Living Hope

Psalm 81:10 NLT For it was I, the Lord your God,

who rescued you from the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.

Over the last several months and to be honest - years, we have heard and witnessed toxicity from media, socials, fake prophets, and unhealthy people.

Today, I believe that God has good things that He wants to fill us with. Our Heavenly Father gives his children good gifts…amen!

Introduction:

Originally, I was going to speak to you on the Conflict in the Middle East. To give you a sneak peak…in a future sermon I will talk about the long history that Israel has had with Arab nations - this dates back to Abraham having two sons Isaac and Ishmael. In addition, I will address Biblical perspectives concerning the State of Israel, and how we can pray.

We will take time at the end of service to pray for peace in the middle east.

However, I have sensed and have received wise counsel to adjust today’s sermon that I hope keeps us anchored to what is most important.

I want to make note that when I wrote this sermon during election day, I was not responding to any particular candidate. At the time of writing this sermon I wasn’t even looking at the news. I just want us to rise above the noise and center our hearts, minds, and souls on the hope of Jesus. That is the purpose of this message - eternal and lasting hope.

Our primary text this morning comes from 1 Peter 1 which calls believers to live holy lives, set apart for God. This passages challenge us as followers of Jesus to engage in our culture while maintaining our distinctiveness as people of God.

Prayer

Message:

It is important to recognize that God places us in specific situations for a purpose, as believers we can find encouragement to engage actively with our surroundings, trusting that God works through us in meaningful ways.

1 Peter 1:3–9 (NIV)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth (salvation) into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Joy, an inexpressible and glorious joy!

New life in Jesus.

Our true citizenship is in heaven.

1 Peter 1:10–25 (NIV)

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,

“All people are like grass,

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;

the grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you.

ME

What does it mean to be holy as God is holy?

To name the name of Jesus, and to invoke the holy spirit, is to claim to be the Temple of the living God, and that is bound to have consequences.

N. T. Wright

We must not separate the interior from the exterior. There shouldn’t disconnect. However, at times there is. Which means that we have to make things right with God and others.

I have moments where there is a disconnect.

Frustrations boil over into anger. Which is not bad in itself, but when if I hurt the Imago Dei (God’s image bearer, you) I have sinned.

I say things that can deeply affect people.

I think things that may be sinful and I need to surrender the thought to the Lord.

I have a shadow side (everyone of us does) that can emerge when I am not living from a healthy soul, engaging in spiritual practices, and living from the grace of God that has been freely given to me.

WE

What does it mean for us to be holy as God is holy?

What does that mean for us to be holy today?

How does a holy person live?

And why does it matter? If, as Peter says, this isn’t our true home then why does it matter how we live?

As we read in our Scripture today, we are called to be holy.

And holy is not a word we use often but we will explore what it means to be holy.

God

Let’s begin with understanding our text…

When Peter wrote this to Christians in first century Asia Minor what is now modern day Turkey to Christians he called foreigners.

Another way to say that might be holy strangers or exiles.

These first century Christians were living in the tension of following Jesus while still living in their neighborhoods, living as spiritual foreigners.

And as we’ve seen so far in 1 Peter he writes to tell them, don’t forget HERE IS WHO YOU ARE - you are chosen and this is not your real home. HERE IS WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU - given you a living hope and an eternal inheritance. He pours out His hope on all who call upon Him.​

1 Peter 1:13 (NIV)

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

Peter begins by continuing to point us to hope.

We see this because the first word of our passage is - therefore.

And we ask, What is the therefore there for?

It’s to point us back to what Peter has already said

He’s said - here’s who you are - chosen exiles, holy sojourners, citizens of the kingdom of heaven, you’re like Abraham who was called by God to wander through places that were not his home to one day come to a promised inheritance.

You may be suffering grief in all kinds of trials - we can relate, can’t we? - but it’s just for a short while and it’s for a purpose - God is refining your faith and on the day that Christ returns your faith will be seen as more valuable than anything you could imagine.

He’s said even though you can’t see Jesus - you love him. He brings you joy.

He’s said that you are more privileged than even the writers of Scripture who longed to see the day of Christ’s resurrection, you are even more privileged than angels who wished they could get a glimpse of the reality you’re living.

And so as we consider what it means to be holy, we cannot overemphasize the therefore.

We cannot skip over who we are and what God has done for us, or else holiness becomes a list of dos and donts.

Holiness is shaped by hope.

Therefore, preparing your minds for action

In the Greek the wording is literally - girding up the loins of your mind.

We might say - roll up your sleeves or get ready.

Peter is making a reference to the Exodus story.

Exodus 12:11 KJV 190011 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover.

Exodus 12:11 NIV “This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.”

God tells Israel - Gird your loins - the picture is of a person hiking up their long clothing because you need to be ready to run - tonight we’re hightailing out of Egypt.

You were living in darkness, I’m bringing you into the light.

And Peter tells us, like Israel, your ultimate freedom is coming. Roll up your sleeves.

But not in a physical sense of be ready to run or fight, but get your minds and hearts ready.

Be sober minded - Be self-controlled.

How do we do that?

Look at what Peter writes...

1 Peter 1:13 (NIV)

…set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

How much hope?

All of it.

Like you throw all your weight on grace of Jesus because you know it will support you, rest in this hope.

100% of your hope.

But how do we know we can have that hope?

Peter talks about hope again in our passage in verses 20-21

1 Peter 1:20–21 (NIV)

He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Because Jesus was raised from the dead.

And it’s that resurrection of Christ that gives us hope that he is coming again. We have a living hope.

By the way, we all need hope.

Where are you putting your hope today?

Biblical hope endures even when things get worse. It goes beyond the grave. Biblical hope is living hope because it’s hope in the risen Jesus.

So how does our living hope shape how we live today?

First, Peter shows how NOT to live.

1 Peter 1:14 (NIV)

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

Peter urges us to not be shaped by our old desires.

Peter’s audience was full of non-Jews who only recently came to know God.

Their former ignorance was their life before they knew how amazing God is.

Our ignorance before we knew God…

We didn’t know his grace.

We didn’t know his amazing mercy.

We didn’t know how much he loved us.

Until Jesus showed up…showing us his grace, mercy and love.

So how does somebody escape that old way of life?

Look at verses 18 and 19

1 Peter 1:18–19 (NIV)

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

It’s not with earthly materials - this only leads to an empty way of life.

You are not saved through your family’s heritage or through cultural Christianity.

It is only through the precious blood of Christ that we have new life.

So if we have this living hope and we’ve been set free from our old life, how ARE we to live?

1 Peter 1:15–17 (NIV)

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

Because we have a living hope we are to live a holy life.

Look at all the repetition of the word holy. I think Peter is trying to communicate something…

What does holy mean?

In the Bible…To be holy is simply to be sacred, or set apart.

As we see in our text, God is the one who is truly holy.

TRULY special. TRULY worthy.

And God is a personal, loving, just, and gracious God…

And so Peter says because this holy God CALLED you - personally reached out to you through Jesus - be holy in all your conduct just as he is holy.

Why?

Holiness is not about behavior management.

It’s about a story of God loving us, saving us, and calling us to be His people who look like Him to the world.

Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Holiness is what happens when we set our hope and set our gaze on the God who loves us.

1 Peter 1:15 MSG15 As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness.

This God who is ablaze with holiness is worthy of reverence and awe and as Peter puts it, a reverent fear.

Look at what he says in verse 17

1 Peter 1:17 (NIV)

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

Many of us would pursue holiness with far greater zeal and eagerness if we were convinced that the way of holiness is the way of life and peace. And that is precisely what it is; there is life and peace no other way.

J. I. Packer

The concept of spiritual foreigners needs to be unpacked:

We intentionally and unintentionally hitch ourselves to political advancements. Our “response to holiness” may be attached to political climate and this must not be so. The reality is that we are living in the beginnings stages of a post-christendom era. Christianity is losing it’s place within the culture. Christianity in the 90’s had about 90% affiliation rate in the USA. Today we are at 63% and shrinking. You may be wondering, “I thought this was going to be an uplifting message.” It is…we just need to paint a reality of what is. Evangelicalism within the USA is in an identity crisis and we have heavily relied on legislation to regulate a morality within society. We must not rely on culture to gain influence or to make a difference.

We must be thickly Christian in our lives…

In the way think.

In the way we live.

In the way we respond in our holiness.

…and this will make the most impact.

There is a weight to this…a responsibility.

Daily life can be hard. It can be a grind. Our daily life can be fraught with challenges, unexpected outcomes, political, economic, and religious upheaval.

Isn’t it?

Other times, I’m just lulled into the monotony of daily life. Do you know what I mean?

I wake up, drink coffee, shower, brush my teeth, put in my contacts because I’m basically blind without them, eat a banana, go to work, eat, make more food, clean up from the mess after dinner, do homework, connect with my girls and Melissa and then do it all over again.

But this text reminds me that every day there is a liturgy (a rhythm), every moment an awareness, every second God is with me and life at its core is anything but boring.

I say this not as a condemnation but as an observation: we had more people attend First Tuesday prayer on Election night than any other time. Will we see the same amount of people in December? I hope so…

Be consumed by the blazing glory of a holy God. Let your life be shaped by His dynamic power and Holy Spirit. Why? Because he’s given you a living hope. He’s called you into a new family. He’s called you to live a holy life. What a privilege.

You

So what might it look like for us to respond to this passage?

Your life today matters.

Remember that Jesus paid it all, and it matters how we live.

We can’t simply say that it doesn’t matter what we listen to, what we watch, what we read, what we look at on our phones, how we eat, how we drink, how we work, our temperament, our emotional life, it doesn’t matter because we’re saved by grace! That’s not how God works.

How do we know that? Peter says you’re a part of the bigger story. And the bigger story is about a God who saves his people, redeems them with the blood of the lamb and calls them out to represent him and be holy as he is holy.

How we live as foreigners matters.

My neighbors need to see Jesus in me.

Those I see in the grocery store need to see His kindness through me.

Those who think differently than me need to see His care for the world through my compassion.

Your life today is shaped by where you put your hope for tomorrow.

Information you know about God doesn’t change your life.

It is only by placing 100% of your trust in Jesus, that will give you hope.

Hope drives us. Joy powers that hope!​

Where are you putting your hope?

What brings you joy?

When you think about Jesus, does your face light up?

When you think about God giving his precious Son for you, letting his life blood bleed out to save you from death, are you in awe?

When you think that your hope is secure because of the resurrection of Jesus, do you just want to sing?

Have you put your hope in Jesus? Benediction

1 Peter 2:9–12 (NIV)

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.