WEBVTT 00:00:00.459 --> 00:00:03.720 Let's talk about vacation. Fun topic for everybody 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:06.940 coming up on summertime. In early June, in a 00:00:06.940 --> 00:00:08.800 few weeks, I'm gonna be going on a work trip 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:12.380 to San Diego. I work for Cisco Systems and I'm 00:00:12.380 --> 00:00:13.800 gonna be manning a booth at one of their big 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:16.539 conferences. And it might not sound like vacation, 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:19.039 having to work every single day, but guess who 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:21.940 doesn't have to take care of four kids for almost 00:00:21.940 --> 00:00:24.120 a week and won't have to sleep in a bed and likely 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:27.059 get kicked every night? Me, it's gonna be a vacation, 00:00:27.219 --> 00:00:32.020 trust me. And I got my trip plans in order this 00:00:32.020 --> 00:00:33.899 past week. I finally got my work schedule so 00:00:33.899 --> 00:00:35.259 I know what I'm going to be doing and when I'm 00:00:35.259 --> 00:00:37.340 going to be doing it. I got my flight. I got 00:00:37.340 --> 00:00:40.679 my hotel. Way overpaid for that, but that's my 00:00:40.679 --> 00:00:44.020 company's problem. So at this point, am I ready 00:00:44.020 --> 00:00:48.460 for my trip? Am I ready to go? There's a sense 00:00:48.460 --> 00:00:50.859 in which I'm ready to go. But what about packing? 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:53.460 Do I need to have my suitcase packed first? That's 00:00:53.460 --> 00:00:55.659 probably important to have some clothes. I have 00:00:55.659 --> 00:00:57.439 a lot of dietary restrictions because of allergies. 00:00:57.539 --> 00:01:00.659 Should I plan out my meals? Am I ready to go 00:01:00.659 --> 00:01:05.000 before or after I've done those things? Or what 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:07.579 about my airplane? My airplane is not sitting 00:01:07.579 --> 00:01:10.700 on the tarmac at my gate waiting for my trip. 00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:14.959 The airline is gonna do that and I've paid for 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:17.480 that to happen, but it's kind of in the future 00:01:17.480 --> 00:01:20.760 still. And what about my hotel room? Somebody 00:01:20.760 --> 00:01:23.120 could be sleeping in it tonight. I don't know, 00:01:23.180 --> 00:01:25.620 it's not ready for me yet. I need the sheets 00:01:25.620 --> 00:01:30.099 cleaned. I want it to be in order. So since, 00:01:30.219 --> 00:01:33.379 yes, I'm ready. No, not everything is ready. 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:36.540 And here's my point. Planning a trip, as we all 00:01:36.540 --> 00:01:39.159 know, takes a lot of steps. And there's various 00:01:39.159 --> 00:01:42.879 stages of completion. And many things, even outside 00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:44.459 of my control. Again, I can't get the airplane 00:01:44.459 --> 00:01:47.760 ready. I can't get the hotel ready. I have a 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:50.359 down payment that those things will be ready 00:01:50.359 --> 00:01:53.760 in the future when I get there. Kind of an agreement 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:57.019 between me and these businesses. But the start 00:01:57.019 --> 00:02:00.439 of that trip, though it's in the future, having 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:03.480 everything paid for definitely brings me a lot 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:05.439 of hope in the present that I will be able to 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:08.080 do my trip. And that hope is what we're going 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:10.219 to be talking about this morning. Hope about 00:02:10.219 --> 00:02:13.280 future events. And John gave us a definition 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:16.599 of biblical hope last week. I need you to keep 00:02:16.599 --> 00:02:19.680 it in your mind. It's confident expectation grounded 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:23.289 in the character of God. Biblical hope is confident 00:02:23.289 --> 00:02:25.990 expectation grounded in the character of God. 00:02:26.469 --> 00:02:29.009 And the backstory that John also gave us last 00:02:29.009 --> 00:02:31.830 week is Peter is riding to a group of churches 00:02:31.830 --> 00:02:34.810 that are feeling insecure because of cultural 00:02:34.810 --> 00:02:38.090 and government oppression. These churches are 00:02:38.090 --> 00:02:40.530 going through some serious trials from the powerful 00:02:40.530 --> 00:02:44.409 in the city as well as their neighbors. Peter 00:02:44.409 --> 00:02:47.050 describes them as exiles and strangers, literally 00:02:47.050 --> 00:02:49.289 what the words he uses for them. And they are 00:02:49.289 --> 00:02:52.819 being pushed out of their homes. And Peter keeps 00:02:52.819 --> 00:02:55.960 reminding them that their inheritance in heaven 00:02:55.960 --> 00:02:58.740 is secure, imperishable, and unfading because 00:02:58.740 --> 00:03:01.400 nothing else in their lives feels secure. They're 00:03:01.400 --> 00:03:03.840 moving from their old religion, which is worship 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:07.080 of Caesar and the Roman pantheon, to a new religion. 00:03:07.740 --> 00:03:09.900 Again, getting kicked out of their homes, moving 00:03:09.900 --> 00:03:13.020 to a new place. And this morning, we're going 00:03:13.020 --> 00:03:16.340 to see how Peter calls us to hope in the same 00:03:16.340 --> 00:03:19.840 promises that have been made, just like his original 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:22.479 readers. Well, we don't have the fulfillment 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:25.159 even today of those promises. We are expected 00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:28.520 to be acting in accordance with them, that our 00:03:28.520 --> 00:03:32.500 hope should be completely set on those promises 00:03:32.500 --> 00:03:35.919 and their fulfillment. Let's start with 1 Peter 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:40.680 1, 13. So open up or turn on your Bibles. 13, 00:03:40.759 --> 00:03:42.740 therefore, with your minds ready for action, 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:45.500 be sober -minded and set your hope completely 00:03:45.500 --> 00:03:47.819 on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation 00:03:47.819 --> 00:03:51.770 of Jesus Christ. And so in this verse, we receive 00:03:51.770 --> 00:03:54.270 a strong exhortation for hope. I would say it 00:03:54.270 --> 00:03:57.949 borders on a command. Peter expects us to be 00:03:57.949 --> 00:04:00.330 actively constraining our thoughts and expectations 00:04:00.330 --> 00:04:05.330 to produce hope. Set your hope completely on 00:04:05.330 --> 00:04:08.330 the grace that will be brought to you at the 00:04:08.330 --> 00:04:11.530 revelation of Jesus Christ. And we often communicate 00:04:11.530 --> 00:04:14.870 hope as a feeling. Sure, you can do that. I feel 00:04:14.870 --> 00:04:18.170 hopeful or negatively. I just don't feel like 00:04:18.170 --> 00:04:21.449 there's any hope. But remember John's definition. 00:04:21.870 --> 00:04:25.470 Biblical hope is not a feeling. It is an expectation. 00:04:26.209 --> 00:04:30.529 And expectations can be controlled. Expectations 00:04:30.529 --> 00:04:35.269 can be set. So biblical hope expects us to set 00:04:35.269 --> 00:04:39.269 and control our expectations. And our expectations 00:04:39.269 --> 00:04:42.029 should be on receiving more grace than we currently 00:04:42.029 --> 00:04:47.519 have. Grace in Greek is just the word gift. The 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:50.160 Bible writers use it as a shorthand for the gifts 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:53.720 of God, like righteousness and forgiveness, given 00:04:53.720 --> 00:04:56.480 to us sinners that we don't deserve. Grace is 00:04:56.480 --> 00:04:59.540 giving you something you don't deserve. And grace 00:04:59.540 --> 00:05:02.639 is receiving what you do not deserve. And while 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:05.220 we receive grace at the moment of faith in Christ, 00:05:05.480 --> 00:05:09.160 there's also a sense in which all the grace necessary 00:05:09.160 --> 00:05:13.220 for our salvation is not yet given to us. Back 00:05:13.220 --> 00:05:16.610 to my vacation analogy. I can complete some aspects 00:05:16.610 --> 00:05:20.250 of my trip right now in planning, which means 00:05:20.250 --> 00:05:23.050 I'm prepared for my trip. But that doesn't mean, 00:05:23.069 --> 00:05:26.050 again, I'm not sitting at the gate at the airport 00:05:26.050 --> 00:05:29.189 ready to board my plane a month early. That's 00:05:29.189 --> 00:05:32.790 weird. I have to wait for the airline to prepare 00:05:32.790 --> 00:05:35.810 my flight. I have to wait for other things. And 00:05:35.810 --> 00:05:38.790 so the common phrase for this in Christian speak 00:05:38.790 --> 00:05:44.139 is already not yet. We have received grace. That's 00:05:44.139 --> 00:05:46.939 the already part. And we have yet to receive 00:05:46.939 --> 00:05:49.259 all of the grace promised to us. That's the not 00:05:49.259 --> 00:05:52.160 yet part. And it's difficult to live in that 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:54.920 tension. John said it last week. There are three 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:58.060 tenses to salvation. There's past justification, 00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:02.360 present sanctification, and future glorification. 00:06:03.420 --> 00:06:07.459 So from this verse, we can say our hope should 00:06:07.459 --> 00:06:10.879 be solely in the fact. that we will receive the 00:06:10.879 --> 00:06:17.279 grace needed to be, sorry, we will receive the 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:19.740 grace needed to complete the salvation of our 00:06:19.740 --> 00:06:23.459 souls. Our sin has been paid for in Jesus' death. 00:06:23.660 --> 00:06:26.860 It is being worked out in our lives in the power 00:06:26.860 --> 00:06:30.620 of the Spirit, and it is guaranteed by the power 00:06:30.620 --> 00:06:35.240 of God to be given to us in the future. And this 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:39.189 is the new covenant. All of that idea wraps up 00:06:39.189 --> 00:06:41.110 in the new covenant. And that's what we have. 00:06:41.129 --> 00:06:43.129 It's a covenant that God made with us. He's written 00:06:43.129 --> 00:06:45.350 his Torah on our hearts and promised to make 00:06:45.350 --> 00:06:48.610 us new. And Peter is just pointing us to keep 00:06:48.610 --> 00:06:52.129 steadfast in this new covenant hope. The covenant 00:06:52.129 --> 00:06:54.329 that we celebrate every week when we do communion 00:06:54.329 --> 00:06:56.990 together. The covenant that Jesus instituted 00:06:56.990 --> 00:07:00.310 on the cross. And Peter recognizes that it's 00:07:00.310 --> 00:07:04.269 difficult to keep this hope up. The long waiting 00:07:04.269 --> 00:07:07.269 we are experiencing because two times, He tells 00:07:07.269 --> 00:07:09.509 us to be prepared, to get our minds ready. In 00:07:09.509 --> 00:07:12.290 Greek, I did this wrong earlier in the first 00:07:12.290 --> 00:07:14.910 service, ready your mind for action is what it 00:07:14.910 --> 00:07:17.389 says in English. In Greek, that's a non -literal 00:07:17.389 --> 00:07:20.410 translation because it literally says, gird up 00:07:20.410 --> 00:07:23.889 the loins of your mind. Anybody got loins in 00:07:23.889 --> 00:07:26.829 their mind? It means to wrap up your robe around 00:07:26.829 --> 00:07:28.889 your waist so you're ready to move fast and move 00:07:28.889 --> 00:07:37.120 far. Google... images for girding up your loins. 00:07:37.139 --> 00:07:39.300 There's a wonderful diagram on how to do it. 00:07:39.459 --> 00:07:41.839 And there's videos too. There's a lot of people 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:43.500 who spend time on this. So I would recommend 00:07:43.500 --> 00:07:47.500 that. I don't have time. Get your mind ready 00:07:47.500 --> 00:07:49.860 for action. What's that action we're supposed 00:07:49.860 --> 00:07:52.959 to be getting ready for? The action of hoping 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:56.220 in the new covenant. So we've set the stage. 00:07:56.420 --> 00:07:58.519 Peter has given us our introduction. We have 00:07:58.519 --> 00:08:00.220 his core message down. And then there are three 00:08:00.220 --> 00:08:03.660 ways we are to cultivate this hope. Point one, 00:08:03.860 --> 00:08:12.620 hope forms behavior. Reading in verse 14. As 00:08:12.620 --> 00:08:14.920 obedient children, do not be conformed to the 00:08:14.920 --> 00:08:17.779 desires of your former ignorance. But as the 00:08:17.779 --> 00:08:21.120 one who called you is holy, you also are to be 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:23.779 holy in all your conduct. For it is written, 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:28.620 be holy because I am holy. The formula Peter 00:08:28.620 --> 00:08:32.149 here uses is very simple. He encourages them 00:08:32.149 --> 00:08:34.149 in their current walk. He calls them obedient 00:08:34.149 --> 00:08:38.090 children. They're doing the thing. And then he 00:08:38.090 --> 00:08:41.090 outlines expectations of obedience. Be holy in 00:08:41.090 --> 00:08:43.870 all of your conduct. And then he explains why 00:08:43.870 --> 00:08:47.889 it's required. For it is written. And I know 00:08:47.889 --> 00:08:50.070 that quote from Leviticus is heavy. Everybody's 00:08:50.070 --> 00:08:52.710 favorite book is Leviticus, right? Be holy because 00:08:52.710 --> 00:08:58.029 I am holy. But don't get spun out on it. Peter's 00:08:58.029 --> 00:09:00.809 expectation isn't pure holiness. And actually, 00:09:00.830 --> 00:09:04.889 neither is Leviticus. Leviticus is 27 chapters 00:09:04.889 --> 00:09:08.809 of riveting commands about food laws and social 00:09:08.809 --> 00:09:11.389 laws and sacrificial laws and cleansing laws 00:09:11.389 --> 00:09:14.889 and priestly duties. But Leviticus is written 00:09:14.889 --> 00:09:17.929 to provide a pathway for Israel to get back into 00:09:17.929 --> 00:09:20.669 right relationship with Yahweh after they sinned. 00:09:21.389 --> 00:09:24.649 God knew they were going to sin. God knew that 00:09:24.649 --> 00:09:26.750 they were going to break the laws. So he mercifully 00:09:26.750 --> 00:09:29.269 outlines a way to get back into right relationship. 00:09:30.220 --> 00:09:33.980 The laws for sacrifice were God's plan for calling 00:09:33.980 --> 00:09:36.919 the people to return to him because he knew the 00:09:36.919 --> 00:09:39.779 only way for them to grow in holiness was for 00:09:39.779 --> 00:09:43.500 them to be near him. He's always been calling 00:09:43.500 --> 00:09:46.240 people back to himself. We're just the stubborn 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:50.840 ones not listening. And I want you also to notice 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:53.519 something else about Peter's structure. Peter's 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:56.879 first exhortation in these two verses. is to 00:09:56.879 --> 00:09:59.279 set our hope on God's promises in the new covenant, 00:09:59.360 --> 00:10:01.919 that we will receive everything through him, 00:10:02.059 --> 00:10:08.179 through Jesus. After the hope is founded, after 00:10:08.179 --> 00:10:10.899 that expectation is set, Peter then calls us 00:10:10.899 --> 00:10:14.799 to obey, not out of duty or obligation, not as 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:18.379 if we're paying off a debt. We are already promised 00:10:18.379 --> 00:10:20.740 the free gift of grace based on God's faithfulness, 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:24.419 not our own. We are... Call to obey because our 00:10:24.419 --> 00:10:27.799 hope should change us to want to live in the 00:10:27.799 --> 00:10:34.220 grace now. Hope should form our behaviors because 00:10:34.220 --> 00:10:38.120 it has already shaped our hearts. Hope should 00:10:38.120 --> 00:10:41.320 form our behaviors because it has already shaped 00:10:41.320 --> 00:10:44.179 our hearts. Obeying the commands to love others, 00:10:44.259 --> 00:10:48.200 to sacrifice yourself, to deny yourself must 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:52.500 flow from hope in Jesus. not obligation for penance. 00:10:53.399 --> 00:10:57.740 And lastly, and here's the kicker, when our behaviors 00:10:57.740 --> 00:11:00.159 are in line with our hope, when those two things 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:03.139 actually work tandem together, our hope grows 00:11:03.139 --> 00:11:05.500 because we are seeing the first fruits of our 00:11:05.500 --> 00:11:09.659 salvation. When we grow in holiness, loving others 00:11:09.659 --> 00:11:12.220 as Christ and denying our flesh and dying to 00:11:12.220 --> 00:11:15.379 ourselves, we see God's faithfulness in our lives 00:11:15.379 --> 00:11:19.639 to do what he promised us to do. It may just 00:11:19.639 --> 00:11:24.340 be a glimpse, but it just can't be denied. So 00:11:24.340 --> 00:11:27.659 point one, hope forms behaviors. Point two, hope 00:11:27.659 --> 00:11:31.360 frames expectations. Next, we're going to see 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:34.039 Peter focuses our attention on future judgment. 00:11:34.419 --> 00:11:37.879 Verse 17, if you appeal to the Father who judges 00:11:37.879 --> 00:11:40.879 impartially, according to each one's work, you 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:43.220 are to conduct yourselves in reverence during 00:11:43.220 --> 00:11:48.009 your time living as strangers. So the Bible just 00:11:48.009 --> 00:11:50.850 assumes every human's behaviors, all of their 00:11:50.850 --> 00:11:52.470 actions, all of your works, your emotions, your 00:11:52.470 --> 00:11:54.289 thoughts are gonna come under judgment before 00:11:54.289 --> 00:11:57.370 God. And God will sit in the judgment seat and 00:11:57.370 --> 00:11:59.950 you puny little human will sit underneath him 00:11:59.950 --> 00:12:03.090 and he will impartially without preference or 00:12:03.090 --> 00:12:06.789 favor decide what you did and what you did is 00:12:06.789 --> 00:12:09.889 good, what you did is evil. And this judgment 00:12:09.889 --> 00:12:12.350 should bring us hope. That's what Peter is saying. 00:12:13.690 --> 00:12:16.600 Reasonable question. Why should judgment bring 00:12:16.600 --> 00:12:20.799 us hope? In what way? Does hope come from judgment? 00:12:21.419 --> 00:12:23.940 Well, there's two ways. I'm going to deal with 00:12:23.940 --> 00:12:26.820 the easy one first because it's easy. The righteous 00:12:26.820 --> 00:12:31.779 don't fear condemnation in judgment. If you are 00:12:31.779 --> 00:12:34.960 in Christ, there is now no condemnation for you. 00:12:35.960 --> 00:12:39.080 That's it. Your sentence is commuted. It's completely 00:12:39.080 --> 00:12:41.919 done. Jesus took it. We have hope that Jesus' 00:12:42.120 --> 00:12:44.600 work on the cross is enough for us, and we will 00:12:44.600 --> 00:12:49.080 pass through judgment unscathed. The next part 00:12:49.080 --> 00:12:52.919 is much trickier. Got to look at how Peter's 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:55.279 going to handle this. So first notice, Peter 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:58.899 says, if you appeal to the Father. Anyone here 00:12:58.899 --> 00:13:01.620 ever cry for justice? My three -year -old does 00:13:01.620 --> 00:13:05.779 it all the time. Dad, it's not fair. She's got 00:13:05.779 --> 00:13:09.980 a 16 -month -old brother, really. He's the menace. 00:13:11.820 --> 00:13:15.179 Or what about the common protest chant? No justice, 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:20.399 no peace. And I can confidently say, and I'm 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:21.740 pretty sure everybody will agree with me, that 00:13:21.740 --> 00:13:25.100 if you don't have justice, everything around 00:13:25.100 --> 00:13:28.559 you is disturbed. So the expectation of justice 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:31.379 being delivered should bring us comfort. That's 00:13:31.379 --> 00:13:34.179 what that protest cry is. I want peace, give 00:13:34.179 --> 00:13:38.909 me justice. And what is hope? but present comfort 00:13:38.909 --> 00:13:41.990 from future expectations. So what are those expectations? 00:13:43.590 --> 00:13:45.990 So why are these churches appealing for justice? 00:13:46.309 --> 00:13:48.769 That's what Peter is saying they're doing. They 00:13:48.769 --> 00:13:51.029 are appealing for justice from their father in 00:13:51.029 --> 00:13:54.309 heaven because they are being persecuted, threatened, 00:13:54.470 --> 00:13:58.129 and slandered. And those people, they deserve 00:13:58.129 --> 00:14:00.429 justice because the Christians are innocent. 00:14:01.509 --> 00:14:03.210 So what do you think a father's response should 00:14:03.210 --> 00:14:06.610 be? Ignore it? Leave it alone? Walk away? I don't 00:14:06.610 --> 00:14:11.009 want to get involved. He will rise from his throne 00:14:11.009 --> 00:14:14.509 and bring his full power down on those sinners. 00:14:15.750 --> 00:14:18.950 The Bible expects those who persecute you will 00:14:18.950 --> 00:14:20.909 be judged for sinning against God's anointed, 00:14:21.049 --> 00:14:24.389 which means you don't need to worry about justice 00:14:24.389 --> 00:14:28.450 for yourself. As the creator and author of life, 00:14:28.590 --> 00:14:31.629 he is responsible to bring justice on all who 00:14:31.629 --> 00:14:34.269 have rebelled against his authority and desecrated 00:14:34.269 --> 00:14:38.600 the life he created. And here is why we should 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:43.159 have hope in this judgment. Your sufferings at 00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:45.899 the hands of people will be put back on them. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:49.460 Their deeds done in secret will be exposed and 00:14:49.460 --> 00:14:53.940 judged through fire. Not by your hand, not by 00:14:53.940 --> 00:14:57.600 my hand, not according to our standard, but according 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:01.379 to his holy, righteous standard. Because he is 00:15:01.379 --> 00:15:05.039 a holy, righteous God. He is kind and generous 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:09.240 and forbearing, but he will not let justice be 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:14.840 ignored. My heart rejoices in the justice of 00:15:14.840 --> 00:15:18.960 God being executed upon sinners. Listen to Psalm 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:22.019 109. If this is making you uncomfortable, this 00:15:22.019 --> 00:15:25.690 is what the Bible says. For the wicked and deceitful 00:15:25.690 --> 00:15:28.549 mouths open against me. They speak against me 00:15:28.549 --> 00:15:31.190 with lying tongues. They surround me with hateful 00:15:31.190 --> 00:15:34.190 words and attack me without cause. In return 00:15:34.190 --> 00:15:37.269 for my love, they accuse me, but I continue to 00:15:37.269 --> 00:15:41.409 pray. They repay me evil for good and hatred 00:15:41.409 --> 00:15:45.710 for my love. So the psalmist requests this from 00:15:45.710 --> 00:15:49.600 God. Let his days be few. Let another take over 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:52.259 his position. Let his children be fatherless 00:15:52.259 --> 00:15:55.159 and his wife a widow. Let his children wander 00:15:55.159 --> 00:15:58.919 as beggars, searching food far from their demolished 00:15:58.919 --> 00:16:02.679 homes. Let a creditor seize all he has. Let strangers 00:16:02.679 --> 00:16:05.759 plunder what he has worked for. Let no one show 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:08.940 him kindness. Let no one be gracious to his fatherless 00:16:08.940 --> 00:16:15.919 children. That's strong. But listen to the examples 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:19.720 of why he's calling for that. For he did not 00:16:19.720 --> 00:16:22.720 think to show kindness, but pursued the suffering 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:25.559 needy and brokenhearted in order to put them 00:16:25.559 --> 00:16:29.120 to death. He loved cursing, let it fall on him. 00:16:29.500 --> 00:16:32.419 He took no delight in blessing. Let it be far 00:16:32.419 --> 00:16:35.679 from him. He wore cursing like his coat. Let 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:38.600 it enter his body like water and go into his 00:16:38.600 --> 00:16:42.120 bones like oil. The psalmist is just asking for 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:44.759 what that person did to be returned back to them. 00:16:46.759 --> 00:16:50.240 You were vile with your words. Be vile with yourself. 00:16:51.059 --> 00:16:53.779 You pursued the needy. You demolished homes. 00:16:53.899 --> 00:16:55.899 Let your home be demolished. Let your children 00:16:55.899 --> 00:16:59.059 be needy. It is just returning back onto him 00:16:59.059 --> 00:17:05.220 what he did to others. Do you long for wickedness 00:17:05.220 --> 00:17:09.140 to be judged? Do you delight in justice being 00:17:09.140 --> 00:17:15.619 administered? I do. This world is full of injustice. 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:19.319 And I want it to be judged rightly and justly. 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:22.359 And I look forward to avenging of the innocent 00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:26.119 bloodshed around us. I want the martyrs in history 00:17:26.119 --> 00:17:29.599 to be avenged. Like, they died for Jesus only 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:33.819 because they believed in him. Wickedness perpetrated 00:17:33.819 --> 00:17:38.119 on the needy and weak. It makes me sick. I can't 00:17:38.119 --> 00:17:40.619 wait for the Lord to act to uphold his holiness. 00:17:41.559 --> 00:17:44.819 I will say it again. I will not judge people. 00:17:45.180 --> 00:17:47.940 It is not by my hand. It is not by my standard. 00:17:48.539 --> 00:17:51.519 It is by God's hand and God's standard in his 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:55.180 time. My job. It's to pray for those who persecute 00:17:55.180 --> 00:17:59.140 me, to love them. But I can't ignore what Peter 00:17:59.140 --> 00:18:03.640 is saying. Justice is heavy. But when it's understood, 00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:05.740 it's not something that we should fear. Just 00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:07.779 like all of God's actions, it should be rejoiced 00:18:07.779 --> 00:18:12.319 in. Point one, hope forms behavior. Point two, 00:18:12.539 --> 00:18:16.759 hope frames expectations. Point three, hope is 00:18:16.759 --> 00:18:20.339 founded on knowledge. Reading at verse 18. For 00:18:20.339 --> 00:18:22.839 you know that you were redeemed from your empty 00:18:22.839 --> 00:18:25.640 way of life, inherited from your ancestors, not 00:18:25.640 --> 00:18:28.259 with perishable things like silver or gold, but 00:18:28.259 --> 00:18:30.519 with the precious blood of Christ, like that 00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:33.539 of an unblemished and spotless lamb. He was foreknown 00:18:33.539 --> 00:18:36.180 before the foundation of the world, but was revealed 00:18:36.180 --> 00:18:39.099 in these last times for you. Through him you 00:18:39.099 --> 00:18:41.099 believe in God, who raised him from the dead 00:18:41.099 --> 00:18:43.700 and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope 00:18:43.700 --> 00:18:48.359 are in God. The people knew all these things. 00:18:49.079 --> 00:18:51.640 Peter says it right at the top, for you know. 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:54.940 The readers had been taught the gospel by the 00:18:54.940 --> 00:18:59.140 experts. Yet Peter wanted to remind them. The 00:18:59.140 --> 00:19:01.660 gospel teaching here was both the foundation 00:19:01.660 --> 00:19:05.079 of their hope and an encouragement to keep on 00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:08.440 hoping. In the gospel, as I said it earlier, 00:19:08.500 --> 00:19:10.299 we have the establishment of the new covenant. 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:13.380 The covenant that contains the promises for our 00:19:13.380 --> 00:19:17.480 salvation. Hope requires firm knowledge to be 00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:20.250 maintained. I'm going to hit the high parts of 00:19:20.250 --> 00:19:21.910 this because I don't have time to go through 00:19:21.910 --> 00:19:26.250 all of it. Verse 18, you were redeemed. Redemption 00:19:26.250 --> 00:19:29.089 is an act of someone paying the freedom price 00:19:29.089 --> 00:19:31.390 of someone else. It's usually a close family 00:19:31.390 --> 00:19:34.829 member. What does that mean for us? Jesus became 00:19:34.829 --> 00:19:39.269 human, our kinsman, the new Adam, to pay our 00:19:39.269 --> 00:19:43.009 redemption price with his blood. Verse 20, he 00:19:43.009 --> 00:19:47.160 was foreknown. God had foreknowledge of Christ's 00:19:47.160 --> 00:19:51.079 incarnation, death, and resurrection. Christ's 00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:54.859 life and death had been foretold by the prophets 00:19:54.859 --> 00:19:58.980 and foreknown in eternity by God. Before any 00:19:58.980 --> 00:20:01.900 humans were made, God had laid the plan for our 00:20:01.900 --> 00:20:06.599 salvation. Verse 21, through him you believe. 00:20:07.539 --> 00:20:11.400 Your belief did not well up with inside of you. 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:17.519 You didn't just... Force it into existence. But 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:21.339 it was God who provided it to you. The father 00:20:21.339 --> 00:20:23.819 planned with the son. The father sent the son. 00:20:23.900 --> 00:20:26.380 The father called you to himself. The father 00:20:26.380 --> 00:20:30.299 gave you belief. Every aspect of your salvation 00:20:30.299 --> 00:20:34.720 is a gift. God's faithfulness in bringing about 00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:37.599 your salvation is so great that he didn't even 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:41.509 wait for you to do anything. He made the plan, 00:20:41.609 --> 00:20:43.970 acted through history, has done all of the work, 00:20:44.069 --> 00:20:46.589 and can be trusted to bring it to completion. 00:20:47.509 --> 00:20:52.369 Amen? Great question to ask about the Bible when 00:20:52.369 --> 00:20:55.829 you're reading it. It's why here? Why did you 00:20:55.829 --> 00:20:59.650 put it here? Makes sense, but why here? Peter 00:20:59.650 --> 00:21:02.089 is concerned about these churches and knows the 00:21:02.089 --> 00:21:04.269 weariness of persecution. That's why he put it 00:21:04.269 --> 00:21:06.799 there. That's why he reminded them of the gospel. 00:21:07.019 --> 00:21:08.960 He knows that they can lose sight of Christ. 00:21:09.180 --> 00:21:11.519 He knows their circumstances can be overwhelming 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:14.819 and cause despair. He knows all of this because 00:21:14.819 --> 00:21:18.240 he is in prison in Rome. He's experiencing the 00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:23.039 persecution too. When you feel despondent, when 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:26.579 you feel weary, do you meditate on the gospel? 00:21:27.980 --> 00:21:30.099 Or do you meditate on all of the shortcomings 00:21:30.099 --> 00:21:34.880 of everybody around you? When you are feeling 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:37.559 down, do you meditate on the glories of Christ? 00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:43.059 Or maybe you just pick up your phone and start 00:21:43.059 --> 00:21:48.420 scrolling. Just like the first century readers, 00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:52.039 our hope in God needs to be founded on this knowledge. 00:21:52.619 --> 00:21:54.819 And we need to remind ourselves of the gospel 00:21:54.819 --> 00:21:57.900 consistently. I was redeemed by Christ's death. 00:21:58.019 --> 00:22:01.079 God loved me when I was a sinner. All of his 00:22:01.079 --> 00:22:05.160 promises will come true in my life. The feeling 00:22:05.160 --> 00:22:07.799 of hope may come and go, just like any other 00:22:07.799 --> 00:22:10.279 feeling. But your feelings don't dictate the 00:22:10.279 --> 00:22:12.880 faithfulness of the Lord. He made a covenant 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:16.519 with us. And it is founded upon his character 00:22:16.519 --> 00:22:20.119 and work. We are only recipients. Don't hope 00:22:20.119 --> 00:22:22.839 out of your feelings. Hope in his steadfast love. 00:22:26.190 --> 00:22:29.210 So there you go. That is Peter's call to set 00:22:29.210 --> 00:22:31.170 our hope completely on the grace that will be 00:22:31.170 --> 00:22:34.089 brought through the revelation of Jesus. It is 00:22:34.089 --> 00:22:36.990 a hope that forms our behaviors, frames our expectations, 00:22:37.250 --> 00:22:41.829 and is founded on knowledge. But before we wrap 00:22:41.829 --> 00:22:45.049 up, I need to tackle these last couple weird 00:22:45.049 --> 00:22:49.369 quotes from Isaiah. Right at the end, Peter just 00:22:49.369 --> 00:22:52.299 drops these two verses in from Isaiah. All flesh 00:22:52.299 --> 00:22:54.640 is like grass and all of its glory like a flower 00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:57.019 of the grass. The grass withers and the flower 00:22:57.019 --> 00:22:59.839 falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever. 00:23:01.500 --> 00:23:04.019 I'll be honest, the Bible is a difficult book 00:23:04.019 --> 00:23:07.220 to read. Not only does it expect you to always 00:23:07.220 --> 00:23:09.880 submit to whatever it teaches, it can also feel 00:23:09.880 --> 00:23:12.799 at times you have to know all of it to even understand 00:23:12.799 --> 00:23:15.299 a single part of it. And this is kind of one 00:23:15.299 --> 00:23:18.500 of those parts. It's easy to read these verses 00:23:18.500 --> 00:23:20.859 from Isaiah. Oh, flesh is like grass and all 00:23:20.859 --> 00:23:22.900 of its glory like a flower of the grass. The 00:23:22.900 --> 00:23:25.019 grass withers and the flower falls, but the word 00:23:25.019 --> 00:23:27.099 of the Lord endures forever. And be like, sure, 00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:30.339 I get it. Word of the Lord endures, but also 00:23:30.339 --> 00:23:36.579 I don't get it. What's the meaning here? Good 00:23:36.579 --> 00:23:39.119 news, I was there too. So I'm gonna lean heavily 00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:42.440 on D .A. Carson's commentary for this. Isaiah. 00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:45.339 The book of Isaiah, 66 chapters, is broken up 00:23:45.339 --> 00:23:48.099 into two parts. The first half, chapters 1 through 00:23:48.099 --> 00:23:52.220 39, is all these judgment oracles about Israel's 00:23:52.220 --> 00:23:55.079 sin and this call to repentance before the coming 00:23:55.079 --> 00:23:58.680 destruction. And then the chapters 40 through 00:23:58.680 --> 00:24:02.180 66, there's this big shift in how Isaiah talks 00:24:02.180 --> 00:24:06.539 because he changes what he's doing. He envisions 00:24:06.539 --> 00:24:10.990 Israel actually in Babylon, in exile. And they've 00:24:10.990 --> 00:24:13.549 been deported and they are just despondent. They 00:24:13.549 --> 00:24:15.750 got no hope whatsoever. They're struggling to 00:24:15.750 --> 00:24:19.609 understand God's promises to them. So here's 00:24:19.609 --> 00:24:21.410 the thing that the New Testament authors are 00:24:21.410 --> 00:24:23.230 often doing when they bring in these quotes. 00:24:23.549 --> 00:24:25.789 They quote a small section because they don't 00:24:25.789 --> 00:24:28.069 have the time and space to fill everything. But 00:24:28.069 --> 00:24:31.049 they want you to recall the whole chapter because 00:24:31.049 --> 00:24:33.410 they're trying to draw some deep parallels with 00:24:33.410 --> 00:24:34.950 you. They're going to do a little bit, but they 00:24:34.950 --> 00:24:37.230 want you to understand all of it. So between 00:24:37.230 --> 00:24:40.440 their words. And the earlier writers, they're 00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:42.279 trying to show the similarities. And Peter is 00:24:42.279 --> 00:24:44.819 doing that here. Go read Isaiah 40 later. It's 00:24:44.819 --> 00:24:47.140 a wonderful chapter. But listen to these couple 00:24:47.140 --> 00:24:50.640 of snippets. Verse 10. See, the Lord comes with 00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:52.720 strength and his power establishes his rule. 00:24:52.940 --> 00:24:56.180 His wages are with him and his reward accompanies 00:24:56.180 --> 00:25:00.019 him. That's redemption. All the nations are nothing 00:25:00.019 --> 00:25:03.180 before him. They are considered by him as empty 00:25:03.180 --> 00:25:08.809 nothingness. That's judgment. Verse 27, Jacob, 00:25:08.910 --> 00:25:11.190 why do you say, and Israel, why do you assert, 00:25:11.369 --> 00:25:13.930 my way is hidden from the Lord and my claim is 00:25:13.930 --> 00:25:18.470 ignored by God? That's hopelessness. Peter isn't 00:25:18.470 --> 00:25:20.630 quoting just random two -line poem from the Old 00:25:20.630 --> 00:25:23.210 Testament for emphasis. Peter is showing that 00:25:23.210 --> 00:25:25.509 the experience of the churches that are being 00:25:25.509 --> 00:25:28.130 persecuted is similar to that of the Babylonian 00:25:28.130 --> 00:25:31.269 exiles who were taken out of Israel for 70 years. 00:25:31.650 --> 00:25:35.240 But not only that. Peter's been inserting Torah 00:25:35.240 --> 00:25:38.140 callbacks throughout this whole section. Verse 00:25:38.140 --> 00:25:41.920 13, gird up the loins of your mind. Where in 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:43.740 the Torah does it call people to gird up the 00:25:43.740 --> 00:25:47.759 loins because they gotta get ready to move? Exodus. 00:25:48.900 --> 00:25:51.079 Israel is called to gird up their loins in preparation 00:25:51.079 --> 00:25:53.220 for leaving Egypt and they're gonna leave in 00:25:53.220 --> 00:25:55.680 the middle of the night. Peter puts the same 00:25:55.680 --> 00:25:58.299 covenant expectations from Leviticus on his readers. 00:25:58.559 --> 00:26:03.079 Be holy for I am holy. Note. He does not set 00:26:03.079 --> 00:26:06.740 the same methods though. Peter uses Passover 00:26:06.740 --> 00:26:09.880 language, redemption, blood of a spotless lamb. 00:26:10.519 --> 00:26:13.819 And this Isaiah quote is the capstone tying the 00:26:13.819 --> 00:26:16.619 experience and expectations of Israel with the 00:26:16.619 --> 00:26:20.339 new covenant people of God. Peter uses all of 00:26:20.339 --> 00:26:23.119 this imagery to drive this one idea home. You 00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:26.099 are the covenant people of the Lord. And just 00:26:26.099 --> 00:26:28.819 like your ancestors, you must hold to the promises 00:26:28.819 --> 00:26:32.829 of God. God's people often have to live through 00:26:32.829 --> 00:26:36.450 exile. Not only Israel, but Abraham never received 00:26:36.450 --> 00:26:39.569 his land. David had to run from Saul for years. 00:26:40.970 --> 00:26:43.289 Trials like exile doesn't mean you are under 00:26:43.289 --> 00:26:47.089 judgment. And John said it last week. Trials 00:26:47.089 --> 00:26:50.089 expose things in us. That's what they do. They 00:26:50.089 --> 00:26:52.990 expose our idols. They expose our faults. They 00:26:52.990 --> 00:26:55.890 expose the hidden works of God. And if I may 00:26:55.890 --> 00:27:00.359 add, they expose our enduring hope. So here's 00:27:00.359 --> 00:27:03.180 the thing about living from God. Sorry, living 00:27:03.180 --> 00:27:08.019 from hope in God. It's imperishable. As long 00:27:08.019 --> 00:27:11.460 as he lives and he remains true, your hope is 00:27:11.460 --> 00:27:16.279 imperishable. My meaning, he is the one who does 00:27:16.279 --> 00:27:19.720 all the things. You just exist. Everything else 00:27:19.720 --> 00:27:23.700 can fail. Your way of life can fail. Your culture, 00:27:23.799 --> 00:27:25.819 everything about it can just crumble and go away. 00:27:26.460 --> 00:27:30.839 Your country can fail. You can die. But if you 00:27:30.839 --> 00:27:34.880 live by hope in God, it is imperishable. Living 00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:38.000 by hope in the immutable, unfailing, forever 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:40.720 enduring word of the Lord is what our ancestors 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:44.599 did and their ancestors did all the way back. 00:27:44.920 --> 00:27:47.920 And as long as God is faithful, Christians will 00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:51.940 continue to be sustained by his promises. So 00:27:51.940 --> 00:27:53.579 I could probably preach a whole nother sermon 00:27:53.579 --> 00:27:56.960 as we kind of move to application, but I won't. 00:27:57.740 --> 00:28:01.390 I would... meditate on this. How would this affect 00:28:01.390 --> 00:28:03.549 your marriage? How would this affect your parenting, 00:28:03.589 --> 00:28:07.210 your work? It should definitely control how you 00:28:07.210 --> 00:28:12.150 view and consume media and the news. But I have 00:28:12.150 --> 00:28:17.089 one point of application. Verify your hope. Your 00:28:17.089 --> 00:28:19.829 actions will reveal your heart. It's the double 00:28:19.829 --> 00:28:22.809 -edged sword about being a human. No matter what 00:28:22.809 --> 00:28:24.930 you say, your actions will always speak louder. 00:28:25.910 --> 00:28:29.470 Peter calls us to holiness. you are also to be 00:28:29.470 --> 00:28:32.910 holy in all of your conduct. So is your hope 00:28:32.910 --> 00:28:36.210 forming your conduct? Are you pursuing holiness, 00:28:36.289 --> 00:28:39.349 not out of obligation, but eager expectation? 00:28:40.130 --> 00:28:42.609 Your hope in the new covenant and revelation 00:28:42.609 --> 00:28:47.009 of Jesus will come out in your conduct. Listen 00:28:47.009 --> 00:28:50.769 to the psalmist in Psalm 119. I delight in your 00:28:50.769 --> 00:28:54.450 commands, which I love. I will lift up my hands 00:28:54.450 --> 00:28:57.109 to your commands, which I love, and will meditate 00:28:57.109 --> 00:29:00.970 on your statutes. If you live out of hopeful 00:29:00.970 --> 00:29:04.369 expectation, you can be long -suffering and forbearing 00:29:04.369 --> 00:29:06.630 because you know that this life isn't all there 00:29:06.630 --> 00:29:10.049 is. You can be gracious to those who fail you 00:29:10.049 --> 00:29:12.869 because you know that you also are waiting for 00:29:12.869 --> 00:29:16.369 grace to come for you. But this kind of life 00:29:16.369 --> 00:29:21.259 is really hard. It's not easy. If you're hoping 00:29:21.259 --> 00:29:23.380 in worldly comforts to get you through difficulties, 00:29:23.700 --> 00:29:26.240 how are you going to make it through it? Like 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:29.259 seriously. If you're hoping that you can hold 00:29:29.259 --> 00:29:31.279 on long enough and tomorrow will be different, 00:29:31.359 --> 00:29:37.740 history really is against you on that one. You're 00:29:37.740 --> 00:29:41.839 just hoping in hope at that point. You're leaning 00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:44.380 into confirmation bias in an effort to placate 00:29:44.380 --> 00:29:47.660 your despair. And this is what the world does 00:29:47.660 --> 00:29:49.819 day in and day out. It just keeps hopping and 00:29:49.819 --> 00:29:55.140 hopping from hope to hope. It can keep your battery 00:29:55.140 --> 00:29:59.440 charged for a bit, maybe. But do you know, will 00:29:59.440 --> 00:30:02.279 it really sustain you for another year? What 00:30:02.279 --> 00:30:04.460 about for five years? How do you know it'll get 00:30:04.460 --> 00:30:07.900 you through the next recession? The world and 00:30:07.900 --> 00:30:09.779 its promises have a terrible track record. I 00:30:09.779 --> 00:30:11.279 don't know why we keep falling for them, but 00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:14.869 we do. The only good it provides is a distraction 00:30:14.869 --> 00:30:19.190 from the despair inching closer around you. But 00:30:19.190 --> 00:30:23.730 we are in Christ. We have a true hope. We have 00:30:23.730 --> 00:30:26.049 a hope that is built upon centuries of promises 00:30:26.049 --> 00:30:29.769 kept, eternal plans fulfilled for us, and a Savior 00:30:29.769 --> 00:30:34.250 that knows our struggle. I'm going to wrap up 00:30:34.250 --> 00:30:42.440 by reading some of Psalm 18. The Lord is my rock, 00:30:42.460 --> 00:30:46.759 my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock 00:30:46.759 --> 00:30:50.240 where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:53.700 my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord 00:30:53.700 --> 00:30:56.400 who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from 00:30:56.400 --> 00:30:59.599 my enemies. The ropes of death were wrapped around 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:02.480 me. The torrents of destruction terrified me. 00:31:02.579 --> 00:31:05.880 The ropes of Sheol entangled me. The snares of 00:31:05.880 --> 00:31:10.099 death confronted me, and I... Called to the Lord 00:31:10.099 --> 00:31:14.000 in my distress. I cried to my God for help. From 00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:17.579 his temple, he heard my voice and my cry reached 00:31:17.579 --> 00:31:24.279 his ears. Then the earth shook and quaked. The 00:31:24.279 --> 00:31:27.579 foundations of the mountains trembled. They shook 00:31:27.579 --> 00:31:31.960 because he burned with anger. He bent the heavens 00:31:31.960 --> 00:31:34.839 and came down. The darkness beneath his feet. 00:31:35.559 --> 00:31:38.640 He rode on a cherubim and flew soaring on the 00:31:38.640 --> 00:31:41.559 wings of the wind. He shot his arrows and scattered 00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:44.460 them. He hurled lightning bolts and routed them. 00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:48.619 He reached down from on high and took hold of 00:31:48.619 --> 00:31:53.180 me. He pulled me out of deep water. He rescued 00:31:53.180 --> 00:31:56.079 me from my powerful enemy and from those who 00:31:56.079 --> 00:31:59.839 hated me. For they were too strong for me. They 00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:03.279 confronted me in the day of my calamity, but 00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:07.220 the Lord was my support. He brought me out to 00:32:07.220 --> 00:32:11.140 a spacious place. He rescued me because he delighted 00:32:11.140 --> 00:32:17.059 in me. With the faithful, you prove yourself 00:32:17.059 --> 00:32:28.339 faithful. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Your name 00:32:28.339 --> 00:32:35.660 be honored as holy. Father, help us have hope 00:32:35.660 --> 00:32:38.359 in your promises. Help us to see how faithful 00:32:38.359 --> 00:32:41.380 you are year over year, century over century, 00:32:41.480 --> 00:32:45.200 that the work you started in us will be brought 00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:48.740 to completion. Though we are weary, though we 00:32:48.740 --> 00:32:51.119 are in despair, though we are struggling, God, 00:32:51.240 --> 00:32:55.019 please renew us with your hope. Let us see you 00:32:55.019 --> 00:33:00.319 acting in our lives. And God, where we are not 00:33:00.319 --> 00:33:04.420 hopeful, where we do not look to you, please, 00:33:04.539 --> 00:33:09.940 oh God, please work in our hearts. Save us from 00:33:09.940 --> 00:33:12.119 the wickedness around us. Save us from our enemy 00:33:12.119 --> 00:33:15.160 so that we can rejoice in you, that we can stand 00:33:15.160 --> 00:33:17.339 afresh in you and sing your praises.