A Living Hope | 1 Peter 1:3–9
What sustains faith when life feels hard, uncertain, or quietly exhausting? What keeps a church steady when the world around it is changing and familiar patterns no longer hold?
In this sermon from 1 Peter 1:3–9, we are reminded that the Christian life begins, continues, and ends with hope – not a vague optimism, but a living hope rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Peter writes to a scattered and weary church. These believers are not powerful or influential. They are living faithfully in difficult places, facing pressure, opposition, and uncertainty. And yet Peter does not rebuke them or urge them to try harder. Instead, he lifts their eyes to what God has already done for them in Christ.
At the heart of this passage is a reminder that salvation is a gift of mercy. We are not self-improved; we are reborn. Through the resurrection of Jesus, God has given us new birth into a hope that is alive, secure, and future-facing. This hope is not dependent on our strength, success, or circumstances. It is anchored in what God has done and what God has promised to do.
Peter describes this hope as an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. Unlike everything else in our world, it cannot be taken away. It is kept by God himself, and we are guarded by his power as we live by faith in the present, waiting for the full revealing of what is to come.
The passage is also honest about suffering. Trials are not denied or minimised. But they are reframed. They are not signs of failure or abandonment. Rather, they refine faith, revealing what is genuine and strengthening trust in Christ. Christian joy, Peter reminds us, does not cancel grief. It holds joy and sorrow together, rooted in the assurance of salvation.
Perhaps most striking is Peter’s observation that these believers love Jesus even though they have never seen him. Their faith is not built on spectacle or success, but on relationship. Through the Spirit, they know Christ, trust him, and rejoice in him – even in hardship.
This sermon invites us to resist nostalgia and fear, and instead to live as a people shaped by resurrection hope. It calls us to worship, to abide in Christ, and to live faithfully and visibly in our city today.
You can listen to the full sermon below.
To explore more about life at St Paul’s & St Barnabas, visit our website, where you’ll find sermon podcasts, service information, and details of what’s happening in the life of the church.
And if you’re nearby, you would be very welcome to join us in person this Sunday as we gather to worship, hear God’s word, and live out the hope we have in Jesus Christ.
w.
.png)
0 Comments