Living In Hope

LIVING IN HOPE

1 PETER1:3-12

FOCUS: WE HAVE LIVING HOPE IN JESUS CHRIST.

INTRO: WHAT IS LIVING HOPE?

1: VIBRANT

A) ENERGETIC,

B) FULL OF LIVELINESS

C) ENERGY

POINT: LIVING HOPE IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS IT IS, IT’S ALIVE IT’S LIVING AND BREATHING, GROWING AND SPREADING.

THINK OF IT THIS WAY.

CHRIST HAS DIED.

CHRIST HAS RISEN.

CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN.

2: OCCASION FOR VIBRANT HOPE

A) WHEN A BABY IS BORN

B) WHEN TWO PEOPLE GET MARRIED

C) WHAT ABOUT A FUNERAL

POINT: GROWING IN TOUGH TIMES, TRUSTING WHEN THINGS SEEM UNCERTAIN, EX: A PERSON GETS SICK THEY ARE SAVED AND ARE FAITHFUL IN THEIR SERVICE TO CHRIST, THEY DIE FROM THEIR SICKNESS, THOSE OF US LEFT BEHIND ARE SORROWFUL BUT WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE LIVING FULLY NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH JESUS IN HEAVEN.

BODY: INHERITANCE

1: WE HAVE AN INHERITANCE

A) AN INCORRUPTIBLE

B) UNDEFILED

C) AND UN FADED

POINT: WE HAVE VIBRANT HOPE FOR THE THINGS WE HAVE WAITING FOR US IN HEAVEN, NOT JUST THE MANSIONS AND REWARDS BUT THE ETERNAL FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, THE TEARS WIPED AWAY FOREVER.

2: TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH

A) PROBLEMS ARE POSSIBILITIES

B) THE TRIALS ARE PRECIOUS

C) WHY?

D) THEY MOLD YOU INTO WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO BE.

POINT: PETER SAYS BETTER THAN GOLD, THE MOST PRECIOUS VALUED WORLDLY POSESSION IS NOT WORTH WHAT YOUR TRIAL OF FAITH IS WORTH.

3: HOPE

A) BELIEVING WITHOUT SEEING

B) TRUSTING WITHOUT TOUCHING

C) KNOWING WITHOUT FORMAL INSTRUCTION

POINT: UNSPEAKABLE JOY, I HAVE NEVER SEEN JESUS BUT I HAVE A DEEP LOVE AND JOY WHEN I EVEN SAY HIS NAME.

CLOSING: HOW DO I HOPE WHEN TRIALS COME?

1: THE PROPHETS

A) THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THEY WROTE

B) THEIR NATION CRUMBLING AROUND THEM

C) THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES BEING DIRE AT TIMES

D) THEY WROTE, THE SPIRIT INDWELLED THEM AND THEY WROTE

POINT: THEY HAD A LIVING HOPE, AND TRUST AND BELIEF THAT WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS REAL AND IMPORTANT EVEN WHEN THEIR OWN DID NOT. V 10

2: GOD USED THE PROPHETS TO HELP US UNDERSTAND HOPE

A) V 12

B) THEY TOLD OF THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST

C) THEY DID NOT FULLY GRASP THE GRACE OR MEASURE OF SALVATION

POINT: BUT THROUGH A LONG LINE OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAD A VIBRANT LIVING HOPE THE MESSAGE THE WORD AND THE DOCTRINE OF HOPE HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN.

CONCLUSION: IT HAS BEEN PASSED TO YOU, AMONGST EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE THIS HAS TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT. PASS IT ON.

HOW DO YOU GET IT?

CHRIST DIED FOR ME.

CHRIST HAS RISEN FOR ME.

CHRIST WILL COME BACK FOR ME.