Sometimes it is hard to follow God’s ways when friends in our culture are critical of us. In this text, Peter reveals reasons to chose God’s will over people’s pressures even if we have to suffer for it.
Sermons by Dean Wertz (Page 37)
If you are a Christian there are times when you will be criticized. Sometimes the harsh words come from those we love the most. When we feel attacked we have clear marching orders. God has called us to bless and to do good to those who revile us. In this message we discover God’s ways to cultivate this habit of blessing those who criticize us.
Marriage is a gift from God but sometimes it can be difficult. In this passage we discover that God’s strategy for marriage is wiser than ours. Here we specifically learn how Christian wives are to honor their husbands (even those who do not yet believe) as well as how Christian husbands are to honor their wives.
Though it can be tempting to skirt around the laws of our land, God does not want Christians to overlook the impact it has when we honor our government’s leaders and laws. When Christians submit to governing authorities they both honor God and are used to help some who do not yet believe stop their criticisms of Christ and in some cases, eventually come to know and glorify God.
When it becomes hard to follow Christ in the world God has blessed us with community. This message proclaims the greatness of the union that all believers have through the gospel which has been planted in us as well as our responsibility to cultivate our relationships with one another.
Hope is a positive picture of the future that fuels anticipation and transformation in the present. The ultimate hope for Christians is that day when we will see Jesus. As a result, Christians are commanded to “set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Three habits are explored in this message to help us set our hope on that great day.
Since Christians may be criticized when they faithfully follow Jesus, Peter writes to make sure believers know how generous God has been to bring them into His family and to lavish His blessings on them. This message is a declaration of the grace and love of God on all who are believers in Christ.
When a culture shifts away from God and His Word, followers of Jesus often error by either getting angry with those in the world or by compromising in order to avoid persecution. In this introductory message to the letter of I Peter, we discover that God led Peter to write to Christians in modern day Northern Turkey in order to show them how to live in Christ according to the ways of Christ in the midst of a culture that is opposed to Jesus and His ways. This message also shows the relevance for believers in our day as well.