There is a story of a sailor who was shipwrecked on a South Sea island.
He was seized by the natives, carried shoulder-high to a magnificent throne, and proclaimed king.
At first, he enjoyed his reign as the absolute monarch but then he began to wonder what happened to the previous kings.
According to their custom the king ruled for a year. During that year he was treated like, well, like a king. But when a king’s reign ended, he was banished to a lonely island to starve to death.
Sounds a little like a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, doesn’t it?
Now most people would have been upset with this knowledge of imminent death. Most people would make one of two choices
They would have ate, drank and lived life hard for a year or they would have curled up and fell into deep depression.
Not this sailor! He took a third route. Knowing he was king for the year, and had absolute authority, this sailor began issuing orders. Carpenters were to make boats. Farmers were to go ahead to this island and plant crops. Builders were to erect a magnificent home.
When his reign finished, he was exiled, not to a barren isle, but to a paradise of plenty.
The sailor used his vast resources to change his apparent destiny.
He once was a man without hope, but he became a man whose hope was realized.
We are like the island sailor king – in a spiritual way. We can look at our life’s circumstances and party like a fool, or grow more discourage with each passing day, or…we can look beyond our circumstances – and see that Jesus has something different in mind for us….
1 Peter is letter about hope, not, “I’m pretty sure things…might work out….maybe” but, “The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades”
Now, Peter is not talking about the kind of hope given though the power of positive thinking. And Peter is not talking about the kind of hope given by the encouraging words of a coach.
You can do it, you can make it happen
Go out there and make me proud!
And Peter is not, is not talking about the kind of hope given, through sappy self help gurus – Peter is speaking of something so different – it is hard to get our minds around it. He is speaking of a hope, that is real, that is outside ourselves a hope is already done.
Self help guru’s – let me say a few words on this subject - you know how I hate this stuff. The stuff that comes out is endless and very, very popular. But you know – it doesn’t work. If it did, if a self help book were written that actually worked, everyone would by that book and be happy, healthy and whole. And that would be that.But the shelves are full of books with conflicting theories. They conflict in all aspects except one: They are all about me;
How we can do it;
How we can overcome;
How we can….do whatever.
Here are some titles of the most popular self help books today:
The Power of Self-Coaching: The Five Essential Steps to Creating the Life You Want. (you can do it!)
Self Help Stuff That Works (that’s because the guy discovered all those books don’t work)...and my favorite…
50 Self-Help Classics: 50 Inspirational Books to Transform Your Life,
From Timeless Sages to Contemporary Gurus. (50! If this stuff works. Why do I need 50?)
Peter is not talking about the hope of self help, because the fact is – you cannot do it, as evidenced by the endless self help books out there.
Peter is talking about the hope that you and I have in the persons of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Peter is telling us that we are like the sailor in the opening story. We have vast resources, spiritual resources, at our fingertips. Peter is telling us in this letter:Stop focusing on the circumstances around you. If you do, might start to lose hope. You might fool yourself, by thinking that your hope is found in your own abilities, or the abilitie, you could develop (maybe with the help, of a self help book or two).
No. As Christians our hope, our destiny, our all in all is found in one place: The Trinity. Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
At one time J. Wilbur Chapman experienced a great sorrow that nearly shook his faith. In addition, his finances were almost depleted just when it was necessary for him to take a long trip to the western United States. One of the elders of his church who was a wealthy banker
came to his home to offer a word of comfort and encouragement.
As he left, he slipped a piece of paper into the pastor’s hand.
Chapman looked at it and was surprised to find that it was a check made out to him and signed by this rich friend. But the figures to indicate the amount of the gift were missing. "Did you really mean to give me a signed blank check?" he asked. "Yes," said the man. "I didn’t know how much you’d need, and I wanted to be sure you would have enough."
Later Chapman commented, "While I never had to use that check,
it gave me a secure feeling to know that thousands of dollars were literally at my disposal."
Amen brother! Through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ we a have a blank check.
The fact that you cannot do it yourself shouldn’t be discouraging – no not at all. It should be encouraging. Why – because your destiny, is not destiny of abandonment on a deserted island. Your destiny, as a Christian, as a follower of Jesus Christ is a destiny that is beyond any of life’s circumstances!
Let’s look at our Scripture.
Again you see I have it in your bulletin in three translations
NIV, KJV, The Message.
At first glance it looks like a nice introduction to a letter. An extended, hello how are you, everything’s fine here. But of course – it is not – it is a powerful statement of who we are.
There are three key words:
Elect e?klektoivß -
Strangers parepidh/moiß -
Foreknowledge pro/gnwsin -
First you need to know that Peter is writing to people in outlying Roman providences. They don’t live in the highest populated places in the Roman Empire. Most Romans would consider them living out in the middle of nowhere. Not really the real Roman Empire. Kind of sounds like what people think of us here in Alaska.
He is writing to say – I know life is hard at times, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t with you. Because you are the chosen ones and God will always be with you.
Also notice in verse 2 the Trinity. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
God is one, yet three. How this is explained…no one has ever done a perfect job of explaining it. But for our purposes in going through 1 Peter know this: When Peter refers to The Father, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, in each of these instances he means – God.
What does Peter have to say to us? First we are the chosen, the elect e?klektoivß– This was a fairly common designation for Christians in NT times. This designation for us does not refer to the past. In other words what God has done in our life. No it refers to your present circumstances, right now, and to your future vindication.
Background of this designation for Christians is Israel designated as people of God, now it is the Christians.
Many make the mistake that they have found God, or chose to follow God. But God chooses you and then you must decide to respond. We can get caught up in this discussion about who is saved. Does everyone get a chance? This doesn’t seem fair? We can start down the path in that direction – and miss the point completely.
Look at it this way. Though Israel was chosen by God as the people of God. Anyone could become an Israelite and many did. Moses first wife was a Midianite, his second wife was Ethiopian. Go to the nation of Israel today and the mix of ethnicity is quite diverse. Yet, whatever the ethnicity, they are Israelis.
So people who started off not being the chosen people – became the chosen people. And by virtue of being one of the chosen – It was clear that they were always the chosen, because they are now the chosen.
We become Christians when the Holy Spirit moves upon us – and we respond. He chooses us, and we become the chosen. And by virtue of being one of the chosen – it was clear that we were always the chosen
because we are now the chosen.
So God calls us and we respond or we don’t. When we respond – we are being obedient. Our obedience starts when we say yes Jesus, I will follow you – that is obedience. Then in verse two, the Holy Spirit will work to cause us to stay in obedience. It is another way of saying once you become the chosen of the Lord’s, He will make sure you stay that way..
Now this divine election has consequences. It severs our ties with what was once our home and we suddenly feel lost because we are now…
parepidh/moiß - strangers, a person living temporarily in a foreign place . We are now strangers, not by race, birth, or circumstances but because of divine election. Estranged from world and its values. Now part of a world wide brotherhood, that defies language, gender, race, life circumstance and culture.
You and I are to be closer in values and lifestyle to our brother and sister in Sri Lanka, than to our next door neighbor who is not a Christian. Because Christians where ever they are in this world are estranged from the world whether they try to be or not…..
What does this do for us? It releases us from being enslaved to all the things people around us are enslaved to.
Foreknowledge pro/gnwsin -
This ties into being elected…and ties into obedience as we have seen.
Foreknowledge is more than just knowing ahead of time, it involves choice and determination as well. As a spoke about a moment earlier, by responding, we confirm that we are chosen. But more than that
foreknowledge is knowing…
We need to think of it in this sense – God knows some people and not others. God knows everyone – obviously, but God knows only his chosen ones.
Its like this: I know who Billy Graham is – but I don’t know Billy Graham.
But I know pastor Ted. Not only do I know who Pastor Ted is – I know Pastor Ted.
Foreknowledge is not only knowing ahead of time, there is a sense of deep knowledge that goes with it.
Now all this said – I need to be clear about one thing: There are some folks around preaching that God wants you to be a success. That God wants you healthy, wealthy and positively happy. But that is not true, and it is not biblical, and if you have been around Christianity for even a short time, you should know better…..
How many hear have found success and were not satisfied?
How many hear have found perfect health and were not satisfied?
How many hear have found great wealth and were not satisfied?
How many hear have persuade happiness and were not at all satisfied?
You know what I’m talking about.
God’s goal in your life is not to achieve any of these things. Now we may, and if we do, God certainly has allowed it. But these things are hollow. They will leave you empty, discouraged – no matter what level of success. I know you know this, because you have lived it. This is no mystery to us.
You are the elect e?klektoivß the chosen. Plucked out by the foreknowledge of God, the pro/gnwsin. You have been anointed and not one of you is missing, not one of you is forgotten. Those who have given their lives over to Jesus - the Spirit is with you.
Let me end with this:
The Plant
We have this plant in our office. I have it right here this morning in this small clay pot. It is a small tiny little thing. And there is this note, taped to a pencil, and the pencil is stuck in the soil. The note says:
African Violet.
Low Sunlight. Set in water. Please do not pour
Leaves can’t get wet
You know, this African violet is deader than a doornail. Obviously, because someone didn’t follow the directions for life, and the results are not great to look at.
Here we have the Word of God, instructions on the Christian life
If we don’t follow them….well, you get the picture.
May the Lord Jesus Christ enlighten us through his servant the Apostle Peter, as we study his holy Word - Amen.
