1 Peter 1:3-5 - God’s Chain Reaction

Main Point: The chain reaction starts with God’s mercy which leads us to being born again, which stimulates a Living Hope, which gives us an eternal inheritance that is protected by God - Walking in the cool of the day with God - to fully know God and be fully known by God.

Recap: Last week

The power of the Trinity in everyday life

According to the foreknowledge of God (design)

by the means of the Holy Spirit to sanctify you (like a washing machine)

For participation with Jesus in Obedience right where you are

In our ever-increasing post-Christian world, the goal is not to get the world to a cretin era but to live for God where we are.

Today we are going to look at God’s Chain Reaction and our part to play in it.

The Swish Machine: 70 Step Basketball Trickshot (Rube Goldberg Machine) - YouTube

The machine took a month to build and another month to successfully work, so please share this with anyone who needs some entertainment during these strange times!

Today we are going to look at God’s Chain Reaction and our part to play in it.

1 Peter 1:3–5 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Blessed/Happy/Praised

Here is how you can praise God

According to his Great Mercy

V1 shows us that God’s chain reaction starts with God’s mercy

What is Mercy?

In 2005 a New Yorker named Victoria was selected as the "Most Inspiring Person of 2005" by the website Beliefnet, and for good reason. Victoria was driving to her niece's voice recital when she passed another car driven by a 19-year-old named Ryan. Ryan was riding with five other teens, who had just used a stolen credit card to go on a spending spree. One of their purchases was a frozen turkey, which Ryan decided to toss into oncoming traffic. The frozen 20-pound projectile smashed through Victoria’s windshield, crushing her face.

Amazingly, Victoria survived, although she spent 10 hours in an operating room while doctors repaired her face. When she finally went home, she brought a tracheotomy tube and endured months of painful rehabilitation.

On October 17, 2005, Victoria attended Ryan's sentencing and she took the stand in the court room before Ryan and the Judge. Listen to a quote from her statement:

"Despite all the fear and the pain, I have learned from this horrific experience, and I have much to be thankful for…. Each day when I wake up, I thank God simply because I'm alive. I sincerely hope you have also learned from this awful experience, Ryan. There is no room for vengeance in my life, and I do not believe a long, hard prison term would do you, me, or society any good."

Ryan, began to weep and expressed remorse for his actions, he was sentenced to six months in jail. He could have gotten a 25-year prison sentence if 45 year old Victoria, his victim, had not intervened.

Victoria added:

"I truly hope that by demonstrating compassion and leniency I have encouraged you to seek an honorable life. If my generosity will help you mature into a responsible, honest man whose graciousness is a source of pride to your loved ones and your community, then I will be truly gratified, and my suffering will not have been in vain…. Ryan, prove me right."

What is Mercy? - Mercy is withholding what we deserve

According to God’s Great Mercy

God’s Mercy ignites a new birth

He has caused us to be born again

Born Again

New Birth - Water Baptism

Regeneration - just as the spirit of God hovered over the waters in Gen 3

Lizards tail

NT Wright “Jesus' resurrection is the beginning of God's new project, not to snatch people away from earth but to colonize earth with the life of heaven."

Once we come out of the water, we to be like Jesus in suffering and rising from the dead.

“He has caused us to be born Again.”

A key characteristic of being born again is living hope.

The chain reaction starts with Mercy which ignites being Born Again, which stimulates a Living Hope, which gives us an Eternal Inheritance.

Living hope

What it’s not:

Not a thing (possession)

Not an emotion - you can’t just make yourself feel hopeful

Not security or safety

Or even living with more hope than fear

While living with hope now is important, the primary focus of what Peter is saying is hope that is in the future. Inheritance and salvation

A living hope is a clear vision of what God will do for us in the future

How do I have hope for the future? - Through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead

Jesus went through suffering and was exalted (elevated, prominent, superior, influential, important, powerful)

Living hope is living through any and every circumstance with faith that Jesus is alive and advocating for us.

A living hope gives us - An inheritance.

The chain reaction starts with Mercy which ignites being Born Again, which stimulates a Living Hope, which gives us an Eternal Inheritance.

Inheritance v.4

Over the next 10 years, the greatest transfer of wealth will happen.

But we inherit as children of God is eternal.

Imperishable - pandemic won't cause the stock prices to cut in half

Undefiled - not spoiled by sin (gambled away)

Unfading - Greek secular literature is used to describe a flower - the delicate beauty never fades.

“Kept in heaven for you.”

An inheritance that cannot be taken away.

Life will torment you (look at trials next week), but this is the foundation for understanding the proper response to persecution.

not perishable

not defiled

not fading

Describes what not - so what is it?

The Garden of Eden is what we inherit because we are children of God - Walking in the cool of the day with God - to fully know God and be fully known by God.

V.5 - God is Guarding you by his power (projecting)

1 Peter 1:5 ESV

5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

This trips people up.

Not from suffering or agonizing pain (As aliens & suffers)

But he protects you so that you will be able to spend eternity with him

Salvation from problems is not the ultimate reward of faith; the ultimate reward of faith in Jesus is Walking in the cool of the day with God - to fully know God and be fully known by God.

The chain reaction starts with God’s mercy which leads us to be born again, which stimulates a Living Hope, which gives us an eternal inheritance that is protected by God - Walking in the cool of the day with God - to fully know God and be fully known by God.

How do we jump into this chain reaction?

Only one condition - Faith

Mercy does not bypass human beings. Believers must exercise faith

Not one and done but continually - What Jesus has is more valuable than this suffering.

Remember, the chain reaction starts with God’s mercy

The chain reaction starts with God’s mercy which leads us to be born again, which stimulates a Living Hope, which gives us an eternal inheritance that is protected by God - Walking in the cool of the day with God - to fully know God and be fully known by God.