God’s Word at Work

April 20 — Always Being Ready to Make a Defense… — 1 Peter 3:15-22; Acts 17:16-31 — Pastor Charles Mallie

• In the name of Jesus,
  • Amen
• “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”
• If you’ ve been paying attention to me when I preach, you may have noticed something particular about my sermons.
  • I almost always preach on the Gospel.
  • I do that because the words of Jesus are more important than the words of Paul, or Peter, or Charlie.
  • • Sermons aren’t rightly about social issues, political agendas, or contemporary happenings.
  • • Sermons are rightly about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
  • • “Lord, to whom else shall we go, you, only you have the words of eternal life!”
• Today I’m going to break stride and talk about something that you may not be used to hearing from the pulpit… evangelism and apologetics.
  • Apologetics is the defense of the Faith.
  • • Apologetics is the art of telling why you believe what you believe.
  • I’m going to do something in the style and the manner of the apostles themselves.
  • • I’m going to give you something that was first given to me at the beginning of my journey along the Way called Jesus.
• My story is different than most of yours.
  • I didn’t grow up in the faith
  • • Most of you know that.
  • I didn’t have the benefit of growing up at the feet of our Lord.
  • Where I grew up, if anyone was a Christian, you’d never know it.
  • • There were no church groups trying to evangelize on the street corners.
  • • There were no missionary tracts on my windshield… EVER.
  • • There was no Christian witness of any sort — good or bad.
  • How would you like to grow up in that environment?
  • • There was no moral compass.
  • • Premarital sex? No big deal…
  • • Drugs were everywhere.
  • • Rampant liberalism.
  • • No Christ, no church, no preaching, no nothin’.
  • And by the way, the kids who saw through this had one other defining characteristic:
  • • No Hope.
  • How’d you like your kids to grow up in that atmosphere?
    • Well… keep on with the attitude that Sunday school is optional and catechesis is no big deal and that’s exactly what you’re going to wind up with.
  • • And… that’s exactly where this culture is headed.
  • Unless you are actively doing something about it, you’re part of the problem.
  • • We are losing our world to unbelief.
  • • … And our Synod to the lawyers and bureaucrats.
• Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.
  • Can you defend Christianity?
  • • If you were in a room with a non-Christian and he asked you, “Why do you believe that whole mess about Jesus?” Could you answer?
  • • Could what you said to be true in a way that the non-Christian could investigate it for himself, objectively?
  • • Or would you retreat saying:
  • • • Christianity works for me…
  • • • Or it makes me feel good…
  • • • Or, I like it…
  • • • Or something else that’s not helpful to the skeptical unbeliever.
  • • And while all of that may be true for you…
  • • That doesn’t mean it’s objectively true.
  • It’s not your fault because you don’t know how to do this.
  • • It needs to be taught
  • • Unfortunately, it’s not taught in most churches or even perhaps most Christian universities.
  • • And if you think you go to seminary to learn how to defend the Christian faith, I’ve got some bad news for you.
  • • • The pastors I know (for the most part) are completely incapable of doing this.
  • We ALL need to sit at the feet of St. Paul for so many reasons.
  • • But this morning, we need to sit at his feet and watch and listen to how St. Paul walks Christ into a completely pagan culture.
• Paul doesn’t go looking for a fight, but is the epitome of what Peter writes.
  • “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”
• Paul’s message is twofold.
  • It is the manner of apostolic preaching that has almost been lost in this age.
  • The first thing that Paul does is build a bridge with the people.
  • • He doesn’t preach at them from afar, he gets down in the trenches with them.
  • You start by reaching out.
  • • In the same manner as Christ reached out across heaven to descend to earth and take on our flesh, in the same manner He reached out across time and space to reach you through His Word.
  • • In the same manner Christ reaches out through Word and Sacrament, Paul reaches out.
  • • He meets people where they are.
  • And there is an introduction.
  • • For Paul it was, “You even have an altar to an unknown god… let me tell you about him.”
• For most of you, this will be the most difficult thing you ever do in your entire life.
  • You may study long and hard for that presentation at work in the morning.
  • You may work for days to prepare for the board meeting.
  • You work and sweat and labor and train and practice and role-play and simulate for all kinds of earthly tasks that are important to you.
• Why would you think it would be any different here?
  • Are you lazy when it comes to your faith, or just uncommitted?
  • Or can you just not be bothered because you’re just too busy doing things that nobody will even remember after you’re gone.
  • All the while your friend, your neighbor, your relative, your spouse… is one day closer to the grave and closer to hell.
• My point is, in your personal life, you have pushed yourself into all kinds of situations that may have been uncomfortable for you, but you did it for some earthly reward.
  • How is it that when it comes to evangelism the linchpin gets pulled and the whole cart collapses?
  • You know why.
  • • Sin.
  • • That part of us that resists God, rebels, rejects.
  • That is why Peter reminds us of our first step.
  • • “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts…”
• We must begin this endeavor of reaching the world for Christ with a reminder that Christ has reached out for us.
  • We must remind ourselves that we were in the position of the unbeliever.
  • We were the ones ignorant of the blessings in Christ.
  • We were the ones who were still in our sin, who were burdened by guilt, who had no hope.
• But in Christ, all is different.
  • In Christ, we have hope… the sure hope of the resurrection.
  • The hope of eternal life.
  • We have peace with God.
• This morning, Peter reminds us, that we need to be able to give a reason for this hope that is within us.
• Do you know how simple this is?
  • Let me show you.
  • First you need to meet people where they are.
  • • You know what that means?

• • • • You can’t sit in your living room and do this.
      • I don’t evangelize by sitting behind my desk.
      • That’s why I’m not there much.
      • You have to go where unbelievers are.
  • • • • For Paul, that was all over the Mediterranean.
        • This morning, it’s Athens.
  • • • For most of you it’s not so hard.
  • • • • Work, school, the gym, Starbucks, grocery shopping… wherever you find yourself during the week, I’m willing to bet not everyone in your sphere of existence is Christian.
  • • • • That’s good news for you, because you don’t have to feel guilty for not becoming a missionary and shipping off to Africa.
  • Okay, so step one… finding non-Christian.
  • • You all have them in your life.
  • Now, if you like most people, you can manage to start a conversation about almost anything.
  • • The weather, sports, politics… but when it comes to that one word… Jesus…
  • • You have tremendous fear about bringing up that Name.
  • But imagine being able to get even one person from your life into these pews to hear about what you have every day, forever.
  • • Forgiveness, life, and salvation.
  • Imagine if we could fill these pews.
  • Imagine if we had to go to the three services… or even four.
  • Imagine if we have the money to support all kinds of mission work.
  • Imagine if we could fill heaven with souls redeemed by the blood of the Lamb all because we’ve learned to open our mouths at the right time!
  • Imagine looking back on three years of your life and realizing that because you open your mouth, 10 or 20 or 50 or 100 or 1000 souls were brought “to the Word of God and their Names were now written in the Book of Life because when the Spirit wanted to work… you opened your mouth.
  • Would you ever worry about your life not having the “meaning” you think it should?
  • Okay, so you’ve found a non-Christian, and you’ve managed to actually talk to you… about something… sports, weather, business… whatever.
  • Now what?
• How do you get that over to Jesus?
  • This is where the art of evangelism comes in.
• You need to learn to cool your jets and LISTEN.
  • Most people will open up about something to see if you can help.
  • • For some people, they’ll bring up business, or some problem at work, or perhaps something personal.
  • What you want to do is see if you can walk Christ into that situation.
  • • To do that, you have to make that connection between whatever it is and Jesus.
  • • Sound hard?
  • It isn’t. Do you want to know what works in almost every situation?
  • • When somebody brings up a difficulty you can ask, “Have you prayed about that?”
  • • It works in most situations, because it points you right in the middle of evangelism and apologetics.
  • • Now, as scary as it sounds, this is going to put you exactly where you need to be.
• It’s like Paul saying to the Athenians, “I perceive you to be religious men…”
  • Everybody believes in something. This is going to let you know how and what they believe.
  • Now, you’ve done the hardest part.
  • LISTEN to their answer.
  • • If they say anything that is not in line with the Apostles Creed you can ask why they believe that.
  • What do I mean?
  • • Okay, well… let’s say they bring up something they are ‘going through,’ and you ask, “Have you prayed about that?” And they say, “No, but I did rub a pink crystal ball over my butt.”
  • • Or something else utterly pagan.
  • You get to say… with meekness and gentleness,
  • • “Why do you believe that?”
  • • Then, sit back and listen.
  • Most people have no real idea about why they believe the things they believe (that goes for Christians too!) And they’ll get frustrated and turn it around on you…
  • • SO… Mr. smarty-pants Christian, why do you believe what you believe?
• And this is where the real work of apologetics and evangelism is done.
  • You get to preach like Peter and evangelize like Paul.
• You get to say, “I believe because He rose from the dead!”
  • Repeat that.
  • It’s amazing how Christians never think of it… but it’s what Paul says over and over.
  • • “For I delivered to you as the first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, and then to all the apostles…”
  • I believe because He rose from the dead!
• But you’re thinking, “What if they challenged me on that?”
  • Relax… they WILL.
  • Then you get to defend the whole Bible as being an accurate historical work that I can trust far and above the New York Times for truth in reporting the fact.
• Now, I want you to realize something.
  • Whether or not they walk away from this conversation as a believer or not, you have done something very important.
  • You have preached the gospel to that person, especially if you’re quoting the 1 Corinthians 15 passages that I just said.
• That’s the thing that does the real converting — the Gospel.
  • God works in the heart through His Word.
  • What you’re doing is preaching and defending the preaching as true and reliable.
• I know there’s more to it than this, but we have to start somewhere.
  • I’d be willing to teach you all how to do this in detail, but it means you actually have to start coming to Bible Study.
• I know this will take some work on your part.
  • First, many of you hardly know your Bibles, and that has to change.
  • Second, some of you aren’t even quite sure what you believe. That’s not so good either.
  • And third, and defending the Gospel and the Bible is going to take a little work on your part.
• But I will say this, if you’re unwilling to do 1, 2, and 3… then there really isn’t much point in paying a pastor to preach, much less two of us.
  • And don’t be surprised if, in a decade or so, there isn’t a church for you or your children.
  • • It’s a simple fact, churches that don’t evangelize, die.
    • Christ set it up like that for a reason.
• If you’re here, God has called you to be a missionary to this community, no matter your zip code.
  • This is your basis of operations.
  • It’s where you get fed and where training is available to help you in this task for the purpose of bringing the Gospel to the four corners of the world… starting from this parking lot.
• Where did all of this get Paul?
  • Well, in the end it got him killed.
  • • But you don’t really have to worry about that, you’ve already died with Christ… and you will rise with Him on the last day.
• For Paul’s hearers that day in Athens… well, just listen to him…
  • “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
  • “Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, ‘We will hear you again concerning this.’ So Paul went out from their midst but some men joined him and believed.”
• Some are going to sneer.
  • Some are going to make fun… and to be honest, some of it will hurt.
• But every once in a while you’ll get a guy who says, “We shall hear you again concerning this.”
  • And of those, some will hear and believe.
• A Day of judgment has been fixed, is coming, and perhaps soon, when there will be no more second chances for those not in Christ.
• To bring this back around, this type of conversation should lead to one place…
  • BAPTISM, which is your entrance into the Body of Christ, the Church.
  • This is why Peter writes about this as he is encouraging you to give an answer to anyone that asks.
  • • “Baptism now saves, through the resurrection of Christ.”
• You have been saved.
  • You’re in… forever.
  • Not even your own sin can get you out.
  • All of it’s been paid for.
• My prayer is that you’ll value what you have enough so that it just might move you to open your mouth.
• In the name of Jesus.
  • Amen.

The Corner Stone

I Peter 2: 4-10

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for this mornings meditation is recorded in the first letter of Peter, chapter 2, verses 4 through 10, particularly these words: “As you come to him, the living stone — rejected by men, but chosen by God, and precious to him — you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. What is the church? Many people today are so disappointed with “THE CHURCH”. There are those who are outside Christianity who look at the scandals of the Roman Catholic church, and the divisions of the Episcopal Church, and the arguments going on in almost all churchs today — and say, “Yes! That’s the church for you!” And they see the TV evangelist and say, “All THE CHURCH wants is your money!” And they see other scandals involving Christians and the visible church — And they wonder IF the church is doing what THE CHURCH is supposed to do. And many have concluded that the church is certainly NOT doing its job — at least NOT the job THEY THINK the church should be doing. Some congregations try to avoid association with “THE CHURCH”. They call themselves a community, or a fellowship — anything but a “Church”

But most of the hard critics of the church, are those who are on the outside looking in. These critics are most often those who normally do very little IN the church. The problem these people see with the church is not really the church’s problem — but their own. They don’t understand the function, the purpose, or the very nature of the church.

The church is not some mystical, invisible magic wand that we wave in the air and it makes everybody good, magically feeding the poor, giving riches to the poor, and healing every disease that is known to man. Wouldn’t it be nice to have just such a magic wand — wave it in the air and all sin, all sickness, all pain, and all suffering just disappears?

But the church is not that magic wand. The church we confess in our creed is the one Holy Christian and Apostolic church, God’s people; called, gathered, enlightended and sanctified by the Holy Spirit; gathered around God’s Word and Sacrament; receiving forgiveness of sins and strength from God, so that they might witness to the love of God in Jesus Christ by word and deed. The Apostle Paul spoke of the church in these words: “So then you are no longer stranger and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a swelling place of God in the spirit.”

You and I and every Christian, who professes Christ, are the stones that produce that structure called, “The Church.” Each one of us is an important stone in that building. But the most important stone in that building is mentioned by Paul — and also by Peter in today’s text. Both men point to Jesus Christ as the Cornerstone — the most important stone — in this building called “THE CHURCH”.

As we remember that great festival of Easter Day which we celebrated a few weeks back, Peter’s words are so meaningful to each of us, “Come to Him, to that living stone, in God’s sight chosen and precious; and like living stones, be yourselves built into a spiritual house to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Those who reject the church today as being meaningless — are not much different from many in Peter’s day. For even back then there were those who rejected “the Cornerstone.” Christ himself quoted an Old Testament prediction that this would happen. Isaiah had said, “He is a stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall; but they stumble because they disobey the Word.”

Many people in our community and in our neighborhoods, have no interest at all in Church or religion. Some are even hostile to the church. Some have said that we now live in a Post Christian Era of time. Much of that hostility comes because they see the church and religion as nothing more than a set of rules — a set of “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots.” They see the church as a set of rules that they do NOT want to follow. They want to make their own rules for life. They want to be free — not tied down by rules.

Too bad they do not realize that true freedom — true joy– can only be found in the true “cornerstone” of the church, which is Jesus Christ. True Freedom can only come in the forgiveness which Jesus Christ offers to us by grace, through faith. And true freedom and peace, comes only in the peace which He alone can give. The cornerstone of the church IS NOT the LAW — the cornerstone of the church is the Gospel — it is Jesus Christ.

Now, in our text, Peter says, you and I are living stones that go into that building where Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. As the cornerstone, it is HIS job and duty to support and to hold up the rest of us. The cornerstone in today’s buildings in only decorative — it provides no support for the building. But in Peter’s day, the corner stone was laid first, and the entire weight of the whole building rest on that cornerstone. That’s what the Cornerstone is for — to support the weight of the rest of the building. So Peter writes to the Christians of his day, “you also, are being built into a spiritual house, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Jesus Christ himself told us, “Without me, you can do nothing.”

No matter how many good works we did in this world. No matter how religious we were. No matter how much money was given to charity. No matter how many critical events were shared. No matter how many sick people were visited. No matter how many hungry people were fed. — Without Jesus Christ — without our cornerstone — we are nothing. Isaiah explained it perfectly when he said, “All our righteous deeds, all our good works, are like filthy rags.” Our Spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God, ONLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, our Cornerstone.

Therefore the words of Peter in our text are so true for each of us: “To you therefore who believe, he is precious.” The Lord is indeed precious to us. He is more precious than Gold or Silver for he is the very source of our lives. Peter explained it this way in our text, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Dear friends, none of that happened by accident. That was God’s plan through his Son Jesus Christ. He died for you. He arose for you. He ascended into heaven to prepare a place for you. That is why you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people.”

Our cornerstone is indeed precious to us. Our cornerstone is indispensable to us. We have to have him — for forgiveness, for strength, for life, for everything.

Individual Christians will fall short. But the church of Jesus Christ, the true church, will never fall short, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it — because the Cornerstone of the Church is Jesus Christ, our Lord. To God be the Glory. Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.

FOLLOWING CHRIST, THE SHEPHERD
I Peter 2:19-25

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for this mornings meditation is recorded in Peter’s first Epistle, chapter 2, verses 19 through 25, particularly these words: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” This is our text.
In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. Under the old system of Scripture readings, before the three year series which our synod uses today, the Fourth Sunday in the Easter season was always know as “GOOD SHEPHERD” Sunday. And the scripture readings, the introit, and the prayer for this day still point to Jesus Christ as the “GOOD SHEPHERD”. Our introit began with the words of Jesus, “I am the Good Shepherd.” And the gospel lesson talks about sheep who recognize the voice of their shepherd and will follow no other person. And likewise, the epistle lesson from 1st Peter, also mentions a shepherd, by telling us we were like sheep going astray, but now we have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. The new system, like the old, on the 4th Sunday in Easter reminds us that Jesus Christ is the “Good Shepherd” and that we should follow him.
Jesus Christ is our Shepherd. He is the one who loves us! He is the one who cares for us! And He is the one who guards over our souls. It is Jesus Christ who loved us so much he gave his life for us and arose again for us, and it is Jesus Christ who now lives and reigns for all eternity, and has promised us a life eternal with him in heaven.
But in our Epistle lesson for today, Jesus is more than just a Shepherd who guides us, and who watches over us. Jesus is someone who has been through what we go through in our everyday lives, and he is someone who has set an example for us to follow. I know we as Lutherans don’t like to talk about Jesus as an example, as if, if we lived like Jesus did, we can be good Christians. He is much more than just a moral example. He is our Savior, our God, our King. But Peter in our text for today says, “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” Peter tells us that we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, our Shepherd. There are three areas in which we could speak from our text about following Christ’s example.

First of all, in Holiness. Secondly, in sacrifice. And lastly, in purpose of living.
First of all, Following Christ our Shepherd in holiness. Our text said that Jesus was an example which we should follow and then says, “He committed no sin; and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. Jesus was sinless. He never broke the will of God. If he had sinned then his critics would be correct in saying that he was just a man, and NOT god. But Christ did keep the law perfectly for you and for me. He never lied. He never cursed others when they cursed him. And as he faced death on the cross he did not answer any of the accusations which the chief priests and scribes had set against him. Even as he was dying on the cross, he felt no hatred toward anyone, but instead prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Those are some mighty big footsteps for us to walk in. You and I are sinful human beings. We are not divine God, as Christ is. You and I will never live the perfect life that Christ lived. The LAW reminds us of our shortcomings and how we fail to be perfect. Only in Christ — in the forgiveness which he gives and only in the strength that he gives, can we do the good works which God prepared for us to do. Yes, there are good works for us to do, but it is God himself who gives us the will and the strength to accomplish those works that he has chosen for us to do. Ephesians 2 makes this clear, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith — and not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast, for we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
But we will never live the perfect life which is the example Christ left for us. That is why the second part of our example which Christ set for us was sacrifice. Christ’s sacrifice was a sacrifice of love. In our text we read, “Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” That was Christ’s great sacrifice for us. He knew that even his own followers could not, and would not follow his example of a perfect life and that because of sin, everyone would still be under the penalty of death for their sins. So he offered his body as a sacrifice, and carried our sins in his body on the tree. Christ made himself a sacrifice for us. He went to the cross alone to bear our pain and our guilt; a death which carried inconceivable agony, inexpressible shame, and dreadful loneliness. Christ became a man who was exiled, thrown out, and abandoned. “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me.” All this was a sacrifice of love, for it was done for us and our sins.
How can we follow such an example? That is impossible. There is nothing we can do to imitate that love. We can never top the love which Christ has shown to us through his death and resurrection. Christ’s death and resurrection was complete, once and for all, for all people. All we can offer to him is what he already owns—our lives! We thank, praise, serve, and obey him — because he loved us so. We want to serve him and our fellow human beings.
But why, what is our reason for life. What is our purpose. Christ gave us an example. Our text tells us that Jesus gave himself for us so that, “we might die to sin and live for righteousness.” The reason for Christ’s life was to free you and me from eternal sin and death. And now that he has set us free from the guilt and the punishment of sin, we have indeed died to sin, so that we can now live for righteousness.
Many people wonder just what life is all about. They live for themselves — a very selfish reason for existing. Their life has no meaning other that just personal gratification of personal wants and desires. That is a shallow, non-fulfilling life style.
But Christ set us an example as he lived for others. By his life, death, and resurrection, we are the children of God. In our Baptism, God claimed us as his very own. And so we live our life for him who died for us. Each day we live is a day we dedicate to His service. Every word we say, every seed we plant, every product we sell, every stitch that we sew, every vegetable we cook, every action we take should be dedicated to his service, for he gave us life and strength and hope. In Short, our whole life and everything we do in it, is not something we do for ourselves, but something that we do for God, for him who died that we might have new life and our freedom from eternal death.
And even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we fear no evil — because our shepherd Jesus Christ has traveled that road before us. He died and rose again — so that we might die and rise again — to be with him in heaven for ever.
What a joy it is to follow a loving shepherd, to walk in his footsteps, and to live in the peace and hope which he gives to each of us through his life, death, and resurrection. Christ is the good shepherd. Let us follow him. Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.

Living Hope

Ist Peter 1: 3-9

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for this mornings meditation is recorded in the first letter of Peter, chapter 1, verses 3 through 9, particularly these words: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” This is our text.

In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. “Happy Easter!” Obviously a lot of people think that Easter is over, because Church attendance today is not what it was last Sunday when we packed the house. But you know, there is some wonderful news for us today in our text. Peter tells us through in our text, that Easter is never over. Because of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead that first Easter morning — the season of Easter will last forever — into all eternity. Because Jesus Christ lives — you and I have “Living Hope” that will continue forever.

The first point that Peter makes in our text for today is that this living hope that we have, does NOT rest on anything that we ourselves have done. Peter tells us in our text. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

Isn’t it great that the eternal and living hope of heaven that is ours, does not rest on our accomplishments or good works? Compared with others in this world, you and I might look like pretty devout and conscientious Christians. We attend church regularly, and a lot of people never go. We support the work of the church faithfully — but a lot of people give nothing to God’s work or to help other people. We try to live up to God’s expectations of us in his ten commandments — while many people disregard God completely and live as if God didn’t even exist.

So looking at other people — we look pretty good! But God says that we shouldn’t judge ourselves according to other people. He says that we should judge ourselves according to Him. God tells us, “Be you perfect — even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” And when God sets his rules — he makes them pretty strict — not only shall you not steal something that belongs to your neighbor, but you must not even covet what is your neighbors. Not only are we to avoid adultery — but don’t even look with lust in your heart. Not only are we not to Kill other people — but don’t even hate anyone. And what about, “If you offend in one point of the law, then you are guilty of the whole thing?”

And so as we look into that perfect mirror of God’s law, we must echo the words of Paul who said, “I am chief of sinners, oh wretched man that I am.”

Obviously — there is NO hope if our salvation is a matter of our own doing. And that is why the Easter joy of Christ’s resurrection is a living and continuing hope — Because the Christian’s hope of eternal life rests NOT on what the Christian does for God — but on what God did for us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Peter’s second point about our Easter joy, our living hope, is that it is permanent. He says in our text, “We have a living hope which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Did you ever have a real important dream — a hope or desire of something for your life in the future that would just absolutely be a fabulous addition to your life. There have been some young people who dreamed of being great lawyers or doctors while they were very young — only to have those hopes torn apart in college by the very difficult studies that lay before them. There have been young married couples who had great dreams for their life together, only to have those dreams and hopes destroyed by separation, by divorce, and even by death.

Many of our earthly hopes come to a disappointing end as they are destroyed by the reality of life. But that “living hope” which is our through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ will never be destroyed. As Peter said, “It is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” What joy we have in our sure living hope.

But Peter does give warning that living that Hope in this world will have some problems involved with it. It’s not going to be a bed of Roses being one of God’s children while we are here on earth. Peter said in our text, “You rejoice in this living hope, even though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Jesus had warned his disciples that there would come a time “when the people of the world would think that they were doing God a favor by putting to death the Christians.” And it was true — for the martyrdom of most of the disciples was done in the name of religion and by the consent and encouragement of the existing church of that day. Just as the early disciples had their faith tested and strengthened through their trials, so we to must face trials each and every day of our lives. But Peter’s warning to us about these trials and temptations is that we are to hold onto that living hope even in those times of trial and temptation. Peter is telling us not to loose sight of Jesus’ great promise to us, “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.”

So, When does that “living Hope” become a reality? Peter tells us in our text, “You are guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” That ‘Living Hope’ is only a partial reality right now. Right now, we are children of God through Jesus Christ. Right now, we have the forgiveness of sins which Christ earned for us by his death and resurrection. Right now we have God’s strength and support through His word and Sacrament — BUT the perfect reality of our ‘living hope’ awaits that second coming of Jesus Christ when he comes to take us with him to eternal life in heaven.

Peter’s last sentence in our text is good encouragement for all Christians, “As the outcome of your faith, you obtain the salvation of your souls.” It is your faith in Jesus Christ which will bring your living hope to a reality in heaven. So Peter is saying to all Christians, “Through the means of grace, hold onto that faith in Jesus Christ.” Stay with him in good times and in bad times. For the promise he gave you, the hope that is in you, is eternal.

Dear Christian friends — celebrate the living hope of Easter every day of your life, and you will be celebrating life eternal in heaven. That is God’s promise — that is our sure, unfading hope. Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.