Dwelling Place

Guest (Male): Today on the dwelling place.

Al Pittman: But I love reservation. We reserve my my inheritance is reserved. Amen. I got a reservation. Do you? Secured and sustained by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Guest (Male): Thank you for tuning in to the dwelling place, a radio ministry from Pastor Al Pittman and Calvary Worship Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We hope today's message is a blessing to you. If you like to partner with us financially, you can go to cwccs.org/give text give to 719 354 2778 give directly on the one place app or mail a check to 501 Castle Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904. We appreciate your generosity to help us spread the gospel. Today we continue our new series, Strategic Living, a believer's journey in a strange land in 1 Peter. Now here's Pastor Al.

Al Pittman: He said if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. If all the only hope I have in Jesus is in this life and not in the life beyond, is not eternal life, then then we as Christians are the most pitiful people on the planet. But then Paul goes on to say, but now Christ is risen. Amen. From the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. The first one raised from the dead and so he said, because I live, you will live also.

And we live also in Christ. By Christ's resurrection and faith in him, we we are declared begotten. Peter says, you are the begotten of God because he is risen from the dead. Your your inheritance in him is secure. It is a living inheritance, a living hope. If you are not begotten, your faith is rotten. Amen. Now you said there you go, you know, you know, that's kind of sarcastic. No, it's the truth. It's in essence what Jesus said. And sometimes sometimes people say, well, my faith got me through and I go faith in what? Faith in your faith?

If you are not begotten, if you haven't been born again, then your faith is rotten. And Jesus said as much in John chapter 14 verse 6, you know it well, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me. Is that many roads to God? No. There's only one way. He said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father. No one has eternal life. No one has a divine inheritance but through me. Amen. So if your faith is if you're not begotten, your faith is rotten.

But you can change that today. Amen. You we have a living faith by putting your trust in Jesus Christ. Amen. Our inheritance is alive because Jesus is the only one who has risen from the dead. Buddha, Muhammad, they're not risen, but Christ is. He lives. Aren't you glad about that? Amen. Oh, give him praise and glory. Amen. The inheritance that we have cannot be earned. It is offered freely. It's not something we earn. It's offered freely through faith in Christ according to God's. And Peter says here, abundant mercy. Another word for the Greek word abundant is plenteous.

I love that word. Plenteous. So your our failures, our sins, are the mercy we need, the grace we need. God says, I got plenty. Plenteous. His plenteous mercy. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. The second attribute of our inheritance is that it's incorruptible. Incorruptible inheritance, verse 4 the let the first part that it is literally imperishable. It is immortal. It's everlasting. That your inheritance that we have and it's it's it is incorruptible because it's apart from sin. Why is it apart from sin? Because no man, no woman had anything to do with the inheritance. It God God all by himself.

He delivered us from the corruption of sin. And therefore our inheritance is incorruptible. Isaiah 38 verse 17 the latter part says, but you have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption. For you have cast all my sins behind your back. What a wonderful thought that is. Hallelujah, Lord. Amen. Amen. That God has no record of your sins. And you may come to God and say, God, you know, I mean, you repented of it, but you may say to the Lord, you know, I repented of it, Lord, but you know, two weeks when I committed that sin, God would say to you, what sin?

Because our sins are cast behind his back. If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from what? Some? No, all unrighteousness. And so the sin you committed, sin you confessed, God has cast it behind his back. If you're in Christ, he sees it no more. Praise his holy name. Amen. Oh, come on now. Amen. And so it's incorruptible. The third attribute of our inheritance is that it is undefiled. Undefiled inheritance verse 4 speaks about undefiled meaning that it's pure. It's it's it's unstained. It's beyond the reach of decay.

It is not defiled by the hands of man-made religion or man-made wisdom. But it is purely of God. Ephesians chapter 2 says it well in verses 8 and 9, you know it, for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God. A gift that we do not earn, we don't deserve. And it's not of works unless anyone should boast. No one will be in heaven boasting and saying, look, I I helped God put together my salvation. It's not going to happen. Amen. It's of Christ in Christ alone.

Amen. The fourth attribute of our in inheritance is that it it it sustains us. It is a sustained inheritance. You can have an inheritance, but then it could kind of fade away or whatever, but the inheritance we have in Jesus Christ, it is sustained. It's eternal as we have seen just earlier. But but here in verse 4 the latter part he Peter says it does not fade away. It's reserved in heaven for you. Our inheritance does not fade with fads. It doesn't fade with the time. You know, it doesn't even fade because of our unfaithfulness.

Our inheritance. Did you know that? You know, some days you get up and you feel like God really loves you. Some days you get up and feel like God's got something against you. You ever think that way? I'm not saying if there's unconfessed sin, you need to confess your sin, but I 'm saying that some days you just your feelings can betray you. And sometimes you think, oh, the inheritance I have in Christ. Well, I hope it's there. You probably faded away by now. I made so many mistakes and the Lord he's like, hey, you know, you it's just eating up by all your unfaithfulness.

But the Bible doesn't teach that. That is is an inheritance that does not fade. And and the reason I say that my proof text and there are many others is 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 13 that if we are faithless, he remains what? That was about half of you. He remains what? For he cannot deny who he is. He cannot deny himself. So even when you're faithless, he remains faithful for he cannot deny who he is. Your inheritance is intact. It's sustained by the faithfulness of God. Amen. An inheritance not subject is not subject to normal earthly erosion or decay.

It is preserved and reserved by the unchanging merit and virtues of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ alone. Amen. I saw an article the other day was talking about our military had made an announcement that they are no longer promoting people according to their ability or their merit, but according to their ethnicity. And went on to say that even if that means hiring somebody less qualified or promoting somebody less qualified. Now I don't know about you, but when it comes to national defense, I don't care if you're green. If you know how to if you know how to drive that tank, come on.

Amen. If you know how to do it efficiently. Oh, yeah, that's what I 'm looking for. I'm looking for somebody I'm looking for an efficient army and navy and air force and marines. Amen. I'm looking for people who know how to get the job done. I don't care what color you are. Amen. And then the military making this move you know, it's very concerning and it's it's sad that they're doing that, but I thought about that. You know, whether whether you agree with it or not, I'm so glad that God believe in meritocracy. That God believes he sent us a Savior based on merit and not almost Savior.

Amen. Meritocracy, what is that? It's the selection of someone who has the ability to get the job done. Jesus has the ability to get the job done. Let me tell you what he's able to do. Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25 says, therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them. I'm glad God sent me a God who's able to to save me to the uttermost. Amen. Not almost. Amen. He's a God who saves to the uttermost, not almost. Jesus Christ, I'm going to send you a Savior.

He he's close to to to being a Savior. He can save most, but no no. He sent us a God who's able to save to the uttermost. Amen. Who has who has merit and ability to get the job done completely. Amen. That's the God and the Savior that we serve. That's why we know our inheritance is secure. Oh, give him praise and glory. He deserves it. He took care of all of our sins. He didn't say, I'll send you a good enough. He sent us one who can save to the uttermost. That's my God. Can take care of our sins and cleanse us from all iniquity.

Praise God. He believes in meritocracy. He he's able to sustain us, to sustain our inheritance. Christ has the ability to not only preserve but to reserve. I love that. Our divine inheritance in Christ. Peter said, he has reserved this inheritance for you. I love that. I love reservations. Don't you like going to a swanky place and there's a long line of people trying to get in. You walk right up to the desk and go, I have a reservation. And the guy says, well, come this way, sir. Don't you I love reservations. I love when it's reserved like that, you know, you know, uh yeah, Pittman, yes, uh-huh.

With a P, yeah. And then come this way. Your table's waiting. Oh, whoa. You know, people are looking at you. Or you got your your seat reserved in first class, business class. And those people come walking through your area. You're sitting there with that attitude like just keep moving along, moving along. I have reserved seating here. You know. And just makes you makes you feel good. You know, you look up from your phone every now and then and giving that condescending look. You know, folks walking through there hating on you anyway. But I love reservation.

We reserve my my inheritance is reserved. Amen. I got a reservation. Do you? Secured and sustained by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In John chapter 14 Jesus said about my Father's house, there are many mansions. If we were not so, I would have told you. He's not a man that he should lie. He said, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again. He's coming soon. And to receive you to myself that where I am, you may be also. And where I go, you know.

And the way, you know. How do we know the way? Because he said, I am the way. Amen. Our reservation is held firmly. I Well, what if God loses my reservation? You know, you know, get to heaven and say, I have a reservation. Uh what's the name again? You know. The reservation is in the book of life, is it not? Your name is written down never to be removed. And by the way, your reservation is held firmly in the hand of Almighty God. Jesus said as much in John 10 29, my Father who has given them to me, talking about his disciples, to is greater than some.

No, he's greater than all. All your doubts, all your fears, all your opposition. God is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my daddy's hand. Amen. Oh, you ought to praise his name. He's worthy of praise. Let me tell you the world may cancel you, but God will never cancel your reservation. Amen. We have a inheritance that is secure, sustained. By way of application, application is given to us in verses 6 to 9. You read along with me verse 6 1 Peter chapter 1 in this you greatly rejoice. So now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials that the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes.

Lord is tested by fire may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Verse 8 who having not seen you love. Though now you do not see him yet believing, you rejoice with joy in inexpressible and full of glory receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Wow. Thank you, Peter, for that word. In this we greatly rejoice in what? In our inheritance. And so he's been talking about inheritance. In this we greatly rejoice in our inheritance. Rejoicing in our inheritance produces praise, honor and glory in the end to the praise and honor and glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when he returns.

But also from uh produces praise, honor and glory in our during our journey, our living here in this world. So we remember our inheritance as we keep our eye, if you will, on the prize. Even through those times if need be. You notice Peter said that, you know. And this we greatly we greatly rejoice. But if need be, you're going you may have to go through a difficult time. You may be going through a trial right now. Some of you are probably in that what I call the need be moment. Amen. But notice he says a need be moment doesn't last.

Excuse me, it doesn't last always. And someone said trouble don't last always. Peter said, though you though now for a little while a little while you 're going through it. It doesn't last always. But you may be going through something right now. Need be times are times when God uh chooses according to his sovereign purpose and will to not take us around something but through something. Uh-huh. Yeah, amen. Somebody felt that one. You you you you've been praying, God God you get me out of this, take me around guys and all. I'm going to take you through it.

Somebody said if he brought you to it, he'll take you through it. And so you know what he did though that's a need be time. God says, you you need this. You know, like when we're training for basketball when I was back in the dark ages and uh you know, we had a little high shorts and and anyway. Socks, you know, them tubes I was come all the way up man and socks totally. Amen. So we were rocking it, but uh the coach would have us training have a you anybody ever run the lines? Amen.

Basketball training. Whoa. So what we got to do this coach? You need it. Need it was a need be moment. You trying to build up our endurance and our strength and all. And there's times we go through trials and it's a need be times. The Lord, I don't want this. I don't Lord says, you need it. Lord, I don't need this. Yes, you do. It's a need be moment. Paul the apostle faced a lot of need be moments. One of them is recorded in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 where he said, for we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia that we were burdened beyond measure.

Excuse me. Above strength so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves. In other words, Paul saying, we wanted to die. You ever been in that place? My Lord, if you came right now, if you took me home right now, I'd be all right. Sometimes you can get that low. And he said, we despaired even of life that and he says, the reason this this happened was that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death and does deliver us in whom we trust that he will still deliver us.

That's our God. Amen. Oh, give him praise and glory. Paul faced in a need be moment. Need be moments occur when uh the the the when we feel pressed beyond measure and beyond our strength uh that that when the burden is beyond our measure. What is our measure? It's be it's beyond our estimation of time for the trial. Amen. We don't mind our trials, but we like to estimate them. Uh I can do this for a couple of days. I can do this for a week. I can do it for two weeks. Okay, I maybe a month because I 'm really holy.

Amen. But when it goes on for years. Amen. And it's beyond your strength. God says, you you know, I'm not I'm not measuring like you measure. Whoa. It's beyond your measure, but it's not beyond mine. Not beyond God's. And I'm trying to teach you something. What are you trying to teach you? To trust in God, grace in God's mercy, God's power in God who raises the dead. And if he can raise the dead, he can do anything. Amen. That's where he wants our faith to lie. Amen. We to trust in him. And so he'll send us those need be moments.

Amen. Times uh that we need that. Lord, I I needed that. I look back and I say, Lord, I needed that. When I'm in the midst of it like, Lord, I don't need this. But he knows what we need. And there's a need be times and we need that because Paul I mean, Peter here says in 1 Peter chapter 1 is for authenticity. That your faith which is more precious than gold. Then it might be perfected. It's to refine our faith. Verse 7 tells us God does not want fair weather disciples, people who just you know, they're when the weather is fair, but then they're gone when the storm comes.

He wants his disciples to be seasoned that they might be effective instruments in his hand. And so he wants genuine believers and he wants it to have a genuine faith, not a pretend faith, not plastic fruit, but real fruit. Amen. And so he will send us through those need be times that our faith might rest in God. Our faith might be considered as we go through those those need be times. And some of us can say this been walking with the Lord in in a for a long while whatever and we've gone through those times and we've come to that place where we understand that our faith in God is more precious than earthly riches.

When you have a a grandchild come to the Lord or pray for you, that's more precious than gold. That's more precious than the 401 k you can leave them. When you see the kingdom of God birth in the life of your children and your grandchildren. He says, you know, your faith is more precious than gold. You know, God's looking for men and women of God who believe that their faith in God is more precious than the 401 k, than their earthly riches. Who believe in him, who love the Lord, having not seen the Lord. You know, doubting Thomas, he didn't see the Lord after his resurrection, not immediately.

Jesus appeared to the disciples. Doubting Thomas was out at the movies or something. But he wasn't there. I don't know what he was doing, but he shows up. And they said, the Lord is risen. He said, unless I can see it with my own eyes and put my fingers in the side and in the holes in his hands, I'm not going to believe. Jesus did appear to him, but he appeared to Thomas with a stern rebuke. And what did he say? John 20 29 he says, Thomas, because you have seen me, you believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet uh they have believed.

And you know, Jesus basically saying to Thomas that real blessing, the real authentic faith is in those who believe without seeing. That's authentic faith, believing without seeing. In fact, without faith you cannot please God. And so there's some things that you're trusting God for right now and you you're believing God for and and continue to believe God, continue to trust in God. And God rewards you. Why? Because Jesus said, blessed are those who believe and have not seen. Continue to trust and to to to put your faith in God because God rewards that type of faith.

You're sitting in this building today. God gave me the faith to believe and my wife and I faith to believe that you are able God was going to build a facility here on this on this place. I mean, this is a this is a field of weeds, not a field of dreams, a field of weeds. And I'm standing on that retaining wall. Look at over here and God gave me a vision for this building.

Guest (Male): Again, thank you for joining us today. Please email us at amen@cwccs.org if you need prayer or want to speak with a pastor. We would love to hear from you. If you were blessed by today's message, consider partnering with us financially. You can go to cwccs.org/give text give to 719 354 2778 give directly on the one place app or mail a check to 501 Castle Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904. We appreciate your prayers and generosity to help us spread the gospel. If you live in or visiting the Colorado Springs area, we would love for you to join us at one of our services.

We have services on Saturday at 6 p.m., Sunday at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 12 noon. If you can't make it, join us online. We stream our 10 a.m. service every Sunday. Just head to our website or join us on YouTube. You can find us on YouTube by typing cwccs. May the rest of your day be richly blessed. We'll see you next time on the dwelling place.

Guest (Female): Dwelling place, dwelling place, dwelling place. You are my dwelling place, dwelling place, dwelling place.