YouTube video sermon

1 Peter 1:3-5

As always, let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to 1 Peter 1:3-5. You’ve become accustomed to hearing me say that, I’m sure. And while it’s what some might call “filler talk,” or just typical “introductory language,” I hope that you also hear something fundamental in it. That fundamental message is a weekly reminder that we have access to God’s written Word. We have access to the plan and purposes of God – to the revelation of Jesus Christ and the gospel – and I hope that you look forward to Sundays because you know that what we’re going to study together comes from this book (the Bible). Amen?

Several years ago, a 9-year-old girl by the name of Demi-Lee Brennan was just like any young girl her age: active, bright, happy. But she became a very sick little girl. Something happened to her liver. Doctors didn’t understand it. They weren’t sure, but they knew that if she was going to survive, then she’d need to have a liver transplant. So, they put her on the transplant list and found one. They scheduled her for surgery and everything went great. She did extremely well in recovery and after a few weeks in the hospital they sent her home with all of this anti-rejection medication – so that her body would accept the liver that was given to her.

Everything went well. Like many young children, her body responded favorably and she bounced back rather quickly from the surgery. But about 9 months into her recovery period she became extremely ill again. They rushed her back to the hospital. The doctors weren’t sure what was going on, so they ran scans and did blood work and all the rest, and what they determined was that her body was now fighting the anti-rejection medication.

Something had changed in her physiologically. What had changed was this – and doctors say that the only way to explain it is that this was a modern miracle – her blood type had changed from O (negative) to O (positive). They’d never seen that before. They said that the chances of that happening was 1 in 6 billion. In other words, that doesn’t happen. But it did for Demi-Lee Brennan. She’s in her mid-20’s now and doing well.

I tell you that in order to tell you this; that’s what Peter describes for us in today’s passage. If you have trusted Jesus Christ for your salvation… If you’ve recognized that you’re a sinner and that there’s no way possible to make yourself right with God apart from the completed work of Jesus Christ… If you’ve confessed your sin and turned to Jesus in faith, then you’ve been born again to a living hope. Something as dramatic as a blood change in the life of Demi-Lee Brennan has happened to you, but in a spiritual sense. The moment that the Holy Spirit drew you to a place of surrender before the Lord Jesus Christ, His blood changed everything about you.

That’s what we’re going to discover today. Hopefully, you’ve found your spot. If not, you can follow along on the screens.

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.

“Father, we thank You that we can study Your Word in these moments. And I pray that in Your great goodness, You will take my words and speak through them, take our minds and help us to think clearly through them, take our hearts and open them to receive Your truth. For Christ’s sake, amen.”

Last week, we noted that Peter is writing to believers that have been scattered among the Roman Empire: places like Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. And he refers to the believers as aliens, as strangers, as exiles – people that don’t belong in this world. Many of you said that you sympathized with me last week when I said that I felt more and more like an alien and stranger in my very own country. In the words of one young girl to her dog, “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” That’s what Peter says when he begins this letter of encouragement.

The Church has been dispersed and scattered, likely due to the persecution that’s beginning to build in Rome over their faith and the fact that they won’t bow their knees in worship to the Caesars. And besides feeling alienated and exiled, or rather because of their alienation and exile some of the believers are beginning to question their faith. They’re suffering. They’re anxious. They’re full of care and worry, and they’re beginning to ask this question: “Well, maybe I’m not really saved. You suppose that I’ve lost my salvation? Do you suppose that I’m not really saved? That I didn’t do it right? Was there some formula that I was supposed follow?”

Peter knew that people often questioned their faith during times of persecution and suffering. You say, “Well, pastor, how do you know that Peter knew that?” Well, if you remember, during Jesus’ trial and the building pressures surrounding His crucifixion, Peter was questioned. Peter knew what peer pressure felt like. In fact, Peter knew what it was like to fail Christ and feel as though you’ve lost your salvation. All of us, at some point in our lives, have doubted or questioned our own salvation. Now, the degree of doubt and question might have been different, but there’s not a person here this morning that hasn’t (at some time) wondered and questioned and, in some sense, doubted their own salvation.

Peter writes to them and says, “I want you to understand this: because of the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ you have salvation that will be eternally secured.” That’s what Peter is saying in verses 3-5 and I want to show you that this morning. Just like last week, the three things that we’re going to consider are found directly in the text. And the first is that we have:

A Living Hope Because Of God’s Gift

I have eternal security… I have a living hope because of God’s gift (v. 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…”

Now let’s just pause for a moment on that phrase, “According to His great mercy…” The word “mercy” describes pity and compassion towards the miserable. It describes the gracious activity of someone toward an undeserving party.

We’re all familiar with those who get prizes for running the fastest, or jumping the highest, or scoring the most points, or making the most sales, or whatever it may be. If you do this, then you get that. You perform and you receive the reward. Almost all of our western American society and capitalism is based upon this principle. But Peter isn’t speaking in these terms. No, he says it’s because of God’s mercy that we discover this. And the word “mercy” assumes only two things: 1.) it assumes need on the part of the recipient, and 2.) adequate provision on the part of the donor.

Those of you that have been here for a while know that we just concluded updates to our church directory. And as my family was having their photo taken, I said to Brent, “I would very much like for this picture to do me justice.” And though Brent would never say such a thing to his pastor, I’m sure he thought, “Lee, what you require is not justice, but mercy. After all, there’s only so much that you can do with a face like that. If your mother hadn’t lifted you out of the crib by your ears as much, then we could’ve done better.” No, we don’t require justice. We require mercy.

And yet it’s hard to go through an entire week and not hear someone in your family, or a work colleague, or a classmate at school say, “Oh, I don’t think it’s fair… I don’t think it’s right… I deserve better than this… I should have something more… This shouldn’t happen to me.” Listen to me folks, we need to understand this: it’s in God’s great mercy that He gives us anything at all. It’s by His mercy that we have breath in our lungs. It’s by His grace and His mercy that He allowed us to get dressed this morning. And it’s by His great mercy that He has given us new birth according to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I’m going to start “amening” myself in a minute. Peter writes this an encouragement. You ought to be happy about this. This ought to make some of you smile, this morning.

Now, the word that he uses for “born again” is the Greek word anagennaó. It’s a word that’s only used by Peter. Now some of you are thinking, “Yeah, but I thought that’s what Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3?” Well, Jesus spoke about the “new birth,” that’s true, but Jesus says that we must be “born from above” (John 3:3). According to John’s gospel, Jesus never uses this word, or at least John doesn’t record it that way. Peter is the only New Testament writer to use the term anagennaó. He uses it here and then again in verse 23. And the point is clear. Only God can cause someone to be “born again.”

But we’re not simply “born again” to this plain old life, to this plain old existence, to live our lives over on rewind like some bad dream or Ground Hog Day movie scene. No, we’re born again to a “living hope.” This isn’t the kind of hope that most of us express, which is nothing more than an ambivalent wish. That’s what most of us mean. Let me give you an example.

Most of you know that I’m a huge Formula 1 fan and my favorite driver is an Englishman named Lewis Hamilton. Lewis is currently tied with Michael Schumacher in the greatest number of world championship titles (at 7). He lost last year’s title at the last race on the last lap to a technicality after a restart, but that’s beside the point. This year, due to some major engineering changes to the car, he’s doing poorly. They race today in Miami (first time ever). I hope Lewis wins, but in reality, he probably won’t. Do you hear that? That’s an ambivalent wish. It’s full of hesitancy. Full of doubt. Full of “I’m not really sure.” Full of “I’d like for that to happen.”

That’s not living hope. Living hope is certain! Living hope is sure! Living hope is final! Living hope has been sealed! This is a living hope that comes from Almighty God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and it’s a gift!

A Living Hope Because Of God’s Guarantee

The second thing is this: we have a living hope because of God’s guarantee. Look at verse 4. The gift of living hope leads “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” Do you know what an inheritance is? An inheritance is what the dead leave to the living. Now, I know that sounds harsh, especially on Mother’s Day, but I don’t mean it that way. It’s just the truth.

There was a couple that lived in Alto, MI by the name of Willis and Arlene Hatch. They owned an 80-acre farm in this little farming community. They had no children, no relatives, but they were a part of this little community. They were part of Alto Methodist Church, down the street. Willis worked on the farm. Arlene taught school. They were just average, blue-collar farmers/teachers. They were both killed in a tragic automobile accident.

Not long after that, everybody in that little community of Alto – about 70-some-odd folks – got a letter from Willis and Arlene’s attorney that said they would all divide up over $3M dollars that has been left to you. People inherited anywhere from $5k to $125k. Some farmers were able to pay off their farm debts. Others were able to buy a new piece of farming equipment. Young people inherited enough that they were able to go a get a free college education.

Their pastor asked the question: Did we deserve this? No, but he said that Willis and Arlene were incredibly generous people and the people of Alto, MI were thankful for their generosity. Did anyone there earn that? No. Peter says that we obtained an inheritance not because we earned it or deserved it, but solely because God loves us. Folks, that’s good news.

And Peter uses three words to describe our inheritance. He says our inheritance is imperishable (that means it won’t perish). Everything in this world, everything in this universe, everything that’s ever existed has already sown into it the seeds of decay and deterioration and death. I’m not telling you anything you don’t know. We joke and laugh around here, but if it wasn’t for doctor’s appointments, many of you wouldn’t have anything to do.

Secondly, he says that it’s undefiled (that means that sin has never touched it). You get a couple of us Citadel grads together and it won’t take about 2 minutes and we’ll be sharing stories – stories that Parker is taking in. Perhaps all this wisdom will pay off, one day. Listen, you learned to polish brass and shoes like an expert. Every day there were multiple inspections – checking out your appearance. It was very common to come in from morning class, run up to your room and change your shoes and belt and sometimes your cover (your hat) and make sure that you had the shiny stuff on. You wore your semi-perfect stuff to class, but when you came down for breakfast formation or lunch formation or dinner formation, then you made sure you had the best stuff on.

Now, you’ve spent countless hours shining and polishing the night before, or the day before, or even moments before formation. As you’re standing there in formation, one of the upperclassmen (usually a junior/senior private) would walk by on their way to formation and they’d lick their finger and run it across your belt, or they’d step on the toe of your shoe. In an instant that shiny brass would tarnish. In an instant that mirror shoe shine looked like you used a melted candy bar. In an instant, that which was undefiled was defiled.

What Peter is saying here is best captured in the words of the great theologian M.C. Hammer, “Can’t touch this!” You can’t touch my inheritance. Satan’s old, dirty, sinful hands can’t touch it. It’s undefiled. It’s as pure as Jesus.

Thirdly, he says it’s unfading. That’s a term that’s time related. Momma’s, many of you received flowers today. We saw that bouquet in the store window, or that potted flower at the local nursery and its beauty just said, “This is like momma.” So, we bought it for you. We meant well, but it’s gonna fade. Even if it’s a flower that can be planted. It’s gonna fade. You know what, even if we bought the most realistic silk arrangement; it’s gonna fade. But momma, if you’ve trusted Jesus, then you have an inheritance that will NEVER fade away.

And the funny thing about the way that Peter describes our inheritance is that he has to use the opposite term, the counter term, the inverse term because everything that we know is perishable and defiled and fading. He takes negative terms and just adds the “ah” prefix and says it’s not like the perishable, it’s not like the defiled, it’s not like the fading things of life, and it’s kept in heaven for you. It’s reserved.

Have you ever missed a flight at the airport? If you’ve flown more than once, then I’m sure you’ve missed a flight. And even if you’ve only flown once, then you might have missed that one too. Listen, one of the things about flying from Greenville Spartanburg that nobody likes is that you can’t get there from here. You can’t get there from here. It seems like every flight that leaves from GSP is going through Atlanta. Listen, when you die, you’re going through the Atlanta airport.

You’ve been there. You’re making that connecting flight. The plane has landed and it’s taxiing to the terminal. You’re checking your watch. You’re saying a prayer, “Lord, I normally wouldn’t ask for this, but you know I’m going to miss my connection. Would you mind giving that pilot a short bout of diarrhea? Nothing too serious, just long enough for me to connect.” (Come on, you know you have.) And as I’m describing this scenario you know where you get off one plane and connect with the other – they’re on opposite ends of the airport. They’re never side-by-side.

You finally get off the first plane and you grab one of those golf carts, and you use the underground railroad, and you run on those moving sidewalks. You’re shoving people out of the way. And if you’re from the south, then you do it while at the same time saying, “I’m so sorry, honey. Lord, bless you.” And you run up to the connecting terminal only to find the ticket agent has just closed the door. If you’re like me, then it’s time to pull out the “preacher card.”

“Ma’am, I’m a preacher. I’m scheduled to conduct a funeral in Denver, CO later today. This is the only flight that I can take to get in/out of Denver.”

And she looks at you and says, “I’m sorry. The plane is gone.”

The guy beside you says, “Ma’am, the plane isn’t gone. It’s sitting right there at the gate.”

“Sir, I’m sorry. It’s company policy. The plane is gone. It’s not there.” And she walks off.

She didn’t care. It didn’t matter to her. You know why? Because she didn’t buy the ticket. That’s all in the course of a day. I don’t know how many times she did that every day, but it didn’t matter to her. She didn’t pay the price. Listen, let me tell you something; it matters to God. You know why? Cause He paid the ticket for your salvation, and it cost Him the blood of His one and only Son. It matters to Him that your reservation is secure, and let me tell you folks, He will get you home!

Let me show you the last thing. We have a living hope because of God’s gift. We have a living hope because of God’s guarantee. Finally, we have…

A Living Hope Because Of God’s Guarding

Look at verse 5, “… who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” I’m just going down through the text. It’s right there. The omnipotent, all-powerful God is the One who protects you.

The Greek word that Peter uses there is phroureó. It means “to guard,” “to keep watch like a military sentinel,” or “to actively display whatever defensive and offensive means are necessary to guard.” It’s a close cousin to another Greek term that you might be more familiar with – the word phalanx. If you’re a history fan like me, then you know a phalanx is a mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears.

If you saw the movie Gladiator, there was this scene near the end just before the final fight between Maximus and Commodus. Maximus had already been stabbed by Commodus in the lower section of the arena, and Commodus is making this grand entrance to the arena using the elevator system. And as he comes up through the floor of the arena, all you see are the shields of the Praetorian Guard. They’re stacked so close and so tight and they’re shields are the only thing you see. That’s the image that Peter is painting here. And what he’s saying is this: Almighty God has surrounded your life with the shield and spear of His power, and nothing will get to you unless God has allowed it and permits it.

Brothers and sisters, your salvation is secure in Jesus Christ. Your eternity is safe, if you know Jesus. Do you know that living hope? You can, because of God’s gift, because of God’s guarantee, and because of God’s guarding.