Grace to Carry On (part 3)

Review:

A letter

Written by Peter the apostle

Written to mostly Gentile believers in several places (circular letter)

To encourage them to stand firm even though they were experiencing suffering.

As we discussed two weeks ago, Peter pens this. Peter, who walked and talked and laughed with and annoyed Jesus… writing to people who are just one degree removed. But who have been taken by the reality of God made flesh, living, dying and rising again… and they have been swept up into the story, have become part of the church, and now are experiencing the reality of living as aliens, as strangers, even in places where they used to feel quite at home.

This week, we dive into the first section of the letter…

Put yourselves into the original hearers’ shoes… a letter has come! Let’s gather round to see what Peter has to say to us:

[Gordon reads]

There are three sections to our text today…

1. A doxology (3-7)

2. A commendation (8-12)

3. Some instruction (13-25)

So, what I’d like us to do today is take a look at our text in these three sections. During the first section, I’m going to invite you to chime in with your own words of doxology… using the CHAT function!

Doxology simply means praise. And since even the word “PRAISE” can feel church-y… think of it like this.

When you eat something delicious… what happens?

Quiet, stoic? Or mmmm’ing and wow-ing … praise is the natural response. You name its goodness. You rave about its qualities. You express gratitude to the person who made it - especially if that person is at the table, right?!

So, in vs 3-7, Peter begins with PRAISE. With doxology.

WHY is Peter praising God?

divine mercy

new birth into a living hope

protection that comes when we put our faith in God

inheritance

promise that the living hope will one day be realized!

joy

hope

Peter’s doxology is not to distract his readers from their suffering. (Hey! Look over there!!!) Peter’s doxology acknowledges the “trials of many kinds” that his audience is experiencing. So he’s not saying, Pretend that everything is good. That everything is okay. No, praise happens even in the middle of trials. And his doxology is partly a reminder of what God has not only done in the past, but also of what God promises in the future.

And so, this prompt a question…even though you may be experiencing various kinds of trial, or suffering even, what are you praising God for today? What is a cause for great joy for you right now? What small or big thing has happened this week or even this morning that is prompting a response to the Creator… to your Redeemer, or to the Spirit who is in you and who is guiding you?

[read responses]

-for me, seeing the blue sky after all those days of intense smoke and terrible air quality - well, it had me audibly rejoicing, even when there was no one around to hear me.

Doxology. What about Peter’s commendation?

In verse 8-9, Peter writes this:

You have not seen him, yet you love him;

and trusting in him now without seeing him,

you are filled with a glorious joy too great for words,

while you are reaping the harvest of your faith,

that is, salvation for your souls.

I was SO struck by these two verses when I first read the passage…

Peter is saying, I was with Jesus.

You have only heard of him. Heard about him. Had him revealed to you by the Spirit of God, and yet you love him, you trust him and you are filled with JOY even though following him isn’t always easy.

Remember who this is writing… PETER. The one who had 3 years of hanging out with Jesus and still managed to mess things up pretty terribly when the heat was turned up… denials, cutting off a soldier’s ear, misunderstanding things badly enough that Jesus once responded to something Peter said with “Get thee behind me, Satan!”

Peter is commending his readers… because their love and trust and joy are commendable.

Commendable?

(see how the first set of questions went)

Doxology, commendation and now instruction.

What does Peter instruct his readers to DO… how is he suggesting they lives as “resident aliens” as Eric talked about last week?

This section is found in chapter 1, vs 13-25, but let’s zoom in on v 13-16

Your minds must therefore be stripped for action and fully alert.

Fix your hopes on the grace which is to be yours when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Be obedient to God your Father, and do not let your characters be shaped any longer by the desires you cherished in your days of ignorance.

He who called you is holy; like him, be holy in all your conduct. Does not scripture say, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’?

Ok… minds stripped for action… this calls to mind Hebrews 12, doesn’t it?

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

But notice as well, that Peter is instructing his readers to fix their hopes on grace… that is yet to be revealed.

We often think of grace in the past tense, I fear. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. Yes! But also the grace that is saving this wretch. And the grace that is yet to be fully revealed… YES!

Be obedient to God your Father. In short, be holy.

And what will that look like? How will we recognize it?

Well, first, it will look like Jesus. Who was obedient to His Father in very way.

But secondly, it will look like wholehearted love of neighbour… which also, by the way, is what Jesus looked like.

Love God, love neighbour.

In vs 22 Peter says that obeying the truth purifies our souls until we feel sincere affection towards our fellow-Christians. Because we can see now that we are family.

Living and loving like Jesus… that would take a move of God… thankfully, that’s what God seems to be all about…stirring and transforming us little by little, making us more like Jesus…let’s pray