November 15, 2009
A SUFFERING PEOPLE
DEVOTIONAL READING – 1 CORINTHIANS 12:20-26
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE – 1 PETER 4
KEY VERSE: Those who suffer according to God’s will, should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. – 1 Peter 4:19
INTRODUCTION:
There are many hostilities toward the church and the Christian faith in various countries and Christians are belittled for wanting to be good moral people who seek to follow Jesus. Why is this so? First, we should understand that this is nothing new. From its earliest days, the church in Jerusalem was opposed by the Jewish authorities (Acts 7:54-60; 12:1-3). Jesus told his disciples to expect this treatment (Luke 6:22; 12:11-12).
Second, we should understand these persecutions are directed primarily at our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 22:7-8). Jesus knew that the world would hate him and his message (John 7:7; 15: 18-19), for he cut away religious hypocrisy and self righteousness. It should not surprise us then, if this hate is now directed toward Jesus’ followers, his disciples in the current day (1 John 3:13). As we understand how this persecution affected those in the first century, we will be better prepared to understand our own situation.
LESSON BACKGROUND:
In our reading today, Peter suggests further factors that will enable the Christian not merely to endure, but actually to rejoice in suffering. This is a test to prove the reality of faith, and we should expect God to try (and thereby strengthen) such faith. It is also a sharing of Christ’s sufferings, which were His pathway to glory, and so will they be for His followers. For that reason, the Spirit of God will, even in persecution, be radiating the sufferer’s life with glory.
INTO THE WORD AND LIFE APPLICATION:
I. TRIAL OF FIRE (1PETER 4:12-14)
A. Expect it (v. 12)-Peter characterizes the persecution his readers have faced as painful. And there is more pain ahead.
B. Rejoice in it (v. 13) – this sounds almost crazy! Derive joy from pain? It is not the suffering that Peter glories in, but the privilege of sharing with Christ.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? How do you rejoice in times of trials and sufferings without appearing to be in denial about the reality of those trials and sufferings.
C. Glory in it (v. 14) – to be insulted is to be deliberately maligned. No one enjoys such abuse, but Peter sees a blessing in this: our suffering from persecution is a validation of our faith.
II. ORDEAL OF SUFFERING (vv.15-16)
A. Shamed criminal (v. 15) – Peter draws a clear distinction between the just suffering of the criminal and the unjust- yet glorious – suffering of the Christian.
B. Unashamed Christian (v. 16) – Peter gives us a course of action that never fails: praise God. Worship and repentance redirect our attention away from self and toward the Lord.
III. JUDGMENT OF GOD (vv. 17-19)
A. Internal examination (vv. 17-18) – Peter asks the church not only to see beyond their sufferings, but also to use the occasion as an opportunity for self examination.
- Judgment will come upon all the ungodly, whether they call themselves Christians or not, for God truly knows the hearts of all.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? What methods have you seen God use to judge his house, the church? How do we know this is actually God’s judgment happening and not something else?
B. Suffering and trusting (v. 19) - we must commit ourselves to God in utter, complete faith and trust. This is because our Creator, God is faithful and will do as He has promised.
CONCLUSION:
Suffering for Christ is a confirmation of our faith. It shows us that what Jesus taught was true: the sinful world is in violent rebellion against our righteous God. Suffering confirms that we are truly His disciples. We have denied our own road to pleasure. We have taken up the cross, and we are following our Lord to glory (Mark 8:34).
Peter’s words help us understand that we don’t need to suffer for Christ in silence. The church should serve as a place of encouragement and celebration in the midst of suffering. The body of Christ should be a “shelter in the time of storm”, an oasis in the desert of worldly, sinful lives. We should share in these sufferings together, bearing the burdens of our fellow believers. It is then that we become the fellowship of the unashamed, those who are confident in their obedience to Christ.
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: TREAT SUFFERING FOR JESUS AS AN HONOR.
November 8, 2009
A CHOSEN PEOPLE
DEVOTIONAL READING: Deuteronomy 10:10-15
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 2: 1-17
KEY VERSE: YOU ARE A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE BELONGING TO GOD THAT YOU MAY DECLARE THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS WONDERFUL LIGHT. – 1 PETER 2:9
INTRODUCTION:
The NT sometimes pictures the church as a spiritual “house”, an edifice constructed by God for His glory. Paul uses this construction metaphor to picture the church as a temple built on the foundation of the apostles with Jesus as the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20-21)
God is the master craftsman with the perfect plan. We are his building material, and he has refined us and sanctified us through His Spirit to be just as He desires. We are built by God to be His chosen household, His holy habitation, or dwelling. (Ephesians 2:22)
BACKGROUND:
The general context and purpose of Peter’s letters: advice on how to live as Christians in the midst of hostile nonbelievers. Peter draws on his deep knowledge of the OT and his rich Jewish heritage to present his case for the church as a holy, exemplary people who are dedicated to the service of God.
INTO THE WORD:
I. CHOOSING A SPIRITUAL DIET (vv.1-3)
A. Eliminate toxic food – 5 attitudes and actions that should be avoided by believers because they are toxic and will poison the soul.
* All malice – this has the sense of evil actions in general. They can be motivated by greed, spite, jealousy, or other moral failings, but the result is an action that intends to harm another person.
* Deceit, hypocrisy and envy – these are attitudes or personality traits.
Deceit – an orientation of general dishonesty. It describes persons who may be counted on to lie if it benefits them in some way.
Hypocrisy – describes deep insincerity. A hypocritical person will play whatever role is most beneficial to him or her on a personal level.
Envy – this bitter, restless spirit always begrudges the success or nice possessions of others. It is the opposite of gratitude or contentment with what God has given to us.
* Slander of every kind – a verbal back-stabbing behavior. It is the manifestation of the previous three; a deceitful person who feigns innocence and friendship yet harbors deep resentment and envy. Such persons work behind the scenes to damage the reputation of those whom they dislike.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Which of the unhealthy, toxic attitudes and actions Peter mentions, give Christians the most trouble? How do we get rid of them?
B. Thrive on healthy food – just as a newborn baby denied nourishment will die, so will the Christian who neglects God’s Word.
Milk – just as physical milk is crucial to the health and vitality of the baby, so is spiritual milk essential to the health and vitality of the infant Christian.
II. CHOOSING A BUILDING MATERIAL (vv. 4-8)
A. Blocks for the walls – Peter begins this section by drawing on Psalm118:22. God’s building project is a spiritual house made up of people. It started with the first chosen and living stone, Jesus, but He was rejected by His human evaluators. They had no insight into the fact that HE, the SON OF GOD, was the most precious of all human beings. This lack of recognition led to Jesus’ death. This does not negate that Jesus is indeed the cornerstone for the church.
One stone does not make a building no matter how immense it may be. God’s spiritual house requires other living stones – the believers. The spiritual house is a spiritual temple and the sacrifices are spiritual in nature. Peter is giving us a picture of an organization devoted to service, to self-denial, to commitment because we are a holy priesthood – who can minister to others and who can perform intercession
B. Custom Cornerstone – Peter returns to the OT to reinforce the divine plan for Christ to be the cornerstone. This description is followed by a promise; faith in God’s essential, chosen, and precious Messiah will be rewarded.
C. Work-site hazards – the quality of a stone delivered to a construction site can be evaluated by the stonemasons. Such process is natural to avoid future disasters. Similarly when Jesus confronts us with His claims, it is natural for us to evaluate the truthfulness of those claims, but we dare not reach the wrong conclusion as the Jewish leaders did! They were the builders who rejected Jesus. Peter wants believers to find Jesus as the Father does.
III. CHOOSING A HOLY NATION (vv 9-10)
A. Selected for royalty – Christ’s church has not been granted its status because of its accomplishments, but because God selected it. We are royalty because of our relationship to King Jesus, and we are intended to be unlike any other people on the earth in our dedication and service to God and in God’s favor to them. We are a people belonging to God, bringing us from spiritual darkness into the wonderful light of God’s truth. And our purpose is to declare his praises, for the church does not exist for its own pleasure, but to glorify God in all it does.
B. Elected for mercy – for Peter, the extension to non-Jews of the possibility of joining the people of God is a mighty act of mercy.
CONCLUSION:
Within the church, there is (or should be) a real sense that all are royals. Do we act like royalty in the best sense of the word? Do we treat fellow Christians as if they are princes and princesses? Most of all, do we honor Jesus, the King, in all we do? Are we His obedient servants?
May we honor the role of being set apart by God for His purposes, as we work toward the unity of believers as a holy, royal nation for Jesus.
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