WEBVTT

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 1 Peter 1, verse 13 is where we pick up.

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 Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded,

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! Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

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 That's a short one. Maybe we can read it together. Let's read it aloud together. 1 Peter 1, verse 13. Ready, begin.

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 Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded,

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 set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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 You know, one of the most frustrating things about parenting, now that we have already reflected on new parenthood,

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 one of the most frustrating things about parenting is that there comes a day

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 when because I said so loses all of its effectiveness.

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 And that's a real frustration when that day actually rolls around.

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 You know, when our kids are young, it works quite well.

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 Our authority over them is such that, not in every situation, but in enough situations,

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 you can give them an instruction, and when they turn and say,

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 well, why must I do that? And you can say, well, because I'm your father, and I said that you have to do that.

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 When they're young, that tends to work, or at least in some cases that works.

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 Now, that's not your experience. I'm sorry. It's worked for me on a number of occasions.

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 But now I have a teenager, and as they get older, it just doesn't work anymore, does it?

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 There comes a time in their lives where they just feel like they need to have explanations for their instructions.

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 The nerve that they would need something like that, right?

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 And yet it's true, as they get older, and it's good parenting to, as our kids get older,

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 to take what would be our instructions and actually pair them with helpful and clear and well-reasoned explanation

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 so that we're not just raising up robots just to do whatever it is that we say.

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 We're actually raising up human beings that will learn why we do certain things

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 and why we believe certain things and why we would avoid other things.

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 It's helpful. It's good parenting to do that.

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 Another way to say it, maybe using different language,

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 is that the right parental imperatives, those things that we instruct,

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 must flow out of right indicatives, which are those things that we believe.

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 Imperatives being the things that we command,

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 indicatives being those things that we believe.

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 And if our instructions are not flowing out of convictions,

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 then they're probably not going to be that helpful to our children as they grow.

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 Now, where do we get this example?

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 We get it supremely from our Heavenly Father, don't we?

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 Isn't He the perfect example of parenting?

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 In the Scriptures, His imperatives always flow out of His indicatives.

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 What He commands is always rooted in who He is

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 and what He has done for us in providing salvation.

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 In the opening section of 1 Peter that we've spent the last several weeks in,

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 in verses 1 to 12, all we have there are indicatives.

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 They're just statements of gospel truth.

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 And as we've approached verses 3 to 12 in particular,

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 we've seen that they're taking the shape together of a call to worship.

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 But grammatically speaking, there are no actual imperatives in verses 3 to 12.

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 There are no direct and explicit commands there.

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 It's all indicatives.

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 So that Peter opens the letter with these struggling Christians across Asia,

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 not by telling them what to do,

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 but rehearsing the glory of God's salvation,

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 of speaking of their eternal inheritance

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 that is theirs in Christ,

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 that belongs to them because the Father has caused them

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 to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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 He's rehearsed with them that they have waiting ahead of them

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 a future inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled and unfading

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 and that God the Father is keeping that inheritance

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 for His children safe in heaven.

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 And as He's doing that, He's keeping them safe on earth,

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 not in the sense of physical safety mostly or all the time,

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 but in the sense of He is guarding us through faith

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 so that while He's keeping our inheritance,

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 He's keeping us for it.

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 And this brings about this tremendous joy

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 that's inexpressible and it's full of glory.

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 And it is something we can rejoice in as a privilege

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 to live at a time of gospel fulfillment,

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 unlike the prophets who prophesied serving us

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 and the angels who delivered those messages.

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 That's everything in 3 to 12, isn't it?

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 It's just all indicative.

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 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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 Look at what He has done for us.

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 Remember what He has done and bless His name.

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 It's all indicative.

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 It's all gospel truth.

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 It isn't until we get to verse 13

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 that Peter issues an imperative.

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 And what he's doing is he's beginning to lay the foundation

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 for the practical instructions

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 that will unfold throughout the letter.

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 He's not getting specific yet.

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 He's laying a foundation.

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 He's speaking about obedience and holiness

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 in a general sense here.

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 And he's very careful.

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 Very careful to ensure that these commands

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 that he's now moving to

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 are rooted in the gospel realities

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 of his opening address in verses 3 to 12.

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 That's why we get to the very first word of verse 13

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 and we find that it's a significant word for us, isn't it?

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 Therefore, it's important.

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 It's linking the two sections for us grammatically

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 so that the call to worship in verses 3 to 12

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 are here beginning to transition

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 to what we would say is a call to holiness

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 in verses 13 to 21.

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 And then he's going to transition again in verse 22.

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 He's going to take us through the beginning of chapter 2

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 and it's going to be a call to live appropriately

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 as the community of God's people

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 in the local church on earth.

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 But before he gets there,

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 he gets to this section on holiness.

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 Now here's the main idea of this section,

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 not just the verse, but this section.

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 The main idea is that our calling in Christ

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 that secures our future inheritance

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 should have a dramatic effect on the way we live now.

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 He doesn't start with the imperatives.

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 It's important.

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 We can't get that in reverse.

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 If we get that into reverse,

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 we're going to fall into a kind of moralism,

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 anti-gospel, legalism.

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 We don't want to do that.

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 And Peter helps us here.

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 He says, here's the gospel.

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 Here's who you are in Christ.

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 That should affect you now,

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 not just in the future, but today.

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 That's the main idea here.

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 Thriving in exile, it requires that.

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 Christians live distinctly in the world,

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 both in how we think and in how we behave.

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 And with these gospel indicatives in mind,

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 Peter begins to instruct us on thriving in exile

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 through the active pursuit of holiness.

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 Holiness.

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 Now, I want to share with you Peter's first imperative here in verse 13,

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 which, of course, is the first in a series of progressive instructions,

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 each one flowing out of the other.

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 It's not just that they're laying side by side.

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 He starts here for a reason.

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 This one will flow into the next one,

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 and that one will flow into the final one.

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 Today, I just want to focus on this first one.

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 Here's the first thing I'd like to point out to you as an imperative.

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 Set your hope fully on grace.

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 Set your hope fully on grace.

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 Now, look again at the verse, but look at the second half.

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 The explicit imperative comes there.

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 It's not in the beginning of the verse.

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 It's in the second half of the verse where he says,

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 Set your hope fully on the grace that is to be brought to you

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 at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

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 First imperative of the letter.

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 Set your hope fully on grace.

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 So that after rehearsing the wonders of our future salvation,

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 Peter is now commanding and instructing that to thrive in exile,

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 we're going to need to set our hope entirely on that future.

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 And notice what he refers to it as here.

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 He doesn't call it salvation.

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 And he's not using the language of inheritance anymore.

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 What does he call it?

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 Grace.

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 Set your hope fully on grace.

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 Now, don't let that term too quickly be dismissed out of your mind.

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 The Bible always describes salvation as an act of divine grace.

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 Always.

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 What is grace?

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 It's God's unmerited favor toward undeserving sinners like you and me.

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 In other words, salvation, this future inheritance,

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 it's not something that you earn through doing good.

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 It's not something you earn through maintaining a measure of morality

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 in comparison to others who would live less moral lives.

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 It's not something that you earn through a commitment to religious activities.

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 Salvation entirely from beginning to end is a gracious gift from God

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 that can only be received through faith and repentance

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 in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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 It's all of grace all the time.

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 And Peter says we are to set our hope on this favor,

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 on this grace, on this salvation that will be revealed to us in its fullness in the end.

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 Let me just remind you here.

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 The work for salvation is done.

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 It's already done.

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 How many people do you know in a form of cultural Christianity in a place like we live,

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 maybe even in secularism to some extent,

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 they're really struggling and striving through life,

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 hoping that they're just going to get it right enough so that they can make it.

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 If they can just do enough work,

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 if they can just get it just right,

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 that God will look at them and say,

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 well, you did good enough.

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 You did your best.

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 You tried your hardest.

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 And if only they would just realize that the work is actually done.

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 It's not something that you do.

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 It's something that Christ has done.

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 It is finished.

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 He fulfilled the law that we've broken.

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 He lived the life we were meant to live.

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 He died the death we deserve to die,

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 taking on the wrath of the Father against sinful man.

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 And now he says, come.

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 Just come receive it.

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 Receive it by faith.

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 Just trust in my work.

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 Stop trusting in your work and whatever shape that takes.

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 Trust in my work.

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 It's all grace.

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 Do you trust him?

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 Do you trust him wholly, fully?

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 If you don't, you're not going to make it.

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 There will never be someone who stands before the Lord at the end of this life

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 and God says, you did good enough.

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 The song, we sang it last Sunday.

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 It's my favorite hymn.

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 Because the sinless Savior died.

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 My sinful soul is counted free.

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 For God, the just one, is satisfied to look at him and pardon me.

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 No one will stand before the Lord and him say, you did good.

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 I'll let you in.

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 No, only those who come through Christ will make it.

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 Do you trust him?

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 It's all of grace.

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 Well, while salvation is certainly received and secured for all who trust in Jesus,

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 the fullness of that salvation, we understand, is still ahead of us.

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 When Peter refers to salvation so far in this letter, he's not speaking of it in the past tense,

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 referring to our conversion necessarily, some hints of that, but not entirely.

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 He's not thinking present tense in terms of our sanctification entirely.

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 He's going to say some of that.

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 But up to this point, his thoughts on salvation is future.

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 The glorification that will come at the return of Christ.

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 And that's what he's doing again here.

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 It's this future sense of salvation, our future inheritance that Peter still has in mind.

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 This grace is something he says will be brought to us.

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 It's certain.

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 It's secure.

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 It will be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

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 We're familiar with this phrase now.

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 This is the third time, just in these first 13 verses, that Peter has specifically called our attention to Christ's return.

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 Look at verse 5.

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 Who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

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 What's he talking about?

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 Christ's return.

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 The end.

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 Future salvation.

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 Look at verse 7.

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 So that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes though it tested by fire,

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 may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

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 These patterns in the scriptures, these are important.

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 What's Peter doing?

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 He's keeping our mind focused on what?

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 Future salvation.

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 The certainty of that future.

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 And his objective is clear.

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 In order to thrive in this life of exile, we must set our hope fully on Christ's return.

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 On the grace of salvation that will be brought to us when Jesus comes back.

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 For it's at that time that we will receive the blessings of eternal life in their fullness.

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 All of those things he described in verse 4, imperishable, undefiled, unfading, will be ours.

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 Things that are inexpressible and incomprehensible, will be ours.

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 Then, when he returns.

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 And it's now that we can begin to understand that this hope language is going to become a significant theme in this letter, isn't it?

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 Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you when Christ returns.

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 Remember, biblical hope, it's not a wish.

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 It's not a wish.

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 It's the confident expectation that God will fulfill his promises.

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 And for us, as we're looking at the scriptures as a whole and we're seeing the person of Christ, hope, biblical hope, is the confident expectation and trust that Christ is the fulfillment of those promises.

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 Which is what is expressed in saving faith, isn't it?

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 Hope and faith working together.

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 We say, yes, God will fulfill his promises.

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 Then we say, yes, God has fulfilled his promises.

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 All of them in Christ.

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 And we believe it.

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 We know it.

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 It's certain.

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 That's biblical hope.

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 It's hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ that God awakens us to trust in when he causes us to be born again.

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 That's verse 3, isn't it?

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 According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again.

00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:02.700
 To what?

00:17:03.060 --> 00:17:08.039
 To a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

00:17:08.460 --> 00:17:11.420
 But set your eyes also on verse 21.

00:17:11.420 --> 00:17:13.840
 Or verse 20.

00:17:27.420 --> 00:17:30.880
 We see it twice.

00:17:31.060 --> 00:17:33.259
 Just in the first chapter without our current verse.

00:17:33.539 --> 00:17:33.880
 We see it.

00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:34.740
 What's he talking about?

00:17:34.940 --> 00:17:35.580
 What's he saying?

00:17:35.579 --> 00:17:43.559
 This hope, this hope entirely, biblical hope, is always grounded in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

00:17:43.799 --> 00:17:44.359
 Always.

00:17:45.059 --> 00:17:49.799
 We are awakened by God to a hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

00:17:50.199 --> 00:17:59.859
 He raises Christ from the dead, verse 20, verse 21, so that we might hope in him, the confident expectation of the fulfillment of his promises.

00:18:00.139 --> 00:18:04.619
 All fulfilled in the person and work of his son, Jesus Christ.

00:18:04.619 --> 00:18:08.119
 He's given us, particularly in his death and resurrection.

00:18:08.979 --> 00:18:10.119
 This is our hope.

00:18:10.619 --> 00:18:11.500
 It's not a wish.

00:18:12.159 --> 00:18:13.059
 It's a certainty.

00:18:14.019 --> 00:18:17.959
 Now, let's put ourselves in the shoes of Peter's first audience.

00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:19.959
 They're struggling.

00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:28.659
 He's described their condition as an exilic state, one that extends to all of God's people in this life.

00:18:29.019 --> 00:18:29.899
 We're pilgrims.

00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:30.639
 We're strangers.

00:18:30.879 --> 00:18:32.819
 We belong to a different country.

00:18:32.819 --> 00:18:34.759
 We serve a different king.

00:18:35.980 --> 00:18:37.639
 And yet, right now, we're here.

00:18:38.579 --> 00:18:39.599
 And life's a struggle.

00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:44.700
 And sometimes it's a struggle specifically because we belong to him.

00:18:46.379 --> 00:18:48.460
 And we start getting distracted real quick.

00:18:48.460 --> 00:18:54.420
 And the temptation is always to set our hope on something else.

00:18:57.220 --> 00:19:03.039
 Well, if we could just get the right people in office, things will finally turn around.

00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:14.059
 If I could just save enough money, things will be hopeful for me and my future and my family.

00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:20.259
 If I could just have the right relationships, I just get the right career path.

00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:22.559
 If I just get as far as I can.

00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:26.679
 And if my kids will just succeed, then there's hope.

00:19:28.539 --> 00:19:35.799
 And there's a lot of Christians that are struggling in exile because they're not setting all of their hope fully on the grace of God.

00:19:35.879 --> 00:19:36.419
 It's there.

00:19:36.619 --> 00:19:40.200
 It's certainly there in their conversion.

00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:42.319
 Do they get distracted?

00:19:44.860 --> 00:19:49.779
 Biblical hope is grounded through and through in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

00:19:49.840 --> 00:19:51.340
 We're not looking at this life.

00:19:51.420 --> 00:19:53.180
 We're looking at the next one, in other words.

00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:59.980
 So Peter's command in verse 13 is that we maintain such a focused hope on grace.

00:19:59.980 --> 00:20:06.220
 That our hopefulness becomes visible to all who observe our lives.

00:20:08.900 --> 00:20:12.900
 Later in the letter, Peter's going to give us the outworking of this in a practical way.

00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:16.819
 Just set your eyes on it in chapter 3 and verse 15.

00:20:21.140 --> 00:20:22.299
 Let's look at 14.

00:20:23.819 --> 00:20:28.259
 Even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed.

00:20:28.360 --> 00:20:29.900
 Have no fear of them, nor be troubled.

00:20:30.259 --> 00:20:30.700
 Context?

00:20:31.339 --> 00:20:31.779
 Hardship.

00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:32.480
 Suffering.

00:20:32.799 --> 00:20:33.200
 Struggle.

00:20:33.819 --> 00:20:34.319
 Verse 15.

00:20:35.579 --> 00:20:44.660
 When that happens, in your hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the what?

00:20:45.799 --> 00:20:46.279
 Hope.

00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:48.000
 That's in you.

00:20:48.740 --> 00:20:49.740
 Hope that's in you.

00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:52.420
 What is Peter saying?

00:20:52.420 --> 00:21:07.580
 When Christians set their hope fully on the grace of Jesus that will be certainly fulfilled in them at Christ's return, they will thrive in such a way that people around them cannot possibly ignore it.

00:21:07.579 --> 00:21:15.859
 But when your hope is fully set on grace, it will show itself in your life.

00:21:15.859 --> 00:21:22.359
 Not because you're always forcing it on somebody, but because you can't hide it from anybody.

00:21:23.179 --> 00:21:23.919
 It's visible.

00:21:24.459 --> 00:21:25.339
 It's there.

00:21:25.579 --> 00:21:27.240
 And it doesn't make sense.

00:21:27.240 --> 00:21:40.240
 So that that unbelieving family member, that unbelieving friend, or maybe the persecutor himself sees the struggle and the hope that you have in that struggle and just can't figure it out and says,

00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:42.319
 Why are you so hopeful?

00:21:42.500 --> 00:21:43.920
 You should have no hope.

00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:49.180
 And we must be prepared, according to Peter, to answer one word.

00:21:49.940 --> 00:21:50.400
 Jesus.

00:21:51.960 --> 00:21:53.640
 Jesus is my hope.

00:21:54.480 --> 00:21:56.180
 He alone is my hope.

00:21:56.240 --> 00:21:57.660
 I'm not living for this life.

00:21:58.339 --> 00:22:01.019
 I'm looking at a different life that's to come.

00:22:02.039 --> 00:22:03.660
 My Savior will return.

00:22:04.740 --> 00:22:06.299
 And that's where my hope comes from.

00:22:07.180 --> 00:22:08.819
 Jesus is my hope.

00:22:08.819 --> 00:22:11.259
 David Helm is so helpful here.

00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:11.759
 He writes,

00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:18.439
 If any of us is to do more than simply outlast life's exilic weight,

00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:27.759
 if we are to move beyond melancholy endurance and into positive engagement with the world,

00:22:28.460 --> 00:22:30.259
 let alone enjoyment of it,

00:22:30.259 --> 00:22:41.019
 we must become a people who know what it is to comprehend a decided hope in life's eternal future.

00:22:41.640 --> 00:22:42.900
 That's a lot of words.

00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:43.819
 What's he saying?

00:22:43.819 --> 00:22:46.500
 He's saying,

00:22:46.759 --> 00:22:49.460
 You don't have to just survive this.

00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:53.339
 And if you're going to thrive in it,

00:22:53.839 --> 00:23:01.659
 you're going to have to be a person who acknowledges and focuses on a decided hope in what is to come,

00:23:02.259 --> 00:23:03.079
 not in what is.

00:23:03.079 --> 00:23:05.619
 So what's the imperative here?

00:23:05.679 --> 00:23:07.000
 Well, the explicit one in the verse,

00:23:07.199 --> 00:23:10.460
 the actual grammatical imperative is,

00:23:11.220 --> 00:23:13.099
 Set your hope fully on grace.

00:23:13.639 --> 00:23:15.079
 Set your hope fully on grace.

00:23:15.819 --> 00:23:17.399
 But there's a second part, though, that we can't ignore.

00:23:17.500 --> 00:23:18.419
 We can't skip over it.

00:23:20.419 --> 00:23:24.519
 Set your mind clearly on hope.

00:23:24.519 --> 00:23:30.400
 Set your mind clearly on hope.

00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:39.220
 Now, the difficulty of this imperative is that it seems like Peter is commanding us to feel a particular way.

00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:44.180
 But how can someone command your emotion?

00:23:46.119 --> 00:23:52.379
 How can they expect you to control how you feel all the time?

00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:55.960
 Well, the answer is in the first line.

00:23:57.579 --> 00:24:01.579
 Peter tells us how to set our hope on grace.

00:24:03.059 --> 00:24:03.980
 What does he say?

00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:09.240
 Preparing your minds for action, being sober-minded.

00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:13.160
 Preparing your minds for action, being sober-minded.

00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:16.700
 We might read the verse this way to help us get a sense of it.

00:24:17.400 --> 00:24:22.660
 Therefore, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ

00:24:22.660 --> 00:24:28.779
 by preparing your mind for action and being sober-minded.

00:24:28.779 --> 00:24:35.860
 In other words, this imperative is really about right thinking, not right feeling.

00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:41.160
 Right thinking, not right feeling.

00:24:42.300 --> 00:24:44.320
 Let's look at these two phrases here.

00:24:44.460 --> 00:24:49.140
 Peter, he's making a single point about focusing our minds on Christ,

00:24:49.140 --> 00:24:53.740
 but he uses two word pictures that might be easy to miss,

00:24:54.280 --> 00:24:57.300
 but two word pictures that help us understand and grasp his meaning.

00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:00.240
 This first phrase, preparing your minds for action.

00:25:00.420 --> 00:25:03.640
 If you have one of the older translations, like a King James with you today,

00:25:03.820 --> 00:25:04.840
 it doesn't read that way.

00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:05.520
 It reads this.

00:25:05.900 --> 00:25:07.540
 Gird up the loins of your mind.

00:25:08.040 --> 00:25:09.200
 Gird up the loins of your mind.

00:25:09.700 --> 00:25:11.480
 That's the literal translation of it.

00:25:11.740 --> 00:25:12.380
 That's weird.

00:25:12.840 --> 00:25:13.900
 What in the world does that mean?

00:25:14.560 --> 00:25:15.860
 It's a word picture, isn't it?

00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:16.840
 It's a word picture.

00:25:16.839 --> 00:25:20.899
 You put yourself in Peter's shoes or Peter's robes.

00:25:21.619 --> 00:25:24.720
 First century, if he's got to run somewhere,

00:25:24.839 --> 00:25:27.740
 if he's got to do some kind of strenuous activity, what's he got to do?

00:25:27.899 --> 00:25:29.279
 He's got to gird up his loins.

00:25:29.379 --> 00:25:31.199
 He's got to hike up his robe.

00:25:31.659 --> 00:25:33.279
 He's got to tie it off at his waist.

00:25:33.659 --> 00:25:35.159
 Otherwise, it's going to be too long.

00:25:35.419 --> 00:25:37.699
 He's going to be tripping over himself to try to do things.

00:25:37.980 --> 00:25:39.039
 That's the word picture.

00:25:39.879 --> 00:25:40.819
 And what's he saying here?

00:25:40.819 --> 00:25:44.539
 He's saying that as Christians who are in exile,

00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:48.980
 who are strenuously striving in this time of exile,

00:25:49.099 --> 00:25:52.059
 what we need to do is gird up the loins of our mind.

00:25:52.319 --> 00:25:55.099
 We need to remove the things that are distracting us

00:25:55.099 --> 00:25:58.099
 from seeing Christ and seeing our future

00:25:58.099 --> 00:26:01.980
 so that we can prepare ourselves for action,

00:26:01.980 --> 00:26:08.940
 intentional thinking and focus on grace.

00:26:10.259 --> 00:26:12.299
 And then he uses this second image.

00:26:12.440 --> 00:26:15.920
 The second image, being sober-minded, of course,

00:26:16.920 --> 00:26:22.019
 is setting Christian thinking in contrast with the mind of a drunk.

00:26:22.019 --> 00:26:26.240
 Rather than with a clouded mind,

00:26:27.259 --> 00:26:30.759
 Christians are to live sober-mindedly in this life.

00:26:31.079 --> 00:26:35.299
 Clear thought, focused thought,

00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:40.339
 a present mind, controlled thinking.

00:26:42.619 --> 00:26:44.920
 Tom Schreiner says there's a way of living

00:26:44.920 --> 00:26:49.440
 that becomes dull to the reality of God

00:26:49.440 --> 00:26:54.620
 that is anesthetized by the attractions of this world.

00:26:55.799 --> 00:26:59.080
 And when people are lulled into such drowsiness,

00:26:59.779 --> 00:27:02.960
 they lose sight of Christ's future revelation

00:27:02.960 --> 00:27:09.100
 and concentrate only on fulfilling their earthly desires.

00:27:10.019 --> 00:27:11.600
 That's what Peter means to say.

00:27:13.299 --> 00:27:18.700
 The truth is, some of us, our robes are just too long.

00:27:19.720 --> 00:27:20.960
 Robes are just too long.

00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:26.440
 We're getting so distracted by the cares and concerns of this life.

00:27:26.700 --> 00:27:28.400
 We're tripping all over the place.

00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:30.620
 We're trying to live like a good Christian.

00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:31.960
 We're trying to be faithful to the Lord.

00:27:32.059 --> 00:27:33.299
 We're tripping all over the place.

00:27:33.380 --> 00:27:35.299
 We're falling again and again and again,

00:27:35.600 --> 00:27:37.759
 either in sin of behavior,

00:27:37.880 --> 00:27:39.240
 or maybe it's sin of the mind,

00:27:39.320 --> 00:27:40.759
 or maybe it's just distracting, whatever it is.

00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:41.980
 Robes are just too long.

00:27:42.660 --> 00:27:44.700
 We just need to clear out the junk.

00:27:44.700 --> 00:27:49.700
 Have a disciplined mind, a disciplined focus.

00:27:51.700 --> 00:27:54.980
 Because rather than disciplining our minds on God's truth

00:27:54.980 --> 00:27:56.440
 and on the glories of the gospel,

00:27:57.120 --> 00:27:58.700
 we're drunk on trials.

00:27:59.720 --> 00:28:01.980
 We're drunk on temptations.

00:28:02.140 --> 00:28:05.700
 We're drunk in laziness toward Bible intake.

00:28:05.700 --> 00:28:09.900
 And all of these things cloud our thoughts

00:28:09.900 --> 00:28:14.140
 that keep us from setting our hope fully on Jesus' return.

00:28:14.980 --> 00:28:16.620
 And what we really need to do to thrive

00:28:16.620 --> 00:28:20.319
 is get our minds right, get our thinking right.

00:28:21.340 --> 00:28:23.039
 Now, it's not only Peter that says this.

00:28:24.440 --> 00:28:26.519
 Hear Paul's words from Colossians 3.

00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:30.359
 If you then have been raised with Christ,

00:28:30.539 --> 00:28:33.480
 if God has caused you to be born again to this living hope,

00:28:34.379 --> 00:28:37.639
 seek the things that are above,

00:28:38.059 --> 00:28:39.900
 where Christ is,

00:28:40.759 --> 00:28:42.319
 seated at the right hand of God.

00:28:42.740 --> 00:28:46.220
 Set your minds on things that are above,

00:28:46.619 --> 00:28:48.539
 not on things that are on the earth.

00:28:49.059 --> 00:28:49.839
 Why, Paul?

00:28:50.519 --> 00:28:51.900
 For you have died,

00:28:52.460 --> 00:28:56.279
 and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

00:28:56.279 --> 00:28:57.139
 That's a blessing.

00:28:59.639 --> 00:29:00.819
 And when Christ,

00:29:02.200 --> 00:29:04.379
 who is your life, he says,

00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:05.980
 appears, when he comes back,

00:29:07.119 --> 00:29:09.240
 then you will appear with him in glory.

00:29:09.480 --> 00:29:10.460
 What's Paul doing there?

00:29:10.819 --> 00:29:13.279
 He's doing the same thing Peter's doing here.

00:29:13.940 --> 00:29:16.240
 He's saying, focus on what's to come.

00:29:16.639 --> 00:29:18.000
 Jesus is coming back.

00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:19.460
 And if you're in Christ,

00:29:19.759 --> 00:29:21.660
 he's gonna transform you.

00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:25.119
 Salvation will finally come.

00:29:25.519 --> 00:29:26.599
 Think on that.

00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:28.739
 Don't set your mind on earthly things.

00:29:29.219 --> 00:29:30.219
 Set your mind on him.

00:29:30.919 --> 00:29:32.539
 Set your mind on what is to come.

00:29:34.279 --> 00:29:36.159
 And if we turn to Philippians,

00:29:36.259 --> 00:29:38.419
 we find Paul gives us a warning on this,

00:29:38.519 --> 00:29:39.479
 along with a blessing.

00:29:40.919 --> 00:29:42.259
 Philippians 3, 18.

00:29:43.259 --> 00:29:43.939
 Paul says,

00:29:43.940 --> 00:30:08.200
 What's the outworking of that?

00:30:08.200 --> 00:30:10.240
 What's the implications of that?

00:30:11.080 --> 00:30:13.360
 If you don't get your mind right,

00:30:14.160 --> 00:30:16.080
 the direction you're headed

00:30:16.080 --> 00:30:18.519
 is in the direction of an apostate

00:30:18.519 --> 00:30:21.500
 becoming an enemy of Christ,

00:30:21.620 --> 00:30:22.799
 an enemy of the cross,

00:30:23.360 --> 00:30:27.019
 with your mind focused entirely on earthly things.

00:30:27.220 --> 00:30:28.900
 But then he continues with the blessing.

00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:31.299
 And he essentially says,

00:30:31.360 --> 00:30:32.799
 I think better things of you, Philippians.

00:30:32.799 --> 00:30:33.200
 He says,

00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:36.359
 But our citizenship is in heaven.

00:30:37.319 --> 00:30:38.519
 It's in what's to come.

00:30:39.919 --> 00:30:40.960
 And from it,

00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:42.059
 what are we doing?

00:30:42.159 --> 00:30:44.539
 We await our Savior,

00:30:45.379 --> 00:30:46.940
 the Lord Jesus Christ,

00:30:47.200 --> 00:30:48.379
 who when he comes

00:30:48.379 --> 00:30:51.220
 will transform our lowly body

00:30:51.220 --> 00:30:53.279
 to be like his glorious body

00:30:53.279 --> 00:30:56.019
 by the power that enables him

00:30:56.019 --> 00:30:58.980
 even to subject all things to himself.

00:30:59.399 --> 00:31:00.440
 What's Paul saying?

00:31:00.440 --> 00:31:02.600
 You got to get your mind right.

00:31:04.100 --> 00:31:07.320
 Set your hope on grace fully

00:31:07.320 --> 00:31:09.960
 and set your mind on that hope.

00:31:10.440 --> 00:31:11.160
 Think on it.

00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:12.120
 Dwell on it.

00:31:12.500 --> 00:31:13.320
 Meditate on it.

00:31:13.700 --> 00:31:15.840
 Live your life through it.

00:31:17.660 --> 00:31:18.600
 But what's Peter saying

00:31:18.600 --> 00:31:19.660
 with this first imperative?

00:31:20.120 --> 00:31:22.059
 He's saying that to thrive in exile,

00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:25.000
 we got to get our focus right.

00:31:26.680 --> 00:31:29.059
 We got to avoid getting overwhelmed

00:31:29.059 --> 00:31:30.899
 by our circumstances

00:31:30.899 --> 00:31:32.079
 and being distracted

00:31:32.079 --> 00:31:34.200
 by the allure of sin

00:31:34.200 --> 00:31:37.839
 and instead set our gaze

00:31:37.839 --> 00:31:39.519
 on Jesus.

00:31:39.619 --> 00:31:40.279
 That was the language

00:31:40.279 --> 00:31:41.000
 of one of those songs

00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:41.779
 we sang at the beginning

00:31:41.779 --> 00:31:42.359
 of the service.

00:31:42.899 --> 00:31:45.519
 When my heart gazes on Calvary

00:31:45.519 --> 00:31:49.139
 and all of his mercies displayed,

00:31:49.980 --> 00:31:52.099
 oh, that my Savior would die for me,

00:31:52.720 --> 00:31:54.980
 I sing out with infinite praise

00:31:54.980 --> 00:31:58.119
 how faithful the Father above.

00:31:58.119 --> 00:31:58.519
 We sing.

00:31:59.319 --> 00:32:00.439
 That's what Peter's saying.

00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:05.379
 Jesus is going to bring this grace to us

00:32:05.379 --> 00:32:06.219
 when he returns

00:32:06.219 --> 00:32:09.079
 so that we've got to set our minds on hope

00:32:09.079 --> 00:32:10.159
 and our hope on grace.

00:32:11.479 --> 00:32:13.359
 And who better to teach us this

00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:14.699
 than Peter?

00:32:17.399 --> 00:32:18.919
 There's all kinds of examples

00:32:18.919 --> 00:32:20.979
 in the Gospels

00:32:20.979 --> 00:32:22.299
 where we read about Jesus

00:32:22.299 --> 00:32:23.959
 teaching Peter this lesson.

00:32:23.960 --> 00:32:26.640
 Perhaps none of them

00:32:26.640 --> 00:32:28.759
 are as instructive

00:32:28.759 --> 00:32:30.940
 as what we find in Matthew 14.

00:32:31.079 --> 00:32:32.360
 It's the only place you find it

00:32:32.360 --> 00:32:35.220
 in the Gospels.

00:32:36.660 --> 00:32:37.319
 You'll remember

00:32:37.319 --> 00:32:38.860
 after the feeding of the 5,000,

00:32:39.079 --> 00:32:40.299
 Jesus sent his disciples

00:32:40.299 --> 00:32:41.880
 on across the Lake of Galilee.

00:32:42.500 --> 00:32:43.360
 He went up on the mountain

00:32:43.360 --> 00:32:43.900
 to pray.

00:32:45.079 --> 00:32:46.400
 And as they're out on the sea,

00:32:46.799 --> 00:32:47.420
 they're struggling

00:32:47.420 --> 00:32:48.640
 against a massive storm.

00:32:48.740 --> 00:32:49.980
 They're not making any progress.

00:32:49.980 --> 00:32:53.660
 Jesus comes walking on the water

00:32:53.660 --> 00:32:54.579
 in the middle of the night.

00:32:55.220 --> 00:32:56.920
 They all freak out a little bit, right?

00:32:57.620 --> 00:32:58.339
 But eventually,

00:32:58.500 --> 00:32:58.980
 they discover

00:32:58.980 --> 00:33:00.019
 this is actually Jesus.

00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:01.299
 This is an amazing thing

00:33:01.299 --> 00:33:01.860
 that he's doing.

00:33:04.220 --> 00:33:05.640
 Only Matthew tells us

00:33:05.640 --> 00:33:06.519
 how Peter responds

00:33:06.519 --> 00:33:07.099
 to that moment.

00:33:08.200 --> 00:33:08.960
 Do you remember what he says?

00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:10.600
 Lord,

00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:12.039
 if it's you,

00:33:13.180 --> 00:33:14.779
 call me to you.

00:33:16.420 --> 00:33:17.360
 And Jesus says,

00:33:17.740 --> 00:33:18.660
 okay, Peter, come on.

00:33:20.579 --> 00:33:21.019
 Peter,

00:33:21.180 --> 00:33:22.980
 with all of the faith

00:33:22.980 --> 00:33:24.620
 in the world,

00:33:25.360 --> 00:33:26.200
 gets out of that boat.

00:33:27.600 --> 00:33:29.059
 And with his eyes fixed on Jesus,

00:33:29.180 --> 00:33:30.640
 he starts walking on that water.

00:33:32.140 --> 00:33:33.180
 As soon as he starts

00:33:33.180 --> 00:33:34.200
 walking on that water,

00:33:34.279 --> 00:33:35.140
 the closer and closer

00:33:35.140 --> 00:33:36.160
 he gets to Jesus,

00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:38.160
 the greater the storm

00:33:38.160 --> 00:33:39.740
 begins to blow around him.

00:33:41.100 --> 00:33:41.880
 Caught in the middle

00:33:41.880 --> 00:33:42.420
 of that storm,

00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:43.720
 he gets distracted by it.

00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:46.620
 And in great fear,

00:33:47.640 --> 00:33:48.420
 he turns away

00:33:48.420 --> 00:33:49.540
 to examine the storm.

00:33:49.640 --> 00:33:50.620
 His focus changes.

00:33:51.580 --> 00:33:52.279
 And what happens?

00:33:52.980 --> 00:33:54.620
 He immediately begins to drown.

00:33:56.600 --> 00:33:57.000
 Now,

00:33:57.420 --> 00:33:58.680
 the blessing of the story

00:33:58.680 --> 00:34:00.460
 is that as he's drowning,

00:34:00.580 --> 00:34:01.980
 Lord, save me, he says.

00:34:02.519 --> 00:34:03.060
 And of course,

00:34:03.140 --> 00:34:04.420
 before he even can say it,

00:34:04.420 --> 00:34:06.480
 Jesus is reaching down

00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:07.220
 to pull him.

00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:08.260
 Jesus is not going to lose

00:34:08.260 --> 00:34:08.860
 any of his own.

00:34:10.700 --> 00:34:11.760
 If God has caused you

00:34:11.760 --> 00:34:12.440
 to be born again,

00:34:12.519 --> 00:34:13.280
 that's not changing.

00:34:14.940 --> 00:34:16.159
 But you might get to a point

00:34:16.159 --> 00:34:16.639
 in your life

00:34:16.639 --> 00:34:17.680
 where you're so distracted

00:34:17.680 --> 00:34:18.800
 by the storm around you

00:34:18.800 --> 00:34:19.780
 that it feels like you're drowning.

00:34:22.019 --> 00:34:23.059
 Jesus pulls him up.

00:34:23.099 --> 00:34:23.900
 And as he pulls him up,

00:34:23.940 --> 00:34:25.360
 Matthew says that he rebukes Peter.

00:34:26.579 --> 00:34:27.280
 And he says,

00:34:27.380 --> 00:34:28.579
 oh, you of little faith,

00:34:30.019 --> 00:34:31.079
 why did you doubt?

00:34:32.139 --> 00:34:32.860
 Why did you doubt?

00:34:34.420 --> 00:34:36.880
 Now, doubt in that situation

00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:38.260
 is not a lack of faith.

00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:40.500
 Let's not forget,

00:34:41.159 --> 00:34:42.099
 Peter's the only one

00:34:42.099 --> 00:34:43.159
 to step out of that boat.

00:34:43.840 --> 00:34:45.180
 What a weird thing to do anyways.

00:34:48.039 --> 00:34:49.159
 Peter, of course,

00:34:49.240 --> 00:34:50.019
 he loved the Lord.

00:34:51.200 --> 00:34:51.920
 He's like us.

00:34:52.099 --> 00:34:54.340
 He wanted to be faithful.

00:34:55.240 --> 00:34:56.539
 He wanted to please the Lord,

00:34:56.599 --> 00:34:57.460
 but he had weak moments,

00:34:57.559 --> 00:34:57.800
 didn't he?

00:34:59.000 --> 00:35:00.720
 Jesus isn't accusing Peter

00:35:00.720 --> 00:35:01.960
 of not trusting him at all.

00:35:02.019 --> 00:35:03.220
 He's not accusing Peter

00:35:03.219 --> 00:35:05.000
 of lacking faith completely.

00:35:05.899 --> 00:35:06.639
 He's just saying,

00:35:06.959 --> 00:35:07.939
 in that moment,

00:35:08.879 --> 00:35:09.399
 you doubted.

00:35:10.639 --> 00:35:11.919
 You had a weak faith

00:35:11.919 --> 00:35:12.619
 in that moment.

00:35:14.619 --> 00:35:15.439
 Who better,

00:35:16.399 --> 00:35:17.539
 after having an experience

00:35:17.539 --> 00:35:18.319
 like that,

00:35:18.679 --> 00:35:20.939
 to teach us this lesson

00:35:20.939 --> 00:35:22.199
 on faith?

00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:25.000
 Jesus's point

00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:26.219
 was to confront Peter

00:35:26.219 --> 00:35:27.500
 for letting the storm

00:35:27.500 --> 00:35:29.019
 take his eyes

00:35:29.019 --> 00:35:30.280
 off the Savior.

00:35:32.280 --> 00:35:33.320
 And here,

00:35:34.300 --> 00:35:35.699
 writing to struggling Christians

00:35:35.699 --> 00:35:36.960
 both in the first century

00:35:36.960 --> 00:35:38.000
 and to us

00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:39.099
 in the 21st century,

00:35:39.659 --> 00:35:41.500
 that same Peter

00:35:41.500 --> 00:35:42.960
 reminds us

00:35:42.960 --> 00:35:44.360
 that to thrive

00:35:44.360 --> 00:35:45.219
 in this life

00:35:45.219 --> 00:35:46.500
 is going to require

00:35:46.500 --> 00:35:48.059
 that we not let the storm

00:35:48.059 --> 00:35:49.800
 take our eyes

00:35:49.800 --> 00:35:51.000
 off the Savior.

00:35:51.000 --> 00:35:53.320
 rather,

00:35:54.320 --> 00:35:55.139
 we're to discipline

00:35:55.139 --> 00:35:55.900
 our minds

00:35:55.900 --> 00:35:58.280
 so that our hope

00:35:58.280 --> 00:35:59.360
 is set fully

00:35:59.360 --> 00:36:00.199
 on the grace

00:36:00.199 --> 00:36:01.500
 that Jesus will bring us

00:36:01.500 --> 00:36:02.860
 at his return.

00:36:03.360 --> 00:36:03.360


00:36:03.360 --> 00:36:03.700
 for a second time,

00:36:03.700 --> 00:36:03.700


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