Set Your Hope

Today’s Reading from God’s Word

1 Peter 1:13 CSB

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Introduction

It’s very good to be back with you after a week at the Freed-Hardeman lectures.

Besides the spiritual encouragement, we were able to meet so many new people for the first time, and just be encouraged by being around 1600 or so of God’s people.

I want to thank Kody for the extra responsibilities he took on while I was away last week. Appreciate him so much for who he is. He has such a wonderful heart.

As you know, we’ve been camped out in Ephesians 1.17-18 since December began taking a look at our precious hope.

Let’s begin reading at verse 16:

Ephesians 1:16–19 CSB

16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.

We need to know about the hope that is connected with our calling.

How God has worked in the past to secure it.

How God is working in the present to guide us through.

How God will be working in the future to bring us home.

Over the next two Sundays we’ll be focusing on that.

I find it to be especially relevant as we are still early in 2024.

How many of you have a sense of foreboding regarding this year?

Election Year.

Something bad to happen to stop or change the way the election is conducted.

Whoever wins - the losing side will react in a way to paralyze the country.

Immigration crisis. Who are we letting in the country?

Terrorist attack similar to 911.

Talk of another pandemic.

World War

EMP bomb causing a loss of the power grid.

Now, how did we handle 2020 as a nation?

More importantly, how did we handle 2020 as the church?

Pandemic caught everyone by surprise.

Unprecedented in our lifetime.

And generally speaking, the church did not handle it well.

Elderships unprepared to lead … or poor leadership with communication or consistency in action.

Memberships unprepared or unwilling to trust the leadership of their shepherds.

We must remember that congregations install elderships to lead and to make decisions on matters of judgment.

Failures to submit and trust the judgment of leaders led to ruptures in congregational fellowship and division.

Congregations fought internally over masking; car church; social distancing; and

Individual members left congregations and have never come back.

Politics and social issues found themselves intertwined in how congregations chose to respond to the pandemic.

Masking and whether or not to get vaccinated became associated with a persons’ personal politics.

Mixed in with it was anger, judging, and distrust.

Finally, the rise of anxiety, depression, and emotional stress manifested itself greatly.

Speaking with professional Christian counselors, the way the people reacted to the pandemic did great damage inside many families.

Pornography use skyrocketed.

physical and emotional abuse soared.

it was not pretty.

And so, as we approach what could be another tumultuous year — fraught with even more difficulty than 2020 — how can we prepare ourselves?

This cannot be answered in one sermon … or even one sermon series.

But … what I do hope to do over the next few weeks is establish a baseline … and get us thinking and preparing mentally and spiritually.

We are certainly not hoping for trouble or wishing for difficulty… but all the signs are there .. and we need not be caught in a similar position as 4 years ago.

I do think one thing we could all be doing is praying for our leaders and praying for peace.

Praying that wisdom prevails.

Praying that God’s way is exalted and that good be done.

Praying for peace and tranquility.

1 Timothy 2:1–4 CSB

1 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t like the president or congress, or the governor, of whoever…

The apostolic admonition is that we pray for those who are in authority so we can lead a tranquil life.

How are you doing personally on that?

Today, we are going to focus on 1 Peter 1.13.

1 Peter 1:13 CSB

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Because we have been saved and made new…

Because we have been given a great gift, we have been called to set our hope.

It is a direct command. A call of duty expected for every Christian.

It is a call for an act of will — not just an emotional feeling.

It calls for a decisive form of action — hope.

Even if storm clouds are on the horizon, even if our nation crumbles, we can stand tall with hope … and bring glory to God.

So here is our plan:

We’ll define hope from the text here in 1 Peter.

We’ll learn how that glorifies God.

We’ll see what we need to set our hope on.

Defining Hope

Hope is a great thing. What is it?

It is the Christian’s attitude toward the future.

It is belief in God. It is trusting in God. How is this different from faith?

Faith is believing God in the present.

Hope is believing God in the future.

Faith believes in what God has said and in what He has done.

Hope believes in what God has yet to do.

Faith accepts. Hope expects.

Hope is something we owe God.

1 Peter 1:13 CSB

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

God saved us - 2 Corinthians 5.17 - we are a new creation.

God forgave our sins, redeemed us, is transforming us.

Because He has, He is more than worthy of our confident trust in the future.

If He has been faithful in the past, He will be in the present. If He is faithful in the present, He will be in the future.

Think of how this can revolutionize every aspect of your life.

It gives you energy to get through this world.

It lifts you above the mundane affairs of life.

It elevates you above circumstances that would stop many people in their tracks.

Hope for the future guided Paul.

Philippians 3:12–14 (CSB)

12 Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead,

14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

This type of thinking is expected for the Christian.

Philippians 3:15 (CSB)

15 Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.

We are not people of defeat. We are not people of doubt.

We are people of confident expectation.

This is a mark of mature faith.

Philippians 3:16 CSB

16 In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained.

Philippians 3:17 CSB

17 Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us.

This world is not our home.

Philippians 3:20–21 (CSB)

20 Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.

No matter what happens here, we are citizens of the heavenly kingdom.

We hope for a better place.

Hope Glorifies God

By Affirming God is Trustworthy

1 Peter 1:13 (CSB)

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

When we truly trust God for the future - we affirm that God is trustworthy - and that brings God glory.

If we live like we can’t trust Him, in essence we:

Doubt God; disbelieve God; and deny God.

But, by living in hope, that is, by making it an active part of our disposition, we:

adorn the doctrine of God.

Demonstrate that God keeps His promises and the covenants He makes.

We owe Him that allegiance. Loyalty.

The Example of Abraham

Salvation depends on faith

Romans 4:16 CSB

16 This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to the one who is of the law but also to the one who is of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all.

The promise is by faith, according to grace.

You have your salvation as a gift.

Since you are demonstrating that trust — as Abraham did — you have been adopted into his family. Abraham is the prototype of belief in God.

It is in hope that we believe

Romans 4:17 (CSB)

17 As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations— in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the one who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.

He trusted in God’s power.

Romans 4:18 (CSB)

18 He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.

hope against hope. What is that?

Abraham hoped that he would have a son....at 100 yrs., and Sarah @ 90 yrs.

Impossible in human terms - especially since they never produced a child in their early years.

Hope against hope. This is hope when from every human perspective there is no substance and no basis for hope.

But, it was in hope that he believed.

Romans 4:19 CSB

19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about a hundred years old) and also the deadness of Sarah’s womb.

On one hand, there is reality to deal with. Reality said there was no way. Impossible. But...

Romans 4:20 (CSB)

20 He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise

Abraham had respect for the promise of God. That’s hope!

Romans 4:20 (CSB)

20 He … was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

He was strengthened in his faith and that resulted in what?

God’s glory.

God is glorified when you trust Him. Believe. Hope in His future promise.

It’s one thing to think of hope from the aspect of what it does for us -

But it is an entirely different thing to think of how we glorify God through our hope.

God, who has given us salvation, is worthy of our hope being set entirely on Him & the promises He has made.

What are we to set our hope on?

Back to 1 Peter.

1 Peter 1:13 CSB

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

set your hope...on the grace...being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

This is the 2nd coming.

Same word here is used in 1.7 & 4.13.

As Christians, we have an obligation to set our mind/heart on the grace to be revealed when Jesus returns.

We are to live in light of the second coming.

Our hope is to live for the time He comes to reward and glorify His people.

To long for the day when His redemptive work will be completed.

That day will be the culmination of our salvation.

1 John 3:2 (CSB)

2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is.

Titus 2:13 CSB

13 while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Salvation, phase 1, has appeared.

Salvation, phase 2, in the ultimate sense - we still look for.

We must live according to this perspective.

1 Peter 1:13 (CSB)

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

It is our first responsibility.

We look ahead to the coming of the Christ.

Do you do that? Be honest. Where is your hope set?

Nothing on earth worth setting our hope on.

But there is more...

It’s Not just an Event That we Hope for

Our hope is fixed on Jesus

1 Peter 1:13 (CSB)

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

What an event it will be! Skies ripped open. Every eye will see.

But notice. Our hope is not fixed on an event - but on Jesus.

Not the reward. Not on our perfection. Not on heaven.

Our hope is fixed on the grace that will be brought to us

1 Peter 1:13 (CSB)

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

When we get to heaven — we see how it was by grace.

On the day Jesus returns - our glory, home in heaven, perfection, and eternal life will be as it was at the first - by grace.

Think of how this destroys the viewpoint that tends to think that somehow God owes us our final glory because of all the good we did while on earth.

Are we under the allusion that our final glory & final inheritance is ours by right? By earning it? By our worthiness? Just by our obedience?

When Jesus returns on the great last day, your reward will still be:

Unmerited blessing and undeserved kindness.

It is by grace - and it will always be by grace.

As We Close…

Since all of this is true...let’s go back to the first part of 1 Peter 1.13

1 Peter 1:13 CSB

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1.13a - get your mind ready for action.

Let nothing distract you in this life.

Disentangle yourself from worldly hindrances.

If anything, 2020 revealed that many of us are still too attached to this world.

1.13b - Be sober minded.

Be deadly serious about your spiritual commitments. Live with:

Moral decisiveness; mental alertness; and self control.

Abstain from reckless indulgence that characterizes the world.

Fix your hope on God.

Where is your hope fixed?