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April 28, 2021 12:00 am
As believers in Jesus Christ. You and I enjoy the whole of eternal life.
Our hope is certain. Our hope isn't dependent on positive thinking are. Hope you write is grounded in truth and you notice our hope is tied to the resurrection of Jesus Christ put it this way. Our hope is not dead because Jesus is not dead. Our hope is not empty because the tomb is biblically speaking, is not the same as the reason that's true is because of what Stephen said a moment ago, our hope is based in the completed work of Jesus Christ and that certainty changes everything. In today's passage Peter tells us that we can be certain of what awaits us in heaven. Christ is reserving for us an eternal inheritance that truth should change our attitude today.
Stephen Devi has a message for you called a chain reaction of praise Jay Allen Blair, a former pastor at author in the early to mid 1900s on the radio for decades and I will not. I have all of his books said the privilege of preaching his funeral and he he told the story of the pastor he knew who always seem to be overflowing in gratitude for something a pastor little church in a farming community, and everyone knew him for his his thankful spirit every time the congregation met they knew there was this traditional pastoral prayer and they knew their pastor would thank God for something and he rarely repeated himself. No matter what the circumstances. He found something for which to give God thanks one particular Sunday, Blair writes an unexpected snowstorm along with the sharp bitter winds that blew in from the north as the little flock broke their horse drawn carts go to church right. They wondered what in the world could the pastor possibly be thankful for on such a day as the service opened. He stood to pray they couldn't help but smile when they heard him pray.
Heavenly father, we thank you that not every day is as bad as this one. Or maybe that's your prayer today and every day is not as bad as this would Peter is writing a letter to people in the first century you could imagine anything going to be thankful for.
Facing a snowstorm of doubt and trouble suffering these snowdrifts of trials have just sort of mount it up before them are scattered throughout Pontius in Galatia and Cappadocia and the Asia Bithynia there there sort of trudging through life against the bitter winds of growing sorrow and and persecution.
This is not what they had expected and Peter picks up his quill and and after some opening comments. We looked at in these last few weeks. He begins to remind them of things for which they can give God thanks and so profound, especially if you consider their situation affect his opening statement in verse three let's go there. Chapter 1 of first Peter and verse three. It's really nothing less than a doxology notice. Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, Blessed be God you can actually get word of the word really. Lord be that's implied. Blessed God Blessed is God blessed be God is the idea you could well read. This is an exclamation that simply says thank God, even if it's something I learned that every season of life is not as bad as this one.
Would Peter does.
Following this statement, as he basically sets off a chain of events chain of things or issues here that sort of trip over each other before we do, let me just quickly address a particular issue that might trouble you would agree that that opening statement is this reference to God the father as Jesus is God Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of Jesus has a God that he obviously isn't what right will every see this kind of phrase. The apostles are providing both the human perspective and the divine perspective of Jesus Christ from the Lord's human nature or perspective God the father is his God from the Lord's divine perspective as God the son God is his father. That is, he is the very divine nature of the father. That's why he could save you see the father you see me if you see me using the father. I, and I express the glory of the father.
He says so the word God here expresses the Lord's relationship as the Son of Man word father expresses the Lord's relationship as the son of God, so both the Lord's humanity and his deity are carried forward in this statement and listen without being both true without both of them being true. Our salvation would be impossible. There's really nothing to thank God, about or nothing to trust in Christ, he had to be a man in order to die yet to be God.
In order to die for us. God's great mercy gives us new life. Notice verse three Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to stop there from his great mercy saved us his great mercy gave us life were saved because God is not going to give us what we deserve. We deserve his judgment. We deserve hello, we deserve punishment, none of us and we would readily say that you are truly converted, would ever say. All I deserve heaven will I deserve God's forgiveness will I deserve everything he's planned for me know. We don't deserve any of it that the older I growing the Lord, the more aware I am of what I really don't deserve about what God is and what God has done what God gives me II certainly didn't deserve to be born again.
I certainly didn't deserve new life.
I certainly didn't deserve to have a fresh start. Every single day with promise.
Even now the blood of Jesus Christ is cleansing me from every sin because I keep sinning verse John 17 but God continues to show you and me. His grades mercy is great mercy explicator wrote a story to story. He retold it about a so you happened in a small poor village in Brazil little hot with a dirt floor little red tile roof live Maria, a widow and her daughter Christina, Maria's husband died when Christina was just an infant. She done her best to raise her daughter that Christina was an older pretty teenage girl.
The time came for her to seek out employment to help Maria's job. Add to the income he was a custodian it was just enough to get food and clothing and shelter, but they eked out this very simple existence, and it was now time for Christina to find a job.
Christina had we can write a streak of independence and that she was above being a cleaner she wanted more out of life.
She often said, I believe all the spine go to Rio de Janeiro and the exciting city life. There, her mother would always react in fear and warn her daughter saying the streets are cruel in that city for a young girl. Her mother was fully aware that of her daughter ever went there on her own she not be able to support herself.
Maria knew where her daughter might end up in order to survive.
Which is why the morning when Maria found her daughter's pallet empty without a note written heart filled with fear for what it might mean. After some time.
Kayla rights when it was clear Christina was no longer anywhere in the village. Maria packs her old suitcase and headed for the bus depot. She stopped first on her way a little drugstore where she took all the money she could possibly spare close the curtain and took all the pictures that she could afford then armed with her bag of clothing and a purse for little black and white photograph. She headed for Rio de Janeiro. She arrived, she looked at all the public places. Restaurants and malls and even some bars. Maria was nowhere to be found to it for days that turned into weeks. She eventually found out to some of the parts of the city where there was a reputation for prostitutes. She knew that Christina had no way of earning money legitimately when hunger and pride combined.
She knew her daughter was stubborn to do anything but return home Maria began to comb through the hotels and nightclubs wherever she went.
She would take her picture to a wall of some kind of bulletin board on the back of each photo that she had written the same message. Finally, out of money at the photographs tired brokenhearted Maria went home sometime later the Christina months later descended the steps of the hotel. She looked across the lobby and saw a familiar face taped to mirror. She recognized the picture in her eyes filling with tears in her throat when she ran across the lobby floor. She pulled the picture off and sure enough it was a picture of her mother.
She touched it in. She wept and happened to turn it over and when she did she read the note on the back of the photograph.
Her mother had written that red wherever you are, whatever you have become. It doesn't matter come home and she did. This is the mercy of God who offers to us who are wondering and pitiful and miserable. We have nothing whatsoever to offer him and he offers us life and home. The second truth that leads us to thank God only for new life notice, but are living hope. Verse three according to his great mercy God is causes the born-again notice to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead hours where the hope is alive because Jesus Christ is alive now understand that hope in the Bible is more than a vague wish. You know I got. I hope I hope we have pizza for lunch of vague wish is not biblical hope when he added that hope in the Bible is is more than positive thinking.
You know like an American okay today is going to be great. You know that's the sum of it like that book you read the owners go, but the little engine you know who is going up that little hill of the St. I think I can think again.
I think again you turn the pages as quickly to good as I did find out if he made it out.
Great hope is vague wishes.
Hope is not positive thinking.
Hope in the Bible is defined as certain expectation and it has a way that this sense of anticipation. Our hope isn't dependent on positive thinking or you know a lot of pizza or certain football teams experiencing the wrath of God.
What whatever know that is our hope, he writes, is grounded in truth, did you notice it's tied to what our hope is tied to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We put it this way. Our hope is not dead because Jesus is not dead. Our hope is not empty because the tomb is empty so our hope is a living hope. Because we have a living Lord. The third truth that leads us to Thanksgiving here is in this text are in eternal inheritance to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you while hello Joe, just have a certain expectation. You have an eternal inheritance throughout the New Testament.
If you're older and the faith. You probably know the believer is called a joint heir or an error with Christ in acts chapter 20 in Galatians chapter 3 in Ephesians chapter 3 the idea of the believer inheriting some inheritance as a joint heir of Christ. Now the Old Testament, this idea to the Jewish follower of God, they expected to inherit their inheritance was the promised land we call it the promised land because the land was promised to them as their inheritance and the New Testament clearly declares that Israel Poland says that they will one day be repentant and restored and reconstituted as a nation, as Jesus descends to set up the kingdom, the land will be there inheritance that is to be taken away. They're going to get it again is to be discernible were told all doing fairly rapidly that our heritage includes eternal life that is 37. Our inheritance includes the kingdom of God.
Matthew 25 or 34.
Our inheritance includes the ceiling by means of the spirit of God is our guarantee Ephesians 114 were told that our inheritance includes rewards. Colossians 324. Salvation is referred to as our inheritance will never be taken away. He was 114 effect in a moment to look at this future aspect of salvation agreement so that we got no inherent the earth.
Matthew five verse five Sentry all the liberals in all these years and all the evolutions and all is to deny our creator God who are scrambling to save the earth. Guess what, they're not to save the earth, God is actually saving it for you. He will re-create it. Peter will tell us later brand-new so the earth never really did belong to them. But one day it will belong to you. This is yours enjoyed your inheritance, Peter describes our inheritance notice with with some interesting words and phrases he first says it imperishable means pretty much what it says. It's just impossible to experience decay isn't going to perish isn't going to pass away you can understand this to mean it is going to come to ruin, is indestructible.
The word also carries the idea of an invading army leaving destruction in its wake and and I couldn't open.
Apply the course of these believers in their context. The scattered believers are surrounded by enemies. Their lives have been invaded. Their lives have been disrupted their homes and their lands have been taken away from them. Imagine how encouraging it is to be reminded as they read here that there inheritance will never be invaded. It will never be destroyed.
It will never be taken away from Peter also calls our inheritance notice on the file on staying unpolluted speaks of a coming life that will never be sustained by pollution. Imagine the pristine error in the crystal clear water of your newly created planet have imagined that belongs to you. The word also speaks of life without the stain of sin could also be understood as life of the crime without fear. Imagine a life without locks and alarms keys are no longer necessary to be great in a rep that when I put my keys were to put my glasses were like that's gotta be so much more time on my hands is not looking for my keys or my glasses and I'm getting old. I know that look like it that I look for my glasses the other day my wife said honey there on your head. There will be no prisons in heaven. The police and no radar guns.
Peter is informing the scattered believers in us that our inheritance will be without any staying without any blemish. Our bodies certainly, but imagine those stain or blemish on our hearts or minds, the regrets, everything about us is as well as our inheritance will be undefiled. Peter adds notice, it will not fade away, that's interesting to me to render it will not grow dim the word is actually used in classical Greek to refer to the fading beauty of flowers and a part of our fallen nature 11 is that we can use the stuff right. We used to people we get used to special blessings we wheat we get used to thing the first time down the roller coaster was the scariest.
The first time you went off the high dive was the most thrilling used.
Ever wonder if you get tired of gold pavement.
Wonder if you got the father sells well those gems are big. I've seen if we ever wonder if if if you're not to be as excited about your heavenly estate. God has prepared for you in the father's house you not for million years and alive. I need to take some pictures or something need a fresh look different. Ever wonder course you don't. I do maybe maybe you don't. You wonder if the flowers in the orchard along the river will lose its vibrant used. Think about it that the new Earth new heavens universe. The father's house that that glittering gold home where we have our residents and then we just scurried about the universe doing his bidding. It will never lose its wonder the glory of God and the throne of Christ and in the royalty of the saints in your clothing of the beloved, and even a gems in the father's house and those those gold paved streets, none of that will ever fade away, but it'll never diminish in its freshness to us wonderful. We will never get used to it.
What you say and we will never get over it. Peter writes of the universe for this inheritance is reserved in heaven for you. By the way, heaven is the safest place you could ever have anything reserved right Chuck Swindoll writes in his commentary of this text and says when you arrive. Some celestial receptionist is a good look at you and say not what was your last name again. Can I see your credit card. Just one more time. No, he writes after your long journey through life, the living God will welcome you home without 1 inch of redtape. Your reservation will never get lost when you think about our inheritance. It's staggering. I dug around this week to unify some some interesting stories of inheritances left by some wealthy people out to homeless brothers. I found this story.
These are true in Eastern Europe.
They're basically homeless, living together, and they inherited more than $1 billion from a grandmother. They never knew they'd attract these guys down. I found a rather tragic story. One of the richest women in Asia leaving her vast fortune to her mystic guru because he promised her that he could guarantee her eternal life is in the only person who can guarantee you eternal life is someone who is eternal. That's exactly what Peter wants us to think out about this fourth and final truth that leads us to praise God that only can we praise God for new life a living hope our eternal inheritance and fourthly God's personal guarantee. He writes in verse five who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed at the last time.
Not only is our inheritance reserved for us in heaven. Peter tells us we are protected by the power of God for this future aspect of salvation which is the rollout of the last time. That's the final day of consummation God assures us into that new heaven and new earth. Now, very quickly. Salvation in the Bible the New Testament is three aspects to it. There's a past tense aspect. There is a present tense aspect and there is a future aspect to your salvation. Where in heaven will be delivered from the very presence of sin.
How can you be sure you're going to make it all away from justification to glorification, especially if there's a lot of turbulence you know, in the middle and sanctification right now you've got guarantee. Peter writes that you are even now present tense. You are even now being protected by the power of God sure being protected to military word for being shielded for being guarded for setting a guard to watch over something important or valuable. So who's doing the guarding here who is guarding your inheritance he was guarding you God. You have is personal guarantor in your inheritance.
Peter writes is coming coming fact everything is ready ready to be revealed at the last time. Literally the appropriate time and listen if everything was ready, 1900 years ago. It's really ready now and you'd better be ready and you're ready when you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior is the message of God through the inspired pen of Peter scattered people wondered if God had lost interest in them. They have no market value.
They are scorned by their world. They certainly know their sinners, but they are sinners who believe in the personal resurrected Savior. So God is telling them and us through Peter. This you are ever wondering in your ever sinful, but I am great with mercy. You don't deserve to live, but I have given you a new life and every day a fresh start. You are bankrupt, penniless, but I have given you an incredible homeless you're wondering scattered throughout the kingdom. But I'm guarantee I will home.
I like to think of this text is a photograph of God himself, and he's written on the back of the photograph to those who will believe here's what it says doesn't matter where you are doesn't matter what you because of my great mercy I've given you life and I will bring you long. I sure hope this lesson from God's word was an encouragement to you today this is wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi. Stephen has appropriately named the message you just heard a chain reaction of praise will bring you the next message in this series tomorrow, but in the meantime we enjoy hearing from you. We receive this note a few days ago, my 12-year-old granddaughter was struggling with doubting her faith and salvation. My son gave her pastor Davies booklet on whether a Christian can lose their salvation, entitled Blessed assurance.
Her father, my son called and thanked me for giving him that booklet over a year ago because it resulted in my granddaughter. Choosing faith instead of doubts that was from Teresa in Florida is so encouraging to learn how our resources are blessing write to us at info@wisdom online.and share your story. Again, that's info@wisdom online.and then join us next time.
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