SERMON: Surviving the Drought by Knowing God 1 Peter 1:1-9 Sept 8, 2002
(First in a series)
I. The Droughts of Life – Introduction
A. We are in a Drought
1. It began in May 1998. We are now in our fifth year of a drought.
2. Here in Carroll County we are in one of the most severe drought areas. Based on a 30 year average by this time each year we should have received 39”. We have received 26. We are thirteen inches short for the year. Imagine, that is a foot of rain multiplied by the land mass – that is a lot of water that we are missing
3. Daily soil moisture levels are critically low. Streams are at or near record daily low levels. Lake Lanier is down 8 feet.
4. Many of us don’t act like we know it. I mean how many of you have really significantly changed your lifestyle because of if. Truth is we are in a drought and it is serious. The drought is a reality for our lives. You just can’t tell it by looking at us.
B. Funny but it seems that practically every area of life has its seasons of drought – our jobs, marriages, families, churches. Times when we feel overwhelmed by life and its circumstances. Times when we feel we are walking around in the dark, numb, weary and defeated.
1. Our human strength to endure has wore out but no one around us really notices or understands the seriousness of what we are feeling.
2. Even our spiritual life is in danger of drought. There are times when we feel spiritually worn out, numb, weary, frustrated, and alone. Times when just living day to day takes everything out of you and there is nothing left inside but emptiness. For some this drought seems to last for days and weeks for others it seems to have been a going on for years and for others it is a drought of heartache they have experienced for their whole life.
C. Spiritual weariness is as old as the human race. It began in the Garden of Eden and has been afflicting for generation ever since. It was prevalent when Jesus came to earth. When our Lord saw the multitudes he recognized the symptoms. It affected him so much that he cried out, “Come to me all who are labored and heavy burden and I will give you rest. When the future looked so uncertain to the disciples he said “Don’t worry, your heavenly father knows about your needs. And he cares for you.
1. You see when we are experiencing the droughts of life, there is comfort to be found for there is one who knows and understands our pain and suffering. There is One who is weeping for the distress we are in, weeping for the sorrow and anxiety in which you are suffer. And he is your greatest ally, our greatest source of strength, our ability to survive the drought, to endure the hardships of this life rests in him.
D. But how, how do you find a that fresh renewal, that sense of peace when you a suffering and hurting so much? When you have experienced so much loss and disappointment? When you feel empty and alone?
1. This morning we are beginning a series on “Surviving the Drought” based on 1 Peter. It is a series of revival and renewal. Not a revival in the sense that you are to come every night for a week or in the sense of an evangelistic meeting under a tent. But revival in a Biblical sense that is best described by the Greek new testament word , egerio, which means “To awaken from sleep” God wants in intervene in your life to awaken your spirit to a new day.
(a) For some it is easy, the alarm goes off and you are up and out of bed before the second chirp of the alarm.
(b) For others, like myself, it takes a little longer – you have to hear the music of the alarm several times before you can find the strength to get out of bed.
(c) For others, like Rosie, you have to the daylights shaken out of you before you begin to open your eyes.
2. What ever your point of need is, wherever you are right now, I pray that you will commit to be here every Sunday for the next four weeks, that you will commit to seeking Spiritual revival.
E. LET US PRAY!
1. Lord, you know which each of us stand this morning. You know the burdens of our hearts. You know better than we know ourselves what our needs are. May you speak to us in the moment, may we be open to your love and guidance. May we find renewal, peace and strength in you. AMEN
II. I PETER 1
A. Introduction and background
1. Peter is writing to Christians who are scattered throughout the world, who are struggling with being Christians in a hostile world. Christians who have discovered that discipleship is a slow process. They have discovered that life isn’t as easy they had thought it would be. They are in need of words of encouragement to motivate them, to keep them going. They are need of hope, a living hope- the hope that is found in, assured by, knowing God.
B. VERSE 1- Elected by God
1. Peter is offering them hope in the knowledge and assurance that God has elected them, elected you!
(a) Not as in the sense of voting at the pols in the runoff on Tuesday but elected in the sense of CHOSEN
2. Peter is saying when you are in a drought of life stop and remember that God has CHOSEN you!!
(a) He has choose you to be separated out, set apart from this world, away from the old life and into a new life in him.
(b) He choose you before you were born, before time even began. God’s grace began without you having to do anything. The benevolent, merciful love of God was offered to you before you were you. Before you could even think of God, God desired, wished for, prepared for you.
(i) Recently Jessica called me. She is a sophomore this year at LaGrange. Now normally the sororities and fraternities “rush” freshman at the first of the year, looking for, seeking new members. There are only a very few upper classmen that are selected. The sororities and fraternities figure you already had a chance to join them so they aren’t going to ask you again. Except there are those few choice upper class individuals that the fraternities and sororities identify that are really worth trying to get. This year Jessica got two invitations. She called me overwhelmed by the sense of being chosen of being wanted.
(ii) Remember that sense of being chosen. When as a child you were playing kickball or baseball and the captains started choosing their teams. And they called out your name first! Remember that sense of pride and joy at being chosen.
(iii) God has chosen you!!! and he has already prepared the way for you to join the team
C. VERSE 2 – Saved by God through Jesus Christ
1. For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son.
2. I know you know that. I know you have heard the story been told God loved you so much that he sent son died for you but sometimes in the midst of pain and suffering of crushing financial debt, unbearable temptations, nightmare experiences of loss, and unbearable suffering and trial we need to reminded that we have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ
3. that we have been adopted by God
4. that we have been made blameless
5. that we have been given eternal life
6. that we have been give eternal glory, honor and peace,
7. that we have been blessed by the lord,
8. that we have been given durable riches and righteous
9. that we have been give a crown of righteousness and life
10. that we have been given an incorruptible inheritance,
11. that unsearchable riches and the treasure of heaven.
12. BECAUSE GOD has saved us, is saving and will save us through the blood that Jesus shed on the cross
D. Verse 3 – Thank goodness!
1. Thanks be to God we can have hope, we can survive, because he is our living hope, it is our inheritance – it is what God is choosing to give -- it will never perish spoil fade or go away
2. No matter what happens here in this world, no matter what if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior you have more than the hope that you might be saved. You have assurance!
3. FOR HE HAS GIVEN US NEW BIRTH
(a) Not he might, not he will if you are good but that he has
(b) He has given you the unmerited, unearned promise of eternal life through new birth in him. ONCE YOU GOT IT YOU GOT IT - it doesn’t matter if you sin again, if you make mistakes, God knows you are less than perfect, He knows you aren’t always going to do things right and still he is promising you eternal life! All those things Have Been And Are Being forgiven, they are covered! As Christians, as those who have chosen to accept God’s grace gift of salvation we have umbrella coverage for sin! You’re covered, your sins are covered.
(c) yes you need to ask God for forgiveness of them for in accepting God’s gift you are choosing his way but if you neglect, forget or choose not to ask forgiveness for a sin God is not going to unmerifully cast you from him
(d) But on the other, you can willfully choose turn your back on God, to leave his will, reject his love. Rejection of him – hear me not the sins of daily living in this world – but the sin of rejection of God is the only sin that God cannot and will not, unmertiously forgive.
(e) Thanks be to good we have hope of God, the hope of Jesus Christ
E. And we are Shielded by God – verse 5
1. I know sometimes it doesn’t feel like, it doesn’t feel like God is protecting us. I mean if he was why do bad things keep happening? I think that is the hardest thing for Christians to understand and appreciate about God
2. God is God. He sees the future.
(a) He knows exactly what will happen, every single event and its consequences
(b) He knows exactly what could happen, every single possibility and its consequences
(c) He knows exactly what man will do, what man could do.
(d) He knows every event of world history before and after the foundation of the world
(e) He knows every event of a person’s life
(f) God is eternal, ever present, knowing
2. But still we are left wondering if God knows all the terrible consequences of evil and death, if he knew the world would kill His son, why did He go ahead and create the world they way he did? Why didn’t he, why doesn’t he choose to do things differently?
(a) In the simplest terms possible,
(i) God wanted a being with free will. God created man because God willed to have the presence of a being who could feely choose to love and worship him, feely choose to obey and fellowship with him, freely choose to serve and reign with him.
(ii) God did not choose another way to create and deal with man because it is the best way. It is the way of love, the way of mercy the way of grace. Love, mercy and grace are the greatest forces on earth. They are the very nature of God himself. They will change and transform you. Help you give, win and conquer the things of this world when nothing else will help.
(b) We may not understand some things that happen nor why they happen the way they do. We may think something else or some other way would have been better. But we must remember in the our seasons of drought
(i) That we cannot see into the future. We cannot know what would have happened if another way had been chosen. We cannot know what would have happened to us, to others, to the world if the events had not gone they way they did.
(ii) In every situation, in every event there are many things that could have taken place – good or bad. When you are those situations, think for a moment
(a) What would have taken place if something different had happened?
(b) What would have taken place if another way had been chosen?
(c) What and how much would be changed for the worse eventually, if things had not happened they way they did?
(iii) We don’t know, can’t know
(c) But God does know. He knows all, sees all and in all. He has the one supreme overall view of things AND He is in control and in his perfect will, perfect knowledge of the past, present and future he will work all things for the best, for his glory, for his kingdom, for his people.
(d) God sent his son, to earth knowing ahead of time that Jesus would be persecuted, would be killed and he sent him anyway. BECAUSE it was the best way the perfect way to offer us love, mercy and grace in our struggles, losses and pains.
III. Closing
Martin Conners is a Philadelphia Police Officer. He is married and has one son. On September 11th, like most of Americans he witnessed the senseless slaughter of human life with the collapse of the twin towers. His department was put on high alert and tours of duty were extended. With the exception of a scant five minutes to change his uniform that the day, He did get the chance to see my wife or speak to his son to offer words or hugs of comfort.
His squad was deployed to the hotels near the Philadelphia International Airport. In hotels he and his colleagues checked we the faces of travelers-- many of them American—He saw the fear and doubt in their eyes. People would walk up to him and thanked him for being there, for giving them hope and a sense of security. People would ask him about his feelings and fears. He would respond that it was horrible, seeing no need to raise their already heightened anxiety by sharing his fears. He witnessed the pulse of the true America still beating despite the efforts of the terrorist to defeat us. He witnessed strangers offering to pay for dinner, a room, or share a taxi.
When he returned home, he kissed and hugged his wife. He went upstairs to kiss my son who should have been already asleep. His six-year-old was still awake feigning sleep while awaiting his dad’s return.
His son, Timothy, sat up in his bed, and asked his father, "Did you and your partners catch the bad guys that hurt those people with the bomb and airplanes?" "No," He said as he choked back a sob. "We didn’t. Not today." Timothy leaned closer to Him resting his head upon his father’s chest. And for the first time in his son’s life, his father the man who had been his strength and witness was crying. Timothy gently cradled his father’s face in his hands and wiped away his tears. "Don’t cry daddy. It’s going to be alright. All those police and firefighters that died when the buildings fell on them, they’re not really gone, they just going to be replaced by their sons." (From Sermon Central)
This morning if you are experiencing a drought in your life, pain, suffering, loss, emptiness,-- then hear the words of Peter. It’s going to be alright for all the pain and suffering of your life will be replaced with glory of son, God’s son, Jesus Christ. May he lift us out of the ashes into the living hope.
