Living Hope - 1 Peter 1:1-25

Doug Hull

1 Peter • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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What is hope? Wishful thinking? Blind faith of an unreachable outcome?… many Christians treat salvation this way.

Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude VII. Teaching Outline

1. Greeting (vv. 1–2)

a. Author—Peter (v. 1)

b. Recipients—Christians living in northern Turkey (v. 1)

c. Greetings (v. 2)

2. Hope for the Disenfranchised (vv. 3–12)

a. Praise for the Christian’s eternal relationship with God through salvation (vv. 3–5)

b. Rejoicing because of our salvation of hope (v. 6)

c. Rejoicing in spite of our suffering (vv. 6–9)

d. Appreciating the grace that has come to us (vv. 10–12)

3. Living Out Holiness in the Midst of Pain (vv. 13–25)

a. Obedience and holiness in our lives (vv. 13–16)

b. Reverent fear in our lives (v. 17)

c. Appreciating our redemption (vv. 18–21)

d. Demonstrating heartfelt love (v. 22)

e. Remembering our new birth (vv. 23–25)

Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude VII. Teaching Outline

1. Greeting (vv. 1–2)

a. Author—Peter (v. 1)

b. Recipients—Christians living in northern Turkey (v. 1)

c. Greetings (v. 2)

2. Hope for the Disenfranchised (vv. 3–12)

a. Praise for the Christian’s eternal relationship with God through salvation (vv. 3–5)

b. Rejoicing because of our salvation of hope (v. 6)

c. Rejoicing in spite of our suffering (vv. 6–9)

d. Appreciating the grace that has come to us (vv. 10–12)

3. Living Out Holiness in the Midst of Pain (vv. 13–25)

a. Obedience and holiness in our lives (vv. 13–16)

b. Reverent fear in our lives (v. 17)

c. Appreciating our redemption (vv. 18–21)

d. Demonstrating heartfelt love (v. 22)

e. Remembering our new birth (vv. 23–25)

Hope is one of the three main elements of Christian characters. Faith, Hope, and Love.

Warren Wiersbe

1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

LIVING HOPE - Phil Wickham

How great the chasm that lay between us How high the mountain I could not climb In desperation, I turned to heaven And spoke Your name into the night Then through the darkness, Your loving-kindness Tore through the shadows of my soul The work is ﬁnished, the end is written Jesus Christ, my living hope

Who could imagine so great a mercy? What heart could fathom such boundless grace? The God of ages stepped down from glory To wear my sin and bear my shame The cross has spoken, I am forgiven The King of kings calls me His own Beautiful Savior, I'm Yours forever Jesus Christ, my living hope

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me You have broken every chain There's salvation in Your name Jesus Christ, my living hope Then came the morning that sealed the promise Your buried body began to breathe Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion Declared the grave has no claim on me Jesus, Yours is the victory, whoa! Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me You have broken every chain There's salvation in Your name Jesus Christ, my living hope

Hope is not a sedative; it is a shot of adrenaline, a blood transfusion. Like an anchor, our hope in Christ stabilizes us in the storms of life; but unlike an anchor, our hope moves us forward, it does not hold us back.” - Warren Wiersbe

The Message of 1 Peter 1. God Establishes Our Hope in Christ (1:3)

Peter writes a letter of hope. The hope he proclaims is not what we call a ‘fond hope’. We cherish fond hopes because they are so fragile. We ‘hope against hope’ because we do not really expect what we hope for. But Peter writes of a sure hope, a hope that holds the future in the present because it is anchored in the past. Peter hopes for God’s salvation, God’s deliverance from sin and death. His hope is sure, because God has already accomplished his salvation in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Peter writes a letter of hope. The hope he proclaims is not what we call a ‘fond hope’. We cherish fond hopes because they are so fragile.

Ill. pulling for the “underdog” in a competition. We ‘hope’ for a pullout victory but we know likely it wont happen. We ‘hope against hope’ because we do not really expect what we hope for.

But Peter writes of a sure hope, a hope that holds the future in the present because it is anchored in the past.

We ‘hope against hope’ because we do not really expect what we hope for. But Peter writes of a sure hope, a hope that holds the future in the present because it is anchored in the past. Peter hopes for God’s salvation, God’s deliverance from sin and death. His hope is sure, because God has already accomplished his salvation in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Peter hopes for God’s salvation, God’s deliverance from sin and death. His hope is sure, because God has already accomplished his salvation in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Background

Book Profile:

A circulating letter to first-century Christians scattered over the northern part of modern Turkey

Delivered or recorded by Silas (5:12), a friend and coworker of the apostle Peter

Sent from Rome identified by the code name Babylon (5:13) code for Rome.. John uses Babylon (Rev 14) to describe the World system under the Anti-Christ.

Written shortly before the outbreak of the Neronian persecution in a.d. 64

Addressed an audience made up of both Jewish and Gentile Christians, with the majority Gentile

Written during a time of political, social, and personal persecution

Emphasizes the reality of suffering in the lives of Christians, but also offers words of encouragement and challenge

Has suffering as a primary theme, mentioning it sixteen times by using eight different Greek terms

Author Profile:

Simon, a fisherman, who followed John the Baptist until his brother Andrew introduced him to Jesus

Name changed to Peter by Jesus, signifying the rock-like character that would ultimately dominate Peter’s personality

Natural leader and spokesperson for the disciples

Impulsive, sometimes selfish, and short-tempered

Emerged as primary figure in the early church after the day of Pentecost

Traveled widely in ministry

Tradition indicates he was crucified upside down in Rome during the persecution by the emperor Nero, around a.d. 68

I. Salvation Was Planned, You Have Been Chosen (vv. 1–2)

1 Peter 1:1–2 ESV

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 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.

SUPPORTING IDEA: God’s plan has always been to choose us to be sanctified by Jesus’ death and to live obedient lives.

God’s plan has always been to choose us to be sanctified by Jesus’ death and to live obedient lives.

Author—Peter (v. 1)

Identifies himself as an “apostle”.

Apostle is: “one of the men chosen by Jesus as his official messengers” Jesus’ official envoy

one of the men chosen by Jesus as his official messengers

Recipients—Christians living in northern Turkey (v. 1)

Peter says he is writing to the “the elect”, “the dispersion”, (even in 2:9 “a chosen race, royal priesthood)

“the elect” has cause great anguish among theologians and faithful bible students like us for many years. The issue is how do we tie human responsibility/will with that of an omnipotent, omnipresent God?

Think of it this way:

John 6:44 ESV

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

So did James

James 1:1 ESV

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.

We are chosen, sanctified, and redeemed (v. 2)

“According to the foreknowledge” What does this mean? Does God know exactly what will happen at any given moment?

Peter linked their scattering to the foreknowledge of God. Peter is establishing with the reader that God KNEW their situation would happen the way it did.

Peter linked their scattering to the foreknowledge of God. In other words, the difficulties God’s people face do not surprise God. God the Father knows about everything his chosen people face.

In other words, the difficulties God’s people face do not surprise God. God the Father knows about everything his chosen people face, and according to scripture, He has always known them.

“According to the foreknowledge of God the Father” also suggests that all we go through is “according to God’s fatherly care.” God knew our circumstances of pain before the world began and cares for us in accordance with his fatherly care.

“through the sanctifying work of the Spirit” - Even in the midst of pain, the Holy Spirit is molding, shaping, and growing believers. The Holy Spirit is turning every circumstance, every sorrow, every hardship into a tool of spiritual maturing.

Even in the midst of pain, the Holy Spirit is molding, shaping, and growing believers. The Holy Spirit is turning every circumstance, every sorrow, every hardship into a tool of spiritual maturing.

through the sanctifying work of the Spirit

II. Living Hope for the Disenfranchised (vv. 3–12)

I used this word specifically to remind us that we are not citizens of this world. As a “chosen” people we are disenfranchised from a world hell bent on evil and destruction. We spend most of our time building a name for ourselves rather than building a name for the one who chose us.

1 Peter 1:3–12 ESV

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. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 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. 8 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, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 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.

God the Father has given us who believe a living hope as a result of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Realize salvation is eternal (vv. 3–5)

What in verse 3 indicates the reason for us being able to have salvation? (…by His great mercy)

This being born anew is by his great mercy, a phrase with the same preposition (kata) as ‘according to the foreknowledge’ (v. 2). No foreknowledge of the fact that we would believe, no foreseeing of any desirableness or merit on our part, is mentioned here or anywhere else in Scripture when indicating God’s ultimate reason for our salvation. It is simply ‘according to his great mercy’ that he gave us new life.

(v4) The inheritance is kept in heaven for you.

the inheritance is kept in heaven for you. The form of the verb ‘kept’ (perfect passive participle) indicates a completed past activity (by God) with results that are still continuing in the present: God himself has ‘stored up’ or ‘reserved’ this inheritance in heaven for believers and it continues to be there, ‘still reserved’ for them. (Contrast the use of the same verb ‘kept’ in ; cf. .)

The form of the verb ‘kept’ (perfect passive participle) indicates a completed past activity (by God) with results that are still continuing in the present:

This means: God himself has ‘stored up’ or ‘reserved’ this inheritance in heaven for believers and it continues to be there, ‘still reserved’ for them.

(v5) Peter’s readers (and us) may have been anxious about whether they would have strength to remain faithful to Christ if persecution or suffering became more intense. He assures them that they are people who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Peter’s readers may have been anxious about whether they would have strength to remain faithful to Christ if persecution or suffering became more intense. He assures them that they are people who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Rejoice because our salvation is precious (v. 6)

This kind of Fatherly care should make us rejoice!

This joyous response occurs even in the midst of grief caused by suffering through all kinds of trials.

Focus on the gravity of the occasion:

Christians were wrapped in freshly slaughtered animal skins and fed to dogs and wild animals.

They were dipped in pitch or tar and set on fire as torches to light Nero’s gardens at night.

This persecution was the first of nine that took place under the Roman Empire during the next 250 years.

Peter himself very likely died during this first persecution.

What then is our excuse for grumbling and complaining?

The Message of 1 Peter 3. Joy through Trials in Christ Our Hope (1:6–9)

The whole nature of suffering is changed for the Christian when he realizes that his anguish brings honour to Christ.

“The whole nature of suffering is changed for the Christian when he realizes that his anguish brings honour to Christ.” John Stott

The whole nature of suffering is changed for the Christian when he realizes that his anguish brings honour to Christ.

Rejoice in spite of our suffering (vv. 6–9)

Why does God allow this suffering to occur?

Faith is being proved genuine through the trials.

Why does God allow this suffering to occur? Faith is being proved genuine through the trials. One purpose of trials is to sift out what is genuine in a person’s faith. Followers of God, in both the Old and New Testaments, know that God uses trying circumstances to test the hearts and lives of his people in order to mature them spiritually. Through difficulties God often tests whether our faith is genuine.

One purpose of trials is to sift out what is genuine in a person’s faith.

Followers of God, in both the Old and New Testaments, know that God uses trying circumstances to test the hearts and lives of his people in order to mature them spiritually.

Through difficulties God often tests whether our faith is genuine.

“The whole nature of suffering is changed for the Christian when he realizes that his anguish brings honour to Christ.” John Stott

Appreciating the promised grace that has come to us (vv. 10–12)

The next three verses (vv. 10–12) attempt to increase our appreciation for the great salvation we enjoy in Jesus Christ.

We e

The next three verses (vv. 10–12) attempt to increase our appreciation for the great salvation we enjoy in Jesus Christ. The spiritual blessings believers now experience are greater than anything the Old Testament prophets or even the angels imagined.

The spiritual blessings believers now experience are greater than anything the Old Testament prophets or even the angels imagined.

In their searching for more, they discovered that Jesus would first of all suffer and only then would glory follow.

The pattern seen in the life of Christ is, in fact, the pattern of our lives.

In their searching for more, they discovered that Jesus would first of all suffer and only then would glory follow. The pattern seen in the life of Christ is, in fact, the pattern of our lives. Our suffering is not a sign that Christ has betrayed us, or that he is no longer concerned about us, or that he has abdicated his throne. Our suffering is a sign of our fellowship with the resurrected Lord, who first suffered for us. Suffering, in some respects, becomes a sign of the glory that is to follow in our lives when we enter the presence of Christ in heaven.

Our suffering is not a sign that Christ has betrayed us, or that he is no longer concerned about us, or that he has abdicated his throne.

Our suffering is a sign of our fellowship with the resurrected Lord, who first suffered for us.

Suffering, in some respects, becomes a sign of the glory that is to follow in our lives when we enter the presence of Christ in heaven.

Think about this! Believers in Christ are the heirs of the full message of the prophets. The least disciple of Jesus Christ is in a better position to understand Old Testament revelation than the greatest prophet before Christ came.

Believers in Christ are the heirs of the full message of the prophets. The least disciple of Jesus Christ is in a better position to understand Old Testament revelation than the greatest prophet before Christ came.

Conclusion

Our living hope, our great salvation does not simply impact the future; it is to mark the way we live today, particularly when we experience suffering and pain.

LIVING HOPE - Phil Wickham CCLI #7106807

Obedience and holiness in our lives (vv. 13–16)

Reverent fear in our lives (v. 17)

Appreciating our redemption (vv. 18–21)

Demonstrating heartfelt love (v. 22)

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me You have broken every chain There's salvation in Your name Jesus Christ, my living hope

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free

Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There's salvation in Your name Jesus Christ, my living hope

Remembering our new birth (vv. 23–25)

Then came the morning that sealed the promise Your buried body began to breathe Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion Declared the grave has no claim on me

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