Hope

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What?

Do you hope for? What are your dreams? The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 15.19 – If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

We also learn that our hope is in the Lord and in him alone.

Psalm 62:5 – Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

The Sketch – as ever, over play each character to excess! 

Charismatic Chris – Glory! Glory! Glory!

Mundane Mike – What’s up? Why so happy? Have you won the lottery?

Charismatic Chris – No. It’s just a brand new beautiful day. The birds are singing, the sky is blue and I’m full of the joy of the Spirit and everything is great.

Mundane Mike – Huh? It’s freezing outside, it’s snowing, the sky is grey, we live in a basement flat in the inner city. Birds don’t come here. They get mugged.

Charismatic Chris – That’s your problem, you only see the natural. I look to the spiritual realm, to glory, to heaven. My eyes and life is fixed on heaven.

Mundane Mike – Yes, you’re so heavenly minded, you’re no earthly good.. as they say..

Charismatic Chris – What do you mean?

Mundane Mike – Well, the other day we were out and someone had a vehicle drive over their foot and you rushed in to help. 

Charismatic Chris – Yes, the brother was being judged for a life of sin and so I took the chance while he was there lying on the road in agony, to tell him he was a sinner but that if he repented, God would bless him. 

Mundane Mike – Not exactly helpful though. This guy’s shouting in agony. It wouldn’t have been too bad but you wouldn’t let me dial 999 until he’d agreed to hear your views on the second coming.

Charismatic Chris – But we all need to know about the day of the Lord’s return.

Mundane Mike – Well, yes, but you were talking so long, this guy ended up unconscious.

Charismatic Chris – He’ll be with us in heaven, I assure you.

Mundane Mike – You’ll be there if his mate gets you first. And another thing? When are you gonna get a job? I’m stuck in an office day by day.

Charismatic Chris – Ahhhhh, but that’s your lack of faith.

Mundane Mike – You’re idea of fund raising is to head out down to the beach, stretch your hands out and wait for manna from heaven.

Charismatic Chris – I have received many blessings from above.

Mundane Mike – But that was just the seagulls. And what about the time you went fishing to see if any fish had coins in their mouth like in the Bible.

Charismatic Chris – What of it? 

Mundane Mike – Well, you didn’t want to get your hands dirty so you tried it at the local pet store in the fish tanks with the goldfish. 

Charismatic Chris – God works in mysterious ways.

Mundane Mike – Maybe he does but you aren’t going to find a tenner by harassing goldfish. You were there until the security arrived. It wouldn’t have been all that but you insisted on recounting Paul’s missionary journeys to them. They had to call the police. 

Charismatic Chris – I know. But they did hear the Gospel.

Mundane Mike – So they did.

Charismatic Chris – Your problem is that your life is too mundane. You don’t seem to have any hope in Christ or in the Lord’s blessings.

Mundane Mike – I do, but I’m a regular kind of guy. I call a spade a spade.

Charismatic Chris – No doubt but your idea of worship is to shuffle uncomfortably lifting up a finger now and then. Your music collection makes Charles Wesley look contemporary. And what about the Holy Spirit in your life. You have as much joy as a man on death row.

Mundane Mike – I don’t think God called us to a life of exuberant living. Bible readings 3 times a day, church twice on a Sunday, the King James Bible and church meeting on Wednesday.

Charismatic Chris – Man, it’s an exciting life you lead. Have you considered buying a monk’s robe and shaving your head?

Mundane Mike – Yes, yes I have. I have to go, I’m off to my church now. It’s the Church Meeting for those interested in thinking about the commissioning of a volunteer to head up responsibility for the church door frames and carpet cleaning duties.

Charismatic Chris – Wow! Should be a good one. I’m off to a conference on how to be more fluffy in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Point

OK, so these guys are 2 extremes of dull-ness and charismatic madness. But what does hope in God look like in reality? How do we live a life in the power of the Spirit. One that is real and yet filled with joy?