The Incorruptable Inheritance
Notes
Transcript
Assurance
Assurance
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Prayer
Prayer
Our Father in heaven
You are the creator, the giver of every good thing. You are the one we look to. All creation waits for you. When you open your hand, creation eats and drinks. When you close your hand, they go hungry.
And so we wait for you. When the night is dark, we long for the daytime. And like a watchman on the tower, we wait for the daybreak.
Pour out your Spirit, we pray. Comfort us and give us boldness. Ease our restlessness and discontent and give us peace. Shine your face upon us that we might know your favor
For you have given us precious promises. You have given us every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. You have washed us, sanctified us, cleansed us – as you have promised.
But so quickly we forget. We forget the exceeding greatness of your power so we begin to fret ourselves.
Remind us of your faithfulness to us over the past year. Teach us to number our days and set our affections where YOU are.
We see the wickedness in the world and cry out, “How Long?” We see pain and sickness and death, and we worry. What if we aren’t strong enough? What if we aren’t wise enough? What if we aren’t good enough.
Teach us through your word and spirit, Father. That we are complete in Christ, that in him we have all things. We have forgiveness of sins, fellowship with you, you have restored your image in us and have given us your spirit.
Hallow your name in our presence. Put a guard over our tongues so that our words and our works magnify you, Father. Open our eyes to see your glory and we will shout forth your praises.
And Father, today we are grieving. We are homeless and entering a scary time of uncertainty. We don’t know where to turn so we cling to your promise that you will never leave us or forsake us.
Lead us, father, into green pastures and quiet waters. We are sad, we are angry, we are anxious. Give us the grace to direct those feelings into good. Draw us closer to you. Give us courage to stand up to the wolves. And encourage us to love deeper and stronger, even though it inevitably leads to grief.
And lift up our countenances. Grant us your spirit that we might be a beacon of hope and light wherever you lead us. That we might be a blessing to those who we haven’t met yet.
And Father, we pray for Lisa Marie and Clark this morning. Be merciful and pour out your spirit there. Draw him to you and give Lisa Marie the comfort of the gospel. Provide for their needs.
And give us rest as we travel through this world of vanity. Thank you for the friends we’ve made. For the love we have for one another. For the body of Christ.
And even as we grieve, we look for the marriage supper of the lamb, when we will dine together and drink the wine on the lees with one another in the presence of our savior, who died for us that we might live, and rose that we will never again be held in bondage by death and misery and sin.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus, Haste the day
And together
14 Let the words of my mouth,
And the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight,
O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
Text
Text
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
Sermon
Sermon
Two weeks ago, I spoke of a kingdom that decays and falls into ruin. Everything under this sun is subject to decay and change. It all ends in dust, including all of mankind.
Last week, we looked at the crucifixion of Christ. He bore that curse of death, degradation and ruin in his own body on the cross and put it to death.
In the cross of Christ, the foolishness of God was revealed to be wiser than the wisdom of men.
There is no wisdom or philosophy on this earth that could have devised the cross as the way that God would destroy death and purchase for us an incorruptible inheritance.
No one saw it coming. No one could have imagined God on a cross dying for the sins of his creatures.
One man’s story stands out - Peter.
In the garden
In the garden
On the night Jesus was betrayed, he told them that they would all abandon him and run away. Peter said, “I will never, ever abandon you - even if I have to die with you.”
And Jesus said, “Before the rooster crows, you will have denied me three times.”
A few hours later, Jesus was praying in the garden. Peter, James and John were with him - but they were sleeping as Jesus was praying and agonizing.
Peter was committed, and he meant it. If Jesus was going to battle against flesh and blood, Peter would have been right by his side. That was his intent.
When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus and take him the the house of the High Priest, they asked for Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said, “I AM” and they fell over backwards.
Peter said, “That’s what I’m talking about. Here we go!”
He takes out his sword. Only John tells us it was Peter. The other three gospels just say, “One of his disciples.” All of them were thinking the same thing. It could have been any of them.
They were ready for battle.
The soldiers get up again.
7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?”
And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”
And then Peter goes to work with the sword. He was prepared to die, but he wasn’t going down without a fight. And he certainly figured that Jesus would destroy his enemies and establish his kingdom. The scriptures said so, and Peter stood firm there.
So he strikes the first blow. He takes off the ear of a man named Malchus.
Arrest
Arrest
But Jesus doesn’t get with the program. He rebukes Peter in front of all of them. Then he touches the man’s ear and heals him.
This was not part of the plan. There was nothing in the disciples’ toolbox that could handle it. They had no idea what he was thinking. A cross was so despicable, revolting, degrading - it wasn’t a door to any kingdom.
Jesus heals the ear, Peter is rebuked. And Jesus just stands there and lets them tie him up!
Remember earlier, Peter had rebuked Jesus for talking about crucifixion.
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
And Peter still cannot think in terms of the things of God. How can he? He still has the mind of the flesh.
The trial
The trial
After the soldiers arrest Jesus, they take him to the house of the High Priest.
It was an illegal meeting - in the middle of the night in a secret gathering. We know that two of their members weren’t invited - Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. But the rest of the Sanhedrin were gathered there in the dark of night.
The house was built facing inward, into a courtyard. You passed through a gate, and the house circled you around, like a Spanish Villa.
Peter and John were allowed entrance because John was known to the high priest. They went to see what was happening. Peter’s hope for a good fight is fading away. Jesus just stands there.
Jesus is taken inside the house, and Peter and John stand in the courtyard watching him.
They beat him. Spit on him. Gather false witnesses together, and Jesus just stands there and lets it happen. His last miracle was healing the wound caused by a violent disciple. He won’t lift a finger to defend himself! Its like he is wanting to be found guilty and crucified.
Why was the Sanhedrin meeting then? What was so urgent?
They had already determined that they wouldn’t do anything on Passover, because they didn’t want to cause a riot.
But God had determined before the foundation of the world that the Lamb would be slain at this time.
That was why God told Moses the date to celebrate passover - because God not only determined the sacrifice, he also determined the time. And centuries earlier he told the time to Moses and delivered Israel from Egypt as a sign marker.
His time had now come, it is the hour of darkness.
So the Sanhedrin determined not to do anything until after passover. God had already said, “At Passover”.
And that is where Judas Iscariot comes in. Judas’ betrayal forces the issue, and makes it urgent to do it now.
The Sanhedrin knew that this opportunity would not come again. They could have it done and dusted before the city even woke up, and then be clean and ready for passover, while Jesus was dying.
But this is something Peter can’t even fathom. He is still looking for something in nothing.
He is looking for the imperishable kingdom, while the earth is still under a curse.
The betrayal
The betrayal
I always believed that Peter betrayed Jesus because he was afraid of suffering the same punishment.
But as I look at all of the gospels, that is not what is portrayed.
69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”
70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”
71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”
73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”
74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed.
If Peter was afraid, he wouldn’t have been there. He didn’t have to go. The rest of the 12 except for John had already fled away out of fear.
Peter wasn’t afraid. He was angry and disillusioned. He had no idea what was going on. Jesus wasn’t going along with the plan. Jesus was contradicting Scripture, wasn’t he? If Jesus keeps going this way, they will kill him - how can he then reign on the throne of David forever??
And Peter gets more angry. More disillusioned. Until he ends up cursing and swearing at the servant girls.
Cursing and swearing aren’t marks of timidity and fear. They are expressions of anger.
He is in the courtyard watching Jesus suffer.
He denies Jesus once. Continues to get angry. Denies him again. Curses. Swears. Denies him the third time...
Luke tells us that Jesus turns and looks at him while the rooster crows...
In that moment, Peter knows that he stands naked and exposed before the creator who sees the heart. All of his resolve, strength, wisdom - foresight - turned into this.
And Jesus knew it. HE KNEW IT. He said what Peter would do. Peter vehemently denies it. And then Peter does it.
And in the middle of Jesus’ sufferings and trial, Jesus looks out into the courtyard, finds Peter’s eyes, and looks right into them.
And the tower of Babel that lived inside of Peter’s flesh died.
He goes out and weeps bitterly.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and the flesh must be put to death.
Grieving is necessary, because suffering is necessary - because flowers only bloom when the seed dies in the earth.
Resurrection only comes after crucifixion.
Peter’s world crashes down and leaves him broken.
Which leaves him ready for a resurrection.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
Peter writes his experience and applies it to all of us - all of us who are begotten again to a living hope.
By faith in Christ - and that faith is tested in fire, through loss and suffering, and decay and change - and it stand pure and firm -
And even gold decays. And buildings fall into ruin. And churches close.
And someone is always saying goodbye. And loved ones die.
And Dollar General Stores fall into ruin along with the statues of Ozymandias and Hamlet’ jester.
These were the kingdoms that Peter served. It was all he could see. A kingdom run by a benevolent king, where the bad guys were punished and the good guys prospered.
But those kingdoms always need someone to make the bricks.
Those kingdoms are enforced by swords and they are filled with severed ears, and blood and crosses and racks and stonings and imprisonment.
Even if the laws are perfect, unless there is redemption you are always bringing someone outside the camp and stoning them to death.
And then the kingdom still falls into ruin. The temple falls down. The palaces crumble.
The gold perishes.
But the kingdom that Jesus purchased for us on the cross is imperishable. It won’t die. It won’t fade away. It is received by faith alone - and that faith is imperishable, and pure - because it is tested by tears and fires and goodbyes.
And it was God who called Peter out of darkness into the light.
When Jesus rose from the dead, the angels commissioned the women to proclaim the good news.
7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
And when Jesus saw Peter, he breathed on him and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”
And Peter was born again by the Spirit.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh. All it sees are swords, power, money, and dream worlds that don’t exist and never have.
But that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.
It is received by faith. Proclaimed to all. A kingdom that can never fade, never corrupt, never die - and it is ours
After we have suffered a while. And we know it is true because jesus rose from the dead.
The sacrifice was accepted. The flesh, the city of man, the desire for preeminence, the bondage of sin and death and misery, died on the cross. That corruption that we received from Adam, the blood and the sweat and the tears - put to death by the one that bore it all.
And Peter died with him.
And I died with him.
And you died with him.
And then he rose from the dead.
And Peter rose with him. Begotten again by the word of the gospel preached.
And you rose from the dead when you believed.
And I rose from the dead.
And even though we still walk in this valley of tears, even though we suffer grievous trials, even though in this world where churches close, goodbyes are said, cancer corrupts and moths and rust decay the wealth -
Even though tears are shed - from that grief will come the flowers, the grain, the new life.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit.
Final word
Final word
I am convinced - because of Peter’s testimony, the very words of God who cannot lie - I am convinced that the tears we shed today, and the thousand little deaths that we grieve today - will burst forth into resurrection.
We will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
And yes, we will suffer as our faith is purified like gold. All change for the believer is the death of the old to make way for the new.
The death of Peter’s confidence in the courtyard burst forth into the new life of resurrection hope.
And wherever we go from here, we will take that gold of faith with us. The living hope that never fades and never dies, that will burst forth into new life.
An inheritance incorruptible.
Reserved in heaven.
We have the reservation in heaven, purchased by Christ on the cross, and he rose from the dead and went to prepare a place for you and for me.
The reservation is made. It is certain, because Jesus made it, and he cannot lie.
And it is God himself who is keeping us.
5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
And when that salvation is revealed to us and to the whole world, we will join our hands together around the marriage table of the lamb. Hold to him, for he holds to you and will not let you go. His table will be full. Every guest he calls will be there and not one will be missing. The inheritance is incorruptible. It won’t rot. It won’t rust. It won’t fade into ruin. It won’t close its doors. And
We have a reservation.
I’ll see you there.