Praise is what I do - part 2

·         Open your Bibles to 1 Peter 1:3-5 and stand with me.

·         This is what the Lord says

1 Peter 1:3-5
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. ESV

·         Continuing with the subject that ‘as God’s elect, praise is what we do!’

·         Even though we are seen on the various mass media outlets and our buildings are in different neighborhoods and communities, other than on Sunday most of the church is very quiet

·         Let me go further and say even on Sunday most of the church is very quiet

·         And some of that is because expressions like ‘praise is what we do’ and ‘praise is who we are’ are very good expressions when they are attached to music but they quickly become forgotten words when attached to the realities of life in this world

·         I looked at this supporting Scripture last week and was convicted and blessed

·         Sister Geraldine and I looked at it again in our Bible study time this week and again convicted and blessed; listen

Ephesians 1:15-23
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. ESV

·         Do you see and hear it?

·         In order for us to really say as God’s elect, praise is what we do, not only must the preaching be specific, but the prayer must be specific

·         That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

·         Not your mind’s eye but the eyes of your hearts enlightened

·         Paul says that I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers

·         We as the leadership must do that!

·         You as the follow-ship must do that!

·         As God’s elect, we must do that!

·         God has caused us to be born again to a family where there is an inheritance

·         Let me say at the start, the first century Christians got us beat on this.

·         Most of you sitting here today or listening to this have an educational knowledge of the word ‘inheritance’ but for many if not all of you this word has no place in your practical knowledge

·         Let me ask it this way, what have you inherited?  From a practical position.  What was left to you?

·         And what if anything are you leaving as an inheritance?  What will you leave for your children and grandchildren?

·         And because this is so foreign to us, we may question what’s all of the shouting about?  I’m living paycheck to paycheck the only thing I can leave are these unpaid bills!

·         In Scripture we see land as one of the primary examples of an inheritance

·         Land was kept in the family by passing it on as an inheritance

·         The family business was passed along an inheritance to the son or daughter

·         An inheritance is something of value, quality, or character passed on and received from a parent or grandparent to their son, daughter or grandchild.

·         Peter informs the elect of the dispersion that even though they may have lost all of their worldly possessions, God has caused them to be born again into His family and He has given a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance.

·         The elect of the twenty-first century has an inheritance just like our brothers and sisters of the first century

·         In other words there is something of value, quality, and character waiting for you. 

·         It’s got your name on it and it’s yours all yours!

·         There is blessings in the songs we sing when the words reach out hearts.

·         I’ve got a home over in glory and it’s mine all mine!

·         Is praise what we do?

·         If inheritance is tough to understand and comprehend then my next point or reason is just as difficult

·         This inheritance is so wonderful that Peter can only describe it by what it is not

·         An inheritance that is imperishable (free from death or decay, indestructible, and enduring).

·         An inheritance that is undefiled (free from uncleanness or impurities, never dirty, polluted from or by anything)

·         An inheritance that is unfading (free from natural wear and tire of time, not becoming dull or dim, not losing freshness, vigor, strength, or health)

·         An inheritance that is untouched by death, unstained by evil, unimpaired by time

·         Even if I have an inheritance, I can’t make those claims about it

·         This is so wonderful that I can’t imagine something like this and thus Peter says what it is not

·         The next praise reason make this clear; kept in heaven for you

·         I may not look like much now but one day someday I’m going home!

·         There will be peace over there

·         Joy over there

·         No more pain and suffering over there

·         Can it be lost?  No!

·         Can I become lost from it ?  No!

·         Will there be a mix up?  No!

·         Will it be argued in court?  No!

·         Do I deserve it?  Again No!

·         Why is that preacher?

·         Because as the elect “you who by God’s power (not man’s power and especially my power) are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

·         Whatever your Eschatology here is the bottom line

·         Speak to the young people about this.