Hope in what stands the test of time and is eternal

Intro:

King Solomon had more money and influence than anyone who has ever lived still to this day.

Mansa Musa, 14th century African King said to be worth 400 billion in US today. King Solomon 2.1 Trillion

King Solomon tried everything in pursuit of happiness in the world

Liquor

lust

laughter

labor

even laziness

Yet he records his discovery of having them all in the book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:12–14 HCSB

I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I applied my mind to seek and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

Ecclesiastes 1:2 NLT

“Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”

Matthew Perry passed away last week in what seemed to be an unusual and unexpected death.

In his book, He shared similar laments of King Solomon that wealth, fame, and the pursuit of happiness lead him to a place of hopelessness and a life of addiction

As we learn more of the war at the Gaza strip we are finding out that both sides are attacking places where women and children are trying to live in war torn countries.

Illustration:

The difference between God is on my side and I am on God’s side.

Corruption always sneaks in when He is for me.

Chasing after the things of this world is a dead pursuit

Life can be taken from us in the blink of an eye

Those in power- that people trust- aren’t always able to protect us and often are they blinded by corruption

Need

In a world that is unpredictable,

where the only certainty is uncertainty and

most of those in power are corrupt it is really hard to be hopeful.

When we experience pain and difficulties due to the

corruption,

the decaying of society

The unpredictability of this world

it can create serious distrust within us.

T in TT

As the church went out into the world they faced unexpected hostility and corruption. Peter used this letter to encourage them to look past this world full of dead hope to a living and eternal hope promised to them by God himself.

T in OT

When we truly understand the life that is waiting for us in heaven we will have less disappointment in life, more joy, and a greater hope for what is to come.

Please stand

1 Peter 1:3–12 HCSB

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials so that the genuineness of your faith —more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things.

Pray (for us, the US and world)

Our Hope of Salvation is Preserved by the Power of God (3-5)

1 Peter 1:3–5

“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

Explanation:

Sin has made us dead to eternal life.

Illustration:

Sin is to the soul what cancer is to the body. The body is an incredibly built structure that when it is doing what it is created to do it is impressive how it all works in harmony. Introduce cancer to the body and It corrupts, decays and changes the design.

Sin has done the same thing to all of us. It corrupts our view of right and wrong, it erodes away our hope, love and joy, and it keeps us from living the life God designed us to have.

So when we see the world through sin stained glasses we think its good, and fruitful, then, when we reach for it, it stings and brings bitter disappointment.

However Peter reminds them they are called

“into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”

Explanation:

Inheritance: An Eternal Blessedness consummated by the kingdom of God which can be expected.

Imperishable: Free from that by which a nature of a thing [salvation] is deformed, debased or by force impaired.

Incorruptible: Not liable to corruption or decay but is immortal and risen.

Unfading: by nature alive and perennial

Argumentation

Solomon found out that the things of this world faded over time.

Illustration

Like a young girl who makes a friend with a doll. Eventually they outgrow dolls because the dolls aren’t real, they are not alive.

Matthew Perry admitted that his pursuits of what he thought would be life of “blessedness” turned out only to impair him and lead him to a debased way of living.

The world is watching as the world’s leaders reveal their corruption and its decaying our societies.

If you have sought the things of this world for joy and hope you already know its inheritance is never as advertised.

God wants you to have hope and a future- that notice- is not based on you or your ability to secure eternal life for yourself or by your works.

But by God’s great mercy, He has give to us what we could not do because we are already dead in our souls.

But when God sets out to give an inheritance its not based on our lives but his. He is imperishable. incorruptible, and unfading.

What he gives you is not of this world but of Himself.

“You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Application:

What Does God want from you to have this perfect inheritance? He wants you to have faith. to trust Him. Look to the resurrection as your proof of His abilities.

Our Hope of Salvation is Perfected by Trials and Persecution (6-9)

1 Peter 1:6–9

“You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials

so that the genuineness of your faith —more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Why would God allow this to happen to me?

Illustration:

Surgery, sometimes great pain must be inflicted to prevent a greater pain from happening.

God understands this and has a better vantage point than we do.

Peter uses the refining of gold as an example:

Illustration:

When used gold is collected...

The jeweler can see their face in it.

Argumentation

As Christians we face great trials as what is impure in us is being brought to the surface so that what remains is pure. So when others see remains the see the face of Christ.

Those situations are designed to create stronger connection to God. It was for the early church!

Peter says...

“You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Application

Trials refine us, by drawing us nearer to him as we depend on Him to get through the hard time.

His faithfulness to us in those seasons brings greater assurance and faith.

That only happens when someone is saved to an inheritance imperishable, incorruptible and unfading.

As believers we should expect trials because it is refining our faith and molding us to be more like Christ. Yes it can be painful but it is an opportunity to draw near God in new ways which brings more confidence in Him.

Our Salvation was Hoped for by Past Prophets of God. (10-12)

1 Peter 1:10–12 “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things.”

Explanation

We have this opportunity for salvation, a guarantee of blessed eternal joy with God based on His ability to save us not our own

Others have longed for the idea of certainty and assurance; a living hope.

While we live in a time that continues to disappoint, decay, and perish, but we also live in a time that has never been greater.

God has set this time as the time of salvation. A time to trust Him over the ways of the world.

Applications 4 questions

1. What does God require of me?

1. Praise God who gives us a living hope. In times of uncertainty we must focus on the power God had to save us and the mercy He has shown us.

2. Choose to trust God in times of sadness. He uses situations of life to rely on Him and be refined through the process.

3. Others before us have longed to have what we in the Spirit dwelling in us. Let's rejoice that we live in the greatest time of God's plan to date.

2. Where is hope required in my life?

2. During persecution,

when your character

is tested.

3. When you are tempted

(1) to give up

(2) give in

(3) or doubt God’s plan

3. Why must I exercise hope?

God's reasons for us going through distress is for you to find a

deeper faith,

greater assurance,

and joy.

Those things are only found in the person of God who either lays dormant in you or busts out of you in supernatural ways

4. How Can I have the hope God requires?

Praise God that no matter what happens. Nothing can change His presence in you and your future in Him.

Rejoice by having faith. Regularly explore the meaning of salvation and our need to be saved. Don't look for God outwardly, seek Him in prayer and in the Word.

Prayer

Completely done