The Ultimate Futures Market (1 Peter 1:3-12)

Today's sermon is called the ultimate Futures Market not I am not a financial Guru, but let me just tell you what a Futures Market is a Futures market is when you agree to buy some commodity in the future at a given price. So I agree with you that I will buy a thousand barrels of oil at $20 a barrel in 2 months. No person. When I do that, I'm assuming that I think in two months the price of oil will be higher than $20. So I'm guaranteeing they're going to buy it at Fuller's. I think it's going to go to 32. What I'm going to do is wait two months by all this oil at $20 and sell it at 30 immediately. To participate in the Futures Market, you have to think you know, what's going to happen in the future? Because if I agree to buy this oil at $20 a barrel and in two months, it's $10 a barrel. I still have to buy it and sell it for a loss of $10 a barrel. This is why future Traders are constantly looking at the present and saying how old is affect the future. Can you tell me where there's going to be War? Cuz if you can tell me where there's going to be War I can tell you what's going to happen to the crop prices in that part of the world. Can you tell me when there's going to be a hurricane? Can you tell me which company is going to come up with the coronavirus and when cuz if you can tell me that I can make some pretty safe assumptions about what that's going to do to prices the future. And if I'm the only one that knows I can make a killing.

You know this whole idea of predicting the future and taking a financial stake in it is the basis for the movie The Big Short by the way, I always say this but let me just emphasize this when I mention a movie in a sermon. I'm just trying to illustrate a point. I am not recommending this movie and this movie in particular has all sorts of languages in images that I would not recommend but it tells the story of Michael burry who saw in the two thousand six seven and eight time frame he could see that the US mortgage Market was doing things that was unwise unethical and illegal and he knew that if they continued with this the whole mortgage Market would blow up. So he took a Futures position he bet against the market and he waited and waited and waited. And of course these unwise on ethical illegal actions did result in the mortgage blow up. That's the financial crisis of 2008 and his company made 2.69 billion dollars because he could see the relationship between the present and the future and he was constantly asking

How will I what I see in the present these mortgage instruments? How is that going to affect the future and then when he could determine that he acted in the present accordingly.

I sent you all that because our text this morning is investment advice for the Futures Market. But not the Commodities Market the spiritual Futures Market. Will go through the text trail that carefully but you'll notice that there are three present future changes or passage starts off in the present goes to the Future. Goes back to the present goes to the Future goes back to the present goes back to the future ends off the present and each time. It does one of these present future things. It is being a Futures investor it is saying how does I do what I see in the present. How does that affect the future and to each time we get to one of these divisions in the text. We're going to pause this for me and bring out an application bring out a word of encouragement. So let's begin. Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the subject of the sentence and it reminds us of what we just chanted this morning. By the way, Dave you did a beautiful job you and your team did a beautiful job but you chance it to us some 66:8 blessed blessed our god. Oh, you people's will this is an invitation to bless the Lord and father of our Lord Jesus Christ and it gives us a reason Because we're born again because he caused us to be born again. We should praise him. And by the way, we use these words born again, which is kind of throw away phrases. Remember the significance of being born again born again is not a change of mind. It's not a change of party political party Born Again means that we were dead. We were spiritually dead and we have been made alive. And not only tells us that we should praise God because we're born again, but it talks a little bit about how that happened. He caused us to be born again to remember in our first sermon two weeks ago. I was saying about identity politics identity politics is when we let something identify Us and how we identify affect how we think we vote for what we do our relationships everything and I was saying identity politics is good. It's a good idea. It's just a skin color and economic class and point of birth place of birth. These are too small identities. Our identity is not black. It's not white is not mail is not female is not rich. It's not poor to remember. Our identity is that we are elect Exiles. Will this is the elect part? We weren't saved because we chose him we were safe because he chose us he caused us to be born again. And why did he do that according to his great Mercy? It wasn't anything. He seen it's on us it wasn't because we're good-looking. It wasn't because we were particularly smart. It wasn't because we were morally Superior. It was a cording to Something in him. Not in us. It was according to his mercy and by the way, just think how loving that is. God is required to be just But if he were only just we would all go to hell and you know, why cuz we're guilty. God's justice is the last thing we want. But he has chosen to be just and merciful. by providing a way of salvation God is obligated to be just but he chose to the merciful and that has resulted in us being born again. I noticed this is all in the present bless the Lord in the present. We've been born again in the present. The rest of the verse is in the future. He has caused us to be born again to a living. Hope the Living Hope is in the future through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. By the way, what is the Living Hope? We are born again now, but what is Our Living Hope? Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the death. What is that? Exactly? Like, what is Our Living Hope through the resurrection of Jesus? Our Living Hope is that Where next? Jesus has been raised from the dead and we're next. The Bible teaches us in 1st Corinthians 15, but in fact Christ has been raised from the dead the firstfruits of those who have been who have fallen asleep. You know, if Jesus is the first fruits there are going to be later fruits if Jesus rose from the dead and that's the first fruits we are the later fruits is the matter fact just a few versus later. But to each in his own order Christ the first fruits then at his coming those who belong to us. Our Living Hope is that you are going to be raised from the dead. It's going to happen. Just as surely as Jesus was raised from the dead. He's the first fruits but we have a Living Hope in Jesus. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, then you have a living. Hope you will be raised from the dead and when that happens, it's a beautiful thing. It's not only getting a resurrection body that will never grow sick and never die. It is that it is that but it's more than that when we are raised from the dead you will be raised with a resurrection body and you will be the perfect version of yourself. You will be the perfect moral copy of Jesus you will not struggle with sin anymore. John writes about this in 1st John beloved we are God's children now and that's present. We're God's children right now. We're God's your godchild. So am I But there's a future element to this and what will be has not yet appeared. But we know that when he appears when Christ comes back we shall be like him. Because we shall see him as he is friends. We have a living hope we have an inheritance in our inheritance is that we will be raised from the dead in perfect bodies and in a perfect moral image the perfect version of ourself. And this inheritance that were talking about is imperishable. Meaning it can never be destroyed. It is undefiled meaning it can never be spoiled. It is unfading which means it never loses its magnificence. By the way things you buy cars clothing. They are all perishable. They all ultimately end. I remember in the 1980s Pontiac came out with a car called the Grand Am and I just thought that was the most beautiful car known to man and I went out and bought one. Where is that Grand Am now? I have no idea crushed into a cube in some way. I don't know. What do you do with old cars no idea. It's in everything I own is perishable it become spoiled. It's like fruit. You know what? I was in when I work for a large multinational corporation and we are in the personal computer business and the personal computer business. It turns over every 6 months. There's a new processor. There's a new feature that we used to say computers are like fruit. You can't keep them on the Shelf too long. They become spoiled defiled I'm fading. Everything Fades. Do you know that famous paintings like the Mona Lisa and the Vinci's paintings, they become faded over time. They have to be restored to bring the colors back to what they were everything face. Everything we know is perishable defilable and say double well this Living Hope of us being raised from the dead is imperishable. It will never die. It is undefiled it will never spoil and it is on sale. It will never lose its magnificence. And notice that it is kept in heaven for you this already exists. This inheritance is not going to be generated at some future point. It already exists and is currently today right now being kept being kept. You don't keep things that don't exist this inheritance exist if we could transport to heaven and look into the treasure chest with our name in it. It's already there. And it's being kept for you. Not just for anybody for you your inheritance. Your Living Hope is being kept for you with your name on it.

Sending I just came back from a little bit of a vacation and it's been forever since we've been in a restaurant. Do you feel that way when we were just kind of celebrating and I took her to a fancy restaurant not fancy schmancy where you have to dress up but fancy where you have kind of a chef not a cook and it was delicious but we didn't make reservations so we came in and they said you have reservations and I could feel my heart sinking does that usually means they don't have a table available? And I said no we don't have reservations what I said while we can put you at this table, but we have a reservation for 6:30 at this table. So we had to make sure that we ordered and we're out by 6:30 cuz that table was being kept for someone else you have an living. Hope you have an inheritance that is being kept for you. That brings us to the end of the first present future pattern in this text and outcomes in application. I see that God has saved me.

And this means I will rise again to an inheritance. By the way, this is why the Lord says in The Sermon on the Mount don't. Work for Treasures on Earth where moth and rust corrupt lay up for yourselves Treasures in Heaven cuz they will be kept for you. By the way. Does this change the current troubles were going through. Necessarily but it sure changes the color it sure changes the frame when you know that you have a living hope when you know that you have an inheritance that is being kept and you will rise again to move into this inheritance. It changes the way we look at life.

And now back to the present. We're not talking about some future. Hope we're not talking about some future inheritance. We're talking about wife now on Earth in 2020 will guess what? We're being guarded by God's power. We had this living hope we had this inheritance. But even in the present God is guarding our lives so that we can successfully get to the end of it and claim our inheritance. This word guarded is a military term. Do you know that there are angels looking over you today to guard you? This is why Jesus can guarantee that our faith will be successful. This is what he was saying to Simon at the end of his life Simon Simon behold State and demanded to have you that he might sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your face may not fail that applies to us as well. Jesus is praying for us right now. Our faith may not fail. We may be looking forward to this Living Hope, but we are being guarded by God's power right now. And then back to the future who were guarded by God's power who by God's power being guarded through faith. That's all present.

And then we're back to the future again. For a Salvation ready to be revealed in the last time you are being guarded your face is being guarded so that you can experience the celebration that is going to be revealed in the last time you may be saved now, but your salvation is in progress not all has been revealed. That word revealed is just a beautiful word. It means to be uncovered.

You know one of the things I don't maybe it's because I'm in my training is in electrical engineering but I am fascinated with electric cars and I want to buy an electric car and I follow the company Tesla which is making electric cars and they had a very distinct strategy they came out. I think the first car was Roadster. It's like $175,000 and they admitted this is trying to profit in this but rich people when you buy a roadster for a hundred and seventy-five Grand we're going to take your profit and we're going to use that to build a less expensive car for the masses. So they know I think the model asked if I was like $100,000. I know that's still expensive. We're going to take your profit builds up then the model 3 at $50,000. Well in the last Fletcher investment speech Elon Musk said we're going to come up with a $25,000 car $25,000 electric car for the every person. I want to buy one of those cars to put this is a slide he used. You can't see it. It's under the blankets, but you assumed it sometime that is going to be revealed that is going to be uncovered and you will see the car underneath it. That's what it means when it says for a Salvation to be revealed in the last time it already exists, but it has a blanket over it. But at some Future Point your salvation your inheritance your Living Hope will be uncovered. It will be revealed. What a day that will be. It's the first five is the next president being guards. But guarded by God's power and future salvation to be revealed in last time and out comes another application another word of encouragement. I see that God's power is protecting me. And this means that I will see the completion of my salvation friends. It may be tough now, but you are being guarded right now and you will see the completion of yourself Asian. It's going to happen. It is being kept in heaven for you. It's got a blanket over it now, but it will be revealed at the last time and it's going to be a wonderful day.

And now back to the present. We're not talking about his salvation ready to be revealed at a future time. We're back into life now in this you rejoice in this you rejoice. Why do we rejoice? We Rejoice because we have a living. Hope we were Joyce because we're being guarded we were Joyce because our Salvation is going to be revealed in the future. What a glorious day. That will be. We Rejoice though now for a little while if necessary you have been grieved.

Just because we have a Living Hope doesn't mean it isn't tough.

Just because of the unfading imperishable undefiled inheritance is waiting for us doesn't mean there. Can't be some pretty ropey days some pretty tough seasons. We can be grieved by various trials. But will you notice with me in verse 6 that rejoicing and grieving are not mutually exclusive.

If you're Rejoice sing, it does not mean that you're not also breathing and if you're grieving it doesn't mean that you can't also Rejoice we can rejoice and breathe at the same time because even when we are having these various trials they are because they are necessary. Not desirable, not fun. Not even understandable from our point of view. But from God's point of view these various Trials Come not because he was in a bad mood, but because they are necessary and Friends Take the Long View they are for a little while just for a little while. Will Not Bow Wow for me. I have a health condition that is going to be with me for the rest of my life. Yeah, you know what we called out in Bible terms the rest of your life. We call it a little while.

We are going to live in this living inheritance for billions and trillions of years eternity stretching out. This is a little while.

Let me just say something about this phrase here various trials. This is just the stuff of life. This isn't moral failings. This isn't punishment for sin. This is this is just the stuff that happens. I noticed various trials. Everyone has their own different path your your your path over here, maybe a health thing and your thing over here, maybe a financial thing and your thing over here, maybe a relational thing and you could see the whole thing coming but you're going to have a car accident tomorrow. You don't see that yes to all various trials. We each have a different path, but we all have various trials and they grieve us, but they're just for a little while.

And they're only happening because they're necessary. And may I just encourage you one of the most important things you can do in your various trials is know the scriptures. God has given us the scriptures to comfort Us in times of trouble. For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through and Germans friends in dear and dear. I know it's hard, but in Deer that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope If you are in a various trial right now, if you are experiencing the grief right now, let me encourage you to allow the encouragement of the scriptures to give you hope. And knowing where in the medicine cabinet of God's word to go is important. Here's one from our very own letter 1st Peter after you have suffered a little while the God of all Grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself he's not going to stop this out. He himself will restore confirm strengthen and establish you friends. Hang in there. Hang in there.

Because after you suffered for a little while. The God of all Grace is Christ himself is going to restore confirm strengthen and establish you.

back to First Peter chapter 1 We Rejoice sing but we are experiencing trials various trials that are necessary but grieving. for 7 so that notice so that this various trial this pain that you're experiencing has a purpose.

There is purpose in pain. God doesn't bring his pain for no reason there is a so that for this that he is trying to accomplish something there is a purpose in the pain. What is that purpose? To prove our agenda the genuineness of our faith. I just want to say a word about this word tested here tested does not mean create. The pain does not create genuine face. It means prove When God brings us various trials. And we are grieved by those various trials, but we are faithful in those various trials. We rejoice in those various trials. It does not create genuine fake. It proves that genuine faith is already in US. The purpose in this pain is to prove to both us and others that our faith is genuine.

I just want to take a little bit of a rabbit Trail. This is not Central to the sermon, but I found it fascinating and I hope you do too.

It's a contrast are genuine face to gold and gold which is the most valuable thing on earth. It's still parishes. Did you know that? The most beautiful things the most expensive things the most well-made things the moment you buy them. They begin to deteriorate even gold the best thing in our world paris's but I did what I wanted to point out to you is I did quite a bit of study on this word parishes. It comes from the Greek root apollyon. which means to destroy and I'm taking him. Wait a minute. vitamin IV I know that word that is somewhere else. And I thought and I thought I remembered it's from a revelation series. In the last times, there are fallen angels that are evil that are confined right now. They cannot interact with Society. But in the end time God lifts the lid on these exceptionally evil spirit and they are given free rein. This is described in Revelation 9 when the abyss is open and these vile creatures come out and were surprised to learn that the vile creatures have a king and the King has a name is his name the Good Shepherd. No is his name is the king's name the bread of life. No. Is the king's name the Living Water know the king's name is apollyon Destroyer.

Here's the point. I'm trying to make friends when we invest in this Kingdom. It is by nature fading and perishable everything about by the way. I admit you need a car. I admit we have to wear closed-toe admit. We need to eat food yet. We have to invest to some extent but just remember this every dollar invested in this kingdom is by nature a polygon is by nature. Fading and corruptible and contrast. Diverse for contrast that to our Living Hope which is unfading Incorruptible magnificent forever.

There is no investment in this world. It is worth the soul of a man. This is worth the ministry of a man. The smart money is in the Futures Market. The smart money is in the Living Hope. The smart money is in the imperishable inheritance that is coming for us. And you know something happens when we go through these various trials. There's a purpose for this so that what is the purpose to test reveal the existing genuineness of the faith, but there's another result. There's another result when you're when God brings you listen, this is so important if you're drifting stop drifting come back. This is important. Here's the payoff right now. God will allow various trials. They will cause you grief don't act all surprised that they're coming your way. If they're not already here. They're coming they're on their way, but we need to be faithful in those various trials to demonstrate the genuineness of our faith and you know, what else happens when we travel through these various trials Faithfully. It results in Praise glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. He's just not glory to God honor to God praise to God course, all those things will happen. But in this resistive talking about praise to you. This is talking about glory to you. This is talking about honor to you when Jesus returns and he reviews your record of faithfulness in various trials will give you praise and glory and honor. You said that's kind of a mind-bending. So I never think of. Praise Glory and Honor in relation to me. Is that really biblical? Yeah. Henceforth Paul's of Timothy says there is laid up Paul says there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge will award. The whole is not talking about his salvation Salvation is a free gift. He's talking about something else. He's talking about an award for faithfulness.

In Romans, Paul writes of this judgment day. He will render to each one according to his Works to those who by patience in well-doing if you're in a very is trial. I'm sorry. I really am. Sorry. I love you. I wish you weren't in this various try. I wish you weren't experienced in the grief, but be patient and seek to do well. Because you will receive glory and honor and immortality. This is why Jesus says in the last chapter of the Bible Revelation 22 and I think around 12. He says I am coming and I bring my recompense I bring my award. I bring my payment with you if he's not talking about salvation Salvation is not a recompense salvation is not a way to Salvation is a gift he's talking about the glory and the honor at the he will give his faithful servant. Hang in there. There is a Payday. Just a few date do versus later. Paul says but glory and honor and peace that these words normally related to God, but here they are related to everyone who does good. God rewards faithfulness when we go through various trials. And here we've completed our second last or our last I think present future pattern and outcomes. Another word of encouragement Oak comes another application. I see that I am grieved by various trials.

But this means that I will receive praise. Glory an honor

friends, this is not a rehearsal.

We're Playing for Keeps here when God brings various trials your way be faithful.

Be faithful. You live in expectation of a Living Hope. David inheritance of your salvation that will be revealed the blanket will be pulled off and it's not a $25,000 electric car underneath the blanket. It is glory and praise and honor from the very lips of Jesus who says to you personally. Well done good and faithful servant.

Didn't we just the end off or we're just going to get two verse nine today, but we end off with our last pattern. It's a present future present future present future. Present and verses 8 and 9 is the last in the present sandwich present future. present future present future verses 8 and 9 present the start off this way though. You have not seen him by the way. That's the situation for all of us if you seen them. Have you seen them not physically? You will. You will. You will see the Risen Jesus.

It's going to happen that is part of the inheritance. How can that happen? the same way for you as a did for jojoba has been dead for hundreds of years and and he knew he was going to die and yet he says After my skin has been destroyed. I know I'm going to die and they're going to put me in a box and the same physical processes that happen to every other body is going to happen to my body. I know that yet. In my West not in some metaphorical sense. This is not poetry in my flesh. I know I'm going to get a new body and my eyes are going to see God that's going to happen for you. That's going to happen for you. Do you have not seen him but you will? You will. It's on his calendar. There will be more than a meet and greet. There will be a time where he gives you honor and Brooke and praise for the way that you have successfully and Faithfully do you see how this may not change the texture of the various trials? It may not bring healing you may still have to initial pressures at the end of the sermon but it's truth changes the evaluation time. We tend to think only of the various trials but not the imperishable inheritance to this coming for a proper frame to think biblically. We should not be drinking in 20 yearbook and we should be sending in twenty thousand year book ends. And in 20,000 yearbook and this is a little while the various trials are necessary and a little while.

Do you have not seen him you love him?

Do you do not now? See him you believe in him? And rejoice with joy that is inexpressible notice this phrase here. Joy, that is inexpressible and filled with Glory. This is present tense.

This is not part of the future inheritance. This is not part of the solvation that will be revealed. This is part of our present experience. We get this inexpressible Joy now.

By yielding to the Holy Spirit and living Faithfully to him.

Obtaining the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls that brings us to the end of today's reading in the final. Application I am called to live in love. faith enjoy as I wait for my salvation.

Friends into be a good Futures investor, you have to constantly be looking at the present and saying I was just going to affect the future and when you figure that out you need to act in the present oil prices are going to go down because of what I see in the present, but you need to turn that into action so you can see you can be profitable in the Futures Market. This morning has been a study in the spiritual Futures Market. We have looked at the present the future saw the connection the present the future saw the connection the present the future saw the connection ended off on the present and then the sum of all this Futures advice is this you are called to live in love Faith and joy presently right now. This is not part of the future salvation to be revealed the love Faith and joy is right now right here, October 4th 2020 here in Western Heights Baptist Church because we are waiting for a future solvation and it is going to be glorious. I encourage you I encourage you to allow your mind to frequently. Well, on The Incorruptible inheritance on the Living Hope That is yours. Now. It is being kept in heaven for you, but you can't see it. It will be revealed. at his coming and that Future Vision is what fuels our present faithfulness.