OUR ONLY HOPE. NO REALLY!

“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-- 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. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in

all kinds of trials. 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.” —1 Peter 1:3-7

verse 6: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” In this...

First, God had given us a living hope that cannot be destroyed.

Verse 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,”

The second gift that is ours is an imperishable inheritance.

Verse 4- “and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you,”

The third gift of the new birth is a guaranteed good ending.

Verse 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.”

Added to this ability to rejoice greatly in the midst of trials we can know that there is a purpose in the trials.

Verse 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.”

Romans 15:13-“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

He intends for this recession to expose hidden sin and so bring us to repentance and cleansing.

He intends to wake us up to the constant and desperate condition of the developing world where there is always and only recession of the worst kind.

He intends to relocate the roots of our joy in his grace rather than in our goods, in his mercy rather than our money, in his worth rather than our wealth.

He intends to advance his saving mission in the world precisely at a time when human resources are least able to support it. This is how he guards his glory.

He intends for the church to care for its hurting members and to grow in the gift of love.

HE INTENDS REVIVAL!

Romans 15:13-“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”