Rejoicing in our Inheritance, Despite a Horrible Job Market
Sterling C. Franklin
Glorious King Jesus Christian Church
June 5, 2011 (Sunday)
Man, this job market is HORRIBLE! Many men in their 60s and 70s who have talked with me on the topic are saying that they’ve never seen such hardship in entering the workforce, even for those with advanced degrees, years of experience, and well-honed skills. In fact, this expressed view is without exception in my talks.
It goes without saying -- this time in our history can be very trying, and yet, we still have to deal with struggles in finances and life in general. Many times, culture tells us that our worth is greatly dependent on ’what we do,’ as opposed to ’who we are.’
Do you know that we aren’t called to serve money, and we’re advised not to labor for the purpose of becoming rich?
Sometimes God will bless us with financial gain and even abundance, but it’s not promised anywhere in Scripture that you’ll have a mass of desired possessions. What did God do in the Garden of Eden era? He made man, gave him a task to do, and he did it. Man was told to fill the earth with his wife and have dominion over Creation, and he was placed in the Garden to till the earth. Adam (’from red clay’) received the fruit of the ground and the result of his actions, though our sin did make that quite a bit harder. But sometimes we will work at God’s command and never see pay here. The ultimate hope is that we work for His glory and His Kingdom, and He will provide for our basic needs. God gave His Son for us, and how much more will He take care of these needs (see Romans 8:32).
During the Great Depression (generally agreed upon to be 1929-1939 or slightly into the early 1940s), many families stuck together, cutting costs by all means and gathering up what was important -- ’who they were.’ Even through hard economic times, we are here today. God has provided for you, and regardless of how difficult things may seem, He has made you unique. Many families during these times have little to leave down the road, and this can be a real grinding pain. But however little or however much we are able to leave as an inheritance here, we have a promised inheritance in Heaven, and as the Apostle Peter talks about here, we are called to rejoice in it.
Open if you will to our main text, 1 Peter 1:3-9:
(MAIN TEXT)
1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 receiving the end of your faith -- the salvation of your souls.
Before we discuss this further, let’s pray.
(Opening Prayer)
Background on 1 Peter
Much can be found in the first two verses of the book:
1 Peter 1:1-2
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
- Written by the Apostle Peter (date of writing: mid-60s AD)
- Written mainly to the Jews scattered abroad throughout the regions of Asia Minor (known as the Diaspora in Greek, or the ’Disperson’ as is translated), though this is not necessarily excluding Gentiles.
- Peter gives wise counsel to the Believer as to standing firm in the face of persecution and living in purity, patience, and hope as we live in this world that is contrary to Christ.
As we’ve read our text, and let’s explore it in more depth, starting in verse 3.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
We see from verse 3:
God the Father does the work of salvation
Jesus completed the work of salvation
From other passages:
The Holy Spirit bears witness to this salvation
For example, look at Romans 8:15: For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Thank God for His work. We see all persons of the Trinity involved in this work of Salvation.
He has ’Begotten us again’
----- Parallel to Jesus’ statement that we need to be "Born Again."
----- Jesus said we need to be born of water and the Spirit. This is significant of natural birth and the involved water sac rupturing, as well as spiritual birth, through the ultimate renewal brought on by the Sacrifice of Christ, and most simply, faith in the Son of God and Messiah, Whom the Father has provided us.
...to a Living Hope
Active, unfading, still available
…through the Resurrection
Remember Paul’s statements in 1 Corinthians 15 -- without the Resurrection, we are men most miserable and without hope!
Relating to this Living Hope:
Inheritance: The ultimately realized proof of the Father’s love for us.
----- Incorruptible
---------- Not like the treasures of the world, which can be eaten by moths or ruined by rust
---------- Lasting -- Permanent and Eternal
----- Undefiled
---------- Not of ill-gotten gain or fraud
---------- Pure
----- Does not fade away
---------- A flower withers, but our inheritance will not wither.
--------------- Clarke: "It is always in bloom"
--------------- Wesley: "Never decays in value, sweetness, or beauty"
---------- Again, lasting
Jesus in John 14 -- I go to prepare a place for you (in Heaven).
As the Apostle Peter mentions here, this inheritance is "reserved in Heaven for you"
This Inheritance is only through Jesus
John 14:1-6
1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 "In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
4 "And where I go you know, and the way you know."
5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Let’s read verse 5, which continues on a truth from verse 4:
5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
We see from verse 5 that the Lord has an active work in perserving His sheep.
Salvation is ultimately "revealed in the last time." We have the seal of our inheritance -- the Holy Spirit, but we will only ultimately see the full level of our redemption at Jesus’ Return and at and following the Judgment.
Hebrews 9:27 mentions that we have one life to live, and after that, the judgment comes.
Again, we are always called to be ready at all times.
Let’s read verses 6-9 in our text:
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 receiving the end of your faith -- the salvation of your souls.
Verse 6 has Two Parts:
Part I:
This inheritance and hope should be cause for rejoicing.
As we serve the Lord, we will see Him do wondrous things. The Disciples did, and in one instance, Jesus’ reply is to this very topic --
Luke 10:17-20
17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."
18 And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
This hope is worth greater rejoicing than anything the Lord does through us or what signs and wonders accompany our ministry. Our everlasting hope and our restored state to the Father are worth celebrating even above what we would normally rejoice most in.
Illustration: Say, for example, if the Chicago Bulls made the NBA Finals, and Derrick Rose (who keeps a very direct testimony to Jesus and His blessings on his life) hits a 92-foot buzzer-beating Game 7 winning shot. It’s a type of shot that only custom characters on NBA 2k11 should make. Imagine the interview. The level of rejoicing would be RIDICULOUS! But even so, and as Jesus said, what we should REALLY rejoice in is the inheritance which He has given us to life with Him in Heaven!
Part II:
In the second part of this verse --
Trials are inevitable!
James urges us to consider them pure joy, knowing that trials develop you.
Paul states in Romans 8:18 - "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
Peter mentions that we will be grieved by them, but urges us to push through since they develop our faith to maturity, and which faith will lead to this eternal inheritance.
In verse 7, we are given parallel imagery to these trials: "Tested by fire"
Gold is put through fire, melted, de-drossed, and made pure to various levels.
These trials, regardless of how hard they may be, will develop us into greater purity. And may the Lord make us more and more pure in our walk with Him through the work of the Spirit in our lives!
We also know that the Lord does not give us more than we can handle:
1 Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
Our faith is much more valuable than gold, which fades away. Our faith leads to our inheritance, and it is the ultimate importance in life.
Just as Jesus said to those asking about a disaster in His day, "Unless you believe, you will all likewise perish." He was focused on those still here, and He knows that people are destined to perish without faith in Him.
Faith -- the evidence/substance of things not seen (cf. Hebrews 11:1)
Even as we don’t see Him now, we can always rejoice in this promised hope.
Two types of hope:
’Vegas’ hope - I ’hope’ I win the lottery!
Biblical hope - The Lord has promised this to us, but we have yet to see its fulfillment.
We will see what we have hoped for at the return of Jesus. Notice back in verse 7, this was the point at which our faith will be evaluated, whether to the disdain of God, or as Peter gives option, "to praise, honor, and glory."
And ultimately, through this faith tried by fire, we will receive the end result of our hope and faith -- the Salvation of our souls. So we are called to REJOICE!
While this may be hard to do for us through difficulties, and I’d say, especially men who have the innate desire to provide for themselves and any family God may provide, we need to look to this hope and believe the promises of God. It may take some time, many of hard times in prayer, but this life is declared to be a battle. We have the best Commander-in-Chief on our side.
So beloved brothers and sisters, we are called to rejoice! We have a hope that FAR outweighs any circumstance or frustration encountered here. Whether you’re going through hardship in finances, disagreement, frustrations, or what have you, we must REJOICE that through faith in Jesus, our names are written in the Book of Life. We have a promised inheritance and wonderful place of restoration and reconciliation and purity.
Do you have this hope?
Let’s close in prayer.
(CLOSING PRAYER)
Bibliography
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Wesley and Clarke commentaries available for public use from bible.cc .
