01/08/23 Christ Our Living Hope

Thank you [Music] thank you someone thank you Financial Peace we all want it for a while I didn't have it 20 years ago I hit rock bottom I lost just about everything I turned to God for help and I learned how to handle money his way as you can imagine it worked that's why I started Financial Peace University because God's Ways work whether you're in over your head or you're doing okay right now if you bring home ten thousand dollars or ten million dollars if you're 21 or 61 we all need a plan millions of people people have been through Financial Peace University they have success stories of their own they've learned how to get rid of debt prepare for generations to come and give like crazy your success story your financial piece is up to you now is your time it's time to take control of your money it's time to get ready for what God has for you it's time for financial peace all right yeah we got Financial Peace University it starts up this week and so if you haven't signed up you need to sign up there is a link at the very back of your bulletin to get you all squared away and how to sign up for that and everything like that so a lot of things that are happening in our church good morning it is good to see each and every single one of you here at First Baptist Church my name is Cody I'm a pastor here and we are all about loving God loving each other and loving our community and world Amen and one of the ways that we're gonna love each other is we've got a family game night on January 27th the

Picture here shows Monopoly and if you have ever played Monopoly with your family you know that's a bad idea right so leave Monopoly at home but bring some other games it's going to be a fantastic time we're just gonna open up some board games I know Chris she'll probably bring a couple right I know I'm bringing a few and it's gonna be a great time just a fellowship of playing games having fun Christians should have fun it's a good thing to do now also there is a Men's Ministry Beast Feast that's happening on January 20th what that means is that if you're a dude and you like meat cook meat bring it we eat foreign we'll also have like some cornhole and things like that going on it'll be in the gym on January 20th fantastic time it's gonna be great lots of things that are happening be sure to turn your attention to the bulletin because there's lots of really great information in there you know to know what's happening in our church I wanted to take a moment and as we're just I guess in the season of appointing Elders you guys know I mean literally for three and a half years we've been working towards this preaching through first Timothy and talking about what the Bible says about church leadership and we're kind of at that end game now where we've had a couple of guys that you have nominated and they've said yes I will respond but they're they're right now Elder candidates people that you still have to choose to serve in that role as an elder what I would like to do is I'd like to ask Steve Marsh and Jim facetti to come up and we're gonna I'd asked the congregation over the last couple of weeks to write out in questions or to putting comments and things like that and so these are all that I've got

I've got four and one of these says let's do this that's good I appreciate but so I asked these men if they'd be willing to kind of field these questions and so I'm going to do the best that I can I'm going to read them as they're written and I'm going to kind of I guess interpret so if y'all want to hold these it says it says clarify proper counsel of Pastor the checks and balances so when I read that I'm thinking what are the checks and balances to counsel the pastor that's just how I'm reading it how I'm assuming it and so that's how I'm gonna turn it over to you guys how do you guys see the checks and balances of counseling mean I don't know if you guys is this on yeah good I don't know if you guys remember when we were going through the Constitution and we were talking about Elders we had a town hall here and one of the things that was mentioned as far as the job of Elders is to give adult supervision to coach I mean that's the joke part and the actual part is in Proverbs it says in many counselors there's wisdom and a church that has one pastor you're dependent on one man to make wise decisions all the time last time I checked we're a little short of people that always make the right decision and so in a group in a team you have that multitude of counselors and an ability to bounce off one another I'll come up with a great idea I mean it's really good and these guys have the ability to say that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard which is the case a lot of times so that checks and balances in my understanding is between us as a team that we would act as a balance to each other

Okay I think that nothing really is going to change in terms of the church is still going to be voting on the things that go on here at the church but when God gifts people and at their salvation he gives them a certain set of spiritual gifts and as far as I know nobody has all of those gifts so Cody has been doing a fantastic job with the gifts that God has given him but God has given Steve a different set of gifts and me a different set of gifts as well so we're together pooling those gifts together and the outcome should be that we will be able to equip the Saints to do the work of the ministry better as a whole than we can each of us individually yeah now I do want to preface this we're going to cover a couple of the questions today and a couple of questions next week because we don't want to take up all of our time doing this for today so if you put in a question then you know we'll get to it this week or next week but this one says what steps would you take if you find out that someone in church leadership is involved in a sinful lifestyle well those steps have been prescribed already in our church Constitution and in the documents that the church has but with anyone that we discover in sin we're supposed to approach them with the idea of restoration but restoration looks different if I'm in the pews and I'm caught in sin my restoration is my restoration back to fellowship with the Lord if I'm a pastor and I'm caught in sin my restoration is back again to the Lord but that might change my position depending on what the sin was you may not be qualified any longer to continue on as pastor so yeah

The steps in Matthew 18 talking about restoration is first whoever notices the sin go to the person and that would apply to leaders as well if you see something that doesn't look right say so don't notice it about me and then go tell Fred or somebody else go to the individual and if he or in that case me if I listen to you yeah good we've we've agreed here that yeah that's a problem and then we follow more steps towards restoration or we agree hey that's a misunderstanding great well let that die but then the next step would be to go with more than one person in first Timothy 5 it talks about not receiving an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three Witnesses so it needs to be something that's not just a personal gripe or personal grievance and then again the goal is restoration so if it's not I don't know how to say this not a big deal not a disqualifying sin good word then life goes on but it is also true that leaders can sin in such a way that would disqualify them from leadership they still get back with the Lord but their Ministry would change and we're all liable for that thank you gentlemen and oh why don't you go ahead and have a seat and just show their show your appreciation to them so just being willing it can be difficult to serve as a an elder as a pastor and these men that you've chosen have said I'm willing and one of the things one of the questions that I got here and I asked them if I could field this question

It says we are a Southern Baptist Church will the elders learn and adhere to Southern Baptist beliefs Jim pacetti and Steve Marsh are with ethnos and I read that and it grieved my heart to be honest with you it really did like we're on the same team amen to say that there is a some type of a division there just because someone's with an organization Jim you've been here since what year 2009 Steve how long have you been here laughs 1990. I don't know if I need to get like special lapel pins that tell me that I'm a part of the Southern Baptist Church or not but we're on the same team and actually we have their doctrinal statement from ethnos 360. Our doctrinal statement printed out side by side with all the similarities but you know after being here for a decade and a few years and almost 30 years now you know I would say that they adhere to Southern Baptist beliefs because this is their home Church their members here just like anyone else that's a member here is a member and so I just wanted to field that because I think it's important for us to remember that before these men are members of our church they're also brothers in Christ and so amen so all right now we've got a couple of different things that we want to do over the next couple of weeks actually for the next two months we're going to spend some time talking about Community groups now how many of you guys you are actively a part of a community group raise your hand raise your hand okay actively apart awesome praise the Lord now there are some folks

That are not actively a part of a community group and what I wanted to do is over the next couple of weeks eight eight weeks I think is invite people that are just a part of the community groups come and just share their story and so I want to invite Miss Cassie aubersheimer to come up she said I can't come up these steps but I'm willing to come up and speak and so if y'all would just welcome Miss Cass as she shares the president I'm part of forever young but when you're not so young the steps are a little bit of a thing for you so I didn't want to do the steps in the year 2000 my husband and I found ourselves living in the mountains of Colorado a beautiful place long Winters lots of high altitude and it was not a agreeing with us any longer we had about three places we spent the winter looking into and we that year the year of 2000 was a presidential election we stayed and voted and left Colorado we stopped at Lake of the Ozarks so it's our first stop we probably got in town on a Thursday and looked around a bit drove around a bit Sunday morning we picked First Baptist Church to come to church we came in to our Sunday school group we called them Sunday schools then we were in John Tunes class which was in the library in a group a room that we don't even use any longer with a big group we've gotten moved a number of times and because of our age we are not a big group any longer but you know through the years that group has come and been my they've upheld me they have been my group to meet with to fellowship with to meet my needs when I needed them and I say that anybody who has not taken advantage of a Sunday school group or a community group sure you've lost something

Thank you Miss Cass and it's important to share and hear these stories about what relationships do with people amen hey and speaking of relationships maybe you see someone that's around you that maybe you're like I don't know that person real well maybe I want to go get to meet them this is going to be your opportunity why don't you take a moment and stand find a neighbor shake their hand say welcome to First Baptist Church ready thanks thank you foreign [Music] right now well good morning church what a great day to be in the house of the Lord we'll try that again good morning church what an excellent great day to be in the house of the Lord to come together and worship him in one voice and one spirit because we are united in Christ as has been our habit and our joy we'd like to take a moment here to prepare our hearts for worship so I'd ask you now to Bow your heads close your eyes with me and just ask the Lord to prepare your heart to worship Him indeed we've already been worshiping today through Fellowship through hearing about God's work in this what he is do has done maybe this morning you just hook up on the wrong side of the bed take a moment and ask God to help you get right maybe you had some sort of argument on your way in ask God to forgive you he will that's what he that's what he does and so Lord this morning we come before you we ask that you would set our minds and our hearts a right that we might be

Completely and entirely focused on who you are Lord help us not just to sing songs not just to enjoy time with people but Lord help us to worship you out of the Overflow of our hearts because you are so worthy and you've proved it over and over again Lord we pray this morning that you would help us to worship you it's in Jesus name we pray amen we invite you now to stand with us and join us as we sing Praises of Our Lord [Music] heart Lord Christ [Applause] His blessings [Music] [Applause] [Music] to the praise of your glory to the praise of your mercy and Grace Jesus [Music] [Applause] [Music] Christ [Music] [Applause] to the praise of your glory to the praise of your mercy and grace to the father God who says [Music] [Applause] take we haven't seen the spirit of the Lord the spirit's guarantees [Music] [Applause] [Music] Glory you are The God Who Says he is the God who saves this morning amen not just this morning every morning every day that's his business [Music] and our songs

[Music] [Applause] [Music] in my place [Music] before better than us [Music] thank you [Music] guilty vial and have our God [Music] [Applause] [Music] God churches [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] lifted up was he to die it is [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] because our Glory all of this [Music] [Applause] [Music] purchase [Music] [Applause] [Music] beautiful foreign [Music] begin to recognize how glorious and amazing our God is through the Salvation that he offered decided to show us just how awesome he was by saving us when we didn't deserve it

And not just by saying okay the debt's forgiven but by paying the price himself God himself came to Earth to live the perfect life that we couldn't live to Die the death that we deserve to Bear the punishment reserved for our sins and then he offers it freely to us how amazing is that what a Savior but you know it's not his work that makes him Worthy it's not what he's done that makes him glorious he stands worthy and glorious regardless that is his nature he is the God of the universe and that's who we praise today [Music] survive [Music] unless the Lord does raise the house [Music] oh glory be to Christ Our King [Music] [Applause] [Music] his will be done in his kingdom come on Earth [Music] yourself Our Daily Bread Praise Him the Lord Of Love kindness [Music] [Applause] [Music] yet of glory to Christ Our King all the glory to Christ [Music] of glory be to rise [Music] when are the days [Music] with us [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] all glory be to Christ Our King

Of glory be to Christ [Music] Lord help us give all the glory to you Lord help us to Worship in everything we say and do because you are worthy that's in Jesus name that we pray that we can boldly approach your throne amen well if you have your Bible and I hope that you do please turn with me to First Peter a lot of folks have asked me about my Bible and because it just fell apart in the Pulpit last week and so I'm going to preach from it probably for the last time this week depends on if that Bible that I ordered came in and so anyways appreciate that it's kind of weird you know I've I've had this Bible I've been preaching from it for I don't know 12 13 years now and you know it's kind of one of those like somber times when you're retiring your Bible you know like I'm sad you know and so I'm like looking at this you know it's it's just it'll be weird so today we're going to be in chapter one we're going to be looking at verses three through five today and we're starting kind of a little mini series within the book of First Peter called Christ Our Hope and life and death let's go back there and our Chrysler Living Hope excuse me I'm thinking of the song that we just sang or one that we will be singing at the end now you guys know me pretty well to know that I'm a pretty big nerd and I love I love my favorite movie book series of all time is the Lord of the Rings okay any Lord of the Rings fans out there okay all right awesome praise the Lord it's a it's a good gift I think that I think that good movies that are clean and portray hope in a positive way as a gift and so I love I love how it portrays hope but it's not the same kind of hope that we are going to be talking about

Today see the hope that the Lord of the Rings portrays is what's called a fond hope that's kind of a an old style phrase to describe a hope that's very frail almost like a hopeless hope because I mean the whole story is about you know Hobbits these little creatures traveling halfway across the world to go and Destroy This Ring to prevent the land from going into a second Darkness I love that movie yeah and I was like I'm gonna go watch that now but I believe that's how a lot of Christians view their hope and kind of this frail like if something goes wrong then my hope is all gone right if this political candidate loses All Is Lost in the country's gone to pot right oh my God we might feel that way but is that the truth for the believer is Our Hope really dependent upon the situations of this world is it really dependent upon whether or not we have a really great day or a really bad day no our hope is far more secure than anything that this world can throw at us and today we're going to be talking about the certain salvation these certain salvation that you and I as Believers in Christ have because of what Jesus did for us on the cross not just what he did for us on the cross but we have a Living Hope based upon the truth of his resurrection so if you would stand with me in honor of God's word as we read first Peter chapter one verses three through five the Bible says this blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his great Mercy he has caused us to be born again to a Living Hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is

Imperishable undefiled and unfading kept in heaven for you who by God's power are being guarded through faith for his salvation ready to be revealed in the last time let's pray and so Lord we do thank you for your word we thank you for the hope that you have called All of Us who are Christians Lord those who profess not just belief in Christ but have come to you for cleansing God thank you for that true hope that Living Hope that Eternal hope and I pray that today if there's someone here that maybe they don't have that hope that today would be the day that they come to you do business with you and that you would just transform their hearts today we love you we give you this wonderful time be with me help me to rightly divide your word helping not go into my opinions or my thoughts but what your word clearly says in Jesus name amen well the Scripture says blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ blessed when we talk about blessing this is a call for you and I to bless the name of God because it is God's name that is wonderful it is great it is greatly to be praised we sing songs about blessing the name of the Lord we sing Praises about blessing his name because God's name is wonderful and Peter he writes this invocation a lot of commentators they think that this these these first nine verses are actually a hymn that Peter wrote to start out his letter and so he's writing this because there are sojourners there are Travelers they Peter he used that phrase elect Exiles who are who are sojourners they're Travelers or strangers in this world and they're in Asia Minor and these people are truly saved and it

Is on the basis of those of their salvation because of what God has done and because of who he is that he calls all those people to bless the name of Jesus Christ to bless the God of Heaven to bless the father of Heaven because he's worthy of it amen and he does that for us and the people have blessed the Lord for Millennia we've been doing this since the beginning if we look back in Psalm chapter 31 verse 21 it says blessed be the Lord because that's who he is for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city even when things are bad God is blessed and we bless his name because he has shown his steadfast love to me if we look in Genesis Chapter 14 verse 20 Blessed Be Abraham by God most high possessor of Heaven and Earth and blessed be God most high who has delivered your enemies into your hand so we see constantly throughout the Old Testament and we could go for I mean there's hundreds of them guys but this is just a small little sample of people blessing the name of God for who he is and what he has done now that word blessed it's it's the word eulogitos which is where we get our word eulogy from but obviously it's changed to our modern tongue obviously we're not singing about a dead hope or in remembrance of right this is this literally means yulagitos praiseworthy that God he is worthy of our praise and everything that we have to sing about we sing songs and Peter he gives us a name for God that doesn't appear in the Old Testament he's introducing a new name the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ don't miss that don't miss that because all right when Jesus would pray and he prayed often times every single time with one exception he refers to God the father as my father or our father that's how Jesus refers to him

And that one instance where he doesn't refer to God as father appeared on the cross when he said my God my God why have you forsaken me the only time where Jesus prays to the father and does not use that kind of verbage Jesus he is the second member of the Trinity begotten not made co-equal with God he is not subservient he is not a Lesser God than God the father he is co-equal co-eternal he is very God of very God begotten not made in this teaching of God being our heavenly father it's it's a very sparse idea in the Old Testament you know we see a lot of verbiage about God being Our Redeemer or God being our creator or God being our refuge or our strength or our help but very rarely do we see God as father in the Old Testament and yet we know based upon what Jesus taught us that he is our loving father and we bless the father of Heaven why because in first John chapter 4 verse 14 this is what happens and we have seen and testify that the father has sent his son to be the Savior of the world that is why we bless the Lord because we as people who have who have been born again those who have trusted in Christ have the Salvation that is secure and is eternal based upon the work of Jesus Christ because God the Father sent his son into the world to redeem lost mankind that's why we sing songs that's why we glorify the Lord and that is the basis of Our Hope we've been born again to a to a Living Hope and this is a glorious thing and the opposite is also true okay those who do not believe in God cannot bless the name of God they curse the name of God either

By not giving him the glory that he's due or by taking his name and reducing it to a four-letter word now first first point if you're taking notes here the author of our Salvation three truthful and passage the author of our salvation as Christians we are thankful as Christians we are thankful and we bless the God who saved us according to his foreknowledge and the sanctification of the spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood that's what the passage in verse two says remember that it's because of Salvation through Jesus Christ that we can even begin to rightfully praise the name of the Lord God because he is good and he is always good and he loves you and this is there is a tremendous and a secure truth that Christians we can hold to this salvation with which he has blessed us with we can hold to it secure in it even when we experience suffering and hardship think about what the Believers in the first century were enduring you're losing their jobs they were being robbed many of them later on when persecution became official in the Empire which was only like two years off from this point would be fed to lions and crucified and beheaded and sawn into and all these awful things they'd be destitute despised forsaken cast out into the Wilderness forced to live in caves trying and struggling to survive but their Hope was in heaven this is why the psalm 23 it resonates with our hearts so much that we can look to God as our as our Shepherd the one who stewards us and watches over us and leads us besides Still Waters and leads us into Green Pastures who restores our soul he does those things because we are his

I was sitting with a saint earlier this week and he's declining in his health and has been for years and had this sign up in his house and said I trust the next chapter because I trust the author of it for you and I like you might be going through a really great season where you just see God's hand of blessing and praise the Lord that's that's amazing and I celebrate that with you others of us who are here we might be going through a very dry season where maybe we don't see God's hand of blessing very often but it's during those dry times that Our Roots grow deeper into trusting him and so we just trust God on the basis of who he who he is and what he has done maybe not so much and where we're at presently because our faith is not based upon the things that we experience right here and right now but it's based upon a certain and true fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ do you know the author of salvation not do you know of him have you read about him do you believe in him but have you met with him have you come to him through the blood of his son Jesus Christ if not you aren't saved and you need to be saved and now pray that today that you would come to him because he is the Living Water that will satisfy your dry soul he is the bread of life that will satisfy that spiritual hunger he is the one who will redeem you if you turn to him by faith and he promises that he will receive you just like you are because he loves you Point number two the hope of our salvation the hope of our Salvation look at verses three and four with me it says this according to his great Mercy he has caused us to be born again to a Living Hope through the

Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead listen we are saved okay because of God's Great Mercy you are saved because of God's Great Mercy that think about that for a moment don't let that be like trite to you if you read that and you're just like yeah whatever I know that like I beg you consider what that means what do you mean Mercy for me mercy when you've done something wrong you deserve just punishment oh my God you deserve justice you deserve Wrath you deserve all of that and yet because God chose to have mercy upon you don't have that now you have all the righteousness and all the rewards of Heaven because of what God has done for you because of his great Mercy toward you because he loves you so much that is why we celebrate look at Titus Titus Chapter three this is Paul writing he says this he God saved us not because of Works done by us and righteousness but according to his own Mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the spirit whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ Our Savior so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life that word according to okay when we go back even here and in other passages it's the Greek word Kata which means because of or by that new Mercy it results in New Birth that's what the passage says according to his great Mercy he has caused us to be born again New Birth that word Born Again In the Greek it implies and it's the same word that's used later on in this passage in verse 23 to describe being begotten by a seed not just in reference to a spiritual rebirth although that's true and it's

Implied if we look at the passage it's about receiving the seed of the word of God each and every single one of us have received the Gospel that seed of the Gospel that was planted into the good soil of your heart no one like gets saved apart from that and because that seed of the Gospel fell onto the soil of our hearts and our hearts received it that is what brings forth new life and in much the same way we don't take credit for being born into this world we don't take credit for any part of our salvation so it's because of God's Great Mercy that we have received New Birth according to this passage did you know that as people as humans we still deserve God's Wrath I'm still totally deserving of it and yet because of the great work of God on the cross and the work that he's done by faith and the grace and the mercy that he's shown towards me and to you do not receive that wrath rather it was given to Christ and it was poured out on him on the cross for you what great love is that what great hope is that there is no longer a rat that remains for us because Jesus drank the full cup of God's Wrath look at what Ephesians chapter 2 verses 4 through 9 it says but God being rich in Mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive together with Christ by Grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the Heavenly places right now right now we are literally seated with him in the Heavenly places and there's a mystery there in Christ Jesus so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable Riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus for by Grace you have been saved through faith and this is not

Your own doing it is the gift of God not a result of works so that no one may boast amen we also have a Living Hope and I've alluded to this a little bit of it's not a fond hope like what Frodo and Sam had on the journey to Mountain Dew but it's a certain hope it's it's not a useless hope that's built in vain or superstition Peter says it's a Living Hope because it is based on the resurrection it is based upon that fact you and I have a true and Living Hope the resurrection is one of the very best evidences of Christianity I mean you think about it we've got four autobiographical books written from different perspectives that are 2 000 years old that are that were written from the perspective of first I first count eyewitnesses and they go together so harmoniously and so wonderfully and so beautifully I mean all these Gospels sometimes they were told from just their own perspective like John Luke he got the eyewitness testimony of hundreds of people to write his account you talked to Mark wasn't there to see everything but he heard from other Christians who had seen exactly what had happened and yet there's no contradictions there a pagan and Jewish writers they all believe that they all wrote that Christians they believed in the resurrection in the first century and those people they were willing to die for that you might be able to get one or two people to die for a lie but you're not going to get hundreds and thousands of people to do that and of course we can always go to the empty tomb the tomb is empty that stone it was rolled away the body of Christ was not there even though it was under a locking Key by

Roman guards the grave clothes the clothes that Jesus Christ was wrapped in they were folded neatly and left there if you're going to steal a body going to leave that grave clothes on there especially if it's been dead for a few days and yet they remained there are 11 recorded accounts of Christ appearing after the resurrection not including Paul's 11. Any appeared to individuals and to couples and to groups and to crowds and not only that but people saw him they touched him they heard him they ate with him Jesus was and is alive today right where Christ was crucified and buried okay like someone could have came up and said stole the body guys that was me but right where Christ was buried that's where Christianity grew no one claimed that body no one said hey look you got the grave wrong guys you know like who misplaces that grave and it just the Christianity just grew and it flew it flourished even in the midst of severe opposition and oppression and persecution and it grew and it flourished and the more that people hated it the more that God caused it to grow and flourish we have a Living Hope we have a Living Hope because we have a living Savior and that hope is not based just upon the message of the Resurrection but primarily upon the fact of his resurrection now his crucifixion didn't just make salvation possible it made salvation sure for each and every single one of us who believe now that word living here when it says that there is a living hope it's not Zoe

As in life in the Greek it's Zao which is in reference to a full abundant Resurrection Life we have a living hope it's based upon a resurrection life that same word is used to describe the life that Christ now has after his resurrection in Romans Chapter 14 verse 9 for to this end Christ died and lived again that's thou and the Greek that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living it's also in reference to a Christ-based life listen to what John writes in Revelation chapter 1 verses 17 through 18 it says when I saw him talking about Jesus I fell at his feet as though dead but he laid his right hand on me saying fear not I am the first and the last the living one that Zao I died and behold I Am Alive forevermore that describes the life the kind of hope the kind of Living Hope is that same kind of hope alive forever more now it's also in reference to a separated life Paul he uses the same kind of language in second Timothy chapter 3 verse 12. Indeed all who desire to zow live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted we have that kind of life right now we have a Resurrection Life a Christ-based life a separated life our life is secure because Christ has already won but it's tough to live like this isn't it's it's tough to live like a Resurrection Life Christ-based Life separated life right I guess that's just me but it's hard for me to constantly be on like that and why is that I find this to be true and maybe this is true of you as well I find that the more that I look for man if I could just veg out for a little bit if I could just have a break for a little while if I could just unplug if I

Could just do this or I could do that if I could just I could just go on a vacation by myself and then I would be okay then I would probably feel a little bit more fulfilled you know what happens is that sometimes those opportunities do crop up I do get to take a night away with my wife I do get to spend a little bit of time vegging out and you know what happens is that I'm actually less fulfilled and less prepared for life than I was when I'm in the trenches but dependent upon the Lord anybody else tracking with me there yeah remember your position remember who you are in Christ and the hope that you have in Christ listen to what Paul writes about our inheritance in Ephesians chapter in Ephesians chapter 1 here verses 3 through 14 it says blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us into heaven with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places even as he chose us in him before the foundations of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love he predestined us for adoption to himself as Sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious Grace with which he has blessed us in the Beloved in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace which he lavished Upon Us in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the full illness of time to unite all things in him things in heaven and things on earth in him we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined according to the riches according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the Council of his will so that we who were the first to Hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory in him you also when you heard the word of Truth The

Gospel of your salvation and believed in him were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory now we've we went through Ephesians and we talked a lot about this but I think that I think that it's important for us to remember that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing there is no secret level to Christianity it's a great place to say Amen you know there's there's some folks that they want you to believe hey if you if you do this then you'll get to this secret level you'll get this Second Blessing the second anointing of the Holy Spirit and all this other kind of stuff doesn't exist because in Christ you have already every spiritual blessing guaranteed to you because of your salvation that's what the Bible says and God he's not holding back that hand of blessing on you just have to go to him you have to abide in him and we're chosen in him that's what the Scriptures say just as God saved you by his will he will keep you do you think that God is going to lose you Where'd I put Cody the Bible says he will never leave you nor forsake you he promises that he won't do that because you are holy because you are beloved you are made right through his son the Bible says that we are predestined for adoption this means that you are his child by faith that is who you are because of what Jesus Christ did for you are a child you know when we think of adoption at least in Biblical terms we think of like the Roman law of adoption which is true and it's a good thing for us to think about a lot of Romans what they

Would do is they would find someone to take their inheritance right and so they would find like a really good desirable candidate and raise them up as their own and say everything that I have is yours and that is true that's one of the things that God did to us and for us but let me take it a step further and look at church history a little bit here because in the first century in Rome and in Greek cities one of the things that people would do is they would take the undesired babies and they would take them to the local trash sheeps and they would leave the babies there and they would walk away I know we think that's awful and Christians back then they thought that too so one of the very first Ministries that Christians did was they would actually go into the rubber sheeps and they would either find these exposed babies and they would nurse them until their death or they would find the bodies and they would take them and hold little funerals for them thanking the Lord for them being created and trusting that the Lord had his way and his will in their life but also Christians they would go and they would rescue those little babies and they would nurse them and they would hear the Gospel and as a result of that Ministry the population of Christians grew exponentially they weren't just making babies they were saving babies too before Christ we're we're not exactly the best pick of the litter we're like the helpless babies and the dumpsters that God he looked down toward us in his mercy and in his grace reached down to us and extended to us every spiritual blessing that's available in Christ he loves you we're Redeemed by his blood Christians don't miss this because you and I we were held ransomed by our sin

Like it demanded a blood payment and it was upon my head but because of faith because of repentance his righteousness was given to me that's called imputed it was imputed to me given to me his righteousness Jesus Christ righteousness on the cross was given to me and my sin was given to him now therefore because we are Redeemed by his blood we are Dean we are redeemed people and so when Jesus or when God looks at us he doesn't look at us like Sinners who need to pay additional sin debts he looks at us as though we have accounts that are paid in full in Christ we have obtained an inheritance and this will get us back over into first Peter because our inheritance isn't just being raised to life okay that's not the end of it okay it's an inheritance that is imperishable undefiled and unfading kept in heaven for you who by God's power are being guarded through faith for his salvation ready to be revealed in the last time and this point write this down last the reward of our salvation The Inheritance in the Old Testament that God made was the land of Canaan that was a physical hope okay for us we also have a physical hope of resurrected bodies but it's also a eschatological hope which means a last day's kind of Hope right a couple of things about our inheritance here and then we'll wrap it up firstly it's imperishable that word in the Greek is a tharton which means that it will never be tainted can never be destroyed it cannot die that's the kind of hope that we have it's the same word used to describe the

Living and abiding word of God in verse 23. Of Peter chapter one it's also used to describe the immortality of God in Romans chapter one The hope that you have cannot be taken away or destroyed because you are Christ's by faith secondly it's undefiled that word in the Greek is a mayanton which means pure it means without fault this word it's the same word used to describe Christ's sinlessness in Hebrews chapter 7. Listen there is not anything on this side of Eternity that fits that description of being undefiled except for God everything I mean you think about the abrahamic Covenant and how they were to take a ownership of the land of Canaan right and so they go and go into Canaan is that land undefiled not at all if it was undefiled and it couldn't be defiled you know when they were worshiping in the high places like that totally defiled everything when they weren't observing God's law it defiled everything the hope that we have is much better than the old Covenant because it is established by Christ's work on the cross and so God's God's covenant promise it was conditional upon Israel's obedience and because of their Disobedience the nation of Israel they experienced things like famine they experienced War pestilence desolation plague all of those different things and yet our inheritance our hope is not like that it's not like we're going to go to heaven and go this place is a trash Heap what happened to Heaven I thought it was going to be awesome you know hey instead it looks like West Virginia must have it yeah my dad lives there so I can make that trip exception our nature

Is like our father Adam like when we're born we have a sin nature and not only that but we are dead and we are ready to rebel against our creator at the moment of conception it's completely defiled and yet when we come to Christ he gives us a new heart gives us a new mind he gives us a new nature and a new inheritance that cannot be defiled thirdly it's unfading our inheritance is unfading that word means that it will never lose its beauty never ever the world it changes it fades things break down it's the law of science the Bible says in Isaiah chapter 40 verse 8 the grass withers the flower Fades but the word of our God will stand forever and just like the word stands forever our inheritance will not diminish nothing can touch it the devil may try to make you think oh you know the kingdom of God is not worth all the quit trying quit work and quit you know live them for the Lord and quit trying to serve the Lord it's not worth it listen evil cannot tarnish our inheritance Satan cannot touch it and it's secure because of Christ's work fourthly it is in heaven it's kept in we get this inheritance either at our death or at the Lord's return in Colossians chapter one it says this we always thank God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints because of the Hope laid up for you in heaven because of the Hope laid up for you in heaven that word when we look at in First Peter chapter 3 when we see that word kept it's the Greek word tatera Menon which means it's a perfect passive participle which means that it's reserved permanently it's

Guarded perfectly that is the kind of hope that we have in heaven right now and it is protected it means that what you have in Christ is guaranteed to you because of Christ's work on the cross and the faith that you have in him and Peter he continues he says who by God's power are being guarded through faith so you got that word kept it means in a way a kind of guarding a kind of protection but in this word it literally is a guarding that means locked in it means that it's unchangeable it is protected and kept under lock and key and it is listen guarded by the Lord and it's just in time but we'll get there but it's guarded by the Lord for you listen our inheritance is secure and it's not just that our inheritance is secure but this verse it's also in reference to you as well you are secure in Christ doesn't mean that you just get to live your life for yourself or anything like that we remain in him by faith that's what the Scripture says we continue in him by faith but we are guarded by the Lord you are guarded by God's power through faith for salvation you really think that the God who created the whole universe The God Who made everything seen and unseen The God Who has chosen you before the foundation of the world the God who has passed down the Gospel from generation to generation the same Gospel that you received the God Who has called you who has drawn you receive him by faith will all of a sudden go okay my work's done now it's up to you that's not the way that the Lord Works he loves you he watches over you he is a Shepherd for your soul who intercedes on your behalf and is at work and is guarding you

And your inheritance you are you are the butt you at the price of his own son that we're guarded is Ferrero means carefully watch he carefully Watches Over You and he loves you final point just in time I already got that up there just in time this doesn't mean kind of an eek doubt kind of oh man glad you made it means that God he is working everything out in his own timing it's always perfect always and so as we were saved by faith we continue by faith until we get to heaven and we receive our inheritance Peter he writes that we are a royal priesthood that's part of our inheritance and listen for us as Believers we have an inheritance and The Inheritance is the Lord himself we read in Numbers Chapter 18. Verse 20 and the Lord said to Aaron Aaron he's the founder of the priesthood you shall have no inheritance in their land neither shall you have any portion among them I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel for you and I as Believers because we are chosen nation of royal priesthood A peculiar people our inheritance is Christ himself he's good enough he satisfies completely and he loves you this salvation is ready to be revealed is in reference to the end the last time from the beginning of Salvation all the way to the end it's all about God and what is what a blessing it is to know that our Salvation is secure right now when we come to God by faith we do business with him we ask him God can you make me clean and he will and from that moment your salvation your eternity is secure

Because of what he's done for you praise the Lord amen head hand heart head I want you to know that our hope is alive because Jesus is Alive you don't have to wonder about our future because it's secure that same wife that Jesus Jesus's body God at the resurrection describes the same hope the same living hope that we have in him heart or a hand I want you to reflect on The Inheritance awaiting you in heaven you can go back you can study those verses for yourself and Ephesians chapter 1 Ephesians chapter 2 you can go through and read Romans about our inheritance it's a good thing to remind yourself that this is not our home this is not the end we have an eternal home and inheritance kept in heaven for us and there is great joy in that and heart I want you to believe that just as God started salvation in you he will bring it to completion he won't leave you he won't forsake you he is with you he won't let you go he'd guard you and he protects you by his mighty power let's pray Lord we love you thank you for the secure hope that we have thank you for the Firm Foundation that we have because of what you've done Because of Who You Are because you died on that cross and rose again got in Victory and empowered now we have a Living Hope and we just glorify you and we thank you for it Lord as we stand and we worship together Lord if there's anyone hear that they need to turn to you and they need to do business with you I pray that today would be that day that you would call them that you would draw them let them know that same Eternal hope that same Living Hope can be theirs when they come to you

We love you and we praise you God in Jesus name amen let's stand and let's worship together [Music] what is Our Hope in life and death Christ Alone what is our only confidence that our souls to him belong who holds our days within his head what comes apart from his command what will keep us to the end the love of Christ in which we stand oh sing Hallelujah our hopes brings Eternal oh sing the Hallelujah now and ever we confess The Hope in life and death during this time we're also going to take up our offering if I could have this the ushers come forward at this time [Music] we're going to pray and ask the Lord as we continue responding through worship remember that our giving is also an act of worship [Music] we got to keep the lights on somehow let's pray and ask the Lord to bless this offering father thank you for this time that we get to respond through giving you are so good and so wonderful and so marvelous as we continue worshiping through song as we worship through giving Lord may it be with grateful and thankful Hearts because our inheritance is secure Lord we want to reach people help us to do so enable us Empower us God Jesus name amen what truth can come the troubled soul God is good God is good where is his grace and goodness known blood who holds our faith when fears arise who stands above the stormy trial slow waves that bring us light unto the shore the rock of Christ

[Music] Our Hope Springs Eternal oh see fast Christ Our Hope in life and death [Music] to the Grave what will we see Christ he lives Christ he lives and one reward will Heaven bring and bring [Music] everlasting life with him there we will rise to meet the Lord then sin and death will be destroyed and we will be This Joy when Christ Is Ours forevermore [Music] hallelujah our home Springs Eternal oh sing Hallelujah now and ever we confess Christ Our Hope in life and death [Music] our hopes brings Eternal oh sing the Hallelujah now and ever we confess Christ Our Hope in life and death now and ever we confess Christ Our Hope in life and death my name's Tom I'm one of your deacons and I'm supposed to just come up here and give a prayer but I've been standing here thinking and I'm probably going to get in trouble but anyway I'm gonna talk anyway this morning Cassie talked about Community groups and I appreciate that message to us and next week you're going to hear from one we haven't decided who but one of my students in our class the young adults class and as a deacon we're talking about you know service what can we do to serve our church and one of the things that Cassie said was that their class is getting smaller because of their age and everything like that's a sad thing and everything but our class is going to

Be growing and we're going to have at least three babies being born in our in our class alone and there's there's others within our church as well that are going to be having babies and that's an opportunity for us as a church for service when Heidi and I had Roy we were very blessed by all of you but we you know I've I've been in this church my entire life you all know me you really you really love me a lot in that and some of these younger people that are going to have these babies maybe you don't know them as well I want you all to show them the same love that we received from you that's an opportunity for us here all right so let's pray dear Lord thank you for this day and this opportunity for us to be together and to learn about you and praise and worship you help us to have your eyes as we go through this week and as we enter in encounter others help us to see them through your eyes help us to give strength encouragement and hope to the people around us in Jesus name amen