The Good News

[0:00] Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 1.

[0:12] ! Let's pray.

[0:46] Father, what a privilege we have this morning to look into your Word together. Father, we acknowledge, O Lord, our inadequacy.

[1:03] We ask, Father, that by your Holy Spirit that you would speak to your people what you would have them to hear and in a manner that you would wish them to hear it.

[1:19] Let your Word, O Father, accomplish that which you would have it to achieve. And, Father, we pray that your Word would find fertile soils in the hearts of your people.

[1:41] It will cause us, O Lord, to remember that which we will hear today. In the name of Jesus we pray.

[1:55] Amen. Amen. Amen. 1 Peter chapter 1. The topic this morning is the good news.

[2:10] The good news. The goal of our message this morning is quite simple. The goal of our message is this, in a sentence.

[2:21] It's to show that in the midst of life's challenges, in the midst of life's challenges, and even our failings, our own failings, we, believers, can find unimaginable peace and inexpressible joy in our salvation.

[2:48] No matter what our circumstances, we can find unimaginable peace and inexpressible joy in our salvation.

[3:31] Let's read now 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 3 through 12. This is what Peter writes to the church. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[3:45] According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

[4:01] To an inheritance, an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.

[4:14] He says further, it is kept in heaven for you. What about you?

[4:25] Who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed at the last time.

[4:37] In verse 6, He continues, In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

[5:15] Verse 8, Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.

[5:41] Obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Then in verse 10, He continues, Concerning this salvation, concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours, searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.

[6:27] It was revealed to them, that is to the prophets, that they were serving not themselves, but you, in the things that have now been announced to you, through those who preached the good news to you, by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.

[6:53] things into which angels long to look. Angels long to look. Let me read verse 12 again.

[7:05] It was revealed to them, that is to the prophets, that they were serving not themselves, not themselves as they prophesied, as they inquired.

[7:16] They were serving not themselves, but they were serving you, in the things that have now been announced to you, through those, through the things that have now been announced to you, through those who preached the good news, who preached the good news to you, who preached the good news to you, by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.

[7:41] Things into which angels long to look. The good news. Well, it seems no matter, where we turn these days, the news of the day is, bad.

[8:01] It's bad news. Everywhere. In Haiti, 1,000 people, died during the passage of Hurricane Matthew. Another headline, Man shot, man found, shot, dead.

[8:19] Another headline, Syrian rebels launch, Aleppo offensive to break siege. And I could go on and on and on, talking about the bad news, that we read about nationally, and internationally, as well, on a daily basis.

[8:42] But then we have bad news, even in our personal lives. In our personal lives, we have bad news. The death of a loved one.

[8:54] Perhaps a diagnosis that we did not expect, or the loss of a job, a relational issue. Bad news. For many, it seems, that life is a web of bad news.

[9:15] The mindful of life's challenges. The Apostle Peter, in 1 Peter, chapter 1, writes, the good news, about the good news, to a persecuted church, that no doubt, needed to hear some good news.

[9:37] This persecuted church, needed to hear, some good news. Peter writes, the good news to them. Have you ever been like that? Have you ever been in a, state where, you just said to yourself, I really need to hear, some good news today.

[9:56] Things have been so depressing, I can't take any more, bad news. enough. I need some, good, good, news today.

[10:11] Lord, let, this thing that, she's going to tell me today, let it be good news. I can't take no more, bad news. I'm weighed down, by the bad news.

[10:22] Well, the first recipients, of Peter's letter, believed to be, to have been Greeks, who, lived just north, west of Syria.

[10:35] They were being persecuted, and lived, in constant fear, because of their faith. It was not easy, for them at all. They were, being persecuted, and they were being, looked down, upon, in the marketplace.

[10:56] And wherever they went. Therefore, Peter writes, to encourage them. He writes, to encourage, these, people, who he loved.

[11:13] And by extension, he writes, to encourage, us. Notice, that Peter, doesn't write to them, to remove themselves, from these, bad circumstances.

[11:25] He didn't say, go somewhere else. He didn't tell them, to do that. But he told them, in these verses, that we read, to take hold, of the, awesome realities, of, their, salvation.

[11:43] So, take hold of it. Understand it. Understand what it means. Understand, what the good news means. Have you ever had, something in your hand, something that was, precious, but you didn't know, its full value.

[12:00] Perhaps, you've had, something somebody, gave to you, and it took weeks, maybe years, for you to, understand its value. Or maybe, never did. Well, Peter says, to these people, listen, you've got to, understand, the value, of the good news.

[12:16] The value, of your salvation. Peter does this, by sharing, with them, good news. Good news, of the good news.

[12:28] The good news, is, good news, indeed. You cannot, take, in the words, of Peter. You can't take, in the words, these words, of Peter, and not be, incredibly, affected.

[12:44] It's just, not possible. It's not possible. And I pray, that, I pray, that as we go, through this message, you come, to appreciate that.

[12:54] I can tell you, I can tell you, as I was preparing, this message, I've had the privilege, to preach, on a number of occasions. But I've never, been, this affected, by a message, in my entire life.

[13:09] In fact, I found it, very difficult, to complete this message. Because every time, I went back to it, and I saw a Jew, and the Lord, I couldn't write it down, because it was just, so fantastic, what was being revealed, in these words.

[13:26] As I began, to understand, the good news. This precious, salvation, that you and I have, even in the most, difficult, of circumstances, that we have.

[13:43] No doubt, like, Peter's, original audience, we need, some good news. Perhaps, for different reasons.

[13:53] Perhaps, for different reasons. I don't know, what your situation, your circumstance is. I don't know, your particular difficulty. The reason, does not matter.

[14:05] It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter, what the reason is. Today, we will explore, the good news, by examining, seven, of its constituents, that Peter mentions, in this passage, that we, read.

[14:27] Let's begin, our exploration, of the good news, and hope, that like Peter's, first audience, you will find it, to be good news, indeed.

[14:39] Peter provides, for us, a number, of practical implications, of the good news.

[14:50] In other words, Peter helps us, to see, how the good news, affects, what affects us, and in so doing, inspires us.

[15:02] we'll start, with the end, of the passage, verse, that we read, to draw out, our first observation, about, the good news.

[15:14] But before we do that, before we do that, it is important, for us to understand, a few things, about this term, good news, as found, in scripture. You will be aware, that the term, gospel, gospel, which in Greek, I am told, is, you, angelion, you angelion, which means, good news, and is derived, from the word, angelos, which means, messenger.

[15:50] Now, I don't know, anything about Greek, at all. In fact, I had to, consult with my brother, Shambi. I have read, that in classical Greek, euangelios, was a, messenger, who brought, a message, of victory, that produced joy.

[16:15] A message, of victory, that produced joy. Indeed, in Isaiah, chapter 52, verse 7, Isaiah writes, this about the messenger.

[16:26] Of the messenger, of the Lord. He writes, how beautiful, upon the mountains, are the feet, of him, who brings, good news, who publishes, peace, who brings, good news, of happiness, who publishes, salvation, who says, to Zion, your God, reigns.

[16:50] Beautiful, upon the mountains, are the feet, of him, who brings, good news, who publishes, peace, who brings, good news, of happiness, who publishes, salvation, who says, to Zion, your God, reigns.

[17:05] In a sentence, the good news is this, the good news is this, God has provided, a way of salvation, through his, crucified, son, to everyone, who, believes.

[17:19] That's the good news, in a sentence. God has provided, a way, of salvation, through his, crucified son, to everyone, who believes.

[17:32] I wish now, for us to consider, these attributes, or outgrowths, if you will, of the good news, that Peter writes about. Now, as we consider these, as we consider these seven, I want us, to take account of them, not from a, scholarly perspective, that's not what we're doing, but from the position, that, they are, to serve, as, antidotes, to life's challenges.

[18:06] That's like a, it's like a medicine. Got a challenge, you can take one of these. That's the point. to serve as, antidotes, to life's challenges.

[18:20] I wish that they would, gladden our hearts, during periods of, weariness. As we consider these, I wish that they would, heighten our, eagerness, to see Jesus.

[18:33] And as we consider them, I wish that they would, draw us closer, to our Savior. Peter, by the hand of, Silvanus, writes here, in these words, that we read, what one scholar says, is the best, written, Greek, in the New Testament.

[19:00] Beautiful words, to inspire us, to live by. Grab a hold, of these words. Your life, be different. Grab a hold, of these, words.

[19:16] First point, I wish to make, as we draw out, these 12 verses, in, 1 Peter, chapter 1.

[19:30] The good news, is historic. The good news, is historic. Here is what Peter, writes in verses, 10 through 12, concerning this salvation.

[19:41] The prophets, who prophesied, about the grace, that was to be yours, searched, and inquired, carefully. Inquiring, what person, or time, the spirit of Christ, in them, was indicating, when he, predicted, the sufferings, of Christ, and the subsequent, glories.

[20:01] It was revealed, to these prophets, that they were serving, not themselves, but you, and the things, that have now, been announced, to you, through those, who preached, the good news, to you, by the Holy Spirit, sent from heaven.

[20:18] Things, into which, angels, long to look. The significance, significance, the importance, the value, of the good news, is demonstrated, by the fact, that long, before its manifestation, years, hundreds of years, before, its manifestation, prophets, searched, and prophesied, about it, and angels, long to look into it.

[20:49] This is serious stuff. It's a big deal. The good news, is historic, in the sense, that all, that in, all of humanity, history, points to it.

[21:08] The entirety, of humanity, from the beginning, until now, history, points to the good news. There is nothing, in life, that is more important.

[21:19] Indeed, the entirety, of the Old Testament, is about, the revelation, of Jesus Christ, who is the author, of the good news.

[21:34] All of the Old Testament, points, to Jesus Christ. It, is, historic. In Genesis, we know, we learn, that he is the, offspring, of the woman, who would bruise, the head of the serpent.

[21:54] In Psalm, he is the, crucified, Savior. In Exodus, he is, our, sacrificial lamb. In Isaiah, he is, the lamb, that was, slaughtered, and the one, who bore, our griefs, carried our sorrows, and was, stricken by God.

[22:13] And in Zechariah, he is, the righteous king, having salvation. He is, the humble one.

[22:26] The one, who is, mounted on a donkey. All of the, New Testament, all of them, all of the prophets, announcing, the good news.

[22:37] It gotta be, something special. Gotta be, something special. These men of old, would, not themselves, take hold of the good news, Peter writes to us. But they spent a lifetime, looking into it.

[22:50] And look at what Peter writes, to the church, under seas, under seas, remember now, this church, is under seas, and Peter is encouraging them. And he is saying to them, look at what you have.

[23:02] Look at what you now have. You've got something, that these men and women, could only, prophesy about. They looked into it.

[23:13] They spent a lifetime, thinking about it. And he says, Peter writes further, concerning, this salvation, the prophets, who, prophesied about, the grace, that was to be yours, and by extension, ours.

[23:31] Yours and ours. The point is, that the prophets, could not take hold, of the good news. But Peter's readers, and we can, today. The fact is, that since the fall of man, history has been, taken up, by the good news, since the fall of man.

[23:51] That suggests to me, that it must be, something to behold. It's got to be special. It must be, extraordinary, and a source, of tremendous, encouragement, that we can enjoy, what they spent, a lifetime, trying to understand.

[24:13] They were looking forward, we can look back. Indeed, we can, stand presently, and embrace, our salvation. We are the recipients, of this treasure, that occupied, the minds, of countless people, and angels, and angels, who, hundreds of years, before it, manifested.

[24:37] Blessed, we, are. Blessed, we are. Having considered, the, historic significance, of the good news, let us turn now, to point number two.

[24:51] Good news, demonstrates, God's, abundant, mercy. Good news, demonstrates, God's, abundant, mercy.

[25:05] Consider what Peter writes, in verse three. Blessed be the God, and Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his, great mercy, he has, caused us, to be born again, to a living hope, through the resurrection, of Jesus Christ, from the dead.

[25:26] Remember church, that Peter, Peter, Peter has a task, before him. He is writing, to a persecuted church, and Peter is saying, listen, in the midst, of your persecution, in the midst, of your trials, in the midst, of your job loss, in the midst, of your relational issues, in the midst, of all of it, in the midst, of the recession, Peter says, in the midst, of your health concerns, Peter says, consider, the abundant, mercy, of, God, and the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[26:05] The good news, the good news, is, good, because, we do not receive it, because of anything we do. Peter says, it's not, it's good, because, you don't have it, because of anything you do.

[26:19] We don't receive salvation, because of our merit. God should make us, so secure. Peter says, you don't get it, you don't get the good news, because of what you do. We were chosen, in Christ, for salvation, by God, before the foundation, of the earth.

[26:37] We were chosen, by Him, because of His, abundant mercy. Not because of our works. Not because of our looks. Not because of the family, we were born in.

[26:48] We don't retain, our salvation either, because, of ongoing holiness, or even our good works. Peter said, you don't get it, you don't, you don't get it, because of what you do.

[27:01] You don't retain it, because of holiness, or good works. You get it, and you retain salvation, because, of God's, abundant mercy. Be encouraged.

[27:12] We are saved, by grace. And we keep, our salvation, by grace. Justice demanded, that we be estranged, from God forever.

[27:23] But God, in His love, His great love, while we were still, sinners, sent Jesus, His precious, and only Son, to die, for us.

[27:39] And when I consider, my own sin, I know, I know, it could only be, extraordinary mercy, that saved me. it must have been, abundant mercy.

[27:52] It couldn't be, anything else. And then, when I consider, all of our sins together, all of our sins together, I see, that mercy, to save us, together, was, and beyond, measurement, and comprehension.

[28:08] It could only be, abundant mercy. God's abundant mercy, is the motivation, cause, and sustainer, of our salvation. salvation. So, we can rejoice, even when, the enemy, tries to condemn us.

[28:24] Because, when the enemy, comes and tries to condemn us, we can remind him, listen, we weren't saved, by what we did. And we don't keep our, salvation, because of what we do.

[28:38] Moreover, we can tell the enemy, that God's, abundant mercy, towards us, is anchored, in his love, for his son.

[28:54] It's anchored there. It ain't going anywhere. Abundant mercy, trumps our sin. There is no price, we could pay for it. No sacrifice, we could make for it.

[29:06] And no way, we could, live, to justify it. Yet, yet, it is, ours. It is ours. It's ours.

[29:19] What, what, is your circumstance, today? You've got, abundant mercy, on your side. Got abundant mercy. Yes, the good news, is historic.

[29:30] It highlights, God's abundant mercy. And point number three, it is, uniquely, transformational. It is uniquely, transformational. Blessed, Peter writes in verse 3b, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus.

[29:48] According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again, to a living hope, to be born again, to a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

[30:01] No matter what it means, no matter what it means, we know that salvation is transformational. That is, why we call it, born again.

[30:13] The good news, is uniquely, transformational. Our first birth, was a physical, birth. But our second birth, is a spiritual birth.

[30:24] Having been born, you know, some people, who have been born, in a rich family, perhaps they think that, they're privileged, they regard themselves, as privileged. But nothing compares, to being born again, of the spirit, of the one, who owns all things.

[30:45] I'm told that, Trinidadians, are the happiest people, on the planet. Perhaps, one considers, oneself, blessed to be, a citizen of Trinidad.

[30:58] yet, yet, nothing, compares, to being, born again, and having one's, citizenship, in heaven. Peter says, he has, caused us.

[31:14] Look at what Peter writes. He has, caused us. He has, caused us, to be born, again. Just as we have had, no say, in our physical births.

[31:29] We've had none, in our spiritual births. He has, caused us, indeed, to be born, again. Is what Peter says. Peter reminds us, he encourages us, by telling us, that we have been, uniquely transformed.

[31:45] Believers, were born again, by God's Holy Spirit, who resides, in us. We can live, many, times over, and never, plumb the depth, of that truth.

[32:00] His presence, transforms us. It makes, sin, bitter to us. Makes us more loving, towards, one another. No matter, what it looks like.

[32:14] No matter, what the circumstances are. If you have, Jesus, you're better off, than the richest person, in the world, who does not. Because you have been, born again, by the Spirit of God.

[32:28] The Spirit of the Almighty. The Spirit of the Omnipotent One. Born again. Peter said, be encouraged. Be encouraged, by these words.

[32:41] You've been, born again. The good news, is historic. It highlights, God's abundant mercy. It is uniquely, transformational.

[32:53] And point number four, it gives us, a living, hope. Peter writes, blessed be the God, and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

[33:04] According to his, great mercy, he has caused us, to be born again, to a living hope, through the resurrection, of Jesus Christ, from the dead.

[33:16] Lord, it is not outside, the realm of possibility, that our conditions, sometimes, cause us to feel, that there is nothing, to hang on to.

[33:34] You know, sometimes, things get real rough. And we come to a place, in our lives, where, it just seems like, there is nothing, to hang on to.

[33:45] Lord, everywhere I turn, nothing seems, to be working. Now you tell me, how I know this. I know this, because I have experienced it. And I know people, and me, we are not that much different.

[33:58] Sometimes, conditions, such, that they cause us, to feel, that there is, nothing to hang on to. And during those times, it is comforting, to know, that we have, a living hope.

[34:14] Our hope is not, in things, that are dead, or things, that perish, like people, or money, or reputation, or influence. No, it's none of those.

[34:25] Our hope, is in the living, resurrected, Jesus Christ. There's a wonderful song, that pulls all this together.

[34:38] And I want to, we know it, I want to share, the words of the song, with you. The song, it's called, Because He Lives, I Can Face Tomorrow. Where's the song?

[34:50] God sent His Son, they called Him, Jesus. He came to love, heal, and forgive. He lived, and died, to buy, my pardon.

[35:02] An empty grave, is there, to prove, my Savior, lives. And the chorus goes, Because He Lives, I can face tomorrow.

[35:14] Because He Lives, all fear is gone. Because I know, He holds the future. And life, is worth living, because, just because, just because, He lives.

[35:32] Another, verse of the song says, And then one day, I'll cross the river. I'll fight life's final war, with pain. And then, as death, gives way to victory, as death, gives way to victory, I'll see the lights, of glory, and I will know, He lives.

[35:55] Because, because He lives, I can face, tomorrow. Because, He lives, all fear is gone. Because, I know, He holds the future.

[36:08] And life, is worth living, just because, He lives. we are comforted, because, we serve, a living Savior.

[36:25] We serve, a living advocate. We serve, a living High Priest.

[36:37] because, He lives, I know, those of us, who believe, will live, and we will see Him.

[36:53] the good news, is historic. It highlights, God's abundant mercy. It is uniquely, transformational.

[37:05] It gives us, a living hope. And point number five, it grants to us, an unshakable, inheritance. An unshakable, inheritance.

[37:19] Blessed be, the God and Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ, Peter writes. According to His, great mercy, He has caused us, to be born again, to a living hope, through the resurrection, of Jesus Christ, from the dead.

[37:34] Verse four, listen to what Peter writes, in verse four. To an inheritance, that is, imperishable, that is, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven, for you.

[37:50] Kept in heaven, for you, who by God's power, are being, guarded, through faith, for salvation, ready to be revealed, in the last time. Let me remind you again, that Peter writes this letter, to a persecuted church.

[38:06] They were going through, trouble, on every side. Peter writes this letter, to encourage them. And he encourages them, by telling them, that you have, an unshakable, inheritance, no matter what's going on, around you, you've got, an unshakable, inheritance, to look forward to.

[38:29] Peter reminds them, that the good news is, that we are, sons and daughters, of God. We are his, sons and daughters. And as such, we are joint heirs, with Jesus Christ.

[38:41] And as heirs, we have, a heavenly, inheritance, which Peter says, has four elements. Peter says, that this inheritance, God has four elements.

[38:52] The first thing, Peter says, about this inheritance, he says, it is, imperishable. That means, it cannot be finished. Peter says, no matter what, how you use it, this inheritance, it's going to last forever.

[39:09] The good news is, that our inheritance, is unlike, anything we know. We've not seen, anything like this on earth. Because everything on earth, perishes, or will perish, at some point.

[39:21] But Peter says, that this inheritance, that we have, it is, imperishable. It has no, expiry date. Be encouraged, Peter says.

[39:33] Then Peter writes, that this inheritance, it is, undefiled. Undefiled. Undefiled, in the sense, that our inheritance, was gotten, with holy hands.

[39:48] There was no, skullduggery, involved here. There was no impurity, no defilement, no crime committed, to obtain, our inheritance.

[40:00] It is undefiled, since it was gotten, by Jesus Christ, himself. Our inheritance, is imperishable. It is undefiled.

[40:10] And then Peter writes, this about, our inheritance. He says, in verse 4, that our inheritance, is unfading.

[40:23] It is unfading. It is unfading. That means, that it will not, it will never, lose its beauty, or its appeal. Peter says, you will not, tire of your inheritance.

[40:39] He says, even after, one thousand years, your first experience, with your inheritance, will be, like the one, of your experience.

[40:50] inheritance. You know, sometimes, you get a new toy, and the first day, and the first week, you enjoy that toy. There is nothing like it. Perhaps, it is a car, or a house, or a motorbike, or a bicycle, whatever it might be.

[41:09] And it, captures all of your attention. But after a while, it fades, in value to you. You don't like it, the way you did before.

[41:20] Well, Peter says, your inheritance, this inheritance, the good news is, that the inheritance, that you will receive, is unfading in value.

[41:33] You can't get used to it. Can't get used to it. Then Peter says, about this inheritance, he said, it is kept, in heaven.

[41:48] The good news is, that the inheritance, is kept in heaven. It is secured, in heaven. Your place is there.

[42:01] The good news, is kept in heaven. So the good news, is historic. It highlights, God's abundant mercy.

[42:12] It is uniquely, transformational. It gives us, it gives us, a living hope. It grants us, an unshakable, inheritance. Point number six, it is, severely, tested.

[42:31] It is severely, tested. Verse six, Peter writes, in this, in this you rejoice. Though now, for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved, by various trials.

[42:50] Okay. So that the tested, genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold, that perishes, though it is tested, may be found, to result, in praise, and glory, and honor, of the revelation, of Jesus Christ.

[43:16] You know, perhaps you are like me, in fact, I am sure you are like me. You wish that, our acceptance, of the good news, removed all trials, and temptations.

[43:32] You know, that life was, easy, smooth, no trials, no temptations. Indeed, Peter tells us, though, Peter tells us, that the genuineness, of our faith, is tested.

[43:54] Genuineness of our faith, is tested. Perhaps we think, that the testing, is done, so that the Lord, might see, if we pass or fail. That's not it.

[44:05] You know, this is no test, that Jesus administers, to see, whether, we got to pass or fail. This test is for us.

[44:16] This is our test. This is a self test. I don't know, how many of you, have ever taken one of those, where you get to mark, your own paper. And sometimes, you know, you can cheat on those, but you can't cheat on this one.

[44:27] Faith, cannot truly exist, without testing. You can't have faith, without testing.

[44:39] Since faith requires, acting on what one believes. If you really think about it, faith, really requires, acting on what you believe. So that, in itself, is a test.

[44:51] Peter, in comparing, the testing of our faith, to gold, is suggesting, that we consider, three things. Fire burns, completely, material to nothing, thus revealing it, not to be gold, but gold, something that appears, to be gold.

[45:14] You put it in the fire, and it burns, and it burns to nothing. So the trial, of what we regard, as faith, might reveal it, not to be faith.

[45:25] So Peter is saying, listen, you put something in the fire, that you think is gold, and you burn it, to remove, you think the impurities. But at the end of the day, everything burns up, and you go to the fire, there's nothing there.

[45:39] Well he says, the same is true, about your faith. What you believe, to be faith, he says, you go, you have a trial, a temptation, and you go through this fire, and there's nothing there, and there's absolute failure.

[45:53] He says, there's nothing there, no evidence. He says, that's not faith. That's his point. That's the first thing, that Peter wants us to understand. The second thing is, as fire demonstrates, the strength, of our faith.

[46:08] So the trials, show us, how strong we are. Fire demonstrates, the strength, of our faith. Trials show us, how strong we are.

[46:21] And then finally, fire burns away, impurities from gold. So do trials remove, unrighteousness.

[46:37] Faith. Peter tells us, that the good news is, that our faith, is severely tested, for a little while.

[46:49] We understand that. So as we go through tests, and trials, we can rejoice, knowing that, our faith will be strengthened, that the impurities, will be removed, that the fire, the trials, and the temptations, will reveal, that our faith, is genuine.

[47:16] The good news, is historic. It highlights, God's abundant mercy. It is uniquely, transformational. It gives us, living hope.

[47:27] It grants us, an unshakable, inheritance. It is severely tested. And point number seven, it produces, inexpressible joy.

[47:40] Inexpressible joy. In verse eight, of this, of chapter one, of first Peter. Peter says, though you have not, seen him, you love him.

[47:56] Though you do not, now see him, you believe in him. And rejoice, with joy. And rejoice, with joy. That is inexpressible. Now remember, that Peter is writing, to a church, that's being persecuted.

[48:10] Peter says, you don't see him. Though you don't, now see him, you believe in him. And rejoice, with joy, that is inexpressible.

[48:22] Filled with glory. Attaining the outcome, of your faith. The salvation, of your souls. In these two verses, Peter, draws a sharp distinction, between his experience, of having, seen Jesus, and those who, like you and me, would not have.

[48:49] Peter says, that the good news, produces a response, in believers. He says, the good news, produces a response. What is that response?

[49:00] It causes the believer, to rejoice, with joy, that is inexpressible, inexpressible, and filled, with glory. That salvation, Peter says, that's what it produces.

[49:14] Joy, that is inexpressible, and filled with glory. Why? Because the believer, has obtained, the salvation, of his soul. While it is true, that, these bodies, of ours, break down, from time, to time.

[49:34] While we will, ultimately, receive our salvation, when Jesus returns, Peter tells us, that we should be, a people, who rejoice, with joy, inexpressible, and filled, with glory, even now.

[49:48] Now, now, now, I, I, I, don't really think, perhaps some of you, might be thinking this, but I don't think, that Peter meant, that our joy, could not be expressed.

[49:59] I don't think, he is telling us, that it could not be expressed, and therefore, we ought to be, expressionless. I don't think that at all. I think, he is saying here, that when we, comprehend, the fact, that our souls, have been saved, we have a certain, inner peace, and contentment, that nothing, can move.

[50:28] Peter is saying, that we have, joy, we can rejoice, with joy, that is, inexpressible, joy, that is inexpressible, and filled, with glory.

[50:41] Peter tells us, that no matter, what you've been, persecuted, you can still have joy. You've lost your job. He says, you can still have joy.

[50:53] He says, you can still have joy. Things aren't going right, on the job, you still have joy. You still have joy.

[51:04] Peter is saying, the question, we must ask ourselves, is this, does the fact, that our souls, are saved, result, inexpressible, inexpressible joy?

[51:18] Let me ask the question again, does the fact, that your soul is saved, does that result, in inexpressible joy? If not, why not? If not, why not?

[51:28] If the fact, that you have been, saved, from the mighty hand of God, because of the abundant mercy, of God, if that fact, does not cause, inexpressible, inexpressible joy, the question is, why not?

[51:52] Why not? Could it be, that we have, not valued, the treasure, that resides, in these earthen vessels? We take it for granted.

[52:03] Could it be, that we do not know, sufficiently well, the one who, died for us? Could it be, that we are, too earthly, focused?

[52:20] We've bought into the, clear teaching, of scripture, that we should be, salt, of the earth, and light, of the world? What about, the joy, of all creation?

[52:36] What about, that one? Shouldn't we be, the most joyous people, in all creation? What if suddenly, no matter, where we are, no matter, the circumstances, we have, inexpressible joy?

[52:55] No matter, what's going on, we've got, inexpressible, joy. You know us, you know us, the joy people.

[53:08] Joy people. Good news. Good news. Good news. The good news, as we conclude, is, truly, marvelous.

[53:28] The good news, is like no news, we've ever heard. It is historic. It highlights, God's abundant mercy. It is uniquely, transformational.

[53:42] It gives us, living hope. God, grants us, unshakable, inheritance. It is severely, tested. And it produces, inexpressible, joy.

[53:59] Now the fact is, at the beginning, of this, message, we talked about, bad news, and, how the newspapers, are filled with, bad news.

[54:16] We also talked about, the fact that, oftentimes, we, have bad news, in our, personal, lives. But you know what?

[54:32] The truth is, that, what we read about, every day, and even, what we experience, on a personal level, while they might be, bad news, they're not the worst news.

[54:51] The worst news is this, the worst news, is this, that as a result, of Adam's sin, man was, separated, from God.

[55:07] That's the worst news. Separated, from God. Man, all men, separated, from an, all, powerful, holy God.

[55:24] And the worst news is, that we had, no, capacity, on our own, to make things, right, with this, all, powerful God.

[55:38] That's the worst news. Good news is, that if you're a believer today, the all, powerful God is, also, full of mercy, and stands ready, to cleanse you, of your sins, and to declare you righteous.

[56:07] If you are an unbeliever, that is, he stands ready, to do that. He stands ready, to turn your, worst news, around, and to extend to you, the good news.

[56:28] You can be like many, here today, and millions around the world, who delight, in the sound, of the good news.

[56:39] if you're here today, and you don't know, Jesus Christ, is your personal Savior, you're living under, the worst news.

[57:01] You want to grab a hold of this. You want to grab a hold of this, today. There's nothing like this. Peter says, listen, you live in this world, that is, filled with, madness.

[57:17] He says, you can live here, and still, have a living hope. You can live under, the umbrella of God's, abundant mercy.

[57:29] You can look forward to, unshakable inheritance. You can have joy, that is, unspeakable, inexpressible, and filled with glory, despite the circumstances.

[57:50] He says, yes, you will be tested, severely, but you can come out, pure gold. And this, he says, all of this, all of creation, pointed, points, pointed, to what we now have the privilege of being able to embrace.

[58:17] Let us pray.