Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?

Good evening. For those of you who do not know me, my name is Luca, and I'm one of the members here at Bransfield Evangelical Church.

As you might know, we're beginning a new series of sermons on the book of 1 Peter tonight.

1 Peter is a letter, it's in the New Testament, and it's a really powerful letter which has so much encouragement for us, I think,

as we strive to live out our Christian lives in a broken world.

Today, as you know, we're going through the first 12 verses in the letter, and I think these first 12 verses in particular,

they really overflow with positive language.

I think perhaps Peter has carefully chosen his words to set the tone in these first verses of the whole book,

because the passages that we will be looking at in the coming Sundays, they do have some very direct challenges for us.

So I think this is probably why Peter opens the letter the way he does, as if he was saying,

this is what I'm reminding you of in these first 12 verses.

This is the reason why you should do what I'm going to tell you later.

As I studied this passage, I was reminded of a painting by a French painter, Paul Gauguin.

He lived in the 1800s.

And it's one of the many paintings that this art teacher of mine made a study back in school in great detail.

I'm really no art expert.

And the reason why this painting came to mind as I read the passage and studied the passage is its title,

which is quite a peculiar one.

It's really long, and it's made up of three questions.

So the title of the painting is, where do we come from?

What are we?

Where are we going?

You might notice a running theme if you were here this morning with existential questions today,

as Graham preached this morning.

But I think, as Graham said, if we're honest, we've probably asked ourselves these questions.

Maybe we still come back to them, perhaps from a different perspective every time I know I do, at least.

And Gauguin's answers to these questions seem to be in this allegoric, quite enigmatic picture.

No one really knows what all the different elements in the picture symbolize, so to speak.

But the most common interpretation is that this is where we come from, the baby on the far right.

And this is what we are, just people going about their lives in the middle, maybe picking fruits.

And that's where we're going, the older lady crouching on the far left.

So why the painting?

Because I think in these verses that we're looking at today, I think they give us the answers to these three huge questions.

But I'm convinced also that we will come to some wildly different conclusions than the painter.

Because unlike the painting, there's really nothing enigmatic in these verses.

In fact, I think the answers we're going to find are quite clear and transparent for us.

Now, before we dive in, because this is our first Sunday in 1 Peter,

I thought we would spend a couple of minutes just looking at the background of the book.

So the apostle Peter writes the letter.

He's one of the 12.

And he's possibly the apostle that we often remember because he denied Jesus in a moment of weakness.

But let's make sure that we don't let this event in his life define the whole of his life.

In fact, I think if any of us today are skeptical about the difference that the gospel can make in a person's life,

then Peter's biography is a really good place to go.

We read in Matthew 26, as we said, how he hits rock bottom and he denies Jesus, who is about to be killed.

But then just a few pages later in the Bible, in Acts chapter 2,

Acts 2 · chapter mention

the same Peter is preaching to thousands of people in public, out loud,

and 3,000 people that day after he preached or as he preached join the church.

That's how powerful the gospel is.

And that's the same gospel that Peter is telling us about in these verses.

As he writes the letter, Peter is in Rome, and he is writing to Christians who belong to different churches,

churches in Asia Minor, which is modern-day Turkey.

And these people are being persecuted.

Nero is the Roman emperor of the time, but his systematic persecution, which we might know of

because it culminates in the great fire of Rome, that hasn't started yet.

It's likely that 1 Peter would have been written just a couple of years before that, around 63 AD.

But going by a few hints in the letter,

it is likely that these Christians are victims of non-systematic persecution.

Because they live in provinces of the Roman Empire, therefore a pagan world,

and therefore they stick out.

They do not conform to the society that they live in.

This society that is becoming more and more hostile towards Christianity,

this new philosophy that is getting more and more disciples.

So people are skeptical, people don't trust Christians,

and therefore Christians end up suffering at the hand of those in power.

Now I wonder, does any of this sound familiar to us?

People around us, skeptical of Christians and Christianity?

People around us, hostile even?

This feeling of sticking out because of our beliefs,

maybe at work or among family or among friends?

I'm sure it does probably for many of us.

And so I think we can understand at least to a certain extent,

probably what these Christians would have been going through.

And that is great because this is a letter which will show us

what it is like to live as Christians in a difficult world,

just like we do.

So I think it's safe to assume that these Christians that he is writing to,

they are discouraged.

They're probably wondering, what is the point of it all?

Has God forgotten about them?

Does God even care about us?

Well, I think God clearly does because he works through Peter

so that they can receive this incredible letter,

which is a letter of encouragement

and a letter which reminds them of their identity as children of God.

But it's also a challenging letter,

which will exhort them to behave as children of God.

So thinking about us,

I'm hoping that this is going to be for us a letter of encouragement,

which will remind us of our identity as people of God

and which will exhort us to behave as such.

And also before we dive in,

I just wanted to say if any of us today don't think they're children of God,

if any of us today are unsure as to what that possibly even means,

then I'm hoping that we will find the answer in this book together.

So if we go back to the three questions,

the first one we're going to begin with,

and the first one we're going to look at is,

where do we come from?

And I think Peter gives us the answer to these questions

in the opening and closing verses of the passage.

So verses 1 and 2,

and then verses 10, 11, and 12.

Let's read verse 1 together again.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

to God's elect,

exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus,

Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

I'll read it again.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

to God's elect.

This is who Peter says he is writing to.

It's very fast words that he uses,

God's elect.

Do you see what he is doing here?

He's telling these Christians from the very start,

God knows you personally.

He always has.

Imagine the power of a statement like that

for someone who's feeling neglected by God.

Let's think about those moments in our life,

for instance,

when we asked ourselves if our life mattered to God.

With just one word,

Peter takes us right back to where we really belong.

We are God's elect.

In verse 2, he says,

chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.

So where do we come from is the question.

Well, says Peter,

we come from the family of God.

God the Father,

the Spirit,

and Jesus Christ,

see the Trinity,

here in verses 1 and 2,

they work together,

and are still working together,

so that these Christians may be saved,

so that we can be saved.

So if that doesn't make us the opposite of neglected,

then I really don't know what does.

The triune God of the universe has chosen us,

and he has made us his family.

Something that we will see as we go through the letter

is that it is full of Old Testament language.

As he writes to these Christians,

Peter wants them to feel part of the family of God,

despite the fact that they are Gentiles.

They're non-Jewish people.

So it needs to be clear to them

that through Jesus,

as he says in verse 2,

having been sprinkled with Jesus' blood,

they are now part of God's people.

Christians are all part of God's family,

whether they were born Jewish or not.

And this probably sounds quite straightforward to us,

but in the context of the first century,

using words like this for Gentiles,

it takes on a lot of significance.

What they're hearing is,

you are not nobodies.

You are not less important than the Jewish people around you,

because you are God's elect.

And then we have all of these Old Testament references throughout the letter,

but in these verses we're looking at tonight,

and in particular 10, 11, and 12,

then he,

Peter addresses even more directly this link

between the Old Testament,

the people of Israel,

and these Christians.

Sorry, yeah,

these Christians,

these Gentiles,

who lived after Christ.

Because he's telling them that the prophets

that God sent to the people of Israel

hundreds and thousands of years earlier,

these prophets who foretold the coming of Jesus,

just like Isaiah,

just like the passage we read,

they were serving them.

They were not serving themselves.

They were talking about things

that would have happened

in their time.

So you unimportant

non-Jewish Christians in Asia

who are going

about your ordinary lives,

who are being looked on

by the people around you,

God himself,

he sent prophets

who would speak of things

which were going to happen

in your time,

events which even angels

long to look into,

he says in verse 12.

The gospel

is for you.

There is one last little word

in these verses

which has a lot to say

about where we're from

and it's exiles

in verse 1.

These Christians feel like

they do not belong

where they live

and there is a reason

for this.

There is a reason

why they feel like outsiders

and why they are being persecuted

and the reason is

because they actually

really do not belong.

The same way that we don't.

Paul says in Philippians 3,

our citizenship is in heaven.

Jesus says in John 17,

we are in the world

but not of the world.

We might have a British passport

for many of you

or an Italian one for me

but these are just

earthly temporary citizenships

while we are on exile

on this broken planet,

while we wait to go

back to our real home.

So I think it's quite easy

to see how everything

that Peter has said so far

to these Christians

is actually so, so relevant

to us too.

When our faith is causing us

to feel uncomfortable,

it's causing us to feel

out of place.

Well, of course it does.

We need to pause

and remember where we come from.

Yes, we're here.

Yes, we have families

and friends and work

but we are children of God.

We've been saved

by the God of the universe.

His own son died for us

and his spirit

is at work in us now.

And as Peter points out

at the end of the passage,

we're so fortunate

to live on this side of history,

to be able to hold this book

in our hands

and to witness

God's grace

through Jesus' death

for us.

So when we are discouraged

like the original readers

of the letter,

then let's look into this book

and let's be thankful

that God loves us so much

that he sent Jesus

to die for us.

Let's look up

to him

and marvel

at his love

instead of focusing

on our difficulties here.

Thank you.

Question number two

is where are we going?

And we're going to look

at verses three to five

from this.

These three verses

in the NIV

are split into sentences

but in the original

they are one long sentence

and as I read them

I thought

this really is

the gospel

in one long sentence.

So I thought

I imagined

if any of us

were chatting

to some stranger

at the bus stop

and we end up

talking about Christianity

and then the question

comes up

they have no idea

what Christianity is

so they go like

what is the gospel?

And you think

well this is my opportunity

I can tell someone

what the gospel is

and then you turn around

and you see their bus coming

so they need to hop on

on their bus

maybe you have 20 to 30 seconds

how do you answer

a question like that?

You read these three verses.

Let's do it together

but more slowly

so let's break it up a bit

if you follow in your Bibles

starting in verse 3

so God

who is the father of Jesus

in his great mercy

and we'll come back to this

he has given us

new birth

how has he done that?

Through the resurrection

of Jesus Christ

and what is the result

of this new birth?

That we have access

to our inheritance

which is kept in heaven

for us

and what does

this inheritance look like?

This inheritance

can never perish

can never spoil

can never fade

and when are we going

to get it?

We're in verse 5 now

in the last time

at the coming of

the salvation

so when Jesus comes back

there you go

summary of the whole gospel

So where are we going

is the question

this is where we're going

it's the place

where Jesus has already gone

and where we are headed

as children of God

it's our inheritance

we are family

part of the family of God

and that's what happens

with family

you get an inheritance

it's such a

it's a world

with such a strong

sense of belonging

we are going

to heaven

I don't know

if we say it to ourselves

often enough

I know

I don't think about it

as much as I should

we are going

to heaven

heaven is being

kept for us

Jesus did say

didn't he

that he is preparing

a place for us

a place so so different

from where we are now

so so different

that Peter uses

these three amazing words

to describe it

in verse 4

and I realized

as I studied the passage

particularly the first few times

it was just so easy

to read quickly over it

and overlook

these three attributes

so I thought

we should stop

and look at all three

of them tonight

and try and

savour them

I thought of

just small

sort of illustrations

for each of them

heaven is

imperishable

what does that mean?

it means that there's

no expiry date

on it

it's there

to stay

it isn't going

anywhere

heaven is

waiting for us

always

and forever

so we're trying to think

what is like that?

is there anything

in the world

that we can all relate to

that's always been there

and will always be there

and the best I could

come up with

maybe you will come up

with something better

but the best I could

come up with

was the sun

I think no matter

how far back

in history you go

we all take for granted

that the sun

was already there

and if we think

about the future

probably

we will always

assume that the sun

is there

but even

the sun

we do know

is burning away

I think

at the moment

the estimate

has got

a few billion years

to burn

but heaven

will survive

even that

it's really difficult

to even comprehend

and then still

in verse 4

our inheritance

in heaven

is undefiled

there is nothing

anyone can do

to spoil it

to damage it

to ruin it

there's so much

focus at the moment

on our planet

on how

we are destroying it

how

humankind

is spoiling it

and

the damage

that we can make

is so visible

isn't it

well

not in heaven

because no one

can do

the same

to our

inheritance

whatever expects us

is going to be

pristine when we get there

and it will

remain intact

we won't have to worry

about sustainability

in heaven

our inheritance

it cannot spoil

unlike the earth

we're on just now

heaven is exactly

like God

intended it

and then the third

attribute Peter uses

is unfading

heaven

doesn't fade

it will not

lose

radiance

it won't be like

going to a party

everyone's really excited

at the start

you meet your friends

there's a lot to catch up on

maybe you meet new people

where are you from

what do you do

but then by then

the party sort of peaked

and then people start

to get bored

they start leaving

and then the party dies

well not the party

that God has prepared

for us

heaven will not fade

what a complete picture

that Peter has painted

for us

do we see

do we realize

the grandiosity

of what awaits us

this description of heaven

should really lift our eyes

from our everyday lives

and have us marvel

as the beauty

of what awaits us

it's a place

that's been designed

by God himself

it's a place

that is being kept

by God himself

it's a place

that hasn't been spoiled

by sin

so Peter is telling

these Christians

you come from

the family of God

and because

that's your identity

then this

is where you're going

so do not let

what is happening

here and now

discourage you

distract you

just drag you down

and forget

where you belong

you are on exile here

your citizenship

is not

on this earth

but look up instead

that's where you belong

and that

is where you're going

again here

I think there's

one little word

that we need to

pay attention to

and it's mercy

in verse 3

great mercy

Peter says

because the description

of such an astonishing

inheritance

it can be overwhelming

it can make us wonder

what on earth

can I possibly do

to deserve it

well the answer

is nothing

we can accept it

in fact we have

if we want to

enter this inheritance

at all

but we can't

possibly deserve

what God has prepared

for us

we are not going

where we're going

because we've been

ticking off a few boxes

on a to-do list

we are going

because God

infinitely loves us

simple as that

verse 3 reads

he has given us

new birth

into a living hope

how has he done it

is it maybe

through our actions

no it's not

it's through

Christ's death

and resurrection

nothing

we can do

will ever change

the extent

of God's mercy

the last question

that we need

to answer then

if we put it

in Goggins words

is

what are we

we're going to look

at verses 6 to 9

here

so we've seen

where we come from

as children of God

we've seen

what inheritance

expects us

where we are going

but

what about

the here and now

what happens

in the meantime

what about

all of those moments

when we wonder

why am I having

to suffer

for my

suffer

for my faith

does the Bible

have any answer

any answers

for us

in this passage

let's

look at verse 6

together

though now

for a little while

you may have had

to suffer grief

in all

kind of trials

Peter tells us

that we

suffer grief

and maybe

we're thinking

thank you Peter

I noticed

and

why would we

be

suffering grief

why would

we be

enduring trials

if not

because we're

broken people

because there's

something

inherently

broken

with us

and I think

we all

simply

know that

we're broken

don't we

I mean

we have to

live with

ourselves

every moment

of our lives

and I'm

pretty

confident

we can

probably

think of

even a few

examples

from just

the past

couple of

hours

which

point

to

our

brokenness

and this

is quite

simply

what we

are

we are

broken

people

and we

live

in a

broken

world

and as

Christians

these

subjects

us

to

all

kinds

of

trials

don't

we

know it

all too

well

in a

world

which

was

so hostile

to

Christianity

in Peter's

times

and still

is in

our

times

we can

think of

outright

persecution

in countries

like China

for instance

but also

closer to

home

there's

less violent

or direct

forms of

persecution

in our

western

countries

in the

form of

stigma

against

Christianity

maybe

or the

controversial

topic of

freedom of

speech

when it

comes to

certain

issues

I

know of

some of

you who

regularly

face these

problems

in the

workplace

but there

are two

things

that Peter

points out

for us

about these

trials

there's

good news

for us

the number

one is

for a little

while

in verse

six

our trials

on this

earth

are

temporary

they're

only for

a time

and we

must not

make the

mistake

of thinking

that Peter

is trivializing

what Christians

go through

of all people

he would be

the last

person to

do that

what Peter

does with

these verses

instead is

he is

helping us

lift our

eyes

let's think

back to

one of

those

three

attributes

of our

inheritance

in heaven

we said

imperishable

now compare

that

this heaven

that will

survive

the sun

to

what we

go through

on earth

don't

our human

mortal

lives

pale in

comparison

and so

should

our

trials

if we

look at

things

from the

perspective

of

eternity

eternity

with God

and then

the second

piece

of good

news

is that

these

trials

are

necessary

he says

in verse

six

you may

have had

to suffer

and then

in verse

seven

he says

these

the trials

have come

so that

and then

he gives

us an

explanation

which we're

going to

look at

in a

minute

but just

to say

these

words

the way

he

words

things

that means

that they

are

necessary

what

these

Christians

are

enduring

what we

have to

endure

is no

accident

yes you

have

trials

yes it

is horrible

yes it

is frustrating

yes it

is difficult

but they're

not let's

not make

the mistake

of thinking

that these

trials are

the inevitable

consequence

of this

world that's

been forgotten

by this

God who's

looking the

other way

God is

in control

they are

part of

God's

plan and

as such

they are

necessary

because and

he gives

us the

reason these

trials serve

a purpose

just like

Jesus'

death on

the cross

did he

didn't die

in vain

did he

so where

is this

purpose

verse 7

to test

our faith

to prove

the genuineness

of our

faith and

by doing

so ultimately

to strengthen

it these

trials strengthen

our faith in

a way that

results in

praise glory

and honor when

Jesus will be

revealed that's

in verse 7

and then to

top it all

off it's not

in today's

passage but

Peter will

say in

chapter 4

verse 14

if you're

insulted

because of

the name

of Christ

you are

blessed

for the

spirit of

glory and

of God

rests on

you

so these

trials

what we

undergo for

being children

of God

they are

a blessing

because they

strengthen our

faith

so when we're

at work

tomorrow

and we're

faced with

what we can

call persecution

let's

remember

that this

is part

of God's

plan

and not

because God

acts like

this mean

fitness instructor

who pushes us

to our limits

for the sake

of it

but because he

knows the

fruit that

these trials

will bring

to our

faith

and to

his kingdom

so we're

broken people

who endure

temporary

and necessary

trials due

to our

Christian

faith

but it

doesn't

stop there

because what

is the

flip side

of all

of this

it's that

we have

hope

because we

are believers

because our

hope is not

in whatever

is happening

to us

here on

this earth

our hope

is in that

inheritance

to come

and this

hope

Peter says

in verses

6 and

8

it produces

in us

great joy

inexpressible

and glorious

joy

we have

faith

in the

triune

God

of the

first

three

verses

we have

faith

in a

God

who is

our

father

in his

plan of

salvation

through

Jesus

and in

the

God

whose

spirit

is

working

in

us

this is

all back

in verses

1 and

2

and so

Peter

tells us

what this

faith looks

like

in verse

8

these

Christians

have never

seen

Jesus

and yet

they love

him

that's

faith

and the

end result

of it

of this

faith

in verse

9

is

the

salvation

of their

souls

nothing less

so

what are we

we are

broken people

in a broken

world

who have to

endure trials

because of

our faith

and therefore

lead

miserable

lives

no

because

this same

faith

which caused

the trials

in the

first place

it makes

us

overflow

with joy

at the

thought

of the

salvation

that it

produced

in us

so as we

wrap up

I have a

couple of

applications

for us all

to think

about

of the

back

of all

of this

the first

one

for any

of us

who are

struggling

with the

idea

of faith

in the

gospel

if we're

thinking

yeah okay

I'll believe

it when

I see

it

these

Christians

that Peter

is writing

to they

are proof

that faith

is enough

though you

have not

seen him

you love

him

Peter is

telling us

that this

book

the bible

is all

we need

it is

enough

evidence

maybe we're

doubting and

we're thinking

if only I

had a sign

but again

here is our

sign

Jesus

died for

us

and that's

all we

need

and then

for those

of us

who do

believe

then my

challenge

for us

is

where is

our joy

if I'm

honest with

myself

as someone

looks at

me from

the outside

do they

see a

joy in

Peter's

words so

great in

my salvation

and the

inheritance

which awaits

me that I

can't even

express it

as we

go about

our life

are the

truths of

the gospel

what we

focus on

what is it

the challenges

that our

Christian life

produce and

how sorry we

feel for

ourselves is

that what we're

focusing on

instead are

we using the

bible as a

compass to

lift our

eyes towards

the God

who chose

us these

amazing loving

God that

we're going to

go back to

for the rest

of eternity

and if the

answer to

these questions

is no

then can I

invite you to

grab someone

maybe at the

end of this

service and

just pray

together

let's pray

together and

ask God to

direct our

attention to

the greatness

of salvation

and the

greatness of

what is to

come

let's ask

him to

give us

perspective

let's go

back to

the

painting

as we

conclude

so I

ask myself

in the light

of everything

that Peter

tells us

what is the

problem with

this painting

and I think

it's that it

begins and

end on

earth

it doesn't

show us

where we

come from

the foreknowledge

of God the

father and it

certainly doesn't

show us where

we are going

eternity in

the presence

of God

perhaps it

partly shows

us where

we are

this broken

confusing

world but

it doesn't

show us the

joy that

we have in

the hope of

what is to

come as

Christians

how much

bigger and

just fuller

and more

beautiful is

the picture

that Peter

has painted

for us in

these 12

verses it's

infinitely

bigger

so as we

study the

rest of the

book in

the coming

Sundays

can I

encourage you

to try and

remind

yourselves of

what these

12 verses

are all

about

is where

we are

from and

where we're

going really

is the

premise for

everything that

is to

follow and

it's the

only way that

we can find

the strength

that we need

to lift our

eyes and to

rejoice despite

our trials in

a God who

is in

control

rejoice in

our new

birth through

Jesus and

in the

salvation that

it brings

us

let's pray

father we

come to you

confessing that

we more

often than not

probably look

down rather

than up

we focus

on our

problems on

the here and

now rather

than on

your glory

and what

awaits us

so we

ask you to

forgive us

and we ask

for your

help to

just lift our

eyes and

be joyful

because we're

part of your

family and

because you've

saved us

father so we

just thank you

because you're

in control we

thank you for

your amazing

plan and we

thank you for

Jesus'

sacrifice and

the salvation

that it's

given us

amen