1 Peter
1 Peter 5:12-14
November 24, 2019 • Pastor Jon Needham
Understanding the text The world is full of false and empty gospels that offer vain hope and strength. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ is able to save, sustain, and transform us because it is the truth. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are objective historical events, and therefore have genuine power. As Christians, we must be on guard against false hopes and false gospels. As a church family, we are to “stand firm” in the truth of Jesus. Even Peter, an Apostle and eyewitness to the resurrected Jesus, needed other people in his life. Without the support and friendship of people such as Sylvanus and Mark, he could not have accomplished the work that God had given him. Consequently, standing in the truth of the gospel is a community project that requires us to live in brotherly love with one another. As we live in this truth, we increasingly experience the peace of Christ. Additional scripture 1. Ephesians 6:10-20 2. John 14:6 3. 1 John 4:1-6 Applying the text 1. What are some of the false hopes or gospels you are tempted to believe? 2. How has Peter demonstrated his own neediness in 1 Peter? 3. Take a moment to list the people in your life that you depend on. Pray for them, giving thanks for their presence, and ask for God’s protection and provision in their lives.
1 Peter 5:1-11
November 17, 2019 • Pastor Jon Needham
Understanding the text Peter has exhorted us to obey Christ and resist sin. We are to endure suffering while witnessing to the world of the saving power of God. This isn’t a solo project. Rather it’s a team effort and requires that we exercise humility towards one another. Elders are to oversee the Church of Christ. They are to serve the body through teaching, preaching, prayer, and practical care. In this, the elders serve under Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, seeking to glorify God, not for personal gain. Additionally, the Church is to act in humility towards one another. We are to leverage our strengths and gifts for the sake of one another, pursuing each other’s joy and flourishing. We can humble ourselves knowing that it is God who defends and protects us. In this, we are able to lay aside our anxiety and resist the sin that fear, uncertainty, and the desire to be in control so often leads to. Additional scripture 1. Hebrews 13:17 2. Acts 20:17-35 3. Romans 12:3-8 Applying the text 1. How does the gospel transform the way we think about leadership and authority in the Church? 2. How does the gospel transform the way we think about submission to one another? 3. How can anxiety and fear lead to sinful and destructive behavior (Genesis 3:6)?
1 Peter 4:12-19
November 10, 2019 • Brian Bailey
Understanding the text Christ promised His Church that suffering, opposition, and difficulty in the world would be the normal experience, not the exception. However, not all suffering is the same. Peter makes an important distinction between two fundamentally different causes of suffering. The first is the kind of suffering that comes from wrongdoing. We are warned against this kind of suffering. The second kind of suffering is the suffering that comes from being obedient to Christ. When we experience this kind of suffering, we are to rejoice. When we suffer for obedience, we are reminded that Jesus’ crucifixion preceded His resurrection. Likewise, when we suffer for doing good, we need to remember that ultimately our suffering will lead to resurrection. Additionally, suffering for Christ’s sake deepens our assurance because it confirms that Christ is indeed in us by His Spirit. This deepens our confidence in God and we are able to trust and obey Him in the midst of suffering. Additional scripture 1. John 15:18-19 2. James 5:7-11 3. Philippians 3:8-11 Applying the text 1. When was a time that you suffered for doing good or for obeying God? 2. How does Jesus’ death and resurrection give us power and hope in the midst of suffering? 3. In what sense does suffering for the sake of Christ give us assurance of our union with Christ?
1 Peter 4:1-11
November 3, 2019 • Pastor Jon Needham
Understanding the text In a sense, each Christian has two lives. The first is the life that they lived pre-conversion. This life was dominated by the desires of the flesh and characterized by selfishness, indulgence, and empty idolatry. But at the point of conversion, that life ends and a new life begins. This new life comes to us by the power of God and frees us from our old desires, giving us a growing appetite for the things of God. Peter identifies a few key elements that mark our new life in Christ. First, we become acutely aware of the coming judgment. This motivates us to repent and allows us to see the emptiness of godlessness. Second, as a people who have been loved by God, we become a people who love and forgive each other. Third, as those who have been invited into God’s family, we become increasingly hospitable to others. And fourth, we begin to act more like our servant King Jesus. Additional scripture 1. Ephesians 4:17-24 2. Galatians 5:16-26 3. Romans 7:7-25 “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am." — John Newton Applying the text 1. How would you describe your life before coming to faith in Jesus Christ? What kind of a person were you? 2. How has coming to know Jesus changed you? What are some of the more significant changes you have experienced? 3. Identify the areas of personal holiness you would like to grow in over the next year. What practical steps can you take to pursue increasing Christ-likeness?
1 Peter 3:18-22
October 27, 2019 • Pastor Rusten Harris
Understanding the text Christ’s atoning death on our behalf gives us the love and humility to serve and suffer for the sake of others. But it is Christ’s triumphant resurrection from death that gives us the courage to face and endure opposition, persecution, and suffering. We are called to follow Him in both courage and humility. Peter reminds us of Noah who faithfully preached the gospel with love, and faced massive opposition with courage. God did not neglect Noah’s work. Though he was ridiculed by the masses, in the end he was vindicated by God. Likewise, we who are in Christ can have the assurance that in the end, our sacrifice and witness will be vindicated through our ultimate salvation in Christ, our Ark. Additional scripture 1. Romans 6:1-5 2. Matthew 14:27 3. Acts 4:13 Applying the text 1. As Christians, we are called to both servant-like humility and death-defying courage. Which comes more naturally to you? Which do you struggle with more and why? 2. In what sense is our salvation in Christ a better version of the story of the flood and Noah’s ark? 3. What does this text teach about the role and importance of baptism?
1 Peter 3:8-17
October 20, 2019 • Pastor Jon Needham
Understanding the text Unfortunately, many Christians approach the Church with a consumer mentality. Once a local church fails to provide the desired goods, they move on to another church, which only perpetuates Christian immaturity. Peter sees the Church very differently. Because of our objective unity in Christ, we can not give up on each other. Rather we are to imitate Christ with “sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8). Through this, the Church is built up and sanctified. But our love is also the supreme apologetic to the onlooking and skeptical world. We tend to think of apologetics in terms of well thought out and formulated arguments for faith in Jesus. While that is important, time and time again, the New Testament reminds us that genuine, sacrificial, gospel-motivated love for others is the authenticating sign of our discipleship. Additional scripture 1. John 13:35 2. Matthew 22:34-40 3. 1 John 3:11-16 "The Church is both a living apologetic appeal and the formative context out of which apologetic arguments are supported as plausible." —Joshua D. Chatraw Applying the text 1. What role did meaningful relationships with Christians play in your own conversion? 2. Why is love such a powerful argument for the gospel of Jesus Christ? 3. What does this text assume about the presence and purpose of Christians and the Church in the world?
1 Peter 3:1-7
October 13, 2019 • Pastor Jon Needham
Understanding the text In the previous text, we learned that all authority is given by God and therefore, Christians can and should submit to authority. In this text, the principle of submission and authority is applied to marriage. Wives are exhorted to submit to their husbands. Peter assumes that some women had become Christians while their spouses had not yet converted. Rather than focusing on external beauty, Christian women are to cultivate holy character, knowing that their character is a powerful argument for the gospel. Likewise, husbands need to be considerate of their wives, taking into account their needs and unique disposition. Husbands are not to use their strength to intimidate or bully their wives. Instead, their strength is to be used to love and serve their wives as equal heirs in the Kingdom of God. Additional scripture 1. Ephesians 5:22-33 2. 1 Timothy 2:8-10 3. 1 Corinthians 7:14 The silent eloquence of his wife’s pure and reverent behavior can preach daily the transforming power of Jesus Christ. —Edmund Clowney Applying the text 1. What is most challenging about this text? 2. Why is a spouse’s character so powerful in the life of a marriage? 3. How does the gospel transform the way a husband relates to his wife? What might this look like in the day-to-day life of an ordinary marriage?
1 Peter 2:13-25
October 6, 2019 • Pastor Jon Needham
Understanding the text The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ means that He and He alone is Lord. The Father has given Him all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). As Abraham Kuyper famously said, “http://...there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” This supremacy, which Christ has over all creation, enables Christians to obediently submit to authorities and structures, knowing that all authority is ultimately given by, and therefore consequently under, the sovereign rule of Jesus. Therefore, Christians can joyfully submit not only to one another but also authorities and structures, as unto the Lord. This frees Christians up to embrace their role as Christ mimicking servants. Just as Christ suffered injustice at the hands of the ruling authorities for our wellbeing, so we too can suffer injustice knowing that our suffering is not in vain. Additional scripture 1. Romans 13:1 2. Ephesians 5:21 3. Philippians 2:4-11 Applying the text 1. How does the sovereignty of Christ over all things free us from the fear of submitting to authorities? 2. In what sense have you benefited from Jesus’ submission to injustice? How might your suffering also bring life to others? 3. How does this text challenge you to grow as a disciple? What steps do you need to take to grow in obedience to this text?
1 Peter 2:1-12
September 29, 2019 • Pastor Jon Needham
Understanding the text How we live is an expression of what we are. In other words, what we do and how we act flows out of who and what we are. This text is full of identity words. Peter uses rich Old Testament words like “chosen race,” “royal priesthood,” and “holy nation” to describe every Christian’s identity. He then connects these identity words with our conduct as he urges us to live holy lives for the sake of our neighbors and community. It is not uncommon for discussions regarding evangelism to focus almost exclusively on words, arguments, and apologetic methods. However, 1 Peter reminds us that one of the most important things we can give our community is our holiness. It is through putting away our “malice and all deceit and envy and all slander” that the world is attracted to Jesus and His gospel (1 Peter 2:1). This means that there is a direct connection between the sanctification of believers and the conversion of skeptics. Additional scripture 1. Isaiah 42:6 2. Matthew 5:13-16 3. 1 Peter 1:15 Applying the text 1. Take a moment to look through the text and make a list of all of the identity words that Peter uses. What themes can you identify in his language? 2. Look over the text again, but this time make a list of all of Peter’s activities or imperatives. What themes can you identify? 3. Why do you think Peter makes a direct connection between the holiness of Christians and the conversion of skeptics? How does this transform the way we think about mission and evangelism in our own community?
1 Peter 1:13-25
September 22, 2019 • Pastor Jon Needham
Understanding the text Difficulties and trials can have an intoxicating effect on us. They can lead us to see God and the world through a myopic and self-centered lens. It’s as if we forget everything except the truth that we are hurting. Faith in Jesus does not ignore the difficulties of life, but it does provide a biblical context for thinking about it. By remembering that in spite of our suffering, the death and resurrection of Jesus are still objectively true, we can prepare ourselves to move forward, instead of being hijacked by our trials. We need to remember that God is our Father and that He always makes the right decision, every time. We need to remember that we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. We need to remember that our faith is not in ourselves, but is in the God who raised Jesus from the dead. As our hearts grow in astonishment at His incredible saving power, our lives will grow to reflect our holy God in increasing measure. Additional scripture 1. James 1:2-4 2. Romans 8:28 3. Genesis 50:19-20 Applying the text 1. How have you experienced the blinding or intoxicating effects of sorrow or difficulties in your life? 2. How does knowing and trusting that God is a holy, faithful, and true Judge give us hope when we suffer for our faith? 3. Why do you think Peter exhorts us to “love one another earnestly from a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22)? What role does this have in the midst of trials?
1 Peter 1:1-12
September 15, 2019 • Pastor Jon Needham
Understanding the text Nothing challenges our faith like the ongoing experience of “various trials” (1 Peter 1:6). But these trials also present us with great opportunities to grow in our faith in ways that ease and comfort cannot. Peter knows the Church was experiencing difficulties and wanted to encourage them. But how do you do that? What is it that encourages and empowers Christians to endure faithfully and patiently in the midst of trying times? Rather than appealing to inner strength and commitment, Peter points us to the objective reality of the gospel. First, Peter reminds us of God’s past redemptive works. We have been elected by the Father, cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and sanctified (set apart) by the Spirit. Then he reminds us of our future in Christ because we have been “born again to a living hope.” Consequently, we have an inheritance that cannot fade (1 Peter 1:3-4). Additionally, Peter reminds us that we are being guarded and protected by God, even in the midst of trials. Therefore, though our trials may present us with a variety of difficulties, they cannot rob us of what God has done. While our difficulties are temporary, the blessings of God in Christ are eternal and unchangeable. Additional scripture 1. Ephesians 1:3-14 2. Psalm 29 3. Numbers 23:19 This, in short, is the difference between us and the others who know not God, that in misfortune they complain and murmur, while adversity does not call us away from the truth of virtue and faith, but strengthens us by its suffering. —Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage Applying the text 1. How do you typically respond when your faith is tested by difficulty? 2. What redemptive works of God does Peter list in the first 12 verses of this letter? 3. How can recalling the redemptive works of God (past, present, future) empower you to patiently and faithfully endure trials?