We come this morning to the end of our series on I Peter. This is the 24th and final message. […]
Text: 1 Peter 5In early March I preached on “Are You Prepared to Suffer for Christ?” from I Peter 3:13-17. After the final […]
Text: 1 Peter 5:1-4I begin with the words of British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge, from an interview with William F. Buckley: “As an old […]
Text: 1 Peter 4:12-19This is the second sermon in a two-part miniseries on God and our money. We’re doing this because we’re praying […]
Text: Matthew 6:19-34If this be the day before the end of the world, let it be a day in which we say, “Not less for Jesus, but more.”
Text: 1 Peter 4:7-11“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in […]
Text: 1 Peter 4:1-6Are you prepared to suffer for Christ? For most of us, the answer is no. For most of the Christians […]
Text: 1 Peter 3:13-17“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do […]
Text: 1 Peter 3:8-12What is inner beauty that lasts and how do we get it? In today’s quest for physical beauty amidst a burgeoning population of aging Boomers who are finding it difficult to reconcile the ravages of time on their bodies, surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures are seeing explosive growth in this country. This craze is not particular only to celebrities and socialites but now includes the rest of society who can afford the cost of the procedures. We all want to look good, but all external and applied adornments will fail sooner or later. The Bible puts forth a better goal of the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. There is power and value in this inner beauty that all women can acquire. Scripture gives us a solid example of such beauty in the Old Testament character of Sarah. She was a woman of recognized great beauty in her society but Scripture credits her with a greater inner beauty of character that was more commendable and precious to God, described in First Peter, chapter three. Here, all Christian women are called to be “daughters of Sarah,” to emulate her lasting beauty of character quality and attitude. Ultimately for women, the beauty of eternal value is like that which Jesus demonstrated in his submission to and hope in God, in doing what is right without giving way to fear. This is true beauty in God’s sight.
Text: 1 Peter 3:1-6The Christian walk is synonymous with innocent suffering and pain, through which Christ our Lord suffered and died. He left us all an example of how to follow him in this. A Christian’s call to this behavior goes against the grain of his human tendencies: to suffer unjust treatment without retaliation, trusting only that God would be the judge of things ultimately. Jesus lived the sacrificial life to which he calls all his believers. It is a life that leads to the cross, and he has modeled how to live this sacrificial life for us. When we suffer unjustly, we share in a tiny portion of what happened to him. When we are mistreated, we are to turn the other check, bless those who curse us, and return good for evil. We are not to retaliate, not to threaten, not to get even. Jesus showed us how to live, and he showed us how to die. This response is a miracle in itself and is under girded and made possible only by the gift of grace from God.
Text: 1 Peter 2:21-25