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1 & 2 Peter • Sermon • Submitted
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2021; wow, what a start!
it can be tough to see any positive in it.
So many of us are tired, stressed, struggling in many various ways.
And to top it off, the Truth of God’s Word, and those that hold to it, are becoming less ‘accepted’/’tolerated’.
many new laws being passed and proposed reflect a culture growing more in conflict with God and truth found in His Word.
Many of us find ourselves having times of questioning and doubts; and other times of amazing indescribable moments of mountain high faith.
we have times of selfish thoughts or actions; and times of sacrificial giving
times of frustration and anger, even sometimes getting close to that hate line; and times of great love
My point is, life can be a rollercoaster of ups and downs; sometimes feeling like the coaster is completely off the rails speeding wildly through life.
This can leave many questioning their faith, and even to questioning God.
then we feel guilt and shame for our questions or feelings.
and those make us hesitant/reluctant to draw closer to God or connect with His Body the Church.
You’re not alone.
Even the greatest among us struggle this way.
Even the rock on which the Church would be built, of which the gates of Hell could not prevail against it,
yes, even Peter struggled like us.
Peter
Simon Bar-Jonah, son of John
brother Andrew
fishermen
partners with James and John
married
lived in Capernaum
city on the NW bank of Lake Tiberias, the Sea of Galilee
actually discovered during an excavation in 1968
he followed John the Baptist, then Jesus, emerging as a leader of leaders amongst the 12 Apostles, even of the inner circle of 3, and a leader of the Church, preaching its first ‘sermon’.
but he didn’t get there without struggle
as Jesus began telling the disciples He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, and be killed, Peter took Him aside and rebuked Him
Jesus called him Satan!
Peter at first refused to let Jesus wash His feet
cut off a guys ear
He denied Jesus 3 times in fear
walked on water, then lost focus and began to sink into the waves
he left everything to follow Jesus
and later, after Jesus said salvation is possible because with God all things are possible, Peter reminded Jesus they had left everything and asked “What then will we have?”
he showed understanding in proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that in Him is eternal life
yet many times still need Jesus to explain His parables
He proclaimed the Gospel with boldness and walked faithfully in Christ, even while persecuted, even to being martyred
I share all this about Peter so as we read his letters to the Church, we understand Peter gets it. He had all kinds of ups and downs in his journey with God in this world. He understands the hardships and stresses of life. He struggled physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.
He gets it. His words come in knowing YHWH and His truth and salvation in Jesus Christ, and through a life lived striving to walk as Jesus walked, guided and strengthened by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
He gets it. So let’s dig into Peter’s first letter.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
to the elect; chosen
dispersion: scattered Church
faced persecution in Jerusalem and surrounding areas
most likely yet to feel the persecutions of Nero, but were feeling other struggles and stresses of being a Christian.
Christians had become social, political, and economic outcasts
exiles = strangers; in a foreign land
Christians are different: worldview, lifestyles, moral choices, and relationships. These differences can bring persecutions, harassments, etc.
elect/chosen; How?
according to …
His foreknowledge
those who God knew would accept His gift of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ and the sanctification of the Spirit
for obedience to Jesus Christ
May …
grace and peace be multiplied
Peter reminds them that God is faithful, and because we are His, we should remain faithful to Him.
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.
you have an inheritance
heirs by propagation
God … has given us new birth into a living hope
heirs of promises
a living hope
imperishable
undefiled
unfading
kept
heirs with protection
God’s power
being guarded
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
rejoicing follows suffering
suffering is real; with Jesus, with them, with us
reasons for remaining faithful through suffering
trials test and purify our faith
genuineness is only seen when faith is tested (when the rubber meets the road)
value
results in praise and glory and honor when Christ returns
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
believe in Him = trust in Him
reward of remaining faithful in suffering
joy
inexpressible
filled with glory
future glory
outcome of your faith
salvation of your souls
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
concerning this salvation
God is faithful
His promises are true
and bring that into which the angels long to look
the Gospel; The power of God for salvation through Christ
the Church, the people of God, living in obedience to Him, make known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places, the manifold wisdom of God
to see the full redemption of God’s Kingdom when Christ returns victoriously to gather His people.
the salvation of God through Christ is truly a great, amazing, and wonderful thing!
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
you are holy
sanctified by God
cleansed, set apart
our lives are our response to God’s declaration of our being holy
we live according to His will and command not to earn God’s forgiveness, but because we love God and want to do His will. Because He has forgiven us
Holy thoughts
prepare your minds
be sober-minded
holy emotions
set your hope fully on the grace in Christ
holy behavior
be obedient children
don’t conform to passions of FORMER ignorance
“Be holy, because I am holy”
imitate our Father
exemplified in Jesus’ life
And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
you are responsible, accountable
He is impartial in His judgement
according to each one’s deeds
not because of someone else’s deeds. what others do is not an excuse
“if you call on Him as Father …”
obedience
fear
family
you were ransomed FROM the futile ways of your forefathers
bought with a high price; precious blood of Christ
(walk through the rest of this verse and to the end of the chapter)
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
you must grow
in respect to salvation
rid yourselves
crave the pure milk of the Word
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
(read here and through verse 10
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
you are special
living stone
chosen
unique people
unique purpose
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
You are Christians
persevere
stay faithful
the world is watching!