Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Peter 1:10-17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2000

Hallelujah Chorus’ Custom

 

On March 23, 1743, when */The Messiah/* was first performed in London, the king was present in the great audience.

It is reported that all were so deeply moved by the */Hallelujah Chorus/* that with the impressive words, /For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth/, the whole audience, including the king sprang to its feet, and remained standing through the entire chorus.

From that time to this it has always been the custom to stand during the chorus whenever it is performed.

With spontaneous joy the soul stands to salute */Him who comes in the name of the Lord./*

/He is King of kings, and Lord of lords and to Him we pledge allegiance.

/

/ /

Introduction

 

Last Sunday we saw how God provided a way for us to be born into His family.

God has shared His glory with us.

Christians can experience some of the glory now and when life is over they receive abundantly more.

In light of God's goodness to us Peter then commands believers to*/ Live For The Glory Of God.  /*In the first part of chapter one Peter emphasized /living in hope/, now he emphasizes/ living in holiness/.

In the Scriptures these two themes often run together.

*1 John 3:2-3*/ Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

*Today Peter shares three things about our salvation.*/

*/ /*

I.   Salvation Has Been Heralded

II.

Salvation Commands Hope

III.

Salvation Commands Holiness

* *

/Firstly    /  Salvation Has Been Heralded

 

/a.

By The Prophets/

 

*1 Peter 1:10-12a* /Of this salvation the prophets *have inquired and searched carefully*, *who* *prophesied* of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering/

/ /

*1.

They Spoke Of Christ's Salvation*

 

The amazing thing is that this salvation we are awaiting — the return of Christ — was a part of God’s great plan for us from eternity.

The Old Testament prophets prophesied about the salvation that God had revealed to them.

Ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden God has progressively revealed more of His wonderful plan of salvation.

The prophets recognized that God was speaking through them.

*2 Peter 1:20-21* *says this:* /Knowing this first that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit./

The prophets recognized the importance of the Word that God had given to them.

This message gave them and all of mankind hope of salvation.

/ /

*2.

They Studied Christ's Salvation*

/ /

The prophets diligently studied the Scriptures to see when the Messiah would come.

They saw the sufferings of the Messiah, and also the glory that would follow; but they could not fully understand the connection between the two.

In fact, in some of the prophecies, the Messiah’s sufferings and glory are blended in one verse or paragraph./

/Even Christ's own disciples were not clear about the need for His death on the cross.

They were still inquiring about the Jewish kingdom even after His resurrection.

If the /disciples/ were not clear about God’s program, certainly the Old Testament /prophets/ could be excused!/

/As they studied the Scriptures, God told the prophets that they were ministering for a /future/ generation.

The prophets didn't see the Church age that came between the two comings of Christ.

The */Church Age/* was a hidden mystery in Old Testament times.

The Old Testament believers looked ahead by faith and saw, as it were, two mountain peaks: Mount Calvary, where Messiah suffered and died *Isaiah 53*, and Mount Olivet, where He will return in glory* Zechariah 14:4*.

They could not see the valley in between, the present age of the church./

/If the Old Testament prophets searched so diligently into the truths of salvation, and yet had so little to go on, how much more ought we to search into this subject, now that we have a complete Word from God! The same Holy Spirit who taught the prophets and, through them, wrote the Word of God, can teach us the truths in it.

/ /

/b.

By The Gospel/

 

*1:12b*/ the things which now have been reported to you through those *who have preached the gospel* to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven — things which angels desire to look into./

The disciples didn't understand it all at first either.

The Lord had to explain it to them.

He shared how He had fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies.

*Luke 24:25-27** says this:* /Then He said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

/After this the New Testament apostles and prophets were equipped to proclaim more clearly the work of Christ.

The Gospel is God's good news of salvation for mankind.

The work of salvation has been completed.

This message can now be proclaimed clearly and fully.

We can understand God's plan for the ages.

Something the Old Testament prophets couldn't do.

Peter and Paul both preached how God is calling out a people for Himself from both Jews and Gentiles.

Even the angels are interested in what God is doing in and through His church!

*1 Corinthians 4:9* and *Ephesians 3:10* tell us that God is instructing the angels through the church.

He is revealing to them His manifold wisdom and grace.

Salvation - Only Through Jesus Christ  /-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon/

 

The late venerable and godly Dr. Archibald Alexander of Princeton had been a preacher of Christ for sixty years and a professor of divinity for forty.

On his deathbed he was heard to say to a friend, /All my theology is reduced to this narrow compass-Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners./

This is the message foretold by prophets and proclaimed in the Gospel.

Application

 

The prophets spoke only a portion of God's Word.

They diligently studied it along with the angels.

/What then, should we do about it?/

*/Firstly,/* each of us must believe it.

It's not enough to know the facts we must individually receive the Savior.

*/Secondly/* we must share it with all those we can.

*/Thirdly/* we must diligently study God's Word.

Since we have received God's full revelation to man we should diligently study it to grasp the wonder of God's salvation.

/Secondly   /Salvation Commands Hope

 

/a.

Rest In Christ's Return /

 

*1 Peter 1:13b*/ And *rest your hope* fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;/

 

We should also have an /optimistic/ mind.

*/Hope to the end/* ejlpizw means */set your hope fully/*.

This is actually a */command./*

Peter /commands/ believers to set their hopes completely on the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This must be our only motivation in life.

A believer once sent a note to his friend: */When the outlook is gloomy, try the uplook!/*

Good advice, indeed!

It has to be dark for the stars to appear.

The result of this spiritual mind-set is that a believer experiences the grace of God in his life.

To be sure, we will experience grace when we see Jesus Christ; but we can also experience grace today as we look for Him to return.

We have been saved by grace and we depend moment by moment on God’s grace.

*/Looking for Christ to return strengthens our faith and hope in difficult days, and this imparts to us more of the grace of God.

/*This is in fact the */only hope/* that will comfort us.

Is There Any Hope?*/ /*

/ /

Hope is an indispensable quality of life.

Years ago the /S-4/ submarine was rammed by another ship and quickly sank.