THE HOPE GOD GIVES
Real Hope In Real Times - Part 2


TEXT- 1 PETER 1:3-5

INTRODUCTION

This morning I am going to continue with the study I recently began from the book of First Peter.

If you remember the last time we looked at this book we discovered the reason Peter was writing this book was to give hope to those early Christians who were experiencing some sever trials and problems in their lives.

All of us need hope.  In fact it has been discovered that we as human beings can not survive without hope.

And it would seem to me that most of the world today is in search for hope.

Even the United States today needs hope.

The people of this country are hoping that the economy will pick up and become better.

They are hoping for a President that will lead our country out of the pits.

A man was visiting the grave site of a friend and laid some flowers against the headstone.  When he was leaving the cemetery he noticed an oriental man lay some rice on the grave of a friend.  He asked, "when do you expect your friend to come and eat the rice?"  The oriental man replied, "when your friend comes to smell the flowers."

My grandfather was not a man of hope.  One of the phrases he used to say was, “We live in hopes and die in despair.”
 
For the Christian there is hope not only in this life, but also in the life to come.

This morning our text is found in 1 Peter 1:3-5 and the title of my message is, "The Hope God Gives".

As we examine this passage we find Peter describing for us three aspects of the Christian's hope.