Pursuing Holiness and the Lord’s Return 1 Peter 1:13-21 Chris Patton Sermon Theme: Our blessed, eternal, future hope ought to inspire us to passionately pursue holy living today. Question #1: In the trials you face, are you daily setting your hope fully on the return of the Lord? Question #2: Are you passionately pursuing holiness in the fear of the Lord? Questions for Discussion/Application: *Consider taking time to read 1 Peter 1:13-21 out loud. What initial insights or observations of the text do you have? *Overall how have this passage and this sermon encouraged and ministered you? “Hope will not become a reality without disciplined thinking. Thinking in a new way does not happen automatically; it requires effort, concentration, and intentionality.” – Dr. Thomas Schreiner *What are some things we can do to intentionally focus our attention and our hope daily on the return of the Lord? *What are some hymns or other worship songs that help us focus on eternity that you can think of? *The illustration from Pilgrims Progress of Giant Despair, Doubting Castle and the key of Promise — how did that story land on you? *What promises of God in scripture can help us to remain hope-filled even when facing trial and difficulty? How can the promise of the Lord’s return in particular help us today to persevere in hope? Our God and Father is verse 17, an impartial judge and on the Final Day, He will judge each of us according to our deeds. While we can be encouraged— the final judgment for believers is a judgment of rewards and based on justifying grace; it is nonetheless true, we all one day, will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. *How can remembering that coming day inspire us, during our sojourning as exiles here on earth, to live our lives in the reverent fear of the Lord? “[2] Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.[3] And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. – 1 John 3:2–3” *How would you summarize the message of 1 John 3:2-3? How does it parallel what the Apostle Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:13-21? *As those united to Christ by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit indwells us, and sanctifies us and makes us increasingly more holy and more like Christ. How can these reality encourage us to pursue holiness? In what ways do you specifically want to grow in your own personal holiness? *Consider taking time to pray asking God to help us to live this day in light of that day — the final return of the Lord.