JOYCE:
ROMANS 4:18 THROUGH 21, "ABRAHAM, HUMAN REASON
FOR HOPE BEING GONE, HOPED ON IN FAITH." AND YOU KNOW WHAT HOPE IS? HOPE IS NOT LIKE
SOME NAMBY-PAMBY, "WELL, I HOPE SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENS." NO, HOPE IS AN EXPECTATION
THAT SOMETHING GOOD IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT
IN YOUR LIFE. AND GOD IS INVITING YOU TONIGHT
TO LIVE WITH THAT KIND OF EXPECTATION IN YOUR LIFE. "SOMETHING GOOD
IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME. SOMETHING GOOD IS GOING
TO HAPPEN THROUGH ME, AND IT MAY HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT." WHEN WE HAVE THAT KIND OF HOPE,
IT ALLOWS US TO LIVE WITH SOME ENTHUSIASM AND SOME EXCITEMENT. SO, "ALL REASON FOR HOPE BEING
GONE, ABRAHAM STILL HOPED ON IN FAITH THAT HE WOULD BECOME
THE FATHER OF MANY NATIONS AS IT HAD BEEN PROMISED TO HIM,
BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN TOLD, 'YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE
SO MANY THAT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COUNT THEM.'"
NUMBER ONE PROBLEM, HE DIDN'T HAVE A CHILD. HE DID NOT HAVE AN HEIR. "HE DID NOT WEAKEN IN FAITH
WHEN HE CONSIDERED THE UTTER IMPOTENCE OF HIS OWN BODY." ABRAHAM WAS
ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS OLD, AND THAT MEANS THAT HE
WAS NOT PHYSICALLY ABLE TO HAVE A CHILD,
NOR--LET ME START OVER. "HE DID NOT WEAKEN IN FAITH
WHEN HE CONSIDERED THE UTTER IMPOTENCE OF HIS OWN BODY,
WHICH WAS AS GOOD AS DEAD BECAUSE HE WAS
ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS OLD, OR WHEN HE CONSIDERED
THE BARRENNESS OF SARAH'S DEADENED WOMB." NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAUGHT
SOMETIMES, "WELL, JUST DON'T PAY ANY ATTENTION
TO YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES." I'M GOING TO TELL THE TRUTH,
THERE IS VERY FEW PEOPLE THAT HAVE GOT THAT MASTERED. YOU KNOW, IF YOU GOT
A CIRCUMSTANCE STARRING YOU IN THE FACE, IT'S KINDA HARD
TO NOT PAY ANY ATTENTION TO IT, AND I'M LIKE WHAT ABRAHAM DID,
HE TOOK A GOOD LOOK, AND HE BELIEVED THAT GOD WAS GREATER. COME ON. I THINK SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED
TO LOOK AT THE CIRCUMSTANCE, CALL IT WHAT IT IS, AND SAY,
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE. I DON'T CARE HOW UPSET YOU'VE
GOT MY EMOTIONS, THERE'S SOMETHING DEEPER GOING ON IN ME,
AND I BELIEVE GOD IS GOING TO COME THROUGH FOR ME."
