Living In Great Expectation
Text: 1 Peter 1:3-12
Introduction
1. Illustration: As a Cleveland sports fan I know all about expectations. All of my life I have expected the Browns to win a Super Bowl, and I got Red Right 88, The Drive, and the Fumble. All my life I have expected the Indians to win the World Series. I got one out away from winning the World Series in 1997...and still lost! All my life I have expected the Cavs to win the NBA Championship. What I got was losing to Michael Jordan and the Bulls, and let's not even talk about LeBron and the Decision!
2. However, Peter tells us that we live with GREAT EXPECTATION!
3. In fact, unlike being a Cleveland sports fan, our expectation is so certain that we can praise God for it now.
4. Peter says we can...
a. Praise God For Our Inheritance
b. Praise God For The Testing Of Our Faith
c. Praise God For Realized Dreams
5. Read 1 Peter 1:3-12
Proposition: We can live in great expectation because our expectation is centered in Jesus, who never disappoints!
Transition: First, we are to be...
I. Praising God For Our Inheritance (3-5).
A. Priceless Inheritance
1. In the Introduction to his letter Peter tells us we are foreigners and strangers in this place. Not exactly something that leaves one all warm and fuzzy. However, in this next section he changes everything.
2. He says, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation..."
a. Peter assumes it is necessary for believers to bless God. The intention is so implicit that the Greek text omits the word be, which some translators added (although you will notice the NLT does not).
b. In the original, the sentence literally begins, “Blessed the God,” which conveys Peter's expectation that his audience “bless God” as the source of all spiritual inheritance. The apostle adores God and implores others to do the same (MacArthur, MacArthur New Testament Commentary – 1 Peter, 30).
c. This God and Father is blessed because he has given us a new birth.
d. This new birth is the result of his mercy, which grows into a living hope; that hope is defined as an inheritance.
e. Put differently, Peter blesses the God and Father because of salvation and its manifold benefits.
f. The new birth God has given to Peter and his readers, changing their status before God and their lifestyle before others, theologians call regeneration (McKnight, The NIV Application Commentary – 1 Peter, 69-70).
g. Regeneration: The Holy Spirit’s work of giving new life to the sinner who repents and believes in Jesus (William W. Menzies and Stanley M. Horton, Bible Doctrines: A Pentecostal Perspective).
h. Peter tells the readers that they have benefited from this new birth because of God's "mercy."
i. Mercy is that pity God shows toward humans in spite of their sin and because of their total helplessness to right their wrongs; God permits them to be part of the special people of his favor (2:10).
j. Mercy is not the same as grace. Mercy concerns an individual's miserable condition, whereas grace concerns his guilt, which caused that condition.
k. Divine mercy takes the sinner from misery to glory (a change of condition), and divine grace takes him from guilt to acquittal (MacArthur, 31).
l. This great new birth sets off a chain reaction in his plan of redemption: His mercy stimulates their new birth, and their new birth stimulates a "living hope."
m. It is not so much that believers are now liv- ing "full of hope," but that they have a fixed "hope," a clear vision of what God will do for them in the future (McKnight, 70).
3. Peter then says, "...and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay."
a. The chain reaction continues: Not only does the new birth stimulate a "living hope," but that living hope is defined by "an inheritance that is beyond the reach of change or decay" (1:4).
b. That phrase translates the word a word, which was used in secular Greek to describe a flower that did not wither or die.
c. The term in this context suggests that believers have an inheritance that will never lose its magnificence.
d. None of the decaying elements of the world can affect the kingdom of heaven.
e. None of the ravages of time or the evils of sin can touch the believer's inheritance because it is in a timeless, sinless realm (MacArthur, 35).
f. So much so that Peter says it is "kept" for us.
g. Kept (tetērēmenēn) means “guarded” or “watched over.” The perfect passive participle conveys the idea of the already existing inheritance being carefully guarded in heaven for all those who trust in Christ (MacArthur, 36).
h. The children of God, who have received new birth, can look forward to a special inheritance because they are God's children.
i. That inheritance is their completed salvation and eternal life in the kingdom of God, where they will enjoy worship, praise, and blessing directed toward the Father, Son, and Spirit (McKnight, 71).
4. How does all this happen? By faith! Peter makes this clear when he says, "And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see."
a. The Christian's continued faith in God is evidence of His keeping and protecting work.
b. At conversion, God energizes faith in believers' hearts, and as He keeps them He continues to energize their faith.
c. By His grace, God's omnipotent, protecting power and the believer's perseverance of faith always work hand in hand (MacArthur, 36).
d. This inheritance is kept for God's people in heaven, guarded by God's power.
e. The only condition God sets for his people is that they must have faith; no biblical author guarantees final salvation apart from faith.
f. This faith is a faith in "the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."
g. In sum, the new birth gives rise to a living hope that is defined as an inheritance that is guarded by faith in that final salvation (McKnight, 71).
B. Heavenly Reward
1. Illustration: "Its time to review Gods faithfulness and offer Him your consecration, without reservations. As you take your eyes off your problems and look at His promises, you will possess your inheritance."
2. The Gospel calls us to focus our attention on our spiritual inheritance.
a. Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
b. Earthly treasures will eventually wear out, turn to dust, and pour through your fingers.
c. Earthly treasures will leave you empty and unfulfilled.
d. But we have a heavenly inheritance that will not rust, spoil, fade, or wear out.
3. The Gospel tells us that we have a priceless inheritance.
a. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)
That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
b. We have an inheritance that is worth more than gold, silver, or diamonds.
c. We have an inheritance that money cannot buy.
d. We have an inheritance that no one can steal.
e. We have an inheritance so wonderful it cannot be comprehended by the human intellect.
f. For no eye has seen, not ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him!
Transition: We should also be...
II. Praising God For Testing Our Faith (6-9).
A. Show That Your Faith Is Genuine
1. We have an incredible inheritance waiting for us. Yet, until that time, this life will test us.
2. Look at what Peter says in v. 6, "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while."
a. Abruptly, Peter begins to comment on the joy that suffering believers have as they contemplate that final day: "So be truly glad."
b. Be truly glad (from agalliaō) is an intense, expressive term that means to be supremely and abundantly happy—a happiness that is not tentative nor based on circumstances or superficial feelings.
c. Jesus used it in Matthew 5:12 in addition to the more ordinary word for rejoice (chairō).
d. With that usage, He intensified the meaning of His command to His disciples.
e. In the New Testament, agalliaō always refers to spiritual rather than temporary joy, and it usually has reference to a relationship with God.
f. Furthermore, since Peter put it in the present tense, it conveys the notion of continual joy and happiness (MacArthur, 41).
g. That is, contemplating salvation and its forthcoming climax generates great joy in the hearts of the believers, a joy so great they can endure suffering.
h. The problem facing these Christians in Asia Minor is that they are suffering "grief in all kinds of trials" —even if it is "now for a little while."
3. Peter goes on to say, "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."
a. Peter wants them to see the purpose of their suffering, "that your faith is genuine" (1:7).
b. Whereas gold perishes when it is refined by fire, their faith will endure the fire of persecution, and will be proved genuine at the last day.
c. Like James in James 1:3, Peter sees in suffering a situation from which the believers can learn and grow.
d. These verses depict the heart of Peter: He began theologically with praising God for his great benefits of salvation, but then he pauses pastorally to show that the Christians in Asia Minor can be exceedingly glad about the final day of salvation even though they are presently enduring various kinds of trials.
e. They can be glad because they will survive this trial and find themselves in the glorious situation of salvation (McKnight, 71-72).
4. Peter now shows them just how strong their faith is by saying, "You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy."
a. Since his readers will be found acceptable to God on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed, Peter turns to the present relationship of these Christians to Jesus.
b. Their current response is that they love Christ in spite of not having seen him; furthermore, though they believe in him and still do not see him, they "rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy" (McKnight, 72).
c. The word love (agapate) is the love of the will, the noblest form of love.
d. The present tense indicates that Peter's audience constantly loved their Lord, which love defines the essence of being a Christian.
e. Peter next commends his readers' faith and trust in Christ. Obviously to believe in Him goes hand in hand with loving Him.
f. The soul that loves Christ cannot help but believe in Him, and the soul that believes cannot help but love (MacArthur, 47).
B. Pure Joy
1. Illustration: "What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity."
2. Our troubles in this life are really opportunities.
a. James 1:2 (NLT)
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
b. Troubles test and increase our faith.
c. Troubles show us that God really is in control.
d. Troubles show us that God is able to see us through any situation.
e. Troubles bring us close and closer to Jesus, and therefore, they are opportunities of great joy.
3. God sees our troubles and rewards us for them.
a. Psalm 126:5 (NLT)
Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
b. Facing troubles is a part of life.
c. However, God sees our troubles and uses them to make us better.
d. God uses them to cause us to grow closer to him.
e. Even if everything seems cloudy to you right now, the sun will shine again.
f. You may be planting tears right now, but God has a rich harvest of joy ahead of you.
Transition: We should also be...
III. Praising God For Realized Dreams (10-12).
A. Even The Prophets
1. This inheritance that we look forward to is the realization of a dream; the dreams of the Prophets.
2. Peter says, "This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you."
a. The prophets were amazed by the prophecies God gave them.
b. They had many questions, and they wondered what was meant by Christ’s suffering.
c. Peter was saying, “How can you be discouraged? Don’t you realize that you have seen the fulfillment of all the prophets’ yearning?” (Barton 1105).
d. Their passion, whether they knew the exact longing of their hearts or not, was the grace that the Asian Christians found in Christ (McKnight, 73).
3. Then Peter says, "They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward."
a. Verse 11 gives the topic of the prophets' inquiry. They spoke about God's final salvation and the judgments that preceded that final day.
b. Precisely when and under what circumstances such events were to occur they did not know, but they did inquire into such matters.
c. Peter writes that it was "the Spirit of Christ in them" that prompted their inquiry, and ultimately, they were investigating "the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow" (McKnight, 73).
d. The believers of Peter’s day (as well as believers today) had the privilege of understanding the prophets’ writings better than the prophets themselves had understood them.
e. All of those prophets’ predictions regarding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ had been completely fulfilled (Barton, 1105).
4. Finally, Peter says, "They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen."
a. No matter how intense their search or profound their vision, Peter insists that these prophets, like John the Baptist after them, only served a preliminary role in the plan of God.
b. They were preparing the world and God's people for a later time—and that later time is now for Peter.
c. This is the great privilege of the church age: the enjoyment of the inauguration of God's salvation in Christ.
d. It is so great that even the angels are looking down to gain a view, like wedding attendees attempting to steal a glance at the bride before her appearance.
e. The angels are brought in here, not to invite us to speculate about their activities, but to press on our minds the privileges of salvation; neither the prophets nor the angels experience what the church assumes and enjoys (McKnight, 73).
B. Dreams Come True
1. Illustration: When Tina and I were in Bible College, I dreamed of going on to seminary and getting my Master's Degree. There came a day when I actually was given the opportunity to go to seminary, but it wasn't easy. I was Pastoring full-time, lived two hours away from school, and at that time, Tina was traveling frequently for work. There came a time in my program when I wanted to quit. I stood in the office of Dr. Gary McGee and told him, "I can't do this anymore!" He told me, "Mark, yes you can...you will make it." On graduation day, I cornered Dr. McGee in the hallway and asked him if he remembered that day. He said that he did. Then I looked at him with tears of joy in my eyes and said, "I'll never forget you for that!"
2. If we do not quit, we will realize what the Prophets dreamed about.
a. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NLT)
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
b. We will worship with the Angels and Saints around the throne.
c. We will stand rejoicing with all those whose robes have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus.
d. We will see Jesus face to face.
e. We will experience what the Prophets longed for!
Conclusion
1. Peter says we can...
a. Praise God For Our Inheritance
b. Praise God For The Testing Of Our Faith
c. Praise God For Realized Dreams
2. We can focus on our troubles, or we can praise God for what awaits us.
3. What are you going to do?
