I want to give you the Head-Heart-Holy test. Today we will talk about genuine hope for your hard times. Before I get started, I need to know how you make sense of this thing called hope. Here is what we are going to do. I’d like you to hold one hand in the air, and then, on the count of three, please point to where YOUR hope comes from. Do you think hope come from your head—that thinking part of you; from your heart—the feelings that move you; . . . or from the holy (point up)—the God of the universe? So, on a count of three, … one… two… three.[i]
Interesting. What else would you expect a group of church goers? Of course we believe that our hope comes from God! How’s that working for you?
Do you ever find yourself buried in hopelessness? “I’ve been so overwhelmed by what’s going on these days,” a mother recently said regarding world events. “I feel like there’s nothing I can do and the world’s spinning out of control.” Her words echo the sentiments so many of us feel each time we pick up a paper or turn on the news. War on the horizon, nuclear weapons in North Korea, a family of six killed by a fire bomb in Baltimore, the massacre in Bali — the list goes on. Right now, it’s easy to lose hope. [ii] However, loss of hope doesn’t have to be the path we walk down.
Is your life falling apart? Are you or someone you know feeling discouraged and depressed, like nothing’s working out? Maybe your marriage is falling apart or you lost your job. Where do you go for hope?
For those who struggle with illness and pain, these feelings of hopelessness can be overwhelming. For the family facing foreclosure… for the father diagnosed with terminal cancer… for the wife struggling to conceive… for the young girl considering abortion… for the thousands who lost jobs and life savings…there is hope.
Painful trials are not the end. The book of Peter reminds us of what we so easily forget; Christ gives hope in hurtful times. All people in all places, and at all times have one thing in common – we know what it means to hurt. Cultures ebb and flow, nations rise and fall, but suffering invades every household and translates its message of pain to every person who has ever lived.
Pain, being such a pervasive problem, requires a potent prescription. Peter’s first letter dispenses the remedy by telling us how we can endure suffering, not with clenched teeth but with peace and even joy! In fact the theme of 1 Peter is Genuine Hope for Your Hard Times.
I want to share a little trick with you to help you remember that Peter is the Apostle
of Hope. Do you recall the verse in 1 Corinthians 13:13 which states; “But now, these three things remain: faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love. “ I want you to repeat that with me.
Who was the Apostle of Love? John. I, II, & III John have LOVE as their theme.
Who was the Apostle of Faith? Paul. Paul wrote more about salvation by FAITH than any other Apostle.
Who is the Apostle of Hope? Peter!
Now abide these three: Faith; Paul, Hope; Peter, Love; John!
1 Peter is Hope Rising. Never lose hope. Hope changes everything. This being the first message of the series, we are going to do a short survey of the entire book. Let’s start by looking at Verse 1.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 1 Peter 1:1
The Author – Peter
Peter is especially qualified to write about hope. Last week was a pre-introduction to this book. We learned there that Peter had big regrets. He thought his life was over. He thought he had failed the Lord. He thought all his dreams about serving his savior were done. He thought his failure was final.
But Jesus restored him. Three times he said, “Peter, feed my sheep.” In other words, your dreams of serving me and being one of my apostles is still alive. I still want you. There is still hope! And in response to restored hope, Peter writes:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3
That’s where hope originates!
The Pilgrims – Recipients
To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 1 Peter 1:1
What is a Pilgrim? This is a Greek word which can be translated, “pilgrim , or stranger.” Someone who leaves his own land to live in a foreign country or city. He is a sojourner. He is not a native. This place is not his home. He is living among people from a different culture.
They were Pilgrims of the Dispersion. This comes from the Greek word “Diaspora,” meaning a scattering, dispersion. These Christians, both Jew and Gentile believers, had been uprooted from their homeland by persecution, and had fled to Turkey. There were five provinces in Turkey at that time; Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. And there away from family, friends and loved ones, they made their home. And life was hard. And it was going to get harder. There was going to be a fiery trial coming.
Peter wrote to displaced believers, scarred by the flames of persecution. Driven by hardship into the wilderness of a harsh world, persecuted and alienated, these readers had scattered lives, fractured spirits and broken hearts. Their pain was deep. Their circumstances were bleak. They had every reason to give up hope. Like a cool breeze cutting through the sultry summer heat, Peter’s opening words blew through their weariness to ignite fresh hope. Hope has just arrived!
When facing persecution our instincts warn us to fight or flight. Peter wrote to get his readers beyond all that, to gain composure and find hope in spite of unfair treatment. We can do more than just cope with suffering. We can defiantly rejoice in it!
The Message – Hope
“Hope” is mentioned 5 times in this book, about once per chapter. But hope looms large on every page. On the other hand, the word “suffering” is mentioned 16 times in the book. So this book is hope for your hardships. For every use of the word “suffering,” there is nearly an equal use of the word “grace!” (10X) Grace offsets suffering and brings hope! And finally the word “Glory,” is used 16 times in the book, demonstrating our hope is that we will have the grace to face suffering, and when we make it to the end, it will be glorious!
The book of Peter is divided up into three sections.
Part 1 Where there’s Christ there’s Hope 1-2:10
Part 2 Where there’s Hope there’s Life 2:11-4:11
Part 3 Where there’s life, there is Jesus 4:12-5:10
Here is what we are going to learn about how to have hope.
Where there’s Christ there’s Hope
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
It is the abundant mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ, and his resurrection from the dead that give us hope so that we can smile even when we are suffering. We smile because we are eternally safe in Jesus. We smile because trials perfect us. And we smile just because we are saved and heaven is our home.
This gives us hope and makes us want to live holy lives. Having heaven as your home, is the kind of hope that makes you want to be more like Jesus, to grow in the grace of the Lord, and to sing God’s praises. And the more you live a holy life, the more you grow, and the more you proclaim God’s praises, the more hope filled you will be!
Where there’s Hope there’s Life
The key verse for the second section is 1 Peter 3:10-11 For “He who would love life and see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. 11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. 3:10-11
Do you want to love life once again? Let me tell you the kind of life that will motivate your heart to hope; let me describe the kind of life that brings hope: It is a life that, as much as possible, is at peace with those in authority. There is not much hope for lawbreakers. But for law abiding citizens, there is hope. It is the kind of life characterized by family harmony. It is a place where Christian husbands and wives treat each other with respect and infuse hope into their relationship. It is a life where you are at peace with yourself because you are at peace with God. It is a life where you are an example of Jesus love to your unbelieving neighbors. It is a life of service where you spend yourself ministering to your brothers and sisters in Christ.
In practical terms, finding harmony in these fives spheres of society, civic, family, personal, relational and church, are the key to living your best life ever. And when they are in harmony, you are set up for hope.
Where there’s life, there is Jesus
The key verse for our last section is found in 4:12-13
“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” 4:12-13
In the final chapters of the book of Peter we will learn How to live for Jesus when tried in the furnace, How to live for Jesus no matter if our leaders are good or bad, and of course, How to live for Jesus when tried by the enemy.
1 Peter is Hope Rising. Never lose hope. Hope changes everything. What you need
to know is this, Where there’s Christ there’s Hope. Where there’s Hope there’s Life. Where there is life, it comes from Jesus.”
Never give up on hope. That is what Peter learned. God still wants you, and God still knows your name. No matter what fiery trial you must face, no matter how deep the pit, Jesus is deeper still. You are not alone. We may be pilgrims, but we are pilgrims together. Seek God’s grace in your suffering and set your sights on the hope of glory.
[i] The holy test is adapted from Dr. Shane J. Lopez Ph.D. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/making-hope-happen/201302/where-does-your-hope-come
[ii] http://www.beliefnet.com/Wellness/Health/Increase-Hope.aspx#7IbouEvUi5HuIt97.99
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