Hope in Our Distress

Introduction: Talking to a couple of people who have had fear over this period of time with Coronavirus. One person called me frantically and said that they had no hope. Easter is usually a time when we prepare big meals with families, we celebrate big at the Church Jesus’ resurrection. And we are missing all of that. How does the actual Resurrection of Jesus give us Hope?

We are looking for Hope.

Peter was written to believers who were undergoing persecution from their secular governments. Christians throughout the various regions addressed in the letter are suffering “grief in all kinds of trials” (1:6) for their commitment to “the word which was preached” to them (1:25). They are being slandered, reviled, and mocked because of bearing the name of “Christian” (4:14, 16) and are being pushed out to the margins of society. (Frank Thielman, Theology of the New Testament, 570). Not long after this letter was written, Christians in these locations were being killed for their faith (Spiros Zodhiates, et. al., The Greek-Hebrew Key Word Study Bible, 1644). Peter’s letter is meant to encourage his readers in the midst of their difficult circumstances. While we’re not being killed for our faith today, we do face opposition. How do we remain holy in a world where holiness isn’t very “cool?” Also, how can we help those who are being persecuted for their faith?

• Two Different Persecutions possibly -

• 49 AD - Under Claudius - He expelled the Jews from Rome because of Riots being Caused in correlation of discussions with Christians -

• Persecution under Nero - Much of Rome Burned down, It is said that Nero blamed the Christians - found them and killed them - 64 AD.

We experience Distress - but Probably not like the people of Asia Minor - Two types of distress.

Distress that is common to humans - Coronavirus, losing jobs, getting sick, raising kids, growing up as a kid, uncertainties in life, stress of managing life. - Asia Minor described as people with no protections - Aliens, Sojourners, slave class.

Distress specifically for being a Christian - The Believers of Asia Minor probably were distressed normally because they are described as people with no protections, but add on to that being Christian.

1. In the book Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl chronicles his experience living as a prisoner in an Auschwitz concentration camp during WWI. He makes the connection between hope, strength, and spiritual fortitude as he watches his fellow prisoners. He observes that a person’s ability to survive is intricately linked to their hope or the loss of hope. He writes, “The prisoner who lost faith in the future—his future—was doomed. With his loss of belief in the future, he also lost his spiritual hold; he let himself decline and became subject to mental and physical decay. … Those who know how close the connection is between the state of mind of a man—his courage and hope, or lack of them—and the state of immunity of his body will understand that the sudden loss of hope and courage can have a deadly effect” (Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning [New York City, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1985], 96–97).

So where does our Hope come from?

The Resurrection Gives us Hope.

The Resurrection Gives

We have a living Hope through or By Means of the Resurrection.

Peter was a man with plenty of distress in his life - Working Man, to being with Jesus to losing his purpose in Life.

The Resurrection Changed Everything for Him.

Testimonies - of how the Resurrection Changed people’s lives

Many reasons for why we should believe the Resurrection Happened, but one is Peter....The Honest Story of how the Resurrection Changed Peter - From Jesus’ death (losing everything, going into hiding, going back to his trade - To Bold proclamation of the Gospel) Difference - The Resurrection - and you can see it is central to his message here. - Peter ultimately died for his claim of the Resurrection of Jesus.

Testimonies - of how the Resurrection Changed people’s lives

Elijah Wereber

The resurrection of Jesus Christ has proven to me that He is the son of God. His resurrection meant he is alive today and in heaven preparing a place for me. His resurrection also means he intrecedes on my behalf when I'm unable to pray. And also he is God, resurrection is not for anyone we serve A mighty God who is Jesus Christ the son of God.

Raquel L. Dubois

His resurrection That’s mean to me, that He is the powerful God that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM.

Michelle Kelava Copeland

It means that I know for sure my dad is in heaven waiting for me.

Kim Helzer

I've really been thinking about this and I have come to a very simple conclusion....without the resurrection of our Lord there would be no reason at all for me to rise above any of the trials, pain, and difficulty I have faced in my life to share the Good News of His life. The miracle of His birth and the teachings that He gave us during His short time among us and the great sacrifice on the cross is what keeps me going day to day. To have a Father that loves me that much, no matter what drives me to be a better wife, mother, friend, grandmother, and Christian.

Has there been anything in your life that has changed everything.

Miracle - Praying for man that his pain would go away.

Upside - on whose father is absent - Kevin Harts character gets a good paying job, but proves he has changed his ways by sending his paycheck to his son and his mother. Over time because of the proof of his actions, they begin to trust him again.

That is how the Resurrection gives us Hope - it is proof that Jesus’ promise of the end of the Story is true - Paradise. It is proof that all of the distress of this existence is temporary.

Paradise Described here - Imperishable, undefiled, unfading, from heaven (being preserved) - Full salvation revealed in Jesus.

Peter describes that pilgrimage home we have been talking about in Lent, but notice that the hope of this paradise comes by means of Jesus’ resurrection.

See how this Gospel Story gave the captured slaves in the Movie Amistad Hope.

The call in the midst of distress then is to...

Trust the Resurrected Jesus.

Vs 7 - The Bible often uses imagery of fire to describe trials, like in . Fire is useful if used properly to purify precious metals. By testing the metal with extreme heat, all the impurities rise to the surface where they can be removed. The remaining substance, what survives the heat, ends up being a more pure and more beautiful material than it was before it went through the fire. - So what bubbles up when a Christian Suffers “praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus”

Up-Downs in Football - "Burpies" - Painful, it tested our heart, and made football game win more glorious.

About

Vs 7 - The Bible often uses imagery of fire to describe trials, like in . Fire is useful if used properly to purify precious metals. By testing the metal with extreme heat, all the impurities rise to the surface where they can be removed. The remaining substance, what survives the heat, ends up being a more pure and more beautiful material than it was before it went through the fire. - So what bubbles up when a Christian Suffers “praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus”

Amistad Clip. - About the Slave Trade

Trusting in Jesus’ Resurrection makes us Gospel People - Good News People, and that we look at the trials in life with Hope, and the expectation that all trials are temporary, God will purify us in all trials, make something beautiful out of them, and all trials will not compare to the full salvation that God is bringing into this world.

Conclusion:

Hope is key to survival.

South Blendon with Believers around the world are Gospel people - Which means we have hope - It comes by means of the Resurrection of Jesus - How is the Resurrection bringing you hope?

Would you like this Hope?