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CCLI # 79243

Pastor Mark Schwarzbauer PhDFamily Worship Center

The Essential Ingredient

Called HOPE

Jeremiah 29:11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Part One: The Foul

Ingredient of Fatalism

The Foul Ingredient of Fatalism• Fatalistic view- Destiny is – “the

inevitable or necessary fate to which a particular person or thing is destined; one's lot. A predetermined course of events considered as something beyond human power or control” (Dictionary.com).

The Foul Ingredient of Fatalism

• Christian Free will view- “Destiny is the end result of your choices. An open course where you may not control all events, but you do control your responses. Through Christ you can do all things!” PM

The Foul Ingredient of Fatalism

There are two types of fatalists; material

fatalist and spiritual fatalist.

The Foul Ingredient of Fatalism• Failure of Fatalism 1: Fatalism Disregards

our everyday conscious lives and choices.• Failure of Fatalism 2: Fatalism

Disassociates us from our actions; since we have no control we are made out to be no longer responsible for our behavior and sins.

• Failure of Fatalism 3: Fatalism Destroys hope since you can’t really change there is no point in trying.

The Foul Ingredient of Fatalism

Fatalists teach that man has no control

over his destiny.

Material Atheists- Sam Harris

Atheist Sigmund Freud declared man helpless in the face of biological urges.

Spiritual Fatalists

Astrology

Islam

Calvinism

Spiritual FatalistsThe Calvinist grossly distorts the Arminian view of God and fails to realize that free will is not our concentration; it is a consequence of our belief in the loving and good nature of God who we don’t believe creates people to hopelessly send to hell as Calvinists believe.

The Foul Ingredient of Fatalism

Fatalists – people who believe they are

powerless to change their own destiny affect others in their lifestyles

and beliefs.

The Foul Ingredient of Fatalism

Fatalism horribly dishonors God and

needs to be left out of the recipe for a

successful, joyful Christian life.

Part Two:The Poison of

Pessimism

The Poison of Pessimism

• “A pessimist encourages discouragement.” G.K. Chesterton.• “I came to the conclusion that the

optimist thought everything good except the pessimist, and that the pessimist thought everything bad, except himself.” G.K. Chesterton.

Pastor Mark’s Core Values

•“Faith is always positive (so be positive instead of negative) (Hebrews 11:1).

The Poison of Pessimism• Pessimism erodes, undermines and

poisons hope.• As a result, fatalists and pessimists are

often sarcastic and hyper critical – seen in Dawkins and many Calvinists.

• Pessimism is the sin of negativism that violates faith- Heb. 11:1.

• Pessimism poisons relationships, work, dreams, memories and the future leaving despair and a life of languish.

The Poison of Pessimism• One Result of the Poison of

Pessimism is a life of Languish• “Languish” intransitive verb: to be

or become feeble, weak, or enervated: to be or live in a state of depression or decreasing vitality: to become dispirited.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/languish

The Poison of Pessimism• Believers are sensitive to those

who are hurting, but we rise above the life of languish because through the Spirit of God we have the antidote for the poison of pessimism-

Hope.

Part Three:The Essential

Ingredient Called HOPE

The Essential Ingredient Called Hope

• Hope is one of the three greatest ingredients of life.

• I Cor. 13:13 these three… faith hope and love.

• Faith is the substance of things hoped for and hope is the energizing power that comes from God’s love’s giving us a free will to choose.

The Essential Ingredient Called Hope

Hope is a gift of God

Jeremiah 29:11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

• A future means life can be different from the past.

• A hope means a reason to believe and carry on.

• Hope is a gift from the God of love.

The Essential Ingredient Called Hope

Hope is born and sustained in the reality of a loving God

whose very nature of complete love gives birth to hope by

giving man the real power that comes with choice.

Joshua 24:15“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." NIV