Standing Strong
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 39:39
0 ratings
· 14 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?
Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.
I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.
For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,
To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.
As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,
who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher,
which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
For communion:
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’?
Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’?
Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?
So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ ”
Born Again to a Living Hope
1 Peter 1. For context, today’s focus on 1-12
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
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.
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,
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
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.
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,
obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,
inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
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.
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.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
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,
knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
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.
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
The Letter’s Author and Recipient:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
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.
Peter, and apostle of Jesus Christ
Apostle: Sent one.
(Objections from those who say the writing is too refined for a fisherman). But Peter in scripture gave such powerful speeches or sermons that they were amazed at him. Act4.13
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
Just because someone hasn’t been to college doesn’t mean they cannot learn to read and write very well. Example: AW Tozer, probably quoted this very morning from thousands of pulpits because of the beautiful way he described theology and doctrine, was largely a self-taught man.
There is no reason to think that Peter, just because he was a fisherman, could not have been a brilliant orator and writer. Peter is the writer of this letter.
To who was this letter? The elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. That is already a large geographical area, mostly in what today is the nation of Turkey.
Listing this many specific locations indicates Peter expected this letter to be read by or read to many believers for their edification and to spur them on in the faith. But really, Peter was writing to all believers who would come after as well, including a congregation gathered on Oct 5, 2025 in Wellington, Florida.
To the elect exiles: Christians are exiles. We are so different from the world around us that we are like foreigners living in a strange land. David Helm:
1 & 2 Peter and Jude—Sharing Christ’s Sufferings Exiles of the Dispersion
As the letter unfolds, it will become clear to us that Peter believes that his readers are exiles of a different sort. Their exilic identity has nothing to do with ancient Israel’s sin—or their own. Their exilic state is not the result of disobedience to God. In fact, all the evidence in the letter demonstrates that they were living faithful and fruitful lives in obedience to Christ (1:2). For Peter then—and this is most important—the phrase “exiles of the dispersion” depicts the normative state of any follower of Jesus, so long as he or she remains in this world.5
1 & 2 Peter and Jude—Sharing Christ’s Sufferings An Opening Word of Encouragement
Many Christians today have trouble sorting out the complexity of their identity in Christ. They were reared to believe that a Christian should only experience the joys of being one of God’s elect. They have been taught nothing of our exilic state. With three simple words in the opening of this letter, Peter has given us the biblical corrective. We are “the elect exiles of the dispersion.”
For many years in this nation, Christians did not feel much like exiles. However, as the influence of the church has given way to secular humanism and moral therapeutic deism, true believers in many areas understand this very clearly, that we are indeed exiles in this world, our values come in conflict with the broader world. Example: jury selection.
How did these readers become elect exiles? According to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Chosen By God
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.
This is a Trinitarian statement.
Salvation is a work of the entire Trinity. That should comfort you and bring you joy!
The Father had foreknowledge, chose those he would save before the beginning of time, the Spirit works in us to regenerate our souls and causes us to believe so that even the faith we have is a gift from God, and Jesus the Son’s blood shed on the cross brings the Atonement for our sins. This plan was perfect and is effective for all who call upon the name of the Lord, who are included in those referred to in scripture as the elect.
And to those elect, Peter begins his letter:
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,
Yes, Peter begins with praise! We will see throughout this letter that Peter is intimately aware of suffering. The suffering of Jesus in his ministry and passion, and the suffering of His followers who are exiles in the world.
According to his great mercy. Isn’t this mercy great? All humans will either receive justice or mercy. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is no one righteous, no, not one. So without God providing a way of salvation, we are utterly lost and doomed to suffer under the wrath of God for all eternity because of our cosmic treason against a holy God who is the creator, who has the right to make the rules, and we have defied him.
But for some, mercy. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again. He has caused! We get no credit for our own salvation. All we contributed to the equation is the sin that we brought. But according to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again. He gets all the credit, all the glory, for our salvation.
This gives us that living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We are born again to this living hope. and..
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
1 & 2 Peter and Jude—Sharing Christ’s Sufferings An Eternal Inheritance
• “Imperishable” means “not able to be destroyed.”
• “Undefiled” means “not polluted.”
• “Unfading” means “not subject to decay.”
Contrast this inheritance to our condition before Christ, and to the condition of many who do not know Christ. There is no one worthy of this salvation.
In contrast, Peter tells us that our inheritance is unlike the world we live in. It is unlike the world we know. In the book of Revelation we get a glimpse as to why this is and how this can be so. In
He is worthy. I love the song, “Is He worthy?” Which asks a series of questions and arrives at that beautiful, concise answer: “HE IS!”
So we who are in Christ have this inheritance, and to receive that inheritance, he preserves us in the faith to the end. Peter conitinues to say of believers: 1Pet1.5
who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
We are sealed in this faith, we have the promise, the guarantee. The Holy Spirit, when one believes, has sealed them. They are guarded through faith.
And because of this great salvation, that combines mercy and faith and gives us a guaranteed future, the Christian should rejoice, even though their present life may not be all that perfect and sweet:
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
Peter is writing to Christians who face suffering. Many of them faced daily suffering. And not like we often think we are suffering. How minor many of our complaints about life are! I can’t believe what happened today! cut off in traffic, wrong price rung up at the cash register, car battery died, needed to call the plumber.
Peter is writing to people who faced real persecution. In fact, to some who received this letter, it may have been daily threats against their health or life itself, simply for rejecting the culture they were in and standing on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Simply for being exiles in the world.
Yet, there is a purpose for these trials; 1Pet1.7
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.
Even though we are preserved in the faith, sealed by the Holy Spirit, we are given tests. These trials test our faith.
Trials bring us to trust more. And when a Christian has endured a trial, whether great or small, and makes it through, and still has their faith, they can rejoice to realize that there is one more evidence of the genuineness of their faith. One more experience they can look back on and marvel that the Lord has brought them through, and they still believe!
And for the false convert, or the fire insurance customer, who really wanted just to have a get out of hell free card, they will not make it through the trial. If one does not have genuine faith, rather than the trial increasing their love for Christ and faithin him, they will wander away from the faith, or grow bitter over their circumstances, and in some cases even become enemies of the church.
Many believers have seen these evidences, both of genuine faith, and those who seemed to have faith, but circumstances caused them to leave it. There are people in churches that have seemed to have faith, but it was never genuine. Then something happens that makes it clear to the others that they maybe were never in the faith. Something happens in their life, a trial, that rather than proving their genuineness, exposes that they were never true believers.
John said about people who left the church: 1John2.18-19
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
Trials test the genuineness of our faith. Those who make it through the trials have their faith proven, those who fall away prove they never had genuine faith to begin with. When someone does fall away, we pray for them, encourage them to come back into the faith. Sometimes people fall away temporarily, and come back. The genuineness of their faith may be revealed in the fact that though they tried to flee the ways of Christ, He drew them back. But we may not always know at the time whether someone has completely left or may be drawn back. So we pray and plead.
Peter uses the example of gold being tested by fire. Those who work with gold know that the purification of gold requires heat, heat comes from fire. The gold is melted to see if it is pure, if it is real gold. And when it is proven real, the value of that is shown.
Those found to have made it through the trials, through the purifying fires, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor, not of themselves, but at the revelation of Jesus Christ. In the end, the faithful understand that if they endure, their own faithfulness will be proven to really have been God’s faithfulness.
He will get all the praise and glory and honor. Remember, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit work together in this salvation. It is their work, and we who receive this salvation can only say that it was God’s mercy on me, a sinner.
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,
obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Peter had walked with Jesus, seen him, touched him. But the believers that he wrote to had not. They, wiht us who believe today, are among those whom Jesus told Thomas about. “Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believed”
They love Jesus whom they have not seen, they believe in him and even rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and full of glory. And this is the outcome of our faith. Here in verse 9 we see the already not yet at work.
We use that phrase “already, not yet” to help us understand what happens when people put faith in Jesus. There are benefits to this faith right away, but some of them are “not yet”. But Peter is saying that those who have genuine faith have already obtained the salvation of their souls. The one who puts faith in Jesus is already saved.
Yet they are also being saved, and will be saved. The idea of the salvation being obtained, as Peter puts it, is that true faith is absolute proof of salvation. That salvation is through faith is evident throughout the bible, and also that the faith itself is a gift from God, yet that faith from God, the real faith, the genuine faith, the faith that perseveres to the end, is a continuing evidence that God is the author and finisher of salvation. It is entirely his work, and he alone will get the glory for it.
And this salvation, that we often take for granted having the knowledge of, was veiled to those of the past, and the prophets of old greatly desired to understand it better, as God revealed to them through a mirror.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,
inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
They searched the scriptures, they contemplated what it all meant. They greatly desired to better understand what we have had revealed to us.
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.
The prophets realized they were not the ones who would realize what they foretold, preached, and taught, but that future generations would have it revealed to them. So their work was on our behalf, so that we would have the salvation of God explained to us.
And Peter ends this portion by pointing out that angels long to look into this. That is pretty incredible, too! Angels long to look into the salvation of God for humanity.
Angels of God have been present at the key moments of the history of Salvation, and are fascinated by it.
So we conclude for today with the intro to Peter’s letter, and see that he is encouraging praise, even in the midst of trials. He encourages believers by reminding them of their salvation, which is and incredible act of mercy given to believers.
And all of this, up to verse 12, is to motivate believers to take to heart the rest of his letter. Next week, Lord willing, we will continue at verse 13, which begins with “Therefore”. All that Peter has said through verse 12 is to energize us to consider and believe the rest of the letter.
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.
And as we continue forward from here, may God help us to stand strong in our faith, and allow ourselves to be transformed by the word of God and to be obedient to live for him with boldness as exiles in this world.
