Hope in Significance

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0:00 So we started a couple of weeks ago looking at this story from Peter and it's been fun for me. I don't know why it feels like I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about Peter before, but it feels like that. And so this has been fun for me to think about Peter's son. We pulled out this one little line from the letter that our scriptures call first Peter.

0:31 I'm sure it's not the first letter Peter ever wrote, but it's the first of Peter's that comes into the canon for us. And we talked a little bit about how a lot of theologians believe that Peter's writing this from Rome, maybe even under house arrest in Rome waiting for a trial. Of course we talked about how Peter, like all of the eleven, ends up martyred. Peter's actually crucified, but doesn't want to be crucified in the same way as Jesus feels like that would be disrespectful.

1:04 But he's not worthy of that. So they crucified him on an upside-down cross, which Christ fiction sounds terrible to begin with. I don't know how that works upside-down. But in his letter before that happens, he writes a letter to the church that's under persecution, the time we think maybe Emperor Nero. And he tells him in that first Peter letter that we looked at a couple weeks ago, that they have a hope and inheritance that is awaiting them, that is undefiled, undiminished, imperishable.

1:41 That they have an inheritance, something that belongs to them because of who they are, that will not perish, will not fade or go away, will not be diminished, get worse, will not fade or fail over time, and inheritance awaiting them, that will not change or decay. That cannot be marred because of time or change and inheritance there. So whether they go through suffering or blessing in life, this is coming for them on the other end.

2:13 And he describes then that this inheritance might be a hope that buoys them even in the midst of suffering and persecution. And we talked about this unique temptation for us in the world today because of where we sit, in the country we sit, in the time that we are in, we might think that we don't have suffering. We're not being persecuted under Nero. There's a temptation for us to feel like our lives are pretty good, and your life probably is pretty good, but that doesn't mean that your suffering doesn't count.

2:45 To the degree that you try to dismiss suffering or hardship, you will spend that degree of time diverting your attention from the things that are painful and hard. You won't face them or deal with them. We all have shortcomings and failures. We all have dreams that have dropped on the ground. We all have relationships that are harder than they want to be. We all have confusion in the place of our work. We all have disillusionment in the place of our money. We all have suffering and hardship. And in the place of suffering and hardship comes the hope of your inheritance, to say.

3:21 That your hope is in your inheritance waiting for you. Set aside, accomplish your living hope set aside and accomplished by Jesus. And last week we talked about this impetus that Peter then says that it's not enough then merely that you have this hope, but he says because you have this hope, you're ready to make a defense for the hope. And we sometimes think last week about why would he encourage or even instruct the first century church to be prepared to give a defense for the hope that they have in Christ Jesus.

3:57 We said there might be two reasons. One, they might need a defense. When suffering perpetuates, right? When friends of ours continue to go through disease, when death continues to come around, when we continue to see stories about refugees in camp, when we continue to see systems that perpetuate injustice over and over again, it might be easy to forget or release the inheritance waiting for us.

4:31 So it's important that we have a defense for our hope. But then also we looked at the story of Peter and his is an example like so many in scripture that say for some reason God waits to work in the world until people carry his message out. That God doesn't most often in the story of scripture, God doesn't tell people about the hope immediately, directly. He tells people about the hope through folks. So we looked at this story where Peter is arrested for announcing the good news of Jesus. And an angel breaks into the prison and lets Peter out in the middle of the night.

5:13 And then tells Peter when it gets to be morning and people around the temple, then go tell the good news again. And it occurs to me that God goes through a lot of trouble to have Peter be the one to tell the good news. That he has to dispose of angel, the angel has to figure out how to break open the bars. Then he does it in the middle of the night so it's not to draw attention to himself. And then it's the middle of the night so now they've got to wait till the morning for Peter and John to get out and announce the good news. And there's something, the reason that we might have to be ready to give a defense for the hope is because there are people who need it.

5:43 And lastly we talked last week about, sorry I want you to get it all. We talked last week about what that hope might be. Every time Peter preaches in the Acts, even in his letters, he's not breaking down the deep theological significance of vicarious atonement. He's talking about what actually he has hope in. He talks about what he's seen happen in the world.

6:14 He talks about what God has done for him. He talks about what occurs to him, that Jesus Christ is alive, ascended and reigning in heaven. The hope, the defense for the hope is God has done something actually in the world which I have witnessed and experienced. Let me tell you about it. And so the question we ended last week with was, what gives you hope that you might announce to people? What gives you hope?

6:46 I'll let you think about that for a second. What gives you hope? I ask myself that question and it feels a little bit vulnerable to give you the actual answer but I'm going to give it to you anyway. So I ask myself what gives me hope? If someone were to say, why do you perpetuate in the faith when the church is so broken, when the world has so much suffering, why would you continue to believe the story of Jesus?

7:33 The first thing that comes to mind is because it conveys to me a sense of significance. I wrote down significance. And we could go often in my psychology about why that's the first thing. But that's not for sure. We can do that one on one. But I'm not doing a group session this morning. But I don't think it's bad. I think that in there is something important for us and we won't go only on me. I'll come up with other ones for you as we talk through this. But I want to start with an honest one for me.

8:12 Part of the reason I have hope and the hope bullies me that my inheritance might be real is the way it conveys a sense of significance on my life that is self-reinforcing. I find that my life matters. And as I lean into a life that matters, I'm rewarded with a sense of significance that continues to pull me deeper into a life that matters. And the way it matters is inside the narrative of Jesus.

8:42 I want to look at two texts for that. The first one is in Matthew chapter 25 if you'll look there with me. Matthew chapter 25. Jesus is telling some parables in this section about what the reign of God, how it works. And the parables are like, I mean, I know we know the idea of a parable, a story that has one point of connection so that when someone asks them a question instead of answering it directly as the person might appreciate, he gives them a parable where they have to do it.

9:28 They have to dig in and find the meeting and they learn about themselves and they answer to the question at the same time. The things are so amazing to me about the parables of Jesus is it seems like he just comes up with them off the top of his head. Like someone asked them a question and he just comes up with this story. And these stories are like kind of interesting in themselves. But to understand what they mean, people have written the whole books on the parables. And it seems like they just fall out of his brain. Jesus was a lot of things, but one of them might be a genius. Matthew chapter 25 verse 14, he says for it is the kingdom for the kingdom will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.

10:17 Verse 15 to one, he gave five talents to another, two to another one to each according to his ability and then he went away. And he who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them and he made five talents more. So also he had two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and died in the ground and he had his master's money. Verse 19.

10:48 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled the counts with them and he who had received the five talents came forward bringing the five talents more saying, master, you delivered to me five talents here. I have made five talents more and his master said to him, well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over little, so I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. And he also who had two talents came forward saying, master, you delivered me to me two talents here. I have made two talents more.

11:29 His master said to him, well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over little, I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. And he also who had received the one talent came forward saying, listen master, I know I knew that you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. So I was afraid. And I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours. Master, answer him, you wicked and thoughtful servant. You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I have scattered no seed.

12:07 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten for to everyone who has more will be given. And he will have an abundance, but from him who has not even what he has will be taken away. I'm just curious. Anybody heard the story before? Have you heard the story before? Most of the room, sorry to read the whole thing for you.

12:40 There are a couple of points I want to pull out of here. But the first thing is to remind ourselves here is parables are different from allegories. So it's not as though every noun in the parable has a one to one correlation to something else. So it's not as though the talents mean this, the masters, this, the servants are this. It's not as though everything has a one to one. It's different from an allegory. He tells a parable, Jesus tells a parable in order to communicate usually one main point.

13:12 So the main point that we can pull out of this parable of the talents is that the master expects the servants to do something with what he's given them. That this, that faithfulness looks like utilizing what's been given. And that even, that, that expectation then comes with a reward or a proportionate gifting of response even.

13:43 That's what the expectation looks like when you do this and that comes. And then I want to pull out a couple of little slight mentions in here. I like inverse, let's look back at verse 15 to the one he gave five talents to another two, to another each according to his ability. So one of the big things for me in faith that was like a big hook I could hang a lot of my life on is this idea that God cares for the world immediately.

14:20 That God makes a world that remember the story of creation. He imagines the world into existence out of his own will and forethought and puts humanity in there. And then different from the plants and the animals, different from the creatures of the water and those of the field, he gives humanity a specific responsibility. And says, now this creation is yours. I'm expecting you to fill it and subdue it. And it's conspicuous that even before the fall, God has intended in the world to care for the world through humanity.

14:56 God doesn't need Adam and Eve to take care, to rule the earth and subdue it. He prefers for God, for Adam and Eve to rule the world and subdue it. To be his image bearers out into the world. And the miraculous testament to the power of God's creation is that even at the fall, this is not lost. That humanity carries the image of God yet in the world. So that there is an expectation of humanity who continue to carry out work on behalf in the name of the God.

15:39 And I love then that in this parable, when Jesus is describing for people, here is how the reign of God works. He understands and knows and gives to people according to their ability. First part of this significant thing, the reason that I have hope, is that good Lord, the God who made the world and holds it together by the force of his will, is well-versed. First with my ability.

16:13 That God knows every nook and cranny of my heart and mind, my body and creativity. God knows my ability. Not just me, Bob. God knows your ability too. Well, it's family. Just in the back. God, the God who made the world out of his own imagination and holds together still by the force of his will, who imagines all humanity into existence, including little nad.

16:56 He's not done making new people. But for every new person God creates in the world, he does not forget you. That God knows every nook and cranny of your heart, your mind, your personality, your body. He is well-versed in your ability and then. That's expectations for what you might accomplish in the world for him. He is expecting to work in the world through you.

17:30 I like that. This does not mean that there is some small subset of work that is worthy of God's name on it. It's not as though the work he expects us all to do is particularly personally. It's not as though there is a specific quota of people that you must get to attend a church on Sunday morning.

18:03 That's not what it means that God has expectations for what you might do in the world. God created a garden and then expected order, health, prosperity, justice would come into the world through the workings of humanity. One of the examples I like is I wouldn't have spent our infrastructure dollars on 100 more lanes for I-4 through the middle of downtown.

18:35 I might have done some other way to move people around. But nevertheless, God wants people to be able to move across the state of Florida safely. As a matter of fact, it's good that we might be more connected and communicate ideas, even grace and mercy. But God doesn't come down himself and build an interstate from Daytona to Tampa. He expects civil engineers to do their job well. As the degree that they understand that they are the imagebearers of God in the world, a civil engineer might be working on behalf of God making a safe road.

19:13 We have designers and creators in the room. God is interested that beautiful ideas make their way out into the world, but he doesn't capture images or create brand identities on his own. God is interested that teams learn how to work together well so that everybody is called to their best ability to create together and experience the synergy of a good team. But he doesn't manage people. He manages through people. Do you see that God is well appraised with your ability and has set expectations for you to accomplish something in the world?

19:50 This is how he works. Always. Always works. The next thing I'd like for us to see you, so he gave talents according to their ability. I like that. Next then, when they come back and he said, he met the first one, I've made five talents more. Verse 21 is master said to him, well done, good and faithful servant. You've been faithful over a little. I will set you over much. And then when they sum it up in verse 29, for to everyone who has more will be given and he will have an abundance.

20:28 I love that. For he who has, you have been faithful with a little, now you'll be faithful with much. I like this because in my life, the idea that God recognizes the ones who are faithful with a little will be faithful with much allows me to release my notion of significance or importance in the world. I'll give you a very concrete example. When 10 years ago, when I was starting downtown Credo and I was frustrated and wanted to make sure I built a life I liked, I said, what kind of person would I like to be? I said, I'd like to be a person of impact.

21:06 If God is with me, the same spirit that rose Christ from the dead is at work in me, then the city ought to be different because I'm here. So I'd like to be a person of impact. Let me go about and make an impact. I went through a process, which I won't bore you with right now and came up with the project of picking up a track on Parramore Avenue. It was the result of the process and not something I would have picked, certainly. I was not particularly interested in picking up a track on Parramore Avenue on Saturday mornings. I would have rather stayed asleep. At that time, I realized that it was a college game day. I would have rather watched a college game day. I said it morning.

21:41 On a number of occurrences, I may have prayed that it rained so I didn't have to pick up a track on Saturday morning along Parramore Avenue. But on the Saturdays that it did not rain, and I went, what propelled me out of my house to set up tables and write name tags for other people and organize a thing and walk down Parramore Avenue and pick up a track. Well, firefighters laughed at me and people sleeping on bus benches, thanked me. I reminded myself that I told God I wanted to be a person of impact.

22:16 I followed the process and this is what he gave me. People may not know about it, but this is the job and God sees and knows. I remember thinking you who was faithful with a few things will be faithful with much. A couple years later, I was working behind the counter at the coffee shop, and I had had in a weird order the CEO of Advent Health who was working on redeveloping an area, people from the mayor's office, and significant donors come and say, how can we help you? Literally, the CEO from Florida Hospital at the time came to my coffee shop and said, would you like to do a project with me? Walked right up to me while I was making coffee.

23:02 People from the mayor's office are saying, and I remember asking the Lord, how does this happen? He was faithful with a few things will be faithful with much. He was faithful with a few things will be faithful with much. The significance of your life and mind is not measured according to the way of the world. It's measured according to your faithfulness, to your ability. And God knows. I love that.

23:38 He's not expecting me to build, network, beyond where I was capable, or to take on projects that were beyond my skill set capacity. He said, just be faithful. Take the one step that's available to you according to your ability with your calling. And the same is true for you. God knows every looking cranny of your heart, your mind, your personality, and your body, is well appraised with your ability and has expectations that you would create and contribute in accordance with that ability and not beyond it.

24:12 Be faithful with the ability that you have in the places that are in front of you and expect that you's faithful with a few things will be faithful with much that God sees and knows. I want to look at one more passage because I'm getting to know Peter. And this is in John chapter 21. Now we'll wrap it up here. John chapter 21. Okay, we're actually going to start in chapter 18.

24:43 Remember we're getting to know Peter. Take my word for it. A lot of people believe Peter was the oldest of the 12 disciples. That there was a tradition among rabbis that they would have one who was older than the group. This is why Peter always speaks for the 12. This is why Peter is the one that gets out of the post. It's not necessarily because Peter is more courageous or has a deeper faith. It's because that's his role. He's supposed to go first and the rest of the 11 come behind him. Peter is the one who's supposed to go first.

25:14 He's the one who's supposed to answer. He's the oldest and the next in line in that rabbinical process. It's not a coincidence then that Peter also ends up as a leader for the church in Jerusalem and in Antioch. Paul is this newcomer. It's conspicuous then in chapter 18 at verse 10. When they come to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and all the officials are there.

25:50 Jesus is ready to go. Then verse 10. Then Simon Peter having the sword drew it and struck the high priest. The high priest served it and cut off his right ear. So that Jesus said to Peter, put your sword into its sheath. Shall I am not drink the couple of his fathers dear me? Peter gets it wrong at a very critical moment. He does not understand what Jesus is doing and resorts to violence. Peter, the leader of the 12, makes a critical error. If God had trusted him to be faithful according to his ability,

26:25 it seems to me that Peter is failing. This is not what we ought to have done. You ought to have assured the 11, hey, God knows what he's doing. Jesus wants to go willingly. We let him go. Instead, he takes his sword, cuts off the dude's ear. Jesus has to put the ear back on. God bless him in the Garden. The first time he was with Peter, remember he says, I'm a Savior, and Peter can't understand who Jesus is supposed to be. Then again, chapter 18 verse 27 is just the tail end of Peter trying to then once he humiliated himself in the Garden

27:03 and cut the ear off along with all the other 11, he just runs away in the Garden and abandons Jesus to be arrested. He's trying to get back to what, and you can't remember this is where he famously denies it, even knows Jesus. Then verse 27 of chapter 18, Peter again denied it, and at once heard the research of Peter has failed in accordance with his ability. That's what I'm saying. Okay, and so then verse 21, Peter has failed in accordance with his ability.

27:37 Maybe you have moments where you have failed according to your ability. If I tell you that God has created you, knows every nook and cranny of your personality and your heart and your mind and your body and has set expectations for you to contribute in the world, to be his image bearers in the world, and contribute. I don't know how that hits you. Maybe there are some where it's as a weight of responsibility, maybe there are some that hits as an opportunity.

28:13 But for both of us, opportunity or weight, we know what it feels like to let people down. Peter let him down, and then I want to look at verse 21, 15. This is after Jesus has resurrected from the dead. When they finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter. Jesus had come and made them breakfasts, which was nice of him.

28:44 And Simon Peter said, do you love me more than these? And he said to him, yes Lord, you know that I love you. And he says to him, then feed my lambs. And he said to him, it's like a time Simon, Simon, Simon, Simon, John, do you love me? And he said to him, yes Lord, you know that I love you. And he said to him, then, tend my sheep. And he said to him, a third time Simon, Simon, Simon, John, do you love me? And Peter was great because he said to him, a third time do you love me? And he said, Lord, you know everything, and you know that I love you.

29:18 And Jesus said to him, feed my sheep. I love this conversation. Peter has completely failed and let him down. And Jesus knows every look and crowning of Peter's heart, mind, personality, body, and is well raised visibility in the world and his failure. Peter, do you love me? Yes. Then let's get to work, man.

29:49 Peter, do you love me? Yes. Then let's get to work. I'm counting on you Peter and your contribution in the world. Peter, do you love me? Yes. Then let's get to work. That your contribution in the world is tied to who God has made you, that like little Nathan, you belong to him. So no matter how many times you deny that you know him, you pick up the sword, you cut off the ear, you run away, no matter how many times you bury little coins in the ground afraid of what God might do, no matter how many times you power in the face of your potential to contribute in the world, it doesn't matter.

30:28 Every time that you come back, Jesus says, do you love me? Then let's go out and get Nathan contributed in the world. See, you are significant. Your life matters. You have been blessed with ability, wisdom, and we are already for your contribution in the world. And the beauty of contributing under the image of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Christ, and the church, no matter how many times you fail, you keep calling me back up into a life of significance and contribution in the world.

31:05 Why do I have a hope in Christ Jesus? Because he knows me, loves me, and puts me to work. His meaningful contribution allows me to be a co-creator with him in the world, and the same can be true for you.

31:35 Let me pray. Hey Lord, make us people of hope this morning. Hope in our significance in the world and meaningfulness to you. Thank you for claiming us as your own, rooting, and establishing us as your children. Let us be contributors from that place of belonging to you.

32:05 And Lord, this morning also meet us in grace where we have found it. Pick us up, set us on our feet, and put us back to work. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.