OUR WORSHIP: How Hope is Sustained

“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.  And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.  Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. …So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.”  (Acts 2:41-43,46-47a)

There is no blessing God makes available that Satan will not try to steal.  Our gracious Lord bestows bountiful hope on His children, and the Wicked One sets out to drain away every last drop.  How is hope sustained?

All we must do is look at the first-century saints and see how they did it.  The church was birthed in a hostile climate, but there is no sense of gloom and doom detected in the second chapter of Acts—just the opposite.  There was joy and enthusiasm.  They met together in celebration. 

It would not be long until severe persecution would erupt—Peter and John would be locked up in prison.  The godly deacon, Stephen would be put to death, and the first of the Apostles to be martyred—James was beheaded.  Yet, no matter their circumstances, you find a people who were full of hope. 

Here’s why: they didn’t look around, they looked above.  That’s what worship does.  It realigns our focus—and when we do hope rises within as our hallelujahs rise up. 

We hear so much pessimism about the wickedness of the world and the weakness of the church.  That is undeniable.  But, to focus on that is a hope killer.  Instead, we are to gather for worship, and look up.  God is still on the throne, Jesus is still alive, the Holy Spirit is still at work, the church is still the bride of Christ, and the Gospel is still changing lives!  Is that not the ultimate reality?  None of that has been diminished by the deteriorating spiritual state of the world and decline of many a local church.  Indeed it cannot be, for God is eternally the same—and there’s hope!

That’s how Paul and Silas raised their hands in chains and their voices in a prison cell—full of hope (Acts 16:16-39)!  Their mission had met with great resistance, their backs were beaten to bloody ribbons, it was dark midnight in a dungeon, but they lift their hands, even as the chains rattle, dangling from their wrists, and sing their version of the Hallelujah Chorus!  Such hope shakes iron bars and liberates them.  It wasn’t some phony smile pasted on their face and an attempt at positive thinking.  Their problem was real; their pain was intense.  It was a choice of focus.  They worshipped.  Old Job did from a heap of the ashes of financial ruin and family loss—and so can we (Job 1:20-22). 

That is how hope is sustained—and that very hope then sustains us.