Part 4: "TIME TO GROW UP" EPISTLE to the EXILES (1&2 Peter)

1 Peter 2:1-5 “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

PRAY

“Time to Grow Up” - Peter’s EPISTLE …..or his letters to the church.

SO WHO WROTE IT? Well.....Peter did.

Some quick background on Peter: 1 Peter (The Message):

It was Peter who confessed :”you are the Messiah, the Christ

Peter seems to have been a natural leader, commanding the respect of his peers by sheer force of personality. In every listing of Jesus’ disciples, Peter’s name is invariably first.

In the early church, his influence was enormous and acknowledged by all. By virtue of his position, he was easily the most powerful figure in the Christian community. And his energetic preaching, ardent prayer, bold healing, and wise direction confirmed the trust placed in him.

The way Peter handled himself in that position of power is even more impressive than the power itself. He stayed out of the center, didn’t “wield” power, maintained a scrupulous subordination to Jesus. Given his charismatic personality and well-deserved position at the head, he could easily have taken over, using the prominence of his association with Jesus to promote himself. That he didn’t do it, given the frequency with which spiritual leaders do exactly that, is impressive. Peter is a breath of fresh air.

Peter should give us all hope. In Fact He’s called the APOSTLE OF HOPE: I think God used peter so we would all have a whole lot of hope! Lets draw a few cool disctinctions between Paul and Peter:

Now PETER DID GET A NAME CHANGE: He was SIMON… who became PETER

But think about this:

Paul was highly educated / Peter wasn't educated AT ALL.

Paul was from a prominent family and background / Peter was a nobody.

Paul came from an established business family (had a skilled trade, a tent maker probably after his fathe r/ Peter had the lowest form of trade he was literally JUST a fisherman.

Peter followed Jesus and made a million mistakes. He gets called the devil by Jesus.

He also walked on the water out to Jesus: the only person I know who's done that, until kelly slater came along That is. Peter was the disciple that went everywhere with Jesus and made all the erroRs. Now why are you so hard on yourself?

Peter would go on.... to do something absolutely incredible: be the first Apostle, the ROCK that the Church woul be built on - the First Christian CHurch in Jerusalem…..

Now I want you to think about this:

GOD WOULD USE HIM TO REACH THE JEWS IN THE OPLACE WHERE EDIUCATION WAS EVERYTHING. YET HE HAD NONE?

GOD WOULD USE PAUL WITH ALL THE EDUCATION POSSIBLE (EXCELLEING BEYOND HIS AGE) AND SEND HIM TO A PEOPLE, THE GENTILES, WHO COULDNT CARELESS ABOUT A SMINARY DEGREE!

Why is this important?

Don’t Disqualify youself from the call of God & him using you!

God will use, can use.. and often DOES USE .. ANYONE! And IF GOD USED peter.. and if God used Paul - With a heart set on and devoted to God - I wonder what HE COULD DO with YOUR LIFE! (All it takes is surrender, devotion & obedience - God will use you in powerful and incredible ways).

Back to 1st & 2nd peter:

Key Themes:

Christian Suffering & Purpose: 1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

Eternal Judgement: 2 Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

Principles of How to live married:

For the Wives: 1 Peter 3:1 “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,”

But also for the Husbands: 1 Peter 3:7 “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”

Time of Writing: 67 AD.

Key Verses in 1st Peter:

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Key verse in 2nd Peter:

2 Peter 3:8-9 “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

OK SO WHAT IS THIS LETTER OR WHY IS PETER WRITING TO THE CHURCH - LETS STUDY IT TOGETHER BY BRINGING IN AND DRILLING DOWN ON THE BIG THEMES:

1.YOU’VE BEEN SAVED TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE.

1 Peter 1:13-16 “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

Holiness is really something thats not talked about enough: your holiness and my holiness it actually matters. And we should set our sights and prepare our minds for action in this way… when we set our hope on GRACE (what peter says) then its actually something we realily now WANT TO DO.

WHEN OUR EYES ARE SET ON GRACE, HOLINESS COMES INTO OUR LIVES.

because its what were looking?

John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever beli

2.SUFFERING IS ACTUALLY A REAL BLESSING

I know right - your probably thinking is that even right - is his theology off here?

1 Peter 3:13-15 “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”

To follow the MASTER, means to also suffer like the MASTER: not in CRUCIFIXTION: but persecution. If you suffer for the sake of the GOSPEL, for Riggtousness then be blessed today because that means you get to FULLY Identify with our Lord Jesus and that is a PRETTY AMAZING THING.

Story: I was essentially written off by some members of my (extended family) when I became a christian. I was in a sense “exiled” by some people and I knew it was because I was now a born again, hope fulled, joy filled believer in Jesus CHRIST. That doesnt always make people happy. People may oppose you. People may strip you of your dignity, People may overlook you for that position. People may spit in your actual face: here is what the CHIEF APOSTLE Peter says: IF THAT HAPPENS TO YOU - COUNT YOURSELF INCREDIBLE BLESSED BECAUSE YOU ARE SUFFERING FOR THE SAKE OF THE MASTER.

1 Peter 3:18–21 ESV

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

This is why water baptism is so important. Because its external. Its a display to the world. A public one. EVERYONE COME SEE HOW DEVOTED I AM TO THIS MASTER THAT I WAM WILLINGLY GOING UNDER THE SPIRITUAL WATERS OF BAPTISM TO IDENTIFY MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE WITH JESUS CHRIST.

Peter says this to the church: Hey guys.....Hard times for Jesus sake? Be blessed. Struggling and persecuted? Blessed. Misunderstood and exiled from your family because you love Jesus now: Smile, because

CLOSING STORY:

So what became of Peter?

Many can only speculate. We have a clue in today’s gospel where the Lord predicts Peter’s own ending. Well, where scripture is silent, tradition fills in the blank spaces. According to the apocryphal Acts of Peter, and just like how he abandoned Christ after His arrest, Peter flees from persecution in Rome as he abandons his flock, and along the road outside the city, he meets the risen Lord. In the Latin translation, Peter, shocked to see Jesus in the flesh, asks Him, “Domine, Quo vadis?”(“Lord, where are you going?”) and the Lord replies, “Romam eo iterum crucifigi” (“I am going to Rome to be crucified again.”). Peter, shamed by His master’s answer, then gains the courage to continue his ministry and returns to the city, where he is martyred by being crucified upside-down

Notes:

John 21:19 “(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.””