Pastor’s Place at FBC Whitesburg

Christmas Eve Message

“WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING FROM GOD?”

I Peter 1:18-21

How does an event that occurred over 2000 years ago give me hope today?  This Jesus Christ, as verses 19-20 tell us, “The lamb without blemish and without spot, who was foreordained before the foundation of the world, was manifested in these last times for you.” 

     Did you hear that?  Manifest means made visible, made in the flesh – God incarnate – for you.  So, what did he do for you?

      The scripture tells us here that by Him we believe in God.  Many religions in the world teach a belief in God, but not one teaches the concept of redemption.  Redeem means to buy back that which was lost or stolen.  Verse 18 tells us that we were not redeemed because God bought us back from sin with money or with words or even the religious traditions of those who lived before us.  God bought you back with “the precious blood of Christ”. 

         I Corinthians 6:20 describes it this way, “You were bought with a price.”  A heavy price.  The death of Jesus Christ and His spilt blood.

     Verse 20 couples with His death another significant event.  God “raised Him from the dead.”  God then gave Him glory.  Peter describes this glory in His powerful Pentecost sermon in Acts 2:32-33, “This Jesus has God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses.  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted…”  Hebrews 10:12 affirms this, “But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down at the right hand of God.”  Paul wrote in Philippians in 2:9 that “God highly exalted Jesus and gave Him a name which is above every name…the name of Jesus.”   The angel told Joseph, Mary’s husband, in a dream in Matthew 1:21 that “she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus:  for He shall save His people from their sins.”
 

     How can an event that happened over 2000 years ago give you hope?  Well, to summarize all this, for you Jesus was manifest (born).  He died and came back from the dead.  He ascended to the Father and sits on the right hand of God, interceding for you.  He will complete your salvation when He returns one day and gives you a glorified body and you spend eternity in a beautiful place called Heaven, where there is no more sin or separation, death or pain…but in the presence of the one who loved you and died for you.  That certainly gives me hope.

     Verse 21 ends with these words, “that your faith and hope might be in God”.  Is your faith and hope in God?

First, we need to ask what is meant by faith.  The Greek word is pistis.  Used 244 times in Scripture.  It means having a solid conviction about something you believe to be the truth.  It is more than mere belief.  I may believe that the world is flat, but I wouldn’t waste my time studying and arguing my case for a flat world.  I may believe it, but I am not so convicted by it that it drives me.  This kind of faith is a strong conviction about something.  You stand upon it.  You bank on it.  It directly affects your life.  You are totally persuaded.

Second, we need to ask what is meant by hope.  The Greek word is elpis.
Used 54 times in scripture.  Both of these words are feminine nouns and are similar in meaning.  Hope means expectation of something happening.  In this context it is a joyful expectation and a confident expectation.  It does not mean wishful thinking.

     Someone might ask you, “Do you think you’ll get what you asked for  Christmas?”  You might reply.  “I hope I do.”  That means you do not expect to receive it, but you are wishing it could be so.  Christian hope is confident expectation.  Someone might ask you, “Do you think the Lord is coming back one day?”  You answer with confidence.  “Yes, I am expecting Him to return.”
 

      A woman may say that she is expecting a baby.  That does not mean she is wishing she were pregnant.  It means she is anticipating a delivery.  Not maybe.  Definitely.  She will pick out names, decorate the nursery, buy clothes…because she knows with confidence that a baby is coming.  If you truly expect something from God, you will live your life as though it will happen.

    We say sometimes in conversation something like this, “He has no hope for the future.  She has no hope of ever finding her lost ring.  He has no hope of getting that job.  The truth is many people live their lives without hope.  In Christ Jesus, because he died for me and saved me and promises me so much in the future, I live by hope.  I have confidence that God will supply my need.  I believe God can work everything in my life for the good.  I believe God has a calling on my life and a bright future for me.

     I thank God that I do not live by wishful thinking.  I do not determine my direction by the roll of dice.  I do not accept that the world was created by a big accidental, explosion.  You see hope is confidence in the sovereignty of God.  Despite all the obstacles in Mary and Joseph’s paths, despite the evil King Herod, despite any circumstance in Jesus’ lowly birth, God’s plan was carried out.  God has a plan for your life.  You are not on your own turned lose to grope around in the darkness of the future. 

Matthew 10:29-33 assures us, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Therefore, fear not.  You are of more value than many sparrows.  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
 

     You see, when you have a confident hope in Jesus, you are willing to publicly confess Him.  If you truly believe in something and place your expectations in something, you are not ashamed to take a bold stand for it.