Slides: Resurrection Rebirth (1 Peter 1:3-12)

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—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 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 your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and 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 goal 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 Christ 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.

Resurrection rebirth

• God gives resurrection rebirth.

• You inherit God’s wealth.

• Suffering is the path to glory.

• You are amazingly privileged.

• Your heart responds to Jesus.

Resurrection rebirth

• Rooted in Father’s mercy

• Achieved in Jesus’ victory

• Experienced in Spirit’s life as foretaste of the future

• Believers, universe reborn

Reborn and repaid

Peter: “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

Jesus: “At the rebirth of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones… Everyone who left family or fields for me will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. (Matt 19:27-29)

Inheritance

• God’s wealth is yours.

+ Death can’t destroy it.

+ Sin can’t spoil it.

+ Time can’t fade it.

• God keeps it in heaven for you.

• God guards you on earth for it.

• Final salvation brings fullness.

Reality check

• Your inheritance is coming, but you suffer and grieve now.

• Jesus is alive and victorious, but you don’t see Jesus now.

Suffering and glory

• You suffer and grieve now.

• You don’t see Jesus now.

Amazing privilege

• Prophets with Christ’s Spirit predicted grace, sufferings and glories, but you possess what they could only pursue.

• Apostles with heaven-sent Spirit told you the full good news of salvation.

• Angels can only wonder at blessings you experience and things you know.

Amazing the angels

God’s purpose was to show his wisdom in all its rich variety to all the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms... This was his plan from all eternity, and it has now been carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Eph 2:10-11)

Heart response

• Praise to God for salvation

• Faith in Jesus and God’s power

• Living hope of sure inheritance

• Love for trusted friend Jesus

• Joy too glorious for words

• Secure in salvation of your soul

Resurrection rebirth

• God gives resurrection rebirth.

• You inherit God’s wealth.

• Suffering is the path to glory.

• You are amazingly privileged.

• Your heart responds to Jesus.