Unbridled, Monumentally Fearless Hope
Advent 2024 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The Roman Coliseum was often overflowing with spectators that could reach 50 thousand people. It was here that the bloodiest shows were carried out.
Church historian and early church father Theodoret (c. AD 393- c. 458/466) records this event.
Around AD 400 when Honorius was Emperor, one such event took place. People traveled from all regions to feed their bloodlust desires.
This would seem like an odd destination for a pious monk from Syria. Yet, that was the destination of one such monk named Telemachus.
As the shows were becoming increasingly more bloody. Telemachus stepped down into the arena and, full of unbridled, monumentally fearless hope, strove to stop the men wielding their weapons against one another.
Quoted directly from his writing he says, “The spectators of the slaughter were indignant, and inspired by the mad fury of the demon who delights in those bloody deeds, stoned the peacemaker to death.”
He goes on to say that Honorius declared Telemachus a victorious martyr and immediately put an end to the games.
Today we’re going to be in 1 Peter 1:13-21. As we enter the Advent season on this first Sunday of Advent the focus is on Hope.
As we read 1 Peter 1:13-21 we will see Peter talking about an unbridled, monumentally fearless hope. A hope that calls us into action.
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.
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
The word hope, much like the word love, is overly used and completely misused far too often.
I hope it doesn’t snow tonight. I hope my football team wins the game today.
I hope my child pulls their head out of their rear and figures things out.
We no longer see the boldness in hope. We’ve turned hope into some form of wishful thinking.
It makes me wonder. Have we traded the power of the Holy Spirit for vain philosophies of men?
Are we filled with the unbridled, monumentally fearless hope that comes from knowing God?
Or do we place our hopes on empty wishes tossed out to the demonic deities found in secular society?
Let’s get back to the real definition of hope. I want to give the working definition of genuine Christian hope.
Hope is so much more than wishes that fail to come true. “I wish I had my dream job.” “I wish I were taller.” “I wish a million dollars would fall into my lap.”
We wish for something and passively wait for fulfillment to only be disappointed.
Genuine Christian hope is audacious. It’s fearless. Those who don’t understand would call it reckless. Genuine Christian hope is anything but passive.
Hope is the foundation for courageous living.
Hope is not about passive wishing for temporary earthly things. Hope is radical faith-filled living.
The Apostle Peter strongly urges us to prepare our minds for “action.” That means we are called to do something.
The Greek phrase translated “prepare” is literally translated to bind up the loins of the mind. It does bring the notion of getting one’s mind for action. Of being ready to think and learn.
He also urges us to be sober-minded. The Greek word translated “sober-minded” means to be in control of one’s thought processes and thus not be in danger of irrational thinking.
Is it just me or does anyone else have a problem with this one? I don’t know about you, but I can very rapidly go from self-control to irrational faster than you can blink an eye.
Here’s the real kicker to what Peter is saying here. We get irrational over things in the world that we can see, feel, taste, and touch. But, Peter takes it one step further.
He’s saying be ready to learn and get your minds ready for action. Make sure you stay rational and in control of your thoughts to set your hope fully on the grace that will be revealed in Jesus Christ.
We are to be ready to learn, get our minds ready for action, and maintain self-control of things we cannot see, feel, taste, or touch.
The Greek word for hope in NT times would have brought to mind having confidence in the promises of God. We struggle with that, especially when we are not mature in Christ.
We must continually have spiritual growth in our lives. Only then can we understand how to live out the unbridled, monumentally fearless hope.
Jesus is the example. He taught those who would listen, fed the hungry, healed the sick, defended the weak, comforted the oppressed, served humanity, and died as a propitiation on our behalf. Just to name a few things.
We are called to a Christian life of action. Christianity isn’t sitting on our butts in the pews singing songs and waiting for God to call us home or Jesus to return.
Genuine Christian hope—along with faith and love—are the catalyst for changing the broken world around us.
All too often we hear in the news about rape, murder, and assault. We are inundated with transgender transition, pronouns, and Lord only knows what people identify as anymore.
What is wrong with the world around us? Why do some people harm others?
Why are so many claiming transgender? Why are so many claiming we/they kinds of pronouns?
Why are so many identifying themselves as a cat or who knows what else?
Is there a source to all of this?
We hear all kinds of reasons why this happens. Some say childhood trauma. Some blame poverty.
One big one right now is systemic oppression and racism. Some simply blame fate or chance.
Many Christians will automatically offer up it’s a spiritual battle and they are demon possessed as a reason.
I do think that is a reason in some cases for sure. I have questioned that in those who identify as we/they for sure.
Think about it who is the we or the they? Schizophrenia possibly?
I believe there are some who just have an evil heart.
I believe some of these do play a part. But, I believe a lot of the problem is sinful selfish hearts that have no moral compass.
Hearts that are in desperate need of genuine hope.
Hope is not based on some vain wishes, it’s a radical gift of grace.
I can’t always offer a reason why people do the things they do.
I can tell you we have a purpose and we are called to action in the plural sense of the word. We are to actively learn and grow through the Word.
We are holy, set apart, for the purpose of glorifying God. That means we are to refrain from the corruption of this world.
Paul as he discusses the greatness of love in 1 Cor 13 ends that chapter with this:
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Love endures forever. Paul says we can have all things, but without love we have nothing. Love is definitely the greatest of the three.
Faith is the method by which we have grace. It is through faith that God gives us grace.
But hope?
How does hope fit into this equation?
Hope is the confidence, the assurance we have in the promise of God’s grace. It is the foundation upon which we have courage to act on our faith and love.
Peter gives us another reminder of who God is and the reason for our hope.
17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,
We are, by grace, given the ability to call the one who judges impartially Father. We are reminded of that grace as he says “conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.”
The Greek word translated “fear” means profound reverence and awe of God.
The Greek word translated “exile” I believe is better translated by other versions as “sojourner." Meaning during the time we are still in the already not yet of this world.
This reinforces the hope we are to have. God judges according to each person’s deeds, yet we have grace through faith. And our time here is only temporary.
But there’s even more to reinforce our hope. 1 Pet 1:18-19
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
The payment for our sins that provides God’s grace, isn’t some temporary thing that will pass away with time. It’s even more precious and eternal.
It’s the precious blood of Christ. You’re assured that the atoning sacrifice is eternally sufficient. We have hope in that promise.
Peter solidifies that hope even further in verses 20 and 21
20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
God raised Jesus from the dead and gave Him glory. I can’t think of a better place to put my faith and hope than in the one who dies and comes back to life.
We are promised that He will return again.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
Yes, our hearts should be filled with an unbridled, monumentally fearless hope.
One that seeks to express that hope everywhere opportunity presents itself.
Dwight L Moody said, ““Take courage. We walk in the wilderness today and in the Promised Land tomorrow.”
Our source of genuine Christian hope is knowing what we see around us is not all there is. It is looking forward to the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
What was it like for Joseph and Mary to anticipate the birth of Jesus?
What kinds of motions were they flooded with? This was the baby the angel promised them and us?Did they know He would be the King of kings?
Just as Mary and Joseph longed for the birth of their baby, we now long for the return of Christ.
Joseph and Mary weren’t filled with the hope of a hunter hoping he or she will bag the big trophy.
They were filled with an unbridled, monumentally fearless hope that is only found in those who fully trust in God. A trust that causes them to live radically bold lives in the name of God.
I want you to understand I’m not talking about social issues, political agendas, or any other form of human devised programs.
I’m talking about living a life full of unbridled, monumentally fearless hope. You don’t need to look very far to find someone in your own life that could use some of that hope.
Start in your own heart, then your family, then your friends, then your community. You will find that genuine Christian hope is not only incredibly bold, it is also incredibly contagious!!
