Good News For Discouraged Believers

Good News For Discouraged Believers

Living God’s Way – part one

1 Peter 1:1-12

THIS MORNING - we are about to begin an exciting journey AND I am really pumped up and jazzed about it. YOU SEE – we are going to being doing something during the next 10 Sunday mornings that we only do about once a year… A SERIES OF MESSAGES – dedicated to a particular book of the bible. (Now every Wednesday night in our adult study during 242 New Community that is what we do – a verse by verse study of a book of the bible, right now we are in the book of James, and if you want to improve your bible knowledge it is the place to be – we are in James chapter 4)

BUT – on Sunday mornings most of my series are topical; for example this year we have done series called; “What Jesus Came To Do,” “I Have A Friend Who…,” and “Changing From The Inside Out…”

NOW – don’t misunderstand me I enjoy those series too, AND everyone of them has been exciting journeys as well… AND – I feel that they are exactly what I need to be doing on Sunday mornings, BUT – about once a year I like to grab a book of the bible and really dig into and pull out of it - all of it’s treasure…(AND – if not all at least a bunch of it) LISTEN – this book is powerful, and it is a treasure…

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” - Is 55:10-12

“Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another--showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.”

- 2 Tim 3:16,17 (NLT)

THIS BOOK – is God breathed! It is alive and it is active. It cuts through all the junk and barriers in our lives… It judges your thoughts and your attitudes. It shows what is wrong with the way you are living and tells you how to live right. This book will accomplish what God wants it to accomplish today…. Like the rain coming form the sky – it waters our life….

BEGINNING TODAY – we are going to dig into the book of 1 Peter, in a message series called, “Living God’s Way…”

NOW – you are going to find out over the next several weeks that 1 Peter is an amazing book… FULL – of awesome truths that will enable you to live God’s way.

QUESTION – who wrote 1 Peter? (you are sooo smart…)

YOU KNOW - I love Peter – I MEAN he is a guy that I can relate to… He kind of reminds of Mike Alstot of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers… A strong tough guy with passion who does some pretty amazing things (runs with power, knocks people down, carries people into the end zone) but every once in awhile (right when you need him the most) he fumbles the ball…

UNDERSTAND - when I think of Peter… So many snapshots go through my mind…

I see him - dropping his net’s by the sea of Galilee, leaving everything to follow Jesus…

I see him – in the middle of the night, a powerful storm pounding a little boat, full of frightened fishermen, swinging both legs over the side of that boat and walking on water…

I see him – taking his eyes off of Jesus (like we do at times), and sinking into the crashing waves…

I see him – with great power and confidence… answering Jesus question, “Who do you say that I am?” “You are the Christ the Son of the living God…”

I see him – pulling Jesus (his master, his teacher, his friend) aside, after Jesus told the 12 that he must go to Jerusalem and die - and rebuking Jesus for talking like that… “Jesus you need to stop all this death talk…”

I see him – with great confidence say, ‘even if everyone else leaves you, I will never abandoned you Jesus…”

I see him – with a sword in the garden cutting off the ear of a man who came to arrest Jesus.