Worship at Home - A Living Hope

Even though we aren’t gathering to worship as a church in person, that doesn’t mean we stop worshiping as a church.  This is a guide for your in-home worship on Sunday 3/22/20.

You can consider lighting a candle to set the environment for worship and to symbolize God's presence with you.

Families with little kids: There are questions in here to help your kids engage, but you still may feel that this is too old for them.  I'd suggest reading from a kid's story Bible, praying, and then put on some Christian worship music in the background while you spending time together. Then go through this later on your own.  

Introduction

Almost nothing seems certain right now.  In just a couple weeks, our whole way of life has been disrupted.  And all of it has been caused by something we can't even see: a microscopic virus.  But we know it's real because of the sickness it creates and we can see the devastating effects its having in our world and in our lives.

• What has been disrupted in the last two weeks in the world? (Kids can answer too)
• What has been disrupted for you personally?
• What is uncertain about the future?
• How do you feel about it?

Our Living Hope

We are only four weeks away from Easter when we celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead.  We often give Jesus' death a lot of attention. But everyone dies, so what's so special about Jesus' death?  Jesus' death is what paid the penalty we deserve for our sins.  He died in our place so we can be forgiven.  Jesus said he was giving his life to save us. 

But it's really easy for Jesus to say that his deaith would pay for people's sins and provide salvation.  Once he was dead and gone, who knows if it really worked.  Who knows if his death really did any of the amazing things he said it would do.  Jesus said his death would accomplish amazing things, but what's more remarkable is that he also predicted his resurrection from the dead.  His resurrection from the dead would prove that his death accomplished what he said it would accomplish.

One of Jesus' closest disciples was a man named Peter who witnessed Jesus talk about all of this stuff firsthand.  He wrote a letter to some other followers of Jesus about 30 years after Jesus' death and he has some amazing truths to say about Jesus' resurrection.

Read 1 Peter 1:3-5.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)

Here are some simple questions for reflection and discussion:

• What does this passage tell us is true about God?  What is he like?  (Complete the sentence: God is [blank].  Use descriptive words like "God is good" or "God is kind".)
• What does it tell us about what God does?  (Complete the sentence: God [blank].  Use action words like "God saves" or "God loves".)
• What does it tell us is true about us?  (Complete the sentence: We are [blank].  Examples: "We are loved" or "we are forgiven.") 

Our lives have been changed by a microscopic virus we can't even see.  "Hope" is also about something we can't see.  "Hope" is placed in something we don't yet see because hope is placed in something that will come in the future that we are waiting for with patience (Romans 8:24-25).  That's why the Bible often uses the word "inheritance" to talk about our future hope because when you are going to receive an inheritance, it is in the future. You are told you will receive it, but you don't yet have it.  You "hope" for it.  It's more than "wishing" for it because you know you will get it.  It is certain so you can place your hope fully in it and bank on it.

The apostle Peter here calls our future inheritance of eternal life with God a living hope.  Why?  Because Jesus is alive!  We have been born into this hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Peter says that this hope is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.

• Have you ever attended something or experienced something that you wished would never end?  Have you ever owned something that you wished would never break or wear out?
• Kids: Have you ever been having so much fun that you didn't ever want it to stop?  Have you had a favorite toy that broke or favorite shirt that wore out?

We have a hope that cannot be touched by coronavirus.  We have a hope that cannot be touched by disease, sickness, or death.  It is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.  It won't rust, it won't rot, it won't mold, it won't fade.  It won't break down and it won't get holes worn into it.  It will remain eternally bright, vibrant, new, and glorious.  That's because it is a living hope.  It's not a dead hope.  That's because we have a living King and living Savior.

While we have an invisible virus creating havoc in our world, we have an invisible enemy, Satan, who wants to use this virus to create a response of fear, worry, and anxiety in us.  We have an invisible enemy who wants us to respond with a "look out for me and my own" mentality.  But though all might be chaos around us, we can know that God's inheritance for us - a new heavens and a new earth in his presence - cannot be destroyed or defiled and that it is kept safe by God himself.  And not only does God keep it for us, but God's power guards us through faith to receive it.  Even though we cannot see our future inheritance now, let's allow our hope in it to have a more dramatic effect on us than the invisible virus has on us.

Response

In verse 13, Peter tells his readers to set their hope fully on the grace that will be brought to them when Jesus returns.  We are to set our hope fully on the imperishable, undefiled, unfading inheritance God has for us.

• Are there things you were putting your hope in that have now become less secure?
• What difference would it make for your hope to be set fully on something that cannot be touched or affected by anything that happens here on earth but that is kept safe by God himself?

Worship with others:

Through WhatsApp or text, share with someone in our church what you learned today.  Tell them how God spoke to you or how God reminded you of something you needed to hear.