A Living Hope in a Broken World

1 Peter 1:1-12

Good morning Church, you look great. If you have your Bibles and I trust that you do, make your way to 1 Peter 1.

We are kicking starting a band new series today, that I have so cleverly titled 1 Peter.

Over the next several weeks we are going to go line by line and verse by verse and just talk about what God’s Word is talking about.

Because what we don’t need are spiritual Ted Talks and motivational speeches- what everyone of us needs is the living, breathing , Word of God.

Now, most Easter sermons are not found in 1 Peter. In fact, 1 Peter barely makes it into the Sunday rotation at all, much less Easter Sunday.

I mean its just a little letter in the back of your Bible that most folks skip right over without a second thought.

But here’s the reason: 1 Peter is a goldmine of gospel truth and bold relevance. It’s not just some dusty letter from back in the day—it’s a theological heavyweight, full of historical grit, cultural tension, and spiritual fire.

If you’ve ever dug into it, you might’ve gone looking for something on Christian suffering, or maybe that bold idea of the “priesthood of all believers.” It’s not just rich in theology—it’s full of grit, grounded in history, and soaked in gospel truth. It challenges you to think deeply, to live boldly, and to see your faith through a different lens.

Maybe you’ve read it looking for what the Bible says about marriage, or holiness, or hope in the midst of trials. Whatever brought you to 1 Peter, here’s what you need to know—it’s written to people who are feeling the pressure, the heat, the weight of walking with Jesus in a world that doesn’t make it easy.

And I don’t know about you but I resonate with Peter probably more than anyone else.

At various points, in scripture- God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit- all interrupt Peter when he is talking because He just can’t stand for awkward silence. And the Holy Trinity tell him to shut his mouth.

Jesus literally called him Satan at one point.

He told Jesus- he would never abandon Him and before the rooster crowed He denied Jesus three times.

Then Jesus was crucified. He had risen and had revealed himself to other disciples but not Peter. Surely, Peter had heard that the tomb was empty and that Jesus was alive.

But Peter wasn’t in Jerusalem. He was at the sea of Tiberias- Galilee.

Peter was back fishing. He was back to living his old life- his life before Jesus- He thought he was disqualified from being a disciple.

After the rooster crowed and the dust settled, Peter was face-to-face with the weight of his own failure.

He didn’t just mess up—he flat-out blew it.

The same guy who had looked Jesus in the eyes and said, “I’ll never deny you,” is now haunted by the echo of that rooster and the shame of those denials. And instead of stepping into the Resurrected Life—into that blood-bought calling Jesus had placed on him—Peter went back to what was familiar. He hung up his apostle jersey and picked up his fishing net.

It’s like he said, “I guess I’m not disciple material after all.” And not only that—he brought some of the other disciples with him!

It’s like the team captain dropped the game-winning pass and then told the rest of the team, “Let’s just go home.”

He was discouraged, disillusioned, and drowning in regret. But here’s the good news: Jesus doesn’t leave Peter in the boat.

Jesus called out to him from the shore to throw his net over the right side of the boat- and when they did it was so large they couldn’t haul it in- Peter recognized immediately that it was Jesus- jumps out of the boat- and swim to Jesus.

And then comes one of the most beautiful mic-drop moments in all of Scripture. Jesus, the Resurrected King, pulls Peter aside and asks him not once, not twice, but three times, “Do you love me?” (John 21:15-17). Now don’t miss this—this isn’t Jesus being forgetful. This is Jesus being intentional. The same man who had shouted out, “I don’t even know the guy!” around a charcoal fire is now standing beside another charcoal fire, and this time, he gets to say, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.”

Three denials. Three declarations. One Redeemer. Jesus doesn’t just forgive Peter—He restores him. He doesn't say, “Well, you blew it, so I guess you can sit on the bench now.” No, no, no—He says, “Feed my sheep.” In other words: You’re still in the game, son. I’ve still got a calling on your life.

Jesus takes Peter back to where it all began, to the moment He first called him. Not to shame him, but to send him. And this time, Peter isn’t fishing for fish—he’s gonna be fishing for men. Same Peter, new power, because grace rewrites the story.

Peter, to me, is one of the most undeniable pieces of evidence that the resurrection is without a doubt true.

Before that rooster crowed- he denied that he even knew Jesus. Never heard of the guy.

John 18- He’s denying

But in Acts 4- Peter—the same guy who used to run and hide when things got hot—is now standing tall, preaching the gospel with his chest out and his Bible open at the temple. Why? Because he’s been filled with the Holy Spirit and he’s seen the Risen Jesus. You can’t unsee the resurrection.

And the Sadduccees end up arresting him and John.

So here’s what happens: the religious leaders—the same ones who put Jesus on that cross—pull Peter and John in and basically say, “Y’all need to shut up about this Jesus stuff.” And Peter, who used to tremble when it got tough, now looks them dead in the eye and says, “Y’all do what you gotta do, but as for us, we can’t help but speak about what we have seen and heard.”

He’s like, “I watched a dead man walk out of the grave. What do you want me to do, keep that to myself? I ain’t shutting up. You can throw me in prison, but you can’t chain the gospel!”

40 days ago- he was denying. But in Acts 4- He will not deny. What happened in those 40 days to make him change his mind?

A Resurrection.

And because of that resurrection- Peter goes on to preach the gospel and he is going to feed the sheep.

1 Peter is Peter feeding the sheep. 2000 years later, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter is still feeding the sheep.

This letter is a treasure trove for the Christian. He calls believers to stand firm in the faith. To live holy. To trust Jesus even when it hurts.

This is the same Peter who denied Christ and sank in the water, but now he’s writing with boldness and authority because grace has changed him. And now he’s turning around to strengthen his brothers and sisters in the faith.

So let us read 1 Peter 1:1-12 together and unpack these verses together,

1 Peter 1:1–12 ESV

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

Father, we praise You that our salvation is not wishful thinking or religious behavior, but a living hope—secured, sealed, and sustained by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. That even when trials come, even when the fire gets hot, it’s purifying us—not punishing. You are refining us like gold, and even our suffering is not wasted in Your kingdom.

Holy Spirit, help us to feel the weight and the wonder of what Peter just wrote—that angels long to look into what we get to walk in. That we’ve been ransomed, born again, and given an inheritance that can’t be touched by rust, time, or death.

So now, Lord, as we open Your Word, would You open our hearts? As we talk about this glorious gospel, let it not be old news, but good news all over again. Stir up joy. Wake up hope. Call us deeper into holiness—not out of duty, but out of delight.

Jesus, be glorified. Be lifted high. Speak, Lord—we are listening.

And all God’s people said—Amen.

Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ.

I love that he opens the letter like that- I can just imagine the smile on Peter’s face as he wrote those words.

Not “Peter, the screw-up,” not “Peter, the guy who denied Jesus three times,” not “Peter” I almost drowned when I got out of boat with Jesus,” not “Peter, the one with a short fuse and a shaky track record.” No, he writes: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.”

If you are wondering what grace is- that’s grace! That’s not a cleaned-up version of Peter; that’s Peter, redeemed. Fully forgiven, fully restored, fully commissioned. He’s not hanging his head in shame—he’s standing in the calling Jesus gave him.

That same Holy Spirit that fell at Pentecost is the same Spirit now filling Peter’s pen as he writes.

The same Peter who swore up and down he didn’t even know Jesus, now opens his letter by saying, “I’m his apostle. I belong to Him.”

Only Jesus can write a story like that. That’s why Peter can say with confidence, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you.” Because he’s not speaking as a man who just studied grace—he’s speaking as a man who lived it.

and I think there are a few fundamental truths that Peter is revealing to us.

The First being...

You Are Chosen and Set Apart.

If you are a Christ follower, you are chosen and set apart. You are holy. Not like God is holy. God is holy in an entire different category.

Fit for use would be another way is another way of saying holy.

Like in the Old testament when the Israelites would go to the temple. Inside the temple were various items, golden lampstand, altar of showbread, altar on incense, and they were holy.

Nothing about them made them holy- a golden lampstand is just a golden lampstand but they consecrated the lampstand to be used specifically for the temple. Thats what it was created for to be used in the God’s temple.

You wouldn’t take the golden lampstand out of the temple and use it to light your living room. That wasn’t it’s purpose.

You life- if you are a Christian- is for God’s purpose.

Peter is reminding us who we are—but more importantly, whose we are.

We were bought with a price. We are children of God. We are sons and daughters of the king of kings.

And we get to go to him anytime we want. No one in the Old Testament was able to do that.

They could not just waltz into the presence of God. One guy touched the ark of the covenant because it was about to fall and he was killed instantly. No one could just go into the presence of a holy God.

That seem a little harsh? Sounds to me like he didn’t take God’s Word seriously when it says only the Levitical priests could touch the ark.

Adrian Rogers once said “You’ll never learn to fear God until you understand His holiness, and you’ll never understand His holiness until you see your sinfulness.”

We aren’t just little mistake makers. and I know, I know, I know, your kindergarten teacher told you, you were a skittle, a precious little unique snowflake, and unicorn breath but you aren’t- none of us are- we are black hearted wretched sinners in need of a savior.

That’s the good news of the gospel.

If you have placed your faith in Christ- He no longer sees your sin and shame- he sees Christ righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

And when that happens and we become new creations- we can go to our father in prayer.

I can go straight to the source- I don’t have to go to a temple, sacrifices do not need to be made because of my sin- because the sacrifice already happened once and for all time on the cross when Jesus gave up His spirit.

If you think Old Testament God was mean and spiteful and think New Testament God is much nicer- you don’t understand the significance of the cross.

The God man- Jesus- Fully God and Fully man- He came off of His throne at the right hand of His father- born of a virgin- lived a perfect life- never sinned- never did any wrong but yet He was killed and He did it willingly to take on the full wrath of God for us.

And because of that I can go to my Heavenly father with any and everything. I can go to Him- just like we can go to our earthly fathers.

Only those who have put there trust in God can do that. I can go to my heavenly father anytime.

Just like Judah can come to me at any time for anything. Not everyone had access to me like judah has access to me.

I used this before- but if I’m in bed sleeping and Judah crawls in between me and Blair in the middle of the night- no big deal.

If I’m in bed sleeping and Brother Larry crawls into bed- its going to be a really big deal.

We have access to God because we have placed our faith in Him and we are set apart to be used by Him.

So, the question is are you- being used by God?

If you are a Christ follower- that indicates you are following Christ.

Do you live in such a way that reveals you have faith?

or do you live and act just like the world acts?

We live in the Bible belt so just about every body says they are a Christian.

Yeah, I believe Jesus is God.

You think saying a prayer and getting dunked is what Christ had in mind when he said pick up your cross and follow me?

or coming to church, singing a few songs, listen to a message and throw a few bucks in the offering plate then leave and do what you want is what He had in mind?

Christianity is not a works based religion. Salvation is a free gift from God but if you have salvation you will have fruit that shows that.

Whole book of the Bible about it- James, Jesus’s brother- said

James 2:18–19 ESV

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Yeah, I believe in God.

Good, congratulations. You are on the same level as demons.

What are you doing for the advancement of the Great Commission? What are you doing to help spread the gospel?

Well, the thief on the cross didn’t do any good works and he still made it to heaven?

What do you think he would have done, if he would have gotten off that cross alive? I imagine he would have lived the rest of His life telling anyone and everyone how Jesus said he would see him in paradise. That God spoke to him and it changed everything about everything.

The good news of the gospel isn’t health, wealth, and happiness. It’s not Cadillacs and cotton-candy. The American dream is a lie from the pit of hell to keep people chasing the material things of this world instead of chasing the one thing that truly matters. Having a relationship with God.

and if you have a true authentic relationship with God- there will be evidence in your life that reveals that. Its called sanctification.

sanctification is just a fancy Bible word that means “being made holy.”

It’s not about acting perfect or earning your way to God. It’s about God doing a work in you—changing you, growing you, making you more like Jesus from the inside out.

Thats what Peter is talking about when he says 1 Peter 1:2

1 Peter 1:2 ESV

2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Now, there are three layers to this thing:

1. Positional Sanctification – That’s the starting line.

The moment you put your trust in Jesus, boom—you’re set apart. You’re no longer in the kingdom of darkness; now you belong to the King. You don’t earn this. It’s gifted to you through the cross and sealed by the Holy Spirit. You go from sinner to saint in one move—not because you cleaned up, but because Jesus claimed you.

Think of it like being drafted onto a team. You didn’t win the game yet, but you’re officially on the roster.

2. Progressive Sanctification – That’s the journey.

This is the day-by-day, sometimes slow, often messy process of God making you more like Jesus. He starts shaping your desires, changing your habits, transforming your heart. You still stumble, but now you stumble forward. You’re not who you used to be, and you’re not yet who you’re gonna be—but God ain’t done with you.

Philippians 1:6 says, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” That’s sanctification in motion.

3. Perfected Sanctification – That’s the finish line.

One day, when you see Jesus face to face, it’s over. Not in a bad way—in the best way. All sin is gone. No more struggle. No more shame. You’re fully and forever holy in His presence. That’s glorification, but it’s the final piece of the sanctification puzzle.

Peter says that this whole act of God choosing us, this divine election, by going to the cross, happened “in the sanctification of the Spirit” (v. 2b).

That little word “in” isn’t just filler—it means the Spirit is the one doing the work. He’s the agent. The sanctifier. This ain’t about us cleaning ourselves up; this is about the Holy Spirit stepping in and setting us apart.

Peter’s talkin’ about that moment—right at the jump—when the Spirit grabs hold of you, sets you apart, and marks you as God’s own. He is talking about positional sanctification- You go from being one of the crowd to being one of His. Chosen. Claimed. Consecrated. It’s like Acts 20:32 and 1 Corinthians 6:11—where God says, “You? Yeah, you’re mine now.”

And then Peter gets to the why—why all this election and sanctification happened in the first place.

And it’s not just so we can sit around and feel special. it’s not so you can sit around and do whatever you want because you got a get out of hell free card. He says it’s “for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling with his blood.” That one little Greek word carries the full weight of purpose. In other words, God didn’t just save you to save you—He saved you for something. For a life that says “yes” to Jesus. For a heart that’s surrendered. And for a covering, a cleansing, by His blood.

So don’t miss that: the Father foreknew us, the Spirit set us apart, and all of it is aiming at one target—our obedience to Christ and our complete covering in His grace.

Which brings us to the second truth:

you’re chosen—but you’re also an exile.

Let that sink in for a second. You’ve been handpicked by the sovereign King of the universe, set apart by the Spirit, covered by the blood of the Lamb—and yet, here you are… still walking through a world that doesn’t quite feel like home.

That’s not a contradiction. That’s the Christian life.

Peter calls us elect exiles.

Two words that seem like they don’t belong in the same sentence—chosen and cast out. But that’s exactly what we are. Claimed by heaven, but misunderstood by the world. Set apart, but still sent in.

You ever feel that tension? Like you don’t really fit anymore? That’s not failure—that’s confirmation. It’s proof that the Spirit has done something in you.

Because now your heart beats to a different rhythm. The stuff you used to chase doesn’t hit the same. The approval you used to crave? Feels empty. The sin you used to justify? Now it grieves you. Why? Because you’re not who you used to be.

You’re in this world, but you ain’t of it. You’re an exile. A sojourner. A temporary resident, waiting on the real home.

Ephesians 2:19 ESV

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

And understand—this ain’t just about waiting for heaven. This is about walking through this broken, jacked-up world with a different set of eyes. A different set of values. A different King.

Think about this- when you're living in a country that ain't your own, you can be one of three things: an immigrant, a tourist, or an exile. And Peter is calling us to live like one of them.

1. Some of us live like immigrants.

Now an immigrant, they ain't from around here, but they’re trying to make this new place home. They put down roots. They build the house, decorate it just right, they’re all in. And listen, that’s exactly how a lot of Christians treat this world. We know in our heads that we’re citizens of heaven, but we live like our hearts are fully invested right here on earth.

We throw our time, money, and energy into trying to make this world as comfortable as possible. We stress over our careers, obsess over relationships—“Will I ever get married?” “Is this all life has to offer?” “Why is this so hard?” Y’all—we're acting like we're planning to stay forever. But we're not.

C.S. Lewis said it like this:

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”

That ache in your soul? That nagging sense that there’s gotta be more? That’s not a problem to solve—it’s a signal. It’s God whispering, “This ain't it.” You're not home yet.

2. Some live like tourists.

Now, a tourist is the opposite. They show up, snap a few pictures, eat their favorite food, but they don’t really engage. They don’t learn the language, don’t care about the community, and the moment anything gets uncomfortable, they’re looking for the next flight out.

There the ones that feed the seagulls at the jetties. Not really understanding or caring about proper etiquette.

This is the Christian who says, “I’m just passing through. Me and Kirk Cameron got our eyes on the skies.” So they huddle up in their Christian bubbles, drink their Christian coffee, listen to their Christian radio, and completely ignore the pain and brokenness of the world around them.

But y’all, that ain’t how Jesus lived. He didn’t stay at a distance. He came close. He moved into the neighborhood and got His hands dirty. He saw people. He wept with them. He healed them. He loved them.

3. But Peter says, be an exile.

Now here’s the sweet spot. An exile is someone who knows their real home is somewhere else—but for now, they’ve been sent to live in a land that’s not theirs. And so what do they do? They engage. They learn the language. They build friendships. They seek the peace of the city. But they never forget—they’re not staying forever.

They’re a little bit like the yankee snowbirds.

Exiles aren’t trying to accumulate a bunch of stuff, because their treasure isn’t here. They’re not panicking when the culture shifts, because their hope is in a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

It’s like being in an airport. You’ve got those overpriced little shops that sell you what you need to get by. But you know what you don’t see in there? Shopping carts. Nobody’s loading up. Why? Because it’s a layover, not a destination.

Christian, this world is your layover—not your forever home. Don’t get too comfy. Don’t disengage either. You're not an immigrant or a tourist. You’re an exile, sent here on purpose, for a purpose, with your eyes on the day your King calls you home.

So yeah, you’ve been set apart by the Spirit—but not for comfort. You’ve been set apart for obedience. You’ve been set apart for a mission. You’ve been set apart in the middle of a world that doesn’t know what to do with you.

Third truth we see:

You Have a Living Hope That Can’t Be Touched

Peter says we have a living hope…through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

And there it is—The anchor that holds when everything else feels like it’s slipping. It’s beautiful.

It’s not from this world. It’s your inheritance in Christ—untouched by death, untouched by disease, untouched by decay. And when you see it for what it really is, when you grasp the weight of it, you realize: it’s worth it. All of it. Every bit of pain, every tear—it’s not wasted. It’s leading to something far more glorious than we can imagine.

Peter says, “I see that inheritance through the resurrection of Jesus.” And man, you gotta sit in that for a second.

Because think about what the resurrection meant for Peter.

Peter’s darkest day—the bottom fell out when Jesus died. He had bet the whole farm on Jesus being the Messiah. Left his boat, walked away from the family business, followed Jesus with everything he had. But then…Friday came. And Jesus was arrested. Crucified. Dead. Buried. Peter’s whole world collapsed.

He was so crushed, so full of shame, he denied even knowing Jesus. Three times. That Friday night and all day Saturday? Utter despair. Hopelessness. The dream was dead. Jesus was dead.

But then…Sunday came. Glory to God, Sunday came!

Peter runs to the tomb and it’s empty. Jesus shows up—alive. And in that moment, everything changes. Grief gives way to joy. Shame is swallowed up in grace.

The worst day of his life becomes the setup for the best day in history. Peter realizes—God had a plan the whole time. Yeah, Friday and Saturday were real. They were raw. But Sunday rewrote the story.

Peter sees that we all, right now, are living in a kind of Saturday. We are exiles. But that time is brief and the joy of resurrection Sunday is coming.

JRR Tolkien, who guided CS Lewis to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, wrote the Lord of the Rings- best described the resurrection as a time when “every sad thing becomes untrue.” (Sam says this in Lord of the Rings.)

There is a great Sunday morning in eternity where all sad things come untrue; you are reunited with a lost child; disease is taken away; there is no more pain and crying and God wipes away every tear.

Here’s another thing Peter saw in the resurrection—don’t miss this: on the day that looked like God was doing the least, He was actually doing the most.

The day Jesus was nailed to a cross, when the sky went dark and hope seemed lost—that was the greatest day in human history. And nobody saw it coming.

It didn’t just turn out okay in the end.

No—God was using what looked like total defeat as the very means of victory. The cross wasn’t a detour in the plan. It was the plan. That’s how God works—He takes the mess, the heartbreak, the “where are You, God?” moments, and weaves them into something beautiful.

Now imagine this: what if you started seeing your life through the lens of the cross and the resurrection?

What if you really believed that Sunday morning is coming?

That one day, all the pain, all the tears, all the sorrow—it’s gonna be rolled back.

That there’s a day on the horizon when, like Tolkien said, all the sad things come untrue. You’ve got an inheritance waiting—one that death can’t steal, disease can’t touch, and time can’t fade.

And what if—just what if—you started to believe that even the hardest parts of your story are being used by God to prepare you for that glory?

you know what it would do? It would give you hope.

So, when the hardships come we can consider it all joy.

and let’s just be real for a second—life is hard. You don’t have to live long on this broken planet to find that out.

Pain, disappointment, betrayal, anxiety, suffering… it’s part of the human experience. And Peter’s writing this letter to believers who are scattered and suffering, and he has the nerve to tell them that even in the midst of their trials, they can still rejoice. That’s crazy.

That’s not because the suffering isn’t real—it is. It’s not because the pain isn’t deep—it is.

But it’s because God is doing something in the trial that you can’t see yet.

Peter says these trials have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus is revealed.

In other words, God is using the fire of your life to refine your faith like a goldsmith uses fire to purify gold. And here’s what I need you to hear: God does not waste pain. Not one ounce of it.

He’s not standing far off wondering how this is going to work out. He is sovereign over the fire, and He is in the fire with you.

Just like Jesus walked through the flames with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, He walks through your suffering, your depression, your confusion, your betrayal. And while the world may only see ashes, God is bringing out gold.

And one day—maybe not now, maybe not even in this life—maybe on the other side of eternity- but one day, when Jesus is revealed, that refined faith will shine. It will result in praise, glory, and honor. Because your trial was never the end of the story. It was preparation for something greater.

-THE BIG PICTURE

So let me pull this whole thing together.

Peter begins this letter not with behavior, but with identity. He wants you to know who you are and what’s been done for you. So what have we seen?

First, you are chosen and set apart by God. You didn’t find Him—He found you. You weren’t left behind—He called you out. The Trinity is at work in your salvation. That means your life is not random. It’s not a mistake. It’s not up for grabs. You are known and loved and sent.

But we are exiles in this world as Heaven is our home.

We have been given a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That means our hope isn’t just wishful thinking—it’s anchored in a person who walked out of the grave. And if Jesus conquered death, there’s nothing He can’t walk us through.

And even our trials are preparing glory. What you’re walking through is not wasted. It’s working something deep into your soul that will last forever. The fire you’re in is not there to destroy you—it’s there to refine you.

And all of it—all of it—is meant to lead you to one place: to the feet of Jesus.

So now, we respond.

Some of you have never surrendered your life to Jesus. You’ve been trying to clean yourself up, or you’ve been running from God, or you’ve been trying to control your own life—but today, you hear the call.

Maybe for the first time, you understand that this Jesus didn’t just live and die—He rose again so that you could have a living hope. He chose you. He loves you. And He’s inviting you to surrender.

And listen, if that’s you—right now is your moment. You don’t need to know all the theology. You just need to know that Jesus is Lord, and you’re not. And you’re tired of running, and you’re ready to say yes. So I want to invite you—during this next song, or even right now—to come forward. Raise your hand. Talk to someone on our team. We’re ready for you. Say yes to Jesus.

And for the rest of us—maybe you’re already a believer, but God is calling you deeper. Maybe you’ve forgotten who you are. Maybe you’ve let your hope get wrapped up in stuff that can spoil and fade. Maybe you’re in a trial right now, and you’ve been asking God to take it away, but tonight you realize He’s using it to refine you.

And so this is a time to consecrate. To say, “God, whatever You want to do, I’m in. Even in the fire—I trust You.”

Come to the altar. Kneel where you are. Lift your hands. Let’s respond to the Spirit of God. Let’s stop playing church and actually be the Church.

Don’t leave this place the same way you came in.

Lets pray

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the truth of Your Word. Thank You that before the foundations of the world, You saw us, You chose us, and You loved us. Thank You that we are not forgotten, not forsaken, and not left to figure this life out on our own.

Jesus, thank You for the cross and the empty tomb. Thank You that our hope is not dead or buried, but alive and reigning, because You are alive and reigning. In a world full of broken promises and temporary treasures, You are our living hope.

And God, for every person here walking through pain, confusion, or the fire of trial—remind them that You are not far away. You are close. You are refining. You are working all things for Your glory and for our good. Give us faith that holds, even when life shakes.

Holy Spirit, stir in our hearts. For those who need to surrender their lives to Jesus—give them courage to move, to speak, to respond. For those You are calling deeper—into faith, into obedience, into healing—let this be a moment of consecration, where we lay it all at Your feet.

Lord, we don't want to just hear the Word—we want to live it. We don’t want to leave unchanged. So seal this Word in our hearts. Let it bear fruit in our lives. And let the name of Jesus be glorified in everything we do.