INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK OUR STUDY WILL BE VERSES 3-5 OF THE FIRST CHAPTER OF 1 PETER.
I. PETER'S ORIGINAL ATTITUDE A. LETS REVIEW. WHAT DID PETER (AND THE OTHER DISCIPLES) BELIEVE ABOUT JESUS' MISSION ON EARTH? B. HOW DID THE DISCIPLES VIEW JESUS STATEMENTS ABOUT HIS COMING DEATH? (WHEN WE LOOKED AT PETER'S LIFE WE DISCOVERED THAT PETER BELIEVED THAT JESUS WAS GOING TO SET UP AN EARTHLY KINGDOM. AS A RESULT OF THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE (AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND) JESUS' STATEMENT ABOUT SUFFERING AND DYING.) C. THIS ATTITUDE IS CLEARLY SHOWN IN A COUPLE VERSES IN MATT & LUKE: 1. MT. 16:21 "From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." 22 "Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 'Never, Lord!' he said. 'This shall never happen to you.!'" 2. AFTER JESUS' CRUCIFIXION, JESUS FOLLOWERS FOUND THAT THE TOMB WAS EMPTY, AND ANGELS CAME AND REMINDED THEM THAT JESUS HAD SAID: Lk 24:7 `The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'" (NIV) Lk 24:8 Then they remembered his words. (NIV) D. TELL ME SOME OF THE THOUGHTS THAT WOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH YOUR MIND IF YOU WERE A DISCIPLE AND JESUS HAD BEEN CRUCIFIED? E. TELL ME WHY, WHEN JESUS FIRST TOLD THEM ABOUT BEING CRUCIFIED, BUT BEING RAISED, THE DISCIPLES DIDN'T SAY, "WELL, IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE RAISED IN ONLY THREE DAYS, THAT IS JUST FINE?" (1. THE WORD "CRUCIFIED" STUCK AND MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO HEAR THE REST. 2. IT IS OUR NATURE TO CONCENTRATE ON THE BAD PART AND NOT THE ROMANS 8:28 PART.) F. HAVE YOU FOUND THIS TO BE A TYPICAL WAY IN WHICH GOD WORKS? THAT SATAN CAUSES SOMETHING BAD TO HAPPEN, AND THAT GOD TURNS IT INTO SOMETHING GOOD? II. PETER'S PRAISE A. READ 1 PET.1:3. WHAT KIND OF ATTITUDE DO WE SEE HERE IN PETER? (PRAISE. PETER IS PRAISING THE FATHER FOR THE VERY THING THAT HE REFUSED TO BELIEVE WOULD HAPPEN.) B. WHY THE CHANGE? WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE? (JESUS' RESURRECTION MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. THAT ONE THING TURNED A MOST TERRIBLE EVIL INTO GOOD. INSTEAD OF THE DEATH OF JESUS, WITH NO HOPE FOR ANY FUTURE, PETER NOW HAS HOPE.) C. LET'S BREAK VERSE ONE DOWN. I THINK THAT PETER IS SORT OF MAKING AN ARGUMENT HERE: 1. PETER SAYS, "PRAISE GOD." 2. WHY? ("BECAUSE HE IS GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS.") D. LETS PUT THIS IN TODAY'S TERMS. YOU MIGHT SAY, "PRAISE BRUCE" "BECAUSE HE IS FATHER OF BLAKE." 1.IN MY EXAMPLE, WHO IS REALLY GETTING PRAISED? (BLAKE). 2. WHAT ABOUT THE BIBLE VERSE? (IT SEEMS ON THE SURFACE AS IF IT IS JESUS. BUT A GOOD ARGUMENT CAN BE MADE THAT IT IS PRIMARILY DIRECTED TOWARDS GOD.) E. LETS LOOK AT THE DETAILS, THE ARGUMENT WHY GOD DESERVES THIS PRAISE? 1. FIRST: "GOD IS MERCIFUL" WHAT HAS GOD DONE THAT IS MERCIFUL? (NOT LET US DIE FOR OUR SINS) 2. SECOND: GOD GIVES US A NEW BIRTH. a. LETS BACK INTO THE DISCUSSION THAT WE LEFT HANGING LAST WEEK: b. WHAT RESPONSIBILITY DID YOU HAVE FOR YOUR ORIGINAL BIRTH? (NONE) c. IS THAT THE SAME WAY WITH YOUR SPIRITUAL REBIRTH? (WHAT ABOUT THIS LANGUAGE (v.3) "HE GAVE US NEW BIRTH?" DOESN'T THAT SOUND LIKE SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF US?) 3. THIRD: GOD GIVES US NEW BIRTH INTO A LIVING HOPE. a. WHAT IS IT THAT WE ARE HOPING ABOUT? (LIFE) b. HOPE IS BASED ON SOMETHING. WHAT IS IT OUR HOPE IS BASED UPON? (JESUS' RESURRECTION. IF GOD RAISED JESUS, THEN HE CAN RAISE YOU TOO.) F. READ v. 4. CONSIDER THIS NEXT PARALLEL. PETER SAYS THAT OUR NEW BIRTH INTO A LIVING HOPE IS AN "INHERITANCE." 1. IF YOU INHERIT SOMETHING, WHAT RESPONSIBILITY DO YOU HAVE FOR THAT? 2. WHAT CHOICE DO YOU HAVE WHETHER YOU INHERIT SOMETHING? (VINES AND MARSHALL BOTH SAY THAT THE WORD TRANSLATED "INHERITANCE" (KLERONOMIA--KLAY-RON-ON-EE-AH) REFERS NOT SO MUCH TO GETTING SOMETHING BY CHANCE AFTER SOMEONE HAS DIED, AS SOMETHING THAT A PARENT OWNS THAT A CHILD HAS A LEGAL RIGHT TO HAVE WHEN THE PARENT DIES. A GOOD EXAMPLE BEING THE BIRTHRIGHT.) 3. NOTE THE LINKAGE--THAT WE HAVE A NEW BIRTH AND THAT NEW BIRTH THEN MEANS THAT WE GET TO INHERIT SOMETHING FROM THE FAMILY--THE IDEA IS THAT BECOME CO-HEIRS WITH CHRIST. SONS OF GOD (ROM.8:15-17, BUT NOTE THAT IT SAYS WE ARE HEIRS IF WE SHARE IN HIS SUFFERING WE SHARE IN HIS GLORY.) G. HAVE YOU HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING AWAY FROM YOUR PARENTS HOME OR THE THINGS YOU HAD AT YOUR PARENTS HOME FOR A FEW YEARS? ANYONE? 1. WHEN YOU SAW THE HOME OR YOUR OLD THINGS AGAIN, DID ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR IMPRESS YOU? (I REMEMBER THINGS BIGGER OR BETTER THAN THEY ACTUALLY ARE.) 2. WHAT DOES PETER SAY ABOUT OUR INHERITANCE FROM GOD IN v. 4? (THAT IT WILL NOT DETERIORATE. THAT IT IS THERE AND IT IS NOT GOING ANYPLACE.) H. HAVE YOU EVER ENVIED SOMEONE BECAUSE OF THE FAMILY WEALTH? EVER WISH THAT YOU WERE A KENNEDY OR A ROCKEFELLER BECAUSE YOUR WEALTH WOULD BE SECURE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? (THAT IS THE OFFER HERE. YOU CAN BE CERTAIN OF YOUR WEALTH, YOUR INHERITANCE. YOU MAY BE AN ALIEN HERE, BUT YOU CAN BE SURE OF YOUR INHERITANCE.) I. READ v. 5. DOES IT SOUND LIKE GOD'S SALVATION IS READY FOR YOU NOW? (IT SEEMS THAT IT IS READY NOW, BUT WILL BE REVEALED IN THE END OF TIME.) J. WE KNOW THAT THE REWARD ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE, BUT THAT WOULD NOT BE MUCH COMFORT IF WE WOULD NOT BE AROUND TO GET IT. WHAT IS OUR ASSURANCE THAT WE WILL HAVE IT? THAT WE WILL BE AROUND? ("THROUGH FAITH ARE SHIELDED BY GOD'S POWER") 1. IS FAITH SOMETHING THAT WE DO? 2. IS IT OUR ACHIEVEMENT? (NO. IT IS TRUST IN GOD'S WORKS.) K. SO FURTHER FOLLOWING UP ON LAST WEEK'S DISCUSSION, DO WORKS HAVE ANY PLACE IN OUR SALVATION? DO THEY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH SALVATION? (JUST A PEEK AHEAD. v.7 SAYS THAT TRIALS SHOW THAT OUR FAITH IS GENUINE. SEE JAMES 2:18-20. THERE IS GENUINE FAITH AND FAKE FAITH. IF YOU HAVE THE REAL THING, THEN YOU WILL HAVE DEEDS. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE REAL THING, THEN IT DOES YOU NO GOOD. AND TO HAVE THE FAKE FAITH IS WORSE THAN HAVING NONE AT ALL BECAUSE YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE SOMETHING.) L. LAST, PLEASE READ IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY, THE FIRST PARA IN WEDNESDAY'S LESSON ABOUT THE ANGEL WHO GUARDS US. THIS IS A GREAT IDEA AND MAY BE OF COMFORT TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE YOUR VERY OWN ANGEL WHO LOOKS AFTER YOU. III. NEXT WEEK: OUR STUDY WILL BE VERSES 6-12 OF 1 PETER 1.
