Resurrection Realities: A Sermon Series on 1 Peter

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Resurrection Realities A Sermon Series on 1 Peter

• Presented at Concordia Seminary
• May 2, 2007
• Reed Lessing M.Div., S.T.M., Ph.D.
• Associate Professor of Exegetical Theology
• Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO

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1 Peter in the LSB Lectionary Series A

• Easter 2 (March 30, 2008) 13-9
• Easter 3 (April 6, 2008) 117-25
• Easter 4 (April 13, 2008) 219-25
• Easter 5 (April 20, 2008) 22-10
• Easter 6 (April 27, 2008) 313-22
• Easter 7 (May 4, 2008) 412-19 56-11

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Outline of 1 Peter

• 11-2 Salutation
• 13-12 Thanksgiving
• 113-511 Body of the Letter
• 113-210 Christian Identity
• 211-312 Christian Lifestyle
• 313-511 Christian Suffering
• 512-14 Conclusion

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• Resurrection Realities On Lifes Tests
• (1 Peter 13-9)

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• now for a little while you may have had to
  suffer grief in all kinds of trials
• (1 Peter 16)
• Jesus loves us right where we are but he loves
  us too much to let us stay where we are.

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• Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord
  Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us
  new birth into a living hope through the
  resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1
  Peter 13)

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The reality of Christs resurrection gives
lifes tests

• 1) A Sense of Direction
• These have come so that your faith-- of greater
  worth than gold, which perishes even though
  refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may
  result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus
  Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 17)

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• 2. A Sense of Destiny
• and into an inheritance that can never
  perish, spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you,
  who through faith are shielded by God's power
  until the coming of the salvation that is ready
  to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 14-5)

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• 3. A Sense of Delight
• Though you have not seen him, you love him and
  even though you do not see him now, you believe
  in him and are filled with an inexpressible and
  glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of
  your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1
  Peter 18-9)

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• Happiness is situational
• Joy is relational

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• Resurrection Realities On Lifestyle
• (1 Peter 117-25)

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How Do You Define Your Lifestyle?

• 1) Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous 2)
  Lifestyles of the Poor and Poverty- Stricken 3)
  Lifestyles of the Overwhelmed and
• Overcommitted 4) Lifestyles of the Old and
  Aged 5) Lifestyles of the ______and__________

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Four Different Lifestyles

• The Slide
• The Treadmill
• The Roller Coaster
• The Escalator

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The Problem

• For you know that it was not with perishable
  things such as silver or gold that you were
  redeemed from the empty way of life handed down
  to you from your forefathers. (1 Peter 118)

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The Solution

• For you have been born again, not of perishable
  seed, but of imperishable, through the living and
  enduring word of God. (1 Peter 123)

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A Resurrection Lifestyle Means

• 1) I Believe
• Through him you believe in God, who raised him
  from the dead and glorified him, and so your
  faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 121)
• 2) I Belong
• Now that you have purified yourselves by
  obeying the truth so that you have sincere love
  for your brothers, love one another deeply, from
  the heart. (1 Peter 122)

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• 3) I Become
• Since you call on a Father who judges each
  man's work impartially, live your lives as
  strangers here in reverent fear.
• (1 Peter 117)

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• Resurrection Realities On Relationships
• (1 Peter 219-25)

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• To this you were called, because Christ suffered
  for you, leaving you an example, that you should
  follow in his steps.
• (1 Peter 221)

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• When they hurled their insults at him, he did
  not retaliate when he suffered, he made no
  threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who
  judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his
  body on the tree, so that we might die to sins
  and live for righteousness by his wounds you
  have been healed. (1 Peter 223-24)

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Walls are Between

• 1) You and Your Spouse
• like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him
  her master. You are her daughters if you do what
  is right and do not give way to fear. Husbands,
  in the same way be considerate as you live with
  your wives, and treat them with respect as the
  weaker partner and as heirs with you of the
  gracious gift of life, so that nothing will
  hinder your prayers.
• (1 Peter 36-7)

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A Wifes Most Basic Needs

• Affection
• Conversation
• Honesty and Openness
• Financial Support
• Family Commitment

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A Husbands Most Basic Needs

• Sexual Fulfillment
• Recreational Companionship
• An Attractive Spouse
• Domestic Support
• Admiration

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Walls Are Between

• 2) You and Your Children
• "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one
  another be sympathetic, love as brothers, be
  compassionate and humble.
• (1 Peter 38)

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Walls Are Between

• 3) You and Your God
• For you were like sheep going astray, but now
  you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of
  your souls.
• (1 Peter 225)

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Walls are broken when hearts are broken

• The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a
  broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not
  despise. (Psalm 5117)
• For he himself is our peace, who has made the
  two one and has destroyed the barrier, the
  dividing wall of hostility.
• (Ephesians 214)

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• Resurrection Realities On Identity
• (1 Peter 22-10)

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• My Belief Determines my Behavior

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• As you come to him, the living Stone-- rejected
  by men but chosen by God and precious to him--you
  also, like living stones, are being built into a
  spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering
  spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through
  Jesus Christ.
• (1 Peter 24-5)

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Christs Resurrection Means

• 1) I am Acceptable
• But you are a chosen people
• (1 Peter 29)
• For he chose us in him before the creation of
  the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
  In love he predestined us to be adopted as his
  sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his
  pleasure and will. (Ephesians 14-5)

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• 3) I am Valuable
• a people belonging to God
• (1 Peter 29)
• You were bought at a price.
• (1 Corinthians 620)

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• 3) I am Capable
• a royal priesthood (1 Peter 29)
• For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ
  Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
  advance for us to do.
• (Ephesians 210)

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• 4) I am Forgivable
• Once you were not a people, but now you are
  the people of God once you had not received
  mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1
  Peter 210)

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• Resurrection Realities On Evangelism
• (1 Peter 313-22)

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Different Evangelism Methods

• 1) The Redskin Routine The more scalps the
  better.
• 2) The Intellectual Inquisition The more talk
  the better.
• 3) The Mute Movement The less talk the
  better.
• 4) The Peter Principle The more courage the
  better.

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The Peter Principle

• 1) Hope Properly Focused
• But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
  (1 Peter 315)
• 2) Reasons Individually Prepared
• Always be prepared to give an answer to
  everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
  hope that you have.
• (1 Peter 315)

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The Good News Revised Unorthodox Version(What
Christians Believe)

• Three out of four say the Bible teaches that God
  helps those who help themselves.
• One out of two say Satan is only a symbol of
  evil.
• One out of three say Christianity is not the only
  religion based on Gods truth.
• One out of four say Jesus was not physically
  resurrected and a good person can earn salvation.
  Source Barna Research Group, 2005

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The Peter Principle

• 3) Gentleness Sincerely Expressed
• but do this with gentleness and respect.
• (1 Peter 315)

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• Resurrection Realities On Satan
• (1 Peter 412-19
• 56-11)

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• Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the
  devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking
  for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm
  in the faith, because you know that your brothers
  throughout the world are undergoing the same kind
  of sufferings. (1 Peter 58-9)

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• The Resurrection Reality Satan is defeated, not
  yet destroyed.

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• "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as
  wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that
  your faith may not fail. And when you have turned
  back, strengthen your brothers. (Luke 2231-32)

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• 1) Be Self-Controlled
• Like a city whose walls are broken down is a
  man who lacks self-control.
• (Proverbs 2528)
• But the fruit of the Spirit is self-control
  (Galatians 522-23)

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• 2) Be Alert
• He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along
  with him, and he began to be sorrowful and
  troubled Then he returned to his disciples and
  found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep
  watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter
  When he came back, he again found them sleeping,
  because their eyes were heavy So he left them
  and went away once more and prayed the third
  time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to
  the disciples and said to them, "Are you still
  sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and
  the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of
  sinners. (Matthew 2637, 40, 43, 45)

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• 3) Be Faithful
• Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and
  a servant girl came to him. "You also were with
  Jesus of Galilee," she said Then he began to
  call down curses on himself and he swore to them,
  "I don't know the man!" Immediately a rooster
  crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had
  spoken "Before the rooster crows, you will
  disown me three times." And he went outside and
  wept bitterly.
• (Matthew 2669, 74-75)

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• The thief comes only to steal and kill and
  destroy I have come that they may have life, and
  have it to the full.
• (John 1010)