Even today it is not easy being a Christian, but we must find a way to live our faith without compromise.
Scriptures: 1 Peter 1:3-12
Sermon Focus: Readers will be challenged to place their faith in Jesus. The insecurities of other types of faith will be contrasted by the consistency a faith in Jesus provides.
Introduction
In his book, Six Hours One Friday, (pg. 15, Multnohmah Books, 1989) Max Lucado tells the story of how he and his boat survived a hurricane. An old sea man gave Max the advice to take his boat to deep water, drop four anchors off each corner of the boat, and pray that the anchors held. Max survived that storm, but he says that he learned an important lesson, all of us need an anchor that will hold during the storms of life.
That anchor is our faith. What have you put your faith in? How important is it to have faith? Where do we find a faith strong enough to make it through the storms of life? Peter knows how important faith is and he gives us a great picture of faith, a faith that we can anchor deep with, and a faith which will hold us during the storms of life.
When Peter wrote his letter, things were changing. In the beginning of the first century church, the government remained unconcerned about this new religious sect. As the church grew, the constrictions of the government increased. Peter is writing to a people who are finding it increasingly difficult to live their faith.
Even today it is not easy being a Christian, but we must find a way to live our faith without compromise.
Peter helps us gain some insight into how to live an authentic Christ centered faith in the midst of some difficult times.
I. Timeless faith – 1:4-5
The question is not if we have faith, every one has faith. The atheist has faith that his rational reasoning has removed the possibility of God. He has faith in his intellectual ability. Others have faith in their abilities, skills, connections, friends, family and themselves. Everyone has faith. The question is where is your faith anchored?
Sooner or later the storms of life will begin to blow and then the question becomes will the anchor of faith hold.
Peter gives us three reasons that it is important to anchor our faith in Christ.
A. Faith in Christ is imperishable
How can that be? Well look where faith in Christ is kept, in Heaven. Jesus says that we are to put of treasures in heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy or the thief steal. My wife has bought me several garment bags for my suits. She puts cedar in them. She does this because she knows that the suits are the most valuable clothes I have, and that they are mostly wool. Moths could destroy the suits in a short time, but she tries to make them imperishable. Not too long ago I left one of my sweaters out of its bag. I did not think it would hurt to leave it out. I found it about four weeks ago with little holes all over it. The moths had destroyed it.
If our faith is set upon the things of this world, then our faith will perish. Countless kingdoms have come and fallen, economies have been built and destroyed, and nations have been established and vanished. All that is left of some of those kingdoms are the ruins you can see in a museum. Only the kingdom of God has remained constant in the past two thousand years. Our faith is to be set in heaven, and not on the things of this world. That is the only way that we know our faith is imperishable.
B. Our faith will be uncorrupted
You have no doubt heard the phrase, absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is a statement which indicates our sinful nature. History is full of leaders who started off with the best intentions but pride, ego, or other flaws got in the way. If we place our faith in a leader, it is but a matter of time before the corruptible nature of the individual is revealed.
But Christ has no sin, and our faith is in the power of God. God has absolute power, but it is uncorrupted. There is no pride or ego in the power of Christ. In the scope of eternity, Jesus is the only person who has absolute power, but not only that, He is also the only person for whom absolute power has not corrupted, even a little bit. Our faith can only be incorruptible, when it is placed in Christ.
C. Our faith in Christ is unfading
I know of lots of people who are fad people. They jump on the latest trend or idea, and about six months or a year down the road, they jump on something new. Do you need a great example? Pull out your years books. Look at the hair styles the clothes you wore, and the tone of the culture. How much have things changed in the last 20 or 30 years?
Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And the faith we have now will see us through the Last Days