1. You never really think about pain & suffering & receiving salvation through faith in the same breath.
• Yet that may be the way we came to Jesus, in great pain & suffering. Our lives were a mess. Situations were overwhelming.
• Look down at v18, Peter describes our lives as aimless wanderings! -- Paul says in Ephesians… 2:1ff
NOW OF COURSE… some of you guys skipped that part of life altogether to which I offer a HEARTY AMEN!
• That’s the desire of my heart for my kids. Don’t go that way Son. It’s too painful. It’s too hurtful. Jesus has a better way!
• BUT for some… the difficulties & deepness of sin has touched and tainted you so that salvation is pure joy!
AND by the way, it is pure Joy! Jesus promises life!
John 10.10-11 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
• That abundant life is ours today, right now, in this place.
• Yet, there is also the battles & pains of living in this world!
• That’s who Peter is writing to… PILGRIMS!
• Why are they pilgrims? Because they were being persecuted for their faith and they were kicked out of their homes!
• They lost EVERYTHING in this world, to gain Christ!
• And Peter the pastor is speaking words of encouragement to them both to where they are and where they will be…
YOU SEE The Holy Spirit knows that in just a few years, NERO will set Rome of fire & blame the Christians for it.
• Instead of putting out the fires, he ordered that they burn!
• And as they burned, he used the 500,000 plus Christians in Rome as scapegoats.
• The citizens were enraged against the church and thus began a tortuous time of pain & suffering!
• A Christian historian named Sulipicius Severus tells us:
Nay, even new kinds of death were invented so that, being covered in the skins of wild beasts, they perished by being devoured by dogs, while many were crucified, or slain by fire, and not a few were set apart for this purpose, that, when the day came to a close, they should be consumed to serve for light during the night. In this way, cruelty first began to be manifested against the Christians. Afterwards, too, their religion was prohibited by laws which were enacted; and by edicts openly set forth it was proclaimed unlawful to be a Christian. —Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
So the survivors are scattered, and Peter wants to uplift them…
APP: It’s not easy being a Christian in the world today.
• The world is not made for a Christian witness.
• At high school, or college, to work, even to the supermarket & there are dozens of attacks upon our Christian faith.
• Words. Images. The world’s system, the world’s values.
• It’s hard and you feel like you really don’t belong!
NOTE: EVER FEEL LIKE AN ARMY OF One?
• You’re the only person in your class who will speak up for Jesus.
• You’re the only one at your workplace, in your neighborhood, in your family, who is an outspoken Christian.
• You know there are others but you never hear from them.
• You seem to be the only one who will stand up for Jesus!
AND IT’S NOT EASY TO DO in our day and age!
• It’s much easier to NOT STAND UP, because you don’t want to come off as some kind of religious nut…
• So maybe when that dirty joke is told you might laugh along with everyone else.
• You might wink at that little indiscretion for fear of coming off as that ‘holier than thou’!!
• You might even lie to get that promotion, or make that compromise to be with the in crowd… to be accepted.
BUT THE TRUTH is that if you’re looking for acceptance and a sense of belonging anywhere other than in Christ, you’ll be discouraged!
• If you’re a Christian, you are not going to be happy any place on earth unless it’s around God’s people.
• We’re the only ones that understand! We’re different.
• We believe different. We live, act, talk, love differently than this world! It’s not weird, it’s normal Christian living!
1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
• We don’t belong here! We’re waiting to be evacuated! AMEN?!
• The world will hate you, and think they are doing the world a favor by making life miserable for you and trying to eliminate us!
• Pilgrims, strangers, sojourners aren’t always treated rightly!
• There are prejudices and discriminations…
• But guys, our citizenship is in heaven not on earth.
• Don’t be surprised if you have trouble on this planet because you’re a temporary resident longing to go home!
John 16.33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
NOTE: Some of you are trying real hard to fit into this world.
• You’re living like the world… but you won’t be accepted.
• It’s enough to settle in your hearts today to give it up.
• You can’t really with your new nature do the things that the world wants you to do.
• Find your acceptance in the Lord, among your brothers and sisters in Christ!
I. (1:1-2) CHOSEN & ELECT
1. (2) Chosen.
a. You know for a fisherman, Peter tackles the tough doctrines that still baffle and divide Christians today!
b. He jumps right into it all with reminding us that we are ELECT, chosen by God! Man I love that! Chosen by God.
NOTE: Whenever I start thinking about chosen, I go right back to the kickball backstops in the 6th grade.
• There we were lined up waiting… anticipating the choice!
• Of course the good guys were always picked first… which meant if you weren’t good, you probably would be standing for a while.
• And I remember it all so vividly…
• He went, and the next one and the next until the last 2 of us were standing against the fence. I was so nervous!
• Then I lost it when I heard those horrible words in slow motion!
• “we’ll take HER & u can have him!” Arrgh?! Not chosen at all!
• But not with the Lord… He chose me! In my worst He chose me.
Eph. 1.3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
NOW I don’t’ want you guys to be tripped up with v2.
• It’s God’s sovereign privilege to choose us and He did. How?
• According to His foreknowledge!
• It’s His will to save based on who He knows will accept Him.
• It’s God’s choice of us based upon His knowledge that we will choose Him.
GOD knows the end from the beginning… that’s called God’s omniscience.
• There isn’t one thing that God doesn’t know or needs to learn!
• God knows the whole story before it’s written so in His foreknowledge, He sees the future as if it’s today!
NOTE: It’s a lot like being up in a blimp, seeing the big picture of a parade down below.
• Those at the sidewalk see one thing at a time pass by them.
• But from up above we see all the floats from beginning to end.
• God knows & sees all and chose us because of his foreknowledge that we chose Him. It’s an incredible doctrine!
• Flip over to 1 Thess 1:4-6
1 Thess 1.4-6 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. 6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,
• We’re always going to see these go hand in hand.
• God’s choice and our choice. God’s action & our action.
• God’s choice goes with your believing in Him.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
SO… the door is open to “WHOEVER IN THE WORLD” believes in Him would have & receive everlasting life. Then down in 3:36
John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
• So the door is open for you to believe or not. That’s the choice.
• If U believe, you’re saved. If U don’t believe, then you’re lost.
Q: Ever wonder if you’re chosen or not? Did God choose me?
• I don’t know really. Will you choose God today?
• If you choose God today then you know that God chose you!
NOW THE Bible never teaches that God chose some to be damned.
• God doesn’t allow man to blame Him for going to hell.
• God’s sovereignty doesn’t trample on man’s free will.
• And by the way, they both exist… let me show you a few places.
Acts 2.23 "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;
Acts 13.48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
WE HAVE TO HAVE a free will in order to have fellowship with someone. God didn’t make us robots. We’re not controlled by fate!
• God’s sovereignty is flexible in operation as He adapts Himself to the condition of human hearts. He condescends in order to love!
• Study it for homework, Acts 27, the shipwreck of Paul.
• There you see God’s will and man’s responsibility working together in perfect harmony. Amazing!
APP: Let’s get down deeper in this, to the heart of the matter.
• We’re reminded of God’s choosing us because God wants you to remember that out of the whole world, YOU are chosen by God!
• You’re not an accident, a mistake, but you’ve been specifically hand-picked by God to be in his family! That’s cool!
Notice v2… the spirit of God is sanctifying us, changing us.
• He’s drawing us into obedience because we’ve been saved by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.
• Not saved by works or good deeds or because God likes us more than the next time… we’re saved by His shed blood!
II. (1:3-6) BORN & KEPT!
1. (3-5) BORN AGAIN!
a. Peter says that he blesses God that we’re begotten again.
b. That sounds familiar doesn’t it? Flip back to John 3:3
IT’S FUNNY isn’t as you’re talking to people about Jesus.
• Someone will ask, “You’re not one of those born again types are you?” Well, my friend, there is no other kind!
• A person that is NOT BORN AGAIN is not a Christian.
• Now I didn’t say that, I’m just repeating what Jesus said.
NOTE: This is the best description of what happens to a person when he gives his life to Jesus. He’s changed with a new nature!
2 Cor. 5.17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
• Sure there are still struggles as the flesh lusts against the spirit.
Gal. 5.17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
• But your life now is in Christ Jesus & He lives through you.
Notice too at the end of v3, we now have a LIVING HOPE!
• We are not hoping for death, but living in life!
• We have hope in Jesus Christ! When you’re counseling other Christians that are struggling big time, you have to remind them of this LIVING HOPE!
• Everything they are facing is NOT HOPELESS!
• No matter what happens to you Christians, you are living in His Hope. His resurrection is proof that hope is alive!
V4 - Our hope today leads us to that fulfilled hope in eternity.
• When this life is all over and our pilgrimage here is done.
• God has a wonderful surprise for you, a lasting inheritance!
• Remember, life is so short compared to eternity!
Matthew 6.19-20 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
2. (5) Kept by the Power of God!
a. Ever wonder about your salvation? Think you lost it?
b. Peter tells us that we are KEPT by the power of God.
c. In Jesus Christ, we have great security of our salvation.
THE WORD KEPT literally means to be ‘GUARDED or FORTRESSED’.
• It gives us the picture of someone standing guard over our lives.
• It also pictures a large fortress that we can run into behind it’s locked and secure gates.
Prov. 18.10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.
Psalm 91.14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
Psalm 125.2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.
• It was also used to describe a GARRISON of soldiers surrounding and guarding one prisoner… to keep that prisoner secure!
NOTE: So are you saved? Are you secure? You can be sure!
• Peter says you were begotten again… jump to v23.
• The seed implanted in your heart is imperishable.
• Eternal life is just that, eternal life.
If we’re truly BORN AGAIN, we are secure in Christ.
• It’s an imperishable new life. Isn’t that wonderful?!
• We need to know that guys when we’re going through trials.• Look at v6… which we’ll get to next time.
