Out of the Ashes

Message Transcription

Amen. Good morning, Church. And add my welcome and greeting as Chad did a moment ago. Happy Easter. Thank you, Chad. You're not supposed to make the preacher cry. But I needed that word this morning. Church. I don't know about you, but I needed that word. In fact, I'm going to skip through the first part of my sermon. Hooray! It's an Easter miracle. And jump straight into the passage that I want us to jump in because I don't want to lose momentum. I think that that Chad set the table for us this morning. Right. If you have your Bible turn over to first, Peter, we're going to be in first Peter, the beginning of chapter one. Let me pray for us. God, I pray that you would do a work in us this morning. That you've already been doing. God, would you carry it to completion? Would you help us take the next step and really trusting you? In believing in this resurrection promise, this promise that we hold so dear, a promise that the entire New Testament, that Jesus staked his life, his death, his resurrection on. God, may it carry us forward into another year. Or even in the midst of encountering all that is broken and and not right with the world. We hold on to this hope that that the kingdom its breaking through. Sometimes in really small ways every time a friend chooses to forgive. Not to hold a grudge. God, your kingdom breaks through.

Every time a student chooses to do the hard work, to study, to to do their best and not cheat, the kingdom breaks through. Every time there's an opportunity to power up on someone at work and they choose instead to humble themselves and. But others before them. God, the kingdom is breaking through. Even in the midst of overwhelming. The heartbreaking challenges. God, your kingdom, it's breaking through that there is more to the eye than what can be seen simply in our physical world. Oh, God. May that Easter promise echo in our hearts today? And so, God, whatever it is that we bring with us this morning, we want to offer it to you now that you would help us to make sense of it, that you would help us to to see it through the eyes of the cross. Anything that might distract us, anything that might keep us from hearing from you. God, would you help us to set it aside? Instead, bring our very heart and soul to you now. Thank you for that reminder. Thank you for the Easter promise that we cling to today. Oh, God. Would you help us be real, more real to us than we've ever known? And now, Father, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of each and every heart. God may be before you honor you. Give you glory. Oh, God, we love you. In Jesus name. Amen.

Amen.

I want to hold on to this this promise, this resurrection promise that we see. In fact, Paul would say to the church in Corinth, if the resurrection didn't happen, then we are to be pitied more than anyone else in human history, more than any other people on the earth, because we've staked our life on a lie. But if it's true, and he says it is true. Church It is true, my friends, if it's true, it changes everything. It changes how we see everything. It changes how we interact and respond to everything. Now hear Paul's words. And I love Paul's words. And sometimes in my own mind, I grew up in the church. I was born in the church. I've spent my whole life as a part of the church. Paul did a lot of his crazy craziness kind of outside before he became a follower of Jesus. And then moving forward, he's written some incredible things. Sometimes I have a hard time relating to him. Because all my goofy craziness that's happened while I've been a part of the church. And I've said I believe. And then I go and act as if I don't believe. Right. Craig Rochelle wrote a book called The Christian Atheist. Right. Where I believe in God, but I live as if he doesn't exist sometimes. That's been the story of my life. So I'm often drawn to this character who was an early disciple of Jesus, one of his first followers, who was to me, the epitome of sometimes living as a Christian atheist, right? His name is Peter, and Peter was full speed all the time, and sometimes it was in the wrong direction.

In fact, a lot of times it was. But there were these amazing, this amazing resurrection. Hope took hold of his life and it changed him. It didn't stop him from doing 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction. Sometimes you may remember the story when in acts when when he's visiting a church that Paul has planted and he's he's noticing there are Jews and Gentiles eating together and they're having a meal and they say, Peter, jump in. Come on, join us. And he says, Awesome, let's do it right. And then the uncircumcised group shows up. And all of a sudden, Peter Boop, boop, boop, boop. He kind of backs out. Sorry. I'm not sure what they're doing. And Paul goes, What is wrong with you, Peter? I sense that. I feel that in my bones in a deep way. So maybe that's why his words to a church that is struggling, right? He's writing to the church that's in modern day Turkey and they're trying to make sense of all that's going on. They live in a culture that doesn't believe what they believe. They're trying to sort out how do I live? How do I respond to relationships? This gospel has cost me everything. It's cost my relationship with family. It's cost opportunities at work to grow and succeed.

It's cost me all kinds. How do I live in light of this kingdom? And Peter is going to write to them about it and say, I understand what you mean. That this church is suffering and struggling in unbelievable ways. And Peter is not unfamiliar with suffering. We're going to hear that. But here are his words as he challenges this young church. He begins with this greeting, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the exiles of the dispersion in Pontus Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia who have been chosen and destined by God, the Father, and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with His blood. May grace and peace be yours in abundance. Peter was always struggling with identity. This question of who am I? Who can I really be? Whether that's out on the water with Jesus. When Jesus says, Come to me and Peter says, You got it. And as he walks out, he starts to sink. Or maybe you remember that time when he's visiting that church plant that I was telling you about a minute ago? Or maybe you remember that other time when he's outside the fire, outside of Jesus own trial and they say, Hey, you're one of his followers, weren't you? You're you were close to him. And Peter's like, I don't even know who you're talking about. Now. Peter struggled sometimes to who am I? What am I really about? Peter wrestled.

He struggled with identity. Sometimes it's easy to get and to forget who we are. And it's important to be reminded regularly. So you notice how he begins this greeting to the church. He doesn't start with their social economic status. He doesn't start with their ethnicity or their race. He doesn't. He doesn't point to a lot of things in the ancient world they might have started with. Instead, he begins with these different words You are exiles. You're chosen, you're destined. You're sanctified. And recently we received in the mail our registration renewal for our vehicle. And if you've ever done that online, you notice if you go in and try to fill the form out and you haven't had your car inspected, they say you can't do it until your car is inspected. You think, well, why do I need to have my car inspected? Well, something might be wrong with your vehicle. Can I get an amen? Mitch Morgan. Something may be happening that you need to find out what's going on, fix the problem so that it can continue traveling down the road in the appropriate way. You see, sometimes it's hard for us to notice the places in our life where there's brokenness. With their hurts or habits or hang ups that are that are messing us up. So we need a chance to to stop and think and take a look, get inspection done. That's been the season of Lent for us where we've tried to spend each week stopping to lament and repent and anticipate to open our hearts up to God's work in our life and say, God, is there any offensive way in me that needs to be changed? And would you help make that change? Peter struggled with thinking about and wondering through his identity.

We want to make sure our life. We understand it because it's going to impact how we live, which is Peter's very next words. He says, 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, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. Not only did Peter sometimes struggle with his identity, he often struggled with his purpose, his why, what he was about. You may remember that story that Jesus is in the middle of teaching some pretty profound things, and these parents have the audacity to bring their children to church with them. What is wrong with you? Right now, Peter's like, Huh? Or maybe you remember that other time when Jesus ministry is starting to catch a little momentum, right? He's finally starting to get some disciples to follow him. We get some energy flowing, and then Jesus says, Oh, and by the way, guys, I'm going to be killed. Peter's like, Come on, man. What are you talking about? Death for? That's not what we need to be talking about.

Peter struggled to remember what is our purpose? Remember that time in the garden? And when Jesus plan is actually unfolding. And the soldiers come to arrest him. And Peter can't take he can't just stand by and do nothing. So he pulls out his sword and he cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant. Peter can't just stand idly by and watch why he keeps forgetting his purpose. Peter says Church, Don't forget your purpose. You are chosen that God has destined you for something. An incredible part in his plan that's unfolding. He says you're exiles. But it's not just because you're from some other country, and many of them may have been. He says you're from another world. And you just happen to be residing in the current country that you're in. But the friends you're from another world. There's another kingdom that's breaking through that you get to be a part of God's purpose in choosing you and calling you and gifting you is to serve as a signpost to the rest of the world. That there is this other kingdom that friends, there is more than what can be seen just by the human eye. There is so much more happening in the world. Peter calls it this new birth into a living hope because of the resurrection of Jesus that now all of a sudden we are cross eyed. Now the world hears that and thinks, Well, you need to go to the optometrist.

We go, No, no, no, no, no. We are seeing everything through the light of the cross. He says This inheritance, verse four, is kept in heaven for you, 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. Peter says, Remember, church, what's happening around you right now is not all that there is. There is so much more faith than he says. Is the shield the shield of faith that by God's power we are protected. Paul called the faith of shield faith a shield when you can one that can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. You see what God did for Jesus on that very first Easter? Peter says Church. He's going to do that for you now, but not just for you, for for everyone. That first Easter Easter resurrection he's recreating. And reopening a new world. At the present moment. He says that that world that's being kept safe for you, that there's this thin veil that exists that we can't always see with our human eyes, he says. It's located just behind that veil, and one day that veil will be removed and all will be made clear. All things will be set right and we'll be able to see things as they truly are. The God's keeping it safe for us, that inheritance. But he's also keeping us safe for it. That nothing can separate us from that inheritance, which is important to those of us who are facing some hard things.

Right to a church like the one that he's writing to in Turkey of those days and in our own lives today is, as Chad so beautifully reminded us, we're facing all kinds of challenges to that belief and to that hope. How will we how will we respond? Now, Peter wasn't unfamiliar with suffering. And we're told about his mother in law who's on death's door until Jesus shows up. That's fact. Tradition tells us it's not long after this letter is sent out that that Peter will be himself crucified because of his faith and belief in Christ. Is not unfamiliar with the suffering in the world, and that doesn't keep him from speaking the truth that we need to hear about the birth pains of this new reality that's coming into the world. He says in verse six In all this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had no had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 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. 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. For you are receiving the end result of your faith.

The salvation of your souls. It's faith is the anchor that keeps us connected to this living hope. That, though now we experience suffering. It won't always be this way. The suffering we experience, he says. It serves to refine us and to refine our faith to make it more pure. But he says in it, we can experience God's presence that can lead us to something we might not have ever imagined we could experience going through a suffering a hard thing. And he says, that's this joy. This joy that Jesus promised. In fact, he prayed over his disciples that they would receive it, that they would have his joy, and that his joy might be made complete in them. Peter says the pathway to experiencing and accounting that true joy is the pathway of struggle and suffering. Jesus brother would say it this way consider it pure joy. My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Paul would write, We also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Whom he has given to us. Peter says in the midst of suffering. Church, You're refined. Your faith is refined and shaped and strengthened. God's love and his light shine out in a way that unlike any other way.

All the more so that Jesus is finally revealed who Jesus really is. This reality of another kingdom becomes this explosion of praise. In Acts Chapter five The Apostles are arrested because they have been preaching and teaching about Jesus, and the religious leaders of the day want them to stop. This was their response. They're flogged, thrown into prison, and then at some point released. And Luke tells us the apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing. Because they've been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name of Jesus. Paul once again will point to this reality, this time to the church in Colossae. He says, Now I rejoice in what I'm suffering for you and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions. For the sake of his body, which is the church. Or again to the church in Rome. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For in this hope, we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have. We wait for it patiently. I don't know about you, but it's often in the lives of the men and women that I know. Who are who are experiencing or have experienced some of the most painful suffering that I've seen God's light shine most brightly.

Most brilliantly.

I can't help but think that Peter would say the same thing. Keep holding on church. Keep pursuing. Don't give up. Don't quit. Now, remember, there's more than what the eyes can see. Keep serving as a signpost that there is another world. That there is another kingdom that's breaking through all the time. Verse ten of verse. Peter one. He says, concerning this salvation. The prophets who spoke of the grace that was to come searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and the 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. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves. But you. When they spoke of the things that they have now that have now been told to 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. Peach said Church. The prophets of old have been longing to know of this resurrection promise they were longing to find. At what point, at what time would that promise come true? One of those prophets. Wrote the Book of Lamentations. Words Brian read for us just a moment ago.

Now scholars are divided over who exactly wrote that. Was it Jeremiah but or was it someone else? We're not exactly sure. I tend to think it was Jeremiah. It's written pretty close after the temple is destroyed and Babylon carries all of Israel into captivity and all the hopes and the promises that they had of of being God's people, of having our land, of having our temple. Everything had been destroyed. And in the midst of that is just recounting all of the broken hearts that he sees around him, all the ways that life is not the way it's supposed to be. All the ways that when he opens up his favorite new salad, he just gets inundated with the brokenness. Some of it by their own cause, some of it just by being carried off by some pretty rough characters. That's in the midst of this painfully difficult season. And his eyes are pointed once again to God's faithfulness. And so he says these words. In fact, we sang them all together just before Brian read them. But this I call to mind. And therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning.

Great is your faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, says my soul. Therefore.

I will hope in him.

So one of the great one of the great things about the Easter promise that we celebrate not just today, but every day, but especially today. Is that the tomb is empty, that Jesus has been raised. But that's not just a promise. We get to celebrate and think, well, one day when we're when we're long gone from here in eternity. Instead, it's a promise we get to celebrate here and now. Say, God, no matter where we are, no matter where you are on your spiritual journey, you can take the next step into that new kingdom. You can hold on to that Easter promise together. And sometimes, friends, we need to hold on to that promise together because sometimes my hands get weak.

And when I'm.

Especially impacted by loss and grief that I wasn't expecting. Right. And I need help holding on. Maybe some of you know that and that's why we hold on to it together. At his Easter promise isn't just for me personally, it's for us. It's for the West Texas translation. Right, y'all? That's a y'all's promise that we get to hold on to together. That even in the midst of all of our struggles, we can gather in this place and say the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. And I know that because I sit next to someone who loves me. Who in Jesus name serves me and encourages me and comes alongside me and helps me when I can't help myself. His mercies never come to an end. I see that. And I counter that through a friend or a loving neighbor or a trusted fellow church member who who shows me mercy when I make a mistake. And they remind me.

Hey, that's not you.

That's not who God wants you to be. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. That's a promise I've been holding on to, and I'm so thankful I get to hold on to it together with you. Friends, My prayer for you this Easter is that you will encounter this resurrection promise once again and that it might change how you live. That you might be a little cross-eyed this week as you encounter an opportunity at work or at school when you're tempted to power up and to take advantage to to stop and say, I don't have to live that way because the tomb is empty, that my worth and my my self esteem is not based on what I do. Remember, Jesus, the most important thing God gets out of our life is the person we become. God, would you help me to be in this moment, facing this trial, this circumstance, with the same grace and steadfast mercy and love that you renew every morning? It may be a relationship that seems so far gone that we're just not even sure where to begin. Could you begin at the cross? Say God. Is there a way? Is there a way forward? Would you help me hold on to this hope that this point in our relationship is not the end point? Well, God, would you help me to see through the lens of the cross that nothing is beyond your power? Nothing is beyond your capability. May this Easter promise be one that helps bring us out of the ashes and into new life. Let's pray. God, thank you for the Easter promise that we celebrate today. We thank you for that empty tomb that reminds us death is not the end of the story.

Now. God, we can't.

See with the eyes on this side of heaven. The reality that those who've gone before us are now experiencing with you. There's this veil. But God, we're trusting and believing that one day.

One day we pray, God, one day soon it will.

It will be removed.

That we be able to see. Life as it truly is.

The gap between that day and this. Would you give us the courage to live into this Easter promise? May we hear the words that echo from Peter, one of your earliest disciples and followers?

Who loved you and.

Followed you, gave himself to you and continued to stumble and fail and.

Make mistakes. And God, you just.

Your.

Amazing steadfast.

Love and mercy was renewed in his life each.

Day. And allowed him to make those changes one day, one step at a time. God, would you give us the courage to step into that same steadfast love and mercy? Yeah. Thank you. That we get to do.

This journey of life together. And, Father, I pray for those who may be here. And hearing this for the first time or the first time in a long time, God, may you may you just draw them closer to you this week. And, Lord, if there's any way that we could help.

Would you help us to hold on to that promise for each other? Oh, God, you're so good. You love us so.

Much, and we are so thankful for that. Jesus. Thank you that you are alive and that we get to share life together in your name. Father, would you bless us as we pray.

In Jesus name. Amen.