Put Your Resurrection Hope into Gear!

3rd Sunday of Easter, 4/30/17
1 Peter 1:17-21


Put Your Resurrection Hope into Gear!
I. Live as fearful strangers.
II. Live as redeemed children of God.


I know you might have learned this decades ago, but do you recall what potential energy is? Examples of it surround us in daily life. A large boulder firmly planted in a vast stretch of level ground doesn’t possess much, if any, potential energy. But the same large boulder precariously perched on the side of a very steep incline possesses a tremendous amount of potential energy. At any moment it could become dislodged and tumble down that hill or cliff, potentially doing a great deal of damage to structures below it.

Two weeks ago today we celebrated the greatest release of spiritual energy in the history of sinful humankind. We celebrated the powerful and glorious resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But that wasn’t simply a bright, victorious moment for Jesus. The power Jesus released in his resurrection from the dead changed us completely. It brought us from death to life, from hell to heaven, from bondage to freedom, from fear to joy, from despair to hope.

And by “hope” I don’t mean something that might possibly occur. I mean you and I have a bright outlook on our future because our eternity is secure, absolutely certain. And nothing that could or will happen to us in this life can alter that future in any way.

Peter speaks to us about that hope in today’s sermon text. What he impresses on us is that our Christian hope is not simply some truth we commemorate once a year, much like our birthdays. It has tremendous potential energy for our lives. So put it into gear! Move it from “park” to “drive”! Put your resurrection hope into gear!

Part I.

One of the questions that perplexes far too many people is this: What’s the purpose of life? Closely linked to that question is this one: What is your purpose in life? Philosophers have asked that question this way: Why are you here?

I poked around the internet for a few minutes, asking that question. You can imagine what I found. The purpose of life is to reproduce. The purpose of life is to wake up, go to work, eat, find something that interests you for a few hours, go to sleep and do it all over again the next day. The purpose in life is to find joy and happiness. Far too many answers indicated that the person had no idea. Still others were certain of one thing—no one can be certain of the purpose of life. Given the tremendous value of life, it’s tragic that some have no idea what life’s purpose is or could be so misguided.

As Christians, we don’t have that problem. Peter spends a good deal of time talking about what our purpose in life is. But at first you might not like what you hear. Listen again to what he tells us, “Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.” If I were to ask you what your purpose in life is, I’m going to guess you wouldn’t reply, “To live as strangers here in reverent fear.” Living as strangers and living in fear are both concepts we try to avoid. So what is Peter trying to tell us? How can we understand these concepts properly, as God intended us to?

First, we live as strangers here on earth when we live each day knowing that our lives here are only temporary. This is not the life God had in mind for us when he created the world in perfection. Sin literally ruins everything for us in this life. Our purpose here is not to amass wealth or possessions, to eat, drink and be merry, to strive to find happiness and joy. Our purpose here is to come to faith in Jesus as our Savior who has won for us eternal life with him. As the familiar hymn states, “I’m but a stranger here; heaven is my home.”

OK, we’re willing to live like that. But are you willing to live in reverent fear? First let’s state what Peter does not mean with these words. He does not want us to live our lives in constant fear and trepidation. He doesn’t want us to live our lives haunted by the fear that, at any moment, God is going to unleash his holy wrath against us. Our God unleashed his wrath over our sins on his Son when Jesus died on Calvary’s cross.

So what does Peter mean? “Reverent fear” is reverence and respect for God. It’s living your life as a Christian because that’s the way God tells you to live your life. It’s the opposite of demanding, “I’ll live how I want to because it’s my life!” It’s the opposite of flirting with sin as if it’s no big deal. It’s reminding yourself that we daily answer to God how we live, speak, think and feel.

That’s a tall order! How can we possibly do that? Through the power of Christ’s resurrection. Remember what we stated when we began. The resurrection of Jesus has literally changed everything in your life. In your baptism the power of Christ’s resurrection made you his own child for eternity. He set you on a course for life with him. That’s a powerful reminder that this life isn’t IT. The next life IS.

Put your resurrection hope into gear! Live as fearful strangers.

Now that we know what living as strangers in reverent fear means, are you willing to put your resurrection hope into gear and live like it? What Christian wouldn’t? Jesus wants me to live like a stranger here with my focus on heaven. Why wouldn’t I want to do that? Jesus wants me to live in reverence and respect for him. Why wouldn’t I want to do that? But do you realize how difficult that is? Truly it’s a daily battle. We’re struggling every day against a sinful nature that constantly screams, “Me! Me! Me!” We live in a world that bombards us with messages, suggestions, and a worldview that caters to Number One. Why not grab as much for yourself as you can? If you don’t, the next person will and you’ll be left with nothing. That’s the monumental struggle we’re in every day. So how can we live as strangers here in reverent fear? Put your resurrection hope into gear! The resurrection of Jesus assures you that Jesus died for every time we live like this life is IT and we’re IT too. And his resurrection was the power in our baptisms that created a New Person within us—a person who loves Jesus and loves to live like we love Jesus. The power to live as fearful strangers comes from Jesus. Stay connected to him through his word and sacrament. He shares both of them with us. Get us much of them as you can! Put your resurrection hope into gear!

Part II.


This past week Michael Bloomberg was in the news. I had no idea how rich he is. He’s one of the ten richest people in the world, worth nearly $50 billion.

What are you worth? You might be doing some rough math in your head, trying to recall what you currently have in savings, investments, your house and property, some vehicles. I don’t know any of your financial situations, but I’m going to guess it’s not close to a billion dollars.

But Peter tells you that you’re actually worth far more than that. He states, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ.” All of Bloomberg’s fortune couldn’t have purchased a single one of you. Throw in the wealth of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett as well. You still don’t have enough. Not for one single person. It took something of infinite value. The precious blood of Christ. There’s no other substance like it. It’s what God paid to redeem you. Boggles the mind, doesn’t it? That’s what you’re worth to God. He was willing to pay the blood of his own Son for you. Why?

So that you could belong to him. Now, don’t think that’s some deviant method of using you. God did not purchase you so that he could sling you around and make you do things against your will. His desire to purchase you wasn’t spawned by some sadistic desire.

Just the contrary. Absolutely the opposite. God’s wanted to purchase you so that he could bless you beyond what you can imagine. Can you imagine a life in which everything goes just as you want it to? Can you imagine a life free of stress and frustration? Can you imagine living free from pain and fatigue? Can you imagine a life in which everyone else wants what you want? Actually, that life isn’t some fairy tale. It’s a reality for you because of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. His resurrection assures us that when he died for us he won that perfect life for us. His resurrection assures us that his precious blood did redeem us so that we belong to him forever. That’s our resurrection hope.

Put it into gear! Live as redeemed children of God.

How long would you have to search to find someone willing to pay $1 million for you? Would you even try? You have a God who insisted on paying infinitely more for you. He sacrificed his Son so that you could be his forever. And not only that, the resurrection of Jesus is the power source for you to live like a redeemed child of God. So let me ask you: What will you do this week to put the power of Christ’s resurrection into gear? How will you make this week different from last week? What opportunities to reflect the love of Jesus will you grab and make use of? How will you use your resurrection hope to make someone’s life better? To share your resurrection hope with them?

The potential of Christ’s resurrection hope fills us. Put it into gear! Amen.