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Would you take your Bible please and turn with me to the book of 1 Peter.

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This is an age of rights.

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In addition to constitutional rights, which we hear about, there are speeches about human

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rights and animal rights, women's rights, children's rights, minority rights, special

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interest groups claiming certain rights for their cause.

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I'd like today to talk about a right that is underproclaimed and that is the right of

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Christians to celebrate.

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I heard someone say one time that only the Christian really has a right to smile in this

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world.

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What he meant by that was that all of the rest of the world is under the judgment of

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God and its need is to repent.

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It has only the fearful looking forward to of the judgment of God and there is no reason

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to smile when that is one's future.

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But the child of God has settled all of that through his faith in Jesus Christ.

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Being a member of the family of God, he has the right to smile and to celebrate.

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Seems to me that that's what Peter is saying essentially in our text today, which is verses

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three through nine of 1 Peter 1.

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Blessed or praised or celebrated be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according

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to his abundant mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection

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of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled

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and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are protected by the power of

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God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

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In this you greatly rejoice even though now for a little while if necessary you have been

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distressed by various trials that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold

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which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and

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glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

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Though you have not seen him, you love him.

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Though you do not now see him but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible

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and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

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We who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have reason to celebrate.

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Seems to me that Peter lists four reasons here as to why we can celebrate as Christians.

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Reason number one is that we have a salvation that's settled.

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Nice Peter uses that term in verses four, again in verse nine.

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Again in verse 10 outside of our text he uses the word salvation and once again in chapter

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two, verse two.

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Salvation is one of Peter's themes especially early on in this book.

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By salvation he is talking about the deliverance that we have from the wrath of God's judgment.

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Salvation refers to our deliverance and our preservation for the purpose of God.

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Now there are some who like to think of the word salvation and its verb form saved as

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being antiquated or old fashioned, out of date, a word that has lost its relevance,

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I've heard it said.

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But I hardly agree with that.

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It is a biblical term which expresses the experience of the child of God.

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Furthermore, it is I think a relevant term for we hear it today in the media whether

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it's referring to a man who has been saved from death because of an artificial heart

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or someone who has been saved from an air disaster.

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The term is still used today in the sense of being rescued and that is what the Bible

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term means only in an eternal sense.

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There really are three tenses of salvation in the word of God.

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There's past, present, and future.

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As Peter uses the term salvation he seems to embrace all three of those tenses at one

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time.

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With a special emphasis on the future side of it, looking forward to the completion or

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the culmination rather of our salvation.

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Salvation is brought to the individual through faith.

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That's what Peter says.

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He uses faith in verse 5 but again in verse 9 he says, obtaining as the outcome of your

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faith the salvation of your souls.

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It is faith which brings salvation to the individual.

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And salvation says Peter involves being born again.

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You see that phrase in verse 3?

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Actually did you know the term born again is found only twice in the Bible?

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Both of those occasions are in chapter 1 of 1 Peter.

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Here in verse 3, again in verse 23.

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You say, wait a minute, in John 3 it says you must be born again.

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Well actually the Greek term there is you must be born from above.

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The Greek word for born again technically is used only twice in the New Testament, both

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of them by Peter in this chapter.

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Peter says that salvation is our being born again.

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That term means the impartation of life so that there's a new beginning.

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It is the creation of a new person within each of us who can obey God.

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It is new life, new birth.

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The sinner needs a new birth.

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You don't help a blind man to see better by turning up the light.

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You don't help a dead man to enjoy himself by having a nicer funeral.

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What the blind man needs is new eyes.

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What the dead man needs is life.

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And the sinner is one who is without sight and dead in trespasses and sins.

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What he needs is a new birth.

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He needs life.

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He needs spiritual eyes to see the things of God.

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That is what the new birth brings.

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The new birth comes by faith in Jesus Christ.

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But it originates with God.

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Never forget that.

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We do not cause ourselves to be born again.

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Indeed, Peter says here it is God who has caused us to be born again.

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That really refers back to what he's already said in verses 1 and 2 where he describes

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our salvation in profound terms when he says that we are chosen according to the foreknowledge

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of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit that we might obey Jesus Christ

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and be sprinkled with His blood.

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Do you notice that each person of the Godhead is mentioned there?

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He mentions God the Father as being the one who according to His foreknowledge chose us.

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And then he says the Holy Spirit sanctified us.

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That is, He set us apart.

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The idea is that He wooed us.

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He drew us to Jesus Christ.

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He mentions the blood of Jesus Christ reminding us that He died on the cross of Calvary.

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That was His part in our salvation.

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And He brought us to that place that we might obey Jesus Christ.

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The obedience there, by the way, is the obedience of believing in Him.

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And so the new birth finds its origin in God.

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It has been made possible because of Jesus Christ's death and His resurrection mentioned

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at the end of verse 3.

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Because of that, God can now show abundant or great mercy to us and cause us to be born

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again so that we are saved.

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Our salvation is not a think-so salvation.

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By that I am referring to those people who think that they might be saved.

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Have you ever asked someone if they're a Christian and they say, well, I think so?

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It's not the kind of salvation we're talking about.

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Ours is not a think-so salvation.

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It is not a hope-so salvation.

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It is not a salvation that says, well, someday I guess I can know for sure.

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No.

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The salvation that God has given to us is a salvation that is settled.

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It is settled in heaven once and for all.

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You say, when was it settled?

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Well from God's perspective, it was settled way back yonder at the cross when the Lord

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Jesus Christ died for our sins and then was raised from the dead.

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It took that to secure our salvation.

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And as far as God is concerned, our salvation was settled at that moment without any questions.

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But from our perspective, it was settled the moment that we trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ,

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whenever that may have been if you have done that.

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At that moment when you by faith received Christ, when you were born again, at that

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moment your salvation was settled for time and for eternity so that we have no suspense,

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no uncertainty with regards to our salvation.

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It is settled.

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John 3.16 does not end with a question mark.

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It ends with a period.

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Salvation is a legal transaction.

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And once that transaction has been conducted, it's sealed.

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A few weeks ago, I called the mortgage company which owns our house.

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I wanted to talk to them about a certain aspect of our mortgage that I thought it was only

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fair to adjust considering the conditions that are different now from a couple of years

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ago.

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The lady on the other end of the line very politely but firmly said, I'm sorry when you

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signed your mortgage, that was it.

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It was a legal transaction and we can't go back in now and change anything.

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Well, she was right.

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Our salvation, my friend, is the same way.

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God signed the dotted line as it were when His Son died at the cross.

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And when you by faith trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, you put your signature down

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on the dotted line and that finished it, that settled the transaction.

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Our salvation is a settled salvation.

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That gives us reason to celebrate.

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We do not have to go through life timidly and with uncertainty.

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But by the grace and the mercy of God, we can go through life knowing that we have a

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salvation that is settled and praise Him for it.

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Now there is a second cause for celebration for the Christian and that is that we have

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a hope that is secure.

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Peter says that we have been born again to a living hope.

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Now when the New Testament uses the word hope, I hope you understand that it is not used

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in the same way in which we often use the term.

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Because to us when we talk about hoping, it means that we are uncertain about it.

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It is something we would like to see happen, but it is not for sure.

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When the New Testament uses the word hope, it is referring to something that is absolutely

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for sure.

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It is a confident expectation.

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It is not something we have yet, but it is coming for sure.

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It is used in the sense of something that is an assured destiny.

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That is hope.

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But Peter calls it living hope.

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I think he is using that term in the same sense that Jesus spoke of Himself as being

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living water.

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Not only did He give life when people partook of Him by faith, but He was using it in the

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sense that there will always be an abundant supply of that water of eternal life through

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Him.

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It never fails.

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It is living in that sense.

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It does not go dead at certain seasons of the year.

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When I was a small boy on the farm, we had a spring that came out of a rock over at a

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creek on the other side of our property.

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I can remember during the springtime of year what a special delight it was when I would

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go get the cows from milking to stop there at that creek to dip out a place in the mud

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beside that rock and let the water clear out and take a drink from that spring.

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I do not know if it was polluted.

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I have no idea.

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I do not even care to tell you the truth.

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It was refreshing.

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But after the heat of the summer arose, the spring went dead.

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It was not living water.

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It failed.

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It was not a deep spring, you see.

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Jesus says that He is living water.

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He does not fail.

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Now, what Peter is saying, I think, is that the hope that we have will not fail.

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It will not somewhere down the road die out on us.

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It is a living hope.

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There are no lapses in it at all.

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He defines that hope more specifically as being an inheritance.

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You see that in verse 4?

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We have been born again to a living hope to obtain an inheritance.

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You say, what is my hope?

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It is your inheritance in Jesus Christ.

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The word inheritance is used, by the way, in the Septuagint, which is a Greek translation

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of the Hebrew Old Testament, in referring to Israel's promised land.

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Because of Israel's unique relationship to God, God promised Israel a land, the land

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of Canaan.

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That became her inheritance.

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Now, that very same word is used in the New Testament to talk about our inheritance.

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It refers to a possession that is given to us by God because of our relationship to Him.

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Now, as you look at the total context here, it's clear that that inheritance involves

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the glory that we will share with Jesus Christ.

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Our inheritance refers to what we're going to receive on that day when we see Jesus Christ

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face to face.

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We will be completely in our experience saved.

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Our salvation we brought to its culmination so that in body as well as in soul and in

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spirit we will be glorified to be like Jesus Christ.

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That is our inheritance.

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That is our living hope, our expectation.

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That hope, my friend, is secure.

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There's nothing that can change it, nothing that can change it.

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Peter seems to draw four pictures by the words that he chooses here in this verse to show

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us how secure it is.

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He first says that this inheritance is imperishable.

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And here he draws upon a picture from the military.

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In that day a place or a city would be said to be imperishable using this Greek term if

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an invading army could not conquer it.

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And so what Peter is saying is that though there are enemies in our lives, though we

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have the world to contend with, we have the flesh within us, we have the devil out there

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and all of his attacks against us, despite all of these enemies against us, we are imperishable

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with relation to our expectation, our hope.

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We cannot be conquered and overcome so that we lose out on that inheritance.

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It is imperishable.

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It cannot be destroyed by an enemy.

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Then secondly he seems to go to the world of manufacturing, particularly textile manufacturing,

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which was very important in that day.

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The manufacturing of textiles employed a lot of people, those who both made cloth and those

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who died cloth.

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And it's from that latter aspect of it that he draws this word undefiled because it literally

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means unstained.

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It means untainted with evil.

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He says that the inheritance that we have in Jesus Christ is not stainable with evil.

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It is a pure inheritance.

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There have been a few people who have received inheritance from family and they've given

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it all away.

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Why?

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Because it was tainted with sin.

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They didn't want sin money from their relatives.

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Because of the way that money was made, they looked upon it as stained with evil and turned

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from it, gave it away.

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That's something we never have to be concerned about when it comes to God's inheritance

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for us.

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It's pure.

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It's unstainable.

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We might put it this way that it has a heavenly scotch guard to it.

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It's undefiled.

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It's impervious to the stain of evil.

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Then he says thirdly, it's so secure that it will not fade away.

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And here he goes into the world of botany.

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He compares this inheritance to flowers.

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At that time, a person who would receive a reward or an award for perhaps even running

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a race or winning an athletic contest would receive a garland or a wreath of flowers.

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It would be a wonderful sign of his victory, what he had gained.

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The problem with it was that within a day or so, the thing wilted and fell apart.

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It didn't last very long.

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It faded.

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Now what it says here about our inheritance in Jesus Christ is that there is nothing that

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can cause it to be diminished.

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In beauty or in worth, it is secure.

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It will not fade away.

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And finally, he says, it is reserved in heaven for you.

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He goes, it seems, here to the banking industry or to the world of economics.

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He says that God has secreted away our inheritance.

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Not only is guarding it, he has laid it up on the shelf, so to speak, so that it's secure

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for us.

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Do you have something precious that you want to give to your children?

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Perhaps it's a family heirloom that's been passed down from generation to generation.

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What have you done with that while your children are small?

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Do you put it out on the coffee table?

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Only if you want to shed a lot of tears, no.

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You take that precious item and you lay it up.

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Maybe it's up somewhere in a closet or in a chest, perhaps it's the kind of thing you

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keep in a safe deposit box.

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But you put it someplace where it's reserved that future time for them.

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Now listen, that's what God has done with our inheritance.

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He has secured it in heaven for us.

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It is being guarded there so that no one can break through and steal it.

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There's no more strong language that Peter could employ to underscore the security of

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our destiny as God's children than that which he uses here.

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We have a hope that is secure.

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But notice it doesn't stop there.

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In verse 5 he goes on to say, you who are protected yourselves by the power of God.

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We too are shielded by the power of God.

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The word here was used again in the military.

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It meant to garrison a city roundabout.

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A city is going to be under attack so they would send a garrison of soldiers and they

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would surround the city so that it could not be broken into.

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That is the word that is used here.

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He says that we have been garrisoned about, protected by the power of God through faith.

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You say there's the clincher.

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Because if my faith fails, then God's garrison will disappear.

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Sorry, that's not what it says.

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What he's saying is that those who believe, Christians, are protected.

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My friend, if your faith fails somewhere down along the line, it means you were never saved.

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This was called the perseverance of the saints.

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Oh, there may be brief times when doubts arise.

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It happens with all of us.

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But a genuine Christian will not shun his faith and apostatize.

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He cannot do that.

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On his part, it's faith, ongoing faith, because he's a genuine child of God.

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That faith does not ultimately fail.

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What does that faith do?

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It secures him.

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It garrisons him around by the power of God.

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So Peter's picture really is this.

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Our inheritance is reserved for us in heaven, and we are guarded for it on the earth.

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Double protection, describing our hope that's secure.

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You and I can rejoice about that.

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As we pass through life, we may go through some tough times, but there's one thing we

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can count on, and that's the fact that our inheritance in Jesus Christ is being kept

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securely for us in heaven.

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Nothing can diminish it.

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It cannot be stolen.

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It does not fade away.

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An army cannot break through and destroy it.

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It is being reserved for us there.

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And you and I are as sure of being there with Jesus Christ on that day of our glorification

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as we are sure of being in this auditorium this morning.

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There's nothing in heaven, on earth, or in hell below which can keep us from receiving

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the hope that God has laid up for us as His born-again children.

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Now, there's a third reason why we have a right to celebrate that Peter talks about,

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and that is that we have a purpose that's significant.

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Notice in verse 6 he says, in this you greatly rejoice.

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That is what he just talked about.

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Even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.

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The distress he talks about here emphasizes mental anguish.

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The trials that he has in mind are probably not the typical kinds of things we think of

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as trials, but he's referring probably specifically here to persecution because that was the problem

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these people were facing.

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They were undergoing pressure from unbelievers because of their faith.

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00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:09,360
Peter says, look, you can celebrate, you can bless God because you have a purpose, you

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dear Christians, that's significant.

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00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:18,440
Now, as he talks about this purpose, he first reminds us that the trials we're facing are

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both transitory and necessary.

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By transitory I mean they're passing, and that's the way it is with persecution in particular.

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It comes in waves, that is so even in communist lands, it seems to become intense and then

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it's released for a while and then it comes back again in force.

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It's transitory, it passes with time.

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But let's suppose even if it didn't, all the years of our lives are nothing when compared

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to eternity.

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It's just a little while, as he says.

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And then the NASV, which I use, I think does not do this justice when it says if necessary

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because it seems that what Peter really is saying is that it is necessary.

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It is necessary that we face these kinds of experiences.

346
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Why?

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It's an important part of our preparation for our ultimate purpose.

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That preparation, he says, involves a process of proving our faith.

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00:27:27,060 --> 00:27:31,320
He compares our faith in verse 7 to gold.

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Gold perishes, that's the one way in which it's contrasted.

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But gold is precious and our faith, like gold, is precious to God.

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But gold has to be proved.

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It is taken to an assayer who determines its worth and then often to someone who works

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with metal.

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And he perhaps will take that gold ore and begin to heat it, put it under pressure.

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And as it begins to break down and to melt, the impurities rise to the surface.

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And so he takes some instrument and he wipes off those impurities.

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The dross is removed.

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And he does that over and over and over again.

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What is he looking for?

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He's looking for his face in the gold.

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That's how he tells if it's pure.

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If he sees his own reflection, he's satisfied that the preparation process has reached its

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end.

365
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The gold then can be used for whatever its intention is.

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Do you see how that parallels what you and I are experiencing in life?

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We are going through a proving process.

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God is testing our faith, not in the sense that He expects us sometimes to fail, not

369
00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:04,360
in the sense that there are some Christians who are going to come short.

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That's not what it means.

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He is testing our faith with the expectation that we're going to pass the test.

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His desire is to remove from our lives the impurities so that finally when the process

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is over he can look into your life and into mine and see his own likeness.

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That's the process of preparation.

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We're being prepared through that for our purpose.

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And that purpose is that in verse 7 we might be found to result in praise and glory and

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honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

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You've got to understand what he's saying there.

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Peter is saying there is a day coming when Jesus Christ is going to be unveiled, revealed

380
00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:11,080
to the world and to all of creation in His majesty and in His glory.

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Peter is telling you and me that on that day when He is revealed we too are going to be

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there and our purpose will be to bring praise and honor and glory to Jesus Christ.

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You say, how can we do that?

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We are going to be the object lessons so that as He perhaps tells of His mercy and His grace

385
00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:47,920
He will point to you and to you and to you and to me and say, look here is proof that

386
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I am abundant in mercy.

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Here is evidence of my grace and my patience and my love.

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See it here in these lives, this pure gold that has come out of the furnace.

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As you and I go through life it's not always roses and sweetness, is it?

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00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:18,260
There are tough times and there are some of you that are facing some very difficult times

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00:31:18,260 --> 00:31:19,260
right now.

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In the midst of that I want you to remember this third reason that you have to rejoice

393
00:31:28,540 --> 00:31:32,360
and that is you have a purpose that is significant.

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God is working in your life, in your circumstances right now so that one day He can bring you

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00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:50,120
before all the rest of creation to the praise and the honor and the glory of Jesus Christ.

396
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What a marvelous purpose God has in view for us.

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When we begin to understand what our destiny is, what God has in mind for us, that will

398
00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:03,960
cause us to celebrate.

399
00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:06,560
That's why we have a right to celebrate.

400
00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:11,640
You see we are a part of something that is bigger than ourselves.

401
00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:21,640
God's plan is to glorify Himself in a redeemed, renewed humanity and to populate a new heaven

402
00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:29,760
and new earth with a saved people and those people then will be the objects of admiration

403
00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:37,760
and wonder to all of the rest of His creation for all time to come showing His glorious

404
00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:41,560
grace, mercy and love.

405
00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:46,260
That's your destiny my friend.

406
00:32:46,260 --> 00:32:51,680
That brings us to our fourth cause for celebration.

407
00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:57,640
You and I have a right to celebrate because we have a joy that's superlative.

408
00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:00,320
Joy and happiness of course are contrasted.

409
00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:04,960
Happiness has to do with our happenings, our circumstances.

410
00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:08,280
Joy is a level above that.

411
00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:12,360
Joy is independent of our circumstances.

412
00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:19,680
That's why only a Christian can be joyous, truly joyous with the joy of Jesus Christ.

413
00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:22,920
There are really three facts that He seems to point out about our joy in verses eight

414
00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:23,920
and nine.

415
00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:27,760
One is that it's centered in the person of Jesus Christ.

416
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Our joy is not ours because of fellowship with other believers because sometimes that's

417
00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:36,420
not much fun.

418
00:33:36,420 --> 00:33:42,720
Our joy is not ours because of other people that we love or know or like to be with.

419
00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:50,040
Our joy is not ours because of position that we may have in the world or in the church.

420
00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:53,660
Our joy is our joy because of Jesus Christ.

421
00:33:53,660 --> 00:34:01,360
Four times you notice in verse eight He talks about Him, Him, Him, Him.

422
00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:10,140
And though we have never seen Him and do not now see Him, yet we love Him and we believe

423
00:34:10,140 --> 00:34:11,980
in Him.

424
00:34:11,980 --> 00:34:13,640
He is the focus.

425
00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:17,240
He is the center of our joy, Jesus Christ.

426
00:34:17,240 --> 00:34:21,320
It's because of Him that you and I can be joyous.

427
00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:25,880
That's why Paul said in Philippians, rejoice in the Lord always.

428
00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:29,320
Again I say, rejoice.

429
00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:30,320
Rejoice in the Lord.

430
00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:35,800
Secondly, he says that our joy is made a reality as we walk by faith.

431
00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:40,880
Why is it there are some Christians who do not know this joy that's focused and centered

432
00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:43,080
in Jesus Christ?

433
00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:47,280
Why are there some that look like they were weaned on pickle juice or soaked in sour

434
00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:48,280
lemonade?

435
00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:49,280
Why is that?

436
00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:51,280
And they're Christians.

437
00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:56,600
Well the answer is that they're not walking by faith.

438
00:34:56,600 --> 00:35:03,360
When we walk by faith that joy is a present experience and reality.

439
00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:11,260
He mentions in verse nine or verse eight rather, though you do not now see Him, you believe

440
00:35:11,260 --> 00:35:13,480
in Him.

441
00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:15,360
We walk by faith.

442
00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:17,360
It is unbelief.

443
00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:23,980
It is disobedience which robs us of joy, the joy that God wants us to experience.

444
00:35:23,980 --> 00:35:29,880
When I walk by faith I can see God's hand in my circumstances.

445
00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:33,640
I know He's there in the fog with me.

446
00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:42,440
That He's in the midst of my pressures walking with me, leading me along.

447
00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:47,400
By faith I know that and that joy therefore flows.

448
00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:48,960
It's a reality.

449
00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:53,480
Now the third thing he says about it is that it's the result of my knowledge that each

450
00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:55,880
day is bringing me closer to my hope.

451
00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:59,320
That's what verse nine says in essence.

452
00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:05,400
Meaning as the outcome that is the final issue or the result of your faith, the salvation

453
00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:06,400
of your soul.

454
00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:11,400
Soul's here in the Jewish sense, meaning the total person, not just the immaterial part

455
00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:12,400
of us.

456
00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:21,880
He's saying that the reason that we can have joy is in part knowing this, that every day

457
00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:26,420
I am getting closer and closer to realizing my hope.

458
00:36:26,420 --> 00:36:32,780
The outcome of my faith being with Jesus Christ and like Jesus Christ.

459
00:36:32,780 --> 00:36:39,240
Now is our salvation closer than when we first believed is essentially what Peter's suggesting

460
00:36:39,240 --> 00:36:40,240
here.

461
00:36:40,240 --> 00:36:47,880
And because every day is bringing me a step closer to that destiny, we rejoice.

462
00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,120
The superlatives that he uses here are amazing.

463
00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:52,280
He says you greatly rejoice.

464
00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:56,920
It means you enthusiastically, exultingly rejoice.

465
00:36:56,920 --> 00:36:59,240
It's a strong word.

466
00:36:59,240 --> 00:37:03,620
He says it is a joy inexpressible.

467
00:37:03,620 --> 00:37:10,860
The idea is there that it's a joy that is beyond the capacity to speak about.

468
00:37:10,860 --> 00:37:13,240
How do you put it into words?

469
00:37:13,240 --> 00:37:15,640
The joy that you have in Jesus Christ.

470
00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:19,800
And he says it's full of glory.

471
00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:22,760
Simply having been glorified.

472
00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:28,840
In other words, it's something that has been given to us from God.

473
00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:31,400
It is full of glory.

474
00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:36,120
The glory of the world passes and fades.

475
00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:38,480
People applaud and then leave the theater.

476
00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:40,860
They're gone.

477
00:37:40,860 --> 00:37:44,580
And the actor is left to his loneliness.

478
00:37:44,580 --> 00:37:51,560
The athlete gets his medallion and puts it up on the wall of his house but soon forgets

479
00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:53,920
it.

480
00:37:53,920 --> 00:38:01,080
The executive makes his position and then he retires and people forget who he is.

481
00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:05,080
My friend, the glory of this world is passing.

482
00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:13,280
But the joy that we have in Jesus Christ is ours because the glory we have in him is full.

483
00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:17,840
It's everlasting glory.

484
00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:20,160
So we have a lot to celebrate.

485
00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:26,080
There's no cause for us to be unhappy people.

486
00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:31,600
God has given us the right and the reason to celebrate.

487
00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:34,680
But with rights come responsibilities.

488
00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:38,720
And I guess if there's any problem I have with some of those who are demanding rights

489
00:38:38,720 --> 00:38:45,280
in our society it is that they forget that with rights come responsibilities.

490
00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:50,720
Families learn that because as children grow up and become teenagers, they receive more

491
00:38:50,720 --> 00:38:52,480
and more rights.

492
00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:58,800
But they have to learn that with those rights they have to also accept more responsibility.

493
00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:02,320
And then the time comes when they leave home and hopefully by that time the transition

494
00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:07,760
has been made so they understand their rights but they're able to balance those rights with

495
00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:12,040
what they have to fulfill as adults, being responsible people.

496
00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:14,400
And so it is with we believers.

497
00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:19,940
We have the right to celebrate but let's not forget the other side and that is that our

498
00:39:19,940 --> 00:39:25,580
celebration must bring us to the point of commitment.

499
00:39:25,580 --> 00:39:31,420
We must come full cycle on the thing so that with our rights we accept our responsibilities

500
00:39:31,420 --> 00:39:33,440
as well.

501
00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:38,240
Glory making in itself accomplishes nothing unless it brings us again to that point where

502
00:39:38,240 --> 00:39:44,000
we say, now what is my Lord's purpose for me and what does my commitment need to be

503
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:47,680
to that purpose?

504
00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:51,440
I can tell you what God's will and purpose is right now.

505
00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:54,440
It is really twofold.

506
00:39:54,440 --> 00:40:02,360
It is number one that he might call out from the world a people for himself.

507
00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:08,480
And secondly that he might then mature and develop those people within the context of

508
00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:12,840
a body, a church.

509
00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:14,320
That's his purpose.

510
00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:19,960
And the questions I want to ask in closing are related to what his purpose is.

511
00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:27,000
We celebrate what he's done for us but now what is he up to that we can join in on?

512
00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:34,320
Question number one, am I involved in helping people understand the gospel so that they

513
00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:39,680
can come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior?

514
00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:44,080
So that God can call them out to himself?

515
00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:47,940
Am I sharing the gospel with people?

516
00:40:47,940 --> 00:40:54,920
My celebration needs to bring me to that commitment or somehow I've missed the whole point in

517
00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:57,320
celebrating.

518
00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:05,440
Secondly, am I involved in my local church so that as people are called out by God and

519
00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:11,640
added to the body, I am a part of this whole thing of maturing them?

520
00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:14,000
Am I serving others in the body?

521
00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:15,640
Am I giving obediently?

522
00:41:15,640 --> 00:41:18,560
Am I investing my spiritual gifts?

523
00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:22,160
Am I personally maturing?

524
00:41:22,160 --> 00:41:26,720
In all of my celebrating, if I don't come back to answer that question of commitment

525
00:41:26,720 --> 00:41:32,540
to God's work in the local church, then somehow I've missed the point too.

526
00:41:32,540 --> 00:41:34,840
So folks, we have the right to celebrate.

527
00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:36,360
Praise God for that.

528
00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:43,500
But it brings us right back to the point of saying, Lord, now how can you use me?

529
00:41:43,500 --> 00:41:45,840
I'm your channel.

530
00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:47,000
What do you want me to be?

531
00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:49,240
What do you want me to do?

532
00:41:49,240 --> 00:41:52,440
Whatever it is, I'll do it.

533
00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:57,400
As we talk about the right to celebrate, that's the responsibility that I want to come back

534
00:41:57,400 --> 00:41:58,780
with.

535
00:41:58,780 --> 00:42:03,600
Are you willing to do whatever He says?

536
00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:05,560
Are you doing it?

537
00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:07,560
Let's pray.

538
00:42:07,560 --> 00:42:18,000
Heavenly Father, I thank you for Peter's reminder to us of why we can celebrate.

539
00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:25,280
My prayer is that we will come back full cycle in our own thinking to the point of commitment.

540
00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:32,040
As this has been a time of commitment for us in our own walk with you in various ways,

541
00:42:32,040 --> 00:42:38,840
as we've talked about our commitment in our giving, recognizing the final exam that's

542
00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:44,560
coming and the fact that we need to be making friends with the mammon of unrighteousness,

543
00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:51,000
as we were reminded two weeks ago, I pray that our commitment this morning would be

544
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:58,640
such that whatever else we've said during these last couple of weeks, we're saying

545
00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:03,920
to you this morning, whatever it is, Lord, I'll do it.

546
00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:10,440
Whatever the cost may be, Savior, I'm willing to pay it.

547
00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:19,120
I pray that we will today be sincerely and humbly, genuinely your channels.

548
00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:23,200
In Jesus' name, amen.

549
00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:31,520
I'd like us to close this morning by singing number 92, how I praise thee, precious Savior.

550
00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:33,780
There's the celebration.

551
00:43:33,780 --> 00:43:38,040
How I praise thee that thy love laid hold of me.

552
00:43:38,040 --> 00:43:42,080
Then it goes on in the chorus, channels only.

553
00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:45,080
Blessed Master, use me.

554
00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:48,600
Let's sing together the first verse in chorus of number 92.

555
00:43:48,600 --> 00:43:52,080
Let's stand as we sing.

556
00:43:52,080 --> 00:44:03,160
How I praise thee, precious Savior, that thy love laid hold of me.

557
00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:15,040
Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me, that I might thy channel be.

558
00:44:15,040 --> 00:44:30,520
Channels only, blessed Master, but with all thy wondrous power flowing through us.

559
00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:43,280
Thou canst use us every day and every hour.

560
00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:44,280
Let's bow together.

561
00:44:44,280 --> 00:44:50,240
I wonder if just quietly, without any accompaniment, we would sing that chorus once again.

562
00:44:50,240 --> 00:45:09,040
Channels only, blessed Master, but with all thy wondrous power flowing through us.

563
00:45:09,040 --> 00:45:22,160
Thou canst use us every day and every hour.

564
00:45:22,160 --> 00:45:28,720
Lord I pray that that may indeed be the experience of our lives this week, that we may see your

565
00:45:28,720 --> 00:45:36,980
blessed power flowing through us, using us every day and hour as channels to touch the

566
00:45:36,980 --> 00:45:46,640
lives of others and to put the impress of the love of Jesus Christ onto their lives.

567
00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:51,060
Thank you for the purpose for which you have called us and for the hope that is ours.

568
00:45:51,060 --> 00:45:57,800
Make us a rejoicing, celebrating people who are committed to your purpose and will in

569
00:45:57,800 --> 00:45:59,640
the world.

570
00:45:59,640 --> 00:46:07,400
In Jesus' name, amen.