Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

This morning looking at v1-2
Tonight looking at v3-9
A question: what marks your life?

Marriage
First job/significant promotion
Something I achieved in life
A tragedy

Reading 1 Peter 1:3-9
What marks your life?

Blessing or tragedy
How would the scales tip?

Paul never made a comparison of his achievements to his sorrow

He put everything on one side of the scale compared to the eternal things to come

Rom 8:18
Examples of Paul’s sufferings (from 2 Cor 11:24-27)

Paul’s sufferings cannot be compared to the weight of glory

Our suffering is temporary – 2 Cor 4:16
Our suffering is working for us an eternal weight of glory – 2 Cor 4:17

We tend to focus on what we can see

However, there are many troubles in life
The things of God are eternal – we need to look at these things
Peter is doing this in 1 Pet 1:3-9

He calls them pilgrims – they are passing through this world
He says they are cleansed in the blood of Christ

2 Cor 5 – our earthly body is like a tent, but heaven is like a house, a permanent dwelling place

Trials yes, but let us consider our position

Quote from songs
Peter reminds people of their position

Hope and joy in adversity

Believers were rejoicing (v6)

In the midst of trials and persecutions

How can this be?

Example of Jayne
Examples in the New Testament of suffering believers who are joyful – Acts 5:40-41
Example from book – "Evidence not seen"
Luke 6:23
Heb 10:34
v8 – rejoicing with joy inexpressible and full of glory
Heb 11:13-14
Christians in Scripture rejoice through the Holy Spirit
If our hope and joy is placed in material things, we have nothing, because this can be taken away from us

Peter is full of joy and encourages them

There is a tremendous sense of joy in these verses
Rom 8:35-37

Hope and joy

What is the basis for such hope and joy?

Every teaching is based on the gospel

From the cross and the resurrection of Christ
(v2) – the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ

Christianity centres on the Son of God

Example of black lady
What marks the history of this world – God giving us His Son
All 4 gospels focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus, His final week

v2 – the blood of Christ, v3 – the resurrection of Christ

This is the basis of all hope and joy
Without this we could not overcome
Without this there would be no inheritance
This is the basis of eternal life

v3 – Peter is overflowing with praise

We have such mercy and hope

Example of Mal

We have a living hope

v4 – an incorruptible inheritance

Not corruptible like our bodies

It will never grow old / will be perfect

Heaven will be glorious and undefiled

We live in a world cursed by sin
Example
No sickness, no death

Does not fade away

Our lives are like vapours / very short
In Christ – our lives are very long

v5 – we are kept by the power of God

God works in us
God keeps us
Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail
Reading Rom 8:19-23
When Christ comes again, we will be given a new body

Not just the soul but the body
2 Cor 5

There is great suffering in this life

Examples
Christians serve at great risk – they are looking forward to their inheritance
The basis of this hope is the gospel of Jesus Christ

The purpose of trials?

Why cannot we just go to heaven without any trials?

Part of the answer is given in v6-7: temporary trials to refine our faith

We enjoy Old Testament stories of trial, because we see them proving God

God uses trials to refine the faith of believers

Example of Peter
Example of refining

So we learn to that God for those trials as we see what He has done in and through us

We pray for grace in trials
God is always in us and always working in us
Peter prays that God’s grace and peace be multiplied to believers
May this be our expierenece
‘Let the peace of Christ reign in your heart’