INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK WE STUDY 1 PET. 2:20-25. LAST WEEK THE LAST PART OF OUR LESSON DEALT WITH SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY--AND SO DOES OUR LESSON THIS WEEK. PART OF PETER'S GOOD LIVES, GOOD WORKS THEME--THAT WHAT WE DO REFLECTS ON GOD--IS THIS IDEA OF SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY. LETS PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF LAST WEEK:
I. SUBMISSION OF SLAVES A. READ v. 18-20. IS PETER JUST REPEATING WHAT HE SAID BEFORE ABOUT SUBMISSION TO GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY? (NO. HE IS NOW ADDRESSING "OIKETES," "SERVANTS"-- "HOUSEHOLD SERVANTS." SO HE NOW ADDRESSES PEOPLE WHO ARE IN A DIFFERENT SITUATION.) B. WHY IS IT COMMENDABLE TO BE UNJUSTLY BEATEN? (BECAUSE IT REVEALS CHRIST'S ATTITUDE: HE WAS WILLING TO BE BEATEN FOR US.) C. BUT JESUS HAD A GOAL--TO SAVE US. WHAT GOAL DOES THE BEATEN SLAVE HAVE? (IF, AS PETER SAID IN v.12, GOOD WORKS GLORIFY GOD (AT LEAST ON THE DAY OF JT.), THEN SUBMITTING TO AUTHORITY THROUGH SUFFERING W/O STRIKING BACK GLORIFIES GOD.) D. DOES THIS ONLY APPLY TO HOUSEHOLD SERVANTS? E. DOES THIS CONCEPT APPLY TO EMPLOYEES? (SINCE I SUE EMPLOYERS WHO DO NOT RESPECT THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF EMPLOYEES, THIS IS A MATTER OF CONCERN.) (TWO POINTS: 1.THE IDEA OF SUBMITTING TO AUTHORITY IS UNIVERSAL. BUT PERHAPS WE HAVE A SMALLER CIRCLE OF AUTHORITY WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH FREE MEN AND WOMEN. FOR EXAMPLE EMPLOYERS ARE UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE, AND THE STATE MANDATES ACCOMMODATION FOR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.) 2. A FUNDAMENTAL IDEA IS BREAKING THE CHAIN OF WRONGDOING. IF YOU "GET BACK" AT SOMEONE FOR DOING EVIL, YOU ARE STILL IN BONDAGE TO EVIL. BUT IF YOU ENDURE WITHOUT "HITTING BACK," YOU HAVE BROKEN THE CHAIN OF EVIL. YOU DO NOT NEED REVENGE, GOD WILL REPAY.) II. GETTING WHAT YOU DESERVE A. WHAT IS PETER'S POINT ABOUT DESERVING WHAT YOU GET IN v. 20? 1. DOES THIS APPLY TO MORE THAN A BEATING FOR SERVANTS? 2. MY DRIVING IS LESS THAN PERFECT SOMETIMES. ASSUME THAT I GET INTO SOME TERRIBLE ACCIDENT BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN OBNOXIOUS: SHOULD I GET CREDIT FOR SUFFERING PATIENTLY WITH MY INJURIES? 3. WHAT IF I DO NOT WATCH MY DIET AND HAVE A HEART ATTACK? 4. WHAT IF I MARRY AN ABUSIVE SPOUSE--AFTER BEING WARNED? (THINK IT IS A WARNING TO US. MY BET IS MOST OF OUR SUFFERING ARISES FROM OUR OWN DECISIONS. PETER SAYS YOU DON'T DESERVE ANY CREDIT FOR SUFFERING FROM YOUR OWN WRONG DECISIONS.) III. CHRIST'S EXAMPLE A. READ 2:21-25. DO YOU RECALL OUR STUDY OF PETER'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS JESUS' STATEMENTS (PRIOR TO THE CROSS) THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO SUFFER? (SOMEBODY READ MATT. 16:22 HE WAS HOSTILE TO THAT IDEA. HE DENIED IT.) B. IS HE STILL HOSTILE? (NO. HE NOW SAYS THAT WE ARE ALL CALLED INTO IT. v.21) C. WHICH DO YOU LIKE BETTER: PETER'S ADVICE THEN OR HIS ADVICE NOW? D. LOOK CAREFULLY AT THIS: PETER SAYS WE ARE "CALLED" TO SUFFER FOR DOING GOOD. IN 2:9 HE SAYS WE ARE CALLED FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT. 1. IS AN UNJUST BEATING LIGHT? 2. ARE WE REALLY "CALLED" TO SUFFER FOR DOING GOOD? E. GO BACK TO MATT AGAIN: THE DISCUSSION BETWEEN JESUS AND PETER. READ MATT 16: 23-25. F. ARE PETER AND JESUS NOW SAYING THE SAME THING? 1. DOES WHAT JESUS SAID CAST LIGHT ON WHAT PETER IS SAYING? G. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT PETER IS NOT SAYING THAT WE ARE CALLED TO SUFFERING, BUT THAT WE ARE CALLED - IF WE SUFFER - TO BE PATIENT? "TO BEAR UP" v.19. H. OR, IF WE ARE NOT SUFFERING, IS IT BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT ANSWERED THE CALL OF PETER 2:9? I. WHY DID THE PHARISEES DECIDE TO GO AFTER JESUS? (CONSIDER THE IDEA THAT IF WE ARE NOT MAKING A DIFFERENCE, THERE IS NO REASON TO GO AFTER US. BUT IF WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE, SHOWING UP UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, THEN WE BECOME A TARGET.) J. NOTICE v.23 AGAIN. IT SAYS THAT JESUS "TRUSTED HIMSELF TO HIM WHO JUDGES JUSTLY." WHY DOES TRUSTING IN GOD MEAN THAT WE DO NOT RETALIATE OR MAKE THREATS? (WE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE FATHER'S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT. "DO NOT TAKE REVENGE, MY FRIENDS, BUT LEAVE ROOM FOR GOD'S WRATH, FOR IT IS WRITTEN: 'IT IS MINE TO AVENGE; I WILL REPAY,' SAYS THE LORD." ROM.12:19) K. DRAW (LIFE PEOPLE) (DEATH PEOPLE) (RIGHTEOUS) (UNRIGHTEOUS) (ACTS->LIFE) (ACTS->DEATH) L. CAN WE MAKE UP A MODEL HERE OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS? THAT ON THE ONE SIDE ARE ACTIONS THAT LEAD TO DEATH (GOD KNEW THIS FROM THE BEGINNING. HE DID NOT IMPOSE DEATH AS A PENALTY, HE SIMPLY KNEW WHERE SIN LEADS) AND ON THE OTHER SIDE ARE ACTS THAT LEAD TOWARDS LIFE. 1. THE DEATH SIDE PEOPLE IMPOSE THEMSELVES AND THEIR VALUES ON THE LIFE-SIDE PEOPLE. 2. BUT THE LIFE-SIDE PEOPLE NEVER IMPOSE THE ACTIONS AND VALUES OF THE DEATH-SIDE PEOPLE ON THE DEATH SIDE PEOPLE. M. IF YOU ACCEPT THE FACT THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE A SACRIFICE, DOES THAT MAKE LIFE EASIER? 1. HOW MUCH OF YOUR LIFE EFFORTS ARE SPENT TRYING NOT TO BE EMBARRASSED? OR TRYING TO LOOK BETTER THAN OTHERS? N. IN v.24 IT SAYS THAT JESUS BORE OUR SINS IN HIS BODY ON THE TREE SO THAT WE BEING DEAD TO SINS (KJV) MIGHT LIVE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS: 1. HOW DO WE DIE TO SINS BECAUSE OF WHAT JESUS DID? 2. HOW DO WE LIVE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DID? (THE DEATH PART COMES BECAUSE HE PAID THE PRICE FOR US. THE RIGHTWAYSNESS PART IS THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OF GOOD LIVES THAT PETER STRESSES.) (JESUS FREED US FROM THIS CYCLE OF DEATH. HE BROKE THE CHAIN OF SUFFERING BY FREEING US FROM WHAT WE DESERVED, SO WE TOO CAN BREAK THE CHAIN BY FREEING OTHERS FROM WHAT THEY DESERVE (THAT IS, NOT RETALIATE.) O. IN v.25 JESUS IS CALLED THE SHEPHERD AND THE OVERSEER (THE BISHOP). PETER GOES FROM THE IDEA THAT JESUS IS THE LAMB SACRIFICE FOR US TO THE IDEA THAT HE IS OUR SHEPHERD. 1.HOW IS JESUS OUR SHEPHERD? (IF WE ARE CHRISTIANS, WE ARE IN HIS CARE!) 2. WHEN WERE WE GOING ASTRAY? (BEFORE WE WERE CHRISTIANS--OR WERE FULLY CONVERTED. PETER WAS SCATTERED THE NIGHT THAT JESUS WAS ARRESTED BECAUSE HIS HEART WAS NOT COMPLETELY CONVERTED.) IV. NEXT WEEK: 1 PETER 3:1-7 AUTHORITY IN THE FAMILY AND ADVICE THAT IS PRESENTLY UNDER SERIOUS ATTACK IN THE WORLD TODAY. I COULD GET IN ALL SORTS OF TROUBLE!
