1 Peter 1:1-12 - Where is your home

1 Peter 1:1-12 Your true home Summer Hill Church 9 February 2020 1. Being away from home a. Enforced exile i. I still call Australia Home- VIDEO (1) I remember hearing this over and over again, and I will admit, that even for a heartless man like me, the first few thousand times I heard it, my heart swelled just a little (a) and I felt the call of Australia, familiarity, safety and hope. (i) ‘I’ve been to cities that never close down, To Rio, New York and old London town; But no matter how far and or how wide I roam I still call Australia home!’ (2) We’ve travelled a bit, and it’s great being away, but in the end, there’s nothing quite like being at home is there. ii. but - let me up the ante a bit (1) can you imagine what it is like being an Australian (or any foreigner for that matter) currently quarantined in WuHan because of the coronavirus. (2) I heard an Aussie national being interviewed about what it is like being in lockdown over there, and the heart longing he had to come home. (a) He had missed the first 2 evacuation flights – probably because he was not in the “at risk group” – he was young, with a good social support network in WuHan (3) But he was yearning to be back in Australia, and you can definitely sympathise can’t you - wouldn’t you ache to be back where you belong? iii. and I’m sure that hearing something like I Still Call Australia Home would almost wrench your heart out. (1) and that’s what Peter Allen meant it to do of course. iv. It is a song for people who are aliens and strangers abroad, those who are away from home in foreign lands yearning to coming home. (1) When the world seems hostile and cold and foreign, even dangerous ... it’s good to know where your journey ends ... home here in safe secure Australia ... thanks to Qantas of course! v. and you may have lived overseas and know what it is like to be a stranger abroad, an alien in a foreign land vi. home does seem like such a good place when you are away like that. b. A letter for strangers i. And what the apostle Peter is doing in this letter is similar to what Peter Allen was doing in the song. ii. He is writing to people who are aliens, exiles, strangers abroad in the world. (1) to reassure them that although they are aliens here, they have a home and a future elsewhere. iii. But also to remind them of how to live in this world as aliens and strangers. (1) and encourage them to stand firm and maintain their faith and hope in the face of an often cold and hostile world iv. that is, even though it was written 2000 years ago, it is a letter for us! (1) because their situation is ours … (a) we as Christians today are still strangers, foreigners in the world (b) we still await the coming of the Lord Jesus to take us home (i) we need to know how to live now as strangers in this temporary world … (2) But do we relate to that idea? Do we think of ourselves as strangers and aliens far from home? (a) Or have we gotten so used to living in this world, so comfortable we have lost sight of home and the future and live only for now and this world? (3) All the more reason for us to look closely at 1 Peter and hear the words of encouragement and exhortation to those who are in Christ and strangers in this world. 2. So, 1 Peter ... a letter to strangers a. strange place i. From the very first verse we see a big idea of being strangers in this world (1) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,. v1 ii. Peter, describes himself as ‘an apostle of Jesus Christ’ (1) someone sent by Jesus himself to be his ambassador - as we heard last week about Paul, and us. iii. and those he is writing to are: (1) God’s chosen people scattered in the world, dispersed through (a) Pontus (b) Galatia (c) Cappadocia (d) Asia (e) Bithynia this is essentially modern-day Turkey, Jewish people scattered through Turkey - (f) a long way from Israel iv. many Jews were scattered all over the Roman Empire including these regions (1) and perhaps Peter had visited them here as the Apostle to the Jews b. strange description i. but verse 1-2 also describe them from God’s point of view: ii. - they are God’s elect, (1) who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: v2 iii. they were chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father (1) now made holy, sanctified by work of the Spirit (a) there is a misunderstanding about saints (i) saints are not specially pious or religious people (b) they are God’s chosen people who have the Spirit at work in them (2) and so, we who are believers are all saints - not because we are special - or really pure - but because the Holy Spirit has chosen us, and set us apart for God. He has sanctified us. iv. and called to be obedient to Jesus (i.e. - no longer obedient to the law) v. sprinkled with his blood, under a new covenant, not old covenant of blood like we heard about in Exodus 24 (1) Not looking back to the Jewish temple of animal sacrifice, but to the sacrifice that Jesus made, in his blood, once for all. vi. Peter is writing to Jews who are now Christians, scattered through Roman Asia Minor c. strangers in the world i. he also describes them as being exiles - ‘strangers in the world’ (1) they don’t belong in the world, their home is somewhere else (2) and we will see this idea come up repeatedly through 1 Peter (a) that our identity is not actually as a Roman, or an Australian or even as a Jew (3) Peter is saying - you are not at home, your life belongs somewhere else (a) you belong somewhere else (4) but just like the Jewish people when they were exiles in Babylon 500 years before, they are waiting for the day when God would come and take them home to their promised land ii. but a far greater promise than the Jews in Babylon could have dreamt of. 3. Privileged Strangers a. Seeing the big picture i. So Peter says - realise who you really are - God’s elect - scattered, and not at home.. ii. 1 Peter is about getting the right perspective, getting a grip on reality (1) they may be aliens, exiles, strangers, refugees without a home in this world, persecuted (2) but in reality, they are rich! They are greatly blessed, a privileged people! Like ‘millionaire hobos’! iii. and vv3-12 spell out those riches! (1) being a small minority in a pagan Roman empire, they would have felt very small, very insecure, very discouraged! iv. So, he begins with reminding them of their privileges! b. a living hope v3 i. Begins in v3 with ‘new birth’ (1) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,. v3 ii. they were dead and now are alive, they were without hope but now have hope iii. but now they have been born again (1) and so, they have hope! a living real hope (a) it’s a hope that is assured, because of what has happened in the past iv. It’s solidly grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1) resurrection is a historical reality so their hope is absolutely assured! v. Remember - this is Peter who was there when it happened! (1) When Jesus died on the Cross, Peter’s hopes died with him! (a) He was a man crushed and despondent, a deserter of Jesus (2) But three days later he saw Jesus raised from the dead (3) his hopes were reborn, and he was changed by the resurrection of Christ! (4) and if you are a believer, then you have been raised with him and so have a living hope! c. an imperishable inheritance v4 i. but this birth is not only into a living hope, but also into an imperishable inheritance (1) and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, v4 ii. In the OT, Jewish people looked forward to an inheritance (1) the promised land of Israel (a) but it was never as good as they hoped (2) it had never really been a land flowing with milk and honey (a) invader after invader had ravaged it, it had been defiled and spoilt by idolatry, it had faded and dried up under droughts and famines many times (b) for most of the time they were under foreign domination iii. But this is different - they are assured that through Jesus they have an inheritance which is sure, kept in heaven for them, imperishable, unspoilt, unfading! (1) and an inheritance meant a home - great hope for a homeless people! d. powerful protection i. But not only is their inheritance kept for them, they themselves are kept by God, shielded by God’s power until that final day (1) who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. v5 ii. They are a privileged people because God himself is their powerful protector (1) and you can have no more powerful protector than God. Trust him and he will protect you and keep you in the faith until the last days. (a) Jesus himself promises that in his great commission (i) And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20 (b) God is with you, he will protect you. He will keep you... e. temporary trials (with a purpose) i. But you will notice that although God shields them, that does not mean they are free from trials or struggles (1) Peter immediately speaks about the suffering and grief they will face! ii. Read v6-9 (1) In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. v6 iii. It is an important reminder for us ... if we are Christians that does not mean the end of our difficulties (1) suffering should not surprise us in fact it’s promised to us! (a) so we must be wary of thinking and teaching that suggests we will have a trouble free life when we believe in Christ. (2) there are two important things to understand here! iv. firstly, it is only temporary! (1) v6 ‘though now for a little while’ (2) no matter how hopeless or lost we feel, God is reminding us that our struggles will not last forever ... but the purpose of our suffering will. v. secondly, he teaches us that trials and suffering have their purpose (1) they will result in something good ... namely the strengthening of our faith ... v7 (a) These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honoUr when Jesus Christ is revealed. v7 vi. suffering comes like a fire (1) it hurts, and we should not pretend that it doesn’t (a) and yet so often the testimony of those who have suffered is that God has worked through it and strengthened us! vii. but it can be hard to see at the time (1) not much comfort while you are in the furnace though (a) and yet out the other side we can see it viii. in the midst of hanging on to faith by your fingernails, the simple truth bites home (1) Jesus loves me this I know For the Bible tells me so Little ones to him belong They are weak but he is strong ix. and we are weak aren’t we. And rarely weaker that when we suffer - yet he loves us. And we belong to him (1) and that is I think how ‘through faith are shielded by God’s power’ ... (a) not by shielding us from suffering, but by refining and strengthening our faith through suffering so that we can stand firm in the hard times! x. So Peter says we are able to rejoice not in the suffering but in our certain and sure salvation and that enables us to endure, knowing that we will be at rest and a peace with him in glory! (1) And that’s how we see the big picture of reality f. promises fulfilled xi. so, Peter wants them to see how rich they are ... a living hope, an imperishable inheritance, a powerful protection, temporary trials and then lastly, he adds to that the privilege they have over the OT prophets and even the angels (1) Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. vv10–12 xii. they look forward to what you have already received he says (1) they searched intently trying to find out the times and circumstances of the Messiah’s coming and suffering and death (a) You however have been told all about it! You have heard the gospel of the Lord Jesus. xiii. Although you are a small alien band, strangers in the world ... You are a privileged people! A people with a living hope and a great future! 4. Reality Today xiv. Thus 1 Peter gives us a true view of reality f. a true view of Christ i. he is the key to it all, for Jew or Gentile, this letter is full of Jesus, Peter knew Jesus well. Jesus is the fulfilment of all those OT prophecies, it was his Spirit in the prophets as they spoke. (1) His death and resurrection changed everything. ii. You will receive grace and salvation through no other name than Jesus (1) Stand firm, confident in him the resurrected and sovereign Lord of all, with a new life, and a sure, living hope. g. a true view of the times i. we are in the last times (1) just like them we are wedged between two great events of history (a) the death and resurrection of Jesus and the coming of Jesus again in judgement (2) we are in tension - saved, because Jesus died for us and yet awaiting salvation because we still live here and now, in this world and yet belonging to the next, (3) we are a stranger abroad awaiting the Qantas flight home! ii. and because we know it will come, we await joyfully our salvation iii. the world will often be distant and cold and hostile but one day it will no longer be so. and so we long for something better h. a true view of ourselves - although we are strangers, aliens and exiles in this world, through no effort or merit of our own, we are privileged people i. we are the elect of God, chosen by God himself (1) sprinkled clean by the blood of Jesus sacrificed for us (a) we have a living hope (b) we have the richest of inheritances in heaven waiting for us (c) we have privileges that even the greatest of the heroes of the old testament longed to know and understand. ii. That is of great comfort and encouragement .... when we feel like strangers and the world is hostile ... remember our privileges, remember the hope and inheritance, the trials are but temporary and passing and in the end for our good! iii. We can rejoice confident that our future is secure in heaven with the Lord Jesus! i. Where do you call home? i. so my question for us is, where do we call home? (1) if we are strangers and aliens in the world (a) if this world is not our home - then where is it? and so where is our heart? (2) if our heart is in the things of this world, then they will pass away. The will perish, spoil and fade. Everything will. ii. but when your heart is firmly planted in Jesus, then there is nothing in all creation that can overcome you - because you are shielded by God’s power (1) Where is your home? Where are you longing for? Where is your hope? We praise you Father because of your great mercy you have given to us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We praise you for the inheritance that is ours, kept for us in heaven. We praise you that we are guarded and protected by your power until the day our salvation comes. Help us Father to remember that our trials and grief while painful and hard are only temporary and that through them you will strengthen our faith. We pray this morning for those of us who are in the midst of such trials that they might fix their eyes upon the Lord Jesus and the hope of heaven. Please strengthen them in their faith in you so that they might stand firm and we ask that in time you will be pleased to relieve them of their suffering. Help us Father to see ourselves rightly in this world ... as your people in exile and to therefore live in this world as your obedient and joyful people and not as this world does in rebellion and hostility to you. May we long for the day when you will we will live with you at home in glory. Amen