What Is Your Reason
what is your reason?
INTRODUCTION:
1. Read Text (1 Pet. 3:8-17).
2. Regarding text:
(1) These are the words of Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. You remember Peter…
A. The first to confess (Mt. 16:16-18).
B. The first to deny (Mt. 26:69f).
C. Among the first to visit the tomb of Jesus (Mt. 26:56).
(a) After the arrest and before the resurrection… PETER WAS PITIFUL.
(b) After the resurrection… PETER WAS A POWERFUL FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH!
(2) Peter was commanded by Jesus:
A. To encourage and strengthen the brethren (Notice Luke 22:31-34).
B. To feed the flock of God (Jn. 21:15-17).
(3) Peter is doing those things (strengthen and feed) in this epistle.
A. “By Silvanus… I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God…” (1 Pet. 5:22).
B. Peter writes to the “elect” of God scattered throughout Asia.
(a) Strangers and sojourners on this earth (cf. 1:1; 1:17; 2:11).
(b) A people persecuted (3:17; 4:12-19).
(4) Peter writes about the preciousness of God, Christ and Christianity!
A. 1:7 – The trial of our faith = precious.
B. 1:19 – The blood of Jesus Christ = precious.
C. 2:6 – Jesus Christ Himself = precious.
D. 3:4 – Our like faith = precious.
E. If you are not a Christian you have something precious. If you are not, you have not!
(5) Peter writes about HOPE!
A. Cf. 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord… who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
B. 1:13 – “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully…”
C. 1:21 – “… so that your faith and hope are in God.”
(6) Peter says, “even if you suffer” (v. 14), “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”
A. NAS = “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts…
B. Sanctify = hagiadzo = set apart; i.e. carve out a special place just for God / Lord.
C. Ready = state of preparedness.
D. Defense = apologian = “a verbal defense.” Say what you mean and mean what you say!
E. Reason = logos = “a word.” To give a reckoning! A reason!
F. Hope = As a Christian looks to the future and to the unseen, he / she have:
(a) Hope – “favorable and confident expectations.”
(b) Hope – “happy anticipation of good.”
3. Do you have hope and if so, what is your reason?
(1) You abstain from certain passing pleasures that the world offers.
(2) You engage yourself and expend your energies in acts of good.
(3) You offer allegiance and reverence and honor and praise to the God of heaven.
(4) You pray to God for providence, guidance through His word, and forgiveness.
4. Life is brief and uncertain, stress, troubles, and temptations are ever “knocking” and the judgment day is approaching. YET, CHRISTIANS HAVE HOPE!
(1) Hope involves an “object” a desirable / admirable thing.
(2) Hope involves confidence that we will get exactly what we desire.
A. Salvation from sin is ours. Forgiveness from our sins is always at our disposal.
B. Eternal life is promised and is approaching.
C. Rewards, joy, pleasure untold is reserved.
(3) We desire it, and we, if faithful, expect to receive exactly as God promises = hope!
DISCUSSION: DO YOU HAVE HOPE? IF SO WHAT IS THE REASON?
I. Christians have favorable and confident expectations.
1. Our hope is not for things which run contrary to the Bible (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7).
(1) No hope that folks will be saved while in rebellion to God (Heb. 5:8,9; Mt. 7:21).
(2) No hope that a spaceship awaits us in the tail of a comet.
(3) No hope that God is suffering from mild alzheimer’s disease and forgets.
(4) No hope of a 1,000 year earthly kingdom / second chance.
(5) No hope that we will live for ever!
2. We hope for a new home for our spiritual bodies (2 Cor. 5:1,2).
(1) Our physical bodies are temporary tents or tabernacles (cf. Eccl. 12:7).
(2) Our spiritual bodies will replace the physical and be given a new place to abide.
(3) Cf. 2 Tim. 4:6-8.
3. We hope for a resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15).
(1) Jesus Christ is our HOPE. He was raised therefore we will be raised.
(2) NOTICE 15:12-20; Quote 15:50-58.
(3) The worst that happens to a faithful Christian = he dies and that’s good!
A. We will die. Jesus Christ died!
B. Jesus Christ was raised. We will be raised and we will meet Him.
C. Remember the promise to Abraham? Jesus is that promise.
4. We hope for reunion with God (cf. Eccl. 12:7).
(1) Illustration: Child in the airport reunited with his father.
II. christians have a happy anticipation of good.
1. Eternal life, comfort, and joy with God in heaven.
(1) Jn. 14:1-3; Mt. 7:13-14.
(2) Rev. 21:4;
2. BUT also the hope of blessings in our present lives.
(1) Bible instructs us to “take hold” of the hope that is set before us (Heb. 6:18).
(2) Hope is as essential an element of Christian living as is faith and love (1 Cor. 13:13).
(3) Hope makes our lives of faith more pleasant!
A. Rom. 12:12 – ‘Rejoice in hope.”
B. Not only do we believe in God. We believe that God is able and willing to reward those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).
(4) Our hope helps us focus on the goal and not on what we must endure to obtain it (Cf. Abraham’s patient endurance to obtain the promise of God).
(5) Heb. 6:19 – Our hope is the anchor of our soul.
A. We have for our soul what an anchor provides for a ship. Steadfast hope!
B. Storms rage, waves rise and fall, but the ship rises triumphantly!
C. So it is with your soul.
a. Secured in hope, and you will rise triumphantly and steadfast.
b. BUT, if you lose hope, cut ties with hope, your existence will be driven to destruction!
CONCLUSION:
1. Do you have a confident expectation of reward from God? Do you have happy anticipation of good, even in this life?
2. These things are available only for a faithful child of God, a follower of Christ.
3. If you are not a Christian this hour:
(1) You are without Christ.
(2) You are without hope.