The Power Of Hope

THE POWER OF HOPE

1 Pet. 1:3-9

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. We all know about the law of cause and effect.

2. A man arrived at the Pearly Gates where Peter stood waiting to process new arrivals. "Okay," said Peter. "Tell me one thing that you did on earth that was purely unselfish." 3. The man thought for a second and said, "That's easy. How about this? I was walking along, minding my own business, when I came upon this little old lady who was being shoved around by a huge biker-type guy."

4. "What did you do?" asked Peter. "First, I went over to his bike and kicked it over, just to distract him. Then I kicked him in the shins really hard. Then I punched him in the solar plexus with all my might, and yelled at the old lady to run for it."

5. "That's amazing," said Peter. "Exactly when did this happen?" "Oh, I'd say about 2 or 3 minutes ago."

B. HYMN, “THE SOLID ROCK”

1. My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain:

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found;

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

C. AWESOME SCRIPTURE

1 Peter 1:3-9, “3Praise 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, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though 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, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

D. THESIS: POWER OF HOPE

1. The coming of Hope is like lighting a candle in the darkness.

2. “Other men see only a hopeless end, but the Christian rejoices in [sees] an endless hope.” George Beenken.

3. “What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope [is] for the [soul] meaning of life.” Emil Brunner.

4. The word ‘hope,’ actually refers to the beginning of faith.

5. “We…hold to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

6. That’s precisely what Peter is saying in our Scripture.

A living hope! A life giving hope! A hope that sees beyond our current troubles!

7. We’re going to look at 4 aspects of our Hope in Christ: hope that transforms, is eternal, assists in trial, and that sees what is invisible.

8. The title of this message, “The Power of Hope.”

I. A HOPE THAT TRANSFORMS YOUR LIFE

“[God] has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” Vs. 3.

A. A WORLD FILLED WITH DESPAIR

1. For billions of people, life offers little hope. Few have good jobs. Millions of people have a poor education or lack experience, so they’re trapped in poverty.

2. For billions more, sickness and death are daily realities. As Job said, “Man’s…days are few and full of trouble” Job 14:1. If you only have hope for this life, old age and death are a fearful specter.

B. NEW BIRTH

1. Peter mentions “new birth.” Why? Because into the world of despair has dawned a wonderful event -- the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead!

2. With Jesus’ resurrection has come New Life! We were all born physically into this earthly realm, but Jesus said we must all be born a second time – into the spiritual realm!

3. Peter said, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever” 1 Pet. 1:23.

4. The Apostle John said, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God” 1 Jn. 3:9.