"The
Challenges We Face"
Pastor John Salvesen
Bear Creek Bible Church
March 19, 2006
I Peter 1:1-2
Including the
book we are about to begin, we will have studied 17 books of the Bible. (Next week will be our 13th
anniversary as a congregation).
Each book of
the Bible has a major theme or emphasis…
The last six
we have examined –
I Corinthians
– Christians are still under construction
Judges – We
can have stability under turbulence
Ephesians –
The identity and conduct of the church
Romans – God’s
righteousness, Our need & His plan
Habakkuk – The
God Who communicates
I Peter –
Opposition & challenges are normal!
would
run hungrily beneath advancing Panzer divisions. Bombs
were
then strapped to the dogs’ backs. Unfortunately,
the dogs
associated food solely with Russian tanks. The plan was
begun the
first day of the Russian involvement in in World War II…and abandoned
on day two. The dogs with bombs on their backs forced an entire
Soviet division to retreat.
To a very large extent, the apostle Peter could’ve been considered
to be a failure.
·
In the upper room, he, at first refused the foot
washing
from Jesus
·
During the Passover Feast, Peter prompted John
to
ask Jesus who would betray Him. The Lord
predicted
that Peter would betray Him three times before the
cock would crow.
·
When the Romans came to arrest Jesus – Peter
acted
impulsively & cut off the ear of one of the High
Priest’s servants.
· Peter denied Jesus 3 times.
·
Paul criticized Peter in Galatians 2 for his not
eating
with the Gentiles when the Jewish Christians came.
Just liked the other Bible books we’ve studied
I
Peter has a theme and purpose…occasion, time
Written during a time of political, social & personal persecution –
It emphasizes the reality of suffering in the Christian’s life –
(suffering is mentioned 16 times using eight different Greek terms)
The Church has identified as a sect of Judaism – now they
were gaining their own independence and no longer receiving
the protection of being associated with Judaism
at
the beginning of persecution & opposition – Nero’s
blaming of the burning of Rome on Christians. (AD 64)
Because there is a purpose to
opposition, there is a
way
to bear our challenges. There is a right
perspective
& a wrong one – as well as a right
and wrong response –
Peter was the author of I Peter because he states it in the
beginning although Silas was probably his secretary –
The early church Fathers believed this –
There are also similarities between Peter’s sermons in Acts
as well as quotations and passages in I Peter –
Peter was a fisherman who was not formally educated
(Acts 4:13), but it could be reasonably assumed was not an
Unintelligent person.
After 30 years of ministry & travel, Peter could
write in
complex Greek, although he was a Hebrew.
Peter was probably fairly wealthy along with
(Mark 1:29-30) his partner & brother, Andrew, because he had
a house large enough (in Capernaum) that accommodated his
family, the Lord & the other disciples.
*The Lord chooses to use people who the world does not
think are useable.
When John The Baptist pointed his disciples to Jesus,
Andrew went to find his brother, Simon –
<John 1:42> Cephas = petros = stone
Peter is not “The Rock” on
which the church was
to be built, but Jesus was Rock (Matthew 16:18)
Peter, along with the other apostles, was one
Of the stones (Ephesians 2:20)
<verse one>
Peter was an “apostle” (messenger)
12 Disciples were apostles (Luke 6:13) “of Jesus Christ” – no
other office had this phrase attached to it.
Peter wrote this epistle to inform a mixed group of believers,
Jew and Gentile, that opposition & challenge were
normal & natural – but they had a supernatural way to
deal with it -
A letter circulated
To believers in 5 Roman
provinces; Asia Minor; current day
Turkey –
Outline of I Peter:
I. Salvation
II. Submission
III.
Suffering
<verse 1b>
A purpose of the letter was to drive home the point that:
I. Believers Have An Alien Status In This World (1).
foreigners, sojourners, aliens living in another Kingdom
We simply do not belong here – but God wants us here
for a time.
“Chosen sojourners” Citizenship is in heaven
<Philippians 3:20>
I come from a family of illegal aliens: Three of my grand-
parents entered the country illegally! But all got their papers
eventually.
For us, who live in the Bible belt of some of the most
Christianized countries in the world – we can get the
Feeling that we’re right at home.
This is an anomaly! This experience is highly unusual –
One of the benefits of opposition & persecution is that this
fact of alien status is continually driven home. How did we
get to this new status?
<2>
II. Our Foreign Identity Began As God Initiated His Work In Us. Since This Progress Will Continue We Must Expect Opposition (2).
Chosen = selected
Elect = eklektos
Foreknowledge to know in advance, personally
(prognosis) = (Romans 8:28-30)
There is determination. Since foreknowledge is connected
to election in I Peter 1:2 since foreknowledge is connected
to predestination in Romans 8:29-30 – foreknowledge is
more than just God knowing something in advance.
God makes the first move –
BECAUSE We Cannot!
Why does this matter? It makes our salvation certain
because God started it & He will guide & manage the
whole process of Sanctification.
Trinity is involved – Father selects
Son Saves
Spirit sanctifies –
There is a certainty – Son’s blood is sprinkled on us as we
obey the gospel –
We enter into the New Covenant -
I Cor. 11:25
Just like the Hebrews entered into the old Covenant
<Exodus 24:6-8>
There is hope & joy because we have solid security!
There is hope & joy because God is working in us –
AND
Because God is working in us – we can be confident that
the world system, flesh & Devil are
working against us.
Peter writes this letter to encourage believers in their challenges.
I hope we will be bolstered as well as we study it together.