To Hope Again

TO HOPE AGAIN

1 PETER 1:1-9

HOPE IS THE ONE THING IN THIS WORLD THAT WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT. HOPE ALLOWS US TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE, AND DARE TO BELIEVE THAT OUR LIVES CAN BE BETTER AS WE DO.

1 PETER 1:3-4:

“3 ¶ PRAISED (HONORED, BLESSED) BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (THE MESSIAH)! BY HIS BOUNDLESS MERCY WE HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN TO AN EVER-LIVING HOPE THROUGH THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD, 4 "BORN ANEW" INTO AN INHERITANCE WHICH IS BEYOND THE REACH OF CHANGE \AND\ DECAY "IMPERISHABLE", UNSULLIED AND UNFADING, RESERVED IN HEAVEN FOR YOU,”

WE OFTEN REFER TO THIS TYPE OF HOPE AS A “CERTAIN HOPE.” IT IS MORE SECURE, THAN JUST SAYING “I HOPE THE SUN IS SHINING TOMORROW.” USING HOPE THIS WAY SHOWS A LACK OF CONFIDENCE, AS IF IT WERE A MERELY A DESIRE, WITH NO ASSURANCE AT ALL.

OUR GREAT FISHERMAN IN THIS PASSAGE IS SPEAKING WITH FULL CONFIDENCE IN THE HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN HIS MIND.

WEBSTER WOULD AGREE WITH THIS CONCEPT OF HOPE AS HE DEFINES IT AS: “DESIRE ACCOMPANIED BY EXPECTATION OF OR BELIEF IN FULFILLMENT… TO DESIRE WITH EXPECTATION OF OBTAINMENT… TO EXPECT WITH CONFIDENCE.”

WE OFTEN FEEL THIS CERTAIN HOPE AS WE BEGIN THE ADVENTURE OF NEW AREAS OF OUR LIFE. WE LOOK AT THE CHANGES WE MAKE IN THE SERTAIN HOPE THAT THEY WILL BRING US GOOD FORTUNE.

AT NEW YEARS, WE MAKE RESOLUTIONS ALONG THIS PATH.

WHEN WE ARE RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL AFTER DEALING WITH A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION, WE SAY WE ARE GOING TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF.

WHEN WE MOVE TO A DIFFERENT JOB WE ARE HOPING FOR A BETTER RESULT.

JUST RECENTLY WE HELD A PROVINCIAL ELECTION HERE. THE HOPE GOING INTO THE ELECTION IS THAT NO MATTER WHAT PARTY WON, THAT IT WOULD GIVE OUR PROVINCE A FRESH START AND A REASON FOR HOPE.

HOPE HELPS US GET THROUGH THE DIFFICULT TIMES OF OUR LIVES. CHUCK SWINDELL WRITES: “HOPE IS A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, A SOURCE OF STRENGTH AND COURAGE IN THE FACE OF LIFE’S HARSHEST TRIALS.”

THE GREAT FISHERMAN HELPS US TO SEE THAT HOPE ALLOWS US TO DRAW SUCCESS OUT OF FAILURE. CONSIDER PETER, THE GREAT FISHERMAN, FOR A MOMENT. HE DID NOTHING HALF-HEARTEDLY. IT WAS ALL OR NOTHING. AS A FRIEND HE WAS LOYAL TO THE CORE, COURAGEOUS, AND PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIPS. THIS WOULD LEAD HIM AT TIMES TO OVERSTEP HIS COMMITMENT BOUNDARIES.

LUKE 22:33-34: “33 AND "SIMON PETER" SAID TO HIM, LORD, I AM READY TO GO WITH YOU BOTH TO PRISON AND TO DEATH. 34 BUT JESUS SAID, I TELL YOU, PETER, BEFORE A "SINGLE" COCK SHALL CROW THIS DAY, YOU WILL THREE TIMES "UTTERLY" DENY THAT YOU KNOW ME.”

SOMETIMES, IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT, WE SAY WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO, NOT WHAT WE WILL DO. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO PETER. JESUS’ REBUKE MUST HAVE FLOORED HIM. BEING PRESENT FOR JESUS’ ARREST AND TRIAL, TO HEAR THE DENIAL’S COMING OUT OF HIS MOUTH, AND FINALLY TO HEAR THE COCK CROW AFTER THE THIRD DENIAL, MUST HAVE SHATTERED PETER.

THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO NOW. THERE WAS NO HOPE IN THE SITUATION. JESUS HAD BEEN TRIED, FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED TO DEATH. NOT ONLY WAS JESUS NAILED TO THE CROSS BUT ALSO THE ONE THING PETER NEEDED TO CARRY ON, HOPE. HOPE WAS GONE IN THE DEATH OF JESUS.

THE RESURRECTION BROUGHT ABOUT A RE-BIRTH OF HOPE. JESUS GAVE INSTRUCTIONS IN MARK 16:7, TO GO AND TELL HIS DISCIPLES AND PETER ALSO. HE STATED PETER BY NAME.

PETER HAD DETERMINED TO GO BACK TO HIS OLD WAY OF LIFE. JOHN CHAPTER 21 TELLS US THAT HE RETURNED TO FISHING. JESUS FOUND HIM BY THE SEA OF TIBERIAS. IT IS HERE THAT PETER’S HOPE BEGINS TO COME BACK. JESUS IS ALIVE. THE MISSION IS NOT OVER. PENTECOST WOULD GIVE PETER THE HOLY BOLDNESS HE NEEDED TO BE THE MAN GOD NEEDED HIM TO BE.

PETER’S TRIAL DEVELOPED HIS LEADERSHIP STYLE. HE LED AS A WOUNDED HEALER. HE KNEW IT WAS ONLY THROUGH THE POWER OF GOD IN HIM THAT HE WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT HE DID IN ACTS, WHICH WAS THE FORMATION OF THE EARLY CHURCH. IT GAVE HIM THE FOUNDATION TO WRITE HIS GREAT WORKS OF HOPE.

EUGENE PETERSON DESCRIBES PETER IN HIS INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOKS THAT BEAR HIS NAME:

“THE WAY PETER HANDLED HIMSELF IN THAT POSITION OF POWER IS EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN THE POWER ITSELF. HE KEPT OUT OF THE CENTER OF ATTENTION, HE DIDN’T PARADE HIS POWER, BECAUSE HE KEPT HIMSELF UNDER THE POWER OF JESUS. HE COULD HAVE EASILY THROWN AROUND HIS POPULARITY, POWER, AND POSITION TO TRY TO TAKE OVER, USING HIS CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH JESUS TO PROMOTE HIMSELF. BUT HE DIDN’T. MOST PEOPLE WITH PETER’S GIFTS COULDN’T HAVE HANDLED IT THEN OR NOW, BUT HE DID. PETER IS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR.”