Your Life with Hope

The school system in a large city had a program to help children keep up with their school work during stays in the city’s hospitals. One day a teacher who was assigned to the program received a routine call asking her to visit a particular child. She took the child’s name and room number and talked briefly with the child’s regular class teacher. “We’re studying nouns and adverbs in his class now,” the regular teacher said, “and I’d be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn’t fall too far behind.”

The hospital program teacher went to see the boy that afternoon. No one had mentioned to her that the boy had been badly burned and was in great pain. Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, “I’ve been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs.” When she left she felt she hadn’t accomplished much. But the next day, a nurse asked her, “What did you do to that boy?” The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize. “No, no,” said the nurse. “You don’t know what I mean. We’ve been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He’s fighting back, responding to treatment. It’s as though he’s decided to live.”

Two weeks later the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everything changed when he came to a simple realization. He expressed it this way: “They wouldn’t send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?”

We are continuing today in our series titled “Alive in Hope” as we work our way through the book of 1 Peter, so if you would like to be turning there that would be terrific.

Last week we discussed who Peter is writing to, Christians who he calls elect exiles of the Dispersion, that is Christians who are facing hardships and persecutions not only by the Jews but also by the Roman Government, and how Peter starts this letter by reminding them exactly what they have come to believe, that God according to His great mercy has caused them, and us too by the way, to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Therefore…

You have received news of the salvation that the prophets wrote about and looked for!

They, the prophets, looked forward to a time and a person which they didn’t have the luxury of knowing, but that they were serving YOU, US, in revealing what you now know about Jesus Christ, you know his sufferings, you know HIS glory in being raised from the dead and ascending to the right hand of God, And that is no small bit of information, it’s information which even the angels long to know about.

Do we truly view the good news of the Gospel that way? I mean here we have revealed to us in the pages of this book things in which angels long to look, and how often to we pick it up and read it from day to day?

Now Peter says, because you have this information. This glorious, brilliant, and wonderful good news of the gospel, What will you do with it?

Preparing your minds for ACTION

Literally, gird up the loins of your mind.

Hike up your leg coverings and prepare for action!

As I see it, Peter here says the opposite of what has been 2 of the most often encountered mindsets of some who come to Christ for so long.

Peter here says the opposite of what has been the mindset of some who come to Christ for so long.

1. “I’ve been saved, I’ve been baptized, I’ve put into place my spiritual insurance policy, so now I’m just going to continue to live my life the way that I’ve always lived, sure I may go to church every once in a while, but will my life really be much different than it has always been? Nope!”

2. A Problem that perhaps existed in Thessalonica as recorded in .

2 Thessalonians 3:6–12 ESV

6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

2 Thess 3:6-

It appears that some in the church there in Thessalonica had the mindset that since they are saved and since the Lord is coming soon, that there was no need to work. “We’ll just sit idly by until he comes”

THIS LIFE MATTERS!

Seriously consider what pleases God.

4. As obedient Children. v.14

John 14:15 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

A Hope filled life is a holy life!

Revelation 7:15–17 ESV

15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Rev 7:

Your Life with Hope

Recap of last week

Therefore…

Preparing your minds for ACTION

Sober Minded -Serious minded

Set Your Hope FULLY on the Grace that will be brought

A Hope filled life is a holy life!