Hope is a vision for better days that changes us in the present. This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him: “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. And his name will be the hope of all the world.” Matthew 12:18-21 (NLT) And His name will be the HOPE of all the world! Whose name? ! “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as prophet to the nations” Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV) "They dress the wounds of my people as though they were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace" Jeremiah 6:14 (NIV) “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.” Jeremiah 33:14 (NIV) Three Characteristics about Hope 1. Hope is about a . The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3 (NLT) For he remembered his sacred promise to his servant Abraham. Psalm 105:42 (NLT) God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? Numbers 23:19 (ESV) Three Characteristics about Hope 2. Hope is about a . “In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.” Jeremiah 33:15 (NIV) Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah. Matthew 1:16 (NLT) As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Matthew 1:20-23 (NLT) Three Characteristics about Hope 3. Hope changes us in the . When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. Matthew 1:24 (NLT) “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” John 14:1-3 (NLT) I SURRENDERED MY LIFE TO CHRIST TODAY! If you decided to follow Jesus as a result of today's message, we would love to connect with you, talk about what just happened, and put some great resources in your hand to help you grow in your relationship with Christ! Simply click the link below to get started! https://bit.ly/IwanttofollowJesus I WANT TO BE WATER BAPTIZED! The Bible teaches that baptism is the first step of obedience after making a commitment to Jesus. Baptism allows a believer to communicate to the world their new commitment to Christ. At Painesville Assembly, we encourage believers to be baptized in water. We do this because: Jesus, as the Son of God, set a great example for us to follow when he was personally baptized (Matthew 3.16), Jesus commanded us to be baptized (Matthew 28.19), Water baptism symbolizes the brand new life that Jesus gives (Romans 6.4). Click the link below to go public with your faith! https://bit.ly/Iwanttobebaptized