'Kept'

Let's turn again to what we read in 1 Peter chapter 1.

1 Peter 1 · chapter mention

1 Peter chapter 1.

1 Peter 1 · chapter mention

And reading at verse 4.

Well, we'll read from verse 3, but it's verses 4 and 5 in particular.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

according to his great mercy,

he has caused us to be born again to our living hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,

kept in heaven for you,

who by God's power are being guarded through faith

for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Now, it's amazing when we can come to God's word

and we can compare and we can contrast

what this world's fame, fortune, glory, power is

and what the glory to come is going to be like.

I remember in school when, in English, there was a poem.

I'm sure you all remember that if you go back in your mind.

Thomas Gray's elegy written in a country churchyard.

And one of the verses went like this.

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,

and all that beauty, all that wealth ever gave,

awaits are like the inevitable hour.

The paths of glory lead but to the grave.

And that is true.

Because at the end of the day,

whether a person is a king or a tramp,

at the end of the day, it is a grave.

The grave will take the king and take the tramp,

just the very same.

And that's what the glory of this world is,

irrespective of what a person amasses,

irrespective of what a person achieves.

It's all going to pass with the using.

Sometimes a person will have their glory,

their fame, their fortune throughout their life.

Sometimes it doesn't even last their lifetime.

But the one thing that is guaranteed,

it is only for this life.

Because everything in this world

is going to pass with the using.

But when we come to what Peter is writing about,

this great living hope that we have,

we see that we have this inheritance in heaven.

And that there's our glory awaiting us.

An eternal glory.

Not that we are eternal,

we will never become eternal.

Only God is eternal.

But we will live in eternity.

And we will receive all the glory

that Christ as mediator has won for us.

And I think in the apostle's mind,

because he is quoting from Isaiah

towards the end of the chapter there,

when he speaks there about all flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of the grass and so on,

that Peter is obviously,

he's writing to people who have an understanding.

It's got to remember the Christians

are all scattered abroad.

And he's writing to those who will have a knowledge

of God's history,

the history of God's people.

And you remember when God took his people out of Egypt,

he promised them an inheritance.

In fact, even before they went into Egypt,

he had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

that he was going to make a great nation from them

and that this land that they were in

would become their land.

So as they journeyed from Egypt to Israel,

to the promised land, the land of Canaan,

it was to be God's inheritance to them.

They were to enjoy an inheritance there.

And it was a land flowing with milk and honey.

And they were told there were wonderful things there,

but there was a warning with it

that if they turned their back upon God,

if they defiled the land through idolatry,

if they turned from God,

then God's judgment would come upon the land

and the blessings that they had would fade.

The great things that they had would perish.

The land would be defiled, everything.

And all that came to pass

because God's people turned away.

So I think something of this is in the mind of the apostle

as he is writing now about the new inheritance,

the inheritance that God's people

are going to enjoy forever.

And that's what's ahead of you and me

as we follow the Lord Jesus Christ

because he describes something of this inheritance

and we're told that it's imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.

And imperishable means simply that it can't corrupt.

And that's why Jesus says,

have your treasure.

He doesn't say you don't have any treasure in this world.

But where your main treasure is,

Jesus tells us,

where your treasure is,

that which is above everything else,

that's where your heart is.

And if your treasure is in heaven,

your treasure is in a place,

he says,

where thieves can't break through or steal,

where moths and rust cannot destroy.

So that your treasure is something

that as we read here is imperishable.

All earthly treasures

will either get lost, broken, decay,

or we have to leave them behind when we go.

Here is a treasure that is imperishable.

And it's undefiled.

Now, as we know,

we live in a world that is full of defilement.

But there, it is a world that is pure,

clean, and stained.

This world is polluted.

Everything about it,

sin is on everything,

sin is in everything,

everything is stained,

and marred,

and spoiled,

and ruined by sin.

And in a sense,

it's impossible for us

to really understand

what has been told us about our future.

Because we cannot imagine

what it's like

to be in a place

that is imperishable

or that is undefiled.

Because it is beyond anything

that we have ever encountered,

anything that we ever are.

So, at one level,

while we accept and believe

and look forward to

and are persuaded of it,

yet it is hard for us to grasp

just what that really is.

And we also see that it's unfading.

It's like the picture of a flower

that's dying or fading.

And that will never happen in glory.

Because this is a,

the glory in Emmanuel's land

is a glory that will never run out.

Everything in this world runs out.

But the glory there is unending.

It's unfading.

It is forever and ever.

And that we're told,

as Peter tells us later on

in chapter 5,

that when Christ appears,

you will receive

an unfading crown of glory.

So, that's,

that's what's ahead of us.

And so, then Peter adds,

being kept in heaven for you.

So, that's one of the great

and wonderful things

that we, we have this reservation,

as it were, in heaven.

Now, you and I know very often

when we go to weddings

or things,

some, maybe some function like that,

very often your place is reserved.

Your name is at the table.

And that's your,

that's your spot.

It's been reserved for you.

Or maybe you're going away somewhere

and you're,

you, you, you, you pay for

and you reserve a place,

whether it's in a hotel

or on a train

or whatever.

That's your place.

It's reserved for you.

That's your number.

That's you.

Because it's paid for.

And that's what the Lord

is saying to us.

Your place is reserved

because it's been paid for.

And we know that Jesus

is the one who paid for it.

He paid the price.

We hadn't anything to pay.

We couldn't pay.

We didn't have

in any shape or form

what could pay,

what was required.

But Jesus did.

And he did so by

giving of himself,

giving his life,

giving his all for us.

And so the Lord

has reserved this place for us.

And the great thing

that we read here

is that not only

is the place

being kept for us,

because, you know,

it's one thing to know

there's a place being kept.

But then you say to yourself,

what if,

there's a place there,

but what if I don't make it?

It's all very well being told

there's a place in heaven.

But what if I don't make it to heaven?

Well, that's what the Lord

is telling us.

Not only is there a place

being kept for you,

but you and I in this world

are being kept for that place.

Works both ways.

And so that's a great encouragement

that we have here.

For you are being kept,

that's what it is,

are guarded.

It's the same word,

who by God's power

are being guarded through faith.

So this is a wonderful thing.

But, you know,

sometimes we read that

and what an encouragement,

because there are lots of

encouragements like that

in the word of God.

But, you know,

a lot of God's people,

I would say most of God's people,

possibly all of God's people,

sometime or other,

maybe frequently,

maybe seldom,

but they do.

They have their doubts.

They have their fears.

Despite what the word says,

we don't doubt the word,

not in any shape or form.

Never doubt the word.

Sometimes we doubt ourselves.

And so we've always got to remember

that God's word

is what we're to base things on.

But, you know,

sometimes we doubt ourselves

in different reasons.

For instance,

maybe you're a Christian

and you're looking back

over your life

and you say to yourself,

you know,

I came,

I went through

a really difficult time

and I ended up,

I was beaten,

I said to the Lord,

Lord,

you have to take over here.

I'm finished.

I can't,

I can't do any more.

And it's like you handed

everything over to the Lord.

Time has gone on

and you're still following

and you love the Lord

who you haven't seen.

But you sometimes say to yourself,

maybe,

maybe it wasn't a work of grace.

Maybe it wasn't a real work of grace.

Maybe it was just because

of that particular situation

and I felt I was

in distress and trapped

and I,

I looked to the Lord

and asked him to help me

and what if it wasn't

a real work of grace?

Sometimes

the Lord's people get troubled

by the likes of that.

but we've got to remember

that the proof is in the pudding,

the fact that you're still following

and that you want to follow

because you've got to remember

that most people

don't want to follow.

The Lord tells us

that the broad is the road

and many go on that,

narrow is the road

and few go on that

as he's comparing

and contrasting

how it is

with regard to salvation.

You're still following

because you want to.

That's where your heart is

and that in a sense

is an evidence

of the reality

of that work.

But again,

sometimes

people have their fears

and their doubts

because they say,

you know,

I can't pinpoint

to a day.

I can't pinpoint

to an hour

when I was actually saved.

I hear people

give their testimony

and it's so clear

and so vivid

and they can pinpoint

exactly to where

and when.

And you say,

but I can't.

I know that

there was a day

I wasn't following

the Lord.

But I also know

a day

where a period

in my life

where I came

to a persuasion

and as we've often said,

we're like the blind man

when asked what happened.

He says,

I can't tell you

but one thing I know

I was blind

and now I see.

So sometimes

we're like that.

But because we don't have

a clear testimony

of day or hour,

the devil can have

a field day

and bring you

to have your doubts

and to have your fears

and all these things

that go along with it.

And again,

sometimes a young convert,

a person who's become

a Christian

and to begin with

everything is so new.

You remember

what it was like?

Prayer was just so,

so amazing.

You were constantly

speaking to the Lord.

The word was so fresh.

Christian fellowship

was so wonderful.

You just,

you couldn't get enough.

And there was this

just vibrancy

and joy in your soul.

But as time has gone on,

it's like the sparkle

has gone somewhat.

And then you begin

to find that it's a struggle.

You weren't expecting that.

And there's battles

and struggles

and difficulties

and trials

and opposition

and things that you

weren't expecting.

Sometimes you begin

to doubt yourself.

You begin to wonder,

was it really,

was it really

a work of grace at all?

And then maybe

as an old Christian,

you look at yourself

and you say to yourself,

you know this,

I'm worse than I was

when I started.

And you begin

to look in

and you see

a darkness

in your soul

that's frightening.

You see

something of the corruption

of your own heart.

And you see

that you go

to the New Testament

and you see

how the Lord

is saying to us

how we should be

maturing

and becoming holier.

And you feel

you're anything but.

And you say to yourself,

I must be the most

immature Christian going.

I must be the most

unholy.

And you go through

all these thoughts.

And then the doubts

and the fears come in

and you think,

am I a Christian at all?

And then on top of that,

you look at people

and you know people

who started so well,

they were brighter than you.

And they made a great profession.

And now they've wandered off.

Well, the thing is

that we know

that some Christians

backslide.

But the Lord

won't leave them there.

He'll bring them back.

And even just now,

if they're in a

backslidden state,

whatever they might

appear outwardly,

there's no contentment

inwardly.

If they are the Lord's,

he'll bring them back.

But we also know

that there are some

who had an experience

and appeared very bright.

But they are nowhere

to be seen

with no interest

or desire

or anything

for God's place

or God's house anymore.

And that reminds us

of what Jesus said

with the stony ground here.

As you remember

in the parable of the sower,

sometimes the sea

went on to stony ground.

There was only

a little bit of soil.

Couldn't take root.

It sprung up for a little

but then it withered away

and died

because it couldn't take root.

And he said,

sometimes there are

hearers like that.

So when you go through

all these kind of things,

you say in yourself,

what if I,

what if,

what if I'm,

what if I,

there isn't a real

work of grace

that's taken place

in my heart.

And so many of the Lord's people

have doubts and fears.

In fact,

I would go as far as to say

that it's probably

only the Lord's people

that have doubts and fears.

Because the non-Christian

doesn't think like that.

It's only the Christian

that worries.

And I would say that's,

or else it's somebody

that the Lord has begun

to work in

that has a fear.

Because those who

aren't looking for the Lord

or thinking about the Lord,

they don't think like that.

But the Christian does.

And that's why you'll find

over and over and over

and again in the Bible

that the Lord

is encouraging us.

There are so many verses

all the way through

to assure us

and to encourage us.

And so here we're told

very simply

that we are being

guarded or kept,

that we are being guarded

every single day.

And it's not us

who keeps ourselves.

If it was up to us,

not one of us

would keep ourselves.

It is impossible

for you and for me

to keep ourselves.

It is the Lord

who guards us.

It's the Lord

who keeps us

every single day.

And that word

guarded here

is a military term

where a person

is guarded

or shielded

or protected

or kept.

Well, there are no guards

ever,

not at Buckingham Palace

or anywhere in the world

that have ever shielded

or guarded

like the Lord

guards his people.

And we read here

of how we are kept

by the power of God.

Isn't that wonderful?

The power of God.

However great

the power of sin within,

however great

the power of Satan,

however great

the power and lure

of the world,

these three powers together

are nothing

in comparison

to the power of God.

Because, you know,

it's that power

that,

it's that power

that drew you

in the first place.

You didn't come

on your own accord.

First of all,

you wouldn't want to.

Secondly,

you couldn't.

it is God's power

that first drew you.

And the power

that drew you

is the power

that keeps you.

It is the word.

And when you think

of this power,

we think of the creation,

we think of the universe.

Everything was brought

into being

by the word.

And this same word

that brought

the very universe

and holds the stars

in their place

that guides

and rules

everything

in this world

and has the very

jury,

the end of this world

in sight

and knows when it will be.

It's the same power

that is keeping you

and guiding you

and guarding you

every single day.

You are being kept

by this power.

And as I said,

it's unnatural

to follow Jesus

because when we

start to follow Jesus,

as we said,

we come into a place

where there is ridicule,

where there's opposition,

where there's enmity,

where there's hatred.

There's so much

that's against

the Christian.

You remember

when Jesus

was in this world

and he was ministering?

In the early days

of the ministry,

huge crowds

were following.

In fact,

they were so taken up

with Jesus,

they wanted to make him king.

But when Jesus

began to explain

to them

what discipleship

meant,

what happened?

They went away

in their droves.

Hundreds and hundreds

and hundreds

began to desert him

to the point

that Jesus

turned to the twelve

and said,

are you also going

to go away?

That's what it was like.

And so,

it is only

the power of God

that can keep us.

And you look back

over your Christian life

and you know that,

that you're here tonight

simply because

of the power of God.

The number of times

that you could have

made shipwreck

of your soul,

the number of times

that disaster

loomed large,

but you're still following,

you're still here.

And it's for one reason,

not you,

but the Lord

in you.

And that's a wonderful thing

because this power

is working,

the power of God

works in two ways.

The power of God

at one level

is shielding

and sheltering

and keeping you

and guarding you,

protecting you,

but the power of God

is also working in you.

That's what we're told,

that God works within us

both to will

and to do

of his good pleasure.

where the Spirit

is guiding us

and leading us

and teaching us

so that we're following

in the way of the Lord.

And so,

we see that

this divine power

that is influencing

and guiding us

through,

we see here,

who by God's power

are being guarded

through faith

for our salvation.

You see,

God's keeping

shows itself

in your faith.

faith is God's gift to us

where we receive

his power.

But then it says,

kept through faith

for our salvation

ready to be revealed

in the last time.

Now,

you and I know

there are three aspects

to our salvation.

There's what we term

justification

and we term sanctification

and we term glorification.

Now,

we know that

justification,

if you remember

your shortest caddiction,

that justification

is an act,

it's a one-off.

It's a moment

when we are born again,

where we are

made right before God

in his sight.

We are justified,

we are just before him

because of what Jesus Christ

has done for us.

And we can't become

any more justified

because in God's sight

we're as just

as Jesus,

as our mediator.

We would never dare say that,

but that's what the Bible

tells us.

That's what justification

has done for us.

We have been made

righteous

in the sight of God

through the righteousness

of Jesus Christ.

Sanctification is ongoing.

Now,

theologians talk about

what we term definitive

and progressive

sanctification.

and what they mean

very simply

and that is

a definitive

is a once,

just once and for all.

And in a sense

that's what happens

because to sanctify

is to set apart.

Set apart for something

to be holy.

And that's what God did

with you and with me.

He set us apart.

The moment that we're

set apart,

the moment we're justified,

we're set apart

from this world.

This world no longer

has a claim on us.

This world no longer

loves us in the way

that it loves its own.

We are set apart for God.

We have this inheritance,

but you know,

the other way around is

we are his inheritance.

Isn't that an incredible thing?

God tells us that

we are his inheritance.

His people

are his inheritance.

And so we wait

for the inheritance

that he gives us

to be with him forever.

So there is what we say

this definitive

sanctification

we're just set apart.

And then we talk

of progressive

sanctification,

which is simply

where God is at work

in us every day.

Making us,

shaping us,

remoulding us

more and more

and more

to resemble

our Savior,

the Lord Jesus Christ.

But then at the end

comes the other stage,

glorification,

where we will be changed.

It's quite an extraordinary thing

because we're told then

in the end

that we shall see him

as he is.

Now that would be enough.

That would be more than enough.

But it doesn't just stop there.

We shall see him

as he is

and we shall be like him.

Probably the most amazing

words in Scripture.

You know,

I'm sure

if you're like me,

the one thing

that you

you want

to see,

you want a greater

vision of Jesus,

a greater sight

of Jesus.

You're saying,

I wish I

but you know,

the Bible keeps telling us

as we have here,

you'll see there

in verse 8,

though you have not seen him,

you love him.

That's how it is.

As Jesus said to Thomas,

just because you've seen me,

you believe.

Blessed are those

whom having not seen

yet believe.

That's where we are.

So we long for the day

when we will be

in the presence

of Jesus

and we will see him

as he is.

How we've longed

for that

and we shall be like him.

Into this

unending glory

as it tells us

it's there

we will receive

the inheritance

which is imperishable,

undefiled

and unfading.

What a hope

the Christian has.

You know,

sometimes we can get

a bit down

because we live

in a world

which is becoming

growingly opposed

to Christ.

But then we go back here

and we read

what our future holds

and what's ahead

and we say,

oh my word,

it's wonderful

and there is

a growing desire

the further we go on

where the Lord

is preparing us

and I think

one of the things

is he loosens us

as we go along

he loosens us

a wee bitty more

and a wee bitty more

to this world

and our mind

begins to travel

more and more

our heart

begins to travel

where we're going.

That's how it is

because that's

where our inheritance

is

to be with him

forever.

Let us pray.

Lord, we give thanks

for the great encouragement

that your word

is to us.

We realise

as your word says

that we're just pilgrims

and strangers

here in our journey

to an inheritance

that is beyond

our imagining.

But it's all true

because your word

has made it clear

to us.

So we pray

that you will bless us

and bless each

and every one of us

here tonight.

Bless our homes

and our families.

We give thanks

for this church family

that we have here

and for the love

and care

that we have

for one another.

Pray, Lord,

for those whose hearts

are heavy and sore.

We again remember

Margaret MacLeod

from the Cairns tonight

and we pray for her

as her heart

and we remember

herself and Anne as well

and all her same

mourn Catherine's passing.

Remember all

who are nursing

broken hearts

and it might not be

in the immediate.

It might have been

a long time ago

but it's still so sore

to this very day

and so we pray

that you will be

be with every broken heart.

Be with those

who are sick,

those who are

so unwell.

Remember we did

McDonald in hospital

so unwell.

We pray for all

and we give thanks

Lord for answers

to prayer.

We were praying

there for

Isabel son Derek

recently

and we give thanks

for how well

he has got on

hearing that he

and Heather

have got home

and we pray

your blessing upon us.

We give thanks

for answered prayer.

We pray Lord

that we will always

give you thanks

for all your

mercies and goodness

to us.

So we ask that

you will be with us.

Be with the

psalmody class

afterwards

and thanks for

James

in leading this.

Take away your sin

in Jesus name

we ask.

Amen.

Let us conclude

singing from

Psalm 116.

Let us conclude

singing from Psalm 116.