I Peter 4-11
The climate of our culture is becoming increasingly more secular
All you need to do is turn on CNN
It’s not just in the United States it is all over the world
Dafar , Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Russia, Venezuela, and on and on the list goes.
There is hate everywhere; there are those who would inflict pain upon us simply because they don’t like us
Now come back to the United States
To be a Christian is increasingly unpopular and for some it is simply a social network
But the time is coming and its probably now that people are going to look for something or someone who will give them hope
And as historic as this moment is His name is not Barack Obama
Yes we should celebrate this moment, but our worship should not be misplaced
It belongs to a King, not a president
It is still true that there is salvation in no other name but the name of Jesus who is the Christ
Ours is a culture where Christianity is one of many options
The book of I Peter is written in Babylon (modern day Iraq) to the diaspora, the scattered believers who were being persecuted by Nero vv.11
It is actually a letter of encouragement to those who are suffering for righteousness
The tone of 1 Peter is a warm pastoral one full of encouragement.
The exhortations are addressed to Christians who are scattered over a wide area.
They share a common faith with Christians everywhere and face common problems.
Their basic problem is to live for God in the midst of a society ignorant of the true God.
Because they are Christians they are misunderstood and subjected to cruel treatment.
Peter’s pastoral purpose is to help these early believers see their temporary sufferings in the full light of the coming eternal glory.
In the midst of all their discouragements the sovereign God will keep them and enable them by faith to have joy.
Jesus Christ by his patient suffering and glorious future destiny has given them the pattern to follow and also a living hope.
Life in a pagan society is difficult and requires humility and submission.
The Reality of our Relationship with God
Verse 4 presupposes a relationship with God
So he says in vv.4 as you come to Him, but it also implies they come to Him
Two groups come but leave with very different results
a. One group comes to the Living Stone
They analyze Him & reject Him and discard Him
The idea is putting something to the test
The word “disallowed” is the translation of a word that refers to the act of putting someone or something to the test for the purpose of putting one’s approval upon that person and thus receiving him, this act of testing being carried to the point where no further testing is needed, with the result that one comes to the settled conclusion that the one tested does not meet the requirements of the test and is therefore disapproved, repudiated.
1. Men test and reject Jesus
This Living Stone in the Person of God the Son became incarnate, lived for thirty-three years in the midst of Israel, offered Himself as its Messiah, was examined by official Israel for the purpose of approving Him as its Messiah, and then repudiated because He was not what official Israel wanted in a Messiah.
What a commentary on the totally depraved condition of man’s heart.
But their rejection of Him does not change Gods opinion or the facts
He is chosen of God and considered precious vv.4
The rejected stone is the capstone/cornerstone
He had in mind eastern architecture (explain)
This stone rejected becomes a stumbling block to those who reject it
They stumble and fall because of their disobedience
b. The other group comes to Him and discovers the benefit of embracing Him
So he says as you! come to Him
This is not a onetime event it is a perpetual coming
It speaks to a deliberate habitual coming
It speaks to an intimate relationship
As you keep coming to Him-the living stone
2. You become living stones
In the Old Testament they had a temple
In the new testament we are the temple
In the Old Testament they built with dead stones(inanimate objects)
In the New Testament –built with living stones
The priests were limited to the linage of Aaron
But now we are all priest
**Qumran community considered themselves living temples
The problem was the claim was just that, it was at best just a claim
The key ingredient the corner stone was missing
But you are a living stone because Christ is now you life
***The text says that we are chosen to be a Holy priesthood
This could not have happened in the Old Testament
Royalty comes from the line of Judah
The priesthood comes from the line of Levi
But it can happen now because of our relationship to the King-Priest
For the purposes of
a. Spiritual worship
What are these sacrifices?
1. Our Bodies
Romans 12: 1 present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God; this is your spiritual worship
This involves every area of our lives
2. Fruit of our lips
Heb 13:15-16
15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.
16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
b. Effective witnesses
1. Declaring His Praises in this culture
Salvation-he rescued you
Redemption
2. Living Epistle in this culture
Live so that those who accuse will have to recant
Live in such a way that people see God
Look at how peter phrases this in verse 11 he does not say abstain from evil behavior
Isn’t the behavior that people see
But He goes deeper to ones mindset/ attitude internal longings
He says the who you were before is waging war with who you are in Jesus Christ
In the greek it is literally hold yourself back
In this culture the will be the temptation to do what you used to do, but hold yourself back
Remember that you are strangers/ resident aliens
