Think About the Future.

Steve Gentry

[0:09] We’ll go ahead and have a seat. [0:10] Welcome to Village Church. [0:11] This is your first time here. [0:13] My name’s Steve, one of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:15] And as always, I am thankful and grateful to see each and every one of you this morning. [0:19] If you have a Bible, go ahead and open it to the book of First Peter.

[0:23] We will be in chapter one, starting in verse three this morning. [0:26] But last Sunday, we started a series in which we’re going to go through the entire book [0:32] of First Peter, where we covered the first two verses. [0:36] Peter wrote this letter to what he labels the Church of the Dispersion. [0:40] And we know by the cities that he listed that these were various gentile churches [0:45] throughout Roman cities in that empire.

[0:48] They were beginning to endure persecution because of their faith. [0:52] And Peter penned this letter in order to encourage them [0:56] to live distinct lives for the sake of the gospel and because of their faith [1:01] in the gospel. [1:03] He began in his introduction by pointing to the sovereignty of God [1:07] as their ultimate hope for why they could trust his promises while they were enduring.

[1:12] We’ve entitled this series Winning in a Hostile Culture. [1:17] The win for these believers had to do with how they were posturing themselves [1:23] within a culture that was hostile toward them, [1:26] specifically because of their faith in Jesus Christ. [1:30] Peter didn’t want them to hide their faith. [1:32] Rather, the apostle wanted them to find their identity in Christ

[1:37] so that they could grow in their obedience, so that they could endure in faith, [1:43] but also so that they could multiply their faith in the lives of other people. [1:49] You know, a vital element of understanding just what it is that you are enduring in [1:53] and what you are enduring for is understanding why you are a follower of Jesus Christ. [1:59] Many people misunderstand how faith in the promises of God [2:03] connects to living a life of obedience to the commands of Christ.

[2:09] We don’t obey for the sake of our obedience. [2:13] Some people will say, well, I do the right thing because it is the right thing. [2:16] And those people are often applauded. [2:18] But understand that doing the right thing for the right thing isn’t a Christian ethic [2:23] in any way, shape or form that would terminate on itself. [2:28] That would not give glory to God.

[2:29] Rather, that would be the glory of self. [2:32] Instead, our obedience is actually anchored to our faith that God will keep his promises. [2:38] Our obedience is actually longing for the future reward for our obedience [2:44] that awaits us in his presence that we just sang about. [2:49] So from verse three to verse nine of chapter one, [2:52] we’re going to be informed that our fidelity to the gospel matters

[2:55] because God will reward enduring faithfulness. [3:00] Living with faith in God offers a life of joy, [3:03] even as our faith is tested through difficult circumstances and difficult trials. [3:09] The knowledge of the future reward then gives us an unshakable joy [3:14] that confounds our adversaries while also showing those adversaries [3:19] the victory that we have because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ

[3:23] and hope that they will repent. [3:26] So I want to jump right in. [3:27] I want to read starting in First Peter one, verse three. [3:31] Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. [3:36] According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again [3:40] to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

[3:44] to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, [3:49] kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power [3:54] are being guarded through faith for salvation, [3:57] ready to be revealed in the last time. [4:00] In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, [4:05] you’ve been grieved by various trials so that the tested

[4:09] genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes, [4:13] though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise [4:19] and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [4:24] Though you have not seen him, you love him. [4:26] Though you do not now see him, you believe in him [4:30] and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

[4:36] obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. [4:43] Number one, this morning, what I want you to see from this text [4:45] is that the resurrection is the revelation of everything that matters. [4:51] The resurrection is the revelation of everything [4:55] that matters. [4:57] Peter really begs a question through what he says

[5:01] from verses three through verse nine, and that question is, [5:04] what is the basis of your life? [5:08] What is your life founded upon? [5:10] What are you living for? [5:12] What are you headed towards? [5:15] What are your goals?

[5:16] What are your hopes? [5:16] What are your dreams? [5:18] What is the ultimate hinge that your life swings upon? [5:25] And the apostle Peter believes that the resurrection [5:28] is the ultimate hope for the Christian life. [5:32] The resurrection is everything for the Christian.

[5:34] The resurrection is the basis for the decisions that you make. [5:38] The resurrection is the basis for the goals that you have. [5:41] And then ultimately, what he wants to point out is the resurrection. [5:45] Then is the reason for your obedience to Jesus Christ. [5:51] After in the first two verses, he establishes the sovereignty of God. [5:56] Verses three and four transition into a praise to God

[6:00] for how he has wielded that sovereignty. [6:04] This introduces the glory of God’s work through the gospel [6:07] of his son, Jesus Christ. [6:10] And so what this section establishes is that Peter is claiming [6:14] that the result of God’s sovereign work, salvation through the life, [6:18] death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is everything for the Christian.

[6:24] We are not seeking simply to be moral people in an evil world. [6:28] We are not simply seeking to be good in the face of bad. [6:32] We are seeking to be people who live out the implications [6:37] of what it means for us that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. [6:42] And so he anchors every aspect of Christianity, [6:44] not just the spiritual aspects, but also what is practical

[6:49] in this physical world as emerging from the trueness [6:54] of the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. [6:56] And so this entire section is almost one of those if then statements. [7:00] He’s saying, if Christ really rose from the dead, [7:03] then you will live that blessed hope that he has risen from the dead. [7:09] And so what he begins with is the idea of a second birth.

[7:14] To describe the resurrection’s effect on the lives of those who believe. [7:19] And so he’s saying the new life that you have in Christ [7:22] is not the work of man. [7:25] It’s not the work of human hands. [7:27] So it’s very similar to how he began establishing [7:30] the role of God’s sovereignty in salvation through the text

[7:33] last week in verses one and two. [7:35] But now he makes it very practical in saying [7:38] you have been born again to a living hope. [7:44] If your faith is in Jesus Christ. [7:47] And so there’s this great juxtaposition here. [7:49] Who you were before you came to faith in Christ

[7:52] and who you now are after your faith in Jesus Christ. [7:57] And so he is very much pitting dead in sin, [8:02] alive in Christ against one another. [8:05] And he’s saying, if you are a follower of Jesus, [8:07] you have been born again to not an aimless hope, [8:13] to not a hope that is going to put you to shame,

[8:16] to not a hope that is just some pie in the sky. [8:18] I hope it’s true. [8:19] I don’t have any basis for believing that it’s true, [8:21] but I really hope things work out.

[8:26] Now, the apostle is saying you have a living hope [8:32] because of the resurrection and bringing you new life in Christ. [8:37] And so God makes your faith possible [8:40] by regenerating you at the level [8:45] of as though you had been born again. [8:49] And this is the same concept as to what Jesus said to Nicodemus

[8:53] in John three, three through four. [8:55] It’s like they have the same author.

[8:58] And John three, starting in verse three, Jesus says to Nicodemus, [9:02] truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, [9:06] he cannot see the kingdom of God. [9:08] Nicodemus replied to him, how can a man be born when he is old? [9:13] Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born? [9:19] Now, the original language, just like last Sunday,

[9:22] when we look at that aspect of foreknowledge, it’s a different term [9:25] in John three than it is in First Peter one. [9:28] But the ideas are very similar. [9:31] The apostle Peter kind of stretches the metaphor out a little more [9:35] where Jesus makes it very succinct. [9:37] And I think we give Nicodemus a little too much credit in John chapter three,

[9:43] as though he was asking really good questions. [9:45] Nicodemus is actually asking a question that only a blind man would ask, [9:50] because Jesus used the phrase born from above. [9:55] That is the literal meaning of what Jesus says in John three [9:58] when he says born again. [10:00] Jesus uses the metaphor, he says, you have to be born from heaven.

[10:05] And so when Nicodemus introduces biology into the equation, [10:09] it isn’t really a good question. [10:11] By the way, there is such a thing as a stupid question. [10:15] A facetious question is a stupid question. [10:17] So Jesus and Nicodemus are communicating on two different wavelengths. [10:23] Nicodemus isn’t getting what Jesus is saying.

[10:26] Jesus is saying you have to be regenerated by the power of God [10:30] if you’re ever going to see the kingdom of heaven. [10:32] And Nicodemus comes in like a moron. [10:34] He’s oh, I’m supposed to be born again. [10:36] I’m an old man.

[10:38] Jesus is like, well, did you not understand what I was saying? [10:40] And of course, he doesn’t understand what Jesus is saying. [10:43] You see, friends, you have to have the work of Christ in your life [10:47] to comprehend the power of Christ for your life. [10:51] And that’s actually Jesus’s point. [10:54] Jesus looks to Nicodemus and he says the kingdom of heaven would be foolish to you.

[10:57] You’re spiritually blind. [10:59] If you want to have the sight [11:01] to understand the work of God in your life, you must be born again [11:06] to see the work of the kingdom is right in front of your face. [11:12] I’ve never met Jesus Christ. [11:15] People in this age that claim to have met Jesus Christ

[11:18] or either crazy or con artists, by the way. [11:21] I’ve never physically sat in a room with Jesus Christ. [11:23] But can you imagine the profound moment [11:26] of having this conversation with the very son of God [11:31] and answering this question as stupidly as Nicodemus answered it? [11:37] That’s embarrassing.

[11:38] It’s like meeting your hero and falling all over yourself. [11:43] You see, friends, the second spiritual birth [11:47] requires the power of God [11:50] to bring you to faith in Jesus Christ. [11:53] And first, Peter one, though, Peter uses a phrase [11:56] that doesn’t mean born from above.

[12:00] It literally means to be begat again. [12:04] Or in our vernacular, regenerated. [12:08] But Peter prefaces it with, as I said, he stretches out. [12:12] Peter prefaces it with the phrase God has caused. [12:17] And so it’s the same concept as what Jesus is talking about. [12:19] But Peter almost brings it down to the human level

[12:23] where he’s saying such an amazing work has to happen in your life [12:28] to take you from dead to a living hope [12:32] that only God himself can do it. [12:36] And it is so revolutionary. [12:39] It’s as if you’ve been completely regenerated into a brand new person. [12:45] And this is the work of God,

[12:49] the power of the Holy Spirit in salvation. [12:52] The spirit will take you from spiritually dead [12:56] to spiritually alive. [12:59] And what Peter is saying is that is the very foundation [13:03] for everything in the Christian life. [13:06] Without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, you are condemned.

[13:11] And look what he says further. [13:12] He’s saying without the resurrection.

[13:17] It’s all impossible. [13:19] If you want to be born again, if you want to be regenerated, [13:23] if you want to be made new, if you want to be transformed, [13:25] the power of God in your life, [13:29] then it necessitates the resurrection of Jesus Christ being true. [13:36] And so if you want a Christian life, friends, understand it.

[13:39] All hinges on the resurrection. [13:42] The resurrection defines the future of the Christian life. [13:48] And this is, of course, important in the context [13:51] that the Christians that would have originally received the letter [13:54] of First Peter, because they were enduring persecution.

[14:01] The new life for those in First Peter did not come with luxury. [14:06] It did not come with ease in their physical context, rather, [14:10] they were facing persecution. [14:13] And Peter is actually writing this in preparation [14:15] that they’re going to face even more persecution in the coming days. [14:20] And so that’s why when you get beyond this, he gives his ultimate phrase.

[14:24] He says it is kept in heaven for you.

[14:29] So it begins with the concept you’re born again, you’re regenerated [14:33] because of the resurrection. [14:35] And now he goes to a second concept [14:38] that’s kept in heaven for you, [14:41] because Peter wants to understand that the foundation of their faith [14:45] being in the resurrection brings the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit

[14:50] taking you from death to life. [14:53] And he wants them to understand that the ultimate prize [14:56] that that all brings you will be rewarded [15:00] in the resurrection that is yet to come. [15:05] Many people come to faith in Christ [15:08] under the wrong presuppositions.

[15:11] And Jesus warns us about this. [15:13] I’ll get to that in a moment. [15:15] But many people come to faith in Christ and they think [15:17] if I come to faith in Christ, all of my problems will go away. [15:20] My life will be easy. [15:22] Everything that I’m struggling with right now in this physical existence

[15:26] is going to get better. [15:27] Everybody’s going to treat me well. [15:29] Everybody’s going to love me. [15:30] Everybody’s going to like me. [15:31] I’m going to go and I’m going to tell them about this hope [15:33] and they’re going to thank me.

[15:36] And it doesn’t always or ever turn out that way. [15:43] You come to faith in Jesus Christ and Peter’s context is actually [15:47] they came to faith in Jesus Christ and then everything got worse. [15:52] Which happens.

[15:55] But then he gives them this promise [15:58] and it’s just the resurrection brings you life [16:00] and that life will bring you hardship. [16:03] And that hardship is meant to test the genuineness of your faith [16:07] and then that genuineness of your faith, if it is proven, [16:11] leads to heavenly reward that is kept in heaven for you,

[16:16] guarded by God, more precious than gold. [16:19] And Peter’s point is that if you base your life on everything material [16:25] and you measure success and failure by the rewards of the world, [16:32] you are going to miss out on the best part of the Christian life. [16:37] And that is the future, because the future for Christians is golden. [16:44] The resurrection of Jesus Christ is so fundamentally important

[16:48] to the Christian life because it looks beyond the grave [16:52] and makes the bold claim [16:55] that if you lose everything in this physical life, [17:01] on the other side of the grave, there is reward that is imperishable, [17:07] that is undefiled and that is unfading. [17:12] But that reward is on the other side of the grave,

[17:16] kept in heaven for you. [17:19] Jesus was not silent about this in his earthly ministry. [17:22] In John, Chapter 11, and I love the context of John 11 [17:27] because his friends, his people that are relationally close to him [17:31] in this physical life, during his earthly ministry, they are enduring suffering. [17:38] They’ve endured death of their brother.

[17:40] And Martha comes to Jesus and Martha begins fussing at Jesus. [17:45] Ever done that in your prayer? [17:47] Jesus, if you just showed up in my life a minute sooner.

[17:52] And Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. [17:56] Whoever believes in me. [17:58] And here’s the vital phrase in this verse, though he die. [18:04] You ever realize everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die?

[18:10] Though he die, yet shall he live. [18:16] And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.

[18:23] And this is what I think is the most challenging question [18:25] of the Christian life is that Jesus looks at a woman whose brother has just died. [18:31] Some people will be like, he didn’t have very good bedside manner here. [18:35] He just looks at her. He says, Well, do you believe this?

[18:40] Because oftentimes we want someone to just empathize with our pain. [18:43] We don’t want anybody to tell us to walk through it. [18:47] And we can emerge on the other side of it. [18:51] That’s exactly what Jesus is doing to Martha here. [18:53] He’s saying, Martha, if you get stuck in this moment, [18:57] you will not endure.

[19:00] Do you believe this? [19:03] He admonishes her as she mourns a death. [19:09] Many of us would not appreciate it if we were in her shoes. [19:12] But what Jesus is doing is he’s offering her the best [19:16] hope you could ever have in the face of death. [19:18] Jesus is offering her power over death.

[19:21] He’s offering her hope beyond the grave, [19:24] but he demands that we live in belief of that reality.

[19:30] Paul jumps off of this truth in Romans, Chapter eight, verses 11, [19:34] claiming that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead [19:38] resides in every Christian. [19:40] He says, If the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [19:45] he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will do what? [19:48] Also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you.

[19:55] In other words, he dwells in you now. [19:58] You have that same spirit. [20:02] The resurrection then is the basis of the hope [20:05] that we can be born again and be raised again. [20:13] It is a present truth [20:16] and a future glory, all in one God.

[20:23] It’s the revelation that everything that matters [20:28] is in the resurrection. [20:30] And everything that matters must be the lens [20:36] through which you view all of life. [20:39] You see, friends, the issue that so many of you have [20:44] is just like Martha, you are tempted to sit in a moment

[20:49] that you just do not want to walk out of. [20:54] You do not want to choose to have a hope. [20:57] You would instead mourn what you have lost forever.

[21:03] And Jesus says, [21:06] if that is the choice you’re going to make, [21:09] where is the resurrection in your life? [21:11] Where is your faith? [21:13] Where is your hope? [21:16] Why would you give up the future?

[21:20] To only focus on the loss of the present. [21:24] And I’ll tell you, every single one of you, none of you are going to make it [21:27] out of this world without great loss. [21:30] None of you. [21:32] It’s going to happen at different levels, I know that. [21:35] But every single one of you, most of you have not faced the worst loss yet.

[21:41] But you will. [21:44] And in that moment, you’ll have a choice. [21:48] And I can tell you, that choice is as blunt as, [21:53] am I a Christian or not? [21:58] Because Christians do not believe [22:02] even death is the end.

[22:08] We believe all things will be right. [22:09] And Peter’s point is, why? [22:12] Is it because we’re fools? [22:14] Is it because we’re just stupid people, unicorns and rainbows? [22:19] No. What’s his basis? [22:23] His basis is though Jesus died,

[22:27] three days later, he got up and walked out of the grave, [22:32] not metaphorically, not spiritually, [22:35] because in this life, I don’t need metaphorical hope. [22:39] I don’t know about you. [22:41] No, Jesus physically rose from the dead. [22:46] Do you believe this?

[22:48] Number two, this morning, enduring faith, then looks to future glory.

[22:56] You must posture your life towards future grace.

[23:03] And what that future grace means [23:06] is that it is a level of grace you have not yet experienced yet. [23:12] And that’s what Peter is pointing them towards, [23:14] the necessity of enduring hardship in their faith. [23:19] This is a common experience, albeit, as I said, differing in level. [23:24] Jesus used analogies like the wide path and the narrow path

[23:29] as his example of what enduring the Christian life would be all about. [23:33] And it’s expressing the difficulty of enduring in faith. [23:38] And so verse four expresses the location of the reward for faith in heaven. [23:45] Verse five, then, expresses God’s ability [23:49] to guard that reward in order to ensure it will be there at the end. [23:55] What Peter is doing is admonishing them

[23:58] on how to posture their lives in faithful obedience. [24:04] But with realistic expectations for this life. [24:08] Jesus gave us this great warning. [24:10] I’ll not read the whole thing. [24:11] I’ll just sum it up for you. [24:12] In Matthew 13, he gives what’s called the parable of the sower.

[24:17] And he gives two warnings in the parable of the sower. [24:20] He says there are two things that can be the fruits [24:26] of fake conversion. [24:29] Is there going to be people? [24:30] And it’s going to seem like because of their excitement [24:36] that they’re genuine converts to Jesus Christ.

[24:38] He says there’s going to be one group of people that they seem genuine [24:42] in their faith and and then persecution comes on account of the word [24:47] or on account of the gospel of Jesus Christ, [24:50] which is the context of First Peter. [24:53] And he says, those people are going to think, wait a second, [24:56] this isn’t what I signed up for.

[24:58] OK, I’m not a Christian. [25:01] I’m out. It happens. I’ve seen it. [25:04] But then he warns about a second group. [25:06] He says they’re not fake converts because of persecution. [25:11] He said they’re fake converts because of the luxuries of the world.

[25:16] They’re going to be completely unwilling to sacrifice [25:19] the pleasures of this life in order to grow in their faith. [25:24] They would rather invest their time on worldly gain, as the biblical phrase. [25:30] But he says both of them have the same result. [25:34] They’re not real Christians. [25:37] Real faith, then, according to Jesus in the parable of the sower,

[25:41] those who were spread on healthy soil are those that the roots grow down deep [25:46] and they endure both persecution as well as the often necessary [25:53] sacrifices of worldly gain in order to commit themselves fully to Jesus Christ. [26:00] Peter notes that if God has to raise the dead [26:04] in order to cause regeneration, [26:07] then he has the power to reward your faith,

[26:12] which is a greater reward than worldly gain. [26:15] But he also has the power to guard your faith against persecution. [26:21] That power does not only command the ends of the reward, [26:27] but it also commands the means by which we get there. [26:32] His power endures us. [26:34] And here’s the key term.

[26:36] By our faith is how we are endured. [26:42] Living the Christian life serves as evidence of salvation. [26:48] I don’t know about you, [26:50] but I’ve been tempted to ask the question, is it worth it?

[26:55] I mean, sometimes you invest, sometimes you disciple, sometimes you obey. [27:01] And then you look at these dirty rotten scoundrels in the world. [27:06] I mean, just gross people. [27:08] You ever just look at some people? [27:10] Maybe I’m just the only one, but I feel like this is a safe place to admit that. [27:14] You ever look at some people and be like, you are so gross.

[27:19] You’re filled with immorality. [27:21] You’re making everyone around you worse. [27:23] You’re ruining an entire. [27:24] I’ve reached the get off my lawn phase of the faith where I’m like, [27:28] you are ruining an entire generation. [27:31] You’ve been like that.

[27:33] There’s other old people here, I guess.

[27:37] And sometimes you’re tempted to look at it and say, is it worth it? [27:43] And what the apostle Peter is doing in this passage [27:46] is he’s saying you who were dead in your sin [27:50] by your grossness and doing [27:55] you, even though you don’t deserve it, are now alive in Christ. [28:01] And you then must through that life in your faith

[28:06] exhibit abilities that you did not have previous to salvation. [28:13] Now you have the ability to worship. [28:16] Now you have the ability to obey. [28:18] Now you have the ability to have peace in the midst of hostility [28:22] and on and on and on. [28:25] And Peter is actually using that ability

[28:27] as evidence of God’s power to save as well as keep you saved. [28:34] Know what he says? Look at verse five. [28:36] Look at the verbs. [28:37] He says, who by God’s power [28:40] are being guarded through faith [28:43] for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time?

[28:48] And then he says, in this you rejoice. [28:52] What am I rejoicing in? [28:54] I’m rejoicing in God’s power to save me [28:59] and then regenerate me to a living hope [29:03] by which I make decisions [29:06] between the moment of my salvation and the moment I go to heaven.

[29:10] Well, that’s the whole of the Christian life. [29:11] And what he’s saying is, before you came to faith in Christ, [29:15] do you think you had the ability to stay saved?

[29:19] Do you think you had the ability to endure? [29:21] Do you think you had the ability to obey? [29:23] Do you think you had the ability to live as a Christian [29:27] in the middle of a hostile culture? [29:30] He’s saying, no. [29:31] Do you know where that ability came from?

[29:34] He’s specific. It came from the power of God. [29:37] And he says, your faith that must endure [29:41] is one that is empowered by God, strengthened by God [29:45] as you make all of those decisions, as you obey, [29:49] as you continually repent and understand that God is working [29:54] through the middle of the pain, as well as securing

[29:58] the ends of your faith, which is your great reward in heaven. [30:03] This is all an explanation for the phrase that we already read, [30:08] born again to a living hope. [30:10] What is Peter saying? [30:12] Peter saying this is what it means to be born again. [30:16] This is what it means to live that new life.

[30:19] This is this is what God is doing in your life. [30:22] And this is what discipleship is preparing you for in this life. [30:28] That encourages you or is meant to encourage you to endure. [30:33] Because if God can do that through you.

[30:38] He can guard your reward in eternity.

[30:43] You must then endure every test because of what is ahead. [30:50] In verse six, he says, in this you rejoice, though now for a little while, [30:54] if necessary, you’ve been grieved by various trials.

[30:59] And then he says something very important [31:02] that we say, but do we really mean it? [31:07] See, we say God brings all of these things into my life [31:11] in order to endure me in faith. [31:14] But do we really mean that we want to have to endure in faith [31:17] by the things God brings us into our lives? Some days.

[31:21] Some days when I wake up and I’m feeling good and I eat the right breakfast [31:24] and everything goes my way, my kids are all obedient. [31:27] My wife gives me that kiss on the cheek to let me know [31:30] I can make it through one more day, which means I didn’t do anything bad.

[31:35] Husbands know. You can tell. [31:39] It’s like, you ever have that moment where she gives you the look?

[31:43] And the reason that moment’s important, because I don’t know how you are. [31:47] But I do so many things that I sit there sometimes and I say, [31:52] what did I do?

[31:57] Hmm. Hmm.

[32:01] Those are the good days.

[32:04] But then there are the other days [32:07] that aren’t so good. [32:08] And I’d say one of the greatest things a mentor ever told me. [32:12] It sounds like a demotivational poster, but it’s gotten me through a lot of days. [32:17] One of my mentors once told me, he said, understand, Steve, [32:19] there are more bad days than good.

[32:22] There are more bad days than good.

[32:26] You see, he uses this phrase, the tested

[32:31] genuineness of your faith. [32:36] More precious than gold, though it that parishes, though it is tested by fire [32:44] may be found to result in praise and glory and honor. [32:50] When? Not yet. [32:54] At the revelation of Jesus Christ, he’s talking about the end of this age.

[33:02] In Philippians three, eight through 12, [33:05] the apostle Paul speaks of his own experience.

[33:10] And for Paul, following Jesus carried a cost. [33:14] He makes a statement that you might be familiar with. [33:17] He says, indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth [33:20] of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. [33:24] But then he makes a statement, for his sake, I have suffered the loss [33:30] and if you want to think about the apostle Paul,

[33:32] I don’t think he’s using hyperbole. [33:34] I think in the moment he means this exact level. [33:38] I’ve endured and suffered the loss of all things.

[33:46] Reputation, riches, power, position, [33:51] fame, family, friends, career.

[33:57] Paul had lost all of those things. [34:00] But what I cannot understand and I must admit, [34:04] I’ve not experienced this level of faith [34:09] and count them as rubbish. [34:12] Of course, if you’ve heard a sermon on that text before, [34:15] you know that the exact phrase that he’s talking about is a pile of doo doo.

[34:22] Sewage is the idea. [34:24] This is refuse to be rejected. [34:26] It is refuse to rid yourself of. [34:29] He says, I count everything of worldly gain [34:32] that I had as rubbish compared [34:36] to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ and be found in him,

[34:42] not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, [34:45] but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God. [34:49] That depends. And here’s that key term on faith [34:53] that I may know him and the power of his resurrection [34:57] and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [35:02] that by any means possible, I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

[35:07] Not that I have already obtained this or I’m already perfect, [35:12] but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. [35:18] That’s the gospel.

[35:21] The cost was the loss of everything he considered significant. [35:27] Apart from Christ, everything that he had chased, [35:30] everything that he had pursued, all of his personal goals. [35:34] He’d lost every one of them, even though he had attained. [35:37] And now he makes the claim. [35:39] It’s all is rubbish compared to the surpassing worth of Christ,

[35:42] because I want to know the power of his resurrection. [35:45] But in order to know the power of his resurrection, and this is vital, [35:48] I have to know the power of his suffering.

[35:53] And I have to die. [35:56] But if I die, aha, resurrection.

[36:03] If I die, I’m resurrected to new life. [36:08] And I love that Paul follows this with not that I have already attained [36:12] or I’m already perfect. [36:13] And I think he uses the phrase already perfect [36:16] because he wants them to know this is hard.

[36:20] There’s going to be days where it’s going to be difficult [36:24] to believe Paul considered knowing Christ and waiting, [36:30] enduring patiently suffering. [36:34] For the power of his resurrection. [36:38] Was worth everything in life.

[36:43] Whatever cost he had to pay was worth it by comparison. [36:50] And so when we consider what does it mean [36:53] to go through the tested genuineness of my faith, [36:59] I truly believe it is a test that is all about value.

[37:07] Do you value instant relief from suffering? [37:15] Or do you want eternal glory? [37:19] Which one is better?

[37:23] Peter states. That knowing Christ.

[37:29] Is more valuable than gold. [37:32] Because gold will ultimately perish.

[37:36] And it’s great that analogy still works, gold is still incredibly valuable. [37:40] We understand that comparison. [37:44] You will experience various trials that will grieve you to your bones. [37:50] You will endure hardship in this life. [37:53] You will be tempted to despair. [37:55] You will be tempted to curse God.

[37:58] And you will be tempted to walk away from the faith.

[38:03] But you can endure because God gives you the power to endure. [38:08] Ephesians one makes this claim in him also, [38:10] when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation and believed in him, [38:14] you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, [38:18] who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it. [38:24] And so the fruit is in our obedience to God’s word.

[38:30] It is in our prayer to him for relief. [38:33] It is in our love of him because of the cross of Christ. [38:38] And the spirit enables us to do all of that [38:43] because he’s the guarantee of our inheritance. [38:45] We’ve not acquired it yet. [38:47] It’s still future, but the fruits of the sealing of the Holy Spirit

[38:51] are found only in the tested genuineness of your faith. [38:58] And then that gives way to number three, [39:01] faith in Jesus offers joy to big forwards.

[39:09] In verse eight.

[39:13] This is though you’ve not seen him, you love him. [39:17] Though you do not now see him, you believe in him [39:20] and you rejoice with joy that is inexpressible [39:25] and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, [39:30] the salvation of your souls.

[39:36] Obedience is necessary for all of that. [39:39] And it’s a fruit of faith [39:42] because of the great reward for your faith. [39:45] You know, I’ve never met God face to face. [39:48] When I think about that as a fascinating thing, [39:51] I attempt, I seek to order my life around someone

[39:57] I have never spent physical time with, and that is peculiar. [40:02] That’s peculiar. [40:03] The Christian life is so peculiar, [40:05] but that’s what the Christian life is. [40:08] And Peter doesn’t shy away from that. [40:12] Atheists may look at you and say, oh, you’ve never seen God.

[40:16] And Peter says, no, I haven’t still love him. [40:21] It’s this amazing faith claim. [40:23] Everything he writes about is the product of faith applied. [40:27] Why do you love him? [40:29] Why do you believe him? [40:30] How can you rejoice in someone you’ve not seen?

[40:34] And Peter responds, were you not paying attention [40:37] from verses three through seven?

[40:40] He sent his son to die and his son rose again. [40:45] Because he loves me. [40:47] How could I not love him? [40:50] And First Corinthians 15, starting in verse 19, [40:52] Paul states that the resurrection is so vital to our faith [40:57] that if it were untrue,

[40:59] every other part of our faith would be untrue. [41:02] He says, if in Christ we have hope in this life only, [41:05] we are of all people most to be pitied. [41:09] But in fact, this is always the important thing. [41:14] But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. [41:17] It’s not a question, it’s a fact.

[41:19] The first fruits of those who’ve fallen asleep, [41:23] for as by a man came death, by a man has also come [41:26] the resurrection of the dead. [41:28] For as an Adam all die, so also in Christ [41:30] all shall be made alive. [41:33] Why would we be of all people the most to be pitied

[41:37] if Jesus didn’t raise from the dead? [41:39] Because all hope is lost [41:40] and everything we’ve done is in vain. [41:42] In verse three, Peter states that we are though, [41:46] born again to a living hope [41:47] because of the truth of the resurrection

[41:48] and the Christian life postures itself toward the future [41:53] because we are all facing death. [41:57] And the only thing that would take away the sting of death [42:02] is not, it’s not, not dying.

[42:09] That’s not it. [42:11] None of you know this, but the older you get, [42:15] the harder things are like getting out of bed.

[42:23] So if that just went on in perpetuity, [42:26] it’s a good night, I wanna die.

[42:30] So the hope isn’t just aging endlessly. [42:34] Because of the curse of sin, this is not as it should be. [42:39] That’s why born again applies so well. [42:45] Because he says the hope isn’t the absence of death, [42:48] the hope is that there’s something better [42:50] on the other side of death.

[42:54] In verse 15, excuse me, in 1 Corinthians 15, [42:57] Paul goes on to say that Jesus did rise from the dead, [43:01] therefore the faithful shall be made alive.

[43:06] That’s why I need you to understand, [43:08] your obedience to Christ does not terminate on itself. [43:12] It is not a pointless venture.

[43:16] As I said, I’ve heard so many Christians foolishly say, [43:19] I do the right thing simply because it’s the right thing. [43:21] That’s atheistic. [43:23] There’s no anchor for that version of morality. [43:27] We obey because there is a God above all [43:30] who involves himself in this world.

[43:33] And that God loves us to the extent [43:38] that when we disobeyed his law [43:41] and incurred the curse of sin, he became a human. [43:47] He died for my sin and he rose from the dead [43:50] to give us that new life in Jesus Christ. [43:56] He’s proven how much he loves me,

[44:00] which makes me live out my love for him. [44:02] And friends, I obey because he promises [44:05] that my endurance in the faith will result [44:07] in great reward for eternity. [44:11] That is worship.

[44:15] Inexpressible joy then transcends life,

[44:21] the physical life. [44:23] How can you suffer through cancer with joy?

[44:28] How can you suffer through the loss of a loved one with joy? [44:32] How can you suffer through broken relationships with joy? [44:35] How can you suffer any type of terminal illness with joy? [44:38] How can you suffer through financial loss with joy? [44:41] How can you suffer through financial gain [44:44] and all of its problems with joy?

[44:46] How can you endure through life [44:48] without giving your life to worldly gain with joy?

[44:59] That is the life that can only be explained

[45:06] by the truth that there is something better than this life.

[45:15] And it’s such a level of joy that the apostle Peter, [45:20] under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, [45:24] says there is not a word that can even express it.

[45:35] What a joy to be able to endure through all of the hardship [45:41] and be able to say, my joy is bigger than my pain. [45:46] My joy is bigger than my loss. [45:50] My joy is bigger than my doubt.

[45:57] My joy is inexpressible because it transcends this world [46:02] and goes straight to heaven where my reward is great [46:07] and it is secure in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[46:14] Or verse nine says, obtaining the outcome of your faith. [46:20] Do you understand that?

[46:25] It’s not a worthless endeavor. [46:29] It’s not a pointless venture. [46:33] There is an outcome of my faith.

[46:41] The salvation of your souls [46:45] in the presence of Jesus Christ for all eternity. [46:51] A few application points this morning. [46:54] Anchor your hope to the resurrection. [46:58] Your hope is not pointless. [47:00] Your hope has a point and it’s Jesus Christ.

[47:04] Secondly, value eternal reward above worldly gain. [47:07] Every good and perfect gift comes from above. [47:10] I know that. [47:12] But understand that there is always the temptation, [47:14] Romans one says, to worship the gift [47:18] rather than the gift giver.

[47:21] Seek eternal reward above all. [47:23] Third, trust God’s ability to give you endurance. [47:28] If you feel like you’re weak, that’s true.

[47:34] But the good news is he is strong. [47:37] And then finally, obey God because of what he has promised. [47:43] !