We live in a broken world. Evil is abundant, righteousness is rare, crime is increasing, poverty is epidemic, and global warming or global terror is a big threat to our planet. People are losing their jobs, their houses, and their life’s savings at an unprecedented rate. Violence, natural disasters, and moral depravity seem to be skyrocketing. In this broken world a murder takes place every 23 minutes, a rape every six minutes, a robbery every 58 seconds, a burglary every second. In this broken world one million teenage pregnancies occur annually, 68% of black children and 22% of white children are born out of wedlock; and half of all high school seniors report they have used illicit drugs. In this changing world in which old landmarks have been tossed aside; old customs and moral standards are turned up-side -down; MY HOPE IS FIXED! In this changing world, sin is called sickness, alcoholism is now just a disease, and adultery has become respectable and fashionable; MY HOPE IS FIXED! During the time when some congregations are trying to be like denominational churches, doctrine is changing, the distinctive plea is made user-friendly; UPON THIS ROCK, I STAND! Why is the world falling apart? The Bible not only identifies the source of our world’s problems, it gives us the solution. The solution cannot be found in science, politics, philosophy, Dr. Phil or any other human endeavor. I am not talking about standing upon sinking sand, not upon billows of the sea, not upon the blowing winds, not upon the philosophies of men, not upon the doctrines and the commandments of men. I am not standing upon human speculation, theological pontifications, philosophical speculation, liberalism, and denominationalism because they are not a solid rock. Upon this great truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, I stand. The songwriter wrote for me when he wrote:

My hope is built on nothing less,

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the Solid Rock, I Stand.

All other ground is sinking sand.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only lasting hope for this broken world. This is a fixed hope, a sure hope, an unshakable hope that is rooted in Jesus Christ. Hope is a complex emotion, made up of an earnest desire, and an expectation of obtaining an object. The Greek word is elpis, from a primary elpo (to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation (abstract or concrete) or confidence: - faith, hope. It has reference, therefore, to what is at present unseen.

Webster defines hope: Desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment; to desire with expectation of obtainment, to expect with confidence. How vital is that expectation!

Without it, prisoners of war languish and die.

Without it, students get discouraged and drop out of school.

Without it, athletic teams fall into a slump and continue    to lose.

Without it, addicts return to their habits.

Without it, marriage partners decide to divorce.

Without it, inventors, entrepreneurs, entertainers lose their creativity.

Hope is something that is important to us as water is to a fish, as vital as electricity is to a light bulb, and essential as air is to a jumbo jet. Take way our hope and our world is reduced to something between depression and despair.

If God be for us, who can be against us. Romans 8:31

There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Prov. 18:24

I think I hear somebody singing:

I still have joy. After all the things that I have been through, I still have joy.

I still have hope! After all the things that I have been through, I still have hope.

Police can’t arrest my hope.

Robbers can’t steal my hope.

Stormy weather will not destroy my hope.

Congress can’t legislate away my hope.

Sickness and hard times will not destroy my hope.

I’m not going to let anybody destroy my hope.

The president can’t veto away my hope.

Hypocritical church members can’t take away my hope.

Sickness and hard times will not destroy my hope.

I’m not going to let anybody destroy my hope.

In Romans 8:35, the apostle Paul raised this pivotal question, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? This rhetorical question begins Paul’s final celebration of assurance, a crescendo of certainty that finally erupts in a triumphant confession of the all-sufficiency of God’s infinite and faithful love. The question is framed in terms of separation: who will separate us from the love of Christ? The rest of the paragraph develops this emphatic answer: NO ONE! Paul’s answer to the question in verse 35 is given in verses 38 and 38, For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul had A Fixed Hope In A Broken World. I can say with Paul that I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me. What a Friend We Have in Jesus. This friend is worth having in your life in this Broken World.

He can solve the problems that you can’t.

He can win battles that you can’t win.

He can move mountains you can’t.

He can stretch the dollar that you can’t.

He can open doors that you can’t.

He is a friend to the friendless,

To the hopeless,

To the helpless,

To the worthless,

To the homeless,

To the jobless.