Jesus and the work He would accomplish through His life, death, burial, and resurrection.  As we return to God from wherever we are, we find He fills us with a vision of . . .

  • Hardship:  Zechariah 9:1-8

    • A vision begins at what my seem to be a strange place — a place of hardship.  Because trouble exists in the world, we can be certain we will face hardships of various kinds.  Yet, often without the hardships, we wouldn’t even consider our need for a hope that surpasses the best of what this world can offer.  It is in the hardships of life that we discover a God that never leaves nor forsakes us, a God who is dependable in all circumstances.  . 

  • Overcoming:  Zechariah 9:9-10

    • A vision of hope will include the ability to see how God has overcome, and how He will overcome.  When Jesus stated we would have trouble in this world, He went on to tell us to take heart because He has overcome the world.  It is in Jesus that we can overcome the hold of sin that kept us apart from God.  When the apostle Paul writes us being more than conquerors through Christ, he does so with an awareness that we can live with great hope because our failures need not define us.  

  • Promise:  Zechariah 9:11-13

    • A vision of hope includes not only a promise, but a relationship with the only One who is faithful in all of His promises.  We can live with hope in the midst of hardship, even as we struggle to overcome, because of God’s faithfulness to keep His promise that all who come to Him by faith He will not cast out.  While we benefit from the promise of God that Jesus would come and save His people from their sin, we also can cling to the promise of God that Jesus will one day return for those who are His.

  • Eternity:  Zechariah 9:14-17

    • A vision of hope is a vision of eternity as we place our hope in Jesus Christ.  This vision of eternity that is found in Christ helps us to understand that our current circumstances, good or bad, are not permanent but something better is coming.  It is in this steadfast hope that we can find the strength to endure all things for a little while because we will experience live with Christ forever.

 

Today, how will you experience HOPE?