The hope that is in you

We return to 1 Peter this week and move deeper into the heart of this powerful letter.  Peter anticipates cultural push back against believers who profess faith in Jesus as Lord.  Believers then knew that their faith could result in persecution, and as we study this letter together we must ask ourselves what is the cost of faith in 2022? Will it be easy going for everyone who confesses Christ as the one Lord and Saviour for all?  Will dedicated Christians, who normally seek to live in peace with everyone, face more pressures to conform to cultural norms that are inconsistent with God’s will?  We do not know, and not knowing can become tremendously unsettling.

Perhaps you’ve felt the pressure. Maybe you experienced push back in milder forms and it’s causing a little bit of anxiety as you enter a new year. The church has been through this before and thankfully, God knows how to settle your heart. Through Peter, he reminds us of the hope within, and calls us back to the core of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Our lives must be expressions of this internal hope (not examples of our anger or fear because of pressure to conform). Even if our hope is challenged, criticized, or condemned, we need to share it with gracious integrity knowing our faith is not in vain and confident of Christ’s promise of eternal life.  In this weekend’s message we’ll see four points in Peter’s strategy for dealing with persecution of the Christian faith.

Message: The hope that is in you
Text: 1 Peter 3:13-17
Pastor Dwayne Francois
January 2, 2022