'''[[Sermon on 1 Peter 1: REDEMPTION]]''' <br>
v. 1 Peter's epistles weren't written to a specific church, but to the Jewish believers in general. <br>
"Strangers" refers to the Jews who had been scattered abroad by the Diaspora. <br>
Paul was considered the apostle to the Gentiles. Peter was the apostle to the Jews. <br>
v. 2 Romans 8:29. "Sanctification" means "set apart for a sacred purpose or religious use." <br>
v. 3 The phrase "begotten us again" means "born again". "Lively" means "living". John 14:19. <br>
v. 4 Matthew 6:19-20. <br>
v. 5 God's power keeps us from straying from Him. <br>
v. 6-7 2 Timothy 3:12. <br>
The testings God allows in our lives aren't to destroy us, but to prove our worth. The testings are important to our Christian development. <br>
v. 8 Even though we've never seen Jesus, we love Him and rejoice in our belief in Him. <br>
"Unspeakable" means "indescribable". <br>
v. 10-12 The prophets didn't understand the diverse prophecies that were given to them concerning the Messiah. <br>
God's grace and His plan of redemption are beyond the comprehension of the angels, too. <br>
v. 17 "Fear" is "awe" or "reverence." We should be in awe of our glorious God! <br>
v. 18-19 "Vain conversation" refers to an empty manner of living. The traditions of man can be bondage. <br>
We were redeemed as though purchased in a slave market by Christ. He didn't pay for us with gold or silver, but with His own blood. <br>
A "spot" is an inherited, congenital defect. A "blemish" is an acquired defect. <br>
v. 20 The plan of redemption existed before the foundation of the world was laid. <br>
v. 22 "Unfeigned" love is love without hypocrisy. <br>
v. 23 John 1:12-13. <br>
"Being" also means "having been." <br>
'''[[Sermon on 1 Peter 2: CHRISTIAN CONDUCT]]''' <br>
v. 1 "Guile" is covering one's true feelings. <br>
v. 2 To grow up spiritually we must be fed the Word of God. <br>
v. 5 Hebrews 13:15. <br>
v. 6-8 Jesus is the cornerstone on which our faith is built. <br>
v. 9 The world thinks Christians are peculiar, because we praise and love Jesus Christ and spend hours at Bible studies instead of doing worldly "fun things." <br>
v. 11 We're not a part of this world anymore. We're pilgrims longing for a new land . <br>
v. 21-23 Christ is our example of the way we should respond when persecuted. <br>
v. 24 Isaiah 53:4-7. <br>
'''[[Sermon on 1 Peter 3: MORE ON CHRISTIAN CONDUCT]]''' <br>
v. 1-2 "Conversation" means "behavior." <br>
v. 3-4 True beauty is in the heart, not in the outward appearance. <br>
v. 7 Nothing will hinder our prayer life more than problems in our marriage relationship. <br>
v. 10-12 These are the rules for a long and happy life: <br>
(1 ) Keep the tongue from speaking evil. <br>
(2) Keep the lips from speaking deceitfully. <br>
(3) Avoid evil. <br>
(4) Do good. <br>
(5) Seek peace. <br>
God's eyes are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers. <br>
v. 15 "Sanctify" is "consecrate." "Fear" means "reverence." <br>
We should be conducting ourselves so that people in the world are compelled to ask what makes us different. When they ask, we should be ready with a sound and reasonable answer. <br>
v. 18 "Quickened" means "made alive." <br>
v. 19 Christ descended to hades after His death on the cross. He preached to <br>
the souls there until His resurrection (Isaiah 61:1; Acts 2:22-36; Ephesians 4:8-10; Hebrews 11 :39-40). <br>
v. 20-21 The true baptism is in the heart. Unless we've allowed the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts, baptism is a meaningless ritual. <br>
v. 22 There are rankings of angels in authority, power, principalities, and might. <br>
'''[[Sermon on 1 Peter 4: PERSECUTIONS]]''' <br>
v. 1-4 People speak evil of Christians, because we don't follow the same empty pursuits as the world. <br>
v. 8 "Charity" means "love." <br>
v. 11 We should minister so that the glory goes to Jesus Christ, not to ourselves. <br>
v. 12-13 As soon as a trial comes, we begin to question why we have to suffer. Instead, we should rejoice-not at the trial, but because we're partakers in Christ's suffering and will also share in His glory. <br>
v. 14 Matthew 5:10-12. <br>
v. 18 We often forget that it's a miracle that God chose to give the gift of salvation to sinful mankind. <br>
v. 19 1 Peter 2:23 <br>
'''[[Sermon on 1 Peter 5: EXHORTATION TO THE ELDERS]]''' <br>
v. 1-2 This commission to the elders is the same one Jesus gave to Peter: "Feed the flock of God" (John 21:15-17). Feeding builds a strong flock. A ministry with a strong emphasis on money should raise questions about the motivations of the minister. <br>
v. 3 Ministers are to be examples to the people, not "lords" over them. <br>
v. 7 God wants us to give all our burdens to Him. <br>
v. 8-9 The Bible never tells us to yield to Satan or to give up, but to resist him in the faith (James 4:7). <br>
v. 14 The love ("charity") Peter speaks of is spiritual love (agape).
[[Category:Sermons-Other]]