Because We Believe!
Notes
Transcript
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 10 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Background:
Background:
The Author - Peter
The Author - Peter
Fisherman by Trade, called by Jesus on the sea of Galilee along with his brother Andrew, who was also a disciple of Jesus.
Original Name was Simon, Jesus changed it to Peter (English), Petros (Greek), Cephas (Aramaic)
His name means Rock:
42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
He was part of the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples and was the who early in the ministry of Jesus walked on water.
It was Peter who said:
35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
Who tried to defend & fight for Jesus
10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
Yet, ultimately found himself scattered
50 And they all forsook him, and fled.
and who later that evening when accused of knowing Jesus:
73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
It is Peter who encounters the risen Jesus where he’s asked several times:
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
The Audience of our Reading
The Audience of our Reading
Strangers, resident aliens,
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
Proposition: What enables us to endure the struggles of life? Having believed & trusted in this risen Jesus, who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died as a substitution for us, taking upon Himself the sins of the World, and who rose again victorious over sin and death, is now seated at the right hand of God.
We believe not just blindly by faith, but from the testimony of those who have come before us, from the witness of creation, from the witness of the Holy Spirit within us who believe.
Interrogative: What exactly is it that makes our New Life in Jesus so special?
Transition: I would like to undescore from our text today four elements of the Gospel Message that keep us secure regardless of our circumstances in life.
The first is that:
1. The Promises of God are Perpetual
1. The Promises of God are Perpetual
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
You see God’s Promises to us who have received His wonderful salvation to us are not just a temporary thing they are ongoing, His Promise is Perpetual first of all because He has given us...
a. The Promise of Eternity
a. The Promise of Eternity
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
We can believe what is to come because of what has already passed!
45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.
68 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
10 For the mountains shall depart, And the hills be removed; But my kindness shall not depart from thee, Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, Saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
There are approximately 8,810 promises in the entire Bible. In the Old Testament there are 7,706 and in the New Testament there are 1,104 wonderful promises. Deuteronomy 28 has 133 promises, which is more than any other chapter in the Bible. “We’re sitting on the premises when we ought to be standing on the promises!”
No matter what your life on earth is like, no matter what is spoiled, no matter how your dreams seem to have faded. Your inheritance in heaven is good as new because Our living hope is an eternal promise.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: Though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
ILLUSTRATION: People buying Gold in preparation for Y2K
The latest Gold Rush wasn’t in the 1800s in California, but just a mere two decades ago.
In the months leading up to January 1, 2000, anxiety and fear was spreading among even the most educated and wealthy in the world.
Everyday Americans were stock piling canned goods, water bottles. Others were making escape plans, where would they go if their major urban city erupted into chaos and looting.
What was the culprit driving these fears?
Doom and gloom entered mainstream society in 1998 and 1999. Computer programmers were furiously working to fix the so-called “Millennium Bug,” also known as the Year 2000 or Y2K bug.
This all started decades ago when short-sighted computer programmers, were designing programs that control everything from your bank account to your 401k retirement funds to the electrical grid to municipal water management systems.
One senior executive at Barclays Bank, quoted anonymously said: “I’m going to plan for the absolute worst. I am talking about the need to start buying candles, tinned food and bottled water from mid-1999 onward.” He was one of many who saw gold as a safe investment in a time of uncertainty.
Flight to Gold: A Hard Asset
The banker also advised people stockpile their cash and buy gold in case the Y2K bug causes a global economic collapse, with currencies and stock exchanges tumbling into a computer-induced free fall.
The New York Times reported that “Another British banker, asked by the newspaper to comment on his rival’s seemingly daffy remarks, said investing in gold might not be a bad idea.”
Gold Sales Soared Ahead of Y2K
In mid-1999, an ounce of gold sold for a bargain basement price of $252 an ounce. Americans and Canadians stocked up aggressively on gold bars, coins and silver as protection of a meltdown of the global financial system. The Royal Canadian Mint reported a 20% increase in Maple Leaf gold coins, while the Mint also reported a $15 million sale of gold coins related to Y2K.
Others stocked up on silver coins in expectation that they could be used as barter units if the monetary system broke down.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
And there is another aspect to our Perpetual Promise
b. The Promise of Protection
b. The Promise of Protection
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Remember this letter is being written to a people who know oppression, who know genuine sorrow and pain, Peter’s Spirit inspired promise to them is that they are sheilded from all that the world can throw at them by God’s power. Ultimately, no matter what happens we know that God has us in the palm of His hand and nothing happens to us that takes our loving father by surprise.
And this promise of Protection is also a part of God’s Perpetual Promise--It is a two part promise God has a place reserved for you in heaven and until you join him ther to partake of your eternal inheritance He is watching over you and sheiding you from the enemy of your soul.
The second element of the Gospel message being that...
2. Our Problems are Passing
2. Our Problems are Passing
Whereas God’s promises to us are Permanent, the trials of this life are temporary...
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
There is in fact a two part truth here the first is that..
a. Our Trials are Temporary Vs 6
a. Our Trials are Temporary Vs 6
Peter says that while we are waiting to receive that eternal inheritance we can rejoice in our living hope in spite of the fact that right now life may not be so grand..in fact you may be suffering in all kinds of trials, trials of faith, trials of persecution, physical trials but these only last a little while. We are looking forward to eternity.
b. Our Trials are Training us
b. Our Trials are Training us
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Peter uses the metaphor of Gold being refined by fire to speak of how the trials of our lives prove our faith to be genuine
I read in the encyclopedia that modern refining techniques can profitably extract pure gold from rock that has only one part gold to 300,000 parts worthless material. Our lives are a lot like that nearly worthless rock that contains a small amount of something very valuable--our faith and through the heat and pressure of the trials of our lives that precious faith is refined.
So then not only our Promise Perpetual, our Problems are passing and as they are passing through our lives they are working for our Good. The next thing that makes the salvation we have in Jesus so great is the fact that...
3. Our Joy is Everlasting
3. Our Joy is Everlasting
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
This inexpressible Joy is shown to be the result of two things in our passage, the first is
a. Joy of Loving Jesus Vs 8-9
a. Joy of Loving Jesus Vs 8-9
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
Jesus:
Sought after us
Rescued Us
Redeemed Us
Restored Us
Revitalized Us
Renews Us Day by Day
All born out of His Love for Us....though we have not seen Him, we love Him for what we KNOW He has done for us!
Our Pleasure is Profound also because we have the...
b. Joy of Being Redeemed
b. Joy of Being Redeemed
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
The hard questions of life are taken care of
Why am I here?
Who made us?
What is my purpose?
What happens when I die?
We don’t have to worry…we can live joyously even in the midst of struggle!
Well there’s one more element that we are assured of by the Gospel...
4. It Was Predicted by the Prophets
4. It Was Predicted by the Prophets
10 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
The fulness of the Gospel represents the...
a. The Fulfillment of God’s Plan
a. The Fulfillment of God’s Plan
We live in the time that God was planning for all along. The remedy for sin is in place. The messiah has come. The price is paid. The things that the prophets had been promising by the spirit of God have already taken place.
1 And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: For the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Our salvation is the Fulfilment of God’s Plan and it is also...
b. The Fulfillment of the Prophets’ Hope
b. The Fulfillment of the Prophets’ Hope
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
What’s He saying here? remember He’s writing to a suffering church, a persecuted church a church that could easily have thrown a big church pity party and said "woe is us." But Peter’s word through the Spirit of God is "don’t think this is the worst of times, this is the time those heroes of the Old Testament wished they could live in, the time of Salvation through the Blood of Jesus In fact even the Angels in Heaven are envious of your salvation."
Conclusion: When we consider the life of Peter and all that he endured in his life. From his calling by Jesus, to the high points of his life, to his failings and regrets, he gives to this struggling group of Christians some reminders.
1 Peter 1:2–3 (KJV 1900)
2 ...Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
We will keep moving forward in faith, because the Promises of God are True & Never Ending
The problems we experience in this life…they will Pass
The joy we will experience as a result of this Gospel, will never end!
Our trust is never misplaced when our trust is in God. Frances Havergal, the noted hymn writer, wrote I hymn that I sometimes sing as a solo, titled: I Could Not Do Without Thee
I could not do without thee,
O Saviour of the lost,
Whose precious blood redeemed me
At such tremendous cost;
Thy righteousness, thy pardon,
Thy precious blood must be
My only hope and comfort,
My glory and my plea.
2 I could not do without thee,
I cannot stand alone,
I have no strength or goodness,
No wisdom of my own;
But thou, beloved Saviour,
Art all in all to me,
And weakness will be power,
If leaning hard on thee.
3 I could not do without thee;
No other friend can read
The spirit’s strange deep longings,
Interpreting its need;
No human heart could enter
Each dim recess of mine,
And soothe and hush and calm it,
O blessèd Lord, but thine.
4 I could not do without thee,
For years are fleeting fast,
And soon in solemn loneness
The river must be passed;
But thou wilt never leave me
And, though the waves roll high,
I know thou wilt be near me
And whisper: It is I.
And as she was crossing that river, that threshold into the life to come at the young age of 42, Havergal asked a friend who was standing by her bed to read to her from the forty-second chapter of Isaiah.
When the friend read the sixth verse:
Isaiah 42:6 (KJV 1900)
6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, And will hold thine hand, and will keep thee ...
Then she stopped her friend from reading any further. With a voice barely above a whisper she said: “CALLED—HELD BY HIS HAND—KEPT. I can go home on that!” And she did go home on that as she closed her eyes and went home to be with her Savior.” (Kent Trent - Sermon Central)