100:00:00,860 –> 00:00:03,340Earlier….200:00:03,720 –> 00:00:13,400The person who finds hope in God is the person who can say he is my God and he is my salvation.300:00:14,440 –> 00:00:22,760Now here’s the obvious question that follows. How then do you come into such a relationship with God400:00:22,760 –> 00:00:25,240in which you can say that he’s your God?500:00:25,920 –> 00:00:30,520Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick, glad you could join600:00:30,520 –> 00:00:31,520us today.700:00:31,520 –> 00:00:37,000And Colin, is there any bigger question than that? How can we find hope in a relationship800:00:37,000 –> 00:00:38,000with God?900:00:38,000 –> 00:00:43,700That’s the question and we are going to look at a marvellous verse in the New Testament1000:00:43,700 –> 00:00:50,560that states the answer wonderfully clearly and that is in Colossians 1, verse 27, where1100:00:50,560 –> 00:00:51,459we’re told1200:00:51,619 –> 00:00:55,560Christ in you the hope of glory.1300:00:56,040 –> 00:01:01,020Now we’re looking at hope. We’re trying to see how it’s found. We’ve seen that hope is1400:01:01,020 –> 00:01:06,720found in God but then the question is now how do we then draw near to him? And here’s1500:01:06,739 –> 00:01:13,820the answer Christ in you the hope of glory. You’re going to find hope in God it’s going1600:01:13,820 –> 00:01:20,279to be through Christ and his life and presence in you. This is a wonderful wonderful verse1700:01:20,339 –> 00:01:24,320of scripture and I hope and pray that it’s going to be renewing and strengthening1800:01:24,339 –> 00:01:27,379as we just soak ourselves in this wonderful truth today.1900:01:27,379 –> 00:01:33,660So let’s do just that as we begin a new message hope through Christ. Here is pastor Colin.2000:01:33,660 –> 00:01:40,180There are times in the Christian life when hope can seem a very long way off indeed.2100:01:40,180 –> 00:01:47,800Picture yourself standing at the bottom of Mount Hope. The climb is steep, and the path2200:01:47,820 –> 00:01:52,220rough and there are some people at the top of the mountain and they’re shouting down2300:01:52,220 –> 00:01:57,300to you at the bottom and they’re saying, oh it’s beautiful up here. Come up here and join2400:01:57,300 –> 00:02:03,059us. And you think oh I’d love to be at the top of Mount hope. But that’s such a long2500:02:03,059 –> 00:02:09,279way where they are is such a long way from where I am. And I don’t know if I can ever2600:02:09,279 –> 00:02:16,500get up there. So we began last week not at the top of the Mountain of Hope. We began2700:02:16,500 –> 00:02:22,160right at the bottom. Not with the breathtaking views of the top but with the challenge that2800:02:22,160 –> 00:02:29,839we feel when the Mountain of Hope lies in front of us. How do I grow in hope? How am2900:02:29,839 –> 00:02:37,600I going to climb this mountain? And especially when I feel dried out and downcast and in3000:02:37,600 –> 00:02:44,800turmoil? Now that’s where David was in Psalm 42 that we looked at last week. And we saw3100:02:44,800 –> 00:02:53,399that he found hope in God. Hope in God he said. For I shall again praise him my Saviour3200:02:53,399 –> 00:03:01,479and my God. No matter how low or discouraged you may feel there is hope for you and for3300:03:01,479 –> 00:03:09,419every person in God. Hope in who he is. Hope in what he has done. And hope in what he will3400:03:09,660 –> 00:03:16,979do. And we looked last time at some strategies for growing in hope. The first was to speak3500:03:16,979 –> 00:03:23,479honestly to God. That’s what David did in the Psalm 42. We saw that you don’t need to3600:03:23,479 –> 00:03:30,860feel close to God in order to speak to him. You can tell God exactly what you feel. And3700:03:30,860 –> 00:03:36,419you can do this with complete confidence because there is nothing that you can tell him that3800:03:36,419 –> 00:03:43,580is beyond his understanding. His understanding, the Bible says, no one can fathom. And then3900:03:43,580 –> 00:03:49,460we saw that if you want to grow in hope you should not only speak to God, but you need4000:03:49,460 –> 00:03:57,160to challenge yourself. David said in Psalm 42, why are you cast down, oh my soul. Why4100:03:57,160 –> 00:04:04,339are you in turmoil within me, hope in God. In other words, we saw David takes himself4200:04:05,080 –> 00:04:11,300He gives himself a really good talking to. He challenges his worst thoughts and his fears,4300:04:11,300 –> 00:04:16,380He doesn’t let them dictate to him, and he does this, he challenges his worst thoughts4400:04:16,380 –> 00:04:23,079and fears by affirming what he knows to be true. What he knows to be true is that God4500:04:23,079 –> 00:04:34,140is the living God. God loves, his steadfast love never ceases. That he’s my God. That4600:04:34,140 –> 00:04:42,160he’s my salvation. And that he is my rock. Hope in God, because I shall again praise4700:04:42,160 –> 00:04:50,339him my salvation and my God. Now that’s where we ended last week and that’s what I want4800:04:50,459 –> 00:04:57,459us to take it up today. The person who finds hope in God is the person who can say he is4900:04:58,239 –> 00:05:05,239my God and he is my salvation. Now here’s the obvious question that follows. How then5000:05:08,119 –> 00:05:15,059do you come into such a relationship with God in which you can say that he’s your God?5100:05:15,059 –> 00:05:20,040That he’s your rock? That he’s your hope? That he’s your salvation.5200:05:20,880 –> 00:05:26,640The answer to that question, how do I come into such a relationship with God? Is through5300:05:26,640 –> 00:05:33,100Jesus Christ. So here we come to the second stage of our journey.5400:05:33,100 –> 00:05:42,100Hope comes from God and it comes through Jesus Christ. We see this very clearly in the marvelous5500:05:42,859 –> 00:05:49,339verse that is before us today. It’s from Colossians chapter one and verse twenty seven where Paul5600:05:49,339 –> 00:05:56,339speaks about the riches of the glory of this mystery which is Christ in you the hope of5700:05:59,320 –> 00:06:05,320glory. I think this is the most marvelous verse on hope in all of the Bible. It’s one5800:06:05,440 –> 00:06:12,440we can all learn and take to heart, Christ in you the hope of glory. Now there are two5900:06:15,160 –> 00:06:20,019parts to this verse very obviously, and so let’s look at them in order together. Let’s6000:06:20,019 –> 00:06:27,019begin with Christ in you. This reminds us that Christianity at its heart is a relationship6100:06:27,059 –> 00:06:34,059with a living person. You share your life with this person, and this person shares his6200:06:37,739 –> 00:06:43,459life with you. To be a Christian in other words is more than believing a creed, to be6300:06:43,459 –> 00:06:50,459a Christian is more than pursuing the ethic of a good life. It is a relationship of love6400:06:51,079 –> 00:06:58,079and trust with a living person, Jesus Christ. Remember that Jesus was given the name Emanuel6500:07:01,859 –> 00:07:08,859when he was born, which means God with us. In other words, God came into the world in6600:07:09,339 –> 00:07:16,339and through the person of Jesus Christ. God has reached out to us in Jesus. So if you6700:07:16,779 –> 00:07:23,779want to find hope in God, well then you must come to Jesus, and when you do, you will find6800:07:26,299 –> 00:07:33,299hope in Him. A Christian, then, is a person who is defined by his or her relationship6900:07:36,299 –> 00:07:42,700with Jesus Christ. A Christian is someone who comes to believe in Jesus, a person who7000:07:43,700 –> 00:07:50,700comes in faith to Jesus, and a person who therefore receives from Jesus. It’s personal.7100:07:53,700 –> 00:08:00,700C. H. Spurgeon gives an illustration of a man who heard about a doctor who had specialised7200:08:01,700 –> 00:08:08,700in treating the condition from which the man suffered. The doctor was in another city,7300:08:08,700 –> 00:08:14,700but the man decided that it was his best hope to be treated by this doctor, and he thought7400:08:15,700 –> 00:08:20,700therefore it was well worth the journey to go and to see this doctor, even though it7500:08:20,700 –> 00:08:26,700involved a journey of many, many miles. Well, when the man arrived in the doctor’s office,7600:08:27,700 –> 00:08:30,700the receptionist said to him, you know, I’m very sorry, but the doctor’s not in,7700:08:31,700 –> 00:08:36,700but you can see his assistant. No, said the man. I am not interested in7800:08:36,700 –> 00:08:44,700seeing any assistant. I want to see the doctor himself. Well, the receptionist7900:08:44,700 –> 00:08:48,700wanted to be helpful. So she said, Uh, well, you know, the doctor isn’t here,8000:08:48,700 –> 00:08:53,700but you know, we have all of his books. No, said the man, I certainly didn’t come8100:08:53,700 –> 00:08:59,700here to read books. I want to see the doctor. Well, the receptionist thought8200:08:59,700 –> 00:09:04,700she would try again. Well, you know, we have all the medicines here that are8300:09:04,700 –> 00:09:09,700used by the doctor. No, said the man I didn’t come here to study medicines,8400:09:09,700 –> 00:09:15,700I want to see the doctor. The receptionist thought she would give it just8500:09:15,700 –> 00:09:23,700one more try. Look, she said, there’s a man in the waiting room who had the same8600:09:23,700 –> 00:09:29,700condition as you and he’s been wonderfully cured by the doctor. Now,8700:09:29,700 –> 00:09:34,700you know, you can talk to him and he will tell you his story. Well,8800:09:34,700 –> 00:09:37,700by this time, the man was nearly pulling his hair out. No, he said,8900:09:37,700 –> 00:09:41,700I don’t want to hear about another, how another man was cured.9000:09:41,700 –> 00:09:47,700I want to see the doctor and I will not settle for anything else.9100:09:47,700 –> 00:09:52,700And Spurgeon telling that story then said, imitate that man.9200:09:52,700 –> 00:09:56,700Imitate that man. Don’t settle, dear friend,9300:09:56,700 –> 00:09:59,700for knowing that other people have hope in Jesus.9400:09:59,700 –> 00:10:04,700Don’t settle for knowing what the Bible says about how you can find hope.9500:10:04,700 –> 00:10:10,700Don’t settle for knowing about Jesus.9600:10:10,700 –> 00:10:14,700Or even believing that hope is possible for you.9700:10:14,700 –> 00:10:17,700Jesus said, come to me, come to me.9800:10:18,700 –> 00:10:20,700It is very personal.9900:10:28,700 –> 00:10:32,700The Lord Jesus Christ, to keep the analogy, is the Great Physician10000:10:32,700 –> 00:10:35,700and there is hope for you in Him.10100:10:35,700 –> 00:10:39,700So seek Him. Seek Him in prayer.10200:10:39,700 –> 00:10:45,700Seek Him in His Word and don’t settle for anything less10300:10:45,700 –> 00:10:49,700than finding Him.10400:11:45,700 –> 00:11:53,659you.’ So we said that a Christian is a person who is defined by his or her relationship10500:11:53,659 –> 00:12:00,140with Jesus Christ, and this verse actually tells us what that relationship looks like.10600:12:00,140 –> 00:12:10,619Here’s what it is. Christ in you! Now you know, if you take the word Christian and knock10700:12:11,000 –> 00:12:21,719the letter A, what you have left is the name Christ and the letters I and N. That might10800:12:21,719 –> 00:12:30,500be a helpful way for you to remember what a Christian is. Christ in. A Christian is10900:12:30,500 –> 00:12:39,760a person who has Christ dwelling within. And this is what the Bible speaks about and describes11000:12:40,140 –> 00:12:47,140to us repeatedly. So Jesus said in John chapter 15, abide in me and I in you. He says I’m11100:12:49,640 –> 00:12:56,640going to abide or live in you. Whoever abides in me, Jesus says, and I in him. He it is11200:12:57,979 –> 00:13:03,900that will bear much fruit. The Apostle Paul said in Galatians and chapter 2 in verse11300:13:04,000 –> 00:13:09,00020 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in11400:13:13,140 –> 00:13:18,140me. And here we have it stated most clearly of all. In Colossians chapter 1 and verse11500:13:20,559 –> 00:13:25,55927 where Paul speaks about the riches of the glory of this mystery which is Christ in you.11600:13:25,960 –> 00:13:30,960Now, we know from the Bible that when Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended into heaven11700:13:39,000 –> 00:13:44,000and right now He is seated at the right hand of the Father where He is interceding for11800:13:45,900 –> 00:13:51,099us. So, if Jesus is at the right hand of the Father how can He be present for us?11900:13:55,659 –> 00:13:59,500How can He be present 24-7 with each and every one of us?12000:14:03,659 –> 00:14:06,659And the answer to that question is through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 14 I will ask the Father and He will give you another helper to be with you forever even the spirit of truth.12100:14:20,820 –> 00:14:24,020Jesus said you know Him for He dwells within you.12200:14:25,619 –> 00:14:28,099He that can be with you, and be in you.12300:14:30,559 –> 00:14:36,400Now, notice that in this very important verse Jesus speaks about the spirit of truth.12400:14:39,140 –> 00:14:48,080The Holy Spirit also referred to in other places in the Bible as the spirit of God, the spirit of Christ, or the Spirit of Jesus.12500:14:51,700 –> 00:14:54,260The Holy Spirit is the spirit of Jesus.12600:14:56,299 –> 00:15:01,340So where the Holy Spirit is, Jesus is.12700:15:02,840 –> 00:15:14,159And, the promise of Jesus to all of His disciples is that the Holy Spirit will be with you, and in you.12800:15:15,539 –> 00:15:18,840Now, these two phrases are of great importance.12900:15:19,679 –> 00:15:23,659The words with you preserve a distinction.13000:15:24,260 –> 00:15:27,719There’s the Holy Spirit and there’s you.13100:15:28,340 –> 00:15:36,299The Holy Spirit is with you, but you are not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not you, so don’t get the two confused.13200:15:36,299 –> 00:15:38,179He is with you.13300:15:39,840 –> 00:15:52,780Confusing oneself with the Holy Spirit is actually at the root of a great deal of fanaticism, authoritarianism, and self-deception.13400:15:54,520 –> 00:16:05,179You may even have met someone who has lost sight of the distinction between him or herself and the Holy Spirit.13500:16:05,179 –> 00:16:15,840And one of the ways that you know that a person has lost sight of that distinction is that they begin to speak as if everything they say is what God himself says.13600:16:15,840 –> 00:16:19,039And of course, you cannot reason with such a person.13700:16:19,359 –> 00:16:27,380That’s why I say it’s the root of so much fanaticism, authoritarianism, and self-deception.13800:16:27,380 –> 00:16:29,460So this is very important.13900:16:29,460 –> 00:16:35,059The Holy Spirit, Jesus says, will be with you.14000:16:35,059 –> 00:16:37,280That preserves a distinction.14100:16:37,280 –> 00:16:38,979You are not the Holy Spirit.14200:16:38,979 –> 00:16:40,979The Holy Spirit is not you.14300:16:40,979 –> 00:16:43,520And of course, that is why it is possible,14400:16:44,320 –> 00:16:52,580for a person who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God still at times to speak or act in a14500:16:52,580 –> 00:16:57,619way that is foolish or even sinful.14600:16:57,619 –> 00:17:05,079But then Jesus says the Holy Spirit will be in you, in you.14700:17:05,079 –> 00:17:12,380In other words, the Holy Spirit will actually be present and active in the life of every14800:17:12,380 –> 00:17:17,500believer in Jesus, every one of Jesus’ disciples.14900:17:17,500 –> 00:17:23,099It’s not just that the Holy Spirit is with you, wonderful though that is, when you trust15000:17:23,099 –> 00:17:28,699yourself to Jesus the Holy Spirit comes to dwell—that’s the word Jesus uses, to15100:17:28,699 –> 00:17:32,180live in you, in you.15200:17:32,180 –> 00:17:33,339Now what’s the difference?15300:17:33,339 –> 00:17:35,699Well, the difference is very significant.15400:17:35,699 –> 00:17:41,819This means that the Holy Spirit is more than a mentor, more than someone who walks with15500:17:41,819 –> 00:17:49,819you and simply tells you what to do, now the Holy Spirit actually works in you, renewing15600:17:49,819 –> 00:17:58,300your mind, changing you from the inside out, moulding and shaping and directing your will,15700:17:58,300 –> 00:18:03,479giving you strength that you did not have before and would not have otherwise, producing15800:18:03,479 –> 00:18:10,880within you the good fruit of faith, hope, and love.15900:18:11,719 –> 00:18:18,780And you see, that is why there is hope for every person in Jesus Christ.16000:18:19,180 –> 00:18:24,400You may be standing at the bottom of Mount Hope as it were and saying, you know what,16100:18:24,420 –> 00:18:36,260I don’t think I have the ability to live this Christian life and you know what, that’s true.16200:18:37,239 –> 00:18:45,380But when Christ lives in you, when he is present and active in and through his Holy Spirit,16300:18:45,380 –> 00:18:52,619he will give you an ability that you did not have before and that you would not have otherwise.16400:18:53,119 –> 00:18:59,260So, here is a wonderful, wonderful prospect and promise.16500:18:59,739 –> 00:19:07,420When you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, his Spirit will not only be with you but in you.16600:19:07,420 –> 00:19:15,219He will produce a new life in you that you did not have before.16700:19:16,420 –> 00:19:19,719Christ in you.16800:19:21,420 –> 00:19:22,619That’s the hope of glory.16900:19:23,579 –> 00:19:28,420And you see, when you grasp the first half of this marvelous verse,17000:19:29,560 –> 00:19:37,500well, then you will being to experience the second, Christ in you, the hope of glory.17100:19:39,599 –> 00:19:44,319Now let’s think first then about this marvelous word, glory,17200:19:44,319 –> 00:19:51,219and Jesus gave this marvelous prayer to the Father, made this marvelous prayer17300:19:51,219 –> 00:19:54,300to the Father on the night that he was betrayed.17400:19:55,060 –> 00:19:58,920And it’s a prayer not only for his disciples then, but also for us.17500:20:00,160 –> 00:20:07,739John 17 in verse 24, Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me17600:20:08,640 –> 00:20:17,900may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me.17700:20:19,500 –> 00:20:22,160Jesus wants you to be with him.17800:20:23,540 –> 00:20:28,000Jesus wants you to see his glory.17900:20:29,619 –> 00:20:35,979Will this be a seeing with our eyes, or will it be an understanding with our minds18000:20:35,979 –> 00:20:37,060and our hearts.18100:20:37,900 –> 00:20:40,099The answer to that is both.18200:20:41,500 –> 00:20:51,180Thomas Mantin, a marvelous Puritan writer says that there is a glorified I as well as18300:20:51,180 –> 00:20:52,939a glorified mind.18400:20:53,739 –> 00:20:54,339I love that.18500:20:56,339 –> 00:20:58,540You will have a glorified I.18600:20:59,500 –> 00:21:07,260In other words, your eyes in the resurrection body will be able18700:21:07,260 –> 00:21:13,099to behold the brightness of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.18800:21:14,380 –> 00:21:20,300Think about it, if you were to see that glory now, it would be as blinding to you as it was18900:21:20,300 –> 00:21:22,540to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus.19000:21:22,540 –> 00:21:33,819But in your resurrection body, you will have the capacity to see the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.19100:21:52,540 –> 00:21:56,939We’ll put each message up on the internet that’s at our website, openthebible.org.uk19200:21:58,219 –> 00:22:00,699and also on all the main podcast sites. So,19300:22:00,699 –> 00:22:05,099if you ever miss a broadcast you can easily catch up or go back and listen again.19400:22:05,900 –> 00:22:11,500In my family we enjoy hiking and it would be great to go on a hike with you Colin.19500:22:11,500 –> 00:22:15,979Listeners have an opportunity to do that with the Hike Through the Bible podcast!19600:22:15,979 –> 00:22:22,060Yes, I am inviting you to join me on a hike through the Bible and it is going to be a gentle19700:22:22,060 –> 00:22:28,619easy pace of a hike. Each week, you’ll read a chapter of the Bible and a chapter of my19800:22:28,619 –> 00:22:35,020book Hike Through the Bible, and in one year you’ll have read 50 chapters of the Bible.19900:22:35,020 –> 00:22:39,180You’ll have grasped the big picture of the Bible’s story and most of all,20000:22:39,180 –> 00:22:42,619you’ll have grown in your love for Jesus Christ.20100:22:42,619 –> 00:22:47,500Now, there’s a Hike Through the Bible podcast to help you on this journey.20200:22:47,660 –> 00:22:50,619In each episode I read a chapter of the book20300:22:50,619 –> 00:22:54,540and then discuss it with some friends. So get started now!20400:22:54,540 –> 00:22:57,579You can subscribe to Hike Through the Bible podcast20500:22:57,579 –> 00:23:02,780wherever you get your podcasts, and you can find out more information on OpenTheBible.org.uk20600:23:02,780 –> 00:23:10,380Open the Bible is supported by our listeners, we’re able to bring you Pastor Colin’s teaching20700:23:10,380 –> 00:23:16,459on the radio, internet, and podcasts as a result of the generosity of listeners like you,20800:23:16,459 –> 00:23:21,339so if you already give to support our work, thank you so much, we do appreciate it.20900:23:22,219 –> 00:23:25,660This month when you begin to support Open the Bible for the first time,21000:23:25,660 –> 00:23:30,300we’d love to say thank you by sending you a copy of Pastor Colin’s brand-new book,21100:23:30,300 –> 00:23:37,339Grow in Faith. This devotional book is not yet available in the UK, so our offer is very exclusive.21200:23:37,739 –> 00:23:40,060Colin, who is this book for?21300:23:40,060 –> 00:23:45,660Well, it’s for everyone who wants to grow in their faith, and hopefully that’s every Christian believer!21400:23:45,660 –> 00:23:51,979You know, the disciples at one point said to Jesus, Lord, increase our faith, and they’d21500:23:51,979 –> 00:23:57,020been following Jesus for some time when they said it! They’d left everything in order to21600:23:57,020 –> 00:24:03,260follow him, but they came to a place at one point where they realized we’re going to need21700:24:03,260 –> 00:24:07,900to grow in faith, and I think every Christian comes to a place like that. You21800:24:07,900 –> 00:24:12,780know, I’ve been trusting Jesus for some time, but now I’m facing circumstances where I’m21900:24:12,859 –> 00:24:21,260really going to have to trust him. Lord, increase my faith. So this 30-day devotional book is22000:24:21,260 –> 00:24:27,979designed to help and encourage growing in faith. I have loved working on this,22100:24:27,979 –> 00:24:31,339and I’m very excited about the opportunity of sharing it with you.22200:24:31,979 –> 00:24:37,099Well, Pastor Colin’s book, Grow In Faith, is our special offer to you this month when you22300:24:37,099 –> 00:24:42,699support open the Bible Financially for the first time with a one-off gift of £60 or more22400:24:43,420 –> 00:24:50,380a monthly direct debit of £5 per month or more. Full terms and conditions are on our website22500:24:50,380 –> 00:24:57,339that’s at openthebible.org.uk and you can give online. Please do remember to leave your full22600:24:57,339 –> 00:25:03,579name and address when you set up your payment, so we can send you your free gift. For Open The Bible22700:25:03,579 –> 00:25:09,339I’m pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pigg and I look forward to you joining us again next time on Open22800:25:09,339 –> 00:25:23,819the Bible… As Christians we live in an in-between time there is an already which we enjoy now and22900:25:23,819 –> 00:25:29,660there is a not yet which we’re waiting for, find out more next time on Open the Bible.