JOYCE: ROMANS 4:18 THROUGH 21,
"ABRAHAM, HUMAN REASON FOR HOPE BEING GONE,
HOPED ON IN FAITH."
AND YOU KNOW WHAT HOPE IS?
HOPE IS NOT LIKE SOME NAMBY-PAMBY, "WELL, I HOPE
SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENS."
NO, HOPE IS AN EXPECTATION THAT SOMETHING GOOD IS GOING
TO HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE.
AND GOD IS INVITING YOU TONIGHT TO LIVE WITH THAT KIND
OF EXPECTATION IN YOUR LIFE.
"SOMETHING GOOD IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME.
SOMETHING GOOD IS GOING TO HAPPEN THROUGH ME, AND IT
MAY HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT."
WHEN WE HAVE THAT KIND OF HOPE, IT ALLOWS US TO LIVE WITH SOME
ENTHUSIASM AND SOME EXCITEMENT.
SO, "ALL REASON FOR HOPE BEING GONE, ABRAHAM STILL HOPED ON
IN FAITH THAT HE WOULD BECOME THE FATHER OF MANY NATIONS
AS IT HAD BEEN PROMISED TO HIM, BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN TOLD,
'YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE SO MANY THAT YOU WILL NOT
BE ABLE TO COUNT THEM.'" NUMBER ONE PROBLEM,
HE DIDN'T HAVE A CHILD.
HE DID NOT HAVE AN HEIR.
"HE DID NOT WEAKEN IN FAITH WHEN HE CONSIDERED THE UTTER
IMPOTENCE OF HIS OWN BODY."
ABRAHAM WAS ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS OLD,
AND THAT MEANS THAT HE WAS NOT PHYSICALLY ABLE
TO HAVE A CHILD, NOR--LET ME START OVER.
"HE DID NOT WEAKEN IN FAITH WHEN HE CONSIDERED THE UTTER
IMPOTENCE OF HIS OWN BODY, WHICH WAS AS GOOD AS DEAD
BECAUSE HE WAS ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS OLD,
OR WHEN HE CONSIDERED THE BARRENNESS
OF SARAH'S DEADENED WOMB."
NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAUGHT SOMETIMES, "WELL, JUST DON'T
PAY ANY ATTENTION TO YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES."
I'M GOING TO TELL THE TRUTH, THERE IS VERY FEW PEOPLE
THAT HAVE GOT THAT MASTERED.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU GOT A CIRCUMSTANCE STARRING
YOU IN THE FACE, IT'S KINDA HARD TO NOT PAY ANY ATTENTION TO IT,
AND I'M LIKE WHAT ABRAHAM DID, HE TOOK A GOOD LOOK, AND HE
BELIEVED THAT GOD WAS GREATER.
COME ON.
I THINK SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED TO LOOK AT THE CIRCUMSTANCE,
CALL IT WHAT IT IS, AND SAY, "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU
LOOK LIKE.
I DON'T CARE HOW UPSET YOU'VE GOT MY EMOTIONS, THERE'S
SOMETHING DEEPER GOING ON IN ME, AND I BELIEVE GOD IS GOING
TO COME THROUGH FOR ME."
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