Born Again to a Living Hope: Part 2

In this series through 1 Peter, we're looking at born again to a living hope.

Born again to a living hope. We have a living hope. If you're a Christian this morning, we have a great living hope.

So as we go to 1 Peter chapter 1, 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 3 through 5, 1

Peter chapter 1.

Let me read verse 2, according to the foreknowledge of God the

Father, this is the word of God, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the

Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ, and be sprinkled with His blood, may grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure, and then he begins with the doxology to praise our

God, blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.

Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank

You that You're forever with us. Your presence is here. Lord, even us this morning that seeks

Your face, and we do not even know how to pray as we ought to pray, but the

Spirit, Your Holy Spirit helps us. It comes alongside and helps us in our weaknesses to pray as we ought.

Father, there's nothing within us that's good, and all goodness is from You.

We're saved by Your grace, Your unmerited favor, but what has moved

You to save us is Your enduring compassion, Your mercy.

So Father, I pray for Your help this morning and for help for each and every one of us. Father, to help us to hear

Your Word. Lord, I cannot preach this on my own strength. It must be the power and the urgency and the unction of Your Holy Spirit, Lord, but not only in my preaching,

Father, for each and every one that's here this morning to hear Your Word. Lord, would

You anoint our ears to hear? Give us ears to hear what thus says the

Lord says. Give us, Lord, eyes to see Thy truth.

And Father, most important, give us a heart to perceive and to understand that truth and to apply it to our lives.

So Father, we need Your divine help from above. So Father, we pray in humility. We pray by Your mercy and grace as we bless

Your holy name that Your blessed Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, the real teacher, will take a hold of us and help us and give us ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to understand this wonderful truth,

Lord. Help us, God, to not be complacent. Help us, O God, save us from apathy.

God, we hear these words about salvation so often, Lord, and we need Your help, Lord, to make this fresh bread to us.

We're going to live forever with You, to praise You in the heavens. So Lord, as one servant of Yours said once, this life is a dressing room for eternity.

Lord, help us to put on Jesus Christ, fix our focus on things above, to love

You and to obey Your word. Transform us, O God, by Your power. Amaze us. Father, I would pray, above all, be exalted,

O God, above the heavens, as the psalmist says. And Lord, we'll be careful to give

You the glory and the praise, and we ask all these things in Jesus' name, amen and amen.

The Apostle Peter is presenting this message to a persecuted church in his day.

He's writing it by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. He speaks to the pilgrims that's scattered throughout

Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. And who's he speaking to?

Notice the word of God. It says, who are elect, who are chosen.

You know, the word of God is specifically for God's people. And we cannot understand the word of God naturally.

The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God places with His Spirit upon those whom

He has chosen to understand the word of God. So it is to those who are chosen, the elect.

God gives compassion on whom He desires to give compassion. And He has chosen those whom

He has chosen. And verse 2, according to the foreknowledge of God the

Father. Again this word foreknowledge, foreknow, is very important to understand our text because of what is being spoken here clearly means a predetermined relationship in the knowledge of the

Lord. Before one is even converted or repentant toward their sins,

God has already determined this. It's not that God looks ahead in time and says, okay,

I'm going to choose who I want to choose in time. He has already determined this in eternity past.

It's mind -boggling for us to think about this, but before God made the world with His power and His word,

He already decreed whom He had chosen. That's mind -boggling, isn't it?

That in of itself gives cause to worship. And I want you to notice this, this word foreknowledge.

It's very important. There are a lot of people that have a wrong concept of what this means, but it means that salvation in the same way that Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world to be a sacrifice for sins, even

Christ was foreordained to come to this world in which He made. And God the

Father has decreed a chosen people for Himself through the

Messiah, through Jesus. Jesus Christ. John MacArthur says foreknowledge means that God planned before, not that He observed before, but He planned before.

Thus God pre -thought and predetermined or predestined each Christian's salvation.

That's incredible, isn't it? That gives us cause to worship right there. But he goes further.

We already looked at that. But it's according, the elect is according to the foreknowledge of God the

Father. And then he speaks, the whole Trinity is involved, not only in creation, but also in redemption by the sanctifying work of the

Spirit. It is the Spirit of God that sanctifies us. It is the Spirit of God that sets us apart.

Basically sanctification. I remember when I was in Bible college, I received a paper one day, a handout, and it was like five different views of sanctification.

Each had its scriptures, and I basically admired that.

But if you really want to get down to it, the word sanctification on a biblical definition is, it means set apart.

It means set apart to be holy. Set apart to be holy.

So it is by the sanctifying work of the Spirit. There is a cleansing element in sanctification.

There is that. But basically it means that God sets us apart from the world to be

His own possession. And why does He do that? Peter tells us.

To obey Jesus Christ. Obedience to Jesus Christ.

Notice what he says. He gets right to it. To obey Jesus Christ.

So when we obey the person of Jesus Christ, it is talking about obeying His word, obeying His commandments.

We obey the person of Jesus Christ. And notice what else?

He goes a bit further. And to be sprinkled with His blood. The sprinkling of His blood.

The precious blood of Jesus Christ. Peter talks about this.

Later on in chapter 1, notice in verse 18. Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers.

There's an inheritance. But that's not a good inheritance. That's an inheritance that's not going to go anywhere.

Verse 19. But with the precious blood. There it is. The precious blood.

That word precious is not by mistake. It means something.

Isn't the blood of Jesus Christ precious to us? If it's not precious to us, we need to examine our hearts.

With the precious blood as of a lamb unblemished and spotless.

The blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world.

There it is again. And then he says this. But has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.

Who through Him are believers in God who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory so that your faith and hope are in God.

Notice he basically by the Spirit of God he's repeating everything he's beginning to say.

At the beginning of this chapter. He speaks of the blood of Jesus Christ.

He speaks about election from the foundation of the world. That has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.

And he speaks about those that are believers in God. And that Jesus, that God raised

Jesus from the dead and gave Him glory. So that your faith and hope are in God.

And if you reread what he says and he begins with a blessing. Blessed be the God and Father of our

Lord Jesus Christ who according to His great mercy caused us, has caused us to be born again.

There's the new birth. To a living hope. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away.

Reserved in heaven for you who are protected or kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

It sounds almost the same doesn't it? But he's reiterating, he's repeating it how important it is that we get this.

Well he begins with a doxology and his focus is really on God. Praising God.

Should not our focus this morning be on God? Church isn't about the preacher.

Church isn't about us. Church is about God. It's about God the

Father, it's about God the Son, it's about God the Holy Spirit. We are to praise

God. And he begins by saying blessed be the God.

That is the source of the believer's inheritance. Blessed be the God and Father of our

Lord Jesus Christ. Let's just stop right there and think about this. The Apostle Peter is assuming it is necessary for believers to bless

God. We see this all through the Bible. To bless

God, to bless God. The Apostle focuses on praising God, blessing

God. And he starts and he begins with a doxology and he reminds us that it is always time, that we should always have time to praise

God. We should always praise Him. We don't praise Him enough, do we? We fail to praise

Him because we get so preoccupied with the things of this world, we get preoccupied with good things.

Just not the bad things, but the good things. Makes me think about Martha and Mary.

Martha was preoccupied and she was doing something good. She was actually hosting Jesus.

She was focused on serving Christ.

And think of that. It was a good thing. And Jesus was there and the sister was there and the sister being

Mary was at the feet of Jesus. And Martha got upset because she was pouring so much energy into preparing the dinner for Jesus and being busy and covered about with everything to serve

Jesus Christ. And Martha basically says,

Jesus, Mary needs to do something. She needs to get up. She needs to help me.

Her personality came out. She was very ballsy to that sister. Sisters knows, right?

Brothers know, you know, sisters and siblings, different personalities that's built within it.

And you know, Jesus did not, when He lovingly rebukes her, He does not take that away from her, but He lovingly says,

Martha, Martha. And the old King James says, you are cumbered about with many things, but Mary has chosen really the best.

The best. How often have we gotten so preoccupied with good things and we're distracted from the best?

Jesus. Mary was at the feet of Jesus. It was not time wasted, beloved.

Her time was well spent. Can I tell you this? Set time aside for Jesus.

Give Him the best. Because that really, that's all that's going to matter. If we sit at His feet and hear, let's remember that.

What a blessing. What a blessing. We get preoccupied with good things, but God desires to be blessed.

He's worthy to be blessed. Not only desires, He's worthy to be blessed. And Peter says this, blessed, blessed be the

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice he starts with God the Father. He starts with the doxology,

God to God the Father. Who is he speaking of? The great I Am. He's talking about the one that is the one true living

God. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. But He is

God the Father, praises to God. And even in our hardest times, not in the best of times, but the hardest times and hardships and distress and affliction.

And by the way, keep this in mind. When Peter is saying, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, he is saying this to a persecuted people that's under affliction, that has been blamed for burning up that part of Asia Minor, that's been persecuted heavy from the heathens, the

Gentiles, the government. You could go on. And Peter says, bless

God. Praise God. That's what he says. Bless the God. The word be in the original is not found there, but he says, bless the

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Bless Him. Can I encourage you today, when you're going through hardships and hard times, bless

God. Bless Him. Now, a lot of people would say,

Pastor, do you have chapter and verse? Oh, do I have chapter and verse. There are so many chapters and verses, but one, can

I tell you, there's one that really comes to my mind. Go with me to the most wonderful wisdom book and one of the oldest books of the

Bible, and that is the book of Job. Go with me there very quickly to chapter one. Now chapter one, and by the way, let me say this, the book of Job is a marvelous book.

I was telling Brother Keith this earlier, I believe yesterday morning, we was talking and that one preacher said that this is the theological elephant in the

Bible. You can take this, and why is it the theological elephant?

Because it speaks of the God's sovereignty and man's suffering more than any other book.

The prosperity teachers, hey, don't like this book. They literally do not cling to this book because it speaks of suffering so much, but it speaks of God's sovereignty.

If you really want to understand the sovereignty of God and the suffering of man, go read the book of Job.

It's a wisdom literature. And by the way, a lot of what David speaks about the fear of the

Lord and what Solomon says in Proverbs about the fear of the Lord, I really believe they drew from the book of Job.

We don't know its author. It's assumed that Moses might have wrote it. We don't know.

You can look that up, but we don't know exactly how old it is, but it is the oldest book in the

Bible. Out of the 66 books that are packed in what we call the

Bible, and 39 of them being Old Testament, 27 being

New Testament, the book of Job is by far the oldest.

Well, verses 1 through 12 gives us a revelation. It speaks of Job's character that he was a

God -fearing man. He was blameless. He was upright. He was upright, fearing God, turning away from evil. He had seven sons and three daughters.

God blessed him physically, materially, with possessions, 7 ,000 sheep, 3 ,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys.

He had very many servants. It doesn't even tell how many servants he had. He had very many. And it says that he, this man was the greatest of all the men of the

East in that time, in the land of Uz. He was a godly man because he was a godly father.

Notice in the first chapter, when the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, speaking of his children, rising up early in the morning and offering up burnt offerings according to the number of all of them.

In other words, he prayed for every one of his children. We need to be fathers and mothers to pray for our children and lift them up.

For Job said, and notice what he says, and he understood the sin nature, perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed

God in their hearts. And it says, thus Job did continually.

Not just here and there, but continually. And then the revelation is given that Job didn't even know about, really.

But there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came among them.

Some people said, how did Satan get in there? But God allowed Satan to come before him, gave him permission, by the way.

No one comes before the Lord, especially a fallen angel like Satan, unless he gets permission.

This devil called Satan, the deceiver of all the nations, the father of all lies, the dialobos, the liar of all lies, this

Satan, even this fallen angel, this head archangel, was once a musician in heaven and he was cast out like lightning from heaven.

He's on a leash. He's God's... Luther said this, he's God's devil.

Verse 7, the Lord said to Satan, from where do you come? God knew this. All the questions, you've got to keep in mind, when

God asks questions, he knows those questions. He knows the answers before he gives the question, but he even puts

Satan to the test here. Satan answers the Lord and says, from roaming about on the earth and walking around on it, so he's loose,

Satan's loose, he's not in hell. He's loose on the earth, he's not bound, yet he will be.

The Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job? Points out Job out of all the people in the face of the earth.

He said, this is my servant Job right here. God brags on him. How would you like God to brag on you?

For there is no one like him on earth at that time. A blameless and upright man, fearing

God and turning away from evil. That's a man that fears God right there.

Yeah, and then Satan answered the Lord. Does Job fear God for nothing?

In other words, what basically Satan was doing as the accuser of the brethren, he was saying, yeah, he serves you for what he gets out of it.

In other words, you have blessed him with all these children and all these possessions. You gave that to him.

He basically serves you for what you have given him. Does God, in other words,

Satan says to the Lord, does Job fear God for nothing?

And then he says this, have you not made a hedge about him in his house and all that he has on every side?

What a verse. In other words, Satan could not get to him unless God brought down the hedge.

Unless God brings down that hedge. Think of that. God has a hedge around his people, but God can pull up that hedge and give

Satan permission to get at you and to test you. And that's exactly what happens.

And then he says this, have you blessed the work of his hands and his possessions and have increased in the land?

That tells you something there. In other words, he worked hard with his hands. He didn't get all those things for nothing or by nothing.

He worked hard for it. He got his possessions, but God blessed him by his hard work.

Verse 11. And then Satan tells the Lord, okay, but put forth your hand now and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face.

Really? Verse 12. Then the

Lord said to Satan, behold, all that he has is in your power. In other words,

God is saying, Satan, I'm giving you permission. And then he says, only do not put forth your hand on him.

In other words, take his life. Satan, even God, if God permits

Satan to take your life, it's only because God has permitted it.

Think of that. What did Jesus tell Peter? Simon.

He actually said, Simon, Simon, Satan has desired to sift you like wheat.

Jesus says, but I prayed for you. Now you know when Jesus prays, every prayer that Jesus prays to the

Father will be answered. Was it not answered? Nowhere did it say that Jesus prayed for Judas.

Because it was meant for him to be the son of perdition. Judas got justice.

Some people say, that's not fair. Really? Jesus could have told

Simon right there, said, you know, I don't have to pray for you.

But he did. He prayed for him. And what did he say?

Satan has desired to sift you like wheat. But I prayed for you that your faith would not fail.

Just like Job. God had his hand on Job. And by the way, then

God says, I permit you to get to him, but don't touch him. So you only can go so far with him. So Satan departed from the presence of the

Lord. Isn't this great? But notice in verse 13, let me read on. Now, on that day, on the day when the sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house.

And now I want you to think about this. Now Job prayed all the time for all ten of his children not to sin.

They were having a feast. A messenger came to Job. And I want you to notice how there are waves of disaster that come.

And we know what happens. Job doesn't know. Think of this. Job doesn't have a Bible. Job doesn't have

Revelation. Job doesn't have any idea in the sense of how we would know through the

Revelation what's been revealed to us. But one thing Job did have, and that's all he needed, was

God. He had God. He feared God.

And I want you to think about this. What this man, he understood that all that he had came from God.

This is how we know that God was the first love of his heart. Now listen very closely. A messenger came to him.

Verse 14, came to Job and said, The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the

Sabaeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants, killed all the servants, with the edge of the sword.

He lost all his servants. And I alone have escaped to tell you. In other words, you have lost all your oxen.

You have lost all these possessions. The Sabaeans attacked and took them. Slew all your servants.

It was a blood slaughter. And right then in verse 16, while he was still speaking,

Think of this. Another also came and said, The fire of God fell from heaven, and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.

Number two disaster. Three, while he was still speaking, can you imagine something like this?

While he was still speaking, there's three waves here. Another also came and said, The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants and with the edge of the sword.

Look at all the servants he lost. And I alone have escaped to tell you. Fourth wave, verse 18.

While he was speaking, another also came and said, Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and behold a great wind,

I would think like a tornado, came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house and it fell on the young people and they died.

All ten children died. I alone have escaped to tell you.

This man lost everything that he possessed. Job arose.

How did he respond? He's lost his possessions.

He's lost his servants. He's lost everything that God has given him. He tore his robe and shaved his head.

That was a sign of humility. And he fell to the ground and worshipped. That's how he responded.

This is the right response, folks. This is a man that fears God. This is a man that loves

God. He fell to the ground and worshipped. And notice what he said.

Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.

Notice what he said. And by the way, he's not blaming God in the sense with resentment.

God, why did you do this? He is worshipping God because he understood that God was the giver and God was the taker.

In his mind, he knows God has a right to do whatever he wishes. What does he say?

Blessed be the name of the Lord. Can we do that? Not when we have everything, but when we lose everything.

You know, I have five children. I can't imagine someone coming to me and saying, all five of your children are gone.

Lose all your possessions. And that's not the end of it. Later on, in chapter 2, Job loses his health.

And then his wife even says, why don't you just curse God and die? His wife is not even an encouragement. Why don't you just commit suicide?

And then his so -called friends come and for the first week, they don't say it the wise for the first week.

They don't say a word for a whole week. And then later on, when they start opening their mouth, that's when things started happening.

And it was very difficult for Job because they basically said, for all this to happen, you've sinned somewhere.

But this is a man that feared God. Verse 22, through all this,

Job did not sin. Nor did he blame God. Folks, we've got to realize who the giver is.

We must realize the source, the source of all things good.

Every good and perfect gift comes from above. God has a right. He can take it away, everything that you see.

God, if God wanted to, and if He desired, and He could be just, He could just say for the whole world to perish right now.

And it would perish. And God would have a right to do that. Not the way people think on this earth.

They shake a fist to God. They say, God, why this? Why this? They have a resentment in their heart.

It is a commentary on the fallenness of man that man naturally does not love

God. Now, I'm leading up to something here. This is

Job, a God -fearing man. And he blesses God. This is so wonderful.

You know, this verse in which I just read to you, especially verse 21, is one of the most often quoted verses at funerals and gravesides.

But when people have lost loved ones and babies to the grave, and people that they loved.

It's... It is a deep love. It's a deep scripture that has borne that wound of bereavement.

And we need to always remind ourselves that God is always still worthy to be praised. Isn't he?

He's worthy to be praised. Even in our deepest sorrow. Even things when we don't understand it.

I'm sure there was questions that were going in Job's mind. But he never accused

God. But he understood that God was worthy to be blessed. We must get that in our hearts.

And the only way we can get that in our hearts is the Holy Spirit. Natural man does not do this.

Wouldn't you say that Job was a very unnatural man? He's an Old Testament patriarch. The Spirit of God at that time really was not residing within the hearts of people there.

It's kind of... You know, throughout the Old Testament, you see that the Spirit of the Lord came upon them. Not until the

New Testament when the Holy Spirit, after Jesus' resurrection, He goes to the Father. He says,

I'm going to pray. He tells the disciples, I'm going to give another comforter. He shall come. He shall be with you.

He shall comfort you. He will be in you. Rivers of living water.

Not until that day, on the day of Pentecost, did the

Holy Spirit reside within man. Oh, He gives us power to witness, but He also gives us power to live the

Christian life. Oh, this is wonderful.

There's a blessing. Well, let me go on here. What about Psalm 1 -1? How does the whole...

all the Psalms begin? How does it begin? Brother Keith preached on this a few months ago.

Psalm 1 -1, how blessed or blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, the ungodly.

In other words, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scoffers. Verse 2, but his delight is in the law of the

Lord. In other words, God's Word. And in His law, He meditates day and night because He loves it.

You don't have to tell a born -again believer, love the Word of God. You've got to read the

Bible. Oh, He wants to read the Bible. He desires the Bible. He desires

God's Word. He continues in God's Word. He loves God's Word. God's Word's everything.

Blessed. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. What about Psalm 1 -19?

That's considered the Mount Everest of all the psalms. Verse 1, how blessed are those who walk, listen to this, whose way is blameless who walk in the law of the

Lord. Now, notice David first started, said blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.

Now he says, blessed are those whose way is blameless who walk in the law of the

Lord. How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek

Him with all their heart. Not a part of our heart. All of their heart. God wants all of our heart.

He wants all of our mind. He wants all of us. Go with me to 2

Corinthians. I want you to see something here real quickly. 2 Corinthians chapter 1.

The Apostle Paul gives a word of comfort.

Notice verse 2. Just like Peter. Notice this. Grace to you and peace from God our

Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. There is the order. Peter said the same thing.

Grace be multiplied, peace be multiplied to you in abundance from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

And notice, what does he do? Verse 3. He begins with a doxology. Blessed be the

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the Apostle Paul. The Father of who? Mercies.

And the God of all comfort. Who comforts us in our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance. In other words, he's basically saying the sufferings of Jesus Christ is yours in abundance.

That's a privilege. That's why he says if you suffer for Jesus, don't be ashamed to suffer for him.

And not only don't be ashamed, be overjoyed and rejoice greatly because you're counted worthy.

This is a privilege. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

But if we are afflicted, is it for your comfort? It is for your comfort and salvation.

Or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.

And our hope, there's the hope, our hope for you is firmly grounded.

Our hope is firmly grounded. Knowing that we are sharers of the sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.

But the point I'm trying to make here is he begins with a doxology.

Jump to Ephesians chapter 1. He does it again. I've read this, of course, before, but notice the pattern.

The pattern. Verse 2. Same thing. Grace to you and peace from God our

Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Is Paul redundant? No.

He's not redundant. These words mean something. These words mean something. Grace to you.

Grace to you and peace from God. This is to the elect.

Our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing.

Notice the blessing in the heavenly places in who? In Christ. Verse 4.

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love.

He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself according to the kind intention of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace which

He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have the redemption through His blood the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace

God's rich in grace which He lavished on us and all wisdom and insight

He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His kind intention. That's why

He did it. His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to administration suitable to the fullness of the times.

That is the summing up of all things in Christ things in heaven and on earth.

And He goes on blessing, blessing and glory. Go with me to Matthew chapter 5.

I want you to see the thread here. The greatest sermon ever preached from the greatest person who ever lived.

Matthew chapter 5 You know where I'm going.

The greatest sermon was the sermon on the mount given by our Lord Jesus Christ. How did

He begin this sermon? When Jesus saw the crowds in verse 1

He went up on the mountain. There was a reason He went up on the mountain. So all that could hear Him from that mountain that was like the

PA system. It echoed. And after He sat down He sat down.

His disciples came to Him and opened and He opened His mouth and He began to teach them.

Sitting down. How does He begin? Notice the word blessed.

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.

By the way this is in divine order beloved. Blessed are the gentle the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

There is an inheritance. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled or satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people shall insult you and persecute you and falsely accuse you of all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Rejoice and be glad. Your rewards in heaven is great. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

You know you think about most people this is foreign but everything Jesus is speaking of is kingdom related.

It says in other words He says I'm your king I'm the Savior, I'm the

Lord I'm the Messiah and all this is given through me. I give you a blessing. And it is another world.

It is a focus of the kingdom of God in the heaven that God made forever and ever.

See we think, people think that they're going to keep on living forever here on this earth. Forget that.

You know this life is like a vapor. We're here for a short time.

You're made for eternity. You are made for another world and whether it's heaven or hell

I was listening to John MacArthur on the way here and he was talking about the inheritance.

He says the natural children of wrath in which we are born as children of wrath will have an inheritance and that inheritance is hell unless one is born again.

We're going toward that. Blessed, blessed, blessed.

How blessed are we? Jesus study, study that sometimes.

Study the beatitudes. The poor in the spirit. Those that mourn. The meek.

Those that hunger and thirst for righteousness. Those that are merciful. Those that are pure in heart.

Those that are peacemakers. Those are the ones that are blessed. Jesus is the blesser.

Next there's the motive. Back to first Peter. The motive for the believer's inheritance is what?

According to his great mercy. That's the heart of God beloved. That moves

God with compassion. I've said this at the beginning here but the sweetest of all the attributes of God is the mercy of God.

And by the way the mercy of God makes all the other attributes of God sweet. That comes from Thomas Watson.

His great mercy, just not his mercy. Peter says his mercy is great. That was the motive behind God's granting the believers eternal life.

Sharing the very life of God. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Ephesians chapter 2 4 and 5.

But God being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us even when we were dead and our transgressions made us alive together in Christ and then it says in parenthesis by grace you have been saved.

This is something that we could not do within ourselves. It is by the grace of God God's unmerited favor that he says

I select you, I've chose you, I saved you. God's great mercy.

And God is rich in mercy. Because of God's mercies we are not consumed beloved.

I want you to think about that. As we sit here right now the reason why we are not consumed by the consuming fire of God in which we so well deserve is because of God's mercy.

Let's look at a few chapters and verses very quickly. I'm going to go through this. I already mentioned Psalm 103 so I'm not going to go there.

Look at Psalm 118. There's so many verses on the mercies of God on the chapters and verses on God's mercies.

But look at Psalm 118. I want to just choose just a handful because time does not permit me to to choose all of them.

So notice what he says. I want to just read just a little bit here but verse 1 Psalm 118

The psalmist is giving thanksgiving for the Lord's saving goodness. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.

For his loving kindness, his mercy is everlasting. Oh let Israel say his loving kindness is everlasting, his mercy.

Oh let the house of Aaron say his loving kindness is everlasting. Oh let those who fear the

Lord say his loving kindness is everlasting. You see this all through the

Psalms. And then in verse 29 give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his loving kindness is everlasting.

There's a reason for the repetition because he wants to keep it in our mind before us.

He keeps it before us in our mind I should say that we should not forget.

We are forgetful. We forget God. That's what the psalmist says. Do not forget all his benefits.

Don't forget it. Notice go back

Psalm 111. Psalm 111. I'll just jump around a little bit but this whole chapter notice what he's saying.

Praise the Lord. I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart. There it is again.

All my heart, not part of it. In the company of the upright in the assembly when we gather together great are the works of the

Lord. They are to be studied by all who delight in them. We need to study them. Splendid and majestic is his work and his righteousness endures forever.

He has made his wonders to be remembered. We need to remember them. The Lord is gracious and compassionate.

He has given food to those who fear him. He will remember his covenant forever.

God keeps his word. He has made known to his people the power of his works. He's made known. He reveals it to us and given them the heritage of the nations.

The works of his hands are truth and justice and all his precepts are sure. They are upheld forever and ever.

They are performed in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his covenant forever.

Holy and awesome is his name. Notice what it says in verse 10. And the fear of the

Lord. It's not only in the Proverbs it's in the Psalms. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and a good understanding have all those who do his commandments.

His praise endures forever. So we need to remember that it is the motive that which moves

God. It is his mercy. What about the means, the appropriation?

The next portion back to Peter he says, he has caused us to be, what?

Born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and there you have speaking of that the mercy of God gives us a new birth.

We are born again because to a living hope because of God's mercy but we must be born again.

I'm going to go back to John chapter 3 because I think it's very important for us to get this. And I want to point out something.

I'm not going to go to all the verses but you remember what we were speaking of this chapter here

Jesus speaks to a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus. He's a ruler of the Jews.

He comes to Jesus by night. He basically says verse 2 of John chapter 3,

Rabbi, that means teacher we know that, we know speaking for the Jews, that you have come from God as a teacher.

He's flattering Jesus. No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.

He basically flatters Jesus but Jesus doesn't take the flattering. Jesus gets right to the point.

He says, Jesus answered and said to him, truly, truly that means amen, amen verily, verily, the old king

James says, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. He's talking to a religious leader.

Now I want you to keep this in mind. He's a very he's all about externalism. He's all about a code of conduct.

He's all about being religious. This man is a ruler. He's a theologian supposedly in that time.

He knows it all in his head. He studies the law of God. He studies and Jesus basically says to him, without taking the flattery about the miracle and by the way, the miracle of God and Jesus then gets right to the greatest miracle of all.

You must be born from above. You must be born again. In other words, you must be born again to see the kingdom of God and Nicodemus said he doesn't get it.

He's thinking natural. How can a man be born when he's old? He cannot enter a second time in his mother's womb and be born.

Can he? Jesus answered, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of the water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Now first to see the kingdom of God, now to enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the spirit is spirit.

In other words, it is a reality. You have a physical birth, you have nothing to do with it. There's a spiritual birth, you've got nothing to do with that.

You must be born again to see the kingdom of God, to enter into the kingdom of God. And you know what, basically what

Jesus is telling this ruler all his life, I look at him, he's older in life, he's an elderly man, he's a teacher of the

Jews, he has a reputation to know the word of God, he's a theologian in that time and Jesus basically says, you've got to start all over.

Dump it all. Dump all your religion. Jesus said you've got to start all over.

There's people in churches today that needs to hear this. This is not preached.

It's sad. I say that tragically with a heavy heart. But this is not preached, we must be born, you must be born again.

There are religious people that needs to dump their religion, all their externalism, all their keeping of the rules, all their performance and say,

I must be born from above. I've got to have a new heart. I cannot change my own heart.

God must change it. If we're going to see the kingdom of God, enter into the kingdom of God to see it, to enter into it, you must be born again.

He says this to a religious man. Dump your religion.

Get rid of it. Start all over, Nicodemus. You imagine this man being 60, 70 years old,

I don't know. And Jesus says, you've got to start over. And I was thinking about this, that Nicodemus might have went to Jesus by night and thinking that Jesus would say, no, you need to do this and this and this and add to your religion.

Jesus said, no, you get rid of it. Paul was a Pharisee of Pharisees.

You know what Paul said? All that I learned, all that I was a Pharisee, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee of Pharisees, it's manure.

It's dung. That he, that the right, what was the pearl of great price?

The righteousness of Jesus. Jesus, that's what Jesus says. Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of God.

And Jesus basically says that there's more hope, basically, for the harlots and the prostitutes than you.

Because they knew an element of truth in their head, but they must be, they must have a new heart.

They must be born from above. Desires from above. Jesus said this, do not be amazed.

Do not marvel that I say this to you. Don't be surprised, Nicodemus. You must be born again.

Then he gives an illustration. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it's going.

So everyone is born of the Spirit. This is the way there's effects. You can't see it. You can't see

God work, but there are effects. Nicodemus said to him, how can these things be?

Jesus gives an answer in a rebuke. Are you a teacher, a visceral and do not understand these things?

Truly, truly I say to you we speak of what we know and testify what we have seen and you do not accept our testimony.

What a rebuke. Listen to that. If I told you earthly things, you do not believe. How will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

That's the Master. And then he points to the illustration. Now I'm going to go to the next point here right after this, but he said no one has ascended into heaven, but he who has descended from heaven, the

Son of Man. He's speaking of himself. Jesus said to him, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the

Son of Man be lifted up so that everyone whoever believes will in him have everlasting life.

Why does Jesus mention about Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness? Because he knew Nicodemus would be familiar with that story in Deuteronomy 21.

Go with me to Deuteronomy 21. He's relating to something to him that he would get it.

Jesus said basically wanted him to get it. And by the way, he does. Because when

Jesus, after he died on the cross, it was Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea that put aloes and myrrhs and spices on him and buried him.

What happened in Deuteronomy 21? I may be in the wrong chapter.

Maybe numbers. I'm sorry. It might have been numbers. Yes, numbers.

Pardon me. Pardon me. Numbers 21. I said Deuteronomy.

Numbers. This preacher is not without fault, folks. But what is

Jesus referring to? Look at verse 6. The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people so that many people in Israel died.

This was a judgment. These serpents bit them and they were dying. So the people came to Moses and said we have sinned.

We have sinned. See? Because we have spoken against the Lord and you intercede with the

Lord that he may remove the serpents from us. Moses interceded for the people then the Lord said to Moses, make a fiery serpent.

Set it on a standard. Basically set it on a pole. And it shall come about that everyone who's bitten, he who looks at it will live.

Listen to that. And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard, a pole basically.

And came about and that serpent bit any man. When he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

Let me stop right there. You know what the analogy here is? Sin has bitten us by the snake.

The devil. Sin has come into the world through, we are bitten by snakes.

That's a judgment. And basically what Jesus is saying to Nicodemus, not only is an illustration of as the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up.

In other words, you look to me. Jesus is telling Nicodemus, you'll be born again, you look to me.

Jesus is going to be lifted up on a cross. And Jesus says, as he's lifted up, he would draw all men to himself.

Believes in me, believes in me, will in him have eternal life. In other words, you've got to look to me.

Jesus is the author of eternal life. And then he says it in verse 16, we know it, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

In other words, everlasting life comes through Jesus Christ. He's the way, the truth, and the life, the only way, the only truth, the only life.

And he's telling this religious man, you've got to look to me if you want eternal life. We look to the cross, don't we?

Well, I need to go on. There's the new birth. I want to pick up on this later on because my time is all gone.

The nature of the believer's inheritance is to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and that will not fade away.

I want to pick up on this next week, Lord willing. But let me go through this real quick and you don't want to miss next,

Lord willing, next service. I basically reiterated a lot when

I spoke of it. There's a little bit more I wanted to unpack. But Peter basically gives us three descriptive terms to further define the kind of inheritance that believers obtain.

First of all, it's imperishable. It's incorruptible. In other words, nothing can touch it.

Wouldn't this be a great comfort to a persecuted Christian? You have an inheritance with God above.

It's imperishable. It cannot be touched. God has put it in a vault for you.

For you. It's undefiled. You know what that means? It's not contaminated.

And then he says it will not fade away. What does that mean? In the Greek, that means like a flower that did not wither or did not die.

It's imperishable. It's undefiled. And it does not fade away. The security of the believer's inheritance, it's reserved in heaven for you who are protected, kept by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

You know what that means? That word reserves means it's guarded. It's watched over.

God guards your inheritance. It can't be taken away. Here on this earth, it could be stolen.

Jesus was referring to this. Store up your treasures in heaven where moth and rust does not corrupt it.

Then where thieves, robbers, cannot break in and steal it. You could put the greatest treasure here on this earth.

Don't you think about this. Solomon at one time, David's son, was the richest man on this earth. Folks, people have never touched richness when it comes to Solomon.

God blessed him with it. But you know something? Solomon's gone. Those treasures don't belong to him now.

Where are they? We don't know where Solomon's treasures are. Well, how about Solomon? I pray he made it in.

People ask me about that. I won't have time to go there. But let me say this.

My point is we can have the greatest treasures here on this earth which people pursue.

And Jesus says people can gain the world and lose their soul.

It profits you nothing. People go after possessions, things, things.

Pile it up. It's going to perish. We're going to die and go to the grave. And you can't take nothing with you.

Jesus says treasures in heaven, it's reserved for you. That's what Peter's saying. All the inheritance that's in Jesus Christ through his salvation by him, it's all been because you're born again by his mercy.

You have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. You have an inheritance in heaven.

Let me close with this. I wanted to go to the inheritance given by the prodigal son because I'll be honest with you, that's where it counts.

I'm going to save some of these other scriptures for next week. I was going to look at Revelation about the last time of all that is reserved in heaven for us.

But go with me to Luke chapter 15. I want you to see this. I want to just touch on it. Lord willing,

I'll try to unpack more next week. But look at this. Luke 15.

This is so critical. You've got to realize that Jesus, the purpose of this parable is found right in verse 1.

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming to near him.

They came near him. These were rejects. They were coming to Jesus to listen to him.

Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble saying this man receives sinners and eats with them.

Hmm. He's a friend of sinners. Amen. That's one of the most glorious things.

And you know Jesus knew what they said and you know he does not even give them a response. But he gives a parable and wishes gracious for them to hear this parable.

So he told them this parable saying, he begins with the first parable about the parable of the lost sheep.

He relates this to the men in the crowd and he says what man, notice this, what man among you if he has a hundred sheep has lost one of them does not leave the ninety and nine in the open pasture he goes after one, after the one which is lost until he finds it?

That's a question. So in other words he's saying the shepherd, the man who is a shepherd, basically cares for his sheep.

One goes astray, it's the value of that one. That one.

Verse five, when he has found it he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing. Notice what

Jesus is getting to. He's got something to say in this parable. And when he comes home he calls together his friends and his neighbors saying to them, rejoice with me

I found my sheep which was lost. And then he says the point of the parable.

I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety -nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

In other words what he's saying that God rejoices in seeing a person come to true repentance more than all these righteous people he's aiming at the

Pharisees folks. The parable of the lost coin notice when

Jesus began the parable of the lost sheep he says what man among you, then he speaks to the women he relates to all of them.

Jesus don't miss nobody. Verse eight, what woman what woman if she has ten silver coins and loses a coin does not light a lamp and sweep the house search carefully until she finds it.

Now the men were like related to the outdoors, now the women are on the indoors.

But he relates to something of value, a coin. Notice it's something of value to God. You are valuable to God.

And in verse nine when she has found it, notice lost and found, lost and found she calls together her friends and neighbors saying rejoice with me again the word rejoice for I have found the coin which

I lost. In the same way I tell you there's joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

That's the point. You see Jesus is basically aiming at the Pharisees, the religious people the scribes and the

Pharisees said look these publicans, these tax collectors, these prostitutes these harlots, they want to hear me.

Basically Jesus is saying there's more hope for them than them. Because they had a religious externalism that was leading people to hell.

And they were going to hell themselves. Here's the greatest story of all right here. Parable of the lost son.

And he said a man had two sons. There's not one son, two sons. The younger of them said to his father, father give me the share of my estate and follows to me.

Basically give me my inheritance. So he divided his wealth in between them. So he loses an inheritance.

He gives it to him. Not many days later the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey in a distant country.

He went far away folks. There he squandered his estate with loose living. In other words, pretty dirty living.

He was very immoral. Verse 14. When he had spent everything. He spent all of his money.

That's not hard to do is it? A severe famine occurred in that country and began to be impoverished.

So he went and hired himself out. One of the citizens of the country. And he sent him into the fields to feed the swine.

And to a Jew that's as terrible as it gets. Verse 16. And when he had gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine.

He was in the pigsty. Swine were eating. No one was giving anything to him.

And he came to a place of total bankruptcy. And that's where God wants us to go. Into ourselves.

Verse 17. But when he came to his senses. He came to himself. He said how many of my father's hired hired men by the way.

Had more than enough bread. But I'm dying here with hunger. Now he's starting to realize something.

He had to come to himself. He had to go through some hardships. I will get up and go to my father and I will say to him.

Father I've sinned against heaven. I want you to notice something right here for a moment. That's the problem with the human race.

Pride. Pride takes people to hell folks. Rejecting Jesus Christ.

Too much pride in their life and saying they will not say father I have sinned against heaven.

And in your sight. This is what he. He was basically rehearsing this in his mind.

This is what I'm going to say to him. Father I've sinned against heaven and in your sight. Not just the people in your sight oh

God. And I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me one as one of your hired men.

So he got up and came to his father. This is beautiful. This is all about the love of God. But while he was still a long way off.

His father saw him. Felt compassion for him. He ran and embraced him and kissed him.

And the son said to him. Father I've sinned against heaven and in your sight. Just what he said. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.

That was his confession. But he meant it folks. This wasn't just a one time confession.

This is something he really meant. But the father said to his slaves. Listen to this.

Quickly bring out the best road. This is the love of God. He gets lavish. This man didn't spin in his inheritance.

He let him go. And now the father saw him come back. And you see the love of God. He just runs after him and embraces him.

He kisses him and kisses him. He kisses him. He lavishes him. And he says quickly bring out the best road.

Put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. This is part of his inheritance. Bring the fatted calf and kill it and let it eat and celebrate.

But this son of mine was dead and has come to life again. He was lost and has been found. They began to celebrate.

And notice what the older son. By the way the older son represents the Pharisees. The older son represents the religious people that day.

And the older son was in the field and he came and approached the house. And you see he heard the music and he heard the dancing.

And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. In other words he started pouting about it.

He was jealous because of that younger son coming back and being treated with royalty.

And he said to him, your brother he said to him, your brother has come and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has received him back safe and sound.

He's secure. But he became angry. Notice the attitude of the older son.

The older son here. He became angry and was not willing to go in. He pouted about it.

He wanted to have a pity party. And his father came out and began pleading with him. The father even pleaded with the older son.

And he said in verse 29. For he answered and said to his father, look. Notice his attitude here folks.

Self righteous. Very self righteous. For so many years I've been serving you. All these years.

In other words I've been going to church. I know all about this. I've served you. And I've never neglected a command of yours.

And yet you have never given me a young goat. So that I might celebrate with my friends.

Verse 30. But when this son of yours. Notice how he's telling his attitude. But this son of yours.

Who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes. You killed the fatted calf for him.

Isn't this a great story? You won't find anything greater here. And he said to him son.

That's what the father says to him. Son. You have always been with me. And all that is mine is yours.

You've got the inheritance. I'm here. But we have had to celebrate and rejoice.

For this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live and was lost and has been found. He's been born again.

He was lost and now he's found. You won't find no beautiful story in the

Scriptures than there. But you know what this is all about? This is about true repentance. And this is how this inheritance comes to us.

We must be truly repentant and sorry before God. Before God that I have sinned.

It is my sin. That we deserve God's wrath. We do not deserve

His love. But God has lavished His love upon us in Jesus Christ.

And I would plead with anyone here within this room. If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Do not put this off beloved. I'm telling you. This is a matter of eternal life and eternal death.

Let me say this. Your decision will not save you. Only God can save you.

And let me say this. That's why Jesus says enter in through the straight gate. He says you gotta enter in.

You gotta see. And it's God's grace that would give you that even that power for you even to seek

God. But by the way if you do seek God with all your heart. He says He will be found.

And whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Praise God. This is

His word. May we trust in Him wholly. May we put our trust in Him and know that He is our everlasting inheritance.

Praise God. I know I've gone a little over. But I believe it's the word of God. I believe we're in no hurry right?

Praise God. I don't know. These children think it's about time they ended.

People you need to really bring it to an end. Praise God. Let's pray. Father we thank

You for this day. Thank You for the great salvation that's given to us in Jesus Christ. Lord may we take heart of these great truths and may it not be apathetic to our souls.

Lord help us to know that this salvation this great salvation is something that is reserved in heaven for us.

It is in Jesus Christ and Him alone that is the way the truth and the life. No one can come to You Father unless they come through Jesus.

They gotta come Your way. No other way can come to our way. Our way will be to hell.

Our way would lead to eternal death. There's a way that seems right unto man but the end thereof is death.

But yet Lord You said there's a point for once man to die and after that to judgment. Lord help us keep this before our eyes.

There's a judgment day coming. The only protection we're gonna have from the wrath that You will bring upon all on that judgment day is the blood of Jesus Christ and when

You see the blood You will pass over us. The only thing that You are pleased in is

Your Son. The obedience the perfect obedience of Your Son the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect death that appeased and satisfied

Your justice. Lord nothing else is gonna do on that day. We praise

You. Lord may we continue to praise You throughout the week just not this day.

This is the Lord's day. Yes we're to rejoice and be glad in it but Lord may we praise You every day. May we be ready.

May we be sober. May we be vigilant. Father help us not fall by the wayside. Keep us in Your power.

Keep us in Your hand in which You have promised to do. Father we thank

You. Even in these times that's about us we don't know what's gonna happen but Lord we know that You hold all things in the palm of Your hand.

There's nothing outside of Your control. So Father help us to trust in You in all that we do. In Jesus name