Welcome to Day 2354 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Day 2354 – OUR LIVING HOPE – SMILING THROUGH SUFFERING 1 PETER 1:1-12 – Daily Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 04/07/2024 Our Living Hope – Smiling Through Suffering 1 Peter 1:1-12 Last week was Ressurection Sunday, and we considered the evidence of Thomas the Scientist. After his experiment on Jesus, John 20:28-29 says, “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” Today, we begin an extended, systematic study of the letters of 1^st and 2^nd Peter. Our message today is “Smiling Through Suffering.” But before that, to set the stage for our extended study, I would like to step back to Resurrection Sunday and into the empty tomb with only Peter and John and provide a dramatic reenactment of their time together that faithful morning. Bursting into the darkness ahead of his younger companion, who had reached the tomb a few moments earlier, Peter's eyes needed to adjust to the darkness. It only took a glance for him to confirm Mary's report: Jesus' body was gone. But the situation was not as simple as a missing corpse. Instead of the dead body that had been placed in the tomb, Peter found the stained linen wrappings still lying on the slab and the facecloth rolled neatly and set aside. John's voice suddenly broke the silence, echoing off the stone walls. “He's ... he's risen!” “Shh!” Peter whispered, still thinking things through. He had made enough rash decisions to last a lifetime. He was not about to make another one. Somebody could have stolen the body. But who? None of the disciples; he knew that for sure. They had been hiding in a locked room since the crucifixion, fearing that they, too, would be arrested and executed like their Master. And it could not have been the Jewish authorities or the Romans. Of all people, they needed Jesus dead and buried. But who else would have snatched the body? And where would they have taken it? “He's risen!” John insisted. Peter motioned for him to be silent, then stroked his beard with a trembling hand. Even if somebody had taken the body, they had left the burial clothes! And they had even taken the time to fold the face cloth neatly. How preposterous! You don't just go trudging around Jerusalem with a naked, cold corpse. That wasn't kosher by any standard. Peter closed his eyes as Jesus' words passed through his mind. It was as if the Lord Himself privately whispered them to him again: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. ³² But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32). Tears welled up and overflowed as he opened his eyes and surveyed the empty tomb. John pressed forward, scanning the burial clothes and turning back to Peter with an expression somewhere between delight and terror: “Simon, listen to me ... He—has—risen. He—is—alive!" Nodding his head, Peter leaned against the tomb wall and said, “You're right, John. He has risen indeed!” At that moment, Peter felt as if a massive tombstone had rolled away from his heart and stale burial wrappings had been removed from his mind. - He knew that everything would soon change—everything. Almost thirty years later, Peter would pen these words of praise: All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Pet. 1:3). Peter points to this living hope in the first major section of his letter. First, he informs his readers about their hope (1:1-2:12). Then he broadens his scope, letting believers of every generation know that grace and peace can be ours as we claim our hope amid suffering (1:3-12), as we walk in holiness in a corrupt world (1:13-25), and as we grow together in Christ as His special people (2:1-10). Highlighting the grace that strengthens us to go on in spite of our circumstances, Peter shines the light on the resurrected Christ| not on us or the world| as the one reliable source of hope in hurtful times. And just as the light of day displaced the darkness in that empty tomb nearly two thousand years ago, the light of hope can fill all our hearts with joy, driving out the shadows of despair. Let’s begin our study in 1 Peter 1:1-12 on pages 1886-1887 in your Pew Bibles. ¹ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, ² who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. ³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. ¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, ¹¹ trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. All people, in all places and at all times, have one thing in common— we know what it means to hurt. Whether Jews or Christians, Muslims or Hindus, atheists or idolaters—our tears are all the same. Cultures ebb and flow, nations rise and fall, and people groups come and go; but suffering transcends all cultures, invades every nation, and translates its message of pain to everyone who has ever lived. Pain, being such a pervasive problem, requires a potent prescription. Peter’s first letter dispenses the remedy by telling us how we can endure suffering, not with disciplined determination and clenched teeth but with a settled sense of peace—yes, even joy. For most, that sounds preposterous. But Peter deserves a fair hearing. The people to whom Peter wrote were displaced believers, scarred by the flames of persecution. Their circumstances were bleak. They had every earthly reason to give up hope. Some were defecting. But Peter didn’t try to pump them full of positive thinking or offer a pile of empty platitudes. Instead, he came alongside them in their suffering, gently turning their attention heavenward, allowing them to see beyond their circumstances and find new hope in their celestial calling. And Peter's words can do the same for us. -1:1-2 — I love modern inventions and technology, and I am more than a bit of a geek regarding technology, especially its efficiency and convenience. But I also like old things—our ancestral home, pictures of Devola when it was still farms, quaint wise sayings from Ben Franklin, old tools, and antique furniture. One old thing I appreciate is the style of writing letters, where the person who wrote them puts their name at the beginning. Like some of my great-grandmother's diaries. Isn't that convenient? In ancient times, people signed their letters at the beginning, so the recipient knew immediately who put the ink on the papyrus. Let’s step back again 2000 years and imagine you are a displaced Christian living amid tremendous pressure from every direction. In your best moments, you grit your teeth and complain about the Lord's delayed return. At your worst, you consider going back to the familiar rituals of the synagogue or even returning to those idol-filled temples. Somebody hands you a letter rolled up and bound at one of your disillusioned moments. You break the seal, slowly unroll the scroll, and read immediately: This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. Like a cool breeze cutting through the sultry summer heat, those opening words blow through your weariness and ignite fresh hope. That great apostle has written a letter —to you. Suddenly, that light roll of papyrus feels heavy in your hands, and you can't wait to gather with your fellow believers and pore over it. Hope has just arrived! Peter wrote to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners. They were foreigners away from their homeland; their treasured destination was to be with Christ—in paradise when they died, | but ultimately beyond that, in His kingdom whenever He returned to establish His Global Eden. But now? Now, they were “scattered" (diaspora), displaced worldwide. Diaspora is the term James used to refer to displaced Jewish believers (Jas. 1:1). Peter uses the term in a broader sense, referring to all Christians —Jews and Gentiles—driven by hardship into the wilderness of a harsh and hostile world, persecuted and alienated. Whether they lived in their own homes or not, these readers had “scattered" lives, fractured spirits, and broken hearts. Their pain was bone-deep. When facing persecution, our instincts tell us to flee or fight back. Persevering through suffering and responding with grace is extremely difficult. If you've ever had someone mistreat you, you know the great temptation to defend yourself, to lash back, to get even. Peter wrote to help his readers get beyond all that, gain composure, and find hope despite all the unfair treatment. Peter begins to encourage his readers by reviewing their position before God. Verse 2 tells us God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. This reminder of God's grace toward them was to bring them peace “in abundance,” regardless of the chaos they endured in daily life. -1:3-9 — In 1:3-9, Peter writes about how we can do more than cope with suffering. We can, in fact, defiantly rejoice in its midst! Verses 3-8 are a majestic hymn called a “doxology" (“glorifying words"). Peter praises God for providing at least six reasons we can rejoice through suffering. These verses are the meat on the bones of “grace and peace" mentioned in 1:2. And if 1:2 asserted our unconditional position before our triune God as His chosen ones, 1:3-9 describes the incomparable possessions we have in that abiding relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Bulletin Insert? A living hope (1:3). The first reason we can rejoice is because we have a “living hope.” Believers in Jesus Christ have been “born again” to a living hope because of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. When we realize that the ultimate destination on this long, arduous journey is an eternity in heaven, the potholes and breakdowns in life are worth bearing. To the unsaved, hope is nothing more than wishing upon a star.

• “I hope I win the lottery."
• “I hope my boy shapes up someday."
• “I hope things work out for me in my job."
• “I hope I make it to the next paycheck."

But this kind of wishful thinking isn't the same as a living hope. Christian hope is grounded on the reality of Christ and His resurrection. Because He rose from the grave, we, too, will be raised like Him in glorified bodies to dwell in a new heaven and new earth for eternity (1 Thes. 4:16-18; Rev. 21:5). A permanent inheritance (1:4). The second reason we can rejoice in suffering is that we have a permanent inheritance. Have you ever been traveling and showed up at 9:30 at night exhausted from a long day of travel, you give the guy your name and credit card, and wait while he does some voodoo on his computer, then stares through you like you're a ghost? If your name isn't on their little screen, you don't exist! You then give him your confirmation number, but it does no good. Ultimately, you wind up in a seedy motel two miles down with nothing but a halfhearted apology because, somehow, your reservation vanished. Peter offers excellent news: This will never happen to our reservation in glory! Our heavenly reservations are purchased by the blood of Christ and confirmed by His glorious resurrection. Some celestial receptionist won't look at you and say, “Now, what was your name again?" or “Could I see your credit card just once more?” No—after your long, painful journey in this life, the living God will welcome you home without an inch of red tape. We can rejoice in times of suffering because our inheritance is sure. A divine protection (1:5). The third reason to rejoice in suffering is that “God is protecting you by his power." No matter how acute the persecution, you and I will never be lost in the process. God's hand of comfort and strength will remain with us. God is in control, no matter the calamity, no matter the cause of death, the depth of pain, the horror of catastrophe. And He is all-powerful, all-good, and all-knowing. That means we can trust Him regardless of our circumstances. Death may destroy our outward bodies, but God has promised to protect our souls—and to raise our bodies immortal and glorious “in the last time." No one can tell us why we go through such hard times. Nobody can explain it to our complete satisfaction. But because we know the kind of God we have, we can accept the mystery of suffering and know that God will protect us with His power throughout eternity. A developing faith (1:6-7). The fourth reason to rejoice amid various trials is that these bring about a growing, strengthening faith. Peter acknowledges that they “have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials." He doesn't try to downplay or dismiss the reality of suffering, but he offers a reason to “greatly rejoice" in spite of—not because of—the testing (1:6). Pain and suffering are not in themselves good. They are the result of a fallen world. We can be confident that those things will not be present When God cures this world from its curse. In spite of the evils of persecution, pain, and hardship, God providentially brings about good results. Verses 6-7 offer four truths about trials.

• They are necessary to humble us and turn our attention from self to God.
• They are distressing, painful, difficult, not good, delightful, or easy.
• They are varied and diverse; they come in different forms, at different times, and for different durations.
• They are revealing, proving the genuineness of our faith, just as gold, when refined in fire, is purified and demonstrated to be authentic.

All these things merge to develop faith as believers endure trials throughout life. Although we don’t rejoice over the trial itself, we can rejoice over the result brought about by our God. An unseen Savior (1:8). Christians can rejoice through times of suffering because we have confidence in the unseen power of Christ. Behind Peter’s words may be an event that happened several years earlier when Jesus revealed Himself alive to Thomas, who had doubted the Resurrection. When Thomas finally declared his belief in Jesus as Lord and God, Jesus responded, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” (John 20:29). This is the category in which Peter’s readers found themselves—they were incredibly blessed because although they had not literally seen the Savior, they still believed in Him and loved Him as if He were present. We “see" Christ most clearly in times of trial. When suffering comes, it dispels much of the fog that clouds our vision. Often, all that remains is the Savior and our trust in Him. A guaranteed deliverance (1:9). Have you ever traveled by plane and your luggage doesn’t arrive when you do?  That is frustrating. But Christ can guarantee delivery. The final reason we can rejoice in suffering is because the salvation of our souls is guaranteed. God has the power to save us physically through trials, but even when our bodies eventually succumb to death, our souls are faithfully delivered as promised. Can we really rejoice while suffering? Peter answers this with a resounding “Yes!” But our rejoicing is not because suffering is great or because we’re out of touch with reality, but because we have a living hope, a permanent inheritance, a divine protection, a developing faith, an unseen Savior, and a guaranteed deliverance. Training ourselves to remember these truths helps to soften life's sharp edges. — 1:10-12 — What a marvelous salvation! It guarantees an inheritance for