It is good to be able to post another edition of the Weekend Sermon this week. I want to thank the Lord for the opportunity that He has given me to post these sermons, and I would like to thank all of you who read the blog for being faithful readers.
This past week at work was a good one. I want to thank the Lord for that. Thank you for your prayers on my behalf. My job is difficult, but I believe that I am getting a feel for how it should be performed, and I am not quite so nervous about it.
I would also like to thank the Lord for helping me this week in several areas. The Lord provided for me financially, and I was able to get my car fixed for much less than I originally thought. Also, the Lord healed my foot so that now it is entirely well, and I am able to walk normally for the the first time in many weeks.
As you go to prayer this week, I would ask for your prayers about a health problem that I am currently experiencing. I don't want to go into it too much right now, but please pray for my health. Also, let us thank the Lord that the Ebola problem is becoming less pronounced. Continue to pray for healing for those who are sick. Let us also pray for peace in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and Iraq.
Last week, we looked into the doctrine of sanctification since this is mentioned in I Peter 1:2. We saw that sanctification relates to being set apart by God for service, and sanctification refers to living a holy life that is pleasing to the Lord Jesus. We progress in sanctification as we are daily conformed to the image of Christ.
Today, we will study more of what I Peter has to teach us. I Peter 1:3 states, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." This verse is just packed with good things to discuss.
First of all, this verse begins with a praise to God. As believers in Jesus Christ, we should be people of praise because God is worthy of praise and adoration. So many times, I find myself asking the Lord for things during my prayer time. One thing that I now do is to always begin my prayers with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. In the Psalms, it speaks about having the praise of the Lord continually within our mouths. This is a true saying. Let us always give praise to God for who He is and for what He has done for us.
One of the things that the Father has done for us is that He has given us Jesus Christ His Son. Because of His abundant mercy and grace, the Father sent Jesus into the world to be the sacrifice for our sins. Jesus came to show us how much we are loved by God. Jesus died for our redemption, and by His resurrection, Jesus conquered the power of sin and death once and for all.
Verse 3 states that we have a lively hope because Jesus rose from the dead. This verse has great meaning for me. As I have stated previously, my favorite verse in the Bible is John 11;25 which states, "I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." Because Jesus rose from the dead, we who have put our faith and trust in Him do not have to fear death. Jesus defeated the power of the grave through His resurrection. Whoever dies in Christ will immediately upon death go to be with Jesus in Heaven. Jesus said this, and I believe it to be true with all of my heart.
We have hope for tomorrow, because Jesus rose from the dead. As the apostle Paul said, "we do not grieve as those who have no hope." Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, I know without a shadow of a doubt that my Mother, Father, Grandpa, Grandma and many of my friends are with Jesus at this very moment. They placed their faith in the work of Jesus on the cross and in His resurrection. They have everlasting life because of the work of Jesus the Lord.
Peter goes on to talk about the hope we have in verse 4 which states, "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you." Children are granted an inheritance. When my folks passed away, they left me an inheritance. Right now, I live in the home I inherited from my parents. As nice as it is to have an earthly inheritance, it is passing away. My house is old and needs a lot of repairs. It won't last forever. However, our inheritance as children of God will never pass away. It is incorruptible.
Because we are God's children through faith in Jesus the Son, we have an inheritance waiting for us in heaven. There, we will live for all eternity in a land that will never pass away or deteriorate.
Jesus said that we should lay up treasure in heaven and not on earth. The treasure that we lay up on earth will pass away and corrupt. The treasure that we lay up in heaven will never pass away. As Jesus said, "moth and rust will not corrupt, and thieves do not break in and steal."
With this in mind, our life focus should be about laying up treasure in heaven instead of pursuing that which is passing away. We lay up treasure in heaven when we do those things we have been commanded to do by Jesus. We lay up treasure in heaven when we bring souls into the Kingdom by sharing with them the love of Jesus. We also lay up treasure in heaven by being the hands and feet of Jesus in a lost and dying world.
I don't know about you, but I can't wait to be in the presence of Jesus for all of eternity. I long for that day to be a reality soon. I look forward to that eternal land where all pain and sorrow will be no more. Sin will be no more. I look forward to seeing my friend Toby again and all of my family and friends. I am looking forward to it with great anticipation. It is only possible through the love and sacrifice of Jesus. I thank you Jesus that you were willing to come to this earth and live a holy and sinless life as our perfect example. I thank you Jesus that you went to the cross and bore my sins and the sins of this world in your body. Thank you for rising from the dead. Thank you for being the resurrection and the life. Come quickly Lord Jesus I pray.
Finally, I want to look at verse 5 which states, "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." There are two important ideas expressed in this verse.
We are kept by the power of God. We are not kept by our own efforts. As I have said before, we can't sin away our salvation. We don't have to worry that if we commit a sin that Jesus will abandon us and take our salvation away from us. Although we are called by God to live lives of holiness. The Bible makes it quite clear that those who are in Christ are sealed by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are safe in the hands of Jesus, and Jesus is in the hands of the Father. That is an awesome image of security. Through all of the hardships and struggles of this life, those of us in Christ our being kept by the power of God until that day when salvation is fully revealed.
What does it mean, "salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." This refers to the final element of the salvation process that occurs at Jesus' second coming. Right now, the universe has not been fully redeemed. This world is still trapped in sin and the effects of sin. However, when Jesus comes again, everything in the entire cosmos will be returned to the state in which it existed before sin entered the picture. Peace, goodness, justice and a restoration of the proper natural order of animals and all of creation will be restored to the Edenic state. When Jesus comes again, all will be made right and good and holy. I want that day to come soon. I say again, come quickly Lord Jesus.
You may be reading this message today and you do not have hope for tomorrow and the world to come because you have never placed your trust in Jesus. You can turn to Jesus and make Him your Savior and Lord today. Admit that you are a sinner, and ask Jesus to forgive you and wash away your sins. Tell Him that you believe that He died for you and that He rose again from the dead. Ask Jesus to be the Lord of you life by telling Him that you are willing to follow wherever He leads.
If you have lost someone you love who was in Christ, remember today that they are in heaven with Jesus. Jesus is keeping them safe, and you will be reunited with them again soon. In the meantime, keep living for Jesus and sharing His love with those whom He brings into your life.
Next week, I will post the verse on Monday. I hope to have a review on Wednesday, and the sermon will appear on Saturday as usual. May God bless you. Amen.
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