AVBC - “Giving Hope” (“A Thankful & Giving Thanksgiving” - Sermon Series: Part 3 of 4) – Luke 15:3-7, 1 Peter 1:3-4

 Sunday 11/16/25 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “Giving Hope” (“A Thankful & Giving Thanksgiving” - Sermon Series: Part 3 of 4) – Luke 15:3-7, 1 Peter 1:3-4

 

          For the last two weeks, we have been walking together though our four-week sermon series called “A Thankful and Giving Thanksgiving.” In this month of Thanksgiving, and in general, we are called to be thankful, giving, and to have a spirit of gratitude. So far in this sermon series we have discussed, “Receiving Thankfulness,” and last Sunday we discussed “Giving Away.” In this month of Thanksgiving, and in general, are we allowing others to love and give to us? Further, are we giving to and loving others with our time, our talent, and our treasure? We can be generous, and we can “Receive Thankfulness?”

          This morning though, I want to talk about what I believe is the hardest of all types of giving. Yet, depending on the circumstance, it might also be the easiest one of all. This type of giving can cause us to be out of our comfort zone and stretch spiritually. Today’s message is called “Giving Hope.” Here is a question for us all to consider here this morning, have you ever done something for someone else, for a church, and or an organization, and in response you were told that the recipient or recipients felt hopeful as a result of what you did? Sometimes we might see a change in a person, in a church, in an organization, all because of something that God called us to do or give. I would argue that when through the love of Jesus Christ, when we give to others, it can give many a sense of hope. This is one of the most powerful things we can do as a Christian. Jesus gave hope everywhere He went, and lives were radically transformed, as a result. When we feel hope through Jesus Christ, that is a powerful way to be spiritually changed.

          For example, if you pick up the phone later today and call someone that you have not called in days, weeks, or even years, just to encourage and love them, how would that impact the other person? When you hang up the phone that person might be filled with so much hope all because you said yes to Jesus, yes to “Giving Hope.” Of all the human emotions that exist, I believe that none is more powerful than hope. Jesus Christ, our risen Lord is the very source of salvation, love, peace, mercy, and joy, and yes hope. Jesus so often looked at the world He was in and saw in some people hopelessness. How in this month of Thanksgiving and in general, can Jesus use us to bring and “give hope,” to others? It can be amazing sometimes that something very little can bring so much hope.

          To even further explain how much Jesus brought others hope and still brings us hope today, let us look at our scripture from Luke 15:3-7 for this morning. In this parable or story, Jesus tells us what happens when one of us goes astray, loses there way, or gets lost. You see brothers and sisters, the church is not just who is in this building, but we have folks that are part of this church who are homebound, in nursing care, etc. All of us matter, and all of us need to know that we are loved by Jesus and each other. Given this, imagine what Jesus can use us to do. In Luke 15:3-7 for this morning, this is once again what the story or “The Parable of the Lost Sheep” says:

³ So he told them this parable: ⁴ ‘Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? ⁵ When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” ⁷ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance             (Luke 15:3-7, NRSV).

          If Jesus will break free of His whole flock, of His whole church, us, to pursue the one who is lost, outcast, and or forgotten, what does this tell us about the love of Jesus Christ? If we are called to be like Jesus, then are we willing to do the same? If we love people and serve people in such a way that it offers them hope, joy, and a renewed sense of faith, you will see an Adams Village Baptist Church alive, moving, and growing in a powerful way that we have not seen in a long time. As I have heard the quote said of someone God used to give others hope, “After what you have done for me, there is nothing I won’t do for you.” When we give hope to others, through Jesus Christ, it can radically change someone from the inside out. For example, if you have been to a funeral or a celebration of life that was standing room only, my guess is that it was for a person that God used to “Give Hope” to many.

          One of my favorite Christian songs by Ray Boltz is called, “Thank You.” In this song, Ray Boltz sings, “Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am so glad that you gave” In this song “Thank You,” by Ray Boltz, a person dies and goes to heaven, and when the person enters heaven countless people approach that person and thank them for “giving to Lord,” for offering the love, care, kindness, and hope of Jesus Christ.

          In some countries on earth, our Christian faith is illegal or highly restricted. Yet, if you have incredible hope in Jesus Christ, then that hope goes beyond the fear of the persecution that you might face. Hope is powerful, and Jesus came among other things, to give us hope. Did Jesus go to people sometimes that society rejected, and who were told that they were of no value? Sure, he did, and the hope that he gave them changed them forever.

          An interesting aspect of the story or “The Parable of the Lost Sheep,” is that Jesus talks about laying the lost sheep on His shoulders. There are statues and pictures that you buy with Jesus or a shepherd with a lamb on there shoulders. A myth that has circulated for a long time is that sometimes the shepherd would break the leg of lamb, so that it would not run off again. While it was healing, and being carried on the shepherd’s shoulders it would learn the voice of the shepherd. As a result, when the lamb was then a full-grown sheep became lost, it could hear the voice of the shepherd and find its way back. While a myth, it is compelling myth about the length that Christ will go for us. When the lost are found, there is rejoicing. When someone who does know Jesus repents of their sin, and comes to Him, Jesus said in Luke 15:7, once again:

          ⁷ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance             (Luke 15:7, NRSV).

 

Whatever we have done, no matter how far we have fallen, Jesus will always forgive us.

In our reading from 1 Peter 1:3-4 for this morning, we hear once again:

A Living Hope

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (1 Pet. 1:3-4, NRSV).

 

          We are offered grace, hope, love, and mercy though Jesus Christ, and God can use each and every one of us to “Give Hope” to others. Maybe someone here has given you hope, and maybe you have given someone here hope, as well. Further, have we ever been offered hope, and been completely oblivious to it? You see, sometimes when we pray to God, we ask Jesus for hope, that hope is given to us through another person. Sometimes the miracle that we pray for, or the hope we seek is offered by God putting someone in our path or God working through someone else.

          Here is a story where someone prayed to God for help, and they did not understand that the help, the hope they wanted, was not coming from God directly. Instead, the hope and the help that they prayed for came from people that God sent to help them. This story has different names, but this story or parable is called “The Drowning Man.” Here is how it goes:

The Drowning Man

A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help.

Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, “Jump in, I can save you.”

 

The stranded fellow shouted back, “No, it’s OK, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me.” So the rowboat went on.

 

Then a motorboat came by. “The fellow in the motorboat shouted, “Jump in, I can save you.” To this the stranded man said, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith. So the motorboat went on.

 

Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, “Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety.” To this the stranded man again replied, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.”

So the helicopter reluctantly flew away.

 

Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, “I had faith in you but you didn’t save me, you let me drown. I don’t understand why!”

 

To this God replied, “I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?” (https://truthbook.com/stories/funny-stories/popular-stories/the-drowning-man/)

          What if you are the man in the rowboat? Will the person you talk with today, know that you carry the hope of Christ with you? What if you are the person in the motorboat, will the person you reach out to today, know that you carry the hope of Christ with you? What if you are the pilot of the helicopter, will the person you encounter today know that you carry the hope of Christ with you? In addition, what if someone comes to you today in a rowboat, or a motorboat, or a helicopter, will you recognize that they might in fact be bringing you the hope of Jesus Christ to you?

          When it comes to giving the hope of Christ, there are so many examples, and so many stories of how to do this. One of my favorite stories though, is a true story. Melissa and I love to watch movies sometimes with some of our free time. This story that I am going to tell you is depicted in a movie. This movie is called “Hacksaw Ridge.” In this movie that takes place in the era of World War II, the real-life character Desmond Doss, played by actor Andrew Garfield, enlists in the US Army. Desmond Doss enlists in the US Army following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Desmond Doss was a conscientious objector though, and as such, he refused to carry a gun or fight. Doss was a Seventh Day Adventist Christian, and he became a Combat Medic during his time in the US Army in World War II. His father also fought in World War I and had PTSD as a result.

          As you can imagine, Combat Medic Desmond Doss had a rough go of it in not being willing to fire a gun or fight. Some thought him a coward, but he enlisted to serve others. He did not enlist to fight, but only to serve and help others.         

          Combat Medic Doss was deployed to the Pacific theater of the war to fight against the Imperial Army of the Japanese Empire. In the movie, Doss and his fellow soldiers in 77^th US Army Infantry Division are assigned to fight in the Battle of Okinawa. I am sure that these soldiers fought in other places, as well, but the movie only covers this battle. During the Battle of Okinawa, Doss's unit is informed that it will relieve the US Army 96th Infantry Division, which was tasked with ascending by cargo net and securing the Maeda Escarpment ("Hacksaw Ridge") (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacksaw_Ridge). This of course is the reason that this movie is called “Hacksaw Ridge.”

          As the story goes, the Japanese attacked and the 77^th Infantry ended up falling back from Hacksaw Ridge in retreat, as all the soldiers climbed back down the cargo net. Yet there were many that were still injured up top on “Hacksaw Ridge” in Okinawa. For hours and all night long, Combat Medic Desmond Doss pulled dozens of wounded American soldiers off the field of battle and lowered them down the cliff, down Hacksaw Ridge to safety with ropes. In the movie, and in real life, Doss prayed as he rescued these wounded soldiers and said, “Lord let me save just one more.” After saving another wounded soldier and lowering them down the ridge with ropes, Doss again would pray, “Lord let me save just one more.”

The next day, the 77^th Infantry was ordered to go back up Hacksaw Ridge and to take it back, but the 77^th did not move. In anger, the commanding officer giving this command to the 77^th asks the captain of 77^th why they have not moved. The captain explained to his commanding officer that they had not moved because Corporal Doss had not yet finished praying for the 77^th. When Doss said amen, then the 77th went back up the cargo net to cliff.

          Not only is the movie “Hacksaw Ridge” based on the real life events of Army Corporal and Combat Medic Desmond Doss, but Doss was also awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman for rescuing, wait for it, 75 soldiers at Hacksaw Ridge. Seventy-Five soldiers! He died on March 23, 2006, at the age of 87. Doss risked his life all night long, under fire, to rescue wounded soldiers. Not only have seen and read some of the accounts of the men Doss saved, but I can guarantee to you that through Jesus Christ, the men were change and offered hope through Desmond Doss. Why? They were offered hope because Desmond Doss said yes to Jesus. He was willing to bring the rowboat, the motorboat, and the helicopter.

          Desmond Doss was not in the war to achieve glory, to move up in rank and power. Desmond Doss enlisted in the US Army after the Pearl Harbor Attack I believe to serve Christ and to “Give the Hope of Christ” to his fellow soldiers. With no gun, as a conscious objector, and doing this all night long up on Hacksaw Ridge, Desmond Doss rescued 75 soldiers who likely would have died. Of the many heroes that I have, Desmond Doss is one of those heroes, not because he refused to fight, but because was like Christ in middle of war.

          How then can we take the idea of “Giving Hope” in Christ with us today, and throughout the week? How can we better live and share hope today, tomorrow, and in general? Here are some life application points for today’s message.

Cultivating personal hope:

• Pray and worship: Engage in prayer, especially in difficult times, and choose to praise God to shift feelings of hopelessness.
• Engage with scripture: Read, memorize, and meditate on Bible verses that offer encouragement and hope, such as promises of eternal life and God's faithfulness.
• Connect with others: Join with fellow believers, choose uplifting companions, and reach out to a friend when you feel isolated.
• Practice thankfulness: Count your blessings to shift your perspective and focus on the good in your life. 

Sharing hope with others:

• Point to Christ: Remind others of the hope found in Christ's redemptive work, including freedom from sin and guilt, and the promise of eternal life.
• Offer practical help: Show love generously through actions like inviting neighbors for a meal, helping with yard work, or providing gifts to those in need.
• Be present: Offer gentle support, assure people you care, and walk with them through their struggles.
• Share from experience: Share how you have found hope and the ways God has been faithful in your own life.

As Christians, as believers, we are called to “Give Hope” to others. Are willing to allow Jesus to use us, so that others might have hope and transformation in Christ. Will we be attentive to the people in the row boats, the motorboats, and the helicopters trying to off us the hope of Christ too. We will recognize those people Christ sends us in rowboats, motorboats, and helicopters. We are called “give hope,” and it is one the hardest and easiest things that Jesus has called us to do. Amen.