1 Peter 1:13-16 (Part 1)
Your Only Hope

Intro — In 5 days the U.S. gov't will declare all U.S. currency to no longer be legal tender. The singles and fives and tens and twenties in your wallet will be worthless. Even the coins in your pocket will have no value. Your bank accounts will be meaningless. All that currency will be called in on that day and destroyed in a super-heated furnace. But there is a new kind of money being put out by the gov't and offered free to anyone who comes and applies for it. This is the money that will be usable after the 5 day period. So do you:

a) Laugh in the gov't's face and say Nonsense! Greenbacks will always be good. Who are they kidding?

b) Try to get as much of the old kind of money as you can and spend it as quickly as you can before it goes out of style? Then you don't really believe in the coming age. Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die?

c) Go and get as much of the new money as you can, even if you have to go without food for five days?

Naturally, if you truly believe this scenario, your belief has consequences. You choose C.

1. Rest your hope on the coming of Christ (v. 13
   1. Because of everything Peter has just said
      1. This is the first command to be given in the letter
      2. And the word "Therefore" lets you know that this call to action springs out of what he has just said.
         1. Since this world is not your home.... (vv. 1,2)
         2. Since you have a living hope in an incorruptible inheritance... (vv. 3-5)
         3. Since infinite joy is held out to you in that coming day... (vv. 6-9)
         4. Since prophets longed for this day and even now angels desire to look into the things being ministered to you through the gospel... (vv. 10-12)
         5. Set your hope fully on the coming grace
      3. You may recognize those 4 "Since"s as synopses of the first 4 sermons
         1. I wish I could spend 2 ½ hours just preaching the previous four sermons over again and giving you a running start into this command
         2. That way you wouldn't even be tempted to take the commands legalistically, as though you were capable of fulfilling them
         3. But you would receive these commands as what they are—appeals to a faith that has just been strengthened by having its attention drawn once again up to Christ in heaven where our abundant salvation, glorious inheritance, and unmitigated joy are being kept safe for us until the last day.
   2. Being ready and sober-minded
      1. Wooden translation: "Therefore, having girded up the loins of your mind, as you think soberly concerning these things, rest your hope fully....
         1. Hope is the main command,
         2. but Peter wants you to know what frame of mind is conducive to hope.
      2. Having the loins of your mind girded up
         1. Picture of readiness
            1. Men of the wore robes that reached to the ground
            2. But when they wanted to travel, they would gather the ends of the robe and secure them in their belts, moving from formal to tea length with a few easy tucks. That way they could walk or ride more easily
         2. This is how the children of Israel were supposed to eat the Passover
            1. Ex 12.11: "This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the LORD."
            2. Significance? Don't get attached to Egypt, God's about to judge the entire country and take you out to another place.
            3. What would you think of a man who knows this and starts redecorating his home and planning to build an additional wing? He doesn't get the point, does he?
         3. This is how you ought to be in your mind
            1. Not merely your intellect, but your will, your intention, and your desire
            2. There are mornings when I step out on my balcony and look at Saddleback Mountain sticking up through the mist and I breathe the cold air and think this is a fine old world and I wouldn't mind living here forever.
            3. Snap out of it! Pray to God that he won't let this world entangle you! Enjoy what he gives and offer him praise, but your hope is in a new creation that is yet to be revealed.
            4. The day of the Lord comes like a thief; you must be prepared to leave at a moment's notice
            5. Peter presents this as attitude of your mind and will, a constant heavenward focus
               • Even as you do redecorate and plan an additional wing
               • Don't get caught up in those things
               • And when you do, turn from it and remind yourself of what really matters that awaits in heaven for you.
               • And beg God, if these things have entwined themselves around your heart, that he would overwhelm you with this glorious vision of your inheritance and break you free
      3. Be sober
         1. Literally, the opposite of drunkenness
         2. Figuratively, be prepared, alert, not intoxicated by the song and call of things that are passing away.
         3. When you're drunk, it seems like a good idea to give all your money to a man in a bar who has a surefire investment opportunity that'll pay back 300 percent in just two months. A sober man isn't even tempted.
         4. And spiritually sober men look around at the world and know that there is no use laying up treasure here
            1. If we have food and clothing, we're content with that
            2. What good are houses and cars and money and prestige? (And yet oh how these things turn our drunken heads!)
      4. Thus, we naturally set more and more of our hope in the grace—bringing Christ until all our hope is there.
   3. Rest your hope fully on the coming grace
      1. Even though I can't repeat all of the previous 4 sermons, Peter helps me out
         1. His first command is Hope!
         2. How can that be taken legalistically?
         3. Clearly an appeal to your faith that you should look steadily on that which is unseen and desire it and yearn for it.
      2. This is the command of Christ which is not burdensome
         1. No more than it burdens a hungry man when you tell him Come and eat!
         2. Or a thirsty man Come and drink!
         3. So, having held out the glorious salvation that is about to come, Peter says Believe it! Hope for it!
            1. Not in sense of hoping it might be true
            2. But Christian hope is an utter certainty that what is unseen is of surpassing value and is yours for free in Christ.
            3. The word of God declares it to be yours; do not doubt but believe and hope.
      3. All of the previous sermons have come down to this
         1. That you should be shaken loose of your love of the world
         2. And that you should hope in the coming of Christ and in that alone
      4. Set your hope on the revealing of Christ
         1. Note, again, focus of "revealing."
            1. He is not "coming" in the sense that he is absent
            2. He is hidden (though present to faith) and must be revealed
         2. You long to see your Lord Jesus face to face.
         3. What could the future possibly hold more glorious than this?
         4. What could the future possibly hold that would cause you to desire that this day be delayed?
         5. Eradicate that thought and desire from your heart and mind. You have only one hope; long for it with heart, mind, soul, and strength.
         6. Amen, come quickly, Lord Jesus is the Biblical prayer and your ardent desire
      5. Set your hope on the grace he is bringing
         1. Christ has in his hand the full grace of God that he purchased for you
            1. Confirming you in all righteousness
            2. You will never sin again; no, nor desire to.
            3. You will never sorrow but God himself shall finally and completely wipe every tear from your eye
            4. You will never grow weary, never hunger, never thirst, never worry or be afraid.
         2. Christ is about to bring this to you
            1. He is bringing it (present tense)
            2. =immanent future (about to bring)
            3. (Just like "The Son of Man is being betrayed...)
            4. Your salvation could arrive at any moment
      6. Set your hope fully
         1. In NRSV "Set all your hope on the grace that JC is bringing."
         2. Do not spare a single ounce of hope for the things of this world
            1. The political process
               • We are filled with joy or dread at the election of various officials
               • How often have you had your hopes raised by candidates for mayor, for governor, for president only to have your hopes dashed when he doesn't win... or when he does?
               • You live in the world, so go ahead and involve yourself. But don't put any hope in the redemption of culture thru politics
            2. This world, this culture, this country cannot be redeemed or made better. Do not waste your desire on that. Your entire hope is hidden with Christ in God and will be revealed at the last time
            3. It is now as it was in the time of Noah. Your entire focus is in getting people off the ground and into the ark before the door is shut and the floodwaters come and this entire creation is swept away forever by the judgment of God.

TRANSITION: And as we truly have this heartfelt heavenward focus, we will behave in accordance with it. So Peter naturally turns from the attitude of the heart to the actions that are appropriate to that attitude. This week we dealt with what we should think and feel and desire. Next week we'll deal with what we should do. And only this context properly prepares you to hear that message and to be holy as obedient children, not in the strength of your flesh but by the Spirit, received by faith alone, a faith to which Peter has been provoking you with visions of heaven and inviting you to desire and hope for with every thought.

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