1 Peter 1:3-5 Perseverance

Perseverance

Sermon Title: Perseverance

Text:1 Peter 1:3-5:

Introduction:

Basic Training:

US Army is a formidable fighting force.

Soldiers start in BCT. For the soldier, BCT appears to be chaos for the first couple of weeks.

Army has a detailed plan to develop soldiers and fighting formations and the results are good.

The Plan and purpose of God. Perseverance of the Saints. Trinity.

God is always intentional.

Question: Can we lose our salvation?

Answer: If we have faith in Christ, we cannot lose our salvation.

Exhortation: We are called not only to faith, but to fulfillment in God’s plan. We need to actively seek God’s will through His word, circumstances, the counsel of Godly people, and prayer.

Transition: Who saved us, why did He save us, what is the only possible result?

First Point: Who saved us?

1 Pet 1:3

1 Peter 1:3 NASB95

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Explanation:

Eulogetos – Blessed, adorable

God and Father – has caused this (via the Holy Spirit). The Triune God made this happen.

How is God blessed? Doesn’t He bless us? He is blessed by Himself – by the wonder of His divine nature. We bless Him by praising Him

1 Chronicles 29:10–11 NASB95

So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.

1 Pet 1:3

1 Peter 1:3vi NASB95

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

according to His great mercy

Caused us to be born again. “ according to his mercy he hath begotten us again”.

Father loved and chose us, Son redeemed us, Holy Spirit gave us faith and compelled us.

Recall discussion of the elect

birth and rebirth are not a matter of choice. We are chosen.

Birth and rebirth are God’s action, not our own. Who birthed themselves?

To a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Facts we can verify: We are truly blessed, as we have the hope of eternal life as God demonstrated through the resurrection. When we identify with Christ, we have hope and assurance of our resurrection because of His.

Focusing on the spiritual joy we are blessed with, helps take our focus off the cares of the flesh.

Illustration: Levites. We are a priesthood of believers. The Levites were called and separated, so are we.

Argumentation: All intentional, nothing left to chance.

The world says everything is left to chance, from our creation until our death.

Application:

No matter the difficulty, Christians are safe and secure in the hands of the Lord to eternal life.

Our lives on earth, our earthly possessions are worthless in comparison to the glorious eternity we have reserved in heaven.

We need to keep our eye on our spiritual blessings, as the concerns of the flesh can be depressing.

Exhortation: Focusing on the flesh and the world will take us into the ditch. Its about our decision calculus: Follow God’s word and God’s way – not the world, no matter the apparent risks.

Second Point: Why did he save us?

1 Peter 1:4

1 Peter 1:4 NASB95

to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

Explanation:

Separating sheep from goats.

Matt 25:34

Matthew 25:34 (NASB95)

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Peter is feeding his lambs.

John 21:17

John 21:17 NASB95

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.

Acts 20:32

Acts 20:32 NASB95

“And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Hebrews 9:15

Hebrews 9:15 NASB95

For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Our inheritance from God. We are His sheep – His resources and blessings are beyond anything we can imagine.

We become the stewards of heavenk?

Contrast: Our parents die that we might inherit. We die that we might obtain God’s inheritance.

Illustration:

My inheritance from Dad. This was important to him – even though an unbeliever. Helped us buy our home .

Dan’s inheritance from us. We want to provide for him and his family. We cannot do much, really.

Disinheriting.

Argumentation:

Atheism and secularism, all occurs randomly, this is what comes when we get away from the Word.

When we reject the Bible, everything in the end becomes irrational. We cannot understand what is going on. The problem of evil – the wrath of God heresies – God is irrational (wrong interpretation of much of the OT).

Atheism – are we here for no reason?

Application:

Many here have no earthly inheritance, but all of us can have an eternal inheritance - a stake in heaven.

John 14:1-3

John 14:1–3 ““Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

This is God’s truth: God has recruited us for a mission, will keep us safe, and promises us a blessed eternity. If God is with us, who can be against us?

Exhortation: Fear not the world. Serve God where you are, as He has provided, according to His Word and His will.

Third Point: What is the only possible result of our Christian faith, of God’s salvation?

1 Peter 1:5

1 Peter 1:5 NASB95

who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Explanation: This is a promise God from the OT and the NT.

Most detailed expression:

Romans 8:31-39

Romans 8:31–39 (NASB95)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Illustration: Insurance policy but better. With an insurance policy, you win of you lose and you lose if you win. With God’s protection, you win no matter what. You cannot lose your insurance and you are guaranteed eternal life. Buying yourself insurance is prudent, for your family, but the insurance that comes with faith in the Lord is infinitely better.

Argumentation:

An ungodly world – mock Christians, Mock Christ.

Muslim view – its all about power and works. Might makes right

God helps those who cannot help themselves.

Application: Making Jesus your friend won’t save you. Walking an aisle won’t save you or preserve you. Doing more good than bad will never be enough to make you holy enough for God’s presence. Those who are saved, who are chosen, are those who turn to Christ in faith.

Exhortation: We are saved for a purpose. We are bought with a price. We are not our own, we are God’s. Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Conclusions/Lessons:

We are called not only to faith, but to fulfillment in God’s plan. We need to actively seek God’s will through His word, circumstances, the counsel of Godly people, and prayer.

When we find ourselves in trouble, we need to focus on the things above – the objective of our faith.

Gospel appeal

Has the Lord “caused you” to be born again? Do you have the kind of “insurance” only God can provide?

Is Christ the Lord of your life?

1 Cor 15:3-4

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 NASB95

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Romans 10:9

Romans 10:9 NASB95

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

Pray.