God Gives Us A Gold Mine Of Joy
How do we keep our Easter joy going, and how do we do that in a hostile society?" 1 Peter 1:3-9 answers those questions in a stunningly memorable fashion. Peter puts his finger on the fact that "God Gives Us a Gold Mine of Joy." May 1, 2011.
Last Sunday – Wow! What a celebration – organ full tilt, trumpets, French horn, trombone, tympani, cross procession, the choir in full voice, the Hallelujah Chorus, Easter hymns, the Easter message! Triumph! Victory! Joy! But how do we keep the joy going, especially in a world that is becoming more and more non-Christian? It’s one thing to let praises rip in the cozy confines of these church walls. It’s another thing altogether to do that out there during the week among people, some of whom, frankly, are hostile to Christ, to Christianity, and to Christians. How do we sustain our Easter joy?
Today we note the confirmation of several of our young people. They and their parents have big smiles on their faces. But we know that they are bumping right up against high school and then college years, both of which pose unique challenges. Could it be that one or the other of them will have to deal with wanting to go on a date and getting turned down, homework deadlines, getting a driver’s license and the first fender bender, school loans, career path decisions, and on top of that have some peers who do not share their values and who actually make it hard for them to hang on to their trust in Jesus? How will these young people keep the joy going?
That question is not new. Christians in the first century also experienced social harassment, psychological pressure, and religious ridicule simply because they held to what they knew was true. That’s why the apostle Peter wrote this letter. He was addressing people who wondered, “How do we keep our Easter joy going, and how do we do that in a hostile society?” The first big paragraph of his letter answers those questions in a stunningly memorable fashion. Peter puts his finger on the fact that, God Gives Us A Gold Mine Of Joy.
Joy in the inheritance he gives
What would happen if, as you walked out today, an usher handed you the certified, notarized deed to a gold mine worth millions? You might look the same as when you came in, but you’d sure feel differently. That’s what we get from God. Not a million dollars. Something better. He’s handing us the deed to a gold mine of joy, our eternal inheritance.
Peter begins with a burst of praise, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” and immediately states the reason for such praise, “He has given us new birth into a living hope.” You understand what’s meant by our “new birth,” don’t you? We entered this world spiritually stillborn, but God has given us spiritual life and adopted us into his spiritual family. That in itself is worth a Te Deum or two! But what’s this business about a “living hope”? “He has given us new birth into a living hope.” If you want to know what it means to have a living hope, think of what the opposite would be – a dead hope, no hope, a situation in which you’d say, “All hope is gone!” For example, if I said, “I hope the month of April brings warm spring sunshine,” that would be no hope, a dead hope, since April is past, and we had rain, sleet, hail, and even snow. Real hope is based on something that has at least the possibility of coming true. And a living hope is better yet. It’s not a pipe dream, not pie in the sky wishing, not a little flicker of light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a huge, bright, unmistakable spotlight at the end of the tunnel.
Our fondest dream, our greatest hope, is to live with God in perfect joy forever. That is not a dead hope, nor is it a pipe dream. It is a living hope because Jesus paved the way to heaven with his blood and – here’s the connection with Easter – certified that by his resurrection. Peter wrote, “We have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Because Jesus rose to certify his victory over death and the grave, God now gives us the guarantee that we will rise and live with God in endless bliss. That’s our treasure. Peter calls it an inheritance ... kept in heaven for you. If you’re worried that this inheritance might get eaten up by taxes or disappear over time, don’t be afraid. God gives us an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade – kept in heaven for you who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. That announcement has a huge impact on our attitude. In this you greatly rejoice. God gives us a gold mine of joy; joy in the inheritance he gives.
Joy in the refining he brings
Wouldn’t you agree that a person who has been given a gold mine would have a grin from ear to ear? But no one else would know that person was a millionaire unless one of two things happened. Either that person would have to tell someone else, or, if that person had a pile of bills and debts and started rolling out money to pay them off, that would be evidence that he or she was a millionaire.
The same is true of the gold mine of joy which God gives us. We know we’ve got it, but no one else will know unless one of two things happens. Peter addresses both situations in this letter. He writes later in this same letter, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). People will know about the gold mine of joy Jesus has won for us and them if we tell them about it. That’s obvious. What may not be so obvious is that people will learn about the gold mine of joy which God gives when they see it in action in our lives, especially when the pressure is on. Take the first century Christians who first received this letter. The social pressure against those Christians was almost overwhelming. But what they were going through was in reality God’s refining process. Gold ore is valuable, but when it is refined, put through the fire, its value comes shining out for all to see.
Generally, you can’t tell something is authentic, the real McCoy, until you put it to the test. A soldier claims to have loyalty and patriotism. Those are fine qualities, but you know they are real when the enemy’s bullets are whizzing overhead, and he’s there protecting you. Trials and tribulations refine our faith, allowing the gold mine of joy God has given us to come shining through. That’s another reason for joy. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that the problems we face or the social pressure applied by others because we are Christians are fun. Peter isn’t suggesting that either. Rather, he is describing a refining process that allows others to see God’s gift of a gold mine of joy, our eternal inheritance, and many will say, “I’d like to have that, too,” which certainly brings honor to the Savior. Peter put it this way, “In this living hope and inheritance you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” God gives us a gold mine of joy, joy even in the refining he brings.
Joy in the dividends we receive
If you became the instant owner of a gold mine, that would be nice, but you’d still need cash up front for today’s expenses and tomorrow’s bills. Wouldn’t it be great if a banker or broker would say, “Your gold mine will never decrease in value. It will always stay ahead of inflation, and you will be earning cash dividends each week. Here the first installment!”
That’s the incredible thing about the gold mine which God gives. It may be an inheritance kept in heaven for us, but it also pays dividends now. Peter writes, “Though you have not seen [Jesus], you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” I find it interesting that when Peter says that we are receiving the “goal” of our faith, he is using a word which is at the root of Jesus’ cry from the cross, “It is finished!” In other words, we already are receiving dividends from the gold mine of joy, full payment for all our sins. Do you think you’ll need forgiveness once in a while? We also have his promise that now there is no place we can go where he won’t be by our side. God has given us a gold mine of joy, joy in the dividends we receive.
So how in the world will we be able to sustain our Easter joy, especially when surrounded by a hostile, godless society. The answer? Keep looking at what God has given. Peter learned that lesson. He once tried to step out of a boat to walk on water to Jesus. But when he looked at his inability instead of Jesus’ ability, down he went. That’s one of the lessons we are delighted that our youth confirmands have learned in their instruction classes. As our youth confirmands profess their commitment to hang on to God’s gift of a gold mine of joy, what a wonderful time for all of us to recommit to spending less time looking at the pebbles of problems around us and more time looking at the inheritance God gives, the refining he does, and the dividends we receive. It’s all a gold mine of joy! Amen.
Preached at Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (www.gracedowntown.org) on May 1, 2011
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