The Power of Position

Introduction

Background

The book of I Peter is written by the apostle Peter with the aid of Silvanus, better known as Silas. The main theme of this book is that in the suffering that these people were going through, there was still hope although things seemed hopeless.

So in his letter Peter writes to these people, mainly Gentiles, in regions that are in Asia Minor and encourages them in their discouraging time. This morning we will examine the open to this letter with the greeting of Peter to these people.

Peter’s introduction is anything but shallow. It is packed with theology and encouragement that we’ll unpack this morning by God’s grace.

This morning we’ll look at the power of position.

LET’S PRAY

Roger Clinton, Bill Clinton's half-brother spent a year in prison after pleading guilty to cocaine distribution charges in 1984. When Clinton issued a flurry of 140 pardons on his last day in office, his little brother was on the list. Roger didn't seem to appreciate his second chance, though; less than a month later he was arrested for drunk driving and disturbing the peace.

During his brother's presidential campaign and subsequent administration, Clinton was given the codename "Headache" by the Secret Service due to his controversial behavior.[7] In January 2001, before his brother left office, Clinton was granted a controversial presidential pardon for a 1985 cocaine possession and drug-trafficking conviction. Roger Clinton Jr. had served time in federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in a sting operation.[8] The pardon allowed for the conviction to be expunged from his criminal record.

The reason Roger was pardoned from his crime he committed was because of who he knew. His position of being the half-brother of the president played a huge factor in his release and forgiveness of his record.

There was power in his position. If he would have been the average Joe, he would have sat in a prison cell with a record the rest of his life, but his position as the presidents half-brother was greater than the position he had found himself in.

BIG IDEA: THE POSITION WE’RE IN DOES NOT DEFINE US, OUR POSITION IN CHRIST DOES THAT!

While the believers Peter was writing to weren’t in self-inflicted suffering like Roger, they none-the-less were in a position where the grace of Jesus was greater than the situation they found themselves in.

How great is God’s grace in our trials? How powerful is our position in Christ? What does that mean? Why is that good news in our suffering?

Transition

This morning I want us to look at Three Realities that were true of the situation that these people were facing. These same realities can be applied to many of our situations as well personally.

I. There Was Suffering Because of These People’s Position (v. 1)

A. They Were Strangers

Explanation

Illustration

Application

B. They Were Scattered

Explanation

Illustration

Application

II. There Was Hope Because of These People’s Position (v. 2a)

A. They Were A Chosen People

1. They Were Chosen By God through Foreknowledge (according to the foreknowledge of God)

Explanation

Illustration

Application

2. They Were Chosen to Be Sanctified By the Spirit of God (through sanctification of the Spirit)

Explanation

Illustration

Application

3. They Were Chosen for Obedience to Jesus Christ (unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Christ)

Explanation

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Application

B. What These People Were Chosen to Was a Work through the Power of God

Explanation

Illustration

Application

III. They Had Access to What They Needed through Suffering (v. 2b)

A. They Had Access to Grace & Peace

Explanation

Illustration

Application

Conclusion

Roger ended up getting in trouble again. This time he didn’t get out because he had lost the position. While we’ll never lose our position in Christ, sometimes we can forget our position in Him and what that means.