Whispering Hope

1. Whispering Hope “Soft as the voice of an angel, Breathing a lesson unheard, Hope, with a gentle persuasion, Whispers her comforting word. Wait till the darkness is over, Wait till the tempest is done, Hope for the sunshine tomorrow, After the shower is gone. If, in the dusk of the twilight, Dim be the regions afar, Will not the deepening darkness Brighten each glimmering star? Then when the night is upon us, Why should the heart sink away? When the dark midnight is over, Watch for the breaking of day.” Text: Heb. 6:17-20 Scripture Reading: Rom. 12:9-13

2. Heb. 6:17-20 17. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, 18. so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 19. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20. where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. • “Hope” defined: • G1680 elpis [el-pece']: To anticipate, usually with pleasure; expectation (abstract or concrete) or confidence: faith, hope. • Hope is more than desire and expectation. We may not always desire an expected outcome! • Hope is desire mingled with expectation. You look forward to having and fully anticipate receiving! Intro Whispering Hope

3. Septimus Winner (1827-1902): • “Whispering Hope” (1868) • An American songwriter of the 19th century, as well as a teacher, performer, and music publisher (ran a music store). • A poet, violinist and songwriter who wrote or edited over 200 volumes of music for more than 20 instruments, produced 2,000 arrangements for violin and piano. • He used his own name, and also the pseudonyms Alice Hawthorne, Percy Guyer, Mark Mason, Apsley Street, and Paul Stenton when writing music. • He used his mother's maiden name (Hawthorne) for composing the kinds of popular, sentimental ditties that were often identified with women musicians of that day. • “Whispering Hope” was published in 1868 with both the text and the tune composed under the pseudonym of “Alice Hawthorne” – not intended to be a religious hymn. Intro Hope in God’s promises is what gives us strength to face life’s challenges!! Whispering Hope

4. “Soft as the voice of an angel, Breathing a lesson unheard, Hope, with a gentle persuasion, Whispers her comforting word. Wait till the darkness is over, Wait till the tempest is done, Hope for the sunshine tomorrow, After the shower is gone.” II Thess. 2:16: Hope comes from God! Rom. 5:1-5: Hope whispers a comforting word – 15:13 Gal. 5:5: Comfort for the future makes it possible to wait for the sunshine tomorrow! Hope is a Source of Comfort Ps. 30:5 5. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. Hope of Heaven through Christ gives us comfort during the rough times of life! Whispering Hope

5. “If, in the dusk of the twilight, Dim be the regions afar, Will not the deepening darkness Brighten each glimmering star? Then when the night is upon us, Why should the heart sink away? When the dark midnight is over, Watch for the breaking of day.” (Ps. 30:5) I Cor. 13:13: Despite the trials of life, hope abides! (Rom. 8:24-25; II Pet. 3:10-12; II Cor. 5:1-5; Jn. 1:1-5) Rom. 12:9-13: Despite life’s darkness, we can still rejoice in hope and persevere through tribulations! Rom. 12:12 (Ps. 30:5; II Cor. 5:10; Heb. 2:14-15) 12. rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, Hope is a Source of Light in Darkness Col. 1:5: Hope points us to a brighter future! (Rev. 21:10, 23, 1-7; Rom. 12:12) Hope of Christ’s return and reward of Heaven give us light to overcome the darkness! Whispering Hope

6. “Hope, as an anchor so steadfast, Rends the dark veil for the soul, Whither the Master has entered, Robbing the grave of its goal. Come, then, O come, glad fruition, Come to my sad, weary heart, Come, O Thou blest hope of glory, Never, O never depart.” Heb. 6:17-20: God’s word provides hope for the future (Rom. 8:24-25; 12:12) I Pet. 1:3-5: Called to a hope of eternal life! I Pet. 1:3-4 (Heb. 2:14-15; I Thess. 4:16-18; Eph. 4:4-6) 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4. to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, Hope is a Source of Steadfastness in Our Lives Col. 1:27; Tit. 2:11-13: Christ is the fulfillment of our hope (Rom. 12:12; I Thess. 1:2-3) Hope of eternal life with God gives us perseverance to remain steadfast in our faith! Whispering Hope

7. The chorus reminds us of the blessed benefits of true hope! (Heb. 6:17-19) “Whispering hope, O how welcome thy voice, Making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.” While God does not speak directly to us today, He does whisper to us through His written word about the hope set before us – Heb. 1:1-2; Jn. 16:13; II Tim. 3:16-17 HOPE Heb. 11:1: Faith is described as the substance of things hoped for (Rom. 12:12; I Thess. 1:3) Conclusion Whispering Hope

8. With even more hope than we look forward to a new year, let us look forward to the “day of God” (II Pet. 3:12) When Christ comes again and we behold Heaven, we’ll know the “dark midnight is over,” and we’ll see “the breaking of day!” (Stanza 2) Conclusion Whispering Hope

9. Hear The Gospel (Jn. 5:24; Rom. 10:17) Believe In Christ (Jn. 3:16-18; Jn. 8:24) Repent Of Sins (Lk. 13:35; Acts 2:38) Confess Christ (Mt. 10:32; Rom. 10:10) Be Baptized (Mk. 16:16; Acts 22:16) Remain Faithful (Jn. 8:31; Rev. 2:10) “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” For The Erring Child: Repent (Acts 8:22), Confess (I Jn. 1:9), Pray (Acts 8:22)