The Hope that Should Be in Us
Sermon Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Spiritual Vitality
1 Peter 3:8-18 (ESV)
8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For
“Whoever desires to love life
and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit;
11 let him turn away from evil and do good;
let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.
Sermon Outline
It is crucial to clarify what you revere and what you are devoted to, and wise to sustain the process of making Jesus that focus (v15).
1. We are desperate for what is good.
v13 “who is to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?”
v14 “have no fear of them nor be troubled”, v16 “shame”
v16 “having a good conscience”
v14 “you will be blessed”
2. We are watching for something different.
v15 “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you”
v15 “with gentleness and respect”, v16 “those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame”
3. We need help navigating the present.
v18 “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God”
v17 “it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will”
Prayer of Confession
Our great and mighty God, there is none like you. We have been fools to think our deepest longings could be satisfied in the things you have made. Forgive our idolatry. Forgive our misplaced zeal and our lack of faithful perseverance. Forgive us for failing to recognize the signs of our disobedience and the effects of our folly. We thank you for Jesus, who died in our place, to make it possible that you could take your rightful place in our hearts. As we honor Jesus as holy, we pray for a sanctifying work of grace in us. Work deeply in us so that our hope signals to the world that there is something different about who we are, and something remarkable about who we are becoming. May all look to you with reverence and awe. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
What good things do you want? Who or what brings the most good into your life?
How do you know if you have crossed a line and made something or someone an object of devotion? What are the marks of worship and religious devotion, and what does it look like when someone’s ultimate hope is in a person, thing or idea?
What kinds of things keep you from being zealous in doing good? When do things break down?
How do you discern who is trustworthy and worth following? What criteria do you use?
What makes a person with genuine hope in God distinct? What is different about a person who is godly? What should surprise people (in a good way)?
What does it mean to be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in you? Are you prepared? How should you prepare?
How do difficulties force us to make decisions and lean on our priorities? How are periods of suffering times of learning and change?
What is needed to be able to let go of problematic patterns or beliefs without letting go of all that is good? Why is a focus on Jesus needed to navigate periods of learning/unlearning and making changes?
Jesus brings us to God, so how does making Jesus first in our lives make it possible to bring the whole of our lives to God? Practically, how do you connect your hopes, your pursuits, your aspirations, your talents, etc. to God through Christ?