Tag: 1 Peter 1

November 19th 2023: Dan King

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1 Peter 1:3-12

To watch this service, click on the link to our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/7rskWC6jTGM?si=knyP-mDBCijpCY1N

There are many different types of authors in the Bible. Paul is the theologian, the smart one. He will write a bit, make his point, then he’ll lead into a crescendo into an even bigger point. Moses is a great storyteller. I really like Peter’s writing. He is a bit of a working-class man. When you try to read the Bible and unlock a passage, depending on who the author is, there is always a key that opens everything up. Here, it is 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” According to His great mercy – as long as we keep that in mind, reading the rest of the passage will make complete sense.

“To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,” (v4). How does this inheritance come to you? Because of His great mercy. We think of 40, 50, 60, 70 years. We’ve got nothing in terms of what His plan is for us for eons to come. Beautiful. It is all kept in heaven by God’s power. In his great mercy, you are loved! God wants you. He lived, He died, He rose again, went through death for you. My days, you are loved! There is an inheritance for you.

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (verse 6-7). We live in a wilderness. As human beings, we were meant for a garden but we live in a wilderness. We are designed for things to go right, that’s why we get annoyed when things go wrong. It hurts. Looking at the big picture, I know of four wars going on in the world right now. In each of these places, what are our Christian brothers and sisters in these countries praying for? What are they hoping for? How are we praying for them and equipping them?

Currently, we live in trying economic times. There are political problems as well as social problems. What about internally? Within our families there is always something that isn’t quite right. There is always something in work, a way of doing things that always annoys you. Maybe it’s having a fall-out with your friends, even your church. We are all internally very sinful folk.

We can look at things in terms of what the world offers and what God offers. The world offers secularism – your identity makes you. The world encourages us to express ourselves, then everything will be joyous. We see that in all types of advertisements and marketing. God has given the world a bit of a shaking: Covid 19, Ukraine, different governments. We can come to church on Sunday and go to work on Monday morning feeling great after the sermon. Then, later in the day it becomes a hard day. As the week goes on it becomes harder. There is a different way to what the world offers. We don’t have to earn the respect of God. True Christianity is a gift given to you because you are loved.

The greatest outpouring of all is the beauty that comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. In His great mercy He looked at us and wanted us. He loves you. He came down in human form at Christmas, lived a perfectly sinless life and died for you because he loved you.

Here is a spiritual MOT for you:

  1. When was the last time we said thank you to God in prayer? He has helped us in the past. When a problem comes along we need to look up.
  2. When was the last time we sang when we are on our own? Give thanks for the fact He is God, for all His love for us.
  3. When was the last time we read our Bible? For so many, holding a bible means prison, even death. When was the last time we went actively reading the Bible? Start at Genesis, then move to reading John chapters 1 to 3.

When was the last time you met up with someone for coffee and a Bible study? We so easily go to other things that keep us entertained such as the TV or the Internet. God is high and sovereign over all. He wants you in everything. He loves you. It is amazing what God can offer you. He loves you so.

  • When do we pray? C. H. Spurgeon had an amazing quote, “I never pray for more than 5 minutes at a time, but I am never more than 5 minutes out of prayer.” What a place to get to with the Lord – continuous dialogue! What if, every time we had a problem, we turned to the Lord? If the Lord does not answer immediately, the world says He is not listening. He will answer in His time.

“So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:7). If you are struggling with something today, you are not on your own. God understands, God loves you. Glorify Jesus by coming to Him. Hallelujah, what a saviour!

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,” (1 Peter 1:8). Yes!

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or timethe Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” (1 Peter 1:10-12).

All of the Jewish texts in the Old Testament do not have the same knowledge as we do, the Saviour was coming. They tried to see what Jesus would be for them and what the Lord would provide. Those people are going to bless you. The people who had enough faith a saviour would come were right.

Jesus lived for you! He got to Easter. He died. Can you imagine the smell, the heat, the sounds, the jeers of watching our saviour die? Horrible! Yet, He went through that, He went through death, He created new life. All the sins we have done, He knows. He says, ‘come. There is room at my cross.’ There is room for His love. His grace is lavished upon you because He loves you so (Ephesians 1-2). In His great mercy. Hallelujah!

There was a time, when we first became a Christian, we couldn’t go five minutes without praying. The love of the Lord was real. Through baptisms we see how the Lord has worked. Stunning! You may wish you could go back to that point. But now you are further along. You have membership of a church. He is still looking after you, even before you were born. He knew you when you were saved. He knew you when you experienced love at your baptism. Think how many times the Lord has brought you through a situation, how He has loved you in the past, the present and the future. Just because we are going through times of despair, His love is still exactly the same – all-encompassing and all amazing.

We need a child-like joy. We need to remember all the beautiful things the Lord has done when we face those challenges.

June 18th 2023: John Mann

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“10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” 1 Peter 1:10-12.

Peter wrote to a church very much under persecution. This is summed up in verse 6, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.” These are a people passing through difficult times, suffering for doing good. That’s the kind of world they lived in, and we live in too. In chapter 4 they suffer for being a Christian. We know a little of that, some suffer greatly. Peter’s purpose is to emphasise the greatness of our salvation. What a privilege, what a joy and what a blessing it is to belong to Christ. Peter says it is of greater value than this world has to offer. Nothing in this world comes even close.

Is your heart rejoicing in the knowledge that you know Christ as your personal Saviour? Salvation overrides everything else. It is our priority to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Our life is the opportunity God gives to us to know Christ as our Saviour. Does your relationship with Jesus out-do all earthly pleasures? If we are without knowledge and understanding of God’s saving grace, of the need for forgiveness, then we are missing the whole purpose of what we are here for and we remain in darkness of sins. Peter wants us to rejoice in what the Lord Jesus has done.

Our salvation is all of God’s grace – no merit of our own, no self-achievement. Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ – faith which is in Christ alone, faith which leans fully on Him. We don’t see Him but it’s the faith that saves. It’s the faith that inspires love, so real it outweighs any adversaries. When we go through difficulties and face opposition, we can always rejoice! It’s a joy the world knows nothing about. We have the joy of knowing we have a Saviour we can turn to. We are wealthy beyond measure. Are you building up heavenly credit? Are you seeking righteousness, storing up treasures in heaven?

Salvation. God planned it from the beginning. He gave us His Word, He gave us the Bible, He gave us prophets. All this leads to His Son, our Saviour and what He did for us on the cross at Calvary. Are you amazed at God’s salvation, what He has done for you, a sinner saved by grace?

The prophets were amazed, even though they were proclaiming something they didn’t fully understand, yet it excited them with great anticipation. The prophets were people who believed the words God gave them. They proclaimed the coming of a Messiah with passion. It was often at great cost to themselves, yet they were excited. They foresaw and understood there was a great salvation coming. Do you search the scriptures as intently as the prophets did?

Does His Word excite us and fill us with a great sense of wonder so we long to know more? The prophets believed there was a Messiah to come in the future. They knew God the future. The full implication what God would do intrigued them and filled them with wonder and amazement. They couldn’t contain their anticipation. They knew it was by grace. They knew God would send His Son and for him there would be sufferings (Isaiah 53). He suffered for the sake and sins of others. Isaiah, who didn’t know the full implication, by the Holy Spirit, presented what the Lord Jesus would do for you and me.

Salvation is God’s doing. He implemented it and completed it (Isaiah 53:10). That is how great this salvation is. It was His will to crush the Lord Jesus Christ and cause Him to suffer in our place. The prophets knew salvation would come through faith in Jesus Christ. They anticipated that great day when the Messiah would come, “It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” (1 Peter 1:12).

That day has now come. The prophets foresaw these things. The apostles preached these things. In our day, preachers still proclaim the Word of God. We know how the Lord Jesus Christ suffered for our sakes. The gift of salvation is given, it is nothing of ourselves, so we cannot boast. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We have this great privilege of hearing the gospel preached week by week. We have God’s gift of faith to believe in Christ. We have glorious hope in Him. Peter wants us to remember the wonder of salvation.

Just like the prophets, we don’t fully understand. We know more than the prophets; we know of the cross of Jesus Christ and His love for sinners. We anticipate that great day when we will know fully, and stand in God’s presence and see our Saviour face to face, and know more and more each day.

It isn’t just the prophets – even the angels long to look into these things. The angels are unable to fully comprehend how it feels for a sinner to be saved by grace. They long to look into this wonderful prospect of sinners being saved by grace. Angels dwelt in the presence of God and understood His holiness and saw His glory (Isaiah 6). They were messengers that God sent (Hebrews 1). They are privileged personal instruments from Him. They are given an awesome presence of their own.

 Angels are perfect beings, free from corruption that blights us. Angels knew the work of Jesus at His incarnation. Angels were involved in the temptation of Jesus (Mark 1). They were involved in His miracles (Mark 5). They were involved in His Resurrection. This is the privilege and blessing of the angels. Angels were involved in His person and glory (Revelation 22). These holy angels, who behold His glory, who carry out His bidding, still cannot fully understand our salvation by grace and long to look into these things. If they are amazed, how much more should we be filled with a sense of joy, a sense of blessing and wonder of the One who saved us? Do we long to know more, to lean forward and marvel?

What a great God we serve and worship. Are we filled with a sense of privilege? Freely we have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ. It is all in Him and by Him. Without Him there would be no salvation, we would still be under the condemnation of a holy God. Are we filled with that same sense of wonder at God’s grace and mercy in saving our eternal souls? Do we express our eternal thanksgivings (Psalm 126).

Peter’s challenges exhort us to never under-value our salvation, to never lose sight of the wonder and glory and grace of the gospel. This gospel doesn’t discriminate – it is free to all who will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness of sins. Peter is writing to Gentiles and people of all nations. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  (John 14:6). Praise God! Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Anniversary Service: 4th August 2018: Adrian Brake

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Adrian Brake-August 181 Peter 2:4-12

This passage of scripture enables us to stand back and take stock, to ask two important questions:
Who are we?
What are we here for?

What is our identity as a congregation? What is our purpose? The apostle Peter tells us, if we’re the Lord’s people, who we are and what we are here for.

Who are we?
We are the people of God. Peter’s emphasis, in verse 10, is that this hasn’t always been the case. We were fallen, unredeemed men and women, a hotch-potch of individuals. By nature, we are almost completely individualistic in our thinking. We made ourselves the centre of everything, promoting our own causes. Few of us will help others unless there is something in it for us.

Through the gospel, God replaces individualistic identity with a corporate one. He unites people to one another, making a people, making a nation, making a church. The grace of God builds relationships. We are part of a community, part of a church. This community the Spirit creates through the gospel. We all have the same experience. We all live to glorify the God who has rescued us.

We are children, citizens, stones, sheep in the same flock. We are a people united in Christ, looking to serve, to minister one another, displaying the Spirit of Christ. Through the express will and purpose of God, we at Penuel are a local expression of Christ, bound together, serving one another. Do you see yourselves bound as a people in love? Do we have fellowship together, sharing in common the Christian faith? We are planted here with an opportunity to show people something different. In the church there is love, there is care. The relationship we have with one another can act as a powerful evangelistic tool – grace, forgiveness, love. May we serve one another. We are a people, a community placed together by God. We have a corporate identity, a corporate life.

Peter says we are the people of God. We belong to one another because we belong to God. We are God’s own special people. We are His and His alone. He owns us exclusively. We once belonged to Satan, but now to Jesus Christ. He will never abandon us. We are delivered from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of love. His forever!

Unbelievers long to know they belong. We are all made for relationships. Our fellowship is with the Father and His Son, the creator and sustainer of everything. By belonging to Him, we belong to one another.

God rejoices over us, His face is towards us, He holds us in His hands. We are the apple of His eye. His ear is always open to our cry. We are unspeakably precious, His jewels. He stores our tears in a bottle. Our suffering moves Him. He dries our eyes and stores our tears. How much are we worth? The blood of His precious Son. How valuable, how precious we are to our Father. The apostle John says, “God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:9-11).

When Satan comes to you, you suffer. Go to the cross. God loves you enough to send His Son to take your guilt. The Bible tells us Jesus went to the cross out of love for us. Do you know we are part of Jesus’ reward for enduring the cross? We have been given to Him, we are His people. We are the Father’s love gift to His Son. Paul speaks of the glorious riches – we are Jesus’ inheritance. Jesus regards us as a gloriously rich inheritance.

We are a people drawn together, united to Jesus, bought by Him, belonging to Him. Because we belong to Him, He has a responsibility to care, to provide and to protect us. When He bought us He committed Himself to look after us and provide for us in every way. We are His people, nobody else’s. We are to be loyal, obey Him and walk in His ways.

We are a ‘holy’ nation (verse 9), set apart, consecrated. To love the world, to obey the world, is to commit adultery to our God. It’s a challenge. Are we a holy people, dedicated to God, devoted to Him? Can people see who’s we are? Is it clear in our community that we are God’s people? The church in our land is often losing its distinctiveness. May we be a people totally devoted to Him.

How do we become the people of God? We are a chosen generation (verse 9). God chose to set His love upon us. He chose to make us one of His jewels. There was nothing in us that would recommend us. We had nothing to offer Him, we were in no ways deserving. We haven’t earned it. It has been freely given in an act of grace. God has gifted you a place amongst His people. He has chosen the unloved to be the lovely. Free, unlimited, undeserved love. It is so humbling. It magnifies God’s grace that He chose me, before the beginning of time. We are a people bought with the life blood of His own Son at Calvary.

God called us to Himself out of the darkness into His marvellous light. In darkness, eyes are closed to truth about ourselves and God. By nature we are oblivious that we are sinners under the righteous wrath of God. We can’t grasp it. In the dark we are blind to eternal reality. But by the grace of God, the Spirit shone the light of truth into our darkened eyes. Suddenly, the light of truth shone and all makes sense. The Spirit called us into the light of saving knowledge, to repentance, to the need to turn to God for forgiveness. We are called to the light of the gospel.

Just as God sent light to dispel the darkness of creation, so He sent light to dispel the darkness of our lives. At our conversion there was light. Praise God He shines ever increasing light as the Word is preached week by week. In verse 10 Peter tells us we are a people who have obtained mercy. He delights to show mercy. We deserve to be punished, condemned to Hell for all eternity. But God has chosen to pardon us, judgement fell on His Son.

We have been formed into a people, united in Christ. We are not here by accident; God has forged this congregation, you are blessed to be part of Penuel, Roch. God bought you, called you, pardoned you and rescued you.

Peter’s readers were battered and bruised, undergoing a fiery trial (1 Peter 4:12). Peter wants to comfort them, to strengthen them. He points them to who they are. The world writes them off as worthless, but God loves them and God loves you. He has given us things that can never be taken away. He loves us, He has taken us on freely. He has shown us mercy. We are to serve the Lord in difficult times too. We have been chosen, bought, called, loved, the recipients of mercy. Let us keep this at the forefront of our minds.

Privileges have been bestowed upon those who have turned from sin. They are channelled to us in Jesus. Have you looked to Him for grace and pardon? Perhaps you haven’t come to Christ. What you enjoy now can be taken from you in a moment. We are here to declare the praises of Him who did all this. He wants you to be declaring His excellencies, His attributes, His unmerited love, to Him in song and in prayer. Tell one another of the great attributes of God. He is all powerful, all wise, faithful. Encourage one another. Stir one another. Declare the gospel to those in darkness. Bring the greatness of God before them. We have a purpose, we are called for special work.