Live in Trusting, Hoping Loving Fear of God

[0:00] If you would take your Bibles and go to the book of 1 Peter, or 1 Peter, chapter 1, if you're visiting with us, you can pull out that Bible and the chair in front of you, go towards the back and find page 180, you'll find 1 Peter, chapter 1, we're going to study verses 17 through 21, 17 through 21 this morning, 1 Peter, 1 Peter, chapter 1, 17 through 21, again, page 180 in that black Bible in the chair in front of you.

[0:48] I'm going to start reading in verse 13 and read through verse 21 so we get a little context here. Starting in verse 13, therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

[1:14] As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all conduct, because it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy.

[1:29] 17. And if you address as Father, the one who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your sojourning, knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood as of a lamb unblemished and spotless of Christ, who was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for your sake, you who, through Christ, believe in God, God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

[2:22] The title of the article was, Wake County Woman Vows Not to Live in Fear After Robbery. There's an article from August 5th.

[2:33] An 83-year-old woman who was robbed on her front porch in Raleigh says she will not live in fear after the incident.

[2:45] Betty Cox returned home after a trip to the grocery store and bank to find a man waiting for her. It was across the street. She pulled into her driveway, came to her front porch, and then when she got out, he said, don't worry about giving me the cash, just give me your purse.

[3:04] At gunpoint. That's what he did. Who wants to live in fear? I mean, do you want to live in fear? People want us to live in fear.

[3:18] People like it when some people live in fear. Do you want to live in fear of a terrorist attack? Do you want to live in fear of robbery? Nobody wants to live in fear.

[3:30] We want to live in safety. That's the opposite of living in fear. We want to live securely. The interesting part is that our passage this morning is going to encourage us to live in fear.

[3:50] That's the irony of it. By God's grace, Peter wants us to be wise, winsome, weirdos in this wicked world.

[4:03] And in our verses of 17 through 21, we're going to see how he calls us to live in trusting, hoping, fear of God. Trust in, or excuse me, live in trusting, hoping, fear of God.

[4:19] Live in fear. Trusting and hoping in God. We pull this out from verse 17 when he says, conduct yourselves in fear.

[4:30] We live in fear. We should live in fear of God. Fear meaning what? A holy fear or awe.

[4:44] Reverent fear. Irreverence of God. He's saying, let yourself have this type of conduct or this way of living or this behavior. He uses this word profusely.

[4:56] Conduct. Behavior. Use it earlier up in verses 13 through 16 that we looked at last week.

[5:07] Chapter 2, verse 18. Chapter 3, verse 2. Verse 14. Verse 15. How we live our lives. Live in fear. Holy reverence.

[5:19] It's not our persecutors we should fear. It's not our hardships we should fear. It's not our trials we should fear.

[5:31] We should fear God. None should trifle with God or presume upon Him. We will see in a moment His judgment is final.

[5:44] Matthew chapter 10. Jesus says, don't fear the one who can kill the body. Fear the one who can kill the body and the soul. Right? Fear is a good, proper attitude.

[6:01] It's a sign of a growing, mature, Jesus-centered, God-focused church. Jesus-centered, God-focused Christian. It's when you fear God.

[6:12] I put up on the screen for you, DT stands for Deuteronomy. Couldn't fit it on the thing. I decided to put DT. Deuteronomy.

[6:23] I have these verses. I'm going to read them for you. Notice the connection between fear and love in these verses. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

[6:41] Chapter 10, verse 12. Moses says, as God's spokesman. And now Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him.

[6:57] And to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Verse 20 and 21. You shall fear the Lord your God.

[7:08] You shall serve Him and cling to Him. And you shall swear by His name. He is your praise and He is your God who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.

[7:20] Chapter 11, verse 1. You shall therefore love the Lord your God and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments. Verse 22. For if you are careful to keep all this commandment which I am commanding you to do it, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and hold fast to Him.

[7:41] And then chapter 13, verse 4. You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him. And you shall keep His commandments. Listen to His voice. Serve Him and cling to Him.

[7:53] Why am I reading this? Because in our minds we put in polar opposites fear is here and love is here.

[8:04] Not so in God's Word. Not so in God's Word, Christian. When you fear the Lord, you love the Lord. When you love the Lord, you serve the Lord.

[8:14] When you serve the Lord, you cling to the Lord. When you cling to the Lord, you follow the Lord. When you follow the Lord, you fear the Lord. They all go together. He wants all of us.

[8:27] He wants us to have such a fear, reverence, awe of Him. And He wants your life to show that. Because you'll follow Him.

[8:38] You love Him. You will walk in His ways. One writer puts it like this. We quote, Consciously live in the presence of God.

[8:52] He's always with me. So Peter says fear. Live in fear. Live in trusting, hoping, fear of God.

[9:02] Where do we get the trusting? Where do we get the hoping? How are those things connected together? Let's expand that. The question first, why must we live in trusting, hoping, fear of God?

[9:13] Why? Five reasons that Peter gives us. Five reasons we should live in trusting, hoping, fear. Number one, because God is our Father. We have fellowship with Him, in other words.

[9:28] God is our Father. We have fellowship with Him. He says this in verse 17, starting in, if you address as Father, the one who judges impartially.

[9:39] What a privilege to call, the one and only true God, the very creator of the whole universe, Father. Paul says in Romans chapter 8, Galatians chapter 4, not just Father, but Daddy.

[9:59] Abba, Daddy, Father. Don't miss this intimate relationship we have as Christians with the living God.

[10:10] Father. Daddy. Now, you might say, I don't have fond thoughts of my Daddy.

[10:25] You might say, my earthly father was a jerk. My earthly father drank. My earthly father beat me up.

[10:37] My earthly father sexually abused me. And we relate our heavenly father to our earthly father. Not so. Not so.

[10:49] Because your heavenly father is perfect. Perfect in His love. Perfect in His justice. Perfect in His compassion. Perfect in His mercy.

[11:01] Perfect in His righteousness. Where there is abuse, sexual or physical abuse from the earthly father. Now it will never happen with your heavenly father. And with our earthly fathers, there's sin.

[11:17] I mean, ask my kids. We are sinners. Not so with your heavenly father. He is so perfect in everything.

[11:29] So as you are thinking about this, as your father, let the scriptures rise up and show you this is the father. This is your father.

[11:42] Perfect in His love for you through Christ. Perfect in His justice. Perfect in His righteousness. Perfect in His mercy and compassion. Perfect in every way.

[11:52] This is the father we're speaking of. And so that our passion is to please our father in daily conduct.

[12:04] Our passion is to fear Him and His word. Our passion is to be confident that we've been bought with a huge price to now live a life that demonstrates our love for Him.

[12:16] Because He's our father. So we live in a trusting, hoping, fear of God first because He's our father. Second, because God is the impartial judge the next part of verse 17 we are accountable to Him.

[12:36] He's our father. He's the judge. We have fellowship with Him. We are accountable to Him. Peter says you address as father the one who impartially judges according to each man's work.

[12:52] He starts with if. Really you can translate as since. He's our father and He's the one who judges. He judges. He's the one who judges impartially in action without any reference to rank or status.

[13:08] He doesn't show partiality. God the Father is the one who judges impartially according to each person's work. All will be judged according to their deeds.

[13:23] Jesus says this in Matthew chapter 11. Revelation chapter 20 were judged according to our deeds. So Peter's saying since we call God our Father we should remember His character as our Father and the judge.

[13:39] not allowing in His schemes for evil. He doesn't play favorites but judges according to one's deeds.

[13:50] It's good to have a healthy fear of our Heavenly Father because He's the judge. We take this seriously. Not flippantly. It's good to have a healthy fear.

[14:05] It's good to have a reverential awe. There's a reverential awe that we have for these thunderstorms. For the lightning that strikes. Maybe for some of you it might be terror.

[14:19] But if anything aside from the terror there's a certain sense of awe that we have of these storms. A sense of awe that we have looking at the stars at the Grand Canyon.

[14:29] There's a certain awe that we have. We should have that awe with our Father because He's our Father and He's the judge. It's a privilege to be a part of God's family invoking Him as Father.

[14:44] But it must not lead to presumption or some flippant attitude. If you invoke upon the one who judges as Father don't just ignore His character because He's the judge you should fear Him.

[15:03] Notice Peter says you do this you conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay or your sojourning. In other words your temporary residence.

[15:17] We have not been granted full citizenship rights in this world because we are not of this world. That's why we're weirdos.

[15:29] All of us as Christians we are illegals. We don't belong to this world. So if we don't belong to this world the rewards and or punishments are ultimately not important.

[15:48] What is important is our relationship with God. look if we recognize the fact that this life is temporary we will be better able to live in this world in light of our Father's impartial ultimate judgment and the finality of eternity.

[16:09] We live for the things the stuff of this world and we don't have an eternal mindset an eternal outlook on things. Peter is trying to tell us we should live in fear because God is the one who judges he's our Father and this is just a temporary place for you.

[16:29] This is not our home. He is the judge. He's the Father our Father. He's the judge.

[16:41] That's the second reason. Third reason we should live in trusting hoping fear of God God provided redemption in Jesus. We're free by Him.

[16:54] We have relationship we're accountable and we're free. Starting in verse 18 God provided redemption in Jesus Christ knowing the rationale for this reverent behavior you can almost say because you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers.

[17:26] See fearing our God and Father of the universe is based on deep joyful gratitude for what He's done. It's a great cost of redemption.

[17:39] redemption We're not terrified but awe inspired awe thankful to God but we haven't been redeemed by perishable things He says decaying things like silver or gold almost a couple weeks ago I was driving and you could see a little sign right there of Main Street and 89A kind of going this way to 260 and they show the price of gold and it was $1,844 an ounce man $1,850 an ounce so yeah something like this you got like 20 grand in your hand right or I don't know silver was like 35 bucks 40 bucks which that's still pretty good right and Peter's like it's decaying that stuff's perishable we're not ransomed by corrupting transitory items like silver or gold those are things that the world that's important to them not so for us because we're not of this world right these elements are perishable but the precious blood of Jesus

[19:02] Christ that's imperishable you were not redeemed the word means ransomed the Old Testament usage of this word is in reference to the freedom from Egyptian slavery in the book of Exodus they were redeemed out of Egypt they were ransomed out of Egypt for the Greeks slaves were redeemed in the marketplace even prisoners of war were redeemed it's to pay a price to pay a debt that's owed and it's this ransom from sin that motivates us to fearful living we're ransomed from sin here Peter's saying you've been redeemed from sin or literally he says from your futile way of life a perishable like our pointless fruitless life before Christ you've been redeemed out of this perishable worthless frivolous habits of life from one sphere of sinful patterns to a sphere of obedience to God you've been redeemed out of that you've been ransomed out of that the debt has been paid for you we've been redeemed from the bondage of a sinful way of life to the freedom of worshiping

[20:37] God we have been freed and then he says things or a way of life inherited from your forefathers maybe he's talking about family customs certain pagan or unethical practices and violation of holy living in comparison to the glorious gospel these things have no hope these things have no value but verse 19 you've been redeemed with precious blood the strong contrast with precious highly respected highly valued blood spotless brainless like a lamb it's of Christ he's talking about Jesus death it's Jesus death and the saving aspects to his death it's by his death that we as Christians have been rescued out of this sinful way of life it's a new way a changed way we're going from this sinful pattern of life we've been redeemed we've been ransomed out of this slavery to sin and now we're freed to live a life that worships

[21:55] God to live a life that fears God we have been purchased the debt has been paid to bring us out of slavery into freedom freedom to have God as our father to have grace forgiveness compassion mercy salvation God's grace to us in the gospel motivates us moves us to fearfully love and worship our God that's what he's saying God is your father God is the judge and God is our redeemer notice he's contrasting this not silver and gold but blameless no defect without stain was this lamb so he's trying to tell us he's trying to stress the absolute moral perfection of

[23:01] Jesus as the sacrifice Hebrews chapter 9 verse 14 how much more will the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish to God cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God Jesus was is the perfect sacrifice now Peter could be referring to the Passover lamb in the Old Testament he could be referring to all the many requirements in the Old Testament of a lamb for the many different sacrifices either way he's showing the comparison between wealth gold and silver and the person's life Jesus Christ giving his life for sinners as the ransom and just by the way the ransom was not paid to

[24:03] Satan but to God the Father the man was payment for sin and that payment is either the death of his eternal son or physical conscious torment in hell it was only Jesus blood or his death that can pay for our redemption there is no other way it's it's either or it's either you are here and you have turned from your sin and put all your trust in Jesus Christ who lived died and rose from the dead that's the only payment or you will suffer for eternity in eternal torment in hell there's no other way God shows his grace to sinners at the cross of

[25:03] Christ the ransom is paid and if you're here and you're not a follower of Jesus that's that's a message to you that you would turn from your sin and put your trust in Jesus Christ why would it cost eternity in hell why would it do that the cost for sin is infinite because we violated an infinite God thus to violate an infinite God by sin makes our sin infinite and therefore deserves infinite punishment that's why sin becomes infinite because you violated an infinite God so it requires an infinite punishment unless you repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ because Jesus exhausted the wrath of God for sinners in their place so you can be free today you can be ransomed today if you turn from sin and put your trust in

[26:08] Jesus the cost to ransom was huge ginormous so you have living in fear trusting hope in fear God is our father he's the judge he's our redeemer reason number four God purposed redemption for us we we are privileged through him we are privileged through him verse 20 lamb unblemished and spotless of Christ who was foreknown before the foundation of the world but has appeared in these last times for your sake having been known before the foundation of the world same word that's used in chapter 1 verse 2 that we were based upon the foreknowledge of God elected it was the father's predetermined plan in his divine will to have

[27:15] Jesus be the perfect sacrifice for his people as he predetermined people to save them he predetermined Jesus Christ to be the one to save them it was his sovereign volition his sovereign will God deliberately did this he acted and determined Jesus role Peter contrasts Christ's recent appearance with his election in eternity past which tells us Jesus preexisted before the universe was created this gives us evidence of Jesus deity notice he says foreknown before the foundation of the world but now or has appeared in these last times he's now been made known in these last days at his incarnation Jesus coming has inaugurated the last days we are in the last days this is the climax of the times and notice he says in these last times for your sake for the benefit of

[28:30] Peter's readers and really for us he's done that for us so you have here so many different aspects how God has done this for us our position before God as he's our father our privileged status by his grace we're redeemed our place in God's plan here in verse 21 and then we're going to see in verse 21 as well our hope for future which is his resurrection this strengthens us in our weak times this strengthens us in our hard times this strengthens us when we're being persecuted this strengthens us when we're facing trials this strengthens us when we're facing difficulties for your sake notice how the gospel is very personal one writer puts it like this the goal of the gospel is intensely personal because God is the gospel it's about having a real personal loving gracious enjoyable relationship with the living God that's what

[29:47] Christianity is and it happens through the Lord Jesus Christ what a privilege that God did this in our behalf this is why it's called grace undeserved favor so he's our father he's the judge he redeemed us he planned this redemption fifth reason number five to have trusting hope fear of God number five God raised Jesus from the dead we're confident in him Jesus was raised from the dead by God the father so we are confident in him from verse 20 he's appeared in these last times for your sake you who through Jesus that's him means Jesus not God grammatically he's talking about Jesus who through Jesus you believe in God we now rely upon

[30:53] God the father through Jesus we trust in Jesus Christ and when you trust in Jesus Christ you're really trusting God when you're trusting God you're trusting Jesus Christ you can't have one without the other it's like having a Reese's peanut butter cup without peanut butter that's just impossible you're not going to do that nor would you eat that you would be offended at least I would be you can't have peanut butter without the chocolate for Reese's peanut butter cup and so you cannot have God without Jesus Christ Jesus Christ without God through Jesus Christ in verse 19 that he mentions we believe in God the father Jesus death and resurrection is the basis of trusting God because God raised Jesus from the dead and gave him glory notice what he says who through him you believe in God God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so faith is directed to God the father through the

[31:54] Lord Jesus Christ and the father raised and gave Jesus glory so what is he trying to say here what's he trying to communicate to his readers here and to us in Jesus resurrection the father demonstrated his power to raise the dead and thus he's able to raise us when we die and glorify us no matter how oppressed hurt shamed abused hated demoralized persecuted harassed or afflicted we are no matter you can have confidence in God you can have confidence in him that's why we sing the song when trials come no longer fear for in the pain our God draws near to fire faith worth more than gold and there his faithfulness is told and there his faithfulness is told and notice how he ends verse 21 so that the result is what the result is your faith and hope are in God notice how he's connecting faith trust hope in God connecting that with fearing living in fear of

[33:30] God so we fear God we fear God we trust God as we trust God we hope in God as we hope in God we love God we love God we fear God the consequence of God raising Jesus from the dead and giving him glory is that faith and hope are directed towards God this whole section is focusing our attention upon God the Father and our lives in reference to him how we live in reference to him how we live in connection to him in our relationship with him based upon what he has done for us in Jesus we have confident anticipation that he can and will do exactly what he has promised he'll resurrect us as we suffer and struggle with the things of this life our hope will never lie in the now but in

[34:35] God and his power since he raised and exalted Jesus so that as Jesus was raised from the dead you will be raised from the dead we're confident in God so the God whom we should fear as judge is also the one whom we should trust as our savior because he planned this redemption before anything was created sent his son for our sake to die to pay the ransom price he was raised from dead and glorified by God the father so he is the one whom we place our hope and our trust there's a synopsis of what Peter's saying one writer puts it like this quote the God whom Christians fear is also the God whom they trust forever end quote the God whom we fear excuse me is the one whom we trust forever he redeemed us demonstrated his love for us and his promise to resurrect us just as he resurrected

[35:38] Christ if our father has redeemed us through the death of his son we can trust him that he will resurrect us since he gave us such great grace and mercy it motivates us it moves us to fearful love God is our trust in the present he's our hope for the future live in fear contrary to what the world tells you we live in fear trusting hoping loving fear of God not fearing them we fear God help us father fear the difficulties that we face in this life the hardships and trials that we face help us to live in fear trusting hoping loving fear of you and we trust in you through the

[36:50] Lord Jesus Christ we trust him if you would at this time take a few moments to ponder what we've seen in God's word we'll have a few moments silence for you to be able to ponder and think what we've seen here in Peter's letter to his readers to us take a few moments to ponder to think and after that we'll do our time of giving to worship the Lord and giving we'll worship him and singing two more songs together and we'll have our closing prayer just take a few moments and ponder what we've seen in God's word thanks guys to m and please thank you