Living Hope - Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. That's not how you were bought. He says, knowing that you are not meeting with your perishable things like silver and gold from the futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but how would you buy music but with the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless crystals inside that died substitutionary atonement guide is yet understand what it costs. Grace is free for you and for joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of fellowship, monitor located in Metairie, Louisiana that's going pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets our world. In his essay on man who wrote these words. Hope springs eternal in the human breast.

We are undeniably and incurably hopeful. We give ourselves away with two words, if then.

For example, if only my candidate wins, then only my team signs that player then if only I get that degree.

Then, if only I get that job. Then, if only I get married, then if only I get divorced then.

If only I get that cosmetic surgery then but so often I candidate wins our team signs that player we get that degree we get that job, we find that spouse we get that divorce we have that cosmetic surgery and we are left completely and totally disappointed.

You see putting your hope in something that can't deliver is very very frustrating. But when you put your faith in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross.

Hope that spring eternal because it's a very different kind of hope open your Bibles once again to first Peter chapter 1 Peter's description first in verse three of that hope.

I said last time the way hope is used in our culture.

It's almost always the same.

It's wishful thinking, but I just hope that this is what happens when the New Testament the word to choose for hope means a certain eager expectation a certain eager expectation of what is the common Peter speaks of this in verse three he says blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy mercy meeting not getting what we do deserve according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again, and then these words to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, you see is not wishful thinking. It's a living hope and the reason it's a living hope is we have a living Lord Christ is raising the dead that first words on that Easter morning. He's alive and because he's alive. Our hope has life. This is in the hope of heaven. It certainly included, but it's not the hope of heaven. This isn't the hope for Sunday. This is a hope for today it's called a living hope and he says this can have a profound effect on us.

You see, he wants to let these people know how special it is to be saved. As I said last time these are a group of people that are being persecuted they are being persecuted by the Jews there being persecuted by the Greeks and really persecuted by the Romans, and so narrow will be shipping off to Rome to the Coliseum. These are people who are very much afraid about what's going on around them and one of the first things that Peter tells them is what you have a living hope and you have to understand just how spectacular how wonderful how great it is to be saved and have a Savior. He then goes on to describe that in verse 10 he says as to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. He said it was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven is an interesting thing he says. First of all, you realize how great salvation is the prophets. They were intrigued by. They didn't know exactly what they were writing they know it didn't apply to them.

You read something like Isaiah chapter 53, Isaiah's writing this 700 years before Christ was born in Isaiah is saying there's a Savior coming this one is going to die for us, our transgressions are going to be forgiven. He's not sure who it is or what it is but is intrigued by that and then Peter says you know what. Not only was the prophets intrigued by what he says there were people like me and Paul.

You see in people like John who went about the world offering that salvation to people like you and you believe it, and we weren't doing it on our own. We were moved by the Holy Spirit of God, but he still wasn't finished and intrigued the prophets because it was such a great thing was proclaim by the disciples and the apostles in the early church and then he says at the end of verse 12 things into which angels long to look, I love that Angel sense the greatness of salvation. In my opinion they don't get it. There like what you mean. These sinful people were disobedient to you want nothing to do with you, you would become one of them and then die for them. Which, interestingly, the translators, I believe, of the NASB, and most of the English translations use a word there to be kind because it didn't want to use the literal word it says that angels long to look into this.

That word is epi. The metal, the Greek word epi. The metal was translated many times in Scripture lost in an interesting, they lost to look at that. It also translated cub which would be appropriate. The coveted how could these people be so special that God would become one of them and die for them. He said that's how great salvation is that's what it means to have us living hope in you, not for someday, but for today he says that's how wonderful it is and always been a going explain he's been given three things that they can apply to the hope that they have in them. This living hope not only for them but for us the first thing is this. If you come to Jesus Christ you can hope. Remember, that's the certain eager expectation you can have the certain eager expectation that your life going to be better that you're going to live better than you've lived before. That's a wonderful thing. He says that we have some responsibility of our own. What it requires a bias he says therefore, prepare your minds for action.

Keep sober and spirit and fix your hope there is completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Three things he says.

The first thing is, he says this in the new American Standard. He says prepare your minds, not exactly that King James is will be closer here it says gird up your loins, gird up your loins.

Yes, he says take your outer garment rolled up, put it in your belt.

Let's get the worker let's do something you get a going action here when you wanted to do something in action. You had to take her out of them to pick it up and tuck it in, so your legs are free to bend her mind or whatever it is you need to do. He says you need he says verse about a gird up your loins are or take what it takes to work. Secondly he said you need to be sober. That doesn't say it says, in spirit, but that's not in the text. That word sober means abstain abstain from what the way you work. That's the whole point. Abstain from the way you were and abstain from the way they are out there is a new need to abstain and then the third thing is, he says you need to fix your hope completely that word fix is the word epi so and it means you need to have your all your expectations on the hope of the grace that brought the revelation that will be brought at the revelation of Jesus Christ is. That's the part you need to do. That's what it requires of us. Why should we do that verse 14 as obedient children receive our salvation is so spectacular that you're now a child, your child of God. He says now as obedient children, you see, it's just not that I'm a person who was saved but now I'm a child of God, you are to have been adopted into God's family. He said as obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lust in which he says were yours and your ignorance. Many says word to scare the daylights out of his, he says, but like the holy one who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior because it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy. From Leviticus.

I don't know about you but the first time I read that I thought while there's a standard I can't meet holy you be holy and just say you be holy like Ralph I could be holy like Ralph.

He said you be holy like your father is he that were holy, has such a strange connotation to us, but it simply Heloise. It means a set apart God is holy because he is holy others. A philosopher say what that mean he set apart from everything else because everything else is his creation so he tells us to be set apart.

You need to be set apart from what the way, I was in the way they are.

He said you set yourself apart from the way you were in the way you are, because God your fatherly symbol by the way, just throw this in for little motivation. He's not just your father, but he does have another occupation. He said a few addresses father, the one who impartially judges according to each man's work conduct yourselves in fear during your time of your stay on earth.

We also as a judge we know about the judgment seat of the beam of Jesus Christ will stand before that, we seen that in Corinthians in your life will come down to what haste double and gold, silver and precious stones. I just read this week Chuck Swindoll said that he always viewed his life at the judgment seat of Christ, he said, with the image I need in my mind is a gigantic dump truck and he said that'll be everything that I've ever done will be in the dump truck and it'll come up and have just dump it in at the judgment seat of Christ, and he says and then God will calm and just start working through it and he said he's just taken big gobs of wood hand strong throne upon the fire and then he goes.

Oh look, I find a piece of gold over what I find is a stone. He said I have a hunch that so much of what I've done is Woodhaven straw.

He says you need to live differently because of who your father's when we raise our boys.

One of the things it would be said of them often every time they went out into the world would be.

Don't forget who you represent. She don't forget that is what Peter saying here. Don't forget who you represent.

Don't forget you see who's your father. That's what he is saying is kind of interesting.

He said we should live differently because of that he said you understand your salvation is so great and grace is so wonderful in its grace means gift. It's a free to you but he said, don't misunderstand this grace is free but it's not cheap. So don't make that mistake that all your sins are forgiven because of the finished work of Christ on the cross.

Don't think for a moment then what's he graces this is wonderful.

It's what Paul said in Romans he of grace covers our senselessness and all the more said Megan going to in the book of Romans. Here he says this knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver and gold. By the way, when it was a slave you could buy if you were an indentured servant, and someone would give you the silver gold you could buy your freedom be set free. Call redeemed our garage door X Alvarado set free. He said that's not how you were bought. He says, knowing that you were not redeemed with your perishable things like silver and gold from the futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but how will you bought, he says, but with the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished. The spotless blood of Christ Christos Messiah. That's how you were bought. He died for you substitutionary atonement.

He died. He died in your place is you have to understand what it cost. Grace is free for you, but it's not cheap at all, he says. Then, for he, Christ, the Messiah for the Messiah was foreknown before the foundation of the world but is appeared in these last times for the sake of you who threw him are be believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory. He says so that your faith and what your hope in God.

She keeps going back to hope yet understand why these people felt hopeless. Their situation was going to get better. In fact it was going to get emphatically worse. They knew what was coming. They were pretty much been hated by everybody and now it was starting the cost of their lives. He said have you got this living hope you see you got this living hope.

Don't take your eye off this living hope that you have. It's not just the hope of heaven someday.

It's the hope for today. He says the first aspect of this hope is pretty clear. He said it's a hope of a better life. You can live differently than the way you live before you were a Christian. That's what he saying how you do that one of the things you should be about I just give you 31.

Is this you need to pay close attention to what you look at if you want to live differently than the way you were before Christ, you need to pay close attention to what you someone said you become what you look and we live in a culture by the way, that is just loaded with images in is just outstanding unbelievable. In fact, the amount of images we now have I got there would never be a way for us to see more images and we saw on television that's incredible little. The stuff you see on TV and think of all the things you look at especially the advertisements.

Think of this almost everyone in your caring a smart device and all day long you chemical images. It really comes down to what you look at yet to be careful with using the availability of images now is because pornography in America. The epidemic why what to look at it right here said you need to be careful what you look at. Secondly, you need to give greater thought to the consequences of sin rather than its pleasures.

Let me say something to offend you on purpose. Every stupid terrible thing you've ever done a more dispensable every stupid terrible thing you've ever done ignores the principal that you can give enough thought to the consequences you gave all your thought to the pleasures of sin, it won't just be you. The chart is not just your relationship with Christ. The chart, it's the people the love you so often heard. It's the people who don't know Christ yet know you are hurt, you have to think about that.

Thirdly, you have to cultivate your time with the Lord.

I don't know how you can live in this world or any world as a believer in Jesus Christ and not spend time every day allowing his word to speak to you in prayer you speak to him and was Bilbray could call that spiritual breathing but is exactly right. That's how we do it you have to cultivate that careful what you look at give greater thought to the consequences. Cultivate your time with the Lord being saved is so great that living hope is so wonderful that you have a better life in a moment. We'll see as to why. Secondly, I can hope to have a capacity to love other believers. I can hope to have the capacity and you can hope to have the capacity to love other believers.

This is never optional with God. It seems to be with us. He said since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls.

For a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.

While, by the way, both kinds of love or an adverse.

This makes it worse, not better. He says since you have in obedience to the truth, believe the gospel he said and you purified your souls. And here's the reason you did it for a sincere love that word love flow. Brotherly love, friendship, he said of the brother, and then he says fervently.

Agape one another from the heart. Now let me put it in English. You understand, he says you need to love unconditionally.

That's agape each other and you need to like each other what he says, brotherly love flow sheet is extremely important and when to see why hold your place and go with me now back to John 13 the Gospel of John. John 13 the night before Christ was crucified. One of the first things that Jesus did that night us.

He went and he washed the feet of the disciples.

That's the position of the lowest slave in the house he did it, the feet were filthy. They came in for dinner and he got down and he washed the feet and then in verse 12 he begins to tell them why he says in chapter 13 verse 12 now when he had washed their feet and had taken his garments and reclined at the table. He said to them, do you know what I done to you. Really interesting question. I mean, it is not as obvious as it seems they probably got going' Boyd a lot more. He says this you call me teacher or rabbi you call me rabbi and Lord Cory's. He said you're right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the teacher washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. The magic magic by another browser preferable. You know what he says, for I gave you an example that you should do as I did to you and me were supposed to wash each other's feet whenever we get a chance. It's a picture. The metaphor drop down to verse 34.

Same night same context. Jesus says in verse 34 a new commandment I give to you that you love one another, even as I have loved you, you also love one another. There's a commandment to them and to us.

We love each other how like Christ loves us while unconditionally forgiving patient.

All those kind of things he said yeah you need to love one another, now is go tell them reason, he says, verse 35 by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

Jesus understand what people are like, look you love some people you could care less about most people and their few people you know like all you see that's just life. Jesus is known on. That's not the way it's going to be with you and by the way this go back to Peter. That's a problem for Peter's audience to see what was the church like wall of Peter's church there were there were Jews who were what we call messianic Jews. They had come to Christ believe in him as her Savior now Jews didn't like any Gentiles they've viewed the Gentiles as unclean. What the hell I'm Gentiles in the church, but they just didn't have Gentiles they had Greeks and the church. Another drink sold himself as intellectually superior to everybody else. In fact, from the Greek's point of view everybody but Greek was barbarian. They that's the word. The Greek sitting what everybody else talks like but us bar bar bar bar bar that all barbarians the rig then of the Romans. The moments that we conquer the world belongs to us so you have Greeks Romans, Jews owned by the way have slaves there on the church. You know, the church was full of prejudice receipt was prejudice and like that on a whole, the Habs don't like the have-nots. The have-nots don't trust the Habs. See, that's the way it is. By the way is anything changed. I don't think so savvy but I can remember years ago hearing Tony Evans and dollar say that the most segregated hour in America is Sunday morning. Is that sad. What, that's the church that's the church there's no place for that pastor will give her the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcasting or maybe you just think of a smoother message one more time. Remember the good or great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online event website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio programs as well have Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting monthly with just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon that pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church visit our website FVC Nola.org that SBC 10 oh LA.Margie at our website you will find hundreds pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sermon series you're looking for or you can search by title. Once you find the method you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listening and remembering all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website is FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt and Jason Gebhardt.

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