Bible Studies led by Dr. Larry Reynolds, Denton, TX: May 2013

I Peter 1:13

(A Bible Study Led by Dr. Larry Reynolds)

May 30, 2013

We have seen that 1 Peter opens with a beautiful description of who we are in Christ. The salutation in verses 1-2 tell us we are:

· “aliens” – That reminds us that this world is not our final destination. We are just passing through. The plural form of that word reminds us that as we pass through this world, we are not alone. We are part of a larger Christian community.

· “scattered” – We saw that is the word used to describe the process of a farmer sowing seed. God scatters us into the world as His seed to take root, grow, and bear fruit.

· “chosen” – That word means that those who turn to faith in Christ are chosen for special relationship with God and chosen for special task in world. In the OT the word used to describe the nation Israel. In the NT it used to describe those who have entered a faith relationship with Jesus Christ..

Then, in verses 3-12 there is a beautiful description of what we have in Christ. These verses remind us that in Christ we have:

· “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (v.3)

· “an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away” (v.4)

· “protected by the power of God through faith” (v.5)

· “the salvation of your souls” (v.9)

These first two paragraphs deal with the privileges of Christianity. Now, beginning in verse 13 Peter begins to focus of some of the responsibilities that flow from these privileges. Notice that the first word of verse 13 is “therefore.” That word points the reader back to all that has been said to this point. As a result of these privileges you have in Christ, here is what you are to do.

This next section of I Peter can be outlined as follows:

· 1:13 – A thesis statement

· 1:14 – Something to remove from our lives

· 1:15-25 – Some things to add to our lives

In the book Through the Wilderness of Loneliness Tim Hansel tells about a traveler in Vermont who lost his way...he drove his car into a little village, rolled down the window, and said to one of the locals, “Friend, I need help. I think I’m lost.”...the villager looked at him for a moment and then in that slow, northeastern drawl asked, “Well, do you know where you are?”...the traveler responded, “Yes, I saw the name of the village when I drove in.”...then the villager asked, “Well, do you know where you want to be?”...and the traveler said, “Yes” and told the man his intended destination...the old villager looked away for a moment deep in thought and then he dispensed some good northeastern philosophy...he said, “Well, the way I see it, you ain’t lost. You just need directions.”

I like that little story because it reminds me of an important truth about the Christian life...it is possible, in the spiritual sense, to not be lost but to still be in great need of direction...even those people who have experienced a genuine conversion, a real spiritual re-birth in their lives need instruction, training, and discipling...and we never outgrow that need...

The thesis sentence in verse 13 gives us some very specific direction for the life to which we are called in Christ. This verse tells us we are to do three specific things:

“GIRD UP YOUR MINDS FOR ACTION”

1. The phrase “gird your minds for action” is an especially vivid phrase...the metaphor here would have been instantly understood by the recipients of this letter...in 1^st century eastern world, men generally wore a long flowing robe as their outer garment...if fast movement or energetic movement was needed, the men would “gird up” their robes...this was done by tucking the portion of the rob which fell around the legs into a broad belt which was worn around the waist...an equivalent modern metaphor would be our phrase “roll up your sleeves”...

2. Want you to notice that this girding, this preparing for action takes place in the realm of the mind...when a person becomes a Christian, when a person makes a serious commitment of his/her life to Christ, a transformation begins to take place in that person’s thought process...

--Romans 12:2 tells us that when we commit our lives to Christ a renewal begins to take place in our minds...

--Ephesians 4 teaches that as Christians we are no longer to walk in ignorance and darkness...

3. And the purpose of this renewal is not merely to satisfy our intellectual curiosity...it is not to make us feel smarter, more intelligent than others...the purpose is to equip us, to prepare us for actions...we are to “gird our minds for action”...

1. The life to which God calls us is a life of action...it’s a life of doing something...Christianity is not a life of navel gazing!... it is not a life of just philosophical or even theological inquiry ... it’s a life of service...of ministry to others...Jesus, Himself, is our model in that...He was not a philosopher or a theologian in the classical sense...He was a minister, a servant of others...in the Scripture Jesus is described as One who “went about doing good...”[Acts 10:38]...He fed the hungry, healed the sick, befriended the outcast, encouraged the downcast...and He calls us to that same kind of active life...

1. Jewish writer Elie Wiesel tell of a rabbinic student who was critical of God for how things are in this world...his teacher asked the student, “Do you know how to make the world better?” to which the student replied, “Why, yes. I think I do.”...and his teacher’s response was, “Well then, get to work. There is no time to spare.” [Brian’s Lines, Vol.16, Issue 2]

2. One thing I Peter 1:13 tells us is, “Get to work!”...we are to be ready for action...

“KEEP SOBER IN SPIRIT”

1. The next instruction in I Peter 1:13 is to “keep sober in spirit”... that word translated “sober” is used only six times in the NT, and three times of those uses occur in the letter of I Peter...in addition to this verse will find the word in--

--4:7 says that “the end of all things is at hand...therefore be sober for the purpose of prayer...”

--5:8 says that we are to “Be of sober spirit” because our adversary, the devil, is seeking someone to devour...

2. The word translated “sober” is “nepho”...originally it meant simply to abstain from getting drunk with wine...but over time it came to carry the ideas of stability, steadfastness, and self-control...and the basic idea behind the word is self-discipline, to be in control of one’s life...

1. In addition to calling us to a life of action, God also calls us to a life of discipline...a study of the various disciplines of the Christian life could be a whole Bible study series in itself...Richard Foster, in his classic book Celebration of Discipline divides the disciplines of the Christian life into three broad categories:

· Inward Disciplines (Meditation, prayer, fasting, and study)

· Outward Disciplines (Simplicity, solitude, submission, and service)

· Corporate Disciplines (Confession, worship, guidance, celebration)

2. And our lives are better and we are more useful to God when we give ourselves to these disciplines...

1. In the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta Michael Johnson won gold metals in both the 200 meter dash and the 400 meter dash...and that moment of triumph in the Olympics was the result of years of disciplined training...in his book Slaying the Dragon Johnson writes, “I can proudly say that I’ve never missed a scheduled day of training in ten years.”

2. And as a result of his self-discipline, combined with his natural talent, he reached the very pinnacle of his chosen field...and as we live disciplined, controlled, sober lives, we find ourselves in the position of being able to accomplish more for the Lord...

“FIX YOUR HOPE COMPLETELY ON THE GRACE TO BE BROUGHT TO YOU AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST”

1. The third instruction in this verse is “fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” ...what Peter is saying is, “Don’t lose sight of your destiny!”... you live now in God’s grace and when the Lord returns to this world victorious over evil, as the King of kings and Lord of lords, you will still be living in God’s grace...

2. Christians have every reason to be optimistic...we ought to always have a hopeful outlook...Warren Wiersbe tells of receiving a note from a friend that said, “When the outlook is gloomy, try the uplook!”...and when we look toward God, when we remember our current standing in Christ, when we remember our ultimate destiny in Him, we have every reason to be optimistic...

1. One of my favorite writers is John Maxwell...has written several very insightful books on leadership...in his book The Winning Attitude tells about a time when the Scottish novelist, Robert Louis Stevenson was very ill...had been bedfast for sometime from a variety of illnesses...however, was determined not to let his deteriorating physical condition affect his attitude toward life...after a particular difficult time his not-so-cheerful wife said to him, “I expect you still believe it’s a wonderful day.”...and Stevenson replied, “I do. I will never permit a row of medicine bottles to block my horizon.” [The Winning Attitude, p.122]

2. As we travel through this world we can choose to focus on the immediate problems which invariably surround us or we can take a broader view of life and focus on our ultimate destiny in Christ...and as we remember who we are in Christ and as we fix our hope on Him, we despite the temporary setbacks we may face, we have every reason to be characterized by optimism...

CONCLUSION

1. Someone has said the lie most often repeated in our world is that statement “Easy to assemble.” Doesn’t it frustrate you when you purchase some item which needs to be assembled and the accompanying instructions are so complex or so poorly written that you need a Ph.D. to understand them? Fortunately, God’s instructions to us in the Scripture aren’t written like that. His instructions are clear. They are direct. God’s instructions are easy to comprehend...

2. I Peter 1:13 tells us in clear, concise language how God wants us to live—

--Be ready for service and ministry... “Gird up you minds for action…”

--Be disciplined in your spiritual life... “Keep sober in spirit…”

--Be optimistic about your future in Christ... “Fix your hope on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ…”

3. That’s what God desires from us and our lives are better when we live His way...

1 Peter 1:10-12

I Peter 1:10-12

(A Bible Study Led by Dr. Larry Reynolds)

May 23, 2013

There is an interesting exchange which took place between Jesus and Pontius Pilate just before Pilate sentenced Jesus to death. The conversation is recorded in John’s gospel. When Pilate asked Jesus if Jesus was a king, Jesus said, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” And Pilate’s classic response was, “What is truth?”

And that question, “What is truth?” is one that is still being asked by people today. How can we know what is truth and what is falsehood? In a world who so many philosophical systems, so many theological perspectives, so many seemingly well intentioned spiritual teachers and advisers, all claiming to have the answer to life’s mysteries, how do we know what to believe?...

It has been said that life is a never ending search for meaning. While I wouldn’t dispute that, I believe it is more accurate to say that life is a never ending search for truth.

On our flight back from Barcelona last week I watched on the plane the movie Life of Pi. It is the story of a young boy, named Pi, from India who grew up in a family that owned a small zoo. Because of economic conditions the family was forced to take the zoo animals and leave India by ship. There was a shipwreck and Pi ends up stranded on a small raft with several of the animals, including a ferocious Bengal tiger. Throughout the movie, which is based on a book by the same name, Pi is searching for God. In his search for God, he simultaneously embraces the religions of Hinduism, Christianity (Catholicism), and Islam. In one of the scenes his father confronts him during a family meal. He said to his son, "Believing in everything is the same as believing in nothing."

Contrary to popular opinion, all paths do not lead to God. And because of that, it is vitally important for us to make sure we are on the right path. That is an issue addressed in 1 Peter 1:10-12.

Notice verse 10 begins with the phrase “As to this salvation…” Salvation is one of the main themes of this first paragraph in 1 Peter. In its narrowest sense, salvation is the transaction that takes place between an individual and God when that person chooses to trust his/her life to Jesus. In its broadest sense, salvation is the truth upon which that transaction stands. That truth is the basic message of the gospel—the good news. It formed the foundation of the preaching and teaching of the church in the 1^st century. It includes the following:

1. The promises by God made in the Old Testament have now been fulfilled with the coming of Jesus the Messiah (Acts 2:30; 3:19, 24; 10:43; 26:6–7, 22; Rom. 1:2–4; I Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:1–2; I Peter 1:10–12; 2 Peter 1:18–19).

2. Jesus was anointed as Messiah by God at His baptism (Acts 10:38).

3. Jesus began His ministry in Galilee after His baptism (Acts 10:37).

4. His ministry was characterized by doing good and performing mighty works by means of the power of God (Mark 10:45; Acts 2:22; 10:38).

5. The Messiah was crucified according to the purpose of God (Mark 10:45; John 3:16; Acts 2:23; 3:13–15, 18; 4:11; 10:39; 26:23; Rom. 8:34; I Cor. 1:17–18; 15:3; Gal. 1:4; Heb. 1:3; I Peter 1:2, 19; 3:18; I John 4:10).

6. He was raised from the dead and appeared to His disciples (Acts 2:24, 31–32; 3:15, 26; 10:40–41; 17:31; 26:23; Rom. 8:34; 10:9; I Cor. 15:4–7, 12ff; I Thess. 1:10; I Tim. 3:16; I Peter 1:2; 3:18, 21).

7. Jesus was exalted by God and given the name “Lord” (Acts 2:25–29, 33–36; 3:13; 10:36; Rom. 8:34; 10:9; I Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:3; I Peter 3:22).

8. He gave the Holy Spirit to form the new community of God (Acts 1:8; 2:14–18, 38–39; 10:44–47; I Peter 1:12).

9. He will come again for judgment and the restoration of all things (Acts 3:20–21; 10:42; 17:31; I Cor. 15:20–28; I Thess. 1:10).

10. All who hear the message should repent and be baptized (Acts 2:21, 38; 3:19; 10:43, 47–48; 17:30; 26:20; Rom. 1:17; 10:9; I Peter 3:21).^{^[1]}

When Peter speaks of salvation in verse 10, I think he is speaking in that broad sense.

The question is, how can we know those things are true? To answer that question, Peter turns to the prophets of the Old Testament who looked forward to the message of salvation.

What do you think, what image comes to your mind when you hear the word “prophet?” Not p-r-o-f-i-t as in a dollar prophet, but p-r-o-p-h-e-t as in an Old Testament prophet. If you’re like the average person the word “prophet” probably brings to your mind the image of a wild-eyed person, with an unkept appearance, wearing sackcloth, and babbling mysterious things about the future. And while some of the Old Testament prophets did some things that seem rather strange from our perspective, basically the word prophet simply means one who speaks the truth of God.

In these verses Peter tells us how the prophets came to a knowledge of the truth. If you’ll look carefully at the text you will see that for them coming to a knowledge of the truth was a two step process. And the process they followed is the same process we must follow to come to a knowledge of the truth...

I. The discovery of spiritual truth requires personal effort on our part

1. The prophets of old didn’t neglect the use of their intellects in their efforts to come to knowledge of the truth...two phrases in these verses indicate that the prophets understood that discovering spiritual truth required some effort on their part:

· “made careful search and inquiry” in last part of v.10 – This implies personal effort on their part. The prophets didn’t just sit around waiting for truth to fall from heaven into their laps. They searched, they dug, they studied, they worked, they used their intellectual ability to learn all that they could.

· “seeking to know the person or (and) time” in the first part of v.11 – From their study they discerned that a Messiah from the line of David would break into human history at a certain time.

2. See in that two important lesson for us today...

i. First, we are responsible for our own spiritual well-being...the only people on earth who have to be fed by others are the babies and the infirm...just as you are responsible for feeding yourself physically, you are responsible for feeding yourself spiritual...read your Bible...search... inquire...use your God given intellect...that’s what the prophets did and God blessed them for doing so...

ii. Second, we should approach this responsibility with great diligence...there is simply no excuse for Christians being mentally or intellectually lazy in things of the faith...we wouldn't put up with medical doctor or attorney or teacher or pilot who was incompetent in his/her profession because laziness...and wrong for us be that way in relation things of God...

When we stand in the pulpit to preach...when we open Bible to teach SS Class...when we share our faith with another person, dealing with most sacred things in all eternity...as deal with them, ought muster every ounce mental ability have...as did the prophets we must "make careful search and inquiry"...

T.S. - However, that by itself, is not enough...it is impossible to understand spiritual truth on human effort alone...the most intelligent person in the world will come up woefully short if that person’s efforts to come to a knowledge of the truth are based only on human effort...in addition to involving personal effort...

II. The discovery of spiritual truth requires a spirit of dependence on God

1. Peter tells us that the prophets allowed God’s Spirit to teach them...it is not enough to rely upon our intellect...while we must do our part, ultimately truth is revealed to us by God...

2. The phrase “...the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating...” in v.11 and the phrase “It was revealed to them...” at the beginning of v.12 reminds that the prophets depended on God as the ultimate source of truth...

3. Suspect when Peter wrote these words he had in mind what he had heard Jesus say about the Holy Spirit...on several occasions Jesus described to the disciples the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of truth”...and once He told them, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth...”[John 16:13a]

4. Read this week that G. Campbell Morgan, the great Bible commentator, said the best way to refer to the Holy Spirit was as “the other Jesus”…I like that…we have the Spirit of Jesus, Himself, to guide us into truth…

1. We must not be arrogant when it comes to spiritual things... ultimately all spiritual truth is revealed truth...what we discover about God through our inquiries...what we learn of God through our searching are those things which God has chosen to reveal to us...

2. Christianity is a religion of revelation...and in these verses Peter reminds us that God’s ultimate revelation, full revelation is in the person of Jesus...and until we open our lives to Him...until we allow Him a resting place inside of us, we will never come to a knowledge of the truth because, as Jesus said, “He, Himself, is the truth.”

1. When Harvard University was founded, its motto was "Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae" (Truth for Christ and the Church). Its crest showed three books, and one of the books was face down to symbolize the limitation of human knowledge. But in recent decades the book which was face down on the crest of Harvard has been turned face up to represent the unlimited capacity of the human mind. And the motto has been modified to simply "Veritas" (truth), dropping any reference to Christ and the church. [INFOSEARCH]

2. But the prophets of old remind us that the process of discovering real truth involves more than just human effort...while we certainly should make “careful search and inquiry” as the prophets did, we should also allow the Spirit of God to lead us into truth...

^{^[1]} Utley, R. J. D. (2000). Vol. Volume 2: The Gospel according to Peter: Mark and I & II Peter. Study Guide Commentary Series (220). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

I Peter 1:3-9

(A Bible Study Led by Dr. Larry Reynolds)

May 2, 2013

1. You may remember reading Charles Dicken's classic novel Tale of Two Cities when you were in high school or college. At the end of that novel is a very moving scene. Carts are rumbling through streets Paris. The carts are carrying prisoners who had been sentenced to death and they were moving toward the place of execution. In one cart were two prisoners--a brave man and beside him a young girl. The girl had watched him in prison and observed his gentleness and courage. Before the carts had left the prison yard to take them to place of execution she had said to the man: "If I may ride with you, will you let me hold your hand? I am not afraid, but I am little and weak, and it will give me more courage." And Dickens writes, “...[they] [COMMENT1] rode together now, her hand was in his; and...there was no fear in her eyes. She looked at the quiet, composed face of the man beside her, and said, 'I think you were sent to me by Heaven.”

2. I like that scene because reminds me of how God has chosen relate to us, especially times of adversity. It is not God abandon us or to leave us on our own in difficult times. Instead, He stands beside us to strengthen, encourage, and hold us up. That is a principle can be seen throughout the Scripture:

· In Psalm 23 the David testifies "I fear no evil because thou art with me..."

· Through the prophet Isaiah God says to us, "Fear not because I am with you..."

· In Hebrews 13 the Lord promises, "I will never leave you or forsake you..."

· The last thing Jesus told His disciples before ascending into heaven is “I am with you always...”

All that reminds us that it is not God’s way to leave us leave us alone and defenseless in times of adversity. In this session of our study of 1 Peter we are going to explore some of the great resources God gives us to help us for such times in our lives. And if anyone ever needed to be reminded of the resources God gives us for difficult times, it was the people to whom the letter of 1 Peter was addressed. They had heard about the brutal persecution of Christians that had begun in Rome after Nero blamed the great fire of 64 A.D. on them. They could see the horrible persecution heading their way. And they needed to know that God would provide them the resources to withstand it.

3. I Peter 1:3-12 is of the greatest paragraphs in the entire Bible. These verses touch on many of the major themes of the New Testament. In this single paragraph are truths about mercy, the new birth, hope, the resurrection of Jesus, heaven, God’s protection of His people, faith, dealing with trials, joy, discovering spiritual truth, and much more. In the previous session we focused on what verse 3 tells us about salvation. We saw in that verse four foundational principles about salvation:

· SALVATION IS GOD’S WORK, NOT OURS

· SALVATION IS ROOTED IN THE MERCY OF GOD

· SALVATION INVOLVES A RADICAL CHANGE IN OUR LIVES

· SALVATION IS BASED ON THE WORK OF JESUS

4. In this session we are going to focus on three of the great words of the New Testament that are interspersed throughout verses 3-9 of this paragraph. They are the words “hope” in verse 3, “faith” in verses 5 and 7, and “joy” in verse 8. Each tells us something significant about the resources we have in Christ for the difficult days of life.

I. God has given us the resource of HOPE for times of adversity

1. Charles Allen begins book The Miracle of Hope with story about submarine disabled off east coast of our nation...crew was trapped inside and divers were sent down in an [COMMENT2]attempt rescue them... the crew desperately clung life as their oxygen supply dwindled... divers communicated with the crew inside by tapping in Morse code on the side of the submarine...at one point, after long silence, someone on inside tapped out question, "Is there any hope?"..

2. More than likely, everyone us, at some time or another have faced or we will face some situation in which we wonder if any there is any hope...and the resounding answer to that question from this passage is yes!...for those who belong to God there is always hope...

3. The people to whom 1 Peter was originally addressed must have wondered “Is there any hope.” They were in a hostile environment which was rapidly becoming more hostile toward them. And it is noteworthy that one of first things Peter said was "Don't despair, don’t give up...remember that you have a living hope in Jesus Christ.."..

1. The word which is translated hope in v.3 is the Greek word "elpis"...one of great words of NT...doesn't mean exact same thing as our word hope...in our language hope carries idea of desire or wishful thinking...if say, "I hope the Texas Rangers win their baseball game” I’m really saying "I desire for them to win..."...but "elpis" carries idea of not so much wish or desire as confidence and expectation...

2. Biblical emphasis concerning hope is not on what hope for but whom we hope in...our hope is in Jesus...Peter calls it a “living hope” because Jesus is a living Lord...and because our hope is in Jesus and because He has promised to be with us always, we can face [COMMENT3]adversity hoping (or, more correctly, expecting) to be victorious in it...

3. The last part verse 3 and verse 4 tell there is two‑fold basis for our hope/our assurance in face of adversity—

· Our hope/assurance is based on the resurrection of Jesus. The “living hope” is based on the living resurrected Christ (cf. 1 Peter 1:21). The Christian’s assurance in Christ is as certain and sure as the fact that Christ is alive! Peter used the word “living” six times (1:3, 23; 2:4–5; 4:5–6). Here “living” means that the believer’s hope is sure, certain, and real, as opposed to the deceptive, empty, false hope the world offers.^{^[1]}

· Our hope/assurance is based on the inheritance God holding for us in heaven (v.4)...

The sure hope is of a future inheritance (klēronomian). This same word is used in the Septuagint to refer to Israel’s promised possession of the land (cf. Num. 26:54, 56; 34:2; Josh. 11:23); it was her possession, granted to her as a gift from God. A Christian’s inheritance cannot be destroyed by hostile forces, and it will not spoil like overripened fruit or fade in color. Peter used three words, each beginning with the same letter and ending with the same syllable, to describe in a cumulative fashion this inheritance’s permanence: can never perish [imperishable] (aphtharton), spoil [undefiled] (amianton), or fade [will not fade away] (amaranton). This inheritance is as indestructible as God’s Word (cf. 1 Peter 1:23, where Peter again used aphtharton). Each Christian’s inheritance of eternal life is kept in heaven [reserved in heaven] or “kept watch on” by God so its ultimate possession is secure (cf. Gal. 5:5).^{^[2]}

4. One resource we have for dealing with adversity is hope...

II. God has given us the resource of FAITH for times of adversity

1. Hope is the assurance we will ultimately overcome adversity...after reading vv.3‑4 the recipients of this letter must have thought, "Well, fine and good know out there in future somewhere everything is going to be okay...but what do in meantime? How deal with problems today?"...and so, in vv.5‑7 explains that in meantime‑‑while waiting for hope become reality‑‑have resource of faith...

2. Faith is one of the most misunderstood words in the Scripture... faith is not an entity which stands alone...faith is always tied to something...we don’t merely have faith...we have faith/ confidence/belief/trust in someone...and of course that someone is Jesus...He is the object of our faith...

3. These verses in 1 Peter tell us two things about faith:

· First, v.5 says we are "protected by the power of God through faith"...word protected is borrowed by Peter form the vocabulary of the military...used to describe an army which would camp near gate of city in time of war for the purpose of protecting the city...idea is that in times adversity God comes near us [COMMENT4]...and comes not so much remove adversity, as to empower us to face it and get through it...(Like Jesus came to His disciples in storm and got in boat with..)

· Second, our faith is strengthened...v.7 says that just as fire refines (remove the impurities) from gold, so adversity refines our faith...through adversity, the depth and genuineness of our faith revealed...as difficulties increase, God increase our faith so we can be victorious in them...

4. In times of adversity, faith that is genuine is strengthened... genuine faith doesn't crumble in face of adversity...it grows and becomes stronger!!..

1. William Bathurst had that in mind when wrote:

O FOR A FAITH THAT WILL NOT SHRINK, THO' PRESSED BY EVERY FOE,

THAT WILL NOT TREMBLE ON THE BRINK OF ANY EARTHLY WOE!

THAT WILL NOT MURMUR OR COMPLAIN BENEATH THE CHAST'NING ROD,

BUT, IN THE HOUR OF GRIEF AND PAIN, WILL LEAN UPON ITS GOD.

2. God gives us the resource of faith for dealing with adversity...

III. God has given us the resource of JOY for times of adversity

1. Twice in this passage, once in verse 6 and again in verse 8 Peter speaks of the joy that characterizes the lives of true believers. Verse 6 says, “In this you greatly rejoice…” and verse 8 ways Christians are able to “greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible...”...may seem strange Peter would speak of joy in same paragraph as trials and difficulties...however, the inevitable result of having a living hope and growing faith is joy..

2. “Joy” is another one of those biblical words which is often misunderstood...if asked average person "What comes to your mind when hear word joy?" more than likely would say “happiness”...in our culture we've been indoctrinated with the idea that joy=happiness...

3. And because of that indoctrination, very easy for us misunderstand what Bible means by word joy...joy not same thing as happiness...happiness is that blissful feeling we sometimes get when the outward circumstances of our lives are right...if I—

--am healthy...

--have no financial problems...

--my family is okay...

--have no major worries...

then I might feel some happiness...

4. On other hand, joy is state of being which is independent of outward circumstances...joy is something that only God can produce in us, and He can give us joy even though world around us may be in turmoil...

5. That’s because joy, in Christian sense, does not depend on the external circumstances of our lives...not something we seek and find...it is a divine gift which comes from being committed to God and doing His will...in v.8 Peter says that if we’re convinced of the presence of the Lord in our lives, in any and all circumstances we can “rejoice with joy inexpressible...”

1. Need remember no matter what our lot in life...no matter what may come our way...no matter how great the disappointment or pain...as children [COMMENT5]of God we need never lose source of joy...OT prophet Habakkuk lived in time when people based their joy squarely on prosperity (as in our day!)...when God told Habakkuk an enemy was going to defeat/devastate his nation, Habakkuk had big problem with that...but finally accepted it and was able to say...”Though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail, and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult [joy] in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation, the Lord God is my strength.” (Hab.3:17‑19a)..

2. And it's the joy that comes from knowing that God is our strength God that helps us in times of adversity...adversity is always temporary, but joy in the Lord is eternal!..

CONCLUSION

1. On April 5th, 1943, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was arrested and imprisoned by the Gestapo for his political activities against the German Nazi regime. He had been speaking out against the Nazis, but eventually his words caught up with him. He saw that the church of Jesus Christ was being persecuted and that his country was heading toward the abyss and he decided to do something about it

2. Two years later he found himself facing the death sentence. On the day when the sentence was to be carried out, a Sunday, he led a service in the prison which housed men of various nationalities. One prisoner, an English army officer who was also facing the death sentence but was later set free, wrote these words describing the last day of Bonhoeffer's life:

Bonhoeffer always seemed to me to spread an atmosphere of happiness and joy over the [smallest] incident and profound gratitude for the mere fact that he was alive . . .He was one of the very few persons I have ever met for whom God was real and always near . . . On Sunday, April 8, 1945, Pastor Bonhoeffer conducted a little service of worship and spoke to us in a way that went to the heart of all of us. He found just the right words to express the spirit of our imprisonment, the thoughts and the resolutions it had brought us. He had hardly ended his last prayer when the door opened and two civilians entered. They said, "Prisoner Bonhoeffer, come with us." That had only one meaning for all prisoners--the gallows. We said good-by to him. He took me aside: "This is the end, but for me it is the beginning of life." The next day he was hanged in Flossenburg.

3. What was it that so possessed this man that at the very moment of his death he could say that? I think it was because he had discovered the resources God has given us for times of adversity...the resource of a living hope, a growing faith, and joy inexpressible...

^{^[1]} Raymer, R. M. (1985). 1 Peter. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck, Ed.) (1 Pe 1:3). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

^{^[2]} Raymer, R. M. (1985). 1 Peter. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck, Ed.) (1 Pe 1:4). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[COMMENT1].Dickens describes the scene this way: "So when they

[COMMENT2]crew trapped inside and ships sent with divers to

[COMMENT3]because we have confindence in the God who holds

[COMMENT4]may come through personal prayer life/Word/special

[COMMENT5]how great the pain or disappointment..as children

About Me

I Peter 1:13

1 Peter 1:10-12

I Peter 1:3-9