Over the next couple of weeks, we will be looking at 1 Peter 1, verses three through nine, and we will handle the first part of that today, verses three, four, and five. And you'll see that I entitled this, The Unseen God We Love, and today we focus on what that God has done for us, what he has accomplished for us. And for those of you who like to, take notes and write things down. This is the big point that I want to unfold for you today. And it goes like this, in the midst of blank, worship God, because you are born again, protected and bound for heaven. In the midst of blank, worship God, because you're born again, you're protected, and you're bound for heaven. This is one of those passages that is hard to nail down. There's so much swirling around. It's almost like a moment in a movie where someone's on the pinnacle of a mountain and just all of nature seems to be swirling around them. Paul has these moments and Peter has this moment too where he is speaking and just all the realities of redemption are swirling around him. And yet we will seek to zero in on that nub that he is pointing to and then walk through together all of the glorious realities of redemption that hang on that little nub that he is pointing us to. Now, in my main point, we have a blank, and that blank is not for me to fill in, but it's for you to fill in. And it's to fill in with those moments that tempt you to not worship God. And we'll see why that's such an important task, worshiping God, as we make our way through the text today. In times of uncertainty, whether that be tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, We long for concrete answers. We, like little children, want to know specifically the where, the when, the how, and the why of life. We want to know it, and we want to know it now. We want the Lord to rend the heavens and come down and hand us all the answers. Yet, He does not do it. However, knowing our weaknesses, He has given us by the pen of Peter through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this comfort that we find today. Remember, Peter is writing to elect exiles dispersed abroad. There's great uncertainty, great persecution, great hatred of any Jew or Gentile who has declared Jesus is Lord, that most basic yet comprehensive of doctrinal statements, but which put Christians at utter odds with the Roman cult of the emperor. So how does the Lord encourage us in days of uncertainty as we find ourselves today? First, we're encouraged by the truth of our triune God. The mere fact and existence of the Trinity should encourage us as we face uncertain times, as we face Fill in the blank. Here we find the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now that is God the Father, Lord Jesus Christ being the incarnate God, the Son, who has given us a new birth we have been born again. And you'll remember from John 3 that that is the work of the Holy Spirit as He applies to us the person and work of Jesus Christ. Turn to John 3, verses 1 through 8, where we read, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, truly, truly, I say to you, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, truly, truly, I say to you, unless a man is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear it sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. Part of my heart's longing in this time is that all of you who normally worship with us here at Trinity are missing the tulip tree that's right outside the auditorium window. It's been in full bloom, it's been gorgeous, but it's already to that point when the petals are falling to the ground as the wind blows. And in this time of spring as the various weather fronts clash and go to battle and the wind kicks up and we see the petals blow off the trees, we see the leaves that we didn't get raked last fall blow across the yard, or we see perhaps the pollen blowing through the air. We can see those things, that the wind is moving, but try as we might, we cannot see the wind. It is invisible. As much as we might feel that we can see, the wind, we can never see it. We were driving across the great plains. You might see these, these little cyclonic disturbances that happen. They're not a full tornado, but you'll see them making their way across the field, this little cyclone. How do you see it? You can see that little tiny tornado because it's picking up chaff. It's picking up dust. It's, it's picking up dirt. You can see those things being moved, but you cannot see the wind itself. It's invisible, yet we see the effects of that invisible force in nature. And here, as we see this nub, what is Peter saying to us? That this God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has given us a new birth. We have been born again by Him. That is the work of the triune God. The Trinity is here. And what is our triune God doing? They're executing the plan of redemption accomplished and applied. The Father decreeing, the Son accomplishing, and the Spirit applying that finished work to us. Well, the second encouragement we receive beyond the mere fact and existence of our triune God is this fact of the new birth, of being born again. This regeneration into a living hope. In the 10th chapter of the Westminster Confession of Faith, the first paragraph, it says, all those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, he is pleased in his appointed and accepted time to effectually call by his word and spirit. out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ. And then here the Westminster theologians begin to describe through scriptural language what this new birth looks like. What is the effect of the wind of the spirit blowing through a dead soul? enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God, taking away their heart of stone and giving unto them a heart of flesh, renewing their wills and by His almighty power, determining them to that which is good and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ. Yet so as they come, most freely being made willing by His grace. Brothers and sisters, being born again is a matter of grace. We are rebels. Naturally, we are haters, we are despisers, yet God gives grace in the new birth, in being born again. born again as the wind of the Spirit. Indeed, the Holy Spirit himself blows through our hearts, enlightens us, renews us, restores us. God gives grace. And he also shows us immense mercy. And that's our third encouragement, the mercy of it all. the mercy that we receive, that we've, this is one of the first things that Peter highlights here, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy, mercy being not getting what we do deserve. Remember I said we were rebels, we were haters, we were despisers, and because of that, we deserve all the anguish that we could ever find in life. We deserve the most painful death. We deserve hell forever. This is what we deserve and yet this new birth, this grace that is given is rooted in God's mercy by not rewarding us according to our deeds. It's based on not our action, not our natural response because we run away every time. It's based on Jesus' obedience, His death, His burial, His resurrection. We've been born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. That is the basis of this abundant mercy that we receive from God. Matthew Poole in his Commentary on this text says, Christ's resurrection being the cause and pledge of ours, meaning we will be resurrected because Christ has been resurrected. Christ's resurrection is the empowering force of our resurrection someday. And it's also the guarantee. How do we believe that we will be resurrected? Because Christ was resurrected. Christ's resurrection being the cause and pledge of ours, as the certainty of ours depends upon his, so the liveliness of our hope follows upon the faith of it." Meaning, our hope is enlivened, it's quickened, to use an older word, because we believe in the erection of Christ, the resurrection of Christ from the dead. We believe that he is no longer in that tomb, but he was physically raised again. And that is what we believe, and that is what gives us a living faith. But Poole goes on and says this. Possibly, the apostle may have, in these words, some respect to the languishing condition of the hope of him and the other disciples, which was ready to expire, but was again revived by their being well-assured of His resurrection." This is pointing us back to Luke chapter 24. Now, on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they and certain other women with them came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were greatly perplexed, concerned, then suddenly two men stood by them in shining garments. As they were afraid and bowed their faces to the ground, they said to them, why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he spoke to you while he was still in Galilee, saying, the son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and on the third day rise again. Then they remembered his words. And ultimately then, not just remembering his words, but seeing him, raised from the dead, and we have that sure certain word to us of the account of his resurrection from the dead, of the witnesses who saw him, first by Peter, then by the other apostles, by many other, eventually 500, all of these folks saw Christ risen from the dead. It was not mass hysteria, it was not a mass hallucination, a large group drug trip, it was none of this. They saw with their own eyes Jesus Christ raised from the dead, the basis of the mercy that we receive from our Heavenly Father. In the garden tomb just outside the old city of Jerusalem, which is the place I believe that Christ was buried, and there's a door that swings into the tomb. You don't necessarily see. It folds flat against the wall if you're walking in and taking in the sight. But at night, every night, the door is swung closed, and on that door, it asks that question, why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen. Brothers and sisters, that should be a great comfort to us in calamity, in uncertain times, in whatever fills in that blank in your life. That you cannot go to a certain place and pray to a dead body or honor a corpse because he's not there, he's risen, he's our living Savior, he's been raised again. the basis of that mercy, the basis of that grace that we receive from the heavenly Father. Oh, the mercy of it all. Our fourth encouragement, in addition to our triune God being born again, the mercy that we receive is that great gift of eternal life that great gift of eternal life. He's given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance. And that, my brothers and sisters, is eternal life. That is what we inherit. And it doesn't fade away and it's kept in heaven for us. It is stored away where moth and rust do not corrupt, and where thieves cannot break in and steal. It is guaranteed for us. We find encouragement throughout the scriptures on this. Romans 6.23, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. The gift of God is eternal life. Ephesians. 118 is that text that really links this inheritance with eternal life, that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance among the saints. And just previous to that, we read in verses 13 and 14 of Ephesians 1, in Him you also, after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and after believing in him were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory. And what's being laid out for us here is the fact of this eternal life. This eternal life that, you know, this life, though it may seem long at times, is really brief, is really quick. Scripture likens it to a vapor. It draws quickly to a close, but it is not all that is there. There is more beyond this brief life. And this is the Lord pointing us through Peter to this reality that our salvation is is free, that's one term that's used for it. Christ has purchased it for us, but it's also full. It will not stop short. It will not drop us along the way. We will not be abandoned. That this salvation that is waiting in heaven for us, we are guaranteed that we will make it there to be fully and finally saved. This life draws quickly to a close. John Wilkie, who was a ruling elder out in Sterling, Kansas, when he didn't defer to the children of the church during opportunities to request favorite songs, would pick always Psalm 90. He loved that song. particularly verses 10 through 12. The years of our life are 70. And if by reason of strength 80, yet their length is toil and sorrow. John knew something about toil. He spent his lifetime working and growing a land and cattle business. In his prime while overseeing 4,000 tillable acres and a thousand head of cattle, with interest in numerous feedlots developed Parkinsonism. He died at 73. I've often thought how fitting that was for him. He didn't die at 69. He didn't die at 81. He died right in this pocket of time with which he was so fascinated in his life. And he took the opportunity to apply his heart to wisdom. This Psalm goes on. Yet their length is toil and sorrow, for they soon end and we fly away. Who knows the power of your anger or your wrath according to your fear? So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. And John did just that. He applied his heart to wisdom, and to seek to help others to find that wisdom also. I was able to visit once after his condition had set in and he wanted to sit by me. We were out for dinner and he wanted to sit by me so we could catch up. And with John, that meant he wanted to ask you question after question after question after question and listen to your answer and interact and respond in a way that was a blessing and encouragement. He loved and was invested in way more than land and cattle. He was invested in eternity. And that meant being invested in people. He understood this great gift of eternal life and he wanted to share it with as many as the Lord would allow. this amazing inheritance that is incorruptible, it's undefiled, it does not fade away. It is kept in heaven for us. Well, our triune God, our new birth, the mercy we receive, the great gift of eternal life. Fifthly, providential protection. These people that God has given a new birth to are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. We know the basic definition of faith from Hebrews 11.1, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The shorter catechism we ask, what is faith in Jesus Christ? Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the gospel. This passage promises that someday we will get to heaven and we will see our salvation fully accomplished, fully applied, and we will be saved forever. And faith is that saving grace in the meantime that gets us there. Hebrews 10, 39, but we are not of those who draw back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul. By faith, we are protected by God until that last great day. It's a power to us, John 1, 12, yet to all who received him, he gave the power to become sons of God to those who believed in his name. Isaiah 26, three and four, which during this time of pandemic, I would encourage you to memorize and to say again and again and again, as you lie in your bed at night, you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever. For in God, the Lord, we have an everlasting rock. We are protected. How often our own souls, our hearts, our minds seek to trick us into thinking that we are abandoned, that we are out on our own, that it's up to us to get home, it's up to us to crawl back up on the rock, it's up to us, I'm by myself. But no, Peter tells us we are protected. We are protected by the power of God, that very power that comes by faith and saves us. The salvation to be revealed. This reminds us of the perseverance of the saints that you will be brought through to that last great day. You will see the fullness of your salvation shining bright in heaven with him. That is your final destination and it will happen. My introduction, I touched on a portion of Romans 8, all these things that we think are separating us from the love of God. And we'll remind ourselves again, as we did last week in verses 38 and 39 of Romans 8. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, neither angels, nor principalities, nor powers, neither things present, nor things to come, neither height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. Think about that, brothers and sisters. There is God, the creator, then there is everything else that he either created directly or as an extrapolation of that creation. And when we begin to believe in our hearts and minds that one of these created things can trump the creator, well, what hope would we have? But nothing can overwhelm the love of God. Nothing can separate us from the love of the Creator. If there was something that could do that, it would mean that thing is greater than the Creator, greater than our God, and it just is not possible. We are given this full salvation, a salvation in our past and our justification, in our present through our sanctification, and in our future as we are glorified, as we step into the presence of our Heavenly Father. So now what is the result of hearing these things, of hearing these encouragements swirling around Peter as he focuses on the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us a new birth? What is the result of seeing our God and that he has saved us, that he has caused us to be born again? The result is worship, is worship. Peter tips his hand by blurting this out at the beginning of this passage. Blessed be, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. No matter our circumstances, no matter our temptations, no matter what, fills in that blank in your life. As we will see, our task is to worship. You will long for other tasks. You will seek to focus your desires on security and peace through other means. And those things, brothers and sisters, are called idols. What is an idol? An idol is anything from which we seek what God promises, but is itself not God. Do you desire peace in troubled times? Do you hope for salvation? Do you want answers? Do you want wisdom? Set your mind on Christ. Set your mind on the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Set your mind on the wonderful Counselor, the Holy Spirit. See what the triune God has given you, causing you to be born again, to be protected, to be bound for heaven and worship Him. Let's pray. Father, bless and strengthen us. Open our eyes that we might see the glorious truth of this new birth that's been given to us by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, rooted in his abundant mercy, based on the person and work of Jesus Christ. and receiving this grand protection that will see us through as the fullness of that salvation awaits us in heaven, in your glorious presence. And may we, Lord, worship you in the midst of whatever it is that tempts us to not worship you. Help us, O God, to worship you. We pray in Jesus' name. And let's pray together. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.