OUR JOY, THE SECOND
COMING OF JESUS
1 Peter 1:3-12
V:3. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
A. Blessed=
eulogetos= fine speaking, worthy to be praised.
1. The Lord is
worthy to be praised.
2. We ought to
speak well of the Lord all of the time.
B. Mercy= eleos=
kindness or good will toward the miserable, compassion
1. Sin is a miserable
condition because it leads to eternal death.
2. Knowing well
our condition, God sent His Son to be our redeemer.
C. The Lord
"begotten us again".
1. He is the
source of all life.
2. We are
descendants of Adam who He made in His own image.
a. Because of Adam's sin, we were all
born in sin.
b. Sin
separates us from God.
3. Through faith
in Jesus, we are born again.
a. Any man in
Christ is a new creation.
b. It is by
the Lord's design that we have a measure of faith to believe in Jesus.
4. We have a
"lively hope".
a. God has
living power.
b. Through
Jesus we have living power.
c. Because
Jesus was raised from the dead, we too will be raised from the dead.
5. In Adam all
die. In Jesus, all live.
V:4. "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled,
and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you."
A. Our eternal life
is secure.
1. God has given
us a new life that is incorruptible.
2. God has given
us a new life that cannot be defiled.
3. This eternal
life with God cannot be change.
a. Once in
Jesus, always in Jesus.
b. Jesus
said, those that the Father gave Him, will not be lost.
B. Because of the
great mercy of the Father, we have a place in Heaven.
1. Our place in
heaven is reserved.
2. No one can take our place.
e. Our place in
heaven will maintain it's splendor and brilliance because it
is kept by
Christ.
V:5. "Who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
A. We have eternal
security. John 6:37
1. God is the
power that keeps us from falling away.
2. Jesus is the
author and the finisher of our faith. Heb 12:2
3. Jesus is our
salvation.
4. Our salvation
is not left to us.
B. The Lord has an
appointed time when this world will cease to exist.
1. Jesus will
come for His saints and the world will know that salvation was
reserved for
us.
2. By the power
of God, the world will be judged and cast into hell.
3. By that same
power, all God's chosen will be seated in heaven.
V:6. "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a
season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations."
A. Even though there
is trouble all around us, there should be joy in our hearts.
1. Our joy is
based on the return of Jesus for us.
2. Joy comes from
the inside and has nothing to do with our present circumstances.
B. Satan presents us
with temptations daily which we can only resist with the power of
the Holy Spirit
that indwells us.
1. Living in this
world is just a season that we must endure for the kingdom of
heaven.
2. God has equipped
us with every spiritual gift necessary for our journey through
life.
V:7. "That the trial of your faith, being much more
precious than of gold that perished, though it be tried with fire, might be
found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."
A. Testing of our
faith is necessary for us to know the strength of our religion.
1. We do not know
how we will react under trial, unless we experience trouble.
2. It is the
trouble in our lives that points out the weaknesses in our religion.
3. It is the
trouble in our lives that forces us to trust God.
4. It is the
trouble in our lives that forces us to develop a serious prayer life.
B. We need trouble to
strengthen our faith.
1. When we place
our troubles in the hands of God, we learn first hand of his
power.
2. No amount of
gold can measure up the works of God.
3. When we learn
that God is the solution to all our troubles, we can find joy
in any
situation.
C. It is through our
troubles that we learn to give God praise and honor.
1. When we see God
doing what we can't possible do, we can't help but praise
Him.
2. When God allows
trouble in our lives, He is not punishing us, but teaching us
how to be
grateful.
3. Jesus should
always find us, His church, faithfully enduring trials and serving
Him with joy and
gratitude.
V:8. "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though
now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of
glory."
A. The love of Christ
is a miracle in itself.
1. We know Christ
through a measure of faith that God the Father gave us.
2. God changed our
minds from the concept of what we can see and touch, to what
we believe
through the Word of truth preached to us.
B. We have never seen
Christ, yet we love Him by what we know of Him through
His Word.
1. Jesus manifests
Himself to us through the Holy Spirit that resides within us.
2. We know He is
real because we can see His effect in our lives.
3. We know He is
real because He changed our appetites from the desires of
the world to
the desire to serve Him.
C. We find joy being
in His company and fellowshipping with others in the body
of Christ.
1. We find joy in
serving Him by reaching out to others in need.
2. We see His
power in our lives when He makes it possible for us to do the
impossible.
V:9. "Receiving the end of your faith, even the
salvation of your souls."
A. Our faith is
designed to make us secure in the mind
that Jesus is
the provider, the
protector and the solution to all our cares and needs.
1. The object of
our faith is righteous living before the world.
2. The end of our
faith is our eternal security.
B. It is God's design
for our lives that trials and tribulation secure our trust
in Him and our
devotion to Him.
V:10. "Of which salvation the prophets have inquired
and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto
you."
A. We have three sources
that testify that Jesus is our salvation.
1. We have the Word.
a. From
Genesis to revelation, the Word proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. We have the
Holy Spirit.
a. The
indwelling Spirit that lives within, constantly reminds us of the Gospel
of Jesus
Christ.
b. The Holy
Spirit is our resident teacher.
3. We have the
prophets.
a. The prophets
were called and commissioned by the Father to proclaim His
righteousness and the coming of His Son.
B. God promised
Abraham that he would be a father of many nations. Gen 17:5
1. God promised
David that his kingdom would have no end. 2 Sam 7:16
2. God gave
Daniel the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah. Dan 9
3. God fulfills all
of His prophecies in His own time.
V:11. "Searching what, or what manner of time the
Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand
the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."
A. God gave Isaiah
the prophecy of Christ' virgin birth. Isa 7:14
1. God gave
Isaiah the prophecy of the suffering of Christ. Isa 53:5
2. God Gave
Malachi the prophecy of the second coming of Christ. Mal 4:1-4
B. The Bible is a
complete record of God's plan of redemption for man.
1.The Bible is
the inspired Word of God. 2 Tim 3:16
a. The Bible
is the only source of truth.
2. The Bible is
a record of people, places and dates that can be verified by
our worldly
history books.
C. Our faith in
God's Word comes by His divine guidance.
1. God gave us a record in history as a
testimony to the truth of His Word.
V:12. :Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves,
but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by
them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from
heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."
A. God gave His
prophets a vision of the coming of Jesus Christ, His life and His
suffering for
the redemption of man.
1. These prophets
did not live to see the vision fulfilled, but faithfully recorded
what God gave them.
2. They were men
of faith who preached the Word of God under the threat of
harm to their
lives.
B. God gave each of His
prophets a portion of His redemptive plan.
1. Not knowing the
full plan, they preached the Gospel, being convinced of the
coming of
Jesus Christ.
2. We, having the
full plan of redemption, should find joy in the promises of God.
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