0:00
Speaker 1Good morning, everybody. How are y'all doing this morning? That's pitiful. How are y'all doing this morning? Good.
0:08
Pretty good. Alright. That's good. So there was a campout that happened, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. So we had a few folks come in grubby and this morning from camping out for the last three days.
0:19
We had a few that went home before they got here. There may be a few stragglers coming in a little late this morning but would y'all stand up and welcome everybody in? We're going to sing standing on the promises to start off with. Standing on the promises.
0:41
Speaker 2Standing on the promises of Christ my king through eternal ages let his praises ring glory in the highest I will shout and sing standing on the promises of God standing standing on the promises of God my savior standing I'm standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises that cannot fail when the howling storms of doubt and fear are sail by the living word of God I shall prevail standing on the promises of God standing on standing the promises of God my savior standing I'm standing on the promises of God standing on the promises I now can see perfect present cleansing in the blood for me standing in the liberty where Christ makes free standing on the promises of God on the promises of God my savior Standing. Standing. I'm standing on the promises of God. Hold.
2:37
Speaker 1Give me a promise that you're standing on.
2:41
Speaker 2Come on. Come on. That's it. He's coming
2:45
Speaker 1back. Amen. Low, I am with you always. I will not forsake you. Amen.
2:52
An incorruptible hope is we're going to hear this morning. Anybody else? Standing on the promises. You're not just sitting in the premises. Y'all are standing on the promises, alright?
3:01
I say that every time. Let's sing it like we mean it. Alright. Blake, we'll go on verse number three. How about that?
3:08
Or verse number four. Here we go.
3:11
Speaker 2Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord bound to him eternally by love's strong core overcoming daily with the spirit sword standing on the promises of God standing on the promises of God my savior standing standing the promises I cannot fail listening every moment to the spirit's call resting in my savior as my all in all standing on the promises of God standing on the promises of God my savior I'm standing on the promises of God.
4:28
Speaker 1Amen. For we know that all things work together for good. That's a promise. We know it. All things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.
4:37
In Jesus name, lord. Wash us in your blood. Amen. Hymn number three thirty is already washed in the blood. Let's do it.
4:51
Speaker 2Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power are you washed in the blood are you washed in the blood in the soul cleansing blood are your garments spotless are they white as snow are you washed in the blood of the lamb are you walking daily by your savior's side Are you washed in the blood of the blood? In the soul cleansing blood of the lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb?
6:05
When the bridegroom cometh, will your robes be white? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Will your soul be ready for the mansion's bright and be washed in the blood are you washed in the blood in the soul cleansing blood of the lamb are your garments spotless are they white as snow are you washed in the blood of the lamb are your garments spotless are they white as snow are you washed in the blood of the lamb
7:22
Speaker 1Y'all can have a seat. I've got a few announcements this morning. Tomorrow night, Monday night, Monday nights at first B happens down the hall in the fellowship hall at 06:00. It's a soft start but 06:00 down the hall, Monday nights at first B. There's meal, music, and message.
7:38
Tomorrow night, the message will be on. The New The New Covenant from Luke 22. Carl is, he said this morning, it's going to be about the New Covenant which is so much better than the Old Covenant. So, here we are tomorrow night, Monday, meal, music, and a message down the hall. Awana starts in three weeks.
7:57
Awana program because kids matter to God, solid biblical teaching for your kids, straight up scripture, clear weekly presentations of the gospel, and building friendships and relationships in a safe and fun and supportive environment. It starts September 10. So, that's three weeks from tomorrow night. School is going to be back in session by that point and this is a great shot in the arm for little kids all the way up through about the fifth grade. So, that's coming up.
8:25
Awana because kids matter to God. If you wanted to go to this horse whispering demonstration up at the Diamond Cross Ranch, I have some news for you. It has been canceled or at least postponed. The horse whisperer had an injury and is not able to do the horse whippering tonight, the whispering tonight. So it's not gonna happen.
8:45
Cowboy Church up there at the Diamond Cross has been canceled for tonight.
8:49
Speaker 2So if you go, you
8:50
Speaker 1will be lonely. There's not anybody else up there. There's no music, there's no food, there's no nothing up there, just horses. If you will look in your bulletin, you'll see information about Bible studies that are starting up. There are a few that are listed that we know about and as we get more information and as we have more volunteer leaders, we'll be putting more information in there.
9:11
Look through it, pray about it, think about which study you would like to be a part of. It's a good way of getting to know people rather than just getting to know me because I stand up here and talk all the time. You get to know other people in the church if you get together and discuss scripture and seeing what God does through small groups is just an amazing thing. So, see your bulletin for more information about that. Y'all know what this is.
9:33
If you're from here, old Bills Fun Run, you understand, you already know what it is. Community Foundation of Jackson Hole has established this thing. And for the folks who are from out of town, it's kinda like United Way that has less overhead. But it's kinda like United Way in that a bunch of co challengers, very wealthy folks, say, we wanna put our money towards whatever the community wants to put their money towards. So their monies are used as amplification for giving through various nonprofits around.
10:02
So you might want to give to the Samaritan, Good Samaritan Mission, or you might want to give to Turning Point Pregnancy Resource Center, or you might want to give to anything. There are a list. Listen to the look at this list. Seriously. There are that many different nonprofit organizations in Jackson starting there and going to there.
10:24
And the reason for that is because of Old Bills Fund Run. Typically, if you were to give to First B a dollar, you give to us a dollar, we receive a dollar. But if you wanted to give to our benevolence fund, could do that through the Community Foundation, and they'll amplify that. So if you give a dollar to us through them, it'll come to us at about a dollar 50. Some years higher, some years lower, but the average is about 50¢ on a dollar more.
10:46
So it's a great thing. This is an unusual little place, and this is a blessing to have, to be here. We have been able to say yes to a lot of people over the last year that have been in need. So the Vanellix Fund's a great thing. So is Good Samaritan, so is Turning Point.
11:02
There are a lot of great different organizations, but they're all listed right there. If you wanna look and give, you can do that. There are a bunch of those out on the two Dimiloon tables out there in the vestibule if you wanna grab one of those. For anything else, other announcements, other Bible studies, and especially prayer quest. So, we put the prayer quest in the bulletin every week.
11:20
If you don't know who the people are, you can still be praying for em. Some of em are situations that are anonymous or they are unspoken kind of request but there's a list of people that you can be checking on too. Checking in with God about but check your bulletin for that. Does anybody have something that I forgot? There is one more that I know of that is refit.
11:40
Have you all ever been here on a Tuesday or Thursday night about 05:30 where there's a disco ball and there's all kinds of dancing going on? So that's ReFit. It's an exercise class and it's fantastic. It is really, really good. It's Christian And the gal who has been running it, Tammy Bartlett, has about six classes now going in different places.
12:00
And she has trained up two folks, Hayley Hart and Samantha Compton, Babcock's granddaughter, Compton and Samantha is going to be leading that. It'll be on Tuesdays and Thursdays right now, 05:30, 05:15, I think, 05:15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays is when they're doing it but she said to the first service this morning, she's open to seeing that change if somebody would like for a class to start at a different time, just let us know and we'll work with you. But ReFit is what it's called and it is an exercise program, scripturally based, they pray together. It's actually really, really good. So that's happening and we left it out of the slides.
12:33
But that's it. Being that that's it as far as announcements, would y'all stand and greet one another and we'll bring you back together with a song.
12:44
Speaker 2Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see. 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.
13:40
Through many dangers, toils, and snares. I have already come. His grace hath brought me safe thus far and grace will leave me whole. Let's go up here real quick. 10 God's praise that when we first began Amen.
14:40
And that last verse, great. Amen. You wanna do it again? Alright.
14:46
Speaker 1How about spirit of the living Alright.
14:48
Speaker 2They're all good. I love them all. That's right. Great worshipful song here.
17:11
Speaker 1Amen. Perfect love cast out all fear. Perfect love. Can I get the frontline team to come forward? And would y'all pray with me?
17:19
God, I I do pray right now that you would just have your will and your way this morning that your message would be articulated, preached, proclaimed, faithfully, boldly, and that would be received fresh. That each one here lord would have a word for today from you, from Peter. So, God, I pray that you would do your will and your way this morning and I pray that part of that is at this time where we give lord from that which you've entrusted to us, we give it back, trust in you, and we trust you to spread your good gospel, the advance of the kingdom of God through the proclamation of your word. We want to do that lord through our offerings, through our soul, through our gifts, through every day. So, God, I pray that you'd bless these gifts that people put in these plates.
18:21
These resources, lord, I I want you to multiply them and expand them to do your kingdom's work in whatever way you see fit. We as your church turn to you constantly open in prayer and ready to see you do what you would have done. In Jesus name, lord, would you bless, gift, a giver. Amen. Thank you, Judy.
21:40
So, for this morning, in our study of the New Testament, we are going forward. We finished Titus last week and so we're going to first Peter. That's the next book. Now, I know that y'all are with us for first Timothy. Those of you who were.
21:55
First Timothy, you would think, well, Titus and first Timothy right at the same time. Surely, second Timothy is next but it was all around the same time but first Peter, I think is the next one and so we're going to go to that starting this week verses one through nine of the first chapter but I thought I would read, I would go over this again. I'm not going to go into the depth I did a few months back with the chronology of Christianity but I want to go through this just so we we ground this in an actual time and place, okay? So, the way thus far, we've studied together the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. And we actually studied that together in this church.
22:33
And starting in 2012, the book of John, we studied the life and ministry of Jesus. And so from zero to thirty three AD there's some people that use '30 as the closing date there, but zero to thirty three AD is the most commonly accepted. It happened. It really happened. We know we've got time signifiers in the books around it, so we know that this man lived a perfect life, that he gave that perfect life when he was crucified.
23:02
Thirty three AD, Jesus, dead, buried, resurrected, ascended, and then the day of Pentecost, all that happens in thirty three AD. It's real. In real time, real place. They're witnesses. Lots of em, okay?
23:20
And the story goes forward from there. Stephen, in the early 30s. Remember how Jesus said to his disciples, you will be my witnesses and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the other most parts and they kind of huddled around Jerusalem. They hung really close to Jerusalem and Judea. They didn't go and spread out.
23:40
They were a little bit afraid. That day of Pentecost, yeah, there were a few believers that were from elsewhere that went home but most of the disciples were kind of hanging out right there around Jerusalem and then at the death of Stephen, Jesus's prophecy about what would take place started to take place. At the death of Stephen, his martyrdom, he scattered the church and that church was scattered in Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts and Stephen's death and the words that were on his lips as he died and there was this guy named Saul who was there holding coats and approving of his death who would in the early 30s, not long thereafter. On the road to Damascus, he was going with writs in his hand and he was going there in order to bring back anybody who was a follower of the way. Jesus said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life is before they were ever called Christians but any followers of the way, he considered them Jewish heretics and they should be brought and stoned and so he had the writs to bring em back and if they resisted arrest, he could kill them.
24:49
So, Saul on the road to Damascus was knocked on his face, knocked off of his horse as if it were just knocked down and he was converted. And think about this, Jesus said to Paul on the road to Damascus, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Now, had Paul been around Jesus? Was he physically like right there looking at Jesus and persecuting Jesus? No, he was persecuting the church, followers of the way.
25:17
So, Jesus equated that. If you're messing with the body of Christ, those are mine and you're messing with me. Why are you doing this? Why are you persecuting me? And Paul said, who are you?
25:31
I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. And Saul was converted and all of his religious background and growing up in that college town of Tarsus, all of his pagan secular studies, everything else that he had ever studied was now going to be used for Christ. So, Saul's conversion on the Damascus Road, the huge, huge point in Christianity. In the 30s and in the 40s, Peter and Philip ministering and around Jerusalem. There's that time where Philip was caught up and down ministering the desert but most of the time, they were right around Jerusalem in the 30s and 40s.
26:10
Peter, Jewish background believer, fisherman, that's who we're going be talking about today. That's who sent the letter we're studying now and Philip were ministering around Jerusalem and Paul and Barnabas were up above Jerusalem up in Syria and Antioch from 44 to 49, they took their first missionary journey. For for a while before that though, Paul was ministering there. They were first called Christians at Antioch. When Paul and Barnabas were there together, studying and presenting the scriptures and being the church.
26:38
Paul and Barnabas first journey was '44 to '49. It's in the late forties, early fifties, probably '49 or '50. We're pretty close on the dates, not exact but pretty close. '49 or '50, James was written. And James was a book that we started studying here together in early twenty fourteen, like January or February in 2014.
27:00
So that's four and a half years ago we started studying James together. It's five chapters, very practical but it was a letter that was written to the Jewish Christian diaspora. So, it's written from Jerusalem like so many others of the diaspora, the letters of the Old Testament saying, you're the chosen people of God. You're in exile and you're out there. You're strangers and aliens but you're out there.
27:22
That was a diaspora letter that was written by James from Jerusalem to Christians all around. Mostly Jewish flavored Christians and it has a very Jewish flavor that book does. After that, Paul's second missionary journey, fifty to fifty two. We're pretty sure on those dates too. Paul's second missionary journey, he writes first and second Thessalonians.
27:43
After he had passed through there and when he settled at Corinth to minister for a while, he wrote both first and second Thessalonians. We studied those here together and we started 05/18/2014. So, first Thessalonians and immediately followed by second Thessalonians. So, we covered three books chronologically. Now, before that, we study the life of Jesus in the book of John, life of the early church, and the book of Acts as a framework for these, all going forward.
28:09
Fifty to fifty two AD. Paul's third missionary journey starts fifty three to fifty seven. We have real confidence in those numbers too and Paul writes first Corinthians from Ephesus. Now, he spent longer in Ephesus than anywhere else. When he stopped there, he was there for a while.
28:26
Almost three years, he ministered there and so about '55, he wrote first Corinthians and it was all about sin. Do y'all remember? Oh my goodness. There's so much about sin this way, sin that way and it was also about love. It was also about not doing things in a disorderly manner but we did first Corinthians and there was a lot of emphasis on sin.
28:48
So, we did first Corinthians starting in July 2014 and then, Galatians. Now Galatians could have been written early about the same time as James, maybe earlier than James. Some people think it was the first. I don't really care. It depends on whether you believe the North Galatia theory or the South Galatia theory.
29:04
If it's the North and then people are at war about this. If you get on the Internet, people will tell you all the ins and outs of all of this but the North Galatian theory has it set at 56 and the South Galatian theory has it set at either 48 or 49. I don't care. I'm not going to arm wrestle about when it happened because the the book is about the New Covenant as Carl is preaching on tomorrow night. It's about, oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you and tried to send you back into that old covenant?
29:29
It's a new covenant. This is it. Don't stray from this. If anybody comes to you preaching any other gospel except that which we've preached to you, let him be anathema. Galatians one eight and nine.
29:41
So, Galatians, we went through and then we went back to second Corinthians. Now, the reason I did it between the two is because oh my goodness, there's just so much sin. Thessalonians, no, not a whole lot of emphasis on sin. They were doing things well. It was an encouraging letter for what they were doing.
29:54
First Corinthians is about sin. Second Corinthians, when he writes that one, he mentions an even more severe letter that probably we don't have. The second Corinthians says, you did what I asked you to do but you know, calm down a little bit basically. It's a great letter too. From Macedonia, Paul writes that about '56 and then, after we study second Corinthians, we went to Romans because he wrote that in '57, not just '57, winter of fifty seven.
30:23
We know when he did this. I'm trying to connect this to time and space. This real world that we still live in is the world that these guys wrote these letters and they wrote em to people. They were from people to people. So, Romans, Paul had never been there before.
30:36
He writes this great theological treaties and it is just fantastic. So Romans, we study. And then, winter of fifty seven AD. Now, we go forward from there. It's just a travelogue at that point.
30:50
Macedonia, Troas, Miletus, he says, which is just south of Ephesians says to the guys at the beach, listen, Ephesians elders, I love you. You know, I've loved you. I spent so much time with you. Some of y'all are going to be tempted to walk away. Now, we just got through first Timothy, right?
31:05
He sent first Timothy back knowing that some of those Ephesians elders had walked away. From the good gospel. So, he has a tearful greeting on the beach at Miletus with the Ephesian elders. Then, the Tyre says, Rhea, Jerusalem, where he's arrested, Paul, that is, is arrested in the temple. He has a Sanhedrin hearing.
31:23
He probably would have been killed but he knew if he threw out a good theological row argument, he would have a riot on his hands and he did. So, he threw out something about the resurrection to get the Pharisees and Sadducees fighting with each other and when they started fighting with each other, he got he got away to the safety of being arrested in the temple by the Roman guard there. He was transported to Caesarea. His trial before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa. He made an appeal to Caesar because he's a Roman citizen.
31:52
Law makes a difference. Law matters, right? We live in a real world that does have authority and authorities. So when he appealed to Caesar, that means he gets to travel to Rome. His journey to Rome went from Caesarea to Crete.
32:06
He had a shipwreck off of Malta. He was adrift day and a night. You know, in the sea. Off of Malta, he comes up on the beach there and then, he's still under arrest. He still has to go to Rome.
32:17
So, he heads on up to Rome for his first Roman imprisonment. He's there from '61 to sixty three AD and we are so thankful that he was because out of that arrest and out of that imprisonment, we got these three books by Lehman, Colossians, and Ephesians. Oh, man. Philemon, personal letter to a slave owner, probably carried back by Onesimus himself, the slave that had run away and then a letter not just to Philemon but a letter to his church to Colossians and then Ephesians. What a great book.
32:49
Ephesians is. So, we did Philemon and Colossians and Ephesians in that order. That was somewhere around sixty one, sixty two AD and then Philippians probably in '63. What an encouraging, joyful letter that is. Chuck Swindoll's commentary on that is laugh again.
33:07
You can laugh again. Whatever is noble, good, just, of good report, think on these things. Philippians, fantastic. Love Philippian. Luke also wrote Acts about the same time.
33:20
And we have that because we don't have an end to Paul's Roman imprisonment right there. And so Luke writes Acts there. So we've already studied that one earlier, but that's sixty two, sixty three AD, somewhere in there. And then Paul's released from prison in about '63, and he travels and he writes first Timothy. First Timothy, we just studied couple months back.
33:45
We started first Timothy. It's a short book. Didn't take very long and then, we did first Timothy and then Titus. We went into Titus. Both of them having similar points but they're different men, right?
33:56
I covered that last week. Was like they're just different guys. Timothy's a little bit afraid and fearful and timid, and Paul's trying to encourage him to do exactly the same thing he just tells Titus to do, battle against false doctrine. It's really good, both of those. First Timothy and Titus.
34:12
So we study that together. Now, if you look at this, the apostle Paul has written a lot of what I have mentioned. In fact, if you look at them, all of those we have done since we did anybody else. Does that make sense? So we did both Acts and James, but these 12 books, we have done.
34:31
So if you got here in mid-twenty fourteen, you probably haven't heard me preach on anything but something Paul has written for the last four years. There's some of you who have grown kind of weary of Paul. I have to say it. They do get harder. Peter even mentions in his letter this time that some of the things Paul says are hard to deal with.
34:49
It's true but we're going from the things that were written by Paul today. We're shifting over to first Peter. Now, Paul was knocked off of his high horse. By the Holy Spirit confronted by vision of Jesus, blinded by the light as it were, and his whole life changed and everything that he'd ever known was changed by the spirit of God. When he surrendered to him.
35:16
Peter walked with Jesus. Peter had been walking with Jesus for three years. He's one of his earliest followers. Yeah, Andrew, his brother introduced him but when Jesus said, drop your nets and follow me, he did and he's been doing it for three years and he's been putting his foot in his mouth over and over and over again since, right? He is known for being impetuous and oh, this book that we're studying together is anything but.
35:39
It's anything but impetuous. It is steady as it can possibly be. Now, Peter, before the resurrection, Peter was bold and yes, I'll do it. Jesus, if that's you, let me get out of this boat and come to you on the water and he said, it's me. Come on and and Peter got out of the boat, started walking towards him and when he took his eyes off of Jesus, he sunk.
36:00
So, Jesus had to lift him back up but he did lift him back up. You remember in the garden when Jesus is has been betrayed and they're coming to arrest him. What does Peter do? He pulls out his sword and lops off a guy's ear. He's going to fight back.
36:14
He's going to defend this guy that he has been following and Peter says, no, no, no. Put that back both for the sword and for the ear. Put that back. He does this amazing turnaround. He said, at Caesarea Philippi where all of the Roman gods were venerated, everything was lifted up at Caesarea Philippi.
36:38
Jesus turns and he says to his disciples, who people say that I am? So, well, some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, some say this. He says, who do you say that I am? And Peter goes, you're the son of God. You're the Christ, the anointed one, the son of God, son of the living God and so, Peter, on that declaration, Christ said, on that, Imma build my church.
37:01
At his very first meeting with him, he said, Simon, you will be Cephas. Simon, you will be a rock. Aramaic for rock. Peter is Latin for rock Petras. He says, upon this rock, I'll build my church.
37:17
This bold proclamation that Jesus is the son of God and the way that has been made for sinners, okay? So, this is the guy we're talking about today. Peter, this is the way it starts off. In an in a first century letter, the typical fashion is to start with yourself. This is the one who's writing the letter, Peter.
37:35
How does he identify himself? Peter, that's it, right? He's no longer Simon. He's saying Peter. This is the guy.
37:42
Jesus said, you will be Peter. I want to mention something else. Peter, all of the impetuous stuff and all of putting his foot in his mouth that he did. Think about when he said, I will not deny you. First of all, he said to Jesus, no, this will not be.
38:00
This will not be. You will not die. You will not do the three day. You will not do this. No, this will not be.
38:05
And Jesus said, get behind me, Satan. He called him Satan. When he said, you're going to deny me. When he said, no. Even if everybody else falls away, I'm not going to.
38:19
He goes, nope, you're going to deny me. Before the rooster crows, Peter, three times, you're going to deny me. He's like, I will not do it. Yes, you will. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.
38:31
But I have prayed for you and when you have gone through it, you'll be useful for me. When you've gone through it, did he say, no. I I won't let you sift him. No, he said, Satan's asked to sift you like wheat. The fire is going to get hot from here and actually, the last time that he denied him, the Bible mentions that there was a little coal fire that they were warming themselves by and a girl said to Peter, you're one of em.
38:57
You were with that guy. I know that you were. I saw you with him and he said, no, I wasn't with a curse. So, he cursed over the coal fire after he just told him night before that he wouldn't deny. Third time, rooster crows.
39:10
Oh, he remembered the words. Can you imagine how horrible Peter felt? Satan has asked to sift you like wheat but I've prayed for you. Peter would have been useless for Jesus without that winnowing, without that sifting, without that coming to the end of self. So, Peter, who we see as the great disciple, the great apostle, he was in the inner circle when you've got the 12 and then it says and he drew Peter, James, and John aside and Peter, James, and John with him.
39:36
They were with him at the transfiguration. They were with him in the garden when he was praying. Y'all keep watching, pray, and I'm going to pray and then they fall asleep. Wakes him up. They fall asleep again.
39:48
We see failure over and over in Peter's life. What do you see failure in your own life first before we start accusing God, right? Peter, the next thing he says is an apostle of Jesus Christ, one who has been sent out. Now, he was a disciple but at this point in his life, he considered himself to be first and foremost, an apostle. Capital A, apostle.
40:07
He was one who was sent out by Jesus and he was one of the original ones. He considered him just one who was sent out. When Jesus gave his great commission, Peter was there. He knew from the upper room discourse that he was going to be one of his witnesses. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts.
40:27
But then at the great commission, Matthew 2,819, he said, go you therefore into all the world. Making disciples, baptizing and teaching them, not just teaching them like content but teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you and so when he is an apostle, he's an apostle. He's a guy who's carrying a message. He's been sent out by who? Jesus Christ.
40:49
An apostle of Jesus Christ and then, in a first century letter, typically, you tell who you are and then who this letter is to, To those who reside as aliens, strangers, foreigners. I had a guy this morning that was a he's from out of the country and he said, I love that part where it talks about foreigners. And I said, What? He goes, Foreigners? Those who reside as foreigners.
41:10
I said, It's foreigners. He goes, oh, yes. It is foreigners. That's exactly right. Yeah.
41:16
Those who reside it. So, to those who reside as aliens, people without a land, they've been scattered. There's a diaspora. So, James was a diaspora letter to Jewish flavored Christians that have been sent out all over that area. And Peter is really a diaspora letter to those who've been called out of every tribe and tongue and nation.
41:35
Specifically in his time in the first century, it was these five provinces of the Roman Empire to those who reside as aliens scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. Those were towns, cities, city states, like they were provinces of the Roman Empire. But it was geographic names. Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, which is really Asia Minor. All of these are encompassed in modern day Turkey, all of these.
42:06
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. Those who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the father. Amen. So, God has made a way that we would be saved. Jesus is the way, truth, the life.
42:20
To those who according to the foreknowledge of God the father and by the sanctifying work of the spirit to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood. He's saying that this is to all of the Christians who are in those areas and I say by extension, he's saying to us today, okay? We are those, if we have believed in Christ, we are those who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. He knew that we needed a way out and he made that way out. Jesus perfect life, sacrificial death, and offering of his perfect record.
42:53
We were chosen according to the foreknowledge of God, the father but by the sanctifying work of the spirit. Peter doesn't spend as much time on the spirit as Paul does. Now Paul was knocked off of his horse by the spirit, right? He's knocked down and slain as it were. Complete change of mind.
43:10
But Peter walked with Jesus. So we're gonna see more of an emphasis. He does mention it. This is Trinitarian. No doubt about it.
43:16
God, the father, sanctifying work of the spirit and obedience Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood. So, that's about the gospel. God came up with the idea. Jesus carried it out and the spirit keeps it fresh, seals us in that promise, and keeps us going forward. Trinitarian declaration right up front.
43:35
The first two verses, that's just the introduction and then, Peter goes into an extended doxology. It is praising God, the glory of God but first, he does this. This is his open end volley, his opening message. May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. Actually, it says, may it be multiplied to you.
43:58
Time and time again, over and over, may God's grace and peace be a blessing to you. May God's grace and peace be yours to the fullest extent. So, point number one, I love this one. This this comes up at the first sermon and the last sermon of every message that I preached for the last four years. No matter who you are or to whom you are speaking, always start with grace and peace.
44:21
Always. Don't make them have to earn it. Always start off with grace and peace. There may be those who will not allow it, but let them prove that. Okay?
44:31
Do you get what I'm saying? If you start off with unmerited favor and I'll I'll end this book with always end with grace and peace, okay? As much as Paul would say, as much as it depends on you, live at peace with all. Extend grace. Unmerited favor of God.
44:46
If you have received unmerited favor from God, then extend it to others. Always start with grace and peace. I try to do a three point sermon this time. I don't ever do that but I tried this time for to do a three point sermon. Blessed be, oh my goodness.
45:01
Blessed be, happy is, happy should be, lifted up, and praised should be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I said that that first one was Trinitarian. It has the Holy Spirit in there. This one doesn't. It's just blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
45:17
When he says, our, he means he's writing to Christians. He considers himself a follower of the way and everyone who does consider themselves a follower of the way that really is a follower of the way, he's speaking to you. And he says that, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to the great, his great mercy, God the father. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again. Is it our work that does it?
45:46
No. He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Now, that's point two and it's long. That's why I don't usually do. If I do a three point sermon, it's just going to be a bunch of scripture.
46:00
It's going sound a whole lot like what I just read, okay? God is to be praised. Why? Because of his great mercy. All sin is black.
46:11
All sin is equal and all of us have sinned and there's nothing that we can do of our own that will make up for what we have done. There's a punishment required. Without the shedding of blood, there's no remission of sin and so, because of God's great mercy, he provided Jesus to be our sacrifice. So, God is to be praised for his great mercy because it's according to his great mercy that he's given new life. Now, if anyone's in Christ Jesus, he's a new creature.
46:40
He's a new creation and so new life is possible. Jesus in John three talking to Nicodemus and Nicodemus, this knowledgeable Pharisee says, we know that you're from God. We get that. We understand that. We nobody could do what you do without being but what is it all about?
46:59
Jesus said, you must be born again. You must be born again. Complete new birth, complete new life, and it's available. This text says and a lot of others do through Jesus. Also, the living hope.
47:12
Now, each time I mention hope in the New Testament, I'm always going to say it is absolute certainty. We do not use it the same way in English nowadays. When we say, I hope the people who went on that camp out are alright and didn't get eaten by a bear. We leave some uncertainty there when there might have, right? I see one of em but I don't see all of em.
47:30
So, I'm not sure what happened but the living hope is a certainty. It comes. He's going to describe that in a minute but the living hope, our incorruptible hope, you'll say in just a minute. It's made available through Jesus's resurrection. There's a theologian.
47:46
I haven't read tons of his work but he's always impressed me for this. His name is John Warwick Warwick Montgomery and he says that everything hinges upon Christ's resurrection because he said multiple times, this is what I'm going to do. This is true and this is what I'm going to do. This is what I want you to do and this is what I'm going to do and if he had not been risen, Paul says, then pitiable are we, right? But since he did rise, everything that he said is validated by that and so, it's made available through Jesus's resurrection.
48:20
He said he would do it and he did it. Point number two, God is to be praised for his great mercy, new life, and live in hope. Now, there's a second part of this sentence, the who according to his grace mercy has been causes. Yes, to be born again but who according to his great mercy has caused us to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable. I usually use incorruptible when I'm just free styling here.
48:44
This is the New American Standard Version of Bible and so imperishable is the word that they used and undefiled and it will not fade away. It's reserved in heaven for you. So, point number three is this, according to his great mercy and through Jesus resurrection. Resurrection. Yeah, it's by that but believers have an inheritance.
49:05
It's imperishable and defiled and unfading and it's reserved in heaven. Now, some people get upset right at that point and go, it's a pie in the sky by and by. I just don't care. I need something for my life today. The rest of the book is gonna be about that.
49:17
But if you ground yourself in the absolute certainty of the hope, of the living hope that is imperishable and defiled and unfading reserved in heaven for you, then you gotta start in place that says, no matter what, you can't fail because this is sure. This is guaranteed, okay? I'm not a big fan of Robert Schuler's but I do like some of the things that he said and in one of his books, he put forth a question, what would you do if you knew you could not fail? What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail? That might be prosperity gospel sounding.
49:47
I will say this, what would you attempt for God if you knew that there was no way you could fail? Is that a challenge to you? What would you do if you knew that you could not fail? This is saying you cannot fail. This is where we will end up.
50:01
It's imperishable. It's undefiled. It's unfading. It's reserved in heaven. So, whatever God by his Holy Spirit asks of you to do and presses upon you to do, be doing it.
50:10
If it leads to your death, this is what comes from it. To live is Christ, to die is gain. Are you with me? Did the power, hour, the hour of power, Christopher Cathedral reference throw you off? Sorry, I don't quote Schuyler very often, alright?
50:27
The believer's inheritance is this. This is where I usually would do, okay, imperishable. And then I give you the Greek squigglies and I tell you what it means. It means imperishable. It means something that will not go away.
50:36
Something that doesn't die, it is imperishable, undefiled. It's not something that can be corrupted. It doesn't change. It doesn't rot. It doesn't go bad like a gift certificate.
50:48
If you don't use it for a year, then $5 a month goes away. I don't know how that works. It's a gift certificate. But it it definitely works that way. It rots.
50:56
They go away. Undefiled. Unfading. Fading happens here on this side. Everything that we see.
51:04
You can paint a car with the best pain and it still eventually is going to fade, right? Life eventually, you fade. I have I've mentioned my grandmother several times over the past few weeks and I my best way of putting it is she is fading right now. She's a shadow of the image of the person that I used to know but she's fading but our eternal hope is not fading. It is the same forever and it is reserved in heaven for you.
51:35
I hope that it's not something that you look at and you go, well, that's just, that's worthless to me. I don't I don't care about that. Peter is saying you you do and you should. You do and you should care about it. If life is good and everything you feel like I'm I I have much much more than I deserve.
51:51
God bless you and that's wonderful but this letter was written to aliens and strangers who are being persecuted. You know, Nero's persecution, if we're having to date this letter, it was written either '64 or '67. Some people argue over that, sometimes between. Actually, one scholar put it at October the thirteenth, sixty four AD, down to the very day, and she knows because she knew when Rome caught on fire, Nero caught Rome on fire. And then he blamed the Christians for it.
52:22
So, Nero, powerful leader. He is the guy, Rex Lex, you know, the king was law at that time and so when he blamed the Christians, he put out an order that they were to be rounded up and brought in and killed. In order to make his point at his parties, at his dinner parties, he would use Christians. This is awful and I hate to even mention it but he would impale Christians, douse them in oil, and burn them to light his garden parties. He also used them in the streets of Rome, impaled, doused in oil, still alive, many of them.
53:05
And burned. And when when Peter mentions that the fiery trial, he's meaning it For us, it might not be as literal. It might be going back to high school. It might be going into your workplace. It it could be any kind of fiery trial.
53:22
We got a brother over here and his wife who are both missionaries to hard places in Appalachia, and that's a tough place. Nowhere else in the world has the opioid crisis been made more real than that. You said the name of a street. You just had a lady named that was saved in church a few weeks back, and she lived on a road called Hell For Certain Road. Yeah.
53:47
If you're in those circumstances, have it something to look forward to. It's a real good thing, alright? So, first Peter one five says this, you, look at this. Okay, starting at the top. Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
54:01
That brings it to Peter and other Christians. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy, it's the work of God, has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He's the first one but we all will rise, okay? If we believe in him, we will rise. Through resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.
54:27
And who is you? You, who are protected by the power of God. Now, we are fickle as people. We are humans and we do have problems that will lead us the same way that Peter was to say bold statements and then faith and we do it over and over just like Peter did. Peter's the one writing this, right?
54:45
You, you who are protected by the power of God through faith. Yeah. It's God's grace accessed through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Now, the you, you who are by the power of God. This is the New American Standard Version.
55:00
I preached out of ESV, NASB, New King James, the New Living Translation, a bunch of different translations but here is this verse and several of those, five of those. New International says, who through faith are shielded by God's power. It's a good translation. I like protected better. Shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
55:23
It's great that God's power is what's shielding us and through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, this ultimate salvation because we know that it doesn't feel always like we're saved. Don't always feel like it because we're under attack all the time but he's assuring them of a future that is good. Till you receive this salvation which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. You will be vindicated. That's what he's saying.
55:51
English Standard Version says, who by God's power are being guarded and if you're going be guarded by something, God's power is the best thing to be guarded by. Through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The Berean Literal Bibles, not Young's Literal Translation but it is a literal translation. Who are being guarded. It it emphasizes that progressive nature.
56:12
It's being guarded by the power of God through faith for the salvation that's ready to be revealed in the last time and those guys were really feeling like this might be it. Do y'all feel like this might be it? Had a guy come to my office this week and said, I feel like I'm not going be around much longer. I don't feel any like. He said, I feel this is like the last.
56:33
I said, yeah, don't start guessing the hour or the day and come Sunday because first Peter, this is exactly where you're living life right now. Exactly, really. So, being guarded by the power of God through faith for the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time and then the King James, I like the King James. On this one, he says, who are kept, kept by the power of God. It's name of a book I read a while back and I think that for us as fickle as we are, we turn our back on the Holy Spirit.
57:00
We turn our back on God. We turn away from what we know we ought to do so often but this is saying that God's power is what it is that keeps us in his family. Now, I could go into a prolonged theological study of eternal security right here but I won't. This does say that we are kept. If we're kept, we're kept by the power of God.
57:24
Those who have believed will be kept by the power of God. You can fake at it and you won't be. It'll be your own power and that will not do you any good whatsoever. It has to be through obedience to the gospel. Obedience, Jesus Christ sprinkling with his blood.
57:39
That's the only way. To you who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation, a saving. We are, we have started out in peril. We all have by nature and by nurture, by nature and by choice, we have sinned against God and salvation is necessary. Some of y'all have it in your heart when you're walking around town, you see people and you think that soul is in peril and they need Jesus and you're right.
58:07
They need Jesus. Who are protected by the power of God through a faith for a salvation that's ready to be revealed in the last time and in this, you greatly rejoice. Even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. Now Peter is going through those various trials in Rome at the epicenter right there with Nero. But these are far flung provinces that he's writing to.
58:32
And those people have not yet seen the level of persecution that Peter has seen firsthand. It's coming and when it's a Roman Empire wide thing, it was an awful, awful time for persecution but persecution is always good for the church. The death of Stephen scatters em just like Jesus said it would. Persecution is always good for the church because when things are going really, really well, when there's a whole lot of liberty and a whole lot of ease in being a Christian, when it's advantageous for business or advantageous for politics to be a Christian, then, that's not a hard time to be a Christian and it gets kind of fluffy. Are you with me?
59:10
But when hard times come and fiery trials come, that gets down to just the people who really put their faith in Jesus alone. So, in this, you greatly rejoice. What? He's saying exactly what Jesus said in John 16, Jesus said that he said, in this world, you will have trials. You will have tribulations but take heart because I've overcome the world.
59:33
I'm going to do this in a completely different manner than it's ever been done before. Imma build my church. In this you, church, greatly rejoice even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable I already passed my time, so I'm gonna skip the gold reference there. In every wedding you've ever been to, the preacher's going on and on about how pure the gold is, right? And that's just 10 carat in most cases, right?
1:00:03
The purity of the gold refined by fire goes to 14 and then 18 and then 24. It goes, you know, you can get rid of those impurities but it's still even as pure as that gold is, it's still perishable. They use it for paving material in heaven, right? The proof of your faith being precious, more precious than gold which is perishable. Even though it's tested by fire.
1:00:27
He mentions this testing by fire and tribulation over and over and over and over again. It's happening. It's happening. It's still happening by the way. In The US, we don't spend as much time on first Peter as we do in other places but when people feel like they're being oppressed, this is a book to go to for some comfort.
1:00:44
He starts out with salvation. He talks about revelation, the revealing of Jesus, how progressive it is, and then he goes on to talk about ethics toward the end but the first part is all about being saved and salvation and where that's found and it's only in Christ, in Christ alone, it's found. So, the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold, which is perish. Even though tested by fire, so that your faith may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation. Now, I say revelation and it's a church work and when I say it, I think people just let that go because Revelation is a hard book to understand and people hear it and they go, Revelation to Jesus.
1:01:24
Like, what is all? Like Pentecostals. My goodness, they're always talking about it. Revelation is a revealing. So, I've got this little pamphlet right here.
1:01:32
I'm just going to say, you open that up. That's revealed something new to you. You open it up, it's revealed something more new to you. Now, the Bible is the revealing of Jesus. History shows his work.
1:01:44
The history of the church shows his work but if you keep on opening this up, there's a whole lot more information there than just that pretty picture on the front. He's saying at the revealing or the revelation, the revealing of Jesus Christ. That that may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor which brings us to point number two. We'll go backwards now. Point one, two, three, and now back to two.
1:02:06
God is to be praised for his great mercy, for his new life. The causing of people to be born again. He made, he set up the system by which people could be born again and it requires you to place the faith that he's given in Jesus. And then, you secure that living hope. It's made available through Jesus resurrection.
1:02:30
I'm going read this one more time, this last little part. In this, you, church, greatly rejoice even though now for a little while, if necessary, you've been distressed by various trials and I'm looking at you and I know some of you who've been through horrible trials. Horrific stuff. I know more than most everybody else in here about a lot of your situations and it's horrible and you have been distressed by your various trials. But that distress of your life and the trials of your life are a proof of your faith which being more precious than gold which is perishable even though tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revealing of Jesus Christ and though you have not seen him.
1:03:14
Now, think about this. Peter walked with Jesus for three years. Yeah, Paul saw a vision of Jesus on the Damascus Road, but he didn't walk with him for three years. Peter did. Now, Peter starts off and says, you have not seen him.
1:03:27
This is far flung provinces of the Roman Empire that he's talking to and to you today. Have any of y'all seen Jesus with your eyes? And though you have not seen him, you love him. How many of you love Jesus? Yeah.
1:03:42
You haven't seen him though. And Peter had and for him to write this, can you imagine the encouragement? I I I can imagine it because it encourages me. When I got here, the reason we started with like three or four sermons in first Peter is because I needed them. This was a fiery trial for me.
1:03:59
And I love it. And it's refined me in a lot of ways. I love it. I love Jesus, Though I have not seen him and though you do not see him now. So, he says, in the past, you haven't seen him and you don't even see him now.
1:04:10
You don't see him physically. Put your eyes on him now but you believe in it. Now, when Jesus was praying in the garden, I always say he prayed for unity of the church and he did but he also said, for those that you have given me, lord, and for the message that they will carry and for everyone who has believed that message. Everyone who is a Christian because of what Peter, James, John, all those guys said, right? We're a part of an unbroken line of the message of the cross that's gone forward through these guys.
1:04:40
Though you do not see him now but you believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. All of the sin and all the things that we're enslaved to come to an end in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the power that raised Jesus from the dead. It's what puts an end to cancels, breaks the bond of cancelled sin, right? You greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. Now, did this in the first service and they answered pitifully.
1:05:07
I want you to sit. You don't have to, it says it's inexpressible. And I know we don't raise hands very often, but will you all raise your hand? How many of you all have an inexpressible joy that's full of glory? Amen.
1:05:18
Raise a bow for sure. Absolutely. That you don't have to walk that path you used to walk. So, point two again, God is to be praised for his great mercy. He did not give us what we deserve which is death, hell, and the grave.
1:05:31
He's given us a living hope and a new life. Amen. Made available through Jesus resurrection which also brings us to point number three, that we have an inheritance. It's imperishable, undefiled, and unfading reserved in heaven for us. I think that's the last slide.
1:05:46
Nope. This is the last slide. Obtaining as the outcome. The outcome of what? The outcome of your faith.
1:05:52
Obtaining as the outcome of your faith. It's by God's grace, Paul says, but it is through faith. Obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. The first part of this letter is all about salvation and about the revealing of Jesus and how he does that experientially through your trials, okay? God is to be praised for his great mercy, new life, and living hope.
1:06:14
Which reminds me of this. I was going to use this as the world's longest benediction but I'm just going to read it to you. Try not to preach it, okay? Alright, everybody stretch just a second. This is Paul's 202 word sentence.
1:06:24
It's one sentence in the Greek. It's about five or six in English. Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ according to purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved. The beloved is Jesus.
1:06:53
That's God the father in yellow and then Christ. In him, the beloved, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of God's grace which God lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in Christ. Things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ, we have obtained an inheritance. Having been predestined according to the purpose of God who works all things according to the council of his will so that we who are the first to hope.
1:07:31
So, that's it. Peter and the other disciples and Paul knocked off of his high horse were the first to hope, to have that absolute certainty in the future that's good and undefiled and imperishable. They're the first. But we are still a part of that, right? So that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
1:07:54
In him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation and believed in him, you were sealed and you were sealed with the promise, Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee, the down payment, the earnest money. He is a down payment of our inheritance. Until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory. Lord God, we ask that your word would penetrate hearts today and that this would be the day that someone says, you know what? It has never made any sense before.
1:08:27
It's always been foolishness to me but I'm trusting you because I'm going through a fiery trial. God, would this be the day that you'd save someone? In Jesus name, I pray that you would draw em and give em the power to choose you back. In Jesus name, amen. I think that's it.
1:08:45
It's a little. Would you all stand? And we're going to sing just as I am and if you will, Scott, would you come up and help? If you want to walk down the aisle in good old Southern Baptist fashion, if you want to walk down this aisle and tell me that you're surrendering your life to Jesus today, I'd love to hear that. I'd love to hear.
1:09:03
But if you pray that prayer right there in your seat or if you come see me in my office later on the week, I'd love to hear that too. We're going to sing just as I am. Pay attention to words and see if this is where you find yourself. I'll turn off my mic if you come forward and let Scott lead. Amen.
1:11:08
I've got a couple of benedictions to do. It's you know, we already went long. Why not hit you with two on the way out? This is all the way back to Psalms 31. How abundant are the good things that you, God, have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all on those who take refuge in you.
1:11:26
Amen and now, New Testament, may the Lord of peace himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance and may the Lord be with you all. That's my prayer in Jesus name. Amen.
