[0:00] we read from Luke's gospel a little earlier and we saw that Peter was one of the first eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ it radically changed and transformed his life he went bringing the good news of that resurrection to others and he wrote a letter to churches who needed encouragement and needed help so keep your Bibles open please at 1 Peter chapter 1 we're just going to be looking at a few verses 3 and 4 and we'll be reading them in just a minute let's pray together father we thank you for your word we thank you for your truth that has been written down recorded for us today written so that we can read and hear good news encouragement and help for our life today so father we pray that you would speak to us afresh and fill us with living hope we ask this in Jesus name amen so on a scale of 1 to 10 how hopeful are you as tensions increase between Russia and Europe as wars intensify between Israel and Palestine as the nations align themselves to world powers how hopeful are you that we can regain peace or as climate patterns change causing floods and famine as migration expands and displacement grows as the people of the world scramble for a better life how hopeful are you that we can turn things around well let's bring it a little bit closer to home as we face our own health concerns as we cope with broken relationships as we live with ongoing struggles and the fear of failing as we face disappointments of broken dreams and unfulfilled desires how hopeful are you that you can change it all on a scale of 1 to 10 how much hope do you have well the world's answer is hope lies within us just dig deep and you will discover that untapped potential that lies within you with just the right motivation and hope you can change your life and you can change the world well sorry to burst your bubble because no matter how hopeful we might be we can't seem to change our life never mind trying to change the world you see the greatest threat to our hope for a better world is in here the various sins that continue to flow and bubble out from the human heart greed and lies hatred and injustice corruption and racism and revenge and selfishness all these things come from within we humanity is the problem you see if we were to remove every human being from the face of this earth well yes things would change dramatically it would be a very peaceful place but that's not really an option is it it doesn't sound very hopeful but there is a solution there is an answer there is resurrection hope let's read verses 3 and 4 of chapter 1 praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in his great mercy he has given us new births into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish spoil or fade this inheritance is kept in heaven for you the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is our only source of true hope and it's God's hope for the world you see the resurrection brings life out of death it provides a new beginning and a fresh start it guarantees joy and peace forever now before we look at the hope of the resurrection we need to understand what we mean by the resurrection of Jesus Christ because people can be confused about this so what do we mean by the resurrection well first the resurrection is a historical event it is the true account of Jesus Christ who lived who died who was buried and was raised again from the dead you see
[6:20] Jesus Christ was fully human just like us he wasn't a spirit floating around or some apparition he was a physical human being who needed food to eat and drink and needed to sleep and as a human being he went through the pain of death and the agony of death his vital organs gave up Jesus stopped breathing Jesus physically died but yet he also experienced being raised to life after three days of being dead and buried he breathed again his lungs filled with oxygen his heart began to beat his nervous system began to kick in and he physically and bodily walked out of a tomb the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a unique literal historical event that took place almost 2000 years ago but how do we know it is true well it's not just a historical event it's a proven fact it's not made up do you remember your reading that we had in Luke's gospel chapter 24 when the women they weren't expecting any resurrection and when they told the men they said they were like nonsense nobody expected it nobody knew it was coming it's not made up let me give you the main piece of evidence the eyewitness accounts like those women and the men who followed after
[8:20] Peter Williams is a New Testament scholar and in his little book called Can We Trust the Gospels he's grouped together all the eyewitness accounts and he records it like this you can follow on screen this is what he says the resurrected Jesus is recorded as appearing in Judea and in Galilee in town and countryside indoors and outdoors in the morning and in the evening by prior appointment and without prior appointment close and distant up on a hill and down by a lake to groups of men and to groups of women to individuals and to groups of up to 500 when he was sitting and standing walking and eating and always talking can so many diverse eyewitness accounts be wrong you see the resurrection of Jesus
[9:33] Christ from the dead is not wishful thinking it's not the kind of hope where I say I hope I'm going to win the lotto or I hope the weather is going to be nice tomorrow no resurrection hope is the sure and certain rock solid foundation on which all of us can build our life it is the unique and literal truth that saves us from the crushing weight of our own broken lives so as we look at first Peter we're going to look at three things that the resurrection of Jesus Christ brings to us it'll change your past your present and your future it brings new birth living hope and eternal inheritance so three things the resurrection brings to us first it brings new birth look at the middle of verse 3 in his great mercy
[10:47] God has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead physically all of us here this is a fact we were all born once right do you remember it probably not but you were but no one is ever born a second time that's impossible you can't re-enter the womb of your mother however God gives us a new birth a new spiritual birth we are given a new life a new start a new beginning something that we all long for you see through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead we have a new birth well how does that happen well
[11:48] I'm going to turn to Romans you can follow on screen or you can turn to it Romans chapter 6 I'm just going to read a couple of verses there this will help us to understand how we can have new birth because of the resurrection chapter 6 verse 4 we were therefore buried with him that's with Jesus through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the father we too may live a new life for if we have been united with him in a death like his we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his through faith in Jesus
[12:50] Christ which was expressed through baptism we are united to Jesus that means his life becomes my life so when Christ died I can say I also died when Christ was raised I can say I was also raised you see just as God gave life to the dead body of Jesus so God has given to us new life in Jesus his life is now my life I now live a new way let's go back to first Peter with that in mind you see all that means is that my past is now covered it has been dealt with through the death of Christ all my sins have been punished in
[14:04] Christ and all my sins have now been forgiven by Christ my past can no longer be held over me or against me it is now dead and buried with Christ and now I have been raised up to live a new life with Christ and for Christ just as God gave life to the dead body of Jesus just as Jesus walked out of the tomb and lives forever more so God gives us new life a fresh start a new beginning we can now walk a new way by the power of the spirit you see through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead I am given new birth my past is covered over well not only do we have new birth we also have living hope did you see it there in verse 3 in his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of
[15:30] Jesus Christ from the dead you see the new birth is just the start it's just the beginning but our fear is is that somehow we're going to wreck and destroy the new life that Christ has given us that my ongoing sin and my failure is going to somehow crash and burn the fresh start that he gave me we live with this overwhelming concern that we're not going to be able to live up we're not going to be able to keep going but look what it says in verse 3 he has given us new birth into a living hope not a dead hope but a living hope hope you see just as Jesus now lives my hope lives just as Jesus will never die again so our hope is never ever going to die this new beginning the fresh start this new birth goes and lives forever you see through the resurrection of Jesus
[16:45] Christ from the dead we have a living hope let me show you how this works just go forward to chapter 3 verse 21 chapter 3 and verse 21 down at the second part of verse 21 again he's been talking about baptism which is an outward expression of our faith and how that faith saves you so it saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand with angels authorities and powers in submission to him so when Christ rose from the dead he ascended into heaven and the risen Lord is now in the position of absolute power and supreme authority he has power over everyone and everything as it says in verse 22 all peoples everything authorities and powers submit to him so Jesus is risen into a position of all power and authority for you his power is living and active and it's ensuring that your hope will remain now all of this means that your present hope is secure we have a living hope that cannot be taken from us go back to chapter one verse five because his power is at work for us look at verse five who through faith are shielded by
[18:59] God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time our new life is guarded our hope is secure just as a bank secures its treasure in a deep vault down into the bottom and puts a great big safe around it and puts guards and all the protection that is there so in a sense we are shielded by God's power the very power that raised Christ from the dead is now a power at work to keep you and secure you now that doesn't mean to say nothing bad is going to happen to you we will face all kinds of trials and temptations but nothing and no one no outside force no personal failure can ever destroy your hope not even your sin not any suffering not even
[20:06] Satan himself can rip you or take you from your living hope you see through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead we have a living hope so new birth living hope and third an eternal inheritance what happens when we die because that day will one day come won't death destroy our new birth when death visits us won't it take our living hope absolutely not read with me verse three and four again in his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of
[21:11] Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish spoil or fade do you see that unbroken progression we're given new birth into a living hope and into an eternal inheritance through the resurrection of Christ from the dead in fact we have an inheritance verse four that is never going to perish spoil or fade through the risen Jesus we have an eternal life to come how does that happen how could that possibly be true for you and for me well through the resurrection Jesus Christ destroyed the grave through the resurrection Jesus Christ crushed death to death death has been defeated it has been obliterated it has no hold or power over to you if you are trusting in
[22:25] Christ just as Christ rose physically and bodily from the dead so one day we will rise physically and bodily from the dead this new birth this living hope is just the beginning of something that will never ever end do you see what it says in verse four it will never perish it will never spoil it will never fade can you imagine what that will be a world untouched by the pain and heartache of death a world unspoiled by selfish evil actions of people a world that is unfading through the course of time and seasons this is our resurrection hope death will be no more evil will be banished suffering will be removed our future is assured because
[23:45] Jesus is alive nothing and no one can take it from us why well look at the end of verse four this inheritance is kept in heaven for you it's kept for you you may have had the experience of having to write out your will your last will and testament a legal and binding document sealed until the day of your death when it will be opened and it will all be revealed to the inheritor well our eternal inheritance has been sealed and secured by the resurrection of Jesus it is kept for us no one and nothing can take it from us one day when the risen Lord Jesus returns we will experience our new birth and living hope in all its fullness heaven has been kept for you and you are kept for heaven you see through the resurrection of
[24:58] Jesus Christ from the dead we have an eternal inheritance so let me ask is this your hope is this your hope today have you experienced resurrection hope this rock solid foundational truth on which you can build your life today and forever the resurrection of Jesus Christ alone gives you new birth that covers all your past it gives you a living hope that secures all your present and it gives you an eternal inheritance that assures and guarantees your future is this your hope well this hope is ours today because have you noticed what we've been saying all along the middle of verse three in his great mercy he has given us he has gifted you new birth living hope and an eternal inheritance what you do to earn this what you have to do to have this in his great mercy he doesn't treat us as our sins deserve he gives us the gift of the resurrected
[26:49] Christ received by faith and kept for all eternity the resurrection of Jesus Christ is your gift today trust him believe him and he will hold you fast today and forever more let's pray praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ in his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish spoil or fade this inheritance is kept in heaven for you thank you
[28:04] God thank you father thank you Jesus thank you spirit for life today amen I heart you you I you you I, you you