Our Great Treasure

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Good morning church! it is so good to be able to be back with you again this morning!

I want us to to do something this morning as begin our service, no matter where you are I want you to join your hearts together with us in prayer for unity and love revival to begin to take root in our nation. If there is one thing that is for certain we need the Lord Himself to intervene and fill our hearts with His presence during this time of uncertainty and difficulty.

SO let’s just take a moment to pray for our president and the leadership of our nation, and all of those who are hurting during this time and then we will begin.

(Let’ Pray)

“Heavenly Father, we know that you are in control, even though everything seems to be out of control, Lord we know that You have a perfect will and plan. We know Lord that You and You alone are the author and finisher of our faith and that there is nothing that comes our way that has not first passed through your good and mighty hand.

Heavenly Father we lift up President Trump right now Lord as he is in need of your wisdom and strength. We pray for all of our brothers and sisters who face hardship bc of the virus. Father in Heaven will you strengthen them and encourage them during this time. Father, will you be with all of our African american brothers ans sisters this morning as many are hurting and need you to help them during this time. Father protect our law enforcement officers who are in harms way in this country to get home to their familes safely.

Lord please send a revival the likes of which we have never seen, let us see souls saved and families restored. Let this nation once again be turned back to you Lord. You are our only hope

In Jesus Holy name I pray...... Amen.

I wrestled back and forth with what the title of this message was going to be, because there are so many directions one could take but I’d like to speak with you this morning on this subject OUR GREAT TREASURE, THE ANSWER TO THIS WORLDS PROBLEMS.

Were continuing this morning in our study of the epistle of 1 Peter, we learned this letter was being passed around to different house churches in the region during a time of intense persectution. God’s people were hurting the nation was hurting and Peter wrote to encrouage the followers of Christ during this time. His focus to get thier minds right to elevate them above the problems of the world and the trouble they were going through was to focus with laser like focus on the nuances and blessings of those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. He focuses on Jesus.

PETERS MAIN FOCUS WAS ON SALVATION

(Read) (Pray)

I heard a story one time that really stuck with me.

The story began one summer day toward the end of the 19th century when an English city boy was on a visit to rural Scotland. That afternoon the boy went swimming in a small countryside lake. After swimming quite a distance from shore, a severe cramp hit him and he became tired and started to drown, he began to cry out for help.

A farm boy who was working in a nearby field heard the screams and he ran as fast as he could to the lake.

There the farm boy threw his shirt off dove into the water swam and brought the city boy safely to shore Several years later the two boys met again.

The city boy, still filled with gratitude that the other boy had saved his life, was thrilled to see the farm boy again and asked him what career he had decided to pursue. The farm boy said he was going to medical school to be a doctor. Since the city boys parents were very rich and were still indebted to the farm boy for saving their son they decided to pay for his medical school.

They followed through on their commitment and the young farm boy went on to have a brilliant career in scientific investigation. in 1928 that farm boy then both, physician and bacteriologist, discovered the famous wonder drug penicillin. In 1945 he shared the Nobel prize with 2 other scientist for the discovery and development of that antibiotic.

That Scottish farm boy turned into a scientific researcher who died in 1955 named Alexander Flemming.

The rescued city boy also gained fame. During WW2 he contracted a life threatening case of pneumonia. He recovered at a hospital after receiving penicillin, which meant that indirectly the one time farm boy Alexander Flemming had saved his life twice.

The city boys name was Winston Churchill, he was the famous British Prime minister and statesman interestingly, just like Flemming Churchill won a Nobel prize. But in his instance, he won the 1953 award in literature for his writing on the history of the second world war.

It is wonderful to save a life, and even more to save a life twice, especially when the one saved was such an influential person as Winston Churchill. But the hardworking selfless gifts of Alexander Flemming are nothing compared to the greatness of saving souls.

SALVATION IS THE GREATEST TREASURE WE HAVE AND IT is at the heart of what Peter is writing here

He knows he is writing to a people who are scattered discouraged and impatient. He knew many had lost it all, but He wanted them to remember how amazingly rich they truly were.

He wanted these Christians to focus on being delivered from sin, Satan, Death, and Hell and how God had been so gracious to them to give them faith in His son Jesus Christ.

Peter celebrates how great salvation is because He begins by focusing on the future hope we have because of our salvation, then He moves on to the present joy we can have and what is currently happening as a result of our salvation right now. But today Peter is going to look to the past and give us a different perspective on how great a salvation we have in Jesus Christ!

The word SALVATION itself is a word we throw around and if we aren’t careful we lose sight of what it means. The message of the Bible is that even though man cannot save himself from the eternal consequences of sin, God can and will rescue from condemnation all who trust in Christ and believe in His word.

Romans 5:8 HCSB

But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!

Not only does God love sinners, but He alone is able to rescue them since salvation belongs to the Lord!

The thing that is amazing about grace is that not only is God able to save sinners like you and me but He is WILLING to rescue sinners! He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth!

This is Gods Soverign plan that you and me who are dead in our sins and trespasses would come to have eyes to see that our good works, our philanthopic deeds, our good morals are not enough to bring us to life spiritually and bring us into right relationship with God but in HIs great love He has made a way through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Listen to me this morning salvation is a moment in time not where you go from being bad to good but from becoming alive when you were dead DEAD TO THE THINGS OF GOD, DEAD TO SPIRITUAL THINGS, DEAD TO LOVE, DEAD TO PURPOSE WHERE WE LIVED OUR LIVES FOR OURSELVES AND NOTHING MORE BUT THEN THE HOLY SPIRIT BREATHED LIFE INTO US AND LIFE CAME FLOODING IN.

LOVE CAME FLOODING IN, PURPOSE CAME FLOODING IN AND NOW MY LIFE AINT FOR ME ANYMORE IT IS FOR OTHERS!

Romans 1:16 HCSB

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.

Peter has taught us that Christians should never lose joy, not matter how bad it is we should never stop rejoicing over the greatness of our salvation!

Psalm 96:2 HCSB

Sing to Yahweh, praise His name; proclaim His salvation from day to day.

Peter is opening his letter focusing on the greatness of this treasure we call salvation.

It is interesting bc we hear about this so often that we here in America can lose sight of the beauty of salvation. In other countries they flock to hear this good news because it is so foreign to them, in every other religion they give you a set of rules and by keeping these rules you may or may not make it into paradise.

Christianity is the only religion where God came to Earth to rescue sinners who rejected him!

Peter focuses on 4 perspectives

The Prophets Perspective

1 Peter 1:10–11 ESV

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.

Peter draws attention to the salvation of God from the perspective of the OT Prophets.

Prophets in the OT were Gods spokesman and they talked about the grace that would come they declared prophecies given to them by God and they tried to know everything they could about this promised salvation from God.

Of all of the messages these prphets recieved the greatest was the news of coming salvation. It was their greatest passion! From Moses to Malachi all of the OT prophets were fascinated by the promises of salvation.

But the thing thats even more interesting is that they recieved salvation before ever seeing its fulfillment.

have you ever asked this question: What happened to all of those believers before JEsus died?

Did they go to Heaven?

YES OF COURSE THEY DID

ABRAHAMS FAITH WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS

It was simple faith in the One and Only true God of Heaven and having a relationship with Him that saves. But they never saw the fulfillment of everything they wrote about while they were alive.

What these men focused on was trying to comprehend the person and work of Christ and the grace that would come to sinners through Him. These men wanted to understand the grace and mercy of God through Christ, His forgiveness, and umerited favor, and the blessings lavished on undeserving sinners.

they knew this grace was for the entire world!

THIS GRACE IS AMAZING

Grace is a cookie, when you deserve a spanking

Grace is a child when you deserve barreness

Grace is a walk with your mom after you have broken her heart

Grace is 1,000 dollars for doing nothing

Grace is an eternal home, inheritance, and future with a God who you dishonored

Noah recieved grace from the Lord and was spared the flood, Moses recieved grace from God when he wouldnt obey God and be his mouthpiece so God sent him AAron, Jonah recieved grace from God by getting spit out of the fish even though Jonah had rebelled,

GRACE IS GODS UNMERITED FAVOR UPON YOU

Not because of anything good within you, not because you deserved it but bc He loves you.

These OT prophets sought to tell of these things before they ever saw them.

Isaiah 45:20–24 HCSB

“Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives of the nations. Those who carry their wooden idols, and pray to a god who cannot save, have no knowledge. Speak up and present your case — yes, let them take counsel together. Who predicted this long ago? Who announced it from ancient times? Was it not I, Yahweh? There is no other God but Me, a righteous God and Savior; there is no one except Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other. By Myself I have sworn; Truth has gone from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear allegiance. It will be said to Me: Righteousness and strength is only in the Lord.” All who are enraged against Him will come to Him and be put to shame.

Now these Prophets wrote about things they would never see they said the Messiah would suffer and die.

Psalm 22 HCSB

For the choir director: according to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A Davidic psalm. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning? My God, I cry by day, but You do not answer, by night, yet I have no rest. But You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You rescued them. They cried to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disgraced. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by people. Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads: “He relies on the Lord; let Him rescue him; let the Lord deliver him, since He takes pleasure in him.” You took me from the womb, making me secure while at my mother’s breast. I was given over to You at birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb. Do not be far from me, because distress is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong ones of Bashan encircle me. They open their mouths against me— lions, mauling and roaring. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength is dried up like baked clay; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You put me into the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has closed in on me; they pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people look and stare at me. They divided my garments among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing. But You, Lord, don’t be far away. My strength, come quickly to help me. Deliver my life from the sword, my only life from the power of these dogs. Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the congregation. You who fear Yahweh, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him! All you descendants of Israel, revere Him! For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He did not hide His face from him but listened when he cried to Him for help. I will give praise in the great congregation because of You; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You. The humble will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise Him. May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. All the families of the nations will bow down before You, for kingship belongs to the Lord; He rules over the nations. All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down; all those who go down to the dust will kneel before Him— even the one who cannot preserve his life. Their descendants will serve Him; the next generation will be told about the Lord. They will come and tell a people yet to be born about His righteousness— what He has done.

Now you tell me how if not for the hand of almighty God would these men1,000 years before Jesus came could express exactly what was going to happen,

IT WAS GODS ETERNAL PLAN TO SEND HIS SON TO BE THE LAMB OF GOD TO SHED HIS BLOOD ON CALVARY FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD

YOU CAN DENY IT REJECT IT HATE TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT ONE THING IS FOR CERTAIN YOU WILLL HAVE TO CONFRONT THIS REALITY BECAUSE THERE IS COMING A DAY WHEN THOSE WHO HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST WILL WISH THEY HAD!

These men made careful searches and inquiries the Bible sais they knew what was at stake the worlds eternal destiny was at stake

Matthew 13:17 HCSB

For I assure you: Many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.

We should be rejoicing because we know something that can cure the sickness of heart of the entire world! We know the Lord Jesus Christ!

Salvation was the focus of the Spirits Inspiration

1 Peter 1:11–12 HCSB

They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things.

The Prophecies the Holy Spirit revealed to the prophets were diveinly inspired and recorded under His Soverign direction. The Holy SPirits overall focus was two fold:

The sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow

We already looked at a messianic psalm aboput how Jesus would die. Psalm 22

2. The glories to follow

This is speaking of the time that was to come where this Messiah would rise from the dead, that He would ascend into Heaven, that He would be enthroned in the Heavens… All of these things were laid out clearly by the holy Spirit to these prophets and speaks of the overall victory that will be won by this coming King...

Hey yall I know things are crazy right now but we have all read the end of the book we know who wins amen?

If you are a child of God you know the battle is already been won by the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords amen!

Then Peter used the phrase

SPIRIT OF CHRIST WITHIN THEM

This demonstrates that Christ, which is the same as the Holy Spirit worked from within the OT writers to record Gods infallible words.

2 Peter 1:21 HCSB

because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit was indicating (making Plain) as He predicted (witnessed beforehand) What was coming.

These men searched and searched and searched but they never on this Earth got to witness what they recieved from the Lord do you view your salvation this way that men of God for centuries prophesied about the very thing you are now getting to experience?

1 Peter 1:12 HCSB

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things.

They were not serving themselves but you.

These men were called out by God to record and proclaim these things for your sake!

They were looking ahead to the salvific work of Christ in redemptive history, and notice what is says about them in

Hebrews 11:13 HCSB

These all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth.

They saw how there would be believers from all nationalities from all over the created world would recieve and become a part of the family of God in Christ.

They lived in hope just as we live in hope of Jesus coming again.

We are privelaged to know this salvation first hand

Salvation was the focus of the Early Church’s Preaching

1 Peter 1:12 HCSB

Peter himself preached Salvation in Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins,

Acts 2:38–39 HCSB

“Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

All of the Apostles preached this simple gospel, of repentance and faith in Christ alone for salvation.

We need to as preachers continually be devoted to preaching salvation.

Notice Pauls devotion

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 HCSB

When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. For I didn’t think it was a good idea to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit, so that your faith might not be based on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.

Salvation is Something that intrigues Heavenly Angels

1 Peter 1:12 HCSB

Angels themselves will never now the amazing nature of Grace, they have never experienced sin, and so they will never fully understand the heart of love we have for Jesus for rescuing us when we were such vile sinners.

When it says angels look into these things ‘to look’ means to stretch ones head forward or to lean in...

Can you imagine?

These HEavenly angels mighty massive and glorious which would make us cower in fear were we to see them with Earthly eyes lean over and stretch their necks in astonishment of this salvation we recieved!

This is why there is a party being thrown in Hevaen for all of those who believe in Christ Jesus and who are bought with the blood of the Lamb!

Revelation 5:7–12 HCSB

He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of the One seated on the throne. When He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slaughtered, and You redeemed people for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth. Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. They said with a loud voice: The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!

Even though they never experienced it they have been so astonished by it they join in the salvation song because of their desire to look into it.

Have you grown numb to the reality that you are saved and have an eternal home and reward waiting on you?

Are you too focused on this old sinful earth?

Jsut remember

There is more to life than what we see in our world and there are far greater things to rejoice over than there are to complain about!