SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). Hope (vs 3)
(2). Faith (vs 5)
(3). Love (vs 8)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming.
• One second he was peacefully perched in his cage.
• The next he was sucked in, washed up, and blown over.
• The problems began when Chippie’s owner;
• Decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner.
• She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage.
• The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up.
• She’d barely said "hello" when "ssssopp!" Chippie got sucked in.
• The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag.
• There was Chippie -- still alive, but stunned.
• Since the bird was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and held Chippie under the running water.
• Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering,
• She did what any compassionate bird owner would do…
• She reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air.
• Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.
• A few days after the trauma,
• The reporter who’d initially written about the event;
• Contacted Chippie’s owner to see how the bird was recovering.
• "Well," she replied, "Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore -- he just sits and stares."
• It’s hard not to see why.
• Sucked in, washed up, and blown over!
• That’s enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart.
TRANSITION: This letter First Peter:
• Was written to Christians who knew how Chippie was feeling;
• Life for them was tough, it was hard, it was dangerous!
Ill:
• On 19 July AD 64 a fire began in the city of Rome which lasted for three days,
• Devastating much of the city.
• It engulfed the centre of Rome, destroying temples and houses.
• The citizens looked for a scapegoat, and found one in the Emperor Nero.
• They knew he had ambitions to pull down old buildings
• And put up new magnificent structures, so they assumed he was behind it.
• Nero, in turn, shifted the blame onto the Christians,
• And so began a serious persecution of the church.
• They faced awful times.
• They were tortured, some were sewn into the skins of wild beasts;
• And made to crawl round the amphitheatres on all fours,
• While they were set upon by lions and other wild animals.
• They were hunted by dogs and some of them were crucified.
Ill:
• A number of years ago I was part of a tourist group in Italy;
• I remember visiting the Coliseum in Rome;
• We had a fantastic tour and were amazed at all that took place there.
• As we finished our guided tour;
• My friend turned to me and said; “Did you notice anything in what the guide said?”
• I replied “No, should I?”
• He replied; “Not once did he mention the fact the 100’s and 1000’s of Christians;
• Our fellow brother & sisters in Christ were butchered in that very arena”;
• Remember they were slaughtered;
• For no other reason than simply being a follower of Jesus Christ!
Ill:
• Now next to the Coliseum in Rome is a low, green hill,
• Which used to be Nero's palace garden.
• On one occasion he had a garden party with a difference.
• He had some Christians coated with tar and bitumen,
• Tied them to posts around the garden and set them on fire.
• They were burned alive to provide lighting for his party.
• The news of this act of barbarism against God's people;
• Spread through the whole Roman Empire from church to church.
• But as the news spread,
• So too did a letter of hope sent from the apostle Peter.
Note: The major theme of this letter is suffering.
• It is a very short letter that contains only 105 verses,
• You can read it in less than 5 minutes.
• But as you read it that theme of suffering surfaces time and time again.
• e.g. Chapter 1 verses 6; “All kinds of trials”
• e.g. Chapter 2 verse 20; Beatings “for doing good”.
• e.g. Chapter 3 verses 14-17; Suffering “for what is right”.
• e.g. Chapter 4 verses 13; Participating “in the sufferings of Christ”.
• e.g. Chapter 5 verses 19; Suffering “according to God’s will”.
• If you want a key verse to this letter;
• It is probably found in chapter 1 verse 7:
“These (Trials) have come so that your faith…..………. may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
The apostle Peter tells his readers UPFRONT to expect trouble ahead:
• Most historians believe Peter who wrote his letter in Rome, around A.D. 64;
• And the apostle Paul were been both victims of Nero’s reign of terror.
• Both were martyred for their faith.
Ill:
• “We don’t look alike, we don’t act alike.
• We don’t dress alike.
• We have different tastes in the food we eat.
• The books we read, the films we watch, the cars we drive and the music we enjoy.
• We support different football teams or have different leisure interests;
• We ascribe to different philosophies and differ over politics.
• Our weights vary, our heights vary,
• So does the colour of our hair and skin.
• But we all have one thing in common;
• We all know what it means to hurt!”
Suffering is a universal language.
• We all know what it means to hurt.
• And at some time in our lives we will all ask the questions “Why me, why us?”
• Suffering is a universal language;
• Though the cause of our suffering may vary:
(a). Some suffer as a result of natural disasters:
• Both Christians & non-Christians are victims of natural disasters;
• In a fallen world even nature is flawed and disasters happen.
• Ill: The recent storms in the Philippines.
• Killed an estimated 10,000 people and displaced more than 600,000.
(b). Some suffer as a result of circumstances:
• e.g. an unexpected tragedy strikes; an illness, a redundancy, a death;
• Something happens that turns our world upside-down.
(c). Some suffer as a result of people;
• Sometimes we ache because;
• A trusted spouse, colleague, friend, or family member has deeply hurt us.
(d). (c). Some suffer as a result of our own folly:
• Sometimes of course, we dig our own pit of despair;
• By making wrong (sinful) choices.
• We have a Bible full of examples.
• e.g. Moses never entered the Promised Land because he could not control his anger.
• e.g. Samson lost his eyes and his strength because he could not control his libido.
• e.g. King David failed by committing adultery with Bathsheba & then having her husband murdered.
• e.g. Even Peter himself experienced deep despair;
• After he had denied his teacher and master on three separate occasions.
• Suffering is a universal language;
• Though the cause of our suffering may vary:
• Now at least fifteen times in this short letter, Peter will refer to suffering.
• And he will give us some insights as to how to handle life when things are difficult.
• How to have hope!
Notice:
• Throughout this letter the apostle Peter;
• Does not tell the Christians how to escape suffering & persecution;
• But rather how to endure it.
• Peter is more concerned with how they cope with suffering;
• Than how they can bypass suffering!
One of the ways Peter will encourage these believers:
• Is to again and again remind of their salvation;
• This is the foundation that shapes our attitude to coping with suffering.
• He brings to their attention three great words of the Christian vocabulary:
• Faith, Hope & Love.
(1). HOPE (vs 3):
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.
• Peter says hope is as crucial as an anchor,
• Because when the storm of persecution come;
• Hope will hold the believers firm.
• For Peter's readers, hope was an essential quality.
• For if you believe that God is watching over you;
• It is easier to face trouble and endure suffering.
Ill:
• YouTube video clip – Steve Saint;
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Baxry1jnG0w
• Steve Saint, is the son of legendary martyred missionary Nate Saint;
• And an author and missionary himself.
The apostle Peter says hope is as crucial as an anchor:
• Because when the storms come, and they will;
• Hope in Jesus Christ – not wishful thinking’
• Will like an anchor hold the Christian firm!
Quote: Charles Swindoll:
• Hope is a wonderful gift from God,
• A source of strength and courage in the face of life's harshest trials.
• When we are trapped in a tunnel of misery, hope points to the light at the end.
• When we are overworked and exhausted, hope gives us fresh energy.
• When we are discouraged, hope lifts our spirits.
• When we are tempted to quit, hope keeps us going.
• When we lose our way and confusion blurs the destination,
• Hope dulls the edge of panic.
• When we struggle with a crippling disease or a lingering illness,
• Hope helps us persevere beyond the pain.
• When we fear the worst:
• Hope brings reminders that God is still in control.
• When we must endure the consequences of bad decisions,
• Hope fuels our recovery.
• When we find ourselves unemployed,
• Hope tells us we still have a future.
• When we are forced to sit back and wait,
• Hope gives us the patience to trust.
• When we feel rejected and abandoned,
• Hope reminds us we're not alone ... we'll make it.
• When we say our final farewell to someone we love,
• Hope in the life beyond gets us through our grief.
• Put simply, when life hurts and dreams fade,
• Nothing helps like hope.
The apostle Peter reminds these suffering Christians (and us):
• That we have ‘a living hope’;
• That is found in faith and trust in the risen Jesus Christ!
• The apostle Peter's first letter is often called ‘The epistle of hope’:
• He tells them that 'God has given us a living hope by the resurrection from the dead.'
• He reminds them that even if they are killed, martyred for their faith;
• Death is not the end of the story!
• We have a living hope for the future,
QUOTE: An equivalent set of verses would be Romans chapter 8 verses 35-39:
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love?
Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death?
(Even the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep. '') No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love.
Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Both the apostle Paul & the apostle Peter are reminding every believer:
• That the enemy cannot really harm us;
• Short term they may kill the body but they cannot destroy the eternal soul.
• Because our lives are preserved by God and in God.
• We have a living hope!
(2) FAITH (vs 5)
“Who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Quote:
• You probably know the school boys definition of faith:
• “Faith is believing something you know isn’t true!”
• Yet as Christians we would say the very opposite!
• For the Christian faith is always sourced, routed, it is embedded in God and his word!
Quote: Virginia Whitman:
“Faith is the bucket of power lowered by the rope of prayer into the well of God's abundance. What we bring up depends upon what we let down. We have every encouragement to use a big bucket.”
The apostle Peter knew these Christians would very soon be undergoing the severest test of faith.
• The word translated into English in the N.I.V: ‘Shielded’,
• The K.J.B. translates it as ‘Kept’;
• Some other translations use the word: ‘Guarded’:
• Is actually a military term used to refer to a garrison within a city.
• A garrison was an inner area of protection.
• Even though the city walls might be breeched and conquered;
• The garrison within those walls is secure, protected, safe & sound, impenetrable!
The apostle Peter is reminding his readers (and us);
• Men may destroy the outer body;
• But they cannot destroy the inner soul!
• In fact he talks about a double protection;
• ill: a secure safe within a secure safe!
• Chapter 1 verse 4: “our inheritance can never perish”.
• Chapter 1 verse 5: “we are shielded by God’s power”.
The apostle is saying because we are protected keep on trusting (demonstrate faith):
• Faith not only believes that long term we are safe;
• But also that in the present - faith believes that God is at work!
• Note: in verse 7 he says that our faith would be tested just as gold is refined in a fire:
• The fires test it, and it comes out purer.
Ill:
• In the days when gold was purified by hand,
• They used a big vat.
• The refiner would keep stirring it over and over and over the fire;
• Until he could see his own face in it perfectly,
• When he could see his face clearly he would stop refining it.
• Job done!
• This picture is what Peter has in mind in verse 7:
• Quote: N.L.B:
“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.”
• Our faith is tested for our own good!
• So that we become increasingly Christ-like.
• That people might look at our lives and see Jesus reflected.
Quote:
“The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Are read by more than a few,
But the one that is most read and commented on
Is the gospel according to you.
You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day
By the things that you do and the words that you say,
Men read what you write, whether faithless or true
Say, what is the gospel according to you?
Do men read His truth and His love in your life,
Or has yours been too full of malice and strife?
Does your life speak of evil, or does it ring true?
Say, what is the gospel according to you?”
(3). LOVE (vs 8).
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy”.
Ill:
• Tired of reading bedtime stories to his little sister, one ingenious teenager,
• Decided to record several of her favourite stories on CD.
• He told her, “Now you can hear your stories anytime you want. isn’t that great?”
• She looked at the machine for a moment and then replied, “No. it hasn’t got a lap.”
• The content was right.
• But the relational connection was missing.
• For the Christian Jesus Christ might be physically missing;
• But that does not mean he is absent!
• Christ ascended that the Holy Spirit might descend!
• By his Spirit he indwells Christians everywhere.
Ill:
• Had Jesus remained on earth he would have been restricted by a body;
• He would be limited to one place at a time.
• i.e. With Mary Magdalene outside the Garden tomb.
• i.e. With those men walking along the Road to Emmaus.
• But now by his Spirit he can be with believers everywhere;
• i.e. In Jerusalem, in South Africa, in Papa New Guinea even in places like the UK.
Remember the apostle Peter had seen Jesus personally:
• He had talked with him, laughed with him, cried with him, questioned him!
• They had walked together, eaten together, relaxed together etc.
• Peter knew that most if not all his readers;
• Had not known Jesus physically, in the flesh.
• So Peter commends their faith because they believed and followed and loved;
• Without having seen physically Jesus Christ the object of their faith.
Note:
• As Christians of course “We live by faith not by sight”.
• And God always, always rewards genuine faith!
• The reward of faith, the reward for loving without seeing is mentioned in verse 8:
• “Joy’ – actually not just ‘joy’ but “inexpressible and glorious joy”.
• “With joy unspeakable and full of glory” (K.J.B):
• Peter tells his readers that the joy in the believers' hearts is the result of a relationship;
• Because they love Christ they experience inexpressible and glorious joy!
Ill:
• One of the signs of a loving, healthy relationship is joy!
• You enjoy being with the other person,
• You do your best to maximise plenty of time together!
• The apostle Peter reminds us that:
• The Christian experiences joy even in the midst of difficult circumstances;
• The Christian can experience joy even in the midst of persecution.
• Because our joy is not found in circumstances – they are always changing;
• Our joy is not just found in people – they often disappoint and let us down;
• Our joy says the apostle is found in the living Christ!
• And as verse 9 says: “the salvation of your souls.”
Questions:
• Do you know this joy?
• Is Christ your rock and foundation stone/
• When troubles come (and they will) who do you lean on?
• When this life is over – what is your hope?
Answer: Our final hymn answers these questions for us:
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
