Our scripture reading for this morning is taken from 1 Peter chapter 1 and you may recognize that this is the same text that was preached last week by Reverend Voss and I found that out on Thursday and decided to see it as an interesting providence and to go with it. I was encouraged to do so and I'm glad to do so. We'll be reading from chapter 1, verse 1, through verse 16. And since you have heard verses 13 through 16 expounded, I am going to take the liberty to focus more specially and fully upon verse 13 as the text for this morning. 1 Peter chapter 1, beginning with verse 1. Hear now the word of our God. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood. Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His great mercy has given us new birth, into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade, which is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief of all kinds of trials. These things have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, that your faith may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. And even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. For you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who spoke of the grace that was to come to you searched intently and with the greatest of care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you when they spoke of the things that have now been told to you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. Therefore, prepare your minds for action and be self-controlled. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance, but just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. For it is written, Be holy, because I am holy. So is the reading of God's Word. The Word of God before us this morning was written by the Apostle Peter to a cluster of congregations in the area of modern-day Turkey. Peter describes his audience, these churches, to us in three ways. And we need to understand and appreciate these churches, this congregation that Peter addresses, if we're to appropriately understand the letter that he writes to them. Listen to how the first verses of the New King James is translated. It says, To the pilgrims who are scattered around Asia Minor, who are the elect according to the foreknowledge of God. From this translation, we can see three things that Peter highlights about these congregations. First, he says that they are the elect of God. That is, that they have been chosen. And if you look at verse 2, it says that they have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. They have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father to take part in the obedience and blood of Jesus Christ. So the first thing that is highlighted is this past work of God in election. elections so that these congregations would take part in Christ. The second thing that he highlights is that these congregations, these believers are scattered around the area of Asia Minder, the modern day Turkey. And we see in the text, if we study it further, that these congregations were scattered because they were experiencing a remarkable persecution. The early church, because of their faith, because of their commitment and exclusive faith in Christ, experienced great persecution at the hands of the authorities of their day and they were scattered around the areas of Asia Minor. We see that they are the elect of God. They are scattered people because of the persecution they are facing. And third, we find that Peter describes them as pilgrims. Pilgrims. And a pilgrim is one who is traveling through a foreign land. He's traveling through a foreign land with a destination. There's a goal in mind for a pilgrim. And Peter wants in our text today to highlight what that goal is for us as pilgrims. Thus we see that the congregations are described as the pilgrim people of God who are experiencing great suffering for the sake of Christ. And Peter writes this letter to them in order to strengthen their faith and to bolster their hope in the glories that are yet to be theirs in Christ Jesus. Now, as we study the text, we can't help but keep in mind, or rather we should keep in mind, who Peter was. You see, Peter himself is a pilgrim. Peter is writing as the apostle, but he wasn't always the apostle Peter. He was once, remember, the disciple Peter. He was the disciple who had strong words, and a weak faith. Remember that it was Peter along with the other disciples who was in the boat with Jesus when the storm struck and when Jesus stood up and he revealed a part of his glory and showing his power over the raging sea, it was Peter along with the other disciples who trembled at his feet. And fear of this man and Jesus' response, of course, was, oh, do you have such little faith? And it was Peter who jumped out of the boat when Jesus came walking upon the water with great intentions. And yet, he fell far short. His weak faith again being demonstrated as he fell into the water, crying out for Jesus to save him. And again, Jesus says, Oh, you who have little faith. And of course, it was Peter who vowed to stay with Christ to the end. His moment of greatest need deserted him along with all of the other disciples as the rooster crowed three times. You see, Peter the disciple is someone we can relate to. Peter the disciple is one who had faith, but it was weak. Peter the disciple, we see, fell far short again and again and again. And so let's keep in mind that as we get this word of God through his apostle Peter, it is a word that is given from a man who has been through suffering, who knows the trials and difficulties of this world, who knows what it's like to believe but feel so weak. And it is this Peter who is inspired by God to give this word to the church, these pilgrim people of God who are suffering and scattered, who need help. And Peter gives them this letter in order to bolster their faith and hope in Christ. And he gives these pilgrim people of God the things that they need to survive. He gives them what they need to survive in this present evil age. Notice, in general, as we look at verses 1 through 12, that the first thing Peter does is what? He preaches to them the gospel. The first thing that God's people need, the first thing that we need, is the gospel of Jesus Christ. And by the first thing, I don't mean we get it, we believe it, and then move on. By the first thing, I mean what we need to be addressed with, what we need to focus on, what we need to hear and be transformed by is the gospel. And that's what Peter gives them. While the law of God, Paul says, is good, we are told repeatedly that there's no power in the law to give us life. There's no power in the law to save us. And that's why God's people in Christ need the gospel. Because it's in the gospel that we get what we need to live. Peter in verses 1 through 12 does a marvelous job of preaching the full picture of God's good news for us in Jesus Christ. Notice how he does it. He highlights three things. He highlights the past, the present, and the future work of God's grace for us in Jesus Christ. Notice, first of all, in verse 1, the past grace of God when he says that you have been elected according to the foreknowledge of God to take part in the obedience and blood of Christ. This is a past work of God, isn't it? It's something that happens outside of our experience. When God, out of his good will, chose some to be saved and to experience the salvation of Jesus Christ. He highlights the past grace of God in election. And in verse 3, he highlights the grace of God when he says, Praise be to God, who in his great mercy He has given us new birth. We have been born again. God Almighty reached down and He gave new life to the elect of Christ. It's this past grace of God for us in Christ that Peter highlights as he preaches the Gospel. Notice also that he highlights present grace in the text. As he preaches the gospel in verse 5, we see that he says, you are shielded through faith by God's power. God's power. You are, by faith, ongoing, you are preserved by the power of God who upholds you, whose sovereign grace strengthens you and preserves you. His work of grace wasn't only in the past. It's ongoing in the present. And it is God's grace that sustains your faith even today. There's a song that some of you may have heard, some of you may have sang that says, I could sing of your love forever. I don't think we've ever sang it here. But it says, quite simply, I will sing of your love forever. I will sing of your love forever. I will sing of your love forever. I think I could have written that song. It goes on and it repeats itself. And one pastor, after having that song sang before he preached, stood up and he says, How do you know that you will sing of God's love forever? You just sang 25 times over again that you will sing of His love forever. How do you know? And he rightly responded. He says, you know because God promised you that you would. His past work of grace in Christ Jesus on the cross secures an ongoing present work of grace so that we can have great hope today that indeed we will sing of his love forever. And that leads us to the next thing that Peter highlights, future grace. He has past grace, present grace, and future grace. In verse 4 we read that there is an inheritance for us that can never perish, spoil, or fade, kept in heaven for you. In verses 1 through 12, there is not a single command. There is not a single imperative. There is no law. Peter comes to these needy pilgrim people and he preaches to them the gospel. He holds forth to them the truth of what God accomplished in Christ in the cross and past grace. He states to them in clear terms what God is doing and upholding them in the present grace. And he points them forward to a future grace that is yet to be theirs. And that is the thrust of the text this morning in verse 13. His great thrust is to say hope and that grace that is yet to be yours. While there's not a single command in verses 1 through 12, in verse 13 he makes a transition. And I don't know if you noticed when I read it, but there's a therefore there. And you've heard it said many times that when there's a therefore, stop and ask what the therefore is there for. and especially do that in this case because there is a major transition in Peter's letter here when he takes all of the richness and the full scope of God's grace for us in Christ after highlighting this new existence we have as God's people. He says, therefore, and then he, in a rather creative and very helpful way, gives us a summary teaching of what we need to know and to live as the pilgrim people of God. There are three things that he highlights for us. First, he says that we need to know who we are. Second, in verse 13, he says we need to know where we are going. Third, he says we need to know how we're going to get there. Three things we need to know as the pilgrim people of God, who we are, where we're going, and how to get there. Can you imagine being a pilgrim and not knowing any of those three things? Children, I'm sure you studied in school who the pilgrims were and what they did. They came from a certain land with a certain identity. They were a certain kind of people. And they had a very clear purpose and a very clear goal in mind. They were traveling through a foreign land, you could say, in order to establish and secure and enjoy a hope that was held out before them. As pilgrims, Peter says, there's three things you need to know. Who you are, where you're going, and how you're going to get there. We see that he draws these teachings of verse 13 out of the three aspects of God's gracious work in verses 1 through 12. Notice this. Remember there was a past grace of God that he highlighted in verses 1 through 12? Well, in verse 13, If we use a more literal translation, which unfortunately the NIV does not do, but a more literal translation that many commentators pick up on would go this way. Therefore, having had your minds prepared for action, having had your minds prepared for action, being sober in spirit, hope completely upon the grace that will be revealed to you in Jesus Christ. So the first thing we need to know is who we are, and it's established, it's grounded in the past work of God. Something that has happened to us. And that is why he says, having had your minds prepared for action. You see how this corresponds to verse 3, when he says that you have been given new birth. You see, Peter picks up in verse 13, the first thing is this past work of God in giving us new birth. And that having your mind prepared for action corresponds. What does it mean to have our minds prepared for action? It means that God has given you new birth. It means that God has given you new birth. So who are we as pilgrims? We are those who have been given new birth in Jesus Christ. We are those who have been given the past grace of God. And then Peter proceeds to show that we need to know where we are going. And he highlights that when he says, hope completely on the grace to be given to you in the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is the thrust of the passage, calling us to hope in the grace of Christ. And notice how this corresponds to verse 10 through 11, when he says that concerning this salvation, in verse 10, the prophets, verse 11, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing, when he predicted the sufferings in Christ and all the glories that would follow. Where are we going? We're going to a glorious future that Jesus Christ secured for us when he came. Please turn your Bibles with me to Matthew 19. Matthew 19. Now remember, we're asking the question, what do we need as pilgrims to know? We need to know who we are and we need to know where we're going. And Jesus picks up in Matthew 19 this thought of where we're going. In verse 23, after teaching about the rich young man and saying it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, the disciples respond in verse 25, well, who then can be saved? If the rich can't be saved, who can? And Jesus says, well, with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible. And there we have Peter who comes in in classic Peter fashion and he says, We have left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us? See, Peter believes, but he just misunderstands. He doesn't properly know the truth of what Jesus is saying, but rather than rebuke him like we think maybe Jesus would, Jesus says in verse 28, I tell you the truth. at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for My sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. Jesus says, this is where you're going. This is the hope held out for you, Peter. Whatever you give up in this life is nothing. It's nothing. So place your hope upon what I'm yet to give to you. Fix your hope, as Peter says in our text this morning, upon the grace that will be revealed and given to you when I come again. This is so crucial for us to understand as God's pilgrim people. We need to know where we're going because this world holds out for us again and again and again a false hope of saying, you know, what I have is better because it's here. It's immediate. It's now. You can taste it, see it, smell it, and enjoy it today. Don't hold out for this nebulous future that isn't yours. Take what I have now. Eat and be merry. Of course, it is a strong temptation. It's a great temptation that the church faced in the first century as well. It's always been and always will be a great temptation for God's people who have heard the good news but yet are left wondering when will it all come to completion. Peter says the day is coming. Jesus says the day is coming. Hope in that day. And, of course, what we hope in that Jesus will bring in the future, that future grace, isn't merely future. It's breaking into the present today. And that is why, Peter says, hope in the grace that is being revealed to you. There is an in-breaking of the future grace that is yet to be ours when Christ returns today in the present. It's here now. That future grace isn't merely future. It isn't merely awaited. It's to be enjoyed by us now in the present. And that is the grace, that is the power that God upholds us with today. And you ask, well, how do I receive it? How do I get this grace? And the answer is, as we confess to believe, it is revealed to us, it is given to us, it is dispensed through the preaching of the gospel, through baptism, through the Lord's Supper. And in these things we're reminded of the past grace of God. We're reminded of the shed blood of Christ and of His death. And we're reminded of His resurrection and the new life that is to be ours. And the Lord's Supper, of course, we're reminded of His blood and of His death. But we're also reminded of the feast that is to come at the consummation of all things. And so in these means of grace that God has given, He is now giving to us the grace we need to be preserved, to be strengthened, to be upheld as a pilgrim people who are traveling through a foreign land that is not ultimately our home. We need to know who we are. We need to know where we're going. And we need to understand how we're going to get there. The strength that we need for tomorrow is given to us by God day after day. The Olympics are ongoing and we see many examples of athletes who are well-trained and well-disciplined and who have a very specific goal in mind. And these athletes illustrate for us what Peter is trying to do in this text. You see the athlete, maybe the sprinter, who's in the blocks and he's sitting there focused upon the goal that is yet to be his and he has prepared, he has been disciplined, he has trained and he is at that moment ready to drive forward. The gun sounds and he's off. Step after step after step, he was strengthened in order to drive after that goal that is before him And it is a certainty that he has that the goal is attainable and that the goal is worth the effort. Think about a rock climber, a picture I saw recently, taken from the top on an angle. And he has one hand each in a hole, one foot each up in the rock, just holding himself there, hundreds of feet above the ground. and what struck me wasn't the past effort that this man had to put in to be where he was. It wasn't the present work that he had to do to keep himself there. Nor was it the danger that surrounded him on all sides. But what struck me was how he had his eyes fixed upon the goal that he was aiming for. A determination and a fixedness, a hope that what was coming was well worth the work. We are reminded this morning in the confession of faith of Rebecca that though these illustrations of athletes, as Paul often uses, these illustrations fall far short. For it's not our work that we rest in. It's not our past discipline and labors that we rest in today. It's not our work that we are strengthened by in the present, nor is it our glory that we aim for in the future. It is the past grace of God for Christ that Rebecca confessed to believe in. The past grace of God for us in Christ on the cross. And a conviction that there is a hope of glory to come, that is His glory given to us, breaking into the future, strengthening us, preserving us day by day through the power of the Holy Spirit. We're reminded, beloved, who we are by Peter. And we could think of it in terms of Romans 8, 28 and following. That all of those whom God foreknew, He predestined. And all of those who are predestined are justified. And all of those who are justified will be glorified. There is a hope, there is a confidence, a conviction that because of the past grace of God, we are justified. because of the future grace of God to come, we will indeed be glorified. And between then and now, He promises the grace we need to be sustained in our sanctification. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ this morning? Peter writes this letter to you in order to bolster your faith and to give you strength and to fix your hope upon the glories that are yet to come for you in Jesus Christ. He's coming again. He's coming again, and when He does, there will be great grace for us and a glorious future as His people, His pilgrim people, come home. Amen. Our Father in Heaven, we thank You so much for the glorious news of Your salvation that You have given to us in Jesus Christ. We thank You that the past grace of Christ secure as for us a future grace yet to come and that you are presently upholding us by your gracious and sovereign hand. Oh, that we might come to know more fully these truths and be strengthened as your people to live a life, as Peter says, of joy even though troubled by many sufferings and persecutions in this present evil age. We ask you in his name. Amen.