Praise be to God

 Series: 1 Peter – Hope for the Hurting

Title: Praise be to God

Date: April 14, 2024

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:1-12

Intro: Today, we begin a new sermon series on the book of 1 Peter. Please, open your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 1. This sermon series is called, “Hope for the Hurting.”  We will spend 9 weeks going through the book of 1 Peter. Before we read our verses for today, I would like to take a moment and provide a brief summary of what Peter is trying to get across. I will also provide a brief overview as well. Peter is writing this letter to provide hope to a people who are hurting. Peter wants his readers to know that Christ gives hope in hurtful times. Why are they hurting? They have been scattered from their home, they have been persecuted, they are maligned, and they have been rejected. In this letter Peter will remind his readers that painful trials are not the end because Christ give hope in hurtful times. Now for the brief outline:

  • 1 Peter is broken into 3 main sections:
    • Section 1 – Our Living Hope (1:1-2:12)
    • Section 2 – Our Strange Life (2:13 – 4:11)
    • Section 3 – Our Fiery Ordeal (4:12-5:14)
  • Within each section there will be 3 sermons for a total of 9 sermons covering the book (letter) of 1 Peter.

Today, we will start by reading 1 Peter 1:1-12. The sermon for today is called, “Praise be to God.”

  • Read
  • Pray

Verses 1 – 2: Introduction (Reminder of who they were)

Peter begins his letter in the typical fashion of the day, by beginning with providing who is writing the letter, followed by who the letter is being written to and the purpose of the letter.

Who is writing the letter?

  • The author of this letter is Peter – An apostle (an ambassador) of Jesus
  • Just 3 weeks ago we learned some valuable information about Peter and I would like to quickly remind us of what we learned about Peter. This will help us understand the letter in which he is writing.
    • Peter is: ADVENTUROUS; PROMINENT; BOLD; IMPULSIVE; PROUD
    • All this was before he denied Jesus. After that fateful day we can add: HUMBLED; RESTORED; HOPEFUL
    • This is Peter, the man writing this letter.

Who is the letter being written to?

  • Peter is writing this letter to those who reside as aliens (pilgrims) who have been scattered.
    • To the pilgrims: The idea behind the word pilgrims is of someone who lives as a temporary resident in a foreign land. Pilgrims are sojourners and travelers, and pilgrims live in constant awareness of their true home.
    • These pilgrims have been scattered among the five provinces of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). These believers have been maligned, mistreated, and rejected. For many Asia Minor is not their home, they are living in a foreign land.
  • Who are the those that reside as aliens?
    • Peter is writing this letter to all believers both Jew and Gentile. This letter is for all those who have been forced to reside in a foreign place. It is possible that Peter is getting across the idea that all believers are strangers upon this earth because they are born-again. For all believers, even us here today, this world is not our home. Our home is with Jesus. We can reside in this foreign place by being aware of our true home, heaven.
  • Being scattered is referring to the idea of the ‘diaspora’ – To be scattered from your homeland.
    • The idea was first used of the Jews in the OT as they were taken away from Israel into foreign lands.
    • Here in the NT, it can also refer to any believer that was forced to leave their home and go elsewhere.
    • Being a stranger can also carry the idea of being set apart to God in this world. (Hebrews 11:13)
  • Peter is writing to believers who have been scattered in a physical and spiritual sense.

What is the purpose?

  • Peter is writing this letter to offer them hope. Peter will offer hope to those who are hurting. They are hurting because they have been scattered, they are maligned, mistreated, and rejected. Notice, the hope which Peter offers is not a hope that the world offers, it is not even a hope found in him, the hope Peter offers is found and connected to Jesus ad His resurrection.
  • Peter provides hope by reminding these pilgrims that they have been chosen. By referring to those scattered as being chosen Peter is reminding these believes of who they really are. They are more than what the world thinks they are: displaced, nobodies! They are CHOSEN by God Almighty!
    • What does it mean to be chosen?
      • To be selected or picked-out
  • The idea of being chosen carries with it some wonderful truth:
    • We are chosen by the foreknowledge of God the Father
      • Foreknowledge = to know before hand; to plan ahead
      • God knew beforehand that mankind would need a redeemer and He planned to give the benefits of salvation to those who would call on the name of Jesus.
    • We are chosen by the sanctifying work of the Spirit
      • Sanctifying – to set apart, to consecrate, to make holy
    • Because we are chosen, we are to obey Jesus and be sprinkled with His blood.
      • What does it mean to be sprinkled by the blood of Jesus?
        • It establishes a covenant with us – We are adopted into God’s family and we become an heir according to the promise
        • We are set apart as priests to God – We can come to the throne of grace with boldness
        • We are cleansed from our sins
  • Being chosen incorporates the entirety of the God-head!
  • Peter closes his introduction by encouraging them that remembering who they are allows them to have God’s grace and peace in the fullest measure. Remember who you are! Everyone has dealt with hurt. A sin cursed world brings hurt into our lives: emotional, physical, and spiritual. We need to remember that this is not our home, we have a better hope.
  • Praise the Lord as you remember who you are

Verses 3-9 – The Full Spectrum of Salvation (A Reason to Rejoice)

  • After the introduction Peter goes into the opening of his letter.
  • The opening of the letter lays out for the reader the full spectrum of salvation.
    • From the cross to the return of Jesus
    • From our first expression of faith to our enduring faith
  • Notice the opening words of verse 3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…
    • Blessed – The Greek word is eulogetos (you-log-a-toss) – The idea of the word is to speak well of; To praise
  • Why should God the Father be praised? (vv. 3-5) (3 beautiful reasons)
    • Caused us to be born again to a living hope
      • We have experienced a new birth!
        • Death – Life; Darkness – Light; Sinner – Saint
      • How did we gain the privilege to be born again?
        • Nothing, it was all by God’s mercy (compassion toward those who are miserable and afflicted)
      • Living hope – An expectation that is alive and well = Jesus Christ!!!
        • Our hope is anchored to the RISEN CHRIST, who is GOD! Our hope is an expectation that eternal life with Jesus awaits us. The hope of this world is nothing more than crossing their fingers and making a wish.
        • Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, we too will be raised up like Him in glorified bodies to dwell with Him in the new heaven and new earth for all eternity.
  • Allowed us to obtain an inheritance (to be given a possession)
    • Check out the way in which Peter describes our inheritance:
      • Imperishable – Not liable to corruption or decay
      • Undefiled – Unsoiled; Pure; Free from evil and wickedness
      • Will not fade away – Unfading; Perennial (Lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring)
      • Reserved in heaven – To be guarded from loss; to be carefully attended
  • Protects us by His power
    • Protects = We are guarded by a military grade guard to prevent a hostile invasion
    • Power = miraculous power
    • We are kept by the power of God, but it is through faith, meaning our faith. The person who is kept is a person abiding in a continuing relationship of faith with God. And we need to be kept! Keeping is not necessary unless there is danger outside and weakness inside. (Guzik)
    • I believe the idea here is that God has given us the Holy Spirit to keep us and seal us until we get to heaven
      • Ephesians 4:30 – Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
    • The miraculous power of God protects from demonic spiritual forces and keeps us from being separated from the love Jesus until that day when we receive our inheritance in full. (Romans 8:38-39)
  • Look at the first phrase of verse 6, In this you greatly rejoice…
    • What are we rejoicing in?
      • The full and wonderful understanding of being born again
      • We just learned of 3 beautiful reasons that we should stop and make give praise to our Heavenly Father.
      • Thank you, Lord:
        •  for giving us a new birth with a living hope
        • For giving us an inheritance that is out of this world
        • For protecting us by your miraculous power
  • Peter quickly shifts gears and reminds us that our faith will be tested while we are living in this world!
    • Being born again doesn’t guarantee a wonderful life filled with rainbows, sunshine, unicorns, and puppies. Life on this earth will be one of hardships, trials, and tribulations.
  • But what is the purpose of these trials and tribulations?
    • To reveal the proof of our faith
      • To show that our faith is genuine
  • The proof of our faith is amazing!
    • Peter states that our faith in Jesus is more precious than gold – Because gold is perishable
    • Hold on a second, doesn’t Peter know how precious gold is? Yes, he does and that is why he says our faith is more precious than gold refined by fire.
  • We endure the test of fire (trial and tribulations) not to burn us or destroy us but to purify us. These trials and tribulations that we face reveal the strength and beauty of our faith in God.
  • Peter goes on to tell us that the result of enduring the fire of trials and tribulation are:
    • Praise, Glory and Honor
    • This will take place at the return of Jesus. Meaning that when we meet Jesus our hardships are over, the trial by fire is done, and we can finally celebrate that we are done living a life in this sin cursed world. Victory is ours because of Jesus!
  • Here’s the cray thing: Even though we haven’t seen Jesus, we love Him and believe in Him
  • Our enduring faith results in the full reception of our salvation, which is receiving our glorified bodies and spending an eternity with God. Remember, salvation has 3 parts: past, present, future.
    • Past – You have been justified (Declared innocent)
    • Present – Sanctified (Setting ourselves apart from the world and committing ourselves to God’s truth)
    • Future – Glorification (The removal of sin and we receive our glorified, sinless bodies)
  • Praise the Lord as you recognize the full spectrum of your salvation.

Verses 10-12 – As to this salvation

  • Check out the opening words of verse 12, As to this salvation
    • This takes us back to the previous verses found in verses 3-9
    • These verses laid out for us the full spectrum of salvation
      • Born again to a living hope
      • Obtaining an inheritance
      • Protected by the power of God
    • Peter also uses this phrase to move us ahead into another line of thinking.
  • The prophets of the OT prophesied of the grace that was to come into the world
    • What was that grace?
    • The Messiah!!!
    • These men took what they prophesied seriously.
  • Salvation was something that the prophets of the Old Testament carefully investigated and searched out
    • They investigated and explored the idea of salvation. Even after such diligent searches the prophets of the OT didn’t fully grasp the full spectrum of salvation.
  • What did the OT prophets desire to know?
    • The person who would be the Messiah – Not just a general idea of a coming Messiah
    • The precise time of the Messiah’s arrival – Not just a general time frame
  • What drove them to have these desires?
    • The Spirit of Christ that was moving within them!!!
  • Look at what the Spirit of Christ was doing in them
    • He was predicting the sufferings of Christ
      • Sufferings = How He would be treated by mankind and die upon a cross
    • He was predicting the glories to follow
      • Glories = an opinion, a judgment, a view (in the NT always a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honor, and glory)
      • Glories to follow = the good opinions that followed after the death of Jesus
  • What are some of the glories that followed the death of Jesus?
    • The coming of the Holy Spirit
    • The gospel being taken further into the world (Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, utter most part of the earth)
    • The writings of the NT
    • The promise of the return of Jesus
  • As we move into verse 12, we see the purpose of the OT saints
    • They were not serving themselves they were serving future believers
    • They were serving believers who would know exactly who the Messiah is
      • Serve = to act as a servant or attendant (Comes from the word that we get deacon from)
    • The OT prophets laid the foundation of the gospel and the apostles built upon that foundation.
  • How did the apostles build upon the foundation laid by the OT prophets?
    • Clearly identifying who the Messiah is, Jesus
    • Showing the purpose of His death and resurrection
    • By allowing the Holy Spirit to work in them and through them
  • As verse 12 comes to an end we see an interesting phrase from Peter
    • … things into which angels long to look.
    • What are the angels looking into?
      • The unfolding of God’s eternal plan concerning the salvation of mankind
  • As to this salvation reminds us just how precious our salvation is. The OT prophets searched it out and laid the foundation for future generations. The apostles built upon that foundation and clearly presented the gospel of Jesus. Angels long to look and gain a clear glimpse of God’s eternal plan for the salvation of mankind.
  • Recognizing how precious our salvation is should make us PRAISE GOD.
  • Praise be to God:
    • When we remember who we are – The Chosen (elect) of God
      • We will be distressed by various trials but we are to look ahead to a better future. We can do that when we remember who we are. We are the chosen of God! One day our salvation will be complete when we are in the presence of God.
  • When we remember the full spectrum of our salvation
    • From beginning to end
    • Past – You have been justified (Declared innocent)
    • Present – Sanctified (Setting ourselves apart from the world and committing ourselves to God’s truth)
    • Future – Glorification (The removal of sin and we receive our glorified, sinless bodies)
    • We endure this present evil age by looking ahead to our future HOPE!
  • When we remember this salvation
    • God’s plan of redemption has always been in place.
    • God’s grace has come through the redemptive work of Christ

Closing: God’s word has been presented this wonderful Sunday morning, what will you do with it? Let if fall to ground or take a hold of it and store it in your heart? With heads bowed and eyes closed let’s take a few moments to go to the Lord in prayer.