Good evening. For those of you who do not know me, my name is Luca, and I'm one of the members here at Bransfield Evangelical Church.
As you might know, we're beginning a new series of sermons on the book of 1 Peter tonight.
1 Peter is a letter, it's in the New Testament, and it's a really powerful letter which has so much encouragement for us, I think,
as we strive to live out our Christian lives in a broken world.
Today, as you know, we're going through the first 12 verses in the letter, and I think these first 12 verses in particular,
they really overflow with positive language.
I think perhaps Peter has carefully chosen his words to set the tone in these first verses of the whole book,
because the passages that we will be looking at in the coming Sundays, they do have some very direct challenges for us.
So I think this is probably why Peter opens the letter the way he does, as if he was saying,
this is what I'm reminding you of in these first 12 verses.
This is the reason why you should do what I'm going to tell you later.
As I studied this passage, I was reminded of a painting by a French painter, Paul Gauguin.
He lived in the 1800s.
And it's one of the many paintings that this art teacher of mine made a study back in school in great detail.
I'm really no art expert.
And the reason why this painting came to mind as I read the passage and studied the passage is its title,
which is quite a peculiar one.
It's really long, and it's made up of three questions.
So the title of the painting is, where do we come from?
What are we?
Where are we going?
You might notice a running theme if you were here this morning with existential questions today,
as Graham preached this morning.
But I think, as Graham said, if we're honest, we've probably asked ourselves these questions.
Maybe we still come back to them, perhaps from a different perspective every time I know I do, at least.
And Gauguin's answers to these questions seem to be in this allegoric, quite enigmatic picture.
No one really knows what all the different elements in the picture symbolize, so to speak.
But the most common interpretation is that this is where we come from, the baby on the far right.
And this is what we are, just people going about their lives in the middle, maybe picking fruits.
And that's where we're going, the older lady crouching on the far left.
So why the painting?
Because I think in these verses that we're looking at today, I think they give us the answers to these three huge questions.
But I'm convinced also that we will come to some wildly different conclusions than the painter.
Because unlike the painting, there's really nothing enigmatic in these verses.
In fact, I think the answers we're going to find are quite clear and transparent for us.
Now, before we dive in, because this is our first Sunday in 1 Peter,
I thought we would spend a couple of minutes just looking at the background of the book.
So the apostle Peter writes the letter.
He's one of the 12.
And he's possibly the apostle that we often remember because he denied Jesus in a moment of weakness.
But let's make sure that we don't let this event in his life define the whole of his life.
In fact, I think if any of us today are skeptical about the difference that the gospel can make in a person's life,
then Peter's biography is a really good place to go.
We read in Matthew 26, as we said, how he hits rock bottom and he denies Jesus, who is about to be killed.
But then just a few pages later in the Bible, in Acts chapter 2,
the same Peter is preaching to thousands of people in public, out loud,
and 3,000 people that day after he preached or as he preached join the church.
That's how powerful the gospel is.
And that's the same gospel that Peter is telling us about in these verses.
As he writes the letter, Peter is in Rome, and he is writing to Christians who belong to different churches,
churches in Asia Minor, which is modern-day Turkey.
And these people are being persecuted.
Nero is the Roman emperor of the time, but his systematic persecution, which we might know of
because it culminates in the great fire of Rome, that hasn't started yet.
It's likely that 1 Peter would have been written just a couple of years before that, around 63 AD.
But going by a few hints in the letter,
it is likely that these Christians are victims of non-systematic persecution.
Because they live in provinces of the Roman Empire, therefore a pagan world,
and therefore they stick out.
They do not conform to the society that they live in.
This society that is becoming more and more hostile towards Christianity,
this new philosophy that is getting more and more disciples.
So people are skeptical, people don't trust Christians,
and therefore Christians end up suffering at the hand of those in power.
Now I wonder, does any of this sound familiar to us?
People around us, skeptical of Christians and Christianity?
People around us, hostile even?
This feeling of sticking out because of our beliefs,
maybe at work or among family or among friends?
I'm sure it does probably for many of us.
And so I think we can understand at least to a certain extent,
probably what these Christians would have been going through.
And that is great because this is a letter which will show us
what it is like to live as Christians in a difficult world,
just like we do.
So I think it's safe to assume that these Christians that he is writing to,
they are discouraged.
They're probably wondering, what is the point of it all?
Has God forgotten about them?
Does God even care about us?
Well, I think God clearly does because he works through Peter
so that they can receive this incredible letter,
which is a letter of encouragement
and a letter which reminds them of their identity as children of God.
But it's also a challenging letter,
which will exhort them to behave as children of God.
So thinking about us,
I'm hoping that this is going to be for us a letter of encouragement,
which will remind us of our identity as people of God
and which will exhort us to behave as such.
And also before we dive in,
I just wanted to say if any of us today don't think they're children of God,
if any of us today are unsure as to what that possibly even means,
then I'm hoping that we will find the answer in this book together.
So if we go back to the three questions,
the first one we're going to begin with,
and the first one we're going to look at is,
where do we come from?
And I think Peter gives us the answer to these questions
in the opening and closing verses of the passage.
So verses 1 and 2,
and then verses 10, 11, and 12.
Let's read verse 1 together again.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to God's elect,
exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
I'll read it again.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to God's elect.
This is who Peter says he is writing to.
It's very fast words that he uses,
God's elect.
Do you see what he is doing here?
He's telling these Christians from the very start,
God knows you personally.
He always has.
Imagine the power of a statement like that
for someone who's feeling neglected by God.
Let's think about those moments in our life,
for instance,
when we asked ourselves if our life mattered to God.
With just one word,
Peter takes us right back to where we really belong.
We are God's elect.
In verse 2, he says,
chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.
So where do we come from is the question.
Well, says Peter,
we come from the family of God.
God the Father,
the Spirit,
and Jesus Christ,
see the Trinity,
here in verses 1 and 2,
they work together,
and are still working together,
so that these Christians may be saved,
so that we can be saved.
So if that doesn't make us the opposite of neglected,
then I really don't know what does.
The triune God of the universe has chosen us,
and he has made us his family.
Something that we will see as we go through the letter
is that it is full of Old Testament language.
As he writes to these Christians,
Peter wants them to feel part of the family of God,
despite the fact that they are Gentiles.
They're non-Jewish people.
So it needs to be clear to them
that through Jesus,
as he says in verse 2,
having been sprinkled with Jesus' blood,
they are now part of God's people.
Christians are all part of God's family,
whether they were born Jewish or not.
And this probably sounds quite straightforward to us,
but in the context of the first century,
using words like this for Gentiles,
it takes on a lot of significance.
What they're hearing is,
you are not nobodies.
You are not less important than the Jewish people around you,
because you are God's elect.
And then we have all of these Old Testament references throughout the letter,
but in these verses we're looking at tonight,
and in particular 10, 11, and 12,
then he,
Peter addresses even more directly this link
between the Old Testament,
the people of Israel,
and these Christians.
Sorry, yeah,
these Christians,
these Gentiles,
who lived after Christ.
Because he's telling them that the prophets
that God sent to the people of Israel
hundreds and thousands of years earlier,
these prophets who foretold the coming of Jesus,
just like Isaiah,
just like the passage we read,
they were serving them.
They were not serving themselves.
They were talking about things
that would have happened
in their time.
So you unimportant
non-Jewish Christians in Asia
who are going
about your ordinary lives,
who are being looked on
by the people around you,
God himself,
he sent prophets
who would speak of things
which were going to happen
in your time,
events which even angels
long to look into,
he says in verse 12.
The gospel
is for you.
There is one last little word
in these verses
which has a lot to say
about where we're from
and it's exiles
in verse 1.
These Christians feel like
they do not belong
where they live
and there is a reason
for this.
There is a reason
why they feel like outsiders
and why they are being persecuted
and the reason is
because they actually
really do not belong.
The same way that we don't.
Paul says in Philippians 3,
our citizenship is in heaven.
Jesus says in John 17,
we are in the world
but not of the world.
We might have a British passport
for many of you
or an Italian one for me
but these are just
earthly temporary citizenships
while we are on exile
on this broken planet,
while we wait to go
back to our real home.
So I think it's quite easy
to see how everything
that Peter has said so far
to these Christians
is actually so, so relevant
to us too.
When our faith is causing us
to feel uncomfortable,
it's causing us to feel
out of place.
Well, of course it does.
We need to pause
and remember where we come from.
Yes, we're here.
Yes, we have families
and friends and work
but we are children of God.
We've been saved
by the God of the universe.
His own son died for us
and his spirit
is at work in us now.
And as Peter points out
at the end of the passage,
we're so fortunate
to live on this side of history,
to be able to hold this book
in our hands
and to witness
God's grace
through Jesus' death
for us.
So when we are discouraged
like the original readers
of the letter,
then let's look into this book
and let's be thankful
that God loves us so much
that he sent Jesus
to die for us.
Let's look up
to him
and marvel
at his love
instead of focusing
on our difficulties here.
Thank you.
Question number two
is where are we going?
And we're going to look
at verses three to five
from this.
These three verses
in the NIV
are split into sentences
but in the original
they are one long sentence
and as I read them
I thought
this really is
the gospel
in one long sentence.
So I thought
I imagined
if any of us
were chatting
to some stranger
at the bus stop
and we end up
talking about Christianity
and then the question
comes up
they have no idea
what Christianity is
so they go like
what is the gospel?
And you think
well this is my opportunity
I can tell someone
what the gospel is
and then you turn around
and you see their bus coming
so they need to hop on
on their bus
maybe you have 20 to 30 seconds
how do you answer
a question like that?
You read these three verses.
Let's do it together
but more slowly
so let's break it up a bit
if you follow in your Bibles
starting in verse 3
so God
who is the father of Jesus
in his great mercy
and we'll come back to this
he has given us
new birth
how has he done that?
Through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ
and what is the result
of this new birth?
That we have access
to our inheritance
which is kept in heaven
for us
and what does
this inheritance look like?
This inheritance
can never perish
can never spoil
can never fade
and when are we going
to get it?
We're in verse 5 now
in the last time
at the coming of
the salvation
so when Jesus comes back
there you go
summary of the whole gospel
So where are we going
is the question
this is where we're going
it's the place
where Jesus has already gone
and where we are headed
as children of God
it's our inheritance
we are family
part of the family of God
and that's what happens
with family
you get an inheritance
it's such a
it's a world
with such a strong
sense of belonging
we are going
to heaven
I don't know
if we say it to ourselves
often enough
I know
I don't think about it
as much as I should
we are going
to heaven
heaven is being
kept for us
Jesus did say
didn't he
that he is preparing
a place for us
a place so so different
from where we are now
so so different
that Peter uses
these three amazing words
to describe it
in verse 4
and I realized
as I studied the passage
particularly the first few times
it was just so easy
to read quickly over it
and overlook
these three attributes
so I thought
we should stop
and look at all three
of them tonight
and try and
savour them
I thought of
just small
sort of illustrations
for each of them
heaven is
imperishable
what does that mean?
it means that there's
no expiry date
on it
it's there
to stay
it isn't going
anywhere
heaven is
waiting for us
always
and forever
so we're trying to think
what is like that?
is there anything
in the world
that we can all relate to
that's always been there
and will always be there
and the best I could
come up with
maybe you will come up
with something better
but the best I could
come up with
was the sun
I think no matter
how far back
in history you go
we all take for granted
that the sun
was already there
and if we think
about the future
probably
we will always
assume that the sun
is there
but even
the sun
we do know
is burning away
I think
at the moment
the estimate
has got
a few billion years
to burn
but heaven
will survive
even that
it's really difficult
to even comprehend
and then still
in verse 4
our inheritance
in heaven
is undefiled
there is nothing
anyone can do
to spoil it
to damage it
to ruin it
there's so much
focus at the moment
on our planet
on how
we are destroying it
how
humankind
is spoiling it
and
the damage
that we can make
is so visible
isn't it
well
not in heaven
because no one
can do
the same
to our
inheritance
whatever expects us
is going to be
pristine when we get there
and it will
remain intact
we won't have to worry
about sustainability
in heaven
our inheritance
it cannot spoil
unlike the earth
we're on just now
heaven is exactly
like God
intended it
and then the third
attribute Peter uses
is unfading
heaven
doesn't fade
it will not
lose
radiance
it won't be like
going to a party
everyone's really excited
at the start
you meet your friends
there's a lot to catch up on
maybe you meet new people
where are you from
what do you do
but then by then
the party sort of peaked
and then people start
to get bored
they start leaving
and then the party dies
well not the party
that God has prepared
for us
heaven will not fade
what a complete picture
that Peter has painted
for us
do we see
do we realize
the grandiosity
of what awaits us
this description of heaven
should really lift our eyes
from our everyday lives
and have us marvel
as the beauty
of what awaits us
it's a place
that's been designed
by God himself
it's a place
that is being kept
by God himself
it's a place
that hasn't been spoiled
by sin
so Peter is telling
these Christians
you come from
the family of God
and because
that's your identity
then this
is where you're going
so do not let
what is happening
here and now
discourage you
distract you
just drag you down
and forget
where you belong
you are on exile here
your citizenship
is not
on this earth
but look up instead
that's where you belong
and that
is where you're going
again here
I think there's
one little word
that we need to
pay attention to
and it's mercy
in verse 3
great mercy
Peter says
because the description
of such an astonishing
inheritance
it can be overwhelming
it can make us wonder
what on earth
can I possibly do
to deserve it
well the answer
is nothing
we can accept it
in fact we have
if we want to
enter this inheritance
at all
but we can't
possibly deserve
what God has prepared
for us
we are not going
where we're going
because we've been
ticking off a few boxes
on a to-do list
we are going
because God
infinitely loves us
simple as that
verse 3 reads
he has given us
new birth
into a living hope
how has he done it
is it maybe
through our actions
no it's not
it's through
Christ's death
and resurrection
nothing
we can do
will ever change
the extent
of God's mercy
the last question
that we need
to answer then
if we put it
in Goggins words
is
what are we
we're going to look
at verses 6 to 9
here
so we've seen
where we come from
as children of God
we've seen
what inheritance
expects us
where we are going
but
what about
the here and now
what happens
in the meantime
what about
all of those moments
when we wonder
why am I having
to suffer
for my
suffer
for my faith
does the Bible
have any answer
any answers
for us
in this passage
let's
look at verse 6
together
though now
for a little while
you may have had
to suffer grief
in all
kind of trials
Peter tells us
that we
suffer grief
and maybe
we're thinking
thank you Peter
I noticed
and
why would we
be
suffering grief
why would
we be
enduring trials
if not
because we're
broken people
because there's
something
inherently
broken
with us
and I think
we all
simply
know that
we're broken
don't we
I mean
we have to
live with
ourselves
every moment
of our lives
and I'm
pretty
confident
we can
probably
think of
even a few
examples
from just
the past
couple of
hours
which
point
to
our
brokenness
and this
is quite
simply
what we
are
we are
broken
people
and we
live
in a
broken
world
and as
Christians
these
subjects
us
to
all
kinds
of
trials
don't
we
know it
all too
well
in a
world
which
was
so hostile
to
Christianity
in Peter's
times
and still
is in
our
times
we can
think of
outright
persecution
in countries
like China
for instance
but also
closer to
home
there's
less violent
or direct
forms of
persecution
in our
western
countries
in the
form of
stigma
against
Christianity
maybe
or the
controversial
topic of
freedom of
speech
when it
comes to
certain
issues
I
know of
some of
you who
regularly
face these
problems
in the
workplace
but there
are two
things
that Peter
points out
for us
about these
trials
there's
good news
for us
the number
one is
for a little
while
in verse
six
our trials
on this
earth
are
temporary
they're
only for
a time
and we
must not
make the
mistake
of thinking
that Peter
is trivializing
what Christians
go through
of all people
he would be
the last
person to
do that
what Peter
does with
these verses
instead is
he is
helping us
lift our
eyes
let's think
back to
one of
those
three
attributes
of our
inheritance
in heaven
we said
imperishable
now compare
that
this heaven
that will
survive
the sun
to
what we
go through
on earth
don't
our human
mortal
lives
pale in
comparison
and so
should
our
trials
if we
look at
things
from the
perspective
of
eternity
with God
and then
the second
piece
of good
news
is that
these
trials
are
necessary
he says
in verse
six
you may
have had
to suffer
and then
in verse
seven
he says
these
the trials
have come
so that
and then
he gives
us an
explanation
which we're
going to
look at
in a
minute
but just
to say
these
words
the way
he
words
things
that means
that they
are
necessary
what
these
Christians
are
enduring
what we
have to
endure
is no
accident
yes you
have
trials
yes it
is horrible
yes it
is frustrating
yes it
is difficult
but they're
not let's
not make
the mistake
of thinking
that these
trials are
the inevitable
consequence
of this
world that's
been forgotten
by this
God who's
looking the
other way
God is
in control
they are
part of
God's
plan and
as such
they are
necessary
because and
he gives
us the
reason these
trials serve
a purpose
just like
Jesus'
death on
the cross
did he
didn't die
in vain
did he
so where
is this
purpose
verse 7
to test
our faith
to prove
the genuineness
of our
faith and
by doing
so ultimately
to strengthen
it these
trials strengthen
our faith in
a way that
results in
praise glory
and honor when
Jesus will be
revealed that's
in verse 7
and then to
top it all
off it's not
in today's
passage but
Peter will
say in
chapter 4
verse 14
if you're
insulted
because of
the name
of Christ
you are
blessed
for the
spirit of
glory and
of God
rests on
you
so these
trials
what we
undergo for
being children
of God
they are
a blessing
because they
strengthen our
faith
so when we're
at work
tomorrow
and we're
faced with
what we can
call persecution
let's
remember
that this
is part
of God's
plan
and not
because God
acts like
this mean
fitness instructor
who pushes us
to our limits
for the sake
of it
but because he
knows the
fruit that
these trials
will bring
to our
faith
and to
his kingdom
so we're
broken people
who endure
temporary
and necessary
trials due
to our
Christian
faith
but it
doesn't
stop there
because what
is the
flip side
of all
of this
it's that
we have
hope
because we
are believers
because our
hope is not
in whatever
is happening
to us
here on
this earth
our hope
is in that
inheritance
to come
and this
hope
Peter says
in verses
6 and
8
it produces
in us
great joy
inexpressible
and glorious
joy
we have
faith
in the
triune
God
of the
first
three
verses
we have
faith
in a
God
who is
our
father
in his
plan of
salvation
through
Jesus
and in
the
God
whose
spirit
is
working
in
us
this is
all back
in verses
1 and
2
and so
Peter
tells us
what this
faith looks
like
in verse
8
these
Christians
have never
seen
Jesus
and yet
they love
him
that's
faith
and the
end result
of it
of this
faith
in verse
9
is
the
salvation
of their
souls
nothing less
so
what are we
we are
broken people
in a broken
world
who have to
endure trials
because of
our faith
and therefore
lead
miserable
lives
no
because
this same
faith
which caused
the trials
in the
first place
it makes
us
overflow
with joy
at the
thought
of the
salvation
that it
produced
in us
so as we
wrap up
I have a
couple of
applications
for us all
to think
about
of the
back
of all
of this
the first
one
for any
of us
who are
struggling
with the
idea
of faith
in the
gospel
if we're
thinking
yeah okay
I'll believe
it when
I see
it
these
Christians
that Peter
is writing
to they
are proof
that faith
is enough
though you
have not
seen him
you love
him
Peter is
telling us
that this
book
the bible
is all
we need
it is
enough
evidence
maybe we're
doubting and
we're thinking
if only I
had a sign
but again
here is our
sign
Jesus
died for
us
and that's
all we
need
and then
for those
of us
who do
believe
then my
challenge
for us
is
where is
our joy
if I'm
honest with
myself
as someone
looks at
me from
the outside
do they
see a
joy in
Peter's
words so
great in
my salvation
and the
inheritance
which awaits
me that I
can't even
express it
as we
go about
our life
are the
truths of
the gospel
what we
focus on
what is it
the challenges
that our
Christian life
produce and
how sorry we
feel for
ourselves is
that what we're
focusing on
instead are
we using the
bible as a
compass to
lift our
eyes towards
the God
who chose
us these
amazing loving
God that
we're going to
go back to
for the rest
of eternity
and if the
answer to
these questions
is no
then can I
invite you to
grab someone
maybe at the
end of this
service and
just pray
together
let's pray
together and
ask God to
direct our
attention to
the greatness
of salvation
and the
greatness of
what is to
come
let's ask
him to
give us
perspective
let's go
back to
the
painting
as we
conclude
so I
ask myself
in the light
of everything
that Peter
tells us
what is the
problem with
this painting
and I think
it's that it
begins and
end on
earth
it doesn't
show us
where we
come from
the foreknowledge
of God the
father and it
certainly doesn't
show us where
we are going
eternity in
the presence
of God
perhaps it
partly shows
us where
we are
this broken
confusing
world but
it doesn't
show us the
joy that
we have in
the hope of
what is to
come as
Christians
how much
bigger and
just fuller
and more
beautiful is
the picture
that Peter
has painted
for us in
these 12
verses it's
infinitely
bigger
so as we
study the
rest of the
book in
the coming
Sundays
can I
encourage you
to try and
remind
yourselves of
what these
12 verses
are all
about
is where
we are
from and
where we're
going really
is the
premise for
everything that
is to
follow and
it's the
only way that
we can find
the strength
that we need
to lift our
eyes and to
rejoice despite
our trials in
a God who
is in
control
rejoice in
our new
birth through
Jesus and
in the
salvation that
it brings
us
let's pray
father we
come to you
confessing that
we more
often than not
probably look
down rather
than up
we focus
on our
problems on
the here and
now rather
than on
your glory
and what
awaits us
so we
ask you to
forgive us
and we ask
for your
help to
just lift our
eyes and
be joyful
because we're
part of your
family and
because you've
saved us
father so we
just thank you
because you're
in control we
thank you for
your amazing
plan and we
thank you for
Jesus'
sacrifice and
the salvation
that it's
given us
amen