Introduction to 1 Peter

Calvary Baptist Church - DE

Introduction to 1 Peter

August 22, 2021 • Dr. Peter Radford

This week, we'll spend some time introducing the book of 1 Peter. After a brief (and somewhat academic) overview of the book, we will consider a challenge from Peter’s life and a short passage in 1 Peter 1.

When Peter decided to go back to fishing in John 21, it was a step away from what Jesus wanted. Through Jesus’ encouragement, Peter redirects his trajectory back toward serving Jesus.

We find traces of this decision in Peter’s command in 1 Peter 1:13: “Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” These words challenge usto consider what we are living for, this life or the next one.

1 Peter 4

December 12, 2021

In chapter 4 of 1 Peter, Peter challenges us to shift our thinking about life in this world as a follower of Jesus. He conveys three surprising principles: 1. Christians who have died to their sinful passion will not fit in with the world around them. (1-6) 2. Every believer is given a spiritual gift for the good of the body and for the glory of God. (7-11) 3. Christians embrace suffering as an inevitable part of living for God in this world; this suffering leads us to a greater trust in our faithful God. (12-19) The Big Idea we discovered was that God calls followers of Jesus to live in a world they will never belong to, to help a community He gifts them to serve, and to suffer trials as those who have put their trust in a faithful God.

1 Peter 3

December 5, 2021 • Dr. Peter Radford

In chapter 3 of 1 Peter, Peter is driving home the idea that Christians need to live in a counter-cultural way. The culture pulls us away from Christ, but (here’s the Big Idea) being an elect exile means embracing a life-transforming faith that causes believers to swim against the current of the culture. Peter examines this concept in several arenas including marriage, the church, and living in a world that is hostile to Christians.

1 Peter 2:18-25

November 28, 2021 • Dr. Peter Radford

In today’s text, Peter challenges his readers to follow the example of Christ as they face suffering. He presents Christ as a faultless example of selflessness and suffering for doing what is right. He challenges us to follow Christ’s example in three ways: 1. Believers follow the example of the suffering Savior by enduring suffering for righteous actions. (18-20) 2. Believers following the example of our Suffering Savior by copying Jesus’ selfless example. (21-23) 3. Believers follow the example of our Suffering Savior by dying to sin and living to righteousness on the basis of his sacrifice. (24-25) The Big Idea was pretty clear: God wants our lives to reflect the self-sacrificing example of our Suffering Savior