INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK WE STUDY 1 PETER 2:1-10. THANK GREG. UNEXPECTEDLY GONE.
I. LETS REVIEW: A. LAST WEEK PETER STARTED OUT WITH HIS FIRST CONCLUSION, (v.13) "THEREFORE,"-- GIRD UP THE LOINS OF YOUR MIND" (PREPARE YOUR MIND FOR ACTION) (I LOVE THAT WORD PICTURE: HIKE UP THE SKIRT OF YOUR MIND, AND GET READY TO RUN.) B. PETER ENDED LAST WEEK BY REMINDING US THAT WE ARE BORN AGAIN, AND THAT NEW BIRTH IS OUR ONLY HOPE OF ESCAPING BEING A FLASH IN THE PAN--JUST LIKE THE FLOWERS AND GRASS WHO ARE ONLY HERE FOR THE SUMMER. C. AND THAT BRINGS US THIS WEEK TO HIS SECOND MAJOR CONCLUSION: "THEREFORE"-- II. ATTITUDES A. LETS READ THEREFORE WHAT: 2:1 B. WHAT ABOUT THESE SINS? AS YOU CONSIDER THEM, DO THEY HAVE ANYTHING IN COMMON? C. YOU KNOW, LIKE THE OLD GRADE SCHOOL TESTS, YOU HAVE A CARROT, BEAN, CORN COB AND POTATO, AND THEY ASK YOU, "WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON?" D. WHAT DO THESE SINS HAVE IN COMMON? (THIS IS INTERPERSONAL STUFF AND ATTITUDES OF THE MIND. NOT ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD BECAUSE WE CANNOT DECEIVE OR BE A HYPOCRITE WITH HIM. AND NOT PHYSICAL SINS LIKE KILLING, STEALING, ETC.) E. PETER SAYS, "RID YOURSELF OF THESE SINS." 1. CAN WE DO THAT? 2. ESPECIALLY ATTITUDES OF THE MIND? (IT GOES BACK TO 1:22 & 23, WHERE HE SAYS THAT WE PURIFY OURSELVES AND CAUSE OURSELVES TO LOVE BY OBEDIENCE AND WE ARE BORN AGAIN BY THE WORD OF GOD.) F. LETS LOOK AT THE NATURE OF A COUPLE OF THESE SINS MORE CLOSELY: 1. MALICE. WHAT IS MALICE? (AN INTENT TO INJURE ANOTHER. THE GREEK MEANS "VICIOUS CHARACTER." Strong's # 2549 kakia (kak-ee'-ah); 2. DECEIT WOULD SEEM PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, BUT THIS WORD IN THE GREEK IS Strong's # 1388 dolos (dol'-os); (probably meant to decoy; a trick (bait), OUR LESSON SUGGESTS "FISH BAIT." 3. WHAT IS MEANT WHEN WE ARE TOLD TO RID OURSELVES OF FISH BAIT? (I'M NOT SURE IF IT MEANS TO STAY AWAY FROM EVIL, ATTRACTIVE THINGS (SO WE WILL NOT BE CAUGHT); OR WHETHER IT MEANS THAT WE SHOULD NOT ATTRACT OTHERS TO EVIL.) G.IF IT MEANS ATTRACT OTHERS TO EVIL, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I CANNOT REMEMBER EVER DISCUSSING IN CLASS. IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO ATTRACT OTHERS TO EVIL BY NOT EXPLICITLY STANDING UP FOR WHAT WE KNOW TO BE RIGHT? LETTING OUR INFLUENCE HELP EVIL? 1. CAN YOU THINK OF TIMES WHEN YOU EXPLICITLY ATTRACTED OTHERS TOWARDS EVIL? H. HYPOCRISY (GREEK MEANS "PLAY ACTING.") I. ENVY-- Strong's # 5355 phthonos (fthon'-os); VINES SAYS THIS MEANS WANTING TO DEPRIVE SOMEONE OF WHAT THEY HAVE (AS OPPOSED TO WANTING TO HAVE THE SAME THING AS SOMEONE ELSE.) J. SLANDER Strong's # 2636 katalalia (kat-al-al-ee'-ah); from 2637; defamation: KJV-- backbiting, evil speaking. III. YOUR PART IN CHANGING YOUR ATTITUDE. A. PETER NEXT SUGGESTS THE SECOND PART OF THIS CONCLUSION, SOMETHING POSITIVE THAT WE CAN DO. NOT JUST GET RID OF THESE BAD ATTITUDES. B. READ v. 2 AND 3. C. DOES "CRAVING" SOUND LIKE AN ATTITUDE TO YOU? D. HOW DO YOU TEACH YOURSELF TO CRAVE SOMETHING? E. HOW DOES THIS WORK WITH A REGULAR DRINK? HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT TEACHING YOURSELF TO CRAVE COFFEE? WHICH IN MY OPINION DOES NOT HAVE A GOOD TASTE. F. HOW DO YOU ACQUIRE THIS TASTE? (I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO FEED ON THE SPIRITUAL MILK IN ORDER TO TEACH OURSELVES TO CRAVE IT.) G.HOW DO THE MANAGERS PROMOTE THE "TASTE" OF COKE? (BY IMAGES-WORDS-ADS) H. SO IS THERE ANY LESSON IN THIS AS A PRACTICAL MATTER? (THAT WE STUDY THE BIBLE REGULARLY, WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT AT FIRST.) I. SEE THE LINKAGE HERE. WE CANNOT OBEY UNLESS WE LEARN WHAT GOD WANTS--GOD'S WORD (1:23). LEARNING WHAT GOD WANTS IS LIKE A LIVING SEED (1:23) WHICH GROWS INTO OBEDIENCE AND LOVE (1:22), AND CAUSES US TO WANT TO LEARN MORE. (2:2)) STUDY->OBEDIENCE->LOVE->DESIRE TO STUDY. J. WOULD YOU EVER CRAVE MILK IF YOU HAD SODA AVAILABLE AND HAD BEEN DRINKING SODA ALL THE TIME? (NO. WE CAN SCREW UP BY FEEDING ON THE v.1 TRAITS IN OUR LIVES. BY HEARING, SEEING, ADOPTING THOSE TRAITS. WE HAVE TO OBEY v.1 BEFORE WE GET TO v.2 AND 3) K. LOOK AT THIS MILK FOR A MINUTE. IT SAYS IT SHOULD BE PURE ("ADOLOS" WITHOUT GUILE, UNADULTERATED). CAN SPIRITUAL MILK BE ADULTERATED? 1. HOW? 2. WHAT IS IT WE ARE LOOKING OUT FOR? (THE IDEA OF GOING STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE, THE BIBLE.) L. READ v.4-5 M. PETER SHOWS US A PATH HERE. HE JUST GOT THROUGH SAYING THAT WE ARE LIKE NEWBORN BABIES WHO NEED TO GROW IN SALVATION. THE NEXT STAGE OF OUR DEVELOPMENT IS TO BE LIKE A STONE. N. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT PETER SAYS WE SHOULD BE A STONE? 1. WHAT ABOUT A STONE SHOULD WE BE LIKE? (STONES ARE SOLID. THERE ARE VARIOUS GREEK WORDS FOR STONE, BUT THIS IS "LITHOS" WHICH MEANS A STONE THAT HAS BEEN HEWN INTO SHAPE FOR USE IN A BUILDING. SO A SHAPED STONE. A STONE BY ITSELF IS A PROBLEM. A STONE FITTED TOGETHER WITH OTHERS IS A SHELTER.) O. DO YOU THINK THIS PARALLEL TO STONES SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD BE CHURCH MEMBERS? P. WE OFTEN EMPHASIZE THE PRIESTHOOD OF THE INDIVIDUAL BELIEVER, WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THE IDEA THAT WE ARE BUILT TOGETHER INTO A SPIRITUAL HOUSE, A HOLY PRIESTHOOD? (THAT WHENEVER CHRISTIANS MEET, THEY ARE A TEMPLE. THE IDEA OF WORKING TOGETHER IS VERY IMPORTANT.) Q. WHAT DOES THE IDEA OF CALLING US A PRIESTHOOD, AS OPPOSED TO STONES ADD TO THE WORD PICTURE THAT PETER PAINTS? (WE NOT ONLY FORM THE COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS, THE IDEA IS THAT WE CAN, AS PRIESTS, DECLARE GOD'S GLORY.) IV. CORNERSTONE A. READ v.6-8. B. WHO IS THE CORNERSTONE? PETER? (THE NIV SAYS "CAPSTONE," BUT THE GREEK SEEMS TO BE THE HEAD OF THE ANGLE, THE CORNERSTONE.) C. ANYONE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MASONRY? D. WHAT IS IMPORTANT ABOUT THE CORNERSTONE (OR THE BEGINNING COURSE OF BLOCKS OR BRICKS)? (THEY SET THE STANDARD.) E. HOW DOES THAT APPLY TO OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE? (THAT JESUS IS THE STANDARD, AND THAT WE ARE BUILT TOGETHER ON HIS STANDARD.) F. NOTICE THAT JESUS THE CORNERSTONE CAUSES TWO DIFFERENT REACTIONS? (IT IS EITHER PRECIOUS OR A STUMBLING BLOCK.) G. COULD YOU LITERALLY STUMBLE OVER A CORNERSTONE IN A BUILDING? (NOT LIKELY. THE PICTURE I SEE IN MY MIND IS THAT IF THE STONE IS USED AS THE CORNER STONE YOU COULD NOT STUMBLE. BUT IF YOU JUST LEAVE IT OUT SITTING BY ITSELF, YOU COULD STUMBLE OVER IT.) H. WHAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO STUMBLE? (DISOBEDIENCE!) THIS IS ANOTHER INDICATION THAT OBEDIENCE IS IMPORTANT. OBEDIENCE DOES NOT SAVE US. WE CANNOT BE SAVED BY THE LAW. BUT OBEDIENCE SEEMS TO BE A PRETTY GOOD INDICATOR OF WHETHER WE HAVE ACCEPTED JESUS' SACRIFICE FOR US.) V. CALLED PEOPLE A. READ v.9-10. B. PETER SAYS THAT WE WERE NOT A PEOPLE. WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT HE MEANS BY THAT? (GOD FIRST CHOSE TO WORK THROUGH THE JEWS. AT THAT POINT WE (GENTILES) WERE NOT A PEOPLE. BUT NOW THE GOSPEL HAS GONE TO US, WE ARE NOW STONES IN THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD. WHAT A PRIVILEGE!) VI. NEXT WEEK: 1 PETER 2:11-20. CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY
