INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK OUR LESSON COVERS 1 PETER 4:1-11. LAST WEEK OUR TEXT FINISHED UP WITH 1 PETER 3:18-22. WE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO DISCUSS IT--AND WE WILL NOT DISCUSS IT TODAY, BUT IT SETS THE BASIS FOR THE BEGINNING OF OUR STUDY TODAY, SO LETS LOOK AT IT. LETS READ IT STARTING WITH v. 18 AND THEN SKIPPING OVER TO THE LAST LINE OF v. 21, "IT [WATER OF BAPTISM] SAVES YOU BY THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST, WHO HAS GONE INTO HEAVEN AND IS AT GOD'S RIGHT HAND-- WITH ANGELS, AUTHORITIES AND POWERS IN SUBMISSION TO HIM." --WHAT A PROMISE! WHAT A REMINDER! SO THIS WEEK PETER STARTS OUT WITH A "THEREFORE" THAT FOLLOWS THIS. LETS LOOK AT IT.
I. DEATH TO SIN A. READ 1PET 4:1. B. HOW MUCH DID JESUS SUFFER? TO WHAT EXTENT DID HE SUFFER? (TO DEATH) C. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS FOR US TO ARM OURSELVES WITH THE SAME MIND OR ATTITUDE? 1. TO BE WILLING TO SUFFER TO DEATH? D. NOW LETS LOOK AT THE LAST PHRASE: 1. DOES THIS MEAN THAT ANYONE WHO HAS SUFFERED PERSECUTION, ESPECIALLY PHYSICAL HARM, NO LONGER SINS? 2. DOES IT MEAN THAT IF WE HAVE NOT SUFFERED WE STILL SIN? 3. DOES IT MEAN THAT IF WE THINK ABOUT WHAT CHRIST SUFFERED BECAUSE OF OUR SINS, THAT WE WILL NO LONGER WANT TO SIN? (I THINK THAT WHEN PETER SAID "HE WHO HAS SUFFERED IN HIS BODY IS DONE WITH SIN" HE MEANT TO SAY THAT WHEN YOU ARE DEAD YOU WON'T BE SINNING ANYMORE. --DOES THAT GIVE YOU COMFORT? THEN REMEMBER THAT PETER SAYS THAT BAPTISM SYMBOLIZES OUR ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS' DEATH (3:21). SO WHEN PETER SAYS HAVE THIS ATTITUDE, HE MEANS THAT ATTITUDE THAT OUR BAPTISM MAKES US DEAD TO SIN--JUST AS JESUS' DEATH MEANT THAT HE OVERCAME SIN--AND NOW LIVES FOR US!) --SO THE VICTORY IS YOURS! E. READ v. 2-3. WE MIGHT CONCLUDE FROM WHAT WE JUST DISCUSSED THAT JESUS' VICTORY ON THE CROSS GIVES US VICTORY OVER SINS WITHOUT ACTUALLY LEAVING THE SIN BEHIND. 1. WHAT DOES PETER SAY ABOUT THAT HERE? 2. DO WE REALLY LEAVE THE SIN BEHIND? AND IF SO, WHY? 3. WHAT SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF OUR LIFE? (I THINK HE TELLS US THAT WE SHOULD REALLY LEAVE THE SIN BEHIND FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. FIRST, OUR DESIRE (OUR ATTITUDE) IS ON THE WILL OF GOD AND NOT EVIL HUMAN DESIRES. SECOND, HE SEEMS TO SAY WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE EVIL HUMAN DESIRES ROUTINE AND SHOULD BE GLAD TO GET OUT.) 4. WHAT IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THROUGH THAT KIND OF STUFF? WHAT IF YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN THE CHURCH? (PETER IS TALKING TO FORMER PAGANS. IF WE ARE NOT FORMER PAGANS, WE SHOULD TAKE THEIR WORD FOR IT, THAT IT IS NOT THE BEST ROUTE TO GO.) II. REACTION OF THE WICKED A. READ v. 4-5. B. WHAT IS THE REACTION OF FORMER FRIENDS TO OUR CONVERSION? (THEY THINK IT IS STRANGE. AND THEY HEAP ABUSE ON US.) C. HOW DO WE HANDLE THAT ABUSE? D. WHAT DOES PETER SUGGEST THAT WE KEEP IN MIND TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THIS ABUSE? (THE FORMER FRIENDS ARE JUDGING US, FINDING US "STRANGE" AND PUNISHING US WITH ABUSE. BUT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE IS A GREATER JUDGE!) E. WE HEAR THE TERM, "VICTIMLESS CRIME" OR MORE POPULAR, "CONSENTING ADULTS." ARE THERE NO VICTIMS? DOES CONSENT REALLY MAKE IT "OK?" (THERE ARE VICTIMS. THOSE WHO REFUSE TO DO THESE THINGS ARE THE VICTIMS OF ABUSE! THEY GIVE YOU A HARD TIME ABOUT BEING HOLY.) F. READ v. 6. IS PETER TELLING US TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE DEAD? (IT WAS PREACHED TO THEM WHEN THEY WERE ALIVE.) G. WHY DOES PETER PUT THIS IN HERE AND WHY DOES HE SPEAK OF THE JUDGMENT OF MEN "IN REGARD TO THE BODY?" (I THINK HIS POINT IS TWOFOLD: 1. THAT THERE WILL BE A JUDGMENT BEYOUND THIS LIFE; 2. THAT EVEN IF WE DIE--AND OUR PAGAN FRIENDS HAVE BEEN GIVING US A HARD TIME BECAUSE OF OUR CHANGE OF HEART, THAT THE FACT OF DEATH DOES NOT SEPARATE US FROM THE HOPE OF LIFE ETERNAL. THE FACT THAT WE DIED-EVEN WHILE BEING ABUSED BY THEM-DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY ARE RIGHT THAT IT IS JUST THIS LIFE THAT YOU HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT.) H. LETS FINISH UP THIS IDEA BY READING v. 7. 1. WHY, OF ALL THINGS, DO YOU THINK PETER MENTIONS OUR PRAYERS? (HE IS INDICATING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS CONNECTION TO GOD. THE END OF THINGS IS NEAR, KEEP YOUR LINE OF COMMUNICATION TO GOD CLEAR.) III. HOW WE TREAT OTHERS A. READ v. 8-9. "AGAPE" IS THE GREEK WORD USED HERE FOR LOVE. LOVE EACH OTHER FERVENTLY, CONSTANTLY. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? 1. HOW DOES THIS ATTITUDE "COVER A MULTITUDE OF SINS?" 2. HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS? (a.IF YOU DO NOT KNOW SOMEONE VERY WELL, YOU ARE MORE APT TO TAKE OFFENSE. BUT IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WELL, OR KNOW THAT THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS YOU IS LOVING, YOU KNOW THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE TRYING TO HURT YOU. b. IF YOU LOVE SOMEONE, YOU WILL NOT DELIGHT IN EXPOSING THEIR FAULTS AND THEIR SINS.) B. HOW IS IT THAT PETER CAN TELL US TO LOVE EACH OTHER? WOULD THIS WORK IN ANY OTHER CONTEXT? I JUST FIND ANOTHER PERSON AND SAY TO YOU, "LOVE HIM?" (THE KEY TO THIS GOES BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF OUR LESSON. BECAUSE JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS--DIED FOR US--KEEPING THAT ATTITUDE IN MIND NATURALLY CREATES THIS CARE FOR OTHERS.) C. IN v.9 HE TELLS US TO BE HOSPITABLE TO OTHERS WITHOUT GRUMBLING. CAN YOU BE HOSPITABLE AND GRUMBLE TOO? D. READ v. 10. THE KJV AND NKJV USE THE TERM "STEWARDS" THAT WE ARE STEWARDS OF THESE GIFTS OF GRACE. E. WHAT DO YOU THINK THESE "GIFTS" COULD BE? (BY THE WAY, THE WORD "GIFT" IS TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK WORD "CHARISMA.") (A SPIRITUAL ENDOWMENT.) 1. DOES THIS MEAN THAT EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE GIFT? 2. DOES THAT THEN MEAN THAT EACH ONE OF US SHOULD BE LOOKING TO USE THAT GIFT TO HELP OTHERS IN THE CHURCH? 3. IS THAT A CALL FOR EVERYONE IN THE CHURCH TO BE WORKING TO HELP EACH OTHER? F. LAST, LET READ v. 11. 1. DO YOU THINK THIS IS REFERRING TO EVERYDAY SPEECH? (NO. THIS IS TEACHING OR PREACHING THE WORD OF GOD.) 2. WHAT DOES IT MEAN "HE SHOULD DO IT AS ONE SPEAKING THE VERY WORDS OF GOD?" (1) IT SEEMS THAT THEY SHOULD STICK TO THE BIBLE, AND NOT HUMAN OPINION AND 2) THEY SHOULD SEEK THE AID OF THE HS TO ENSURE THAT GOD'S WORDS ARE SPOKEN.) 3. IF WE SERVE--USING THE GIFT(S) THAT WE HAVE--HOW DO WE DO IT WITH THE STRENGTH GOD PROVIDES? (WE DON'T JUST ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND DO IT. WE FIRST LOOK TO THE LORD FOR GUIDANCE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE MINISTRY.) 4. AND WHAT IS THE RESULT OF ENSURING THAT THE TEACHING IS BASED ON THE WORDS OF GOD AND LOOKING TO THE LORD FOR GUIDANCE IN WHAT WE DO? (THAT GOD GETS THE GLORY FOR IT. THAT HE IS PRAISED!) IV. NEXT WEEK: 1PETER 4:12-19 "SUFFERING AND THE CHRISTIAN."
