Peters Letters

Honoring Grads 2026

Emily Kimmel, Home-schooled

Judah Strocchia, Western Wayne SD

Leeanna Rowlands, Commonwealth Charter Academy

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Romans 8:38–39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

No matter where we go or what happens, Jesus never leaves us!

And, even if trials or disappointments happen; even if we run kicking and screaming away from His good love...

He is able beyond a shadow of a doubt to use it for HIS glory and for our ultimate good.

PRAY

Introduction:

“Peter’s Story” —dramatized accounts from Peter’s life

Like to recap quickly & narratively for our intro

Today going to be more of teaching wk.

Next month, “Red Letters” in July— Sex, Conflict, Promises

TODAY…

We met Peter in our opening foray quietly cleaning casting-nets by Lake Gennesaret.

Jesus walks into frame, mid-sermon by the way, and Peter’s caught in the crossfire.

Commandeered to become a floating pulpit, he and the Zebedees listened to an orator non-paralleled:

The Kingdom of God reigning on earth as in Heaven, the final stage of this planet beginning:

people stopped in their tracks from sinning; the deaf made to hear and the mute man singing… {beat}

Peter couldn’t believe it…

Not because he didn’t have the capacity, but because He only saw a teacher and Not his Lord—

not just an important man, but the God-man: rescuer, redeemer, prophet, priest, & king.

Peter needed a Holy Spirit revelation, but He didn’t even know it yet. {beat}

After that same Jesus lead them to a catch that could only be described as miraculous,

Peter submitted his life to the will of someone else:

Luke 5:8, 10-11 “[Peter] said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!””… 10 Jesus said to [Peter] “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” And they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed him.”

You see, Peter realized:

“God Calls Me on a Mission that’s bigger than Myself!” 1 Peter 2:9

The places Peter had gone, the things he had done could never compare to the work that was ahead.

And he didn’t even understand the extent which He was called by God. He writes in his letters (much later than this) that…

1 Peter 2:9 “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Peter used God’s language about Israel to shine a light on the value that ALL of the Church has to Christ!

I am called to something MORE! {beat}

Peter would take the lead, as the eldest of the Nazarene’s crew, and he would fail more times than you’d think he would.

Declarations of Jesus’ divinity followed by fear-soaked words of contradiction, Peter had more ups and downs to follow.

Demonstrations of God’s power from on high followed by a spiritual ignorance that was laughable.

His greatest offense happened around a charcoal fire: Peter denied Jesus 3x; and the rooster crowed!

And shortly after, his teacher, friend, Master, and Lord was nailed to a Roman cross and there he died {beat}

After hiding, skulking, and doubting— Jesus’ body was found missing from his tomb!

Jesus had risen & Peter had hope… if not for lingering insecurity.

An incredible post-resurrection encounter; a mixture of joy and confusion!

And then He was gone—Jesus the Christ, off to show someone else His true power & glory.

After a familiar miraculous catch, around a familiar charcoal fire, there Jesus restored Peter:

3x denied, now 3x Forgiven. And 3x Comissioned.

Feed lambs, care for sheep, feed sheep.

Peter understood better now that…

“Jesus Died to Restore Me when I Fail.” 1 John 1:9

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

But Peter still didn’t feel up to the task of “feeding lambs” & “shepherding sheep”.

How am I supposed to kindly care for those young believers if I turned away children from Jesus?! {beat}

How can I challenge, correct, and guide the seasoned faithful believers if my own emotions get in the way of Christ’s desires?!

All he could do was to trust and obey! There is no other way to follow Jesus.

And then it happened. 7 wks after Passover. An upper level in Jerusalem. 120 Believers in Jesus.

God set them on fire—spiritually!

Languages flowed, power wooed, conviction grew… and 3,000 lambs entered Jesus’ flock that day.

A flock that Jesus had commanded him to tend.

From that moment on, Peter Realized that…

“God’s Spirit Empowers Me for my Mission!” Acts 1:8

Seeking & relying on that same Spirit was exactly what Jesus promised:

Acts 1:8 “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…””

And more than just a realization of power, Peter lived it out; he was a witness to that power.

Those with the same ailments as Jesus’ crowds? Peter prayed and people were healed!

The demons that wouldn’t budge before vacated their hosts.

The love and the leadership Peter displayed was fueled by a personal and powerful supercharge that transcends even time itself.

Long after he was martyred for his bold faith—hanged on a cross, upside down—his writings still transform us.

Peter was a pastor, a leader, a bishop, and an author.

He wrote to encourage fellow Christians—to empower lambs with words soaked in prayer and in Spirit.

He wrote to challenge the authority of those who preached a false message—to defend the flock from wolves in sheep's clothing.

He paid close attention to the battle that every Christian faces

And so TODAY, now, in this service, we’re going to take a look at this same Peter’s… >>

Letters for Wartime:

We have two letters that were preserved in the 1c. from the Apostle Simon Peter.

Appropriately named ‘1st & 2nd Peter’.

In ur Bible, in NT; 5th from the end. They come after the letter by Jesus’ half-bro 'James' & before the Apostle John’s 3 letters.

Based on martyrdom traditions, both letters had to have been written before 65AD.

Only written ~30yrs after Jesus’ crucifixion, res, & ascension.

Were likely written while Peter was imprisoned in Rome to churches in modern day Turkey.

As I mentioned briefly in my opening, Peter writes to encourage believers to remain true and steadfast in Christ.

And to warn them of a false message that was spreading.

Peter regularly uses battle language to address spiritual issues that his audience is facing or might experience.

Peter frames spiritual conflict as operating on multiple fronts, each requiring distinct vigilance.

Sometimes he addresses the source of temptations and other times, views it as a natural part of life.

Either way, Peter gives specific commands on how we should handle this opposition.

"Keep Away from Sinful Desires!”

In his first letter’s second chapter Peter writes:

1 Peter 2:11 “Dear friends, I urge you…”

Peter ‘URGES’ his followers…

This is actually

“Urge”—Peter uses the Greek word παρακαλεω [para-ka-lay`o] which means to call out from or summon.

This is a strong word. Peter not mincing words! Audience would’ve felt this

Great theological weight behind this word—same one used for the CALLing of many prophets and kings in OT; the 12 disciples.

Think drill sergeant: “Hey! Alright y’all! Let’s get going right now.”

Here’s what he calls them to (away from)

1 Peter 2:11 “…Abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”

Here’s the battle language: Sinful desires wage war against the soul (1 Pet 2:11)

On one side of this conflict, you have your most essential self, soul, who God designed you to be—image of God (not just our spirit, but flesh also).

on the other is what AP calls ‘flesh’, sinful desires.

Riff on: doing battle against, waring against, fighting, conflict; an internal battleground

Peter wants his audience live rightly; to be good citizens in the social sphere, to speak kindly to non-Xians.

He knows that these demonic selfish desires cloud and interrupt, fire missiles at, our ability to act in a way that is set-apart, honoring to Christ.

And so he commands his hearers take action!

Believers must actively resist temptation.

Two implications:

1. Salvation doesn’t eliminate the capacity for sin.

the sinful nature persists as an ongoing threat to spiritual growth.

Whereas formerly we would have given in haplessly, the Spirit provides ammo to fight back!

The Spirit gives us the desire to do things God’s way!

2. We are called to act with autonomy, not be helplessly tossed back & forth.

With HS’s help, we are Masters of domain.

By impl., to feed or give into selfish desires (“I’m right. I am self-sufficient, don’t need anyone else. I’m the martyr.”)

Peter paints this harrowing picture of spiritual battle.

And he calls us to act. To resist, take steps to hinder that selfish impulse. We all have them…

But there’s more. Those sinful desires don’t just come from w/in us, they have a face >>

"Look out for the Enemy”

At the very end of his letter, Peter again strongly petitions that his audience be on high alert.

Keep head on swivel

You see, even those desires which seem to come from INside (AP’s ‘flesh’) have an external malevolent source.

They carry an ancient echo… one that feels very serpentine, but fights like one of David’s giants:

1 Peter 5:8–9 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…”

This internal struggle comes from external opposition: the devil prowls like a hungry lion. 1 Peter 5:8-9

Positions Satan as an active, predatory adversary rather than an abstract concept.

Terms used here remind me of lions in Daniel’s day.

Starved, hangry, vicious, bloodthirsty—deprived of food, lashes out to do what comes naturally.

Satan’s guiding principle is to lead us to destruction.

Since Christ won victory on cross, he’s been starving. Stalks about, laying traps, desperate for whomever he can tackle and subdue, weigh down.

We’ve seen pastor after pastor fall to the Enemy’s wiles. God’s work mingled w/ celebrity often leaves us open to atk.

Even those that seemingly move with power and influence in His Spirit… tempted to deceive and manipulate for selfish gain.

Devil massages that idea w/in us… not authentic power, but one of violence or manipulation.

See,

The Spirit’s influence comes with self-sacrifice and lifting others up [instead of shaming manipulation].

Laying down my desires and my rights for what Jesus’ are.

Lifting up others instead of unnecessarily tearing them down or ignoring their needs.

Offering care and compassion instead of initial judgment or rejection. “They can take care of themself.”

The only ‘enemy’ that needs destroying is this lion! Those he devours are lead to do awful things to us.

Peter’s command in response to this multifaceted threat utilizes both awareness & resilience:

Believers must maintain mental clarity and resist the enemy by standing firm in faith. (See Paul’s grand metaphor in Ephesians 6.)

Keep that armor up, as Paul puts it. Spiritual gifts are essential.

Keep your eyes focused on what is TRUE, less on what you FEEL.

Feelings are a good warning light, but don’t communicate reality. Be alerted, then be curious.

Peter uses this same command once more in his letters:

1 Peter 4:7 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.”

Be alert! Are you plugged-in to others who can correct you when you’re off?

Be of sober mind! Are you spending time with Jesus in prayer?

Are you studying His word? Not just take for granted, but ask questions, be curious, study together?

That’s how we grow in the faith and ward off the enemy!

Finally, Peter gives a very direct weapon with which we can fight: >>

"Arm Yourself with Christ’s Attitude”

1 Peter 4:1–2 “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.”

There is one weapon for the Christian to defend against that lion and his overwhelming attacks: the mindset of Christ!

So, you might ask yourself, what was the mindset of Christ? Read Hebrews 12:2; Romans 5:7-8.

Hebrews 12:2 “For the joy set before him [Christ] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Faced with suffering he knew was looming, Jesus took it head-on knowing that something better would come from it.

WE are the joy set before him. You and I sitting here, consumed by His grace, with the hope of eternity before us.

Romans 5:7–8 “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Jesus suffered and died for you. He believes you are worth dying for (even though we aren’t 'good’ at all on our own).

So how do we take this mindset and arm ourselves with it?

When we are tempted by power or greed or isolation, we hold to what is true and always consider another.

Like Christ, we consider God’s best for the world and we act, sacrificially, to help.

instead of accumulate more STUFF, I generously give to ensure everyone has what they need.

instead of using coercion and violence to get what I want, I serve others so that they can see that they have value and purpose.

instead of staying sheltered by my wants, I ask what is best for the community.

THIS weapon will destroy the enemy’s influence: Jesus himself and his mindset.

Believers experience resurrection through Christ’s resurrection, journey through life as he did, fight the same spiritual war against identical enemies, and therefore naturally expect to suffer as Jesus suffered.

Peter emphasizes again and again in his letters that, >>

Perseverance Leads to Victory

“Long obedience in the same direction”. - Eugene Peterson

Bible wants us to finish well, many challenges to do our best and to live up to Christ’s standards…

...but finishing, going to the end, is the real test.

To persevere!

2 Peter 3:17–18 “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”

Peter warns them that the false teachers

Like Christ, victory isn’t Escape from Conflict, but Triumph through it!

Victory isn’t escape from conflict but participation in Christ’s triumph through it.

Jesus doesn’t promise us easy street, but that he’ll be right next to us on whatever street we’re on.

Jesus in face promises that trials and difficulties will happen, but

As we read earlier, Paul confirms, He is above it all

Look to Christ!

Remain in Him.

Peter warns believers to remain vigilant against deceptive teachings that could undermine their secure position (2 Pet 3:17)

Suggests that spiritual warfare includes intellectual and doctrinal dimensions

alongside physical persecution.

Prayer focus

Committal?

Altar time?

Salvation call?