1 Peter 1:1-12 Living Full of Hope
1 Peter • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Scripture: Mark Esola
Intro:
The story began one summer’s day toward the end of the nineteenth century when an English city boy was on a visit to rural Scotland.
That afternoon the boy went swimming in a small countryside lake. After swimming quite a distance from shore, a severe cramp seized him so that he could not continue swimming. He was in great pain and soon cried out at the top of his voice for help.
A farm boy working in a nearby field heard the city boy’s screams and ran as fast as he could to the lake. There the farm boy threw off his shirt, dived into the water, swam to the imperiled city boy, and brought him safely to the shore.
Several years later the two boys met again. The city boy, still filled with gratitude that the other boy had saved his life, was thrilled to see the farm boy again and asked him what career the boy had decided to pursue.
The farm boy said he had chosen a career in medicine. Since the city boy’s parents were quite wealthy and were greatly indebted to the other boy for saving their son’s life, upon hearing of the farm boy’s career choice they immediately promised to pay for his medical education. They followed through on their promise and the young man went on to have a brilliant career in scientific investigation.
In 1928 that farm boy, then both a physician and bacteriologist, discovered the famous wonder drug penicillin.
In 1945 he shared the Nobel prize with two other scientists for the discovery and development of that antibiotic. That Scottish farm boy turned scientific researcher, who died in 1955, was Alexander Fleming.
The rescued city boy also gained great renown. During World War II he contracted a life-threatening case of pneumonia. He recovered at a hospital after receiving penicillin, which meant that indirectly the one-time farm boy Alexander Fleming had saved his life twice.
The city boy’s name was Winston Churchill, the famous wartime British prime minister and world statesman. Interestingly, just like Fleming, Churchill won a Nobel prize.
Today we start the epistle of 1 Peter
In this letter Peter wants us to live a life full of hope because of the salvation Jesus offers us
The key verse in this passage as well as the book
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,
Hope for the Journey vs. 1-2
Hope for the Journey vs. 1-2
We can live with hope because Jesus gives us hope for the journey
What journey is Peter talking about?
Paul is writing this letter to exiles of the dispersion
Another word for exiles here is pilgrims
The idea behind the word pilgrims is of someone who lives as a temporary resident in a foreign land.
Pilgrims are sojourners and travelers, and pilgrims live in constant awareness of their true home.
These are Jews all over the Roman empire, but especially to those who have been expelled out of Jerusalem
He wanted to give them hope as they waited for the return of Jesus Christ
They were strangers in a strange land and needed encouragement
Peter’s word in this letter would’ve given them hope
Peter
He was not merely an apostle.
Peter was an important and influential man in the early church.
Peter’s name is mentioned in the gospels more than anyone except the name of Jesus.
No one speaks in the gospels as often as Peter did, and Jesus spoke more to Peter than to any other individual.
Jesus also rebuked Peter more than any other disciple.
Peter was the only disciple who dared to rebuke Jesus.
Peter confessed Jesus more boldly and accurately than any other disciple.
Peter denied Jesus more forcefully and publicly than any other disciple.
Jesus praised Peter more than any other disciple.
Jesus addressed Peter as Satan alone among the disciples.
Peter shows us three areas we can get hope
First, in the knowledge of God
The more we get to know God, the more sure we are of our salvation
Second, in the person and work of the Holy Spirit
He sanctifies us, which means to make us more like Jesus
Finally, we get hope thru our obedience to Jesus
But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
Those help us as we are on our journey to our forever home, heaven
Jesus’ Hope is Imperishable vs. 3-5
Jesus’ Hope is Imperishable vs. 3-5
We can live full of hope because the hope Jesus gives us is imperishable
Peter blesses God because of his great mercy
The great mercy is that we have been born again
Our sins were placed on Jesus at the cross and when he was resurrected from the grave, salvation was made available to everyone who puts their faith in Jesus
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
When we take that step of faith, we are filled with a living hope
That hope stems from a savior who isn’t dead
he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
Also part of that living Hope is an inheritance that is imperishable
When we accept Jesus as our savior we are adopted into the family of God
We instantly become co-heirs, with Jesus, of the riches and fullness of God
Heaven will be a glorious place, but what will make it perfect is that the fullness of God will be in us
We will be transformed into our perfect bodies and filled with God’s perfect love
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
This will all be revealed in the last days, but while we wait we are filled with a living hope
Our Hope is Tried & True vs. 6-9
Our Hope is Tried & True vs. 6-9
We can live with hope because it is tried and true
Hope would be meaningless unless it was tried and found real
Peter addresses the struggles that many in the dispersion are going through
He acknowledges that they have been grieved by the trials
He then encourages them that those trials test you faith and make it genuine
Just as fire purifies precious metals, so too do trials produce genuine faith
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
Trials expose those who has fake faith
Trials also strengthens the faith of those who truly believe
When our faith is tested it gives us hope because it means our faith is real
God’s purpose in testing is to display the enduring quality of our faith.
The result of that faith and hope produces worship in our hearts
Our Hope Is for Today vs. 10-12
Our Hope Is for Today vs. 10-12
Our Hope is living because it is for today
WE can live full of hope because the prophets testified of it
They wanted to see the Messiah come
They wanted to experience the salvation of the Lord, but they knew they were speaking to a future people
Much of the teaching of the Apostles was on the backs of the OT prophets
It was important to Peter – and to all the New Testament writers – to demonstrate that their teaching was no novelty, but that it was testified beforehand by the prophets.
Understanding this made salvation so much greater in the mind of Peter’s afflicted readers.
WE can have hope today because it was prophesied by the prophets, fulfilled by Jesus Christ, and lives in the saints of today
