Download File - Declaring The Whole Counsel of God. (Pastor Fuka

SERMON ON 1 PETER 1:3-5
LIVING HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH, FARGO, ND
I am glad for this opportunity to share from God’s word with you. I have not preached for
about four years since I entered the US, and I hope that all will go well. I thought that Pastor
John would be away so that I can lunch a campaign to replace him but… oops! He is here! So
what will I do?
INTRODUCTION:
Living Hope! What a choice of two words that speak a lot about what we are as believers in
the Lord Jesus! I guess that those words mean a lot to you and were probably chosen after
very careful meditation. Each time I enter this Building, the reality and truth of those
words touch me and refresh my heart and result in praise and gratitude to God the Father.
Again, I guess those words and the verse have become very familiar to you. My guess is
probably correct that at the inauguration of this church, the preacher spoke on Living
Hope OR that Pastor John has spoken from that verse over and over again. Living Hope!
However, I believe in one principle of learning the word of God, repetition! A Bible doctrine
repeatedly taught becomes finally assimilated and stored for recall and use at the proper time.
TEXT: 1 Peter 1:3-5;
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us
new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an
inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are
shielded by God‘s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last
time.”
Context: The epistles were meant to be read at one sitting or in a single worship service. If we
had the time we will read the whole of 1 Peter, in order to grasp the complete message. Verses
3-11 of chapter one are just the introduction. Thus verses 3-5 are just part of the
introduction.
On the overall, Peter was writing to Christians suffering Persecution, and his purpose was
to refine their faith. Verses 6-7
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all
kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes
even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor
when Jesus Christ revealed.”
LIVING HOPE!
SOURCE: God the Father - (v. 3a); Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In his great mercy he has given. . .
MEANS: New Birth! Only those who are born again have a living hope; “In reply Jesus
declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
(John 3:3). Except you repent from your sins and believe in Jesus Christ, there is no hope for
you. Unbelievers are without Christ, life, or hope! (Eph. 2:1-2,12).
GROUNDS: Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! No resurrection, No hope! No
Faith! And believers to be pitied of all people in the world! “And if Christ has not been raised,
your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ
are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (1
Cor. 15:17-19). The resurrection is the most distinctive and unique feature of Christianity.
PROOF: Faith! (v. 5); who through faith are shielded by God’s power. . .! It is not
some arbitrary faith, but faith in Jesus Christ that gives us a living hope! Faith and hope are
inextricably linked together! “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we
do not see. . . . And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to
him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Heb.
11:1,6).
Hope: is that which is not seen now but believed in; Apostle Paul says that hope that
is seen is no hope, for you cannot hope for what you see!.
:is that which we expect to happen in the future; in respect to God, all that we wait for:
resurrection from the dead, glorified bodies, eternal life with God in heaven, no more death,
pains or sorrows, etc.
LIVING HOPE!
We not only have hope but a “living hope.” It is not a dead hope. From creation, God
breathed into man the breath of life; “. . . the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the
ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul”
(Gen. 2:7). Man was to have communion or fellowship with God forever - having the life of
God! But sin brought separation and death. God said his Spirit will not strive with man
forever because man is mortal, and so reduced the years of man; “Then the LORD said, ’My
Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and
twenty years.’” (Gen. 6:3).
Thus, man became forever separated from God until God reached out to man in Jesus
Christ, offering eternal life. Therefore, in Jesus Christ we can share the life of God again eternal life! Those of us who have been born again have the life of God in us-we have a
living hope!
Why is our hope described as a “Living Hope”? Here are four REASONS WHY:
1. It’s a living hope because it is from the Living God! Self-existent, eternal! “I AM!”
“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” (Matt. 16:16)
At the moment of conversion, the living God takes up residence in us; hence, a living hope.
“One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph. 4:6).
2. It’s a living hope because it is hope in the Living Son of God!
The entire New Testament message can be summarized as follows: God lived in the
flesh among men - Immanuel (Jesus Christ); he offered eternal life; died and rose again for
the forgiveness of sins to all who call on him, the God-man. While alive Jesus declared: “I am
the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever
lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26).
Again, in Revelation 1:18, Jesus Christ is saying: “I am the Living One; I was dead,
and behold I am alive for ever and ever!. . .” Again, “So it is written: ‘The first man Adam
became a living being’; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.” (1 Cor 15:45). Jesus Christ is our
very hope! Christ in you the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). He is the Living stone upon
which we are built as Living stones into an holy house! (1 Pet. 2:4).
3. It’s a living hope because it is from the Spirit of Life!
“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter but of the Spirit;
for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Cor. 3:6). Yes! The spirit gives life!
-The Holy spirit is God’s power and personal agent for the new birth; born of the Spirit;
“Jesus answered, ’I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of
water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:5-7).
-The Holy Spirit indwells and seals the one believing in Jesus Christ at conversion, as a
deposit or down payment of that which is to come;
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who
is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God‘s
possession - to the praise of his glory.” (Eph. 1:13,14).
4. It’s a living hope because it is from the Living word of God:
“For you have been born again, not with perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the
living and enduring word of God.” (1 Pet. 1:23). The word of God is living and active, a doubleedged sword, that penetrates and divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and critiques all
our thoughts, motives and intentions, so that no one or anything in the whole world can hide
from the living God!; (Heb. 4:12).
The Bible is God’s voice in our midst; to listen to God‘s voice, listen to his Word!.
Resentment toward the Bible is resentment toward God. Indeed it is a rejection of God.
CONNECTION: God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, lives in the believer in Jesus Christ;
you! How is this possible? BY FAITH and BY THE WORD: “I pray that out of his glorious
riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ
may dwell in your hearts through faith.” (Eph. 3:16-17a; also Col. 3:16).
IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSION
Having a LIVING HOPE imply that you have:
1. Eternal life - the life of God and of Christ! You are a living stone (1 Pet. 2:5).
2. Victory over sin; sin shall not have dominion over you, (Rom. 8:9-16).
3. A bold witness for Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8; 4:24-30; 2 Tim. 1:8)).
4. A thirst and hunger for the Word of life/Word of God/Bible (1 Pet 2:1-3).
5. Life NOW! Live for God! Jesus Christ! Peter is saying to his audience; “Since you have a
living hope, live like people who have a living hope!”
Note the following CONNECTIONS; LIVE:
-Live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear; “Since you call on a Father judges each
man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.” ( 1 Pet. 1:17). Do not
be too earthly minded!
-Live such good lives among the pagans (1 Pet. 2:11,12); definition of pagan (Matt. 6:31-32; worry about material things and possessions, that is, materialism equals paganism!)
-Live as free men (1 Pet. 2:16); set free by the Son of God; “Then you will know the truth, and
the truth will set you free. . . . So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John
8:32,36); Some people become too free to do just about anything. This in itself is slavery,
slavery to sin!
-Live in harmony with one another; “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be
sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do no repay evil with evil or
insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a
blessing.” (1 Pet. 3:8,9).
-Live ready to defend the faith; “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be
prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you
have. But do this with gentleness and respect keeping a clear conscience, so that those who
speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” (1
Pet. 3:15-16).
-Live the rest of your life not for human desires; “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body,
arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done
with sin. As a result he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather
for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do
- living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.” (1 Pet.
4:1-3
6. Finally, you are an Ambassador of LIFE! Go and tell the lost world that God Is, “I Am”; Jesus
is living forever, and they can live forever too!
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us
spreads everywhere the fragrance of knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ
among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the other, we are the smell
of death; to the other the fragrance of life And who is equal to such a task?” “For Christ’s love
compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died
for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them
and was raised again. . . . We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making
his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor. 2:1416; 5:14-21).
Do you have a living hope? If no, please, receive it now; “That if you confessed with your
mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved. . . . “. . . for, ’Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
(Rom. 10:9,13).
THE END! HALLELUYAH, AMEN!