City Central Church Podcast
Confident Expectation of Good
Chris Hippe speaks about being anchored in confident expectation of good in the midst of God's processes in our lives because HE WILL NEVER CHANGE.
So, go to Acts 2. This is the inaugural message for this building that the Lord has laid on my heart. Acts 2 verse 42. It specifically says this. It says, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayers." And so we see here that about Acts 2, the beginning, you see Peter really gives a Ramah word, which is that now word, and he also gives the Logos word altogether and it culminates up and it keeps building and we run into this passage. It's a fascinating passage and it says, "They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, in the fellowship, in the breaking of bread and prayers." And I got struck by this word steadfastly this week. Now, if you and I were to be honest, our life is predominantly dictated and known for a process. If you can imagine your hand and each one of my tops of my fingers would represent the things that we pray for, anointing, signs and wonders, miracle, miracles, glory, impartation. We pray prayers that would God come, God come, may your kingdom come. We pray these prayers and oftentimes we live life between those two points and the process is where we spend more of our time than we do at the very top. Someone give me an amen. This is what we see throughout Joseph's life. You see a process and then a now time and then a process and a now time, a process and a now time, a process and then a culminating point in his life that he goes, my word, I get it all now. Why he brought me through that, it's for this right here. You and I live our lives more in a process than we do in that impartation, that authority and that anointing time. It's part of how God works. Now, many believers do not enjoy the process. They actually belabor the process and are grumpy in the process. So when the impartation comes, they actually don't get to celebrate it like they actually could have. Very few people I would say in the Western culture actually have learned the skill and the discipline of how to enjoy the process. And that's why when I see this word steadfast, I start to understand a little bit more as to what it's saying. You see, it says they were steadfast in doctrine, which means the original teachings, which means the Nicene Creed of 325. It's not religious, it's the foundation of our faith. You see, this is the very principle. It's the doctrine. It's that Jesus Christ is the only way and that if no one else can come to the Father but by him, this is the doctrine of the apostles. And then he says the fellowship, real fellowship, love for one another, loving each other intensely, loving in a way that is so self-sacrificial that the world goes. Why would they do such a thing as that? A fellowship? And then the breaking of bread. How about having people over and having fun? Let me say that again. Josh, you with me. Okay, I said how about hanging out, having fun, having purpose, loving the Lord, but enjoying life through the process? And then in prayers, why do you think that we're pounding a drum? We must pray, we must pray. A prayer room will be the fuel by which God comes and fulfills this promise over us as a community. And so you see there's a steadfastness that if we don't have a steadfastness, then we will become be labored, we will become grumpy, and we will become indifferent to the vision of the Lord. Say the word steadfast. Look at verse 43. It says this wonderful world did I so like. It says this, then. Everybody say then. So this steadfastly doing those four things, then the fear of God came upon every soul. And many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. You see, process bang, process bang, process bang. The early church knew how to live steadfast. They knew how to live and have a fortitude to press in and to go after the Lord. They were not be labored and became grumpy. They had a firm grasp on something. And so I want to tonight to understand where does a steadfast spirit come from? What is it that the early church understood to have such a steadfast rock solid spirit that no matter what's going on, I am solid in the face of a storm and I have joy on my face because if if you understand and I understand what I'm going to talk to you about tonight, joy will be a byproduct and it will not be something that you'll have to fight for. Peace will be a byproduct. Your evangelism and my evangelism will be so energized and in tune you will be a force to be reckoned with if we can grab hold of this concept tonight. And the concept I want you to look at is in Hebrews chapter six. Are you with me? Look at Hebrews chapter six and what we're going to do is we want to study this this understanding a little bit more. It says this in Hebrews six verse 19 to 20. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast in which enters the presence behind the veil where the forerunner has entered for us even Jesus having become high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Praise God. You see this passage it says simply this this hope all five chapters of Hebrews coming into six is talking about how Jesus is the ultimate high priest. He walked into the most holy place and he died on a cross and shredded that veil and he is the only way to come to Christ. He says I am the hope that's me in essence there's nothing more you need. I am the very hope that you will find nowhere else. So this hope which is the great high priest Jesus Christ this great high priest we have as an anchor everybody say anchor say anchor of the soul. This hope is an anchor of the soul. I want you to imagine your soul is anchored. You have an anchor to your soul if you and I decide to live in this anchoring. You and I have a fortitude and a steadfastness of the anchor of our soul. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul which is both sure meaning not wobbly which means sure means means it goes so far down into the bedrock that it does not move. You see an anchor is worthless if it's not heavy enough or it's not rooted down deep. It says this anchor is so rooted into the bedrock it's not wobbly and it's steadfast which means sustaining power to not break down under stress. Sustaining means to not break down under stress over long periods of time. I want you to imagine you're in my soul likened unto a boat that's out here in commencement bay and there's an anchor that goes down deep into the bedrock and the sureness firmly roots it into the bedrock and the steadfastness keeps it taught and it's unbreakable. This is the anchor of our soul which is sure and steadfast and which enters the presence behind the veil. It enters the presence behind the veil. Now we're not going to study the veil in in in its fullness but basically what it's saying is you're not you and I are not rooted in bedrock. We are rooted in the very presence of God right now. Did you hear that? If you and I can grab this I'm telling you we will be very happy people. We are not rooted in something fleeting we are not rooted in something of this world we are not rooted in some kind of feeling or emotion. We are rooted in the very presence of God. My soul is anchored sure and steadfast in the presence of God in the most holy place because of Jesus Christ. This is a steadfast assurance that you and I have in Christ. You see then it's the the anchor is that very presence of God and then it's also then it says that's where the forerunner who is Jesus the ultimate forerunner has entered before us. Praise God. And so then you have you and I have this hope. This hope is confident expectation of good. The hope that we are anchored in is a confident expectation of good. It's not a haphazard one in a million I sure hope something's going to happen. You and I are rooted in the very presence of God sure and steadfast to confidently expect good at all times that's the hope that you and I have in Christ Jesus that no circumstance would allow what would would be able to overtake us but we could sit here in the storm of life as a United States of America is trying to figure out what to do and you and I can stand and go I have the answer and they're going to they're not going to look at a Christian that's being battered around and going and kind of wondering and and so concerned and and looking negative they're going to they're going to be the one that's so sure because they're anchored steadfast sure and they know their Savior because of the confident expectation of good that he has promised everyone that will call upon his name that is you and that is I and I believe that's what the Lord has called us to in this hour and so when we see then what happens is faith starts to latch onto the certainty of hope and then it releases the fulfillment of God it's like faith it's just it's like faith if you can imagine goes oh that's that's what I hang around with what what is that oh I'm confident next there it is and it latches on and does not let go and then boom release now signs wonders miracles now you see it's it's verse 43 then all of a sudden fear came upon every soul and signs wonders and miracles happened you see what happens is faith latches onto that hope and bang the prayers start to happen process bang process bang but I want to tell you until you and I can enjoy the process then we're not going to live in fulfillment just you hear what I'm saying it's it's the process is where the money is the process is when he speaks the loudest the process is the place where you go I can't do this anymore it he's that sure instead fast one that goes I can I can so what's your problem again no I can and you go well that's right you can boom I'm sure instead fast you see the world doesn't have what we have just think about this guys I hate to be so simple they do not have anything that certain anything that's that's sure there's nothing everything is changing everything is in motion it's the law of mutation in this world the law of mutation says everything will always shape move and form think about it a man marries a woman a woman marries a man and they are not even sure if they're going to be together in five years because relationships change now you and I were we must we must understand how much change we live in we know no other we know no other change dominates our lives all over the place it's relational change it's job change it's mental change it's emotional change we are change monsters all over the place and so the world that does not have Christ has nothing firm they have nothing to be anchored in if you can imagine when I did not know the Lord I know factually I felt like I was aimlessly cruising through life and I was being tossed whichever way the world wanted to toss me I tried to control I tried to row but that didn't do anything because the gale force win would just shove me into a rock and then all of a sudden it would get dark outside I had no rudder I had no power I had nothing and I was just completely oh I had no control so I would try to to get inside myself and control myself it's impossible everything's changing that's the way the world works but for you and I may we not succumb to that may we be those that I have so much hope that faith goes I want that I latch on to it and then boom release look at what what is faith Hebrews 11 1 it's the substance of things hope for it's the substance of things hope for it's the substance of things you're confidently expecting good for it's the substance of hope you see faith without hope what is it not too much you see hope is hope when we have hope it releases and attracts faith and something starts to stir and that's the early church see the revelation of this hope that is for me today for the process that I'm in comes from a key understanding of this who God is you see if you and I serve to God that was always changing his mind this is every other false God small G God lower lower case G every other God that that is that is worshiped on our planet today changes changes in mind he's emotional he's got different theories you have to please him and and and and suffice him and you need to do this and do that but you still are not certain it's always a big guessing game with the gods around you look at Buddhism you look at Hindus you look at wherever you want to go it's always a big guessing game I sure hope I'm right and there's millions of people across the earth that are hoping there's they're banking their entire eternal existence on no certainty whatsoever they have zero hope they have a I sure hope this thing works now may we understand the God that we serve and the God that we love and the one who is in essence the one that never changes he has no change in him whatsoever he has no mutation he does not deteriorate or he does not get added to he is this is the God that you and I know and this is not preached enough I would say around the world we think we know him but we don't act like we know him oftentimes you see he he is the God that nothing can be added to there are no additives or preservatives in the God we serve you see there's nothing that you and I can do to change him to change his mind there's nothing that you and I can do in essence he is and so what he does is is we come and we go man the Lord must be pleased with me because I did x y and z now we would never say that because we're very good Christians but in essence you go to bed happier when you've done things for God when you haven't you see that's a faulty understanding understanding of the immutability of God because he himself has always loved you with such a fierceness that has never changed nor will it you can run but you can't hide you see because he'll never change he won't change his mind you might and then come to your senses because he's always right because he is you see he doesn't change his mind about his great outpouring of love to you he doesn't change his mind of a generation that's on their way to hell he doesn't his burdens do not change but if I then can align myself with the immutability of God and say God I understand that you never change and then that I can have hope in one that never changes how can you have hope if he's changing all the time does your God change not in theology not in principle and theology but does your life represent a changing God do you think he's thinking something different yesterday than he is today about you do you think he's thinking something different about your children today than he was two years ago do you think the promise over your life is any different than it was yesterday do you think the word of God has become null and void do you see he who is the one that you serve when we grab hold there's so much certainty when we grab hold of his inability to change it causes me to take a big deep breath and then it causes me to want to do something about it it causes me to go you must know him you must see him I see your emotional you know you go into a work and you you can get in a work setting you can see emotions it's like have you ever been around a person where you're like okay what are we going to get today oh they're happy praise God oh it's a happy day whoo and then you go in the next day and it's uh it's depressed day and then it's this day and it's that day you see this is this is the world we live in but if we were to go in and go hey I I know a God that knows you real well and he loves you that much and never has he once changed his mind and in fact to make us a clear standing point he died on a cross just for you just for you with you on his mind so that you could actually have steadfast life like no one else in this world you see that's the revelation now for Christians change is actually what we want so sometimes we can live life thinking that the world wants change when they're fighting against change botox retox every other talks out there that's trying to find how do I get hair back in how do I tuck this thing how do I fix that how do I just think about how much people defy change because they just want normality they just want to be but they can't because God has created them to know him so they are in a massive conundrum and don't even know it and here you are the light of the world you and I are the ones that love change we quote passages like we're being changed from glory to glory glory to glory oh I'm just you know some of you have frustrated some people close to you that don't know the Lord yet because you come in and you're always so happy you're like well I'm changing they're like well I'm trying not to why are you so happy about it and I'm so grumpy about it you see it's there's something about how God loves to loves for a believer to change because you're changing into his immutability which is who he is you have a firm foundation to draw upon that's my goal they're over here spinning going I don't know where I'm going what is going on something changes in their life and it's like they go into bereavement and dress in black oh think about it happens I remember doing it when I didn't know the Lord oh but here you and I are and we have that firm footing to draw upon the Lord this is the process that you and I have inherited in Christ Jesus how many of you would like a little bit more of of that revelation to live in on a daily basis you see when familiar things pass away to people in the world that's when the grieving comes and you see it this is what A.W. Tozer says how many of you have ever read anything of A.W. Tozer how many of you are still trying to figure out what exactly he meant by what you read boy love that man which is an interesting thing about A.W. Tozer is he is a he is a he is a wonderful he has a wonderful ability to draw all the writings of the early church fathers into an arena by which you and I can digest it's it's a it's a wonderful wonderful road it says this the law of mutation belongs to a fallen world but God is immutable and in him men of faith find at last eternal permanence in the meanwhile change works for the children of the kingdom not against them the changes that occur in them are wrought by the hand of the in living spirit and so the changes that he is making inside you and I is in his likeness if you will now I want to Jason can you throw up that declaration we are going to say something out loud together tonight are you ready for something out loud together it simply says this I want to read it out loud the declaration is this that we are people that will be anchored in confident expectation of good in the midst of God's processes in our lives because he will never change that's the whole point of the message tonight write that down take it home put it on the refrigerator this is the point is is that you and I want to be so anchored in hope meaning the the steadfastness of that anchoring in confident expectation of good in the midst of God's processes in our life because that's where we spend most of our time in our lives because he will never change shall we declare that together let's read this together ready on the count of three let's start at the the word we ready go we are a people that will be anchored in confident expectation of good in the midst of God's processes in our lives because he will never change let's try that one more time ready go we are people that will be anchored in the confident expectation of good in the midst of God's processes in our lives because he will never change he will never change praise God and what strength there is in a God that never changes that calls us to be anchored into him father I thank you tonight for the joy that comes from the great revelation that you never change your mind thank you Jesus that you you loved us before we loved you and that intensity of love continues on to this day father I thank you that the impartation that you have for us is to live in such a way to live in the confidence to live in the hope that we would be those those ships that are floating out there anchored firmly into the very presence of God and that my hope would be firmly rooted and then I would be steadfast and secure I would be one that proclaim a gospel that my life shows to a dying and lost dark world that my life would be one that would declare the goodness of God on every front see I want to say this to you tonight is if you have come in here and you're saying I am that ship that is aimlessly being tossed around by the wind my anchor has has lifted I don't know what is going on in my life and hopelessness has come to inundate your life and has come to to rob the very existence and fabric of your of your inheritance I want to tell you tonight that maybe you have never even met Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord and you don't even know what it's like to live in firm footing to have confidence to have to have someone that will never leave you or forsake you to not understand what it's like when every other person is changing and morphing around you he is the same maybe you have tried other religions and that has not worked out for you because you do not find the one that is firm and immutable from the beginning all the way to the end and you're looking for one that you can call your Savior and your Lord I want to tell you the good news he had you on his mind when he sent his one and only son to live a life that would he would then call him to die on a cross and shed his blood for you're in my sin the depth of the hurt and the pain and he was he was buried and he resurrected and he is sitting at the right hand of the Father calling you tonight saying come unto me I am the one you've been longing for for so long I want to tell you tonight the good news if you have come in here and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord as you can receive him tonight you can receive him tonight right here right now and so I want to invite you tonight in just a moment to know him for the first time in the same right I want to invite those of you that maybe you've you've known Jesus before but you have gone sideways you cut your own anchor you tried to do this thing on your own and you realize the world is a harsh place that everything changes and you got punished by the world I want to invite you to come back tonight to the Lord and re anchor into his very presence to once again know confidently confidently the expectation of good from the Lord and so I just want to invite if that's you tonight if you're saying I want to come back to Jesus or if you're saying I haven't known Jesus but I want to I just want you to raise your hand just for me to see tonight so if that's you tonight I just want you to raise your hand here in this place thank you anybody else tonight just get to know the joy of the Lord thank you Jesus [BLANK_AUDIO]