Mercy and hope through the resurrection of Christ (Quality: Average)

[0:00] I'd like you to turn into the New Testament, if you would please.

[0:11] I'd like us to go to Peter, 1 Peter, chapter 1 and verse 3. I'll just read the first five verses in 1 Peter.

[0:30] Chapter 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangest gathered throughout all of us, Galatia, Cappellusia, Asia, Bacillia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace unto you and peace be multiplied.

[1:10] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy and sin hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the earth.

[1:26] To an inheritance incorruptible and that be found that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in God's name.

[1:48] We spent a little while last Lord's day thinking of these strangers scattered abroad and thinking of the souls scattered abroad.

[2:03] Yet, in God's sight, these were the elect, these chosen vessels, these were the called of God, called by his grace.

[2:14] And we thought a little about the work there of God the Father, his elect according to foreknowledge, this loving beforehand, remember, not just seeing beforehand, and then going from that to think of this sanctification of the Spirit, this being set apart by the Spirit.

[2:37] And not to fear in that, though there should be some alternation of change in us, yet to be set apart really was to be as that vessel is put apart, yet it's the same vessel, though it be cleansed and cleaned.

[2:52] It is a vessel set apart to a different task. And so as we are the world that belong to the world, or children of the devil, we are now taken and set apart to a new task in the kingdom of heaven.

[3:07] Through sanctification of the Spirit. And to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. It is this work of Christ where he saves under the covenant his people.

[3:24] And he speaks of the sprinkling of blood. And that obedience, his obedience. We know that we must ever remember that the righteousness that is imputed to us is that righteousness which he wrote in his walk upon this earth, fulfilling absolutely, even to every job and ticket, the law on our behalf.

[3:47] And then of course this death according to the law, paying the price to sin. Unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

[4:00] And just a little extent on that. Grace unto you and peace be more than one. Now the Apostle Paul, like as it was indeed a little bit this morning, the Apostle, sorry, the Apostle Peter, he's speaking to this company of God's people who are scattered.

[4:23] We spent a while in Acts of the Apostles, finding out that they were scattered about. They went everywhere, preaching the gospel. God's, God's, God's, God's, God's, God's, God's, God's, God's, God's, God's, God's, God's.

[4:35] Even right out into Asia Minor. Not just the Jews, but the Gentiles. In all this company of a scattered people. Strangers. Strangers to this earth.

[4:47] But not strangers to God because they were the elect company of people. And in their trial and their trouble, it does not seem as though the Apostle Paul commiserates so much with them that he might sort of encourage them to feel sorry for themselves.

[5:07] Now it was one with them in their sufferings like our crisis which took through the feeling of our infirmities. But Peter encourages them to look in a different direction.

[5:23] To look unto God. And he encourages them to recount their blessings. That they might know the abundant blessings that have been given.

[5:40] You know that psalm we read and that verse that is reiterated time and time again all that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works for children.

[5:55] I never even memorised it properly but I'm ever thinking of it as our brother long gone to glory used to reiterate that word many a time in our prayer.

[6:13] Not only to think about the ungodly but his own soul but his own soul all that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works for children. that's where there's a slowness isn't it friend?

[6:29] That's where we need grace. We need the grace of God that we might praise him. We might rejoice in him. We might come before him with all thankfulness not to just give him lip for his friends not to just make a melody a sound upon the air but with our heavens we pray but all that it might bring forth from the very depths of our souls we might say.

[6:56] All that it might be real grace heart rendering grace that makes use of the voice box but still it's out of the depths of the soul. That it might be even as you know the psalmist says in another place he says out of the depths I cry unto the Lord.

[7:15] Ah we cry loud don't we when we're in trouble but oh that there might be a cry unto God when blessing and this is what the apostle Peter is calling the people to see.

[7:29] He says blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which hath according to his ability this now you might say how can we bless God?

[7:42] If the word blessing means giving something then how can a poor sinner saved by grace bless God?

[7:54] In what way can I give anything to God? Surely all the giving and all the blessing flows down from him as he continues in those verses to tell us our best friends God is God who blesses us we surely can bless God not in adding anything to him or making him any more glorious but in recognizing him in praising him and rejoicing him surely this is a picture praise he the Lord you know praise my soul the king of heaven to his feet thy tribute bring ransom healed restored forgiver who like these praise should bring that's it friends isn't it the hymn writer seems to be hitting at the right place like Peter ransom

[9:04] Christ has died for me and there's no thanks in his soul oh what sinner am I that I cannot bring forth praise unto God his mercy the one he had to say where are the nine and heal spiritually heal friends think of it no more the servant of sin but the servant of God heal what mercy is this no thanks oh we've even found out the deduct and the nurse and those of the Lord where is our grace surely Peter is showing the importance of bringing forth this praise and restore the hymn right of God brought back to God brought back into fellowship where we were put out in the garden and the flaming swords and the cherubins were there to keep us from taking up the tree of life and in his mercy he turned us out of the garden but yet his smile stood upon us that in time and seasons

[10:17] Christ who promised sin came and bruised the servant said him restored into a paradise of God then that word forgiveness natural forgiveness is a trying thing isn't it sometimes if we have a look or a woman who can't forgive us but he makes heart towards us there seems to be no melting of spirit they cannot forgive the word or the action or the deed there's no melting I remember the man who said in the marriage stage when you take it he says let not the sun go down in your mouth that's a mercy but it can be a hard afternoon and the night even the morning as well because there must be forgiveness it's that unity in the married life is the person the great problem of the day and age isn't it there's no communication there's no forgiveness there's no love it's all self count that self two selves have to become one self in lives we all ask forgiveness forgiveness is a precious thing how could we live how could we live with

[11:52] God if there's no forgiveness if we were never forgiven God was always our enemy but yet in mercy and grace there is forgiveness in right of pussy ransom heal restore forgiveness who might be this praise should bring done thing how long since we took our heart down off the walls praise in our private religion praise God it's a done thing when we come to chapel we're friends that it might be done thing in our private religion that our hymn book as it were was as precious to us as our bible not that it was the word of God but it contains many truths but it was that vehicle with the psalms too that we might bring praise and thanksgiving unto a holy

[13:07] God that indeed praise might be unleashed in our souls unto God in thankfulness that God gives grace we might hearken here to the apostle as he says blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ praise to God for the blessing of salvation that's what it means praise recognition brought out you know if you look out and God is pleased not to cloud the sky then maybe when the sun is setting tonight we look out and see the reflection of the red sun off some window as it begins to set and friends as we begin to look at that will it not remind us friends should there not be a reflection should there not be some reflection of that love and grace and mercy of God towards us some responding friends if a cold piece of glass can reflect should we not live in souls by the spirit of God should we not be a people bringing praise unto the

[14:25] God of grace he says blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy of begotten us are given unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead why did you just think a while of one or two things first of all this should cause us to praise God and to thank his mercy according to his abundant mercy and the gift of sunshine you know that's begotten us again into a lively hope and then that lively hope and then as it speaks of the Lord Jesus that resurrection for there in that historical fact lies the great power of all things appertaining to our salvation and our souls lives and then little little while upon this inheritance to an inheritance incorruptible and only fire and then to the certainty that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of

[16:01] God through faith unto salvation salvation ready to be revealed in the last time it's good to notice as Peter speaks of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and some men try and make of course the eternal son as it were or that he has no Godhead or no deity he made him Lord of course he is in subjection to the father as the servant he who came not to be ministered unto but to minister and give his life a ransom to him he is that suffering servant that elect servant of God that elect that children vessel of God and it's good for us to notice the God and Father of our

[17:02] Lord Jesus Christ he's God of the man isn't he and Father of the Son as it speaks on the Isaiah and here we read of this lovely relationship where it says the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ our so he is our our God and Father through salvation in the Lord Jesus what what a what a lovely position to be brought into if by grace we are enabled to call God our Father and the seal speaks of that in one of the angels so so deep and so thoughtful that we get because of our new relationship and because we cry have a

[18:07] Father the witness of the Spirit with our Spirit that we are the sons of God and so that's a lovely picture there blessed be the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ because from from the Lord from our Christ the old blessings of God and the Father come through our Christ unto us and he speaks first of all of this abundant mercy I often think that mercy is pity with hands you know you could walk past someone and pity them but really to show mercy towards them is to act towards them in some way on earth and think of our great

[19:08] God when his mercy has acted towards us and it speaks there of abundantness or a fullness a mercy that indeed is as it were grace in such an abundance that overcomes everything no one will send us down grace to take more about there is an abundance of mercy to the undeserved mercy to the rebel mercy to the sinful mercy here is mercy flowing out from the Lord towards us soul of grace not of works grace lest any man should notice all the flowing out out of the loving heart of the

[20:08] Father God as we read there of that foreknowledge elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father it's a flowing out grace it's not a drawing out it's a flowing out it's not a pulling out it's a flowing out it's coming down freely like every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord here in the Father of light says mercy of course men and women can't receive it because we can be too arrogant self centred not realising our meaning but when the spirit of God is at work and brings it to that place and the gospel is that good news to the soul wonder not that many don't appreciate the gospel and have no time for it it's only the thirsty that drink it's only they hunger and thirst at the righteousness that will be filled it's only they indeed who are troubled and weighed down in their consciences it's only those who are brought to that condition who can enjoy the realisation of the mercy and the grace of God it's that God would work to bring us to that place yes the law be that schoolmaster to bring us to

[21:38] Christ but I often think that the law is not the full convicting power is it when we are brought to see the cross when we are brought to see the cross from the suffering Jesus and we begin to realise and God speaks to us in our souls that he was wounded for me then surely that is the conviction of the gospel that is the conviction that brings us to indeed believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved this is the great truth of the new creature that God by the new birth has brought about within us that we believe in this mercy he's showered upon us where will thanks come from where will there be that blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ where will it come from where will it be that all that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works for the children where will it be only where there is that work of grace only where

[22:44] God has brought about an appreciation a recognition of that mercy of our God when we realize it's not a temporal thing it's not something brought up just in time but it's an eternal thing when it comes to that realization that this mercy is out in eternity before we ever were I have loved thee with an everlasting love love therefore with loving kindness how I trust the mercy's recognition that our soul brings a thankful strength and surely we will continue now to bring praise unto God and then we read again of this gift of sonship here in this scripture it speaks hath begotten us to be begotten to as it were as it speaks in the other scriptures to be born again to be born anew the sinner is made alive as a new life have we new lives how do we know can we recognize it how can we be sure am I a real

[24:19] Christian then right it puts it do I know being born again being born again by that incorruptible word God being defected by the word but it's that witness of the spirit isn't it you know there are many other evidences of our salvation and many other things where we could see the tokens of God's love but it's surely the real witness is the inward witness of the spirit that we are indeed the children of God born again are we born again tell me are our thoughts our thinking our ways our horizons are they the same as they've always been naturally or maybe they've changed a little and they altered or they become different yet there is only a morality there's only a model difference there is only a change as far as shall we say our things are anyway there is no change to go

[25:55] I remember a right enemy of the gospel a drunken who became so weak and mad you would have thought there was a work of grace can you commend with your son there can be such an outward change such a morality of living such a repentance that is made to be repented I will not say again but no repentance real repentance no real deep work of grace whether it is indeed as we would think of this you know this being begun gives us new eyes and new ears new aspirations new principles and hopes and in fact despite the old nature clinging on to us to hold us back there is a reaching forward even as a little child you know seems to be hindered as it were by gravity and beginning to walk even crawling but yet walking that there is a continuous overcoming and growing and so with this new birth there is this seed that grows and I've said before how do we know how can we be sure the witnesses did but surely one of the best evidence besides that is that where there is growth there is comfort and so if we be born of God surely that newness that new creature that that begotten of God that child of God has got to grow you only have to put nothing or little seed in the ground and when it begins to grow because of the moisture and the warmth it begins to displace and that's one of the evidence that we be born of God that there is a conflict between the new nature and the old nature and so we should come and give thanks to God that we think differently we have different thoughts different desires different horizons we're not like you know the gentlemen and the scientists all go about and their horizons are the things they look at they worship the creature but we've given eyes that can see beyond eyes open to see and understand who God is and by his word come into these things and so we worship the creator and our horizons are beyond this world even frankly really little of these horizons to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that paid in another way reserved in heaven they keep telling me the word is heaven where Jesus is in praise God where we say begun go on again and then he speaks of a lively hope a living hope sometimes

[29:22] Peter is called the apostle of hope it's not friends hoping I might be there it's not hoping I might be a leader it's not hoping this might take place and that might take place this hope is that blessed hope it's a hope which has in it some assurance it's a hoping and believing in God that these things will yet be it's a living hope it's a hope that's been awakened by the spirit of God that we hope on these eternal things that are beyond our sight but that's how he's speaking he's pointing to these people away from their trials and their troubles and he's pointing them to God look at the mercy of God oh you might be whipped and imprisoned and you might be sentenced to death but look you have the mercy of God what is life if it's without God here there's the mercy of God now Christ is he not the victor over death oh that we might capture friends these truths of living them the reality of them by livelihood alive it's a bit like sometimes a bit like the smoking point but yeah where the smoke was fire

[30:47] I pray the spirit of God might blow by us but we might burst in the rain as we look unto these things looking unto Jesus the author and the mission of our baby yet sometimes it gets seems to be further away if we get be clouded with earthly wealth and blessings pray God we don't become so rich we might forget God but this is a living hope precious can I try and bring it down a little more it's alive I sometimes find and I would ask God never to let me fall into that trap of some pastors trying to stir up the ungodly the hypocrites the attenders it's no good see my friend if you're outside of

[31:59] Christ today you need to be born again we need to be born again in the spirit of God we need to have a livelihood and it's only this lively hope that can be encouraged some of this lively hope that goes to the word what's God got to say to me today how long since we turned daily to the word of God to seek the word of God to find out God's word for this particular situation this condition this trouble how long since we went to seek his guidance and his direction how long you see if we're living souls living hope we want the word we can't live without the word because that's Christ do it do you think sometimes maybe you've lost the living hope I don't want to encourage you or me in our sins but you know when that little needle in the compass is magnified and it points to that living particle magnetic north it's alive now watch it we can watch it point in the right direction but sometimes when anything comes near it pulls away but praise

[33:35] God what does it do it swings back to north sometimes friends things take us sometimes there's backslidings but we know what it is to swing back to north when he says I will hear their backslidings I will love them freely are you seeing friends this is living faith we're talking about living faith being alive not being excited maybe like the preacher is at the moment but being alive spiritually inwardly alive and being receptive of God can I come another bit in this room at this moment there are well I don't know exactly it I'll just say hundred pictures in this in this room this moment there must be many many thousands of sounds what's the end of that now radio waves you and I we can't see them you know why we've not got the right instrument we can't see them we can't receive them impossible you've got to have a television and a radio to receive my friend you've got to have these things to receive but when you're alive when you've got this living hope when Jesus has said to you come follow me then friends there is new life and then there is this ability given unto us by this new creature to receive these things and surely when we receive them there should be appreciation and we don't even have to pay a license to be a christian it's free and suffering grace may God have mercy for us and then that great truth he wants us not only to bless God for abundant mercy he doesn't want us only to bless God for this being born again this being begotten this gift of sonship and this lively hope he speaks of the resurrection you see without the resurrection there is no life without the resurrection there is no evidence that Christ's atonement is received you remember the high priest as he went in to the place the holy place and they listened very carefully because on the bottom of his garment was the pomegranates and the bells and they listened for the sound of the gospel bells spread was he coming out alive that was the one day of atonement after he sprinkled the blood upon the mercy feet and the holy holiness and they looked for him coming out but this is indeed a spiritual need to think here where we see that

[36:25] Christ died and was buried and rose again from the dead the great evidence the historic you can't you can't you know I know there are those who tried to separate what they call the historical evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the resurrection spiritual resurrection of the believer you can't that they're a couple of they're together we're good together we are risen with him in the ways of life and if he is not risen then our gospel is in vain but should we not be like him that of the only thought of the bit of my my lord and my god and Mary the children should they not just be a quiver upon our heart strings a priest and all we speak to him as so important all for grace to meditate upon and then he goes on to this inheritance

[37:38] I have to keep telling my family to be aware of looking for the inheritance on earth that this is not an this inheritance that is incorruptible my inheritance my group who knows what might happen who knows where my wife might have to be and pay who knows what might take place great dangers but with this inheritance incorruptible it can't be tarnished in any way that's the great picture and it's undefined where's the hope friend where's the faith may God speak to our souls today where's the treasure where's the treasure friend what's your holiday

[38:56] God would be saying to you know how are you fixed so easy isn't it comfortable set up with God so easy but here this inheritance incorruptible and undefined that fadeth not away you know as though he might be speaking to some of the Jews here look Israel is fading away in a while Jerusalem will be destroyed it's all finished it's fading away look how you've lived as a nation of Israel and it's been corrupted with idols and turning from God and you've had to be carried away into Babylon and broke back again fades away but here is that inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away and faith sees it for it is Christ himself surely he is our inheritance he is our blessed hope surely this is the great thing that blesses our souls as we think and we behold indeed behold him and then the certainty look at the certainty it's not reserved down here

[40:19] I feel sorry for the J. who was on this theirs is kept in the kingdom home but this is reserved in heaven for you it's reserved in God in my father's house and many mansions it will not so I will return I go to prepare a place to do if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and take you unto myself that where I am there he may be also only a lively hope can get hold of that we're friends and believe it and here the apostle Peter is encouraging us to bless God bless God you know think what it is I must confess I don't know I can't enter into it in one sense what it is to lose your inheritance except I do remember a long time ago when I was ten years old my father became bankrupt and I remember the bailiffs come to the house and I remember one thing they couldn't take the children's to it they couldn't take the furniture they couldn't take the children's to it and I remember then it was a difference

[41:40] I remember I used to go old shopping at chapel down there in a car to school and I learnt what it was to walk to school you might say that would be good then but I knew the difference I can't fully grasp this truth fully really to lose everything and he's saying to me it doesn't matter if you lose everything you have an inheritance in heaven and the certainty that is there in those words reserved in heaven and look at this friends who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time in other words you are preserved the inheritance is kept it's reserved and you are preserved by the power of God by the grace of God and friends it's not just shall we say a keeping separate or abstract by the power of God it's through faith in other words it's an experimental thing it's experience by us and it's ready to be revealed in the last time sinner friend as I look at this word blessed be the

[43:05] God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten and gave them to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

[43:18] Those words of scripture we learn, those words that our brother often quoted in there, come to my ears. And I pray he might come to you.

[43:30] Oh, that man would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children. May God receive the praise for the Lord.

[43:45] Amen. So friends, it would fall.

[43:57] We should be a rejoicing people. In number 127, Rejoice the Lord is King. Your God and King, Your God.

[44:09] Mortals, give thanks and sing and triumph evermore. Lift up the heart, lift up the voice. Rejoice aloud, ye saints.

[44:20] Rejoice. 127. Another 127. треб