Introduction: Last week Peter told us how we should relate to the government, our employers and our spouse. This week he continues to give us advice in our other relationships. When I say, “relationships” I’m not just talking about interacting with others. Peter gives us advice on how to best promote God’s Kingdom. Do you feel that your relationships with others could improve? Could your service improve? If so, let’s plunge into our study of the Bible and see what we can learn to improve our lives and our service!
- Harmony
- Read 1 Peter 3:8-9. Who is the audience here? Is this
addressed to church members in their dealings with other church members? (I think so because Peter says, “love as brothers.”) - What is the result of responding to abuse with
blessings? (We are blessed.) - Read 1 Peter 3:10-12. What are the specific rewards for
being honest and avoiding evil? (You will be able to love
life. You will see “good days.” Because God is your ally,
you will enjoy life more, while God will resist those who
do evil.) - Read 1 Peter 3:13. In the United States it is illegal to
discriminate against employees based on their religious
beliefs. What does this teach followers of God that goes
far beyond mere legal protections? (If you are a great
employee, employers will want to keep you. The best
protection in life is not the law, but rather the reaction
of those who see Jesus reflected in you.) - The Right Attitude
- Read 1 Peter 3:14. Is it always true that if you are eager
to do good, others will have your best interests in mind?
(Look what happened to Jesus. There is evil in the world,
and evil wants to harm good. Thus, there are exceptions to
the general rule.) - Look again at 1 Peter 3:14. Why does Peter add “do not
fear what they fear?” (Because, if we are doing good, God
will look out for us.) - Read 1 Peter 3:15-17. We discussed what kind of attitude
we should have towards fellow church members. What kind of
attitude should we have toward pagans? (We should be
prepared to deal with them. We should have an answer for
our belief in Jesus. We should present our arguments with
“gentleness and respect.”) - Is gentleness and respect easy? (This is a sin that I
confess. Outside of these Bible studies, I’ve written
articles making fun of those who harshly attack my
faith. Humor is a powerful weapon, and I have skill
in this area, but I doubt that I ever convinced
someone of my views by making fun of that person.
Peter says “Don’t do it.”) - On what does Peter based his argument that we should do
good and show respect and gentleness to those who do evil?
(Read 1 Peter 3:18. The attitude of self-sacrifice is how
Jesus saved us. It is the focus of the gospel – Jesus died
for those who are evil, and that includes you and me.
Using humor against pagans says, “I’m smarter than you and
I will embarrass you because of your poor arguments. It is
self-serving, not selfless.) - Read 1 Peter 3:19-21. Did Jesus go to purgatory or hell to
preach to those who didn’t listen to Noah? - If so, why just preach to those who ignored Noah? Is
there a special place in hell for those who ignored
Noah? (Just asking these questions shows Peter’s
remarks are not limited to Noah’s audience. Peter is
simply saying that when Jesus died for the
unrighteous, He died for the unrighteous of all times
– including those who lived and died before Jesus
rose from the grave.) - Why mention the Noah audience specifically? (Read
Genesis 6:3. This explains that the Holy Spirit had
been contending with humans during the 120 years that
Noah was preaching and building the ark.) - Why mention the waters of the flood? (Peter uses Noah
as an example of two things. First, that the Holy
Spirit has been working on human hearts before Jesus
came to live with us. Second, the flood is an example
of the washing away of sin. The flood washed away
sinful people. Baptism washes away your old, sinful
life. Through the resurrection of Jesus, you are born
again into life eternal.) - Read 1 Peter 3:22. What is the result of Jesus’ submissive
attitude while here on earth? (He is now at the right hand
of God and all submit to Him.) - Will that be true here? If you submit to God and to
authority, you will be given authority? - Read 1 Peter 4:1-2. Would you like to be “done with sin?”
How do these verses suggest that we can be done with sin?
(Christ suffered because of our sins. We suffer because of
our sins. If we pay attention to the connection between
suffering and sin, we will know that evil human desires
are the path to trouble, but pursuing the will of God is
the path to good days and loving life.) - Read 1 Peter 4:3-4. If this describes your past life, can
you affirm that your old friends wonder why you left their
lifestyle? Have they harassed you for turning from your
former life? - Read 1 Peter 4:5-6. What will your friends who have
rejected God have to face? (The judgment.) - Is the gospel preached to dead people? (Look at 1
Peter 3:19-20 again. I think Peter is talking about
the same thing – he is saying that the gospel was
preached to those who lived before Jesus came to
earth, people who died long ago. If they accepted
God, their names are written in the book of life. If
they did not, they are judged by their deeds. See,
Revelation 20:11-15.) - The End is Near
- Read 1 Peter 4:7. This is the third time that Peter talks
about clearing the way for our prayers. He previously
mentioned it in 1 Peter 3:7 and 1 Peter 3:12. Why does
being “self-controlled” and “clear minded” aid us in
prayer? (We do not want to be distracted. We want clarity
of thought. We want to be able to discern what the Holy
Spirit has to say to us in response to our prayers.) - Read 1 Peter 4:8. Are you someone who tends to make
mistakes and insult and injure others? What is the best
approach for those who have a “multitude of sins” to
cover? (Being loving. Showing love makes up for lots of
errors.) - Read 1 Peter 4:9-10. What do joyful hospitality and
service to others have to do with love? (This shows others
the grace that God has shown to us.) - Read 1 Peter 4:11. One of my jobs is to advise employees
who have religious objections to supporting labor unions.
This requires the employee to notify the union of his
religious beliefs. Over the decades, I’ve had a couple of
employees who wrote their notice to the union in language
you would find in the King James version of the Bible. My
reaction was that these employees were not sincere in
their religious beliefs. They thought they might sound
religious by writing this way. Is this what Peter means
when he tells us that we should be “speaking the very
words of God?” (If you review the previous texts, Peter is
telling us about serving others. Peter advises us, “Think
about how Jesus would address this issue.” The popular
phrase is, “What would Jesus do?”) - How do you tap into the “strength God provides?” (Ask
God. The good news is that you do not have to do
these things in your own strength.) - What is God asking of us? (He is looking for
excellence, diligence and conscientiousness in our
gospel work. His unlimited strength is available to
us!) - How many times have you seen church work that
is done in a sloppy and unprofessional way?
Have you seen church members decide at the last
minute who should do what in the church
service? Do you observe pastors spending too
little time preparing sermons and as a result
give long, disorganized presentations? (These
examples violate the rules of excellence,
diligence and conscientiousness.) - Look at the last part of 1 Peter 4:11. What does
Peter say is the goal of excellent service? (To bring
glory to God! Ask yourself if your work brings God
glory?) - Friend, examine your relationships and your service for
God. Do they need improvement? Why not ask the Holy Spirit
to redirect your relationships and improve your service? - Next week: Suffering for Christ.
