An Incorruptible Inheritance Series

Introduction: It Never Runs Out

Pastor Dave Brannon relates the following: When I asked a friend who is about to retire what she feared about her next stage of life, she said, “I want to make sure I don’t run out of money.” The next day as I was talking to my financial counselor he gave me advice on how I might avoid running out of money. Indeed, we all want the security of knowing we’ll have the resources we need for the rest of our lives.

No financial plan can provide an absolute guarantee of earthly security. But there is a plan that extends far beyond this life and indefinitely into the future. The apostle Peter describes it like this: “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” (1 Peter 1:3–4).

When we place our faith in Jesus to forgive our sins we receive an eternal inheritance through God’s power. Because of this inheritance, we’ll live forever and never run short of what we need.

Planning for retirement is a good idea if we’re able to do so. But more important is having an eternal inheritance that never runs out—and that is available only through faith in Jesus Christ.

Source: Dave Branon, Our Daily Bread

I. An Undisputed Instructor 1-2

A. The Instructor Identifies His Students 1

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

1. Notice the names and locations

a. Pontus = Turkey, a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea

b. Galatia = highlands of Ankara, Turkey

c. Cappadocia = central Turkey

d. Asia = Asia Minor - The name 'Asia Minor’ from the Greek `Mikra Asia' - Little Asia was first coined by the Christian historian Orosius c. 375-418 AD in his work Seven Books of History Against the Pagans in 400 AD to differentiate the main of Asia from that region which had been evangelized by the Apostle Paul which included sites known from Paul’s Epistles in the Bible such as Ephesus and Galitia.

e. Bithynia = corresponding roughly to central-northern Turkey

2. Why did Peter go to the trouble of naming five Roman districts when they were all in the same geographic area?

a. First and foremost this letter was addressed to all of these churches.

b. If Peter had been writing to the churches of East Texas, wouldn’t you want him to say, Hey, Afton Grove!

3. So it is that the instructor identifies his students all over what is now Turkey!

B. The Instructor Identifies His Subject 2

2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

1. There are four statements in verse 2

a. elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father

b. in sanctification of the Spirit

c. for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ

d. Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

2. Each on builds upon the last to give us the subject of this book and this sermon.

a. Peter is writing to believers.

b. God knows the spirit state and the spiritual estate of all.

c. Peter is writing to the churches to encourage them in their salvation – which he called an Incorruptible Inheritance.

C. Application To The Church

Illustration

II. An Incorruptible Inheritance 3-5

A. A Living Hope 3

3 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,

1. Bless the LORD 3a

a. God is to be praised simply for being God!

i. All too often we praise God for all that He does.

ii. But we fail to praise God for all that He is!

b. God is to be praised for being the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

i. When we see Glory we will understand it.

ii. But right now we are looking at a glass darkly in this matter.

c. Listen to our Doctrinal Statement

i. God the Father—The Supreme Ruler of the Universe

ii. God the Son—the Savior of the World

iii. God the Holy Spirit—the Manifest Presence of Deity

d. Bless the LORD in every way He is manifested!

2. Bless the LORD for birth 3b

a. He has begotten us again to a living hope

i. I find the word again interesting.

ii. I am immediately reminded of Jesus and Nicodemus – You must be born again

b. We are born again to live with hope!