June 5 Min. HOPE Share

We aim to share 5 minutes of HOPE every time we are open!

‍ ‍THE GREAT INVITATION

The Story of the World

Before we look at these letters on the board, let’s talk about the story we are all living in. The

God who made the stars, the lakes, and the Twin Cities made you. And when He made

humanity, He made us to be a beautiful family that takes care of the earth and each other. But

we know the world doesn’t look like a beautiful family right now. It feels fractured. We

experience poverty, loneliness, and racism. We walked away from God's way of loving, and

when we did, we got trapped by the brokenness. We couldn't find our way out, and that

brings us to our very first letter:

The S.A.L.V.A.T.I.O.N. Gospel Presentation

S – SHACKLES Because humanity walked away from God, The Powers of This World took

over. These powers love to put shackles on us. Shackles of addiction, shackles of a broken

past, shackles of poverty, and labels from systems that tell you that you don't matter. We try to

break these chains on our own, but we can't. But listen to what King Jesus says to people

wearing chains: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon

you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

● The Point: The powers of this world want to bind you; King Jesus came to carry the weight

with you.

A – THE ANNOUNCEMENT (Who is Jesus?) If you have never heard the name of Jesus

before, or if you've only heard it used as a religious rulebook, you need to know who He is.

Jesus isn't just a religious figure, and He isn't a distant God shouting rules from the sky. Jesus

is God who became a fully human being. Why did He do that? Because the first human,

Adam, threw away our authority and let the world fall into the shackles of the world's powers.

Jesus came as the New Adam—a perfect human being who faced the same hunger, the same

pain, and the same systems we face, but He won. He is a Better Moses—Moses led people out

of physical slavery in Egypt, but Jesus came to lead all of humanity out of the slavery of death

and shame. He didn't stay distant; He came to the streets. Here is the historical receipt of how

He rescued us: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins

according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to

the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)

● The Point: Because He was fully human, His victory belongs to us. He took our mess, died

to absorb the penalty of our brokenness, and rose from the dead to break the locks on our

shackles. He started a New Humanity.

L – LOVE THAT ABSORBS How did He win this victory over the world's powers? Not with

weapons, money, or political force. When the systems of the world came to arrest Him with

swords, Jesus showed us that real power is self-giving love. He didn't use 'God-powers' to wipe

out His enemies; He won as a man who chose to absorb the blow. 1 John 3:16 tells us, “This is how we know love:

He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. And, in the book of

John, we find that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world

through him." (John 3:16)

● The Point: On the cross, Jesus absorbed the full blow of the world's violence, hatred, and

structural oppression so that we could be free from the cycle of anger and revenge.

V –VEIL IS TORN Because of His death, the 'Keep Out' sign between us and God is

destroyed forever. You don't have to clean yourself up or become perfect to reach God.

The barrier is gone. “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth

shook, the rocks split.” (Matthew 27:51)

● The Point: God moved out of rigid religious buildings and moved right into your life, your

neighborhood, and your pain."

A – AWAKE & PRESENT Salvation isn't just a ticket to heaven when you die; it’s about waking

up to a new way to be human right now. We don't ignore the suffering in our city. We see the

King’s face in your face right here at the pantry. In Romans, the apostle Paul says, “Do not conform to the

pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and

approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will”

T – TALENTS INVESTED The powers of this world might call you a case number, a statistic, or

a piece of trash. But the King calls you a treasure. He has given you a story, a culture, and

unique gifts to invest in this new family. In Ephesians 2: 8-10 we learn, “For by grace you have been saved

through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we

are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we

should walk in them.”

I – IDENTITY The world tries to define you by your mistakes, your bank account, or your legal

status. But the King gave you a permanent identity before the world even began.

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In

love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:4-5)

● The Point: You are the Beloved child of God. Period.

O – Open Heart How do we keep going when the systems of this world feel so heavy

and dark? We keep our hearts full of the Spirit’s peace, so we don't burn out. We can turn to our King who can

“…open the eyes of your heart [so that] you may know the HOPE to which [the King] has called you.“ (Ephesians

1:18)

N – NOW & NOT YET The revolution of peace has started right here at the Hope Closet. And

Jesus gives us the shared, delegated authority to invite everyone else into this new way of

being human. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of

the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Conclusion

Everybody is invited to the Kingdom. This word—SALVATION—is a home for you. The prison

doors are unlocked, the King is alive, and He is with us. If you want to leave the shackles behind

and step into the New Humanity, welcome to the family. Acts 16:31 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.”