Living Hope
LHCP Sunday Morning Sermon - “Living Hope”
This sermon on 1 Peter 1:3 explores “living hope,” a central theme in Peter’s letter to elect exiles—Christians chosen by God. Hope, defined as confident trust in God’s past actions and future promises, is necessary in a sinful, suffering world and grows through trials, distinguishing it from complacent or worldly hopes. Unlike fleeting optimism or intellectual facts, living hope is dynamic, anchored in Christ’s resurrection, and looks beyond the grave. God, the Father, is its sole author, granting it through His mercy, not human efforts or circumstances. Through the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—believers are born again, receiving hope via the Spirit’s work and Jesus’ resurrection. Peter’s own transformation from despair to hope underscores this message. The proper response is praise to God for this gift, encouraging believers to live purposefully in Christ’s family of hope, rooted in eternal life and forgiveness, not temporary fixes.
Expand here for the scripture passage
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
ESV: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ©2011 Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
An Essay on this Sermon
Okay, let’s think about this idea of hope, the kind the Apostle Peter talks about. You read through his words, and you notice pretty quickly how dense they are. It’s not like reading something you’d just skim once. It makes you want to stop and really think about each sentence. I’ve tried my hand at writing letters, and I can’t imagine anyone going back and rereading them over and over. But that’s what the Bible does; it pulls you in. You have to slow down.
And when you do slow down with Peter’s letter, this word “hope” pops out. It’s a big one, right up there with faith and love. In the Scriptures, it’s not just a wish. It’s a real trust, a confident expectation. It’s based on what God has already done and points to what He has promised. And that’s what this part of Peter’s letter is all about.
He starts right out: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” “A living hope”—that’s a powerful phrase. You could almost name a church that. It tells you something important: this isn’t a dead hope.
Peter says this living hope is necessary, especially in a world like ours, a world that Jesus saw as full of people who were “harassed and helpless.” Paul told the Ephesians that before knowing Christ, they had no hope and were without God. That’s a bleak picture. Peter puts hope front and center because he knows we need it. Look around today—it’s an anxious, often godless world.
This living hope isn’t just necessary; it’s a blessing. If everything was perfect, we wouldn’t need hope. It’s trouble, it’s suffering that makes hope so vital. Paul even said that suffering leads to endurance, which leads to character, and that leads to hope. They’re connected. If you’re a Christian, that living hope is what lets you find joy even in tough times.
Now, Peter calls it a “living” hope. I was talking with someone recently about whether growth as a Christian is linear or exponential, and thinking about this “living hope” makes me think it’s more like the latter. It grows as we grow. As we mature in our faith, our expectation that God is at work becomes stronger. There’s a growing confidence, a deeper gratitude. It’s a hope that looks forward, beyond death, but it’s also anchored in the past, in solid ground. It’s more than just wishing things will be okay.
This living hope isn’t just intellectual, just knowing some facts. Saying “I’m a Christian, I’ll go to heaven when I die” can be true, but it doesn’t capture the aliveness of this hope. It’s a real internal confidence.
And it’s certainly not the kind of wishful thinking the world offers—wishing on stars or blowing out birthday candles. Those hopes are stuck in the present, and even if they come true, they don’t go beyond the grave. A living hope, the one Peter talks about, looks past that. It’s about forgiveness and eternal life. Worldly hopes, like hoping for recognition or love in a purely earthly sense, are limited. People will fail you, circumstances will change. Paul even said that if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we’re to be pitied.
So, where does this living hope come from? Who makes it possible? It has to have an author. Well, Peter praises God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He’s the one. If you want real, guaranteed hope, look to Him.
Peter says it’s “according to His great mercy” that we have this hope. Without that mercy, there would be no hope because of our sin. But God’s mercy changes everything. He promises to forgive our sins. Because of His mercy, death is defeated, and we’re given eternal life. Even our suffering, through His mercy, becomes a path to growth.
Our hope isn’t in a fix or a change of circumstances or another person. It’s in God. Jeremiah, even when everything he knew was being destroyed, said, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” He found hope in God’s unchanging character. David did the same, saying, “My hope is in you.”
This living hope is possible because our God is merciful. He sent His Son. He doesn’t change. His love is steadfast. He is the author.
Now, how do we get this hope? We don’t create it ourselves. We can only receive it. Peter says the Father “has caused us to be born again.” It’s His work, His mercy. He doesn’t leave it to chance. He causes it in us. We’re quick to blame others for our problems, but Peter says our Father caused us to be born again, to have eternal life, joy, and hope.
He does this by His Spirit. Jesus said we must be born again of the Spirit. The Spirit brings life to us, applies Christ’s redemption, and gives us new hearts. We have hope because we’re new people, through the Spirit’s work.
And we’re born again to this living hope “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” God the Father, by His Spirit, convinces us of the Gospel—the truth about Jesus, the forgiveness we have in Him. At the center of that is Jesus’ death and resurrection. The resurrection is what makes all hope possible. Paul said if Christ wasn’t raised, we’re without hope.
Peter knew what it was like to be hopeless, after denying Jesus. But then came the resurrection. He’s writing from experience. Through Christ’s resurrection, there is hope. As Paul said to the Ephesians, God made us alive together with Christ. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
So, what’s the right response to all this? It’s praise. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In Christ, we’re born again into a family of hope, a living hope in a living God who gives new life and a future. May we live in praise of Him.
Sermon Summary: The sermon delves into the concept of hope as a central theme in the letter of First Peter. The speaker emphasizes the necessity of hope in a sinful world, highlighting how hope is intimately connected to suffering and serves as a blessing amidst life’s trials. The living hope discussed is not mere wishful thinking but a confident expectation grounded in God’s mercy and past actions, particularly through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The sermon underscores that hope is a gift from God, emphasizing the role of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in causing believers to be born again to this living hope.
Key Points:
- Hope is essential in a sinful world and is intimately connected to suffering.
- Living hope is a blessing that keeps believers focused on God amidst life’s challenges.
- A living hope grows exponentially as Christians mature in their faith.
- True hope is anchored in God’s mercy and faithfulness, not in worldly desires or circumstances.
- Hope is a gift from God, bestowed through the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Bible Verses Mentioned:
- 1 Peter 1:3
- Matthew (reference to harassed and helpless crowds)
- Ephesians (reference to being without hope before coming to Christ)
- Romans (reference to suffering leading to endurance, character, and hope)
- Jeremiah (reference to God’s steadfast love and mercies)
- Psalms (reference to hoping in God)
Humor and Anecdotes:
- No specific humor or anecdotes were shared in the sermon.
Key Quotes:
- “Hope is at the center of this morning’s text.”
- “Living hope is necessary in a sinful world.”
- “Hope and suffering are intimately connected.”
- “Our hope is in God.”
- “A living hope is not just a flat intellectual hope.”
Themes: The sermon revolves around the theme of hope, emphasizing its significance in a world marked by sin and suffering. It explores how living hope, rooted in God’s mercy and faithfulness, sustains believers through trials and points them towards an eternal perspective. The themes of redemption, new life in Christ, and the transformative power of hope are interwoven throughout the sermon.
Discussion Questions:
- How does the concept of living hope differ from mere wishful thinking or optimism? In what ways does this distinction impact one’s perspective on life’s challenges?
- Reflecting on the relationship between suffering and hope, how have you experienced growth or deepened faith through difficult circumstances?
- In what ways can believers actively cultivate and share living hope with others in a world filled with uncertainty and despair?
Metaphors and Stories:
- Metaphor of hope as a living entity: The sermon portrays hope as a dynamic, living force that sustains believers through trials and grows exponentially as their faith matures. This metaphor underscores the vibrancy and transformative nature of genuine hope.
- Story of Peter’s denial and restoration: By referencing Peter’s denial of Jesus and subsequent restoration through the resurrection, the sermon illustrates how even in moments of despair and failure, God’s mercy can lead to a renewed sense of hope and purpose.
By dissecting these elements of the sermon, one can gain a deeper understanding of the profound message conveyed regarding the nature of hope, its source in God’s mercy, and its transformative power in the lives of believers.