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1 Peter 1:3-9 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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  Our text for this morning's Bible study is 1 Peter 1, verses 3-9.
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  So please take your Bible and join me there.
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  Last week we concluded our study of the book of Hebrews,
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  which was a pastoral letter to beleaguered Christians living on the outskirts of Rome.
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  The letter was written to encourage hope and enduring faith
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  in these beat-down, tired, suffering Christians.
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  This Easter Sunday we're going to consider a passage from a letter written by Peter
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  to the beleaguered churches of Asia Minor.
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  This seems to be a recurring theme in the scripture,
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  that Christian people will need encouragement as they suffer.
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  They were being abused by unjust masters, chapter 2 and verse 18,
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  threatened by unsaved spouses, chapter 3, verse 1 and verse 6,
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  and insulted by an unbelieving world, chapter 4 and verse 14.
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  On top of this, there were rumors of a much more severe form of persecution
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  that was coming their way, chapter 4, verses 12 through 18.
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  And it is into this context that Peter, much like the author of Hebrews,
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  wrote to encourage hope and enduring faith.
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  Perhaps this morning, God will use this text to encourage the very same in us.
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  Immediately following his greeting in verses 1 and 2,
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  Peter declares a blessing toward God because of his saving work.
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  And in verse 3, he states that we have been born again to a living hope.
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  Living hope.
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  I want to ask and answer three questions this morning about this living hope.
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  Number one, what is it?
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  Number two, how do we obtain it?
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  And number three, how does it change the way we live?
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  Before we get to those questions, let's read the text in its entirety.
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  1 Peter chapter 1, verses 3 through 9.
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  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope
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  through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
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  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
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  kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith
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  for our salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
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  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary,
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  you have been grieved by various trials,
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  so that the tested genuineness of your faith,
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  more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire,
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  may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
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  Though you have not seen him, you love him.
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  Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy
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  that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
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  obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
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  So, number one, living hope, what is it?
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  The New Testament uses the word hope much differently than we typically do today.
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  Not long ago, someone asked me,
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  do you think we will be able to meet in person on Easter Sunday?
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  And I replied, I don't know, but I hope so.
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  The word hope used this way expresses a desire for something in the future
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  with the uncertainty of it happening, right?
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  That was a hope I expressed that was not fulfilled.
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  Here we are meeting via a computer.
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  Peter means something quite different when using the word hope.
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  Similarly, the author of Hebrews states in Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 19,
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  we have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul,
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  a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.
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  So, this hope that Peter is referring to is a sure hope.
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  It is a confident hope.
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  So, in the case of 1 Peter, we can understand that the hope he is referring to is a strong hope.
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  It is a surety that the promises of God will, in fact, have their fulfillment.
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  Peter mentions some of those promises in this immediate context,
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  namely verses 4 and 5,
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  an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
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  and our final and full salvation.
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  But Peter doesn't just say that we are born again to a hope,
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  but that we are born again to a living hope.
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  So, what is a living hope?
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  It seems right off to be a bit of a play on words as he speaks of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
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  and I think he intends that to be the case.
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  But a living hope is the opposite of a dead hope,
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  a lifeless, unproductive hope.
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  So, a living hope must be a productive hope, right?
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  It produces something.
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  It's not inactive, but it's rather very active.
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  It's a hope that produces a change in us.
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  And that change gives evidence to the fact that there is a hope.
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  So, what is living hope?
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  In a very simple definition,
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  living hope is a surety that the promises of God will have their fulfillment
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  that produces a change in us.
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  So, the second question,
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  living hope,
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  how do we obtain it?
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  We do not obtain living hope by our own fruition.
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  Verse 3 tells us that God grants to us living hope by a new birth,
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  and this is His doing.
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  He has caused us to be born again.
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  It is according to His great mercy,
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  and He is the causation of it.
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  You have the power to declare yourself born again to a living hope,
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  but you do not have the power to cause yourself to be born again to a living hope.
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  Some will say,
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  I have faith,
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  and it is that faith that caused me to be born again to a living hope, right?
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  After all,
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  verse 9 states that the outcome of my faith is the salvation of my soul.
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  I will say to you that verse 5 states that it is by God's power you are being guarded through faith
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  for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
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  So, it is God's power that empowers your faith.
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  God is the cause.
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  Your faith is the effect.
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  Paul agrees with Peter in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 and 9,
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  where Paul wrote,
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  For by grace you have been saved through faith,
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  And this is not your own doing.
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  He's referring to the faith, right?
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  It's not your own doing.
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  It is the gift of God,
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  not a result of works,
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  so that no one may boast.
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  So again, Paul is saying,
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  God is the cause.
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  He is the gift giver,
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  because He is gracious.
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  Your faith is the effect.
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  It is itself the gift that God has given.
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  Far too many of us try to define our reality by how we feel.
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  The basis for who we believe that we are is our feelings about who we believe that we are.
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  Our feelings become the arbiter of truth for us.
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  They reign in our lives.
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  And beloved, this just should not be so.
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  Only God has the ability to define your reality,
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  to declare who you are in actuality.
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  And this is really good news for beleaguered Christians, right?
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  Christians who feel tired,
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  who feel strained,
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  who feel misguided,
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  who feel like the affections of their soul
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  are not placed on the things they ought to be placed on.
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  We find ourselves perplexed,
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  trying to understand how it is we are in fact in Christ.
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  Too many of us let our feelings dictate the truth for us,
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  rather than running our feelings through the truth
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  and seeing what sticks.
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  What has God said to be true?
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  So very much more important than what our feelings declare about us.
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  So this is really, really good news for tired, beleaguered Christians.
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  It was good news for the churches of Asia Minor,
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  and it is good news for us.
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  If we have been born again to a living hope,
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  then it is because God has acted on our behalf
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  through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
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  But how does the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
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  produce a living hope in you and I?
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  We don't always feel that hope, do we?
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  Verses 23 through 25 of chapter 1
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  can help us a bit with this.
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  So Peter says in 1 Peter 1, beginning in verse 23,
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  And this word is the good news that was preached.
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  Good news preached.
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  The gospel coming to us produces hope.
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  Produces in us hope.
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  It does so at the point of our salvation,
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  and it continues to do so as we hear of the hope of the gospel.
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  This is why we must be constantly preaching it to each other
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  and preaching it to ourselves.
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  The gospel coming to us produces hope,
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  but the gospel must come to us credibly.
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  That is, we must believe it, right?
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  Simply hearing it does us little to no good.
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  Those are just words,
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  but we must take it up into ourselves.
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  We must hold it to be true in our hearts.
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  And I suppose this is why Paul labored to build confidence
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  in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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  Jesus was not raised.
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  And the good news is not really even news,
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  much less good.
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  In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 3 and 4,
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  he defines the gospel.
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  So here's a brief gospel presentation.
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  Paul says,
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  For I deliver to you as of first importance what I also received,
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  that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures,
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  that he was buried,
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  that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.
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  Then in verses 5 through 8,
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  he goes on to build credibility, right?
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  That people would believe that that is in fact true.
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  Beginning in verse 5, he says,
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  And that he appeared to Cephas, that is Peter,
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  then to the twelve.
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  Then he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time,
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  most of whom are still alive,
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  though some have fallen asleep.
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  Then he appeared to James,
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  then to all the apostles.
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  Last of all, as to one untimely born,
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  he appeared also to me.
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  So he labors to say to them,
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  this good news is a good news worth believing in,
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  because Christ is raised from the dead, right?
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  He showed that to be true to all of these people,
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  is what he is saying to us.
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  And we now have their testimony declaring the very same thing to us.
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  John Piper, in a sermon on this text, said,
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  Christian hope arises in the heart
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  through hearing a credible testimony
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  of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
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  Incredible gospel proclamation
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  gives to its born-again hearers,
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  first, confidence that Jesus is with us,
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  that he is alive,
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  and that he is seated at the right hand of God, right?
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  He's interceding for us,
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  that he's given to us his helper,
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  as he said that he would.
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  This should give us confidence even to pursue hope,
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  living hope.
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  Secondly,
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  credible gospel proclamation gives to its born-again hearers
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  confidence that all that Jesus said is true,
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  that Jesus died for me and for you,
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  John 15, 13.
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  Jesus said,
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  We are counted in that number through faith.
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  That he ransomed me and you.
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  Mark chapter 10, verse 45,
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  Jesus says,
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  For even the Son of Man came not to be served,
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  but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
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  You're counted in that number through faith.
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  That he is my and your righteousness
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  and has restored my and your relationship with God.
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  First Peter chapter 3 and verse 18,
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  For Christ also suffered once for sins,
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  the righteous for the unrighteous,
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  that he might bring us to God,
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  being put to death in the flesh,
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  but made alive in the Spirit.
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  Paul states in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 17,
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  If Christ has not been raised,
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  your faith is futile,
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  and you are still in your sins.
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  But because he is risen,
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  my and your sins are forgiven,
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  and God is for us.
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  Romans chapter 8, beginning in verse 31,
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  What then shall we say to these things
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  if God is for us?
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  Who can be against us?
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  He who did not spare his own Son,
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  but gave him up for us all,
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  how will he not also with him
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  graciously give us all things?
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  Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?
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  It is God who justifies.
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  Who is to condemn?
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  Christ Jesus is the one who died.
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  More than that, who was raised.
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  Who is at the right hand of God,
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  who indeed is interceding for us.
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  So, how do we obtain living hope?
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  By hearing and believing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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  And this is a thing for people to do
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  when they're not in Christ, right?
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  When they've never repented and believed in Jesus.
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  And this is a thing for those who have been found in Christ,
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  who are now in Christ,
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  who have been caused to be born again to a living hope,
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  to do once again,
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  to do it now and probably later today
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  and on into tomorrow and all the days that follow.
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  That we would once again,
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  fresh and new,
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  hear and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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  This will produce in us a living hope.
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  Third question,
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  living hope,
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  how does it change the way that we live?
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  Remember that this letter was written to encourage
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  the beleaguered churches of Asia Minor.
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  Peter, right?
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  But Peter does not encourage them toward quiet introspection,
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  self-pity,
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  like he doesn't say,
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  make everything in the world about you
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  because you're going through something hard,
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  or self-service,
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  but rather toward holiness
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  and all that that means.
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  Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1,
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  verses 13 through 15,
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  therefore,
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  preparing your minds for action
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  and being sober-minded,
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  set your hope fully on the grace
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  that we brought to you
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  at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
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  As obedient children,
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  do not be conformed
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  to the passions of your former ignorance,
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  but as he who called you is holy,
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  you also be holy
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  in all your conduct.
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  He doesn't call them to inactivity,
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  but to activity,
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  to get outside their present circumstance
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  and live for the glory of God.
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  Those promises that will be fulfilled
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  because of the living hope
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  that Christians can have.
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  And he hints at this in our text
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  in the last half of verse 6
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  and the first half of verse 7,
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  where he writes,
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  though now for a little while,
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  if necessary,
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  you have been grieved by various trials.
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  There's suffering that's been going on.
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  So that the tested genuineness
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  of your faith,
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  more precious than gold that perishes,
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  though it is tested by fire.
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  Difficult times are meant to test
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  the genuineness of our faith.
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  How do we respond
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  when things are difficult in our lives?
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  And I'm not just talking about COVID-19.
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  For some of us,
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  this is really easy.
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  For some,
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  it's been really difficult.
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  But all of the circumstances of our life
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  that press at us,
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  how do we respond?
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  Do we respond to those opportunities
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  to grow in holiness?
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  Or do we recoil,
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  turn inward,
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  use them as excuses for sin?
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  Something should be produced in us.
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  Something should be happening in us
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  as we walk through the trials of life.
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  And that is holiness.
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  What is it that Peter expects
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  will be produced in them
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  and in us
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  as our faith is being tested,
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  as our living hope is on trial?
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  Well,
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  he expects to see
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  a number of specific activities.
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  You can read the entire letter
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  to pick up on those things.
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  Things that will be put off
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  and things that will be put on.
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  But in this text,
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  we can observe two
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  that I think will be helpful to us
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  this morning.
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  The first one is love for God.
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  Love for God.
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  The first part of verse eight says,
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  though you have not seen him,
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  you love him.
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  Living hope transforms our desires.
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  It changes what we are affectionate toward.
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  This love that Peter writes about
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  is a holy love.
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  It's a supernatural love, right?
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  Though we have not seen God,
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  we love him.
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  It's a love that's produced in us.
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  We were once enemies of God.
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  We hated him.
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  But now,
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  being in Christ,
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  we love him.
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  And if you love God,
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  then you will love what he loves.
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  You will love his will
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  and you will love his ways.
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  John wrote in 1 John 2,
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  verse 15 and following,
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  Do not love the world
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  or the things in the world.
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  If anyone loves the world,
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  the love of the Father
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  is not in him.
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  For all that is in the world,
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  the desires of the flesh
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  and the desires of the eyes
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  and pride of life
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  is not from the Father,
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  but is from the world.
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  And the world is passing away
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  along with its desires.
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  But whoever does the will of God
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  abides forever.
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  So living hope produces in us
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  a love for God.
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  also produces in us joy.
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  Last part of verse 8.
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  Though you do not now see him,
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  you believe in him
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  and rejoice with joy
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  that is inexpressible
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  and filled with glory.
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  Living hope transforms our feelings.
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  When we allow God to define our reality
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  and hold the good news in our minds,
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  the good news that has caused us
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  to be born again to a living hope,
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  then we will be joyful.
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  I think most of you know this about me,
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  but if you don't know,
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  I battle a bit with depression,
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  with what I would call
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  dismeasured sorrow.
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  And typically it's in moments,
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  maybe across a couple of hours
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  of a day for me.
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  But the trouble of this life,
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  often as I see it
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  beating up on you all
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  who I love immensely,
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  just the hard things
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  that you go through
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  will cause me to feel down.
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  And I can tell you
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  that every time I feel that way,
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  it is because I am not rightly
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  holding the truth of the gospel
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  in my mind.
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  Because I kind of,
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  I get it as a distant reality,
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  but it's not close and present.
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  I don't have a living hope
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  in those moments.
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  In those moments,
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  I've just disbelieved altogether
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  that God can and will,
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  in fact,
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  accomplish all that He has said
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  He will accomplish.
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  As I see my beloved brothers
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  and sisters suffering,
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  that should bring me
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  to some measure of sorrow.
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  But rightly,
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  if I put that under the truth,
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  what God will accomplish,
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  I know that He is going to complete
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  the good work that He began
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  in each and every one of you.
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  I know that He is growing you
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  in holiness.
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  I know that He will bring you
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  to the day of Christ
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  and that He'll say of you,
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  well done,
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  my good and faithful servant.
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  When I'm believing that,
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  I'm not turned to dismeasured sorrow,
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  but to joy.
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  Even amidst the measure,
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  the proper sorrow,
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  the weeping with you,
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  I have joy.
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  Because I know the eventual outcome
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  of everything that we're walking through
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  together.
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  So when we define,
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  I'll say it again,
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  God to define our reality
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  and we hold the good news
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  in our minds,
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  the good news that has caused us
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  to be born again
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  to a living hope,
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  then we will be joyful.
• 23:36
  King David wrote in Psalm 16
• 23:38
  and verse 11,
• 23:39
  The born again
• 23:51
  do not have perfect love for God
• 23:53
  or perfect joy.
• 23:55
  Both must be fought for.
• 23:59
  I've just told you,
• 24:00
  I fight for joy sometimes.
• 24:03
  But our lives ought to be growing
• 24:05
  in these aspects
• 24:06
  and all the more
• 24:07
  as we see the day drawing near
• 24:09
  when all that God has promised
• 24:11
  will fully and finally come to pass.
• 24:15
  So how does living hope
• 24:17
  change the way we live?
• 24:19
  Living hope produces in us
• 24:22
  love for God
• 24:23
  and inexpressible joy.