Focus
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Focus
a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity.
close attention or concentration.
the ability to concentrate one’s attention or to sustain concentration.
1 Peter 1:1–5 (KJV 1900)
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Tonight, I want to encourage you as a believer. I want to reiterate three things the Peter uses to strength us as we are scattered under the pressures of this life.
These three things no matter if we are together or apart, we need to focus on God, the Goal, and Guarantee.
1 Peter 1:3 (KJV 1900)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Focus on God
Focus on God
Blessed! We get our english word eulogy from this greek word. It means to praise or speak worthy of.
Which God?
The God that is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The God that created us.
The God that loves us.
The God that redeemed us.
Why Praise or Eulogize God?
Because we were Dead.
Because we were Dead.
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Because God was Merciful:
Because God was Merciful:
His Mercy—
(Ill. deserved hell, received mercy!) (Psa. 86:5)
5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; And plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Philips, Craig and Dean sings a song with chorus
Mercy came running
Like a prisoner set free
Past all my failures
To the point of my need
When the sin that I carried
Was all I could see
And when I could not reach mercy
Mercy came running to me
(Ill. Nothing to offer—“No price in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling!”
He Begotten—
He Begotten—
(Ill. New Birth—John 3:3, 7)
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
(Past sins forever gone, given a fresh new start!)
Ill. The Prodigal Son
His Living Hope—
His Living Hope—
(Ill. the broken and shattered hopes of humanity)
We have a living hope!
How does His resurrection give us the hope of living forever?
By three things.
1) God has proven that He has the power to raise the dead.
2) The fact that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead proves that Jesus Christ is exactly who He claimed to be: the Son of God who came into the world to save men.
3) Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Perfect and Ideal Man who lived a sinless life when He was upon earth.
Since it is a living hope: It grows sweeter with time, it become more beautiful with each passing day!
That is what makes John 3:16 special.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
It was His love for us.
Once we really get a focus on God and what God has provided, then we
Focus on the Goal
Focus on the Goal
1 Peter 1:4 (KJV 1900)
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
An Inheritance—
As children of the King, we share in Christ’s inheritance—
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
We are mentioned in Jesus’ Last Will and Testament and we will share His glory!—
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Incorruptible—
Incorruptible—
Cannot be ruined or destroyed.
(Ill. No invaders!)
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
Undefiled—
Undefiled—
No defects, cannot be stained! (Ill. Sin’s impact on the world. Heaven is untouchable—Rev. 21:4; 21:27!
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Fadeth not away—
Fadeth not away—
Will never wear away! Will require no repairs!
The splendor and beauty of it all—of life and of all the positions and possessions which God shall give us—none of the splendor and beauty shall fade or diminish whatsoever.
Nothing, not even our energy and bodies, shall wear out or waste away.
Reserved-
Reserved-
Where? In Heaven
It is actually being held there by God for us. God is simply waiting for us to finish our task here on earth and to come to Him. Then He will give us our inheritance.
Note a critical point: the persons who are to receive the inheritance are those who have received the mercy of God, been born again, and are trusting the resurrection of Jesus Christ to cover their resurrection (v. 3).
Focus on God, Focus on the Goal but lastly,
Focus on the Guarantee
Focus on the Guarantee
1 Peter 1:5 (KJV 1900)
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
We are Kept—
We are Kept—
(Guarded, garrisoned)
Ill. Our savior and His devotion to the sheep John 10:11!)
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Revelation 21:27 (KJV 1900)
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
(Thank God that He keeps us! We cannot keep ourselves!)
By God’s Power—
By God’s Power—
(Ill. Dunamis!)
(Ill. John 10:27–29)
John 10:27–29 (KJV 1900)
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
To lose one Christian would taint Heaven and rob God of His glory!
Through Faith—
Through Faith—
Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV 1900)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Nothing we did, it was all God and all grace!
What is the result of faith?
Unto salvation—
Unto salvation—
Ill. Saved = To rescue from harm and danger! Not saved if I am in danger any longer!)
(Ill. Has already been determined by God! Rom. 8:29–30; Eph. 2:6)
Romans 8:29–30 (KJV 1900)
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
(Ill. Eph. 1:13–14—
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
We already have God’s promise—We are Heaven bound!)
(Ill. Saved, being Saved and will be saved!)
However, the ultimate goal in not on God, on the Goal, or the Guarantee, but the Ultimate reason we focus on these things is so we will
Focus on Jesus.
Focus on Jesus.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
No matter whether we are scattered or together, if we will focus on these 3 simple things our focus will be on God and will help our putting on the new man.
Do you have this assurance?
