The Believer’s Prize (Part A)

We are still supposed to bless the Lord, even in the Hurt Locker, even when things are as bad as they get Job said the Lord gave Lord is taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord, you can't say that without a surge of emotion.

If you know Jesus Christ. Now if you're in the midst of great trouble.

It may not surge it may not come out that way. But it's there. Many of you know it. Job 13 though he slay me, yet I will trust in him. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first Peter, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of first Peter chapter 1 as he begins his message the believers prize.

You have your Bibles.

Let's open to first Peter chapter 1 first Peter chapter 1 we are going to take verses one through nine.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you were kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time in this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while if need be. You have been grieved by various trials that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom, having not seen you love. Though you do not see him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

I ended that is are going to keep on going because I started to keep on going as said in our introduction.

Peter was every bit the theologian Paul was just two different men to different backgrounds to different deliveries.

Both of the very real, very fierce servants of God.

Keeping in mind that we are going through these two letters of Peter.

We've entitled this study of the Scripture letters from a moderate to be because that is who the author is as he is writing this letter to these persecuted Christians he won't survive this persecution. They don't know that he doesn't know that at the time the timeline is is not clear to them. They're doing what they do is Christians serving the Lord and he is doing what he does as an apostle is a pastor is encouraging the flock to keep their eyes on those things that matter Peter points to the prize that awaits the believer in fact giving up title to this morning studied the believers prize. That's what's one of the things that stands out this little section of Scripture is a fantastic section of Scripture.

He can't rush through it is so much here.

This idea of a prize comes from Christ comes from God. John wrote about it long after Peter had given his life to the Lord with John wrote about it because Jesus told him he told him in the revelation, but he also told them while he walked on earth in the Revelation in chapter 22 Jesus said, behold I am coming quickly and my reward is with me. Well diet is to be with the Lord. For those who are in Christ to be with him. So looking at the first verse, Peter says, Blessed be God the father and our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead pastor to take any one of these verses that we read this morning and the whole topical sermon on each one, so rich, so ready to help us to understand and to do better in life where he says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that word translated Blessed you log a toast in the Greek. You won't need that again where we get our English word eulogy from it is to speak well of someone it is applied in the New Testament only to God. This particular Greek word, it is reserved for him because he is unlike anyone else in the writers of the New Testament never lost sight of that.

Neither are we. As I mentioned a word eulogy comes from this this Greek word, to speak well of another to speak well of God to not badmouth God is very easy to do when bitterness begins to creep up on us to well up in us. It is easy to badmouth God.

Job fought against doing it himself.

In Genesis, we read of the servant of Abraham sent to fetch a bride for his beloved Isaac. Genesis 24 service. It Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who is not forsaken his mercy and his truth toward my master, we can say that ourselves. Blessed be the Lord God Almighty Lord Jesus Christ was, not forsaken his mercy on me in his truth endures forever. These things are no less true in the midst of hardship or maybe I put it this way, we are still supposed to bless the Lord, even in the Hurt Locker, even when things are as bad as they get. Job said the Lord gave Lord is taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord to can't say that without a surge of emotion.

If you know Jesus Christ. If you're in the midst of great trouble. It may not surge it may not come out that way. But is there many of you know it.

Job 13 though he slay me, yet I will trust in him, though he slay me. He has the right and I have the right to love him anyway. Have the light, the right to trust him to be faithful to all that he is to me Peter shoves through the hardship in the lives of those he's writing to. He knows what they're going through. He can't stop what they're going through.

But he shoves through it with a hallelujah anyhow. Praise the Lord anyway.

Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He said that word God. Of course, here, the God of Jesus Christ. It expresses the Lord Jesus Christ attitude towards God the father while he walked the earth. The Trinity is such that there are not three separate gods. We don't believe that each one is a God separate from the other. They are distinct in person, but they are united and separately inseparably consider a triangle. Three points of the triangle. All distinct each point distinct but joined inseparably one from the other and so he mentions the Lord God of hearing in verse one is where we are. Velocity Blessed be the Lord God about God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Father reports expresses that place of origin for Jesus Christ is the only begotten coming from the father not created self existent, but coming from the father has begotten us again to a living hope. Now this hope will be coupled with the joint to faith and love in verse seven enables the pillars of our faith very important to the individual believer that we blend those together faith, hope and love must have the love love based on truth, incidentally to the world. His love is not based on truth, we are supposed to have love that is based on the truth, given to us by God as he writes of them. He says he has begotten us again to a living hope all there in the midst of persecution. They don't know if this thing is going to escalate how bad it's going to be if they're going to survive or not.

They don't know what's coming yet he writes them that God has begotten us to a living hope, not a dead hopeless thing is alive for us in Jesus. We all have a fresh start at life.

That fresh start that outlook that we get when we come to Christ is not supposed to die out as we walk with Christ and meet with things that oppose us that threaten us to harm us. We are supposed to keep the hope that we first received when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ because our hope goes beyond this life.

We see it that way. We understandably set everything out courses set in that direction. We have a new creation in our own heart in her own soul that comes in two phases, one first phase is here in this life are outlook changes.

The second phase is when we leave this life, we are completely changed into the image of Christ.

So when Paul writes in Corinthians we know this verse well therefore if anyone is in Christ anyone is in Christ is a new creation. All things have passed away behold all things have become new and that that word behold that's that's a musical as it is when the music starts from home all things, all things have become new rights here in verse verse three. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the resurrection it without it there is no Christianity. That's why Satan has targeted the doctrine of the resurrection for writes this to the Corinthians on this very topic and first Corinthians 15 for the dead do not rise in Christ is not risen and if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile. You're still in your sins. He says if Christ is not risen, you're still a sinner you are still guilty before a holy God that will execute judgment on you personally. If your sins are still on you. That's what you get nothing in return.

LS was Satan wants many rights if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most pitiful.

If this just as life does nothing beyond but then he adds this right outward.

But now Christ is risen from the dead. He is risen.

We have more hope than whatever we are faced with in this life and so all of that goes into again. Verse three Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, that abundant mercy and then in verse four he says to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled.

That does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, the believers prize heaven I heaven that is so special so wonderful that we were told about it is very limited. This too much, yet the beauty is one of those things you gotta be there not you had to be there. You've got to be there. That's where we are going an inheritance. It's what you get at the end it's it's what God is going to to give to those who receive him in this life.

Unlike an earthly inheritance which eventually becomes useless by me no matter what you inherit whatever wealth you receive from someone who is was left this life. Eventually you leaving to and you not taking any of it with you.

But this inheritance that we have is made of internal stuff the right stuff. The Jews were promised a land they received that promise.

They laid hold of Christians and Christians are made up of any one Jew or Gentile that believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. Christians, we are promised an inheritance in heaven. By faith we accepted. We look forward to it. We don't lose sight of it. If you lose sight of your of the heaven that awaits you. Your strength will be diminished in this life. Whatever you face will be less less ready for it and if you keep your eyes on the prize. Paul said been crucified with Christ and along the Libby says that in the glacial and then flip it you enjoyed it.

I press toward the mark for the prize for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. I press toward the mark of the prize. This one that makes the promise is the one that could touch a leper cleanse them of their leprosy and not himself become defiled, he could raise the dead, and not himself be in jeopardy of defilement or ritual, unclean or uncleanliness.

These things moved out of his way when he walked the earth. Now that he sits on the throne of God. They are no less subject to him and the righteous know it. And so Peter says what waits for us is incorruptible. It's contamination free. Satan priceless men my own weaknesses. These cannot ruin my salvation my own sinful nature. My own sinful ways. My own failure my own faithlessness that my own shortcomings in Christ. They cannot ruin my salvation than a strong enough to not big enough.

He says that it will be undefiled purity with never known purity in the slight purity has never been something we've truly experienced. I can have pure maple syrup, but it's not purity of soul undefiled unspoiled on ending.

That's what awaits us. He says it does not fade away. The Greek city is a single Greek word, we have the forwards in our English to communicate that does not fade away. MRN tossed in the Greek where we get our English word amaranth which is a flower that doesn't fade. That's what it means is that true entirely of the floor, but you understand the meaning you know how our New Testament. It raises our sights higher than what the Jews had in the Old Testament for that for the messianic age. The kingdom maze. The rule of Messiah in Jerusalem is beautiful and his glory is that will be. We have something higher, the new Jerusalem. We have this place reserved for us in heaven that is incorruptible and undefiled. It does not fade away, it won't get old you get to heaven it was, you know, I've been here what for 5 billion years and I just need a change of pace. That's not going to happen so thorough, so wonderful will be that which God gives to us. It's unlike anything we've we've ever known. He says reserved reserved in heaven for you, that Greek word for reserve is also translated guarded in other passages of Scripture's is guarded for us. It is reserved and that reservation is not going to move their to be received. My place is guarded by God. There's no power stronger. There's no one equal this, not even someone who can give him a hard time.

It's written into the registry for all those who believe this Greek word is used in all try to communicated in each verse and going to read from the Lord's prayer in John 17. I know we call the Lord's prayer.

The father was in heaven, or that we call that the Lord's prayer were truly John 17 is the Lord's prayer when he is actually praying to the father when he gives us what we call the Lord's prayer is those are instructions from the Lord to give us a template on how we ought to pray and when Jesus redressed the father in prayer you is that our father righteous father holy father was very beautiful expressions which John 17 verse six. I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world they were yours. You gave them to me and they have Same Greek word reserved or guarded. They have kept your word. And then John 1711. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world and I come to you. Holy father kept there's that word again through your name those whom you have given me, that they may be one as we are going a little confusing is going to come to another Greek word that the translators of translated But it's a different word but I'll try to confuse you with that world. I hope I'm doing is emphasizing to you that when God uses this word in Scripture that your salvation is reserve that it is guarded that it is kept this something we need to be assured of. And if you are assured of it, you will gain strength and momentum in serving the Lord. But if you would be if you wobbly on this you going to be like a straw tossed in the wind. When the pressure is on, even if it's not on you may just be indifferent about serving Christ because you really not sure you really don't believe that you really don't trust it. You really don't get it. And so God is compiled these thoughts in his Scripture for us so that we do get it. Peter got it. He understood it, he could not only look their persecution in the face and give them courage. Take a look at his own persecution in the face with courage because he believed CM when he walked with Jesus will come to a section sometime today in this section we talks about those who did not walk with Jesus that love Christ just as much is him back to John chapter 17 verse 12 while I was with them in the world, I kept. I reserved I guarded them in your name those whom you gave me. I kept and none of them is lost except the son of perdition. Scripture might be fulfilled again. John 1715.

I do not pray that you should take them out of the world that you should keep them that is guarded them. Same word translated reserve herein, the new King James I Peter chapter 1 verse four. You should keep them guard them from the evil one. And of course he says that this goes along with our relationship in heaven with God. So he says, in heaven. Mark chapter 10 verse 30 and in the age to come eternal life.

That's what Jesus said would happen to those who follow him. In the age to come, eternal life, as opposed to the judgment that will fall on those who reject him now verse five the first Peter, he says, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time I hear the translators of translated the word.

This is different Greek word, but it's a single word that I like on my epitaph put that on my tombstone kept says it all to the believer.

My soul is kept by God in never letting go. When I died I did not take my sins with me.

They dissolved in the blood of Christ. I will not stand before him and he will say how come you are such a pickle head regarding the talk about other things. Then we get on with eternity.

We should all be looking forward to that. John's gospel chapter 10 verse 20 read.

I give them eternal life. You don't earn it. It's a gift I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. I love that kept means ongoing action is not just a one time thing. It's recurrent. I'm I'm still there. I'll salvation is kept for us and we are kept for it.

This is what God promises in his word. Our eternity is secure. So long as we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who are kept by the power of God. That is what is keeping it. That word for power doing this we get our English word dynamite from that Greek word, it is an explosive power. It is a force unknown nonsense, fantastic force on our behalf is holding us close to God so this life Holy Spirit within us. Paul wrote to Timothy said that good thing which was committed to you. Keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in you. Second Timothy 114 that good thing that was committed to you. Keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in you. So the Holy Spirit within us.

This is power. The legions of angels around us.

This is power Genesis 32 one. This is when Jacob, the recipient of so many undeserved blessings, Jacob was heading back to what was the promised land but not yet in the possession of that Hebrews. In Genesis 32, when we read so Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him.

The spiritual forces around him were from God, protecting him from the spiritual forces that are not from God that are against God better oppose God and if they can do it for Jacob.

They do it for us then horse power just how and how Jesus did not die on the cross so that we could ruin it because of our sins. The purpose of his death on the cross to overrule and overcome the sins we are so glad you tuned in today to study the book of first Peter on cross reference radio cross reference radio is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia, and we are blessed to bring you God's word with each broadcast.

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