Aligning Our Hope On the Gospel

SET TIMER

Introduce self, church

Suspicion? Not one of your elders, not preaching from Romans.

Pray

What happens if your measurements are out of alignment, however so slightly? While you may not notice the error at first, the longer you continue the more devastating the consequences.

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There’s an old Chinese proverb that roughly translates, “deviate an inch, lose a thousand miles.”

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That might seem like an overstatement, but consider what happened on August 31, 1983. That night 269 souls boarded Korean Airlines Flight 007 from JFK to Seoul, South Korea. But the plane would never reach its planned destination. After refueling in Anchorage, the pilots set their final course for Korea. . . or so they thought.

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Somehow the autopilot didn’t engage properly, and the plane veered off course just a few degrees. In the first hour, the plane was a mere twelve miles off course. But as time progressed, it drifted further and further away from it’s planned course. And five hours later, it drifted into Soviet airspace.

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If this had occurred ten years later in 1993, the Cold War would have been over and this wouldn’t have been an issue. But in 1983, the distrust between the Soviet Union and the United States was at an all-time high. We still don’t know everything that happened that night in 1983, but we do know that a Soviet fighter jet shot down that aircraft, assuming it was an American spy plane.

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All 269 passengers and crew died as the aircraft hit the water. All because the instruments were just slightly out of alignment. [1]

Turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter 1:13.

Written by Peter the Apostle around AD 62 to a group of mostly gentile Christians living in modern-day Turkey.

Writing to teach them how to live faithfully as exiles in a world that is not their home.

Much like the Apostle Paul in his writings, Peter begins this letter, not by telling Christians what to do, but by reminding them what God has done.

But verse 13 marks a new section in this letter explaining how we respond to what God has done.

There are five imperatives that command us how to respond to what God has done.

In verses 14-16, we are commanded to be holy—“be holy in all your conduct” (1:15)

In verses 17-21 we are commanded to be fearful—“conduct yourselves with fear” (1:17)

In verses 22-25 we are commanded to be loving—“love one another” (1:22)

In verses 2:1-3 we are commanded to be hungry—“long for the pure spiritual milk” (2:2)

But the very first imperative in 1 Peter is found in…

1 Peter 1:13—Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The three English words “set your hope” translate a single word from the original Greek.

Out of all the good things Peter could have commanded these exiles, the Holy Spirit inspired him to begin by commanding them to hope.

The Big Idea I hope to communicate from our text this morning is that Christians must continually labor to align our hope.

Think of our hope like the tires on your car.

You may not have realized this, but auto professionals recommend getting your tires aligned one or two times a year.

In addition, some recommend you also should align them after running into a pothole or bumping into a curb, which means technically I needed three alignments on my way here.

Just as your tires require a regular alignment, your hope needs to be regularly aligned.

Three questions to help us align our hope. . .

1) To what should we align our hope?

2) Why must we align our hope?

3) How can we align our hope?

1. To WHAT Should We Align Our Hope?

If you’ve been driving on them for too long (or if you occasionally bump into curbs like I do), your mechanic will recommend you align your tires. If your teeth are crooked, an orthodontist may recommend getting braces to align your teeth. If you’re suffering from back pain, a chiropractor may recommend an adjustment to align the spinal column.

But in each of these cases, it’s important that the practitioner has a standard to which he or she is aligning things.

The same is true for hope. God has given us a standard to which our hope must be aligned. We are called to align our hope to something firm and concrete.

Verse 13, “. . . set your hope fully ON the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Not a grace we’ve been given or already have, but a grace that will be brought to us.

When? “At the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

What does that mean? Return of Jesus in glory!

Now, before we move on too quickly from this, let’s stop and think about it for a moment. The Bible actually depicts the return of Jesus as an occasion for fear and sorrow.

When Jesus returns, Matthew 24:30 says… “. . . all the tribes of the earth will mourn. . .”

But why will they mourn? The answer is found in John’s vision of the return of Christ in...

Revelation 19:11-16—Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

At His first coming Jesus appeared as a humble baby. In His second coming He will appear as a conquering King.

At His first coming He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, offering peace. In His second coming He will ride a war horse.

At His first coming He was pierced with nails and a spear. In His second coming He will pierce His enemies with a sword.

At His first coming He was beaten with reeds. In His second coming He will rule with a rod of iron.

At His first coming He shed His blood to save His people. In His second coming He will shed the blood of all who reject Him.

Because all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and because Jesus is holy and just, His return will bring everlasting sorrow for all His enemies. When Jesus returns the wrath of God will be fierce, unrelenting, and eternal.

Why then does Peter tell us to expect GRACE when Jesus returns?

The answer is THE GOSPEL.

Because Jesus has already paid our penalty on the cross, we expect nothing but grace when He returns to bring us into His eternal kingdom.

It’s significant that Peter begins verse 13 with the word “therefore.” It looks back to everything he’s already said about what God has done.

God foreknows and chooses His people. (1-2)

God sent prophets to prophesy about the coming of Christ. (10-11)

God sent Jesus to suffer and die in our place. (2, 11)

God rose Jesus from the dead. (3)

God sent evangelists to tell us the Good News about Christ. (12)

God sent His Spirit to work through those evangelists. (12)

God causes us to be born again to a living hope. (3)

God is sanctifying us by His Spirit (2) and through trials (6-7)

God is keeping an inheritance in heaven for us. (4)

God is guarding us until the day Jesus returns. (5)

Unbeliever: all this is available to you if you will but repent and believe!

So when Paul tells us to set our hope on what John Piper calls faith in “future grace,” He is not telling us to engage in wishful thinking. [2]

This is not a blissful, naivete that wants everything to turn out for the best.

This is a hope in future grace that is firmly rooted in the past grace of the gospel.

We have hope for what Jesus will do in the future because we are trusting in what Jesus has already done in the past.

This means that the Gospel is not merely the ABCs of how to become a Christian. It’s the A-Z of the Christian life. It’s not merely what you need to become a follower of Jesus, it’s what you need to behave as a follower of Jesus.

Here’s what this means practically:

The central message of this and every local church must be the gospel.

Bitter Christian failing to forgive: your main problem isn’t what was done to you, it’s a failure to align your hope on the gospel.

Selfish Christian failing to love: your main problem isn’t that people are annoying and hard to love, it’s a failure to align your hope on the gospel.

Singles failing to remain pure: your main problem is a lust problem, it’s a gospel failure to align your hope on the gospel.

Husband failing to lead your wife: your main problem isn’t a leadership problem, it’s a failure to align your hope on the gospel.

Wife failing to submit: your main problem isn’t submission, it’s a failure to align your hope on the gospel.

Tired parents failing to properly discipline your children: your main problem isn’t your unruly or unique kids, it’s a failure to align your hope on the gospel.

Martin Luther—"I must hearken to the gospel, which teache[s] me, not what I ought to do, (for that is the proper office of the law,) but what Jesus Christ the Son of God ha[s] done for me: to wit, that He suffered and died to deliver me from sin and death. The gospel will[s] me to receive this, and to believe it. And this is the truth of the gospel. It is also the principal article of all Christian doctrine, wherein the knowledge of all godliness consist[s]. Most necessary it is, therefore, that we should know this article well, teach it unto others, and beat it into their heads continually.” [3]

So don’t grow weary or frustrated with your leaders if and when they insist, yet again, on beating the gospel into your heads. Praise the Lord for such pastors who love you enough to help you to align your hope on the gospel!

Christians must continually labor to align our hope.

And the standard to which we align our hope is the message of the gospel.

But there’s a second question we should ask ourselves...

2. WHY Must We Align Our Hope?

Studying for the sermon and looking for a way to illustrate this point, so I Googled “why do tires need alignment.” I had a basic idea, but I thought, perhaps, I might fight some insight that would help communicate why we need to align our hope.

It turns out, most people aren’t interested in why tires need aligning. Literally every recommendation on page 1 of my Google search was about when tires need alignment. “I don’t care why my tires need to be aligned, just tell me when I need it, where I can get it done, and how much it costs so I can get it over with.”

That may be okay when we talk about aligning your tires, but it’s not okay when we’re talking about aligning your hope.

Why do we need to align our hope on the gospel?

Out of everything he could have said, why is Peter’s very first command a command to hope?

Let me suggest two reasons:

A. Nobody coasts towards hope.

Normally I can drive to church on autopilot. After I pull out of my driveway it’s three lefts and one right and I’m there. Not today. Today required focus and intentionality. I had to pay attention. I couldn’t coast.

One of the first times I was driving to this building for a pastors’ lunch I was coasting and not paying attention and I missed a turn and drove to Carrollton.

No matter how spiritual you are, you don’t coast towards gospel hope!

When Peter tells us to “set your hope” in God. It’s a conscious, deliberate, active, decision. It requires effort. And you’ll never do it without intentionality.

In fact, this is so difficult you can’t do it by yourself...

Hebrews 10:23-25 —“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hoping in God requires such conscious, deliberate action we need other people to help us. We need a weekly meeting! Nobody coasts toward hope in God.

There’s a second reason why we must align our hope...

B. Hope leaks

“set your hope fully.”

Peter commands us not to have some hope, or to mostly hope, but to set our hope fully on the grace that’s coming.

That requires intentional effort to regularly align your hope. Because hope leaks.

Here’s how this works for me. Sundays are often filled with hope. It’s the glories of singing with God’s people, the joys of preaching His Word (and that God’s people gladly listen!), how my church ushers me into the presence of Jesus with their prayers, how they comfort and encourage me in the moments of fellowship we enjoy before and after the service. Add to that the excitement of discipling some young men on Sunday afternoons, the fun of Christian friendship we often enjoy on Sunday nights. All these things leave me spiritually full of hope on Sundays. But then Monday comes and my hope begins to leak.

Maybe it’s at the end of a hard day at work. Your body aches or your mind hurts, and your hope begins to leak.

Or perhaps it’s another frustrating news report. Another war. Another bad poll report. The president did what? Congress did what? Your hope leaks.

Or you’re fighting with a family member. Your kids aren’t grateful for you and your hope leaks. You and your spouse sleep with your backs to each other and your hope leaks. Your grandkids don’t respect you and your hope leaks. You wake up on Monday and you’re still alone and your hope leaks.

Or maybe you’re losing a battle against sin. You complained again. You gossiped again. You overate again. You lied to your wife again. You drank too much again. You cut yourself again. You said those hurtful words again. You missed your time in God’s Word again. You fell asleep during the sermon again. Your hope leaks.

Christians must continually labor to align our hope because nobody coasts toward hope and hope leaks.

But there’s a final question we should ask ourselves...

3. HOW Can We Align Our Hope?

Perhaps as we’ve read the text you’ve been a bit confused. I told you there was one imperative in our text, but it looks like more than one. . .

Verse 13—“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

What about “preparing your minds for action” and “being sober-minded”? These phrases are called participles.

A participle is a word formed from a verb that often helps us to understand the main verb. In English, participles usually end in -ing

“Clean the kitchen, emptying the trash, sweeping the floor, and wiping the counters.”

Which word is an imperative? Which words are participles?

The imperative (clean) tells you what to do, the participles (emptying, sweeping, wiping) tell you how to do it

“Preparing your minds for action” and “being sober-minded”? aren’t standalone commands.

They’re telling us how to execute the main imperative.

They’re telling us how to align our hope.

So how do you align your hope?

A. Prepare for Action

What does it mean to prepare your mind for action? The King James Version translates it this way: “gird up the loins of your mind”. What in the world does that mean? Surprisingly, that is a faithful translation of the original language.

The Old Testament often talked about “girding up your loins.” In those days everybody wore long robes, which would be cumbersome if you had to do any strenuous activity. The men would hike up the bottom of their robes and tuck them into their belts so they could move more freely. One preacher said it was like turning your robes into running shorts.[4] Today we might say “roll up your sleeves.”

The work of aligning your hope is going to require your mind. If you want to learn to align your hope you need to “roll up the sleeves of your mind” and prepare for action.

Here’s how it works. Imagine you’ve been given a six-month all expenses paid vacation to a secluded and plush resort in Tahiti. Crystal clear water, white sand, a secluded bungalow, delicious gourmet food, being waited on hand and foot. All that is waiting for you, but first you must endure a 13-hour flight.

Imagine you’ve been assigned a horrible seat. You’ve got a middle seat at the back of the plane between a hygiene-deprived sumo wrestler and a frazzled mom with a colicky infant and a wild toddler. Your light doesn’t work, neither does your air conditioning vent. Your meal tastes like a cardboard box. You’re close to the restroom, which means you’re privy to a host of unseemly smells. You’re thirsty, but the flight attendants run out of drinks before they reach your aisle. The toddler gets peanut butter and jelly all over your pants. The sumo wrestler is dripping sweat on your arm. The television in front of you works, but the only choices are a Blippy marathon or a White House press conference. But it doesn’t matter because your headphones don’t work. It’s the most miserable flight you’ve ever endured. So what do you do? You close your eyes, roll up the sleeves of your mind and remind yourself that you’re going to Tahiti. You set your hope fully on the grace that is to be yours at the revelation of Tahiti.

Or let’s imagine a different scenario. Same vacation, but this time you’ve been upgraded to first class. You’ve got a reclining seat that turns into a bed. You have enough leg room to completely stretch out without touching anybody. You’re greeted with a glass of champagne. The menu offers your choice of prime rib or lobster tail. You order both. You’re given a warm blanket and a pair of Bose headphones to enjoy your Ultra 4K personal television set where you can binge watch your favorite movie. Your light not only works, you’ve been given an adjustable lamp on the corner of your seat that makes it much easier to read from the complementary Kindle pre-loaded with all your favorite books and magazines.

Even though your flight is much more comfortable, you’re in no less danger than the person with the horrible experience in the backseat. The person with a horrible flight experience is tempted to forget about the future grace of Tahiti because his flight is so painful. The person in first class is tempted to forget about the future grace of Tahiti because his flight is so pleasurable. But no matter how good the flight is, only a fool would unpack his bags and start hanging pictures on the wall of the airplane. You know these pleasures are temporary. You don’t get too attached to them because your hope is set fully on the grace that is to be yours at the revelation of Tahiti.

This life is like a flight. It may feel long sometimes, but in the grand scheme of things it’s nothing. If you’re a Christian, what awaits you at the end of this life is something so amazing that a thousand Tahiti vacations is like comparing a drop of water to the ocean.

When you’re threatened by pain, align your hope to the gospel!

Remind yourself that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Your pain is temporary.

When you’re tempted by pleasure, align your hope to the gospel!

Follow the example of Moses. Hebrews 11:24-26 says, “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.”

You will be served well in your ability to do this by public worship services designed to force you to roll up the sleeves of your mind.

We pray (talk about their prayers)

We read Scripture

We sing, sometimes songs with a lot of words or with some words you might not be familiar with. These songs aren’t meant to be amusement—which by the way means “no mind”—they’re meant to engage your heart and mind with truth that sticks with you.

We listen to somebody preach for an hour!

We wrangle children, and labor to teach them the importance of sitting still and listening (without getting distracted ourselves!)

But before we move on, it’s appropriate to remind you that even though Christianity engages the mind, it does more than that.

Let’s not be tadpole Christians who are all head and little else.

God’s Word should engage our heads, our hearts, and our hands.

But if you want to align your hope to the gospel, you’re going to have to roll up the sleeves of your mind.

But also, we will align our hope as we...

B. Stay Sober

Verse 13 — “being sober-minded”

Think about what it means to be sober. You avoid intoxicants, whether that’s illicit drugs or alcohol.

It’s the same for the mind. To stay sober-minded you avoid what intoxicates the mind.

But what is it that intoxicates our mind and threatens our hope? For some perhaps our first thought is sex and violence. If we avoid entertainment that is sexually explicit or gratuitously gory than our minds will stay sober. I don’t think it’s that simple.

Our minds are intoxicated by far more than explicit sex and gratuitous violence. Our minds are intoxicated by trivialities.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce! President Biden tripped up the stairs again?!? What did Jada say about Will? Those highly edited pictures of your friend’s lunch that she posted on Instagram. The silly meme he just X’d. Who won the game last night.

None of these things are necessarily wrong to think about or talk about, but do you see how trivial they can be? Especially if they dominate our thinking. Before long we’ll be intoxicated by them, thinking that these things really are the most important realities in the universe. Not even close.

Or what about the trivialities that threaten your hope in your life together as a church?

If RCF is anything like PBC, perhaps you get distracted by the song you didn’t know or don’t like. Or maybe you don’t like the order of service. Or you get distracted by the little kids in the service. Or you get distracted by the people that are distracted by your kids. Or you get distracted by this or that structure or policy. Or a line item in the budget. Or the jammed parking lot or a full lobby.

Again, these things aren’t unimportant. But they are but a drop in the ocean next to the importance of the gospel!!

Before we conclude, let me suggest one more practical way we can align our hope.

I think it’s significant that Peter is writing this letter not to a single church, but to a group of local churches in a geographic region. (verse 1)

Could it be that the Spirit intends these local churches to align their hope together?

If you read the NT carefully (especially the introductions and conclusions of the epistles), it’s clear that local churches in the 1st century were not isolated from one another, the way we Baptists sometimes are.

Guests—RCF is a Baptist church!

So how can our churches align our hope together?

Pray for each other regularly.

Share praises with each other

Create opportunities for your pastors to spend time together

When possible, gather together (conference on Saturday—today is the final day to sign up!)

Share missionaries, resources, etc.

Christians must continually labor to align our hope on the gospel.

This goes without saying, but it’s too late for Korean Airlines Flight 007. It’s failure to be properly aligned was fatal, and nothing can undo what’s already been done.

In the same way, all of us have already failed. Not once, not twice, but thousands of times!

The very first imperative in Peter’s letter is a big fat swing and a miss for all of us.

We need the only One who hoped perfectly...

Hebrews 12:2—…for the joy that was set before him [Jesus] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.