“God’s Message to the Isolated”Learning from 1 Peter

Sermon 1: Praise1 Peter 1:1-9 Page 1886

We are in weird and unusual times, that is for sure. Never have we had to be so isolated from one another on a global scale like we are doing at this time. As I have been calling around and check in the general comment is that it is time to get this done and be back together. Life has to get back on track as we face this virus in different ways and maybe we are moving that way in BC. We will find out more in the next few weeks.

This week we will take communion together at the end of the sermon instead of stopping at parts along the way. Our new series is a series through 1st Peter so let me tell you what I would like us to get from this series as I tried to pick a section of scripture that would be helpful for us to study as a congregation.

I want us to know the writing of 1st Peter within its context and its entirety. We will be going through the text section by section as I think that this is the best way to understand the original context of a book in the Bible.

I want us to connect with the historical context of the writing to see that God has presented messages to those in isolation at other times in history and that His message is relevant to us today. We could be looking at Daniel, Ezekiel, Jonah, Malachi or other writings from the time of exile, or in Acts from Acts 8:1-2 on as the church is scattered. We could pick up this message from Hebrews, Philemon, 2nd, 3rd John or Revelation. God has a message to the isolated.

Another truth that I would like us to connect with is that the life of a Disciple of Jesus is one of isolation. In many ways we live in disconnection from the pace and current of the world. Christianity, in itself, is a faith that leads us away from the mainstream; so, the message is true if we are in social isolation or not. The message of 1st Peter was written to people who were in physical isolation but not because of a pandemic. They were scattered and wondering if anyone believed as they believed as they needed help to live a new way of life that was unsupported in their homes and community. 1st Peter gives a message of connection and hope.

The fourth thing that I would like us to see is that each of the sections in 1st Peter, as I have divided them, have a call to action so I have chosen those action words as

the title for each sermon. This week is a call to Praise and each week we will add another action.

Let’s get to the context before we apply the text of today as we examine the call of praise in 1st Peter 1:1-9 on page 1887.

Occasion and Purpose (From the NIV Bible Commentary)

The tone of 1 Peter is a warm fatherly one, full of encouragement. The exhortations are addressed to Christians who are scattered over a wide area as it is written to provinces instead of towns. (Show the map).

The writing may be to the Jews, likely converted to Judaism as proselytes, who had come to Jerusalem for Passover and heard the gospel message by Peter in Acts 2 and turned their lives to Jesus as the Messiah. Now, 30 years or so later, persecution comes again to them because of their faith. The recipients did not fit in when they left Paganism to become Jews. They did not fit in with the Jews who did not treat them with full acceptance. The Jews who did accept them may not have accepted their turn to Christianity, and their Pagan families may wonder what is next; how long will they hold this belief? The scattered believers need to connect with one another because they do not connect anywhere else. Their faith has led to isolation with few believers scattered far apart.

The truth is that they shared a common faith with Christians everywhere and faced common problems. Their basic problem was to live for God in the midst of a society ignorant of the true God. Because they were Christians, they were misunderstood and subjected to cruel treatment. Peter's pastoral purpose was 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 would keep them and enable them by faith to have joy. Jesus Christ by his patient suffering and glorious future destiny had given them the pattern to follow and also a living hope. Life in a pagan society was difficult and required humility and submission. The immediate future for the church was an increase in the conflict with the world (4:7-18). But God would provide the grace to enable the community of the faithful to grow into maturity. They must help one another and show loving concern lest the members of God's flock be injured (4:8, 10; 5:1-2).

1st Peter deals with faithfulness and core beliefs of a Christian. It provides this information to an audience with a problem. These Gentiles, and scattered Jewish Christians, are having difficulty fitting in. They are different and those around

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them are taking notice. One person in particular has taken notice and begun to do something with these people. The fifth Roman emperor, born A.D. 37, commenced reign in 54, died June 9, 68. Nero. The first years of Nero’s reign were peaceful. Paul, in compliance with his own expressed appeal (Acts 25:10-11), was brought before Nero as the reigning Caesar (c. A.D. 63) and we may infer that Paul was freed of all charges to continue his labors of evangelization.

The cruelty of Nero began in his second period after he married his wife Poppaea. During this period, he killed his mother, his chief advisers Seneca and Burrus, and many of the nobility to secure their fortunes and when Rome was damaged by fire, he blamed the Christians and began persecuting them. History tells us that he finally died by his own hand in the summer of A.D. 68, the last of the line of Julius Caesar. Both Paul and Peter suffered martyrdom under Nero.

So, what are these isolated Christians supposed to do to remain faithful while under oppression? The first call to action is the call to Praise!

The Text 1 Peter 1:1-9 (Page 1887):1PE 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

Now notice how he refers to his audience. To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Take note of the terms of inclusion and unity as a help for them to see themselves as God sees them instead of how they might feel about themselves.

He calls them elect (chosen), strangers (pilgrims or sojourners), chosen, sanctified (made holy and set apart), chosen to be obedient and cleansed

with the blood of Jesus as is the image in Hebrews 10:22 and 12:24.God calls them to see their unity instead of their division and separation and he offers them the blessings of Grace (getting the good things that you do not deserve) and Peace (with Jesus as our Yahweh Shalom who gives us peace with God, one another, and inner peace during turmoil).

Now the next section 3-12 is all one sentence in Greek and we are stopping part way in verse 9. We begin with the call of action for those who are in isolation.

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Instead of focusing on the problem we focus on God and that always leads us to Praise for many, many reasons…

1PE 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, We praise the God and Father of Jesus, a God of Mercy who does not give us the punishment that we do deserve. Instead of punishment He gives us New Birth as

born-again Christians, a new birth into a Living Hope (not an inactive one) tied to the resurrection of Jesus.

Verse 4 speaks of reasons to praise God for our inheritance:4 and into an inheritance that can never (1) perish, (2) spoil or (3) fade—(4) kept in heaven for you (that inheritance is protected Matthew 6:19-24).

These are all good reasons to praise God and to accept the salvation that Jesus offers so that we can be in heaven.

Verse 5 continues our reasons to praise God. 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power (God secures this inheritance) until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (you don’t get it now; only later, so you trust and wait) 6 In this (The fact that we, and our inheritance, are shielded and kept until the last days) you greatly rejoice, (what we do have now are the trials) though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 (And God can bring good out of them as well) These (trials) have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold (eternal over temporary), which perishes even though refined by fire—(1) may be proved genuine and (2) may result in 1) praise, 2) glory and 3) honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (not now but later). 8 (We trust in Jesus who is very real to us even..) Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are (currently) receiving the goal (what you expect at the end) of your faith, the salvation of your souls. ( You are already saved, and eternity starts here.)

The first message to the isolated is to focus on praise. Only God can bring good out of the struggles that we face, and we do see that in our current isolation. God has blessed our congregation with health and safety, interconnection, purpose and the ability to be a blessing to each other and the community. We have ways to communicate with one another as well as share communion in a different way in

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thought of one another. We are separated but not alone. For these reasons, and many more, God is deserving of praise and so we will focus on praising Him this week.

1. Thank God for His written word.2. Thank Him for Jesus’ willing sacrifice.3. Thank Him for our connection to one another.4. Thank Him for our health and safety.5. Look for the good that God can bring out of this isolation.6. Look forward to being back together.7. Take time to smell the roses or tulips, settle down and enjoy God’s little and

large blessings.1st Peter reminds us that we are strangers and pilgrims who are different than the world around us. Christ still needs preached and we still need to be strangers.

As we share communion this week, we can think of many concepts brought up in this passage. We might think of ourselves as being chosen by God, or strangers in the world who do not fit in, or the living Hope and inheritance that we have as well as the many reasons for praise.

The thought that I want to focus on is in verse 7 where it says that our faith is of more value, and longer lasting, than gold. Starting the week off with communion is a reminder of the value and timelessness of the relationship that we have with Jesus: because of Jesus.

As we break the bread this morning let us think of how precious our faith is to us and how eternal it is. Our trust in Jesus leads us to accepting the inheritance that He has provided and that He is protecting in heaven.

Please join together in prayer for the bread:Heavenly, Holy, Righteous and loving Father we come to you to break this bread in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. We are thankful for His body and the example that He set for us about the priority of connecting with you and being born again. We are thankful for the church family and we pray for our protection and focus as we look to you and serve you however we can this week. We thank you for the talents and gifts that you give us to serve one another as a body and for this bread that reminds us to value the eternal over the temporary. We break this bread together in celebration of Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Let’s continue our prayer for the grape juice:

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Our most high God and Father who sustains us, protects us, and gives us peace, we come to you with this prayer of thanks for the grape juice that we share thinking about the sacrifice of Jesus and the blessings that we receive because of His resurrection. We know that our faith is precious and help us to protect it and nurture it this week as we spend time in your word and in prayer. Help us to praise you in all situations and circumstances as we look forward to being with you in heaven one day. As we share this juice, we think of the blood that Jesus shed and the forgiveness of sins that it provides and we are thankful for choosing us, adopting us, and giving us purpose. We thank you for the day and the week ahead if you decide to provide us with that: and if you decide to send Jesus back to get us may we be found ready and working in your kingdom. In Jesus’ name we offer this prayer and share the grape juice as an isolated family of believers. Amen.

May you be richly blessed this week as you focus on the eternal over the temporary and find new things to praise God for each day. Keep safe and keep connected!

Next week is 1st Peter 1:10-21 and the call to Look Forward.

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