God's Power

1 Peter chapter 1 verses 3 through 6. 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 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.

You may be seated. So what we've already discussed about the letter of 1 Peter as it was written by the Apostle Peter. It was written to exiles who are suffering persecution. It was written to encourage them to remain steadfast in holiness and to have hope for their future deliverance from the exile that they're now in. It was written so that people would know what God wants them to do in their present circumstances that they're in.

So when Peter says, if necessary you have been grieved by various trials. I'm sure that everyone in this room should receive some comfort from that. And so we're going to look here at why he says these things. So we left off at verse 3 last week. We're going to look at verse 4 briefly when Peter describes an inheritance. So each and every one of us who is a Christian today has been adopted by God as a son of God, or you could say as a daughter of God.

But we are heirs with Christ. And if we're heirs, then that means that there's an inheritance to be received from God. This inheritance is, if you think about an earthly inheritance, it's when somebody passes away, they pass on what was theirs into the possession of someone else. And so we are going to inherit a possession one day and that is going to happen when we die or when Jesus returns and takes us with him.

We will receive our inheritance, an inheritance that we could not have earned, that was earned for us by the perfect Son of God, Jesus Christ. But there's three things that Peter uses to describe our inheritance which should bring you comfort. Because if I tell my daughter, like if I get something tomorrow in the mail and I look at my daughter and say, you know what, when I die I want you to have this.

But the thing doesn't look like it will last much more than 10 years anyway. That doesn't give her much hope probably. She doesn't want me to die right away so she can have it. And so chances are she'll never see that inheritance. If I have a million dollars saved up and I tell my kids, hey, whatever I don't spend is yours, and then I spend it, that doesn't help them.

But Peter wants to assure us that the inheritance that has been stored up in heaven for us is different from the types of inheritances that we have seen in this world that maybe some of us have experienced. Or maybe some of us have experienced the family member who wrote you out of the will, where there was an inheritance that all the other siblings received, but then you didn't receive any because of whatever disapproval that that person had upon you. So three words are used to describe the inheritance in verse 4.

To an inheritance that is imperishable. So if something is imperishable, it means it cannot die. So when you think about going to a food bank, if anybody here has ever helped with a food pantry or a food bank, they ask you for what kind of food. Do you remember the word they use? They say non-perishables usually. and non-perishable. They don't want food that's going to rot because they know a lot of the food is going to set on a shelf and it's going to wait for the people to show up and then they give them a limited amount so that the people don't eat all the food or in a lot of cases just sell it so they can buy something else anyway.

They want non-perishables. They want things that won't die. So this is why we donate canned goods and things like that to food pantries. And so if you think about your inheritance that's in heaven, you think about it's something that can never die. So look at Matthew 6. I'm going to have you turn in your Bible again today.

If that's something that you don't like, I'm not sorry. I think we should all be able to page through our Bibles, and we should love what we see there. And what we really want to see is that God's Word comments on itself sufficiently. for believers to be able to understand what it says. Thank you. God's Word is the perfect commentator of itself. Who knows the spirit of anyone except that person's spirit?

Who knows the mind of anyone except that person's spirit? And God's Spirit is written in the Bible. Matthew 6.19, Jesus tells us, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. So earthly treasures can get ruined, they can get destroyed, they can die, they can perish. He says, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

So your inheritance that Peter is telling you about in 1 Peter is imperishable, meaning that it's in heaven. It cannot perish This isn something that is sitting in an attic somewhere and it was beautiful and pristine and then the next time you go to get it it all moldy or it been eaten through by some kind of moth or it could get rusted because of mold or mildew or any number of things that could go wrong with even the nicest earthly things that we have. Even the nicest things we find on earth, the things that we think can be preserved for a very long time, they all eventually break down and die.

Not your inheritance that is kept in heaven for you. It's imperishable. The next word Peter uses to describe your inheritance is that it's undefiled. Yes, amen. Undefiled means that it's holy. It's pure.

That there is a purity about it that you will one day get to actually see it and hold it. In the sense that you will one day be made sinless as well. You will have a glorified body that God gives you. And the inheritance that you await is not an earthly inheritance that's been corrupted by sin. It's not something that's somehow tainted, but it's undefiled.

So it's imperishable, it cannot die. It's undefiled. It's holy. And it's unfading. if it's unfading it means it's not going to lose any of its light or any of its luster so if you've ever seen an old picture sometimes in your house even like old 4x6 pictures that we have they fade over time there's things that we have that start nice, they start shiny and then they fade and it's just because of wear and tear It's not necessarily the same as being perishable, where it will die.

But it can just fade a little bit. It's not as nice as it once was. Your inheritance, if you are a born-again Christian, the inheritance that God has kept in heaven for you and is waiting for you, will never fade. It will always be as perfect, amen, as holy, as full of light and lustrous as it ever once was. it doesn't fade, it doesn't die, and it's incorruptible.

Just like your flesh will one day be. I love the amen guy. Thank you. But in verse 5, Peter's talking about this inheritance. Well, in verse 4 he talked about the inheritance. In verse 5 it starts with the word who.

And Peter's talking about you, the one for whom the inheritance is being kept. And Peter says, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. So you are being guarded through faith for your salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. So we talked about how if you are a Christian today, it means that you were elected.

It means you were predestined. It means you were called. And it means that you were regenerated. you were granted faith and you've been justified in the eyes of God so that's called the ordo salutis that's the order of salvation there's logically a sequence of events that had to occur for you to get to the point where you've been justified but if you're sitting in this room it means you're being sanctified and you have not yet been glorified and when the Bible speaks of salvation it often talks about it in terms of our justification but sometimes when the Bible talks about salvation it's talking about the ultimate salvation the glorification, that's what happens at the finish when God conforms believers perfectly to Christ's image right, the quote Shilin for you and so we're waiting for our glorification and that's going to be revealed in the last time and it's our faith that we have now that holds us to that Your faith that you have today is part of your promise from God that you will one day be glorified.

But what I want to focus on for the rest of the time is this little phrase, God's power. Because Peter tells us that our inheritance is kept in heaven for us. He says, who, us, by God's power are being guarded. and I want to see what is God's power what does it mean Luke 22 69 first aspect of God's power I want to talk about is that God is power talking about God's power is synonymous of talking about God you can't separate God from his power Luke writes and this is it says but Jesus is speaking but from now on the son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God so God is equated with his power you can't separate him Power is not some bag of tricks that God yields.

He is His power. Stephen Charnock wrote, The power of God is that ability and strength whereby He can bring to pass whatsoever He pleases, whatsoever His infinite wisdom may direct, and whatsoever the infinite purity of His will may resolve. as holiness is the beauty of all God's attributes so power is that which gives life and action to all the perfections of the divine nature how vain would be the eternal counsels if power did not step in to execute them So we just read that in the London Baptist Confession of Faith That it's God's power that executes his decree, right? Continuing with the quote from Charnock.

Without power his mercy would be but feeble pity. His promises an empty sound. his threatenings a mere scarecrow God's power is like himself infinite, eternal, incomprehensible it can neither be checked, restrained nor frustrated by the creature Spurgeon said God's power is like himself self-existent, self-sustained the mightiest of men cannot add so much as a shadow of increased power to the omnipotent one he sits on no buttressed throne and leans on no assisting arm his court is not maintained by his courtiers nor does it borrow its splendor from his creatures he is himself the great central source and originator of all power Spurgeon always says it good doesn't he but Stephen Charnock wrote a book called The Attributes of God if anybody's interested in that and Spurgeon constantly exalted God's perfections throughout his sermons Revelation 19.1 you don't have to turn to this one it says after this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven crying out Alleluia salvation and glory and power belong to our God so again God is power power is equated with God Psalm 62 11 get ready to jump around in your Bible Psalm 62 11 we're about to start and if my if my practice I did is any proof we're going to have to move quickly but I want you to see these verses if you want me to send them to you after for more review I will I want you to see them in your Bible Once God has spoken in Psalm 62, 11. Once God has spoken.

Twice have I heard this, that power belongs to God. Once God has spoken. What a wonderful phrase. He doesn't need to repeat himself. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. He said, let there be light, and there was light. the only time God has to repeat himself is with dull creatures like us that refuse to listen on the first one so God is power God's power is creative it's an upholding power it's absolute so Genesis 1.1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth God created out of nothing at all there isn't a person alive that can do that you can't even really fathom it there's an old joke about scientists telling God they're able to create life.

And they said they figured out how to create life from dirt. And God says, okay, go ahead. And the scientist picks up a pile of dirt. And God says, well, you've got to get your own dirt. You've got to make your own dirt, though. God is the source of all creation.

Exodus 32.11. Exodus 32.11. That's in the Old Testament. Moses wrote Exodus. in Exodus 32-11 but Moses implored Yahweh his God and said O Yahweh why does your wrath burn hot against your people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand so it was with God's power that the Israelites were led out of Egypt and everybody should remember some of that story at least the plagues that rained down the plagues that finally caused Pharaoh to even send the Israelites out.

In Exodus 14, verse 31, Israel saw the great power that Yahweh used against the Egyptians. So the people feared Yahweh and they believed in Yahweh and in his servant Moses. God's power that he used against the Egyptians was also part of his testimony of who he is that people may fear him and believe. Jeremiah 10.12. We're looking at God's power in upholding his universe, in creating, in having complete and absolute sovereign control and power over all that exists.

Jeremiah 10.12 and then we're going to go to Job it is he who made the earth by his power who established the world by his wisdom and by his understanding stretched out the heavens God's power is creative it's sovereign and absolute over his creation Job 36 22 we're jumping around I don't apologize because I want you to see how frequently throughout the Bible we see God's power exalted and exhibited. Real quick, just my bookmark was in here, Job 42 too. I know that you can do all things and no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

That was Job 42. but in Job 36, it should be good for people to learn how to go back and forth in their Bibles, how to find things quickly. It good practice for children especially Job 36 22 Behold look He saying stop and look When you see behold in the Bible it not just a word to read past It's telling you to stop and look. It says, behold, God is exalted in His power.

Who is a teacher like Him? Now we're going to go to Job 26. We're going to stay there for a second. So now you have a chance to rest. Job 26. We're going to read a few verses here together.

This is God the Creator. Job 26, verse 7. Did you find it okay? Oh, wait a second. We're going to stay in this one longer, so I'll let people get there. we're talking about God's power it should be mind blowing to us he stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing so if you're anything like I am you have trouble hanging a picture sometimes God hangs the earth on nothing he binds up the waters in his thick clouds and the cloud is not split open under them.

He covers the face of the full moon and spreads over it his cloud. He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke. By his power he stilled the sea. He separated the Red Sea for Moses, remember? By his understanding, he shattered Rahab.

By his wind, the heavens were made fair. His hands pierced the fleeing serpent. So this is a non-stop commentary on the creative and powerful acts of God since the beginning of creation. Amazing power that we can't even begin to understand and then listen to what he says. Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways. And how small a whisper do we hear of him?

These are the outskirts. This is a whisper. God creating the entire universe, making more stars than I can count that are actually in my own galaxy, which is only one of as many galaxies that there's more stars that I could I mean the numbers are amazing God's powerful creation of creating things at the atomic level of all the different elements of creating life that actually creates more life all the things God has done stopping the sea according to this verse it's just the fringe like we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what God's power means is what this is telling us so everything I just told you about God's power every moment you may have been in a little bit of awe of God's power which you should be, what he's saying is that this is not even close to describing his true power, this is nothing for him but the thunder of his power, who can understand It's unfathomable.

In Hebrews 1.3, Jesus Christ is described. In Hebrews 1.3, He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. So in case somebody didn't know that Jesus Christ is God, and thus Jesus Christ is power, And in Romans 1.20, we're given a little more clue here that God's power is actually clear to people.

For His invisible attributes, namely His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. God's power is so obviously on display in creation that no one can deny it. the point is this you don't actually need the Bible to know that God is amazingly powerful God has revealed it through nature so anybody that denies God's power is denying more than even just the Bible they're denying what's clearly perceived it's simply irrational but God is powerful His name is synonymous with power He's powerful in creation and being able to uphold creation and have power over creation, but God's power goes to salvation as well. Stay in Romans 1, turn to verse 16.

Paul says, I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. God's power is in His gospel to save people. God can save people because of the gospel. 1 Corinthians 1.18 another verse where it references God's power this is talking about when we preach the gospel to people when we tell people hey it's 2020 we're in the middle of a pandemic but if today you will believe that almost 2000 years ago a guy walked the earth that was actually God, and he did a bunch of miraculous stuff, and he proclaimed himself to be the Son of God in power, and if you believe that he actually was for your sins at the time, and then rose again and ascended into heaven, you can be forgiven of all your sins today.

That's what we tell people. And according to this, the word of the cross is folly, it's foolish, to those who are perishing. God has actually created the situation in such a way that the very message we tell people to save them, to some of them will be seen as absolutely foolish. It is an extremely rare person that will look at you and say, wow, that's a very reasonable religion you have there.

I just don't believe in it. People will be either oppositional to it, or they will believe it ultimately. Some people will appear to be okay with it, just because they don't want to fight. But the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing. But to us who are being saved, those who are justified and are being saved, meaning we're being sanctified on our way to glorification, receiving the inheritance, It is the power of God.

So when I stand and I tell somebody the gospel, when you stand and tell someone the gospel, when you tell someone at work, when you tell your cousin, your aunt, your nephew, your friend, whoever it is, when you tell them about the cross, and they tell you it's foolish, they are fulfilling the scripture. And if you avoid telling them about the cross, about the crucifixion, the bloody death of Jesus Christ for sins and then the resurrection, if you avoid that, you are actually avoiding using the power that's been given to you. It's like you're going to cut off your electricity and then you're going to try to make toast.

You can forget about it. Don't neglect what God has told us is His power for salvation. It is in the Gospel, Romans 1.16. It's in the preaching of the cross, 1 Corinthians 1.18. God's regeneration is another form of his creative power. I didn't write this quote down, but I remember reading that Spurgeon wrote, God's regeneration is actually a better exhibition of his power than creation ex nihilo.

Because to create out of nothing for God was no big deal. He just made stuff. But for God to take a corrupt and lost sinner like you or me, and to regenerate us and actually give us a new heart and to make us somebody that he could set his love upon is a greater act of his power to convert a sinner to a saint than even to create the whole world. So God's power is able to uphold the world.

God's power is able to save souls. And God's power is able to resurrect you. So 1 Corinthians 6.14 we're focused on God's power. In 1 Corinthians 6.14 Paul says, And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Now we're starting to get to the point where we're actually talking about the hope that's laid up for us in the future. Because it's one thing to think that God could create a new earth if He wanted. it's another thing to believe that God apparently has granted you faith that Jesus Christ actually died for your sins and rose again we can all see that but to start to think God's going to actually raise me up after I die we have a natural fear of death death is a terrible thing don't let anybody tell you death is just part of life it's not death is actually the interruption of life death was introduced because of the sin that Adam and Eve committed and because of the curse that God put on us.

Death is not natural. It's not good. Death is terrible. Death is a punishment for sin and evil. And there will be no more death one day. Whenever you wonder if something's good or bad, think about, well, will it be there in heaven?

If it's not going to be there in heaven, you can at least say, well, I don't know if it's good. it might not be for sure bad death is a terrible thing and we are built to not like death little animals like a little animal that's starting to die will fight for its life it's a natural thing for life to fight for itself it doesn't mean you don't want to see Jesus because you still want to live if I get sick tomorrow I'm going to go get treatment I'm going to try to be treated well so I can live if one of you guys fell down right now and I needed to do CPR, I'd do it. I'd do it poorly. I haven't practiced in a while.

But the point is, is we value life because God is life. God created life. And so you're going to be raised again one day to new life. And having that hope resides only in God's power. You have to believe God has the power to raise you to new life. So that when you face death one day, when you face death one day you can know that it's not the end the reason why the New Testament often calls death sleeping is because it a temporary condition for the Christian It not something to worry about It not something we hope for necessarily, but we're not afraid of death because we believe in the power of God.

Romans 1.4 another verse that's going to teach us that God's power is related to the resurrection of Jesus Christ which we talked about last week is completely tied into our resurrection one day Romans 1.4 Jesus Christ was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of Holiness by His resurrection from the dead. Jesus' resurrection is not just some magical event that happened. It's not something that men can do.

This isn't something that people are doing at the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry right now. It's not happening anywhere in the world right now. There's no human being that has the power on their own or even granted by God to resurrect others from the dead. But God has the power. and he granted that power temporarily to a couple apostles and prophets at various times when it made sense for him to validate his message and the message that those prophets were preaching but God has the power to raise Jesus Christ from the dead he had the power to lay down his own life and raise it back up himself that's power none of us has even the hope to prevent our own death Jesus said I'll lay my life down when I want and I'll raise it back up That's power.

That should scare you. The man who walked on water then calmed the storm, remember how the apostles reacted? They were scared. Because that kind of power can be dangerous in unholy hands. Every movie we see where a bad guy gets superpowers, it's always like, uh-oh, we've got to stop this guy. Because as soon as he wants to do something that isn't nice, he's going to hurt people, right? that's why we don't have a dictator in the United States or a king or whatever because we want one guy to have a lot of power who's corrupt and sinful but Jesus Christ is perfect and holy and he has a perfectly wise counsel and his power will affect all of his good and perfect will so it's actually a source of fear but it's also a source of comfort because once we've been made right with God through Jesus Christ we don't fear that His power will be used to smite us, but rather we trust that His power is what's going to be used to resurrect us and keep us from evil.

In Philippians 3, one last verse about resurrection power. 321, well, verse 10, he refers to it, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection. This is Paul. he wants to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified basically so that he'll know him and the power of his resurrection Paul wants to know the power of Jesus' resurrection how much more should we desire that Paul saw the resurrected Jesus like with his eyes it blinded him but that was temporary and then in 21 Jesus Christ will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body you'll be resurrected and you'll get a new body and it'll be like his glorious body and it's going to be by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself which he's doing right now so Jesus God is power God's power is creative it upholds creation and it's absolutely powerful over creation he can change anything he wants at any time he wants God doesn't follow the laws of nature He created them.

God has power over salvation. He's able to change a sinner into a saint on a moment's notice, when he wants, with no warning. And he does it through the means that he's chosen. God has resurrection power. He can take the dead and make them alive, both spiritually and physically. Turn to 2 Corinthians 12.

So for the hurting now. So for the person who has sinned so grievously that you wonder, can God love me? Can God really save me? Or maybe your circumstances are so difficult that you're starting to question, well maybe God who says he loves me doesn't really love me. Because how would God let something this terrible happen to one of his children? in 2 Corinthians 12 verse 9 Paul says but he said to me my grace is sufficient for you so God's talking to Paul when Paul was asking for some help because of some difficulty he was facing and God didn't God didn't answer Paul's prayer the way Paul wanted he said my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness Paul says therefore because God power is made perfect in my weakness I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me For the sake of Christ, then I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.

For when I am weak, then I am strong. Paul understood what we all need to understand, that God is not looking for those who are powerful in this world. God's not looking for people who are strong, good-looking, good speakers, whatever good qualities we can sometimes have, some of which help us be successful, whether it's in business. I hope you're smart.

You kids, I hope you're smart and you do good in school and you can produce good things in this world. I hope so. That's not why God uses people. God uses people that he chooses to use and the ones that God chooses are weak at least in some ways so that his power can be displayed ultimately it's so that no man can take credit for the good things that God does so you feeling weak is actually the first step in being able to see God's power displayed in your life you realizing that it's only God that can do the things that you want to accomplish I mean look at this church we talk today how we hope we need a bigger communion platter one day I hope we have bread falling off the edges or whatever we want to see people changed but we want to see people changed by the power of God we believe that God has that power as well and we have hope in that but don't Don't be despairing because you're weak.

Don't be despairing because of calamity, tribulation, persecution, nakedness, famine, sword, danger. Don't worry about those things. Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ Jesus our Lord. Trust in God's power to end those things one day when He decides and trust that at some point those difficulties you're facing, the weakness that you feel in your life, God's actually going to use that for His own glory.

And His power is going to be displayed through you. Don't be jealous of other people and their strengths and gifts and things like that. It's no different than being jealous of wicked people who prosper in this world. Don't do that. God made you the way He made you. He made some of us smarter, faster, taller, fatter, weaker, shorter, bolder, deeper voices, higher voices, better singers, worse singers.

Some people can get up and speak to a group and it doesn't bother them at all. Some people would never get up in front of people. We all have different ways God made us, and we shouldn't hate that. We should trust that God's going to use us for His glory the way He sees fit through us. But God's power, ultimately, is eschatological. that means God has the power to affect what he wants to affect in the end so in 1 Corinthians 15 24 a few more verses to turn to hopefully it's good for you I think it's good to see how many places in the Bible in different sections we see the same message over and over whether it was Paul, whether it was Peter, whether it was Jesus whether it was Nahum, whether it was Job or one of Job's buddies who said a lot of things they shouldn't have at times, that's still Scripture.

Job's buddies said a lot of truthful things about God that simply didn't apply to the situation they were in. But they said a lot of really good things about God that we can learn from because all Scripture is good and is profitable. 1 Corinthians 15.24 Jesus Christ is going to resurrect all the people from the dead. Right? That's the beginning. He says, then comes the end.

When he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. Every rule, every authority and power. Jesus Christ is more powerful than every other power. Any other power that exists is derived from him in the first place. if Satan has the power to do anything it's because God gave him the power there's an old saying that Satan's on a leash that God controls Satan doesn't even have the power to move without God that's what we have to remember God's power will come in the end and he will make read 26 the last enemy to be destroyed is death for God has put all things in subjection under his feet Jesus Christ is going to destroy even death death is not part of life death is a horrible interruption of life it's a terrible thing and the only reason Jesus Christ hasn't cast death into a lake of fire already is because there's still people in this world that he's going to save there's still glory that he wants to reveal about himself through this creation and what he has still decreed is going to happen and so while you hurting while you sad while you missing out on being with Jesus right now while you long for his return Paul said he'd prefer to be with Christ for it is far better.

But he's convinced that remaining and continuing with the people here was what he needed to do for their sake. and so we trust God if he leaves us here that it's for a reason Peter said baptism corresponds to the ark bringing the people through the water corresponds to this he says baptism now saves you we'll talk about that verse in a couple years or so when we get to 1 Peter 3 he says but let me turn to it 1 Peter 3. Baptism which corresponds to this now saves you not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He says, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Christ's power is above all. There is no power that is above God's. In 2 Peter 3, Peter writes about how God's going to return. And He's going to remake the world. That's power. But what Peter talked about in the chapter 1 was that it's by God's power that were being guarded for this inheritance.

Jesus said the same thing in John chapter 10. In other words, in John 10, 27 to 29, Jesus finishes telling the people that he's the good shepherd, that the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. And Jesus says to the people in John chapter 10, He says, the sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

It's as if Jesus has these anthropomorphic hands where he's holding his people in his hands. And it's as if Satan and all sorts of other wicked powers want to snatch the people out. And Jesus says, no one will snatch them out of my hand. But then in the next verse, I think it's even more apropos. It says, my Father who has given them to me is greater than all.

Verse 29. And it says, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. It is impossible because of the power of God for anyone to overcome his will and to snatch the sheep out of his hands that are his. So Peter, encouraging the people, at the end of the letter that we're reading, 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 10, he tells the people, after you've suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory himself, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

To him be the dominion forever and ever. Be encouraged today. By God's power you are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed at the last time. And so what you do in the midst of your trials, in the midst of your calamities, even in the midst of your own sin while you're repenting, in this you rejoice you rejoice that God is going to save you one day when the apostles were beaten and put in prison they left the presence of the council and rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus Christ it's actually a privilege to be persecuted along with your Lord and so we may not love what happens.

We may not like that evil is happening. I don't rejoice in my tribulations because I'm happy evil is occurring. But I rejoice knowing that there's an imperishable inheritance laid up in heaven for me, where moth and rust will not destroy. And that every time I suffer tribulation like my Lord, it allows me to identify with Him. And it's the same for you.

So suffer like a good servant with hope. with hope in God's power. Pray with me. Father, thank you that you have shown us your power in so many ways. Help us to respect your power. Help us to love you and to trust in your power to do what you have said and to believe your promises that you've made about us. In Christ's name I pray.

Amen.